Nerthania: Collapsing World

Nerthania: Collapsing World Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Components

2 water neoprene mats
56 grassland tiles
56 mountain tiles
56 area / terraforming cards (backside: conquest cards)
69 battle cards
12 goal and 8 terraforming markers
40 wooden cubes
23 building markers
4 tribal sheets
4 headquarters (HQ)
1 starting player marker
1 round tracker
7 goal condition cards
206 meeples
96 battle dice
56 resource (silver) markers resp. tectonium markers (backside)
16 Tectonium

Game Setup

Lay out the water map.
Shuffle the area cards, then draw 12 cards. Mark these areas with battle dice on the map.
Lay out grassland tiles on all non-marked areas.
Draw six area cards. Lay out mountain tiles on top of those grassland tiles. (After some games you can also build your world as you wish.)
Take the "marker" dice off the board again.
Randomly deploy in each sector the colour-fitting resource markers. All areas get one marker, even water areas. Use the Tectonium backside of the resource marker for mountain areas. In the first game it is recommended to use markers with 5 silver, preferably not adjacent to each other (1).
Each player takes the specific tribal sheet, battle cards, units, battle dice and building tiles. (More faction specifics: see No. 4.) Take ten warrior units and deploy them as follows:
The starting player chooses any two connected areas in any sector. Place the HQ marker and a maximum of six warriors in these two areas (2). For the HQ, an area with a capacity of 6 is recommended.
The player sitting to the left of the starting player chooses any two connected areas in another sector. Place the HQ marker and a maximum of six warriors in these two areas (3).
Players 3 and 4 do the same as player 2, in order (4 and 5).
The starting player chooses two connected areas in a sector where he isn't present. Place at least one warrior in each area (6). At least two warriors must remain!
The player left of the starting player then chooses two connected areas in a sector where they are not already present. Place at least one warrior in each area (7). At least two warriors must remain!
Players 3 and 4 do the same as player 2 in order (8 and 9).
All players choose a third sector (10, 11, 12, 13) as described in No. 11. If there are no connected areas left, choose two non-connected areas.
Every player gives his own goal markers to the other fellow players. Place these markers one in each sector (14). Maximum one marker per area. Don't place the goal marker in the HQ area.

Board and Tribal Sheet Overview

The action roundel with the 7 actions.
Free space for level 1 buildings: stables (blue), smithy (yellow), archery (green).
Free space for level 2 buildings: animal enclosure (grey), stone circle (black).
Free space for economy buildings: hunting lodge (above), fishing hut (below).
Grey resource marker on 20 silver (18).
Barracks (red), always available (no need to be built).
Overview sequence of battle.

The Area Types

Water
- Impossible to move on it.
- Can only be terraformed to grassland.
- Generates silver if the fisher hut has been built.
Grassland
- Generates silver; how much depends on the resource marker (1, 2 or 5 possible).
- The "C" stands for capacity. This is the maximum number of units in this area. In this case 2 (2, 4 or 6 are possible).
- Can be terraformed to water or mountains.
Mountains
- Generates 1 Tectonium.
- The "C" stands for capacity. This is the maximum number of units in this area. In this case 6 (2, 4 or 6 are possible).
- Can only be terraformed to grassland.

The Four Sectors

The four sectors are needed for the setup and as a victory point condition. Every tribe has a home sector. But the world of Nerthania is ever changing, so the tribes are spread over the whole world.

Setup for Three Players

These areas stay water and will not be terraformed during the game.

Note the following three changes:

Remove all area cards from the game with the triangle symbol (1, 9, 23, 28, 29, 34, 39, 45, 50, 51, 56).
Every player only chooses 2 areas in 2 sectors (instead of 3 sectors in a 4-player game).
There are only 3 random terraformings per round.

Two Player Rule

Nerthania can be played by two players. But first go on with reading the rules on the following pages.

Setup: Use the same map setup as in a three-player game. Choose a not-played tribe and deploy eight units as follows: one unit in the central areas 13, 24, 33, 43. If there is water, deploy the unit in the other central areas. One unit at one outer-edge area of each sector. This tribe will be the Neutral faction.

Players choose two sectors and deploy their units as described in the three-player setup.

Play eight rounds. Try to reach goal conditions. Perform three random terraformings per turn.

