NHL Power Play Team-Building Card Game
NHL Power Play Team-Building Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
201 Game Cards
- 29 Pass Cards
- 13 Tangled on the Boards Cards
- 109 Main Deck Cards
- 16 Slapshot Cards
- 9 Goalie Cards
- 25 Penalty Cards
6 Oversized Team Captain Cards 1 Hockey Puck Token 1 Hockey Goal 1 Rulebook
Types of Cards
Captain — Each player is dealt a random oversized Captain card. Example: Jonathan Toews. Captain abilities are unique to each Captain.
Starter Cards — Pass and Tangled on the Boards cards. Pass gives +1 Power. Tangled on the Boards has no effect.
Penalty — During your turn, reveal all Penalty cards. If you reveal two or more Penalty cards during your turn, put them on the Penalty stack and your turn is over. Place destroyed Penalty cards back on the stack. Cost 0.
Goalie — Shows a Goalie Level and a cost (the Defense Rating, in the lower right corner) — the amount of Power you need to beat that Goalie.
Defender — Has an ability used on your own turn and a separate DEFENSE ability used when played against an opponent's Shot on Goal. Example: Ryan Suter — "Gain the top card of the main deck and put it into your hand. DEFENSE: Add 3 to the Goalie's Defense Rating, and then gain the top card of the main deck." Cost 6.
Attacker — Example: Taylor Hall — "+1 Power. During a Shot on Goal, draw two cards." Cost 4.
Skill — Example: Face-Off Specialist — "If this is the first card you play this turn, discard your hand and draw four cards. Otherwise, +2 Power." Cost 4.
Maneuver — Example: Forecheck — "Put up to two Attackers from your discard pile on top of your deck." Cost 2.
The different card types are: Starter, Defender, Attacker, Skill, and Maneuver. Penalty cards and Slapshots have no card type.
Game Setup
1. Your Captain and Starting Deck
Each player is dealt a random oversized Captain card. Alternately, each player may choose their favorite Captain. You play the game as that Captain.
Each player begins with seven Pass cards and three Tangled on the Boards cards. You will use Pass cards to buy more powerful cards to add to your deck. As you do, your deck improves! Tangled on the Boards cards slow you down, just like in a hockey game. There are cards in the main deck that can remove them from your deck. That will prevent you from drawing them again.
2. The Main Deck
Shuffle the main deck and place it in the middle of the table. Goalies, Slapshots, Penalty, and Starter cards should never be mixed in with the main deck cards. The main deck is where you will find Attackers, Defenders, Skills, and Maneuvers to add to your team. Most of the cards that you will add to your deck as the game progresses come from the 109-card main deck.
3. The Goalie Stack
There are nine Goalie cards in the game. These are the Goalies that you will shoot on to score. The number in the lower right corner is the Defense Rating (cost) of that Goalie. It's the amount of Power you need to beat the Goalie and score, just as if he were on Center Ice. Each one has a Level number on its middle bar from 1 to 4. Arrange the Goalie stack in numerical order, from lowest to highest Level. The top three cards of the Goalie stack will all be Level 1. The order of the Goalies at each Level does not matter. For example, it does not matter if Cory Schneider, Jonathan Bernier, or Roberto Luongo is the top card of the Goalie stack, as they are all Level 1.
As you get deeper in the stack, the Goalies become harder to beat! When you score, place that Goalie card slightly under your Captain card. Each Goalie you have under your Captain is worth 1 goal. Make sure your fellow players can see how many Goalies you have scored during the game. Place the hockey puck token next to the Goalie stack. More on taking shots later. Set up the hockey net and lean the stack of Goalies upright in it.
The number of Goalies you should use is based on the number of players:
| Number of Players | Cards in Goalie Stack |
|---|---|
| 2 | 9 – Use all nine Goalies |
| 3 | 8 – Remove one Level 4 Goalie |
| 4 | 7 – Remove both Level 4 Goalies |
For example, in a three player game, the Goalies should be arranged front to back as 9, 9, 9, 10, 10, 11, 11, 12.
