
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,645
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Book of Dragons
- 1–8 players
- 15–60 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2018

2013
Rules assistance for Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game is a board game released in 2013 for 3–7 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Brandon Raasch and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Trading.
Dubious Alliance featuring A Band of Orcs is a Fantasy Bluffing Card Game where you are an Orc racing to gather weapons, loot magic items, fight monsters, avoid traps, gain treasure and the prestige to take control of your tribe before someone in your band gets killed. The game is for 3 - 7 players and takes less than an hour to play. Dubious Alliance is best described as a 'cooperative backstabber'. Players work together to survive the Orc realm of Hirntodia. To win, a Player must 'lie, cheat and steal' to negotiate favorable cards (magic, treasure, victory) and gain the highest Prestige value in trading cards by trading away negative cards (Traps, Monsters and more). However, because you are a band, you can't out right kill your competition. If an Orc player dies, the game ends and everyone loses! So on the one hand, you are working together to survive and on the other, you need to keep your competition weak so you can win... truly a Dubious Alliance.
Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game supports 3–7 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Trading. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game are: Brandon Raasch. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.