Keep the duel books tidy in a battle system where every board, hero, and deck of cards changes how the fight plays out. Position matters, resources are tight, and no two matchups feel the same.
See pick rates, win rates, and games played for every Unmatched fighter in the current meta.
Check the standings and see how you stack up against the rest of the community.
Find the next session on the calendar and get your matches on the books.
The core rules every match runs on, start to finish.
Choose a battlefield, then place each hero and their sidekicks on the matching starting spaces (any space marked with a diamond number). Shuffle your hero's unique action deck and draw a hand of five cards. Decide who takes the first turn — the first player breaks ties on any simultaneous effects for the rest of the game.
On your turn you take actions. Most turns you'll use one or more of:
You start with a hand of five and can hold up to seven; discard down to the limit at the end of your turn.
Fighters move one connected space at a time along the printed lines, up to their move value — you never have to use the full amount. Two spaces are adjacent when a single line connects them, which is required for melee attacks. A zone is a coloured region of the board; ranged attacks can hit any fighter sharing a zone, not just an adjacent one.
Defeat the opposing hero — reduce their health to zero — to win the game. In 2v2 and Free-For-All games, check the rules variant for your format, since attacking restrictions can differ on the opening turn.
All 74 heroes across every Unmatched set, grouped by release and sorted roughly oldest to newest. Tap a hero to see their full special ability.
With mighty Excalibur in his mailed fist and the tricky Merlin at his back, his greatest weapon is his faith and willingness to sacrifice to see that deed is done.
When King Arthur attacks, you may BOOST that attack, Play the BOOST card, face down, along with your attack card.
If your opponent cancels the effects on your attack card, the BOOST is discarded without effect.
The Gorgon with the gaze that felled thousands. With her harpies at her side, you better have a defense in hand when she turns her eyes to you.
At the start of your turn, you may deal 1 damage to an opposing fighter in Medusa's zone.
Big trouble in a little package. She's been through the looking glass and came back with a vorpal blade and the Jabberwock in tow. Catch her at the wrong size, and it'll be checkmate for you.
When you place Alice, choose whether she starts the game BIG or SMALL.
When Alice is BIG, add 2 to the value of her attack cards.
When Alice is SMALL, add 1 to the value of her defense cards.
With every thrilling voyage, he grows in wisdom and power. Get to him and the faithful Porter quickly, before his experience makes him nigh unstoppable and your story ends too soon.
When you maneuver, you may move fighters +1 space for each VOYAGE card in your discard pile.
Dare not to meet his gaze lest you do his bidding. Whilst your mind is in a fog, he and his ravening sisters will give you your baptism of blood.
At the start of your turn, you may deal 1 damage to a fighter adjacent to Dracula. If you do, draw a card.
How can you defend what you cannot see? A glint of metal amidst the gloom, but it's too late. A surprise attack before he slips away again into rolling fog.
At the start of the game, after you place Invisible Man, place 3 fog tokens in separate spaces in his zone. When Invisible Man is on a space with a fog token, add 1 to the value of his defense cards. Invisible Man may move between two spaces with fog tokens as if they were adjacent.
Two sides of the same man - the scheming Dr. Jekyll and the force of nature Mr. Hyde. Who will be the author of your end?
Start the game as Dr. Jekyll. At the start of your turn, you may transform into Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. While Mr. Hyde, after you maneuver, take 1 damage.
The game is afoot! With the trusty Dr. Watson at his side, he'll deduce your strategy and leave you wondering how he foiled your perfect plan. In a word: Elementary.
Effects on HOLMES and DR. WATSON cards cannot be canceled by an opponent. Effects on ANY cards can be canceled.
Artist. Movie star. Philosopher. Dragon
At the end of your turn, you may move Bruce Lee 1 space.
Mighty as a sequoia and untamable as the wind, Bigfoot comes crashing in with the darting Jackalope in tow. Quickly as you feel their power, they're gone, like a figment of the mind.
At the end of your turn, if there are no opposing fighters in Bigfoot's zone, you may draw 1 card.
The quick-witted rogue is a tricky adversary, hard to pin down and deadly with a bow. And just when he's got your attention, the Outlaws come in to rob you blind.
After you attack, you may move your attacking fighter up to 2 spaces.
Achilles and Patroclus, brothers in arms and blessed by Hermes, together a formidable team. When Patroclus falls, under Achilles' helm, it will surely be the day of your doom.
