Hello friends!

A new release is around the corner and we want to continue our experiment from last spring in bringing back reserved cards in a completely reworked form. Like last time, we are focusing on cards that would not normally be returned to active duty, either because they no longer fit what we want that nation to be doing or simply because they are bad. Some of the reworked cards this time around do have a tie into what will happen later this winter with the next expansion, but should be fine as is for playing around with. Our main goal is to provide a batch of cards that support some minor existing theme or take an old archetype into a new direction, rather than to act as a huge meta-shaker - more diversity and allowing creative juices to flow is the name of the game.

A total of 18 cards are being returned this time around, 3 for each major nation, plus 1 for France, Italy and Poland (there are no Finnish cards in reserve). All of them will become part of the Core pool and will drop from Core and Covert Ops packs. Note that some of them can also be found in the new Battle Ready decks, so look into those if you want quick access. Some of these returning cards only recently entered the reserved ranks, but some have lingered there for a long time until they mothballed. But finally they can emerge from their cocoon and shine as the beautiful butterflies they now are. Alright, enough hyperbole, let’s dig in.




This new version has a very similar concept as the old one, with one important difference - it resets the operation of the unit, meaning it can move and/or attack again this turn. As a baseline, this card allows, for instance, your big infantry in the frontline to attack an enemy unit, be retreated and repaired with Tactical Withdrawal and then return to the frontline again. Decent value, but nothing earth shattering. But now imagine you have a lone Humber Mk II in your support line with Blitzkrieg and Tactical Withdrawal in hand. For 5 kredits you can deal 16 damage to the enemy HQ - yes, Tactical Withdrawal allows a tank with Fury to attack 4 times in a turn. Welcome to the Fury Road: Tactical Withdrawal version.




We are keeping the pin matters theme of this card, but in a much stronger way. While we generally want to be careful with how much Suppress we add to the game, we wanted to broaden a little bit what nations have access to the effect, even in a fairly niche manner as we see here. In the right deck, this card can be a real menace and it now having Guard is the icing on the cake. Put a pin in it.




There are many What Ifs to ponder when it comes to World War II, What if Chamberlain stood up to Hitler? What if Rommel won at El Alamein? And one of the popular ones - what would happen if Guards suddenly and spontaneously turned into crazed Zombies? Well, now we can play out this exciting alternative history with aid from the Royal West Kents, zombie-makers extraordinaire.




For some of the returning cards it took us a long time to figure out what to do with them. This card was one of the harder ones, we spent countless brainstorming sessions searching for solutions. Finally it struck us that making it suppress a unit might work due to the name and there is an air unit in the art so lets throw in a reference to that. Voila! This is why we are paid the big bucks.




Speaking of names fitting the card’s concept, here is one that is very much on the nose. This card can at the same time be devastatingly effective in the right deck (think decks that like to run cards like Blitzkrieg and Pursuit) and it is very thematic. Sometimes being on noses is a good thing and this one smells like success.




Germany hates cheap stuff and here is one more proof if you need one. This iconic anti-tank artillery saw little play in its first iteration, but we hope this new and improved version sees more 40-cards decks packed with Pak 40s. It does cost one more than the versatile Nebelwerfer, but the potential draw and Ambush does give this unit a higher ceiling.




Alright, let’s get the sexual innuendos out of the way - Hard Men Like to Hammer. Happy now? Can we go back to talking about cards? Thank you. With the childish horseplay out of the way we can finally start to dig into the dry, technical nitty gritty of this card: It makes your units hard or it allows you to hammer. There we go.




Last time around we gave SU 152 a facelift and hinted at a potential tank-themed Soviet deck. It worked well then, so we are going for the same trick a second time. The deck still needs a few key pieces, but who knows what the (near) future will bring? In the meantime, this unit can help midrange or slower Soviet decks stay afloat against very aggressive decks. Stick a couple of these on the battlefield and you will soon be out of reach of most aggro decks.




The KV-2 was always a meme-card, a borderline laughing stock. It now has some important stat tweaks (one less operation cost, one more attack), but the main attraction lies in its brand new ability. Note that this ability works for all of your units with Heavy Armor, including itself. Furthermore, it works on order damage from any source, including yourself. With this on board you can play Men of Steel to protect your squad, then fire off a Winter Warfare and see only the enemy units go up in flames. Even Winter Offensive can now be tanked a lot easier.




Recent meta has been teeming with bomber-heavy US decks. So what do we do? Rework a US bomber into something super exciting for people to play with. Classic 1939. The wording may seem a little strange, but is a requirement as otherwise we would run into all sorts of technical and UI issues. It also limits the power level a little bit, which is needed, as this unit is quite potent as is. B-17 Flying Fortress now becomes High Altitude Bombing, 332nd Engineer Regiment now gives +4 HQ defense and 2 kredit slots, etc. The sky’s the limit, which is why this is on a bomber. Note that this effect does not stack, so printer shenanigans will not work with it.




Sometimes regular force is just too meh and mundane. Sometimes you just need that extra bit of oomph. Sometimes you just want to go grr and go all out. Sometimes, uh, one should stop writing out interjections and just go on with things. This card buff may seem expensive, but it is not that hard to give a unit +8+8 with it, which is quite potent. Chances of OTK attempts in the near future: Overwhelming.




