Rules | Tides of Terragos

Setup & Objective

Each player starts with a 30-card deck worth exactly 75 Credits, known as your Shipyard. Cards that are discarded, aka scrapped, during play form your Scrapyard.

There are four zones where cards can be kept:

The Shipyard is your deck. It starts the game with exactly 30 cards totalling to 75 Credits.

The Scrapyard is your discard pile. Scrapping a card sends it here, where it can then trigger its Retire.

The Deep is where ships go when they are sunk.

The Reserves is a separate side deck containing supporting token cards.

Each player controls four islands, with 6 Health on each island at the start of the game.

Objective: Reduce one of the opposing player's islands to 0 remaining Health. The player whose island reaches 0 loses.

Turn Sequence

Tactical PhaseThe attacking player can place Structure and use Tactics during this phase.
Attack (Face Down)The attacker chooses an island and commits attacking cards face down. Normally, no more than two cards may attack a single island.
If you do not attack, the turn ends immediately; skip the remainder of the turn.
Tactical Phase The defending player can place Structure and use Tactics during this phase.
Defend (Face Up)The defending player commits cards face up. There is no limit on the number of cards defending one island.
Reveal AttackersReveal the face-down attacking cards.
Offensive ManeuversThe attacking player can activate their offensive abilities.
Defensive ManeuversThe defending player can activate their defensive abilities.
Calculate & Inflict DamageCompare the combined attacking Strength against the combined defending Resistance.
If the attacker fails to deal any damage, the attacker must Self-Inflict 2.
Return Cards to HandReturn all cards involved in the engagement to their respective players' hands unless an effect says otherwise.

Repeat: Each player has two attacking turns, then two defending turns, then they scrap their hand and draw four new cards.

Hand Sequence

Replenish 4 (Draw cards until you have four cards in your hand.)
Attack (Or Don't)
Attack (Or Don't)
Defend (if they attacked)
Defend (if they attacked)
Scrap each card in your hand.

Shipyard, Scrapyard & Reshuffling

Whenever your Shipyard has no cards remaining, you may shuffle your Scrapyard back into your Shipyard. You may do this in the middle of resolving an effect. Example — Draw four: If your Shipyard contains only two cards, draw those two, shuffle your Scrapyard into your Shipyard, and draw the remaining two.

ORDERING MATTERS: If your Shipyard is empty and an effect tells you to scrap a card and then draw a card, you may choose any of these options:

Option 1: Shuffle the Scrapyard into your Shipyard → Scrap a card → Draw a card.

Option 2:Scrap a card → Shuffle the Scrapyard into your Shipyard → Draw a card. (You could redraw the scrapped card.)

Option 3:Scrap a card → (try to) Draw a card (but nothing is there) -> Shuffle the Scrapyard into your Shipyard later (if you want).

Abilities Require Their Cards: If a card eligible to use Retire is no longer in the Scrapyard, you cannot use that Retire. Likewise, a ship that earned Bounty cannot use it if it is no longer in your hand.

Structures & Construction

A Structure is a one-Health card placed onto (beneath) one of your islands. Structures remain associated with that island until removed by an effect or scrapped. When you play a Structure from your hand onto an island, you may use its Construction ability.

Absorbing Combat Damage: When an island is dealt combat damage, the attacking player may assign one point of that damage to a Structure on that island instead. That destroys its one Health, so it gets moved to the scrapyard.

Combat & Damage

Combined Attacking Strength − Combined Defending Resistance = Damage

Attacking Card LimitNormally, you may attack an individual island with up to two cards, unless a card explicitly allows otherwise.

No Defending Card LimitYou may defend a single island with as many cards as you wish.

Successful AttacksIf your attack inflicts damage, reduce the targeted island's Health by that amount. Damage to an island may also trigger Bounty.

Failed AttacksIf you attack and fail to inflict damage, you must Self-Inflict 2. (Which is fancy talk for inflicting two total damage to your own islands.)

Keyword Abilities and Traits

Each keyword displays a sample card when available. Select the card to open the standard preview, including its Back and Works Well Together faces.

Bounties

Can be activated when this ship is apart of an attack that deals damage to an island. The ship must still be in your hand to use the earned Bounty.

Tactics

Can be activated on your turn before you attack, or on the other player's turn before you defend.

Retires

Can be activated when a card is scrapped. Simply entering the Scrapyard does not count as being scrapped.

Offensive Maneuvers

Can be activated after attackers are revealed, but before Defensive Maneuvers.

Defensive Maneuvers

Can be activated after attackers are revealed and Offensive Maneuvers, but before damage is calculated.

Constraints

A deck-building restriction. Constraint itself has no effect during play; follow it when building your 30 card deck.

Traits

Traits are unique in the sense that they are not labeled as "Trait:". Traits are not activated and are just true facts while the card is in your hand. Traits can be drawbacks, such as “You must scrap this at the end of the turn.”

Constructions

Can be activated when a Structure is played from your hand onto an island.

BTBG — Before the Game Begins

While technically a trait, it is a special subsection that is used before either player's deck is shuffled. Resolve eligible BTBG instructions before the game begins.

