Bleach Trading Card Game
The Bleach Trading Card Game is an upcomming collectible card game from Score Entertainment, and is based off of the anime and manga series of the same name.
Overview
The Bleach Trading Card Game is played with two people. Each player must have a total of seventy-one cards: a Guardian card, a fourty-card 'main deck' and a thirty-card Side Deck consisting of energy cards. There are two ways to win: deplete your opponent's Power (printed on their Guardian card) to zero, or cause your opponent to deck out (making them unable to draw any cards).
The game consists of three steps: The Resource Step, the Main Step and the End Step. The Resource Step has players drawing cards and putting Energy cards into play, the Main Step is where players can attack and play cards, and the End Step is a formal conclusion to the turn.
Card Types
There are six different types of cards in the Bleach Trading Card Game:
- Guardian cards represent the personas of main characters in the Bleach universe. Each Guardian has a Power rating that represents the total amount of damage they can take. Each Guardian also has a set of numbers on the left side of the card that represent how much of a particular Energy card that the Guardian can have in play at one time. Finally, Guardians each have Effects that can be used as indicated on the card. (Effects that require a cost will have the requirements bolded)
- In addition to regular versions, there are also special Hi-Tech cards that are variants of the regular Guardian cards.
- Energy cards are the only cards that can be placed in the 30-card Side Deck. Energy cards are what players use to play their cards, much like the 'mana' cards in other collectible card games. There are currently three kinds of Energy: Mind Energy, Body Energy and Spirit Energy.
- Character cards can represent anyone and anything from Bleach, whether it be Humans, Soul Reapers or Hollows. Character cards (and the three other types of cards) have a Cost that needs to be payed upon playing the card. Characters also have Traits, which are keywords that determine if specific abilities can be used. The most important area of a Character card is the right side of the card. Each Character can have up to three Stats which they use to attack and inflict Power damage to the opponent. Some (but not all) Characters may also have Effects. Characters have a White background.
- There are currently six stats that Characters can use: AGI (Agility), FOR (Fortitude), INT (Intelligence), SPP (Spiritual Pressure), STR (Strength) and QCK (Quickness).
- Events have a number of varying abilities. Some Events may require you to have Characters with certain Traits in play in order to use them. Events have a Blue background.
- Items need to be equipped to Characters in order to be used, and can represent important items in the Bleach universe (such as Zanpakutō). Items may need to be equipped to a certain Character or someone with a certain Trait in order to use them. Items have a Red background.
- Battlegrounds represent locations in the human world and Soul Society. They have a constant effect that can effect either one or all players. Battlegrounds have a green background.
Card Sets and Release Information
A number of demo decks have been released to stores who signed up for them, in addition to those that have been packaged with issue #43 of Anime Insider. There will also be a sneek preview event at Anime Central, held on May 11-13.
Booster packs contain 6 common cards, 3 uncommon cards, and 1 rare card. A foil card is found, on average, in every 3rd pack of cards. A booster box contains twelve packs of cards.
External Links
- Official TCG Site http://www.officialbleachtcg.com
- Demo Decks and Demo Video http://www.officialbleachtcg.com/demo.cfm