The Fallacy of Rank 2004

The Fallacy of Rank is a game of strategy, bluffing, and combat for two to four players, played with three standard piecepacks. Each layer sets up her corner of the board, formed with face-down piecepack tiles, by placing her two pawns (commanders) and fourteen coins in a 4×4 grid. The coins are placed value-side down, such that the only values known to your opponents are the commanders at value 7 (2 higher than the best "soldier"), and whatever they can manage to remember from your fourteen soldiers.

The goal of the game is to be the last army with any commanders in play. Elimination of units comes through combat, and the attacker, defender, or both could be eliminated. Combat uses a value-plus-boost mechanism, with the boost coming from tiles and coins in your "hand". Between the coins on the playfield with their hidden values, and the boosts played from your hand, there is ample opportunity for bluffing in The Fallacy of Rank.