Bloodsuckers
Bloodsuckers Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setting Up the Game
For videos showing how to set up and play Bloodsuckers, please visit www.firesidegames.com/bloodsuckers.
- Determine Sides. Players choose who will play as Hunters and who will play as Vampires. Hunter and Vampire players sit across from each other. In a 3- or 4-player game, teammates sit next to each other.
- Determine Number of Locations. Players determine how many locations to battle over for control of the town, as this will determine the length of time the game takes. There are a total of 5 locations: the church, graveyard, nightclub, police station, and hospital. Turn the dials for the locations chosen for the game to the Open status. Turn the dials for any locations not chosen for the game to Locked.
- Place the Board near the players but off to the side.
- Lay Out Guide Mat. Place the Guide Mat so that the Hunter side is in front of the Hunter player/team and the Vampire side is in front of the Vampire player/team. In a 2-player game, players will use spaces for Hunter 1 and Vampire 1 only. In a 3- or 4-player game, teammates will take their turns in the order numbered on the Guide Mat, with the player on the left becoming #1 and the player on the right becoming #2.
- Deal Character Cards. Shuffle the character deck, deal 3 characters to each player (6 characters to the 3rd player in a 3-player game), and place the remainder of the characters facedown near the board. This is the character draw pile. (Room should be left for a character discard pile nearby.) Players begin with their characters in front of them. This is each player's reinforcement pile. (The icons on the characters represent character abilities used in advanced play. See p. 12.)
- Deal Combat Cards. The Hunter and Vampire combat card decks are shuffled separately and given to the appropriate players. Each player draws a hand of 5 cards from his or her deck (6 cards for the 3rd player in a 3-player game). (Room should be left for a discard pile of played cards.) In a multiplayer game, teammates draw from the same deck and discard to the same discard pile. Teammates may show their cards to each other and discuss strategies and tactics.
- Distribute Attack Counters. Each player takes 5 Hunter or Vampire Attack Counters. In a 2-player game, each player should use the side numbered 1. In a 3- or 4-player game, players should use the side that matches their player number.
Starting a Battle
- Choose Location. The starting player/team chooses the location for the first battle.
- Place Bystanders. The number of character cards indicated in the Open status for the chosen location are drawn from the character draw pile. Each one is then placed facedown on a Bystander space on the Guide Mat (so that the combat track and Bystander silhouette are visible).
- Commit Characters. The starting player/team decides how many characters to commit to the battle and where to position them. Players must commit at least 1 character to each battle. Any 1 character can be placed in any column that contains a Bystander.
- In a 2-player game, only the Player 1 spaces are used. The 3rd player in a 3-player game uses only the Player 1 space as well. Teammates play characters side by side in the same column on their indicated spaces. Players cannot play their characters to their teammate's spaces.
- Rotate Location and Clock Dials. The dial for the chosen location is then rotated to In Play status. Rotate the clock dial to either Dusk (if Vampires go first) or Dawn (if Hunters go first).
- After the starting player/team is finished committing characters, the opponent(s) commit their characters. Hunter characters are played with the Human side up and Vampire characters are played Vampire side up. (For advanced play, which allows for character abilities, see Using Character Abilities on p. 12.)
Playing Turns
The starting player takes the first turn, as indicated on the clock dial. Each turn consists of these 4 steps in order.
Step 1: Perform 3 Actions
Each player may take 3 actions on his or her turn. Players may choose from any combination of the following actions and may perform any action more than once (e.g., a player could play 2 cards and move 1 character for his/her 3 actions).
- Play 1 combat card. The most common action taken is playing 1 combat card. There are 4 card types: Attack, Impact, Strike, and Dodge. Cards are played to a player's/team's discard pile.
- Attack cards are orange with an attack value in the top left corner. When an Attack Card is played, the player places his or her attack counter on the matching space of the combat track. Attack Cards do NOT accrue values. Instead, each time an Attack Card is played, the attack value on the combat track is adjusted to reflect only the new card. (Hunters: 27 cards/deck. Vampires: 28 cards/deck.)
- Impact cards are purple and are used to modify attack values, draw cards, and much more. (Hunters: 17 cards/deck. Vampires: 16 cards/deck.)
