The Dragon Prince: Battlecharged Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Overview
• Components
• Game Setup
• Hero Cards and Energy
• Turn Order and Action Cards
• Movement and Terrain
• Attacking
• Knockouts
• Line of Sight
• Line of Sight Examples
• Blocks and Boosts
• Technique and Ongoing Cards
• Advanced Rule: Zone of Control
• Advanced Rule: Enemies and Line of Sight
• FAQs
• Play Variant: 5-6 Player Games

Game Overview

In The Dragon Prince: Battlecharged, you control the heroes of Xadia in fast-paced magical combat!

Your Goal: Deal damage to knock out your foes. If your team achieves three knockouts, you win!

A team consists of two or three heroes. In a 2-player game, you and your opponent each control two heroes. Every hero miniature comes with its own hero card and 16-card action deck.

Every turn, each hero on your team may take the following actions in any order:

• Play one Move card or Basic Move to run or jump up to the listed number of squares.
• Play one Attack card or Basic Attack. To attack, you must target an enemy within range and line of sight. If the attack is not blocked, it hits the target and deals the listed damage.
• Play any number of other cards. Techniques have immediate effects. Ongoing cards remain on the table, in play.

Many cards cost energy to play. To recharge energy, use your hero card's charging ability!

During combat, either team can play React cards. One block will cause an attack to miss, but every boost will cancel a block.

If an attack hits, its damage depletes the target's health. When a hero has zero health, they are knocked out until the start of their next turn!

To end your turn, discard any unwanted cards and then draw up to your hand size. Discarding is a smart way to refresh your hand and give yourself more options.

If you understand these basics, you're almost ready to play. Read on for more details, or watch video instructions on brotherwisegames.com!

Components

• 8 Hero Miniatures and 6 Base Rings
• 6 Energy Dice
• 128 Action Cards (8 x 16-Card Action Decks)
• 8 Hero Cards
• 48 Health Tokens
• 3 Double-sided Battle Maps
• 7 Victory Tokens

Game Setup

Setting up a game of The Dragon Prince: Battlecharged is easy!

1. Pick teams: Split all players into two teams. Each player then chooses which hero(es) they will control during the game. Team size varies based on the number of players:
   • 2 players: each player controls 2 heroes.
   • 3 players: one player controls 2 heroes, while the other two players form a team, with each controlling 1 hero.
   • 4 players: each player controls 1 hero.
   • For 5-6 player games, see the special rules in Play Variant: 5-6 Player Games.
2. Prepare heroes: Give each player an energy die and sufficient health tokens for each of their heroes, along with those heroes' miniatures, hero card, and 16-card action decks (each marked with a matching 3-letter code). Use energy dice and health tokens to set each hero's energy and health to their starting values. Heroes on the same team should be given the same color base rings to help tell friend from foe. Each player then shuffles their deck and places it face-down on the table. A player controlling two heroes must shuffle their two decks together.
3. Choose a map and starting zones: Each team then rolls a die. The high roller gets to pick the map and assign starting zones for this battle. Place the map in the center of the play area, with five victory tokens nearby.
4. Place miniatures: Each team places their miniatures in their side's starting zone. Find the four-pointed stars on the map. The squares that touch these stars are the starting zones.
5. Draw cards: Each player draws their starting hand:
   • If you control 1 hero, draw to your hand size of 4 cards.
   • If you control 2 heroes, draw to your hand size of 7 cards.
6. Begin play: The team that lost the die roll decides which team will play first. Play will proceed clockwise around the table. If a team has two players, they should sit next to each other as they will each take their turns in sequence before the opposing team takes their turn.

First player rule: In 2-4 player games, the team that plays first may not play any Attack cards on their first turn(s).

Hero Cards and Energy

Each hero has their own hero card, which contains important information about that hero's capabilities. Hero cards remain in play for the entire game.

Your hero's affinity symbol (if any) indicates their connection to magic. A hero can play any card from their own action deck. When shuffling together two decks, a hero can play:

• Cards with icons that match the affinity on their hero card.
• Cards with their hero's name in the card-type bar (the center bar below the card art).
• Cards that don't specify a hero or affinity.

Your hero's Basic Move is shown on their hero card. If you don't play a Move card, you can move up to this many squares instead. For more on Movement, see Movement and Terrain.

Your hero's Basic Attack is shown on their hero card. If you don't play an Attack card, you can make this attack instead. For more on Attacking, see Attacking.

Many cards require you to pay energy. Each hero has a unique charging ability, which defines how they charge energy. Don't neglect this ability, because gaining and replenishing energy is crucial to victory!

Your hero card also shows their starting (and maximum) health. To track a hero's health, place that many health tokens on their hero card. Each point of damage done to a hero removes one health token from their card. When all health tokens have been removed, your hero is knocked out. For more on knockouts, see Knockouts.

