Relic: Nemesis
Relic: Nemesis Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Dial Assembly
- Introduction
- Using This Expansion
- Five- or Six-Player Games
- Character Rules
- Enemies of the Imperium
- The Nemesis
- Imperium and Nemesis Cards
- The Nemesis Turn
- Experience Phase
- Winning the Game
- Nemesis Battles
- Additional Nemesis Rules
- Support Bonuses
- Nemesis Bounty
- Entering and Exiting the Middle Tier
- Clarifications
- Master Collector (Scenario Sheet)
- Hulk of the Wayward Warrior (Scenario Sheet)
- Dark Alliance (Scenario Sheet)
- Eversor Assassin (Character)
- Moarn Goreheart (Nemesis)
- Luxuria (Nemesis)
- Githellion Ath'Ulwei (Nemesis)
- Kineblades (Wargear Card)
- Neuro Disruptor, Scissorhand, Chaos Chain Axe (Wargear Card)
- Imperial Guardsmen Agent (Imperium Card)
- Running Out of Cards
- Scenario Sheet Text
- Quick Reference
Components
The Relic: Nemesis expansion contains the following components:
- 2 Plastic Character Pieces
- 4 Plastic Nemesis Pieces
- 2 Plastic Character Bases
- 7 Relic Cards
- 9 Threat Cards
- 24 Wargear Cards
- 50 Imperium Cards
- 60 Nemesis Cards
- 4 Scenario Sheets
- 2 Character Sheets
- 4 Nemesis Sheets
- 2 Character Boards and Plastic Level Pegs
- 2 Nemesis Boards
- 6 Floating Dials
- 20 Character Tokens
- 20 Nemesis Tokens
All of the cards and sheets in this expansion are marked with the Nemesis expansion icon to distinguish the components from those in the base game and other expansions.
Dial Assembly
Before playing Relic: Nemesis for the first time, carefully punch the cardboard pieces out of their frames and attach all dials to their character or nemesis boards by matching the letters on the dials to the letters on the boards—the matching letters must face each other. Push one half of a plastic connector pair through either the character or nemesis board and the other half through the dial. Then, push the halves together until they fit tightly.
Affix the dials in the correct locations as shown in the diagram and as indicated by the letters. Do not remove the dials after they are attached to the character or nemesis boards.
There are six floating dials (letters A through F) that are attached to a bushing instead of a character or nemesis board. Again, players assemble these dials using plastic connector pairs by combining dials and bushings that contain matching letters, making sure matching letters face each other. The floating dials (letters A through F) are interchangeable and players attach them to their nemesis board as described in the setup section for the "Enemies of the Imperium" game mode on page 6.
The bushings attached to the floating dials may wear over time, causing a looser fit when attached to the nemesis boards. As such, there are several spare bushings that do not have letters; players can use these bushings as replacements if necessary.
Introduction
The Relic: Nemesis expansion contains character boards, character bases, and character tokens to allow up to six players to play Relic. It also includes new Threat cards, Wargear cards, and Relic cards as well as character and scenario sheets that players can use to enrich their game experience. Some of the new wargear and relics convert players into apostates, making them susceptible to skill duels from other players.
Additionally, this expansion introduces the "Enemies of the Imperium" game mode which allows one or more players to assume the role of a nemesis instead of a character. As a nemesis, a player works against all other players and attempts to gain infamy in order to thwart the Imperium's efforts.
Using This Expansion
To use this expansion, players shuffle all Wargear, Relic, and Threat cards into the respective decks from the base game. Then, players mix all character and scenario sheets together with the corresponding sheets from the base game; these characters and scenarios can be chosen during setup like any other character or scenario. All other components, which include nemesis boards, nemesis tokens, nemesis sheets, Nemesis cards, and Imperium cards, are only used when playing the "Enemies of the Imperium" game mode described on page 5.
To setup a game of Relic: Nemesis, players follow the setup instruction on page 4 of the Relic base-game rulebook.
Five- or Six-Player Games
Relic: Nemesis includes additional plastic character bases, plastic level pegs, character boards, and character tokens in two new colours (red and black). Players can use these components to play games of Relic with five or six players.
Character Rules
This section contains new character rules.
Apostates
During a game of Relic: Nemesis, each character is either an apostate or a devotee. A character begins the game as a devotee; however, he can become an apostate by acquiring an asset that contains the "Apostate" trait. Players can identify apostate cards by their yellow-green hue.
During his turn, the active player may choose to engage in a skill duel against any apostate on his space (see "Skill Duels" below).
Skill Duels
If the active player ends his Movement phase on the same space as one or more apostates, he may initiate a skill duel against one apostate of his choice instead of resolving his Exploration phase normally. Then, instead of resolving his Engagement phase normally, the active player resolves a skill duel. After resolving a skill duel, the active player proceeds to his Experience phase.
When resolving a skill duel, the active player is the challenger and the targeted apostate is the defender. During a skill duel, the challenger can be either an apostate or a devotee. The defender must be an apostate.
A player cannot initiate a skill duel in the Inner tier.
If a character does not initiate a skill duel, he resolves both his Exploration and Engagement phases following the rules described in the Relic base-game rulebook.
To resolve a skill duel, a player follows these steps:
- Determine Challenge Form: The challenger chooses an attribute; this is the attribute that both characters test. The chosen attribute determines the consequences when the duel is finished (see the "Apply Consequences" step below).
- Set the Challenge Value: The challenger sets the challenge value by making a skill roll of the chosen form with a target number of 2. To make a skill roll, the player uses the identical rules for resolving skill rolls as described in the Relic base-game rulebook. If the challenger passes the skill test, the challenge value is equal to the result of the skill roll including all modifiers. If the challenger fails the test, the skill duel immediately ends and the challenger proceeds to step 6.
