The 9 Card Types

ETAPE 3 of 5 — The 9 Card Types

This document defines each of the 9 card types in voidexa: what they do mechanically, what they look like visually, where they sit on a ship, and how to write art prompts that produce on-brand results. This is the canonical reference for all card art generation.

Prerequisite: ETAPE 1 (Universe) + ETAPE 2 (Battle Mechanics) — read first.

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DISTRIBUTION OVERVIEW

The 1000-card Alpha Set distributes across 9 types as follows:

1000 total. All cards in this set follow the visual rules from ETAPE 1: ship-scale, deep space, no humans, no fantasy.

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TYPE 1: WEAPON

What it is mechanically

A Weapon is a one-shot attack — the ship fires its weapon system, deals damage, then the card is discarded. Weapons are the primary source of damage in the game. Most are aggressive, generate Heat, and require the Weapons Array subsystem to be functional.

Behavior:

• Cost energy to play
• Most generate Heat (+1 to +3)
• Cannot be played if Weapons Array = 0
• Deal damage to a target (enemy hull, subsystem, or drone)
• Goes to discard after firing

What it represents in the universe

A Weapon card represents a mounted weapon hardpoint on the ship's hull firing once. This is NOT a handheld weapon. NOT a personal sidearm. NOT a sword.

Common in-universe weapons:

• Energy weapons: plasma cannons, laser arrays, ion beams, particle accelerators, electrical arc throwers
• Kinetic weapons: railguns, mass drivers, autocannons, gauss cannons, missile pods
• Specialized weapons: EMP pulses, disruptor beams, gravitational lensing weapons, antimatter projectors

Example cards from the Alpha Set

Visual grammar — what art MUST show

✅ Subject: A weapon hardpoint mounted on starship hull plating — turret, cannon barrel, missile rack, beam emitter. The hardpoint is BOLTED to a multi-meter armored section of ship.

✅ Action: The weapon FIRING — projectile leaving the barrel, plasma discharging, beam striking, missile launching. Or the moment-before-firing (charging, capacitor glowing, barrel rotating into position).

✅ Target: Enemy ship hull, enemy drone, or empty space (in case of charging shots). Distance between weapon and target should suggest ship-to-ship combat range — kilometers, not meters.

✅ Setting: Deep space. Stars, nebula, distant ships visible.

✅ Scale cues: Hull rivets, armor seams, panel lines, hangar bay openings, navigation lights — everything that signals "this is a multi-thousand-ton starship, not a handheld gun."

❌ Never show: A pistol, rifle, sword, knife, or any handheld weapon. A person holding anything. A muzzle flash that suggests gunpowder propellant (sci-fi weapons use plasma/energy/electromagnetic).

Example art prompt (Spark Discharge)

Square sci-fi trading card illustration, starship combat universe. Show electrical arc cannon hardpoint bolted into the ship exterior, throwing jagged electrical arcs across enemy starship armor plating. Charged capacitor glow, plasma discharge, ship-scale only. Dark cinematic deep-space lighting, premium mechanical detail, close-up readable composition. No humans, no humanoid silhouettes, no pilots, no soldiers, no hands, no handheld weapons. No words, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no UI, no card border.

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TYPE 2: DRONE

What it is mechanically

A Drone is a persistent unit deployed by the parent ship. Unlike a Weapon (one-shot), a Drone stays in play, attacks each turn, and can be targeted/destroyed.

Behavior:

• Cost energy to play (deploy)
• Has its own mini-stats: Hull (mini-HP), Damage, sometimes Shield
• Attacks once per turn at start of player's main phase
• Stays in play until destroyed (mini-Hull = 0)
• Max 5 drones in play at a time per side
• Some have "Deploy Burst" effects (immediate trigger on play)
• Some have "End Cycle" effects (trigger at turn end)

What it represents in the universe

A Drone card represents an unmanned auxiliary vessel launched from the parent ship's hangar bay. Drones are smaller than the parent ship (fighter-scale, 5-20m) but still ship-scale — they are NOT handheld toys, NOT remote-control quadcopters, NOT model airplanes.

Common drone types:

• Combat drones: small armed fighters, kamikaze drones, gunship drones
• Recon drones: sensor probes, scout drones, surveillance platforms
• Support drones: repair drones, shield-relay drones, jamming drones
• Swarm drones: small expendable units deployed in groups

Example cards from the Alpha Set

Visual grammar — what art MUST show

✅ Subject: A drone — small unmanned vessel with visible hardpoints, sensors, thrusters. Mechanical, hard-edged, sci-fi industrial design.

