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.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Ranked Battle | Kredit economy basics | Soviet Union | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Casual Battle | Deployment and operation costs mastery | Soviet Union | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Draft | Frontline and support line + gear | Germany or Soviet Union | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Training | Build optimization | Germany | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Theaters of War | Min-max | Germany or Japan | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Ranked Battle)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Any collection, best once you own one full deck Key Rewards: Rank rewards, ladder placement
What to Do in Ranked Battle
- Learn Kredit economy. You start with one kredit slot and gain another at the beginning of every turn, refilling to your full total each time. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Soviet Union as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- 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.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Katyusha or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Kredit economy fundamentals
- Soviet Union selected and functional
- Ranked Battle main content cleared
- Ready for Casual Battle
Phase 2: Early Game (Casual Battle)
Unranked games against other players. This is where a half finished brew gets tested without spending stars proving it does not work yet.
Level/Difficulty: Any Key Rewards: Deck testing, matchup practice
What to Do in Casual Battle
- Work on 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. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Katyusha if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- 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.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Draft.
- Consider whether Germany might suit your playstyle better than Soviet Union.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Deployment and operation costs integrated into gameplay
- Katyusha acquired
- Casual Battle fully cleared
- Ready for Draft
Phase 3: Mid Game (Draft)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Any, rewards raw card knowledge Key Rewards: Draft run payouts, card packs
What to Do in Draft
- Master Frontline and support line. Units in your frontline can attack enemy support line units and the enemy HQ. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Blitzkrieg. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- 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.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Ally nation limit for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Frontline and support line mastered
- Blitzkrieg acquired or in progress
- Draft fully cleared
- Ready for Training
Phase 4: Late Game (Training)
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.
Level/Difficulty: New players and untested decks Key Rewards: Safe testing, early currency
What to Do in Training
- Finalize your build. You should be running Germany or Soviet Union with optimized gear.
- Blitzkrieg should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- 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.
- Combat keywords optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Theaters of War.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Blitzkrieg upgraded to max
- Training fully cleared
- Ready for Theaters of War
Phase 5: Endgame (Theaters of War)
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.
Level/Difficulty: New to intermediate players Key Rewards: Free 40 card nation decks, campaign rewards
What to Do in Theaters of War
- Theaters of War tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- 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.
- The endgame loop: run Theaters of War, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Japan for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Combat keywords mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Theaters of War fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- 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
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
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 Beginner's Guide
- KARDS - The WWII Card Game Tips & Tricks
- 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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