Emoji Battle

How to play Emoji Battle

Draft a team of emoji, let the five elements clash, and see who's left standing.

Status: Live v1.3.0 · content v15

Free. No account. No ads mid-battle. Play the AI, pass & play, or duel friends in iMessage.

1,899Fighters
5Elements
15Types
105Specials
1,040+Combos
01 · Learn

A battle is just a text thread

Scroll down and watch one full round play out, bubble by bubble.

⚔️
Emoji Battle
turn-based · best of 3

You send a team of up to 3 emoji. The first one is your FRONT fighter, and it clashes first.

🔥🐉🐭
Delivered

Your opponent sends their team too.

🌿💧🐱

Before anything clashes, the round opens: every fighter's ability fires, then combos land on whatever board is left. 🔥 next to a tree makes Wildfire.

✨ Wildfire! +2 to your whole team

Now the two fronts clash. Every type belongs to one of five elements, and the elements form a pentagram. 🔥 Fire beats 🌿 Nature — fire scorches the land.

🔥 beats 🌿 · Fire tops Earth

The winner stays and faces the next foe. When elements are neutral, the higher power (0 to 11) wins.

🐉 beats 💧 · power ✅

A cat and a mouse? That's a natural enemy pairing — worth one extra win on top of the element math.

🐱 beats 🐭 · natural enemy

Clear the opponent's whole team to win the round. Some abilities score a Knockout: that fighter's emoji is banned from its owner for the rest of the match.

🎉 You won the round!

Win a best-of 1, 3, or 5 to take the match. Survivors carry into the next round, so protect them. (Press & hold any bubble to react.)

Rematch? 😤

Open the app each day for a free random fighter. Come back daily to grow your roster and catch them all.

🎁 +1 free fighter, every day
02 · The rules

What decides a clash

Seven things decide a clash.

a · Draft

Send up to 3

Draft up to three emoji. The first one is your front fighter — it clashes first.

b · Elements

Five elements, 15 types

Every one of the 15 types belongs to one of five elements — Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Ether. Cross-element clashes follow the pentagram; same element with no exception is neutral and falls to power. Seven named exceptions defy it.

c · Power

0–11 breaks ties

If the elements are neutral, the higher power (0 to 11) wins. Equal power on both sides is a mutual knockout.

d · Initiative

Strike-first goes first

A strike-first ability, or a combo that seized initiative, resolves before seat order — whoever has it acts first, not just whoever sent the turn.

e · Natural enemies

One extra winning pairing

Specific emoji counter specific others — 🐱 corners 🐭, 🧄 clears 🧛, ✂️ cuts 📄 — worth one extra winning cross-pairing, bending close matchups without trumping the chart.

f · Knockouts

Gone for the match

Some abilities score a Knockout: that fighter's emoji is banned from its owner for the rest of the match — it can't be fielded again. Ordinary defeats don't ban anything, and survivors carry into the next round.

g · Silence

Resolves first

A silence resolves before any other round-start effect — a counter that fired after the thing it counters would just be narration.

The pentagram

  • Water beats Fire (douses it) and Ether (spirits can't cross running water)
  • Fire beats Earth (scorches the land) and Air (consumes the air that feeds it)
  • Earth beats Water (dams and drinks the flood) and Ether (matter grounds the mystical)
  • Air beats Earth (wears mountains to sand) and Water (the storm whips the sea)
  • Ether beats Fire (nothing burns in the void) and Air (the heavens rule the sky)

Same element, no exception → neutral, falls to power.

The seven exceptions

  • 💧 Water beats ❄️ Ice — the thaw breaks the frost.
  • ❄️ Ice beats 🌿 Nature — frost kills the harvest.
  • 🌿 Nature beats 🪨 Earth — roots split the stone.
  • 🪨 Earth beats ⚡️ Electric — the ground swallows the lightning.
  • ☠️ Poison beats 🐾 Beast — venom fells the beast.
  • ✨ Light beats 🌑 Shadow — dawn banishes the dark.
  • 🌑 Shadow beats 🔮 Psychic — fear preys on the mind.
03 · The wiki

Everything the game runs on

Elements first, then every special, every trap, and 1,040+ combos to search through.

Select a type

Tap, click, or arrow-key onto any of the 15 types below to see its matchups.

