Deca Slayer

Deca Slayer Rulebook

Table of Contents

72 Hero Cards
16 Monster Cards
24 Treasure Cards
10 Guild Cards (for Advanced Rules)
1 Rule Manual

Contents (Cards)

Hero Card. Various heroes such as warriors and wizards who stood up to save the kingdom from the monsters. Each hero has a type (either Melee, Ranged, or Magic) which represents their field of expertise and Battle Power.

[Type] & [Battle Power]. The card type represents what form of combat the hero excels in, and the Battle Power represents how skilled the hero actually is in that area. The larger the number, the more adapt the Hero is at that type of combat.
[Name]. The Name is the hero's job.

Monster Card. The monsters terrorizing the kingdom. They all have different Defeat Conditions (how players beat them).

[Name]. The name of the monster.
[Defeat]. This is how the player can defeat this monster. The players need to play Hero Cards of the specified Type following the described procedure.
[Placement]. This is how the players are ranked when this monster is defeated. Players with higher rankings obtain more treasures, while players with lower rankings get to recruit new heroes first.
[Special]. Special rules, only found on the Dragon.

Treasure Card. A wide variety of treasures hoarded by the monsters. Each treasure is worth a certain amount of VP, and the goal of the game is to collect as much VP as you can. Some treasures also have effects.

[Victory Points]. The value of the treasure. The more VP a treasure is worth, the more fame your guild acquires. The player with the most VP at the end of the game is the winner.
[Name]. The name of the treasure.
[Special Effect]. A special effect which you activate by obtaining the treasure. Some of these are negative effects.
[Face-up/Face-down]. After obtaining the Treasure Card, place it in front of you either face-up or face-down.

Guild Card (Advanced Rules). These cards represent the guild each player manages. Each guild has their individual strengths and provide various bonuses in that area.

[Name]. The guild's name.
[Bonus effect]. The effects players gain from the guild.

Game Preparation

Making a Hero Deck. Deal 1 Hero Card to each player. Shuffle all remaining Hero Cards (including the remaining ) into a single deck and place it face-down. This composes the Hero Deck.

Making a Monster Deck. Shuffle all Monster Cards except for the (there should be 15 in total), and stack 9 of them face-down on top of the (so the is at the bottom of the stack). This pile is called the Monster Deck. Remove the 6 remaining Monster Cards from the game face-down. Those cards are not used during this game.

Making a Treasure Deck. Shuffle all 24 Treasure Cards into a single deck and place it face-down. This is called the Treasure Deck.

Place Monsters and Treasures on the Field. Reveal 3 cards from the top of the Monster Deck and place them on the field face-up (in a vertical row, in the order they were revealed). Take 6 cards from the top of the Treasure Deck and place 2 of them face-down next to each monster. Reveal 1 of those 2 cards for each monster.

Dealing Hands. Deal 4 cards to each player from the Hero Deck. Each player starts the game with those 4 cards and a Guild Master as their hand. Players must keep the contents of their hand hidden from other players.

Decide the Starting Player. Decide the Starting player in any random fashion. Players can use one of the unused guild cards as the first player marker. At this point, players should all be ready for the game.

Game Flow: Rounds

This game is comprised of 10 rounds. In each round, players battle with a certain monster. The rounds proceed as shown below.

Set up Opponent Monster and Reveal Treasures
Reveal Heroes
Defeating the Monster
Placement and Obtaining Treasures
Recruitment (Hero Card)
End the Round

1. Set up Opponent Monster and Reveal Treasures

The Monster Card at the top of the row (the First Monster Card to be revealed from the Monster Deck) is this round's opponent. Turn any face-down treasures next to that monster face-up. Move the Monster Card and its treasures away from the rest to make it clear that it is the opponent monster of the round.

2. Reveal Heroes

Reveal the specified number of cards from the Hero Deck according to the number of players (check the table below) and lay them out face-up.

Number of Players	3	4	5	6
Number of Cards	4	6	8	10

These Hero Cards are the heroes you can recruit during this round. When the Hero Deck runs out of cards, shuffle the Hero Card discard pile into a new Hero Deck.

