Battle Gnomes Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective
• Game Components
• Gnome Deck
• Player Deck
• Player Deck Card Types
• Action Cards
• Battle Items
• Attachment Items
• Yard Items
• Example of an Initial Setup
• Game Setup
• Playing the Game
  • Turn Play
  • Turn Action: Recruit
  • Turn Action: Organize
  • Turn Action: Gnome Battle
  • Going Into Battle
  • Winning the Battle
  • Game Alliances
  • After the Battle
• Winning the Game

Objective

Get three defeated gnomes first and win!

Game Components

• Gnome deck (24 cards)
• Player deck (78 cards)
• Turn play deck (6 cards)

Gnome Deck

There are 24 unique gnomes in the gnome deck. On the top left of the card is the gnome's name. On the top right is a number between 0 and 4 that represents initial strength in battle. At the card bottom is text that provides either an advantage or a disadvantage of that gnome. Some gnomes have to be in a battle for the text to apply, but other effects impact the whole household.

Player Deck

By default, players draw up to a total of five cards. There is no hand limit. When the player deck runs out of cards, shuffle the discards to continue.

Player Deck Card Types

The player deck has 78 cards:

• 12 Yard Items
• 18 Action Cards
• 12 Weapon Attachments
• 12 Defense Attachments
• 12 Battle Items (2 of each)

Card types are color-coded and identified on the upper left side of the card.

In the upper right is a circle displaying necessary information. For items and attachments, it shows strength. If there is an asterix, check the subtext below for a specific rule. For action cards, it indicates when you can use the card.

At the bottom, regular subtext provides an extra rule or instruction. However, all text below the line is just flavor text.

Action Cards

Action cards cannot be given or traded away. When allowed, you can play any number of action cards. Discard after use. In the upper right corner is a symbol showing when the card can be played. There are three kinds: Battle (B), Turn (T), and Response (R).

• Battle (B): You can play these action cards when your household is in a battle.
• Turn (T): These action cards can be played during either your Recruit or Organize turn actions.
• Response (R): These action cards can be played in response to specific situations as described on the card.

Battle Items

Battle items can be used when any player is in a gnome battle. You can play as many as you have in hand. Thrown items are effected by specific gnomes and cards. Once battle items are played, they remain in view during the battle. Battle items can also be used by players not in the battle to influence the outcome.

Attachment Items

There are two types of attachment items: Weapon and Defense. By default, a gnome may have one of each type attached at a time. During the Organize turn action, you can attach these to your gnomes by placing them with the gnome you want them attached to. The numeric value adds to that gnome's overall score while in a battle.

Yard Items

During the Organize turn action, place Yard items down next to your gnomes. Yard items are not assigned to specific gnomes because they apply to the overall score of your household while in battle, regardless of which gnomes are in the battle. Each household can hold up to three total Yard items.

Example of an Initial Setup

The example shows a Yard item (Tomato Plant, strength 1 per opposing gnome: "A squishy way to bring down your foes!"), a Defense attachment (strength 1, partly obscured in the example), a Coop gnome with strength 4 ("This large gnome relies mostly on strength. He cannot have any weapon items attached."), and an Apple gnome with strength 2 ("Her ferocity surprises the enemy! When she is in a battle, she may cancel a thrown item played.").

• Battle with 1 gnome (Coop): 6 points (strength)
• Battle with 2 gnomes: 9 points (strength)

Game Setup

1. Hand everyone a Turn Play / Gnome Battle card for reference.
2. Shuffle up and set out both the gnome deck and the player deck for game use.
3. Deal five cards from the player deck to every player.
4. Lay out three gnomes next to the gnome deck. These are the game selection gnomes.
5. The shortest player begins the game by taking one of the three selection gnomes. Replace it immediately with a gnome from the gnome deck. Moving clockwise, each player selects a gnome.
6. The last player to select a gnome then takes a second gnome, beginning the second round of gnome selection moving counter-clockwise. Gnomes in play must be visibly laid out.
7. Once each player has two gnomes, players may attach one item to either of their gnomes, and lay down one Yard item from the cards in their hands. Players draw back up to five cards.

Playing the Game

The player who takes the first turn is the person just left of the shortest player.

Turn Play

1. If you have less than two gnomes when starting your turn, immediately recruit until you have two.
2. Discard any cards from your hand that you don't want. Then, if you have less than your hand size, draw up to it from the player deck.
3. Take one of these three turn actions: Recruit, Organize, or Gnome Battle.

Turn Action: Recruit

Take this action to recruit one gnome from the three selection gnomes. After recruitment, add a gnome from the gnome deck to the selection gnomes so there are always three available.

You can have up to four total gnomes at a time. If recruiting gives you more than four gnomes, replace a gnome with the new one. The previous gnome gets shuffled into the gnome deck and its attachments are moved to the new gnome.

Turn Action: Organize

With this turn action, you can lay down Yard items and put attachment items from your hand onto your gnomes. We recommend placing attachments behind the gnome on the left side so you can see their type, but higher than the gnome so you can see the strength.

You can also rearrange and upgrade your items already in play. Rearrange items by moving them from one gnome to another. Upgrade items by discarding an item in play to make room for an item you prefer to use instead. This can be done with both Yard and attachment items.

Turn Action: Gnome Battle

This turn action allows you to instigate battle with another player. There are three steps to the Gnome Battle turn action: going into battle, winning the battle, and after the battle. The battle is over when all players agree they are not playing any more cards toward it. In the case of a tie, the attacking household wins.

Going Into Battle

The first step of Gnome Battle is picking an opponent to go into battle with. You cannot attack players who have less than two gnomes in play. Cards that prevent battle or influence the whole battle must be played immediately after an opponent is chosen.

Next, choose either one or two of your gnomes to attack. Your opponent must choose one gnome to defend with if you attack with one, or two gnomes if you attack with two. The attacker and defender choose which gnomes go into battle for them.

Winning the Battle

The combined numeric value of all gnome bonuses, attachments, Yard items, and Battle items are added up to result in the winner of the battle.

To start, count up the strength of your gnomes that are in battle and their attachments (upper right corners). Add Yard item values to that score and determine if you have more points than the other household.

If you need more to win, see if your gnomes can do something to give you more points or take points from your opponent. You can also play Battle items and Action cards from your hand to improve your score. Whoever has the most combined points in play wins the battle.

Game Alliances

Asking households outside of the battle to assist is an option, but they can only use Battle items. They might want to do this if one household is in the lead and they don't want them to win another gnome. They do not draw back up.

After the Battle

If you are defeated, choose one of your gnomes that participated in the battle to give the other player. The winner keeps defeated gnomes in a stack set to the side for scoring. Discard attachments on the defeated gnome, along with all used Battle items and Action cards. The two households in battle draw back up to their hand size if they dropped below it.

Winning the Game

The game ends under two conditions. The first and most common is when a player defeats a third gnome. That player immediately wins the game.

However, if the three selection gnomes cannot be replenished before a player has three defeated gnomes, every player gets one more turn and then the game ends. In that situation, the winner is the household with the most defeated gnomes. In a tie, the gnome household with the most items still in play wins.