Genre: Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Indie, Card & Board Game
Kards: The WWII Card Game
Naval Warfare: Player Profiles
Hello, Commanders!
The Naval Warfare expansion is on the horizon, arriving on 18 June - and with it comes a major new feature we’re especially excited to share: player profiles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6cDrktEbLU
Your profile is your personal space to track your accomplishments, celebrate your victories, and show off your unique identity as a player. This is the next step in the journey that started with United Front in March with the introduction of player portraits. We’re now expanding that into a full player profile, giving you more ways to express your individual identity in-game.
On the left side of the new profile, you’ll find your core stats:
Player portrait
Current rank
Player name
Highest rank
Highest officer club position
Highest battle mode win streak
Total number of unique cards owned
On the right side, you’ll see a display of your earned medals and ribbons. You can hover over each one for more info, and select up to five banners to be featured at the top of your profile - perfect for highlighting your proudest moments.
Achievements are awarded for a wide variety of in-game milestones:
Winning PvP matches
Completing Draft runs
Advancing national progress
Reaching specific ranks
Destroying enemy units
Some achievements are straightforward. There are also a few special commendations hidden in plain sight, crafted for those who complete unique or unexpected challenges. We won’t spoil the surprises - those are yours to uncover.
To view your profile, just click your name at the top of the screen and select “Profile.” You’ll be able to switch between the Profile and Achievements tabs to get a full overview of your progress and accolades.
You’ll also be able to view other players’ profiles and see how your stats compare. If you’d prefer to keep your service record confidential, you can choose to opt out and keep your profile private.
This new system gives you more ways to track your journey, celebrate your successes, and stand out in the community. We can’t wait for you to dive in when Naval Warfare arrives on 18 June.
Stay sharp and keep scanning the horizon for more intel on what's coming your way!
THE BATTLE OF DUNKIRK
Finding Victory Inside Defeat
The Battle of France began when Germany invaded the Low Countries, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and France on 10 May 1940. The Germans had changed warfare with their Blitzkrig tactics and were operating on Manstein’s plan - Case Yellow. The plan was a reverse of Molke’s plan in the Great War. The previous plan was to draw the Allies into Germany and encircle them with an attack through the low countries. Manstein’s plan was to attack the Low Countries, draw the Allied forces there and then encircle them with a pincer from the Ardennes to the English Channel.
It worked perfectly.
While the French First and Seventh Armies and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) were being drawn into the Low Countries the Germans made a breakthrough at the Ardennes and Sedan. Now the French First Army, BEF and Belgian Army were all cut off and their only hope of escape was the port of the French city Dunkerque.
Soldiers from the BEF fire at low flying German aircraft during the Dunkirk evacuation. Source Wikipedia.
As the Allies retreated, confusing battles raged along the perimeter. The Germans surrounded five French divisions near Lille. Cut off, the French fought on valiantly for four days, buying the retreating Allies valuable time.
The French soldiers fought valiantly but were held back by late orders, communication issues, poor supply and lack of anti-aircraft support.
On 24 May the Germans halted their advance. They had met their major objectives in 14 days of Blitskrieg and now consolidated their gains and reorganized their armies for a continued offensive. The German airforce was given the task to destroy the forces trapped at Dunkirk.
The Panzer I, JU 87 Stuka and Panzer II were all at the forefront of the German invasion of France.
This respite gave the Allied forces time to reorganise, build their defence and pull back their exposed forces. It also gave the Royal Navy a chance to implement the rescue of the Allied troops in Operation Dynamo. Initial plans were modest, to save 45.000 men in two days. On the first day only 7,669 Allied soldiers were saved but this number grew daily. Soon the navy was aided by the little Ships of Dunkirk, 850 privately owned boats crewed by officers and sailors of the Royal Navy as well as civilians. The small boats made it possible to reach the troops on the beach directly rather than entirely relying on harbour facilities.
The 2nd battalion of the Cheshire regiment, 5th Brigade and 70th Brigade were all part of the BEF in France and among those evacuated at Dunkirk.
