Super Smashterpiece by AEG!
This game has you smash (shuffle) together two uniquely themed decks into one synergistic system of minion & action cards that go to war over bases to earn enough Victory Points for the win.
Smash Up brings classic characters of Saturday morning cartoons, movies, & fantasy fiction into one fantastically funky universe. It’s like watching a Batman/Superman crossover episode. If you’ve played Marvel vs. Capcom, it’s kind of like that.
Here’s the Pay-off: Synergistic Satisfaction
The way to win is by creating a synergistic system of dropping power between your 2 shuffled up factions. It’s like Mel Gibson meeting Danny Glover. There can be a little tension at 1st with your pairing, but by the end you’ll be taking down drug cartels &/or Jet Li.
How to play:
Select 2 factions
This can be done randomly, by draft, or debated.
After selections are made, players shuffle both 20 card decks into one 40 card deck to create their combo of Zombie/Ninjas, Robot/Dinosaurs, Alien/Pirates, etc. Then each player draws 5 cards for their starting hand.
Next, reveal the base cards totaling the # of players +1.
Each base has a power level that must be met or exceeded by the total power of all minions played there to crack it. Once cracked, the base awards Victory Points to the players with minions played there according to each players’ combined minion power.
Select who goes 1st by row, sham, bow. Then begin.
Player turn: (Basically)
Play Cards: (1 Minion & 1 Action) or don’t
You can play 1 minion (activating abilities) & 1 action (activating abilities) in any order to maximize effect. Some abilities allow you to play extra cards, so your turn can stack actions & minions if played right.
Score Bases: After all cards are played on your turn, check if the total minion power at any base would crack it. If so, award VP. All cards played at that base go to their owners’ discard piles unless an ability states otherwise.
Draw 2 cards: This ends your turn
Alternating turns, bases will crack when filled with minions. Action cards will be played on minions &/or bases to change their power. After a base is scored, players collect VP tokens & all cards played at that base are placed in their owner’s discard pile. The cracked base is place in the base discard pile & a new one is revealed.
If players tie in total power when a base cracks, all involved players are awarded VP for the position they tied for.
Minion Powers:
Ongoing: Ability is active for as long as the card is in play.
Talent: These abilities can be activated once during its owner’s turn.
Special: These cards can be played when their conditions are met, often as an extra play even during other players’ turns.
If a minion doesn’t have these types of abilities, its ability is activated when it’s played.
As you play, you will start to discover each faction’s unique abilities. Pirates can jump from base to base, like moving from port to port. Ninjas are sneaky assassins that can use special abilities to slip in after a base cracks to change the score. Zombies don’t stay dead, as their minions can be played straight from the discard pile.
With the original base set of 8 factions, dozens of combinations of factions can be smashed together. Including the expansions of close to 100 different factions, we are now looking at thousands of potential match-ups.
Bases:
Each faction has 2 (home) bases that usually has an abilities that favors that faction’s style. The bases are selected at random, so there can be a variety of bases from all the factions of Smash Up to choose from. Another option of base choice is to only include the bases that match the factions in play to select from.
How to Win!: 1st to 15 VP
When the total combined power by all minions & actions play at these bases meets or exceeds the breakpoint, collect VP in the order you place. Battle for top spots enough times to earn 15 VP & win the game. If tied, go overtime.
Victory Points are usually closely contested. Often the game will end with the winner just 1 VP ahead, when the defeated only a move behind.
Beware: It gets messy
The longer the game goes on, the more minions & actions collect on the bases. Remembering to keep track of all the abilities combined becomes a test of mental stamina. Find a way to finesse your way through all the clutter of cards to finish 1st when the bases are cracked is how you win this game.