Lionwake

Lionwake Rulebook

Table of Contents

How to Use This Ritual Manual

Borders and marginalia: additional rules, edge cases, and reminders; examples; and cultural annotations not necessary to play the game.

It is said: Within knowledge dissemination, ancient texts with borders of color are an original; those of black denote the transcribed copy.

Components: Game

1 Village board
1 Drum Ritual board
18 Terrain tiles: 9 Plains (green), 5 Highlands (yellow), 4 Mountains (blue)
48 Drum cards
16 Fear cards
28 Bamboo Slips tokens
20 Jade Amulet tokens, 4 of each type
21 Yao Monster tokens: 7 Wangliang (threat one); 14 Zhujian (threat two)
3 Nian Beast tokens, Taotie forms one, two, three
12 Strength dice, 8 Intimidation dice
3 Nian Beast cards, Taotie forms one, two, three
50 Coin tokens, 25 Bamboo tokens, 25 Red Paper tokens, 15 Jade tokens
48 Tattoo Motif tokens, 12 of each: green, red, purple, blue
6 Ritual Manual tokens
5 Scorched Earth tokens
First Player token
7 Strength Dice tokens
7 Intimidation Dice tokens
3 Nian Beast miniatures, Taotie forms one, two, three (7 pieces)
18 Leaping platforms
39 Bamboo supports

Components: Player

4 Character boards
20 Player Drum cards: 4 sets (甲, 乙, 丙, 丁) of 5 cards with grey top borders

It is said: Shi 始 is "start."

12 Lion cards
12 Lion Drum cards, 3 of each green, red, purple, blue
8 Lion miniatures, 2 of each type
8 Banners, 2 of each player color labelled I, II
56 Qi Energy tokens, 14 of each player color
12 Player Bamboo Slips tokens
1 Intimidation Success Jade Amulet token
1 Strength Dice Jade Amulet token

The Manual says: Ritual implements, stronger than weapons, purify space, validate heavenly petitions, invite divine presentence, and repel malevolent spirits.

Setup: Village Map and Board

Sort the Terrain tiles by terrain type: plains (green), highlands (yellow), and mountains (blue). Shuffle them and randomly choose the number based on the number of players, placing unused tiles in the box:
- 2p: 6 plains; 2 highlands; 2 mountains
- 3p: 7 plains; 3 highlands; 2 mountains
- 4p: 8 plains; 4 highlands; 3 mountains
Randomly place them in the suggested layout.

For your first game, see the Suggested First-Game Layouts section for Village map layouts.

If building your own, shuffle all the randomly chosen tiles in a stack face down. In turn order, each player reveals one tile and places it ensuring that each tile is adjacent to at least two others.
Build the Leaping Platforms. Each highlands and mountains tile is placed on a platform comprised of 2 and 4 Bamboo Supports, respectively.

The platforms are not necessary to play the game.
Assemble the first form of the Nian Beast miniature and place it (or its Nian Beast token) on the first placed plains Terrain tile.
Separately shuffle the Wangliang Monster and Zhujian Monster tokens based on the number of players. Place them in one stack face down with the Wangliang on top of the Zhujian.
- 2p: 5 Wangliang; 14 Zhujian
- 3p: 6 Wangliang; 14 Zhujian
- 4p: 7 Wangliang; 14 Zhujian
Draw the top 3 Yao Monster tokens and place 1 on each of the last placed plains, highlands, and mountains Terrain tiles. Place the remaining stack near the Village map of Terrain tiles.
Place the Drum Ritual board nearby. Set aside the twenty Player Drum cards (indicated by their grey border and 甲, 乙, 丙, and 丁) and the twelve Lion Drum cards (indicated by 始), which will be used in Player Setup. Shuffle the remaining 48 Drum cards and place them on the board face down. Draw the top 4 cards and place them in a row face up.

Setup: Character Board

The last player to light a firework is the first player (or choose randomly) and takes the First Player token.
Randomly choose a Character board.

