The easiest mental model: build a small army with cards, let it fight automatically, then rebuild for the next opponent. Protect your 60 Health and be the last Chess Player standing.
The match in 60 seconds
- 1
Six players enter
Every Chess Player begins with 60 Health. You are eliminated at 0; the last survivor wins.
- 2
Prepare your board
Spend Energy on Hero and Effect cards, combine copies, choose Talents, equip your main units, and arrange positions.
- 3
Combat resolves automatically
The game pairs you with an opponent. Your Heroes move, attack, gain mana, and cast skills without direct controls.
- 4
The loser takes damage
Health carries across rounds, so a narrow loss now can affect how safely you can play later.
- 5
Special rounds change the plan
Auctions let all surviving players bid Energy on valuable Heroes, Effects, or equipment.
What you actually control
ACE is not the Honor of Kings MOBA. You do not aim attacks or cast a Hero’s skill in real time. Think like a coach: build the roster, improve it, and place it so the automatic battle has the best chance to succeed.
Most beginner decisions fall into four buckets: board strength, long-term growth, economy, and positioning. A strong turn balances all four instead of buying every card that looks useful.
| Decision | Beginner question |
|---|---|
| Cards | Does this card strengthen my current plan or help it trigger? |
| Levels | Will leveling add a board slot or improve the card tiers I can find? |
| Energy | Do I need power now, or can I save for a level or auction? |
| Positioning | Is my frontline protecting the unit that deals most of my damage? |
The four things on your screen
- Chess Player: your match avatar and rules engine. Each has a unique skill, a Secret Technique task, and an exclusive Talent at level 6.
- Heroes: the units that fight. Playing another copy of a Hero already on your board merges it and raises its level. Hero levels can reach 999.
- Effect cards: one-time or rule-changing cards that can find units, grant equipment, improve levels, or alter a turn.
- Talents: free choices offered when your Chess Player levels. Talents have Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers; all six players receive the same Talent tier at the same Chess Player level.
Practical tip: For your first games, choose a Chess Player with an easy, visible payoff and follow one faction plan. Learning one loop is faster than trying to read every card in the shop.
Your first-game checklist
- 1
Finish the tutorial and training stages
They teach card placement, merging, selling, leveling, and combat timing with less pressure than ranked play.
- 2
Choose one damage carry
Give your best damage equipment and protection to one reliable Hero instead of splitting resources across the board.
- 3
Build a frontline
Put durable or expendable units in front and ranged damage dealers behind them. Recheck this before every fight.
- 4
Read keywords, not every number
Look for repeated faction keywords such as On Entry, Preparation, Rally, Tactics, or Ancient Coin. Repeated keywords reveal the intended engine.
- 5
Review the loss
Ask whether you lacked damage, protection, levels, or a key trigger. Change one thing before buying random replacements.
Three common beginner mistakes
- Treating the game like a MOBA: the decisive actions happen during preparation, not by tapping faster during combat.
- Buying too many unrelated cards: bench space and Energy disappear quickly when every faction looks tempting.
- Ignoring position: a powerful carry that is targeted first may cast nothing. Move your frontline, carry, and utility Heroes with a purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Is Honor of Kings: ACE an auto chess game?
It shares automatic combat and last-player-standing structure with auto battlers, but its card-driven shop, Hero leveling to 999, faction keyword engines, Chess Player abilities, and shared auctions give it a distinct rhythm.
Do I need to know Honor of Kings heroes?
No. Familiar names help with recognition, but ACE explains every Hero through cards, roles, positioning hints, and keywords. You can learn it as a standalone strategy game.
How long until the game starts making sense?
The core loop is understandable after the tutorial and a few full matches. Focus on one faction, one carry, and one economy plan rather than memorizing the entire card pool.
What this guide is based on
This is an original, localized synthesis—not a line-by-line translation. Creator videos are linked for further viewing; their footage is not reproduced here.
Official beginner guideTencent GamesPrimary source for player count, starting Health, card, Talent, Energy, and auction rules.
Beginner mechanics handbookTapTap · BaiyanExperienced-player context for faction engines, Hero levels, positioning, and beginner priorities.