On 26 May the Germans renewed their offensive and the Allied rearguard fought bitterly to keep the evacuation beaches open. The Luftwaffe attacked the beach with heavy bombing. The RAF flew over 3,500 sorties to support Operation Dynamo, never giving the Luftwaffe the chance to operate freely.
After nine days 338,226 soldiers were rescued, 224,320 British and 123,906 French and Belgian. The losses were also staggering. Almost all the BEF heavy equipment was lost, 6 destroyers sunk, 220 other vessels sunk, including small craft sunk and the RAF lost 145 aircraft.
The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill initially called the Battle of Dunkirk a colossal military disaster. Yet this sentiment would change. The core of the British Army, its soldiers, had been saved to fight another day. Civilians and military had all pitched in to bring the boys home. The English nation was galvanised to continue the fight. This pulled everyone together in the Dunkirk spirit. In defeat, the British found victory.
“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
- Winston Churchill, 4 June 1940 at the House of Commons.
Allied troops in Dunkirk stoically waited in line for passage to the safety of England.
May Update - Patch Notes
Hello Commanders!
We’re excited to roll out the May Update for KARDS!
This patch focuses on polishing the game experience with numerous bug fixes and behind-the-scenes improvements. We’ve also upgraded to a newer version of Unreal Engine.
Along with the bug fixes listed below, we’re also making a mechanic adjustment: Veteran units that are suppressed will now revert fully to their non-Veteran state (e.g. if a Veteran Ki-45 DRAGON SLAYER is suppressed, its attack/defense will now become 4/3).
Bug Fixes
Battle
The cost of the 4th GUARDS RIFLES was not reduced by 1 after card draw was initiated by the opponent’s ME BF 109 G FI ability. Fixed.
The LIGHTNING STRIKE countermeasure did not correctly trigger after an opponent drew an extra card with the ME BF 109 G FI ability. Fixed.
Fixed a visual bug where playing AIR ESCORT with both a “Deployment: Draw a card” unit (e.g., PANZER 38(t)) and a “Deployment: Choose 1 of 3” unit (e.g., PANZER III-H) on the battlefield could cause the left-most chosen card to get stuck on screen.
When the FRIENDLY FIRE countermeasure was activated after the SISU countermeasure, the damage from FRIENDLY FIRE did not correctly apply when it was triggered. Fixed.
In the Battle Log, the unit targeted by SHADOW STRIKE was not correctly shown. Fixed.
When PAK 40 was re-deployed after having been retreated to hand, if it had already used its deployment ability during its first deployment to destroy an opponent tank costing 2 or less, card draw was incorrectly triggered upon re-deployment. Fixed.
In some cases, BLETCHLEY PARK caused cards to be shuffled into the deck instead of being placed on top of the deck. Fixed.
A card drawn through INFANTRY REGIMENT 36’s deployment ability was not correctly discarded at the end of the next turn after the unit was suppressed. Fixed.
Countermeasures drawn through self-discard effects (e.g., INFANTRY REGIMENT 36) were not correctly discarded if activated. Fixed.
Fixed broken interaction between FINNISH BOYS and PUNISH, causing card draw even when no card was discarded.
LYSANDER PL’s ability was not correctly triggered before being destroyed by a known order. Fixed.
In some rare cases, the Guard ability could be ignored and unintended cards targeted. Fixed.
When the opponent’s deck was empty, after attacking the opponent’s HQ with the ME BF 109 G FI, the unit ability would incorrectly draw the last drawn card from the deck again. Fixed.
On mobile devices, when long-pressing a card in hand in battle, the card preview did not correctly disappear. Fixed.
Campaigns
In some cases, on mobile devices, in the USA and German Starter Campaigns, during the first mission, the AI’s first card was drawn unusually slowly. Fixed.
In the Japanese Theaters of War campaign, in mission 4, in some cases, special rule 2 - “Reduce combat damage against the enemy HQ by the number of enemy units on the battlefield” - would start to be affected by friendly units on the battlefield. Fixed.
In the US Theaters of War campaign, in mission 3, in some cases, special rule 1 - “The first two Japanese units removed from the frontline on your turn add a replacement unit” - was not correctly triggered. Fixed.
