MON: Emblems of Sengoku
MON: Emblems of Sengoku Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 54 cards (3 colors, 18 cards of each color)
- 3 starting tiles (front for 3 to 6 players; back for 2 players)
- 60 tokens (6 colors, 10 tokens per color)
Description of a card
- Value (from 1 to 18)
- Points the card can earn (e.g. 2 points)
- Space for the token(s)
Setup
Shuffle the cards and deal the number indicated in the table below, face down, to each player. These cards form your hand and must remain hidden from your opponents. In a 2-player game, return the cards numbered 1 to 5 to the box. Then follow the instructions specific to each game element.
| Players | Cards in hand per player | Cards used |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 13 | numbers 6 to 18 of each color (39 cards) |
| 3 | 10 | all (54 cards) |
| 4 | 9 | all (54 cards) |
| 5 | 8 | all (54 cards) |
| 6 | 7 | all (54 cards) |
- Draw pile: Place the remaining cards in the center of the play area.
- Tokens: Each player chooses a color and takes the tokens of that color.
- Starting tiles: Place the 3 starting tiles in a column next to the draw pile, with the front side marked 0 visible. These are the 3 beginnings of the lines you will have to complete. For a 2-player game, use the back sides marked with a 5. Cards will be played in lines to the left from the starting tiles. For each line, the "highest card" is the one with the greatest value within that line.
- Discard pile: Set aside a space next to the draw pile for the discard pile.
Course of the Game
Determine who starts by playing rock-paper-scissors. On your turn, choose one of the three actions described below. Play then passes to the player on your left. Turns continue until the end of the game.
A. Advance
Choose a card from your hand and place it face up on the line of the same color. This card must have a higher value than the cards already in the line. Place one of your score tokens on this played card, in the space provided at the bottom of the card.
(Illustration: play the highest card of the same color in a line; place one of your tokens on the played card. Example line: 0, 2, 7, then a 9 is played.)
B. Fall back
Choose a card from your hand whose value is lower than the highest card of the line, but higher than the second-highest card (that is, the one just to the left of the highest card). You must also place your card on the line of the corresponding color.
First remove the score token on the highest card and return it to its owner. Then place your card on top of the highest card (your card thus becomes the new highest card). Place one of your tokens on the card.
Note: You cannot perform the Fall back action on a line whose highest card already carries your token.
(Example illustration: line 0, 2, 9. Play a card of the same color with a value between the highest card and the card to its left (here a 7). Remove the token from the highest card and place your card on top of it. Place one of your tokens on the card you just placed.)
C. Draw
Discard as many cards from your hand as you wish. Then draw the same number of cards, minus 1. Example: discard 5 cards to draw 4. (Discard 2 cards to draw 1.)
When the draw pile is exhausted, shuffle the discard pile to recreate it.
End of the Game
When a player has no cards left in hand, their opponents play one last turn, then the game ends. Each player scores the points of the cards placed directly beneath each of their tokens in play (that is, each visible card under a token). Then, where several cards lie under the same token, each additional card (placed beneath the visible card) is worth 1 point. The player with the most points wins the game. In case of a tie, victory goes to the player who emptied their hand first, or else in turn order starting from that player.
Example of final scoring
- RED: 17 points
- BLUE: 15 points
- ORANGE: 13 points
(The points of the cards are shown on each card; e.g. 2 points.)
FAQ
Is it possible to look at cards lying beneath other cards during the game? Yes. You can check the elements in play at any time. When you stack cards with the Fall back action, we recommend leaving the values of the cards visible.
Are the points of cards covered with the Fall back action useful? No. These points only apply to the Advance action.
By chaining Fall back actions, 4 cards end up stacked. The top card is a 13. How many points do I score? 6 points. The top card, the 13, is worth 3 points (its own point value applies). Each card beneath is worth 1.
I cannot play any card from my hand. Their values are too low for Advance or Fall back actions. May I pass? No, that is not possible. You must perform the Draw action (discard and draw). You may choose to discard just 1 card when doing this action (you then draw nothing).
Is it worthwhile to discard if other actions are possible for me? Yes. If you are in the lead, you have every interest in ending the game quickly.