path: root/rules/en/rules.md

---
title: Muhq's Game Rules
header-includes: '<script src="../../js/linkableRules.js"></script>'
---

# Ideas {.unnumbered}

A short summary of gameplay relevant mechanics of muhq's game:

* Multiple thematically or mechanically coherent card sets
* Draft cards from subsets of available sets (determines decks and used strategies) -> players can adjust their gameplay according to the used map
* Deck building during gameplay (essential part of game progression)
* Cards in hand are redrawn each round
* Tabletop (satisfy a win condition)
* There is only one kind of resource
* Map significantly impacts game process and strategy -> replay value

# About The Rules {.unnumbered}

* **Words** with defined meaning by the rules are written in **bold**.
* *Verbs* specified by the rules with special meaning are printed in *italic*.
* Square brackets (`[]`) symbol optional instructions, rules or properties.
* Pointed brackets (`<>`) symbol placeholders which must be replaced with concrete text.
* Text written on cards override the rules.
* If rules are not clear the players have to find and agree on a solution.
  * If the players can not agree on a solution, they should first ask themselves why they are playing together or secondly decide by chance.

# Game Preparations

* Choose map
* Choose card sets
* Shuffle all selected cards
* *Draft* player decks
* Prepare needed game material (figures, tokens, dice, marker)
* Give each player the map defined starting deck
* Each player openly lays out their drafted cards as their **store**

# Draft

1. Drafting is the process of incrementally creating a deck by picking from passed around random packs of cards.
2. Since the requirements for decks vary highly depending on the map, the used sets and the player constellations there is no single "official" way to draft.
3. Multiple variables control the draft depending on how many cards should end in the deck and how many cards should be encountered during the draft.

## Notation

```
draft = rounds "x[" picks ";" packsize "]"
rounds = number
picks = number
packsize = number
```

`rounds` define how many iterations there are of the draft starting with new packs

`picks` determine how many cards each player picks from each pack

`packsize` spcifies how many cards are in one pack

> For example `3x[2;8]` means that there are three rounds starting with packs of eight cards and they rotate until each player has taken two cards from each pack.
> This means after the draft each player has a deck containing $3 \cdot players \cdot 2$ cards.

## Drafting

1. The pool of cards must have enough cards to be able to separate them in the required amount of packs
    1. If there are not enough cards in the pool add a copy of each card and repeat if necessary
2. Start each draft by creating $players \cdot rounds$ randomly distributed packs from the pool
3. Process:
   ```
   For each round
   	Each player picks a pack
   	For each pick
   		Pick a card from the pack and pass the pack to the next player
   ```

# Player Turns

1. Players take turns alternating
2. A turn consists of six mandatory or [conditional] steps:
    * [shuffle **discard pile** and replace empty **deck**]
    * [draw cards until you have three cards in hand]
    * [**upkeep**](#upkeep)
    * [**actions phase**](#action-phase)
    * [**buying phase**](#buying-phase)
    * [put any number of cards from your hand onto your **discard pile**]

## Turn Phases

1. A player's turn always consists at least of the three **phases**:
    * **Upkeep**
    * **Action phase**
    * **Buying phase**
2. The three optional **steps** (shuffling, drawing, discarding) are not consider **phases**
    1. During the optional **steps** no player can *declare* actions
3. Effects, that last until the turn's end, stop after the **discard step**

## Upkeep

1. Gain amount of resource defined by the map
2. Process all triggered effects
3. Pay your **units**:
    1. Paying for the units is an **action**
    2. The player has to declare the units they are going to *disband* (not pay for)
    3. The effect of the **upkeep action** is resolved as:
       
       ```
       For each not declared unit
       	Pay upkeep cost or destroy unit if paying the total cost is not possible
       ```

    4. A player is only allowed to not pay for and thus *destroy* a not declared **unit** if they can not pay the total amount
    5. If the active player controls no **units** no **upkeep action** is declared

