Weiß Schwarz

Weiß Schwarz (ヴァイスシュヴァルツ) is a Japanese collectible card game created by Bushiroad. The game is separated into Weiß-side and Schwarz-side. "Weiß" and "Schwarz" are German for white and black, respectively.

Gameplay
The game focuses on two main aspects: character battle and clock/level which regulate what cards can be played as well as acting as a player's life points.

Victory conditions

 * The player that forces their opponent to Level 4 wins the game immediately.
 * The opposing player has no cards left in their deck and Waiting Room.

Deck Area
The player's deck is placed face down in this area and consists of 50 cards. Unlike other trading card games, the game does not end when a player runs out of cards in their deck. Instead, the player shuffles the cards in their waiting room to put back in the deck area.

Level Area
Cards placed in this area represent the player's level. Upon reaching level 4, the player loses.

Clock Area
When a player takes damage, the amount dealt is then added in cards to this area. This zone can hold up to six cards at time. When a seventh card is added, the player is forced to level up.

Stock Area
Cards representing "Stock" are placed in this area. Cards in this area are placed faced down after trigger checks and cannot be revised or rearranged.

Climax Area
A maximum of one face-up Climax card is allowed in this zone. During the end phase, any card in this area is sent to the Waiting Room.

Stage Area
Consists of five stage positions. Character cards are placed face-up in these areas. There are two types of Stage Areas:

The three foremost positions make up the Center Stage. Character cards placed in this area can battle with opponent's Character cards directly in front of them.
 *  Center Stage 

The two rear positions make up the Back stage. Character cards placed in this area cannot battle with opponent's Character cards. However, cards in this usually possess support abilities.
 *  Back Stage 

Waiting Room
Cards that have been retired/used are placed in this area. Example: Character cards defeated in battle.

Memory Area
The cards that are removed from the game are placed in this area.

Phases
Gameplay of Weiß Schwarz is broken into several phases during a players turn:

Stand phase
All characters on the active player's Stage in [Rest] are returned to [Stand].

Draw phase
The active player draws a card from the top of his deck.

Clock phase
The active player may choose to discard one card from his hand into his/her Clock Area to draw 2 additional cards from his/her deck.

Main phase
The phase where you play and move characters or event cards and activate start up abilities/effects.

When you play a card, you have to fulfill the three conditions (level, cost, and color) in order to play the card.

Climax phase
Climax cards are played during this phase. You must have a card in either your Level Area or Clock Area that matches the color of the Climax card you wish to play in order to play it.

Battle phase
The player declares an attack of choice with their characters one at a time to damage the opponent's life points (called "Clock" in Weiß Schwarz) and also their characters (if present) at the same time.

During the first turn of the game, the player who goes first may only declare an attack with one character.

Only Characters that are in [Stand] Position and in the Center Stage, the three foremost positions, can declare attacks.

Characters declaring attack will be put to [Rest] position from [Stand] position.

The 3 different types of Attack: This attack is the default attack when a character is attacking an empty slot.
 * Direct Attack

The attacking character will gain an additional Soul Damage to the Soul Damage total.
 * Front Attack

The player may choose this attack when a character is attacking and there is a character opposing it. Battle between the characters will occur and the character with the lower Power will be put to [Reverse]. Characters that are put to [Reverse] will be sent to the Waiting Room during the Encore Phase unless otherwise stated. The Soul Damage total the attacking character deals to the opposing player is equal to the character's Soul plus any additional Soul as a result of the trigger phase.
 * Side Attack

The player may choose this attack when a character is attacking and there is a character opposing it. Battle between the characters will NOT occur. The attacking character will suffer a Soul Damage penalty that is equivalent to the Level of the opposing character. The Soul Damage total the attacking character deals to the opposing player is equal to the character's Soul minus the Level of the opposing character, plus any additional Soul as a result of the trigger phase.

Trigger phase
Upon declaring an attack from front attack, side attack, or direct attack, a card is flipped over from your deck as trigger to check for trigger (effect varies upon trigger) and the card goes into stock. The trigger phase occurs with the attack of each character.

Counter phase
If you declared a front attack, your opponent may play a character/event counter card, if they have one.

Damage phase
Your opponent takes damage equivalent to your soul output + soul trigger upon trigger step (if any) by flipping over cards from the top of their deck onto their clock. 7 cards on the clock raises their level by 1, and any additional damage are retained onto the next level. However, should they flip over a climax card, all the damage sustained for that damage step is canceled, and the cards are moved into the Waiting Room (discard pile) instead.

