Monster Hex Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Game Objective
• Unit Description
• Board Description (4-Player Game)
• Game Setup
• Game Flow
  • 1. Place a Unit
  • 2. Determining Magic Stone Acquisition
  • 3. Replenishing Units
• Game End
• Determining the Winner
• 3 Player Gameplay Differences
• 2 Player Gameplay Differences
• Variant Rule 1: Using Ability Cards
  • Red Faction Abilities
  • Blue Faction Abilities
  • Yellow Faction Abilities
  • Green Faction Abilities
• Variant Rule 2: Using Goal Cards
• Magic Stone Tiles in Gameplay
• Goal Cards Overview
• Unit List
• Credits

Contents

• 40 Unit Tiles (10 each in red, blue, yellow, and green)
• 8 Magic Stone Tiles (double-sided)
• 8 Ability Cards (TH/EN)
• 40 Goal Cards (TH/EN)
• 2 Game Boards (front side: 4 players; back side: 2-3 players)
• 4 Score Markers (1 each in red, blue, yellow, and green)
• 8 Counters (4 each in white and black)
• 2 Instruction Manuals

Game Objective

You will become one of the Four Lords in a world dominated by four factions, each player representing one of these factions. You will place your unit tiles (hereafter referred to as "units") on the play board (hereafter referred to as the "board"), competing with opposing factions to capture magic stones (points) located at eight secret sites. The player with the highest score at the end of the game becomes the Demon King and wins the game.

Unit Description

1. Monsters — Each unit features a unique illustration and name.
2. Frame and Background — The frame and background colors represent the different factions: sky (red), sea (blue), mountain (yellow), and underground (green).
3. Power — When determining the acquisition of magic stones, units adjacent to a magic stone space with higher power values have an advantage. Example illustration: counterclockwise power values of 1, 2, and 4.
4. Rank — Each faction consists of units ranked as follows: 1 S-rank, 3 A-rank, 3 B-rank, and 3 C-rank units. A unit of rank S, B, and C is marked in red text.

Board Description (4-Player Game)

1. Empty Spaces — 30 spaces where units can be placed.
2. Small Magic Stone Spaces — 9 spaces each depicting a single magic stone.
3. Large Magic Stone Spaces — 8 spaces each depicting two magic stones.
4. Start Spaces — 2 spaces marked with a magic circle where the first units are placed.
5. Score Track — Each player uses their score marker to keep track of the magic stones they have acquired.
6. Deck Placement Areas — Located at the four corners of the board, these areas manage each player's deck.
7. Number of Players — "4" indicates a four-player game, while the reverse side ("2-3") is for two to three players.

Game Setup

(This setup is for four players. Instructions for two or three players are provided at the end.)

• Spread the board out on the table.
• Each player selects a set of units in their preferred color. Place the score marker on the [0] space of the score track on the board.
• Each player shuffles their units face down and places them in their deck placement area.
• Each player draws four units from the top of their deck to form their hand.
• The player who seems the most ambitious becomes the first player, or you can determine the first player by any suitable method.

Game Flow

The game consists of eight rounds (for four players).

Starting with the first player, each player takes their turn in clockwise order (to the left). Each turn consists of the following steps:

1. Place a Unit
2. Determine Magic Stone Acquisition
3. Replenish Units

1. Place a Unit

Select one unit from your hand and place it on a space on the board. The first player must place their first unit face up on one of the two start spaces on the board.

From the next player onward, units must be placed face up on an empty space adjacent to an already placed unit (of any color).

There is a condition for adjacency: at least one side of the units must have the same power value. If only one side has the same power, the power values of other adjacent sides can be different.

Examples

• Figure 1: In this case, there are four empty spaces where units can be placed. Units with power values of 1, 3, or 4 can be placed adjacent to the existing units.
• Figure 2: The red player on their turn selects a Wyvern from their hand and places it with a power value matching the 4 power of the already placed Ghoul.

Incorrect Placement Examples

• (Left) Not adjacent to any unit.
• (Middle) Power values of all adjacent units are different.
• (Right) Unit is placed overlapping the edges of a space.

Special Placement Conditions

• If there are no spaces that meet the adjacency condition, you can place the unit on any available start space in any direction.
• In the final round, if the last player cannot place their unit according to the adjacency condition, they may place it in any direction.

2. Determining Magic Stone Acquisition

When two units are adjacent to a small magic stone space (refer to point 2 in the board description) or six units surround a large magic stone space (refer to point 3 in the board description), an immediate determination of magic stone acquisition is made. If this is not the case, proceed to step 3: replenishing your hand.

