Football Stars: Jogo de Cartas Ilustradas Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The Game Table
• Card Types
  • Players
  • Fan Group (Claque)
  • Plays (Defence, Cut, Pass and Shot)
  • Tactic
  • Coach
  • Contract
  • Gym
  • President
  • Agent
  • Supporter (Adepto)
  • Scout
  • Injury
  • Doctor
• Phases of the Game
• Preparing the Deck
• Getting Started
• Concepts
  • Starting Eleven
  • Star Players
  • Lion Players
  • Physical Training (Putting Players in the Gym)
  • Injury
  • Captain and Champion
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • Timing Conflicts
  • Contract
  • Discard Pile
  • Versatile Players
• Summary

Introduction

Football Stars is a card game for 2 to 6 players. The ideal number of players is 2 to 4.

The game is played with a single deck that has fixed cards and optional cards. Some cards in the basic deck can be swapped for cards from the expansion packs.

The deck is made up of team cards (players, coaches and tactics), condition cards (gyms, fan groups, contracts and injuries) and action cards (characters and plays). Certain requirements must be met to build the deck if expansion pack cards are used (see Preparing the Deck).

The game is played in turns, and each turn has 3 phases:

• Training
• Confrontation
• Regroup

There are different zones on the table, and each type of card has a suitable time and zone in which it can be played.

To win, you must form a Starting Eleven, with a coach and a tactic. To form the Starting Eleven you need player cards, and you win further players by winning confrontations.

In a confrontation between players, the one with more points in the comparison of attributes wins. There are 3 attributes, and they are assessed one by one. The player who is superior in more attributes wins the confrontation.

There are action cards (plays) that can be played to add points to each attribute in dispute.

There are also cards that increase attributes, namely fan groups (played in the dressing room) and whether the player is a captain or a champion.

Teammates in the same sector can also help in confrontations.

In case of a tie, the player who has a fan group card wins. If both have one, the player of higher level wins; if the level is the same, or if neither has a fan group card, the player with the lower card number wins the confrontation.

Diagram labels: attributes, position, card number, champion, captain.

Author's note: Attributes were given values from 1 to 3. Technique is the player's ability to control and play the ball. Strength was assigned not only for the player's power, commitment and energy, but also taking into account how prone the player is to injury. Tactics was assigned according to vision of the game, positioning on the field, the ability to get free of marking, and how the player interprets the coach's tactics. Classifying players accurately on a scale of 1 to 3 is very difficult; not everyone is likely to agree with the values assigned, but a factor to keep in mind is also the playability of this card game.

The Game Table

Bench. This is where player cards are played.

Dressing Room. This is where the cards that support players are played, namely fan group and gym cards, and also coaches and tactics.

Training Pitch (Confrontation Zone). This is where players confront each other to compare attributes.

Discard Pile. This is where cards discarded during the Regroup phase go, and where action cards go after they are played. No player may look through the discard pile unless they play a card that allows it (see card types: Scout).

Deck. This holds the cards not yet in play; players draw from it to refill their hand in the Regroup phase.

Diagram labels: Dressing Room, Bench, Discard Pile, Training Pitch (Confrontation Zone), Deck; card placements for tactic, fan group, player, action card (play), gym, forwards in waiting for confrontation, midfielders in confrontation, player to support, sector teammate.

Card Types

Players

Player cards are the main cards in the game, and it is with them that the Starting Eleven is formed in order to win. They are played in the Training phase, to the Bench or to a Gym.

In the Confrontation phase, the player moves them to the Training Pitch and challenges an opposing player (from the same sector) to compare attributes.

Players have 3 attributes, which are compared one by one. They also have the factor of being a champion or a captain, which can add 1 point to one of the attributes in comparison. They can also support a sector teammate (Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder or Forward) when that teammate is in a confrontation, adding 1 point to the attribute being compared on that player.

They have two further important factors: whether they are a Star or a Lion.