## Actions

1. **Actions** model nearly everything happening in muhq's game
2. **Actions** can be issued by a player or *triggered* by some condition
3. A condition *triggering* an **action** is called a **trigger**
4. **Actions** caused by a **trigger** are *triggered*
  1. **Triggers** are usually recognizable by their conditional language and commonly written as: `"Whenever <condition> <action>, If <condition> <action> ..., When <condition> <action> ..."`

     > Example: "Whenever the equipped **unit** *attacks* gain 1 **resource**" - "the equipped **unit** *attacks*" is the condition and "gain 1 **resource**" is the *triggered* **action**

5. If multiple **Actions** are triggered at once the players declare their **actions** in turn order
6. Most game activities a player does are **actions**
7. Playing a card is an **action**, in doing so they must pay the card's **playing cost** as the cost for the **action**
8. Cards without **playing cost** (not cards with `playing cost = 0`) can not be played as an **action** in this way
9. *Controlled* **permanents** (e.g. **units**) can be "used" via their **actions**
10. **Actions** are processed in two steps:
    1. By *declaring* an **action** the player announces the desired effects, all its *targets* and pays all required costs
    2. The execution of an **action** is the atomic applying of all its effect
11. **Actions** have different timing restriction when a player can *declare* them
    1. **Slow actions** can only be *declared* during ones **action phase** and if no other **action** is already *declared*
    2. **Fast actions** can always be *declared* when a player has **priority**

### Priority

1. **Priority** is the time a player is allowed to declare **Actions**
2. To change from a turn's phase into the next each player has to pass **priority** without *declaring* an **action**
3. **Priority** is asigned in turn order

### Action Phase

1. **Slow actions** can be declared during a players own **action phase**
2. The **action phase** sequence:
   ```
   While you control an untapped permanent or have a playable card in hand
   	You may play a card from your hand
   	Or select an untapped permanent <P> you control
   		While <P> is untapped and has actions left
   			You may declare/execute an available action of <P>
   		Tap <P>'s card
   ```

### Action-Stack

1. The processing of **actions** is based on a stack
2. The last *declared* **action** is *executed* first
3. Each *declared* **action** is put on the **action-stack** before its execution
4. The last *declared* **action** on the stack is *executed* if nobody *declares* a new **action**

### Slow Actions

1. **Slow actions** can only be *declared* if no other **action** is currently *declared*
2. Playing a **permanent** card is a **slow action**
3. **Unit** **actions** are **slow actions** and have no cost except using a **unit**'s **action** for the turn

### Fast Actions

1. Playing a **spell** card is a **fast action**
2. **Fast action** actions can be *declared* whenever a player has **priority**

### Free Actions

1. **Free actions** consist of their cost and their effect ("\<cost\>: \<effect\>")
2. **Free actions** are **fast actions**
3. Either **Permanents** or cards can have **free actions**

### State-based actions

1. **State-based actions** are not **actions** as defined by [actions](#actions), they are not *declared* and do not use the **action-stack**
2. **State-based actions** are performed every time before a player receives **priority**
3. **State-based actions** handle the following:
    1. **Units** with more **damage** than **health** are *destroyed*
    2. *Poisoned* **units** with more **poison** marks than **health** are *destroyed*
    3. **Equipments** without **durability** are *destroyed*
    4. Granted effects end, which's condition are no longer satisfied
    5. The winners are declared, if the map's win condition is met

## Buying

1. Cards must be *bought* from the own **store**
2. To buy a card a player pays **resource** equal to the **buy cost** of the card
3. Only one card can be *bought* per turn
4. The *bought* card is put onto the **discard pile**
5. Cards without **buy cost** can not be *bought*
6. Cards can only be bought during ones **buying phase**

### Buying phase

1. Section of a player's turn in which the active player may *buy* a card

# Zones

1. Muhq's game features 6 distinct zones, where cards can be during the game:
    * In a player's **Deck**
    * In a player's **Hand**
    * In a player's **Discard Pile**
    * In a player's **Store**
    * On the **Map**
    * In **Exile*

