Gridiron (card game)
Encyclopedia
Gridiron: Fantasy Football was a football
-themed collectible card game
first published in 1995 by Upper Deck.
game that takes place in a dystopia
n "near-future", and features a violent and over-the-top backstory comparing the new style of the game to Roman
gladiator
combat. Each player uses a 60-card deck, primarily composed of Plays and Actions, which are further divided into Offense and Defense, along with Team cards, which encompass Star Players at various positions, Coaches, Franchises, Traditions and Formations that provide additional benefits. The goal is to be the player with the most points at the end of the game, which consists of a predetermined number of "drives", and opponents take turns playing offense and defense while attempting to score touchdowns and field goals without losing possession of the ball.
The actual gameplay closely follows traditional football, requiring the offensive player to progress 10 yards within 4 downs, and tracks the field position on a special playmat included in the starter decks. Cards feature icon
s corresponding to four traits (Power, Speed, Skill, and Mental) which are used to determine the success or failure of various plays. Plays which complete for higher yardage require more symbols to succeed, and defensive plays can reduce the yardage gained on a play. Players can punt
, score safeties, or go for a 2-point conversion following a touchdown, and certain questionable tactics also include a "Referee Alert", used to try to give the offending player a penalty. The rules include options for both single games and fully organized leagues and seasons.
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
-themed collectible card game
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
first published in 1995 by Upper Deck.
Game Overview
Gridiron simulates a footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game that takes place in a dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n "near-future", and features a violent and over-the-top backstory comparing the new style of the game to Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
gladiator
Gladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
combat. Each player uses a 60-card deck, primarily composed of Plays and Actions, which are further divided into Offense and Defense, along with Team cards, which encompass Star Players at various positions, Coaches, Franchises, Traditions and Formations that provide additional benefits. The goal is to be the player with the most points at the end of the game, which consists of a predetermined number of "drives", and opponents take turns playing offense and defense while attempting to score touchdowns and field goals without losing possession of the ball.
The actual gameplay closely follows traditional football, requiring the offensive player to progress 10 yards within 4 downs, and tracks the field position on a special playmat included in the starter decks. Cards feature icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
s corresponding to four traits (Power, Speed, Skill, and Mental) which are used to determine the success or failure of various plays. Plays which complete for higher yardage require more symbols to succeed, and defensive plays can reduce the yardage gained on a play. Players can punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
, score safeties, or go for a 2-point conversion following a touchdown, and certain questionable tactics also include a "Referee Alert", used to try to give the offending player a penalty. The rules include options for both single games and fully organized leagues and seasons.