Tag Team – Quick Start Guide for Beginners
Reading time approx. 12–15 minutes
Last updated: 17.08.2026 – checked against the official English Fight Rules, the Fighters' Guide, and the full card set
A quick reference for the rules, timing edge cases, and Fighter exceptions.
Contents
- Goal of the Game
- Contents
- Pick Your Fighters
- Setup
- A Round
- Standard Actions and Timing
- Health Track, Icons and Stops
- Card Keywords
- Key Fighter Exceptions
- Milady's Schemes
- End of the Fight! Step
- Build! Step
- End of Game
- Resetting Your Decks
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Common Rules Mistakes
Cheat sheet before you play
1. Goal of the Game
Each player controls a team of two Fighters. A player loses the Fight if their Health marker is on the KO space at the end of a Turn. If Fighters from both teams get KO'd on the same Turn, that's a Double KO and the Fight is a Draw by default. Fighter-specific effects can explicitly override these rules – see Key Fighter Exceptions.
2. Contents
- Cards & boards: 120 Fight cards (10 per Fighter), 12 Draft cards, 12 Fighter boards, 1 Fighters' Guide.
- Markers & tokens: 40 Power cubes (purple), 6 Health markers (green), 4 Special markers (yellow), 1 Sheriff token, 1 Golem's Presence token, 1 Serpent token (double-sided), 2 Concentration tokens, 5 Aflame! tokens, 11 Scheme tokens.
No separate "Spirit" tokens: The Fey Folk's Spirit status is not tracked with its own token. It's simply the position of a Fighter's own Health marker (on the Spirit space of its track) plus a shared Special marker on the Spirit track. See Section 9.
3. Pick Your Fighters
For your first game, the rulebook suggests Joan and Ching Shih versus Bödvar and Wong Fei-Hung. Later, you can pick freely or use the Draft cards – there are two methods.
Base for both: shuffle the 12 Draft cards (one per Fighter) and deal half to each player, face down. Each of you has a random half you haven't seen yet.
Standard Draft
Competitive Draft
Same steps as Standard Draft, with one extra step before passing your cards in Step 2: discard one more card from your half, face down. That card is out of the game entirely – your opponent never sees it and can't pick that Fighter. This lets you deny your opponent a strong Fighter before they even know it was available.
Note: Both drafting methods are optional. You can just pick your Fighters directly without using the Draft cards at all.
4. Setup
First game reference – starting Power: Joan 1 · Ching Shih 2 · Wong Fei-Hung 2 · Bödvar 3. Starting Cards: Joan's is 'Dieu Premier Servi', Ching Shih's is Terror of the Seas, Bödvar's is Enrage, Wong Fei-Hung's is ...The Harder They Fall.
5. A Round
play through all cards
add 1 new card
longer Fight Decks
A Turn
Discard pile: Played Fight cards are placed face up on top of the previously played card. You can't look back at cards of your opponent's that are already covered up.
Don't forget: A Turn starts every time a new card is revealed. A Round begins when players play the first card of their Fight Deck and ends at the end of the Build! Step. Your Fight Deck really is only 2 cards long on the very first Round – it grows fast.
6. Standard Actions and Timing
Turn your phone sideways for easier reading.
| Action | What happens |
|---|---|
| Attack | The other player's Active Fighter loses HP equal to your Fighter's Power at the beginning of the Turn. If the card targets someone else, that's stated explicitly on the card. |
| Multiple Attacks | If a Fighter is targeted by Attacks from different sources in the same Turn (e.g. their Opponent and that Opponent's Partner), this counts as a single Attack with the two Powers combined into one value. |
| Direct Damage | Not an Attack. Unaffected by Block. Still affected by Stops and still triggers Health Track icons it passes through. If Direct Damage and an Attack happen on the same Turn, add the Direct Damage value to the Attack's Power. If that combination gets Blocked, only the Attack is negated – the Direct Damage is still assigned. |
| Block | Negates all Attacks performed by your opponent and/or their Partner this Turn, whether the Attacks target one Fighter or several. Blocks do not negate Direct Damage or other non-Attack effects. |
| Bonus Action on Success | If a Block negates at least one Attack, its Bonus Action triggers – at most once per Turn, no matter how many Attacks it blocked. An Attack with 0 Power still counts as an Attack, so it still triggers the Bonus Action if Blocked. The same green-checkmark "Success" icon also appears on non-Block cards, where it triggers a bonus if that card's main Action succeeded. |
| Heal | Moves the Health marker up. Healing and HP loss on the same Turn are netted against each other before moving the marker. A Fighter on the KO space can no longer be healed. |
| Power Gain/Loss | Add or remove Power cubes as shown. For that same Turn's Attacks, only the Power at the beginning of the Turn counts – cubes gained or lost this Turn apply starting next Turn. Power can never go below 0. |
| Transfer | Passing an item from one Fighter to another. Transfer as much of the required amount as you can, but never more than you actually have. |
| Cancel | The opposing Fighter's card is completely ignored and has no effect (shown by the red X icon). |
Everything happens at once: Direct Damage and Attack Power are added together first, then Healing is subtracted from that total, and the result moves the Health marker. Stops can end that movement early. Health/Special Track icons are then activated simultaneously once all markers have finished moving for the Turn.
