Battle of Durak Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
  • Contents
• Game Set-Up
• Gameplay Overview
  • Anatomy of a Battle Card
• Battle Phase
  • Battle Phase Continued
• Draw Phase
• Battle Event Phase
  • Anatomy of a Battle Event
• End of Game
• Skill Cards
  • Anatomy of a Skill Card
• Ambush Variant
• Team Battle

Overview

Battle of Durak is a trick-taking card game in which you take on the role of a skillful warrior as you battle it out and attempt to be the first player to run out of cards and rule the battlefield.

Take turns attacking and defending your way through battle in an effort to add cards to your opponent's hands while depleting your own.

Strategic hand-building is key to winning the game. Hold on to the right cards, play your character skillfully, and prepare for the final battle.

Players: 2-4. Playing time: 15 minutes. Ages: 8+.

Contents

• 4 Battle Events
• 36 Battle Cards
• Rulebook
• 30 Character Skill Cards
• Compass Card
• Attack Token

Game Set-Up

1. Locate the Compass Card and Attack Token. Place the Compass Card to the left of your play area.
2. Separate the cards into decks: Battle Cards, Battle Events, and Skill Cards by character class. Keep the Skill Cards and Battle Events face-down.
3. Choose a dealer for the round. The player that is reading this Rulebook becomes the dealer for the first game. Thereafter, the loser of each game becomes the dealer.
4. Shuffle the Battle Card deck and deal 6 Battle Cards to each player.
5. Draw a card from the top of the remaining Battle Card deck and place it face up, adjacent to the "Deck" indicator on the Compass Card. This card's suit represents the Trump Suit for the rest of the game.
6. Randomly choose 3 Battle Events for a 2 player game, 2 for a 3 player game, or 1 for a 4 player game. Shuffle them into the Battle Card deck. Place the unused Battle Events face-down, adjacent to the "Skill Cards & Events" indicator of the Compass Card.
7. Place the Battle Card deck face-down on top of the Trump Card so that the Trump suit remains visible to all players.
8. As the dealer, select a character class first and randomly choose 3 skill cards from that class. Going clockwise around the table, each remaining player selects 3 Skill Cards corresponding to their chosen character. Place the rest of the unused skill cards face-down and adjacent to the "Skill Cards & Events" indicator of the Compass Card.
9. Place the Attack Token in front of you. As the dealer, you are the first player to attack the player to your left.
10. Each player must have 6 Battle Cards and 3 Character Skill Cards in their hand. Proceed to the Battle Phase.

Gameplay Overview

Battle Phase » Draw Phase » Battle Event Phase » Pass Attack Token

Anatomy of a Battle Card

The diagram of a Battle Card (the 13 of Hearts) labels its Suit and its Value.

Battle Phase

• Attacking: If the Attack Token is in front of you, you are the current attacker. Attack the player to your left with 1 Battle Card by placing it face up in the play area.

• Defending an Attack: The player to the left of the attacker is the defending player. Defend against an attack with a Battle Card of a higher numerical value of the same suit – a trump suited card can defend against any non-trump suited card. Place it on top of the attacker's card so that the numbers and suits of both cards remain visible. The attacker may continue his attack or End the Battle.

  Note: Defending an Attack is optional. The defending player may Retreat instead of Defending an Attack.

  For example:

  1. Andy attacks Beth with a 6 of Skulls.
  2. Beth defends the 6 of Skulls with her 8 of Skulls.

• Retreat: A defending player must Retreat if you cannot defend against an attacker's Battle Card. If you do, take all of the cards in the Play Area into your hand. You lose your turn to attack the next player and you are skipped when passing the Attack Token in the Draw Phase.

  Note: In a 2 player game, if a defending player Retreats, players go into the Draw Phase, the Attack Token remains in the Attacker's possession, and the Battle Phase begins again.

  For example: Andy attacks Beth with a 12 of Stars. Beth does not have any Star or Trump-suited Battle Cards in her hand. Beth takes the 12 of Stars from the play area into her hand.

Battle Phase Continued

• Continuing an Attack: If your attack has been successfully defended, you may continue your attack with a Battle Card that numerically matches any cards currently in play. Place the attacking Battle Card next to the previously defended card. The defending player may now defend against the new attack. If a defending player runs out of Battle Cards while being attacked, the attack is successfully defended. Proceed to End of Battle.

  Note: Continuing an Attack is optional. You may choose to End the Battle and proceed to the Draw Phase.

  For example:

  1. Andy attacks Beth with an 8 of Hearts.
  2. Beth defends with a 10 of Hearts from her hand.
  3. Andy continues his attack with 10 of Skulls from his hand. It's now Beth's turn to defend against the 10 of Skulls.

