In-Depth
RULES
Don’t see the Answer? Ask directly.
(Message DevJeremy on Discord
for the quickest response)
INTRO
The newest card game across the lands, Shrines, is a turned-based Tabletop Card/Board Game consisting of one deck, split between a Primary and Secondary Library. Each game is played on what is called the “Region”. The battleground between two competing regions, often led by their Shrine and their dedicated creatures.
Anyone can pick up the game, but very few will ever master the seemingly endless world of Shrines. To begin, you must sign an infamous blood contract with a legendary Shrine, reawakening it and allowing you to take control of the powerful being and command fellow creatures.
As the game is expanding and more data is collected, rules, cards and interactions are fluid and it is best to stay up to date on our discord.
GAMEPLAY BASICS
Starting:
At the beginning of the game, determine who goes first by either rolling die or flipping a coin. The winner determines who goes first. The starting player then draws 3 cards from their Primary Library. They can “Mulligan” up to two cards. You mulligan by placing primary cards from your hand onto the bottom of your Primary Library and then drawing that many cards from your Primary Library. You may do this in any order. For example, you can mulligan two cards at once or mulligan one card and then another after you finish your first mulligan. Once player one finishes their Mulligan, they draw 3 cards from their Secondary Library and shuffle their Primary Library (only if they chose to mulligan). The second player then does the same thing but can Mulligan up to 4 cards.
Gameplay:
Once all mulligans are finished, the first player now begins their First Act (explained in more detail later in the guide) and the gameplay begins. When the first player enters their First Act, instead of drawing a card, they instead draw the card at the end of their turn. The rest of the acts within the game are played normally. So, what is normal? Well, the objective of the game is to bring your opponent’s life total to 0. That can be done in a variety of ways, most of which involve playing creatures, moving them all the way up to your opponent’s front door (their Melee row) targeting their player zone and dealing combat damage. Similarly, your opponent will try and do the same. The method of which this is achieved varies by deck, color, and Shrine selection. Generally, Blue decks try to develop slowly, stall the game and hit their opponent with surprise attacks. Yellow decks often establish quick fleets of small units across multiple pathways to overwhelm their opponents. Red decks offer a more generalist play style, often centering around concentrating their forces to stomp out opposing creatures and overrun their forces. Green decks align closely with red in its generality but has specialized focuses on either guarded ranged attacks or mass mana generation to play large creatures. Purple decks thrive in a death filled environment and engage through indirect damage, teleportation or the undead.
Shrines:
Typically, your Shrine is placed next to your Primary and Secondary Libraries (refer below) and acts just like any other card. However, with your Shrine, you play it from your Shrine’s Zone and when sent to Banishment or the Graveyard is instead put back in the Shrine’s Zone with X time marks, where X is the Shrine’s converted mana cost. At the beginning of each of your turns, remove a time mark. Additionally, you may pay (2), at burst speed, to remove a time mark from the Shrine. You may only play your Shrine when there are no time marks remaining.
TURN STRUCTURE
Each turn consists of 4 acts, with different cards can be played during each (Burst or Inert). After each action by a player, including the passing of an act, the opponent is given priority (they may respond). Every turn goes through each act in this order:
First Act – To Begin your turn, untap all cards you control and draw a card from either Library and then begin your First Act. This is typically where you play your Inert Speed cards such as creatures, structures, relics and area effects to prepare for the turn. Burst and Inert speed cards allowed during priority.
Travel Act – This is part of your turn where you able to get to command your creatures forward. By default, creatures have a Travel Distance of one and can travel one site forward on its pathway and cannot travel the first turn they are played. Creatures cannot move onto sites with opposing creatures or structures on it. There are a few exceptions to these rules, including Static abilities such are Haste, Sprint, Flying and Unstoppable, in addition to cards that Move creatures. It is important to note that traveling is a form of moving, while moving is a broader term that includes traveling. When entering your Travel Act and before declaring travelers, your opponent gets priority. After which, you declare travelers by designating each creature on a site you would like to travel and how many sites. After declarations of travel and before they travel, your opponent gets priority. If a creature is moved after declaring travel, the creature continues to travel the designated amount of sites. Each travel declaration must be viable for each individual creature. Players cannot interact with cards once traveling has started. If an ability is triggered during travel, the traveling player gets priority followed by the opponent. Traveling commences at once. Burst speed cards allowed during priority.
