Feudal Wars
Feudal wars is a large group card game (5-20 players) for all reading ages who are capable of
understanding and respecting the rules. It is reminiscent of the feudal rank and taxation system of
the middle ages where, as they say, “the rich got richer and the poor got poorer.” However, with a
random deal of the cards, a peasant can often take the crown.
Object of the Game
Get rich, achieve status, win battles and “exhaust your army” (that is, dispose of all of your cards
as soon as you can).
Contents of the Game Chest:
4 unique decks of standard playing cards
50 Gold coins
16 Rank Tokens
5 Rings
1 Crown
Set Up:
1) Choose Your Feudal System
2) Give each player one Gold Doubloon
3) Deal out the cards (1 deck for every 4 players)
Choosing Your Feudal System
Based on the number of players at your table, you may choose from these feudal rank
configuration. By the end of the first war, everyone at the table will have earned a particular rank. If
you only have 5 players then you can only choose the first configuration. If you have eleven or
more players then you can choose any configuration. Also, if anyone joins the game after it has
begun, you can deal them in as Knights.
5-8 Players: Two Royaly and Two Peasantry
If your group has only 5 players, you will have no Knights other than the First Knight. If you have
6, 7 or 8 players in your group, you’ll fill 1, 2 or 3 knight positions before anyone becomes a Serf.
First player to
exhaust his army
becomes
King/Queen
Second player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Prince/Princess
Third player to exhaust his army
becomes First Knight.
Second from last
player to exhaust
his army
becomes Serf.
Last player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Chimney Sweep.
7-10 Players: Two Royaly, One Nobility and Three Peasantry
If your group has only 7 players, you will have no Knights beside the First Knight. If you have 8, 9
or 10 players in your group, you’ll fill 1, 2 or 3 knight positions before anyone becomes a Smith.
First player to
exhaust his army
becomes
King/Queen
Third from last
player to exhaust
his army becomes
Smith.
Second player to
exhaust his army
becomes Prince/
Princess
Third player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Duke/ Duchess
Second from last
player to exhaust his
army becomes Serf.
Fourth player to exhaust his
army becomes First Knight.
Last player to
exhaust his army
becomes Chimney
Sweep.
9-12 Players: Two Royalty, Two Nobility and Four Peasantry
If your group has only 9 players, you will have no Knights beside the First Knight. If you have 10,
11 or 12 players in your group, you’ll fill 1, 2 or 3 knight positions before anyone becomes a
Hunter.
First player to exhaust his
army becomes King/Queen
Fifth player to
exhaust his army
becomes First
Knight.
Second player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Prince/Princess
Third player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Duke/ Duchess
Fourth player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Baron/Baroness
Fourth from last
player to exhaust his
army becomes
Hunter.
Third from last
player to exhaust
his army becomes
Smith.
Second from last
player to exhaust
his army becomes
Serf.
Last player to
exhaust his army
becomes Chimney
Sweep.
11+ Players: Two Royalty, Three Nobility and Five Peasantry
If your group has only 11 players, you will have no Knights beside the First Knight. If you have 12 or more
players in your group, you’ll fill the extra Knight positions before anyone becomes a Court Musician.
First player to
exhaust his army
becomes
King/Queen
Second player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Prince/Princess
Third player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Duke/ Duchess
Fourth player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Baron/Baroness
Fifth player to
exhaust his army
becomes
Lord/Lady
Fifth from last
player to exhaust
his army becomes
Hunter.
Fourth from last
player to exhaust
his army becomes
Hunter.
Third from last
player to exhaust
his army becomes
Smith.
Second from last
player to exhaust
his army becomes
Serf.
Last player to
exhaust his army
becomes Chimney
Sweep.
Sixth player to
exhaust his army
becomes First
Knight.
More Specifically
A) When you have decided on a Feudal Rank Configuration, lay out the appropriate Rank
Tokens that correspond to that configuration. This game is supplied for up to 16 players.
The rank tokens have no value, they are used to help everyone keep track of your
kingdom’s hierarchy.
B) Each player is given one gold piece at the start of the game.
C) The dealer shuffles the cards and distributes all of them to the players as evenly as
possible. These cards are your armies.
