Fire up your lighter and wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care! When the Rock Stars come to town they always bring huge crowds with them. - AEG
Hello, Cleveland! Let’s ROCK!!! Rock Stars want to put on the best show for their fans, and sell out the biggest venues. The biggest venues of course being those with the highest breakpoint. Put on a massive concert and focus on those bases for the win.
- - What Were We Thinking? rulebook
The Rock Stars are one of the 4 factions from the What Were We Thinking? set.
The Rock Stars gain advantage from bases with a high breakpoint (typically 21 or higher) and also focus on searching and playing Groupies, their power-2 minions.
Other factions from the same set: Explorers, Grannies, Teddy Bears.
Cards[]
The Rock Stars have the usual 10 minions and 10 actions. The total minion base power (not counting any abilities) is slightly lower than usual at only 29 or an average of 2.9 per minion compared to the usual 30 and 3.
Among their actions, there are:
- 0 play-on-minion actions,
- 2 play-on-base actions: Hot Venue, Turn Up to 11,
- 8 standard actions (2 that affect one or more minions, in bold): Guest Star (2x), Power Ballad, Reunion Tour, Rock of Luuv, Total Sellout (2x), Tour Bus,
- 2 actions that directly increase a minion's power: Hot Venue, Power Ballad.
Minions[]
1x The Monarch - power 5 - Talent: Search your deck and/or discard pile for a Groupie, reveal it and place it into your hand. Shuffle your deck if you searched it. FAQ
2x Classic Rocker - power 4 - Talent: If this base has a breakpoint of 21 or higher, draw a card. Use only one Classic Rocker ability per turn. FAQ
2x Rick Roll - power 3 - Move up to three of your minions from bases with lower breakpoints to here. FAQ
5x Groupie - power 2 - Play another Groupie here as an extra minion. FAQ
Actions[]
2x Guest Star - Search your deck and/or discard pile for a Groupie and reveal it. Place it in your hand or play it as an extra minion. Shuffle your deck if you searched it. FAQ
1x Hot Venue - Play on a base. Ongoing: Your minions here have +1 power. If this base has a breakpoint of 21 or higher, draw a card at the end of any turn that you play a minion here. FAQ
1x Power Ballad - Choose a base. Your minions there gain +1 power until the end of the turn. Special: If the base has a breakpoint of 21 or higher, you may play this card before the base scores. FAQ
1x Reunion Tour - Shuffle any number of your minions from your discard pile into your deck. FAQ
1x Rock of Luuv - Search your deck for up to three minions with power 2 or less and the same name. Reveal them, place them into your hand and shuffle your deck. FAQ
2x Total Sellout - Special: Play after a base scores where you have a minion. Draw two cards. Draw another card if the breakpoint was 21 or higher. FAQ
1x Tour Bus - Choose a base. Move up to three of your minions from bases with lower breakpoint to there. FAQ
1x Turn Up to 11 - Play on a base. Ongoing: If this base’s starting breakpoint is less than 21, it is increased to 21. FAQ
Bases[]
Clarifications[]
Here are the official clarifications as they appear in the What Were We Thinking? rulebook:
Turn Up to 11: Monsters etc. still affect the breakpoint after the change to the starting breakpoint. If there is a conflict between multiple abilities that set the starting breakpoint (e.g. Overgrowth, Marking Territory, Turn Up To 11), the current player chooses which one prevails. Monsters, and abilities that adjust the breakpoint (e.g. Rampage, Wyvern, Favor of Zeus), adjust it from that new starting value. (updated by The Bigger Geekier Box)
Mechanics[]
The Rock Stars get advantages from high-breakpoint bases. Some of their cards have a secondary ability that only applies when the targeted base's breakpoint is 21 or higher, usually card draws
Their secondary mechanic is searching for and drawing their power-2 minions, which can be played all at once. If you manage to get all of five of them, that is a drop of 10 power.
External Strategy Guides[]
- Rock Stars: The Best Smash Ups in Smash Up
- Smash Up Action Awareness #57: Rock of Luuv
- Smash Up KOTH #74: The Monarch
FAQ[]
Questions on The Monarch[]
Q: Can I get one Groupie from my deck and one Groupie from my discard pile, or only one in total?
A: Only one Groupie, not two.
Q: I already have ten cards in hand. What happens if I decide to use this talent? Do I place a Groupie in my hand and immediately discard a card?
A: It is placed in your hand and you don't discard any card until your upcoming Draw 2 Cards phase. At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Questions on Classic Rocker[]
Q: I already have ten cards in hand. What happens if I decide to use this talent? Do I draw a card and immediately discard a card?
A: You draw a card and don't discard any card until your upcoming Draw 2 Cards phase. At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: How does this interact with monsters?
A: Uncontrolled monsters increase the breakpoint of their base. If that brings the base's breakpoint to 21 or more, then you can get the Classic Rocker's benefit.
Questions on Rick Roll[]
Q: It tells me to move "up to three of my minions". Can I move a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: How does this interact with monsters?
