Battle of the Bands Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object
• Battle of the Bands Basic Concept
• Rules of the Game
  • Drawing Cards
  • Playing Cards
  • Band Member Cards
  • Instrument Cards
  • Reputation Cards
  • Monkey Wrench Cards
  • Hit Single Cards
  • Music Biz Cards
  • Gig Cards

Contents

120 Cards: 4 ME BAND MEMBER, 19 BAND MEMBER, 25 MUSIC BIZ, 17 MONKEY WRENCH, 6 SIGNED (contract), 10 GIG, 10 HIT SINGLE, 11 REPUTATION, and 18 INSTRUMENT.

1 Rule sheet 4 six sided dice (the audience!)

Object

To be the first player to accumulate a winning total of SUPERSTAR POINTS, in any combination of HIT SINGLE and GIG cards.

• 2-player game: 12 SUPERSTAR POINTS
• 3-player game: 10 SUPERSTAR POINTS
• 4-player game: 8 SUPERSTAR POINTS

Battle of the Bands Basic Concept

Each player builds a band, using BAND MEMBER, INSTRUMENT and REPUTATION cards. With their bands, they "battle" their opponents during GIG ROUNDS and play HIT SINGLES, GIGS and CONTRACTS worth SUPERSTAR POINTS. These SUPERSTAR POINTS are the victory points, with which they become rock and roll superstars!

Rules of the Game

Drawing Cards

At the start of each game, everyone is given a ME BAND MEMBER card to place in front of themselves on the table. Unused ME cards are kept out of the deck. (This card represents you as a musician in your band. This card cannot be taken out of your band.) The dealer shuffles the rest of the cards and deals 5 cards to each player. The person to the dealer's left goes first, drawing a card from the deck (draw pile), for a total of 6 cards.

Playing Cards

On your turn, you draw till you have 6 cards in your hand, and take one of the following actions:

• Play a BAND MEMBER on your band. (Max. 4 BAND MEMBER per band at a time.)
• or
• Play an INSTRUMENT on a BAND MEMBER in your band. (1 INSTRUMENT per BAND MEMBER at a time.)
• or
• Attempt to play a REPUTATION card on ANY BAND MEMBER in play. (1 REPUTATION per BAND MEMBER at a time.)
• or
• Play a CONTRACT card on your band. (1 CONTRACT per BAND at a time.)
• or
• Play a HIT SINGLE on your band. (Must already have a CONTRACT or SIGNED GIG card in your band.)
• or
• Play a GIG card and start a GIG ROUND.
• or
• Play a MUSIC BIZ card.
• or
• Discard up to 3 cards.

Editor's note: the source prints "or" at the foot of the first page with the final action, "Discard up to 3 cards.", continuing at the top of the next column; no label precedes it in the source, and it is transcribed as printed.

Band Member Cards

A band can have as few as 1 BAND MEMBER or as many as 4 BAND MEMBERS. (The ME and PRODUCER cards count toward the maximum of 4.) INSTRUMENT and REPUTATION cards are not necessary for a band (although they help!) to GIG or have HIT SINGLES. Each BAND MEMBER is worth X amount of HIP POINTS (HP), as shown on the upper left-hand corner of the card. These points, used in conjunction with HIP POINTS found on INSTRUMENT and REPUTATION cards in play, help determine the strength of your band during a GIG.

Some BAND MEMBERS are more adept with certain musical instrument types. When the appropriate BAND MEMBER and INSTRUMENT combination are played together, they are worth 1 more HP than normal, as we shall see in the INSTRUMENT card example below.

Example: Tisha has Me (1 HP) on the table and Johnny T. (1 HP/+1 with string instruments) in her hand. For her turn she places Johnny T. on the table as her first turn's action. Her turn is over.

The PRODUCER card is a special type of BAND MEMBER card, and counts towards the 4 BAND MEMBER limit in a band; when played, it gives the player 2 actions per turn, instead of 1.

When the PRODUCER enters any band, that player immediately takes another action.

You may play any combination of cards, even 2 GIG cards! (The GIGS would be played separately, one after the other, with MONKEY WRENCHES being played during each GIG ROUND.)

You cannot place any INSTRUMENT or REPUTATION cards on the PRODUCER, nor can it help you during a GIG ROUND. It can, however, be targeted by MUSIC BIZ cards.

BAND MEMBERS may be played during GIGS as positive MONKEY WRENCHES to your group. (They are referred to as GUESTSTARS.) They are discarded after the GIG is over. (Thanks for the help, man!)

Instrument Cards

As with BAND MEMBER cards, each INSTRUMENT card is worth X amount of HIP POINTS (HP). Any BAND MEMBER may use any INSTRUMENT; simply place the card under your BAND MEMBER to show the INSTRUMENT they are playing. Normally, you cannot exchange INSTRUMENT cards between BAND MEMBERS once they are played. Only special cards, such as THEFT!, may alter which INSTRUMENTS are being played by whom.

Only 1 INSTRUMENT card may be played on a BAND MEMBER at any time. Only cards can change INSTRUMENTS on BAND MEMBERS, once they are in play.

No INSTRUMENT cards may be played if no BAND MEMBERS are there to receive them.

Example: On Tisha's next turn, she draws the Guitar INSTRUMENT card, worth 1 HP. For her turn, she places it under Johnny T. and his penchant for stringed instruments (+1), making him worth 3 HP instead of the normal 2 HP.

INSTRUMENTS may be played on BAND MEMBERS during GIGS as positive MONKEY WRENCHES to your group. They are discarded after the GIG is over. (Thanks for the loan, dude!)