• Lion player: whenever a Lion wins a confrontation, it may transfer a fan group from the opponent's dressing room to its own dressing room.
• Star player: a Star may challenge players from different sectors. For example, a Star goalkeeper may challenge a forward.

Fan Group (Claque)

Fan group cards add 1 point to all attributes of players.

They can only be played in the Training phase, in the dressing room.

There may be only one per dressing room. If a player wins a fan group from an opponent, and already has a fan group card in the dressing room, the newly won fan group is discarded.

Plays (Defence, Cut, Pass and Shot)

Action cards that add 2 points to the attributes of players. They are played in a confrontation and depend on the sector where the player plays. There is no limit to the number of plays that may be played per attribute. They are discarded after their effect.

Tactic

Tactic cards are played in the Training phase and in the dressing room. If they do not yet have a coach, they may be transferred from one dressing room to another by the opponent, if that opponent discards a coach in order to seize the player's tactic.

Coach

Coach cards are needed to win the game and have a dual function: when a coach is played onto a tactic, the tactic is secured and no opponent can ever transfer it to their dressing room again.

When discarded in the Training phase, the player may seize an opposing tactic, transferring it to their own dressing room.

Contract

Contract cards are played in the Training phase, onto coaches.

The coach is then secured and no opponent can ever transfer it to their dressing room.

When discarded in the Training phase, the player may seize an opposing coach, transferring it to their own dressing room, onto a tactic that does not yet have a coach.

Gym

Gym cards are played in the Training phase and in the dressing room. In the Training phase, a group of players from the same sector may be moved to the Gym: at least a group of 3 and at most a group of 5, so that they are protected from confrontations the opponent wishes to provoke. Players may return to the Bench in the following turn.

President

President cards are played in the Confrontation phase. Once played, the opponent cannot play action cards in confrontations. The attribute values of the opposing player are those the player has so far, including 1 extra point if that player has a fan group card in the dressing room. The player may also add 1 point to one attribute if they are a champion or a captain, or 2 points if they are both.

Agent

Agent cards are played in the Training phase. The player may transfer a player from the opponent's Bench to their own Bench, and that player may take part in confrontations in the same turn.

Supporter (Adepto)

Supporter cards are played in the Training phase, and allow the player to choose one opponent and randomly seize 2 cards from their hand, or to choose 2 opponents and randomly seize 1 card from the hand of each opponent.

Scout

Scout cards are played in the Training phase, and allow the player to choose a card from the discard pile and transfer it to their hand.

Injury

Injury cards are played in the Training phase or the Confrontation phase.

In the Training phase they are played on the players in the opponent's dressing room. In the Confrontation phase they are played on the opponent's player. The opponent's player becomes injured and automatically loses the confrontation.

If an injured player is called to a confrontation, it loses 1 point in all attributes.

Doctor

Doctor cards are discarded in the Training phase, and allow the player to cure injured players.

Diagram labels for player card: level (sum of attributes), sector where the player plays, Star, player name (illustrative only), player photo (illustrative only), Lion, champion, captain, attributes, positions played, card number.

Diagram labels for coach card: card title, coach photo (illustrative only), explanatory text.

Diagram labels for tactic card: card title, positions in the starting eleven, type of tactic, explanatory text.

The remaining card types have only a title, a photo and explanatory text.

Phases of the Game

Each turn has 3 phases:

• Training
• Confrontation
• Regroup

Training phase. Player cards are played to the Bench, and condition cards (dressing rooms, fan groups and contracts) and team cards (tactics and coaches) are played to the dressing room. In this phase only action cards (characters) whose text says "plays in training..." may be played.

The explanatory text of action cards states the phase of play in which they may be played.

Confrontation phase. Comparisons are made between players, and action cards (characters, plays and injuries) are played.

Regroup phase. All players are allowed to discard one card from their hand and refill their hand (go to the deck and draw cards until they have 8 cards in hand again). Starting with the player whose turn it is, followed by the player on their left.