## Deck

1. Each player has an individual **Deck**
2. Initially a **deck** contains only the start-cards defined by the **map**
3. The **deck** can be changed by *buying* cards or effects
4. If your **deck** is empty during your **upkeep** shuffle your **discard pile** into your **deck**
5. It is possible to have a permanently empty **deck**

## Discard Pile

1. A player's **discard pile** contains all their used cards
2. Each player's **discard pile** is public information and can be looked at anytime
3. **Discard piles** have no card order

## Store

1. Each player has its own **store**
2. When the game starts the **store** contains all cards of a player

## Hand

1. The cards in a player's **hand** are secret information and only known by them
2. A player's hand may contain any number of cards

## Exile

1. Cards in **Exile** are no longer part of the game

# Map

1. The chosen **map** defines the following aspects of the game:
     * The win condition
     * The **resource** gained during a player's **upkeep**
     * The players start decks
2. **Maps** are divided into **tiles**
<!-- * Kann *einzigen* (mutable) Effekt haben -->

## Tiles

1. Only a single **Permanents** can be placed on a certain **tile**
2. All **Tiles** have a type
3. **Tiles** without a type defined by the **map** are considered **neutral**
4. **Tiles** may have effects defined in [tiles.html](common tiles) or by the **map**
5. **Tiles** may grant actions to players or their **permanents**

### Free Tiles

1. **Tiles** contain no **permanent** are considered *free* 

### Available Tiles

1. **Tiles** are *available* to a **permanent** if the **permanent** can be placed on the **tile**
2. *Available* **tiles** are always *free*

## Win Conditions

1. The game's win conditions is not specified by the rules but the selected **map**
2. Possible win conditions are:
    * VIP/King: *destroy* special enemy **unit** (king in chess)
    * Resource battle: gain a **resource** threshold to win.
      Possible to steal/destroy/gain **resource** using **units**
    * Capture points:
        * Gain points for *held* regions
        * **Tiles** are considered *held* if you control the most **units** in a region 
    * *Destroy* buildings (like in a moba)
    * Stick of Victory, the: An **equipment** that must be *equipped* to gain points

# Resource

1. There is only a single kind of resource
2. **Resource** can be saved
3. **Resource** usually changes during each round

> Changes to a player's **resource** are dependent on the game state.
> The amount of controllable units, and which cards to buy are dependent on your income of resource per turn.
> Cards, units or tiles on the map can help you to gain resource.

4. The amount of **resource** gained during a player's **upkeep** is specified by the **map**

# Cards

1. Each card has the following [characteristics](../../latex-build/en/unit_explanation.png) listed on the physical card:
    1. A set of cards they belong to
    2. A unique name
    3. A card type:
        * **[Spell](#spells)**
        * **[Unit](#units)**
        * **[Boss](#boss)**
        * **[Artifact](#artifacts)**
        * **[Equipment](#equipments)**
        * **[Potion](#potions)**
        * **[Itention](#intentions)**
2. All cards have the following characteristics tracked during the game:
    1. An **owner**: The player from which's **store** the card originated
    2. A **controller**: The player currently controlling the card
        1. A **spell**'s **controller** is always it's **owner**
        2. A **permanents**'s **controller** can be any player
3. Cards may have the following characteristics:
    1. **buy cost**
    2. **play cost** / **upkeep cost**
4. Cards without **buy cost**:
    1. Can not be part of a **store**
    2. Can not be part of a **draft**
5. Each player has the **free action** "Discard 2 cards: gain 1 **resource**"
6. How those characteristics are represented on a card can be seen on the exemplary [explanation card](../../latex-build/en/unit_explanation.png)
7. To track the state of a card's permanent, the card is openly placed on the table

> The following representation of the game state are suggestion to improve your play experience:
> Represent received **damage** and **marks** on the physical card with dice or pieces of paper.
> To symbolize that a unit has no more actions you can *tap* its card by turning it 90 degrees.
> If a unit gets paid for during the **upkeep action** *untap* its card by turning it upright.

