AracKhan Wars: Rise of the Grey Order Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• AracKhan Wars, First Steps
  • Overview and Aim of the Game
  • How to Win the Game?
• Game Components
• Playing Zone
  • The Battle Mat
  • Playing Without a Mat
• Faction Card Characteristics
  • Creature Cards
    • Skill and Weakness
  • Spell Cards
    • Effect
  • Land Cards
    • Benefit
  • Card Values
  • Card Family
  • Rulebook or Card Rule?
• Playing 1v1
  • Setup
  • Duration of the Game
  • Phases of a Round
    • Draw Phase
    • Placement Phase
    • Reveal Phase
    • Activation Phase
    • End Phase
  • End of the Game
    • In Case of a Tie
• Game Concepts
  • Allied Cards, Enemy Cards
  • Adjacency Principle
  • Distance Between Cards
  • Placing a Card on the Battlefield
  • Placing a Card on the Astral Plane
  • Faction Tokens
  • Active Cards, Deactivated Cards
  • Activating a Card
  • Activating Several Cards Simultaneously
  • Attacking an Enemy Card
    • Group Attack
  • Destroying Cards
  • Discarding Cards
  • Card Action
  • Moving a Card
  • Targeting a Card
  • Immunity to Spells
  • Proper Timing
• Attributes
  • Initiative
  • Movement
  • Flight
  • Omnistrike
  • Ranged Attack
  • Swarm
  • Regeneration
  • Stealth
  • Perforation
• Faction Decks
  • Building a Faction Deck
  • Whitelands Deck
  • Nakka Deck
  • Grey Order Deck
  • Blight Deck
  • Introduction to Deck Building
    • Whitelands – The Power of Ice Deck
    • Nakka – Lightning Strike Deck
    • Grey Order – Rise of the Titan Deck
    • Blight – Unstable Mayhem Deck
• Other Game Modes
  • Game Mode Compatibility
  • 3 to 4 Player Free-for-All
    • Round by Round Playing Order
    • Initiative Sequence for 3 to 4 Players
    • No Room Left to Place Any Cards?
    • End of the Game
  • Playing 2v2
    • Duration of the Game
    • Setup
    • Round by Round Playing Order
    • Alliances
    • Strategy Phase
      • Strategy Cards
    • No Room Left to Place Any Cards?
    • Victory Point Count of an Alliance at the End of the Game
      • In Case of a Tie Between the Alliances
  • Event Mode
    • Setup
    • Event Cards
    • Event Phase
  • Objective Mode
    • Setup
    • Objective Cards
    • Achieving an Objective
    • Victory Point Count at the End of the Game

AracKhan Wars, First Steps

Overview and Aim of the Game

AracKhan Wars is a tactical card game set in the fantasy world of AracKhan. Each player takes control of their favorite faction with its twenty-three card deck for up to 125 points. Players will cunningly place their creatures and cast powerful spells to foil the opponent's plans whilst defending mythical lands. There is only one goal: to win the battle!

How to Win the Game?

At the end of the 9th round, each player calculates the value of their cards on the battlefield. The one with the highest number wins the game.

Game Components

• Deck of 23 faction cards and 10 additional faction cards, for Nakka, Whitelands, and Grey Order
• Deck of 23 faction cards and 8 additional faction cards, for Blight
• 34 faction tokens (for each faction)
• 1 battle mat (22.6" x 22.6")
• 1 round track and 4 round tokens
• 20 Event cards
• 23 Objective cards
• 25 Strategy cards
• 27 AracKhan Wars tokens
• 4 artworks (11" x 11")
• 4 Player aid cards

Playing Zone

The Battle Mat

The battle mat represents the playing zone on which the players will compete. It is laid out with each player's draw pile, discard pile, astral plane, and starting area on their side of the battlefield, with a space marked in the middle.

Playing Without a Mat

AracKhan Wars can be played without a battle mat. In this case, players will together determine the playing zone that will act as the battlefield. Their draw and discard piles and astral planes will be positioned around them. The first two cards placed during the game must be in the center of the playing zone.

Faction Card Characteristics

Each faction is represented by a deck of faction cards. Three types of faction cards exist. They are defined by their characteristics, some are common to all cards and some are specific to their respective card types.

When the text of a card mentions "card characteristics," this encompasses all the unmodified characteristics of the aforementioned card. The three faction card types and their characteristics are detailed below.

Creature Cards

Creature cards represent the living beings of AracKhan. The diversity of species that coexist in this world is quite striking.

The peoples of AracKhan live in tight-knit communities that rarely interact with the outside world. This has led to the development of singular cultures and fauna unique to each province. Understanding and exploiting these key differences is essential to foil the enemy's plans.

Creature cards have a gold frame. They are placed exclusively on the battlefield. They have an Attack value, which allows them to attack, and a Defense value to resist attacks (attacking an enemy card). Certain creature cards have attributes, skills, weaknesses and/or actions.

A creature card shows: card name, card value, attack value, defense value, faction token placement, serial number, name of the illustrator, edition logo, individual limit, deck building value, family, attribute, action, and skill and/or weakness.

Skill and Weakness

Once the creature card is revealed, its skill and/or weakness takes effect immediately and lasts for as long as the card remains on the battlefield.

Spell Cards

Spell cards represent supernatural phenomena that occur in AracKhan, whether voluntarily provoked or not. Casting a spell is no simple gesture. It is a perilous act that few have mastered.

