Generals and Majors (colour-enhanced version)

Created by C. Scott Davis

Generals and Majors is a combat card game for two players, which has been adapted for use with Kalosi cards.

The original version was designed for the five-suited (65-card) Stardeck (out of print)

The object of the game is to deploy at least 20 'armies' in excess of your opponent's.

Rules

There are two types of cards in Generals and Majors. The numbered cards (1-10) of each colour are 'armies' and the court cards (J,Q,K,A) are 'commanders'. The commander cards provide 'command points' for armies of the same colour. Aces provide three command points, and the other commanders (J,Q,K) provide two points. Command 'groups' of three or more cards the same colour provide an additional point.

Jokers (?) may be deployed as either commanders or armies, but once deployed their role is fixed and can not be changed.

At the start of play, each player is dealt seven cards, and the remaining cards are placed to one side as a 'draw' stack. If either player receives no commanders (J,Q,K,A), they may discard their hand and draw seven new cards.

The player who didn't deal, plays first.

Each player's turn proceeds, as follows:

1. Draw one card.
2. Optionally deploy one commander.
3. Optionally deploy any number of armies, up to the total number of command points available of the colour of the armies being deployed.
4. If player has more than seven cards, discard down to exactly seven cards.

A player may only deploy one commander per turn, but they are not required to do so.

Players may play any number of armies, of any colour, so long as the total numeric value of the armies of each colour are no higher than the number of command points available in that colour.

Jokers deployed as commanders provide 2 points in any combination of its two colours (2 points of either colour or 1 point of each colour). Jokers deployed as armies have a value equal to the highest valued army that player currently has in play, but can only be played if there are enough command points available of its colours.

The maximum possible command points in each colour is 10: three points for the Ace, two points for the J,Q, and K (total six) plus one command point for the group. An additional four points of each colour is possible, if both Jokers having that colour are deployed as commanders.

If an army is deployed so that values of one or more cards 'cancel out' (ie. have the same total value), those cards are turned face down. Thus, if a player deploys a 6, and the opponent has a 4 and a 2 deployed, all three cards are turned face down.

If at the end of their turn, one player's total deployed armies exceed their opponent's by 20 or more, the opponent has one turn to avoid defeat. If they are able to reduce the amount to under 20, play continues as normal. If not, the other player wins.

If the draw stack is depleted, the discard stack is shuffled and used as the draw stack, and play continues. If there are no more cards available, and no valid plays are possible, the player with the highest number of deployed armies wins. If both players have the same number of armies deployed, the game ends in a draw.

Optional Rules

Longer Games

• For a potentially longer game, discard 'cancelled armies' instead of turning them face down.

Go to Kalosi page.

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