4. Center Ice
After shuffling the main deck, place the top five cards from the main deck onto Center Ice. The cards that are on Center Ice are the ones you can buy during your turn. Next, place the Slapshot, Goalies, and Penalty stacks at the end of the Center Ice. You may want to turn these stacks perpendicular to Center Ice so that everyone can reach them. You will always use all 16 Slapshots and all 25 Penalties each game. Slapshots and Goalies are always available to be bought during your turn (while cards remain in their stacks). Penalties are never bought; they are gained only through card effects. The main deck and the three stacks of cards on the end are not part of Center Ice.
Once you have arranged the main deck, Center Ice, and the other stacks, it will look something like the above. Your opening five cards on Center Ice will vary.
Gameplay
Randomly determine a player to go first. Each player begins by shuffling his or her deck and drawing five cards. Players take turns in clockwise order.
You play cards from your hand during your turn to generate Power and other effects. You may only play cards during your own turn, except for Defenders when an opponent is taking a Shot on Goal. If a card tells you to "Draw a card," that means you draw the top card of your own deck and place it into your hand. You may then play the card you drew, even though you didn't start your turn with that card in your hand. Cards you play during your turn are "in play." They are no longer in your hand.
Each turn, you may buy cards from Center Ice or Slapshot cards to improve your deck. Cards you buy or gain are always immediately placed into your discard pile unless you are instructed otherwise. Discard piles are always face up. Soon they'll be shuffled into your deck. You'll then draw these newer, more powerful cards into your hand so you can play them. In this team-building game, buying powerful cards builds up the effectiveness of your deck and your team. But keep in mind that you can buy cards and players from any team, not just your favorite team or your Captain's team.
You can buy any number of available cards with combined cost less than or equal to the amount of Power you have for the turn. For example, your Pass cards each give you +1 Power. If you draw four of them and no other cards with any Power bonuses, your total Power for the turn is 4. You can buy a single card with cost 2, 3, or 4, or even two cards each with cost 2, assuming these options are available. Slapshot cards are (usually) available if the cards on Center Ice are too expensive, and you may buy more than one during your turn if you wish. You may choose to end your turn without buying anything if you cannot buy or do not wish to buy any cards. Tangled on the Boards cards provide no Power. Since they weaken your draws and deck, you should try to destroy them as soon as possible. You may choose to play them, but they have no effect when played. They are not discarded until the end of your turn when you discard all cards you have played and any cards that you have kept in your hand.
Sample Standard Turn Sequence
For your first turn, shuffle your starting cards. You manage to draw a hand of four Passes and one Tangled on the Boards. You may play the four Passes for a total of 4 Power, which is enough to buy Breakaway from Center Ice. After buying it, you put it into your discard pile. The Tangled card provides you with no additional Power. Once you have played and bought all the cards you want, discard the cards you have played and any remaining in your hand. Then draw a new hand of five cards. Play proceeds to the player on your left.
Taking a Shot on Goal
After you have built up your team and deck and start drawing powerful cards, you should be ready to go on the attack. Instead of buying Slapshots or cards from Center Ice, you may instead take a Shot on Goal. The Power needed to score on a Goalie is listed in the lower right-hand corner of the Goalie card. It works just like buying a card from Center Ice. However, when you take a Shot on Goal, you cannot also buy Slapshots or cards on Center Ice.
To take a Shot on Goal, announce your intention to do so at the very start of your turn. Do this by grabbing the puck token from the Goalie stack and saying: "I'm taking a Shot on Goal." Play no cards before making this announcement. Once you start playing cards, you can no longer declare a Shot on Goal.
To announce a Shot on Goal, you need not have all the Power in your hand that is necessary to beat the current Goalie. For example, if you are trying to beat Ryan Miller, you don't need to have 11 Power in your hand at the time. Many cards in the game give you extra card draws when you are taking a Shot on Goal. Sometimes it is worth taking a Shot on Goal if you think you might draw some extra Power when you resolve your turn. If you never take any risks, you might not reap any rewards.
