A game by RD Ash
…is a 4-player, 2-versus-2 tactical card game where two players go above and beyond to eliminate each other!
To play a Target Rich match, the following elements must be present:
» 12 PAYMENT CARDS to do things! (3 per player!)
» 1 STAGE to play on!
» 4 HUNTERS to play with!
What are these things, exactly? Let’s take a closer look!
PAYMENTS
Cash rules everything around us, especially in this game.
Payment is the universal resource of Target Rich, and it comes in the form of a Payment card, which looks like this:
![[IMAGE] Deck anatomy.](https://altpalette.games/wp-content/uploads/ANA_Payment.jpg)
A player’s Payment amount is represented by the status of each Payment card. If the card is face up (green), the player has a Payment. If the card is face down (black), the player does not have a Payment.
At the start of your turns, collect 1 Payment by flipping a Payment card face up. If you make a purchase during a turn, flip the corresponding amount of Payment cards face down.
By default, players can have a maximum of 3 Payments each.
STAGES
Target Rich matches take place on 9×9 grids called stages, which are generally laid out like this:
While they may contain their own advantages and disadvantages, each stage includes:
» Home spaces () – Designated starting positions for each player’s Hunter.
» Coordinates – Who doesn’t like to plan stuff?
» Stage Effects – Benefits or detriments unique to each stage.
» The Key to Victory () – A special card in the center space that is influenced by stage effects.
Additionally, nothing on the stage can be performed diagonally in this game, so count those spaces!
HUNTERS
Player decks are themed around characters called Hunters. Diverse, expressive, and deadly, each Hunter comes with their own playstyle for you to master! A typical Hunter deck looks like this:
While no two Hunters are alike, each one has a total of 16 playable cards in their deck, starting with the…
HUNTER CARD
Hunter cards are the most important cards in Target Rich as they represent your chosen Hunter, and they look like this:
Always present on the stage, Hunter cards include your Hunter’s:
» Ability – Your Hunter’s primary ability and its strength. This can be one of the following:
- Strikes () can be used to inflict damage () on enemies.
- Heals () can be used to restore lost health (). Healing can be performed on yourself or your partner.
- Some characters possess both!
» Range () – The number of spaces your Hunter’s ability covers.
» Movement () – The number of spaces your Hunter can move within the stage during a turn.
» Talent – Special gameplay traits unique to each Hunter.
Each deck has one Hunter card and they’re pretty hard to miss. However, if a deck has 16 playable cards, what about the other 15? Well, potential player, that’s where Action cards come in!
ACTION CARDS
Action cards represent your chosen Hunter’s signature techniques. They make up the entirety of your team’s deck, so you’ll be seeing them a lot. Actions tend to look like this:
They’re a beautiful sight, but before playing one, you must familiarize yourself with the action’s…
» Cost – The number of Payments () required to play it.
» Action Type – Which of the three action categories it belongs to (more on these soon):
- ALPHA (blue / )
- OMEGA (red/ )
- SIGMA (green / )
» Effect Type – The duration of the action’s effect, which can be either:
- Instant (), an action whose effect resolves the moment it is played.
- Ongoing (), an action that remains in play until resolved.
» Extra Effect – Some actions have additional effects if another action (as named in the gray bubble) is in play. These extra effects can alter the action’s existing effect (“instead”), or change the effect entirely!
To play an action card during your turn:
- Confirm it belongs to your Hunter.
- Confirm it can, in fact, be played.
- Spend the required Payment.
- Show the card to all players.
- Do what’s on the card.
Last, but certainly not least: Discard all action cards once their effects are resolved!
Now that we’ve got the elements down, let’s get set up!
Setup
Once teams select their Hunters and the stage is decided, it’s prep time:
- Teams select odd (P1/P3) or even (P2/P4) Home spaces () on the stage and place their Hunter cards accordingly.
- Place 3 Payment cards () dark side up at the edge of the stage in plain view.
- Place the Key to Victory () in the center space.
- Give your Hunter 10 health points ().
- Partners combine their action cards into one deck and shuffle.
- P1 and P2 determine who starts (eg. coin flip), then turns are played numerically (eg. P1, P2…repeat).
- Each match has a one hour time limit. Start the countdown when all players are ready!
…and now? It’s YOUR turn!
TURNS
A Target Rich turn consists of seven phases. Five of these phases are completely optional, leaving only two mandatory.
We promise, it’s way simpler than it looks.
Easy to learn, yet hard to master, optimizing your turns is integral. The faster you act, the less time your opponents have to react, so when you’re up against lightning, be the storm!
Now, let’s break down these phases, starting with…
1. Payment
Every turn in Target Rich begins with the Payment phase, and it is rather simple: Give yourself 1 (one) Payment!
2. Movement
Optional
During this phase, you can position your Hunter card around the stage according to their movement () points. You can move your Hunter up to their full amount of movement points, a partial amount, or not move them at all!
