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ONE-PAGE CARD · KEEP IT AT THE TABLE
54-Card Deck (52 + 2 Jokers) · 2 to 4 Operatives · 10 to 20 Minutes
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Combat Ranks
| Rank | Field Name | Skirmish | War Sum | Score | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King (K) | Royalty | 13 | 13 | 13 | Beats Knights and 2–10. Vulnerable to Assassins. |
| Queen (Q) | Royalty | 12 | 12 | 12 | Beats Knights and 2–10. Vulnerable to Assassins. |
| Jack (J) | The Knight | 11 | 11 | 11 | Beats 2–10. Ambushes an Assassin, but only if Royalty is also on the field. |
| Ace (A) | The Assassin | 1 vs numbers; executes Royalty | 1 | 1 | Auto-executes any King or Queen on the field. Worth 1 against numbers and in war sums. |
| 2 – 10 | Standard Units | Face value | Face value | Face value | Straightforward combat. Higher takes the pot. |
| Joker | The Gambit | 0 (triggers War) | Wild | 0 | Throws the whole table into War. Counts as your highest non-Joker card in a war sum. |
The Intrigue Triangle: Royalty beats Knight · Knight ambushes Assassin (only if Royalty is present) · Assassin executes Royalty.
Multiple Assassins, or multiple Knights contesting an Assassin, enter War.
A Round of Skirmish
- Everyone secretly commits one card from hand, face-down.
- Reveal simultaneously.
- Resolve intrigue first: Assassin executes Royalty, unless a Knight is present to win the pot.
- Otherwise, highest skirmish value takes the pot. Ties go to War.
- Refill your hand to 3 from supply.
War Resolution
- Each participant stakes blind from supply: 2 cards (2–3 players), 1 card (4 players).
- Each commits one hand card face-down, then hands reveal, then stakes reveal.
- Count sums: K 13, Q 12, J 11, 2–10 face, A 1. A Joker counts as that pile's highest non-Joker.
- Highest sum takes the skirmish pot plus their own war cards. Losers' war cards burn to the Graveyard.
- Tied sums: sudden death, one supply card each, repeat until a winner emerges.
Setup & Scoring
| Squad | Supply Deal | War Stakes | Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 27 each | 2 supply + 1 hand | 3 cards per loser |
| 3 Players | 18 each | 2 supply + 1 hand | 3 cards per loser |
| 4 Players | 13 each (2 burned) | 1 supply + 1 hand | 2 cards per loser |
Game ends the instant any operative is eliminated. Survivors total every card held (hand, supply, capture): 2–10 face, J 11, Q 12, K 13, A 1, Joker 0. Highest total wins.