Thanks to MarcFBR over at With The Will, we now have cleaned versions of several cards from the upcoming Starter Decks Gaia Red, Cocytus Blue, and Heaven's Yellow.
Seraphimon
ST3-11 Super Rare
Digimon card
10000 DP
Entry Cost 12 Evolution Cost 4
Level 6
[When it attacks] During this turn(?) 1 of your opponent's Digimon gets -4000 DP.
Zudomon
ST2-09 Uncommon
Digimon card
7000 DP
Entry Cost 6 Evolution Cost 3
Level 5
[On-Entry](?) Remove 2 Evolution Sources from the bottom of 1 of your opponent's Digimon.
Shadow Wing
ST1-13 Common
Option card
Entry Cost 1
[Main] During this turn, 1 of your Digimon gets +3000 DP.
[Security] Until the end of your next turn, all of your Digimon get «Security Attack +1». (When this Digimon attacks Security, increase the number it checks by 1.)
Starlight Explosion
ST1-14 Common(?)
Option card
Entry Cost 2
[Main] Until the end of your opponent's next turn, all of your Security Digimon get +2000 DP.
[Security] During this turn, all of your Security Digimon get +2000 DP.
An introductory video published by the official Digimon Card Game YouTube channel revealed over 25 cards from the first two Starter Decks, including the Yagami Taichi Tamer card and the boss card of Cocytus Blue, Metal Garurumon. The video goes over the basic rules of the 2020 TCG, confirming and elaborating upon what was recently revealed in V Jump magazine.
It was also revealed through the official website today that the first promo pack, Ver 0.0, will be given out to those that buy the latest Digimon x Battle Spirits TCG Collaboration Booster, Last Evolution. One promo pack will be given out with every five packs of the Battle Spirits booster customers purchase. The promo pack features six Level 3 Digimon with different artwork and effects from their Starter Deck counterparts. Promo packs will also be packed in with the Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna Complete Selection Animation Digivice.
Agumon
P-001 Promo
Digimon card
3000 DP
Entry Cost 5 Evolution Cost 0
Level 3
[On-Entry] Destroy 1 of your opponent's 3000 DP or less Digimon. (Non-inheritable)
Piyomon
P-002 Promo
Digimon card
2000 DP
Entry Cost 3 Evolution Cost 0
Level 3
[During your turn] When this Digimon destroys an opponent's Digimon by battle, «(Illegible Keyword)». (Draw 1 card from your deck.) (Inheritable)
Gabumon
P-003 Promo
Digimon card
3000 DP
Entry Cost 4 Evolution Cost 0
Level 3
[On-Entry] Remove 1 Evolution Source from the bottom of 1 of your opponent's Digimon. (Non-inheritable)
Gomamon
P-004 Promo
Digimon card
1000 DP
Entry Cost 3 Evolution Cost 0
Level 3
[During your turn] Once per turn: When your opponent's Digimon's Evolution Source is removed, you get +1 Memory. (Inheritable)
Patamon
P-005 Promo
Digimon card
2000 DP
Entry Cost 4 Evolution Cost 0
Level 3
(Illegible timing) When your Security becomes(?) 1 or less, «Recovery +1 (Deck)». (Place 1 card from the top of your deck into the top of your Security.) (Non-inheritable)
Tailmon
P-006 Promo
Digimon card
4000 DP
Entry Cost 4 Evolution Cost 2
Level 4
[During your turn] If your Security is 3 or greater, this Digimon gets +1000 DP. (Inheritable)
Note that some effects have changed slightly since these cards were first eased. For example, this Patamon appears to be the same one revealed in V Jump back in January, but it has 1 more Cost, 1000 less DP, and a non-inheritable effect rather than an inheritable one.
The play area in the new Digimon TCG is divided into six zones: the Hand, Deck, Trash, Security, Raising Area, and Battle Area. At the start of the game five cards are placed face-down from each player's Decks into their Security. You win the game by attacking the opponent while they have no Security remaining, and remove their Security cards by attacking them with your Digimon, turning them from Active (vertical) to Rest (horizontal) to declare attacks. While in the video's example the opponent didn't have any Digimon in play at the time, the existence of the Blocker ability implies that Digimon cannot be used to block attacks without it. (Considering that the Digimon TCG reuses elements from Chrono Clash, which was in turn influenced by designer Ryan Miller's previous work on Duel Masters, players probably can't attack an opponent's Digimon unless it's Rested, and power ties will result in both the attacker and defender being destroyed...probably.)
Players enter Digimon into the battlefield by paying their Entry Costs, moving a marker along the Memory Gauge (here depicted in the center of the playmat, but also countable using a pair of accessory cards) towards their opponent's side. When the marker crosses past 0 and over to 1 or higher, it becomes the opponent's turn. Alternatively, players can pay the Evolution Cost to evolve a Digimon on the field into one of the next level and same color.
