How to Play – Guardians of Iman

Official Rulebook

OBJECTIVE

Win by reaching the agreed Iman goal, or by having the highest Iman when the Challenge deck ends.

GAME COMPONENTS

Each player needs 1 deck of 40 cards. All players share a separate Challenge deck of 40 cards.

Guardians stay in play and act as your core engine. Virtues are one-time effects. Specials are stronger tactical effects. Challenges are used to earn Iman and drive gameplay.

SETUP

Each player shuffles their deck. The Challenge deck is shuffled separately.

Each player starts with 3 Iman and draws 5 cards.

Each player may take one mulligan. To do this, shuffle your hand back into your deck and redraw 5 cards.

TURN STRUCTURE

Each turn begins with the Draw Phase, where you draw 1 card.

Next is the Challenge Phase, where you draw the top Challenge card and attempt to complete it.

Then comes the Main Phase, where you may play Guardians, Virtues, and Specials.

Finally, during the End Phase, resolve any effects and pass your turn.

PLAYING CARDS

Guardians stay in play, provide ongoing value, and cost Iman shown on the card.

Virtues are one-time effects and are discarded after use.

Specials are stronger effects and are often game-changing.

IMAN

Iman is both your resource and your score.

You use Iman to play cards, and you gain Iman from Challenges and card effects.

CHALLENGES

Each turn, draw one Challenge card and follow its condition.

If completed, you gain the reward, which is usually Iman.

No difficulty is shown on the card. Gameplay determines how challenging it is.

WIN CONDITIONS

The recommended win condition is to be the first player to reach the agreed Iman goal. A suggested range is 15 to 25 Iman depending on game length.

Another option is to play until the Challenge deck runs out. When it does, the player with the highest Iman wins.

GAME MODES

In 1v1 competitive play, the best balance is A1 versus A2 or B1 versus B2.

In 3-player games, there are no teams and each player competes individually.

In 4-player games, all players compete freely, with natural balance through interaction.

In 2v2, teams share victory. You may track Iman individually or use a shared Iman pool for advanced play.

Fast mode is optional and uses 20-card decks with the same rules for shorter games.

DECK BUILDING RULES

Each deck contains 40 cards.

A maximum of 2 copies of any card is allowed.

Decks are built independently and are not mixed with an opponent’s cards.

The Challenge deck is always separate.

STRATEGY BASICS

Build a balance between Guardians, Virtues, and Specials.

Guardians create your engine, Virtues provide utility, and Specials create impact.

Do not overspend Iman early. Time your Specials carefully. Adapt to the Challenges you draw.

IMPORTANT NOTES

If a rule conflict occurs, card text overrides the rules.

If something is unclear, resolve it in the simplest fair way.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Build Iman. Face Challenges. Rise through character.