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Official Scout Rules

Scout is a fun and fast-paced card game for 3-5 players that combines hand management, strategic plays, and a hint of bluffing. Here's how to play:

Be the player with the most points at the end of the game. You score points by accumulating face-down cards in your score pile and minimizing the number of cards left in your hand.

Setup

1. Setup: Shuffle the deck and deal cards to players based on the number of players:

3 players: Remove all 10s from the deck before dealing. Each player gets 12 cards.
4 players: Remove the single 9/10 card from the deck. Each player gets 11 cards.
5 players: Use the entire deck. Each player gets 9 cards.

2. Starting Player: Choose a starting player (can be youngest or through a simple game like rolling a die).

1. Playing a Round: Each round has these phases:

Play a Set: You can play a set of cards from your hand face down in front of you. A set can be either:
- Matching Numbers: Two or more cards with the same number showing (e.g., three 5s).
- Consecutive Run: Three or more cards in ascending or descending order (e.g., 4, 5, 6). The cards can be played in either direction due to the double-sided numbers.
2. Scout Action: You can choose one of two scout actions:
- Take a Card: Take the top card from the face-up discard pile (if any) or draw a card from the deck and add it to your hand.
- Scout & Play (Once per Round): Use one "Scout & Play" token (explained later) to draw a card, then immediately play a set or take another scout action (but not draw another card).
3. Beating the Previous Set: The played set (or single card if no set was played) must be higher in value than the previous set on the table. Here's how value is determined:
- Matching Numbers: The higher the matching number, the stronger the set (e.g., three 8s beat three 7s).
- Consecutive Runs: The longer the run, the stronger the set (e.g., 4, 5, 6 beats 3, 4, 5).
4. Winning the Scout: The player who played the highest set or took the last card to beat the previous set wins the scout. They receive a Scout Token (optional) as a reward.

Special Rules:

Scout Tokens (Optional): If using Scout Tokens, players can spend them to activate the "Scout & Play" action, allowing them to draw a card and immediately play a set or take another scout action. Players typically start with 1 Scout Token each round.
Hand Limit: You cannot end your turn with more than the starting number of cards in your hand (refer to setup for specific numbers). If playing a set or taking a card would cause you to exceed the limit, you must discard cards down to the limit before drawing or playing.
No Re-arranging Hand: Throughout the game, you cannot rearrange the order of the cards in your hand. You must play the cards in the order you received them.

Ending the Round:

Empty Hand or Scout Around: A round ends when either:
- A player plays all the cards from their hand in a single turn.
- All players consecutively choose to take the "Take a Card" scout action instead of playing a set.

Face-Down Cards: Each player scores one point for each face-down card in their score pile (sets they played throughout the round).
Remaining Cards: Players then subtract one point for each card remaining in their hand.
Scout Tokens (Optional): If using Scout Tokens, some variations award bonus points for having the most Scout Tokens at the end of the round.
Next Round: The player who played the last set or took the card that ended the round starts the next round.

None! Enjoy!

"Scout" is a fun and straightforward card game that combines elements of strategy and luck. Enjoy playing and trying to collect sets while avoiding penalty cards!