Hello, this post contains the rules and info about my new game called Demolishing Strongholds the Deck Building Game. It is currently on KickStarter right now and you can check it out or pledge to buy a copy at this link https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/timoholt/demolishing-strongholds-the-deck-building-card-game?ref=project_build#

Demolishing Strongholds Deck Building Game Rules

Demolishing Strongholds the Deck Building Game is for 1-4 players. Each one starts with a personal deck of cards representing truth they know to conquer the strongholds in play. Each turn, players play cards from their hand to gain more powerful truths that they can wield against the strongholds. As we grow in knowing Truth, we learn how to demolish strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4). The pictures of the icons talked about below will come out in the rule booklet contained in the set. 

Gems  are used to buy truth cards from the Rhema Row to add to your deck 

Attack    is used to demolish strongholds 

Retaliation     is when the stronghold attacks back

Health   represents hit points. The first one to reduce a stronghold’s hit points to zero, wins.                                                     

Setup

Each player draws a stronghold card and turns it face up in front of them. This will be what each player attacks throughout the game. Each player also begins the game with a personal deck. Players may track the stronghold’s hit points with a paper and a pencil. 

To set up the game, place the 8 meditate on God’s Name cards (+2 Gems) face up on the table, shuffle the Truth deck and place it face down on the table. Leave a space for the removal pile (where cards are placed when permanently removed from the game). Lay out the top 5 cards from the Truth deck face up on the table. This is the Truth Row. 

All players shuffle their personal decks and place them face down in front of them. Leave room next to these for a discard pile. Randomly determine who goes first. The first player draws 4 cards from their personal deck. The player going next draws 5 cards for the rest of the game. 

Play

Each turn has three phases:  1) Main Phase, 2) Discard Phase, 3) Draw Phase

Main Phase

During your Main Phase, you may do any of the following actions in any order: play cards from your hand, use the primary abilities of in-play shields, use the anointing or removal abilities of in-play shields and truth cards, use gems to buy new truth cards from the truth row, and/or use combat to attack a stronghold in play. 

Playing Cards

To play a card you place it face up on the table in front of you. The types of cards in your deck are Truth cards and shield cards. When a Truth card is played, it’s primary ability triggers immediately. If a Truth card has an anointing and/or removal ability, you may choose to use one or both of these abilities any time during your Main Phase. Truth cards you put into play remain faced up in front of you until the Discard Phase, at which point they are placed in your Discard pile. 

Shields

Unlike Truth Cards, Shields are not discarded at the end of the turn. Instead, they remain in play until they are destroyed by retaliation from a stronghold or removed to trigger an ability. During the Main Phase, you may choose when using a shield’s primary ability. Each Shield has a protection number that represents the amount of retaliation that it must be hit with in a single turn to destroy it. Once destroyed, a Shield is placed in its owners Discard pile. 

Anointing Abilities    

Anointing Abilities are indicated by an icon at the top left of the card. On your turn an anointing ability may be used as soon as you have another Truth or Shield card of that anointing in-play. Anointing Abilities may be used at any time during the Main Phase. 

Removal Abilities 

Some Truth and Shield cards have a removal ability, indicated by a trash can icon in the text box at the bottom left of the card. Any time during the Main Phase you may use a card’s removal ability by immediately removing it from play and placing it in the Removal Pile. Cards in the Removal pile do not return to the game. 

Recycle Cards 

Some cards have a recycle ability (see icon to the left), that allows you to remove other cards from your hand or discard pile. Whenever a card is recycled, it is placed in the Removal pile. If a +2 starter card (yellow border) is recycled for any reason place it face-up in the +2 starter pile next to the Truth Deck. 

Buying Truth Cards

Some cards give you Gems. When you gain Gems you count up how many you gained during the Main Phase and then use it to buy Truth Cards from the Rhema Row. A card’s cost is found in the Gem symbol in its upper right hand corner. To buy a card, subtract the Gem count equal to the card’s cost and put the card into your Discard pile. Any remaining Gems can be used to buy additional Truth cards during the Main Phase. The Rhema Row must always have 5 cards in it, so when you buy a card immediately replace it with the next card from the Rhema deck. 

Attacking

Some cards will give you Attack points. When you gain these through Truth Cards you can use them during the Main Phase to attack your stronghold. To attack it, subtract any amount of attack points you received from Truth cards played in the Main Phase and lower its hit points by that amount. Whenever a stronghold is attacked, subtract the retaliation points dished out from that stronghold (found in the upper right hand corner) to the attacker. Then immediately the attacker must role a die and follow the outcome listed on the back of the stronghold card. 

Discard Phase

Whenever you discard a card or buy a new card from the Rhema row, place it face-up in your Discard pile. During Discard phase put all of the played truth cards into your discard pile. 

