Goblivion: Definitive Edition Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Idea
• Victory Conditions
• Game Components
  • Tokens
• Game Setup
• Card's Anatomy — Peasant
• Card's Anatomy — Enemy/Item
• Action
• Main Icons
• Gameplay
  • Important!
• Phase — Training
  • Important!
  • Training Process's Anatomy
  • Training Steps
• Phase — The Enemy Pushes
• Phase — Combat
• Bosses Combat
• King/Queen
• Difficulty Levels
• Bodyguard
• Co-op Mode
  • Co-op Mode General Rules
• FAQ
• Variant — Quick Market
• Winning Tips
• Course of the Game
  • 1 — Training
  • 2 — The Enemy Pushes
  • 3 — Combat
  • Bosses Combat

Game Idea

Goblivion is a deck-building card game in which you have to defend your Castle against hordes of goblins, trolls, and ultimately, Bosses.

You start the game with Peasant Cards. Initially, these peasants are weak in combat. You must train them to improve your chances of defending your Castle. Successful battles allow you to obtain and make the most of Item Cards.

Victory Conditions

Victory is yours once you have destroyed the enemy troops and the Bosses. If your Castle Resources run out (fall to zero), the enemy breaches your defences and you lose the game.

Game Components

Goblivion Cards have different backs. Sort them at the beginning of each game.

• 7 x King/Queen Card
• 11 x Boss Card
• 103 x Goblivion Card
• 1 x Training token

Sort Goblivion Cards as follows:

• 40 x Blue Card (peasant cards, marked with a fist symbol)

• 40 x Golden Card (soldier-type cards, from the market)

• 23 x Enemy/Item Card (divided in 2 groups)

• 1 x Enemy Board

• 1 x Player Board

• 1 x Co-op Board

Tokens

16 x Resource Token (Recto: 1, Verso: 3) — Indicates your resources on the Player Board; your survival points.

General Note: Tokens included represent the maximum available throughout the game.

10 x Ally Bonus Token (Recto: +1, Verso: +2) — Indicates bonus strength on your cards. After each phase, your cards are removed from the Battlefield and tokens are returned to the Token Bank.

Ex: Place the token onto the card this way adding to the initial strength of the card which brings it to a total of 3 (1 + 2).

3 x Enemy Bonus Token (Recto: +1, Verso: +2) — Represents the enemy bonus strength. They are returned to the Token Bank once the enemy is defeated. An enemy can only have 1 Bonus Token.

Enemies with 1 sword who survive the fight gain +1. Enemies with 2 swords who survive the fight gain +2.

Ex: This enemy is worth 4 of Strength (3+1).

6 x Star Token (Recto: Star, Verso: Flame) — These tokens are used in Goblivion's Campaign mode to establish your success level. (See Campaign booklet)

Game Setup

1. Place the Enemy Board in front of you. Leave space for the Battlefield. (In Co-op: Sit side by side)
2. Place the Player Board at your right hand side.
3. Randomly draw 20 Blue Cards to place into a face-down single stack on the "Castle Space" (Co-op: 40 cards).
4. Pick a King/Queen Role. Then take the Bodyguard card displayed on your King/Queen. Place them on top of your Player Board.
5. Place here the number of Resource Tokens indicated on your King/Queen Card. They represent your survival points.
6. Group the 12 Golden card types into similar piles to form the card market.
7. Determine a level of difficulty and apply the special rule if necessary (see p.15). Place the Boss Cards on the Enemy Board on the Boss space. The number of Bosses varies according to the Difficulty Level chosen.
   • Easy: 3
   • Normal: 4
   • Difficult: 5

Battlefield: Free space where you are going to play the cards you draw. They are then considered, "In play."

Castle Gates: the entry point where enemies push toward your Castle.

8. Take all Enemy Cards (with 2 images). Sort in 2 packs: one with the cards bearing a 1 sword symbol, one with the cards bearing a 2 swords symbol. These symbols indicate the enemy difficulty level.

Firstly, randomly draw 7 cards (6 in Co-op) among the 2 swords cards. Don't look at them and place face down onto the upper right-hand corner of the Enemy Board.

Secondly, randomly draw 8 cards (7 in Co-op) among the 1 sword cards. Don't look at them and place face down on top of the other Enemy Cards you just placed there.

This is all for the Setup. Return unused cards to the box without looking at them. No cards should be in your hands.

Card's Anatomy — Peasant

Cards that display the peasant symbol are the Peasant Cards. They represent your army. Choose how to train your Peasants to make them stronger.