Your hero card also shows their starting energy. To play a card with an energy cost, you must pay that much energy. Rotate your energy die to keep track of how much energy you have. A hero may charge past their starting energy, but can never have more than 5 energy (or less than 0) even if a card or effect would give you more than 5 energy.

Turn Order and Action Cards

On your turn, each hero you control may play:

• One Move card (or Basic Move), AND
• One Attack card (or Basic Attack), AND
• Any number of Technique, React, or Ongoing cards.

A hero's actions may be played in any order. If you control two heroes, you may play their cards in any order.

To play a card, reveal it and pay the energy cost listed in its top left corner. You must pay that energy even if another card effect cancels your card.

You must resolve one card's effects before playing another.

Once you have played a card:

• If it is an Ongoing card, place it next to your hero card. It remains in play.
• If the card has a timed-ability icon, it may affect a future turn. Place it by the battle map until its effects have expired.
• Otherwise, place it face-up in a discard pile next to your action deck.

If you do not wish to play any more actions, or are unable to do so, end your turn. Discard any unwanted cards and then draw up to your hand size. If your deck has run out of cards, shuffle your discard pile to form a new draw deck.

Make sure to pay attention to your hero's charging ability! Some heroes can charge energy during a turn, while other charging abilities trigger at the end of the turn.

Each hero can play one Move and one Attack per turn. You may play any number of Technique, Ongoing, and React cards per turn (as long as you pay their costs).

Movement and Terrain

Every Move card indicates how many squares your hero can move on their turn. You do not have to use all of your movement, but you must always move all at once. There are two types of movement:

Running cannot cross squares that are blocked (marked with white borders) or hazardous (marked with red borders).

Each square of movement may be made diagonally or orthogonally. For example, Callum's Basic Move allows him to run 3 squares — he could use his first square of movement to move northeast of his starting position.

Heroes may not run through:

• Blocking terrain (outlined in white), or two squares of blocking terrain meeting at a corner
• Walls (edged in white)
• Hazardous terrain (outlined in red)

Note that heroes themselves do not block movement. You may always run through an ally or enemy, but cannot end your movement in an occupied square.

Jumping can cross any square, but may not move through walls.

Jumps may move through hazardous terrain, marked by red outlines, but a hero can never end their move on hazardous terrain (or be placed there by a card effect played by another hero). For example, the Leap card allows a hero to jump 4 squares — a hero could use Leap to move over lava to their north, while a hero using a running move is not able to move through the lava.

Doors, ladders, and stairs are only passable by using the two squares connected by a black arrow. Even if you are using a jump, you cannot move diagonally through a door. A hero can move diagonally past a wall, but must spend two squares of movement to move through a door.

Attacking

Just as each hero can take one Move action each turn, they can also take one attack action, either by playing an Attack card or by using their Basic Attack.

Attack cards all have the same layout:

• Range is the maximum number of squares your hero can be from your target. For example, a hero with a range of 3 can target an enemy up to 3 squares away.
• Most attack cards have an energy cost that you must pay to play the attack. Track your energy using your energy die.
• Damage is the amount the enemy loses if the attack is not blocked.
• A card's affinity or required hero is shown on the card. For example, only Callum can use Sky cards. If no requirement is listed, any hero can use that attack.
• If an attack has any special abilities, they will be listed on the card. An ability that says Hit means "if this attack is not blocked, activate this special ability."

Note: some Technique cards damage opposing heroes but are not attacks. For more on Techniques, see Technique and Ongoing Cards.

Knockouts

When a hero loses their last health, they are knocked out. When that happens:

• The opposing team gains one victory token. The first team to earn three victory tokens wins the match!
• Set the knocked-out hero on their side in their square, to indicate that they've been knocked out.
• On a hero's next turn after being knocked out, reset that hero's health back to their starting health, but do not adjust their energy.
• Stand the hero back up in their square. They are ready to resume combat and take their full turn as normal.

A knocked-out hero may not be targeted by attacks or card effects, nor may they charge energy or play Reacts. Discard any cards they had played. A knocked-out hero still counts as "adjacent," and movement may not stop on that hero's square.

Line of Sight

Attacks are only playable if the attacker has line of sight to the target and the target is within range of that attack.

To have line of sight:

• You must be able to draw a straight line between the center of the attacker's square and the center of the target's square.
• That line cannot cross any walls or blocking terrain (marked with white outlines).
• That line may cross other miniatures, as well as hazardous terrain (marked with red outlines).

An attack must have a clear line of sight to the target. Enemies, allies, and hazardous terrain do not block line of sight, but blocking terrain does — including two pieces of blocking terrain connected at a corner. For example, a hero using a Basic Attack with a wall of a house between them and a target has line of sight blocked to that target, but may have a clear line of sight to a different target that isn't behind the wall.

