3012 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Sequence of Play
• In the Box
• Goal of the Game
• Card Anatomy
  • Hero Cards
  • Scout Cards
  • Weapon Cards
  • Ally Cards
  • Encounter Cards
  • Action Cards
  • Reaction Cards
• Setting Up
• Playing the Game
  • Replenish Phase
  • Assembly Phase
  • Combat Phase
    • Combat Phase Part 1: Choosing an Encounter or Skip Combat
    • Combat Phase Part 2: Aiding and Blocking with Scouts
    • Combat Phase Part 3: Combat
  • Equipping Weapons
  • Successful Combat
  • Failed Combat
  • Experience Track
  • Acquisition Phase
• Winning the Game
• Calculating Damage
• Leveling Your Hero
• Sacrificing
• Scout Pool
• Cards with Rules Exceptions
• Game Terms

Sequence of Play

• Replenish Phase If you have fewer than four cards in hand, draw back up to four.

• Assembly Phase Flip the top card of each Action deck face up, leaving it on top of its stack. You may resolve these cards in the order of your choice during any phase of your turn.

• Combat Phase Decide if you want to fight. If you do, draw the top card of one of the four Encounter decks and place it face down.

  • Other players may play Scouts to Aid or Block.
  • Fulfill any conditions of the Encounter.
  • Play cards. Total your Damage. Resolve the Encounter.

• Acquisition Phase Buy cards. Gain 1 Gold Token if you do not spend all of your bonus Gold. You may Reserve a card.

• End Phase Discard all cards in the Field of Play and any remaining in your hand. Draw a new hand of four cards.

If at any time you need to draw a card from your deck and you do not have a deck, shuffle your discard pile to create a new deck.

The game ends when a Hero Token reaches the Exalted space on the Level Track.

In the Box

• 1 Game Board
• 120 Action Cards
• 5 Hero Cards
• 20 Ally Cards
• 20 Weapon Cards
• 48 Encounter Cards
• 20 Scout Cards
• 25 Gold Tokens
• 5 Hero Tokens
• 1 Six-Sided Die

Goal of the Game

Build up your deck by purchasing Allies, Weapons, Actions, and Reactions. Defeat Encounters to gain Renown and earn Experience. Experience levels up your Hero. The game ends when a Hero has leveled to the end of the Level Track. Then each player counts up all the Renown in his or her deck. The player with the most Renown wins!

Card Anatomy

Hero Cards

Heroes are your representatives in the game. There are five Heroes, one from each of five of the local cultures in 3012. Heroes begin the game at level 1.

Heroes have inherent Damage ratings. The text box tells you this is based on your Hero's level.

Card elements: Card Name, Game Text, Damage (marked with an asterisk; the game text notes "*Damage is equal to Hero level.").

Scout Cards

You start the game with four Scout cards in your deck. They represent your initial ability to buy cards, as they each contribute 1 Gold to your Acquisition Phase. As the game progresses, they also have uses in Combat. Scouts that are not being used during a game are placed into a Scout Pool to the side of the game board.

Card elements: Card Name, Gold Bonus, Card Type, Game Text.

Weapon Cards

There are 15 different Weapons representing the specializations of each culture and a variety of Weapon qualities. Any Hero or Ally may equip any Weapon during a given turn, but it is advantageous to match certain Weapons to certain Heroes or Allies.

Card elements: Card Name, Card Type, Gold Bonus, Damage, Gold Cost.

Ally Cards

There are 15 different Allies representing different cultures and ranks within those cultures. High-cost Allies have unique names. Low-cost Allies are given titles and are not unique, so you may play more than one. Players may "recruit" any type of Ally into their deck, but Allies prefer to do business with Heroes of their own culture. They have special advantages when fighting for their preferred Hero.

Card elements: Card Name, Card Type, Damage, Game Text, Gold Cost.

Encounter Cards

When you choose to challenge a threat to your people to gain Renown, the Encounter decks provide your quarry.

