User:BattleOfHeroes/1.0

= Introduction =

Battle of Heroes is a card game designed to be played with a normal standard regular deck of cards.

Players of the game use the "character" cards (J,Q,K) as "heroes" who can "battle" each other, and the rest of the other cards as "Effect cards" which can influence different aspects of the game.

The object of the game is to defeat your opponent's heroes and keep yours "alive".

The game is intended for 2-4 players;

The directions here specify the 2-player variation, but to play with 3 or 4 players only minor adjustments are required.

= How to Play =

Pre-game preparations
Before the game, remove the 12 character cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) from the deck and shuffle them separately. The character cards will be refereed to as Heroes.

Equally deal the Hero cards amongst players, in a random way. Each player can look at his own Hero cards.

Each player chooses 3 of his Hero cards and puts them face-down in-front of him, in a row, one next to the other. Each player then puts his other 3 Heroes faced-up on top of the face-down ones - one face-up Hero on each face-down one;

The face-up Heroes are the active Heroes, and the face-down ones are the "reserved" (inactive). When an active Hero is removed from the game - the inactive Hero below him replaces the destroyed Hero - and the new Hero becomes active.

Shuffle all the other remaining cards and put them in a pile in the middle; Those cards are the "Effect Cards, and the pile is the "Effect Pile".

Players decide who goes first. The first player draws 3 Effect cards from the Effect-pile and puts them in his hand, revealed only to him. Then the other player does the same.

Each player also needs to reserve a place for his "Discard Pile". A Discard-Pile is where used (or destroyed) Effect-cards will be put after they will be played, and where destroyed Hero-cards will be put in - if they are removed from the game during combats or by other means.

Each player has his own Discard-Pile.

The game can now begin, starting with the player who goes first.

Object of the Game
The object of the game is to have all of your opponent's Heroes gone (removed from game), while still having at least one of your Heroes still in the game.

Turn structure
At any time during his turn (and usually also during his opponent's turns) a player may choose to play any number of Effect cards from his hand. Effects cards can create effects that affect a player's Heroes or other aspects of the game field, either permanently or temporarily.

To learn when and how to play each Effect card - read the Effect Cards section.

At any time during his turn a player may decide to initiate a "Combat";

Each player can initiate only one Combat per turn, and only during his turn.

Combat Rules
A Combat always has 3 stages. Each step is followed in order.

During each step - players are allowed to play Effect cards, if the specific rules for each Effect-card allows them to do so;

Step 1: Declare attackers Step
During this stage the attacking player (the player who initiated the "combat" during his turn) decides which of his Heroes he wants to attack with. He declares any number of his Heroes as "attackers" and signify it somehow (like, slightly moving the attackers forward).

Players can play Effects before the attacking player assign attackers, or after he assign ones, but not during the assignment (i.e. the attacking player cannot assign an attacker, play an effect, and then assign another attacker...)

Step 2: Declare blockers Step
During this stage, the defending player can decide which of his Heroes he wants to block with. Each defending Hero can block one attacking hero. The player signifies which Hero of his blocks which attacking Hero. The defending player may choose not to block with any of his Heroes.

Players can play Effects before the defending player assign blockers, or after he assign ones, but not during the assignment (i.e. the blocked player cannot assign a blocker, play an effect, and then assign another blocker...)

Step 3: Damage assign Step
In this stage, the outcome of the combat is resolved.

For each pair of attacking Hero&blocking Hero - the more "powerful" Hero survives and stay in the game, and the less "powerful" Hero (either the attacker or the defender) is "beaten" and "destroyed" - the owner of the destroyed Hero then puts the Hero card in his Discard Pile.

The damage resolution is resolved for all attacking and defending Heroes at once ("in the same time").

For each unblocked attacking Hero - the attacking player draws one Effect Card from the Effect Pile (if there are cards there).

Deciding which Hero is more powerful, and which is beaten:
Generally: a KING beats a QUEEN and a QUEEN beats a JACK. So the power levels of the Heroes are (1 being the "strongest"):
 * 1) KING
 * 2) QUEEN
 * 3) JACK

If the attacking Hero has the same "character" as the blocking one (for example Jack vs. Jack or Queen vs. Queen) - then the powerfulness and the outcome of the combat is resolved by the card suits (Spades, Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds...);

Each suit has a "ranking". A hero with a higher ranking-suit beats a Hero with a lower one.

The power-levels of the suits (1 being the "strongest") are:


 * 1) ♠ - Spades
 * 2)  - Hearts
 * 3)  - Diamonds
 * 4) ♣ - Clubs

Both cards having the same suit
In the event of both the attacking Hero and the blocking Hero having the same suit (it can happen for example if the "Promotion" Effect-card was played on an Hero) - then the "native" suit Hero beats the Hero with the "artificial" suit (Hero attached with a Promotion effect-card) -

e.g. Jack of Spades beats Jack of Hearts equipped with a Promotion Card.

