Redakai: Conquer the Kairu

The other day I was window shopping at Wal*Mart (more specifically the toy section) and I came across a new card game called Redakai, with the tagline of “Conquer the Kairu. Two things struck me almost immediately:

1. This must be geared for kids, since it’s in the toy section
2. Cool! Motion cards!

Now, what are motion cards? Remember those cards we would get growing up with the ridges on them? The ones where, if you tilted them sideways the character or action on the card would change? I’m sure they’re called something else, but I like the idea of naming them motion cards.

Anyway…

This game must be for kids. The labeling says “6+ years”. There are motion cards. There are special tins you can buy for your cards, special mats, and screens. A subsequent stop at Shopko revealed that there are also toys you can buy to go along with your cards, although they are not needed for play.

The starter kit (about $13 at Wal*Mart) contains eleven cards and a battle box (or whatever it’s called). Each player needs a starter kit! You cannot play with just the cards! Booster packs, which also contain eleven cards, costs about $6. The big package with cards, screen, and tin, goes for roughly $24. All prices are Wisconsin Wal*Mart pricing. At Shoko things can run a little bit more… over there, each of these items went for about a dollar more.

The basic game play is simple. Connect the two battle boxes. You place on the top of the box you character (there are several to choose from, each with their own unique abilities). You place your damage cards on top of your opponent’s character, which can be tilted, thanks to the motion cards, and appears as if the damage spell is actually moving towards, and hitting, your opponent! You can also augment your own character by placing creature (or robot or elemental or) cards on top of your character, which generates a whole new set of abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Get your opponent’s lifebars to show all red, and you win!

But, keep in mind that that is the basic rules, apparently geared, once again, for young kids. There is a whole rule-set for advanced and option play online. I haven’t checked out the advanced rules yet, so I can’t say what they do, but I do know this much…

1. Damage cards, in addition to having a red bar, have a number which shows how much damage it inflicts. They are also in differing colors because characters may say “all red damage cards are increased by 100” and stuff like that. Or a character may be immune to a particular color. There is also a point cost on them, as well as icons which represents something (duh).
2. Creature cards also have a point cost, an icon depicting what type they are, and may have up to three numbers on the side. I have no idea what these numbers may mean… I can only guess health and attack, but I honestly cannot say. The numbers are also in different colored boxes, which mean to me that they can be influenced by character or damage cards.
3. Character cards have three life bars on them, up to three numbers (in colored boxes) on the side of the card, and special abilities (if any).
4. Did I mention ALL cards are motion cards?

I think this may be a worth-while game. It got my attention just because of the motion cards (did I mention I like motion cards?) It actually drew the attention of my youngest, who’s nine, I think because of the card design, the images, and the slew of stuff that you can buy as extras.

Now, the downside.

I don’t like the cost of this game, which is another indicator that it’s geared for kids. $6 for eleven cards?! Sure, they’re motion cards, but come on! Magic has 15 cards for what, $4? Yes, Yugi-Oh, another kid targeted game, only has nine cards for $5, so I suppose dropping six bucks for eleven motion cards isn’t that bad… and the cards are highly durable, being constructed of a plastic that is of the same strength and feel as binders. Okay, you know what? For the durability, the cost really isn’t that bad. They might even be washer / dryer safe!

The extras, although plentiful, are just that: extras. Yes, kids will want them, especially since they also contain motion type stuff and lights and sounds. But they are extras, not needed for actual game play.

Hmm… doesn’t seem to be too many negatives, huh? Perhaps after going over the advanced rules I may feel differently. BUT, from what I’ve seen so far, this may be a great game to get kids started in and involved with card games.

Okay, just went to the Redakai website. The game is designed by Spin Masters (oooo, Beyblade! ), and is based on the Japanese anime of the same title, as currently seen on Cartoon Network.

So I guess that reinforces my original statement: this is geared for kids. Does it make it any less of a game? Probably not.

