Ranking Top
Ranking Top Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Objective of the Game
This is a music race. The first person to complete their Ranking Top, with songs from number 5 up to number 1, wins the game. But be careful! Your opponents will try every way they can to obstruct your goal.
Components
- 80 song cards:
- 10 cards numbered 1 to 5 for each of the 8 songs
- 14 special cards:
- 9 Top cards
- 5 Primordial Rule cards
- 1 rulebook
Setup
Shuffle all the cards and deal each player their starting hand, giving as many cards as indicated below:
| Players | Cards in starting hand |
|---|---|
| 3 players | 5 cards |
| 4 players | 4 cards |
| 5 players | 3 cards |
Form a draw deck (A) with the remaining cards, and leave a space beside it for the discard pile (B).
(The original rulebook shows an example setup for 3 players, with the draw deck (A) and discard pile (B) labelled.)
Gameplay
Ranking Top is played in turns, which initially follow clockwise order. The game starts with the last person who listened to a song by 31 Minutos. On your turn, you must follow these steps in this order:
- Draw cards from the draw deck (if applicable)
- Play one card
1. Draw Cards from the Draw Deck (if applicable)
Draw cards from the draw deck into your hand until you have as many as your starting hand (remember that the starting hand size can vary depending on the number of players). Some card effects will make you draw additional cards. Don't worry! There is no limit to the number of cards you can hold in your hand.
If at the start of your turn you already have as many cards as the starting hand, or more, you do not draw new cards. If the draw deck runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw deck.
2. Play a Card
Play a card from your hand face up. You may play it in front of you, to try to advance your Ranking Top (A), or onto the discard pile (B) to try to apply its effect.
Your Ranking Top must be built from 5 down to 1, and you cannot repeat or skip any number. That is, first you must place a card numbered 5, then one numbered 4, and so on. There is no problem if the same artist appears more than once in your Ranking Top. Their popularity must be sky-high!
When you play your card in your Ranking Top, its effect is not applied. On the other hand, if you decide to play your card on the discard pile, you must try to apply its effect; the effect is given by the card's text and icon.
(The original rulebook labels the Ranking Top area as A and the discard pile as B in its diagram.)
Whether you play your card in your Ranking Top or on the discard pile, it will only be effective if it is not topped.
After you play your card, and confirm that it has not been topped, it is the next player's turn.
What Is Topping a Card?
To top a card is to cancel it. If one of your opponents discards a Top card, or a card with the same number as yours, they have topped it, and both cards must be taken to the discard pile, cancelling the card. To top, in addition to discarding a Top card or a card with the same number, you must say "top".
Attention! You (or another player) may also top the card that topped yours in the first place! In this way, the use of the original card would be successful again. This process can be repeated several times.
Example: Pepe plays the number 5 in his Ranking Top. Elena says "top" and tops it by discarding another card with the number 5. As Pepe has no other card with the number 5 or a Top card, his card has been cancelled. Both cards must be taken to the discard pile.
Example 2: Elena plays a card titled "Diente blanco, no te vayas" with the number 1 onto the discard pile to try to benefit from its effect. Rafa says "top" and tops it by discarding another card with the number 1, but Elena also says "top", discarding a Top card from her hand. As nobody discards another card, the topping was not successful, and Elena can carry out the effect of her card.
Remember: you can top with a Top card or with a card with the same number (not necessarily from the same song).
Song Card Effects
Each song has a special effect that takes place when it is played successfully on the discard pile. The details of the different effects are below:
"Mi muñeca me hablo" (Flor Bovina): The whole group hands its entire hand of cards to the person on its right. If someone has no cards in hand, they hand over nothing, but they still receive the cards of the person on their left.
"Severlá" (Otto y los sarcófagos del ritmo): Reverse the direction of play and draw one card into your hand. If play was going clockwise, it now goes counter-clockwise (and vice versa).
"La señora interesante" (Cucky): The whole group discards its hand of cards. Then each player draws 4 cards from the draw deck into their hand.
"Objeción Denegada" (Juan Pablo Sopa): Play another card, either in your Ranking Top or on the discard pile. This card cannot be topped in any way. However, the Objeción Denegada card itself can be topped.
"El Dinosaurio Anacleto" (Dinosaurio Roberto): Discard your hand onto the discard pile, except for 1 card. Then draw 4 cards from the draw deck into your hand.
"Diente blanco, no te vayas" (John Quijada): Draw 2 cards from the draw deck, and then play 1 new card, either in your Ranking Top or to try to apply its effect. Unlike Objeción Denegada, the second card you play can be topped.
"Mi mamá me lo teje todo" (Lana y Lino): Draw 3 cards from the draw deck into your hand. Each of the other players draws 2 cards from the draw deck into their hand.
"Arwrarwrirwrarwro" (Bombi): Take the last 3 cards of the discard pile into your hand, not counting this card (or the cards used to top it). The cards you take into your hand are the last 3 that were played before your Arwrarwrirwrarwro card. If there are fewer than 3 cards in the discard pile, take as many as you can.
Special Card Effects
Primordial Rule, "Retrete Navarrete y los bulliciosos": This is a wildcard for your Ranking Top, so it may take on whatever value you need. It can be topped by another Primordial Rule card, a Top card, or the number it represents in your Ranking Top. It can only top other Primordial Rule cards. If you play it on the discard pile, it has no effect.
Top, Policarpo Avendaño: Tops any card (except the card that was played with the Objeción Denegada effect). It cannot be used in your Ranking Top. If you play it on the discard pile, it has no effect.
End of the Game
The game ends automatically when someone completes their Ranking Top by successfully playing a card of value 1 (or a Primordial Rule card that takes that value), that is, one that is not topped.
Congratulations, you have completed the Ranking Top and won the game!
Example: Elena successfully plays a "Severlá" card with the number 1, completing her Ranking Top and winning the game.