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PLAYING THE "KingMaker" CARD GAME
- The card game of the ROYAL STING! -
CARDS IN PLAY
ILLUSTRATION ~ RACE #3
"The COALITION and the KING MAKER"
The previous two Race illustrations #1 & #2 introduced play action concepts in three of the four "strategic play fields": The CANDIDATE field, the BAND WAGON field, and the CHALLENGER field. This illustration introduces play action concepts in the fourth strategic play field: the COALITION field.
The first Suit card played in the COALITION field during the Primary starts the COALITION faction. Since the highest suit card in the Coalition faction is always designated "King Maker" the first suit card played in the Coalition is the first King Maker. Thereafter when a following "Primary" Coalition player plays a higher card than the current KM it becomes the new KM, etc. etc.. After the end of the Primary and immediately before the Play Off matches begin the King Maker is granted the option of making an additional "King Maker POWER Play". The KM function will be shown and described below in this illustration.
| OPENING CARD OF EACH PLAYER IN THIS PRIMARY |
| PLAYER | CANDIDATE
field | BAND WAGON
field | CHALLENGER
field | COALITION
field |
| AL | 15 | - | - | - |
| BILL | - | - | 10 | - |
| CARL | - | - | - |
3 |
| DAN | - | - | - |
5 |
| EVE | - | - | - |
10 |
The Game Board Strategic Play Areas and Senarios
Scenario
The "PRIMARY"
The KING MAKER and the COALITION
| The exhibit game board below shows that after AL made the "Candidate" play in center board none of the other players made a play in the "Band Wagon" field.
(The KM is identified on the "actual" game board during play by placing the King Maker game piece "pawn" on the first KM card and thereafter moving it to each new KM)
PLAY ACTION IN THIS PRIMARY:
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AL plays a blue 15 in the Candidate field.
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BILL plays a black 10 in his Challenger field.
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CARL plays a red 3 in his Coaliton field.
CARLS' red 3 is now the first King Maker of the Coalition faction
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DAN plays a blue 5 in his Coalition field.
KM status now moves to DANS' blue 5
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EVE plays a black 10 in her Coalition field.
KM status now moves to EVES' black 10
EVE is the last player in the "Primary" sequence of play and therefore the "primary" ended with her play. When there is a KM on the board after the "Primary" ends the KM player must announce whether he will make a "King Maker Power Play" or decline the opportunity and "pass". In this illustration the KM EVE declares she will pass, rather than make a KM Power Play. There being at least one "Challenger" on the board the "PLAY OFF" match-play contests will begin.
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COALITION
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BILL |
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CARL |
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CHALLENGER
FIELD |
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3 |
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BANDWAGON
FIELD |
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10
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CANDIDATE
FIELD |
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AL |
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15 |
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DAN |
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10KM |
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EVE |
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Scenario
The "PLAY OFF" begins
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There being only one Challenger on the game board there will be only one match play contest, the CHALLENGER - BOB (TPV 10) VS CANDIDATE - AL (TPV 15). BOB having the lower TPV must make the first play.
MATCH PLAY ACTION:
- CHALLENGER BOB overlays a black 10 on his original black 10 giving him a TPV of 20
- CANDIDATE AL retaliates by playing a blue 10 over his previous blue 15 giving him a TPV of 25
- CHALLENGER BOB CONCEDES
- The KM/COALITION (TPV 18) remains passive.
AL WINS THE RACE
(See exhibit below)
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COALITION
FIELD |
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BILL |
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CARL |
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CHALLENGER
FIELD |
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3 |
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BANDWAGON
FIELD |
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10+10
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CANDIDATE
FIELD |
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AL |
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15+10 |
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DAN |
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10KM |
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EVE |
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The expample Race above showed you that the first suit card played in the Coalition field becomes the first designated KM, and that when a higher card than the current KM is played in the Coalition it becomes the new KM. In the Race example above the KM EVE "passed" on her entitlement to make the "King Maker Power Play", and the Candidate AL eventually went on to win the Race. Note that during the Race three seperate factions developed - the Candidate faction, one Challenger faction, and the Coalition faction. The best any faction can do in a Race is to win the Race. However, players joining the Band Wagon or the Coalition will have at least a chance probability to garner some lesser advantage and/or scoring asset if their faction wins the Race.
We shall make use of the same example Race above to demonstrate how the KM can take advantage of his privelege to make a "King Maker Power Play" (there are times when the KM either does not have a proper card in hand to make the play or he may decline to make the play for some other "strategic" reason). In the illustration below KM EVE will not "pass" on the opportunity to make a KM Power Play, instead she will declare to the other players that she is going to make the KM Power Play.
The Guidelines
In this illustration we will dwell on what plays a KM can make and their effect. In the Coalition the KM and other Coalition players can win assets and/or other advantages as a result of the KM Power Play, but for now let's just see what kind of plays a KM can make. Also in this illustration the KM will play some Action cards (recall that POWER cards generally add to TPV, ATTACK cards generally subtract from TPV).
TO MAKE THE KING MAKER POWER PLAY THE KM MAY:
- Play any one SUIT or POWER card (but not the Blitz card) to overlay the KM card and increase the value of the KM / COALITION faction.