Beats Loses to Neutral · power decides

Showing 105 of 105 abilities

  • During clash

    Overheat

    Windfury, wins ties it would otherwise draw by striking twice.

  • Before clash

    Strike First

    Charge, gains +2 power before every clash it fronts.

  • After clash

    Venom

    Poisonous, anything that survives a clash with it is poisoned and dies at round end.

  • On defeat

    Rebirth

    Returns to the back of the team once per round at half power.

  • Before clash

    Bulwark

    Shields itself once per round, soaking the next defeat.

  • After clash

    Lifesteal

    Heals (gains power) each time it wins a clash.

  • Before clash

    Mark

    Marks the enemy front; marked emoji take double damage from effects.

  • On defeat

    Last Blast

    Deathrattle, saps power from whoever defeated it.

  • On entry

    Rally

    All allies gain +1 power when it enters.

  • During clash

    Phase

    Dodges the first clash it would lose, once per round.

  • Before clash

    Hush

    Silences the enemy front, disabling its special for the round.

  • Before clash

    Frostbite

    Freezes the enemy front solid - it loses its next clash.

  • During clash

    Mirror Ward

    Once per round, reflects a super-effective hit back, surviving and removing the attacker.

  • During clash

    Encase

    Intangible, cannot be removed by type advantage for its first clash.

  • Before clash

    Pump

    Buffs itself before the clash.

  • Round end

    Metamorphosis

    After surviving 2 clashes, evolves into a stronger form (๐Ÿ›โ†’๐Ÿฆ‹).

  • Round end

    Hatch

    After surviving a clash, hatches into a chick (๐Ÿฅšโ†’๐Ÿฃ).

  • Round end

    Wildcard

    Chaotic, randomly gains or loses power each clash.

  • On entry

    Drain Three

    Steals up to 3 power from a random enemy when it enters.

  • On entry

    Balance

    While in play, type advantages are disabled for everyone.

  • On entry

    Upside Down

    While in play, the LOWER power wins power tiebreaks.

  • On entry

    Cold Sweat

    Gains +1 power to itself on entry (๐Ÿ˜…).

  • On defeat

    Reanimate

    When defeated, leaves behind a coffin that can rise again (๐ŸงŸโ†’โšฐ๏ธ).

  • On entry

    Demolition

    Blows up every fighter over power 5 on both sides - itself included (๐Ÿงจ).

  • On entry

    Sinkhole

    Swallows one random fighter from each side of the field - itself included in the draw (๐Ÿ•ณ๏ธ).

  • On entry

    Magnetize

    Steals up to 2 metal emoji from the enemy team (๐Ÿงฒ).

  • On defeat

    Infect

    If it loses, the victor is infected and turns into a microbe (๐Ÿฆ ).

  • On entry

    Extinguish

    Removes all fire emoji from the field (๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿš’).

  • On entry

    Reverse Ring

    While in play, the type ring spins backwards: every type beats what it normally loses to (๐Ÿ”„).

  • On entry

    Sudden Death

    While in play, any clash that falls to a power tiebreak becomes a mutual KO (๐Ÿ’€).

  • On entry

    Jackpot

    Re-rolls the whole board: every fighter on both sides becomes a random emoji (๐ŸŽฐ).

  • On entry

    Polymorph

    Hexes the enemy front into a weak random creature, stripping its stats and special (๐Ÿช„).

  • On entry

    Mirror Match

    Copies the enemy front, turning your front into an identical clone (๐Ÿชž).

  • On entry

    Abduction

    Beams the enemy front off the field and vanishes along with it (๐Ÿ‘ฝ).

  • On entry

    Type Storm

    Re-rolls the types of every fighter on the board, scrambling all matchups (๐ŸŒช๏ธ).

  • On entry

    Wild Magic

    Fires one random effect on entry: buff, debuff, freeze, or polymorph (โœจ).

  • Round end

    Reroll

    Each clash it survives, re-rolls its own power across the whole 0-11 band (๐ŸŽฒ).

  • Round end

    Soul Siphon

    Each clash it survives, drains 2 power from the enemy front and adds it to itself (๐Ÿฉธ).

  • During clash

    Chaos Coin

    Flips a coin in each clash: heads it wins, tails it loses, ignoring type and power (๐Ÿช™).

