CELTIC WARBANDS

INTRODUCTION
Card game for 2 players. 
Theme: Continental Celtic Intertribal Warfare circa Fifth Century BC. 
Poker type mechanics. 

VICTORY
The first player to win 5 turns wins the battle. 

THE DECK
Players share a common deck. 
The deck has 3 copies of each card in the card list. 

BACKGROUND
Each player controls a band of rival Celtic Warriors. 
Each game represents a battle between these opposed Tribes. 
Each hand represents a Champion: His weapons, traits, etc. 
Each turn represents a duel between 2 Champions. 
The winner of the turn takes the severed head of the losing Champion. 

CARD SUITES
There are 5 Suites: 
1. Traits
2. Weapons
3. Armor
4. Costume
5. Boons

RATINGS
Each card has a rating from 1 to 5. 
Higher numbers are better. 

SETUP
Shuffle the deck. 
The Fiercest player goes first. 

TURN SEQUENCE
Players take turns. 
Each turn has 3 Phases: 
1. Destiny Phase
2. Fate Phase
3. Fight Phase

DESTINY PHASE
Each player is dealt 10 cards. 
If the deck ever runs out, shuffle the discard and draw from it. 

FATE PHASE
Players may discard up to 5 cards and draw replacements. 

FIGHT PHASE
Players reveal their hands. 
Determine the Total Rating of each hand. 
To get the Total Rating, add together the Ratings of the individual cards plus 
Special Bonus Ratings, but not those of excluded cards. 
The higher Total Rating wins the Turn. 

SPECIAL BONUS RATINGS & EXCLUDED CARDS
If you have all 3 different cards in a suite get a +3 Suite Bonus to your Total Rating (TR). 
If you have 2 copies of the same card in your hand one copy is excluded. 
If you have all 3 copies of a card in your hand get a +5 Card Bonus to your TR.
If you have 2 different cards from each of the 5 Suites in your hand get a 
+7 Flush Bonus to your TR. 


CARD LIST NOTATION
T = Traits
W = Weapons
A = Armor
C = Costume
B = Boons

CARD LIST
Card Name:		Type	Rating
Tall			T	1
Strong			T	2
Brave			T	3
Large Shield		A	1
Bronze Helmet		A	2
Mail Shirt		A	3
Throwing Spear		W	1
Long Spear		W	2
Iron Sword		W	3
Woad Dye		C	1
Golden Torc		C	2
Chariot			C	3
Bards Song		B	1
Druids Omen		B	2
Heroes Fate		B	3



GAME PLAY NOTES
During play players should fully indulge in War cries, shouting Insults, singing 
Battle Songs, making Boasts, smashing their Swords against their Shields and 
blowing on War Horns... While drunk of course. 
Proper attire includes blue body paint and bleached spiky hair.


LINKS
History
Warfare
Celtic Well

CARDSET AVAILABLE
Thanks Ron!
Click Here
For bigger cards click Here  Thanks Albert!
Awesome cardset in Spanish & English: 
Click Here  Thanks Felisan!


BETTING VARIANT
New Turn Sequence: 
1. Ante Phase (2 Tokens minimum)
2. Destiny Phase
3. First Round Bets (Stand, Raise, Match, Fold)
4. Fate Phase
5. Second Round Bets (Stand, Raise, Match, Fold)
6. Fight Phase
7. Vae Victus Phase (Winner takes pot)
The player with the most Tokens in the most Categories at the 
end of 7 turns wins. 
Token Categories include: Gold, Captives, Heads, Cattle
Each player starts with 10 Tokens in each Category.