In Infinity Wars, the Playfield represents the board on which each game is played out and where the action takes place. Around it, are various important elements and other numerous interactive options.
The Playfield is organized into a series of zones and the Heads Up Display (HUD) that provides a multitude of information.
As many cards reference certain zones on the Playfield, it is vital for the players to understand and identify which zones are being referred to.
Additionally, properly using and understanding the actions and informations provided by the HUD, is also paramount to success.
This page is designed to provide a more effective comprehension of the Playfield, a better understanding of the HUD and other key characteristics involving them.
Overview
Hand
The player’s Hand is composed of cards drawn from the main deck. They are located at the bottom edge of the Playfield and are revealed.
Players begin the game with a hand of 5 (five) cards and draw 1 (one) extra card at the beginning of every subsequent turn.
Players have a maximum hand size of 10 (ten) cards. At the end of planning phase, if a player has more than 10 cards in hand, he must discard down to 10. Discarded cards go the the Graveyard.
Selected cards may be played or deployed from the hand during the match for their Resource Cost.
What else is good to know:
- The cards at the top edge of the screen (with their backs facing you) are your opponent's hand, so, you can always know how many cards he has on his hand, just by mousing over it;
- Non-Ability cards are deployed directly into the Support Zone (unless otherwise stated on the card);
- Deployed cards from the hand are Exhausted, which means that they cannot be moved or activated during the turn they are deployed (there are some exceptions here, for example, cards that have the Keyword Ability Haste);
- Some faction, like Exiles or Sleepers, can take advantage of the discarded cards from a players hand, as they have ways to interact with the Graveyard.
Zones and Zone Concepts
Command Zone
At the beginning of the match, the Command Zone contains 3 (three) Character Cards in it. These are the player’s Commanders.
Any Character card can be a Commander, as long as it is compatible with the Purity of the deck in use at the match.
Any abilities or effects Characters cards have can be activated or triggered from the Command Zone, unless otherwise stated on the card.
To move a Character out of the Command Zone, they must be deployed, by paying its Resource Cost.
Unlike when a Character is deployed from the hand, a Character at the Command Zone can be deployed directly into any of the other zones (Support Zone, Assault Zone or Defense Zone) and is not Exhausted upon being deployed.
What else is good to know:
- Character cards at the Command Zone ARE considered to be in play;
- The Command Zone is NOT a part of the Deployed Zone (so, the Characters cards in it are NOT considered to be deployed);
- The Command Zone is NOT a part of the Battlefield;
- A few Character cards can leave the Command Zone without needing to pay its Resource Cost (e.g. Gao Han, The Stalwart and the Pilgrimage Monk);
- Characters can never be moved from another zone on the playfield to the Command Zone.
Support Zone
The Support Zone is where most Characters Cards enter play when deployed. Characters in the Support Zone can use any Activated and Passive Abilities they have, but, from this zone, they cannot attack the opponent Fortress or are able to defend (by blocking) their own.
Artifact, Location and Mission cards always stay in this zone after being deployed.
What else is good to know:
- Character cards at the Support Zone ARE considered to be in play;
- The Support Zone IS a part of the Deployed Zone (so, the Cards in this zone ARE considered to be deployed);
- The Support Zone is NOT a part of the Battlefield;
- When Character, Artifact, Location and Mission cards are deployed, they will start out exhausted in the Support Zone, unless specified otherwise;
- If a deployed Character card becomes Exhausted for whatever reason, they will automatically be moved to the Support Zone;
Assault Zone
The Assault Zone is where a player may place any number of deployed Characters with which they plan to attack the opponent Fortress during the turn. The player’s Assault Zone sits opposite from the opponent’s Defense Zone.
During Combat, Characters in the Assault Zone will attempt to attack the opponent’s Fortress, one at a time, in the order they are placed, from left to right, while Characters in the Defense Zone attempt to block them from doing so.
More informations about how Combat resolves are described at the guide Turn Structure.
What else is good to know:
- Character cards at the Assault Zone ARE considered to be in play;
- The Assault Zone IS a part of the Deployed Zone (so, the Cards in this zone ARE considered to be deployed);
- The Assault Zone IS a part of the Battlefield.
Defense Zone
The Defense Zone is where a player may place any number of deployed Characters with which they plan to block during the turn. The player’s Defense Zone sits opposite from the opponent’s Assalt Zone.
In other words, the Defense Zone is the line between your opponent's Assault Zone and your Fortress.
During combat, Characters in the Defense Zone will attempt to block, one at the time, in the order they are placed, from left to right.
A Character in the Defense Zone will keep blocking all attackers until it is killed, at which time the next Character in line in the Defense Zone will block. If a defending Character is unable to block an attacker due to an ability or effect, then the first Character in line who is able to block the attack will do so instead.
More informations about how Combat resolves are described at the guide Turn Structure.
What else is good to know:
- Character cards at the Defense Zone ARE considered to be in play;
- The Defense Zone IS a part of the Deployed Zone (so, the Cards in this zone ARE considered to be deployed);
- The Defense Zone IS a part of the Battlefield.
"The Battlefield" Concept
The Battlefield is the area comprised of the Assault and Defense Zones of both players. Support Zones and Command Zones are not considered part of the Battlefield.
"Deployed Area" Concept
The Deployed Zone (reffered in game as Deployed Area) correspond to the area comprised of the Battlefield and the Support Zone of both players. Any Characters, Artifacts, Locations, or Missions in these zones are considered to be “deployed” or "in play".
"In Play" Concept
Cards are considered to be “In Play” if they are either in the Deployed Zone or the Command Zone. A card “leaves play” when it is either destroyed, removed from the game, or returned to the hand, etc.
