Gamehelpthreethousandscoundrels

Overview

The games ends after 2 rounds / 8 turns (short) or 3 rounds / 12 turns (long)

Each player starts with their own deck of seven poker cards: 0, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Turn

A Player's turn consists of the following:

1. Plan by playing a poker card

2. Use Abilities that match that card

3. Hire a Scoundrel or use a Sheriff's Office ability

Plan

Pick a card from your hand and place it in an empty slot

• If the card you played matches the slot, this is a normal play

• If the card you played does NOT match the slot, this is a bluff

Either way, no one but you knows what you played

(Note: the 0 card does not match a slot and so must always - some scoundrel abilities notwithstanding - be placed as a bluff!)

The other important note is that the 6 slot (whether you use an actual 6 or not) does not have an ability associated with it

If you wish to call another player's bluff, you have 3 henchmen which you can use, you place one of these on a card you think is a bluff, but other players can also send henchmen to the same card, you just can't have more than one of your own at a card and they can only be played on a player's most recent card, you can't call them on anything they previously played. Additionally, you can't call your own bluff and you can't move a Henchman if it is already in use.

Abilities

In an order of your choosing, use abilities which match the slot (not the card) you occupied this turn

Other than gaining money, and abilities acquired throughout the game, there are two abilities discussed below

A/2 Scout

This lets you look at a safe in advance, and you then place a token of yours on it to show you've looked. Once looked, you can view safes again at any time, even if it is later owned by an opponent. You may place any of your tokens on the safe, but if you place a token that matches the safe's true value, it's worth an extra point to the stealer (which may or may not be you)

5 Steal

You can take any safe, along with all tokens on it, but you are restricted to 1 safe per day cumulative, i.e. you can take 1 safe on day 1 then 1 safe on day 2, or you can take 0 safes on day 1 then 2 safes on day 2, but can't take 2 on day 1 and 0 on day 2. However, you can swap safes, by stealing above limit, looking at them, then returning a safe of your choice. Regardless of whether you swap steal or straight steal, all tokens remain on their respective safes at all times.

Scoundrel or Sheriff

At the end of your turn, you can either call a Scoundrel or activate the Sheriff

If you pick the Scoundrel option, pay the cost and place the desired Scoundrel on one of your 5 spaces for them, then refill the Saloon. If you wish, and at this point only, you can re-arrange your Scoundrels. In addition, if the new scoundrel doesn't fit, pick a scoundrel to discard or discard the scoundrel just hired.

If you pick the Sheriff option, or can't afford a Scoundrel, discard the Saloon's rightmost scoundrel and refill the Saloon. After which, pick either receive $2, pay $2 or $4 to free 1 or 2 henchmen respectively, or on the final day only spend $12 to buy a safe

End of Day

The day ends after each player has taken 4 turns.

When the day ends, cards with Henchmen on them are revealed, to show if they were genuine plays or bluffs. (Cards without Henchmen are not revealed.)

• For each genuine play, all Henchmen on the card are sent to jail and stay there until recalled by the associated Sheriff action.

• For each bluff, the Henchmen owners gain 1 Reputation and return the Henchmen to their supplies, and the bluffer loses 1 Reputation.

If this was the final day, move to scoring, otherwise:

• Without revealing them, if they weren't already revealed, each player's played cards are removed, shuffled face down and placed beneath their deck. (They are not shuffled into the deck; as such each player's subsequent hand will be different from their previous hand.)

The player with the highest reputation decides who starts the new round.

Reputation limits

It isn't clear from the rules, but by looking at a picture of the actual board, you can tell that during the game, your reputation can't go below -2 nor above +6.

Game End

Once 2 or 3 days have elapsed (for short or long version) the game ends:

• Reveal safes

• Everyone gains points for the safes as stated + 1 point per token that matches that safe's value

• Based on a players reputation, they may gain or lose a certain number of points

• Scoundrels may grant extra points

The player with the most points wins!