Danmaku!!
Danmaku!! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Overview
In Danmaku!!, players take on characters from the Touhou Project series of games. Every player has a role card, each with its own goal. In the beginning, only the Heroine is revealed. Based on who attacks whom, players must figure out who is on their team and work together to achieve a common goal, or risk being taken down one at a time.
Game Contents
- 16 Role cards
- 1 Heroine and 1 Rival card (yellow face)
- 4 Partner cards (green face)
- 6 Stage Boss cards (dark red face)
- 4 Extra Boss cards (violet face)
- 80 Main Deck cards (light blue face)
- 16 Incident cards (red face)
- 24 double-sized Character cards (pink face)
- 6 Quick reference cards (gray face)
- 2 Bonus Character cards
Game Setup
Before playing, separate cards into piles based on the card type. Different card types have differently colored faces. Shuffle the Incident cards (red) and set them aside. Shuffle the Main Deck cards (light blue) and set them aside. Then shuffle the Character cards (pink) and set them aside.
In addition to these cards, each player needs a way to keep track of their current life. This can be anything – dice, slips of paper, coins, etc.
Determine Roles
Separate the Role cards by their color or season. Remove some of these cards, based on how many players are playing in the current game. The number in the top-right of the card indicates whether the role card should be included in the current game. For instance, One True Partner has a 7, so it should only be included if 7 or more players are playing. Set these unused cards aside.
Pull out the True Phantom Boss and EX Boss Revealed cards and set them aside where they can be found. Do not mix them in with the remaining role cards.
For the remaining cards, shuffle each of these piles individually. Then, without looking at them, take a number of cards from these piles according to the number of players in the game:
- 4 players: 1 Heroine, 2 Stage Bosses, 1 Extra Boss
- 5 players: 1 Heroine, 1 Partner, 2 Stage Bosses, 1 Extra Boss
- 6 players: 1 Heroine, 1 Partner, 3 Stage Bosses, 1 Extra Boss
- 7 players: 1 Heroine, 2 Partners, 3 Stage Bosses, 1 Extra Boss
- 8 players: 1 Heroine, 2 Partners, 3 Stage Bosses, 1 Extra Boss, 1 Rival
After pulling out the necessary role cards, shuffle and randomly distribute one to each player. Look at your own role card, but do not reveal it to anyone else. Then, without looking at them, set the remaining role cards aside. They are not used.
Your First Game
For your first game, we recommend playing with 7 or fewer players, using only the basic Stage Boss and Partner cards, and using EX Boss as the Extra Boss.
Set Up Decks
Shuffle the Main Deck cards together and place them in a pile where everyone can reach. Set aside an area next to the Main Deck for the discard pile.
Shuffle the Incident cards together and place them in a pile next to the Main Deck cards.
Assign Characters
Shuffle the Character cards together. Then, deal each player two Character cards, face down. Of the two available Character cards, each player chooses one to keep and one to discard. Players may look at their own Role card before choosing which character to use, but do not reveal either the Role card or Character card.
Once each player has chosen a Character card, all players simultaneously reveal their chosen Character card. Set aside all of the unselected and remaining Character cards. These are no longer used.
Starting Life and Hand
After each player has a Character card, the player with the Heroine role reveals their role. This is the only role card to be revealed at the start of the game.
Each player then sets their life to their max life. All players start with a max life of 4, except the Heroine, who starts at 5.
Then, starting with the Heroine, each player draws cards from the Main Deck equal to their max hand size. All players have a starting hand size and max hand size of 4 cards, except the Heroine, who gets a max hand size of 5. The Heroine then takes the first turn.
Players playing as Patchouli Knowledge have a starting and max hand size of 7. If Patchouli is the Heroine, she has a starting and max hand size of 8.
Designated Dealer
Some groups may find it easier for a single player to act as the dealer, distributing cards for players when they need to draw and collecting cards that go to the discard pile. This player flips cards as necessary, draws new Incident cards, collects any cards for that Incident, and announces to players when the Incident is resolved. This is purely a matter of convenience and has no effect on gameplay. If a player is defeated early, that player may find it convenient to take the role of the dealer.
