Genre: Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Indie, Card & Board Game
Kards: The WWII Card Game
KARDS 2022 World Championship Grand Finalists
Hello everyone!
The KARDS 2022 World Championship Grand Finalists have been determined!
Let’s take a moment to go over the status of the World Championship to bring us to where we are currently.
Two separate Open in-game Qualifiers were held during weekends between September 10th and October 15th. Close to 2,000 players competed in the Open Qualifiers in over 21,000 total games in the hopes of making it to the top 128 player Knockout Stage. The top 300 players in each Open Qualifier earned the exclusive 2022 World Championship card back, and the top 128 players each received 250 diamonds to spend on anything they desired in the in-game store.
The Knockout Stage was played during the weekend of the 29th and 30th of October. There, the top 2 players in each of 16 groups progressed to a 32 player double elimination round played the following weekend. On November 6th, the top 6 players battled it out live on stream for their spot in the Grand Finals. You can catch up with all the action of the top 6 in the VODs:
https://youtu.be/RdpaAK6ldAQ
https://youtu.be/DiyUs_P6cd8
Our Grand Finalists will soon battle it out for their share of the $10,000 prize pool, with each already guaranteed at least $1,000.
Without further ado, let’s get to know our Grand Finalists!
KARDS 2022 World Championship Grand Finalists
Bamboo
Bamboo is a veteran of the game with extensive KARDS experience. He has frequently reached high positions on the seasonal ladder and competed in numerous OCC Qualifiers and KARDS Opens tournaments. His first appearance on the main stage of KARDS eSports was during the top 6 Grand Finals Qualifier stream for the 2022 World Championship. This rising star is in peak form and is ready to give his fellow competitors a run for their money.
Berto Burrito
With numerous successful runs in KARDS Opens and OCCs, including two OCC wins, Berto Burrito is a regular in the KARDS eSports scene. It’s no secret that Berto was brought to the game by his good friend and reigning KARDS World Champion, Jking7. Now, this Canadian hopes to take the title away from his fellow countryman and claim it for himself. Berto was able to beat Jking7 during their matches in the top 6 - only time will tell how he will fare if he faces Jking again in the Grand Finals.
Head
Compared to his opponents, Head is a relative newcomer to KARDS, but one that has shown extreme dedication to the game and risen to the top at lightning speed. Head has participated in numerous KARDS Opens and OCCs where he has had some impressive performances. Although he has yet to win a tournament, Head is coming in hot and is well prepared for what’s ahead.
Jking7
As the KARDS 2021 World Champion, Jking7 returns to the 2022 World Championship with a title to defend. Consistently securing top spots on the seasonal ladder, with several KARDS Open and OCC wins and a plethora of other high placements during KARDS tournaments, Jking7 is a titan in the KARDS eSports scene. Jking7 is also a KARDS streamer Jking0739, allowing those interested to get a glimpse into the mind of the reigning World Champion. The question that remains is: can Jking7 win the title of KARDS World Champion for the second year in a row?
When & Where
The KARDS 2022 World Championship finals will be brought to you LIVE on the KARDS Twitch channel on the 3rd and 4th of December, starting at 13:00 GMT each day. Our casters and analysts will be on location to bring you an EPIC Grand Finals show!
Make sure to follow us on Twitch, Facebook, Twitter and join us on Discord so you don’t miss out on any of the action!
KARDS World Championship: Second Knockout Stage Weekend
Good day, commanders!
The first weekend of the Knockout Stage has concluded!
After an intense fight among some of the most skilled and dedicated KARDS players in the world, the top 2 in each of the 16 groups have moved on to the second weekend of the Knockout Stage. For these top 32 players, the fight continues tomorrow where they will face off against one another in a double elimination bracket with the hopes of making it to the KARDS 2022 World Championship Grand Finals!
On November 6th, we will be LIVE with the final matches, as the top 4 players who make it into the Grand Finals are determined!
The Grand Finals will be played online on the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of December. We will be LIVE both days to bring you all the action in an EPIC show where we will find out who will become the KARDS 2022 World Champion!
We are extremely excited for what’s ahead for the World Championship - follow us on Twitch, Facebook, Twitter and join us on Discord to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action!
A new Skirmish event is live
A new Skirmish event is live now until November 6th!
Another new and unique set of rules for this weekend’s Skirmish! Here’s everything you need to know.
Skirmish is an entirely new game mode in KARDS where you play with alternate rules. These rules vary; you’ll face something new and completely different at every Skirmish event. Read more about Skirmishes in our announcement blog New game mode: Skirmish.
