Gone Viking! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
  • Card Distribution
• Set Up
• Get Playing!
  • Prepare for the Raid ~ Swap Cards
  • Go Viking and Raiding for Plunder
  • Bring a God into Play
• Return Home
• Check for a Winner
• Before Raiding Again
• The Viking Gods
  • Odin
  • Freya
  • Thor
  • Loki
• Additional Information
  • Resolving Ties for the Jarl's Target
  • Resolving Ties for Winning the Game
  • Trick-Taking Refresher
• Order of Play Summary

Game Components

~ 54 Playing Cards ~

• 4 Gods
• 48 Plunder
• 1 Jarl (with Order of Play on reverse)
• 1 Trump Tracker

~ 41 Wealth Tokens ~

• 5 Books
• 6 Coins
• 7 Hammers
• 8 Fists
• 10 Trees
• 5 Ships

Card Distribution

The rulebook gives the Plunder card distribution in a diagram. The stacks are read left to right by player count: the left column is used in every game (3, 4 and 5 players), the middle column is added for 4 and 5 players, and the right column is added for 5 players only. The four God cards are included in every game. Each Plunder card also shows its minimum player count on its bottom edge (4+ or 5).

• 3 players (left column): Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Coins 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Hammers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; Fists 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (26 Plunder). The left column also holds the four God cards: Odin (12, Books), Freya (11, Coins), Thor (10, Hammers) and Loki (9, Fists).
• 4 players (adds middle column): Books 1; Coins 1, 2; Hammers 1, 2, 3; Fists 1, 2, 3, 4.
• 5 players (adds right column): Books 2, 3, 4; Coins 3, 4, 5; Hammers 4, 5, 6; Fists 5, 6, 7.

Transcriber note: the distribution diagram is a picture, not text. The values above were read from the diagram. Where a stack is partly covered, the visible card faces were used. The counts add up to the printed total of 48 Plunder cards (26 for 3 players, 36 for 4 players, 48 for 5 players), and each God is in the deck for every player count.

Set Up

SEPARATE WEALTH TOKENS. Separate the Wealth tokens by type for ease of use. Give each player 2 Tree tokens to start the game. Place the remaining tokens in the center of the table so everyone has access to the supply. NOTE: Trees are the only unlimited type of wealth - you may add more Tree tokens if necessary.

PREPARE THE DECK. Using the numbers on the bottom of each card, create the game deck by removing Plunder cards that do not correspond to the number of players in your game. Shuffle in all 4 Viking god cards. Do not include the Jarl card or the trump tracker.

CHOOSE A START PLAYER. In some civilized fashion - or uncivilized Viking style! - decide who will lead the first Raid.

LEADER DEALS THE CARDS.

• 5 players get 9 cards each
• 4 players get 8 cards each
• 3 players get 7 cards each

CREATE THE DRAW PILE. Place the remaining deck of cards in the centre of the table as the draw pile.

INDICATE STARTING TRUMP TYPE. At the start of every game, Books is the Plunder type for trump. Place the Jarl card on the Trump Tracker so that only the Books trump icon is visible. Keep track of any change in the trump Plunder type by repositioning the Jarl when it happens.

FOLLOW THE ORDER OF PLAY. Use this guide to remember the sequence of phases in the game. (See the Order of Play Summary below.)

Get Playing!

Prepare for the Raid ~ Swap Cards

In an attempt to improve their hand of cards, each player can pay one Wealth token for every 2 cards they wish to exchange with the deck. This happens in turn order before going on the raid. Select 2 cards from your hand and place them at the bottom of the draw pile then draw 2 new cards. You can make as many exchanges as you are willing to pay for before the next player does their exchange. Wealth tokens are returned to the supply.

NOTE: After the first raid, the Leader appointed by the Jarl gets a Free Card Swap instead - refer to the Before Raiding Again instructions.

Go Viking and Raiding for Plunder

The Raid Leader starts the first trick by playing one or more Plunder cards of the same type from their hand. In clockwise order, all the other players must play the same type of Plunder as was led. If you do not have any cards of that particular type in your hand, play any type of Plunder card(s) including trump.

Normally, the player who has the highest value card(s) wins the trick. However, this could change depending on the Viking god card in play. Trump cards beat non-trump cards if trump is involved.

After everyone has played once, the winner of the trick collects the cards and gains a Wealth token that matches the type of Plunder card used to win the trick. If no matching tokens remain in the supply, take Trees instead.

If two or more players tie for winning the trick, no one wins and no token is collected. The cards are discarded.

The player who won the last trick starts the next one and players once again play cards clockwise. Continue to complete tricks and gain Wealth tokens until all players have emptied their hands.

Bring a God into Play

To invoke a Viking god's unique power while raiding, place the god card face down in front of you - in addition to the card(s) you are using to contribute to a trick. You cannot play a god card alone. Only one god card can be brought into play during each trick. The god card gets flipped up after the trick is played out. An existing god in play is discarded and the new god's Raid Power takes over.

If your god card is still in play when the raid is over, you gain the Home Power.

Each god's powers and affect on play are detailed in the Viking Gods section.

