Atlantis Rising Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Object of the Game
• Game Setup
• Game Turn Phases
  • Start of Turn
  • Place Atlanteans
  • Draw Misfortunes
  • Productive Actions
    • Mountains, Hills and Forests
    • Libraries
    • Forges
    • Cities
    • Mystic Power Source (Center Tile)
    • The Atlantean Navy
  • Athenians Attack
  • Build Components
  • Change Starting Player
• Winning or Losing
• Misfortune Cards
• Knowledge Cards
• Courage Tokens
• Mystic Barriers
• Mystic Energy
• Advanced Play
  • Increased Difficulty
  • Faster Game Play
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Credits

Components

• 6 Councilor sheets
• 1 Sticker sheet for the Athenian galley (optional)
• 1 Attack board
• 1 Athenian Galley
• 1 black Attack die
• Starting Player standup
• 6 Production dice
• 40 Atlanteans (6 in each player color, 4 grey)
• 6 Mystic Barrier tokens
• 12 Courage tokens
• 10 Ore cubes
• 14 Gold cubes
• 10 Crystal cubes
• 20 Atlantium cubes
• 24 Mystic Energy beads
• 40 Knowledge cards
• 58 Misfortune cards
• 37 Board tiles
• 21 Component tiles
• This rulebook

Object of the Game

The object of the game is for the players to build all ten components of the cosmic gate, before all of the island has been destroyed.

Game Setup

(For 6 players, Standard Game)

1. Set up the island of Atlantis by laying out its parts as shown on the right.
2. Place the resource cubes (ore, Atlantium, gold, and crystal), mystic energy beads, mystic barrier and courage tokens, and production dice within easy reach of all players, near the game board.
3. Shuffle the misfortune and knowledge decks separately and place them near the island.
4. Lay the ten component tiles in a row called the "Blueprint." For your first game, randomly select 3 cards from the "A" deck, 3 from the "B" deck, 3 from the "C" deck, and the Power Core card.
5. Each player selects a councilor card and takes 3 Atlanteans matching his color (denoted by the color of the councilor's title). These represent each councilor's loyal followers. Each player takes one mystic energy.
6. Place the remaining Atlanteans of each selected color, as well as the gray Atlanteans, in a supply near the game board. Place the Atlanteans of the unused colors back in the box.
7. Place the Athenian Galley over the "0" corresponding to the number of players (2, 3, or 4-6) on the Atlantean Navy tile and place the attack die nearby.
8. The player who most recently went swimming becomes the starting player and takes the starting player standup.

Game Turn Phases

1. Place Atlanteans
2. Draw Misfortunes
3. Productive Actions
4. Athenians Attack
5. Build Components

Start of Turn

Before beginning each turn, players may make use of their councilors' special abilities or play knowledge cards.

Place Atlanteans

Beginning with the starting player and proceeding clockwise, players take turns placing all of their Atlanteans from their personal supply onto one or more island tiles, or in the Atlantean Navy.

Each tile can only support a fixed number of Atlanteans, as indicated by the number of rings on the tile. Players may place fewer than the maximum number of Atlanteans allowed on a tile. Atlanteans of multiple colors may share a tile, as long as the total capacity of the tile is not exceeded.

The center tile represents the mystic power source of Atlantis and may support any number of Atlanteans. The Atlantean Navy may also support any number of Atlanteans.

Example: Blue cannot place two Atlanteans on a Mountains tile that can only support one Atlantean.

Example: Green, Red, and Yellow can legally share a Forges tile. A tile can support multiple colors of Atlanteans, as long as their total number does not exceed the tile's capacity.

Draw Misfortunes

Beginning with the starting player and proceeding clockwise, each player must draw a misfortune card (see Misfortune Cards below). If a misfortune card requires a decision, all players may discuss the decision, but the current player has final authority.

Atlanteans on destroyed tiles are returned to their owner's personal supply, without performing the productive action of the tile. Tiles are always destroyed from the tip of the island toward the center.

Productive Actions

Beginning with the starting player and proceeding clockwise, each player performs the productive actions of his surviving Atlanteans in any order he wishes, removing each Atlantean from the board and returning it to his personal supply, as its productive action is performed.