In the US Theaters of War campaign, in mission 1, in some cases, special rule 3 - “Skip your normal draw for the first 3 turns” - was not correctly triggered. Fixed.
User Interface
Fixed some instances of the font of a card with alt art on it not showing up correctly.
In the deck building and Collection interfaces, cards remained clickable while under the top bar. Fixed.
In the Collection interface, when opening the detailed view of the MACCHI C.200, the deployment effect was not correctly displayed on the left side of the card. Fixed.
In friendly challenge matches, sometimes the battle UI would display the rank of a player on one player’s screen. Fixed.
Some banners were missing in the shop. Fixed.
Alternative card art shop offers showed the default card art until the offer was selected. Fixed.
Visual
Fixed some errors with card artwork.
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for news on the upcoming Summer Expansion and spoiler season!
ROTATION LIST FOR NAVAL WARFARE
Good day, Commanders!
We are thrilled for the release of Naval Warfare, making its landfall in KARDS on June 18th. Check out the full details on the Naval Warfare expansion here:
NAVAL WARFARE: NEW KARDS EXPANSION ARRIVES 18 JUNE
As with every expansion, this release also brings a new card rotation. Naval Warfare introduces 87 brand new cards and 20 returning cards from the Reserve pool. To maintain a balanced and manageable card pool, 107 cards from the current set will rotate into Reserves.
Some of the rotating cards are staples of the current meta, and their move to reserves will impact many popular decks. While we bid these cards farewell for now, we're thrilled to introduce a trove of fresh cards and strategies. We can't wait to see how Commanders will rise to the challenge and shape the future of KARDS with bold new tactics and opportunities.
Check out the visual guides below for an overview of the reserve rotation for each of the five main nations, along with a combined overview for the ally nation cards.
RETURNING CARDS
Check out the full list of cards returning from Reserves to the active card pool on June 18th. Please note that some may return in a reworked form - stay tuned for more details coming soon.
Returning cards from Britain: SUNDERLAND MK V, FOG OF WAR, BLOCKADE, GROUNDED
Returning cards from Germany: KRIEGSMARINE, FW 200 CONDOR, U-16, ROUT
Returning cards from Japan: KIKKA, SCOUTING PARTY, REDEPLOYMENT, EDGE OF THE EMPIRE
Returning cards from the Soviet Union: RED BANNER, ORDER 227, STAND FAST, URAL FACTORIES
Returning cards from the USA: SEABORNE INVASION, 109th COMBAT ENGINEERS, CARRIER COVER, 32nd INFANTRY REGIMENT
CARD ROTATION BY NATION
BRITAIN
Elite cards: LONG RANGE DESERT GROUP, SINCERELY YOURS, 85 PIONEER COMPANY
Special cards: PARTNERSHIP, NIGHT RAID, CRUSADER Mk II, REFIT
Standard cards: 75th RANGERS, BATTLE VALOR, 11th INFANTRY REGIMENT, THE REGULARS, 17th INFANTRY REGIMENT, 463rd BATTALION, GRIM DAY
ALLY NATIONS
France: PHONEY WAR, 43e RÉGIMENT MOTORISÉ, 73e RÉGIMENT D’INFANTERIE
Italy: FIAT C.R.32, 6th ALPINI REGIMENT
Poland: SPITFIRE Mk V PL, 78th STEEL REGIMENT
Important Reserve Pool Facts:
Reserve cards remain playable in the Classic PvP mode, friendly challenge matches, and AI training matches.
You may recycle Reserved cards, which contributes to your weekly crate progress.
New expansion cards are safe from Reserve rotation for at least 1.5 years.
Some Reserve cards may return in future expansions - possibly with adjustments!
Make sure to keep an eye on KARDS’ social channels for the latest news and spoiler card drops from Naval Warfare!
NAVAL WARFARE: NEW KARDS EXPANSION ARRIVES 18 JUNE
Good day, Commanders!
Man your battle stations - a new chapter in KARDS history is on the horizon! The Naval Warfare Summer Expansion is charting its course and will make landfall on 18 June.