- Strike cards are red and destroy characters, removing them and their attack values from the game. Vampires can also bite Hunters, potentially turning them into Vampires. (4 cards/deck.)
- Dodge cards are blue and are used only to defend against Strike cards. (3 cards/deck.)
- Draw 1 card.
- Play 1 Blood/Adrenaline Token. If a player has earned Blood or Adrenaline Tokens (by successfully playing Strike cards), they may bring 1 token into play from their pool for 1 action. Blood Tokens allow a Vampire character to add 2 points to all attacks throughout a battle. Adrenaline Tokens give a Hunter character 1 additional action throughout a battle.
- Move 1 character. Characters can be moved to different columns as well as in or out of a player's reinforcement pile for 1 action.
- (3-4 Player game only) Give 1 character to your teammate.
See Play Details on pp. 8-13 for specifics regarding each action type.
Banking Actions. If a player chooses not to perform all 3 actions, up to 2 actions may be banked. For each banked action, the player takes 1 Action Token. No player may have more than 2 Action Tokens at the same time. On any subsequent turn throughout the game, the player may spend 1 or both of the Action Tokens. To spend an Action, the token is returned to the pile. Teammates are not allowed to share, trade, or use each other's Action Tokens.
Sharing Cards with Teammates. In a 3- or 4-player game, a player may give, receive, or trade 1 card of his or her choice with a teammate at no action cost any time during Step 1 of his or her turn.
Step 2: Discard and Draw
The player may discard as many cards as he or she wishes and draw back up to a full hand. If a player has more than five cards in his or her hand, he or she may keep the extra cards. However, if the discard brings the hand below 5 cards, then the hand size after drawing may not exceed 5 cards. (For the 3rd player in a 3-player game, the hand size is 6 cards.)
NOTE: Hunters that play Adrenaline Tokens draw up to their new hand size. (See Adrenaline on p. 13.)
Step 3: Unstun Characters
The player then rotates all of his or her Stunned characters back to their upright positions. (See Stunned on p. 10.)
Step 4: Rotate Clock Dial
Finally, the player rotates the clock dial one space clockwise. Each battle will take a complete Day and Night cycle on the clock dial. There are 8 spaces on the clock dial that represent the times of the day and night, and each of these spaces also corresponds to a player's turn. Once the dial moves completely around the clock, the battle for that location ends.
After the first player completes all 4 steps, the next player's turn begins, as indicated on the clock dial.
Completing a Battle
A battle ends when the clock dial has made 1 full revolution. Players keep their hands at the end of a battle.
When a battle ends, the players resolve the battle as follows:
- Resolve Columns. The attack values for each column are compared. The player that has the highest attack value wins that column. If players tie, by having 0 or equal attack values, then that column is declared a draw and no one wins that column. Players must have an attack value of at least 1 to win a column, but they do NOT need to have a character in that column at the end of battle to win. A Stunned character can also win if his or her attack value is the highest when the battle ends.
- Determine Location Winner. The player/team that wins the most columns is declared the winner of that location. The winner rotates the location dial from In Play to Vampire Controlled or Hunter Controlled status. If the players/teams have won the same number of columns, then no one controls that location and the location dial is rotated to the Locked status.
- Control Characters. All characters are returned to their reinforcement piles. The Bystanders in any columns won by a player are then added as characters in his or her reinforcement pile. Bystanders in a draw column are moved to the character discard pile. If there are still locations with an Open status, then play continues with the next battle. If not, the game ends. (See Ending the Game below.)
- Reset Tokens. All used Blood Tokens and Adrenaline Tokens are discarded to the supply, and all Attack Counters are returned to the players.
- Break a Tie. If the players/teams control the same number of locations, then the winner is the player/team with the highest number of characters. If both players/teams also have the same number of characters, then a tiebreaker round is played.
Tiebreaker Round
The tiebreaker round is a sudden-death battle for the highest attack value.
- Discard and Draw. Each player discards his or her hand and draws 5 new cards.
- Play Attack Cards. Each player lays down 1 Attack Card. The card with the highest attack value wins. (Special effects are not used. For cards with Day/Night values, the highest value is used.) If the attacks result in another tie, players continue laying down Attack Cards until 1 player has a higher value than his or her opponent(s). (Strike, Impact, and Dodge cards are not used in the tiebreaker round.)