✅ Action: Drone in flight — either launching from hangar bay (showing the parent ship's hangar opening behind it) OR flying in formation alongside the parent ship in the distance.

✅ Target: Drone aimed at enemy or in defensive formation. Sometimes shooting at off-screen target.

✅ Setting: Deep space, nebula visible.

✅ Scale cues: Drone is clearly smaller than the parent ship visible in background. Parent ship and drone in same frame establishes the relationship.

❌ Never show: A toy drone, a quadcopter, a hobbyist RC craft. A person controlling a drone with a remote. A drone "swooping in" at character-scale.

Example art prompt (Scout Drone Beta)

Square sci-fi trading card illustration, starship combat universe. Show a small unmanned recon drone with visible sensor arrays and thrusters, launching from a starship hangar bay opening. Parent ship visible in the background, deep space behind. Drone is the focal subject, mechanical hard-edged design, blue scanning glow. Dark cinematic lighting. No humans, no humanoid silhouettes, no pilots, no people, no remote controllers, no handheld objects. No words, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no UI, no card border.

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TYPE 3: DEFENSE

What it is mechanically

A Defense card is a one-shot reactive ability that reduces or absorbs incoming damage. Most have the Reactive keyword (playable during enemy turn) and protect against specific damage events.

Behavior:

• Cost energy to play
• Most are Reactive (played during enemy turn)
• Provide a defense value that absorbs incoming damage
• Goes to discard after triggering (or after duration ends)

What it represents in the universe

A Defense card represents the ship's protective systems activating — shield generators flaring, armor plating extending, point-defense systems engaging. NOT a personal shield bubble around a soldier. NOT a magical force field. A SHIP-SCALE defensive system.

Common defense types:

• Shield-based: energy bubble generators, deflector arrays, particle dispersal fields
• Armor-based: ablative plating, reactive armor activating, hull-hardening
• Active defense: point-defense laser networks, anti-missile drone swarms, electronic warfare jamming

Example cards from the Alpha Set

Visual grammar — what art MUST show

✅ Subject: A starship with active defense system visible — shield bubble, armor plating extending, point-defense lasers firing, electronic field surrounding the hull.

✅ Action: Defense system in the moment of activation — bubble expanding outward, armor sliding into place, hardpoints rotating to intercept. Show the moment-of-impact where the defense is absorbing or deflecting damage.

✅ Target: Defense protecting against incoming attack — visible enemy fire being blocked, missile being intercepted, energy beam dispersing on shield.

✅ Setting: Deep space. Player's ship is hero subject in frame.

✅ Scale cues: Shield bubble or armor system spans the ENTIRE ship hull. Not a small personal forcefield.

❌ Never show: A handheld riot shield, a personal force field around a soldier, magical wards, a fantasy aegis. Anyone holding anything.

Example art prompt (Basic Deflector)

Square sci-fi trading card illustration, starship combat universe. Show a ship-mounted shield generator projecting a curved energy bubble around the entire starship hull, deflecting incoming enemy fire. Shield surface ripples with cyan-white energy where weapon impacts strike. Ship visible inside the bubble, deep space and stars beyond. Cinematic dramatic lighting, premium sci-fi materials. No humans, no humanoid silhouettes, no pilots, no people, no fantasy magic, no handheld shields. No words, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no UI, no card border.

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TYPE 4: MANEUVER

What it is mechanically

A Maneuver is a one-shot card representing an evasive or repositioning action by the ship. Most are Reactive and used to dodge incoming damage. They require the Engines subsystem to be functional.

Behavior:

• Cost energy to play
• Cannot be played if Engines = 0
• Most are Reactive (defensive use during enemy turn)
• Some are aggressive (offensive repositioning, like flanking)
• Goes to discard after executing

What it represents in the universe

A Maneuver card represents the ship physically moving in space — burning thrusters, executing a roll, performing an evasive twist, ramming, or flanking. NOT a person dodging. NOT a martial arts move. The SHIP is the subject performing the action.

Common maneuvers:

• Evasive: barrel rolls, evasive swerves, emergency brakes, vector cuts
• Offensive: strafing runs, ramming attacks, flanking burns
• Tactical: afterburner sprints, microwarp jumps, 180-degree pivots

Example cards from the Alpha Set

Visual grammar — what art MUST show

✅ Subject: The ship in the act of performing the maneuver. Thruster trails, banking angles, dynamic motion lines suggested through composition.

✅ Action: The MOVEMENT itself — ship caught mid-roll, mid-banking-turn, mid-burn, with thruster plumes streaming from engines. Streaks of motion blur conveying speed.

✅ Target: None or implied (the enemy attack the ship is dodging is shown as a beam/missile that just missed).

