Ichor Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Objective
• Setup
• Play
  • Move Your Figure
  • Place Your Tokens
  • Activate a Power
• Winning
• Example of Play
• Reinforcements & Gates Expansion
  • Additional Monsters & Gods
  • Victory Cards
  • Gates
  • Gate Abilities
• God Powers
• Monster Powers

Components

• 1 double-sided cloth board (6×6 and 7×7)
• 16 figures (8 monsters and 8 gods)
• 16 power cards (8 monsters and 8 gods)
• 38 tokens (19 monster tokens, 19 god tokens)
• 4 player aid cards

Objective

Ichor is an asymmetric strategy game for two players. In this mythological battle of wits, one player controls the Greek gods while the other controls the Greek monsters. On your turn, you'll simply move one of your figures in a straight line as far as you wish, leaving behind a trail of your tokens on each space you pass over. You can never move onto or over a space containing another figure, but you can replace opposing tokens with your own. The first player to get all of their tokens on the board wins.

Setup

Use the smaller side of the board, showing a 6×6 grid of spaces. With more experience, or depending on your preference, try the larger side of the board, showing a 7×7 grid of spaces.

Sit opposite to each other. Decide who plays the monsters and who plays the gods. Lay out the board, with the assault side in front of the player of the monsters and the Olympus side in front of the player of the gods.

Each player shuffles the eight power cards of their color and displays six cards (smaller side) or seven cards (larger side) face up in a line from left to right along their side of the board. Any remaining power cards are set aside face down. Each player also takes the two aid cards of their opponent's color.

Each player then places the corresponding figures on the board on the second space in from each of the corresponding cards (see picture). Any remaining figures are set aside.

Finally, each player receives 14 tokens (smaller side) or 19 tokens (larger side) of their color. Players display their tokens in front of them. Any remaining tokens are left in the box.

Play

The player representing the monsters starts; after that, play alternates between the players. On your turn, choose one action: Move your figure OR activate a power.

Move Your Figure

MOVE YOUR FIGURE: First, choose one of your figures and move it on the board. The following rules apply:

• Move either horizontally or vertically one or more spaces in a straight line.
• Never move onto or over a space with another figure.

Place Your Tokens

PLACE YOUR TOKENS: After moving your chosen figure, place one of your tokens onto the start space of the figure and onto each space the figure moved over. The following rules apply:

• Only one token is allowed on each space: If a space is occupied by an opponent's token, return it to your opponent. If a space is already occupied by your own token, nothing happens.
• No token is allowed on a space with a figure: If the final space is occupied by an opponent's token, return it to your opponent. If the space is occupied by your own token, take it back.

Activate a Power

ACTIVATE A POWER: Instead of simply moving your chosen figure, you can activate its power. An overview of the powers is found on pages 11-12. The following rules apply:

• Follow the description on the power card, which overrides the general rules. The activated power can change the way the figure moves, add an effect after the figure's normal movement, or replace the figure's movement with a different effect.
• Each power can only be activated once during the game. After its use, turn the corresponding card face down.
• When a figure is removed from the board, it does not leave a token in its space. When your figure moves to any other space on the board during your turn, it does leave a token in its space (if your opponent's power moves your figure, it does not leave a token in its space).

Winning

The game ends when a player finishes their turn with all their tokens on the board. This player wins.

Note: During this final turn, it is possible that the player moves over more spaces than they have tokens to place; this can still be useful, because any opponent tokens they move over are returned to the opponent (thus increasing the winner's score).

The game also ends if a player cannot move any of their figures or use a power on their turn. This player then loses.

The winner scores as many points as the losing player has tokens off the board.

After your first game, reset the board to its first game setup (with the same figures in the same positions), then trade sides with your opponent and play a second game. The player with the higher point score after the two games wins. In the case of a tie, the player who won the second game wins the tie.

Example of Play

(The rulebook illustrates the following sequence of turns on pages 4-7, viewed from the god player's perspective.)

