Ambyria: Shroud of the Shadow Demon Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective
• Getting Started
• Setup
• Cards
• Playing the Game
• Turn Phases
• Ending the Game
• Key Actions
• Mode Symbols
• Play Symbols
• Additional Rules
  • Full Emberscape
  • Activating your Hero
  • Face Down Cards
  • Response Effects
  • Attacking an Opponent
  • Conflicts Over Effects
• Glossary

Objective

In order to defeat Ingduhl, the shadow demon, you will need to harness the power of the ember stones. Only the hero that collects the most ember stones will have the power to vanquish Ingduhl, and win the game.

Getting Started

Each player selects a different hero's deck. There is Yvera, The Water Master, represented by the blue deck, Serephene, The Golden Archer, represented by the yellow deck, Rowl, Swordsman Of The East, represented by the green deck, and Kaldoren, Archmage Of The Mountain, represented by the red deck.

Each deck contains common cards that are found in every deck, and unique cards that shape each deck's strategy. Choose wisely!

Setup

Shuffle your deck and place it in the designated area. Place 4 cards from the top of your deck face down on the left. These are your arcane cards. Draw 5 cards to start your hand. The remaining areas start out empty.

Cards

Each card has various pieces of information. See below:

1. Mode Symbol
2. Ember Stone Value
3. Card Name
4. Card Effect(s)
5. Flavor text

Playing the Game

Ambyria is a turn-based game. Each turn a player will play 1 card into his/her emberscape and activate any possible effects. The emberscape holds up to 5 cards. Under no circumstances may there be more than 5 cards in an emberscape. After a player's turn ends, play proceeds to the player on the left.

Turn Phases

Every turn you must go through the following 5 phases in order.

1. Collection phase

• If your emberscape is full, collect all of the cards in your emberscape by putting them face down into your collection pile. The ember stone value of each card in your collection pile goes towards your total score when the game ends.
• If you successfully collect your entire emberscape during your collection phase, flip over and play an arcane card. Treat this card as if it were played from your hand.
• If your emberscape is not full, skip this phase.

2. Mode phase

• The card on the top of your mode pile is your mode card. The mode symbol on the card determines what mode you are in. (see "mode symbols" on page 6)
• You may place a card from your hand onto the top of your mode pile. Your mode immediately changes to the mode on the new mode card. When a card is placed onto the mode pile, do not activate that card's effects.
• You may choose to skip the mode phase, unless your mode pile is empty, in which case you must play a new mode card. If you must play a mode card, and you have no cards in your hand, place the top card of your deck onto your mode pile during this phase.

3. Draw phase

• Draw 1 card from the top of your deck.

4. Play phase

• Play 1 card from your hand. Unless otherwise indicated, the played card goes into your emberscape. Activate all possible effects listed on the card in the order they appear. It is possible to play a card, even if you are unable to activate any of its effects.
• If you have no cards in your hand, skip your play phase.
• If it is possible to play a card during your play phase, you must do so. If there are no cards in your hand that can be played as your allotted card per turn, show your hand to your opponent, and end your play phase.

5. End phase

• The hand limit in Ambyria is 9 cards. If the amount of cards in your hand exceeds the card limit, discard down to the limit.
• If you have no cards in your hand, draw 2 cards.

Ending the Game

When a player plays his/her last arcane card, activate any possible effects from the card. Response cards may still be played/activated as well. The game is over at the end of the phase that the last arcane card was played. Each player adds the total amount of ember stones in his/her collection pile. Cards not in the collection pile do not get added to the total. The player with the most ember stones is the winner, and has the power to vanquish Ingduhl.

Key Actions

The following actions are specifically defined for Ambyria.

When you...

• steal a card it goes into your hand.
• capture a card it is placed into your emberscape. The effects of the card are not activated.
• destroy a card it goes to the affected player's discard pile.
• collect a card it is put in your collection pile.

Mode Symbols

• Protection mode (shield symbol): Cards in your hand or emberscape may not be stolen, destroyed, captured, or collected by opponents. The cards in your mode pile and deck, are not protected. Protection mode does not prevent cards in your emberscape from being returned to your hand, nor does it protect you from additional cards being placed into your emberscape.
• Attack mode (crossed swords symbol): Collect the cards in your emberscape as soon as it is full during your play phase, rather than waiting until your next collection phase. Resolve the effects of the played card before collecting the cards from the emberscape. Players may play response cards before the cards are collected.
• Hasty mode (winged boot symbol): The cards in the emberscape are collected during the collection phase when there are at least 3 cards in the emberscape. The emberscape still holds up to 5 cards.
• Greedy mode (treasure chest symbol): Draw two cards instead of one during the draw phase.

