Ragnarocks
Ragnarocks Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 32 Mythology Cards
- 40 Runestones
- 6 Viking Pawns
- 1 Tree Stand Insert
- 1 Game Board
Basic Game Setup
- Remove the tree stand insert from the game box and place it in the center of the play area.
- Remove all Runestones from the tree stand insert and place them in an easy to reach pile.
- Randomly determine which player will play ivory. The other player will play red. Give each player their 3 Viking pawns.
- Place the game board on top of the tree stand insert using whichever side you prefer. (Align the holes in the board with the plastic tabs.)
- The game board is covered in hexes that make up six-sided shape. The ivory player places their Vikings in the middle three hexes of the 5-hex edge. The red player does the same on the opposite 9-hex side.
Object
Earn points by blocking off regions of the board containing only Vikings of your color. Each region containing Vikings of only one color is called a Settled Region. Score points equal to the number of hexes in each of your settled regions. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
How to Play
Players alternate turns. A turn consists of the following steps (every step is mandatory):
- Select one of your Nomadic Vikings (a Nomadic Viking is a Viking that is not in a settled region).
- Move your selected Viking in a straight line from their starting hex, choosing any of the six possible directions. You may move your Viking any number of hexes. However, a Viking may not move into or through a hex containing a Runestone or another Viking.
- Summon by placing a Runestone in your Viking's current hex, then immediately move it like a normal Viking movement. The hex where it stops is where it is summoned.
If summoning a Runestone creates one or more regions containing only Vikings of a single color, that region becomes Settled.
If it is not possible for you to complete one or more of the above steps, you must skip your turn. When neither player is able to take a turn the game ends.
Regions
A region is any number of hexes bound by a contiguous line of runestones and the edge of the map. At the start of the game, the entire map is one single Contested region.
A region might contain runestones inside it that aren't part of it's border. See red's region in the scoring example below.
A region containing only Vikings of a single color is Settled, and the Vikings inside it are Settled Vikings.
If a region contains Vikings of both colors, it is Contested, and Vikings inside it are Nomadic Vikings.
If a region contains no Vikings, it is a Wild region.
End Game Scoring
Settled Regions score victory points equal to the number of hexes contained therein. Hexes that contain a Runestone are never counted when calculating victory points (Viking hexes are counted). The player with the most victory points wins!
Scoring example:
Neither player scores the region containing one ivory Viking and one red Viking. (It is not settled because it does not contain Vikings of a single color.)
The Red player has only a single region worth 23 victory points. The four hexes containing Runestones are not counted.
The Ivory player has two regions, one worth 10 victory points and the other worth 16. Their final score is 26.
Ivory wins!
Advanced Game
We suggest playing a few games using the basic rules before adding the mythology cards.
Setup Mythology Powers
During setup, the Ivory player chooses two mythology cards. The Red player chooses one of those cards to keep, the Ivory player will use the other.
Certain expansion powers are not compatible with powers listed here. The Ivory player should make sure to check this when choosing mythology cards.
Recommended Matchups
- Surtr vs. Ratatoskr
- Tyr vs. Gulinbursti
Using Mythology Powers
- Normal rules and conditions still apply to you when using a Mythology Power, with the exception of the specific changes described by the Mythology Power.
- You must obey all Mythology Power text that says you "cannot" or "must", otherwise you lose the game.
- Mythology Powers apply or are triggered at specific times according to what is stated in the Mythology Power text.
- Additional Setup must be performed when using some Mythology Powers. If your selected Mythology Power features "setup" text in the description, execute these special instructions during the game setup.
- If both Mythology Powers apply setup changes, the Ivory player's changes are applied first.
- If both Mythology Powers could apply simultaneously, the active player applies theirs first.
- Additional win conditions are specified by some Mythology Powers. If you meet the win condition on one of these cards, it takes priority over the normal win condition.
- Many Mythology Powers feature the beard/command icon. These cards may be used as Command Cards with the Odin Mythology Power. Cards that do not feature the icon cannot be used as Command Cards with the Odin Mythology Power.
Mythology Cards — Simple
Fenrir During Setup: Place only 2 Vikings (you choose the empty hex). At the Start of Your Turn: If an opponent's Viking is adjacent to one of your Vikings, you win immediately.
Freya When Scoring: Score all wild regions in addition to your settled regions.
Gullinbursti When Summoning: Instead of summoning a Runestone, your Viking may move again.
Hel During Scoring: Score 1 point for each Runestone on the board instead of your settled areas.
Hildisvini When Moving: If your selected Viking's path is blocked by another Viking, you may push the obstructing Viking back one hex (if it is unoccupied) and continue into their hex (once per move).
Mani At the End of Your Turn: You may move any one of your Vikings one hex.
Nerthus When Your Opponent Summons: Their selected Viking cannot create a new region unless they have no other option for their Runestone.
Ratatoskr After Summoning: You may move your selected Viking again in the direction opposite your first move.
Sol Before Your Move: You may move your selected Viking one hex East or West.
Thor Setup: Place 4 Runestones on this card. When Summoning: You may, instead, place a Runestone on this card into any contested region.
Tyr After Your Move: Your selected Viking may trade places with an adjacent Viking.
Mythology Cards — Advanced
Aegir At the End of Any Player's Turn: If a region was created, you may move any number of an opponent's Nomadic Vikings one hex each.
Ask and Embla During Setup: Place one of your Vikings on your mythology card instead of on the board (you choose the empty hex). When Summoning: The target hex for your Runestone is not blocked by Vikings or Runestones. The target hex must be unoccupied and in a contested region. The First Time You Create a Region: Place the Viking on this card into an unoccupied hex in a contested region.