In addition to what was explicitly stated, several points about the game can be gleaned from careful observation of the cards shown:
A Digimon with no effects has 1000 more DP and 1 less Entry Cost than a same-level Digimon with effects.
In general, Level 3 Digimon have no Evolution Cost, so it's possible to play two cards on the first turn before play passes to the opponent.
Discarded Baby Digimon go to the Trash, rather than returning to the Raising Area.
We now know 10 of the 16 unique cards in Starter Deck 1: Gaia Red, and 5 of the 16 in Starter Deck 2: Cocytus Blue. Currently from Gaia Red the unrevealed slots are slots ST1-02 and 04 (one of them likely being Piyomon, whose number isn't legible) as well as ST-06, 10, and 13 through 15. From Cocytus Blue, the unrevealed slots are 02, 04~07, 09~10, and 12~16.
The Big Reveal: Metal Garurumon
Metal Garurumon
ST2-11 Super Rare
Digimon card
11000 DP
Entry Cost 12 Evolution Cost 4
[When it attacks] Once per turn: Make this Digimon Active. (Non-inheritable)
Were Garurumon
ST2-08 Rare
Digimon card
7000 DP
Entry Cost 7 Evolution Cost 3
Level 5
[During your turn] While your opponent has a Digimon with no Evolution Sources, this Digimon gets «Security Attack +1». (When this Digimon attacks Security, increase the number it checks by 1.) (Inheritable)
Metal
Garurumon's effect allows it to attack twice in a turn, automatically
becoming Active after Resting to attack. While this can snowball with it
inheriting «Security Attack +1» from Were Garurumon, allowing it to
destroy up to 4 Security in a single turn, Were Garurumon's effect
doesn't activate unless the opponent has a Digimon with no Evolution
Sources in play, which is primarily achieved by using Gabumon and
Garurumon's effects to gradually strip away Sources. In other words,
Metal Garurumon requires setup to become this dangerous; the Blue color
as a whole revolves around removing Evolution Sources from the
opponent's Digimon to trigger other effects.
While
the War Greymon line is less directly damaging, it also doesn't require
much setup to happen and can't be reigned in by the opponent evolving
their Digimon. War Greymon gets «Security Attack +1» for every 2
Evolution Sources beneath it, and can inherit an effect from a previously-revealed print of Metal Greymon
that can make it Active again after it destroys an opponent's Digimon
by battle. With Koromon, Agumon, Greymon, and Metal Greymon in the
Source, War Greymon can attack twice and check two Security just by
evolving normally, but because it has to attack a Digimon to go Active again, it can't check four in one turn like Metal
Garurumon. The Gaia Red Starter Deck is thus for players that want something stable and aggressive, while Cocytus Blue is designed for more tactical play. (e.g. deliberately not
attacking one of the opponent's Digimon so that it can be reduced to 0
Sources and keep the Security Attack effect active, allowing Metal to
dish out more damage.)
Note that Were Garurumon's effect implies you can declare attacks on Security even if the opponent has Digimon in play, as otherwise the effect would be completely useless.
Gaia Red cards
Koromon
ST1-01 Common
Digitama card
Level 2
[During your turn] If this Digimon has 4 or more Evolution Sources, this Digimon gets +1000 DP. (Inheritable)
Piyomon
ST1-0? Common
Digimon card
Level 3
Entry Cost 2 Evolution Cost 0
3000 DP
No effect.
Agumon
ST1-03 Common
Digimon card
2000 DP
Entry Cost 3 Evolution Cost 0
Level 3
[During your turn] This Digimon gets +1000 DP. (Inheritable)
Birdramon
ST1-05 Common
Digimon card
5000 DP
Entry Cost 4 Evolution Cost 2
Level 4
No effect.
Greymon
ST1-07 Common
Digimon card
4000 DP
Entry Cost 5 Evolution Cost 2
Level 4
«Security Attack +1». (When this Digimon attacks Security, increase the number it checks by 1.) (Inheritable)
Garudamon
ST1-08 Uncommon
Digimon card
7000 DP
Entry Cost 6 Evolution Cost 3
Level 5
[When Evolving] During this turn, 1 of your Digimon gets +3000 DP.
Metal Greymon
ST1-09 Uncommon
Digimon card
7000 DP
Entry Cost 7 Evolution Cost 3
Level 5
[During your turn] When this Digimon is blocked, you get +3 Memory. (Inheritable)
War Greymon
ST1-11 Super Rare
Digimon card
12000 DP
Entry Cost 12 Evolution Cost 4
Level 6
[During your turn] For every 2 of this Digimon's Evolution Sources, it gets «Security Attack +1». (When this Digimon attacks Security, increase the number it checks by 1.) (Non-inheritable)
Yagami Taichi
ST1-12 Common
Tamer card
Entry Cost 2
[During your turn] All of your Digimon get +1000 DP.
