Special Cards, Counters and Other Rules

+1 Power Counters

First used in Monster Smash

These pump up your minions with extra power. They are not a separate item; your VP tokens do double duty as +1 power counters (if it’s in your VP pile it’s a VP token, but if it’s on a card it’s a power counter). +1 power counters can be placed on cards, transferred between cards, and removed from cards when a card’s ability says to do so. When a card leaves play, remove all +1 power counters on it.

Note: In early sets, these were called +1 power tokens.

Each +1 power counter on a minion increases the minion’s power by one for as long as it is on that minion. For example, a 2-power minion with three +1 power counters on it is treated as a 5-power minion. If a power counter is transferred, the counter no longer affects the card it used to be on, and starts affecting the new one.

A power counter affects the minion it is on, so abilities that protect minions from effects protect against placing power counters on them, as well as transferring or removing them.

See [add link] for how power counters work with Titans. Power counters on actions, bases, or buried cards have no effect unless a card says otherwise.

The Madness Deck

Used in The Obligatory Cthulu Set

This is a set of 30 identical action cards. Keep the Madness deck face up (since all cards are identical) and separate from all other decks. Players cannot draw a card from the Madness deck, or return a Madness card to it, unless a card’s ability specifically allows it. If the Madness deck is out of cards, ignore any instructions to draw a Madness card until one or more Madness cards return to the deck.

The current controller of each Madness card is treated as its owner as well. When a Madness card leaves play, it goes to its controller’s discard pile rather than to the Madness deck. When a Madness card returns to the Madness deck, the player ceases to control it.

Madness and the Final Score

Madness cards give you extra card draws during the game, but at the end of the game they cause you to lose VPs!

When the game ends, and one player is in the lead with 15 VP or more, players count the total number of Madness cards in their hands, decks, and and discard piles, or that are buried. Each player then loses 1 victory point for every 2 Madness cards that they have. The player with the highest modified VP total then wins. In case of ties, the player with the fewest Madness cards wins. Further ties share the win!

For example, John has 15 VPs and 5 Madness cards; he gets -2 VPs for a final total of 13 VPs. Mary has 14 VPs and 3 Madness cards, giving her a -1 VP penalty. Her modified total is 13 VPs, but she has fewer Madness cards, so she wins the tie. Finally, Chris has 13 VPs and no Madness cards. Chris, with the fewest Madness cards, wins the game, and John comes in last place!

Monsters and Treasures

Used in Smash Up: Munchkin

Monsters and treasures are special types of minion and action cards. They each have their own deck and discard pile, set to the side for any player to use when necessary. Players cannot draw from these decks unless allowed in these rules or by a card’s ability.

Monsters are treated as normal minions, and treasures are treated as normal actions or minions, in all ways except as defined below.

Monsters and treasures have no owner or faction, therefore cards that refer to a minion’s owner do not apply to monsters. When a monster or treasure card leaves play, it always goes to the corresponding discard pile, regardless of card text to the contrary.

Monsters are not played from players’ hands but directly from the top of the monster deck. They can only be played when a game effect specifically says to play a monster. Playing a monster does not count against a player’s limit of one minion per turn, nor does it count as an extra minion. Playing a monster does not give a player control of it; however, other cards may allow a player to take control of a monster in play.

Treasures are special awards gained either by defeating monsters, or by special card effects. Although they have no owner or faction, they do have a controller as normal.

Monsters and Bases

Bases in Smash Up: Munchkin have a monster number (see Know Your Cards). Whenever such a base enters play, draw that many monsters from the monster deck and play them on the base. To save table space, you may overlap the monster cards so only their power and abilities show. Monsters played on new bases are not considered played by any player. Monsters’ abilities trigger when they are played just as with normal minions.

Monsters do not count against the breakpoint of the base they are on. Instead, they ADD to the breakpoint of the base, making it harder to score. However, if someone takes control of a monster, it stops adding to the base’s breakpoint and acts as a normal minion of that player.

Getting Loot from a Monster

Monsters have a treasure number. If a monster is destroyed by a card effect, the player who controls the effect that destroyed it draws that many treasure cards and places them in his or her hand. Big phat lewt!

Getting Loot from a Base that Scored

After awarding VPs for a base, add the treasure numbers of all the monsters that are still on the base and reveal that many cards from the treasure deck. Players take turns choosing one of the revealed cards and adding it to their hand. To be eligible to claim a treasure, a player must either control a minion at that base or have at least 1 power there by virtue of some other effect. All qualifying players are included in treasure selection, not just the top three.

When choosing treasures, start with the base’s winner and proceed by the decreasing amount of power present on the base. Priority for breaking ties starts with the current player and going clockwise. Continue selecting (restarting with the winner if there are more treasures than players) until all treasures have been claimed.

