Sakura Arms
At a glance
Rules overview
English version of our rules overview, translated from the Chinese original (cunlema). The Chinese page is the source of record.
Game Overview
Sakura Arms is a two-player competitive card game (LCG) designed by BakaFire and published by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG). Players take on the roles of "Mikoto," each possessing unique abilities, and choose two out of seven goddesses to engage in fierce duels on a battlefield where cherry blossoms flutter down.
- Number of Players: 2
- Duration: Approximately 20–40 minutes
- Objective: Reduce your opponent's Life petals to zero, bringing their Life score down to 0.
Core Mechanisms: Distance management, petal resource circulation, offense–defense dynamics, deck building
1. Game Components
| Component | Quantity/Description |
|---|---|
| Play Board | 2 pieces (1 in front of each player, marked with Life / Distance / Aura / Flare / Shadow areas) |
| Sakura Tokens | 32 tokens (sakura petals, used to indicate the status of each area) |
| Megami Tarots | 7 cards (representing 7 selectable goddesses) |
| Normal Cards | 49 cards (7 cards per goddess) |
| Special Cards | 28 cards (4 cards per goddess) |
| Vigor Cards | 2 cards (used to track both players' vigor values) |
| Umbrella Card | 1 card (used only when selecting Yukihi) |
2. Card Types
| Type | Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Action Card (Action) | ACT | Provides a one-time effect upon use and is placed in the played card pile |
| Enhancement Card (Enhancement) | ENH | Placed on the board with a Sakura marker; once the marker is depleted, it is moved to the played card pile |
| Attack Card (Attack) | ATK | Can only be used within the corresponding range and deals aura/life damage |
| Reaction Card (Reaction) | REA | A response card that can be played when an opponent attacks (limited to 1 per attack) |
| Throughout Card (Throughout) | THR | Has effects throughout the entire round; after use, no other normal actions are performed this round |
Each card's information structure includes: card name, card number, type, subtype (Reaction/Throughout), effect text, range (only for attack cards), damage (left = aura damage, right = life damage), charge value (only for enhancement cards), and cost (only for special cards).
3. Key Terms and Resources
3.1 Game Board Areas
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Life | Your core health points. When the Life marker reaches 0, you lose. |
| Distance | The distance between you and your opponent, shared by both players. Maximum of 10 markers. |
| Aura | A defensive layer that can absorb damage. Maximum of 5 markers. |
| Flare | A resource area used to pay special card costs. |
| Shadow | A gathering area for discarded markers, shared by both players. |
Important: Life, Aura, and Flare are independent; Distance and Shadow are shared.
3.2 Vigor
- Gain +1 Vigor at the start of each phase, up to a maximum of 2.
- The first player starts with 0 Vigor, while the second player starts with 1 Vigor.
- You may spend 1 Vigor instead of discarding a card to perform a basic action.
3.3 Basic Actions
Each basic action requires paying 1 Vigor or discarding 1 card as its cost:
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Forward Movement | Move 1 marker from Distance to your Aura. |
| Backward Movement | Move 1 marker from your Aura to Distance. |
| Recover | Move 1 marker from Shadow to your Aura. |
| Focus | Move 1 marker from your Aura to your Flare. |
Advanced Rule: When Distance ≤ 2, the Forward Movement basic action is prohibited (card effects can still change Distance to 1 or 0).
3.4 Special Keywords
- Forced: Cards modified due to current battle conditions; always check for Forced effects before use.
- Unguarded: An enhancement keyword. When receiving 1 or more damage, all markers on this enhanced card move to Shadow and are discarded (without triggering any removal effects).
- Resurgence: A special card keyword. Sacrificed (flipped face-down) special cards can be reused under certain conditions (flipped back face-down).
- Seal: Places the targeted card beneath the Seal card, effectively removing it from the game.
- Open/Close: A mechanism exclusive to Xueyan; card effects vary depending on the umbrella's state.
- +X/+Y: Modifies attack damage. The left number adjusts Aura damage, while the right number adjusts Life damage (invalid if the initial value is "-").
- Increase/Decrease Range: Adjusts the near-end range when moving toward Close, and the far-end range when moving toward Distant.
4. Setup
4.1 Choosing Goddesses
Each player selects 2 goddesses. Recommended selection method (single box): Player A chooses 1 → Player B chooses 2 → Player A chooses the final 1. Build your deck after seeing your opponent's goddesses.