Turn Order
- Start of Turn
- Incident Step
- Draw Step
- Main Step
- Discard Step
Start of Turn
At the start of a player's turn, any effects for that player that last "until your next turn" end. Limits on how many Danmaku cards and Spell Cards a player can play reset at the start of their turn.
Incident Step
At the beginning of the incident step, if there is no Incident card in play, put the top card of the Incident deck into play.
Whether or not a new Incident card was played this turn, the current player then performs any actions listed that take place during the Incident step.
If the current Incident card is resolved during the incident step, do not play a new Incident card until the next player's incident step. See Incident Cards for more information.
Draw Step
The current player draws for the turn. By default, players draw two cards per turn.
Main Step
Most interaction happens on the main step. Players can play Action cards or put Item cards into play only on their main step. Card types can be identified by symbols on the sides of the card's rule text box. See Card Symbols for more information.
There is no limit to the number of cards a player can play on their turn, with two exceptions:
By default, players can only play one Danmaku card per round. Danmaku cards include Shoot and Seal Away. Some cards increase the number of Danmaku cards a player can play each round, such as Power and Stopwatch.
Players can only ever activate one Spell Card per round. This includes activating your own Spell Card, with cards like Bomb or Spiritual Attack, or another player's Spell Card with Capture Spell Card. There are no effects that increase the number of Spell Cards a player can activate in one round.
The limits on Danmaku cards and Spell Cards are independent. Players can activate a Spell Card in the same round they played a Danmaku card and vice versa. Players can also use a Bomb's effect to cancel a Danmaku card or Spell Card, even on a round they activated their Spell Card. These limits last until the start of the player's next turn.
Discard Step
During each player's discard step, all players discard down to their max hand size. This is the only time players must discard due to max hand size. If a player draws above their max hand size, they do not need to discard down to their max hand size until the next discard step.
After the discard step, play moves to the next active player on the left (going clockwise). That player takes the next turn.
Winning the Game
Life
All players start with 4 life, except for the Heroine, who starts with 5. There are three main ways players lose life. Players lose life when they are successfully attacked by another player.
Additionally, some effects cause a player to lose life directly. Finally, some cards and abilities allow a player to pay life to activate an effect. You can pay life even if it is your last life, but you cannot pay life if you are at 0 life. A player's life cannot go below 0.
When a player loses life for any reason, they draw one card for each life lost.
Gameplay
Attacking
Cards such as Shoot, and some abilities allow a player to attack another player. When attacked, the defending player may play cards such as Graze to avoid the attack. If the defending player avoids the attack, they lose no life; otherwise, they lose 1 life.
Players cannot attack themselves for any reason. Cards that cause a player to lose life directly do not count as attacks and the damage cannot be avoided; therefore, the damage cannot be prevented by playing a Graze card.
Distance and Range
Several cards, like Shoot, only affect a player that's in range. Another player is considered in range if your Range is equal to or greater than the Distance from you to that player.
Each player starts with a Range of 1. Certain effects can add to Range. For instance, a player with a Power card has +1 Range, giving them a total Range of 2. These effects stack, so a player with two Power cards has a Range of 3. Some effects can reduce Range, but Range can never go below 1.
Distance is measured from one player to another target player. Distance depends on the order players are sitting. The distance to another player is the number of seats away that player is sitting in either direction, plus any Distance modifiers the target player has. The players sitting immediately to your left or right start at a distance of 1. Only active players are counted, so as players are defeated, the distance between the remaining players gets smaller.
Distance modifiers can come from cards like Focus. Only count the Distance modifiers of the player you are counting to, and not modifiers on yourself or any other players. Some effects can reduce the distance to a player, but this can never go below 1.
The diagram on the opposite page shows an example of calculating distance from Reimu to other players at the table. The number next to each player is the Range required for Reimu to attack that player.
Defeat
A player is defeated after their current life is reduced to 0. Defeated players are not considered active players and are not counted when counting the distance from one player to another. Defeated players do not take turns.
When a player's life reaches 0, they are not defeated immediately. Players have the opportunity to play certain Reaction cards, such as 1Up. If there are any ongoing Action cards, players may continue to respond to that Action or any other cards played, even if their current life is 0. Once all players have indicated they have no responses to the ongoing Action card, all players at 0 life are defeated at the same time.