Unspent kredits are like free candy lying around, just waiting to be hoovered up on a first-come-first-serve basis. The Banshee is now insanely versatile and bound to show up regularly. Especially as it can be grabbed by the Bomber Mafia. Late game the Banshee can come down like an angel of wrath, but you still retain the option of dropping it early if you really need that body. I mean, just look at that sleek, slim figure. Yummy. Don’t worry, the bomber fetish quota has now officially been reached for this blog and you can read on stress-free.




Raise your hand if you are tired of watching your opponent spam endless orders while you twiddle your thumbs. Well, now you have a new best buddy. It remains to be seen how big an impact this card will have on the meta, but you should prepare for its presence. The best way to deal with the Shibata is with units like the Flammpanzer or the M18 Hellcat, so take this into account when adjusting your decks.




The Smokescreen deck has been a weak meme-deck for a long time, but it only requires a few new key cards to really put the deck on the map. Getting a +2+2 buff for mere 1 kredit is very strong, so let’s see if this change sees the Smokescreen deck maneuver its way into the meta.




The Self-Kredit Denial deck (SKD) has been quite popular and performs well. But we still feel that in the wake of the nerfs in the last patch there is room for one more tool for the deck to play with. The stats have been adjusted slightly to fit better with a deck running tight on kredits, but having a couple of these can give you important reach to close out games in drawn-out games.




Finally we come to a card that people will love to hate and hate to love. The cost may be high with this one, but the effect may (and will) bring grown men to their knees crying when their beloved win-con is stolen. What a nice Manhattan Project you have there, good sir. Yoink! Note that Sabotage can only be played if the enemy has at least 3 cards in hand and will show you random 3 cards if more are held by the enemy, so time your sabotage with care!




This bomber is like the little brother of the B-26 Marauder. Italy may not be known for their non-targeting deployment effects, but that could change in the future. In the meantime, you can have fun copying various juicy effects on your main nation units, be it draw, random removal, HQ defense or something else. Leopold anyone? Note that for Choose One effects the original effect will be copied and for cards like Panzer III-H the leftmost (top) card is automatically drawn.




Hel did not have to spend eternity in purgatory, having only been reserved with Covert Ops, but Hel found a highway for a quick return to active duty. It can make one of your Legions a real problem to deal with, especially if backed up with protection and lots of intel. Also, don’t discount the option of self-inflicted harm now being harmless. Five-year plans work best in Hel, after all.

That’s it. We hope some of these cards get you all excited to try out some new and fun things in Kards, we know we are really excited to see what you guys will cook up. We also have a balance patch, which we will cover in another blog.

All these updates will drop on September 19th, so prepare yourself. See you on the battlefield, commander!

Dear KARDS players,

Prepare for an exciting new chapter in KARDS as our autumn update is set to launch on September 19th.

We’ve been hard at work to improve KARDS on all fronts and now want to give you a high-level overview on what we have planned for the September update. Further details will follow in the coming weeks, but let’s get to the overview without further ado:


We’re excited to announce a new feature that debuts in this update: a 8-player sit-and-go blitz tournament mode.

This new mode represents the first step towards more permanent tournament features in KARDS, adding another layer of competition and strategy. We will have, of course, more details about this exciting new addition in a separate blog.


As part of our ongoing effort to keep KARDS fresh and exciting, this autumn update will see the return of several cards from the reserve pool.

These cards, some of which have updated stats, will provide new options and strategies for your decks. Expect a full breakdown in our upcoming blog post, detailing which cards are returning and how they’ve been adjusted.


We've closely monitored the game and listened to the community, leading us to make important adjustments to several cards.

These changes aim to refine gameplay balance and enhance strategic depth. We’ll be releasing a detailed dev blog soon, where you can get all the specifics on these updates and the rationale behind them.

We've addressed a number of bugs and made various improvements to enhance your overall gameplay experience.

We are dedicated to making KARDS as polished and enjoyable as possible, and this update is another step towards that goal.

Keep an eye on our dev blogs for detailed information on the balance changes, returning cards and other features. As always, we encourage you to share your thoughts and feedback.

In the meantime, see you on the battlefields of KARDS!

Skirmish is a special game mode, easily accessible from the main screen, where you play with a different set of rules. These rules vary between the Skirmishes - you’ll face something different at every new Skirmish event.

Get ready for a thrilling and completely unique battle experience with these Skirmish rules:

• Choose your own deck to battle with
  
• You can use a deck with more than 12 Ally cards
  
• Draw an extra card each turn
  
• Players gain extra 2 kredit slots each turn.

In addition to the exciting and unique battle experience you’ll get with this Skirmish ruleset, you’ll also get a free random card pack as your first win reward in this Skirmish!

Access the Skirmish event from the game's main screen or from the battle screen to get a detailed overview of the game mode, rules and prize.

📅This Skirmish is available from Friday, August 2nd (12:00 GMT) until Sunday, August 4th at 18:00 GMT. Join this special event and win your Skirmish to claim victory and the spoils!

Please let us know what you think of the event in the comments below or on the KARDS Discord.

See you in the Skirmish this weekend!

Hello everyone!

