Definitive Catalogue of First Edition Gloomcards, by Eizo Rumei

[Walrus Warwagon]

Definitive Catalogue of First Edition Gloomcards
As compiled by Eizo Rumei, Scribe of the Sublime Garden
Ordered alphabetically, with notes on rarity, valuation, and competitive reflection

In the dawn of Gloomcards Arena we found delight. To stand among the roots of a new strand of culture as it took form! We gathered the cards, tested their strength, and measured their worth against each other.

Yet our life is not given to one craft alone. The hours once spent in cards now return to other refinements - the mastery of tea, of ceremonial perfection, of arts yet unnamed. Perhaps, we shall keep a humble deck to enjoy an occasional tournament?

This catalogue we leave as a gift, a record - a definitive guide for those who would carry the game further. May it serve collectors, traders, and players alike.

The First Edition Originals, cornerstone of the game, consist of forty-one cards (excluding the limiteds). Among them are twenty-six unique creatures, of which fifteen were also printed in rarer holographic form. These first-born cards are the foundation of early decks, and as of the moment we write it - of the game itself.

In time came the First Edition Expansion: Infestation, teased in the aftermath of the Dustwink Memorial Tournament. Its theme: the crawling, stinging, skittering life of the Great Ash Desert. While its boosters falsely proclaimed twenty-one unique cards, the set in truth holds twenty-two. Fourteen unique creatures among them, eight available as a holographic card, and two especially rare ones are only available as holographics.


Format legend:
• Name: Official title of the card
• Holo-version: Yes / No
• Stars: Rarity of the card
• Color: Color of the card
• Description: Short summary of its art/creature/theme
• Eizo's Thoughts: Personal note
• Tier: Battle worthiness rated at: S / A / B / C / D
• Eizo's Valuation: Price in dinari

First Edition

• Name: Algal Bloom
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 3
• Color: Green
• Description: A vermin consisting of a colony of algae and shrimp
• Eizo's Thoughts: The creature itself is immobile and nearly incapable of causing harm, but is practically immune to physical injury. It fights by releasing explosive bubbles of caustic spores. Usage of this card requires one to understand strategy of picks and counterpicks, and depends on limitations of the tournament format.
• Tier: B
• Eizo's Valuation: 50

• Name: Alley cat
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 1
• Color: Grey
• Description: A small animal, black domesticated cat
• Eizo's Thoughts: Alley Cat is a card with a lot of talent. It can knock down other creatures, scratch them harder if they are caught off guard, and it is a graceful creature of finesse. With defensive wards, it can be quite difficult to hit. Unfortunately, stronger cards can finish Alley Cat off in one bite, and its direct hits are nearly incapable of harm. Only for use in low rarity tournaments, only with some kind of offensive empowerment.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 20-30

• Name: Blood Root
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 3
• Color: Green
• Description: A floating elemental-possessed aerial root
• Eizo's Thoughts: Unremarkable creature. As an elemental plant it enjoys many immunities living creatures do not. And yet, its durability and precision is lacking. This card would greatly benefit if it was capable of finesse movement.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 25-40

• Name: Canyon Mastiff
• Holo-version: No (Yes: Limited Edition)
• Stars: 5
• Color: Grey
• Description: A canine of impressive size
• Eizo's Thoughts: Least notable of 5 star rarity cards. Its saliva infects the wounds of opposing creatures, but the bite force is weaker than its size suggests. Otherwise it demonstrates expected level of stamina, but dodges blows with less aptitude than an Alley Cat. Could overpower lesser cards just by a virtue of outlasting them.
• Tier: B
• Eizo's Valuation: 50-75

• Name: Carrion Crow
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 2
• Color: Black
• Description: An avian animal frequenting decaying carcasses and trash heaps
• Eizo's Thoughts: This card has no redeeming qualities. Harmless and easily defeated even by a Blood Root, it is merely a completion piece for collectors.
• Tier: D
• Eizo's Valuation: 10-15

• Name: Dune Wolf
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 3
• Color: Grey
• Description: A smaller canine of no special features
• Eizo's Thoughts: Imagine a blood root, but without strong sides of an elemental creature. A filler card.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 25-40