Naval Warfare Highlights
87 new cards anchoring into KARDS!
Fresh reinforcements await your command, with 15 cards for major nations and 3 for minor nations.
Introducing the Navy subtype - rule the seas!
We will expand on the naval cards, and they will take a more prominent place on the battlefield. This is accompanied by a Navy subtype that has subtle effects in fluid battles.
New Convert mechanic - turn the tide!
This clever mechanic allows commanders to transform cards into different cards!
Medals and Ribbons!
We are introducing a new system in which players collect medals and ribbons for completing various gameplay achievements. Once collected, the medals and ribbons can also be displayed in your public profile, visible to other players when they tap on your player portrait.
Reserve pool reshuffle - reshaping your strategies!
Several reworked cards return to active duty from the Reserve Pool, and some existing cards receive balance adjustments. For all the intel, check out our dev blog:
As we kick off the spoiler season, we are thrilled to share five of the new cards arriving with Naval Warfare this summer!
USS MISSOURI
● Nation: USA
● Card Type: Order
● Rarity: Elite
● Cost: 3 kredits
● Ability: Destroy target unit in the frontline. Retreat adjacent units.
FW 190 F-9
● Nation: Germany
● Card Type: Fighter
● Rarity: Special
● Cost: 4 kredits to deploy, 2 kredits to operate
● Stats: 4 attack, 5 defense
● Ability: At the end of each enemy turn, deal 4 damage to their HQ if they did not deploy a unit.
CHAIN HOME
● Nation: Britain
● Card Type: Order
● Rarity: Limited
● Cost: 3 kredits
● Ability: Change the attack of a friendly unit to be equal to its defense. It Fights a random enemy unit.
EXTENDED BARRAGE
● Nation: Soviet Union
● Card Type: Order
● Rarity: Limited
● Cost: 2 kredits
● Ability: Deal 6 damage to target unit. Lose 2 kredits at the start of your next turn.
SHIFTING DOCTRINE
● Nation: Japan
● Card Type: Order
● Rarity: Limited
● Cost: 1 kredit
● Ability: Intel 1. Shuffle a random card in hand into your deck, then draw 2 cards.
Pre-orders Available Now
Secure your pre-order for Naval Warfare in the in-game shop! Along with exclusive content like the Naval Warfare card back, you’ll enjoy enticing discounts on card pack bundles from the new expansion.This treasure trove includes instant access to the 5 revealed cards - ready for action RIGHT NOW! Also included in the bundle are cosmetics and card packs that can be opened with the full release of Naval Warfare 18 June.
Don’t miss out on your chance to strengthen your decks with massive discounts before the ships sail out on 18 June!
Nation-Specific Features
Britain
Great Britannia rules the seas. Britain will have a well-rounded entry with all the new features of the Naval Warfare expansion.
Germany
With a smaller fleet Germany will have Convert as a primary focus, with the Navy as secondary.
Soviet Union
The Soviets are mainly a land force, but they will be able to make good use of the new mechanics and have a Counter-Offensive support theme.
USA
They are the new masters of the seas and will have Navy as the primary theme.
Japan
Contesting the Pacific and expanding their Empire, Japan will have Navy as the primary theme.
More Intel Dropping Soon
We're thrilled to share more details with you in the weeks leading up to the release. Make sure to follow us on KARDS' social channels for details on the latest daily card spoilers and some deep-dives into the features arriving this summer!
The Germans held back the Allied advance in Italy for almost 5 months in the mountainous surroundings of Monte Cassino. The once beautiful area was reduced to ruins and a lunar landscape
Following the Allied landings in North Africa it was clear that the Allies would need far more resources to invade northern France. The British Prime Minister Churchill advocated an invasion of Italy as the soft underbelly of the Axis.
The Allied invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky, in July 1943 was successful and led to the fall of the regime in Italy. The Germans were quick to respond and occupied Italy. Italy was now under German occupation and the war would continue. The Allies landed in Italy in September at Salerno. The optimistic Allied commanders estimated that Rome would fall by October 1943.
