Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold
Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold is a cooperative deck building game where your deck is never shuffled. Your goal is to defeat the nemesis before your home, Gravehold, is overrun or the players are exhausted.
Each round, the players and the nemesis will take turns in a random order. During a player's turn, they will be able to cast spells, acquire additional gems, relics, and spells from the supply, and manipulate their spellcasting breaches. All the different nemeses included in the game are unique in the actions taken during their turns, and will require a different strategy to be defeated.
The following section introduces the game components and the game terms used with those components. Please take some time to become familiar with this section before reading the rules.
Legacy Campaign
Unlike most games which fully reset every time they are played, Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold carries some elements forward from one game to the next.
Decisions you make in each game can affect future games in your campaign. Each group of players will make different decisions which will result in each game being a unique experience. Sometimes you will write on parts of the game. Sometimes you will put stickers on the cards or the playmat.
These changes are permanent. Strategic play and thoughtful decision-making will be rewarded, while reckless play and rash decision-making might prove to be a liability.
As you play, you will learn about other ways the game will change.
Some elements of play are hidden before the first game. At specific points in the campaign, the players will be instructed to open sealed packages that contain hidden information. Do not open the packages in the game box until instructed to do so. Some rules, labeled A through H, are missing throughout this rulebook. As you play, you will gain these missing rules in the form of stickers which you will then be instructed to place into the rulebook. From that point on, the rules will be permanently changed. You may be asked to banish a card. To do that, place that card in the box in the banished section. Do not use banished cards again unless specifically instructed.
At the beginning of Legacy of Gravehold, you will choose which city you want to represent first: Azer or Gravehold. That decision will determine which mages you fight with and which nemeses you fight where. After each game you will earn additional powers and make choices about which effects and abilities your character will wield.
Once a campaign is started, it must continue with the same number of players throughout the entire campaign. If a player is missing, try having one of the other players take on the role of the missing player's character as well as their own. Players cannot be added to a campaign once it has started.
Contents
- 40 life tokens with value 1, 30 life tokens with value 5: used to track the life of the players and minions.
- 8 silence tokens: used with certain player cards. Rules for silence tokens can be found on pages 20 and 23.
- 20 aether tokens: used with certain player cards. Rules for aether tokens can be found on page 17.
- 7 player number tokens: placed on player mats and used in conjunction with the turn order cards to determine play order.
- 10 fire tokens: used with some nemesis cards. Rules for fire tokens are on page 20.
- 10 shield tokens: used for certain minions. Rules for shield tokens are on page 21.
- 20 power tokens: used on certain nemesis cards to track the number of turns until a power resolves.
- 10 nemesis tokens: used with certain nemeses.
- 24 charge tokens: used to fuel players' abilities.
- 28 Stop decks: These contain all of the cards needed for the game. These decks have the following numbers: AZ-1a, AZ-1b, AZ-1c, AZ-FA, AZ-SO, GH-1a, GH-1b, GH-1c, GH-R, GH-SO, L2-BR, L2-BS, L2-CN, L2-E, L2-FB, L2-FS, L2-GW, L2-IT, L2-MR, L2-MS, L2-PB, L2-PM, L2-PY, L2-RA, L2-RS, L2-TR, L2-XA, L2-YI, and L2-END.
- 2 narrative books: If you choose to fight with Gravehold, you will use the Gravehold narrative book. If you choose Azer, you will use the Azer narrative book. Follow these instructions when starting the game.
- 28 card dividers: Use these when storing the game to keep the different sets of cards separate. Many of these are found in envelopes when you need them.
- 25 breaches: used by the players to cast their spells.
- 2 life dials: used to track the life of Gravehold and the nemesis.
- 21 envelopes: These contain mage and nemesis mats that are opened during the campaign. They are numbered 1-21.
- Read First Sheet: Read this before reading anything else. This sheet contains the storyline of the world of Aeon's End previous to this game.
Component Anatomy
Player Mats
- Breach Mage Name
- Breach Setup: The initial configuration of your breaches. Not all mages have the same number of available breaches.
- Affiliation: This seal shows which side the mage is affiliated with: Gravehold (yellow) or Azer (blue).
- Starting Hand: The five cards which you will have in your hand at the start of the game.
- Starting Deck: The five cards, and the order in which they are placed in your starting deck. Place the leftmost cards at the top of your starting deck.
- Player Number: Place your player number token here. Player number is used in conjunction with the turn order deck to determine turn order.
- Life: Place your life tokens here.
- Ability: Each breach mage has a unique ability. The player mat explains when that ability can be activated and what it does. Abilities can only be activated when you have a charge token on all of the spaces shown below the ability. Abilities can be used in the same turn that the last charge was gained, if applicable. Once an ability is activated, all of the charge tokens are removed.
- Deck: Place your deck facedown here.
- Discard: Place your discard pile faceup here.
- Breach Mage Story: Has no effect on play. Provides further lore into the world of Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold.
- Additional Rules: Some mages have additional cards, additional rules, or unique breaches. The rules for those are found here.
- Complexity Rating: How complex this mage is to play.
- Enhancement stickers: Personal and relationship enhancements can be gained using experience. Those stickers are placed here. Each mage can only have two enhancements of this type active at one time. You are allowed to sticker over one of these stickers if you no longer want to use it.
Breaches
Breaches are double-sided tokens used to prep and cast spells. A single spell may be prepped by placing a spell card from hand to an opened breach during a player's turn. On a subsequent turn, a player's prepped spells may be cast by discarding the spell card.
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Open/Closed: One side of the token is used to indicate that the breach is open, the other indicates a closed breach.
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Breach Number: Used primarily during setup to indicate where each breach is placed next to the player mat.
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Open Cost: The cost, in aether, to open the breach. When a breach is opened, flip it to the opened side. Once a breach is opened, it remains opened for the rest of the game.
