Kitsunedo
Kitsunedo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Inventory
Spirit Lords
- 1 x Fox of the Celeste
- 1 x Fox of the Haunt
- 1 x Fox of the Mirage
- 1 x Fox of the Hollow
- 1 x Tanuki of the Hearth
- 1 x Tailed Shisu
Lantern Cards
- 3 x Mist Lantern cards
- 3 x Shadow Lantern cards
- 3 x Ash Lantern cards
- 3 x Spirit Lantern cards
Item Cards
- 10 x Sun Scroll cards
- 10 x Moon Scroll cards
- 9 x Leaf cards
- 7 x Block cards
- 7 x Sake cards
Game Guides
- 5 x How To Play/Challenges
- 5 x Item Abilities/Lantern Abilities
Before You Play
Advent Tutorial
Picking up and playing a new game for the first time can be daunting with an overload of information. The Advent Tutorial is designed to combat this. Rather than learning everything at once, you can learn the game in stages, while you play in a fun story campaign. We highly recommend this for beginners, families with younger kids and groups with highly varied board game experience.
If you're experienced board game players, feel free to skip the Advent Tutorial and jump headlong into the game rules.
Game Length
Every game of Kitsunedo is different. The amount of players has the greatest effect on how long the game will take. A two player game will be very short, while a six player game could push past 45 minutes.
If it's your first time playing Kitsunedo, we recommend playing with 3-4 players.
Find Your Kindred Spirit
For any new players, we recommend checking out the Find Your Kindred Spirit section on page 10. That will help you to find a Spirit Lord who matches your playstyle. Playing a Spirit Lord who matches your style is much more rewarding.
Specific Situations: You may find yourself in quite unique situations in the game. These boxes will provide the gameplay on how to navigate them. While you're first reading the rules, it may not be necessary to read them. As you're playing however, you may want to come back to them as a reference point.
Archives of the Haunt: So you have come seeking my knowledge... As you wish. I will not restrict the curious mind from my records. I only ask that you remember the lives you take. For one day, your own forgotten name will find itself in my sacred realm.
Find Your Kindred Spirit
Schemer: Fox of the Hollow
The Fox of the Hollow is your kindred Spirit if you like to play sides, outsmarting all foes from behind the scenes.
With her Peeping Fae ability, she can spy upon her opponents' hands and swap items to meet her needs. Perhaps she will weaken them, or perhaps they will unwittingly become her pawn. Knowledge is indeed power with the Hollow.
Finisher: Fox of the Haunt
The Fox of the Haunt is your kindred Spirit if you enjoy delivering the killing blow.
Each time he successfully Reaps another Spirit Lord he gets an additional turn, which can result in a quick succession of takedowns - snowballing to a late-game victory.
Trickster: Fox of the Mirage
The Fox of the Mirage is your kindred Spirit if you pride yourself on your bluffing game and all manner of mischief.
Her Unfastened Thread ability allows her to rewind time once per turn. It's effectively an 'edit undo' that gives you a free pass for a bluff, leaving your foes attacking shadows.
Equaliser: Fox of the Celeste
The Fox of the Celeste is your kindred Spirit if you love high stakes and remaining on everyone else's good side.
They're the giver that keeps on giving... until the final moment. When it comes time for their magnum opus, prepare for a clutch play with Empyrean Gift.
Brawler: Tanuki of the Hearth
The Tanuki of the Hearth is your kindred Spirit if you like tackling problems head on with brute force.
She may care less for trickery than the others, but her attacking prowess is unsurpassed. She can Mark her opponents for death with her Swallow Blade and deliver an unstoppable attack, creating carnage in the early game.
Avenger: Tailed Shisu
The Tailed Shisu is your kindred Spirit if your desire for vengeance often trumps your goal to win.
All foes dread attacking it, for with its Unfulfilled Grudge, it can return from beyond the grave with ease, and with its Vengeful Spirit ability, it can rain judgement upon the guilty. Why fear death... when resurrection is your friend.
Advent Tutorial
Kitsunedo is easy to pick up and play in any setting! To help you get started for your first time, our interactive story campaign is designed to teach you as you play so you can start immediately from the get-go. You'll learn the game in layers, so you don't get overloaded with information.
The Advent Tutorial usually takes about an hour, depending on the amount of players and board game experience.
Find Your Kindred Spirit
Before you start, make sure to choose your kindred Spirit Lord in age order from youngest to oldest. If it's your first time, check out the Find Your Kindred Spirit section on page 10.