## Tokens

1. Representations of cards created during the game are called **tokens**
2. **Tokens** can only exist on the **map**
3. If a **token** leaves the **map**, remove it from the game

# Range

1. **Ranges** define a sphere of **tiles**
2. **Ranges** have an origin
3. **Ranges** have a radius `r`
4. **Ranges** with the radius `r` include all **tiles** which are reachable with `r` **steps** from the origin, counting each second diagonal **step** twice
5. More precisely: a **tile** (x, y), where x and y are relative to the its origin (0, 0), is in the **range** r iff $$x > y$$ and $$abs(x) + floor(abs(y) / 2) <= r$$ else $$abs(y) + floor(abs(x) / 2) <= r$$
6. "Adjacent" is a common abbreviation for "in **range** 1"

## Step

1. A **step** is performed by placing a **permanent** from its current **tile** onto an *adjacent* one

# Permanents

1. **Permanents** are game pieces which exclusively occupy one **tile** on the map
2. No **permanent** can be placed on a **tile** occupied by another **permanent**
3. **Permanents** can only be played onto **available spawn tiles**
    1. Most **maps** declare **spawn tiles** for each player
    2. Effects may specify additional **spawn tiles**
4. A **Permanent** has an **owner** and a **controller**.
    1. **Owner** of a **permanent** is the player from which's **store** the **permanent**'s card originates
    2. **Controller** of a **permanent** is the player actually *controlling* the **permanent**
5. **Permanents** stay on the **map** until they are *destroyed*
6. When a **permanent** is *destroyed* drop a possible contained **pile**, remove all marks from it and put its card in its **owner**'s **discard pile**
7. *Sacrificing* a **permanent** means its **controller** destroys it
    1. *Sacrificing* is not different from *destroying* except its name so effects can reference either specifically

## Effects Of Permanents

Effects describe optional properties of a **permanent**

### Shroud

1. A **permanent** with **shroud** can not be targeted

### Protection from \<X\>

1. A **permanent** with **protection from \<X\>** can not be targeted by \<X\> or **actions** from \<X\>
2. \<X\> can not deal damage to a **permanent** with **protection from \<X\>**
3. \<X\> can be a card, card-type or any condition

   > Examples:
   >  * "Protection from Die!"
   >  * "Protection from units"
   >  * "Protection from units with buy cost > 7"

## Permanent Piles

1. **Permanents** can be *piled* on some other **permanents**
2. **Permanents** placed on another **permanent** form a **pile**
3. The **tile** of a **pile** is that of the *containing* **permanent**
4. If a *containing* **permanent** leaves the map its **pile** is *dropped* on its current **tile**
5. To *drop* a **pile** the **piles**'s **controller** executes the following:

  ```
  For each permanent in the pile
      Place the permanent on a avaiable tile in range 1
      If not possible destroy the permanent
  ```

## Available Tiles

1. If a **tile** is *available* to a **permanent** depends both on the **tile** and the **permanent**
2. An *avaiable* **tile** is not occupied by another permanent unable to *contain* a **pile**
3. Common constraints for *available* **tiles** are:
    1. *Swimming* **permanents** can only be placed on **tiles** which explicitly say so ([**deep water**](tiles.html#deep-water))
    2. Not *swimming* **permanents** can be placed on any **tile** which not explicitly forbids it