Some Reaction cards such as 1Up can save a player from defeat and return their life to above 0. A player who loses life and is saved in this way still draws a card for losing life. Defeated players cannot gain life, so if a player is not saved immediately, a 1Up will no longer be able to save them.
Once a player is defeated, that player discards all cards in hand and Item cards in play. They then reveal their Role card. If another active player's goal is satisfied, that player must immediately reveal their role card and declare that they have won the game. Otherwise, the game continues with the current player's turn, or the next active player's turn if the current player was defeated. See Declaring Victory for more information.
Declaring Victory
Each player has a Role card. The particular victory conditions for each player are written as the goal on that player's Role card. This involves defeating some or all other players with particular roles. A player does not need to deal the last damage to a defeated player for it to count toward their goal. All that matters is that the specified player or players are defeated.
Once an active player's goal has been satisfied, they must reveal their Role card and declare victory. The game is now over, and any players who have also completed their goal have won the game. Defeated players cannot declare victory, even if their goal is completed, but they can still win the game if their goal is completed by a teammate.
It is possible for more than one player to win the game at the same time. This is most common when those players have the same role, but not all roles have conflicting goals. For instance, Partners and the Heroine have the same goal. If one wins, the others do as well. Likewise, it is possible for nobody to win the game. If all players are defeated at the same time, then the game ends in a draw.
Main Deck Cards
The Main Deck is the main play deck used in Danmaku!!. The Main Deck contains the cards that make up a player's hand and that are played to perform actions in the game.
Main Deck cards have the following elements:
- Point Value
- Card Name
- Season
- Illustration
- Rule Text
- Card Types
- Expansion Symbol
Split Cards
Split cards look like normal Main Deck cards, except the rule text is split into two panes. When a player plays a split card, they choose which half to use. Each half of a split card has its own timing and card types. When a split card is played, ignore the other half of the card completely.
Shuffling the Main Deck
When a player needs to draw cards and there are not enough cards left in the Main Deck, draw as many cards as possible, then make a new Main Deck by thoroughly shuffling the discard pile and placing it in a face-down pile. Continue drawing remaining cards from the new Main Deck.
There is no limit to the number of times the Main Deck can be shuffled in a single game. Do not shuffle the discard pile into the Main Deck until the Main Deck is completely empty.
Card Types
Every card has at least one symbol icon, which indicates what type the card has. Some effects depend on certain types of cards being played. Card types also determine when a card can be played, and any limits on playing that card.
Action cards
Action cards make up the bulk of the Main Deck. They can only be played on your main step, when no other card is being resolved.
Reaction cards
Reaction cards and Reaction Spell Cards can be played during any player's turn, but only when certain conditions are met. The conditions for a reaction are listed at the top of the rule text in the format, "Play this card when ______," or "Activate this ability when ______." Any number of players may react any number of times to a single event. Some reactions may create additional effects that can then be reacted to.
Players add their reactions in clockwise fashion. Resolve reaction effects in a last-in-first-out order.
Item cards
Item cards provide a constant effect while in play. When you play an Item card, place it on the table face-up. It remains in play until an effect causes it to be discarded.
Item cards enter play under the control of the player who plays them. Some cards and abilities, such as Borrow, allow a player to take control of another player's Item card. Whoever controls an Item card gains the effects of that card. If a player discards an Item card from play, they lose the effects of that card immediately. You can only put Item cards into play on your main step, when no other card is waiting to be resolved.
Invocation cards
Invocation cards allow a player to activate a character's Spell Card. Some characters' Spell Cards are Actions, while others are Reactions. You may only activate those Spell Cards when the conditions listed in the rule text are met.
A player can only activate one Spell Card per round. After activating a Spell Card, that player cannot activate another one until the start of their next turn. This is true even if the Spell Card was canceled. However, that player may still use the other half of a Bomb card to cancel a Danmaku or Spell Card.
Danmaku cards
Danmaku cards, such as Shoot, allow a player to attack another player. By default, players have a limit of one Danmaku card per round.
A player cannot play a Danmaku card if the number of Danmaku cards played this round is equal to or greater than their current limit. Each Danmaku card played counts against the limit, even if that card was avoided or canceled.
