Cover
These are the original rules found in the rule book as well as the website while it existed. It is (more or less) word to word the same.
There were two different versions of the rule book. The second included event clarifications and deck building clarification for New Type Level. Though both versions still omitted some very important rules needed for basic game play. Some of those omissions were addressed in the FAQ of the website.
First Series Check List
First series check list
Introduction
Gundam M.S. War Trading Card Game gives you the chance to manage your own Mobile Suit (M.S.) team, and battle with your friends in a struggle for universal supremacy! Each player must create a deck and follow the instructions of a Mission Objective card to achieve final victory.
The world of Gundam is one of conflict, with powerful rival M.S. Corps constantly battling for the upper hand. The Gundam M.S. War Trading Card Game Starter Deck includes two of these factions: the Wing Gundam (WG) and OZ Corps. Players can compile a team that works best for them.
Starter Decks come complete with three levels of rules: ROOKIE, ACE, and NEWTYPE. All players can enjoy the game at their own level of complexity.
Beginning Play:
To begin play, make sure each player has:
A deck of 30 cards
several Corps Coins
A Mission Objective card
A Playmat (the provided playmat features reversible sides for single or multi-opponent play)
A Game Manual (one per Starter Deck)
Card Types
There are five card types in Gundam M.S. War:
M.S. (Mobile Suit) cards
The futuristic battle suits that fight for you. M.S. cards are brought in play by placing them on the M.S. Dock.
A - Corps Symbol: Identifies which military group this card belongs to.
B - Price: The amount of cards you must pay to bring this card into play.
C - Card Name
D - Clash Points: The card’s strength in battle.
E - Weapon
F - Effect: The effect the card has during the game.
G - M.S. Type: The style of Mobile Suit.
H - Card Number & Rarity
Pilot card
Character cards which provide additional Clash Points or other game effects to a M.S. card. One Pilot may be attached to each M.S. card. In most cases, Pilot cards are brought in play by placing them on M.S. cards in the M.S. Dock or the M.S. Battlefield.
A - Corps Symbol: Identifies which military group this card belongs to.
B - Price: The amount of cards you must pay to bring this card into play.
C - Card Name
D - Effect: The effect the card has during the game.
Event card
Strategic cards may be played at any time during the Attack or Strategic game phases (even during your opponent’s turn!). Event cards are brought in play by placing them on the M.S. Battlefield. Unless otherwise noted, Event cards are discarded immediately after use.
A - Corps Symbol: Identifies which military group this card belongs to.
B - Price: The amount of cards you must pay to bring this card into play.
C - Card Name
D - Effect: The effect the card has during the game.
E - Card Number & Rarity
Battlefield Card
Location cards that affect the game until being cancelled by an opponent playing their own Battlefield card. Battlefield cards are put into play by placing them on the Battlefield Card area of the Playmat. Only one Battlefield card may be in play at any one time. A Battlefield card is destroyed when your opponent plays their own Battlefield card. You cannot destroy your own Battlefield card by playing another Battlefield card unless card effects specify otherwise (i.e. PL-035, EV-039, EV-049, etc.).
A - Corps Symbol: Identifies which military group this card belongs to.
B - Price: The amount of cards you must pay to bring this card into play.
C - Card Name
D - Battle Scars: The price that must be paid by its owner if the card is destroyed.
E - Effect: The effect the card has during the game. In some cases, certain conditions must be met to activate the effect.
F - Requirements: The condition the card must meet in order to be put in play.
G - Card Number & Rarity
Mission Objective card
Provides the conditions one player must achieve to win a game (a player may also win if all their opponents have exhausted their Supply Base deck – see "Losing the Game"). In addition, when playing NEWTYPE rules, the Rebel Forces section of the Mission Objective card informs you when the Rebel Forces become Active.
A - Mission Objective: The conditions you must fulfill to win the game.
B - Rebel Forces condition: In NEWTYPE rules only, the point at which your Rebel Forces become Active.
Playmat
The Gundam M.S. War Starter Deck comes complete with a reversible Playmat adaptable to either two- or multi-player games. Both Playmat configurations include the following areas:
A - Battlefield Card: Battlefield cards are played to this area.
B - M.S. Battlefield: The area where M.S. and Pilot card engage in Battle! Any cards on the M.S. Battlefield are returned to the M.S. Dock at the beginning of the player’s NEXT TURN.
C - Rebel Forces: The area where rebels from your own Supply Base are played. Only used in NEWTYPE rules.
D - Defunct pile: An area OFF THE PLAYMAT, next to the Dry Dock. Cards are moved here face down to pay a Price. Cards in the Defunct pile may not return to the game.
E - Dry Dock: The area to which a player discards. Discards are always face-up.
F - Supply Base: The area where a player’s deck is placed.
G - War Experience Point Scale: Place the Corps Coins you earn in battle here to keep track of your progress in fulfilling your Mission Objective.
H - M.S. Dock: The staging area for your M.S. and Pilot cards. Any Attack or Defend must originate with a card from the M.S. Dock.
Winning the Game:
To win, a player must:
Complete the Mission described on their Mission Objective card
OR
Be the last player to have cards on their Supply Base
Losing the Game:
A player loses the game when:
Another player fulfills his mission
OR
the player’s Supply Base deck is exhausted
Receiving Your Mission Objective
Before beginning the game, each player selects the Mission Objective card of their choice. This provides one way for that player to win the game.
Paying a Card’s Price
In Gundam M.S. War, each card a player brings into the game requires the player to pay a Price. Every card’s Price is listed on the front (see Card Types).
For instance, to place the Gundam Deathscythe card in play, its owner has to pay a Price of 3 cards.
There are two ways to pay a card’s Price:
by moving the required number of cards from your Supply Baseto the Dry Dock (face up)
by moving the required number of cards of your choice from theDry Dock to the Defunct pile (face down)
Preemptive Strike
Some M.S. and Pilot cards bear the designation. "Preemptive Strike". During the Attack Phase of gameplay, a card with Preemptive Strike is considered to be the winner of a tied Battle.
Missing From the Rule Book
The following rules were omitted (either by accident or lack of caring) that were never addressed in either version of the rule book. They were only found on the website in an FAQ page among other smaller clarifications. Thru heavy searching I was able to find the following official ruling:
Building A Deck
When building a deck, you can mix any of the teams (Wing Gundam Team, OZ corp, Earth Federation, Principles of Zeon) with the following restriction:
- You may not include more than 1 card of the same number, same names are allowed.
- IE: You may not have two MS-001 Wing Gundam. You may have MS-001 Wing Gundam & MS-031 Wing Gundam in the same deck.
Card Effect
Several cards have abilities but do NOT state WHEN they can be activated. All abilities on Pilot cards can be activated with the following restrictions:
- Can be activated any time during your turn or the opponents turn.
- They can only be activated during Attack or Strategic Phase.
- They can still NOT be activated during the Preliminary Phase (unless the card specifically states it can...)
There is still no solid clarification WHEN abilities on Mobile Suits can be activated. I presume it follows the same rule above.