The Champion of the Wild Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• What's in the Box?
• Setting Up the Game
• How to Play
  • Phase One - Event Selection
  • Card Anatomy
  • Phase Two - Animal Selection
  • Phase Three - The Competition
  • Phase Four - Scoring
• Key to Icons
  • Water Rules
  • Flying Rules
  • Scoring
• Credits

What's in the Box?

• 50 event cards spanning 5 categories (Speed, Power, Endurance, Technical & Team)
• 42 animal cards spanning across 5 animal categories (Land Mammals, Birds, Mini-beasts, Sea Creatures and Reptiles)
• 6 "Ready to Vote" cards, one in each player colour
• 90 voting tokens (fifteen in each player colour)
• 1 Animal Games rulebook

Setting Up the Game

See the back of the box for an example 4 player setup.

• Each player chooses a colour, taking the fifteen voting tokens of that colour and their coloured Ready to Vote card.
• Three players are randomly selected to be event selectors by a method of your choosing. We recommend a game of rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock.
• The five decks of event cards are shuffled and placed on the playing surface.
• The animal cards are shuffled and put to one side.

How to Play

Phase One - Event Selection

Each event selector in turn chooses a different event deck and takes the top three cards. They each choose their favourite of the three event options and replace the 2 discarded cards to the bottom of the appropriate deck.

Once all three event selectors have decided, they announce their events in turn, reading aloud all the text on the card and stating the conditions relating to flying and water animals. After each event card is read, the other players should ask additional questions to clarify the exact setting, rules and winning criteria for the event. The event selector can add further detail to the event in response to these questions as they wish.

After all events are announced, the three event cards are placed face up on the playing surface and play moves on to Phase Two.

Card Anatomy

Event card: shows the Event Category (banner across the top), the Scoring icon (top right, see Key to Icons), the Event Title, the Event Description, and the Water and Flying rules icons (bottom, see Key to Icons).

Animal card: shows the Weight (top right), the Animal Name (running down the side of the photo), the Animal Category (bottom left, see below), and the Animal's dimensions - height/length and width (right side).

Phase Two - Animal Selection

Seven animal cards are dealt to each player. Each player then chooses one animal from their hand and places it face down in front of them. Animals are revealed simultaneously when all players have decided. Play then moves on to Phase Three.

In order to choose animals appropriately, players should be aware of the following rules which will apply to the subsequent competition (these should be read aloud to all players who are playing for the first time before they select their animals):

1. Only the physical attributes of the animals in question are considered.
2. The animals will carry out the exact instructions of the human players.
3. Any equipment required will be provided in an appropriate size for the selected animal, in a form that ensures they can use it. This includes, for example, the provision of survival head gear for water animals when required to compete on land.
4. Animals cannot deliberately injure their competitors during the events - event selectors should clarify exactly what physical interaction is allowed, if any.

Phase Three - The Competition

The three events are completed by way of a thought experiment conducted by discussion amongst all the players.

Stage One - Event Discussion. All players place their "Ready to Vote" card down in front of them with the "Undecided" side face up. Each player then has an opportunity to explain their strategy for the event, starting with the event selector and going clockwise. After this, an open discussion then follows. During this time, players challenge each other, analysing the animals' strengths and weaknesses for the event in question. When a player feels they have made their mind up about how they will vote, they turn their 'Undecided' card over so that the "Ready to Vote" side is face up.

Once a clear majority of players have turned their cards this way up, play moves on to Stage Two.

Note: during this discussion time (and during this time only), players may use their phones, tablets or laptops to look up any relevant facts, pictures or videos on the Internet which may inform discussion or strengthen their case. These can then be read aloud or shown to the group.

Stage Two - Voting. Players must now decide how they would rank the other animals in the event discussed (their own animal excluded). They then pass each of the other players the appropriate ranking token corresponding to the current round, face down. Voting points range from 10 points for first place to 2 points for 5th place. If two animals cannot be separated in the mind of a player, they should be ranked according to the style with which they completed the event.

Once all players have distributed their tokens for the current event, each player puts them to one side without looking at them (still face down) and play goes back to Stage One (Event Discussion) for the next event.

Phase Four - Scoring

Once voting has taken place for all 3 events, the voting tokens are revealed for each event in turn, starting with Event One, taking a moment to note (for interest) the rankings in each event as determined by total voting points.

Players then add up their total voting points - whoever has the most points is the winner! If the highest scores are tied, randomly choose an unused event category and reveal the top card as a final event tiebreaker. One player not involved in the tie calls a friend on speakerphone, explaining the event and the animals competing. They must choose a winner and their answer is final.

Key to Icons

Water Rules

• Water drop icon: Water Provisions available (see card text)
• Water drop with slash icon: No Water Provisions available
• Water drop with question mark icon: Event selector to choose water provisions
• Water drop with wavy lines icon: Water Environment available
• Water drop with paw print icon: Water Run Up allowed
• Water drop with ruler icon: Water Lanes available

Flying Rules

• Bird icon: Flying Allowed
• Bird with slash icon: No Flying Allowed
• Bird with question mark icon: Event selector to choose flying provisions
• Bird with down arrows icon: Flying Allowed (must start with feet on the ground)
• Bird with "self" arrow icon: Allowed up to animal's own height
• Bird with "max" arrow icon: Allowed up to height of tallest animal

Scoring

• Stopwatch icon: Timed
• Speedometer icon: Speed
• Tally marks icon: Total number
• Judges icon: Judges' scores
• Measuring tape icon: Distance

Credits

Game Designed by Tom Clare, Artwork by Kevin Chapman, Graphic Design by www.danmisson.com (Paw print with incorporated event icons designed by Dave Heaton).