War Chest
A raiding duel for two. One deck and 40 chips apiece.
Your chest buys your arms and bleeds when you are hit. Strike with cards, answer with better ones, bluff face-down, and spend wisely. Empty their chest to win.
Strike · Lead a card, face-up or veiled. Its rank is the damage; the first card of your run sets trump.
Answer · Block with a higher card of the suit, any trump against an off-suit blow, or parry the twin rank to send half back.
Shield · No answer? Throw any card and pay only the difference in ranks, minimum 1 chip, or take the full hit.
Spend · Your chest is treasury and lifeblood: 40 chips buy your arms before the war and your supplies during it.
Win · Every hit moves chips across the table. Empty theirs and the day is yours.
+ the full law of the table
The law · Attack with a card; its rank is the damage. The first card of your run sets trump. They block with a higher card of the suit, any trump against an off-suit blow, or a twin rank to parry half back, though a trump blow can never be parried. No answer? Throw any card as a shield and pay only the difference between the two ranks, minimum 1 chip, or take the full hit.
The chest · 40 chips is treasury and lifeblood at once. Before battle it buys your arms at the Armory; during battle the war store sells arms, supplies, and dirty tricks, one purchase a turn, and nothing you buy is announced. Using a supply or trick spends your turn; buying an arm does not. Spend deep and march in gaunt, or hoard it and fight bare.
The mind games · A held block wins the choice: seize the attack or regroup. Attack face-down to bluff, but a blocked veil rebounds in full. Their hand, spent cards, and tactics stay hidden; remember everything.