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Focus Cost: The cost, in aether, to focus the breach. When a breach is focused, rotate the breach token 90° clockwise. The only time that spells can be prepped to a closed breach is during the player's turn in which that breach was focused.
You may open or focus breaches in any order. For example, you may focus breach III before breach II, or open breach IV before opening breach II or III.
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Opened Effect: Some breaches have effects that occur when a spell is cast from that breach while it is opened.
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Enhancement sticker: Each breach that has an outline like this can have a breach enhancement sticker added to it. This breach can be used by any mage that has an affiliation with that sticker.
Adjacency: Some spells may refer to adjacent breaches. Breaches are always adjacent to the one or two directly next to them physically.
For example, I is adjacent to II. II is adjacent to I and III.
Player Cards
All of the various cards that make up the deck and hand of each player as well as the supply piles are player cards. The players will use these cards in an attempt to defeat the nemesis each game. Each player starts with a hand and deck of cards. Players will gain more cards for their deck from the supply piles by spending aether.
- Cost: The cost in aether that a player must spend to purchase this card from the supply.
- Card Name
- Effect: The effect that is resolved when this card is played. Gems and relics have effects that are resolved immediately. Spells need to be prepped to a breach before they can be Cast. If any card contradicts this rulebook, follow the card's effect.
- Type: There are three types of player cards: gems, relics, and spells.
- Gems are played to give you aether, the main currency of the game. Aether can be spent to gain more cards, and to focus and open breaches. (Breaches are the conduits through which spells are cast.)
- Relics have a variety of useful instantaneous effects.
- Spells are the main way of dealing damage to the nemesis and its minions. Spells must be prepped to a breach (that is, the spell card must be placed on a breach token next to your player mat) before you can cast them.
- Flavor Text: Has no effect on play. Provides further lore into the world of Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold.
- Card Number: Denotes in which deck that card appears.
- Boost/Overheat spaces: Two new terms are introduced in Legacy of Gravehold: Boost and Overheat. They both mean to use a pen or marker to permanently fill in a circle in this section of the card. Boost is a positive effect. It improves the card for future uses. Overheat is a drawback. When a card has too many overheat marks, it will cause you harm. If all the circles are filled, then the card is fully boosted or overheated. During setup, order supply piles that contain boost/overheat cards so that the copies with the most marks are at the bottom of that supply pile. When you gain cards from a supply pile, you must gain the top card of that supply pile.
Nemesis Mat
- Nemesis Name
- Life: Starting life of the nemesis. The nemesis's life is tracked on its life dial. If the life of the nemesis ever reaches 0, the players win.
- Unleash Effect: The effect that occurs when the Unleash keyword resolves. Each nemesis has a unique Unleash effect.
- Additional Rules: Any additional rules that pertain only to this nemesis.
- Increased Difficulty: Some nemeses will have information about increasing the difficulty of the nemesis in this section. This is an optional rule that can be used to adjust difficulty when this nemesis is played outside of the campaign of Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold.
- Difficulty Level: How difficult this nemesis is compared to the other nemeses. The difficulty level ranges from 1 (easiest) to 10 (most challenging).
- Setup: Additional information required during setup for this nemesis.
- Nemesis Story: Has no effect on play. Provides further lore into the world of Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold.
Nemesis Cards
Nemesis cards are the attacks, minions, and powers the nemesis uses to fight against the players and Gravehold. The nemesis deck is constructed at the beginning of each game from a mixture of basic nemesis cards that can be used in any nemesis deck, and a number of unique cards that are only used with that particular nemesis.
- Card Name
- Type: There are three types of nemesis cards: attacks, minions, and powers.
- Attacks: Attacks are resolved immediately and then discarded.
- Minions: Minions enter play with life tokens and stay in play until defeated. They have persistent effects which are resolved during the nemesis's main phase. If the life of a minion reaches 0, it is immediately discarded.
- Powers: All power cards have "POWER X:" on them. When a power card enters play, place X power tokens on it. Unless discarded, power cards stay in play for X nemesis turns before resolving. During the nemesis main phase, remove 1 power token from every power card in play. When a power card has no power tokens left, resolve the effect that is shown after "POWER X:" and then discard it. Only resolve a power card's "POWER X:" effect when the last power token is removed.
- Life: Minion cards have life which can be depleted by dealing damage to the minion. If the life of a minion reaches 0, it is immediately placed in the nemesis discard pile. Minions can never have more than their starting life.
- Effect: The effect that is resolved for this nemesis card.
- TO DISCARD Effect: Some power cards have a "TO DISCARD:" effect. During any player's main phase, that player may fully resolve the effect listed to discard that power card. If a power card is discarded this way, its effect is not resolved.
- Nemesis: The nemesis to which the card belongs. Cards that say "Basic" may be used with any nemesis.
- Tier: There are three tiers of nemesis cards. Tier 1 cards are less dangerous than Tier 2 cards, which are less dangerous than Tier 3 cards. Some unique nemesis cards are marked as Tier 0. These cards are covered in the additional rules section of the nemesis to which they belong.
- Card Number: Denotes in which deck that card appears.
Experience
Experience is gained at the end of each game. Experience is a communal resource that the players earn together. It is tracked in the form of experience cards, valued 1, 5, 10, and 20. The narrative book will tell you how much experience you gain after each game. It will also tell you when you can spend your experience to gain enhancements. You can choose to save your experience for later by storing it in your barracks between games.
Enhancements
Experience is used to gain enhancements. Enhancements make the players stronger for future games. Each enhancement has an experience cost shown next to it on the sticker sheet. Players may choose to spend their experience however they want on the available enhancement stickers. Players are allowed to place enhancement stickers over other enhancement stickers, but they will no longer have access to the old effects. There are five types of enhancements:
- Breach: These stickers can be placed on a breach that has an outline for a sticker on it as long as the breach number is the one that is listed on the sticker. The breach number is listed at the start of the effect, i.e. the sticker "II: Spells cast from..." must be placed on a II breach. Once a breach has an enhancement, it can be used by any mage that has the same affiliation as the enhancement and that can use that breach.