A new KARDS update with card balance changes and bug fixes has been deployed! This update has been deployed on July 9th and is currently being rolled out across all platforms (Android, iOS, PC including Steam and Epic). Please note that some regions on some platforms might encounter slight delays for the update to become available.

Read on for all the intel on what is included in this update.


We encourage you to read our in-depth dev blog about all the card changes for background information and reasons why the following cards have been changed in the way listed below. Read the dev blog here: Card Balance Changes July 2024

• SHARK Mk III
  Old: Deployment: Deal damage to target enemy equal to friendly air units.
  New: Deployment: Deal damage to target enemy equal to your other friendly air units.
  
  
• 20. PANZERGRENADIER
  Old: 4 cost 3/3 unit.
  New: 5 cost 3/4 unit.
  
  
• BLITZ DOCTRINE
  Old: 1 cost order.
  New: 2 cost order.
  
  
• CONTEST DOCTRINE
  Old: 3 cost order (only spawnable).
  New: 4 cost order (only spawnable).
  
  
• BOMBER MAFIA
  Old: 2 cost order. Develop a US bomber. Deal 2 damage to all enemies if you have 6 or more unspent kredits.
  New: 3 cost order. Develop a US bomber. Deal 2 damage to all enemy units if you have 6 or more unspent kredits.
  
  
• YANK
  Old: This battle, when you Develop a card, also Develop a RETRIBUTION.
  New: This battle, the first time you Develop each turn, also Develop a RETRIBUTION.
  
  
• RETRIBUTION (see details in the dev blog)
  Old: 4 cost order (only spawnable)
  New: 6 cost order (only spawnable)
  
  
• 5th REGIMENT
  Old: When you lose a kredit slot, this unit gets +2+2 if on the battlefield or -2 cost if in hand.
  New: When you lose a kredit slot, this unit gets +1+1 if on the battlefield or -2 cost if in hand.
  
  
• THE GREAT EXPANSE
  Old: Set your kredit slots to equal the enemy kredit slots. Your units get +1+1 for each slot gained.
  New: Set your kredit slots to equal the enemy kredit slots. Your units get +1 attack for each slot gained.
  
  
• NIGHT RAID
  Old: 5 cost order.
  New: 4 cost order.
  
  
• T-35
  Old: Deals 1 damage to each HQ at the start of your turn.
  New: Deals 1 damage to each HQ at the end of your turn.
  
  
• 60th CAVALRY REGIMENT
  Old: 4 cost unit, 3/6 with Ambush.
  New: 2 cost unit, 2/4, no Ambush.
  
  
• LA DECIMA
  Old: 8 cost unit, 2/4 with Ambush and Guard.
  New: 7 cost unit, 2/5 with Ambush and Guard.

• The Filter icon became active after scrolling the sidebar on the Collection tab. Fixed.
  
• We have adjust the expansion filter order in the collection: base set first, then sets by reversed release date

• The TSURUGA REGIMENT destruction ability buffed by HONOR dealt damage to the enemy HQ even when the 15TH MOTOR RIFLES unit was located on the enemy battlefield sometimes. Fixed.
  
• The INNISKILLING FUSILIERS ability is not triggered after STRETCH THE LINE was used. Fixed.
  
• The 48TH ARMORED INFANTRY was pinned after UNDER FIRE was issued against it even though it was not damaged. Fixed.
  
• The SISSIOSASTO ability was not triggered after deploying covert unit to the battlefield. Fixed.
  
• 122ND KORSUN didn't always correctly work with covert units. Fixed.
  
• The RNZAF KITTYHAWK ability was not triggered after deploying covert unit to the battlefield. Fixed.
  
• Units with reduced attack by SCATTER TACTICS still gained attack at the end of the turn after being sent back to hand and deployed again. Fixed.
  
• PANZER III-H didn't get +1+1 from CONTEST ORDER after deploying it if your deck was empty. Fixed.
  
• The 1ST SIGNAL REGIMENT ability was not triggered after using the STRATEGIC FOCUS order. Fixed.

• In the collection overview, the amount of limited cards for "Covert Operations" could exceed 100% in some cases. Fixed.
  
• After completing Daily Mission, the missing timer went awol. Fixed.
  
• The "Intel" icon was not shown on the developed cards in your hand after the enemy used the "Intel" ability. Fixed.
  
• The USA was counted as an ally for daily missions if the deck contained the DEVIL'S BRIGADE exile card and another nation as an ally. Fixed.
  
• The damage indicator icon during a match didn't move when the target moved underneath. Fixed.
  
• Various smaller user interface bug fixes for Theater of War campaigns.
  
• Various smaller localization bug fixes.

That’s all for now. We thank all of our players and the KARDS Community in general for reporting bugs and discussing the game balance. If you want to get involved, join us on Discord!

Hello friends!

1939 Games are just about to head out on vacation and disappear into the summer sun. But we didn’t want to leave without moving some numbers around first to make us feel important. On the whole, the Covert Operations expansion has been a success, with new (and old) archetypes showing up and various new strategies and cards to humiliate your opponent with (the only reason we play, right?) Still, there are a few cards that are a little too good at the humiliation game and need to be humiliated themselves (read: nerfed). With all of the fancy technical talk out of the way, let’s take a look at what is coming in the Balance Patch, which will start rolling out on Tuesday the 9th of July. Keep an eye out for the Patch Notes as well, as there are many bug fixes included in the patch as well.

