Nidavellir Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goal of the Game
• Game Components
  • Board Anatomy
  • Card Anatomy
• Setup
  • Player Counts
  • First Game Advice
• Structure of the Game
• Turn Sequence
  • Turn Preparation
  • Taverns Resolution
  • Next Turn
  • Solving Ties
• Placing a Dwarf Card in Your Army
• Recruiting a Hero
• Determining the Bravery Value of Each Class
• End of Age 1: Troop Evaluation
• End of Age 2 and End of the Game
• Trading Gems
• Trading Coins
• Transforming a Coin
  • Discarding Coins
  • Ties and Coin Transformation on a Resolving Tavern
• Heroes
  • Neutral Heroes
  • Warrior Heroes (placed in the Warrior column)
  • Hunter Heroes (placed in the Hunter column)
  • Blacksmith Heroes (placed in the Blacksmith column)
  • Miner Heroes (placed in the Miner column)
  • Explorer Heroes (placed in the Explorer column)
• The Five Classes
• Glossary

Goal of the Game

The players embody Elvalands mandated by the King of Dwarves to form an army capable of defeating the infamous Fafnir. The Elvaland who assembles the army with the highest final Bravery Value wins the game and earns the honor of leading their troops to defeat the dragon.

Game Components

• 87 Dwarf cards in 5 classes: 18 Warrior, 16 Hunter, 16 Miner, 20 Blacksmith, 16 Explorer, plus 1 Special Blacksmith card (the Blacksmith Distinction card).
• 21 Hero cards.
• 5 Distinction cards.
• 5 Royal Offering cards.
• 5 individual Kingdom Map boards (one per Elvaland).
• 3 tavern signs: the Laughing Goblin, the Dancing Dragon, and the Shining Horse.
• 3 gem Trade Markers.
• 6 gems: 5 basic gems (values 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and 1 special gem (value 6, the Miner Distinction).
• 60 gold coins: 25 basic coins (values 0, 2, 3, 4, 5 — one set per Elvaland), 1 special coin (value 3, the Hunter Distinction), and 34 Royal Treasure coins ranging from 5 up to 25.
• 1 Royal Treasure insert, 4 card holders, and 1 scoring pad.

Board Anatomy

Each individual board has: a Cavity (upper section, holds your gem), a Command Zone (to the left, holds neutral Hero cards and Distinction cards), three Tavern locations (where you place your bid coins), a Pouch (bottom, holds the two coins you did not bid), reference boxes for the Final Bravery Value of Hunters and Blacksmiths, and the Army (to the right, where you build columns of Dwarf and Hero cards).

Card Anatomy

• Dwarf card: shows its class, a Rank containing its Bravery Points, and (on some cards) a symbol marking it as used only in a 5-Elvaland game.
• Hero card: shows a name, a class, a Rank with Bravery Points, and the powers of the heroic card.
• Distinction card: shows the class affected and the effect of the card.
• Royal Offering card: shows a coin transformation effect (and a 5-Elvaland-only symbol on some).

Setup

1. Give each Elvaland an individual board and their 5 basic coins (values 0, 2, 3, 4, 5).
2. Take the gems corresponding to the number of Elvalands: with 5 players use gems 1–5; with 4 use 2–5; with 3 use 3–5; with 2 use 4–5. Distribute one randomly to each player, placed face up in the cavity of their board.
3. Place the 3 tavern signs (Laughing Goblin, Dancing Dragon, Shining Horse) and the Gem Trade Markers in the center of the table.
4. Place all Hero cards on three card holders, slightly overlapped so the left side of each card is visible.
5. Place the Distinction cards on a card holder, slightly overlapping.
6. Take the Royal Treasure out of the box and check each coin is in its intended location. (Build the Royal Treasure insert before your first game by following the numbering on the notches.)
7. If fewer than 5 Elvalands are playing, leave the cards showing a "5" symbol in the bottom-right corner in the box.
8. Shuffle the Age 1 cards together and place the deck next to the Royal Treasure.
9. Do the same with the Age 2 cards.

