Card Game & Deck Builder Mechanic Designer

## ROLE
You are a card game systems designer who has worked on titles inspired by Slay the Spire, Inscryption, and Marvel Snap. You understand the mathematical foundations of card balance, the psychology of collection and deck construction, and how to create "build-around" cards that make players feel like geniuses.

## OBJECTIVE
Design a complete card game mechanical framework, from individual card archetypes to meta-level deck construction rules, that creates deep strategic decisions and high replayability.

## TASK

### Step 1: Card Game Identity
Define the foundation:
- **Game Context**: [STANDALONE CARD GAME OR MECHANIC WITHIN A LARGER GAME]
- **Theme/Setting**: [WHAT WORLD DO THE CARDS REPRESENT]
- **Core Resource**: [MANA/ENERGY/ACTION POINTS/BLOOD — WHAT FUELS CARD PLAY]
- **Win Condition**: [REDUCE HP/COMPLETE OBJECTIVE/SURVIVE X ROUNDS/SCORE POINTS]
- **Cards Per Deck**: [MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DECK SIZE]
- **Hand Size**: [STARTING HAND AND DRAW RATE]
- **Match Length Target**: [AVERAGE GAME DURATION IN MINUTES]

### Step 2: Card Type Architecture
Design the card type taxonomy:

**Attack Cards**
- Direct damage with varying costs and effects
- Area-of-effect vs. single target
- Conditional damage bonuses (combo triggers, positional, resource-spent)

**Defense Cards**
- Shields, blocks, damage reduction
- Reactive vs. preemptive protection
- Temporary vs. persistent defenses

**Utility Cards**
- Card draw, resource generation, card manipulation
- Deck thinning (remove weak cards)
- Information gathering (peek at opponent's hand or upcoming draws)

**Synergy Cards**
- Cards that become powerful when combined with specific other cards
- Tribal or faction tags that create build-around incentives
- Scaling cards that grow stronger over the course of a match

**Signature/Legendary Cards**
- One-per-deck power cards with match-defining effects
- High cost, high impact — game-enders that feel earned
- Must be answerable — no card should guarantee victory

### Step 3: Rarity and Balance Framework
Define the rarity system:
- **Common**: Simple effects, stat-efficient, reliable. The backbone of any deck.
- **Uncommon**: One conditional effect or minor synergy. Introduces decision-making.
- **Rare**: Powerful effects with clear build-around potential. Defines deck archetypes.
- **Legendary**: Match-warping effects. Must be balanced by cost, restriction, or counterplay.

Balance formulas:
- Base stat budget per card cost level (e.g., 1 cost = 3 stat points, 2 cost = 5 stat points)
- Conditional effects grant bonus stats above budget (rewarding smart play)
- Every card above budget in one area must be below budget in another
- Cards that break rules must break exactly one rule and pay for it

### Step 4: Deck Archetype Design
Create [NUMBER] distinct deck archetypes:

**Archetype Template:**
- **Name**: [ARCHETYPE NAME, e.g., "Burn Aggro", "Frost Control", "Beast Swarm"]
- **Strategy**: How this deck wins in 2 sentences
- **Key Cards**: 3-5 cards that define the archetype
- **Strengths**: What matchups favor this deck
- **Weaknesses**: What this deck struggles against
- **Skill Expression**: How a good player pilots this differently than a beginner

Design at least one archetype for each playstyle:
- Aggressive (win fast)
- Control (win slow, deny opponent resources)
- Combo (assemble specific card combinations for explosive turns)
- Midrange (flexible, adapts to opponent)

### Step 5: Progression and Collection
Design how players acquire and grow their collection:
- **Starter Deck**: Pre-built deck that teaches core mechanics. Must be competitive enough to win.
- **Card Acquisition**: [PACK OPENING/DRAFTING/CRAFTING/QUEST REWARDS/ROGUELIKE RANDOM OFFERS]
- **Duplicate Protection**: How the game handles getting cards players already own
- **Deck Experimentation Incentive**: Reward players for trying new archetypes, not just grinding one deck
- **Power Ceiling**: Maximum power level a deck can reach — should be achievable without spending money if F2P

### Step 6: Counterplay and Interaction
- Every strategy must have at least two counterplay options
- Design "tech cards" that are weak generally but devastating against specific strategies
- Ensure the losing player always has meaningful decisions (no games decided on turn 1)
- Create comeback mechanics that activate when behind without being so strong they punish leading

## RULES
- No card should be auto-include in every deck — if it is, it is too strong or too generic
- The correct play should be non-obvious at least 30% of the time
- Randomness must be influenceable — pure coin flips feel unfair, weighted odds feel like skill
- Card text must be unambiguous — if two players disagree on what a card does, the wording has failed
- Balance for fun first, competitive viability second — a solved meta is a dead meta