Small Magic Stone

Compare the power of the two units adjacent to the small magic stone. The unit with the higher power wins the magic stone.

If the powers are the same, compare their ranks. The unit with the higher rank wins the magic stone. If the ranks are also the same, no one wins the magic stone.

If the units are the same color, no comparison is needed.

Figure 3: The blue Marid and red Nightmare are both adjacent to a small magic stone space with a power of 2. The rank is compared, and the A-rank Marid wins the magic stone.

Large Magic Stone

When all six spaces around a large magic stone are occupied, compare the total power values of the units from each faction. Determine the first and second place based on the highest total power values.

The player in first place selects one of the two magic stones. The player in second place takes the remaining magic stone.

If multiple players have the same total power value, unlike the small magic stone, ranks are not compared and those players are excluded from ranking.

Examples of Large Magic Stone Acquisition Scenarios

1. If multiple players tie for the highest total value: only the player in second place, if clear, chooses one magic stone to acquire.
2. If multiple players tie for the second highest total value: only the player in first place, if clear, chooses one magic stone to acquire.
3. If three out of four players tie with the same total value: the remaining player who is not part of the tie chooses one magic stone to acquire.
4. If all players have the same total value: no player acquires a magic stone.

Scoring the Magic Stone

Players who acquire a magic stone advance their score marker on the board's scoring track by the number indicated on the magic stone.

Bonus Points

If the color of the magic stone matches the player's faction color, the player advances their score marker an additional two spaces. This provides an extra incentive to acquire stones that match one's faction color, enhancing strategic play.

3. Replenishing Units

Each player draws units from their deck until there are four cards in their hand.

If a player's deck is exhausted, they no longer replenish their hand. This could lead to strategic considerations as the game progresses, impacting players' abilities to respond to board changes.

Game End

The game ends after the last player takes their final turn in the last round, places their unit, and any remaining magic stone acquisition determinations are made.

Note: at the end of the game, each player will have two units left in their hand.

Determining the Winner

The player whose score marker has advanced the furthest on the score track is declared the winner and celebrated as the new Demon King.

If there is a tie among players, the winner is the player who has acquired a magic stone worth 7 points.

If none of the tied players has a 7-point magic stone, then it is deemed that no Demon King is needed, and the victory is shared among the tied players. This creates a unique scenario where cooperation or a shared victory might be celebrated in the game's narrative.

3 Player Gameplay Differences

Here are the adjustments specifically for three-player games, differentiating from the four-player setup:

• Unit and Score Marker Colors — One of the four colors of units and score markers is not used.
• Number of Rounds — The game is played over 10 rounds, utilizing all 10 units.
• Board Setup — Use the reverse side of the board, which is marked with "2-3" for two to three players.
• Hand Size — Each player holds three cards in their hand instead of four.

These modifications ensure the game remains balanced and engaging with fewer players.

2 Player Gameplay Differences

Here's what changes when playing with two players compared to three:

• Unit Selection — After each player picks their preferred color and receives 10 units, they select a third color to share and return the unused color to the box.
• Shared Color Deck — Mix the 10 units of the shared color face down, then distribute 5 units each to form a separate deck for the shared color.
• Hand Size — Each player starts with three cards in their hand. The first player draws two cards of their own color and one from the shared color, while the second player draws three cards from their own color.

Game Procedure Changes

1. Turn Order — After the first and second players take their turns, the first player places a unit from the shared color according to the placement rules.
2. Replenishing Units — The first player replenishes their hand from their own color deck to make three cards, while the second player replenishes one card from the shared color deck.
3. Alternating Start — Players alternate who starts each round, with the player who was second in the last round going first in the next.

Scoring with Shared Color

The shared color also scores points. If both players' scores are lower than the shared color's score, both players lose the game.

Variant Rule

If playing with Variant Rule Number 1, the shared color does not use abilities.

This unique set of rules for two players introduces strategic collaboration and competition, as players must manage not only their units but also the shared color strategically to avoid mutual defeat.

Variant Rule 1: Using Ability Cards

This variant introduces unique abilities for each faction, making gameplay more dynamic and strategic:

• Ability Cards — Each faction receives two types of unique abilities through ability cards.
• Ability Units — Abilities are assigned to units ranked S, B, and C. Each of these ranks has one unit marked with red text, indicating the presence of an ability.
• Ability Strength — Abilities vary in strength, marked by star and dot symbols. Only S-rank units possess the stronger star ability.
• Game Setup — When players receive their set of units at the beginning of the game, they also receive their faction's ability cards and any necessary counters.
• Selecting Abilities — Each player decides which ability to use and hides the unused ability card under the board.
• Using Abilities — Players can choose whether or not to use an ability at the time of unit placement. If an ability is not used during unit placement, it cannot be used later in the game.

