MetaZoo is a Kickstarter/TCG based on Cryptids. Cryptid Nation is a TCG themed around creatures, spells, and artifacts. Launched on Kickstarter, the first set is based on USA cryptids such as Bigfoot, Mothman, and the Jersey Devil. This means that designers want to keep their design options open to whatever comes along.

It’s a TCG like Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon. ‘MetaZoo: Cryptid Nation’ is rooted in breaking the fourth wall or “Meta”. This means that your environment affects the power of monsters and spells. For example, if you play in the rainy season, your water animals and spells will gain power. Playing near a fire in the middle of winter makes your flame twice as powerful.

However, your opponent’s ice beasts will also gain power or become invisible to direct attacks. Thus, the environment is an important feature of the game. In this way, you can build a deck to suit your surroundings and increase the power of your animals.

When was MetaZoo released?

The card game was released on July 30 following a Kickstarter fundraiser in the spring. After a month-long campaign, creator Michael Waddell and his Meta Zoo team raised more than $18,000.

They started by producing First Edition Kickstarter Booster Books, Spell Books, Tribal Theme Decks, Blister Packs, and Promotional Singles. The Kickstarter supply was marked with a “K” to distinguish it from the main first edition released in late 2021.

How do you play MetaZoo?

In MetaZoo, you are in charge of magic and beasts from your spellbook. You compete against other casters in a battle of conquest. You can use cards or pages to attack and defend against your opponent. A win is achieved by reducing your opponent’s caster’s life points below 1000. But, of course, you also have to make sure that they fail to do the same to you.

Spell book

Your spellbook is all the weapons you need. Here are your weapon specs. Beasts are creatures, cryptids, and monsters that you can deal damage to on your behalf. Beast pages make up the bulk of the caster’s strength. They are also permanent until something removes them from play. Artifacts are also permanent but provide the necessary effects while on the battlefield. Spells and potions have temporary effects.

Other pages are like “lives” or “lands” in magic. You use them to pay for your pages. When you use them, you can interact with other pages during your turn. If you don’t include the neutral, there are ten different types. Most are associated with this career. Alien astronauts, for example, are a cosmic type.

The last type of page type is terapages. They describe the environment you are playing in, i.e. forest, fire, or snow. These pages give you location bonuses if you need them. Remember, you can increase the power of your animals by using your environment. For example, you can increase the monster Giant Salamander by playing the Forest Terra page or by playing with the forest.

Pages include rare traits, beast types, and beast names. The number one cosmic symbol appears in the upper right corner followed by the beast’s life points. Life points are the amount of damage a beast can take before dying.

A banner on the far left shows the card’s type and ability, such as flight. The lower half is divided by a sign and offers a bonus. Pages have pieces of information below the image. Information may include damage value, causes, and effects such as paralysis.

The Stages Of A MetaZoo Turn

Now that we’ve got all the prerequisites, let’s get into it:

First, you bookmark seven chapters from your spellbook. Your opposing caster does the same. After that, you can bookmark another round or just one card if you don’t like your hand.

When it’s your turn, you bookmark a page and wake up the sleeping people under your control. After that, you wait your turn again to perform your chosen actions.

You can contact an Aura page with your hand in the awakened field. Most flash pages won’t cost you anything.

You can then contract a Terra Page, Beast, Artifact, Spell, or Potion Page.

Be sure to use abilities on your monsters or models

You can play a face-down page to trick your opponent into a move. Trappages are a type of spell that you can use to respond to another caster’s action.

The next step is to declare an attack and resolve the fight.

For example, you can bookmark two Flame Auras, and one Fatigue to play Giant Salander. Then, awaken the second aura to cast a fireball spell. Overall, you should read the entire rulebook to understand all effects and glow types before playing.

Main concepts in MetaZoo

MetaZoo is a turn-based strategy card game designed for 2-6 players. There are four basic characteristics to see on the cards. Beasts, artifacts, potions, and spells have two significant actions that affect them, and we’ll discuss what happens to them later.

While most TCGs have a lot in common, MetaZoo has a few new terms that we’ll explore shortly:

The deck or deck of cards is known as the spell book in MetaZoo. It has at least 40 cards, although you can go higher.