Other players in the game might use Defender cards to add extra difficulty to the Shot on Goal by adding to the cost of the current Goalie. When other players are finished playing Defenders, play your cards. You now get to take advantage of any card with text reading: "During a Shot on Goal..." in addition to the normal text of your cards. After playing your cards, if your Power total meets or exceeds the cost of the Goalie, you score the card! Place it under your Captain card, and then place the puck near the Goalie stack. Your turn ends because you may beat only one Goalie per turn. Even if you are able to generate 25+ Power during your Shot on Goal, you can only beat the top card of the Goalie stack. You cannot buy Slapshots or cards from Center Ice during a Shot on Goal.
If you fail to beat a Goalie, place the puck near the Goalie stack and your turn is over. Be sure to resolve all of your cards before doing so, however. You cannot buy Slapshots or cards on Center Ice during a Shot on Goal or after missing a Shot on Goal.
Defending Against a Shot on Goal
When a player announces a Shot on Goal, other players have a chance to interfere with the shot and make it harder to score. Starting with the player to shooter's left, each of your foes may play one Defender from his hand. Playing a Defender during an opponent's Shot on Goal will increase the cost of the current Goalie, making the shot harder to score. The extra cost Defenders add to a Goalie only lasts for the current Shot on Goal. The Goalie reverts to his printed cost after the shot is over.
Each foe resolves the DEFENSE text of the Defender card he plays before the next player in clockwise order plays one. If you skip your opportunity to play a Defender, you can't decide to play one later. This is your one and only chance to play a Defender during this Shot on Goal. You do not have to play a Defender, even if you have one in your hand. You might not mind if a player with no goals scores. It is sometimes worthwhile to save your Defenders to use against an opponent who is ahead of you in goals. When you play a Defender during another player's Shot on Goal, your Defender is discarded to your discard pile after the Shot on Goal. You won't get to use it again until you draw it again.
Defenders have two abilities. The ability at the top of the text box is what you read if you are playing that Defender during your own turn. When you are playing a Defender during an opponent's Shot on Goal, resolve the text listed after the word DEFENSE. You never use a Defender to block your own Shot on Goal. Play Defenders during your turn just like any other cards.
You do not automatically draw a replacement card when you play a Defender, and you don't draw back up to five cards at the start of your turn. But preventing your opponents from scoring is worth it!
Full Shot on Goal Sequence and Example
- Announce your intent to take a Shot on Goal and grab the puck token from the Goalie stack.
- In clockwise order, each foe may play ONE Defender.
- Now play your cards and total up your Power.
- If your Power meets or exceeds the Goalie's cost (including any modifiers from Defenders your opponents play), you score and your turn is over! Place that Goalie card under your Captain card.
- If not, your turn is over, and the Power you generated that turn is lost.
- Place the puck next to the Goalie stack.
Example: You have 3 Pass cards, a Wraparound card, and Jonathan Toews in your hand. You announce a Shot on Goal versus Jonathan Bernier (Cost 9). The player to your left plays his Niklas Kronwall Defender card, so he draws a card from his deck and puts it into his hand. Niklas Kronwall's Defense ability says to draw that card. You do not automatically replace a Defender played during a Shot on Goal. His Defense ability adds 2 to the cost of the Goalie, making his cost now 11. The Defender is making your Shot on Goal more difficult! None of the other players plays a Defender.
Now that the other players are done playing Defenders, you play your 3 Pass cards and Jonathan Toews, for a total of 5 Power. You draw two additional cards due to the game text of Jonathan Toews, as you are taking a Shot on Goal. You draw and then play a Slapshot and another Pass, making your Power total 8. Finally, you play your Wrap Around card. Since you are taking a Shot on Goal, you don't get the +1 Power. Instead, you play the top card of the main deck and it's a Coordination card. That gives you +2 Power, and an additional +1 Power because you played one Maneuver this turn (the Wrap Around). The Coordination card is then returned to the top of the main deck. Since you generated 11 Power, you met or exceeded Jonathan Bernier's 11 cost and scored! You take the Goalie card and place it under your Captain, and then put the puck next to the Goalie stack. If another opponent had played a Defender that added just 1 to the cost of the Goalie, this Shot on Goal would have failed!