Once line of sight has been determined, check range by counting the distance from the attacker to their target. Start with the first square adjacent to the attacker, and count the number of squares along the shortest path to the target, ending in the target's square. A Basic Attack with a range of 1 can only hit adjacent heroes, even if line of sight to a farther target is clear.

A hero can move using their Basic Move before attacking, which can bring a target into both line of sight and range for a Basic Attack that was not available before moving.

Line of Sight Examples

• An attacker may have a clear line of sight to one target while a rock or other blocking terrain between the attacker and a second potential target blocks line of sight to that second target.
• Using the basic rules, miniatures do not block line of sight. If an enemy moves between the attacker and a different target, the attacker may still proceed with an attack on that other target.
• An attack that can target up to two enemies still requires a clear line of sight to each target individually — if line of sight to one of the two enemies is blocked, that enemy cannot be hit, even though the other enemy could be targeted alone.
• Line of Sight may be traced through doorways. An attacker can make an attack against a target as long as they are able to trace a clear line of sight directly from the center of their square to the center of the target's square, even through a doorway.

Blocks and Boosts

Once an attack has been played, check to see if it hits. An attack automatically hits unless the defender plays a card that blocks the attack.

Blocks typically come from playing React cards, which may be played at any time. You may play multiple blocks against a single attack, but the attacker may respond with boost Reacts. Each boost cancels one block.

If there are more blocks against an attack than there are boosts for it, the attack misses. Otherwise, the attack hits and damage and special abilities are applied.

There's no such thing as a partial block; a successful attack always does its full damage.

There's no limit to the number of Reacts that may be played by any player. If a defending player has another React that gives a block, it could still be played, foiling the attack unless the attacker or their teammate also played another boost. The pattern continues as more boosts and blocks are added.

This table summarizes some common blocks vs. boosts results:

Blocks	Boosts	Result
None	None	Hit!
1	None	Miss
1	1	Hit!
2	1	Miss
2	2	Hit!

Technique and Ongoing Cards

Technique cards have a wide variety of effects. A Technique might boost an attack, charge energy, heal, or even give you an extra attack. There's no limit to how many Techniques you can play in one turn! When playing multiple Techniques, resolve them one at a time, in the order they were played.

Some Techniques target another hero and require line of sight (see Line of Sight). If a Technique says to choose an enemy or ally, they can be anywhere on the map.

If a Technique is marked with a timed-ability icon, it has a "timed" ability that may affect a future turn. Place it next to the battle map and don't move it to your discard pile until it resolves at the end of that turn.

A Technique can deal damage without counting as an attack. And because it may say to "choose any enemy," it may not require line of sight, unlike an attack.

Ongoing cards are special cards found only in Ezran's and Viren's action decks. Once played, Ongoing cards remain in play until the end of the game (unless a card ability sends them to the discard pile).

There's no limit to how many Ongoing cards you may have in play.

Most cards have instantaneous effects, but Ongoing cards like the Staff of Ziard will remain in play until the game has ended. Bait is the only Ongoing card that can be removed from play. Once this card is in play, Ezran can send Bait to the discard pile to gain a boost against one attack.

Advanced Rule: Zone of Control

If you're already an experienced miniatures gamer, or you've gotten the hang of Battlecharged, you may wish to use the Advanced Rules. Advanced Rule #1 is zone of control. All heroes, even those that have been knocked out, exert a zone of control in all squares adjacent to their own. An enemy that enters one of those squares must stop their movement. Zones of control do not extend through walls.

• If a hero begins their turn in an enemy's zone of control, they may move freely away from or around that enemy, but if they leave that enemy's zone of control and reenter it in the same move, they must stop again.
• Likewise, if that hero enters another enemy's zone of control during that movement, they must stop.
• Heroes using a jump move ignore zones of control and may move through enemy-occupied squares.
• Heroes may move through other heroes' squares, but they may only move through an enemy's square if they started their move in that enemy's zone of control.

Ladders, doorways, and stairs slightly disrupt zone of control. In these cases, zone of control only extends into the squares connected by the black arrows.

Advanced Rule: Enemies and Line of Sight

In the basic rules of Battlecharged, characters do not block line of sight. However, for a more tactical experience, you may choose to use Advanced Rule #2: enemies block line of sight.

This allows "tanks" like Soren and Amaya to serve as shields for more vulnerable heroes, like Ezran and Claudia. When using Advanced Rule #2 and tracing line of sight, enemy miniatures act as blocking terrain. Likewise, characters adjacent to blocking terrain create solid barriers to line of sight.

For example, if a hero wants to use their Basic Attack against an enemy who is within range, but another enemy stands between them, using Advanced Rule #2, that other enemy blocks the line of sight to the target. To attack in this situation, the attacker will have to move around the blocking enemy.