Starting the Next Battle
The player/team that currently controls the fewest locations in town chooses the location of the next battle and becomes the starting player/team. If the players/teams control the same number of locations, then all players roll the die. The player with the highest roll chooses the next location. When Hunters go first, the clock dial is rotated to Dawn. When Vampires go first, the clock dial is set to Dusk.
NOTE: Players draw up to a full hand only at Step 2 of their turns. Therefore, it is possible for a player to start a new battle with a hand of fewer than 5 cards.
Ending the Game
The game ends when every location shows a status of Vampire Controlled, Hunter Controlled, or Locked.
- Determine a Winner. If one player/team controls more locations in Blackwood at the end of the last battle, that player/team wins the game.
Reference: Play Details
Playing Combat Cards
Starting Hand Size. Players start the game with a hand of 5 combat cards (or 6 cards for the 3rd player in a 3-player game). A player's hand size may exceed this number during the course of play, however.
Types of Combat Cards. There are 4 types of cards in each player's deck: Attack, Strike, Dodge, and Impact.
Attack Cards are the orange cards used for the attacks players make against each other in the battle to win the Bystanders at each location. Each Attack Card has an attack value (shown in the upper left-hand corner of the card). As Attack Cards are played, players place and/or move their Attack Counters on the combat track for each column. Attacks are NOT cumulative. If an Attack Card is played where an attack value already exists, the attack value is adjusted to reflect only the new card. Attack Cards can be played only in a column where a character is present and not Stunned (see Stunned on p. 10). This includes using an Attack Card's special effect. Attack Cards cannot be played for or on a teammate's characters.
- Rolled Value. Some Attack Cards have a die icon instead of an attack value. A roll of the die generates the attack value for these cards.
- Variable Value. Some Attack Cards have 2 values: 1 with a sun symbol and 1 with a moon symbol. The card's attack value is the number with the sun symbol if it is played during the Day, and the number with the moon symbol if it is played during the Night.
- Special Effects. Most Attack Cards have a special effect that may occur when they are played (indicated on the card by AND). A player may ignore the special effect if it does not benefit the player or is not possible at that time. A few Attack Cards have special effects that may occur instead of the attack value (indicated on the card by OR). The player must choose to apply the attack value or to apply the special effect on these cards. When playing a card with special effects, players declare which effect they are choosing and which column they are using that effect in (if applicable) before playing the card.
- Rolled Effects. Some Attack Cards have a special effect that occurs only if the player rolls a specific result on the die. An Attack Card still alters the attack value even if the special effect failed to occur.
For example, the Vampire card Pummel has an attack value of 3 and a special effect that reads, "Roll die. If you roll 3-6, the target character in this column is Stunned." When this card is played, the attack value for this Vampire player is moved to 3 on the combat track. The player then rolls the die. If the result is 3, 4, 5, or 6, then the player chooses an opponent's character in the same column where the Pummel card was played. That character is Stunned. (See Stunned on p. 10.) If the result is a 1 or 2, the special effect fails to occur, but the attack value of 3 remains.
Strike Cards are the red cards used to destroy opponent characters. If a character cannot dodge a Strike Card, that character must suffer the effects of the Strike Card. A Strike Card can be played only in a column where the player has a character that is present and not Stunned. (Strike Cards cannot be played for a teammate's character.) Some Strike Cards can only be played at certain times. Sunlight may only be played during the Day, and Drain may only be played during the Night. These cards have a sun or moon symbol on them to remind players of when they may be played.
- Destroyed. When a Strike card destroys a character, that character is immediately discarded and the character's attack counter is removed from the combat track.
- Bite. When a Bite card is played against a Hunter (and not dodged), the Bite card is placed on the Bitten character to indicate that he or she is Bitten. That character is also Stunned. (See Stunned on p. 10.) The Vampire player immediately draws 1 Blood Token and adds it to his or her Blood Pool. Unless the Bite card is removed (by the Holy Water card), the Bitten character will turn at the next Dusk. (See Turning below.)
