Serpent Stones Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Overview
• Setup
• Turn Summary
• The Yaotitlan
• Nahualli Warriors
• Warrior Cards
  • Building a Serpent Team
• Nahualli Cards
  • Playing Nahualli Cards
  • Nahualli Strikes
  • Nahualli Captures
  • Inactive Warrior Cards
• Teotl Cards
  • Quetzalcoatl (Extra Card)
  • Tezcatlipoca (Force Discard)
  • Wrath of Tezcatlipoca
  • Huitzilopochtli (Sacrifice)
• Performing a Sacrifice
• Performing a Double Sacrifice
• Strategy Notes: Sacrifices

Components

The game contains a 72-card deck and a battlefield game mat. The deck is made up of:

• 18 Jaguar Knights (warrior cards)
• 18 Eagle Warriors (warrior cards)
• 9 Nahualli Strike (nahualli cards)
• 9 Nahualli Capture (nahualli cards)
• 6 Extra Card (teotl cards)
• 6 Force Discard (teotl cards)
• 6 Sacrifice (teotl cards)

Age: 8+. Players: 2. Time: 5-15 minutes.

Overview

Players battle to capture their opponent's temple stone without running out of cards. In this best-of-three rounds contest, players take turns playing either warrior cards to build a serpent team on the Serpent Stones battlefield, nahualli (nah-huall-ee) cards to strike or capture opposing warrior cards, or teotl (tay-o-tul) cards for a tactical advantage.

Setup

Players take turns drawing cards from anywhere within the Serpent Stones card deck until a warrior card is drawn. The player that draws the first warrior card will play first and sit on the side of the game board representing the house of the drawn warrior card.

The second player sits on the opposite side of the game board representing the opposing house, shuffles the deck thoroughly and deals seven cards to both players. The remaining deck is placed face down on the draw stone on the game board.

Players select two of the seven cards from their hand to discard to the discard pile so that each player begins play holding five cards.

Turn Summary

• DRAW ONE CARD, PLAY ONE CARD. Every turn begins with a player drawing one card from the draw deck and ends by playing (and taking additional action if needed) or discarding one card from their hand.
• SACRIFICE. If a player is on the last step of a sacrifice, the player must play (or discard) the cards on their sacrifice stones before playing or discarding a card from their hand (see PERFORMING A SACRIFICE).
• VICTORY, OR DEFEAT. A round ends when a player captures their opponent's temple stone by playing a warrior card on it. The game ends if a player wins two rounds, or becomes victim to the dreaded Wrath of Tezcatlipoca. (See WRATH OF TEZCATLIPOCA.)

The Yaotitlan

Yaotitlan (yow-tee-tlan) means "field of battle". It consists of 7 staggered rows of 34 serpent stones.

• Each house has a Temple Row containing a sacred Temple Stone and two Power Stones.
• Each player has two sacrifice stones to use when performing a sacrifice. (See PERFORMING A SACRIFICE.)
• The draw stone and discard stone are in the middle left and right edges of the game board.

Nahualli Warriors

Serpent Stones is said to be based on a long forgotten Aztec training exercise where two teams of warriors would chain themselves together to form a serpent. Like an ancient version of Red Rover, the object was to create a break in the opposing serpent team's chain.

The deck features three classes of cards: Warrior cards, Nahualli cards, and Teotl cards.

Warrior Cards

Warrior cards are used to create and grow a serpent team. There are two different types of warrior cards: Eagle Warriors and Jaguar Knights.

Warrior cards are played face-up on an empty serpent stone on the Yaotitlan with the arrow pointing toward the opponent. (The warrior card's orientation determines to which team it belongs.)

Only one warrior card can occupy a serpent stone at a time. Warrior cards occupy the serpent stone they were played on until they are attacked by a nahualli strike, or the game ends.

Building a Serpent Team

To create a serpent team a player must play a warrior card from their warrior house on either one of their two Power Stones. (As the House of Eagle Warriors, only an Eagle Warrior card can be played on a House of Eagle Power Stone. As the House of Jaguar Knights, only a Jaguar Knight card can be played on a House of Jaguar Power Stone.)

Once a serpent team is created a player can grow it by playing additional warrior cards from either house on empty serpent stones adjacent to any active warrior card. (See INACTIVE WARRIOR CARDS.)

An opposing player can play warrior cards from either house on their opponent's power row.

A player wins if they expand their serpent team of warriors onto their opponent's temple stone by placing any warrior card on it.

A player cannot play a warrior card on their own temple stone.

Always play warrior cards with the corner arrowheads pointing at your opponent.

