Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Angel of Darkness
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Angel of Darkness Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents of the Game
- 4 playing figures: Lara Croft, Kurtis Trent, Pieter van Eckhardt, Joachim Karel
- 4 character cards
- 25 tiles
- 1 start tile (this is the museum entrance)
- 1 info tile (a memory aid showing the most important rules visually)
- 54 action cards:
- 24 energy cards (orange icon)
- 14 ammunition cards (green icon)
- 16 life cards (blue icon)
- 9 evidence/painting tokens (point tokens): 4 ordinary pieces of evidence, 4 ordinary paintings, and 1 large painting/evidence (the same token serves as both the large piece of evidence and the large painting)
- 4 action bars
- 5 discovery tokens (point tokens)
- 1 time bomb
The Game
In this game the "good guys" play against the "bad guys". The side that has the most points at the end of the game wins the game. Be careful, though: whoever is left behind when the museum collapses loses a point.
The "good guys" are Lara Croft and Kurtis Trent. The "bad guys" are Pieter van Eckhardt and Joachim Karel. The characters played depend on the number of players.
With four players, play is in teams of two. The points of the players on the same team are added together at the end of the game.
With two players, each player plays for themselves. One player plays a good guy and the other a bad guy. With three players, each player plays for themselves. One player plays Lara Croft and the other players each play a bad guy.
| Players | 'Good guys' | 'Bad guys' |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Lara Croft | Pieter van Eckhardt |
| 3 | Lara Croft | Pieter van Eckhardt, Joachim Karel |
| 4 | Lara Croft, Kurtis Trent | Pieter van Eckhardt, Joachim Karel |
Preparation of the Game (figure 1)
- Shuffle the tiles and lay them face down in a square of five by five.
- Place the start tile next to any tile on one of the sides of the whole playing area. The start tile now forms the entrance to the museum.
- Each player chooses a playing figure and places it on the start tile.
- Shuffle the discovery tokens, stack them face down (torch side up) and place them next to the playing area.
- Place the largest painting/evidence on the time bomb. Shuffle the other evidence/paintings and stack them (face down) on top of the largest painting. Place this entire stack next to the playing area. (figure 2)
- Each player takes 1 action bar and places it in front of them.
- Each player takes their own character card and places it above their action bar.
- Sort the action cards by type (energy, ammunition and life), shuffle them, and place the three stacks face down next to the playing area.
- Each player takes one card of each type into their hand. That is 1 energy card, 1 ammunition card and 1 life card.
- Place the info tile next to the playing area. It shows the most important rules visually as a memory aid.
Start of the Game
Lara Croft begins. After that, the player to Lara Croft's right takes a turn. The "good" and the "bad guys" take turns alternately, so sit at the table accordingly. With three players, each plays for themselves; in that case it does not matter where you sit.
The Turn (De Speelbeurt)
During your turn you may perform a total of three actions. You may also pass. A single action consists of one of the following:
- A: Taking 1 action card (drawing)
- or
- B: Playing 1 or more action cards of the same type.
The Action Bar
The action bar is a handy tool for keeping track of which action a player is performing. To do so, slide your character card along the action bar.
A: Taking an Action Card (Drawing)
When you choose to take an action card, you may take 1 card of any one of the three types of action card. If you are standing on a tile with a drawing symbol, then, when you choose to draw, you may take 2 cards of that type instead, although this still counts as 1 action. As soon as drawing puts you over 7 cards in your hand, you must immediately discard the excess without using them, by placing them on the discard pile (ditching). You may choose which card you discard (ditch). When the stack of action cards runs out, shuffle the discard pile and use it as the draw stack. Other players may always ask how many cards you have in hand. You must then show them the backs of these cards to your fellow players, without having to reveal the symbols on the cards.
B: Playing One or More Action Cards of the Same Type (figure 3)
The players can control their playing figures with three different types of action cards, the so-called "controls". These are: ammunition, life or energy. As an action you may play 1 or more action cards of the same type. You do this by placing these cards on the discard pile. Each card shows a number. This number tells you how many points that card is worth. When you play several cards of the same type together within 1 action, add their numbers together.
