Castle Crush! Cubes & Cards Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• New Flow of Play
• Setup
• Flow of Play
• Description of Phases
  • Building
  • Attack
  • Scoring
  • Allocation
• Final Scoring
• Details of Phases
  • Building
  • Attack
  • Scoring
  • Allocation
• Treasure Cube Expansion
  • Setup
  • Placement Procedure
  • Looting Treasure
  • Abilities
  • Details
• Mini Building Expansion
  • Setup
  • Prison
    • Attack
    • Scoring
  • Stronghold
    • Attack
    • Scoring
    • Allocation
  • Details
• Family Expansion
  • Setup
  • Red Family Ability
    • Red Family Members
  • Blue Family Ability
    • Blue Family Members
  • Green Family Ability
    • Green Family Members
  • Yellow Family Ability
    • Yellow Family Members

Components

• 12 treasure cubes (4 each of crown, jewel, curse)
• 8 mini building cubes (4 each of prison, stronghold)
• 12 family cards (3 cards for each of the 4 families)
• 4 player aids
• 74 coins (30 one dollar, 30 five dollar, 10 ten dollar, 4 fifty dollar)
• 1 banner card
• 1 rulebook

New Flow of Play

Changes to the flow of play are mainly as follows:

1. The castles are no longer scored in the building phase. Instead, the castles are scored in the scoring phase.
2. Clean-up phase is renamed to Scoring phase.
3. Added an Allocation phase.
4. Simplify scoring.

Setup

1. Each player takes the following blocks based on the number of players as follows:
   • 4 player game: each player takes 1 each of the 6 kinds of blocks.
   • 3 player game: each player takes 1 each of the 6 kinds of block, plus 2 blocks of any kind/s.
   • 2 player game: each player takes 2 each of the 6 kinds of block.
2. Each player takes a player aid, a base, the King and the General of the same color.
3. Coins are used to track points. The remaining blocks and coins are placed to a side, in a supply region.
4. The youngest player gets the banner card and places it in front of him; in the attack phase or the allocation phase, the player with the banner card goes first, and play continues clock-wise.

Flow of Play

The game lasts 3 rounds. Each round includes the following phases in order:

Building → Attack → Scoring → Allocation → Next Round

Description of Phases

Building

1. Players build castles using their blocks.
2. When placing blocks, they must be placed standing upright, as shown in the figure.
3. After completing the castle, place the King on the castle, and the General on the base. The King can lie sideways.
4. Move the completed castle toward the hammer base, such that the distance between the hammer base and the castle base is substantially equal to the width of the hammer head. All players must place their castle bases consistently, as shown in the figure.

Attack

1. The player with the banner card attacks first.
2. The attacking player places the hammer at any position on the hammer base, and lets the hammer fall by itself toward an opponent castle. This counts as one attack. The attacking player may not apply force to the hammer. (As shown in the figure, hammer head and bottom.)
3. Score after each attack for every block or character touching the table after the hammer's impact.
4. Score as follows. If 1/2/3/4/5/6+ blocks are knocked down (touching the table), the player earns 1/2/4/7/12/20 points respectively. Each King that is knocked down (touching the table) is worth 5 points, and each General that is knocked down (touching the table) is worth 3 points. The player takes coins from the supply region corresponding to the points he earned.
5. When all players have each carried out an attack, proceed to the second turn of attacks.
6. In three and four player games, carry out two turns of attacks. In a two player game, carry out three turns of attacks.

Scoring

1. Each player scores his castle and characters, and takes coins from the supply region accordingly.
2. Each surviving King (not touching the table) is worth 7 points. Each surviving General is worth 5 points.
3. The castle scores for all of its blocks that are not touching the table. Counting from the castle base, each block at level 1/2/3/4/5+ is worth 1/3/6/10/16 points, respectively. Blocks that are not standing upright, regardless of which level, are worth 1 point.
   • (Figure example: 1+1+3+6 = 11 points.)
4. After all players have added up their scores, they announce their scores and the player with the fewest points gets the banner card.
5. Players take back their own characters and castles (including the base and blocks thereon). All blocks that are knocked down (touching the table) are placed into the supply region. (It is recommended that the supply region is moved to the center of the table for ease of distribution.)

Allocation

1. Compensation: starting from the player with the banner card, any player/s with fewer than 3 blocks takes blocks from the supply region until he has 3 blocks.
2. Starting from the player with the banner card, the players take turns taking one block at a time until all wooden blocks are taken. The present round concludes and the next round starts.