Example turn sequence (as printed):

• 1st turn: Start your serpent team by playing a warrior card from your house on one of the two House of Eagle Power Stones.
• 2nd turn: Grow your serpent team by playing a warrior card from either house on a serpent stone adjacent to the first warrior card you played.
• 3rd turn: Continue to build your serpent team playing warrior cards from either house on any serpent stone on the Yaotitlan adjacent to your active warrior cards.

Nahualli Cards

Nahualli cards are used to attack opponent's warrior cards. There are two different types of nahualli cards: Nahualli Strikes and Nahualli Captures. Both nahualli card types feature five different attack patterns:

• Strikes: Beetle, Owl, Jaguar, Scorpion, Skunk.
• Captures: Butterfly, Bat, Hummingbird, Coyote, Monkey.

What is Nahualli? Nahualli refers to an animal spirit that exists inside everyone. It is said the same combat exercise on which Serpent Stones is based was a method to help train Aztec warriors on how to command and master their nahualli spirit energy. Those able to master it were said to be able to change into their animal spirit form, or they could command a nahualli animal double to do their bidding.

Playing Nahualli Cards

Play a nahualli card on an opposing warrior card that is adjacent to an active warrior card in your serpent team. In the example, only one opposing warrior card is close enough to play a nahualli card on, however the attack pattern on the card will allow you to attack both opposing warrior cards!

Nahualli attack cards can only be played on top of an opposing warrior card occupying a serpent stone adjacent to an active warrior card.

A nahualli attack affects the warrior card the nahualli attack was played on and up to two additional opposing warrior cards. This depends on the attack pattern featured on the played nahualli card.

• The attack pattern is performed on a matching pattern of serpent stones on the Yaotitlan. A player has options on how to execute an attack so they must indicate to their opponent which serpent stones will be affected by the nahualli card.
• The attack pattern must include the warrior card the nahualli card is played on.
• Any opposing warrior cards occupying field stones in the indicated attack pattern will be affected by the nahualli attack. Warrior cards in the attack pattern belonging to the attacking player are not affected.
• Except for the opposing warrior card played upon, not all serpent stones in a nahualli attack pattern have to be occupied for a nahualli attack card to be played.
• The orientation of the jaguar and hummingbird nahualli cards can be rotated around to best perform the nahualli attack.

Nahualli Strikes

If the nahualli card played is a strike card, the strike card and all affected opposing warrior cards are discarded.

Example: Play a nahualli strike. The attack pattern on the nahualli owl strike card matches a stone pattern on the Yaotitlan with two opposing warriors. Both warrior cards are hit by the nahualli strike.

Strike result: Both opposing warrior cards hit by the nahualli strike are removed from the Yaotitlan to the discard pile.

Nahualli Captures

If the nahualli card played is a capture card, all affected opposing warrior cards are rotated 180' on the serpent stones they occupy and become active warriors of the attacker's serpent team. The capture card is then discarded.

Example: Play a nahualli capture. The attack pattern on the nahualli monkey capture card matches a stone pattern on the Yaotitlan with only the opposing warrior played on and an empty serpent stone.

Capture result: The opposing warrior card captured is rotated 180' and becomes part of the player's serpent team. (Note: In this example the warrior card you just captured is now vulnerable to attack by your opponent!)

Inactive Warrior Cards

If a nahualli attack separates warrior cards from a serpent team, they become inactive. A player cannot use warrior cards that are inactive to grow their serpent team from or attack opposing warrior cards. Inactive warrior cards can be made active again if a warrior card is played on a field stone that joins it to a player's serpent team, or if they are captured by their opponent.

Example: Your warrior card on the top row is separated from your serpent team because your opponent performed a nahualli strike in between it and your serpent team. That warrior card is now inactive.

Teotl Cards

Teotl cards affect the conditions of the game outside the Yaotitlan, generally giving the player some tactical advantage over their opponent. The three different types of teotl cards are Quetzalcoatl (khet-zul-koe-watt-uhl) Extra Card, Tezcatlipoca (tez-khat-lee-poh-ka) Force Discard, and Huitzilopochtli (wheat-see-low-poke-tlee) Sacrifice.

What is Teotl? To the Aztecs, teotl was the ever-flowing, ever-changing sacred energy in constant motion that made up all things in the universe. The Aztec gods were part of teotl. The Aztecs lived highly tempered lives in great reverence of the gods, which included self-sacrifice as well as performing human sacrifices to maintain balance in the universe.

When playing a teotl card, a player takes the action indicated on the card, after which the teotl card is discarded.

Quetzalcoatl (Extra Card)

Playing a Quetzalcoatl card gives a player one extra card for their turn. After playing the Quetzalcoatl card the player simply draws one card from the draw pile.

