Duelo: Kung-fu Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Objective
• How to Play
  • The Card
• Turn
• Elimination of Players
• End of the Game
• The Cards
  • Disciple (6 cards) | Focus 1
  • Drunken Fists (3 cards) | Focus 2
  • Crane Style (3 cards) | Focus 3
  • Snake Style (3 cards) | Focus 4
  • Monkey Style (3 cards) | Focus 5
  • Tiger Style (3 cards) | Focus 6
  • Dragon Style (2 cards) | Focus 7
  • Master of Kung Fu (1 card) | Focus 8
• Optional Rule for 4 Players
• Variant for 5 to 8 Players

Components

• 24 cards:
  • 6 "Disciple" cards
  • 3 "Drunken Fists" cards
  • 3 "Crane Style" cards
  • 3 "Snake Style" cards
  • 3 "Monkey Style" cards
  • 3 "Tiger Style" cards
  • 2 "Dragon Style" cards
  • 1 "Master of Kung Fu" card
• 12 Victory Markers

Setup

The first game is started by whoever most recently took part in a martial arts tournament. Each following game is started by the winner of the previous game.

Alternatively, your group may decide who starts at random. Whoever draws the card with the highest Focus starts.

Shuffle the 24 cards and remove the first card without looking at it. That card is out of the round; it is set aside at the bottom of the deck and is not used in play.

Then each player draws two cards. These form the player's hand and must not be revealed to the other players.

If the players wish, they may decide in advance how many rounds a player must win to become the new Master of Kung Fu. Use the Victory Markers each time a player wins a round.

Objective

The game is won by the player who eliminates the other players by taking all the cards out of their hands.

When a player needs to draw a card from the deck and there are none left, the game is won by the player who has accumulated the most points during the game.

How to Play

Duelo: Kung Fu is played in a series of turns. On each turn, the active player chooses between fighting a duel or gathering information for the battles to come.

The Card

Each card has five characteristics:

• Focus: the card's strength value.
• Quantity in the deck: how many copies of the card the deck contains.
• Name.
• Discard Effect: the effect that happens when the card is played face up.
• Combat Effect: the effect that happens when the card is played face down and is part of a duel.

The game has eight different cards. For the details of how each one works, see the specific card section below.

Turn

The active player draws the top card of the deck and places it in their hand. Then they choose one of the cards in their hand and play it. The active player may choose whether to play it face up or face down.

Playing a card face up activates the Discard Effect of the chosen card. The active player carries out the effect, places the card face up on the discard pile next to the deck, and ends the turn. The turn passes to the player on their left.

Playing a card face down requires the active player to choose one of their opponents. They are now dueling that player, who must also place one card from their hand face down.

Once both cards have been chosen, they are revealed and the duel takes place. Carry out the Combat Effects of both cards, then determine the winner of the duel. The winner is, in most cases, the player with the card of higher Focus.

Once the duel is decided, the winner places the loser's card in front of them, face up. It is a prize, a symbol of their victory over one of their opponents.

The winner then places the card they played on the discard pile, draws a card from the deck and adds it to their hand, which ends the turn. Then the turn passes to the player on the left.

A tie happens when both players involved in the duel place the opponent's card in front of them as a prize and each draws a card.

A tie can happen in two ways: if both cards have the same Focus after the Combat Effects have resolved, or if both cards have the same name. In the second case the tie happens even if one of the cards' Focus changes after the Combat Effects.

If any action or effect happens at the same time for both players involved in the duel, the active player always carries out the action or effect first.

Some Combat Effects happen after the duel, or change how certain cards work. To understand all the triggers, consult the specific section for each card.

Elimination of Players

A player can only be eliminated from the game in two ways:

• If they have no cards in hand at the end of a turn.
• If they lose a duel while using the Master of Kung Fu, or if they discard it for any reason.

End of the Game

The game is won by the last player who still has cards in hand.

The game also ends when a player needs to draw a card from the deck and cannot, because there are no cards left to draw. If this happens, the players still in the game reveal the cards in their hands.

The player holding the card of highest Focus places it face down with their prizes.

Then each player's points are counted. Each card among the prizes is worth one point. The player with the most points wins the game.

In case of a tie, count the total Focus of all the cards in the players' prizes (face-down cards are worth zero Focus).

If the players are still tied, the tied players win the round.

The Cards

Matchups are listed as printed in the manual: "Beats" lists the cards this card wins against, "Loses to" lists the cards that win against it, and "Can beat" lists the cards it can beat through its own effects. An asterisk (*) marks a matchup with a condition, explained in the card's notes.

