Maximum Throwdown: Overload
Maximum Throwdown: Overload Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 90 Throwdown cards (6 decks of 15 cards each)
- 6 Reference cards
- 6 Starting location cards
- 30 Enchantment tokens
- Rulebook (this book)
Note: Players will need to provide a pen and paper to keep track of scores.
Setup
Players must agree on how many location cards will be used and how they will be arranged in the play area. A few suggested layouts are presented in the printed rulebook, but players are free to experiment with alternative layouts if they wish. Once the location cards are arranged, they cannot be moved after setup is completed. Place the location cards facedown so the bonus icons are not revealed, unless players choose to use the "Location Bonus Icons" option rule (see Optional Rules).
Each player takes a reference card and all 15 throwdown cards that match the illustration on the back of the reference card. Each player shuffles their throwdown cards to form a facedown deck. Place the enchantment tokens away from the play area.
The player who yells "Maximum Throwdown!" the loudest takes the first turn.
How To Play
Players take turns drawing and throwing cards onto the play area, attempting to cover opponents' icons in the process. Each turn, points are scored and abilities are used (see "Turn Sequence" below). The game ends when all players have run out of cards and the winner is the player with the most total points scored.
Turn Sequence
On your turn, you must follow these steps in order:
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Evaluate Active Icons: Look at your faceup cards in the play area and see which icons are completely uncovered. Each of these icons is considered active and will either provide an ability (see "Icon Abilities" for a complete description) or help you score points later during your turn.
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Score Points: You score one point for every six pips that are active (if the entire icon they show on is uncovered). Pips with an "X" are subtracted from the total. Remember that an enchantment token on a card doubles active pips on the card.
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Interactive / Offensive Maneuvers: Resolve all of your active Attack, Steal, Enchant, Shield, Revive and Target icons in any order you wish.
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Draw: Draw one card, plus one additional card for each of your active Draw icons.
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Throw: Throw one card, plus one additional card for each of your active Throw icons. Each Throw icon allows you to either throw one additional card (if you drew sufficient cards to do so) or immediately re-throw a card that missed. If you drew additional cards and did not have enough Throw icons to actually throw all of them, return the cards back on top of your deck in any order you wish.
Anytime during your turn - Instant Effects: Resolve any Bomb icons as they are activated during your turn.
After you finish all of these steps, the next player clockwise takes their turn.
Rules for Throwing
When a card is thrown, it must touch another card already in play (either a location card or another throwdown card). A card is considered touching if at least a portion of the card is over or under another card. If the thrown card does not touch another card in play, it is considered to have missed. Missed cards are immediately removed from the play area and placed in a common discard pile.
If a card lands facedown, its icons are considered covered and it does not provide any abilities. However, if the facedown card still touches another card in play, it remains in play and provides an additional target for future throws.
Players may move around the play area to throw from different spots. Between turns, players should return to their starting spot to maintain turn order.
Typically, a player's throwing arm should not go over the play area. However, this can be adjusted for preferred difficulty as long as all players agree to it at the start of the game.
Icon Abilities
Draw - Draw one additional card from the top of your deck and add it to your hand.
Throw - You may either throw one additional card from your hand OR immediately re-throw a card that missed. Note that you may only make additional throws if you drew additional cards with the Draw ability. If you choose not to immediately re-throw a missed card, the card is discarded from the play area as normal.
Break - This ability allows you to keep a missed card in play. If you choose not to immediately Break a missed card, the card is discarded from the play area as normal.
Steal - Steal a card by drawing one card from an opponent's deck of your choice and throw it onto the play area. You may choose to throw the card facedown or faceup. However, if the card lands faceup it will grant your opponent their icon abilities as normal. If the stolen card missed, the card is discarded from the play area as normal. Throwing a stolen card does not count towards your Throw icons.
Attack - Choose an opponent and discard the top card of their deck to the common discard pile.
Target - Choose an opponent. That player places the top card of their deck faceup in the play area without touching another card, making a target. Choose any player (you may choose yourself) and take the top card of their deck. You must then throw that card (standard throwing rules apply). If you hit the target, you receive one point. If you miss, the target card remains in play. You cannot move around the play area once you start this ability. Throwing a targeted card does not count towards your Throw icons.
Bomb - If a third Bomb icon is thrown into a connected pile consisting of two other uncovered Bomb icons, the pile blows up! Take all cards in the pile into your hand and count how many total Bomb icons are in the pile, then receive 1 point per Bomb icon. All non-location cards are removed from the game. You must then return all location cards to the play area however you wish.
