Mana vs Gold: How GNG's Dual Resource System Creates Real Decisions
Most card games use one resource. GNG uses two — Mana that ramps and Gold that rewards aggression. Here's how to spend both wisely.
Why Two Resources?
Most trading card games use a single resource: mana, energy, lands, whatever you call it. You get more each turn, you spend it on cards. Simple. But single-resource systems have a known problem — they reduce decisions. If you have 5 mana and a 5-cost card, you play it. There's rarely a meaningful choice about how to spend.
Goblins & Gunslingers splits the economy into two currencies that behave completely differently. The tension between them is where the strategy lives.
Mana: The Ramp
Mana works like most card games expect. On turn 1 you get 1 mana, turn 2 you get 2, turn 3 you get 3, and so on with no cap. It fully replenishes at the start of each turn.
Mana is predictable. You always know exactly how much you'll have next turn. This lets you plan your curve — the sequence of increasingly expensive cards you play each turn. A 1-drop on turn 1, a 2-drop on turn 2, and so on.
Gold: The Reward
Gold is different. You receive a flat 1 Gold per turn — it does not ramp like mana. But here's the twist: you also gain +1 Gold for each instance of damage you deal to the opponent's hero. And that bonus carries into your next turn.
This means aggressive decks earn more Gold. If your Goblin Mud Slicker (1M, 2/1, Ambush) hits the opponent for 2 damage on turn 1, you've earned 2 bonus Gold. Next turn you have 1 base + 2 bonus = 3 Gold. That's enough to play cards that normally wouldn't be affordable until later.
Gold rewards risk. If you play defensively and never deal face damage, you'll be stuck at 1 Gold per turn forever.
Cards Cost Both
Many GNG cards cost Mana only — especially cheap early plays like Frontier Marshal (2M, 2/3, Quickdraw). But the most powerful cards cost both. Sharpshooter Clara (3M/2G, 4/2, Double Barrel) needs 3 mana and 2 gold. You might have the mana on turn 3, but do you have the gold? Only if you've been aggressive enough.
This creates a genuine decision point every turn. Do you play a mana-only card to develop your board, or hold resources for a big mana+gold play next turn?
Gold Rush and Gold Economy Cards
Some cards generate Gold directly. Tinker Tot (1M, 1/1, Gold Rush: Gain 1 gold) is a Goblin 1-drop that accelerates your Gold economy just by being played. Scrap Spark (1M, 1/1, Gold Rush) does the same. These look weak on paper, but they enable expensive plays a turn early.
The Dwarf Ore Baron (3M/2G, 2/4, Gold Rush: Gain 2 gold) is even more aggressive about it — paying 2 gold to gain 2 gold back plus a body that sticks around.
Deputies: The Gold Sink
Deputies are special cards kept outside your deck that cost Gold to summon and activate. They're the ultimate Gold sink — powerful effects that only aggressive or Gold-generating decks can afford reliably. A passive deck with 1 Gold per turn will struggle to use Deputies at all.
The Strategic Axis
The dual resource system creates a genuine strategic axis that single-resource games don't have. Do you build for mana efficiency (consistent, safe) or gold aggression (volatile, powerful)? The answer changes based on your faction, your opponent's faction, and the board state. That's what makes it interesting.