Blodughofi When Summoning: Your Viking can only summon a Runestone in an adjacent space. If you summon a Runestone in a hex adjacent to an opponent's Viking, you may move your selected Viking again.
Bragi Before Your Move: You may make a move with an opponent's Viking that is adjacent to your selected Viking.
Dain, Dvalin, Duneyr, and Duratror When Moving: You must move all your Nomadic Vikings if possible. Move your Vikings one at a time and immediately summon a Runestone in the space they just left. You do not summon as normal.
Fafnir Before Your Move: If your Selected Viking is adjacent to a Runestone, their move originates from the Runestone's hex. You may not move into a settled or wild region.
Fjorgyn and Fyorgynn During Setup: Place only 2 Vikings (you choose the empty hex). When Moving: You may move your selected Viking through unoccupied spaces or spaces with Runestones in them, but not both. You must still only move a Nomadic Viking, must still move in a straight line, and you must end your move in a contested and unoccupied hex.
Forseti End of Your Turn: If a region was created, you may summon a Runestone within a region created this turn or within any contested region.
Freyr End of Your Turn: You may choose to remove a Runestone adjacent to your selected Viking. (Settled and wild regions cannot be changed.)
Frigg Before or After Moving: You may relocate your chosen Viking to an adjacent space. If you do, place a Runestone on your opponent's card. You may not use this power on your first turn. When Scoring: Your opponent scored an extra point for each Runestone on their card.
Gerd When You Summon: If your selected Viking summons in a hex adjacent to another of your Vikings, make an additional move with your selected Viking.
Heimdallr At the End of Your Turn: You may relocate one of your Vikings that settled this turn to any unoccupied hex that was not settled at the beginning of your turn.
Idun When the First Region is Settled: If that region has your Viking in it and is worth at least 6 points, you win immediately. If multiple settled regions are created simultaneously, this card loses its power.
Jormungandr When Summoning: If your selected Viking completes a straight line of exactly three connected Runestones, you may take an additional turn with the same Viking.
Njord After Your Move: If your selected Viking occupies a hex on the edge of the map, and none of your other nomadic Vikings occupy an edge hex, you may make a second move with your selected Viking (once per turn).
Odin Setup: Draw two additional mythology cards with the command icon and add them to your hand. These are your command cards. Start of Your Turn: You may either play a command card from your hand or pick up all your previously played command cards. If you play a command card, you gain the power on that card until the start of your next turn.
Selkolla Before Your Move: If your selected Viking occupies a hex on the edge of the map, instead of a normal move, you may relocate it to any unoccupied contested edge hex. When Summoning: You must summon adjacent to your selected Viking.
Sleipnir When Moving: Instead, you may jump over an adjacent Runestone to an unoccupied wild or contested hex directly on the opposite side.
Surtr When Summoning: Instead, you may summon a Runestone adjacent to your selected Viking and a second Runestone in a contested hex adjacent to the first.
Vali After Your Move: You may relocate an opponent's adjacent Viking to the unoccupied hex on the opposite side of your selected Viking.
Ymir End of Your Turn: You may summon an additional Runestone adjacent to any one of your nomadic Vikings.
Team Game
Though Ragnarocks was designed primarily as a 2-player experience, it can be played in teams. Team games should always include the mythology cards for advanced play. We only recommend playing with up to 6 players — though it is technically possible to play with more.
To play a team game, decide which players will play on the Ivory team and which players will play on the Red team. The teams do not have to have the same number of players.
Number the players on each team. For example, a 2 vs. 3 player game would have team members numbered (1,2) and (1,2,3) respectively.
The team playing Ivory selects mythology cards containing the command icon equal to the number of players in the game. Players then draft the power they would like from this selection beginning with Red player #1, and then Ivory player #1, then Red player #2, and so on, until each player has a mythology card.
For example, with a 2 vs. 3 player game, turns would progress as follows: Ivory player #1, Red player #1, Ivory player #2, Red player #2, Ivory player #1, Red player #3, Ivory player #2, Red player #1, and so on.
The game plays as normal with turns alternating between the Ivory team and the Red team.
Individual player turns cycle through the players according to the number assigned at the beginning of the game.
Each player's power is active until the start of the turn for the next player on their team.
The game ends as normal and players win or lose as a team.
Credits
- Design: Gord
- Development: Joshua Lobkowicz
- Art: Clark Miller
- Graphics: Christian Strain
- Rulebook Layout: Sarah Lafser
- Editing: Bryan Gerding
- Playtesting: Aaron Eisele, Ariane Brault, Brandi Waldman, Brandon Geier, Chris Funk, Corey Farkas, Grant Lyon, Jacob Marks, James Dunn, Jason Lau, Jeff Santos, Jerry Lillie, John J. Riccardi, Jose Antonio Ramirez, Kay F., Keith Collins, Kenrick Carlson Keh, Kevin LaMar, Kurt Pankau, Lance Myxter, Lee Mitchell, MacoBaaß, Matt Koballa, Matthew Kunz, Matt Roberts, Michael Lencioni, Patrick Hodge, Raven Rurek, Richard Castle, Rodger W. Moore, Sam Rouleau, Sarah Green (Tabletop Sauce), Scott "Aldie" Alden, Sean Fisher, Shane Myerscough, Shane Tonkin, Shannon Low, Stefan Loew, and Szymon.
- Special Thanks: Lee Mitchell and Richard Castle whose work with the gods was both creative and precise. Walter Zamkauskas for his 1988 game "El Juego de las Amazonas" which provided the base inspiration for Ragnarocks.