Reputation Cards

As with the BAND MEMBER and INSTRUMENT cards, REPUTATION cards have an X amount of HIP POINTS (HP). The difference is that you may not simply place a REPUTATION card on a BAND MEMBER. You first choose a specific BAND MEMBER you wish to place the REPUTATION on, then you must roll less than or equal to the number of HP already possessed by that BAND MEMBER and their INSTRUMENT, if they have one. If you succeed, place the REPUTATION under the BAND MEMBER, or INSTRUMENT if it's present, to show that BAND MEMBER'S REPUTATION.

REPUTATIONS have negative REPUTATIONS at the bottom of the cards. When you first play one of these REPUTATIONS on your BAND MEMBER, you play for the positive number. During play, a card may be played upon that REPUTATION card causing it to flip over, giving that BAND MEMBER the negative version of the card. (These same cards can flip them again to restore the positive REPUTATION. Each card will explain their usage in the game.)

Conversely, you may play the negative version on an opponent's BAND MEMBER by rolling their total HP or lower. Your opponent may play a card later to flip that negative REPUTATION to its positive version.

Only 1 REPUTATION card may be played on a BAND MEMBER at any time.

No REPUTATION cards may be played if no BAND MEMBERS are there to receive them.

REPUTATION cards that are unsuccessfully played are discarded.

Example: Tisha has Johnny T. (1 HP) with the Guitar (1 HP) and she wants to place the Asskicker (1 HP) REPUTATION card on him. She must roll a 3 or less, Johnny T.'s 1, the Guitar's 1, and his +1 for using a string instrument equal 3. For Johnny T. to become an Asskicker, Tisha must roll a 3 or less. She rolls a 2, Johnny T. is truly THE Asskicker!!

Editor's note: the source's second REPUTATION example is split by a column break. Its opening lines are not printed; the surviving text resumes at "He rolls a 3 on his die, giving him 10 HP." and is transcribed as printed below.

He rolls a 3 on his die, giving him 10 HP. She rolls a 6, giving her a final score of 11 HP, winning the gig. She now has 1 SP towards her victory! (And can begin playing HIT SINGLES on her next turn.)

Monkey Wrench Cards

These are cards played exclusively during GIGS. They modify the HP of either you or your opponent's band. Each card explains what the card's effects are.

Hit Single Cards

As with GIG and CONTRACT cards, HIT SINGLE cards have a SUPERSTAR POINT (SP) total, as shown on each card's upper left-hand corner, using the number of stars shown.

A band must have either a CONTRACT or SIGNED GIG card in their band to play HIT SINGLES.

When played, it gives the player that amount of SP towards their victory total.

Also, every HIT SINGLE card is worth a +1 to their owner during every GIG they participate in. (The song everyone came to hear!)

Example: Tisha has a Signed GIG card in play. On her turn, she plays a Smash HIT SINGLE card over her Signed GIG card. She now has 3 SP towards her victory total and a +1 to her band during GIGS!

Figure 1 (source caption): Tisha's Band in play. The illustrated card row shows Nite Klub, Asskicker, Electric Guitar, Johnny T., Me, and Smash Hit cards, with the captions "5 Hip points total" and "3 Superstar points".

Music Biz Cards

These cards are played during a regular turn, either on you or an opponent. Each card explains what the card does, usually targeting a card already on the table.

Among these cards are the CONTRACT cards.

CONTRACT cards, when played, give the player the ability, on subsequent turns, to play HIT SINGLE cards, and are worth 1 SUPERSTAR POINT towards victory. A band can have only ONE CONTRACT card in play at a time. These and GIG cards are what ultimately win the game for a player.

Example: Danny has Kym using a Sax and having the REPUTATION of Teen Dream. On Tisha's turn she plays the TALK SHOW card on Kym, flipping the card from Teen Dream REPUTATION to Stalked REPUTATION, causing her HP total to diminish.

Gig Cards

A GIG card is played in place of playing any of the aforementioned card types, starting a GIG ROUND.

Everyone may participate during a GIG ROUND by playing as many MONKEY WRENCH cards as they wish. The person playing the GIG card plays the first MONKEY WRENCH, then, clockwise, each player takes turns playing 1 card until all of the players have played as many of the MONKEY WRENCH cards as they wish.

The entire HP of each band is then tallied, subtracting the modifiers of any MONKEY WRENCHES in play. Everyone rolls a die, the audience's reaction to their set, and adds that amount to their HP total. The band with the highest total wins the GIG card and places it with their other SUPERSTAR POINT (SP) cards. If a tie occurs between the highest bands, the GIG goes to the person who played it, even if they weren't part of the tie! (They get the credit for putting on such a great show!)

Some GIG cards have the word SIGNED on them. This means that the winner of this card is able to start playing HIT SINGLE cards on their next turn. A band may have a CONTRACT and any number of SIGNED GIG cards at the same time.

(A band may NOT have more than 1 CONTRACT card in play at a time.)

Example: Tisha has a 1 SUPERSTAR Signed GIG card in her hand. She signals a GIG ROUND, by saying, "Let's Gig!" and places the GIG card between her and her opponent, Danny. Danny plays "Big in Japan" MONKEY WRENCH on himself, giving his band 3 extra Hip Points. (His band being Me (1 HP), Kym (1 HP) with a Sax (2 HP) AND a Stalked REPUTATION card (-1), totaling 6 HP. Tisha's band is Asskicker (1 HP), Johnny T. (1 HP), and his Guitar (4 HP, remember the +1 Johnny T. has for stringed instruments) and Me (1 HP), totaling 5.) Danny then plays Fella as a GUESTSTAR (which will be discarded after the GIG), making his band total to 7.