ants (2025) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Flow
  • 1. Formation Phase
  • 2. Battle Phase
    • Determining the First Attacker
• Trick Flow
  • 1. Play Cards
  • 2. Decide the Winner of the Trick
  • 3. Next Trick
  • About Pill Bug Cards
• Game Victory Conditions

Game Flow

The game proceeds in the order of the "Formation Phase" and the "Battle Phase".

1. Formation Phase

Freely rearrange your hand cards and insert Queen cards wherever you like. This determines your attacking unit ("Attacker") and defending unit ("Defender"). Refer to the Player Card. Once this arrangement is set, you cannot swap cards or change the orientation of cards in your hand.

2. Battle Phase

Determining the First Attacker

1. Each player declares the total value of all cards in their defense side. (Note: This is the sum of values, not the number of cards.)
2. The player with the higher total value becomes the first trick's attacking player.

The sheet gives an example: the total value of all the cards on the defender's side is 5+1+5+4+1 = 16, so in this case it is 16, not the number of cards (5).

If both players have the same total value, they declare the value of their attack side cards. The player with the higher value then becomes the first attacking player.

In the rare case of a tie on attack side values, determine the attacking player by any suitable method.

Trick Flow

1. Play Cards

• The attacking player selects one card from their attacking hand and plays it.
• The opposing (defending) player must play one card from their defending hand if they have a card of the same color as the attacking player's played card.
• If they have no card of the same color, they may play any card from their defending hand.

The sheet illustrates these cases:

• Only red cards can be played because the defender's side has red.
• With no red on the defender's side, any card can be played.

2. Decide the Winner of the Trick

• If both players played cards of the same color, the player who played the card with the higher value wins.
• If both players played cards of different colors, the player who played a card matching the trump suit wins.
• If neither of the above conditions applies, the attacking player wins.

The sheet shows the trump card for each example: Blue, and Pill Bug.

3. Next Trick

Cards played in the trick are set aside. The player who won the previous trick becomes the attacker for the next trick.

About Pill Bug Cards

Pill bugs are friends who just happened to pass by. They arrive on the battlefield at a convenient moment. Pill Bug Cards can be played at any time, regardless of whether they are in the attacker's hand or the defender's hand. If the attacking player plays one, the opponent can play any card from their hand.

• Pill Bug Cards generally lose. If the opponent plays an Ant Card, the trick is lost.
• However, if the trump card is a Pill Bug card, it becomes the strongest card.
• If both players play Pill Bug cards, the attacking player wins.

Game Victory Conditions

During trick play, if either player runs out of cards they can play (whether attacking or defending), they play their Queen card.

• If the defending player plays the Queen card, the attacking player wins.
• If the attacking player plays the Queen card, it becomes the "Last Attack!".
  • If the defending player plays the Queen card, the attacking player wins.
  • If the defending player plays a regular card, the defending player wins.

The sheet shows four example Last Attack setups, each marked with the attacker's card (AT) and the defender's card (DIF) and whether that card wins (○) or loses (×). The examples read: AT: P ○ against DIF: Q ×; AT: Q ○ against DIF: Q ×; AT: Q × against DIF: P ○; AT: Q × against DIF: B ○.