1) While cards are being dealt, players must sort their cards from lowest to highest and
keep them in order. (A disorderly hand will greatly slow down game play and ruin the fun
so organization is key.)
2) Card values should remain hidden but the cards themselves must remain above board
so everyone can see how many cards you have. (There are plenty of strategies in this
game but subterfuge is not one of them.)
Crimes Punishable by Automatic Serfdom and Army Confiscation:
a. Looking at an opponent’s cards without permission
b. Hiding your own cards
c. Announcing or exposing the cards being paid during taxation (ie “I just gave him a
joker!”) or engaging in any other unchivalrous act of sabotage.
3) If a player is taking too long to play, you may institute a 10 count rule and force them to
pass if they have not played by the count of ten.
Understanding Your Army
Your army of cards are ranked as follows (suits are not relevant in Feudal Wars):
Card Ranks
Joker
Ace
King
Queen
Jack
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
At the beginning of the game, everyone has the assumed rank of Knight. The dealer is “First
Knight” and thus goes into battle first by laying down his lowest card or cards in the center of the
table. Cards of the same rank may be played together. This means if the First Knight has four 3s,
he can put them all down together. It is both chivalrous and prudent to play low cards first (though
it is not required). The next player to the right or left (let the First Knight decide the direction of
play) may place cards on top of the ones just played but only cards that out-rank them and equal
or excel them in quantity. A player may pass his turn even if he has playable cards. It is helpful to
announce the cards you are playing since the circle of players is large and people can’t always see
the discard pile from where they are sitting.
Example Battle:
Remember, the cards you play must always outrank the cards previously played and if sets of
identical cards are being played, you must play at least as many cards as the previous player in
order to stay in the battle.
Suppose the 1st
Knight lays
down two 2s
…like so.
The next player may play
a pair (or more) of any
card higher than 2. He
chooses to play three 5’s.
The next player may likewise play
or pass. She knows she must
play at least three identical cards
that outrank a 5. She lays three
7’s.
The next player may
play or pass. He
chooses to play four
Aces.
The next player passes because the only possible play would be four Jokers and he doesn’t have
those. Even if he did have them, he might choose to pass anyway. So, everyone around the circle
says “pass” one after another until the turn comes back to the person who laid down the aces.
That player has won the battle, the cards in the discard pile are swept to the side and that
player now begins the next battle (using low cards, if he is smart).
Winning Wars
As battles (hands) are played on, armies are exhausted and the first person to exhaust his army
(get rid of all of his/her cards) is proclaimed King or Queen.
- The King/Queen is given the crown to wear, one gold piece, a ring to wear and a
rank token.
Play continues and the next person to exhaust his/her army is made Prince/Princess
- The Prince/Princess is given a gold piece, a ring to wear and a rank token.
Play continues and the next person to exhaust his/her army is given the next rank token and a ring
to wear if their rank is in the Nobility. The Peasantry do not wear rings. This process continues until
the last person with cards is made Chimney Sweep.
Note: If the last card played by the outgoing “winner” is too high for others to play on, it is swept
away and the next remaining player starts a new battle.
Feudal Taxation
The fun part! Now that ranks have been established, you are able to assess taxes and increase
your wealth or poverty. The dealer shuffles and deals out all the cards as usual. When everyone
has sorted their cards, taxation begins. The peasants must pay a certain number of their very
highest cards to their corresponding Royal or Nobleman. In return, the Royal or Nobleman will give
them an equal number of low cards. See charts for how many. One gold coin may be paid in place
of one card. This is the only way a peasant can hold on to his most valuable high cards in order to
use them in battle. Is it worth a gold coin? You decide! When everyone has finished paying taxes,
return all of their rank tokens to the grid so you can hand them out again as the next war is played.
The Royals and Nobles may continue to wear their jewels until they have been won by other
players. At that time, they must hand them over.
Ending the Game
The game may be played indefinitely but you may wish to set a finish time or a finish goal.
Different ways to “win” are:
- Have the most gold when time is called.
- Be the first to obtain 10 gold doubloons.
- Hold the same Royal, Noble or Peasant rank the longest.
Each battle takes about 10 minutes to play (depending on the size of your group) so you should
allow at least an hour for this game.
Battle On!