Second battle

⚔️

Guide

Build independent databases and a complete content dependency chain in an empty scene, then finish a custom battle that previews intents, selects targets, resolves cards, and advances turns

In First battle, you played a preset Encounter. Here you build an Encounter from your own player, enemy, deck, card, and status, then play it from an empty scene.

Six asset types, from status to encounter

Create Embermark first so Ember Strike and Trial Dummy can reference it in their Behaviors. Add Ember Strike to Ember Trial Deck and assign that deck to Trial Hero as the Starting Deck. Then set up both sides and the battle rules in Ember Trial.

Creation order	Asset	Dependency and purpose
1	Status Embermark	Provides a visible stacking marker referenced by both card and enemy behaviors
2	Card Ember Strike	Costs 1 energy, deals 6 damage, and applies 1 stack of Embermark
3	Deck Ember Trial Deck	Contains 10 copies of Ember Strike, keeping the opening hand and turn draws deterministic
4	Player Trial Hero	Uses Ember Trial Deck as the starting deck and provides 60 HP and 3 base energy
5	Enemy Trial Dummy	Previews an Attack for 3, then deals damage and applies 1 stack of Embermark when it acts
6	Encounter Ember Trial	Connects the player, enemy, reward deck, and turn rules, then starts the battle from the scene

1. Initialize the battle scene and switch databases

Initialize the scene objects

Create a new scene in Unity, then open Game Card System:

Tools > TinyGiants > GCS > Game Card System

Click Initialize System. GCS keeps the existing Main Camera and creates GameCardManager, EventSystem, Background, Battle Runtime, and Battle Fx Directors beside it. It also adds GameCardEncounterBootstrap to GameCardManager and registers the six preset databases. Expand Battle Runtime to check the battle panel, hand area, card pile areas, and presentation objects.

In older projects where UI and Default share sorting layer ID 0, opening a GCS battle scene or clicking Initialize System restores the old UI layer and repairs the affected world-space health bar, status, and Intent canvases. Save the scene to keep the repairs. In a new scene, use Order in Layer on Default to control which elements appear in front. See the upgrade steps for the legacy workflow.

To check the scene setup, select a preset Default Encounter under Encounter Bootstrap and enter Play Mode. Once the battle starts, exit Play Mode and set up the databases for your own Encounter. Use Battle scenes to identify the generated objects or System dashboard to check initialization status.

Switch to six empty databases

Return to Edit Mode and click + New once in each of the Card, Deck, Player, Enemy, Status, and Encounter sections. If the project does not already contain assets with these names, the new databases use the defaults below. When a matching asset already exists, Unity appends a number automatically. In every later step, select the corresponding database created during this walkthrough.

Section	Default name
Card	NewCardDatabase
Deck	NewDeckDatabase
Player	NewPlayerUnitDatabase
Enemy	NewEnemyUnitDatabase
Status	NewStatusDatabase
Encounter	NewEncounterDatabase

After mounting all six databases, switch each preset database to Inactive and leave each new database Active. Every section should show 1/2 Active.

1/2 Active means that both databases remain assigned and only the new database appears in content discovery and the Editor selectors. Existing asset references remain valid. Enable the preset database again when you need its content in the selectors.

Open Game Card Editor through Tools > TinyGiants > GCS > Game Card Editor. Switch through Card, Deck, Player, Enemy, Status, and Encounter in order. All six modes should read the new active databases and show empty lists.

Use + above a list to create an asset in the selected database. Start in Status so the card and enemy Behaviors can reference the status.

2. Build card behavior from a shared status

Make Embermark available for references

Switch to Status, confirm that the database created in this walkthrough is selected, then click the + above the list to create Embermark.

Field	Value
Name	Embermark
Description	Marked by embers.
Type	Debuff
Tags	Tutorial
Icon	Status_Burn
Stack Rule	Additive
Max Stacks	9
Decay Rule	Never
Show Stack Count	Enabled
Behavior	Leave empty, with no triggers

Behavior Summary shows (no triggers). The stacks stay on the unit until another effect changes them because the decay rule is Never. Once saved, Embermark appears in the Change Status picker. See Status authoring for other stack and decay rules.

