# Welcome to Starcore!

**Build Networks. Command the Grid. Destroy the Enemy Commander.**

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### 🎯 What Is StarCore?

StarCore is a **tactical trading card game** where every card occupies real space on an **8×3 Grid battlefield**. Your cards connect through **Links** to share resources, attach **Modules** to enhance abilities, and battle for position.

**Your Commander is your King. When it falls, you lose.**

No life totals. No abstract zones. Just pure tactical warfare on a living battlefield.

***

### ⚡ Three Core Systems

#### 🔗 The Network

Cards connect via **Links** to form Resource Networks. Four resource types (**Matter**, **Energy**, **Life**, **Signal**) flow from Cores through connected cards. Break the chain, and units lose power.

#### 🪐 The Grid

**8 Lanes × 3 Rows = 24 Tiles** of tactical space. Position determines targeting, adjacency creates combos, and range defines your reach. Every placement matters.

#### ⚙️ The Queue

All effects resolve through a **last-in, first-out** system. Play **Utilities** to respond during your opponent's turn. Master timing, control the game.

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### 🎮 How to Play

#### Your Turn (5 Phases)

1. **Orders Step** - Move units, reposition forces
2. **Build Phase** - Generate resources, deploy cards (up to 2 per turn)
3. **Combat Phase** - Attack enemy units and Commanders
4. **Cleanup Phase** - Resolve end-of-turn effects
5. **Draw Phase** - Draw 2 cards

#### Victory Conditions

* **Primary**: Destroy the enemy Commander
* **Secondary**: Opponent cannot draw required cards

**Game Length**: 15-25 minutes (1v1 Duel)

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### 🏗️ Card Types

| Type          | Function                             | Where It Goes                      |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- |
| **Commander** | Your King - lose this, lose the game | On Grid (your choice)              |
| **Unit**      | Combatants that attack and defend    | On Grid tiles                      |
| **Module**    | Attachments that enhance Units       | Attached to Ports (not on Grid)    |
| **Utility**   | Instant responses and counters       | Resolves via Queue (never on Grid) |
| **Order**     | Tactical movement commands           | Played during Orders Step only     |

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### 🎨 The Four Factions

* **🧠 Neurals**: Post-human AI. Control, hijacking, network optimization.
* **🌿 Stellari**: Ancient bio-entities. Healing, recursion, growth over time.
* **⚡ Sparkforge**: Reckless innovators. High risk, explosive power, dice mechanics.
* **🔥 Dragoons**: Dragon-blooded warriors. Pierce attacks, honor-bound precision.

**Mix factions freely.** Your deck is your doctrine.

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### 🎮 Game Formats

#### ⚔️ Duel (1v1)

Classic Commander vs Commander. Fast, tactical, perfect for learning.

#### 🤝 Command Link (Team Play)

* **2v2**: Team introduction format
* **3v3**: Flagship competitive/esports format ⭐
* **5v5**: Grand tournament showcase format

Shared Grids. Shared resources. Coordinated tactics.

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### 🚀 Getting Started

#### New Players

1. 📖 **Learn the Basics** - Turn structure and core rules
2. 🗺️ **Understand the Grid** - Position and adjacency
3. ⚡ **Master Resources** - Network building and economy
4. 🎴 **Build Your First Deck** - 80 cards, 1 Commander

#### Experienced Players

* 🔗 **Links, Ports & Stacks** - Advanced modularity
* 📊 **Keywords Reference** - All 145 keywords
* 🎯 **Card Interactions** - Queue system deep dive
* 🏆 **Competitive Formats** - Tournament rules

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### 💡 Design Philosophy

#### Fun First

Simple rules, infinite depth. 15-minute learn curve with years of mastery.

#### Balance Always

Playtesting drives all decisions. Every card, every mechanic validated through play.

#### Technology Enabled

Built for digital TCG from day one. Physical and digital designed together.

#### Business Focused

Serious commercial product with IP protection, customer feedback loops, and sustainable monetization.

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### 📚 Documentation

**Version**: 2.0\
**Last Updated**: October 14, 2025\
**Status**: Ready for Playtesting

All documentation maintained in GitBook with strict version control. Every system fully specified before implementation.

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### 🎯 Current Status

#### ✅ Complete

* Core game mechanics (Grid, Resources, Combat)
* Card anatomy and types
* Keywords (145 across 3 tiers)
* Conditions (40 status effects)
* Triggers (timing indicators)
* Sequences (propagation patterns)
* Game formats (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 5v5)

#### 🚧 In Development

* Card generation system
* Digital implementation
* Playtesting framework
* Balance validation

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### 🌟 Join the Ranks

StarCore is where **strategy meets space**. Where every Link matters. Where every move reshapes the battlefield.

**Ready to command?**

Start with Gameplay Basics →

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*"From the death of a star came the age of the StarCore. What they called destiny was, in truth, design."*

***

**StarCore™** - A tactical trading card game by visionary founders with 20+ years product leadership experience at Intuit and Verint. Built as a serious business, designed for competitive play, enabled by cutting-edge technology.


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