Spell Slinging Cowboys

You are a lone-star spell slinger, a conjuring cowboy, a wild-west wizard! You also love playing cards and
gambling, but above all, you love winning. But so does your opponent, and tempers flare as quick as the fiery
projectiles you shoot from your finger pistols. Who was cheating? Probably both of you, but that doesn’t
matter now. Last one standing will be the real winner.

Spell Slinging Cowboys is a 2-player duelling game between two magical cowboys. You all have the ability to
shoot magic projectiles from your main hand, while your other is used to power your abilities, which you get
from the same playing cards you were gambling with just moments before.

Components:
2x Decks of Italian Standard playing cards (40 card decks - A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, J, Q, K, in four suits)
-------------------------------------- Or --------------------------------------
2x Standard French decks with the 8's, 9's, and 10's removed.
*Both decks must have the same backs*

2x Reference cards for abilities (see last page of rules)

2x 6-sided dice, 6 poker chips each, or any other thing that can count to 6 to track your life total. You can
even use 6 cards each from the unused cards to track it, losing one each time.

What is the Aim:

The aim of the game is to reduce your opponent’s life points to 0. The first player to do this wins.

Setup:
1. Take all the J, Q, K, and A from one deck and remove them from teh game.
2. Take all the J, Q, K, A, and a single joker from the other deck. Split this deck into 2 piles and shuffle
the joker into one of them. Put the “joker” pile face down, then the second pile on top of it. This is
the market deck.
3. Put 5 cards from the market deck face up between both players.
4. Divide the remaining cards between both players, giving three copies of each card to each player.
5. Set each player's life total to 6.
6. Each player shuffles their deck and then draws 5 cards.

How Does it Play:

1. At the beginning of each player's turn, both players will draw back up to a 5-card hand.
2. The active player may then do any of the following actions, in any order:
a. Make a single attack (once per turn)
b. Purchase a new card from the market by exiling 2 cards from hand. The purchased card is
placed in that player's discard pile. (once per turn)
3. Once the active player passes, play moves to the next player.

Card Abilities may be played at any time, on either player turn. They are instantaneous and take effect
immediately. If a card is activated for its ability, it is exiled afterwards, or when stated.
Attacking:
Players may, if they choose to on their turn, make one attack.
1. The attacking player selects and places face down on the table, any number of cards from their hand
to form their "attack hand", declaring to their opponent how many cards they are playing.
2. The opponent may then choose any number of cards to play as their “defence hand”.
3. Players then reveal their attack and defence hands. If the attacker has the winning hand, then they
deal 1 damage to the defender, otherwise the defender has successfully countered the attack and no
damage is dealt. If it results in a tie, then both players take 1 damage.
4. If the Joker has been revealed, then the losing hand takes 1 damage, regardless of attack or defence.
5. All cards used to attack and defend are then discarded to the respective players discard piles.

Hand Ranking:
The strength of a hand is determined in the following order, from strongest to weakest:
Rank Name Description
0 (strong) No of Cards A higher number of scoring cards will always win. (eg 4 vs 3).
1 Full House A pair and three-of-a-kind
2 X-of-a-Kind Two, three, or four of the same number.
3 Two Pairs Two pairs.
4 Straight Minimum 3 cards.
5 Pair two cards of the same kind
6 (weak) Highest Card A single card.

Extra Rules & Clarifications:

● Once the Joker is revealed the winner of every hand deals one damage to the other player. This
includes a successful defense.
o EG: if a player successfully defends against an attack, the attacker will take one damage.
o The joker has no ability and cannot be purchased. It remains in the market until the end of
the game.

● A higher number of scoring cards will always beat a lower number (i.e.: a straight of 4 will beat
3-of-a-kind). Cards used to bluff do not count towards the number of cards.
● If the hands are equal rank, then the player with the highest card number wins
o I.e.: If player 1 plays 4, 5, 6, and 7, and player two plays 5, 6, 7, J, then player two wins with
the higher card.
● You may only pick ONE rank to play. You cannot play, for example, a straight of 3 and a pair.
● You may bluff with extra cards (i.e.: a hand could contain three 7's and a 4. The hand will only count
as three 7's once revealed however).
● Aces can count as either a 1 or 11, but straights do not wrap around from 11 back to 1.
● Altering a 3 or a 2 by -2 can make it into an Ace.
● In the event of a tie during attack (both players play equal rank, and equal highest card), both players
take 1 damage as your magic projectiles collide with equal force creating a small explosion.
● In the event of a tie for Topdecks, the defender always wins.
● You can never gain life points greater than your starting total.
● The suits have no value.
● Topdecks count as drawing a card. If a player cannot draw a card, they lose 1 life point as usual.
Player Aids

# Title Effect Topdeck – Both players draw

2 Supplies Exile two 2’s to gain 1 life point, or three 2’s to gain 2. and reveal the top card from
their draw deck. The highest
3 Reload Discard 3 cards and draw 3 new cards. card wins. Ties go to the player
Topdeck against your opponent. If you win, ignore the who initiated the Topdeck. Both
4 Shield cards are discarded after.
next wound you receive this turn.

5 Throw Dirt Alter the value of another card anywhere by ±2. Exile – remove the card from
the game.
Randomly choose and discard 1 card from any hand
6 Trip Up
(main, attack, or defence hands) Card Hand Rankings
If your opponent would take 1 damage, they take 2 1. Number of Cards – eg:
7 Lucky Shot Straight of 4 beats 3 of a
instead.
kind, etc.
This card may change its value to any other value. It
J Tool Kit 2. Full House - A pair and
gains no new abilities.
three of a kind
Negate the effect of an opponent’s card or cancel 3. X-of-a-Kind – multiples of
Q Brawl combat. The card is still exiled, and combat cards are the same card
still discarded. 4. Two Pairs – two pairs
K Potion Return 1 card from your exile pile to your hand. 5. Straight – sequential order
of cards, minimum 3 cards
Draw 2 cards and gain an extra attack (if your turn) or 6. A Pair
A 2nd Wind
discard all cards in hand and draw 6 cards. 7. Highest Card

# Title Effect Topdeck – Both players draw

2 Supplies Exile two 2’s to gain 1 life point, or three 2’s to gain 2. and reveal the top card from
their draw deck. The highest
3 Reload Discard 3 cards and draw 3 new cards. card wins. Ties go to the player
Topdeck against your opponent. If you win, ignore the who initiated the Topdeck. Both
4 Shield cards are discarded after.
next wound you receive this turn.

5 Throw Dirt Alter the value of another card anywhere by ±2. Exile – remove the card from
the game.
Randomly choose and discard 1 card from any hand
6 Trip Up
(main, attack, or defence hands) Card Hand Rankings
If your opponent would take 1 damage, they take 2 1. Number of Cards – eg:
7 Lucky Shot Straight of 4 beats 3 of a
instead.
kind, etc.
This card may change its value to any other value. It
J Tool Kit 2. Full House - A pair and
gains no new abilities.
three of a kind
Negate the effect of an opponent’s card or cancel 3. X-of-a-Kind – multiples of
Q Brawl combat. The card is still exiled, and combat cards are the same card
still discarded. 4. Two Pairs – two pairs
K Potion Return 1 card from your exile pile to your hand. 5. Straight – sequential order
of cards, minimum 3 cards
Draw 2 cards and gain an extra attack (if your turn) or 6. A Pair
A 2nd Wind
discard all cards in hand and draw 6 cards. 7. Highest Card