The Dwarves: The Duel
The Dwarves: The Duel Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Idea
In the world of Markus Heitz' The Dwarves, the powers of good duel the powers of evil. In this card duel you each represent one of the two sides and try to win the victory for it.
Game Components
2 card decks (identical except for the illustrations) of 35 cards each, consisting of the following card types:
- 9x Ally (Verbündeter)
- 8x Victory Points (Siegpunkte)
- 7x Support (Unterstützung)
- 6x Event (Ereignis)
- 5x Twist (Wendung)
The two decks are "The Powers of Good" and "The Powers of Evil" (they have different card backs).
Example cards: Ally "Bogglin" (: Deal 1 damage), Ally "Bavragor" (2 : Deal 1 damage), Victory Points "Einnahme Âlandurs" (This card is worth 2 victory points at the end of the game), Victory Points "Schmieden der Feuerklinge" (This card is worth 4 victory points at the end of the game), Support "Gerissener Anführer" (You may re-roll 1 die in your dice phase), Support "Altes Wissen" (In your supply phase you may draw 1 additional card), Event "Kurze Rast" (Use 1 rolled, not yet used die like a joker face), Event "Hinfort damit!" (Put 1 card from your opponent's display onto his discard pile), Twist "Schattenrüstung" (Prevent 1 damage), Twist "Andôkais Macht" (Roll 2 additional dice once in your dice phase).
Also included:
- 3 Joker cards
- 6 dice with 1-5 pips and 1 joker face
Setup
Decide peacefully who represents which side of the power in the duel. Then each of you shuffles your 35 cards thoroughly and places them as a face-down draw pile in front of you. Draw the top 4 cards of your draw pile into your hand. During the game you will also each need room for a discard pile next to your draw pile and for your display, in which you lay your played cards. Place the 3 Joker cards and the 6 dice within reach in the middle of the table. Now you can begin.
Course of Play
The smaller of you is the start player. You take turns.
When it is your turn, carry out the following 3 phases:
- Supply phase
- Dice phase
- Card phase
Then your duel partner is next. You play until one of you draws the last card of his draw pile. The end of the game then occurs immediately. Whoever then has more victory points in front of him wins the duel.
1. Supply Phase
Draw 1 card from your draw pile and take it into your hand. If cards in your display allow you to draw additional cards (Altes Wissen or Informant), you must draw all cards at once. You may not draw 1 card and only afterwards decide whether you want to draw more. You may decide anew in each turn whether you want to draw additional cards. You must, however, in any case draw 1 card in the supply phase. The number of cards in your hand is not limited.
2. Dice Phase
Take 3 dice from the middle of the table and roll them. Cards can allow you to roll additional dice (Verstärkung and Andôkais Macht, or Nachschub and Umzingeln) or to re-roll 1 die once (Rodarios Trickserei or Gerissener Anführer). You may, however, never roll more than 6 dice, and you may use only the rolled dice in your card phase. The axe symbol next to the respective faction symbol represents a joker face: you may use it as a number from 1 to 5 of your choice.
3. Card Phase
Use the dice result to play cards from your hand and to use effects of cards in your display.
You may play cards from your hand and use effects of cards in your display in any order you choose. You may use each die only 1 time, after which it is spent for this turn. Therefore put it back into the middle of the table.
Card Overview
At the top centre of the card is the card type (1); to the left and right of it is the corresponding card-type symbol. Next to that, on each side, are the victory points (1).
On the left and right sides are the costs (2) required to be allowed to play the card.
In the text field at the bottom, the card's effect (3) is described.
The number in the lower left corner, to the right of the heart, stands for the card's life points (4).
The number in the lower right corner, to the left of the faction symbol, represents the victory points (5).
(Example card: Schmieden der Feuerklinge, "This card is worth 4 victory points at the end of the game.")
Playing Cards
To play a card from your hand, you must pay the costs given in the upper left or right corner in the form of dice. The following 3 kinds of costs can be required on a card:
- 1 single die with a given number of pips: Here you must put 1 die with this number of pips back into the middle of the table. (For each number of pips from 1-5 there is exactly 1 card.)
- 2-4 dice, each marked with a "=" symbol: Here you must immediately put back the given number of dice with identical numbers of pips. It does not matter which number of pips it is.
