Brutality

Brutality Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components Included in the Base Box

56 Relic cards
11 Artifact cards
1 double-sided game board
6 Character cards
15 Cooldown tokens
129 Hazard tiles
6 Character figures

So You Want to Play Some Brutality?

How to Win

Kill both enemy heroes by reducing them to 0 Health.

Setup

Place Board. Place the game board between the two teams, with the long edges (eight spaces) facing the teams.
Determine Starting Team. Choose which team takes the first turn at random. This also determines the setup order below.
Choose Heroes. In alternating team order, each team chooses a hero and takes their hero sheet. Continue this until each team has chosen two heroes. If a team has two players, each player will play one hero.
Set Health. Mark each hero's Health with a clip at its highest value along the bottom track.
Place Heroes. In alternating team order, each team places a hero miniature on an empty corner space on their edge of the board.
Choose Artifacts. In alternating team order, each hero chooses one artifact card.
Place Hazards. In alternating team order, each team places one hazard in any empty space, but not in either starting row. Place two in total.

Setup illustration: the Opponent Side and Team Setup diagrams and the example hero cards are printed with callout numbers (5, 7, 3, 4, 6). The manual does not explain these numbers in the text.

Heroes

Each hero sheet shows the hero's Health, Movement Compass, and perhaps also Traits.

Heroes on the same team are Friendly Heroes, while heroes on the opposite team are Enemy Heroes.

Some hero miniatures take up multiple spaces, which changes which spaces they can affect with their abilities (page @@) and how they are affected by hazards (page @@).

Hero sheet callouts: Abilities, Movement Compass, Trait, Health.

Your Team's Turn

On your team's turn, do the following phases in order. When your team's turn ends, the other team begins their turn. Keep playing until one team wins!

Advance cooldowns. Cooldowns are described more on the next page.
Draw a relic card into your team's hand. Draw two cards if your team only has one hero alive. A team can only have three relic cards at a time. You cannot draw more if you already have three.
Each hero on your team takes up to two actions. A hero can Move and Use an Ability, or Use an Ability twice. Heroes on a team can split up the order of their actions. For example, Hero 1 could move, then Hero 2 could use an ability, then Hero 1 could use an ability, then Hero 2 could move.
Discard any number of relic cards.
Check for end-of-turn effects. Hazards (page @@) and other things cause effects over time.

Movement compass notes: a compass with eight arrows says you can move in any direction. A compass with four arrows says you can move up, down, left, or right, but not diagonally.

Action: Move

If you use the Move action, you can move your hero up to three spaces.

Move further on the very first turn. On the first turn of the game, each hero on that team can move one extra space.
You can't use the Move action twice. You cannot use your Move action again to double your spaces of movement.
You can split up your movement. For example, if you use your Move action, you could move two spaces, use an ability, then move one more space.
You can only move certain directions. The directions that your hero can move in are shown on your hero's movement compass.
Facing matters. You always face forward or back, and you cannot face left or right. You can turn around by spending one space of movement.
You cannot enter a space with another player. Some abilities let you do this, though.

Sometimes you'll spend movement on other effects. You'll need to take the Move action to get the movement that you'll spend.

Action: Use an Ability

Choose an ability listed on your hero sheet and resolve its effect. You can only use a given ability once per turn.

The light red squares shown by an ability are its range, every space that you could affect by using the ability.

The dark red squares shown by an ability are an example effect, an example of the spaces you could choose to affect within the range.

Some abilities also show an example movement arrow, an example of how you could choose to move yourself or the target hero.

Ability example card: "Buried Alive." The Grave Keeper moves 2 linear spaces either in Front, Behind, Left, or Right, and buries enemies that occupy those spaces. Being buried alive causes 1 damage to an enemy. If he is standing on a buried enemy, that enemy will take another 1 damage.

Line of Sight

Abilities require line of sight. To check this, trace a line from the center of your space to the center of the target space.

Line of sight is blocked by tank heroes (page @@) and some hazards (page @@).

Artifact Cards

Artifacts are powerful items that can turn the tide of battle.

Players can use any number of their own artifact cards without taking actions. Artifact cards are equipped to specific heroes.

Cooldown

Whenever you use an artifact card, flip it over and place a cooldown token on the "3" skull.

A facedown artifact card cannot be used.

At the start of a team's turn, move each cooldown token on their own artifact cards to the skull with the next lower number. If a cooldown token is already on the "1" skull, remove the cooldown token and flip the card over instead.

Relic Cards

Relics are blessed items that summon mighty effects of war.

Players can use any number of their team's relic cards without taking actions. After you use a relic card, discard it.

Relic cards are shared by a team. A team can only have three relic cards at a time.

Relics come in four types: Curse, Blessing, OP, and Utility.

If a relic card says that it takes effect "the next time" something happens, do not discard it until its effect triggers.

Relic example card: "Hell Fire." Select 4 consecutive rows or columns that are not already occupied by hazards for 3 turns. This starts at the END of your opponent's turn.