✅ Setting: Deep space. Stars stretched into long lines suggesting velocity. Nebula visible.

✅ Scale cues: Full ship visible in frame, multiple thruster plumes, hull plate detail, navigation lights.

❌ Never show: A person dodging, a fighter pilot in cockpit (no humans), a horse, a martial-arts pose, anything character-scale. The ship IS the dodger.

Example art prompt (Evasive Swerve)

Square sci-fi trading card illustration, starship combat universe. Show a starship performing a sharp evasive maneuver, banking hard with thruster trails splitting into layered afterimages. Stars stretched into motion blur lines. Enemy weapon fire visible just missing the ship. Deep space backdrop with nebula. Dynamic cinematic composition, premium sci-fi materials. No humans, no humanoid silhouettes, no pilots, no people, no characters in cockpits visible. No words, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no UI, no card border.

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TYPE 5: AI ROUTINE

What it is mechanically

An AI Routine is a persistent passive system that runs on the ship's computers and provides ongoing benefits. Once played, it stays in effect until destroyed or replaced.

Behavior:

• Cost energy to play (install/initialize)
• Stays in play indefinitely
• Triggers on conditions (per turn, on weapon fire, on damage taken, etc.)
• Some are "Persistent Field" passives (always on)
• Some are "End Cycle" (trigger each turn end)
• Can be destroyed by specific anti-AI cards

What it represents in the universe

An AI Routine card represents a software system, neural network, or tactical AI subroutine running on the ship's onboard computers. Visualized as holographic displays, data streams, neural patterns, or geometric AI interfaces over the ship.

Common AI Routine types:

• Combat AI: targeting assistants, fire control, threat assessment
• Tactical AI: strategic advisors, pattern recognition, predictive defense
• Support AI: repair coordinators, resource optimizers, sensor fusion
• Stealth AI: countermeasure systems, ECM coordinators, jamming routines

Example cards from the Alpha Set

Visual grammar — what art MUST show

✅ Subject: A holographic AI interface OVER or INSIDE a starship. Data streams flowing across hull. Geometric neural patterns. Glowing tactical displays projected from ship sensors.

✅ Action: The AI calculating, processing, targeting, predicting — visualized as flowing data, lighting patterns synchronizing across the ship, holographic geometry forming and dissolving.

✅ Target: AI is integrated WITH the ship — not separate. Show the relationship between the data visualization and the physical ship hardware.

✅ Setting: Deep space, ship as the AI's host.

✅ Visual style: Cool blue/cyan color cast for AI presence. Holographic transparency. Geometric clean lines. Suggest "advanced computation" without showing a generic monitor.

❌ Never show: A robot, a humanoid AI, a brain in a jar, a wizard reading a tome, a glowing crystal ball. NEVER personify the AI as a creature or character.

Example art prompt (Targeting Assist)

Square sci-fi trading card illustration, starship combat universe. Show a shipboard tactical AI visualized as holographic targeting geometry projected over starship weapon systems — glowing crosshair patterns, predictive trajectory lines, data streams flowing across the ship hull. Cool cyan and white color palette. Ship visible underneath the holographic overlay. Deep space backdrop. Cinematic premium sci-fi composition. No humans, no humanoid silhouettes, no robots, no AI characters, no creatures. No words, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no UI, no card border.

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TYPE 6: MODULE

What it is mechanically

A Module is an installed ship subsystem providing ongoing buffs or special effects. Persistent, like AI Routines, but represents physical hardware rather than software.

Behavior:

• Cost energy to play (install)
• Stays in play indefinitely
• Provides ongoing buff or one-shot triggered effect
• Can be destroyed by specific anti-module cards
• Different from AI Routines: Module = hardware, AI Routine = software

What it represents in the universe

A Module card represents a physical hardware installation on the ship — a new subsystem bolted into the hull, a power conduit reroute, a payload rack, a sensor pod, an auxiliary battery. Always mechanical, physical, tangible.

Common module types:

• Power modules: auxiliary reactors, capacitor banks, energy regulators
• Combat modules: ammo racks, missile pods, payload racks
• Utility modules: sensor arrays, ECM pods, salvage rigs
• Repair modules: auto-repair systems, damage control nodes

Example cards from the Alpha Set

Visual grammar — what art MUST show

✅ Subject: Physical hardware installed into starship architecture — exposed module bay, glowing conduits, mechanical assemblies, armored panels with visible installation seams.

✅ Action: The module either powering up (lights cycling on, conduits glowing) or in active use (firing, releasing payload, dumping flare).

✅ Target: The module is integrated with the ship hull. Show the installation context.

