Deal: American Dream Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Details
  • Board
  • Sea Routes
  • Capitals
  • Troops
  • Dope Pieces
  • Narcodollars
  • Cards
• Setup
  • I. Playing Order
  • II. Clan Attribution
  • III. Card Distribution
• Game Turns
  • 1. Resource Phase
  • 2. Recruitment Phase
  • 3. Action Phase
  • 4. Deal Phase
• Combat
• Assassination!
• Fighting Capitals
• Special Weapons
• Victory!
  • Hoodlum Mode
  • Territories
  • Target
• Profile
• Events
  • General Events
  • Clan Events
  • Permanent Events
  • Instantaneous Events

Game Details

Board

The game board is divided into North America, Central America and a part of South America.

There are three different types of territories:

• Consumer territories, in the north, generate narcodollars and allow you to liquidate dope pieces.
• Producer territories, in the south, generate soldiers and dope pieces.
• Light grey territories do not generate any resources but may offer strategic advantages.

Sea Routes

The dotted arrows on the board are sea routes that allow troops and dope pieces to move across the ocean.

At all times, 2 territories connected by a sea route are considered adjacent.

Capitals

Producer and consumer territories bordered in bold white are capitals. Medellin and La Paz are the two producer capitals, New York and Las Vegas are the two consumer capitals.

These territories generate more resources than normal territories, but they belong to and are defended by the local mob when not controlled by a clan. For this reason, unlike other uncontrolled territories, a player who wants to takeover a capital needs to fight first a troop with a value of 10.

Capitals are standardly labeled to their respective kind of territory. A producer capital is considered a producer territory, a consumer capital is considered a consumer territory.

Troops

Each player disposes of troops represented by the clan's color. Each troop is represented by a specific game piece.

Troops are used to occupy territories, protect the dope and, finally, fight enemy forces.

Each troop has a troop value that determines its resistance during combat. There are three types of troops:

• Soldiers are the most basic troop of a clan. They represent the gangsters at the bottom of the hierarchy. They are not necessarily dangerous individually, but they usually move in squads! A player can have up to 50 soldiers at the same time on the board. Each soldier has troop value of 1.
• Lieutenants are faster and more dangerous than simple soldiers. They are the reliable heralds and advisers of the boss. A player can have up to 3 lieutenants at the same time on the board. Each lieutenant has a troop value of 3.
• Bosses represent the players on the board. Each clan has only one boss. If the boss dies, the player controlling this clan is eliminated. Bosses are mighty and resilient, but they wouldn't risk their life by engaging in combat...unless it's to fight another Boss. A Boss has a troop value of 6.

A player is said to control a territory when his/her troops alone are standing on this one. Only during combat, troops of two different clans can stand on a same territory; however, at the end of the combat only the last standing troops will remain on that territory.

Dope Pieces

Dope pieces offer players the opportunity to make lot of narcodollars and to dominate their competitors. However, before selling the merchandise, the dope has to be transported from the producer to the consumer, without getting robbed on the way, of course...

Dope pieces are produced on producer territories and sold on consumer territories. They move from one territory to another the same way troops do. They can be bought and sold between players during the Deal phase.

There is no limit to the amount of dope pieces that can be stocked on one territory. However there cannot be more than 50 dope pieces at the same time on the board. When this limit is reached, no more dope can be produced.

A dope piece is controlled by the player whose troops occupy the territory where the dope is. If a player takes over a territory, he/she also takes over the dope pieces placed there, i.e. he/she snatches them!

Narcodollars

Dirtier and more dishonestly earned than real dollars, narcodollars are DEAL's currency.

They are used to recruit new troops and enable players to close deals. Narcodollars will finance your campaign for domination.

Narcodollars are counted in million. In the rules, $M refers to a million narcodollars. For example, $0.5M means 500,000 narcodollars, $1M means a million narcodollars and $4M means 4 millions.

