¡Cobardes!

¡Cobardes! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

7 Warriors (x2)
9 Villains
10 Courtiers
4 Victory tokens
1 Crown token

Setup

Separate and shuffle the Villain cards on one side, and the Courtier cards on the other.

Each player prepares their army for the first battle:

In hand: their seven Warriors (0 to 6) and one Villain taken at random from the Villain deck.
On the table in front of them, face up: one Courtier taken at random from the Court deck.

Layout: the Crown token and the Court deck (Courtiers) are at the side; the rival's hand and the enemy Courtier are on the rival's side; the Battlefield is in the middle; the Victory tokens and the Villain deck (Villains) are at the side; your Courtier is on the table in front of you, and your hand is in front of you.

Game Summary

The war is made up of battles, and battles are played out in a series of combats. In each combat two warriors face each other. If one of them exceeds the other by 2 or more points of strength, it wins the combat and gives its prince the Victory in the battle.

The Crown

The first to do either of the following wins the war and the Crown token:

gain 3 Victory tokens
or defeat the enemy prince in a combat. You can take the Crown token even in the first battle!

The Battle

A battle is a succession of combats in which warriors, villains and courtiers face each other. The result depends on their interaction.

As a general rule, if your warrior faces an enemy warrior and exceeds it by 2 points of strength or more, you win the battle and a Victory token.

If the warrior defeated is the enemy prince, you win the war and the Crown token.

If nobody wins the combat, a new one begins. Each combat is independent of the previous one (they do not add up). If after seven combats there is no winner, the battle ends in a draw.

Combats: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th.

Only 1 point of difference is not enough to win. The battle continues.
Victory! Your Warrior 5 exceeds its enemy 3 by more than 1 point.
When Victory is reached, the battle ends and no more combats are fought.

When a battle ends, prepare the next one:

Return your seven warrior cards to your hand. Discard the villain and courtier cards that are on the battlefield, placing them under the corresponding deck, and renew them with others of the same type.

If you did not play your villain or courtier you may decide not to replace them and keep them for the next battle.

Each player must have a villain in hand and a courtier on the table for the next battle.

The Combat

Each combat follows these steps:

Before the combat, optionally, you may advance your Vanguard courtier to the battlefield and carry out its special action. If both of you wish to play it, the quicker one does so first.

Example: Before the combat, Claudia plays the Standard-Bearer (Alférez): she threatens with 1 extra point of strength for her warrior in this combat.

Confrontation. Look your rival in the eye and try to guess their intention. Both players prepare a card from their hand. When you are ready, both reveal it at the same time on the battlefield. (You may count "One, two and three" before revealing the cards.) The encounter is resolved according to the two cards played.

Example: Claudia and Héctor choose their cards and play them at the same time.

Exchange. When two villains face each other, both desert and change sides without carrying out their special action. Traitors! Each player takes into their hand the villain played by their rival. A new confrontation must begin.

Example: Claudia shows the Beggar (Mendigo) while Héctor reveals the Thug (Matón). As both are villains, the players exchange them.
Villainy. When a villain faces a warrior, it carries out its special action, and the courtiers cannot prevent it.

Example: Claudia prepares her warrior 4, Héctor chooses his villain, the Beggar, and they show them at the same time. The Beggar uncovers the enemy warrior facing him. That lets Héctor decide calmly. He plays his warrior 3.
Combat. Only when two warriors face each other do they measure their strengths in a true combat.

Example: Héctor checks that Claudia's strength is 4 from her warrior + 1 from the Standard-Bearer = 5 points, enough to defeat his warrior 3.

After the combat, optionally, the player who sees their warrior exceeded by 2 or more points of strength may play their Rearguard courtier. To do so, they advance it to the battlefield and carry out its special action. This could avoid the defeat.

Example: To avoid defeat, Héctor plays the Wolf (Lobo), who protects his warrior 3 in trouble. Nobody wins this combat. The battle continues with a new combat.

As a result of the combat, the player whose warrior exceeds the enemy's by 2 or more points of strength (counting all modifiers) wins the battle and a Victory token.

If the one defeated is the enemy prince, they win the war and, directly, the Crown token.

Some Characters can also give the Victory, even the Crown. In any other case, the battle continues with a new combat.

Warriors

When two warriors face each other, both fight with their strength. Against the cunning villains, however, they suffer their villainies.

Remember that the princes are also warriors, of strength 0.

Villains

They are cunning, they attack by treachery. When a villain faces a warrior, it commits a villainy. When two villains meet, however, they are simply exchanged.

Assassin (Asesina)

If the Assassin faces the enemy prince, she fulfils her mission. You win the war and the Crown token. If, however, she faces another enemy warrior, then you may play the warrior you want from your hand.

King's Ghost (Fantasma del Rey)

The enemy warrior flees to your rival's hand, frightened by the spectre of the King. Your rival must replace it with a new warrior from their hand. Afterwards, you may play the warrior you want from your hand.

Friar (Fraile)

Let there be peace! Stop the battle. Nobody takes the Victory. Both players collect and renew their armies to begin a new battle.

Thug (Matón)

Pay your debts! If the Thug faces the enemy Warrior 4, you win the battle and a Victory token. If, however, he faces another enemy warrior, then you may play the warrior you want from your hand.

Beggar (Mendigo)

Spy on your rival by pretending to be blind and discover their intentions. Once you have seen their card, if it is a warrior, then you may play the warrior you prefer from your hand.

