The Art of War: Warrior Rules - winning by comparing positions

StratUnity is a simple card game consisting of a deck of 99 cards. It takes virtually no training to master since all the rules are written on the cards that are played. The game is designed to duplicate the dynamic nature of opportunities in competitive environments. The game gives the players complete control over all elements of the game including its rules. It is sold as a PDF. You download the file and print the cards (on business card stock or any heavy paper stock) yourself. All pages are 8.5" X 11.

This game teaches several key lessons about the nature of strategic opportunities. It trains player to think of their environment as a continually shifting world of opportunities, resources, rules, barriers, and events. The players discover these elements by drawing and change their strategic situation by playing cards in competition with one another. As in real life, players must match their limited resources to the current opportunity in order to win.

The complete rules for the game are shown below.

StratUnity Card Game Rules

Object: The object of the game is to develop a position that takes advantage of the current opportunity.

Number of Players: 2-6.

Setup:

• Place the two Starting Rules cards in the middle of the table with a space for on the Opportunity card between them. New rules will be placed to the right and left of these two cards. All rules on the board are in force.
• At the beginning of the game, there is no Opportunity card in play, but when one is played, it is placed in the middle of the table between the two rule cards.
• Shuffle the remaining cards and deal three cards to each player.
• Put the remaining cards face down in the middle of the table above or below one of the Starting Rules cards. This is the Future pile from which cards will be drawn.
• At the beginning of the game, there is no discard pile, but cards are discarded in a pile next to the Future Pile and next the second Starting Rules card. This is the History pile.
• The area on the table in front of each Player is their Developed Position, where their Resources and Barriers are exposed to other players.

The Play:

The player to the left of the dealer goes first.

Players take turns, going clockwise around the table. One each turn, they draw cards from the Future pile, play them on the table, and/or discard them on the History pile according to the current rules.

Conceptually, when Players draw cards from the Future Pile, they are “discovering” new Ground Rules, Opportunities, Climate Events, Barriers, and Ground Resources.

When cards are the Players hand, they make up their Hidden Position because they represent potential changes hidden from other players.

When cards are exposed on the table to change the Strategic Situation. Playing a card either:

1. Changes the Rules,

2. Changes the Opportunity,

3. Requires the performance of a Climate Event, or

4. Exposes a Ground Resource in the Player’s Developed Position.

Card are normally played from the player’s hand, but they are occasionally also played from the Future pile, History Pile, or from other Players hands when required by Rule or Event.

Play continues until a player’s Developed Resources and/or Barriers in his or her Developed Position matches the current Opportunity. That player then declares Victory.

On Your Turn:

1. Draw the number of cards according to the current Draw Rule.

2. Play any Barrier Cards immediately as they are drawn. They do not count toward your total draw.

3. Play the number of Ground Rules, Opportunity, Climate Event, or Ground Resource cards currently indicated by the current Play Rule.

4. If you change the Opportunity, any Player meeting the conditions of that Opportunity, including yourself, can immediately declare Victory. If no Victory is declared and the River Barrier is place on the board, it is moved to counter-clockwise to next player’s Developed Position.

5. Discard the card in your hand down to your current Hidden Position Limit (if any).

6. Discard any cards on the table down your current Developed Position Limit (if any).

Drawing a Barrier card: When you draw (or are dealt) a Barrier Card (Mountain, River, Marsh), you must immediately play it on your Developed Position. You must then draw another card to replace it. You cannot declare Victory until the Barrier is removed unless the current Rules or Opportunity require its presence. Immediately after the exposing the Barrier, you can declare victory if your position now matches the current Opportunity card according the current Rules. If you do not immediately play a Barrier card and it is found in your hand, you must pay the Penalty (see below).

Example: You are dealt a “Mountain Barrier” card during a “Random Chaos Climate Event”. You immediately play it and draw your replacement card.

Changing the Rules: One of the unique aspects of StratUnity is that you can change the Rules at any time by adding a playing a Ground Rules card. When you play this card, new Rules regarding Position Limits, Plays, and Draws may require discarding the Rule it replaces.

Example: You play a “More for the Poor Ground Rule” card allowing the player with the fewest Developed Resources to draw an additional card on each turn.

Exposing a new Opportunity: When you play an Opportunity card, you put the previous Opportunity onto the History pile. When you play an opportunity, you are exposing it to others. Until an opportunity is developed, no one can take advantage of it. If any player has the River Barrier card they can move it to the Player on their right. Immediately after the River Barrier is moved, any Player matching its conditions who isn’t blocked by a Barrier card, including yourself, can declare Victory.

Example: You play the “Opportunity for the Patient” card when you have the “Time” and “Listen “ Resource cards developed with no barrier cards after the “River Barrier” moves and immediately declare Victory

Building Your Developed Position: You develop your Position by playing Resources cards. Resources cannot take advantage of Opportunities until they are developed. Immediately after the playing a Resource card, you can declare victory if your position now matches the current Opportunity and it isn’t blocked by a Barrier card.

Example: You play the “Time” Resource card next to your “Listen” Resource card and immediately declare Victory because you now match the current “Opportunity for the Patient” card.

Executing Climate Events: When you play a Climate Event card, you must complete the action it describes. These actions can have a dramatic effect on the current situation. After you have completed that action, you discard the Climate Event card onto the History Pile.

Example: You play the “Random Chaos” Climate Event card. This requires you to pick up all the Resource and Barrier cards from the Developed Positions of all players. Shuffle those cards face down and deal them all face up to all players clockwise, starting with the player on your left.

Declaring Victory: When your Developed Position matches the current Opportunity and Rules and isn’t blocked by a Barrier, can immediately declare “Victory” and win the game. Nobody else can declare Victory for you. However, if you declare victory without meeting the current Opportunity and Rules completely, your victory is illegitimate and you must pay the Penalty.

Example: You play the “Time” Resource card next to your “Listen” Resource card and immediately declare Victory because you now match the current “Opportunity for the Patient” card but do not notice that the Ground Rule, “Winning on the River,” requiring the River Barrier card in your Developed Position to win is in play. You must pay the forfeit.

The Penalty: You must pay the Penalty if you either fail to play a Barrier card immediately when drawn or dealt or if you declare an illegitimate Victory. You forfeit all your current Developed Resource cards, putting them on the History pile. You then get ALL the Barrier cards currently in play.

Game Variations:

Since StratUnity is designed for flexibility. The point is to train your mind to be on the look-out for different types of Opportunities that match your resources.

You can vary play in a number of ways.

· Creating you own new Ground Rules cads: Feel free to add you own new Rules. You can offer new variations of existing rules or invent completely new ones changing the way cards are Drawn, Played, Limited and what is required to declare Victory.

Example: Create a new card that requires at least on “Resource of the Ground” to declare Victory even if it is not required by the current Opportunity.

· Add New Climate Events cards: Feel free to create new Events that change the Game. You can offer new variations of current Events or come up with new Events that teach new lessons in Strategy.

Example: Create a new card that requires at least on “Resource of the Ground” to declare Victory even if it is not required by the current Opportunity.

· Play teams (teams of two): Team members play opposite of each other. Start with the “More Opportunity Rule” in effect, but with a new Rule that BOTH Opportunities must be met to declare Victory. During their turn, players can play Resources on either team members Developed Position to satisfy the current Opportunities. Barriers can only be played on the Position of the player who gets it.