Learn to Play
The 12 Tribes™
Never played a trading card game before? No problem. This guide walks you through everything - from what a card is, to winning your first battle.
What is a Trading Card Game?
The big picture - explained simply.
A trading card game (TCG) is a strategy game where you collect cards, build a custom deck, and battle an opponent. Think of it like assembling your own team of heroes - each with unique strengths - and then using them to outsmart and outplay someone else's team.
Collect
Browse and discover cards from a library of 1,886 biblical characters.
Build
Pick your favorite cards and arrange them into a deck that fits your strategy.
Battle
Play your cards strategically to reduce your opponent's health to zero.
In The 12 Tribes™, every card is drawn from the King James Bible and Apocrypha. Kings, prophets, warriors, angels - they all come to life as playable cards with real stats and abilities. You don't need any biblical knowledge to play - just a desire to have fun and think strategically.
Understanding Your Cards
Every card has key information - here's how to read it.
Anatomy of a Card
Faith Cost
The number in the top corner. This is how much Faith you need to spend to play this card. Higher cost = more powerful card.
Faction & Color
The card's border color and label tell you which faction it belongs to. Cards work best when paired with their faction.
Name & Type
The character's name and their roles (King, Prophet, Warrior, etc.). This is flavor - it grounds the card in Scripture.
Ability Text
Special powers the card has. Some trigger when played, others are ongoing. Read these carefully - abilities win games.
ATK (Attack)
How much damage this character deals in combat. Higher = more dangerous.
DEF (Defense)
How much damage this character can take before being destroyed. Think of it as health points for the card.
Card Types
Not all cards are characters. Your deck will contain a mix of these five types:
Character
Your fighters. They have ATK and DEF stats and stay on the battlefield until destroyed. Characters attack your opponent and defend you.
Miracle
One-time effects that resolve immediately. Deal damage, heal, draw cards - use them at the right moment for maximum impact, then they're gone.
Artifact
Persistent items that stay in play and provide ongoing bonuses. Think of them as equipment or relics that empower your strategy.
Covenant
Ongoing enchantments that change the rules of the game while they're active. They can buff your team or hinder your opponent.
Holy Site
Your resource cards. Play one each turn to generate Faith - the energy you need to play all your other cards. Without Holy Sites, you can't do anything!
The Six Factions
Every card belongs to a faction. Each faction plays differently.
Factions are like teams or schools of thought. When you build a deck, you'll usually focus on one or two factions so your cards work well together. Each faction has its own color, theme, and strategy.
Kingdom
Gold · Royalty & War
Kings and warriors who fight with brute strength. Kingdom decks hit hard and buff each other. Great for players who like to take charge and attack aggressively.
Prophecy
Blue · Visions & Foresight
Prophets and seers who draw extra cards and control the flow of battle. Prophecy decks are about outsmarting your opponent - see the future, control the game.
Law
White · Order & Covenant
Priests and judges who protect and heal. Law decks excel at defense, restoration, and keeping your characters alive through the toughest battles.
Wisdom
Green · Knowledge & Cunning
Scholars and sages who grow stronger over time. Wisdom decks ramp up resources quickly and play powerful cards earlier than any other faction.
Wrath
Red · Judgment & Chaos
Destroyers and avengers who deal direct damage. Wrath decks burn through opponents fast with powerful miracles and aggressive characters.
Divine
Purple · Angels & Miracles
Angels and heavenly powers that transcend factions. Divine cards can be played with any type of Faith, making them flexible - but they're often rarer and harder to find.
Building Your First Deck
Your deck is your army. Here's how to assemble one.
Before you can play a game, you need a deck - a collection of cards you'll draw from during the match. Building a good deck is one of the most fun parts of a TCG.
Deck Rules
Minimum 40 Cards
Your deck must have at least 40 cards. You can add more, but 40 makes it more likely you'll draw what you need.
Up to 4 Copies
You can include up to 4 copies of the same card. Include multiples of your best cards so you draw them more often.
Quick-Start Recipe
Not sure where to begin? Follow this simple formula for a balanced 40-card deck:
Pick 1–2 factions
Sticking to one or two factions makes it easier to pay Faith costs and unlock card synergies.