Order of Playing Your Cards
On your turn, you play the cards in your hand in the order of your choice. When you play a card, its game text resolves immediately. After playing all the cards you wish to play at that time, total up the Power you have accumulated. Then buy the cards you want from Center Ice or the Slapshot stack. You do not have to play all of the cards in your hand before you start making purchases if you don't wish to. You may play additional cards even after making purchases.
Most cards you play have simple effects like +Power, card drawing, or an Attack. The order in which you play these cards typically does not matter.
Resolving Card Abilities
If a card's ability affects multiple players, and the order matters (for example, a card that gives a Penalty to all four players with only two Penalties remaining in the stack), resolve that ability for each affected player in clockwise order, starting from the player who played the ability. When you play a card that triggers another effect, such as on your Captain, fully resolve the card you are playing before resolving any secondary effects triggered by your card play.
Ending Your Turn
- Place all the cards you played and any cards remaining in your hand into your discard pile. Any unspent Power from cards played during the turn is lost.
- Draw a new hand of five cards and pass the turn to the player on your left.
- If any of the slots on Center Ice are empty, add cards from the top of the main deck to Center Ice until each empty slot is filled. Do not replace empty slots as soon as you buy or gain a card from Center Ice.
End of Game
The game ends immediately when the last Goalie is beaten. The player with the most goals (Goalies under his Captain card) wins.
A game can end prematurely if the main deck runs out of cards. If at the end of a player's turn you are unable to refill each of the five empty slots of Center Ice, the game ends. The player with the most goals wins!
If there is a tie, the tied player with the highest total cost of Goalies under his Captain wins.
The game can also end prematurely if one player has more goals than any other player, and there are not sufficient Goalies remaining for anyone to at least tie the leader.
Example: In a 3-player game with 8 Goalies, two players have each scored 1 goal, and you have 4 goals. With only 2 Goalies remaining on the Goalie stack, even if another player scores both goals, you will still win 4-3-1. Instead of playing out the game, you can end it prematurely and start a new game.
After a winner has been determined, each player will need to place their Goalies and Slapshots back on their stacks, and place all main deck cards back on the main deck.
Shuffling Your Deck
You don't reshuffle your discard pile into your deck as soon as you run out of cards. However, if at any point during the game there are no cards in your deck and you need to draw, discard, or reveal a card from your deck, immediately reshuffle your discard pile. This becomes your new deck.
Destroying Cards
Some cards have an ability that allows you to destroy a card from your hand, deck, or discard pile. When you destroy a card, place it into a face-up pile of destroyed cards anywhere away from the play area. You will often get to choose which of your cards to destroy. Destroying Tangled on the Boards, Penalty, and Pass cards will improve your deck greatly! If Slapshots are destroyed, they do not go back to the stack. Penalty cards, however, go back to the Penalty stack, as it says so on the card.
Gaining Cards
When a card tells a player to gain a particular card or a card of your choice, that card is taken and immediately placed in that player's discard pile at no additional cost, unless otherwise directed by the card. If a card tells to you gain a card with a specific name, card type, or cost and there are none available, you simply don't gain the card.
Penalty Cards
Penalty cards are acquired through various cards in the game that you choose to play. When you gain a Penalty card, it goes to your discard pile. When you have Penalty cards in your hand, you must reveal them to the other players during your turn. You may not play Penalty cards from your hand. If one ends up in play (from a card effect), put it into your hand. If you reveal two or more Penalty cards during your turn, your turn immediately ends. You don't get to buy any cards or complete your Shot on Goal. Instead, put ALL Penalty cards in your hand back onto the Penalty stack. That removes them from your deck, so you might not end up in the Penalty Box again too soon. Penalty cards that are in your deck and discard pile and are never counted as "revealed" during your turn. "Gaining" a Penalty does not cause that Penalty to be revealed, as it goes straight to your discard pile. Note that if you reveal a single Penalty card during your turn, it does not go back to the Penalty stack. You will discard it at the end of your turn just like any other cards you did not play.
