Breakthrough - The KARDS winter expansion is live!

New research gameplay, 81 new cards, new game mechanics.

Breakthrough, our third massive expansion for KARDS, introduces a wealth of fundamentally new strategic possibilities and tactical options to KARDS, all inspired by real-world WW2 history.

Explore never-seen-before research mechanics motivated by actual WW2 research projects to turn the tide of battle in your favor.

Additional new features, like the Pincer attack ability or the ability to steal enemy units, significantly expand the array of tactical options available and bring the game experience to a new level.

Breakthrough arrives with a total of 81 new cards, many of them with new effects introduced for the first time in this expansion, reinforcing players with thrilling new tools to challenge their opponents and dominate the battlefield with tactical skills and strategic thinking.

Breakthrough was published on December 9th and is an automatic update for all KARDS players.

A new era for KARDS

With the arrival of Breakthrough on December 9, KARDS entered a completely new era.

These are the highlights of Breakthrough:

• 81 new unique cards in total

• Research cards now available to unleash devastation

• Pincer as a new core ability

• New mechanics to control enemy units

• New mechanics to select cards in hand for special improvements

• Numerous bug fixes and smaller improvements

Further Breakthrough info:

• Breakthrough card reveals - First info

• Breakthrough card reveals - Second strike

• Breakthrough cards: Full collection
  

To further spotlight these massive changes, together with the best KARDS players we have prepared a special Breakthrough walkthrough video for you:

Research enters KARDS

Breakthrough introduces Research as a new feature and gameplay option.

Inspired by historical projects of strategic impact, you can now use Research to either support your current strategy or to create a strong complement, depending on which route you take.

Each Research phase leaves you with the choice: reap the benefit you have gained so far, or further invest in the hope of reaching a true research breakthrough later on and before it is too late.

Will you stay the course for the ultimate rewards like the Manhattan Project or try to capitalize on early returns? Can you survive long enough?

New Pincer ability

In military terms, a pincer movement is a coordinated and simultaneous attack of separate forces to encircle the enemy and then simultaneously attack them on both flanks or from opposing directions. The maneuver relies on both groups encircling the enemy to succeed in deploying their devastating blow. The pincer movement was an integral part of the German Blitzkrieg and was often used to shocking effect during World War II.

The KARDS Pincer ability is inspired by this real-world tactic and recreates this attack in an abstract yet realistic way on the battlefield.

When a Pincer unit enters the battlefield, you can choose another friendly unit as a counterpart of the Pincer. This effect is the abstraction of two units working together to pincer the opponent. Only while both units are on the battlefield will they both get the Pincer benefit.

For example: A Pincer: +2 Attack would give the Pincer unit +2 attack and the other selected unit +2 attack - as long as they both are on the battlefield. If either unit is removed from the battlefield, the other remaining unit automatically loses the +2 Pincer attack bonus.

Control enemy units

On the battlefield, chaos can reign, and friendly fire can become as deadly as enemy attacks. Switching sides during WWII was also not uncommon, even for nations. At the start of WWII Romania, Bulgaria and Italy were allied with the Axis powers, but the war’s developments in later years would influence these countries decisions to switch their allegiance to the Allies.

An example of take control is CONFUSION, where you can take control of an enemy unit, with cost of 3 or less, until end of turn. This effect is the abstraction of a unit becoming confused during battle and therefore not acting as they should.

Another example is MINORITY RECRUITS, where you can take full control of an enemy unit. This effect is the abstraction of turning to the enemy.

Welcome to Breakthrough!