Character battling phase
This phase occurs only when a Front Attack is declared.

A Power comparison between the characters is done and the character with the lower Power is put to [Reverse].

If the Power of both battling characters are the same, both of them are put to [Reverse].

Encore phase
This phase occurs when the current player has decided to stop attacking.

All Characters that are in the [Reverse] state are sent to the Waiting Room.

Starting with the current player, both players are allowed to "revive" their characters by paying the characters' respective Encore cost.

Even when not stated, all character cards comes with a built-in ability [Auto] Encore (3), which means that a player may pay 3 cost from his/her stock to "revive" a character which has been put to [Reverse].

The Encored characters will be put back from the Waiting Room in [Rest] position to their original position on the Center Stage.

End phase
You pass on your turn to the opponent.

Card type
There are 3 main type of cards in Weiß Schwarz: character cards, event cards, and climax cards. They are further broken down into colors and level subcategories. A deck can contain up to four copies of cards with the same name, and no more than 8 climax cards per deck. The number of cards in a deck build is exactly 50.

Character cards
Character cards form the base of the gameplay, serving as your means of damaging the opponent and subsequently defeating them. Character cards have several features which include the level and cost on the top left, soul trigger on the top right, effects, color, power, soul output and traits on the bottom of the card. To play a character, you have to meet the color requirement (applies only to card level 1 and above), the cost requirement, and the level requirement.

Event cards
Event cards act as an instant play card during your main phase which may give functions like retrievals or healing effects. Event cards have to meet color and level requirements to be played.

Climax cards
Climax cards boost your soul and power damage output during your climax phase upon play, increases soul output or resource advantage upon triggering on the trigger phase, and serve as a damage canceler during the damage phase. Due to the usefulness of climax cards, a deck is capped at 8 climaxes. Climax card have to meet the color requirement to be played during the climax phase.

Weiß Side

 * A Certain Scientific Railgun S
 * Angel Beats! & Kud Wafter
 * Angel Beats! Re:Edit
 * BanG Dream!
 * BanG Dream! Volume 2
 * BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!
 * BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Volume 2
 * Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card
 * Charlotte
 * Da Capo del pula & Da Capo II
 * Da Capo del pula & Da Capo II Plus Communication
 * Da Capo III
 * Da Capo 10th Anniversary Mix
 * Dal Segno & Da Capo III With You
 * Day Break Illusion - il sole penetra le illusioni
 * Fujimi Fantasia Bunko
 * Girl Friend Beta
 * Girl Friend Beta Volume 2
 * Is the Order a Rabbit??
 * Is the Order a Rabbit?? Dear My Sister
 * Index & Railgun
 * Index II & Railgun
 * Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko
 * Kemono Friends
 * KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World!
 * KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! 2
 * KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Re:Edit
 * KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Legend of Crimson
 * Little Busters!
 * Little Busters! Anime
 * Little Busters! Ecstasy
 * Love Live!
 * Love Live! Volume 2
 * Love Live! School Idol Festival
 * Love Live! School Idol Festival Volume 2
 * Love Live! School Idol Festival Volume 3 ~6th Anniversary~
 * Love Live! Sunshine!!
 * Love Live! Sunshine!! Volume 2
 * Love Live! Sunshine!! School Idol Festival ~6th Anniversary~
 * Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club feat. School Idol Festival All Stars
 * Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club
 * Lucky Star
 * Lycoris Recoil
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Detonation
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st & 2nd A's
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 2nd A's
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Reflection
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
 * Nisekoi
 * Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~
 * Puella Magi Madoka Magica
 * Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion
 * Puella Magi Madoka Side Story: Magia Record
 * Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl
 * Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
 * Rewrite
 * Rewrite Anime
 * Rewrite Harvest festa!
 * Robotics;Notes
 * Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend
 * Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Flat
 * Shakugan no Shana
 * Summer Pockets
 * Symphogear
 * Symphogear AXZ
 * Symphogear G
 * Symphogear GX
 * Symphogear XD Unlimited
 * Symphogear XD Unlimited Extend
 * The Familiar of Zero
 * The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls
 * The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls Season 2
 * The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
 * To Love-Ru Darkness 2nd
 * To Love-Ru Darkness 2nd Volume 2
 * ViVid Strike!
 * Vividred Operation
 * Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs

