Bottom of the 9th: Clubhouse Expansion
Bottom of the 9th: Clubhouse Expansion Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Listed on the expansion's component page of the PDF.
- 21 player cards
- 3 support character cards
- 25 equipment cards (+3 for solo mode)
- 2 dice cups
- 3 pennant tokens
- 14 peanut tokens
- 7 diamond tactics cards
- 4 base tokens
- 8 trophy tokens (solo mode only)
- 4 clipboard tokens (solo mode only)
The component list printed on the earlier card-checklist page gives 28 equipment cards and 3 base tokens, with no dice cups or clipboard tokens. The counts above are from the later component list, which is the more complete one.
Note: Replace your versions of Anvil McIver and Robbie Truman with the new versions included with Clubhouse. You will never need the old versions again; feel free to frame or mount them for showing off.
Changes to Setup
To determine which player will be batting and which will be pitching, use the pennant tokens. Take all three tokens (home, visitors, choice) and shuffle them. Give one at random to one of the two players. That player reveals the token:
- HOME means they will be the batting player.
- VISITORS means they will be the pitching player.
- CHOICE means they get to choose which team they want to play.
Set the 14 peanut tokens off to one side to form a supply. These will come into play according to various card effects.
Separate the equipment cards by team. Which team an item can work for is indicated by the icon on the back of each card. If there is no team icon, this is considered a league card and can be used by any team.
- Pitching team: sort the cards marked with the pitching team's icon.
- Hitting team: sort the cards marked with the hitting team's icon.
The team icons are shown only as artwork on the card backs in the PDF, so they are not reproduced as text.
Note: The 3 card backs that state SOLO are used for solo gameplay only.
After player cards are chosen, both teams receive an equipment budget of $1,500 for purchasing equipment cards.
First, the pitching player may choose to purchase one league clubhouse card. Then, the batting player may choose to purchase one. All unpurchased league clubhouse cards are returned to the box.
Then the batting player takes the batter equipment deck and the pitching player takes the pitcher equipment deck. Here they can spend their remaining equipment budget to purchase more equipment cards for their team. Purchased equipment cards are added to the player's hand and not shown to the other player. All unpurchased equipment cards are returned to the box.
The cost for an item of equipment is located at the top center of each equipment card.
Equipment Cards
There are three different types of equipment cards: clubhouse cards, gear cards, and tool cards. Teams and players are restricted in the number and types of equipment cards they can have active at a time.
- Clubhouse: These cards help play out your entire team, but your team is limited to one clubhouse card. Clubhouse cards are put into play immediately when purchased.
- Gear: Gear cards represent items of clothing or accessories worn by your players. Each gear card is equipped to an individual player, and applies only to that player (unless otherwise stated). Each player can normally have only one gear card at any time.
- Tools: Tool cards represent types of baseball equipment (bat, ball, gloves, etc.) used by your players. Each tool card is equipped to an individual player, and applies only to that player. Each player can normally have only one tool card at any time.
Gear and tool cards are kept in your hand (hidden from your opponent) and only come into play when you are equipping an active player. This means the player must be the active pitcher, the active batter, or on deck (i.e., the batter up next).
To equip a gear or tool card, slide the card partially underneath the player card, so that the text box is showing below the player card.
A player is considered unequipped (having no equipment cards), equipped (having one equipment card), or fully equipped (having one gear card and one tool card).
If an equipment card has an effect stating it is discarded after use, it goes to the player's private discard pile, or locker. Certain card effects will interact with cards in your locker.
Peanut Tokens
If a player card shows peanut icons, when that player is active (i.e., current pitcher, current batter, or on deck) add the designated number of peanut tokens from the supply to their cards.
If a card or ability calls for the addition of a peanut token, and there are none currently in the supply, you do not add a peanut token. In situations when both players should add peanut tokens, the batting player always adds their peanut tokens first.
Some cards allow you to remove peanut tokens to gain an ability. If you do not have any peanut tokens on a given card, then you are unable to perform that card's ability. You may not remove more than three peanut tokens from a single card during one round.
Shift Ability
Many cards in this expansion feature the new shift ability. You may use a shift ability to modify a natural roll, and the result is still considered natural. The number and direction of arrows indicate how you may shift the roll, whereas the number printed inside the arrow indicates which natural rolls you are allowed to modify with the shift ability.
Example (from the rules page): Liz Powers has been equipped with the Hickory Bat. The pitcher threw a 4 pitch. Liz then rolled a swing result of 4, which would result in a strike. However, because Liz has the Hickory Bat, she can shift (4) her swing result to 5. This not only makes contact, but also gives her the opportunity to try for a double, because the natural 5 activates her trait!
New Keywords
These new keywords appear on player cards. Like trait abilities, any abilities that are tied to these keywords are always active, unless otherwise stated.
- On Deck: A player is considered ON DECK when they will be the next player in the lineup to bat. An ON DECK player is considered active, may be equipped, and any ON DECK abilities activate.