3. Defeat the Monster

Each player plays Hero Cards from their hand in order to defeat the opponent Monster Card. The type of Hero you need to defeat the monster is specified on the Monster Card. Check P12 [Game Flow: Defeating the Monster] for details. All Hero Cards played in this step are discarded. Place the discarded cards in a pile next to the Hero Deck.

4. Placement and Obtaining Treasures

After defeating the monster, evaluate each player's actions and rank them. How placement is determined is described on each Monster Card. Check P13 [Game Flow: Placement and Obtaining Treasures] for details. The player who was ranked 1st chooses one of the 2 treasures next to the monster and adds it to their hand. The player ranked 2nd obtains the remaining treasure. Once treasures are obtained, some are placed face-down while others are placed face-up. Follow the description on the card.

5. Recruitment (Hero Card)

Each player chooses one (or more if specified otherwise) of the Hero Cards revealed during step 2. Reveal Heroes step and adds it to their hand. Players recruit heroes in reverse order of their ranking (the player with the lowest rank picks first). Players who ranked 3rd or lower choose 2 cards and add them to their hand.

[Important] The 1st and 2nd players (players who obtained treasures) can only add 1 Hero Card to their hand during the Recruitment step.

Excepted Situations. After 5. Recruitment, players with 2 or less cards in their hand can draw cards from the Hero Deck until they have 3 cards in their hand. Players with 9 or more cards must discard cards until they have 8 cards in their hand.

Recruitment Procedure in Detail. Below is the procedure for drawing/discarding Hero Cards in detail.

The player with the lowest rank carries out recruitment in a normal fashion.
If they have 2 or less cards in their hand, they draw cards until they have 3 cards in their hand.
If they have 9 or less cards in their hand, they discard cards until they have 8 cards in their hand.

Each player carries out the process in the reverse order of their ranking.

Source note: the printed manual says "9 or more cards" in the Excepted Situations paragraph and "9 or less cards" in step 3 of the detailed procedure. The Excepted Situations wording is transcribed as printed; step 3 is transcribed as printed too. The two passages conflict, and "9 or more" is the reading that matches the 8-card hand limit.

6. End the Round

Discard the defeated Monster Card and place it face-up next to the Monster Deck. Then, draw a new card from the Monster Deck and place it face-up at the bottom of the row of monsters. Draw 2 Treasure Cards from the Treasure Deck and place them next to the new Monster Card face-down (in the same fashion as the other monsters). Turn 1 of those 2 Treasure Cards face-up.

Skip this procedure from the 8th round forward (as the Monster Deck runs out of cards).

Start a New Round

Begin a new round, starting over from step 1. Set up Opponent Monster and Reveal Treasures. The player who ranked 1st becomes the starting player of the new round. Give the Starting player marker to the new starting player.

Game Flow: Defeating the Monster

A Monster Card's [Defeat] specifies the Type of Hero Card (Melee, Ranged, or Magic) necessary to defeat the monster. There are 4 ways to play Hero Cards when defeating monsters.

Sequential Play. Beginning with the starting player in clockwise order, each player takes a turn playing the specified number/types of Hero Cards. Cards are played face-up. If players cannot or do not wish to play a Hero Card, they must skip their turn.

Continuous Play. Beginning with the starting player in clockwise order, each player takes turns playing a Hero Card of the specified type. Cards are played face-up. Players cannot play Hero Cards other than the specified type. If players cannot or do not wish to play a Hero Card, they must skip their turn. Repeat the procedure until all players skip their turn.

Simultaneous Play. Each player plays the specified Type of Hero Card face-down, then flip their cards face-up.

Play All. Each player plays all their Hero Cards at once. Cards are played face-up.

[Important] You may always play a Hero Card with a different type than the type specified on the Monster Card (except for when playing under [Defeat] Continuous Play rules). However, the Battle Power of such cards is treated as 0. Some Hero Cards have multiple types. When in play, such Hero Cards are treated as the type specified by the current opponent monster. For example, if a Melee/Ranged hero was played in battle against a Defeat: Melee monster, the hero is treated as a Melee hero. It cannot be treated as Ranged hero (which in this case, would be a Hero Card with 0 Battle Power).