Here are the official basic AND advanced rules of the Radakai game, along with product information... http://redakai.wikia.com/wiki/Redakai_Trading_Card_Game

However, for those who really don't want to click this or that, I have copied / pasted the info below. As it is taken from a wiki site and not the official Radakai site, there should be no conflicts. Also, as I am not laying claim to the information, nor is CoT2 even remotely associated with said site or product, all is good.

...

Quote :

The Redakai Trading Card Game is an upcoming entertainment and gaming property created by Spin Master, famous for creating Bakugan. An animated television series of the same name will be released simultaneously as the game in hobby stores on June 4th, 2011 and major retailers in August 2011.

X-Drives and Blast 3D™ TechnologyEdit
In the Redakai Trading Card Game, cards are referred to as "X-Drives". Every character and monster features Spin Master’s proprietary Blast 3D technology – 3D images that move as the X-Drive is moved by the player. Attack X-Drives also feature images that animate to illustrate the attack.

Gameplay
Redakai’s X-Drives enable a “Stack to Battle” format for the game. Attacks and monsters are stacked directly on characters, where the cards themselves track damage. It features both a basic game for younger fans, and a tournament caliber advanced game with reacts, deckbuilding strategy and strategic decision points.

Rules Note: Credit for rules goes to the official Redakai website.

Basic Gameplay
Setup
■Before battle, each player places one CHARACTER CARD in front of them.
■CHARACTER CARDS represent heroes and villains with the power to harness Kairu energy
■Each of these cards has up to 3 different DEFENSE ZONES. Each DEFENSE ZONE has a number and color. Every card also has 3 DAMAGE ZONES.
■Each player also builds a deck of ATTACK CARDS and MONSTER CARDS. Basic Game decks can be anywhere from 10-40 cards. Shuffle the cards together to make a DECK.

Gameplay
■Flip a coin to determine who will go first.
■On each player's turn they will draw the top card of their deck, then play that card immediately.

Monster Cards
■When you draw a MONSTER CARD, put it on your own CHARACTER. They often increase your DEFENSE ZONES and sometimes can even heal DAMAGE ZONES that ATTACK CARDS have Hit.
■MONSTER CARDS are never discarded.

Attack Cards
■Play ATTACK CARDS on top of your opponent's CHARACTER CARD, to deal damage in DAMAGE ZONES.
■When you play an ATTACK CARD, compare the ATTACK POWER and COLOR to the opposing character's defense in that color.
■If your Attack Card's Power Number is greater than the defender's combined Defense Zones of your Attack Card Color, the attack "Hits" and is laid on top of your opponent's CHARACTER.
■Abilities on your cards are not used in the Basic Game. Ignore the text in the Ability boxes on the bottom of CHARACTER CARDS.
■If the Attack Card's power number is lower, put it into your discard pile.
■When all three of your opponent's DAMAGE ZONES are damaged and red, you win the game!
■If a player runs out of cards in his DRAW PILE and is unable to draw a card at the start of his turn, that player loses the game.
■Once you've mastered the Basic Game, you're ready to move on to the Advanced Game!

Advanced Game
Setup
■The Advanced Game pits you against an opponent in a strategic 3-on-3 battle!
■Each player builds a deck consisting of at least 40 MONSTER and ATTACK CARDS and 3 CHARACTER CARDS. A player's deck can include no more than three copies of any MONSTER or ATTACK CARD, and each CHARACTER CARD on a player's team must have a unique name.
■Each player puts his CHARACTER CARDS face up in front of him. The goal of the game is to defeat all three characters on your opponent's team before he defeats yours.
■Each player starts the game with 3 kairu.
■Randomly determine who will be going first, and then each player shuffles their deck and draws three cards.

Kairu Energy
■kairu (KAIRU ENERGY) is used to play monsters and attacks. Each card has a kairu cost, and this cost is paid for with your charged kairu. At the start of each of your turns, you gain 1 maximum kairu, and recharge all of your kairu.

