Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
The setup of the game, as well as the rest of the rules in general, explain how to play the game in solitaire mode. Playing in cooperative mode works practically the same, with just a few exceptions that are specified in the Cooperative Mode section. The text will address you directly (in the second person "you," as you are the gambler), whether you are playing in solitaire mode or cooperative mode.
Get the Hell tile ready. First, take the Hell tile and place it on the table. If you are playing at nightmare difficulty, place it so that the discard modifier is face up (see Difficulty Levels). Then, take the Lord Overkill card matching the difficulty level you wish to play (easy, normal, hard, or nightmare, see Face Off Against the Next Enemy). Leave it face down on top of the Hell tile (showing the side with the tomb scene face up and the number 11 visible). After that, take the four cards with the number 10, draw one of them at random, and place it on top of the Lord Overkill card so that the side with the scene and the number is face up. Repeat this step with each card number until you have accumulated a total of 12 cards, with the card without a number on top and Lord Overkill (number 11) at the bottom of the stack.
Take your personal mat. Take out the Joker card and set it aside before shuffling the Poker deck. Mix it well, as if your life depended on it. Draw 8 cards for yourself.
Draw and reveal the first card of the Enemies deck. Turn the Enemy Life dial to the number indicated on that card. (As it is the first card, its life points will be 5.) Place the card under the top part of your personal mat so the Enemy's life points are covered by the dial.
Adjust the Hands dial (on the left) and the Discards dial (on the right) so they are both showing the number 2, as indicated by the top card of the Enemies deck.
The Duel
In Ace Of Spades, you will have to face off against Enemies of increasing difficulty to vanquish evil. To achieve this, you must lower their life points down to 0 through painful Hands of Poker.
When it is your turn, you have two possible options:
- Play a Poker Hand to damage the Enemy. Reduce the Hands dial by 1.
- Discard and Draw, or Renew the Deck and Shuffle. Reduce the Discards dial by 1.
In either of these two cases, the corresponding dial must be reduced by 1 (see Difficulty Levels).
Once an Enemy has been defeated, you must turn over a new one and duel one after another... until you finally reach Lord Overkill (see Face Off Against the Next Enemy). If you are not able to take out any of the Enemies that come up, that means that you have bitten the dust, and you will have to start over from the beginning in your next life; that is, so long as the Devil takes pity on your soul and lets you try again.
Not every duel is fought at high noon in the street. Duels are the only way to put an end to your enemies.
You have a limited number of Hands to play in order to take down each Enemy. In each Hand, you will play 5 of the 8 cards you are holding in order to inflict damage on your rival by using the most adequate combination of the cards you have been given.
Once the damage is applied, if the Enemy is still standing, you reduce the Hands dial by 1 and move on to the next turn. If you are not able to take out the Enemy before your Hands marker reaches 0, well then, my friend, you are dead.
Poker Hands
Do you really need us to explain the cards you play Poker with? Well, just in case, what you need to know is that the number that appears on the card shows its value from 2 to 10. In addition, you also have the Ace (indicated with a bold A) whose value is 1, and then there are the face cards: Jacks (J) (11), Queens (Q) (12), and Kings (K) (13). These cards are divided into four suits: Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, and Spades. Finally, you have the Joker card, which you cannot use in the game until you have defeated the appropriate Enemy. The Joker is a "wild" card that can have whatever value and suit works best for you at the moment it is played.
Your magic takes form when it is channeled through the Poker Hands you play, and will inflict the following points of damage on your foes:
- PAIR — 1 damage: 2 cards of the same value and any 3 other cards.
- TWO PAIR — 2 damage: 2 cards of the same value, another 2 cards of the same value (but not the same as the first pair), and any other single card.
- THREE OF A KIND — 3 damage: 3 cards of the same value and any 2 other cards.
- STRAIGHT — 4 damage: 5 cards of consecutive values. Straights can end or begin with an Ace, but they cannot "wrap around" through the Ace. Example: 10-J-Q-K-A and A-2-3-4-5 are valid Straights. However, K-A-2-3-4 is not a valid Straight.
- FLUSH — 5 damage: Any 5 cards of the same suit.
- FULL HOUSE — 6 damage: A Hand that has both a pair and a three of a kind.
- FOUR OF A KIND — 8 damage: 4 cards of the same value and any other card.
