Edition Wars Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Contents
  • Gamemaster Deck
  • Play Deck
• Gameplay
• Starting the Game
• Playing the Game
• Battling
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Gameplay Example - Battle

Game Contents

The game of Edition Wars is comprised of 156 cards, separated into two decks: a small Gamemaster Deck, and a larger Play Deck.

Gamemaster Deck

• 9 Gamemaster Cards: these cards represent the roles each player will take at the start of the game. Each Gamemaster has their own unique special abilities which will impact his attack and defense Strategy.

Play Deck

• 75 Battle Cards: Comprising the majority of the Play Deck, Battle Cards are the tools used to attack and defend in the battle for Gamers in other game groups. Battle Cards are divided into three separate categories: Snark, Blog, and Merch. Each Battle Card has a basic value which is normally used, and an enhanced value that is used instead when a Gamemaster special ability or other card effect comes into play.
• 20 SWAG Cards: SWAG Cards are the "equipment" in the battlegrounds of the Edition Wars, and are laid in front of a Gamemaster to provide special abilities and enhancement to their attacks and defenses.
• 27 Critical Effect Cards: Critical Effects are cards played for "instant effects" that hinder or boost a Gamemaster's abilities in various ways. Some affect the outcome of a battle, or provide disruptive effects over a longer period of time.
• 25 Gamer Cards: Gamers are the "resources" being fought for in the Edition Wars, and the key to winning the game! Some gamers have unique abilities of their own, heavily influencing the strategy of a battle over that card.

Gameplay

Edition Wars is a cut-throat game of finding Gamers for your Game Group and (more importantly) stealing Gamers from other Gamermasters' Game Groups. Building a solid hand of Battle Cards is key, but attack wisely, or you will have few resources left to defend with. SWAG Cards and Critical Effects can also shift the tide of a battle in unexpected ways.

Remember, the Edition Wars battleground is home to many twists and turns! The first Gamemaster to assemble a Game Group of six Gamers wins the game, and declares their edition of the game supreme.

Starting the Game

• Shuffle the Gamemaster Deck and deal a random Gamemaster role card to each player. This is your Gamemaster role for the game. (Alternatively, your group may decide to select Gamemaster roles.) The rest of the Gamemaster Deck is set aside for the remainder of the game.
• Shuffle the Play Deck and deal 4 cards to each player. Any Gamer cards in your hand must always be placed in front of you immediately. Any SWAG Cards may be placed in front of you, though you may choose to hold onto SWAG Cards and play them on a later turn. The rest of the Play Deck becomes the Draw Pile, and is placed within easy reach of all players. (A Discard Pile will also form next to the Draw Pile, once cards are discarded or used.)
• The Gamemaster with the fewest Gamer cards in their Game Group goes first. If there is a tie, the player with the largest RPG book collection goes first. Play proceeds in a clockwise direction from the starting player.

Playing the Game

• Start your turn by drawing 2 cards from the Draw Pile. (Remember, if you draw a Gamer card, it must be laid in front of you immediately.)
• Optionally, you may play any number of SWAG Cards from your hand face-up in front of you, into your "SWAG Pile." Your SWAG Pile cannot exceed 4 cards, but you may freely discard existing SWAG to bring your limit down to 4 again. (Discarding SWAG Cards in this manner does not activate their abilities for a subsequent battle.)
• Optionally, you may then choose to battle another Gamemaster for possession of one of their Gamers. Battling rules are detailed below. You may only initiate one battle on your turn.
• At the end your turn, you may not have more than 7 cards in your hand, meaning you may need to discard cards of your choice from your hand to the Discard Pile.
• If the Draw Pile is ever depleted, immediately shuffle the Discard Pile and return it to the Draw Pile.
• At any time, if a player counts 6 Gamers in their Game Group, they have won the game!

Battling

Battle occurs through the use of the three types of Battle Cards (Snark, Blog, and Merch). Each battle card has a basic value in large print and an enhanced value in smaller print to the upper right of the basic value. All Battle Cards use their basic value, unless Gamemaster Special Abilities, Critical Effects, or SWAG Cards in play say otherwise. When choosing to battle another Gamemaster for one of their Gamers, the following steps occur:

• Name the defending Gamemaster and the Gamer you wish to battle for.
• Lay one or more cards from your hand face-down on the table. The defending Gamemaster can then choose to lay one or more Battle Cards from their hand face up in response.
  • The attacker's hand is turned over, and the attacker and defender must then declare which type of Battle Card they are using in the battle (Snark, Blog, or Merch). Only the declared type is used, all other cards are discarded immediately. (This means that an attacker can actually bluff by laying down Battle Cards that are never intended to be used in the battle – or SWAG and Critical Effect cards that can't be used in the battle – with the hopes of scaring the defender away from playing any cards at all.)
  • The values of the attacker's Battle Cards and defender's Battle Cards are compared, and if the attacker wins – they have stolen the Gamer! The card is immediately added to their Play Group, and all Battle Cards and Critical Effect cards used in the battle are discarded.
  • If the defender wins, the Gamer stays in their Game Group and all Battle Cards and Critical Effect cards used in the battle are discarded. The defending Gamemaster may always choose to lay down no cards – in which case their defense value is automatically zero. The Defender wins ties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Some situations may not be readily apparent in the rules. Here are some unusual questions and answers you might come across when you play:

• What happens if someone draws 4 Gamer cards for their starting hand, then draws 2 more for their first turn? Do they win? This is an extremely rare occurrence. Remember, the player with the fewest Gamers goes first. That means that ALL players would have to draw 4 Gamers for their starting hand, AND THEN the first player would have to draw 2 more Gamer cards to make this scenario happen. If it does... then that player has won. Smile, pat him on the back, give him a thumb's up, a way-to-go and 2 at-a-boys. Then re-shuffle and play again.
• What happens if 2 Critical Effect cards are played on a battle, and they provide completely opposite effects? This can happen quite a bit. For example, Server Crash and Free Wi-Fi! can be played during the same battle, or Cat Piss Man and Booth Babes. If this happens, the two effects completely cancel each other out.
• If I'm attacking in a battle and I bluff by laying a Critical Effect or SWAG Card face down, do I get the benefit of those cards when they are flipped? Nope. You never actually played those cards. They are discarded without effect. Better hope your bluff worked...
• If I'm attacking in a battle and I lay down no battle cards at all, just some Critical Effects or SWAG face-down to scare the defender off, and the defender lays down nothing... then we both have a battle value of zero. Who wins? The defender wins ties. Even when the battle is tied zero-zero. Unless the attacker is the Gamer Grrrl, of course (who always wins ties). In which case, this can be quite a sound attack strategy.

Gameplay Example - Battle

In the iconic layout below, three players are staking their claims in the Edition Wars! Player 2 is close winning the game, as he is only one Gamer away from a complete Game Group. Player 1 attempts to steal one of Player 2's Gamers on his turn by declaring a battle. The Gamer in contention is moved forward for the duration of the battle, and both players have laid their battle cards for attack and defense. Player 1 has laid 2 cards, hoping to guarantee a win; Player 2 only has one Battle Card to play, but throws a Critical Effect into the mix to alter the values of his opponent's cards!

The layout diagram that accompanies this example is not reproduced here.