KeyForge Adventures: The Great Hunt Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Setup
  • Place Large Cards
  • Prepare Decks
  • Place Nantucket Upgrades
  • Players Set up Their Decks
  • Create Common Supply
• Fundamental Concepts
  • Team Play
  • Friends, Enemies, and Players
  • The Skyrealm Zone
  • Skyrealm Creatures (Card Type)
  • The Skybeasts
  • Destroying a Skybeast
  • Controlling a Skybeast
  • Escape
  • Nantucket
  • Nantucket Upgrades
  • Port Halyard
  • The Stormkin
• Renown and Scoring Cards
  • Players' Renown
  • Stormkin Renown
  • Flint's Treasure
• Winning and Losing
• Turn Sequence
  • Team Turns
  • Enemy Turns
• Additional Rules
  • Keywords
  • Reading Adventure Cards

Overview

KeyForge: Adventures is a cooperative game mode in which one to three players work together. Each player uses a regular KeyForge deck from their collection and sufficient counters and tokens. The players work together to use their skyship, Nantucket, to hunt powerful Skybeasts in the Crucible's upper stratosphere (known as the Skyrealm). Each time the players defeat a Skybeast with Nantucket, they score a certain amount of renown. The players must also deal with aggressive Stormkin pirates who will persistently attempt to steal their Æmber.

Players do not directly win by forging keys, but each time they forge a key, they earn an upgrade of their choice for Nantucket, which will make it easier for them to earn renown.

There are two groups of enemies in this adventure: One enemy group is the Skybeasts, which the players must successfully hunt using their skyship, Nantucket. The second enemy group is the Stormkin pirates, who will harass the players throughout the adventure and attempt to steal their Æmber. The Skybeasts and Stormkin are also considered to be enemies of each other. The Stormkin will normally try to avoid the Skybeasts, but the Skybeasts will attack anything that lingers in their territory, including the Stormkin.

Players follow most of the standard rules of KeyForge, except for the modifications described in this document.

The game continues until the Skybeast deck is empty and there are no Skybeast creatures in play. As soon as that happens, the game ends and the players determine their final score by totaling up all the renown they have earned.

Setup

To set up the game, follow these steps:

Place Large Cards

1. Place the oversized Nantucket and Port Halyard cards at one end of the play area.
2. Place the oversized Treasure Island card at the opposite end of the play area, and leave ample space near it for other components.

Prepare Decks

3. Shuffle all the Skybeast cards together and place the top 12 cards facedown to form the Skybeast deck. Set aside the remaining cards without looking at them. Place the Skybeast deck near Treasure Island.
4. Find the Stormkin Renown card "Flint's Treasure" and add it to the play area.
5. Shuffle the reamining Stormkin Renown cards to form a deck and place it near Treasure Isand.
6. Shuffle the Stormkin Adventure cards to form the Stormkin Adventure deck and place it near Treasure Island. Take the top 2 cards of the Stormkin Adventure deck and the top card of the Skybeast deck and add them to the Enemy Archives, facedown.

Place Nantucket Upgrades

7. Find the Nantucket Upgrade "Torpefying Harpoon" and attach it to Nantucket. Place the rest of the Nantucket Upgrades near Nantucket (they do not need to be shuffled).

Players Set up Their Decks

Each player chooses an Archon deck from their collection, shuffles it, and draws a six-card starting hand. Each player may mulligan their starting hand once as in a standard KeyForge game.

Regardless of the number of players in the game, you will need 9 key tokens: 3 each of red, yellow, and blue. Use any convenient tokens to represent these keys if you don't have enough.

Randomly determine one player to be the first player.

Create Common Supply

8. Put all tokens and counters used in a standard KeyForge game within easy reach of all players to create the common supply.

The game is now ready to begin.

Fundamental Concepts

This section contains the fundamental concepts for KeyForge: Adventures that provide context for players who are about to learn how to play the game.