• Name: Female Lion
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 6
• Color: Yellow
• Description: A powerful concubine of the prairies!
• Eizo's Thoughts: Even without a pack, female lion is a ferocious hunter, strength of each strike unrivaled by cards of lesser rarity. Muscled creature, we see no reason to list its strong sides, for your only hope against female lion is to summon another female lion, or stronger card. Nothing less will do.
• Tier: A
• Eizo's Valuation: 150-200

• Name: Giant Ash Iguana
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 6
• Color: Green
• Description: A voracious giant of lizardkind - an apex predator
• Eizo's Thoughts: This card has reigned supreme during the Dustwink Memorial Tournament. What it lacks... No, it doesn't lack. It just overpowers - its sheer might unparalleled in the gloomcard arena. Let's just mention that out of three match-ups against male lions this creature has prevailed in all three. In truth, this creature is worthy of 7 star rarity.
• Tier: S
• Eizo's Valuation: 250-400

• Name: Goblin Slave
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 1
• Color: Green
• Description: A goblin - least of the lesser demons, creature unrefined and pitiful
• Eizo's Thoughts: Absolutely incapable of seeing and dodging an incoming blow, and of surviving it as well. It holds a little dagger, and can swing it with surprising frequency for its rarity. But these blows will never pierce a blurred hide. A refined person would never summon a goblin - a collection piece, no more.
• Tier: D
• Eizo's Valuation: 10-15

• Name: Gutter Cat
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 2
• Color: Grey
• Description: A respectable and graceful bobcat, pleasant in visage
• Eizo's Thoughts: This card is a direct improvement to Alley Cat. It shares all the same strong sides, but is actually capable of a somewhat acceptable bite - for a low rarity card. One notable feature is that it is especially capable of fighting other animals - perhaps a decent counterpick for a Dune Wolf? Shall you wish to feed it a late potion - it would never provide a chance for glancing blow by retreating. An example of a fine card. King of low rarity tournaments - given the Living Branch and Living Oak cards are barred entry.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 50-75

• Name: Horned Lizard
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 4
• Color: Brown
• Description: Distant relative of fearsome basilisk, of larger size, but otherwise mundane
• Eizo's Thoughts: Comparable to Canyon Mastiff in mind, this lizard is less mobile and so less likely to land a good hit. However, its thick hide makes it harder to his as well, and even somewhat dampens the harm. Regular versions are fairly common, but holographic version is a solid addition to any competitive collection.
• Tier: B
• Eizo's Valuation: 50-175

• Name: Hunting Hawk
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 3
• Color: Black
• Description: A bit of prey, favored by nobility and archers of renown
• Eizo's Thoughts: A direct upgrade to Carrion Crow, Hunting Hawk is somewhat capable of taking a blow. To our dismay, its still incapable of inflicting any significant harm, and as such is pointless on the arena. Merely a collector's piece.
• Tier: D
• Eizo's Valuation: 20-30

• Name: Kobold Spearwarrior
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 2
• Color: Yellow
• Description: Lesser of sibilant races, this card features a proficient fighter
• Eizo's Thoughts: This card is ambiguous, and in this ambiguity is similar to those of Cat variety. For a two star this kobold shows decent stamina, yet his aim is imprecise and blows are weak. Its most unusual feature is impressive and deep comprehension of parrying - yet a way to force a card to use this skill is unknown.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 25-40

• Name: Lesser Sand Skink
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 3
• Color: Grey
• Description: Small ambush predator, commonly seen hunting small insects
• Eizo's Thoughts: Appearance can be deceiving. While much smaller and weaker than its larger cousins, Lesser Sand Skink is among respectable 3 star cards. It is not very good at dodging incoming blows, but compensates for this drawback with sheer aggression - biting often and having a powerful set of jaws.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 60-90

• Name: Ley Stone
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 1
• Color: Brown
• Description: A floating elemental stone imbued with power of ley
• Eizo's Thoughts: We are unsure of the purpose of this card. It is easily destroyed, and didn't demonstrate any latent magic as of yet. This creature is capable of tremorsense, but this talent have no purchase on gloomcard arana. A collection filler.
• Tier: D
• Eizo's Valuation: 10

