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Rulebook
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Card Anatomy
The Concept
Playing Your Hand
Minimum Deck Size IntroductionWelcome to the incredible world of the immortals, the world of HighlanderTM! Based on the immensely popular motion pictures and television series of the same name, Highlander: The Card GameTM is a collectible trading card game of swashbuckling swordplay and dark intrigue. The first Highlander movie was released in 1986, and became a cult classic. The movie starred Christopher Lambert as the hero, Connor MacLeod; Sean Connery played his friend and mentor Ramirez; and Clancy Brown assumed the role of The Kurgan, Connor's most deadly enemy. Two sequels were produced, followed by a television series starring Adrian Paul as Connor's dashing cousin, Duncan MacLeod. In Highlander: The Card GameTM, players assume the roles of Immortals like Connor, Ramirez, The Kurgan, and Duncan. These Immortals are mysterious wanderers who can only die if their heads are severed from their bodies. Immortals spend eternity honing their sword-fighting skills, trying to reach the time of The Gathering, when they will battle to the last. To the victor goes The Prize, an enigmatic goal of legendary proportions that no one really understands. It is simply known among them that he who wields its power will command the destiny of the entire world. Quite a prize indeed. To attain this goal some Immortals will stop at nothing, while others follow a stricter code of honor and decency in their quest. In the end, for better or worse... There can be only one. Card AnatomyOpen up your deck of Highlander cards, flip through them and look at the different types of cards. Let's examine the way the cards are designed: Card type icon: In the upper left hand corner of the card, there will be an icon (a small picture) denoting the card type. We'll cover these icons in more detail below. Title: Across the top of the card is the title bar. The title of the card will appear here, in large letters. Your deck may not contain more than 6 cards of the same title. Immortal name: Unless the card is "generic," you'll find the Immortal's name just beneath the title, in slightly smaller letters. Most of the special maneuvers are borrowed from the fighting styles of the Immortals whose names appear on the cards. Though an Immortal's name may appear in the title box, it is not considered part of the title when determining card effects and restrictions. If a card has an Immortal's name in the title bar, it is known as Immortal Specific. Weapon Name: If a card has the name of a Weapon of Choice in smaller letters underneath the title, then it is considered a Weapon Specific card and can only be included in your deck if you are using the proper Weapon of Choice. Reserved symbol: If the card is Reserved, it will have a sword in the title bar, over to the right hand side. These cards represent the truly specialized knowledge of a particular Immortal, a certain trick that only he can perform. Only the Immortal named on the card can use the Reserved card. Signature Symbol: If the card is a Signature card, it will have a sword with an "S" attached to it, on the right side of the title bar. These cards are similar to the Reserved card above, however only the Immortal named on the card can include a Signature card in his deck and play that card during the game. Under no circumstance may a persona include a Signature card from another Persona in his deck. Due to the unique nature of Signature cards, their Restriction number (see below) cannot be altered by any means. Hand Icon: If the card has a small white icon in the shape of a Hand on the far right side, it depicts something that requires a hand to be used. A card with a Hand Icon cannot be played if you already have two Hand Icons in play. You can never have more than two Hand Icons among any of the cards you have in play. If you have only one or fewer Hand Icons in play, you are considered to have a "Free Hand." Restriction number: If there is a number to the far right hand side of the title bar, that card is Restricted. Your deck may not contain more of that card than the Restriction number. Text: At the bottom of the card you will find the card text, where you will find any special instructions about that card. You may also find a subtitle to a card here. It will most likely be found following the type of card on the first line of the text. What are all these cards?The cards come in several varieties, but are easily distinguished by the small icon in the upper left hand corner of the card: Attacks: The attacks have a red grid (like a tic-tac-toe board) in the corner. If you look at the grid, you'll notice that one of the squares in the grid is filled with a red square. Those red squares show where the attack is aimed. For example, if there is a square in the lower right corner of the grid, that attack is aimed at the lower right side of your opponent. Some attacks have a gold grid instead of a red one. These are known as Special Attacks and are explained later. Special Attacks: Special attacks have a gold grid. Special attacks are like basic attacks, but are marked with a different color because they require some special preparation or skill from the attacker. Blocks: Blocks have a blue grid. If you have a block that covers the same area where you are attacked, you can play that block to stop the attack. Dodges: Dodges have a green grid. Dodges are defenses, like blocks, and if your dodge covers the same area as the attack, you move out of the way of the attack and escape harm. Special Cards: There are several types of cards which fall under this broad category. Events, Situations, Locations, and Objects are all considered Special cards. You are normally allowed to play one defense for each attack that is played against you. Events: Events have a lightning bolt in the upper left hand corner. You can use Events to quickly change the course of the battle in your favor. Situations: Situations have a silhouette of an Immortal in the corner. Unlike Events, which come and go, Situations remain in play and change the conditions of the battle over many turns. Locations: Locations have a ruin in the corner. They are like Situations in that they change the conditions of the game while in play. However, they are more likely to affect both players. Objects: Objects are marked with a sword in the upper left hand corner, and include such things as extra weapons or armor. Edge: Edge cards are marked with an outstretched hand. Edge cards do very little on their own, but used in conjunction with other cards they can become very powerful, giving you the edge you need in battle. Pre-Game Cards: Another set of cards you may find that are easily distinguishable from the rest as they will typically not have the standard Highlander logo on the back of the card. Pre-Game cards are cards that are put into play before the game begins. Pre-Game cards do not count toward the number of cards in your deck. however, you cannot use more then 6 total pre-Game cards. Such Pre-Game cards include Personas, Weapons of Choice, Watchers, and Premium cards. Persona cards: Your starter deck may include a Persona card. Persona cards have a picture of an Immortal on the front, and biographical information about that Immortal on the back. You can use Persona cards to play as your favorite Immortal, such as Connor MacLeod. But don't worry if you don't get a Persona card; you can still play the game without one. Weapons of Choice: You may also find something similar to a persona card which depicts a weapon. Weapon of Choice cards are just that, they are the weapon your Immortal prefers when doing combat. Each Weapon of Choice has powers like a persona, but are more inclined to also include a drawback. Watcher Pre-Game Cards: These cards look very much like the Persona cards, however instead of depicting an Immortal you can play, these cards depict members of the secret society known as The Watchers. You can use these cards to assign a Watcher to your Persona or Generic Immortal. These Watcher cards will have the biographical information of the Watcher along with a special power which the Watcher card conveys to you during the game. Premium Cards: These cards are a special gold foil or plastic lamanent card which are extremely rare. If you meet all requirements on the card, then you may use the Premium card, which are Pre-Game cards. Follow the instructions on the card to gain further benefits during the game. Premium cards are an extension of your Persona and as such cannot be removed from the game by effects which normally remove Pre-Game cards from the game. Building your deckBefore you can begin playing, you should sort through your cards. You'll probably be able to play with your starter deck right out of the box, but there are a couple of things to look for first: Persona cards: If you were lucky enough to get a Persona card in your starter deck, you may play as that Immortal. But for now, we're going to show you how to play as a "Generic Immortal." Set any Persona cards aside for now. Weapon of Choice: Just as rare as a Persona, a Weapon of Choice can be used even if you do not play with a Persona. Be sure to check if you have any Weapon Specific cards for any Weapons of Choice you have and include them in your deck as well. Reserved cards: These cards are easily identified because they will have a sword on the title bar, over on the right hand side. If a card is Reserved, it means it can only be used by the Immortal whose name appears just below the title of the card. Remove any Reserved cards from your deck and set them aside for now. Signature Cards: These cards will have the symbol of a sword with an "S" attached to it, on the right hand side of the title bar. Much like the Reserved cards, only the Immortal named on the card may include the card in his deck. However, under no circumstance can any other Immortal include this card in their deck. This is important because there are some Persona powers and card effects which will allow you to include cards in your deck that you are not normally allowed to; meaning you can use Reserved cards from other Personas, but not Signature cards. Also, if a Signature card has a Restriction number, the Restriction cannot be altered in anyway. Set any Signature cards you find aside for now as well. Immortal specific cards: Many cards have the name of an Immortal in the title bar. Even if you don't have the Persona card for the Immortal whose name appears there, you can use these cards. As a "Generic Immortal" you can use cards from all the Immortals. But you can only use one of any card from the same Immortal. You could use one of Connor's Power Blow cards, for example, and one of Connor's Back Away cards, but you couldn't use two of Connor's Power Blow or two of his Back Away cards. Weapon Specific cards: Just like a Signature card, you must be using the appropriate Weapon of Choice to include these cards and to play them during the game. Restricted cards: Remember that some cards are Restricted, with a number printed on the far right hand side of the title bar. Your deck can't have more of that card than the number printed there. For example, if the Restriction number printed on the card is 3, you could use up to 3 of that card, but no more. Set any extras aside for now. Basic Attacks: You are required to have at least one of every basic attack. They are: Upper Left, Upper Middle, Upper Right, Middle Left, Thrust, Middle Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, and Lower Right. Basic Defenses: You are also required to have to have at least one of all of the basic defenses. All of the basic defenses are blocks. They are: Upper Left, Upper Center, Upper Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, and Lower Right. What you need to playOnce you've got your deck sorted, you're almost ready to play. But first you'll need a couple of other items: At least one six-sided die (such as can be found in most board