Final Scoring

After the scoring phase of the third round, the player with the highest score wins. In case of a tie, whoever has the highest castle wins. In case of tie, the younger player wins.

Details of Phases

Building

• Players must use all of their blocks to build.
• If a player cannot place his King onto his castle, the King can be not placed, and won't be scored in the Scoring Phase.

Attack

• When hitting one's own characters, blocks or cubes onto the table, no points are scored and no cube effect is triggered.
• One attack may hit more than one castle, all of which will be scored (provided they are not your own castle).
• After an attack, players may remove blocks that are knocked down. However, if a knocked down block has any block/s not touching the table stacked thereon, the knocked down block is not moved.

Scoring

• Any characters and blocks not touching the table are scored.

Allocation

• If a player has fewer than 3 blocks, he can choose only blocks (he cannot choose cubes from the Treasure Cube/Mini Building expansion at this point).
• In the first round, the supply region will already have some blocks left over after setup. These are also available to be selected by the players.

Treasure Cube Expansion

Includes 3 types of treasure cubes: crowns, jewels and curses. In the game, these treasure cubes are placed onto the castles during the building phase.

Setup

1. Each player takes 1 crown, 1 jewel, and 1 curse.
2. When playing for the first time, it is recommended that only crowns and curses are used.
3. In two player games, 3 crowns, 3 jewels and 2 curses are used. Each player takes 1 crown, and the rest of the cubes are randomly dealt to the two players (each having 4 cubes).

Placement Procedure

1. In the building phase, the order of placement is building the castle (with blocks), then placing the treasure cubes, and finally placing the characters.
2. A treasure cube may be stacked between two blocks, but cannot be placed directly on the base. Characters may be placed directly on a treasure cube.
3. When scoring the castle, treasure cubes do not count as blocks, are not scored themselves, do not count as a level, and do not affect scoring of other blocks in any way.

Looting Treasure

In the Attack Phase, if the attacking player knocks down a treasure cube/s, he takes the knocked down treasure cube/s and places them in front of him. Any curse cube/s are immediately resolved. In the building phase of the next round, all treasure cubes (those still on the player's castle plus those gained in the attack phase) are placed onto the player's castle.

Abilities

• Crown: at the end of an attack phase, if any player has 3 or more crowns (counting those on his castle and those he gained in the attack phase), he wins immediately.
• Jewel: in a scoring phase, players exchange jewels for points. For 1/2/3/4 jewel/s, the player may score 2/5/10/16 points. Exchanged jewels are placed into the supply region and available for selection in the Allocation Phase.
• Curse: in an attack phase, if the attacking player knocks down a curse cube, the defending player may gain 3 points from the attacking player; in a scoring phase, if a player has 3/4+ curses, he can trade curse for points with another player, who must accept the trade. For 3/4 curses, 5/7 points are traded.

Details

1. The abilities of the curses are carried out after scoring for attacks.
2. If a treasure cube has a block not touching the table stacked thereon, the attacking player cannot loot (gain) this treasure, but the effect of the curse is still carried out.
3. The order for scoring in the Scoring Phase is as follows:
   • a. Score for characters and castle.
   • b. Decide whether to use curse.
   • c. Decide whether to exchange jewels.
   • d. Announce points the player currently has.
   • e. The player with the fewest points takes the banner card.

Mini Building Expansion

Two mini buildings are included: prison and stronghold. In the game, mini building cubes are placed in players' personal supply, and placed onto the field (table/playing area) at the appropriate times.

Setup

1. Each player takes 1 prison and 1 stronghold.
2. Each player takes a disc of the same color as his character, placing it in front of him for identification purposes.

Prison

Attack

1. When knocking down an opponent King, if the player has a prison cube, he scores for knocking down the King and may also place said King onto the prison.
2. The prison holding the imprisoned King must be placed connected to one of the four corners of the castle base (as shown in the figure).
3. If a player knocks down his King who has been imprisoned by another player, he immediately places his King back onto his castle and gains said prison cube.
4. If a player knocks down another player's King who has been imprisoned, he immediately places said King with said prison cube connected to one of the four corners of his castle base.
5. Each prison cube can hold at most one King.

Scoring

1. For imprisoning each King of another player, score 5 points and return said King/s to their player/s.
2. Each player takes back his prison cubes (if he has any) back into his personal supply.

