Apex Theropod Deck-Building Game
Apex Theropod Deck-Building Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Welcome to Apex
- What's in the Box
- Playable Apex Predators
- Card Types
- Boss Cards
- Reading Cards
- Card Cost & Values
- Common Actions
- Apex Ambush
- The Hunting Grounds
- The Nesting Grounds
- Emergence Game Set-up
- Standard Game Set-up
- Rounds & Win Conditions
- Player Turn Breakdown
- Player's Turn: Action Order
- Boss Battle: Action Order
- FAQ
Welcome to Apex
1 - 8 Players • 600 Cards • 10 minute game set-up • Time required adjustable
What's in the Box
Game Contents
- Acrocanthosaurus deck - 35 cards
- Carnotaurus deck - 35 cards
- Giganotosaurus deck - 35 cards
- Quetzalcoatlus deck - 35 cards
- Sarcosuchus deck - 35 cards
- Spinosaurus deck - 35 cards
- Tyrannosaurus deck - 35 cards
- Utahraptor deck - 35 cards
- Velociraptor deck - 35 cards
- Evolve deck - 35 cards
- Affliction deck - 40 cards
- Environment deck - 29 cards
- Prey deck - 104 cards
- Predator deck - 32 cards
- Boss deck - 45 cards
- 15 dividers - one for each deck listed above (with sublines of card types included in each deck)
Notice: Game does not come organized in above decks to protect cards from bending.
Game Features
- 9 distinct Apex classes
- 8 distinct Prey
- 8 distinct Big Game
- 8 distinct Titans
- 4 distinct Menaces
- 8 distinct Predators
- 9 distinct Minions
- 9 distinct Bosses
- 11 distinct environment effects
- 3 distinct wound types
Playable Apex Predators
Acrocanthosaurus atokensis
North America 115 MYA
Acrocanthosaurus is the most balanced predator in Apex and great for new players. The predator also gives players a little taste of everything.
Apex Master Difficulty: EASY
Carnotaurus sasteri
South America 70 MYA
Carnotaurus is a very ambitious predator that tries to compete with the heavy hitters in a small package. Carnotaurus relies on small ambushes and thrives off of hazards that would be very dangerous to other predators.
Apex Master Difficulty: EASY
Giganotosaurus carolinii
South America 97 MYA
Giganotosaurus is a powerhouse. If you mixed Velociraptor with T.rex you would have Giganotosaurus. Giganotosaurus relies on attacking in numbers with force.
Apex Master Difficulty: EASY
Quetzalcoatlus northopi
Exotic Predator. North America 67 MYA
Quetzalcoatlus is a very specialized predator relying heavily on critical ambushes or swarming the skies with Drones and the Commander. Planning ahead is a requirement for this Apex to stand a chance against bigger predators.
Apex Master Difficulty: BRUTAL
Sarcosuchus imperator
Exotic Predator. Africa 112 MYA
Sarcosuchus is a nasty, strictly-ambush predator. Ambushing is an absolute must along with hoarding every bit of food to expand your species. Ambush, hibernate, and grow is the key with this Apex.
Apex Master Difficulty: BRUTAL
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
Africa 100 MYA
Spinosaurus is a real force to be reckoned with but the Apex has its limitations. The key with this Apex is ambushing with Lurkers and saving your resources to grow your species. Spinosaurus is already a genetically perfected hunter so don't waste precious resources on Evolve cards.
Apex Master Difficulty: HARD
Tyrannosaurus rex
North America 67 MYA
T.rex is a well balanced predator relying on its size to do most of the work. This Apex relies on a strong family bond of the parents and its young working cohesively together as a pack. When T.rex cannot hunt, it can easily scavenge.
Apex Master Difficulty: MODERATE
Utahraptor ostrommaysorum
North America 126 MYA
Utahraptor is not as much about swarming as it is about ambushing. Using Scouts and planning strategic ambushes is what this Apex is all about. However, growing the size of your pack is still very important.
Apex Master Difficulty: HARD
Velociraptor mongoliensis
Asia 75 MYA
Velociraptor is the king of swarming your opposition. The downfall of this Apex is its very small size. Using Pathfinders to cleverly plan out your attacks and recruiting your whole pack is a must.
Apex Master Difficulty: MODERATE
Card Types
Apex: Each playable class consists of Apex cards that are unique and only available to the player of that specific apex predator. All players start out with five Hatchlings and a Juvenile of their species. In order to grow your species and purchase more Apex cards, players must hunt for food. Hunted cards are collected in the player's hoard where they can be spent to purchase Apex cards. However, players cannot just purchase any Apex card. Apex cards are hatched each turn where they can be purchased from the player's hatchery.
Carcass: All players start out with low value resource cards known as Carcass cards. They allow the player to scavenge resources when prey is too difficult to hunt or non-existent.
Egg: The only way to hatch Apex cards into your hatchery is through egg cards. Apex cards that are not purchased that round are recycled back into the Apex deck where it may not hatch again for a long time. All players start out with one Egg in their deck. Egg cards must be purchased to hatch cards more often in your Hatchery. Owning more Egg cards allows you to expand your population at a faster rate.
Environment: The environment can be very brutal and change in an instant. Players not only need to endure the hazards stowed upon them but also need to anticipate events before they happen to become the top predator. The environment is controlled through Environment cards thats have actions that are played on all players at the start of a new round.