Some cards, such as Power, increase the number of Danmaku cards a player can play each round. Once in play, the increase takes effect immediately. If the card is lost, the limit is reduced immediately.
Some Danmaku cards, such as Melee, ignore the Danmaku card limit. These can be played even if the player is at their Danmaku card limit, and are not counted when determining the number of Danmaku cards that have been played this round.
Dodge cards
Dodge cards, such as Graze, allow a player to avoid an attack. All Dodge cards are also Reaction cards.
Healing cards
Healing cards, such as 1Up, allow a player to regain life or save a player from defeat. Healing cards cannot be used on a player that has already been defeated.
Powerup cards
Powerup cards, such as Power, are a kind of Item card. When a player is hit by an attack, they must choose one Powerup card they currently control and discard that card. If the player avoids the attack, they do not need to discard a Powerup card. Additionally, players do not discard Powerup cards when a card causes them to lose life directly or when they pay life to activate an effect. There is no limit to the number of Powerup cards a player can have in play.
Defense cards
Defense cards, such as Focus, are a kind of Item card. Players may only have one Defense card in play at a time. If a player ever has two Defense cards in play, they must immediately choose and discard one.
Artifact cards
Artifact cards, such as Mini-Hakkero, are among the most powerful Item cards. Players may only have one Artifact card in play at a time. If a player ever has two Artifact cards in play, they must immediately choose and discard one.
Character Cards
At the beginning of the game, each player chooses a Character to play as. Every character has a unique playstyle with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Character cards have the following elements:
- Season
- Character Name
- Spell Card name
- Ability
- Spell Card effect
- Spell Card type
- Expansion
- Idiot (the label as printed on the source's Character card diagram; its referent is not explained in the source)
Abilities
Abilities are passive benefits granted for playing a given character. Abilities are always in effect and allow that player to do things that others can't or otherwise break the rules. Remember to use your character's ability for the best chance at victory!
Spell Cards
Spell Cards are unique, one-time effects that a given character has access to. In order to use their Spell Card, a player must activate it by playing an Invocation card such as Spiritual Attack or Bomb, or using the effect of Mini-Hakkero.
Some Spell Cards are Actions, while others are Reactions. If a Spell Card is an Action, it can only be activated during your main step, when no other card is being resolved. Reaction Spell Cards state when they can be used at the top of the Spell Card effect box.
When a Spell Card is activated, all of the effects listed are performed in order. This usually includes a unique effect, such as drawing cards, followed by an attack. Attacks like this are part of the Spell Card's effects and do not require playing additional cards to use.
Role Cards
There are four basic roles: Heroine, Partner, Stage Boss, and Extra Boss.
In addition to the four basic roles, there are seven advanced roles, which might replace one or more basic role cards at the beginning of the game. Each advanced role has a slightly different goal, though they still count as one of the four basic types: Heroine, Partner, Stage Boss, or Extra Boss, as identified by the color of the card's frame and text above the name of the role. When playing with advanced roles, you can never be quite sure who's really on your team.
The Heroine
The Heroine is the only Role card revealed at the start of the game. The game starts on the Heroine's turn. The Heroine wins if all of the Stage Bosses and Extra Bosses have been defeated.
The Rival
In addition to the Heroine, in an 8-player game, one player is dealt the Rival card. The Rival really wants to become the Heroine, and the only way to do that is to defeat the current Heroine and take her place!
When playing with the Rival, the game does not end when the Heroine is defeated. Instead, if the Heroine is defeated, the Rival reveals their role card, takes the Heroine role card, and gains 1 life. That player then becomes the Heroine, and the game continues as normal. Any players that must defeat the Heroine as part of their goal must defeat the new Heroine before they can win the game.
Stage Bosses
Stage Bosses want to defeat the Heroine.
In addition to the basic Stage Boss, there are three advanced Stage Boss roles, each with their own particular goals:
- The Challenger wants to defeat the Extra Boss before defeating the Heroine.
- The Final Boss wants to defeat a Partner before defeating the Heroine.
- The Anti-Heroine wants to defeat at least one fellow Stage Boss before defeating the Heroine.
