Let's Hit Each Other with Fake Swords
Let's Hit Each Other with Fake Swords Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
2 unassembled Swords (2 blades, 2 handles, 4 cross-pins + 2 spares), 72 Cards.
Assembling the Swords
Before you read these instructions, you need to assemble the Swords!
- Remove the Cross-Pins from the Handle. Insert the Blades into the Handles so that the holes are aligned.
- Insert a Cross-Pin into each hole so that the Blades are securely locked into the Handles.
Putting the Swords Away
When you're done playing, take the Swords apart by removing the Cross-Pins. Then, separate the Blades from the Handles and place the Blades, Handles, and Pins back in the box.
Cross-Pins Coming Loose?
We included 2 Spares in the box in case you need to swap them out.
What Is This?
Collect 3 Cards of the same color to form a Set. The first player to collect 3 Sets wins the game!
To play, you're going to grab a bunch of cards and make Piles in the middle of the table. Everyone will look at those Piles of cards and decide which one will help them complete the Sets they're working on.
Once you decide which Pile of cards you want, you'll count down from 3, and then everyone will point at the Pile they want at the same time.
If you're the only one pointing at a Pile of cards, you get to collect those cards! But if you're pointing at the same Pile as someone else, you'll have to Sword Fight to see who gets the cards, AND you'll have to use the rules on the cards in the Pile you're fighting over!
Keep playing this way until one player has 3 Sets of 3 matching cards in front of them to win the game!
Setting Up the Table
- Place the Swords on the table.
- Shuffle the deck of Cards and place them face down on the table. This is the Draw Pile.
- Leave some room for a Discard Pile.
- Deal 1 Card face up to each player. (This is to help get you started on your first Set.)
- Pick a player to go first.
All Cards you collect during the game will go face up in front of you and MUST remain visible to all players.
Taking Your Turn
When it's your turn, you are the Fight Boss:
- Draw 2 more cards than the number of players and place those cards face up in the middle of the table. (For example, if there are 3 players draw 5 Cards, if there are 4 players draw 6 Cards, etc.)
- Arrange those cards into face up Piles. The number of Piles you make also depends on the number of players:
| Players | 3 or 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piles | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Some Piles you make will have more than 1 Card in them. That's okay - Piles don't need to be equal, but every Pile needs to have at least 1 Card. Other than that, arrange the Piles however you (the Fight Boss) want. You can make 1 Pile with a bunch of cards, have a Pile with just 1 Card, have all the cards in a Pile be the same color, all different colors, etc.
There's a lot of strategy involved in making the Piles. You might want to make at least 1 Pile that has cards that are perfect for you and no one else, or you might want to make Piles that you know players will fight over.
Every card should be visible, and all players must be able to reach all the Piles.
- Now that you (the Fight Boss) have made the Piles, everyone (including you) gets to pick which Pile they want. Remember - you need 3 Cards of the same color in front of you to form a Set, so go for a Pile that helps you finish a Set you're already working on or that helps you start a new Set.
To pick a Pile, you're just going to point at the one you want. The tricky part is that after you count down from 3, all the players are going to point at the Pile they want at the same time!
As the Fight Boss
Before you start your countdown (when everyone will point at the Pile they'd like), you can encourage discussion about which Pile everyone wants or if there's a particular Pile that would cause a player to win.
Everyone can talk about where they're going to point, but they might be lying, or telling the truth, or just trying to get other people to give away their plans.
You can rearrange the Piles any time before you start the countdown.
When you (the Fight Boss) are ready to point, raise your finger in the air. Once everyone's fingers are up (to show they're ready), you will then count down:
"3.. 2.. 1.. Point!"
Then, everyone will point at the Pile they want at the same time.
Which Cards Do I Get?
If you're the only one pointing at a Pile: You immediately get those cards. Put them face up in front of you.
If no one is pointing at a Pile: The cards in that Pile are removed and placed face up in the Discard Pile.
