DEATHS OF ATHAZAR

Official Game Rules

Objective:  Deaths of Athazar is a shedding  card game.  The objective is to be the first to be rid of all of the  cards in your hand.

Players:  2-4 players

Characters:  The game consists of 14 characters, who can each perform specific actions to help you win.  They are divided into two categories:

​

Kill Cards:  These characters can “kill” other characters out of your hand.

1. Brawler (Value Point: 2) – this character can only kill a sailor.

2. Renegade (Value Point: 4)—this character can only kill a character whose values are odd

3. Assassin (Value Point:  5)—this character can kill a character of any numerical value

4. Archer (Value Point:  6)—this character can only kill a character whose values are even.

5. Magician (Value Point: 7)—a player can eliminate this card and only one set of matching cards in a hand.  The player, in the end, will eliminate 3 cards total from his hand.  The match is based on matching characters, not matching values.

6. Warrior (Value Point:  Various)—this character can only kill a character whose values are less than his.

7. Princess (Value Point:  No Value)—this character is the most powerful.  It can do any of the actions of any other character in the game.  However, it can not claim to be another character when a swap is forced.

​

Effect cards:  These characters perform certain actions when played or used.   They cannot/do not “kill” other cards.  

1. Sailor (Value Point: 1)—this character is the weakest.  He has no special function, other than flooding your hand.

2. Hunter (Value Point: 3)—a player may pass this character and another character (total 2 cards) to the player on his/her right during the pass phase only.  He has no specific function during the Play Phase.

3. Merchant (Value Point: 5)—a player can force any other player to swap his/her entire hand during the play phase.  However, if the player has a djinn, he/she must swap all the cards EXCEPT the djinn (see Djinn).  If the player has only a merchant and djinn (or two) in a hand, the player cannot use the merchant to swap.  The player must pass his/her turn.  

4. Djinn (Value Point:  6)—a player cannot pass this card to another player during the pass phase or in a swap.  He/she must hold this card until it is “killed”.  If a swap is forced (see Merchant), and the target opponent has a djinn, he/she must keep the djinn and swap the rest of his/her hand.  If the target opponent has only one or two djinns, nothing is swapped.

5. Sorcerer (Value Point: 10)—a player can give one card from his hand to any other player during the play phase.

6. Wiseman (Value Point: 15)—a player can take one card from the deck during the play phase.

7. Prince (Value Point: 20)—a player forces every other player to take one card from the deck. (The dealer deals each player an extra card.)  However, the prince cannot be used to give an extra card to a player who has already emptied his hand in a round.

​

How to Play:  The game is divided into rounds.  Each round has three phases:  the pass phase, the play phase, and the deal phase.

1. Designate one player as the dealer.  Any action that requires a card to leave the deck is done by the dealer.    

2. The dealer deals each player 7 cards facedown.   Initial play begins with a pass phase.  *If you choose to have more than 4 players (5 max), each player is dealt only 5 cards.

3. Pass Phase:  Each player chooses one card from their hand of 7 and, in unison, each player must pass that card face-down to the player on his/her right.  If you have a Hunter, you may pass two (The Hunter + 1 other card that is not a djinn) The game could also be played by passing to the left, as long as players decide on the pass direction at the start of the game.  Once passing is done, players move to the play phase, led by the dealer.

4. Play Phase:  In order, starting with the player on the dealer’s right (the token), each player can either:

   1. Eliminate cards from his/her hand with a “kill” and place them face up for everyone to see.  Example:  If a player has a brawler and a sailor, the player can have the brawler “kill” the sailor by placing the brawler card on top of the sailor card.   Each player is allowed only one kill per turn.

   2. Irritate other players by playing an effect card (white edge) face up and performing the action written on the card.  Example:  If a player has a prince, the player lays down the prince and all other players are dealt an extra card.  Each player is allowed only one “disruption” per turn.

   3. Do nothing.  The dealer always goes last. Once every player has had a turn, card play moves to the deal phase.

5. Deal Phase:   The dealer deals every player an extra card facedown from the deck.  That is the end of the round.

6. The token then rotates to the next player on the right.  This player will play first at the start of the next play phase.

7. Card Play continues again with steps 3-5 until a player is left with no cards in his hands.  The first person by the end of the play phase to accomplish this is branded the winner.  However, any player who finishes first must wait until all players in the round after him have had a chance to play.   If another player can also be left with no cards then the winner is based on the values of the cards of their last play.  The highest wins.  If values are equal, there is a tie.

8. Once a player is left with no cards before the play phase ends, he is immune from any actions or attacks from other players.

9. Optional:  If there is only one winner by the end of the play phase, play may continue to establish second, third or fourth places, etc.

10. If all the cards in the deck are exhausted during play, then a new deck can be created and shuffled from the played cards of all the players.  The card game continues with this new deck.

​​