When Patroclus is defeated, discard 2 random cards.
While Patroclus is defeated:
- Add +2 to the value of all Achilles' attacks.
- If Achilles wins combat, draw 1 card.
Stare into the mirror, speak three times, and beware: She's closer than she appears. What was that? A stolen memory or merely a trick of the light?
At the start of your turn, if you have exactly 3 cards in hand, gain 1 action.
Ox, tortoise, phoenix, sly monkey. He and his army of clones will bewilder you with their taunting laughter as much as their infinite strikes.
At the start of your turn, you may take 1 damage to summon a Clone in an empty space adjacent to Sun Wukong.
Do not start with any Clones on the board.
Warrior-Princess, peerless hunter, leader of men, and the mother of an entire nation. With Yennenga leading the charge, her archers will divide and conquer.
If Yennenga would take damage, you may assign any amount of that damage to one or more Archers in her zone instead. (You may not assign more damage to an Archer that their remaining health.)
Every blow fills the War-King with rage. Soon you will learn why he was the equal of Grendel. With his kinsman Wiglaf by his side, they are sure to win this fatal struggle.
Beowulf starts with 1 Rage.
When Beowulf is dealt damage, he gains 1 Rage.
Beowulf has a maximum of 3 rage.
Once upon a time, Little Red Riding Hood went into the belly of the beast, and lived to tell her grim tale. With the help of her friend the Huntsman, she's ready to head back into the woods with a few terrible tricks tucked away in her basket.
Resolve an effect on a card you play if the symbol next to the effect matches the item in your basket. At the start of the game, place LITTLE RED's BASKET in your discard pile.
Little Red's Basket: This starts in your discard pile. It does not count as a card.
She'll hit you with Mr. Pointy or summon her Slayer's strength for a cartwheel kick. When it's time for backup, she'll take her pick between insightful Giles or reliable Xander.
Buffy may move through spaces containing opposing fighters (including when she is moved by effects).
A relentless hunter, seeks the shadows and calls on Drusilla's Sight to let him know just where and when to strike. Bloody hell!
At the start of your turn, you may place a Shadow token in any space adjacent to Spike or Drusilla.
A peerless witch, dabbles in black magic and risks her darker self, potent but dangerous. At times, only Tara can bring her back from the brink of the abyss.
When Willow or Tara is dealt damage, Willow becomes Dark Willow.
At the end of your turn, if Dark Willow is adjacent to Tara, she becomes Willow.
Once the Scourge of Europe, is cursed with a soul, conflicted by his victories and taking solace in his losses. Faith is there to make sure things stay "Five by Five".
After Angel or Faith attacks, if you lost the combat, draw 1 card.
This mystic assassin and her army of Hand ninjas attack from the shadows. Strike her down, though, and she resurrects, stronger than ever.
The first time Elektra would be defeated, remove her and all Hand from the board. She is not defeated. At the start of your next turn, Resurrect her.
When Elektra Resurrects: Flip your health dial. Shuffle your discard pile into your deck.
Place Elektra and all Hand back onto the board with each fighter in a different zone.
"The Man Without Fear" is at his best when he is fighting through adversity. This son of a boxer can withstand a brutal pounding and turn that pain into strength, bursting with power just when the chips are down and options are running low.
DURING COMBAT: If you have 2 or fewer cards in your hand, you may BLIND BOOST your attack or defense.
The World's Greatest Assassin delights in the mayhem and chaos his job creates, finishing every fight with a simple flick of his wrist.
Bullseye can attack from up to 5 spaces away (ignoring zones).
From the Moscow Protocol to the Budapest Gambit, Black Widow is mission ready. She'll have you caught in her web before you even know she's there.
MISSION READY
Before drawing your starting hand, add THE MOSCOW PROTOCOL card to your hand.
Then, shuffle your deck and draw 5 cards. (Your starting hand is 6 cards instead of 5.)
With his vibranium suit, the stalking panther absorbs your strikes and unleashes them back with his cat-like reflexes. "Wakanda Forever!"
VIBRANIUM SUIT
Whenever you BOOST, draw 1 card.
Cards stored in your VIBRANIUM SUIT can only be used to BOOST.
A bionic arm and marksman's eye made the boy named Bucky into a lethal fighter. When he was programmed to kill without remorse, then he became the Winter Soldier.
BRAINWASHED
Effects on Winter Soldier's cards cannot be canceled.
