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Power Barons box art
1986 Ranked #22,794

Power Barons

Players challenge rivals across suits in a duel-driven card game, trying to score points by forcing opponents to withdraw. The challenged suit counts double, while played cards change hands and gray cards can extend a close contest.

Family Games Card Game

Players

3-4

Play time

Not listed

Age

10+

Complexity

2/5

Rating

5.53

Harder to teach Highly interactive Deep strategy

Overview

At a glance

Is this game right for my group?

ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.

Teachability 2.7/5

Harder to teach

Replay value 4.0/5

High replayability

Interaction 3.7/5

Highly interactive

Player scaling 4.0/5

Scales well

Strategic depth 4.5/5

Deep strategy

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How it plays

How does it play?

from the general Comment: This is essentially a card game. Cards come in four basic suits plus a special gray "political power" suit.

Read the full game description

from the general Comment: This is essentially a card game. Cards come in four basic suits plus a special gray "political power" suit. The cards have values from 5 - 50, with the most cards in the middle of the range. In your turn, you challenge an opponent to a duel in one of the suits. You play a card in any suit (not necessarily the one you are challenging in) , then your opponent plays a card in the same suit. Players can alternately withdraw, or keep going. You then play a different suit - in the same manner, adding up your total score. The suit you challenged in counts double. If the defender withdraws, the challenger places a base (i.e. scores a point) on the defender. If the challenger withdraws, he just finishes his turn without scoring. However, the loser forfeits all cards played (redrawing, but perhaps taking poorer cards), and the winner holds his played cards, and takes the loser's cards into a pool which can score points. If no one withdraws after all four suits have been played, players may add gray cards in an attempt to take the lead. Ultimately, a player will pass or run out of gray cards, at which point the high score will win the hand.

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Editions

Language and publisher variants currently recorded in the catalog.

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Player resources

Rulebooks, player aids, FAQs, and solo resources.

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Game and edition data

All specifications (5)

Play and group

Players
3–4
Best with
3–4
Play time
30 min
Age
10+
Complexity
2.0/5
Credits and catalog connections

Credits

Designers

1
(Uncredited)

Publishers

1
Milton Bradley

Linked items

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