• Name: Living Branch
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 1
• Color: Green
• Description: A floating branch of mysterious elemental tree
• Eizo's Thoughts: Undeniably strongest of the 1 star cards at the moment of this writing - its only weakness is fire. Branch is harder to land blows at than most other cards of first edition, demonstrates stamina of 3 star cards, and constantly regenerates. It is also a very common card.
• Tier: B
• Eizo's Valuation: 20

• Name: Living Oak
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 2
• Color: Green
• Description: An even larger floating branch of mysterious elemental tree
• Eizo's Thoughts: A fully grown Living Branch - it lacks regeneration of its juvenile counterpart, while demonstrating similar evasiveness and stamina. The main power of Living Oak lies in its ability to quickly spin - hitting with both ends of its own sticky body. In a time it takes for Lesser Sand Skink to land two bites - Living Oak will attempt four powerful blows. It is also a very common card.
• Tier: A
• Eizo's Valuation: 30

• Name: Magic Missile
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 3
• Color: Purple
• Description: An elemental of pure energy, either artificial or spontaneous, fashioned after guardians of Katmu Vaults
• Eizo's Thoughts: One of the most unusual cards of the First Edition, perhaps the strongest card of the 3 stars. it requires understanding of strategy to properly use. As the name indicates, this creature is capable of the Magic Missile spell, which it would use as you VOICE a command to attack. This spell is easily countered. Do not despair! This card has many talents for direct offense - its strikes are more precise than of any other card of its rarity and each successful hit guaranteed to inflict significant harm. Yet it is terrible at dodging, and doesn't have much stamina. This is compensated by its incorporeal form - blows often pass through without causing any harm. Worthy addition in a combat deck.
• Tier: B
• Eizo's Valuation: 50-150

• Name: Male Lion
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 6
• Color: Yellow
• Description: Regal beast of the savanna, mane ablaze!
• Eizo's Thoughts: Even without its concubines, Male Lion is a ferocious contender, most notable for it's raw might. Your best best of besting it is a mirror match, or a Giant Ash Iguana. It is not very proficient at dodging, yet hits with precision and power of a killer. There is no need for further words.
• Tier: A
• Eizo's Valuation: 175-225

• Name: Small Ice Elemental
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 3
• Color: Blue
• Description: A crystalline creature of frozen wastes
• Eizo's Thoughts: Most famous for their chilling aura - gloombound elemental retains this strength, although requires time to activate it. Creature itself is very hard to knock down, and displays unshakeable concentration on battle. Unfortunately, it is worse at dodging incoming hits even compared to Magic Missile, while also lacking a protection of incorporeal form. It is very brittle, with stamina on the level of 2 star cards. One of the weakest 3 stars, and a collection filler. And yet, though chance is impossibly slim, sometimes this card could inherit a power of Herald, elevating it to the heights of might capable of rivaling, perhaps, even Lions! Surprisingly common for a 3 star.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 20-40

• Name: Sonic Elemental
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 1
• Color: Grey
• Description: A wave existence elemental nearly impossible to see, but you will hear exactly where it is
• Eizo's Thoughts: Card of insignificant power. Yet it strikes with surprising precision, dodges with surprising grace and demonstrates surprising stamina for a 1 star. A worthy pick for a low rarity tournament.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 20-40

• Name: Starving Wolf
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 2
• Color: Grey
• Description: A malnourished and desperate dune wolf
• Eizo's Thoughts: In its hunger, the starving wolf demonstrates heightened senses as it prowls for the prey. But these senses won't help it in the gloombound arena. We are unsure if it could even defeat a 1 star goblin. Unworthy pick even for a low rarity tournament, and a collection filler at most.
• Tier: D
• Eizo's Valuation: 10-20

• Name: Stone Bear
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 5
• Color: Grey
• Description: Rare beast of the deep cave biomes, strong and clubfooted
• Eizo's Thoughts: Strong creature, contesting the realm of 5 and 6 star cards. Its victories have demonstrated the significance of its hits. Its losses have demonstrated clumsiness. Prepare accordingly, and have at hand a proper elixir should the rules permit such.
• Tier: A
• Eizo's Valuation: 125-175

• Name: Stone Lizard
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 4
• Color: Grey
• Description: Ambush predator familiar to any traveler of dunes, it hides among boulders
• Eizo's Thoughts: Creature of respectable power, that should be in any competitive deck. It is comparable in power to Canyon Mastiff, and Horned Lizard - trailing closely behind them in stamina, but having a close lead-up in power of bite. It also demonstrates more aptitude at avoiding harm compared to Canyon Mastiff.
• Tier: B
• Eizo's Valuation: 50-175

