Lucky Loop
Lucky Loop Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents of the Game
- 64 flight cards – show 4 different flight stunts – each with a degree of difficulty between 3 and 12.
- 30 Counters in 6 different colours – indicate the points scored. The thick counters are for the scoreboard, the thin counters for the four blue score charts on the game board.
- 1 Gameboard, with 4 score charts on the edge of the board (the flight cards are played here during the game) and the score board.
- 30 Game-Chips – comprising 23 Bonus-Chips (»7th Dice« and »Throw Again«), 6 Highlight-Chips and the Starting Player-Chip.
- 7 Dice and 1 Cup – use these to fulfil the flight card requirements (6 black dice and 1 red die).
The flight cards have different backs depending on their colour.
Each flight card shows the name of the stunt and its degree of difficulty at the top, the points for exactly achieving the degree of difficulty at the top of the card, and the points for exceeding the degree of difficulty at the bottom of the card.
Object of the Game
The players perform four stunt routines in order to win points. The more difficult a routine, the higher the number of points – but the greater too the risk of not passing and losing time repeating the routine. After four successful routines, you fly your own freestyle display with the chance of winning more points. The game is over after the round with the first successful freestyle display and the player who has obtained the highest points total has won.
Preparing the Game
The game board is placed in the middle of the table. The flight cards are sorted into 2 piles according to the back of the cards, shuffled and then placed face down next to the board. The bonus-chips, dice cup and dice are placed at the ready.
Each player receives the Counters and the Highlight-Chip in the colour of his choice, as well as 3 cards from each pile of cards, so he has 6 cards in his hand. One player is appointed starting player and places the Starting Player-Chip in front of him. He starts the game – all others follow in a clockwise direction.
Each player is given:
- 6 Cards,
- 5 Counters,
- 1 Highlight-Chip.
The Game
The player whose turn it is to go must decide on one of two possible moves:
- Exchange Cards
- Stunt Display
Exchanging Cards
Here the player draws 3 Cards consecutively from the face-down stacks. You may look at each card drawn before deciding from which pile you want to take the next card. After this, any 3 cards (even those just drawn) are thrown away face up and go to form the throwaway piles.
Note: Two different throwaway piles are formed – one with the blue and red cards, the other with the yellow and green. If the face down pile has been used up, the corresponding throw away pile is shuffled and placed face down for play.
Stunt Display
Establishing the Stunt Routines
Firstly you play the appropriate cards from your hand. Either one complete stunt routine comprising of 3 cards or an appropriate individual card.
Laying a 3-card routine: Three flight cards of appropriate colours are placed on the chosen stunt routine on the border of the game board. If there are already cards on the routine, these are first discarded on the appropriate throwaway piles.
Note: Each stunt routine is made up of 3 different flight stunts, represented by different coloured playing cards:
- Red – Turn (the tightest possible left or right turn)
- Blue – Loop the Loop (one loop)
- Green – Dive (one dive, pulled out of just in time)
- Yellow – Roll (a roll along the fuselage axis)
There are four stunt sequences:
- Red Rooster – Red, Green, Blue
- Rubber Duck – Yellow, Green, Red
- Diving Dove – Yellow, Green, Blue
- Mighty Eagle – Yellow, Red, Blue
The new card has to be the same colour and have a higher degree of difficulty.
Playing an individual card: From the second round a player may also play an individual card. He can chose a stunt routine that has already been placed on the game board and replace one of the three cards using one of the cards in his hand. It has to be the same colour but does not need to have a higher degree of difficulty. The replaced card is put on the appropriate throwaway pile.
The Flight
Six black dice are available for three rounds of throws. Precisely one flight card has to be fulfilled in each round of throws. Exactly which card you wish to fulfil can be decided after the dice have been thrown and the order does not matter.
The first round of throws: The player throws using three dice and allocates the result to one flight card. With the total from one to three dice he has to score exactly or more than the degree of difficulty.
