Munchkin: A How To Guide

Munchkin is one of those fun late night games that is easy to start and provides
entertainment every time it hits the table. At its heart it is a Dungeon and Dragons farce, and it
provides many laughs with its tongue in cheek humor and its balanced(read broken) cards.
Below I will be describing how the cards in Munchkin work as well as some tips about them for
you to crush your friends and swoop in for the win.

Races and Classes:

First thing we should go over is Races and

Classes. These cards are what help define what your
character is and what special abilities they may have.
Each one can help define a different playstyle so
whichever Race and Class you choose is completely up
to you, so long as you are able to draw one. They will
either let you run away better, fight better, or be a better
annoyance to your fellow players. However, you may
only have one of each, so make sure you choose wisely.

Weapons, Equipment, Items and

Bonuses:

As you can see from the lovely image to

the right there are a plethora of weapons,
armor, bonuses, and various other helpful
cards you can acquire and use in
Munchkin. The simple task is to get as
many of these as you can in order to
defeat each monster you encounter.
Weapons and armor are the two main
types of cards you use to defeat enemies.
They will have a bonus on top and while it
is equipped it will add its bonus to your
combat strength. You can only have 2
hands worth of Weapons, 1 Armor, 1 Foot
Gear, and 1 Head Gear. Other than that
you just want to get as many bonuses as
you can to crush every obstacle in your
way The other types of helper items are
one shots that are also simple to use.
Each card will clearly define when and where they can be used, and what for. All you have to do
is read what it says to do.

Cheat:

These powerful cards is how you can alter the game and rules to
your favor. They literally let you cheat and use an item you couldn’t
normally or legally use. How are you wearing two armors? Cheat.
How can you use three swords with only two hands? Cheat. Isn’t
that staff for wizards only? Cheat. Take advantage of this card
whenever you can and make sure to use it with the best thing that
you got.

Super Munchkin and Half-Breed:

These two cards let you do something

pretty cool. It lets you have an extra race
or class and have the abilitys of both. Or if
you only have one of them and suffer no
penalties that would normally come from
them. Its up to you what choice to make
and what combos to have. Just do your
best to find the most powerful one.

Go Up A Level:

What else is there to say about this card other than you get to go up a
level. You just get to go up a level and get one step closer to winning just
by playing this card. Go nuts, have fun, and watch as your friends faces
sulk when you climb ever closer to victory.
Seriously just play this card and start winning.
Monsters:

Monsters are one of the most important cards in Munchkin.

It is the main way in which you go up a level to win. All you
have to do is make sure that your total bonuses are higher
than the Monsters level. It may seem easy but your
opponents will be playing various cards in order to stop you
from getting that those crucial kills you need. If you can still
defeat the monster with all the backstabbing and enhancing
your opponents do you will be rewarded with amazing
treasure. However, if you can’t defeat the monster you
must attempt to run away. If you succeed everything is fine
and you go on your merry way, but if you fail you will have
to face... BAD STUFF. Which can range from nothing(yes
nothing) to death. So good luck out there and hopefully you
can find someone to help you out in defeating those pesky
monsters. Even if that someone is the one who made it
harder to defeat in the first place.

Monster Enhancers:

These nasty buggers is where the stab your buddy part of the
game comes in. They let you increase, or decrease, the power
of a monster that someone(even you) is fighting. They can turn
a tiny Plague Rat into a enormous fire breathing monstrosity, or
have that fearsome Plutonium Dragon shrink down the the size
of an itty bitty any. However you want to use these cards is up
to you. I suggest saving them for a rainy day when you either
want to stop someone from winning or prevent your own
demise from a fearsome monster. The choice, however, is
ultimately yours.
Curses:

One of the most harmful cards in the game. Curses are a one way
trip to sad town. Each one of them hurts you. They are never good,
they are never nice, and they are never helpful. All they do is do
bad, terrible things to people. From losing a level to your best
weapon, these curses are never fun to see. When you kick down
that door into the dungeon and one of them pops up get ready for
the hurt. Yet, these curses can have their uses. If you find yourself
fortunate enough to have a curse in your hand you have one of the
best backstabs in the game. You can play these cards on
anyone(yes anyone) at any(yes any) time you wish. Someone is
about to win, BOOM, lose a level. Your friend just got a sweet new
sword of +5 Strength, BAM, it’s gone. watch out. Just remember,
that those curses can be played just as easy on you too, so watch
out.