The exact origin of this unusual 2-4 player game is unknown. It is described in Richard Sipie's Cuttle FAQ.
He says he was taught the rules in 1975.
Rules taken and cleaned from: http://www.pagat.com/combat/cuttle.html
Cuttle is a game for 2 players, played with a simple 52-card pack.
The aim is to be the first build a layout worth at least 21 points. Cards can be used for their point value, or to attack your opponent's layout by destroying or capturing cards.
Play begins with the dealer, who deals six cards to himself and five to his opponent. This opponent then takes the first turn.
On a turn, a player may play a card (see card rules), or draw one. If a player has 21 or more points worth of "point cards" on the table at the end of his turn, that player is victorious - otherwise the turn passes to his opponent.
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Firstly: Any numbered card (A-10) may be played as a point card. In this case, the player puts the card face-up on the table in front of him, and it is worth as many points as the are spots on its face (1 for an ace, etc).
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Secondly: Any numbered card (A-10) may be played, instead, as a scuttle. In this case, it is played on top of a point card which it exceeds in value. Both cards are then moved directly to the scrap pile (face up, as is everything there).
🔸 The eight of clubs will scuttle the seven of spades, but not the eight of hearts.
🔹 Cards in the scrap pile have no controller, and do not effect the game in any way.
- Suit order:
♣️ <♦️ <♥️ <♠️ (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades) - Rank order: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K
A helpful way to remember suit order is that they are alphabetical, low to high: C-D-H-S
The numbered cards may all be played as a one-off, except for the eights and tens. In this case, they are placed directly into the scrap pile, with the following effects:
| Card | Ability |
|---|---|
| Ace | Put all point cards on the table into the scrap pile. |
| Two | Place any card on the table into the scrap pile, except a point card. (In practice, Kings, Queens, Jacks and the "glasses" eight) or Place any one-off just played into the scrap pile. This occurs before the effect of that card is accomplished, and, uniquely, can be played during the opponents turn, as well as your own. |
| Three | Rummage through the scrap pile, taking a card of your choice into your hand. |
| Four | Opponent must discard two cards of his choice from his hand into the scrap pile. |
| Five | You may draw two cards. |
| Six | All cards on the table except for point cards are moved into the scrap pile. |
| Seven | Draw a card. You can and must play this drawn card immediately - whether as a point card, a scuttle, a one-off, whatever. If you are unable to play the card, it is discarded. (This may only happen in the event of drawing a Jack). |
| Eight | 8 points and these abilities. |
| Nine | Return any permanent card to its controller's hand. |
| Ten | Just worth 10 points. No special abilities. |
As well as a point card, an eight too has a secondary use, although it is not a one-off. Instead, the card may be placed rather like a King or Queen, but at right angles to the opponent (and his other cards). This differentiates it from point card eights, and simultaneously makes it look like a pair of glasses! The effect is that the opponent must play with his hand exposed until he finds a way to transfer the eight to the scrap pile.
Can only be played on your turn, and count as no points.
| Card | Ability |
|---|---|
| Jack | Placed on top of a point card (A-10) already on the table. Kept there, the card is moved across the table and is now owned by the opponent of its original owner (who is generally your opponent!) |
| Queen | Played on the table, like a point card. With a Queen in play, none of your other cards may be the target of opposing cards that target a single card. (Specifically: Jacks, twos, and nines). However, this offers no protection against those like aces that target more widely, even if there is only one card the table that will be affected. Nor do Queens offer any protection against scuttle attacks. |
| King | Played like Queens. With a King in play, a player can win with just 14 points worth of point cards on the table. With two Kings he needs just ten, with three, seven, and with all four just five points! (Mathematically, a player needs 21/(1.5^k) points to win, where k is the number of Kings controlled by that player). |
Although I am no authority, I can find no other guide to the question online. The rule I have played for twenty-five years is that it is unfair (and dull!) to end the game while a win may still be forced. Therefore, I play that "taking a card" in this situation becomes an effective pass, and that if three of these occur in a row, it is only then that the game is declared a draw.
The single most common question I am asked :-). Players who are used to Magic: The Gathering are often surprised to find out that this is not allowed - a two is not a universal counterspell. It may only "counter" a one-off, nothing else.
The second most common question I am asked :-). The answer is yes: Queens prevent the targeting of any single card controlled by that player, however briefly.
Absolutely! A last-in, first-out order seems the only sensible one to employ - ie in this situation the last-played card (the second two) moves the first to the scrap pile. From there it cannot effect the game, so the original card is played unscathed.
I don't think so. Since cards in the scrap pile do not affect the game, I believe a card sits in a kind of suspension until its effect has been resolved. This also gives clarity to the protection of one-offs by Queens.