Player Counts

• 2 Elvalands: during setup, remove the two coins worth 7 and 9 (and 11) from the Royal Treasure and return them to the box. When dwarves enter, put 3 Dwarf cards in each tavern each turn; each Elvaland chooses a card in bid order and the untaken card is discarded.
• 3 Elvalands: during setup, remove the two coins worth 7 and 9 (and 11) from the Royal Treasure and return them to the box.
• 5 Elvalands: during setup, add the Dwarf cards showing a "5" symbol at their bottom-right into the corresponding Age 1 and Age 2 decks.

First Game Advice

To learn the rules, the designer advises not playing with the Heroes Thrud the Headhunter, Ylud the Unpredictable, and Uline the Seer, whose powers are more complex.

Structure of the Game

The game takes place over 2 Ages. With 2–3 Elvalands each Age is 4 turns long; with 4–5 Elvalands each Age is 3 turns long. Each turn consists of turn preparation followed by resolving the three taverns.

Turn Sequence

Turn Preparation

1. Enter the Dwarves. Place X current-Age cards face up in each tavern, where X equals the number of Elvalands (except in a 2-Elvaland game — see Player Counts).

2. Bids. All Elvalands play simultaneously. From your 5 coins, place one coin of your choosing face down on each of the three Tavern locations on your board. Place the two unused coins face down in your pouch. The value of each bid coin determines the order in which you will act when resolving that tavern.

Taverns Resolution

Resolve the taverns one after another, always starting with the Laughing Goblin, then the Dancing Dragon, then the Shining Horse. Each tavern is resolved in three steps.

1. Bid Revelation. Simultaneously reveal the coin on the tavern location being resolved (and only that one). The highest-value coin determines the active Elvaland. If several Elvalands tie on coin value, the tie is broken by gems: the higher-value gem wins (see Solving Ties).

2. Active Elvaland Turn. In the following order the active Elvaland:

• Chooses a card in the tavern being resolved. Depending on the choice, place a Dwarf card in your army, or resolve a Royal Offering immediately (see Transforming a Coin).
• Recruits a Hero card if the conditions are met.
• Performs a coin trade if they played their coin of value 0 (see Trading Coins).

Then, in descending order of bid coin value (or gems in the event of a tie), the next Elvaland becomes active and takes their turn.

3. Trading Gems. Once every Elvaland has played, trade gems between Elvalands who were tied for the same coin value on this tavern (see Trading Gems). Then move on to the next tavern's Bid Revelation.

Next Turn

When all three taverns are resolved, pick up your coins and move on to the next turn.

Solving Ties

When coins are tied in value for a tavern, the play order among the tied Elvalands is set by their gems: the highest-value gem plays first, then the next-highest, and so on until every tied Elvaland has acted. (Example: gem 5 beats gem 1.)

Placing a Dwarf Card in Your Army

When you choose a Dwarf card, place it in your army immediately, either by creating a new column (if you had no Dwarf of that class) or by adding it to the existing column of that class. Ranks must always be visible.

Recruiting a Hero

When placing a Dwarf card in your army creates a line consisting of one Rank of each of the 5 classes, you must immediately recruit an available Hero card:

• A class Hero (Warrior, Hunter, Miner, Blacksmith, or Explorer) is placed into the matching column of your army. If completing a new line with its pose immediately recruits another Hero, several lines can be completed by one placement.
• A neutral Hero is placed in the Command Zone to the left of your board. If a neutral Hero's power is contrary to this and its pose is done in your army, it may create a new line of 5 different classes and thus allow another Hero recruitment.

Rule of thumb: at any moment, the number of complete lines in your army must always equal your number of recruited Hero cards +1. (In other words, one complete line is always "open," waiting to trigger the next Hero.)

If placing one card (or a Distinction card) completes several lines at once, you recruit that many Heroes one after another.