- Roster: When a player or piece of equipment with the ROSTER ability is selected during setup, the ROSTER ability activates.
- Warmup: When a pitcher enters the game, but before their first pitch, any WARMUP ability they have activates.
Diamond Tactics
Wishing you could turn a double play to get out of the inning or lay down a bunt to advance the runners? We cannot possibly capture all of the nuances of baseball in a quick card and dice game, but the diamond tactics add an extra layer of strategy that will scratch your itch for a deeper baseball experience.
At the start of the game, give each player their three diamond tactics cards, which are placed face-up in front of them. Place the remaining diamond tactics card, Fielder's Choice, face-up next to the field board. These advanced game cards can be used at strategic moments.
When a batter reaches base, place the corresponding base token on that player to denote which base they are on. This is important when dealing with leadoff runners (i.e., runner furthest along the basepath and therefore closest to home plate) as well as with the Fielder's Choice card. During the cleanup phase, remember to adjust the base tokens if runners have advanced.
Players' speed traits remain active as long as they are on base.
Pitching Player Diamond Tactics
- Double Play: May be announced any time contact is made while there is at least one runner on base. Flip the card facedown after resolving it.
- Infield In: Must be announced before the stare-down. Place the card next to Fielder's Choice. It remains active until moved back in front of the pitcher.
- Pickoff: May be attempted any time the pitching player gains both pitch tokens. Resolve the attempt, then return to a new stare-down phase.
Batting Player Diamond Tactics
- Bunt: Must be announced before the pitch dice are rolled. Place this card near the field board. A bunt is not considered to be contact, so it cannot crush or activate other abilities that require contact.
- Hit and Run: Must be announced while the pitch dice are being rolled. Place this card near the field board. On any B pitch or strike result, the batting player may resolve Steal if it's active. If not, the pitching player may resolve Pickoff.
- Steal Second: Must be announced while the pitch dice are being rolled. If the attempt was successful, flip the card facedown after resolving it. (Note: If the outcome of the pitch is a wild pitch, ball, walk, or hit by pitch, the runner is automatically safe at second base.)
Bunt diamond tactics card text (as printed on the card): Normal resolution. If Swing is 2 or higher, Contact, otherwise it's a Foul. On Contact, Lead Runner is +2 Speed, Batter is -2 Speed.
Manager's Challenge (Solo Mode) Changes
Changes to Setup
During setup, add the 6 new Manager's Challenge cards to the deck. After selecting your scenario and event cards, remove 6 cards from the deck and set them aside; the remaining cards form the pitcher's deck.
Collect the 10 pitcher equipment cards. Replace Trainer's Table, Battered Cap, and Scuffed Ball with the solo version of each card (denoted by "Solo" in the price field, and card back).
Before each game, equip the opposing pitchers by randomly allocating equipment cards until the requirements are met. If a clubhouse equipment card is drawn, it replaces one of the gear or tools that have not yet been assigned.
- Game 1: Starting pitcher gets the Rosin Bag, with two extra peanuts.
- Game 2: Equip the starting and relief pitchers.
- Game 3: Starting pitcher gets a ball and glove, equip relief pitcher.
- Game 4: Hitting Report in play, relief pitcher gets 11" Glove, Battered Cap, Balata Ball.
- Game 5: Trainer's Table in play, fully equip starting and relief pitchers.
- Game 6: Neatsfoot Oil, fully equip starting and relief pitchers.
Changes to Gameplay
The pitcher will use equipment in the same manner as the abilities on their player card. A peanut token will not be used to improve the pitch if it is already any C, B3 or lower, or S4 or higher. Abilities requiring a peanut that don't modify the pitch will be used each time it is appropriate (e.g., Neatsfoot Oil). Pitchers will never remove more than one peanut at a time, unless a card instructs that "all" or "remaining" peanuts must be used.
When a relief pitcher is brought in, collect the 6 Manager's Challenge cards set aside during setup and shuffle them back into the deck. Set aside the 6 top cards of the shuffled deck before fatiguing the relief pitcher 3.
Using Trophy Tokens
The 8 trophy tokens can help you to keep track of your games played during the Manager's Challenge campaign. At the completion of a game, place a trophy token near the field board: face-up if you earned a trophy from the scenario, face-down to indicate a loss. If a scenario awards an extra trophy, stack the extra trophy on top of the other trophy (so that your total number of games played is still accurate).
Incorporating Diamond Tactics
You can incorporate the diamond tactics cards into the solo mode. If you do, your opponent will always use Fielder's Choice to select the slowest base runner, unless there is a runner attempting to go home, in which case the play is at home.
Double Play will be attempted as soon as there is an eligible runner on base.
Pickoff will be attempted the first time during each at-bat when the pitcher gains both pitch tokens, but only if the runner has no speed bonus.
With less than two outs and a runner on second or third, the pitcher will use Infield In, unless the batter has an ability that increases the chances of a crush.