Gameplay:

When a player plays "recruit", the opponent player takes control of the Neutral faction. He recruits half (round up) of the recruited units and deploys them in any third-faction-occupied areas. Ignore building limits. No costs have to be paid.
When a player plays the "level up battle cards" action, the opponent player chooses and upgrades a battle card of the Neutral faction. This action may be performed only once per round!
Neutral player (bot control). At the end of the round, when both players have finished their 4th action, the Neutral player moves. The starting player moves the pieces for the Neutral player.
1. If the Neutral faction did not lose an area: the starting player chooses one area with more than one unit and moves one unit into an empty area. If there is no empty area, nothing happens.
2. If the Neutral faction has lost an area by an attack, it counterattacks once. In case of several attacks in the last round, the last attack counts. The player who attacked the Neutral player last will be attacked. The other player chooses the target area. It does not have to be the same area. Make a good tactical decision, as if you were making it for yourself.

Game Objective

Become the ruler of Nerthania. Collect the most victory points within six, eight or nine rounds (four-, two- or three-player game). Victory points are reached by conquering specific areas (see below, section 6, Goal Conditions).

Gameplay

A round consists of three phases: (3.1) play actions, (3.2) complete current terraforming and determine new terraforming, and (3.3) collect resources, refresh actions, change starting player.

3.1 Play Action

Take turns playing one action until every player has played four actions. Mark played actions with a wooden cube on the roundel. The order depends on the players' skilful tactics. The effect of an action takes effect immediately. Do not activate any single action more than once.

There are seven types of actions:

Action 1: Collect Resources

Choose three occupied areas from one sector and collect their resources (silver and/or Tectonium). Tectonium can only be collected by this action. You gain Tectonium markers. For getting silver, move the wooden cube on the roundel.

A player may exchange two conquest cards for five silver.

Action 2: Build

Construct one building, price = 3 silver. Place the building tile on the tribal sheet.

Level 2 buildings (animal enclosure and stone circle) can be built only after a level 1 building (archery, stable, smithy) has been built.
Military buildings enable the recruitment of the respective units.
Economic buildings increase the harvest of resources.

Special feature of the Headquarters (HQ): The HQ is the only building placed on the game map. In case of defence, once per turn, two warriors can be placed in the area of the HQ or in an adjacent area. This can exceed the capacity of an area. If the HQ has been captured, it remains until the end of the round in the area. The respective player can try to reconquer it and still can recruit all types of units he could recruit until now. At the end of the round the HQ is destroyed. Without the HQ you can only recruit warriors. The losing player must build a new HQ, which he places in any area occupied with his own units.

Headquarters: enables the construction of other buildings and the recruiting of non-warrior units. Contains two units as a reserve of defence. Is a victory goal for all other players.
Barracks (always available, no need to be built): enables warriors (red die, red marking top left on battle card).
Stables (level 1 building): enables riders (blue die, blue marking top left on battle card).
Smithy (level 1 building): enables shield bearers (yellow die, yellow marking top left on battle card).
Archery (level 1 building): enables archers (green die, green marking top left on battle card).
Animal enclosure (level 2 building): enables steppe wolf, ice tiger, jungle tiger, battle boar (grey die, grey marking top left on battle card).
Stone circle (level 2 building): enables steppe bear, ice yeti, battle utan, tree walker (black die, black marking top left on battle card).
Hunting lodge: enables the hunting of animals. Every area with an animal increases its silver income by one, even mountain areas. This effect can be used during the action "collect resources" and at the end of the round during the final collection of resources.
Fishing hut: enables fishing. During the action "collect resources", or at the end of the round during the final collection of resources, you can collect silver from one water area which is adjacent to an own grassland or rocky tile. One water area can be fished by several players.

Action 3: Recruit

Recruit any number of units. Warriors can always be recruited. All other units need the HQ on the map and the respective building on the tribal sheet. Pay for the units with silver and possibly Tectonium (level 2 building units). Recruited units are placed in your occupied areas. Note the capacity of the areas.

Action 4: Move and Attack (1)

All units of one sector may be moved. Afterwards one area can be attacked. This area can be outside of this sector if it is in movement range of the units. All units have an individual range of movement, shown by arrows on the top left of the battle cards.

While moving through an area you can exceed the capacity of that area.

Warrior, archer, shield bearer: can move up to two areas.
Rider and animals (wolf, lions, wild boar): can move up to three areas.
Monsters (bear, yeti, ape, tree): can move one area.