✅ Setting: Close-up on ship-mounted hardware. Other ship details (hull plating, hardpoints) framing the module.

✅ Scale cues: Module is meter-scale or larger. Mechanical detail visible. Bolts, seams, glowing energy conduits.

❌ Never show: A handheld gadget, a smartphone, a tool, a personal device. A person holding the module. A wizard's amulet.

Example art prompt (Flare Charge)

Square sci-fi trading card illustration, starship combat universe. Show a ship-scale flare countermeasure module installed into armored starship architecture, bay doors opening to release defensive flares. Glowing capacitor banks, exposed conduits, mechanical detail. Premium hard sci-fi industrial design. Deep space backdrop. Dramatic cinematic lighting. No humans, no humanoid silhouettes, no people, no handheld devices. No words, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no UI, no card border.

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TYPE 7: EQUIPMENT

What it is mechanically

Equipment is a card that attaches to another card — usually a Weapon, Drone, or Module — and modifies it. Equipment is a buff/upgrade card type.

Behavior:

• Cost energy to play
• Targets a friendly card already in play
• Stays attached, providing ongoing modification to the host card
• If host is destroyed, Equipment goes to discard with it
• Some Equipment cards target Weapons specifically, others target Drones, etc.

What it represents in the universe

An Equipment card represents an upgrade, attachment, accessory, or augmentation bolted onto an existing ship system. Targeting scopes added to weapons. Armor plating welded onto drones. Power couplings spliced into modules. Hardware modification.

Common equipment types:

• Weapon equipment: scopes, barrel extenders, recoil dampers, ammo upgrades
• Drone equipment: armor kits, sensor upgrades, weapon mounts
• Module equipment: power amplifiers, cooling systems, redundancy pairs

Example cards from the Alpha Set

Visual grammar — what art MUST show

✅ Subject: An upgrade or attachment in the act of being installed or already attached and active on a ship hardpoint.

✅ Action: Upgrade installation — a new component being mounted to an existing weapon, sparks of welding, bolts being seated, energy conduit being connected. OR the upgraded weapon firing with the modification clearly visible.

✅ Target: Target weapon/drone/module is shown as the HOST. Equipment is the focal addition.

✅ Setting: Close-up on ship hardware. Hangar bay or ship exterior.

✅ Scale cues: Multi-meter components. Industrial detail. Visible modification.

❌ Never show: A character "wielding" the equipment, a backpack, a tool belt, a gauntlet on a hand.

Example art prompt (Targeting Sight)

Square sci-fi trading card illustration, starship combat universe. Show a precision targeting sensor array being mounted onto a starship weapon hardpoint, with cyan calibration laser lines aligning the optics. Ship hull armor plating frames the installation. Mechanical detail, glowing alignment marks, premium hard sci-fi industrial design. Deep space backdrop. Close-up cinematic composition. No humans, no humanoid silhouettes, no hands, no people, no wearable equipment. No words, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no UI, no card border.

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TYPE 8: FIELD

What it is mechanically

A Field card creates a battlefield-wide effect that affects BOTH players. Only one Field can be active per side at a time. Strategic high-impact card.

Behavior:

• Cost energy to play (deploy)
• Goes to dedicated Field zone
• Effect applies to both players
• Playing a new Field destroys the old one
• Some have duration limits, others are permanent until replaced

What it represents in the universe

A Field card represents a wide-area space phenomenon — an asteroid debris cloud the player flies into, a plasma storm engulfing the battle, a gravity well distorting the area, an ion cloud disrupting all systems. Environmental, kilometers-wide, encompassing the entire combat arena.

Common field types:

• Debris fields: asteroid clouds, wreckage, debris layers
• Energy fields: plasma storms, ion storms, radiation fields
• Gravitational: gravity wells, spatial distortions, warp anomalies
• Stealth fields: nebulae, sensor-blind zones, dark matter pockets

Example cards from the Alpha Set

Visual grammar — what art MUST show

✅ Subject: A wide-area space phenomenon spanning the entire view. Asteroid swarms, plasma clouds, gravitational lensing, ion storms.

✅ Action: The phenomenon ENVELOPING the battle — multiple ships visible in distance, partly obscured by the field. The field is the dominant visual element.

✅ Target: Battlefield-wide. Multiple ships should be visible to convey scale.

✅ Setting: Deep space, with the field as the backdrop AND the foreground.

✅ Scale cues: Distant ships look small. Field elements (debris, plasma) at mixed distances showing depth.

❌ Never show: A small puff of smoke, a wizard's spell, a magic circle, a glowing rune. The field must feel astronomical in scale.