7. Health Track, Icons and Stops
Any time a Health marker lands on or passes through a space with an icon (that isn't a Stop), that icon's Action is performed once all Health markers have finished moving for the Turn. Multiple icons passed in the same movement are all activated together. If a marker is already sitting on an icon space at the start of a Turn, moving off it does not trigger that icon – but moving back into that same space later can trigger it again.
Stop: The moment a Health marker lands on a Stop space, that movement ends immediately – whether it was moving up or down, and regardless of whether it came from an Attack, Direct Damage, or Healing. A separate movement triggered later in the same Turn can move the marker again.
8. Card Keywords
| Keyword | Meaning |
|---|---|
| THEN | The Action after THEN is always performed after the previous Actions on that card, regardless of whether those were successful. |
| Opponent(s) | "Opponent" always means the other player's Active Fighter. "Opponents" means that Active Fighter and their Partner together. |
| You | Always refers to the Active Fighter. |
Conditions written as "If...": Several cards use plain conditional text rather than a stylised keyword, e.g. Mordred's Dark Power: "If you have at least 8 Power when you play this card, Attack." This is checked before the Action happens – if the condition isn't met, that Action simply doesn't occur, but every other Action on the card is still mandatory.
Golden Rule: Any effect on a card or a Fighter board overrules any rule in this guide or the rulebook. That's also why you should read the Setup and Gameplay sections for your chosen Fighters before every game.
9. Key Fighter Exceptions
| Fighter | Exception |
|---|---|
| Joan | Gaining a Divine Voice moves the Special marker 1 space clockwise on her circular Divine Voice track. Landing on the top-right space gives Joan 1 Power; landing on the bottom-left space gives her Partner 1 Power. |
| The Wild Bunch | Every single space on their Health Track is a Stop, so their Health marker only ever moves 1 space per Turn – if they lose more HP than they Heal in the same Turn, they move down 1 space; if they Heal more than they lose, they move up 1 space. Their Sheriff token switches owners over the course of the Fight and changes what several of their cards do – always check who currently holds it before playing. |
| Bödvar | Some of his cards have two sections – one for the Bödvar side of his board, one for the Berserker Bear side; only use the section matching the currently visible side. On the Turn he Transforms, he ignores all HP loss and Healing from every source. Any tokens assigned to him (Wong Fei-Hung's Concentration tokens, Shango's Aflame! tokens, etc.) must be transferred to the Berserker Bear. The Bear's starting HP equals Bödvar's Power count at the moment of the flip (any Power above 15 is ignored for this placement, though he keeps the cubes) – that's a starting value, not a maximum, so he can still be healed up to 15 HP. |
| Shango | Placing an Aflame! token on a Fighter who has none also pulls back any Aflame! tokens already sitting on their Partner's board, consolidating them onto one target. At 5 Aflame! tokens, that Fighter is Incinerated and loses the Fight immediately – this is not HP loss (no Health Track icons trigger) and it overrides a Double KO: an Incinerated Fighter simply loses, it's not a Draw. Whenever Shango Attacks, his Attack Power is his own Power plus 1 per Aflame! token already on the target's board. |
| Maman Brijit | She has 2 KO spaces. If her Health marker is on either at the end of the Turn, she's KO'd – but if it moves past both onto the +1 Power space instead, she comes back to life: she gains 1 Power and her marker resets to the 4 HP space at the end of the Turn. Once her marker reaches the last space on her track, no further HP loss applies. Her Eternal Youth cancels only an opponent's Heal Action (not the rest of that card), and she gains the full amount that heal should have granted – including any amount that would have gone to the healer's Partner. |
| Mephisto | His double-sided Serpent token is flipped in the air during Setup; you must always use whichever side is currently showing when you play a card that reads off it. Whenever his Health marker lands on or passes through the Serpent icon space, the token flips automatically without applying either side's effect. His Drag You to Hell creates its own win condition: if your team would lose the Fight in any way on that Turn – Incineration, a KO'd Partner, anything – you win instead. |
| The Fey Folk | They have three separate Health tracks, one per Character, but only the currently chosen Character's marker can lose HP or be Healed. There is no separate "Spirit" token – a Character becomes a Spirit simply by its own Health marker reaching the Spirit space on its track (no KO space exists on these tracks), and can no longer be Healed from then on. At the end of that Turn, before the next card is revealed, advance the shared Special marker one space on the Spirit track, choose which Character plays next, and place their marker on their Start space. The Fey Folk begin the Fight with 1 Spirit already counted on this track. They are only KO'd if the Special marker is at the very top of the Spirit track (all three Characters are Spirits) at the moment "All Legends Must Pass" is revealed – not simply whenever the third Character becomes a Spirit. They can still perform card Actions with no active Character, just not Heal or lose HP. |