- No die: You play these cards without having to put back a die as payment. (These are the 5 cards of type Twist and 3 of the 6 cards of type Event.)
Example (Ally): To play the card Bavragor you need the number "1" as a dice result; to use the effect "Deal 1 damage" right away, you need 1 additional "1". If you roll the "1" 3 times in a turn, you could play Bavragor from your hand and immediately deal 2 damage. If you rolled the "1" only once, you could only play Bavragor: you could deal damage - with a suitable dice result - only in your next turn.
Example (Support): You want to play a card whose costs are 3 dice with identical numbers of pips. For this you could, for example, put back 2 dice with the number "4" and additionally 1 die with the joker face into the middle of the table. (Verstärkung: Roll 1 additional die in your dice phase.)
Using No Die - Taking a Joker Card
If in your turn you do not use any of your dice for playing a card or using a card effect, take 1 Joker card from the middle of the table and place it in your display. If there is none in the middle of the table, take 1 Joker card from your opponent. If you already have all 3 Joker cards in front of you, you cannot receive another.
From your next turn on, you may use 1 or more Joker cards together with your at most 6 rolled dice. You use each Joker card like 1 die with a number of pips of your choice. Put used Joker cards back into the middle of the table.
Example (Support): You want to play a card whose costs are 3 dice with identical numbers of pips. For this you could, for example, put back 1 die with the number "4", 1 die with the joker face and additionally 1 Joker card into the middle of the table. (Verstärkung: Roll 1 additional die in your dice phase.)
Take note: you may play the 5 cards of type Twist at any time - also in your opponent's turn (exception: Andôkais Macht and Umzingeln). All other cards you may play only in your own turn.
Using Card Effects
You carry out the effects of cards of type Twist and type Event immediately when playing them, and then place the card face up onto your discard pile. All other card types you lay out in your display and may use their effect from then on.
For the effects of the card type Ally you need not-yet-used dice. With them you can deal damage to cards of your opponent that show life points in the lower left corner and thereby remove them from his display (see Dealing Damage). (Cards without life points can only be removed from the opponent's display by the event Hinfort damit! or Attentat.)
The text on the cards of type Support states exactly in which phase and how you may use these cards.
The cards with victory points are only of significance at the end of the game - if they are then still in your display.
Dealing Damage
8 of your 9 Allies and the Twists Wurfbeil and Dolch can deal damage. Your Allies deal 1 damage for each die that shows the number of pips given in the effect. You may play both Wurfbeil / Dolch at the same time. Afterwards, put the used dice back into the middle of the table.
For each damage you deal, you must decide whether you want to deal it to your opponent's draw pile or to a card with life points in your opponent's display.
For each damage against the draw pile, your opponent must lay the top card of his draw pile, unused, face up onto his discard pile. (You may look through your own discard pile and your opponent's at any time.)
If you deal damage equal to a card's life points to an opponent's card within one turn, it is defeated and must be laid face up onto its owner's discard pile by your opponent. If you deal less damage to an opponent's card within your turn than it has life points, it remains in your opponent's display and regains its full life points at the end of your turn. Damage dealt to a card is therefore not carried over to future turns.
End of the Game
If one of you draws the last card of his draw pile, the end of the game occurs immediately. The winner of the duel of the powers is then whoever has more victory points laid out in front of him.
In case of a tie, the winner is the one whose draw pile has not yet been used up.
Notes on a Few Cards
- Twist: Wurfbeil / Dolch: If your opponent plays Bislipur / Zwergenkönig, you may immediately defeat this card with the Wurfbeil / Dolch, unless your opponent prevents this with the card Schattenrüstung / Kettenhemd. He could, however, not counter a 2nd attack with the Wurfbeil / Dolch.
- Support: Rodarios Trickserei / Gerissener Anführer: If both cards are in your display, you may apply both to the same die.
- Ally: Zwergenkönig / Bislipur: If you have this card in your display, you may deal damage with each of your rolled dice.
- Boindil und Andôkai / Sinthoras und Nôd'onn: With these cards you may deal damage with each of your rolled dice that corresponds to one of the two numbers of pips. (The comma between the two dice stands for an enumeration and not for an exclusive "or".)