Prêt? Allez!

Prêt? Allez!

This game simulates a fencing bout with foils.

Players
2

Components
1 board – representing the piste (or mat on which the bout takes place) and scoring towers.
2 fencer counters – 1 for each player
2 score counters – 1 for each player
1 priority counter [for foil and sabre bouts]
2 decks for each weapon – 1 for each player

Each Foil deck has the following cards:
14 Atack
12 Parry
4 Advance
4 Retreat
4 Lunge
2 Balestra
2 Stop Hit
4 Riposte
2 Beat Attack
2 Feint

Setup
Place the board within reach of both players. Each player takes a fencer counter and places it on the pieste in the third square from their end (the fencers start at opposite ends of the pieste). Each player takes a score counter. Each player takes one of the decks and shuffles it. Each player takes five cards from their deck to form their staring hand. The older player starts with priority and takes the first turn - place the priority counter on the on the board on their side. Decide to how many hits you are playing – 1 to 5. (3 is standard, 5 makes for a long game, 1 is a quick game but gives the advantage to the player starting with priority)

To Win
When a player scores a hit and has reached the number of hits agreed upon at the start of the game, they win.

Rules
At the start of your turn, draw a card from your deck and place it in your hand. Then play a card from your hand. Some cards will allow you to play additional cards as well. There is no limit on the number of cards that you can hold in your hand.
As long as a player has at least 1 card in their hand they may use the ADVANCE or RETREAT card printed on the board instead of playing a card from their hand. Note that the board versions of these cards differ from the actual card versions.
If there are no more cards in your deck to draw you can still play cards from your hand. If you have no more cards in your deck and hand, the only thing you may do is pass – if you have priority you lose it to your opponent. If both players have no cards in both their decks and hands then see Corps-a-corps.

Certain cards (ADVANCE, LUNGE, BALESTRA) allow you to move forward. You may not move on to the same space as your opponent. If you are already adjacent to your opponent, you may not move forward so you may not play an ADVANCE card – including the board ADVANCE card.
If you are at the last space you are unable to retreat off the end of the board without your opponent scoring a hit. You may play a RETREAT card from your hand but you are unable to play the board RETREAT card while on the last space.

If your opponent had played an attack card last turn and you are unable to play a PARRY or RETREAT (including the board RETREAT) then your opponent scores a hit. They may place their hit counter on the board in the bottom spot if it is not on the board yet. If their hit counter is already on the board then they may move it up one spot. Most bouts are usually played until the first player scores three hits although the game may be played to any agreed upon limit between one and five.
If a hit is scored but the agreed upon limit hasn’t been reached, then both players replace their fencer counters to their starting positions. The priority counter goes to the player that was just hit. Both players shuffle their hand, discard pile, and deck together to form their new deck and draw five cards. The player with priority gets to start the new round. Play proceeds as before until someone scores a hit or corps-a-corps is reached.

Corps-a-corps is reached when the bout is at a standstill. Both fencers need to reset. Each player shuffles their discard pile to form their new deck and draw five cards. Priority remains with the player who already has it. The fencing counters need to be moved to be two spaces apart as follows:
a) If the counters are two spaces apart, they remain where they are.
b) If the counters are more than two spaces apart, the counter that is farther from the center is moved forward until it is two spaces away from the other counter.
c) If the counters are one space apart, the counter that is closer to the center is moved back one space.
d) If the counters are adjacent, and neither counter is on the last space, then both counters are moved back one space.
e) If the counters are adjacent, and one counter is on the last space, then the other counter is moved back two spaces.

Cards
The cards all have a quick reference printed on them. A more detailed set of rules is listed below.

The board ADVANCE card – “Move 1 space forward. Discard two cards from your hand and draw two cards.”
You must have at least 1 card in your hand in order to use the board ADVANCE card. If you only have 1 card in your hand you must discard it and draw two cards. If you only have 1 card in your deck you only draw it instead. If you have no cards left in your deck, you do not draw any cards. If you are already adjacent to your opponent, you are unable to play the board ADVANCE card.

The board RETREAT card – “Move 1 space back. Discard your hand and draw 5 cards. Lose priority.”
You must have at least 1 card in your hand in order to use the board RETREAT card. If you are unable to draw the entire 5 cards from your deck, draw as many as you are able. If you have priority you lose it. If your opponent played an attack on their turn, this card avoids that attack. If you are at the last space you may not play the board RETREAT card.

ADVANCE – “Move 1 space forward. Discard 1 to 3 cards and draw the same number to replace them.”
If you already adjacent to your opponent, you may not play ADVANCE. If you are not able to discard at least 1 card from your hand, you are not able to play ADVANCE.

