Codex Variant - Simultaneous turns

Codex
1

Chatting in the #Codex discord I had an idea for Codex based on other card games (Star Wars Destiny and Artifact). The idea is that both players are taking each turn simultaneously, but they are limited to one action before their opponent gets one action. This is significantly different from Magic or Codex, which still has discrete turns for each player. In Magic those turns can be disrupted due to fast-effects, instants, and other abilities which can be used on your opponent’s turn. In Codex, like Hearthstone, each player gets an uninterruptible turn which is great for asynchronous digital play.

Here is what an imaginary turn would look like for Codex with simultaneous turns:

At the beginning of the game, both players get 4 gold. P1 is playing mono-white and starts by paying 2 gold for Rook. Now it is P2’s chance to act, though they are both playing during turn 1. P2 opens by paying 2 gold for Midori. Then P1 plays Aged Sensei for a gold, then P2 plays Merfolk Prospector for a gold. Then P1 passes their turn. Player 2 also passes, so turn 1 ends. In this simultaneous version, a turn only ends when both players have passed the turn. If one player has significantly more units/heroes/things to activate, that is to their benefit. However, the player who passes first gets to begin the next turn with the first action. For this example, they are still considered to be P1 and P2 based on the beginning of the game.

Before turn 2 starts, both players Tech in 2 cards. Before Turn 2 starts, they can also choose to make a worker by trashing a card from hand. Then they both discard 3 cards, and then draw 5. Before Turn 2 starts, both players have a chance to put ready heroes/units into the patrol zone. P1 puts Rook in Squad Leader, Aged Sensei in Technician. Player 2 puts Midori in Squad Leader, Merfolk Prospector in Scavenger. Turn 2 starts, P2 was last to act so P1 gets to start. Both players get 5 gold. P1 spends 1 gold to builds tech I. P2 plays Rampant Growth on Merfolk Prospector, giving it +2 ATK/+2 Armor. P1 uses Grappling Hook to move Midori from Squad Leader to Lookout. P2 attacks Rook with the Prospector, dealing 2 damage after Squad Leader armor absorbs a point. Merfolk Prospector is no longer in Scavenger Patrol. P1 has Aged Sensei give Rook +1 ATK/+1 Armor. Aged Sensei is no longer in Technician. P2 spends 4 gold to midband Midori. P1 spends 4 gold to midband Rook, healing the damage from the Prospector. P2 spends 1 gold to build Tech I. P1 has L5 Rook attack L5 Midori, kills Midori and takes 2 damage. Rook gains 2 levels. P2 passes their turn. P1 also passes their turn. Before turn 3 starts, both players have a chance to put ready heroes/units in the patrol zone but neither have any. Then they can make a worker by trashing a card from their hand which they both do. Turn 3 starts, P1 was last to pass so P2 gets to start. Both players get 6 gold…

This is mostly a thought experiment provoked by the idea of a new version of Codex. I’m not sure this version would be good, better/worse than the current version. It would definitely need to be completely rebalanced. The reason it interests me is because this type of gameplay would feel more like a real-time strategy game. Codex and Hearthstone are asynchronous card games and that feels much different than a game like Starcraft or Warcraft.

Any thoughts about this? The forum software informed that my post was similar to this one: Simultanious turn rules?

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Why have a special action for making a worker, instead of it just being a thing you do on your turn?

3

It could work either way. Divorcing it from the turn would maybe streamline the turn because there is no way to make 2 workers in 1 turn and reduce the chance that players who are behind on workers don’t accidentally make 2 workers during a long, late-game turn (a frequent problem in competitive magic involves a player accidentally playing 2 lands during a long complicated turn).

4

My initial thought: It allows for the possibility of someone choosing NOT to make a worker, which could be an interesting tempo play with different implications from the normal game.

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5

I thought of something.
Is there an option to “wait and see”? Like, you want them to attack with something to expose their backline, but they know that. If you’re forced to pass your whole turn, because you have no other actions you want to take, they can safely swing without retaliation. If you can “wait and see”, then they won’t make that attack for fear of your counterattack.

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6

Perhaps a limit, maybe one “pass” action per turn, the game doesn’t turn into a total stalemate, both players staring at each other and unwilling to act. Or impose a cost, 1 gold to pass an action. Or a discard? That’s probably too harsh.

7

Well, if both people pass in a row, the turn ends, so you won’t have an endless stalemate.

There are a bunch of games that allow passing and coming back in if the board changes, so I don’t think there needs to be any sort of cost.

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8

I wasn’t clear in my description above. The intent of passing the turn is that if your opponent does NOT pass, then you have the opportunity to act again. So you can pass until your opponent does the thing you want them to do, however if they ever also pass, the turn ends.

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