First Advent
On the eve of the Solar New Year, the Spirit Lords gathered on hallowed ground. Dipping their tails in ink, they each crafted scrolls to represent the birth of the sun and moon.
Preparing the Game
Prepare the Item deck so it contains all the Sun Scrolls, Moon Scrolls, and Sake cards. Add four of the Leaf cards to the deck, leaving out the rest of the Leaves as well as all of the Block cards.
Shuffle the Item deck and deal out one card to each player to start their hand. Place the Item deck face down and flip the first Item card to start the discard pile. Any cards placed on the discard pile should be left face up.
Prepare the Lantern deck so it contains all of the Ash Lanterns and Spirit Lanterns, leaving out the Mist and Shadow Lanterns.
Shuffle the Lantern deck and deal out one card to each player on the playing area. For this advent, Lanterns must be face up.
Place the Lantern deck face down next to the Item deck.
Objective
The objective of the game is to be the last surviving Spirit Lord.
Lantern Abilities
From the Path of Flame came the Spirit Lantern, bringing riches beyond measure. From the Path of Cinder came the Ash Lantern, rumoured to protect its owner even from death.
Archives of the Haunt: Spirit Lantern - SUMMON. Once per turn, draw two extra cards from the top of the item deck. Select which one you would like to keep and return the other to the top face down.
Archives of the Haunt: Ash Lantern - EVADE. It takes one extra card of the required type to take your life. An extra card cannot be retroactively added to a set that has already been played down.
Tanuki's Art of War: Pay heed little one... for it is not without cunning that I have survived over a hundred battles. Throughout this booklet, I will share my techniques and wisdom. It is your duty to adapt them to every situation.
Turn order
Turn order is determined by the youngest player. The youngest player starts and turn order continues in a clockwise direction.
Beginning of Turn:
Draw one card from the top of the Item deck. You always do this at the start of your turn.
Actions:
You may use multiple actions per turn in any order.
- If you have a Spirit Lantern, you may use its ability to SUMMON.
- You may use a Sake to FORCE TRADE with another Spirit Lord.
ATTACKING is forbidden during the first round, for the Spirit Lords are bound by their honour.
End of Turn:
If you have no more actions to take, your turn ends. Discard however many Item cards you want or need to. You must end your turn with four or fewer cards.
Once you've finished your turn, the next Spirit Lord takes theirs.
Archives of the Haunt: How to Use Sake. Play a Sake down on the table and request an Item card you desire from another Spirit Lord. If they have it, they must trade you that card for the Sake. If they don't have the requested card, they must give you a card of their choice and the Sake is discarded.
Start Playing!
You may continue reading once everyone has had their first turn.
Action Unlocked:
ATTACKING is now allowed.
Having now observed the laws of battle the Fox Lords began to cast their attacks, each harnessing the influence of their own realm.
Taking Lives
Each player has a Spirit Lord card placed in front of them for everyone to see.
Every Spirit Lord starts in its Gilded State and should be placed in a vertical position.
Each Spirit Lord card has a certain amount of Moon, Sun or Sake symbols on the bottom of the card. This determines the required type of Item cards needed to ATTACK them.
If you wish to ATTACK someone, you must play the two cards down that match the symbols on the bottom of their Spirit Lord card on your turn.
For example, to take the life of a Spirit Lord with two Moon symbols, you must ATTACK by playing a set of two Moon Scrolls in front of them on the table. Whether or not your ATTACK is successful, you must discard your Scrolls after the ATTACK is resolved.
Attacking an Ash Lantern: If a Spirit Lord has an Ash lantern, you must ATTACK with an extra card of the required type in the set.
For example, to take the life of a Spirit Lord with two Moon symbols and an Ash lantern, you must ATTACK with a set of three Moon Scrolls on your turn.
Being Attacked:
If you are successfully ATTACKED, you are out of the game for this advent. Discard your Item cards and Lantern, and flip your Spirit Lord card over.
You may ATTACK as many times as you wish in a turn, as long as you have the required cards.
Continue Playing!
The last surviving Spirit Lord wins. Whoever wins gets to start the next Advent with a Scroll card of their choice in addition to their starting card.
Second Advent
On the second week of advent, the Path of Shadow was opened, shrouding all the land in darkness. And in that darkness, the first deceit was born.
Play continues as before but with additional mechanics introduced.
Preparing the Game
Shuffle the Item deck, handing out one card to each player to hold in their hand. Place the Item deck face down and flip the first Item card to start the discard pile. Any cards placed on the discard pile should be left face up.
New Lantern Unlocked
Overcome with avarice, the Spirit Lords began to covet the possessions of their rivals.
Archives of the Haunt: Shadow Lantern - STEAL. Once per turn, you may STEAL a card from another Spirit Lord without looking at their hand.
Add the three Shadow Lanterns to the Lantern deck and shuffle it. Deal out one Lantern to each player. This time they must be placed face down in front of each player.
The Spirit Lord who won the previous Advent gets to start.
Bluffing:
Everyone may check their own Lantern but no one should reveal it to anyone else. Each player in the game should always have one Lantern face down in front of them.
Because no one knows what Lantern you have, you may bluff.
To do so, you may claim any of the three Lantern types in the deck and use its ability, whether or not you actually have it.
Tanuki's Art of War: If you are brazen enough... after claiming a particular Lantern and using its ability, you may follow up by claiming a different one on the same turn.
Challenges
If someone claims to have a Lantern and you don't believe they have it, CHALLENGE them!
Attacking an Ash Lantern: If you ATTACK someone and they claim the Ash Lantern, you can either CHALLENGE them or discard the cards you used to ATTACK. You can't retroactively add an extra card once you've already played your cards down.
If you think someone has an Ash Lantern, ATTACK them with one extra card of the required type so they can't EVADE. Eg. A set of three Moon Scrolls to guarantee an attack against the Fox of the Hollow in its Gilded State.
You can only CHALLENGE the most recent Lantern ability used and not after a different action has been played.
A player claiming a certain Lantern's ability must give ample time for others to challenge them.
Example of a challenge: "I challenge your Spirit Lantern."
Options when Challenged
If another player decides to CHALLENGE you, you have two options.
- If you have the correct Lantern, you may REVEAL your Lantern. The player who challenged you loses the CHALLENGE.
- If you are bluffing, you must CONCEDE that you have lost the challenge and discard your Lantern with or without showing it. By doing so, you lose the CHALLENGE.
Losing a Challenge
- If you lose a CHALLENGE and have cards in your hand, you must discard all of your cards.
- If you lose a CHALLENGE and have no cards, you must lose a life.
- If you lose a CHALLENGE on your turn, proceed to the end of your turn.
Winning a Challenge
- If you REVEAL the correct Lantern and win the CHALLENGE, you can use that Lantern's ability first, before discarding it and picking up a new one.
Discarding Lanterns
If you ever have to REVEAL or CONCEDE your Lantern, discard it by placing it at the bottom of the Lantern deck. You must then pick up a new Lantern card and place it face down in front of you.
Start Playing!
The last surviving Spirit Lord wins. Whoever wins gets to start the next Advent with a Block card in addition to their starting card.
Third Advent
On the third week of advent, the Path of Mist was opened, bringing transformation and abundance. The moon prepared to take its path.
Tanuki's Art of War: You lose a CHALLENGE by bluffing about your Lantern and being caught out, or by CHALLENGING someone else for their Lantern when they are telling the truth.
Play continues as before but with additional mechanics introduced.
Preparing the Game
Item Card Unlocked - Block
Add the Block cards and the remaining Leaf cards to the Item deck and shuffle it. Set up the Item deck on the table as per normal, handing out one card to each Spirit Lord.
Turn Summary
Beginning of Turn:
Draw one card from the top of the Item deck as per normal.
Actions:
You may use multiple actions per turn in any order.
- You may claim a Spirit Lantern to SUMMON.
- You may claim a Shadow Lantern to STEAL.
- You may ATTACK another Spirit Lord. You may not ATTACK on the first round.
- You may use a Sake to FORCE TRADE with another Spirit Lord.
End of Turn:
If you have no more actions to take, your turn ends. Discard however many Item cards you want or need to. You must end your turn with four or fewer cards.
Who You Can Challenge: If someone claims to have the Shadow Lantern to STEAL, or the Ash Lantern to EVADE, only the player who it is directed at may CHALLENGE them if they think they're bluffing.
If someone claims a Spirit Lantern to SUMMON, anyone may CHALLENGE them since it is not directed at anyone.
Archives of the Haunt: How to Use a Block. After claiming a particular Lantern, another Spirit Lord might CHALLENGE you. If you have a Block card in your hand, you may play it on the table to stop the CHALLENGE. You may now use that Lantern's ability without having to REVEAL or CONCEDE. You can not play a Block to stop a Block. Once you've played a Block, someone else cant CHALLENGE you for the same Lantern ability on that turn.
New Lantern Ability Unlocked
On this day, the veil of reality thinned and even the leaves on the ground appeared strange in the morning light.
Archives of the Haunt: Mist Lantern - TRANSFORM. Any Leaf card in your hand can be transformed into either a Sun Scroll, Moon Scroll or Sake as you play it down upon the table. For example, you could ATTACK someone with two Leaves by TRANSFORMING them into Sun Scrolls. You could even play the Leaf as a Sake.
Add the three Mist Lanterns to the Lantern deck. Shuffle the Lantern deck and deal out one Lantern to each player face down.
The Spirit Lord who won the previous Advent gets to start.
Being Challenged with the Mist Lantern
If you win or BLOCK a CHALLENGE with a Mist Lantern, you may benefit from the Mist Lantern's ability until the end of your turn.
Tanuki's Art of War: In most cases, you should play a Block when you're bluffing and don't have the Lantern you just claimed.
Options when Challenged
If another player decides to CHALLENGE you, you now have three options:
- If you have the correct Lantern, you may REVEAL your Lantern.
- If you are bluffing, you may CONCEDE that you have lost the challenge and discard your Lantern with or without showing it. By doing so, you lose the CHALLENGE.
- You may play a Block card to make their CHALLENGE invalid. This effectively gives you a free cheat since you can use a Lantern ability that you do not possess. If you BLOCK, you keep your Lantern.
Start Playing!
The last surviving Spirit Lord wins. Honour and glory is your reward this advent.
Turn Summary
Beginning of Turn:
Draw one card from the top of the Item deck as per normal.
Actions:
You may use multiple actions per turn in any order.
- You may claim a Spirit Lantern to SUMMON.
- You may claim a Shadow Lantern to STEAL.
- You may claim a Mist Lantern to TRANSFORM Leaf cards.
- You may ATTACK another Spirit Lord. You may not ATTACK on the first round.
- You may use a Sake to FORCE TRADE with another Spirit Lord.
End of Turn:
If you have no more actions to take, your turn ends. Discard however many Item cards you want or need to. You must end your turn with four or fewer cards.
Eve of the Lunar New Year
As morning approached, every Spirit Lord ascended to their full power. Each coveted victory over the others, for only one could reign supreme over the dawning year.
Congratulations! You are now ready to play the standard game of Kitsunedo with its final layers added. Play continues as before but with the Spirit Lord's abilities introduced. This will be explained later.
Preparing the Game
Prepare the complete Item and Lantern decks with all cards in each. Shuffle each deck and hand one card to each player as per usual. Set the decks and discard pile as before.
This time, the Spirit Lord who lost the previous Advent gets to start.
Gilded and Diminished States
Everyone starts the game in their Gilded state with two lives. When in this state, your Spirit Lord card must be in a vertical position.
If you are are successfully attacked, you will lose a life, reducing yourself to a Diminished State. When in this state, your Spirit Lord card must be turned to a horizontal position. The amount and type of card necessary to take your last life will always be shown at the bottom of your card.
For example, to take the life of a Diminished Spirit Lord with one Moon symbol, you must ATTACK by playing one Moon Scroll in front of them on the table.
You may ATTACK the same Spirit Lord, as well as any other Spirit Lord as many times as you wish in a turn, as long as you have the required cards.
Attacking a Diminished Spirit Lord with an Ash: If you're attacking a Diminished Spirit Lord and think they have the Ash Lantern, you should still ATTACK them with one extra card of the required type so they can't EVADE.
For example, to take the life of a Diminished Spirit Lord with one Moon symbol and an Ash Lantern, you need to attack with a set of two Moon Scrolls.
Tanuki's Art of War: Nothing to Lose. If you have no other options, you should always claim the Ash Lantern when you're attacked in your Diminished state.
Out of the Game
If you are successfully attacked while in your Diminished state, you have no lives left and you are out of the game.
Once you have lost both of your lives, discard your Item cards. Flip your Spirit Lord card over. The game may not be over for you just yet, so read on.
If You Are Out
If you have lost both of your lives and it comes round to your turn, you may flip the top card of the Item deck onto the Discard pile. You may do this once per turn.
If you are lucky enough to flip a Sake card, you are back in the game. Keep that Sake, draw a new Lantern card and return your Spirit Lord to its Diminished state. Begin your turn by drawing a card.
If you do not flip a Sake card, you are still out of the game. Discard the flipped card.
Flipping a Sake card on a later round won't restore you to your Gilded State.
