1. Game Overview & Objective
In Nexus Duel, two commanders battle for control of Convergence Point Zero. There are no dice and no RNG—victory is decided strictly by board positioning, resource management, and tactical combat.
- Nexus Integrity: Both players begin with 30 Nexus Integrity. Reduce your opponent’s Nexus to 0 to win.
- Deck Size: 40 cards minimum, constructed around your chosen faction synergy.
2. The 5x2 Tactical Battlefield
Each commander controls a private grid composed of two distinct 5-column ranks:
🛡️ The Frontline (5 Slots): Your vanguard. Melee units here intercept incoming attacks. Units here cannot attack the enemy Nexus directly unless the opposing lane is clear.
🎯 The Backline (5 Slots): Support engines, spellweavers, and ranged artillery. Backline units cannot be targeted by standard melee attacks while a friendly unit defends the Frontline slot directly ahead.
3. Turn Sequence
- Awaken Phase: Ready all exhausted units and energy nodes.
- Draw Phase: Draw 1 card from your deck.
- Main Phase: Deploy units to your 5x2 grid, activate faction abilities, or cast tactics by paying energy costs.
- Combat Phase: Declare lane attackers. Unblocked lanes deal direct Breach Damage to the enemy Nexus.
- End Phase: Clear end-of-turn effects and pass priority.
4. Faction Signatures & Keywords
- Brass Bastion: Relies on Taunt to redirect attacks and builds Pressure counters to trigger catastrophic steam venting.
- Arcane Aether: Manipulates energy conduits to execute Spell Cascades, multiplying effect potency when chaining actions.
- Chrome Corps: Uses cybernetic coordination with Target Lock to ignore frontline defense penalties and coordinate pinpoint strikes.