CRYPTID: Player's Online Guidebook

Learn to play, discover solutions to confusing scenarios, and understand definitions unique to CRYPTID CCG.

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Table of Contents

Goal and Types of Cards

Objective - Types of Cards - Cryptids - Cryptid Cards - Kindling Cryptid Cards - Mythical Cryptid Cards - Instances - Aura Cards - Attack Cards - Trap Cards - Burst Cards - Pyre Cards

Parts of a Card

Parts of a Card - Element - Name - Pyre Cost - Artwork - Rarity Skull - HP and AP - Combat Abilities - Support Abilities - Evolution - Card Type - Flavor Text - Metadata

Play Area

Play Area - Battlefield - Combat Field - Support Field - Left and Right Trap Fields - Side Field - Main Deck - Kindling Deck - Mound - Discard Pile - Burn Pile

How to Play!

How to Play - Setup - Turns and Phases - Draw Phase - Conjuring Phase 1 - Attack Phase - Conjuring Phase 2 - Victory Conditions

Glossary

Glossary - Cards, Attributes and Battlefield - Game Mechanics and Side Field - Card Abilities - Positional Terms

Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers

Glossary

Here you will find definitions of mechanics and other terms that are important when playing Cryptid. These are categorized into three categories alphabetically within each.

Cards, Attributes and Battlefield

Terms and definitions relating to the cards themselves.

  • AP (Attack Points)

    A written stat shown on the right, center of a Cryptid card. Denotes the amount of damage the Cryptid deals in an attack.

  • Attack Abilities

    Effects of a Cryptid card that are active and usable (depending on written conditions) only when the Cryptid is in the Combat field.

  • Attack (Instance)

    An instance card type. Attacks are equipped to target Cryptids. When destroyed or discarded, they go to the discard pile.

  • Aura

    An instance card type. Auras are equipped to target Cryptids. When destroyed or discarded, they go to the discard pile.

  • Battlefield

    The location on your side of the field where Cryptids and Traps are played. Consists of the Combat Field, Support Field, and Left and Right Trap Fields.

  • Burst

    An instance card type. Bursts are played straight from the hand during either players' turn. When used, destroyed or discarded, they go to the discard pile.

  • Card Type

    The text at the center bottom of the card which indicates the type of card it is (Kindling Cryptid, Cryptid, Mythical Cryptid, Aura, Attack, Pyre, Trap, Burst).

  • Combat Field

    The location on your field where Combatant cryptids are conjured. If you want a Cryptid to be able to attack, it must be placed here. This is the default position of a Cryptid in a given column.

  • Cryptids (Card Type)

    A type of Cryptid card. Cryptids are the most basic of creature cards that are drawn from the Main Deck.

  • Cryptids (Category)

    A category of cards. Cryptids are conjured to the battlefield to participate in combat.

  • Element

    Depicts the type of Cryptid the card is (Nature, Blood, Water, Void, Steel). Elements may indicate strength and weaknesses as well as lore behind the creature.

  • Evolution

    The conditions (if any) to be met to evolve the Cryptid, as well as what the Cryptid may evolve into.

  • Flavor Text

    Extra information on a card to add to the atmosphere and lore of the game.

  • HP (Health Points)

    A written stat shown on the right, center of a Cryptid card. Denotes the amount of damage the Cryptid can take before dying. At 0 or fewer HP, the Cryptid dies.

  • Instance

    A category of card that is not a Cryptid card (Auras, Attacks, Bursts, Pyres, Traps). Instances are used to gain their owner benefits, buff cards, debuff enemy cards, negate effects, etc.

  • Kindling Cryptid

    A type of Cryptid card. In a typical game, you must have at least 10 Kindling Cryptids in your pre-shuffled deck before playing. Kindling Cryptids cost no Pyres, are drawn from the Kindling Deck, and are generally weaker than other Cryptid cards. If you are attacked and there are no Cryptids on your field, you must draw and conjure a Kindling Cryptid immediately and have it receive that attack.

  • Metadata

    Copyright information, series and card number categorization.

  • Mythical Cryptid

    A type of Cryptid card. Mythical Cryptids are named creatures, and thusly you may only have one of a specific Mythical Cryptid in your deck. You may still have multiple different Mythical Crytids, however. These are drawn from the Main Deck and are generally stronger than Cryptids.

  • Name

    The name of a card. This also categorizes the card allowing it to be named as a target or general target of certain effects.

  • Pyre Cost

    How many Pyres are required to conjure a card. For Pyre cards, this number indicates how many Pyres are gained simply by conjuring the card.

  • Rarity Skull

    How commonplace the card is compared to others. Also indicates how powerful a card might be in comparison to its Pyre Cost.

  • Support Field

    The location on your field where Support Cryptids are played. A Combatant must already be present in the target column for a Support Cryptid to be placed there below it.

  • Support Abilities

    Effects of a Cryptid card that are active and usable (depending on written conditions) only when the Cryptid is in the Support field.

  • Trap

    An instance card type. Traps are conjured to one of the two trap fields. When used, destroyed or discarded, they go to the discard pile.

  • Trap Fields

    A location on the field where you may conjure a trap face-down. There are only two places for a single Trap card - The Left Trap Field and the Right Trap Field.

Game Mechanics and Side Field

Terms and definitions regarding the gameplay of CRYPTID.

  • Attack Phase

    The 3rd phase of your turn. This is the only phase during which a player can declare attacks.