Waste
If, in your action, you do not use the full total of the points from the cards you played, the unused points are lost (waste). For example, if you play 7 energy, walk five tiles, and want to stay on that spot to shoot as your next action, you lose 2 energy. Another example: someone shoots at you with a card worth 1 point. You have 1 life card worth 3. You stop the bullet, but you have a waste of 2.
The Different Types of Action Cards (Controls)
Ammunition Cards (figure 4)
When you play 1 or more ammunition cards, you may shoot at another playing figure. The ammunition card shows how many hits it is worth. You always shoot in a straight line, either horizontally or vertically. The range of a shot is unlimited (0–5 tiles), as long as you have a clear line of sight. When a wall blocks the line of sight, you cannot shoot the other playing figure. When you stand on the same tile, you may also shoot each other. When other playing figures are in the path of the shot, you choose yourself whom you shoot. The start tile (outside the museum) is a true "safety zone". If you stand on the start tile you may not shoot, and nobody can shoot at you there (figure 5).
Life Cards (figure 6)
When you are shot at, you must absorb hits. You do this by playing life cards. Play as many life cards as the number of hits you receive. When you have insufficient life cards, you are "knocked out" and must skip your next turn. Hand in all your cards and lay your playing figure flat on the tile where you stand (figure 7). After you have missed a round, you get a "restart" and take 1 card of each type into your hand: 1 life card, 1 ammunition card and 1 energy card. Stand your playing figure upright again and take your turn.
For example: a player shoots 6 bullets at you with three ammunition cards in total. You have 5 life points in total, which is not enough. You are out of the game for 1 turn.
Energy Cards (figure 8)
When you play 1 or more energy cards, you may change a tile or move your playing figure. You may make the following moves:
| Move | Energy cost |
|---|---|
| Turn 1 tile open | 1 |
| Rotate 1 tile around its axis | 1 |
| Walk 1 tile | 1 |
When you play 8 energy, you may, for example, walk 5 tiles in total, open 2 tiles and rotate 1 tile around its axis. You may therefore divide your energy among the possible moves as you see fit. All of this counts as 1 action.
Turning a Tile Open (figure 9)
You may turn 1 tile open as soon as your playing figure stands on an adjacent tile (horizontally or vertically). It does not matter whether the passage continues or not, or whether there is a wall in between. Once you have turned the tile over, you may choose how to lay it down (the passage does not have to continue). If a drawing symbol is on the tile, you immediately receive 1 action card as a bonus from that symbol. If there is a torch on the tile, you have discovered a secret room and you take the top discovery token from the stack. See what happens next under "Discovery Tokens".
Rotating a Tile Around Its Axis (figure 10)
You may rotate 1 tile around its axis as soon as your playing figure stands on that tile or on an adjacent tile (horizontally or vertically). It does not matter whether the passage continues or not, or whether there is a wall in between. You may rotate the tile as many turns as you wish (this costs 1 energy in total).
Walking Over Tiles (figure 11)
Your playing figure may only walk (horizontally or vertically) over tiles that are face up. You cannot walk through walls.
The Tiles
There are three kinds of tiles, each explained separately below.
Normal Tiles (figure 12)
A normal tile has a passage and 1 or more walls. You may not walk through a wall to an adjacent tile. The wall protects you from bullets, and other players can block your way with it.
Tiles with Drawing Symbols (figure 13)
When you discover a tile with a card symbol (by turning it over), you immediately take 1 action card from that symbol as a bonus. Every player who afterwards stands on this tile and wants to draw takes 2 action cards from this symbol instead of 1. If you have more than 7 cards in hand, you must immediately ditch (discard) the excess without using them.
Secret Rooms (figure 14)
When you discover a tile with a torch, you have found a secret room. Immediately take the top discovery token (torch) from the stack. Turn it face up and carry out what it says. Lay the discovery token face up in front of you. It is worth 1 point.
Discovery Tokens (figure 15)
The player who discovers a secret room receives the top discovery token from the stack. The discovery token is always worth 1 point (A). On the discovery token you can also see whether the secret room is guarded by police (B) and how many items lie in the secret room (C). Take this number of items from the top of the stack of evidence/paintings and lay them face up in the secret room. Now you can see how many pieces of evidence or paintings lie there and what they are worth.
The evidence/paintings are stacked on top of the time bomb and the 5th large painting/evidence. This means the 5th and largest painting/evidence always comes last in the game. It does not, however, need to be the last one removed from the museum.
