Cards are a mechanic in Paragon which allow players to upgrade their heroes in-game by increasing their stats or incorporating active and passive abilities into their hero's build. Players choose a deck to bring into a match and then purchase these cards for use in-game with Gold.
Cards are divided into five affinities: Chaos, Death, Growth, Knowledge, Order each with different play styles and traits. Every hero has 3 card slots along with 6 gem slots. A Hero can slot cards of any affinity that suits your play style.
The Deck Builder is used to create decks where you can add up to 12 cards and 6 gems. Before creating a deck you can choose up to two affinities for that specific deck. At the beginning of the match you choose the deck that better suits you.
There are three attribute trees that increase your stats and allow for equipping gems. Agility, Intellect and Vitality. Each attribute point costs 1,000 Gold and can't be refunded. Cards can cost either attribute points, gold or a combination of both. Attribute points work similar to bag capacity in other games, where if you have 12 Agility Points and equip a 6 Agility Point card, you will have 6/12 Agility Points left to use, but you still keep any stats or gems from the Agility Tree. Equipping the card gives you back all Attribute Points used, but Gold is not refunded.
Adding or Discarding cards can only be done while a Hero is standing in their team's spawn point or while the Hero is waiting to respawn after dying. Upgrading Attribute Points can be done anywhere in the map as long as you have gold to upgrade them.
Cards are earned by:
- Opening Chests
- Leveling your account and heroes
- Purchasing them with Reputation
- Daily log in rewards
Card Slots[]
There are three card slots in each Hero's loadout. Once the match starts the player's press "G" on PC (touchpad on the PS4) to open a window to the card deck choices. They can select a premade Starter Deck or a deck they have created themselves. Once the choice is confirmed, players can spend 1,000 initial gold on cards or attribute points. Players will gain Gold by last hitting minions, defeating neutral camps, enemy kills and a small amount of it will be gained passively every second. Prior to Update V43, Gold was also earned via the Amber Link.
Card Types[]
Cards each have an affinity: Chaos, Death, Growth, Knowledge or Order. They also have different rarities: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic.
Rarity affects drop rate and card complexity. Usually the Epic and Rare cards can have more complex effects.
Affinity Cards[]
Cards are split into five affinities: Chaos, Death, Growth, Knowledge and Order. Each Hero can use any affinity and this is only limited by the affinities that are chosen for a specific deck. See Affinities for more information on how this works.
Affinity Traits[]
Each affinity has a special trait that can affect some cards.
- Knowledge: Consumable - The card is used up when activated (can be repurchased)
- Death: Cursed - Can't be discarded for the rest of the match. These cards are usually great early to mid game, but fall off in the late game.
- Chaos: Combustible - Once you die, the card is discarded and must be re-bought. These cards are usually very powerful, but risky.
- Growth: Cultivate: Cost less the more attribute points you have.
- Order: Elevate - Gain bonus stats on this card given certain progressions (such as leveling up an attribute), but only if the elevate card is the sole card equipped - the bonus is lost when you add a card beyond the singular elevate card.
Purchasing and Upgrading Cards[]
If you don't own a card, you can purchase it. The purchase cost depends on the card's Rarity:
- 10,000 for a common card
- 25,000 for an uncommon card
- 75,000 for a rare card
- 150,000 for an epic card
If you own several copies of a card, you can upgrade it to increase stats in PvE modes (doesn't apply to PvP) and give it a more unique look. The prices depend on the level:
Cards[]
Amplification Engineer
Blitzrush
Compensator Rig
Deathcrawler
Demolitionist
Dune Winds
Glycerin Dawn
Heavy Hitter
Hellfire Engine
Living Guardian
Nukeblood Mutant
Outlander Scout
Overclocked Droid
Pressure Hunter
Profiteer
Reactor Beast
Red Zone
Riot Sapper
Sand Speeder
Shatter Golem
Thorned Yomi
Tireless Reaper
Awaken the Emeric
Cull the Weak
Devastation
Finder of Playthings
Grinning Spectre
Lord Volstok
Nameless Curse
Numbing Rogue
Pestilence
Plague Lord Mallenk
Possessed Spry-Kin
Shadow Dancer
Sorvukk Initiate
Swamp Stalker
Taskmaster
Vampiric Blade
Veil Stepper
Warlock's Burden
Wicked Riposte
Withering Shadow
Apex Predator
Awakened Ancient
Battle Shepherd
Coinmaster
Coursing Zephyr
Exoskeleton
Flame of Zechin
Greenspring
Growth Totem
Highwayman
Mallenk Gnasher
One of the Tribe
Pack Leader
Pensive Shaman
Spry-Kin
Swift Hunter
The Mother Tree
Thundercleaver
Trapper
Tyrant
Unbroken Spirit
Vengeful Mire
Accelerator
Advanced Evolution
Arcane Dancer
Astral Leap
Atomic Soldier
Black Ice Routine
Corrosive Walker
Cryo Agent
Echelon Soldier
Echodrive
Generator
Mana-Flow Acolyte
O.P.D. Militia
Power Tap
Rejuvenator
Shipyard Scavenger
Sleeper Agent
Soldier of Fortune
Stasis Rune
Static Trap
Supply Sergeant
Thaumaturge
Brilliant Fortification
Crippling Glare
Domain of Stillness
Eternity Clock
Flag Bearer
Form of Grubbish
Gates of Salvation
Godmother Vigilant
Knight of Ashur
Lamp Lighter
Lightstep Vanguard
Mallenk's Grace
Mallenk's Prayer
Mallenk's Tribute
March of the Mallenk
Poised Aggressor
Protective Sentry
Radiant Healer
Sacred Alchemy
Song of the Sentinel
Stagnant Dominion
Vanguard Captain
Yomi Guardian