Showdown

o r y o u l i v e long
e i t h e r d i e a hero e v i l l a i n .
Yo u l f b e co m e t h
e y o u r s e
e n o u g h t o s e a rk K n ig ht
nt , The D
— H ar vey D e

m e o n e u n t i l yo u
o t t r u l y k n o w so
Yo u d o n
f i g h t ,tMhaet rim .
e ra p h x R e lo a d e d
—S

e a l l t h i n g s , and
i s d e c e i t f u l ab ov
The hear t n d e r s t a n d i t?
s i c k ; w h o c an u
d e s p e r a17t:9e l y
— Je re m ia h

To Ralph Mazza, with respect. If you hadn’t told me about that design contest,
I never would have written this game.

Credits Playtesters
Design and writing: Seth Ben-Ezra A lbert A ndersen Colin Creitz R alph Mazza
Marta A rmas Jeremy Degenhart Brett Mooberr y
Editing: Ryan Macklin Narayan Bajpe Justin Easley Peter Orfanos
Graphic design and layout: Crystal Ben-Ezra Cr ystal Ben-Ezra Ron Edwards Josh Roby
Photography and Effects: Justice Ben-Ezra Gabrielle Ben-Ezra R aquel Evans Keith Sears
Design Assistance: Isaac Ben-Ezra Isaac Ben-Ezra Oliver Granger Ma x Teszkiewicz
Samuel Ben-Ezra Ethan Hamric Jules Van Oosterom
Blood Art by Yannick P. [Link]
Seth Ben-Ezra Charles K amzelski
Icons by Lorc available at [Link]
A lex Boone Tim Koppang
Shane Boone Kit La Touche
Abigail Creitz Ryan Mack lin

©2014 Dark Omen Games. A ll rights reser ved.

 f
Ta b le o
t s
Co n t e n
 Table of Contents
A Final Confrontation....................................................................................... 5
Preparing for Battle........................................................................................... 7
Determine Genre and Style.................................................................................................7
Make Characters....................................................................................................................7
Create Details.............................................................................................................................. 8
Create Weapon. . ............................................................................................................................ 8
Create Qualities. . ......................................................................................................................... 8
Name your char acter . . ................................................................................................................. 9
Beginning the Duel............................................................................................................... 9
Assign the Upper Hand and Flash of Insight Tokens............................................................ 9
Set the Scene of the Duel.......................................................................................................... 9
Sequence of Play.................................................................................................. 15
Overview..................................................................................................................................15
Ground Rules.........................................................................................................................15
Declare Maneuvers and Memories....................................................................................18
Maneuvers in the Duel.. ............................................................................................................. 18
Memories and Identity............................................................................................................... 18
Attack!..................................................................................................................................... 20
Select Attack Cards.. .................................................................................................................. 20
Adopt Stance................................................................................................................................ 20
Roll Dice. . ..................................................................................................................................... 20
Inflict Pain and Suffering................................................................................................. 22
Flashbacks and Revelation. . ...................................................................................................... 22
Duel and Injury.. .......................................................................................................................... 22
Narrating Outcomes........................................................................................................... 24
Flashback Outcome. . ................................................................................................................... 24
Dueling Outcome........................................................................................................................ 24
If One Person Has Both Tokens… . . ........................................................................................... 24
Finish Him?. . .................................................................................................................................. 24
The Bitter End...................................................................................................................... 28
The Last Flashback . . .................................................................................................................... 28
Afterword............................................................................................................ 31
Character Sheets................................................................................................ 32
Sequence of Play.................................................................................................. 33

iii
 A Fi n al
n t at i o n
Co n f r o
 A Final Confrontation
This time, it ends in blood. All the small insults, Showdown is a roleplaying game about two people
petty betrayals, maneuvering, and excuses, all of locked in a bitter struggle that can only end with
it has led up to this moment. The two of you are the death of one of them. It’s for two players and
facing off, but only one of you will walk away. should take between 60 and 90 minutes to play.
Over the course of play, you and your opponent
It was unavoidable. From the moment you saw will be fighting over two things: the outcome of
each other, you were fated to meet one last time a climactic duel between these two foes and the
in a collision of passion, rage, and violence. But history that led them to that duel. Win the duel,
why? How did it all come to be? Were you bitter and you get to choose who lives and who dies.
rivals, escalating your rivalry until bloodshed was Control the history, and you get to shape why
the only possible ending? Were you once friends, they fought in the first place. How did it come to
now torn apart by some unforgiven sin? Were you this? Who’s the hero? Who’s the villain? And who’s
once lovers, with gentle caresses now turning to left standing when the dust settles?
blows?
Raise your weapons and prepare to face the truth.
And does it really matter anymore? One of you is
about to die; the other will spend the rest of his
days with this moment burned into his memory.

For a moment, time pauses.

Your eyes narrow.

And the weapons come out.

ˑ ˑPlay generously.
Showdown is a competitive game, but it relies on a base of mutual trust and respect in order to work. Since
Showdown is played mostly with words and ideas, you will need to make judgment calls about the definitions or
boundaries of those words and ideas. For example, is “desperate” a diminishing of “confident”? Or does being “a
brilliant scientist” mean that you wouldn’t make a rookie error in an experiment?
As you play this game, play generously with your opponent. If your opponent objects to the extent of your judgment
call, then be ready to roll back your judgment call and re-examine it. At the same time, try to see things from your
opponent’s perspective when she make a judgment call that you’re not quite sure about.
Don’t let your game devolve into bickering over definitions. Instead, work together to have an awesome game
experience that both of you will happily remember by playing generously with each other.

5
 i n g
P re par

fo r Bat t le
 Preparing for Battle
In order to play Showdown, you will need the
following : Determine Genre and
ː ː Four sets of dice from d4 to d12. Ideally, they
Style
should be in pairs of contrasting colors, like black You two now need to establish the genre and style
and red. for your narrative combat. Showdown can work
with nearly any genre and style that would in-
ː ː Two sets of four Stance Cards. clude a fight to the death. Want to stage a West-
ː ː Two sets of five Attack Cards. ern-style gun fight? Or what about two desperate
criminals in a shootout in a warehouse? A magical
ː ː Two character sheets
duel between wizards? It’s especially important
ː ː Two pencils that you discuss the sort of weapons that your
ː ː An Upper Hand token characters will be using. Will you be slashing
at each other with swords? Are you maneuver-
ː ː A Flash of Insight token. ing starships in an asteroid field? Piloting giant
ː ː A blank piece of paper for a map mechs across an alien landscape? The possibilities
ː ː Two small tokens (like coins or small dice) to are vast and entertaining. Talk it over with your
mark character positions on the map opponent until you both agree on something that
sounds good.
You can download the necessary files for these
cards, sheets, and tokens from the Dark Omen One way to nail down the style of the game is to
Games website (w w [Link]). start by talking about movies that you’ve watched
recently and are excited about. Were there any
Each of you take two sets of dice, so that you both iconic battles or duels in those movies that really
have a set of each color. Each of you should also got you excited in the moment? Draw from those.
take one set of Stance Cards, one set of Attack If you’ve both seen the same movie, this can help
Cards, a character sheet, and a pencil. Leave the both of you communicate your vision for the up-
Upper Hand token, the Flash of Insight token, coming game.
and the mapping components to the side for now.

Once you have everything, you’re ready to start

your game of Showdown.

ˑ ˑWhat if I can’t print out the cards and sheets?

In a pinch, you can hack together the necessary material using scrap paper and a deck of cards.
For Attack Cards, give each player the 4, 6, 8, 10, and Jack of a single suit. Scribble the character information and
the Stance names (found on page 20) on a couple pieces of papers to serve as character sheets. Just cross off the
Stances as you use them.

7
Make Characters
Once you’ve chosen the genre and style, it’s time we’d see? Have a strange hairstyle or odd clothing
to make your characters. choice?

Showdown works best when you make your ː ː What mannerisms would we see? A stutter or
characters separately. Don’t worry, it shouldn’t eloquent speech? All smiles or grimaces?
take more than ten minutes. This lets you be
surprised by your opponent’s results, as well as be You’re coming up with details because these help
intrigued by how your characters met and came to you and your opponent describe each other in the
this dramatic point in their lives. heat of battle.

You’ ll come up with a few things during this step: ˑˑ Create Weapon
a few details that you’d see or hear in the first Now you need to figure out the iconic weapon
couple minutes of a movie, the iconic weapon that your character is using. You already es-
he’ ll use, the Qualities that the character be- tablished some broad possibilities earlier when
lieves himself to possess, and finally a name . discussing genre and style, but now it’s time to
use those guidelines to choose a weapon that fits
As you work on your character, make sure that the look and personality of your character. Write
you’d root for this person if he was in a movie it down on your character sheet, and think about
or book. Like everyone else, the person you’re what the weapon says about the character.
making believes he’s the hero of this story. That
doesn’t mean that you need to make a perfectly You’re coming up with a weapon for the same
nice character, but you should want to see him reason you’re coming up with details, and because
live through this duel. the weapon will frame how many of your actions
in the duel will play out.
When creating your character, focus on him
the way he is at the moment the duel begins. As
you play, you’ ll come up with both characters’
ˑˑ Create Qualities
What is your character’s self-image? Is she a
backstories, so don’t come up with one at this
mighty warrior? Is he compassionate? Is he cer-
moment.
tain that he is the smartest one in the room? Is
If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, she dedicated to her country? Write down four of
borrow inspiration from the hero of one of the these Qualities on your character sheet under the
movies that you used to set the genre and style of column labeled “I think that I [am]…” and make
the game, or perhaps another fictional character sure it reads like a complete sentence.
that you already really like. Remember that this
These Qualities represent how your character
is just a starting point, and your character won’t
sees himself, not necessarily what he actually
turn out the same as the character you’re using as
is. Therefore, unlike Details, Qualities are not
a model.
simply apparent upon observation. For example,
“unyielding in times of strife” would be an
ˑˑ Create Details acceptable Quality, since it’s ref lects your char-
Take a moment to imagine your character. What
acter’s self-image and isn’t an observable fact
does he look like? What does she sound like? Does
about the character. However, “rippling muscles”
he wear any distinctive clothing? Does she have
is a detail, since it’s an observable fact about the
a particular way of talking? Write down four
character.
of these details on your character sheet. These
should only be things that would be obvious to If you’re stuck, answer these questions:
someone observing your character in action for
a few moments. “Flowing hair” or “ long fangs” ː ː What are you proudest of ? For example, being “a
would be okay; “ hardened killer” is not a detail brilliant strategist” or “welcoming of strangers” or
(but see Qualities, below). “calm under pressure”.

If you’re stuck, answer these questions: ː ː How do people in your life see you? People in
general? For example, your character might be “the
ː ː What distinctive marks does your character one with the answers” or “a capable leader” or “the
have? Scars? Tattoos? A rare eye color? life of the party”.
ː ː What does your character intentionally do that

8
 ː ː What goals do you have in life? For example, Card. If you are more interested in controlling the
your character might “want to find true love” or first f lashback (where you’ ll set how the charac-
be “destined to become king” or be “next in line for ters first know each other), then play a low Attack
promotion in the firm”. Remember, this is what your Card.
character thinks, not necessarily what is actually
true. ˑˑ Set the Scene of the Duel
Now, whoever has the Upper Hand token sets the
You’re coming up with Qualities partly because
scene of the duel. This is the last place that these
you’re describing what your character’s self-
two characters meet. Neither of them may leave
image, which establishes what the backstory
this place during the game, because this is where
should be about. The emerging narrative that
one of them will die.
plays out in f lashbacks will challenge the truth
of these Qualities and demonstrate that some of If you are setting the scene of the duel, describe
them are merely convenient fictions to prop up the location where the duel is taking place, the
your character’s self-image. environmental conditions at this location, and
the position of the characters within the location.
ˑˑ Name your character The characters could just be showing up and star-
Finally, give your character a good name. ing off, or already in the middle of action. In any
case, they haven’t been hurt yet… that’s what the
When both of you are finished making your char- rest of the game is for!
acters, read them to each other.
When setting the scene, talk about how your op-
ponent’s character is at a disadvantage, as long as
Beginning the Duel it’s not in a way that goes against your opponent’s
With characters in hand, you’re ready to get down Qualities. Feel free to state obvious disadvantag-
to business! es, like one character being totally exposed while
the other has the high ground or is concealed.
Many great stories start from those positions. Or
ˑˑAssign the Upper Hand and Flash of consider subtle ways of putting your opponent at
Insight Tokens a disadvantage—for example, what if your oppo-
Each of you secretly select one of your Attack nent’s position is “ behind the hostage that he’s
Cards. Once you have both made your selection, holding”?
reveal them simultaneously. Whoever selected
the larger dice gets the Upper Hand token, and Make sure that both of you understand the gen-
the other player takes the Flash of Insight token. eral layout of the location of the duel. If you’re
Then, discard the Attack Cards that you used— not setting the scene, ask clarif ying questions to
place them to the side and place the associated make sure that you understand what’s going on.
dice with the cards. These are no longer available If you are setting the scene, answer these ques-
to use. tions honestly, though you don’t have to answer
the questions the way your opponent hopes you’d
If both of you selected the same Attack Card, answer them. You paid for the right to set up the
then set those cards aside and select again. Do duel. Use it!
this until you’ve chosen different cards. Once you
choose different Attack Cards, put the other cards As you are describing the duel location and an-
back in your hand. You should start with four swering questions, sketch a map of the area. Mark
Attack Cards in your hand. any important areas and use small tokens to mark
where the two characters are at the beginning of
If you somehow run through all your Attack Cards the duel. As the game progresses, move the tokens
before playing different cards, share a good laugh, around to show where the characters have moved.
then start over with all Attack Cards available.
With the tokens assigned and the duel set, you’re
If you have a really strong idea of where the duel ready to face off!
should be set, then you should play a high Attack