Disaster Area: Extremely hazardous Environment cards will begin to destroy your environment, limiting your locations to hunt from. Disaster Area cards are used to mark a Footprint in the Game Trail as an uninhabitable area. When first added to the Game Trail they will mark a specific Footprint. However, as Footprints open up they slide down but are never recycled. They act as a marker and do not interfere with recycling cards in the Game Trail.
Defensive Stance: Some animals excel in defense. Certain animals gain a Defensive Stance card making them more difficult or even impossible to hunt.
Evolve: Evolve cards act as deck boosters that can be extremely helpful. They can boost your Apex cards, numb the harsh effects of the environment, produce more eggs, and more.
Affliction: Apex predators live a harsh life and endure many attacks throughout their lifetime, including attacks to their immune system. Affliction cards have no value and may contain actions that cause the player further harm. Wounds from battle can become infected and develop into a Virus.
Alert: Ambushing your prey is a strong tactic used in hunting. It is effective but it also alarms all local animals that they have been chosen to be a predator's next meal. Some animals will choose to run away while others may stand their ground and fight back. Every ambush comes with a risk. When a player sets up an ambush they gain an Alert card that may soon alert the animals in their environment. If the ambush is not played before the Alert card is played, then the player strategy is compromised, the ambush is discarded, and the prey has been alerted.
Prey: The main resource of the game is animals you can hunt in the Game Trail. Cards in the Game Trail will provide Evolve value you can use to spend on hatched Apex cards or Evolve cards. There are different types of animals available to hunt and the smallest type is categorized as Prey. Prey is mostly defenseless and very vulnerable to predators. Some have the ability to run away and they don't provide a whole lot of value.
Big Game: Big Game are larger sized animals that usually carry a distinct characteristic. They can be heavily armored and defended or carry an ability to help warn others of lurking predators. They can provide a decent amount of value but should be approached with caution.
Titan: Walking behemoths, the Titans are like land whales. They can be very vulnerable to attack but are still very hard to hunt none the less. If you happen to bring down one of these, the rewards can be huge. Ambushing is almost a must to be able to hunt these animals.
Menaces: Menaces are small predators in the environment that are not a big threat. They can become irritating over time if you don't take them out early. Some Menaces may raid your nest and eat one of your eggs. While others may snag up a Prey before you had the chance to hunt it. Focus on hunting the Menaces that are only a threat to your species because they do not provide much value.
Predators: Danger lurks everywhere and Predators can be a real environment hazard. They usually stay away from apex predators so they don't become a menu item as well. Some Predators are large enough to hunt or attack anything while others may be hiding in the shallow rivers and swamps. Predators should be avoided if possible and are not a big threat to your resources.
Minions: Minions are pack members of a specific Boss card that are the apex predators of their environment. Some will eat everything in sight leaving fewer options for the player while others will do everything they can to kill off invading species. They are the primary threat to the player and killing them is the goal of the game (besides winning). In order to become the apex predator the competition must be eliminated.
Boss Cards
Boss cards act as the alpha of a group of apex predators in the environment. Players will attempt to eliminate the alpha (Boss card) so they can take the apex spot. Each Boss card has a very unique style of play and varies in difficulty. Some bosses are harder than others depending on what Apex the player is. There are bosses though that are just plain harder than others like Tyrannosaurus Rex and Carcharodontosaurus.
When a player is confronted with a Boss Battle they can choose to stay and fight or run away. Depending on the situation, one is usually better than the other. Running away allows the player to escape any damage dealt by the Boss card but also costs them their turn. When a player chooses to stand their ground, no matter what the outcome, they can still play out their hand(s) and consume cards in their Hoard. With each new boss round though, they still have the option to run away.
1.) Health: When Boss cards are attacked they lose health depending on what Affliction card they gain. Refer to pg. 12 to know how much damage each one does. The health on the Boss card is located at the top-right of the Battle Conditions. The Boss card in Figure 3-A has 6 health. When the Boss card reaches zero health, it is defeated. The Boss card in Figure 3-A would need to take at least 6 damage from Affliction cards to be defeated.
2.) Battle Conditions: Boss Battles are based on a round system. When a Boss Battle begins the player is allowed to review their hand and play cards that may boost the total Hunt value of their hand (including cards from their Ambush Point). The player must then play all Apex cards in their hand and the total Hunt value is stacked and added up.
Once the player has the total of their Hunt value played, they review the Battle Conditions on the Boss card. The Battle Conditions on the Boss card has groupings of numbers. The player locates which grouping their Hunt value total fits into and the action for that grouping is activated. After the action has taken effect, and only if the battle continues, the player discards all played cards and all remaining cards in their hand. A new hand is drawn and the process is repeated.
Figure 3-A — Titanoboa cerrejonensis, Boss. S. America 60 MYA. Health 6. Boss Battle Conditions — Hunt Value: 0-4: Eliminate an Apex played, battle ends. 5-8: Gain an Affliction card and place it on top of your draw pile. All Affliction cards in your hand are added to the top of your draw pile. Battle continues. 9+: This card gains an Affliction card, battle continues.
Reading Cards
1.) Title: This is the card's title and identifies the distinct card.