If more than one player is pointing at a Pile: You'll have to Sword Fight to see who gets the cards!
Sword Fights
If more than 1 player is pointing at a Pile, there will be a Sword Fight!
If 3 or more players are pointing at the same Pile, the Fight Boss picks any 2 of those players to Sword Fight (including themself if they pointed at the Pile).
If there are ties for more than 1 Pile (i.e., if 2 players are pointing at 1 Pile and 2 other players are pointing at a different Pile), the Fight Boss picks which Sword Fight happens.
Only 1 Sword Fight can happen each round! If 2 or more players pointed at a Pile that wasn't chosen for the Sword Fight, all the cards in that Pile are immediately placed in the Discard Pile.
Before the Fight
Both players take a Sword and must stand far enough apart so that only the tips of their Swords are touching.
For Sword Fights where players do not start holding their Swords, start with the tips of your fingers touching instead.
When both players are ready, the Fight Boss will count down:
"3.. 2.. 1.. Fight!"
On "Fight!" both players can start Sword Fighting.
If the Fight Boss is in the Sword Fight, they must pick another player to be the Fight Boss during that fight.
During the Fight
The Rules for the Sword Fight are determined by the cards in the Pile being fought over (and only those cards). BOTH players must obey ALL Rules on those cards (unless a card says otherwise).
Cards come in 4 colors, and the color tells you how that card will affect the Sword Fight:
- Purple Cards: Apply to both players for the entire Sword Fight.
- Green Cards: Apply to both players, but only at the start of the Sword Fight (after the countdown).
- Yellow Cards: Only apply to both players during the Sword Fight each time their Swords make contact with anything (another Sword, a body part, the wall, etc.)
- Black Cards: Only apply to the shorter fighter in the Sword Fight (and gives them an advantage)!
If there's more than 1 copy of the same card in a Pile, that Rule only applies once.
If you forget all of this, don't worry! Every card explains what it does.
Ending the Fight
There are 2 ways a Sword Fight can end:
- Getting Hit. If your opponent hits you in the torso with their Sword, you immediately lose the Sword Fight. The torso is the area between your shoulders and waist, front and back, but doesn't include your arms. If you intentionally use your arms to block a hit, you lose the Sword Fight. We recommend keeping your other hand on your hip.
- Breaking a Rule. If you ever fail to follow the Rule on a card, you immediately lose the Sword Fight. (The Fight Boss and any players not fighting can help enforce the Rules.)
If both players hit each other at the same time, reset and start the Sword Fight again. The Fight Boss has final say whether the fighters tied or not. The Fight Boss also has final say on whether a Rule was broken.
The winner of the Sword Fight takes all of the cards in the Pile and puts them face up in front of them. The loser gets no cards.
Ending Your Turn
After all Piles are either collected or discarded, your turn as the Fight Boss is over. The player to your left becomes the new Fight Boss. They will draw new cards to make new Piles and start the next round.
Making Sets
Whenever you have 3 Cards with the same color in front of you, you have a Set! The names of the cards don't matter - all that matters is their colors. You can collect multiple Sets of the same color. (This means that if you collect 3 Cards for a Set, and then collect a 4th Card of the same color, you can start a new Set.)
Winning the Game
As soon as any player collects 3 Sets they win the game!
Ties
If 2 players win the game at the same time, the ultimate winner will be decided with a Tiebreaker Sword Fight!
The players in the Tiebreaker Sword Fight will gather all of their cards and shuffle them together. Then draw 2 Cards from the shuffled cards and flip them face up. These will be the Rules for the Tiebreaker Sword Fight.
If 3 or more players are tied, those players will count all the cards they've collected. The 2 players with the most cards will take part in the Tiebreaker Sword Fight.
Running Out of Cards
If you ever run out of cards in the Draw Pile, shuffle the Discard Pile to make a new Draw Pile and keep playing.