- Personal: These stickers are applied directly to the mage mat and cannot be moved to another mage.
- Relationship: Relationship enhancements are similar to personal enhancements. These stickers must be applied to the mage mat of the mage listed on that sticker. Relationship stickers cannot be moved to another mage.
- Starter card: These stickers are added to the bottom of starter cards with a sticker outline. Starter cards with enhancements can be used by any mage that uses that type of starter card. Once a starter card has an enhancement, it can be used by any mage that has the same affiliation as the enhancement.
- General: These stickers are applied to the map. If you are playing with Gravehold, place them along the top of the map. If you are playing with Azer, place them along the bottom of the map. General enhancements provide a benefit to mages with the matching affiliation.
Enhancements note: Starting with the second game of the campaign, players may have enhancement stickers on the map, their breaches, their player mat, or their starter cards. During setup, you may place enhanced starter cards anywhere in your hand or starting deck that corresponds with that card's name. For example, if you have an enhanced Crystal, you can place that anywhere your player mat says "Crystal."
Narrative Books
The Narrative Books contain the narrative that chronicles the story of Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold. They also contain instructions as to when to open certain decks and envelopes.
If you choose to fight with Gravehold, you will use the Gravehold narrative book. If you choose Azer, you will use the Azer narrative book.
Map
The map shows all of the points of interest for this game. You may be asked to write or sticker on the map.
Setup
Player Setup
- Each player chooses a player mat from the Barracks and a player number token.
- Each player builds their starting hand and deck as shown on their player mat. The cards should be in the order shown with the leftmost card(s) being the top card(s) of their deck and the rightmost card(s) being the bottom card(s) of their deck.
- Each player receives one of each type of breach shown on their mat (I–IV as listed). Players arrange their breaches as indicated on their player mat. Some breach mages start with fewer than four breaches. Typically, the fewer breaches a mage has the more difficult they are to play.
- Each player starts the game with 10 life. Set the Gravehold life dial to 30. The players and Gravehold can never have more than their starting life.
Enhancements: Starting with the second game of the campaign, players may have enhancement stickers on the map, their breaches, their player mat, or their starter cards. During setup, you may place enhanced starter cards anywhere in your hand or starting deck that corresponds with that card's name. For example, if you have an enhanced Crystal, you can place that anywhere your player mat says "Crystal."
Turn Order Deck
- The turn order deck is always composed of four player turn order cards and two nemesis turn order cards. The player turn order cards correspond to the player number tokens.
- For two players, place two turn order cards for each player in the deck.
- For three players, place one turn order card for each player plus the wild turn order card in the deck. Give the wild token to any player at the start of the game. When the wild turn order card is drawn, the player with the wild token takes a turn and then passes the token to the player on their left. The wild turn order card is a player turn order card. When an effect refers to the wild turn order card, the player with the wild token is affected.
- For four players, place the two 1/2 and two 3/4 turn order cards in the deck. Set the corresponding tokens on the table. When one of those cards is drawn and no player has the token, one of the corresponding players takes a turn. That player places that token on their player mat. When the same card is drawn later, the other player takes a turn and the token is returned to the middle of the table.
- Regardless of the player count, add two nemesis turn order cards to the deck and shuffle it.
- Set the map to one end of the play area. Place the fire tokens next to the map.
When the turn order deck is empty and a new turn order card must be drawn or revealed, shuffle all of the turn order cards together and place them facedown to make the turn order deck again.
Turn Order Deck Example: Abby and Bob are playing a two-player game, so they will create a turn order deck that consists of two Player 1 cards, two Player 2 cards, and two Nemesis cards.
Nemesis Setup
- The narrative book will tell you which envelope to open next and which nemesis to fight. It will also tell if you need to make the nemesis deck.
- Set the nemesis life dial equal to the number shown on the nemesis mat. The nemesis can never have more than its starting life.
Each nemesis has a set of cards with their name written at the bottom. In addition to any specific nemesis cards, some basic cards are included in each nemesis deck.
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The nemesis deck: The nemesis deck contains between 20 and 31 cards as determined by the player count. The nemesis deck has three tiers which increase in difficulty as the game progresses and will consist of both nemesis specific and basic nemesis cards. Tiers are indicated by a 1, 2, or 3 in the bottom right of the nemesis cards. Each nemesis has nine nemesis specific cards with the name of the nemesis written at the bottom.
To build the nemesis deck:
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Locate the nine nemesis specific cards used for this game, and separate them into three piles of three cards according to the card's tier.
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Use the chart below to add basic nemesis cards to each pile based on the number of players in the game. Throughout the campaign, you will be given upgraded basic nemesis cards, which say "Upgraded-Basic" at the bottom. Be sure to include all of the upgraded basic nemesis cards you have before you add standard basic nemesis cards. In solo, never add more than one tier 1 upgraded basic or more than three tier 2 upgraded basic nemesis cards.
Basic Nemesis Cards Added 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player Tier 1 1 3 5 8 Tier 2 3 5 6 7 Tier 3 7 7 7 7 -
Shuffle each pile of cards separately.
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Place the tier 3 cards on the bottom facedown, the tier 2 cards facedown on top of the tier 3 cards, and the tier 1 cards facedown on top of the tier 2 cards. Combined, these tiers form the nemesis deck.
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Do not shuffle the nemesis deck once it has been created.
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After creating the nemesis deck, follow all setup instructions on the nemesis mat. Then, read all of the information on the front of the nemesis mat.
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Fill out the information for this game on the back of the narrative book that you are using. Keeping track of what narrative passage you just read will help you not lose your place in the story.
Tier 0: Depending on which nemesis you're playing against, there may be other cards used besides the nemesis deck. These cards are marked as tier 0. Refer to the nemesis mat for specific setup instructions.
Note: For your first game, do not shuffle the tiers of the nemesis deck. The nemesis deck is prebuilt for this game.
