How to Play Civil War

Civil War is a variation of Beer Pong (AKA Beirut) in which the ball is live, the formation is different and there are six players, instead of four or two. The concept remains the same, but the game is much faster. If Beirut is like football, with stops between plays, Civil War is rugby.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 20 sixteen ounce Solo cups
• Beer
• 3 Ping-pong balls
• A table, ideally 8 foot

1. There are two teams of three players each. At the start, each player has three Solo cups before them, filled to 1/3rd each, arranged in a triangle. The result is 3 triangles lined against the back of the table, or 9 cups. Each team also has a water cup.

2. By way of rock-paper-scissors, determine which team will lead. This team will have all 3 balls. They will count “1-2-3, Civil War” and then shoot simultaneously.

3. Each player must shoot at the player directly across them, and only that player, until one of them is eliminated. The eliminated player may still fetch balls (see step 4), while the surviving player may then shoot at any other opponent.

4. Once shot, the balls are live. Each team is permitted to travel to the midpoint of the table and reach for balls, even in enemy territory. Water cups are neutral ground and the only exception to this rule. No one may cross the mid-point, but anything else is fair.

5. Civil War calls for a strict drink-before-you-shoot; as in, players must drink any hit cups before shooting. They may, however, pass the ball to a team-mate, who can then shoot it while they drink.

6. The game continues until all players are eliminated. Winning team has the option of staying on the table.

Tips & Warnings

• The “kill-shot,” i.e., shot that finishes a player, goes back to the player who shot it.
• Other standard rules of Beirut, like “a cup knocked down is down” still apply.
• Traditionally, however, the Elbow Rule is waved for Civil War.