Sylvan Tactics: Official Rules Reveal and Card Gallery Preview

It’s time! Over the past few months, we’ve shared behind-the-scenes looks at how we combined classic chess mechanics with a card-battling twist, teased our approach to sustainability, and showcased some of our prototype artwork. Now, at last, we’re thrilled to share the full rules of Sylvan Tactics with you. This post will give a quick overview of the gameplay experience and then direct you to our newly released rules document and a fresh gallery of card previews.

A Quick Introduction to the Rules

Sylvan Tactics uses a standard chess board and pieces, but every piece is represented by a card that bestows additional stats and abilities. You’ll still see Knights moving in L-shapes, Bishops sweeping diagonally, and Rooks charging in straight lines, but each piece has a distinct power set defined by the card you assign to it.

Resource Management with Sigils

In addition to moving and attacking with your units, you’ll manage resources called Sigils to power up your card-driven abilities. Sigils work almost like a “mana” system in other card games, except they come straight from your hand - any card can become a Sigil. Use them carefully, because the number of actions and plays you can make each turn depends on how many Sigils you can pay.

Units and Combat

  • Pawns: The backbone of your army. Pawns can advance steadily, just like chess, and even promote to powerful Mercenary units if they reach the far side of the board.

  • Mercenaries: These are your specialized pieces (Rook, Bishop, Knight) with unique cards that govern their stats and skills.

  • Queen & King: Each retains their iconic chess movement, but their health system adds a new layer of strategy. Especially the King, whose defeat means you lose the game.

Combat is straightforward but tactical: if your attacker’s Strength is at least as high as the defender’s, the defender is defeated. Otherwise, the defender becomes “wounded,” which sets them up for a finishing blow in the next attack.

Card-Battling Meets Board Control

While positioning on the board is crucial (just like in chess), you also have to consider card synergy, Sigil costs, and surprise plays. Will you spend Sigils on big, game-changing Mercenaries, or swarm with cheaper Pawns? Should you gamble on drawing a powerful card from the deck, or pick a known (but possibly less exciting) option from the face-up draft row? The interplay of these decisions keeps the tension high and the outcome uncertain in the best possible way.

Explore the Full Rules Document

Ready to dig in? We’ve made our full rules accessible in an online document that we’re also opening to community comments. We’d love to hear your feedback:

Sylvan Tactics Rules

Whether you’re curious about the finer points of placing your units, the exact mechanics behind Mercenary partnerships, or how morale damage works, this document covers it all. It’s a living rulebook, so if something isn’t crystal-clear, feel free to leave a comment. We’re excited to continue refining Sylvan Tactics with the help of our early followers and playtesters.

Browse Our New Card Preview Gallery

We’ve also put together a new online gallery of all the card designs we’ve shared on social media so far. This is your chance to get a closer look at the anthropomorphic woodland creatures and the game-changing abilities they possess:

Sylvan Tactics Card Previews

Expect even more reveals in the weeks ahead, including more card art and abilities every week. We hope these previews spark your imagination for the strategic possibilities at play and give you additional context to help understand the rules document.

What’s Next?

1. Crowdfunding Launch
It’s going to be a while before we are ready, but the end goal here will be to get you a finished copy of the game. Follow us on our journey!

2. Playtest Opportunities
We’ll be hosting online and in-person playtests. Follow us on social media or join our Discord so you don’t miss your chance to try Sylvan Tactics before it launches.

3. Community Feedback
The Sylvan Tactics community has been instrumental in shaping the game so far. If you have questions, comments, or brilliant ideas, share them in the rules document comments, on Discord, or via social media.

Join the Conversation

We can’t wait to see your armies take shape on the board as you experiment with different strategies, combos, and card synergies. Thank you for coming along on this journey with us. Dive into the new rulebook and card gallery, and let us know what you think!