• Name: Water Elemental
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 2
• Color: Blue
• Description: A wave of very determined water, nothing more, nothing less
• Eizo's Thoughts: Unexpected high performer of 2 star rarity, demonstrating stamina of four star card, with striking power of a three star. It will eventually be worn down by blows, as such a mass of water cannot dodge easily. But for the low rarity tournament there is no better contender. We will go as far as to give it a B tier.
• Tier: B
• Eizo's Valuation: 40-120

• Name: Wild Flame
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 1
• Color: Orange
• Description: A twisting bit of aggressive little flame
• Eizo's Thoughts: Wild Flame can be extinguished by the slightest draft. This card could be weaker than even a goblin, and is not worthy of consideration for anything but a collection filler role.
• Tier: D
• Eizo's Valuation: 10-20

First Edition: Infestation Expansion Pack

• Name: Brass Scarab
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 3
• Color: Brown
• Description: Beetle whose plates gleam with metallic brass, its limbs serrated and unnaturally sharp
• Eizo's Thoughts: A respectable card, showing surprising stamina for its rarity. Its evasive skills are limited, but it strikes often and with fair precision. Two features stand out: unnaturally sharp limbs, well-suited for living targets, and notable resistance to fire.
• Tier: B
• Eizo's Valuation: 50-75

• Name: Bronze Scarab
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 5
• Color: Brown
• Description: A dull bronze beetle bearing a fearsome horn
• Eizo's Thoughts: A dangerous creature. While lacking the keen edges of its brass cousin, it compensates with the frequent strikes from both limbs and horn. Durable and punishing, it can endure much before succumbing.
• Tier: A
• Eizo's Valuation: 75-150

• Name: Dire Desert Spider
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 5
• Color: Brown
• Description: A massive, glistening burrower and ambush predator
• Eizo's Thoughts: As with other spiders, it lacks direct offensive power. Its strengths are agility and impressive stamina. Worth considering only for those building around team synergy.
• Tier: C-B
• Eizo's Valuation: 50-75

• Name: Eyeless Deep Spider
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 5
• Color: Purple
• Description: A pale spider of deep caves, sightless yet swift
• Eizo's Thoughts: A card that rewards cunning play. Though, like its kin, it relies on rare and venomous bites, it cannot be deceived by obscuring effects and shows an unusual capacity for bursts of speed.
• Tier: C-B
• Eizo's Valuation: 50-75

• Name: Giant Spider
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 3
• Color: Green
• Description: A giant spider of no notable pedigree
• Eizo's Thoughts: Sturdy and moderately agile, as one expects of a hunter of large prey. It strikes rarely, relying instead on poison and webs. Best used for synergy, not solo contests.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 15-30

• Name: Grove Spider
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 4
• Color: Purple
• Description: A rare spider known for its vegetarian habits
• Eizo's Thoughts: Though curious in its natural history, it brings little to the Arena. Plays more like a 3-star than a true 4-star.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 30-60

• Name: Hellwasp Swarm
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 4
• Color: Orange
• Description: A small cloud of thumb-sized red-and-black wasps
• Eizo's Thoughts: Swarms are difficult to strike and resistant to both blades and fire. This one, however, is more nuisance than threat - lacking strength and focus to finish fights.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 20-30

• Name: Hunting Spider
• Holo-version: No
• Stars: 5
• Color: Grey
• Description: A lanky spider that hunts in the open
• Eizo's Thoughts: Relies on disabling tactics rather than frequent strikes. Possesses more stamina than its kin, but little else. Requires a plan and is unsuited for one-on-one contests.
• Tier: C-B
• Eizo's Valuation: 50-75

• Name: Infestation Titan
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 9
• Color: ???
• Description: Enigmatic colossus of the swarm
• Eizo's Thoughts: Holographic only. The 9-star rank alone marks it as exceptional. Its precise power remains unclear, but expectations are immense.
• Tier: S
• Eizo's Valuation: ???