• Banner: shows their Strength in combat.
• Level symbols: represent Peasant level from minimal to maximal strength: fist → 1 sword → 2 swords.
• Card Action.
• The Golden Cards' bottom section indicates the training process. It will be discussed further later on.
• Game version: DE — Definitive Edition.

Card's Anatomy — Enemy/Item

Enemy cards are always divided into 2 parts: the enemy side and the reward side. Same cards, with a 180-degree rotation.

• Banner: represents their Strength during combat.
• Swords: represent the Enemy Level.
• The upward-arrow/card symbol indicates the number of cards you must draw when facing this Enemy.
• Enemy action: The Action is executed only when the enemy is revealed during combat.
• When you defeat the Enemy, rotate its card 180 degrees and obtain the Item Card into your Hospital deck.
• Item banner: represents the Item's Strength during combat, same as the Peasants.
• Item Action.
• Game version: DE — Definitive Edition.

Action

Peasant and Item Cards often involve Actions: when a card is on the Battlefield, you can use its action and rotate it 90 degrees to show that it has been used. It is never mandatory to use an Action.

Example: an unused Builder card shows its action untouched; once used (rotated 90 degrees), you gain 2 resources.

The Archer has 2 Actions possible. You can use only 1 of the 2 Actions. It is a choice.

Main Icons

• Draw: Draw from the Castle Deck the number of cards indicated and place them into the Battlefield.
• Discard: Discard 1 card in play and place it in the Hospital. You may not choose itself.
• Win/Lose tokens: Win/Lose tokens from your player board.
• The Enemy Pushes (see below).
• Vision: Generate 1 Vision. Vision counters an enemy plan (see below).
• Strength bonus token: Gain Strength bonus token on your cards into play.
• "Destroy": The term "Destroy" means the card leaves play for the game. Put it back in the game box.
• RIP (Testament): The Testament power is activated when a card is destroyed.

Gameplay

Each Turn is divided into 3 phases, you will repeat in the same order until the end of the game (see Player Board):

Turn order

1. Training
2. The Enemy Pushes
3. Combat

You don't have any cards in hands.

Cards are drawn from the Castle deck (onto the Player Board) and placed onto the Battlefield where they are considered, "into play."

At the end of each phase, cards into play are moved from the Battlefield to the Hospital.

The Castle deck is always face down. The Hospital deck is always face up — you can look at the cards.

Important!

When the Castle is empty (of cards) and you need to draw a card, shuffle the cards from the Hospital deck and place them face down onto the Castle space of the Player Board to create a new Castle deck. As indicated on the Player Board, the consequences of an Empty Castle is "The Enemy Pushes". If it occurs during a Bosses Combat, you lose 2 resources.

Phase — Training

In this phase, put the training token on the card you want to obtain among the 12 possible choices (the market of Golden cards).

Important!

At the beginning of the game, you must choose to train cards with 1 sword symbol. After winning your first combat you will be allowed to train cards with a 2 swords symbol.

Once you have chosen a card, follow the training process instructions at the bottom of the card.

Training Process's Anatomy

• (A) Number of cards to draw from the Castle deck when you train this card.
• (B) Target to reach with the total of your Strength on the Battlefield. If you don't reach the target, you must pay the difference with resources to continue training.
• (C) The chosen card is exchanged against another card into play: you train a peasant into play who becomes this new stronger Peasant. The first card is removed from the game. If you don't have any card with the required symbol into play, you cannot conclude the exchange. You are never required to make an exchange, you can stop training and go to the next phase.

Exchange for a Peasant: the Golden card is exchanged for a Peasant card into play. Exchange for an Item: the Golden card is exchanged for an Item card into play.

Training Steps

1. Put the training token on the card you want to train. Choose first among cards with 1 sword symbol. After winning your first combat, you will be allowed to choose cards with a 2 swords symbol.
2. Draw the number of cards indicated in the training process.
3. Use the Actions of your cards into play and/or exchange your Bodyguard.
4. Compare the total Strength of your cards with the target training cost. If the target is not reached, you must pay the difference with resources to continue. If you don't want to, skip training.
5. Destroy from the game a card that shows the symbol required for the training process. Otherwise, skip training.
6. Add the pivoted card to your Hospital deck with the other cards from the Battlefield.

Example: Jim wants to obtain an Archer. He draws 3 cards as indicated by the Archer's cost. Once cards are drawn, Jim can use his cards' Actions onto the Battlefield. He chooses to use his Baker to gain 1 resource. He rotates this card 90 degrees to show that it has been used then adds 1 resource to his Player Board.

