Darkest Doom Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Content
• Setup
  • Game Board
  • Player Board
  • Character's Stats
  • Mana Petals
  • Harm
  • Action Points
  • Special Ability
• Gameplay
• Dawn Phase
  • First Round
  • Following Rounds
• Game Actions
  • Movement
  • Quests
  • Battle
  • Zone Activation
  • Removing a Dark Pool
  • Playing Citadel Supplies Cards
  • Creature Movement
  • Completing an Order Achievement
• Darkest Doom Track
  • Darkest Doom Track icons
• Order of the Actions in a Zone
• Nightfall Phase
  • 1. Restore Mana Petals
  • 2. Draw Order Achievement Cards
  • 3. Darkest Doom Turn
    • Darkest Doom Map Event Card
    • Darkest Doom Event Card
    • Generation Symbols
    • Attacking a Citadel or Blood Temple
    • Attacking a Guardian
    • Dark Contamination Cards
  • 4. Player Turns
  • 5. Determine the Play Order
• Victory Conditions and End of the Game
  • The New High Priest of Betel
  • Free the Shadow Shaman, Mosh
  • Purify the High Priestess
  • Become the Leader of the Hunt
  • Losing The Game
• Map of Betel
  • Zone Actions
• Quests for Betel
  • Performing a Quest
• Relics
  • Sigil's Stone
  • Spirits' Lantern
  • Elders' Urn
• Coins of Destiny
• Battle
  • Fighting Other Players
  • Fighting Creatures
    • Creature Attack Card
  • Fighting the Darkness Inside the Priestess
• Death of a Guardian
• Crimsonfate Power
• Citadel Supplies Cards
  • Categories
    • Equipment
    • Encounter
    • Trap
    • Spell
• Fame & Citadels
  • Daily Fame
    • Daily Fame Points
  • Citadel Alliance
  • Citadel Alliance & Acolyte
• Bot Guardians Mode
  • Setup Bot Guardians Board
  • Bot Guardians' Turn
  • Wanted by the Order Card
  • Bot Guardians' Actions
    • Bot Guardian Card
    • Actions and Order of Activation
  • Targeting a Bot Guardian
  • Death of a Bot Guardian
• Tips and Strategy
  • Guardian Stats and Special Ability
  • Crimsonfate
  • Citadel Supplies
  • Order Achievements
  • Elders' Relics
  • Victory Conditions
• Game Icons

Game Content

• 1 Winter Mountain
• 4 Guardians
• 1 High Priestess
• 6 Lightless
• 1 Lake Spectre
• 4 Citadels
• 12 Citadel Domes
• 4 Blood Temples
• 4 Acolytes
• 12 White Moths
• 24 Dark Filaments
• 1 Dark Filament Game Round Marker
• Citadel Supplies cards: 40 Spell cards, 40 Equipment cards, 40 Trap cards, 40 Encounter cards
• 50 Quest cards
• 40 Dark Contamination cards
• 13 Darkest Doom Event cards
• 9 Darkest Doom Event Map cards
• 60 Creature Attack cards
• 1 Lake Spectre card
• 40 Order Achievements cards
• 32 Bot Guardians cards
• 30 Wanted by the Order cards
• 4 Betel Zone Effect cards
• 4 Game Phases Aid cards
• 1 Game Board
• 4 Player Boards
• 4 Guardian Sheets
• 1 Bot Guardians' Board
• 12 Citadel Alliance markers

Setup

Game Board

1. Place the Game Board on the table.
2. Place the Winter Mountain mini in the middle of the game board, facing either left or right at the Players' discretion. Place the High Priestess mini on top of the mountain.
3. Place the 4 Citadels and 4 Blood Temples in the matching Zones on the board.
4. Place 1 Heart of the High Priestess token on each Nightfall Phase space on the Game Rounds track.
5. Place 8 Creature Target tokens inside the Creature Bag, then place the Bag next to the Game Board.
6. Place the Round marker next to the first Heart of the Priestess token, above the number for the first day.
7. Place the Darkest Doom track marker at the center of the Darkest Doom Activation track.
8. Shuffle the Dark Contaminations, Quests and Order Achievements decks and place them face up next to the game board.
9. Place the Darkest Doom Event Map cards deck next to the Game Board.
10. Remove the 5 cards with the Echo of the Darkness icon from the Darkest Doom Event cards - these cards will be shuffled into the deck later. Place the Event cards deck next to the Game Board.
11. Shuffle the Creature Attack deck and place it up-right inside the cardholder inside the Winter Mountain mini.
12. Shuffle the four different Citadel Supplies decks separately and place them face-up next to the Game Board.
13. If in play, shuffle the Bot Guardians and Wanted by the Order decks and place it face down next to the Bot Guardians board.
14. Place all Coin of Destiny tokens, Relic tokens, Dark Pool tokens and Dark Filament miniatures next to the Game Board.
15. Place 1 marker for each Player color on space 0 of the Daily Fame track.
16. Place 1 Play Order marker for each Player color next to the Play Order track (the order of play will be determined at the start of the game).

Player Board

Players may choose a Guardian Sheet or draw one at random, and the same goes for the starting Zone where one of the 4 Blood Temples of the Guardians is located. Once this step is done, do as follows:

1. Place the Guardian Sheet in the matching space on the Player Board and take the corresponding mini.
2. Take the base for the Guardian's mini in the chosen starting Zone's color.
3. Take 3 Coin of Destiny, 2 Trap tokens and the Quest Objective token in the chosen starting Zone's color and place them on the Player Board.
4. Draw a Quest card and place it here, face down.
5. Place the Betel Zone Effects card here.
6. Order Achievements cards will be placed here during the game.
7. Played Equipment cards will be placed here during play. (7b: Decay markers)
8. Any Acolytes or White Moths gained during the game will be placed here.
9. Take the 3 Citadel Domes in the chosen starting Zone color and place them here.
10. Place 1 Mana Petal marker on the mana vial on the value matching your Witchcraft stat.
11. Place 1 Harm marker on the harm vial on the value matching your Health stat.
12. Place the 7 clear plastic markers as follows:
    • a. Place 4 markers on the Stat spaces, as indicated by the Stat values listed on the Guardian Sheet.
    • b. Place 1 marker on one of the 4 Stat icons. The chosen Stat will be increased when the current Quest is completed.
    • c. Place 1 marker on one of the 3 Relic Search spaces. The chosen Relic will be acquired when the current Quest is completed.
    • d. Place 1 marker on space 0 of the Action Points track.

Character's Stats

The four values for the character's Stats - which can be increased by completing Quests - are:

• Melee: This Stat represents the character's combat abilities and physical prowess. It increases the number of Crimsonfate Dice rolled in battle (1 die for each Stat point).
• Witchcraft: This Stat determines the character's Mana Petal supply and their magic defense (roll a die for every Stat point when targeted by a Spell that inflicts Harm).
• Wisdom: Increases the hand limit. At the start of each Dawn Phase, the Player draws 1 card for each point in this Stat.
• Health: Determines the character's Harm supply. Each point in this Stat increases the supply of Harm for the Guardian. Note: Increasing this Stat does not increase the value of Harm currently in the Guardian's supply, but it allows Players to increase the total Harm they can reach when they play cards or use abilities or when characters are reborn in the Blood Temple.