The Character boards are asymmetrical. If desired, they may be drafted: Player One randomly takes 2 boards and chooses 1; Player Two chooses theirs the same way; etc.
Shuffle the Lion cards and place them in a deck face down. Draw the top 4 cards and place them in a row face up. Starting from the last player and moving counterclockwise, each player chooses 1 Lion card. After a card is chosen, replenish the row back to 4 cards.

For a more casual experience, deal 3 Lion cards to each player who then choose 1. Once ready, all players reveal their card simultaneously. Shuffle the remaining cards in a deck face down. Draw the top 4 cards and place them in a row face up.

Place your 1 chosen Lion card above your character board in the left slot. This Lion is referred to as your starting or left Lion, with the right being able to be summoned during the game.

Lions should be drafted after Village Map and Board Setup.
Place the stack and row of Lion cards near the Village board. Randomly place 1 Ritual Manual token on the stack of Lion cards. Return the remaining tokens to the box.
Choose a player color, taking the respective 14 Qi Energy tokens and 2 Banners. Place 10 Qi Energy on your character board where indicated. Place the remaining 4 Qi Energy near your Character board.
Choose a set of 2 matching Lion miniatures, slotting a Flag into each to make them more identifiable. Your I Flag represents your left Lion, and II is your right.
Take starting resources: 2 Bamboo, any resources indicated on your starting Lion Drum card (see below), and Coins based on player order:
- Player 1: 4 Coins
- Player 2: 5 Coins

Setup: Suggested First-Game Layouts

TBD.

Goal

As a villager capable of calling the local Lion guardians, play the ritual music to impel your Lions in defense of the village Lionwake against the external threat of the Nian beast and accompanying Yao monsters.

Each beat of a played Drum card drives your Lions to leap through the bamboo separating Lionwake from the Frontier, gaining Motifs and Jade Amulets to further empower and specialize your Lions as well as — once ready — establishing Spring Couplets and directly battling the Nian to ward them off, contributions of which are recorded on Bamboo Slips, the ultimate symbol of your efforts.

Your contributions in warding off the Nian beasts are worth "auspiciousness" (ji 吉), namely victory points, that is calculated at Game End to determine which player most safeguarded Lionwake and achieves victory.

Game and Player Turn Overview

Lionwake is played over a series of rounds. A round consists of each player performing one turn. Starting with the player with the First Player token, each player on your turn chooses one of three actions:

I. Drum.

Strike. Choose and play one Drum card from your hand next to one of your Lions above the player board, indicating that that Lion will leap, gain resources, perform actions, and battle.
Leap. The Lion must leap and end on a new Terrain tile.
Perform. Gain resources and perform any actions on both the played Drum card and the Terrain tile in any order.
Battle. Must battle any Nian beast or Yao monster present on the Terrain tile.
Clean Up. May discard any Drum cards from hand. Draw up to 3 cards. Replenish Tattoo Motifs, Bamboo Slips, and Drum cards to 4.

II. Summon.

Once per game, summon your right Lion and place it above your Character board.

III. Rest.

Purchase. May purchase 1 Drum card which is placed on top of your deck.
Gather. Gather all Drum and Fear cards (a) played next to your Lions as well as from (b) your deck, (c) your hand, and (d) your discard.
Retain. May keep 1 Drum card in hand for your next turn.
Shuffle. Shuffle all other Drum and Fear cards, and place them in your deck face down.
Draw. Draw up to 3 Drum cards.

Once all three forms of the Taotie beast have been defeated OR one player's character board has no remaining Qi Energy, play continues with all other players finishing one last turn.

Language and Iconography

Components of a Lion Card: the Tattoo Motif track; the number of steps when leaping; Wardings, Strength dice and/or Scare dice; and Name.

Components of a Drum Card: a visual aid showing required Tattoo Motifs; the cost to purchase; a one-time action or bonus performed when purchased; Actions; requirements by the Lion to perform the action to the right; and a persistent action or bonus performed on any turn a Drum card is played next to the Lion.

Drum boxes indicate one-time actions performed on the turn this Drum card is played.

Jade boxes indicate passive bonuses performed on each turn a Drum Card is played next to this Lion (including the turn the Drum card with this action was just played).

Iconography patterns used throughout the manual:

none: gain / perform. Example: Gain 1 Red Paper and perform Writing Spring Couplets one time.
spend … to gain / perform. Example: Spend 2 Jade to gain the Jade Amulet.
when you perform …, gain / perform. Example: When you perform Pacify the Lands, may exile 1 card.
for each …, gain / perform. Example: For each exiled card, gain 1 Bamboo.

Player Turn: Drum

1. Strike

Choose 1 Drum card from your hand and play it next to one of your summoned Lions.

The chosen Lion acts, namely leaps, performs, and battles, on this turn. The other Lion, their persistent action or bonuses, and any Drum cards played next to them are not in effect.

If played next to a Lion with previously played Drum cards, layer the newly placed card on top in a way that makes all actions visible.

Your starting left Lion can hold 2 Drum cards; your right Lion up to 3. (If both Lions are full, you must Rest this turn.)

Example: Winged Ear acts on this turn.

2. Leap

The chosen Lion must leap to and end on a different Terrain tile from where it started. It may end on any adjacent or farther away tile (except for a tile that already has any player's Lion, see below) as long as it has the required number of available steps for each leap:

1 step is required for leaping to an adjacent Terrain tile of the same level, to one that is any level lower, or one that has any player's Lion — including yours — regardless of level.

2 steps are required for leaping to an adjacent Terrain tile that is one level higher.

3 steps are required for leaping to an adjacent Terrain tile that is two levels higher.

When leaping from your player board (such as your first turn of the game), consider the Terrain tiles on the outside of the Village map as adjacent to the player board and the player board as plains. In other words, 1 step is required to leap to any outside plains, 2 steps to any outside highlands, or 3 steps to any outside mountains.

You may leap to and end on a Terrain tile with a Nian beast or Yao monster (see Battle) or pass through and continue leaping as normal.

In the rare case that the chosen Lion cannot leap to a new Terrain tile, the player still plays a Drum card as normal, but the Lion returns to the player board. You may still perform any actions on the card.

Available steps are mostly from the played Drum card, which provides 1 to 4, but may also be from other actions and bonuses. For many Drum cards, you may spend 1 Bamboo to gain additional steps up to as many indicated.

Example: Leaping to the Terrain tile with the other Lion only requires 1 step, but you cannot end on it. A Drum card providing 1 step and up to 3 steps for 1 Bamboo shows 1 step, 2 steps, and 3 steps.

3. Perform

You may gain any resources and perform any actions on both the played Drum card and the Terrain tile ended on by the chosen Lion. Actions may be performed in any order.

Some actions and bonuses require the Lion to have met the requirement on the Drum card to be performed, namely combinations of Tattoo Motifs, leaping to a higher Terrain tile, or having both of the player's Lions on the Village map.

Example requirements: requires 1 blue and 1 green Tattoo Motif; requires both player Lions on the map; requires the Lion to leap to a higher tile.

Perform: Resources

Coins: Used to purchase Drum cards, exchange for other resources, as well as discard and replenish Drum cards, Tattoo Motifs, and Bamboo Slips.
Bamboo: Used to gain steps in leaping, Ink Tattoo Motifs, and purchase Bamboo Slips.
Red Paper: Used to Write Spring Couplets.
Jade: Used to Carve Jade Amulets.

Reminder that anytime a resource is shown without an icon, gain the resource from the supply. Resources are not limited. If you run out, use a substitute.

Perform: Inking Tattoo Motifs

Spend 1 Bamboo to gain 1 Tattoo Motif.