Non-occupied areas can be occupied by moving into them. In this case you don't get a conquest card. You can move all units out of one area. However, in this case you cannot collect resources from this area anymore.

Action 5: Move and Attack (2)

Like action 4, "Move and Attack". The cost of an attack or move is three silver. Units that have already been moved by action 4 can be moved again.

Action 6: Level Up Battle Cards

Submit one conquest card and pay three silver to get one battle card of the next level. Remove the old battle card from the game. (Battle card level 1 is instantly available if you recruit the respective unit.)

Action 7: Terraforming

Terraform your own or an unoccupied adjacent area. The effect can be performed immediately. Sometimes it is tactically wise to perform the terraforming shortly before you play your next action or at the end of the round. In this case place the tribe-specific terraforming marker (with the coloured edge) in the area.

Every area can be terraformed by one level only: water becomes grassland but not mountains in one step. Just as mountains cannot become water in one step.
Two terraformings in one area are not allowed.

3.2 Complete Current Terraforming and Determine New Terraforming

1. Execute placed terraforming markers (random and player-induced). Areas with red terraforming markers decrease: grassland becomes water and mountains become grassland. Areas with blue terraforming markers rise: water becomes grassland and grassland becomes mountains. Grassland tiles will be removed from the map, mountain tiles will be placed on top of the grassland tiles. Units on water areas will be destroyed. Units on grassland or mountain tiles remain.

2. Determine a new terraforming. The starting player draws 4 x 2 cards (4-player game) or 3 x 2 cards (3-player game). Give the cards to the players. The first card shows the terraform area and the second card shows the terraforming direction. If an area with a HQ is chosen, just draw a new card. Place the corresponding terraforming markers in the areas. See example below. After the drawing of cards, area cards get placed under the area card deck.

Example: affected area 2 — grassland becomes water, mountains become grassland (place red terraforming marker), water becomes grassland (place green terraforming marker). Affected area 11 — water becomes grassland, grassland becomes mountains (place green terraforming marker), mountains become grassland (place red terraforming marker).

3.3 Collect Resources, Refresh Actions, Change Starting Player

All players count the silver of all occupied areas, including hunted animals or fishes if the respective buildings are constructed. Add the silver to your tribal sheet marking. You cannot have more than 32 silver. A possible excess isn't added. Tectonium can only be collected with action 1, "collect resources".
Collect the action-marking wooden cubes from the action slots on the action roundel.
The player sitting left of the starting player becomes the new starting player. He performs his first action. The next round has begun.

The Four Tribes

On Nerthania four warrior tribes fight for supremacy. Every tribal faction has its own units, battle cards and battle dice. It is important not to mix up the tribal components. To match the dice to the corresponding tribes, all dice symbols are shown on the battle cards' right-hand lower section.

Shadow Lurks – The Steppe Dwellers: all-round tribe. Strong riders and shield bearers. No weakness.
Snow Blades – The Northerners: very offensively strong but less effective in defending. They aren't very mobile because they have no riders.
Yew Blades – The Jungle Maidens: a female warrior tribe. A little bit weaker, but therefore their warriors and riders have bows. They can support battles in adjacent areas like archers. This faction is strong in support and area control.
Root Storm – The Forest Warriors: this tribe can exceed the capacity of each area by one warrior, which makes them very strong in defence.

5. Attack

The core element of the game is attacking enemy territories. An attack is triggered by an attack action. Units can be moved from several areas to perform a single attack. Note the following restrictions: The attack is limited to units of one sector, and only a maximum of 6 units may move into the contested area. This also applies to areas with a capacity of two or four units. The attacked area can be outside the activated sector. Since support symbols allow you to move units from adjacent areas during the battle, it is often strategically important to move units into adjacent areas beforehand. Pay attention to the movement ability of the units as well. Units that have used up their movement limit cannot support any more.

There is a battle die that can be rolled for each unit. Archers may support in adjacent battles. In this case, battle dice can be rolled regardless of their movement beforehand.

There are a total of 7 different symbols that can be rolled:

Hit: opponent must take a strike.
Double hit: opponent must take 2 strikes.
Shield: prevents 1 enemy strike.
Retreat: an option to retreat one of your own units.
Reinforcement: an option to bring a unit onto the battle area.
Panic: causes the immediate retreat of an enemy unit.

