Palworld Card Game

Palworld OCG Mulligan Guide

The mulligan is your only chance to fix a bad opening hand before the game starts. Palworld's TCG is fast and aggressive from turn 1 - getting this right matters more than in most card games.

One full redraw No partial mulligans 50-card main deck 5-card opening hand
Key rule to know first: You get exactly one full mulligan. All 5 cards go back into the deck, you shuffle, and draw a fresh 5. There are no partial redraws, no bottoming cards, no drawing fewer - this is not MTG or Yu-Gi-Oh. If your second hand is also bad, you play it anyway.

Step-by-Step Mulligan Process

1

Decide who goes first

Settle this before any cards are drawn - typically rock-paper-scissors. Going first or second affects your soul setup and first-turn options but the mulligan process is identical for both players.

2

Shuffle your main deck thoroughly and draw 5

Both players shuffle and draw their opening 5-card hands simultaneously. Don't look at your hand until both players are ready.

3

Evaluate your hand immediately

Look for these three things in order:

  • At least 1-2 low-cost Pals (1-2 soul cost) for early plays - without these you lose tempo immediately
  • A mix of card types - Pals for attacking and blocking, plus at least one Structure, Gear, or Event for synergy
  • No all-high-cost hand - if every card costs 3+ souls, this hand cannot function in the early turns
Why early plays matter so much: Pals can attack the turn they're played. Your opponent is pressuring your life total (starts at 10) from turn 1. A hand without cheap early Pals means you're taking free damage while setting up.
4

Mulligan if the hand is unplayable

Put all 5 cards back into your main deck. Shuffle thoroughly - clumped draws after a bad shuffle are a real problem and community players consistently flag this as the most overlooked step. Then draw a fresh 5.

You cannot mulligan again. Whatever you draw second is what you play with. Choose to mulligan deliberately, not impulsively.
5

Keep your hand and proceed to soul setup

Once both players have decided on their opening hand (keep or after mulligan), set up souls: place 2 souls face-up in your soul area. The second player starts with 1 extra soul to compensate for going second. The first player also skips certain phases on turn 1 per the rules.

Keep vs. Mulligan: Practical Examples

Apply this reasoning to your deck's specific curve. These examples are based on the community consensus for aggressive low-curve decks.

Keep
2x 1-cost Pals, 1x Structure, 1x Gear, 1x 3-cost Pal - Solid curve. You have turn-1 plays, a mid-game threat, and utility. Not perfect, but functional. Don't throw this back hoping for better.
Keep
1x 1-cost Pal, 1x 2-cost Pal, 2x Events, 1x 4-cost Pal - Marginal but keepable as second player (extra soul helps). Events provide enough early utility to survive while you set up the 4-cost win condition.
Mulligan
5x cards all costing 3+ souls - Completely unplayable early. You have no turn-1 or turn-2 play. Take the mulligan without hesitation.
Mulligan
All Gears and Events, zero Pals - No base Pals means you can't attack, block, or use most Gear effects. Your base limit is 5 Pals but having zero in hand is a non-starter.
Keep (usually)
Decent but imperfect hand - Community consensus: variance exists, and mulliganing an acceptable hand for "maybe better" is a trap. You get 1 redraw. Use it on clearly unplayable hands, not mediocre ones.

Key Decision Points

Decision 1
First vs. Second Player Thresholds
First player needs a reliable turn-1 play more urgently - you skip certain phases but have no soul advantage. Second player's extra starting soul means you can afford to keep slightly greedier hands with one more high-cost card than you'd otherwise accept.
Decision 2
Deck Archetype Changes Your Threshold
Aggressive low-curve decks need 2+ cheap Pals in hand - mulligan more aggressively. Control or midrange decks with soul-generation structures can keep slower hands since they plan to develop rather than rush. Know your deck before the tournament.
Decision 3
Lucky Pal Triggers in Your Hand
Cards that enable Lucky Pal triggers (the defensive damage-check mechanic) provide some buffer against aggressive openers. A hand with defensive value can be keepable even without fast Pals if your deck runs Lucky Pal enablers heavily.

Mulligan Rules at a Glance

1
One mulligan total - full hand, all 5 cards back, draw 5 new
2
No partial redraws - you cannot keep some cards and redraw others
3
Shuffle properly after returning cards - clumped draws cause many problems
4
Happens before soul setup - mulligan first, place souls second
5
Both players decide simultaneously - you don't see opponent's decision before choosing yours

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Video Tutorials

Official Palworld OCG tutorial - covers setup and mulligan process directly:

Step-by-step visual tutorial with clear mulligan example: