Spion & Spion
Spion & Spion Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Prolog
(Just for the reader of MAD-Magazin)
Question: How to explain an MAD-Idiot the rules for a game that is no joke, but a thrilling and quick Adventure that needs planning and wisdom?
Answer: Don't… but we try it anyway!
Ingredients
1 huge Gameboard for 4 Players
1 small Gameboard (half backside) for 2 Players
1 empty Gameboard (other half backside) for 0 Players
3 BLACK SPY'S with the numbers 1, 2 and 3
3 WHITE SPY'S with the numbers 1, 2 and 3
3 BLACK-RED SPY'S with the numbers 1, 2 and 3
3 WHITE-BLUE SPY'S with the numbers 1, 2 and 3
and one Spy in every color with no number
1 GRAY SPY (Lechz!)
3 nasty Traps (Snake, Magnet, Bottle)
1 Trap-B-Gone Dice
2 Black Bazong's for both black embassies
2 White Bazong's for both white embassies
11 Black Pass-Cards for all Black Spy's
11 White Pass-Cards for all White Spy's
3 Black trouble-Cards for all black Spy's
3 Black-Red trouble-Cards for all black-red Spy's
3 White trouble-Cards for all white Spy's
3 White-Blue trouble-Cards for all white-blue Spy's
3 Hot-Envelopes (for the traitor Numbers)
1 Coal-Box for the Money
1 Bunch of Money: 60 ZILLION!
Also needed but NOT included: Some small, blank sheets of paper. Also zero to four Players.
1. The Game for four Players
Every Player chooses an embassy and sits down at this particular corner.
Remember: The black embassy starts the Game!
So we now explain the game to the BLACK AMBASSADOR. Everybody else tries to keep up and the rest is self-explanatory.
So now SHUT UP AND LISTEN!
PREPARATION
Set up the game board:
The Coal Box comes in the middle with the grey Spy and the 3 nasty Traps. At the border set up the two piles of Pass-Cards face down.
(Dice and the trouble-Cards set aside the game board)
You get:
1 BLACK BAZONG which you put onto your embassy.
10 ZILLION cash in your claw.
3 BLACK SPY'S (with numbers), two of them in your embassy and one into the BLACK PRISON in the middle of the game board. (The Spy without the number stays out of play for now)
Everybody else copies this procedure in their own colors of curse.
PARTNER
Have you recognized it? The BAZONG of your Black-Red against-over looks like your own. (The translation's wording "against over" is kept as printed.) The reason: You are Partners. Because the BLACK SPY'S fight together against the WHITE SPY'S and vice versa. So stand up and shake hands!
Remember: Partners are allowed to support, plan together, discuss or send signals. They are NOT allowed to trade Figures, Money, turns or Hot-Envelopes*. Comprende?!?
*Exceptions: See Traitor
THE GOAL OF THE GAME
In every embassy is the most secret of all secrets: THE BAZONG.
Winner is the Team which brings the BAZONG of the enemy's color into their own embassy.
Or gather together a minimum of 37 ZILLIONS. (For that amount of money you can get your very own BAZONG!)
THE HOT ENVELOPE
It is like the rough reality:
ONE OF THE THREE SPY'S IS ALWAYS A TRAITOR!
Write down (with no one else to see) a Number from 1 to 3 and a Letter W (for WHITE, the color of your enemy) on a piece of paper and hide it in the HOT-ENVELOPE. Congratulations, you now defined the identity of the Traitor of the white embassy, also called "FROEHN". You do not know who he is because the Numbers of the enemy spies are hidden.. but during gameplay you have a lot of opportunities to reveal their secret identity (their number).
Also under your own spies is a traitor, this "FROEHN". So also the WHITE player writes down a number from 1 to 3 with the letter B (for BLACK) and also puts it in his own HOT-ENVELOPE. Also the other players do the same: Your RED-BLACK partner writes down a number from 1 to 3 with the letters WB (for BLUE), and his WHITE-BLUE enemy the letter R (for RED). So there is no confusion when the traitor is revealed later in the game.
Remember: Take good care of your spies and just let the enemy look at their number when the rules DEMAND it!
You can find more about this dark chapter under >>TRAITOR<<
THE PLAYER TURN
The footsteps on the board show where BLACK and WHITE go around: Always AGAINST. The direction is always to follow! Walking backwards, wearing your shoes backwards or walking on hands is FORBIDDEN!
Remember: There is no turning back for a Spy!
BLACK starts and then it goes around clockwise. If you rivets just have digital watches: Next comes always the Girl/Guy to the left! Also in Bavaria!
If it is your turn, you have the choice:
A: You can move with any of your Spies one space forward. Therefore you do not need to take a Pass-Card. OR
B: You can take a Pass-Card and MUST do what is pictured.
Before you move you can plant nasty Traps or remove them - details see >>Nasty Traps<<*
Is one or more spies in the prison, you can free them for ONE ZILLION each and put them back in your embassy - also BEFORE you move.
Remember:
- In your embassy are no more than two spies allowed at the same time
- Which spy you move is always up to you alone.
- Every embassy counts as one space
*No, you do not look underneath the actual Traps, you fool … you look in the rules where >>Nasty Traps<< are explained.
PASS CARDS
Both piles of Pass-Cards are just shuffled once before the game. A drawn card comes underneath the pile - so the order always stays the same during a game. A clever Gamer (so NOT YOU!) can remember which card comes next.
Remember: The BLACK pile is for BOTH BLACK PLAYERS and the WHITE pile is for both WHITE PLAYERS.
When you choose to draw a PASS-CARD you can choose if you take the first, the second or the third card from the top. The cards you do not take come down to the bottom of the pile in the same order… but do not peek you rascal!
Question: Why are the PASS-CARDS called PASS-CARDS?
Answer: Because it always happens something when they are drawn!
(Here the joke is really lost in translation. Sorry!)
What happens reads out always loud and clear of the card, there are:
3 FAHR-CARDS: You advance 2 spaces.
2 FLITZ-CARDS: You advance 3 spaces.
1 DUES-CARDS: You advance 4 spaces.
1 GAEHN-CARDS(0): You stand still and wait for the next round.
1 SCHECK-CARD: You gain 3 ZILLIONS.
1 LECHZ-CARD: The GREY SPY helps you (see >>GREY SPY<<)
1 ANSICHTS-CARD: With ALFRED in your hands you may look at the number of one enemy spy (but JUST ONE). Afterwards you move again (so advance one space or took another PASS-CARD).
1 SCHLUCHZ-CARD: You lose one conquered BAZONG, it goes back to its own embassy. If none of your spies carries an enemy BAZONG the SCHLUCHZ-CARD turns into a GAEHN-CARD and you stand still and wait for the next round.
If a Spy of your own color occupies a space you move on, you share it fraternally. If you can overrun or pass by an enemy Spy nothing happens but when you land on the same space with an enemy… there are inevitably ZOFF!
ZOFF
Meet a BLACK and a WHITE spy on a space (or embassy) the attacker shouts out ZOFF!.. and there will be ZOFF!!
ATTACKER: The Spy who lands on the space.
DEFENDER: The Spy who already occupies the space.
The ATTACKER takes the 3 ZOFF-CARDS of his own color and decides which attack plan he uses to crush the DEFENDER: A, B or C. The chosen card he lays face down in front of him.
The DEFENDER tries with luck, psychology or ESB (Extra-stupid-bungler) to guess the plan and also lays down a ZOFF-CARD face down.
Both cards are revealed simultaneously:
If the DEFENDER reveals the same card as the ATTACKER, so his guess was right - and he wins the ZOFF.
If the DEFENDER reveals a different ZOFF-Card than the ATTACKER, so he was guessing wrong and loses the ZOFF.
The loser of the ZOFF must pay 1 ZILLION to the winner, goes to prison and must reveal his number to everybody (huch)!
