Components

• 9 Core
• 36 Bark (Light Brown, Brown & Dark Brown)
• 1 Trunk
• 1 Axe
• Sticker Sheet With 4 Grub Stickers
• Rulebook

Object of the Game

Gain points by knocking off Bark with the Axe. Lose points by knocking off Core pieces. Most points wins!

Setup

Before your first game, attach the four Grub Stickers to four different Bark at random. Mix up the Bark so no Core has four Bark of the same color surrounding it. (see picture A)

Game Play

The youngest player goes first.

Players each take their turn by hitting the tree two times at any point(s). Any Cores or Bark that fall off the tree remain in front of the player to be scored at the end of the game.

If a Bark with a Grub sticker falls, the player takes another turn. Pass the Axe to your left to end your turn. Play proceeds clockwise for the rest of the game.

Hit anywhere on the Tree two times.

End of the Game

The game ends when all the Bark is off the Tree, whether or not some center Cores are still standing.

Scoring

• Bark: (regardless of color) +1 point
• Core: -5 points
• Grub: +1 point

The player with the most points wins.

In the event of a tie, the tied players take turns balancing the Axe on their palms. The player who balances the Axe the longest is the winner!

Speed Cutting Variant

Don't play until all the Bark is gone, instead be the first to gain a specific number of points. In a 2 player game the first to achieve 16 points is the winner.

• +3 players = 12 points wins
• +4 players = 9 points wins
• +5 players = 7 points wins
• +6 players = 6 points wins
• +7 players = 5 points wins

Balanced Play Variant

The player who came in LAST in the previous game may choose whether or not to take an extra hit with the axe on each turn.

In a 4 player game, make the winner from the previous game take one LESS hit per turn too!

Advanced Game

The Advanced Game is the same as the Basic Game except for the scoring:

• Grub 0 points
• Light Brown +1 point
• Brown +2 points
• Dark Brown +3 points
• Core -10 points

Don't Miss Variant

When a player does not knock off a Bark during a turn, place his/her lowest point Bark near the Trunk. If a player does not have any Bark, he/she does not place a Bark near the Trunk.

The next player that knocks off at least one Bark gets all the Bark near the tree as a bonus. It is possible to acquire more than one bonus Bark if more than one player has placed Bark near the Trunk.

Precision Cutting Variant

This is only for a 3 player game, or 6 player game if two players are on a team. Each player/team chooses a color to knock off.

Score +2 points for each Bark in your color, -1 point for each Bark of a different player's color. Each Core is worth -5 points.

Mix Up The Bark Variant

You cannot knock off the same color of Bark that was knocked off in the previous player's turn. Example: Zach knocked of one Light Brown Bark. Tera takes the next turn and she cannot knock off any Light Brown Bark.

She knocks off a Dark Brown and a Brown Bark. Eliza takes the next turn and she cannot knock off any Brown or Dark Brown Bark.

If a player knocks off all three colors of Bark, the next player's turn is skipped. If a Bark is knocked off that was knocked off by the previous player the Bark is removed from the game and none of the players score any points from the removed Bark.

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