Q. If the 4 (cloaked mine) card is an anytime card, does that mean I can play it on my opponent’s turn the moment after he’s just put a ship down?
A. Yes, absolutely. Kaboom! As a result of this, however, deploying players who have a 3 (fighter squadron) will often play the ship card and the 3 simultaneously to forestall this, in which case the deploying player is deemed to have gone first.
Q. What happens when my opponent and I try to play anytime cards at the same time? For example, if he’s just played a ship card, and I play a 4 (cloaked mine) to destroy it while he plays an Ace (time travel commandos) so he can upgrade it?
A. Firstly, if you know you weren’t really faster, just own up to it. It’s only a game! But if it’s clear that you can’t decide who tried to go first, then use rock-paper-scissors to resolve this or any other dispute.
Q. I don’t like space games. Is there a version that has wizards?
A. Battlecards was designed as a space battle, but there’s no reason the same game mechanic couldn’t be adapted for any other setting. For example, the two players could be wizards instead of space bases, the face cards could be monsters summoned to fight rather than ships, upgrades could be armor, magic swords, strength spells, etc; and attack cards could be lightening bolts and fireballs. Use your imagination!
Q. Where did you get that cool space battle image?
A. From a great site called Needpix that has images placed in the public domain: https://www.needpix.com/photo/download/552959/spaceship-space-battle-battle-laser-fantasy-science-fiction-star-ship-spacecraft-universe
Q. I have a question you didn’t answer. What should I do?
A. Email BattleCards World Headquarters at steve@stevefoerster.com. That way we can add your question to this list to help others.
Q. Who made this game?
A. My name is Steve Foerster, I’m a writer, technologist, and educator who likes the strategy behind games like Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh, but not the ongoing expense associated with maintaining the habit of playing them. My loyal playtesters are my children Starling Foerster, Fenris Foerster, and Noah Foerster, all of whom beat me at my own game at the most recent BattleCards World Championships, held annually during the Foerster family vacation to Chincoteague, Virginia. But hey, that still makes me the fourth best player in the world.
Also, special thanks to Josh Litwiller for proposing a sensible rule change that was subsequently adopted.