Although the art of sorcery is unknown to mere mortals, its effects will shake the battlefield, surprising and terrorizing enemy troops.

Spell cards have a purple frame.

• They are placed on the battlefield with the exception of those displaying the astral plane symbol, these are placed on the astral plane (placing a card on the battlefield and placing a card on the astral plane).
• They have the particularity of being temporary and will end up being discarded at the latest at the end of the round in which they were played. The precise moment a spell card is discarded is mentioned at the bottom of the card (discarding a card).
• Their values don't count in the final score at the end of the game (end of the game).
• They don't have a Defense value, therefore cannot be attacked by cards with an Attack value.
• Certain spell cards have attributes, effects, actions.
• Certain spell cards have Attack values and are called attack spells. These cards follow the same rules for attacking as creature cards (attacking an enemy card).

A spell card shows: card name, card value, astral plane symbol, effect, faction logo, discard condition, individual limit, attack value, attribute, and action.

Effect

Once the spell card is revealed, its effect applies immediately and lasts for as long as the card remains on the battlefield or the astral plane.

Land Cards

AracKhan is filled with places steeped in the history of the civilisations who built them. These landmarks bear witness to various cultures and their evolution over time.

Whether they take the form of impenetrable fortresses or mystical places of worship, they exert a fascination on the people. The latter will make every effort to defend them as well as to conquer them.

Land cards have a copper frame.

• They are placed exclusively on the battlefield.
• They have a Defense value. When they are defeated they are conquered by the opponent (attacking an enemy card).
• Most land cards have benefits, some have actions, weaknesses or attributes.

A land card shows: card name, individual limit, card value, faction token placement, conquer symbol, defense value, benefit, weakness, and action.

Benefit

Once the land card is revealed, its benefit takes effect immediately and supports the player who controls it.

Card Values

All cards possess one or two values, one core value and a secondary value located in their upper right corner.

Case for cards with a single core value

This value serves three purposes.

• It allows for deck building, we will use the term deck building value (building a faction deck).
• It is used for in-game occurrences, for example when the text on a card mentions "cards of x value."
• It is used at the end of the game to determine the winner when the score is calculated (end of the game).

Case for cards with a core value and a secondary value

When a secondary value is displayed, it serves one purpose: the deck building value.

In this case, the core value no longer has this function and is only used during in-game occurrences and to determine the winner at the end of the game.

Card Family

A family is a group of allied creature cards identified by a family name. Some game mechanics affect all cards of the same family placed on the battlefield.

Rulebook or Card Rule?

Whenever a card's text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence.

Playing 1v1

Setup

1. Players choose their faction and the associated deck. They can also build their own decks (building a faction deck).
2. They place the battle mat and sit facing each other. They can also play without a mat.
3. They gather their faction tokens.
4. They shuffle their decks, then place them in their respective draw piles area on the battle mat.
5. Using a method agreed upon by both players (coin toss, dice roll...), randomly select the player who will choose who goes first in round 1.
6. They draw their opening hand consisting of seven cards.
7. At this moment, players may take a mulligan. This consists of putting back any number of cards in the draw pile, shuffling it, then drawing the same amount that was put back.

Duration of the Game

A game of AracKhan Wars lasts 9 rounds. It concludes with the end of game sequence.

Phases of a Round

IMPORTANT: a player going first in a round always goes second in the next.

Draw Phase

With the exception of round 1, players simultaneously draw the first two cards at the top of their draw piles and add them to their hand of cards.

Placement Phase

During a round where there are no cards on the battlefield, the first player to place one or two cards on it must do so in the starting area.

IMPORTANT: cards placed on the battlefield beyond the first must follow the adjacency principle.

The Placement phase is composed of two steps.

1. The Placement phase of the player starting the round. The player who starts the round must place their first card from their hand and then a second, both face down, on the battlefield and/or on the astral plane.
2. The Placement phase of the second player. Then, the second player must place their first card from their hand and then a second, both face down, on the battlefield and/or on the astral plane.

Reveal Phase

Players simultaneously reveal the two cards they have placed during the previous phase, in a way to ensure that the cards can be read by their opponent.

Then the players place their faction tokens on the active side of each of their cards with the exception of spell cards.

Activation Phase

The Activation Phase is composed of four steps.

1. The Initiative sequence of the player beginning the round. The player beginning the round can decide to activate any number of cards with the Initiative attribute that are under their control, in any order. The cards can be activated one by one, or simultaneously if the circumstances allow it.
2. The Initiative sequence of the player going second. The second player can proceed in the same way.
3. The turn of the player beginning the round. The player beginning the round can activate any number of cards that they control on the battlefield and/or the astral plane, in any order. The cards can be activated one by one or simultaneously if the circumstances allow it.
4. The turn of the player going second. The second player can proceed in the same way.

Please note: once a creature card has been activated, its faction token is flipped to its deactivated side.

End Phase

Players discard the cards that need to be. They flip to the active side the faction tokens of the allied cards that were previously deactivated. Finally, they move the round token forward on the round track.

End of the Game

After the End phase of round 9, each player adds up the core values of their cards still present on the battlefield that have their faction tokens on them. The player with the highest score wins the game.

In Case of a Tie

• The player with the most allied cards placed on the battlefield wins.
• If there is still a tie, the player with the fewest allied creatures in their discard pile wins.
• If the tie still persists, the game is finally declared a draw.