Nemesis Setup Example: Abby and Bob lost their first game against Bishop of Scrolls. They are going to play it again. The first game setup sheet instructed them on how to set up their first game. Now, they use the rulebook to set up Bishop of Scrolls a second time.
Bob reads the Bishop of Scrolls mat front and back to refresh himself of the rules.
(8) Bob sets the nemesis life dial to 50 because that is Bishop of Scrolls starting life.
(9) At the end of the first game, Abby and Bob sorted the nemesis deck into basic cards and Bishop of Scrolls cards. Now, Bob finds the nine nemesis cards with Bishop of Scrolls written at the bottom. He consults the chart to see what basic cards he will need for a two-player game. He finds three random tier 1 basic nemesis cards, five random tier 2 basic nemesis cards, and seven random tier 3 basic nemesis cards.
Then he sorts the Bishop of Scrolls nemesis cards into tiers. First, he shuffles the three tier 3 Bishop of Scrolls cards into the seven tier 3 basic cards and places them facedown to start the nemesis deck. Next, he shuffles the three tier 2 Bishop of Scrolls nemesis cards in with the five tier 2 basic cards and places those on top of the tier 3 cards. Finally, he shuffles the three tier 1 Bishop of Scrolls cards into the three tier 1 basic cards and places those on top of the tier 2 cards. At this point, Bob will no longer shuffle the nemesis deck. He sets it beside the nemesis mat.
Abby and Bob have not opened any upgraded basic nemesis cards yet, so Bob did not include any when building the nemesis deck.
(10) With the nemesis deck now created, Bob checks the Bishop of Scrolls mat for further setup instructions. The mat says, "Place the unnamed deck facedown next to this mat. Place an unnamed into play and resolve its 'IMMEDIATELY:' effect. Place another unnamed into play and resolve its 'IMMEDIATELY:' effect. In a 1/2/3 player game, place a third unnamed into play and resolve its 'IMMEDIATELY:' effect." Bob follows those instructions.
Note: According to the narrative book, you won't replay your game against Bishop of Scrolls if you lose. This scenario was just used as an example so as not to spoil other nemeses.
Supply Setup
- The supply piles are the player cards that can be gained during the game. The supply is composed of nine supply piles. Each pile contains several copies of the same card. The players construct a supply of nine player cards using the player cards in your Barracks. Then, return all of the player cards you don't include in the supply to your Barracks. Be sure to order supply piles that contain boost/overheat cards so that the copies with the most marks are at the bottom of that supply pile.
Empty Supply Piles: If a supply pile runs out, it is empty. Do not replace it.
Guidelines for Making the Supply: Choose three gems, two relics, and four spells. Place each card of the same name in its own separate pile, in the middle of the table.
Gems are the primary source of gaining aether. Spending aether is how you gain new cards, focus and open breaches. There are seven gem cards in each gem supply pile.
Spells are the primary source of damage to the nemesis and its minions. They must be prepped to a breach on one turn in order to be cast on a later turn. There are five spell cards in each spell supply pile.
Relics have a wide variety of effects and are resolved as soon as they are played. There are five relic cards in each relic supply pile.
Tip: It is recommended that the supply has at least one gem that costs 3 aether so that players have the ability to buy more expensive cards on subsequent turns.
Gameplay
Turn Order
Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold has a variable turn order, which is determined by the turn order deck. At the start of the game and after each player or nemesis turn ends, draw a card from the turn order deck to determine who takes the next turn. Place that card on the top of the turn order discard pile.
If you need to draw or reveal a card from the turn order deck and that deck is empty, shuffle the discarded turn order cards together facedown to replenish the turn order deck.
Turn Order Example: Now that Abby and Bob have the game set up, they start the game by drawing the top card of the turn order deck. The Player 1 turn order card is drawn, so Abby will take the first turn.
On Abby's turn, she will play through the following phases in order: casting phase, main phase, and draw phase.
During the casting phase, she will be able to cast spells that she prepped on a previous turn. Since it is the first turn of the game, Abby will skip this phase and move straight to the main phase.
Important Terms: This game introduces some new keywords and brings back some old ones from previous Aeon's End titles. Rules regarding these keywords can be found under Game Terms below.
Simultaneous Effects: When effects from two different cards/mats are supposed to resolve at the same time, the players decide in which order they resolve.
Player Turn Overview
- Casting Phase You may Cast any of your prepped spells in opened breaches. You must Cast any of your prepped spells in closed breaches. Place cast spells on top of your discard pile as they are cast.
- Main Phase
You may resolve the following actions in any order and as many times as you want:
- Play a gem or relic card
- Gain a card
- Gain a charge
- Focus a breach
- Open a breach
- Prep a spell to a breach
- Resolve a "While prepped" effect
- Resolve a "TO DISCARD:" effect
- Draw Phase Place all the gems and relics that you have played this turn on the top of your discard pile in any order you choose. Draw cards from the top of your deck until you have five cards in hand.
If at any time a player's life is reduced to 0, that player is exhausted. Read the exhausted section below for details.
Player Turn: 1 – Casting Phase
Cast prepped spells:
- Any spells that are prepped in an opened breach may be Cast during this phase.
- Every spell prepped in a closed breach (that is, a spell that was prepped to a focused breach in the previous turn) must be Cast now.
- You choose the order in which you Cast your spells.
When a spell is Cast:
- Discard it to the top of your discard pile immediately, then resolve the effect after the word "Cast:" on the card.
- That spell can only deal damage to a single minion or the nemesis unless otherwise specified.
- Some breaches have a "+1 damage when Cast" effect while they are opened. Any spell Cast from an open breach with this effect deals 1 additional damage, even if that spell's effect would normally not deal damage.
- Outcasts introduces several new characters with unique breaches. If a mage uses one of these breaches, the setup and effects for that breach will be listed in the setup section of that player mat.