- STRAIGHT FLUSH — 10 damage: 5 cards of consecutive values that are all of the same suit. Straights can end or begin with an Ace, but cannot wrap around through the Ace. For example, 10-J-Q-K-A and A-2-3-4-5 are valid Straights. However, K-A-2-3-4 is not a valid Straight.
- FIVE OF A KIND — 12 damage: 4 cards of the same value and a Joker (which is also assigned that value).
In addition, there are two elements that cause extra damage in your Hands: the face cards and the Aces.
- Each face card (Jack, Queen, or King) that is included in your scoring Hand adds an extra point of damage.
- Each Ace that is included in your scoring Hand adds 3 extra damage points.
Details of a Hand
To play a Hand, you must choose five of the eight cards you have to play. Once the Hand has been played and applied, the cards you just used are discarded and you draw cards from the Poker deck until you have eight cards again.
The Hand you play must be made up of five cards even if not all of them serve to create a scoring Hand. For example, if you play a Hand with a pair, you absolutely must discard both the pair and the three additional cards that did not score. The additional cards do not contribute any extra value to the Hand, even if they happen to be face cards or Aces. Only the cards that score in the Hand are taken into account for the additional damage points for Ace and face card bonuses.
After playing a Hand, the total damage points are added up and taken away from the Enemy's life. Once the Hand's damage has been applied and the cards discarded, you must then draw as many cards from the Poker deck as are needed to have eight cards again.
Example — Full House: McCoy plays a full house made up of three deuces (a three of a kind) and a pair of Kings. The full house, by itself, does 6 points of damage, but it also includes two Kings (face cards), which do 2 extra points of damage. So, the Enemy receives 8 points of damage in total, and 8 points are taken away from the life on its dial.
If the Enemy still has life points, the Hands dial is lowered by 1 and a new turn begins.
If the Enemy's dial drops to zero life points or less, remove it from your mat and reveal the next Enemy (see Face Off Against the Next Enemy). Defeating one of the Enemies grants a benefit, so leave the card you have defeated close to your mat. If you defeat one that grants you a bonus, the card is placed below your mat so that the text of the bonus sticks out below the mat.
Poor Hand: If your cards are so poor that you cannot even play a lousy Pair to damage your enemy, and your Discard dial is empty, you can still play a Hand of five cards dealing 0 damage. This will still use one click of your Hands dial, but at least you get to draw new cards for the next attack.
Enemy Cards
There are three types of Enemy cards: Henchmen, Villains, and Lord Overkill. The back of the top card on the Enemy deck tells you when to start a new scene and when you have to shuffle the cards.
Henchmen are the weakest of the bunch — you need only apply a little violence to defeat them. When you defeat one, it grants you a one-time benefit.
Villains, however, are a tougher breed. While you duel a Villain, you will suffer a penalty that makes your life a little more difficult. When you defeat this kind of Enemy, take the card and place it close to your mat in your gaming area. This kind of card grants an ongoing bonus that you can use any time during the game (you can even combine it with other bonuses you have available), meaning that they are not discarded and apply to all the Hands you play until the end of the game. Keep track of which of your bonuses (whether permanent or one-time) you may have available to you.
Lord Overkill is the final Enemy. This evil bastard smoked your stash, set fire to your favorite horse Daisy, burning her alive, and driving you to ruin and misery. Since then, you have roamed from town to town, driven by your thirst for vengeance.
Face Off Against the Next Enemy
Congratulations! You have brought down a spawn of Hell. You must be tough as nails! Well, don't get too excited, because it looks like there is another monstrous character intent on making wind-chimes out of your intestines.
Follow these steps:
- Reveal the next Enemy from the Enemy deck. Then, adjust the Enemy Life dial so it shows the number indicated on the card, and then tuck the card under your mat so the life shown on the card is covered.
- Adjust the Hands and Discards dials to the values corresponding to the scene you are playing at that moment, according to the indications on the top card of the Enemy deck.
- If the last Enemy you defeated happens to be a Villain, it will lead to the start of a new scene. If this happens, before starting the next duel, you must discard the cards you are holding and all the other Poker cards remaining in the deck. Shuffle all the cards as if there were no tomorrow, and prepare a new Poker deck.
- Then draw up to eight cards. Now you can start a new turn.
Discard and Draw / Renew the Deck and Shuffle
To carry out either of these two actions, reduce the Discards dial by 1. If it is not possible to do so, you cannot take either of these actions.
DISCARD AND DRAW: This action allows you to discard any number of cards that you are holding and draw up to eight cards. If there are not enough cards in the Poker deck, you will only draw the cards that are left in the deck.