Game Concepts

Allied Cards, Enemy Cards

The allied cards that a player controls are all the cards of their faction deck. Enemy cards refer to all the cards of the opponent's faction deck that are under the opponent's control.

Adjacency Principle

There are two conditions that need to be met in order for a card to be considered adjacent to another.

• When these two cards have one of their four borders (top, bottom, left or right) in contact.

AND

• When those two cards are at a distance of 1 of each other (distance between cards).

IMPORTANT: in-game occurrences can modify the distance between cards without affecting their positions on the battlefield.

Distance Between Cards

Distance between cards is measured from a reference card to the spaces surrounding it, regardless of whether those spaces are occupied.

Placing a Card on the Battlefield

When a player places a card on the battlefield, it must be placed in an available space that is adjacent to another card, allied or enemy.

Placing a Card on the Astral Plane

Cards with the astral plane symbol must be placed on the astral plane. Please note: the astral plane is not part of the battlefield.

Faction Tokens

They indicate to whom the creature and land cards they are placed on belong and who controls them.

With their "active" and "deactivated" sides, they serve as markers to follow which creature and land cards have been activated during the round.

They can be involved in in-game occurrences. For example, certain cards use faction tokens in a specific way that is mentioned on the card.

27 AracKhan Wars tokens are provided in this box. They are to be used when 2 players have chosen the same faction. They are also used in 2v2 mode.

Active Cards, Deactivated Cards

A card is considered to be active once it is revealed. It is then ready to be used by the player controlling it during the Activation phase.

A card is considered to be deactivated after it has been activated by a player controlling it or in the case of in-game occurrences. It cannot be used again until the end of the round.

Creature and land cards use faction tokens to indicate the state they are in. When the card is revealed, the player controlling it places a faction token on the "active" side. When the card has been activated, the player controlling it flips the faction token to the "deactivated" side.

Spell cards don't use faction tokens because of their temporary nature. They are however considered to be active once they are revealed.

Activating a Card

During the Activation phase, an active card can be activated by a player controlling it in order to:

• Attack (attacking an enemy card).
• Perform its action (card action).
• Move with the help of an attribute (attributes).

Before activating a card, the player simply declares that they are activating it. Once the card's activation and the eventual aftermath resulting from it have been resolved, the card is deactivated.

Activating Several Cards Simultaneously

A player can activate several allied cards simultaneously, if circumstances allow it. Before activating them simultaneously, the player simply declares that they are activating them. The resolution of these activations and their aftermath is simultaneous as well, even if in practice, cards are handled one by one, in the order chosen by the player controlling them. Once the simultaneous card activation has been resolved, all those cards are deactivated.

Attacking an Enemy Card

By activating an allied card that has an Attack value, a player can attack an adjacent enemy card that has a Defense value. Players cannot attack allied cards.

An attack is successful when the Attack value is strictly greater than the Defense value of the enemy card.

• If the enemy card is a creature, it is destroyed, and immediately discarded (discarding a card).
• If the enemy card is a land, it is not destroyed but conquered by the attacking player. The player then replaces their opponent's faction token with one of their own, and the land becomes an allied card for as long as it is under the conquering player's control.

The attack fails if the Attack value is equal or less than the Defense value of the enemy card. In that case, nothing happens.

Once the attack has been resolved, the attacking card is immediately deactivated; in the case of an attack spell, the player should refer to its specific discard condition.

The Attack and Defense values of the cards can be modified by in-game occurrences, they cannot however be lower than 0.

IMPORTANT: a card with an Attack value of 0 can still attack.

Example: The Scuttle Jaw has an Attack value of 1. When it attacks the Death Crawler it destroys it, since it has a Defense value of 0.

Group Attack

When a player attacks an enemy card, they can simultaneously activate any number of allied cards that can attack it (activating several cards simultaneously). The cards' Attack values are then added to try to defeat the enemy card.

All the cards that took part in the group attack are then deactivated. If attack spells took part in a group attack, it is required to verify the discard conditions of said cards.

Example: The Blight player simultaneously activates their Swamp Ogre and their two Scuttle Jaws to launch a group attack – of a combined value of 4 – on the Ice Golem, which has a Defense value of 3. The Ice Golem is then destroyed.

Destroying Cards

After a successful attack or during an in-game occurrence, cards can be destroyed. These cards are then discarded.

Discarding Cards

When a player must discard one of their cards, they place it in their discard pile.

Cards are discarded in several circumstances:

• When a card is destroyed during an attack or an in-game occurrence.
• When discarding a card is required, for example in the case of spell cards, in accordance with the condition mentioned at the bottom of the card.

At any moment during a game, players can go through both discard piles, in which the cards are always placed face up.

Card Action

During the activation of a card with the action symbol, the player can decide to perform its action. The text following the symbol depicts what the card can do.

A creature card can either perform its action or do something else (like for example move with the help of its attribute and/or attack an enemy card).

A card that has performed its action will then, depending on its type, either be deactivated (creatures, lands) or discarded (spells).

A player cannot activate several cards to perform their actions simultaneously. They must first activate a card to perform its action, which is then deactivated. Then, they activate another card to perform its action, and so on.

Moving a Card

Moving a card means choosing a new space for it on the battlefield, both available and adjacent to at least one other card, allied or enemy.

Example: The Whitelands player can move their Snow Griffin, thanks to its Flight attribute, to one of the spaces available and adjacent to at least one other card, allied or enemy.

