How to play
(Encuentra las Reglas en español aquí)
Introduction
SuperEchelon is a cycling card game for 2 to 4 players per deck.
Each game implies participating in a grand tour (Tour, Giro, Vuelta, ...). Each grand tour is divided into stages (rounds), and various turns are played at each stage.
At the start of the game, the number of games (grand tours) to be played in each season (set of games) will be agreed. Thus, the player who wins the most games (grand tours) will win.
Tip1: A minimum number of games could be 3 (Tour, Giro, Vuelta).
The objective of the game is to win stages to earn General Classification (GC) point and thus win games.
Check out this video (in Spanish, but also useful): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vtW1WQmUa4&t=7s
The playing cards
A SuperEchelon deck consists of 48 cards. In the face of the cards there are 9 different figures (types of cyclists), their score for each stage (lower part icons, in black) and their score for the General Classification (upper left corner, in red).
On the reverse, there are 4 different stages: flat stage, mountain stage, time trial stage and classic stage.
Important: Cards whose reverse is black are not playing cards but support cards. They must be removed before shuffling and dealing.
See below detail of figures (type of corridor):
|
General Classification (GC) Points |
Number of cards |
|
|
Climber |
10 |
4 |
|
Classic Specialist |
8 |
4 |
|
Sprinter |
7 |
4 |
|
Time Trialist |
5 |
4 |
|
Super Gregario (Super Domestique) |
5 |
8 |
|
Gregario (Domestique) |
3 |
12 |
|
Debutant |
1 |
4 |
|
Good Day |
0 |
4 |
|
Bad Day |
0 |
4 |
Game modes
SuperEchelon features 2 different game modes depending on the number of players.
- 2-player game mode
- 3 or 4 players game mode (or more players in case of extension)
The colour of the back of the cards can be used by the players for counting purposes during the game and is not relevant for other purposes.
2-player game mode
To determine the player who is going to deal the game, each player draws one card from the deck. Whoever draws the card with the highest score for the General Classification (upper left corner, in red) will deal out the first stage.
After shuffling, 5 cards are dealt to each player face down. It will be the first stage. The reverse of the top card left in the deck will mark the type of stage (Mountain, Time Trial, Flat or Classic).
Presentation of the cards at the beginning of a stage:
The way to win a stage is to present 3 cards forming an echelon thus accumulating a greater number of stage-points per stage. However, each player will present one card per turn.
Thus, on the first turn, the player who has dealt (player A) begins by showing a card. To which the other player (player B) responds by showing another card. On the second turn, player A shows the second card next to the first as a echelon, to which player B responds by showing another card. Finally, player A plays the third and final card. To which player B responds with his third card. In this way, each player will have presented a range of 3 cards on the table and they will have 2 cards in hand to continue playing in the next stage.
The player who has presented a more competitive echelon wins the stage and takes his cards and the opponent's played cards as loot. These cards are removed to count as General Classification points once the game is over (final score). In the event of a tie, each player removes his own echelon and saves the cards for the final score.
Presentation of the cards at the end of a stage:
Tip 2: A key aspect is that the cards are presented one by one. In this way, a player can either bluff or show his best cards early on.
Tip 3: Although the player who accumulates the most points wins the stage, the winner of the game will be the player who accumulates cards with the most General Classification points. So, you have to play strategically those cards that have the most value.
The player who wins the stage, deals 3 more cards to each player, so that each player has 5 cards again, and the type of stage is redefined according to the card that remains at the top of the deck. From now on, the previous stage winner will always start showing the first card. In this way, stages will be played until the entire deck is finished.
Once all the cards in the deck have been dealt, the last stage will always be a Flat stage, as it is generally the case in grand rounds.
Once all the cards have been played, the winner of the grand round will be the one who has achieved the highest number of General Classification (GC) points on all the cards won. Each card indicates its value in points of the General Classification in the upper left corner.
The total number of CG points to be dealt is 200. So, the player who gets more than 100 CG points wins the game (grand tour). At the start of the game, the number of games (grand tours) to be played in each season (set of games) must be agreed before starting the game. Thus, the player who wins the most games will win.