British troops examine a knocked-out German StuG III assault gun near Cassino, Italy, 18 May 1944. Photo: Loughlin No 2 Army and film and Photographic unit.
The Allies found that fighting in Italy, in its rugged and challenging terrain along with the skillful defence of the Germans, was nothing like a soft underbelly. The American General Mark Clark, later called it “One tough gut.” And Monte Cassino was one of the toughest. It took the Allied armies more than 4 months to fight the 150 km from Salerno to Monte Cassino. Here the Germans had set up a fortified line, the Winter Line. With heavily fortified mountain defences and difficult river crossing, Cassino formed a linchpin of the Winter Line.
StuG III excelled in defending against attacking armor.
The initial Allied assaults took heavy casualties for no gain. The Germans held up in entrenched positions with excellent fields of fire while the Allied troops were exposed in difficult terrain. The Allied forces were subject to accurate artillery fire and their commanders began to suspect that the Germans had an observation post in the Monte Cassino Abbey. The abbey was reduced to rubble in a series of air raids. Ironically the Germans did not have an observation post in the abbey as they had respected the protected historic zone. After the bombings the Germans however occupied the ruins and established defensive positions there.
The ruined Abbey of Monte Cassino after the German surrender. USAAF Photo 232-6. Photographer unknown.
To break the line the Allies landed at Anzio, north of Cassino. This was an improvised affair. The landings had to be made right away as the landing craft was about to be transferred to England for the D-Day landings. The initial landings were unopposed with a recon patrol making it as far as the outskirts of Rome. The US commander, John P. Lucas, rather than capitalize on this, decided to consolidate and entrench his landing area. This gave the Germans time to bring in forces and fortify the area surrounding the landing zone and any chance of a quick victory was lost. This led Churchill to comment "I had hoped we were hurling a wildcat into the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale". After a month Lucas was relieved and Major general Lucian Truscott took over command.
The 133rd Ironman and 142nd Infantry Regiments fought together in the hard fighting near Monte Cassino.
Germans directed accurate artillery against the Allied attacks.
The fighting at Cassion and Anzio continued against a determined German defence until May 1944 when a massive twenty-division assault against the defensive line, spearheaded by the Polish II Corps and the 1st Canadian Infantry Division finally broke the line. For the Allies it was a pyrrhic victory with 55.000 casualties against 20.000 German casualties. This was further confounded when Truscott, who was leading his forces to trap the retreating Germans received new orders to take Rome instead. The Germans managed to escape to the Gothic Line where they held back the Allied advance for almost half a year.
Polish soldiers inside the ruined Monte Cassino monastery. Photographer unknown.
The Allies captured Rome on 4 June 1944. This victory was quickly overshadowed by the Normandy landings two days later.
Monte Cassino Abbey was rebuilt after the war and rededicated by Pope Paul VI in 1964.
Romans welcome US troops as they enter the city. Photographer unknown.
Victory in Europe Day
Happy VE Day!
On this day, 8 May 1945, eighty years ago, the Allies of World War II accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender. It was at 23:01 Central European Summer Time, and this was 00:01 9 May, Moscow time making it the 9 May for the Soviet Union. It became Victory in Europe Day!
So ended the deadliest war in Europe and celebrations erupted throughout the Western World, especially in the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, in North America and in the USSR. The long night of war was over.
VE Day celebrations in Toronto 8 May 1945. Photo: John H. Boyd.
People celebrated in a state of euphoria. Celebrating the end of the war and constant danger.
Rebuilding was ahead in Europe and World War II was still raging in the Pacific. But for the Europeans peace had come!
We at 1939 Games wish you a happy Victory in Europe Day celebration.
Avro Lancaster performing a food drop over Ypenburg during Operation Manna. Allied bomber crews completed 11.000 tonnes of food drops to the starving population of the Netherlands. Making it the friendliest air drop by any bombers. Photo: Unknown.
49th Reconnaissance Regiment at the liberation of the Netherlands. They adopted the Polar Bear logo when they were garrisoned in Iceland 1940-1942. Photo: Unknown.