  • On entry

    Fire Extinguisher

    Douses the field on entry: removes every fire enemy. Counters fire aggro (๐Ÿงฏ).

  • Before clash

    Dispel

    Strips the enemy front's accumulated buffs back to base and silences it. Counters buff stacking (๐Ÿงน).

  • Before clash

    Pounce

    Cat-and-mouse: removes a rodent enemy front (๐Ÿญ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿน) before it can clash (๐Ÿฑ).

  • Round end

    Caltrops

    Thorns: each clash it survives, the enemy front loses 2 power. Counters bruisers (๐Ÿ”ฑ).

  • On entry

    War Cry

    Lets out a battle roar on entry: every enemy loses 1 power.

  • On entry

    Bodyguard

    Shields the ally right behind it, granting them +2 power on entry.

  • On entry

    Tinker

    Tunes up the gadgets: every object ally gains +1 power.

  • On entry

    Purge

    Silences every enemy with 8 or more power, disabling their specials. Counters legendaries.

  • On entry

    Exterminator

    Clears out the chaff: removes every enemy with 2 or less power. Counters swarms.

  • On entry

    Gate Crash

    Storms in and scrambles the enemy's formation on entry.

  • On entry

    Sรฉance

    Summons a friendly ghost behind the front (๐Ÿ‘ป).

  • Before clash

    Taunt

    Goads the enemy front, sapping 1 power before each clash it fronts.

  • Before clash

    Wind Up

    Builds momentum, gaining +1 power before every clash.

  • Before clash

    Chill Touch

    Freezes a fire-type enemy front before it can clash. Counters fire aggro.

  • Before clash

    Smokescreen

    Silences a stronger enemy front before the clash. Counters bullies.

  • During clash

    Thick Skin

    Once per round, shrugs off a loss decided on power.

  • During clash

    Gambler's Luck

    A 1-in-4 chance to dodge any loss it would take.

  • During clash

    Assassin

    Once per round, strikes down an enemy front still at its untouched base power.

  • After clash

    Trophy Hunter

    Gains +3 power after defeating an enemy of 8 or more power.

  • After clash

    Aftershock

    After winning a clash, the next enemy front takes 1 damage.

  • On defeat

    Martyr

    When defeated, inspires the whole team with +2 power.

  • On defeat

    Curse

    Curses its killer, silencing their special. Counters special stacking.

  • On defeat

    Splitter

    Splits into two half-power copies on defeat (they can't split again this round).

  • On defeat

    Vengeful Ghost

    On defeat, saps 2 power from a random enemy.

  • Round end

    Evergreen

    Cleanses debuffs before each clash, restoring itself to base power.

  • Round end

    Pack Leader

    Gains +1 power per animal ally when it enters (up to +3).

  • Round end

    Slow Burn

    Each clash it survives, every enemy loses 1 power.

  • On entry

    Mimic

    Parrots the enemy front's special, copying it for itself. If there's nothing to copy, it puffs up +2 instead (๐Ÿฆœ).

  • On entry

    Mind Control

    Steals the enemy front's special outright - it gains the ability and the foe forgets it. Counters special-reliant fronts (๐Ÿง ).

  • On entry

    Echo

    Amplifies the team: copies the strongest ally's special onto itself so the ability fires from two fighters (๐Ÿ”Š).

  • During clash

    Cleave

    Chops straight through a shield: strips the enemy front's shield so a winning hit lands. Counters shield stacking (๐Ÿช“).

  • On entry

    Cleanse

    Washes the team clean of poison, freeze, silence, and marks, and heals the weakest ally. Counters poison and control (๐Ÿงผ).

  • On entry

    Recruit

    Wins over the enemy's weakest fighter, moving it onto the back of your team. Counters swarms (๐Ÿค).

  • After clash

    Gluttony

    Devours the fallen: each clash it wins, it absorbs some of the defeated foe's power (๐Ÿท).

  • Before clash

    Berserk

    Works itself into a frenzy: +1 before every clash, and +2 more when it's the last fighter standing (๐Ÿ—).

  • On defeat

    Plague

    Sprays its killer on the way out - the victor is poisoned and dies at round end. Counters aggressive fronts (๐Ÿฆจ).

