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CUE Cards
Battle, Collect and Trade cards from all over the universe!
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Beginner’s Guide

Playing CUE (Cards, the Universe andEverything)

Welcome to the world of Cards, the Universe and Everything! We appreciate that a card battling game with around 5000 cards that could cover literally everything might seem daunting but fear not! This starter guide is here to guide you through the basics and give you some tips for success. CUE isn’t about just copying a one-size-fits-all deck but rather about strategy, making smart choices and sometimes a dash of luck. Even if you don’t want to battle it out, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in becoming an eager card collector!

This guide introduces basic terms, card pack types, and strategies for new players, pointing to CUEniversity and the CUE Discord for in-depth resources, card lists, deck advice, trading, and community events.

In CUE, you’ll find information buttons throughout that provide helpful details. For instance, the icon at the top of the Card Collection, under Cards & Decks on the home screen, explains key points about card rarity, energy, and power.

Cards (and how to get them)

This image shows different card types and rarities

CUE features around 5000 cards in two main types: Basic and Limited, identifiable by an icon on the card. Rarity varies from Common (no badge) to Legendary (gold badge with a gem outline).

Cards are organised into albums like History, with themed collections, such as Ancient Greece. Some collections blend Basic and Limited cards, others are exclusively Limited.

As you play, you'll earn special Level Up cards, not available in packs, which are valuable and rarely traded. Hold on to these as you won’t be able to get another, unless through trading!

Fusions and Mythics

Creating a Tutankhamun Fusion card

Fusion cards, created from Basic cards marked as fusion ingredients, aren't found in packs. They're crafted by combining and sacrificing the required ingredients on the Fusion screen. New Fusions are released regularly, using a mix of old and new Basic cards as ingredients, often requiring a combination of Epic, Rare, and Common cards.

Mythic cards, extremely rare and powerful, have a slim chance of appearing in each pack, except in those with guaranteed contents. While exact odds are unknown, players estimate about 1 Mythic for every 750 to 1000 packs. Collectors don't typically chase Mythics through packs alone, but rather acquire them naturally while opening packs for other cards.

Crafting

Using 9 Epic cards to craft a Welwitschia

Crafting in CUE transforms multiple lower-rarity cards into a single higher-rarity card. Nine cards of one rarity craft into a random card of the next higher tier, helping you upgrade excess cards. For example, Common cards craft into a random Basic Rare, and so forth up to Legendaries crafting into a random Limited card. Only duplicate Basic cards can be crafted.

Occasionally, Avid introduces special Crafted cards, similar to Fusion cards but not available in packs. Their recipes are secret, requiring players to solve puzzles to discover them.

Packs

A few examples of the packs available in store

Different packs in the game contain a variety of Basic and Limited cards from various albums. Regular packs like "Marvellous Miscellany" offer Basic cards, and premium packs might include rarer cards or Limited cards.

Typical premium packs feature:

  • Limited collection: Offering collection/s of only Limited cards with two types of packs. One pack uses gems and includes a mix of Limited and Basic cards, while the coin pack provides a selection of cards with a chance of one being Limited.
  • Finder packs: Target a specific album and offer a mix of cards with a chance for Limited cards, focusing on variety over the likelihood of Limited cards.

Other special packs may guarantee different card types. Each pack's description and an information icon provide the odds for obtaining various card types and rarities.

Trading

Limited cards are rarer and costlier than basic cards, making them more valuable. When trading, it's not advised to trade Basic for Limited cards. Always confirm you're getting Limited cards if that's what you're trading away.

In trades, Basic cards of the same rarity are usually equal in value, as are Limited Commons and Rares. But the worth of Limited Epics and Legendaries can differ greatly, depending on how useful they are in the game and how rare they are. Limited cards from guaranteed packs are typically less valuable than those from regular packs.

Using your Cards in Battle

Battles consist of rounds with three turns each, where the player with the most points at the end of the three turns wins the round. If it's a tie, turns continue until there's a winner. The first to win three rounds wins the battle, taking 3 to 5 rounds.

Players have energy that increases each turn and is spent by playing cards. Cards have energy cost (blue) and power value (pink) at the top left corner, shown as E/P for energy/power.

Players can use up to three cards per turn, as long as their total energy cost doesn't exceed their available energy. The goal is to outmatch the opponent's power over the turns. Managing energy and power is crucial, as high-power cards cost more energy, and using too much power early might limit options later, but being too conservative can make it tough to win rounds.

Card abilities

The bottom of these cards show a variety of abilities on CUE cards

Cards in CUE feature special abilities, enhancing or altering gameplay:

  • Power Abilities: Boost or lower card power. "Buff" abilities increase power, e.g., when played together, certain cards enhance each other's power. "Debuff" abilities reduce opponents' power, and "Ramp" abilities increase a card's power each time it's played.
  • Energy Abilities: Adjust energy costs and availability. "Cost reduction" abilities decrease the energy needed to play cards, making it easier to deploy them. "Cost inflation" increases energy costs, either for the opponent or as a trade-off for benefits. "Energy generators" provide additional energy each turn, while "Drain" abilities reduce an opponent's energy, affecting their ability to play cards.
  • Burn Abilities: Temporarily reduce a card's power over multiple turns, differing from debuffs by their duration and conditions.
  • Lock Abilities: Prevent a card from being played for a certain number of turns, disrupting opponents' strategies.

