Mauwi
Mauwi Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Equipment
80 Warrior cards. Every Warrior has a colour (red, yellow, green and blue) and a value (from 1 to 8). Warriors work by pairs whose values sum to 9: 1+8=9, 2+7=9, 3+6=9, 4+5=9.
Note: The game includes 10 copies of each value, and a value comes in one colour only. For instance, there are ten "6" cards, and all the "6" cards are green.
5 Joker cards. During the game, a Joker card is a wildcard to replace any Warrior or Spirit you want. You have to announce which card the Joker stands for.
Note: A Joker card cannot block a column!
Cards' back: 9 cards. All card backs are identical. They display the value "9" and a "x2" multiplier. That makes 18 points per card.
During the game, you need to gain as many "9" cards as you can to win the game.
Note: "9" cards are to be piled up in columns so you can multiply (x2) their value. (Example: 9x2x2=36 pts.)
All shuffled cards are placed face down to make a pile common to all players.
When the draw pile is empty, reform it by shuffling the discard pile.
10 Spirit cards. Spirits have no value (0 points). They can only be placed on a "9" card or a pile of "9" cards.
A Spirit card cannot be placed on a Warrior card, nor on an empty slot.
A Spirit card is played to reduce a player's pile's score to 0 (see page 7). (Example: 0x2x2=0 pt.)
12 Expert cards. 3 Animals to add in the draw pile once you're familiar with the game (see Expert Mode).
Game Start
Setting Up
- Form a drawing pile by shuffling all cards and placing them face down.
- Deal 4 cards to each player.
- The hairiest player or the one meowing the best starts the game.
Game Area and Columns
- Each player can create up to 4 columns (from A to D) in front of him to score as much as he can. This is his personal game area.
- Each column is formed up to 4 cards and includes no more than three "9" cards.
- Note: The 4th card at the top of the pile is always a Warrior or a Spirit card. It can never be a "9" card nor a Joker.
Game Play
The game is played clockwise. At your turn, play one card from your hand to:
- Strengthen your lines.
- Block an opponent's column.
- Attack an opponent's warrior.
Note: If you do not want or cannot play a card, you may pass your turn by discarding your whole hand and draw 4 new cards.
Drawing Cards
- Your hand must always be 4 cards.
- Once you played a card, you HAVE to draw a new one AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
- Note: If you forgot to draw, you're disadvantaging yourself and must draw as soon as you notice your mistake.
Endgame
The game ends AS SOON AS a player has 3 columns including three "9" cards, or a player cannot complete his hand up to 4 cards (draw and discard piles empty).
You count your score. The player with the highest score wins the game. (Example: 32+72+0+72 = 176 pts.)
Strengthen Your Lines
Strengthening your lines means playing a Warrior card on:
- A free slot in any personal game area.
- A column of "9" cards.
- A Warrior of the same colour and different value.
- A Warrior of the same colour and same value.
A Warrior (or a Joker) card played on same colour Warrior creates a combo.
Same Colour, Different Value
The 2 Warriors become friends and are discarded. The player draws one "9" card from the top of the draw pile and places it on an empty slot or top of a "9" card column in his personal game area.
(Example: 2+7=9.)
Same Colour, Same Value
The 2 Warriors fight, and one gains the upper hand. One of the two cards is flipped face down to become a "9" card. The player places both cards together on an empty slot or top of a "9" card column in his personal game area.
Note: If a Joker is played, the Joker is the card to be flipped.
(Example: 2+2 = 2x2.)
Block an Opponent's Column
Blocking a column means playing a Spirit or Warrior card on another player's column.
- Placing a Spirit card reduces the column's score to 0.
- Placing a Warrior card also reduces the column's score, the "9" being covered with a lower value.
When a player is being blocked by a Spirit or a Warrior, he needs to wait his turn to unblock his column.
Unblock a Column
To unblock a column from a Spirit card, the only way is to play another Spirit (or a Joker) atop of it. In any case, both cards are discarded, and your turn ends.
To unblock a column from a Warrior card, you need to create a combo with a Warrior of the same colour and apply its effect (see page 6).
Note: If the cards gained with a combo cannot be placed, they are lost and must be discarded.
Attack an Opponent's Warrior
Attacking an opponent means trying to steal a Warrior to create a combo. To achieve this, choose an opponent's Warrior card and play a Warrior card of same colour or a Joker.
Attacking an opponent's Warrior allows you to benefit the combo's effect instead of your opponent (see page 6).
(Example: Using his red 1 card, Player B steals Player A's red 8 card by forming the combo 8+1 = 9. Player B earns a 9 card he can place on any of his columns.)
Defend
When you're attacked, you can defend yourself by playing a Warrior card of same value as the one played by the Attacker (or a Joker). Both cards are immediately discarded.
If the attack is defended, you can keep up attacking by playing an identical card, drawing a new one, and so on, until one of the players gives up. Attack/Defence pairs are discarded along.
Note: Drawing a card as soon as you played one is critical if you want to maximise your possibility while attacking.
(Example, as printed: 1. Player B attacks Player A. 2. Player A defends himself from B's 1 card with his own 1 card. 3. Player B keeps up attacking with a new 1 card. 4. Player A defends again, with a Joker this time. He earns nothing but he protected his 8 card. Player B has wasted his turn. All cards used for attack and defence are discarded.)
Expert Mode
We recommend only using these Animals once you played a few games and are used to the basic gameplay.
To vary each game from another, we leave the players the decision regarding how many new cards to add.
Endemics
- KIWI: At your turn, playing Kiwi allows to fetch a Warrior placed in any game area to play it in any game area. Kiwi is discarded afterwards.
- NINOX: At your turn, playing Ninox allows to unblock an opponent's column from a Spirit. The Ninox is discarded and the freed spirit is flipped face down to become a 9 card. Place it on your game area.
- TUATURA: If an opponent attacks you with a Warrior (or a Joker), play Tuatura to stop and cancel the attack. Tuatura is discarded, your opponent card goes in your hand, and his turn ends.
Team Mode
You can play Mauwi as teams. Play together and share your score.
- Form as many pairs of teammates as needed.
- Note: two teammates cannot sit next to one another. In case of an odd number of players, the bravest one can try and be a team all by himself.
- When you're attacked, your teammate can help you defend yourself by playing a card from his hand.
- Note: A teammate can never help attacking. His only move is help defending.
- End game: Points of teammates are added and the team scoring the most wins the game.