Designers:
Disney/Lucasflm Ltd.
RULES FOR CORUSCANT SHIFT
Coruscant Shift is a swift and elegant Sabacc variant designed to be played with a Corellian Spike deck. Popular in many high-class venues like the Coruscant Crown Casino and the star cruisers of the Chandrila Star Line, it is accused by some of being a gentrified version of Corellian Spike.
As well as the 62-style card deck, Coruscant Shift uses bespoke dice to select the target score and trump suit for each game. Some prefer this streamlined variant over Spike, but it has never shaken its reputation as a ‘soft’ game for rich dilletantes, making it a risky pitch at scene tables.
GOAL
In Coruscant Shift, your objective is to assemble a hand with a total value closest to a target number determined by a dice roll. Preferably collecting as many cards in a target suit, determined by another dice roll.
The game incorporates positive and negative cards across three suits, and involves strategic betting and card selection to achieve the optimal hand.
THE SETUP
62 CARD SABACC DECK
The deck consists of three suits: Circles, Triangles, and Squares.
Each suit contains 20 cards:
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10 with positive values (+1 to +10)
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10 with negative values (-1 to -10)
Additionally, there are two zero cards — Sylops — which are wild and can represent any suit.
SHIFT DICE
The game utilizes two dice:
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Gold Die: Displays number values (0, 0, +5, -5, +10, -10), determining the target number for the round.
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Silver Die: Displays suit symbols (Circle, Triangle, Square), indicating the target suit for the round.
PLAYER STOCK
Each player begins the game with a stock of credits or chips which they use to pay the Ante and make bets. The goal of the game is to win all or as much of the chips on the table and from other players. Typically, chips or credits will come in different values. In Sabacc, these values are often represented by a selection of bronze, silver and gold chips (or credits).
A typical buy-in for a lay game of Sabacc is 500 credits:
20 Bronzium Chips/Credits worth 5 credits (100)
8 Argentium Chips/Credits worth 50 credits (200)
4 Aurodium Chips/Credits worth 100 credits (200)
A typical buy-in for a tournament game is 1000 credits:
20 Bronzium Chips/Credits worth 10 credits (200)
8 Argentium Chips/Credits worth 50 credits (400)
4 Aurodium Chips/Credits worth 100 credits (400)
PLAYING THE GAME
Each player has a stock of credits or credit chips.
Players compete in successive hands to win a portion of these credits.
Each Hand opens with an Ante and a Dice Roll
A pair of dice is rolled to determine the Target Value and High Suit for the game.
This is followed by 2 Rounds. Each round consists of three phases: the Deal Phase, the Selection Phase and the Betting Phase.
After these two rounds, cards are revealed to determine the winner of the hand.
The game continues for successive hands until someone takes everyone’s credits, or players cash out of the game.
THE HAND
1. Choose Starting Player: The starting player rotates clockwise each round.
2. Ante: Each player contributes an ante to the betting pot.
3. Dice Roll: Both dice are rolled to establish the target number and target suit for the round.
THE ROUND
1. Deal Phase: Cards are dealt to each player until they have 5 cards in hand.
2. Selection Phase: Players select cards from their hand that sum closest to the target number and place them face down as their selection. Unselected cards are discarded.
3. Betting Phase: Beginning with the starting player, players can check, call, raise, or fold.
At the start of the game, the minimum bet is 1 credit. At the start of the game, the default ante is 2 credits. The ante increases dynamically based on player count remaining in game, with two players escalating faster than larger groups. The ante increases by 5 for 2 players, by 3 for 3 players, by 2 for 4 players, and by 1 otherwise.
SECOND ROUND
After the betting phase, a new round begins and players are dealt new cards to replace the cards they discarded in the selection phase, bringing their hand back up to 5 cards. Players then have a chance to Select, Discard and Bet, Check, or Fold again before revealing their hands.
WINNING THE ROUND
After two rounds, the cards are revealed. The player whose selection totals closest to the target number wins the pot.
In case of a tie, the player with the most cards in the target suit wins.
If a tie still persists, the pot is split among the winners.
WINNING THE GAME
The game continues either for a predetermined number of rounds or until only one player has credits remaining. The player with the most credits at the end of the game is declared the winner.
