Junkyard Frankenstein

Games and simulations

A two player card game where each player builds automatons and uses them to attack the other player.

Each player will need three identical decks of poker cards, card protectors are optional.

Decks are constructed as follows : 10 aces (which count as one), 9 twos, 8 threes, 7 fours, 6 fives, 5 sixes, 4 sevens, 3 eights, 2 nines, 1 ten, 1 king ( suit of your choice), and 1 jack or queen (rank and suit of your choice).
Each player begins with 25 health points.

At start of game, each player shuffles their deck, hereafter referred to as the junk heap, and draws 12 cards. Player then places any cards from ace to ten face up onto playing table immediately in front of them. This will be hereafter referred to as the assembly area. A player may keep up to two cards in their hand at all times. Each player may then begin to assemble automatons from cards in their assembly area. They are constructed in 4 ways.

Automatons are constructed as follows: 1) One card of one number and three of another. Power of automaton is equal to the value of the one card. Toughness of automaton is equal to the combined values of the three cards. 2) Two cards of number and two of another. Power of automaton is equal to the combined values of the two lower cards. Toughness of automaton is equal to the combined values of the two highest cards. 3) A series of at least three cards beginning with one. Power and toughness of automaton are both equal to the combined values of all the cards. 4) Four ones. Power and toughness of automaton are both equal to 1. This automaton cannot be blocked.

Turns progress as follows: Player whose turn it is moves any attacking automatons from the last turn into defensive position (that is, they are moved from the forward right to the forward left). That player then draws 3 cards and places cards with values from 1 to 10 in the assembly area. Automatons may be assembled now or at any time. That player may then attack with any of their automatons by moving them to attack area. Attack area is just beyond the assembly area and to the right. Defense area is just beyond assembly area and to the left.

Attack and defense are performed as follows: Automatons that are assigned to block can only block one attacking automaton. Multiple automatons may be assigned to block one attacking automaton. If multiple automatons are chosen to block then attacking automaton’s controller may decide how to assign damage to defenders. Unblocked automatons deal damage equal to their power directly to defending player.

Tear downs are deployed as follows: The greater tear down (the king) destroys any one of opponent’s automatons. When deployed, the controller of greater tear down must choose and destroy one of their own automatons. The lesser tear down (the queen or jack) destroys any one of opponent’s automatons. When deployed, the controller of lesser tear down must destroy their own most powerful automaton. If more than one automaton is of the greatest power (equally powered) then controller chooses either one.

Cards may not be added to completed automatons to increase their power or toughness. Once built, an automaton cannot be altered.

Deployed tear downs and destroyed automatons are placed on the bottom of the junk heap (infinite recursion is automatically built in).