4.2 Deck Building
- Each player secretly selects 7 common cards + 3 special cards from the cards of their two chosen goddesses to form their deck.
- For first-time players, you can use the recommended decks (marked in the rulebook).
4.3 Board Setup
- Place 1 game board in front of each player.
- Position Sakura markers on the board according to the numbers indicated in each area.
- Place the Goddess Tarot card and the Vitality card.
- Shuffle the common cards to form a deck (face down), and place the special cards face down in the special card area.
4.4 Preparing for the Match
- Determine the starting player.
- After shuffling, each player draws 3 cards into their hand.
- Each player may exchange cards once: return any number of cards from their hand to the bottom of the deck, then draw an equal number of cards.
- The starting player begins with 0 vitality, while the second player starts with 1 vitality.
5. Gameplay
Players take turns. Each player's turn proceeds in the following phases (the first round skips the Start Phase):
5.1 Start Phase
Perform the following four steps in order:
- Gain Vigor: +1 Vigor (maximum 2)
- Remove Enhancement Tokens: Remove 1 token from each enhancement card on the board (both players') and place them in the Shadow; any enhancement cards with zero tokens are placed in the Discard Pile
- Shuffle the Deck (optional): Shuffle the deck, the Played Cards Pile, and the Discard Pile to form a new deck—this costs 1 point of life damage
- Draw Cards: Draw 2 cards from the deck
Burnout: If the deck is empty and no cards can be drawn, each unplayable card must suffer 1 point of aura or life damage (your choice).
5.2 Main Phase
Choose one of the following two action modes:
A) Normal Actions (can be performed any number of times, in any order):
- Play Cards: Play regular cards from your hand, or play face-down special cards (you must pay an equivalent amount of tokens to the Shadow for Flare)
- Perform Basic Actions: Move forward / backward / recover / gather energy (pay 1 Vigor or discard 1 card from your hand)
B) Continuous Action (can only be performed once):
- Play 1 card with the "Throughout" subtype (either a regular or special card)
5.3 End Phase
- Discard your hand down to 2 cards or fewer
6. Core Combat Mechanisms
6.1 Attack Process
- Check Distance: The number of distance markers must be within the attack card's Range (e.g., if distance = 3, cards with a range of 2–4 are usable).
- Opponent Reaction: The opponent may play 1 Reaction card, and its effect is resolved first.
- Recheck Distance: The reaction may alter the distance; if the target is no longer within range, the attack fails.
- Deal Damage: The opponent chooses to take Aura damage or Life damage.
- Resolve After-Attack Effects: Execute the "After Attack" effects of the attack card.
- Regardless of success or failure, the attack card is placed in the played pile (special cards remain face-up in the special zone).
6.2 Damage Resolution
- Aura Damage: Remove an equal number of markers from the opponent's Aura and place them on their Shadow.
- Life Damage: Remove an equal number of markers from the opponent's Life and place them on their Flare.
- If there are insufficient Aura markers to cover the Aura damage, the opponent must choose Life damage instead.
- Items marked with "-" do not deal damage; the opponent can only choose the other option.
6.3 Victory Determination
- If the opponent's Life markers reach 0 → you win.
- When the deck is exhausted and no more cards can be drawn, each missing card inflicts 1 point of damage.
7. Using Enhancement Cards
When playing an enhancement card:
- Move a number of Charge tokens equal to the charge value from Shadow or Aura onto the enhancement card → gain the Initialize effect
- While the tokens remain on the card, its ongoing effects are active
- Once all tokens have been removed, place the enhancement card in the discard pile → gain the Disenchant effect
8. Common Mistakes & FAQ
- Skipping the Start Phase in the First Round: No vitality gained, no enhancement token removed, and no card drawn.
- Discarding to 2 Cards per Round: Enforced during the End Phase.
- Only One Reaction Card per Attack: You may use only one reaction card each time your opponent plays an attack card.
- Maximum of 5 Auras: Cannot move tokens into areas that are already full (tokens remain where they are).
- Distance Limit of 10: Same as above—no movement if the area is full.
- Special Card Costs Paid from Flare to Shadow: Not from discarding cards from your hand.
- The Cost of Shuffling the Deck Is 1 Point of Life Damage (Not Aura): Can only be chosen during the Start Phase.
- Shared Removal of Enhancement Tokens: During the Start Phase, remove one token from each player's enhancement cards.
- Life Damage Goes to Flare (Not Shadow): Defeated tokens become your Flare resources.
