mantimon-tcg/docs/GAME_RULES.md

Mantimon TCG - Game Rules

This document defines the home-rule modifications for Mantimon TCG, based on a custom hybrid of Pokemon TCG eras. The game features an RPG-style campaign inspired by the Gameboy Color Pokemon Trading Card Game.

Note

: This is a template. Sections marked with [TBD] need to be filled in with your specific rule choices.

Table of Contents

1. Campaign Structure
2. Base Ruleset
3. Energy System Modifications
4. Deck Building Rules
5. Win Conditions
6. Turn Structure
7. Card Types
8. Status Conditions
9. Glossary

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Campaign Structure

The core gameplay loop is a single-player campaign where you challenge NPCs, build your collection, and progress toward becoming the champion.

Inspiration

The campaign is inspired by Pokemon Trading Card Game for Gameboy Color (1998):

• Visit themed "Clubs" (Fire Club, Water Club, etc.)
• Challenge club members to earn booster packs
• Defeat Club Leaders to earn medals
• Collect all medals to challenge the Grand Masters
• Defeat the Grand Masters to become Champion

Clubs

Club	Theme	Leader	Medal
[TBD]	Fire-type focused	[TBD]	[TBD] Medal
[TBD]	Water-type focused	[TBD]	[TBD] Medal
[TBD]	Grass-type focused	[TBD]	[TBD] Medal
[TBD]	Lightning-type focused	[TBD]	[TBD] Medal
[TBD]	Psychic-type focused	[TBD]	[TBD] Medal
[TBD]	Fighting-type focused	[TBD]	[TBD] Medal
[TBD]	Mixed/balanced	[TBD]	[TBD] Medal
[TBD]	Mixed/balanced	[TBD]	[TBD] Medal

NPC Types

Type	Description	Rewards
Club Member	Regular NPCs in each club	1-2 booster packs
Club Leader	Boss of each club, must defeat to earn medal	Medal + 2-4 booster packs
Grand Master	Elite opponents, require all medals to challenge	Special rewards
Champion	Final opponent	Champion title

Progression

1. New Player: Start with a starter deck, can challenge any club
2. Club Progression: Defeat club members to practice, then challenge the leader
3. Medal Collection: Earn medals by defeating Club Leaders
4. Grand Masters: Once all medals collected, Grand Masters become available
5. Champion: Defeat all Grand Masters to face the Champion

Match Rewards

Outcome	Reward
Victory vs Club Member	1-2 booster packs (based on NPC difficulty)
Victory vs Club Leader	Medal + 2-4 booster packs
Victory vs Grand Master	[TBD] special reward
Defeat	No reward, can retry immediately

Rematch Rules

• Club Members can be rechallenged anytime for pack rewards
• Club Leaders can be rechallenged after defeat (for packs, medal already earned)
• Grand Masters and Champion can be rechallenged for bragging rights

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Base Ruleset

Mantimon TCG uses a custom hybrid ruleset, cherry-picking mechanics from multiple Pokemon TCG eras.

Era Influences

Mechanic	Era Source	Notes
Basic turn structure	Classic (Base-Neo)	[TBD]
Pokemon stages	[TBD]	Basic, Stage 1, Stage 2, and/or EX/V variants?
Trainer card types	[TBD]	Item/Supporter/Stadium split, or classic Trainer?
Energy types	[TBD]	How many types? Special energy?

What's NOT Included

List of official mechanics that are explicitly excluded:

• [TBD] - e.g., "No VMAX or Gigantamax mechanics"
• [TBD]
• [TBD]

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Energy System Modifications

Home Rule Focus Area: Energy attachment rules

Standard Rule (for reference)

In standard Pokemon TCG, you may attach one energy card per turn from your hand to one of your Pokemon.

Modified Rule

[TBD] - Describe your energy system changes here. Examples of possible modifications:

• Multiple attachments: Attach up to X energy per turn
• Type-free energy: All basic energy counts as colorless
• Energy acceleration: Specific cards/abilities that attach extra energy
• Energy generation: Start of turn gain energy tokens instead of cards
• Shared energy pool: Energy attached to a Pokemon can be used by bench
• No energy cards: Attacks cost action points instead

Energy Types in Use

Type	Symbol	Description
[TBD]
[TBD]
Colorless		Any energy satisfies colorless requirements

Special Energy

Name	Effect
[TBD]
[TBD]

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Deck Building Rules

Home Rule Focus Area: Card limits and restrictions

Deck Size

Rule	Value
Minimum deck size	[TBD] cards
Maximum deck size	[TBD] cards
Exact size required?	[TBD] Yes/No

Card Limits

Card Type	Max Copies	Notes
Pokemon (same name)	[TBD]
Trainer cards (same name)	[TBD]
Energy cards (basic, same type)	[TBD]
Energy cards (special, same name)	[TBD]

Required Cards

Requirement	Value
Minimum Basic Pokemon	[TBD]
Minimum Energy cards	[TBD]
Other requirements	[TBD]

Banned/Restricted Cards

Card Name	Status	Reason
[TBD]	Banned
[TBD]	Limited to 1

Format Rotations

[TBD] - Which card sets are legal? Do sets rotate out?

