Introduction

Stragedy is a card game built in universe to incentivize players to collect rare cards, battle the AI, and settle disputes without violence (except when you're caught cheating). This guide will teach you how to play.

The Scenario

You heard of stragedy: an ancient card game passed down from generation to generation. These magically imbued cards were forged by long forgotten techniques lost to the sands of time. You have inherited a deck from your great grandfather who has just recently passed away. Call the following from a do action: #basicdeck The Stragedy Basic Deck is added to your character's inventory. The symbols on the cards resemble what we recognize as normal playing cards however the suites are ignored because everyone has collectively forgotten what they mean. The basic deck contains A (ace), J (jack), Q (queen), K (king), and 2 sets of the following cards: , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

You go to a local card store where they buy and sell rare cards. As these are considered antique collectibles, they are priced accordingly: #cardshop

You can buy or sell as many of these cards as you like. You may even come across new cards in your adventures. However, you'll only be able to draw 20 of these cards randomly selected from your deck in any given game. You can see these cards in your inventory: #inventory

The card merchant is happy to play a game with anyone new to Stragedy. He will even give you a new card for free if you manage to defeat him. You decide to take him up on this deal. #playgame Upon your first turn, you are dealt 4 cards to your hand: 5, 7, 7, and 9.

The goal of the game is to get as close to 30 as possible without going over. You can play a single card onto the battlefield, discard a card, or retire to force the end of the game. You decide to play your 9 card. You just need to type the number of the card: 9 It is then your opponent's turn. With such a high number already on your side of the battlefield, he does not want to fall behind. He plays his 6 card.

Now the turn comes back to you. You're still slightly ahead and you want some more powerful cards in your hand. You decide to discard the 5 card. You need to type d and the number or letter of the card you are discarding: d5 The 5 is placed into your discard pile. You draw 2 new cards: a and 6 and . Cards represented by letters do not have a numerical value. Instead, they modify the value of cards or allow you to take special actions. Your strategy will soon come to fruition...

Your opponent is quite cunning though. He even has rare, magical cards you've never seen before. He plays his K card onto his 6. Apparently, the King doubles the value of that numbered card all across the battlefield. Even on your side! This brings his total to 12 versus your 9.

Nothing to worry about. You have a 6 and decide to play it to take the lead again. 6 That brings your total to 21. That is, 6 * 2 + 9.

Your opponent will not let this stand. He plays a 6, bringing his total to 24. Glancing at your cards, you decide to play a 7. 7 Your total is now 28. This is pretty dangerous because you're at risk of busting (going over 30). However, if you manage to maintain this score you may very well win the game!

His plan is revealed. He was setting you up! He now plays the q card on his 6. The queen removes the value of the card from the player and sends it to their opponent. You are now going to bust at a total of 40! Nevertheless, you have an ace up your sleeve (literally).

You must not end your turn on a bust, or else you automatically lose. That's why you play the a card on your 6. a6 The ace removes all of the numbered cards that share this number on the battlefield. They return to their respective owner's discard piles.

The opponent is desperate now. Since he has no cards, he can draw 1 card for free. That completes his turn. He obviously didn't expect you to play such a powerful card.

It is your turn once again. Let's make it our final turn. You're well ahead in points at 16 total and you don't think that your opponent can play any cards that can turn the tide to their favor. You decide to retire. r This puts all your cards from your hand and draw pile into your discard pile. You can not make any more turns.

After you retire, your opponent will always have one more turn to make a come back. He only has a lousy 2. Since he obviously can't beat your 16, you win! Congratulations! Add a new random card to your deck as a reward. #addcard

Now go out there and find a worthy opponent. Try new difficulties to match the skill of the person you meet! #playgame hard Good luck!

Cards

Numbered cards 2-10: These can be played directly to the battlefield to add points to your side.

A (Ace): Can be played onto any numbered card on your side of the battlefield. That card and any other cards on both sides of the battlefield that match that number are sent to the discard pile of their respective owners. Nicknamed the Assassin Card.

