Genre: Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Indie, Card & Board Game
Kards: The WWII Card Game
Card Updates: Harmony
Hello, everyone!
As we move with full force into the winter season, the team has been working hard on various improvements, preparations for the upcoming winter expansion, as well as several new or updated features that we are excited to share more about with you all soon. The August patch was one that came with a lot of challenges for us and unfortunately that release led to various issues which a number of players experienced, for which we sincerely apologize to all affected players. The August release highlighted flaws in our release pipeline which we have worked to rectify, through reinforcing our processes and ensuring that significantly more time is allocated for testing before release.
Since the last balance patch in August, we have been monitoring and analyzing the current meta. We have identified some key areas to focus on and, to that end, will be updating three cards in the upcoming October patch, which is currently slated for release in early October.
OBSERVER CORPS
Old: Choose a card with cost 4 or more in your hand. Reduce its cost by 2. New: Choose a card with cost 5 or more in your hand. Reduce its cost by 2.
The Observer Corps played a critical role for the RAF in WW2, providing key intel for intercepting enemy formations. In KARDS, the OBSERVER CORPS is currently serving as a key component in Kredit Denial decks, becoming very powerful when combined with cards such as SOUTHERN PLAN and DAYLIGHT BOMBING. To address this strong combo, we're adjusting OBSERVER CORPS to reduce a card in hand with cost 5 or more, as opposed to the old 4 or more, by 2. While still a strong card, this adjustment will have a significant impact on its Kredit Denial combo, as well as keeping its power in check for potential future OTK combos.
IJN SHINANO
Old: Distribute damage to enemy cards equal to the number of cards on the battlefield. New: Distribute damage to enemy targets equal to the number of units on the battlefield.
A formidable air carrier, the IJN SHINANO has cemented itself as a powerful card in Japanese aggro decks since its release with the Brothers in Arms expansion last summer. We aim to dial the power back a bit with this adjustment.
164th INFANTRY REGIMENT
The 164th Infantry Regiment was a unit that saw fierce fighting in the Guadalcanal Campaign providing significant experience in jungle warfare. This is a unit we feel could use a bit more oomph in KARDS to make it more useful in decks such as US Frontline. As such, we are adding Blitz to this unit, which will better represent its prowess in combat and allow for an increased presence in popular decks.
That’s it for now. As mentioned in previous dev blogs, we continue to prioritize smaller adjustments in balance, with extensive changes primarily brought on through future expansions. The changes outlined in this blog are expected to go live in early October.
Thank you, and until we meet again on the battlefield, commanders!
A New Skirmish Event is Live
A new Skirmish event is live now until September 24th!
Here’s everything you need to know.
Skirmish is a special game mode, easily accessible from the main screen, where you play with an alternate set of rules. These rules vary between the Skirmishes; you’ll face something different at every new Skirmish event.
Get ready for some thrilling matches with these Skirmish rules:
Each player randomly gets 1 of 5 decks to battle with.
Check out the decks selected and descriptions provided by the deck authors below. Note that some of these decks may contain cards currently in the Reserve pool.
RA95.exe’s Frontline Retreat
Description: This deck is a US/Italy frontline deck with the L6/40’s ability to retreat your units on demand being showcased. Mobilization provides some draw, but the real draw happens when you purposefully retreat your units to get their powerful deployment effects back. Highroll and buff your L6/40 on turn 2 and win to your opponent’s consternation.
Description: A fast tempo air deck without Swordfish! PZL P.11 on turn 1 and the world is your oyster. This deck also includes a DIY Guard unit kit via the SPITFIRE Mk. V PL. This deck is a perfect fit for the BALUCH REGIMENT, which heals you, gives you a body, and is the perfect fit to turn into a guard unit! The SEA PATROLs are also very useful with their cost reduction. Have fun!
Description: In the realm of strategic dueling, behold the awe-inspiring magnificence of 'Siberian Transfer OTK', a transcendent One-Turn-Kill Deck that radiates an aura of invincibility. This enigmatic deck dances on the precipice of eternity, masterfully stalling the unfolding narrative of the duel until the stars align. With a mesmerizing symphony of calculated moves, it unveils its ultimate trio of cards: the resplendent SIBERIAN TRANSFER, the enigmatic URA, and the grand culmination of destiny, FINAL PUSH. This extraordinary combination defies opposition, rendering nearly all countermeasures impotent against its unparalleled prowess. Prepare to bear witness to an unparalleled feat of strategic brilliance, where victory is etched in the cosmos itself.