ˑ ˑExample Character Sheets

The next couple of pages show some example characters for Showdown. You can use these to play one of your first
games or as inspiration for your own ideas.

9
Genre: Space Opera in the vein of Stars Wars or Location: A crowded asteroid field, cluttered
Battlestar Galactica with the fighter pilot rival- with rocks and debris.
ries of Top Gun. Lots of space combat intercut
with ego clashes on the ground.

Ty
FX-30 Dagger interceptor armed with twin plasma cannons

S hort
S pikey hair

S parkling eyes

A constant grin

The life of the party

Popular with the ladies

G regarious
A smooth talker

Anna
FX-51 Talon heavy fighter armed with a nova cannon
and photon torpedos

Cropped hair
Tattoo on shoulder
Scowling face
Lithe

Committed to my unit
Disciplined
Respected for my skills
Aggressive

10
Genre: Cosmic level superheroes, like Dr. Location: Downtown New York City, hovering
Strange or Silver Surfer. Crazy, over-the-top ef- between skyscrapers as bystanders f lee in terror
fects and powers are the norm in this setting.

The Caped A venger

H is indestructible body and fists that can crush steel

Red and white costume with cowl

Red cape

U nnaturally agile

Can fly

Self- sacrificial
H eroic
B eloved by the people

Self- controlled

Mythico
His mystical command of the Forces of the Cosmos

Accompanied by a mystic tome

Bolts of power crackle around his body
Wears a gold chain with medallion
Long, brown beard

have Unmatched intellect

Awe-inspiring
have Commanding presence
have Cosmic insight

11
Genre: Modern crime in the vein of Sons of Location: An abandoned two-story warehouse
Anarchy or The Shield. Gangs rule the street, by the waterfront.
and the cops are just as bad as the crooks. Gritty,
violent action in the dirty city.

Tony
a well- maintained .45 automatic

Trench coat

G rizzled face

B roken nose

W ears a large, gold class ring .

Trustworthy
L oves his family deeply

W ant to escape “The L ife”

Clever

Gina
12-gauge pump shotgun with wooden stock and flash
suppressor

Short, curly hair

Gold nose ring
Leather vest
Combat boots

Tenacious
A hardened veteran of the
police force
Competent
Compassionate

12
Genre: Small town America in the early 1960s, Location: The senior prom dance in the school
with a particular focus on the high school scene. gym at Augustus High.
Jocks with letter jackets, cheerleaders with
sweaters and skirts.

L isa
her boyfriend ’s switchblade

B londe
Pregnant
S hort
Cheerleader

Confident and Self-A ssured

Seductive
Popular
W ise in the ways of the world

Mary
a metal folding chair that was nearby

Mousy brown hair

Wears a knit cardigan
Wears thick, horn-rimmed glasses
Has acne

Intellectually superior
Straightforward
Honest
Law abiding

13
 c e
S eq u e n

o f P lay
 Sequence of Play
The duel is fought through a series of rounds, Upper Hand token recovers the Attack Card that
during which both of you will describe your he played, while the other player must discard the
characters’ struggles to overcome each other in Attack Card that she used.
the final duel and also to have positive outcomes
in the developing series of f lashbacks about your Then, you will Narrate Outcomes (p. 24).
characters’ shared history. Your characters will Whoever doesn’t have the Flash of Insight token
be damaged both by losing available Attack Cards narrates the outcome of the f lashback scene,
and by having their Qualities changed into worse including the successful completion of his oppo-
traits. Once one of you runs out of Attack Cards, nent’s agenda for that f lashback. Then whoever
the game is resolved at the Bitter End. doesn’t have the Upper Hand token narrates the
outcome of that moment of the duel, includ-
ing the successful completion of her opponent’s
Overview action.
At the beginning of each round, you’ ll Declare Finally, if both players still have Attack Cards in
Maneuvers and Memories (p. 18). This begins hand, then you play another round. Otherwise,
with maneuvers : whoever has the Upper Hand you proceed to the Bitter End (p. 28), where the
token will describe his character’s action and player who still has Attack Cards narrates the
intent in a new moment of the duel, and then the conclusion of the duel, including which character
other person will do the same for his character. dies. Finally, the player who is out of Attack Cards
Then you will move on to memories : the person narrates a final f lashback scene, tying the events
with the Flash of Insight token will narrate a of the series of f lashback scenes to the beginning
new f lashback scene and describe his character’s of the duel.
agenda, followed by the other player describing
her character’s agenda for that scene.