You may first spend 1 Coin to discard the row of four Motifs and replenish it with four new tokens. You may only do this once. At the end of your turn, return any discarded Motifs back into the bag.

Place the Motif on the track, starting from the leftmost available space, of either Lion, even the one not active this turn. Immediately perform the action or bonus of the covered space. Replenish any gained Motifs during Clean Up at the end of your turn.

Newly inked Motifs may meet the requirements of the Drum card played this turn or others layered underneath, allowing you to perform those actions or bonuses.

If the track is full, you may replace a previously placed Motif. Do not perform the covered action or bonus again.

Example: Jadebrow immediately gains 2 Coins.

Perform: Writing Spring Couplets

Choose and place 1 Qi Energy token from anywhere on your character board onto an available Spring Couplets space. Spend the indicated Red Paper to gain the corresponding resources and/or perform the actions.

Spend 2 Red Paper to gain 1 Bamboo.
Spend 3 Red Paper to exile 1 Drum or Fear card.
Spend 5 Red Paper to purchase 1 Bamboo Slips (must spend 2 Bamboo) and gain 1 free Tattoo Motif.

Reminder that the 3p and 4p spaces are only available in a three and four-player game, respectively.

Spend 3 Red Paper, allowing you to place the 1 Qi Energy.

The number of spaces are not limited. Any number of players may place any number of Qi Energy.

Example: Pink Player immediately exiles 1 Drum or Fear card.

Perform: Carving Jade Amulets

Choose and place 1 Qi Energy token from anywhere on your character board onto an available Jade Amulet space. Spend the indicated Jade to gain the Amulet, placing it nearby your character board. Each player may only gain 1 of each Amulet. A Pendant is a free action that may be used one time each turn (including the turn it is gained).

When Battling, gain 1 Strength dice.
When Resting, gain any resources and perform any actions on the Terrain tile(s) which have your Lion(s). (This Amulet is the only one played outside of the Drum player action.)
All played Drum cards require one less Tattoo Motif of any color to meet card requirements.
Increases the limit of Drum cards that may be played next to both your Lions by 1 card.
Perform any one Drum Box action of the Drum card played this turn twice.

You may flip the Pendant face down over as a reminder that it has been used (flipping it face up again at the end of your turn).

Spend 3 Jade, allowing you to place the 1 Qi Energy. May purchase 1 Bamboo Slips (must spend 2 Bamboo).

The number of spaces are not limited. Any number of players may place any number of Qi Energy.

Perform: Pacifying the Land

Your chosen Lion this turn must end their leap on a Terrain tile with a Yao monster.

Choose and place 1 Qi Energy from anywhere on your character board onto an available Yao monster space of the same type, namely Wangliang (first section) or Zhujian (second section).

The Nian beast (third section) cannot be pacified and can only be defeated through Battle.

Spend the indicated resources, both the resources on the space itself and the pacifying cost, namely 1 Bamboo for Wangliang or 2 Bamboo for Zhujian.

Place the Yao monster next to your Qi Energy, indicating it has been pacified.

Spawn a new Yao monster by drawing the top token from the stack. Place it on any adjacent Terrain tile to your Lion. There cannot be two Yao monsters, including the Nian beast, on the same Terrain tile.

Example: Jadebrow ends their leap on a Terrain tile with a Wangliang monster. Jadebrow spends 2 Bamboo (chosen monster space) and 1 Bamboo (pacifying cost) to pacify the Wangliang, placing both 1 Qi Energy and the Wangliang onto the monster space. They finally draw a new Yao monster (Zhujian) and place it adjacent, choosing the plains just below.