With the help of the beautiful Bess, he'll set the stage. Then it's a bit of misdirection and some sleight of hand.
ESCAPE ARTIST
When you take the maneuver action and BOOST, you may place Houdini in any space instead of moving. (Bess moves as normal.)
Freed from the lamp and simmering with imprisoned wrath. This is no mere parlor trick.
INFINITE POWER
At the start of your turn, you may discard 1 card to gain 1 action.
His coils crackle with the power of electricity.
ELECTRICAL OVERFLOW
Start the game with 1 coil charged.
At the end of your turn, charge 1 coil.
At the start of your turn, if both coils are charged, deal 1 damage to each opposing fighter adjacent to Tesla and move them up to 1 space.
The science sleuth is the master of gadgetology.
GADGETOLOGY
At the start of your turn, activate one of your gadgets. Whenever Jill Trent attacks, resolve the active gadget's effect.
Hypnoray Blaster — DURING COMBAT: If your card's printed value is lower than your opponent's, reveal the top card of your opponent's deck and increase your attack by its BOOST value.
Ultrabiotic Tonic — AFTER COMBAT: If your card's printed value is higher, Jill Trent recovers 1 health.
The World's First Superhero arrives just in time.
THE FIRST SUPERHERO
If you haven't taken a Maneuver action this turn, add +2 to the value of Golden Bat's attacks.
Seven feet tall and strong as the Mighty Mississippi.
NECKLACE OF PEARLS
Add +2 to the value of Annie's attacks if she has less health than the defender.
The leader of the Oda clan used strategy, patience, and brilliant battle maneuvers to conquer the other daimyos of the Sengoku period.
MASTER STRATEGIST
Other friendly fighters in Oda Nobunaga's zone add +1 to the value of their played combat cards. (Oda Nobunaga does not benefit from this ability.)
The legendary onna-musha refused to retreat in the face of impossible odds and cut down all who stood in her way.
ATTACK OF OPPORTUNITY
When an opposing hero leaves Tomoe Gozen's zone, deal 1 damage to that hero.
"...that's when the attack comes. Not from the front, but from the side, from the other two raptors you didn't even know were there."
Raptors add 1 to the value of their attack cards for each of your other Raptors adjacent to the defender.
The InGen workers are crack shots. Their leader, Robert Muldoon, has "hunted most things that can hunt you."
At the start of your turn, you may place a trap. Whenever one of your traps is returned to the box, draw a card. Muldoon starts with 8 traps.
Hero (not). Bovinophobe. Secretly Wolverine. Blood type: cherry.
After you attack, Deadpool recovers 1 health.
Also, if your opponent's real name is Logan, all your attacks are +5.
Living light and living shadow, fighting together in perfect balance, they will send you into the void.
UMBRA — After you attack, if Cloak dealt at least 2 combat damage, your opponent discards 1 card.
REFRACTION — After you attack, if Dagger dealt at least 2 combat damage, gain 1 action.
With a horde of squirrels at her side it's time to eat nuts and kick butts!
GO NUTS!
At the start of your turn, summon a squirrel in a space adjacent to Squirrel Girl. Squirrels are small fighters; you don't start with any on the board.
Kamala Khan idolized Super Heroes growing up, not knowing one day she'd join her role models in shielding society from evil.
STRETCHY
At the start of your turn, you may move Ms. Marvel 1 space. She can attack from up to 2 spaces away (ignoring zones).
The Master of Kamar-Taj, with the trusty Wong by his side, wields mighty spells to defeat his foes.
DARK PACT
After each combat, if Doctor Strange played a card, you may deal 1 damage to him. If you do, put that card on the bottom of your deck and draw 1 card.
Your friendly neighborhood wall crawler, swinging into action. With great power comes great responsibility.
SPIDEY-SENSE
When an opponent attacks Spider-Man, before you play a defense card, they must tell you the printed value of their card.
An Omega-Level Threat, whether she's unleashing a nerve cluster strike or throwing the book at you — literally.
JUST THROW SOMETHING
At the start of your turn, you may discard a card to deal damage equal to its BOOST value to a fighter in your zone.
Fire up your Hell Cycle and ready your Penance Stare, for the Spirit of Vengeance rides tonight.
Ghost Rider starts the game with 5 Hellfire. When you maneuver you may spend 1 Hellfire to increase his move value to 4 and move through opposing fighters, dealing 1 damage to each fighter he moved through.
