Game Rules

Ayubistan

Step into 13th‑century Ayubistan, where faith, charity, and strategy determine your legacy. Gather Hasanat (Good Deeds), protect your people from the Mushrikeen armies, and balance wealth with righteousness. The most virtuous and strategic leader wins.

Objective

  • Be the player with the most Hasanat (Good Deeds) when the game ends (after subtracting Sayeat (Bad Deeds)).

Components

Currency

  • 100 Dirhams (1‑unit silver cards)

  • 50 Five‑Dirham cards (worth 5 Dirhams each)

  • 50 Dinars (gold cards; 1 Dinar = 10 Dirhams)

Troops

  • 80 Player Troops

  • 33 Mushrikeen Army Troops

Good Deeds and Bad Deeds

  • 63 Hasanat (Good Deeds) Tokens

  • 60 Sayeat (Bad Deeds) Tokens

Cards

  • 44 Action Cards

Player Counts and Good/Bad Deed Pools

  • 2 players: 30 Hasanat (Good Deeds) and 30 Sayeat (Bad Deeds) in the pool

  • 3 players: 40 Hasanat (Good Deeds) and 40 Sayeat (Bad Deeds) in the pool

  • 4-6 players: All 63 Hasanat (Good Deeds) and all 60 Sayeat (Bad Deeds) in the pool

Player Count

  • 2-6 players maximum

Setup

  • Place the Hasanat (Good Deeds) and Sayeat (Bad Deeds) pools within reach, according to player count.

  • Shuffle the 44 Action Cards and place them face down in the center as a deck.

  • Separate Player Troops and Mushrikeen Troops into distinct supplies.

  • Give each player:

    • 10 Dirhams

    • 6 Five‑Dirham card

    • 6 Dinars

    • 3 Troops

  • Determine the first player: the youngest player goes first. Play proceeds clockwise.

  • Bank supply is considered unlimited. Make change freely as needed.

Turn Structure

Each turn follows this order:

Income

  • You may collect 2 Dirhams from the bank.

  • Important: If you draw your Action Card before taking income, you forfeit this turn’s 2 Dirhams.

Main Phase (perform any, in any order, respecting limits)

  • Donate to gain Hasanat (Good Deeds) (max 1 per turn unless a card says otherwise).

  • Recruit Troops (max 3 per turn unless a card says otherwise). You are not allowed to buy troops if there are none left in the supply.

  • Trade money for Troops or Troops for money with other players (any mutually agreed terms for the cost; maximum of 3 Troops may be traded per turn).

  • Attack another player (ends your turn; you do not draw an Action Card after the battle resolves).

Action Card

  • If you did not attack this turn: Draw the top Action Card and resolve it fully.

  • You may buy or donate if the Action Card gives you the option.

  • End your turn when the card’s instructions are completed.

Order of Operations reminder:

  • Collect 2 Dirhams → Optional Donate/Recruit/Trade/Attack → If you did not attack, Draw/Resolve Action Card → End Turn.

  • If you draw your Action Card before collecting 2 Dirhams, you lose that income—no exceptions.

Recommended:

  • Keep your cards secret so people do not know what you have. This helps when people want to attack you so they do not know how many troops you have and how much money you have.

Turn Structure Card

  • The “Turn Structure” card should stay in the middle next to the main resources in case someone needs it.


Economy & Pricing

  • 1 Dinar = 10 Dirhams

  • Troop cost: 5 Dirhams (or one Five‑Dirham card)

  • Hasanat (Good Deeds) cost (standard purchase): 10 Dirhams (or 1 Dinar)

Recruitment and Trading

  • Recruiting from the bank is always at the fixed price.

  • Player‑to‑player trades are allowed at any mutually agreed price.

  • Unless a card specifies otherwise, all payments go to or come from the bank.

  • If troops run out then you are not allowed to buy until the stack gets refilled.

  • If one of the currencies run out, you must use other currencies until the stack is replenished.

Insufficient Funds (Mercy Rule)

  • If you are required to pay by an effect and lack sufficient funds, pay what you can.

  • Note: Partial payments cannot be used to make purchases (you must pay full cost to buy Troops or Hasanat (Good Deeds)).

  • Example: If a card says “pay 5 Dirhams” and you have 3, you pay 3.

Charity & Hasanat (Good Deeds)

Standard Purchase

  • You may buy at most ONE Hasanat (Good Deeds) per turn for 10 Dirhams (or 1 Dinar).

