Alliance

From Archon Arcana - The KeyForge Wiki

The Alliance format challenges both a player’s gameplay skills and deck-construction strategy by allowing Alliance decks to be created from up to three different Archon decks from the same KeyForge set.

Alliance Deck Creation: Prior to the start of an Alliance format tournament, each participating player must create an Alliance deck. An Alliance deck consists of three house pods from up to three different Archon decks from the same KeyForge set. Each selected house pod must be from a different house.

Additionally, each Alliance deck cannot contain more than one card by name from the Alliance Restricted List, and that card cannot appear in the Alliance deck in a greater quantity than specified in the Alliance Restricted List. If a player chooses to use a single unmodified Archon deck in an Alliance format tournament, that deck is not subject to the Alliance Restricted List.

A house pod is the group of 12 cards dedicated to a single house within a single Archon deck (each Archon deck always consists of three house pods of three different houses). For the purposes of resolving any card abilities, the list of cards in the house pod (as well as the houses of those cards) is considered to be on the deck’s Archon card.

If an Alliance deck is constructed from the Dark Tidings set, the deck must include the Tide reference card. Decks constructed from other sets cannot include the Tide reference card.

If an Alliance deck is constructed from the Winds of Exchange or Tokens of Change set, it must include exactly one token creature reference card from an Archon deck that contributed at least one house pod to the Alliance deck. Decks constructed from other sets cannot include token creature reference cards.

If an Alliance deck is constructed from a set using prophecy cards, it must include all prophecy cards from an Archon deck that contributed at least one house pod to the Alliance deck. Decks constructed from other sets cannot include prophecy cards.

Each Player Uses: One KeyForge Alliance deck consisting of three house pods from up to three different Archon decks in the same KeyForge set. Alternatively, a player may bring one unmodified Archon deck.

Registration: Each player must register themselves and their deck at the event HQ. If a player is registering with an Alliance deck, the deck list card from every Archon deck used to construct the Alliance deck must be presented at event HQ for inspection, and the player must register which house from each deck list was used to construct the Alliance deck. Alliance decks constructed from the Winds of Exchange set must also register the deck’s chosen token creature.

Deck Lists: Decklists are open information. Players must allow their opponent time to review their decklist prior to the start of the match, and at any time during the match if requested.

Qualifying Rounds: Alliance format tournaments use the Playstile 2LO structure and are played over a series of qualifying rounds, with each round featuring any number of two-player matches, and each match consisting of one game. The winner of each match is responsible for reporting the match result to the event HQ.

Players are eliminated after losing two matches, also known as “two loss out (2LO).”

Qualifying rounds continue until a predetermined number of players make the top cut (usually eight players). The size of the top cut and the number of qualifying rounds needed to reach it depend on the number of players at the beginning of the tournament. The event organizer will make these determinations prior to the start of the first tournament round.

Finals: After concluding the qualifying rounds, the remaining players who have qualified for the top cut proceed to the finals. The finals consist of single-elimination matches until only two players remain.

The final match is played as a best-of-three series. In other words, for the match to be resolved, players continue to play games until one player has won two games. The player who lost the previous game chooses which player will act as “first player” for the next game, if necessary.

You can read more about the Playstile 2LO tournament structure at keyforging.com/playstile-2lo-tournaments

Alliance Restricted List

Each Alliance deck cannot include more than one card by name from the following list. That card is known as the deck’s restricted card. Additionally, a deck’s restricted card cannot appear in the deck in a quantity greater than the Alliance Restricted List specifies.

An unmodified Archon deck used in an Alliance tournament does not need to adhere to the Alliance Restricted List.

Alliance Restricted List
Updated 31 January 2025
Card Name Sets* Quantity Allowed
Befuddle WoE Any number
Chronus MM, VM23, MoMu Any number
Ghostform WC, WoE Any number
Hallafest WoE, VM23, VM24 1 per deck
Heart of the Forest AoA Any number
Infurnace WC, MM, MoMu Any number
Jervi GR Any number
Key Abduction CotA, AoA, VM23, GR 1 per deck
Legionary Trainer WoE Any number
Stealth Mode WC, VM23, VM24 Any number
United Action WC, DT Any number
Winds of Death WoE, VM23 Any number

* Sets listed include sets where the card was printed. Legacy versions of any card on the list are subject to the same restrictions.

Example 1: Suppose you have three house pods, all from the Winds of Exchange set, that contain the following: Brobnar with one copy of Hallafest, Saurian with three copies of Legionary Trainer, and Unfathomable with two copies of Befuddle (and none of those three pods contained any other restricted cards). Since all of those house pods contain a card from the Alliance Restricted List, none of them can be combined into the same Alliance deck. However, any one of those pods could be used in an Alliance deck as long as that pod’s restricted card was the only restricted card, by name, in the entire Alliance deck.

'Example 2:' Suppose you have two house pods, both from the Call of the Archons set, that contain the following: Mars with one copy of Key Abduction, and Dis with with one copy of a mavericked Key Abduction. Those two house pods could not be combined into the same Alliance deck because Key Abduction is limited to 1 per deck.

Sealed

The Sealed format challenges each player to make the best deck combination from the house pods found in up to three sealed KeyForge decks.