games), paper and pencil to keep score, and an opponent. Your opponent also has to have his own deck of Highlander cards to pit against you. The ConceptHighlander: The Card Game is designed to simulate a duel between two Immortals. You represent one of these Immortals and your opponent represents the other. During the course of play, both players will play attacks and defenses, as if they were fighting with swords. You may also play Special cards to simulate the scheming and plotting you do to win. It may help if you think of the game as a series of encounters with your opponent, rather than a single brief duel. How does it work?Both players have a deck of cards. This deck of cards is your Endurance. As the game progresses, you'll draw more and more cards from your Endurance, and when it is gone, you are Exhausted. Exhusting intails a Lose of Ability, but not necessarily means the end of the game. So, it may be said that a player with more cards in his deck has a greater Endurance than his opponent. Both players can take a certain amount of damage before losing. This amount is known as your Ability. Both players start with the same amount of Ability (15 points). During the game, if you take damage, make a note and reduce your Ability by the amount of damage. You can think of your Ability as your score, if you like; whichever player has the higher Ability can be said to be winning. Your Ability also represents your skill, luck, and knowledge. The higher your Ability, the better you will fare in a duel. For this reason, you cannot hold more cards in your hand than you have Ability. As your Ability goes down, you will find yourself with fewer cards in your hand, and thus fewer options to attack and defend. Whats the goal of the game?To win, of course! To achieve this you must reduce your opponent to zero Ability or play a successful Head Shot. In any turn which a player begins his Attack Phase at zero Ability, his opponent wins the game. A successful Head Shot will do the trick usually much quicker. The Head Shot card is a Special card known as an Event. It is played in conjunction with an upper attack. If your opponent cannot defend against the attack or avoid it, then the Head Shot is successful and teh game ends immediately. Of course, you could be mean and combine both requirements to win the game. If you bring your opponent down to zero Ability, he doesn't lose the game until he begins an Attack Phase at zero Ability. So, if he's at zero Ability he normally would have no cards in his hand to defend. This is an excellent time for a Head Shot. His only option would be to make an Exertion to search for a defense, which we'll explain later. This can prove to be quite a dramatic moment. Getting Started QuicklyThese basic rules will give you a very simple look at how you attack and defend. Granted, we know that Highlander: The Card GameTM is about a lot more than just sword fighting: there are alliances to be made, plots to hatch, and all sorts of daring or dastardly ways to work your way to The Prize -- but we'll cover these later. For now, let's take a quick look at the turn sequence of the basic rules. These rules will give you enough information to get started. Set-UpBoth players shuffle their deck and offer to let their opponent cut. Then set your deck of cards face down in front of you, a little to one side. Both players draw 15 cards: one card for every point of Ability. Roll a die to decide who goes first. The players then alternate turns through the rest of the turn sequence. The first player goes through his Sweep, Defense, Attack, Ability Adjustment, and Draw/Discard Phases; then the next player begins his turn with his Sweep Phase and continues through to his Draw/Discard Phase. The players alternate taking turns until one player is defeated. Sequence of Play1. Sweep Phase
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| Attack | Defense | Damage |
| Power Blow | No defense | 4 points of damage |
| Power Blow | Blocked | 2 points of damage |
| Power Blow | Power Blocked | No damage |
| Power Blow | Dodged or Avoided | No damage |
In certain circumstances you may have the opportunity to make Hidden Attacks. There are cards that specifically allow you to do this, though you may decline the benefit, and you may make a Hidden attack on an opponent who has just made a Power Blow (see Power Blows, above).
To make a Hidden attack, play an attack card as normal but play it FACE DOWN. Your opponent attempts to defend against the Hidden attack on his turn by guessing which defense he'll need to play. After he's played the defense, turn over the attack card and see if he got lucky. This is one of the few exceptions where a player may play an "inappropriate" defense. Because you do not know where the attack is aimed, you may play any defense, even if it turns out that the defense is not even close!
If his defense does not stop the attack, he may make an Exertion to search for a better defense, but he may not play another defense from your hand.
Special attacks require some knowledge or preparation on the part of the attacker. They are marked with a gold grid instead of a red grid, and they will also have the words "Special Attack" at the top of the text box. Special Attacks are governed by these additional rules: they may not be Power Blows (or Head Shots), they may not be Hidden, and they may not be pulled from an Exertion when searching for an attack.
Ranged Attacks are a specific kind of Special Attack. Ranged Attacks include such things as guns, throwing knives, or even improvised weapons like rocks or bottles -- anything you can shoot or throw at your opponent as an attack. Ranged Attacks follow all of the rules of Special Attacks. In addition, you cannot play a Ranged attack unless you have a "Free Hand" (less then two Hand Icons in play) and blocks cannot be played against Ranged Attacks, though Ranged Attacks are not considered to be 'unblockable'. You can identify a Ranged Attack by the label 'Ranged Attack' at the top of the text box.
Some cards will require you to roll dice to resolve their effects. The card will list your chance of success, and you must roll the die to see if you succeed. For example, if the card says you have a 1 in 6 chance, you will succeed only on a roll of 1 on a normal six-sided die.
You may notice that some cards require a dice roll, but do not associate it with a 'chance of success'. Such die rolls cannot be modified by cards which increase or decrease a 'chance of success'.
When you draw the last card in your deck, you are Exhausted. You lose 5 Ability during your next Ability Adjustment Phase. Shuffle the cards in your discard pile back into a deck, offer your opponent a cut, and continue playing.
If you draw the last card from your Endurance during your Draw/Discard phase, you are not required to discard down at that time. Because you never both draw and discard in your Draw/Discard phase, you may hold all of the cards you drew until the end of your next turn, at which time you must adjust your Ability and discard as normal.
One key concept to the HighlanderTM game is the Head Shot. With one mighty swing and the familiar refrain, "There can be only one!" you strike the one blow that ends an Immortal's life. You must play the Head Shot card with an Upper attack. That attack instantly becomes a Power Blow, and if your opponent cannot defend against the attack, and it is a successful attack, they you immediately win the game. If your opponent blocks, dodges, or otherwise avoids the attack, the Head Shot fails and play continues. Note, however, that even though your opponent doesn't lose his head by playing a block; since the Head Shot is considered a Power Blow, if he does not make the block a Power block he will still take 2 damage.
There are other ways to make attacks Head Shots without the use of the Head Shot card and in some instances attacks themselves can be considered Head Shots. In all cases, attacks that are considered Head Shots follow all of the above rules.There are Special cards that can disarm your opponent -- even some cards that can break your opponent's weapon. If you have no weapon (because you were disarmed or your weapon was broken or lost) you may not play attacks, and you may not play blocks, but you may still play dodges.
At the beginning of any turn when you do not have your weapon, you may roll a die. There is a 1 in 6 chance you recover your weapon and may fight again as normal. You do NOT get to roll each turn if your weapon was broken.
While you are disarmed you may not play any card with the word blade in the title and any card you have in play with the word blade in the title, is turned face down and has no effect on game play.
You cannot attempt to Disarm or break a player's weapon that is already Disarmed
Edge cards are not Special cards. You may play as many Edge cards during your turn as you wish, in the appropriate manner. However, if the only cards you play during your turn are Edge cards, then you must make an Exertion for not playing a card other than an Edge card (see Playing Your Hand).
If an Edge card is played in conjunction with a Special card and the Special card is countered in some way, so are all the Edge cards played with that Special card.
You may play a Special card during either the attack or defense phase, but YOU MAY ONLY PLAY ONE SPECIAL CARD PER TURN. Special cards include Events, Situations, Objects, and Locations.
Event cards allow you to briefly affect the battle to favor you or hinder your opponent. Events "happen" as soon as they are played, but depending on the kind of Event they may not actually resolve until later in your turn, or even in your opponent's turn:
Events that modify your attacks take effect immediately. If you play a Combination, for example, you may then play another attack.
Events that damage your opponent or modify his Ability take effect in his Ability Adjustment Phase. This gives your opponent an opportunity to stop the effect during his turn.
Events that damage both players take effect twice: once in the Ability Adjustment step of the first player, then again in the other player's turn.
If your Event forces your opponent to discard, this is a 'Must Do' effect which he must resolve at the end of his Sweep Phase, before he plays any other cards, unless the card he plays directly effects him discard those cards.
Events that put cards into play, or remove cards already in play, take effect as soon as they are played.
Extra weapons, quality blades, armor -- these are all Objects. Once put into play, Objects remain in play. You may have more than one Object in play at a time.
Although most Objects take effect as soon as you put them into play, some require you to discard them from play in order to trigger their effects. These are known as 'Discard to Use' effects. To use these cards, you must play them ahead of time. When you need them, simply place them in your discard pile in order to gain the benefit of the Object. You cannot discard an Object on the turn it is played; you must wait at least until the beginning of your opponent's turn, after he plays his first card.
Like Objects, Situations remain in play, but there are cards that will remove your Situations from play, and some even remove themselves after a period of time. In any case, the effects of a Situation cease as soon as it leaves play.
You may have more than one Situation in play at a time -- you may even have multiples of the same Situation out at once.
In most cases, the effects of a Situation begin as soon as it is played. However, some Situations must be discarded in order to take effect. Once again these are 'Discard to Use' effects. Once you play these Situations, they should remain on the table until such time as you wish to use them. Then, discard the Situation in order to trigger its effects.
You cannot discard a Situation in this way on the turn it is played, but you may use it on your opponent's turn, after he plays his first card.
A Plot card is a specific subcategor of card.. Typically, Plot cards must be played in a particular sequence, in conjunction with other, similar Plot cards. When they are successfully played in the correct sequence, they have a particular effect on yourself or on your opponent. This effect may be short-term, resolving on your opponents next turn, or have a longer impact.
Even if your opponent completes a plot sequence, you may be able to escape some or all of the resulting effects. If you can neutralize the Plot while it is still affecting you, you suffer no further effects from that Plot. Some cards, or your Persona Power, may give you immunity to the effects of Particular completed Plots.
There are some Plot cards that have no requirements for play and do not need to be played in a certain sequence. Most of these Plots are single cards which have immediate effects on the game.Once a Location is played, it remains in play. But there can only be one Location in play at a time; if you play a Location, remove any previous Location from play and discard it.
Weapons of Choice are Pre-Game cards which determine the most likely weapon used by your Persona or Generic Immortal during the game. Each Weapon of Choice has specific advantages and drawbacks during game play which may affect the way you attack or defend against your opponent.
Like all Pre-Game cards, Weapons of Choice are put into play before the game begins. Normally you may have only one Weapon of Choice in play. The Weapon of Choice is considered an extension of your Persona or Generic Immortal so it cannot be discarded from the game by any means (Ex: Divine Intervention). However it can be disarmed (see below).
Each Weapon of Choice has one or more Hand Icons on it showing how may hands it takes to wield the weapon. If the Weapon of Choice has one Hand Icon, it is considered a one-handed weapon. If it has two Hand Icons, it is a two-handed weapon. You can never have more then two Hand Icons among all of the cards you have in play during the game. If you already have two Hand Icons among the cards you have in play, you cannot play a card with a Hand Icon on it. Any player not using a Weapon of Choice is still considered to be using a one-handed weapon (1 Hand Icon).
As stated above, some cards will have a Hand Icon on them other than just Weapons of Choice. In any case, you cannot play any cards with Hand Icons on them if, after playing that card, you would have more than two Hand Icons in play. You must have a "Free Hand" to play such cards (less than two Hand Icons in play).
Though Ranged Attacks do not have Hand Icons on them, the rules for Ranged Attacks require that you have a "Free Hand" to play them.
Weapons of Choice have several cards known as Weapon Specific cards which you can include in your deck; much like Immortal Specific cards. You can only include and play a Weapon Specific card if you are actually using the proper Weapon of Choice. Each Weapon Specific card is like any other card you might find in the Highlander: The Card Game; whether it be an attack, defense, Event, Situation, etc.
If your opponent manages to successfully Disarm you, turn the Weapon of Choice you are using face down as a reminder. If you happen to be using more than one Weapon of Choice, then your opponent chooses which one has been disarmed. While your Weapon of Choice is disarmed, it no longer has any effect on teh game and you are unable to play any Weapon Specific cards for that Weapon of Choice. Also, a Weapon of Choice that is disarmed may bring the number of Hand Icons in your Pre-Game cards below 2; in which case you may now play cards with Hand Icons as long as you don't exceed more then two Hand Icons in play.
While you have a Weapon of Choice that is disarmed, you may roll to regain that Weapon of Choice like you would normally. If you have another Weapon of Choice in play, you may continue to use it as if you are not disarmed. If all of your Weapon of Choice cards are disarmed (or you are not using a Weapon of Choice and are disarmed), then follow all the normal rules for being disarmed. If you manage to recover a disarmed weapon and you have more than one Weapon of Choice in play, you may choose which one is recovered.
Anytime you recover your weapon after being disarmed, gain an Extra Weapon, or even steal your opponent's weapon (i.e. Connor MacLeod's or Nakano's Master's Disarm) you are considered to have recovered your Weapon of Choice.
During the game it is possible that a player may become Prone; in other words, knocked on his Immortal butt. While a player is considered Prone, he must discard a card from his hand with the same Icon as a card he is playing. For instance he must discard an Event to play an Event, a Location to play a Location, an attack to play an attack, and so on.
At the beginning of each of his turns, a player that is considered Prone may roll a die. He has a 1 in 6 chance of 'regaining his feet'; no longer being considered Prone. He may also increase his chances at 'regaining his feet' by making an Exertion. This increases his chance to regain his feet to 3 in 6.
Some cards may give you the option or instruct you to ignore, nullify, or neutralize a card in play or it's effects. The only effects which can be ignored are those effects which directly affect you; be it an instruction for you to perform some action, a restriction preventing you from performing some action, or even an effect that does damage or Ability Loss. However, any other effects that instruct your opponent to do something or affect cards in play or being played cannot be ignored as they do not directly affect you.
Here's an example: Player A has Master's Sanctuary in play. Master's Sanctuary instructs Player A that he must ignore the effects of any Location he has in play. Player A then plays the Factory Location. Factory says, "No player may draw cards during his Draw/Discard Phase while Factory is in play. If any player's hand drops below 5 cards, remove Factory from play." The first sentence is an instruction that all players are restricted in drawing cards. This part directly affects you so it can be ignored. The second sentence is a condition of Factory and doesn't instruct you to perform an action or restrict you from performing an action. So it cannot be ignored. If any player's hand falls below 5 cards, Factory will be removed.
Some cards do damage, other cards lower Ability. Cards that read, "..loses Ability" may not be countered with cards that prevent damage.
There are some Special cards which must be discarded after being put into play for their effects to occur. These types of cards are commonly known as Discard to Use cards. These cards are most likely Situations and Objects.
You can never discard a Discard To Use card the turn you put it into play. It can be used (discarded) during any of your opponent's turns, but only after he has played his first card during that turn. This gives your opponent the opportunity to attempt to avoid or counter the effects of the card before you discard it.
Some Discard to Use cards counter other cards as they are played. When you counter another card, it has no effect on game play and is immediately discarded; it does not wait for the next Sweep Phase. However, the card played is still considered to have been played. Since, as we discussed earlier, you must play a card or make an Exertion during your turn; if your opponent counters a card as you play it, you are still considered to have played a card during your turn and do not have to make an Exertion if you do not play any further cards during that turn. This is also important if the card countered was a Special card. Since you can only play one Special card per turn, a countered Special card is still counted as a Special card played and you normally cannot play any more Special cards that turn.
There are some cards and effects which cause some cards to be removed from the game. Such cards are set aside outside of the game playing area and cannot be returned to your deck until the current game ends. In some cases a card may be removed which allowed you to add cards to your deck. Such cards leaving the game may force you to remove these added cards. You should search your discard pile first, then your Endurance, then your Hand, and finally look to see if the card needed to be removed is in play. When you find the card which was added to your deck, remove it from the game as well.
You must use a minimum of 50 cards. You are also required to use one of each basic attack and defense.
It may occur during your game that a card or cards are removed from the game reducing the size of your deck below 50 cards. This is fine, as long as you begin the game with at least 50 cards.
Pre-Game cards do not count toward the number of cards in your deck.
Basic Attacks:
Upper Left Attack, Upper Middle Attack, Upper Right Attack, Middle Left Attack, Thrust,
Middle Right Attack, Lower Left Attack, Lower Center Attack, and Lower Right Attack.
Basic Defenses: All of the basic defenses are blocks.
Upper Left Block, Upper Center Block,
Upper Right Block, Lower Left Block, Lower Center Block, and Lower Right Block.
If you do not use a Persona you are considered to be a Generic Immortal. A Generic Immortal may use one of each card belonging to each Persona. They may not normally use Reserved or Signatured cards. You must still abide by the normal restrictions on cards -- no more than six of any card, even if different Persona names appear in the title bar -- Connor's Back Away and Kurgan's Back Away both count against your 6-card limit of Back Away cards.
Your deck may not contain more than 6 of any one card title. If a number appears on the right hand side of the title bar, that indicates the maximum number of that specific card that may be included in your deck. Several cards may have the same title but different pictures; each card with a different picture can be considered a specific and unique card under that title.
Much like the Reserved cards, only the Immortal named on the card may include Signature cards in his deck. However, under no circumstance can any other Immortal include this card in their deck. This is important because there are some Persona powers and card effects which will allow you to include cards in your deck that you are not normally allowed to; meaning you can use Reserved cards from other Personas, but not Signature cards. Also, if a Signature card has a Restriction number, the Restriction cannot be altered in anyway.
These are rare cards that allow you to play as your favorite Immortal. When you play a specific Persona, you may not use cards with any other Persona's name in the title bar. If you want to play The Kurgan, for example, you may not use cards with Connor's name on them. Persona Cards are "pre-game" cards; you do not shuffle them into your deck with the rest of your cards. Instead, put them on the table before play begins.
These are extremely rare cards which are played in conjunction with a Persona and confer some other ability to you during a game.
Furthermore, since Premium cards are considered an extension to the Persona you are playing, even if you are playing a Generic Immortal, they may not be removed from the game by effects which can normally do so (i.e. Divine Intervention - Promotional Card).
Quickening cards may only be acquired if the player is a NEXUS league member and wins a tournament sanctioned by the NEXUS World League. Quickening cards are Pre-Game cards which allow you to use the power of other Immortals along with your own. Of course, if you already own one or more of these you don't really need to be reading these rules, do you?
Watcher pre-game cards are cards that allow you to assign a member of the Watcher Society to your Immortal. While being your Watcher, he will confer some sort of power to you during the game.
Watcher pre-game cards are not protected like the Premium cards and are usually considered to be Allies as they will have the name of the Watcher as their title.
Watcher cards are any cards you would include in your Endurance (not pre-game cards) that have the word 'Watcher' in the title of the card.
A Master card is any card with the word "Master" in any form in the title. On the back of your Persona card, you will find the number of Master cards that you are permitted to include in your Endurance. If you do not use a Persona card, you may not include Master cards in your deck.
Some cards are considered to be allies. An Ally is any card which depicts a person or persons from the television series or movies and has their name(s) as the title of the card.
Your health, your score, your ability to attack and defend yourself. You may not have more cards in your hand than your Ability. If you begin your Attack Phase with a 0 Ability, you lose the game.
An Ally is any card with a proper name of a person or persons.
This category includes all of the basic attacks, all Special attacks, and any other card with a red or gold grid in the upper left hand corner.
The Basic Attacks are Upper Left, Upper Center, Upper Right, Middle Left, Thrust, Middle Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, and Lower Right.
The Basic Defenses are all blocks. They are Upper Left, Upper Center, Upper Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, Lower Right.
Any card with a blue grid in the upper left hand corner is a block. This includes Guards.
Any Persona having the name MacLeod may use cards specific to the Clan MacLeod.
All the cards you use during a game.
If you are Disarmed, you have no weapon. You may not attack or block, although you may still dodge. You may roll at the start of your turn to recover your weapon, unless it was broken.
If you are forced to discard by a card played by your opponent, you must do so at the start of your Sweep Phase, before you play any cards. You may play a card before you discard if the card you play can stop or alter the discard effect.
Some cards require that they be discarded from play to be used. You cannot discard to use these cards the turn they come into play. You must wait until your opponent's turn, after he has played his first card.
A card with a green grid in the upper left corner is a dodge.
Denoted with a hand in the upper left hand corner. You may play as many Edge cards during your turn as you wish and if Edge cards are the only cards you play during your turn, then you must make an Exertion.
All non-Pre-Game cards you use during a game. Drawing the last card in your Endurance causes Exhaustion.
One kind of Special card, marked with a lightning bolt in the upper left hand corner.
You make an Exertion by turning over 5 cards from the top of your Endurance and placing them in the discard pile. You may use an Exertion to make a Power Blow, block a Power Blow, search for an attack or defense, or as payment for an effect which requires an Exertion.
When you draw the last card in your Endurance, you are Exhausted. You lose 5 Ability; this Ability loss is adjusted in your next Ability Adjustment phase.
Any card that is not Immortal Specific is considered a Generic Card
Any deck made without the use of a Persona. With the exception that there is a Persona titled Generic Immortal.
One kind of Standing Defense. Guards are blocks that you do not discard after use; they may remain in play from turn to turn, although they will greatly hinder your ability to attack.
You can never have more than two Hand Icons among all of the cards you have in play. You cannot play a card with a Hand Icon if you already have two Hand Icons in play.
If an attack is Hidden, it is played face down. The defender must play his defense by "guessing" where the attack is aimed. After a defense is played, reveal the Hidden attack. If he "guessed" wrong, the defender can now make an Exertion for a defense.
An Immortal specific card is any card with an Persona name in the title bar (just under the actual title of the card).
When a card requires you to play it 'in conjunction' with another card, both (or all) cards are played simultaneously.
Some cards affect only cards 'in play'. Cards 'in play' are any cards in the current game that are not in your Endurance, hand, discard pile, or that have been removed from the game.
One type of Special card, marked with a ruin in the upper left hand corner. Locations remain in play unless removed by another card. Any time a Location is played, it removes any previous Location from play.
Any card with the word Master in the title.
This is an effect caused by your opponent or a card in play. You may choose not to do 'May Do' effects at all. You must resolve any 'May Do' effects before starting your Defense Phase.
This is an effect caused by your opponent or a card in play. They must be resolved at the end of your Sweep Phase before doing any 'May Do' effects and your Defense Phase.
This includes any attacks that are not subtitled as Ranged Attacks.
A non-Special Attack can easily be determined by the grid in the upper left hand corner. All non-Special Attacks are attacks with a red grid. This includes the Basic Attacks.
Persona cards are Pre-game cards, played during the set-up of the game. If you have a Persona card, you may play as a specific Immortal from the movies or series. You may not use cards from any other Immortal if you choose to use a Persona card.
Plots are Special cards that begin with one or more Situations and usually end with an Event. Because they take several turns to get into play, Plots are difficult to pull off, but their powerful effects are worth it if you can complete them.
You can turn a block into a Power Block by making an Exertion. Power Blocks are used to completely block the damage from a Power Blow.
Some attacks may be turned into Power Blows, which do more damage and are harder to block. You may only make one Power Blow per turn.
Pre-game cards are easily recognizable by the fact that they do not have the Highlander logo on the back of the card. These cards are never shuffled into your Endurance. Instead, play them before the game begins. Such Pre-Game Cards include Persona, Watchers, and Premium cards.
If you are Prone, you must discard a card of the same type as any card you play. You have a 1 in 6 chance to regain your feet at the beginning of each of your turns. You may make an Exertion to increase this chance to 3 in 6.
A specific kind of Special Attack. Ranged Attacks follow all the rules of Special Attacks. In addition, Ranged Attacks cannot be blocked, although they may be dodged.
If a card is "Removed from the game", do not place it in any discard pile. It must be set aside, and cannot be shuffled back into your deck until the current game is over.
Reserved cards are marked with a sword on the right hand side of the title bar. Only the Immortal named on the card may use a Reserved card.
You may never have more than 6 of any card title in your deck. If a card is Restricted, there will be a number on the right hand side of the title bar. Your deck may not contain more of that specific card (not that title) than the Restriction number.
Signature cards are marked with an 'S' behind a sword symbol in the right hand side of the title bar. You may only include in your deck and play a Signature card if you are using the Persona named in the title of the Signature card.
One kind of Special card, marked with a silhouette in the upper left hand corner. Situations remain in play until they are removed by some other means.
Special cards include Events, Situations, Objects, and Location. You may play only one Special card per turn.
Special Attacks have a gold grid. Special Attacks may not be Power Blows (or Head Shots), they may not be Hidden, and they may not be pulled from an Exertion.
Any Exertion made to make a Power Blow, to make a Power Block, to search for a defense, or to search for an attack.
Standing Defenses are defensive fighting stances. They include, but are not limited to, Guards. While Standing Defenses can be very helpful on defense, they often hinder your ability to attack.
Any attack that isn't avoided by playing a proper defense against it or a card which will avoid the attack; or an attack that does damage.
These Pre-Game cards depict the preferred weapon of your Immortal. You may normally only use one Weapon of Choice.
Cards you may only include in your deck and play during the game if you have the appropriate Weapon of Choice in play.
This is a transcript of a duel between Duncan MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod, and Bob, generic Immortal. Duncan and Bob shuffle their decks and offer each other a cut. They flip a coin and Bob gets to go first.
Bob: Ok, my Defense Phase is first. You haven't attacked me yet so I'll just skip the defenses for now. But I will play a Street Punk on you; that's one damage.
Duncan: Ok, but damage doesn't resolve until MY turn. Give me a chance to counter it.
Bob: Ok. I'm also going to play a Thrust on you, and, what the heck, I'll make it a Power Blow. [Bob turns over the top five cards into his discard pile.] That's 5 damage if it gets through, since Thrust says it does an additional point of damage. I'm done.
Duncan: Don't you want to draw up to your Ability before you finish?
Bob: No, I don't HAVE to. You go ahead.
Duncan: Ok... First I defend. I'll play a Stamina card- that lets me block a Power Blow without having to make the Exertion- then I play an Upper Left block. That will prevent all the damage.
Bob: Doesn't the Thrust count for any extra damage?
Duncan: No, the extra point of damage from Thrust only applies to an attack if it does damage.
Bob: Wait a minute! My Thrust is a Middle Center attack! You played an Upper Left block.
Duncan: Yes, but the Upper Left block covers that square, too. It's a legal block. Now if I may continue...
Bob: Sure...
Duncan: Ok. I've already defended, and already played a Special card. So I'll just make this Hidden attack, since you made a Power Blow last turn. [He slides an attack face down onto the table] And I'll make it a Power Blow. [Now Duncan makes an Exertion by turning five cards over into his discard pile.]
Bob: Can you make a Hidden attack a Power Blow like that?
Duncan: Sure, it follows all the rules. I only played one Special card, and I only made one Exertion. I'm done now, and I took one point from your Street Punk. I'm at 14 Ability and I have 12 cards, so I'll draw up. [He draws 2 cards.]
Bob: Ok, then. First, I'll defend. How about this? [He plays Amanda's Left Side Step card and turns over the Hidden attack. It was a lower center attack.] I guess that will defend against the Power Blow. Now let's just see you defend against this: An Upper Left attack with... A Head Shot!
Will Duncan survive Bob's crude but effective onslaught? Probably. With Highlander: The Card Game you'll be able to play it and find out for yourselves!
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