Turn Breakdown
■Start of Game: Each player begins the game with 3 kairu. If it is your first turn, you will start with 3 kairu and move your counter up to 4 kairu, then recharge all your KAIRU.
■Start of Turn: On every new turn, gain 1 kairu and recharge all your exhausted KAIRU.
■Draw: Draw one card. If you have more than 6 cards in your hand, you must discard a card immediately. If you have to draw a card and have no cards left in your deck to draw, you lose the game.
■Play: On your turn, you may play MONSTER CARDS and ATTACK CARDS. You pay for their costs by spending KAIRU. When you spend KAIRU, it becomes EXHAUSTED, which means you cannot use it until it RECHARGES at the start of your next turn. See the "PLAYING MONSTER CARDS" and "PLAYING ATTACK CARDS" sections for more details.
■End of Turn: When you choose not to play any more cards, your turn ends.
■Opponent's Turn: On your opponent's turn, you may only play cards if they have a special React Ability.
■New Turn: At the beginning of a new turn, advance your MAXIMUM KAIRU to the next higher number and reset your REMAINING KAIRU to match it. You may have a maximum of 20 kairu, so if you already have 20 kairu, you cannot gain any more.
■If your Attack doesn't Hit, it is considered STOPPED, and the ATTACK CARD is put onto your DISCARD PILE.

Playing Monster Cards
■To play a MONSTER CARD, pay its KAIRU COST, then choose a Character on your Team to turn into that Monster. Stack your MONSTER CARD onto that Character. You can not play MONSTER CARDS on Characters that have already been defeated, though you can play them on Characters that have already turned into a Monster earlier in the game.

Playing Attack Cards
■To play an ATTACK CARD, you pay its KAIRU COST, then choose a Character on your opponent's Team to Attack. Compare your ATTACK POWER to that Character's DEFENSE NUMBER(S) in the SAME COLOR by adding up the DEFENSE NUMBERS in the corresponding color.
■If your ATTACK POWER is greater than his DEFENSE NUMBER, you Hit and stack your Attack onto that Character. If that Character has all three of his DAMAGE ZONES filled with red, that Character is defeated. When all three of your opponent's CHARACTERS are defeated you win the game!

React Ability
■Some cards have REACT Abilities on them. On ATTACK CARDS, REACT Abilities may be used while the card is in your hand. On MONSTER CARDS, REACT Abilities may be used while the card is stacked on one of your CHARACTER CARDS.
■REACT Abilities may be used after any player plays an ATTACK CARD, but before the ATTACK CARD compares its POWER NUMBER to DEFENSE ZONES. Each player may play any number of REACT Abilities starting with the attacking player. Once no player wants to play any more REACTs, the ATTACK will then hit or be STOPPED.
■REACT Abilities have costs that must be paid to play them. For example: With COLD BEAM ATTACK, if you want to use the REACT Ability, you must discard it and pay 3 KAIRU. Once you do so, Characters on your team will get bonus Defense for that turn.

Winning the Game
■Whenever a CHARACTER CARD has all of its DAMAGE ZONES filled with red, it is defeated. Defeated Characters have no abilities and cannot transform into monsters. When all three of your opponent’s CHARACTER CARDS are defeated you win!
■At the end of the game, don't forget to take back the ATTACK CARDS you played on your opponent's Characters and to give back the ones that your opponent played on you.

Conquer the Haiku?

Motion cards are neat.
Wiggle them and watch them move.
Collect all the cards.

Redakai: Conquer the Kairu / Championship Tin review

I’ve recently purchased the Championship Tin for Redakai. At first, I wasn’t going to, as I don’t really get into the whole accessory thing, especially as it relates to cartoon gaming material. However, upon review, I’m rather glad I did.

