Overview: Kaijudo is a trading-card game based on the popular TV show and Japanese card game Duel Masters.

Players: 2 players, Kids 7-12

Who will like it?: Fans of the television show and adults who want their kids to play Magic the Gathering with them.

Playing Time: 10-45 minutes

What’s in the box?: It depends on what you want. If you are new to the game, you can get the Tatsurion vs. Razorkinder Battle Deck which provides two 40-card battle decks, nice deck boxes, and rules. There are also single-deck sets and booster packs.

Geeky Goodness: While at PAX, it was hard to find a hallway that didn't have a poster for Kaijudo. Wizards of the Coast (who also brings us Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons) is very excited about bringing back Kaijudo - with good reason. The card game is based on a Japanese card game: Duel Masters. The popularity of the television show has spurred attention for the card game since June. Kaijudo even has a dedicated website that provides an opportunity for serious players to find a league. There are also various strategy guides on the site providing tips for building competitive decks, picking spells that work well with the characters, and much more! It’s enough for any trading-card-geek to get lost in for hours…I know I did.

How is it played?: Each player has a deck of cards (40+). Each player also has a playing area in front of them that has three zones: The “Battle Zone,” “Shield Zone,” and “Mana Zone.” The game is set up by shuffling your deck, placing five cards separately face down in to the Shield Zone, and then drawing five cards for the player’s hand. There are two types of cards: Creatures and Spells. Typically, a deck has two types (colors) of Creatures and Spells available. Each turn has five steps:

1. Similar to other Trading Card Games like Magic the Gathering, each turn starts by untapping any energy used during the previous turn.
2. A card is drawn from the top of the deck and added to the player’s hand.
3. The player can “charge their mana,” meaning a card can be put face-up in the Mana Zone and count as one mana. There are not specific mana cards in Kaijudo, but rather any card can be used.
4. As long as there is one card in the Mana Zone with the same color as the card you want to play, and enough mana laid out, a spell or character can be played. Each card (spells and characters) pretty much has the same information available on it. The level of the card (the number indicates how much mana you need to play the card), the name of the card, the Creature Type (only found on Creature Cards), the Civilization (or the color of the card). There are five civilizations: Water, Fire, Light, Darkness, and Nature), an area with flavor text and how to use the abilities, and the power of the card (a bigger number means more power in battle).
5. Most creatures need to wait until the turn after they are played to attack. When you are ready you can attack a creature the other player has laid out or you can attack a Shield Card. Once a card is used it needs to be tapped until next turn.

The first player to take out their opponent's Shield Cards wins the game.

Different Civilizations (colors of cards) offer different things to the game.

• Water (blue): Tends to have cards that allow you to grow your hand size.
• Light (yellow): There are many opportunities to tap/untap cards to the players advantage and many of the creatures can only attack other creatures.
• Darkness (purple): These bug looking characters are there for power and building other characters power.
• Fire (red): Along with being powerful attackers, fire characters can often "fast attack" or, attack on the turn they are placed in the Battle Zone.
• Nature (green): Going with the "circle of life" nature theme, there are many cards that offer the opportunity to put more powerful character cards into the player's hand, and equal opportunities to put cards into the Mana Zone instead of the banished pile.

How do I get started?: It's a trading card game (TCG), so the best way to start playing is to purchase a theme deck and play through the tutorials on the Kaijudo website.

Hey, where can I buy this game?: Pretty much anywhere games are sold. Amazon has the starter set Tatsurion vs. Razorkinder Battle Deck for $18, single decks for $12, and booster packs for $5, for a rough idea.

GeekMom approved or “meh”?: Approved. The game rules aren't broken, it's a great introductory game for kids as a gateway to other trading card games. There are enough cards and enough difference in the civilizations (colors) to pull adults and parents in and build competitive decks that use more strategy. I have to say I flipped my vote on this game. My starting feelings were kind of “take-it-or-leave-it,” but after going to PAX and playing through a couple of games with people who could answer my questions, I found it is a really good game for the age range it is marketed toward. It’s also a great intro game for kids of parents who play Magic the Gathering. Instead of taking out twenty points of life, a player only has to take out five shields, making it a shorter game for younger players. The cards are far less graphic and scary than some of the MTG cards. Plus, how can you go wrong with a cartoon that lets kids “know” the characters on their cards.

**A copy of this game was sent to me so I could play it and tell you if it's worth it**