- Play any one POWER or ATTACK card (but not the Blitz card) to overlay either the CANDIDATE card (faction) or any CHALLENGER faction.
- Play either or both of the above, but only one card in each instance.
Scenario
The "PRIMARY"
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The game board shown below duplicates the Primary board shown above. In this scenario, as in that above, the last card played in the Primary is EVE'S black 10 and it is the KM. In the previous Primary KM EVE "passed" on the opportunity to make a KM Power Play. In the Play Off Campaign that followed AL (the Candidate) won the Race.
In the scenario below, EVE the KM will not "pass" on the opportunity to make the Power Play. She declares to the other players that she will make a Power Play.
KING MAKER EVE MAKES HER POWER PLAY:
- On the game board EVE overlays Candiate AL'S blue 15 with a -5 Action ATTACK card. AL's TPV is reduced from 15 to 10.
- EVE follows on with an additional play overlaying BILL'S black 10 Challenger card with a +20 Action POWER card. BILL'S Challenger TPV increases from +10 to +30.
See the game board exhibit below reflecting the play of the two KM Power Play cards.
The KM having completed the KM POWER PLAY, game action continues on to the PLAY OFF matches. For expedience here let's assume that in this "match play" AL Concedes and BOB Wins the Race.
But why did EVE decide to make the KM Power Play? What did she gain? First, she accumlated more assets to record on her game triangle scoring zone on the game board for simply making a KM POWER PLAY (which you will see later). Second, she may also have wanted BOB to win rather than AL, seeing that AL has more assets showing on his score board and is closer to a final "game concluding" win than all the other players. This play denies AL a win that would have advanced him even further toward a game concluding win. In that hypothetical case she "killed two birds with one stone".
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COALITION
FIELD |
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BILL |
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CARL |
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CHALLENGER
FIELD |
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3 |
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BANDWAGON
FIELD |
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10+20 |
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CANDIDATE
FIELD |
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AL |
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15~5 |
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| 5 |
DAN |
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10KM |
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EVE |
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For the Race example below we start a new PRIMARY, as distinguished from those above.
Scenario
The "PRIMARY"
| In this illustration you will see how the KM/COALITION can win a Race (also you will see the play of a "wild"card).
The PRIMARY sequence of play action.
- AL plays a blue 15 in the Candidate field
(CANDIDATE TPV = 15)
- BILL plays a black 1 in his Coalition field
The KM pawn is placed on BILL'S black 1
(KM/COALITION TPV = 1)
- CARL plays a red 25 in his Coalitiion field
The KM pawn is moved to CARL'S red 25
(KM/COALITION TPV = 1 + 25 = 26)
- DAN plays a blue 25 in his Challenger field
(DAN'S CHALLENGER TPV = 25)
- EVE plays a green 4 in the Band Wagon field
Note that the Candidate card is blue, but green cards are wild and can be used with any other color
(The CANDIDATES TPV IS NOW 15 + 3 = 18)
EVE having made the last play in the Primary, KM CARL declares that he will make the KM Power Play:
KM CARL overlays a black 50 on his red 25 (Coalitions are "Rainbow" Coalitions and will accept any color or "mix of colors").
(The KM/COALITION'S TPV IS NOW 1+25+50 = 76)
The KM having made the KM Power Play, the Play Off Campaign matches begin.
In this scenario we have only one Challenger, so there will be only one match, the Challenger vs the Candidate.
The match play action:
STARTING MATCH PLAY TPV STATUS:
CANDIDATE AL'S faction(TPV 18)
CHALLENGER DAN'S faction (TPV 25)
(CANDIDATE AL MUST MAKE THE FIRST PLAY)
AL'S PLAY = CONCEDES TO DAN
Because AL conceded to DAN in the last match contest of the Play Off, DAN can make no more plays. His TPV remains at 25. Contenders in match play contests should always be aware of the KM/COALITION TPV. In this scenario the KM/COALITION with a TPV of 76 wins the Race. Review the guideline below to see why.
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The Guidelines
- The winner of the concluding "CANDIDATE VS CHALLENGER" match play contest in the Play Off Campaign, may yet not be deemed the ultimate winner of the Race if his TPV does not exceed the TPV of the KM/COALITION faction.
- When there is a KM/COALITION faction opposing the CANDIDATE faction, but no Challengers on the game board, and the COALITION TPV is greater than the CANDIDATE TPV,the Candidate is entitled to a "right of last play".
COALITION
FIELD |
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BILL |
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CARL |
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CHALLENGER
FIELD |
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1 |
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25KM+50 |
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BANDWAGON
FIELD |
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CANDIDATE
FIELD |
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AL |
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15 |
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3 |
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25
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DAN |
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EVE |
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You are on the ILLUSTRATION #3 page of KingMaker "CARDS IN PLAY"
The "KING MAKER and the COALITION"
Click a link below for more on the game
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©2002 American Gift Bazaar - all features, text, and material - all rights reserved
© Campaign Politiks 1988 T. J. Testa
© KingMaker 2002 T. J. Testa