RENEW THE DECK AND SHUFFLE: This action allows you to take the stack of discarded cards and create a new deck of cards by mixing the discard pile with the cards left in the current deck.
You can look through the discard pile at any time during the game. You do not need to remember which cards have been played. However, you cannot look at the cards in the Poker deck or the Enemy deck at any time. In this town, cheaters end up with a bullet right between the eyes, so careful where your eyes wander, stranger.
End of the Game
Ace Of Spades can only end in one of two ways: victory or defeat.
If the Hands dial drops to zero and the Enemy you are dueling still has life left, then you lose. A nice pine box is waiting for you in the boneyard.
However, if you defeat Lord Overkill — the final Enemy in the deck, with his 50 life points — then you win. Congratulations, stranger!
Difficulty Levels
The default difficulty described in the game is the Normal level. For those with the guts to seek out a more challenging (or perhaps instead yellow enough to want a simpler) experience, here we have provided the changes you will need to apply to achieve that desire. Besides the variations below, during setup, the matching Lord Overkill card for the chosen difficulty must be used.
EASY LEVEL. This allows you to play less than five cards per Hand. So, you only need to discard the exact number of cards needed to score. For example, if you make a pair, you need only discard two cards, and you can keep the other six cards you have for the next Hand.
NORMAL LEVEL. No changes.
DIFFICULT LEVEL. It is not possible to look at the cards in the discard pile.
NIGHTMARE LEVEL. It is not possible to look at the cards in the discard pile. Also, every time you face off against a new Enemy, you must remove 1 from the number indicated for the Discards dial for the scene you are playing at that time (make sure that the Hell tile has the right face up).
Cooperative Mode
Cooperative mode for two players works just like the normal (solitaire) mode with these changes.
SETUP: Five Poker cards are dealt to each player, and three Poker cards are turned face up on the table.
SHARED HAND: The three cards placed on the table in the setup are shared between the players. This means that both players can use any of these three cards to make their scoring Hands. Likewise, they can discard these cards using the discard option. These cards can never be swapped for cards held by either of the players. Every time that one or more of these cards are used by a player, they are replaced with new cards dealt face up to the table.
LIMITED COMMUNICATION: Neither player can allow the other to see which cards they are holding, nor can they provide any specific information about their cards. However, they can give information that is vague, such as, "I am not going to be able to do much damage this round," or, "I'd like to use the Queen in the shared cards." It is not possible to say things such as, "I am holding a full house," or, "I can damage half of the Enemy's life."
THE FLOW OF THE GAME: In cooperative mode, the players take turns. One of the two players is chosen at random to start, and then they continue alternating until the end of the game.
The player whose turn it is must play a Hand. If they wish, they can do as many Discard and Draw or Renew the Deck and Shuffle actions as they want (as long as there are Discards left on the dial). Once the player's action is done, it is the next player's turn, regardless of whether the Enemy has been defeated or not.
Example: During his turn, McCoy renews the deck since the Poker deck has run out of cards. He takes the discarded cards, mixes them up, and shuffles them into the existing Poker deck. But this does not mean it becomes Zack's turn yet, so McCoy can still play a Poker Hand. At the end of his turn, it is Zack's turn.
Simpleton Joe's FAQ
Simpleton Joe has some questions about Ace Of Spades. Let's answer them for him!
What do I do if I can't fill my hand by drawing cards because the deck has run out of cards? Cry and regret not having used a discard to renew the deck the turn before. If there are not enough cards to fill your hand from the deck, you will have to play with what you have got. If you renew the deck that turn, in the next turn (if you survive), you will then fill your hand with eight cards.
I was able to have more than eight cards in my hand because of the effects of a card. After playing my turn, how many cards should I draw? You must always start the turn with eight cards in your hand, unless there are not enough cards in the deck to fill your hand all the way. In that case, you draw all the cards you can and must play with a smaller than normal hand.
If an effect allows you to discard cards and draw, can I do that using the shared hand if I am playing a cooperative match? No, you can only do it with your own hand.
I have a +2 bonus for pairs. Does this apply to my two pairs and full house? No. The bonuses only apply to precisely the combination indicated and nothing more. Even though two pair or a full house may include a pair, they are excluded from bonuses indicated for "pair" alone. This is also true for three of a kind with regard to a full house, and for straight bonuses with regard to straight flushes.