Determining the Bravery Value of Each Class

Each class scores its Bravery Value differently:

• Warriors: sum of their Bravery Points. The Elvaland with the strict majority of ranks in the Warrior column also adds their highest-value coin to their Warrior Bravery Value. On a tie for the majority, every tied Elvaland adds their highest-value coin.
• Hunters: the number of Hunters squared. (Reference box on your board shows the totals.)
• Miners: the sum of their Bravery Points multiplied by the number of ranks in the column.
• Blacksmiths: a mathematical sequence (+3, +4, +5, +6, …). (Reference box on your board shows the totals.)
• Explorers: the sum of their Bravery Points.

The board reference values for the Blacksmith and Hunter columns run: rank 1 = 3/1, and up through rank 25 = 375 (Blacksmith) / 441 (Hunter), following the sequence and the squares respectively.

End of Age 1: Troop Evaluation

At the end of the turn in which the Age 1 deck is exhausted, the King performs a Troop Evaluation. The Elvaland with the strict majority of ranks in each class wins the corresponding Distinction. On a tie, no one takes that Distinction (gems do NOT break ties here). Majorities count ranks, not the sum of Bravery Points or the number of cards.

Award the Distinctions in this order:

• The King's Hand — Majority of Warriors: immediately add +5 to one of your coins (see Transforming a Coin). Place the card in your Command Zone.
• Hunting Master — Majority of Hunters: immediately trade your coin of value 0 for the special coin of value 3. This special coin keeps its trading properties and cannot be transformed. Place the card in your Command Zone.
• Crown Jeweler — Majority of Miners: place the special value gem 6 on your current gem. It adds 3 points to your Final Bravery Value, is never traded (even on a tie), and lets you win all future tavern-resolution ties. Place the card in your Command Zone.
• King's Great Armorer — Majority of Blacksmiths: immediately add the special Blacksmith card (worth 2 ranks) to your army. This may trigger a Hero recruitment. Place the card in your Command Zone.
• Pioneer of the Kingdom — Majority of Explorers: draw 3 cards from the Age 2 deck and keep 1. If it is a Dwarf, place it in your army immediately (may trigger a Hero recruitment); if it is a Royal Offering, transform one of your coins. Shuffle the two unkept cards back into the Age 2 deck. Place the card in your Command Zone. If this Distinction is not won, discard the top card of the Age 2 deck without effect.

Then shuffle the Age 2 cards together and begin a new turn, following the same rules as Age 1.

End of Age 2 and End of the Game

At the end of the turn in which the Age 2 deck is exhausted, count your Final Bravery Value:

• your Bravery Value for each class of your army,
• the Bravery Value of your neutral Hero cards in your Command Zone,
• the total value of your gold coins.

The Elvaland who owns the special value gem 6 adds 3 Bravery Points to the total value of their gold coins.

The Elvaland with the highest Final Bravery Value wins the game and earns the privilege of leading the troops against the dragon. On a tie, the tied Elvalands share the victory and face Fafnir together.

Trading Gems

Gem trading happens at the end of each tavern's resolution to guarantee the play order of the Elvalands. At the end of a tavern's resolution, tied Elvalands (who bid the same coin value) trade gems; once traded, gems return to their cavities.

• Tie between 2 Elvalands: the two gems are traded between them.
• Tie between 3 Elvalands: only the lowest and highest gems are traded; the medium gem is not traded.
• Tie between 4 Elvalands: the smallest and highest gems trade, and the other two gems trade between themselves.
• Tie between 5 Elvalands: as for 4 Elvalands; the medium gem is not traded.

Special value gem 6 (Miner Distinction) cannot be traded. During a gem trade, do not count the Elvaland who owns this gem — the remaining tied Elvalands trade as if the group were one smaller.

Trading Coins

When you play a coin worth 0:

• Reveal the two coins in your pouch.
• Add up those two coins.
• Discard the highest-value coin.
• Take the coin corresponding to the sum from the Royal Treasure and place it in your pouch.
• Put the coins in your pouch face down.

Transforming a Coin

When you resolve a card showing a coin +X transformation power (Royal Offering, King's Hand, Grid, etc.):

• Immediately add the +X value to one of your coins (whether it is on a resolved or unresolved Tavern location, or in the pouch).
• Discard that coin and take a coin of the new value from the Royal Treasure.