Add 14–16 Holy Sites
These generate Faith - without enough Holy Sites, you'll be stuck unable to play cards. Match them to your chosen factions.
Add 16–20 Characters
These are your fighters. Mix cheap characters (1–2 Faith) for early game with powerful ones (4–6 Faith) as finishers.
Fill in with Miracles, Artifacts & Covenants
The remaining 6–8 slots are for support cards - removal spells, healing, card draw, or buffs that complement your strategy.
How a Game Works
Every game follows the same turn structure. Learn it once, play forever.
Game Setup
30 Health
Each player starts with 30 health points. When your health reaches 0, you lose.
Draw 5 Cards
Both players draw 5 cards from their deck at the start. This is your opening hand.
Take Turns
Players alternate turns. On your turn, you go through each phase in order.
The Five Phases of a Turn
Every turn follows this exact sequence. After you finish all five phases, it's your opponent's turn.
Draw Phase
Draw 1 card from the top of your deck into your hand. (The first player skips this on the very first turn of the game - so neither player has an unfair advantage.)
Tip: If your deck runs out, you take 1 damage each turn instead of drawing. This is called fatigue.
Faith Phase
All your Faith refreshes (recharges) back to full. Then you may play one Holy Site from your hand. Holy Sites permanently increase your Faith pool - this is how you ramp up to play bigger, more powerful cards over the course of the game.
Example: On turn 3, if you've played a Kingdom Holy Site each turn, you'll have 3 Kingdom Faith available - enough to play any card costing 3 or less.
Summon Phase
This is the main action phase. Spend your Faith to play cards from your hand:
- ▸ Characters enter the battlefield but can't attack the turn they arrive (this is called summoning sickness)
- ▸ Miracles resolve their effect immediately and go to the graveyard
- ▸ Artifacts & Covenants enter play and stay until removed
Tip: You can play as many cards as you can afford in a single turn. If you have 5 Faith and two cards that cost 2 each, play them both!
Combat Phase
Choose which of your characters to send into battle. For each attacking character, pick a target:
- ▸ Attack an enemy character: Both characters deal their ATK as damage to the other's DEF. If a character's DEF reaches 0, it's destroyed.
- ▸ Attack the opponent directly: If they have no characters to block with, your character deals its ATK directly to their health.
Key concept: Combat damage sticks! If your 3/5 character takes 2 damage in combat, it's now at 3 health until healed or destroyed. Plan your attacks wisely.
End Phase
Your turn is over. Any end-of-turn abilities trigger, and then it's your opponent's turn. They'll go through the same five phases. The game continues back and forth until someone wins!
How to Win
It all comes down to one goal.
Reduce your opponent's health from 30 to 0.
That's it. Everything else - cards, factions, abilities - they're all tools to get you there.
Ways to deal damage:
- ▸ Attack with characters directly
- ▸ Play damaging Miracles
- ▸ Trigger card abilities that deal damage
- ▸ Let fatigue finish off a low-health opponent
Common win conditions:
- ▸ Aggro: Play cheap characters, attack early and often
- ▸ Control: Remove opponent's threats, win in the late game
- ▸ Midrange: Balance early game and late-game power
Beginner Tips
Advice from the start to set you up for success.
Play Holy Sites Every Turn
This is the #1 beginner mistake. Always play a Holy Site if you have one. Missing even a single turn of Faith generation puts you behind.
Read the Ability Text
Every card does something unique. Take a moment to read abilities before playing - a well-timed ability can turn a losing game around.
Balance Your Faith Curve
Don't fill your deck with only expensive cards. Include some 1-cost and 2-cost characters so you have plays on every turn, especially early on.
Trade Smartly in Combat
Sometimes it's better to attack an enemy character than to go for the opponent's health. Removing a dangerous enemy early can save you a lot of damage later.
Start with the Tutorial
The David vs. Goliath tutorial walks you through a real match step by step. It's the fastest way to understand how everything fits together.
Don't Be Afraid to Lose
Seriously - everyone loses games. Each loss teaches you something about your deck and strategy. Adjust, rebuild, and try again.
Ready to Play?
You know the rules. Now it's time to build your first deck and step into the arena.