Jyhad Solitaire (Card Game)

These rules will probably not make sense unless you are already familiar with the rules for Jyhad the Card Game by Wizards of the Coast and White Wolf.

Setup:

30 counters (15 each Methuselah). Recommendation: 2 - 5 extra for "bank" counters.
Edge
Vampire Deck ("Crypt") -- 24 max. Recommendation: an even number of each blood capacity level chosen for play.
Library Deck ("Resources") -- 50 max, No Strictly Political Cards (very important!). Recommendation: an even number of each type (Master and Action Type -- such as action, reaction, minion/retainer, combat, equipment) chosen for play. Also, make sure the library cards with disciplines or clan requirements can be used with the vampires chosen for play.


Basic Rules:

* You may never control more than 4 vampires at one time. You may burn as many of your vampires as you wish in turn phase 1c. All equipment/retainers/allies from burned vampires are placed at the bottom of the Resource Deck, all blood capacity remaining on burned vampire is placed in the bank.

* Taking control of vampires from the Master phase does not tap them. Taking control of vampires from the Influence phase DOES tap them.

* You may only ever have one Resource card and one Crypt card "cached" (set aside for your use or nonuse from their respective decks).

* You may use a "cached" card at any time ordinarily permitted in the game.

* Equipping a vampire does not tap it. You may equip tapped vampires.

* There is no voting in this version of Solitaire Jyhad.

* If either Methuselah is successfully bled at 0 pool, that one loses the game.

* If you are not actively playing the Mystery Methuselah (yes, you can play both sides "the play is the thing"), he will ALWAYS act if he can, with caveats as follows:
. He will not reduce his pool through "buying" vampires, equipment, &c. to 1. In other words, if buying equipment or taking control of a vampire would reduce his pool to 1, he won't do it.
. He will always take action with the vampire that is oldest (highest blood capacity) or has the highest bleed, in that order.
. He will always block with the vampire who would survive damage incurred and that has either the lowest bleed or is the youngest, in that order. If none of the vampires would survive damage incurred, he will block with the vampire who has the lowest bleed or is the youngest.
. He will always tap more than one vampire to take advantage of a modified action card, tapping the lowest bleed vampire that can initiate the action, then the highest bleed vampire that can take advantage of the modified action.
. He will always burn vampires that will be required to hunt during their minion phase.
. He will always use 1 influence to look at the Crypt if he does not control 4 vampires.
. He will always use (any remaining) influence to search through Resources.
. He will always take control of vampires from the Influence phase if doing so will leave him with 4 or more pool. (He won't "cache" those.)
. He will always use influence (if he has enough points) to burn lesser bleed vampires or resources in order to "cache" higher bleed vampires or resources.
. He will always "cache" vampires that he can control while leaving 3 pool. Note: if he is bled between caching the vampire and controlling it, he will not choose to control it should doing so leave him with only 1 pool at that time.
. He will always "cache" master cards and bleed modifier cards if he can use them his next turn.


Turn Phases:

1) Untap Phase.

a. Collect 1 pool (+1 if you have the Edge).

b. Untap ALL tapped vampires and the active Methuselah's other tapped cards, as appropriate -- the only mandatory for every turn.

c. Burn any vampires you no longer wish to either control or have "cached". Put them on the bottom of the Crypt. Burn any resources you no longer wish either in play (unless the resource itself prohibits such) or to have "cached". Put them on the bottom of the resources deck.


2) Master Phase

a. You may take control of a "cached" vampire OR look at the vampire on top of the Crypt. You may take control of it if you like, transferring blood from your pool to "fill" the vampire. You may take your pool to zero, but if you are successfully bled at zero pool, you lose. If you take control of a vampire during this phase, it is not tapped. If you do not wish to take control of the vampire leave it at the TOP of the crypt and proceed to 2b. If you take control of the vampire, you may return to the beginning of 2a. Note: equipping a vampire does NOT tap it.

b. You may use a "cached" resource card OR look at the top resource card. If it is a Master card or other card you can play, (such as equipment, retainers/allies, or action cards for any untapped vampires you have on the table), you may play it. You may add equipment to vampires while they are tapped. As library cards are burned they are returned to the bottom of the Resources deck. If you either cannot or do not wish to use the top resource card, return it to the TOP of the resources and proceed to phase 3. If you use the top resource card you may return to the beginning of 2b. Note: any successful bleed or destruction of the other Methuselah's vampire gives you the Edge.