Card elements: Card Name, Defense (top right corner, on the skull head), Renown (value under the left eye socket), Experience (value under the right eye socket), Card Type, Game Text.

Action Cards

Actions have a number of uses. They can do damage during combat, affect your opponents, provide Gold value for your acquisitions, and give you the ability to draw cards. The only limitation to playing Actions is that you can play them only during your turn.

Card elements: Card Name, Gold Bonus, Card Type, Game Text, Gold Cost.

Reaction Cards

Reaction cards are simply Actions that can be played at any time during any player's turn.

Card elements: Card Name, Gold Bonus, Card Type, Game Text, Gold Cost.

Setting Up

1. Shuffle all the Actions and Reactions costing 2 or 3 Gold together to form one deck.
2. Shuffle all the Actions and Reactions costing 4 or more Gold together to form one deck.
3. Shuffle all the Allies together, then place three Allies face up on the game board as indicated.
4. Shuffle all the Weapons together, then place three Weapons face up on the game board as indicated.
5. Separate the Encounters into four stacks. Each stack should have all the cards with the same Renown value, e.g. the first stack should contain all the Encounters with a Renown value of 1.
6. Place the different stacks of cards face down on the game board as indicated.
7. Each player selects a Hero at random and places that Hero face up in front of him or her.

Playing the Game

All players begin with 1 Gold Token and a deck consisting of four Scouts. Each player draws all four cards to form his or her starting hand. Roll the die to determine who plays first. Play will continue clockwise. The active player takes his or her turn according to the following phases:

• Replenish Phase
• Assembly Phase
• Combat Phase
• Acquisition Phase
• End Phase

Replenish Phase

If for any reason you have fewer than four cards in your hand at the start of your turn, draw cards until you have four. Fill the empty Weapon and Ally slots on the sides of the game board with cards from the top of the corresponding deck until there are three of each available. If a deck runs out of cards, its corresponding slots will not be filled.

Assembly Phase

This phase allows you to set the scene for your Combat Phase by adding to your card plays for the turn. You begin by revealing the top card of each of the two Action card decks. Leave them on top of their respective decks so that they do not get mixed in with the other cards you play during the turn. The game text on these cards may be dealt with at any time during your turn (and in any order) as though you had played them from your hand, but you do not have to play them if you don't wish to. Whether or not you choose to play them, you will have a chance to buy them during your Acquisition Phase. You can then play any Action cards from your hand or keep them hidden until after your opponents have decided whether to help or hinder you in combat.

A "Field of Play" is created apart from your deck and your discard pile. Cards played are not taken out of play until the End Phase of your turn. If one effect from a card is utilized during one phase of a turn, any other effects may still be utilized before the turn is over (unless the card is discarded or removed from the game).

Example: Jim, Lisa, and Tom are playing the game, and it's Jim's turn. Jim has two Scouts, a Rounded Club Weapon, and a Heroic Constitution Action in his hand. To start his Assembly Phase, he reveals an Expert Poisoner card from one Action deck and a Crude Explosions card from the other Action deck. They are now cards that he may play during his turn as though they were in his hand.

Combat Phase

Combat Phase Part 1: Choosing an Encounter or Skip Combat

Based on the cards in your hand (including the two cards you turned up from the Action decks), you decide if you want to enter combat. If you choose to skip combat (a wise thing to do before your deck is ready), then move directly to the Acquisition Phase.

If you choose to enter combat, select a card from the top of one of the Encounter card stacks. The stack you choose should depend on how much approximate damage you believe you can do versus the approximate Defense of the Encounters in each stack. Take the top card from the Encounter stack you have chosen, but do not reveal it, even to yourself. Place it face down into the Field of Play in front of the deck it came from, so all players can tell which deck it came from.

Each Encounter has a Defense rating at the top right corner on the skull head, an Experience number under the right eye socket, and a Renown value under the left eye socket. The Defense number establishes how much damage is needed to defeat the enemy. You need to assemble Damage equal to or greater than the Encounter's Defense in order to defeat the Encounter. Some Encounters have varying conditions that you will need to satisfy before they can be defeated. These are detailed on the cards.

