We're reimagining the business of collectible and tradable cards. The Monsters Masters & Mobsters Card System isn’t a game in itself; it’s a system of cards built from the paper to support multiple games. We’re also using this opportunity to address common criticisms of trading card games and collectible card games. We understand that buying into a TGC/CCG is a major investment. We want you to play with our game cards, not warehouse them in your closet. Whether you’re battling monsters in a high-stakes tournament or ridding the underworld of dangerous mobsters, the Card System gives you the tools to build, play, and collect your own part of the MonMaMo universe.
Hate random booster packs? So do we.
When you buy a pack of cards in the Card System, you will know what you’re getting. It will be printed on the package. Our card database has every card that is commercially available, making it easy to look up all details, rulings and errata for any card.
Your cards will be just as playable 20 years from now as they are today.
Do you have a box of cards in a closet filled with cards that have been banned from tournaments, reprinted or otherwise devalued? Please accept our condolences. While we can't promise to never make a broken card, we are committed to making sure that cards you buy today will be usable in future games. The Card System is designed to be flexible and extensible, so that new games can be created using existing cards.
Our rare cards will stay rare.
Our definition of "rare" doesn't mean "you might get this card if you buy a thousand booster packs." It means making special cards in small batches of specific cards for particular events. It means the "exclusive" card you got at your favorite convention won't show up as the "exclusive" card in every other pack of cards. It means that if you have a rare card, you can be sure that only a few other people in the world have that same card.
Name a game type. The Card System will work with it.
The Card System is designed to work with any game that uses or could use cards:
- Classic Card Duel, our traditional monster-battle TCG/CCG.
- Other pure card games.
- Board games that use cards.
- Role-playing games, where cards can stand in for complex character sheets.
- Card-based miniatures games.
- Escape rooms and other puzzle games.
- Whatever we think of next.
"It fits the system."
LEGO is one of the most popular toys ever because it is built around one basic form and one basic mechanic. The cards you bought decades ago for your favorite CCG can be played with the cards released today because they all fit the same system. The Card System ensures that MonMaMo cards can be used across MonMaMo products. Your starter Duel deck will become the foundation of the custom decks that you make yourself. The Card System gives you an ability to customize your MonMaMo games that few games or toys offer.
Anatomy of the Card
Card Name
The Card Name names what the card represents: a Monster, a character, a place, some sort of action, etc.
All cards with the same Card Name are considered to be the same thing, even if the specific text or any other attribute is different. Different cards (differentiated by Card Number) may have the same Card Name. For example, there are cases where two different cards can have the same Card Name but differing Card Types.
Cards can represent specific characters or concepts in the Monsters Masters & Mobsters universe (a named Anthrope, a named Monster, a specific place, etc.). In those cases, only one of the card may be on the Battlefield at any particular moment in time.
Card Concepts
Concepts define properties, abilities and usage of the card. Each card can have any number of Concepts. Concepts are designed to work across the many games that can use the Card System.
Card Text
The Card Text indicates specific information associated with the card, including:
- How many of the card may be on the Battlefield at any particular part in time.
- Specific rules that apply to the use of that card.
- Values of various statistics associated with the card.
Flavor Text
Flavor Text has no effect on the mechanics of the game, but adds "flavor" to the card through lore, characterization, wit, and sometimes references to pop culture.
Card Number
Finally, the Card Number uniquely identifies the card among all cards in the Monsters Masters & Mobsters Card System. As with Flavor Text, the Card Number has no effect on the mechanics of the game. Every card with the same number is considered to be the same card for the purpose of rules.
Common Concepts
Cards that share the same concept share the same properties, abilities and usage. The following are some of the common concepts that can be found on cards:
- Biological sex of the character (male or female).
- Taxons: Attributes that determine the core genetic properties of a character.
Common Types of Cards
Character Cards
Character cards represent the beings in the Monsters Masters & Mobsters universe. They have a name, a type, a power, and a set of statistics. They may also have a special ability or abilities. Specific types of characters include Monster, Master, Mobster, and Bystander.
All Characters that have Health Points (HP) can take damage and be knocked out. All Characters that have Size can use the Pounce attack, which does damage based on the Size of the Character. All Characters that have Speed can use the Dodge defense, which prevents damage based on the Speed of the Character.
Trait Cards
Trait cards give Monster cards additional abilities or modify statistics of the card.
Skill Cards
Skill cards enable Monsters to produce various effects, for example:
- Causing Damage to one or more Monsters.
- Preventing Damage from being done to itself or another Monster.
- Changing a Monster property or condition for the current Turn or future Turns.
- Causing a change in the Weather.
Attack cards specifically cause Damage or other effects to a target Monster. Defense cards specifically prevent Damage or other effects to the Monster using the Defense.
Drawing Cards
Cards of the Draw concept allow a player to draw additional cards from their deck. Another concept called Vendor also allows a player to draw cards but results in the Vendor card being put on the bottom of the Library, increasing reusability and reducing the dreaded inability to draw what the player needs because of discarded draw cards.
Item Cards
Item cards represent objects that can be used by Characters. They may have a one-time use or may be reusable. Items may be used to increase the power of a Monster, to heal a Monster, to change the Weather, or to produce other effects.