After this, you’ ll Attack! (p. 20). Both of you will

Ground Rules
select Attack Cards from your hand. Once this Each phase has specific rules on who gets to add
is done, you will reveal your Attack Cards at the to the developing story and what they are allowed
same time. Then, whoever has the Upper Hand to say. There are a few rules that always apply.
may adopt a Stance by playing a Stance Card
You may only narrate events and actions
from her hard. If she opts to pass, the other player
that are consistent with the characters’
may play one of his own Stance Cards. No more
current Qualities. For example, as long as your
than one Stance Card may be played per round.
Finally, both players roll the dice from their opponent is “an excellent shot,” then you
Attack Cards and use the results to assign the can’t narrate that he fumbles with his weapon
Upper Hand and Flash of Insight tokens. and looks like an idiot. This applies to Qualities
that have been replaced during play. If you cross
Once this is done, you will Inf lict Pain and off “an excellent shot” and replace it with “a
Suffering (p. 22). Whoever has the Flash of laughable shot,” then your opponent has to
Insight token has a revelation about one of the stop narrating all those clever gun tricks that
Qualities of her opponent’s character, allowing she’s been using so far.
her to change the Quality to something worse, re-
vealing its true nature. Then, the person with the

15
You may not narrate an event or action that may leave the location of the duel, and neither
would permanently remove the ability of character may leave the location that is
the character to act in the story. For example, established as the setting for a f lashback. What
it’s not fair to make a character permanently constitutes a “ location” is deliberately subjective.
comatose. He’s not comatose in the duel, right? The principle is that the action of a scene needs
to remain in the place that was set for it. So, if
You may not narrate the final death of the duel is between two characters on motorcycles
either character until the end of the duel. driving through a system of canyons, the system
Both characters must survive until the end of the of canyons would be the “ location”.
duel (the Bitter End, p. 28), so neither could have
died beforehand. If your genre allows for things You may always ask questions of your
like resurrection or cybernetic restoration, then opponent. If you find your opponent’s narration
you might be able to bend this rule a bit, if your unclear, ask clarif ying questions to ensure that
opponent is also interested in that direction. you are both on the same page. If your opponent
is feeling stuck and would like the assistance, you
You may not narrate an action that would can offer suggestions. That said, it’s possible for
remove either character from the location suggestions and questions to turn into attempts
of the scene. This means that neither character to steer your opponent’s choices. Don’t do that.

Example of Play
Abigail and Brian are going to be playing Showdown. After a little discussion, the two of them settle on a basic gritty
crime setting. A few more minutes of preparation yields the characters of Tony and Gina.

They assign the Upper Hand and Flash of Insight tokens. Abigail has a pretty clear idea of where she’d like the duel
to be, so she chooses her d10 Attack Card. Brian has decided to wait and see what happens, so he plays his d6 Attack
Card. Abigail takes the Upper Hand, while Brian gets the Flash of Insight.

Abigail sets the scene of the duel. “We’re in an abandoned warehouse. Dirt and cobwebs. Broken windows. Random
crates lying around. You’re taking cover behind one of those crates up on the second floor. I’m hunkered down in
the stairwell, just out of your line of
sight. ‘Give up, Gina!’ I yell. ‘Come
out and no one has to get hurt!’ But
we both know better.” Tony
a well- maintained .45 auto matic

Brian grins. Of course Gina knows

better—only one of them is walking Trenc h coat

away from this confrontation alive. G rizzled face

B roke n nose

W ears a larg e , gold class ring

.

U ppe r H
an d

Trust wort hy
L oves his family deeply

W ant to esca pe “The L ife”

Clever

16
 Duel Scene
M ap

Janitor’s Clo
Offices
Stairs to
Roof

Janitor’s Clo
set
Second Floo
r
Stairs

Offices

set
First Floor
Shelves
Stairs

m c rates
Rando

Offices

Docking Ra
Shelves mp

and flash
Gi na wo od en stock
sh otgun with
12- gaugsseorpump
supp re

ir
Short, curly ha
Go ld nose ri ng
Flash of Ins
Leather vest ight

Co mbat bo ots

Te nacious veteran of the

A hard ened
po lice fo rce
Co mp etent
e
Co mp assionat

17
Declare Maneuvers and Memories
The first step of each round is to establish what the relative status of the two characters. Then the
you’re fighting to accomplish during the round— other player states his character’s agenda in the
both in that moment of the duel, as you fight to same way.
survive, and in the next f lashback, as you fight to
establish that your opponent isn’t who he thinks Example of an agenda that is direct action against
a character: “My agenda for this flashback is to hurt
he is. Jun’s feelings so badly that he’ll leave me alone.”
ˑˑ Maneuvers in the Duel
Whoever has the Upper Hand token states his Example of an agenda that is provoking action from
the other character: “My agenda for this flashback is
character’s next action in the duel. Do this by
to get Leslie to kiss me.”
saying what he’s doing and what he intends to
accomplish . Then the other player then states Example of an agenda that is manipulating the situ-
his action in the same way. ation for status gain: “My agenda for this flashback
is to impress the crowd so that they will follow me
Example: “I throw my knife at him, cutting his safety rope instead of Jun.”
so that he falls” is a good action. It provides both what your
character’s action (throwing the knife) and intent (causing There are two restrictions. First, only state one
your opponent to fall by cutting his safety rope). outcome per agenda.
State actions that are quick. What’s “quick ” Example: “I want to win his heart and impress the crowd” is
is subjective and depends on the specifics of the stating two agendas. You’ll have to pick which one is more
duel. For a swordfight or gunfight, any action important: winning his heart or impressing the crowd.
taking longer than a couple seconds is too long.
In a conf lict involving dueling frigates, a ma- Second, you may not attempt to win an agenda
neuver taking several minutes is acceptable, as that you lost earlier in the game. If you couldn’t
long you’re not taking several minutes to de- get the other person to kiss you or leave you
scribe it. Think of it as a moment in an sequence alone, you can’t ask for that again. But you cer-
in a movie. Keep your actions and descriptions tainly can build off of what’s happened since,
punchy, and press on. such as “I want to make him regret not leaving me
alone earlier.” Also look for ways to undermine
ˑˑ Memories and Identity your opponent’s previous victories; if he won
Now, whoever has the Flash of Insight token sets an agenda involving seducing your character’s
up the next f lashback. Do this by stating how spouse, you could describe an agenda where get
much time has passed since the last f lashback, your opponent to feel guilt over it.
the location where this f lashback occurs, any
notable environment details , and the charac- The first f lashback has two special rules.
ters present . Flashbacks must be in chronologi- First, it must be about the very first time that
cal order, occurring after the previous Flashback your characters met. Second, when setting it up,
and before the duel (giving enough time for there instead of stating how much time has passed since
to be more f lashbacks between this one and the the last f lashback, state when it occurs relative
duel). Both characters must be present and able to to the duel. You can state a hard number (“three
interact with each other in each f lashback. months ago”) or a vague idea (“ back when we were
kids at the Academy”). You’ ll have between four
Example: “The next flashback happens two days after the and seven f lashbacks between this first one and
last one. We’re both at the bar. It’s closing time, and we’re when the duel happens, so beware of starting too
alone, except for the bartender, who is waiting for us to go short, like with “twelve hours ago.”
home.” This provides the time-frame (two days later), a loca-
tion (the bar), notable environment details (alone at closing The amount of time you start with will inf luence
time), and who else is present (the bartender).
the sort of story you tell. One that starts decades
Once the f lashback has been set up, whoever has back will feature the characters growing into the
the Flash of Insight token describes the situation duel, whereas a shorter time frame is more about
in which the two characters are interacting. characters who have explosively collided. Both
kinds of setups are fun! Try different ones and see
Finally, whoever has the Flash of Insight states what sort of stories you come up with.
his character’s agenda for the f lashback, which
Example: “The first time we met was five years ago in a
represents how he is trying to gain advantage over
little town called Princeville. The two of us are back to back
the other character in the situation. This can be in the city square as the zombies slowly close in. The sun is
direct action against the other character, provok- setting, and there’s debris everywhere.”
ing the other character into a particular action, or
manipulating of the broader situation to impact

