Rules of Thermal Showdown

Setting up a new game

  • Each player shuffle their decks, and draw 7 cards from the deck into their hands
  • After drawing, each player tell if they prefer to go first or second.
    If there is no agreement, it is decided randomly who goes first, f.x. by coin flip.
  • The player going first pick 3 cards to keep and discard the rest
  • Then the second player pick 4 cards to keep and discard the rest
  • Both players place the rest of their deck as their main pile

Every round the active player may

  • First
    • Add one control counter
    • Reset all control counters
    • Make all robots ready
    • Draw one card from his main pile
  • Then
    • Play a number of cards from his hand (limited by his available energy)
      • Robots are placed resting (turned sideways) on the table
      • Robots stay on the table until defeated
      • Trick cards are used once or attached to a robot
    • Attack with a number of ready robots (not resting)
      • the robots are resting after attacking
    • Activate a number of ready robots that have “activate to…”
      • the robots are resting after activating
  • Finally
    • End the round and begin the round of the next player

Note that inside the “first” and “then” block, the player can do the actions in any order, like activating a robot before playing a card.

In combat

  • Attacking robots may target any robot
  • Players may only be targeted if no defending robots are active and none have “blocking”
  • When a robot is targeted, attacker and defender apply their heat = Power (P) to each other.
  • If a robot takes at least the same heat in one round as its capacity of heat (C), a 1K temperature increase counter is placed on the robot.
    • This heat may be taken from several attacks and activated abilities in the same round
  • When a robot has at least the same amount of temperature increase counters as its critical temperature increase (ΔT), it is defeated.
  • If a player takes heat, he adds heat counters. When the player reach 20 kJ of heat counters, he is defeated.
  • When a battle card is defeated, it is placed in its player’s discard pile along with any attached trick cards.
  • These rules are modified by card special abilities

Multiattack – When two or more robots attack the same defending robot

  • The defending robot receive damage from all attackers
  • The defending robot apply its heat to a single attacker
  • The defending player choose which attacker takes damage

Details of the game

  • When a player has used up his main pile of cards, he shuffles his discard pile and use it as his main pile.
  • Robot cards that has attacked or activated are turned sideways to indicate that they are resting.
  • Counters (fx. coins) or dice are used to keep track of available energy, player heat and robots with counters (temperature increase, mass).
  • Trick cards go to the discard pile after use – unless they attach to a robot.

Making decks

  • Only one copy of a card can be used in a deck for every 10 cards in the deck.
    • Exception: Cards with mass production special ability.
  • Players should play with decks of approximately the same size, usually about 45.
  • The rules for making decks can be ignored if all players agree

Return to the main page of Thermal Showdown: Thermal Showdown info