For information about the Promotion Effect-card and other Effects, see the section on Effect Cards.

Effect Cards
Effect Cards are cards that can "create" various "effects" that change different aspects of the game, during play. For example, some effects can create "power-ups" that adds "strengths" or certain qualities to a player's Heroes, some can create effects that "weaken" the Heroes of the opponent, some can affect the players themselves somehow, and so on. Some effects stay "permanently" for long periods during the game, and some create only "temporary" effects, which lasts only for the duration of a turn (or less). Some effects can apply only to one specific Hero, and some can influence the entire battlefield.

Effect cards can be played from a player's hand by that player, during different times in the game. Some cards can be played only during a player's turn, others can be played only during an opponent's turn, and some can be played in any of the players' turns.

There is no limit to how many Effect cards a player can play during a turn (they are only limited to the amount he has in his hand).

Each Effect-card has its own set of rules;

Effect cards rules, by specific Effect Cards
 10 - PROMOTION CARD (AKA "+1"):  The Promotion card is played on a Hero card and creates an effect that stays as long as the Promotion card stays in the game.

Once a player plays a Promotion card - he chooses an active Hero in play, and attaches the Promotion card to that Hero card.

If the Hero card is removed from the game to the Discard Pile, then the attached promotion card is removed to the Discard Pile as well.

As long as a Hero is attached with a Promotion Card - that Hero's power "rank" is increased by 1; Which means his suit now "becomes" the next higher suit in line.

For example, when a Promotion card is played and attached to a Queen of Clubs, then as long as that Queen is attached with one Promotion card, the queen will be "considered" as a Queen of Diamonds.

If a Promotion card is played on a Spades Hero - then that Hero's character "changes" to the next "higher" character in line (and becomes with Clubs suit - the lowest suit),

For example, if a Promotion card is played on a Queen of Spades, then that Queen "becomes" a King of Clubs.

A Promotion card attached to a King of Spades has no effect.

There is no limit to the amount of Promotion cards that can be attached to one Hero.

A hero will earn a "+1" ranking bonus for each Promotion card attached to it.

A Promotion card can be played during a player's turn or during an opponent's turn.

 9 - PENETRATOR CARD (AKA "CHARGRER"):  The Penetrator card is played on a Hero card and creates an effect that lasts for the duration of the turn it was played in.

Once a player plays a Penetrator card, he chooses an active Hero in play, and then puts the Penetrator card into his Discard Pile.

For the remaining duration of that turn - the chosen Hero becomes a "Charger", and remains so until the end of that turn.

A Charger Hero can not be blocked.

(The Charger effect is meaningless after the combat phase, or during the opponent's turn).

 8 - SHIELD CARD:  The Shield card is played on a Hero card and creates a permanent effect that stays for as long as the Shield card is in play.

If a Hero card attached with a Shield card is removed from play, then the attached Shield card is removed as well.

When a player plays a Shield card he chooses an active Hero in play and attaches the Shield card to it. As long as a Hero is "Shielded" with a Shield card, he will not lose a combat when he is an attacker or a blocker.

The shield has a "one time use only": whenever a Shielded Hero blocks or becomes blocked - then remove the Shield card after the Damage-assign Step of the combat (the Shielded Hero will survive, as it was shielded) - and put the Shield card into his owner's Discard-Pile.

A Shield card can be played during a player's turn or during an opponent's turn.

 7 - CANCEL/DENY:  The Deny card can be played only right after another Effect card is played by a player (the Deny card is played "in response" to another Effect card). Once a Deny card is played - it will "cancel" the Effect of the other Effect-card that was played. Each player then puts his Effect Card to his Discard-Pile.

'''Note! Deny cards can not be played on "permanent" effect cards (Effect cards that are attached to an Hero for example, or the "Global Promotion" card (ACE))'''. They can only target effects right after they were played. You can however play a Deny on an Effect - before it becomes permanent. For example: if a player plays a Shield card - it is supposed to become attached to a Hero - but before it does, you can play a Deny card - and cancel that effect - and the Shield won't be attached to the Hero, but once it becomes attached - you can no longer target it with a Deny card.

A Deny card can be played during a player's turn or during an opponent's turn.

 6 - THE SIXTH SENSE:  When a player plays a Sixth Sense card - he puts it into his Discard pile - and then looks at the top 3 cards of the Effects-Pile, chooses one of those 3 cards, puts it into his hand, and then return the remaining two cards back to the top of the Effects-Pile in any order. He can then play the new Effect card in his hand any time as he normally would.

A Sixth Sense card can be played during a player's turn or during an opponent's turn.

 5 - DESTROYER:  The Destroyer card can remove any one permanent card from the game.