Mana Petals

Mana Petals are used to cast Spells. They are replenished at the start of each Nightfall Phase or by being reborn at the Blood Temple.

Harm

This supply represents the character's Health. It is replenished through the abilities of some Zones on the map, the effects of some cards, or by being reborn at the Blood Temple. When the Harm supply runs out, the character is considered Dead (see Death of a Guardian).

Action Points

These are spent taking movement actions, playing cards, or activating specific actions. Action Points are restored at the start of every Phase.

Special Ability

Each character has a special ability, indicated on the Guardian character sheet. The Guardian Sheets show:

• Black Feathers: Every time you would suffer 1 Harm, you can pay 2 Mana Petals to suffer one less Harm.
• Blood Step: Suffer 1 Harm, restore 1 Action Point. You can use this power once per Active Game Phase.
• Magic Trick: If you have at least one card in your hand, discard your hand of cards: gain 2 Coins of Destiny.
• Amplified Senses: Roll -1 dice in battle to gain: Sword, Sword (two Sword results).

Gameplay

The game consists of 8 consecutive Rounds, representing days going by in Betel. Each Round is divided into two Phases: Dawn and Nightfall. The game ends when one of the four victory conditions is reached. For more details on Victory Conditions, see Victory Conditions and End of the Game.

Rounds and phases example: 5th Round Dawn Phase, 5th Round Nightfall Phase, 6th Round Dawn Phase.

Dawn Phase

First Round

Resolve the following steps in order:

1. Determine the Play Order. During the first Round's Dawn Phase, Players roll the Fate Die and determine the Play Order. In case of a tie, reroll the die.
2. Coin of Destiny. Each Player receives 3 Coins of Destiny.
3. Draw the Citadel Supplies cards and the Quest card. In playing order, every Player draws a number of cards equal to their Wisdom Stat from the Citadel Supplies decks (Equipment / Trap / Spell / Encounter), as well as 1 Quest Card if they don't have one already.
4. Player Turns. Starting from the First Player and following the Play Order, every Player takes their turn. Actions can be free or cost Action Points, and they can be taken in any order. For a complete list of the available actions, see Game Actions. Once all Players have completed their turn, play moves to the Nightfall Phase. Remember: Action Points are restored at the start of every game Phase (Dawn and Nightfall).

Following Rounds

Resolve the following steps in order:

1. Determine the Play Order. The Play Order is determined by the Daily Fame track. In case of a tie, if two or more Players have the same amount of Daily Fame points, the Player with the highest Citadel Alliance Fame score wins. If there's still a tie, Play Order is determined by rolling the Fate Die.
2. Draw the Citadel Supplies cards and the Quest card. This step is the same as during the First Round.
3. Player Turns. This step is the same as during the first Round.

Game Actions

Movement

Players can spend Action Points to move to adjacent Zones. Each Point spent gives 1 movement action.

Quests

Quests are used to increase a Guardian's Stats and gain Relics. For more details on Quests, see Quests for Betel.

Battle

When two minis are in the same Zone, they must battle each other. The Adjacent Attack ability - the Lightless's special skill - is used to Battle from a Zone adjacent to the target's own. For more information on Battles, see Battle.

Zone Activation

Different actions can be activated in each Zone. Some activate automatically when a Guardian passes through the Zone, while others require payment or some pre-requisite. For more information on Zones and the corresponding actions, see Map of Betel.

Removing a Dark Pool

When players enter a Zone with a Dark Pool, they must:

1. Draw a Dark Contamination card and check out the symbols on the card (only taking into consideration the symbols related to the Ambush Check (Level 3 / Level 4 / Level 5) difficulty level shown on the Game Round track) from left to right.
2. Roll a number of Crimsonfate Dice equal to the difficulty level shown on the Game Round track (3/4/5) +1 die.
3. Check the symbols against the series of symbols on the Dark Contamination card.

The check is successful if the symbols on the card and the symbols on the dice match. Players may modify the dice results through the Crimsonfate Power (for more information, see Crimsonfate Power).

If the check is passed, the Player gains Daily Fame equal to the check's difficulty level and removes the Dark Pool from the board. If the check is failed, the player flips the Dark Pool token and activates the effect shown on the back.

• Check passed: Gain Daily Fame equal to the check's difficulty level (3/4/5).
• Check failed: Draw 1 Dark Contamination card (see Dark Contamination Cards).

Dark Pool Removal Example: If a Player enters a Zone with a Dark Pool and the Ambush Check difficulty level is 3, they must draw a Dark Contamination card, roll 3 Crimsonfate Dice + 1 die and match the first 3 symbols of the series starting from the left. If the player passes the check they gain 3 Daily Fame points. If the check is failed, the player flips the Dark Pool token and resolves its effect.

Playing Citadel Supplies Cards

In order to play Citadel Supplies cards Players must have the resources indicated on the card itself. For more information, see Citadel Supplies Cards.

Creature Movement

Move the closest Creature with a Creature Attack token up to 3 Zones towards their target.

Completing an Order Achievement

Whenever Players satisfy the requirements of an Order Achievement card, they declare it and gain the matching rewards. The Order Achievement card is then placed into the corresponding deck's discard pile; if there is no discard pile yet, the Player creates one. It's possible to complete both rewards of the Card one after the other.

At the start of each new Nightfall phase Players draw Order Achievement cards until they have 2 in their hand. Alternatively, Players may exchange the Order Achievement cards in their player board for two new ones.

Darkest Doom Track

The marker placed in the center of the track moves in clockwise order starting from the first icon, marked with number 1, every time Players get a Moon result on a Crimsonfate Die, determining which effect will activate.

The marker moves a number of spaces equal to the number of Moon results, and the effect given by its final location activates. When 2 Players roll dice at the same time (for example, during a Battle) and both get Moon results, the attacking Player's results are resolved first.

Example: 3 rolled Moon results move the Darkest Doom Track marker 3 spaces on the track.

Note: Moon results always activate the Darkest Doom track, even if they're modified through the Crimsonfate Power. Moon results gained by changing the dice through the Crimsonfate Power do not activate the Darkest Doom track (see Crimsonfate Power).

Darkest Doom Track icons

• (Dark Filament icon): All Citadels and Blood Temples adjacent to a Dark Pool receive 1 Dark Filament. Remove all Dark Pools that activated in this way.
• (Lightless Evolution icon): The Lightless closest to the Player who rolled the dice Evolves to the next iteration, if possible.
• (Three icons, each a pair of Crimsonfate Die faces separated by a slash; per the rulebook's icon legend these are High Priestess/Moon, Nightfall/Dawn and Sword/Shield): The Crimsonfate Dice results may be changed to one of the 2 available icons without having to discard a card.