Sheep (Oveja)

If the Sheep faces the enemy villain, remember, villains are exchanged. If, however, she faces an enemy warrior, she becomes a warrior and fights with strength 1.

Seductress (Seductora)

If she faces the enemy villain, she takes it to your hand. The Seductress stays on the battlefield. Next, both players prepare new cards to repeat the confrontation. If, however, she faces an enemy warrior, then you may play the warrior you prefer from your hand.

Troubadour (Trovador)

If you manage to get your prince out of a combat unharmed and, in a later one, you play the Troubadour, he will exaggerate his bravery and you will win a Victory token. If you play the Troubadour before your prince, then you may afterwards play the warrior you want from your hand, but it will no longer give you the Victory.

Executioner (Verdugo)

If the Executioner faces the enemy villain, you win the battle and a Victory token. Note, the Executioner does not hesitate: his ability takes precedence over that of any other villain. If, however, he faces an enemy warrior, then you may play the warrior you prefer from your hand.

Courtiers

They are refined. They scheme before or after a combat.

Vanguard Courtiers

Play them before a combat to harass the enemy.

Fortune-Teller (Adivina)

Advance the Fortune-Teller to the battlefield to consult her crystal ball: your rival must play a card from their hand before you. Afterwards, you may play the card you prefer from your hand.

Procuress (Alcahueta)

Advance the Procuress to the battlefield to watch over the villains. Your rival must show you their villain. Once revealed, if you wish, you may swap it for yours. Finally, the villains return to being hidden in each player's hand.

Standard-Bearer (Alférez)

Advance the Standard-Bearer to the battlefield to raise the morale of the warrior who is going to fight this combat. That warrior adds 1 more point to its strength.

Maiden (Doncella)

Advance the Maiden to the battlefield to enamour the enemy. Your rival must play the strongest warrior in their hand. Afterwards, you may play the card you want from your hand.

Inquisitor (Inquisidor)

Advance the Inquisitor to the battlefield when you think you can surprise the enemy Warrior 2. Take a card at random from your rival's hand and reveal it. If it is the Warrior 2, you win the battle and a Victory token. If it is not, return it to your rival's hand.

Rearguard Courtiers

If your warrior is in trouble, you can send them to the battlefield after the combat to avoid defeat.

Archer (Arquero)

If one of your warriors is going to lose the combat, send the Archer to the battlefield. His arrows force your rival to change their warrior for another warrior from their hand.

Sentinel (Centinela)

If one of your warriors is going to lose the combat, send the Sentinel to the battlefield. He will warn your warrior so that you can change it for another warrior from your hand.

Squire (Escudero)

If one of your warriors is going to lose the combat, send the Squire to the battlefield. Your warrior adds 1 more point to its strength.

Royal Guard (Guardia Real)

If your prince is going to lose the combat, send the Royal Guard to the battlefield. Your prince adds 2 more points to its strength.

Wolf (Lobo)

If your Warrior 3 (the girl) is going to lose the combat, send the Wolf to the battlefield to defend its mistress. This combat ends with no winner. The battle continues.

Note: When a character's action seems to go against the general rules, the character's action prevails.

Example of a Battle

Claudia has 1 Victory against Héctor's 2, and he is only one step from the Crown. Claudia cannot take risks. (Héctor's hand: Warrior 1 plus his courtier; Claudia's hand: Warriors 1 and 2 plus her courtier, as shown in the illustration.)

Combat 1: Claudia plays the 5, Héctor dares with his 3. He would lose, but thanks to the Squire (3 + 1 = 4) he defends against the 5.

Combat 2: Both play the 6. They do not surprise each other. The battle continues.

Combat 3: Claudia prepares the 4 and Héctor the 5. Well done by her! The 4 can defend against the 5.

Combat 4: Claudia plays the 3, Héctor launches the Executioner. Too bad, he does not catch the enemy villain, but it lets him play the 2. Very cunning! With his 4 in hand, there will be no enemy warrior to stop it.

Combat 5: Claudia plays the Princess, Héctor the 4. Victory? Not so fast. The Archer makes the 4 flee, and Héctor changes it for his Prince. We go on.

Combat 6: Claudia triumphantly shows her Troubadour. Victory, 2-2. Héctor's 4 cannot avoid the defeat.

The battle ends without needing to play combat 7. The players now renew their armies for the decisive battle.

Tips and Tricks

To learn, play your first game with warriors only. Note that both the 6 and the 5 are invincible. In the first combat, you can risk the 4, but not a lower one. Starting with the prince would be a sure defeat.
Know your subjects. Villains and courtiers can do you great service. Consult their abilities. Some will not be able to help you in the seventh (and last) combat.
Among the villains, have you seen that the Executioner and the Seductress do not challenge the warrior but the enemy villain? Choose well the combat in which you will launch your Vanguard courtiers. The Rearguard courtiers, on the other hand, offer you a protection that will let you take risks to gain an advantage. Discover the best combinations among them all.
No two battles are the same. Adapt your strategy to the characters. Some will encourage you to be conservative, others to attack.
Mix up your hand. Do not let your rival guess your intentions. Try to be unpredictable.
If you insist on exchanging villains, withdraw them under the Villain deck.
Do you think you already have the battle won? Do not settle for the Victory in the battle. Keep stalking the enemy prince until you defeat him and take the Crown.