MANITOU by Gunter Burkhardt Published by Goldsieber 1997 English translation by Richard Ingram Distributed from The Rules Bank by Mike Siggins The big challenge for 2 - 4 buffalo hunters aged 12 upwards. It is hunt time. Each player displays the hunters and great warriors of his tribe which make up his hunting party. With great warriors you can make your opponents' tribesmen prisoners, which also brings you points. Whoever plays his cards with the greatest skill over the three hunting periods, wins ˆˆˆ with the help of MANITOU Contents 4 sets of cards in four tribal colours (each set consisting of 22 cards). 7 Hide thief cards (marked -10) 15 Buffalo cards (with the values 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 10, 11, 12, 13 ). Preparations Each player chooses one of the four tribal colours and takes the appropriate card set made up of: 1 tribe card (which details the ranks and strengths of the great warriors) 11 hunters (with the strength point values of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) 10 great warriors (2 x each of the following: chief, medicine man, rain maker, scout and squaw) In this game the squaw is considered to be a great warrior, especially as women are their own great warriors of the working day. With less than four players, the remaining card sets should be returned to the box. The hide thief cards should be set out as a pile. The buffalo cards should be sorted, using the card backs, and each pile shuffled separately and set out as two face down piles. The oldest player becomes dealer in the first hunt. Hunt preparations 3 hunts will be played through. To begin each hunt, the dealer lays out buffalo cards face up in the middle of the table, spaced out but next to each other to form three hunting grounds. The number and type of card placed at each site should be in accordance with the number of players, as shown in the diagram in the German rules booklet, page 2. Each player then chooses 8 cards from his available hunters and great warriors with which he would like to take part in the hunt. IMPORTANT : THE DEALER PICKS OUT ONLY 7 CARDS. Remaining cards are kept in reserve for later hunts and should be placed under the tribe card. Which combinations of cards are best, you will discover during the game. For your first hunt, we suggest: two hunters with high values, two with low values, and four different great warriors. Course of the hunt Each player shuffles his chosen cards, lays them face down in front of him, and takes the top three cards to make his hand. The player to the left of the dealer starts, the others following in clockwise order. When it is your turn, you must lay one of the cards in your hand face up next to one of the hunting grounds. ( Each player lays his cards on his side of the hunting ground - see diagram in German rules page 3 ) He then draws another card from his selection to make his hand back up to three. (When there are no cards left to draw on, you will play out your hand). The next player will then do the same, laying his card on his side of the hunting grounds, and drawing a replacement card. If a player later plays a card to the same hunting ground as he has already played one, he should place it in such a way that the previously played cards are still visible. If great warriors belonging to different players are played on the same hunting ground, a trial of strength takes place, ( see below ). This will decide which great warrior is the victor and will take prisoners. It is allowed to lay one other great warrior card on top of one of your own already laid warrior cards. These two cards are attackable only via a sacrifice, ( see trial of strength ). More than two great warriors belonging to one player cannot however be placed on the one hunting ground. IMPORTANT: warriors and hunters belonging to a player can be placed at a hunting ground in any order. They retain their validity, whether they are on top in play or underneath other cards on display. As soon as each player has played 7 cards, a hunt is over. All players, ( except the dealer who has no cards left ), place their remaining card back in their reserve pile under their tribal card. Trial of strength ( 2 warriors at a hunting ground ) If a player lays a warrior card at a hunting ground at which there is already a warrior belonging to another player, then the stronger card beats the weaker. The defeated card is turned face down. The winning card remains face up. Each warrior card shows on the left side which cards this warrior can beat, and on the right side, by which cards this warrior will be beaten. The tribal card shows a summary of these results. For example, the Medicine Man will be defeated by chiefs and scouts, and will himself defeat the rain maker and squaw. IMPORTANT: At one hunting ground only the warriors of one player may lie face up. If a player lays the same warrior as another player at the same hunting ground, the cards cancel each other out. Both cards are considered defeated and are both turned over. If two warriors belonging to one player lay face up at the same hunting ground, they are attackable only via sacrifice. Sacrifice In order to attack two warriors of an opponent, a player must play one of his warriors which is stronger or as strong as the topmost warrior card, ( that laid last ), of the opponent. In this case, both cards, ( the defeated and the victor cards ), are turned over. Now the player himself or another player in a later turn, can try with another warrior to attack the remaining opponent's warrior - if the opponent in the meantime has not laid a second warrior again. Example: The rainmaker is protected by a chief. In order to get at the rainmaker, a player must sacrifice a squaw or one of his own chiefs which defeat the chief. Then the rainmaker can be attacked. The Reckoning As soon as each player has played 7 cards it will be established which tribe has been most successful. Hide thief cards. First it will be calculated which player has achieved the greatest strength with his hunter cards over all. This player takes a hide thief card ( worth -10 ) and lays it on a face down points pile near his tribal card. In the case of a tie, each player involved draws a hide thief card. Seizing buffalo. Each hunting ground will now be valued separately. The player who has assembled the hunters with the greatest strength points takes the buffalo card. If there are two buffalo cards, he takes the more valuable. The other card is taken by the player who has amassed the second highest strength points total. If only one player has hunters at a ground, he takes all buffalo cards present. Cards won are placed on your points pile. Hunters and warriors remain where they are for the time being. Ties If there is a tie for most points, no player takes a buffalo card - they will be put back in the box. If there is a tie for second most points, only the player with highest points takes one buffalo card. Other cards go back to the box. Also, if no hunters at all have been played at a hunting ground, all buffalo cards belonging to that ground should be returned to the box. Taking prisoners The player who has one or two warriors laid face up at a hunting ground takes all hunters and face down warriors which lie at this hunting ground. His own cards should be placed on his reserve pile and can be used again later. Each card belonging to an opponent is a prisoner and is worth one point at the end of the game. Captured hunters and warriors should be laid on your points pile. If no warriors lay face up at a hunting ground at the end of a hunt, each player takes his own cards back and returns them to his reserve pile. Overview The aim is to have hunters at a hunting ground with the highest strength points. But you must avoid having the greatest points total overall as you will collect the hide thief card. Remember too that you can only take prisoners with warriors. Example of a reckoning ( see German rules booklet page 6 ) After the hide thief card has been awarded to the player with the most hunting points, each hunting ground will be scored. At this hunting ground, yellow has the majority ( 9+2=11 ). He takes the buffalo card worth 12. Green is in second place ( 10 points + 1 defeated warrior ) and takes the buffalo card worth 5. Blue has only 5+4=9 points and goes empty handed. Red has a warrior card ( a chief ) lying face up and takes all his opponents'cards as well as his own. New hunt, new fortune After all hunting grounds have been scored, a new hunt begins. The player to the left of the dealer is the new dealer and lays out the buffalo cards, ( see hunt preparations ). Each player again selects 8 cards, ( dealer takes 7 ). The player to the left of the new dealer starts and the game proceeds as described. End of the game As soon as the third hunt has finished, each player counts the points in the pile near his tribal card. Each buffalo card is worth its face value. Each prisoner is worth 1 point. Each hide thief card is worth -10 points Whoever has the most points wins.