Description: This deck is a combo burn style heavily reliant on cheating Kredits. It is therefore usually vital to get down RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES as soon as possible, as this is a repeatable source of additional Kredits. The deck likes to dump hand with cheap powerful burn cards (chiefly PROPAGANDA) and draw a large number of cards with ENIGMA/PHONEY WAR. Use countermeasures and removal in the early game, draw through your deck, ignore slow units and go face.
Description: This deck offers a high skill ceiling to play because finding lethal or the best plays often is not apparent. However, when you find the correct line, it is very rewarding.
Early game: Try to control the board and build up enough units. Remember to play your cards before attacking with the SAKURA REGIMENT to get +2 attack. Maintain control of the frontline and save your removal for enemy bombers and artillery first. Draw with EXPANSIONs or by using BLOODY SICKLEs on your own 33rd RECON.
Mid game: Try to find an opportunity to play COUNTER OFFENSIVE to win or deal a large amount of damage. COUNTER OFFENSIVE works best on Fury units. Remember you can use LIGHTNING CONQUEST to move and attack for a massive turn!
Late game: Try to keep looking for more opportunities for a late COUNTER OFFENSIVE or try to find lethal with one of the elite Japanese planes.
Claim victory in this special Community Decklist Skirmish and earn a random card pack as your first win reward!
Access the Skirmish event from the game's main screen or from the Play menu to get a detailed overview of the game mode, rules and prize.
This Skirmish is available from Friday, September 22nd (12:00 GMT) until Sunday, September 24th at 18:00 GMT. Join this special event and win your Skirmish to claim victory and the spoils!
Please let us know what you think of the event in the comments below or on the KARDS Discord.
See you in the Skirmish this weekend!
KARDS 2023 WC: Second Qualifier!
Attention, soldiers!
The first open qualifier for the KARDS 2023 World Championship has now concluded. Congratulations to the top 56 players, who will be moving on to the top 128 player Knockout Stage along with our pre-qualified players! You can see a list of all qualified players so far in the Details menu in the World Championship hub in-game.
The second open qualifier starts this weekend - so for those not yet qualified, there’s still a chance to make it to the next stage. The top 57 players from this second round will complete the top 128 players. Remember - anyone who participates in the top 128 player Knockout Stage will receive 300 diamonds and have a chance to make it to the top 4 Grand Finals, playing for the 12,000 USD prize pool and the title of KARDS 2023 World Champion in Iceland during the first weekend of December!
The top 500 players from each open qualifier also receive the KARDS 2023 World Championship Cardback. Make sure you seize the opportunity to earn this unique reward!
The second qualifier qualification sessions will be held on the following dates:
23rd of September: 16 - 20 UTC
24th of September: 12 - 16 UTC
30th of September: 16 - 20 UTC
1st of October: 12 - 16 UTC
7th of October: 16 - 20 UTC
8th of October: 12 - 16 UTC
Each player needs to successfully complete a minimum 3 out of 6 sessions to post a legal qualifier score.
Check out the full schedule of the World Championship below. Note that in order to compete in the World Championship Grand Finals, players must be willing and able to travel to Iceland - no Grand Finals matches will be played remotely.
Competing in a Qualifier
Each qualification session lasts for 4 hours, during which a special World Championship qualifier queue will be available for the bravest among you!
Players need to complete at least 9 games during those 4 hours to successfully complete a qualification session. We also recommend playing a few extra games during the session, as these may improve your chances in the event of tiebreakers.
To enter a game, open the World Championship hub, accessible on the main screen or in the Play menu button. Press the Play button in the World Championship hub, select your deck, and head into battle! Note that you cannot join the World Championship qualifiers with a deck containing cards currently in the Reserve pool.
For each win during the first 9 matches, a player receives 5 points for the qualification ladder. For each loss in these matches, the player receives 1 point. A player’s final score is the combined total score from their best three sessions out of six sessions in the qualifier.
To post a legal qualifier score, each player needs to successfully complete a minimum of 3 out of the 6 sessions in a qualifier.
Tiebreakers
If players end up with the same score, a tiebreaker system is used to order them. This is based on several things, the most important being the strength of your opponents. Being matched against a very strong player might make for a difficult match, but will improve your chances in the event of tiebreakers, regardless of the match result. Additional games played after your first 9 games in a qualifying session contribute to your tiebreaker score as well.
Gear up and ready your decks for the second KARDS World Championship qualifier!