Draw Phase

During Draw phase, draw 5 cards from your personal truth deck, then your turn ends. If your personal truth deck is empty, shuffle your discard pile and place it face-down as your new personal truth deck. 

Icon Reference 

When one of these 4 anointing icons is found in the upper-left hand corner of a card, this indicates the cards anointing. When any of these icons are found in a card’s text  box at the bottom of the card, this indicates an anointing ability that is triggered when at least one other card with the same icon is in play whether it be a Shield and/or a Truth card.

Wisdom and Understanding Icon-Orange

Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord Icon -Blue

Counsel and Might Icon  -Green

The Spirit of the Lord Icon- Red

Health- Players start with 10 Health points. In order to gain Health points, a player must buy and play cards with Health abilities on them indicated by the number within the Health icon on a card.  

Attack- When this icon is found in a card’s text box, this indicates an amount of attack you gain. If a player has enough Health points or Shields to attack a stronghold but falls to less than 0 in the case of a dice roll in the event of an attack on a stronghold then that player loses the game. 

Gems- When this icon is found in the upper right hand corner of a card, this indicates the  card’s cost. When this icon is found in a card’s text box, this indicates an amount of buying points you gain. 

Remove- When this icon is found in a card’s bottom left text box, this indicates a Removal ability. 

Shield- A Shield card stays in play until a stronghold’s retaliation discards or removes it. The personal health players gained through playing Truth cards with the Health icon on them, is protected until all of their Shield cards are removed or discarded. The amount of protection each Shield card has is determined by the number in the middle of the Shield icon. This number is the amount of retaliation that it  must be hit with in a single turn to destroy it. 

Recycle- When this icon is found on a card’s text box, this indicates the ability to remove another card. 

Draw a Card- When this icon is found on card’s text box, this indicates the player can draw another card. 

  Roll the Die- When this icon is found on a card’s text box, this indicates the player must roll the die to determine how many Gems, Attack, or cards are drawn (whatever the icon next to the dice icon is). 

The game consists of:

• One 61 card Rhema Deck (potentially expanding to up to 70)
• Two 10 card Personal Decks, consisting of the 7-Fold Spirit of the Lord (7 cards) and three Word-related cards.
• 8 Meditate on the Lord’s Name cards
• 15 Stronghold cards
• One Rules Booklet and a die

Each of the cards in the 61 card Rhema Deck is a Truth Card belonging to one of four Anointings: The Spirit of the Lord, The Spirit of Counsel and Might, The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, or The Spirit of Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord.

The Spirit of the Lord

This is the Holy Spirit, which comes to Earth and indwelled, empowered, and rested on people at certain times throughout the Bible(Samson, Gideon, Elijah). We receive the Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus Christ. The Spirit of the Lord also helps us grow in the likeness of Christ and protect us from the schemes of the enemy.    

The Spirit of the Lord Anointing in this game specializes in allowing the player to remove undesirable cards from your deck and from providing multiple shields of protection designed to defend your personal hit points from the retaliation of the strongholds. 

The Spirit of Counsel and Might

Jeremiah said, “the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name, Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” God’s mighty judgments and long-term plans for people and nations, reflect His wise counsel as He guides all things to glorify Himself in righteousness. We are all in need of the Lord’s guidance and mighty help in healing and saving us through Jesus. 

The Spirit of Counsel and Might Anointing contains truths focused on the production of the nature of Christ in us through abiding prayer, and listening to God’s voice, and is good at creating large amounts of attack points against strongholds.  

The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding 

The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding Anointing consists of Truths related to overcoming (rewards), beatitudes, and other key truths that if mastered can help us understand the highest purpose that God has for us in this earth. 

The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding Anointing in this game is also a combat oriented Anointing that allows players to draw more cards and attack strongholds.

The Spirit of Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord

The Spirit of Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord Anointing in this game consists of many of the Lord’s Names that would be helpful for us to learn and meditate on in order to really know God.    This is the highest commandment. 

In Demolishing Strongholds, the Spirit of Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord Anointing specializes in generating large amounts of Gems and in gaining Hit Points (increasing your Health).

Playing Demolishing Strongholds

When you play Demolishing Strongholds, you will be able to acquire and use Truths of any and all of the four Anointings. Many cards have helpful synergistic abilities that reward you for using Truths of the same Anointing together.

As you acquire cards using Gems, you put them into your discard pile, to be later shuffled into your personal deck. When you draw a Truth with a shield on it, you play it face up in front of you and may use its abilities once every turn. The winner is the one who can reduce their Stronghold’s hit points to zero the fastest.

Demolishing Strongholds is easy to learn, especially if you’re familiar with deck-building games. And more importantly, as you play you will be automatically growing in your knowledge of the Truth and leaving each game inspired, uplifted, and encouraged.