Draft Arena: Battle Cards

Mission briefing

Draft Arena: Battle Cards is a quick strategy auto battler. Every round you pick one of three cards to grow your army: robots, cowboys, chickens, TNT, tanks and more. Then your army fights the rival army on its own. Upgrade fighters to stronger ranks and drop a bomb or lightning at the right moment to turn the battle around. Win matches to walk the Victory Road, unlock 12 fighters and 3 arenas, open card packs, upgrade your fighters and beat each arena champion. Short matches, easy to learn, hard to put down.

Field manual

Win matches by building the stronger army. Each round, click or tap one of three cards to add fighters to your army, then watch the armies fight on their own. Tap the bomb or lightning button, then tap the arena to use it at the right moment. Lose all hearts and the match is lost; win to move along the Victory Road and unlock new fighters. Controls: mouse or touch.

Launch orders: press Launch mission above and the game loads on this page itself — nothing downloads and no form stands between you and the first move. It is designed for a flexible screen and takes its orders from mouse, keyboard or touch, depending on the mission. It adapts to both upright and wide screens, so phones, tablets and desktops all frame it sensibly. If it offers a fullscreen control, use it — a fight this size deserves the whole screen.

Field notes for strategy operations

• Economy first, army second. The player who builds one more resource structure in the opening minutes out-produces the player who built one more soldier — arithmetic is the quietest weapon in strategy.
• Scout before you commit. Every strategy game hides a paper to your rock; two minutes of reconnaissance is cheaper than twenty minutes of building the wrong answer.
• Hold a reserve. Committing everything to the first fight leaves nothing for the second, and there is always a second — usually arriving while you are still rebuilding from the first.

Draft Arena: Battle Cards — questions from the ranks

What does it cost to play Draft Arena: Battle Cards?

Nothing at all. The mission is free from the first order to the last — no sign-up, no download, no paid tier guarding the good levels. The advertising around this page is what keeps the board free.

What sort of mission is Draft Arena: Battle Cards?

Draft Arena: Battle Cards is filed in our Strategy theatre. Like every operation on this board, it is a browser game — read the briefing above for the publisher's own account of what you are deploying into.

Can I run Draft Arena: Battle Cards on a phone or tablet?

Yes. It plays in the browser on phones and tablets exactly as it does on a computer. It adapts to both upright and wide screens, so phones, tablets and desktops all frame it sensibly.

Do I have to install anything before playing?

No installation of any kind. Draft Arena: Battle Cards is an HTML5 game: press the launch button and it loads on this page, and closing the tab leaves nothing behind.

After-action

Mission complete, or still pinned down? The full Strategy theatre is one click away — The thinking soldier's shelf: 115 operations where the decisive weapon is a plan made thirty seconds before it is needed. Build first, then hold what you built.