About Eternal

What is Eternal?

Eternal is a digital strategy card game for PC, phones & tablets, and Xbox One. In Eternal, players use cards to summon allies, cast powerful spells, and forge deadly weapons to defeat their foes in fast-paced battles of tactics and trickery.

Is Eternal really free?

Yes. Every card in Eternal and every game mode can be played for free, without ever spending a dime.
Of course there are things you can buy to help support the game – even game developers need to eat! – but we believe strongly in being the most generously, truly free-to-play digital cards game available. So we keep a close eye on the game’s economy to make sure that players can build the decks they want and play the formats they enjoy without breaking the bank.
And if you’re looking for some tips on earning more gold and shiftstone, check out this article we wrote with the release of Eternal on Xbox. Tackling your daily quests and wins in Versus are great sources of gold, and you can earn a lot of shiftstone by drafting and playing Sealed. In addition to this article, there are many community resources listed and linked below that can point you toward the best way to maximize your Eternal experience and value.

What makes Eternal different from other card games?

Besides cowboys and dragons? There are a lot of great card games out there, but the thing that makes Eternal special (not that we’re biased!) is its combination of strategic depth and fast-paced, polished play, and having that all wrapped that up in the most generous free-to-play game economy out there.
That said, the very best thing about Eternal is its community. We have a great community of friendly, supportive players. If you want to talk strategy, ask for advice, or find other Eternal enthusiasts, check out the following resources and links for community participation:

And keep up with news about Eternal on:

Our hope for Eternal is that we can make a game that is fun, challenging, and accessible both to play and to compete at the highest levels as a truly free-to-play player.

Ways to Play

Can I skip the tutorial campaign?

Yes! The full tutorial Campaign is 15 games. However, after playing through Vara’s and Kaleb’s stories (the first six games), you can skip the rest from Options > Account. Playing through those first six games will take about 20 minutes, and will teach you the basics of Eternal.
We do recommend you play through the full tutorial Campaign, but we understand that some experienced card game players will want to dive right into the deep end. You can always go back and finish whenever you’d like.

What game modes does Eternal have?

There’s a ton to do in Eternal.
The core of Eternal is strategy card game battles against other players; you can do that with a deck you’ve built in Throne or Expedition, with cards you pick on the fly in Draft, or with packs you open over the course of a month-long Sealed League. There are also a variety of special Events, and even monthly Tournaments that are part of the Eternal Championship Qualifiers.
If you want to further sharpen your skills, you can get in some solo practice against Eternal’s tactical AI in Gauntlet, Forge, Campaigns, or Puzzles.
However you want to match wits, Eternal is ready to challenge you.

I finished the tutorial campaign…what do I do now?

When you’re ready to start exploring Eternal, the first things you’ll want to do are get some cards and earn some gold.
Your first Expedition or Throne win each day will get you an entire pack of new cards, and every day will bring with it a new Quest that will give you a bonus for completing it. So start there!
If you’re short on gold for your next Draft, level up your game in Gauntlet – beat the Bosses for extra rewards!
However you want to play, Eternal gives you lots of rewards in cards and gold, so play however’s fun for you, and watch your collection quickly grow!

How do Quests work?

You may have up to three Quests at one time. Each day you may dismiss one Quest and get a random new one. You may sometimes receive a fourth Quest during special promotions, so keep an eye out for those.

Why are Gauntlet and Forge getting more difficult for me?

The difficulty of Gauntlet and Forge increases when you win games in those modes and decreases when you lose games in those modes. So the better you do, the harder the mode will become.

Does the AI cheat?

The AI plays by the same rules as any human player. It does not manipulate its card draw or yours in response to how well you’re doing. The AI may make better decisions for itself, and will play with better decks as the difficulty of Gauntlet and Forge increase, however.

How do Achievements on Steam and Xbox work?

Achievements earned on Steam can’t be unlocked again on Xbox. However, Achievements unlocked on Xbox will transfer over to your Steam account. For example, if you earn “Ranked: Silver” on Steam, you can’t unlock that Achievement on Xbox. You can, however, unlock “Ranked: Gold” on Xbox, and that will be earned on your Steam account.

Gameplay Rules

What’s an attachment?

An attachment is any card that attaches to a unit or player, including Weapons, Curses and Relics.
Ruin says “Kill an enemy attachment.” So it can kill a curse on one of your units, a weapon on an enemy unit, or one of the enemy player’s relics.

My unit got returned to my hand and still has a bonus/penalty. Is it supposed to work this way?

It is! Card modifications persist between zones in Eternal.
This means that if you Warcry a unit up and it dies, it will still have those bonuses if you get it back from the Void. On the flip side, if you need to deal with a unit permanently, Silence, transformation, and permanent shrink effects are a great way to do so!