Police Guard (figure 16)
When police officers are shown on the discovery token, they guard the secret room. The discovery token shows whom they are hunting. This can be the good guys, the bad guys, or both. The characters they hunt immediately flee the museum. Place them back on the start tile at once. If this happens to one of the players who is still in the middle of their turn, they are unlucky: their turn ends immediately. A playing figure lying on its side (because it skipped a turn) is also placed on its side on the start tile.
Scoring Points
Smuggling Points Out of the Museum
Go with your playing figure into a secret room where evidence and/or paintings lie, claim a token of your choice by placing your playing figure on it. Then try to bring the token to the start tile. If you succeed, the token is yours.
Claiming an Evidence or Painting Token (figure 17)
You claim a token by placing your playing figure on it. Once a token is claimed, your opponents can only take it from you if they manage to shoot you down and then claim the token themselves. You may hand the claimed token over to your partner in the game. This costs no action and no energy.
You may take over a token from your partner when you come onto the tile where their playing figure stands. A claimed token can also be left behind on a tile by walking away from it.
Claiming a token costs no energy. Dropping a token also costs no energy. You may carry only 1 token at a time. You take a token with you by lifting your playing figure and the token together.
Reaching the Start Tile
If you manage to reach the start tile with an evidence or painting token, that token is yours. But be careful! Not every token scores points for your character or team.
The Point Tokens
There are three kinds of tokens with which points can be scored: discovery tokens, paintings, and evidence. The good and the bad guys can score points with the discovery tokens and the large painting/evidence. But with the other paintings and evidence, it depends on who smuggles them out of the museum. The large painting/evidence is a very special point token, because for Lara it is the most important piece of evidence, while for the alchemist 'Pieter van Eckhardt' it is the most important painting. Moreover, this point token is extra protected: as soon as it is stolen from the secret room, a time bomb goes off and the museum begins to collapse.
The Discovery Tokens (5 in total)
You receive a discovery token when, by turning over a tile, you discover a secret room. Lay the discovery token, which is worth 1 point, face up in front of you.
The Evidence (4 ordinary and "the large evidence") (figure 18)
Lara and Kurtis (the good guys) score points if they succeed in removing the evidence, with which Lara can prove her innocence, from the museum. You then lay these points face up in front of you, visible to the other players.
The Paintings (4 ordinary and "the large painting") (figure 19)
Pieter and Joachim (the bad guys) score points if they succeed in removing the paintings from the museum. You then lay these points face up in front of you, visible to the other players.
Destroying the Opposing Team's Points
When Lara and Kurtis manage to remove paintings from the museum, they destroy these points of the "bad guys". Conversely, Pieter and Joachim can destroy the evidence by removing it from the museum. Destroyed points are laid face down so that they are not visible.
Point Scoring With Three Players
When the game is played with three players, each plays for themselves. Lara can only score points with the evidence and discovery tokens, while the "bad guys" can only score points with paintings and discovery tokens. The "bad guys" may now also shoot each other and may no longer hand tokens to one another. The other rules remain the same.
Point Scoring With Two Players
One player plays Lara Croft and the other player plays the bad guy Pieter van Eckhardt. Lara can only score points with the evidence and discovery tokens, while the "bad guy" can only score points with paintings and discovery tokens.
The Large 5th Painting/Evidence
The last and most important point token to enter the game is the large 5th painting/evidence. But this one is booby-trapped. When you bring this painting into play, place the time bomb under this painting.
The Museum Collapses
When the large 5th painting/evidence is removed, the time bomb is uncovered and activated. The player who took the large 5th painting/evidence picks up the time bomb and lays it in front of them as a marker. The tile on which the time bomb lay is immediately removed from the game, together with everything lying or standing on it. The player may now finish their turn (figure 20).
After each subsequent round in which the player who has the time bomb has had their turn (whether they had to skip a turn or passed), the adjoining series of tiles, together with everything lying or standing on them, is removed. This continues after each turn of that player until the whole museum has disappeared. It is now important for every player to leave the museum in time (figure 21).
Scoring Negative Points
Players whose playing figure is lost because it was left behind in the collapsing museum receive 1 negative point.
Winner of the Game
The team or player with the most points after the museum has completely collapsed wins the game.
Have fun playing!