SYSTEM PROTOCOLS

Project Unicorn is a high-frequency trading card game simulating the volatility of the startup ecosystem. Two Founders (Players) compete to dominate the market.

OBJECTIVE: Liquidation.

Reduce your opponent's Runway (Health) from 20 to 0.

If a User cannot draw a card from their Backlog (Deck), they are forcibly sunsetted (You win).

Each User manages their own board state, consisting of:

* Runway: Your life total. Starts at 20.

* Cycles: Your energy resource. Refills every turn. Caps at 10.

* Backlog: Your deck (Draw Pile).

* Deprecated: Your discard pile.

THE BOARD:

* Live Slot (Active): The single Asset currently engaging in combat. You may only have 1 Live Asset.

* Staging Slots (Bench): Where Assets are deployed before going Live. Max 3 Slots.

The game loop executes in four distinct phases per User.

PHASE 1: SYNC

* Refresh: Restore Cycles to maximum.

* Scale: Increase max Cycle Cap by +1 (up to 10).

* Fetch: Draw 1 card.

PHASE 2: DEPLOY

Spend Cycles to execute cards:

* Assets: Deploy to Staging (unless Live slot is empty).

* Actions: Resolve immediately, then Deprecate.

* Hot-Swap: Once per turn, swap an Asset in Staging with your Live Asset.

PHASE 3: EXECUTE (COMBAT)

Mandatory if you have a Live Asset.

1. Targeting: Attack opponent's Live Asset.

2. Direct Hit: If opponent has no Live Asset, damage their Runway.

3. Calculation: Output (Attack) vs Integrity (Health).

4. Result: Both Assets deal damage simultaneously. If Integrity reaches 0, the Asset is Deprecated.

PHASE 4: CLEANUP

* Resolve end-of-turn effects.

* Check win/loss conditions.

* Pass priority to opponent.

Two primary card types exist in Project Unicorn:

ASSETS

Your workforce. Can attack and block.

* Cycles: Cost to deploy.

* Output: Attack power.

* Integrity: Health points.

* Deploy to Staging, then move to Live slot.

ACTIONS

Instant effects. Execute and Deprecate.

* Cycles: Cost to play.

* Effect: Resolve immediately.

* Cannot be responded to (no stack).

* Go directly to Deprecated after use.

Deploy: Play an Asset to the board.

Live: The Asset currently in combat position.

Staging: Bench slots where Assets wait.

Deprecated: Your discard pile.

Backlog: Your deck.

Runway: Your life total.

Cycles: Your energy/mana resource.

Output: An Asset's attack value.

Integrity: An Asset's health value.

Hot-Swap: Exchange your Live Asset with a Staging Asset once per turn.

MINIMUM DECK SIZE: 40 cards

MAXIMUM DECK SIZE: 60 cards

CARD LIMITS:

* Core Game Cards: Up to 3 copies per card

* Partnership/Enterprise Cards: Up to 2 copies per card

* Legendary Cards: Limited to 1 copy

DECK COMPOSITION:

* Must contain at least 15 Asset cards

* Maximum 25 Action cards recommended

* Balance between low-cost and high-impact cards

A User achieves victory through one of two conditions:

1. LIQUIDATION

Reduce opponent's Runway to 0 through combat damage or card effects.

2. DECK DEPLETION

If a User cannot draw a card during their Sync phase, they immediately lose (sunsetted).

DRAW CONDITION:

If both Users would be eliminated simultaneously, the game is a draw.

COMBAT RESOLUTION:

* Damage is dealt simultaneously

* Excess damage does not carry over to Runway

* Assets with 0 or less Integrity are Deprecated

TIMING:

* Actions can only be played during your own Deploy phase

* Effects resolve immediately in order played

* No interrupt or response window (simplified stack)

TARGETING:

* You must attack if you have a Live Asset

* You cannot choose not to attack

* Direct Runway damage only when opponent has no Live Asset

PARTNERSHIP DECKS:

Custom branded card sets featuring real companies.

* Partnership cards can be mixed with Core Game cards

* Each partnership deck contains company-specific mechanics

* QR codes link to company websites for immersive gameplay

* Brand colors customize the game aesthetic

TOURNAMENT PLAY:

* Players may use up to 2 different partnership sets in a single deck

* Partnership cards follow the 2-copy limit

* Core cards still follow 3-copy limit