Mountains, Hills and Forests

Roll one die for each Atlantean placed here; for each success, take one resource (corresponding to the location of your Atlantean: Mountains – ore; Hills – gold; Forests – crystal).

Success is achieved by rolling equal to or higher than the target number printed on the tile (2, 3, 4 for ore, 3, 4, 5 for gold, and 4, 5, 6 for crystal). It is easier to find these precious resources in the less-mined regions.

Target numbers to collect resources can never be raised above 6 or lowered below 2.

After the production die is rolled, mystic energy may be spent to add 1 to the result. A player may spend any number of mystic energy in this way, increasing the result by 1 for each mystic energy spent.

Example: Orange rolls a 6 and a 4, and collects one Crystal cube. Orange rolls a 3 and decides to spend two mystic energy to increase the result of the roll to a 5, collecting one Gold cube.

Libraries

For each Atlantean placed here, draw and keep a number of knowledge cards (see Knowledge Cards below) as shown on the tile: one icon means draw cards (amount shown), the other means keep cards from those drawn (amount shown); discard the rest.

All players have a maximum hand limit of four knowledge cards. If a player has more than four cards in his hand at any time, he must immediately play or discard knowledge cards until he has four cards in hand.

Example: Red draws two knowledge cards. He may keep one of these cards, but must discard the other.

Forges

For each Atlantean placed here, transmute one ore into one or more Atlantium. You may convert ore to Atlantium at a rate of 1:3, 1:2, or 1:1, depending on the tile. Each Atlantean placed here may convert only one ore into Atlantium (a player with multiple Atlanteans on a Forges tile may convert multiple ore cubes into Atlantium).

Example: Green hoped to gain more ore this turn; however, with only two ore to transform into Atlantium, Green's third Atlantean placed on this Forges tile is wasted.

Cities

Gain one new Atlantean for each 1, 2, or 3 Atlanteans placed here (as noted on the tile). This Atlantean is returned to your personal supply along with the Atlantean(s) performing this productive action.

Note: In order for Cities tiles to be effective, a single player must place the maximum number of Atlanteans allowed on the tile. An ineffective Cities placement is one where a single player does not fill all of the available rings.

Mystic Power Source (Center Tile)

For each Atlantean placed here, gain one mystic energy (see Mystic Energy below). Any number of Atlanteans may be placed on the mystic power source each turn.

The Atlantean Navy

Each Atlantean placed here helps to defend Atlantis. Atlanteans placed here are not returned to players' personal supplies until after the end of the Athenians Attack phase. Any number of Atlanteans can contribute to the Atlantean Navy.

Example: All players will obtain Mystic Energy Beads; Blue will obtain 2, Green and Orange 1 each (from placements on the mystic power source).

Athenians Attack

The starting player rolls the attack die, adds the number indicated on the attack track, and compares the result to the number of Atlanteans placed in the Atlantean Navy. If there are fewer Atlanteans than the total result of the attack, destroy (flip over) one tile for each Atlantean fewer than the result (players' choice). If no consensus can be reached, the current player is the final arbiter of which tiles are destroyed. Tiles are always destroyed from the tip of the island toward the center. If there are an equal or greater number of Atlanteans than the total result of the attack, nothing happens.

At the end of the Athenians Attack phase, advance the Athenian Galley by one step on the attack track. The attack track can never exceed +5 in a 2 player game, +8 in a 3 player game, or +12 in a 4-6 player game.

In addition, if a player has contributed at least two Atlanteans and also the most Atlanteans to the Atlantean Navy, he receives a courage token (see Courage Tokens below). If two or more players are tied for the most Atlanteans, the starting player or the player closest to the starting player (proceeding clockwise) is considered to have contributed the most Atlanteans. Only one player may receive a courage token in this fashion each turn.

Example: Red rolls the attack die (a 3) and adds the number indicated on the attack track (+8), for a total of 11. He then subtracts 9 (the total number of Atlanteans, plus one courage token), for a total of 2 tiles that must be destroyed. Afterward, Red receives one courage token (Red, Blue and Green are tied for number of Atlanteans contributed to the Atlantean Navy, but Red, the starting player, wins the tie).

