In BFCG there is some distinction between how the different races play and feel. Most of this distinction emerged organically over time though, so it can be inconsistent and vague. For KeyStone I’ve spent a lot more time and energy making sure there are deliberate and thematic differences between races, and in this article I’d like to break down some of those differences.

Terran

Efficient Removal

Terran’s solutions to problems are simple, direct, and as cheap as possible. To represent this they will have the largest selection of efficient removal cards, like Yamato Cannon and Seeker Missiles.

Card Draw (and Discard)

Much of Terran’s military might stems from a powerful industrial complex, churning out vehicles and weapons of war. To represent this, Terran will have the best options for drawing multiple cards.

There is a downside to this massive manufacturing operation though: short-sighted waste. Sometimes it’s easier to build 20 siege tanks and throw out the 5 defective ones than to put in the work to build 15 that will definitely be perfect. To represent this, some Terran cards will force you to discard your own cards.

Terran players that take full advantage of drawing and discarding will churn quickly through their decks, keeping their hand full of options, but ultimately depleting their deck more quickly than less wasteful deck styles.

Temporary Resources

Another way that Terran’s short-sighted production will be represented is through cards like MULE that give immediate but temporary resource boosts. Unlike in BFCG, Keystone’s MULE will change your resources the moment you select it. If it’s the first turn of the game and you have 2 minerals and 0 gas, for example, you can select MULE to boost that to 4/0. If you change your mind you can deselect MULE and drop your resources back down to 2/0.

Transform

Terran will be the only race with access to the exciting new transform keyword. A card with transform can be changed into a different card by shift-clicking it. Initially transform will be included on cards whose units transform in regular Starcraft, but this may eventually change.

Zerg

Hand Size

The Zerg hive mind has a pyramid structure, with the Overmind (or Kerrigan) controlling Cerebrates (or other high-ranking Zerg), which each control a group of Overlords, which each control a group of combat units. This means the more Overlords Zerg has, the more units they can create and send to battle.

The increased control granted by Overlords (and similar units) will be represented by increasing the player’s hand size, from 8 up to a maximum of 12. This will allow Zerg players to add more cheap unit cards to their hand without bumping into the hand limit.

Resource Consumption

The Zerg are a virus, consuming resources and spreading across the galaxy. This will be represented by units that don’t just cost resources to play, but actually decrease your resource income. This setback can put you one or more resources behind your opponents for quite a few turns, so cards with this cost are otherwise much cheaper than they would normally be.

Cycling

Where Terran’s card draw represents planning and production, Zerg’s represents adaptation. Unlike Terran, Zerg will be limited to drawing just one card at a time, an effect I’ll refer to as “cycling”. Using one of the options in your hand, and gaining a new option to replace it, is meant to feel like adaptation.

Cycling is a very useful design tool to attach to cards that are necessary but situational, like cards that offer detection. Because of this Terran and Protoss will have a handful of cycling cards. The main difference for Zerg is that they will have core cards like Frenzied Zerglings that cycle.

Unit-Based Removal

Zerg removal won’t be as consistent or straight-forward as the other races, and it will usually be attached to unit cards. Some cards, like Baneling Bombs, will send out units with removal capabilities, but those units might die before accomplishing their goal. Other cards, like Parasitic Vipers, will have a direct removal effect AND send some units.

Protoss

Fetching

The Protoss have warp technology that they use to teleport soldiers and equipment from planet to planet. With limited numbers, they often have to rely on the precise use of their powerful tools to win battles. These concepts of precision and warp tech are represented by the new “fetch” word, which allows you to grab a specific card from your deck.

Long-Term and Powerful Removal

While Terran tries to quickly blow up each threat that arises as quickly and cheaply as possible, Protoss is willing to invest the extra resources to make sure new threats never arise. To represent this most of their removal options will be expensive and powerful (like Vortex), or eliminate a specific type of threat slowly and consistently over time (like Barraging Disruptors).

Upkeep and Ramping

Keeping Protoss machinery operational is an expensive and complex endeavor. Because of this, some Protoss units and structures will cost minerals every turn until they are destroyed, a drawback called “upkeep” in some card games.

To keep up with this expense, the Protoss have access to cards that can increase their maximum or current income (or both). Increasing resource production is referred to as “ramping” in most card game communities.

Delay

The Protoss are an ancient and patient race. This is represented by the mechanic delay, which is the opposite of rush; unit cards with delay will wait two turns to move out. Through careful planning, Protoss players can play a delay card one turn, a normal card the next turn, and a rush card the next turn, to get a huge coordinated force to move out together. It’s possible that delay may come to the other races eventually, but it will always be primarily focused on Protoss.

I hope this look into themes and mechanics was interesting, and that my decision to separate out mechanics leads to each race having a very distinct feel without ruining the balance between them.

As always, share your thoughts below!