Last Fish! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What's in the Box
• Setup – The Playing Field
• Turn Actions
• Card Types
  • Wait... What's a Signature Card?
• Card-Based Combat
• Keywords
  • Additional Rulings
• Card Anatomy

Introduction

Welcome to Last Fish, a party card game that takes place in the vibrant world of The Great Pond – home of the Whiskers.

Each player takes control of an adventuring fish-person, known as a Whisker, that calls The Great Pond home. Last Fish is playable with anywhere between 2 and 6 people and is hours of fun, regardless of whether or not you have experience with other card games. Sling spells, counter attacks, equip items, forge friendships, end them with fireballs, all of this and more is possible in your fight to be the Last Fish standing!

• Last Fish is a game for 2-6 players that usually lasts between 10 and 60 minutes.
• Each player becomes a Whisker CHAMPION living in the world of The Great Pond.
• DEFEAT all other CHAMPIONS (read: players) to win.
• All CHAMPIONS have (3) HP (health points) represented by (3) HEART cards. When a CHAMPION reaches (0) HP they are defeated and send all the cards in their hand and on their field to the Discard Pile (and must do their best, dramatic, impression of a dying fish).
• There is no limit to the number of cards a player can have in hand.

What's in the Box

• 1 Draw Deck (111 cards)
• 1 Encounter Deck (32 cards)
• 8 CHAMPION cards
• 18 HEART cards
• 6 Rule Reference cards

Setup – The Playing Field

Before anything, be sure to separate all the cards by their differing card backs. Have each player grab a Rule Reference card then shuffle both the Draw and Encounter decks individually. Set both decks next to each other in the center of the table. Use the area next to each deck as their respective Discard Piles.

To decide who goes first, play rock-paper-scissors (or whatever else you can think of)! The winner chooses their CHAMPION card first, and then the next player, and so on. Each player sets (3) HEART cards next to their CHAMPION then draws (5) cards from the Draw Deck.

If either the Draw Deck or the Encounter Deck run out of cards then shuffle and flip the respective Discard Pile face down and proceed using that as the new deck to draw from. Any card mentioning the Discard Pile is referring specifically to the Draw Deck's Discard Pile. Also be sure to take note of any BOLDED words in the ability text of cards, as this specifically refers to the effects described in the KEYWORDS section.

Note: Players cannot play ATTACK or CURSE cards on their first turn (ie: on the first player's first turn, second player's first turn, etc.).

Note: Players are free to look in the regular Discard Pile or Encounter Discard Pile at any point.

The setup diagram in the printed rulebook shows the playing field: Player 1's Cards (Equipment Cards, HP Cards, Champion Card) and Player 2's Cards along the top and bottom edges, with the Draw Deck, the Encounter Deck and their respective Discard Piles in the center.

Turn Actions

Every turn each player faces a number of choices available to them. Turns follow a clear order for actions, which must be obeyed at all times and is outlined below:

1. DRAW a card from the Draw Deck and add it to your hand, then...

2. DISCOVER a card from the Encounter Deck and follow its effect, then set it face up in the Encounter Discard Pile. Next...

3. The CURRENT PLAYER can choose 1 of 2 actions per turn (after they are done following the effect of the ENCOUNTER card they drew), they can either: a. Do any or all of the following actions in whatever order they prefer: i. Use as many SPELLS as they want. ii. Use as many INSTANTS they want... iii. Play one CURSE card. iv. Choose between equipping an ITEM card to their CHAMPION OR playing an ATTACK card targeting an opposing player.

   OR...

   b. DRAW until their hand has 5 cards in it (if they already have 5 or more cards they DRAW once instead) then end their turn.

Finally, END YOUR TURN. Notify the other players that your turn is over. Then, the turn order moves clockwise, so next is the player to the left of the last.

Card Types

Last Fish is played with two decks. In the Encounter Deck are ENCOUNTER cards exclusively (the cards with the purple backs), and in the Draw Deck are all the other card types (which all have a brown back) – except for the CHAMPION and HEART cards. Players will be using both decks each turn, so take care of them!

• INSTANT – INSTANTS are rare and powerful spells, skills, or items that exist outside the normal flow of turns and have the ability to significantly alter the game.
• INSTANTS can be used at almost any moment during a game, whether it is your turn or not, so long as the effect of the card is applicable. Note: You cannot use INSTANTS until after each turn's ENCOUNTER card resolves.
• SPELL – SPELLS are cards that can affect the game in many different ways, from dealing damage, to drawing cards, to destroying equipment, and more.
• SPELLS can be played both before and/or after ITEM/ATTACK cards. You can play as many SPELLS as you want every turn, but only during your turn.
• CURSE – CURSES are special spells or items that have an initial ability and a secondary ability. To use a CURSE card's secondary, often more powerful, ability instead of its initial ability, you must SACRIFICE some of your HP.
• CURSES are similar to SPELLS, with the caveat that you can only play a maximum of one CURSE per turn and each player cannot use CURSE cards on their first turn.
• ATTACK – ATTACK cards are the primary damage-dealing cards in the game. They are used to defeat your opponents.
• Only one ATTACK card may be used per turn per player, and only on their turn, so long as they did not play any ITEM cards that turn.
• Some powerful cards may allow additional ATTACKS to be played each turn, or even an ITEM and an ATTACK card. These cards will specify this on their card text.
• ITEM – ITEMS are armor & trinkets equippable to CHAMPIONS to protect them from damage and, occasionally, offer bonus effects.

