How to Play a Turn
There are four phases to a turn: the Draw Phase, the Play Phase, the Flip Phase, and the End of Turn Phase. Both players may have actions to take during each of the phases.
1. Draw Phase
In this phase, each player draws a card from the top of their deck and adds it to their hand. This phase is skipped on the first turn of the game.
2. Play Phase
The play phase is when the players are able to play out cards from their hand onto the board. The player with the initiative goes first.
They may choose to play any number of cards from their hand, as long as they have enough energy to play them. On the first turn of the game, players have access to 2 energy. Therefore, players could choose to play 1 card that costs 2 energy, or 2 cards that cost 1 energy each.
Cards must be placed face-down on the board, and only on unoccupied friendly hexes. A friendly hex is any hex on the board that has friendly influence on it. At the beginning of the game, each player has 2 friendly hexes on the board — their home city hexes.
Cards must be placed within the chosen hex with the top flat edge of the card lining up with one of the flat edges of the hex. This means that there are six different possible rotations for each card you play.
Once the player with the initiative has played all of the cards they want to play this turn, they must indicate to their opponent that they have finished. Then, the other player will do the same, playing as many cards as they wish to the board within the energy limit.
After both players have finished playing their cards, the Play Phase is over.
3. Flip Phase
In this phase, the player with the initiative will flip all of their cards, one at a time, and then the other player will do the same. Each time a card is flipped, there are a few steps to follow:
Flip the card face-up. Be careful to make sure that the card has the same orientation it had while it was face down.
Check for a flip ability. Check whether the card has a flip ability (marked with a special icon). If it does, that ability activates now.
The card attacks. The card attacks (adds friendly influence to) each hex within its range.
Check for a post-attack ability. Check whether the card has a post-attack ability (marked with a broadcast icon). If it does, that ability activates now.
The card has now been resolved and the next card can be flipped.
After both players have flipped and resolved all of their face-down cards, move to the End of Turn Phase.
4. End of Turn Phase
All face-up cards that are not on a friendly hex (a hex with friendly influence on it) are now destroyed.
All abilities that are active "this turn" or "until end of turn" end.
The die representing this turn is now removed.