Enemies are the only miniatures that block line of sight this way — two allies standing between an attacker and their target do NOT block that attacker's line of sight to the target. However, just as one enemy and a piece of blocking terrain can create a wall that blocks line of sight, so too can two enemies standing adjacent to each other — an attacker cannot draw a clear line of sight to a target that is blocked by two enemies standing adjacent to one another.

FAQs

Is there a way to recharge energy without using my hero's charging ability? There are a handful of cards that allow a hero to charge energy, but in general, heroes only charge energy by using their charging abilities. Planning your turns to trigger your charging ability is key to mastering the unique play style of each character in Battlecharged!

Some cards say "choose an enemy," while others say "target an enemy." What's the difference? You must have line of sight to an enemy to "target" them, while you may "choose" any enemy on the board — even if you can't see them.

If a player knocks out their own character, does the opposing team still get a victory token? Yes. It's possible for a player to damage their own heroes, such as with Viren's charging ability or Claudia's Corruption card. No matter what causes a character to be knocked out, the opponent earns a victory token.

If a Technique like Send Flying says "choose" or "target" enemies, does that make it an attack? No. Techniques are never attacks, and you may play as many of them in a turn as you have energy for — even if they affect or damage opponents.

Can I target an ally with an attack? For example, using Aspiro to move an ally? No. While the attack Nightfire Orb may catch an ally in its area of effect, no attack may be targeted at a member of your own team.

If both teams gain their third Victory token in the same turn, who wins? The game immediately ends when a team scores three victory tokens. If opposing players are simultaneously knocked out (due to a card like Nightfire Orb or Heat Shield), and this causes both teams to gain their third victory token, the game ends in a tie.

On attacks with multiple targets, how do you determine who takes damage first? When an attack hits multiple characters (such as Leaping Flame, or an attack modified by Blast Radius), the defending player may determine the order in which their heroes take damage.

Can I discard multiple cards to keep pumping the range of Rayla's Blade Throw attack? No. You may only discard one card to increase the attack's range by +1.

Can I play a Technique like Second Wind even if some of its effects won't be activated? Yes! In this case, you could play Second Wind even if you weren't knocked out. You would charge 1 energy, but would not get the other effect.

Which is more important in determining line of sight: the borders showing blocking terrain and walls, or the squares they are marking? The borders on a square are important for telling you what type of terrain is there, but when tracking line of sight you should use the thin black lines that mark the squares themselves. If a line of sight touches the corner of a white border but doesn't go through the square the white border is marking, there is a clear line of sight.

When does Amaya charge energy during a Basic Attack? Amaya charges 1 energy the moment she declares her Basic Attack. She can then use this energy to play Technique cards that trigger other combos, making her a whirlwind of fury and strength on the battlefield.

If I'm playing with two heroes, and a card ability requires my hero to discard a card (e.g., Claudia's charging ability), do I have to discard a card specifically from that hero's deck? No, you may discard any card from your combined deck.

If a hero makes an attack that can target multiple opponents, and targets both Soren and an ally adjacent to Soren, does Soren charge 2 energy or 1? Soren charges 2 energy in this case: 1 for his ally being targeted and 1 for himself being targeted.

Does an attack have to hit Soren or an adjacent ally to activate his charging power? No. Simply being targeted by the attack is enough, even if that gives Soren enough energy to play a React that makes the attack miss!

Does a Technique that does damage but doesn't target a hero (e.g., Lunge) trigger Soren's charging ability? It does not.

Can Claudia play Viren's dark magic cards? Yes! Claudia has the dark magic affinity symbol on her character card and can therefore play any card in your combined deck that has that symbol, even if it is normally a "Viren" card.

If an action forces me to discard a type of card (e.g. Burning Blade), and I don't have that type of card, what happens? Nothing; you ignore the effect.

Play Variant: 5-6 Player Games

The Dragon Prince: Battlecharged is optimized for 2-4 players, playing 4 heroes total. However, play with up to 6 players and 6 heroes is supported.

• 5 players: One player controls 2 heroes, and their teammate controls 1. The other three players form a team, with each controlling 1 hero.
• 6 players: Players group up into two teams, with each player controlling 1 hero.

Hand size does not change. Players playing 1 hero still draw up to 4 cards, and players playing 2 heroes draw up to 7 cards. In a 5- or 6-player game, use 7 victory tokens. The game is won by the first team to score 4 knockouts.

Players in 6-player games should alternate from team to team, rather than all players on a team taking back-to-back turns. Arrange players around the table so that every other chair is occupied by members of a single team.

In a 5-player game, the player controlling two heroes will move and attack with both of their heroes on a single turn.

In 5- or 6-player games, only the very first player is restricted from making attacks on their first turn. (This is true whether the first player controls 1 hero or 2.)