When you deal damage:
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To a minion, remove life tokens from that minion card equal to the damage you dealt. If a minion has no life tokens remaining, it is immediately discarded. If a minion has any shield tokens when it is dealt damage, remove one shield token instead of removing life tokens. Remove only one shield token each time a source deals damage to the minion regardless of the amount of damage dealt.
Example: A minion has 2 shield tokens and 3 life. Bob deals 3 damage to the minion with a spell. One shield token is removed. Bob then deals 1 damage to the minion, another shield token is removed. The minion now has no shield tokens and 3 life.
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To the nemesis, reduce its life total on the dial by the amount of damage you dealt. If the nemesis has 0 life remaining, the players immediately win.
Casting Phase Example: For this example, we have skipped ahead a few turns in the game to a point where Bob has gained a few spells. He starts the turn with a Spark and a Grassblade prepped as shown above. His Spark spell is prepped to breach I, which is opened, so he has the option of casting it now or waiting to cast it later. Grassblade is prepped to a closed breach III. Since that breach is closed, Bob must cast Grassblade.
Bob decides to cast Grassblade first. He immediately places the Grassblade in his discard pile. Then he resolves the Cast effect, dealing 2 damage to Bishop of Scrolls, which brings its life total down from 50 to 48.
Finally, Bob decides not to cast the Spark prepped to an open breach. He wants to save this spell for a future turn so he can be ready if a minion shows up.
There are some effects in Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold that will allow you to cast another player's prepped spells. When casting a spell other than your own, you are the "you" referred to on the spell card. You make all decisions pertaining to that spell. When that spell is discarded, it is placed on top of the discard pile of the player who had it prepped.
Player Turn: 2 – Main Phase
The following eight actions can be done in any order, any number of times during a player's main phase.
For example, you could play a gem, gain a card, prep a spell, play another gem card, and gain another card.
1. Play a gem or relic card:
- When you play a card, you must execute all of the text on that card, if possible.
- If there is an "OR," choose exactly one of the options listed. If you can only complete one of the two options, you must choose that option.
- You may gain aether even if you choose not to spend it.
- Any aether gained on a turn that is not spent is lost. Aether does not accumulate over turns, nor can it be given to other players.
- At the end of your turn, any gem or relic cards you played are placed on top of your discard pile in any order.
2. Gain a card:
- You may gain a card from the supply by spending aether you have gained this turn equal to the cost shown in the upper right-hand corner of the card.
- When you gain a card, it is immediately placed on top of your discard pile.
- You must gain the top card of a supply pile.
3. Gain a charge:
- You may pay 2 aether to gain a charge.
- When you gain a charge, place a charge token on your player mat beneath the ability description.
- You may not pay aether to gain charges for your allies.
- You may not have more charges than your ability requires. The maximum charges are denoted by the number of spaces available on the player mat: 4, 5, or 6.
Aether Tokens: Certain player cards allow players to gain aether tokens. If you have aether tokens, you can use them during your turn as aether. Each aether token is worth 1 aether. When you use the token, discard it. You can have any number of aether tokens.
During the draw phase, any unused aether tokens will be discarded.
Main Phase: Gain and Spend Aether Example: On Bob's first turn, he has a Warding Stone, three Crystals, and a Spark in his hand. He plays his three Crystals and Warding Stone to gain 4 aether. Then he preps his Spark in his opened I breach.
Bob has a total of 4 aether. He has many options as to what he can do with this aether. He chooses to spend all 4 aether to gain a Fractured Lightning. He immediately places it on top of his discard pile.
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Bob could have chosen to spend 4 aether to gain two charges.
4. Focus a breach:
- You can focus one of your closed breaches by paying the focus cost shown near the center of that breach token.
- When you focus a breach, rotate the breach token 90° clockwise. You may prep a spell to the focused breach this turn.
- Breaches may be focused any number of times per turn. Any number of breaches may be focused per turn. You may focus a breach without prepping a spell to it.
- A breach that has been rotated so that the yellow quadrant is at the top can be opened by an effect that would otherwise focus this breach.
5. Open a breach:
- You can open one of your closed breaches by paying the open cost currently indicated on the top of that breach token. The open cost decreases each time you focus the breach.
- When you open a breach, flip the breach to the opened side. Opened breaches stay opened for the rest of the game. A spell can be prepped to a breach on the turn that breach is opened and any subsequent turn.
Focus or Open a Breach Example: For this example, we'll explore a few more options Bob has on his first turn. He has three Crystals, one Warding Stone, and one Spark in his hand. It is his main phase.
Bob starts his main phase by playing his three Crystals and Warding Stone for 4 aether. He now has four options for focusing his breaches. He knows that if he focuses or opens a breach this turn, Warding Stone will gain him an additional 2 aether.
(1) He could focus his II breach for 2 aether using the aether from the crystals. This would leave Bob with 4 aether to gain a card, two charges, or focus a breach again.
(2) Bob could spend his 4 aether to open his II breach. This would leave Bob with 2 aether.
(3) He could focus his III breach for 3 aether. This would leave him with 3 aether.
(4) He could focus his IV breach for 4 aether. This would leave him with 2 aether.
Bob decides to focus his II breach and use the 4 aether he has left to gain a Fractured Lightning.
6. Prep a spell to a breach:
- To prep a spell, play a spell card from your hand onto an opened breach or a closed breach that has been focused this turn. Only one spell may be prepped to a breach at a time. You cannot prep a spell to a breach that already has a prepped spell. You can only prep spells to your own breaches.
- Prepped spells can be Cast during the casting phase of that player's next turn.
7. Resolve a "While prepped" effect:
- You can use the effect of any of your prepped spells that have a "While prepped" effect that is specific to the main phase. Such effects may be used the same turn that the spell is prepped or any subsequent turn if the spell is still prepped.
8. Resolve a "TO DISCARD:" effect:
- Some nemesis power cards have a "TO DISCARD:" effect. During your main phase, you alone may fully resolve the effect listed to discard that power card. Your allies may not help you resolve this effect. If a power card is discarded this way, its effect is not resolved.