2.) Cost: The large top-right number is the cost of the card, either in Hunt or Evolve points.
3.) Victory Points: The card's Victory Point value which can be used for scoring.
4.) Card Type: The type of card it is i.e. Prey, Big Game, Apex, Affliction, etc.
5.) Additional Info: Additional info is listed here i.e. when and where an animal lived.
6.) Card Value: The large bottom-left number is the value of the card that can be spent, either in Hunt or Evolve points.
7.) Actions: Actions that are listed at the bottom of all cards that are activated when played or under specific conditions.
8.) Health Damage: Affliction cards can deal damage to Boss cards. Each distinct Affliction card does a different amount of damage. The Virus (pictured below) does 3 damage.
Example — Diamantinasaurus matildae, Titan, Australia 100 MYA, cost 7, victory points 3. Card value 5. Hunt: Reveal the top card of the Affliction deck, if it is Severe Trauma, then eliminate two Apex cards used to hunt this card. Recycle the Affliction card.
Example — Virus, Affliction, Health Damage 3. Gain an Affliction card and place it in your discard pile. This card is placed on top of your draw pile when you discard your hand.
Card Cost & Values
There are two different types of point values used to purchase cards: Hunt & Evolve.
Hunt: Cards in the Game Trail cost a certain amount of Hunt points. Apex cards hold a Hunt value that can be spent to hunt cards in the Game Trail or to attack a Boss card during a Boss Battle.
Evolve: Evolve cards and Apex cards hatched from the Apex deck cost a certain amount of Evolve points and the cost is at the top right of the card. Carcass cards played from the players hand and cards in their Hoard hold an Evolve value that can be spent to purchase Apex and Evolve cards.
Purchasing cards: The cost of the card is always displayed at the top-right and the number is slightly bigger than the spendable value number at the bottom-left of the card. In order to obtain a card that you do not own you must purchase or hunt the card. Some card types have no cost such as Affliction cards and are gained through other ways. Apex cards such as Hatchlings and Hellions also have no cost and are added to the player's hand instantly the moment they are hatched.
At the bottom-left of the card is the card's point value. These points may be used to purchase or hunt other cards requiring the same type of points (Hunt or Evolve). Like stated above, Apex cards have Hunt points you can spend while Carcass cards and cards hunted from the Game Trail allow you to spend Evolve points.
Points do not carry over: No matter what the cost of any card, the value of one card may only be used towards purchasing or hunting one card. Players may use multiple card values to purchase or hunt one card but cannot purchase or hunt multiple cards through one card's value. If there are left over points on a card after making a purchase or hunt, those points are lost and do not carry over.
Common Actions
Here is a list of common terms used to describe specific actions. Use this list as a reference when the terms are used to understand what action takes effect.
Alert: When a player has an Alert card in their hand it must be the first card to be played from their hand (during their turn). If a player draws an Alert card during their turn, it is played immediately. Actions on the played Alert card are activated only when the player has cards in their Ambush Point. This activates the Alert actions on all cards in the Game Trail from Footprint 4 going left to Footprint 1.
Ambush: This is not to be confused with the Ambush Point that allows players to set up an ambush. When a card is taken from the top of the Hunt deck and placed into the Game Trail, the Ambush action on the card is played immediately. Ambush actions directly target the player or other cards in the Game Trail.
Consume: When a card is hunted from the Game Trail, it is placed face up in the player's Hoard until the card's value is spent. Spending the hunted card's value may be referred to as consumed. Once a hunted card is consumed, it is flipped over and placed in the player's Den.
Discard: Moving a card(s) to the player's discard pile.
Defensive Stance (DS): A Defensive Stance action on a card in the Game Trail is active when the card has gained a DS card. The DS card is placed behind the parent card letting players know the parent card is in a Defensive Stance (see figure 1-A). The Defensive Stance action is then constant unless the card is removed from the Game Trail which causes it to lose the DS card.
Draw: A card is taken from the top of a player's draw pile and placed into their hand.
Eliminate: Moving a card(s) to the elimination pile.
Gain: Player receives a card from a specific deck or pile and it is placed in their discard pile (unless specifically stated otherwise). Boss cards can gain Affliction cards which are placed next to their card to account for damage done to it.
Hatch: The top card of the player's Apex deck is placed face up in their Hatchery and is available for purchase by the player during their turn.
Hunt: Playing Hunt points to purchase a card in the Game Trail. Cards in the Game Trail also have a Hunt action that is activated on the player when they hunt the card.
Infiltrate: When Infiltrate is activated, it causes all other players to gain an Affliction card and place it in their discard pile. If a player is in a Boss Battle with a Boss card, this action causes the Boss card to gain an Affliction card instead of other players. In a solo game, when the player is not in a Boss Battle, this action can eliminate one Minion card in the Game Trail.
Played: When a player takes a card from their hand and places it face up in front of them. The player may then activate the card's action(s) once only and/or its value is used to purchase or hunt other cards. Once another card is played, all actions that were not activated are lost (unless specifically stated otherwise). Hunt value can be stacked when multiple Apex cards are played but when an Evolve card is played before a hunt, the stacked Hunt value is lost. Once a card is played, it can no longer be added back into the player's hand.
