# Faith Battle ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2024 - **BGG Rating**: 7.0 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-8 - **Duration**: 20-40 min - **Weight**: 2.00 / 5 - **Designers**: Lucas Bird - **Publishers**: Lion Editora - **Categories**: Ancient, Card Game, Religious - **Mechanics**: Deck Construction, Hand Management, Income, Interrupts, Player Elimination, Take That ## Verdict Perfect for those who love classic CCGs and want a biblical theme with actual strategy. The highlight is deck building without the frustration of random boosters.Intuitive deck buildingWell-applied biblical themeFast and dynamic matchesAttractive original illustrationsVery traditional CCG mechanicsPlayer elimination can be frustratingRECOMMENDED ## Description Ever thought about commanding legendary Biblical figures in epic battles? In Faith Battle, that's exactly what you do. The game is a strategic card game with a collectible feel, but with a great twist: the boxes contain fixed sets of cards, so you don't have to worry about the luck of the draw from random booster packs. The real fun lies in combining different boxes to build the perfect deck, creating synergies between heroes, artifacts, and miracles. The gameplay dynamics are very similar to classics like Magic: The Gathering or Pokémon. You summon powerful heroes — like King David to take down giants or Samson with his brute strength — and equip them with mythical items, such as the Staff of Moses or the Sword of the Spirit. To put these into play, you use 'Wisdom', which acts as the game's mana. The goal is simple yet tense: use the power of faith and strategy to deplete your opponent's faith points until they are defeated or the game reaches the 10-round limit. The game divides its cards into six categories: Heroes, Artifacts, Miracles, Sins, Legendaries, and Wisdom. Each category brings different effects that can shift the tide of the match, requiring careful hand management and precise timing when casting a miracle to turn the game around. Beyond the competition, the game serves as an entry point for those who want to learn more about Biblical stories in a light and visual way, featuring original illustrations. It's the kind of game that blends learning with competitiveness, stimulating logical reasoning while you try to crush your friend's faith with a master move. If you enjoy deck building and direct player interaction (the classic 'take that' style), Faith Battle delivers that adrenaline in fast and dynamic sessions. ## How to Play Goal of the Game In Faith Battle, players take on the role of strategists in a duel of faith. The main objective is to reduce the opponent's Faith Points to zero. Victory is achieved when the adversary loses all their points, when they are unable to draw cards at the start of their turn, or if they are targeted by an unconditional victory effect. Setup To begin the match, follow these steps: Each player must have their own Deck and Play Area. Position the card piles and Tokens in their respective places on the field. Each player starts with 15 Faith Points and draws 5 starting cards. Mulligan: Players may exchange any number of cards from their hand, shuffling and drawing the same amount. This action can be repeated up to 2 times (you must keep the third hand). Randomly determine who will start the match. At the start of the first player's turn, everyone simultaneously adds one hidden Wisdom Card (face down) to their respective Wisdom Zones. Gameplay Flow The game is divided into rounds, and each turn follows a three-stage structure: Start of Turn Place Wisdom Cards in the Wisdom Zone (place them face down). If you are the first player of the round, everyone gains +1 Wisdom Card and adds it to their respective zones. Draw one card from your Deck (the first player skips this step due to having the advantage of attacking first). "At the start of the turn" effects are triggered (you choose the order of resolution). Main Phase You may play as many cards as you want from your hand, provided you can pay the Wisdom (G) costs. To pay, reveal the required number of Wisdom Cards. Heroes and Artifacts can be played during this stage. Enter abilities activate immediately. Miracles and Sins can be played at any time, including during the opponent's turn. You may advance Heroes that have already started their turn in the Preparation Zone to the Battle Zone, provided they have not attacked. Artifacts can be equipped or unequipped only in the Preparation Zone. Perform your Attack (only one per turn). End of Turn "At the end of the turn" effects are triggered. Discard cards until you have 7 cards in hand. Pass the turn to the next player. Actions and How to Play There are various actions and card types that define the strategy: Card Types and Actions Heroes: Enter directly into the Preparation Zone. They are used to attack and reduce the opponent's Faith. Artifacts: Equipment that enhances heroes. They must be equipped in the Preparation Zone. If an equipped hero dies, the artifact is also destroyed. Miracles: Green cards that interact with heroes in battle. They can be played at any time by paying the Wisdom cost. Sins: Trap cards (red) that affect cards in the Battle Zone. They can be played at any time, but require an action (such as an attack) to be activated and cost 1 Faith Point to be activated. Legendary: Higher-level cards. To activate a Legendary Hero, you must play its basic version, pay the activation cost for the second time, and fuse the two cards. Wisdom Cards: Function as the "energy" of the game, allowing plays to be made. Special Mechanics Enter: When a card enters play. Bury: Sending a card directly from the game to the Sea of Oblivion (does not trigger destruction or sacrifice effects). Search: Looking for a card in the Deck. If it is a specific card, it must be revealed; if it is random, it does not need to be. The Deck must be shuffled after the action. Transform: Changes a target card into something else (e.g., transforming a hero into an artifact without abilities). Attack and Combat: During combat, the attacker can be blocked by a hero from the defender's Battle Zone. If there is no blocker, the damage goes directly to the defender's Faith. Priority Queue: When a play is in progress, other players may interrupt with cards, creating a queue where the last effect played is the first to be resolved. End of Game and Scoring The game ends immediately when one of the following triggers occurs: A player has their Faith Points reduced to zero. A player reaches the draw phase at the start of their turn and has no more cards in their Deck. A player is targeted by an unconditional victory effect (such as the "Armor of God" combo). In timed/round-counted matches, the player with the most Faith Points wins. Tips for Winning Consult the manual for details regarding this section. ## FAQ ### Do I need to be religious to play? Not at all! While the theme is biblical, the mechanics are all about card strategy. Anyone who enjoys combat games and deck building will have fun. ### Does it work like Magic, with luck-of-the-draw boosters? No. Each box comes with a fixed set of cards. You know exactly what you're buying and can combine different boxes to customize your deck. ### How long does a game take? Matches are quick, lasting between 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the number of players and the strategies employed. ### Is it hard to learn? Nope, the complexity is low (2/5). If you've played any basic card game, you'll pick it up quickly. If not, the rules are simple enough for beginners. ### How many people can play? The game supports 2 to 8 players, making it great for both intense duels and larger groups.