How to Play Challengers!

Game Objective

In Challengers, you and your friends team up with unlikely allies, from aliens to sea creatures, to compete in the world's largest capture the flag tournament. The main objective is to qualify for the final, becoming one of the two players with the most fans at the end of the seventh match. Then, the objective is to win the final to become the Challengers champion!

Preparation (Setup)

1. Take the necessary mats, according to the number of players, and place them on the table.
2. Give each participant a Tournament Bracket according to the number of players. Then, each player sits in front of the half of the mat that has the icon and background color corresponding to the first line of their respective Tournament Bracket.
3. Place the flag of the corresponding color in the center of each mat.
4. Organize the Trophies into piles according to the round number. Then, shuffle each of these piles separately. For each mat, stack the Trophies face down, as follows: draw one from each pile and arrange them in the stack in ascending order (7 at the bottom and 1 at the top). Place a pile on top of the Trophy icon of each mat.
5. Gather the fans into a general reserve.
6. Place the 3 card organizers (A, B, and C) within reach of all players.
7. Take all cards from the Basic City Set (this Set is mandatory in every tournament). Choose 5 of the 6 additional sets and return the one left out to the game box. Then, separate all cards from each Set according to their Level (A, B, and C). Shuffle all Level A cards and place them as the Level A Deck, leave it in the corresponding card organizer, with the cards face down. Repeat these steps with Level B and C cards. Note: We suggest not playing with the Outer Space Set in your first tournament.
8. Each player takes the 6 cards from the Starting Deck that corresponds to the icon on their respective Tournament Bracket.
9. Each player leaves a free space to the right of their deck for the rest pile.
10. In tournaments with an odd number of players, the Robot Deck is used (more details on p. 4 of the manual).
11. For 4 players: Leave the equivalent of 3 card spaces between each mat.

Game Flow

Players participate in a seven-round tournament. Each round begins with the Deck Phase. This is followed by the Competition Phase.

• Deck Phase (each player for themselves): Players choose new cards to improve their decks. Each player handles their Deck Phase at their own pace and independently of the others.
• Competition Phase (with an opponent): Each participant plays against an opponent.

After the seventh round, the two players with the most fans face each other in the final.

Actions and How to Play

Deck Phase

During the Deck Phase, players perform the following actions:

• Move to another mat (if necessary): Take a look at your Tournament Bracket to know which mat you will play on in the current round. If necessary, change your seat at the table. Take your Tournament Bracket, deck, acquired fans, and Trophies.
• Draw and select cards: Draw 5 cards from the available Level Deck for the current round. The letter A, B, or C on your Tournament Bracket indicates the available Level Deck. The illustrated quantity of cards shows how many you can select and add to your deck. Discard the cards you don't select into the discard compartment of the corresponding organizer. When that compartment can no longer hold cards, shuffle all cards contained there and place them at the bottom of the corresponding Level Deck. Once per Deck Phase, you can discard the cards drawn in the current round and draw the same number of new cards from the same Level Deck. If the round allows you to select two cards, you can discard and draw new cards before or after selecting your first card.
• Remove cards from your deck (optional): At the end of the Deck Phase, you can remove as many cards as you want from your deck. Place each removed card in the discard compartment of the corresponding organizer (Level A, B, or C). If you remove cards from the Starting Deck (I), return them to the game box.
• Shuffle your cards and determine who starts: Shuffle your deck and place the pile face down next to your Tournament Bracket. To determine who starts, flip the flag like a coin. The player who wins reveals the first card from their own deck and places it on their respective half of the mat, then places the flag on top of that card. This card now has flag possession. From the second round onwards, the player who has the Trophy with the highest round number will start the match. In case of a tie, flip the flag.

Competition Phase

During the Competition Phase, you and your opponent play independently of the other participants.

• Attack until one of your cards has flag possession:
  • When your opponent's card has flag possession, you are on the attack.
  • During the attack, you reveal cards one after another until your total strength equals or exceeds the total strength of the card that has flag possession. Compare total strengths with each new card revealed.
  • If you need to reveal more than one card, sum the basic strength and strength bonuses of all revealed cards.
  • As soon as the total strength of your card(s) is equal to or greater than the total strength of your opponent's card, take the flag and place it on top of your last revealed card. You cannot reveal more cards than would be necessary to gain flag possession.
  • Your last revealed card now has flag possession. Hide all other cards you revealed during the attack underneath the card that has flag possession.
  • The opponent must send the card that lost the flag and all other cards underneath it to the bench. Cards are organized into seats and face up. Cards of the same name remain together and occupy only 1 seat.
  • The opponent is now on the attack. Continue playing until someone wins the match.

Card Effects

Cards can have effects that apply at different times:

• When revealing a card without keywords: The effect is resolved immediately, as much as possible. If the card gains an immediate strength bonus, it will keep it even with flag possession.
• During the attack: The effect only applies to the attack in which the card is revealed. The effect will no longer be in effect when one of your cards has flag possession.
• From the bench: The effect will take effect as soon as the card goes to the bench and will remain in effect as long as it stays there. When multiple cards of the same name occupy a spot on the bench, their strength bonuses are summed.
• With flag possession: The effect will be applied as soon as the flag is placed on top of the card and will remain in effect as long as the flag remains there.
• When losing the flag: The effect will be resolved when the flag is removed from the card. Therefore, the card must have flag possession before that. Effects triggered when losing the flag are resolved before effects that apply when a card gains flag possession.
• Upon selection (only for Outer Space Set cards): The effect is resolved only once during the Deck Phase in which you select the card.

If the first card revealed in a match has any effect, be sure to resolve it. If an effect allows you to gain fans, take them from the general reserve and place them next to your Tournament Bracket. Some effects allow you to send cards to your rest pile. There is no limit to the number of cards you can have in your rest pile. Leave all cards in the rest pile face up.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends after the seventh round of the tournament.

Fan Calculation

After the seventh round, each player calculates the size of their fan base by summing the values indicated on the fans and on the back of the acquired Trophies. The players with the two largest fan bases will face each other in the final.

Tie-breaking Criteria

The tie-breaking criterion favors the player who has acquired more Trophies. If the tie persists, then the favored player will be the one who has the Trophy with the highest round number.

The Final

Before starting the final, you do not draw or select new cards, but you will be able to remove cards from your deck exactly as in the Deck Phase. Determine who starts as usual. The player who wins the final will be the Challengers champion!

Winning Matches

You can win a match in two ways:

1. Your opponent is on the attack but cannot gather enough total strength to gain flag possession.
2. Your opponent is forced to send one or more cards to the bench but has no empty seats available to accommodate them.

If you win the match, take the Trophy corresponding to the current round from the mat where the dispute took place and place it next to your Tournament Bracket. The back of the Trophy shows how many fans it is worth. Hide this information from other players. The number of fans indicated on the Trophies increases in the later rounds of the tournament.

At the end of a match, collect all cards from your deck: those on your bench, on your half of the mat, in your rest pile, and the cards you didn't get to play. After rounds 1 to 6 are completed, proceed to the Deck Phase of the next round.

Tips for Winning

• During the Deck Phase, you can discard the cards drawn in the current round and draw the same number of new cards from the same Level Deck once per phase. Use this option to search for cards that are more suitable for your strategy.
• Take advantage of the option to remove cards from your deck at the end of the Deck Phase. This allows you to optimize your deck by removing less efficient cards or cards that don't fit well with new acquisitions.
• Pay attention to the effects of the cards, especially those with bold keywords, as they indicate the exact moment the effect will be applied. Understanding when an "During the attack," "From the bench," or "With flag possession" effect activates can be crucial for your combat strategies.