Virtus! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Card Description
• Setup
• Game Turn
  • 4.1 Drawing Cards
  • Example 1
• End of Game and Scoring
  • 5.1 Virtue Special Powers
  • 5.2 Assigning Points for Icon Trios
  • Example 2
• Scoring Summary

Components

• Deck of 98 Virtue Cards (14 cards per Virtue). The seven Virtues are Charity, Faith, Hope, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance and Prudence.
• 84 Victory Point Tokens (VPs).

Card Description

The deck consists of 98 Virtue Cards, each showing the color and illustration for one of the Virtues, with their value displayed in the top-left and bottom-right corners.

In the bottom-left corner, each Virtue Card also shows a label indicating whether the card is used in the game, depending on the number of players (from 2+ to 7+).

Some Virtue Cards also display one of the following icons: Light, Chalice, Water, Flame. These icons are used to score points at the end of the game, based on certain Virtues.

Example: Justice Card with a value of 5 and a Water Icon, used in games with more than 3 players.

Setup

From the deck, separate the Virtue Cards according to the minimum number of players required (indicated in the bottom-left corner of each card). Keep only those cards with a number equal to or less than the number of players in the game.

For instance, in a 4-player game, keep the cards marked 2+, 3+, and 4+.

Place the deck in the play area and reveal the top 14 Virtue Cards face-up, creating two rows of 7 cards each, one below the other.

The lower row is called the "Active Row" and the upper row is called the "Inactive Row".

Place the deck with the remaining cards next to the upper row to form the draw pile, ensuring it is easily accessible.

Distribute a 7-point Token to each player.

Game Turn

The player who last committed a "sin" will start the game.

The game is played in turns. During their turn, each player decides which Virtue Cards to draw, choosing exclusively from those in the active row (see 4.1).

Once a player has drawn, fill all the now-empty spaces in the active row (the lower row) by sliding down the corresponding Virtue Cards from the inactive row (the upper row). Then, replenish the remaining empty spaces in the inactive row by drawing cards from the top of the draw pile, filling from left to right (see Example 1).

Play then proceeds to the next player in clockwise order.

When the draw pile is exhausted, skip the step of replenishing the inactive row.

4.1 Drawing Cards

During their turn, a player draws Virtue Cards exclusively from the active row, adding them to their hand.

They may choose cards according to one of the following criteria:

1. Draw all cards of a Virtue of their choice;
2. Draw all cards of a value of their choice.

If a player wishes to take a Virtue Card from the active row, they must also take all other cards in that row that belong to the same Virtue or have the same value.

IMPORTANT!

If the player wishes to take a single card based on its value, they must still check if there are other cards of the same Virtue in the active row. If so, they will be required to take all the cards of that Virtue. Similarly, when choosing a single card based on Virtue, they must check that it is also unique in terms of value. If not, they will have to take all the cards of that value.

Therefore, it will not be possible to take just one card if there are other cards in the active row of the same Virtue or with the same value.

Example 1

During his turn, Stefano the active player, must draw choosing from the 7 Virtue Cards in the active row (bottom row). The player has several options: he could take the two Temperance cards (13, 12) or the two Charity cards (12 and 10).

However, if the player wants to take the Justice card (12), he must also take the other cards with the number 12 (Temperance and Charity).

If he wants to take the Faith card (2), he must check that there are no other cards of the same Virtue and value in the Active Row. In this case, we have the Prudence card (2) of the same value, which he will be required to take along with the selected Faith card.

A. Let's suppose Stefano decides to take the three cards with the number 12.

B. Next, slide the Hope (8), Prudence (9) and Justice (7) cards from the upper row to the lower row to replace the empty spaces left by the cards Stefano just drew.

C. Replenish the upper row from left to right with cards from the draw pile, and pass the turn to the next player.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when all the Virtue Cards have been drawn.

In the final turns of the game, it may happen that some draws no longer cause cards to slide from the Inactive Row to the Active Row—this is normal; continue drawing only from the available cards in the Active Row until all cards have been drawn.

Once all the Virtue Cards have been drawn, it's time to determine who will best demonstrate each Virtue, thus earning Victory Points and Special Powers. Finally, Victory Points are awarded for Icon Trios.

In the order listed below (and shown on the Summary Cards), call out each Virtue one by one. When a Virtue is called, all players reveal all cards they have with that Virtue.

For each Virtue, determine which two players have earned the most Recognition—the players with the most and second-most cards with that Virtue.

In case of a tie, the Recognition goes to the player who holds the highest-value card with that Virtue.

The player with the highest Recognition (referred to as 1st Place) immediately receives 5 points, plus any extra points from the special power of the Virtue (see Virtue Special Powers). The second player with the highest Recognition (referred to as 2nd Place) immediately receives 2 points, plus any extra points linked to the Virtue's power.

Use the Victory Point Tokens (VPs) to assign points (these Tokens should remain face down until the end of the game).

As each Virtue is called, the players who earned the highest Recognition as described above (in addition to gaining 5 VPs or 2 VPs) get to use that Virtue's Special Power as described next. Assign any points earned from the Special Power with Victory Point Tokens.

5.1 Virtue Special Powers

Charity

• 1st Place: May publicly discard up to 3 cards from their hand that are not Charity Cards. For each card with a Chalice, Water, or Flame Icon they discard in this way, they receive 3 VP.
• 2nd Place: As above but may discard a maximum of 1 card. Their choice is made after the player with 1st Place has completed their Renunciation action.

