A Guide To Playing The Altered TCG

We're diving into the captivating world of the upcoming Altered TCG. Whether you're a seasoned TCG player/collector or new to the genre, Altered's unique take on the trading card game model is one to watch. Let's get ready to explore the reshaped Earth of Altered!

The Essence of Altered

Altered TCG is set in a world transformed by the Confluence, a cataclysmic event that merged reality with the imaginary. In this game, you lead expeditions into unknown territories, driven by the goal to join your two expedition tokens on the same region of the map. Victory awaits the first player to achieve this feat!

The Heart of the Game: The Cards

Your deck in Altered comprises three types of cards:

1. Characters: These creatures help you advance your expeditions. Each Character card features crucial elements like Name, Faction, Type, Rarity, Hand and Reserve Cost, and attributes for crossing different territories (Forest, Mountain, Water).
2. Spells: Played for their immediate effects, Spells join your Reserve after use.
3. Permanents: These cards remain in play and have ongoing effects.

Setting the Scene: Initial Setup

The game starts with an arrangement of Adventure Cards between two players, marking the progression path for expedition tokens. Each player begins with their Hero in play and two expedition tokens placed at opposite ends of this map.

The Game Area: Your Battlefield

• Hero: The central figure of your gameplay.
• Expeditions: Flanking your Hero, this is where Characters are played.
• Reserve: A holding area for Spells post-resolution and Characters post-expedition.
• Mana: Your resource pool for casting cards.
• Permanents: The zone for your ongoing effect cards.
• Deck and Discard Pile: Where you draw from and discard to, respectively.

Playing Altered: The Phases

A game of Altered unfolds over a series of 'Days,' each divided into four phases: Dawn, Day, Dusk, and Night.

1. Dawn Phase: Players ready their cards and draw new ones, potentially adding to their mana orbs.
2. Day Phase: Players take turns playing cards, activating effects, and eventually passing. Actions include playing Characters, Spells, Permanents, activating Echo effects, and using Hero abilities.
3. Dusk Phase: This is where expeditions are evaluated. Compare your expeditions' attributes (Mountain, Forest, Water) against your opponent's. Winning in these attributes based on the region your tokens are in allows you to progress.
4. Night Phase: Reset for the next Day by sending Characters to your Reserve or Discard pile and managing your Reserve and Permanents.

The Victory Path

Winning in Altered involves having both your expedition tokens meet or pass each other on the Adventure Cards. In case of a tie, a Tie-Breaker Day is played, focusing on winning more attributes than your opponent without the constraints of expedition sides or regions.

Embracing the Adventure

And that's pretty much it at this point. The game is still a few months out from the Kickstarter and is expected to arrive in store August 2024, and plenty is still to be revealed.

Read more about this really interesting trading card game right here and get ready to check out the Gamelandia Altered preview event coming up on Jan 18, 2024!