HOW TO PLAY
Duel in the Sky!
SkyLords is a game of mid-air jousting where warriors leap from towers and clash in flight. The combat tests skills of both agility and brute strength. A powerful, heavy fighter may offer up a formidable defense, but a lighter opponent can attack from above. It is crucial to find a balance between power and weight that will beat the strategy of your opponent.
Game Setup
Games of SkyLords are for 2 players, ages 13 and over. Players draw from the same deck, which must contain at least 26 cards.
Before beginning, players set the number of starting Game Points, which corresponds to the amount of Life each player starts with.
At the end of each turn, players deduct Game Points corresponding to the amount of damage received. The first player to reach zero loses.
26 cards minimum
15 Game Points equals approximately one hour of play time.
Fight!
At the game start, each player draws 10 cards from the deck. Do not reveal the cards to your opponent until the appropriate time during your turn. - To increase game difficulty, only draw 7 or 8 cards.
There are 3 types of card: Skylord, Battle, and Event.
Skylord Cards have a red ribbon
Battle cards have a black ribbon
Event Cards have a blue ribbon
SKYLORD Card
SkyLord Cards are the champions you take into battle. 1 SkyLord card may be used in Phase II of play. They can also be played as Allies in Phase III, using only the Assist Points (book symbol) stat.
Assist of +1 Attack point
BATTLE Cards
Battle Cards are your weapons of war. Their stats stack with your SkyLord's and increase both your Attack and Defense Points, but also your Weight.
Some Battle Cards, such as full suits of Battle Armor, override the stats of other cards, but can be influenced by Event Cards. 2 Battle Cards (or 1 Battle Armor) can be used per turn.
EVENT Cards
Allies, magic, and twists of fate that can turn the tide. Event Cards assist you in battle, often by either increasing your stats or decreasing your opponent's.
An arrow pointing down (toward you) buffs one or more of your stats. An arrow pointing up (toward your opponent) debuffs one or more of your opponent's stats.
Some special Event Cards change the flow of battle in other ways, such as forcing an opponent to reveal or discard one of their Battle Cards.
Understanding the cards
1- Timing Symbol
indicates in which phase the card can be played.
2- Attack Points
power rating, if attacking this turn.
3- Defense Points
power rating, if defending this turn.
4- Weight Points
weight rating: if lower than opponent, you attack; if higher, you defend.
5- Assist Points
points added by ally if played in Phase III; the symbol indicates the stat the points are added to.
6- Clan Symbol
in some cases indicates when a card is special or rare.
Gameplay
A turn is played in four phases: Strategize, Attack, Assist, and Landing.
Phase I - Strategize
Phase III - Assist
Phase II - Attack
Phase IV - Landing
The Timing Symbol in the upper-left corner of each card indicates which cards can be played in which phases.
Phase I - eye symbol
Phase II - sword symbol
Phase III - double sword symbol
Phase IV- hourglass symbol
- A sword symbol card can be played in Phase III when Assist points (book symbol) are present.
Phase I : Strategize
In the first phase, only Event Cards with the Eye Timing Symbol can be played.
Up to 2 of these cards may be played during this phase.
Phase 2 : Attack
In the second phase, SkyLord and Battle cards with the Sword Timing Symbol can be played.
To attack, each player needs 1 SkyLord Card and at least 1 Battle Card (up to 2 may be played).
- If you don't have sufficient cards to attack on a given turn, both players draw cards until the player who needed new cards reaches the minimum requirement to play cards this turn.
When ready, both players reveal their Skylord and Battle Cards and count their Points across all cards played in Phases I and II.
Add up the number of Attack Points on each card to find out your total Attack points on this turn. Do the same for your Defense and Weight.
The player with a lower Weight has the higher ground and will attack this turn. The player with more Weight will defend. If both players have the same Weight, both players attack.
Phase 3 : Assist
You still have a chance to alter your stats or turn the tide of battle. Cards with the double sword Timing Symbol or with the Assist symbol can be played. Only 1 Ally or Event Card may be played this Phase.
Assists (from left to right): +4 Attack, +2 Defense, -2 Weight
Both players reveal their Assist cards and re-count their Points. The player with less Weight attacks, and the player with more Weight defends. The Attack Points are subtracted from the Defense Points. If the defender's Defense Points drop into negative numbers, the defender loses that number of Game Points. If both players have the same weight, then both players use Attack Points for their stats.
EXAMPLE: If the attacker has 17 Attack Points, and the defender has 10 Defense Points, the defender is at a deficit of -7 and therefore loses 7 Game Points. If the defender's remaining Defense Points do not drop into negative numbers, the defender loses no Game Points.
Phase 4: Landing
In the fourth and final phase, Event Cards with the (hourglass) Timing Symbol may be played. These cards give you a chance to alleviate some of the damage taken during the current turn, or to take one last shot at your enemy.
EXAMPLE: If the attacker inflicts 9 damage points, the Medicine Man Event Card restores 2 of those points, leaving player with a total of -7 Game points.
End of Turn
The joust is over, the damage is done. After the final tally of Points has been made, collect all cards played during the turn, put them back into the deck, shuffle, and play another turn. Keep going until one player runs out of Game Points.
And that's how you play SkyLords!
Special Card and Circumstances
Battle Armours
Armors usually have Crowned stats and affect Attack, Defense, and Weight Points. They are heavy but already include a weapon and shield. Crowned stats override stats on SkyLord Cards and other Battle Cards. Event Cards stats, however, still stack with overridden stats.
EXAMPLE: If you play a SkyLord card with stats 2/3/2 (attack/defense/weight) and an armor Battle Card with Crowned stats of 7/8/7, then the player's stats are 7/8/7, regardless of what the SkyLord Card's stats read. If you played an Event Card in Phase I with stats 2/0/-1, then your stats become 9/8/6. Playing additional cards in Phase III further affects your stats.
- The “Lose a weapon” Event Card does not affect Battle Armor
Crown Symbol stats overrides attack cards.
Special Battle Cards
Magic Battle Cards are Indicated by a flame atop the card's Clan Symbol. They are played in Phase II like any other Battle Card, but they also come with a powerful assisting stat, which you can use in Phase III.
Magical Weapons (indicated by flame atop Clan symbol)
also come with Assist stats.
Special Event Cards
Event Cards with a Swirly Symbol don't just add or remove stats. They require action from the player, as instructed on the bottom of the card.
Event Card: Lose a Weapon
By playing this card, you force your opponent to discard any one Battle Card (except Battle Armors). Your opponent will lose a weapon but will also become lighter, possibly affecting whether they attack or defend this turn.
Event Card: Eagle Trainer
By playing this card, you force your opponent to reveal 1 card to be used in the Attack Phase.
Event Card: Medicine Man
Restores +2 Life at the end of a turn, healing 2 Points worth of damage received in battle.
If you have any questions on how to play the game, feel free to ask!
This is just the beginning for SkyLords. We recommend you check these rules from time to time for updates. To stay current on the latest announcements, subscribe to our mailing list:
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SkyLords, Warriors of the Wind © 2015 Filmpaint Inc. All Rights Reserved. Characters’ names, story and distinctive likeness are property of Filmpaint Inc. Created by Bruno Werneck.
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