A Hunter can occupy the same space as an action card on the stage. However, two Hunters cannot occupy the same space, and you cannot move through another Hunter (yes, even if they’re your partner).
Travel actions in play (e.g. Synaptic Gate) require at least 1 movement point to use.
3. Alpha Action
Optional
PAY ATTENTION! Combat in Target Rich begins HERE.
During this phase, you can play one (1) Alpha action (), a type of action that can be played only before your ability is used. Or, in other words, only before Phase 4.
Even if you have no plans to use your ability during the turn, you can still play Alpha actions!
4. Ability
Optional
During this phase, a Hunter’s ability (, , or ) can be performed when a target is within their range () on the stage.
5. Omega Action
Optional
During this phase, you can play one (1) Omega action (), a type of action that can be played only after your ability is used. Or, in other words, only after Phase 4.
Even if you have no plans to use your ability during the turn, you can still play Omega actions!
That concludes Phase 5, but before we move on to the next one, we have to talk about the other two action types mentioned earlier: Sigma and Ultra.
Sigma Action
A Sigma action () is an action that can be played specifically when the card itself says play them. Period. Meaning, at any point during a Target Rich match, even the best laid plans can be blown up by the sheer unpredictability of these actions!
Each Hunter has their own Sigma actions, so if you’re not a fan of surprises, get familiar with them real quick!
Ultra Action
Drew a fancy golden card? Looks like it’s your lucky day, for you’ve just unlocked a Hunter’s most powerful technique: An Ultra action () !
These extremely effective action cards come in Alpha, Omega, and Sigma varieties, so play them as you would play those!
And the best part of the deal? Ultras in play cannot be destroyed by other cards!
Now that you’re a certified walking weapon, let’s finish up this turn, shall we?
6. Recycle
Optional
In Target Rich, players can hold up to 7 action cards in their respective hands.
Get ahead of the problem by taking advantage of the Recycle phase. Here, you can voluntarily discard an Alpha, Omega, or Sigma action card for 1 Payment, and or an Ultra action card for 2 Payments!
7. Draw
Draw one action card from your team’s deck to signify the end of your turn.
- If the card belongs to your Hunter, send it to your hand.
- If the card belongs to your partner’s Hunter, send it to their hand.
Turn Recap
Like anything worth learning, you will soon blaze through your turns and render this entire conversation obsolete. But before we leave the memories alone, here is a comprehensive recap:
- Collect a Payment!
- Spend your movement!
- Play an Alpha action!
- Use your ability!
- Play an Omega action!
- Recycle!
- Draw a card!
Get it? Got it? Good! Let’s get out there and WIN.
Victory
There are a few ways for your team to win a Target Rich match.
One such way, is the total elimination of the other team!
Elimination
There are a few ways for your team to win a Target Rich match.
One such way, is the total elimination of the other team!
When your Hunter’s HP reaches 0, they are eliminated. If your Hunter is eliminated, the stage is cleared of your cards and your partner goes it alone as the match becomes a 2-v-1 affair. However, your partner won’t be outmatched:
- Your surviving partner absorbs your Payment capacity, bringing their maximum Payment slots to 6!
- If you possessed any actions in your hand upon elimination, they are automatically recycled for your partner!
- Should your partner draw an action that belonged to you, that action is automatically recycled and they draw until the action is theirs!
If both Hunters on a team are eliminated, the match is decided!
Time Limit
Another way to win a Target Rich match is to outlast the other team before time expires!
If your team has the most combined HP () by the 60-minute time limit, you win!
But sometimes, it’s not always that clean. So, in the event of an HP tie, the match will be decided by whichever team has the most combined Payments!
“…but what if that’s the same, too?”
IN THE RARE EVENT those attributes are also the same, Player 1 and Player 2 must first-to-three in the one, true game:
Rock, paper, scissors.
No joke.
Mercy
Unfortunately for some Hunters, losing their HP or falling victim to the time limit aren’t the only ways to be eliminated.
If a Hunter whose only ability is heal () becomes the remaining member of your team, the match is mercied and instantly awarded to the opposing team!
(Seriously, it’s like kicking a puppy. Don’t kick puppies. It’s wrong.)
GLOSSARY
Away – the direction that increases distance between affected Hunters.
Cross – to travel between two spaces.
Destroy – to send an action to its respective discard pile.
Enduring – an action that remains in play after its owner is eliminated.
Enemy – anything related to the other team.
Friendly – anything related to your team.
In play – an action that is neither in a hand nor a discard pile.
Invincible – immune to targeting.
Landing – the space upon which a phase of movement ends.
Lane – an end-to-end row or column of spaces within the stage.
Open space – a space without a card.
Recover – to retrieve a card from your discard pile.
Recycle – turn phase 6.
Stack – to play a duplicate of a card you already have in play.
Target – the card that is the focus of your effort.
We laughed, cried, and everything in between, but now you know EVERYTHING you need to know about Target Rich!
It’s been real, but this is where we part ways. You’ve got some money to make!