Get ready to see some real power, man. This hero for hire, with the Daughter of the Dragon by his side, is out to get paid.
Luke Cage takes 2 less combat damage from attacks.
A masked vigilante, a ruthless investigator, and an Egyptian god — "we're all in this together."
Moon Knight moves up to 2 spaces at the start of your turn. Khonshu adds +2 to attack values and ignores non-combat damage. Mr. Knight adds +1 to all defense values. At the end of your turn, cycle identities: Moon Knight → Khonshu → Mr. Knight.
To Be, and draw cards, or Not To Be, and empower thine attacks — that is the question.
THE QUESTION
At the start of your turn, choose TO BE or NOT TO BE. NOT TO BE deals 2 damage to one of your fighters but adds +2 to Hamlet's attacks; TO BE draws 1 additional card when you maneuver.
The Immortal Bard of Avon puts quill to quire, crafting lines that cut as deep as any blade.
IAMBIC PENTAMETER
After you attack or defend, add your card to your line. When your line hits 10 or more syllables, discard it — exactly 10 resolves the last card's completion effect.
Lizard's leg, wool of bat, fillet of a fenny snake. Brew a charm of powerful trouble.
BUBBLING BREW
Your cards go into your cauldron instead of your discard pile. After you attack, cast one spell you have the ingredients for, then discard your cauldron.
Fairy Magic: if you do not have a face-up glamour at the start of your turn, flip the top card of your glamour deck face-up.
FAIRY MAGIC
If you do not have a face-up glamour at the start of your turn, flip the top card of your glamour deck face-up. Its effect is ongoing while it remains face-up.
From a time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Watch out! She's closer than she appears.
T. Rex is a large fighter with an extended base occupying two spaces, and can attack up to 2 spaces away, even over occupied spaces. She ignores one-way arrows and secret passages. At the end of your turn, draw a card.
Underestimate these brilliant scientists at your peril. Your opponent never had control — that's the illusion.
Whenever Dr. Sattler or Dr. Malcolm moves to a new space, place an insight token there (5 in supply; tokens can stack and have no effect on their own, but other cards interact with them).
The White Wolf is one of the most revered witchers. Many of his deeds have been immortalized by Dandelion.
ALWAYS PREPARED
At the start of the game, choose your gear: select a POTION, ARMOR, and SWORD, and shuffle 2 copies of each into your deck.
The Child of the Elder Blood and The Lady of Space and Time. Ihuarraquax will help her master her abilities.
UNCONTAINABLE POWER
Effects on Ciri's cards cannot be canceled.
Primeval guardian of the forest and its inhabitants.
HEART OF THE FOREST
Add +3 to the value of the Leshen's attacks if it already attacked this turn. Your Wolves have a move value of 3.
Equal parts sorceress and schemer, Philippa has a spell for every setback and a hand in every plot.
TWO STEPS AHEAD
At the end of your turn, you may draw until you have a hand of 4 cards.
King of the Wild Hunt, Eredin is ruthless. His Red Riders would gladly give their lives for their leader.
KING OF THE WILD HUNT
While all of your Red Riders are defeated, Eredin is ENRAGED: add +1 to the value of your combat cards, and your move value is 3.
Powerful sorceresses with a complicated history, Yennefer and Triss make a loyal and adaptable duo.
Choose Yennefer or Triss at the start of the game. Yennefer may BOOST her attacks with an uncancelable IMMEDIATELY effect. After Triss plays a scheme, deal 2 damage to a fighter adjacent to her.
Avast! Your only hope to defeat the Scourge of the Seven Seas and his salty sea dogs is to pay him his doubloons!
BLACKBEARD'S DOUBLOONS
Doubloons not held by Blackbeard sit in the Treasury. He pays a doubloon to the Treasury when he takes combat damage, and may pay one at the start of his turn for an extra action. Many of his card effects can be bought off by an opponent paying a ransom.
The predatory Latin American cryptid stalks the hunting grounds. Shhh — did you hear something? There's blood in the air.
THE HUNGER
After you attack, you may draw a card.
With the gifts of the gods bestowed upon her, she opens the legendary box of miseries. Is it hope or folly?
PANDORA'S BOX
At the start of your turn, open Pandora's Box: reveal and resolve MISERY cards one at a time until you stop or reveal 3+ total feathers, then take 1 damage per revealed MISERY. Shuffle them back at end of turn.