  • Before clash

    Dragon Lance

    Unhorses the great lizards: a ๐Ÿ‰๐Ÿฒ๐Ÿฆ–๐Ÿฆ• front is felled outright before the clash (๐Ÿ‡).

  • On entry

    Consecrate

    Holy ground: banishes up to two spooky enemies on entry. Counters the undead (โ›ช).

  • On entry

    Revolution

    Topples the crown: enemy royalty (๐Ÿ‘‘๐Ÿคด๐Ÿ‘ธ๐Ÿซ…) is silenced and loses 2 power (๐Ÿ›๏ธ).

  • On entry

    Grounded

    Rubber soles: every electric-typed enemy discharges for -2 on entry (๐Ÿฅพ).

  • On entry

    Moonless Night

    Lights out: every light-typed enemy dims for -2 on entry. Counters the โœจ meta (๐ŸŒš).

  • Before clash

    Arrest

    Confiscates the enemy front's special for good - or writes a -2 citation if it has none (๐Ÿ‘ฎ).

  • On entry

    Breakwater

    Breaks the waves: enemy ๐ŸŒŠ๐Ÿ’ง๐ŸŒง๏ธโ˜” are removed on entry. Counters the flood (๐Ÿงฑ).

  • On entry

    Whalesong

    A song for the pod: every other water-typed ally swells +2 on entry (๐Ÿณ).

  • On entry

    Special Delivery

    The mail gets through: a random fighter is delivered to the back of your team (๐Ÿ“ฌ).

  • On entry

    Liquid Courage

    Bottoms up: +2 power on entry, but silenced for the round - brave and sloppy (๐Ÿบ).

  • On entry

    Hush Now

    Picks out the enemy's most dangerous voice - their strongest fighter with an ability - and shuts it down for the round. Resolves before anything else happens (๐Ÿคซ).

  • On entry

    Total Silence

    Kills the sound on the whole battlefield: EVERY fighter on both sides is silenced for the round, its own team and itself included. Nothing has an ability any more - it's just power and type (๐Ÿ”‡).

  • Before clash

    Knockout

    One clean hit before the clash: the enemy front goes down and is OUT for the rest of the match - that emoji can never be fielded again (๐ŸฅŠ).

  • On entry

    Disqualified

    Shows a random enemy the card: it leaves the field and is barred from the rest of the match (โ›”).

  • Trap

    Land Mine

    Springs when it's knocked out. Steps off the pressure plate on the way down: the enemy front is blown off the field with it (โš ๏ธ).

  • Trap

    Dead Man's Switch

    Springs when it's knocked out. Its grip goes slack and the whole enemy team catches the blast: -3 to every one of them (โ˜ฃ๏ธ).

  • Trap

    Booby Trap

    Springs when it's knocked out. Whoever pulls it apart gets what's inside: its killer is poisoned and loses 3 power (๐Ÿ“›).

  • Trap

    Bear Trap

    Springs when it scores a knockout. The jaws are still open for the next one: after it takes a fighter down, the incoming enemy front is frozen solid (๐Ÿช).

  • Trap

    Snare Net

    Springs when it scores a knockout. Drops the net over the next arrival: after a knockout, the incoming enemy front is silenced for the round (๐Ÿฅ…).

  • Trap

    Hook & Line

    Springs when it scores a knockout. Casts into the confusion after a knockout and lands a catch: the enemy's weakest fighter is reeled onto your team (๐ŸŽฃ).

  • Trap

    Last Stand

    Springs when it's the last one standing. Alone, and finally dangerous: when it is the last fighter on its side, +4 power and a shield (๐Ÿ›‘).

  • Trap

    Final Gambit

    Springs when it's the last one standing. Nothing left to lose: the last fighter standing drags the enemy front off the field with it (โ›“๏ธ).

  • Trap

    Panic Button

    Springs when it's the last one standing. Hits the alarm when it is the only one left: two reinforcements come running (๐Ÿšจ).

  • Trap

    Spike Pit

    Springs when an ally falls. The ground gives way where an ally fell: -2 to the whole enemy team (๐Ÿงท).

  • Trap

    Tripwire

    Springs when an ally falls. An ally goes down and the line goes taut: the enemy front is frozen (๐Ÿชข).

  • Trap

    Revenge Protocol

    Springs when an ally falls. Losing one of your own trips the protocol: +2 power to every fighter left on your team (๐Ÿ•น๏ธ).