Hotfix for August Update
Hello everyone,
Following our latest patch, the August Update, we faced two significant challenges: certain particle effects causing crashes on some devices, and players on Android devices without a dedicated KARDS account losing access to their accounts.
We have now deployed a fix for the particle related crashing issues.
We have also deployed a fix for the issue causing Android players without dedicated KARDS accounts to lose access to their accounts. If you are one of the affected players, you should be able to access your account by opening the game client on your Android device. If you’re still faced with a login screen, press “New Player” to create a new player - then restart your client and you should be connected to your original account.
Note that this fix currently only works if you have not yet completed the tutorial on your new account - if you have already logged in as a new user and completed the tutorial, please contact KARDS support for further assistance.
If the above fix hasn’t worked to connect your account, please contact us via a support ticket by submitting a request through the form here, or send an email to support@1939games.com with details of your request, including your player name, approximate level, and any other details you may recall regarding your account, as this may speed up the recovery process.
These issues highlighted flaws in our release pipeline which we are working to rectify by reinforcing our processes and ensuring that every release has significantly more time allocated for testing before release. We are incredibly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused many of our players and sincerely appreciate your understanding as we learn to navigate the increased requirements of our post-mobile development processes.
We would also like to thank the many players that helped us work through these issues by sharing their reports of the issues they experienced along with device details and other information. Every player's report has provided a piece of the puzzle which has been a huge help to tracking down the cause of the issues and fixing them.
That’s it for now. As always, we welcome your feedback in the comments below, or on the KARDS Discord.
KARDS 2023 World Championship: Open Qualifiers Starting Soon!
Attention, soldiers!
The KARDS 2023 World Championship open in-game qualifiers start THIS weekend!
The qualifying rounds are split into two sections, with the first starting on September 2nd and ending on September 17th. The second section starts on September 23rd and ends on October 8th. From each of these sections, 55 players will advance to Stage 2 of the tournament: the Knockout Stage.
In-Client Open Qualifiers
The open qualifiers are conveniently integrated into the client. All you need to do is log in to the game to join the action!
When a qualifying session is active, you can participate in the qualifier and view your rankings from the World Championship hub, accessible on the game’s main screen, or through the Play menu.
The in-game qualifiers are open for all to enter, as long as you’ve reached at least rank 15 when you join your first qualifying session. Once you’ve played in a qualification session you are eligible for all future qualification sessions even though your rank might drop below 15.
To give as many people as possible the opportunity to post a qualifying score, we’re holding two separate open qualifiers, each spanning 6 sessions over 3 weekends, with the top 55 players from each qualifier moving on to the next stage.
Qualifier A
The qualification sessions in qualifier A will be held on the following dates:
2nd of September: 12 - 16 UTC
3rd of September: 16 - 20 UTC
9th of September: 12 - 16 UTC
10th of September: 16 - 20 UTC
16th of September: 12 - 16 UTC
17th of September: 16 - 20 UTC
Qualifier B
The qualification sessions in qualifier B will be held on the following dates:
23rd of September: 16 - 20 UTC
24th of September: 12 - 16 UTC
30th of September: 16 - 20 UTC
1st of October: 12 - 16 UTC
7th of October: 16 - 20 UTC
8th of October: 12 - 16 UTC
Check out the full schedule of the World Championship here:
Competing in a Qualifier
Each qualification session lasts for 4 hours, during which a special World Championship qualifier queue will be available for the bravest among you!
Players need to complete at least 9 games during those 4 hours to successfully complete a qualification session. We also recommend playing a few extra games during the session, as these may improve your chances in the event of tiebreakers.
To enter a game, open the World Championship hub, accessible on the main scree or in the Play menu button. Press the Play button in the World Championship hub, select your deck, and head into battle!
For each win during the first 9 matches, a player receives 5 points for the qualification ladder. For each loss in these matches, the player receives 1 point. A player’s final score is the combined total score from their best three sessions out of six sessions in the qualifier.
To post a legal qualifier score, each player needs to successfully complete a minimum of 3 out of the 6 sessions in a qualifier.
Tiebreakers
If players end up with the same score, a tiebreaker system is used to order them. This is based on several things, the most important being the strength of your opponents. Being matched against a very strong player might make for a difficult match, but will improve your chances in the event of tiebreakers, regardless of the match result. Additional games played after your first 9 games in a qualifying session contribute to your tiebreaker score as well.
In the open qualifiers, players aren’t just playing for their spot in the Knockout Stage - we also have some enticing rewards on the line!