Player Turn: 3 – Draw Phase
Once you have finished your main phase, place all of the gem and relic cards you played this turn on top of your discard pile in any order.
Then, keeping all unplayed cards in hand, draw cards from the top of your deck until you have five cards in hand.
Finally, discard all of your aether tokens.
If at any time there are not enough cards in your deck to draw or reveal a card, draw/reveal as many as you can then flip over your discard pile to form a new deck and draw/reveal. At no point in the game do you shuffle your deck.
Notes:
- You may not choose to discard cards during your turn. Unlike other deck builders, you do not discard your hand at the end of each turn.
- You may look through your discard pile at any time, although you may not rearrange it.
- You may not look through your deck.
- There is no maximum hand size.
No Deck Shuffling: Unlike many other deck building games, you do not shuffle your discard pile when your deck is empty. Simply flip your discard pile over to form your deck.
Discard Order: When a spell is cast, it is immediately placed in your discard pile before resolving its effect. Cards gained are immediately placed in your discard pile.
Any gem or relic cards that you play are placed in your play area. At the end of your turn, during the draw phase, played gem and relic cards will be placed in your discard pile in any order you choose.
Draw Phase Example: It is the end of one of Bob's turns. During his casting phase, he Cast a Grassblade, which was immediately placed on top of his discard pile.
Bob starts the turn with one aether token. On this turn, he played an Electrum Rod, two Crystals, and a Scrying Sugilite. He used the Electrum Rod to focus one of his breaches. Finally, Bob used the 4 aether from the Scrying Sugilite and the Crystals plus the 1 aether from the aether token to gain a Cascade.
When he gained the Cascade, he placed it directly on top of the Grassblade in his discard pile. Bob discards the aether token and is now done with his main phase.
At the start of his draw phase, he places the Electrum Rod, the Crystals, and the Scrying Sugilite on top of his discard pile in any order. Bob chooses to place the Electrum Rod first, then the Scrying Sugilite, and finally both of the Crystals.
Next, Bob draws cards from the top of his deck until he has five cards in hand. His deck only has two cards in it. Bob draws those two and then, without shuffling, flips his discard pile over to form his new deck. He then draws three more cards so that he has five cards in hand.
Nemesis Turn Overview
- Main phase From oldest to newest, resolve the effects of each minion and power card the nemesis has in play.
- Draw phase
Draw a card from the nemesis deck.
- If it is an attack card, resolve its effect immediately.
- If it is a minion card or power card, place it into play with the appropriate number of life or power tokens. Resolve any effects following "IMMEDIATELY:" on the card. The rest of its effects will not be resolved this turn.
If at any time a player's life is reduced to 0, that player is exhausted. Read the exhausted section below for details.
Nemesis Turn: 1 – Main Phase
Starting with the minion card or power card that has been in play the longest, the players resolve the effects of each minion card and power card in play.
- PERSISTENT effects are resolved now. If a minion has a silence token on it, do not resolve its PERSISTENT effect, remove the silence token instead.
- Each power card in play will lose 1 power token. After removing a token, if a power card has no tokens on it, resolve the effect that is shown after "POWER X:" and discard it from play.
Fire Tokens: Some nemesis cards add fire tokens to your location on the map. These tokens represent the destruction being done to the village where you are fighting. These tokens have two effects on gameplay:
- The players immediately lose the game if there are 10 or more fire tokens on your location on the map.
- After you are finished fighting a nemesis, you will receive some rewards from the village where you are fighting. The more fire tokens that are there, the fewer rewards you will receive.
Nemesis Main Phase Example: For this example, we'll fast forward a few rounds into the game. The nemesis turn order card has been drawn. Bishop of Scrolls has Cosmopod Horror and a Chaos Orb with 1 power token in play. Those cards came into play in that order, so Abby and Bob will resolve them in that order.
First, Cosmopod Horror's persistent effect is "Gravehold and any player each suffer 1 damage." Bob adjusts Gravehold's life from 26 to 25. Then, Abby suffers 1 damage going down to 9.
Next, Bob removes 1 power token from the power card Chaos Orb. There are no power tokens remaining on that card, so it resolves. Its effect is "Unleash. Gravehold suffers 4 damage." Bishop of Scrolls's Unleash is "Draw a card from the unnamed deck and place it into play." Bob resolves the place an unnamed into play. Then, Abby adjusts Gravehold's life from 25 to 21.
There are no other minions or powers in play except the unnamed that was placed into play this turn. The Bishop of Scrolls nemesis mat says "When an unnamed is placed into play, do not resolve its persistent effect during the nemesis main phase this turn."
Nemesis Turn: 2 – Draw Phase
Draw a nemesis card:
- If the nemesis deck is empty and the nemesis would draw a card, instead Unleash three times.
If the drawn card type is:
- Attack card: Resolve the card's effect immediately in the order that it appears on the card. Then, place the card in the nemesis's discard pile.
- Minion card: Resolve any effect that follows the word "IMMEDIATELY:." Then place the minion card into play with the number of life tokens indicated on the card.
- If a minion has a shield icon with a number in it, that minion comes into play with the number of shield tokens indicated on the shield icon. When a minion is dealt any amount of damage while it has at least one shield token, remove a shield token from the minion instead of removing any life tokens. Remove only one shield token each time a source deals damage to the minion regardless of the amount of damage dealt.
- Power card: Resolve any effect that follows the word "IMMEDIATELY:." Then place the power card into play with a number of power tokens as indicated on the card.
When resolving card effects:
Ambiguity: Nemesis cards may have ambiguous situations where it's not clear what or whom should be affected. In these cases the players make that determination.
For example, if you are resolving a nemesis card that makes the player with the lowest life suffer damage and two players are tied for having the lowest life, the players decide who suffers the damage.