  • Trap

    Feedback Loop

    Springs when it's silenced. Silence it and the whole room screams: every enemy on the field is silenced right back (๐Ÿ”ˆ).

  • Trap

    Counter-Ambush

    Springs when it's silenced. Shutting it up only makes it worse: it shrugs off the silence and every other debuff, and gains +3 power (๐Ÿ”ฆ).

  • Trap

    Alarm Bell

    Springs when it's outnumbered. Rings the moment your side is outnumbered: the whole team takes cover behind a shield (๐Ÿ›Ž๏ธ).

  • Trap

    Send in the Clowns

    Springs when it's outnumbered. When your side is outnumbered the show starts anyway: the enemy formation is scrambled (๐ŸŽช).

A trap arms quietly the moment its fighter enters — no fanfare, no blurb shown mid-battle — then springs once per round on its own event, not a phase. The wiki documents every trap in full; the battle screen keeps them a surprise until they spring.

When it's knocked out

  • Land Mine

    Steps off the pressure plate on the way down: the enemy front is blown off the field with it (โš ๏ธ).

  • Dead Man's Switch

    Its grip goes slack and the whole enemy team catches the blast: -3 to every one of them (โ˜ฃ๏ธ).

  • Booby Trap

    Whoever pulls it apart gets what's inside: its killer is poisoned and loses 3 power (๐Ÿ“›).

When it scores a knockout

  • Bear Trap

    The jaws are still open for the next one: after it takes a fighter down, the incoming enemy front is frozen solid (๐Ÿช).

  • Snare Net

    Drops the net over the next arrival: after a knockout, the incoming enemy front is silenced for the round (๐Ÿฅ…).

  • Hook & Line

    Casts into the confusion after a knockout and lands a catch: the enemy's weakest fighter is reeled onto your team (๐ŸŽฃ).

When it's the last one standing

  • Last Stand

    Alone, and finally dangerous: when it is the last fighter on its side, +4 power and a shield (๐Ÿ›‘).

  • Final Gambit

    Nothing left to lose: the last fighter standing drags the enemy front off the field with it (โ›“๏ธ).

  • Panic Button

    Hits the alarm when it is the only one left: two reinforcements come running (๐Ÿšจ).

When an ally falls

  • Spike Pit

    The ground gives way where an ally fell: -2 to the whole enemy team (๐Ÿงท).

  • Tripwire

    An ally goes down and the line goes taut: the enemy front is frozen (๐Ÿชข).

  • Revenge Protocol

    Losing one of your own trips the protocol: +2 power to every fighter left on your team (๐Ÿ•น๏ธ).

When it's silenced

  • Feedback Loop

    Silence it and the whole room screams: every enemy on the field is silenced right back (๐Ÿ”ˆ).

  • Counter-Ambush

    Shutting it up only makes it worse: it shrugs off the silence and every other debuff, and gains +3 power (๐Ÿ”ฆ).

When it's outnumbered

  • Alarm Bell

    Rings the moment your side is outnumbered: the whole team takes cover behind a shield (๐Ÿ›Ž๏ธ).

  • Send in the Clowns

    When your side is outnumbered the show starts anyway: the enemy formation is scrambled (๐ŸŽช).

1,048 documented combos. Search to browse; JavaScript needed for the full codex.