A: When determining the bases' breakpoints, you have to include all modifiers, including the power added by uncontrolled monsters.
Questions on Groupie[]
Q: When I play a Groupie, do I have to play all the Groupies in my hand at once? It doesn't say "you may".
A: No, playing a card is always optional even if it doesn't say "you may". In the case of Groupies, when you play one, you bank an extra minion play that must be a Groupie. You can then use that extra minion play to play a Groupie later on or choose not to play any, in which case, the extra minion play is lost as soon as you move on to the next phase of the turn.
Questions on Guest Star[]
Q: Can I get one Groupie from my deck and one Groupie from my discard pile, or only one in total?
A: Only one Groupie, not two.
Q: After playing this card, I (somehow) have more than 10 cards in hand, do I immediately discard down to 10?
A: You don't discard any card until your next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Hot Venue[]
Q: An opponent plays this card on a base, so if I have a minion there, it also gets +1 power, right? And if this base's breakpoint is of 21 or higher, I also draw a card at the end of each turn that I play a minion there, right?
A: No. Your opponent played the action, so they control it, and therefore the action only addresses them and the ability must be interpreted from their point of view. So "your" means "their" and "you" means "they".
Rule: A play-on-base action doesn't give an ability to the base that any player can use.
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: When is the card drawn?
A: The card says "at the end of your turn", which means during the End Turn phase of each of your turns.
Q: It gives +1 power to "my minions". Does it also give +1 power to minions I own that I don't control? I don't control them but I "own" them, so they are "my" minions, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: If I already have 10 cards in hand when I draw the extra card, do I discard down to 10?
A: No. You only discard down to 10 during the Draw Cards phase (phase 4) of your turn. With Hot Venue, the card is drawn after this phase is passed, so you don't discard down to 10.
Q: I play a minion on a base with my Hot Venue while the base's breakpoint is 21 or more. If the minion is moved/returned/destroyed between that moment and the end of the turn, do I draw a card at the end of my turn?
A: Yes. Hot Venue only checks if you have played a minion there on that turn, not if the minion is still on that base.
Q: I play a minion on a base other than one with my Hot Venue. I later move it to the base with Hot Venue while its breakpoint is 21 or more. Do I draw a card at the end of my turn?
A: No. Hot Venue only checks if you have played a minion there on that turn, not if the minion is on that base.
Q: I play a minion on a base with my Hot Venue while the base's breakpoint is 21 or more. If the base's breakpoint drops below 21 between that moment and the end of the turn (e.g. I destroy an uncontrolled monster there), do I draw a card at the end of my turn?
A: Presumably, the base's breakpoint must be 21 or more at the end of the turn for you to draw a card. So probably not. To be confirmed. TBD
Rule: TBD
Q: I play a minion on a base with my Hot Venue while the base's breakpoint is lower than 21. If the base's breakpoint is increased to 21 or more between that moment and the end of the turn (e.g. I play Turn Up to 11 or a monster there), do I draw a card at the end of my turn?
A: Presumably, the base's breakpoint just needs to be of 21 or more at the end of the turn for you to draw a card. The minion doesn't have to be played while the base's breakpoint is 21 or higher. So probably yes. To be confirmed. TBD
Rule: TBD
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it says "Play on a base", which means that it is not a standard action.
Questions on Power Ballad[]
Q: It gives +1 power to "my minions". Does it also give +1 power to minions I own that I don't control? I don't control them but I "own" them, so they are "my" minions, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: Does boosting my minions' power before a base scores change anything at all? Don't we only get VPs based on the power we had at the start of scoring?
A: Actually, the amount of VPs each player gets is determined by the power each player currently has when you are handing out VPs, so any before-scoring abilities (including this one) that affect how much power you have on the base will affect the amount of VPs you'll eventually get.
Rule: VPs are awarded according to the current power totals.
Q: How does this interact with monsters?
A: Uncontrolled monsters increase the breakpoint of their base. If that brings the base's breakpoint to 21 or more, then Power Ballad can be used as a Special on that base when it scores.
Q: If I play Power Ballad and then play another minion there afterward, does the new minion get +1 power from Power Ballad?
A: The official answer is yes[1].
A: UPDATE. The Bigger Geekier Box now rules that it only increases the power of minions currently in play at the time the card is played, and not the power of minions played afterwards.
Q: If I play Power Ballad and then move one of my minions to the targeted base. Does the minion get +1 power from Power Ballad?
A: Yes. Even though Power Ballad is discarded, its effect still persists until the end of the turn, so your minion gets the boost.
A: UPDATE. The Bigger Geekier Box now rules that the power boost is granted as a definitive effect. The restriction to the base is only for when the card is played, so minions that didn't get the boost won't get it by later moving on the base.
Q: If I play Power Ballad and then move one of my minions from the targeted base to another base. Does the minion lose the +1 power from Power Ballad?
A: Yes. Even though Power Ballad is discarded, its effect still persists until the end of the turn, so your minions on the targeted base gets the boost and any of your minions moved away from it loses it.
