Leaders
Leaders Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal
Create a team of unique characters in order to defeat the opposing Leader! To win, either position two of your characters next to your opponent's Leader to capture them, or skillfully maneuver so the opponent's Leader is surrounded, leaving no adjacent empty spaces.
Components
- 1 Game Board
- 18 Character Cards
- 19 Characters with Bases
- Including 2 Leaders
- 2 Reference Cards
NOTE: Place the characters on their bases before your 1st game. You can leave them mounted for future games.
Setup
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Place the game board between the two players.
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Place the characters next to the game board.
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Take a Leader and place them on your starting space. Place the corresponding character card front of you.
NOTE: Always position your characters with the black side towards you and the white side facing your opponent.
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Shuffle the remaining character cards, and place the deck face-down next to the game board. Draw the top three character cards and place them face-up next to the deck.
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If needed, take a reference card and place it in front of you.
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Randomly select a first player. You are ready to play!
Turns
Your turn includes two phases: the ACTION PHASE, followed by the RECRUITMENT PHASE. Then it's your opponent's turn. Alternate turns until the end of the game. Once you have 5 character cards (your Leader and four allies), skip the recruitment phase for the remainder of the game.
I. Action Phase
Choose up to ONE action for EACH of your characters:
- Move to an adjacent empty space
- OR use their active ability (if they have one)
When you wish to stop, or when all your characters have completed one action, proceed to the recruitment phase.
SUGGESTION: When you complete an action, rotate the corresponding character card. By doing so, you can easily see which characters still have an action on this turn. At the start of your next turn, return all your character cards to an upright position.
II. Recruitment Phase
WARNING: Skip this phase if you already have five character cards (your Leader counts as one).
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Choose one of the three available character cards, and place it in front of you. Take the corresponding character, and place them on any empty recruitment space on your side of the game board.
Recruitment spaces have a gold circle. You may only recruit on your side of the game board.
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Draw a new character card from the deck, so there are always three character cards available.
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If you are the second player, on your first turn you must repeat the recruitment phase once before ending your turn.
NOTE: This compensates for the disadvantage of playing second.
Example
Kahina plays first. She moves her Leader one space (1) and proceeds to the recruitment phase. She chooses the Claw Launcher (2), and places them on an available recruitment space (3). Then she draws a new character card from the deck to replace the one she took (4) and ends her turn.
It's her opponent's turn. Arthur also moves his Leader one space (5). He then begins the recruitment phase and chooses the Archer (6 et 7), replacing the character card with a new one from the deck (8).
Because it's Arthur's first turn and he is the second player, he gets an extra recruitment phase this turn. He takes the Brewmaster (9 et 10). He draws a new character from the deck to replace the one he took (11), and Kahina may begin her next turn.
End of the Game
After a character's action or recruitment, the game ends IMMEDIATELY if a Leader is:
- CAPTURED: Two enemy characters are adjacent to your Leader.
OR
- SURROUNDED: All spaces adjacent to your Leader are occupied by characters, either enemies or allies.
WARNING: On your turn, you may not cause your own Leader to be captured or surrounded.
AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thanks to Arthur, my brother and lifelong tester. Thanks to Cyprien Delpuech for passing it on. Thanks to Naïade and the Studio H team (Hicham, Kahina, Vincent, Frédérick and Thibault) for helping to make the game shine. Lastly, thanks to Florence and Olivier, my parents, to whom I owe so much.
Characters
Keywords
- Characters: Allies and enemies, including Leaders.
- Enemies: Your opponent's characters, including their Leader.
- Allies: Your characters, including your Leader.
- Movement: Any effect that causes a character to change spaces on the game board is considered a movement. Movements may come from their own action or another character's abilities.
- Visible: A character is visible to another if they are in a straight line AND there are no other characters between the two.
Active Abilities
- ACROBAT: Jumps in a straight line over an adjacent character. May jump twice consecutively.
- RIDER: Moves two spaces in a straight line.
- BRUISER: Moves to an adjacent enemy's space, pushing them to one of the opposite three spaces of your choice.
- ROYAL GUARD: Moves from any space to a space adjacent to your Leader. May then move one additional space.
- ILLUSIONIST: Switches places with a non-adjacent, visible character in a straight line.
- CLAW LAUNCHER: Moves in a straight line all the way to a visible character, OR drags them until they are adjacent.
- MANIPULATOR: Moves a non-adjacent enemy, visible in a straight line, by one space.
- WANDERER: Moves to any space non-adjacent to an enemy.
- BREWMASTER: Moves an adjacent ally one space.
Passive Abilities
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ARCHER: Can be two spaces in a straight line from the opponent's Leader and help capture them. The Leader does not need to be visible.
However, does not help capture the opponent's Leader when adjacent.
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ASSASSIN: Captures the opponent's Leader when adjacent. (Without a second ally.)
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JAILER: Adjacent enemies with an active ability cannot use their ability.
WARNING: Does not interrupt an active ability in progress if the enemy becomes adjacent during the action. (For example, if the Acrobat jumps once, placing them next to the Jailer, the Acrobat can still make their second jump.)
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PROTECTOR: Enemy abilities may not move the Protector or any adjacent allies.
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VIZIER: Your Leader may move one additional space during their action.
Special Abilities
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HERMIT AND CUB: When you recruit them, take both the Hermit and the Cub and place each on an empty recruitment space (not necessarily adjacent).
These two characters count as one during the recruitment phase.
During the action phase, you can move either the Hermit or the Cub, or one after another. The Cub cannot help capture the opponent's Leader.
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NEMESIS: Cannot take an action during their action phase.
During your turn or your opponent's turn, after any action moving the opponent's Leader (one or more spaces), the Nemesis MUST move two spaces.
The Nemesis cannot move away and back to their current space. If the Nemesis cannot move two spaces, move the Nemesis only one space. If that is not possible either, the Nemesis does not move.
REMINDER:
- The Nemesis can move multiple times in one turn if different actions move the opponent's Leader (for example, the Leader's own action, then the Illusionist's action).
- Regardless of the number of spaces the opponent Leader moves during an action (for example, with the Vizier's ability), the Nemesis only moves once (by two spaces). The Nemesis moves immediately after the triggering action is completed.
Expert Mode
We recommend you try this mode once you are familiar with the different characters' abilities. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE LEADERS MODE: all characters are available at the start of a game. Tactics and strategy are the keys to victory!
Follow the setup on page 3, but instead of forming a deck with the character cards, lay them all out and place the corresponding character on top of each. The action phase does not change. During the recruitment phase, choose any available character.
A banishment phase will take place before the first player's first turn.
BANISHMENT PHASE: Starting with the first player, both players banish one available character. Place the banished characters and their cards in the box. They cannot be recruited during this game.
Once BOTH players have three characters (your Leader counts as one), complete a second and final banishment phase.
Example
During the first banishment phase, Kahina goes first and banishes the Acrobat. Her opponent Arthur then banishes the Assassin. Both cards and characters are removed from the game.
During her first turn, Kahina moves her Leader (1) and recruits the Archer (2). Arthur then moves his Leader (3) and recruits the Hermit and Cub (4). As it's his first turn as second player, he recruits again and chooses the Manipulator (5).
Next, Kahina decides not to move her Leader. She moves her Archer one space (6). Then she recruits the Bruiser (7).
At the end of her turn, both players have three characters. They each choose one of the remaining available characters to banish.
Kahina banishes the Illusionist, and Arthur banishes the Nemesis. Both characters are removed from the game.
It is now Arthur's turn again.