Rules for Skirmish #9
In this Skirmish, you choose your own deck to battle with. Units get +1 attack for each ability (Blitz, Guard, Ambush, etc.) they have and when a unit is deployed, it gets one of Blitz, Ambush or Fury at random.
Prize for Skirmish #9
The prize for winning this Skirmish is a full set of the new German card, Scatter Tactics! This Countermeasure costs 1 Kredit to play and has the effect that when a unit attacks, enemy units on the battlefield get -2 attack until end of turn.
Special Store Offer for Skirmish #9
This weekend, there is a special German offer in the store. Bolster your German forces with 1 German National Officer pack and 4 German National packs, containing only cards for Germany.
Access the Skirmish event from the game's main screen to get an overview of the game mode, rules and prize.
This Skirmish will be accessible from November 4th at 12:00 GMT until Sunday, November 6th at 18:00 GMT.
Join this special event - 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!
November Update - Patch Notes
Hello everyone!
Following the announcement of this month’s card balance changes on October 24th, we have deployed these changes on November 1st. Check out the dev blog for more details about these balance changes: Card Updates: Efficiency.
This patch also includes several bug fixes and some additions in anticipation for the KARDS mobile beta 2, including a new KARDS Account Settings button accessible in the top-right cog menu. Note that at the moment, this feature is only useful for participants in the mobile beta. If you are participating in the beta test, read more about account linking.
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 15 cards have been updated in this patch.
FINEST HOUR
Old: Give an air unit +2+2 and Blitz. New: Give an air unit +1+1 and Blitz.
EMERGENCY MEASURES
Old: Choose and discard a Spitfire to deal 4 damage to target unit and pin it. New: Choose and discard a Spitfire to add a RAF GROUND CREW to the support line.
BLACK WATCH
Old: Deployment: Orders in enemy hand cost 2 more. New: Orders in enemy hand cost 2 more.
FOR GLORY
A5M4 CLAUDE
Old: Deployment: A friendly unit has -1 operation cost this turn. New: Deployment: Give another friendly unit -1 operation cost.
144TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
Old: Deployment: A friendly unit gets +1 attack and operates for 1 less this turn. New: Deployment: Give another friendly unit +1 attack and -1 operation cost.
JAGDPANTHER
25. PANZERGRENADIER
Old: Has Guard while in the frontline. New: Gets Guard when moves into the frontline.
PANZER III-G
Old: Cannot be pinned while in the frontline. New: Pincer: Cannot be pinned.
P-47D-25-RE
Old: Deployment: Destroy target enemy unit in the frontline. New: Deployment: Destroy a random enemy unit in the frontline.
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Old: All your units are fully repaired and operate for free this turn. New: Your units operate for 2 less this turn and are fully repaired at the end of the turn.
FIAT C.R.42
186TH FOLGORE
Old: When you deploy an Alpine unit, it gains Ambush. New: When you deploy an Alpine unit, it gains Blitz.
DARING STRIKE
Old: Costs 1 less for each Intel card you've played this battle. Deal 2 damage to any target. New: Costs 2 less for each Exile unit you control. Deal 2 damage to any target.
M4 SHERMAN PL
Old: Has +2 attack and operates for free if you have played an Intel card this turn. New: Has Blitz and operates for free if you have played an Exile card this turn.
Bug Fixes
Audio
Fixed some sounds that were not listening to MasterVolume (bad sounds! go to your room).
Cards
Fixed bugs where Countermeasures appeared to be deactivated when they were not.
Fixed a bug with PACT OF STEEL not working correctly in rare cases.
The wording on a few cards have been changed for clarification and consistency.
The ability of the PZL P.11 didn't trigger sometimes. Fixed.
Stealing a unit from the frontline while the enemy has MISSING active resulted in the stolen unit being incorrectly killed when returned. Fixed.
Fixed a few cards that might in rare cases cause destruction effect more than once.
TYPE 88 AA GUN's ability does not trigger when dealing 0 damage. Fixed.
ROAD TO BERLIN was sometimes not working correctly. Fixed.
Localization
Several translation bugs have been fixed. Thank you for reporting them!
Visual
Added some passive ability icons that were missing.
In Draft, sometimes the wrong card back was shown. Fixed.
Other
Fixed wrong state of game when reconnecting in draft.
Fixed some daily missions not being counted after reconnection.
That’s all for now. As always, we welcome your feedback in the comments below and on the KARDS Discord.
