Instructions on Scarab

HOW to PLAY Scarab is a relatively simple game to play. Each player starts out with a deck of cards.

remove the scarab and the guardian and place them in front of you. The scarab will have an effect over your tableau. This is permanent.
Next deal out the cards in 4 column of 4 cards each, face up. This is your tableau.
from each column remove the Charms and Cantrips, if a column should be depleted in this way, then deal four new cards to the column, and repeat the process until you have 4 columns of at least one card in each column.
reshuffle your deck and draw five cards to your hand, now you're ready to play.

Now it is the first person's turn. Each turn goes as follows.

The players whose turn it is may one creature card into a column. A column can hold no more than 4 cards. Or the player can cast a charm or cantrip that is a Minute Play or a Second Play. His opponent may cast an Hour Play at this time.
A player may only play one creature card per turn.
After that phase, the player may attack. Attack goes as follows.
Only the top most card in each column may attack.
Player assigns which cards attack which of the four topmost cards in the opponents columns. Each card only gets one attack unless otherwise stated. Each card may attack seperate cards, or they may all attack the same card.
Once all the attacks are out of the way it moves to the next phase.
The next phase is another Charm and Cantrip phase. If the player did not play a creature card during the first phase, he or she may do so at this time.
Once all the cards are played it is the other persons turn. They follow the same procedures.
At the beginning or each player's turn they bring the total number of cards in their hand up to 5.

    The game follows this procedure until a player can no longer fill up a depleted column. Once a column is depleted the guardian moves to the front of that column. It can be attacked, and it can attack. If a second column is depleted, the guardian is at the front of both of them. In essence to reach the scarab a player must go through the guardian.
    The time may arrive that a player steals the use of another players card during the course of a game. When this happens that card is placed in a vestigial column. It is not a part of the tableau. If it is destroyed, it does not mean that the guardian moves up or that the opponent can attack the scarab through that column. The column is simply gone.
    Once a player goes through the opponent's guardian, he must defeat the scarab. Once he has defeated the scarab, he has won the game.

Combat may or may not be confusing.

The attacking card rolls its attack. If with its bonuses manages to reach the appropriate percentage on the percentage dice, the card has successfully attacked.
The target then gets a chance to parry or dodge, if it has the ability to do so.
The target rolls his parry or dodge roll and succeeds if with bonuses percentage is made.
If the target succeeds it follows this: A successful dodge means no damage.
A successful parry the target only suffers half damage rounded up. In return, the target rolls damage and the attacker takes half that rounded down. A target may get multiple dodges or parries per turn.

This may or may not explain in full how to play the game but I look at it like this. If you don't like to play it this way or with this many column or with that many number of card in a column... you'll change it. You'll make the game more fun for you, and a game is supposed to be fun, so enjoy it however you play it. Although it is my game, it is your game also. Drop me some Email