Perform: Exchanging Resources

Perform one of the following exchanges:

Gain 1 Coin.
Purchase 1 Drum card. Place on top of your deck.
Spend 2 Coins to gain 1 Bamboo (or vice versa).
Spend 2 Coins to gain 1 Red Paper (or vice versa).
Spend 4 Coins to gain 1 Jade (or vice versa).
If your chosen Lion has 1 blue Tattoo Motif, spend 4 Coins to place 1 Qi Energy.
If your chosen Lion has 2 blue Tattoo Motifs, spend 6 Coins to place 1 Qi Energy and to purchase 1 Bamboo Slips (must spend 2 Bamboo).

The number of spaces are not limited. Any number of players may place any number of Qi Energy.

Perform: Bamboo Slips (free action)

Bamboo Slips are personal end game scoring conditions. Any time you purchase Bamboo Slips, place them nearby your Character board.

At any time during Perform of the Drum action, you may — as a free action — place a Bamboo Slips on a section of your player board where all Qi Energy have been removed. Immediately perform the action or bonus of the covered space.

Example: Jadebrow decides to place a Bamboo Slips on the fourth section. They immediately perform Writing Spring Couplets.

4. Battle

If your Lion ends on a Terrain tile with the Nian beast or a Yao monster you must engage in a battle, which consists of rolling both Intimidation and Strength dice.

Determine the number of Intimidation and Strength dice that the Lion and the Nian beast or Yao monster roll and roll them simultaneously.

For your Lion, dice can be gained from several places: the Lion card itself, its Tattoo Motif track, the Character board (right Lion only), played Drum cards, Jade Amulets, and completed Spring Couplets. See the Wangliang or Zhujian token or the Taotie card to determine their number of dice.

Each Intimidation success, from both the dice roll and other actions or bonuses, removes 1 Strength dice, beginning with the highest roll, rolled by the opponent.

Each Warding blocks 1 Intimidation success.

If the number of successes is equal to or greater than the number of Strength dice rolled by the opponent, they are intimidated and immediately lose the battle.

If both the Lion and the beast are intimidated, the player wins (ties go to the Lion).

After taking into account Intimidation successes, determine the number of Strength hits, from both the dice roll and other actions or bonuses. The higher Strength value wins. If tied, the player wins.

Example: Silverspike has 1 Intimidation dice from Drum cards, and has 1 Warding from Drum cards. Silverspike has 4 Strength dice: 1 from Lion card, 1 from Motif Track, 1 from Drum cards (each Lion with a Warding gains 1 dice), and Character board. Silverspike rolls 1 Intimidation success and 5 Strength hits.

The Nian beast rolls 5 Strength hits and has an additional 2 hits from its Taotie card. Silverspike's Intimidation hit removes the 3-hit Strength dice. Silverspike defeats the Nian beast 5 to 4.

Battle: Victory

Place the defeated Yao monster token or the corresponding Nian beast token and 1 Qi Energy from anywhere on your character board on an available beast space of the same type in the Frontier section: Wangliang (first section), Zhujian (second section), or Taotie (third section). Gain or perform the indicated resources or action.

When defeating a Yao monster, spawn a new Yao monster by drawing the top token from the stack. Place it on any adjacent Terrain tile to your Lion. There cannot be two Yao monsters, including the Nian beast, on the same Terrain tile.

When defeating a Nian beast, the player gains the corresponding Nian beast card for end game scoring. Then spawn the next Nian beast form by placing it on any adjacent Terrain tile to your Lion. Follow any instructions on its card.

Spawned Nian beasts and Yao monsters can be placed on a Terrain tile with another Lion. That Lion does not engage in a battle.

Example: Silverspike places the defeated Nian beast token and 1 Qi token in the third section. They may gain 3 Red Paper or purchase 1 Bamboo Slips.

Battle: Defeat

The defeated Lion returns to your player board, from which it may leap on a future turn.

Gain 1 Fear card and place it on top of your deck.

When in hand, Fear cards may not be played like Drum cards next to one of your Lions. However, they may be discarded during Clean Up and exiled.

5. Clean Up

After Battle, you may discard any Drum or Fear cards from hand.