Partners
Partners have the same goal as the Heroine: to defeat all Stage Bosses and the Extra Boss. There are two advanced roles that may appear:
- The One True Partner can't stand the other Partner and must defeat them before the Stage Bosses and Extra Bosses are defeated.
- The EX Midboss isn't really the Heroine's partner at all! She wants to defeat the Stage Bosses, then defeat the Heroine, helping the Extra Boss win!
Extra Bosses
Extra Bosses have the difficult task of defeating all the Stage Bosses before defeating the Heroine. Fortunately, Extra Bosses have the unique ability to reveal themselves during the game in order to gain a special advantage. Be careful, though, as a revealed Extra Boss is an easy target.
There are two varieties of Extra Boss:
- The EX Boss draws extra cards while revealed.
- The Phantom Boss has the ability to manipulate the Incident deck while revealed.
Each Extra Boss role has two cards: The EX Boss has the EX Boss Revealed card, and the Phantom Boss has the True Phantom Boss card. Be sure to only include the EX Boss card and Phantom Boss card when assigning roles. The other cards are used after the Extra Boss uses their reveal power.
The Extra Boss can reveal themselves at any time, as long as at least one other player has been defeated. This is a special action that players cannot respond to. An Extra Boss may even use this ability on another player's turn or when they are about to be defeated. An Extra Boss may not use this ability if they are the first player to be defeated.
Table Talk
Outright announcing your role is considered bad manners and is against the spirit of the game. Keeping your role secret while still suggesting to others which team you're on is part of the fun of the game.
Incident Cards
Incident cards are drawn throughout the game and provide a constant change to the game's rules as long as they are in play. During a player's Incident step, if there is no Incident card currently in play, put the top card of the Incident deck into play.
Incidents take effect immediately and last until they are resolved. Each incident is resolved after a particular condition is met. This is specified by the "Resolution: " text on the card. Once resolved, the Incident is placed in the Incident discard pile. Do not put a new Incident into play yet – this happens during the next player's Incident step.
Collecting
Many incidents resolve after collecting a certain number of particular cards. The kind of card that an incident collects is specified on the incident card – for instance, "Collect 6 Spring cards." Any time a card the incident collects is placed in the discard pile for any reason, instead put it in the collection pile next to the Incident Deck. That card is now "collected." If the incident has already collected enough of a given type of card, it will not collect more of that type of card.
When the specified number of cards of the correct type have been collected, the incident is resolved. Shuffle the cards it collected together and place them in their appropriate discard pile.
Seasons
Many incidents collect cards of a particular season. The season for a card can be identified by the symbol in the top-left circle. There are four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Game Terminology
Flipping
Some cards tell the player to flip the top card of the deck. This means to reveal the top card of the Main Deck to all players, then put it in the discard pile. These cards usually have an effect based on the season of the revealed card.
Discarding
Some cards or abilities may force a player to discard cards. This may include cards from their hand or Item cards in play. Unless otherwise specified, the player that is forced to discard gets to choose which cards to discard. If this must be done at random, shuffle the cards together and have another player randomly choose which cards to discard. Place discarded cards into the discard pile.
Players must discard down to their max hand size at the end of each player's turn. When a player discards due to max hand size, they may choose which cards to keep and which to discard.
Canceling
Some cards, such as Bomb, allow a player to cancel another card being played or Spell Card being activated. When a card is canceled, it does not perform any of that card's effects. For instance, a Seal Away that is canceled does not force a player to discard an Item card, and does not perform an attack.
If players played other Reaction cards, such as Graze, in response to a card that is later canceled, they may take those cards back into their hand.
Canceled cards still count against the limit on the number of Danmaku cards and Spell Cards a player may play per round.
Skipping Turns
Cirno's Spell Card, "Perfect Freeze," and Hong Meiling's ability cause players to skip a turn. If a player skips their turn, they skip all phases of their turn except for the "Start of Turn" phase. This means that effects that last until the start of their next turn still end. However, that player will not play or check Incident cards on their Incident step, will not draw cards on their Draw step, and do not discard on their Discard step.
Players cannot skip two turns in a row. If a player would skip a second consecutive turn, they instead take that turn as normal. The effect to skip the turn is not postponed and is ignored completely.
