Age of Soccer

Age of Soccer Rulebook

Table of Contents

Component Overview

7 Team Boards
28 Player Cards
88 Action Cards
7 Attack Markers
7 Defence Markers
49 Shields (7 per team)

Set Up

Each player picks a team. Take the specific Team Board and the corresponding Shields and place them in front of you.

There are 7 teams to choose from in the Age of Soccer tournament: Spartans; Vikings; Parthians; Romans; Zulus; Aztecs; and Mongols.

All teams start with 4 attack points and 4 defence points. Place your Attack Marker and Defence Marker on the number 4 of your Team Board.

Red counter = Attack Marker, Blue counter = Defence Marker. If the board is empty place your Attack and Defence Markers on the baseline scores Attack = 4 / Defence = 4.

Shuffle the Action Cards

Each player is dealt 5 Action Cards into their hand.

Shuffle the Player Cards

At the beginning of the game, no Player Cards are dealt to players.

Place all of the Player Cards and the remaining Action Cards in the centre of the play area into two separate piles, one for the Player Card Deck and one for the Action Card Deck.

If during the game any of the decks run out reshuffle the discard pile to replace the decks.

The player left of the dealer starts the game and begins the Age of Soccer.

Turn Overview

There are three phases during a player's turn in Age of Soccer. Each player can play all three phases in one turn.

The phases must be played in the order below:

PICK UP > 2. TRAINING > 3. MATCH* > Next player's turn

* each turn may or may not result in a match.

Once you enter the MATCH phase you cannot re-perform any of the PICK UP or TRAINING actions during this turn.

Phase 1 (PICK UP)

At the start of your turn you must choose one type of card to pick up to add to your hand. Either pick:

i. One (1) Player Card;

ii. Two (2) Action Cards.

Phase 2 (TRAINING)

During the TRAINING phase there are four things that you can choose to do during your turn:

I. Trade

II. Play Training Cards

III. Team Management

IV. Pass

i. TRADE

You can trade three (3) Action Cards from your hand for a Player Card from the deck.

Trade one (1) Player Card from your hand for one (1) Action Card from the deck.

You can only trade once during a turn.

Any cards used to trade go into a discard pile.

ii. PLAY TRAINING CARDS

You can use Action Cards marked as Training Cards in your hand during this phase. Training Cards have this symbol on the bottom right corner. Each card has a special ability that can be used during this phase.

Please see a description of the cards below:

MILLIONAIRE OWNER

Pick up two (2) Action Cards from the top of the Action Card Deck and add them to your hand.

Millionaire Owner Cards have special abilities and can sometimes allow you to pick up one (1) extra Action Card.

For example, The Roman Millionaire Owner Card allows you to Pick up three (3) Action Cards if you have two active Roman Players on your Team Board.

If you do not have two active Roman Players on your Team Board then you only pick up two (2) Action Cards when you play this card.

GREEDY AGENT

Steal one (1) Action Card from another player's hand. The player stealing chooses the card from the other player on a blind basis.

Greedy Agent Cards have special abilities and can sometimes allow you to steal one (1) extra Action Card from the same player's hand.

For example, The Viking Greedy Agent Card allows you to steal two (2) cards from another player's hand if you have two active Viking Players on your Team Board.

If you do not have two active Viking Players on your Team Board then you only steal one (1) Action Card when you play this card.

NOTE: You CANNOT steal Player Cards from another player's hand when using this card.

SAMBA FEVER

It is party time!

Starting from the Player who plays the card all Players pick up one (1) Action Card from the Action Card deck.

BANKRUPTCY

Choose another Player to lose two (2) Action Cards.

The Player who plays this card chooses the two cards to be discarded on a blind basis. The Action Cards chosen are put in the discard pile.

RED CARD

Choose a Player to miss a turn. Once the Player has missed a turn the card is put in the discard pile.

INJURY CARD

Remove one active Player Card from an opponent's Team Board and put it on the Player Card Discard Pile.

FREE TRANSFER

Steal one active Player Card from another Player's Team Board.

NOTE: You CANNOT steal Player Cards from another player's hand when using this card.

INSIDER TRADING

Remove one active Player Card from an opponent's Team Board. Choose another Player in the game and gift it to them.

The Player Card goes into their hand and not directly onto their Team Board.

NOTE: Player Cards in a player's hand are safe from the effects of the Injury Card, Free Transfer and Insider Trading.

TRANSFER WINDOW

It's transfer time!

Deal in to the middle of the play space from the top of the Player Card deck, one (1) Player Card face up for each of the people playing the game; for example if there are 5 people playing the game deal 5 Player Cards.

Then starting from the person who played this card and moving in a clockwise direction, choose one (1) Player Card each.

Note: the chosen Player Card goes into each person's hand and not directly onto a Team Board.

iii. Team Management

You can add or remove any Player Cards in your hand on and off your Team Board. All Player Cards removed from your team go back into your hand.

You can only add or remove Player Cards from your Team Board during this stage of your turn.

There is no restriction on the number of changes you can make during this phase.

A Player Card can only go into a vacant spot on your Team Board. If a Player Card is already occupying this space then you will have to remove that Player Card before adding a new Player Card.

The space that any Player Card occupies on the Team Board, must correspond to the Player Card's field position. For example a Goalkeeper (GK) goes in the Goalkeeper (GK) position on the board; you cannot have two players in the same position playing on your Team Board at the same time.

There are four spaces on your Team Board one for each of the 4 positions: Goalkeeper (GK), Defender (DF), Midfielder (MF) and Attacker (AT).

There is no limit to the number of Player Cards of the same position in your hand.

When you add or remove Player Cards from your Team Board you may have to adjust your Attack and Defence Points.

You must add up the total Attack and Defence Points as indicated on the Player Cards placed on the Team Board.