The games' bills consist of $0.5M, $1M and $5M. Each player can save money. The rest of the bills are kept in the bank where players return the cash spent or get the narcodollars they earned. At any point during the game, a player can get change from the bank.

Cards

DEAL uses five different kinds of cards:

• Clan cards indicate the clan controlled by each player. A player can find the special ability of its boss and the effect of its special weapon on his/her clan card. Additionally, each clan card displays a summary of the rules.
• Target cards and profile cards set each player's objectives. These should be kept secret for as long as possible, thus enabling players to hide their intentions until the very last moment when they're ready to win the game!
• Weapon cards represent a diverse arsenal, from banana peels to tanks, used during combats. The number written on the top right of a weapon card is its damage value. The number of body outlines at the bottom left represents the troop value required to use a card.
• Event cards are drawn regularly throughout the game. Some of them have bonuses or scams that players can use to take advantage of a situation. Others are unpredictable events, such as climatic disturbances, political shifts or even authorities busting shipments, which disrupt players' plans and add thrill to the game!

Setup

Place on the starting territory of each clan, 1 boss, 1 lieutenant and 2 soldiers. The starting territory of a clan is designated on the board by the clan's logo.

Additionally, a soldier of each clan is placed on the zero of the respect point counter, which is found on the left side of the board.

Weapon cards are shuffled and placed undisclosed on the bottom of the board, where the outline of a drawing deck of weapon cards is located. Weapon cards that are used during the game are placed on the outline of the discard pile just next to the latter.

Event cards are shuffled and placed undisclosed on the bottom of the board, where the outline of drawing deck of event cards is located. Event cards that are used during the game are placed on the outline of the discard pile next to the latter.

When a drawing deck is empty, the corresponding discard pile is shuffled to make a new drawing deck.

Bills can be placed a part to constitute the bank.

I. Playing Order

To determine the playing order, each player draws a weapon card and unveils it. Whoever draws the weapon with the highest damage value is designated as the first player. In case of a tie, the players involved draw new cards until a first player is eventually designated.

The playing order starts with the first player and follows a clockwise order.

II. Clan Attribution

Following the playing order, each player picks and reveals a clan card. This card indicates the clan this player will control during the game and gives him useful information about it.

If there are less than 6 players in the game, the troops of the clans not playing have to be removed from the board.

For example, if there are only 5 players around the table and nobody chose the Maras del Diablo, the boss, the lieutenant and the two soldiers of this clan on San Salvador have to be removed.

III. Card Distribution

Following the same playing order, each player randomly picks a profile card, a target card and draws 5 weapon cards from the deck. Those cards are kept secret until the player is required to reveal them.

If there are less than 6 players in the game, target cards corresponding to the clans not playing have to be removed beforehand.

For example, if no one plays the Maras del Diablo, the target card designated to this clan has to be removed before the players draw their cards.

If a player gets his/her own clan as a target, he is entitled to assassinate any of the other bosses.

Game Turns

Once the setup is over, the game may begin.

Starting with the first player and following the playing order, the players each play their turn successively.

A turn is divided into 4 successive phases with the following order: resources phase, recruitment phase, action phase and finally deal phase.

The game continues until one player accumulates 10 respect points and then wins the game! To earn respect, a player has to conquer territories marked with a number, complete the objectives on his/her profile card and/or remove the boss designated on his/her target card.

1. Resource Phase

During his or her resource phase:

• A player receives $1M per consumer territory under his/her control, i.e. a territory where he has at least one troop. A controlled consumer capital yields $3M instead of $1M.
• On each producer territory under his/her control, a player can place 1 dope piece OR 1 soldier. On a controlled producer capital, the player can place a combo of 3 dope pieces and/or soldiers (e.i. 3 dope pieces, or 3 soldiers, or 2 dope pieces and one soldier, or 2 soldiers and one dope piece).
• A player can liquidate into cash the present dope pieces on his/her controlled consumer territories. The first dope piece sold on a same territory yields $4M, the second $2M and the following rest sell for only $1M each. A player may chose not to sell a dope piece and save it for another turn, when he might get a bigger profit. In a consumer capital, a player earns $4M per dope piece sold regardless of how many pieces are there.

