Eagle’s Wing is a game of two phases: when the trunk refills, and when it stops.
As long as the trunk reserve holds more than one card, every wing column that empties is automatically refilled. The moment only one trunk card remains, that automatic safety net disappears. The entire strategic arc of Eagle’s Wing is about recognizing and preparing for that transition before it arrives.
Last updated: May 2026
History and background
Eagle’s Wing is also known as Thirteen Down, a name that refers to the thirteen-card trunk reserve at the game’s center. It belongs to the Demon family (British name for Canfield), a group of games united by the wrapping foundation mechanic: one suit’s base card is revealed by the deal, setting the starting rank for all four foundations, which then build up in a wrapping cycle from that rank through King, Ace, and back to the rank below the base.
The game’s distinctive feature is the wing structure: eight tableau columns arranged in two groups of four, flanking the central trunk reserve. When a wing column empties, it is automatically refilled from the trunk as long as the trunk contains more than one card. This auto-refill makes early-game empty columns nearly free — and creates a sharp tactical break when the trunk runs low.
How the game is set up
One 52-card deck is used.
- Trunk reserve. Thirteen cards are dealt face-down into a central pile (the trunk). The top card is turned face-up. This is the foundation base card: its rank sets the starting rank for all four foundation piles.
- Wing columns. Four cards are dealt face-up to four columns on each side of the trunk, forming eight wing columns of one card each. Only the top card of each wing column is available to play.
- Foundations.Four piles building up by suit from the base rank in a wrapping cycle. A base rank of 7 means the sequence is 7→8→9→10→J→Q→K→A→2→3→4→5→6.
- Trunk auto-refill. Whenever a wing column empties and the trunk still holds more than one card, the top trunk card automatically fills the empty column. When only one trunk card remains, it stays until manually played or moved.
- Tableau building. Wing columns build downward in alternating colours. Only the top card of each wing column can be moved individually; the wing columns are single-card wide, not sequence stacks.
- Stock and waste. The remaining cards form the stock. Cards deal one at a time to a waste pile. The waste top is always available. Two redeals are allowed once the stock is exhausted.
The trunk transition: the game’s defining moment
While the trunk holds more than one card, emptying a wing column is cost-free in terms of space: the trunk immediately replaces the column top with a new card. This auto-refill means you can play wing cards to foundations, to other wing columns, or to the waste pile without worrying about permanently losing a column. Empty a wing, and the trunk fills it.
When the trunk reaches its final card (one card remaining), auto-refill stops. Any wing column that empties after this point stays empty until you manually refill it from the waste pile or stock. This transforms empty columns from free side effects into precious strategic resources. The last trunk card itself becomes available to play to a foundation or wing column on your own terms.
Track the trunk count. When four or five trunk cards remain, begin preparing for the manual phase: identify which waste or stock cards will be needed to fill wing columns once the trunk stops. The transition catches unprepared players; players who have planned for it can continue to create and use empty columns effectively.
Strategic priorities in order
- Identify the base rank and trace the full wrapping sequence immediately.The trunk’s top card sets the base rank for all four foundations before any move is made. Trace the wrapping sequence all the way from the base rank through to the rank below it, and note which base-rank cards are currently visible in the wing columns.
- During the trunk-active phase, aggressively route wing cards to foundations.While the trunk refills empty wings automatically, prioritize clearing wings that hold foundation-ready cards. Each wing cleared gets a fresh trunk card, giving you new information and potentially another foundation candidate.
- Monitor the trunk count and begin preparing for the manual phase early.When the trunk falls to four or five cards, identify which stock or waste cards are in the wrapping sequence and could serve as manual wing refills once the trunk is gone.
- Use redeals strategically, not as panic buttons. Two redeals are available after the stock is exhausted. The first redeal should be triggered when the waste contains cards you know are needed but could not play on the first pass. The second redeal is your last resource; identify exactly which cards you need from it before triggering it.
- Plan the wrapping transition from King to Ace in advance. When foundations reach King, all four suits need Aces next. If Aces are buried in the wing columns or still in the stock, route them proactively before the King step, not after.
Decision walkthroughs
Playing a wing card to a foundation vs. to another wing
Wing column two has a card that matches the next step on its foundation. Wing column five has a card that could build onto wing column two, extending a sequence. The trunk is active and will refill either emptied wing.
Play the foundation card first. Foundation advancement is always the priority; it permanently removes a card from the board and advances the winning condition. Extending a wing sequence delays the foundation move without clear benefit, since both columns will get fresh trunk cards regardless. Foundation over wing-extension is the default hierarchy during the trunk-active phase.
Trunk reaches one card remaining
The trunk is down to one card (face-up). Three wing columns are occupied. You have just emptied a fourth wing column. The last trunk card does not go to any foundation and has no wing column destination.
The empty wing column stays empty until you manually fill it. Check the waste pile for a card that could go there to useful effect. If the waste top builds onto an occupied wing column or goes to a foundation, play it to advance foundations first. The last trunk card can be played to a wing column at any time once it finds a legal destination — it does not disappear, it just sits until needed.
Deciding when to trigger the first redeal
The stock is nearly exhausted. The waste contains the 8♠ which is needed by the spades foundation at 7, but it was buried under several other waste cards that have since been played. You still have one stock card left before the redeal becomes available.
Play the last stock card if it has any use, then trigger the redeal immediately. The redeal is most valuable when specific cards are known to be in the waste pile (because you saw them during the first pass) and those cards advance foundations or enable critical moves. The sooner you redeal with a clear target, the more efficiently you can route that target.
Common mistakes
- Not tracking the trunk count and being caught unprepared by the transition.The trunk-to-manual transition is the game’s most important event. Players who do not watch the trunk count often discover it has reached one card at a moment when they have no plan for manual wing refills, leaving empty columns wasted.
- Building wing sequences instead of routing to foundations. During the trunk-active phase, it is tempting to tidy the wing columns into sequences. This is largely wasted effort: wing-to-wing moves use trunk cards without advancing foundations and consume the auto-refill resource without gaining permanent progress.
- Triggering redeals before knowing what specific cards are needed.A redeal without a plan is a redeal that will produce the same randomness as the first pass. Know which specific cards you need — ideally foundation cards or trunk- transition helpers — before triggering each redeal.
- Ignoring the wrapping post-King segment. When foundations reach King and need Aces next, players who have not tracked Ace locations during the trunk-active phase are often surprised to find them still in the stock or buried in the waste. Track Aces continuously, not just when they become immediately needed.
Recognizing a losing position early
Eagle’s Wing positions are harder to diagnose as lost than most patience games because the two redeals create a persistent sense that recovery is possible. These specific signals indicate a position that is unlikely to be salvageable:
- The trunk has expired, all two redeals have been used, and the waste pile contains two or more foundation cards that are buried under other waste cards with no further mechanism to access them.
- The wrapping sequence has stalled because the next required rank for two or more suits has been confirmed to be in the waste pile below cards that have no current foundation or wing destination, and no redeals remain.
- All wing columns are occupied by mid-to-high rank cards that are not in the immediate wrapping sequence and cannot move to any foundation or other wing column, effectively freezing all eight columns simultaneously.
When these conditions appear before the second redeal, undo to a point where the trunk transition was handled differently — specifically where wing columns were emptied for different trunk cards or where a wing-to-foundation sequence was not taken. In most Eagle’s Wing losses, the avoidable error is a wing-building move that delayed a foundation advancement during the trunk-active phase.