Mighty Trees - Party Game (Timber Version)

Revised 9/2002

SUMMARY
The Timber Version of the Party game adds weather and natural disasters to the game. Rules are essentially the same as the Seedling version. All changes and additions to the Seedling Version are presented in red italicized type.

# OF PLAYERS
2 - 6 (more can play, but the length of time between each player's turn increases with additional players)

WINNING
The first player to capture 1 habitat wins the game.

CAPTURING A HABITAT
The first player to have 2 canopy trees wins the habitat.

GAME LAYOUT

Draw Pile ("D" in Figure 1): Place 1 deck with all 50 Tree, 8 Cloud, 4 Trend and 10 Disaster Cards in the center of the playing area. This deck serves as the draw pile. All players draw cards from the top of the draw pile. (Make sure the Draw Pile is thoroughly shuffled before starting a game.).

Litter Pile ("L" in Figure 1): Next to the draw pile is the litter pile. All players discard cards to the litter pile. No cards are in the litter pile when the game begins. When the draw pile is empty, turn over the litter pile, shuffle it, and place it face down to create a new draw pile. Repeat as necessary.

Habitat ("H" in Figure 1): Select 1 habitat card and place it in the center of the play area. All players compete in the same habitat.

Understory & Canopy (see Figure 2): Each player has 2 Understory and 2 Canopy slots in the habitat (Just like a habitat in the standard 2 player game).

Player Commands: The cards in a player's hand is called the Command. At the beginning of the game, each player draws 3 cards from the draw pile to create their Command (Always draw from the top of the draw pile). The cards in a player's Command can be played in the habitat during that player's turn.

Figure 1

Figure 2

GAME TURN
(Select 1st Player then take turns)

STEP 1: Mobilization Phase¹
Start with 3 Sols.

STEP 2: Battle Phase²
Plant Trees; Initiate Tree Combat; Grow Trees; Discard cards; Place Weather; and/or Unleash Disasters.

STEP 3: Regroup Phase³
Draw until 3 cards are in your Command.

Sol Laws (Party Game)

3 Sols per Turn

1 Sol Minimum per Turn

1 Sol to Discard

Initiate Tree Combat

1. Tree can only attack when 1st planted.

2. Only Understory Trees can be attacked.

3. Only player's with at least 2 trees on their side of the habitat can be attacked.

4. Tree Combat is always optional.

¹ Mobilization Phase
Each player begins their turn with 3 Sols. A player spends Sols to play cards during their Battle Phase. A player must spend at least 1 Sol during their Battle Phase.

The cost to play a card is written inside the yellow sun symbol on each card. On Tree Cards, the first number shows the number of Sols required to plant the tree in the Understory, and the second number shows the cost to grow the tree into the Canopy. Cloud Cards cost 1 Sol to play. Trend Cards cost 2 Sols to play. The Sol cost to play a Disaster Card is written inside the small yellow sun symbol in the top left corner of the card.

Cards may be discarded from a player's Command, Understory or Canopy for 1 Sol apiece.

² Battle Phase
As long as a player has Sols remaining he/she may:

Plant Trees in the Understory(Guidebook p.28);
Initiate Tree Combat with another tree(p.30);
Grow Trees into the Canopy(p.32);
Discard/Remove cards (p.27);
Place a Weather Card (p.34); and
Unleash a Disaster (p.35).

The rules for each action are written in the Guidebook on the italicized page number. The rules for Initiating Tree Combat are different than presented in the Guidebook. The conditions below indicate when Tree Combat may be initiated:

1. Your Tree can only attack when it is first planted;
2. Only Understory Trees can be attacked (Canopy trees can not be attacked);
3. You can only attack a player that has at least 2 trees on their side of the habitat (count understory and canopy trees); and
4. Tree combat is always optional.

³ Regroup Phase
During the Regroup Phase, a player draws cards from the draw pile until 3 cards are in their Command.

Drawing cards ends a player's turn. Proceed to the next player's Mobilization Phase.

GAME VARIATIONS
You may consider implementing a few of the following variations to the Timber Party Game:

Do not use the Quercus marilandica Tree.
Capture 2 Habitats to win.
Ignore the "Lingering" effect on disaster cards.
Disasters that effect ALL trees only effect trees on 2 sides of the habitat: 1) the side of the person unleashing the disaster; and 2) one other side of that player's choosing.