We will start with looking at a number of cards that are being realigned into a more reasonable form, then end with a few additional ones getting a slight facelift to round things out.



Old: Deployment: Deal damage to target enemy equal to friendly air units.
New: Deployment: Deal damage to target enemy equal to your other friendly air units.

Just when you thought Brit Air was dead and buried for good, along came this predatory seaplane allowing Brit Air to start snatching victories from the Jaws of defeat yet again. It now no longer counts itself as a friend, so if you want to get the same boatload of damage as before, you’re gonna need a bigger boat, my friend.



Old: 4 cost 3/3 unit.
New: 5 cost 3/4 unit.

Too much vitamin D can cause nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness and confusion. The 20. Panzergrenadiers’ time in the sun has become so prolonged that most of us are starting to experience these side-effects when encountering it. Sometimes too much of the good stuff is bad. With the powerful deployment effect still intact, there is still a lot of value to be had here. But now a bit more thought needs to be applied to whether the card fits the needs of your deck.



Old: 1 cost order.
New: 2 cost order.

This card has taken the battlefields by a storm not seen since June 1940. It offers excellent value for a small cost, so it is no wonder that it has blitzed its way into thousands of decks. Doubling the cost means it now finds itself in the much more cluttered 2-cost slot and double-Blitz Doctrine is slower to materialize, giving the opponent more time to find answers.



Old: 3 cost order (only spawnable).
New: 4 cost order (only spawnable).

Contest Doctrine has received a similar treatment as its parent. In addition to slowing the whole process down we want it to be a harder choice whether you can wait for your Contest Doctrine before you start deploying your cheap tanks - against aggressive decks you often won’t have that luxury.



Old: 2 cost order. Develop a US bomber. Deal 2 damage to all enemies if you have 6 or more unspent kredits.
New: 3 cost order. Develop a US bomber. Deal 2 damage to all enemy units if you have 6 or more unspent kredits.

The Bomber Mafia offers value you cannot refuse. Or it used to. Now that the regulatory committees and the IRS and the guidance counselors have gotten involved, the deal has soured somewhat, what with increased costs and bans on indiscriminate HQ bombing. Bloody bureaucrats, always ruining things… Note that the develop pool remains the same, as we want the Production Order bombers to have more avenues of showing up and they are needed to keep the develop pool at a reasonable size.



Old: This battle, when you Develop a card, also Develop a RETRIBUTION.
New: This battle, the first time you Develop each turn, also Develop a RETRIBUTION.

The Retribution mechanic is mostly intended to be a bonus value for certain cards. We still wanted to offer the choice of going all out in the mechanic, but have it be slow and clunky enough not to be a real contender (similar to how we treat for instance draw denial and discard). It seems a lot of people like spinning their wheels, as the deck turned out to be a lot more popular than we anticipated, even if its performance is not that great (it basically dies to anything that applies any kind of pressure). We do want the deck to exist still, but obviously it has to be even slower and less consistent.



Old: 4 cost order (only spawnable).
New: 6 cost order (only spawnable).

Few things are more fun than making your opponent pay for their insolence (like daring to hurt your guys). Though now you have to pay a bit more to make them pay. Following in the footsteps of the previous change, we are increasing the cost here by a whopping 50%. We didn’t want to remove the spin wheeling potential completely, so the functionality remains the same. We could have gone for a more hardcore change, but chose to be softcore instead. We want to keep that PG-13 rating after all.



Old: When you lose a kredit slot, this unit gets +2+2 if on the battlefield or -2 cost if in hand.
New: When you lose a kredit slot, this unit gets +1+1 if on the battlefield or -2 cost if in hand.

The Self Kredit-Denial (SKD) deck can attack from various angles, some early, some late, which is one of the reasons it can be so dangerous in the hands of a skilled pilot. There are mainly two aspects of it that are causing some concern. One is the highrolly chance of getting a couple of 5th Regiments out early and quickly growing them into something most decks can’t deal with at that stage. We are tackling that issue here, by reducing how quickly it can grow into a threat. This also makes the choice of which bonus mode to trigger on it harder.



Old: Set your kredit slots to equal the enemy kredit slots. Your units get +1+1 for each slot gained.
New: Set your kredit slots to equal the enemy kredit slots. Your units get +1 attack for each slot gained.

The other concern regarding SKD decks is when they get their engine running, culminating in chaining One Roofs into The Great Expanse for massive gains. Ideally this leads to instant victory, but sometimes it is enough just to buff your army to take total control of the battlefield. Now the latter is harder, as the defensive part of the buff is gone. And no, we are not going to rename the card now to The Not-So-Great Expanse, stop asking.



Old: 5 cost order.
New: 4 cost order.

So far in this blog we’ve been delivering some tough discipline to some naughty cards. Now it's time for some tough love, starting with Night Raid. Some would argue Commandos are the epitome of naughtiness, but naughty boys require some love every now and then too. Night Raid has fallen out of favor for various reasons, yet should be a solid choice for any Commando deck. Let’s see if a bit of love leads to more Flower Power.



