Objective

• The game is won by being the first player to score 15 points.
• Points are earned by being the first player in a round to run out of cards.
• The last card played determines your score for the round.

Game play

Setup

Players are dealt a number of cards based on the number of players in the game.

4 players

• All cards are dealt out, 8 cards to each player.
• Players will play on teams with the player opposite them.
• When a player scores points those points are for the team as a whole.

3 players

• Players are dealt 10 cards each.
• The second and third player are then each given one of the remaining two cards to look at before the round starts.
  • This card is not part of their hands and will not be used during the round.

2 players

• Each player is dealt 8 cards (as in a four player game).
• The remaining 16 cards are placed as mercenaries (8 face-up on top of 8 face-down) for either player to use during the round.
• When the top card of a mercenary stack is used the bottom card is turned face up and made available.
• The last attack card must be played from your hand.
  • Thus if you only have one card left, you must defend using the mercenaries and attack using the card in your hand.

Defend & Attack or Pass

1. On the first turn of each round a player may play any card on their defence line, and the card is played face-down.
   • It is merely hidden and does not affect future play.
2. They then choose a card to play face up on their attack line to end their turn.
3. The next player must then (either...?) answer the attack by placing another copy of the same card face up on their defence line.
4. The player then chooses their own card to attack with.
   • If they do not have a card of the same type, or do not wish to play one if they do, they may instead pass.
   • If, after playing an attack card, all other players pass then the current player may again play a card face down on their defence line rather than face up.
5. They then choose an attack card as normal.

Scoring

• The round ends when a player plays the last card from their hand on their attack line.
• The player who played that card then score the points for only that card and the next round is dealt.

• If, on their last turn, a player placed a card face-down on their defensive line that matches their final, face-up attack card that player scores a 'Master Stroke'.
  • The value of their card is doubled when it is scored.

Game End (Variants)

Soldier

• The game ends when a player reaches 15 points or more.

Lord

• The game ends when a player reaches exactly 15 points.
• If a player exceeds 15 points the excess is subtracted from their score.
  • ie. a score of 17 is adjusted to 13 (15-2).

Kami

• The game ends when a player reaches exactly 15 points.
• If a player exceeds 15 points their score is reset to 0.

Cards

• There are 32 cards in the Kami deck.
• Each lists the number of cards of that type in the upper left and the point value earned if it is the last card played in the number of icons at the bottom.
• For most of the cards that is all the information that is needed.
• The Empress however has some additional interactions and rules surrounding her play.

Soldier

10 copies, worth 1 point as the last attack card played.

In the 4 player variant only, if a player is dealt 5 or more soldier cards they are demoralised and may ask their teammate for a re-deal. If their teammate agrees then the cards are shuffled and dealt again without changing who is starting player.

Spear

4 copies, worth 2 points as the last attack card played.

Horseman

4 copies, worth 2 points as the last attack card played.

Silver Dragon

4 copies, worth 3 points as the last attack card played.

Gold Dragon

4 copies, worth 3 points as the last attack card played.

Madman

2 copies, worth 4 points as the last attack card played.

Tower

2 copies, worth 4 points as the last attack card played.

Empress

2 copies, worth 5 points as the last attack card played.

• The Empress can be played on a player's defensive line to counter any of either Horseman, a Silver or Gold Dragon, a Madman, or a Tower.
• The Empress cannot be played on the attack line unless either she is the last card in a player's hand or the other Empress has already been played face-up on any player's defensive line.
  • In this way the Empress can never be played on a defensive line against another empress, and the Empress on the attack line can never be countered.