Order of the Actions in a Zone

If multiple actions activate automatically, resolve them in the following order:

1. Battle
2. Dark Pool
3. Trap
4. Zone Automatic Action (any other actions)

Nightfall Phase

Resolve the following steps in order:

1. Restore Mana Petals
2. Draw Order Achievement cards
3. Darkest Doom Turn
4. Player Turns
5. Determine the Play Order
6. New Dawn Phase

1. Restore Mana Petals

All Players restore their Mana Petal supply.

2. Draw Order Achievement Cards

• a. First Game Turn: draw 2 Order Achievement cards and place them on your Player Board.
• b. Following Turns: Draw Order Achievement cards until you have 2 and place them on your Player board. Alternatively, Players may exchange the Order Achievement cards in their player board for two new ones.

3. Darkest Doom Turn

a. Remove the Heart of the High Priestess token. After removing the token, add it to the Creature Target Bag.

b. Darkest Doom Event card and Darkest Doom Map Event card. Draw 1 Darkest Doom Event card and 1 Darkest Doom Map Event card at the start of each Darkest Doom turn in the Nightfall phase and place them next to the Game Board, following these steps:

• Generation Symbols: Read the symbols beneath the card's name and generate the corresponding effect on the board, checking its correct positioning on the Map Event card.
• Darkest Doom Event Effect: Resolve the effect shown on the Event card by taking into account the generation of Creatures or Dark Pools as indicated by the new Darkest Doom Map Event card. The resolved Event card is discarded during the next turn, when a new Darkest Doom Event card is drawn.

Darkest Doom Map Event Card

• Dark Pools Location: This symbol indicates where Dark Pools are generated.
• Creatures Location: This symbol indicates where Creatures are generated.

Darkest Doom Event Card

1. Card Name
2. Generation Symbol: This symbol indicates what type of Generation activates. If there are multiple symbols, resolve them starting from the first one on the left.
3. Card Effect: Resolve the effect shown on the Event card.

Generation Symbols

• Dawn Eclipse. See Darkest Doom Track icons.
• Generate Dark Pools. Remove any Dark Pools already on the board and place 6 new Dark Pools in the Zones marked with the corresponding icon on the Map Event card.
• Generate Creatures. When generating Creatures in the Zones marked with the corresponding icon, always place Lightless Beaters (Basic Creature). At any time, there can only be a maximum of 3 Creatures on the board - regardless of evolutions and number of Players. If less than 3 Creatures are already on the board, the First Player chooses the Zones where new Creatures are generated.
• Echo of the Darkness. The icon on the Game Board next to the fifth Round indicates that starting from here and during the Nightfall Phase, all Darkest Doom Event cards set aside during setup must be shuffled into the Event deck. Echo of the Darkness also increases the Creatures' strength, for more details see Fighting Creatures.
• Generate Dark Filaments in Citadels. Place 1 Dark Filament token in the Citadel matching the icon's color (green - purple - orange - grey). Each Citadel can have a maximum of 3 Dark Filaments: in this case, the Citadel is considered Contaminated, and entering it costs 2 Action Points instead of 1.
• Generate Dark Filaments in Blood Temples. Place 1 Dark Filament token in the Blood Temple matching the icon's color (green - purple - orange - grey). Each Blood Temple can have a maximum of 3 Dark Filaments: in this case, the Blood Temple is considered Contaminated. Characters being reborn in a Contaminated Blood Temple only restore 1 Harm. Mana Petals are still fully restored.

c. Creature Activation. Draw a Creature Target token from the Creature Target Bag and place it next to each Lightless on the board, until every Creature has a Target token.

If a Heart of the High Priestess token is drawn, the Creature evolves, if possible. Creatures only evolve if minis of the next iteration are available.

After placing the Target tokens, move the Lightless one by one. They can move up to 3 Zones towards the Target indicated by the icon on their Creature Target token (Temple, Citadel or Guardian, in a specific starting zone color). Each Creature Target token may show from 1 to 3 different Targets, each marked with a number indicating its priority order in case one or more targets are unavailable.

(Example tokens: Heart of the High Priestess; Orange Blood Temple; Gray Guardian; Purple Citadel.)

When moving towards their target, Creatures ignore obstacles and take the shortest route possible by using Entries to the Black Lodge.

Creatures cannot end their Movement in a Zone occupied by other minis; if they would end their movement on a Zone occupied by another mini, the Lightless engages in battle with the Guardian occupying the Zone, even if they're not the target. If the Zone is occupied by another Creature, however, the Lightless moves one Zone over towards their target.

Attacking a Citadel or Blood Temple

The Creature inflicts Dark Filaments on the target depending on its evolution level:

• Lightless Beater: inflicts 1 Dark Filament
• Lightless Hunter: inflicts 2 Dark Filaments
• Lightless Leader of the Hunt: inflicts 3 Dark Filaments

If the targeted Citadel or Blood Temples are fully Contaminated or are already engaged by another Creature, the Lightless will use the second Creature Target shown beneath the first on the token; if this target is also unavailable, the Lightless will use the third target shown, if present. (Example: 1st Target: Green Blood Temple; 2nd Target: Green Guardian; 3rd Target: Green Citadel.)

If none of the targets are available, the Lightless will move toward the nearest Citadel or Blood Temple and attack it.

If there are multiple possible targets at equal distance from the Creature, the Citadel or Blood Temple with the most Dark Filaments takes precedence (Ex: if a Creature could attack either a Citadel with 1 Dark Filament or one with 2 Dark Filaments, it will attack the one with 2 Filaments).

If the Creature does not reach its target, the token remains active until the next Nightfall Phase. Any Creature Target tokens still in play are removed during the next Nightfall Phase and new ones are drawn from the Creature Targets Bag.

If the Creature engages the target, remove from play the Creature Target token at the end of the attack.

If the Bag is empty, the Creature will move towards the closest target available (Citadel or Blood Temple). As mentioned earlier, if there are multiple possible targets at equal distance from the Creature, the Citadel or Blood Temple with the most Dark Filaments takes precedence.

After their movement, if any Creatures reached their targets, they attack. Unlike Guardians, Creatures do not have to be in the same Zone as their target to attack because they can use their Adjacent Attack ability. This allows them to attack from a Zone adjacent to their target. If they do not use all their movement actions to reach their target, the unused actions are lost.

Attacking a Guardian

When a Creature ends its Movement adjacent to a Guardian, they engage in battle. For more information on Battles, see Battle.

Dark Contamination Cards

Dark Contamination cards are received in different ways:

• Through the effects or abilities of cards
• As a cost for some Citadel Supplies cards; this is the only resource gained and not spent to play a Citadel Supplies card.

When Players receive a Dark Contamination, they must draw the first card from the corresponding deck and add it to their hand.