Targeting a Card

When a card mentions the targeting of another card, it means that the player who controls it will designate another card according to the required conditions. The card thus targeted will then be affected as indicated.

Immunity to Spells

A card that is immune to spells cannot be affected by a spell's effects, actions or attacks.

Proper Timing

Certain cards demand that a procedure be resolved either "at the beginning of" or "at the end of" a specific moment in the game (example: the phase of a round or a player's turn...):

• "at the beginning..." means that it is the very first thing that must be done in the aforementioned moment.
• "at the end of..." means that it is the very last thing that must be done in the aforementioned moment.

If several cards demand that a procedure to do something be resolved at the same moment, the player that controls these cards decides the order of resolution.

Attributes

Attributes are special characteristics that certain cards possess. Each attribute and its conditions of use are described below.

Initiative

Any card with the Initiative attribute that is placed on the battlefield and/or astral plane, can be activated during the Initiative sequence of the Activation phase whilst following the playing order that is indicated.

This attribute allows for allied cards that possess it to be activated simultaneously during the Initiative sequence.

The use of this attribute is not mandatory; players can decide to activate cards with Initiative during their respective turns of the Activation phase.

Movement

Any card with the Movement attribute can be moved on the battlefield a number of spaces equal to or less than the number displayed after the attribute, whilst complying with the following requirements:

• The card must be moved to an available space that is adjacent to a card.
• It can move through spaces occupied by allied cards, but cannot settle in any of those.
• It cannot move through a space occupied by an enemy card.
• It can perform an attack or an action after being moved.

If a card has performed its attack or action then it cannot be moved.

This attribute allows cards possessing it to be moved simultaneously in order to:

• Swap their positions on the battlefield.
• Allow them to take part in a group attack together and/or with other allied cards.

Flight

Any card with the Flight attribute can be moved anywhere on the battlefield to an available space that is adjacent to another allied or enemy card, whilst complying with the following requirements:

• It can perform an attack or an action after being moved.
• If the card has performed its attack or action then it cannot be moved.

This attribute allows cards possessing it to be moved simultaneously in order to:

• Swap their positions on the battlefield.
• Allow them to take part in a group attack together and/or with other allied cards.

Omnistrike

Any card possessing the Omnistrike attribute that is activated to attack, performs four simultaneous attacks against enemy cards placed at the four borders adjacent to it. These attacks are resolved simultaneously.

This attribute allows cards that possess it to be activated simultaneously with allied cards in order to perform group attacks against several enemy cards at the same time.

Example: The Abominable Hydra possesses the Omnistrike attribute and delivers three attacks to the three creatures adjacent to it. Their Defense values are inferior to the Attack value of the Abominable Hydra. They are therefore destroyed. The Abominable Hydra and the Scuttle Jaw are activated simultaneously to launch a group attack of a combined value of 4 on the Senile Yhdorian, who is destroyed. The Abominable Hydra simultaneously attacks the Behemoth and destroys it.

Ranged Attack

Any card with the Ranged Attack attribute can attack enemy cards located at a distance between 1 and the number displayed after the attribute.

This attribute allows cards that possess it to take part, at a distance, in group attacks with allied cards.

Example: Thanks to its Ranged Attack attribute, the Nakka Archer attacks the Scuttle Jaw located at a distance of 2 and destroys it. The Nakka Archer and the Death Crawler simultaneously attack the Child Eater and destroy it.

Swarm

On the battlefield, the Swarm attribute adds +1 to the Attack value of all creatures of the same family, over and above the first creature.

Example: The Angry Peasant of the Peasant family possesses the Swarm attribute. When it is alone on the battlefield its attack value is 0. Another Angry Peasant joins the first one and adds +1 in Attack value to both. The Attack value of each is therefore equal to 1.

Regeneration

Once a creature succeeds in its attack against a card with the Regeneration attribute:

• If the aforementioned card was active, then it is deactivated.
• If the aforementioned card was deactivated, then it is destroyed.

When a creature with the Regeneration attribute is attacked by a spell, this creature loses Regeneration until the resolution of the attack.

Example (how to destroy a creature with the Regeneration attribute): The Walker, which possesses the Regeneration attribute, is active. It is attacked by the Ice Paladin. The attack is successful and the Walker is therefore deactivated. #1 The Ice Paladin is activated first to attack. The Walker is then only deactivated. #2 The Ice Moleg is then activated to attack. The Walker, which was deactivated, is now destroyed.

Further example: The Walker is active. Frozen Lightning, which is an attack spell, is activated to attack it. The Walker loses the Regeneration attribute and is then destroyed. In another case, the Walker is active. The Lunar Wendigo and the Ice Meteor are simultaneously activated to launch a group attack on the Walker. Since Ice Meteor is an attack spell, the Walker loses the Regeneration attribute and is then destroyed by the group attack.

Stealth

All cards with the Stealth attribute increase by 1 the distance separating them from adjacent enemy creatures attacking them (total = 2).

Example: Lucy possesses the Stealth attribute. If the Death Crawler is activated to attack Lucy, the distance separating them is increased to 2; then, they are no longer adjacent and the attack can no longer take place. Since Earthquake is an attack spell, the distance between the two is not modified. When it is activated to attack Lucy, the attack is a success and Lucy is destroyed. When the Nakka Archer is activated to attack Lucy, the distance separating them is increased to 2. However, the Nakka Archer possesses the Ranged Attack attribute which allows it to attack an enemy card up to a distance of 2. The attack is therefore a success and Lucy is destroyed.