My card didn’t work. What happened?

There are a few common abilities that can prevents card effects:

  • Aegis protects a unit from one enemy effect.
  • Endurance prevents Stun and Exhaust effects entirely.
  • Invulnerable to damage prevents damage spells from being played on the unit/player.

How does Aegis work?

An Aegis protects a unit or player from one enemy effect.
This has a couple subtleties that can surprise new players:

  • Aegis only protects you from enemy effects, so it won’t save a unit from your own Lightning Storm or Harsh Rule.
  • Aegis does not protect from combat damage, so the unit can still be killed by blocking, Relic Weapons, etc.
  • Aegis only protects from the negative effects, it doesn’t negate the card entirely. For example, Dispel (Silence a unit and draw a card) will still draw a card, even though Aegis prevents the Silence effect.

How does Killer work?

A unit with Killer can make one special direct attack against another unit:

  • This is a special attack, so it can be used the turn the unit is played.
  • The units are considered to be “attacking” and “blocking,” so any relevant abilities will trigger.
  • Killer is considered battle, so it is not prevented by Aegis.

How long does Stun last?

A stunned unit is exhausted and does not ready on its owner’s next turn – meaning you can get more mileage out of a stun if you use a Fast Spell on your opponent’s turn.
There is a visual indicator showing how long it will last, beginning with 2 runes, going to 1 rune, then becoming un-stunned. At the beginning of the stunned unit’s owner’s turn, a rune wears off.
If a unit becomes un-stunned for any reason, it skips being exhausted and becomes ready immediately.

What happens when my deck runs out of cards?

You lose the game at the end of the turn in which you run out of cards.

How does the redraw system work?

Your first hand can have any distribution of cards in your deck. If you chose to redraw, you discard your entire hand and draw a new one. If you choose to redraw your starting hand, your new hand will contain two, three, or four power cards, with an equal chance of each. (And since this question comes up a lot, from a technical perspective, the system will shuffle and draw new hands until it gets a valid hand.)
If your second hand still doesn’t have the cards you’re looking for, PvP game modes (Ranked, Draft, Events, Tournaments, etc.) will allow you to perform a special “desperate gambit” redraw where you discard your hand, and draw a new one of only six cards, still containing two, three, or four power cards.

How does a card like Permafrost work?

Permafrost is a Curse, which is an attachment that works similar to weapons, in that it attaches to a unit. It can be removed with a card that destroys an enemy attachment, such as Ruin. Giving the stunned unit Endurance, by using a card like Stalwart Shield, will also remove Permafrost, because units with Endurance cannot be stunned.

What happens if I have a relic and then play another relic?

If the relic is a weapon, then it replaces a previous relic weapon that you had equipped.
If the relic is not a weapon, then it has no effect on previously played relics. You may equip multiple relics, like Eye of Winter, to your avatar at the same time. It does not matter if the relics are the same or different.

Where can I get the answers to other rules questions?

When you run into questions, you can connect with other players on Reddit, Discord, or download the Advanced Rules.

Collection

What cards can I destroy for shiftstone?

You can destroy any card that you crafted or opened from a pack. You can’t destroy cards you purchased as part of a campaign or bundle, or were awarded as a promotion.

Will I be able to get full Shiftstone value for destroying a card if that card is changed?

When a card is downgraded (nerfed), any versions of the card that you crafted prior to the introduction of the change will be able to be destroyed for full value for a limited time. This does not apply to a copy of the card that you found in a pack or earned by other means.

I can’t see any Sigil cards in deckbuilder. How do I change the Sigils in my deck?

By default, the deckbuilder handles Power cards automatically.
For advanced players who want to customize their Power, go into the settings menu and enable “Advanced Deckbuilding.”

Are there guarantees of legendary cards?

All individual packs have a chance of containing a legendary, but there are no guaranteed legendary drops from individual acquired or purchased packs. However, buying a box of 32 packs guarantees that you will earn at least 3 legendaries when opening the contents of that box.

Technical Concerns

Who should I contact if I need technical support or assistance with the game?

Please email our support team at support@direwolfdigital.com

On what platforms can I play Eternal?

Eternal is available for PC and Mac via Steam and is also available for iOS and Android devices, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Can I play Eternal across multiple devices?

Yes! All you need to do is set up a DWD account to sync your game progress across platforms. On your primary device, select the gear icon on the main menu and select the DWD Account option. From this screen you can enter the details for your new DWD Account. Simply use these login credentials on your other devices to access your progress!

Can I change my username?

Send an email to support@direwolfdigital.com with your desired new username. You should receive a response in about a week.

Is Steam required to play Eternal?