Recycle: Recycling is moving a card to the bottom of its deck of origin, face down. For example, moving a card from the Game Trail to the bottom of the Hunt deck is recycling it. It allows players a chance to hunt the card later.
Figure 1-A — a Defensive Stance card is placed behind its parent card (e.g. Puertasaurus reuili, Titan) so players know the parent card is in a Defensive Stance: "If a Predator/Minion card attempts to eliminate this card, that card is eliminated instead. Alert: This card gains a Defensive Stance. Defensive Stance: This card cannot be hunted."
Apex Ambush
Players are able to set up ambushes in Apex to increase their chances of hunting more cards as well as more expensive cards. Some Apex predators rely completely on Ambush tactics. Setting up an ambush comes with a price though and that is gaining an Alert card which is added to the player's discard pile.
A successful ambush on a high value target such as a Titan card can be a huge pay off. However, use it regularly and it becomes much less effective allowing prey to run away or even do damage to the player.
Setting up an Ambush: Prior to playing any cards from their hand, a player may choose up to three Apex cards from their hand and add them to their Ambush Point. They then immediately gain an Alert card and add it to their discard pile. The cards in the Ambush Point cannot be played until future turns and remain there until the ambush or an Alert card is played. The player may add up to three cards additionally each turn but gain an Alert card for everytime they add cards to the Ambush Point.
Playing the Ambush: Once a player already has cards placed in their Ambush Point (from a previous turn) then they may choose to play the ambush at any point during their turn. If the player does choose to play the ambush, then all cards from the Ambush Point are played just like cards are played from the player's hand.
All cards from the Ambush Point are played together but their actions are activated one at a time (any order) if the player chooses to activate them. The Hunt value of all cards played is stacked and can be used towards only one card in the Game Trail. Players may play additional Apex cards from their hand to add more Hunt value to the ambush cards. Actions on these cards may be activated as well.
After the ambush has been played then the player moves on to playing cards from their hand.
Ambush Compromised: If a player has cards in their Ambush Point and they play an Alert card, their ambush becomes compromised. The cards in their Ambush Point are discarded. If an Alert card is played and there are no cards in the player's Ambush Point, the Alert actions on the cards in the Game Trail are not activated.
A player cannot set up an Ambush after an Alert has been played, because a card has already been played from their hand (the Alert card).
The Hunting Grounds
The play space is divided up into two separate sections; the Hunting Grounds and the Nesting Grounds. The Hunting Grounds is set up in the center of the play space so all players have access to it. Below is a list describing the contents of the Hunting Grounds. Use Figure 2-A (pg. 18) as a reference for the Hunting Grounds.
Environment Group
Environment deck: Includes only Environment cards that are played at the start of each round and their action is played immediately on all players. Some actions target the Hunt deck and Game Trail as well.
Alert, Defensive Stance, and Disaster Area cards need to be located near the Environment deck so they can be accessible to all players for when they are needed.
Elimination pile: An area in the play space chosen to be the spot to place all cards when they have been eliminated. It's important to keep eliminated cards separated from other cards because it is possible for some to be made playable again by an action played on a card.
Affliction deck: Consists of different types of wounds. Players draw the top card when an action requires them to gain an Affliction card.
Hunt Group
Hunt deck: Includes Prey, Big Game, Titan, Menace, Predator, Minion, and Boss cards that will migrate through the Game Trail where they can be hunted with Hunt points from Apex cards.
Game Trail: Consists of four card slots to hold a maximum of four cards from the Hunt deck. Each card slot in the Game Trail is named Footprint 1-4 for referencing.
Evolve Group
Evolve deck: Includes Evolve cards that will cycle through the Evolve Pool where they can be purchased with Evolve points.
Evolve Pool: Consists of four card slots to hold a maximum of four cards from the Evolve deck. Each card slot in the Evolve Pool is named Evolution 1-4 for referencing.
Figure 2-A — Hunting Grounds diagram. Environment Group: Environment Deck, Elimination Pile, Affliction Deck. Hunt Group: Hunt Deck, Game Trail (Footprint 1, Footprint 2, Footprint 3, Footprint 4). Evolve Group: Evolve Deck, Evolve Pool (Evolution 1, Evolution 2, Evolution 3, Evolution 4).
The Nesting Grounds
The Nesting Grounds is specific to each player and consists of the self-titled Nesting Grounds and the Player's Deck. Use Figure 2-B (pg. 20) for referencing.
Nesting Grounds
Apex deck: All Apex cards of the player's selected apex predator are grouped into the Apex deck (except the Juvenile and five Hatchlings) until Hatched and purchased by the player or eliminated.
Hatchery: When Apex cards are hatched, they are placed in the hatchery where they become available for purchase. The hatchery is located to the immediate right of the Apex deck.
Hoard: All hunted cards from the Game Trail are moved to the player's hoard. There they are kept until they're consumed (their Evolve value spent) or they're eliminated. The Hoard is located to the right of the Hatchery.
Den: Located to the right of the hoard, the den is the spot used to store consumed cards from the hoard. The consumed cards are stored here (face down) and are out of play for the rest of the game. They may be used later to add up Victory Points once the game is over.
Player's Deck
The player's deck contains all owned Apex, Evolve, Carcass, Alert, and Affliction cards. The Player's Deck should be the closest thing to the player and it is divided up into the draw pile, hand, and discard pile with space for the Ambush Point on the far left.