J (Jack): Can be played onto any numbered card on your side of the battlefield. That card and the Jack are removed and placed into the discard pile. The player then draws a random card from the discard pile and plays another turn. Well known as the best defensive card and the "Jack of all Trades".

Q (Queen): Can be played onto any numbered card on your side of the battlefield. That card's value is removed from your side and added to your opponent's total. This is great for unexpectedly busting your opponent and especially so if its combined with a King. The true power behind the throne.

K (King): Can be played onto any numbered card on your side of the battlefield. That card and any other cards on both sides of the battlefield that match that number are doubled. Multiple kings played on the same card number do not increase the multiplier. Kings have a commanding presence in battle.

? (Joker): Can be played onto any numbered card on your side of the battlefield. The Joker adds any number of points to that card to bring your total to 30. The number added is dynamic, adjusting automatically as other cards are played. You can no longer retire while this card is in play on your side of the battlefield. You can still bust if your base score exceeds 30 as the Joker only adds points, not subtracts. This extremely rare card is best utilized to defeat cocksure opponents who retire early. Nicknamed the Wild Card.

W (Witch): Is played directly to your discard pile. The opponent is forced to play a card directly from their hand onto the battlefield. If they cannot legally play the card, they must discard their entire hand. This is a great way to punish players who like to draw a lot of cards. Witches are known for making you do things against your better nature.

P (Priest): Can be played onto any numbered card on your side of the battlefield. The Priest prevents that card from allowing you to bust, subtracting up to the card's value from the total to reach a minimum of 30. Players say the Priest blesses the card its attached to. To calculate this yourself, add up the totals of all priest cards on your side and subtract that from your total if your total is over 30.

B (Brigand): Is played directly to your discard pile. Your opponent must discard 5 cards from their draw pile. This limits the cards they can draw and may force them to retire early.

Additional Thoughts

This card game was inspired by the mini games found in Knights of the Old Republic, Witcher 3, Super Mario RPG, and Fallout: New Vegas. I always find it intriguing when developers go the extra mile to make their games have such incredible depth.

You can stack multiple special cards onto a number. For instance, if you want to add a q to your k6, type the following: qk6 This is good for setting up your opponent for a bust. For example, a qk10 can mean they have to cancel up to 20 points in order to avoid a loss.

You can quit the game at any time by typing f to forfeit. This counts as a loss, however.

There are four main strategies for winning: forcing your opponent to bust, retiring early at a high total, forcing your opponent to retire at a low total, and tricking your opponent to retire early. Each of these have multiple successful counter strategies that can be employed. The best decks are diverse, allowing the player to surprise the opponent with a new strategy depending on what's already on the battlefield.

The quickest win I've seen is a k10 retire. In 6 turns, the opposing player must beat a score of 20. This is a risky strategy because the opposing player can just play a 10 to beat your score. Or they may simply have a joker on hand which was designed for this very purpose.

Generally, you do not want to get too close to 30 early in the game. This allows your enemy to set up for an easy bust. You can still counter a bust by holding onto jacks, aces, and queens for emergencies. This is a great way to trick your opponent into thinking they have the advantage.

The Brigand is a weak card for direct wins, however it excels at the game of attrition. A game going back and forth with Queens and Jacks can simply end when your opponent runs out of cards. It's also frustrating for them when you force them to discard cards essential to their carefully planned strategy.

The Witch is great at forcing your opponent to bust. This is also a counter to players who hold on to special cards to steal victory at the end. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing your opponent play an ace on a card that will not affect you at all.

You might think it's a good idea to stack your deck with a bunch of 10s, but a counter deck would simply play an a10 to erase all your gains. If you plan on playing aces, play duplicates of your opponents cards as soon as you get them.

You can play this game with a friend in real life using a standard deck of cards (minus the special cards like the witch). If you want to simulate the deck building aspect of the game, play with two decks and select which 20 cards you are going to play. A standalone version of this game playable online is in the works!