Imperial Harvest

Imperial Harvest Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components
Objective
How to Win
Setup
Team Drafting
How to Play
Movement & Line-of-Sight
Token Orientation
Item Slots
Strawberry Abilities
Attacks, Death, & Respawning
Neutral Monsters: Hydras
End Game
Character Abilities
Glossary
- Ability Icons
Setup Manual
Alternate 2-Player Setups
Imperial Harvest: Tag Team

Components

14 character cards, including:
- Northern Raiders: Barbarian, Bard, Sorceress & Skin-Changer
- Imperial Servants: Bard, Imperial Guardian, Monk & Regent
- Unaffiliated: Basilisk, Hound, Minotaur, Nymph, Puppeteer & Ranger
16 character tokens, including:
- 8 Northern Raider tokens
- 8 Imperial Servant tokens
4 moat tiles
8 rectangular garden tiles
4 square garden tiles
4 bridge tiles
4 hedge tokens & 4 chopped hedge tokens
Northern Raider character camp & strawberry camp tiles
Imperial Servant character camp & strawberry camp tiles
Hydra card & 2 hydra tokens
Turn order card
2 blanket cards
18 victory point tokens
18 strawberry/item tokens
2-player playmat

Objective

The team with the most victory points (VP) at the end of the game wins.

How to Win

Players receive 1VP token for each strawberry plucked by their team's characters.
If a character is holding a strawberry at the end of the game, that strawberry is also worth 1VP.
Each strawberry deposited in your team's strawberry camp is worth 2VP at game-end.

(Note: Strawberries deposited in a strawberry camp may not be reclaimed or stolen by any team or character.)

Gaining VP
Plucking a strawberry	1VP
Holding a strawberry (at end of game)	1VP
Depositing a strawberry (at end of game)	2VP

The game lasts seven rounds, with each round consisting of an Imperial Servant turn and a Northern Raider turn (in that order). The game's progression should be marked using the turn order track and a VP token, with the Imperial Servants moving on odd-numbered turns and the Northern Raiders moving on even-numbered turns.
The game immediately ends if the Raiders end their turn and no strawberries are left on the game board. Otherwise, the game ends after seven rounds (fourteen player turns). The team with the most victory points (VP) at the end of the game is the winner!

Setup

Please see the Setup Manual below for instructions on board construction.

Team Drafting

If this is your first time playing, we suggest using the following teams:

Imperial Servants: Monk, Imperial Guardian, Bard
Northern Raiders: Barbarian, Sorceress, Bard

Experienced players may wish to take turns drafting unique characters for their team. If so, treat all characters as unaffiliated. The Imperial Servants then draft one character, then the Northern Raiders, then the Imperial Servants, etc.

Only three characters may be drafted for each team, and duplicate archetypes are not allowed. For example, you could not draft both the Barbarian and the Skin-Changer because both are "Warrior" archetypes. Each player then plays with the character tokens for the three archetypes they chose.

Archetypes: Aethereal, Creature, Guardian, Mage, Rogue, Royalty, Utility, Warrior.

How to Play

Players decide which side of the character cards they will be using: BASIC or ADVANCED. (Each character card has two sides: BASIC and ADVANCED.)

Beginning with the Servants of the Imperial Court, each team takes a turn activating characters and performing actions. After the Imperial Servants have acted and have advanced the token down the turn order track, the Northern Raider player takes his turn.

Character Selection

To start, the active player declares which two characters he/she will activate this round. A "blanket" card is placed on the remaining inactive character card so as to mark which character is resting this round. The resting character must be activated on the next round.

Action

Each activated character may spend Action Points (AP) to perform a variety of actions. Actions that cost AP include:

Moving one space orthogonally (characters may not move diagonally unless their abilities allow them to do so).
Plucking a strawberry from the character's current space.
Depositing one or more strawberries onto an adjacent strawberry camp.
Passing one or more items to an adjacent character.
Abilities: character abilities and strawberry powers are often free to use, but those with an AP icon beside them cost 1 or more AP to use. A description of each character ability is listed on that character's card. A character is considered to have all their abilities even when resting and during other player's turns. Ranged abilities are determined based on a walkable path, unless specified otherwise. A more detailed explanation of each ability can also be found in the Character Abilities section below, and frequently asked questions are found online.

Actions
Moving	a character one space.
Plucking	a strawberry from the character's current space.
Passing	one or more items to an adjacent character.
Depositing	one or more strawberries onto an adjacent strawberry camp.
Abilities	are often free to use, but attacks and other powers may cost 1 or more AP.

