Kardwars

[bertinator]

Reposted here from #rules in discord.


Kardwars
Brikwars but with playing cards.

Each player chooses and takes the full set of 13 cards of 1 color. They select 6 cards to place on the field, facing up, as units. The rest of the cards are shuffled and placed in a pile facing down. This is the players' randompile.

A units type is defined by the number on the card. Odd numbers are ranged units, even numbers are melee units, J is a medik, Q is a hero, K is a vehicle.

In KardWars, the Ace always counts as a 1.

A player must always field the hero, and when it dies, it fights a Losing Battle.

A units' armor value is equal to the number on the card, with 6/12/12 for J/Q/K.

Move and attack range are measured as 2*card length.

When making an attack, the unit must first make a Skill Draw from the random pile. On 5 or higher, the attack succeeds.

On the Skill Draw, drawing a J counts as a critical success, and drawing a K counts as a critical failure.

The drawn card is placed on a discard pile, and when the random pile is finished, it's shuffled into a new random pile.

A Damage Draw happens the same way. Ranged units deal drawn+1, melee units deal drawn+2, and a hero draws twice from the randompile. J/K count as 6/12 when drawn for damage.

Critical success effect: insta-kill and a promotion for the attacking unit.
Critical failure effect: demotion for the attacking unit.

Promotion/demotion: search the random+discard piles for the nearest higher/lower card, and swap it with the unit. Shuffle the random+discard piles into a new random pile.

A medik (J) can revive one dead unit per turn on touch.

A vehicle (K) can garrison 1 unit. Embark/disembark once per turn for free. Boarded units can make attacks but not receive damage until the vehicle is destroyed. On vehicle destruction: unit disembarks but takes no damage.

Hero (Q) gets a Heroic Feat. Both players draw a card from the random pile to decide the outcome.