Battle Cattle: The Card Game

Overview

Battle Cattle: The Card Game is a humorous card combat game set in a future where armed and armored cows fight in farmyard battles. Players attack each others’ Battle Cattle from four sides, trying to breach their armor and destroy their bodies. The last surviving cow wins the duel, and players play multiple duels until someone scores 60 points to become an Ace.

Components

6 Large Cow Cards (double-sided, showing armor tracks on four sides and body damage)
110 Playing Cards:
- Attack Cards (show weapon, target side, and damage)
- Armor Cards (reduce damage from one side)
- Special Cards (various effects)

Setup

Each player selects a Cow Card and places it face up in front of them.
Shuffle all 110 playing cards together.
Deal 5 cards to each player.
Place the remaining cards as a draw pile.
Determine first player randomly.

Turn Structure

Play proceeds clockwise. On your turn:

Draw: Draw 1 card from the draw pile (hand limit of 7 cards at end of turn).
Play: Play one Attack card against any other player, OR play a Special card marked “your turn only”, OR pass.
Resolve: Target player may respond with Armor cards or appropriate Special cards.

Actions

Attack Cards

Each shows a side (Front, Back, Left, Right) and damage value (shown by bullet holes).
Called Shot cards can hit any side of the target.
Damage is applied to the armor on the targeted side.

Armor Cards

Each protects one specific side (Front, Back, Left, Right).
Reduces damage from an attack on that side by 3 points.
Must be played immediately when hit – cannot save for later.
You may play 2 Armor cards simultaneously (blocking up to 6 damage).
Armor does NOT protect against Methane attacks.

Special Cards

Follow the instructions on each card.
Some are played only on your turn (like Hoof Shot).
Some may be played at any time.
Some are played in response to an opponent’s card.

Breached Armor

When one side of a Battle Cattle takes 12 or more points of cumulative damage, that side is breached:

Turn the damage cards face down to mark the breach.
The attack that creates the breach does NOT affect the body.
Any further attacks to that breached side hit the body (unless blocked by Armor).
Armor can still be played on a breached side.

Eliminating a Cow

When a cow’s body takes 5 or more points of damage, it is destroyed:

The player whose Attack card dealt the final body damage gets credit for the kill.
All cards for that cow go to the discard pile.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Duel Scoring

When only one cow remains (or time runs out), the duel ends.

Achievement	Points
Kill (destroying another cow)	10 points
Sole Survivor bonus	10 points
Each cow still alive at duel end	5 points

Winning the Game

Play multiple duels. The first player to accumulate 60 points is the Ace and wins the overall game.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Methane attacks bypass armor entirely.
Escaping: Some Special cards allow movement to avoid attacks.
If a player is eliminated by a Skid (not an Attack card), kill points go to whoever played the Attack card the player was trying to avoid.
Hand limit: Maximum 7 cards at end of turn; discard down if over.
When the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.
A cow that is destroyed returns for the next duel.