Spirit Lord Abilities Unlocked
Every Spirit Lord has its own unique abilities written on the back of the card. These abilities are not secret. For detailed explanations about these abilities, see the Spirit Lords section on page 42. You are now able to use your Spirit Lord's abilities.
Spirit Lord Abilities
Every Spirit Lord will have their own unique abilities written on the back of the card. These abilities are not secret. They are explained in greater detail below. If you need help choosing your Kindred Spirit Lord, please go to page 10.
Tanuki's Art of War: Know Thine Enemy. Every Spirit Lord has their own strengths and weaknesses. Keep those in mind as one Spirit Lord may effectively counter another. Control the battlefield so you are not left in a late game duel against an opponent whose abilities work well against you.
Fox of the Hollow
Peeping Fae:
Once per turn, you may look at another Spirit Lord's hand and swap one of your cards for theirs.
You do not have to swap a card if you don't want to. If you're claiming the Shadow Lantern, you may not STEAL a card whilst you are looking at the other Spirit Lord's hand.
Fox of the Haunt
Memorial:
At the start of your turn, you may draw from the top of the discard pile instead of the Item deck.
Reap:
If you take another Spirit Lord's life by ATTACKING, you will get another full turn immediately after your current turn ends.
Fox of the Mirage
Unfastened Thread:
Once per turn and only on your turn, you may take back your most recent action. It is as if you never did it. This means that any cards swapped, taken or used as a result of your action are returned to their previous position.
You may however still receive benefits even if your action is reversed (eg. Seeing someone's card).
If you CHALLENGE someone else, you can't take it back.
In addition, it is too late to reverse an ability once you have performed the next action.
For example, if you claim a Spirit Lantern and someone CHALLENGES you, then you decide to play a Block, you can take back your Block card but you can't take back your claiming of the Spirit Lantern.
Fox of the Celeste
Empyrean Gift
Once per turn, you may cause everyone to draw two extra cards. Only you may exceed the maximum number of Item cards held during this ability's activation.
Other Spirit Lords may draw up to a maximum of four Item cards. If a Spirit Lord has four cards, they may not draw any more.
If at the end of your turn you have more than four cards, you must still discard down to four.
Tanuki of the Hearth
Swallow Blade's Mark:
On your turn, you may mark another Spirit Lord with a card of the required type (matching the bottom of their Spirit Lord card).
On your next turn, if you ATTACK a marked Spirit Lord with a single card of the required type, you will Critically Attack them. A Critical Attack can not be Evaded with an Ash Lantern or stopped in any way.
A mark is removed if it is not consumed on the next turn or if the marked Spirit Lord loses a life before that.
Only you can utilise your own mark. You may mark more than one Spirit Lord in a turn.
To ATTACK the Tanuki of the Hearth in its Gilded state, a Sake and Sun scroll are the required cards. If the Tanuki has an Ash lantern, the third card to ATTACK can be either a second Sake or a second Sun scroll.
Tailed Shisu
Unfulfilled Grudge
When you're out, instead of flipping one card, flip three. If you draw a Sake, you're back in the game in your Diminished state. You may immediately take your turn.
Vengeful Spirit
When you lose a challenge, you lose a life but never your Item cards. You don't lose your Item cards upon death.
You do lose your Lantern card upon death.
Rules
Setting Up
Handing Out Guides
Hand out the two double-sided game guides to each player. One guide has a quick summary of How To Play and the other explains each of the Item and Lantern abilities.
Find Your Kindred Spirit
- Choose your Spirit Lords by age order. Youngest picks first. In consecutive games, whoever lost the previous game chooses first, ending with the previous winner.
Spirit Lords should be positioned vertically, in their Gilded States.
Detailed ability descriptions can be found on page 42.
Preparing the Decks
- Prepare the Lantern deck so it contains all of the Lanterns. There should be 12 cards in total, 3 of each type (Spirit, Shadow, Ash, Mist). Shuffle the Lantern deck, then deal out one Lantern card to each player face down.
Lantern cards should be kept on the table face-down during the game, and are not to be held in the player's hand with the Item cards. Each player may check their Lantern cards whenever they wish. Place the remaining Lantern cards face-down as a deck on the table.
- Prepare the Item deck so it contains all the Sun Scrolls, Moon Scrolls, Sake, Leaves, and Block cards. Shuffle the Item deck and deal out one card to each player to start their hand.
Place the Item deck face down and flip the first Item card to start the discard pile. Any cards placed on the discard pile should be left face up.
How to Play
Objective
The objective of the game is to be the last surviving Spirit Lord.