• Name: Kan'Zuzu
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 5 (4 for holo)
• Color: Yellow
• Description: A colossal digging beetle of hideous form
• Eizo's Thoughts: Comparable in stamina to Mastiff, yet far more elusive for its size - its vitals are hard to reach. Strikes with devastating force. Amusingly, the card features typographic errors.
• Tier: A
• Eizo's Valuation: 75-200

• Name: Large Hellwasp Swarm
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 8
• Color: ???
• Description: A vast cloud - a mature swarm of vicious red-and-black wasps
• Eizo's Thoughts: Holographic only. Its placement at 8 stars suggests great power. Likely to become a defining threat.
• Tier: S
• Eizo's Valuation: ???

• Name: Pest Beetle
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 1
• Color: Grey
• Description: A common pest scarcely worth describing
• Eizo's Thoughts: Pure filler.
• Tier: D
• Eizo's Valuation: 5-10

• Name: Rock Beetle
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 1
• Color: Grey
• Description: Beetles that camouflage as stone, feeding on ruins
• Eizo's Thoughts: Termites of stone - interesting in nature, useless in Arena.
• Tier: D
• Eizo's Valuation: 10-15

• Name: Slicer Beetle
• Holo-version: Yes
• Stars: 3
• Color: Grey
• Description: A predatory beetle bearing sword-like mandibles
• Eizo's Thoughts: Its jaws are powerful, but poorly applied. Endures decently, yet shows little instinct to evade. Another filler.
• Tier: C
• Eizo's Valuation: 10-15

Limited Edition

• Name: Azure Wine Elemental
• Stars: 8
• Color: Rainbow
• Description: An androgynous figure made of liquid, stream of the same liquid in place of the legs
• Eizo's Thoughts: Limited Edition card created as a part exclusively for the victors of the Dustwink Memorial Tournament. Reasonable to assume that this card enjoys usual immunities of the elemental creature. It has been observed to cloud the mind of living creatures it strikes. Of course, we are unlikely to see this card used in a competitive scene, as such would portray its owner as a poor sport.
• Tier: S

• Name: Canyon Mastiff
• Stars: 5
• Color: Grey
• Description: A canine of impressive size
• Eizo's Thoughts: Same as Canyon Mastiff of First Edition, but holographic. Sold for a limited time at gloomcard arena shop for an excessive price of 1000 dinari.
• Tier: B

• Name: Penguin
• Stars: 1
• Color: Blue
• Description: A flightless bird that certainly doesn't explode and is not supposed to
• Eizo's Thoughts: Promotional little card offered for merely a ten dinari to every person coming to participate in, or spectate, the Dustwink Memorial Tournament. Merely a decorative piece - weakest card known to this day.
• Tier: D

Proposed Tournament Formats

Tournaments can afford a great variety of rules. To allow spells or not, to allow elixirs or not, to limit them and describe them, to ban certain cards. Amount of rounds could differ as well, from respectable three, to the Sudden Death rule of one round. These rules can be changed for any format. What defines format is the fundamental basis upon which such changes are applied - a broad alteration of ruleset. Below we provide examples of possible formats:

• Freeform (Legacy) Tournament - The only usual limitation applied is that each round a summoner must present a different creature.
• Sealed Deck - Summoners open a set number of booster packs, and build their deck using only the cards they have received from those packs.
• Rarity Tournament - Permitted cards are limited only to certain stars - for example no more than 2 star cards, or only 3 and 4 star cards.
• Double Tournament - Each side is represented by two participants. Such a format could be combined with other formats.
• Thematic Tournament - Tournament limited to cards following a singular theme, be it edition, expansion pack, gloomcolour, or another unifying element.
• Endurance Tournament - Creatures of a summoner must not be repeated not only in the same battle, but throughout the whole tournament.
• Holo-Only - Only holographic cards permitted.
• Ascendant Ladder - A tiered system. Early duels may be fought with only 1-2 star cards, while the higher stages gradually unlock stronger tiers, with the finals opening the field to the greatest titans.
• Rotating Banlist - Certain creatures are banned for the tournament on the fly (chosen by lot or decree), forcing summoners to adjust strategies.
• Mirror Tournament - Both players must use identical decks, drawn from a predetermined pool. Tests pure skill, tactics, and fortune, not collection.
• Survivor's Pool - Once a creature is defeated in battle, it is removed from the summoner's deck for the rest of the tournament.