When you already have a Penalty card in hand, it can be risky to draw more cards if you have additional Penalty cards in your deck. Be sure to resolve each card before playing another. That way you can at least get a few effects resolved before drawing a second Penalty card. You can certainly hold "draw" cards in your hand and not play them if you are worried about drawing a second Penalty card. As soon as you reveal a second Penalty card, your turn ends.
Example: You reveal a Penalty in your hand to your opponents, and then announce a Shot on Goal. After playing an Attacker during your turn, your Power total is now 12, but you draw two more Penalty cards. You must now reveal them and the original Penalty in your hand to your opponents. Even though your Power is high enough to beat the current Goalie, your turn immediately ends. Your Shot on Goal fails. However, you place all three Penalty cards you revealed back on the Penalty stack. Note that once you have met or exceeded the cost of the Goalie, drawing additional cards should be avoided if you have any possibility of drawing Penalty cards.
If you are playing a card reading "Draw a card, and then discard a card," you must resolve that card fully before you check to see how many Penalty cards you have. So if you draw a Penalty card, which would make two in hand, you must discard a card before you look to see how many Penalty cards you have. If you discard a Penalty card, then you won't have two in hand anymore.
If you have two Penalty cards in hand, you do not act on your Penalty cards until your turn actually starts. If an opponent plays a card that makes you discard a card, you can discard a Penalty and then you won't have to lose your turn. If you destroy or discard Penalty cards during your turn, those do not count as revealed Penalty cards anymore. Only count Penalty cards that you revealed from your hand and are still there. However, if you have two in hand, you cannot play a "Destroy" card to destroy one before revealing them to your opponents. Place destroyed Penalty cards back on the Penalty stack. If you don't wish to gain a Penalty, don't play the card that would have you gain one. Discard that card along with any other cards remaining in your hand at the end of your turn. You gain no Penalties for simply discarding it at the end of your turn.
Variant Games
Advanced 1v1 Mode
This variant game is for experienced players who prefer their games head to head. Instead of being limited to just playing one Defender during an opponent's Shot on Goal, you may play as many Defenders as you wish. Note that playing too many will severely limit your effectiveness on your next turn. This mode is not for the faint at heart!
If you are playing as Captain Zdeno Chara, draw a card only for the first Defender you play during your opponent's Shot on Goal in this mode.
2v2 Team Mode
When you have four players, you can split into two groups of two and play team vs team.
There are a few extra rules in this mode:
- You cannot use a Defender during a teammate's Shot on Goal.
- When you play one or more Pass cards during a Shot on Goal, your teammate may play an Attacker. The shooter gets the +Power of the card, but the person who played the Attacker gets to draw the cards from it. No matter how many Pass cards you play, your teammate may only play one Attacker to help you. The Attacker is discarded after playing it.
- Only players on the other team are your "foes."
- While you should sit next to your teammate, alternate turns like A1, B1, A2, B2.
- Add your team's goals together at end of game to determine which team wins.
Specific Card Clarifications
Alex Ovechkin (Captain), Stick-Handling: The card types are Starter, Attacker, Defender, Skill, and Maneuver. Penalty cards and Slapshots have no card type.
Breakaway: Playing the top card of your deck means you put that card into play as if you had played it from your hand. Resolve it immediately. If that card was a Maneuver, you get to play another card from the top of your deck. Keep playing the top card of your deck until you play a card that is not a Maneuver. If you play a Penalty card this way, put the Penalty into your hand, and then reveal all Penalty cards in your hand.