- Turning. When the clock dial is rotated to Dusk, any Hunter character with a Bite card attached turns into a Vampire. If a Hunter is Bitten at Dusk, that character does not turn until the following Dusk.
- In the Middle of Battle. The Bite card is immediately removed and returned to the Vampire player's discard pile. Then, the attack counter for the turned character (if any) is removed from the combat track. The character is then placed in the Vampire player's reinforcement pile and is a new character for the Vampire player to use starting immediately. (In a 3- or 4-player game, the character is moved to the reinforcement pile of the Vampire player that played the Bite card.)
- At the End of Battle. If a character turns at the end of a battle, Bitten Hunters do not turn until after that battle is completed and resolved. This means that a Hunter player may win a column and then have his or her character turn into a Vampire.
- Battle Ends at Dawn. If a battle ends at Dawn and a Bitten Hunter has not turned, the character returns to the Hunter player's reinforcement pile with the Bite card attached. The Bite card is removed when the Hunter plays the Holy Water card or when the character turns into a Vampire at Dusk. This may mean that a character becomes a Vampire while in a Hunter's reinforcement pile.
- Game Ends at Dawn. If the last battle of a game ends at Dawn and a Bitten Hunter has not turned, that Hunter turns into a Vampire after the battle is completed, all columns are resolved, and a location winner is determined. This is the only situation where a character may turn when it is not Dusk.
Dodge Cards are the blue cards used to cancel Strike Cards as they are played. Each Dodge Card nullifies one Strike Card. Then, both cards are discarded. These are the only cards that a player may play when it is not his or her turn. Dodge Cards can be played only in a column in which the player has a character that is present and not Stunned. However, in a 4-player game (not in a 3-player game) teammates may play Dodge Cards to defend a teammate's characters, even if that character is Stunned. If a Strike Card cannot be dodged, then the Strike Card effects occur immediately.
Impact Cards are the purple cards used to give the player special bonuses, draw extra cards, weaken opponents, change attack values (for the player or a teammate), and more. They can be played as long as the player has at least 1 character still in play (even if the character is Stunned). However, the player does not need to have a character in the target column. Some Impact Cards can be played in more than 1 way. The full text should be read carefully before play. The effect of an Impact Card occurs immediately when played.
Terms Specific to 3- and 4-Player Games. Many cards include the terms "teammate" or "opponents." These terms apply only to 3- or 4-player games, which allow for card effects that can be shared by teammates or distributed across opponents. In a 2-player game, the term "teammate" should be ignored and the effects related to "opponents" should be applied to the single opponent. The 3rd player in a 3-player game should also ignore the term "teammate."
No Action Cost. Some Impact cards have an icon in the top left corner and text that reads "Play this card at no action cost." Playing these cards does not count toward the 3 actions a player may perform on his or her turn. A card that can be played at no action cost may be played before, during, or after a player has used the actions.
Sharing Cards with Teammates. In 3- or 4-player games, players may give 1 card to a teammate, take 1 card from a teammate, or trade 1 card with a teammate without using any of their 3 actions during Step 1. This is the only time a player may give, receive, or trade cards during his or her turn.
Stunning Characters
Some Attack and Strike Cards allow players to stun a character, temporarily disorienting the character so he or she cannot fight in the battle. When this occurs, the Stunned character is rotated 90 degrees to indicate he or she is incapacitated.
For 1 turn, the affected player cannot move this character or use this character to play Attack, Dodge, or Strike Cards. However, the player may still play Impact Cards in that column. In a 4-player game, a teammate may play Dodge Cards to defend the player's Stunned character. At the end of his or her turn, the player rotates all of his or her Stunned characters to the upright position. These characters now have full function. If the battle ends before a player can rotate a Stunned character, that character can still win a column if his or her attack value is highest.
Handling Characters
Moving Characters. Characters may be moved on a player's turn for 1 action in any of the following ways:
- A character that is committed to a column may move to any column that does not have another of the player's characters committed to it.
- Two of a player's characters that are committed to columns can swap positions with each other.
- A character that is committed to a column may swap positions with a character in the player's reinforcement pile.
- Characters can move between a player's reinforcement pile and a column.