If an ATTACKER meets more than one enemy in one space, he has to ZOFF with every enemy one at a time (except he loses the first round and goes to prison before he has the chance to fight the other one). The ATTACKER chooses his DEFENDER.
If an ATTACKER wins the ZOFF he is allowed to move again (even move one space or draw a PASS-Card).
Remember: The ATTACKER always has an advantage of 2:1! So a good gamer takes every opportunity to ATTACK!
GREY SPY
The GREY SPY is very powerful and does not like black or white spies.
Anyway, if you draw the LECHZ-CARD she does you two favours at the same time:
- She gets rid of any one NASTY TRAP anywhere on the board.
and
- She fights any one of your enemy. Move her as an ATTACKER on any space occupied by an enemy (except an embassy) and fight with ZOFF rules. If she loses the fight you still have to pay 1 ZILLION to the winner but no one of your own spies must go to prison. If she wins you get 1 ZILLION from the loser, he has to go to prison and must reveal his number. You can move again (advance one space or PASS-CARD).. but this time without the GREY SPY. Because she loves her peace over all and returns back home right after the fight.
Remember: The GREY SPY just helps you in the particular turn you draw her PASS-CARD right away. To save her, kidnap her or marry her is NOT allowed.
THE BAZONG
To get the BAZONG out of the enemy's embassy you have to:
- Get exactly to the enemy's embassy
and
- Fight and win against all enemy spies within the embassy.
If you manage to do so, or the BAZONG already stays within that empty embassy, you get 5 ZILLIONS from the Coal Box and you can move again (1 space or draw a PASS-CARD). Of course you carry the BAZONG with you.
Tip: The safest way to move out of the embassy is to move 1 space. It is very risky to draw a PASS-CARD and waiting could give the enemy the advantage to buy out one of his spies and he would then be the ATTACKER when he comes out of prison.
With the BAZONG in your possession you are just five steps away from victory, but save your evil laughter for later… because there are many dangers on your way:
If the BAZONG-Carrier loses one ZOFF, the enemy also gets the BAZONG.
If the BAZONG-Carrier loses a ZOFF against the GREY SPY, the BAZONG stays where it is and everybody can pick it up, friend, enemy or garbage collection. (It is not stated in the rules but I think you do not get 5 ZILLION by picking the BAZONG up this way)
If the BAZONG-Carrier loses the BAZONG because of the SCHLUCHZ-CARD, it goes back to its own embassy and you are standing there and look stupid.
And there are also the NASTY TRAPS!!!
Remember: One spy can only carry one BAZONG. If he conquers or finds a second one, he has to decide which he takes away, the other one stands where it is and waits for the next spy who comes by.
NASTY TRAPS
Before you move you can place one NASTY TRAP in front of an enemy (but just one per turn)… or try to get rid of one… or both.
You pay 2 ZILLIONS into the COAL BOX, then you can place a NASTY TRAP anywhere on a non-occupied space on the board… but just if ANY BAZONG (no matter if your own or your enemy's) is outside of an embassy. You are not allowed to place a NASTY TRAP in an embassy.
But behave: NASTY TRAPS are not just nasty but also insurmountable for your enemy and also for yourself. Because a spy is never going backwards! There are just 2 ways to get rid of a NASTY TRAP:
- By the GREY SPY (if you draw the LECHZ-CARD)
OR
- By the TRAP-B-GONE dice.
The TRAP-B-GONE dice shows the same pictures as the TRAPS. In order to get rid of a TRAP you have to roll the right picture, as followed by this logical example:
Snake eats Magnet So you have to roll the SNAKE to remove the MAGNET.
Magnet crushes Bottle You have to roll the MAGNET to remove the BOTTLE.
Bottle poisons Snake You have to roll the BOTTLE to remove the SNAKE.
Remember: The TRAP-B-GONE dice counts for every TRAP which is on the game board, not just the one in front of you. It might be possible to remove your own TRAP you just placed in front of your enemy.
