HIGHLANDER: THE MASTER FORMAT

HIGHLANDER: THE MASTER FORMAT

THE ATTRIBUTES

This new format for Highlander: The Card Game focuses more on a player's deck construction skills. The Master Format includes attributes which all Immortals have; Strength, Toughness, Agility, Intelligence, and Spirit.

Strength is a measure of their overall body muscle and power. Toughness is not only how much an Immortal can endure, but how well he can defend himself. Agility encompasses an Immortal's manual dexterity and body movement. Intelligence covers the practical knowledge the Immortal has accumulated over time or through training. Spirit reflects the attractiveness and manner of the Immortal and how well he can call upon the help of others.

Below are the attributes for the current 31 existing Immortals in Highlander: The Card Game.

PERSONA STR TOU AGI INT SPI

Amanda 2 2 8 4 6

Annie Devlin 5 4 8 3 2

Caspian 4 4 6 3 5

Cassandra 1 1 4 7 9

Ceirdwyn 5 2 5 3 7

Connor MacLeod 3 2 6 3 8

Corda and Reno 3 1 7 6 5

Duncan MacLeod 5 1 5 5 6

General Katana 3 1 5 8 5

Hugh Fitzcairn 1 3 7 2 9

Iman Fasil 4 2 9 4 3

Kalas 3 2 5 9 3

Kane 4 1 3 6 8

Kanis 2 1 5 5 9

Kanwulf 2 2 9 2 7

Kastagir 4 5 6 1 6

Kern 6 3 3 5 5

Khabul Khan 5 1 7 7 2

Kronos 3 2 7 9 1

Luther 4 5 6 3 4

Martin Hyde 2 4 8 5 3

Methos 2 1 5 9 5

Nefertiri 8 1 5 1 7

Paul Kinman 1 2 8 6 5

Ricjie Ryan 7 2 4 5 4

Silas 5 2 6 4 5

Slan Quince 9 2 3 3 5

The Kurgan 8 3 6 2 3

The Sorceror Nakano 2 2 6 3 9

Xavier St.Cloud 3 1 4 9 5

Yung Dol Kim 8 2 9 2 1

A Generic Immortal is more diverse than those above because he represents any number of unknown Immortals in The Game. You can play a Generic Immortal by assigning your own statistics to Strength, Toughness, Agility, Intelligence, and Spirit. However, an attribute cannot be lower than one ( I ) or higher than nine (9) and the sum of all his attributes should add up to 22.

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

Now that you have an idea of which Immortal you wish to play and the attributes for that Immortal, you use the attributes for that Immortal to determine which cards are available to you for deck construction.

Multiple each of your Immortal's attributes by three (3) to determine how many points in each attribute for which you can purchase cards to include in your deck. For instance, Richie Ryan has an Agility of 4, so this gives him (4 x 3) 12 points to purchase Agility cards to include in his deck.

So what do you do with these points? Well, each card in Highlander: The Card Game has been assigned one to three icons depending on the cards effects and use in the game. Each icon represents a cost which a Persona must spend in Attribute Points to include the card in his deck.

For instance, Richie's Back Away has one Agility Icon on it. This means to include one Back Away Richie must spend I of his 12 points in Agility. If he decides to include four Back Aways, then he will spend 4 of his Agility points, leaving him with 8 Agility points to purchase other cards with Agility Icons. Use The Master Format Icon List to help build a deck for your Immortal.

Other restrictions still apply when building your deck; Title Restriction of no more than 6 of any card with the same title, no more of one card than it's individual Card Restriction; and you must build a deck of at least 50 cards.

BASIC ATTACKS AND DEFENSES

As in Standard Deck Construction, you must include at least one each of the Basic Attacks and Blocks in your deck. However, you do not have to spend Attribute Points on this first set of Basic Attacks and Blocks. Each one you have beyond the first though, you must purchase with Attribute Points.

PRE-GAME CARDS

Pre-Game cards do not cost Attribute Points to use and you can still use up to 6 PreGame cards as normal.

OPTIONAL MASTER FORMAT ADVANCED RULES

Along with the normal rules for Highlander game play, here are some additional rules for use with the Master Format. These are optional and you should find out from the event coordinator whether these option advanced rules are being used.

MARTIAL ATTACKS AND BLOCKS

When playing a Basic Attack, you may declare that the attack is a Martial Attack. A Martial Attack can be dodged or can be blocked with a Basic Block (Martial Block).

If a Martial Attack you play becomes successful, your opponent must discard cards from the top of his Endurance equal to your Strength Attribute when the Martial Attack was played.

Martial Attacks represent various street fighting techniques like simply elbowing your opponent across the nose when he gets inside your swords reach or maybe just a good swift kick in the pants.

STANDARD EXERTIONS VERSUS TESTS

Another use of the attributes to diversify how the various Immortals are played is to convert Standard Exertions into a Test. When making a Test, there are two things-you need to know; what attribute is used in the Test and what you need to succeed in the Test. Each Test is based on one of the attributes of an Immortal. Such Tests are named by that attribute. For instance, a Test made using the Strength attribute is known as a Strength Test.

When making a Test you draw cards from your Endurance equal to the attribute of your Immortal for which the Test is being made. For example, if Richie Ryan is called upon to make a Strength Test, then he would draw up to 7 cards from his Endurance. When making a Test you draw the cards one at a time until you succeed or until you have drawn a number of cards equal to the attribute for the Test.

To succeed in a Test, you must find among the cards you draw for the Test a certain number of Icons for the attribute which the Test is being made. When asked to make a Test, the number you need to succeed will follow the attribute for which the Test is being made: Strength (2). When Richie begins his Strength (2) Test he draws the first card which has an Agility Icon, he draws the second card which has a Strength Icon, he draws the third card which has an Intelligence Icon, he draws the fourth card which has a Strength Icon. Richie stops drawing for he has achieved the two successes needed to make the Test successful.

If a Test shows a '#' instead of an actual value for the number of successes you must achieve for the Test, this means that as long as you achieve one success the Test succeeds. However, the more successes you achieve the better results you will get from the Test.

POWER BLOWS VERSUS PRIMAL ATTACKS

Instead of making an Exertion to make an attack a Power Blow, you can make Primal Attacks by making a Strength (#) Test. For each success you achieve in the Test the attack does an additional point of Primal Damage if successful. However, the attack can do no more than two additional points of Primal Damage.

Remember that you can stop drawing cards when making a Test if you succeed. Since a Primal Attack uses a variable Strength Test, once you get a single success, you can end the Test and the attack will do one additional point of Primal Damage. Or you can continue the Test in an attempt to get two additional points of Primal Damage.

Whether you fail or succeed, you opponent's next attack during his next turn can be played Hidden if you make a Primal Attack.

POWER BLOCKS VERSUS PRIMAL BLOCKS

Just like Primal Attacks above, you can make blocks you play Primal Blocks by making a Toughness (#) Test when defending against a Primal Attack For each success you achieve you prevent a point of Primal Damage from a Primal Attack.

Again you can stop the Test after achieving one success or you may continue until you have prevented all the Primal Damage from a Primal Attack or have drawn an amount of cards equal to your Toughness.

Instead of making an Exertion to make an attack a Power Blow, make a Strength Test. Draw a number of cards from your ~endurance equal to your Strength Attribute one at a time until you have drawn 2 Strength Icons. In some cases, this may occur after just drawing the first card if that card has two Strength Icons on it.

EXERTING FOR AN ATTACK VERSUS URGENT ATTACKS

When you would normally make an Exertion to search for and play an attack, instead make a Strength Test. Instead of looking for successes (Strength Icons), you need to find an attack you can play and play that attack.

Just as with any Test, you can draw the cards one at a time and stop when you find an attack you can play and you play that attack.

EXERTING FOR A DEFENSE VERSUS URGENT DEFENSES

Just like Urgent Attacks, you would make a Test to search for defenses. In this case you would make a Toughness Test. Instead of looking for successes (Toughness Icons), you need to find a defense (block or dodge) which you can play against an attack your opponent has played against you.

Again, as with any Test, you can draw the cards one at a time and stop when you find a defense you can play and you play that defense.

SERIES EDITION

Basic Attacks and Blocks

Upper Left Attack Strength

Upper Center Attack Intelligence

Upper Right Attack Toughness

Middle Left Attack Agility

Thrust Spirit

Lower Left Attack Intelligence

Lower Center Attack Toughness

Lower Right Attack Agility

Upper Left Block Strength

Upper Center Block Spirit

Upper Right Block Toughness

Lower Lei t Block Intelligence

Lower Center Block Spirit

Lower Right Block Agility

Generic Cards

Alan Baines Spirit

Angry Mob Spirit

Avery Hoskins Spirit

Carl Spirit

Caught in the Act Intelligence

Challenge Intelligence

Charlie Spirit

Counterfeit Intelligence

Darius Spirit

Darkness Intelligence

Elizabeth Vaughn Spirit

Extra Weapon Intelligence

Feint Intelligence

Fortune Teller Spirit

Gypsy Spirit

Gypsy Lover Spirit

Head Shot Strength Agility

Heroic Deed Spirit

Holy Ground Spirit

Interference Intelligence

Investigation Intelligence

Left Guard Toughness

Linda Plager Spirit

Master Intelligence

Maurice Spirit

Misfortune Intelligence

Mugging Spirit

Narrow Escape Agility

Nemesis Intelligence

Pedestrian Spirit

Police Spirit

Quality Blade Intelligence

Recover Weapon Agility

Renee Delaney Spirit

Reporter Spirit

Right Guard Toughness

Scorn Spirit

Sea Witch Intelligence

Segur Spirit

Stamina Toughness

Street Punk Spirit

Tessa Spirit

Underworld Contact Intelligence

Unexpected Assistance Spirit

Unholy Alliance Intelligence

Watcher Spirit

Watcher: Counter Intelligence

Watcher Spirit

Watchers Spirit

AMANDA

Back Away Agility

Continuity Toughness

Distract Agility Spirit

Jump Agility Agility

Left Side Step Agility

Masters Advice Intelligence Spirit

Masters Attack Intelligence Strength

Right Side Step Agility

Seduce Spirit Spirit Spirit

Steal Intelligence

Surprise Attack Spirit

CONNOR MACLEOD

Back Away Agility

Combination Strength

Continuity Toughness

Disarm Agility

Dodge Agility

Extra shot Strength

Power Blow Strength

DUNCAN MACLEOD

Back Away Agility

Battle Rage Strength

Combination Strength

Continuity Toughness

Disarm Agility

Dodge Agility

Extra shot Strength

Flashback Intelligence

Inspiration Spirit

Jump Agility Agility

Master's Advice Intelligence Spirit

Master's Attack Intelligence Strength

Master's Dodge Intelligence Agility

Power Blow Strength

Trip Agility

LUTHER

Back Away Agility

Combination Strength

Continuity Toughness

Disappear Agility Spirit

Disarm Agility

Dodge Agility

Intimidate Intelligence

Power Blow Strength

Taunt Spirit

Trip Agility

NEFERTIRI

Back Away Agility

Battle Rage Strength Strength

Combination Strength

Continuity Toughness

Desperation Spirit

Disarm Agility

Dodge Agility

Extra shot Strength

Power Blow Strength

Seduce Spirit

Trip Agility

RICHIE RYAN

Back Away Agility

Battle Rage Strength Strength

Combination Strength

Continuity Toughness

Dodge Agility

Extra shot Strength

Luck Spirit Spirit

Master's Advice Intelligence Spirit

Master's Block Intelligence Toughness

Power Blow Strength

Trip Agility

SLAN QUINCE

Back Away Agility

Berserk Strength Strength Strength

Intimidate Spirit

Run Through Toughness Strength

Shooting Blade Agility Intelligence Spirit

XAVIER ST. CLOUD

Alliance Spirit

Back Away Agility

Disarm Agility

Dodge Agility

Forethought Intelligence

Hook Strength

Plan Ahead Intelligence

Poison Gas Intelligence Spirit

Power Blow Strength

Stalk Strength Intelligence Spirit

Trip Agility

THE WATCHER CHRONICLES

Generic Cards

Advance Warning Spirit Intelligence

Cat and Mouse: Attacks Strength

Cat and Mouse: Draw Spirit

Circular Parry Agility

Code Red Intelligence

Dojo Intelligence Spirit

Donna Ondrejka Spirit Spirit

Dr. Anne Lindsey Spirit

Flashing Blade Agility

Flurry Strike Strength

Hideo Koto Spirit

Immortal Wound Toughness

Impressive Move Spirit

James Horton Spirit

Joe Dawson Spirit

Light House Agility

Lunge Agility Strength

Master Swordsman Strength Intelligence Toughness

Nemesis Intelligence

Plot Twist Intelligence

Signorina Arianna Spirit

Watcher: involvement Intelligence Spirit

Watcher Intelligence

Watcher Tribunal Intelligence Spirit

Watcher Database Intelligence

Watcher Regional HQ Intelligence

Watcher's Chronicle Intelligence

Watchers Oath Spirit

AMANDA

Acrobat Agility Agility

Master Thief Intelligence Agility

ANNIE DEVLIN

Back Away Agility

Battle Rage Strength

Combination Agility

Continuity Toughness

Duck Agility

Escape Intelligence

Evade Agility

Extra Shot Agility

Flashback Spirit

Master's Attack Intelligence Strength

Run Through Toughness Toughness

Trip Agility

DUNCAN MACLEOD

Duck Agility

Masters Block Intelligence Toughness

Slash Strength Agility

HUGH FITZCAIRN

Sack Away Agility

Charm Spirit Intelligence

Combination Agility

Continuity Toughness

Evade Agility

Fast Talk Spirt Spirit Spirit

Flashback Spirit

Master's Block Intelligence Toughness

Seduce Spirit Spirit

Trip Agility

KALAS

Back Away Agility

Combination Agility

Continuity Toughness

Extra Shot Agility

Flashback Spirit

Forgery Intelligence

Intimidate Intelligence Spirit

Master's Advice Intelligence Spirt

Power Blow Strength

Song of the Executioner Intelligence

Stalk Strength Agility

Trip Agility

KERN

Back Away Agility

Bowie Knife Toughness

Flashback Spirit

Hogg Toughness Intelligence Spent

Power Blow Strength

Rage Strength Strength

Trip Agility

LUTHER

Endure Pain Toughness Toughness

NEFERTIRI

Temptress Spirit Intelligence

Vengeance Strength Spirit

RICHIE RYAN

Quick Learner Intelligence

SLAN QUINCE

The Cat Strength Intelligence

XAVIER ST. CLOUD

Hidden Explosives Intelligence Intelligence Intelligence

ARMS AND TACTICS

Basic Attacks and Blocks

Upper Left Attack 1 Strength

Upper Left Attack 2 Strength

Upper Left Attack 3 Strength

Upper Center Attack 1 Toughness

Upper Center Attack 2 Toughness

Upper Center Attack 3 Toughness

Upper Right Attack 1 Agility

Upper Right Attack 2 Agility

Upper Right Attack 3 Agility