The Basics
Cardfight!! Vanguard is a card game where whoever gets their opponent to 6 damage first or if the opponent have no cards left in the deck, wins.
The Field
The field is comprised of several parts:
Main Field:
The main field is made up of 6 spaces with 3 in the front and back rows. The center front row space is for your vanguard, while the 5 surrounding spaces are for your rear guards.
Damage Zone:
Whenever you take damage from your opponent you take the top card(s) from your deck and place it or them face-up in that area.
Deck Zone:
Area where you keep your deck, it is to the right of your main field.
Drop Zone:
Area where you place your retired units or units you used to guard with. It is located behind your deck.
Main Field:
The main field is made up of 6 spaces with 3 in the front and back rows. The center front row space is for your vanguard, while the 5 surrounding spaces are for your rear guards.
Damage Zone:
Whenever you take damage from your opponent you take the top card(s) from your deck and place it or them face-up in that area.
Deck Zone:
Area where you keep your deck, it is to the right of your main field.
Drop Zone:
Area where you place your retired units or units you used to guard with. It is located behind your deck.
Units
Cardfight!! Vanguard units have:
Name: Located at the bottom of the card, just above their attack value
Grade: Located at the top left of the card
Attack Value: Located under the name, next to a sword symbol
Shield Value: Located on the left hand side of the card, next to a shield symbol, only grade 0's, 1's, and 2's have them
According to their different grades, Cardfight Vanguard units have different symbols just below their grade:
Booster: In the shape of an arrow pointing up, only grade 0's and 1's have this ability
Intercept: In the shape of an arrow pointing down, only grade 2's have this ability
Twin Drive: In the shape of two arrows twisted around each other pointing upwards, only grade 3's and 4's have them
Name: Located at the bottom of the card, just above their attack value
Grade: Located at the top left of the card
Attack Value: Located under the name, next to a sword symbol
Shield Value: Located on the left hand side of the card, next to a shield symbol, only grade 0's, 1's, and 2's have them
According to their different grades, Cardfight Vanguard units have different symbols just below their grade:
Booster: In the shape of an arrow pointing up, only grade 0's and 1's have this ability
Intercept: In the shape of an arrow pointing down, only grade 2's have this ability
Twin Drive: In the shape of two arrows twisted around each other pointing upwards, only grade 3's and 4's have them
The Deck
Grades
Cardfight Vanguard!! decks are comprised of units with a "grade" or number in the top left corner. Grades of the units start from 0 up to 4. Each grade has have different uses, but all units can be used to attack.
Grade 0:
Grade 0's are the lowest numbered units in the game and are the same number that all triggers are within the game. You can use these units to guard with from your hand or use as boosters.
Grade 1:
Grade 1's have the same uses as grade 0's, but are usually better boosters.
Grade 2:
Grade 2's cannot be used as boosters, but have the ability to guard while in the front row of the main field.
Grades 3 and 4:
Grade 3's and 4's cannot be used as boosters or guards, but have twin drive which allows you to drive trigger check 2 cards instead of 1.
Grade 0:
Grade 0's are the lowest numbered units in the game and are the same number that all triggers are within the game. You can use these units to guard with from your hand or use as boosters.
Grade 1:
Grade 1's have the same uses as grade 0's, but are usually better boosters.
Grade 2:
Grade 2's cannot be used as boosters, but have the ability to guard while in the front row of the main field.
Grades 3 and 4:
Grade 3's and 4's cannot be used as boosters or guards, but have twin drive which allows you to drive trigger check 2 cards instead of 1.
The Game
Players begin the game by searching for a grade 0 to start with in their vanguard circle and place it face down. Afterwards, players shuffle their decks and draw 5 cards, players can then choose to send any amount of cards from their hand back to the deck, shuffle, and then draw the same amount sent back this is called a "mulligan". After deciding who goes first, the players flip over their face down vanguard and begin the game. Unlike some other cards games, there is no hand size, so you don't have to worry about discarding.
Phases:
Stand- units in the rest position (units that are turned horizontal) changed to the stand position (units that are vertical).
Draw- player draws the top card from their deck.
Ride- player may place or "ride" a unit of the same grade or 1 higher of the current vanguard's grade on top of it (becoming the new vanguard). The card that is ridden over remains under the new vanguard or in "soul".
Main- player may now place or "call" units to the rear circles around the vanguard. Rear units called normally must have less than or same grade as the vanguard. You may move units vertically in the same column to the front or back and switch the front/back units in the same column (with the exception of the vanguard). You may also choose to retire a rear unit by calling another card from your hand on top of it.
Battle- front row units can be used to to attack the opponents front row units. Players declare an attack on target unit and then rest the unit (turn horizontally) they want to attack with. Attacking player can then choose whether to "boost" front unit in the same column with a back unit. Boosting causes the back unit's attack to be added to the front unit until the end of the attack.
Guard- after an opponent declares an attack, player can choose whether they want to guard against the attack. Players can use 0-2 grades to guard from the hand or a grade 2 in the front row, as long as their vanguard is the of the same grade or greater than the units used to guard. The unit's shield value is then added to the defending units attack.
Drive Check- if the vanguard is the unit attacking then after the guard step, the attacking player reveals the top card, or top 2 cards if the unit has twin drive, of his/her deck. If a twin drive is is performed, then the cards are revealed one at a time. Cards revealed are then added to the hand. If a trigger is revealed then player may apply the effects of the trigger to target unit:
End Attack- after the opponent has no more attacks to declare or chooses to end his/her attack, then their turn ends and it's the opponent's turn.
Phases:
Stand- units in the rest position (units that are turned horizontal) changed to the stand position (units that are vertical).
Draw- player draws the top card from their deck.
Ride- player may place or "ride" a unit of the same grade or 1 higher of the current vanguard's grade on top of it (becoming the new vanguard). The card that is ridden over remains under the new vanguard or in "soul".
Main- player may now place or "call" units to the rear circles around the vanguard. Rear units called normally must have less than or same grade as the vanguard. You may move units vertically in the same column to the front or back and switch the front/back units in the same column (with the exception of the vanguard). You may also choose to retire a rear unit by calling another card from your hand on top of it.
Battle- front row units can be used to to attack the opponents front row units. Players declare an attack on target unit and then rest the unit (turn horizontally) they want to attack with. Attacking player can then choose whether to "boost" front unit in the same column with a back unit. Boosting causes the back unit's attack to be added to the front unit until the end of the attack.
Guard- after an opponent declares an attack, player can choose whether they want to guard against the attack. Players can use 0-2 grades to guard from the hand or a grade 2 in the front row, as long as their vanguard is the of the same grade or greater than the units used to guard. The unit's shield value is then added to the defending units attack.
Drive Check- if the vanguard is the unit attacking then after the guard step, the attacking player reveals the top card, or top 2 cards if the unit has twin drive, of his/her deck. If a twin drive is is performed, then the cards are revealed one at a time. Cards revealed are then added to the hand. If a trigger is revealed then player may apply the effects of the trigger to target unit:
- All triggers have the ability to give +5000 attack to a unit, which can be given to the same or different unit.
- Critical- causes the unit to do an extra damage if the attack hits the vanguard
- Heal- allows player to remove one damage from the damage zone and place it in the drop zone if they have the same amount or more than their opponent.
- Stand- allows player to stand a rested unit other than the vanguard.
- Draw- allows player to draw a card from the top of their deck. If revealed as the first trigger in a twin drive check, then you draw first and then perform second drive check.
End Attack- after the opponent has no more attacks to declare or chooses to end his/her attack, then their turn ends and it's the opponent's turn.