Draw up to 3 cards. If your draw deck is empty, shuffle all cards in your discard and place face down to the left of your Character board to form a new draw deck.

Replenish Tattoo Motifs, Bamboo Slips, and Drum cards to 4.

Player Turn: Summon

Instead of the Drum action, if you meet the requirements (namely X Qi Energy placed from off your Character board) of the Ritual Manual token randomly drawn during Setup, you may choose to summon your second (right) Lion.

Choose 1 of the Lions placed face up during Setup and place it above your Character board in the right slot. Replenish the Lion cards to 4.

Your second (right) Lion is inherently stronger than your starting (left), as 3 Drum cards may be played next to it as well as it gaining 1 Strength dice, both indicated on the board.

Then gain any resources and/or perform any actions indicated on the Manual Ritual token.

Player Turn: Rest

Instead of the Drum or Summon actions, you may Rest which consists of five steps:

If your Lions are full, you are forced to rest, as you are not able to play a Drum card.

Purchase. You may purchase 1 Drum card which is placed on top of your deck. Replenish the Drum cards to 4.

You may first spend 1 Coin to discard and replenish the row of four Drum cards. You may only do this once. Place the discarded cards at the bottom of the Drum card deck in any order.

For Drum cards with the box icon, gain any resources and/or perform any actions indicated.
Gather. Gather all Drum and Fear cards, namely those (a) played next to your Lion(s) as well as from (b) your deck, (c) your hand, and (d) your discard.
Retain. You may keep up to 1 Drum card in hand for your next turn.
Shuffle. Shuffle all remaining Drum and Fear cards, and place them in your draw deck face down.
Draw. Draw up to 3 Drum cards.

Game End

Once all three forms of the Nian beast have been defeated OR one player's character board has no remaining Qi Energy, that player takes the First Player token, which is worth 2 "auspiciousness" (VPs).

Play continues with all other players taking a final turn.

Each player has additional Qi Energy which may be placed even if your Character board is empty.

Final "auspiciousness" is calculated as follows:

If needed, there is a scoring track on the back of your Character board.

Score each Bamboo Slips placed on a section of Qi Energy on your player board.
Score your Drum cards, namely any auspiciousness indicated.
Score Nian beast cards, and for the second Taotie form, Scorched Earth tokens.
Score the Village board, namely placed Qi Energy in the Spring Couplets, Exchange, Jade Amulets, and Frontier sections on the Village board.

The player with the most auspiciousness wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the most placed Tattoo Motifs, symbolizing their developed relationship with the guardian Lions, wins the game. If still tied, the victory is shared.

Appendix: Bamboo Slips

Bamboo Slips are personal end-game scoring conditions. Each Bamboo Slips token scores one of the following, as indicated on the token:

3 auspiciousness for each indicated pair of the Tattoo Motifs placed across all your Lions.
2 auspiciousness for each exiled Drum card (including Fear cards).
5 auspiciousness for each Taotie beast form you defeated.
5 auspiciousness for each Lion with four (or more) different Tattoo Motif colors.
2 auspiciousness for each Qi Energy in the indicated section. (Here, Qi in Frontier, from Pacifying the Land or defeating monsters.)
5 auspiciousness for each Lion with 5 Tattoo Motifs of any color.
3 auspiciousness for each set of Drum cards (one of each color, not including grey). (The top border of a Drum card is its "color." One Drum card may act as two colors for creating a set.)
3 auspiciousness for each set of Qi Energy placed in the two indicated sections. (Here, Qi in Jade Amulet; Qi in Spring Couplets.)
12 auspiciousness for having 5 Tattoo Motifs of the indicated color placed across all your Lions.
12 auspiciousness for having 5 exiled Drum cards (including Fear cards).
6 auspiciousness for having defeated 1 or more Taotie beast form.
12 auspiciousness for having defeated 2 or more Taotie beast forms.
12 auspiciousness for having the number or more of Qi Energy placed in the indicated section.
12 auspiciousness for having 5 Drum cards of the indicated color.
12 auspiciousness for having the number or more of Qi Energy placed in the two indicated sections.

