Primal Pileup

TBD

Designer(s): pseudonam Match Type: DM (for 2 players)
Featured in: The Genius: Crosshairs

Death Match 1: Primal Pileup


Setup

  • Each player has 30 cards, one for each combination of type (fire/water/grass) and number (1-10).
  • This game is played across 9 rounds. Cards are not replenished between rounds.
  • In each round, the person who won the previous round goes first, then players will alternate turns until the round ends.
  • The DMO decides who goes first in Round 1.
  • There is a final (9th) round, but it isn't played out. Both players will dump all their remaining cards into their zone and a winner will be automatically determined.

Gameplay

On a player's turn, they may either:

1) play any number of cards from their inventory into their zone. The cards' element(s) will be revealed to the other player, but not the number.

2) pass their turn. This skips their turn, and immediately ends the current round following their opponent's next turn.


Following each player's turn, players will learn who would have won the round, had it ended there. Card removals will be factored into results (discussed later).


Then, the next player will make a move for the round.


Zones are cleared between rounds. I will also post player inventories at the start of each round.


Results

When a round ends, all card values are revealed. A card is removed from play if your opponent has played a card of superior element with a larger or equal value. (For instance, a Fire 5 would remove Grass 5, Grass 4, and so on -- even if all of them were played in the same round!) This happens simultaneously.


The player with a larger sum of non-removed cards in their zone wins the round. If there is a tie, the player who went first wins the round.


Whoever wins 5 rounds wins the DM.


Timing

Players have 60 seconds to make a move on their turn. Players have 5 minutes of reserve time which they will automatically use upon running out of time. If a player runs out of move time and reserve time, they will automatically do nothing.


Example

At the start of the round, player inventories look like this:


Sensei's Inventory

🔥: 1, 2, 4, 5, 10

💧: 6, 7, 8

🍃: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10


Herbert's Inventory

🔥: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

💧: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

🍃: 2, 7, 10


Sensei, who won the last round, moves first. As a result, Sensei also wins tiebreakers by default.

Sensei plays a💧6 and a 🍃7. So, Sensei is leading (13-0). Turn results look like this (with the winning player bolded).


Sensei:💧🍃

Herbert:


Herbert plays a 🔥1 and a 🔥7 in response. Herbert is leading 6-7, since Sensei's 🍃7 and Herbert's 🔥1 are cancelled.


Sensei:💧🍃

Herbert: 🔥🔥


Sensei decides to pass his turn. No matter what Herbert does, the round will end following his turn.


Sensei:💧🍃

Herbert: 🔥🔥


Herbert plays 🍃7.


Sensei:💧🍃

Herbert: 🔥🔥, 🍃


And the round results are finally revealed.


Sensei:💧6🍃7

Herbert: 🔥1🔥7, 🍃7


Herbert's 🍃7 removes Sensei's 💧6,

Herbert's 🔥7 removes Sensei's 🍃 7.

Sensei's 💧6 removes Herbert's 🔥1.


Sensei:

Herbert: 🔥7 🍃7


The round ends 0-14 in Herbert's favor, so he wins the round.

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