Game Procedure: Placement and Obtaining Treasures

How much of a role the Hero Card(s) played in the defeat of the monster determines player placement. Player rankings affect whether a player obtains a treasure and in what order they can recruit new heroes. Players are evaluated and ranked each time they defeat a monster (Remember: players cannot tie). The contribution of each player is evaluated in 3 ways.

Total Power. Players are ranked by the total Battle Power of the Hero Cards they played during that round. The player with the largest total power ranks 1st, the player after that 2nd, and so on. If there is a tie, the player who had the earlier turn (counting clockwise from the starting player) ranks higher. When calculating the Battle Power of a Hero Card with multiple types, refer to the power of the type specified by the monster to that player's power total.

Highest Minimum. Players are ranked by the Battle Power of their weakest Hero Card (which they played that round). The player with the most powerful weakest hero ranks 1st, the player after that 2nd, and so on. For example, if player A had played a Power 6 hero and power 5 hero, while Player B had played a power 9 hero and power 4 hero, player A ranks higher than player B because their weaker hero is more powerful than that of Player B. If there is a tie, the player who had the earlier turn (counting clockwise from the starting player) ranks higher. When calculating the Battle Power of a Hero Card with multiple types, refer the power of the type specified by the monster.

Last Man Standing. Players are ranked by how long the kept playing cards without passing their turn. The final person to pass their turn ranks 1st, the person before that 2nd, and so on.

Game Flow: Example of a Round

The opponent monster of this round was a . The players will compete with each other by 1. [Simultaneous Play] of 1 Magic type hero, and 2. [Sequential Play] of any number of Melee type heroes. Placement is determined by [Total Power], so players are ranked in order of their heroes' total Battle Power.

The treasures hoarded by the were (VP 8) and <Marksman's Bow> (VP 5).

First, each player played 1 Magic type Hero Card from their hand, face-up.

The results were:

Player A (starting player): 8
Player B: 8
Player C: (non-matching type) 0

Both player A and B are all set for battle, but that does not seem to be the case for C.

Next, each of them took turns (starting with Player A) playing any number of Melee type heroes.

Player A plays (6) and (3). Combined with the , their total power at this point was 8+6+3, so 17.

Player B plays (5) and (4). Player B also had the treasure which gives their Melee type heroes +1 Battle Power, so the total power of Player B's heroes (including Guild Master) was 8+5+1+4+1, so 19 (note that was a Magic type hero and did not gain bonus power).

Player C did not play any Magic type heroes, yet he played 2 (8) cards and 1 (10) all at once. The total power reached a whopping 26 (0+8+8+10)! As the placement evaluation method described on the is [Total Power], C ranked 1st with 26, B ranked 2nd with 19, and A ranked 3rd with 17.

C got to pick one of the 2 treasures, then B took the other.

C ended up choosing <Marksman's Bow> as it has a powerful effect despite being worth less VP, and B obtained the leftover (VP).

After the players collect treasures, they can recruit new heroes. Player A, who ranked 3rd and couldn't obtain a Treasure Card recruited 2 heroes, while Players B and C only recruit 1 hero. As C had played multiple cards this turn, there were less than 3 cards in their hand even after recruiting a new hero, so he drew 2 cards from the Hero Deck (making the total number of cards in their hand 3).

End of the Game

After finishing the 10th round (after defeating all monsters in the Monster Deck), the game is over. All players flip their face-down Treasure Cards face-up. The player with the highest total VP wins the game. If there is a tie, the player with more Treasure Cards wins the game. If there still is a tie, all those players win.

Other Rules

Battle Power Modifiers are Always Applied. The Battle Power modifiers provided by Treasure Cards and Guild Cards are always applied. For example, if a player has a treasure which adds +1 to your card's Battle Power, the bonus is always applied as long as the conditions are fulfilled.

Modifiers Accumulate. Battle Power modifiers provided by Treasure Cards and Guild Cards accumulate. If a player has 2 different treasures which provide +1 bonuses, the player gains a total +2 bonus.

Non-matching Types and Modifiers. If a player plays a Hero Card with a different type than the type specified by the current opponent monster, treat the final Battle Power (after all modifiers have been applied) of that hero as 0. For example, if player who has (+1 to Magic type Hero Cards) plays a Magic type hero against a monster specified as [Defeat: Melee], the Battle Power of the Hero is treated as 0 (not 0+1). To put it simply, the final Battle Power of non-matching type heroes will always be 0.