Appendix: Icons and Other Actions

Spend … to gain / perform … .
When …, gain / perform … .
For each …, gain / perform … .
"Start," indicating starting components such as Terrain tiles, Drum cards, and Bamboo Slips.
Auspiciousness.
Qi Energy.
Auspiciousness awarded for each placed Qi Energy.
Perform Inking Tattoo Motifs.
Perform Writing Spring Couplets.
Perform Carving Jade Pendants.
Qi Energy in the Spring Couplets section.
Qi Energy in the Jade Pendants section. For each Qi Energy in the Jade Pendants section, gain 1 Strength dice.
Perform Pacifying the Land.
Perform Exchange.
Resources indicated on the beast space in the Frontier section. Spend the resources indicated on the beast space to play your Qi Energy next to it, awarding the corresponding auspiciousness.
Qi Energy in the Frontier section, from Pacifying the Land or defeating Nian beasts. For each Qi Energy in the Frontier section, gain 2 coins.
Strength dice.
Scare dice.
Strength success.
Scare success.
Place defeated Nian beast token (and 1 Qi Energy), gaining the resources indicated.
Place defeated Nian beast token (and 1 Qi Energy). Only used when no spaces to place defeated Nian beast.
Intimidation, thus defeating the Nian beast. When you intimidate, gain 1 Jade.

Solo Mode

The drums fall silent. No rival ritualist walks the village with you, and no one else will answer when the Nian beast wakes.

You have until fear takes the village. Burn the last of it, or the Nian has won.

Solo: Setup

Set up as a normal 2-player game, except with the following changes:

For the Jade Amulet section, there is only 1 (not 2) available Qi Energy spaces for each Amulet.

Place Nian beast Qi Energy on the Village board based on your chosen level of difficulty.

Any color(s) of Qi Energy may be used to represent the Nian.

Section	Easy	Normal	Hard
Frontier: Wangliang monsters (section 1) — place from top left moving right	1	2	2
Frontier: Zhujian monsters (section 2) — place from top left moving right	1	2	2
Spring Couplets — all three areas	1	1	2
Jade Amulets — 3-cost Amulet	0	0	1
Jade Amulets — 4-cost Amulet	0

White Qi Energy tokens indicate 2p setup; yellow is Nian beast Qi Energy (Normal setup shown as an example).

Solo: Goal

You win by defeating the Nian beast's third form or by placing all your Qi Energy from off your Character board.

The game is lost the moment the last Fear card is drawn from the Fear deck.

Solo: Player Turn

Player turns follow the rules of Lionwake with one important exception:

After defeating a Nian beast or a Yao monster in battle, resolve "victory" as normal. Then remove 1 Nian beast Qi Energy from the Village board. Other effects that remove Yao monsters do not remove any Nian beast Qi Energy.

Nian Beast Automata

The Nian beast on its turn follows the rules of Lionwake with these exceptions:

The Nian does not hold resources, Tattoo Motifs, Jade Amulets, or Bamboo Slips, and does not score points.
The Nian does not Pacify the Lands, purchase cards, Summon, or Rest.
Nian beast Qi Energy occupies the spaces on which they are placed, blocking your Qi Energy placement.
When the Nian defeats a Yao monster, namely "ghost kill," the placed monster token does not provide you resources or open a Qi Energy space (see below).

Nian Beast Turn

You and the Nian beast alternate turns. After taking a normal player turn, the Nian's turn is resolved as follows:

Draw a Solo card and resolve its effects.

If the Solo deck is empty, shuffle the discard pile.

A Solo card has a mandatory effect and two effects to resolve 1 of 2.

Resolve the mandatory effect on the top of the Solo card. Choose and resolve one of the two effects on the bottom. Discard the card.