I am playing on hard (or nightmare) level and an effect tells me to look for a card in the discard pile. How am I supposed to do that if I cannot look at the discarded cards? You are really a simpleton, Joe... If you use the card's effect, then you can look at the discard pile for the purpose of fulfilling the effect (and only that purpose). You may not look at your discard pile before or after that moment.
If I start the final battle against Lord Overkill with the Joker in my hand, how many cards do I draw? Your Hand will be of eight cards, including the Joker. Your starting hand must always be eight cards.
Can I combine several effects together at one time? For example, can I make my four of a kind Aces and have my Aces add extra points of damage? You can do it, and you should! That is the only way, Joe, to become the best magical gambler in Sweet Haven.
Let's say I have two pairs in my Hand, but I would prefer to play it as a simple pair. Can I declare it as such and play it as the lesser Hand? Of course you can, Joe! When you play your Hand, you decide what Poker value you are playing and which cards to leave out. You can do the same with three of a kind, full houses, or four of a kind.
What value do the face cards have? In Poker, every card has the value equal to its number. So, the 4 of spades has a value of 4. However, the Jack (J) has a value of 11, the Queen (Q) a value of 12, and the King (K) a value of 13. The Ace's value is 1.
Achievements
After each of your games of Ace of Spades, you can keep track of your achievements. See how long it takes you to reach them all. If you are truly as good as you think you are, once you have fulfilled them all, and only then, you can use the QR code included with the game to get your well-deserved reward. If you get it in your head to use it before fulfilling all the achievements, well then, the curse of Lord Overkill will fall upon you and you shall be punished with a thousand years of bad luck, bad weather, jammed pistols, and watered-down whiskey. The highest hand that you'll ever see from that moment on will be a pair of deuces. It's your own grave, so choose wisely, gambler.
BRONZE
- Lonesome Cowboy: Win a match in solitaire mode
- Double Trouble: Win a match in cooperative mode
- Initiation Rite: Win at easy level
- Voodoo Magic: Use 3 bonuses in a single duel
- Let Tongues Wag: Post a picture of yourself playing Ace of Spades on social media with the hashtag #AceOfSpades
SILVER
- Good Work: Win a game at normal level
- That Hurt: Do damage that exceeds 20 life points in a single blow
- Back Like a Bad Penny: Renew the deck twice in a single battle
- Last Breath: Leave a Villain with exactly 1 life point remaining after an attack
- Blow His Brains Out: Kill an enemy with a single attack
GOLD
- Tough Guy: Win a game at difficult level
- Dust to Dust, and You Dusted Him: Kill a Villain with a single attack
- Stairway To Hell: Play a Straight Flush that includes the Ace of Spades
- Kicking like an Angry Mule: Do damage that exceeds 30 life points in a single blow
- Wear an Ace: Play a natural Four of a Kind Aces (Four of a kind without any bonuses or wild cards)
DIAMOND
- Ace Of Spades: Win a game at nightmare level
- The Fastest in the West: Once you reach the end, put the song "Ace of Spades" by Motörhead on, then play and beat Lord Overkill before the song is over
- Two Birds with One Stone: Beat Lord Overkill with a pair of Aces of Spades (Ace of Spades + Joker) in your last Hand
- So Many Who Need Shooting and So Few Bullets: Kill all the enemies in one entire scene with exactly the right amount of damage
- Ace in the Hole: Play a hand with Five of a Kind Aces
Credits
I want to dedicate my first game to my two muses, my daughter Eva and my wife Montse, for their encouragement, inspiration, and, above all, for life itself. With you by my side, I always have an ace up my sleeve. I want to thank Devir for their trust and for putting all their resources into making Ace of Spades reach as far as possible, and especially David Esbrí, for fighting tooth and nail for this project. To my family, the best allies, and to everyone who playtested it and contributed amazing ideas to the game. Ace of Spades is better thanks to you all. To Regicide, Doomtown, Balatro, and so many other games that inspired me to create my own board game using a poker deck. To Motörhead, Pantera, Héroes del Silencio, and so many other incredible Rock and Metal bands that always inspire me and have made their way into these cards. And, most especially, to David Rubín, my favorite artist. Words can't express what a dream it is for me to have him illustrate Ace of Spades. Thank you, life, for so much!
Design: Benja Amorín Illustrations: David Rubín Graphic Design: Meeple Foundry Translation: Andrew Campbell Proofreading: William Niebling Editor: David Esbrí
DEVIRCONTENIDOS SL, Via Augusta 153, Entl. 4, 08021 - Barcelona