Supplements Concerning [Play All]. Players must play all their Hero Cards against the at once, following its [Play All] rules. If heroes have multiple types, the player must choose one of those types to reference when calculating Battle Power. For example, if a player plays a , the value referenced when calculating that player's total power is 8 and not 24 (the total of all 3 Battle Powers).

Public Information. The number of cards in the Hero Deck, the number of cards in a player's hand, and the number and contents of cards in the discard pile are all public information. Any player can check this information at any time during the game. However, do not stall or take an excessive amount of time in confirming this information.

Optional Rules: Princess

The Hero Card is a promo card. It is advised to remove from the game when playing Deca-Slayer for the first time. Try including after players are more familiar with the game. The cards add a surprising amount of depth to the game.

About . can be played by itself, or with another card. In the latter case, is not counted as a card (it can be played even if the monster specifies players to play 1 hero) and adds +5 to the Battle Power of what it was played with (in this case, loses its own Battle Power). However, if the other card is not the type specified by the opponent monster, the bonus +5 power is lost as well. When playing following the [Defeat: Simultaneous Play] rules, you may play it stacked neatly with another card or while hiding your cards with your hand in order to keep your opponents from noticing that you played (sadly, there is no way to hide the number of cards in your hand).

Please note that while 1 card has a special effect and the other is blank, both are exactly the same card and have the same effect. The advised number of cards is 1, but players can play with 2 if they wish.

Optional Rules: Guild Cards (Advanced Rules)

During game preparation, randomly distribute 1 Guild Card to each player. Each player places their Guild Card in front of them face-up. Players may use an unused Guild Card as the starting player marker. Remove all remaining Guild Cards from the game. Those Guild cards will not be used during the game. Each Guild Card provides a set of unique bonus effects which add a whole new level of strategy and complexity to the game.

General Strategy

The most important thing in Deca-Slayer is to collect treasures efficiently. Try to lay low when other players are racing against each other and wait for the perfect moment to strike. Unpopular treasures are another good target, as you will likely have little competition. Always try to make the best out of the least resources.
To be more specific, you need to plan out how to play through the 10 rounds of the game: when to play offensively and when to hold out, when to play multiple cards and when to save resources. In order to map things out in such manner, you really need to keep an eye on all the cards in play as well as the actions of other players in general.
If you obtain a Treasure Card which gives you extra benefits such as the you should try to utilize it as much as you can. However, the effectiveness of such treasures often depends on the cards in play, so relying on a treasure too heavily can be dangerous.

Cards

Hero Cards

The Hero deck contains 70+2 Hero Cards. Each card is shown as Name (Melee/Ranged/Magic Battle Power).

Guild Master (8/8/8) x6
Sword Master (10/—/—) x2
Paladin (9/—/—) x2
Knight (8/—/—) x2
Berserker (7/—/—) x3
Warrior (6/—/—) x3
Fighter (5/—/—) x3
Sniper (—/10/—) x2
Ninja (—/9/—) x2
Assassin (—/8/—) x2
Ranger (—/7/—) x3
Archer (—/6/—) x3
Scout (—/5/—) x3
Archmage (—/—/10) x2
Wizard (—/—/9) x3
Sorcerer (—/—/8) x3
Warlock (—/—/7) x3
Priest (—/—/6) x4
Cleric (—/—/5) x4
Bard (4/4/—) x3
Troubadour (4/—/4) x3
Minstrel (—/4/4) x3
Jester (3/3/3) x6

The following cards are promos. Exchange these cards with the same number of cards, or just add them to the deck.

Princess (5/5/5) x2 (1 of them have no text). You can play this card with other Hero Cards. If you do, this card doesn't counted as 1 card.

Monster Cards

The Monster deck contains 16 Monster Cards (1 copy each).

