KARDS is a WWII collectible card game from Icelandic studio 1939 Games, built on 40 card decks that pair one major nation with up to 12 cards borrowed from a single ally. Both headquarters start at 20 defence and the match ends the moment one of them hits zero. What sets it apart from other digital card games is the frontline: your board is split into two lines, and which line a unit sits in decides what it is allowed to attack.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Read operation cost, not just deployment cost
Read operation cost, not just deployment cost. A 2 kredit unit with an operation cost of 2 eats a third of your turn four economy every single time it swings, which is exactly how aggressive draws stall out with a full board.
2. Frontline units can attack the enemy support line and the enemy HQ directly, while support line infantry cannot attack at all
Frontline units can attack the enemy support line and the enemy HQ directly, while support line infantry cannot attack at all. Deciding which line a unit enters is therefore a bigger decision than which unit you deploy.
3. Artillery, bombers and fighters ignore that restriction
Artillery, bombers and fighters ignore that restriction. Parking a Katyusha or a fighter in your support line still applies pressure on turns where contesting the frontline face to face would just donate you a unit.
4. Unspent kredits vanish at end of turn
Unspent kredits vanish at end of turn. Plan the turn that leaves zero behind, even when that means deploying filler rather than holding a perfect card you cannot pay for anyway.
5. Your 12 allied cards should patch a hole the main nation cannot fix, such as British removal inside a Japanese shell
Your 12 allied cards should patch a hole the main nation cannot fix, such as British removal inside a Japanese shell. Splashing allied cards that repeat what you already do throws the slots away.
6. Guard protects the cards next to it from direct attack, so placement order inside the frontline is a genuine decision
Guard protects the cards next to it from direct attack, so placement order inside the frontline is a genuine decision. Put the Guard between the enemy and whatever actually needs to survive the turn.
7. Smokescreen blanks direct attacks from units entirely
Smokescreen blanks direct attacks from units entirely. Against a Smokescreen HQ your damage has to arrive through orders and effects, so hold a burn card back instead of throwing it at an empty board early.
8. Both HQs start at 20 defence, which is a short clock
Both HQs start at 20 defence, which is a short clock. A card like Mito Regiment dealing 2 damage on death is worth 10 percent of the enemy HQ every time it trades, win or lose.
9. In Draft a run ends at 7 games played or 3 losses taken, so value cheap removal and solid mid cost units over expensive bombs you may never get to cast
In Draft a run ends at 7 games played or 3 losses taken, so value cheap removal and solid mid cost units over expensive bombs you may never get to cast.
10. Run the Starter Campaigns before you spend money
Run the Starter Campaigns before you spend money. Each one awards a complete 40 card deck for a major nation, which is five playable ladder decks for the price of some evenings.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Germany (A-Tier):
- Focus on Kredit economy combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: Blitzkrieg
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Soviet Union (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: Katyusha
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how KARDS - The WWII Card Game's systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
Kredit economy + Deployment and operation costs: You start with one kredit slot and gain another at the beginning of every turn, refilling to your full total each time. Combined with Deployment and operation costs, every unit card carries two numbers: a deployment cost to put it on the board and a smaller operation cost paid each time it moves or attacks.
Frontline and support line + Ally nation limit: Units in your frontline can attack enemy support line units and the enemy HQ. When paired with Ally nation limit, a deck holds exactly 40 cards built around one major nation, and at most 12 of them may come from a single ally nation.
Combat keywords scaling: Seven combat keywords do most of the work: Ambush, Blitz, Fury, Guard, Heavy Armor, Shock and Smokescreen. Blitz lets a unit operate the turn it lands, Guard shields adjacent units from direct attack, and Smokescreen makes a unit or HQ impossible for units to attack directly.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Blitzkrieg | German aggro decks closing a game from a life total the opponent thought was safe. | A German tactical order that hands a unit a large attack boost, which is why it turns up in aggressive lists hunting a single lethal turn. |
| Katyusha | Soviet decks that want free board presence and chip damage without touching their kredit curve. | Soviet rocket artillery with a zero kredit deployment cost that adds a random point of extra damage when it attacks. |
| Mito Regiment | Japan burn decks where even a losing trade still moves the enemy HQ 2 closer to zero. | A 3 kredit Japanese infantry unit with 2 attack, 3 defence, an operation cost of 1 and Blitz. |
| The War Machine | USA ramp decks planning to land expensive bombers before the opponent can contest them. | An American economic order that grants an extra kredit slot, pulling your whole curve forward by a full turn. |
| Hawker Hurricane | British control decks that need an answer to enemy bombers without giving up board position. | A British fighter. |
Location Efficiency
Ranked Battle (Any collection, best once you own one full deck): Matches you against players near your own rank using custom decks. You climb by winning stars up to rank 1, after which you enter the competitive ladder proper.
Casual Battle (Any): Unranked games against other players. This is where a half finished brew gets tested without spending stars proving it does not work yet.
Draft (Any, rewards raw card knowledge): You build a deck from offered cards and play until 7 wins or 3 losses ends the run. Individual card evaluation matters far more here than knowing archetypes.
Training (New players and untested decks): Games against AI opponents at several difficulty settings. The right place to check whether a new curve actually functions before you take it to people.
Theaters of War (New to intermediate players): Hand crafted campaign missions across five WW2 scenarios, sitting alongside the Starter Campaigns that each hand you a complete 40 card deck for a major nation.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- Deploying every unit into the frontline and leaving nothing behind to retake it after a trade.
- Ending turns with 2 or 3 kredits floating because the hand had nothing cheap enough to spend them on.
- Filling all 12 allied slots with effects the main nation already does better.
- Attacking the enemy HQ with a unit that their frontline will kill for free on the swing back.
- Building a curve on deployment cost alone, then being unable to operate a full board.
Pro Quick Tips
- Read operation cost, not just deployment cost. A 2 kredit unit with an operation cost of 2 eats a third of your turn four economy every single time it swings, which is exactly how aggressive draws stall out with a full board.
- Frontline units can attack the enemy support line and the enemy HQ directly, while support line infantry cannot attack at all. Deciding which line a unit enters is therefore a bigger decision than which unit you deploy.
- Artillery, bombers and fighters ignore that restriction. Parking a Katyusha or a fighter in your support line still applies pressure on turns where contesting the frontline face to face would just donate you a unit.
- Start with Soviet Union, switch to Germany when ready
- Invest in Blitzkrieg above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Ranked Battle → Casual Battle → Draft → Training → Theaters of War. See our maps guide
- Kredit economy + Deployment and operation costs together are stronger than either alone
More KARDS - The WWII Card Game Guides
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game KARDS - The WWII Card Game Overview
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Best Builds
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Tier List
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Walkthrough
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Beginner's Guide
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Weapons Guide
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Combat Guide
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Boss Guide
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Maps & Locations
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Crafting Guide
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Classes & Characters
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