  • 2 of those 10 Dirhams that you donate got to a player of your choosing.

Special Scenarios (Ramadan/Hajj)

  • During Ramadan or Hajj, follow the Action Card’s instructions for any special pricing or lifted limits.

  • The “2 Dirhams to the player of your choosing” rule does not apply to Ramadan/Hajj or any action card that makes it easier to gain Hasanat donations unless a card says otherwise.

Other Hasanat (Good Deeds) Sources

  • Some cards allow Hasanat (Good Deeds) via donations at different rates or for actions performed. Unless a card says otherwise, you may only gain ONE Hasana/Hasanat (Good Deeds) from such an effect per turn.

Surge Pricing (Mushrikeen Alert)

  • From the moment any Mushrikeen Army/invasion card is drawn until that battle is resolved, Troops cost double (10 Dirhams each).

  • After that battle concludes, Troop prices return to normal.

Combat: Player vs. Player (PvP)

Who can be attacked?

  • Anyone.

Declaring an Attack

  • Attacking immediately gives you 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds) and ends your turn after the battle is resolved.

Committing Troops

  • Both attacker and defender secretly choose how many of their Troops to commit.

  • Minimum commit is 1 Troop if you have any Troops available.

  • Reveal simultaneously.

Battle Resolution

  • Higher total committed Troops wins the skirmish.

  • Ties: both sides lose all committed Troops; no money changes hands.

Wins and Losses

  • The losing side discards all committed Troops to the Troop pile.

  • The winner discards half of the committed Troops. This refers only to the Troops committed in this battle.

Spoils

  • If the attacker wins: take half of the defender’s money. The attacker chooses the denominations.

  • If the defender wins: no coins are taken from the attacker (unless a card says otherwise).

Aftermath & Recycling

  • All Troops lost in PvP go to the Troop pile, then back into the main Troop supply.

  • The winner keeps half of the Troops they committed and loses the rest.

Combat: Mushrikeen Battles (PvE) Card (39,40,41)

When They Become a Threat

  • When starting the game, you take all 3 armies and put them on the side. Once 5 full turns complete (when all players played 5 times), you take all three and shuffle them in.

Trigger

  • Certain Action Cards initiate invasions by Mushrikeen forces.

Preparation

  • A different player (not the drawer) shuffles the specified number of Mushrikeen Troops and the available Muslim Troops for the battle (from the drawer and any donors who are willing to donate Troops for the battle) into a single face‑down mixed stack. Use identical‑backed cards or a cup/bag for random draws.

Drawing Procedure

  • The drawer draws best of 3 for the Byzantines, best of 5 for the Crusaders, and best of 7 for the Mongols.

  • If more Muslim Troops are drawn in the applicable best‑of series, the Muslims win. If more Mushrikeen Troops are drawn, the Mushrikeen win.

Donations & Control

  • Any players may donate Troops to the battling player. Donated Troops are controlled by the battling player for this battle only.

  • Any player who did not contribute any Troops (even if they had none) gains 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds), as described in Rewards and Penalties.

Surge Pricing Reminder

  • From card reveal until battle resolution, Troop costs are doubled (10 Dirhams each) if you would like to buy to donate to the Muslims.

Rewards and Penalties
 If Muslims win:

  • Each player who donated Troops gains 1 Hasana (Good Deeds) and 3 Dirhams per Troop they donated (paid by the bank).

  • Any player who did not contribute any Troops (even if they had none) gains 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds).

If Muslims lose:

  • Each donor gains 1 Hasana (Good Deeds) per Troop they donated (no Dirhams).

  • All players lose half of their coins to the bank (wealth seizure).

  • Any player who did not contribute any Troops (even if they had none) gains 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds). This player still loses all of their wealth if the Muslims lose.

Joining Forces with the Mushrikeen

  • Timing: Upon invasion reveal, a player with Troops may join forces with the Mushrikeen.

  • Rewards and Penalties: Gain 2 Sayeat (Bad Deeds) and half of the money that the Mushrikeen steal if they win (the money that the Muslims lose). You only gain 2 Sayeat (Bad Deeds) if the Mushrikeen lose.

  • Support: You may donate as many Troops as you want and have. You are allowed to buy Troops at double cost. You do not gain or lose anything for donating troops.

  • If the Mushrikeen troops run out for any reason, then you are not allowed to add any more to the army.

Surplus Troops

  • After the battle:

    • If the Muslims win, then you take all of the Muslim Troops that were drawn, and the player who drew the Action Card keeps those Troops.

