Compile: Main 3
Compile: Main 3 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
Compile is a competitive card game where players are rogue AI competing 1-on-1 in a race to compile their 3 protocols, rewriting reality in their new image. Combine 3 protocols and test them in a battle for understanding. Wrest control by increasing the values of your lines. Use your commands to shift and flip the code. Compile all 3 of your protocols first to win.
There are 3 types of cards in the game: Protocol cards, Command cards and the Control Component. Each Protocol card has a name and an icon, which are also found on the Command cards associated to it.
Setup
Want to skip the draft? Use these protocols to get started — Player 1: Overwhelm, Momentum, Gluttony. Player 2: Ambush, Sloth, Fulcrum.
The Draft
Lay out all the Protocol cards with their "LOADING…" side up to form a draft.
- The youngest player drafts first by taking 1 protocol and placing it in front of them.
- The 2nd player then takes 2 protocols from the remaining ones, placing both protocols in front of them in the order of their choice.
- The 1st player then takes 2 protocols from the remaining ones, placing both protocols next to their first protocol in the order of their choice.
- Finally, the 2nd player takes 1 last protocol from the remaining ones, placing it next to their second protocol.
- All other protocols are returned to the box.
Protocol Anatomy
- A. Flavor Text: Short description of the protocol.
- B. Protocol Icon: Icon that represents the protocol.
- C. Protocol Name: Indicates the 6 cards belonging to the protocol.
- D. Summary: Provides a general idea of the protocol's strengths.
The Decks
Each player takes the 6 Command cards, belonging to each of their 3 protocols, and shuffles them all together, forming an 18 card deck.
The Play Area
- Each player places their protocols, "LOADING…" side up, in the center of the play area from their respective left to right in the order they were drafted. This forms the field, which is made up of 3 lines, each defined by the 2 protocols in that line.
- Each player places their deck to the side of the field, with a designated space by their deck for their trash.
- Each player draws a starting hand of 5 cards.
- Place the Control Component as shown in a neutral position (between both players) — If this is your first time playing, it's recommended not to use the Control Component (and ignore the rules marked with this icon).
Gameplay
Player Turn
The player that drafted first is the first to play. On your turn, perform the phases listed below in order:
Phases:
- Start: Your turn starts. Perform "Start" effects on your side of the field.
- Check Control (control component icon): If you have a higher total value than your opponent in at least 2 lines, you gain the Control Component (put it on your side).
- Check Compile: If you meet the conditions to compile, then you MUST compile. After you compile, skip your "Action" phase for this turn.
- Action: Play 1 card OR refresh your hand. If you don't have any cards in your hand to play, you MUST refresh your hand.
- Check Cache: If you have more than 5 cards in hand, you MUST "clear cache" by discarding down to 5 cards in hand.
- End: Perform "End" effects on your side of the field. Your turn ends.
Actions (Play OR Refresh)
Play: Play 1 card from your hand into one of your stacks. You can play your card face-up or face-down.
- Face-up: Your card must be played into the stack in the line of its matching protocol. If it has a middle command, resolve the effect(s) of that command now.
- Face-down: Your card can be played into any of your stacks. While face-down, a card has no protocol, no commands, and has a printed value of 2.
Refresh: Draw cards from the top of your deck until you have 5 cards in hand. If you do not have enough cards in your deck to fill your hand, draw what you can, then shuffle your trash to form a new deck and draw the remaining cards.
You cannot refresh if either of these situations are true: A) you have 5 or more cards in hand. B) you are unable to draw cards.
Compile
During the "Check Compile" phase, if you have a total value of 10 or greater in a line AND that value is greater than your opponent's total value in the same line, you must compile that line. When you compile a line:
- First, you delete all cards in that line (yours and your opponent's). Both players remove their cards from that line and place them in their trash.
- Then, flip your protocol in the compiled line to its "compiled" side.
If you must compile a line and your protocol is already on its "compiled" side:
- First, you delete all cards in that line (as described above).
