Tanuki Panic – TCG

Tanuki Panic is a trading card game by Mountain Town Toys. If we have Booster Packs in stock, you can purchase them from the grid:

If you’d like to get a closer look at the production release of the cards themselves, here’s a video of us ripping into the very first booster pack.

1. Objective

Reduce your opponent’s energy to zero by attacking with your cards in Attack Mode.


2. Card Anatomy

Each card has:

NameExample (Igaguri)
Card NameIgaguri
Flavor TextA true warrior plants his feet like a bamboo stalk—unyielding above, deeply rooted below. The storm will break before he does.
Attack (ATK)350
Defense (DEF)500
  • Attack Mode = card is vertical. Uses ATK value when attacking or being attacked.
  • Defense Mode = card is horizontal. Uses DEF value when being attacked.
  • Face-down Defense Mode = card is placed face-down horizontally. Opponent does not know which card it is. Uses DEF when attacked and flipped face-up.

3. Starting Energy

Energy is based on deck size:

Deck SizeStarting Energy
5–19 cards (Booster pack mini-game)3000
20–39 cards5000
40+ cards (Standard)8000

Design note: This allows two players to open one booster pack each (e.g., 10–12 cards) and play immediately without building a full deck.


4. Turn Structure

Each turn has 5 Phases:

  1. Draw Phase – Draw 1 card from your deck.
  2. Main Phase 1 – You may:
    • Summon 1 card (in Attack, Defense, or face-down Defense mode)
    • Change the battle position of any eligible cards you control (once per turn, cannot change in same turn summoned)
  3. Battle Phase – Declare attacks (explained below).
  4. Main Phase 2 – Same as Main Phase 1 (can summon if you didn’t in main phase 1, can change positions of elligible cards).
  5. End Phase – End your turn. Hand size limit is 7 cards (discard down to 7 if over).

5. Summoning Rules

  • One summon per turn
  • You may summon in:
    • Face-up Attack Mode (vertical)
    • Face-up Defense Mode (horizontal)
    • Face-down Defense Mode (horizontal, card hidden)
  • You cannot summon if your Monster Zone is full (see Field Layout below).
  • You cannot change a card’s battle position in the same turn it was summoned.

6. Field Layout

Each player has:

ZoneCapacity
Monster ZoneUp to 7 cards
HandNo max during turn, end phase limit of 7

7. Battle Rules

Declaring an Attack

  • Only cards in face-up Attack Mode can declare attacks.
  • You may attack with any or all of your Attack Mode cards once per turn.
  • Choose one of your opponent’s cards as the target:
    • Face-up Attack Mode → Compare ATK vs ATK
    • Face-up Defense Mode → Compare ATK vs DEF
    • Face-down Defense Mode → Attack flips it face-up first, then compare ATK vs DEF

You may declare multiple attacks against the same opponent’s monster during one Battle Phase. Resolve each attack separately, following the normal Attack Outcomes table.

If the combined ATK of all monsters attacking the same Defense Mode target in a single turn exceeds the target’s DEF, the target is destroyed after the final attack is resolved (but damage is still calculated per attack).

For example: A face down Kumiai-Ki (DEF 1350) is attacked by Shuten-dōji (950 ATK), Kintarō (850 ATK), and Momotarō (700 ATK). Kumiai-Ki is flipped face up. Each attack deals damage to the attacking player (400, 500, and 650). After all attacks, the combined ATK (2500) exceeds 1350, so Kumiai-Ki is destroyed. Important note: After Kintarō’s attack, Kumiai-Ki had suffered enough damage to fall, and Momotarō’s attack was unnessiary, but because Kumiai-Ki was played Face Down the attacking player had no way to know this.

Momotarō’s attack still results in 650 damage to the attacking player.

Attack Outcomes

AttackerTargetResult
ATK > Target ATK (Attack Mode)Attack ModeTarget destroyed. Difference between player attack and target attack dealt to player as damage.
ATK < Target ATK (Attack Mode)Attack ModeAttacker destroyed. No damage.
ATK = Target ATK (Attack Mode)Attack ModeBoth destroyed. No damage.
ATK > Target DEF (Defense Mode)Defense ModeTarget destroyed. No damage to opponent.
ATK < Target DEF (Defense Mode)Defense ModeNo destruction. Attacker takes damage equal to the difference.
ATK = Target DEF (Defense Mode)Defense ModeTarget destroyed. No damage.
Direct Attack (no monsters on opponent’s field)Opponent loses Energy equal to attacker’s ATK.

Important Notes

  • A destroyed card is sent to the Graveyard (face-up).
  • Face-down Defense Mode cards flipped by an attack are not destroyed unless the ATK exceeds their DEF. They remain face-up Defense Mode after the battle.
  • No card can attack the turn it was summoned (as is standard in most of these kinds of games.)


8. Booster Pack Play (Quick Start)

Two players each open one booster pack (e.g., 10 random cards).

StepAction
1Each player sets their starting Energy based on pack size (10 cards = 3000 Energy)
2Each player draws an opening hand of 5 cards
3Each player may summon up to 1 card before the first turn (face-down Defense only)
4Play proceeds with standard turn structure

This makes Tanuki Panic playable immediately after opening packs – no deck construction required.


9. Standard Deck Play (40+ Cards)

For tournament or constructed play:

RuleValue
Minimum deck size40 cards
Maximum deck sizeNo maximum
Starting Energy8000
Opening hand5 cards
Hand size limit7 cards
Same card limitUp to 3 copies of the same card

10. Quick Reference Card

ActionRule
Summons per turn1
Attacks per turn per monster1
Hand limit7 (discard at end of turn)
Monster Zone limit7
Attack Mode vs Attack ModeHigher ATK wins; loser destroyed
Attack Mode vs Defense ModeCompare ATK vs DEF; if ATK > DEF, destroy defense monster
Direct attackDeal ATK as damage to opponent’s Energy
Face-down defenseUnknown card; flip on attack, then compare ATK vs DEF