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Fightball

From Erik Arneson,
Your Guide to Board / Card Games.
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Guide Rating - rating

The Bottom Line

Fightball takes basketball into the future, with shooters and blockers, shots and balls being played all over the court at a furious pace. The best coached team will win.
Pros
  • Fast-paced, real-time card game.
  • Futuristic basketball game.
  • Combines strategy and memory elements.
Cons
  • Pace is too fast for some.

Description

  • For 2 players, ages 10 and up.
  • Less than 30 minutes including setup, four quarters of play, and scoring.
  • Designed by James Ernest and Mike Selinker.
  • Published by James Ernest Games.
  • Each box includes two teams; a total of six teams are available.

Guide Review - Fightball

Setup and scoring are the parts of Fightball that take the longest -- the game itself is frenetic. The court has five zones: red and blue for each player and a shared green zone in the middle.

A valid shot consists of three cards in this specific order: a shooter, a ball, and a shot. Each of these cards has a certain value, which can vary depending in which zone it's played. To succeed, a shot must have a total value of at least 10.

Complicating matters are the other team's blockers and special cards (e.g. assist, rebound, pick and roll, etc.) which can be played by either team. Cards are played at whatever pace the "coaches" decide, but when one side runs out of cards, that quarter of play ends and is scored -- one coach will be left with unplayed cards, so you can't take too long to make decisions. Legal shots count for the shooting team, but any fouls (illegally played cards) add to the opponent's score. A full game lasts four quarters.

Fightball requires a balance of speed and thought, and a good memory (did I play a ball on that pile yet?!?) sure comes in handy.

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