Avant Carde Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Gallery Card Box
  • Starter Deck Card Box
  • Patrons Card Box
  • Other Components
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • 1. Play Cards
    • Playing Cards Example
  • 2. Buy Cards
    • Earn Awards
    • Optional
    • Buying Cards Example
  • Patron Powers
    • Patron Powers Example
  • End the Round
    • Shuffling Example
    • Simpler Shuffling
• End the Game
  • Cleanup
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Components

Gallery Card Box

• 12 Twos
• 12 Threes
• 12 Fours
• 8 Fives
• 8 Sixes
• 8 Sevens
• 32 Awards

Starter Deck Card Box

• Orange/Blue deck (10 Cards)
• Blue/Red deck (10 Cards)
• Orange/Purple deck (10 Cards)
• Purple/Red deck (10 Cards)
• Orange/Red deck (10 Cards)

Tip: Starter decks contain 10 cards that are each marked with a symbol like a split orange/blue circle. They're the same except for the colors of their 1s and 2s. For example, the orange/blue deck contains these 10 cards: an 11 (pink), a 12 (tan), a 13 (purple), a 14 (blue), a 1 (pink), a 1 (purple), a 2 (white), a 2 (gray), a 2 (orange), and a 2 (blue).

Patrons Card Box

• 18 Advanced Patrons

Other Components

• Hidden Gem Token
• 5 Change Tokens
• First Player Token

Setup

1. Unroll the Starter Deck box. Give each player a 10-card starting deck. Put the others away.
2. Unroll the Gallery, and Patrons boxes and arrange them as a play area.
3. Shuffle each Gallery card stack, replacing the cards number side up in its spot after. The first stack is all 2s, then all 3s, etc.
4. Move some Awards to the Extras based on the number of players:

Players	Awards moved to Extras
2-3 Players	8 Awards
4-5 Players	4 Awards

5. Put out the Change tokens.
6. Give a random player the 1st Player token. They'll go first.
7. Each player shuffles their deck and draws 7 cards from it to form their hand. You're ready to begin!

The play area also includes the Patrons Box (with a row of numbered Buy Cards / Buy A Card spaces), the Gallery Stacks (a row of number-card stacks running from a Hidden Gem token through the numbered stacks to the Awards and Extras), and each player's personal area holding their deck, discard pile, hand, and score pile.

Gameplay

Rounds have 2 parts: first, everyone Plays Cards at the same time. Then each player has a turn to Buy Cards.

1. Play Cards

Each player simultaneously plays as many cards from their hand as they can in a line in front of them:

1. Look at your hand of 7 cards.
2. Choose a card to start, and play it to the table in front of you number side up.
3. Now, each card you play must match the color or the number of the previous card you played.
4. Play lots of cards! Each one will be worth $1!
5. Once you've played all the cards you can, discard the rest of your hand number side up beside your deck to form your discard pile.

The other players will be playing their own line of cards at the same time. Don't look at what they are playing until you're done.

Tip: Your 11, 12, 13, & 14 cards don't match with any numbers, and can only match a color. Your 1 & 2 cards don't match any colors (including each other) and can only match a number. These cards aren't very good.

Once everyone has played all the cards they can, it's time to Buy Cards.

Playing Cards Example

Olivia's hand has these cards: a 12 (tan), a 2 (blue), a 14 (blue), a 2 (gray), a 1 (purple), a 1 (white), and a 2 (orange).

She plays these cards in order on the table, for a total of $5: start card (14), match blue (2), match two (2), match two (2), match orange (12).

2. Buy Cards

Starting with the first player, take turns shopping for new cards to improve your deck. On your turn:

1. Count the cards you played this turn. You earn $1 per card. Keep track of your money in your head (don't use tokens).
2. Check for the 2s patron power: "If you played the most 2s (or tied), get +$1."

Buy cards from the top of the gallery stacks. 2s cost $2, 3s cost $3, etc. Put the cards you buy into your discard pile — they'll go into your deck soon.

Earn Awards

If you made at least $6, you also earn Awards! Take them from the awards stack and add them to your score pile. More money means more Awards:

Money	Awards
$6	1 Award
$8	2 Awards
$10	3 Awards
$11	4 Awards
...+$6	...+1

Money from patrons, the Hidden Gem, and spending a Change token count for awards!

Optional

Before, after, or between buying cards, you may also:

• Bury (once per turn): Put the top card of any gallery stack on the bottom of its stack. Get rid of colors you don't want!
• Change (once per turn): If you don't spend all your money, take 1 Change token if you don't already have one. You can't save money between turns, except this token. On a future turn you can spend it as $1. You can't take a Change token if you've spent one this turn.
• Patron Powers: Use patron powers of the cards you played this turn. (See Patron Powers below.)

Buying Cards Example

Olivia played 5 cards, and had the most 2s. She has $6: $1 per card, +$1 for the most 2s.

She buys the top 3 for $3, adding it to her discard pile. She buries the top 2, then buys the next 2 for $2. Then she takes 1 award because she had $6 total.

With $1 left, she takes a Change token.

Tip: Try choosing 1-2 colors and mostly buying cards of those colors.

Patron Powers

Patrons each like a specific type of painting, 2-7. When you play a card with that number, they visit your exhibition and grant you a special power that turn. Buy cards with patrons whose powers work together!

When you play a 2-7, check its patron on the patron box, and do its power:

1. Lightning-bolt powers happen during "Play Cards" as soon as you play the card (like 4s and 7s).
2. Coin/handshake powers you use on your "Buy Cards" turn.

For more details on each Patron Power (and the advanced Patrons), check the Patron Powers List.

Patron Powers Example

Olivia plays these cards: 13, a purple card, 3, 3, 12. As she plays the 4, she uses the Gallerist power to change its number to a 1, so it matches her previous card. During her turn to buy, she uses the Snob power twice, trashing her 13 and 12.

End the Round

Once everyone has taken their turn:

1. Pass the 1st Player token to the left.
2. Put all the cards you played into your discard pile, number side up.
3. The player who has the fewest Awards takes the Hidden Gem token (if tied, return it to the center; nobody gets it). That player gets +$1 next round.
4. Draw 7 cards from your deck.
   • Whenever you need to draw a card but your deck is empty, shuffle your discard pile to form your new deck.
5. Start the next round with "Play Cards."

Shuffling Example

At the end of round 1, draw 3 cards from your deck. Your deck will be empty. Flip and shuffle your discard pile to form your new deck, then draw 4 more cards.

Simpler Shuffling

If this is your group's first time playing a deckbuilding game, instead:

4. Shuffle your discard, played cards, and deck together as your new deck, then draw 7 cards.

End the Game

When the Awards run out, the game is over at the end of the round. Keep going until everyone has had their turn to Buy Cards and get Awards.

When the Award Stack is empty, take from the Extras. If those run out, use any object to be more Extras.

The player with the most Awards wins! Having a change token breaks ties. If still tied, they both win.

Cleanup

1. Return all 10 cards with your starting deck symbol (e.g. the orange/blue split circle) to their place in the Starter Deck Card Box.
2. Return all remaining cards to their Gallery stacks in the Gallery Card Box. Then roll up the boxes!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I look at all the cards in the Gallery stacks?

A: You only get to see the top card in each stack. Keep the stacks straight so you can't accidentally see the next card. Feel free to flip the stacks face down, and keep the top card flipped face up.

For more FAQs and the solo mode, check out www.AvantCardeGame.com/FAQ