Combat – The most ruthless part of your turn, where you direct creatures you control to enter Combat with either a single opposing creature, structure or player (the player zone) within each creature’s Attacking Range. By default, creatures’ Attacking Range is one site in front of it. Meaning they can target opposing creatures, structures and players on the same site and one site in front. You can choose to enter combat with any single viable target within Attacking Range, regardless of the closest viable target. Once you have declared combat, your opponent may choose to block. You may not block with creatures that are already being targeted in combat. You may only block with creatures that are within the current attacking range being utilized. When attackers are declared and their associated blockers announced, you assign combat damage to all blockers for a total of your attacking creatures’ individual strength. If a creature assigns combat damage to creatures over multiple sites, you must assign lethal combat damage to the closest creature first. Creatures in combat cannot deal combat damage outside their attacking range (including if the creature is moved after declaring targets). You cannot choose to block with Structures. When targeting a player and an opposing player blocks, all the combat damage is redirected to the blocker. Burst speed cards allowed during priority.
Final Act – Able to play the same cards that are available during your First Act. After you pass this Act, you end your turn. Burst and Inert speed cards allowed during priority.
THE REGION
ENEMY PLAYER ZONE
ENEMY MELEE
ENEMY RANGE
NEUTRAL
YOUR RANGE
YOUR MELEE
YOUR PLAYER ZONE
Creatures can be played on any of their respective Melee sites, regardless of any opposing creatures/structures on the sites.
Structures can be played on any of their respective Melee or Range sites. Structures cannot be played where there is an existing structure.
Relics are split into two subtypes: Tools & Idols. Tools may be played anywhere on the region, while Idols aren’t played on the region and instead are placed off to the side.
Area Effects are split into three subtypes: Terrains, Weather and Traps and all subtypes can be played anywhere on the region.
There are two Player Zones, each behind their respective Melee Row. Player Zones are where creatures deal damage to the players. You cannot move onto a Player Zone.
REGION DETAILS
SITE
There are 15 different sites, each representing a specific part of the Region. Sites makeup the entire region. You may only have 4 non-tool, non-token permanents on a single site at any given moment. If a permanent would be moved onto or spawned on a site above the limit, the player with the most cards on the site must immediately sacrifice a card until there is 4 non-tool, non-token permanents on the site.
ROW
There are 5 rows, each containing 3 horizontal sites on the Region. The row closest to each player is their “Melee Row”, the row second furthest is called their “Range Row” and the row in the middle of the Region is called the “Neutral Row”.
PATHWAY
There are 3 pathways, each containing 5 vertical sites on the Region. This is the default direction that creatures travel and attack.
DECK BUILDING
Creature Shrines takes a different approach to deck building, with an unconventional Two Library System. You have a Primary Library consisting of (40) powerful creature, structure, spell, trap, weather, terrain or relic cards. You also have a (20) card, Secondary Library, which contains all your Source cards. With the exception of Basic Source Cards, you are limited to three of the same exact card.
When constructing your deck, you must choose which Shrine to use. The Shrine will determine both your play style and the cards you have access to. You are limited to the color(s) of the mana symbol(s) represented on the chosen Shrine. A Shrine can be any Legendary Creature Card, which is indicated by the rarity on the bottom right of each card. You may not have a duplicate of your Shrine within your deck.
CARD TYPES
Creatures are a type of Permanent that can traverse across the region, choose to enter combat and attack your opponent. Creatures are the default card type under the Card Title. If the card does not explicitly say another card type, it is a creature. Creatures can be thought of as your “pawns” or “minions” that you, with the help of your Shrine, control. Creatures being diverse in nature, come with differing archetypes, stats, and abilities. They are played at inert speed on your melee row and cannot travel or tap on the first turn they are played. By default, all creatures travel up to their Travel Distance and can enter combat up to their Attacking Range to sites directly in front of them (sharing a pathway). Creatures assign damage equal to their Strength and can take damage equal to their Resilience. If a permanent’s resilience is reduced below 1, that creature dies and is put into your Discard pile. Creatures’ resilience is regenerated after each turn.
