Overview

In Schotten Totten (pronounced "shoh-ten toh-ten", meaning explained here) you and an opponent are opposing Scottish clans with a border of nine stones dividing your territory. By pulling the stones over to your side, you gain more land for yourself, which is how you win. Stones are claimed by setting your clans (sets of cards) against opposing clans. The stronger clan (set) claims the stone.

Gameplay

There are 54 Clan cards, numbered 1 through 9 in 6 colors (green, blue, red, yellow, purple, pink). Each opponent has a hand of six. On each turn, a player must...

Play a Card: Choose one card from your hand and place it on your side of any Stone that A) is not claimed and B) doesn't yet have three cards.

Draw a Card: Draw one card from the deck to replenish your hand.

Cards cannot be moved after being placed.

If the deck is empty, the game continues without drawing cards.

Card Formations

Claiming a Stone

Claiming a stone can only be done after playing a card, but before drawing a new one (BGA will prompt you).

A player may claim a stone if their three-card combination is stronger than their opponents. In general, this can only be done once three cards are played on both sides of the stone. However, it can be proven that the other side cannot form a stronger combination (Ex. you have a red color-run of 1-2-3, they have a blue color run of 1 and 2, but you have already played the blue 3 on your side.) This proof must be based only on cards played on the table (you cannot use your own hand as proof), but BGA will calculate this for you automatically.

To claim a stone, move it to your side of the border. Cards cannot be played at this location anymore.

Ties in Card Formations

If two opposing formations have the same type (e.g., 1 2 9 vs. 9 7 6), the one with the highest total (sum of card values) wins.

If the strength totals are also tied (e.g., 4 5 6 vs. 4 5 6), the player who played their third card first wins.

End Game

The first player to achieve one of these conditions wins the game.

• Controls three adjacent stones
• Controls any five stones

Tactic Variant

In the Tactic variant, tactic cards are shuffled into a separate deck. Each player has a hand of 7 instead of 6.

On your turn, you can play a clan card (as normal) or a Tactic card.

You can have as many Tactic cards as you want in your hand, as long as you respect the maximum hand size of seven cards.

You cannot play more than one card more than your opponent has played. Example: Your opponent has already played one Tactic card while you have already played two. You have therefore played one Tactic card more than your opponent. As a result, on your turn, you cannot play a Tactic card until your opponent plays his second.

Tactic cards have three categories:

Elite Troops

These are played like clan cards.

• Joker: When played, you may choose the color and rank of the card. There are only two in the game and each player can only have one Joker on their side. If you have played one and drawn the other, you must keep it in your hand.
• Spy: When played, you choose the color of the card.
• Shield-bearer: When played, you choose the color of the card. Has a rank of 1, 2, or 3.

Combat Modes

These are played on the stone itself.

• Blind-Man's Bluff: If a stone has this card, only the Sum card formation is used to determine who can claim the stone. (Meaning all superior formations (e.g., color-run, three of a kind) don't matter--only the sum total of the cards is taken into account.)
• Mud Fight: If a stone has this card, players must play four cards before being able to claim the stone.

Ruses

These are one-time actions that are discarded after use.

• Recruiter: Draw three cards from either deck. Then choose two cards from your hand and place them on the bottom of their respective decks.
• Strategist: Choose one of your clan cards on an unclaimed stone and either place it on a different unclaimed stone or discard it.
• Banshee: Choose one of your opponent's clan cards on an unclaimed stone and discard it.
• Traitor: Choose one of your opponent's clan cards on an unclaimed stone and place it on one of your unclaimed stones.

There may be a case where your hand only has tactic cards or only has clan cards. There may also be a case where you can no longer place clan cards on your side of the border. If so, you can only play tactic cards or pass.

Expert Variant

Tactics are also used in this variant, plus a new rule: a stone can only be claimed at the beginning of your turn. This lets the opponent play a tactic card that could change the battle.