  • Wildfire (๐Ÿ”ฅ + ๐ŸŒฒ): Fire spreads through the trees, +2 to your whole team.
  • Magma (๐ŸŒ‹ + ๐Ÿ”ฅ): Molten payoff, +3 to the front emoji.
  • Steam (๐Ÿ”ฅ + ๐Ÿ’ง): Scalding steam saps the enemy team, -1 each.
  • Deep Freeze (๐Ÿ’ง + โ„๏ธ): The enemy front freezes solid and can't fight back.
  • Blizzard (โ„๏ธ + ๐ŸŒฌ๏ธ): A whiteout freezes the enemy front.
  • Thunderstorm (โšก๏ธ + ๐ŸŒŠ): Lightning over water shocks them all, -1 each.
  • Tsunami (๐ŸŒŠ + ๐ŸŒŠ + ๐ŸŒŠ): Three waves wipe the enemy front on entry.
  • Avalanche (โ›ฐ๏ธ + โ„๏ธ): The mountain comes down on the enemy front.
  • Acid Rain (โ˜๏ธ + โ˜ ๏ธ): Corrosive rain melts the enemy team, -2 each.
  • Sandstorm (๐Ÿœ๏ธ + ๐ŸŒฌ๏ธ): Stinging sand blinds the enemy, -1 each.
  • Natural Disaster (๐ŸŒ‹ + ๐ŸŒช๏ธ): Chaos takes the weakest on each side.
  • Bloom (๐ŸŒฑ → ๐Ÿ’ง → โ˜€๏ธ): Photosynthesis: +2 to the front emoji.
  • Pollination (๐Ÿ + ๐ŸŒธ): A second bee joins the swarm.
  • Mushroom Bloom (๐Ÿ„ + ๐Ÿ„): Spores everywhere, +2 to the front.
  • Greenhouse (๐ŸŒฑ + ๐Ÿ ): Everything grows, +1 to your animals.
  • Werewolf (๐ŸŒ• + ๐Ÿบ): Under the full moon, +3 to the front.
  • Phoenix Rebirth (๐Ÿ”ฅ → ๐Ÿฆ → โœจ): Rising from ash, +2 to the front.
  • Dragon's Hoard (๐Ÿ‰ + ๐Ÿ’ฐ): The dragon guards its gold, +2 to the front.
  • Vampire Clan (๐Ÿง› + ๐Ÿง›): Each vampire empowers the others.
  • Zombie Horde (๐ŸงŸ + ๐ŸงŸ): The horde grows stronger together.
  • Unicorn Blessing (๐Ÿฆ„ + โœจ): A blessing of light, +1 to all.
  • Kraken Wakes (๐Ÿ™ + ๐ŸŒŠ): Tentacles drag the enemy front under.
  • Shark Frenzy (๐Ÿฆˆ + ๐Ÿ’ง): Blood in the water, +3 to the front.
  • Pet Pack (๐Ÿถ + ๐Ÿฑ): The pack rallies, +1 to all.

12 combos are undiscovered. The codex hides them until you see them fire in a real battle — go find them.

On top of the element chart, specific emoji counter specific others — one extra winning pairing when they clash.

  • The cat corners the mouse. ๐Ÿฑ counters ๐Ÿญ.
  • The dog chases the cat up a tree. ๐Ÿถ counters ๐Ÿฑ.
  • The elephant panics at the mouse. ๐Ÿญ counters ๐Ÿ˜.
  • The eagle strikes from above. ๐Ÿฆ… counters ๐Ÿ.
  • The snake swallows the frog. ๐Ÿ counters ๐Ÿธ.
  • One flick of the tongue. ๐Ÿธ counters ๐Ÿชฐ.
  • Caught in the web. ๐Ÿ•ท๏ธ counters ๐Ÿชฐ.
  • The wolf takes the flock. ๐Ÿบ counters ๐Ÿ‘.
  • The fox raids the henhouse. ๐ŸฆŠ counters ๐Ÿ”.
  • Pecked off the leaf. ๐Ÿ” counters ๐Ÿ›.
  • The early bird. ๐Ÿฆ counters ๐Ÿ›.
  • Blood in the water. ๐Ÿฆˆ counters ๐ŸŸ.
  • Hook, line and sinker. ๐ŸŽฃ counters ๐ŸŸ.
  • The bear raids the hive. ๐Ÿป counters ๐Ÿฏ.
  • A hundred stings send it running. ๐Ÿ counters ๐Ÿป.
  • Echolocation never misses. ๐Ÿฆ‡ counters ๐ŸฆŸ.
  • The hunt on the savanna. ๐Ÿฆ counters ๐Ÿฆ“.
  • One clove clears the room. ๐Ÿง„ counters ๐Ÿง›.
  • Daylight ends the night shift. โ˜€๏ธ counters ๐Ÿง›.
  • Light leaves nowhere to haunt. ๐Ÿ”ฆ counters ๐Ÿ‘ป.
  • Swept away in one pass. ๐Ÿงน counters ๐Ÿ•ธ๏ธ.
  • Scissors cut paper. โœ‚๏ธ counters ๐Ÿ“„.
  • Paper wraps rock. ๐Ÿ“„ counters ๐Ÿชจ.
  • Rock breaks scissors. ๐Ÿชจ counters โœ‚๏ธ.
  • The oldest trick in the book. ๐Ÿชค counters ๐Ÿญ.
  • Out in a single blast. ๐Ÿงฏ counters ๐Ÿ”ฅ.
  • The engine arrives first. ๐Ÿš’ counters ๐Ÿ”ฅ.
  • Doused on contact. ๐Ÿ’ง counters ๐Ÿ”ฅ.
  • Melted before it can wave. ๐Ÿ”ฅ counters โ˜ƒ๏ธ.
  • The rain never lands. โ˜‚๏ธ counters ๐ŸŒง๏ธ.
  • The lance finds the gap in the scales. ๐Ÿ—ก๏ธ counters ๐Ÿ‰.
  • The wall outlasts the blade. ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ counters โš”๏ธ.
  • Magnets scramble the circuits. ๐Ÿงฒ counters ๐Ÿค–.
  • Ambush at the waterline. ๐ŸŠ counters ๐Ÿฆฉ.
  • Silent wings at night. ๐Ÿฆ‰ counters ๐Ÿญ.
  • Pods hunt in echoes. ๐Ÿฌ counters ๐Ÿฆ‘.

