The Spy card can be used to join a battle or initiate a battle. It is not used as a champion. To initiate a battle, on your turn play a spy card and state any number card you'd like to battle for. This allows you try to steal cards you may have seen another player win in a previous round. To join a battle you aren't already in, play a spy card before players reveal their champion cards and now you can compete as if you had cards at stake in the battle.

Yes, but if the player doesn’t have the card you requested, then you wasted your turn. Also, a player can block you by using a castle card.

The player that did not play a castle will lose their champion, but get back the cards they placed in the prize pile.

If two players reach 1,000 points during the same hand, the player with the most points wins. If both players have the same number of points, the player to receive the most points in the final hand is the winner.

Yes. When you steal a Bonus card, you also get to draw one card from the draw pile. Anytime a Bonus card is played or stolen a card is drawn.

Yes. If you initiate a battle and at the end of the battle you have the required sets to lay down, it is still your turn and you can lay down to end the hand.

You do not have to lay down and can risk your armies to try and get more. If you play you’re cards right, you could even win the game in one hand.

You can try to steal any card with a Thief card, but if you attempt to steal a Castle card, the opposing player may decide to use the castle to stop you. Even though you are asking for the Castle, it doesn’t prevent the opposing player from using that card. In this case, both players would lose their cards as they cancel out. Probably better to try for another card.