Structures are a type of permanent that cannot travel and cannot choose to enter combat. Structures can be played at inert speed on either your Melee or Range rows and can be tapped the first turn played. Structures do not deal damage but aren’t able to block. When assigning combat damage between a structure and another creature. When a structure is damaged, its resilience does not regenerate and stays at the reduce number. If a structure has a temporary resilience buff and is dealt damage, it is assumed the buffed resilience is lost before its base resilience. If a spell or ability would give a structure +1/+1, it only gets the resilience portion of the stat boost.
Relics are a type of permanent that can be played on any site. Relics do not block other permanents from entering the same site. Relic idols are placed off the region and can be tapped the first turn they are played. There are misprints that say “Artifact”, when they should say “Idol”.
Tools are a unique type of Relic, which can be attached to a creature. Some come in and instantly attach to a creature, others may require you to pay an attach cost stated on the card. When a creature leaves the region with a tool attached, the tool stays on the site the creature left unless it has no attach cost or is on a site your opponent controls. If the Relic is removed from the region, it is placed into its controller’s Graveyard.
Area Effects are a unique type of card played at Inert Speed. Area Effects have designated positions on the region according to the individual card (sites, rows or pathways). There are three different types of Area Effects, Weather, Terrain or Traps. Both weather and terrain cards function the same but may be interacted with differently. Area effects perpetually stay on the region unless otherwise stated. When two Area Effects of the same type overlap on the region, the newest Area Effect takes priority and is the only one that affects the overlapping site(s). When another Area effect of the same type covers the entire area of the preexisting Area Effect, the preexisting Area Effect is removed. When an Area Effect is destroyed or removed from the region, it is put into its controller’s Graveyard.
Traps are a unique type of Area effect that always has the same mana cost of 3 and can be played anywhere on the region. Every Trap is played face down and has a requirement to flip over to activate the effect on the card. The next time the requirement is met, the owner of the trap card must flip it over and the effect of the trap card is activated. After the use of the effect a Trap Card, it is put into its controller’s Graveyard.
Sources are a unique card type. You can only play one Source card each turn at Inert Speed and are the main way you produce mana. When tapped, basic Source cards produce mana in their respective color. You can tap Sources the turn they are played. It is typically to play a Source once each turn for at least 6 turns.
Spells are a unique card type that can be played either Inert or Burst Speed, depending on the subtype of the card. The vast majority of Burst speed cards are Spells. After the use of the effect of a Spell, it is put into your Graveyard.
STATIC ABILITIES
Armor – The next instance to damage a permanent with Armor is instead absorb by Armor.
Bloodless – Creatures with Bloodless are unable to be destroyed from combat damage. If combat damage brings the resilience of a creature to 0 and then damage is done from non-combat damage, the creature will be destroyed.
Cleave – When a creature with Cleave deals combat damage, it applies that much damage to all permanents on the site.
Deathwish – Deathwish is a triggered static ability. If a creature with Deathwish is destroyed, it triggers the ability immediately.
Haste – Creatures with Haste are able to tap and move the first turn they are played.
Flying – Permanents with Flying can move onto sites not occupied by an opposing permanent with Flying. Only creatures with Flying, Reach or Lunge can enter Combat with a permanent with Flying. However, permanents with flying can enter Combat with any viable target within its attack range. When a creature with Flying chooses to enter combat with another permanent, even if that permanent does not have Flying, Reach or Lunge, regular Combat rules apply.
Guard – Permanents with Guard give you the option to redirect all damage dealt to the site or another target on the site, to itself. This includes Cleave damage.
Immoveable – Permanents with Immoveable disallow all creatures to move onto or off of its site. This includes creature with Flying and Unstoppable. Creatures with Lunge cannot lunge over a site when there is a permanent with Immoveable.
Lunge – Permanents with Lunge can move past sites with opposing permanents, traveling to the next site, if the site being lunged over is within the permanent’s travel capabilities. You can only Lunge over a single site at once. The new site being moved to must be a viable site to move onto (i.e. no opposing Structures or Creatures). This ability is often most effective when accompanied with Sprint.