Effect Timing

Every relic and artifact card says when it can be played, as follows:

"Any Turn." These cards can be played at any time during your team's action phase (phase 3) or the enemy team's action phase.
"Your Turn." These cards only can be played during your team's action phase.
"Enemy Turn." These cards can only be played during the enemy team's action phase.
"Start/End of..." These cards can only be played at the start or end of the listed team's action phase.

Simultaneous Effects

Sometimes, multiple players will want to use effects, such as abilities or cards, at the same time. When this happens, resolve the effects in the reverse order that they were declared in.

Persistent Effects

Some effects last multiple turns. Mark any relevant components, such as the card or tiles placed (printed "tiles places"), using cooldown tokens. For example, if a card effect lasts for four turns, place four cooldown tokens on it. During step 1 (advance cooldowns) of each turn, remove one cooldown marker from each persistent effect.

Death and Revival

If a hero's Health reaches 0, they die. Remove their figure from the board. From now on, their artifact cannot be used. Your team wins if both enemy heroes die.

While a team only has one hero, that team will draw two relic cards per turn, rather than one.

Some relic cards can revive a dead hero. When a hero revives, all of their relic cooldowns continue from where they were when the hero died, they regain their artifact card, and they heal Health as listed on the card.

Knockback

Some effects deal knockback. When you are knocked back, you are moved into the space in the opposite direction from the hero that knocked you back. Some effects will specify a different direction of knockback.

Knockback itself does not deal damage. However, you might be knocked back into a hazard (page @@) that does deal damage.

Knockback of Multiple Heroes

If you are knocked into a space with another hero, that hero is also knocked in the same direction. If there is no open space in that direction for the other hero to be knocked into, the player who knocked you back chooses another adjacent space for the other hero to be knocked into.

Corner Spaces

If you are knocked back into a board edge while in a corner space, you remain in your space. If a hero jumps onto you while you are in a corner space, that hero lands in an adjacent space of their choice that does not block movement.

Blocked Movement

Some heroes and hazards block your movement into their space, which means that you cannot move into, jump into, or jump over it.

When you would move into a blocked space, place your miniature in the closest space to it in the direction from which you moved. If that space has another hero, that hero moves to an adjacent space of their choice.

Hazards

At the start of the game, each team places one hazard, and some heroes can place hazards.

Large heroes are vulnerable. A hero miniature in multiple spaces with hazards is affected by each hazard.
Hazards are permanent. Hazards remain on the board unless an effect explicitly removes them.
Hazards cannot be stacked or moved. Unless otherwise noted, a hazard cannot be placed on a space with a hazard, and it cannot be moved.

Spiked Pillar

A pillar of rusted spikes with jagged, blood-stained blades pointing in every direction.

Immediate Damage. If this hazard blocks your movement, take 1 damage.
Blocks Movement.
Blocks Line of Sight.

Pike Trap

Sharpened wooden pikes that rip up through the muck and impale you.

Immediate Damage. If you enter this space, even by jumping, take 1 damage. If you were knocked back into this space, stop moving.
End of Turn Damage. At the end of your turn, if you are in this space, take 1 damage.

Relentless Fire

An unquenchable, raging oil fire that melts flesh off bone.

Immediate Damage. If you enter this space, take 1 damage. You can jump over this hazard to avoid its immediate damage.
End of Turn Damage. At the end of your turn, if you are in this space, take 1 damage.

Catapult

Launch yourself heroically into combat, or fling your enemies across the battlefield.

Movement. If you move yourself into this space, you may jump up to 2 spaces in any direction of your choice, back, forward, left, right, or diagonally. If you land on a friendly hero, the friendly hero takes 1 knockback. If you land on an enemy hero, the enemy takes 1 damage and 1 knockback.
Knockback. If an enemy knocked you into this space, you must jump in the direction of the enemy's choice. If you land on a friendly hero, you each take 1 damage and the friendly hero takes 1 knockback. If you land on an enemy hero, the enemy takes 1 damage and 1 knockback.

Ruined Wall

The limestone ruins of this once-great fortress.

Blocks Movement. However, you can jump over this space.
Blocks Line of Sight.

Corpse Parts

The Plague Baron can drop plague-infected body parts from his disease-consumed city-state all over the battlefield. Mind your step, lest ye wish for the Rotting Death.

Immediate Damage. If you enter this space, take 1 damage.
End of Turn Damage. At the end of your turn, if you are in this space, take 1 damage.
Forced Movement. This hazard can be knocked back.
Time Limit. This hazard is removed after four turns.

Ghost Knights

The Conjurer can summon and command the spirits of restless warriors to wreak havoc.

