Gunpowder & Gold (2021)

Second in the Matchbox Series by The Daniel Zayas Company, Gunpowder & Gold is loosely based on an older Russian card game, Durak.

Players take the roles of aspiring pirates looking to make a name for themselves by attacking other pirates and collecting Legend Cards.

Players start the game with 6 Attack Cards, with the dealer being the first attacking pirate. Remaining Attack Cards are placed in a draw pile. The attacking pirate chooses a defending pirate and plays an Attack Card. The defender can play a higher matching suit Attack Card, play a no-suit defense card, or accept the attack. If the attack is defended, the attacking player or any other player can launch up to 6 attacks total against the defending player, or with as many cards as the defender has, whichever is fewer.

Upon a successful attack by any player, the battle ends. The lead attacking pirate may look at two Legend Cards and select one, while the other attacking pirates may only draw one Legend Card. Alternatively, attacking players may choose to draw up to two Attack Cards (as able) or destroy a revealed Legend Card instead. There are different kinds of Legend Cards, and a player may only ever hold one of each type of Legend Card. If ever a player draws a Legend Card matching what they own, that player secretly discards this card to the Legend deck.

After the battle, all Attack Cards played against the defender will enter the defender's hand regardless of the outcome. The defender's cards will enter the bottom of the Attack Card deck face-down. The defending pirate will be the attacker in the next attack.

Between attacks, players may choose to reveal Legend Cards, which, in addition to furthering the win condition, will give them a significant upgrade to their actions and firepower. However, showing a Legend Card opens the possibility that another player will choose to destroy their Legend Card versus collecting one of their own. Knowing when to show a Legend Card and when to rely on your hand is paramount to winning a game of Gunpowder & Gold.