Pitch Out
Pitch Out Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 16 pucks
- 18 character tokens
- 5 defensive obstacles
- 1 rule book
- 1 travel bag
Quick Start
1 - Choice of the Arena
Choose as flat a surface as possible (this could be the floor) and set the boundaries of the playing area: ideally, play in an area of 80 x 80 cm without edges, but any table will do.
2 - Purpose of the Game
Victory goes to the player who manages to expel the opposing Captain, with a flick, from the limits of the playing area, OR to expel all the other pucks, leaving the opposing Captain alone.
It is a 'best of 3' game (2 winning rounds).
3 - Commitment
Each player chooses a team and takes the 5 Alpha pucks (the 3 Elite pucks are used in the complete rules).
It is forbidden to play two identical pucks in the same team.
The youngest person chooses the first player.
Then follow this procedure:
The first player deploys their pucks and 2 obstacles within a quarter of the table.
NB: Obstacles must always be spaced out and within the boundaries of the playing area so as to allow pucks to get by.
The second player does the same. Place the 5th obstacle in the centre of the playing area.
The first player starts playing.
4 - A Round
Players take turns to move any puck of their team by flicking it with their finger, in any direction. Every puck that leaves the arena will be eliminated.
Besides being able to move, each puck has a special power (see the teams for details).
If, in an attempt to win, a puck leaves the arena in the process of eliminating an opponent puck, the attack must always take priority.
Therefore, the game of Pitchout can never end in a draw!
NB: For example, when a Captain is eliminated by another Captain and both of them are expelled.
Eliminated pucks must remain visible to everyone.
5 - End of Round
A round comes to an end as soon as a player loses his/her Captain or if his/her Captain ends up alone.
The loser chooses who will begin the next round.
The match ends once a player has won 2 rounds.
6 - Obstacles
When a player has only 2 pucks left, his opponent should remove one of his/her obstacles.
If an obstacle is moved by the impact of a collision, it stays in this new position.
If an obstacle leaves the arena, it is out of the game until the next round.
Pucks cannot be expelled by obstacles. If one or more pucks are expelled because they have been moved by an obstacle, the player to whom the pucks belong is entitled to put them back, wherever they wish, within their 1/4 of the table.
A puck cannot be moved in the direction of a block with which it is already in contact.
NB: You can only move blocks by hitting them with a puck, not by pushing them with your hand.
Complete Rules
The differences in the rules only apply to the commitment phase and the end-of-round phase.
Commitments
Each player chooses a team and secretly selects 5 pucks from among the 8 (Alphas and Elites), including the Captain (obligatory).
To decide who plays first, players must follow these steps:
- Each player positions their Captain within their 1/4 of the table (the other pucks are hidden).
- Simultaneously, the players shoot their Captain to the other side of the table, as close to the opposite edge as possible, without falling.
- The closest chooses the first player. Position the 5th obstacle in the centre of the arena.
- The first player deploys their 5 pucks and 2 obstacles within their 1/4 of the table.
- The second player does the same.
- The first player begins to play.
End of Round
A round ends when a player loses their Captain or if their Captain ends up being left alone.
If they wish, the loser can:
- Ban from the match an Elite puck playing for the opposing team; his opponent will replace it secretly.
- Secretly change one of the pucks in their team.
- Choose who will begin the next round.
Tips
Flicking
Three ways to flick a puck:
- Release your index finger or middle finger.
- Release your thumb.
- Push with your finger.
Protect Your Nails
- Do not move away too far from the puck or you risk hurting yourself.
- Stick your finger next to the puck, you will be stronger and more precise.
Deployment Example
Place your Captain and your Guard behind an obstacle. Well-spaced and able to counter-attack, your pucks will enable you to start the game right.
The Teams
Hoods
Tribal nation, often regarded as brutal and savage, the Hoods are nonetheless shrewd tacticians when it comes to destabilizing their opponents, using powerful old magic...
Citizens
This proud and highly hierarchized nation takes advantage of their extensive military experience to send in the Arena, only their most skilled and specialized fighters…
The Pucks
The Alpha Pitcher
Captain — When it is the Captain's turn, he can choose to assume the power of an allied puck eliminated from its team, even if he has not yet moved. This power remains active until its next go.
Guard — When a puck is eliminated, it can be put back into play immediately, by replacing the Guard, who is eliminated in return.
Assassin — The Assassin eliminates the enemy pucks upon contact, only when he is being played (when it is activated).
Runner — The Runner can be played again if he does not touch a single enemy or allied puck when he is activated (maximum once per go).
Immortal — The Immortal cannot be eliminated during its go. If he leaves the arena, he's put back into play, anywhere within his deployment zone.
The Elite Pitcher
Major — The powers of the enemy pucks have no effect on the Major; he can only be eliminated by leaving the boundaries of the arena.
Commando — The Commando can be moved again if he touches an enemy or allied puck when he's activated (maximum once per go).
