Clash of Steel: A Tactical Card Game of Medieval Duels Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Brief
• Victory
• Cards
• Arrange Cards, Pick Items
• Determine Starting Initiative
• Choose Starting Range
• Combat Begins
• Playing Cards
• Initiative Winner Waits or Acts
• Determine Results
• Discard Stamina
• Apply Wounds
• Change Range
• Initiative
• Reset
• Card Functions
  • Attack
  • Defend
  • Move
  • Stamina
  • Wounds
  • Stances
• Ranges
• Items
• Maneuvers
  • Armor
  • Feint
  • Second Wind

Brief

Two players 5 minutes to learn, 10-15 minutes to play Strategic, bidding mechanics, low luck 71 custom card deck

Victory

The first to lose all of their Stamina cards is defeated.

Cards

Each player has the following cards:

• 3 Targets: High, Mid, Low
• 3 Actions: Attack, Defend, Move
• 3 Stances: Quick, Neutral, Strong
• 3 Wounds: Head, Torso, Legs
• 5 Items*: Axe, Dagger, Shield, Spear, Sword
• 1 Maneuver**: Armor, Feint, Second Wind.
• 15 Stamina: 3 each of values 1 through 5

There are also non-player specific Initiative and Range cards (Hand, Arm, Step, Reach).

*Each player only selects two of these Items before play. **Each player only selects one of these Maneuvers before play.

Arrange Cards, Pick Items

Separate each player's cards from the deck (by color), setting aside the Initiative and Range cards; these are universal cards either shared or held by one player at a time.

Each player selects two of the five available Items, and one of the available Maneuvers, paying attention to any special rules written on the cards. Don't show your opponent your selection. You keep these cards for the entire game.

Each player separates each type of card from the other (Action, Stance, etc), stacks them by type, and places each stack face down on the table. Each player should have six stacks (plus a Maneuver) - one for each type. Even though they're face down, the player can access these during play.

Determine Starting Initiative

Each player bids an amount of Stamina that they are willing to sacrifice in order to gain Initiative. Each player selects Stamina they're willing to bid, and places them face down on the table.

After both players have selected how many Stamina cards they're willing to sacrifice to win Initiative, the cards are revealed.

The player who bid more Stamina discards their bid cards, and gains Initiative (the Initiative Winner). The player who lost the bid (Initiative Loser) returns their bid Stamina cards to their hand. If there's a tie, both players discard their bid cards, and bid again.

For example, Ben bids 5+2, Jessica bids 2+1+1. Ben discards his 5 and 2, but gains Initiative.

Choose Starting Range

Once Initiative has been determined, each player reveals their Item cards. The Initiative Winner (IW) decides the starting combat Range after seeing their opponent's Item cards. The IW places the appropriate Range card face up on the table.

Each Range favors certain Items, and can only be changed when one or more players use the Move action.

Combat Begins

The meat of the game begins, and the players go through rounds of combat until one has been defeated. The steps of combat are detailed below.

Playing Cards

Each player, in order, plays one card of each type (one or two Stamina cards). Cards are always played in a set order:

1. Stance
2. Item
3. Action
4. Target
5. Stamina

Determining who plays a card first, as well as if the card is face up or face down, is based on who holds Initiative. This is detailed in the next section.

Initiative Winner Waits or Acts

For each type of card played, the Initiative Winner (IW) chooses to either Wait or Act. The Initiative Loser (IL) then plays their selected card based on the IW's choice.

Face down: IW Acts, IL Acts second

• IW plays their card face down
• IL plays their card face down

Face up: IW Waits, IL Acts first

• IL plays their card face up
• IW plays their card face up

Stamina cards are always played face down, even if the IW waits.

Determine Results

Any face down cards are revealed and turned face up. Each player determines their Action's final result by adding up all of the relevant cards:

• Stamina values (up to two cards per player)
• Item modifiers
• Target modifiers
• Wound modifiers

The player with the higher total value achieves their Action, while the loser doesn't. Ties go to who has Initiative.

Discard Stamina

Both players permanently discard the Stamina cards that were used during their action (both for Attack, highest for Defend, lowest for Move).

If a player was hit (their opponent won with an Attack), they permanently discard their highest Stamina card remaining in their hand.

For example, Jessica has Stamina cards with values of 2, 4, 5, 5 left in her hand. She attempts to Defend with 4+2, but fails and gets hit. She discards the 4 that she Defended with, as well as one of her 5s (the highest Stamina card she has).

You can't discard your last Stamina card unless you were hit (you can repeatedly play your last Stamina so long as you're not hit). If someone discards their last Stamina card, they're defeated and the game ends.

Apply Wounds

If a player was hit (their opponent won with an Attack) they acquire a Wound related to the Attack's target. A High Attack deals Head Wounds, Mid Attack Torso Wounds, and Low Attack Leg Wounds. A character can instead sacrifice their Armor card to negate a Wound.

Change Range

If a player successfully Moves, the Range must change. Replace the current Range card with the new Range.

Initiative

Initiative changes based on Stances, or who won the round if both played the same Stance. Playing Quick will always gain Initiative, Strong will never gain Initiative, and Neutral has no impact on Initiative. If both played the same Stance (such as Quick vs Quick or Strong vs Strong), Initiative goes to who won the round.