The top 500 players from each open qualifier will receive the KARDS 2023 World Championship cardback!
Every player that qualifies for the top 128 player Knockout Stage will also receive 300 diamonds to spend on anything they desire in the in-game store!
With the first qualification session just around the corner, it’s time to shuffle your decks and get ready for battle! There’s just one way to find out if YOU could be the KARDS 2023 World Champion!
August Update - Patch Notes
Hello everyone!
Following the announcement of this month’s card balance changes earlier this week, we have deployed these changes on August 28th. Check out the dev blog for all the details about these changes here: Card Updates: Power Control.
This August patch also includes some behind the scenes additions in preparation for the World Championship open in-game qualifiers starting in September, which you can read more about in our announcement article: KARDS 2023 World Championship. This patch also includes numerous bug fixes as well as some small tweaks and other quality of life improvements.
We thank all of our players and the KARDS Community in general for reporting bugs and discussing the game balance. If you want to get involved, join us on Discord!
Card Balance Changes
A total of 3 cards have been updated in this patch.
Ki 45 DRAGON SLAYER (Veteran)
ISLAND DEFENSE
Old: Give your HQ +5 defense. Give +10 and draw a card instead if your HQ has 10 or less defense. New: Draw a card if your HQ has 10 or less defense. Give your HQ +6 defense.
CASE YELLOW
Old: Deal 1 damage. Your units get +1 +0. The enemy discards a card. Draw a card. New: Deal 1 damage. Your units get +1 +0. The enemy discards a card.
Bug Fixes
AI
The AI could use target Orders and deployment effects on your support line when KING TIGER was located on your battlefield. Fixed.
Battle
When a 158. NACHSCHUB with 1 (or more) attack destroyed an enemy unit and itself, and it was the first enemy unit destroyed during the turn, 2 Kredits were not added. Fixed.
When L6/40 was destroyed through its own attack, retreating friendly 3-inch M5 in support line to hand, upon redeployment, the 3-inch M5 tooltip would incorrectly display -1 attack. Fixed.
When GAMBIT was played, after adding the highest cost unit from both players’ hands to the support line, M4A1 was drawn into the enemy's hand if present in enemy’s deck. Fixed.
KOKURA’S SWORD destruction ability triggered twice if the next added unit was the 114th INFANTRY REGIMENT. Fixed.
KOKURA’S SWORD’s ability was not correctly triggered on spawned unit when it was destroyed while under enemy control through “take control” ability. Fixed.
A unit with active pincer from KING’S OWN SCOTTISH was not dealt damage after KING’S OWN SCOTTISH unit was destroyed by AoE Order (e.g. STRATEGIC BOMBING). Fixed.
After becoming Veteran, when 179th TOMAHAWKS were sent back to hand and redeployed, it had no Destruction icon. Fixed.
Damage to HQ was not reduced by 1 after using IJN SHINANO when the 593rd JASCO was located on the battlefield. Fixed.
DESERT RAID did not correctly affect combat between Fighters and Bombers. Fixed.
Fixed broken interaction between ROYAL ULSTER RIFLES and RECKLESS ASSAULT.
Sometimes, the target of an Order was removed after being played, resulting in no card being targeted. Fixed.
Cards in hand were usable during animation after using Order with “shuffle your hand into your deck” ability (e.g. EDGE OF THE EMPIRE). Fixed.
The cost of using CROSS OF LORRAINE was not correctly decreased after the “add a card to hand” ability was triggered on an enemy unit in combat. Fixed.
JUNGLE WARFARE’s ability was triggered on the enemy side after being used on an enemy unit. Fixed.
The destruction ability of a unit was removed after using FORTUNES OF WAR if T-28’s pincer ability was activated. Fixed.
Countdown on units with countdown to Veteran transformation (e.g. 14th GUARD RIFLES) was reset after taking control with a card with the “take control” ability. Fixed.
When HOLD THE LINE was activated, the enemy using CHASING SHADOWS on your unit would trigger the Countermeasure. Fixed.
MATSUMOTO REGIMENT’s ability was triggered after the 179th TOMAHAWKS Veteran unit was destroyed. Fixed.
A copied version of ASW PATROL destroyed a random enemy unit after being used if the USA was not your ally. Fixed.
In some instances, enemy units would keep buffs after using FORTUNES OF WAR on them. Fixed.
PANZER I-B with 0 attack would become Veteran after attacking and dealing 0 damage to enemy HQ. Fixed.