Build Components

Beginning with the starting player and proceeding clockwise, each player may build one (and only one) component if he has the correct combination of resources, or pass. Completing a component provides an additional benefit detailed on the component tile, which is gained only once, immediately upon building the component. The tile is then taken by the player who built the component.

Building a component always requires that at least one resource be spent by the player building the component, regardless of any reductions in cost.

Note: Players may not trade resources among themselves, without the use of certain knowledge cards or component benefits. All components require at least one resource to build (knowledge cards are not a resource).

Change Starting Player

At the end of each turn, the current starting player passes the Starting Player standup to the player on his left and that player becomes the new starting player.

Winning or Losing

The players lose the game if all of the island tiles have been destroyed. The center tile is always the last tile destroyed. Atlantis is lost forever!

The players win the game if they complete all of the components of the cosmic gate (and thereby activate it) before the center tile is destroyed. Atlantis is saved!

Misfortune Cards

Most misfortunes are basic "Flood" cards. These cards will state "Flood [Section]" (ex: "Flood Forests"). When a basic Flood misfortune is drawn, the current player must destroy (flip over) the next available tile in the section named.

If a section of the island is already completely destroyed and a tile in that section would be destroyed, the current player must choose two other tiles to destroy (in one or two sections). If there are not two other tiles remaining, the players lose the game.

Example: The Cities section has already been entirely flooded. Having drawn a Flood Cities misfortune, the players must choose and destroy any two other tiles.

Some misfortunes are special misfortunes. Special misfortunes can never be prevented with mystic energy, and take place immediately when drawn. Follow the instructions on the card when a special misfortune is drawn.

Note: "Controlled Flood" is a special misfortune, and not considered a Flood misfortune for purposes of cancelling a Flood misfortune with mystic energy, or preventing a Flood misfortune with a mystic barrier (see Mystic Barriers and Mystic Energy below).

Calm Seas: When a player draws a Calm Seas card, nothing happens.

Spur the Cycle: When the Spur the Cycle card is drawn, shuffle the misfortune deck and discard pile together, along with Spur the Cycle. The active player does not draw another misfortune this turn (although any remaining players will still draw a misfortune).

Tiles are always flooded from the tip of the island toward the center.

Knowledge Cards

Knowledge cards can be played at any time, although never to interrupt an action. For example, a "Science of Shielding" could be played in reaction to a "Flood Forges" misfortune, but the misfortune would take effect before the mystic barrier was placed. Because it was already drawn, the misfortune must be resolved before the knowledge card goes into effect.

Each player has a hand limit of four knowledge cards.

Courage Tokens

A courage token, once gained, is retained until expended. When placing Atlanteans, a player may place a single courage token beneath one of his Atlanteans (multiple courage tokens may be placed beneath multiple Atlanteans).

If a tile containing an Atlantean with a courage token is destroyed during the Draw Misfortunes phase, the courage token is expended, allowing the Atlantean to immediately perform the productive action of that tile, before returning to the player's personal supply. A courage token expended in this way is "lost" and returned to the supply.

If a tile containing an Atlantean with a courage token escapes misfortune, the courage token is returned to its owner's personal supply along with his Atlantean(s) after the Productive Actions phase, and can be placed again on a future turn.

A player may also place a courage token beneath an Atlantean placed into the Atlantean Navy. In this case, the Atlantean counts as two Atlanteans instead of one when determining the result of the Athenians' attack (although the Atlantean does not count as two Atlanteans when determining which player receives a courage token for placing the most Atlanteans in the Atlantean Navy). In this case, the courage token is always "lost" and returned to the supply after the Athenians Attack phase, regardless of the outcome of the battle.

Note: The Panic! and Plague misfortunes do not affect Atlanteans not yet placed during the Misfortune phase. (The Crisis of Faith misfortune still prevents Atlanteans placed after the misfortune phase from collecting mystic energy.)

Example: Yellow, with one ore, has placed an Atlantean with a courage token on the bottommost Forges tile. The players draw a Flood Forges misfortune. Yellow transmutes his ore into 3 Atlantium and loses his courage token; then the tile is destroyed.

