How to play
Arcane Gambit is a 3v3 fantasy tactics game where every player plans their turn at the same time, then all the plans play out together. These are the full rules, kept in step with the game's own rule data.
The match
- Two teams of 3 champions. Each player controls one champion; bots fill any empty seat.
- A match is best of 3 rounds: the first team to win 2 rounds takes it. There are no respawns inside a round: a fallen champion is out until the next round.
- A round ends when one team has no champions left standing. A round still going at round turn 18 is a tie. After 5 rounds, the team with more round wins takes the match; if they're level, it's a draw.
- Between rounds everything resets (health, cooldowns, energy, catalysts) except the score.
A turn: everyone plans at once
You get 30 seconds to plan. Pick a move, one ability, and if you like a catalyst, then lock in. Three times a match you can buy 5 more seconds. When everyone is locked in (or time runs out), the turn resolves in fixed phases:
- Prep goes first: shields, traps, walls, zones and buffs, before anything else happens.
- Dash is second: leaps, teleports and dashes. A dash is your movement for the turn, and dashing dodges blasts aimed at the tile you left.
- Blast is third: the attacks. They hit wherever their targets stand after the dashes.
- Move is last: everyone walks at the same time, step by step. Knockbacks and pulls come after that.
Because movement comes last, the game is about reading where your enemies will be, not where they are now. Your allies' plans show on the ground while you plan.
Moving
- Each champion moves its own number of tiles a turn (most move 4). On the first 2 turns of every round, everyone gets +2 move to reach the fight.
- Haste adds 2 move and Slow takes 2 away (never below 1). Rooted champions can't move or dash.
- Waypoints: a move can pass through up to 3 waypoints (Shift+click on desktop), for example to grab a pickup on the way. The whole route must fit your move.
- If two champions step into the same tile at the same moment, both stop short.
Abilities, energy and ultimates
- Every champion has three abilities with cooldowns and one ultimate. You use one ability a turn.
- Ultimates need 100 energy and spend it all. Energy builds every turn: +10 a turn, +1 for every 2 damage you deal, +1 for every 4 damage you take, and +1 for every point of healing or shielding you give your allies.
- Ability damage in a match is ×1.5 the listed numbers, so fights are quick and decisive.
- Some attacks can land a critical hit for extra damage; the chance is on the ability.
Catalysts
Before the match you pick three catalysts, one for each phase. Each is a free action you can use next to your ability, once per round.
- Prep Healing Draught: On yourself: heals you 15; heals 15 more at the end of next turn. Ironskin Tonic: On yourself: a 25 shield on you this turn. War Tonic: On yourself: gives you Energized for 2 turns (+50% energy gained).
- Dash Swiftstep Scroll: A path of up to 3 tiles: dash along the path (this is your move). Shadow Veil: A tile within 3: teleport to the tile (this is your move); gives you Invisible for 1 turn (can't be picked by single-target or first-hit attacks).
- Blast Fury Rune: On yourself: gives you Might for 1 turn (+25% damage dealt). Stoneheart Rune: On yourself: gives you Unstoppable for 1 turn (no knockbacks or pulls, immune to slow and root).
Cover, walls and brush
- Cover: attacks coming at a champion across a half-height cover edge deal 50% damage.
- Walls block movement, sight and line attacks.
- Brush hides you from enemies outside that bush, unless one is next to you or in the same bush, or you used an ability this turn or last.
- You see 7 tiles around each of your team's champions; the rest of the arena is fog.
Pickups
Floating pickups give a boost to whoever walks over one in Move. A buff starts next turn. A taken pickup comes back 4 turns later, and none comes back after round turn 10.
| Pickup | What it does | First appears |
|---|---|---|
| Health | heals 10 at once, then 10 at the end of each of the next 2 turns | turn 4 |
| Might | Might for 2 turns (+25% damage dealt) | turn 2 |
| Haste | Haste for 2 turns (+2 move) | turn 4 |
| Energy | Energized for 2 turns (+50% energy gained) | turn 4 |
Sudden death and the storm
- From round turn 10, it's sudden death: all ability damage ramps ×1.25 → ×1.5 from turn 12 → ×1.75 from turn 14. Everyone is revealed, so there is no hiding in brush or going invisible.
- From round turn 10, a storm closes in from the edges: 14×15 on turn 10, 10×11 on turn 11, 6×7 on turn 12. It stops at 6×7 from turn 12.
- Anyone outside the safe area at the end of a turn takes storm damage: 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, rising each turn. The storm ignores cover and shields.
- A round still going at turn 18 is a tie.
Ways to play
- Solo vs bots: you and two bots against three, on easy, normal or hard. You can pick every bot's champion or leave them random.
- Play online: host a room for friends (up to six people), or browse open rooms. Bots fill the empty seats and stand in for anyone who drops out.
- Quick match: join whoever is waiting; it starts by itself after a short countdown.
- Tutorial: a short guided game that teaches the basics.