Preparing the Deck

The deck is made up of 129 cards.

Team cards

• 53 Players
  • 7 Goalkeepers
  • 16 Defenders
  • 16 Midfielders
  • 14 Forwards
• 6 Coaches
• 12 Tactics (2 of each tactic)

Condition cards

• 6 Gyms
• 6 Contracts
• 3 Fan groups (Claques)
• 3 Injuries

Action cards

• 4 Presidents
• 3 Agents
• 3 Supporters
• 3 Scouts
• 3 Doctors
• 6 Defences
• 6 Passes
• 6 Cuts
• 6 Shots

Through expansion packs it is permitted to exchange cards, as long as the number of cards of each type is respected.

In addition, there must be at least 8 Lion players and 8 Star players.

Getting Started

After shuffling the cards, each player draws a card and places it on the table so that it is visible to all players. If it is not a player card, the player draws another, and so on until they draw a player card.

The player with the card bearing the lowest number is the first to play, followed by the player on their left (clockwise).

The cards are shuffled again and each player is dealt 8 cards.

The first player begins their turn and enters the Training phase.

1. Training phase. The player may play player cards to the Bench. There is no limit to the number of players on the Bench, but if 4 players of the same sector are already there, no more players of that sector may be played from hand. This number may increase, however, if players are won from the opponent through cards or confrontations.

To the dressing room the player may play fan group, gym, tactic and coach cards (if they already have a tactic card).

If players do not want to, they are not obliged to play any card from their hand.

On the first turn there are no opposing cards on the table yet, so the Confrontation phase is skipped and play goes directly to the Regroup phase.

2. Confrontation phase. The player may provoke confrontations with the opponent's players.

The player moves the players they wish to confront with the opponent's players to the Training Pitch, and the confrontations are held one-on-one. Players in a confrontation must necessarily play in the same sector: goalkeeper against goalkeeper, midfielder against midfielder, and so on.

Unless the player who provokes the confrontation is a Star player, in which case a Star may challenge players from all sectors.

The player may challenge the opponent's players as long as they do not exceed 4 confrontations among all opponents.

The order in which the confrontations are held is decided by the player who provoked them.

The attributes are compared one by one, and the player who is superior in more attributes wins.

Both players may play action cards from their hand to increase the points of the player's attributes.

Sector teammates of the player in confrontation may support it by moving to the Training Pitch, adding 1 point (per teammate) to one of the attributes. As soon as the confrontation is over, the sector teammate returns to its Bench and may support another confrontation again.

Players who are in confrontation and who are captains or champions may also add 1 point to one attribute per confrontation, or 2 points if they are both.

The opponent who has been challenged always acts first, and may act only once; the turn to act then passes to the player, and so on until the player and the opponent both decide not to act any further.

If one of the players has a fan group card in the dressing room, even if the player is distracted, it is the duty of the opponent to point this out and count the extra points that card gives the player, bearing in mind that this card is not an action card and has already been played earlier, thereby adding value to all players.

The player who wins the confrontation seizes the opponent's player and transfers it to their own Bench, and the players won may help their sector teammates in the subsequent confrontations that are still to be decided.

When this phase is finished, play moves to the Regroup phase.

3. Regroup phase. All players are allowed to discard one card from their hand and refill their hand (go to the deck and draw cards until they have 8 cards in hand again), starting with the player whose turn it is and following the normal order.

If the player ends up with more than 8 cards in hand, because they drew extra cards during their turn, they must discard until they have 8 cards in hand. 7 if they choose to draw a new card.

To form the Starting Eleven, a player needs a tactic, a coach, and players who occupy all the positions of that same tactic.

The player who manages to form the Starting Eleven first must prove that eleven, and if they do so they win the game.

If the cards in the deck run out before any player wins the game, the cards in the discard pile are shuffled and become the deck again.

Diagram labels: 3-4-3, complete Starting Eleven.