Abilities can apply to specific cards, collections, or situations, and vary in their timing and duration—some are immediate, while others last multiple turns or the entire game. This diversity allows for strategic gameplay beyond basic card power and energy management.

Rules of play

This is image shows screenshots from the game

A deck consists of 18 cards. At the game's start, you draw 5 random cards. Each turn, you can play up to 3 cards, if you have enough energy, and you draw new cards to maintain a hand of 5.

Played cards cycle back into the deck in the order they were played, ensuring combos stay aligned for future draws. If you cycle three cards each turn, they'll reappear in your hand about two rounds later.

Game Modes:

  • Casual: Starts with 7 energy, gaining 7 more each turn, with unused energy rolling over. Rounds feature random albums, with matching cards getting a +10 power bonus for that turn.
  • League: Weekly competitions with unique rules affecting energy and power. Arena bonuses boost power for cards from specific collections, encouraging strategic deck adjustments. Energy rules vary, influencing start energy, gain per turn, and max energy, requiring different strategies.

In both modes, deck and strategy flexibility is key, with some players keeping a core deck and making minor adjustments to adapt to weekly league changes.

Season Pass

The season pass is a feature in the game that offers players an opportunity to earn additional rewards by playing games and completing quests. It consists of two tracks: a free track accessible to all players, and a premium track that offers extra rewards for those who choose to upgrade.

Events

Besides the usual arena and league formats, CUE includes Events. This mode of gameplay introduces special gameplay changes that impact all players, such as boosting the power of rare cards or changing the amount of energy in certain rounds. Every event has its unique rules, adding fresh strategic elements to the game.

Deck Building

There are about 1500 different cards available in CUE, and you choose 18 to make up your deck. There is no specific best deck (or meta game) in CUE. Many different decks can win with a combination of good deck building, good play and good luck. While it is true that rarer cards have more power per energy and better special abilities, a deck with only basic cards that is played well can win against a deck stacked with high end cards that is designed or played badly.

General approach: power and energy

CUE offers around 5000 cards to build your 18-card deck, without a fixed "best" deck or meta. Success comes from skillful deck building, play, and luck. Even decks with Basic cards can win against those with rarer, more powerful cards if played strategically.

Strategy Tips:

  • Aim for an average of 10 power per energy spent. For instance, with 10 energy per turn, target 100 power.
  • Achieving this balance isn't just about using high power cards due to their scarcity and the lower power-to-energy ratio of special cards like energy generators. Instead, focus on creating synergy within your deck to boost overall power through combinations and buffs.
  • Regularly cycling through your deck is essential to utilise synergies fully. Relying on a few high power cards might prevent accessing key combinations and effects.
  • Energy management is crucial. Decks suited for high energy settings should include more powerful cards, while those for casual play or lower energy leagues benefit from cards that support each other and conserve energy. Ending the game with unused energy suggests room for including more powerful cards to increase output, but ensure there's enough energy to play what you draw.

General decks

A well-rounded deck includes energy generators, high-power cards, supportive combos, and buffs, accessible even to new players. The showcased "Sharks and Old West" deck exemplifies this, optimised for casual play and capable of defeating bots. It features energy generators like Thunderstorms and Brontosaurus for early boosts, 2-card combos that require strategic play, and shark cards that benefit from buffs, enhancing the deck's power.

Energy management and combo coordination are crucial. Playing energy generators early maximises benefits, while strategic combo play like Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, and card holding tactics for Fangtooth Moray and The Moon, enhance power efficiency. Subcategory buffs from cards like Nurse Shark and Thresher Shark lower energy costs and boost power, leveraging the synergy within the deck.

Playing these 2 cards creates the combo 'O.K. Corral Pals'

General buffs, such as those from Stingray and Water Strider, increase power across various cards, with specific strategies needed to maximise their effects. Cards like The Moon and Molly Maguires offer additional power boosts under certain conditions, emphasising the importance of strategic drawing and playing for maximising round advantages. This approach highlights the depth of strategy and adaptability within CUE's deck-building and gameplay.

Special decks

Most decks combine card combos and subcategory buffs to enhance overall power beyond individual card abilities. Alternative strategies include:

  • Ramp decks: Utilise ramp cards, energy generators, and high-power cards aiming to secure early rounds with high-power cards while increasing future round power through ramp cards.
  • Disruption decks: Focus on lock and burn cards to hinder the opponent's play, locking essential cards or forcing premature plays due to power loss.
  • Drain decks: Combine drain and cost inflation cards to reduce the opponent's energy availability and increase their cards' energy costs, impacting their ability to play effectively in early and later rounds.

Specialised decks, often relying on Limited cards, offer unique strategies but are more complex and less suitable for new players. Examples include:

  • A deck maximising Frilled Dragon's buff for low-energy cards, supplemented with high-power cards for an energy-efficient strategy.
  • A deck built around Bobbitt, focusing on cards with power under 50 to avoid its debuff, emphasising mutual buffs among these lower-power cards.
  • A Legendaries deck leveraging cards like Michelangelo and Evolution to boost legendary cards' power and reduce their energy cost, exploiting rarity-specific advantages.