Players may move only their own characters, never a teammate's or an opponent's. Attack values remain in effect even if a player moves a character from a column where he or she has placed an attack counter (whether to another column or to the reinforcement pile). Some cards force a character into the reinforcement pile and change the attack value that was in play in that column. Remember, players must have an attack value of at least 1 to win a column, but they do NOT need to have a character in that column at the end of the battle to win.
Giving Characters to Teammates. During Step 1 of a player's turn, the player may give (not trade) 1 of his or her characters to a teammate for 1 action in a 3- or 4-player game. The character must come from the player's reinforcement pile. If the character given to a teammate had an attack counter in play, that attack counter is removed from the combat track. The teammate must place the new character directly into his or her reinforcement pile (not into a column). The teammate now controls that character for the remainder of the game.
Destroying a Player's Last Character. If a player's last character is destroyed, he or she must draw 1 character card from the draw pile and place it in his or her reinforcement pile (NOT into a battle) on his or her next turn. That is the only action the player may take on that turn.
Using Character Abilities
Each character has a special ability that enhances effectiveness during battle. These abilities can be used for advanced play. Beginning players may prefer to play without them to learn the basics before increasing the complexity of the game. The character's ability is indicated by the small icon on the upper left-hand side of the front of each character as well as on the back near the Bystander silhouette.
As long as a character is active, that character's ability is in effect and the character's ability can be applied to any columns with active characters.
For example, Neal has committed the characters Allison and Ezekiel to a battle. Allison has the Swift ability, and Ezekiel has the Rally ability. If Neal chooses to use Allison's Swift ability, he may move either Ezekiel or Allison once at no action cost this turn.
Character abilities are not in effect if that character is Stunned, destroyed, or in a player's reinforcement pile. Players can use abilities only of characters they control, not abilities of a teammate's characters. For easy reference, all character abilities are summarized on the back of the On Your Turn card.
Here are the icons, names, and explanations for each of the character abilities:
- Swift. Once per turn, 1 character may switch places with another of the player's characters (whether in a column or in the reinforcement pile), may move from one column to another column, move from a column to the reinforcement pile, or move from the reinforcement pile to a column at no action cost. If more than 1 character with this ability is in play, the player may move as many characters as have the Swift ability.
- Luck. Once per turn, 1 point may be added to any die roll. If more than 1 character with this ability is in play, 1 die roll may be modified for each character in play who has this ability.
- Endurance. Once per turn, the player may reroll a die and keep the 2nd result. If more than 1 character with this ability is in play, the number of die rolls that can be rerolled is equal to the number of characters that have this ability. However, each die roll can be rerolled once only.
- Rally. If this character is committed at the start of the battle, the player may draw 1 additional card. If more than 1 character with this ability is in play, 1 card may be drawn for each of those characters.
- Knockout. Once per turn, the player may draw 1 card if he or she stuns an opponent's character. If more than 1 character with this ability is in play, 1 card may be drawn for each additional Stunned character that turn.
- Boost. Once per turn, the player may play 1 Blood/Adrenaline Token from his or her pool at no Action cost. One Blood/Adrenaline Token may be played for each character with this ability in play.
- Aggression. Once per turn, 1 point may be added to the value of any attack the player makes. If more than 1 character with this ability is in play, the player may add 1 point to an equal number of attacks.
- Adapt. Once per turn, play 1 card with the Day/Night effects reversed (does NOT apply to Strike cards). If more than 1 character with this ability is in play, the player may reverse the Day/Night effects for an equal number of cards.
Dealing with Blood (Vampire player only)
- Gaining Blood. When a Vampire player successfully Bites or Drains a Hunter character, the player immediately draws 1 Blood Token from the supply and places the token in his or her Blood Pool. There is no limit to the number of tokens permitted in a Blood Pool.
- Feeding a Character. On his or her turn, a Vampire player may feed one of his or her characters for 1 action by moving 1 Blood Token from his or her Blood Pool to one of his or her characters. (Vampire teammates may not share Blood Tokens.) This has the immediate effect of adding 2 points to that character's current attack value (if any). In addition, 2 points are added to any Attack Cards this character plays for the remainder of the battle. A Vampire character may have no more than 1 Blood Token on them at a time.