After 10th ENGINEERS BATTALION was destroyed, adjacent air units received -2 attack debuff. Fixed.
When retreated to hand and redeployed, Ki-45 DRAGON SLAYER would become Veteran again. Fixed.
Sometimes, cards with “choose and draw ability” (e.g. PANZER III-H) would result in cards getting stuck on screen. Fixed.
STEALTH MISSION ability was removed from a unit when taken control of by the enemy (e.g. by CONFUSION). Fixed.
When using gold Order to draw and select 1 of 3 units (e.g. SOUL OF OLD JAPAN), unit added was not gold. Fixed.
Collection
Newly acquired gold cards did not show up correctly in the Collection menu until after client restart. Fixed.
In very large appscale, some text in deck Customize options overlapped title text. Fixed.
After using wildcards, the wildcards counter did not always correctly update to reflect accurate number of wildcards. Fixed.
When hovering over nation icons in the “Collection Overview” menu, the tooltips displayed would appear behind the menu. Fixed.
Tooltip was missing for the Reserved icon in the Collection menu. Fixed.
The “Alternative Art” button on a card in the Collection menu was missing after switching to an alternate image and relaunching the client. Fixed.
When scrolling down in the Collection menu with the scroll bar, sometimes cards would not be displayed correctly. Fixed.
Draft
After creating a deck in Draft, when left and right clicking on a card several times in succession, multiple pop-ups would be stacked on top of each other. Fixed.
After creating a deck in Draft, when clicking some static elements of the UI, they would unexpectedly jitter. Fixed.
After 7 consecutive Draft victories, the gold currency reward icon was missing on the “Draft Result” screen. Fixed.
On mobile devices, in a player’s first Draft, a tooltip overlapped nation’s icons when selecting an ally. Fixed.
Skirmish
Defeat screen was sometimes shown when the enemy surrendered in Skirmish. Fixed.
Sound
The button pushing sound was played when pushing a button that was already pushed in. Fixed.
Tutorial
Sometimes, a German tutorial pop-up would not correctly disappear after ending the first tutorial battle. Fixed.
Visual
The crate icon would sometimes disappear after opening a card pack containing duplicate card. Fixed.
National progression rewards which contained 2 Standard Wildcards displayed only 1. Fixed.
In the national progression, the medkit reward image was displaced out of its intended border. Fixed.
Random pack rewards in national progression sometimes displayed the incorrect pack type. Fixed.
“Congratulations!” text when reaching Field Marshall was not correctly centered in all languages. Fixed.
Sometimes, an incorrect image was displayed for Skirmish reward. Fixed.
When playing a game in Casual mode, if the game was relaunched, players ranks were displayed. Fixed.
That’s it for now. As always, we welcome your feedback in the comments below, or on the KARDS Discord.
A New Skirmish Event is Live
A new Skirmish event is live now until August 27th!
Here’s everything you need to know.
Skirmish is a special game mode, easily accessible from the main screen, where you play with an alternate set of rules. These rules vary between the Skirmishes; you’ll face something different at every new Skirmish event.
Get ready for thrilling battles with these unique Skirmish rules:
Choose your own deck to battle with.
When a unit survives combat, destroy it and replace it with a unit from the same nation with cost 1 higher, if possible.
Only air units and orders are allowed in the deck.
In addition to the exciting and completely different battle experience you’ll get with this Skirmish ruleset, you’ll also get a random card pack with your first win in this Skirmish!
Access the Skirmish event from the game's main screen or from the battle screen to get a detailed overview of the game mode, rules and prize.
This Skirmish is available from Friday, August 25th (12:00 GMT) until Sunday, August 27th at 18:00 GMT. Join this special event and win your Skirmish to claim victory and the spoils!
Please let us know what you think of the event in the comments below or on the KARDS Discord.
See you in the Skirmish this weekend!
Card Updates: Power Control
Greetings, everyone!
After a rejuvenating summer break, we're back in full stride, brimming with motivation to march ahead! It's been nearly two months since the launch of Brothers In Arms. Throughout this time, we've diligently analyzed the performance metrics of all the new cards. Now, it's time to make some subtle adjustments to cards that have raised concerns.