These rules add a layer of tactical depth as players must decide not only where and how to place their units but also when and whether to utilize their abilities to gain strategic advantages.

Red Faction Abilities

For the Red Faction, players have access to two specific abilities, each of which offers strategic benefits in gameplay:

Enhancement (uses white counters)

• Minor Enhancement (dot): Increases the power of one ally unit by +1.
• Major Enhancement (star): Increases the power of one ally unit by +2.
• Mechanics: Place one white counter on the chosen ally unit (including the unit itself) for the dot ability, and two white counters for the star ability. Each white counter on a unit increases all its power values by +1, but only during the determination of magic stone acquisition.

Reward (triggered during major magic stone acquisition)

• Minor Reward (dot): Gain an additional +1 point when controlling a large magic stone space.
• Major Reward (star): Gain an additional +2 points when controlling a large magic stone space.
• Mechanics: The Reward ability is applied only if you are in first place during the acquisition determination for a large magic stone.

These abilities allow Red Faction players to either boost their unit's effectiveness in securing magic stones or increase their scoring potential when dominating strategic areas, significantly impacting how they approach game strategy.

Blue Faction Abilities

For the Blue Faction, players can utilize two distinct abilities that affect unit placement and turn strategy:

Rapid Assault

• Continuous Turn (dot and star, once per round): After placing a unit with this ability, you may immediately place a second unit from your hand.
• Mechanics: Even if the second unit placed also has an ability, you cannot place a third unit within the same round. If this ability is used, your turn for any subsequent round in which you start with only two cards in hand will be skipped.

Scattered Troops

• Ignore Adjacency Conditions (dot): Allows placement of a unit without adhering to the normal adjacency requirements for one unit.
• Free Placement (star): Allows placement of a unit on any empty space on the board, ignoring adjacency conditions.

Yellow Faction Abilities

For the Yellow Faction, the abilities focus on disruption and strategic information gathering:

Disruption

• Rotate an Adjacent Enemy Unit (dot): This ability allows you to rotate one adjacent enemy unit to any direction.
• Rotate an Enemy Unit to Any Direction (star): This enhanced version allows you to rotate any enemy unit on the board, regardless of adjacency.

Stealth

• Draw a Goal Card (dot and star): This ability allows the player to draw one goal card, which is kept secret from other players.
• Mechanics: This ability is particularly useful even if the variant rule using goal cards is not adopted; the player who chooses this ability will uniquely possess a goal card.

Figure 4: The Yellow player places a Minotaur and uses the "Disruption" ability to rotate an adjacent green Dullahan, changing its power from 5 to 1. The sequence is shown from left to right: before placement, immediately after placement, and after using the ability.

These abilities enhance the Yellow Faction's capability to manipulate opponent's strategies directly by altering the orientation of enemy units, potentially undermining their positioning advantages. The "Stealth" ability provides a strategic edge by allowing access to additional objectives that can guide hidden personal strategies throughout the game.

Green Faction Abilities

The Green Faction can wield the powers of curses and magic stone creation to strategically impact the board and opponent units:

Curse (uses black counters)

• Weaken Enemy (dot): Decrease an enemy unit's power by -1.
• Strong Curse (star): Decrease an enemy unit's power by -2.
• Mechanics: Choose an enemy unit and place one black counter on it for the dot ability or two for the star ability. Each black counter decreases all of the unit's power values by -1, but only during magic stone acquisition determination.

Petrification (uses black counters)

• Convert Empty Space (dot): Change one empty space into a 1-point large magic stone space.
• Advanced Petrification (star): Change one empty space into a 2-point large magic stone space.
• Mechanics: Place one black counter (two for the star ability) on an empty space to prevent units from being placed there, thereby temporarily delaying magic stone acquisition. However, you cannot place a black counter on the last empty space required for magic stone determination.

When all surrounding spaces around a black counter are filled with units, the black counter is treated as a 1-point magic stone for acquisition purposes, regardless of the number of points assigned (1 or 2). If multiple black counters lead to a sectioned-off area by the final round, making it impossible to place according to adjacency rules, you may place freely in any direction on the remaining spaces, following the rules for Special Placement Conditions (see Place a Unit, above).

Figure 5: Green uses the Divaurer's ability to petrify an empty space, leading to a magic stone acquisition in which Yellow gains 1 point. The space is then free again, and Green participates in another magic stone determination, resulting in Yellow gaining 8 points and Green 5 points, with additional points for matching their color (+2 points).