Steam is currently required for MacOSX and PC.
To play Eternal on PC or Mac, you must now log into Steam and download and launch the game from there.
Head here to the following link (or search for “Eternal Card Game” in the Steam store) to grab it and install:

I’m unable to connect to the server: what do I do?

First things first, check your internet connection.
Additionally, Eternal uses the following ports:

  • 39389 (TCP)
  • 8181 (TCP)
  • 27100 (HTTPS)
  • 27300 (HTTPS)

Otherwise, possible work-arounds involve restarting your computer, restarting Steam, and reinstalling Steam.

What should I do if my game crashes?

Immediately after a crash, you should search for your output_log.txt and send it to support@direwolfdigital.com. The locations are as follows:
Windows error log location:

LAUNCHER ISSUES: username\AppData\Roaming\EternalLauncher\Eternal Launcher Data\output_log.txt (ex C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\Eternal Launcher\Eternal Launcher_Data)

CLIENT ISSUES: username\AppData\Roaming\EternalLauncher\Eternal Launcher Data\Games\Eternal\Eternal Data\output_log.txt

Mac error log location: ~/Library/Logs/Unity/Player.log

I’m playing Eternal on a TV and the game doesn’t fit on my screen. Do you have a Safe Zone setting?

Many TVs have Display settings like “Fit to screen” or “Scan.” These can be useful in making sure everything fits on the screen automatically.
If you’re playing on Xbox, you can change your output to fit your TV perfectly in the Settings Menu. Press the Xbox button and navigate to Settings, then go to Display & Sound and then Video Output. Under a subsection called “Setup” you should have the ability to “Calibrate TV.” This has a suite of tools to help make sure you can see everything you need when playing Eternal on Xbox.
If these options don’t work for you, drop us a line at support@direwolfdigital.com

What should I do if I have issues with FPS, visuals, or how the text appears?

You should first see if your video drivers have an available update. They be slightly out of date, and this may be causing problems with your display. Try updating them and playing again to see if it resolves the issue.
Some display issues have also been caused by third-party audio applications. The most common of these is “Nahimic” on MSI machines, but there are others that can make it happen as well. Check to see if there are any non-essential audio programs running, end those processes, then run Eternal afterwards.
Additionally, if you are using an nVIDIA video card, disable nVIDIA G-Sync.
Also note that Mac users must be on Mac OS X 10.8+. So if your card text is not displaying and you are playing on Mac OS X 10.7, you will need to upgrade.

How do I uninstall Eternal?

You can uninstall through Steam by clicking the game and then selecting “Delete Local Content…”.
If you need to manually, you can delete the files here:

  • PC: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Eternal Card Game
  • OSX: Users/user/Library/Application Support/Steam/Eternal Card Game

My data directory is corrupted. How do I delete it?

You can find the data directory here:

  • PC: C:\Users\AppData\LocalLow\Dire Wolf Digital\Eternal Card Game

When I start Eternal the game is minimized to the taskbar and all I hear is the game audio but can’t see the game. What do I do?

On your graphics panel (nVidia, Radeon or Intel Integrated) set the Scaling option to “Maintain/Preserve aspect ratio”, or “No Scaling”.

Eternal crashes immediately when launching the game from my PC. What can I do?

In Steam, right click on “Eternal Card Game,” click on Properties and then Set Launch Options and enter: -force-glcore

Eternal is running poorly on my Android device. Is there anything that I can do?

Depending on your Android device, you can adjust the fidelity level of the game graphics. To do so, click the gear icon on the main menu, select settings, and select the level quality level for the graphics in the drop down menu. Be advised that not all devices support the ability to adjust graphics settings.

I logged in to Eternal and all my progress seems to have disappeared. How can I get help?

You can send an email to support@direwolfdigital.com and our support team will be glad to assist you in recovering your account progress.

Waystone Twitch Extension

How do I set up the Extension and my Game to work together?

  1. In game, go to Settings -> Streaming -> Link With Twitch and follow any additional instructions there. This will authenticate your Eternal account with your Twitch account.
  2. Restart your game.
  3. In game, go to Settings -> Streaming, and configure your desired streaming settings.
  4. In Twitch, navigate to Dashboard -> Extensions, and search for “Waystone Overlay” Or, you can follow this link
  5. Install Waystone Overlay for Eternal Card Game.
  6. Activate the extension.
  7. Stream to your heart’s content!

Why isn’t my extension working?

Be sure you have your Eternal account linked with Twitch, streaming enabled in the game settings, and the extension installed and enabled in your twitch channel. Please see the Setup instructions for more details.

How do I disable the extension?

In game, navigate to Settings -> Streaming, and uncheck the “Enable Streaming” box. You can also deactivate or uninstall the extension through the Extensions page of your twitch dashboard.

I would like to stream on a delay for a tournament, but keep the extension active for my viewers. How do I set this up?

In game, navigate to Settings -> Streaming, and locate the Stream Delay box. Set this value to the number of seconds you would like to delay your stream. This value should match the delay in your streaming software for best results. It can range from 0 (default) to 3600 seconds (1 hour).

Why is my overlay out of sync with my stream’s video?

Check your game’s streaming settings in Settings -> Streaming. There is an option to configure a delay in the extension. This delay is measured in seconds, and should match any delay set up in your streaming software, (such as OBS), for best results. This will allow streaming on a long delay, if you are streaming a tournament or event, for example.

What do the different deck modes do?

  1. “Disabled” turns off the deck list display in the extension. You can use this mode if you don’t like people seeing your decklist, or want to keep your deck a secret for a little while.
  2. “Draw” mode will only populate the extension’s decklist with cards you have seen this match, such as via draw effects and the Scout ability. Viewers will not be able to export your deck using the extension when in “Draw” mode.
  3. “Static” mode shows your deck as it would display in-game when you are on the deck builder screen. It does not change over the course of the game. In this mode, people can export your deck directly from the extension if they choose.

Why does my deck sometimes show up in “Draw” mode, even though I have “Static” mode selected?

Sometimes, such as if you are reconnecting to a game, or if you are playing a campaign game with a provided deck, we won’t have your full decklist. In these cases, we revert to displaying your deck in “Draw” mode. When you play another game, such as a Ranked game, your deck should display in “Static” mode again.

I linked my Eternal account with the wrong Twitch account by accident, how can I fix this?

You can unlink it on the same page as you linked. If you have any issues unlinking your account, please contact customer support (support@direwolfdigital.com).

I keep changing my streaming settings but the settings aren’t changing.

Ensure you are closing the settings menu using the “Accept” button to save your changes. Closing the settings menu in any other way will cancel your changes.

Community Store

What is influence and how do I get it?

Viewers-
Just watch: you get a constant trickle of influence for 4 hours per day.
Click Chests: We’ll offer you Interactive Drops chests on a stream using Waystone roughly once every 20 minutes; if you click a chest, you get extra influence. We’ll keep randomly offering you chests until you’ve clicked 8 in a day. Chests have a 10% chance to upgrade to a silver chest, which contains even more influence. The Interactive Drops are designed to be just that, and may not be botted or scripted.
Streamers-
Just stream! Streamers get influence for streaming Eternal with the Waystone overlay open for up to four hours per day. The influence earned scales with the size of your audience.
For both streaming and viewing, make sure you have Waystone enabled, and your Twitch accounts linked!

Where is the community store?

If you play on PC or Mac, you can access it in-game from a button in the normal store. Otherwise, you can use our web community store.

I watch Twitch on a mobile device — does that mean that I don’t get Influence or Drops?

You still get passive influence and passive drops when viewing on Mobile.

How do I link my Twitch account?

Go here and log in with your Eternal account. Follow the flow to link your accounts!

What does exclusive content mean?

This content is only accessible in the Community Store at this time! We reserve the right to make them available as gems-only (RMT) purchases in the future, after they rotate out of the Community Store.

What do the Design-a products entail?

These credit you with the opportunity to work with the dev team at Dire Wolf Digital to collaborate on the chosen product. It will be email correspondence, and a collaboration between you and the team to come up with neat ideas. Ultimately, it has to be the Eternal team that picks the path forward and does the final polishing, but the process will be influenced by your ideas and input!

I’m a streamer – how do I increase my rank?

Stream as you usually do! We add up all the view time you’re getting on Twitch. We consider the higher tiers of streaming a major achievement, so the thresholds are quite high for the later tiers.
– Bronze: 5,000 viewing hours
– Silver: 25,000 viewing hours
– Gold: 100,000 viewing hours
– Diamond: 250,000 viewing hours
You’ll also notice a little crown that matches your Streamer rank on your rank pips in Draft and Ranked queues; go forth and strut your accomplishments in the Eternal community.

I’m a streamer and I ranked up! What do I get?

Sweet merch!
– Silver: Eternal T-shirt!
– Gold: Eternal Hoodie!
– Diamond: Eternal Messenger Bag & Collectible Pin Set!
We’ll send out emails to collect your shipping information soon. If you haven’t heard from us, or have questions, reach out to support@direwolfdigital.com!
Deliveries may take up to 6-8 weeks, depending on availability.

Is there any merch for people who aren’t streamers?

Check out our online merch store!

Why don’t I get drops from all three of the streams I am watching?

You only get credits for the stream you are currently watching — we don’t give drops for watching multiple streams.