KI-45 DRAGON SLAYER VETERAN
Throughout historical conflicts, the Ki-45 served as both a daytime and nighttime interceptor, as well as a formidable strike aircraft. In KARDS, the KI-45 DRAGON SLAYER has gained remarkable popularity due to its exceptional attributes. Virtually every deck with Japan as the main or allied nation includes a copy of this card. Its defense value of 5 has proven a bit too resilient to counteract. We've lowered the defense value to 4 so that the opponent has more possible solutions, while its attack strength remains at 6, a formidable and impossible-to-ignore threat.
ISLAND DEFENSE
Old: Give your HQ +5 defense. Give +10 and draw a card instead if your HQ has 10 or less defense. New: Draw a card if your HQ has 10 or less defense. Give your HQ +6 defense.
During World War II, the defensive strategies employed by the Japanese on the Pacific islands were not lacking. However, the effectiveness of ISLAND DEFENSE in KARDS appears to be somewhat excessive. Among the new cards in Brothers In Arms, this specific card stands out as a remarkably effective card against aggro decks. In most scenarios, the value of this card can be fully harnessed. Increasing the HQ's defense by +10 is usually sufficient to survive another turn, or perhaps more. For control decks, the extra card draw could be invaluable. Playing multiple copies of ISLAND DEFENSE in a turn or two essentially seals the fate of numerous games. While the new version essentially upholds the same function, increasing HQ defense and seeking the right card, it now provides a fixed defense of 6.
CASE YELLOW
Old: Deal 1 damage. Your units get +1+0. The enemy discards a card. Draw a card. New: Deal 1 damage. Your units get +1+0. The enemy discards a card.
Case Yellow or The Manstein Plan, the strategic blueprint of the German armed forces during the 1940 Battle of France was a resounding success. In KARDS, this card showed modest efficacy in the beginning. Yet, as the game's meta underwent transformation after the expansion, CASE YELLOW gradually emerged as a standout key card in discard decks. In keeping with its historical roots, this card is still capable of multiple tasks. Nevertheless, considering both the historical context and the present KARDS meta, it seems more appropriate to omit the card draw.
That is it. As mentioned in our dev blogs some time ago, the ongoing priority in balance adjustments centers on rectifying cards that are excessively powerful or pose issues, as opposed to implementing extensive changes. Expansions will bring forth fresh content.
We hope that you are enjoying Brothers In Arms. Our preparations for the winter expansion have already commenced.
These changes are expected to go live on 24 August, 2023.
Thank you, and until we meet again on the battlefield, commanders!
KARDS 2023 World Championship
Attention, soldiers!
We are thrilled to announce the KARDS 2023 World Championship!
The KARDS World Championship is the biggest esports event of the year in KARDS. It’s open for anyone to join - read on for all the details!
Tournament Stages and Formats
The KARDS World Championship is split into three main stages, conducted from September to December. To become the World Champion, you must be successful in each of these stages, starting with the open in-game qualifiers and ending with the final 4 participants, played out over two days in a LAN environment in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland and home of KARDS developers 1939 Games.
Winners of in-game seasons, KARDS Open tournaments and all Officer Club Championship (OCC) tournaments from September 2022 and throughout August 2023 are all pre-qualified to participate in Stage 2 (the top 128 player Knockout stage) of the World Championship. Also pre-qualified are the top 4 players from last year’s World Championship.
Stage 1: Open Qualifiers
The open in-game qualifiers are held in two sections (A and B) in September and October and are open for anyone to enter. Join one (or both!) of the open qualifiers available through the KARDS client during weekends between September 2nd and October 8th to qualify for the second stage of the tournament. The top 55 players from each of the two qualifiers will advance to the Knockout Stage. The top 500 players in each of the open qualifiers also earn the exclusive KARDS 2023 World Championship cardback.
Each qualifier is held on Saturday and Sunday over the course of three consecutive weekends (i.e. 6 sessions in each). Each player needs to successfully complete a minimum of 3 out of the 6 sessions to post a legal qualifier score. Each session lasts for 4 hours, during which participating players have to complete at least 9 games to successfully complete the qualification session. Note that only the first 9 games are counted towards your score - any additional games after the required games can be important for tiebreakers, so we do recommend playing a few extra games during the sessions to improve your chances in tiebreakers.
For each win a player receives 5 points for the qualification ladder, for each loss a player receives 1 point. A player’s final score is the combined total score from their best 3 sessions out of 6 in the qualifier in question.