1. On the first turn, the monsters player activates the Griffin's power to jump over Hermes. (GRIFFIN: When moving as normal, jump over any one figure.)
2. You decide to block the Griffin by moving Zeus back one space.
3. The monsters player activates the Siren and calls Zeus to their space, then the Siren moves forward. (SIREN: Place any god onto this space, then move away as normal.)
4. You decide to activate Aphrodite and mirror the Siren's power. You call the Cyclops to Aphrodite's space and then move forward with her. (APHRODITE: After a monster has used its power on the previous turn, use the same power.)
5. The monsters player moves the Griffin horizontally.
6. You similarly move Aphrodite horizontally.
7. The monsters player sees their opportunity to win the game and takes it. They activate the Cyclops which allows them to move twice and place their remaining tokens, then they remove the Cyclops from the board. All of your tokens that the Cyclops moved over are also removed from the board. (CYCLOPS: After moving as normal, move a 2nd time as normal, then remove this figure.)
8. You have 13 tokens off the board (displayed in front of you). The monsters player scores 13 points.

Reinforcements & Gates Expansion

This Expansion can be purchased directly from our shop at www.BitewingGames.com

Additional Monsters & Gods

There are three additional monsters with their corresponding cards and three additional gods with their corresponding cards.

Add the three additional cards to your original set of eight cards and shuffle all these cards together. Then proceed with the game preparation as usual.

Additional monsters:

• GERYON: After moving as normal, stack 2 more tokens on any 1 just placed.
• TYPHON: Before moving as normal, move one space.
• ECHIDNA: Instead of moving, if this and 1 more monster are on the god edge then add a new monster.

Additional gods:

• HEPHAESTUS: When moving over own tokens, stack a 2nd token on top of these.
• ARES: After moving as normal, remove this god to turn up to 3 god cards face up again.
• HESTIA: Instead of moving, if this and 2 more gods are in the same column then add a new god.

ADDING A NEW MONSTER OR GOD DURING THE GAME: During the game, when a power allows you to add a new monster or god, first reveal a random card from the remaining cards you set aside face down during preparation. Place this card face up next to your line of cards. Then, take the corresponding figure and position it on any space of the board that is without a figure. If there is a token on this space, return this token to its owner.

Victory Cards

CALYDONIAN BOAR AND HERA: There is one additional monster with its corresponding card and one additional god with its corresponding card, both with a special victory power.

• CALYDONIAN BOAR: Instead of moving, claim victory if there are 4 gods on the spaces around (straight & diagonal).
• HERA: Instead of moving, claim victory if all 4 adjacent spaces are occupied by your tokens.

If you decide to play with these victory cards, first the player of the monsters, then the player of the gods places their victory card face up into any position of their line of cards.

Then, both players shuffle their cards and fill the remaining positions of their line of cards as usual. This ensures that both players have their victory card in play.

Note: It is not easy to claim victory with these cards, but they can put pressure on the opponent to prevent the victory condition from happening. Courtesy (and Greek hubris!) require a player to announce at the end of their turn if their victory condition is established for their next turn.

Gates

These are eight additional tiles that can be used in the game.

If you decide to play with the gates, shuffle these tiles during preparation and randomly place two of them face up on the board as indicated.

(In the illustrations, each gate tile covers two horizontally adjacent spaces with the gate at its center. The two tiles go in the two central rows of the board, offset from one another — on the 6×6 side, one tile on the third row covering the 4th and 5th spaces and one tile on the fourth row covering the 2nd and 3rd spaces; the 7×7 side is shown with the equivalent staggered placement.)

The following rules apply:

• When moving over spaces with a gate tile, tokens are placed on these spaces as usual.
• A figure may not end its movement on a gate tile.
• A gate is activated when a figure moves horizontally through the gate. The figure can start from any space before the gate tile and can end its movement on any space after the gate tile.

Note: The gate is on the center of the gate tile (between spaces). When a figure passes horizontally through the gate, the ability applies immediately (the ability can affect the space on the tile directly after the gate).