Place the new coin on the location of the discarded coin: face up on a previously or currently resolved Tavern location, or face down in the pouch or on an unresolved Tavern location.

• If the coin of the desired value is unavailable, take the first higher value available in the Royal Treasure; if no higher values remain, take the first available lower value (closest to the desired value).
• You cannot take back a coin you discarded during a trade or transformation.
• The coin value 0 can never be transformed.

Discarding Coins

When a coin must be discarded during a trade or transformation: a basic coin (red) is returned to the box and no longer used; a Royal Treasure (yellow) coin is returned to its value's location in the Royal Treasure.

Ties and Coin Transformation on a Resolving Tavern

Ties are determined during bid revelation. Transforming a coin placed on a Tavern location being resolved does not change that tavern's tie status, and gems must still be traded between the tied Elvalands at the end of that tavern's resolution.

Heroes

Heroes are powerful characters recruited when your army completes a line of one rank of each class. There are class Heroes (placed in the matching army column) and neutral Heroes (placed in the Command Zone unless their text says otherwise). Remember: to recruit a new Hero, the number of complete lines in your army must always equal your number of recruited Heroes +1.

Neutral Heroes

• Dwerg the 5 Brothers: add X to your Final Bravery Value, where X depends on the number of recruited brothers — 1→13, 2→40, 3→81, 4→108, 5→135. Several players can pursue this strategy.
• Skaa the Unfathomable: add 17 points to your Final Bravery Value.
• Astrid the Wealthy: add X points, where X is the value of the largest coin you own (e.g. coin 25 → 25 points).
• Grid the Mercantile: add 7 points to your Final Bravery Value. When you recruit her, immediately add +7 to one of your coins (see Transforming a Coin).
• Uline the Seer: add 9 points to your Final Bravery Value. Each turn, during bidding you do NOT place coins on your board — keep them in hand. At Taverns Resolution, wait for the other Elvalands to reveal, then place yours on the corresponding Tavern location face up; resolution proceeds normally. During a coin trade you choose at the end of your turn which coins from your hand you add up; you immediately take the newly acquired coin into your pouch (no coin placed on a resolving tavern is used). Her power activates as soon as you take her card. Coins in hand may be placed on the Tavern location resolved later that turn; coins placed on your board stay there until the end of the current turn.
• Ylud the Unpredictable: place her in your Command Zone. If recruited in Age 1, just after the last tavern of Age 1 but before Troop Evaluation, place Ylud in the column of your choice in your army; her rank counts as a card of that class for Distinctions, and she stays there until the end of Age 2. If recruited in Age 2, place her in your Command Zone. Just after the last tavern of Age 2 but before counting Bravery Values: if she is in your Command Zone, place her in a column of your choice; if she is in your army you may leave her or move her to another column. Consider Ylud a dwarf of the column she ends in, taking that column's value (Blacksmith/Hunter by placement level; Explorer 11, Warrior 7, Miner 1), and her rank counts in the Warrior majority if placed there. Placing Ylud may trigger a Hero recruitment.
• Thrud the Headhunter: place her in the column of your choice in your army. Thrud must never be covered — if a Dwarf or Hero would be placed on Thrud, take Thrud in hand, place the incoming card, and replace Thrud in a column of your choice (which may trigger a Hero recruitment). Her rank counts for Age 1 Distinctions in the column where she is. After the last Age 2 tavern and before counting your Final Bravery Value, she is placed in the Command Zone. She adds 13 points to your Final Bravery Value.

Timing note: after the last tavern of Age 2, Ylud is placed/moved in the army of the Elvaland who recruited her (which may trigger a Hero recruitment); Thrud is then removed from the army to the Command Zone.

Warrior Heroes (placed in the Warrior column)

• Kraal the Venal: has 2 ranks; add 7 and 0 points to your Warrior Bravery Value.
• Tarah Lethal Strike: has 1 rank; add 14 points to your Warrior Bravery Value.