Disciple (6 cards) | Focus 1

The Disciple has always been fascinated by martial arts. During rest periods in the long training at the temple, they often watch their superiors, trying to copy their movements. Little do they know that this habit can surprise even the most prepared opponent.

• Beats: 2
• Loses to: 3 and 8
• Can beat: 4, 5, 6 and 7

Discard Effect: Look at the top card of the deck. You may reveal it to copy its Discard Effect.

Combat Effect: Look at the top card of the deck. You may reveal it to copy its Focus.

Notes:

• The Disciple only reveals the top card. That card stays on top of the deck.
• You are not obliged to reveal the top card of the deck. If you do not reveal it, the Disciple's Focus is 1 and its Discard Effect does not happen.
• The Disciple's Combat Effect does not copy the card's ability, only its Focus.
• If the Discard Effect reveals a Disciple, the Discard Effect of the revealed Disciple continues to reveal that same Disciple, which has no effect.
• If two Disciples face each other, the result is always a tie, because the two Disciples have the same name. This tie happens even if one player chooses to copy the Focus of the top card and the other does not.
• If a Disciple is played and there are no cards left in the deck to reveal (because the deck has run out), look at the card that was set aside out of the round instead of the top card of the deck. This is the only way the card set aside out of the round can affect the game.

Drunken Fists (3 cards) | Focus 2

Jukai loves to drink. "A body does not act properly with a dry throat," he says. Some fighters from other styles do not like to fight Jukai. According to him, this is because his style is chaotic and unpredictable. But in truth it is because they do not know whether Jukai is really fighting... or only drinking.

• Beats: 4, 6, 7 and 8
• Loses to: 1, 3 and 5*
• * The Monkey Style only beats Drunken Fists if it activates its Combat Effect.

Discard Effect: Draw two cards, then place two cards from your hand on top of the deck.

Combat Effect: In this duel, the LOWEST Focus wins.

Notes:

• None of the cards you drew with the Discard Effect of Drunken Fists need necessarily be returned to the top of the deck. You may place any card from your hand on top of the deck. You also decide the order in which the two cards are placed back.
• The Combat Effect of Drunken Fists changes how the duel works in that turn. Instead of rewarding the higher Focus, as in a normal duel, the lower Focus wins.
• This effect is not optional. So the Disciple will always beat Drunken Fists (unless the player prefers to reveal a card of higher Focus from the top of the deck). This also applies if the duel is between Drunken Fists and Monkey Style. In that case, the player with the Monkey Style must use its Combat Effect to win the duel.

Crane Style (3 cards) | Focus 3

Quan Jing is very observant and severe. He accepts no one who is not 100% committed to their training, and he puts in the line any Disciple who does not know their place in the temple. Quan Jing understands that his strength is not in his fists, but in his ability to perceive when to attack and when to defend.

• Beats: 1 and 2
• Loses to: 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

Discard Effect: Until your next turn, you cannot be targeted by Combat or affected by Discard Effects.

Combat Effect: Ignore the Combat Effect of your opponent.

Notes:

• The Discard Effect of Crane Style prevents the player from being part of any kind of Combat or Discard Effect from their opponents. To make it easy for opponents to see, it is recommended that the player who uses this effect leave the card in front of them until their next turn (do the same with a Disciple if it copies the Discard Effect of Crane Style).
• If only one other player is still in the game, the opponent may not fight or use Discard Effects that target the player who used Crane Style. However, they must still play a card. If the effect has an opponent as its target, the effect simply does not happen.
• The Combat Effect of Crane Style overrides all other cards. Combat Effects of this card's opponents do not happen.

Snake Style (3 cards) | Focus 4

It may not seem so, but Yuan Chi likes to try his luck. Sometimes he slips away from the temple to play at the betting houses. He even gambles when choosing his opponent, because he believes the odds are always in his favour.

• Beats: 1*, 3, 5 and 7
• Loses to: 1*, 2, 6 and 8
• * The Disciple only beats Snake Style if the top card of the deck is a 6 or an 8.

Discard Effect: An opponent separates one card from their hand. Choose ODD or EVEN, then look at the card. If you guess correctly, discard it.

Combat Effect: Defeat cards of ODD Focus.

Notes:

• The player who was the target of the Discard Effect of Snake Style chooses the card they want to separate. Only then does the active player guess whether it is odd or even.
• Whether or not they guessed correctly, the card is seen by the active player (it is not revealed to the other players).

