sorry for double posting,but hey, content:
Heres how the gameflow essentially works.
(First turn Only: Mulligan phase) -> Wake Up phase -> Draw Phase-> Clock Phase->Main Phase->Battle Phase->End Phase
Mulligan Phase(First turn only)
When your hand is filled with trash you can't use on your first turn, like LV 2s or 3s, you discard them here to redraw the same amount of cards.Keep doing this till you got something you find useable. This is also the only thing that is done by both players simultaneously
Wake-Up Phase
This is only when you have cards on the field. If your character is resting(on it's side), then you turn them back to default position.
Now, you do a diceroll to decide turn order - Whoever gets the 6 or closest ot it goes first.
Draw Phase
You draw a card from your deck. In TCO, you drag from your deck to your hand to draw a card. That's it. Good.
Clock Phase
Optionally, pick a card from your hand to place in your clock, and if you do, Draw 2 cards. Otherwise go straight to your main phase
Main phase
So heres alot to cover in the main phase. You can play an event card, Character card,move a character,or use an ability from a card that is Activate-able. You can do these as long as you have the cards and the slots on the field to do so.
When you play a Climax Card, You can't use anymore of these actions. So essentially the Climax card is the last thing you can do in the main phase(if you have one)
Are you Not Level 0? Read on
Essentially,you can only play a Climax Card(or any card above level 1) if you have that corresponding color in your Clock or level zones. Example: You have a Red card in your clock,and a Yellow card as your Level 1 marker. You can use Red and Yellow cards that are LV1 now. Green LV0? Sure. Green LV1? No. You'd need a Green in your clock for that, but if its Level 0 you are okay.
Battle Phase
This is where things get a bit more complex and I kinda have more trouble explaining things..
So,in battle,you got a Frontal attack,Side attack,or Direct attack.
Frontal attack: Your card goes against the opponent's card in terms of power. You rest your card,and put your opponent's card upside down.
When your character isn't strong enough to beat the opponent(if they use a counter card or the like),they take soul damage as normal but your card gets reversed instead. You can still frontal attack even if your character is weaker,just remember the tradeoff is your opponent takes full soul damage yet you lose your card
When your side attacking,you don't run the risk of your character being destroyed like above. The counter though is that the damage calc becomes this: (Your Soul Level) + (Your Trigger) + (Extra Effects) - (Opponent's Level) - Example,if you side attack your opponent's LV3 and your character only has 1 soul and triggers for none - nothing happens.
Direct attack is easy. When your opponent's lane is empty, You can attack directly. You just +1 the Soul Damage for when you get a direct attack.
Whenever you attack though you do what is called a Trigger check. You lift a card from the top of your deck and check it out. The top right icon decides what happens - most of the time it will be either blank or a soul damage icon(+1 soul to your attack) but Climax cards usually have multiple effects for triggers(usually though, just +2 soul) Once you do it - you put that card facedown in your Stock. Stock is used as MP for cards that require it for effects and summon costs.
Defending,you draw cards equal to the amount of damage you took. If you take 3 Damage, you draw 3 cards - but as soon as you draw a climax card, you discard all those cards and the attack is negated.
Examples:
You take 3 Damage.
Amami Haruka, Amami Haruka, Amami Haruka is what you draw: You add all 3 to the stock.
Amami Haruka,Amami Haruka, Do-Dai is what you draw: The attack is negated and you discard all 3
Do-Dai is the first card you draw: The attack is negated,you don't draw further cards and discard Do-Dai
Encore Step
And that covers about everything for the cardgame,really. After the end of your battle phase,you have what is called the Encore step. You can pay 3 Stock to revive a card or use a Stock Effect. (So can your opponent on this phase,similar to the mulligan phase)..otherwise,whatever is reversed goes to the grave.
Also after Encore, it is End Turn, Turn Player remove his On Turn effects, check if his hand is 7 or less and send his Climax back to Waiting Room
Then it restarts back on the Draw phase for your opponent.
It sounds hard,but after 1 or 2 matches it becomes second nature
Next post will have a guide to the Idolmaster 2 Trial Deck - which we will use extensively on this forum as a "tutorial" deck
EDIT: Forgot to mention
What is a Deck Refresh?
When you run out of cards, you shuffle your discard pile and make a new deck with it,and take 1 damage to your clock that can't be negated
What's the Clock zone? Does Rudy got the clock - clock,clock,clock zone?
Hahaha.
It's essentially your damage count.
When you get your 7th card,you pick 1 to put in your level zone and you discard the other 6.If you took damage that'd put you over 7 cards, your damage continues onto the next level
What is the level zone?
When you got a level up, you'll have 1 card in here - essentially,its an out of play,but when your level 1,you can play any color card thats level 0 or 1(or a climax) that corresponds to the colors currently in your clock and level zone - Level 0's can be played regardless of color, their colors only effect their card effects. They're practically colorless,otherwise
When you hit level 2, that rule repeats. If your running 2 colors and you have 1 of each of your colors than your in the clear for the rest of the game! If you run 3 colors though, You'd only be in the clear when you hit level 3 and you have 3 different colors.
Otherwise youll have weird moments like..You have a red and a blue in your clock. When you level up,you can put the red in,but when you level up to 2 you put your green in,and then suddenly your locked out of LV1/2 Red's untill you get a red in the clock or in your level zone
Also,you Lose When you hit Level 4.