Meddlesome shape-shifter, underhanded mischief-maker, god of chaos. "I'm giving out cards. Hope you enjoy them," he says with a wink and a grin.
MISCHIEF-MONGER
After you play a TRICK, put it into your opponent's hand instead of your discard pile. If they discard a TRICK, return it to your hand or deck. Add +1 to your move value for each TRICK in your opponent's hand.
The leader — he puts the pieces into place!
TEAM TACTICS
At the start of your turn, move any fighter up to 1 space.
His wicked cool gadgets will save the day!
INVENTIVE
When you maneuver, you may draw 2 cards instead of 1 (put one on the bottom of your deck). Played inventions tuck under this card and apply for the rest of the game.
PIZZA PARTY
After you attack or scheme, draw 1 card. Your starting and maximum hand size is 3.
ANGER ISSUES
On each of your turns, the first time you lose combat, gain 1 action.
The ruthless leader of the Foot Clan and the Turtles' greatest enemy — cold, calculating, and driven by a desire for power and revenge.
MASTER OF THE CLAN
At the start of your turn, deploy a Foot soldier adjacent to a friendly fighter. You may attack opposing fighters adjacent to Foot soldiers.
A brilliant but cruel alien warlord from Dimension X, often working with Shredder to conquer Earth.
DOOOOOM!
Krang has 3 doomsday machines, starting with one active. After rolling the Dice of Ultimate Destruction, deactivate a machine to reroll. Add +1 to move value per active machine.
Begin the game on Float Like a Butterfly. After you attack and win, change stances.
FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY — attack from 2 spaces away.
STING LIKE A BEE — add +2 to your attacks.
The steel-driving man lays track faster than a steam-powered drill.
STEEL-DRIVING MAN
You have 10 track tokens. At the start of your turn, summon one in John Henry's zone. When you move him, don't count spaces with track tokens.
Freedom XK-II is online! Engaging cavity magnetron! We can do it!
FREEDOM XK-II MECH SUIT
You have 4 upgrade tokens, starting inactive. Activate one at the start of your turn; if all 4 are active at the end of your turn, deactivate all of them.
He's a marshal and an outlaw, and when he fans the hammer, the bullets start flying. Justice is served.
SHOWDOWN
After you attack and win combat, choose one (not the same one twice per turn): draw 1 card, gain 1 free action to attack, or move your fighter up to 1 space.
With his network of Culper spies, you'll never be sure what Agent 711 is up to. Is this the big attack, or is it all just a ruse?
ESPIONAGE
You start with 4 ruse tokens. When you attack, you may place one on the card; before defending, your opponent may discard a random card to remove it.
Key terms used across hero cards and rulings.
Common rulings that come up during a match.
No — you can never attack a friendly fighter.
Yes. You win combat as long as you don't take damage.
Full health, unless the effect says otherwise.
Generally yes — but when a card offers multiple options to choose from, the player may choose the order.
"Move" must respect the normal rules of movement (following lines, one space at a time). "Place" does not — it ignores those rules entirely.
No. Actions cannot be skipped once gained.
Yes.
Combat damage comes from comparing the attack card's value against the defense card's value (including any modifiers). Effect damage covers every other source.
Fighters are still defeated under the normal rules, but the game only checks whether there's a winner once AFTER COMBAT effects have finished resolving — not the instant the second-to-last hero falls. If both heroes are defeated at the same time, the active player wins.
They become Dormant: they don't take actions, draw, or discard on their turn, their fighters can't take damage, and they can't be chosen as an opponent or targeted by "all opponents" effects.
No — it only disregards the value for combat damage purposes. The printed value is unchanged for any other effect that references it.
No. You can move through a secret passage as if the spaces were adjacent, but they are not adjacent for the purposes of combat — no melee attacks across a passage.
No — you only get the bonus once, no matter how many High Ground spaces are involved.
It only affects adjacent spaces in the direction the arrow points, regardless of attack type.
These rulings are a curated sample. For the complete, sourced FAQ hub and the full glossary with hover definitions, see The Unmatched Club rules hub ↗.
Fan-built tools worth bookmarking if you're diving deeper into Unmatched.
Browse every card ever printed for the game — filter by hero, set, attack type, and artist. Handy for looking up an exact card's wording mid-argument.
Log your matches, track win rates by hero, and see your head-to-head matchup history build up over a season.
The rules hub this page's How to Play, glossary, and FAQ sections are sourced from — full hero-by-hero rulings and a searchable glossary.