Note: All cards have corresponding ICONS and COLORS on them, letting players know the type of card they are.

Wait... What's a Signature Card?

The CHAMPION card you choose at the beginning of the game isn't just for show (even though they do look awesome). Each CHAMPION has a Signature card that is already included in either the Encounter or Draw Deck. If you're lucky enough to draw a CHAMPION's Signature card (and, for some CHAMPIONS, even if another player draws it), that card gains the additional effect mentioned in the CHAMPION card's ability text.

Some CHAMPIONS have Signature cards with multiple copies in the deck (and if you somehow can use both at the same time: their effects stack), but some only have one! Though it might be harder to get your hands on the cards with less copies in the deck, their effects are that much stronger to compensate for their rarity.

Card-Based Combat

There's only one way to win Last Fish, and that's to eliminate all of your opponents in card-based combat! An example of what card-based combat might look like on one turn is below...

Example: PLAYER 1 uses FROZEN SPEAR, a (1)-damage ATTACK card on PLAYER 2...

If PLAYER 2 has an...

1. INSTANT in their hand, they can play it and use its effect, then... a. If applicable, PLAYER 1 can now use an INSTANT card of their own and chain it to PLAYER 2's INSTANT card (players may even chain INSTANT cards to their own cards). This chain can continue so long as both players have INSTANT cards to chain. See the Note below for more information on chains.
2. ITEM a. DESTROY (1) ITEM, of the defender's choice (unless a card states otherwise or targets a specific ITEM) per point of damage taken. If a defending player has no more ITEMS equipped or INSTANT cards to protect them, then read "3. No ITEM", below:
3. No ITEM a. The defending player takes however many remaining points of damage directly to their HP, represented by a player's (3) HEART cards. For example: if they take (1) damage directly to their HP, they flip one HEART card facedown. If they have no HP remaining (so when all of their HEART cards have been flipped facedown) they are eliminated from the game and send all of the cards in their hand and on the field to the .

Note: A chain determines the order in which to resolve card effects. Each player has the opportunity to respond to an opponent playing a card by starting a chain. A general rule is that cards on the chain resolve one by one, beginning with the last one put on the stack. For example: if PLAYER 1 played ATTACK card A and PLAYER 2 played INSTANT card B negating PLAYER 1's card, ATTACK card A would be nullified and the chain would end... unless PLAYER 1 countered again by playing an INSTANT of their own!

Keywords

• DESTROY: Send (X) equipped cards of your choice from the target to the Discard Pile, if possible.
• DISCARD: Send (X) cards (from your hand or card effect) of your choice, unless otherwise stated, to the Discard Pile.
• DISCOVER: Draw (X) cards and place them face up on the field for all to see, then add them to your hand.
• DRAW: Draw (X) cards from the Draw Deck.
• EQUIP: Attach (X) ITEM cards to you, unless otherwise stated, by placing them face up on the field next to your CHAMPION.
• GIFT: Give (X) cards, of your choice (from your hand or card effect) to another player you choose (unless otherwise stated).
• HEAL: Regain (X) HP. Note: You can't have more than (3) HP at any point.
• NEGATE: Cancels the effect of a card.
• SACRIFICE: Lose (X) HP to activate an effect.
• SIGNATURE: Card Name: The named card's effect is different if this is your chosen CHAMPION.
• STEAL: Take (X) cards from an opponent's hand and add them to your own.

Additional Rulings

• All forms of damage can be blocked by ITEM cards (and all ITEM cards block 1 point of damage) except for direct damage or damage that bypasses ITEMS. These attacks affect HP directly.
• The effect of the SPELL Duplication essentially plays an additional copy of the card it is used with. In this way, even if one "copy" is negated, the other "copy" would still exist.
• Any card with the text: "You may..." means the effect following is optional, so you don't have to use it if you don't want to.
• Whenever a card effect allows you to add a card from the Discard Pile to your hand, you must reveal which card you pick to all other players.
• When a player must GIFT another player a card, they do not need to reveal it to everyone.

Card Anatomy

1. Name
2. Card Art
3. Card Type (affects border color)
4. Ability Text
5. Flavor Text
6. Artist's Stamp (see Credits)