Reset

All non-discarded or Disarmed cards are returned as normal before combat. The round ends.

Card Functions

Each of the cards' functions and opposing results are detailed below.

Attack

You attempt to hit your opponent with one of your Items, dealing damage to your foe.

• Target: an Attack is always paired with a Target (High, Mid, Low).
• Items: some items modify an Attack depending on the Range and what the opponent is wielding.
• Win: discard both of your played Stamina cards; the enemy takes a Wound, discards their played Stamina cards (per their Action), and discards their highest Stamina.
• Lose: discard both of your played Stamina.
  • vs Attack: you are hit, acquire a Wound, and discard your highest Stamina card in your stack.
  • vs Defend: you miss, and the Item you Attacked with is now Disarmed.
  • vs Move: you miss.

Defend

You attempt to block your opponent's Action and disarm the Item that they wield.

• Target: a Defend is always paired with a Target (High, Mid, Low). Successfully defending the same Target as your opponent's Attack grants you a +1 to your Defend.
• Items: some items modify a Defend depending on the Range and what the opponent is wielding. Shields always apply a +1 to the Defend.
• Win: You stop your opponent's action. The Item card that they played is now Disarmed.
  • Note: you only discard your highest played Stamina card.
• Lose: discard your highest played Stamina.
  • vs Attack: you are hit, acquire a Wound, and discard your highest Stamina card in your stack.
  • vs Defend: the Item you Defended with is now Disarmed.
  • vs Move: the enemy changes Range.

Disarmed: the outcome of a Defend When a player wins with a Defend, their opponent is Disarmed. The Item card that the opponent played that round gets set aside, and can't be used again until the opponent successfully Moves and changes the Range. The disarming character may Move, and their opponent does not retrieve their disarmed Item.

A character can have both Items disarmed, and can still make Actions (but has no Item modifiers).

Move

You try to change the battle Range, and potentially retrieve a Disarmed Item.

• Win: you move to any Range of your choice, excluding the Range you're currently in. If you were Disarmed, you retrieve up to one Item. You must change Ranges if you Win.
  • Note: you only discard the lowest of your played Stamina cards.
  • You only retrieve one disarmed Item per successful Move.
• Lose: discard your lowest played Stamina card. You don't Move, and don't retrieve any Items.
  • vs Attack: you are hit, acquire a Wound, and discard your highest Stamina card in your stack.
  • vs Defend: you don't Move, and the Item you Moved with is now Disarmed.
  • vs Move: you don't Move.

Stamina

You can play one or two Stamina cards each round, in any combination that you like. Their summed total contributes to your Action's Value.

Wounds

You acquire a Wound when you're hit. The Wound is applied based on the attacker's Target.

• Head Wounds apply a -1 penalty to Defends
• Body Wounds apply a -1 penalty to Attacks
• Leg Wounds apply a -1 penalty to Moves

Source note: the Wounds card list above names the Torso wound, while this section and the Wounds text name "Body" wounds; both are transcribed as printed in the source document.

Stances

Your Stance modifies your Action and Initiative.

Quick -1 to your Action. You always gain Initiative for the next round, unless your enemy won playing Quick.

Neutral No impact on your Action or Initiative.

Strong +1 to your Action. Your opponent always gains Initiative for the next round, unless they lost playing Strong.

Ranges

There are four Ranges that describe the dueling field and how far apart each combatant is from the other. Certain Ranges favor specific Items, as described in the Items section below.

• Hand: the closest, only a hand's breadth apart.
• Arm: the second closest, an arm's length apart.
• Step: the third closest, a step apart.
• Reach: the farthest, a few steps and a lunge apart.

Items

Each player has five available Item cards, but can only select two at the beginning of the combat. You keep these Items throughout the fight.

• Axe: +1 Attack vs Shields, +1 Attack and Defend in Arm Range
• Dagger: +2 Attack in Hand Range, -1 Attack and Defend in all other Ranges
• Shield: +1 all Defends, +1 to Defend against Spears. Can't be used with a Spear
• Spear: +1 Attack and Defend in Reach Range, +1 Attack against all other weapons outside of Hand Range. Can't be used with a Shield.
• Sword: +1 Attack and Defend in Step Range, +1 Attack vs Axe.

Maneuvers

Select one Maneuver before play, keep it hidden from your opponent. Maneuvers are special abilities and tricks that you can deploy once during the entire fight. Once used, they're discarded for the remainder of the duel.

Armor

Your Armor negates an incoming Wound.

You can apply Armor after the round has been resolved and a potential Wound earned, but before the beginning of the next round. Even if used, you still discard Stamina as normal.

Feint

You alter your Action or Target at the last second.

Once played, Feint allows you to swap out your played Action or Target card. It can be played at any time before Stamina is revealed and the round is resolved. Swapped cards are face up or face down matching the card they swapped with.

Second Wind

You surge forth with renewed Stamina.

You can use Second Wind at any time during a round, returning one of your discarded Stamina card of your choice. You do not have to reveal the card to your opponent.