What the difference between type 1 and type 2?
I enjoy both types. Up until recently, I had been primarily a T1 only player, but I started playing T2 more this year and have enjoyed it immensely. Basically, the differences can be grouped into three categories: Deckbuilding, Additional rules (for T2), and General participation/playstyle (who would prefer it more/why).
Deckbuilding:
T1
1. Most cards (except dominants, multi-color characters/enhancements, and cards with no SA) are 1 copy per 50 cards in deck.
2. Dominants, multi-color characters/enhancements are limited to 1 per deck of any size.
3. Cards with no SA (except sites and LS's) are limited to 3 per deck of any size.
4. Sites with no SA are only limited by rule 4.
5. # of Sites cannot exceed # Lost Souls
6. # of Lost Souls is specified by number of cards in deck (50-56, 7 LS's; 57-63, 8 LS's; etc.)
7. Total number of cards must be between 50 and 154.
T2
1. Dominants, multi-color characters/enhancements are limited to 1 per deck of any size.
2. Artifacts, Fortresses, Curses, Covenants are limited to 3 per deck
3. Single color characters/enhancements, and cards with no SA (including Sites and Lost Souls) are limited to 5 per deck of any size.
4. Number of Good cards (Heroes, Good enhancements, Covenants, Good dominants, Good Fortresses) must equal number of Evil cards (Evil
Characters, Evil Enhancements, Curses, Evil Dominants, Evil Fortresses).
5. # of Lost Souls is specified by number of cards in deck (100-105, 14 LS's; 106-112, 15 LS's; etc.)
6. Total number of cards must be between 100 and 252.
Additional Rules:
T2 has all of the same game play rules as T1, with these additional rules:
1. When you attack, you declare which Lost Soul you are attacking for, and you can only rescue that Lost Soul for that battle (Rescuer's Choice)
2. Your Heroes gain 1/1 for every battle that they are involved with where they rescue a Lost Soul, your Evil Characters gain 1/1 for every battle they successfully block (Experience Credit).
3. Game ends when one player reaches 7 Redeemed Souls (as opposed to 5 for T1).
General Participation/Playstyle:
T2 is typically exclusive to experienced players. Most new players start out with T1 because T2 decks typically require more available cards to be effective (since most good T2 decks have multiples of good cards) and because of the additional rules. Deck building is also much more balanced than T1; while T1 decks are typically favored toward offense, T2 decks are forced to have an equal number of offensive and defensive cards. As such, games take longer, and it is believed (especially by T2 players) that T2 is more strategic and not as much based on luck of the draw. T2 decks also are more able to foster combos that when played correctly, can lock out your opponent (make it so he cannot possibly win) using a large number of cards that would typically not be effective in most T1 games. Some people enjoy this aspect; others prefer T1 because of it.