Hunter Heroes (placed in the Hunter column)

• Aral Eagle Claws: has 2 ranks.
• Dagda the Explosive: has 3 ranks. Immediately place Dagda in your Hunter column, then discard the last Dwarf card of your choosing from two other (different) columns in your army.

Blacksmith Heroes (placed in the Blacksmith column)

• Aëgur Fist of Steel: has 2 ranks.
• Bonfur the Tyrannical: has 3 ranks. Immediately place Bonfur in your Blacksmith column, then discard the last Dwarf card of your choosing from another of your columns.

Bonfur and Dagda: they discard Dwarf cards when they enter play. You cannot recruit a new Hero until you replace the discarded cards and make a new complete line of 5 different classes. You can never discard a Hero card with their power — only Dwarf cards. If that is impossible, you cannot choose Dagda or Bonfur.

Miner Heroes (placed in the Miner column)

• Zoral the Foreman: has 3 ranks. Adds 1, 0, and 0 Bravery Points to the sum of Miners (i.e. raises the Miners' Bravery Value by 1 and the multiplicative factor by 3 ranks).
• Lokdur Greedy Heart: has 1 rank; add 3 Bravery Points to the sum of Miners (raises the Miners' sum by 3 and the factor by 1 rank).

Explorer Heroes (placed in the Explorer column)

• Hourya the Elusive: has 1 rank; add 20 points to your Explorers Bravery Value. You must have 5 ranks in the Explorer column to recruit her. (The ranks of Thrud and Ylud count for her recruitment if placed in the Explorer column.)
• Idunn the Furtive: has 1 rank; add 7 points to your Explorer Bravery Value plus 2 points per rank present in the column, including her own.

The Five Classes

• Warriors: revered like ancient gods; the Elvaland with the most Warriors is rewarded by the King, and the majority bonus adds their highest coin.
• Hunters: few in number but their Bravery Value equals their count squared — the more you recruit, the faster they grow.
• Miners: a once-prestigious profession; low individual value but numbers multiply, and their Bravery Value is Rank multiplied by Bravery Points.
• Blacksmiths: the most represented class; their Bravery Value follows a growing mathematical sequence.
• Explorers: a new profession; their Bravery Points add directly to your army, and high-point dwarves make them attractive.

Glossary

• Age 1 / Age 2: the two parts of the game (4 turns with 2–3 Elvalands, 3 turns with 4–5).
• Army: the area to the right of your board where Dwarf and Hero cards form class columns.
• Bravery Points: points shown on Ranks, used to compute the Bravery Value of each class.
• Cavity: the upper section of your board holding your gem.
• Command Zone: the area to the left of your board for neutral Hero cards and Distinction cards.
• Distinction: a card obtained by strict majority of Ranks in a class during the Troop Evaluation at the end of Age 1.
• Dwarf: a character recruited from taverns, of one of 5 classes (Warrior, Hunter, Miner, Blacksmith, Explorer).
• Elvaland: the dwarf word for the war chiefs and council members — i.e. the players.
• Final Bravery Value: your final score — the total of Bravery Values for each class plus Heroes and gold coins.
• Gems: stones defining turn order in case of a bid tie; kept in the cavity.
• Gem Trade Markers: reminders that Elvalands who bid the same coin value must trade gems before the next tavern.
• Hero: a powerful character recruited when a line of one rank of each class is created; complete lines must equal recruited Heroes +1.
• Pouch: the bottom of your board with two notches for the two coins you did not bid this turn.
• Rank: shown on the left of each Dwarf and Hero card, indicating Bravery Points.
• Royal Offering: cards found among Dwarf cards in Ages 1 and 2 that improve your gold coins by transformation.
• Royal Treasure: the display of the King's gold coins, taken during a trade or transformation.
• Taverns: the 3 places where Dwarf cards are recruited — the Laughing Goblin, the Dancing Dragon, and the Shining Horse.
• Troop Evaluation: the majority count at the end of Age 1 to win Distinction cards.