Another card may have the player with the most charges suffer damage when no players have any charges. In this case also, the players choose who will suffer the damage.
If a nemesis card forces you to resolve an effect that cannot be fully resolved, resolve as much of that effect as possible.
For example, if a nemesis card says "Any player destroys five cards in hand," and no player has five or more cards, then the player with the most cards in hand must destroy all of their cards in hand.
- When resolving an effect that cannot be fully completed, resolve as much as possible. If you are given an option between two effects, you must choose an option you can fully resolve.
- Persistent and power effects only occur during the nemesis's main phase. These effects are ignored for newly placed minion and power cards until the nemesis's next turn.
Nemesis Draw Phase Examples: After fully resolving the nemesis main phase, Abby and Bob proceed to the nemesis draw phase. During this phase, they will draw a card from the nemesis deck and resolve it. Here are examples of the three types of nemesis cards, along with how they would be resolved.
Attack Card Example: In this example, Abby and Bob draw Rend, an attack card, from Bishop of Scrolls's nemesis deck.
Attack cards resolve immediately. Rend's effect is "Unleash. Gravehold suffers 1 damage. Any player suffers 2 damage."
First, Bob checks the Bishop of Scrolls mat to see that they draw an unnamed and place it into play, so he does that. Then, Gravehold suffers 1 damage. Finally, Abby and Bob decide that Bob should suffer the damage. Bob adjusts his life from 10 to 8.
Finally, Rend is discarded to the nemesis discard pile.
Minion Card Example: In this example, Abby and Bob draw Fevered Scribe, a minion card, from Bishop of Scrolls's nemesis deck.
Fevered Scribe is a minion with an immediate effect of "Unleash. This minion suffers damage equal to the number of players in the game." Bob resolves the Unleash effect of Bishop of Scrolls. Then, he places Fevered Scribe into with 4 life. It comes into play with 6 life, but the immediate effect deals it 2 damage since there are two players in the game.
They also read Fevered Scribe's persistent effects. They read its persistent effect so they know what will happen during the next nemesis main phase. This effect doesn't resolve this turn because persistent effects are only resolved during the nemesis main phase, which has already passed.
Power Card Example: In this example, Abby and Bob draw Chaos Orb, a power card, from Bishop of Scrolls's nemesis deck.
Since Chaos Orb is a power card, it is placed directly into play. It has a power of 3. Therefore, Abby and Bob place 3 power tokens on it. It has no immediate effect.
They read the card's effect so they know what it will do when it resolves. Power tokens are removed and powers resolve during the nemesis main phase — neither of these actions will happen this turn as the nemesis main phase has already passed.
Chaos Orb has a "TO DISCARD:" effect. Any player may resolve the effect listed here during their main phase to discard that power card.
Exhausted
If a player's life is reduced to 0, that player is exhausted. Resolve the following effects in order.
- Resolve the nemesis's Unleash effect twice. If a player becomes exhausted during the nemesis's Unleash effect, finish resolving the Unleash effect before that player resolves the effects of becoming exhausted.
- The exhausted player destroys one of their breaches, discarding any spell prepped in that breach.
- Destroyed breaches can be returned to the box – there is no way to regain a destroyed breach. The remaining breaches stay in their current positions.
- The exhausted player discards all of their charge tokens.
The exhausted player continues to participate in the game as usual with the following exceptions:
- Exhausted players cannot gain life.
- When a card deals damage to the player with the lowest life, it always deals that damage to the non-exhausted player with the lowest current life.
- When an exhausted player suffers damage, instead deal twice that amount of damage to Gravehold. This includes excess damage when a player initially becomes exhausted.
If all players become exhausted, the game ends immediately and the players lose.
Exhausted Example: Later in the game during the Nemesis draw phase, Breach Spike is drawn and its effect of "— Unleash twice. The player with the most prepped spells suffers 3 damage. —" is resolved. First, Bob resolves Bishop of Scrolls's Unleash effect twice and places two unnamed into play. Then:
- Bob has the most prepped spells. Bob only has 2 life left. The first 2 damage causes Bob to become exhausted. As a result of being exhausted, he resolves these steps:
- Resolves Bishop of Scrolls's Unleash effect twice. Bob places two more unnamed into play.
- Destroys his III breach and discards the spell that was prepped to it.
- Discards all his charge tokens.
- The remaining 1 damage is doubled and suffered by Gravehold. He adjusts the Gravehold life dial down from 16 to 14.
Severed
These particular Void creatures seem to have the uncommon ability to cut a mage off from their source of aether itself. While such an effect should only be temporary, a mage without a connection to aether would not be able to harness any kind of spell. I have never encountered such a thing before in my studies. I wonder where they could have learned such a feat. – Mazra, Breach Scholar
When a mage becomes severed, place a severed sticker (sticker sheet 5 - section 2) over the affiliation seal in the upper lefthand corner of the front of their player mat. This mage cannot be played after you finish fighting this nemesis. If you are instructed to immediately replay this nemesis, you may use this mage for that game.
When you are finished fighting that nemesis, the narrative booklet will instruct you to read a passage if there are severed mages. Read that passage in the narrative book. Then set that mage aside for the rest of the campaign as you are not allowed to use them again.
Vestiges
When a mage is severed, they cannot fight anymore, so they pass along their tools to the rest of the mages. After reading the text related to the severed mage, you will be directed to a sticker in the Insights envelope. This sticker must be applied before the next game.
These stickers function exactly like enhancement stickers with two exceptions:
- They do not have any experience cost to apply them.
- Some of them are used to enhance a mage's ability.
These ability stickers are applied to a player mat in the ability section. When a player resolves that mage ability, they resolve the ability vestige afterward. Just like with other enhancement stickers, you are allowed to sticker over vestige stickers.
Game Terms
Ally: An ally is any player other than you.