Playing on Others' Behalf
Graze and Yagokoro Eirin's Ability allow a player to play certain cards on others' behalf. This means you may play the card as if the other player had played it. For instance, if another player is attacked, you may play a card that can only be played when you are attacked. That player would then gain the effects of the card. An Item card played on another player's behalf is controlled by that player.
FAQ / Rulings
Main Deck Cards
Bomb
If a player plays a Bomb card, choosing the second effect to cancel a Danmaku card or Spell Card, you cannot play another Bomb card to cancel the first Bomb. However, you can use a Bomb to cancel a Spell Card that cancels as part of its effects, such as Kamishirasawa Keine's "Phantasmal Emperor." In this case, the initial card is not canceled and takes effect as normal.
Capture Spell Card
You may activate any player's Spell Card as if it were your own. If their Spell Card is an Action, it must be during your main step; if it is a Reaction, you must meet the conditions listed. You can use Capture Spell Card to activate the Spell Card of defeated players.
Shoot
Additional Danmaku cards discarded to Shoot only increase your range for that attack. Cards discarded this way do not count against your Danmaku card limit. You do not get them back if someone cancels or avoids the Shoot.
Supernatural Border
You may only activate a Supernatural Border once per attack. You may still play Graze or Bomb to avoid or cancel the attack after activating Supernatural Border.
Character Cards
Cirno
Cirno's Ability counts the distance from Cirno to the player. If a player's distance from Cirno increases, such as from a Focus card, Cirno will be able to attack them.
You can use "Perfect Freeze" against a target even if they skipped their last turn. They will not skip two turns in a row, but you may still attack them.
Hong Meiling
If Meiling skipped her last turn for any reason, she may not choose to skip her turn. If another effect forces Meiling to skip her turn, she may choose to activate her Ability. When Meiling skips her turn, she skips all steps, including her draw step and discard step.
Ibuki Suika
While "Gathering and Dissipating" is active, do not count any effects that add or subtract distance, such as Focus. If another effect sets players' distance (such as a player copying Suika's Spell Card), it overwrites the effect that was activated earlier.
Kamishirasawa Keine
Keine may put any card from her hand on top of the deck, not just one that she drew.
"Phantasmal Emperor" may cancel any Action card. She can cancel a Spell Card as long as the Spell Card being used has the Action symbol.
Kawashiro Nitori
A player's Items have no effect while affected by "Kappa's Flash Flood." If another player gains one of these Items, it immediately regains its effects. If a player affected by "Kappa's Flash Flood" gains control of a new Item card, it will have no effect until Nitori's next turn.
Kazami Yuuka
Yuuka's Ability only triggers from cards that directly attack another player or cause life loss.
Kochiya Sanae
Players may not refuse to take a card given by Sanae.
A player affected by "Miracle Fruit" must reveal their hand to everyone.
Komeiji Satori
Satori may choose to look at another player's hand at any time during her turn, including while other cards are waiting to be resolved. This is a special action that cannot be responded to.
"Terrifying Hypnotism" can be activated at any time the chosen Spell Card could be activated.
Mononobe no Futo
"Oomonoimi's Dinner" may be used on a player with no cards in hand.
Patchouli Knowledge
Patchouli starts the game with 8 cards in hand if she is the Heroine.
Reisen Udongein Inaba
The attack generated by Reisen's ability must be in range, even if the original attack could target regardless of range.
If Reisen's attack is avoided by Yukari, both will generate an extra attack. Reisen's attack will be resolved first, followed by Yukari's attack.
If a card copied by "Lunatic Red Eyes" requires targets to be in range, the new targets must be in range of Reisen.
Reiuji Utsuho
Utsuho may activate "Nuclear Excursion" even if she is at 1 life. Utsuho will still lose life even if she defeats her target. This loss of life may cause Utsuho to be defeated. If Utsuho and the last player alive are defeated at the same time, the game ends in a draw.
Remilia Scarlet
If Remilia would avoid an attack, but the attack is canceled, Remilia does not get to draw a card.
Shameimaru Aya
Discarding Danmaku cards for Aya's ability does not count against her Danmaku card limit.
Yakumo Yukari
Yukari must pick a target in range of herself when she uses her ability, whether or not the original attack required the target be in range.