Dragon. [Defeat] Play All. Placement: Total Power. [Special] The player who ranked 1st obtains this card. Treat this card as a Treasure Card worth 5 VP.
Lich. [Defeat] Sequentially play 1 Ranged Hero Card; Sequentially play 1 Melee Hero Card; Sequentially play 1 Magic Hero Card. Placement: Highest Minimum.
Demon. [Defeat] Simultaneously play 1 Magic Hero Card; Sequentially play any number (including 0) of Melee Hero Cards. Placement: Total Power.
Cyclops. [Defeat] Simultaneously play 1 Magic Hero Card; Sequentially play any number (including 0) of Ranged Hero Cards. Placement: Total Power.
Vampire. [Defeat] Simultaneously play 1 Magic Hero Card; Sequentially play up to 1 Magic Hero Card. Placement: Total Power.
Hydra. [Defeat] Sequentially play 1 Magic Hero Card; Sequentially play 1 Melee Hero Card. Placement: Total Power.
Basilisk. [Defeat] Sequentially play 1 Magic Hero Card; Sequentially play 1 Ranged Hero Card. Placement: Total Power.
Gazer. [Defeat] Sequentially play 1 Melee Hero Card and 1 Ranged Hero Card. Placement: Highest Minimum.
Troll. [Defeat] Sequentially play 1 Melee Hero Card and 1 Magic Hero Card. Placement: Highest Minimum.
Wyvern. [Defeat] Sequentially play 1 Ranged Hero Card and 1 Magic Hero Card. Placement: Highest Minimum.
Golem. [Defeat] Continuously play Melee Hero Cards. Placement: Last Man Standing.

Treasure Cards

The Treasure deck contains 24 Treasure Cards (1 each).

Riches. VP: 1 to 12 (1 each). Face-Down. No effect.
Hero's War Banner. VP: 1. Face-Up. Your Hero Cards gain +1 Magic/Melee/Ranged Battle Power. (Bonus not applied when Hero Card does not have the specified type)
Far-seeking Crystal. VP: 2. Face-Up. You can look at a face-down treasure next to a monster at any time during the game.
Alluring Scroll. VP: 3. Face-Down. When you obtain this Treasure Card draw 2 cards from the Hero Deck.
Anima Staff. VP: 4. Face-Up. Your Hero Cards gain +1 Magic Battle Power. (Bonus not applied when Hero Card does not have the specified type)
Legendary Sword. VP: 5. Face-Up. Your Hero Cards gain +1 Melee Battle Power. (Bonus not applied when Hero Card does not have the specified type)
Marksman's Bow. VP: 5. Face-Up. Your Hero Cards gain +1 Ranged Battle Power. (Bonus not applied when Hero Card does not have the specified type)
Twin Star Gemstone. VP: 6. Face-Down. If you have 2 , this Treasure Card is worth 10 VP. (total 20 VP)
Twin Star Gemstone. VP: 6. Face-Down. If you have 2 , this Treasure Card is worth 10 VP.
Gloves of Charisma. VP: 7. Face-Up. You can have up to 9 cards in your hand.
Mysterious Doll. VP: 8. Face-Up. After recruiting heroes, you may discard this Treasure Card and draw 3 cards from the Hero Deck.

Guild Cards

The Guild deck contains 10 Guild Cards (1 each).

Fighters' Guild. Your Hero Cards gain +1 Melee Battle Power. (Bonus not applied when Hero Card does not have the specified type)
Thieves' Guild. Your Hero Cards gain +1 Ranged Battle Power. (Bonus not applied when Hero Card does not have the specified type)
Mages' Guild. Your Hero Cards gain +1 Magic Battle Power. (Bonus not applied when Hero Card does not have the specified type)
Royal Regulars. Gain 3 VP. When determining placement after defeating a monster, you can choose to be ranked higher than a player even if the Total Power/Highest Minimum values were a tie.
Royal Intelligence. You can look at a face-down treasure next to a monster at any time during the game.
Mercenaries' Guild. After recruiting heroes, you may discard a Treasure Card and draw 2 cards from the Hero Deck. (Once per round)
Adventurers' Guild. Draw 3 cards from the Hero Deck at the beginning of the game.
Merchants' Guild. Each of your Treasure Cards are worth 1 more VP.
Alchemy Guild. At the end of the game, you can discard 1 Treasure Card and draw a new card from the Treasure Deck. (Once per game)
Performers' Guild. After defeating a monster, you can return 1 , , or you played this round to your hand.