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Star Realms
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Grand Master
1986
Rules assistance for Grand Master
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Grand Master
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Grand Master is a board game released in 1986 for 2–6 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Chris Goedecke and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Paper-and-Pencil.
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About the game
In this Mille Bornes-like game, players seek to become the Grand Master by training for 22,000 days, mastering six martial arts, such as Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, or Karate, and defeating other players in battles and wars. Beginning the game as the master of one martial art (holding one Master card), players play Days cards in denominations of 500, 1000, or 2000 days, a total of 3000 days being necessary to gain mastery of a new martial art (an additional Master card). Players also, with the appropriate cards, attack opponents, the loser forfeiting one (in a battle) or two (in a war) Master cards. Attacks and defenses can be enhanced with cards representing such things as weapons and ki. Shorter variants can be played.
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- Hoyle Products
Questions and answers
Grand Master supports 2–6 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 Grand Master is 90 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 Grand Master 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.
Grand Master has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Grand Master belongs to these categories: Card Game and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Paper-and-Pencil. 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 Grand Master are: Chris Goedecke. 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 Grand Master 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.