General
Basics
Gambit is a game divided into four main rounds. Each round introduces its own strategic considerations.
Before Round 1 begins (the pre-round phase), each player is randomly dealt six cards, consisting of one hero card (5 total) and one joker card.
Each hero card represents a FantasyTop hero with the star rating they have at the moment the room is created. By default:
Only Common rarity cards are used.
Only one copy of each hero is allowed.
Each turn features a unique player selection mechanic.
Players may perform only one action per turn, with the exception of the final Lock-in action, which is executed automatically by the system on Turn 4.
Each room enforces a maximum number of stars a player may hold in their hand, with a default limit of 25 stars. If a player exceeds this limit, the system will automatically resolve the excess by discarding cards on Turn 4.
Star Banking
Whenever a player discards a card - either by their own choice or as a result of being targeted by a joker - the discarded card is added to the star bank.
When a player performs actions themselves (such as buying or discarding cards), they receive a proportional share of stars from the bank.
If a player is targeted by a joker action (such as sabotage, swap, or ban), the number of stars added to the bank is determined by the star value of the affected card, according to the table below.
Hero Star Rating
Buy / Discard → Stars to Bank
Joker Targeted → Stars to Bank
1 ★
1
0
2 ★★
2
0
3 ★★★
3
1
4 ★★★★
4
2
5 ★★★★★
5
2
6 ★★★★★★
6
3
7 ★★★★★★★
7
3
8 ★★★★★★★★
8
4
Joker Action
When a joker action is used, only the player being targeted contributes stars to the star bank based on the affected card. The player who uses the joker does not gain any stars from the star bank as a result of that action.
Using the Star Bank
On Turn 4, players may use their accumulated star bank to exchange cards from their hand.
Based on the number of stars stored in the star bank, a player may discard up to a maximum number of cards from their hand in exchange for new cards drawn either:
Randomly from the Hidden Pool, or
By selection from the Rugged Pool.
Star Bank → Maximum Card Exchanges
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
Additional Rules
Players may discard fewer cards than the maximum allowed, or choose not to use the star bank at all.
Card exchanges can be mixed freely between pools. For example, if a player is allowed to discard up to 3 cards, they may:
Discard only 2 cards,
Draw 1 card from the Rugged Pool and 1 card from the Hidden Pool.
This flexibility allows for strategic preparation before Lock-in, helping players avoid risking high-star heroes while optimizing their final hand.
For more details on how final hands are resolved, see the Lock-in (Round 4) section.
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