- Disposing of Blood Tokens. At the end of each battle, all Blood Tokens used to feed Vampires are placed back in the game supply. Any Blood Tokens not spent remain in a player's Blood Pool for future use.
Dealing with Adrenaline (Hunter player only)
- Gaining Adrenaline. After a Hunter player successfully destroys a Vampire character, the player immediately draws 1 Adrenaline Token from the supply and places it in his or her Adrenaline Pool. There is no limit to the number of Adrenaline Tokens permitted in an Adrenaline Pool.
- Activating Adrenaline. On his or her turn, a Hunter player may activate an Adrenaline Token for 1 action by removing 1 token from his or her Adrenaline Pool and placing it onto one of his or her characters. (Hunter teammates may not share Adrenaline Tokens.) This has the immediate effect of increasing the number of actions that player may perform by 1 for the remainder of the battle.
- Disposing of Adrenaline Tokens. At the end of each battle, all Adrenaline Tokens activated are placed back in the game supply. Any unused Adrenaline Tokens remain in the player's Adrenaline Pool for future use.
Reference: Game Board Details
Overview. The board is used to track turns, time of day, and the status of each location. The 5 Blackwood locations where the battles occur are the church, graveyard, nightclub, police station, and hospital.
The Clock Dial. The clock dial consists of 8 spaces. Each space is labeled Vampire 1, Hunter 1, Vampire 2, or Hunter 2. The space revealed by the open area of the dial indicates the current player. In a 3- or 4-player game, the team and the number shown indicate the current player. In a 2-player game, the numbers are ignored since there is no need to differentiate between multiple players on a team.
Day and Night. The spaces are also evenly divided into 4 Day and 4 Night. The first Day space is Dawn, and the first Night space is Dusk. Battles begin at either space depending on whether Vampires or Hunters begin the battle. In addition, some Vampire and Hunter Cards change effectiveness based on time of day. At the end of each player's turn, the clock dial is rotated one space clockwise to show the passing of time and to indicate the next player's turn.
Dusk and Dawn. A battle ends immediately when the clock dial is rotated to the same space on which that battle began. Battles started by Vampires will always begin and end at Dusk, and battles begun by Hunters will always begin and end at Dawn.
Reference Ring. The ring outside the clock dial is used to give players a reference for where the clock dial is in relation to the day and night cycle as well as remaining turn order. The clock dial indicates both the time of day and the current player.
The Locations. Each location has a small dial that is rotated to indicate 1 of 5 possible states for the location, which are as follows:
- OPEN. This is the starting status for all locations. When a location is chosen for a battle, the number of Bystanders shown in the Open status is the number of character cards that will be drawn for players to fight over.
- IN PLAY. This status indicates the location chosen as the site for the current battle. Only 1 location can be In Play at a time.
- VAMPIRE CONTROLLED. This status indicates that the Vampire player/team has won control of this location.
- HUNTER CONTROLLED. This status indicates that the Hunter player/team has won control of this location.
- LOCKED. This status indicates that the result of a battle at this location was a tie. Neither player/team controls this location. This status is also used to remove locations from play for a shorter game.
Reference: Card Details
General. Discarding: All cards should be played directly into the discard pile. The one exception is the Bite card which, if successful, remains on top of the Bitten character card until either that character turns into a Vampire, or the Bite card is removed with the Holy Water card.
Discard Pile: Looking through the discard pile before playing a card that affects the discard pile is allowed.
Attack Cards.
- Frenzy: If the special effect for Frenzy is used, the player may not apply the special effect of any card that is discarded. It is simply discarded for its attack value.
- Shotgun: This card does NOT stun an opponent character if that character has no attack value in play, but it does stun a character that has an attack value of 0 in play. If both opponent characters have lower attack values in play, the Hunter player chooses 1 character to stun.
Impact Cards.
- Rage: This card alone always adds 1 point to an attack. Discarding additional cards increases that amount by 1 point per card.
- Holy Water: This card may be played on characters that are in a player's reinforcement pile.
- First Aid: The teammate may choose only from the cards the player discards, NOT the First Aid card just played.
- Recon: When a player uses Recon to look at an opponent's hand, he or she may not show or discuss the hand with his or her teammate until after he or she has returned the hand.