According to the Archer training cost, Jim must "reach" 2 as training target cost. He looks at the total of his cards' Strength in combat: 0 + -1 + 0 ... and obtains a total of -1. Jim pays the difference between the target to reach (2) and his total (-1). As a result, Jim loses 3 resources to continue training.

Next, Jim must exchange a Peasant for the Archer. He chooses to exchange the Old man (-1). Therefore, the Old man is destroyed, returned to the game box and the Archer is added to the Hospital deck which means we trained the Old man into an Archer. As a consequence, we greatly improved our chances of defending the Castle by replacing a "-1" Strength value card with a "2" Strength value card.

Phase — The Enemy Pushes

The second phase of each turn represents the steady walk of the enemy towards the Castle. On the Enemy Board, notice this symbol: the Enemy Pushes arrow.

Every time The Enemy Pushes, slide the Enemy Cards following the direction of the arrows. Add 1 card of the Enemy deck onto the following space so all the spaces behind the first card are filled, always with a card face down.

This way, if the enemy has pushed 4 times we would have 4 face-down Enemy cards lined up toward the Castle Gates.

Some cards have an action that generates a Vision. This action allows you to reveal 1 Enemy Card on a designated space of the Enemy Board.

A revealed card stays face up as it slides forward. A revealed card will not launch its Action during combat.

When they are at the Castle doors, Enemies are considered in combat. There is a maximum of 3 Enemies at the Castle Gates.

If The Enemy Pushes and the Enemies maximum is reached, it still pushes but you must destroy the next card in line for the Castle Gates. The Enemy never stops! It can result in the loss of an important Item.

If no enemies can advance during the Enemy Pushes phase, destroy the Enemy cards at the Castle Gates and move on to Boss Combat phase!

Phase — Combat

If your Strength equals or outmatches the Enemy's, you win the combat.

Combat unfolds as follows:

1. Reveal the Enemy Card at the far left of the Castle Gates space, then draw its cards and launch its Action.
2. Repeat step 1 for each enemy from left to right including the new Enemies who come into play during the combat.
3. Initiate your Actions and/or exchange your Bodyguard. If the Enemy Pushes because of new cards drawn as an effect of your Actions, repeat step 1.
4. Compare Strength total.
   • If you win combat: Rotate the Enemy Cards 180 degrees and add them to the Hospital deck with the rest of your cards into play.
   • If you lose combat: Lose the difference in resources. Then distribute your Strength among the Enemy Cards into play. If you can equal the Strength of 1 or more enemies, defeat these Enemies and keep their cards. Otherwise, the surviving enemies gain 1 Bonus Token corresponding to their sword symbol. The limit is of 1 Bonus Token for each Enemy.

Enemies with 1 sword who survive gain a +1 Bonus Token. Enemies with 2 swords who survive gain a +2 Bonus Token.

Example: Let's join Jim again for combat. In this example, a Magician Goblin with a Bonus Token survived the previous combat. The enemy pushed but will only be revealed during the combat phase. This turn, Jim must face 2 Enemies. Combat starts.

Jim draws 3 cards. He reveals them in front of him onto the Battlefield.

The Goblin Magician action is not launched because it was already revealed at the beginning of the turn. Then, Jim reveals the next Enemy Card: it is a Goblin Commander. Jim must draw 2 cards, but after drawing 1 card, the Castle is empty. In order to draw the extra card needed, Jim has to shuffle the Hospital deck and move it to the Castle space. Before this, as the Castle is empty, he must suffer the consequence: "When the Castle is empty: The Enemy Pushes. During the Boss fight, lose 2 Resources."

Jim draws the card missing from the Goblin Commander. Next, he has to launch the Enemy's action: it gains a +2 bonus token. Then, the Enemy Pushes. The Enemy Pushes but, as there is no more space, the next card in line to move forward is destroyed.

Jim now reveals the next Enemy: it is an Archer Goblin. Jim draws 2 cards then launches the Enemy's Action which causes him to lose 1 resource. Next, Jim must face these 3 Enemies: the Magician Goblin (Strength 4, +1 bonus token), the Goblin Commander (Strength 3, +2 bonus token), and the Archer Goblin (Strength 2).

Now that Jim has drawn cards and launched Actions for each Enemy Card, he can carry out his Actions, with 7 cards at his disposal. He must try and reach the Enemy Strength total which amounts to 12 (4 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 2).

Here are Jim's 7 cards on the Battlefield: Soldier, Baker, Thief, Old man, Archer, Lumberjack, Executioner.

Jim's Strength total is 4 (2 + 0 -1 -1 + 2 + 1 + 1). Now, he can carry out his Actions and/or exchange his Bodyguard.

Jim gains 1 resource from his Baker. He chooses to draw 1 card with his Archer: the card is a Soldier. With the Executioner he decides to destroy the Old man.

His actions completed, Jim counts his Strength total and finds it to be 11 (3 + 3 + 0 -1 + 2 + 1 + 3 [1 + 2]).

This is the situation: Strength 11 vs Enemy Strength 12.

The Enemy is stronger. Jim loses 1 resource, the difference between his Strength and his Enemy's.

Next, Jim must divide his Strength (11) among the Enemy Cards. He chooses to do it as follows: 5 against the Magician Goblin (Strength 4), 4 against the Goblin Commander (Strength 3), and 2 against the Archer Goblin (Strength 2).

Jim chooses to defeat 2 Enemies. He takes their 2 cards, rotates them 180 degrees and adds them to the Hospital deck as Items. He will have to face the Archer Goblin again, next turn.

An Enemy who remains undefeated must be fought again with his whole Strength the next turn. Furthermore, an Enemy surviving a combat gains 1 Enemy Bonus Token (max 1 token/enemy card).

Bosses Combat

When you have defeated all Enemies OR when during the 2nd phase (Enemy Pushes) no Enemy is left to push, destroy the Enemies at the Castle Gates and go directly to Bosses Combat phase. Then, there are changes in the rules:

1. During Bosses Combat, there is no Training Phase. You fight the Bosses one after the other.
2. Bosses set the Castle on fire. The Castle is burning! You cannot gain more resources. This is the meaning of the crossed-out resource symbol on the Boss Cards. You also lose 2 resources each time the Castle is empty, as indicated on the Player Board.
3. You reveal and fight 1 Boss at a time.
   • Defeated Bosses are destroyed from the game.
   • If you lose the combat, you must try again.
   • Bosses' Actions are launched at every encounter.
   • Bosses do not gain Bonus Token.
4. Defeat all Bosses and bring back the peace in the village!

King/Queen

Kings and Queens each have a super power per game. You can use this power when you can launch actions. To use it, simply turn the card over and then activate the power. Once per game.

You can use this power when you can play actions. To use it, turn the card face down. Once per game.

Difficulty Levels

In Co-op mode, players determine the difficulty level together.

• Easy: Each player starts the game with 3 Bonus Tokens in hand. You can put them on your cards during the game. 3 Bosses to face.
• Normal: 4 Bosses to face.
• Difficult: Start the game at the phase: the Enemy Pushes. 5 Bosses to face.

Bodyguard

The Bodyguard has a designated space on the Player Board to keep a Peasant or Item across the phases. It's your best tool to win at Goblivion.

• It does not leave the Board at the end of the phases.
• It is not "In play" therefore it is not accounted for during Training or Combats.
• To use the Bodyguard card, it must be exchanged for a card into play (on the Battlefield). This card then takes the Bodyguard's place.
• We can only use it ONCE every phase.
• The Bodyguard can only be exchanged for a card into play when you are NOT using its Action.

Co-op Mode

The game Co-op mode represents 2 King(s)/Queen(s) each defending half of the same castle.

Each player has his/her own King/Queen, Battlefield and resources. The player deals with them individually. The two players share the Castle Cards and training decisions. If a player's resources fall to zero, the game ends with a defeat.

The mechanic that changes everything: At any given moment, a player can choose to lose 1 resource to send 1 card to the ally Battlefield.

• The second Player uses the Co-op board. Each player starts with a King/Queen role, resources, a Bodyguard and a Battlefield space.
• Shuffle the 40 Blue Cards and set them into the Castle space, between both players.
• In Co-op mode, the number of Enemy Cards to set is indicated on the Enemy Board.

Co-op Mode General Rules

• Each player has a Battlefield and considers only his/her own Strength for combat and training.
• Each player can choose to lose 1 resource to send 1 card to the ally Battlefield, as many times as he/she wants.

"Phase — Training", similar to solo, exceptions:

• The second player chooses a card to train from the market by rotating it 90 degrees. Both players can train the same type of card.
• Each player draws cards for his/her Battlefield, however, once the phase is over, cards into play and trained cards end up into the same Hospital space. Drawing order is determined between players.

"Phase — The Enemy Pushes", identical to solo.

"Phase — Combat", similar to solo, exceptions:

• Each player fights the same enemies at the same time on his individual Battlefield. They each suffer the same enemy actions.

Example: Jim draws 3 cards and must reach a Strength value of 4. Tom draws 3 cards and must reach a Strength value of 4.

