Objective

Vampire: The Eternal Struggle is a strategic card game where players assume the roles of powerful vampire lords seeking to control the world of the undead. Each player expands their influence by recruiting "Clan members" and battling rival vampire lords.

Game Components

• A deck of cards
• Blood tokens (representing the vampire's life force)
• Influence tokens (representing the player's influence)

Setup

1. Choose a Clan: Each player selects a clan and takes the corresponding deck of cards.
2. Blood Distribution: Each player begins with 30 blood tokens.
3. Influence: Place the influence marker on the starting field.
4. Hand Cards: Each player draws 7 cards from their deck.

Gameplay

The game is played over several rounds, each consisting of the following phases:

1. Awakening

• Activate Vampire Lords: Players activate their vampire leaders to establish turn order.

2. Actions

• Recruit Clan Members: Lords may bring clan members into play to increase their power.
• Execute Attacks: Players can attack each other to gain influence.
• Use Special Abilities: Utilize special card abilities to gain advantages.

3. Contamination

• Players may trigger disturbing events or curses on opponents to weaken them.

4. Blood Trade

• Exchange blood or steal it from opponents to empower your own vampires.

5. Decay

• Introduce depleting blood and recovery; vampires with no blood die and are removed from the game.

Winning Conditions

The game ends when all rivals are "vanquished" or deprived of influence. The last remaining player wins the game.

Strategic Tips

• Blood Management: Always ensure you have enough blood for your powerful vampires.
• Attack Planning: Timing attacks is crucial. Strike when opponents are weakest.
• Clan Building: A balanced mix of weak and strong cards enhances flexibility.