# Units

1. **Units** are **permanents**
2. All **Units** have **health**, **movement**, **attack**, **upkeep cost**
3. They are *destroyed* if they received more **damage** than they have **health** or an effect explicitly *destroys* them
4. **Damage** dealt to a **unit** is persistent (it is commonly marked on a **unit**'s card using a die or other kind of marks)
5. A *destroyed* **unit** *dies*
6. A **unit** is *activated* when it is selected during the **action phase** to perform action
7. **Unit** cards are only playable as **slow actions**
8. Can be played only on **spawn tiles** marked by the map or some effects
9. **Units** have one **move** and one **attack action** per turn
10. **Units** may have:
    1. **Full actions**
        1. To use a **full action** the **unit** must have at least one **move** and one **attack action** available
        2. Using a **full action** uses all available **actions** of a **unit**
    2. **[Free Actions](#free-actions)**
11. **Units** may have passive effects
12. They can be affected by **[state effects](#state-marks)** (symbolized with a status specific mark on the card)
13. They can fight in **melee** or **ranged combat**
    1. **Melee**: **Attack** with **range** 1
    2. **Ranged combat**: **Attack** with **Range** > 1
    3. **Units** with **ranged combat** can also fight in **melee**
14. **Units** may have a **movement** restricted to a certain kind of **tiles**
15. **Units** in a **pile** provide their attack to the *containing* **permanent**
    1. **Attacks** of *piled* **units** with the same **range** are added

       > Examples: A *containing* **permanent** with "attack X range R" *contains* a **pile** which's **units** have the following attacks
       >  * X=1 **range** R=1 + **pile** {1 **range** 1} -> 2 **range** 1
       >  * X=1 **range** R=1 + **pile** {1 **range** 2} -> 1 **range** 2; 2 **range** 1
       >  * X=1 **range** R=2 + **pile** {1 **range** 1} -> 1 **range** 2; 2 **range** 1
       >  * X=1 **range** R=1 + **pile** {2 **range** 1, 1 **range** 1} -> 4 **range** 1
       >  * X=1 **range** R=3 + **pile** {1 **range** 2, 1 **range** 1} -> 1 **range** 3; 2 **range** 2; 3 **range** 1

## Movement

1. A **unit** can be *moved* by using its **move action**
2. A **unit** can *move* within the **range** specified by its **movement**
3. The *moved* **unit** can make at most `m` **steps** where `m` is equal to its **movement**
4. Each second diagonal **step** counts twice

## Effects Of Units

Effects describe any property a **unit** has in addition to is base properties (life, attack, movement, costs)

### Crew X

1. A **unit** with **crew \<X\>** can be *crewed* by \<X\> other **units**
2. A **unit** is *crewed* by another if the *crewing* one ends its **movement** on the *crewed* one
3. All *crewing* **units** form a **pile** on the *crewed* **unit**
4. *Crewing* **units** provide their **attack** to the *crewed* **unit** (See **[pile](#permanent-piles)**)

## State Marks

States a **unit** is in are represented by putting appropriate markers on the **unit**'s card

### Paralysis

1. **Units** with **paralysis** marks are *paralyzed*
2. *Paralyzed* **units** can not activate **actions**
3. A *paralyzed* **unit** can spent one of its **actions** to remove one **paralysis** mark from it

### Poison

1. A **unit** with **posion** marks is *poisoned*
2. When a *poisoned* **unit** gets *activated* put an additional *poison* marker on it
3. If there are more **poison** marks on a **unit** than its **health** it is *destroyed*

### Panic

1. A **unit** with **panic** marks is *panicked*
2. When a *panicked* **unit** gets *activated* execute the [**shy** AI](ai.html#shy) with it and remove one **panic** mark from it

### Rage

1. A **unit** with **rage** marks is *enraged*
2. When an *enraged* **unit** gets *activated* execute the [**aggressive** AI](ai.html#aggressive) with it and remove one **rage** mark from it

### Ward

1. A **unit** with **ward** marks is *warded*
2. When a *warded* **unit** is dealt **damage** prevent that **damage** and remove that much **ward** marks from it
3. **Damage** is always prevented completely independent of how many **ward** marks are on the *warded* **unit**

# Boss

The **boss** type is used to differentiate special permanents in cooperative game modes

1. A **boss** is a **permanent** similar to but not a **unit**
2. They behave most of the time like **units** but for target selection they do not count as **units**
3. A **boss** has no **upkeep costs**
4. **Boss** cards only exist on the map

