Digimon: How to Play

August 20, 2024

By Ashton McKenzie

Welcome to Digimon!

What's up, Digi-Destined? Ready to dive into the world of Digimon TCG? Whether you're new to the game or looking to sharpen your skills, this guide will help you get started. We'll cover everything from setting up your deck to understanding the flow of the game, so you can jump into the action and start battling.

Playing the Card Game: DIGITAL GATE OPEN

0. What's on a card?:

Credit: Tolarian Community College

Play Cost: The memory cost to put the Digimon into play from your hand.

DP (Digivolution Points): Represents the Digimon’s power or strength.

Digivolution Requirements: Information on what Digimon you need to evolve from.

Level: Shows the Digimon's level (e.g., Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, Mega).

Color: What color the Digimon is and what it can typically Digivolve into

1. Setup

Before the game begins, each player needs:

A 50-card main deck.
A separate 0 to 5 card Digi-Egg deck.

Starting the Game:

Shuffle both the main deck and the Digi-Egg deck.
Draw 5 cards from the main deck as your starting hand.
Place 5 cards from the top of your main deck face down in your security stack.
Determine who goes first through a coin toss or another method. The first player does not draw a card at the start of their first turn.

2. The Phases of a Turn

Each player's turn is divided into the following phases:

A. Draw Phase

Draw 1 card from the main deck.

B. Breeding Phase

Raise: You can choose to move a Digimon from the Raising Area to the Battle Area if it has been hatched from the Digi-Egg and has digivolved into a level 3 or higher Digimon.

Credit: Tolarian Community College

Hatch: If there's an empty space in the Raising Area, you may reveal the top card of your Digi-Egg deck and place it face up in the Raising Area.

Credit: Tolarian Community College

C. Main Phase

This phase has the most variety in terms of actions. Players can:

Digivolve: Evolve a Digimon into a higher level by paying the memory cost and placing the higher-level card on top of the current Digimon.

Credit: Shocari

Play Digimon: Play a Digimon from your hand by paying its memory cost. Place it directly onto the battlefield if it is not being digivolved.

Play Option Cards: Use option cards by paying their memory cost, applying their effects as specified, then placing the card in the trash.

Option cards like this hammer spark may have a security effect, in this case when your opponent would reveal it in your security, you would gain two memory, potentially passing turn back to you!

Credit: Tolarian Community College

Play Tamer Cards: Play Tamer cards by paying their memory cost. Tamers provide ongoing effects or can be activated for special actions. if a tamer is revealed in security, it comes to field instead

Attack: Use a Digimon in the Battle Area to attack either the opponent's Digimon or their security stack. Declare the attack target, then resolve the attack:
- Security Check: If attacking the security stack, flip over the top card of the opponent’s security stack. Compare the DP of the attacking Digimon and the security Digimon (revealed card). If the attacking Digimon's DP is greater or equal, the security Digimon is defeated, and the security card is sent to the opponent's hand. If the security Digimon's DP is higher, the attacking Digimon is deleted.
- Battle: If attacking another Digimon, compare DP. The Digimon with lower DP is deleted. If tied, both are deleted.

In this case, by declaring a blocker and suspending your digimon, the two would battle.

Note: Attacking or using effects that cost memory can end your turn if you pass the memory gauge into the opponent's side.

D. End Phase

Turn Over: If the memory gauge is on your side or at 0, your turn continues. If it has passed to the opponent's side, your turn ends immediately, and it's now the opponent's turn.

3. Winning the Game

The game ends when one player either:

Depletes their opponent's security stack and then successfully attacks them once more.
The opponent cannot draw a card from their deck at the start of their turn (deck out).

Additional Rules

Memory Gauge: The memory gauge is a shared resource that dictates how many actions you can take. If the gauge moves to your opponent's side, your turn ends.
Suspended and Unsuspended: When a Digimon attacks, it becomes suspended (turned sideways) and cannot attack or block until unsuspended at the start of your next turn.

Here's Some Decks to Get you Started:

Exciting news for Digimon TCG! Two new starter decks, "Fable Waltz" and the green-themed "Guardian Vortex," are set to release in a couple of months in tandem with the new Liberator Manwha. These decks are perfect for both newcomers and seasoned players looking to explore fresh strategies.

Understanding Archetypes:

Picking a Deck Archetype:

Color	Archetype	Description
Red	Aggro Rush (Swing Hard & Fast)	Red decks focus on aggressive strategies, emphasizing high DP (Digimon Power) and security attack bonuses. They often use cards that allow their Digimon to attack multiple times or gain additional security checks.
Blue	Source Control (Bounce & Source Removal)	Blue decks specialize in controlling the game state through memory manipulation, card draw, and disabling opponents' Digimon. They often use cards that bounce Digimon back to the opponent's hand or deck, slowing down their strategy.
Green	Ramp / Suspension (Board Control & Evolution)	Green decks emphasize rapid evolution and board control. They often use cards that reduce evolution costs and gain memory through Digivolution, allowing them to build up powerful Digimon quickly.
Yellow	Security Control (DP Reduction / Recovery & Security Attack)	Yellow decks are known for their defensive playstyle, focusing on healing and manipulating the security stack. They often have effects that reduce the DP of opponents' Digimon, making them easier to destroy in battle.
Purple	Recursion and Retaliation (Recycling Graveyard & Digimon Destruction)	Purple decks revolve around manipulating the trash (graveyard) and recycling resources. They often have cards that allow them to play Digimon from the trash or gain benefits when Digimon are deleted. They also use the Retaliation ability to punish opponents for attacking them.
Black	Board Control [Wide or Tall] (Defensive Keywords and Tokens)	Black decks focus on defense and protecting themselves with blockers. They have many cards that provide reboot, allowing their Digimon to unsuspend during the opponent's turn, making them effective in both offense and defense.
White	Tech & Support	White decks are often considered support-oriented, providing versatile and unique effects that can be used in various strategies. They feature cards that can digivolve from any color or provide powerful effects that require specific conditions, like certain Tamers or Digimon on the field. White cards often include unique options, Tamers, or Digimon like Omnimon that can fit into multi-color decks, providing utility and powerful abilities that are not limited to a specific color's strategy.