- If it is not possible to fulfil any card with the first throw, the stunt routine has failed. This ends the player's turn. The player takes new cards to make up the number in his hand, then it is the next player's turn.
- If the value is matched exactly, the die or dice are placed next to the higher number of points at the top of the card.
- If the total exceeds the value, the die or dice are placed next to the lower number of points at the bottom.
The dice used stay on the cards until the end of the player's turn.
Example: The first throw shows: 1 • 3 • 5. The yellow card can be fulfilled with 3 and 5. Because the number is not fulfilled exactly, the two dice are placed on the lower field on the card. The player still has four dice left, using three of these he can now take his second throw.
The second round of throws: Again the player throws using three dice and the result is allocated to one of the two remaining flight cards.
- If one of the remaining flight cards cannot be fulfilled, the turn is over. The player takes new cards to make up the number in his hand - then it is the next player's turn.
- If another card is fulfilled with this throw, the dice are placed on the card as described above. The player may now elect to end his turn prematurely. The player receives no points but he can take a bonus-chip.
Example: The second throw shows: 6 • 6 • 4. The blue card can be fulfilled with the two sixes. Because the number is fulfilled exactly, the two dice are placed on the upper field on the card. The player now only has two dice left with which to take his third throw.
The third round of throws: Now the third and final throw is made with the remaining dice (maximum of three).
- If a player fails on the third flight card, he still receives a bonus-chip.
- If the last of the three flight cards is fulfilled, the result is kept on the remaining card. The stunt routine has been fulfilled and is then scored.
Note: If you no longer have enough dice to fulfil the third card, the stunt routine is also deemed to have failed.
Example: The third throw shows: 5 • 4. The red card can be fulfilled with the 4. Because this is the exact number, the die is placed on the upper field on the card.
Scoring (Points for a stunt routine)
A successfully performed stunt routine scores the following points:
- You score the total of the three point scores marked by the dice on the cards.
- In addition you score one point for every dice that you have managed not to use.
These points are then marked using a thin counter on the blue score chart pertaining to the stunt routine. Afterwards, this score is transferred to the scoreboard and the player's thicker counter is moved forward by the score achieved.
Exception: A result of less than 8 points does not score. The routine has therefore not been fulfilled.
Example: The result in this example is therefore: 2 points for the yellow card + 2 points for the red card + 10 points for the blue card + 1 point for the unused die = 15 points.
Attention! The scales only start from 8! Whoever has scored more than 20 points for one stunt routine transfers this score completely to the scoreboard. However, the blue scales only go as far as 20 points, so the counter is placed on the field "20+".
Note: This guarantees that the points for such an extraordinary result are not lost.
The flight cards stay where they are for now
Regardless of whether a flight was successful or not, the three cards remain on the edge of the game board.
Making up the number of cards in your hand
After the flight, the player makes up the number of cards in his hand to 6. He may look at each card drawn, before he decides from which stack to take the next card. The next player takes the black dice and it is now his turn.
Bonus-Chips
- Whoever successfully completes exactly two stunts in a stunt routine receives a bonus-chip.
- The player, who is first to achieve a result of at least 12 points within a stunt routine, receives a bonus-chip.
- Whoever then beats the existing best score also receives a bonus-chip.
- Each player, scoring 20 or more points in one flight, also receives a bonus-chip.
In any one round a player can receive a maximum of one bonus-chip.
How to win the Chips
Note: Flights are "rewarded" differently – irrespective of their result.
- If no flight or only one stunt is fulfilled – there is no reward.
- For two fulfilled stunts – one bonus-chip is awarded.
- Three stunts performed successfully are rewarded with points.
- Finally, a stunt routine where the best score is achieved is rewarded with a bonus-chip as well as the points scored.
How the chips are used
Bonus-chips may be used in two ways; either to be able to »Throw Again« or to use a »7th Dice«.