Old: Deals 1 damage to each HQ at the start of your turn.
New: Deals 1 damage to each HQ at the end of your turn.

The Soviets may be struggling at the moment, but they have several decks that are at the cusp of being good in the meta. One of those is the self-damage deck. The T-35 was always intended to be a solid piece in that deck, but never really took off (must be all that heavy metal). By moving the effect to trigger at the end of turn you are (almost) guaranteed at least one hit, which is often enough to get the ball rolling.



Old: 4 cost unit, 3/6 with Ambush.
New: 2 cost unit, 2/4, no Ambush.

The 60th Cavalry Regiment lives to laugh at those that enjoy the wheel spinning we talked about earlier. The problem it has is that it lives in a limbo in being too slow against aggro decks and applies too little pressure against control decks. It is now statted to be able to go up against aggro units a lot faster and starts hampering control decks a lot sooner. Blitz Doctrine into Contest Doctrine? I don’t think so.



Old: 8 cost unit, 2/4 with Ambush and Guard.
New: 7 cost unit, 2/5 with Ambush and Guard.

Italy Control was once a mainstay of the meta, but has been in steady decline for a while now. Bringing the statline of this former stalwart of the deck to be more in line with the modern Kards ecosystem hopefully brings it back from extinction. Few things are sadder than endangered Italians, but buffing La Decima should be a solid first step in making Italian Control 10/10 again.

That’s it. Some final thoughts. Based on our data, Brit Air and various aggro shells revolving around Blitz Doctrine have seen the most success post-Covert Operations. The new SKD deck performs very well in experienced hands, but the tricky sequencing it demands make it only decently successful overall. The “greedy” ramp-Retribution package is very popular, but has middling success. It can however be annoying to play against simply because of the games dragging out with endless Developing. These decks were our main focus for adjustments in this patch. Overall, there are a lot of playable decks in the meta, some of them on the cusp of being competitive. Our hope with this update is to allow some of the strategies overshadowed by these over-tuned cards to shine. We will continue to monitor the meta and your feedback over the summer, ready to step in again as needed once we have soaked up enough sun to last us through the winter months.

Until then, see you on the battlefield, commander!

Here’s everything you need to know.

Skirmish is a special game mode, easily accessible from the main screen, where you play with a different set of rules. These rules vary between the Skirmishes - you’ll face something different at every new Skirmish event.

• Choose your own deck to battle with.
  
• Your selected deck cannot contain any order cards.
  
• Only units and countermeasures are allowed.

[bIn addition to the thrilling and unique battle experience you’ll get with this Skirmish ruleset, you’ll also get a free 1-day Medkit as your first win reward in this Skirmish! [/b] Activate the medkit in your national progression interface to enjoy a full day with a double XP boost.

Access the Skirmish event from the game's main screen or from the battle screen to get a detailed overview of the game mode, rules and prize.

This Skirmish is available from Friday, June 28th (12:00 GMT) until Sunday, June 30th at 18:00 GMT. Join this special event and win your Skirmish to claim victory and the spoils!

Please let us know what you think of the event in the comments below or on the KARDS Discord.

See you in the Skirmish this weekend!

Here’s everything you need to know.

Skirmish is a special game mode, easily accessible from the main screen, where you play with a different set of rules. These rules vary between the Skirmishes - you’ll face something different at every new Skirmish event.

• Each player randomly gets 1 of 5 decks to battle with.
  
• There is one deck per main nation.
  
• Each deck is a new Battle Ready deck from the Covert Operations expansion.

In addition to the exciting and unique battle experience you’ll get with this Skirmish ruleset, you’ll also get a free random card pack as your first win reward in this Skirmish!

Access the Skirmish event from the game's main screen or from the battle screen to get a detailed overview of the game mode, rules and prize.

This Skirmish is available from Friday, June 14th (12:00 GMT) until Sunday, June 16th at 18:00 GMT. Join this special event and win your Skirmish to claim victory and the spoils!

Please let us know what you think of the event in the comments below or on the KARDS Discord.

See you in the Skirmish this weekend!

Covert Operations, the KARDS Summer expansion, arrived on June 11, 2024, and heralds a thrilling new era on the battlefield.

Covert Operations revolves around the intricacy of covert operations and the (hidden) development of your military forces. This release delivers 87 brand new cards, two exciting new abilities, new game mechanics, card balance changes, and selected cards returning from the reserve pool to active duty!

This massive expansion introduces completely new tactical and strategic features to the battlefield and adds new depths of gameplay and deck building to KARDS. Behind-the-scenes improvements and bug fixes complete this large summer expansion.





The new abilities “Covert” and “Develop” evolve the gameplay to previously unknown finesse.

• “Covert” deploys a unit face down and hidden to the opponent until it is attacked or attacks. While being covert, the unit is unaffected by regular orders, countermeasures, or unit abilities.
  
  
• “Develop” allows you to choose 1 of 3 cards randomly chosen from a specified pool of cards. This pool can vary from card to card.

The new game mechanics work in conjunction with, but also beyond, the new Covert and Develop abilities and are carefully tuned to allow for the emergence of completely new tactics and potentially whole new deck archetypes. These new mechanics include:

• [h4]Reveal[/h4]
  
  Triggers when a previously covert unit gets revealed. Some cards have specific actions tied to this trigger.
  