KARDS World Championship: Knockout Stage Groups
Good day, commanders!
The Knockout Stage is imminent and the groups for the first weekend have been drawn!
Check out the live drawing stream here:
https://youtu.be/Vt54ZNfilUA
What’s up ahead for top 128 competitors is an intense weekend of KARDS during the group stage, played on October 29th and 30th. After this weekend’s matches, the top 2 players in each of the 16 groups will advance into a 32 person double elimination bracket played during the following weekend, on November 5th and 6th.
Check out what the groups for this weekend look like:
We wish our competitors the best of luck in the games ahead!
KARDS Mobile - Signups for 2nd beta test are closing soon!
Hello KARDS community!
We are excited to share some news with you about the next beta test for the KARDS mobile version.
The second public beta test of the KARDS mobile version will go live in November!
We aim to invite as many users as possible that have signed up to participate in the beta. The beta test will be simultaneously run on both Android and iOS and is anticipated to last for two weeks.
Signups for this second beta test will be closed on November 3rd - so if you’d like to participate, please make sure you’ve signed up before then!
We’ll be reaching out to our beta 2 participants shortly after signups close with more information.
For Android users
Your email needs to be the same as you use in the Google Play Store. This will enable us to whitelist your account for the beta test.
Card Updates: Efficiency
Hello everyone!
As winter approaches, we sail into the last balance patch before the end of this year.
This patch includes a couple of nerfs. Spitfire decks are getting more crews. Quite a few underwhelming cards are getting buffs. Two Intel-related cards will be shifted towards Exile, with the aim of supporting the creation of some decent Exile decks.
All card changes are ordered by nations. Let’s take a look at them right now.
FINEST HOUR
Old: Give an air unit +2+2 and Blitz. New: Give an air unit +1+1 and Blitz.
Blitz is one of the most practical abilities in KARDS, especially for air units, as they can attack directly from your own support line without worrying about control of the frontline. Playing air units along with this card can inflict surprising damage, which may just lead to victory. This change does reduce the damage amount and we still expect it to be a very good card.
EMERGENCY MEASURES
Old: Choose and discard a Spitfire to deal 4 damage to target unit and pin it. New: Choose and discard a Spitfire to add a RAF GROUND CREW to the support line.
Spitfires will never be forgotten for their contribution during WWII, and they will not be forgotten in KARDS either. We have been pondering how to make spitfire decks better. RAF GROUND CREW makes these decks viable, but there are so few of them. These crew units are either destroyed or coming too late. As such, we have decided to provide an option to get more crew members. With one spitfire sacrificed, more of them are ready to take flight into the sky and fight the enemies.
BLACK WATCH
Old: Deployment: Orders in enemy hand cost 2 more. New: Orders in enemy hand cost 2 more.
This infantry is a staple card for many control decks, being capable of slowing down the enemy and protecting your own HQ. The ability of increasing costs may strangle some expensive orders or may just hit nothing. The new version is more reliable for increasing costs. The enemy will be forced to remove BLACK WATCH. Once removed, the cost increase will also be nullified.
FOR GLORY
Encountering multiple and powerful Elite units can be very difficult and annoying for new players. This card was designed as an efficient removal against Elite units. The cost is now even lower. However, it is still a very situational card, which we don’t really expect to be part of the meta decks.
A5M4 CLAUDE
Old: Deployment: A friendly unit has -1 operation cost this turn. New: Deployment: Give another friendly unit -1 operation cost.
Most temporary buffs are not efficient enough unless the buff amounts are substantial. Instead of increasing the buff amounts, we would like to change some cards from temporary to permanent.
144TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
Old: Deployment: A friendly unit gets +1 attack and operates for 1 less this turn. New: Deployment: Give another friendly unit +1 attack and -1 operation cost.
This card is changed for the same reason as A5M4 CLAUDE.
JAGDPANTHER
This tank destroyer is changed for the same reason as SU-85 in our previous balance patch. We hope tank destroyers in KARDS can pose a serious threat against the enemy. Dealing 5 damage with an operation cost of only 1 is not something that can be ignored.
25. PANZERGRENADIER
Old: Has Guard while in the frontline. New: Gets Guard when moves into the frontline.
Conditional Guard is difficult enough. The Guard will not be removed even if it is retreated back to the support line. We are also giving this unit +1 defense.
PANZER III-G
Old: Cannot be pinned while in the frontline. New: Pincer: Cannot be pinned.