For example, the Krantifics possess 3 dope pieces on Los Angeles, 2 on Las Vegas and 1 on San Francisco. If they choose to sell all their dope, they earn $7M for the pieces on Los Angeles (4 for the first, 2 for the second and 1 for the third), $8M for the pieces on Las Vegas, (4 each) and $4M for the only one on San Francisco. The clan thus earns a total of $19M!

A dope piece sold is removed from the board. Narcodollars earned by a player are directly taken from the bank.

One may be tempted to place soldiers on all controlled producer territories to quickly get a lot of troops. However, a dope piece that will be sold for $Ms, can be more profitable and allow you to buy more soldiers.

2. Recruitment Phase

During the recruitment phase, a player can recruit soldiers, for $1M each, and lieutenants, for $6M each.

As long as a player has narcodollars, he/she can recruit as many troops as he/she wants during the same phase. Nevertheless, a player can't hold more than 50 soldiers and 3 lieutenants at the same time on the board. As a consequence, players are not allowed to recruit soldiers once they have 50, nor lieutenants once they have 3. This limit applies to troops recruited anytime during the game, either bought during the recruiting phase, placed during the resource phase or obtained thanks to event cards.

It's sometimes wiser to keep some narcodollars in your reserve rather than to spend them the moment you earn them. This allows you to recruit when and where it will be necessary, for a counter attack for example. Furthermore, narcodollars can allow you to buy dope pieces from other players. You can thus maximize your resources and buy more troops afterwards.

Recruiting soldiers is the best way to quickly increase troop value. In comparison to soldiers, lieutenants are expensive. However, they are faster, allowing you to play dirty tricks on your opponents.

Narcodollars spent by a player to recruit troops are put back in the bank.

A player has to place the recruited troops on either producer or consumer territories under his/her control, or on the territory where his/her boss is, even if it's a gray territory. This applies to troops recruited at any point during the game; either in the recruiting phase or obtained thanks to event cards.

3. Action Phase

During the action phase, a player can move all of his/her troops, as well as the dope pieces he/she controls. A player can move together groups of troops and dope pieces, or move troops one after another, as he/she wishes.

Movements are performed from a territory to another territory adjacent to the first. Two territories linked by a sea route are considered to be adjacent.

For example, a soldier or a dope piece can be moved from Cayenne to Philadelphia in one action phase.

Soldiers and the boss can only move 1 territory at a time. Each lieutenant can be moved across 2 territories. These two movements have to be performed at the same time during the phase. If the first movement starts a combat, the lieutenant has to stop and the second movement is lost.

For example, a lieutenant on San Salvador can move in one phase to Miami, via La Habana. However, if enemy troops are on La Habana, the lieutenant has to stop there to fight.

Each dope piece controlled can only move 1 territory at a time, but only to a territory that is also controlled by the clan. However, a dope piece can be moved with a soldier, and thereby to an uncontrolled territory that will eventually be controlled when the dope and troop arrive to this one.

For example, the Segadores control one soldier and one dope piece on Corpus Christi. Dallas is unoccupied. The Segadores can't just move the dope piece to Dallas because they don't control this territory. However, they can move simultaneously the solider and the dope to Dallas.

When a player moves one troop or more to a territory controlled by another player, or to a capital, it's considered an attack. Therefore the players involved will proceed to combat, putting all their troops present on the territory in dispute. The action phase is stopped and will resume at the end of the combat.

Since all troop movements can be made simultaneously, a player can attack one territory with troops coming from several adjacent territories. Or he can move his/her troops one by one, initiating a new combat every time, as long as there are still enemy troops on the territory.

For example, the Yanagi can move their 5 soldiers that are on Vancouver, their only soldier that is on Salt Lake City and their lieutenant that is on Denver to attack the Krantifics, which have troops on Seattle. However, nothing prevents the Yanagi to attack with only 4 soldiers from Vancouver and, in case of defeat, with the rest of their troops.