These abilities allow Green players to control the tempo of the game by manipulating unit strengths and the board's layout, making strategic areas less accessible or more lucrative through the creation of magic stones.

Variant Rule 2: Using Goal Cards

This variant rule introduces goal cards as a new scoring mechanism, adding complexity and strategic depth to unit placement. It can be played in conjunction with the ability card variant.

Setup

• Goal Cards — Shuffle 20 goal cards face down during game setup and distribute one to each player. This card serves as a personal objective and is kept face down, but players can check it at any time.
• Public Objectives — After distributing the personal objectives, reveal two goal cards face up near the board to serve as public objectives. The remaining cards are set aside as a deck.
• Selecting Ability Cards — After reviewing their personal and public objectives, players select ability cards in a counter-clockwise order starting from the player to the right of the start player (who will be the last to act).

Gameplay

If no player chooses the "Stealth" ability (which involves drawing additional goal cards), the goal card deck is not used and is returned to the box.

• Scoring — At the end of the game, players check the achievement of both their personal and public objectives. Points are awarded for each accomplished goal.

Strategic Impact

This variant encourages players to think more carefully about their unit placements and strategies throughout the game, aiming to fulfill specific conditions outlined in their personal and public goals in addition to battling for magic stones.

The introduction of personal objectives adds an element of secrecy and surprise, as players do not know what others are specifically aiming for, while public objectives create common competition points that can influence player interactions and tactics on the board.

Magic Stone Tiles in Gameplay

Magic stone tiles add variability and strategic opportunities in gameplay by altering the value and location of magic stones on the board. Here's how they are used in different player configurations:

4 Player Game

Placement: In a four-player game, magic stone tiles can replace six of the large magic stone spaces on the board, excluding the top positions (purple 4 points and purple 2 points) and the central positions (purple 7 points and purple 2 points).

3 Player Game

Placement: In a three-player game, the magic stone tiles can replace six of the large magic stone spaces, excluding the central positions (purple 7 points and purple 4 points) on the board.

Additional Option: Further, in a three-player game, you can substitute the board with specific magic stone tiles that enable play with the green faction. This option allows for different strategic dynamics and can change the competitive landscape of the game.

These adaptations ensure that the game remains balanced and engaging regardless of the number of players, with the strategic placement of magic stone tiles influencing key decisions and interactions during play.

Goal Cards Overview

Goal cards in the game serve as additional objectives, players can strive to achieve for bonus points. Here's a breakdown of how these cards function:

Goal Card Description

1. Points — The number of points awarded upon achieving the goal.
2. Example Illustration — A graphical representation of the conditions needed to achieve the goal. Peach-colored units in the illustrations represent your own units.
3. Goal Achievement Conditions — Specific requirements that must be met to achieve the goal, detailed on each card.

Scoring and Rules for Goal Cards

• Multiple Achievers — If a goal condition like "the highest number of XX" is met by multiple players, all qualifying players receive points.
• Multiple Locations — If a player meets a goal condition at multiple locations on the board, they score "the indicated points x the number of locations" where the condition is met.
• Formation Requirement — Some goals require players to arrange their units in a specific formation as shown in the illustration or its rotated versions.
• Participation — This term refers to having at least one of your units adjacent to a magic stone space during the magic stone acquisition determination.

These goal cards add a layer of strategic depth to the game, encouraging players to not only compete for magic stones but also to position their units thoughtfully to fulfill these additional scoring opportunities.

Unit List

Each faction's 10 units, grouped by rank (S, A, B, C):

Red Faction (Sky)

• S: Red Dragon
• A: Chimera, Ifrit, Wyvern
• B: Succubus, Nightmare, Coatl
• C: Cockatrice, Griffin, Gargoyle

Blue Faction (Sea)

• S: Kraken
• A: Sea Dragon, Sea Serpent, Marid
• B: Vodyanoy, Merrow, Hydra
• C: Giant Crab, Merfolk, Sahuagin

Yellow Faction (Mountain)

• S: Behemoth
• A: Trient, Iron Golem, Cyclops
• B: Minotaur, Werewolf, Troll
• C: Kobold, Goblin, Lizardfolk

Green Faction (Underground)

• S: Lich
• A: Dullahan, Vampire, Wraith
• B: Devourer, Mummy, Specter
• C: Zombie, Skeleton, Ghoul

Credits

• Game Design: Kenichi Kabuki
• Artwork: Takamikoto
• Publisher: Game NOWA
• Translator & Editor: Harit Panpanit
• Production & Distributor: BGA Plus Co., Ltd.
• Project manager: Premrak Ariyasura