Genshin Impact TCG guide for beginners: Card game rules and phases explained

The rules of a card game can often be tricky and convoluted to follow, but Genshin Impact’s Genius Invokation TCG isn’t too difficult to understand. Essentially, the goal of the game is to eliminate all three of your opponent’s Character Cards. Each deck has three Character Cards and 30 Action Cards.

There are several rules that are worth referencing here:

• All Character Cards have HP
• Every Character Card has a different set of abilities available to them
• There are three phases to every turn in this TCG
• Rolling dice is instrumental to the game’s mechanics
• Elemental Reactions are present in this TCG

A more in-depth breakdown will occur in the following section of this article.

Genshin Impact guide for beginners: Genius Invokation TCG rules

Genshin Impact players must complete the “Come Try Genius Invokation TCG!” to get started with this new game mode. That quest requires Travelers to have already completed the “Archon Quest Prologue: Act III – Song of the Dragon and Freedom” and be Adventure Rank 32 or higher.

Duel Rules

Travelers will start a match with either an NPC or another player. Just know that you don’t get rewards for dueling with other players. Anybody seeking free loot should stick to PvE content related to Genius Invokation TCG. Either way, you will eventually agree to a match with somebody.

A brief loading screen will happen where both sides can see the other’s three main Character Cards. A coin will flip to decide who goes first. You will draw five cards, but you can swap out anything undesirable for something random before the game actually starts.

You will then be told to “Select your first character.” That will be your active character. Don’t worry, as you can switch later.

The above image is a valuable infographic for Genshin Impact players to look at, but let’s cover some important mechanics in more detail:

• Character Zone: This is where your three Character Cards go.
• Summons Zone: This is where things summoned by Character and Action Cards go. Only four summons can exist here.
• Support Zone: Support Cards go here, and only four can exist at a time.
• Character Skills: Character Cards have skills they can use when they’re the active character. This section is in the bottom right. Passives won’t be seen here.
• Hand: You can play the Action Cards from your hand. Up to ten cards can be in your hand at a given time.
• Dice: You get to roll some dice at the start of every turn. Those dice are recorded in the top right section and are used for Character and Action Cards.

Every card is different, but they’ll generally impact the game board in some way.

Phases

There are three phases of Genshin Impact’s Genius Invokation TCG to cover here:

• Roll Phase: You roll eight Elemental Dice and can reroll undesirable dice if you’d like, but only once per turn.
• Action Phase: This is where the main part of the game occurs. Genshin Impact players can use cards in their hand, switch the active character, etc.
• End Phase: Card effects happen here, and then players draw two cards for the next turn.

This process repeats until one person loses. You will get Energy for Elemental Bursts by attacking with a Normal Attack or Elemental Skill. Genshin Impact players should also know that the Action Phase has moves that fall under two types of categories:

• Combat Actions: Completing a single Combat Action passes the turn to your foe.
• Fast Actions: You do something and continue your turn.

Action Cards fall under three categories:

• Equipment Cards
• Event Cards
• Support Cards

Equipment Cards tend to buff a character, whereas Event and Support Cards trigger an effect of some kind.

Elemental Reactions in Genshin Impact’s Genius Invokation TCG

Here is a list of Elemental Reactions to keep in mind when partaking in Genshin Impact’s Genius Invokation TCG:

• Bloom: Hydro + Dendro = +1 DMG and a Dendro Core that gives +2 DMG in the next Pyro or Electro attack
• Burning: Pyro + Dendro = +1 DMG and creates a Burning Flame that does 1 Pyro DMG at the end of a turn
• Crystallize: Geo + Cryo or Electro or Hydro or Pyro = +1 DMG, and the active character gains 1 Shield
• Electro-Charged: Electro + Hydro = +1 DMG and does Piercing DMG to all enemies but the target
• Frozen: Cryo + Hydro = +1 DMG and prevents the target from doing any actions for the turn, but the target can be thawed by getting hit by a Physical or Pyro attack for +2 extra DMG
• Melt: Cryo + Pyro = +2 DMG
• Overloaded: Electro + Pyro = +2 DMG and forces the enemy to switch characters
• Quicken: Electro + Dendro = +1 DMG and creates a Catalyzing Field to give +1 DMG for the next three Dendro and Electro attacks
• Superconduct: Cryo + Electro = +1 DMG and does Piercing DMG to all enemies but the target
• Swirl: Anemo + Cryo or Electro or Hydro or Pyro = 1 DMG of the non-Anemo Element to all enemies but the target
• Vaporize: Hydro + Pyro +2 DMG

Hopefully, these rules seem somewhat basic for Genshin Impact players to follow in Genius Invokation TCG.