Panic: Panic effects are performed immediately. Subsequently, the dice are removed. The affected player chooses one of his units and moves it and the corresponding die to an adjacent area. If this is not possible, the unit is destroyed. The panic die of the attacking unit is always rolled first. If the defender decides to retreat the unit that also rolled a panic symbol, the die must be removed and no panic effect is executed on the attacker.

Reinforcement: each reinforcement symbol allows you to bring in units from adjacent areas (except panic-affected units!). The battle dice are rolled for these units. Rolling a reinforcement symbol again has no effect. If a panic symbol is rolled, the panic effect is immediately executed.

After applying the panic and reinforcement, the attacker and then the defender alternately play 2 battle cards. You may only play battle cards of units that are directly involved in the battle. If you have only one type of unit, you can only play one battle card. Any card effects are executed immediately (re-roll etc.). In most cases, the battle cards can be played simultaneously. However, there are 2 special situations that are exceptions:

A reinforcement symbol brings a unit into the battle area and the roll of the die causes units of the opponent to panic. This may result in the affected player suddenly having only one unit type, or no unit at all. In this kind of situation he cannot play a second card or a battle card at all.
In the event that animal units are involved in the battle, the player must indicate whether his battle cards are played. In that case, the opponent's reinforcement dice are removed (see Battle Cards Overview). Any subsequent events caused by reinforcement units are thus not performed.

After playing the battle cards, attackers and defenders can decide to use any retreat symbols of their dice and cards to retreat any units. Possible enemy card effects which prevent retreat are in effect. Units that retreat remove their dice. If no unit remains in the battle area, all excess dice (e.g. due to card effects) are removed. However, any archer hits from adjacent areas are counted.

Following this, all hit and defence symbols of the dice and cards are counted and any losses are settled. The best way is: the attacker calls his hits, the defender calls his shields, and destroys defending units. Defender calls his hits, attacker calls his shields, destroy attacking units.

The player with the most units remaining in the battle area wins. In case of a tie, the defender wins. The defeated player must retreat. The retreat is towards adjacent areas which are held by the defeated player. If there is no owned adjacent area, the retreat is performed to one or more unoccupied areas. If this is not possible, the retreating player loses all units. A retreat of the defender to the initial area of the attack is not possible. If the attacker retreats, he has to retreat to the initial area of the attack.

If the attacker was successful, he receives a conquest card from the area card pile as a reward (backside of the area card). This conquest card can later be used to level up battle cards, or as an exchange for silver. A successful defender doesn't get a conquest card. You also don't get a conquest card for moving into an empty area. Note the capacities of the areas. Units that exceed the capacity of the area after a battle must be destroyed.

Important notes on archers: Additional dice can be rolled if the archer is stationed adjacent to the battle area. Only arrow hits and retreat symbols count. Battle card effects cannot be used for these dice. Roll them separately. However, the battle card can only be played when archers are on the battle area. Archers can support other players. The maximum number of supporting archers depends on the specific levels. Steppe Dwellers and Northerners have a maximum of 3, Forest Warriors have a maximum of 2, and Jungle Maidens have a maximum of 4 (1 warrior, 1 rider, 2 archers). Archers can support any number of battles. After supporting, archers can additionally be used for reinforcement, but they don't roll their dice again.

Battle Card Structure

Level of the battle card.
Colour shows type of unit: red = warrior; blue = rider; yellow = shield bearer; green = archer; grey = wolf / tigers / boar; black = bear / yeti / utan / tree.
Arrows show movement range.
Costs of the unit.
Distribution of symbols on the battle dice of the unit.
Symbols and effects of the battle card.

Battle Situation Example 1

Black attacks with 3 warriors and 2 riders. Brown defends with 2 warriors and 2 shield bearers.

Black rolls: panic, retreat, hit, shield, reinforcement. Brown rolls: shield, reinforcement, hit, hit.

Because of the panic symbol, Brown must immediately retreat a unit with a die. Brown chooses the shield bearer with the reinforcement die. Black and Brown play their battle cards. Black uses the rider's card effect and turns the rider's retreat into a hit.

The warrior's card effect is used and the warrior's reinforcement die is rerolled. A hit is counted. Brown gets an additional yellow die and rolls a hit (card effect of the shield bearer). The warrior's card effect does not bring any further advantages.

As a result, Black scores 3 hits and a shield, Brown also scores 3 hits and 1 shield. Both players lose 2 units. Since there are still units left, the player with the most remaining units wins. In this case Black. Brown must retreat. Black receives a conquest card from the area card stock pile as a reward.