For your attempt to remove a NASTY TRAP you can roll the TRAP-B-GONE dice up to three times in a row:
1x roll costs 1 ZILLION 2x roll costs 3 ZILLIONS 3x roll costs 5 ZILLIONS
To make it extra nasty you have to announce before your roll how often you want to roll the TRAP-B-GONE dice and have to pay in advance. No payback and no pay afterwards. If you paid for 3 rolls and your first roll is successful… bad luck, nananananananaaaa!
Remember: You are just allowed to plant a TRAP if any BAZONG is out of its embassy and there is no difference between your own and enemy's TRAPS.
After the roll you continue your move, no matter if your roll was successful.
TRAITOR
Remember the HOT-ENVELOPE? No, not the one you got back then when you were lying down with the flu! (This joke also might be lost in translation but I tried). The one where you hide your sheet with the secret Number.
One of the (numbered) spies of your enemy is a TRAITOR. You have his secret number in your HOT ENVELOPE, but haven't known which one he is (at the start of the game). During the Game you had many chances to check those numbers by:
-
Win in a ZOFF and the particular loser showed his number before he goes to prison,
-
if he lands on a ALFRED-SPACE (the guy with the gap in his teeth), OR
-
if you draw the PASS-CARD >>ANSICHTS-CARD<<.
Remember: Alfred E. Neumann always looks through. Anyone who lands on his field can be checked by anyone.
If you find your TRAITOR your goal is to always keep track of his movement, because now you can EXPOSE him anytime. Best if he just won a ZOFF against you or stands with your BAZONG in front of his own embassy. (Not if he moves right into the embassy because then it is too late and the enemy wins no matter what).
The EXPOSE happens when you point at the suspect (Spy figure on the Board) and yell <<FROEHN!!!>> and reveal the secret number from your HOT ENVELOPE. If the Number in your HOT ENVELOPE matches with the spy you pointed at, the particular spy leaves the game and is replaced by your own not numbered Spy you set aside at the beginning of the game, so you have one additional spy! (Nobody has to pay anything at this point)
If you were wrong (so the number in your HOT ENVELOPE does not match the number of the suspected spy), all of your spies and your own BAZONG are gone and you are out of the game! You can pass your HOT ENVELOPE including the now not so secret number to your partner - but just in this particular case. So choose wisely before you yell FROEHN!!!
END OF THE GAME
Won (cheers, gun salutes, joy tumbling) have the team which:
- Manages to bring an enemy's BAZONG into one of their own embassies,
OR
- gathers together 37 ZILLIONS (or more).
Who guesses a wrong TRAITOR resigns from the game.
Who has no ZILLION left to pay his owe also leaves the game in shame.
Because there is nothing more humiliating than a secret service without money.
Summary of the actual valid Espionage rates
Base capital per embassy: 10 ZILLIONS from the COAL BOX.
Buy one spy out of prison: 1 ZILLION into the COAL BOX.
Loss of a ZOFF: 1 ZILLION from the loser to the winner.
PASS-CARD "SCHECK": 3 ZILLIONS from the COAL BOX.
Bonus for cleaning out an empty enemy's embassy: 5 ZILLIONS from the COAL BOX.
Charge for a NASTY TRAP: 2 ZILLIONS to the COAL BOX.
Charge for the TRAP-B-GONE dice: 1, 3 or 5 ZILLIONS to the COAL BOX.
In the wonderful world of high treason, there is no change!
The Game for 2 Players
Two players use the small game board. Here just WHITE and BLACK spies fight against one another, without partners.
Use the same rules as the 4 Player game.
Exception: It is enough to collect 25 ZILLIONS instead of 37.
The Game for 0 Players
Zero players use the empty game board nearby the small one on the flipside of the big game board.
All other parts are carefully thrown away. Also this rulebook, therefore it is not necessary to continue o……..
EPILOGUE
This Game is committed to every Spy in all of the World.
To take an example of JUST killing each other!