Gate Abilities

• OFFERINGS: Place two of your tokens onto the center of the gate tile. If the center is occupied by two of your opponent's tokens, remove them. If the center is already occupied by two of your own tokens, nothing happens.
• REINFORCEMENTS: On each space after the gate that the figure moves over, place up to two of your tokens instead of one.
• SACRIFICE: After the figure moves through the gate, remove the figure from the board. Then, place three of your tokens onto any three empty spaces.
• ASSISTANCE: Discard one of your tokens that is still in front of you into the box.
• BOOST: After the figure has ended its movement, the figure may move one more space in any (horizontal or vertical) direction.
• JUMP: After the gate, the figure does not continue its movement but jumps to any space that is without a figure and ends its movement there. In this case, no tokens are placed on any spaces after the gate.
• RECHARGE: If the figure's power card is face down, turn it face up again. If the card is face up, nothing happens. The power cannot be applied on the same turn it is recharged.
• TRANSFORM: After the figure has ended its movement, reveal a random card from the remaining cards you set aside face down during setup. Replace the figure and its card with the new card (face up) and its figure. If you have already used all the cards you set aside, nothing happens.

God Powers

• APHRODITE: After a monster has used its power on the previous turn, use the same power. If the ability that you are mimicking refers to a "god" or "monster," then you should interpret this as the opposite.
• APOLLO: After moving as normal, move a 2nd time back to the starting space. This can even be used to trigger the Reinforcements and Assistance gates twice in one turn.
• ARES: After moving as normal, remove this god to turn up to 3 god cards face up again.
• ARTEMIS: End the movement on a space with a monster, then remove both figures. Remember, neither of these figures leave a token on the space they were removed from.
• ATHENA: Instead of moving as normal, move 3 single steps, each horizontally or vertically.
• HERA: Instead of moving, claim victory if all 4 adjacent spaces are occupied by your tokens. There must be 4 adjacent spaces. This power cannot be activated if Hera is on a border space with fewer adjacent spaces.
• HERACLES: When moving, push any 1 monster along the space in front, but not off the board. The monster you push may not be pushed into a space that is occupied by another figure.
• HEPHAESTUS: When moving over own tokens, stack a 2nd token on top of these.
• HERMES: Instead of moving as normal, jump to any space that is without a figure. Remember to place a god token on the space that Hermes jumps from.
• HESTIA: Instead of moving, if this and 2 more gods are in the same column then add a new god. The 2 gods must be anywhere in the same column (not row) as Hestia to qualify.
• POSEIDON: Instead of moving, remove all tokens in Poseidon's row or column. All tokens (from both players) in the chosen row or column are removed and returned to the players.
• ZEUS: Instead of moving, place your tokens on all diagonal spaces around. You do not add a god token to a space that already contains a god token, but you do replace any monster tokens in these spaces.

Monster Powers

• CALYDONIAN BOAR: Instead of moving, claim victory if there are 4 gods on the spaces around (straight and diagonal).
• CENTAUR: Instead of moving as normal, move diagonally, placing your tokens as normal.
• CERBERUS: Instead of moving, replace all god tokens on any 3 spaces with 1 of your tokens per space.
• CYCLOPS: After moving as normal, move a 2nd time as normal, then remove this figure.
• ECHIDNA: Instead of moving, if this and 1 more monster are on the god edge then add a new monster. The "god edge" is the row of spaces that is closest to the god player.
• GERYON: After moving as normal, stack 2 more tokens on any 1 just placed.
• GRIFFIN: When moving as normal, jump over any one figure. After the jump, you may continue moving in the same direction until you decide to stop.
• HYDRA: Instead of moving, remove all tokens from all spaces around (straight and diagonal). All tokens (from both players) adjacent to Hydra (straight and diagonally) are removed and returned to the players.
• MEDUSA: After a god has used their power on the previous turn, use the same power. If the ability that you are mimicking refers a "god" or "monster," then you should interpret this as the opposite.
• MINOTAUR: While moving, exit one end of the board and reenter on the opposite end. Upon reentering, you may continue moving until you decide to stop, but it must be in the same direction as your movement started.
• SIREN: Place any god onto this space, then move away as normal. Remember, the god that was moved does not leave a god token in its space.
• TYPHON: Before moving as normal, move 1 space.