- Then, instead of flipping your protocol, draw the top card of your opponent's deck and add it to your hand (you become the owner of that card).
Note: If you meet the requirements to compile more than one line during your turn, choose 1 of those lines to compile (you can only compile once per turn).
Victory
The first player to flip all 3 of their protocols to their "compiled" side wins.
Card Anatomy
- A. Protocol Name: Dictates which line a card can be played face-up in.
- B. Value: The value added to a player's total value in a line.
- C. Protocol Icon: Icon that represents the protocol.
- D. Top Command - Persistent: Effects that are generally ongoing or triggered. They are still visible when the card is covered.
- E. Middle Command - Immediate: Effects that become active and are resolved after the card enters play, is flipped face-up, or becomes uncovered. They are not visible when the card is covered.
- F. Bottom Command - Auxiliary: Effects that are generally ongoing or triggered. They are not visible when the card is covered.
Playing With Control
If you have the Control Component and you compile OR refresh, first:
- Place the Control Component back in its neutral position — you lose control.
- Rearrange your OR your opponent's protocols (this step is optional).
- When you rearrange protocols, they cannot change sides of the field, only positions. The cards in those protocols' lines do not move.
- Once you have followed the above steps, perform your compile or refresh.
Cards & Effects
When you play a card, it will cover the previous card in that stack. However, a covered card's protocol, value, and top command remain visible.
An effect can manipulate any card on either player's side of the field if that card is uncovered. Covered cards cannot be manipulated unless the effect mentions:
- Covered: This specifically applies to covered cards.
- All: This includes covered and uncovered cards.
- "This card": This specifically applies to the card itself. A card with a top command can apply an effect to itself even when it is covered.
Effects must be resolved when possible. If you can alter the game state (e.g. manipulate cards in field or cards in a hand/deck/trash) then you must do so.
If a command has multiple effects (sentences), each effect is resolved separately. Any subsequent effects that are triggered or become active must be resolved before resolving any remaining effects of the initial command and so on. If a card is flipped, deleted, or returned, or its command covered, any unresolved effects on that card are no longer active and cannot be applied.
If you must resolve multiple "Start" or "End" effects, or if triggered effects happen simultaneously during your turn, choose which of those commands to resolve first and resolve it. Then, choose the next command to resolve and so on.
If an effect rearranges, swaps, or requires that protocols be moved, only the protocols themselves are moved, not the cards in that protocol's line.
WARNING! When a card's effect goes against the rules, the card is always right.
General Rules
Public information: Face-up cards in the field, the number of cards in both player's hands and decks, and the cards in both players' trash are public information (the cards in your trash are placed face-up in a pile).
Note: You may privately consult the face of any face-down card on your side of field.
Card ownership: You are the owner of a card as long as it is on your side of the field or in your hand/deck/trash. If a card ever changes ownership, it retains its new ownership until the end of the game, or until its ownership changes again.
Shuffle your trash to form a new deck when:
- You must draw cards from your deck and your deck is empty.
- An effect specifically says "shuffle your trash".
If your deck is empty and an effect other than "draw", "refresh", or "shuffle your trash" involves your deck, it cannot be resolved.
Key Terms
- Delete: Move a card from the field to its owner's trash.
- Discard: Move a card from your hand to its owner's trash.
- Draw: Draw the top card from your deck and add it to your hand.
- Flip: Change the facing of a card in the field from face-down to face-up, or from face-up to face-down.
- Play: Move a card from your hand into one of your stacks. If unspecified, the card may be played face-down or face-up in the line of its matching protocol.
- Return: Move a card from the field to its owner's hand.
- Reveal: Publicly share information that was private (or hidden), then return it to its previous state without effect.
- Shift: Move a card to another stack on the same side of the field.
- Clear Cache: Discard down to 5 cards in hand.
- Compile: Delete all cards in a line and flip the protocol to its "compiled" side (if it's already been compiled, draw a card from your opponent's deck).
- Rearrange: Change the position of protocols.
- Refresh: Draw until you have 5 cards in hand.