SWAT!
SWAT! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
A dealer flips cards, one by one, face up onto the table until another player swats the special mat and claims all of the cards just dealt. This player collects all the cards dealt, keeps them in a face down stack, and becomes the next dealer. The dealer keeps changing, and swatting continues in this manner until all players have 3 such stacks or until the deck is exhausted. Then all players count the combined value of all cards claimed during the round and record their scores. Play three rounds and total up the scores--the player with the highest score wins!
Game Components
A special deck of 110 cards:
- 15 Swat or Not
- 13 Zappers
- 4 Wild
- 20 Sure Stings: 3 each of +1, +2, +3, and +4; 4 each of -1 and -2
- 58 Double or NoStings:
- 12 each of +2's; 10 each of +3's;
- 8 each of +4's and +5's and +6's;
- 6 each of -2's and -4's
- A special SWAT! mat (place it in the center of the table)
- You will also need a pencil and paper (not provided)
Preparing the Deck
For 5-7 players, use the full deck. For 4 players, use 2/3 of the deck. This does not need to be precise. Simply divide the deck up into 3 roughly equal stacks, eliminate one and use two of them. For 3 players, use ½ of the deck. Again, a rough split in half will do. For 2 players, refer to the final section of these rules.
Starting The Game and Claiming an Offer
A randomly-chosen first dealer shuffles the deck well and flips over the cards, one at a time, onto an ever-growing pile on the table, clearly visible to all. These cards are the first "offer".
The dealer may "talk up" the offer as it unfolds, or remain silent. It's up to the dealer. When the dealer flips over each card, it should be flipped over fast so that all players see the card at the same time.
Any player, except the dealer, may claim the offer by being the first player to SWAT the mat in the center of the table. That player claims all of the face up cards, including the card that the dealer may be in the process of dealing (as long as the dealer has at least started to turn the card over). The cards claimed are called a "stack". Stacks are placed separately and face down in front of the claiming player. The faces of the cards in a stack may not be looked at again until the end of the hand, when they are scored.
Sometimes an offer is claimed after only 1, 2 or 3 cards. Sometimes an offer may go unclaimed for many cards. It all depends on the nature of the cards and the moods (and strategies) of the players!
Continuing the Game, Counting Stacks and Ending the Hand
The player who claimed the stack then takes the deck and becomes the next dealer. The dealer keeps changing in this manner and each dealer continues to flip up cards, and the other players continue to claim offers and make stacks until each player has claimed a maximum of three (3) stacks, or the deck is exhausted. After three stacks are claimed by a player, that player may not claim any more cards. Each offer claimed must be kept in a separate stack by its owner.
The hand ends when all the cards in the deck have been flipped over, or when all players have reached their three stack limit.
Scoring
When the hand ends, all players combine all of their stacks into one and count the combined values of all of their cards. Points with a minus sign in front of them are subtracted from the total. Here is an explanation of the scoring values of the various cards:
Sure Stings: These cards always score their face values.
Double or NoStings: These cards score only if a player has two of them. e.g. Each pair of Double or NoStings "+4" Black Widow cards scores 4 points. But if a player has only one +4 Black Widow card, it is worthless.
Swat or Not: These cards are worth +7 to the player(s) who collects the most of them and -7 to the player(s) who collects the least of them. No one else scores anything for these cards. Note that it's +7/-7 total points for having the most/least, not +7/-7 for each card.
Zapper: These cards score depending on how many a player claims. Players can figure out how many points their Zapper cards are worth by looking at them. Match the number of Zapper cards claimed (the number in the red box) with the points next to it (the number in the zap). The zap number is the amount of points scored. For example, if you have 4 Zapper cards, you score 5 points. Note that 7 or more Zappers score the maximum 40 points.
Zapper scoring table (number of Zapper cards claimed → points scored), as shown on the Zapper cards:
| Zappers claimed | Points |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 5 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 20 |
| 7 or more | 40 |
Wild: These cards are used to complete a Double or No Sting. Wild cards can be combined (and must be combined—even with negatives) with any single Double or NoSting to score the Double or NoSting points. A Wild card cannot be used as a Sure Sting, Swat or Not, or a Zapper card.
Ending the Game
Play three complete rounds, total up the scores, and the player with the highest score wins!
Playing the Game with Two Players
Use only ½ the deck (roughly cut in half). Then cut the ½ deck into two halves again and each player receives a half. On every turn, both players simultaneously reveal one card, placing it in the center. Both players can SWAT the mat. The first to do so claims the cards, and forms a stack. There is still a 3 stack limit, and all other rules apply. Play two hands and total the scores, or play to a set number of points (e.g. 100).