Greatsword

ACardGameofMedievalHandtoHandCombat CopyrightJohnM.Stater,IllustrationbyJonKaufman

SUMMARY
Greatswordisasimplegamethatrepresentsthebackandforth,lungeandriposteandhackandhew ofmedievalhandtohandcombatusingastandarddeckofcards.Thegameassumesthatthetwo combatantsareevenlymatchedphysicallyandareusingthesamearmorandweapons.

SETUP
Beforeyoubeginplay,dividethedeckofcards intotwodecks.Onedeckisfortheblack suitsofCLUBSandSPADES,theotherforthe redsuitsofHEARTSandDIAMONDS.In Greatsword,blackcardsrepresentattacksand redcardsrepresentdefenses.More specifically,SPADESrepresentprecision cuttingattacksandCLUBSforcefulattacks, whileHEARTSaredefensesagainstprecision attacksandDIAMONDSaredefensesagainst forcefulattacks. Oncethedeckisdivided,shuffleeachofthe smallerdecks,whichwecalltheBlackDeck andRedDeck.Eachplayernow,inturn, startingwiththeyoungest,drawsonecard fromeitherdeckintohishand.Eachplayer canchooseatotaloftencards.Themixof attackanddefensecardsinapersonshandis uptothem,solongasthetotalnumberof cardsdoesnotexceed10. Now,eachplayerdrawsoneadditionalcard fromeitherdeckandplacesitfaceupinfront ofthem.Thehigherofthetwocards

determineswhichplayerbeginsthegamewithinitiative,i.e.ontheattack.InGreatsword,anAcecounts as1,aJackas11,aQueenas12andaKingas13.Thus,AceisthelowestcardandKingisthe highestcard.

PLAY
Inplay,eachplayerwillchooseacardfromtheirhand.Thesecardsarecomparedand,dependingon whattypeofattacktheattackerwasattempting,oneplayerisdeclaredthewinneroftheround.The otherplayeristheloserandsufferstheconsequences. Ineachround,theattackeranddefendereachdrawonecardfromtheirhandandplaceitfacedownon thetable.Theattackerthenannounceshisattack(seebelow)andbothplayersrevealtheircards. Iftheattackerscardwinstheround,hediscardsthecardanddrawsanewcardfromeithertheBlackor RedDeck,puttingitinhishand.Heretainstheinitiative,andwillattackagaininthenextround.The defenderdiscardshiscardanddoesnotdrawanewone. Ifthedefenderscardwinstheround,heandtheattackerbothdiscardtheircardsandbothredraw newcardsfromeithertheBlackorRedDeck.Thedefendernowhastheinitiative,andwillbethe attackerinthenextround. Whenoneplayerrunsoutofcards,hehaslostthematch.Hemustimmediatelyrise,upholdhisdrink andtoasthisvanquisher,whothendoesthesame,toastingtheloser.

ATTACKSANDDEFENSES
ThereareeightpossibleattacksinGreatsword,andeachoneworksabitdifferently. Attacksareclassifiedaspreciseorforceful(i.e.SPADEorCLUB)andhighorlow. Ifanattackerisusingahighattack,hemustputdownacardwithahighervaluethanthe defendertowin. Ifanattackerisusingalowattack,hemustputdownacardwithalowervaluethanthe defendertowin. IfanattackerusesapreciseattackandhisopponentplaysaHEART,helosestheround.A HEARTalwaystrumpsaSPADE. IfanattackerusesaforcefulattackandhisopponentplaysaDIAMOND,helosestheround.A DIAMONDalwaystrumpsaCLUB.

Thebasicattacksareasfollows: SPADE CLUB HIGH Slice(abschneiden) OverHew(oberhau) LOW Stab(stechen) UnderHew(unterhau) Thegamealsousesfouradvancedattacks.Tosucceedwithahighadvancedattack,theattackermust playaJack,QueenorKing.Tosucceedwithalowadvancedattack,theattackermustplayanAce,Two orThree.Onasuccessfuladvancedattack,thedefendernotonlylosesthecardheplayed,butmustalso discardoneadditionalcardfromhishand,chosenbyhimself.Theadvancedattacksareasfollows: SPADE CLUB HIGH WrathHew(zornhau) SquintingHew(schielhau) LOW ThwartHew(zwerchhau) CrookedHew(krumphau) Duringplay,anattackercannotusetwohighattacksinarowortwolowattacksinarow,hemust alternatebetweenhighorlow.

REDATTACKS
Aredcardcanbeusedtoattack,iftheattackerwishes.RedattacksarecalledBashes,andarealways consideredlow,forcefulattacks.IfanattackersucceedswithaBash,thedefenderdoesnotloseacard (i.e.theyredrawacardinthisround),buttheymustdrawaredcardandtheattackerretainsinitiative.

BLACKDEFENSES
Ablackcardcanbeusedtodefend,ifthedefenderwishes.Blackattacksareusuallydesperategambits. Ablackcarddoesnottrumpanything,sothevalueofthecardmustbeattheattack.Ifitdoes,play proceedsasnormally(i.e.bothplayersdrawnewcardsandinitiativepassestothedefender). Iftheattacker,ontheotherhand,playsacardofthesamesuitasthedefender,thedefendersweapon isconsideredtohavebeensundered,andheautomaticallylosesthematch.

NOTEONDEFENSES
Thedefensesalsohavenames,thoughthereisnoneedtousethosenamesinplay.Theyareasfollows: HIGH LOW DIAMOND FromRoof(vonTag) Plough(Pflug) HEART Ox(Ochs) Fool(Alber)