Henchling Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Getting Ready
• Gameplay at a Glance
• Setup
  • Setting up the draw piles
  • Tracking player health
  • Who goes first?
• Playing the Game
  • Starting player
  • Each turn
• Card Types
  • Henchlings
  • Items
  • Item Limit
  • Spells
  • Enhancers
  • Traps
• Turn Phases
  • 1) Un-Tilting
  • 2) Draw
  • 3) Action
    • Play Cards
    • Attacking
    • Abilities
  • Ability Requirements
  • 4) Un-Flip
  • 5) Discard
• Game Mechanics
  • Tilting
  • Flip
  • Reactions
  • Protector
• Optional Rules
  • Mulligan
• Glossary

Getting Ready

Henchling is a game for 2 - 4 players. An average game will take about 30 - 45 minutes, however, allow extra time to train new Henchling Overlords. All you need to get started is a deck of Henchling cards, space to play, paper to track players' health and .... wait for it ... players! Now you're ready to do battle!

Each box contains:

• 32 Unique Cards
• Rulebook

Gameplay at a Glance

There are five (5) types of cards:

• Henchlings: used to attack and deal damage
• Items: provide lots of fun benefits, abilities and can deal damage
• Spells: instant one time abilities or damage
• Enhancers: can do good or bad things to Henchlings & Items
• Traps: sneaky card waiting to meddle in your plans

Each turn players will draw cards and place them into their hand. They must then pay the card's cost in order to bring it into play from their hand. Once in play, the card's attacks and abilities can be used until it is removed from play.

Use your cards to destroy your opponent's Henchlings and items all the while whittling down their health. With enough vigilance you can overcome the mounting threat from the other Henchling Overlords, claiming victory!

Setup

Before the beginning of any game:

1. Remove the four (4) trap cards and set aside
2. Shuffle the deck
3. Deal four (4) cards to each player for their starting hand
4. Set up the draw piles

Setting up the draw piles

Split the shuffled deck and place roughly 2/3 of the cards in a pile, face down. Take the remaining 1/3 and randomly disperse the trap cards you set aside into this deck. Place these cards face down in a pile then flip only the top card face up. These will be the two draw piles. During any card draw, a player can choose to use either or both piles.

The Discard pile will be located nearby and contains any cards that are Destroyed, killed, discarded, etc. through the course of the game.

Tracking player health

Each player starts with forty (40) health. Health can be easily tracked on a sheet of paper.

Who goes first?

The player who last achieved world domination goes first ... or use a classic game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine starting player.

Playing the Game

Starting player

The starting player will draw only one (1) card during the draw phases of this turn, since they get to go first. Once their turn is complete, play will continue clockwise around the table.

Each turn

Each player's turn goes through five (5) phases:

1. Un-Tilt: reset all previously Tilted cards that are still in play.
2. Recover: all your damaged Henchlings recover their total health.
3. Draw: draw a total of two (2) cards and place them in your hand. Cards can be drawn from either or both draw piles.
4. Action: the player can choose to do any or all of the following three actions in any order: a. Play Cards: each turn a player has $3 to spend on bringing cards into play from the cards in their hand. Once the cost is paid, place the cards face up on the table in front of you. b. Attacking: using Henchlings already in play including those played this turn. c. Abilities: use the abilities of Henchlings or items already in play including those played this turn.
5. Un-Flip: Un-Flip any cards you did not Flip face down this turn.
6. Discard: player must discard down to six (6) cards in their hand.

For additional information, see the section "Turn Phases" on page 8 for more details.

Card Types

Henchlings

These are creatures, people, and "things" that are put into play, to do their Overlord's bidding! Every Henchling has two stats: health and damage.

They can be Tilted which allows them to attack or use abilities. Occasionally they will have passive abilities that provide a persistent effect as long as they are in play. For additional information, see the section "Turn Phases" on page 8 for more details.

Items

Items are cool things that can be put into play and used every turn ... at least until someone steals or Destroys them.

Items provide lots of interesting benefits, including abilities that can be used every turn by Tilting them. Items do not have health, cannot attack, and cannot be attacked by Henchlings. They can only be removed from play when another card Destroys or discards them.

Item Limit

Even an Evil Mastermind such as yourself can't hold everything and the kitchen sink. Players are limited to having five (5) items in play at any given time. In order to play a sixth (6th) item, one item already in play must be discarded first, to make room.

Spells

Spells are instant gratification. Fireballs, lasers, cannons and Armageddon! Blow everything up! When a spell is played, the target(s) are identified and the effect happen instantly - then the spell must be discarded.

Reaction cards (see the section "Reactions" on page 13) can be used in defense of some spells. However, since these are instant they never "technically" come into play, spells cannot be Tilted or Flipped.

Enhancers

Enhancers can either do good or bad things to Henchlings and items currently in play. By attaching an enhancer to another card it can alter the original card's stats and abilities.

Enhancers come in two varieties: Henchling Enhancers and Item Enhancers. They can only be used on their specified type of card.

Enhancers cannot Tilt by themselves. They only Tilt when the card they are attached to is Tilted. Enhancers can however be Flipped independently from the card they are attached to. If the enhanced Henchling or item card is removed from play, the enhancer is usually discarded. Some enhancers may return to the player's hand, or a draw pile instead. Refer to each enhancer's description for specifics.

Traps

Traps affect all the players and come into play as soon as they are revealed in the face up pile. When a trap is revealed, place it face up on the table.

Usually a trap has an immediate effect, but sometimes it has a trigger instead. The next player to perform the stated trigger action (such as playing a Henchling) will spring the trap and suffer the consequences.

Drawing a trap does not affect a player's draw count, they may draw another replacement card.

Pro Tip: Keep an Eye Out

Don't forget about those traps! Countless Evil Masterminds have had their strategies foiled due to a forgotten trap culling away their forces!

Turn Phases

1) Un-Tilting

Before you draw any new cards, a player must reset all previously Tilted cards still in play. To do this, turn your Tilted cards vertical, also known as Un-Tilting them. This indicates that the cards are now ready for use. Any damaged Henchlings you own, that are still in play, recovers all their health at this time.

2) Draw

Players draws two (2) cards each turn and put them into their hand. Players can use either or both draw piles. The starting player will only draw one (1) card on their first turn only, after that everyone draws two (2) cards. If all players pass on a card in the face up pile for one full turn cycle (all players), it must be sent to the discard pile and a new card revealed. If you ever run out of draw cards in either pile, you may choose to shuffle the discard pile back into the draw piles.

3) Action

There are three types of actions that can be performed in this phase: Play Cards, Attacking, and Abilities. These can happen in any order the player chooses. However, cards in play can only attack or use an ability, not both. So choose wisely Overlords!

Play Cards

Every card has a play cost, which allows cards from a player's hand to come into play. This cost will range from free to $3. This can be found at the top right of each card and is denoted by 0, 1, 2, or 3 the money symbols ($$$). Each player has only $3 to spend per turn, this can sometimes increase or decrease based cards in play. Coins that are not spent during that turn cannot be saved until the next turn. Each turn a player may play as many cards as they can afford.

Once the play cost has been paid, the card is placed or "Arrives" on the table, at this point some cards trigger an Arrive effect which will be denoted by the phrase "When he/she/it Arrives..." these effects take place immediately. Once any Arrive effects have been resolved the card it now considered "in play"! All cards can be used immediately after they come into play. Don't wait around and let them go to waste! Since Henchling is a fast paced game, sometimes cards won't last long!

Attacking

Each Henchling has the ability to attack any face up Henchling or player's health directly. When this happens the intended target is announced and then the Henchling is Tilted, indicating that it has been used this turn.

When the intended target is a Henchling; the two fight each other regardless of whether the target Henchling is already Tilted. Both simultaneously deal damage equal to their attack (plus any bonuses) to each other's health. When the intended target is another player; the Henchling deals damage equal to its attack (plus any bonuses) to the player's health.

If a Henchling's health drops below one (1), it will die instantly (and cannot be healed, even by Reactions!). Remove it from play and placing it in the discard pile. However, if the Henchling hasn't died by the beginning of its player's NEXT turn, then ALL of its health will be recovered.

Note that some cards passively raise or lower the health of Henchlings. However, they cannot lower a Henchling's health below one (1). In order to kill a Henchling it has to take damage or be destroyed.

Pro Tip: Team Up!

If one Henchling is overpowered, multiple players should team up to kill it Henchling before its health regenerates.