Monkey Style (3 cards) | Focus 5

Jack is the most playful of the temple. He likes to move things around and play tricks on his companions. His fighting style consists of disrupting what his opponents are doing, because the more distracted they are, the stronger Jack becomes.

• Beats: 1*, 2 and 3
• Loses to: 1*, 4, 6, 7 and 8
• * The Disciple only beats Monkey Style if the top card of the deck is a 6, a 7 or an 8.

Discard Effect: Two players exchange hands with each other.

Combat Effect: You may place all the cards in your hand on the bottom of the deck and draw the same number of cards. If you do, this card has Focus 1.

Notes:

• The Discard Effect of Monkey Style swaps the hands of two players. The effect may target the player who used it.
• The Combat Effect of Monkey Style is optional. When you use the Combat Effect of Monkey Style, show your opponents how many cards are still in your hand, without revealing them. Note that you decide the order of the cards that go to the bottom of the deck.

Tiger Style (3 cards) | Focus 6

Wu Shu is always alert to his surroundings. He prefers to discover his opponents' weaknesses before his battles. Very strong, Wu Shu uses his fists like claws, waiting for the right moment to attack.

• Beats: 1*, 3, 4 and 5
• Loses to: 1*, 2, 7 and 8
• * The Disciple only beats Tiger Style if the top card of the deck is a 7 or an 8.

Discard Effect: Choose an opponent. At the start of your next turn, look at their hand.

Combat Effect: If you win the duel, look at the hand of the opponent you dueled.

Notes:

• The Discard Effect of Tiger Style allows only the active player to see the opponent's hand. Other players may not see it. To make it easy for opponents to see, it is recommended that the player who uses this effect leave the card in front of them pointing at the chosen opponent until their next turn (do the same with a Disciple if it copies the Discard Effect of Tiger Style).
• If the player is the target of the Discard Effect of Tiger Style, they may still stop it from happening by using the Discard Effect of Crane Style.
• The Combat Effect of Tiger Style happens only if the player wins the duel. This means that if they are defeated, this effect does not happen. In case of a tie, the effect still happens.

Dragon Style (2 cards) | Focus 7

Ning Long is very dedicated. She trains tirelessly to show her disciples how a true master should behave. For her, winning a battle means completing just one step of a much larger path. So she trains even harder, because she knows far more difficult battles are yet to come.

• Beats: 1*, 3, 5 and 6
• Loses to: 1*, 2, 4 and 8
• * The Disciple only beats Dragon Style if the top card of the deck is an 8.

Discard Effect: Look at the top card of the deck. You may place it on the bottom of the deck. Draw a card.

Combat Effect: If you win the duel, you may draw one additional card.

Notes:

• The Combat Effect of Dragon Style happens only if the player wins the duel. This means that if they are defeated, this effect does not happen. In case of a tie, the effect still happens.
• This effect is optional. This means that if they win, the player who fought with Dragon Style may choose whether to draw one or two cards as the reward for the victory. The player must decide before drawing the first card.

Master of Kung Fu (1 card) | Focus 8

The Master knows that time is not on his side. He is torn between the urgency of finding a successor and the impact that this decision will have. None of the candidates is more powerful than he is, but the Master believes he will make the winner a master as good as himself, given the time he has left.

• Beats: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
• Loses to: 2

Discard Effect: None.

Combat Effect: None.

Notes:

• Unlike the other cards, the Master of Kung Fu has a passive ability that is always active. If the card is discarded for any reason, or defeated (in a duel against Drunken Fists), the player who used it loses the game, even if they still have cards in hand.
• If the player loses the game because of the Master of Kung Fu, they must place the rest of their hand on the discard pile, face up.
• The Master of Kung Fu has no Discard Effect or Combat Effect.
• Playing it face up results in an automatic defeat.

Optional Rule for 4 Players

To allow more interaction with 4 players, or to lengthen an exciting game, the players may agree to use this rule:

The first time the deck has no more cards, the players may shuffle the discard pile and turn it into a new deck.

Note that Crane Style and Tiger Style used through their Discard Effects are still in the discard pile and must be shuffled together with the other cards that are in the discard pile.

Variant for 5 to 8 Players

If you are going to play with more people, it is recommended to have a second copy of Duelo: Kung Fu. Remove the second Master of Kung Fu card and shuffle the remaining 47 cards.

The only change to the game is in the quantity of each card, as shown on the cards. In this case, simply double the quantity mentally when you need to count, except for the Master of Kung Fu.

With more players, Duelo: Kung Fu becomes a little slower because of the greater number of combat options, but elimination of players also becomes easier, especially if there is teamwork. So expect a game with more negotiation between players and many betrayals.