Special cards in game mode for 2 players
Good day and Bad day are two cards that do not contribute points to the General Classification Score. They affect only during the stage in which the card is played.
Good day allows multiplying by 2 the value of the points per stage of another card played in that stage by the same player (generally the one with the highest value). For example, if in a mountain stage an echelon is played with a Gregario, a Climber (climber) and a Good day, this last card would have the same value as the Climber in this stage but would not contribute points to the final score for the Classification General.
Bad day does not contribute points nor subtract points in the 2-player mode.
Game mode for 3 or 4 players (or more players in case of extension)
To determine the player who is going to deal the game, each player draws one card from the deck. Whoever draws the card with the highest score for the General Classification (upper left corner, in red) will deal out the first stage.
After shuffling, 5 cards are dealt to each player face down. It will be the first stage. The reverse of the top card remaining in the deck will mark the type of stage (Mountain, Time Attack, Flat, or Classic).
Presentation of the cards at the beginning of a stage:
The way to win a stage is to start or collaborate in a winning breakaway, forming a winning echelon. The winning echelon is that set of cards played by the different players (or the same player) that adds a greater number of stage points.
In this way, the first player to start a breakaway will be the player who has dealt (player 1). The next player (player 2), going clockwise, can start an alternative breakaway or join the existing proposed by player 1.
Those players being part of the winning super echelon or winning breakaway:
- recover the cards contributed to that breakaway and save them for the final score of the General Classification, and
- win the loot cards (cards from other losing breakaways).
The player who started the winning breakaway will have the right to distribute the loot cards clockwise, starting from himself, among the rest of the players who have collaborated in the winning breakaway. The loot cards will be dealt without showing the back - so that no player knows which card they receive - and they will be saved for the final score of the General Classification. It is likely that not all players who have participated in the winning echelon will receive part of the loot.
Tip 4: Which is better, starting a breakaway or sticking to a breakaway with a chance of success? Compete or cooperate? That is the dilemma of all cyclists when they are in the peloton. In any case, we will always have to think which players we are allying ourselves with if we want to win the General Classification.
Tip 5: The fact that the distribution of the loot is done in a hidden way allows to keep the thrill until the end. The player who distributes it can do it strategically, contributing points for the General Classification depending on how the round is going.
In the event of a tie between echelons, all players will recover the cards contributed to their respective escapades and will save them for the final score of the General Classification.
Possible presentation of the cards at the end of a stage:
To restart the game and play a new stage, the player to the left of the player who has distributed the loot deals 3 cards to each player, so that they have 5 cards each again, and the type of stage is redefined in depending on which card is on top of the deck. From now on, the player to the left of the one who distributed the loot in the previous stage will start showing the first card in each stage. In this way, stages will be played until the entire deck is finished.
Once all the cards in the deck have been dealt, the last stage will always be flat (Flat stage), as it is often the case in grand rounds. In case of 3 players, this stage will be played with 4 cards by each player.
Once all the cards have been played, the winner of the grand round will be the one who has achieved the highest number of General Classification (GC) points on all the cards won. Each card indicates its value in points of the General Classification in the upper left margin.
The total number of CG points to be dealt is 200. The player scoring more CG points will have won the game (grand tour).
At the start of the game, the number of games (grand tours) to be played in each season (set of games) must be agreed before starting the game. Thus, the player who wins the most games will win.
Special cards in game mode for 3 or more players
Good day and Bad day are two cards that do not contribute points to the General Classification. They affect only during the stage in which the card is played.
Good day allows multiplying by 2 the value of the points per stage of another card played in that same echelon by any player (generally the card with the highest value). For example, if in a mountain stage an echelon is played with a Gregario, a Climber (climber) and a Good day, this last card would have the same value as the Climber in this stage but would not contribute points to the final score for the Classification General.
Bad day does not contribute points and cancels the effects of a Good day card or any other card played in a rival echelon. The player who presents a Bad day card is not entitled to loot as they are not considered to have cooperated in the breakaway.