The Championship Tin, suggested retail price of $29.99, contains the following items.
1. 43 cards
2. One rather large tin
3. Plastic battle tray
4. Plastic card screen
5. Plastic deck holder
6. Two counters
7. One playing mat

This package is, in my opinion, worth the cost. Why? A booster pack of cards runs for about $6, and you get 11 cards per booster. To get 43 cards, you would have to spend about $24… five dollars more gets you everything else I mentioned. Let’s start at the tin.

It’s a tin. I like tins, and have a small collection of them. To me, the five bucks is worth it for the tin alone, but I know a lot of people could care less.

Plastic battle tray. This is used for the advanced rules (see earlier post detailing the rules). It is a sturdy black plastic construct with three areas to place your character cards, with enough vertical room for 14 cards to fit in nicely without any sliding out. The tray also connects to your opponent’s tray so that you can have a head-to-head battle. Is the tray needed? Probably not… but it is a nice extra.

Plastic card screen. This is also a black plastic construct. When unfolded, it holds your hand, rather, the six cards you would normally hold in your hand. Why is this cool? It unfolds on plastic and metal hinges, not that thinner plastic crap that tends to rip or break… HINGES. It is convenient in that your opponent can’t see your cards; keep in mind that most of the cards are see through. Yes, there is a white film backing on the printed areas of the card, but one can still see through the card in pretty much any kind of lighting. The plastic card screen also has a row of numbers (1 through 20) so you can keep track of how much kairu you have; beats finding a piece of paper and pen all the time.

Plastic deck holder. This really isn’t that practical. For one, it doesn’t close… it has an open front. You won’t really be able to transport your cards with this (but why would you want to… put them in the tin!) Also, the holder can only hold 47 cards before it gets tight; a rather sad thing indeed when the advanced rules state you should play with at least 40 cards. However, it does have its use in that it helps to hide your cards from your opponent: he won’t be able to tell what kind of cards you are drawing. You see, spell cards are pretty much see through, except for their stats, whereas the creature cards only have a clear area for the life bars. Worth using? Maybe, but not so much for bigger games.

Counters. They’re counters. Oooo. But they do come in handy to mark your kairu level.

Playing mat. Don’t want to use the plastic? Use the paper playing mat! It has allocated spots for your cards: 3 character card spots, one deck draw spot, one discard card spot, and a row to count your kairu. Also, the instructions are not so conveniently printed on the back… so, if a question ever arises, you’ll have to clear your mat to check the rules. I don’t like the mat, never liked playing mats, never will; the paper in constantly being folded, and as such, is liable to be torn or rip.

So is it worth it? 43 cards and one plastic card screen with counters says yes. Plastic deck holder, battle tray and tin say maybe, while the mat says no. I’m leaning towards the yes, especially since you are able to play a game straight out of this kit, unlike the starter kit which really isn’t anything remotely usable for a game.

This may be the last update on this thread if others do not jump on the band wagon.

Now, I cannot say as to the status of this game at stores like Shopko or K-Mart, but the Wal*Mart of Marinette has all of the Redakai merchandise in the clearance aisle. Seems the stuff just isn't selling (but in the other stores, no idea).

So what does this mean? The cards are cheaper! The tins are cheaper! The figures, well, are cheaper!

Take, for instance, a booster pack... 11 standard cards, one special card... $4.50! A pack of three boosters (no special cards) is $11.00! A tin with all the stuff (see posted review, above) $18.00!

I know no one wants to start a new game, or even buy stuff for a game that will never be played. But I'm thinking that, with the stuff I already have, I can easily add to it with these prices. And I would say to you, buy a booster, just one... take a look at it, and see if it is interesting to you; with the prices, it really isn't that bad of a cost "just to see".

I have seen packs of Kairu Haiku on clearance at W*Mart, Kmart, and Shopko. I would agree that she's twirling around the bottom of the bowl.... too bad as it does look like some potential. I think I have enough cards for a deck, but don't remember exactly. Have to try it one of these days.