Turn Order
Turn order also starts with the youngest.
In consecutive games, whoever lost the previous game gets to start. Turn order then continues clock-wise.
Gilded and Diminished States
Each player has a Spirit Lord card placed in front of them for everyone to see. Every player starts off with two lives. If you have two lives, your Spirit Lord is in its Gilded State and should be placed in a vertical position. If you have one life left it should be turned horizontally. With one life, your Spirit Lord is its Diminished State.
When you have no lives left, you are out of the game (see "If You Are Out" on page 63).
Attacking
Each Spirit Lord card has a certain amount of Moon, Sun or Sake symbols on the bottom of the card. This determines what type of Item cards are needed to ATTACK them.
If you wish to ATTACK someone, you must play the cards down that match the symbols on the bottom of their Spirit Lord card on your turn.
For example, to take the life of a Gilded Spirit Lord with two Moon symbols, you must ATTACK by playing a set of two or more Moon Scrolls in front of them on the table. Whether or not your ATTACK is successful, you must discard those cards after the ATTACK is resolved.
However, to take the life of a Diminished Spirit Lord with one Sun symbol, you must ATTACK by playing a set of one or more Sun Scrolls in front of them on the table.
It is forbidden to ATTACK in the first round of the game. After that however, you may ATTACK anyone as many times as you wish in a turn, as long as you have the required cards.
Item Cards
Sun Scroll
Can be used to ATTACK another player when played in a set of one, two or three at the same time.
Moon Scroll
Can be used to ATTACK another Spirit Lord when played in a set of one, two or three at the same time.
Sake
You can FORCE TRADE this Sake for an Item card you request from another Spirit Lord.
To do so, play a Sake down on the table and request an Item card from another Spirit Lord. If they have it, they must swap you that card for the Sake.
If they do not have the card you request they must instead give you any card they choose and the Sake moves to the discard pile.
Block
Can be played when another Spirit Lord CHALLENGES you. It 'BLOCKS' or prevents their CHALLENGE, making it invalid. It can not be used to block anything other than a CHALLENGE. Once you've played a Block, someone else can't CHALLENGE you for the same Lantern ability on that turn.
Leaf
If you claim the Mist Lantern, the Leaf card acts like a wild card and can be played as a Sake, Moon Scroll or Sun Scroll.
Gameplay
The game is played in turns in a clockwise direction.
Beginning of Turn:
Draw one card from the top of the Item deck.
Actions:
You may use multiple actions per turn in any order.
- You may claim a Spirit Lantern to SUMMON an extra card from the deck.
- You may claim a Shadow Lantern to STEAL from another Spirit Lord.
- You may claim a Mist Lantern to TRANSFORM Leaf cards as you play them.
- You may ATTACK another Spirit Lord. You may not ATTACK on the first round.
- You may use a Sake to FORCE TRADE with another Spirit Lord.
- Don't forget to use your Spirit Lord abilities if they can be actioned on your turn.
End of Turn:
Discard however many Item cards you want or need to. You must end your turn with four or fewer cards.
Tanuki's Art of War: Control Your Hand. There may be situations where it is useful to discard additional cards. If you hold a card that benefits your opponent and not you, it may be better to discard it at the end of your turn, rather than risk it being stolen.
Lanterns
Each player in the game should always have one Lantern face down in front of them. You can check your own Lantern whenever you wish but do not let anyone else see your Lantern.
Lantern Abilities:
Spirit Lantern - SUMMON
Once per turn, draw two extra cards from the top of the Item deck. Select which one you would like to keep and return the other to the top.
Shadow Lantern - STEAL
Once per turn, you may STEAL a card from another player without looking at their hand.
Mist Lantern - TRANSFORM
Any Leaf card in your hand can be transformed into either a Sun Scroll, Moon Scroll or Sake as you play it down upon the table.
Ash Lantern - EVADE
It takes one extra card of the required type to take your life. An extra card cannot be retroactively added to a set that has already been played down.
Transforming Leaves: When claiming to have the Mist Lantern, you can play a Leaf as either a Sun Scroll, Moon Scroll or Sake. For example, you could ATTACK someone with two Leaves by TRANSFORMING them into Sun Scrolls. You could even play a Leaf as a Sake.
Bluffing:
Because no one knows what Lantern you have, you may bluff. To do so, you may claim any of the four Lantern types in the deck and use its ability, whether or not you actually have it.
Challenges
If someone claims to have a Lantern and you don't believe they have it, CHALLENGE them!
