Card Bard 2024

Card Bard is a two player card game in which each player takes the role of the magical traveling storyteller of old — The Bard.

A player’s deck represents their repertoire of ballads, stories, techniques, tricks, magical items, fantastical lore, and enchanting melodies that you will use to battle your opponent to win the hearts – and purses – of the folk of the land.

During the game, players use their cards to perform Songs and collect Fame. The game ends when a player accumulates 15 Fame and has no currently active Songs. That player wins the game.

Card Bard plays over a series of alternating turns that are made up of 4 steps. Each of these steps takes place every turn, even if nothing happens during the step.

1. Play: Use your available Actions to play or draw cards, and activate effects.

2. Resolve: Resolve all effects still in play then check for the win condition.

3. Recover: Recharge Actions, discard any unwanted and cards over the hand limit.

4. Draw: Draw back up to the hand limit.

While Card Bard can be played with the pre-constructed decks, much of the depth comes when players construct original decks. Each deck must contain exactly 31 cards, including their Bard and no more than three copies of any card, by name. Within these guidelines, any combination of song and composition cards can be used. The Bard card is a special card that your deck revolves around. Bards determine what types of cards you can play. All cards in your deck must either match your Bard’s instrumental mastery type or be of a neutral type. Bards also have special effects that can be used by paying the costs associated with them, listed on the card.

-description from designer