Alpha Strike

1. Components

To play Alpha Strike, you need an ordinary pack of playing cards and a set of ship cards. At least 2 players will also be required, and beer or alternative recreational chemicals might not be a bad idea. Oh, and munchies. Be sure to have plenty of munchies on hand.

2. Ship Cards

The ship cards provide the statistics of vessels involved in each conflict. Each ship has a points cost, and the scale of a game is decided before play be setting a points total. There are no restrictions as to how you spend your points. If you want a mass of fighters, go ahead. If you want one huge dreadnaught, that's cool too. Take your pick.

The following statistics are displayed on each ship card:

• Weapons (Clubs)
• Hull (Spades)
• Shields (Hearts)
• Maneuver (Diamonds)
• Power

3. Basic Rules

The turn sequence:

• Draw: Each player draws 2 cards.
• Play: In play order (starting with the person who controls the deck), each player plays cards face down on ships.
• Declare Initiative: All Diamonds turned face up. Initiative order determined - fastest (highest Maneuver) acts first and so forth.
• Declarations: Declarations are made in order of initiative. These are either:
  1. Attack a certain ship.
  2. Form on the wing of another ship (i.e. add their weapons to the other ships attack when it comes).
  3. Evade.
• Resolve each attack as it happens: In an attack, turn over the Clubs of an attacker and the Hearts of a defender. If weapons exceed shields, the target is damaged by 1 card. If weapons exceed shields by 10 or more, each 10 does an additional 1 card of damage.
• Destruction: Ships are destroyed when they suffers damage equal to their Hull ratings.
• Repair: At the end of the turn, and Spades played take effect (see below).
• Move deck: Control of the deal passes to the next player.

Note: In the event of ties, deck controller, and then left of the deck controller, have priority for turn sequence.

4. Playing Cards

A ships power rating determines how many cards can be played on it during a turn. The value of cards that have been played are added to the appropriate rating e.g. if a Club is played, its value is added to the Weapons rating. Royalties count as 10.

All boosting cards are played simultaneously at the beginning of a turn and then turned over only when applicable.

5. Repairs

Spades are played to repair hull damage: 10 points of Spades are required to remove each damage card. Spades of a value less than 10 remain in play and can be added to at a later date, but hull repairs can only be saved if the vessel has been damaged.

6. Evade and Withdrawal

Ships that opt to evade cannot be attacked that turn by ships with a lower initiative. Turn evading ships upside down to show that they cannot be targetted.

If a ship Evades three successive times, it has withdrawn from the conflict.

7. Deal and Draw

Players start with 6 cards. 2 cards can be drawn at the beginning of each round. Hands cannot be larger than 8 cards.

8. Winning

The person with the most points of surviving ships (withdrawn ships count for half their value) wins.