Ambush Point: Located to the left of the draw pile. This space is reserved to place up to three Apex cards that are being used to set up an ambush.
Draw pile: The draw pile is where the player draws cards from to make up their hand. Players always draw the top card, one at a time.
Hand: The player's hand consists of the cards that are currently available to play during their turn. The player's hand may be kept in their hands where the card faces are concealed from other players. Once a card is played though it is placed face up in the play space between the player's draw pile and discard pile.
Discard pile: At the end of a player's turn, they move all played cards to their discard pile. There they remain until the player's draw pile is empty.
Figure 2-B — Nesting Grounds diagram. Nesting Grounds: Apex Deck, Hatchery, Hoard, Den. Player's Deck: Ambush Point, Draw Pile, Hand, Discard Pile.
Emergence Game Set-up
The Emergence game variant was designed to teach players the basics of Apex quickly. It is highly encouraged for new players to play this game variant until they have a good understanding of how Apex plays and the tactics required for each Apex deck. The Emergence game variant can also be used for demo purposes and is recommended over a standard game when playing in groups larger than four.
Emergence game variant: 6 rounds @ 10 mins per player. Use Figure 2-A and 2-B as a guide (pg. 18 & 20).
Emergence Game Set-up Variant
Environment deck: There is no Environment deck set-up and only one Emergence card is used in replacement of the deck. The Emergence card is placed in the Hunting Grounds where the Environment deck would normally go. Emergence consists of six rounds and one boss round at the end. Six Alert cards can be placed under the Emergence card and will be used to keep track of rounds. Shuffle all Boss cards and draw 1 total which will be placed under the six Alert cards. Remove one Alert card at the start of each round and when there are no more Alert cards the boss round begins.
Note: Alert, Defensive Stance, and Disaster Area cards are not used in an Emergence game (except for the six Alert cards used for tracking rounds).
Hunt deck: follow all steps in order to set up the Hunt deck.
1.] Shuffle all Prey cards and draw 5 per player. 2.] Shuffle all Big Game cards and draw 5 per player. 3.] Shuffle all Titan cards and draw 2 per player. 4.] Draw all Minion cards titled same as the Boss card in the Environment deck. 5.] Shuffle all drawn cards. These will become the Hunt deck and are placed in the Hunting Grounds.
Evolve deck: All Evolve cards except Acute Alertness (and the Egg cards with no cost attached) are shuffled and then placed in the Hunting Grounds (face down) making the Evolve deck.
Note: Elimination Pile, Affliction deck, Nesting Grounds, and Player's Starting Deck is the same set-up as in the standard game, refer to pg. 22-23.
Standard Game Set-up
Standard game (Easy): 12 rounds @ 35 mins per player. Use Figure 2-A and 2-B as a guide (pg. 18 & 20).
Hunting Grounds: Environment Group
Environment deck: All Environment cards (16 total) are used to setup the Environment Deck. The Extinction, Asteroid Impact, and Emergence cards are set aside while setting up the rest of the deck. The remaining Environment cards (11 total) are shuffled (face down). Without revealing the cards, draw seven cards to form the start of the Environment deck (the other four will not be used). The Asteroid Impact is added to the bottom of the Environment deck and then Extinction is added under Asteroid Impact (face down).
Based on the game difficulty chosen below, the designated amount of Emergence cards are then added to the top of the Environment deck. Emergence cards act as a buffer to delay harsh environment effects allowing players to strengthen their decks early. The Environment deck is now set up and can be placed in the Hunting Grounds.
Easy: 3 Emergence cards (12 rounds) Moderate: 2 Emergence cards (11 rounds) Hard: 1 Emergence card (10 rounds) Brutal: No Emergence cards (9 rounds)
Note: Alert, Defensive Stance, and Disaster Area cards should be located near the Environment deck so they can be easily accessed throughout the game.
Elimination Pile: An area in the Hunting Grounds should be reserved for the elimination pile. All cards that are eliminated through card actions are moved to the elimination pile. It is possible for some to be made playable again by an action played from a card.
Affliction deck: All Affliction cards (40 total) are shuffled and then placed in the Hunting Grounds (face down) making the Affliction deck.
Hunting Grounds: Hunt and Evolve Group
Hunt deck: follow all steps in order to set up the Hunt deck.
1.] Shuffle all Prey cards and draw 5 per player. 2.] Shuffle all Big Game cards and draw 5 per player. 3.] Shuffle all Titan cards and draw 2 per player. 4.] Shuffle all Menace cards and draw 2 per player. 5.] Shuffle all Predator cards and draw 1 per player. 6.] Shuffle all Boss cards and draw 1 per player. 7.] Draw all Minion cards titled same as the drawn Boss card(s). 8.] Shuffle all drawn cards that will become the Hunt deck and place in the Hunting Grounds.
Evolve deck: All Evolve cards (35 total), except the Egg cards with no cost attached, are shuffled and then placed in the Hunting Grounds (face down) making the Evolve deck.
Nesting Grounds: Apex Deck & Player's Starting Deck
Apex deck: Players agree on a way to determine what apex predator they play as.
All Apex cards (29 total) from the player's selected Apex are grouped into the Apex deck. Five Hatchlings and the Juvenile are removed from the Apex deck and added to the player's Starting deck. The Apex deck is then shuffled and placed (face down) in the far left area of their Nesting Grounds.