Faith

• 1st Place: Chooses a Virtue. Each of the other players (except the 2nd Place player) must give them a card with that Virtue of their choice (if they have one).
• 2nd Place: Cannot be targeted by Faith's Special Power (this bonus is not used in 2-player games).

Hope

• 1st Place: Chooses up to 2 opponents who must each give the player 1 VP from their score for every Light icon they possess.
• 2nd Place: Cannot be the target of Hope's Special Power.

After scoring for Hope, all players reveal their entire hands.

Fortitude

• 1st Place: Receives 1 VP for each Fortitude Card they possess.
• 2nd Place: Receives 1 VP for every 2 Fortitude Cards they possess.

Justice

• 1st Place: Receives 2 VP for each Flame icon they possess.
• 2nd Place: Receives 1 VP for each Flame icon they possess.

Temperance

• 1st Place: Receives 1 VP for each Chalice icon they possess and 1 VP for each Water icon they possess.
• 2nd Place: Receives 1 VP for each pair of Chalice + Water icons they possess.

Prudence

• 1st Place: Receives VPs equal to the number of different Virtues they possess, excluding the Virtue of Prudence.
• 2nd Place: Receives VP equal to half (rounded down) the number of different Virtues they possess, excluding the Virtue of Prudence (this bonus is not used in 2-player games).

5.2 Assigning Points for Icon Trios

Each player receives 3 VP for every trio of Flame + Water + Chalice icons remaining in their hand.

Players then reveal their Victory Point Tokens.

The player with the highest score is the winner.

In case of a tie between 2 or more players, the winner is the one who possesses the most Flame + Water + Chalice icon trios. If they are still tied, they share the victory (Example 2).

Example 2

Here is an example of the end of the game. Next, the corresponding scoring. (The example shows the final hands of three players: Stefano, Sofia and Camilla.)

Charity

1. Camilla: 5 points + 3 VPs (discards the Prudence Card with value 5).
2. Stefano (has 2 cards like Sofia's, but his highest card is 12 compared to Sofia's 6): 2 points + 3 VPs (gives up Justice Card 9).

Faith

1. Camilla: 5 points plus she asks for a Prudence Card from Stefano (who gives her the 8).
2. Sofia: 2 points and cannot be targeted by Faith's Special Power.

Hope

1. Camilla: 5 points + 3 VP (taken away from Sofia for the 3 Light icons she possesses).
2. Stefano: 2 points and cannot be targeted by Hope's Special Power.

At this point, all players reveal their hands.

Fortitude

1. Sofia: 5 points + 3 VP given by the number of Fortitude Cards in her possession.
2. Camilla: 2 points (but adds no bonus because she must have at least two Fortitude cards to form a pair).

Justice

1. Sofia: 5 points + 8 VP given by the 4 Flame icons in her possession.
2. Stefano: 2 points (no bonus as he does not possess any Flame icons).

Temperance

1. Sofia: 5 points + 2 VP given by the Water and Chalice icons in her possession.
2. Camilla: 2 points + 1 VP given by the pair of Chalice + Water icons in her possession. Excess Chalices that do not form a pair with Water are not counted.

Prudence

1. Camilla (since she took the Prudence Card of value 8 from Stefano) has the majority, so she receives 5 points + 5 VP given by the 5 different Virtues, besides Prudence, in her hand.
2. Stefano: 2 points + 2 VP (for every 2 different Virtues he receives 1 bonus point).

Assigning points for icon trios (Flame + Water + Chalice)

Stefano and Camilla do not have any trios. Sofia completes 1 and thus receives 3 points.

Final scoring

• Stefano = 7+2+3+2+2+2+3 = 21
• Sofia = 7+2-3+5+3+5+8+5+2+3 = 37
• Camilla = 7+5+3+5+5+3+2+1+5+5 = 41

Camilla wins!

Scoring Summary

The Scoring Summary card lists, for each Virtue in the order called:

• Charity, 1st Place: discard up to 3 cards, +3 VPs for each Chalice, Water or Flame icon. 2nd Place: discard up to 1 card, +3 VPs for each such icon.
• Faith, 1st Place: chooses a Virtue; each other player must give them a card of that Virtue. 2nd Place: cannot be targeted by Faith's Special Power.
• Hope, 1st Place: chooses up to 2 opponents and takes 1 VP from each of them for every Light icon they possess. 2nd Place: cannot be targeted by Hope's Special Power.
• At this point, all players reveal their hands.
• Fortitude, 1st Place: 1 VP for each Fortitude Card they possess. 2nd Place: 1 VP for every 2 Fortitude Cards they possess.
• Justice, 1st Place: 2 VPs for each Flame icon they possess. 2nd Place: 1 VP for each Flame icon they possess.
• Temperance, 1st Place: 1 VP for each Chalice icon and 1 VP for each Water icon they possess. 2nd Place: 1 VP for each pair of Chalice + Water icons they possess.
• Prudence, 1st Place: VPs equal to the number of different Virtues they possess, excluding Prudence. 2nd Place: VPs equal to half the number of different Virtues they possess, excluding Prudence.

Icon trios: all players receive 3 VPs for each Flame + Water + Chalice trio they possess.