Make Ember Strike resolve damage and status

Switch to Card, confirm that the database created in this walkthrough is selected, then click the + above the list to create Ember Strike. Use the basic fields to define its cost, target, classification, and presentation.

Field	Value
Name	Ember Strike
Description	Deal 6 damage. Apply 1 Embermark.
Cost	1
Type	Support
Rarity	Common
Target	Single Enemy
Tags	Attack
Keywords	Leave empty
Upgrade	None
Icon	Study
Template	Support

Support is the card Type, which classifies the card and appears on its face; Attack is a separate Tag that lets filters and custom rules recognize it as an attack card; Template = Support selects the card Prefab used by the preview and runtime.

The 1 Warning in the upper-right corner and (no triggers) in Behavior Summary both come from the empty behavior graph. The card data is complete, but playing it does not resolve anything yet. Click Edit FlowGraph and build the gameplay chain.

On Card Played → Deal Damage → Change Status

Node	Field	Value
Deal Damage	Target	Opponent
	Amount	6
	Ignore Armor	Disabled
Change Status	Target	Opponent
	Amount	1
	Mode	Delta
	Status	Embermark

Opponent reads the selected enemy and Deal Damage resolves 6 base damage, Change Status adds 1 stack of Embermark if that enemy survives, killing it skips status application without choosing another enemy, connect presentation nodes after the gameplay nodes

Play VFX → Play SFX → Show Floating Text

Node	Field	Value
Play VFX	Target	Opponent
	Anchor	On Unit
	Prefab	VFX_BurnIgnite
	Lifetime	0, automatic
Play SFX	Clip	Mage2
	Volume	1
Show Floating Text	Target	Opponent
	Content	Amount
	Amount	Switch to an input port and connect Deal Damage → Dealt
	Include Sign	Enabled
	Custom Color	Disabled
	Scale	1
	Duration	1
	Offset	(0, 0, 0)

Organize the three presentation nodes as Play Effect in this order:

1. Set Content on Show Floating Text to Amount, click the small circle to the right of Amount to switch it to an input port, then connect Dealt from Deal Damage.
2. Leave the three presentation nodes ungrouped for now, close the FlowGraph window, then reopen it through Edit FlowGraph on Ember Strike. Show Floating Text refreshes to the Damage style based on the direct source of Dealt.
3. Select the three presentation nodes and press Ctrl + G. The Dealt data connection is preserved automatically as a Group boundary port.
4. Rename the default Group to Play Effect. Double-click to enter the group, then click the parameter labels that should remain visible in the parent graph to expose Prefab, Clip, Include Sign, Custom Color, Scale, and Duration.
5. Return to the parent graph and connect the flow output of Change Status to the flow input of Play Effect.

Static Amount values in the screenshots

The two FlowGraph screenshots show fixed values of Amount = 6 and Amount = 3, the base damage for the card's and enemy's Deal Damage nodes. The current editor no longer requires you to select Kind manually. When you follow the steps above, the canvas also shows the Deal Damage → Dealt data connection, and Amount reads the damage actually dealt after armor and Hook adjustments.

The path from On Card Played to Play Effect is now fully connected. The card can resolve damage, status, and presentation. FlowGraph Editor covers node connections, exposed Group parameters, and actual resolved values. The next step adds the card to a deck so the player can draw it in battle.

3. Give the card to the player, then add an opponent

Turn executable cards into a draw source with a deck

Switch to Deck, click the + above the list to create Ember Trial Deck, then set Copies for Ember Strike to 10.

Field	Value
Name	Ember Trial Deck
Description	Ten Ember Strikes for the second-battle tutorial.
Tags	Leave empty
Icon	Deck_Warrior_Start
Cards	Ember Strike × 10

1 cards · 10 copies means that the deck has one unique card entry and ten runtime cards in total. Both the 5-card opening hand and the 5 cards drawn on the next turn contain only Ember Strike. See Deck authoring for deck entries, Copies, and draw sources. This deck must still become the player's Starting Deck before it enters battle.