Attach: Some relics allow you to Attach them to a breach. When you attach a relic to a breach, place that relic underneath that breach token. You cannot attach a relic to a breach that already has a relic attached to it. Attached relics are not discarded at the end of the turn. If an attached relic is discarded, it is placed in the discard pile of the player whose breach it was attached to. If a breach with a relic attached to it is destroyed, the attached relic is discarded.
Banished: When a card is banished, place it in the banished section of the game box. Banished cards will not be used again during the current campaign.
Barracks: Between games, the Barracks is where players store all of the content they have access to for the current campaign. This includes player cards, player mats, enhanced breaches, nemesis basic cards, and nemesis upgraded basic cards.
Boost: When you boost a card, you will mark off one of the circles that appear in the upper righthand corner of the card. If there are no unmarked circles remaining, it is fully boosted and you ignore this effect.
Conjure: When you use the Conjure effect of a card, you look at the top card of your deck, then you may prep it facedown to one of your opened breaches or a closed breach that was focused this turn. Facedown cards prepped to breaches are considered spells that cost 2 aether and have the text "Cast: Deal 2 damage." When you cast one of these cards, place it faceup in your discard pile. You may look at facedown cards prepped to your breaches at any time.
Cross out: Some cards will instruct you to cross out a sentence or option on a card. When this happens, use a pen or marker to cover over that text. In the future when this card is played, you will ignore anything that is crossed out.
Destroy: Cards which are destroyed are permanently removed from the game and are not used or interacted with in any way once they are destroyed.
Echo: When you cast a spell with Echo, resolve that Cast effect twice. Any additional effects granted for casting the spell are added to both resolutions of the spell. For example, you cast a spell with Echo that has a Cast effect of "Deal 2 damage." If that spell was prepped to a breach that has "Deals +1 damage," you will resolve the following: "Deal 3 damage," then "Deal 3 damage."
Fire tokens: These are used to track how much damage has been done to the location where you are fighting. Players lose the game if your location on the map has 10 or more fire tokens.
Nemesis Tier: Some effects refer to the nemesis tier. The nemesis tier is the highest number in the tier section of any nemesis card in the nemesis discard pile or in play. This is typically the tier of the last card drawn from the nemesis deck.
"OR" effects: When a card gives two options separated by an "OR," you may choose either option, unless you cannot fully resolve one of them. In that case, you must choose the effect that you can fully resolve.
Overheat: When you overheat a card, you will mark off one of the circles that appear in the upper righthand corner of the card. If there are no unmarked circles remaining, it is fully overheated and you won't mark off anymore circles.
Recall: The Recall effect of a card can only be used when it is in your discard pile. Recall means "Once per turn during your main phase if this is in your discard pile, you may resolve this effect." You can use this effect when you gain this card on your turn since it will be in your discard pile during your main phase.
Revealing cards: Whenever you reveal a card from the top of any deck, return it to the top of that deck. If you reveal more than one card, return them in any order you choose.
Silence: Place a silence token on a minion. On the next nemesis turn, skip that minion's "PERSISTENT:" effect and discard the token.
"To Discard:" Some nemesis power cards have "TO DISCARD:" effects on them. During a player's main phase, that player may resolve the text following "TO DISCARD:" in order to discard that power card from play. If a player does discard a power card this way, that card has no effect.
Unleash: Some nemesis cards will say "Unleash." Each nemesis has a unique effect that is resolved when this happens. This effect is listed on each nemesis mat.
Game End
The game ends when any of the following conditions are met.
The players are victorious if either of the following conditions is true:
- The nemesis has no cards in its deck and no minions or powers in play at the end of any turn.
- The nemesis has 0 life.
The players lose if any of the following conditions are true:
- All the players are exhausted (have 0 life).
- Gravehold has 0 life.
- There are 10 fire tokens on your location.
In addition, a nemesis may have a specific victory condition listed on the nemesis mat that causes the players to lose immediately.
At the end of the game, follow the instructions written in the narrative book and record your game on the back of that book. Then, discard all fire tokens.
Solo Play
In true solo play, you play as only one mage. When playing true solo, you are your own ally. For example, if a card gives a charge to an ally, you instead gain that charge yourself. If an effect affects you and another player, you resolve that effect twice.
You don't lose the game when you are exhausted. Instead, you lose the game when Gravehold has 0 life. Otherwise, play the game as normal.
You can also play solo as multiple separate mages where you control all of those mages. If you choose to play like this, just follow the rules as normal for the player count related to the number of mages you chose to play. It is recommended that you don't play with more than two mages.
Nemesis Deck Construction Quick Reference
Separate the nine nemesis specific cards into three piles based on tier. Then use the chart below to add basic nemesis cards to each pile based on the number of players in the game. Always use all the upgraded basic cards that you have been given so far.
| Basic Nemesis Cards Added | 1 Player | 2 Player | 3 Player | 4 Player |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Tier 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Tier 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Credits
Game Design: Nick Little and Sydney Engelstein Development Consultant: Will Sobel Art: Gong Studios and Justine Nortjé Art Direction: DreamPop.cc, Bill Bricker, and Sydney Engelstein Writer: Sydney Engelstein Editor: Anna Russell Graphic Design: Daniel Solis, Scott Hartman, Stephanie Gustafsson, and Bill Bricker
Playtesters: Anna Russell, Will Sobel, Amy Anderson, Chris Anderson, Jim Baumgartner, Emily Baumgartner, Luke Baumgartner, Teddy Brewer, Melissa Brewer, Justin Calamari, Joe Stutts, David Dotti, Lynn D., Patrick Jost, Nicholas Pham, Brandon Pollak, Chris Rees, Abel Kim, Shaun Pande, Will Pflug, Jared Sliger, Seth Hopwood, Rex Ounekeo, Becca Wilson Ounekeo, Chuck Hurt, Blake Curry, Rui Jin, Jenny Iglesias, and Kevin Riley
Missing any components? Email [email protected]. Have rules questions? Visit https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/191189/aeons-end © 2021 Indie Game Studios. Oakland, CA 94610. All rights reserved.