The Arena

The Arena is the shared space where each game takes place. Each player controls their own Battlefield, Foundry and Catalyst Zone, and keeps their own Vault and Archive beside them.

The Battlefield

Cards with a Battle Map (the position diagram on the card) are played to the Battlefield. Each player's Battlefield has 8 positions in two rows.

Frontline

A row of 5 positions closest to your opponent: Front Far Left (LL), Front Left (L), Front Center (C), Front Right (R) and Front Far Right (RR). This is where Creatures usually fight.

Backfield

A row of 3 positions behind the Frontline: Back Left (BL), Back Center (BC) and Back Right (BR). Often used for support effects and cards with Ranged targeting.

A card can be played only to a position marked Initial on its Battle Map. After that it may move to any position marked Initial or Neutral on its map. Positions marked Restricted are never allowed.

Damage that reaches an open position (one with no card on it) reduces that player's Resonance, so leaving gaps in your Battlefield is a risk.

The Foundry

A protected area outside the Battlefield for Forges, the cards that give you Shards. Cards in the Foundry are not on the Battlefield, and only an effect that names Forges or the Foundry can target them.

The Catalyst Zone

Your Catalyst starts the game here and stays for the whole game. It never leaves play, and an opponent cannot interact with it unless an effect names Catalysts.

The Vault and the Archive

Vault

Your deck, face down. You draw from it at the start of each turn (the starting player skips their first draw). If you must draw from an empty Vault, you lose 1 Resonance and each opponent gains 1 Dominance instead.

Archive

Your face-up discard pile. Cards in the Archive are out of play, and any player may look through any Archive at any time.

See it on a card

Every card page in the Card Database has a Range section that draws the card's Battle Map on the Battlefield, with both players' Foundry, Catalyst Zone, Vault and Archive.