- Forward Basic Actions Are Prohibited When Distance ≤ 2: However, card effects can still reduce distance.
- Burn Damage Can Be Assigned Either to Aura or Life: The choice is up to the recipient.
- Forced Effects Must Be Checked Before Use: They may alter a card's range, damage, or availability.
Rules Q&A
Questions below are real questions players asked cunlema about this game; answers are ours, translated into English.
How is the game won or lost?
Clear Conclusion
In Sakura Arms, the core condition for determining a winner is: You win when your opponent's "Life" reaches 0. The rulebook does not specify any alternative victory conditions such as "number of kills" or "number of rounds."
Victory Conditions
-
Zero Life Determines the Outcome
- Rulebook Text: You win when your opponent's Life becomes 0. (When your opponent's life reaches 0, you win.)
- Corresponding Statements: Objective: Reduce your opponent's life to 0; Life: Second-tier health—reaching 0 results in defeat.
- In other words, if your attacks or effects reduce your opponent's life to 0, you win; conversely, if your own life drops to 0, you lose. -
How Life Is Reduced
- When taking damage, the affected player may choose to assign the damage to either their Aura or their Life. However, if the number of Sakura tokens on their Aura is fewer than the amount of damage being dealt, they must assign the damage to Life. Rulebook Text: the opponent must choose to either take damage to their Aura or their Life... if the player has fewer Sakura tokens on their Aura than the amount of Damage that would be dealt to it, the player must choose Life.
- After sustaining Life damage, an equivalent number of Sakura tokens are moved from Life to Flare.
- Card damage notation: The left number indicates damage to Aura, while the right number indicates damage to Life; if the initial damage value is "-," that side is ineffective.
- Additional Note: While the overview states, "Aura: First-tier health—damage is deducted from Aura before Life," the detailed rules clarify that the affected player chooses between Aura and Life, and must assign damage to Life if Aura tokens are insufficient. These two descriptions differ slightly; here, the detailed mechanism emphasizes choice plus mandatory Life assignment when Aura is depleted.
… (condensed here; full text on the cunleme Chinese page)
What effect does Poison have?
Conclusion
There is no entry or universal effect named "Poison" in the basic rules. What is mentioned in the original text is Chikage's exclusive "Poison Pouch/Poison cards" mechanism. If by "Poison" you mean Chikage's set of poison cards, then its effects consist of two parts: the "Poison Pouch rules" plus the individual effects of each poison card. Below is what the original text states.
I. General Rules for the Poison Pouch (Chikage-related)
- Poison cards are placed in the Poison Pouch (they do not occupy the usual bonus card area).
- Poison cards cannot be discarded:
- When in the hand: They still count toward the hand limit at the end of the phase.
- When in the deck: Discard effects ignore them and target the cards below instead; if a shuffle is required, the deck and the poison cards are shuffled separately, then the poison cards are returned to the top of the deck.
- After using or sending out "Darkness‑Killing Poison," it remains with your opponent and does not return to your Poison Pouch.
- If you yourself have not used Chikage, you cannot use poison cards via copy effects (such as Shinra's copy ability).
- Exception (explicitly stated in another card's description): The discard effect of Black Wave is mandatory, and poison cards can be discarded.
II. Specific Effects of Each Poison Card
- Paralyzing Poison (Action): If you have already performed a basic action this round, you cannot play this card. Return this card to your opponent's Poison Pouch; afterward, end this phase.
- Illusionary Poison (Action): Return this card to your opponent's Poison Pouch; from Qi → Dust: 2 (remove 2 points of Qi).
- Relaxing Poison (Affliction): While in play, you cannot use "Attack" cards; when discarded, return this card to your opponent's Poison Pouch.
- Darkness‑Killing Poison (Action): from Aura → Dust: 3 (remove 3 points of Aura). It is primarily sent out via the ace card "Soul Poison of Darkness‑Killing."
III. Methods of "Sending Poison" to Your Opponent
… (condensed here; full text on the cunleme Chinese page)
Is it the ace of Goddess Lei Luo?
Conclusion: Yes, you will obtain all three cards.
The original text of the "Fūma Summoning Hole" effect states: Based on your current Fūshin Gauge, draw the following trump cards from the additional deck—you receive all that meet the conditions, after which this card itself is removed.