Knight Movement. Each Ghost Knight can move up to two spaces per turn, even the turn it was placed, and can move in any direction. (This does not require a Move action.)
Removing Knights. If an enemy enters a space with a Ghost Knight, or vice versa, the Ghost Knight deals 1 damage to the enemy, and the Ghost Knight tile is removed from the board. If a friend enters a space with a Ghost Knight, it does not deal damage and is not removed. If the Conjurer dies, remove her Ghost Knights from the board.

Gravestones

The Grave Keeper buries rivals alive and treads solemnly across their unmarked graves.

The Grave Keeper can bury enemies. If you are buried, remove your miniature from the board, place a gravestone tile on the space from which you were removed, and remove the noose tile from your player sheet, if any.

Removing Bury. During your turn, you can spend 1 movement to remove your gravestone tile and place your miniature in its space. If another hero is on the space with the gravestone, you deal 1 knockback to that hero and choose which adjacent space to knock them into.
Persistent Effect. While you are buried, you cannot spend movement to move out of your space, and you cannot use abilities. Enemies can still use abilities against you.
End of Turn Damage. At the end of your turn, if you are buried, take 1 damage.

Status Effects

Some abilities and cards cause persistent status effects, marked by tiles as described below.

Bleed

If you take bleed, place a bleed tile on your hero sheet. You can have multiple bleed.

Removing Bleed. During your turn, you can spend 1 movement to remove a bleed tile from your hero sheet.
End of Turn Damage. At the end of your turn, you take 1 damage for each bleed tile on your hero sheet.

Hanging Noose

The Executioner can hang enemies that are not buried. If you are hung, place a noose tile on your hero sheet. You cannot have multiple noose tiles.

Removing Hang. During your turn, you can spend 1 movement to remove the noose tile from your hero sheet. If you are knocked back while hung, remove the hang.
Persistent Effect. While you are hung, you cannot spend move [sic: "spend move" as printed] out of your space, and you cannot use abilities.
End of Turn Damage. At the end of your turn, while you are hung, take 1 damage.

Board Variant

The Gulthaen Mountains are the only place in the world colder than death itself. The good news is, the second you get cut, the cold air cauterizes your wounds with ice. The bad news is, spikes carved from ice, hard as steel, surround you. Best of luck felling your opponents, and keep moving so the blood doesn't freeze in your veins.

The Gulthaen Ice Pit side of the board has walls of sharpened icicle spikes surrounding the edges. It is a smaller board, with more opportunities to knock enemies into hazards at the edges.

Spaces with icicle spikes have the same rules as the Spiked Pillar hazard.

Board variant image caption: Gulthaen Ice Pit.

Alternate Rule Set: Controlled Chaos

Controlled Chaos is effectively the same as the normal game, but the players draft relic cards. During setup, do the following.

Divide the relic cards into four facedown stacks, each with four random cards of a different type: Saint's Blessings, Saint's Curse, Utility, or OP. Then, the teams alternate in choosing one relic card from a stack, and repeat this until they've exhausted the stack, then do the same for the other three stacks. Here's an example:

Let's say Team 1 wants to pick from the Saint's Blessings stack. Team 1 chooses one Saint's Blessing, then Team 2 does the same. This repeats until each team has four Saint's Blessings.

Then, the teams reverse. Team 2 chooses the next type of relic card and draw from that stack first. Team 2 chooses Saint's Curse. They follow the same process as before, with Team 2 choosing a card first.

They repeat this process with the Utility relic cards and then the OP relic cards. Finally, each team shuffles their relic deck of 16 relic cards. Return the remaining relic cards to the box.

In play, the players will draw from their team's own relic deck they've chosen. Otherwise, they play the game as normal.

If the players on a team have played all of their relic cards but the game is not yet over, they reshuffle their own deck and continue to draw from their own deck.

If the player plays a relic card that steals an enemy's relic card (like Master Thief), once the stolen card is played, it returns to the enemy's relic discard pile.

A Word of Advice

Think about which cards will benefit your heroes, which will devastate your enemies, and which would be good to keep out of your enemies' deck.

Hero Types

Each hero in Brutality has a unique personality, background, and set of abilities. By combining these heroes in different ways, players can defeat their enemys in new ways. (sic)

Tank

The God Killer
Rangoth, The Demon King*
Mary the Brutal*
Trajan, The Righteous Executioner*

These heroes have more Health and usually occupy multiple spaces, but they have no healing, do less damage, and are less mobile.

Blocked Line of Sight. The tank can still be targeted by abilities.

Blocks Movement.

Damage

Astar'al, The Assassin
The Conjurer
Sadie Ironcrest, Bloodwood Warden
Atticus, The Leviathan Hunter*

These heroes can deal great damage and are more mobile, but have no healing and less Health.

Utility

Ronan, The Grave Keeper
Viktor, The Monarch Torturer
Crowley, The Plague Baron*

These heroes often change the battlefield or affect the other heroes' positions or ability to move. They create walls, poison clouds, and traps, or move in unique ways.

* Additional hero, sold separately.

Rules Updates

For the most up-to-date rules, check out brutalityboardgame.com.