• End of Battle: If the attacker cannot attack or chooses not to continue his attack, he announces that his attack is over and must place all of the Battle Cards in the play area face-down adjacent to the "Graveyard" indicator of the Compass Card. All players proceed to the Draw Phase.

Draw Phase

Going clockwise starting with the attacker, draw Battle Cards from the Battle Card deck until you have 6 Battle Cards in your hand. You do not need to draw cards if you are holding 6 or more Battle Cards. Once the Battle Card deck is depleted, players skip any subsequent Draw Phase.

Note: The revealed Trump Card under the deck is considered the last Battle Card in the deck.

• If an attack was successfully defended: After drawing up to 6 Battle Cards, pass the Attack Token to the defender. They become the attacker in the next Battle Phase.
• If a defender retreated: After drawing up to 6 Battle Cards, pass the Attack Token to the player left of the defender. In a 2 player game, the Attack Token stays with the Attacking player.
• If a player drew a Battle Event: Reveal the Battle Event and continue the Draw Phase. Once all players have drawn up to 6 Battle Cards, proceed to the Battle Event Phase.

Battle Event Phase

When drawn, Battle Events must be immediately revealed and placed face-up in the play area. Once finished with the Draw Phase, play each event in the order they were drawn. The player that drew the event always carries out it's action first. When all Events have been played, place them face up adjacent to the "Skill Cards & Events" indicator of the Compass Card. Then, proceed to the Battle Phase.

Anatomy of a Battle Event

The diagram of a Battle Event (Dust Storm) labels three parts: the Order of Play, the Battle Event Title, and the Battle Event Instructions.

End of Game

• 2 Player Game: The first player to get rid of his cards after the Battle Card deck is depleted is victorious.

  Note: In case of a tie, the player with the most Skill Cards in his hand is victorious. If there is still a tie, both players rejoice in victory.

• 3-4 Player Game: When the Battle Card deck has been depleted, if a player manages to get rid of all Battle Cards from his hand, he is victorious and leaves the battlefield. The remaining players continue to battle until one player is left holding Battle Cards. This player loses the battle.

  Note: In case of a tie, the player with the most Skill Cards in his hand is victorious. If there is still a tie, both players rejoice in victory.

Skill Cards

Skill Cards are used to aid you during the Battle Phase. There are several types of Skill Cards:

• Attack – May be used when you are the attacking player.
• Defense – May be used when you are the defending player.
• Anytime – May be used at anytime. Even out of turn.

Note: Skill Cards must be played out in full and cannot be overruled by another Skill Card.

Anatomy of a Skill Card

The diagram of a Skill Card (Hypnotize) labels three parts: the Type of card, the Skill Name, and the Card Instructions.

Ambush Variant

• Ambush: Once you have mastered the basic rules, you can introduce the Ambush variant. When an attacking player is done his attack, other players can attack the defender in a clockwise order in hope of forcing the defender to Retreat. This is called an Ambush. Players can Ambush one at a time, clockwise. The Ambushing Battle Cards must numerically match the Battle Cards currently in the play area. The defender can only be Ambushed by a number of Battle Cards equal to the number of Battle Cards in the defender's hand.

  For example:

  1. Andy attacks Beth with a 10 of Crowns.
  2. Beth defends the 10 with an 11 of Crowns. Andy has no more 10's or 11's and concludes his attack.
  3. Chris, who is to the left of Beth, Ambushes her with his 10 of Skulls.
  4. Beth defends with a 14 of Skulls. Beth has no more Battle cards in her hand, thus triggering the End of Battle. The attack and Ambush were successfully defended. Players proceed to the Draw Phase.

  Note: When an ambushing player forces the defender to Retreat, players proceed to the Draw Phase. The player holding the Attack Token draws from the Battle Card deck first, regardless of which player forced the defender to Retreat.

Team Battle

• Team Battle: Pair up with another player and work together to overpower and defeat the opposing team. Teammates must sit on opposite sides. The goal is to force the player to your left to Retreat. By doing so, your teammate avoids having to endure an attack and proceeds directly to attacking the player to his left.

  If the player between teammates is victorious and leaves the battlefield, teammates still engage in a Battle Phase against each other. This allows players to strategically swap cards or get rid of unwanted Battle Cards with the risk of accidentally forcing your teammate to Retreat.

  Note: Both teammates must get rid of their Battle Cards for a team to be considered victorious. In case of a tie, the team of the remaining player with the most Skill Cards wins. If there is still a tie, both teams rejoice in victory.