Player's Starting deck: The following cards (12 total) are added into the player's Starting deck:
- 1 Egg card (with no cost attached / labeled as Starting Deck in additional info on the card)
- 4 Prey Carcass & 1 Titan Carcass
- 5 Hatchlings & 1 Juvenile (should already be added)
The Starting deck is then shuffled and placed in front of them which becomes their draw pile. The first six cards are drawn and they become the player's first hand.
Rounds & Win Conditions
Player Order
Prior to starting the first round player order has to be determined (dice roll is suggested). The winner will be given the title Player One. Player One always has the first turn but the title of Player One will become a different player (cycling clockwise) with each new round. A Player One marker is suggested to keep track of who Player One is each round.
Starting New Rounds
Before Player One is able to have their turn, a new round begins and some events need to take place. The last card in the Game Trail and Evolve Pool is recycled and any remaining cards slide down to the next Footprint/Evolution. If it is the first round then the top card of the Environment deck is revealed. If starting a new round then the current revealed Environment card on the Environment deck is recycled and the next card in the deck is revealed. All actions on the revealed Environment card are activated instantly and all players are affected. Once all the actions on the Environment card have taken effect Player One may begin their turn.
Win/Lose Conditions
Emergence: Once round six is over, there is an additional Boss Battle round where all players (in order) get to engage the Boss in a Boss Battle (one player at a time). The player who defeats the boss is declared the winner. If there is a tie (or if the Boss card was not defeated) then the players who are tied, count up their Victory Points from their Den and Hoard. The player with the most points is the winner.
Standard Solo: The game is won as soon as the player defeats the Boss card in the Hunt deck. If they fail to defeat the Boss card by the end of the Extinction round, then they lose.
Standard Multiplayer: The game is played through until the Extinction round is complete. Once the game is over, the player who defeated the most Boss cards in the Hunt deck is the winner. If there is a tie (or if no Boss cards were defeated) then the players who are tied, count up their Victory Points from their Den and Hoard. The player with the most points is the winner.
Player Turn Breakdown
Starting New Rounds
Before Player One is able to have their turn, a new round begins and some events need to take place. The last card in the Game Trail and Evolve Pool is recycled and any remaining cards slide down to the next Footprint/Evolution. If it is the first round then the top card of the Environment deck is revealed. If starting a new round then the current revealed Environment card on the Environment deck is recycled and the next card in the deck is revealed. All actions on the revealed Environment card are activated instantly and all players are affected. Once all the actions on the Environment card have taken effect Player One may begin their turn. At the end of the round, the next player after Player One (clockwise) becomes the new Player One.
A player's turn consist of multiple steps that must be executed in order.
Quick Guide to the Action Orders
1.) Repopulate Hunting Grounds: Repopulate the Game Trail and Evolve Pool.
2A.) Alert cards: Alert card(s) are played and only activated if the player has cards in Ambush Point.
2B.) Ambush: If no Alert cards have been played, a player can set-up an ambush.
3.) Boss Battle: If there is a Boss card in the Game Trail, the player is confronted with a Boss Battle.
4.) Boost Hand: Egg and Evolve cards may be played to boost the player's hand.
5.) Hunt: Cards may be hunted in the Game Trail.
6.) Scavenge and Consume: Evolve points may be spent to purchase Evolve or Apex cards.
7.) Player Reset: Affliction cards are played. Hatchery is reset. New hand is drawn.
Player's Turn: Action Order
Only cards in the player's hand or Ambush Point may be played during their turn.
1.) Repopulate Hunting Grounds
Step 1: Repopulate Game Trail
If there is an unoccupied Footprint in the Game Trail, the player draws a card from the Hunt deck and places the card in the right-most unoccupied Footprint of the Game Trail (farthest from the Hunt deck). If the card has an Ambush action then it is activated immediately before other cards are drawn from the Hunt deck. If a new Footprint(s) opens up, from the Ambush effect, cards always slide down to the next open Footprint. This process is be repeated until all Footprints are filled.
If a Boss card is drawn from the Hunt deck and placed in the Game Trail all cards previously in the Game Trail are recycled and only the Boss card remains in the Game Trail. Jump to Action Order 4.
Step 2: Repopulate Evolve Pool
The player draws a card from the Evolve deck and places the card in the right-most unoccupied Evolution of the Evolve Pool (farthest from the Evolve deck). This process is required (even if there is a Boss card present in the Game Trail) and is repeated until all Evolutions are filled.
2A.) Alert cards
If the player does not have an Alert card in their hand, this step is skipped.
When a player has an Alert card(s) in their hand it must be the first card(s) to be played from their hand. If a player draws an Alert card later during their turn, it is played immediately. All actions on the Alert card are activated only if the player has a card(s) in their Ambush Point. After the Alert card is played it is recycled (back into the Alert card pile) before other cards are played. If multiple Alert cards are played together, only the first played Alert card's actions are activated.
Important Note! An Acute Awareness card in the player's hand may be revealed to avoid activating the actions on the Alert card when it is played.
Step 1: Ambush Compromised
If a player has cards in their Ambush Point and they play an Alert card, their ambush becomes compromised. The cards in their Ambush Point are moved directly to their discard pile. A player cannot set up an Ambush immediately after this (during the same turn) because a card has already been played from their hand (Alert card).