Dark Contamination cards cannot be discarded unless an effect or ability specifies it. Dark Contamination cards count towards a Player's hand limit.

There is a special card in the Dark Contamination deck: the Leader of the Hunt. This card follows all the rules described above but also has unique abilities. The colored bases allow to recognize the player using the Leader of the Hunt.

This card allows the Player to be absorbed by a Creature. To do so, the Leader of the Hunt card must be revealed after defeating the corresponding Creature. The Player then gets absorbed: they remove all their Daily Fame and Citadel Alliance points, along with their Character sheet, and continue to play using the Creature rules with the following exceptions:

• At the start of each Nightfall Phase, they draw a Dark Contamination card; their hand limit is still tied to the Wisdom Stat of the absorbed Guardian.
• They do not use Creature Target tokens to move. Instead, the Player chooses which target to move towards and attack, always moving 3 Zones (except for movement triggered by Darkest Doom Event cards effects).
• They can use the bonus power shown on the Leader of the Hunt card.
• If the Player dies while absorbed, they cannot be reborn and effectively leave the game.

4. Player Turns

Players complete their Actions as done during the Dawn Phase.

5. Determine the Play Order

Determine the playing order based on the Daily Fame track. In case of a tie, if two or more Players have the same Daily Fame score, the Player with the highest Citadel Alliance score wins. If there's still a tie, Play Order is determined by rolling the Fate Die. All Players then reset their score on the Daily Fame track, accounting for any effects that may modify it.

Players start their Dawn Phase with -1 Daily Fame points for each White Moth on the Player board.

6. New Dawn Phase

A new Dawn Phase begins.

Victory Conditions and End of the Game

Darkest Doom offers four different Victory Conditions. Each Player can choose to change their strategy during play. The first Player to reach one of the Victory Conditions wins and ends the game.

The New High Priest of Betel

You're the Chosen One! End the 8 Days (corresponding to 8 Rounds of play) with the highest Fame score (Daily Fame points + Citadel Alliance points). In case of a tie, the Guardian with the most Coins of Destiny is the winner. If Players are still tied, the Player with the least Dark Contamination cards in their hand is the winner.

Free the Shadow Shaman, Mosh

After gathering 3 Sigil's Stones, go to the Monolith Zone and pass an Ambush Check at the difficulty level currently shown by the Rounds track. If you fail the check, suffer 1 Harm for each non-matching icon and lose all Sigil Stones relics. If the Player is still alive, they move to the adjacent Zone, Path to the Winter Mountain. If you pass the check, you free Mosh from his exile: he regains his power and defeats the Dark forces contaminating the Moon and destroying Betel.

Purify the High Priestess

You choose to save the High Priestess of Betel by breaking her curse, reaching her on Winter Mountain and battling the Darkness that engulfs her. If you win the battle and survive, you save the High Priestess and become Knight of the Guardians. For more information on the battle against the High Priestess, see Fighting the Darkness Inside the Priestess. If the Player loses the battle but survives, they move to the adjacent zone, Path to the Winter Mountain.

Become the Leader of the Hunt

The Player absorbed by the Leader of the Hunt wins the game alongside the Darkness. See the next paragraph, "Losing the Game", for the corresponding Victory Conditions.

Losing The Game

The Darkness has until the eighth Round to fully contaminate Betel and bring it to ruin. When all the Citadels and Blood Temples have 3 Dark Filaments each, the game ends regardless of the Phase: the Darkness succeeded in destroying Betel.

Map of Betel

The center part of the board represents a map of Betel. Each Zone is a section of the region, from mountains to plains, all the way to the Path to the Winter Mountain. Different types of Zones are marked with different symbols that represent the actions - automatically activated or activated with Action Points - Players can take there.

Zone Actions

• Blood Temple. Activation with Acolytes: during the Dawn Phase, remove as many Dark Contamination cards from your hand or gain as many Fame Points as the number of Acolytes you have.
• Citadel. Activation with 1 Coin of Destiny: move 2 Zones +1 Zone for each Allied Citadel you have (you can never end your movement in a Citadel Zone).
• Path to the Winter Mountain. Automatic Activation: Trap tokens can never be placed here.
• Forest. Activation with 2 Mana Petals: discard 2 cards from your hand and draw 2 cards from a Citadel Supplies deck (Equipment / Trap / Spell / Encounter).
• Entry to the Black Lodge. Activation with 1 Action Point: you may move to another Entry to the Black Lodge.
• Lake. Activation with Spirits' Lantern: summon the Lake Spectre.
• Plain. No Effect.
• Mountain. No Effect.

Quests for Betel

During their battle against the Darkness, Players can complete Quests on behalf of Perceval, Vicar of the Citadels.

At the start of each Dawn Phase, when drawing cards, every Player also draws a Quest card if they do not have any. When they draw a new Quest card, Players must place markers on their Character Sheet to determine:

• the Stat they wish to increase (Melee / Health / Witchcraft / Wisdom);
• the Relic they are searching for (Sigil's Stone / Spirits' Lantern / Elders' Urn).

Note: When drawing a new Quest card, Players must choose a Stat and Relic different from those selected for the previous Quest card.

Players may choose to Declare their Quest at any time during their turn as long as they are at least 3 Zones away from the Quest's zone; if they do, place the Quest token on the zone shown on the Quest card.

Performing a Quest

When Players reach the Zone shown on the Quest card, they may complete the Quest.

Quest completion order:

1. Player gains 1 Daily Fame point if the Quest wasn't Declared, or 3 Daily Fame points if the Quest was Declared.
2. Increase the chosen Stat by 1 point.
3. Perform the check to search for the chosen Relic: roll the Fate Die and check the result against the value shown on the Quest card. Ex: If the Quest card says +5, in order to pass the check the result must be a 5 or higher. The result on the Fate Die may be modified using Coins of Destiny: for each coin spent, increase or lower the result by 1.
4. Discard the completed Quest card.

Relics

Each Guardian may carry up to 3 Relics at any time.

Sigil's Stone

This Relic is used to open the Sigil in the Monolith and free Mosh. To break the Sigil, a Player must have 3 Stones and pass an Ambush Check at the difficulty level currently shown by the Rounds track.

Spirits' Lantern

This Relic is used to summon the Lake Spectre, when in a Lake Zone. Each Lantern used to summon the Spectre increases its Stats (Attack and Defense) by 1 point.

When using the Spectre, the corresponding card must be placed in one of the two equipment slots on the Player Board; the Lake Spectre card lists the rules for using it.

If a Player dies as the Lake Spectre, they lose control of it. The Lake Spectre may then be summoned again by any Player.

The Lake Spectre is considered an Equipment card, so it may be removed at any time by the Player. If the Lake Spectre is removed voluntarily or due to the Player dying, the Spirits' Lanterns that were used to summon it are removed as well.

The colored bases allow to recognize the player using the Lake Spectre (remove the Guardian's base and insert the colored base).

Elders' Urn

This Relic is used as a resource to play special cards from the Citadel Supplies deck.