A boss can only attack a territory if another boss occupies this territory. Nevertheless, a boss under attack can of course defend itself.

4. Deal Phase

During his/her deal phase a player can:

• Sell his/her dope pieces. Each piece he/she controls can be sold to another player controlling an territory adjacent to the one where the piece is. If the players agree on a price, the dope piece sold is moved to the buyer's territory while the narcodollars are exchanged between hands.
• Buy dope pieces from other players. A player can buy a dope piece controlled by another player placed on an adjacent territory to the territory he/she controls. If players agree on a price, the dope piece sold is moved to the buyer's territory while the narcodollars are exchanged between hands.
• Change his/her combat hand. A player may discard all of his/her combat hand and draw 5 new weapons cards from the deck. A player can't just discard some of his/her cards, it's all or none.
• Exchange weapons cards with other players. Since a combat hand can't exceed 5 cards, weapon cards are traded 1 for 1. Furthermore a player can agree to deal a weapon card against cash. If the players agree on a deal, the weapon cards and the narcodollars are exchanged between hands. At the end of the exchange each player must have 5 weapon cards in his/her hand.

Deals are concluded only if the two players involved agree on a deal. When selling dope, if the piece cannot be moved to the buyer, the deal cannot be made. Dope pieces can be moved in addition to the movement permitted during the action phase; including sea routes.

For example, during their deal phase, the Krantifics control El Paso while the Segadores have troops and a dope piece on Acapulco. The Krantifics offer to buy the dope from the Segadores for $1M. The Segadores ask for $3M instead. Finally, the Krantifics offer $2M and the Segadores agree. The dope piece is then moved from Acapulco to El Paso while $2M are exchanged between the Krantifics and the Segadores.

A monetary deal reached between players needs to be a multiple of $0.5M. This does not prevent players from selling dope pieces on credit or of even giving dope to another player for free. However, in case of a credit sale, the rules do NOT constrain the buyer to pay the seller. A credit sale transaction is based only on trust and on the value of that promise!

Selling dope pieces on credit may be seen as a dangerous bargain. However, if the players manage to trust each other for a few turns, they can quickly make a lot of narcodollars. But, as always in the milieu of all business, friendships must to come to an end.

Combat

A combat is divided into a succession of rounds.

During each round, the two players involved have to choose and display simultaneously a weapon card from their combat hand.

To determine who wins the round, players compare the damage value of their cards. The troops of the player who played the weakest card suffer the number of hits equivalent to the difference between the two damage values.

For example, the Armada Socialista del Pueblo plays a helicopter (damage 8) and the N'Veleno a grenade (damage 5). N'Veleno's troops thus suffer 3 hits (8-5=3).

If a player plays a card whose troop value required is superior to the total value of his/her troops engaged in combat, the damage value of the card played is reduced to 0.

For example, if the N'Veleno have only 2 soldiers engaged in combat (total troop value of 2) and play a kalachnikov (troop value required of 3), the damage value of this card is reduced to 0. However, if they have one soldier and one lieutenant engaged (total troop value of 4), they can play the card normally.

Each hit reduces the troop value of one troop by 1. When its troop value is reduced to 0, a troop is removed from the board. So a soldier is removed after 1 hit, a lieutenant after 3 hits and a boss after 6 hits. To keep track of the hits inflicted to a troop, a player may place and move the pawn on the troop value counter pictured on the board.

Because hits reduce the value of your troops, if you have just enough troops to use the most powerful weapons in your hand, it would be wise to first play the weapon cards that require the highest troop value.

Hits are inflicted first and in priority to the soldiers engaged. When there is no soldier left, hits are inflicted to lieutenants and finally to the boss. Hits are inflicted to the same troop until it's removed. Then the remaining hits are inflicted to the next troop and so on.