Protection – When a permanent with Protection is targeted by an opposing spell or ability, the effect goes through but instead removes the Protection status and the targeting aspect does not apply to the permanent with protection. For example, if a spell does “Deal 1 damage, two times”, if both instances of targeting is directed at the permanent with protection, the first “Deal 1 damage” effect goes through, but does not affect the permanent itself, instead, permanently removes the Protection status. However, the secondary instance of “Deal 1 damage” is applied to the permanent because the protection is no longer in effect.
Range – Permanents may have Range or Range (X). Range simply increases a creature’s total attacking range. Range (X) adds X number of sites to the creature’s total Attacking Range. “Range” is considered Range (1). For example, a creature with Range (2) has a total Attacking Range of 3 sites in front of it.
Reach – Permanents with Reach are able to enter combat with permanents with Flying.
Saddle – Creatures with saddle are able to be “mounted” by creatures that explicitly say “This creature may Mount”. When two creatures are mounted, you choose one of their strength/resilience stats, combine their abilities and they are now one creature. In order to Mount, you must have either a creature with saddle, or a creature able to mount on the region. Then when you play another creature with the opposite status (Mount with Saddle or Saddle with Mount) within one site, you can choose to Mount them on the already existing creature’s site. You may also pay (2) at inert speed to Mount two viable creatures already on the region within one site.
Sprint – Permanents may have Sprint or Sprint (X). Sprint simply increases a creature’s total Travel Distance. Sprint (X) adds X number of sites to the creature’s total viable Travel Distance. “Sprint” is considered Sprint (1). For example, a creature with Sprint (2) has a total Travel of 3 sites in front of it.
Stationary – Stationary creatures are unable to travel during their travel act. They are able to be moved by a card or ability that directs it to do so.
Stomp – When targeting a Player Zone in combat, creatures with Stomp can apply excess combat damage (beyond opposing blockers’ total resilience) to the Player zone. Armor absorbs all excess damage from Stomp.
Quick Attack – Creatures with Quick Attack enter a “Precombat Act” after declaring their attacks, where all creatures with Quick Attack and Double Attack apply their combat damage before regular combat damage. Creatures with Quick do not apply damage during regular combat.
Unstoppable – Creatures with unstoppable may move onto and off sites with opposing creatures and structures.
ADDITIONAL INFO
Some cards may say to Freeze a permanent. When a card is Frozen, it is no longer able to tap or travel. However, if a card says to “move”, it is able to do so.
Some cards may say to Ground a permanent. When a card is Grounded, it no longer has Flying, Dig, Lunge or Sprint abilities. Grounded permanents may travel normally but cannot move otherwise.
Some cards may say to Poison a permanent. When a card is Poisoned, it cannot deal any combat damage. It is able to enter combat but will deal 0 combat damage.
Some cards may say to Weaken a permanent. When a card is Weakened, any amount of damage done to it, regardless of its resilience, will destroy it. Note that if a permanent also has Armor, the Armor will absorb the damage and the permanent will survive.
Some cards may say to Bounce a permanent. When a card is Bounced, it simply returns to its owners hand. If the ownership has been changed since the permanent has been played, it goes back into the original player’s hand that played it.
Some cards may say to Swap. When a card says Swap, it simply means to look at the top card of a library and choose whether or not you want to keep it there or put it at the bottom of your Secondary Library. Some cards may have a number after Swap, like “Swap 2” or “Swap 3”. This is referencing the number of cards at the top of your Library you are able to keep or put at the bottom. Additionally, you are also able to reorder those cards in any order you choose.
Moving is the act of a permanent transitioning from one site to another in a single direction. This includes traveling. However moving is a broader term and is not always just the act of traveling. Whereas traveling is the default movement of a permanent from one site to another during its travel act. Permanents cannot move onto or off of sites with opposing creatures or structures, with a few exceptions including Flying and Unstoppable. When directed to move a permanent left or right, the direction will always be from your perspective.