Abilities

Abilities are benefits or powers that a card can use. All abilities are listed in the card's description box and come in two (2) main varieties:

• Passive: happen automatically and does not require the card to be Tilted.
  • Example: "Each other Henchling gets +1 Attack" (Bad Cop)
• Active: these require the player to choose when it is used. There are a few kinds of abilities such as Tilt, Flip, and Destroy.
  • Example #1: "Tilt: Deal 2 damage to target" (Boomstick)
  • Example #2: "Free: Deal 1 damage to target Henchling" (Bland Guy Made of Fire)

A card can have many different abilities, each is typically denoted by an action icon and a semicolon, but only one of which can be used per Tilt. When an ability is used the intended target is announced, the effect happens and the card is Tilted (unless the action was "Free"), indicating that it has been used this turn.

Ability Requirements

In order to use an ability, you MUST fulfill all the requirements and conditions of that ability. Example: Shoelace Monster indicates that you "Tilt and Destroy this" to use his ability. You must destroy Shoelace Monster in order to use that ability!

4) Un-Flip

Un-Flip any face down cards that the current player Flipped on a previous turn. For any cards Flipped face down during this turn; there is an important distinction:

• If the current player Flipped them: do NOT Un-Flip those cards until the end of their next turn.
• If an opponent Flipped them: then Un-Flip those cards now.

5) Discard

At the end of the turn, the player MUST discard down to six (6) cards in their hand. There are a few cards that can change hand size, use them wisely!

Game Mechanics

Tilting

Tilting is just a way of visually showing that a player has used the attack or abilities of a specific card. To do this, turn a card in play clockwise at either a 45° or 90° angle (player's choice). Typically, a player will verbally announce the intended target (if one is applicable) and what they are doing as they Tilt the card.

Flip

Many cards allow you to Flip a target card. Flip it face down (or if it was already face down, then Flip it face up!) Flipping is both an offensive and a defensive mechanic.

Offensive: When a card is Flipped face down, it cannot be used. This means a player can Flip an opponent's card face down, and they cannot use it for one turn.

Defensive: When a card is Flipped face down, it also cannot be targeted in the normal way. A face down card temporarily loses its name, type, abilities, damage, health and all of its card text. It can only be targeted by cards that specifically say "target card".

Example: if a Henchling is Flipped face down, it can no longer be targeted by a "Destroy target Henchling" card. However, it can still be targeted by the more generic "Destroy target card". For all intents and purposes, a face-down card is only "a card", and has no other properties.

Reactions

Henchlings or items can be Reaction cards, which is denoted on the card with the Reaction symbol (a shield bearing an exclamation mark). These means that they can also be used during an opponent's turn, as long as the Reaction card has not already been Tilted.

Reaction cards can react to anything that an opponent does during their turn (except other Reactions), potentially preventing or mitigating whatever they try. Reactions are among the most powerful cards, be sure to take advantage of them!

Important Notes: Reaction cards cannot be used at any time, only in Reaction to something during the opponent's turn. This means you cannot arbitrarily use Reactions at the beginning or end of an opponent's turn.

Even More Important Note: Reaction actions are final. You cannot react to Reactions!

Example #1: A player attacks with Angry Bladed Badger. However, target player has a reaction card in play that can "Flip target Henchling", reacting to the attack by Flipping the Angry Bladed Badger first, thus preventing the attack.

Example #2: A player uses Forum Troll to Eject an opponent's Henchling. However, target player has a Reaction card in play that can "Tilt target Henchling", reacting to this by Tilting the Forum Troll first, thus preventing the Eject effect from occurring.

Example #3: A player uses Cheaty McCheaterpants to attack the opponent's Finely Dressed Gentleman. However, the opponent has a Reaction card in play that can "Give a target Henchling +1/+1" (Endless Mushroom Block), reacting to the attack and boosting Finely Dressed Gentleman's health to survive the attack and kill Cheaty McCheaterpants.

Protector

Protectors are a specific type of Henchling or item. If a card has the word "Protector" in the description, this means a player can choose to use it to block any kind of attack or ability damage directed at their Henchlings or player health - this includes damage that is dealt to oneself (Defective Harp of Healing) or attacks that occur by unusual means (Fight Lodge). No other cards can do this! Protectors can block attacks until their health is depleted and they are sent to the discard pile. Protectors can be used just like a Reaction, but only for blocking damage.

Important Note: Protectors will block ALL of the damage from an attack, as long as they are still in play. If the Protector's health is one (1) and the attack is six (6), the entire attack will be blocked. None of it will reaches the intended target. However, the Protector will die immediately and goes into the discard pile.

