-Strength-
Strength of a unit is the amount of health the unit currently has and also the amount of damage it can do to another unit. As a unit is damaged its strength lowers, which means it has lower health and produces less damage.
For example, if a 2-strength unit battles a 5-strength unit, the 5-strength unit will end the fight with 3 strength meaning it has 3 health left and can only produce 3 damage. Any healing to a unit restores its strength thus increasing its damage back up to the original.
-Skill-
Skill is the measurement of fighting experience of a unit. Units will only take damage in a battle if the opposing unit has equal or greater skill. Skill adds a layer of complexity to battles, requiring players to find ways to take down higher skill creatures.
One method is to use the 3 skill tokens provided each round. These tokens can add a skill to a unit for the turn, which could possibly make a battle worth fighting. Only one skill tokens can be used on a unit per turn, and they are reset to the pool after all battle phases are complete.
-Traits and Abilities-
Each unit can have a trait and/or ability. Traits are passive and can alter how a unit works. Abilities may be passive or activated and can usually do more versatile actions.
Walls are a trait that means it must be attacked first. They are a barrier or barricade between the enemies and your units/leader.
Heroes are next after a wall in being attacked before other units or leaders can be attacked. Heroes are usually enticing or extravagant and draw the attention of attackers. Heroes usually have low skill and higher strength.
Airborne units can attack over walls but still just attack heroes first before other units.
Assassins can sneak around walls and heroes to attack units or leaders directly. They usually have low strength and higher skill.
Focus is a trait that gives a unit 1 skill when attacking.
Rally Cry gives all your units +1 strength when attacking that battle phase.
Frenzy means that a creature can keep attacking units that battle phase if it is not killed in battle. Hitting a wall or leader stops this effect.
Confusion reduces the skill of a unit by 1 when battled.
Bind stops a unit from attacking for a turn.
-Spells and Traps-
Spells and traps can also be played during the release phase. Spells perform an action during the phase, while traps are stored on the board after being played and are activated by a condition.
-Phases-
Dark Table is split predominantly into two phases, a release phase and battle phase. At the start of each turn, everyone's knowledge pool is replenished with a starting size of 10. Knowledge is used as the cost to release cards. During the release phase, players can release units, walls, and traps to the board. Any new cards are hidden from the enemies, while anything played in previous turns is shown. This phase happens for all players at the same time. The intent here is for players to be forced to make their own strategy without knowing what others may have played and reacting solely to that.
The second phase is comprised of the battle phases for everyone in the game. One player will get the battle chip at random in the beginning of the game and be the first to have a battle phase. Then, each player will have a battle phase in a clockwise rotation. At a battle phase, players can use units and spells to attack other units and leaders, if possible. At the completion of the battle phases, the battle chip will move to the next player in a clockwise rotation, leaving them to attack first next turn. This rotation of first attack can be a very unique mechanic that can be used for strategy.
-Alliances and Table Politics-
Some of the most fun in multiplayer card games comes from the table politics that ensue. Players often make temporary alliances to change the advantage in the game or dethrone someone in power. Dark Table offers an Alliance mechanic to assist in creating table politics in a digital card game. You may select an opponent to alliance with, and then an opponent you want to fight. If the alliance is accepted it means that the players may be temporarily aligned in a target.
The game does not force the alliance to be fulfilled, but those that follow the temporary alliance can earn extra in-game currency. The goal is to use this mechanic to plan attacks if more than one player is required to restore balance.
