Kiri-ai: The Duel

OBJECT OF THE GAME

Defeat your opponent in a samurai duel by planning actions carefully to deal two damaging attacks first.

GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW

Each player has a hand of action cards that represent movements, attacks, or special attacks on the battlefield. At the beginning of each round players will place two cards from their hand face down next to the battlefield and resolve the cards one at a time to perform actions.

SETUP

The game is set up by choosing between the standard or advanced battlefield and placing the chosen battlefield face up. It is recommended to play several standard games before choosing the advanced battlefield.

One player will be the Red Samurai and the other will be the Blue Samurai. Each player will receive the five cards matching the color of their Samurai Card and one random orange Special Attack Card to start their hand. The remaining Special Attack Card is discarded facedown.

The Samurai Cards will be placed on the battlefield with the uninjured side (White Silhouette) at a 45 degree angle starting in the Heaven (天) Stance as shown:

BATTLEFIELD SPACES

Each white square on the battlefield card represents a space for the Samurai Cards. Each Samurai Card should always be located on one of the spaces and can share a space.

ROUNDS

The game and each round starts with both players playing two cards face down in front of them to perform two actions during the round. The card closest to the opponent is the first action to be performed, and the farther card is the second action. Each player reveals their first action simultaneously.

Movement Cards always occur first, and actions are performed in the following priority:

1.Movement Cards

Movement Cards played while in Heaven (天) Stance move first

• a. Charge
• b. Approach/Retreat
• c. Change Stance

2.Attack/Special Attack Cards

These actions occur at the same time. If two Movement Cards have the same priority, then they occur at the same time. If the resulting moves cannot be performed successfully, then the Samurai Cards move to the closest space that results in equal movement.

Example 1: Two Charge cards are played while both players are in Heaven Stance and three spaces apart, each player would move one space forward, ending one space apart.

Example 2: One player plays Approach in Heaven Stance and the other plays Charge in Earth Stance. The Approach moves first due to the Heaven Stance, and then Charge completes movement without passing the other samurai.

After the first action has been completed by each player, both players then reveal their second card simultaneously. Once the second card has been resolved for both players, the round goes to the End of Round phase.

END OF ROUND

After both actions have been performed by the players each player will return the first card that they played to their hand and will set aside the second card for one round. After the first round, there will be one card set aside for each player. That card is replaced by the second card played in each round, with the card set aside from the previous round returning to the players’ hands.

If any orange Special Attack Cards played in the round they are discarded and will not be available for the rest of the game. If a Special Attack Card is played second it is still discarded and the player will not have a card set aside for one round.

Once the second card has been set aside, the card from the previous round is picked up, and Special Attack Cards are discarded from the game, the round ends and a new one starts. Rounds continue until one samurai is defeated.

MOVEMENT

There are two Movement Cards representing four possible movement actions based on the side of the card played closest to the opponent.

Players' samurai cannot move past each other on the battlefield. If a movement would have them move past their opponent, they stop at the same space as their opponent instead.

Players move their Samurai Card on the battlefield as indicated on the Movement Card:

Approach

Player moves their samurai one battlefield space toward their opponent.

Retreat

Player moves their samurai one battlefield space away from their opponent.

Charge

Player moves their samurai two battlefield spaces toward their opponent.

Change Stance

There are two stances: Heaven(天) and Earth(地). Player changes the stance of the samurai by rotating the Samurai Card on the same space. The samurai’s current stance must match the stance on an Attack Card for it to be successful.

ATTACK

Each Attack and Special Attack Card indicates required stance and the space(s) that the attack hits. If the opponent is at the space(s) indicated on the card, and the samurai is in the correct stance, then the attack will be successful. Attacks in the wrong stance can be played but are feints and not successful.

If attacks from both players would be successful, the swords strike each other and neither player is damaged. This also applies for Special Attack Cards, except for the Counterattack card, which only deals damage when played at the same time as a successful attack from the opponent. If an attack is successful and is not cancelled by a successful attack from the opponent, then it deals damage.

The player who receives damage flips their Samurai Card from the White Silhouette to the damaged Black Silhouette side and keeps the same stance and battlefield space. If a samurai is damaged while on the damaged side then they are defeated, ending the game. The duel is over!

ATTACK CARDS

There are three Attack Cards:

High Strike

A long distance slash from above to slice through the opponent like bamboo.

Low Strike

A rising slash delivered from a low sword position.

Balanced Strike

A sideways slash that is successful from both stances. Hits if both the attacker and opponent are in the same space.

IMPORTANT REMINDER

Remember your stance. Most attacks can only successfully hit your opponent if you are in the correct stance.

SPECIAL ATTACK CARDS

There are three Special Attack Cards – Special Attack Cards are used once per game and discarded after use.

Kesa Strike

An attack empowered by inner peace that hits two spaces. Hits the space the attacker is in and also one space in front.

Zan Tetsu-Strike

An iron-splitting attack that hits two spaces. Hits the spaces two and three spaces in front of the attacker.

Counterattack

This card cancels a successful attack or special attack from the opponent and then deals damage. If the opponent does not hit with an attack or special attack during the same action when Counterattack is played, then Counterattack does nothing and is discarded as norma