Coins of Destiny

These tokens are counted at the end of the game to decree the winner in case of a tie.

Each Guardian may carry up to 5 Coins of Destiny at any time.

Coins of Destiny have two uses, like their two different sides:

• Tails: Each Coin of Destiny spent allows the Player to modify the result of the Fate Die by +1/-1. Examples: a 3 +2 Coins = 5; 3 -2 Coins = 1; 7 +2 Coins = 9; 7 -2 Coins = 5.
• Heads: Coins of Destiny can be used as resources to play cards or activate abilities.

Battle

Fighting Other Players

When a Player enters a Zone occupied by another Player, they must engage in battle. Note: Some abilities or special abilities from characters and cards may modify the range of battle.

Before rolling the Crimsonfate Dice, Players may play Spell cards. The Player who initiated the Battle goes first, and they alternate until both Players pass and move on to rolling the dice.

Players roll a number of Crimsonfate Dice equal to their Melee Stat and compare the results. The difference between successful and blocked hits determines the number of Harm dealt.

Crimsonfate Dice Results:

• Shield: One hit is Parried.
• Sword: The target is Hit.
• High Priestess: The target is Hit.
• Dawn: If in Dawn Phase the target is Hit.
• Nightfall: If in Nightfall Phase the target is Hit.
• Moon: The marker on the Darkest Doom track moves (even if the result gets modified through the Crimsonfate Power).

Players may play Spell cards even after rolling the Crimsonfate Dice, following the initiative order given by the Witchcraft Stat and alternating.

Players update the total Harm in the supply on their Character Sheet based on the hits they have received.

If no one dies at the end of a fight and the minis were in the same Zone, whoever was attacked moves to an unoccupied adjacent Zone (the attacking Player can move the opponent to an unoccupied adjacent Zone; if no such Zones are available, the Player is moved to a Zone with tokens but these tokens won't activate).

If a character dies, place the corresponding mini in their Blood Temple and follow the rules detailed in the Death of a Guardian section.

If a Player wins the battle by killing their opponent, they gain 3 Daily Fame points.

Players Fight Example:

• Roana attacks Urian.
• Roana plays the Reaper spell, gaining Sword, Sword, Shield.
• Roana rolls 3 dice (since her Melee stat is 3) and gains: Shield, Sword, Dawn.
• Urian rolls 5 dice (since his Melee stat is 5) and gains: Dawn, Shield, Moon, High Priestess, Moon (the marker on the Darkest Doom track moves forward 2 spaces and the effect activates immediately).
• The game phase is Dawn. Dawn = Hit.
• Roana performs 4 hits and 2 parries.
• Urian performs 2 hits and 1 parry.
• Urian suffers 3 Harm.

Fighting Creatures

Unlike Players, the Lightless don't roll dice in Battle - they use a specific deck of cards instead, called the Creature Attack deck. Before the battle, draw a card from the Creature Attack deck to determine the Lightless' Stats.

The battle follows the same rules as a battle between Players, with 2 exceptions:

1. Playing Spell cards doesn't require initiative order; however, the Creature Ability Echo of the Darkness (detailed on the Creature Attack card) always takes precedence at the start of a battle.
2. If a battle ends with no deaths and the Creature is attacked again, the Harm it suffered during the previous battle does not count and a new Creature Attack card must be drawn.

• If no one dies at the end of a fight, and the minis were in the same Zone, whoever was attacked moves to an unoccupied adjacent Zone (as detailed earlier in Fighting Other Players).
• If a Player was attacked, they move 1 Zone towards their Blood Temple.
• If a Creature was attacked, they are moved to an unoccupied adjacent Zone chosen by the attacking Player.

REMEMBER: If the Battle happened through the Adjacent Attack ability (meaning the Creature was not in the same Zone as the Player), the Creature can't be moved.

• If a character dies, place the corresponding mini in their Blood Temple and follow the rules detailed in the Death of a Guardian section.
• When a Creature is killed, the Player gains the amount of Daily Fame points shown on the Creature Attack card. The Creature's mini is then removed from the game board.

Creature Fight Example:

• Roana is attacked by a Beater using its Adjacent Attack ability.
• The Beater deals 2 attacks and has 2 Harm.
• Roana rolls 2 dice (since her Melee stat is 2) and gains: Hit, Moon (the marker on the Darkest Doom track moves forward 1 space and the effect activates immediately).
• Roana plays the Black Feathers spell, gaining Hit, Shield.
• Roana wins the fight with a total of 2 Hits and 1 Shield, killing the Beater and suffering 1 Harm.
• Roana gains the Daily Fame points shown on the Creature Attack card.

Creature Attack Card

• Indicates the Creature's evolution level.
• The Harm supply of the Creature controlling the Priestess, to be added to the value given by the current Round.
• Indicates the number of attacks the Creature deals to the target.
• Indicates the Creature's Harm supply.
• Indicated the amount of Daily Fame gained when the Creature is killed.
• Indicates the effect the Creature activates against the Player; this ability is active when the Moon icon is visible on the Game Board, therefore starting on the fifth Round's Nightfall Phase. If active, this ability always resolves first at the start of battle, even before Spells.

Fighting the Darkness Inside the Priestess

The Corrupted High Priestess's Harm supply is determined by the number of Heart of the High Priestess tokens left on the Round track plus the Harm value indicated by the Creature Attack card drawn.

Her Attack value is determined by the number of Nightfall Phase icons visible on the Round track plus the attack value indicated by the Creature Attack card.

The Corrupted High Priestess is defeated only if the Player survives the battle. If both the High Priestess and the Player die, she is not defeated.

Priestess Stats Example: During the Dawn Phase of the seventh Round, the Corrupted Priestess would have 6 Attack and 2 Harm points; add these values with those shown on the Creature Attack card (+1 Attack and +3 Harm). Total: 6 + 1 = 7 Attack; 2 + 3 = 5 Harm.

Like all Creatures, the High Priestess gains the Echo of the Darkness power after the fifth Round.

Death of a Guardian

When a Player's Harm supply runs out, their character is Dead and their mini is moved to their starting Blood Temple. If they were the Active Player, their turn ends.

The character's Harm and Mana Petal supplies are restored when they are reborn at the Blood Temple, unless the Blood Temple is Contaminated (has 3 Dark Filaments); in this case, their Mana Petal supply is fully restored but they only restore 1 Harm.

When a character dies, they lose 3 Daily Fame points and receive a White Moth, which must be placed on one of the three Acolyte/White Moth spaces on the Player board. If Acolytes already occupy all the spaces, one is discarded and removed from play.

Players start their Dawn Phase with -1 Daily Fame points for each White Moth on the Player board. Characters may also receive White Moths through the abilities of some cards.

Crimsonfate Power

At any time, thanks to the High Priestess's help, Players may modify the results of Crimsonfate Dice.

