You receive 5 cards and may choose how many to replace. Having low-cost cards early on is extremely beneficial since you start with only 1 crystal. Turns progress in parallel for both players (1–10), but the starting player naturally has an advantage. To balance this:
Player 1: Starts with 5 cards and plays first, setting the pace. They always maintain a +1 lava advantage until both players reach late-game at 10/10 crystals.
Player 2: At the start of their first turn, they receive a special 0-cost card, FAVOR OF THE GODS, which is the only card that allows a player to gain +1 crystal beyond the turn limit. They also draw the first card from their deck.
Thus, Player 1 begins with 5 cards, while Player 2 starts effectively with 7 cards.
Playable cards are highlighted with a white border. To summon them, simply drag them onto the field.
START OF THE TURN : During your turn, active cards are highlighted again, and you can interact with them at any time, once per turn. Each turn begins by drawing a card from your deck if you have 6 or fewer cards in hand. If you already have 7, you do not draw. PRO TIP: always having cards in hand is vital and makes a big difference.
MIDDLE GAME : Starting from turn 7/7, both players can draw up to 2 cards per turn, if there is space in hand. This process is automatic, you cannot choose not to draw. This becomes important later in the match, especially when your deck runs out.
LATE GAME : When you have no more cards to draw, your hero automatically suffers –2 damages as a penalty. This mechanic prevents games from becoming too long, keeping matches engaging and fast-paced. Typically, a game lasts no more than about 10 minutes. Drawing cards is very important in Berserk, and many mechanics help you do so, but be careful: if you trigger a draw effect with an empty deck, you will still take the –2 penalty. Watch out not to damage yourself at the wrong moment.
DECK COMPOSITION : Decks currently must contain a minimum of 30 cards and a maximum of 35. Each card type may include up to two copies, except Legendary cards, which are limited to one per deck.
TURN MANAGEMENT : Each turn, players decide freely how to use their 60 seconds: summoning cards, playing spells and hybrids, attacking with active creatures or activating the Vulcanite’s ability. The turn ends by pressing the End Turn button or automatically when the time runs out. PRO TIP: thinking through everything in just 60 seconds is not easy, this is one of Berserker's hidden skills.
Now that you know how the gameplay flows, let’s see How do cards interact ?