A Viking god card can also be played as a regular Plunder type card counting the number on its face. Used this way, it has no raid or home power.

Return Home

When the raiding is done, 3 things happen in the following order:

1. Benefit from the Last God. Apply the benefit of the last god standing - see The Viking Gods section.

2. Build a Viking Ship. If you have the right combination of 4 Wealth tokens - including any just won - you may return them to the supply in exchange for a Ship token. Do this in turn order, starting with the current Raid Leader. Only one ship per player can be built after a raid.

   Valid combinations:

   • 1 each of Book, Coin, Hammer, Fist
   • or 4 Trees

3. Deal with the Jarl. The wealthiest player receives a visit from the Jarl. That player loses half of all the Wealth tokens they have accumulated in the game (excluding any ships) rounded up. When evaluating wealth, a ship is equivalent to 4 tokens and all other Wealth tokens have a value of 1 each.

   For example: 1 Ship, 1 Book and 2 Hammers is a total wealth of 7.

   If this was the most among the players, the Jarl would take 2 Wealth tokens of the player's choosing and the Ship would be safe. Tokens lost to the Jarl go back into the supply.

Check for a Winner

The first player who acquires the necessary Wealth tokens becomes the new Jarl and wins the game. Perform this check after returning home and dealing with the old Jarl.

To win and become the new Jarl:

• With 5 Players, you need 7 or more Wealth tokens
• With 4 Players, you need 8 or more Wealth tokens
• With 3 Players, you need 9 or more Wealth tokens

(Remember that a ship is worth 4 tokens.)

Before Raiding Again

If you were targeted by the Jarl, gather up all the cards, shuffle them and deal them out again. You are the new Raid Leader. The Jarl may have taken half your wealth, but he also bestows two benefits:

1. Free Card Swap. You may trade up to 4 Plunder cards for no cost, instead of paying to swap cards. Select cards from your hand and place them at the bottom of the draw pile then draw the same number of new cards.
2. Choose Trump. Before the other players pay to trade cards as normal, choose a Plunder type for trump and indicate it on the trump tracker.

The Viking Gods

Note: The player who brings a god into play makes any decisions required by the card.

Odin

Father of the Gods, Odin sacrificed an eye in exchange for wisdom.

• Effect on Trump: designate any Plunder type as trump when Odin comes into play.
• Raid Power: no boosting allowed - only single cards can be contributed to a trick.
• Home Power: you gain two additional Wealth tokens from the supply when the raid is over.

Freya

This beautiful goddess loves to bestow abundance and prosperity on those who worship her.

• Effect on Trump: if there is no trump, designate any Plunder type as trump when Freya comes into play.
• Raid Power: any player who wins a trick also gains one Coin token from the supply.
• Home Power: All other players must return one Wealth token of their choice back to the supply.

Thor

Strength in battle and fortitude in endeavors are Thor's heroic attributes.

• Effect on Trump: Thor removes trump while he is in play.
• Raid Power: players are not required to play Plunder cards of the same type that was led. The highest value card(s) take the trick regardless of type and boosting is allowed as normal.
• Home Power: you may return ANY 4 Wealth tokens to the supply to acquire a Ship.

Loki

Trickster and lover of the weak, Loki adores chaos above all else.

• Effect on Trump: Loki does not affect trump.
• Raid Power: the card(s) with lowest total value win the trick. If trump is involved, the lowest trump card(s) win.
• Home Power: gain one Wealth token from the supply OR steal one Wealth token from another player (you cannot steal a Ship).

Additional Information

Resolving Ties for the Jarl's Target

To determine who the Jarl visits when there is a tie for the wealthiest player, tied players count up the total value of all Fist cards they collected during the raid. The player with the most becomes the Jarl's target.

Resolving Ties for Winning the Game

In a situation where you have enough Wealth tokens to win the game but are tied with one or more players, you win if you are the new Raid Leader. If none of the tied players is the Raid Leader, add up the value of each player's Wealth tokens and the highest total wins.

Wealth token values (as printed in the Additional Information section):

Ship	Book	Coin	Hammer	Fist	Tree
11	5	4	3	2	1

Trick-Taking Refresher

• Players keep their cards hidden until played.
• Players take turns clockwise and play once per trick.
• One card type is designated as trump before the round starts. This trump card type beats all other card types.
• The first card played, a.k.a the lead, determines the card type that other players must contribute to the trick.
• The highest value card of the type that was led wins the trick.
• If you cannot match the card type led, you must play another card type, including trump.
• If more than one trump card is played, the highest value trump card wins the trick.
• The winner of the trick starts the next trick.
• If you are out of cards, play passes to the next player.

Order of Play Summary

Before raiding

1. Raid Leader deals the cards.
2. Players swap cards with the draw pile. a) Leader swaps first, chooses trump. b) Other players swap.

During a raid

3. Play tricks, invoke the gods; win Plunder items; until all cards are played out.

Back home

4. Resolve the last god's effect.
5. Build a Ship.
6. Jarl visits wealthiest player: tribute is paid; new Raid Leader declared.
7. Check for a winner.