Party-Strategy Hybrid · Tier 3

DICTATOR
DRAFT

History's strongmen. Drafted into your cabinet. Trait synergies decide who rules.

You always want the high-Power pick. But the high-Power pick locks you into a build that the next pick has to support.

Players Required

4–8Sweet 6
25–40 min

The Roles

10 archetypes
The Mustache
Public Role

The Mustache

Count×?

Power 9. Paranoid + Ideologue. Anti-synergizes with 5 archetypes — high-risk pick.

The Eternal Son
Public Role

The Eternal Son

Count×?

Power 6. Dynastic + Cult-of-Personality. Boosts other Dynastic picks dramatically.

The Orange Tycoon
Public Role

The Orange Tycoon

Count×?

Power 5. Populist + Kleptocrat. Wildly variable — feast or famine.

The Desert Strongman
Public Role

The Desert Strongman

Count×?

Power 7. Charismatic + Militarist. Splashable, high floor.

The Generalissimo
Public Role

The Generalissimo

Count×?

Power 9. Ideologue + Militarist. Strongest alone — but punishing in mixed cabinets.

The Chairman
Public Role

The Chairman

Count×?

Power 8. Ideologue + Cult-of-Personality. The ideological backbone.

The Caudillo
Public Role

The Caudillo

Count×?

Power 6. Charismatic + Populist. Cheap, splashable, reliable.

The Iron Lady
Public Role

The Iron Lady

Count×?

Power 7. Charismatic + Ideologue. Anti-Generalissimo synergy.

The Ayatollah
Public Role

The Ayatollah

Count×?

Power 8. Ideologue + Cult-of-Personality. Pairs lethally with The Chairman.

The Marshal
Public Role

The Marshal

Count×?

Power 7. Militarist + Paranoid. Flexible powerhouse.

How a Round Plays

Phase 01

Snake draft

Players take turns picking from the 24 archetype cards. 4 picks per player.

Phase 02

Cabinet form

Lock in your 4 archetypes. Trait tags revealed.

Phase 03

Crisis 1

A Crisis card flips. Each player secretly assigns 2 cabinet members. Reveal simultaneously.

Phase 04

Synergy resolution

Trait synergies and conflicts apply. Crisis resolves. Power tokens awarded.

Phase 05

Crises 2 & 3

Repeat. Power score tallied. Most Power wins.

Win Conditions

Most Power

Highest Power token total after 3 Crises.

Designer Notes

The deck-building/drafting decisions matter as much as the play. Trait synergy creates real strategic depth — you can't just grab the highest Power scores. Some archetypes are "splashable" (work with anything), some are "all-in" (need specific partners).

Balance:Each archetype tested against ~12.5% pick rate. Strongest individually (Generalissimo, Power 9) anti-synergizes with 5 others, forcing tradeoffs.

Strategy

  • Don't hoard Power scores
    A 9+9 build with anti-synergy nets ~12. A 6+6 with synergy nets ~16.
  • Hate-draft
    If your opponent has The Chairman, take The Ayatollah even if you don't need it.
  • Splashable picks late
    The Caudillo and Desert Strongman are great in pick 3–4 to fill gaps.

Ready to Play?

Pass-and-play offline with friends, or host an online room and play cross-device with anyone.

About Dictator Draft

It's the afterlife. History's strongmen are being drafted into a new regime. Players take turns picking dictator archetypes for their cabinet — but each archetype has hidden synergies and conflicts. MTG drafting × asymmetric ability resolution.

4-8 players (best with 6) · 25–40 min · Party-Strategy Hybrid

How a round plays out

  1. Snake draft

    Players take turns picking from the 24 archetype cards. 4 picks per player.

  2. Cabinet form

    Lock in your 4 archetypes. Trait tags revealed.

  3. Crisis 1

    A Crisis card flips. Each player secretly assigns 2 cabinet members. Reveal simultaneously.

  4. Synergy resolution

    Trait synergies and conflicts apply. Crisis resolves. Power tokens awarded.

  5. Crises 2 & 3

    Repeat. Power score tallied. Most Power wins.

Roles

The Mustache
Power 9. Paranoid + Ideologue. Anti-synergizes with 5 archetypes — high-risk pick.
The Eternal Son
Power 6. Dynastic + Cult-of-Personality. Boosts other Dynastic picks dramatically.
The Orange Tycoon
Power 5. Populist + Kleptocrat. Wildly variable — feast or famine.
The Desert Strongman
Power 7. Charismatic + Militarist. Splashable, high floor.
The Generalissimo
Power 9. Ideologue + Militarist. Strongest alone — but punishing in mixed cabinets.
The Chairman
Power 8. Ideologue + Cult-of-Personality. The ideological backbone.
The Caudillo
Power 6. Charismatic + Populist. Cheap, splashable, reliable.
The Iron Lady
Power 7. Charismatic + Ideologue. Anti-Generalissimo synergy.
The Ayatollah
Power 8. Ideologue + Cult-of-Personality. Pairs lethally with The Chairman.
The Marshal
Power 7. Militarist + Paranoid. Flexible powerhouse.

How to win

Most Power
Highest Power token total after 3 Crises.

Tips for new players

Don't hoard Power scores
A 9+9 build with anti-synergy nets ~12. A 6+6 with synergy nets ~16.
Hate-draft
If your opponent has The Chairman, take The Ayatollah even if you don't need it.
Splashable picks late
The Caudillo and Desert Strongman are great in pick 3–4 to fill gaps.

What makes it interesting

The deck-building/drafting decisions matter as much as the play. Trait synergy creates real strategic depth — you can't just grab the highest Power scores. Some archetypes are "splashable" (work with anything), some are "all-in" (need specific partners).

You always want the high-Power pick. But the high-Power pick locks you into a build that the next pick has to support.

Each archetype tested against ~12.5% pick rate. Strongest individually (Generalissimo, Power 9) anti-synergizes with 5 others, forcing tradeoffs.