You can only CHALLENGE the most recent Lantern ability used and not after a different action has been played.
A player claiming a certain Lantern's ability must give ample time for others to challenge them.
Example of a challenge: "I challenge your Spirit Lantern."
Options when Challenged
- If you have the correct Lantern, you may REVEAL your Lantern.
- If you are bluffing, you may CONCEDE that you have lost the challenge and discard your Lantern with or without showing it. By doing so, you lose the CHALLENGE.
- You may play a Block card to make their CHALLENGE invalid. This effectively gives you a free cheat since you can use a Lantern ability that you do not possess.
Consequences and Penalties:
You lose a CHALLENGE by bluffing about your Lantern and being caught out, or by CHALLENGING someone else when they REVEAL the Lantern they claimed to have.
Losing a Challenge
- If you lose a CHALLENGE and have cards in your hand, you must discard all of your cards.
- If you lose a CHALLENGE and have no cards, you must lose a life.
- If you lose a CHALLENGE on your turn, proceed to the end of your turn.
Winning a Challenge
- If you REVEAL the correct Lantern and win the CHALLENGE, you can use that Lantern's ability first, before discarding it and picking up a new one.
- If you win or BLOCK a CHALLENGE with a Mist Lantern, you may benefit from the Mist Lantern's ability until the end of your turn.
Tanuki's Art of War: If you are still learning the rules, skip over my advanced techniques until you are ready to learn them.
Attacking an Ash Lantern: If you ATTACK someone with the required amount of cards and they claim the Ash Lantern, you can either CHALLENGE them or discard the cards you used to ATTACK. You can't retroactively add an extra card once you've already played your cards down to attack.
Tanuki's Art of War: Attacking Conservatively. If you think someone may have an Ash Lantern, ATTACK them with one extra card of the required type so they can't EVADE.
Item Cards during a Challenge: If you have obtained any cards by using the Lantern ability you've claimed and are CHALLENGED, you must return those cards back where they came from until the CHALLENGE has been resolved. If after the resolution you win the CHALLENGE, then you may recollect those cards.
Tanuki's Art of War: Information is Power. When claiming the Spirit Lantern, voice your claim as you pick up and look at the two cards from the Item Deck. If you lose the CHALLENGE, at least you will know the top two cards.
Discarding Lanterns
If you ever have to REVEAL or CONCEDE your Lantern, discard it by placing it at the bottom of the Lantern deck. You must then pick up a new Lantern card and place it face down in front of you.
If you BLOCK, you keep your Lantern.
Who You Can Challenge: If someone claims to have the Shadow Lantern to STEAL, or the Ash Lantern to EVADE, only the Spirit Lord who it is directed at may CHALLENGE them if they think they're bluffing.
If someone uses a transformed LEAF to directly affect you, you may CHALLENGE them.
If someone claims a Spirit Lantern to SUMMON, anyone may CHALLENGE them since it is not directed at anyone.
Winning the Game
Out of the Game
If you are successfully attacked while in your Diminished state, you have no lives left and you are out of the game.
Once you have lost both of your lives, discard your Item cards. Flip your Spirit Lord card over. But be patient... you still have a chance to return.
Tanuki's Art of War: Heavy Hands are Greedy. If you have a poor hand, bluff when those who can CHALLENGE, you have many cards. They will have much more to risk than you and may be too afraid to lose their cards.
If You Are Out
If you have lost both of your lives and it comes round to your turn, you may flip the top card of the Item deck onto the Discard pile. You may do this once per turn.
If you are lucky enough to flip a Sake card, you are back in the game. Keep that Sake, draw a new Lantern card and return your Spirit Lord to its Diminished state. Immediately begin your turn by drawing a card as per normal.
If you do not flip a Sake card, you are still out of contention. Discard the flipped card.
Flipping a Sake card on a later round won't restore you to your Gilded State.
Ending the Game
The game ends when there is only one remaining Spirit Lord.
The game can also end if every single Spirit Lord, including those who are 'out' unanimously decide to surrender to one Spirit Lord, labeling them as the victor.
Last Card Stealing: If you steal the last Item card off a Spirit Lord, they CHALLENGE your Shadow Lantern and you successfully REVEAL a Shadow Lantern, that Spirit Lord will LOSE A LIFE. This is because your steal will be successful, and when they lose the CHALLENGE they will have no cards left to discard.
Attacked with a Leaf: If someone ATTACKS you using a set of transformed Leaves and you have the option of claiming the Ash Lantern, you may not both CHALLENGE their Mist Lantern and then claim the Ash Lantern. You can only do one of those two when ATTACKED. If you wish to do neither, you may take the hit and lose a life.
