Gwent: The Legendary Card Game Rules

Gwent is a popular 2-player card game that originated from The Witcher video game series. Each player commands an army of cards and competes to have the highest total strength at the end of each round.

Game Overview

Gwent was designed by CD Projekt RED, the developers of The Witcher series. The game requires 2 players and the necessary materials include a Gwent deck, a Score Card, four score tokens, and a Leader Card. You can purchase the game here.

Objective

The player with the highest total strength at the end of each round wins that round. The first player to win 2 rounds wins the game.

Setup

Before starting the game, each player chooses a faction and selects a Leader Card. Players then create their deck by including 1 Leader Card, 22 Unit Cards minimum, 10 Special Cards maximum, and 2 gem counters.

At the start of a game, both players shuffle their decks, draw 10 cards, and may discard up to two cards from their hand if they wish. Each player places their Leader Card face up near the battlefield and places their gem counters on their Leader Card.

How to Play

Players take turns playing one card at a time. Each card has a battlefield position, represented by an icon below the strength icon, which indicates where on the battlefield that unit may be placed.

Some Unit Cards are Heroes, which have a spiked strength value icon filled in their faction’s color. Heroes are not affected by any special abilities. Some Unit Cards have special abilities, which are described on the Help Cards and are resolved immediately after the card is placed on the appropriate row.

Special Cards, such as Weather cards, Decoy, Scorch, etc., do not have strength values of their own but have various abilities that can modify the strength of units already on the battlefield. The abilities of Special Cards are resolved immediately after the card is placed on the appropriate row.

Scoring and End of Game

When both players have passed, they add up the strength of all their cards on the battlefield. The player with the lowest total strength loses and must remove a gem counter from their Leader Card. In the event of a draw, both players must remove a gem. All cards, including Special Cards, are then removed from the battlefield and placed on their respective discard piles. The winner starts the next round.

When a player runs out of gems, they lose the game.

Common Variants

In some cases, leader and faction abilities may determine who starts first.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Remember to choose your faction and Leader Card wisely, as they grant passive and active abilities that can greatly influence the outcome of the game. Also, be mindful of the minimum and maximum card limits for your deck to ensure a balanced gameplay experience.

FAQ

1. Can I play Gwent without The Witcher?

   • Yes, Gwent can be played as a standalone game without The Witcher.

2. How many players can play Gwent?

   • Gwent is a 2-player game.

3. What are the minimum and maximum card limits for a Gwent deck?

   • The minimum deck size is 22 Unit Cards, and the maximum Special Card limit is 10.

4. What happens if both players have the same total strength at the end of a round?

   • In the event of a draw, both players must remove a gem counter.

5. Can I play Gwent online?

   • Yes, you can play Gwent online through various platforms such as Steam and GOG.com.