Perforation

When a card with the Perforation attribute succeeds in its attack against an adjacent enemy card:

• The Perforation triggers a new attack in the same direction on the next adjacent enemy card.
• Any enemy card on this space then suffers an attack with a value that is decreased by 1. This value cannot be modified by any other means.

The attacks move forward as long as they succeed. The consecutive attacks of the Perforation attribute are only effective against enemy cards that a player can attack. For example:

• An enemy spell placed on the battlefield cannot be attacked, thus ending the Perforation.
• An empty space on the battlefield, or a space with an allied card present cannot be attacked, thus ending the Perforation.

Allied cards cannot perform a group attack with a card that has the Perforation attribute beyond the enemy card that is adjacent to it.

Example: The Ice Golem, which possesses the Perforation attribute, is activated to attack the Abominable Hydra. The attack succeeds (Attack value of 3 > Defense value of 2) and the Abominable Hydra is destroyed. The Perforation triggers a new attack on the next adjacent enemy card, in the same direction. The Berserker then suffers an attack with a value decreased by 1 compared to the previous one (total = 2). The Defense value of the Berserker being 1, it is destroyed. The Perforation triggers a third attack on the following card: the Scuttle Jaw which has a Defense value of 0. The Attack value is decreased by 1 compared to the previous attack (total = 1), the Scuttle Jaw is therefore destroyed. The Ice Golem's Perforation ends there since there are no enemy cards on the next space.

Example (group attack with Perforation): The Ice Golem, which possesses the Perforation attribute, is activated simultaneously with the Shield of Dawn to launch a group attack on the Titan. The attack succeeds (Attack value 3+1 > Defense value 3), the Titan is destroyed. The Perforation of the Ice Golem triggers a new attack on the next adjacent space. The Drunk Knight suffers this attack which has a value decreased by 1 compared to the previous attack (total = 2). The Defense value of the Drunk Knight being 1, it is therefore destroyed. A new attack with a value decreased by 1 (total = 1) is triggered on the next adjacent space occupied by a second Drunk Knight. Its Defense value being 1, it stops the attack thus ending the Perforation of the Ice Golem. Please note: the Eagle could not have been activated simultaneously to perform a group attack on the second Drunk Knight. An allied card cannot take part in a group attack with a card that has the Perforation attribute beyond the enemy card that is adjacent to it.

Example: The Child Eater, which possesses the Perforation attribute, has an Attack value of 5 thanks to the adjacent Forge Patriarch. The Child Eater is activated to attack the Avalon Fortress. The attack is successful and the Avalon Fortress is conquered. Please note: the benefit that this land brings to adjacent allied creatures does not modify the Attack value of the current Perforation. This first attack having been successful, the Perforation triggers a new attack on the next adjacent enemy card, with a value that is decreased by 1 (total = 4). However, the Horse of Avalon is a spell and doesn't possess a Defense value, it therefore cannot be attacked. The Child Eater's Perforation thus ends.

Example: The Child Eater, which possesses the Perforation attribute, is activated to attack the Shield of Dawn. The attack succeeds and the latter is destroyed. Please note: at this instant, the Shield of Dawn's skill which gave +1 Defense to the Lunar Wendigo ceases to apply. The latter's Defense value goes back down to 2. The first attack having been successful, the Perforation triggers a new attack on the Lunar Wendigo with a value decreased by 1 (total = 3). The Defense value of the latter, having gone back down to 2, means it is destroyed. The next adjacent space in the same direction being empty, the Perforation of the Child Eater ends.

Faction Decks

Players that use the pre-built decks available in the core box can move on to the next section: pre-built decks.

Building a Faction Deck

To build a faction deck, follow the rules below:

• It must be composed of precisely twenty three cards of the same faction.
• The sum of the deck building values of the twenty three cards must be 125 points or less.
• It cannot contain more than five cards with the Initiative attribute.
• It cannot contain more than six cards with the Stealth attribute.
• It cannot contain more than six copies of a card with the same name that is of a value of 6 or more.
• It cannot contain more than one copy of a Legendary card with the same name. Legendary cards have the Legendary symbol displayed on the upper left corner of the card.
• Some cards have an individual limit; this limit is displayed in roman numerals on the top left corner of these cards. I = 1, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4, V = 5, VI = 6, VII = 7.

Each of the four prebuilt decks in this box come with a set of additional cards allowing the players to customize their decks in order to surprise their opponents with new strategies. Other faction cards can be found in the AracKhan Wars expansions, sold separately.

Whitelands Deck

• 4x Nihilist Penguin
• 2x Lunar Wendigo
• 3x Shield of Dawn
• 1x Ice Paladin
• 2x Eagle
• 1x Paladin of the Guard
• 2x Snow Griffin
• 1x Gabriel
• 1x Ice Golem
• 1x Fortress of Myjir
• 1x Ice Meteor
• 2x Winter Protects
• 1x Teleportation
• 1x Blizzard

Additional cards: 1x Nihilist Penguin (full art), 1x Nemesio (full art), 1x Shield of Dawn (full art), 1x Dreki, 1x Adrielle (full art), 1x Nihilist Morgon, 1x Paladin of the Guard (full art), 1x Ice Golem (full art), 1x Fairy Madness, 1x The White Gates (full art).