Character Activations

Unless stated otherwise, a "turn" refers to a single character activation. A "player turn" consists of two such activations (one for each active character). An activated character must end his/her turn before a second character may be activated.

Subsequent Activations

On subsequent rounds, the Imperial Servants and Northern Raiders must activate the third character from their team who was not active during the previous round (i.e., the "resting" character). The other activated character may be either of the previously activated characters. Players mark the resting character by moving their blanket card atop that character.

Movement & Line-of-Sight

Unless otherwise specified, all movement is orthogonal and costs 1 AP.
All line-of-sight is orthogonal in one direction unless otherwise specified. The small arrow on each character token indicates the LOS orientation for that character.
Hedges block line-of-sight and movement.
Water blocks movement but not line-of-sight.
Characters block line-of-sight but not movement.
Characters may move through another character's space but may not end their turn in that character's space.

Token Orientation

A character token may be reoriented once per activation. Character movement is not dictated by token orientation (i.e., characters may move in any orthogonal direction, not just the direction their character token is facing).

Item Slots

Carried items (e.g., strawberries) "lock" into the item slots on the left side of the character's card. When a character's slots are full, he/she may not carry any more items. It costs 0 AP to discard an item (remove it from the game). It costs 1 AP to deposit any number of strawberries or give away any number of carried items. Characters may still "pluck" strawberries if their item slots are full; however, they must discard a currently held item.

Strawberry Abilities

When a character holds one or more strawberries, he/she immediately gains access to all additional powers listed beneath the strawberry icon on his/her character card (including bonus AP). Gathering more strawberries does not cause the powers or bonuses to stack. If a character loses all their strawberries (or intentionally removes them from their character card), that character's strawberry powers (and AP bonus) are immediately lost.

Character card anatomy: Name, Class, Action points, Item slots, Strawberry ability, Illustration, Ability.

Attacks, Death, & Respawning

If at any time a character is successfully attacked by another character or a Neutral Monster, the defeated character removes his carried items from the game and returns to his team's character camp. The defeated player chooses which spawn point his/her defeated character will start in. Likewise, the defeated player retains any victory points received from "plucking" previously held strawberries.

Defeated characters are immune from further attacks while standing on their character camp.

Neutral Monsters: Hydras

In Imperial Harvest, ravenous Hydras patrol the imperial moat, attacking any that are foolish enough to venture too close. These Hydras are represented by Neutral Monster tokens. The tokens count as non-player characters and can be moved by any active player.

To move a Hydra, the current player must forfeit an active character's entire turn. The active player may then move a Hydra token one space in any orthogonal direction within the confines of any connected water spaces. If moving the Hydra in this way places its token atop a bridge, the Hydra dives beneath the bridge and appears on the opposite side (effectively moving two spaces that turn). A player may forego both character activations to move a Hydra two spaces or to move two Hydras one space each.

Hydras attack any and all adjacent spaces at all times. Unless otherwise specified, Hydra attacks cannot be blocked by hedges or defensive character abilities. Unless specifically mentioned, Hydras are likewise unaffected by character abilities (e.g., Throwing Axe, Charm, Compulsion, Aura of Tranquility).

End Game

If the Raiders end their turn and no strawberries are left on the game board, the game immediately ends and players tally up their victory points; otherwise, the game ends after seven full rounds (14 player turns). The player with the most victory points (from tokens, gathered strawberries, etc.) is the winner.

Character Abilities

BARBARIAN (Archetype: Warrior)

Chop: Destroy an adjacent hedge (3 uses per game). Use a "chopped hedge" token to indicate where a hedge has been destroyed.
Battle Axe (1 AP): Attack an adjacent character.
Throwing Axe (1 AP): Once per turn, may attack a character up to two spaces away in line-of-sight.

BARD (Archetype: Rogue)

Agility: May move diagonally.
War Cry: Enemy characters up to two spaces away lose 1 AP. This effect is not obstructed by hedges, water, or other obstacles.
Inspirational Ballad: Allied characters up to two spaces away gain 1 AP. This effect is not obstructed by hedges, water, or other obstacles. AP boosts only occur once per turn.

BASILISK (Archetype: Creature)

Poison Blood: If this character is defeated by an adjacent attacker, the attacker is also killed (includes attacks from Neutral Monsters, which are removed from the game).
Slither (1 AP): Once per turn, may move through an adjacent hedge.
Petrifying Gaze: Any characters that enter this character's line-of-sight lose 2 AP.