  
• [h4]Retribution[/h4]
  
  A spawn-only pool of "Retribution" cards that you can draw from via the new "Develop" ability and the new order "Outrage."
  
  
• [h4]Dynamic Turn Counting[/h4]
  
  This mechanism adjusts certain card or unit stats—like attack/defense bonuses—based on the number of turns that have passed. It also enables the display of dynamic values on the card that change according to in-battle events (e.g number of cards you draw from RESERVES).
  
  
• [h4]Unit Subtypes[/h4]
  
  This feature allows for more precise actions and clearer event descriptions during battles. Some cards feature a unit subtype; for example: all Spitfire fighters belong to the "Fighter" type and carry the new subtype "Spitfire," which then can be referenced by specific other cards (e.g., REFIT).

87 brand new collectible cards arrive with Covert Operations. Each of the five major nations receives 15 new cards: 3 Elite, 3 Special, 4 Limited, and 5 Standard rarity cards. Additionally, the four minor nations receive three new cards each: 1 Special, 1 Limited, and 1 Standard rarity card.

Read ahead and explore how each nation contributes to Covert Operations in their own specific way aligned to their historical role in WW2!

[h4]USA[/h4]

Covert units are a major theme for the USA with this summer expansion. Furthermore, we see the completely new “Retribution” theme with 13 spawn-only cards that you can either develop or receive from other cards.



For those eager to engage in the thrilling Retribution-theme, we recommend the battle-ready deck “Angry Mob”: Generate Retribution to fuel your way to victory!

[h4]Britain[/h4]

During WW2, Britain developed and heavily utilized Commando Units to sabotage, disrupt and infiltrate. We honour this by introducing a new commando unit to KARDS and adding more cards to lift the British Commando-theme into a prominent spotlight. In accordance with the prominent role of the Royal Air Force during WW2, Britain receives support for their air force. Furthermore, an intriguing new twist supports the second actions of a kind (e.g. second order given during a turn).



A new battle-ready British deck “Going Commando” is available if you want to quickly get into the clandestine world of Command operations to win the world!

[h4]Germany[/h4]

With Covert Operations, Germany receives solid support for their countermeasures. We see several new cards supporting this theme, providing interesting fresh approaches. Additionally and in accordance with the historical development in WW2, we see support for rapid deployment into the frontline. The German theme this summer is completed with a bit of anti-covert support and some stand-alone boosts.



The new German battle-ready deck “Counter Argument” allows you to win through the power of countermeasures.

[h4]Japan[/h4]

Japan receives a major boost to their strategic arsenal with Covert Operations. Several new cards revolve around sacrificing kredit slot(s) to gain boosts on other fronts in the hope that this exchange will pay off with a victory. This perfectly aligns with Japan's major strategies during WW2. Additionally, we get several thrilling covert cards with this release.



Are you ready to experience the thrilling high-risk, high-reward kredit loss aggro theme? Then you should check out the Japanese battle-ready deck “Go For Broke” !

[h4]Soviet Union[/h4]

The major theme for the Soviet Union this summer release revolves around Covert units and supporting them in various ways. The namesake card for this release “Covert Operations” is therefore Soviet.



If you are thrilled by the covert ops theme, then you should try out “Hide & Seek”, the new Soviet battle-ready deck !

[h4]Allied Nations[/h4]



The new cards for the allied nations Finland, France, Italy, and Poland have in common that they are control-natured, thus perfectly complementing the overall theme of the Covert Operations expansion.

[h4]Spawn-only cards[/h4]



The following cards are not collectable and cannot be added to decks. They can only be spawned from other cards during a match. While spawn-only cards exist in the game since the early days (e.g. Light Infantry), the new Retribution theme contains more than a dozen unique spawn-only cards.

[image to be added]


Together with the introduction of new cards and game mechanics, we have adjusted the balance of 13 existing cards.

These balance changes take into account the significant number of new cards and new game mechanics arriving on the battlefield and further support the fine-tuning of the overall card balance in Covert Operations.

BALANCE DETAILS


Finally, 24 cards are returning to active duty from the reserve pool while 96 cards are retired into the reserve pool.

The continuous cycling of cards into and out of the reserve pool with each expansion supports the overall accessibility and longevity of KARDS for years to come.

RESERVE POOL CARDS

For all the nitty-gritty technical details and to pick up all the delightful intricacies of this release, dive into the Covert Operations Release Patch Notes.

PATCH NOTES

Enjoy Covert Operations and see you on the battlefields of KARDS!

Covert Operations, the KARDS Summer expansion, arrived on June 11, 2024, and heralds a thrilling new era on the battlefield.

Covert Operations revolves around the intricacy of covert operations and the (hidden) development of your military forces. This release delivers 87 brand new cards, two exciting new abilities, new game mechanics, card balance changes, and selected cards returning from the reserve pool to active duty.

Let’s dig into the details!

• 87 brand new cards have been added to the game. 15 cards for each major nation and 3 cards for each ally nation
  
• Two new card abilities “Covert” and “Develop” have been added
  
• New game mechanics and triggers like “on reveal” for specific cards
  
• Read more about the release and its thrilling new mechanics here

• 13 existing cards have been updated and their balance adjusted.
  
