The Spoils TCG

The Spoils TCG is Tenacious Games' original-IP CCG, notable for pitching itself as the CCG for seasoned CCG veterans who had burned out on bland fantasy, using surreal capitalist-dystopia flavour and a deliberately sardonic tone.

The game

Released in 2006 by Tenacious Games and designed by Rob Dougherty (formerly of Magic the Gathering Pro Tour fame), The Spoils TCG is a two-player duel built around four Professions (Banker, Gearsmith, Arcanist, Warlord, Rogue) each with their own economic and combat playstyles. The Rake system lets players tap their deck for resources without drawing from hand, and the tonal flavour leans into an early-industrial capitalist aesthetic rather than the typical swords-and-dragons palette.

The context

Tenacious Games was a startup trying to prove that CCGs still had creative space beyond the established giants. They raised funding and ran a meaningful tournament organising effort in 2006-2007. The game had a small but passionate competitive community and attracted writers and designers with existing CCG credentials. Tenacious eventually folded but a successor publisher (Arsenal) picked up the line for a brief revival run.

The collector angle

A First Edition, Arcane Salvation, Bazaar of Souls, and Archon's Rebellion from Tenacious, plus Gratitude of Kings and Breach of Faith from the Arsenal revival era make up the main releases. Rob Dougherty-signed cards from 2006 release events are the visible chase, and the rare Foil Mr. Kindly cards are among the most-requested. The Spoils has a dedicated small-player community that maintains active trading even years after the line's effective end, keeping aftermarket prices more stable than the typical out-of-print CCG.