Card-Fu is a competitive card game that simulates a fight between two Martial Artists. The object of the game is to reduce the opponents health to zero through winning bouts and performing combos.
Game Setup
Shuffle the deck, and deal each player 7 cards.
Clubs = Throw
Hearts = Block (Dodge)
Spades = Attack
Diamonds – Retreat, and Combo Cards
These are the three types of “moves” you can make in a bout (single turn)- They have a “rock-paper-scissors” relationship – instead it’s “throw-block-attack”.
Note: Hearts beats Clubs if the Heart card is a lower value (called a Dodge).
Gameplay
Both players play a card from their hand face-down, and then both reveal their card at the same time.
Attack
Spades (Attack) wins against Clubs (Throw). The winner can add extra Damage with “Combo Cards”.
If you play 3 or more Combo Cards on an attack card. The opponent is knocked down, and is now “On the Ground”.
Note: If each player reveals a Spades, then the lowest value card wins (lower is considered faster).
Throw
Clubs (Throw) wins against Hearts (Block) of the same or higher value. The winner can add extra Damage with “Combo Cards”.
The Thrown player is now “On the Ground”.
Note: If each player reveals a Club, then the highest value card wins (higher is considered stronger).
Block
Hearts (Block) wins against Spades (Atack). If the Heart is lower in value, you may play one extra Damage with any Diamond Card from their hand. (Counter Attack).
Hearts (Dodge) wins against Clubs (Throw) of a higher value. The winner can play one extra Damage with any Diamond Card from their hand. (Counter Attack).
If each player plays Hearts (Block) then nothing happens, and each player may look through their Life pile and take one card back into their hand.
Retreat
If you play a Diamond. The opponent puts their card (and Feint Card if played) back into their hand, and you place your card into your Life Pile.
If both players play a Diamond – they each place their card into their Life Pile.
On the Ground
When being Thrown or Knocked to the ground turn your Draw Pile sideways to show you are on the ground.
You must get back on your feet before you or your opponent can play another Throw card. You will also take double damage from Attack Cards, and Combo Cards.
When you are on the ground you cannot play a Feint Card, or perform a Counter Attack – but your opponent can.
To get back on your feet:
– You must win a round with an Attack Card.
– Your opponent plays a Block or Retreat Card.
– You play a Retreat Card.
In these cases, turn your Discard Pile back to the vertical position.
Combo Cards
Diamonds are your Combo Cards; they are played on top of a successful attack/throw – play as many from your hand as possible, but you must follow a one higher or one lower sequence.
For example: If you won an attack with a 7 of clubs, then you may now play an 8 of diamonds, then a 9 of diamonds, then a 10 of diamonds, etc.
Example 2: If you won an attack with a Queen of Spades, then you could place a King of diamonds, then a Queen of diamond, a Jack of diamonds etc.
You may also include a Club or Spade of the same value as the winning card in the sequence.
For example: If you won with a 7 of Clubs, then you may now play an 8 of Diamonds, then a 7 of Spades, then a 6 of Diamonds, then a 7 of Diamonds etc
Note: Counter Attack.
If your Block (hearts) is “faster” (lower card value) than an Attack or Throw. then you may play any one Diamond from your hand (does not have to follow a sequence). This is called a “Counter Attack”.
Taking the Damage / End of Round
When the round is over. Add up the total damage dealt, This is 1 damage per card on the winners side (not counting Hearts).
The loser discards this many cards from their Life Pile, into the Discard Pile. (If there are not enough cards in the Life Pile, they discard cards from their Draw Pile.
Both players now place all cards they just played into their “Life Pile”.
At this point players may optionally announce “Feint Card” and play a card face down from their hand.
Then each player draws from their Draw Pile until they have 7 cards in their hand. (If you can’t draw up to 7 cards in hand, you continue playing with remaining cards in hand).
Feint Card
At the end of a round before drawing cards. Each player may play a “Feint” card face down from their hand.
At the start of the next round, you play a second card face down next to your Feint Card – and then turn either one of the cards over as usual in a round.
If you win – Place your winning card into the Discard Pile, and then turn the second card face-up – this is now your winning card.
This is useful when wanting to begin a combo with a card you don’t think will win the initial bout. For example, you might want to play a fast block, and if it wins, follow up with the second card attack and combo. Or you might want to play a fast Throw to beat a block, and then followup with a slow Throw to start a combo.
If you lose – Both cards go into your Discard Pile instead of your Life Pile.
Winning the Fight
When a player has no cards left in their Draw Pile, and Life Pile after taking taking damage (or less cards than the damage taken), they are “Exhausted”. This means one more point of damage will finish them, and they will loses the fight.
The game also ends when one player has no more cards in hand. Then whoever has the lowest number of cards in their Life Pile loses.