• This balance change is additional to the new cards from Covert Operations and ensures top-notch experience in KARDS with a well-counted, fresh and diverse card pool.
  
• Read more about these latest card balance changes here

• Alongside the Covert Operations expansion and card balance changes,we also have 24 cards return to active duty from the reserve pool while 96 cards are retired into the reserve pool.
  
• The Reserve pool of cards supports a balanced and dynamic experience for all our players over a long period of time. With the reserve pool we avoid issues such as power creep and inaccessibility for newer players, which can develop into significant problems without a card rotation.
  
• Read more about the Reserve Pool Cards here

In Addition to Covert Operations’ new cards, new features and improvements, we also have a sizable amount of bug fixes.

• The wrong side drew the cards when STEALTH MISSION’s affected unit was under control by the enemy. Fixed.
  
• SEABEES’s ability triggered when enemy units were repaired. Fixed.
  
• The operation cost buff from BLITZKRIEG was not removed correctly if the affected unit was moved out of the frontline. Fixed.
  
• M4 SHERMAN PL’s ability did not trigger correctly when it was spawned. Fixed.
  
• When a salvaged unit was destroyed and RESCUE MISSION triggered, non-salvage copies were added. Fixed.
  
• When a salvaged unit was returned by RAPID ENGAGEMENT, a non-salvage copy was added. Fixed.
  
• ME BF 109 G’s ability also triggered when a unit was destroyed by non-combat damage. Fixed.
  
• When a unit was salvaged, its deployment cost was not affected by RAID correctly. Fixed.
  
• When a unit with Smokescreen was added to the frontline directly and got buffs from P1Y1 MODEL 11, its stats were not visually correct.
  
• 122ND KORSUN’s ability did not work correctly when PANZER III-H was deployed. Fixed.
  
• SISSIOSASTO 5.D did not get the buff when a unit was deployed and triggered EVASIVE ACTION. Fixed.
  
• When a destruction event was added to a unit that was already suppressed, it only triggered once even though DUTY IS A MOUNTAIN was in play. Fixed.
  
• ASW PATROL’s extra ability worked as long as DEVIL'S BRIGADE was in the deck, even though the USA was not the ally. Fixed.
  
• T-34-85 1944 appeared in battle history sometimes even when it was in hand. Fixed.
  
• CODE OF BUSHIDO and CLAIM THE SKIES were not working. Fixed.

• When the kredit slot was increased to more than 24, it might be shown as 25 visually even though it was maximized as 24. Fixed.
  
• The attack value was not green for a salvage unit when it was buffed. Fixed
  
• When WOLFPACK discarded the unit that was returned, the board was not arranged correctly. Fixed.
  
• 4th KUBAN COSSACKS has the wrong header on the board with its alternative art. Fixed.
  
• When VICTORY MARCH was played, the HQ did not have the texts for the increased defense, like other cards that can increase defense for the HQ. Fixed.
  
• Entries in the history are not sorted correctly after reconnection. Fixed.

• After a free card was claimed in the shop, the Crate might be visually reset to the base when it was claimable. Fixed.
  
• The Convert To Gold Card button was disabled incorrectly sometimes. Fixed.
  
• The + button did not work correctly sometimes after the volume slide was dragged. Fixed.
  
• The alternative switch button did not work in the draft menu. Fixed.
  
• The pop up card was displayed a bit incorrectly sometimes for the top card in the deck builder. Fixed.
  
• The effect volume setting did not affect the sound effect of some board items. Fixed.
  
• After a card was converted to gold, the quantity icon might not be updated correctly. Fixed.
  
• When the last gold copy of a card was recycled, the card detail widget was stuck. Fixed.
  
• Recruit mission Annihilation had the wrong image. Fixed.
  
• The PLAY button did not fit in some UI scales. Fixed.
  
• The previous national icon was shown in the deck builder sometimes. Fixed.
  
• Clear Filters did not reset Show All. Fixed.
  
• The alternative art button did not work in the shop menu. Fixed.
  
• The NEW mark might have different brightness in the collection. Fixed.
  
• Emotes might appear on the wrong side in some rare cases. Fixed.

Hello friends!

This June will see our summer expansion drop for KARDS - Covert Operations. As we have done for the past two expansions, we will also rotate out cards to the Reserved Pool, with a few returning from it. So, a bunch of new cards coming, lots of beloved (and not so loved) cards leaving and old favorites returning, what more could we need to shake the meta to its foundation? Why, a balance patch, of course! In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say. So, when Covert Operations sneaks upon you on June 11th, a few cards are seeing some changes.

The balance changes this time around can be divided into three groups. The first one consists of 3 cards we are adjusting for the upcoming meta. Another three changes are to returning cards.

The final 7 cards are changes to some olden goldies to help out newer player. We are using the opportunity now to adjust the starter and level 12 decks and want to brush up on some of the older cards that have fallen a bit by the wayside power level wise. But without further ado, let’s take a look at what is changing in the upcoming patch.



Old: Smokescreen. Your orders cost 1 less kredit, to a minimum of 1.
New: Smokescreen. The first order you play each turn costs 1 less.