18
 Example First Round:
Declare Maneuvers and Memories

Flash of Insight

U pper Hand
(Hidden Hand)

(Hidden Hand)
Tenacious
Competent
Compassionate

police force
A hardened veteran of the

suppressor
12-gauge pump shotgun with wooden stock and flash
Gina

a large , gold class ring .

Short, curly hair

au tomatic
Gold nose ring

face
Combat boots
Leather vest

nose
coat

G rizzled
B roken
Trench
.45
a well- maintained

“The L ife ”
W ears

his family deeply

to escape
Tony

Trust worthy

C lever
L oves
W ant

Abigail says, “Okay, I have the Upper Hand, so I get to say my action first.” She thinks for a moment. “Okay. I'm going
to throw a rock to distract you so I can get up the stairwell.”

“Fine,” says Brian. “Gina is going to shoot out all the lights on the second floor to make it dark. That way she'll be
able to get out from behind that crate.”

“Classic moves,” says Abigail. “Okay, you have the Flash of Insight, so you get to set up the first flashback.”

“This is the first time that Tony and Gina meet, right?” Brian thinks for a bit. “I got it. It's two years ago, and they're
both at Cam's, a local bar. I figure that Tony is hanging out there, and Gina strolls in. It's a weekend crowd, so it's
pretty noisy. Plus the DJ is playing loud music, so they have to yell to be heard by each other.”

Abigail nods. “Right. So what's Gina's agenda? What does she want from this encounter?”

Brian smiles. “Gina wants to arrest Tony.”

“What! Gina's a cop?”

“Looks like.”

Abigail sighs. “Well, I was thinking that my agenda was to get you to come home with
me. Now...” She pauses, then smiles. “Yes, I love it! My agenda is to get you to come
home with me tonight. What could possibly
go wrong?”

19
Attack!
With the two scenes set, you’ ll attack each other! ˑˑ Roll Dice
Remember, you’re fighting for success in both the Both of you roll your Dueling Die and your Flash-
duel and the f lashback. back Die. If you adopted a Stance (other than A
Superior Maneuver), apply its effect to your roll.
ˑˑ Select Attack Cards Whoever has the higher Dueling result takes
Now each of you secretly selects an Attack
Card from your hand. Once both of you have the Upper Hand token . If you tie for the higher
Dueling result, whoever is currently holding the
made your selection, reveal your cards simulta-
Upper Hand token keeps it.
neously to show the dice that you have selected.
Place one of these dice Whoever has the
on the Dueling Die lower Flashback
space on your char- result takes the
acter sheet and the Stance Effect Flash of Insight
other on the Flash- token . If you tie for
back Die space. If the lower Flashback
possible, use the same result, whoever is
A Dirty Trick +3 to both dice.
color for each type of currently holding the
die throughout the Flash of Insight token
game. For example, keeps it.
use red for your Duel- A Mighty Blow +2 to both dice.
ing Die and black for If a Stance Card was
your Flashback Die. played, discard it
+1 to one dice, now. (Notice that
ˑˑ Adopt Stance -1 to the other the Stances that add
If you have the Upper A Skillful Attack to your dice results
die. Choose after
Hand, you may now rolling. makes it harder to
adopt a Stance by capture the Flash of
playing a Stance Insight, since low
Card from your rolls win the Flash of
hand . If you decide Insight.)
not to adopt a Stance,
Example: James rolls a
your opponent may
Return your Dueling result of 3 and a
do so. Flashback result of 1. Lisa
selected Attack
A Superior Card to your hand rolls a Dueling result of 5
The Stances that and a Flashback result of
modif y the result of Maneuver and play a new
2. Lisa receives the Upper
your dice can cause Attack Card before Hand token, and James
those results to go rolling dice. receives the Flash of Insight
lower than 1 or to token. If both of them had
higher than the die rolled a 1 for their Flash-
would normally go. back results, whoever was
For instance, if you currently holding the Flash
of Insight token would keep
are using A Dirty
it.
Trick on a roll with
d10, if your results are 3 and 8, they become 6 and
11. Likewise, you can use A Skillful Attack to turn
a die that rolled 1 into 0.

If you adopted A Superior Maneuver, resolve its

effect immediately. Otherwise, you’ ll resolve your
Stance after rolling dice.

20
 Example First Round:
Attack !

Flash of Insight
U pper Han
d
(Hidden Hand)

(Hidden Hand)
Tenacious
Competent
Compassionate

police force
A hardened veteran of the

suppressor
12-gauge pump shotgun with wooden stock and flash
Gina

a large , gold class ring .

Short, curly hair

au tomatic
Gold nose ring

face
Combat boots
Leather vest

nose
coat

G rizzled
B roken
Trench
.45
a well- maintained

“The L ife ”
W ears

his family deeply

to escape
Tony

Trust worthy

C lever
L oves
W ant

Abigail and Brian look at their Attack Cards and choose which ones they're going to play. They reveal them simul-
taneously.

“I chose to roll d6,” says Abigail.

“D10,” says Brian.

“Okay. Since I have the Upper Hand, I get first chance to play a Stance. I'm going to play A Dirty Trick. Makes sense
with my clever 'throw a rock' trick, doesn't it?” Abigail places the Stance Card on the table. “This means I'll add 3 to
each of my dice this round.”

Both players roll their dice. Abigail rolls a 2 for Dueling and a 1 for Flashback. After adding the effect from her
Stance, she has a 5 for Dueling and a 4 for Flashback. Brian rolls a 9 for Dueling and a 6 for Flashback.

“Ha! I get the Flash of Insight,” says Abigail.

Brian takes the Upper Hand.”Now what?”