Mana is one of the most valuable resources in the game and is primarily derived from tapping a source card. When creating mana, it is put into your “mana pool” and is available until used or until the turn is over. Some card require specific colors of mana to be played or for abilities to be activated. In some instances, cards may reference (B), (Y), (R), (G) or (P), where (B) = Blue Mana, (Y) = Yellow Mana, (R) = Red Mana, (G) = Green Mana and (P) = Purple Mana. If a card says “(Tap): Add (B)”, it simply means to add Blue mana to your mana pool until end of turn. If a card has (X) in their mana cost, it means you can pay any amount of mana for X, including 0.
The Graveyard is a separate pile, typically next to one of the other libraries, where cards go when they are removed from the region. The graveyard pile is always faceup as all cards in any the Graveyard are considered common knowledge to all players. Typically, cards are placed in the discard pile when: a card is discarded, a permanent dies, a card is destroyed, or a Spell’s effect has finished. When a card is banished, it is instead placed in “Banishment”.
Your Primary & Secondary Libraries makeup the totality of your deck. Each Library has a distinct purpose, with the ability for each player to show their unique playstyle by building the deck that they want to play. The Primary Library is a 40 card Library, containing your Structures, Creatures, Spells, Area Effects, Traps, and Relics. The Secondary Library is a 20 card Library containing all of your Source cards. Whenever you are instructed to draw a card, you choose which library to draw from. On a similar note, when directed to draw from a specific library, you must draw from the specified library. Depending on the play style, some decks would benefit from the consistency in solely having sources in their Secondary Library while others may take advantage of different cards in their secondary library.
Inert/Burst Speed determines when you can play a card. Inert Speed cards are only able to be played during your First and Final Act, while Burst Speed cards are able to be played anytime you have priority.
A Permanent is a Creature, Relic or Structure card that permanently stays on the region unless destroyed, banished or bounced.
Sources are a special type of card. They are not considered permanents and are not considered to be “played”.
Tapping is a form of activated ability that can go on all different permanents and sources. Tapping a basic source card produces mana of the respective color.
Priority gives other players an opportunity to respond. Priority is given after each action spell, act, or anything that needs to be resolved.
ALTERNATIVE GAME MODES
The general balance of the game revolves around the standard gameplay. However, it is always fun to explore new ways to play, and we encourage creative thinking to get the most enjoyment out of your Shrines’ experience.
Here are a few alternative game modes that we suggest trying out:
RUSH
Rush would use all of the Standard Gameplay mechanics but with one caveat - you cannot play creatures on sites with opposing creatures. First come, first serve in terms of damage. This would greatly decrease playing time and change the dynamic of when/how you play/move your creatures. This probably favors more aggressive decks but should be fun to try. Side note: Unstoppable and Flying are able break this new rule due to the nature of these specific static abilities.
KING OF THE HILL
King of the Hill is probably the mode we have done the most internal play testing with and it has always been fun. In King of the Hill, there are no life totals. The objective is to get 20 points, starting from 0. You get points by racing your opponent to the neutral row and keeping as many creatures/structures there as possible. At the end of your turn, you get 1 point for each creature/structure you have on the neutral row. For every additional interval of 5 strength or resilience a creature/structure has, you get an additional point. For example, a 4/4 creature would grant you 1 point, while a 5/4 or a 4/5 would grant you 2 points. Additionally, a 10/5 creature would grant you 3 points and a 1 resilience structure would grant you 1 point.
IMPERIAL/CONQUEST
Imperial and Conquest have been concepts for alternative game modes since pretty much the inception of Shrines. We are still hammering down the exact numbers for balancing but we really like the idea (and hope you do too). Imperial and Conquest combine standard gameplay with King of the Hill. Instead of just getting points to win, or bringing your opponent’s life total to 0, it is a combination of both. Imperial gives you two ways to win: Starting from 0 points, get 20 points, just like King of the Hill, or you can also go face to try and eliminate your opponent from 20 life to 0, just like you would in standard gameplay. In Conquest, the numbers are shared. You start with 15 ‘points’ and can win by either getting to 30 points (granted like King of the Hill) or by bringing your opponent down to 0 points, where damage reduces points and life gain grants additional points.
Note: These are just preliminary rules and game modes. If you have any suggestions, questions or feedback on specific gameplay, please reach out to us on discord.