Battle Situation Example 2

Blue attacks with 2 tigers, 3 warriors, 1 shield bearer (red arrows). Additionally 1 archer and 2 allied red ranged fighter units roll their dice (green arrow). Following symbols are rolled: panic, retreat, double hit, 3x reinforcement. The ranged fighters roll: reinforcement (no further use in this battle) and 2x bow-hit. The effect of panic is allocated to the black player. Black decides to retreat the warrior with the retreat die. The 3 reinforcements are used to bring 2 warriors and 1 archer into the battle area (blue arrows). They roll retreat, reinforcement (no additional reinforcement!) and bow-hit.

Black rolls: double hit, shield, 2x reinforcement, hit, retreat. The archers roll retreat and bow-hit. Black wants to use the 2 reinforcements, but blue plays the tiger battle card. 1 reinforcement is destroyed (4th effect of the battle card). With the left reinforcement, black brings a bear into the battle area (blue arrow). The bear rolls a panic. Blue has to retreat a unit and decides to retreat the archer.

Now the battle cards are played and their effects are resolved. Blue plays the warrior battle card. 1 shield of the opponent is destroyed, the retreat of the archer is destroyed and a red die gets a reroll. The retreat becomes a double hit. As described before, the tiger battle card destroys 1 reinforcement of black. More effects are currently not available.

Black plays the bear battle card, but there are no shields to destroy because blue has no shields. The shield bearer battle card adds 1 reinforcement. A warrior enters the battle area (blue arrow) and rolls 1 retreat. Thanks to the 4th effect of the shield bearer battle card, the die can be turned on the shield side.

Blue finally has 9 hits (dice and card symbols) and 1 shield destroyer. Black has 4 shields. So black loses 6 of his 7 units. Black finally has 6 hits. Blue has no shields. So blue loses 6 of his 8 units. At the end of the battle blue has 1 unit more than black. Blue wins and black must retreat. But the 3rd effect of the tiger battle card shows that 1 retreating unit dies, so the bear will be destroyed. Blue gets a conquest card for winning this battle.

Battle Card Overview

Shadow Lurks – The Steppe Dwellers

Warrior
- Level 1: reroll one warrior die (red).
- Level 2: one additional warrior die (red).
- Level 3: one additional shield.
- Perform effect 1 before effect 2!
Archer
- Level 1: one additional hit; reroll any die.
- Level 2: one retreat.
- Level 3: an additional archer die.
- Perform effect 2 before effect 4!
- Level indicates how many archers can support a battle.
Rider
- Level 1: one retreat can turn to hit, or one hit can turn to retreat; one reinforcement.
- Level 2: one additional hit.
- Level 3: destroy an enemy archer hit.
Shield bearer
- Level 1: an additional shield; reroll a shield bearer die.
- Level 2: one reinforcement.
- Level 3: tip a die on a shield.
Steppe wolf (animal)

Snow Blades – The Northerners

Warrior
- Level 1: at the end of the battle, one retreat of the opponent is destroyed; one shield of the opponent is destroyed (die or symbol on battle card).
- Level 2: reroll one warrior die (red).
- Level 3: one additional hit.
Archer
- Level 1: one additional reinforcement; one additional archer die (green).
- Level 2: one retreat.
- Level 3: one additional hit.
- The level indicates how many archers can support a battle.
Shield bearer
- Level 1: an additional shield.
- Level 2: reroll one archer / yeti / shield / bear die (green, black, yellow, grey).
- Level 3: one additional shield die (yellow).
Ice tiger (animal)
- Level 1: at the end of the battle, one retreat of the opponent is destroyed; 1 additional hit.
- Level 2: one retreating unit of the opponent is destroyed.
- Level 3: one additional hit; one reinforcement of the opponent is destroyed.
Ice yeti (monster)

Yew Blades – The Jungle Maidens

Warrior
- Level 1: reroll one warrior die (red).
- Level 2: one additional warrior die (red).
- Level 3: one additional shield.
- Perform effect 1 before effect 2!
Archer
- Level 1: one additional archer die; two retreat symbols result in one hit.
- Level 2: the bow marked with * on the battle die counts as a double hit.
- Level 3: one additional hit; two archers can support adjacent battles.
Rider
- Level 1: one additional hit; one additional reinforcement.
- Level 2: reroll any die.
- Level 3: two riders result in one additional hit.
Shield bearer
- Level 1: one additional shield; reroll any die.
- Level 2: two additional retreats; shield bearers are not allowed to retreat.
- Level 3: one additional hit.
Jungle tiger (animal)
- Level 1: at the end of the battle, one retreat of the opponent is destroyed; the opponent loses 1 reinforcement (dice or symbol on battle card); one additional hit.