21
Inflict Pain and Suffering
With the dice having decided your fates, you’ ll ˑˑ Duel and Injury
now deliver pain to the defeated. If you have the Upper Hand, you get to keep
the Attack Card that you just used; return it to
ˑˑ Flashbacks and Revelation your hand and put the associated dice back in
If you have the Flash of Insight, change a Qual- your Ready Dice. Your opponent discards the
ity on your opponent’s character sheet. Choose Attack Card that he played, placing it to the
a Quality from the “I think that I [am]…” side and placing the associated dice on it.
column on your opponent’s sheet and cross If all of your opponent’s original Qualities have
it out. Then write down a Quality in the been crossed off, then have your opponent discard
“But really I [am]…” column next to the a second Attack Card of his choice, if he still has
Quality that you just crossed out. This re- any, placing the associated dice on it as well.
placement Quality must contradict, diminish, or
pervert the original Quality. Note: If you took the Upper Hand because your
opponent was out of Qualities to change, then you
If you have already crossed off all the Qualities on do this step, not your opponent. And if you crossed
your opponent’s sheet, then take the Upper Hand off your opponent’s last original Quality this round
token instead (if you don’t already have it.) and have the Upper Hand, your opponent does suffer
losing two Attack Cards. Ouch!

Example First Round:

Inflict Pain and Suffering
Abigail takes Brian's character sheet. “Hmm. What do we have here?” Her eyes light on Gina's Compassionate
Quality. “I'm thinking that one is going to go.” She crosses out Compassionate and writes Easily Manipulated in
the blank next to it.

Gina with wooden stock and

flash
12-g auge pump shotgun
suppresso r

Sho rt, curly hair

Gold nos e ring
Leather vest
Combat boots

Tenacio us
A hardened veteran of the
police force
Competent
Easi ly M ani pul at ed
Compassionate

22
Brian sighs. “Yeah, that makes sense. But at least I get to keep my dice!”

Unfazed, Abigail discards her d6 Attack Card and dice. “Time to say what happened!”

(Hidden Hand)

C lever
“The L ife ” to escape W ant
his family deeply L oves
Trust worthy

a large , gold class ring . W ears

nose B roken
face G rizzled
coat Trench

au tomatic .45 a well- maintained

Tony
Flash of Insight

U pper Han
d
Gina with wood en stock and
flash
12-gauge pump shotg un
suppressor

Short, curly hair

Gold nose ring
Leat her vest
Comb at boots

Tenacious the
A hard enedevete ran of
police forc
Comp etent
E asily M anipu late d
Comp assio nate

(Hidden Hand)

23
Narrating Outcomes
You’ve both fought hard this round, but now the completion of your action, as long as that doesn’t
dice have spoken, and you know who came out contradict his action or overshadow his momen-
ahead. So, embrace the outcome, and prepare to tary victory in any other manner.
make the victorious characters look awesome!
The narration must also illustrate the Stance
that was adopted this round. For example, if
ˑˑ Flashback Outcome one character adopted A Dirty Trick, then you
Whoever does not have the Flash of Insight token
need to describe how that character attempted
narrates the outcome of the f lashback. This
or succeeded at a dirty trick. Update the map
narration must include successful completion
to keep track of any important changes to the
of the agenda of the player who is holding the
duel location, and move the tokens tracking the
Flash of Insight. You may include the successful
characters if they have changed position.
completion of your agenda, as long as that
doesn’t contradict his agenda or overshadow his
victory in any other manner.
ˑˑ If One Person Has Both Tokens…
If you are holding both the Upper Hand and the
The narration must also illustrate the Quality Flash of Insight, keep one and give the other to
that was changed this round. For example, if your your opponent. The choice is yours, depending on
character received the Quality of Poor Loser, whether you want to give your opponent control
then you need to show this Quality during your over the next f lashback or moment in the duel.
narration.
ˑˑ Finish Him?
ˑˑ Dueling Outcome If one of you has run out of Attack Cards, the
Whoever does not have the Upper Hand token duel is over. Go to the Bitter End (p. 28) to see
narrates the outcome of the dueling actions. This how the game ends. Otherwise, it’s time for an-
narration must include the successful comple- other round of combat, starting with Declaring
tion of the action of the player who is holding Maneuvers and Memories (p. 18).
the Upper Hand. You may include the successful

Example First Round:

Narrating Outcomes

Janito
r’s Clo
se t
Brian says, “You won the Flash of Insight, so I get to say how it happens,
to
right? Stairs St
es Roof
Of fic
Abigail nods. “Yep.”
dF loor
Secon
Brian says, “Good. So, we cut to Gina getting out of bed with Tony. It's a sleazy
motel, so I think that it's wood paneling and a floral blanket.” es
Shelv
Abigail smiles. “I know how to show a girl a good time.”

Brian smiles back. “Yeah, well, Gina gets up to use the bathroom, which is where
she left her clothes. And her cell phone. Which she uses to text someone. And
that's when the motel room door gets kicked in by the cops. They drag Tony out of
bed...”

24
 “Naked?”

Brian grins. “Sure. They drag Tony out of bed naked and handcuff him. Gina comes out
of the bathroom with her clothes on, winks at Tony, and walks out of the room.”

“Hey! What about that whole Easily Manipulated thing? I didn't see that happen.”

“Oh, right. Um...okay, how about this? Gina sends the text from the bathroom, but when she comes out, she kisses
Tony and says, 'I'm really sorry I have to do this.' And that's when the cops kick in the door.”
(Hidden Hand)
“Since you got the Upper Hand, I get to
say what happens in the duel.” Abigail
thinks about it for a bit and sighs. “So,
I throw the rock up and off to the side,
which you totally ignore. Instead, you
come out blazing. As I go to make my
move up the stairs, I see the muzzle flash
as you take out all the lights. I duck back
down into the stairwell, but it's totally
dark now, and I have no idea where you C lever

are. But I'm pretty sure that you know

“The L ife ” to escape W ant
his family deeply L oves

where I am.” Trust worthy

Abigail continues, “We still both have At- a large , gold class ring .