Stage 2: Top 128 player Knockout Stage
Players qualified through the in-game open qualifiers and pre-qualified players are randomly drawn into 16 groups of 8 players and will play a Round Robin group stage on Saturday, October 21st. The top 2 players in each group will progress into a 32 person Double Elimination bracket played on October 22nd. The top 6 players in that Double Elimination bracket play to find out who will become the 4 World Championship grand finalists during a live broadcast on October 29th. Both Round Robin and Double Elimination sections feature best-of-five series with one ban in conquest format (meaning that any deck that wins cannot be selected again for the remainder of that series).
Stage 3: The Grand Finals
On December 2nd and 3rd, the four finalists will battle for the title of KARDS 2023 World Champion! The Grand Finals take place in Iceland, with both players and casters in a live studio setting. Players play a best-of-seven series in conquest format with one ban and a 3rd place matchup. This two-day event will be live streamed on the KARDS Twitch, YouTube and Huya channels, as well as Bilibili.
For a comprehensive overview of the dates and details outlined above, check out the calendar below.
Prizes
Participating in the World Championship at any stage is a fun and exciting experience - but of course, we also want to provide our brave participants with some extra goodies!
The rewards for the KARDS 2023 World Championship are:
The top 500 players in each qualifying section (A and B) in the Open Qualifier for the World Championship will receive the exclusive KARDS 2023 World Championship cardback!
Every player that participates in the top 128 player Knockout Stage will receive 300 diamonds to spend on anything they desire in the in-game shop!
The four finalists get an all expenses paid trip to Iceland to play the Grand Finals in the bunker where they compete for a 12,000 USD prize pool!
Prepare Your Forces!
With the first set of qualifiers right around the corner in September, now is the time to start preparing your forces for battle. Start thinking about what types of decks you want to bring and what cards you need to get to be in fighting shape come September to take on the world's best players!
We will continue to publish more details on the KARDS 2023 World Championship in the coming weeks and months. Make sure to check back regularly for updates - join us on Discord and follow us on Twitch, Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter/X to make sure you don’t miss any of the action!
Community Spotlight: KARDS Topdeckers
Hello everyone!
The KARDS community is filled with players of diverse backgrounds with varied viewpoints. Many of its members create contributions that enrich the community, providing, for example, entertainment or guidance to other community members. Through the relaunch of the KARDS Contributor Program, we aim to provide added support to contributors, as well as to highlight the various contributions of KCP members to the KARDS community.
This month, the community spotlight is on the KARDS Topdeckers team!
KARDS Topdeckers Team
The Topdeckers team is composed of 4 members who work together to create the content they post on their YouTube channel every week. They primarily create full length videos ranging anywhere from 15 minutes and all the way up to 1-2 hours long. They also create shorts as well as host occasional streams with some of the content creators they partner with. You can find all their content in one handy place on the KARDS Topdeckers YouTube channel.
KARDS Topdeckers’ content is, as they describe, “made by the community for the community”. The content is driven by those who watch it which allows them to tailor their videos to the regular KARDS player. The bread and butter of the channel are player showcase matches where viewers can see their favorite KARDS Players go head-to-head in a casual and entertaining environment. The Topdeckers team releases new videos typically every Sunday, with the occasional “Midweek Madness” upload, which, as the name suggests, are secondary videos released during the week.
Innocent Bubbles
A long-standing member of KARDS and its community, Innocent Bubbles (Bubbles) is the manager of the Topdeckers team as well as a producer. Bubbles started playing KARDS in mid-2019 when he found it on Steam while browsing for CCGs to play. The mechanics were something that initially interested him and he particularly enjoyed the old 2/3 statted 34th infantry a lot. Gradually, KARDS began to act more as a platform for Bubbles to express himself and so his favorite aspect of the game became the community, which allowed him to do the things he enjoys doing.
Bubbles’s favorite card is the Kuban Cossacks, which he loves for its simplicity, but also especially adores the card’s artwork. His current favorite deck is the “Femboy Heinz” introduced to him by Baron von Glower, 4th runner up in the latest OCC: Ultimate tournament. Bubbles fell in love with its high stakes gameplay: “The feeling of out pacing decks built to be fast is something incredible you just have to experience to understand.”
YaBoiRodri
YaBoiRodri (Rodri) is the editor of the Topdeckers team. He started playing KARDS in early 2020, in the early stages of the COVID quarantine. A YouTube ad for the game caught his attention and he decided to give the game a go as it seemed new, relaxed, and could be played while attending online classes. He wasn’t the biggest CCG fan but found himself “amazed at how neatly KARDS ties gameplay with historical diversity and accuracy, whilst maintaining a fun and balanced environment.” Rodri expresses that he appreciates how supportive the KARDS community is - it was the first game he tried streaming on Twitch and he made a lot of friends that way.
