Service Rat · Prerogatives · Veto

Veto

Veto is the late-game safety valve. Once it's unlocked, the Ratcatcher can refuse to sign either law, but only if the Mayor agrees. It's a two-key power that takes both halves of a council to fire, and it's Service Rat's version of the Secret Hitler power called Veto Power.

When it unlocks

Veto is not granted by player count. It unlocks the moment 5 Rat Laws are on the board, the same fifth-Rat Law milestone that re-triggers Kick Out of Town. From that point on, for the rest of the game, the veto option is available in every council session. The board is now a single Rat Law away from a Sellout win, so the stakes on every signing are at their peak.

How it works

Veto is a request, not a unilateral move:

1. The Ratcatcher is handed the two laws as usual, but instead of signing one, they can request a veto.
2. The Mayor then approves or denies.
3. If the Mayor approves: both laws are shredded, nothing is signed, and the Uproar tracker advances by one (the same tracker that brings the Caterwaul at three).
4. If the Mayor denies: the Ratcatcher must sign one of the two laws, exactly as in a normal council session.

Strategy

As the Cats

With 5 Rat Laws on the board, a Cat Ratcatcher handed two Rat Laws should strongly consider requesting the veto: signing either one ends the game in a Sellout win. A Cat Mayor should approve in that spot. The catch is the tracker: a couple of vetoes and the Caterwaul signs the top card for you, so use vetoes to buy time, not to stall forever.

As the Sellouts or Rat

Veto cuts both ways. A Sellout Mayor can deny a veto to force a desperate Cat Ratcatcher to sign the sixth Rat Law and win the game. And because a veto needs both seats to cooperate, watching who requests and who approves is a tell: a Mayor who eagerly approves a veto on two Rat Law cards is probably a Cat, while one who denies is either confident the Ratcatcher is bluffing or quietly steering toward the loss.

Where it fits in the bigger picture

Veto is the fifth and final Mayor power covered on the prerogatives hub. It arrives at the same moment as the second Kick Out of Town, so the endgame often comes down to whether the Cats can veto and kick their way out before the sixth Rat Law lands. For the full council-session and Caterwaul rules, see How to Play.