HOUND (Archetype: Utility)

Retriever: Once per turn, when this character plucks a strawberry, it may move one additional space that turn.
Territorial: Enemy characters cannot traverse the space occupied by this character.
Bite (1 AP): May force an adjacent enemy character to drop 1 strawberry in their space and move one space in any orthogonal direction. Movement must be legal.

IMPERIAL GUARDIAN (Archetype: Guardian)

Tower Shield: Blocks attacks and line-of-sight effects from the direction the shield is facing (shield orientation corresponds with the arrow on the Imperial Guardian's character token). Does not block movement.
Guardian: Allied characters up to two spaces away are protected from attacks.
Spear (1 AP): May attack an adjacent character that is in line-of-sight.

MONK (Archetype: Utility)

Grapple (1 AP): Once per turn, may throw an adjacent character up to two spaces away from this character's current space. Characters may be thrown over obstacles (hedges, water, etc).
Dragon Pounce (1 AP): Once per turn, may move one space diagonally.
Plant: Plant a hedge token on an adjacent border (3 uses per game). Use a "hedge" token to indicate where a hedge has been planted.

MINOTAUR (Archetype: Warrior)

Horns (1 AP): Attack an adjacent character. When Charging, this ability costs 0 AP.
Master of the Labyrinth (1 AP): Flip the garden tile currently occupied by this character. All tokens maintain their position on the flipped side of the tile. Tile must be flipped in the direction this character is facing.
Charge (1 AP): Once per turn, may move 1-3 spaces toward an enemy in line-of-sight. Charge ends when adjacent to the enemy character.

NYMPH (Archetype: Mage)

Alluring Gaze (1 AP): Once per turn, may move a character in line-of-sight up to two spaces towards this character.
Aura of Tranquility: Adjacent characters may not use their abilities. This ability is unobstructed by obstacles.
Changeling: Use an adjacent character's ability as your own. Must spend the associated AP cost.

PUPPETEER (Archetype: Rogue)

Agility: May move diagonally.
Ventriloquism (1 AP): May force a character up to three spaces away to move one space.
Arcane Puppetry: May force a character up to three spaces away to use an ability. Must spend the associated AP cost.

RANGER (Archetype: Guardian)

Camouflage: Immune to attacks when adjacent to a hedge.
Archer (2 AP): Attack a character up to two spaces away in line-of-sight.
Silent Sentinel: Allied characters in line-of-sight are immune to attacks.

REGENT (Archetype: Royalty)

Point of Order: At the start of the game, place 3 VP on the Regent's card. Any time an allied character is defeated, remove 1 of these VP.
Command (2 AP): Once per turn, move an allied character 1 space.
Sentry (1 AP): Once per turn, place an unused allied character token on an adjacent space. This token attacks any adjacent enemy characters in LOS. This ability is limited to 2 tokens on the board at any one time. Treat tokens as allied characters with no character activation (neither resting nor active, and cannot carry items). If an allied character token is defeated, the Regent loses a VP from his character card (see Point of Order above).

SKIN-CHANGER (Archetype: Warrior)

Feral: This character attacks any characters occupying the same space.
Wolf Form (1 AP): Immune to Neutral Monster attacks this turn.
Sprint (2 AP): Once per turn, may move three spaces.

SORCERESS (Archetype: Mage)

Charm: Once per turn, may move one character in line-of-sight one space.
Shadow Walk (2 AP): Move through an adjacent hedge.
Compulsion (1-3 AP): For each AP spent (up to a maximum of 3), may move a character in line-of-sight one space. Compelled characters may be moved outside of line-of-sight.

NEUTRAL MONSTER ABILITIES: HYDRA

One Hundred Heads: The Hydra attacks each orthogonally adjacent square at all times. This ability is unobstructed by obstacles or character abilities.
Dive: A player may sacrifice an activated character's entire turn to move a Hydra one space orthogonally. If that space contains a bridge, move the Hydra one additional space.
Regeneration: Unless specifically mentioned, the Hydra may not be attacked, removed, affected by character abilities, or defeated.