Root Storm – The Forest Warriors

Warrior
- Level 1: a warrior may exceed the capacity of an area by 1; one additional retreat or reinforcement.
- Level 2: reroll one warrior die (red).
- Level 3: one additional die.
Archer
- Level 1: one additional archer die; one retreat.
- Level 2: one additional reinforcement.
- Level 3: one additional archer die (green); two archers can support adjacent battles.
Rider
- Level 1: one retreat can turn to hit, or one hit can turn to retreat; one additional hit.
- Level 2: one additional reinforcement.
- Level 3: reroll one rider die (blue).
- Perform effect 1 before effect 4!
Shield bearer
- Level 1: one additional shield bearer die; one retreat turns to reinforcement, or one reinforcement turns to retreat.
- Level 2: reroll any die.
- Level 3: additional shield.
Battle boar (animal)
- Level 1: reroll a boar die (grey); one retreating unit of the opponent is destroyed; opponent loses 1 reinforcement (die or symbol on battle card).

6. Goal Conditions

Whenever a player fulfils one or more goal conditions, he can mark this goal or he receives a goal marker. Both are equivalent to one victory point. Each condition can be fulfilled only once. Whoever has the most victory points at the end of the game wins the game and becomes the ruler of Nerthania. Should a player score all 12 possible victory points early, he wins at the end of the current round.

In the event of a tie, there is a final decisive battle between the two strongest armies of the two players, even if they are not stationed on adjacent areas. Adjacent archers and support units can be used. In case of mutual annihilation, the second-strongest armies go on. In case of a tie between 3 or 4 players, the winner is declared by the most hits and shields of his strongest army.

Goal 1: Major battle. Win a battle that is fought with initially at least five units of your own against initially at least five of the opponent's units.
Goal 2: Goal markers. Conquer areas with your goal markers that were placed at the beginning of the game. Place conquered goal markers on this space.
Goal 3: Sector. Occupy all areas of one sector (grassland and mountains).
Goal 4: Headquarters. Conquer one opponent's headquarters.
Goal 5: Outer boundaries.
1. Occupy at least one area, which must be adjacent to the outer edge, of any three of the four sectors.
2. Occupy at least one area, which must be adjacent to the outer edge, of four sectors.
Goal 6: Center.
1. Occupy three of the four central areas.
2. Occupy all four central areas (water must be terraformed first).
Goal 7: Mountains.
1. Occupy at least one mountain area in three sectors of the players' choosing.
2. Occupy at least one mountain area in four sectors.

Whenever a player occupies all four central areas, he determines a terraforming at the end of the round (3.2), which otherwise would have been a random one determined by terraforming card. This also applies if the player lost the areas later in the same round. Areas with headquarters are not allowed to be terraformed.

8. Optional Rules

Originally Nerthania was planned as a two-versus-two game. In this variant you play without goal conditions. Defeat the opponent team or force them to surrender. Coordinate your attacks and use your archer support. It is possible to play with combined armies, because every unit has its own dice and battle cards. Try this first if you are experienced with the gameplay.
For more tactical depth, every unit movement stops after entering a mountain area.
Increase the game for a longer fight. Play eight rounds in a four-player game or 12 rounds in a three-player game. In this case you have more rounds to increase more units to level 3.
Fast-up the game: each player starts with one level 1 building and 3 respective units.
You can play any random terraforming as a red card. In this case grassland always changes to water and mountains always changes to grassland.
It is also possible to play entirely without (random) terraforming.
You can play without connection of the outer boundaries. This leads to a concentration of battles at the centre of the map.
As players, you also have the chance to invent your own rules. The game gives a lot of opportunities.

Ultimate tip: Since there are a lot of areas, it is important to keep order. Ideally, create 2 piles per landscape type (grassland and mountains): one pile for areas 1–28 and another pile for areas 29–56. Always sort area cards instantly. Areas 38, 52 and 53 (grassland and rocky tiles) should be stacked separately because of their length (during the game and for storage). Handle your battle dice meticulously as well. Do not mix them up, because each tribe has its own battle dice.