Stronghold

Attack

1. Players may place 1 stronghold on the field (table), and place the hammer thereon instead of the hammer base when attacking.
2. Instead of attacking from the hammer base, the player may also choose one of the following three methods to attack:
   • Place a stronghold onto the field (table), and place the hammer thereon to attack.
   • Use an unoccupied stronghold (already on the field) to attack.
   • Use a stronghold occupied by his own General to attack.
3. Strongholds are to be placed such that the distance between it and the hammer base is equal to one hammer head (as shown in the figure). Use the hammer head to measure the distance.
4. After attacking from a stronghold, if the General of the attacking player is not knocked down, he may place his General onto the just-used stronghold, occupying said stronghold.

Scoring

If the General is on any stronghold, the player scores points for his General and takes the stronghold cube.

Allocation

Unoccupied strongholds are placed into the supply region available for players to select.

Details

Prison

If a knocked down King has any block/s not touching the table thereon, the attacking player scores for knocking down said King but cannot imprison him.

Stronghold

Strongholds may not be placed on other players' castle bases, or on blocks.

Family Expansion

In the Family Expansion, each color represents a different kingdom. Each kingdom has 3 different family members each having two abilities. One ability is a family ability, and the other ability is a family member ability, executed in specific phases.

Setup

1. Each player chooses a kingdom and takes the 3 corresponding family members.
2. At the start of each round, each player chooses one of his 3 family members in secret and reveals simultaneously (except for the blue kingdom). Each player gains abilities of his family member for the round.

Red Family Ability

In the scoring phase, do no score castle, and only score characters.

Red Family Members

• Henry "Destroyer": In the attack phase, each knocked down block is worth an extra 2 points.
• Williams "Raider": In the attack phase, attack an extra time for each turn of attack, and score each attack separately.
• George "Hammer": In the attack phase, for one of the attacks, if 1 character is knocked down, gain an extra 4 points, and if 2 or more characters are knocked down, gain an extra 10 points; in two player games, the respective extra points are adjusted to 5/12.

Blue Family Ability

In the scoring phase, each roof block owned by you is worth an extra 3 points. The family member card is revealed in the scoring phase.

Blue Family Members

• Joseph "Builder": In the scoring phase, each window (of blocks on your castle base) facing the hammer base is worth an extra 2 points.
• Louis "Tower": In the scoring phase, if you have the highest castle, earn an extra 10 points.
• Charles "Mountain": In the scoring phase, if you own 5 blocks (on his castle base, not touching the table), earn an extra 10 points.

Green Family Ability

In the scoring phase, if the player has fewer points than 1/2/3 other players, earn an extra 2/5/9 points.

Green Family Members

• Robert "Rat": Before the building phase, hand your King to an opponent who must place said King onto his castle. In the attack phase, if your King is knocked down, said opponent loses 7 points, and if your King is still on said opponent's castle, you cannot attack him. In the scoring phase, if your King has not been knocked down, said opponent scores 5 points, and you score 7 points for the King.
• Craig "Crow": In the building phase, place your General anywhere on the hammer base. In the attack phase, if a player knocks down your General, he loses 5 points. In the scoring phase, if your General has not been knocked down, all other players earn 3 points each, and you earn 5 points.
• Michael "Mole": In the attack phase, if your King or General is knocked down, immediately place the King/General onto the block (including knocked down ones) or base closest to the King/General. This ability may be used at most once per round, and only immediately after one of your characters has been knocked down. If the King/General has not been knocked down again, you can score the King/General in the scoring phase.

Yellow Family Ability

In the allocation phase, take an extra block when taking a block.

Yellow Family Members

• Karl "Alchemist": In the attack phase, after being attacked, you take 2 knocked down blocks on the field (table) and build a sub-castle at one side of the castle.
  • Sub-castles may be expanded by placing new blocks onto an existing sub-castle without moving existing blocks in the sub-castle.
  • An attacking player does not score for attacking the sub-castle.
  • In the scoring phase, you score your sub-castle (in the same manner as your castle).
  • Remove the sub-castle after scoring.
• Franz "Grimoire": In the attack phase, after being attacked, you may take a block that is knocked down and place it onto your castle (castle includes castle base and any blocks thereon).
• Leopold "Wizard": In the attack phase, after being attacked, if the attacking player knocked down 1 or fewer blocks, you take 1 block from the attacking player's castle and place it onto your own castle.
  • The stolen block cannot affect other blocks from the castle it is taken from, and treasure cubes cannot be stolen by this ability.