Team Play

In KeyForge: Adventures, all players cooperate as a team and will win or lose together. Each player uses their own KeyForge deck, maintains their own battleline, and controls their own cards. However, the players share one Æmber pool. Players should form a collective strategy for how to best overcome the various enemies and obstacles they will face.

When the active player is resolving a card ability, creatures in other players' battlelines, upgrades attached to those creatures, and artifacts controlled by other players are all considered to be in play and can be affected by the cards played or drawn by the active player.

Friends, Enemies, and Players

For the purposes of resolving card abilities, only cards controlled by the active player are considered "friendly."

The Skybeasts consider all player-controlled cards and all Stormkin cards to be enemies. Many Skybeast creatures have the Prey keyword and will attack any enemy card that meets its description.

The Stormkin treat the active player as their enemy. The Stormkin will not directly attack Skybeast creatures.

Each human player and the Stormkin are all considered "players" for the purposes of resolving card abilities. The Skybeasts are not considered a player. They do not have an Æmber pool and do not forge keys.

The Skyrealm Zone

The Skyrealm Zone is a play area separate from any battleline.

There is no battleline in the Skyrealm Zone, therefore there are no flanks or neighbors, and the Taunt keyword has no effect.

For the convenience of resolving enemy card abilities in this adventure, cards are added to the Skyrealm Zone in a row from left to right. Each card in the Skyrealm is also resolved from left to right during each enemy turn.

Skyrealm Creatures (Card Type)

Skyrealm Creatures are a special category of the creature card type. Skyrealm Creatures always enter play in the Skyrealm Zone instead of a battleline. They are still considered "creatures" for the purposes of card abilities.

All of the creatures in the Skybeast deck are Skyrealm Creatures, and there are several Skyrealm Creatures in the Stormkin deck.

The Skybeasts

Skybeasts are collossal creatures lurking in the Crucible's upper atmosphere. Each Skybeast is worth a certain amount of renown when it is destroyed by an attack from Nantucket.

Every card in the Skybeast deck belongs to the Skybeast house. The Skybeast deck has no associated discard pile. Each time a Skybeast card leaves play (or each time a Skybeast action card is resolved), the card is either scored or removed from the game.

Destroying a Skybeast

If Nantucket destroys a Skybeast, add the card to the player's score pile. Any Æmber on the Skybeast is moved to the player's Æmber pool.

If a player destroys a Skybeast in some way other by attacking it with Nantucket, the Skybeast it is not added to the player's score pile. Instead, the Skybeast is removed from the game and any Æmber on it is returned to the common supply.

If a Skybeast is destroyed as a result of fighting a Stormkin creature, the Skybeast is added to the Stormkin score area. Any Æmber on the Skybeast is moved to the Stormkin Æmber pool.

Controlling a Skybeast

If a player gains control a Skybeast creature, it remains in the Skyrealm zone.

Escape

Most Skybeasts will escape when a certain condition described in their ability is met. Whenever a Skybeast escapes, it is removed from the game. Any Æmber on the Skybeast is returned to the common supply.

Nantucket

Nantucket is a skyship under the control of the players and serves as the cornerstone of their strategy. Using Nantucket is the only means by which the players can ascend into the Skyrealm to hunt Skybeasts for renown.

Nantucket is its own card type, and it is therefor not affected by card abilities that affect creatures, artifacts, or upgrade. Nantucket is never part of any battleline.

Nantucket must burn Æmber to generate the sufficient energy necessary for it to enter the skyrealm. On any team turn, the active player may use Nantucket's Omni ability to have it enter the skyrealm until the start of the next team turn. Nantucket must enter the skyrealm before it can attack skyrealm creatures, but doing so also exposes it to potential counter-attacks by skyrealm creatures. Whenever Nantucket is not in the skyrealm, it is considered to be docked at Port Halyard.

Nantucket starts the adventure as a very basic skyship, but it can be upgraded in many ways. Each time the players forge a key, they unlock an upgrade slot for Nantucket that corresponds to the same color as the key just forged. There are a total of 10 different Nantucket upgrade cards, but it's likely the players will only have time to acquire some of them before the game ends.

