FLAUTZ!
FLAUTZ! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Color Vision Deficiency
FLAUTZ! uses the following symbols to distinguish the 5 different card colors: blue, green, purple, pink and orange.
Goal of the Game
As a panicking apprentice each player attempts to get hold of appropriate scrolls to summon their familiars. Through exchanging cards in hand with spell cards in the center of the table, players gather either spell cards of the same color with consecutive values or spell cards of different colors with the same value.
The purpose is to have the highest rated spell with the most summoned familiars by the end of the last game round. A so called FLAUTZ! promises the best chance of winning a match and may end it prematurely. In the end, the winner of the competition is the player with the most points or the most magic crystals, depending on the mode of play.
Setup
Each player gets a random apprentice card (1) and places it face-up in front of them. The arena cards (2) are placed in the center of the table as shown and the 25 magic crystals (3) in front of them.
At the beginning of a game the starting player is the youngest apprentice at the table. They receive the spell cards (4) and after shuffling them should deal a total of 5 spell cards facedown to each player.
The starting player then places 3 face-up spell cards both on top (5) and below (6) the arena cards, while the rest of the spell cards form a facedown draw deck (4) placed in front of them to mark them as the starting player. The cards on top of the arena cards represent those scrolls that are still swirling around in the air whilst the ones below are those that have already landed on the floor.
The competition may commence!
Game Sequence
Each game is divided into several matches. For each match the following steps are resolved:
- The starting player places a magic crystal on the first arena field (A) which marks the first game round.
- Beginning with the starting player, each player in clockwise order either exchanges one of the displayed spell cards with one of the cards in their hand or passes their turn (see Focus below). The arena field shows if they may take a spell card from the floor (B), the air (C) or either of them (D). In exchange they must place one of the other cards in their hand onto the empty card location.
- At the beginning of the starting player's next turn, they move the magic crystal to the next arena field on the right which marks a new game round.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the magic crystal hits the "FLAUTZ!" field (E), at which point the current match ends and the value of each players' spells are calculated.
Calculating Spells
To win the FLAUTZ! you will need a mighty spell.
A spell always contains your apprentice card and one to five spell cards that complement each other. Complementary spell cards are either spell cards in the same color with ascending consecutive values (A) or spell cards of different colors with the same value (B).
In no case may a duplicate spell card be used.
A spell is worth the value of its starting card plus 5 points for each additional card in the spell. The spells A and B in the examples above would be worth 13 (3+5+5) and 17 (2+5+5+5) points respectively.
A player's score is calculated for each match separately. The player with the most points in a given match wins it and gains the magic crystal that has been used to track the game round on the arena cards.
FLAUTZ!
As soon as a player is able to combine all 5 of their cards into one spell, they achieve a FLAUTZ!. They may then decide to continue with the game as normal or instead, they may place their cards face-up and declare "FLAUTZ!". In the latter case each other player may take one final turn. When it returns to the player who declared FLAUTZ!, the match ends immediately and all spell values are calculated.
Straight FLAUTZ!
If a player manages to play a FLAUTZ! consisting only of cards in the same color, this is called a Straight FLAUTZ!. A Straight FLAUTZ! must immediately be placed face-up in front of the player who should declare "Straight FLAUTZ!". The current match ends immediately. All players note down their spell values while the player with the Straight FLAUTZ! gains the magic crystal that has been used to track the game round on the arena cards and one additional magic crystal from the pool.
Royal FLAUTZ!
A Royal FLAUTZ! is just like a Straight FLAUTZ! but in the same color as the player's apprentice card. A Royal FLAUTZ! must immediately be placed face-up in front of the player who should declare "Royal FLAUTZ!". The current match ends immediately. The other players receive no points while the player with the Royal FLAUTZ! scores their points normally. In addition, they gain the magic crystal that has been used to track the game round on the arena cards and two additional magic crystals from the pool.
Additional Matches
After the valuation of the spells, begin a new match until the end of the game is reached. Each time a new match begins the spell deck moves to the player on the left who then becomes the next starting player.
The Winner of the FLAUTZ!
Before starting, players should choose one of the two game modes to determine the winner of a game:
- The game ends as soon as a player manages to obtain 3 magic crystals. They will then immediately be the winner of the FLAUTZ!. In this game mode, the players do not keep track of their total points and just receive magic crystals for winning a match.
- The game ends after a predefined number of matches, e.g. after 3, 5 or more matches. In this game mode each player receives 10 additional points for each magic crystal they possess at the end of the game. The winner of the FLAUTZ! is the player with the highest total points of all matches played and their magic crystals.
Focus
Instead of exchanging cards any player may always choose instead to focus on their turn. They will need to flip their apprentice card from the character side (A) to the focus side (B) and immediately end their turn.
If a player starts their turn with the focus side of their apprentice card face-up, they must exchange any one spell card from the floor or air (depending on the current arena field) with the top spell card of the draw deck. The exchanged card should be set aside to form a discard pile.
The player then flips their apprentice card to the character side and must immediately exchange one of their cards with a valid displayed spell card (depending on the arena field). Their turn ends thereafter.
If players are still focused when a match ends, they do not receive any points at all! They were just too distracted to cast their spells in time.
Special Cards
Special cards have their own specific effects and can be used for a FLAUTZ! but may never be used for a Straight FLAUTZ! or a Royal FLAUTZ!.
Special Card: Illusion
Illusions replace a spell card. They have a fixed card value but the player can use them as any card color (blue, green, purple, orange, pink). The points for playing illusions are calculated normally and they can be used within spells of consecutive values or for spells with the same value.
Example A: In this case the illusion acts as a blue 2 and creates a blue spell with the consecutive values 1, 2, 3 and 4. This would score 16 points (1+5+5+5).
Example B: In this case the illusion acts as a green 5 and creates a spell with three 5s. This would score 15 points (5+5+5).
Special Card: Prism
Prism cards are placed at the beginning of a spell. They do not add points to the spell valuation. Instead the player chooses 2 colors (blue, green, purple, orange, pink) and may use any of their spell cards matching either of the chosen colors as the other chosen color.
Heike chooses green and blue for her prism in both examples. In example A she uses the green 2 and 3 as a blue 2 and 3 and scores a FLAUTZ! (she is able to play all 5 cards) with 16 points (1+5+5+5). In example B she uses the second green 4 as a blue 4 and creates a spell with three 4s of different colors scoring 14 points (4+5+5).