As of the Smash Up Teens promo release, there are 100 factions, which can combine to form 4,950 unique pairs of factions.[1] Every faction is composed of a 20-card deck and each player shuffles two factions together to form their deck of 40 cards.
Most factions have a typical structure for their cards, which includes minions and actions. However, there are exceptions to this structure among different factions. Here is an example of the typical structure:
Each faction has special gameplay mechanics that are common among their minions and actions, connecting with their theme. For example, Zombies come back from the discard pile, Mad Scientists generate and spend +1 power counters, and Ghosts gain bonuses when having only a few cards in their hand.
Each faction is released alongside two bases associated with their theme, except for Polynesian Voyagers, who have three bases. The base deck can be built in a way that bases associated with factions not chosen to play may still appear, and bases associated with chosen factions may appear more or less often. Bases typically favor the gameplay of their associated faction, although there are examples where this is debatable or simply in theme only. For example, Tar Pits does not provide an advantage specifically to the Dinosaurs. Similarly, the Ghosts do not gain any advantage from The Dread Gazebo, and the Magical Girls may only sometimes benefit from the Q Point, which has more of a thematic connection than a mechanical one.
Play many powerful actions that penalize you with Madness cards, and recover cards from the discard pile, often at the cost of destroying your own minions.
Copy other players' power and abilities, boost your minions' power, and destroy and replace your minions with other minions, especially from your deck.
Sort your deck, take a peek and manipulate the top of each player's deck, force your opponents to discard cards, and play specials while bases are scoring.
Weaken other players' minions, temporarily take control of weak minions, and destroy your own minions for effects, whether minions you played or minions you took control of.
Play with a reduced number of minions in your deck, but with a cast of six power-5 minions with useful abilities, and support your deck with movement, card draw and minion retrieval.
Draw treasures, gain benefits for having treasures in hand, usually discarding them for the benefits, and steal things from other players, such as cards or VPs.
Play and destroy monsters on bases to manipulate their breakpoints and gain treasures, and gain power boosts from the presence or the destruction of monsters.
Play play-on-minion actions, use talents to switch your minions between a powerful form and a weaker form with a useful ability, and move your minions around.
Return your minions to hand for benefits, and manipulate how your minions are affected, like moving them instead of returning them or having your power-2 minions be affected instead of others.
Play low-power minions as extras, gain benefits from the presence of other players' minions on their bases, and play actions that neutralize strong opposing minions.
Play with fewer minions than normal, but gain power through your play-on-base actions, destroy other players' cards, manipulate bases and summon a giant freaking titan.
Transfer play-on-base actions around in order to move your minions, and mess with other players' play-on-base actions, either by transferring them elsewhere or taking control of them.
Play with a reduced number of minions in your deck, but with a team of seven power-4 minions with powerful and oppressive abilities, including hard removal, power boost and retaliation.
Draw and retrieve cards from your deck and discard pile to get your best cards out as soon as possible and keep them around for as long as possible. (Previously found in the All Stars Event Kit)
Search for and play actions on other players' minions, especially Set-Up actions, as a requirement to activate or play cards with much greater effects.
Give cards to other players for benefit, gain benefits when they play or discard them, and give away actions that are continuously passed between players.
Play with a reduced number of characters in your deck, but with a cast of six power-5 characters with useful abilities, and each associated with a unique action that has two abilities, a regular one and a stronger one when the right character is in play.
Play with a reduced number of minions in your deck, but with a team of seven strong minions, move them around, and have them end their movement on a base with your play-on-base actions to trigger various benefits.
Generate and move +1 power counters among your characters, and play with a team of six power-3 characters, whose abilities get better if they have +1 power counters.
Gain power for having character modifiers in play and distribute character modifiers whose ability can either benefit you, or severely hinder your opponents.
Move your minions around, especially after another minion moves, gain benefits for moving your minions and repeat other players' actions. (Previously found in Smash Up Sheep Promo)