Optional Rules

Mulligan

At the start of the game, if any player is unhappy with their initial draw, they can elect to mulligan any number of their cards. These cards go into the discard pile and the player draws new cards to replace them. Each player can only mulligan one time.

Glossary

Arrives: A card "Arrives" when its play cost has been paid and it gets placed on the table. This arrival may trigger an Arrival effect which will be denoted in the card's description box by the phrase "When he/she/it Arrives...". Arrival effects takes place immediately and are considered to happen before the card is technically "in play". See the section "Play Cards" on page 9 for more details.

Cost: When the cost symbol appears ($$$), this indicates that the player must spend some of their money ($) to play a card or use an ability. See the section "Play Cards" on page 9 for more details.

Counter: Counters come in two forms: generic counters, and power up/down counters. Depending on your version of the game, counters may be represented by a plastic gemstone, or a specially marked card. Counters behave very similar to enhancers, in that they are attached to a specific card. If that card is Flipped face down, the counters become inactive until the card is Flipped face up again. If that card is discarded or otherwise removed from play, the counters are removed from the game. Power up/down counters boost a Henchling's attack and health by the specified amounts.

Damage: Damage can come from any type of card as well as from the attacks of Henchlings. Damage is the primary way to deplete the health of players.

Destroy: Destroying a card means it is immediately discarded from play and is moved to the discard pile.

Eject: Ejecting a card sends it immediately back into its owner's hand (except Token cards). Any enhancers and/or counters on that card are discarded. If the card is a Token card, remove it from the game and set it aside. Eject can trigger "When ... leaves" effects.

Flip: This is the action of Flipping cards face up or face down. See the section "Flip" on page 12 for more details.

Health: Both players and Henchlings have health. When a player runs out of health, they lose! So don't do that. When a Henchling runs out of health, it is killed and put into the discard pile.

Heal: Some cards can heal a player or their Henchlings. When a Henchling is healed, it will restore lost health but they cannot heal over their starting health. When a player is healed, it will restore any health and they can heal over their starting health of forty (40).

In-Play: When a card's play cost has been paid, the card gets placed face up on the table in front of the player and is now considered "in play". Cards in play can immediately use any attacks or abilities that they may have. See the section "Play Cards" on page 9 for more details.

Leaves: When a card is discarded from play and is place in the discard pile. This includes death and Destroy effects. This may trigger a Leave effect which will be denoted in the card's description box by the phrase "When he/she/it leaves ...".

Protector: Protectors are a specific type of Reaction card that can block incoming damage. See the section "Protector" on page 14 for more details.

Steal: Stealing allows a player to take control of an opponent's card. It remains in whatever state it was (Tilted, Flipped, etc.) and retains any enhancers, counters or other modifications. This does not however trigger an "Arrive" effects, since it is not coming "into play".

Reaction: Some cards have the Reaction symbol. Reaction cards have the potential to be used during an opponent's turn in reaction to something that the opponent does as long as the card has not already been Tilted. Reaction actions are final! You cannot react to Reactions! See the section "Reactions" on page 13 for more details.

Table: The table is the play zone. This is where Henchlings, items and enhancers are played. The table does not include the discard or draw piles, even though those are technically on the table.

Tilt: Tilt any card in play sideways to "Tilt" them. Once they are Tilted, they cannot use any other attacks or abilities that would require them to Tilt until they are Un-Tilted. See the section "Tilting" on page 12 for more details.

Token: Token cards act like temporary versions of a real card. Tokens can be Henchlings, items, or enhancers. Tokens behave identical to a real card, except if they leave the table, they cease to exist and must be removed from the game. This means that if a token is discarded or Ejected, the token is removed from the game and does not go to the discard pile, or the player's hand. A token can only exist in play, on the table. Refer to the individual card type's section for more information.

Trade: Trade, similar to steal, it allows a player to take control of an opponent's card. A player MUST have a card to trade to them of the same type, however. The card remains in whatever state it was prior to the trade (Tilted, Flipped, etc.) and retains any enhancers, counters or other modifications. Trading does not trigger an "Arrive" effect, since the card is not coming "into play".

Un-Flip: The opposite of Flip, this resets the card back face up and ready to attack or use abilities.

Un-Tilt: The opposite of Tilt, this resets the card back upright and ready to attack or use abilities.