For each Citadel Supply card they discard, they can change the result of one die by activating the Crimsonfate Power icon on the card. Moon results obtained this way do not activate the Darkest Doom track. Moon results on rolled dice, however, activate the Darkest Doom track even if they are then modified.

Citadel Supplies Cards

The Citadel Supplies deck is divided into four categories. These cards require specific resources to be played, as indicated on each card, and they can only be played during a Player's turn.

Resources required for Citadel Supplies cards:

• Coins of Destiny. These are gained by completing Quests, as rewards for Daily Fame points or through the abilities or effects of some cards.
• Mana Petals. See Mana Petals.
• Elders' Urn Relic. See Relics.
• Action Points. In some cases, Action Points can be used as resources to play cards.
• Dark Contamination. This is the only resource gained and not spent to play a Citadel Supplies card. For more information on Dark Contamination cards, see Dark Contamination Cards.

Citadel Supplies Card:

1. Name of the card.
2. When present, resources required to play the card.
3. Card type.
4. When present, number of Decay tokens.
5. Effect of the card.
6. Crimsonfate Power.

Categories

Equipment

Weapons, armour and other objects that characters can equip to gain advantages or power-ups for actions or battles.

Each Equipment card has a Decay token value; discard 1 Decay token at every use. When an Equipment card has no Decay tokens, it is immediately discarded. Players may remove an Equipment card as a free action during their turn.

Encounter

Encounter cards require Action Points to be played. This means that playing Encounter cards slows down the Player's movement or chances to activate other actions which require Action Points. However, Encounter cards are also the most versatile, as they can be used in many different situations during the game. Some Encounter cards may inflict Harm on other Players or Creatures - in this case, follow the same rules as Spells.

Trap

Player pays 1 Coin of Destiny to place a Trap token in a zone of their choosing. Traps activate when a Creature or a Player enters a Zone with a Trap token, unless otherwise stated on the card. Traps resolve differently depending on their target.

Creatures: If the card's requirements are met, the Player may play the Trap card from their hand, which is resolved by reading its description; if the Creature dies because of a Trap, follow standard Creature Death rules as detailed on page xx (as printed in the rulebook; see Fighting Creatures). The Player gains Daily Fame points depending on the type of Creature they killed, as shown on page xx (as printed; see Daily Fame Points).

Other Players: Players targeted by Trap token must perform a check like they would when removing a Dark Pool (see Removing a Dark Pool):

1. Draw a Dark Contamination card and check its symbols (only taking into consideration the symbols matching the difficulty level (3/4/5) currently shown on the Rounds track) starting from left to right.
2. Roll a number of Crimsonfate Dice equal to the difficulty level (3/4/5), as shown on the Rounds track, +1 die.
3. Check the results of the dice against the symbols on the drawn Dark Contamination card.

If the check is passed, nothing happens. If the check is failed, however, the owner of the Trap token may play a Trap card from their hand and, if the card's requirements are met, resolve it by reading its text. If a Player dies due to a Trap, follow standard Death of a Guardian rules as detailed in Death of a Guardian.

Once the Trap is resolved, the owner of the Trap token takes the token back.

Each Player may place up to 2 Trap tokens on the board at a time. At any point during their turn, Players may take back tokens even if they weren't activated.

Spell

There are three types of Spell cards:

• Battle Spell. Can only be played during battle.
• Basic Spell. Can only be played outside of battle and does not require Range.
• Ranged Spell. Can only be played outside of battle; these Spells target Players or Creatures at a specific Range from the location of the caster. The Range of each Spell is determined by the number shown on the card next to "Range". For example, "Range 3" means the Spell's target must be within 3 zones of the attacking Player.

If a Player is targeted by a Ranged Spell inflicting Harm, that Player must roll a number of dice equal to their Witchcraft stat; the difference between successful and blocked hits determines the amount of Harm dealt. If a Player dies because of a Spell, follow standard Death of a Guardian rules as detailed in Death of a Guardian.

If a Creature is targeted with a Ranged Spell inflicting Harm, draw a Creature Attack card and check the Creature's health against the Spell's dealt Harm; if the Harm dealt is equal or higher than their health, the Creature dies following standard Creature Death rules as detailed in Fighting Creatures.

If the Player targets a Creature with more than one Spell card in the same Action, they add up the Harm dealt by all of the Spell cards and check the total against the Creature's health on the Creature Attack card.

Example: If a Ranged Spell inflicts 2 Harm on a Creature with 5 Health, the Creature won't die. However, if the Player plays another Spell which inflicts 3 Harm, the Harm adds up and the Creature is killed.

Fame & Citadels

Fame is divided into two categories: Daily Fame points, which reset at the start of each Round, and Citadel Alliance points, which are permanent.

Daily Fame

The region of Betel grants honors and rewards to Players depending on their actions. These honorable actions are represented by the Daily Fame score, which resets at the end of each Round. Whenever Players gain Daily Fame points, they move their marker accordingly along the Daily Fame track. At the end of each Nightfall Phase, the Players' placement on the Daily Fame track determines Play Order for the next round.

Daily Fame Points

Daily Fame points are gained and lost in different ways:

Gaining Daily Fame Points

• Completing a Quest: 1 point, 3 points if declared
• Killing another Guardian in battle, with Abilities, or Card Effects: 3 points
• Removing a Dark Pool: Points equal to the Difficulty Level currently shown on the Rounds track.
• Card Effects/Abilities: values depend on specific card effects or abilities
• Killing a Creature in Battle, with Abilities or Card Effects: 3 points for Beaters - 4 points for Hunters - 5 points for the Leader of the Hunt

Losing Daily Fame Points

• Card Effects/Abilities: values depend on specific card effects or abilities
• Being reborn at the Blood Temple: -3 points

Summary table: Quest: +1/+3 Fame; Dark Pool: + (difficulty level) Fame; Order Achievement card: + (value on card) Fame; Killing a Guardian: +3 Fame; Killing a Beater: +3 Fame; Killing a Hunter: +4 Fame; Killing the Leader of the Hunt: +5 Fame. Losing: Card: - (value on card) Fame; Blood Temple rebirth: -3 Fame.

Citadel Alliance

Each Guardian can gain the Alliance of up to 3 Citadels.

If a Citadel isn't allied with anyone, Players may gain its Alliance as long as they have at least 1 Daily Fame point.

If a Citadel is already Allied with another Player, the Player who wants to gain its Alliance needs to have a number of Daily Fame points equal or higher to Citadel's Citadel Alliance points.

Declaring a Citadel Alliance is a free action that activates when entering a Citadel Zone. Players don't have to perform this action as soon as they enter a Citadel Zone, they can take other actions and declare an Alliance later. Gaining an Alliance is also possible if the Player starts their turn inside a Citadel zone, if their Daily Fame score allows it.

When declaring an Alliance, place one of the three Citadel Alliance markers on the Citadel Alliance track in the space matching the chosen Citadel and the number of Daily Fame points the Player currently has.

The Player then takes a Dome from their Citadel Activities card and places it on top of the Allied Citadel mini.