Nantucket has a power value (and may also gain armor through upgrades). It can fight and take damage like a creature, but it is not considered a creature for the purposes of card abilities. Nantucket cannot reap.

If Nantucket is destroyed, the players immediately lose the game and score 0 points of renown.

Nantucket Upgrades

Nantucket Upgrades are a new card type introduced in this adventure. They work the same as regular upgrades except they can only be attached to Nantucket.

If a Nantucket upgrade attached to Nantucket is destroyed, return it to the stack of unused Nantucket upgrades. It can be reaquired on a future turn.

During the active player's turn, if Nantucket has one or more unused upgrade slots, an available upgrade of the corresponding color can be attached to Nantucket by losing 2.

Port Halyard

Port Halyard represents a friendly base of operations that the players utilize during the adventure. Any time Nantucket is not in the skyrealm, it is considered docked at Port Halyard. While docked, Nantucket can be repaired using the ability printed on Port Halyard.

Port Halyard serves as the player's shared Æmber pool. Any time a player gains or steals Æmber, that Æmber is placed on Port Halyard.

The Stormkin will sometimes attack Port Halyard. Each Stormkin creature with the Prey keyword has a description of what that creature will attack, and Port Halyard is often included in such descriptions. When Port Halyard is attacked, its armor value is reduced accordingly, and any additional damage is applied to Nantucket if it is docked.

Port Halyard has no power value and deals no damage to creatures that attack it. Port Halyard is a special "Location" card type that cannot be destroyed or removed from play.

The Stormkin

The Stormkin are a group of pirates that constantly harass the players and Port Halyard. They are represented by the Stormkin Adventure deck, which contains creatures, artifacts, actions, and upgrades, all of which belong to the Stormkin house.

Stormkin creatures enter play in a Stormkin battleline, always on the right flank.

The Stormkin also have some Skyrealm creatures (their skyships), which enter play in the skyrealm zone.

Treasure Island

The Stormkin's base of operations is Treasure Island. It serves as the Stormkin's Æmber pool.

Treasure Island is a special "Location" card type that cannot be attacked, destroyed, or removed from play. Some upgrades drawn from the Stormkin Renown deck attach to Treasure Island and provide bonuses to the Stormkin.

Renown and Scoring Cards

The players' goal in the adventure is to score as much renown as possible and more renown than the Stormkin.

Players' Renown

The primary way for the players to earn renown is hunting Skybeasts with Nantucket. Each Skybeast is worth a certain amount of renown (the number in the yellow starburst). When Nantucket fights a Skybeast and destroys it, the destroyed Skybeast is added to the player's collective score area.

Stormkin Renown

The Stormkin can earn renown by forging keys. At the start of each enemy turn, if the Stormkin have enough Æmber in their pool to forge a key, they spend it and drawn one card from the top of their Stormkin Renown deck.

Each card in the Stormkin Renown deck is either an artifact or an upgrade and is worth a specific amount of renown for the Stormkin.

Flint's Treasure

The legenardy pirate Flint has left an immense hoard of Æmber and other treasure hidden somewhere in the Skyrealm. To find it, the players first need to locate Flint's Map, which has a special action ability that allows Flint's Treasure to be scored. But beware that Flint himself has returned from the grave, and woe be to any who dare try to claim his treasure for themselves!

Winning and Losing

This adventure ends when one of two things happen: Nantucket is destroyed, or the Skybeast deck is empty and there are no Skybeast cards in play.

If Nantucket is destroyed, the players immediately lose the game and score 0 renown.

If the Skybeast deck is empty and there are no Skybeast cards in play, the game ends. Compare the total renown earned by the players with the total renown earned by the Stormkin. If they players have earned more renown, they win.

Turn Sequence

When playing a game of KeyForge: Adventures, players take turns in sequence, starting with the first player. The player currently taking their is the active player. After the active player finishes all the steps of their turn, that player performs an enemy turn. Then, the next player in sequence becomes the new active player. Once the turn order is established, it cannot change.

Team Turns

The human players work together as a team. The player currently taking their turn is the active player. Human player turns are also collectively referred to as team turns.

During a player's turn, they follow most of the rules described in the KeyForge Master Rulebook regarding choosing a house, playing/discarding/using cards, readying cards, and drawing up to a six-card hand. Ignore the first turn rule. The first player should take a full turn at the start of the game.

1. Forge a Key

The human players share one Æmber pool. At the start of each team turn, if their Æmber in their Æmber pool is equal to or greater than the current key cost, the active player spends Æmber equal to the current key cost and forges a key. Forged keys are shared by the team, and up to three keys of each color (red, yellow, and blue) can be forged. Each forged key unlocks an upgrade slot for Nantucket that corresponds to color of the forged key. When a new key is forged, the active player immiedatley chooses any card from the Nantucket Upgrade deck that matches the color of the key just forged and attaches it to Nantucket.

2. Choose a House

Perform this step the same as in a standard game of KeyForge.

3. Play, Use, and Discard Cards

The active player may use their cards and abilities as normal during their turn. If a creature is used to fight, it may fight an enemy creature in the Stormkin battleline.

The active player can also use any ability on Nantucket or Port Halyard. If in the process of using Nantucket, Nantucket enters the Skyrealm, it can attack a Skybeast or a Stormkin creature in the Skyrealm.

If Nantucket has one or more unused upgrade slots (which can happen if an upgrade previously attached was destroyed), those upgrades can be reattached to Nantucket by losing 2 from the team's Æmber pool per upgrade.

4. Ready Cards

Perform this step the same as in a standard game of KeyForge. Ready Nantucket.

5. Draw Cards

Perform this step the same as in a standard game of KeyForge.

After the active player finishes their turn, they perform an enemy turn.

Enemy Turns

During each enemy turn, the active player performs several steps, described below. Note that while the Skybeasts and the Stormkin each represent a separate group of enemies, they share one enemy turn.

1. The Stormkin Earn Renown

If the Stormkin have Æmber in their Æmber equal to or exceeding their current key cost, then spend Æmber from their pool equal to their current key cost and draw the top card of the Stormkin Renown deck.

Each Stormkin Renown card is an upgrade that attaches to Treasure Island, provides some renown for the Stormkin, and may grant the Stormkin some bonus Æmber or a new ability.

2. Play Adventure Cards

The active player plays each card from the enemy archives, starting with each Skybeast card, followed by each Stormkin card. Each time a player plays an adventure card, they resolve that card completely before playing the next card. These cards are considered to be played by the opponent for the purposes of card abilities. If cards are added to the archives during this step, they are not played this turn.

Any bonus icons on adventure cards are resolved one at a time, top to bottom. Æmber bonus icons cause the Stormkin to gain that much Æmber, which is placed on Treasure Island (the Stormkin's Æmber pool) from the common supply.

The following explains how an adventure card is played, by type:

• Skybeast Skyrealm Creature: Place it exhausted on the right end of the Skyrealm zone.
• Skybeast Action Card: Resolve the "Play:" effect. Then, remove it from the game.
• Stormkin Creature (non-Skyship): Place it exhausted on the right flank of the Stormkin battleline.
• Stormkin Skyrealm Creature (Skyship): Place it exhausted on the right end of the Skyrealm zone.
• Stormkin Artifact: Place it exhausted in the Stormkin play area, separate from its battleline.
• Stormkin Action Card: Resolve any bonus icons on it, then resolve the "Play:" effect. Then, place the action card in the Stormkin discard pile. If a card would be drawn or archived from the adventure deck and the adventure deck has no cards in it, shuffle the adventure discard pile to form a new adventure deck and draw the card from that new adventure deck.