Rodri’s favorite card is the G4M1 Betty. It’s a card that he expresses isn’t quite competitive enough and doesn’t see much play, but brings back fond memories from his early days in KARDS when he and his friends would joke around it, and he has a deck that synergizes with it which he still plays to this day. His favorite deck archetypes at the moment are decks such as Fast Heinz and Brit Air - staples which have helped him a lot over past seasons. With the Brothers in Arms expansion, he’s now been enjoying his US Frontline deck.
JQueen7
JQueen7 (JQueen) is the graphic designer of the Topdeckers team, designing thumbnails and any other static visual assets you’ll see in their videos. She started playing KARDS in early 2021, when she was originally introduced to it by community members Jking7 and Berto Burrito. She was drawn to the visuals of the game as well as its community, which provided a good venue to interact with other people playing the game. Her favorite aspect of KARDS has been meeting new people and experiencing the wide range of content creators around it who constantly expand the community’s knowledge of the game. She loves the creativity of the community, especially when it comes to memes: “I have a soft spot in my heart for people who make personalized meme cards and put a ridiculous amount of effort into a silly little KARDS joke. I also love the memes with Jking’s face that I have seen coming from the Chinese community, those crack me up every time.”
JQueen’s favorite card is the Panzer 35t - a reliable little tank that she loves blitzing up to the frontline for free. Her favorite deck was the Japan/Germany Feigned Retreat Jaggro, which she’s still looking to find a suitable replacement for as her favorite deck since the Brothers in Arms expansion with Feigned Retreat rotating into the Reserved pool.
Red Sun
A prominent community member that has been around almost since the dawn of KARDS, Red Sun is as a producer on the Topdeckers team. He started playing the game in early 2019, drawn to the game by a pre-roll commercial that played before a Mark Felton video. The artstyle immediately captured Red Sun’s attention, who describes the event as the “best (and probably only) YouTube ad I’ve ever clicked on!” Red Sun also expresses an appreciation for the KARDS community, where he’s connected with many great people. He says his favorite thing about the KARDS community is “The sparkling eyes of a (new) player who is now a freshly baked Field Marshal after you’ve helped them.”
Red Sun’s favorite card should come as no surprise to those who know him: “1st Signal Regiment, 24k gold-plated”. His favorite archetype at the moment are the Japan/US destruction effects.
Advice for New Players
When asked about their advice for new players in KARDS, each of the Topdeckers team members had some valuable insights to share.
Bubbles: Enjoy yourself - I often see people worrying about the future of their favorite games and the length at which those games will exist. It’s only normal to worry about the things we care about, but I know I’d much rather look back at years of enjoyment than years of worrying about losing that source of enjoyment. Sit back, enjoy today and let the dev team worry about tomorrow.
Rodri: Watch others play. Everyone plays in a different way and there’s a lot to learn from every player. Much of my early days on KARDS were spent watching streams and discussing in voice channels. Who knows, you might also make some good friends :)
JQueen: Try to have fun and experiment with whatever you enjoy playing. It’s cool to take the game seriously but don’t let yourself fall into a toxic mentality because of it. If you want to optimize your experience, definitely check out community content, many pro players have videos that could help you understand the meta and guide you a bit in your first steps in KARDS. Not to shamelessly advertise but Topdeckers has some nice shorts about some deck archetypes, and Jking has a beginner’s guide that could come in handy as well hehe.
Red Sun: Don’t be afraid to ask for advice, there’s literally no shame in doing so! Most community members I know will not hesitate answering your questions, provide advice with deck building or just help you with picking the right cards during your draft run!
Topdeckers’ Content
Make sure to check out some of Topdeckers varied content on the KARDS Topdeckers YouTube Channel!
Showcase Match: TB273 vs. Jking7
https://youtu.be/nL0bhg7zcwM
Deck Review: Bubbles Tries Out New Pincer-Heinz Deck
https://youtu.be/yCdkpqRqQ0s
Short: #KARDS Rotation? What Is It and How Does It Work?
https://youtube.com/shorts/QkM93KZWKoU
Stream: Bubbles Plays the New Expansion + Giveaways
https://www.youtube.com/live/Zw9cZCu-g7I
We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know the KARDS Topdeckers team better! Make sure you stay tuned for next month, where we bring you another community spotlight featuring different KARDS contributors. Join us on the official KARDS Discord server and let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see us cover in these articles in the future!
