Guardians (card game)


Guardians is an out-of-print collectible card game created by Keith Parkinson and Luke Peterschmidt, published by Friedlander Publishing Group in 1995. In it, two players build armies led by powerful leaders called Guardians. Unlike many CCGs, there is a 4x3 "map" where armies maneuver; each player has strongholds on their "row", and the middle two rows are disputed. There are three potential victory conditions: a player can either defeat the enemy Guardian, conquer all 6 "disputed territories" in the middle two rows, or exhaust their opponent by depleting their armies.

Marketing

Guardians was marketed rather crudely, emphasizing scantily-clad women in cards and sex appeal. For example, there was a card called "Super Model" which "Destroys any creature which can be bribed by Babes", and an article/advertisement in Inquest written by designer Luke Peterschmidt featured a caption saying "Six of the... uh, three of the best things about Guardians" next to artwork of three large-chested women in little clothing.

Reception

The game was reported to have a strong following in Philadelphia, Ohio, England and France. Peterschmidt mentioned that a "secondary game" needs at least "three cities" to make money publishing a trading card game and these large areas could "support a lower-end game without a lot of overhead."

Artwork

Guardians was most renowned for the quality of its artwork. Artists include: