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by Reiner Knizia for 2 players, age 8 and up

En Garde

Experience the fascination of fencing. Tactics, skill and a bit of luck prove which fencer is the better. Test yourself in the basic game, or as a master in the advanced game. Recommended by the German Fencing Association.

Contents

Basic Game

Play of Game

At the start of each round, the two Swordsman figures are placed onto the two end spaces of the board and all the cards are shuffled. Each player is then dealt 5 cards which he looks at without showing them to his opponent. The rest of the cards are placed face down in a pile by the board. The players decide who is to start, the start player then alternates in every subsequent round.

Players play alternately. The player whose turn it is to play, chooses one of his cards and then moves his Swordsman the exact number of spaces on the board as shown on the card (Diagram 1). The player can decide whether to move forwards or backwards. The swordsman may not move off the board, nor may he move onto or over the space occupied by the other swordsman.

Diagram 1: Movement of three spaces

At the end of his turn the player takes a replacement card from the pack so once again has five cards in his hand, then his opponent takes his turn in the same way. Cards played are put face up in a pile so that only the last card played is visible. Players may not search through this pile to see what cards have been played earlier.

Attacks and Hits

Ending and Winning a Round

If a round ends without a player winning it outright, it is won by the player whose figure has moved furthest down the board, if both figures have moved the same distance then the round is drawn.

The player who wins the round moves his marker stone on the hit marker one space forwards. Once this marker reaches 5 that player has won.

Standard Game

Attacks and Parries

Once he has played as many cards as he wishes, his turn is over and can replenish his hand. He takes a replacement card or cards from the pack so once again has five cards. The opponent now has the opportunity to "parry". To do this he must play the same number of cards as his opponent and with the same value as the attacker's cards. The opponent may parry an attack of a single card or of multiple cards (note, it is not possible to parry an attack of three cards because there are only five cards of each value).

For example, if an attacker had played a "3" card as an attack, and then a further "3" card as a strengthener, then his opponent can only parry by playing two "3"s. If the defender is unable to parry then the attacker scores a hit and the round is over.

The parry is taken in between turns which means that the defender may not replenish his hand until after he has taken his turn. If able to parry, the player then proceeds to take his turn as normal, except that the player will have a depleted hand. The player may move or attack as normal and once he has taken his turn and played one or more cards he may replenish his hand back up to five cards.

Ending and Winning a Round

If the cards are all drawn without either player winning the round, then the players may turn over their remaining cards. They then see whether either, or both still have any cards which would allow an attack, i.e. cards of the same value as the gap between the two figures. If one player has more of such cards than the other, he wins the round. Only if this fails to produce a result is the distance travelled down the board relevant.

Advanced Game

Thus if the two swordsmen were 8 spaces apart, a player could play a "3" card to move 3 spaces forwards and then a "5" card in the same turn to attack. The player being attacked now has two possibilities for defense.

Firstly he can stand his ground and parry in the same way as in the Standard game, in the example above he would have to play a "5" card to parry. After a parry, the player may move, attack or advance and attack as normal, once he has taken his turn and played one or more cards may he replenish his hand back up to five cards.

Alternatively he may "retreat" and give ground by moving backwards. The player lays a card and moves backwards the number of space shown on the card. As a retreat is just a normal move it ends the players turn, he draws a card to bring his hand back up to five cards.

It should be noted that a normal attack (possibility 3) above), may only be defended with a parry, the retreat (moving backwards) only defends against the advance and attack.

Ending and Winning a Round

If the defender parries the advance and attack, then it is handled as in the standard game but if the defender retreats, then the winner is determined only by which figure has moved furthest down the board.