Ace Trumps
Encyclopedia
Ace Trumps is an early version of the popular card game Top Trumps
, released from 1976-1984, by German
company Altenburg-Stralsunder. Before releasing Ace Trumps, Ace also released many Quartet
games. These packs had 32 cards in each as opposed to Winning Moves
' Top Trumps
which usually had 30 cards.
There was also Special Trump Cards versions of Ace Trumps. These were a yellow and red card. If the yellow card was the next card for a player, everyone must give the owner of that card their next card. If they get the red card, everyone has to give them the top card from their pile.
, Ace Trumps didn't release any packs requiring a license, such as TV and Film shows. One exception though is a pack of Muppet Show Quartets.
Each card in the pack shows a list of numerical data about the item. For example, in a pack based on cars, each card shows a different model of car, and the stats and data may include its engine size, its weight, its length, and its top speed.
All the cards are dealt among the players. There must be at least two players, and at least one card for each player. The starting player (normally the player sitting on the dealer's left) selects a category from his or her topmost card and reads out its value. Each other player then reads out the value of the same category from their cards. The best (usually the largest) value wins the "trick", and the winner takes all the cards of the trick and places them at the bottom of his or her pile. That player then looks at their new topmost card, and chooses the category for the next round.
Ace introduced the Super Trump, a card that beats all other cards except “A” cards regardless of its data.
In the event of a draw, the cards are placed in the centre and a new category is chosen from the next card by the same person as in the previous round. The winner of that round obtains all of the cards in the centre as well as the top card from each player.
The game ends when one player has won all of the card off the other players.
Top Trumps
Top Trumps is a card game. Each card contains a list of numerical data, and the aim of the game is to compare these values in order to try to trump and win an opponent's card...
, released from 1976-1984, by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
company Altenburg-Stralsunder. Before releasing Ace Trumps, Ace also released many Quartet
Quartets (card game)
Quartets is a card game, similar to Go Fish, which was the start of Top Trumps. They were originally created by Austrian card game company Piatnik during the 1960s., but later began being released by Dubreq, Ace, Waddingtons and other companies...
games. These packs had 32 cards in each as opposed to Winning Moves
Winning Moves
Winning Moves Games is a maker of classic card games and board games, puzzles, action games and adult party games.-History:Winning Moves Games was founded in 1995 by four game industry professionals: Tom Kremer , Philip Orbanes , Mike...
' Top Trumps
Top Trumps
Top Trumps is a card game. Each card contains a list of numerical data, and the aim of the game is to compare these values in order to try to trump and win an opponent's card...
which usually had 30 cards.
There was also Special Trump Cards versions of Ace Trumps. These were a yellow and red card. If the yellow card was the next card for a player, everyone must give the owner of that card their next card. If they get the red card, everyone has to give them the top card from their pile.
Gameplay
Each pack of Ace Trumps is based on a theme, such as cars, aircraft, animals or boats. Unlike the modern Top TrumpsTop Trumps
Top Trumps is a card game. Each card contains a list of numerical data, and the aim of the game is to compare these values in order to try to trump and win an opponent's card...
, Ace Trumps didn't release any packs requiring a license, such as TV and Film shows. One exception though is a pack of Muppet Show Quartets.
Each card in the pack shows a list of numerical data about the item. For example, in a pack based on cars, each card shows a different model of car, and the stats and data may include its engine size, its weight, its length, and its top speed.
All the cards are dealt among the players. There must be at least two players, and at least one card for each player. The starting player (normally the player sitting on the dealer's left) selects a category from his or her topmost card and reads out its value. Each other player then reads out the value of the same category from their cards. The best (usually the largest) value wins the "trick", and the winner takes all the cards of the trick and places them at the bottom of his or her pile. That player then looks at their new topmost card, and chooses the category for the next round.
Ace introduced the Super Trump, a card that beats all other cards except “A” cards regardless of its data.
In the event of a draw, the cards are placed in the centre and a new category is chosen from the next card by the same person as in the previous round. The winner of that round obtains all of the cards in the centre as well as the top card from each player.
The game ends when one player has won all of the card off the other players.
Variations
Many different variations of Ace have been released. These include:- Ace Quartet
- Rummy
- Top Ace
- Ace Maxi Mini Quartets
- Ace Fact Pack
- NFL Fact Pack
- Ace Trump Game
- Power Trumps
- Ace Maxi Mini Trumps
- Ace Trumps
- Ace Sporting Aces
- Ace Supertrump
Promotions
Ace held some competitions, where cards were collected and then redeemed. They were:- In 1976 a competition to win a flight on ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
(offer expires 31 January 1977) and/or an offer to receive a 60 X 80 cm colour poster of Concorde in exchange for 4 Credit Cards (10 points each, one per pack) and 18p to cover post and packing.
- In 1977 a competition to see the 1977 Italian Grand PrixItalian Grand PrixThe Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
live in MonzaMonzaMonza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
(offer expires 1 August 1977) by answering 5 multiple choice questions and then design a space age Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
race car on a sheet of paper no bigger than 25 X 20 cm and/or an offer to receive one of 3 80 X 60 cm posters (Great Formula One Cars, Great Formula One Drivers, Great Formula One Races) in exchange for 4 Credit Cards (10 points each, one per pack) and 18p to cover post and packing.
- In 1978 an offer to receive 1 of 8 60 X 80 cm posters (ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
,Great Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
Cars, Great Formula One Drivers, Great Formula One Races, Famous Tanks, Famous WarshipWarshipA warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Famous PlaneFixed-wing aircraftA fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
s of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Famous British Steam LocomotiveLocomotiveA locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s).