KARDS - The WW2 Card Game: German Starter Campaign Guide

To beat the German Starter Campaign in KARDS - The WW2 Card Game, capture the Frontline by turn three using early armor, reserve enough Kredits each turn to pay unit operation costs before deploying new cards, and protect your Headquarters by clearing high-threat enemy units with tactical orders. Completing all matches in the starter campaign unlocks the full German starter card pool and grants access to German national progression.

Blitz Mechanics and Frontline Positioning

The German campaign deck relies on the Blitz keyword to establish tempo. Standard combat units enter play unable to move or strike until the following turn. Units with Blitz bypass this waiting period, allowing them to advance into the Frontline or attack immediately on the turn they are deployed, provided you can pay their operation cost.

The battlefield consists of your Support Line, the shared Frontline, and the opposing Support Line. Moving a ground unit into the empty Frontline cuts off the enemy advance, as opposing ground troops cannot step past your frontline defenders to attack your Headquarters directly. German armor lets you push into the center lane early, forcing the AI to fight for board position rather than threatening your base.

Kredit Budgeting and Turn Sequencing

Every unit requires Kredits to deploy from your hand and an operation cost whenever it moves into the Frontline or attacks. Spending your entire Kredit pool on reinforcements leaves your existing units immobilized.

Follow this turn sequence during campaign battles:

1. Calculate active unit costs: Check the operation costs of units already on the board before playing cards from your hand.
2. Execute priority attacks: Attack with existing units first to resolve combat trades and assess surviving board threats.
3. Deploy reinforcements: Use your remaining Kredits to play new armor or infantry to hold open lanes or reinforce the Frontline.
4. Hold reserves for orders: Keep two Kredits available when you hold Sudden Strike so you can immediately remove priority enemy threats.

Defeating Campaign AI Archetypes

AI encounters in the German Starter Campaign alternate primarily between defensive British formations and wide Soviet boards:

• British Guard Units: British AI decks rely on Guard units to stall your push. Ground units cannot attack the enemy Headquarters or non-Guard targets while a Guard unit is active. Do not trade healthy Panzers directly into high-defense Guards. Weaken them first with Sudden Strike or cheap attacks from Infantry 98k before finishing them off with armor.
• Soviet Swarm Units: Soviet encounter decks deploy inexpensive 1/1 infantry tokens. Avoid trading high-value Panzers one-for-one into these units. Keep your tanks in the Frontline so the AI must attack into your higher combat stats, and deploy Infantry 98k in your Support Line to keep your Headquarters defense safe from token chip damage.