What is Card Bard the Card Game? (see what we did there?)

In short Card Bard is a fast pace competitive deck-building game

The Beginning

In the dim light of a dusty tavern, she gently strums her lute string … looks off distantly and twists the pegs – again she strums then sighs a quiet contented sigh. A packed tap room, an empty field, a secret glade, each venue each audience a battleground. She captures hearts and steels imagination in a world formed by the magic that happens when notes collide and harmonies combine, weaving what once was – what could be – what can be. Standing in the purple gray light of the moon, atop the cliff she strums gently, once, twice. And with a quick inhalation she begins.

Overview

Card Bard is a 2 – 4 player card game in which each player takes the role of the magical traveling story teller of old — The bard. A player’s deck represents their repertoire of ballads, stories, techniques, tricks, magical items, fantastical lore and enchanting melodies that you will use to battle your opponent to win the hearts – and purses – of the folk of the land.

Objective

During the game, players use their cards to perform songs and collect Fame. The game ends immediately when a player collects 15 Fame. That player wins the game.

Gameplay

Compose your song: Each song is made up of several composition cards. Play them to compose your song your way and unleash powerful magics and abilities.
Choose your path: With a 3 Action system, you decide how each of your turns plays out. With this fluid play style, not only is each game unique but each turn can be as well.

Card Types

There are four types of cards in the game: Songs, Composition, Equipment, and Instrument. There are different rules describing how each card type is played:

Song

Songs are the main method of scoring Fame. You may only play 1 song at a time. In order to complete a song, and score the fame from it you must play Composition cards up to it’s complexity level. Once you have met the complexity, first you resolve any effects of the song card and then collect Fame equal to the song’s complexity. Place the Song card in your completed songs zone for use with your instrument ability.

Composition

Composition cards are the cards that make up songs. In order to complete and score a song, you must play composition cards equal to the songs complexity rating onto a song. Many composition cards have card effects that will take effect immediately upon playing them.

Accompaniment

Accompaniment cards affect various aspects of the game in different ways. You may only have one (1) Accompaniment in play at a time; to play a new equipment card, you must discard your currently active Accompaniment.

Instrument

The instrument card is a special card that your deck will revolve around. Instruments determine what types of equipment and composition cards you can play. All cards must either match your instrument type or be of neutral type.

Example Turn

At the beginning of your first turn you will have six (6) cards and three (3) actions. Scoring Fame in Card Bard revolves around playing songs. For your first action you play a song from your hand, using one action. In this example you have played “A Rogues Jig” a Strings song of three (3) complexity, meaning in order to score it and earn three Fame you need to play three composition cards onto it.

Looking at your hand you are not satisfied with any of the play options available to you. For you second action you choose to draw from your deck, you have drawn “Pull Off” which when played on a song allows you to draw two cards. Now you play the “Pull Off” composition card, that you just drew, from your hand using your third action. Now at the end phase of your turn you must decide which of your seven cards in hand to discard to meet the maximum hand size requirement of six cards. You discard “Whammy;’ a card that disallows your opponent from scoring next turn, and refill your actions to their maximum of three for the next turn and end your turn.

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