Sample Turns
Sample Turn: 2-Player Game
Edgar is playing the Vampires in a 2-player game at a location with 3 Bystanders, and the clock dial is set to Night. He has committed only 2 characters to this battle while the Hunter player has committed 3.
Edgar does not have an attack in the left column, where the Hunter player has an attack value of 3. Edgar has an attack value of 2 in the center column, and his opponent has 4. Edgar has an attack value of 4 in the right column, compared to his opponent's 6. Edgar's current hand consists of Shred, Mesmerize, Drain, Speed, and Gouge.
- Step 1: Perform 3 Actions. For Edgar's first action, he plays Drain on the right column and tells his opponent that he is attempting to destroy the character Rebecca. His opponent is not able to play a Dodge card, so the attack is successful! Rebecca is removed from the game and placed into the character discard pile. Her attack counter is also removed from the combat track.
- Edgar uses his second action to play Mesmerize in the center column. Since it is Night, his opponent's attack is reduced by 4, moving the attack counter to 0.
- Next, Edgar plays the Impact card Speed, which allows him to move 1 of his characters at no action cost. Edgar moves his character Marcus from the center column to the left column to make an attack in that column.
- For his third action, Edgar plays Gouge in the left column. Since it is Night, Gouge is a 5-point attack. Edgar places an attack counter on the 5 space of the combat track. Gouge also has a special effect that forces his opponent to discard 1 card at random. Edgar's opponent shuffles his hand, holds it facedown, and Edgar picks one card at random. That card is immediately discarded.
- Step 2: Discard and Draw. Edgar decides to keep his last card, so he draws 4 new cards to bring him back to a full hand.
- Step 3: Unstun Characters. None of Edgar's characters are Stunned, so he may skip this step.
- Step 4: Rotate Clock Dial. Edgar rotates the clock dial 1 space clockwise, ending his turn.
Sample Turn: 4-Player Game
Margie and Jennifer are playing the Hunters in a 4-player game at a location with 3 Bystanders, and the clock dial is set to Night. Both of them have committed 3 characters to this battle. Jennifer is playing as Hunter 2, and it's now her turn. Because her character in the right column is Stunned, Jennifer will not be able to perform any attacks in that column.
The left column has attack values of 3 for Jennifer, 4 for Vampire 1, 5 for Margie, and 6 for Vampire 2. The center column has attack values of 2 for Vampire 1 with Margie and Vampire 2 tied at 3. The right column has attack values of 3 for Margie and 4 for Vampire 1.
Jennifer's hand consists of Sunlight, Crucifix, Frag Grenade, Glancing Blow, and Sub-Machine Gun.
Before playing her first action, Jennifer and Margie look at their cards and discuss their strategy together. Since it will be Day during Margie's next turn and Sunlight can be played only then, they agree to trade Sunlight for Reload and exchange the cards. This does not require an action.
- Step 1: Perform 3 Actions. For Jennifer's first action, she plays the Reload card she just received. This allows both her and Margie to draw 2 cards each and add them to their hands. Jennifer draws Molotov Cocktail and Sprint.
- For her second action, Jennifer plays Molotov Cocktail in the left column. This has the effect of lowering her current attack value to 2, but it also allows her to move 1 opponent's attack counter in that column to 0. Jennifer chooses to use the ability on Vampire 2.
- For her third action, Jennifer plays Sub-Machine Gun but chooses to use the special ability instead of its attack value. This increases all Hunter attacks (including Margie's) by 1 point.
- Step 2: Discard and Draw. Jennifer decides to discard Sprint and Frag Grenade so she draws 3 new cards to bring her back to a full hand.
- Step 3: Unstun Characters. Jennifer rotates her character in the right column back to the upright position. That character can be used on her next turn.
- Step 4: Rotate Clock Dial. Jennifer rotates the clock dial 1 space clockwise, ending her turn.
Alternate Rules
Who's on First? In 3- or 4-player games, teammates can switch positions so that player 1 and player 2 alternate at the beginning of every battle. This gives each player an opportunity to be the first and last player for their team.