Set Name	Set Code	Status
[TBD]		Legal
[TBD]		Banned

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Win Conditions

Home Rule Focus Area: Victory conditions

Standard Win Conditions (for reference)

1. Take all 6 prize cards
2. Knock out opponent's last Pokemon in play
3. Opponent cannot draw at start of turn

Modified Win Conditions

[TBD] - Describe your win condition changes. Examples:

• Prize count change: Take [X] prizes instead of 6
• Alternative victory: Win by [condition]
• Removed condition: [Which standard condition is removed?]
• Sudden death: [Special rules for tiebreakers]

Prize Card Rules

Rule	Value
Number of prizes	[TBD]
Prizes taken per knockout	[TBD] - (Standard: 1 for basic, 2 for EX/V)
Prize card selection	[TBD] - Random or chosen?

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Turn Structure

Turn Overview

1. DRAW PHASE
   - Draw 1 card from deck
   
2. MAIN PHASE (any order, as many times as allowed)
   - Attach energy (once per turn) [TBD if modified]
   - Play Basic Pokemon to bench
   - Evolve Pokemon
   - Play Trainer cards
   - Use Abilities
   - Retreat Active Pokemon (once per turn)
   
3. ATTACK PHASE
   - Declare attack (ends turn)
   - OR pass without attacking
   
4. END PHASE
   - Apply end-of-turn effects
   - Check for knockouts
   - Take prize cards if applicable

Turn Modifications

[TBD] - Any changes to the turn structure?

Modification	Description
[TBD]

First Turn Rules

Rule	Value
First player draws on turn 1?	[TBD] Yes/No
First player can attack turn 1?	[TBD] Yes/No
First player can play Supporters turn 1?	[TBD] Yes/No

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Card Types

Pokemon Cards

Term	Definition
Basic Pokemon	Can be played directly from hand to bench
Stage 1	Evolves from a Basic Pokemon
Stage 2	Evolves from a Stage 1 Pokemon
[TBD]	[Any special Pokemon types like EX, V, etc.?]

Evolution Rules

Rule	Value
Can evolve same turn played?	No (unless card effect allows)
Can evolve same turn as previous evolution?	[TBD]
Evolution on first turn of game?	[TBD]

Trainer Cards

[TBD] - Which trainer card subtypes are in use?

Type	Rules
Item	[TBD] - Unlimited per turn?
Supporter	[TBD] - One per turn?
Stadium	[TBD] - Stays in play?
Tool	[TBD] - Attach to Pokemon?

Energy Cards

Type	Description
Basic Energy	Provides 1 energy of its type
Special Energy	[TBD] - Custom effects?

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Status Conditions

Active Status Conditions

Condition	Effect	Removal
Poisoned	[TBD] damage between turns	[TBD]
Burned	[TBD] damage + flip to continue	[TBD]
Asleep	Cannot attack or retreat, flip to wake	[TBD]
Paralyzed	Cannot attack or retreat for 1 turn	End of next turn
Confused	Flip to attack, damage self on tails	[TBD]

Condition Stacking

[TBD] - Can multiple conditions be active? Which override others?

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Glossary

Term	Definition
Active Pokemon	The Pokemon currently in the battle position
Bench	Area for up to 5 Pokemon not currently active
Discard Pile	Where knocked out Pokemon and used cards go
Prize Cards	Cards set aside at game start, taken on knockouts
Retreat	Switching active Pokemon with a benched Pokemon
[TBD]	[Add game-specific terms]

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Changelog

Track rule changes over time:

Date	Change	Reason
[Date]	Initial rules document created	Project start

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Notes for Implementation

This section is for developer reference when implementing rules in code.

Rule Configuration Schema

Rules should be configurable via a JSON/YAML file for easy iteration:

{
  "deck": {
    "min_size": 60,
    "max_size": 60,
    "max_copies_per_card": 4,
    "min_basic_pokemon": 1
  },
  "prizes": {
    "count": 6,
    "per_knockout_basic": 1,
    "per_knockout_ex": 2
  },
  "energy": {
    "attachments_per_turn": 1
  },
  "first_turn": {
    "can_draw": true,
    "can_attack": false,
    "can_play_supporter": false
  },
  "win_conditions": {
    "all_prizes_taken": true,
    "no_pokemon_in_play": true,
    "cannot_draw": true
  }
}

Validation Hooks

When implementing rules engine, create validation hooks for:

• validate_deck(deck) -> ValidationResult
• validate_action(game_state, action) -> ValidationResult
• check_win_conditions(game_state) -> Optional[WinResult]
• calculate_prizes_for_knockout(pokemon) -> int