For example, the Maras del Diablo has 2 soldiers and 2 lieutenants engaged in a combat; and the clan suffers 6 hits. Hits are first inflicted to the soldiers: the first 2 hits removed the 2 soldiers. Then the next 3 hits are inflicted to one lieutenant until it's removed. Finally, the remaining hit is inflicted to the last lieutenant, whose troop value is reduced to 2.

The current total value of his/her troops is used by a player to determine if he/she has enough troops engaged to fully use a weapon card.

For example, the troop value of a lieutenant that has suffered a hit (current troop value of 2) is not enough to use a kalachnikov (troop value required of 3).

In case both players have played their full hand of 5 cards, they each draw a new hand of 5 cards (the first set goes to the assailant). After looking at his/her cards, the assailant can decide to withdraw his/her troops or to continue to fight. In the former case, the assailant moves all his/her remaining troops to an adjacent territory not controlled by another player (not a capital). In the second case, the combat resumes with a new round of fighting.

The combat ends when the troops of only one player remain on the territory; because either the assailant withdrew or because the enemy troops have all been removed. The remaining player is the winner.

When the combat is over, each player (first the assailant) can either discard all his/her cards and draw a new combat hand of 5 cards, or draw enough cards to complete his/her combat hand of 5 cards.

Finally, troops that have not been removed during the combat get their full troop value back.

Assassination!

When a boss is removed from the board, the player controlling the decapitated clan is eliminated. All of the clans' troops still present on the board are immediately removed. The player that removed the boss gets all the narcodollars accumulated by the eliminated player.

Fighting Capitals

When not controlled by one of the six clans fighting for supremacy, capitals are ruled by the local mob. For this reason, if a player moves troops on a capital not yet controlled by another player, it has to fight a troop with a value of 10. This troop is not represented by a pawn but it's nonetheless existent and dangerous! To keep track of the hits inflicted to a capital, a player may place and move any pawn on the troop value counter pictured on the board.

Since the assailant is not challenging another player and since the capital doesn't have its own combat hand, a weapon card is drawn during each round on behalf of the capital, after the assailant has played his/her card. The round is completed following the standard fighting procedure of a 5 card weapon combat.

When the value of the troop that defended the capital is reduced to 0, the assailant takes over the capital. Otherwise, this troop gets its full troop value back to 10 at the end of the combat.

When a player abandons a capital, local mob quickly takes over. So if a player wants to take it back, it will have to fight again a troop with a value of 10.

If you want to attack an unoccupied capital, you ought to have enough troops and good weapon cards! Indeed, powerful cards can be drawn on behalf of the capital. Additionally, the 5 first rounds are not always enough to win the combat and then you will have to draw 5 new cards. This makes the overtaking of a capital a hazardous enterprise!

Special Weapons

Among the weapon cards, there are 6 that are considered special clan weapons. The special weapon of a clan is recognized by the logo and the color pictured on the front of the card.

When a player plays the special card of his/her clan, he applies the corresponding rule indicated on his/her clan card. For all the other players, the card is used without the special bonus.

For example, if any player plays a katana, this weapon card has a damage value of 2. Played by the Yanagi player, damage value is increased to 7.

Victory!

Dope, troops and narcodollars are not sufficient to win the game. What is really important is the respect you earn!

During the game, players accumulate respect points. There are three ways to score points: control marked territories on the board, eliminate your target and fulfill your profile objectives.

As soon as a player accumulates 10 respect points, he wins the game.

Hoodlum Mode

If the players want a longer and more competitive game, they can opt for the Hoodlum mode. In Hoodlum mode, a player needs 15 respect points to win the game. Games played in this mode tend to be longer and tend to see more assassinations!

Territories

When a player takes control of a territory where a number is marked, he/she earns that amount of respect points. When he/she loses control of this territory, he/she loses those points. In case of a lieutenant, the earned points are taken into account only if it lands on that territory at the end of its movement.

For example, the Armada Socialista del Pueblo moves troops to Miami. This clan earns 1 respect point. Some turns later, the ASP's player is forced to abandon Miami and thus loses 1 respect point.