Play Symbols

Most cards get played into the emberscape when played during the play phase. Some cards however, get played into the discard pile, collection pile, or mode pile when you play them. If a card has one of the following symbols, place it into the designated area after activating the effects of the card.

• Discard pile symbol (red X): Play into the discard pile.
• Collection pile symbol (money bag): Play into the collection pile.
• Mode pile symbol (gold star): Play into the mode pile.
• Lasting effect symbol (green circular arrows): Cards with this symbol have effects that last as long as the card remains in the emberscape. Play these cards into the emberscape sideways.

If a card that has lasting effects is captured or in any way ends up in a player's emberscape, the lasting effects of the card still take place.

If multiple copies of the same lasting effect are in play at once, the effects do not stack on top of each other. (e.g. If two "Spotted Mushrooms" are in play, players still only have to discard one card per turn.)

Additional Rules

Full Emberscape

• Under no circumstance is your emberscape able to contain more than 5 cards. If there are 5 cards in your emberscape, you may not play another card that would be played into the emberscape.
• If you play a card into your emberscape that would allow you to add an additional card into your emberscape (eg: "Seductress"), but your emberscape is full, you may play the card, but all effects that would put an additional card into your emberscape aren't resolved. All other possible effects of the card still happen.
• Cards that get played into the discard pile, collection pile, or mode pile may still be played when the emberscape is full.
• If a card or effect requires you to play an arcane card or card from the top of a deck, flip over the card. Discard the card without activating any of its effects if the emberscape to which you would play the card is full. If it plays to the mode pile, discard pile, or collection pile, play it as you normally would.

Activating your Hero

Your hero has an effect that may be activated during your play phase. This effect can be activated before, or after playing a card from your hand. This includes the turn when you play it. The effect cannot be activated at any time, other than your own play phase, even if the card is face down. The effect cannot be a response effect unless the card is face down and is activated during your play phase.

Face Down Cards

Face down cards in your emberscape may not be stolen, captured, collected or destroyed by opponents. Players may look at face down cards in their own emberscapes to check what they are at any time. Face down cards take up one of the five slots in the emberscape, and may be activated before being collected during the collection phase.

Response Effects

• When a player plays a card into his/her emberscape, or activates a card's effects, the effects happen immediately. However, if another player is able to, he/she may play another card as a response to the initial card's effects (such as a face down card or a Martyr).
• If a card is played as a response to an effect, the effects of that response card happen first, then the effects of the card initially played.
• A player can play another card in response to the first response effect as well.
• If the card originally played is destroyed or removed from play, its effects will still occur after the effects of the response end.
• Some cards have multiple effects. Each sentence is considered one effect. Response cards may be played in between two effects of a single card.

Attacking an Opponent

When you play a card that attacks another player (e.g. "Thief in the Night" or "Lethal Assassin"), you must declare which opponent you are attacking. If the card effect targets a single card, you must also declare which card you are targeting. If that opponent is able to put himself/herself into protection mode to defend against the attack, the attack stops, and may not be redirected towards another player or card. All other possible effects of the card played still occur.

Conflicts Over Effects

The rules set forth in this rulebook govern the gameplay of Ambyria. If any uncertainty arises over card effects or gameplay concerning a specific card's effect(s), see the complete index of all cards found in Ambyria at paw-warriorgames.com/cardindex.html

Glossary

• Arcane card: These cards act as a reward for collecting your Emberscape. The game is over when one player's arcane cards are exhausted.
• Capture: To take a card and put it in your emberscape without activating any effects. If a card has a lasting effect, that effect does get resolved when captured.
• Collect: To put a card or cards into your collection pile.
• Collection pile: Where cards go when collected. At game's end the player with the most Ember Stones in his/her collection pile wins the game and saves Ambyria. During play once cards enter your collection pile they never leave it. Players may not look through their collection piles durig the game.
• Destroy: To send an opponent's card to the dicard pile.
• Discard pile: Where destroyed and discarded cards go. Players may look through any discard pile during the game.
• Ember stone: The bane of Ingduhl, the Shadow Demon.
• Emberscape: The default area of play for the play phase.
• Mode: Determined by the mode symbol on your mode card. It is the tactic you assume during game play.
• Mode card: The top card of the mode pile.
• Mode pile: Where a player puts cards to change his/her or an opponent's mode.