Dueling Nobles
Dueling Nobles Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
1 deck of playing cards (Jokers are unused), 2 or more six-sided dice, 12 Defeat markers (red), 24 Gold markers (gold).
Concepts
To play a card face-up in front of yourself is to bring that card "to arms." You win the game if, at the beginning of your turn, your opponent has no Nobles in arms. Nobles receive Defeat markers when they lose battles and retire from the field if they lose repeatedly. Gold gotten via Politics and Battles deposits directly into your personal battle chest to be spent as you wish.
Preparation
- Divide the cards into two face-down draw decks: Nobles (face cards) and Support (everything else). Shuffle each deck.
- Deal six cards from both decks to each player (12 cards). Players should keep Support card values hidden.
- Each player reviews the cards in hand, then brings three Nobles to arms and discards the other three.
- Reconstitute the draw decks during play as necessary by shuffling the discards.
Turn Structure
Play the game in alternating turns, completing all four phases each turn. Actions are optional and available once per turn.
1. Political Phase
- Taxes – Receive 1 Gold.
- Betrayal – Receive 3 Gold, discard 3 Support cards all having the same suit.
- Noblesse Oblige – Receive 1 Gold, receive 1 Defeat for one of your Kings who is currently in arms.
2. Reinforcement Phase
- Pay 1 Gold to draw 1 Support card (up to 3 Gold/Support, pay all Gold before drawing).
- Pay 5 Gold to draw 1 Noble card and bring the Noble to arms (not available if all 12 Nobles are in arms).
3. Command Phase
- Agents – Use the ability of your Minister, Counselor, General, or Spy. Note: Several Agents can be used in a turn, but each Agent may be used only once per game. Discard one Support card with the appropriate suit to use the indicated ability.
- Minister (Heart) – Remove 1 Defeat from any one of your Nobles in arms.
- Counselor (Diamond) – Draw 3 Support cards (available only if you have fewer Nobles in arms than your opponent).
- General (Club) – Take any Support card from the discard pile.
- Spy (Spade) – Look at your opponent's Support cards in hand.
- Knights – Assign and reassign your Knights. Support cards valued 2 and 3 can be used as Knights and assigned to Nobles as a permanent force boost (one Knight per Noble). During this action, you can reassign Knights already in arms, bring an additional Knight to arms, or both. A Knight remains in arms until his current Noble retires from the field.
4. Battle Phase
Declare and resolve a battle.
- Advance (Attacker Only) – Announce attacking and defending Nobles.
- Feint (Defender Only) – Pay 2 Gold to reassign defense to a different Noble, if desired.
- Battle – Determine force totals (see below) and compare: greater force wins (evenly matched forces both lose).
- Assess – Take 1 Gold from supply as spoils in a victory. Take 1 Defeat to your Noble in a loss.
- Disband – Discard all Support cards. Discard Nobles (and their Knights) whose defeats exceed their commitment.
Noble Characteristics
Noble Characteristics [Noble, Force, Commitment, Ability]
- King Force 13 2 Defeats Command – receives an extra die and uses the sum of both
- Queen Force 12 1 Defeat Intrigue – receives +3 bonus for each other Noble in arms
- Prince Force 11 1 Defeat Valor – receives up to 2 Support cards
Force Calculation
Force is the total of the following, added together:
- Noble Force (11, 12, 13) + 2a. Knight Bonus (0, 2, 3) + 2b. Intrigue Bonus (Queen only) (0, 3, 6, 9,...) + 3a. Die Roll (1-6) + 3b. Command Bonus (King Only) (1-6) + 4a. Support (A-10) + 4b. Valor Bonus (Prince Only) (A-10) +
- Fealty Bonus (+2 per Knight and Support card matching the Noble suit)
Notes on Step 4: Both parts are optional. The attacker plays both parts, then the defender likewise. An Ace defeats the enemy in a rout regardless of any other consideration. Two Aces are not more effective than a single Ace. As with other ties, if both forces rout, both forces lose. (losses). For example, when a King has to grant special favors to support his military project on your behalf, his tolerance for loss goes down (see Noblesse Oblige in the Political Phase). This also avoids the thematic problem of multiple Kings and Queens.
Transcriber note: the sheet's text breaks off at "both forces lose." and resumes with the fragment "(losses)." above; the fragment is kept as printed.
Revised Terminology
- General
- Prince: jack
- Gold: resources
- "In arms": in the courtyard
- Knight: +2 or +3 permanent strength booster
- Turn Order
- Political Phase: "Generate Resources" (including the King's non-combat ability)
- Reinforcement Phase: "Spend Resources"
- Command Phase: "Beginning of Turn Actions" (except the King's non-combat ability)
- Combat Phase: "Announce a Duel" and "Resolve a Duel"
- Actions
- Taxes: earn one resource per turn during "Generate Resources"
- Betrayal: earn three resource for discarding three cards of the same suit during "Generate Resources"
- Noblesse Oblige: earn one resource by taking a wound to a King during "Beginning of Turn Actions"
- Agents: use a special suit ability during "Beginning of Turn Actions"
- Knights: play or switch permanent strength boosters during "Beginning of Turn Actions"
Special Suit Abilities
- Minister: Heart suit ability; remove 1 wound
- Counselor: Diamond suit ability; draw three number cards
- General: Club suit ability; reclaim a number card from the discard pile
- Spy: Spade suit ability; look at the opponent's hand
Noble Abilities
- Command: King's Combat ability; use the sum of 2 dice
- Intrigue: Queen's Combat ability; add a +3 bonus for each other noble in the courtyard
- Valor: Prince's Combat ability; add up to 2 number cards
Combat Related
- Force: strength
- Support: number cards A-10
- Feint: the option of the defender to pay 2 resources to reassign the noble participating in combat
- Rout: critical hit effect of an ace (number) card
- Fealty: the +2 strength bonus awarded when number cards are the same suit as their assigned noble
Change Notes
Theme
The scope of the theme (via revised terminology) has been expanded to give the player the idea that Nobles are not physically fighting, but lending support, armies, monies, etc.. In this scope, Nobles do not die, they retire due to war fatigue.
Preparation
Support and Noble cards are dealt together so that Support cards can inform the initial selection of Nobles.
Turn Order
Except for the King's non-combat ability, the "Beginning of Turn Actions" section is now later in the turn as the Command Phase. This change puts the Gold transaction phases closer together (phase 1 is income, phase 2 is expense). Also, the special card dispositions (phase 3) are made after new cards are acquired – the wisdom of this is debatable.
Details
These rules state that all actions are optional and available once per turn. The only action that should be mandatory is Taxes, but it's common sense to take the action anyway.