Gwent

Winning

A match is the best of three rounds: win two rounds to win the match. Each player has two gems and loses one for every round lost (both lose one when a round is a draw).

Your cards

You start with 10 cards from your deck and may redraw up to 2 of them. You get no new cards between rounds, so every card you play is one fewer for later.

A turn

Play one card, use your leader's ability (once per match), or pass. Units go on one of your three rows (close combat, ranged, siege); the strength of all your units together is your score.

Passing

When you have played enough, hold Space or [HOLD] Pass. You can't play again that round, but your opponent can carry on. The round ends when both players have passed, and the higher total wins it. Often the best move is to pass early in a round you can't win and keep your cards for the next one.

Special cards

Biting Frost, Impenetrable Fog, Torrential Rain: every unit in that row drops to strength 1, on both sides. Skellige Storm: ranged and siege rows. Clear Weather: removes all weather. Commander's Horn: doubles a row. Scorch: destroys the strongest unit(s) on the board. Decoy: swap it with one of your units to take that card back.

Abilities

Agile: close combat or ranged row. Medic: play a unit from your discard pile. Morale Boost: +1 to the other units in its row. Muster: brings the cards of the same name from your deck and hand. Spy: goes on your opponent's side and counts for them, but you draw 2 cards. Tight Bond: units with the same name in a row double each other. Hero: not affected by anything. Summon Avenger: a stronger unit replaces it when it leaves the board. Berserker: Mardroeme turns it into a bear.

Factions

Northern Realms: draw a card when you win a round. Nilfgaard: win rounds that end in a draw. Scoia'tael: decide who goes first. Monsters: one random unit stays on the board after each round. Skellige: two random units return from your discard pile in round 3.

Your deck

After Play you build your deck: pick a faction and a leader, then move cards between Card Collection and Cards in Deck. A deck needs at least 22 unit cards and at most 10 special cards. Each faction's deck is saved automatically.

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