“Cannot be Pinned” is actually a very cool ability and it can be pretty useful. However, it is still difficult for a single tank to make a difference while the remaining friendly units are all pinned. With the Pincer ability, two units on the board can get this ability. The enemy must remove one of them to break the pincer link.
P-47D-25-RE
Old: Deployment: Destroy target enemy unit in the frontline. New: Deployment: Destroy a random enemy unit in the frontline.
This fighter is a very powerful unit that has the ability to destroy the biggest threat in the frontline. The new version fits the random theme of the USA. If there are multiple enemy units in the frontline, then it takes some skills or luck to hit what you want.
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Old: All your units are fully repaired and operate for free this turn. New: Your units operate for 2 less this turn and are fully repaired at the end of the turn.
Repairing in most cases is very useful. It somehow becomes troublesome when cost reduction, which in most cases leads to combat actions, comes before repairing. With this new version, your units can attack first and get repaired at the end of the turn. Keeping your units alive is essential in getting a good value from this card.
FIAT C.R.42
It seems this single-seat sesquiplane fighter is flying a bit too high and fast with 0 operation cost. We need to slow it down a bit.
186TH FOLGORE
Old: When you deploy an Alpine unit, it gains Ambush. New: When you deploy an Alpine unit, it gains Blitz.
The Alpine deck fell down from the hill since the OBICE DA 75/13 change. With the help of this new FOLGORE, we hope it can climb back on the Alpine mountains a bit.
DARING STRIKE
Old: Costs 1 less for each Intel card you've played this battle. Deal 2 damage to any target. New: Costs 2 less for each Exile unit you control. Deal 2 damage to any target.
Along with Poland as the new ally nation, Intel and Exile were introduced. Intel is doing pretty well, while Exile is still a bit far away from forming a deck. We plan to change a few underused Intel and Exile cards in the next few balance patches, in the hopes that players can figure out some decks with Exile.
M4 SHERMAN PL
Old: Has +2 attack and operates for free if you have played an Intel card this turn. New: Has Blitz and operates for free if you have played an Exile card this turn.
For the same reason, this tank’s ability is now related to Exile, instead of Intel.
That is all, these changes will be live in early November. Please continue giving us your feedback, which is very valuable to us. We are checking your feedback, as always.
Thanks and see you on the battlefield, commanders!
A new Skirmish event is live
A new Skirmish event is live now until October 23rd!
Another new and unique set of rules for this weekend’s Skirmish! Here’s everything you need to know.
Skirmish is an entirely new game mode in KARDS where you play with alternate rules. These rules vary; you’ll face something new and completely different at every Skirmish event. Read more about Skirmishes in our announcement blog New game mode: Skirmish.
Rules for Skirmish #8
In this Skirmish, you choose your own deck to battle with. However, that deck can only contain Standard and Limited rarity cards.
Prize for Skirmish #8
We have a very special prize for your first win in this Skirmish - a brand new ELITE card! This new Order card, AUDACITY, costs 3 Kredits to play. When you play this card, an AICHI D3A-2 is added to your support line, and damage is dealt to a random enemy unit equal to its attack.
Special Store Offer for Skirmish #8
This weekend, there is a special Japanese offer in the store. Expand your collection of Japanese cards with 4 Japan National Officer packs, containing only cards for Japan - and stand out in battle with the limited exclusive Japan card back!
Access the Skirmish event from the game's main screen to get an overview of the game mode, rules and prize.
This Skirmish will be accessible from October 21st at 12:00 GMT until Sunday, October 23rd at 18:00 GMT.
Join this special event - 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 World Championship: Knockout Stage Incoming!
Good day, commanders!
After intense competition taking place over the course of 12 days for the past 6 weekends, the open qualifiers for the KARDS 2022 World Championship have concluded. The top 58 players from each of the two open qualifiers now join the 12 pre-qualified players to make up the top 128 players who will face off against one another in the Knockout Stage.
The next stages of the competition present a new challenge for our competitors. The Knockout Stage starts with a group stage which leads into a double elimination bracket where players compete to become one of the last four left standing. These four players will then battle it out during the Grand Finals in December for their share of the $10.000 prize pool and the title of World Champion!
What Now?
For those of you that made it - congratulations! You have proven yourself to be a highly skilled and dedicated player of KARDS. We will contact you via email with practical information for the next stage of your mission.
The next stage of the tournament is the Knockout Stage, where we go from 128 players to the top 4 over the course of two weekends of intense KARDS play. The first part of this stage is played in a round robin group stage, with 16 groups of 8 players, where the top 2 players in each group advance into a 32 person double elimination bracket that will bring us to the final 4 players.
