❓FAQ
Part 1: Rooms & Escrows
Joining Rooms
Q: How do I join a private room? A: You must be on the hoster's whitelist (based on your FantasyTop wallet). Once eligible, the registration queue opens 10 minutes before the table starts. Pay the escrow during this window to secure your seat.
Q: What happens if I pay the escrow but don't join in time? A: You have a 5-minute grace period after the room opens. If you still don't join, a bot will replace you and take random actions on your behalf. You can review the bot's final hand after the session, but your escrow is still subject to standard recovery rules.
Q: Can I join a room that has already started? A: No. Once gameplay begins, you can only spectate. You cannot join as a player.
Q: What are public rooms? A: Public rooms are open to any player who meets the hoster's entry criteria (such as FAN Points, account age, or MMR). This feature is currently TBA - only private rooms are available at launch.
Q: What happens if I run out of time during my turn? A: The system will automatically execute a default action on your behalf.
Escrows & Fees
Q: How much is the escrow? A: The default escrow is 0.01 ETH, but hosters can set custom amounts.
Q: What fees are deducted from my escrow? A: 5% goes to the House (FantasyGambit) and 5% goes to the Hoster. You retain 90% of your original deposit.
Q: How do I get my escrow back? A: Complete the Gambit session and submit the exact five heroes you drafted to the Fantasy.top PvP lobby within 48 hours. If both conditions are met, you can claim escrow (minus fees) back once the lobby starts and all players are manually validated by the hoster.
Q: When do I lose my escrow? A: Your escrow is forfeited if you:
Fail to submit your deck within 48 hours (treated as withdrawal)
Submit a deck that doesn't match your Gambit hand exactly
Q: What happens if someone else submits an invalid hand? A: The lobby may be canceled. The escrow(s) from players who submitted invalid hands are distributed equally among valid participants (after House and Hoster fees). Funds go to affected players' FantasyMeter wallets.
Q: Why does the escrow system exist? A: It guarantees competitive integrity by ensuring players are financially incentivized to participate fully and submit accurate decks.
Deck Submission
Q: How long do I have to submit my deck? A: 48 hours from the end of the Gambit session.
Q: What if I don't own one of the heroes I drafted? A: You are responsible for acquiring any missing heroes via the secondary market before the deadline. FantasyGambit does not verify or supply hero ownership.
Q: What happens if I submit the wrong deck? A: You will be permanently banned from all future rooms, your escrow will not be refunded, and the PvP lobby may be canceled for all participants. There are no exceptions.
Part 2: Game Mechanics
Basics
Q: How many rounds are in a Gambit? A: Four rounds: The Whisper (Round 1), The Bargain (Round 2), The Reckoning (Round 3), and The Lock-In (Round 4).
Q: How many cards do I start with? A: Six cards - five hero cards and one joker card.
Q: What determines a hero's star rating? A: Each hero card reflects the star rating of its corresponding FantasyTop hero at the moment the room is created.
Q: Are duplicate heroes allowed? A: No. Only one copy of each hero is allowed per game. By default, only Common rarity cards are used.
Q: What is the maximum star limit? A: By default, 25 stars. If your hand exceeds this limit at Lock-In, the system will automatically discard your highest-star heroes until you're under the cap.
Q: How many actions can I take per turn? A: One action per turn, except during Round 4 where Lock-In is automatic.
Star Banking
Q: What is the Star Bank? A: A personal resource that accumulates when you discard cards or when you're targeted by joker actions. Stars can be spent in Round 4 to exchange cards.
Q: How do I earn stars? A: When you discard a hero (via Buy/Discard), you receive stars equal to that hero's star rating. When you're targeted by a joker, you receive a reduced amount based on the affected card's rating.
Q: Does the joker user gain stars when targeting someone? A: No. Only the targeted player contributes to and receives stars from the Star Bank.
Q: How do I spend my Star Bank? A: In Round 4, your Star Bank determines how many cards you can exchange before Lock-In:
0-9 stars: 0 cards
10-17 stars: Up to 1 card
18-26 stars: Up to 2 cards
27+ stars: Up to 3 cards
Q: Can I mix draws from the Hidden Pool and Rugged Pool? A: Yes. For example, if you can exchange 3 cards, you might draw 1 from Rugged and 2 from Hidden.