B roken
W ears

tack Cards, so it's time for another round.

nose

face G rizzled

You have the Upper Hand, so what's coat Trench

your action?” au tomatic .45 a well- maintained

Flash of Insight Tony

Janito
r’s Clo

U pper Han
d
se t

Gina with wood en stock and

flash
12-gauge pump shotg un
suppressor

Stairs
loor Short, curly hair
F irst F Gold nose ring
Leat her vest
Of fic

Comb at boots
es

tairs es
Tenacious
A hard enedevete ran of
the
t
c ra
police forc
m
do
Comp etent
n E asily M anipu late d
Ra Comp assio nate

p
g Ram
Of fic

Dockin
es

(Hidden Hand)
e s
Shelv

25
 Example Second Round
Brian says, “So, now that it's dark, Gina is going to move quietly over to where Tony is so that she can surprise him
with a faceful of buckshot.”

“Yikes!” Abigail says. “Well, I'm going to take my life in my hands and dash up the stairs and dive behind a crate near
the top. Running is bad, but staying is worse.”

Brian nods. “Sure. What's the next flashback?”

Abigail says, “It's only been a couple of hours since the last flashback. We're at the police station, and you're interro-
gating me. You know, people behind one-way mirrors and all that kind of thing. But I know that you're soft for me. I
don't think your heart is really in this interrogation. So my agenda is to play on your feelings so that you'll let me go.”

Brian says, “Okay. Gina's agenda is to get you to tell us everything you know about the crime family who you work
for.”

Abigail says, “Cool. Now, we choose Attack Cards.”

Brian chooses d8. Abigail chooses d12.

“I'm going to play my 'Superior Maneuver' Stance which lets me change my Attack Card,” says Brian. “I'm going to
play my d12 Attack Card instead.”

Both players roll their dice. Abigail gets a 11 for Dueling and a 6 for Flashback. Brian gets a 12 for Dueling and a 3
for Flashback.
U pper Hand
Flash of Insight
(Hidden Hand)

(Hidden Hand)
Tenacious
A harde ned veteran of
police force
Competent
Compassionate

Gina
12-gauge pump shotgun
suppressor

a large , gold class ring .

Short, curly hair
Gold nose ring

au tomatic

face
Leath er vest
Combat boots

nose
coat
the

G rizzled
with woode n stock and

B roken
Trench
E asily M anipu late d

.45
a well- maintained

“The L ife ”
W ears

his family deeply

to escape
Tony

Trust worthy
flash

C lever
L oves
W ant

26
Abigail stares at the dice. “You're kidding me!”

“Nope. I get to keep the Upper Hand and I get the Flash of Insight.”

Abigail passes the Flash of Insight token across to Brian, who puts it on the table with the Upper Hand token.

“So, let's see what's on that character sheet,” Brian says. Abigail passes it over. “Hmm. I don't think that Tony want
to escape “the life” at all. I think that you're really “an adrenaline junkie who loves the rush of crime.” He
marks up the character sheet appropriately. “Also, you lose your d12 Attack Card.”

Abigail discards her d12 Attack Card and dice off to the side. “Okay, time to see if I can salvage anything from this.”
She stops to think. “Okay. So you're interrogating me, and I'm putting on all these moves, right? Which, in my mind,
are totally working. Which means that I'm not paying attention. So I end up gushing a bit too much about my line of
work. Talking about how much I love the buzz of racing away from a job and how other work was just too boring.
And that's when you hatch your plan. You step into the other room and convince your bosses to let me go so you and
your team can tail me. And that's what happens. I walk free, thinking that I sweet-talked my way out of prison. And,
yeah, I'm being tailed, but maybe I'm more right than you're willing to admit.”

Abigail continues, “Okay. Now the dueling outcome. Hmm. Let's just go simple here. I charge up the stairs and roll
behind the crate, which would have been great cover if you were still pinned down. But, of course, you're not. In-
stead, the light from the stairwell falls directly on me, and you can see me perfectly.”

Brian grins. “Which means Gina has Tony perfectly lined up, right?”

Abigail says, “Yep. How am I getting out of this one?”

Brian chooses to keep the Upper Hand and gives the Flash of Insight token to Abigail.

Abigail says, “Well, we both still have Attack Cards, and you have the Upper Hand. What are you doing next?”
Flash of Insight
U pper Hand
Low D ie

Low D ie
Wins

Wins
(Hidden Hand)

(Hidden Hand)
But Really I [am]
I thin k that I [am]

Name
Weapo n
Tenacious
A harde ned veteran of
police force
Competent
Compassionate

n
An adrenaline junkie who loves
S ho
© Da r k O m en G a m e

© Da r k O m en G a m e s 2014 - P er m i s s i o n gr a n t e d to m a k e co p i e s f o r p er s o n a l u s e .
w
Gina
12-gauge pump shotgun
suppressor

the rush of crime

a large , gold class ring .
o
Char act e r S he e t
s 2014 - P er m i s s i o n

Charact e r S he e t
Short, curly hair

D
wD o
Gold nose ring

au tomatic

face
Leath er vest

Q u alit ies
Combat boots
Q u alit ies

nose
De tails

Trench coat
De tails
the

G rizzled

how
with woode n stock and

B roken
gr a n t ed to m a k e co

.45
E asily M anipul ated

Weapon a well- maintained

“The L ife ”
W ears

I think that I [am]

his family deeply

But Real ly I [am]
p i e s f o r p er s o n a l

wn

to escape
Tony

S Trust worthy
flash

C lever
Name
us e .

L oves
W ant
H igh D ie

H igh D ie
Wins

Wins

27
The Bitter End
Months or years of struggle between the two of who really should die, even if it’s the person who
you have led up to this final battle. How will it all fared best in the duel overall.
end?
ˑˑ The Last Flashback
ˑˑ The Duel’s Aftermath If you are holding the Flash of Insight, narrate
If you are holding the Upper Hand, narrate the one final f lashback. The point of this f lashback is
conclusion of the duel. One of the characters to connect the events of the previous f lashback
must die. It was a duel to the death, after all. to the beginning of the duel. As such, only one of
No going soft now. Also, you must establish the the characters needs to be present, and neither of
immediate aftermath of the duel for the surviving you set an agenda. If both characters are present,
character. Was he arrested? Did she escape? Did this f lashback is the last time these two char-
she rescue the hostage? At this point, you may acters will interact in any way before the duel.
narrate the surviving character leaving the loca- At the end of this f lashback, both characters are
tion of the duel, but you may not narrate anything irrevocably committed to the duel, whether or not
after that. Think of it as the last lingering camera that’s something they individually want.
shot on the field of battle just before the credits
roll. We don’t get to see what happens beyond it. Note that this means you have the last word in
the whole game, and that’s a big deal. Find some
Just because you’re out of Attack Cards doesn’t way to put your own spin on the final events of
mean it’s your character who has to die. That’s the story, or ways to color all the actions that
likely the case, but anything can still happen in have happened in a bitter light. This is a good
those final moments. Sometimes a noble death moment to tie up any loose ends you think are
can redeem an otherwise irredeemable character. lingering, and show why the duel had to happen if
Or, maybe, it can just purge the world of a vile that wasn’t already clear.
monster, even if that monster is you. Consider

Example Game: The Bitter End

Over the course of the flashbacks, Abigail and Brian have described how Tony and Gina continue to have secret
trysts, even as the police investigation continues. But are they falling for each other, or just using each other? It's
hard to say, as both of them kept manipulating each other for information and advantage.