Bring the deck into battle with the player

Switch to Player, click the + above the list to create Trial Hero, then select the completed Ember Trial Deck under Deck.

Section	Field	Value
Basic	Name	Trial Hero
	Description	A tutorial player with a guaranteed Ember Strike draw.
	Tags	Leave empty
Visual	Icon	Avatar
	Template	Prefab
Attributes	Base HP	60
	Base Energy	3
Deck	Starting Deck	Ember Trial Deck
Energy	Name	Energy
	Description	tutorial energy
	Icon	Energy

The player preview, 60 HP · 3 Energy, and the ten-card starting deck complete the player configuration. Starting Deck determines the library that enters battle. The Energy section defines only the resource name, description, and icon shown in the UI. See Player authoring for all related fields.

Bind the enemy preview and action with an intent

The battle still needs an opponent that can preview and execute an action. Switch to Enemy, click the + above the list to create Trial Dummy, then configure its health, tier, and presentation assets.

Field	Value
Name	Trial Dummy
Description	A predictable tutorial enemy.
Tier	Normal
Tags	Leave empty
Icon	Avatar
Template	Prefab
HP Min	24
HP Max	24

The current 24 HP and character preview define only the enemy's basic data and appearance. Behavior Summary and Intents are still empty. Click Edit FlowGraph and use Leaf Intent to bind the Attack preview to the path executed on the enemy turn.

On Enemy Behavior Start → Leaf Intent (Attack) → Deal Damage → Change Status

Node	Field	Value
Leaf Intent	Intent	Attack
Deal Damage	Target	Opponent
	Amount	3
	Ignore Armor	Disabled
Change Status	Target	Opponent
	Amount	1
	Mode	Delta
	Status	Embermark

At battle start, this path resolves Leaf Intent and extracts the value 3 from the following Deal Damage node for the Attack preview in Full mode. When the enemy turn begins, GCS executes the planned leaf path, deals 3 damage to Trial Hero, and applies 1 stack of Embermark.

The presentation chain follows the same organization established for the card. Only the enemy hit effect, sound, and floating-text value change.

Play VFX → Play SFX → Show Floating Text

Node	Field	Value
Play VFX	Target	Opponent
	Anchor	On Unit
	Prefab	VFX_ImpactHit
	Lifetime	0, automatic
Play SFX	Clip	Hit002
	Volume	1
Show Floating Text	Target	Opponent
	Content	Amount
	Amount	Switch to an input port and connect Deal Damage → Dealt
	Include Sign	Enabled
	Custom Color	Disabled
	Scale	1
	Duration	1
	Offset	(0, 0, 0)

After connecting Deal Damage → Dealt to the floating-text Amount, leave the three presentation nodes ungrouped for now. Close the FlowGraph window, reopen it through Edit FlowGraph on Trial Dummy, then group the three presentation nodes as Play Effect.

Double-click to enter the group and expose Prefab, Clip, Scale, and Duration. The Dealt connection becomes the Amount boundary port automatically. Leave Include Sign and Custom Color configured inside the group. Return to the parent graph and connect the flow output of Change Status to the group. The floating text now uses the actual damage value.

Leaf Intent and the following damage, status, and presentation nodes now share one path. Trial Hero and Trial Dummy also have the deck, attributes, and behavior required for battle startup. See Enemy authoring and Common enemy patterns for more combinations of enemy intents and behavior graphs. With both sides ready, Encounter can assemble the complete battle.

4. Assemble the battle in an Encounter

Switch to Encounter, click the + above the list to create Ember Trial, then place the completed player, enemy, and deck in Player, Enemy Units, and Reward Deck. Configure the opening hand, draw, energy, and turn rules.