Q: Do I have to use my full Star Bank? A: No. You can exchange fewer cards than your maximum or skip the exchange entirely.
Card Zones
Q: What is the Hidden Pool? A: The deck of face-down cards. Draws from here are random and private.
Q: What is the Open Pool? A: A temporary discard area where cards are face-up and visible. You can select cards from here during Buy/Discard actions. Cards move to the Rugged Zone between rounds.
Q: What is the Rugged Zone? A: A permanent discard pile of face-up cards. Cards here can be reclaimed during the Star Bank phase in Round 4.
Q: What is the Banned Zone? A: Cards placed here (via discard, ban actions, or Round 4 spending) are permanently removed and cannot be recovered.
Round-Specific Questions
Q: What can I do in Round 1 (The Whisper)? A: Three options:
Discard & Buy: Discard 1 hero to the Open Pool, then pick 1 from Open Pool or draw 1 random from Hidden Pool
Full Redraw: Move all 5 heroes to Rugged Zone (face-up) and draw 5 new cards (face-down)
Pass: Take no action
Q: Does Full Redraw give me Star Bank? A: No. Full Redraw does not contribute to the Star Bank.
Q: What's different about Round 2 (The Bargain)? A: Same Discard & Buy mechanics as Round 1, but you can now use your Joker. Turn time increases to 90 seconds.
Q: What's different about Round 3 (The Reckoning)? A: Several changes:
The Open Pool is cleared to the Rugged Zone at the start
You can discard and buy up to 2 cards (instead of 1)
Both cards must come from the same pool (no mixing)
Player order starts with whoever has the most stars in their Bank
Q: What happens in Round 4 (The Lock-In)? A: You spend your Star Bank to exchange cards, then Lock-In. If your hand exceeds 25 stars, the system auto-discards your highest-star heroes until you're under the limit. This is the most critical moment in the game.
Q: Can I use my Joker in Round 4? A: No. Jokers can only be used in Rounds 2 or 3.
The Joker
Q: When can I use my Joker? A: Once per game, during either Round 2 or Round 3.
Q: What Joker actions are available? A: Four options:
Swap: Exchange one hero from your hand with one from another player
Sabotage: Force an opponent to discard 2 heroes to the Rugged Zone (they draw 2 random replacements)
Ban: Permanently remove any hero from the game
Protection: Turn all your cards face-down and shuffle your hand
Q: What happens after a Swap? A: Both swapped heroes are revealed during the swap, then placed face-down in their new hands. Both players' hands are shuffled immediately, making future targeting uncertain.
Q: Does using a Joker give me Star Bank? A: No. The joker user gains nothing. Only the targeted player receives stars (at a reduced rate) based on the affected card.
Q: Can I ban a hero that's already banned? A: No. You can only ban heroes that are still in play.
Q: Why would I use Protection? A: It conceals information and disrupts future joker targeting against you, making opponents guess which cards are in your hand.
Visibility & Information
Q: Which cards are visible to other players? A:
Face-up (public): Discarded cards, bought cards, Rugged Zone, Open Pool, cards revealed by joker actions
Face-down (private): Cards drawn from Hidden Pool, Full Redraw hands, cards after Protection
Q: Can opponents see what I draw from the Hidden Pool? A: No, but they can see the animation and count how many cards moved. In Round 4, they may try to deduce what you reclaimed from the Rugged Zone.
Q: Why does hand shuffling matter? A: After certain actions (Swap, Protection), hands are shuffled to prevent opponents from tracking specific cards. This adds uncertainty to future targeting.
Strategic Tips
Q: Should I use Full Redraw in Round 1? A: It's high-risk, high-reward. You reveal your entire starting hand but get 5 completely hidden new cards. Consider it if your initial hand is weak.
Q: When should I use my Joker? A: Round 2 offers more time to adapt after disruption. Round 3 gives less time for opponents to recover. Consider your position and opponents' visible hands.
Q: How do I avoid losing heroes at Lock-In? A: Monitor your hand's total star value throughout the game. Use the Star Bank to swap out high-star heroes before Lock-In if you're at risk of exceeding 25 stars.
Q: Is it bad to have a low Star Bank? A: Not necessarily. A low Star Bank means fewer exchange options in Round 4, but it also means you haven't been heavily targeted by jokers and may already have a strong hand.
Last updated