»7th Dice«: After playing a chip, the player may use the red die as a »7th Dice«. It is available in this round for the rest of his throws. A player may only use a maximum of one bonus-chip as a »7th Dice« in any one round.
»Throw Again«: A player surrenders a bonus-chip and in return may throw 1 to 3 dice again. One bonus-chip is only valid for one throw. You are permitted to use several chips in this manner in one round. Any bonus-chips played are returned to the hub.
Unused chips are worth nothing at the end of the game.
Note: It may well make sense to use the »7th Dice« even though you still have sufficient dice because you score one point for every unused die, even if this were to be the red die.
Note: Even if you use the red die, you are only permitted to use a maximum of 3 dice at once!
Note: If you are repeating a throw where you already used the »7th Dice« it may also be used again for this throw.
Note: In a round of throws a player may use one bonus-chip as »7th Dice« and several bonus-chips to »Throw Again«.
Repeating a Flight
As long as any one player has not yet fulfilled all 4 stunt sequences, he may repeat flights.
If in doing so he improves on his old result, he moves his counter up the blue score scale accordingly. The number of points by which he has improved is now added to his total point score on the scoreboard and he advances his counter by this number. It is also possible to acquire bonus-chips during a repeat flight. The same rules apply. However, a flight, which has already achieved 20 or more points, cannot be improved upon and may therefore not be repeated.
The Freestyle Display (Final Phase)
If a player has fulfilled all 4 stunt sequences, he must start his freestyle display in his next move. He is then in his final phase. The same rules are in place for carrying out the freestyle display, with the exception of the following points:
Note: The other players may only fly their freestyle display after they have also completed their 4 stunt displays.
Not permitted:
- Exchanging cards: Changing cards now costs one point, which is deducted from the scoreboard.
- Stunt Display: This freestyle display has a degree of difficulty that is too low (9 + 9 + 6 = 24).
- This freestyle display cannot be achieved with 6 dice.
The freestyle display has to consist of any 3 - 6 flight card combination with a degree of difficulty totalling 25 points or more. The player places the display cards in front of him. Any cards in the player's hand that are not used are put on the appropriate throwaway piles.
The freestyle display has to be put together in such a way that it can be flown successfully with 6 dice.
Before the first throw, the player places his highlight-chip on one of the flight cards played. When flying he has to fulfil this card exactly and not exceed it!
There now follows exactly one round of throws per flight card according to the rules above.
The freestyle display is unsuccessful if one or several cards are not fulfilled, or if the highlight is not fulfilled exactly. If the player fails in his freestyle display, it remains on the table in front of him. He loses 2 points. If he fails on the last card – he receives a bonus-chip – as consolation. This is the only possible way of obtaining bonus-chips in the freestyle display.
In the next round he has to fly the same freestyle display once again. However, he is not permitted to place the highlight chip anew before the throw.
If it is established that a player has played a freestyle display that is not permitted he must throw the cards on the throwaway pile. He also loses 3 points from the scoreboard and has to take 6 new cards. He has to wait until the next round to start a new freestyle display.
Scoring the freestyle display
If the freestyle display is a success, the point score is established. The highlight-chip scores double the number of points. The player can cancel out the result from his worst stunt display and instead he adds the points for his freestyle display.
Example freestyle display score: Highlight: Points x 2. 1 dice remaining = 1 point. Result: (2 x 6) + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 18 points. Karsten places his bonus-chip stake and flies a successful freestyle display with 18 points. His worst stunt routine was the "Mighty Eagle" with only 10 points. He can now discard this result and replace it with the 18 points from his freestyle display. He has therefore improved his bottom line result by 8 points.
Note: If the result of the freestyle display is lower than his worst stunt display, the player loses the corresponding number of points.
End of the Game
The game ends after the round, in which the first successful stunt routine has been flown. The player with the highest number of points wins. If there is a draw, the honour of victory is shared.
Note: The round is finished when the player sitting to the right of the starting player has had his turn. The starting player chips helps show this.