Tezcatlipoca (Force Discard)

Playing a Tezcatlipoca card allows a player to force their opponent to discard a card from their hand for their turn. The opposing player must hold their cards up without revealing them. The player points to any card in their opponent's hand which the opponent must discard.

Wrath of Tezcatlipoca

The Wrath of Tezcatlipoca is a special loss condition when a Tezcatlipoca card is played on an opponent with only one card (or no cards because they performed a sacrifice) left in their hand. The player who plays the Tezcatlipoca card causing the Wrath of Tezcatlipoca on their opponent immediately wins the match, regardless of the round.

Huitzilopochtli (Sacrifice)

Playing the Huitzilopochtli card allows the player to perform a sacrifice, a two-turn combination that allows two cards to be played on a single turn, but at the cost of one card held.

A player can extend a sacrifice into a double sacrifice, a three-turn combination that allows three cards to be played on a single turn, but at the overall cost of two cards held. Two Huitzilopochtli cards must be played on consecutive turns to perform a double sacrifice.

Sacrificed cards must be played at the end of a sacrifice combo. If a player forgets to play a sacrifice card at the end of a combo any cards left on sacrifice stones are immediately discarded.

Be careful when sacrificing cards that cannot be used at the end of a sacrifice. Cards that cannot be played must be discarded unnecessarily reducing the number of cards in your hand.

Performing a Sacrifice

1st turn:

• Player draws a card.
• Player plays Huitzilopochtli Sacrifice card.
• Player selects a card from their hand and places it face-down on their first sacrifice stone. (Player now plays with one less card in their hand.)

2nd turn:

• Player draws a card.
• Player must play or discard the card on the first sacrifice stone.
• Player plays or discards a card from their hand.

Example (2nd turn): After drawing a card, play the card you placed on Sacrifice Stone 1, in this case an Eagle Warrior card. Complete your turn by playing a second card from your hand, in this case, a Nahualli Scorpion Strike card.

Performing a Double Sacrifice

1st turn:

• Player draws a card.
• Player plays Huitzilopochtli Sacrifice card.
• Player selects a card from their hand and places it face-down on their first sacrifice stone. (Player now plays with one less card in their hand.)

2nd turn:

• Player draws a card.
• Player plays another Huitzilopochtli Sacrifice card.
• Player selects a card from their hand and places it face-down on their second sacrifice stone. (Player now plays with two less cards in their hand.)

3rd turn:

• Player draws a card.
• Player must play or discard the card on the first sacrifice stone.
• Player must play or discard the card on the second sacrifice stone.
• Player plays or discards a card from their hand.

Example (2nd turn): After performing a sacrifice on your 1st turn, play another sacrifice card. As before, take a second card from your hand and place it face down on Sacrifice Stone 2.

Example (3rd turn): After drawing a card, play the card you placed on Sacrifice Stone 1, in this case an Eagle Warrior card. Next, play the card you placed on Sacrifice Stone 2, in this case a Nahualli Hummingbird Capture card. Complete your turn by playing a third card from your hand, in this case, a Nahualli Scorpion Strike card.

Strategy Notes: Sacrifices

Card management can be even more important than positioning on the Yaotitlan. Manage your sacrifices wisely and be careful of your opponent playing multiple Tezcatlipoca cards. Use Quetzalcoatl cards as often as possible.

The best time to use a sacrifice is when a single empty stone separates your serpent team from your opponent's team. Sacrifice a warrior card followed by a nahualli card. This technique will allow you to gain ground against your opponent on the Yaotitlan.

If you can perform a nahualli attack on more than one warrior card during a turn on the Yaotitlan it is best to attack farther up your opponent's serpent team, closer to their temple stone. Doing this can render a number of opposing warrior cards inactive.

Try sacrificing a nahualli capture card. This can be an effective bluff against your opponent. Successfully performing a double nahualli attack, or even the rare triple nahualli attack can quickly turn an almost certain defeat into a stunning victory!

Why Perform a Sacrifice? A sacrifice can help a player to gain ground on their opponent on the Yaotitlan. The most effective time to perform a sacrifice is when a single empty serpent stone separates opposing serpent teams. First, sacrifice a warrior card, then play a nahualli attack card on an opposing warrior card.

Another tactic, although risky, is to sacrifice a nahualli capture card. Successfully performing a double nahualli attack, or even a rare triple nahualli attack can gain a player significant ground on the Yaotitlan. Be careful when attempting however, as a sacrificed nahualli capture card is wasted if there is no opposing warrior card available to perform the attack on!