How to Play Aether Realms

Aether Realms is a 1v1 fantasy trading card game played entirely in the browser, no download required. Each match pits two castles against each other across a battlefield of vanguard and rearguard rows — reduce the enemy castle's Health to zero before yours falls.

The Battlefield

Each player controls a castle with its own Health total, and a board split into a vanguard row (the front line) and a rearguard row behind it. Units are deployed into these rows and fight across them; the battlefield layout differs slightly depending on the board mode selected for a match.

Mana and Deployment

Every turn opens with a Deployment phase: you gain Mana (growing turn over turn up to a cap), draw a card, and spend Mana from your hand to place units and cast spells onto the board.

Combat

Once deployment is done, moving to the Combat phase lets your units attack. Aether Realms supports Attack Planning: queue up one or more attacks, review them, and confirm them together with Attack All, rather than resolving each hit one at a time.

Ten Kingdoms, Ten Strategies

Every kingdom in Aether Realms plays by its own set of keywords and win conditions — from board-wide aggression to slow, grinding control. See the full breakdown of each faction's mechanics on Decks & Factions, or read the story behind each kingdom on Lore & Kingdoms.

Ready to Play?

Jump into a match now — pick a kingdom and battle, free, right in your browser.