Challenge: "If you draw no cards this way" means that if you haven't played any Skill cards, you get +2 Power instead. If you have played any Skill cards and drawn cards, you don't get the +2 Power this turn. If you play additional Skill cards after playing Challenge, you draw additional cards.
Fake Shot: A handy card if your opponents play a lot of Defenders and you can't beat the Goalie. Playing this card removes you from Shot on Goal mode, and then allows you to buy cards as if you were never taking a Shot on Goal.
It's also a great way to trigger all of the "Shot on Goal" abilities of your cards, even if you don't think you have enough Power to beat the Goalie. So go ahead and announce a Shot on Goal when you have this card in your hand. Your opponent might even get faked out and waste a Defender! Resolve your cards that have abilities that only work during a Shot on Goal, and then play Fake Shot. Now you are no longer taking a Shot on Goal, but you get to keep all of the bonuses that you generated when you were taking a Shot on Goal.
Forecheck, Backcheck, Fast Learner: Keep in mind that if you don't currently have the right kind of card in your discard pile, you can buy one and it immediately goes to your discard pile. Then play one of these cards to manipulate the card you just bought.
Henrik Zetterberg (Captain): If you have two or more Penalty cards in hand, you lose your turn before you can use your Captain ability to get rid of them.
Penalty Killer: You may still play this card even if you don't have a Penalty in your hand and discard pile. Just use whichever parts of the card you can.
Power Play: If an opponent discards a Defender he played against your Shot on Goal, that means the extra cost that Defender added to the Goalie is dropped. It will now be easier to make the shot than it would have been. The Penalty cards in your opponents' discard piles remain there.
Speed: If you reveal a Maneuver with cost 4, this card is worth +4 Power this turn. If you choose not to destroy the card you revealed, it remains on top of your deck.
Teamwork: Giving Pass cards an additional +2 Power means that each Pass card you play on the same turn as a Teamwork card is worth +3 Power. If you play two Teamwork cards, each of your Pass cards this turn is worth +5 Power!
FAQ
Q: Why do some cards give me a Penalty card for playing them? A: They are very powerful cards, so you suffer a Penalty for playing it. You risk losing a future turn if you play too many cards that give you Penalties.
Q: What does "each different Maneuver" or "each different Skill" mean? A: It means each Maneuver or Skill card with a different name. If you play two copies of the same Skill card, that counts as one different card.
Quick Reference
On Your Turn
- Reveal all Penalty cards in your hand.
- Decide whether or not you wish to take a Shot on Goal.
If you choose to take a Shot on Goal:
- Announce your intent to take a Shot on Goal and grab the puck token from the Goalie stack.
- In clockwise order, each foe may play ONE Defender.
- Now play your cards and total up your Power.
- If your Power meets or exceeds the Goalie's cost, you score! Place that Goalie under your Captain card.
- If not, your turn is over, and the Power you generated that turn is lost.
- Place the puck next to the Goalie stack.
If you do not wish to take a shot:
- Play cards from your hand.
- Total up your Power and purchase cards with combined cost less than or equal to that total. You may play additional cards even after making purchases.
- As soon as you buy or gain a card, place it into your discard pile, unless instructed otherwise.
Penalty Cards
Reveal all Penalty cards to your opponents during your turn. You cannot play them. Reveal Penalty cards before announcing a Shot on Goal and any time a Penalty card ends up in your hand. If you reveal two or more Penalty cards during your turn, your turn immediately ends, and then put all Penalty cards in your hand onto the Penalty stack. If you reveal a single Penalty card during your turn, do not place it onto the Penalty stack.
Ending Your Turn
- Place all the cards you played and any cards remaining in your hand into your discard pile. Any unspent Power from cards played during the turn is lost.
- Draw a new hand of five cards and pass the turn to the player on your left.
- If any of the slots on Center Ice are empty, add cards from the top of the main deck to Center Ice until each empty slot is filled. Do not replace empty slots as soon as you buy or gain a card from Center Ice.