| Mordred | No special components. His Hidden Dagger still Attacks even if the Opponent Blocks it – the Attack is simply Blocked, which still activates the Block's own Bonus Action for the opponent. |
| Milady | Uses a separate Scheme mechanism – see Section 10. |
| The Golem | His Golem's Presence token protects only his Partner, never the Golem himself, and only against Attacks – not Direct Damage or other HP loss. An Attack that removes the token this way still counts as a successful Attack (not a Blocked one), so tokens that normally accompany a successful Attack are still assigned. Giving the token to a Partner mid-Turn doesn't protect them from HP loss that same Turn – it only takes effect from the next Turn onward. His Reanimation activates the following card twice: the second activation runs as though a new Turn were starting for that Fighter only (not their Opponent), using that Fighter's updated state and Power. |
| Wong Fei-Hung | His 2 Concentration tokens travel between Fighters via his cards. He still Attacks with the (possibly lower) Power his card specifies even if that's less than his own current Power, and still recovers his token even if that Attack is Blocked. |
| Ching Shih | Her Fleet track caps at 20 Ships; any Ships gained beyond that are ignored. Terror of the Seas only does something at 0–7, 8–15, or exactly 20 Ships – nothing happens at 16–19. Its 20-Ships effect is Direct Damage (so it triggers Health Track icons and can't be Blocked) and only reduces the currently active Health Track to 1 HP for Fighters who have more than one, such as the Fey Folk. |
10. Milady's Schemes
Milady's 11 Scheme tokens are shuffled face down into a pile next to her board at Setup.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Plant a Scheme | Take the top token from the pile and place it face down above her board. Once the pile is empty, she can no longer Plant. |
| Unleash a Scheme | Triggered by a card Action, or when her Health marker lands on or passes through the Scheme space on her Health Track. Flip a random planted token face up, apply its effect, then remove it from the game permanently. |
| Unleashed via a card Action | Counts as that card's own Action, so it resolves at the same time as the opponent's card Action(s) that Turn (e.g. Checkmate, So Predictable, With a Stab and a Smile). Unleashing via her Health Track happens afterward, in a kind of mini-phase once all card Actions are resolved – which means it can move a Health marker that a Stop had already halted. |
Multiple Schemes in one Turn: Flip all Unleashed tokens face up first so every Action is visible. Resolve all Attacks, Direct Damage, Healing, and Power gains as normal, then apply any Poison effects last. If more than one Poison is Unleashed, each one applies to the HP total left over after the previous one.
| Token effect |
|---|
| Unleash a Scheme and Attack |
| Attack both Opponents |
| Heal your Partner 6 HP |
| ALL Fighters take 1 Direct Damage |
| Gain 2 Power |
| Your Partner gains 2 Power |
| Unleash a Scheme and your Partner gains 1 Power |
| Gain 1 Power and your Partner gains 1 Power |
| Poison (3 tokens): your Opponent takes Direct Damage equal to half their current HP, rounded down. A Fighter can never be KO'd by Poison alone. |
11. End of the Fight! Step
Once both players have played the last card of their Fight Deck and nobody has lost, the Fight! Step ends. Fight Decks are never shuffled.
12. Build! Step
You can add the new card to the top, the bottom, or between any two cards of your Fight Deck. You may not rearrange the existing cards.
Instant Bonus cards: If the card you add has the Instant Bonus icon, announce the bonus to your opponent and apply it once both players have added their card. You don't have to reveal which card it was or where you placed it in your Fight Deck.
Depleted Build Deck: If you can't draw 3 cards from your Build Deck, the game is over – see End of Game.
13. End of Game
| Event | Result |
|---|---|
| Knocked Out | If a Fighter's Health marker is on the KO space at the end of a Turn, that player has lost the Fight immediately. Once on the KO space, a Fighter can no longer be Healed. Some Fighter effects mean a KO isn't necessarily final – know your opponent's Fighters. |
| Double KO | If at least two Fighters on opposing teams are KO'd on the same Turn, the Fight is a Draw – unless an explicit Fighter or card effect overrides that (e.g. Shango's Incinerated, or Mephisto's Drag You to Hell). |
| Depleted Build Deck | If a player can't draw 3 cards from their Build Deck during the Build! Step, the Fight is a Draw. |
14. Resetting Your Decks
To play again, separate the Fight cards back into each Fighter's individual deck, with the Starting Card back on top.