3. Skyrealm Cards Are Used

Use each Skybeast or Stormkin creature in the Skyrealm zone, one at a time, from left to right. Each card in this zone follows a priority list that determines its action:

• First Priority – Fight: If the Skybeast or Stormkin creature has the "Prey" keyword, it fights the creature that is described, if able. Pay attention to whether or not Nantucket has entered the Skyrealm for this turn; if it has, it will likely be targeted by attacks.
• Second Priority – Action: If the Skybeast or Stormkin creature does not have Prey, or if it has no valid target to fight, it performs its "Action:" ability, if it has one.
• Third Priorty – Reap or Do Nothing: If the Stormkin creature doesn't have the Prey keyword (or cannot fight) and does not have an Action ability, it reaps. Skybeasts cannot reap. If they cannot fight or perform an Action ability, they do nothing for the turn.

4. Stormkin Battleline Creatures Are Used

Use each creature in the Stormkin battleline, one at a time, from left to right. Each card in this zone follows a priority list that determines its action:

• First Priority – Fight: If the Stormkin creature has the "Prey" keyword, it fights the creature that is described, if able. If the Stormkin attack Port Halyard, pay attention to whether or not Nantucket is in port this turn; if Nantucket is in port, it might be damaged by attacks made against Port Halyard.
• Second Priority – Action: If the Stormkin creature does not have Prey, or if it has no valid target to fight, it performs its "Action:" ability, if it has one.
• Third Priorty – Reap: If the Stormkin creature can do neither of the above, it reaps. Any Æmber gained by reaping is added to Treasure Island.

5. Stormkin Artifacts Are Used

During this step, each Stormkin artifact is used. The active player may choose the order in which artifacts are used. Exhaust those artifacts and resolve their "Action:" abilities, one at a time.

If the Stormkin have gained control of another player's artifact with an "Omni:" ability, it uses it during this step. If such an artifact has more than one "Omni:" ability, the active player chooses which one resolves.

6. Ready All Enemy Cards

Ready each card controlled by the Skybeasts and the Stormkin.

7. Draw Adventure Cards

Draw 2 cards from the top of the Stormkin adventure deck and 1 card from the Skybeast deck and add them to the enemy archives.

Card abilities that increase or decrease hand size affect the number of cards the Stormkin draw, but they do not alter the number of Skybeast cards drawn. The Stormkin always draw a minimum of 1 card during this step.

Additional Rules

Because no player controls the enemy cards, the following additional rules explain how to use them during cooperative gameplay.

Keywords

Some enemy cards have keyword abilities, which are defined below. Additionally, enrage and taunt work slightly differently for Skybeast and Stormkin creatures.

Enrage

An enraged creature not controlled by a player gains "prey – the least powerful creature" if it does not already have the prey keyword. It only gains this keyword while it is enraged.

Prey

Some of the Skybeasts have the prey keyword. When such a creature is used, it fights the creature described in its ability. This can include player cards, including Nantucket, or Stormkin cards. Skybeasts only fight cards that are in the Skyrealm zone. If a Skybeast has no valid target, it will perform its "Action" ability if it has one, otherwise it does nothing.

Some Stormkin creatures have the prey keyword and a description of what the Stormkin creature will fight. If the active player controls a creature described by the keyword, the Stormkin attacks the described creature. If the active player does not control a creature described by the Stormkin creature's prey keyword, the Stormkin creature might attack Port Halyard instead.

If multiple eligible creatures exist in the active player's battleline, that player chooses which of their creatures is fought.

Taunt

When a creature that has the prey keyword is used to fight a creature that does not have taunt, and one of that creature's neighbors has taunt, the creature with taunt is fought instead.

Taunt has no affect in the Skyrealm Zone.

Reading Adventure Cards

Abilities on adventure cards are written such that the player drawing the card or using the creature reads and resolves the text against themselves. Any time the word "you" or "your" appears, it refers to the active player (the person reading the card and resolving the ability).

On a player's cards, only creatures controlled by that player are considered friendly. Teammates' creatures are considered neither friendly creatures nor enemy creatures.