The characters have changed, too. Gina is now Conflicted instead of Tenacious and Emotionally wounded
instead of A hardened veteran of the police force. Tony is now a deadbeat dad instead of Loves his family
deeply.
Over the course of the duel, we've seen Gina generally outmatch Tony. Despite his best efforts, he finds himself
backed up to the edge of the warehouse roof.

And now Abigail is out of cards.

28
 High D ie
t
e r S he e
Ch ar act

Wins
lash
c k a nd f
ode n sto

n
n w it h w o
G ina mp shotg u
Low D ie Name ug e pu
12-g are

w
ss o r
Wins ails
pp
W e a p o n su De t

D o
rly hair
Sho rt, cu
ring

w
Go ld nos e Ch ar act e r S
he e t

o
Leat h e r v e st H ig h D ie

h
Wins
Na me Ton y
oots

S
Co mbat b n] a we ll- ma
Low D
W ea pom
l ly I [a in ta in ed .4 5
Q u al it ie
s But Re a au to ma ti c
Wins
D e t ails

n
m] Co n fl ic t e
d
t h at I [a

w
I t h in k

o
y w o u nd
ed Trenc h co at

D
th e n a ll
s
Tenacioeuned veteran of Emot io

ow
A hacrd G ri zz led fa ce

h
rc e
p o li e fo

S
ip u la t e d B ro ken no se
Co mp eten
t E a s ily M a n
W ea rs a la rg e ,
go ld cl as s
nate ri ng .
Co mp ass io I ths oin
r p er
p i e s f o Tru st
n akl usth
e .
at I [a m ] Q u alit ie s
m a k e co wo rt hy
P er m i s s i o n gr
a n t ed to Bu t Re al ly I [am ]
-
r k O m en G a m
e s 20 14 L ov es his fa mi
ly
© Da de ep ly
W an t A deadbeat da
to es ca pe “The L ife” An ad re naline d
Cle ver the rush of cr junkie who loves
ime

© Da r k O m en
G a m e s 201 4
- P er m i s s i o
n gr a n t ed to
m a k e co p i e
s f o r p er s o
n a l us e .

Abigail says, “Okay, you hold the Upper Hand token, so you say how the duel ends.”

Brian says, “Tony is trapped between Gina and the edge of the roof, so he starts talking quickly. 'Hey, baby. It doesn't
have to be like this. You could just let me go! No one has to know.' But Gina knows she can't, and she shakes her
head. So Tony sighs. Then he makes his move. His gun comes up and—BANG!”

He pauses for effect.

“And?” Abigail asks.

“And Tony staggers backwards, his chest blown out by Gina's shotgun. He falls from the roof silently. Gina drops the
gun and drops to her knees. And that's it, I think.”

Abigail blinks. “Wow. Um, okay. Since I have the Flash of Insight, I get to set up the last flashback. This is earlier
today. I'm at home, and I just got a phone call from my boss in the crime family with very specific orders. I need to
kill you. The family knows that I've been dallying with you, and they're not pleased. So I stare at two objects on his
table. One is the box with the engagement ring I bought last week. The other is my gun. But after a moment I shake
his head and sigh. 'Sorry, Gina. I guess it wasn't meant to be,' I say out loud. Then I pick up
the gun and walk out of the room.”

29
 o r d
Af ter w
 Afterword
As I worked on Showdown over the last few years, Showdown is about our endless capacity for
I found myself delving into the culture of hip self-deception. We are all convinced that we are
hop. In particular, I stumbled across the idea of the heroes in the stories that comprise our lives.
the “ battle”, where rival artists compete head-to- But are we?
head in an attempt to upstage, belittle, or other-
wise crush their opposition. But how can art be What if you’re the villain?
combat? The only way it works is, oddly enough,
And what would you change in your life if you
through a mutual respect and acknowledgment
were?
of the craft of the opponent, even as they attempt
to outdo it. This idea was profoundly helpful to
meas I put the final touches on Showdown.

I want you to respect your opponent when you

play by playing generously. But that’s not the
same thing as collaborating. Showdown isn’t about
collaborating. I want you to play Showdown hard.
I want you to tear your opponent’s character
to shreds. I want you to find those emotionally
tender places in your opponent and poke at them.
And, along the way, I want you to learn to doubt
yourself.

31
32
 Sequence of Play
I. Declare Maneuvers and Memories
A. Maneuvers in the Duel
1. Upper Hand: describe action in duel
2. No Upper Hand: describe action in duel
B. Memories and Identity
1. Flash of Insight: narrate f lashback
2. Flash of Insight: describe agenda for f lashback
3. No Flash of Insight: describe agenda for f lashback

II. Attack!
A. Select Attack Cards
1. Both: secretly select Attack Card
2. Both: reveal selected Attack Card
B. Adopt Stance
1. Upper Hand: choose Stance Card to play or pass
2. No Upper Hand: choose Stance Card to play if opponent passed
C. Roll Dice
1. Both: roll Dueling dice and give Upper Hand to high roll
2. Both: roll Flashback dice and give Flash of Insight to low roll

III. Inflict Pain and Suffering

A. Flashbacks and Revelation
1. Flash of Insight: change one of opponent’s Qualities
B. Duel and Injury
1. Upper Hand: return used Attack Card to hand
2. No Upper Hand: discard used Attack Card

IV. Narr ating Outcomes

A. Flashback Outcome
1. No Flash of Insight: narrate outcome of f lashback
B. Dueling Outcome
1. No Upper Hand: narrate outcome of Duel Actions
C. If one person has both tokens, give one to opponent

V. Finish Him?
A. If one player is out of Attack Cards, go to the Bitter End.
B. Otherwise, return to Declare Attacks

VI. The Bitter End

A. Player with Upper Hand: narrate conclusion of duel
B. Player with Flash of Insight: narrate final f lashback

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