Unlimited

Not a standalone ability, but a modifier to keyword abilities. It is commonly used on tactics, but is sprinkled onto a few bounties. It allows that ability to be used as many times as you want, provided its normal conditions are met.

Many tactics have "Can only be used once per hand:" If an ability reads “Can only be used once per hand,” it can be used only once during that "2 attack, 2 defense" period, aka a "hand", unless another effect explicitly overrides the limit.

Card Types, aka Ship Classes

Classes describe the type of card or vessel. They are separate from factions, which describe the fleet's theme or affiliation. Cards may display more than one class.

Battleships

Warships built around powerful offensive firepower.

Aircrafts

Airborne units that desire to fly in flocks, alongside high tactical prowess.

Ironclads

Armored ships emphasizing heavy defensive capabilites.

Submarines

Underwater crafts specializing in deception and stealth.

Structures

Buildings that offer ongoing bonuses for the fleet that can be destroyed by opposing players.

Artifacts

Magical items that offer ongoing bonuses for the fleet. Artifacts come from the reserves.

Factions

Factions represent distinct sub-classes grouped by their culture, inspiration, and identities found throughout Terragos. A faction name alone does not grant a special ability; follow the printed text of each card.

BirdAvian creatures and airborne motifs.

BloodBlood-themed vessels and powers.

BomberExplosives and destructive firepower.

CargoTrade, transport, supplies, and freight.

CrystalCrystalline materials to better the naval ships.

DeepThe mysteries of the ocean depths.

DemonMimcry and theft of intellectual property.

DinosaurPrehistoric beasts of ancient power.

DragonDragons and their unlimited destruction.

FungusDeath and decay, but for a purpose.

GhostInvisble, spectral, or illusionary tricks.

GnomeFollowers of the Paragon of Virtue.

InsectSkin-shedding annoyances with a hivemind.

JunkerScrap-built vessels recycling old machinery.

MedicalMedicine and battlefield assistance.

PirateGambling outlaws, raiders, and marauders.

ScoutExploration and reconnaissance.

TempestStorm damage from rain, thunder, and hail.

VikingThe dragon predators.

VisionSight, perception, and foresight.

ZombieReanimated crews and undead vessels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Shipyards contain 30 cards totallign to 75 Credits; islands start with 6 Health each.

How do I win?

Reduce an opposing player's island to zero health. Or have one of your cards tell you "You win the game". Cough cough, Terragos, cough.

When does Retire trigger?

When a card is scrapped and enters the Scrapyard. Sinking to The Deep does not trigger a retire.

How many attacking cards?

Every card in your hand can attack, but with a limit of two cards per island.

How many defending cards?

Any number on a single island.

Infrequently Asked Questions

Are structures scrapped when they take damage?

No, but they are placed into your scrapyard.

What happens if my entire deck is sunk?

You wouldn't be able to attack or defend. You certainly can't win.

Can you play a structure if you already have a structure on each of your islands?

No, you may not. I would not advise playing more than 4, maybe 5, structures in a deck.

Can an island go over 6 health?

Sure, why not. What could possibly go wrong if I allow this? Most of your medical ships have limitations on what they can choose anyway.

Do cards underneath structures get scrapped when the structure they are underneath takes damage?

Also no, but they are also placed into your scrapyard.

Can bombs be placed onto structures?

Yes, but only by ships that say so.

Can a keyword ability cause an island to be attacked by three total attacking ships?

As the attacking player, your keyword abilities cannot. As the defending player, your keyword abilites can. Such a Noviis question.

Can a Demon copy an affect that Upgrades a ship?

Yes. Stalker for example, can copy Scaler to upgrade Stalker into Monster. Because Monster is a generic reserves card. Cards cannot copy an keyword ability that upgrades a ship into a reserves card that has II in the name, such as Terragos II. Only Terragos can upgrade into Terragos II.

Can I have multiple Demon Daggers?

No you cannot have multiple THE Demon Daggers. Artifacts prefaced with "The" are unique and cannot be gained more than once. Fossils, Feathers, and even Larva Hive do not have "The" so you can acquire multiples of those.

Does Mavorik count toward faction constraints like Lord Darius?

Yes. Mavorik is a Bomber. It counts towards all deckbuilding faction-based constraints, minimum or maximum.

If I steal a structure using Marauder that has already used its tactic this hand, can I use its tactic again?

Yes, because YOU have not used it during this hand. When you obtain the structure, you have not used the tactic yet. Enjoy your plunder right away. Argh.

Is Allegiance's a Submarine while its in your scrapyard?

Traits only apply while in your hand. However, Allegiance does not have a trait; it has an "is a" statement. Mavorik and Allegiance both have "is a" statements that are always true.

Do cards from the reserves go back to the reserves?

Cards that you Upgraded a non-reserves card into always go to your scrapyard, such as Monster, Mavorik II, or Echo II. All other reserves cards go back to the reserves, such as Larva, Phoenix, Torpedo. Reserve cards that are sunk always go to The Deep.