Note that the "explosion" graphic next to the bomb icon is intended to highlight the effect and is not considered part of the Bomb icon itself. As long as the circular bomb icon is uncovered, it is considered active.
Enchant - Place an enchantment token on top of one of your uncovered cards in play. If the enchanted card is fully uncovered at the start of your next turn, the pips showing on it are doubled until the end of your turn. If an opponent covers the enchanted card with another card, this is disabled and they may take the enchantment token and place it on one of their own cards. If the enchantment token is covered, it cannot be removed. If the enchantment token covers an icon, the icon underneath is disabled.
You cannot place an enchantment token on a card that already has an enchantment token. If an additional enchantment token happens to be bumped onto a card that already contains an enchantment token, only one of the tokens doubles the Point icons. If an enchantment token is bumped and no longer remains on a card, it is immediately returned to the pool of tokens.
If an enchantment token covers an icon, the icon is considered disabled.
If the pool of enchantment tokens runs out, no further enchantment tokens may be placed. In other words, the supply of enchantment tokens is limited.
Revive - Take a card from your discard pile and throw it onto the play area. Throwing a revived card does not count towards your Throw icons.
Shield - Choose an opponent. Then take the top card of their deck (you may look at it) and place it on top of your deck facedown. When drawing, you may skip past any cards that are not yours.
Points - Each Points icon contains a certain number of pips represented by small dots. For every six showing at the beginning of your turn, you score one point. Remember that an enchantment token on a card doubles active pips on the card.
Pips with an "X" are considered negative pips and must be subtracted from the total pips. Negative pips are not doubled by enchantment tokens.
Note: Your icons are only evaluated and considered active at the beginning of your turn during the "Evaluate Active Icons" step. Remember that cards you throw will not be active until your next turn, and only if the icons remain completely uncovered.
Running Out of Cards
When a player runs out of cards, the player still continues taking turns by scoring points and activating their icon abilities until the game ends and the final scoring round is completed.
Winning the Game
The game ends when all players have run out of their own throwdown cards in their decks and the last player with any of their own throwdown cards remaining in his hand throws his last card. At that point, there is one final scoring round and each player takes one more turn of scoring points. Only Points icons and negative "X" pips are activated during the final scoring round; all other icons and enchantment tokens are ignored.
The winner is the player with the most total points scored. If two or more players are tied for the most points, the player with the most total uncovered icons wins. If players are still tied, they share the win.
Scoring Example
It is the green player's turn during his Score Points step. The arrows in the printed diagram point to icons that are considered active and count towards scoring. While the green player has other pips showing on his cards, they are not considered active since they are covered by another card.
The green player has 20 active pips: one 5 pip icon, one 6 pip icon, one 3 pip icon and one 3 pip icon that is doubled with an enchantment token (5+6+3+6=20). However, the player also has 5 negative pips active which reduces his total active pips to 15 (20-5=15). Every six pips scores one point so the green player scores two points this turn. Any extra pips that did not count towards scoring are lost (extra pips do not carry over from turn to turn).
Optional Rules
You may use the following optional rules to create more variety in your games.
Location Bonus Icons
Each location features a bonus icon on the back side of the card. Before starting the game, players may choose which locations to place with their bonus icons revealed.
Bonus icons work like regular icon abilities but they are not owned by any one player; ALL players may use the bonus icon on any location.
Players can only use one bonus icon during their turn, if any are still active. If two or more bonus icons are active during a player's turn, the player chooses which bonus icon to use. If the bonus icon is covered, it is no longer considered active, as normal.
Mixing Sets
If you own the original Maximum Throwdown release, you may mix both sets together and play with any of the decks and location cards.
Quick Reference
Setup
- Arrange location cards.
- Each player takes a reference card and all 15 throwdown cards that match the illustration on the back of the reference card.
- Each player shuffles their throwdown cards to form a facedown deck.
- The player who yells "Maximum Throwdown!" the loudest takes the first turn.
Turn Sequence
On your turn, you must follow these steps in order:
- Evaluate Active Icons: Look at your faceup cards in the play area and see which icons are active.
- Score Points: Score one point for every six pips that are active.
- Interactive / Offensive Maneuvers: Resolve all of your active Attack, Steal, Enchant, Shield, Revive and Target icons in any order you wish.
- Draw: Draw one card, plus one additional card for each of your active Draw icons.
- Throw: Throw one card, plus one additional card for each of your active Throw icons.
Anytime during your turn - Instant Effects: If you connect 3 bomb icons, instantly receive 1 point per bomb and remove non-location cards.
After you finish all of these steps, the next player clockwise takes their turn.