Other Elements from the Playfield
Deck
The Deck is where the player’s main deck sits during the game. At there, are all the cards a player haven't drawn yet, randomly shuffled and stacked.
By default, players will draw 1 (one) card from the Deck per turn, unless some other modifier is in effect.
What else is good to know:
- If a player's deck runs out or cards, it's owner will lose 10 Morale per turn;
- Mousing over either player’s deck will show how many cards are left in it;
- Certain cards allow you to interact in different ways with the deck, for example, by shuffling cards from your graveyard back in it, or searching the deck for specific cards to put into your hand.
Graveyard
The Graveyard is where Character cards go to after been killed, destroyed, died, sacrificed, etc.
After played and resolved, Ability cards also go directly to the Graveyard.
Artifacts cards that have been destroyed, also go there, as well as Missions Cards that have completed.
Finally, discarded cards are also placed into the Graveyard.
What else is good to know:
- Both players’ Graveyards are considered to be public knowledge, and may be inspected by either player at any time during a match by clicking on it;
- Certain cards allow you to interact in different ways with the Graveyard, for example, by raising characters from it or moving cards from your deck directly to there.
HUD (Heads Up Display) Elements
Avatar
The Avatar is a small portrait each player uses to represent themselves.
The Health/Morale Bars
The Health/Morale Bars show how much Health and Morale a player currently has.
At a match, both players starts it with 100 (one hundred) points in each bar.
Should either bar reach and remain at 0 (zero) for a player at the end of a turn, then that player loses the match.
Since the status of both Health and Morale bars are only checked at the end of a turn, it is possible for matches to end up in a draw, which can occur when 2 players lose simultaneously.
It is also possible for a player’s Health or Morale to reach 0 during the course of a turn, but if the player is able to recover their Health or Morale to be higher than 0 by the end of the turn, then that player will not have lost and play continues onto the next turn.
Health Bar
The Health Bar is displayed as a yellow bar bellow each player's name, and it represents the amount of damage a player's Fortress can stand.
When the Fortress Health Bar is depleted (reached 0), it means that your Fortress was destroyed (or that your troops have been defeated).
The most common way that players can use to cause "damage" and subtract points from the opponent Health Bar, is by attacking his/her Fortress with the characters located at the Assault Zone.
Of course, the opposing player can use his/her own characters to defend his own Fortresses, as explained above.
Although, it is possible to cause "damage" (by taking points from the Health Bar) to an opponent Fortress via Activated and/or Passive Abilities of Characters, Abilities, Artifacts and Locations cards.
As well, players can "heal" (by adding points to the Health Bar) a Fortress through some Activated and/or Passive Abilities of Characters, Abilities, Artifacts, Locations and Mission cards.
What else is good to know:
- Fortresses can have their maximum health modified by certain cards like The Great Fortress of Xia Han that allow the Health Bar to have a higher maximum
- Some cards can prevent a player's Fortress from being destroyed, even if its Health Bar would be depleted at the end of turn (e.g. Jialan, Guardian of Life and Die Another Day)
Morale Bar
The Morale Bar is the blue bar displayed below the Fortress Health bar, and it represents the capacity of a player to maintain the will to fight.
When the Morale Bar is depleted (reached 0), it means that your unit's morale cracked, making them to surrender or just give up the fight.
The most common way for a player to lose morale (take morale damage) is by having their Character Cards killed or destroyed, which subtract points from the Morale Bar according with that Character Morale Cost.
It is possible to cause "damage" (by taking points from the Morale Bar) to an opponent Morale via Activated and/or Passive Abilities of Characters, Abilities and Artifacts cards.
As well, players can "gain" Morale (by adding points to the Bar) or reduce the morale damage they would take through some Activated and/or Passive Abilities of Characters and Abilities cards.
What else is good to know:
- The max limit of the Morale Bar cannot grow above 100;
- A player will lose 10 morale per turn if his/her deck runs out of cards.
Resources
- They start at 1 at the beginning of the game.
- They can be influenced by various cards.
- Each turn, your maximum resources increase by one. Once your resources have reached 10, they will no longer increase automatically, but if reduced below 10, will start increasing again.
- Resources determine what cards can be played. The combined resource cost of the cards played that turn cannot exceed the max amount of resources you have for the turn.
- Each turn the resources previously used will be refilled.
Initiative
- Used to determine which player's abilities resolve first and which characters attack first.
- The player with the dot beside their name will have the initiative for the turn, meaning that they go first.
- Each turn, the initiative will alternate between players.
Trading Post
- Players can use the trading post at the beginning of the match to mulligan their hand if it's not advantageous. When you mulligan, your current hand is shuffled into your deck. You then draw a new hand which is one card smaller than your previous hand. You may mulligan multiple times if you wish.
- Players can spend their unspent resources at the trading post to take a variety of card drawing options.
- Pay 3 Resources: Shuffle one card from your hand into your deck. Draw a Card.
- Pay 5 Resources: Draw a Card.
- Pay 9 Resources: Increase base resources by 1.
Undo Button
- So long as players haven't locked in their turns, the undo button can be used to undo cards that they have played or actions they have completed. Making it easier to choose the order you want cards to resolve in.
- Some actions/cards cannot be undone, and that will be specified.
End Turn Button
- Each turn, once you've played your desired cards and moved your characters to their zones, clicking this button locks in your choices.
- Once both players lock in their choices, the turn's decisions play out.
- If you need more time, there is an extend timer button that can be clicked up to three times to give more time.
- If you click the end turn button again after you've locked in the choices, you can unlock them so long as the opponent is still in the process of making their decisions.