Target

If a player manages to remove the boss of the clan indicated on his/her target card, he/she earns 5 respect points. He/she needs to then unveil his/her target card.

If a player has his/her own clan as a target, he/she can remove any other boss to earn 3 respect points. He/she has to unveil his/her target card right after killing his/her target. Moreover, he/she earns 3 extra respect points for each additional boss he/she manages to remove.

Profile

The profile card of a player determines the personality of his/her boss and his/her methods of earning respect. Some will crave recognition, others the conquest of a vast empire, and the more vicious will prefer to accumulate foul plays!

Each profile card presents various objectives to be completed and a number of respect points for each. When a player completes one of the objectives written on his/her profile card, he/she earns the corresponding amount of respect points.

To earn the respect points corresponding to an objective, a player has to unveil his/her profile card. There is no obligation to do so and a player can wait to have completed many of the objectives on his/her card before unveiling it. However, it's only once when the card is unveiled that completed objectives are checked. Therefore the player can't claim respect points for missions previously completed if he/she didn't unveil his/her card at the time.

Once the profile card unveiled, a player can continue completing the objectives of its card.

For example, the Yanagi has the Big Boy profile card. They currently control 8 gray territories. They choose to unveil their profile card to earn the 2 respect points corresponding to this objective. During the last turn, they also won a combat with only one soldier; but it's now too late to claim the points for this objective. However, they can still complete this objective later in the game.

A player only earns respect points the first time it completes a single objective. Completing many times the same mission doesn't bring any additional points.

The respect points earned thanks to the profile card cannot be lost. A player keeps these points, even if the scoring conditions are no longer present in the game.

You can either unveil your profile card the first time you complete a lower objective, or you can wait until you claim more rewarding objectives. Indeed, this allows you to surprise the other players and win the game unexpectedly. However beware that another player doesn't steal away the victory in the meantime!

Events

Every time a player scores a respect point, an event card is drawn. Only one card is drawn per scoring action, regardless of the amount of points scored that one time. Nevertheless, two cards are successively drawn if respect points are won for two different reasons on the same action.

For example, if the Segadores take Las Vegas, they earn 3 respect points, but only one event card is drawn.

However, if the clan has the Godfather profile card, they have also completed one of their objectives, which is to control one capital. They thus earn an extra respect point. This fourth point came from another source and therefore a second event card is drawn.

The category of an event, general event or clan event, determines when its effects apply. The type of event, permanent or instantaneous, determines how its effects apply.

General Events

A general event is recognized thanks to a mini map of the Americas pictured on the back of the card.

When a general event card is drawn, it's unveiled to all players and its effects are immediately applied.

Clan Events

A clan event is recognized thanks to the logo of the clan pictured on the back of the card.

When a clan event card is drawn, it's kept undisclosed face down and given to the player whose clan is concerned. The receiving player can then keep this card secretly and play it later. If a card with the logo of a clan not present on the board is drawn, it is immediately discarded and the following card is drawn.

On the front of each clan event card, you can find the logo of the game phase when this card can be played. A player can play a clan event anytime during one of these phases, including during the turn of another player. If the logo is that of the combat phase, the card can be played at the beginning of any round.

You can keep a clan event card indefinitely. So it's often wise to wait for the most opportune moment to play it rather than to use it on the first occasion. Clan events are not all as equally powerful but, if used correctly, some of them can make you win the game!

Permanent Events

A permanent event is recognized thanks to the hourglasses pictured around the card title.

If a permanent event card is drawn or played, the card is placed on the hourglass pictured on the board. Its effects last until another permanent event card is drawn or played. The previous card is then discarded and the new one replaces it on the board. There can be only one effective permanent event at the time on the board.

Some clan events are also permanent events. Those events allow you to replace a permanent event on the board, which at the time may bother you for some reason.

Instantaneous Events

Any event that is not a permanent event is an instantaneous event. When an instantaneous event card is drawn or played, its effects apply immediately and then the card is discarded.