Setup
The dealer is chosen randomly for round 1 and alternates each subsequent round.
For the first round, randomly select the dealer. For each subsequent round, the player who did not deal the previous round becomes the dealer. The dealer is responsible for shuffling and dealing cards each round.
Setup
Each player receives 13 cards; the remaining 7 form a face-down draw deck.
After shuffling the 33 game cards, deal 13 cards to each player. Each player may look at their own hand but must keep it hidden from their opponent. The remaining 7 cards are placed face down to form the draw deck.
Setup
The top card of the draw deck is flipped face up to become the decree card; its suit is the trump suit for the round.
After forming the draw deck, the dealer flips the top card face up and places it beside the draw deck. This is the decree card. The suit of the decree card is the trump suit for the entire round and is used to determine trick winners when trump cards are played. If the decree card is a special card with no suit, there is no trump suit for that round (though the Witch/9 still behaves as a trump card when determining trick winners).
Turn structure
The non-dealer leads the first trick of a round; thereafter the winner of each trick leads the next.
On the first trick of each round, the non-dealer leads. After that, the winner of each trick leads the next trick, unless a card ability specifies otherwise (e.g., the Swan/1). The leader may play any card from their hand without restriction. The suit of the card they play is the lead suit for that trick.
Turn structure
The follower must play a card matching the lead suit if possible; otherwise they may play any card.
After a card is led, the other player (the follower) must play a card in the lead suit if they have one. The follower may choose any rank within that suit. If the follower has no card in the lead suit, they may play any card from their hand without restriction. Certain card abilities may modify or override these requirements.
Turn structure
The highest trump card wins; if no trump is present, the highest card in the lead suit wins.
After both cards are played and abilities resolve, the winner is determined as follows: (1) If either card is in the trump suit (the suit of the decree card), the player who played the trump card with the highest rank wins. (2) If neither card is in the trump suit, the player who played the card with the highest rank in the lead suit wins. Cards of suits other than the lead suit and trump suit cannot win the trick unless a special ability overrides this (e.g., Witch/9, Bow, Mirror).
Turn structure
Won tricks are kept face down; trick counts are public but card faces may not be examined.
The winner of each trick takes both played cards and places them face down near their side of the table. The number of tricks won by each player is public information and visible to both players at all times during the round. However, neither player may look at the faces of cards in previously won tricks.
Special
All odd-ranked cards (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) have special abilities that activate when played.
Each card with an odd rank — 1 (Swan), 3 (Fox), 5 (Woodcutter), 7 (Treasure), 9 (Witch), and 11 (Monarch) — has a printed special ability. These abilities may alter what the opponent can play, change how the trick winner is determined, grant points, allow special actions, or change who leads the next trick. The exact timing of each ability is printed on the card. The Fox (3) and Woodcutter (5) abilities activate immediately when played, before another card is played or the winner is determined.