Example: A base scores. The monsters still on the base have a total treasure value of 5. Alan has a bunch of minions on the base, and Beth has one minion with a power of zero. The players reveal a total of 5 cards from the treasure deck. Alan, who had the highest total power, chooses one of the cards. Beth chooses second, then Alan chooses another, etc. In the end, Alan gets the first, third, and fifth choices, and Beth gets second and fourth. Chris had neither minions nor power on the base, and thus does not get any treasure.

Titans

Used in Big in Japan and the Titan Event Kit

Titans are a card type entirely different from minions, actions, or bases. Representing large, uncontrollable forces, titans are neither good nor evil; they are pure awesome. Titans start the game on the table near their owner; they never go in the hand, deck or discard pile.

Titans may be played on a base when a card, including the titan card itself, says you can play them. Playing a titan is optional. “Instead of your regular minion [or action] play” means instead of the normal minion or action play allowed during your Play Cards phase. Titans are not played as, and do not count as, extra cards.

If you play a titan, you control it even if you do not own it. You cannot play a titan if you already control a titan in play.

Titans are not affected by abilities that specifically target minions or actions. Abilities that target “cards” can affect titans and even force them out of play (destroyed, returned, placed, etc.). Titans also leave play if the base card they are on leaves play. When a titan leaves play for whatever reason, set it aside near its owner, discarding any counters on it. It can be played again anytime a card allows it.

Titans do not have power, but they can give power to their controller’s total at their base through their abilities. In addition, titans that have +1 power counters on them also provide that power to their controller.

Clash of the Titans

After you play or move a titan to a base that already has a titan, one of them must be removed from play. The two controllers compare their total power at that base, after resolving any applicable ongoing abilities. The player with the lesser total removes their titan; in case of ties, the titan that was on the base first wins

Non-Minions That Grant Power

First used in Big In Japan

Some actions have inherent power, and some bases grant power. This power counts both toward breaking the base and toward earning VP rewards, even if the player has no minions present there.

Burying

Used in Oops, You Did It Again

How to bury: To bury a card you place it face down beside a base, facing you. You don’t show it to others unless the card says to bury itself. You may only bury a card if an ability allows it.

Status: A buried card is not affected by abilities that target minions, actions, or any other card type. They are affected by abilities that target “cards”. A buried card is controlled by the player who buried it, and its controller is considered its owner until it is uncovered or discarded. Players may look at buried cards they control at any time; but they may only look at them one at a time and may not mix them up. A buried card’s abilities may not be triggered until after it is uncovered.

Uncovering: Each player may uncover one of their buried cards at the start of their turn. A player may also uncover a card when an ability allows it. When a buried card is uncovered, its controller immediately plays it as an extra card. It is played either on the same base, or on a minion on that base, or simply resolved and discarded, as appropriate. It is resolved just as if it were played from the hand. If circumstances make playing it impossible (e.g. it’s a card that is only played before a base scores), it is discarded instead. When a card is uncovered or re-buried (as Mummies do), any counters or cards on it are discarded first. Uncovered cards may not be immediately reburied.

Scoring: Buried cards do not themselves have power, nor the presence to help break or win a base. After a base scores or leaves play for any reason, buried cards still on it go to their owners’ discard piles. Madness cards that are buried at the end of the game still count against their controller.

Duels

Used in Oops, You Did It Again

Basics: When two minions duel, their controllers may each place a card from their hand on the table face down, and then each reveals their card (if any), starting with the challenger. If it is an action it is played normally, otherwise it is returned to the hand. After the dueling cards are resolved, the minion with the higher power is determined to be the winner; in case of ties, both sides get all the effects of the duel. The benefits of winning, or the harm of losing, are specified by the card that starts the duel.

Details: Placing a dueling card on the table is optional, and the decision to place one is first made by the challenger.

You may place any card from your hand for a duel, including actions that affect minions outside the duel, or even minions that are just returned to the hand (they make a good bluff).

While on the table, dueling cards are not considered part of the hand, deck or discard pile, are not considered in play, and cannot be targeted by any ability.

Two duels may not happen at the same time, so if any ability that allows a duel is triggered during another duel, that part of the ability is ignored.

After a duel’s actions are resolved, if the two minions of the duel are not together on the same base as each other, the duel stops without resolution. However, changing control of either or both minions does not stop the duel.

During a duel no other cards may be played or invoked, unless they are allowed by the duel’s actions (or by the cards allowed by the actions, etc.) or they are triggered by the duel or the cards involved in it.

Being in a duel does not by itself count as affecting a minion, but the duel’s consequences may affect it.

<- previous: The Big Score	Special Cards, Counters, and Other Rules	next: Terms & Phrases->