The Gundam Card Game is a two-player trading card game where you deploy mobile suits, pair them with Pilots, and attack until your opponent runs out of the six Shields protecting them. You play with a 50-card main deck and a separate 10-card Resource Deck, and a game usually takes about 20 minutes once you know the flow. That's the short version. If you've just cracked a starter deck and you're staring at the board mat wondering what goes where, this guide walks through everything in the order you'll actually need it. ## What you need to start You don't need much. A single Starter Deck is enough to play a real game out of the box, and Bandai built the four launch starters to be played against each other straight away. If you want to build your own list later, that's where a deck builder earns its keep, but ignore that for now. Here's the kit: - A main deck of exactly 50 cards. No more, no less. - A Resource Deck of 10 cards, kept separate from your main deck. - One EX Base token and your EX Resource token, which start in play. - A way to track damage and turn order — counters or dice work fine. ## The four card types Every card you'll touch falls into one of four buckets, and you'll get the hang of them within a game or two. - Units are your mobile suits. They sit on the field, attack, and block. - Pilots attach underneath a Unit to pump its stats and hand it an ability. - Commands are one-shot effects — think combat tricks and removal. - Bases are stationary cards that sit in your base area and soak hits or provide value. ## How resources work This is the part that trips up most newcomers, so slow down here. Resources are your mana, but they live in their own 10-card deck. Each turn you can place one Resource into your resource area. A card shows a Lv (level) — you can only play it if the number of Resources you have is equal to or greater than that level. To actually pay a cost, you rest (turn sideways) a number of Resources equal to the cost. You also start the game with an EX Base in your base area and get an EX Resource token, which gives you a small early tempo bump. You can have no more than five EX Resource tokens at once, but in practice you'll rarely bump into that ceiling. The takeaway: your level climbs slowly and predictably, so your curve matters. A deck stuffed with high-level cards stalls out while your opponent is already swinging. ## Pairing Pilots and Link Units Pairing is where the game gets its personality. When you place a Pilot face-up beneath a Unit, the Unit gains the Pilot's AP and HP and picks up its listed ability. There's a catch that's easy to miss: a freshly deployed Unit normally can't attack the turn it lands. But if you pair it with a Pilot and meet the card's link requirements, it becomes a Link Unit and can attack immediately. Hitting those link conditions — usually a specific Pilot or trait — is the difference between a clunky board and a deck that punches on curve. The strongest decks in the format are basically built around reliably turning on their links. ## Combat and the six Shields You win by chewing through your opponent's defenses. Each player starts with six cards face-down in the Shield Area. When you attack and the hit gets through, the defender loses a Shield. Once all six Shields are gone, the next point of battle damage ends the game. There's a second way to lose, too: if a player would draw from an empty deck, they're out. Deck-out wins are rare, but aggressive mill-adjacent lines exist. So there are two clocks ticking — your opponent's Shields and their library. Most games are decided on the first. ## A turn, start to finish Turns follow a clean rhythm. Roughly: 1. Set up — ready your rested cards and your active Resources. 2. Draw a card. 3. Place a Resource (if you want to grow your level). 4. Main phase — deploy Units, pair Pilots, play Commands and Bases. 5. Attack with any Units that are able. 6. End your turn. At the very start of the game, each player draws five cards and may take a single mulligan, then sets their six Shields. Simple enough to remember after one playthrough. ## Three habits that make new players better fast I've taught this game to a handful of friends, and the same advice keeps landing: - Respect your curve. If you can't act on turns one and two, you've already given up tempo. Lean on lower-level Units early. - Plan your links before you deploy. Dropping a Unit you can't pair this turn often means it just sits there as a target. - Don't hoard removal. Commands rot in your hand. Trading them for a key threat is almost always worth it. ## Where to go next Once the basics click, the natural next steps are building a deck that fits how you like to play and seeing what's winning events. Read our deckbuilding guide for the ratios and curve, or if you haven't bought in yet, see which starter deck to buy first. You can sketch lists and check legality with the deck builder, study the current meta decks, and browse public decks from other players for ideas. For edge-case rulings, Bandai keeps the comprehensive rules and FAQ updated. ## FAQ ### How many cards are in a Gundam Card Game deck? A legal deck has exactly 50 cards in the main deck plus a separate 10-card Resource Deck. You can include up to four copies of any single card number, and your main deck can use cards from up to two colors. ### How do you win the Gundam Card Game? You win by dealing battle damage to an opponent who has no Shields left. Each player starts with six face-down Shields, so you have to break through all six and then connect once more. You also win if your opponent can't draw from an empty deck. ### What is the Resource Deck? The Resource Deck is a separate 10-card deck that fuels your plays. Each turn you can add one Resource, and you rest Resources to pay costs. A card's Lv tells you the minimum number of Resources you need before you can play it. ### Can a Unit attack the turn you play it? Usually no. A newly deployed Unit can't attack right away unless it becomes a Link Unit — that happens when you pair it with a Pilot and meet the card's link requirements. Then it can attack immediately. ### Do I need more than a starter deck to play? No. A single Starter Deck is a complete, playable deck. Starters are the cheapest and easiest entry point, and you can upgrade later by adding booster cards and building your own list.
How to Play the Gundam Card Game: A Beginner's Guide
