Monster Card System
Monster Cards are one of the most powerful progression systems in Arcana Historia. Each hero equips one card, which provides base stats (HP/ATK/DEF) and a unique passive ability.
Card Basics
- One card per hero — Choose wisely based on build
- Cards have quality tiers: ★1 (Green) → ★2 (Blue) → ★3 (Purple) → ★4 (Orange)
- Higher quality = more stars available: ★1=1★, ★2=2★, ★3=3★, ★4=4★
- Each star has 10+ levels with increasing stat ratios
- Cards have class restrictions: some are universal (All classes), others locked to Warrior, Archer, or Mage
Obtaining Cards
Card Gacha (Academy Trade)
- Single pull: 1 Trade Permit or 200 Diamonds
- 10x pull: 10 Trade Permits or 1,800 Diamonds (saves 200 diamonds)
- Rates:
- ★4 (Orange): 1%
- ★3 (Purple): 4.5%
- ★2 (Blue): 34.5%
- ★1 (Green): 60%
- Each pull also gives 10 Literature Fragments for the card shop
Card Shop (Literature Exchange)
- Exchange Literature Fragments for specific cards
- 10 fragments per pull as bonus from gacha
Abyss Boss Drops
- Region bosses can drop specific cards
Card Progression
Star-Up System
Each star level requires Enchantment Solvents of increasing rarity. Max stars depend on card quality:
| Quality | Max Stars |
|---|---|
| ★1 (Green) | ★1 |
| ★2 (Blue) | ★2 |
| ★3 (Purple) | ★3 |
| ★4 (Orange) | ★4 |
Star-Up Materials Reference
| Material | Chinese | Tier | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank Paper | 空白的纸张 | Base | Abyss floor drops (common), card disassembly (all qualities return Paper), Abyss boss chests |
| Crude Enchant Solvent | 粗制附魔溶剂 | I | Disassemble ★1–★3 cards (5–290 per card depending on star), Abyss floor drops (uncommon) |
| Enchant Solvent | 附魔溶剂 | II | Disassemble ★2+ cards at ★1+ (5–420 per card), Abyss mid-tier drops, quest rewards |
| Refined Enchant Solvent | 精制附魔溶剂 | III | Gold Shop: 5 for 15,000 gold (1x/day). Diamond Shop: 10/20/30 for 300/600/900 diamonds. Disassemble ★3+ cards at ★1+ (3–720 per card). Festival event shops. |
| Magic Catalyst | 魔力催化剂 | IV | Gold Shop: 1 for 30,000 / 3 for 90,000 / 5 for 150,000 gold (1x/day each). Diamond Shop: 1/3/5 for 300/900/1,500 diamonds. Disassemble ★4 cards at ★1+ (3–79 per card). Festival event shops. |
★2 (Blue) — Star-Up Costs
| Star | Blank Paper | Solvent I |
|---|---|---|
| ★1→★2 | 100 | 5 |
★3 (Purple) — Star-Up Costs
| Star | Blank Paper | Solvent I | Solvent II | Solvent III |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★1→★2 | 700 | 150 | 75 | 15 |
| ★2→★3 | 1,500 | 250 | 150 | 30 |
★4 (Orange) — Star-Up Costs
| Star | Blank Paper | Solvent II | Solvent III | Catalyst IV | Old World V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★1→★2 | 2,000 | 100 | 50 | 10 | 1 |
| ★2→★3 | 3,000 | 200 | 150 | 35 | 2 |
| ★3→★4 | 5,000 | 400 | 300 | 50 | 5 |
★4 Total: 10,000 Paper + 700 Solvent II + 500 Solvent III + 95 Catalyst IV + 8 Old World V
Level-Up System
Cards gain levels by consuming EXP materials. Each quality has the same 100-level structure gated by star requirements:
| Level Range | Star Required | Level Cap Materials |
|---|---|---|
| Lv 1–10 | ★1 | — |
| Lv 11–20 | ★2 | 50 duplicate cards |
| Lv 21–30 | ★3 | 50 duplicate cards |
| Lv 31–40 | ★4 | 50 duplicate cards |
| Lv 41–50 | ★5 | 50 duplicate cards |
| Lv 51–60 | ★6 | 50 duplicate cards |
| Lv 61–70 | ★7 | 50 duplicate cards |
| Lv 71–80 | ★8 | 50 duplicate cards |
| Lv 81–90 | ★9 | 50 duplicate cards |
| Lv 91–100 | ★10 | — (final) |
EXP Materials
| Material | Chinese | EXP Value |
|---|---|---|
| Active Magic Ink | 活性魔力墨水 | 1,000 |
| Magic Etching Fluid | 魔力刻蚀液 | 2,500 |
| Special Magic Etching Fluid | 特供魔力刻蚀液 | 10,000 |
Card EXP Depreciation: When recycling cards, only 80% of invested EXP transfers (from config:
card_depreciation=0.8). Plan your investments carefully.
Stat Scaling
Card quality determines the attribute ratio multiplier:
- Higher quality cards have higher base stats AND higher growth per level
- A maxed ★4 card significantly outperforms a maxed ★3
Card Passive Types
Cards provide different types of bonuses:
| Passive Type | Examples | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Stat Boost | +ATK%, +DEF%, +HP% | General use |
| Damage Amplifier | +DMG%, +Skill DMG% | DPS heroes |
| Elemental Damage | +Fire/Ice/Poison/Lightning DMG + Amp% | Element-specific builds |
| Survivability | +DR%, +Dodge, +HP Regen | Tanks |
| CDR (Cooldown Reduction) | +Skill CD% | Healers, skill-reliant builds |
| Summon Buffs | +Summon ATK/Speed/Limit |  Pet Summon builds |
| On-Hit Effects | Bleed, Burn, Resist Shred | Sustained DPS |
| Combat Triggers | On-crit effects, on-kill, on-skill | Specialized builds |
See Card Reference Table for the complete card database and Best Cards Per Build for synergy chains and star progression guides.