There are four levels of Encounter, offering Renown values of 1 through 4 respectively. The approximate amounts of Defense that must be overcome at each level are as follows:

• Level 1: 4–6 Defense
• Level 2: 7–9 Defense
• Level 3: 10–12 Defense
• Level 4: 13–15 Defense

These are also noted on the game board.

Example: Jim examines his hand and sees that he has 7 potential Damage. His Hero is level 3, and therefore does 3 Damage. The Rounded Club also does 1 Damage. The Crude Explosions card does 3 Damage. He could play it safe and choose a Level 1 Encounter, but he thinks the other players may Aid him to gain some Experience, so he chooses to risk it and take a Level 2. He draws the top card of the Level 2 Encounter stack and places it face down in front of that deck.

Combat Phase Part 2: Aiding and Blocking with Scouts

Now that you have chosen an Encounter (but not revealed it), each opponent in clockwise order from the active player has a chance to play one Scout from his or her hand and announce if it is Aiding or Blocking. Each player must announce one of those two options if he or she chooses to play a Scout.

Example: Lisa is to Jim's left. She plays a Scout and announces that she will Block. Tom thinks Jim will be successful and doesn't want him to get all the Experience for himself, so he plays his Scout and chooses Aid.

Combat Phase Part 3: Combat

Once Aiding and Blocking have been completed, the Encounter card is revealed. Some Encounters may require die rolls or other conditions before you start totaling your Damage. After you have satisfied any conditions required by the Encounter, you may play any cards in your hand. If an Encounter is "removed from this combat," your Encounter is over. You do not win or lose this combat; it just ends, and no Experience is gained by any players. Place the Encounter on the bottom of its stack, then move to your Acquisition Phase. Allies and Weapons that are drawn during the combat may also be played (see Equipping Weapons below). When you can no longer draw or play more cards, and your opponents have been given the chance to play any appropriate Reaction cards, calculate the damage you can do with your Hero, Allies, equipped Weapons, and Action cards in play. Also add the amount of damage from Scouts who Aided you. Compare the final net damage to the Defense of the Encounter card. Be sure to add 1 to the Defense of the Encounter for each Scout Blocking you. If your total damage is equal to or greater than the Defense of the Encounter card, you have been successful in the combat.

Equipping Weapons

In order to make use of a Weapon, you must equip it to your Hero or an Ally you have played this turn. Each may be equipped with a single Weapon, unless a card says otherwise. Unequipped Weapons do not do damage during combat. However, if a Hero or Ally with an equipped Weapon is removed from combat for any reason, the Weapon may be transferred to another unequipped Ally. During your End Phase, all Weapons become unequipped and are discarded. Scouts cannot be equipped.

Successful Combat

If you defeat an Encounter, place the card in your discard pile. It is now part of your deck, but it will have no game effect when drawn during the game. Its Renown value will be very important at the end of the game, as the player with the most Renown is the winner.

You also receive Experience for a successful combat. In the upper corner of the card under the skull's right eye socket, there is an Experience value. If you fought alone, you receive the entire amount. However, if you were Aided by any player, you must divide the Experience evenly with however many players Aided you (rounded up).

Failed Combat

If you do not have enough Damage to defeat the Encounter, you lose the combat and the Encounter card is placed face down on the bottom of its stack. Furthermore, you lose all Gold Tokens you have accumulated that are not on a Reserved card. Also, if you were Blocked during combat, the Experience points listed on the card get divided equally by all player(s) who Blocked you (rounded up).

Experience Track

After all experience has been calculated, each player should move his or her respective Hero Token along the Track. Move one space for each Experience point earned. When your token moves up to a new number value, it means your Hero has leveled up and will now deal that much damage in combat.

Example: Jim and Tom were on the winning side of the combat. Because it was a Level 2 Encounter, there are 3 Experience points at stake. These are divided equally between the two winners (rounded up), so both Tom and Jim receive 2 Experience points. They each move their Hero Token 2 spaces along the Experience track. Tom also puts the Encounter card into his discard pile. At the end of the game, the 2 Renown awarded by the card will be counted toward his total.