Schwarz Side

 * Accel World
 * Accel World: Infinite Burst
 * Attack on Titan
 * Attack on Titan Volume 2
 * Bakemonogatari
 * Batman Ninja
 * Chain Chronicle ~Light of Haecceitas~
 * Crayon Shin-chan
 * Darling in the Franxx
 * Detective Opera Milky Holmes
 * Detective Opera Milky Holmes 2
 * Detective Opera Milky Holmes Second Stage Edition
 * Disgaea
 * Fairy Tail
 * Fate/Apocrypha
 * Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya Zwei Herz!
 * Fate/stay night
 * Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel
 * Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works]
 * Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] Volume 2
 * Fate/Zero
 * Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet
 * Goblin Slayer
 * Guilty Crown
 * Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F
 * Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd
 * JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
 * Kantai Collection
 * Kantai Collection: Arrival of the European Fleet
 * Kantai Collection: The Fifth Phase
 * Kantai Collection: The Second Fleet
 * Kill la Kill
 * Kiznaiver
 * Macross Frontier
 * Melty Blood
 * Monogatari Second Season
 * Mr. Osomatsu
 * Nisemonogatari
 * Overlord
 * Persona 3
 * Persona 4
 * Persona 5
 * Project Sakura Wars
 * Puyo Puyo
 * Rebuild of Evangelion
 * Revue Starlight
 * Revue Starlight Re:live
 * Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World
 * Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World Volume 2
 * Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World: Memory Snow
 * Schoolgirl Strikers
 * Sengoku Basara
 * Shining Force EXA
 * STAR WARS
 * Steins;Gate
 * Sword Art Online
 * Sword Art Online Volume 2
 * Sword Art Online Aliciziation
 * Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online
 * Sword Art Online Re:Edit
 * Sword Art Online 10th Anniversary
 * Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale
 * Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
 * Terra Formars
 * That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
 * The Fruit of Grisaia
 * The Idolm@ster
 * The Idolm@ster 2
 * The Idolm@ster Anime
 * The Idolm@ster Million Live!
 * The Idolm@ster Movie
 * The King of Fighters

Weiß Side

 * Angel Beats!
 * Angel Beats! Volume 2
 * CLANNAD Volume 1
 * CLANNAD Volume 2
 * CLANNAD Volume 3
 * Da Capo Four Seasons
 * Da Capo & Da Capo II
 * Da Capo & Da Capo. II Plus Communication
 * Da Capo II Plus Communication
 * Da Capo III Anime
 * Da Capo VS. Little Busters!
 * Dog Days
 * Dog Days Dash
 * Dog Days Double Dash
 * Hina Logic from Luck & Logic
 * Hina Logic from Luck & Logic Volume 2
 * Is the Order a Rabbit??
 * Little Busters! Card Mission
 * Little Busters! Ecstasy
 * Little Busters! Refrain Anime
 * Love Live!
 * Love Live! Sunshine!!
 * Love Live! The School Idol Movie
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st
 * Nichijou - My Ordinary Life
 * Nisekoi
 * Shakugan no Shana III -FINAL-
 * The Familiar of Zero F
 * The Girl Who Leapt Through Space/My-HiME & My-Otome
 * The Girl Who Leapt Through Space/My-HiME & My-Otome Volume 2
 * The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Schwarz Side

 * Black Rock Shooter
 * CANAAN
 * Devil Survivor 2: The Animation
 * Disgaea 4
 * Disgaea D2
 * Fairy Tail
 * Fate/hollow ataraxia
 * Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya
 * Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya Drei!
 * Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya Zwei!
 * Fate/Zero
 * Gigant Big-Shot Tsukasa
 * Godzilla The Animation
 * Hatsune Miku ~Project DIVA~ X HD
 * Katanagatari
 * Kantai Collection: Fleet in the Deep Sea, Sighted!
 * Log Horizon
 * Psycho-Pass
 * Milky Holmes: Genius 4 Counterattack
 * Milky Holmes: Milky Holmes Strikes Back
 * Milky Holmes: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Persona 4
 * Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena
 * Persona 4: The Animation
 * Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
 * Rin-ne
 * Sengoku Basara Anime
 * Shining Resonance
 * Sword Art Online II
 * Sword Art Online II Volume 2
 * The Idolm@ster Dearly Stars
 * The Idolm@ster Mini Character Pack 765pro
 * Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life

Upcoming titles

 * Adventure Time
 * Assault Lily
 * Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.
 * Circus 20th Anniversary
 * Date A Live
 * Fate/Grand Order – Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia
 * Hololive
 * Key 20th Anniversary
 * Lost Decade
 * Puella Magi Madoka Side Story: Magia Record Anime
 * Mob Psycho 100
 * Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World: Frozen Bonds
 * RWBY
 * Summer Pockets: Reflection Blue
 * The Quintessential Quintuplets