When a player plays a Destroyer card he chooses a target card for it - the target can be either a permanent Effect card; For example, an attached Shield card, or an attached Shock card, or the Global Promotion card (ACE) and so on - or, it can target an active Hero card in play. After a target is chosen for the Destroyer card, both the Destroyer and the destroyed target card are put into their respective owners' Discard Pile.

A Destroyer card can only be played on cards having the same suit as the Destroyer card that was played! -

for example, a 5 of Hearts can only be played on a card also having Hearts as its suit. For "Promoted" cards (Heroes attached with a Promotion card, or those affected by the Global Promotion card) - then the suit of those cards are their "updated" suit (their suit after the effects of their attached Promotion cards).

Destroyer cards can only be played on permanent cards (either a permanent Effect card, or an active Hero card).

Destroyer cards can be played during a player's turn or during an opponent's turn.

 4 - CONTROLLER:  The Controller card creates a permanent effect. Once a player plays a Controller card - he chooses any of his opponent's permanent cards in play (Effect card or Hero card) - and "takes control" over it - that card becomes as if "his own".

For example, a player can play a Controller card and choose to target a Promotion card attached to one of the active Heroes of his opponent; He then takes that Promotion Card and can choose one of his own active Heroes to become attached with the newly controlled Promotion card. That Hero will become affected and promoted with the new Promotion card. When a Controller card is played and a target is chosen for it - the Controller card become attached to that target card, and as long as the Controller is attached - that card will be controlled by the owner of the Controller. If the Controller card is removed from game or is unattached from the controlled card, then the controlled card goes back to its original owner (and that owner can choose a new target for it). If the controlled permanent is removed from game, then the Controller card is removed from the game as well (each to its owner Discard Pile).

A Controller card can only target cards having the same suit as the Controller card. For example, a player can play a 4 of Spades (Controller card with Spades as its suit) on a 3 of Spades (Shock card with Spades as its suit) - but not on a 3 of Hearts.

Playing a Controller card on a Hero
A player can choose to target an opponent's active Hero when playing a Controller card. He may do so only if he has less than 3 active Heroes in play under his control. If a player "takes control" over an opponent's Hero with the Controller card, then that Hero is moved to his side. '''Any permanent cards attached to that Hero are still considered "attached" to it - but as long as that Hero is under your control - those attachments belonging to your opponent will have no effect on the Hero. You may put new attachments of your own on the controlled Hero (and they will affect it). If you lose control over that Hero - then all of your attachments on that Hero will be lost - and will have to be put in your Discard pile, and all attachments of your opponent on that Hero will be "put back" on that Hero and will have their effects on it again. So once you take control over an opponent's Hero it might be a good idea to "put aside" all of the attachments on it, and if your opponent gains back control over his Hero then bring back those attachments to attach to that Hero.

Controller cards can be played during a player's turn or during an opponent's turn.

 3 - PARALYZE/SHOCK:  The Paralyze card can be played on an Hero card.

Once a player play a Paralyze card he chooses an active Hero card, and attaches the Paralyze card to the Hero card.

As long as a Paralyze card is attached to a Hero, that Hero can not attack and can not block during combat.

The effect of a Paralyze card lasts until the end of your opponent's turn. After your opponent's turn ends - remove the Paralyze card from the game and put it into your Discard Pile -that Hero is no longer "paralyzed".

A Paralyze card can be played during a player's turn or during an opponent's turn.

 2 - RECYCLE/REVIVE:  Recycle cards are played on cards in your Discard pile.

When a player plays a Recycle card - he may choose any one card in his Discard-Pile; If the chosen card is an Effect card - then the player puts that Effect card into his hand (and can play it from his hand as he normally would). If the chosen card is a Hero card - then if there are less than 3 active Heroes' in play under his control - the player can put the Hero card back into play under his control, and that Hero becomes active again.

 A (ACE) - GLOBAL PROMOTION:  The Global Promotion card is a special "global" effect card. Once a player plays a Global Promotion card - he puts it anywhere near his active Heroes - and the Global Promotion card creates an effect that affect all active Heroes in play (even your opponents') - for as long as the Global Promotion card is in play.

As long as the Global Promotion card is in play - all active Heroes having the same suit as the Global Promotion card gets a +1 promotion to their ranking.

(optional)  JOKER - WILDCARD:  Players may choose to include the Joker cards in the Effects-Pile.

Once a Joker card is played - the player who played it can then decide it to be any one of the other possible Effect-cards, and the rules of that Effect-card will then be applied to it. The player who played the Jokes also decided on its suit after he plays it (but can't change it, or the card type, later in the game).

Maximum hand size
If a player has more than 7 Effect-cards in his hand - then at the end of the current turn - he must discard any Effect-cards exceeding the 7-card limit, from his hand into the Discard pile.