Each Player Uses: Up to three sealed KeyForge Archon decks from the same KeyForge set. A sealed deck is one that is unopened and in its original packaging. The event organizer determines which KeyForge set will be used for the tournament and the maximum number of decks (one, two, or three) each player may use to create their final deck. A player may choose to use fewer sealed decks than the maximum.

Registration: Each player must register themselves at the event HQ and present their sealed Archon decks (as proof they are sealed), or obtain their sealed Archon decks if they are being provided by the event organizer.

Sealed Deck Creation: After registration is complete, the event organizer announces that all players may simultaneously open their sealed decks. After this announcement, players have 30 minutes to create their deck. Deck creation is an official stage of the tournament.

Each player constructs a single Sealed deck by selecting three different house pods from amongst all house pods provided by their sealed decks. A house pod is the group of 12 cards dedicated to a single house within a single Archon deck. Each player must only use pods from the sealed decks they opened; swapping pods or decks with other players is not allowed. Each selected house pod must be from a different house.

Sealed decks do not need to adhere to the Alliance Restricted List.

If a Sealed deck is constructed from the Dark Tidings set, it must include the Tide reference card. Decks constructed from other sets cannot include the Tide reference card.

If a Sealed deck is constructed from the Winds of Exchange or Tokens of Change set, it must include exactly one token creature reference card from an Archon deck that contributed at least one house pod to the Sealed deck. Decks constructed from other sets cannot include token creature reference cards.

If a Sealed deck is constructed from a set using prophecy cards, it must include all prophecy cards from an Archon deck that contributed at least one house pod to the Sealed deck. Decks constructed from other sets cannot include prophecy cards.

A player may choose to play with one of their sealed Archon decks in its original, unmodified state.

Deck construction must be completed within 30 minutes.

Deck Lists: Decklists are kept hidden from the opposing player during a match, but each player must make their available houses known to their opponent at all times. Players can choose to make their decklists visible to spectators but are not required to do so. Players must show their decklist to event staff whenever requested.

Deck Calibration: Between each round of a Sealed tournament, before being seated with their next opponents, players may calibrate their decks by substituting one or more house pods with one or more of their unused house pods from the Archons decks they opened at the beginning of the tournament. After calibration, a deck must consist of three house pods from different houses.

If a Sealed deck is constructed from the Winds of Exchange or Tokens of Change set, the player may also substitute the chosen token creature reference card with one of the unused token creature reference cards from the Archon decks they opened at the beginning of the tournament, provided that the newly chosen token creature reference card came from a deck that also contributed at least one pod to the Sealed deck.

If a Sealed deck is constructed from a set with prophecy cards, the player may also substitute the chosen prophecy cards with other prophecy cards from the Archon decks they opened at the beginning of the tournament, provided that the newly chosen prophecy cards came from a deck that also contributed at least one pod to the Sealed deck.

During the best-of-three series of the final match, players may perform deck calibration between games, with oversight from a judge or marshal. Each deck calibration between games of a final match must be completed within five minutes.

Qualifying Rounds: Sealed format tournaments use the Playstile 2LO structure, with each round featuring any number of two player matches, and each match consisting of one game. The winner of each match is responsible for reporting the match result to the event HQ.

Players are eliminated after losing two matches, also known as “two loss out (2LO).”

Qualifying rounds continue until a predetermined number of players make the top cut (usually eight players). The size of the top cut and the number of qualifying rounds needed to reach it depend on the number of players at the beginning of the tournament. The event organizer will make these determinations prior to the start of the first tournament round.

Finals: After concluding the qualifying rounds, the remaining players who have qualified for the top cut proceed to the finals. The finals consist of single-elimination matches until only two players remain. The final match is played as a best-of-three series. In other words, for the match to be resolved, players continue to play games until one player has won two games. The player who lost the previous game chooses which player will act as “first player” for the next game, if necessary.

You can read more about the Playstile 2LO tournament structure at keyforging.com/playstile-2lo-tournaments

Tournament Legality

Ghost Galaxy will issue updates to tournament supporting documents when rules need to be updated.

KeyForge is also an expandable product line which will see the release of new products in the form of new KeyForge deck sets.

Any changes to this document or the Master Rulebook will take effect 14 days after the release date of the document unless otherwise stated by the relevant document.

Example: An updated Tournament Rules and Guidelines document is released on January 31, 2026. Changes in that document will go into effect Feburary 13, 2026.

Deck Sets


Deck Ascension

Deck Ascension is designed to promote a wider range of KeyForge decks in high-level tournament play and to reduce the likelihood of a single deck enabling multiple players to qualify for the World Championship in the same competitive season.

When a player participates in a World Championship qualifying Archon or Alliance tournament and places first, the deck used by the player is Ascended for that competitive season.

When a player earns a qualification to the World Championship through an Archon or Alliance tournament, the deck used by the player is Ascended for that competitive season.

If an Alliance deck is Ascended, each deck that is used to create that deck is also Ascended for that competitive season.

Ascended Decks are prohibited from being used in further World Championship qualifying events for the remainder of the competitive season.

Only decks participating in the Archon and Alliance official formats are subject to Deck Ascension.

Each time a deck Ascends, it receives a special deck accolade, which can be viewed in the KeyForge Master Vault.

Ascended decks can be used in KeyForge World Championship tournaments.

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