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Malifaux (Second Edition)
- 2 players
- 90–120 min
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Showdown: Icons
2013
Rules assistance for Showdown: Icons
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 15 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Showdown: Icons
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Showdown: Icons is a board game released in 2013 for 2 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Justin Gibbs, Redd Cohen, and David Hanold and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
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About the game
A fast-paced card dueling game in which two players battle each other to win. Each deck in Showdown: Icons can be played against any other Showdown deck. Each player plays a feint card from their hand face up, then each player plays a strike card face down. Strike cards are revealed and added to the value of the feint card. Normally the highest total wins the combat and deals one damage. However, each card has one of three disciplines marked (Physical, Intellect and Cunning), and if both strikes are of the same discipline, it is the player with the lowest total who wins that combat! Players receive an advantage if both their Feint and Strike are from the same Discipline. In this way, Showdown contains a heavy bluffing element. The player who can read their opponent the best has the advantage! The game ends once one player has taken enough damage to have flipped over all of their own Aces. Showdown: Icons features rough and hardened characters from the world of the Icons, including: King of Clubs, Queen of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds, The Jokers, and Ace of Spades. Includes 5 plastic card decks.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Wyrd Games
Questions and answers
Showdown: Icons supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Showdown: Icons is 15 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 Showdown: Icons for ages 13 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.
Showdown: Icons has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Showdown: Icons belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 Showdown: Icons are: Justin Gibbs, Redd Cohen, and David Hanold. 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 Showdown: Icons 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.