Step 2: Alert actions activated in Game Trail
If a player has cards in their Ambush Point and they play an Alert card it activates the Alert actions on all cards in the Game Trail but is done in an orderly manner. The cards are alerted from left to right. If a card has an Alert action but the card was removed from the Game Trail before its turn was reached to be alerted, the action is not activated on the card.
Important Note! No cards can be drawn from the Hunt deck for the remainder of the player's turn to fill empty Footprints and cards always slide down to the next open Footprint.
Important Note! If a Boss card is in the Game Trail, the player gains an Affliction card when an Alert card is played.
2B.) Ambush
If the player played an Alert card(s) this round, then this step is skipped.
Setting up an Ambush
If there is not a Boss card in the Game Trail then an ambush can be set up at this point.
Prior to playing any card from their hand, a player may choose up to three Apex cards from their hand and add them to their Ambush Point. They then immediately gain an Alert card and add it to their discard pile. The cards in the Ambush Point cannot be played until their next turn. The cards remain in the Ambush Point until the player plays the ambush or an Alert card.
Emergence Variant! Players do not gain an Alert card (ambush set-up) in an Emergence game.
Playing an Ambush
If a player already has cards in their Ambush Point (from a previous turn) then they may choose to play the ambush. The player may choose to play their ambush at any point during their turn. When they do, all cards from the Ambush Point are played just like cards are played from the player's hand, straight to the playing surface.
All cards from the Ambush Point are played together but their actions may be activated one at a time (any order). The Hunt value of all cards played is stacked and can be used towards only one card in the Game Trail. Players may play additional Apex cards from their hand to add more Hunt value to the ambush cards (actions on these cards may be activated as well).
3.) Boss Battle
If there is not a Boss card in the Game Trail this step is skipped.
If there is a Boss card in the Game Trail then the player can choose to Fight or Flight.
Player chooses to Fight
This will begin a Boss Battle; jump to pg. 31 (Boss Battle: Action Order). After a Boss Battle is over and the game is not won, proceed to step 6.] Scavenge and Consume.
Important Note! After a Boss Battle no cards can be drawn from the Hunt deck to fill empty Footprints.
Player chooses Flight
The player chooses to avoid the Boss Battle by running away to fight another day; player is required to skip to step 7.] Player Reset; only Affliction cards are played and then their hand is discarded.
4.) Boost Hand
Egg and Evolve cards may be played first to boost the player's hand. The player may choose to hold off on playing these cards to benefit from playing them later in their turn.
Important Note! Apex cards that have no cost, i.e. Hatchlings, that hatched into the player's hatchery are instantly added to their hand.
5.) Hunt
The player reviews the cards in the Game Trail. All cards in the Game Trail have a Hunt cost. In order to hunt any cards in the Game Trail, the player must play an Apex card(s) with equal or more Hunt value than the cost of the card they're hunting.
No Hunting
If the player is unable to hunt any card in the Game Trail or chooses not to, all Apex cards in their hand still have to be played. The Hunt value of these cards will be lost. However, the player may play one Apex card at a time. When the Apex card is played, the action(s) on the card may be activated to boost Hunt value, their hand, etc. If the player activates an action on an Apex card that will allow them to now hunt a card, they may do so. The action(s) on the card cannot be activated after another card is played.
Hunt
Once a player targets a card in the Game Trail and can afford the card, they may proceed with the hunt.
If they target a card that will require multiple Apex cards to be played, the player may play one Apex card at a time. When the Apex card is played, the action(s) on the card may be activated to boost Hunt value, their hand, etc. The action(s) on the card cannot be activated after another card is played. The Hunt value is stacked until a card is hunted or a non-Apex card is played. If a non-Apex card is played the previous stacked Hunt value is lost.
Once all necessary Apex cards have been played to meet the cost requirements of the targeted card in the Game Trail then the hunt is successful. The targeted card is then moved to the player's hoard. If the targeted card has a Hunt action, then it is activated at this time and the player is affected by it. All remaining Hunt value on the played Apex card(s) is lost and cannot be used in a second hunt.
Important Note! No cards are drawn from the Hunt deck to fill an empty Footprint and cards always slide down to the next open Footprint.
If the player can continue to hunt additional cards then the Hunt process may be repeated until the player can no longer hunt any cards in the Game Trail or no more cards exist.
Once a player ends their hunt in the Game Trail all remaining Apex cards in their hand still have to be played. The Hunt value of these cards will be lost. However, the player may play one Apex card at a time. When the Apex card is played, the action(s) on the card may be activated to boost Hunt value, their hand, etc. If the player activates an action on an Apex card that will allow them to now hunt a card, they may do so and the Hunt process is repeated.
6.) Scavenge and Consume
The player reviews the cards in the Evolve Pool and their Hatchery. In order to purchase cards in either, the player must play a Carcass card(s) and/or consume a card(s) in their hoard that has equal or more Evolve value than the cost of the targeted card to purchase.
No purchases
If the player is unable to purchase a card in the Evolve Pool/Hatchery or chooses not to, all Carcass cards in their hand still have to be played. The Evolve value of these cards is lost.