Example art prompt (Debris Cloud)

Square sci-fi trading card illustration, starship combat universe. Show a vast debris cloud filling the view — broken hull fragments, twisted metal, drifting wreckage spanning kilometers across deep space. Multiple distant starships visible navigating through the debris. Cold blue starlight, occasional sparks where pieces collide. Premium hard sci-fi composition. Massive scale conveyed by ship-to-debris size ratio. No humans, no humanoid silhouettes, no people, no fantasy magic. No words, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no UI, no card border.

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TYPE 9: SHIP CORE

What it is mechanically

A Ship Core is the player's flagship card — the actual warship they pilot. One per deck. Permanent. Always in play. Provides a passive that defines the deck's identity.

Behavior:

• Chosen at deck-build time, NOT shuffled into the 60-card deck
• Always in play from turn 1
• Cannot be destroyed by normal damage (unless a card specifically says "destroy enemy Ship Core")
• Provides a passive ability lasting the entire battle
• 49 unique Ship Cores in the 1000-card Alpha Set

What it represents in the universe

A Ship Core card represents the hero asset of the deck — the player's actual starship. Each Ship Core is a specific class of warship with a distinct silhouette, signature color scheme, faction identity, and design philosophy. Some are agile fighters. Some are heavy battleships. Some are stealth vessels.

Common Ship Core types:

• Combat-focused: Aggressive warships with weapon-buff passives
• Defense-focused: Heavy hulls with shield/armor passives
• Reactor-focused: Energy-rich vessels with ramp passives
• Drone-focused: Carrier ships with hangar-buff passives
• Stealth-focused: Recon vessels with stealth/sabotage passives

Example cards from the Alpha Set

Visual grammar — what art MUST show

✅ Subject: The player's full starship — hero shot, dramatic angle, signature silhouette. THIS is the only card type where the player's own ship is the focal subject.

✅ Action: Ship in flight or holding position. NOT firing weapons. NOT in mid-combat. The ship is the portrait, presented like a hero asset.

✅ Target: None. Ship is alone OR with subtle allies in distance. Focus is the ship itself.

✅ Setting: Deep space, dramatic lighting, hero composition. The ship looks powerful, distinctive, signature.

✅ Scale cues: Full ship in frame, all signature design elements visible — engine layout, weapon hardpoints, hull markings, faction colors.

❌ Never show: Two ships fighting (that's combat art, not Ship Core art). A pilot in cockpit. Ground-scale anything. Multiple ships in active battle.

Example art prompt (Defender Hull)

Square sci-fi trading card illustration, starship combat universe. Show a heavy battleship-class starship in hero composition — three-quarter view, dramatic angle, full hull visible. Reinforced armor plating, multiple weapon hardpoints, glowing engine clusters, distinctive faction silhouette. Deep space backdrop with nebula and distant stars. Cinematic dramatic lighting, premium sci-fi capital ship design, massive scale conveyed. Ship is the sole hero subject. No humans, no humanoid silhouettes, no pilots, no people. No words, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no UI, no card border.

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SUMMARY — VISUAL FINGERPRINT BY TYPE

To make any card art instantly identifiable as the correct type, use these visual fingerprints:

If the art doesn't match its type's fingerprint, it's wrong — even if it looks pretty.

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SUMMARY — UNIVERSAL RULES (apply to ALL card types)

✅ Always:

• Ship-scale (multi-meter to kilometer-scale subjects)
• Deep space setting (stars, nebula, distant planets)
• Cinematic lighting (dramatic contrasts, deep shadows, glowing energy)
• Premium hard sci-fi materials (metal, plasma, holography)
• Bottom 20-30% darker for text overlay (locked SLUT 9 rule)
• One dominant focal subject per frame

❌ Never:

• Humans, humanoids, pilots, soldiers, characters
• Hands, handheld objects, personal gear
• Boarding actions, melee combat, ground combat
• Fantasy magic, runes, spells, glowing crystals
• Indoor scenes (except hangar bay openings)
• Text, letters, numbers, logos, watermarks
• UI overlays, card borders, frames

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END ETAPE 3

ETAPE 3 is the single most important reference document for art generation. Every card art prompt should pass through the type-specific visual grammar checklist before being sent to the image API.

Next: ETAPE 4 covers Pilots, Ship Cores deep-dive, archetypes deep-dive, and how all 9 types interact in deck-building.

Then ETAPE 5: keyword glossary (Reactive, Pierce, Probe, Persistent Field, End Cycle, Deploy Burst, Overcharge, Stealth, Priority Fire, Scrap, etc.) — every game term used on card text.

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End of Etape 3.