With the launch of Phantom Monarchs December 5th, 2025, this article will cover specific interactions and rulings for cards within the set as well as any errata to cards within the set!

All of the content in this article will be found on the Index.

Check out the updated Index here:

Start of Game Rule Change

The first big change coming to Phantom Monarchs is one that affects all of Grand Archive for the future. Starting from the release day, December 5th, all players in a game will put their Lv 0 Spirit champion out on the field at the same time and fulfill the on enter effects to obtain their opening hands in turn order. Some things to keep in mind: Players won't get any opportunity to play cards or take actions while players get their starting hands according to their spirits' abilities. The abilities will resolve in turn order, so any decisions that need to be made, such as glimpse, must be done before the next player resolves their Spirit's on enter effect. The other important piece of information is that players can't declare attacks on their first turn unless they are the last player in the first cycle of turns (i.e., the turn cycle where players get their starting hand). This second part does not affect two-player games but can affect the dynamic of any multiplayer games.

We are introducing this rule change now as strategy diversity has mounted and the disparity in the ability to be proactive versus defensive and reactive in the state of going first or second in a game has widened. While we have been meticulous to put forth many interactive tools in our sets, these tools have yet to play their part in one of the most key turns of Grand Archive: the first turn. With this rule change, players going second will be able to use their interaction piece when it is more vital instead of giving up a "free turn" to their opponents.

We hope this small, yet impactful, change will further push Grand Archive to evolve and showcase it as a deeply interactive game where skill expression is not only favored, but front and center. We are very excited to the heights to which everyone can take Grand Archive by welcoming this rule change.

And now, onward to the usual release notes!

Errata

Errata are used very sparingly in Grand Archive TCG, and should only be used to improve consistency in wording or correct errors made in templating. We are always improving our processes so that errata are less frequently necessary in the future. Below are the errata for Distorted Reflections:

Lost Providence
Errata: Added comma after "If you do"

Abnegation
Errata: Added missing Specter subtype

Shardforged Blade
Errata: "...as long as the..."

Former: "...as long the..."

Alice, Whim's Monarch
Errata: Made "Token" lowercase

Feu Awakening
Errata: "...player's can't have...

Former: "...player's can't gain..."

Claimed From Beyond
Errata: "...matches one of the card types..."

Former: "...matches one of the types..."

Field of Rank and Files
Errata: "Whenever one or more Chessman allies enter the field under your control for the first time during each of your turns, choose one of them and that ally gets +2 power until end of turn."

Former: "The first time a Chessman ally enters the field under your control during each of your turns, that ally gets +2 power until end of turn."



Ruling Notes

Down the rabbithole we continue!

The Rulebook has been updated to include all of the new terms and keywords:

Alice and her Haunting Phantasmagoria!
Alice makes an appearance, beckoning apparitions to her whimsy! One of the two new Masteries showcases graveyard synergies with an unstoppable storm of specters.

1.) If you have no cards in your graveyard, you may still opt to put X cards into the graveyard.

Ephemerate
Ephemerate returns, now applying to your Actions, too!.

1.) Ephemerate is an alternative activation method for cards in the graveyard. To activate a card using ephemerate, you must pay its epehemerate cost. Activating a card this way follows the same timing restrictions of the activated card.

2.) Cards that do not become objects as they resolve (such as Actions) become Ephemeral as they are placed on the Effects Stack rather than as they resolve. Ephemeral cards are banished when they would resolve or leave the effects stack.

3.) Unlike object-based cards, like Allies, ephemeral card activations will be banished if they are negated.

Merlin's Fractured Memories!
Merlin's memories... shattered but sheening.

Merlin's Fractured memories introduce a mechanic that interacts with the accrual and placement of sheen counters. Place sheen counters on your enemies and move them either to your memories to unlock stronger abilities, or to your crystalized memorite golems to empower them!

1.) Some cards have restriction abilities, shown as "Sheen X+" before the ability. This restriction looks at the number of sheen counters you have placed on your Fractured Memories mastery to unlock those abilities.

1.) When making a copy of an Aetherwing, the copy will have the stats printed on the original card and will not copy any modifications to stats applied by any continuous effects.

1.) Upon the resolution of the lineage release ability, the effect won't count for Alice, Distorted Queen because this card will no longer be part of the lineage.

1.) If an effect instructs you to play Awaken Ombre without paying its reserve cost, you must still pay (X) because it is an additional cost.

1.) If you don't control another Specter ally, you must sacrifice Bill while resolving its on enter ability.

1.) The on kill ability considers the total life stat, after any static modifications and continuous effects are applied, such as buff counters, with the last-known information of the killed unit when it died.

1.) Once the card has resolved, cards can't be negated. This includes cards that are already on the stack pending resolution.

1.) The first ability only triggers for the first instance of a Chessman entering each turn and will consider this retroactively. If a Chessmen ally already entered before Field of Rank and Files enters, it can no longer trigger in the same turn.

2.) The second ability only triggers for the first instance of a Chessmen Command card activation and will consider this retroactively in the same manner as the first ability. It will not apply to a second Chessmen Command card if the first did not enter the intent.

1.) The on hit ability considers the total life stat, after any static modifications and continuous effects are applied, such as buff counters.

1.) The on hit ability considers the total life stat, after any static modifications and continuous effects are applied, such as buff counters.

1.) Recovering 0 is not an act of recovering.

2.) Infernal Vessel's effect doesn't modify recover costs or prevent recover costs from being paid. E.g. If a cost requires a payment of recover 5, your champion must have five damage counters on them in order to pay for this cost, but only two damage counters are removed as result of paying that cost.

1.)The targeted ally will remain a copy even if Jubjub Bird leaves the field.

1.) Damage is dealt before ending the combat phase.

1.) If a player’s influence exceeds seven during the resolution of their end phase, they must choose and discard cards from across their hand and/or until their influence becomes seven. Players may only discard cards to meet the requirement and can’t discard more than the required amount.

1.) Kindle can be used to pay for the reserve cost while activating Molten Echo via ephemerate.

1.) There will not be a delayed trigger generated for when Palvor Sword leaves the field. The cards affected by Palvor Sword's effect will return to the graveyard face up as a state-based action.

2.) The cards affected by Palvor Sword's effect will still return to the graveyard and turn face up even if Palvor Sword had lost its abilities before it leaves the field.

3.) If Palvor Sword leaves the field before its on enter ability resolves, the cards will not be considered banished or to have been moved at all.

1.) The three Pawn Piece token allies will gain the on enter ability granted by Queen's Gambit.

1.) Reflected Blight will deal multiple instances of 1 damage rather than one instance of damage as a summed total.

1.) The on ally kill ability considers if the killed ally had intercept or taunt at the moment of the ally death.

1.) The effects of Topsy Decree resolve in the order printed.

2.) If the opponent being targeted by the second mode does not have any cards in either their hand or memory, they must discard a card from the other zone respectively.

1.) Norm, fire, water, and wind are non-advanced elements.

1.) The opponent's choice must follow attack declaration conventions, such as targeting priority modified by the Taunt ability.

2.) If Tweedledum has cleave, the opponent will not need to choose a unit as a target for the attack. The attack will set all units that opponent controls as defenders.

1.) The prevention effect is tracked seperately for your champion and the target unit.

1.) Multiple instances of the ability can enter the stack. However, subsequent resolutions will not confer buff counters beyond the first.

1.) If there are fewer than three cards in that opponent's graveyard, they must still banish as many cards as possible in that zone.