The winner of the second 2025 expansion tournament is Radish!
Dear KARDS players, friends, and WWII enthusiasts,
We saw some hard fighting this weekend and these are the top three players in the second 2025 expansion tournament!
First place, earning 1500 USD is
RADISH
Second place, earning 1000 USD is
TWI DCARGO
Third place, earning 500 USD is
ESZEMTESZEM
After each expansion and release we at KARDS hold an eSport Tournament to give you a chance to see the best players fight it out.
There is a lot to be learned, deck builds and game play. Lessons you can take to heart when building your decks and improving your play.
So make the most of it and stay tuned as we bring you more articles on how to use this new intel!
We at 1939 Games, salute the winners!
The Battle of the Reichstag
Eighty years ago on 30 April 1945 was the climatic end of World War II in Europe.
It was a symbol for the victory over Germany. Stalin had issued an order that the symbolic building should be captured before the International Workers’ Day on the 1 May.
The iconic “Raising a flag over the Reichstag”photo by Yevgeny Khaldei.
The Reichstag itself was of little value as it had not been repaired since the great fire in 1933. Yet its symbolic value was unquestionable. The Germans gathered some of their best units they still had while the Red Army amassed a force for the final assault. The War Council of the 3rd Shock Army had ordered Red Banner flags for nine divisions to carry into battle and raise over the Reichstag.
Iosef Stalin II tank - also nicknamed the "Tank of Victory”
The day before, the Soviet 3rd Sock Army crossed the Moltke Bridge. The defending Germans had fortified the nearby government buildings and Kroll Opera house. These buildings had to be cleared room by room before the Reichstag could be assaulted. The first two assaults were attempted in daylight with horrendous losses from fire from the German entrenchments and support from 12.8 cm FlaK 40 guns on the roof of the Zoo flak tower. To make matters worse General-polkovnik Vasily Shatilov, commander of the 79 Corps had erroneously announced that a red flag had been hoisted on the Reichstag and this had carried up the chain of command. The Reichstag had to be captured before the first of May.
The Zoo flak tower and German soldiers during the battle of Berlin.
Since the previous attacks had failed they waited for night time to mitigate the fire of German heavy machine-guns. This time the attackers breached the Reichstag and fierce room-to-room fighting and the staircase battles were some of the hardest that day but before the end the day the Soviet flag had been hoisted on the roof. Fighting continued in the building until 2 May.
The famous photograph was taken 2 May 1945 by Yevgeny Khaldei. It was a staged photoshoot that captured the final victory over Germany.
Soviet soldiers writing graffiti inside the Reichstag after they had captured the building.
SECOND 2025 EXPANSION TOURNAMENT AHEAD!
Attention KARDS players!
LIVE BROADCAST AHEAD!
April 26th & 27th - Round of 8 Finals @ 11:00 GMT
Tune in to watch the 8 finalists battle it out to see who is the winner of the United Front Expansion Tournament, earning the lion’s share of the 3000 USD prize pool.
This is the second of four Expansion Tournaments held this year, which are tied to expansions and major releases throughout the year. The tournament year culminates in the EPIC KARDS World Championship held in November.
Contestants in Expansion Tournaments are selected from the top players of the Officer Club (24) and tournament leaderboard (8) from the months leading up to each tournament. These 32 then go through Swiss rounds until only the top 8 are left standing!
The 8 finalists this KARDS tournament are:
1. Luo Bo
2. Top Chef
3. Cirno
4. Eszemteszem
5. Nuf
6. Twi Dcargo
7. SIE_
8. YiFang
Our top 8 contenders will battle until there is only one. This is a single elimination bracket, where all games will be a best of 5. All contenders bring 4 of their best decks with one deck ban. In order to succeed, players must prove their skill and versatility with each of their decks.
You don’t want to miss this EPIC broadcast event! Join us on Twitch. Make sure to tune in so you don’t miss any of the top level plays made by our expert players. You can learn a lot from the deck selection to the gameplay.
Deck codes will be available on the stream which you can grab and try out yourself!