Mystic Barriers

During the course of the game, players may gain access to Mystic Barrier tokens. Once gained, a Mystic Barrier token may be placed on any island tile. If a basic Flood misfortune corresponding to that section of the island is drawn so that the tile with the mystic barrier would be destroyed, instead discard the mystic barrier. Mystic barriers only protect against basic Flood misfortunes.

Each tile may only support one Mystic Barrier token.

Example: The players, having lost the battle against the Athenians, must destroy one tile. They choose a Libraries tile with a Mystic Barrier token. Because the tile is not being destroyed as the result of a Flood misfortune, the mystic barrier is discarded with no effect.

Mystic Energy

For each Atlantean placed on the central tile, gain one mystic energy. Mystic energy can be used to: add 1 to a production die roll to gather resources on a Mountains, Hills, or Forests tile (1 energy); transform a single resource into any other resource (2 energy); cancel a Flood misfortune (but not a Controlled Flood) (3 energy); or unflip a destroyed tile (5 energy). Several players may contribute mystic energy toward cancelling a Flood misfortune or unflipping a destroyed tile. Players may not contribute mystic energy to increase another player's production die roll or to transmute another player's resource. Any number of Atlanteans can access the mystic power source.

Advanced Play

Increased Difficulty

To increase the difficulty of the game, players may choose to use nine randomly selected components from the following component decks, in addition to the Power Core (for a total of 10 components):

• Easy Difficulty: 3 components each from decks A, B and C
• Normal Difficulty: 3 components each from decks A, B and D
• Hard Difficulty: 3 components each from decks A, C and D
• Cosmic Difficulty: 3 components each from decks B, C and D

Once the players have mastered the above difficulty levels, the final challenge awaits. Players who would dare to save Atlantis without the usual safeguard against early disaster can begin the game without mystic energy.

Faster Game Play

To speed up game play, players can resolve actions during the Placement phase simultaneously (instead of waiting for each player to take her turn in order). If there is a disagreement (two players wish to place an Atlantean on the same space on a tile) then default to turn order. Players may also resolve actions simultaneously during the Productive Actions and Build Components phases. Again, default to turn order if action sequence becomes important.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do effects like Ancient Atlas, Earthquake, and the Explorer's special ability interact? A: Apply the effects in the order they occur, remembering that an effect can never raise a target number above 6 or lower it below 2 by any means. The Explorer's special ability is applied at the time of the production roll.

Q: If I play Ballad of Bravery, does the player who placed the most Atlanteans in the Atlantean Navy receive two courage tokens? A: No, when Ballad of Bravery is played, each player who placed two or more Atlanteans in the Atlantean Navy receives one courage token. Do not award an additional courage token to the player with the most Atlanteans in the Atlantean Navy.

Q: Ancestors' Gambit says you must accept the result of the second roll of the attack die. Can you use multiple Ancestors' Gambit cards on the same turn to continue rerolling the attack die? A: Yes. You cannot choose the value on the attack die prior to the reroll, but you may play additional Ancestors' Gambit cards to continue to reroll the attack die.

Q: Can you play a knowledge card to avoid discarding due to exceeding your hand limit? A: Yes. When your hand size exceeds four cards you may immediately play one or more cards to avoid discarding.

Q: What does the term "receive double benefit" mean? A: Gain the benefit of the component, then immediately gain the benefit again, a second time. Note that some components do not provide any additional benefit from a second use (e.g. Solar Matrix, Targeting Spire, etc.)

Q: Does Athenians Press the Attack allow the Athenian Galley to exceed the maximum value for a 2-3 player game on the attack track? A: No. If you cannot advance the Athenian Galley without exceeding the maximum value allowed, do not advance the Athenian Galley.

Q: What is considered a "resource?" A: Atlantium, Crystal, Gold, and Ore.

Q: If the special misfortune Lack of Support is in effect, can I still use the knowledge card Untapped Talent to copy the ability of another councilor for the turn? A: Yes.

Credits

Atlantis Rising Game Design: Galen Ciscell

Graphic Design and Illustration: Karim Chakroun

Copyright 2011 Z-Man Games, Inc.