by Tod Harrick (uncredited)
After the Dark Ages, it's A.M. in America — the Rising Sun shines on CCGs.
"The universe it is collapsing! Again the ANI-MAYHEM comes!" "Ha! Supreme card-player of all galaxies — go now! Super Anime card game Ani-Mayhem appears on the horizon. Strike quickly now!" "No, Supreme, don't go! It's far too dangerous!" "Ha! I go! But first a quick haiku!"
My world is paper
The maelstrom comes, oh no!,
I shuffle and prevail
The Aniverse has gone to pieces! Zip teams of Anime characters in a mad dash through mingled-mangled worlds for valuable items scattered by the upheaval. Of course, this being Anime, your search will be made more... interesting by the ever-lovely Disasters also scattered in the cataclysm--everything from rampaging robots to a friendly but firm traffic cop. You must overcome these, as well as your opponents, en route to your goal. In the face of some of them, you may find yourself as often as not having to team up with your own enemies just to survive... but only for the moment. ANI-MAYHEM shuffles characters, settings and events from a variety of the scrappiest Anime series around. Build a deck around a single series, or make up your own combo-verses, the funkier the better.
OK, you've got your deck. There are 6 kinds of cards: Combat, Characters, Boosts, Items, Disasters and Sites.
Shuffle your Combat cards. Set them face down in front of you.
Characters are purple. Choose up to 6 Characters. Start your hand with these. Each Character has a set of Power Levels, Skills and a home Universe. Power Levels are:
Use these to start your Draw pile. Shuffle thoroughly (Give your opponent a chance to cut your deck). Use as many as you want. Go ahead; load up! Take a moment to chuckle coldly at your opponent. Draw 7 now to finish your hand. There are four types of Boosts: Equipment, Enhancements, Globals and Shii-neh!
Play during POWER-ON! only. Affects 1 Character. Equipment can be transferred from one Character to another. Equipment is not automatically discarded when a Character is Booked or "Deaded".
During POWER-ON! only. 1 Character only. Characters can only Transform in Sites from their own Universe. Enhancements cannot transfer between Characters and must be discarded if a Character is Bonked or "Deaded'.
During POWER-ON! only. Affects all of your Characters. Remains in effect until the end of the game.
This is the Japanese equivalent of "In your face, boy-eee!" (the literal translation is "Die horribly as worms ingest your innards!") Can be played at any time. Must be discarded immediately.
The point. Valuable for the abilities they possess or for trade with Characters from the Item's home Universe. Plus - at the end of the game, whoever has the most, well. . . wins. Choose up to 7. Lay them face down in a row in front of you.
Remember all those great Boosts you just gloated over? Here's where'you pay for them. You must have as many Disasters as your total number of Items, Sites and Boosts combined. 1/3 of your Disasters must be MAJOR DISASTERS (these have a D!). Shuffle your Disaster cards and deal 2 face down over each Item: No peeping! (that's an "in" joke). Shuffle the rest into your Draw pile.
Lay 1 Site face up over each Item/Disaster set. When you're doing this, remember that only certain Characters can attack each Site.
Use any 1 piece of Equipment and either 1 Enhancement or Global from your hand.
Some Disasters will be powerful enough that no single Player will be able to overcome them. In PARLAY, Players negotiate alliances, agree upon non-conflicting Motion, stab each other in the bark, etc. A Player can call for PARLAY with any group of Characters able to move to the Site that the Characters calling for PARLAY are on this turn. The Called Player can accept or refuse.
If the called Player accepts, each Player may make 1 request (outside of a permanent transfer of cards), to which the other must agree. The Players may of course make any supplemental arrangements they wish. If the called Player refuses, the calling Player can drop the PARLAY or wage a CHARM BATTLE to force the issue.
In PARLAY, CHARM rules, though it takes many forms. Sometimes it is sex appeal. For others it is pure cuteness (oh, Ryo-Ohki's in trouble! We've got to help!). And CHARM can make seemingly ineffective Characters a serious factor in the game.
The calling Player designates one character to CHARM his or her target. If the CHARM (including Boosts & Items) of the designated Character is higher than that of the majority of Characters in the target party, the target is compelled to fulfill the request. If Combat is necessary, the Charmed characters will fight until they take Hurt equal to twice the difference between their own Charm and that of the Charming Character.
The outcomes of all PARLAYS, voluntary or otherwise are kept private until all PARLAYS are finished, at which point, EVERYONE declares their...
