The game takes place in the universe of Nemyne, an entire world on the head of a pin, literally. At these scales magic is real, fantastical beasts roam, and good and evil vie for supremacy. At the heart of Nemyne is Archon Arena. Here the lords of the land, the Archons, wage ruthless battles night and day. Combatants with equal resources call forth the power of melee and magic: weapons, armor, maneuvers, spells and potions, all under the watchful eye of the battle leader. They have only one goal, to eliminate the opponent. Winning means prestige and acclaim; and being the target of countless challengers.
A duel in Archon Arena consists of three battles. The two players each begin with equal decks that are randomly divided into three piles, one for each upcoming battle. For a given battle each player chooses a surprise reserve card and a leader who grants a special ability. Then a round consists of playing cards simultaneously, comparing offense and defense, and tallying damage. The battle is complete when one or both players lose all their hit points, and the overall winner is the player who wins more of the three battles.