[Security] You may play this card without paying the cost.
Gaia Force
ST1-16 Uncommon
Option card
Entry Cost 8
[Main] Destroy 1 of your opponent's Digimon.
[Security] Activate this card's [Main] effect.
Cocytus Blue cards
Tsunomon
ST2-01 Common
Digitama card
[During your turn] When it battles an opponent's Digimon with no Evolution Sources, this Digimon gets +1000 DP. (Inheritable)
Gabumon
ST2-03 Uncommon
Digimon card
2000 DP
Entry Cost 3 Evolution Cost 0
Level 3
[When it attacks] Remove 1 Evolution Source from the bottom of 1 of your opponent's Level 5 or less Digimon.
Garurumon
ST2-?? Common
Digimon card
4000 DP
Entry Cost 5 Evolution Cost 2
Level 4
[When it attacks] Remove 1 Evolution Source from 1 of your opponent's Digimon
Other cards
Seraphimon, Zudomon, and the Option cards Shadow Wing and Starlight Explosion were all briefly shown in the introduction to the video, but are not clearly legible. Starlight Explosion has a Main Phase effect that affects the end of the turn, and a Security effect.
Starter Decks Gaia Red, Cocytus Blue, and Heaven's Yellow, will launch April 24th in Japan for 500 yen each, and will be followed by Booster Set ver. 1.0: NEW EVOLUTION on May 15th. No English release has been announced at this time.
Want the card game released overseas? Subscribe to Bandai's official TCG channel on YouTube, like their videos, follow their Twitter, and leave comments! Marketing departments pay attention to where their followers are, and getting the TCG a bigger following overseas than it has in Japan would send a strong message to Bandai.
The latest issue of V Jump magazine has a single-page feature on the upcoming Digimon Card Game, introducing the four card types, sample effects, and new game mechanics.
Updated product images for the upcoming Starter Decks, DSD-1: Gaia Red, Cocytus Blue, and Heaven's Yellow, feature Yagami Taichi, Ishida Yamato, and Takaishi Takeru, positioned to line up with each deck's face cards through the packaging plastic. The decks will launch on April 24th for 500 yen each, and according to retailers, will contain 53 cards total plus two Memory Gauge markers. (The number of unique cards in each deck will be 16 according to the official website.) They will launch alongside four (still unrevealed) card sleeve designs, and be followed up by the first expansion, Booster Set ver. 1.0: NEW EVOLUTION, on May 15th.
Booster ver. 1.0 will comprise 115 cards total, divided into 45 Commons, 30 Uncommons, 28 Rares, 10 Super Rares, and 2 Secret Rares. Each booster pack will contain six cards plus one index card, every booster box will contain 24 packs, and each carton will contain 12 boxes. At least one card in every pack will be a parallel foil. Booster boxes will retail for 4,752 yen (approx. $43) and cartons for 57,024 yen. (approx. $513) Cartons are intended for sale to stores rather than individuals, but no one's stopping you.
Digitama cards are the basic card every battle begins with, and have different card backs from all of the other card types.
The four card types in the 2020 TCG are Digimon, Option, Tamer, and Digitama cards. Digimon and Option cards function as they did in past games, with Digimon battling as the player's permanent creatures and Options being single-use cards that are discarded after taking effect. Tamer cards stay in play after their cost is paid, but cannot be attacked. The final card type, Digitama, represent a Digimon's egg, Baby I, and Baby II evolutionary stages, are printed as Level 2s and have a white card back instead of a blue one. Digitama cards do not go in the main deck, but are set aside into a separate "Raising Area." (育成エリア Ikusei Eria) The sample Digitama card given, Koromon, depicts both Botamon and Koromon and has an inheritable effect that gives its evolved forms +1000 power under certain (illegible) conditions.
Takaishi Takeru
Tamer
Entry Cost 2
[During your opponent's turn] All of your Security Digimon get +2000 DP.
[Security] You may play this card without paying the cost.
In addition to their inheritable effects located at the bottom of Digimon cards and non-inheritable effects in the center, Option and Tamer cards can also have a yellow "Security Effect" at the bottom of their card. Although not stated explicitly, these seem to resolve when that card is a Security and turned face-up by a Digimon's attack--Takeru's Security effect allows him to be played without paying his cost, but doesn't specify a timing. Past cards shown increase the number of Security cards they "flip over" when they attack.
While the placement of emblems in the article strategically covers the base powers and summoning costs of certain cards, it does show previews of the Yellow-aligned cards Angewomon and Unimon, as well as the Blue-aligned Garurumon. Garurumon has an inheritable ability that targets an opposing Digimon's Evolution Sources (the cards beneath it) but the full text is too blurry to make out. Angewomon has a non-inheritable ability that affects the bottom of the Security Area, and incorporates an illegible keyword, the reminder text of which states it "places the top card of your deck into the top of your Security." (In other words, a healing skill.)
Unimon
Digimon
Entry Cost 5 Evolution Cost 2
«Blocker» (When another Digimon attacks, by turning this Digimon from the Active to Rest state, you may make this Digimon the target of that attack.)
[When it attacks] Move Memory (left?)
Unimon has a non-inheritable keyword ability that allows it to redirect an attack to itself so long as it can be rested (in Magic: The Gathering terms, tapped) preventing the opponent from battling another more valuable Digimon or turning another Security face-up.
Heaven's Gate
Option
Entry Cost 1
[Main] During this turn, 1 of your Digimon gets +3000 DP.
[Security] During this turn, your Digimon and Security Digimon all get +5000 DP. Then [illegible] add to your hand.
The next issue of V Jump will include 2 promotional cards, foiled alternate prints of Garurumon and Were Garurumon with different effects. This issue also clarifies that the upcoming promotional card pack will
be distributed at future events, with the exact dates and locations to
be announced on the official Japanese website.
Thus far the 2020 Digimon TCG appears to be based upon a very heavily modified Chrono Clash engine--the primary similarities come from the Memory Gauge and Security mechanics, which are very similar to the titular Chrono Clash Gauge and the Guardian stack. In Chrono Clash Guardians are five cards stacked face-down at the start of the game after shuffling the deck, and the objective of the game is to attack a player when they have no more face-down Guardians. Attacking them while they have a face-down Guardian turns it face-up; if it has Guardian ability then its owner can choose whether or not to resolve it, and if it's a Battler (equivalent to a Digimon) then the Guardian Battler does battle with the attacker, potentially destroying them before the Guardian itself is discarded. Already there are certain effects that empower "Security Digimon," which are most likely an equivalent mechanic.
While we can use the Chrono Clash rules to infer some possibilities about the new Digimon TCG, it's important to bear in mind that there are already significant differences, and there may be more to come. For example, the gauge in CC represents units of time and pushing the gauge over to the opponent's side while battling multiple Guardians causes the turn to immediately end--it's not clear if this holds true for Digimon, because the Memory Gauge doesn't have the same connection. Another difference is the Digimon themselves having multiple possible costs instead of just one, and effects that are worded in plaintext rather than represented entirely by icons. (Effects in Chrono Clash more resemble a flowchart of emojis than any of the cards above.)
At this time Bandai has not marketed Chrono Clash in Japan, and this reworking of its template for Digimon was likely done in response to the Digimon Universe Appli Monsters TCG's commercial failure back in early 2017. Based on what we've seen so far, the new game works something like this:
Each player's win condition is to attack their opponent while they have no more Security cards remaining.
Players play with 50 card decks, with 1 Digitama card (which may not count towards the deck limit?) set aside in their Raising Area.
Each turn a player may play any cards from their hand, but each card increments their Memory Gauge marker closer to the opponent's side of the gauge, and as soon as it hits 1 or greater on their end, it becomes the opponent's turn.
Players can turn Digimon from the Active state to the Rest state to declare attacks, attacking either the opponent's Security stack, or their (Rested?) Digimon. Digimon automatically become Active at the start of their owner's turn.
When the Security stack is attacked, the top card is turned face-up; if the Digimon has the Security Attack +X ability, additional Security equal to X are turned face-up. Cards with Security effects can be optionally resolved by their owner before they are discarded(?) and if a Digimon is revealed as a Security it then battles the attacker.
Players can evolve a Digimon or their Digitama in order to pay a lesser cost compared to summoning Digimon normally, but only to Digimon of the same color and of the next level. (e.g. Level 2 --> Level 3)
When a Digimon evolves, it becomes an Evolution Source of the new Digimon, and the new Digimon inherits any ability in colored text at the bottom of that card. Abilities written in transparent text boxes on the center of a card are not inherited.
Some lingering questions:
What are all of the zones in the game? So far we have the Deck, Security, a presumed discard pile, the Raising Area, and the hand. Is there an Extra Deck like in Chrono Clash, or an exiled area as so many TCGs have?
How do the different steps of battle resolve? Are there
ways to defend other than just having a Blocker in play? Are there any
further steps on the attacking side beyond tapping to attack?
What happens to a Digitama card when it's removed from the field, either by an effect that destroys Evolution Sources or by its evolution being defeated in battle? As these cards have different backs, it seems like they would be unable to exist in zones outside the Raising Area or Evolution Source, and it would fit with the cyclical lifespan of a Digimon that they return to the Raising Area when defeated, but this is only a best-guess.
Can Option cards be color-restricted, and for that matter does color play any greater role beyond restricting evolution?