Nakka Deck

• 1x Death Crawler
• 3x Xenodon
• 3x Nakka Archer
• 2x Senile Yhdorian
• 2x Hexacarias
• 2x Carnivorous Plant
• 2x Banshee
• 1x Behemoth
• 1x Mounted Banshee
• 1x Wrath of the Forest
• 1x Tree of Life
• 1x Earthquake
• 1x Unstable Growth
• 1x Natural Camouflage
• 1x Mimicry

Additional cards: 1x Lightning Bird (full art), 1x Xenodon (alternative art), 1x Nemesio (full art), 1x Death Whisperer (full art), 1x Protector (full art), 1x Behemoth (full art), 1x Walker, 1x Lightning Dragon, 1x Musical Trance (full art), 1x Eternal Roots (full art).

Grey Order Deck

• 4x Drunk Knight
• 3x Infantryman
• 3x Phalanx
• 2x Ballista
• 2x Champion
• 2x Grey Horseman
• 1x Siege Tower
• 1x Hero of the Battle of Nerz
• 1x The Seneschal
• 1x Avalon Fortress
• 1x Warcry
• 1x Shield Wall
• 1x Horse of Avalon

Additional cards: 1x Drunk Knight (full art), 1x Tomur Disc (full art), 1x Nemesio (full art), 1x Phalanx (full art), 1x Grey Horseman (full art), 1x Grey Missionary (full art), 1x Dragon Slayer, 1x Titan (full art), 1x Truce (full art), 1x Rise of the Grey Order.

Blight Deck

• 1x Scuttle Jaw
• 2x Swamp Ogre
• 3x Swamp Troll
• 2x Berserker
• 2x Plague Collector
• 2x Slayer
• 2x Forge Patriarch
• 1x Abominable Hydra
• 1x Child Eater
• 1x Western Forge
• 2x Fire Lightning
• 2x Firestorm
• 1x The Fear
• 1x Forced Exile

Additional cards: 1x Ratman (full art), 1x Nemesio (full art), 1x Plague Collector (full art), 1x Forge Beetle (full art), 1x Titan Rat (full art), 1x Forge Patriarch (full art), 1x Abominable Hydra (full art), 1x Dragon Breath (full art).

Introduction to Deck Building

One of the particularities of AracKhan Wars lies in the small number of cards in a faction deck. Therefore each card, whatever its value, is of the utmost importance. Changing even one or two cards in a deck may have a major impact on the strategy to adopt in order to be victorious.

Variations of the four pre-built faction decks in this core set are featured below, using some of the exclusive additional cards provided.

Whitelands – The Power of Ice Deck

Despite being endowed with very good mobility thanks to its flying creatures, and impressive defensive capabilities, the pre-built deck is here modified to change its appearance and thus surprise the opponent. The defensive apparatus is improved and also offers the ability to be repositioned in each round. This is combined with a noticeable power boost that can be thrown anywhere on the battlefield.

Four cards are removed: two Snow Griffins, a Paladin of the Guard and the Myjir Fortress. And four new cards make their appearance:

• The White Gates, a new land card that considerably strengthens defensive potential while allowing to redeploy adjacent allied creatures at a distance of up to 2. Perfect for protecting the integrity of your territory while launching attacks in successive waves to repel the opponent.
• A second Ice Golem is summoned for the occasion. These huge creatures are among the most powerful in the Whitelands, substantially increasing the deck's destructiveness.
• Adrielle, the most famous of the Ice Fairies, makes a remarkable entrance. With Flight and Stealth, she is elusive, and her action will allow you to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent anywhere on the battlefield.
• A fifth Nihilist Penguin, always useful to block the opponent, or to appear where you least expect it.

The Power of Ice deck therefore modifies the original mobility of the pre-built deck, by adding an offensive dimension to it, allowing you to storm the opposing positions without sacrificing defensive capabilities.

Whitelands' The Power of Ice deck value = 124 points.

Nakka – Lightning Strike Deck

Known for their extraordinary ability to adapt to any opponent type, the Nakka are capable of delivering discreet, fast and effective attacks. This variation of the pre-built deck draws on the richness of the Vestur fauna to bring it even more speed, mobility and deadliness.

Four creatures are replaced in this deck: a Senile Yhdorian, two Hexacariases, a Mounted Banshee and a land: the Tree of Life. Four creatures and a new land come to take their place:

• The Lightning Dragon (Initiative and Movement 2) combines very good mobility and ferocious attacks, especially when acting alone behind enemy lines, where it will gain Omnistrike.
• The Walker (Movement 2 and Regeneration) is a particularly tough creature that won't go down easily. It will know how to position itself effectively to support its allies during the assault.
• The Lightning Bird (Flight and Initiative) twirls around the battlefield to occupy space, while hindering the enemy's positioning. It can also easily sow panic by gaining attack potential with the Unstable Growth spell, or by suddenly transforming with the Mimicry spell.
• The Eternal Roots, which are a particularly effective base for low Defense value creatures, such as the Walker and the Lightning Dragon.
• A second Behemoth, alongside the Wrath of the Forest, will guarantee you have sufficient firepower for any scenario.

This Lightning Strike deck has the ability to counter and respond to anything another faction may throw at it. It will also be able to surprise the opponent and open a breach where the opponent least expects it.

Nakka Lightning Strike deck value = 125 points.