Section	Field	Value
Basic	Name	Ember Trial
	Description	A complete second-battle tutorial encounter.
	Difficulty	Normal
	Tags	Leave empty
Visual	Icon	Background, shown as the battle background in the initialized scene
Player	Player	Trial Hero
Enemy Units	Enemy Units	Trial Dummy × 1
Reward Deck	Reward Deck	Ember Trial Deck
Battle Rules	Starting Hand Size	5
	Draw Per Turn	5
	Max Hand Size	10
	Starting Energy	0
	Card Reward Count	3
	Armor Decay	ResetOnTurnStart
	Hand Discard	DiscardOnTurnEnd
	Enemy Intent Display	Full
	Animation Gap	0.28 seconds

Four of these rules can be misunderstood from their field names:

• Starting Energy = 0 means that the Encounter does not override the player's base energy. The runtime falls back to Base Energy = 3 from Trial Hero, so the Play Mode opening still shows 3/3.

• Full keeps both the intent icon and any calculable value, so this enemy behavior shows Attack with a value of 3. IconOnly hides the value, while Hidden hides the intent display.

• Card Reward Count = 3 is the maximum number of candidates. Ember Trial Deck has only one unique entry, Ember Strike × 10, and reward draws do not select the same entry more than once. Victory in this battle can therefore produce at most one card candidate.

• Animation Gap is saved with the Encounter, but the current runtime does not read this field. 0.28 therefore does not change the interval between node execution or phase progression.

Lineup now shows Trial Hero against Trial Dummy. The Battle Rules summary also shows Hand 5, Draw 5, Hand Max 10, Energy 0, Reward 3, and Intent Full. With both sides, the reward source, and the battle rules complete, select GameCardManager, assign Ember Trial under Encounter Bootstrap, and enable Auto Start On Play.

The green Ready — starts on Play status means that Ember Trial belongs to the active Encounter Database and that Auto Start On Play is enabled. When you enter Play Mode, Bootstrap passes this Encounter to GameCardManager for startup. See Encounter authoring for encounter lineups, rules, and reward boundaries. See Starting a battle for automatic scene startup and code-driven entry points.

5. Verify the complete battle in Play Mode

Enter Play Mode. The opening board should match the player, enemy, deck, energy rules, and intent display configured above. Trial Hero should be at 60/60, Trial Dummy at 24/24, and energy at 3/3; the same board should also show 5 Ember Strike cards in hand, 5 cards in the draw pile, 0 cards in the discard pile, and an Attack with a value of 3 above the enemy.

The five identical cards come from the ten copies of Ember Strike. Attack 3 comes from the resolved Leaf Intent → Deal Damage path on the enemy. Once these opening results are present, click an Ember Strike. The card's Single Enemy target mode enters enemy selection, darkens the battlefield, points a red arrow at Trial Dummy, and displays white corner markers around the target:

When the overlay, arrow, and markers appear, click Trial Dummy to confirm the target. On Card Played follows the damage, status, and presentation group to complete the card path.

After resolution, energy drops from 3 to 2, the hand from 5 cards to 4, the discard pile from 0 to 1, and enemy HP from 24 to 18. The status bar shows 1 stack of Embermark. Cost, target, damage, status, and pile movement should all take effect in the same card play.

Click End Turn. DiscardOnTurnEnd moves the remaining 4 cards into the discard pile. Trial Dummy then executes Attack 3, deals 3 damage to the player, and applies 1 stack of Embermark. When the action finishes, the system resolves the next Attack 3, enters the second player turn, refills 3 energy, and draws the remaining 5 cards.

At the start of the second player turn, Trial Hero is at 57/60 with 1 stack of Embermark, matching the damage and status path the enemy just executed. Energy is back to 3/3, while the hand, draw pile, and discard pile contain 5, 0, and 5 cards. The earlier Embermark on the enemy also remains at 1 stack, exactly as defined by Decay Rule = Never and an empty Behavior.

Check the Console one last time. If it contains no GCS errors, database activation, content references, both FlowGraphs, Encounter assembly, and Bootstrap startup have all passed verification.

Each stage now has a visible result. You have completed the first full battle scene of your own.

See Battle loop for the complete order of drawing, discarding, the enemy phase, and the next turn.