To play Harry Potter Trading Card Game (HPTCG), both players need a 60-card deck of Harry Potter cards. The game features an easy-to-understand win condition: force your opponent to run out of cards in their deck first and ‘deck out’.
In Harry Potter TCG, each player begins by drawing a seven-card hand, similar to Magic: The Gathering. Players may also draw a card before their turn starts.
Each turn, players may place a ‘Lesson’ card to use as magical currency for casting spells. You can find the ‘cost’ of most cards by looking for a number on the card’s border, as well as the ‘type’ of Lesson card required to use it.
The various card types in HPTCG
HPTCG features eight card types. First are Lessons, and second are Spells, which are played directly into the discard pile and provide unique effects. Each Spell has an accompanying Lesson type, and there are Spells for each Lesson type.
Next are Creatures, or Magical Creatures, which specifically require the Care of Magical Creatures Lesson to play. They have a health number indicating how much damage they can take, and a ‘damage each turn’ value determining how much damage they deal to an opponent each turn. This ‘damage’ typically forces the opponent to discard cards from the top of their deck. Some Creatures can attack, others cannot, and some have special abilities.
Another card type is Characters, or Wizards and Witches. These cards have no printed Lesson type or power cost. Once played, they remain on the table and offer special abilities for the player. Each player starts the game by playing a starting Character, which cannot be discarded. A starting Character must have the keyword “Witch” or “Wizard”. You can also include additional Characters in your deck to aid you in your wizard duel.
They also have Adventures, which don’t require Lessons to be played. They often affect the opponent and usually have a condition to be fulfilled. Each player can have only one unique Adventure in play at a time.
Items stay on the table once played, often having a power cost and Lesson type. These can be wands, the Invisibility Cloak, cauldrons, and the Remembrall.
The Quidditch Cup expansion introduces Matches, each costing one Quidditch Power. They have “To Win” and “Prize” conditions. Like Adventures, only one Match can be in play at a time.
Finally, there are Locations. They have a printed power cost and can be of any Lesson type. Locations affect both players, leading to interesting strategies. Only one Location can be in play, and playing a new one removes the previous one.
Once you’ve built your 60-card deck with Lessons, Spells, Magical Creatures, Items, and other card types, you’re ready to play. Cards played by you and your opponent will deal damage, forcing each of you to discard cards from the top of your deck. You win when your opponent runs out of cards.
Wands at the ready? Let’s play
Turn Structure
Each turn begins with the ‘Before Your Turn’ phase. If any card instructs you to take an action before your turn, do so now. Next is the Draw step, where you draw one card. Then comes the Creature Damage phase, where your creatures deal damage to your opponent. Finally, you reach the Action Step, where you have two Actions to spend on various activities:
- Play a Lesson, Creature, Spell, Item, Match, or Location card
- Draw a card
- Activate a card’s ability, or use an Action as instructed by a card
You can also use both of your Actions to play a Character card or an Adventure card
The turn concludes with the End of Your Turn phase. If a card instructs you to do something at the end of your turn, do it now. After resolving any such effects, play passes to your opponent, and this pattern continues until someone wins.
Deck Building
When constructing your Harry Potter TCG deck, remember that you can include no more than four copies of any single card (except for Lessons). Your deck must contain exactly 60 cards, plus one starting Character, for a total of 61 cards at the beginning of the game. As long as you adhere to these rules, you have the freedom to build any type of deck you desire, enabling a wide variety of strategies.
Now go forth and Expelliarmus your fellow Wizards and Witches!
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