Card Strika: a guide to football played with cards
Card Strika is a card game played like a football match, on a 3D pitch. Each side has a goalkeeper and three defenders, and the opponent's defence is hidden. You decide whom to attack, when to pass and when to apply pressure. First to 5 goals wins. You can play against a bot, in a guided game that teaches the rules, or online with up to six players. The game is currently in Hebrew only.
How to play
- Build a defence. At the start of each half, and after every goal you concede, four characters come up: one in goal and three as defenders. The defenders are hidden from the opponent; the goalkeeper is visible.
- Choose an attacker. Each turn you hold up to three cards. Choose an attacker and then one of the opponent's defenders. The defender that was attacked is revealed until the end of the turn.
- Higher power wins. The attacker leaves after every attack. A defender who wins stays, a defender who loses leaves, and in a tie both leave.
- Break through to goal. When the opponent has no defenders left, you attack the goalkeeper. Beating the goalkeeper is a goal. A tie against the goalkeeper is never a goal.
Special moves
- Pass: you can attack with two cards from 3 and 5 together (3+3, 3+5 or 5+5). The power is the sum.
- Substitutions: three substitutions per match. A card from your hand goes back to the end of the reserve, and the next card comes in.
- Pressure token: one per half, worth +2. Announce it in an attack, or place it secretly on a defender or the goalkeeper; it is revealed only when that card is attacked.
- Card counting: the counting board shows how many of each character are left. That way you can guess what is hiding in the opponent's defence.
The squad
| Character | Power | Ability |
|---|---|---|
| The Surprise | 2 | In attack, beats any other power |
| The Rookie | 3 | Can pass: combines with 3 or 5 |
| The Fighter | 4 | +1 in defence |
| The Quick One | 5 | +1 in attack when attacking alone, and combines in a pass |
| The Star Hunter | 6 | In attack, beats the Captain and the Alien |
| The Pro | 7 | No special ability |
| The Veteran | 8 | After it attacks, the opponent's whole defence and attackers are revealed for one round |
| The Star | 9 | No special ability |
| The Captain | 13 | Whoever beats it in defence can recruit it to goal |
| The Alien | 14 | Alien against an Alien defender: instant goal |
Online play
- "Play now" puts you in a public room, which starts when it fills up or 45 seconds after a second player arrives. You can also open a private room with a code and add bots.
- Each player always attacks the player on their right and is attacked by the player on their left.
- The goal target depends on the room size: 5 in a room of two, 4 in a room of three or four, and 3 in a room of five or six.
- You have 30 seconds for each decision. If time runs out, a bot plays for you that turn.
Tips
- Save the Alien and the Captain for the moment the opponent's defence is weak, and remember that the Star Hunter beats both of them.
- The Veteran is worth more than its power: after it attacks you see the opponent's whole defence.
- Watch the counting board. If all the Surprises are already out, you can attack calmly with a low card.