A: UPDATE. The Bigger Geekier Box now rules that the power boost is granted as a definitive effect. The restriction to the base is only for when the card is played, so minions that got the boost still keep it if they are moved to a different base.
Q: I play Power Ballad and boost my minions. If an opponent manages to take control of one of my minions there before Power Ballad expires (e.g. The Base Is Not Enough, Can Has Cheeseburger?), does the minion keep its boost?
A: Yes, Power Ballad gives the +1 power to all your minions there as a definitive effect, so the restriction that only your minions are affected only matters when Power Ballad is played. Afterwards, if the minion's controller changes the +1 power still remains applied to it until the end of the turn.
Q: An opponent's Magic Ward is on a base where I have minions, can I play Power Ballad and boost them?
A: Sure. Magic Ward only prevents "play on a base" actions from being played there, but Power Ballad isn't played on a base, so Magic Ward does nothing to it.
Q: Can I play it from stasis before a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: Is this still a standard action if I play it through its Special ability for the Disco Dancers and Funky Town?
A: Yes. A standard action is an action that doesn't remain in play after being played. Power Ballad doesn't remain in play when played, whether it's played normally or as a Special, so it IS a standard action no matter what.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - Diva can't copy it because it would already be directly affected by it.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets +1 power.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets +1 power.
- Funky Town can't copy it because you need to be the one who played the action and so all your minions are already directly affected by it.
Questions on Reunion Tour[]
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Rock of Luuv[]
Q: If I reveal a card I don't own, what happens?
A: It goes to its owner's hand. That's because the other players can see who owns the card and the card changes location.
Q: After playing this card, I end up with more than 10 cards in hand, do I immediately discard down to 10?
A: You don't discard any card until your next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: I play Rock of Luuv and search my deck. What happens if I have no eligible minion of power 2 or less there? Am I then allowed to search my hand or discard pile?
A: Then its ability fails, you won't get any minion and will still have to shuffle your deck. You do not go through your discard pile or hand as a compensation, otherwise the card would have said so.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Total Sellout[]
Q: It applies to a base "where I have a minion". Is it enough if there is a minion there that I own but don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so I "have" it, right?
A: No. "Where you have a minion" means "where you control at least one minion (whether or not you own it)". Minions you just own but don't control don't count.
Q: After playing this card, I end up with more than 10 cards in hand, do I immediately discard down to 10?
A: You don't discard any card until your next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards. So if this is played on another player's turn, you keep your cards and can play your next turn with more than ten cards.
Q: How does this interact with monsters?
A: Uncontrolled monsters increase the breakpoint of their base. If that brings the base's breakpoint to 21 or more, then Total Sellout allows you to draw three cards after that base scores.
Q: Can I play it from stasis after a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Tour Bus[]
Q: It tells me to move "up to three of my minions". Can I move a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: How does this interact with monsters?
A: When determining the bases' breakpoints, you have to include all modifiers, including the power added by uncontrolled monsters.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base, even if there were already three minions that were directly moved by Tour Bus.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base, even if there were already three minions that were directly moved by Tour Bus. Note that if several minions were directly moved from the same base, Dancing King only triggers once, not once per moved minions.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is placed on the top or the bottom of its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minions that were directly affected by the action and even if there were already three minions that were directly moved by Tour Bus. Also, note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it is discarded instead. This is a different answer compared to cards that refer to a minion's owner; this card never refers to the card's owner ("you" means "the controller", who may not be the owner) and so the rule is that the treasure/monster is discarded.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it moves one of your minions away from Funky Town, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base, even if there were already three minions that were directly moved by Tour Bus. Note that if several minions were directly moved from Funky Town, it only triggers once, not once per moved minions.
Questions on Turn Up to 11[]
Q: How does this interact with monsters?
A: When determining the base's starting power, you must ignore all modifiers, including uncontrolled monsters there. If that starting power is lower than 21, then it becomes equal to 21. Uncontrolled monsters (and possibly other modifiers) then add their power to that starting power to make the base's actual breakpoint.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it says "Play on a base", which means that it is not a standard action.
Trivia[]
- The artist is Francisco Rico Torres, who also designed the art of many other factions.
- Their divider (updated in The Bigger Geekier Box) features Power Ballad.
- The font used in the Rock Star cards is Squealer-Regular.
- The Monarch is a reference to the King, aka Elvis Presley.
- Classic Rocker is a reference to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- Rick Roll is a reference to Rick Astley and the rickrolling.
- Turn Up to 11 is a reference to the movie "This is Spinal Tap".
- Lake Minnetonka (an actual lake in Minnesota) is a reference to the Prince movie "Purple Rain."
- Total Sellout involves a fictional band called Smooch, which is a reference to the band Kiss.
- In the background of Reunion Tour, a Rock Star is about to bite the head of a bat, referencing a similar performance by Ozzy Osbourne.
- Rock of Luuv is a reference to Rock of Love with Bret Michaels.
In other languages[]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| French | Rockstars |
| German | Rockstars |
| Russian | Рокеры |
| ||||||