Who this guide is for
This guide is for someone who has never played the NARUTO CARD GAME. It explains the parts of a game that Bandai has publicly described so far, so you can understand the game’s purpose and the role of its main cards.
The game is still in development. Bandai has not yet published a complete English rulebook covering every phase, timing window, or combat procedure.
The goal of the game
Each player builds a deck around one Leader card. Your goal is to reduce your opponent’s Leader Life to 0. When the opposing Leader reaches 0 Life, you win the game.
Characters form the front line of the battle. They can battle opposing Characters or the opposing Leader, while some Characters can also use Ninjutsu by paying Chakra.
What you need to play
The official materials currently describe the following cards for each player. The 50-card main deck is separate from the Leader, Chakra cards, and Summon card.
| Cards | Confirmed role |
|---|---|
| 1 Leader | The card your deck is built around. Its color determines the cards you can use, and it has Life. |
| 50-card main deck | The main deck contains the cards you play during the game. Official materials identify Character and EX Character cards as part of the game’s card types. |
| 5 Chakra cards | Used as costs for Support effects such as Ninjutsu. |
| 1 Summon card | Required to play Character cards onto the battlefield. |
The card types and main areas
NARUTO CARD GAME currently uses five card types.
Leader : Your deck is built around this card. Its color determines which cards you can use, and its Life is the target of the game.
Characters : Characters form your front line and can battle opposing Characters or a Leader. Some can activate Ninjutsu by paying Chakra.
EX Character : A powerful Character that can be played after specific play conditions are met.
Chakra : A resource card used to activate Support effects such as Ninjutsu.
Summon : A card required to play Character cards onto the battlefield.
How a turn works
Both players open on 5 cards. Only the player going second may mulligan, and only once. A turn begins with a Refresh phase, followed by Draw and Main phases, and ends with an End phase.
Refresh phase
At the beginning of the turn, return cards in Rest Mode to Active Mode by straightening them.
Draw phase
On turn one, the player going first draws 1 card and the player going second draws 2 cards. From then on, each player draws 2 cards per turn.
Main phase
During the Main phase, you can deploy Characters, activate Jutsu by paying Chakra, activate Leader effects, and attack.
End phase
Once all effects and attacks from the Main phase have been completed, you can pass the turn to your opponent.
Main phase actions in detail
1) Deploying Characters
- Normal deployment happens once per turn by resting your Summon card. That single card limits how quickly a board can develop.
- Deployment via an EX Character or a card effect does not use the Summon card, so it is additional deployment beyond the normal limit.
- A Character cannot attack on the turn it is deployed unless it has
.
2) Deploy Support cards and activate their effects with Chakra cards
- Deploy it normally to the field as a Character (and set it face-down in the Support area).
- Use Chakra to activate Support effects. These effects can be used during the Main phase according to their printed conditions and costs.
- Costs are paid by flipping Chakra face-down.
3) Play your Leader effect and Recovery effect to restore Chakra
- Your Leader possesses its own unique effect that you can activate.
- Your Leader possesses the
ability, which rests the Leader to flip all of your CHAKRA face-up from the second turn onward. Resting it that way costs you your attack for the turn. The Leader chooses each turn between attacking the opponent and recovering Chakra.
4) How battle resolves
Characters carry two different attack values, and which one applies depends on what you attack.
- You may attack the Leader to reduce its Life depending on the DMG of the cards you are using.
- You may only attack Characters that are already rested. Standing Characters cannot be targeted.
- Declare the attack. The attacking Character rests.
- Resolve the damage step by subtracting your POW value from the target.
- The defending player may activate an effect with the
timing to resolve that effect. - A Character reduced to 0 HP goes to the trash.
- A Leader reduced to 0 Life loses the game.
| Value | Used when |
|---|---|
| DMG | Attacking the opposing Leader, reducing its Life. |
| POW | Attacking a rested Character, reducing its HP. |