Tie-Breaks: Resolve any tie-breaks in the following order of priority: Option nearest your Lion > Top-left Terrain tile > Player chooses.

Nian Beast Stirs

When resolving Nian beast stirs:

Form 1: Add 1 Fear card to your deck.

Fear cards are first taken from the Fear deck discard. If there are no discarded Fear cards, take it from the Fear deck itself.
Form 2: One Yao monster places a Scorched Earth token on its Terrain tile.
Form 3: Moves directly to your Lion and defeats it without rolling Intimidation or Strength dice.

Nian Beast Cards

Form one of the Nian beast starts on the Village map as normal. Forms two and three are in the Fear deck.

After defeating form one or form two, take the next form out of the Fear deck and place it. Spawn the next form adjacent to your Lion as normal.

Take and place the defeated Nian beast card near your Character board. It scores auspiciousness as normal.

When drawing and discarding a Fear card during the Nian beast turn, if a Nian beast card is revealed, immediately spawn the newest form, namely swapping the corresponding Nian beast token. Place the revealed Nian beast card into the Frontier section where indicated, returning the old card to the box.

Solo: Game End

The game ends in victory if you defeat the Nian beast's third form or place all of your Qi Energy from off your Character board; or in defeat the moment the last Fear card is discarded.

In either case, the player does not take a final turn.

Final "auspiciousness" is calculated as follows:

Only games ending in victory are scored.

As in a normal game, score your Bamboo Slips, your Drum cards, any Nian beast cards and Scorched Earth tokens (2 auspiciousness each), and your Qi Energy on the Village board.

Then score remaining Fear cards in the Fear deck:

Easy: 1 auspiciousness
Normal: 2 auspiciousness
Hard: 3 auspiciousness

Titles by final score:

Score	Title	Score	Title
< 30	Paper Lion	46–49	Awakened Lion
30–33	Startled Cub	50–53	Nian Bane
34–37	Ritual Understudy	54–57	Nian Slayer
38–41	Drumhand	58+	Guardian
42–45	Lion-dancer

Appendix: Solo Cards and Iconography

Card No.	Mandatory	Option 1 (Rampage)	Option 2 (Relief)
1	Instill Fear and Ghost Kill	Nian Stirs	Regroup
2	Ghost Kill	Nian Stirs	Resupply
3	Refresh Card Market (left 2)	Seal Couplets	Cleanse
4	Refresh Motifs (left 2)	Seal Amulets	Purchase
5	Ghost Kill	Thrash	Sweep
6	Refresh Card Market (right 2)	Lunge	Seeing Red

Solo card action reference:

Instill Fear: Discard 1 Fear card from the Fear deck.
Ghost Kill: Draw a monster token from the monster stack and place it with 1 Nian beast Qi Energy in the Frontier section.
Nian Stirs: See the Nian Beast Stirs section, above.
Seal Couplets: Place 2 Nian beast Qi Energy on the leftmost available Spring Couplets.
Seal Amulets: Place 2 Nian beast Qi Energy on the leftmost available Amulets.
Seal Exchange: Place 2 Nian beast Qi Energy on the leftmost available Exchange.
Thrash: Discard all Drum cards in the market. Only replenish after the next player's turn.
Deface: Discard all Tattoo Motifs. Only replenish after the next player's turn.
Lunge: Place 2 Nian beast Qi Energy on the leftmost available monster spaces in the Frontier.
Wildfire: 2 Yao monsters on the Village map add Scorched Earth tokens.

Scorched Earth tokens are limited. If you cannot place any, do not.
Regroup: May discard and redraw up to 3 Drum cards.
Seeing Red: Remove 1 Nian beast Qi Energy from any Spring Couplet.
Cleanse: Remove 1 Nian beast Qi Energy from any Amulet.
Sweep: Remove up to 2 Yao monsters adjacent to your Lions. They are not counted as defeated.