The food chain

Class-level rules read off each card's own tags, so every tagged card participates without hand-curation.

  1. person counters animal — tamed, leashed, and outsmarted
  2. animal counters food — it never stood a chance on the plate
  3. food counters person — the snack always wins
  4. animal counters bug — snapped up in one bite
  5. bug counters food — the picnic is already lost
  6. spooky counters person — fear does half the work
  7. fantasy counters spooky — legends are what ghosts are afraid of
  • Play the AI

    Four difficulty tiers, from a gentle warm-up to a genuine challenge.

  • Pass & play

    Hand the phone back and forth for a local duel — no connection needed.

  • iMessage

    Async turns in a real iMessage thread — reply whenever you're free.

  • Group chats

    Confirm-to-play lobby, then everyone battles everyone at once.

  • Game Center

    Achievements and leaderboards, opt-in like everything else.

  • Match history

    An opt-in record of your past battles, yours to keep or clear.

  • Siri

    “Start a battle,” “look up a fighter,” or ask for your daily fighter — hands-free.

04 · Your turn

Play a quick round

Draft your team, meet the rival, and settle it by the real rules. One round, right here.

Your team
VS
Rival team
Tap to draft (up to 3)

Tap emoji to draft your team. The first one leads.

What changed since v11

  • Five elements. The 15-type ring is gone — every type now belongs to one of five elements (Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Ether), whose pentagram decides cross-element clashes, with seven named exceptions.
  • Traps. A new special class: 16 abilities that arm quietly and spring once per round on an event, not a phase.
  • Knockouts. Some abilities now remove a fighter for the whole match, banning that emoji from the loser's roster.
  • Natural enemies. 36 curated emoji pairs, plus class-level tag rules, add one extra winning pairing on top of the element chart.
  • Initiative. Strike-first abilities and combos that seize it now resolve before seat order, not just whoever sent the turn.

Ready to battle?

Draft your team and duel the AI, a friend on the couch, or anyone in iMessage. Free, no account, no ads mid-battle.

Open the app each day for a free random fighter.

Emoji Battle, free on the App Store Download on theApp Store

Free iMessage game · content v15

A rock-paper-scissors for 1,899 emoji

Emoji Battle turns any emoji into a fighter. Draft a team, let the five elements decide who has the advantage, and watch specials, traps, and combos change the outcome. This page covers the full v15 ruleset that ships in app version 1.3.0: the element pentagram, the seven named exceptions, all 105 specials (including the 16 new traps), natural enemies, knockouts, and initiative.

Frequently asked

Is Emoji Battle free?

Yes — free to download, no account required, and no ads mid-battle.

Do I need iMessage to play?

No. Play the AI or pass-and-play locally on one device; iMessage and group chats are additional ways to duel friends.

What changed in the v15 rules?

The 15-type ring became a five-element pentagram, and the drop added traps, knockouts, natural enemies, and initiative. See the changelog for the full list.

Where can I see the old rules?

The archived v11 wiki is kept exactly as it shipped, for reference.

Explore more

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