Example: The Active Player has 4 Daily Fame points and decided to enter Green Citadel Zone to gain its Alliance. That Citadel, however, is already Allied with another Player who has 2 Citadel Alliance points on the matching track. Since the Player has more Daily Fame points (4) than Citadel's Citadel Alliance points (2), the Active Player gains the Citadel's Alliance, taking it from the other Player.

Citadel Alliance & Acolyte

The Citadel Alliance track has 6 spaces, from 1 to 6. When a Guardian obtains an Allied Citadel with at least 6 Daily Fame points, they gain the Acolyte mini (found in the matching space on the Citadel Alliance track, as described in the Game Board Setup). When Players gain an Acolyte, the Acolyte mini is placed on their Player board.

Bot Guardians Mode

Bot Guardians can be used to simulate up to 3 players in solo games.

The Player's Starting Zone is always the Grey Blood Temple. At the start of the game, just like in a regular game with other players, roll the Fate Die to determine the Play Order. Starting on the second round's Dawn phase, standard rules apply for the Play Order - look at who scored the most Daily Fame in the previous round.

Setup Bot Guardians Board

The Bot Guardians board is divided into 3 sections, one for each Guardian (Green, Purple, Orange). Each Bot Guardian in play will use the section matching its Blood Temple color.

1. Place the Bot Guardians board next to your player board.
2. For each Bot Guardian in play, place the following:
   • Citadel Alliance token
   • Play Order token
   • Daily Fame marker
3. Place the Guardians minis in the matching Starting Zones (Blood Temples).
4. Place the Citadel Domes matching the color of the Bot Guardians' Starting Zones. Whenever a Bot Guardian gains a Citadel Alliance, move the Dome over to the Allied Citadel. At the start of each Dawn phase, during the Citadel Restock, the Bot Guardians begins the round with +1 Daily Fame for each Allied Citadel.
5. Place any Acolytes gained by the Bot Guardians in the matching slots. At the start of each Dawn phase, during the Citadel Restock, the Bot Guardian removes one Dark Filament token from its Starting Blood Temple for each Acolyte.
6. Place the Bot Guardians cards here. Once all of the card's effects have been activated, discard the card creating a discard pile for this deck. Whenever you need to draw a card but the Bot Guardians deck is empty, shuffle the discard pile and create a new deck, then draw a card.
7. Place Wanted by the Order cards here. Once the card is activated to find out where to place the Bot Guardians mini, discard the card creating a discard pile for the deck. Whenever you need to draw a card but the Wanted by the Order deck is empty, shuffle the discard pile and create a new deck, then draw a card.

Bot Guardians' Turn

1. At the start of each Dawn and Nightfall phase, when the Bot Guardian activates, draw a Wanted by the Order card. The card shows the Zone in which to place the Bot Guardian's mini. Discard the card after use.
2. In each Dawn and Nightfall phase, after playing the Wanted by the Order card, draw a card from the Bot Guardians deck and activate all of its effects, if possible. Discard the card after use. Then, the next Player or Bot Guardian takes their turn.
3. At the end of each round, use the Daily Fame score to determine the Play Order, also considering the Bot Guardians' scores. This means that a Bot Guardian might take its turn before the players if it reached a higher Daily Fame score in the previous round.

Wanted by the Order Card

As previously stated, this card is used to determine the Zone in which to place the Bot Guardian's mini in each phase. The Zone in question is marked with the Guardian's icon, as shown.

Bot Guardians' Actions

Bot Guardian Card

• A. Play Round: This column shows the play rounds and the actions Bot Guardians can take during specific rounds.
• B. Bot Guardian: Each Bot Guardian is represented by these 3 different icons in the color of its Blood Temple.
• C. Lightless Icon: This icon indicated which of the three Lightless categories is used as reference for the Bot Guardian's stats whenever the Bot Guardian attacks or gets attacked.

Actions and Order of Activation

1. Gaining Daily Fame Points: The number shown in each Bot Guardian's column indicates the amount of Daily Fame the Bot Guardian gains during that game phase. When a Bot Guardian gains Daily Fame points its marker is updated on the matching track on the Game Board.
2. Citadel Alliance: When this icon (Citadel) is shown next to the Daily Fame points in the Bot Guardian's column, that means the Bot Guardian will try to declare an Alliance with the Citadel matching the color of the icon if its current Daily Fame score allows it. When this happens take a Dome from one of the three slots on the Bot Guardian board and place it on the matching Citadel. The Citadel Alliance track on the Game Board is then updated by moving the marker on the Fame score at which the Bot Guardian gained the Alliance, just like with regular players. If the Bot Guardian gains the Alliance with at least 6 Daily Fame points, it also gains an Acolyte.
3. Card Text:
   • -1 Dark Filament Citadel: This icon comes in the four different colors of Citadel Zones. Remove one Dark Filament from the Citadel matching the icon's color.
   • -1 Dark Filament Blood Temple: Remove a Dark Filament from the Blood Temple of the Bot Guardian who activated this effect.
   • Battle: A Bot Guardian may attack Players or Creatures if the Bot Guardian card says so. Bot Guardians attack the same way Creatures do, so you need to draw a Creature Attack card and then use the stats indicated by the Bot Guardian card. The Echo of the Darkness power shown on the Creature Attack card is NEVER used by Bot Guardians against players or creatures. Creatures DO NOT use Echo of the Darkness when battling a Bot Guardian. At the end of the Battle consider all Daily Fame bonuses and penalties as usual, as well as all rules regarding the death of a Creature or a Player as listed in the rulebook.
   • Purify the Priestess: The Player must perform an Ambush check (difficulty indicated by the icon on the card). If the check fails, the Bot Guardian wins the game. This card effect can only be activated as shown on the card starting on the seventh round of play.

Targeting a Bot Guardian

Bot Guardians may be targeted by effects or cards which target players if the text refers to:

• Suffering wounds
• Daily Fame points
• Allied Citadels Fame
• Moving the Bot Guardian mini

Any other effects or cards can't be used against Bot Guardians.

Death of a Bot Guardian

Whenever a Bot Guardian dies, follow the standard rules for Guardians' death with one exception: Bot Guardians don't receive White Moths.

Tips and Strategy

This section helps players by analyzing game mechanics and different strategies.

Guardian Stats and Special Ability

Choosing the right Stats to increase during the game is the first step towards winning. We recommend not increasing more than two Stats in the first few games in order to gain familiarity with the different options the game offers.