15. Frequently Asked Questions
Can Direct Damage be Blocked?
No. Direct Damage is not an Attack. A Block negates the Attack in the same combination, but the Direct Damage is still assigned.
Does a 0-Power Attack still count as an Attack?
Yes. It's still considered a performed, successful Attack if unblocked – for example, it still triggers a Block's Bonus Action if the opponent Blocks it.
What happens when an Attack, Direct Damage, and Healing all land on the same Turn?
Attack Power and Direct Damage are added together; Healing is subtracted from that total. The result moves the Health marker, and Stops can interrupt that movement early.
Does the Active Fighter alternate automatically?
No. Whichever card comes up decides the Active Fighter fresh every Turn. The same Fighter can be Active for several Turns in a row.
Is the Fight Deck shuffled after a Round?
No. The order is preserved. During the Build! Step, exactly one new card is added at a spot you choose.
Does the Fey Folk's starting Spirit count towards cards like Spirit Storm?
Yes. The Fey Folk begin the Fight with 1 Spirit already on their Spirit track. When the first Character becomes a Spirit, that becomes 2, and so on.
Does the Golem's Presence token protect the Golem himself?
No – it only ever protects his Partner, and only from Attacks, not from Direct Damage or other HP loss. An Attack it absorbs still counts as successful, just not Blocked.
If Bödvar's Partner is Attacked when he plays Spirit Trance, does he take the extra Direct Damage?
No. Spirit Trance's extra Direct Damage only triggers if Bödvar himself is Attacked, and only by an actual Attack – not by Direct Damage.
Can a Fighter be KO'd by Milady's Poison?
No. Poison deals Direct Damage equal to half the target's current HP, rounded down, which by design can never reduce them to the KO space on its own.
If Mephisto is Incinerated or his Partner is KO'd the same Turn he plays Drag You to Hell, does he still win?
Yes, in both cases. Drag You to Hell wins the Fight for you if your team would lose it in any way that Turn.
16. Common Rules Mistakes
General rules
✘ Wrong: The Active Fighter must alternate between your two Fighters.
✔ Right: Whichever card is revealed decides the Active Fighter fresh, every Turn.
✘ Wrong: Shuffle the Fight Deck between Rounds.
✔ Right: The order is permanent; only the one new card from the Build! Step is inserted.
✘ Wrong: Using Power gained this Turn for an Attack played this same Turn.
✔ Right: Only the Power at the beginning of the Turn counts for that Turn's Attack.
✘ Wrong: Blocking Direct Damage.
✔ Right: Only Attacks can be Blocked.
✘ Wrong: Awarding a Block's Bonus Action multiple times because it negated multiple Attacks.
✔ Right: A successful Block's Bonus Action triggers at most once per Turn.
✘ Wrong: Letting a single HP movement carry on past a Stop space.
✔ Right: That movement ends immediately at the Stop; a later, separate movement can move the marker again.
Fighter-specific rules
The Wild Bunch
✘ Wrong: Reading a Sheriff token symbol on a card as automatically good for you.
✔ Right: Several of their cards work differently depending on who currently holds the token – always check first.
Bödvar
✘ Wrong: Applying both card sections (Human and Bear) at once.
✔ Right: Only the section matching his board's currently visible side applies.
Shango
✘ Wrong: Treating Incineration as a form of KO that counts towards a Double KO / Draw.
✔ Right: Incineration is an immediate, individual loss for that Fighter – it overrides the Double KO / Draw rule.
The Fey Folk
✘ Wrong: Assuming a separate token marks which Character is a Spirit, or that they're KO'd the instant all three become Spirits.
✔ Right: Spirit status is just a Health marker position; they're only KO'd if all three are Spirits at the moment All Legends Must Pass is revealed.
The Golem
✘ Wrong: Assuming the Golem's Presence token protects the Golem himself, or protects against any HP loss.
✔ Right: It only ever protects his Partner, and only from Attacks.
Milady
✘ Wrong: Reusing discarded Scheme tokens once her pile runs out.
✔ Right: Unleashed Schemes are removed from the game for good; a Plant Action is simply ignored once the pile is empty.
Note: This is an unofficial fan-made quick reference and is not affiliated with the publisher of the game. Tag Team and all associated names, cards, and game content are the property of their respective rights holders. This page is neither sponsored nor endorsed by the rights holders.
Rules basis: the official English "Fight Rules" booklet and "Fighters' Guide" (dated 22 Apr 2026), cross-checked against the full physical card set for all twelve Fighters. This guide does not replace the Fighters' Guide – that's where further detail and FAQ edge cases live, especially for rare card interactions. Wherever there's a conflict, card and Fighter board effects always take precedence.