Acquisition Phase

Whether you have entered combat or not, you now have a chance to buy things. You can use your total Gold value to purchase either or both of the Action cards you turned up at the beginning of your turn, any face-up Allies or Weapons, or your Reserved card, if any. All cards that you purchase must immediately be placed in your discard pile.

Your Gold total is the sum of all values on the Gold Bonus symbols present on all cards you played, any gained from Action cards you played or revealed this turn, and the number of Gold Tokens you possess.

NOTE: Any cards that you did not play during the Combat Phase may be played during the Acquisition Phase in order to increase your Gold total.

Be sure to check for additional Gold in the text boxes of your Action cards. Treasure Hunt can give you 2 or 4 Gold to buy cards this turn. You may buy as many cards as you wish.

• Gold Tokens: At the end of your Acquisition Phase, if you have unspent Gold gained from cards in the Field of Play this turn, you may take 1 (and only 1) Gold Token from the community stash and keep it for later use. Each token represents 1G. There is no limit to the number of Gold Tokens you can accumulate. However, you may not earn more than one per turn and you run the risk that an unfavorable combat result may force you to sacrifice your "Gold Token stash" at any time.

• Reserved Cards: If you did not purchase both of the revealed Action cards from the top of the two Action decks, you may now remove one of them from the top of its deck and Reserve it for later, but you must have at least 1 Gold Token to do this. Place a Gold Token from your stash on the card to mark it as Reserved and show you have already paid 1 Gold against the cost. If there are still Action cards remaining that were turned up this turn, any other player may choose to Reserve either card. Starting with the player on your left and continuing in turn order, each other player examines the cards and may Reserve one of them.

NOTE: Only one card may be Reserved by any one player at a time. If you have a card in Reserve, you cannot swap it out for a new one.

End Phase

Your turn is now over. You can't play any other cards this turn.

• Discard all cards you played this turn and any remaining in your hand. Sacrifice the face-up cards remaining on the Action decks (see Sacrificing on next page).
• Draw four cards from the top of your deck. If at any time you need to draw a card from your deck and you do not have a deck, shuffle your discard pile to create a new deck.

Winning the Game

The game is over when one or more players reach the Exalted space on the Experience Track. Each player adds up all the Renown he or she has acquired during the game as noted on all his or her cards. The winner is the player with the highest total Renown. If there is a tie for highest, the higher level Hero wins.

You can play a shorter version of the game by identifying an alternate space on the Experience Track as the end point. Example: Play until any player reaches the first Level 4 space.

Calculating Damage

Sometimes you can't count all the damage in your hand towards the maximum damage you might deal to an Encounter card. The following are restrictions:

1. Heroes and Allies can equip only one Weapon per combat. For instance, if you have two Weapons but no Allies, your Hero may equip only one Weapon, so you may add the damage from only one Weapon towards your total.
2. If your Hero or any Allies are removed from combat due to die rolling effects, they can't equip Weapons. Unequipped Weapons do no damage.

Leveling Your Hero

Heroes gain levels as indicated on the Experience Track. The number on the space where a player's Hero Token is located dictates the Hero's level. Your Hero's Damage is equal to its level. Leveling is a great way to increase your Hero's Damage.

Sacrificing

If a card instructs you to sacrifice a card of any type, that card is placed into the Sacrificed Cards stack at the bottom of the board. Sacrificed cards are out of play for the rest of the game.

Scout Pool

Any Scouts not allocated to players' decks at the beginning of the game go into a Scout Pool. Scouts leaving the game go into this pool, and Scouts entering the game come from this pool.

Cards with Rules Exceptions

If any card creates an effect that is inconsistent with the rules, the card's instructions take precedence.

Game Terms

Remove: When a card is removed, the owner of that card puts it into his or her discard pile. Your Hero can be removed from combat, but is never discarded. If an Encounter is "removed from combat," it is placed on the bottom of its stack.