Weiss Schwarz rules overview

In one line

A two-player game with 50-card decks. Characters on stage attack and battle; the goal is to raise your opponent’s level.

Deck construction (standard)

• Exactly 50 cards
• Max 4 copies of the same card name
• Max 8 climax cards
• Neo-Standard (JP standard): one title only, plus the official restriction list

On this site

The Weiss Schwarz section here is a title/set/card catalog and collection scaffold. It does not host online matches or run official events.

Win and loss

• A player loses when a fourth card is placed in their level area (Level 4)
• Both players start at Level 0
• When a seventh card would enter clock, you level up: move one clock card to level and the rest to the waiting room

Refresh and deck-out

• When the deck runs out, shuffle the waiting room into a new deck (refresh) — not an instant loss
• Refreshing usually deals 1 damage to clock (refresh penalty)
• If you cannot refresh because both deck and waiting room are empty, you lose

Damage and cancel

Soul on an attack forces a damage check: reveal cards from the top of the opponent’s deck. If a climax is revealed, that damage is canceled; the revealed cards (including that climax) go to the waiting room.

Card types

• Character — attack and battle on stage
• Event — one-shot effects (a Counter icon can answer a frontal attack)
• Climax — up to one in the climax phase; turn boosts and triggers

Key stats and icons

• Level — your level must be equal or higher to play the card
• Cost — move that many cards from stock to waiting room
• Power — strength in character battles
• Soul — damage dealt by an attack
• Color — yellow / green / red / blue (affects play restrictions)
• Trigger icon — resolves on trigger checks (the card usually goes to stock)

Color requirement (summary)

Except for level 0 cards, you generally need a matching color in level or clock to play that color. Details and exceptions follow the official comprehensive rules.

Stage and climax

• Five stage slots: 3 center (front) + 2 back
• Front-row characters battle the opponent directly in front (unless an effect says otherwise)
• Back-row characters generally cannot battle directly
• Climax area — at most one climax, face-up

Resources and damage

• Deck — start face-down (50); order fixed unless an effect says otherwise
• Stock — face-down; pay costs from the top
• Clock — face-up damage; level up on the seventh card
• Level — face-up; number of cards = current level
• Waiting room — discarded/used cards, face-up
• Memory — only when an effect says so (usually face-up)
• Hand — private

Phase order

• Stand — stand all of your characters on stage
• Draw — draw 1 card
• Clock — (optional) put 1 card from hand into clock, then draw 2
• Main — play characters/events, ACT abilities, move on stage, etc.
• Climax — play at most one climax
• Attack — from attack declaration through encore
• End — climax to waiting room; discard down if hand exceeds 7

Inside the Attack phase

• Attack declaration — front-row standing character: front / side / direct
• Trigger check — reveal top of deck; resolve trigger, then usually put that card into stock
• On a frontal attack — defender may use Counter events, etc.
• Damage check — reveal from opponent’s deck equal to soul (climax cancels)
• On a frontal attack — battle by power; loser becomes reversed
• After attacks finish — Encore: put reversed characters to waiting room, or pay encore to keep them