Goblout Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Goal of the Game
• Setup
• The Die
• Cards
• The Course of Play
  • 1. Discard and Draw
  • 2. Rolling the Die
  • 3. Deployment
  • 4. Attack
  • 5. Defence Phase
• Details and Clarifications
• Variants
  • Sudden Death (1 life point per player)
  • Group Die
  • Massacre

Components

• 110 cards
• 5 dice
• 50 goblin teeth (these are the life points)

Goal of the Game

To win the game, you have two choices:

• Eliminate all other players by reducing their life points to 0.
• Or accumulate 5 prestige points thanks to the white cards.

Setup

Shuffle the cards and place the draw pile within reach of all players (the discard pile is set aside).

Each player receives 10 life points (8 if there are 5 players), 5 cards and 1 die. Players roll their die once.

Players then make a grimace: the one who most resembles a goblin is designated First Player*!

*at the players' subjective appreciation...

The Die

Each player has one die: the augury die (dé d'augures). It determines the colour of the cards you can deploy.

Cards

• The Warrior (Red): Even if they do not shine for their intelligence, warriors do what they are asked, and that is just fine. They make a player lose 1 life point. Their goal? Strike!
• Cannon Fodder (Blue): These goblins have the most ungrateful role in the tribe, and for good reason: they serve to block the attackers who would like to take you on! Cannon fodder can be deployed in the defence phase, and block the attacks of Warriors and Brutes. Their goal: Block!
• The Brute (Purple): Similar to the Warrior, but twice as big and nasty. Each Brute makes a player lose 2 life points. Their goal? Hit harder! Note: one Cannon Fodder is enough to block a Brute. It is just a big goblin; do not ask too much of it!
• The Super-Goblin (Red and Blue): Unlike his kin, the Super-Goblin can do two things at once! He can be deployed in the attack and defence phases, and so be used both as a Warrior and as Cannon Fodder.
• Prestige cards (White): They represent the influential members of your tribe. In addition to their powers, which will be a great help to you, these cards earn you 1 prestige point. As soon as a player has 5 prestige points, they win the game. Note: you may play only one white card per turn! Note 2: the powers of duplicate white cards do not stack.
• Special cards (Lightning, yellow): Regardless of the die, these cards may be played at any time (especially during your opponents' turns...). Their resolution is immediate, and they are then placed in the discard pile. Note: when a lightning card is played, it resolves immediately. It is impossible to use another lightning card while the previous one has not been resolved. The exception is the peace card, which protects the player until their next turn.

The Course of Play

Players take their turns clockwise. A Dégoblinade turn consists of 5 phases, carried out in the following order:

1. Discard and Draw

The active player may discard as many cards as they wish, placing them in the discard pile. Then they draw until they have 5 cards in hand.

Note: there is no limit to the number of cards you may have in hand.

2. Rolling the Die

The active player rolls their die if they wish. If the result does not suit them, they may sacrifice 1 life point to choose the face of the die.

3. Deployment

"Deploying" a card means placing it in front of you. During this phase, the active player may deploy as many cards as they wish, provided that the colour of the card matches the face of their die.

4. Attack

The active player may use their Warrior, Brute and Super-Goblin cards to attack one or more opponents.

Note: you always attack a player, not their goblins.

Several goblins may attack the same player, and you obviously cannot go back on your decision (even if you realise you are heading for disaster).

5. Defence Phase

This phase takes place if one or more players are attacked.

The defending player may carry out the following actions:

• Draw 1 card.
• Re-roll their die if they wish (they may not spend 1 life point to choose the face of the die).
• Deploy Cannon Fodder or Super-Goblin cards, if the colours shown on their die allow it. It is not possible to deploy a white card in the defence phase.
• Designate the attacking cards that will be blocked by their defences.

The blocking cards and the blocked cards are destroyed and placed in the discard pile.

The offensive cards (Warriors, Brutes and Super-Goblins controlled by the attacking player) that are not blocked inflict their damage on the defending player, and return in front of their owner. The defending player loses a number of life points equal to the damage received.

When a player has no life points left, they are eliminated and all their cards are discarded, except for one of their deployed white cards (if they had at least one), which goes to their last attacker.

Note: it is the last attacker who chooses which white card they may take control of.

If several players are attacked, the defence phases are carried out in turn order. Once the defence phase is over, the next player begins their turn.

Details and Clarifications

• Once the draw pile is exhausted, the discard pile is shuffled and returned to play.
• Players may not go above their maximum life points.
• The Super-Goblin may be deployed in the defence phase if the die is red, and used to block an offensive card.
• The player targeted by the Reflecting Shield gets a defence phase.
• Corruption may be played on a card engaged in an attack, to counter its effect. Corruption works on white cards.
• The Saboteur and the Explosive Goblin cannot finish off a player.
• When the Peace card is played, the attack is cancelled. The attacker may redirect their attack to another player.

Variants

Sudden Death (1 life point per player)

Set aside the Goblin Bomb, Explosive Goblin, Peace, Saboteur and Shaman's Potion and Cauldron cards.

During your turn you may attack only one player. If they manage to survive, it is their turn to play. If a player is eliminated, the turn passes to the next player clockwise.

Group Die

Set aside the "No Die" and Fixer cards.

All players play with only 2 dice, which they place in the middle of the table. At the start of their turn, the player rolls the 2 dice and plays according to the results. The dice are not re-rolled in the defence phase. Players may not sacrifice a life point to change the face of the dice.

Massacre

Set aside the "cannon" cards, the Peace card and the Fixer card.

Note: the rulebook text for this variant says only "cannon" cards; this is how the French text is printed.

Each player starts with 2 Cannon Fodder cards deployed. In the defence phase, the attacked player may not deploy a new card to block.