Adding a new player changes the attack and defence points of the team. Move the markers to the new values.

If further players are added or removed from the team you must adjust the attack and defence points accordingly.

iv. Pass

If you do not wish to do anything you can simply pass and move on to the next player.

NOTE: no more than seven (7) Action Cards must be in your hand. Excess cards must be discarded. You can choose which excess Action Cards to discard.

Phase 3 (MATCH)

You can challenge any other Player in the game to a Match as long as your Team's Attack Points are greater than or equal to their Team's Defence Points.

During the Match phase, only Action Cards marked as Match cards can be used. Match Action Cards have a symbol on the bottom right corner.

If you successfully challenge a Player, you play a match. If you cannot challenge another Player to a match then your turn is over.

NOTE: The Park the Bus, Eagle Eye and Dazzling Cup Run Cards can be played at this point which may affect whether a challenge is successful or not. These Match Action Cards can be used to increase your attack or defence points for one turn only. Please see the card descriptions below.

EAGLE EYE

Boosts your Team's attack by 4 extra points which may help you successfully challenge another player to a match. You can use as many Eagle Eye cards during the match and their effects last for one match only.

PARK THE BUS

Boosts your Team's defence by 4 extra points which may help you to successfully prevent being challenged by another player to a match. You can use as many Park the Bus cards during the match and their effects last for one match only.

DAZZLING CUP RUN

You can challenge any Player to a match regardless of defence or attack points.

Once cards are used, they are placed into the discard pile.

Playing the Match

The Player challenging is the attacking team and the Player challenged is the defending team.

The attacking Player must play a Shoot Card or Super Shot Card. In order to defend, the defending Player must play either a "Save"; "Super Save"; "Counter Attack" or "Offside" Card. A defending Team does NOT have to use any of their defensive cards if they do not wish.

A match is won if the attacking Team places a "Shoot" or "Super Shot" Card and the defending Team cannot play a defensive card.

If the attacking Player wins then they take one Shield from the defeated defending Player. NOTE: The winning Team MUST take the Shield which corresponds to the Team Board of the defeated Team.

Please note, other players in the game can play a "Counter Attack" or "Offside" Card at any time to interfere in any match even if they are not directly involved.

A match continues until the Team attacking can no longer place any more "Shoot" Cards or a defending Team cannot successfully defend against a "Shoot" Card.

If the defending Team successfully plays enough defensive cards to prevent a win, then the match ends in a draw and no team Shields are won or lost.

NOTE: All Action Cards can only be played once, once played they must be put in the discard pile.

After a Match has finished the Player whose turn it was must have no more than 7 Action Cards in their hand. Excess cards must be discarded.

NOTE: there is no limit to the number of Player Cards you can hold in your hand and these do not count towards your 7 card hand maximum.

Once a person's turn has finished the next person to the left starts their turn.

Match Cards

SHOOT

The way to win. A shoot card is a shot at goal. Can only be played by an attacking Team. You can play as many shoot cards as you want and do not have to play all your cards in a single match.

SAVE

The first line of defence. A Save Card blocks a Shoot Card. A Save Card can only be used by the defending Player. You can play as many Save Cards as you like. A Save Card will not stop a Super Shot Card.

OFFSIDE

Cancels a Shoot Card or Super Shot Card. Very strong defensive card. A defending player can use an Offside Card during the course of a match. You can play as many Offside Cards as you like. All teams outside of the match can interfere in an active match by playing an Offside Card. After all no matter how great the shot was if it is offside, it is offside.

COUNTER ATTACK

Reverses the roles during a match. The defending Team becomes the attacking Team.

This card can be used to defend against a Shoot Card. NOTE: it cannot be used to defend against a Super Shot Card.

Other teams outside of the match can interfere in an active match by playing a Counter Attack card.

If you play a Counter Attack Card you have to play a Shoot Card in order to attack the other Team. If you do not place a Shoot Card then the match ends in a draw, no shields are won and it is the next player's turn.

Divine Intervention, Super Shots and Super Saves

If you get a "Super Shot" in your hand you can use this to perform a powerful shot at goal.

A "Super Shot" can only be stopped by an opposing Team if they play either:

(i) "Super Save";

(ii) "Offside" Card.

Note: a normal "Save" cannot stop an activated "Super Shot".

ACTIVATING A SUPER SHOT/SAVE

To activate a Super Shot or Super Save you must have either:

(i) the corresponding Team Board;

(ii) a Player Card from a Team that corresponds to the Super Save/Shot placed on your Team Board.

For example: If you have the Viking Team Board you can use a Viking Super Shot/Save; Or If you have Aztec Team Board and you have a Viking Player Card active on your Team Board you can use a Viking Super Shot/Save.

It does not matter which position the Player is in to activate a Super Shot/Save. For example a Zulu Goalkeeper will still allow you to play a Zulu Super Shot, equally if you only have a Roman Attacker then you can still play a Roman Super Save.

NOTE: If you cannot activate a Super Shot/Save they are treated as a normal Shoot and Save Cards (see above for Shoot and Save Card descriptions).

SUPER SHOT

A Super Shot is a gift from the deities! A Super Shot Card must be activated to use the power. It is powerful shot that can not be stopped by a Save Card or Counter Attack Card. A Super Shot can only be stopped by a Super Save or Offside Card.

If a Super Shot cannot be activated then it can be used as a normal Shoot Card.

SUPER SAVE

A Super Save is salvation by the deities! A Super Save must be activated to use the power. A Super Save stops a Super Shot.

Like a Super Shot if it cannot be activated it acts as a normal Save Card.

Victory

The game ends when a Team wins a Shield from every other Team in the game.

Once you have won a Shield from a Team it cannot be lost.

In a 3 Person game you must win two (2) Shields from each Team playing the game.