Purchasing
If the player wants to purchase a card(s) in the Evolve Pool/Hatchery and has enough Evolve value in their hand/hoard then they may continue with the purchase. Only one card may be purchased at a time.
Multiple Carcass cards may be played to stack Evolve value to meet the required cost. The player may also consume a card(s) in their hoard that has enough Evolve value. A combination of playing Carcass cards and consume can also be done.
Once all necessary Carcass cards have been played and/or cards consumed in their hoard to meet the cost requirements of the targeted card in the Evolve Pool/Hatchery then the purchase is successful. The purchased card is then moved to the player's discard pile. Any consumed cards in the hoard are flipped over and placed in their den. If there is remaining Evolve value on the played Carcass card(s) then it is lost.
Player Handicap! A handicap may be applied to new players that allows them to place purchased Apex cards on top of their draw pile instead of in their discard pile. This helps bridge the gap between new and experienced players.
This process is repeated until the player cannot purchase any more cards in the Evolve Pool, Hatchery, or chooses not to. If the player still has Carcass cards in their hand then they are played and the Evolve value is lost.
Important Note! No cards are drawn from the Evolve deck to fill an empty Evolution and cards always slide down to the next open Evolution.
7.) Player Reset
If any Affliction cards remain in the player's hand then they must be played and their actions must be activated before the player ends their turn. All remaining cards in the player's hand are played at this point. After all cards have been played from the player's Hand, they are moved to the discard pile.
All cards in the player's Hatchery are recycled (in any order) back to the bottom of their Apex deck.
The player then draws a new hand by drawing six new cards from the top of their draw pile. If there are not enough cards in the draw pile, then all remaining cards in the draw pile are still drawn. The player then shuffles their discard pile (face down) and it becomes their new draw pile. The player then draws the remaining cards needed (to equal six in their Hand) from the top of the draw pile and adds them to their Hand.
Boss Battle: Action Order
1.) Boost Hand: The player is allowed to review their hand and play any cards that may boost the total Hunt value of their hand (including cards from their Ambush Point). Egg and Evolve cards may be played first to boost the player's hand. Once the first Apex card is played though, non-Apex cards can no longer be played or the stacked Hunt value is lost from previously played Apex cards.
Important Note! Ambushes cannot be set up during a Boss Battle. An ambush that was set up before the Boss Battle may be played during the battle.
2.) Hunt: The player must then play all Apex cards, one card at a time. When the Apex card is played, the action(s) on the card may be activated to boost Hunt value, their hand, etc. The action(s) on the card cannot be activated after another card is played. Once all Apex cards are played the total Hunt value is added up.
Important Note! The Infiltrate! action on Apex cards makes the Boss card immediately gain an Affliction card during a Boss Battle (other players do not gain an Affliction card).
3.) Battle Conditions: Once the player has the total of their Hunt value played, they review the Battle Conditions on the Boss card. The Battle Conditions on the Boss card has groupings of numbers. The player locates which grouping their Hunt value total fits into and the action for that grouping's action(s) must be activated.
Important Note! When Affliction cards are gained by both the player and the Boss card, they are dealt in the order the text is written on the Boss card.
4A.) Battle Continues: All played cards and the player's entire hand is discarded. A new hand is drawn (always six cards no matter what Environment card is in play). The player now has the option again of Fight or Flight. If the player chooses Flight then the player executes step 7.] Player Reset on pg. 30; only Affliction cards are played and then their hand is discarded. If the player chooses Fight the entire Boss Battle: Action Order is repeated.
4B.) Battle Ends/Boss Defeated: If Battle Ends then the player proceeds to step 6.] Scavenge and Consume on pg. 29. The Boss card is recycled back into the Hunt deck.
If the Boss card has been defeated it is moved into the player's Den. Player proceeds to step 6.] Scavenge and Consume on pg. 29.
FAQ
1.) What happens when the Evolve deck runs out of cards?
Nothing happens. What Evolve cards remain in the Evolve Pool are the only ones left. The reason for this is the thematic battle for resources.
2.) Can the actions on Metabolic Growth stack?
When multiple Metabolic Growths are played in one turn, one Hatchling can be gained for each Metabolic Growth but the total Hunt value of each Hatchling cannot exceed +1.
3.) On the Tyrannosaurus Rex Boss card it states "in your hand." Is this correct?
In the Boss Battle Conditions under the grouping "0-7" it states "Eliminate all Hatchlings and Eggs in your hand." The correct reading is "Eliminate all Hatchlings and Eggs played."
4.) How does the Boss Battle in the Emergence game variant work?
After round 6 a new Boss Battle round begins. Whoever is next to be Player One will be the first player to battle the Boss card. The Boss Battle is the same as in a standard game except if you fail to defeat the Boss card (Battle ends) your turn is immediately over and the next player has their chance. If you do defeat the Boss card, your turn is still immediately over. After all players have completed a Boss Battle the game is over. Review Emergence Win/Lose Conditions on pg. 24.
5.) Is there a way to rank how well you have done based on Victory Points?
You may submit your score to the Apex official website (www.apexdeckbuilder.com) and see how you compare to the top ranking players in the world.
6.) Will there be an Apex expansion?
Yes! You can get the latest news on Apex and other Die-Hard Games by following our facebook page at www.facebook.com/diehardgamesllc