If a player has enough Strength, but his/her ally has not, the Enemy remains into play and gains 1 Bonus Token.

Example: Jim has a Strength value of 1, Jim loses 3 resources. Tom has a Strength value of 5, Tom loses 0 resources. The Enemy has not been defeated by Jim. It remains into play and gains one Bonus Token.

• The loss of resources is determined individually for each player, in combat.
• Both players suffer the effects of the enemy Actions.
• Exception: The Enemy Pushes only occurs once.

Boss Combats, similar to solo, exceptions:

• See the Co-op column on the Boss Card to know the number of cards to draw and the Strength to reach.
• When the Castle is empty, both players lose 2 resources.
• Both players are affected by Boss Actions.

FAQ

• In case of a tie, you choose.
• When training the Knight, you do not have to destroy a Peasant card for the second card obtained.
• Cards that come into play from the Hospital can be activated.
• If the Traitor is destroyed during the Boss fight, his action does nothing.
• The more Soldiers you have in play, the stronger each Soldier is! (Ex: With 3 Soldiers, each Soldier gets 4 Strength).
• The Magic Hat copies the action of a card in play. It can copy the action of an activated card.
• When Margaret activates her power, the action on the player board "When the Castle is empty:" does not trigger.
• Can destroy/discard one of your activated cards. Cannot target an Enemy card.
• Cards with ignored Strength can perform their actions (e.g. Troll Queen ignores Item Cards' Strength; Trollette ignores cards with Strength 4 or more).
• You count the Strength of a single copy of your duplicates (e.g. Twin Brothers: the Strength of identical cards is reduced to the Strength of only one of them).

Variant — Quick Market

Play as usual, but with a market limited to 6 choices. Shuffle your 2-sword cards and make 3 equivalent piles, then do the same with your 1-sword cards.

At the beginning of the training phase, you can change the duplicate cards in the market. Place these cards under their original piles. If one of the stacks is empty of cards, slide a card from the market on the empty space to keep 6 training choices.

Winning Tips

• Train a few allies to destroy your bad cards quickly (Executioner, Berserker). You don't want to draw farmer cards during important battles.
• Drawing is winning! Find ways to draw more cards and mitigate your chances of survival.
• Remember to swap your bodyguard when you have excess strength. This strength will serve you better in the next phase.
• Try to have some resources in reserve for the Bosses, as you won't be able to gain resources during the final battle.

Good luck!

Course of the Game

1 — Training

Aim: Your Strength ≥ the Training Process target.

1. Put the training token on the card to be trained. Two-swords cards are only available after winning a first battle.
2. From the Castle deck, draw the number of cards indicated in the Training Process.
3. Use the Actions of the cards into play. Option: Exchange Bodyguard (1x); Use King/Queen power.
4. Compare your Strength to the Training Process target. If the target is not reached, pay the difference in resources or skip training.
5. Destroy a card bearing the symbol requested in the Training Process: Peasant or Item. Otherwise, skip training.
6. Add the new card obtained to your Hospital deck with the cards from the Battlefield.

2 — The Enemy Pushes

1. Slide the Enemy Cards following the direction of the arrows, one space at a time.
2. A face down card stays face down as it slides forward.
3. A revealed card stays face up as it slides forward.
4. Always fill the empty space behind a card.
5. If no Enemy is left to push during this phase, destroy the Enemies at the Castle Gates and go directly to Bosses Combat phase.

3 — Combat

Aim: Your Strength ≥ the Enemy's Strength.

1. Reveal the Enemy Card at the far left of the Castle Gates space, then draw the cards.
2. Launch Enemy Action if revealed in the current turn.
3. Repeat step 1 for each Enemy.
4. Initiate the Actions of your cards into play. Option: Exchange Bodyguard (1x); Use King/Queen power.
5. If a new enemy comes in combat, repeat step 1.
6. Compare the total of Ally/Enemy Strength.
   • If you succeed, add card(s) to your Hospital deck with the cards from the Battlefield.
   • If you failed, lose the difference in resources. Then distribute your Strength among the Enemy Cards into play. Place the defeated Enemy cards in the Hospital deck, rotated 180 degrees. The surviving Enemies gain 1 Bonus Token corresponding to their sword symbol.

(If the last enemy is defeated, go to Bosses Combat.)

Bosses Combat

1. You do not have Training phase anymore.
2. You do not gain resources anymore.
3. Lose 2 resources each time the Castle is empty.
4. Fight the Bosses one after the other.
5. Bosses Actions are launched at every encounter.