The round robin will take place during the weekend of the 29th and 30th of October, with 3 rounds being played on the first day and 4 rounds played on the second. This means that even if a player ends up 0-3 after the first day, they still have a chance to make it through if they play well on the second day.
The double elimination bracket will be played during the weekend of the 5th and 6th of November. On Sunday, November 6th, we will broadcast all matches which determine who will make it to the top 4 Grand Finals Stage.
Important: If you qualified, please make sure your account has an up-to-date email associated with it so that we are able to contact you with details on the next stage. This will require action from you as the remainder of the World Championship will be played outside the game client.
Live Drawing Stream
On Friday, October 28th at 16:00 GMT we will be live from the bunker to do a live drawing show for all the groups. This will be broadcast on the KARDS Twitch, Youtube, and Facebook channels. Make sure you tune in to see what the groups will look like!
Following the live drawing, we will also publish the groups in a Steam article, which will be shared on the KARDS Discord and social media channels.
Open Qualifier Rewards
As promised, the top 300 players in each of the two open qualifiers will receive the exclusive 2022 World Championship card back.
The card back will be automatically added to eligible accounts before November 1st, 2022. No further action is required on your side.
We are extremely excited for the remainder of the World Championship - follow us on Twitch, Facebook, Twitter and join us on Discord to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action!
Announcing KARDS Open XIV!
Get ready for some more KARDS Open action as it returns this October with KARDS Open XIV!
The last KARDS Open had a diverse and competitive pool of players. After a series of intense games, reigning World Champion Jking7 claimed victory after defeating his opponent Dian 3-1 in the grand finals.
Catch up with all the action on the VOD: https://youtu.be/qWAaiaGfxzI
In the upcoming Open tournament, players will have two chances to make it into the top 16 through one of two Swiss Qualifiers held on October 23rd and November 13th.
The KARDS Open is all about gathering together, meeting new people, having fun, and playing KARDS. To that end, we will be doing a random giveaway between all those that sign up and play in the KARDS Open XIV qualifiers, where three lucky players will receive 4 officer packs once the qualifiers are complete.
Read on for a detailed breakdown of the different tournament stages.
STAGE ONE
Starting Sunday, October 23rd, with the Swiss Qualifiers, you will compete in a best of 3 free-for-all deck format. This means that you can bring any deck you want and play it as many times as you’d like. No deck submissions and no deck restrictions! If you make the Top 8 in this stage, you will advance to stage two.
The second chance Qualifier will be held on Sunday, November 13th. This Swiss bracket is open to any player who has not already made the Top 8 cuts. You can maximize your chances of making the top 16 by playing in both qualifiers.
STAGE TWO
If you finish in the Top 8 from either of the stage one weekends, you will be qualified for the next stage. On Saturday, November 26th, you will compete in the single elimination best of 5 conquest. In this stage, you will submit four of your best decks from four different main nations. You will ban one deck from your opponent and play a best of 5.
STAGE THREE
If you’ve made it to the Top 4 on November 26th, you’ve made it to stage three! These final games are played and broadcast LIVE on November 27th.
For all questions about participating in the Open and all things related to KARDS tournaments, please join our KARDS competitive Discord: https://discord.gg/288DQexmng
FORMAT & SCHEDULE
Swiss Qualifiers
Compete in one or both qualifier Swiss bracket weekends.
Top 8 from each weekend bracket moves on to Top - Cuts weekend
Closed deck lists with no deck restrictions! Play whatever you want, whenever you want!
Best of Three Matchups
Swiss Bracket with 128 player maximum (7 Swiss rounds)
Swiss Qualifier Bracket A October 23rd @ 1300 GMT
Swiss Qualifier Bracket B November 13th @ 1600 GMT
Top Cuts
Bring three decks from three different main nations
A fourth deck must be submitted, which will only be used if you make it to top 4
Top 16 Conquest format best of 3 with open deck lists and one ban
Top 4 conquest format best of 5 with open deck lists and one ban
Top 16 Bracket November 26th @ 1300 GMT
DECK LIST SUBMISSION DEADLINE: November 26th @ 1200 GMT
Top 4 Bracket & Live Stream November 27th @ 1400 GMT
Prizes
The KARDS Open has a prize pool of $1500 that is split the following way:
1st: $600 USD
2nd: $450 USD
3rd: $250 USD
4th: $200 USD
5th-16th: 1000 Gold
Sign ups are open now! https://www.start.gg/kardsopen14
Hello everyone!
