What is our Varia card zone upgrade?

We were hoping that after our last Card Zone Upgrade blog (for Flesh and Blood), more playzones would become available for our playmats. After months and months of waiting, we finally got our wish and added another zone upgrade to the list. This time, it’s for a CCG that the developer, Guildhouse, calls fast and fun!

Like our previous playzone upgrade posts, we’re going to briefly break down the zones that can be found in the play area for Varia, which can be printed on select playmats that offer playzone upgrades. Of course, you can’t talk about the zones without getting into the nitty-gritty details of the game itself. With that said, if you have questions or wish to dive a little deeper into Varia’s rules/mechanics, we will direct you to the game’s official page.

Just to give you a little background, Varia is a two-player CCG that presents gamers with classes and customization options in order to combat opponents. Shields, spells, and chosen weapons rule the realm in this game, and each must be wielded by you, and you alone. Cards and dice rolls are key to how the duel develops as well. With smart, strategic planning, and a dash of luck, you stand a good shot at being the victor when the last move is made. 

Now, let’s have a look at those zones. Varia has six zones, all of which are meant to keep your game organized and easy to manage, making them ideal for those who may be new to the game. Of those six zones, four are clearly labeled in the play area and on the mat itself. The six zones are:

Here’s the illustrated version as it appears on our playzone page:

As you can see, the layout is similar to some of the other playzones/play areas that we’ve covered for different card games. Whether you’re familiar or new to the game, a few of the zones may seem rather self-explanatory at this point. But, it’s still fun to outline precisely what each zone is and how it works during duels. We’ll start from the left and work our way across.

The first zone, on the far left side of the play area, is the Deck Zone. This is where both players place their shuffled deck of 30 action cards, face-down. After it’s been determined which player gets the first turn, both will draw six cards from their deck at the beginning of their turn and start off with 10 Action Points. Each turn after this will allow players to draw just two cards and regain up to Action Points. So, this is the zone that kicks things off and sets the tone for the rest of the game.

Next to your Deck, you will find the Character/Item Zone. This zone is basically like your arsenal. It holds all Asset Cards and any Stacks face-up while they are not in use. These items can consist of weapons and armor, which can be placed in the Timeline Zone in order to perform actions with them. This means that the Timeline Zone is the main play/battle area, where both players use actions and armor to combat each other. This zone is made up of five boxes that are at the top of your mat.

From here, we move left to the Discard Zone. This is where a player’s discarded cards and resolved action items/cards are placed face-up after they have been used in the Timeline and have not been sent to the Queue. Players are allowed to look through Discard piles at any point during play. The Queue is known as a special zone that is just to the side of the Timeline. Just as the name indicates, this is where actions go to wait until they can be used in the future. If an action is placed here, it means it was planned in the Timeline but was not able to be performed. So, here it sits, just waiting for its next turn in the Timeline.

Then, we come to the Forgotten Zone. This is where all non-action items that were replaced in the Timeline are sent, face-down. Unlike the Discard Zone, players may NOT look through the cards in either Forgotten Zone at any point during the game.

That about covers all the zones in Varia’s play area. As I indicated earlier, there is so much to learn and know about the game itself and how it works from the first turn to the last. Thankfully, Guildhouse’s official Varia page is rich with valuable info that players on every level can use to sharpen their skills. There, you will find videos, tutorials, rules, and even a list of the confirmed classes that players can choose from. It really is a great, helpful resource for those looking to expand their knowledge of the game and potentially gain the upper hand in upcoming battles.

As always, I appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to learn more about our newest playzone upgrade. Speaking of which, if you have been shopping through our playmats or maybe have one sitting in your cart, be sure to check all the zone upgrades that we may have available for that one. Trust us, it’s worth it to have zones printed on your mat, especially if you like keeping your cards neat and organized during your favorite games. 

Hopefully, we add another playzone to our upgrade list soon. If we do, you can be sure that we’ll have another fun blog announcement for it. Keep an eye out for that!

Until we meet again,

Vince The Prince