Suppose the only point card on the table is mine, and my one-off seven comes up as a Jack. What happens
To me, the only logical answer is that the card switches sides, with the Jack on top of it!
It's been remarked on. It does however predate it considerably - I learnt the rules in 1975. A reverse genealogy would be fascinating - I would love to know if Richard Garfield has heard of the game.
piato on Reddit gave these tips:
"Point cards" are creatures. You win if you have 21 power on the table. J/Q/K are enchantments.
A: Wrath 2: Dispel / Disenchant (split card) 3: Regrowth 4: Mind Rot 5: Divination 6: Back to Nature 7: draw a card and play it immediately (Chandra +0?) 8: Glasses of Urza 9: Boomerang 10: - J: Mind Control Q: Defense Grid + Privileged Position K: Your creatures have power * 1.5
(Note that the Instant/Sorcery status of those cards isn't quite right - everything in the game is at "sorcery speed" (i.e. on your turn, and the only thing you do on your turn), except for the counterspell mode of 2s. Which makes the counters into Flusterstorms or something, since they can't hit "creatures", scuttles (um, evoking shriekmaw I guess?) or "enchantments".)
piato on Reddit says:
I don't know what's going on with the rule for 9s, but they're completely useless as stated. John M (who runs pagat.com, which hosts the Sipie FAQ) suggested that he may have meant "bounce a card and it can't be replayed that turn", which makes a ton more sense.
Online play at cuttle.cards uses several minor changes to the rules written above, in order to fine-tune the game's balance for competitive play:
- The most important change is the addition of an 8-card hand limit. Players cannot draw when they have 8 cards in hand and playing a 5 when you have 8 cards already draws you just one card so you go up to 8.
- Seven one-offs: reveal the top two cards of the deck (instead of one), and the active player chooses one of the cards to play, and puts the other back on top of the deck.
- Nine one-offs: return target permanent to it's controller's hand. It cannot be played next turn.
- Having 3 kings reduces a player's goal to 5 points (from 7), and having all 4 kings reduces a player's goal to 0 points (from 5) and causes that player to immediately win.
Cutthroat is a fast-paced 1v1v1 version of Cuttle. It is played with the same rules as the cuttle.cards Standard rules, with the following changes:
- The win condition is reduced. Players need 14 points to win by default, 9 points with one King in play, 5 points with two Kings in play, and having 3 Kings in play immediately wins (goal becomes zero).
- To start play, deal each player 5 cards and the player to the left of the dealer goes first. Which player is the dealer rotates clockwise each game.
- Shuffle two Jokers into the deck. Jokers count as Royals with the effect "Steal target Royal".
- The hand limit is reduced to 7 (from 8).
- When playing a glasses 8, instead of forcing players to play open handed, the player with the glasses may request to see either opponent's hand at any time
Team Cuttle is a 2v2 game where players sit across from their partner. A team wins if either of its players earns the required number of points, but players do not share cards in their hand or on their field (points are counted separately and your Royals do not directly affect your partner). Otherwise, the rules are the same as cuttle.cards Standard Cuttle, with the following changes:
- Each player is dealt 5 cards, play starts left of the dealer and proceeds clockwise from there. Shuffle two Jokers into the deck. Jokers count as Royals with the effect "Steal target Royal". Similar to Jacks, they may transfer control of a Royal from any player to any other player.
- The hand limit is reduced to 7 (from 8).
- Jacks may be played to transfer control of any point card to any other player. You may therefore "steal" points from yourself (or anyone else) in order to give them to your partner, potentially winning on your turn with their points (their goal is still determined by the count of their own Kings on the field).
- Nines can be played for an alternative, similar effect. Whenever an opponent plays a Royal, you may immediately play a Nine in response to return that card to its owner's hand immediately, preventing its effect from taking place. Doing so may be done out of turn and does not take your turn, but does not prevent the target's owner from playing the card again on their next turn. Alternatively, you may still play a Nine for its original one-off effect on your turn (taking your turn to do so) to return a card to its controller's hand and prevent them from playing that card on their next turn.
- Instead of the 4's one-off being a Choice Discard, make it a Random Discard. It can possibly improves the game once you hit a reasonably high level, putting pressure on 2's and encouraging attacking play. On the other hand, choice 4's are skill-testing when you're just learning the game, so swings and roundabouts I guess. (suggested by piato)
Richard Sipie has been playing games since 1951. He also enjoys walking, collecting (especially theatre paraphenalia) and flattery :-). He is happily married and lives in Bloomington, IL.
R.Sipie, 2000 (do E-mail me!)
[but the address given - [email protected] - unfortunately no longer works - JM]