# Combat

1. **Combat** is initialized with an **unit**'s **attack action** or an effect
2. **Combat** has always an *attacking* **unit** which is used to initialize the **combat**
3. When initializing **combat** the **controller** of the *attacking* **unit** declares the *attacked* **permanent**
4. *Attacking* **unit** and the *attacked* **permanent** must differ
5. The *attacked* **permanent** must be in the **attack-range** of the *attacking* **unit**
6. Both **participants** deal **damage** equal to their **attack** to each other if possible
7. **Damage** can be changed by effects
8. **Units** can only deal damage in **range** of their **attack**
    1. **Melee** is an abbreviation for **attack** with **range** 1
    2. **Ranged combat** describes **attacks** with **range** > 1
9. **Ranged combat** can use ["high ground"](tiles.html#tower) and is blocked by ["cover"](tiles.html#house)

# Artifacts

1. **Artifacts** are **permanents**
2. **Artifacts** can have passive effects
3. **Artifacts** can have **free actions**
4. **Artifacts** can be *transported* by *adjacent* **units** as a **full action** within the **units** **movement range**.
   The *transported* **artifact** is placed on an *available* **tile** next to the *transporting* **unit**
5. **Units** can change **tiles** with an *adjacent* **artifact** as their **move action**

## Effects Of Artifacts

Effects describe passive properties of **artifacts**

### Solid \<X\>

1. Enemy **units** can not transport or switch **tiles** with *solid* **artifacts**
2. Enemy **units** can attack *solid* **artifacts**
3. *Solid* **artifacts** are *destroyed* if they are dealt more **damage** then their *solid* value \<X\>


## Equipments

1. **Equipments** are **artifacts**
2. **Equipments** have a **durability** value
3. **Equipments** with a **durability** < 1 are *destroyed*
4. **Equipments** can be *equipped* by **units**
5. An **equipment** forms a pile on the *equipped* **unit**
6. An **equipment** can be played normally or already *equipped* by the next played **unit**
    1. Each **equipment** not played onto a spawn tile and not *equipped* to a subsequently played **unit** is put into its **owner's** **discard pile** at end of turn.
7. Reduce the **durability** of each **equipment** in a **pile** by one if the **pile** gets *dropped*
8. An *adjacent* **unit** can *equip* an **equipment** using either a **move** or **attack action**


## Potions

1. **Potions** are **equipments**
2. **Potions** have **durability** 1
3. An *equipped* **potion** may be used as a **free action** of the *equipped* **unit**

# Intentions

1. **Itentions** are **spells** available to **the tyrant**
2. **Itentions** if played place an **intention mark** on the **intentions** target
3. **Itensions** are only playable if there is no **itention mark** already on the map
4. When playing an **intention** put it to the side until its **intention mark** leaves the map
5. If an **intention**'s **intension mark** leaves the map put the **intention** on the **discard pile**

## Intentions marks

1. **Itentions marks** give the *adjacent* **"the tyrant"**: "full_action: Remove this **intention** mark and resolve the **intentions** effect"
2. **Itentions marks** on **units** are removed if the *containing* **unit** leaves the **map**

# Experimental

Experimental rules are not finalized yet at may change or be considered stable in the future.

## Push [X]

1. `X` can be neglected if it is 1
2. To *push* a **permanent** *move* it `X` **steps** in a straight line
3. **Permanents** may be *pushed* as effect of an **action** or **combat**
4. *Pushing* a **permanent** always requires a **tile** where the **push** originates
    1. If a **permanent** *pushes* another **permanent** the originating **tile** is the current **tile** of the *pushing* **permanent**
    2. If the **push** is not caused by a **permanent** the **actions** **controller** chooses an originating **tile**
5. Each **step** must be in a straight line determined by the originating **tile** and the current **tile**
6. If a **permanent** would be *pushed* onto a *not available* **tile** it is not *pushed* further
    1. A **unit** colliding in this way is dealt 1 **damage** by the other **permanent**
    2. If a **permanent** would be *pushed* onto a *free* but not *available* **tile** destroy the **permanent**
  
       > For example if a not *swimming* **permanent** is pushed onto **deep water** is is destroyed or vice versa