MOVEMENT for Characters is free-flowing. Put as many Characters as you want into play. Move them in groups or individually in any direction along the Field. In a solo game, bring Characters into play anywhere on the Field. In a 2-player game, bring Characters into play on the side of your opponent's Field to your left. In a game with 3 or more players, bring Characters into play on any opponent's card which touches one of your own. Characters moving as a group are limited to the MOTION of the slowest Character in the group.
Though it is not necessary, you may find that as more and more modifications are attached to your Characters, it is easier to use tokens. Each player should use a different color token (hey man, I want the "Jolt" Cap, you take the paper clip). Use a different token for each Character or group of Characters, then move the tokens from Site to Site instead of your cards. BONUS! We have by the way, included in every Starter Deck a "chit" card on which images of all Characters in the lst set are printed in a grid pattern. How's that for kind?
Once on a Site, Characters can attempt to SCAVENGE it. Players should take turns in their SCAVENGE attempts. To attempt to SCAVENGE a Site, pull out the uppermost Disaster card and turn it over. If your Characters get past it, they may, depending on their Health levels, continue the attempt or run away. Some Disasters are non-combative. Others are very combative indeed, which thus requires...
Parties in COMBAT, either Player-Player or Player-Disaster, attack and defend simultaneously. Disasters automatically strike a Character carrying Items. Otherwise, selection is random (use a die, flip a coin, shoot odds & evens-whatever works for you).
In Player-Player Combat, each Player picks 1 COMBAT for all of his or her Characters. In Player-Disaster COMBAT, Player picks 1 COMBAT for Characters and another from his or her own COMBAT pile for the Disaster. Some Disasters have CHARM. Any Character whose CHARM is less than the Disaster's cannot Attack or Defend for 1 round. If the Disaster's CHARM score is higher than that of all the Characters attacking it combined, none of the Characters will be able to Attack. They may choose to either run away or Defend until more Charming Characters arrive to aid them.
Attacker's total DAMAGE (with bonuses) - Victim's total DEFENSE (with bonuses) = Hurt to Victim.
If Attacker's Damage is higher than victim's Defense, victim is Hurt by that number of points. Hurt adds up until Combat ends. After Combat is over, Hurt goes away.
If a Disaster takes Hurt equal to twice its DEFENSE, it is defeated and removed from play. Items carried by defeated Disasters are left at the Site.
If a Character takes Hurt equal to 2x its DEFENSE, it is BONKED, and must be shuffled into the Draw pile. Items and Equipment the Character is carrying are left at the Site. Enhancements are lost.
If a Character takes Hurt equal to 3x its DEFENSE, it is DEAD, and must be removed from play. Again, Items or Equipment are left at the Site and Enhancements are lost.In Player-Disaster Combat, Characters can combine their attacks, even those from different Players. Each Character, however, must Defend on its own. Combat continues until either the Disaster is defeated, all Characters are Bonked or "Deaded", or the Characters run away.
Players should keep used Combat cards separate from their Discard pile. When all Combat cards have been used, reshuffle them and start again.
Players take turns drawing cards from their Draw pile one at a time until they both have 7 cards in their hand. If any Player draws a Disaster, Reloading stops immediately. The Disaster enters at the left of the Field of the player who drew it. Stray Disasters move once and thereafter remain where they land. Roving Disasters continue Movement for several turns. Disaster MOTION is always clockwise. Once on a Site, a Disaster takes effect immediately. If there are Characters with Items, the Disaster will attack. If there are Characters without Items, they may choose to engage in Combat or run away.
All Roving Disasters move. If Combat is required, so be it. Start again and take no prisoners. Remember, fortune favors the bold.
The line layout is only the simplest of many possible games in the ANI-MAYHEM system. Variations, including some for extended campaigns, are included in the "Advanced Rules" section of the RuleBook. We think most of the Advanced Rules are way more fun, and experienced gamers will probably try some of those right off the bat (but you'll have to get the game to find out what they are).
Items and Equipment left at a Site by Bonked or "Deaded" Characters are considered to be actually at the Site, not just on the card. To retrieve the Items, Characters arriving subsequently at the Site must successfully access it, although they do not necessarily have to take on any Disasters.
And finally, KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CARDS. We've tried to be as sensitive as possible to your need to keep hold of your treasured set. That was a major reason behind the simplified layout and advanced layouts, while more exciting, are even more prone to card mix-up. But the simple truth is, cards get mixed up. So a suggestion from those who have learned by hard experience use sleeves... and keep an eye out.
And REALLY finally. Have fun!
Scrye 4015 July 1996