Glossary

Adjacent/Adjacency: items, characters, etc. are considered adjacent if they occupy two orthogonally adjoining spaces OR if they share the same space. Obstacles obstruct adjacency, so characters on the opposite side of a hedge are not considered adjacent.
Archetype: eight character archetypes exist in Imperial Harvest: Warrior, Guardian, Mage, Utility, Royalty, Rogue, Creature, and Aethereal. Each player will control a team consisting of three unique archetypes; a single player may not control two characters belonging to the same archetype.
Attack: an action or ability that (temporarily) removes another character from the board. In Imperial Harvest, attacked characters are "defeated" and sent back to their character camp to respawn. All legal attacks are considered "successful" (i.e., there is no rolling dice or losing HP; if the attacker makes a legal attack, it succeeds and the defeated character is removed).
Character Camp: a "war camp" themed tile featuring four spaces (spawn points) where players place their starting characters. Like the Strawberry Camp, this tile depicts each team's symbol (Imperial Crest for the Imperial Servants and Howling Wolf for the Northern Raiders).
Defeat: when a character is successfully attacked by another character or Neutral Monster, the attacked character is "defeated" and removes his/her carried items from the game. In Imperial Harvest, defeated characters are sent back to their character camp.
Item: anything that may be picked up and stored on a character's item slot (strawberries, special equipment, etc.).
Line-of-sight (LOS): all line-of-sight is orthogonal in one direction unless otherwise specified. The small arrow on each character token indicates the LOS orientation for that character. Intervening characters, most obstacles, and certain special items obstruct LOS. Strawberries do not block LOS.
all movement is orthogonal unless otherwise specified. All obstacles obstruct movement. Character movement is not dictated by token orientation (i.e., characters may move in any orthogonal direction, not just the orthogonal direction their character token is facing).

Ability Icons

Use this ability only once per turn.
This ability is not obstructed by obstacles.
1 Action Point.
LOS: Line-of-sight.

Setup Manual

Step 1 - Tile Placement

Note: All garden tiles in Imperial Harvest are configurable. This means that, while each tile is unique, every piece can be rotated 180 degrees, flipped to its opposite side, or swapped with a garden tile of the same size and game play will remain unaffected.

To set up the standard 2-player board, match the tiles to the illustration. Players may place all the tiles at random or (for a more strategic experience) can take turns placing and orienting tiles.

Alternate 2-player board setups may be found in the Variants section at the end of the rulebook.

Step 2 - Strawberry Placement

After the garden and moat have been formed, place a strawberry token on each of the 12 marked garden spaces.

Step 3 - Bridge Placement

Players take turns placing bridges on each moat tile. The Imperial Servants place the first bridge, the Northern Raiders place two bridges in succession, and the Imperial Servants place the last bridge.

Note: Only one bridge may occupy each moat tile. Bridges must connect two garden tiles and must not be blocked by hedges.

Illegal bridge placement:

Two bridges on one moat quadrant.
Bridge blocked by hedge.
Bridge does not connect garden tiles.

Step 4 - Camp Placement

After bridges have been placed, the Imperial Servants choose one of their camp tiles and place it in an open corner of the board.

The Northern Raiders then place both their camp tiles and the Imperial Servants place their remaining camp in the last open space.

All camps should face inward, with their respective camp icons facing outward.

Step 5 - Hydra Placement

The two Hydra tokens are placed in the corner space of the moat tiles nearest the two teams' strawberry camps.

Step 6 - Final Strawberry Placement

The last two strawberries are placed on the spaces nearest the two Hydras on the corners of the interior garden tiles.

Step 7 - Character Placement

Players simultaneously place their character tokens on the perimeter spaces of their character camp, thereby leaving the team insignia uncovered.

Characters from the respective team may occupy any of the three open spaces.

Alternate 2-Player Setups

Alternate board setups offer limitless replayability, but care should be taken so that objectives remain fair for both teams.

When building new board setups, Hydras should be placed far away from each team's character camp (to prevent early kills) and close to strawberry camps (to promote an exciting end-game). Strawberries should be spaced evenly around the board (forming a circle if possible) with excess strawberries being placed near the Hydras and/or away from player camps. For some setups, players will need to mutually agree where camps or bridges will be placed.

(Examples A, B and C show alternate 2-player setups.)

Imperial Harvest: Tag Team

Grab another copy of Imperial Harvest, expand your board, and bring a new group of players to the table! With competitive tag-team rules, you and your allies can face off against a team of worthy adversaries. By pairing skills and chaining more character actions, Imperial Harvest: Tag Team offers new creative strategies for navigating the board and collecting those precious strawberries. As always, only the craftiest team will win -- and watch out for those hydras!

2v2: 2 copies of Imperial Harvest, 3-4 players, 40 minutes
3v3: 3 copies of Imperial Harvest, 5-6 players, 50 minutes
4v4: 4 copies of Imperial Harvest, 7-8 players, 60 minutes