Grey Order – Rise of the Titan Deck

This deck will destabilize the opponent, while strengthening the ranks of the very powerful 6th Legion, whose backbone is made up of: three Infantrymen, three Phalanxes and two Champions.

With this in mind, four creatures from the prebuilt deck are replaced: one of the two Ballistas, one of the two Grey Horsemen, the Hero of the Battle of Nerz and The Seneschal. And four new creatures come to take their place:

• A fourth Phalanx to help with troop cohesion on the battlefield, with +1 Defense to adjacent allied 6th Legion creatures.
• The Grey Missionary. A particularly tough element that belongs in the center of the 6th Legion block, his role is to protect the adjacent 6th Legion allies from the unholy magic of their opponents.
• The Titan. The centerpiece of the 6th Legion, it is rare to see this colossal creature roaming the battlefields. His presence brings great destruction while galvanizing his adjacent 6th Legion allies.
• The Tomur Disc (with Stealth and Flight) will paralyze the enemy forces that would threaten the 6th Legion, by stifling their mobility.

In this new deck, the 6th Legion sees its numbers increased to eleven cards that complement each other perfectly. This structure ensures that the player will almost always have two 6th Legion cards in hand when it comes time for the Placement phase, and thus be able to quickly build an even more powerful block. Support at range is provided by the Tomur Disc, the Grey Horseman and the Grey Order artillery, which will deter the opponent from getting too close.

Grey Order's Rise of the Titan deck value = 125 points.

Blight – Unstable Mayhem Deck

Taking advantage of the aggressive nature of the pre-built deck, this variation combines sorcery, wicked fire power and spreading of chaos on the battlefield. Elements that complement each other wonderfully, all in the service of a spicy recipe for the opponent.

Three cards are removed from the pre-built deck: the Abominable Hydra, a Slayer and a Plague Collector. And three new cards replace them:

• A Forge Beetle. Unintimidating, it will quickly be forgotten by the opponent, but could prove decisive during a lightning offensive.
• Nemesio, AracKhan's most famous troll, at the service of the highest bidder. In his Blight version, in addition to being mobile (Movement 2), he is elusive (Stealth). He will not fail to stir up trouble on the battlefield by each round bribing adjacent creatures who will easily turn against their allies.
• Dragon Breath, a devastating attack spell (4 in Attack, Perforation) should create terrible damage in the opposing ranks.

The Blight's opponent must now contend with even more viciousness and be wary of their own troops. This will make it difficult for any opponent to coordinate with their units.

Blight Unstable Mayhem deck value = 124 points.

Other Game Modes

There are several other ways of playing AracKhan Wars besides 1v1. Here, you will find the rules to these other game modes.

• 3 to 4 player free-for-all
• 2v2
• Event mode
• Objective mode

Game Mode Compatibility

Cards	1v1	3 to 4 player free-for-all	2v2
Strategy	No	No	Yes
Objective	Yes	Yes	No
Event	Yes	Yes	Yes

3 to 4 Player Free-for-All

In AracKhan, free-for-all battles are extremely chaotic when they involve three or four players. This game mode follows the same rules as the 1v1 mode, a third and a fourth player are simply added to the mix. The setup, the different phases of a round and the end of the game all work the same way. The specifics of these modes are detailed below.

Round by Round Playing Order

The playing order is clockwise around the battle mat, starting with the player beginning round 1. Each following round, the order in which the players play progresses clockwise as well.

Initiative Sequence for 3 to 4 Players

The Initiative sequence of the Activation phase of a round follows this order: the player beginning the round decides if they will activate their cards with the Initiative attribute, then the second player does the same, then the third player and finally the fourth player.

No Room Left to Place Any Cards?

If, during the Placement phase of a round, a player cannot place a card either on the battlefield or the astral plane because no spaces are available, then the round ends immediately thus triggering the End of the game sequence.

End of the Game

The victory point count and the resolution of ties in a 3 to 4 player game follows the same rules as the 1v1 game.

Playing 2v2

In AracKhan, it is not uncommon for unlikely alliances to arise during battle. From the need to band together in war to the need to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of a fairweather ally, there are no reasons not to fight as a team in AracKhan.

This game mode follows the 1v1 rules but with the specificities detailed below.

Duration of the Game

A game lasts 8 rounds instead of 9.

Setup

The setup follows the same sequence as a 1v1 game, with the following modifications:

• During step 2, the players are grouped in alliances (see below) and positioned around the battle mat: Alliance 1's two players (Player A and Player C) sit across from each other, and Alliance 2's two players (Player D and Player B) sit across from each other, so that each player is seated between the two members of the opposing alliance. Please note: players B and D must reserve zones outside of the battle mat for their draw piles, their Astral Planes and their discard piles.
• At the end of step 4, the players will gather the pack of twenty-five Strategy cards, shuffle them, and display them face down near the battle mat. This constitutes the Strategy pile. They will place the AracKhan Wars tokens in close proximity, which constitutes the Strategy point reserve.
• During step 6, each player draws their opening hands of 9 cards instead of 7.
• At the end of step 7, each player will receive an AracKhan Wars token, this represents a Strategy point.

Round by Round Playing Order

Starting with the player beginning round 1, the playing order is clockwise. Each following round the order in which the players play progresses clockwise as well.

Alliances

An alliance is composed of two players of the same team.

During a game, players of an alliance cannot communicate by any means, so no speaking, no sign language, no telepathy.

