Symetra Update & Replacement Cards

Hey all, we’ve updated a few things in Symetra and wanted to let you know the details, and give you the opportunity to order free replacements cards if you received a Proto, Alpha or Early Beta version of Symetra produced before May 2014.

We clarified a few sections in the rules, mainly to do with re-action checking so as to eliminate confusion in certain scenarios where actions are being copied. You can find the complete updated .PDF rule book here: Symetra Game Rulebook 09May14.

We updated four cards, two for clarification and two actions were upgraded. Feel free to download and print the replacements but don’t forget to contact us to get your actual replacement copies sent to you for free!

Movement was updated to include the clause allowing it to be used if Stillness, its Enmity, is in effect. Stillness prevents a player from charging a card, and Movement allows a player an extra charge. This is similar to Sound and Silence, that already had the clause. Sound allows a player to fuse an extra card, and Silence prevents a player from fusing a card.

Time was updated to clarify the fact that it only cancels card actions. Time was the card that changed the most during development. We were always trying to find a powerful action that quite often ended up being over powered. Previously Time cancelled all actions, including player actions, for a cost of 3 energy. This was too powerful as it could stop someone from fusing a card for only 3. This was the original cost of Silence and was proven to be too strong.

Enthusiasm’s action was upgraded when I realized that it did not actually get you ahead of an opponent. At a cost of 2, you gave away a card and drew two from the deck. Granted you could give away your ‘weakest’ card for two new ones, but in the end you and your opponent each ended up with four cards, which is not great when you’re the one risking 2 energy. So now Enthusiasm draws you 3 cards, putting you up to five cards and your opponent to four. In Symetra, you can normally fuse only one card per turn so having extra cards is not as powerful as other card games where you can play multiple cards per turn and thus gain a huge advantage by having card advantage.

Infinity’s action was tweaked in a tiny way but to a huge effect. Before when you activated Infinity’s action for 2 energy, Infinity and its energy switch spaces with another card and its energy in the matrix. This was basically a protection action allowing Infinity to counter any action that selected a card in the matrix.

As nice as this was, it was not used that often as there are better and/or cheaper counters in the deck. It was also not the type of action that took advantage of Infinity’s powerful trait of having affinity with all cards. Ideally you would want an action that you could use after filling up Infinity with affinities, and then charging it back to full capacity. Being the reactive action it was before, this scenario never presented itself.

With the update, the two cards switch spaces BUT the energy remains in the same space. This means that if you select another player’s card, control of the two cards switches! You can still use Infinity as a protection action as before, so it doesn’t lose that option, but now you can fuse Infinity, load it up with affinities, switch it with your favourite card in the matrix, and then charge that card back up to full.

Remember that the player who controls the card you select may re-act by using the card action before you take it. Once the cards have switched, the new controller’s may use that card action this round as the rule is that you can use each card you ‘control’ once per round, so when a card switches controllers, it may be used again that round.

Thanks so much for your interest in, and support of Symetra. The more feedback we get the more we can improve it!