The chapters refer to the cards you have at each moment, that is, the cards in your hands.

The letters themselves are called pages, not letters.

Arena refers to the entire area in which you and your opponent are playing: the battlefield.

The terrace slot is a 6-slot area in the middle of the arena.

Limbo is where beasts and artifacts go when destroyed. Potions and spells, on the other hand, go to the graveyard.

The afterlife means that the cards are gone forever.

Hiring a card means playing or dealing.

Bookmark means to draw a card.

Fatigue means turning a card horizontally while waking up to hang it vertically.

The spellbook has details such as set, rarity, card types, tribe, spellbook limit, and artist. Other items include aura cost, style, traits, fourth wall effect, attack strength, damage, and effect. If you already have experience in other card games, you shouldn’t have a hard time getting into this one.

What are the MetaZoo publication formats?

The Kickstarter supplies are the only ones on the market as of April 2021. MetaZoo says that the first issue of the Kickstarter had the following:

  • 2500 Booster Boxes with 36 packs or boxes
  • 1,000 Spell Books of 10 packs or more box
  • 2000 blister packs of 1 Mothman promo and 1 gold coin
  • 500 of each tribal music deck (there are five different decks with 2,500 total)

The first regular issue will begin shipping in a few waves, starting in summer 2021, and will consist of 10 times the Kickstarter print run by MetaZoo.

Here are the details:

  • 25,009 Booster boxes of 36 packs per case
  • 10,000 10-pack Spellbooks per box plus
  • 20,000 blister packs with a pack, 1 Mothman promo and 1 gold coin

How much does it cost?

The prices of the first editions of Kickstarter are all that you can see right now. Most of them cost more than $2,000. They may continue to increase as more of the first edition is publish. Check the current price on eBay.

All you will see of the buying and selling of MetaZoo cards is the secondary market. We are waiting for the release of the first wave of the first edition product (not Kickstarter). MetaZoo had its Bazaar marketplace active for some time. But unfortunately they closed that down so not all buying and selling is done on eBay or private forums and Discord.

Where to buy MetaZoo

You can pre-order a MetaZoo game from the MetaZoo Market or buy it from a TCG store near you. You can use the store position finder on their website to find a store near you that sells the games. All you basic to do is enter your location, search radius, and search radius size. You can also order online from Amazon Light or eBay. Note that this is for cards that have been released by MetaZoo.

Why is MetaZoo so expensive?

There are a few details that could explain the rise in the price of MetaZoo cards. One reason could be promotion. The raise of the cards has been a great success.

Another reason could be scarcity. There are only 2,500 Kickstarter booster boxes on the market. They quite limited and therefore rare. Scarcity increases the value of things; trading cards are no exception. Collectors scramble to get their hands on it so they can treasure it, hoping its value will go up.

Although it seems that MetaZoo wants to keep the price fair and affordable, they may not be able to prevent the secondary market from influencing the price in the long run.

MetaZoo versus Magic: The Gathering: Similarities and Differences

MetaZoo shares some gameplay similarities with MTG. Players can draw cards and spend them in both games. The equivalent of MTG’s mana and MetaZoo is putting persons and artifacts on the table to reduce your opponent’s life points to zero. Spells and potions in MetaZoo are similar to instants and sorceries in MTG. Other pages also work like lands in MTG.

There are some differences between early MTG and MetaZoo. Those who played MTG in the early days of 1993 ignored card pooling.

The cards were used and careless thrown into the trash. Only a few investment properties, such as Alpha, survived. This is why MTG cards are so expensive today.

Owners of early MetaZoo cards will be smarter with their investments. The cards will be carefully hidden away in the hope that they will gain over time. This of course depends on how popular the game is.

The bottom line

MetaZoo certainly has all the ingredients to become one of the premier card collections in the industry. The idea behind seems attractive to many. They have managed to incorporate some popular game mechanics like magic. Creating a unique twist using Cryptids and real life weather at the same time.

Moreover, the artwork is beautiful and there is no sign of slowing down in making more attractive themes. If they can keep up the creativity and advance, MetaZoo will go far in the TCG world. Also, it looks like there are a lot of future expansions plan. It will definitely keep the users excited and on their toes.