3) Minion Phase

Draw 3 cards from the top of the resource deck and look only at the last one. You may not use master cards during this phase unless the card itself stipulates otherwise. If you choose to use a resource, you may look at the next. If you use that one, too, you may look at and/or use the next also. If you use all 3, return to the beginning of 3a, placing any burned cards at the bottom of resources. If you are either unable to use a card or you do not wish to, then place all of the unused cards you drew at the bottom of resources, and proceed to phase 4. Note: It will not typically be possible to use every card you draw, though tapping more than one vampire to use a single card is definitely a strategy. Also, any successful bleed or destruction of the other Methuselah's vampire gives you the Edge.

4) Influence

You have 4 influence points to spend on any (or none) of the following, in the order listed:

a. Move pool to vampire. 1 blood = 1 Influence. Note: you may not remove blood from vampires to place in your pool in this version of Solitaire Jyhad.

b. Review the Crypt. Draw 3 cards and look only at the bottom vampire. You may take control of it if you wish, but it is tapped when you do so from this phase. If you choose to take control of the vampire you may review the next as well. If you take control of all 3, you may return to the beginning of phase 4b with no additional influence point cost. If at any time you choose not to take control of a vampire from your review, return all remaining vampires (including that one) to the bottom of the Crypt. You may choose instead to "cache" a vampire by setting it aside from the crypt deck, but this ends your influence phase, regardless of how many influence points remain to you. Note: you may only have one "cached" vampire at a time; if you already have one during this phase, you may use another influence point (if you have one) to burn the previously "cached" vampire so that you may "cache" this one. You may use another influence point to repeat 4b unless your influence has been ended by "caching", but you may not return to 4b from a later phase.

c. Review Resources. Draw 3 cards and look only at the bottom resource. You may use the card, if you wish. If you use the resource, you may review the next resource as well. If you use all 3 resources, you may return to the beginning of phase 4c with no additional influence point cost. Return any burned resources to the bottom of the deci. If at any time you either cannot or choose not to use a resource you have reviewed, return all remaining cards (including that one) to the bottom of Resources. Any successful bleed or destruction of the other Methuselah's vampire gives you the Edge. You may choose instead to "cache" a resource by setting it aside from the resources deck, but this ends your influence phase, regardless of how many influence points remain to you. Note: you may only have one "cached" resource at a time; if you already have one during this phase, you may use another influence point (if you have one) to burn the previously "cached" resource so that you may "cache" this one. You may use another influence point to repeat 4c, unless your influence has been ended by "caching", but you may not return to 4c once the next turn has begun.


PREMISE:
For those of you who may want a story line, reason or justification to play this version of Solitaire Jyhad, here it is...

After untold centuries as clan struggled against clan, widespread splintering inevitably occurred. These strange times have also had their effect upon vampires and Methuselahs, edifying the strong and destroying the weak, defying the old standards -- or bringing ones older still to light. You are Methuselah in a city where vampires have warred among themselves with no apparent allegiance to clan or city of origin. Competition has been fierce, each Methuselah struggling among a single pool of resources both inexplicably scarce and fleeting. Finally, it is just you and an unnamed, unseen Methuselah vying for control of the city. Fortunately, after putting down all of the others, you two start on equal terms. Your ability to manipulate the resources that fall into your hands will determine which Methuselah prevails.
Notice:
Jyhad is a Deckmaster game copy written and trademarked by Wizards of the Coast and White Wolf. This document is intended to present a homespun variation of Jyhad in a public forum. If I'm going to get in trouble for posting this, please let me know so I can remove it and apologize.