Concepts

Starting Eleven

To win the game it is necessary to prove that you have a complete Starting Eleven.

When a player has in their possession all the cards that form the Starting Eleven (a tactic, a coach, and players who occupy all the positions of that same tactic), they wait for their turn to play and, during the Training phase, announce to the opponents that they wish to prove the Starting Eleven. Once proven, they have won the game.

If the Starting Eleven is incorrectly formed, the player who announced the proof is eliminated from the game. If more than two players are in play, the cards that were not revealed are returned to the deck, the deck is shuffled again, all players remain on the bench subject to confrontations, and the support cards remain in the dressing room. Although the cards are on the table, the eliminated player may no longer carry out any operation in the game, so the players remain available for opponents to confront them.

Star Players

Star players are players who may confront players from any sector. A forward Star, for example, may, if they wish, confront even a goalkeeper. A Star has no extra points for being a Star.

In assigning the Stars, account was taken of the importance the player had in the seasons they played for the club and also in the rest of their professional career.

Diagram labels: Star, Lion.

Lion Players

When Lion players win a confrontation they may transfer a fan group from the opponent's dressing room. If the player already has a fan group card, the opponent's fan group is discarded.

The selection of the Lions was made not only for their performance as players and their ability to win over the club's supporters, but also for the dedication shown to the club, even after they stopped playing football.

Some players are both Stars and Lions at the same time.

Physical Training (Putting Players in the Gym)

A group of players may be put in the Gym only when the player has a Gym card in the dressing room.

In the Training phase, a group of 3, 4 or 5 players may be moved to the Gym if they are all from the same sector.

Players of different sectors may not go to the same Gym, not even if they are Stars.

More than one Gym may be kept in the dressing room.

Players in the Gym are protected from confrontations the opponent wishes to provoke. Players may return to the Bench in the following turn and take part in confrontations again.

Players from the Bench and players from hand may go to the Gym, even if there are already 4 players of that sector on the Bench.

Diagram labels: Players in the Gym are placed on top of the Gym card. All players must be of the same sector, or they go to another Gym.

Injury

Injured players may not provoke confrontations or form part of the Starting Eleven, and they are worth -1 in all attributes.

If a player is the victim of an injury during a confrontation, it automatically loses the confrontation and is transferred to the opponent's Bench, but remains injured.

Only a discarded Doctor has the ability to cure an injury.

Diagram labels: Captain and Champion player; injured player.

Captain and Champion

Players who were captains for their club wear the captain's armband.

Players who were champions for their club have a trophy.

Captains or champions who are in confrontation may also add 1 point to one attribute per confrontation. 2 points if they are both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Timing Conflicts

The actions of a confrontation always begin with the opponent who is being challenged; the player then responds with their action, and so on, until both decide not to act any further.

For example, if the opponent plays a President, the player is unable to play their own President immediately afterwards.

It is very important that before revealing the card they are going to play, the player makes sure it is their turn to play.

Contract

If the player has a tactic card, they may discard a contract from their hand or from the dressing room to transfer a coach. But if they do not have a tactic card, they may discard the contract to transfer the opponent's coach, and immediately afterwards discard the coach to transfer a tactic.

Discard Pile

No player may look through the discard pile, unless they play a Scout.

Versatile Players

Although a player may be able to play in two or more positions, they never cease to be a player of the sector assigned to them. For example, a right-back who can also play as a right midfielder, if their sector says DEFENDER, will always be a defender in a confrontation and never a MIDFIELDER.

Summary

Game zones: Bench, dressing room and Training Pitch (confrontation zone).

Training phase

• Cards to play: players, coaches, tactics, gyms, contracts, fan groups, injuries, supporters, agents, doctors and scouts.

Confrontation phase

• Move players to the Training Pitch.
• Resolve confrontations.
• Cards to play: presidents, injuries, defences, passes, cuts and shots.

Regroup phase

• Possibility of discarding 1 card and refilling the hand (drawing up to 8 cards in hand).