Overview

Hecatomb is a collectible card game (CCG) by Wizards of the Coast set in an apocalyptic world where players are “endbringers” — sorcerers, mad scientists, or cultists competing to destroy the world. Players build abominations by stacking pentagonal minion cards, then send them to attack opponents and reap souls. Cards belong to one of four “dooms” (evil forces). The first player to accumulate 20 souls wins.

Components

• Pentagonal-shaped cards in four types: Minions, Fates, Relics, Gods
• Soul counters
• Each player’s deck (minimum 40 cards, max 3 copies of any card)

Setup

1. Each player shuffles their deck and places it face down.
2. Place soul counters in a central accessible area.
3. Each player takes 5 souls.
4. Determine who takes the first turn.
5. Each player draws 4 cards.

Turn Structure

Each turn has two phases:

Ready Phase (in order)

1. Gain 1 soul — if you now have 20+ souls, you win.
2. Untap all your tapped cards.
3. Draw 2 cards (first player draws only 1 on their very first turn). If your deck runs out, keep playing but cannot draw more.

Main Phase (any order, repeat as desired)

1. Add one mana card — place 1 card from hand into your mana zone (once per turn).
2. Play cards — play cards from hand by tapping mana cards to pay costs.
3. Attack — send abominations to attack enemies (repeat as desired).

Actions

Mana and Playing Cards

• Place cards from hand face-up and inverted into the mana zone. Tap them to pay for other cards.
• Cost: Each card has a cost (number of mana cards to tap). At least one tapped mana card must match the doom of the card being played. If cost is 0 or less, tap nothing.
• Four dooms: Corruption (gray), Deceit (blue), Destruction (red), Greed (green).

Playing Minions

• Play as a new abomination (alone) or stack on an existing abomination.
• A one-minion abomination cannot attack or block.
• When stacking, the top minion’s strength and main text box must show through one of the four clear sides. Maximum 5 minions per abomination.
• Conditional abilities: When played from hand onto another minion, if the new minion’s conditional-ability text box color matches the trigger color of the minion beneath it, the conditional ability activates.
• An abomination that gained a new minion this turn cannot attack but can block.

Playing Fates

One-time effects. Goes to graveyard after resolving. If the effect changes card stats or overrides rules, it ends at end of turn. If it moves cards or soul counters, the effect is permanent. Combat fates can be played during combat.

Playing Relics

Placed in the play zone alone. Stay in play with continual effects until destroyed.

Playing Gods

Placed in the play zone. Usually have a one-time effect (in « » marks) plus a continual effect. If you already have a god, sacrifice the old one when playing a new one.

Attacking

1. Declare attackers: Choose one or more untapped abominations and one enemy. Tap them. Cannot attack with abominations played/added to this turn, or one-minion abominations.
2. Play combat cards: Aggressor may play combat fates and combat minions, then defender may.
3. Assign blockers: Defender assigns untapped abominations (2+ minions) to block attackers. One blocker per attacker. An attacker once blocked stays blocked even if blocker is removed.
4. Play more combat cards: Both sides get another chance.
5. Reap souls: Each unblocked attacker reaps souls equal to its size (number of minions, not strength). Aggressor takes those souls from the enemy.
6. Combat: Blocked attackers and blockers deal damage equal to their strength. If damage equals or exceeds total strength, abomination is destroyed (all minions to graveyard). Excess damage spills from top minion down through the stack.

On Opponents’ Turns

You may only block with untapped abominations and play combat fates/combat minions when attacked.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win condition: Have 20 or more souls at the start of your Ready Phase (when you gain your automatic soul). If the enemy runs out of souls to reap, you take only what they have.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Damage spillover: Damage applies to the top minion first. If it equals or exceeds that minion’s strength, that minion is destroyed and leftover damage carries to the next minion down. Damage insufficient to destroy a minion is ignored — you cannot combine damage from multiple sources.
• 0-strength minions: Destroyed by 0 damage (e.g., spillover from a destroyed minion above).
• One-minion abominations in combat: If reduced to 1 minion during combat, immediately remove from combat. It neither reaps souls nor exchanges damage.
• Ability conflicts: (1) Cards trump rules. (2) “Can’t” trumps “can.” (3) Do as much as possible.
• Simultaneous abilities: Active player’s abilities resolve first, then clockwise.
• Key ability keywords: Evader (can’t be blocked by specified doom), Fanatic (can attack even if minion added this turn), Guardian (can’t attack), Host (must be played as new abomination), Hunter (forces an enemy abomination to block), Martyr (becomes mana card instead of going to graveyard when destroyed), Nemesis (can’t be targeted by specified doom’s abilities), Parasite (can’t have minions played on top), Rager (+X strength while attacking), Reaper (+X extra souls when reaping), Regenerator (can regenerate itself).
• Deck building: Usually 2 dooms work best. One doom limits conditional abilities; 3-4 dooms make it harder to match mana.
• No hand size limit.

Player Reference

Phase	Step	Details
Ready	Gain soul	+1 soul (20 = win)
Ready	Untap	Untap all cards
Ready	Draw	Draw 2 (first player turn 1: draw 1)
Main	Mana	Place 1 card as mana (once/turn)
Main	Play	Pay cost in tapped mana (match doom)
Main	Attack	Tap abominations to attack enemies

Reaping: Unblocked attacker reaps souls = its size (number of minions)

Combat damage: Strength vs strength; excess damage spills top-down through minion stack

Win: 20+ souls