• notes

Bramblewar

Overview

A Java deckbuilder game where players summon creatures onto a board and fight through them to reach the opponent's HP, rather than attacking directly. Five factions so far, each built around a distinct resource system and board structure. Fusion mechanics (combining cards) are planned as a post-launch feature.

Card Types

Bramblewar uses four distinct card types. Each faction's card pool is built from some combination of these types, though not every faction uses all four.

Creatures

The primary card type. Creatures are summoned to the board to fight, guard, and activate keywords. Each creature has a cost (paid in its faction's resource), attack and defense stats, and zero or more keywords. Creatures go to the graveyard when destroyed, except where a keyword overrides this (e.g. Reborn, Undying, Disappearing).

Terrain

Non-creature cards that are placed on the board as objects or field modifiers. Terrain occupies board space and persists until destroyed — once destroyed, it goes to the graveyard. Some terrain is faction-specific (e.g. Hive Blocks for Bees, Food for Ants, Webs for Spiders); others may be neutral. Terrain cannot attack and is generally immune to some board effects unless specified otherwise.

Actions

Faction-flavored ability cards that represent unique interactions with a faction's creatures, terrain, or the board state. Unless a card specifies otherwise, Actions shuffle back into the deck after use — making them a repeatable part of a player's engine rather than a one-time resource. Actions that are powerful enough to warrant single use carry the Exhaust keyword (goes to the graveyard instead).

Reactions

Instant-speed cards played in direct response to an opponent's action — most commonly during an attack. Reactions go to the graveyard after use. Each faction's Reactions reflect its nature and identity (e.g. Serpents shedding skin to avoid damage, Spiders ensnaring an attacker mid-strike). Reactions add a layer of counterplay beyond creature combat.

Core Rules

• Combat: Players summon creatures to fight rather than attacking the enemy directly — you fight through the opponent's summoned creatures to reach their HP.
• Guarding: Creatures block/guard; enemy HP is only exposed once nothing guards it. Targeting is positional — an attacker automatically hits whatever's directly in front of it.
• Universal rule: All creatures (unless specified otherwise), can only attack while on the front line.
• Turn structure: Player sets up their board first, then, once the player ends their turn, a battle phase starts, during the battle phase, each creature, starting from left, moving right, will attack. in the TCG, or in real life games, each player gets a set up phase, once both players decide to end the set up phase, then the battle phase starts, in which both creatures on each side of the board battle, instead of attacking one board at a time.
• Board size: 5 lanes layed out with your front line directly against the enemy’s front line. the boards are grid format, with each faction having a specified number of rows to their board.