• BATTLE: This Stat needs to be increased exponentially if your goal is saving High Priestess Elaine. If this isn't your goal, focus on different Stats. Increasing this Stat gives you a higher chance of winning Battles against players or Lightless, although this isn't the only way to defeat your enemies. So, if your goal isn't saving High Priestess Elaine, this Stat isn't the most important to you.
• HEALTH: Increasing this Stat is always a good strategy, regardless of the path to victory you choose to pursue. Having a character with more wound slots means you will die less frequently, which in turn means you won't be slowed down on your way to any of the victory conditions.
• WITCHCRAFT: Increasing this Stat lets you play more Spell cards in the same turn, but it also allows you to take advantage of the Forest zones special ability - since you have more Mana Petals, you may use the same effect more times during the same turn. This gives you an edge over the course of the game.
• WISDOM: Last but not least, this Stat is useful for players who wish to draw more cards during the Dawn phase and want to take advantage of the Crimsonfate power; the more cards in your hand, the more chances you'll have the icon you want when you modify the dice results through the Crimsonfate power, which comes in handy when performing Ambush checks.

Each of these four Stats is complements the others, no pair of Stats is better than any other. Make sure to keep in mind the synergy between the Stats and your Guardian's special ability and starting values.

Crimsonfate

The icons shown on the Crimsonfate, present in all Citadel Supplies cards, aren't tied to specific cards. This means that two copies of the same card will have different icons, so you could use the Crimsonfate power to change two different icons with two copies of the same card.

Citadel Supplies

The four Citadel Supplies decks allow you to employ different strategies.

• EQUIPMENT: Guardians start the game without any Equipment, so this deck is especially useful at the start of the game. Equipment cards have a limited number of uses, so Equipment cards will also come in handy during the rest of the game although they're particularly essential at the start, especially if your strategy doesn't focus mainly on battles.
• SPELLS: Drawing frequently from this deck is useful for players who are continuously increasing their Witchcraft Stat, since that allows you to play more cards during the same turn thanks to the higher amount of Mana Petals at their disposal.
• ENCOUNTERS: Encounter cards are all different and offer several useful options for any situation. The downside is that Encounter cards in your hand may not always be useful during the current turn, so initially these may seem to be dead weight. After playing the game a few times you'll realize that it's always better to keep an Encounter card in your hand rather than discard it. For your first games we recommend drawing from this deck only when you feel you're pulling ahead of the other players; if you want to draw even when you're not ahead in the game, consider increasing your Wisdom Stat so you can hold more cards in your hand - that way you'll be able to draw from the Encounters deck as well as the other decks available. Out of the four Citadel Supplies decks, the Encounter deck is probably the one that requires the most game experience to be fully taken advantage of.
• TRAPS: Placing a Trap in a specific game Zone allows players to activate Trap cards, which serve a variety of purposes: defending an objective from other players, delaying another player's goals or even take out a Lightless Creature or another player. Unlike other cards, when targeting a player that player must perform an Ambush check before the text on the card can be activated. The check's difficulty level rises with each round of play, so Traps against players are most effective in later rounds. On the other hand, Traps activate automatically against Lightless Creatures, so the number of rounds doesn't affect their effectiveness.

Order Achievements

By completing Order Achievement cards players gain a reward chosen among those listed on the card; this allows you to pick the reward that's most useful to you in that moment. In some cases, if the requirement to complete them is too risky, it might be best to wait for the start of a new Nightfall phase to discard any Order Achievement cards you have. For example, if you have to kill another Guardian but you think it would be too risky, it's best to ignore the card. These cards are important to the game structure but never forget that your priority is to avoid hindering your strategy in order to satisfy one of the four victory conditions.

Elders' Relics

Relics can be gained by completing Quests, and although players have to roll a ten-sided die (d10) to gain them, doing this successfully isn't as random as it seems. All checks to find Relics require a roll of 5 +/-, meaning that you can prepare for a possible fail and use Coins of Destiny to modify the die result until you get the one you need. So if you're searching for a Relic that's essential for one of the victory conditions and you don't have many Coins of Destiny, don't rush to complete the Quest - wait until you have 5 Coins of Destiny so you can pass the check for sure.

Victory Conditions

• THE NEW HIGH PRIEST: YOU'RE THE CHOSEN ONE. Out of all of the victory conditions, this one may be easily pursued alongside one of the other three. The main goal for this victory condition is to have as many Allied Citadels as possible during the final turns. Whenever you have the chance, remember to place Trap tokens in your Allied Citadels - protect them, even if you're just bluffing. If you're halfway through the game and you still don't have any Allied Citadels, don't worry: remember you need 6 Daily Fame points to gain one at the worst, and you can always do that during a turn in which you focus on gaining Daily Fame points. Gaining a Citadel's Alliance at 6 Daily Fame points before anyone else is always best since it allows you to take its Acolyte, granting you Fame points and hindering the Darkness.
• FREE THE SHADOW SHAMAN, MOSH. In order to free Mosh, it's important that you always have Coins of Destiny available to avoid failing checks when you're searching for the required Relics. Wisdom is the most important Stat to increase in this case, since it allows you to have more cards in your hand and therefore use the Crimsonfate power more effectively, giving you a better chance to pass the Ambush check you'll have to perform to free Mosh.
• PURIFY THE HIGH PRIESTESS. This battle is the toughest in the game, so you'll need to increase your Battle and Health Stats. The Lake Ghost is a formidable ally in the success of this challenge, so do your best to gather as many Spirits' Lanterns as you can in order to summon it at its most powerful.
• BECOME THE LEADER OF THE HUNT. In order to find the Leader of the Hunt card in the Dark Contaminations deck, at the start of each Nightfall phase you should use the ability shown on all Dark Contamination cards (discard all Dark Contamination cards in your hand to draw the same number of Dark Contamination cards). This way, by the end of the game, you'll find the Leader of the Hunt card. Remember: you need to survive the battle in order to be absorbed by the Creature, so make sure you have good Equipment cards. You won't be able to rely on the cards in your hand since they'll mostly be Dark Contamination cards, and that's why having a high Health Stat is important here. If you take control of the Leader of the Hunt but you don't have a lot of Dark Contamination cards your chances of surviving attacks from the other players are very low - it's essential to have more than 4 Dark Contamination cards in your hand when you start the game anew as the Leader of the Hunt.

Game Icons

• Fate Die (d10); Crimsonfate Die (d6)
• Ambush Check (Generic, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5)
• Zones: Citadel (Green), Blood Temple (Green), Forest, Plain, Mountain, Lake, Black Lodge, Path to the Winter Mountain
• Sword, Shield, High Priestess, Nightfall, Dawn, Moon (Crimsonfate Die faces)
• Quest for Betel; Daily Fame; Citadel; Citadel Alliance; Blood Temple; Acolyte; White Moth; Black Lodge; Monolith; Guardian
• Health / Creature's Harm supply; Witchcraft; Wisdom; Melee; Harm; Mana Petals; Coins of Destiny; Action Point
• Relics: Sigil's Stone, Spirits' Lantern, Elders' Urn
• Citadel Supplies: Equipment, Trap, Encounter, Spell
• Lightless: Beater, Hunter, Leader of the Hunt; Lightless Evolution; Generate Creatures; Dawn Eclipse; Echo of the Darkness; Killed Creature
• Dark Contamination; Citadel Contamination; Blood Temple Contamination; Dark Pool