MAUW Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
  • Maori Warrior cards
  • Spirit cards
  • Maui cards
  • MAUW cards
• Start of Game
• Play Area and Columns
• Playing the Game
  • Drawing Cards
• Strengthening Your Area of Play
  • Matching Different Values
  • Matching the Same Value
• Blocking a Column
  • Removing a Spirit
• Attacking an Enemy Warrior
• End of Game

Contents

• 56 Maori Warrior cards
• 12 Spirit cards
• 4 Maui cards
• MAUW cards (the card backs are identical; each card back is a MAUW card with value 9 and multiplier x2, i.e. 18 points)

Maori Warrior cards

Each warrior has a colour and a number of lives (values from 1 to 8).

The warriors come in pairs of the same colour such that the sum makes 9 (the nine lives of a cat):

• 1 + 8 = 9
• 2 + 7 = 9
• 3 + 6 = 9
• 4 + 5 = 9

Note: There are seven copies of each value, and each value only exists as one colour (example: all 6s are green).

Some cards marked with • or •• are removed from the game at the beginning depending on how many players you have.

Spirit cards

The cat spirits have already lived their 9 lives. They have no lives left, and a value of 0.

Maui cards

Maui, the god of cat warriors, is used as a Joker (wild). He can replace warriors as well as spirits.

MAUW cards

All card backs are identical, and have the value 9 and a multiplier x2 (18 points).

During the game, players must obtain MAUW cards to get victory points.

Note: MAUW cards are laid overtop one another (see below), multiplying their values.

The cards are shuffled and placed face-down to make a communal deck.

If the deck is empty and a player must draw, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.

Example: a MAUW column of three MAUW cards scores 9 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 72 points.

Start of Game

1. Remove the cards marked with dots:
   • Two players: remove cards with • and ••.
   • 3-4 players: remove only cards showing ••.
   • 5-6 players: do not remove cards.
2. Make a face-down deck by shuffling the cards.
3. Deal 4 cards to each player.
4. The furriest player begins the game.

Play Area and Columns

Each player has in front of them a personal play area in which they will have up to 4 columns of cards (A-D), which they'll use to gain their points.

Each column is composed of a stack of, at most, 4 cards, no more than 3 of which may be MAUW cards.

Note: The fourth card (on top) may never be a MAUW card.

Playing the Game

The players must, in clockwise order, play 1 card from their hands:

• to strengthen their play area;
• to block a column, or;
• to attack an enemy warrior.

Note: A player who, on his turn, cannot play a card, must discard his whole hand and draw 4 new cards.

Drawing Cards

A player must always have four cards in hand.

After playing a card, the player must draw exactly 1 new card as quickly as possible.

Note: A player who forgets to draw may be punished (see Attacking) but may then draw after being reminded.

Strengthening Your Area of Play

Strengthen your area of play by playing a Warrior:

1. On an empty space.
2. On a MAUW column.
3. On a Warrior of the same colour and different value.
4. On a Warrior of the same colour and value.

Important: A Warrior (or a Joker) played on another Warrior of the same colour causes a match.

Matching Different Values

The 2 Warriors are discarded, then the player draws 1 MAUW from the top of the deck and places it on an empty space, or on a MAUW column in his play area.

Example: 2 + 7 = 9 (9 cat lives).

Matching the Same Value

1 of the 2 cards is flipped MAUW-side up, then the player puts both cards on an empty space or MAUW column in their area of play.

Example: 2 + 2 = 2 x 2.

Note: If the cards gained through a match can't be legally placed (see previous page), they are discarded.

Blocking a Column

To block a column, play a Spirit or Warrior on a MAUW column in your opponent's play area.

1. A Spirit reduces the column's value to zero.
2. A Warrior reduces the points of the column, since the 9 is replaced by a new, lower value.

Important: When a player is blocked by a Spirit or by a Warrior, he must wait until his turn to remove it.

Examples: a 9 x 2 x 2 = 36 point column blocked by a Spirit scores 0 x 2 x 2 = 0 points; blocked by a Warrior of value 3 it scores 3 x 2 x 2 = 12 points.

Removing a Spirit

To remove a Spirit, a player must play another Spirit on top (or a Joker). In this case, the two Spirits are discarded and the player's turn ends.

Example: a column blocked by a Spirit (0 x 2 x 2 = 0 points) that is cleared by playing a Spirit scores 9 x 2 x 2 = 36 points.

Attacking an Enemy Warrior

To attack a column, play a matching colour Warrior (or a Joker) on a Warrior in an opponent's column.

1. Attacking an opponent allows you to gain cards from the Match with that Warrior, instead of your opponent.
2. The opponent may defend themselves with an identical Warrior (or a Joker), which will cause both cards to be discarded and the attacking player's turn to end.

Important: If the attack is successfully defended against, the attacker can continue his attack by playing an identical card (and so on) until one of the players cannot produce a match. If a player fails to draw a card immediately after playing one, they may not play another card during this combat.

End of Game

The game ends immediately as soon as one player has 3 columns each consisting of at least 3 MAUW cards, or as soon as a player cannot replenish their hand to 4 cards at the end of turn.

Each player then counts their points. The player with the most points is the winner of the game.

Example: 32 + 72 + 0 + 72 = 176 points.

• 4 x 8 = 32 points
• 9 x 8 = 72 points
• 0 x 2 = 0 points
• 9 x 8 = 72 points