Overview

Guardians is a fantasy-themed collectible card game (CCG) published by Friedlander Publishing Group (FPG) in 1995. Players take the role of powerful Guardians competing to control disputed lands on a rectangular battlefield. Unlike most CCGs, Guardians features a spatial grid where creatures battle under Shields that move across the board. Victory comes from controlling all six disputed lands, destroying five opponent Shields, or defeating the opponent’s Guardian.

Components

• Draw deck of at least 55 cards per player
• 8 card types: Guardians, Strongholds, Shields/Standard Bearers, Terrain/Shield-Terrain, Creatures, Spells, Magic Items, Bribery
• Battlefield layout (4x3 grid between players)

Setup

2-Player Setup

1. Each player places three Stronghold cards in the row closest to them on the 4x3 grid.
2. The two rows between the players are the “disputed territories” (six empty land spaces).
3. Each player positions their Guardian card and draw pile.
4. Each player draws 12 cards as their initial hand.
5. Establish discard piles.

Turn Structure

Each turn consists of three phases:

Phase I: Draw and Organize

• Draw cards from your deck.
• Place creatures under your Shields (maximum 30 total vitality per space).
• Place Shields on Stronghold spaces.
• Reduce hand to 7 cards if needed.

Phase II: Movement and Combat

• Higher up-card determines who acts first.
• Players alternate moving Shields up to 2 spaces.
• Combat occurs when a Shield enters a space occupied by an opponent’s creatures.

Phase III: Terrain Settlement

• Players place terrain cards on disputed lands they control.

Actions

Movement

• Shields may move up to 2 spaces per turn on the battlefield grid.
• Creatures travel under Shields and move with them.

Combat Sequence

1. Preparation: Create a combat hand from creatures stored under your Shield.
2. Command Cards: Optional declaration of special abilities.
3. Primary Attacks: Creatures match up based on vitality values.
4. Secondary Attacks: Remaining creatures attack unbeaten opponents.
5. Control: Side with the highest surviving vitality wins. Loser retreats.

Bribery

• Some creatures have weaknesses to Babes, Beer, or Gold.
• Playing the matching Bribery card removes that creature from combat entirely.

Channeling

• A Guardian may sacrifice power stones to boost a creature’s vitality during combat.

Ranged Attacks

• Creatures with ranged attack capability add their attack value to their melee vitality.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

A player wins by achieving any one of these conditions:

1. Land Control: Control all six disputed land spaces at the end of Phase III.
2. Shield Destruction: Destroy five of the opponent’s Shields.
3. Guardian Defeat: Defeat the opponent’s Guardian.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Off-Color Bonus: Creatures gain +10 vitality against certain types: Mortals (+10 vs Elementals), Elementals (+10 vs Externals), Externals (+10 vs Mortals). This rock-paper-scissors system is critical to combat strategy.
• Vitality cap: Each Shield space can hold creatures with a maximum combined vitality of 30.
• Hand limit: Players must reduce to 7 cards at the end of Phase I.
• Immunity: Some creatures have immunity to specific damage types and effects.
• Terrain control: Placing terrain on disputed lands helps establish control and can provide bonuses.
• Shield-Terrain: Special terrain cards that attach to Shields rather than lands.
• Guardian vulnerability: Guardians can be directly attacked if exposed, making protecting them essential.

Player Reference

Victory conditions (any one):

• Control all 6 disputed lands
• Destroy 5 opponent Shields
• Defeat opponent’s Guardian

Minimum deck size: 55 cards

Phase sequence: Draw & Organize > Movement & Combat > Terrain Settlement

Vitality per space: Maximum 30

Off-Color Bonuses: Mortal > Elemental > External > Mortal (+10 each)

Bribery types: Babes, Beer, Gold

Shield movement: Up to 2 spaces per turn