The conditions and corresponding trump cards are:
- Fūshin Gauge 3 or higher → Fūma Whirlwind
- Fūshin Gauge 7 or higher → Fūma Twisting Return
- Fūshin Gauge 12 or higher → Fūma Tengu Path
Since the rule is "receive all that meet the conditions," a gauge of 12 or higher satisfies both the 3+ and 7+ thresholds, so you acquire all three trump cards at once (each added to your hand in unused condition). Afterwards, the "Fūma Summoning Hole" card is removed.
One important point to note: In your question, the term "void" refers to the Fūshin Gauge, not the "dust" gauge associated with the Void Road system—the trigger condition in the text is the Fūshin Gauge, not dust. If you were actually referring to the dust gauge, then this card would not use that criterion.
Additionally, this only explains that all three cards will be obtained; as for the costs, usage methods, and other details of each individual trump card, those are specific to each card and must be checked separately.
This information is for reference only; in case of any discrepancies, please refer to the official rulebook and consult experienced players.
If the prestige of this Sakura Arms is greater than 12, do all three additional cards get added?
I couldn't find the "Fūma Summon" card in the current base Rules Overview for Sakura Arms, nor could I locate a goddess named "Claw" or any related cards. Therefore, I'm unable to confirm whether the effect—"when 'Utsuro' exceeds 12, all three additional cards are added"—is included.
Specific Explanation:
- A search across all rule documents and the card files of the 26 goddesses using keywords such as "Fūma Summon / Summon / Fūma / Claw / Summon / Utsuro" yielded no matches.
- The only nearby-related card appearing in the existing documentation is "Utsuro," which uses the condition "Dust (Dast) at 12 or above." For example, when Full Moon's Dust reaches 12+, its range expands and its aura damage becomes "-"; when Ash Curse's Dust hits 12+, it triggers a discard effect; and when Endgame's Dust surpasses 12+, it can be reactivated. However, there's no mention anywhere of a card called "Fūma Summon," nor any reference to "adding three extra cards."
Therefore: This card most likely falls outside the scope of the current base rules—it may belong to an expansion set (such as the Final Chapter, Snow Lantern Box, Salia Box, etc.), another version, or might not even be part of Sakura Arms at all. If you can confirm which set it belongs to or provide the original card artwork, I'll be happy to look up the corresponding details. As things stand, based on the current rulebook, the effect of "Fūma Summon" has not been found, so I won't speculate further.
Additionally, if by "Claw" you mean a nickname for a particular goddess, or if "Utsuro" actually refers to "Dust," please clarify that as well, and I'll double-check accordingly.
This information is for reference only; in case of any discrepancies, please refer to the official rulebook and consult with experienced players.
How do you play Sakura Arms: New Era?
Clear Conclusion
No content related to "New Curtain" was found in this rulebook. A global search for "New Curtain" or "curtain" yielded no results, so we cannot address any gameplay specific to this version/expansion. If "New Curtain" refers to another version or expansion, please switch to the corresponding rules first; below, we can only explain how to play the base game of Sakura Arms based on the existing rulebook text.
I. Game Objective
- Sakura Arms is a two-player card game where the goal is to win duels by defeating your opponent's Life.
- Defeat your opponent by reducing their Life to 0. The FAQ explicitly states: "If you're on 1 Life and put your opponent's Life to 0, you win."
- Regarding "losing when the deck runs out": The rulebook does not directly state that running out of cards results in defeat; instead, it describes BURNOUT—when there are no cards left in the deck, the player who should draw a card instead takes 1 point of damage to either Aura or Life (your choice). This damage occurs regardless of whether drawing a card would have been possible, and you take 1 point of damage for every card you fail to draw. The term "deck depletion" in the index is merely a general summary; the actual mechanism follows the BURNOUT rule as written.
II. Three Steps and Preparation for Each Round
… (condensed here; full text on the cunleme Chinese page)
How is the winner of Sakura Arms determined?
Defeat your opponent by reducing their life to 0.
Why is distance so crucial in the game?
Different attack cards each have their own usable range; if the distance falls outside this range, the attack cannot be executed.
How do you choose the goddess at the start?
You get to choose two goddesses from the available options, and their cards together form the deck you'll use in this round.
Rules, cards and Q&A (Chinese)
The rules, card data and player questions for this game are written in Chinese. Open the Chinese page to read them.
Where to find full rules
Full rules and card lookup are available in the cunlema app at cunlema.cn — pick this game and ask about any rule, card or turn you are unsure about.