All the cards of their faction decks are considered allied cards. When the cards of players from the same alliance refer to "allied cards", this designates the entirety of the cards of both players from that alliance.

All the cards of the opposing alliance are considered to be enemy cards. When the cards of players from the same alliance refer to "enemy cards," this designates the entirety of the cards of both players from the other alliance.

However, players of an alliance only control the cards of their own faction, and can only activate those.

Each player in the alliance uses their own faction tokens on the cards they control. If both players within an alliance control the same faction, one of them must use the tokens of another faction to better be able to identify which cards are controlled by which player.

Strategy Phase

In the heat of battle, the players of the same alliance cannot communicate with each other (however, they do have the right to taunt the players of the enemy alliance). They can still try to coordinate their actions during a new round phase: the Strategy phase.

This phase occurs between the Draw phase and the Placement phase. It allows players to implement strategies for the current round or to prepare for the following ones, and uses the Strategy cards and the Strategy points, which are represented by the AracKhan Wars tokens.

During this phase and following the playing order of the current round, each player performs the following actions, in the following order:

1. With the exception of round 1, they receive a Strategy point from the reserve.
2. If they do not already have one, they draw a Strategy card from the Strategy pile. If they already have one, they can discard it to draw another.
3. Finally, they can either play their Strategy card or keep it for a future round.

IMPORTANT: a player cannot have more than one Strategy card in hand.

The Strategy cards thus discarded go in a common discard pile. They are placed face up and can be accessed by players at any time.

If the Strategy pile is empty, the players shuffle the Strategy card discard pile and compose a new Strategy pile.

Strategy Cards

Each Strategy card shows: name, cost, type, text, and discard condition.

In order to be played, Strategy cards have a cost in points, mentioned on each card. The player who plays the Strategy card must spend the required amount of AracKhan Wars tokens in their possession. Tokens spent in this way go back into the Strategy point reserve.

There are two types of Strategy cards:

• Blitz cards can be played by the player during their Strategy phase. The player declares they will play a Strategy card, pays the required price and reveals it to the other players. The card is then placed next to the player and remains there until its use is completed. Finally, it is placed in the Strategy card discard pile at the moment indicated on the card.
• A Secret message card is discreetly passed on to the ally, who will be able to play it at the moment indicated on the card. If the ally decides to play the card they will have to pay the required amount in Strategy points. The card text determines when and how it is played and when it must be discarded. When an ally receives a Secret message card, if they already had a Strategy card in hand they must discard it.

No Room Left to Place Any Cards?

If during the Placement phase of a round, the player of an alliance cannot place a card either on the battlefield or the astral plane because no spaces are available, then the round ends immediately thus triggering the End of the game sequence.

Victory Point Count of an Alliance at the End of the Game

To win the battle in this game mode, during the End of the game sequence, the players of an alliance add all their victory points in order to calculate the alliance's score. The alliance with the highest score wins the game.

In Case of a Tie Between the Alliances

• The alliance with the most allied cards that remain on the battlefield wins the game.
• If there is still a tie, the alliance with the fewest allied creatures in their discard pile wins.
• If the tie still persists, the game is finally declared a draw.

Event Mode

This game mode adds a layer of unpredictable environmental factors to the chaos of battle. Capricious weather, logistical disarray, powerful natural events or even a bundle of favorable circumstances. In each round, the battle will be marked by a new event that the players will have to deal with.

Setup

The setup follows the same sequence as a 1v1 game, with the following modification:

• At the end of step 4, the players will gather the pack of twenty-three Event cards included in this box, shuffle them, and display them face down near the battle mat. This constitutes the Event pile.

Event Cards

Each Event card shows: card back, name, and text.

Event Phase

Each round, during the Event phase, which precedes the Draw phase, the first card of the Event pile is revealed by the player beginning the round.

Its consequences are immediate and last until the card is discarded, during the End of round phase.

IMPORTANT: in case different card types contradict each other, no matter the game mode, Event cards take precedence over all others.

Objective Mode

This mode introduces secondary military objectives that players can try to achieve and, in so doing, adds precious points to the final score at the end of the game.

Players will have to choose between facing immediate threats on the battlefield and completing feasible objectives.

Setup

The setup follows the same sequence as a 1v1 game, with the following modifications:

• At the end of step 4, the players will gather the pack of twenty-three Objective cards, shuffle them, and display them face down near the battle mat. This constitutes the Objective pile.
• At the end of step 7, players draw three cards from the Objective pile and display them face up, side by side, next to the battle mat.

Objective Cards

Each Objective card shows: name, card back, victory points, and text.

Achieving an Objective

When a player, because of their actions, meets the requirements of an available objective, they can announce that they have completed the objective. They then place the card near them.

If several players are in a position to claim an objective, the player with the least amount of allied cards on the battlefield chooses whether they want to accomplish it or not. If they choose not to, the player that is next in line with the fewest allied cards on the battlefield decides whether they want to accomplish the objective and so on.

In case of a tie in terms of the number of allied cards on the battlefield, it is the playing order of the round that determines which player chooses to accomplish the objective first.

A completed objective awards the player victory points as indicated on the Objective card during the End of the game sequence (see below).

A new card is drawn from the Objective pile, in order to always have three Objective cards available.

IMPORTANT: a player can only accomplish one objective per round.

Victory Point Count at the End of the Game

During the End of the game sequence, each player adds to their victory points total the points acquired from having completed objectives.