Attacking a Diminished Spirit Lord with an Ash: If you're attacking a Diminished Spirit Lord and think they have the Ash Lantern, you should still ATTACK them with one extra card of the required type so they can't EVADE. For example, to take the life of a Diminished Spirit Lord with one Moon symbol and an Ash Lantern, you need to attack with a set of two Moon Scrolls.
Tanuki's Art of War: Turn Weakness into Strength. If your Lantern is treating you poorly and a new Lantern is worth more than the cards in your hand, bluff as much as possible. If you lose the CHALLENGE, you will receive a new Lantern as desired. If no one CHALLENGES you, then your hand will be much more bountiful.
Rule Updates
As new Items, new Lanterns, and new Spirit Lords get introduced, we'll update the official rules on our website. www.kitsunedo.com
For any questions not answered in the FAQ, please email us at [email protected] and we'll update the rules online.
FAQ
What happens if I steal someone's last item card and they lose the challenge against my Shadow Lantern?
The card is stolen first, then they lose a life.
What happens if I take someone's last item card with a leaf played as a Sake and they lose the challenge against my Mist Lantern?
If they did not have the card you requested and thus do not get the leaf, then the card is taken first, then they lose a life.
Should the Lantern deck be reshuffled?
Only at the beginning of the game but not during. Lanterns should be discarded at the bottom of the Lantern deck.
What do we do when we run out of cards in the Item deck?
Once the Item deck has two or less cards, the discard pile can be reshuffled and added underneath the Item deck.
Always leave the top card of the discard pile there and shuffle everything taken beneath it.
Am I allowed to Discard more cards than I need to at the end of my turn?
Yes, you may wish to discard certain cards from your hand that do not benefit you but are at risk of being stolen.
Can I use the Mist Lantern multiple times in one turn?
Yes. Also, if you play a block to transform, you can't be rechallenged if you transform a second time on that same turn.
Can I steal multiple times in one turn?
No. Even if you end up losing a Shadow Lantern and picking another one up.
Can I summon multiple times in one turn?
No. Even if you end up losing a Spirit Lantern and picking another one up.
What happens if I request a card with sake and someone gives me a transformed leaf?
If it is a transformed leaf and clarified as such, then you may decide to challenge that person's Mist Lantern or not. Same rules apply as normal regarding Challenges.
Can I steal or Force Trade from the Tailed Shisu if they're out of the game?
No you can't. Their cards are protected and unaffected by any abilities while they're out.
Can I Block a Block?
No. A Block can only be used to stop a Challenge.
Glossary
Advent: Literally meaning 'an arrival', an Advent refers to a sacred event in the calendars of the Spirit Lords. Each of the four Advents necessitates a unique ritual carried out in preparation for the New Year.
Attacking: A player may attack another by Playing a combination of Sun Scrolls, Moon Scrolls, Leaves, or Sake determined by the Spirit Lord Card of the player they are attacking.
Taking a Life: A player takes another's life when their Attack is successful. The player who loses their first life must turn their Spirit Lord Card sideways, showing that they are in their Diminished State. The player who loses their second life must turn their Spirit Lord Card face down to show that they are out.
Spirit Lord Cards: Each player possesses one Spirit Lord Card for the game's duration. This Spirit Lord Card determines their Special Abilities and what Items are required to Attack them.
Gilded State: A Spirit Lord Card begins the game in its Gilded State, facing vertically. This means it is in full health and can only be Attacked using the required Item cards indicated at the bottom of its card.
Diminished State: Once an attack against a Spirit Lord has been successful, it is reduced to its Diminished State and must be turned to face horizontally. Then, it can be Attacked using the single required Item card indicated on the side.
Critical Attack: An attack against a Spirit Lord is deemed a Critical Attack when it can't be evaded or stopped in any way.
Shuffle: The procedure of randomising a card deck by mixing up the cards, rearranging them from their previous order.
Play: When a card is Played, it goes onto the table, face-up, in the centre of the players. Its action is carried out, and only then is the card discarded unless otherwise stated in the rules or a relevant Spirit Lord's ability.
Standard Attack: A Standard Attack is an attack that may be evaded with an Ash Lantern or rendered unsuccessful with a Challenge (in the case of a Mist Lantern being claimed).
Table: The playing surface onto which the Item Deck, Lantern Deck, and Discard Pile are placed, as well as players' individual Lanterns and any cards in Play.