  • Awakening

    The status of a Cryptid ready to attack, or the act of turning a Cryptid back to its original, vertical position after having rested. Awakened Comatants protect their Supports from being targeted by attacks.

  • Burn Pile

    The location in the side field where Cryptids that were used in a Pyre Burn are moved. These still count as dead Cryptids.

  • Collapse

    The consequence of killing a Support, causing its Combatant to relinquish granted stats, resulting in the Combatant's HP falling to 0 or below, ultimately leading to a double kill of both the Support and Combatant in a single move.

  • Conjure

    The act of spending Pyres to play a Cryptid or Instance, or the act of gaining Pyres by playing a Pyre card.

  • Conjure Phase 1

    The 2nd phase of your turn when you are able to conjure Cryptids, Pyres and Instances, awaken resting Cryptids, and evolve Cryptids.

  • Conjure Phase 2

    The 4th phase of your turn when you are able to conjure Cryptids, Pyres and Instances, awaken resting Cryptids, and evolve Cryptids.

  • Discard Pile

    The location in the side field where used, destroyed, or discarded Instances go.

  • Draw Phase

    The 1st phase of your turn when you draw a card and automatically gain a Pyre.

  • End of Turn

    The act of declaring the end of your turn and initiating the turn of your opponent. Comes at the end of Conjuring Phase 2.

  • Evolution (as a Game Mechanic)

    The act of foregoing the Pyre Cost of a card, meeting the evolution conditions (if any) of a given Cryptid, and playing the evolution named on that Cryptid straight from your hand. Evolved Cryptids count as multiple deaths when killed. The number of deaths depends on the number of Cryptids in the evolved stack of that card.

  • Kindling Deck

    The location in the side field where your Kindling Cryptids are placed shuffled and face-down at the start of the game. Can be drawn from once per turn. Cards drawn from the Kindling Deck must be played immediately.

  • Main Deck

    The location in the side field where all cards, except Kindling Cryptids, are placed shuffled and face-down at the start of the game. Can be drawn from once per turn. Cards drawn from the Main Deck go to your hand.

  • Mound

    The location in the side field where Cryptids who have been killed go before or after a Pyre Burn. Cryptids in the mound when a Pyre Burn are declared by a player are moved to that player's burn pile.

  • Pyre Burn

    The act of declaring a Pyre Burn during your turn, transferring all Cryptids in the mound at that moment to the burn pile, and gaining that many Pyres and drawing that many cards. Can only be done once per match.

  • Resting

    The status of a Cryptid after attacking, or the act of turning a Cryptid sideways after an attack. Resting Combatants can be bypassed to target their Supports.

  • Side Field

    The location away from the battlefield where the main deck, kindling deck, mound, discard pile, and burn pile are located.

Card Abilities

Some Cryptids and other cards contain abilities that are specifically named. This section defines what those abilities are and what they do.

  • Absorb

    Cryptids with this ability gain their owner 1 Pyre when initiating an attack. The attack does not have to be successful.

  • Bleed

    Cryptids affected by "bleed" will take double damage by future attacks for three turns.

  • Burn

    When a Cryptid is burned, it loses 1HP at the start of each turn for 3 turns.

  • Calamity

    When a Cryptid has Calamity counters, it loses one at the start of each turn. When a Cryptid loses all its Calamity counters, it dies. A Cryptid with Calamity counters cannot gain more Calamity counters.

  • Destroyer

    When a Cryptid with Destroyer attacks an opposing Combatant and that Combatant dies, any remaining AP that was not needed to kill that target causes the target's Support to take that much damage.

  • Flight

    Crytids with Flight may target any of the enemy's Combatants or Supports when attacking.

  • Focus

    Cryptids with Focus do not rest after attacking.

  • Paralysis

    Cryptids that are paralyzed are caused to rest and cannot be awakened during their owner's next turn.

  • Ravage

    When a Cryptid with Ravage is Conjured, it immediately deals damage equal to its written AP to target Cryptid.

  • Regenerate

    When a Cryptid regenerates, it gains back some HP, but it cannot regenerate HP more than its written HP plus the HP granted to it by its support and card effects.

  • Revenge

    A Support ability - When a Combatant is targeted for an attack by the enemy and its Support has Revenge, the Support attacks the enemy Cryptid targeting its Combatant then rests, even though it is in the Support field.

  • Toxic

    Positions that become "Toxic" cause any Cryptid positioned there to have their HP and AP reduced by 2. If that causes the Cryptid's HP to be reduced to 0 or fewer, it dies.

  • Vampiric

    When Cryptids with Vampiric declare an attack, they regenerate 1HP. The attack does not have to be successful or deal any damage.

Positional Terms

Cards might mention where their effects land. Use the following definitions to make sense of it!

  • Adjacent/Next to

    Any card that is immediately left, right, under or over the card in question. NOT diagonal.

  • Column

    Cards in a straight line up-and-down. A column when referring to to the battlefield in general usually refers to the Combatant and Support vertically. A column when referring to targets refers to the Cryptids located vertically in a straight line up-and-down to the card in question.

  • Diagonal

    Refers to cards up-and-left, up-and-right, down-and-left, and down-and-right of the card.

  • Opposing/Across from

    These terms refer to the Cryptid directly ahead of the card in a straight line. The opposing Combatant of a card would be referring to the enemy Combatant in front of it, NOT any other combatant on the field.

  • Row

    The opposite of a column. This term refers to the cryptids in a horizontal line to the card in question.