Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What Is Going On?
In this game, you and a friend are rival necromancers, summoning a team of undead fighters to compete in the Day of the Dead Games.
Each turn, you raise a new fighter to the field then go down the line comparing power totals.
Winners score points while losers are flipped face down.
Don't give up on the losers just yet, they come back to life again next turn.
But if you hate to see the same guy go down over and over again, you can pull him out of line and turn him into a spirit. Spirits are powerful allies that make all of your fighters stronger and even let you replace less desirable ones.
At the end of six turns, the cleverest necromancer is declared the SUPER GRAND MASTER!
Before You Play
Make sure you have all of this stuff ready to go. Nothing is worse than playing a game with missing stuff.
Included in the Game:
- 2 - Red Player 1 counters
- 2 - Blue Player 2 counters
- 1 - Purple Priority counter
- 1 - Score Board
- 36 - Double cards (black backs)
- 36 - Power Up cards (gray backs)
- 36 - Unearth cards (white backs)
Also Needed:
- 2 - Players
- 30 - Minutes
How to Set It Up
Shuffle the Double, Power Up, and Unearth decks separately and deal both players 3 cards from each deck.
Put the Player counters on the score board at 0 and 00. One of you is red and the other is blue.
Randomly decide who goes first and give that player the Priority counter.
Leave space for the playing field. If you hate written instructions as much as I do, turn the page and look at the picture. Your setup should match it.
(The setup diagram shows the Score Board with the Player counters, each player's hand, their decks with discard piles, the Priority counter, and the space for the game. The diagram itself is a picture and is not reproduced in text form.)
The Fighters
Active (Face Up)
This is the face up, or active, side of a card. It represents one of your goofy, undead characters that hopefully will clobber the other guy. Fighters have a power value and an effect that can range from a small bonus to a massive, game-changing effect like changing your opponent's cards. If a fighter wins a fight for you, you will score victory points equal to his printed power value. Typically, the cards with lower printed power values have stronger effects, and the cards with higher printed values may even have drawbacks to compensate for their potential victory point gains.
(The card diagram labels the card's Power, Name, and Effect.)
Fallen (Face Down)
The face down, or fallen side of your fighter has one of three card backs, Double, Power Up, or Unearth. On a normal fallen fighter, these backs don't matter, but when one of these cards is your spirit it means you have a potentially game-deciding bonus at work.
Spirit Effects: Double
Double makes you use all of your fighters' effects twice in a fight. This can be a huge benefit, particularly with fighters that have dramatic effects. Be warned, you have to use your effect twice so double can make effects that are drawbacks far worse.
Double Example
Anger's effect gives it +5 power for this fight. If you have double out, you'd get to use this effect twice, so it would be +5 for this fight, then an additional +5 power for this fight. +5+5=a total bonus of +10 power for this fight.
Spirit Effects: Power Up
Power up gives all of your fighters +2 power while in a fight. This is the most consistent spirit effect, and turns even matchups into decisive victories.
Power Up Example
Oaf has no effect because he's, well, an oaf. Double would be completely useless for him, but Power Up is quite helpful. +2 Power helps to shore up his already sizeable 7 power, giving him 9 total power in a fight. If your opponent has a 9 power fighter, you just won a normally unfavorable matchup.
Spirit Effects: Unearth
Unearth lets you replace your least favorite card. As soon as you get this spirit, you pick one of your cards in play that you don't like, and look at the top 3 cards of the deck with the matching back. Choose 1 of those 3 cards to replace the card you selected to Unearth. Discard the card you Unearthed as well as the 2 unused cards. The new card enters play in the same state as the old one, so if the replaced card was your spirit, a fallen fighter, or an active fighter, the new card will enter play in the same spot and in the same way (fallen or active). Unearth is the most challenging spirit.
Unearth Example
Let's say Oaf isn't doing his job and he never seems to win. Even with a Power Up spirit, that 7+2 Power isn't getting me anywhere. So I tell my opponent playtime is over and I'm Unearthing Oaf. I draw 3 cards from the Double deck (because that's where that terrible card came from). The first 2 cards I draw are so useless I hallucinate and assume they're more Oafs. But the third card I draw is Nemesis, how lucky! Its effect lets me win the fight, no questions asked. So I put Oaf and his ugly cousins in the discard pile and Nemesis takes his spot in line. My opponent weeps.
How to Play
Turn Order
- Summoning: when you bring new cards to the field.
- Fighting: when your fighters get to work.
- Rewards: when you gain victory points.
Summoning
1. A New Slot Opens
Each turn a new slot opens up on the field for both players. On the first turn, each player takes a card from their hand and places it as a fallen fighter in this new slot. On each turn after that, they will take their current spirit card and place it there.
2. Play a New Card
Fighters start their undeath as spirits, face down and slightly below the field. Spirits are also rotated 90 degrees to show that they are special.
When considering what card to play, remember that you can only have 2 cards of each back in play. On turn 6, the final turn, you are allowed to break this rule and choose whatever card back you want.
3. The Field Becomes Active
Flip all cards on the field face up (except for your spirit, it's not on the field though it's watching with considerable interest). If any player chose an Unearth card to be their spirit, they resolve this effect now. Then you're ready to fight!
Summoning Example
Let's pretend it's turn 1. I'm red and the other guy is blue. I have priority because I said so. The first slot becomes available (1). Normally, you'd take the card that was your spirit last turn (it would be located at S) and place it here, but since we haven't been playing that long take a card from your hand and put it face down. I've selected my old pal, Oaf (Double back). It looks like my opponent has selected a card with an Unearth back.
Play a New Card, Example
Having bothered to read my own rules, I've decided Power Up is a good spirit for Oaf. My opponent has chosen Double.
The Field Becomes Active, Example
Time to show my opponent Oaf! Unfortunately, my opponent is playing Anger which usually beats Oaf.
Fighting
Fights resolve one by one, starting with the newest slot and going to the oldest. Fights are 1 on 1 affairs and follow rigid rules. Be aware of what spirits each player has, as they will affect the outcome of each fight.
1. Use Effects
Starting with the player who has the Priority counter, both fighters use their effects. Fighters must use their effects if able. If a player has a Double card as their spirit, they use their fighter's effect, then immediately use it again.
2. Add Up the Power
Add on the printed power of each fighter to any bonuses they may have accumulated via effects or spirits (Remember, if a player has a Power Up card as their spirit, they will get +2 power this fight).
3. Compare Power
The higher-powered fighter is declared winner (in the event of a tie, both fighters are considered winners) and stays active. The lower-powered fighter is declared the loser and flips face down, becoming fallen.
4. The Loser May Become a Spirit
If your fighter lost its fight this turn and you want to try something new, you can pull it from line and turn it into a spirit. To do this:
- Pull your fallen fighter out of its slot on the field.
- Move all your fighters that fought before it down one slot in line to fill the gap.
- Place your previous spirit in the new empty slot in the line.
- Your fallen fighter becomes the new spirit. If your new spirit is an Unearth card, use it now.
5. Move on to the Next Fight
Fighting Example
Before you guys ditched me to learn more rules, I played an Oaf and my opponent played an Anger. Now it's time to fight.
1. Use Effects: Since I have the priority counter, I have to use my effect first. Oaf has no effect, so I chose to cry instead. Now my opponent gets to go. Since he/she/it has Double, they get +5 for this fight, then an additional +5 power for this fight. I cry harder.
2. Add Up the Power: Thanks to Power Up, I have 7+2=9 power. My opponent has 3+5+5=13 power, which is totally fair. I cry hardest.
3. Compare Power: Since 13>9, Anger wins and Oaf has fallen. I bang my head on the table, but my opponent just shrugs.
4. The Loser May Become a Spirit: Sure, why not? First, I pull Oaf out. Since there are no other fighters, I don't have to move anyone down to fill the void Oaf left in my life. Then my Power Up card takes Oaf's place in line, and hopefully it will do a better job for me (it won't, it's another Oaf). Now I have a Double spirit, not that it really matters since there aren't any other fights this turn.
The Loser May Become a Spirit, Example
Since turn 1 is pretty simple, let's try a harder conversion, say turn 5. I'm switching to numbers for this example, so be careful. Once again I'm red and my Turn 3 slot just lost. I want it to become my new spirit. Here goes nothing...
- I pull 3 out from the field.
- I fill the gap by moving down 4 and 5.
- I place my previous spirit in the empty slot at the end of the line.
- 3 becomes the new spirit, done!
(The example's before-and-after slot diagrams are pictures and are not reproduced in text form.)
Rewards
Once all the fights have occurred, it's time to reward yourself.
1. Score Victory Points
Each player scores victory points equal to the printed power values on their active fighters. Fallen cards score no points. Use the score board to keep track of it all.
2. Pass Priority
The player who currently has the priority counter passes it to the other player. Next turn, that player will be able to use their effects first. This turn is now over!
Winning
At the end of 6 turns, a winner is declared. Whoever has the most victory points is that amazing person!
Keywords
Some fighters have keywords because I was too lazy to copy and paste the same thing over and over again, and you're probably too lazy to read it over and over again.
Dig
Draw a card, then discard a card with the same back from your hand.
Unearth
Functions just like the spirit ability.