Perpetual Day/Night. Battles for locations always begin at a specified time of day, regardless of which player/team chooses to battle there. Here are the locations and the times of day to begin the battles:
- Nightclub: Dusk
- Graveyard: Dusk
- Police Station: Dawn
- Church: Dawn
- Hospital: Determined by player/team who chooses to battle there
Recruiting Drive. Instead of drawing 3 characters at random during the setup of the game, players may instead draw 5 characters, choose 3 to keep, and return the remaining 2 to the character deck. In a 3-player game, the 3rd player draws 10 characters and keeps 6. Shuffle the character deck after all players have chosen their starting characters.
Body Count. Hunter characters that turn into Vampires at the end of a battle are counted as if they were Bystanders won at that location by the Vampire player, possibly affecting the determination of the location winner.
Lucky 13. If a player is able to move his or her attack counter to 13 on the combat track, that player immediately wins that column and controls the Bystander present.
Location Bonuses. Each location has a special one-time bonus that is awarded to the player/team that wins control of that location. The bonus is applied immediately when the location winner is determined.
- Graveyard: Winning players may swap any 1 of their characters with 1 of their choice from the character discard pile.
- Church: Winning players may discard any 1 of their characters to the character discard pile and then draw the top card from the character draw pile.
- Nightclub: Winning players draw Action Tokens until they have banked the maximum of 2.
- Police Station: The winning player in a 2-player game draws the top 3 cards in the discard pile and keeps 1. Winning teammates in a 3- or 4-player game draw 6 total and each keep 1. The 3rd player in a 3-player game draws 6 and keeps 2.
- Hospital: Winning Hunter players take 1 Adrenaline Token and add it to their Adrenaline Pool. Winning Vampire players take 1 Blood Token and add it to their Blood Pool.
Reference: Character List
The characters and their abilities are listed below for easy reference.
| Character Name | Character Ability |
|---|---|
| Alexander | Swift |
| Allison | Swift |
| Amy | Swift |
| Ang | Rally |
| Arturo | Knockout |
| Cassandra | Swift |
| Connor | Luck |
| David | Luck |
| Dimitri | Endurance |
| Eva | Boost |
| Ezekiel | Rally |
| Francisco | Rally |
Reference: Combat Card List
The combat cards, attack values, and the number of cards in the deck are listed below for easy reference. "3D/5N" means 3 during the Day and 5 during the Night. The value "*" is printed as an asterisk on the source card list for Frag Grenade and Shred; the source gives no further explanation of it in the card list, and the Rolled Value rule on p. 8 describes cards that use a die roll for their attack value.
Hunter Deck
| Attack Cards | Value | No. of Cards |
|---|---|---|
| Knife | 3 | 4 |
| Molotov Cocktail | 2 | 2 |
| Pistol | 3 | 3 |
| Sword | 4D/3N | 6 |
| Shotgun | 5D/3N | 5 |
| Sub-Machine Gun | 4 | 4 |
| Frag Grenade | * | 3 |
| Strike Cards | No. of Cards |
|---|---|
| Stake | 2 |
| Sunlight | 2 |
| Dodge Cards | No. of Cards |
|---|---|
| Crucifix | 3 |
| Impact Cards | No. of Cards |
|---|---|
| Reload | 3 |
| Glancing Blow | 3 |
| Holy Water | 1 |
| Blessed Weapon | 3 |
| Lucky Break | 2 |
| Recon | 3 |
| First Aid | 2 |
Vampire Deck
| Attack Cards | Value | No. of Cards |
|---|---|---|
| Frenzy | 3 | 4 |
| Shatter | 3 | 2 |
| Shred | * | 3 |
| Gouge | 3D/5N | 5 |
| Throw | 4 | 5 |
| Pounce | 3D/4N | 5 |
| Pummel | 3 | 4 |
| Strike Cards | No. of Cards |
|---|---|
| Bite | 2 |
| Drain | 2 |
| Dodge Cards | No. of Cards |
|---|---|
| Wall Crawl | 3 |
| Impact Cards | No. of Cards |
|---|---|
| Mesmerize | 3 |
| Overwhelm | 3 |
| Terrify | 1 |
| Speed | 2 |
| Regenerate | 2 |
| Foresee | 2 |
| Rage | 3 |