The 85 Pioneer Company can generate a lot of value, especially late in the game when you are sitting on a lot of kredits. This can be problematic in certain decks, so we want to curb its power a little bit. The new version means players will now have to gain incremental value from the card over the course of several turns. Note however that the card no longer has the minimum of 1 clause, so a 1k order can now be played for free if it is the first order that turn. For instance, if the enemy starts and deploys a 15th Cavalry Regiment, it is now possible to deploy a pioneer and immediately use Naval Power/United We Stand/Through the Breach/etc. on the first turn. The loss of the explosive turns in the late game means this can be deemed an overall nerf, but the slightly stronger early play makes up for it a bit.


Old: Alpine. Your LIGHT INFANTRY units have Alpine.
New: Your LIGHT INFANTRY units have Alpine.

The 67th “Muad’Dib” Baranovichi has single-handedly elevated a rag-tag army of tiny fighters into fearsome killing machines with a special penchant for killing black-clad bald men. His revolutionary days may not be over, but we are curbing his enthusiasm a little bit.


Now that winter is over and summer is upon us, we enter that time of the year where we can collectively hate our social-media friends for all the “see-how-fit-and-active-I-am” selfies they post of their mountaineering exploits. Meanwhile, us mere mortals can now launch our own Mountain Offensives more easily in our make-belief but oh-so important virtual wars.

Next up are three changes to returning cards. Specifically, these are three changes to research options. The three Research cards (Royal Research, Reich Research and US Military Research) are returning with Covert Operations. Each one can lead to 4 unique research options. These cards were heavily played the last time they were in the active pool and this highlighted that some of the research options were slightly subpar. So in order to balance the research package a bit better and make each research decision more interesting, we are buffing the three research options we felt the most needed it.


Old: Gain 10 additional kredits next turn.
New: Gain 10 additional kredits and draw an extra card next turn.

There certainly were cases where this option could lead to blowouts the next turn, but sadly these cases were rare. So to make the option slightly more enticing we are tagging an extra draw in there as well.


Old: Destroy all enemy units.
New: Destroy all enemy units. Gain 1 kredit for each unit destroyed.

It always felt a bit of a shame that a card with such a cool art and visual effect when played saw so little play. Partly this was because the other high-level research option for Germany (Type XXI U-Boat) is so strong, but mainly because spending your whole turn on this was usually too little too late. Now you gain a few kredits, providing an opportunity to get some key plays in alongside clearing the enemy board.


Old: Add a B-29 SUPERFORTRESS and HIGH ALTITUDE BOMBING to hand.
New: Add a B-29 SUPERFORTRESS to hand. Destroy a random enemy unit.

This option was mostly chosen for its removal option when you were in a tight spot and didn’t have time to build towards the nukes. But it was too slow and clunky, so now the removal is built right into the option. It has less effect, but you don’t have to spend an extra 8 kredits. The B-29 is then just a bonus that sometimes can come in clutch in the late game in certain matchups.


Finally, here are the 7 changes to spruce up the starter and level 12 decks a bit.


Old: Deployment: Gains Blitz and Fury if you have more units than the enemy. Otherwise it gains Guard.
New: Deployment: Gains Blitz if you control an infantry.

The Italian M13/40 is seeing the biggest change. Its old form had a lot of words but saw little play. We are hoping this new incarnation, with a lot less words, sees a lot more play. In a sense it can be regarded as the big brother of Panzer 35(t) and could fit well in Combined Arms shells.


Artillery is always dangerous at lower levels, so we want to be careful about buffing such units. This change makes the card slightly better for new players (and in draft), but we do not anticipate any big ripples with this change.


Old: Deployment: Gains +2+1 if you control the frontline.
New: Deployment: Gains +1+1 if you control the frontline.

The same does not apply to the M7 Priest, it is now much more aggressively statted and has a decent chance to see some play at higher levels. We want this card to be at a similar level as the German Nebelwerfer and the two should be a lot more comparable now.


A long, long time ago this was one of the key cards in aggro decks, but after its defense was nerfed to 2 it disappeared into obscurity for the most part. It is now regaining its third defense back, but there are a lot more aggro tools (and anti-aggro tools) now available, so only time can tell if this card manages to regain its glory days. At the very least it will be a lot more solid options for new players taking their first steps.


Another old staple faded into obscurity is also getting a slight facelift. The extra attack does make the Hayabusa a lot stronger, but probably does not compensate for the extra kredit cost now encumbering it since its heyday. We could still see this sneak into some very dedicated destruction based burn decks.


Historically, Dewoitine was actually quite a decent fighter that performed very well. We want to reflect this a bit better by improving it slightly. French air decks as a viable thing is still far away from reality, but they now have one more decent body to fill out the roster.


Last but not least we have For Freedom, one of these iconic cards that has never really gotten its time in the sun. That might be about to change, as reducing the cost to 1 makes this a much more appealing package. A cheap draw with a small buff can improve a lot of decks and you can expect to see people fighting for their freedom a lot more in the near future.

That’s it for the balance patch coming out alongside the Covert Operations expansion on June 11th. Keep an eye out on our Discord channel, where we are smack in the middle of spoiler season for the new set. Keep the feedback coming and we’ll see you on the battlefield, commander!