    • If the Mushrikeen win, then all Troops go back to the main supply.

    • If you joined forces and sacrificed troops, than you lose all of your troops no matter the outcome.

  • Donated Troops are considered used for this battle only. Aside from the Troops retained by the drawer on a Muslim win (as above), all other Muslim and Mushrikeen Troops used in the battle return to the main supply.

The Thief’s Temptation Card (33,34,35,36,37,38)

Overview

  • You may choose to steal from one player. If you decline, nothing happens.

Steal Action

  • If you choose to steal:

    • You immediately gain 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds).

    • You take half of the chosen player’s money.

Victim’s Response

  • The victim chooses one:

    1. Forgive (no fight):

      • You keep the stolen money and your 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds).

      • The victim gains 1 Hasana (Good Deed).

    2. Fight back (only if the victim has at least 1 Troop):

      • Proceed to Battle Resolution.

Battle Eligibility

  • The victim may fight back only if they have at least 1 Troop.

  • It does not matter whether you (the thief) have a Troop; you can still be challenged even with zero Troops.

Battle Resolution (Draw Method)

  • If the victim chooses to fight:

    • If you (thief) have no Troop:

      • The victim automatically wins the challenge and immediately takes back all the money you stole. You keep your 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds). No Troops are lost.

    • If you (thief) have at least 1 Troop:

      • Each side takes 1 Troop card:

        • The thief’s side is represented by a Mushrik Troop card (taken from the main pile).

        • The victim uses 1 of their own Muslim Troop cards (from their supply).

      • A neutral person (not the player who drew the card) shuffles the two Troop cards face down.

      • The player who drew the Theft card (the thief) selects one card while face down and reveals it:

        • If the revealed card is the Mushrik Troop, the thief wins the battle.

        • If the revealed card is the Muslim Troop, the victim wins the battle.

      • Casualties: Only the loser of this battle loses their committed Troop. The winner retains their committed Troop.

Battle Outcomes

  • If the thief wins:

    • The thief keeps the stolen money and keeps the 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds).

    • The victim loses the committed Troop.

  • If the victim wins:

    • The victim immediately takes back the stolen money.

    • The thief keeps the 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds).

    • The thief loses the committed Troop.


Limits and Timing

Per‑Turn Limits

  • Buy at most 1 Hasana (Good Deeds) (except if a card explicitly lifts the limit, e.g., Ramadan/Hajj).

  • Recruit at most 3 Troops (except if a card explicitly lifts the limit, e.g., an Action Card that gives a discount for Troops).

Attack Timing

  • Attacking is your single major action and ends your turn after resolution. You also immediately gain 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds) for choosing violence.

Drawing Timing

  • If you draw your Action Card before taking your 2 Dirhams, you forfeit the income this turn.

Card Priority

  • Card text overrides core rules when there is a conflict.

Ending the Game and Scoring

End Triggers

  • When the last Hasanat (Good Deeds) token in the pool is taken, count the Hasanat (Good Deeds) and Sayeat (Bad Deeds) for each player.

  • When all of the Action Cards from the pile have been resolved, count the Hasanat (Good Deeds) and Sayeat (Bad Deeds) for each player.

  • When two of the three money piles run out.

Scoring

  • Each player calculates: Final Score = Total Hasanat (Good Deeds) − Total Sayeat (Bad Deeds).

  • The highest score wins.

  • If tied, either share the victory or use tie‑breakers:

    • Fewest Sayeat (Bad Deeds)

Quick Reference

  • 1 Dinar = 10 Dirhams

  • Costs: Troop 5 (10 during surge); Hasanat (Good Deeds) 10

  • Per turn: Buy up to 1 Hasana (Good Deeds); Recruit up to 3 Troops

  • Attack: Commit ≥1 Troop each; higher total wins; winner keeps 1 committed Troop; attacker on win takes 1 Dinar or half money (round down) from defender; attacker gains 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds); turn ends

  • Mercy Rule: If required to pay, pay what you can; purchases require full cost

  • Hasanat (Good Deeds) donation split: 2 Dirhams to a player of your choosing, and the other 8 Dirhams to the bank.

  • Mushrikeen Battles: Surge applies; donors gain Hasana (Good Deeds) (+3 Dirhams on win) per Troop; on Muslim loss, all coins are seized; any non‑donor gains 1 Sayeat (Bad Deeds); surrender allowed immediately on reveal


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Action Card Explanation