Sapper — The Sapper can move the last obstacle that he touches when he's being played. He can put it wherever it chooses, once it has come into contact.
Infested — The Infested eliminates enemy pucks upon contact, even when it's the enemy's turn, and he's eliminated in return.
Shadow — If the Shadow touches a puck without ejecting it, he can be placed on top of this puck. A puck beneath the Shadow cannot be played; the Shadow can be played while it is on top of the enemy puck.
Shaman — If the Shaman eliminates an enemy puck, she may add a puck to her deployment zone.
Golem — The Golem counts in every way as a puck of your team, he has no power.
F.A.Q.
Overview
Q: Can I play the same puck two turns in a row? A: Yes, you can play a puck, then play the same puck again after the opponent's turn. You can even play a single puck during the whole game!
Q: What do you do when a puck ends up on or under another puck or obstacle? A: It must immediately be shifted to a valid position.
Q: What happens when a puck accidentally turns around? A: It must immediately be turned face up.
Q: A puck hits an obstacle following a flick and ejects another puck behind the obstacle, what happens to the ejected puck? A: The puck ejected in this way is not eliminated, it must be relocated anywhere in its deployment area. Elimination from the playing area is only valid if the ejected puck is hit by another puck.
Q: Can we move an obstacle if it prevents us from shooting correctly? A: No, you have to choose another shooting angle, or choose another puck to play.
Q: What do you do with an obstacle that is ejected out of the playing area? A: It must not be put back on the playing area before the next round.
Q: Can a puck eliminate several pucks in a single action? A: Yes.
The Captain
Q: What is the Captain's power at the beginning of the game? A: He has none. When pucks from his team are eliminated, he can copy a power belonging to one of these pucks at the beginning of the turn, before the first puck is played. This power lasts until the beginning of his next turn, and the Captain must copy a new one again at the beginning of the next turn (he may if he wishes to take the same power).
Q: During his turn a Captain ejects the opposing Captain, unfortunately the attacking Captain also leaves the playing area, what happens? A: There are no tied games in the pitiless world of Pitch Out, the attack will always win over the defense, so the victory goes to the attacking puck's team, even when the attacking Captain has taken the Infested power.
The Assassin
Q: At his turn, a puck hits an allied Assassin and the latter hits an opposing puck. Is the opposing puck eliminated by the power of the Assassin? A: No, because the power of a puck is only activated when played.
Q: At his turn, an Assassin hits an Infested enemy, what happens? A: The two pucks are eliminated.
The Runner
Q: Can a Runner play again if he touches an obstacle the first time? A: Yes, the only case where the Runner can not make her second move is when he touches a puck (enemy or ally).
The Guard
Q: Can a Guard be sacrificed instead of the Captain of his team when he is eliminated? A: Yes, the Guard can be traded against any allied puck who has just been eliminated.
The Immortal
Q: An Immortal leaves the playing area after eliminating an enemy puck, what happens? A: The Immortal comes back into play in his area of deployment. Having touched an enemy puck does not change anything (except with the Infested!).
The Commando
Q: Can my Commando replay after eliminating an opposing puck? A: Yes.
The Major
Q: Does the Shaman generate a Golem by eliminating the Major? A: Yes, because the condition of the Shaman's power is to eliminate an enemy puck.
Q: What happens if the Infested touches the Major? A: Nothing, neither is eliminated.
The Sapper
Q: Do we have to move the obstacle? A: No, it's at the player's choice.
Q: Does the Sapper's power work after eliminating an opposing puck? A: Yes.
The Shaman
Q: Can the Shaman summon multiple Golem pucks if she eliminates multiple opponents in a single move? A: No.
Q: If the puck eliminated by the Shaman is put into play by the Guard, is the Golem generated? A: Yes, the elimination action has been done so the Golem comes into play.
Q: Is the puck eliminated by the Shaman still available to the Captain? A: Yes, the power of the eliminated puck is accessible to the Captain.
Q: Can the Shaman summon multiple Golem Pitchers if she eliminates multiple opponents in a single round? A: Yes, up to a maximum of two Golems on the table.
Q: If the Shaman is eliminated, will the Golem pucks that she eventually summoned disappear? A: No, they stay in play until they are eliminated or if necessary until the end of the current round.
Q: If the Shaman is eliminated when she eliminates an opposing puck she still invokes a Golem? A: Yes.
Q: In turn, a Pitcher hits an allied Witch and the latter hits an enemy puck and eliminates it. Does the Shaman invoke a Golem in play through her power? A: No, because the power of a puck is activated only when it is played.
The Infested
Q: When in play, the Infested eliminates an enemy by touching or ejecting him from the area, what happens to the Infested? A: The Infested is also eliminated, the mere fact of touching or being touched by an opposing puck is enough to eliminate the two pucks.
The Shadow
Q: Can the Shadow only play when positioned on an opposing puck? A: Yes, only on top of an opposing puck.
Q: Can a puck under the Shadow be targeted by an opposing puck? A: Yes.