ATTACK – “You must be adjacent to your opponent and have priority to play.”
If you are not adjacent to your opponent, you may not play this card unless another card allows you to play it. If your opponent is unable to avoid this attack then you score a hit. Unless allowed by another card, you must have priority to play an ATTACK card.

BALESTRA – “You may move forward 1 space and play an ATTACK card. Your opponent may not RETREAT from this ATTACK and you may not RETREAT from their ATTACK. You need priority to play.”
You may only play this card if you are 1 space away from or adjacent to your opponent. If you are 1 space away from your opponent, move your fencer counter forward 1 space. You need to play an ATTACK card with BALESTRA in order to play this card. You must have priority in order to play a BALESTRA card. Your opponent may not play a RETREAT or board RETREAT to avoid your attack. If they are able to ATTACK back in response to your attack (by using a RIPOSTE) you are not able to play a RETREAT or board RETREAT to avoid their ATTACK.

BEAT ATTACK – “If your opponent is adjacent and has priority but did not ATTACK, you gain priority and play an ATTACK.”
You may only play this card if you are adjacent to your opponent and they have priority but did not play an ATTACK or FEINT on their last turn. You need to play an ATTACK card with BEAT ATTACK in order to play this card. You gain priority.

FEINT – “Play in place of an ATTACK. This is not a scoring ATTACK.”
If you are adjacent to your opponent and have priority, you play this card. If your opponent is unable to avoid this attack then you do not score a hit. If another card requires you to play an ATTACK card, you may play a FEINT instead.

LUNGE – “You may move forward 1 space. Play an ATTACK card. You need priority to play.”
You may only play this card if you are 1 space away from or adjacent to your opponent. If you are 1 space away from your opponent, move your fencer counter forward 1 space. You need to be able to play an ATTACK card in order to play this card. You must have priority in order to play a LUNGE card.

PARRY – “This card avoids the ATTACK.”
If your opponent played an ATTACK card you may play a PARRY card. You may not play a PARRY card if your opponent did not play an ATTACK (or FEINT) card. This prevents the ATTACK from scoring a hit.

RETREAT – “Move 1 space back. Discard 3 cards and draw to replace them. Lose priority”
If you are unable to discard 3 cards from your hand you may not play this card. If you are unable to draw the entire 3 cards from your deck, draw as many as you are able. If you have priority you lose it. If your opponent played an attack on their turn, this card avoids that attack. If you are at the last space you may still play the RETREAT card but your opponent will score a hit.

RIPOSTE – “Play with a PARRY to gain priority. Play an ATTACK.”
You may only play this card if your opponent played an ATTACK last turn. You need to be adjacent to your opponent in order to play this card. In order to play this card you must also have played a PARRY card this turn and you need to play an ATTACK card with RIPOSTE in order to play this card. You gain priority.

STOP HIT – “If your opponent has priority and moved adjacent but did not ATTACK, play an ATTACK.”
You may not play this card if you have priority. On their last turn, your opponent must have moved adjacent to you and did not play an ATTACK card in order for you to be able to play STOP HIT. You need to play an ATTACK card with STOP HIT in order to play this card. You do not gain priority.


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1 board – representing the piste (or mat on which the bout takes place). The board is in landscape format – 18” wide and 9” high. On each side is the player’s scoring track. The name is on the top of the board, below is the track for the fencing counters. Below this is the indicator for priority. At the bottom is the information on the two movements always available to players without playing a card – Advance and Retreat. The scoring tracks have 5 spaces. The piste is 9 spaces long – with a mark in the third space from each end to denote the starting space (e.g. 1 – 2 – A start – 4 – 5- 6- B start – 8 – 9).

2 fencer counters – 1 for each player. These will be 1.5" square cardboard counters with a picture of a fencer on them. (The deluxe version would have wooden counters that have a fencer printed on both sides)

2 score counters – 1 for each player. These will be 3/4" by 1" cardboard counters. (The deluxe version would have wooden counters)

1 priority counter. This would be a 3/4" by 2" cardboard counter with the word "PRIORITY" superimpsed over a faded foil. (The deluxe version would have a wooden counter with the same printing)

2 decks for each weapon – 1 for each player. These would be standard bridge sized cards in portrait format. The name of the card (ATTACK, PARRY, RIPOSTE, etc) would be in large print across the top one-fifths of the card. The rules for the card would be in the bottom two-fifths of the card. A picture of a fencer performing the action would be in the two-fifths between these. At the bottom of each deck in small print would be a line giving deck to which the card belongs. (eg A - FOIL)