- Make Defender Skill Roll: The defender performs a skill test of the chosen form with the previously established challenge value as the target number. If the defender passes, he is the winner of the skill duel. If he fails, the challenger is the winner.
- Apply Consequences: Players apply one of the following consequences as determined by the challenge form:
- Strength: The loser loses 2 Life.
- Cunning: The winner may steal 1 of the loser's assets (except relics). If a player steals an asset that contains charge tokens, all charge tokens on that card also transfer.
- Willpower: The winner looks at the loser's hand of Power cards and chooses to take either 1 of those cards or 3 influence from the loser.
- Steal Apostate Asset: If desired, the winner may also steal one of the loser's apostate assets (except relics).
Example: The Commissar initiates a Strength skill duel against the Rogue Trader who has an apostate asset. The Commissar's Strength is 6. The Commissar also has the Renegade Ogryn as an ally asset, adding 3 to his score. Then, he rolls a die which produces a result of 2 (the die face is printed as an icon in the rulebook; the stated score of 11 confirms it). The Commissar passes the skill test with a skill score of 11 (6 + 3 + 2).
The Rogue Trader must test Strength 11 (the Commissar's skill score). The Rogue Trader's Strength is 3, and he has the Reverent Fist relic which provides a skill bonus of 4. Then, the defender chooses to substitute a "4" Power card for his skill roll. The Rogue Trader's skill score is 11 (3 + 4 + 4). Since the defender has matched the required score, he wins the skill duel. The Commissar loses 2 Life (the consequences of a Strength skill duel), but has no apostate asset, so there is nothing for the Rogue Trader to steal.
Enemies of the Imperium
The "Enemies of the Imperium" game mode allows up to two players to assume the role of a nemesis instead of a character. Each nemesis is a deadly threat to the Imperium's foothold in the Antian Sector. As a nemesis, a player works to gain infamy by interacting with characters and resolving engagements. With enough infamy, a nemesis can win the game and thwart the Imperium's attempt to resolve the scenario confrontation.
Note: When using either the "Dark Alliance" or the "Shoulder to Shoulder" scenario sheet, players must use the "Enemies of the Imperium" game mode.
To set up a game of Relic using the "Enemies of the Imperium" game mode, see "General Setup" below and "Nemesis Setup" on page 6.
General Setup
If players wish to use the "Enemies of the Imperium" game mode, they follow the setup instructions in this section instead of those found in the Relic base-game rulebook.
All players begin by resolving the following two steps:
- Place Game Board and Choose Scenario: Players follow steps 1 and 2 of the setup instructions presented in the Relic base-game rulebook.
- Determine Nemesis: There is one nemesis for a three- to four-player game and two nemeses for a five- to six-player game (unless specified otherwise on the chosen scenario sheet). Each player declares if he wishes to control a nemesis or a character. If more players than the allowed number wish to control a nemesis, the willing players randomly determine who among them will be a nemesis.
Nemesis Setup
After players have determined which players will play as characters and which players will play as nemeses, characters follow steps 3 through 12 of the setup instructions presented in the Relic base-game rulebook while nemeses simultaneously resolve the following steps:
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Choose Nemesis: Shuffle the nemesis sheets facedown and deal two to each nemesis player. Each nemesis player looks at his nemesis sheets and chooses one. Return all unused nemesis sheets to the game box. After each player has chosen his nemesis, each player reveals his nemesis sheet and takes the corresponding plastic nemesis piece and places it in his play area.
Note: Nemeses are revealed at the same time as characters (see step 5 of Setup in the Relic base-game rulebook).
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Choose Player Colour: Each nemesis player chooses one of the two nemesis colours (black or red) and takes the nemesis board, plastic character base, nemesis tokens, and plastic level peg corresponding to the colour he chose and places them in his play area.
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Prepare Nemesis Deck: Each nemesis player takes the Nemesis deck corresponding to his nemesis, shuffles it, and places it in his play area to the left of his nemesis board, leaving room for its discard pile directly above it.
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Place Plastic Nemesis Pieces: Each nemesis player attaches his plastic nemesis piece to his plastic character base and places it on the starting space of the game board printed on his nemesis sheet.
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Prepare Nemesis Board: Each player slides the top of his nemesis sheet into his nemesis board and inserts his plastic level peg into the slot on the level track above the word "Start." Additionally, each player attaches one floating dial with a color that matches his nemesis' attribute—red for Strength, blue for Willpower, and yellow for Cunning (see "Floating Dials" below).
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Set Starting Attribute, Life, and Infamy: Each nemesis player adjusts his attribute and Life dials to match the starting values printed on the bottom of his nemesis sheet. He also adjusts his infamy dial to "0."
Floating Dials
To attach a floating dial to a nemesis board, insert the bushing into the nemesis board. Attach a red dial for a nemesis with a Strength attribute, a blue dial for a nemesis with a Willpower attribute, and a yellow dial for a nemesis with a Cunning attribute.
The Nemesis
The nemesis is a dedicated foe of the Imperium and, like a character, is controlled by a player. However, for the purposes of rules, game interactions, and card text, a nemesis is not a player. That is, each time a game component refers to a "player", it is referencing either a character or the player controlling a character, never a nemesis. Furthermore, a nemesis is not an enemy. When game components and game interactions reference "enemies", they are never referring to nemeses.
Example: Zach, playing as the Ratling Sniper, acquires the "Watch Your Back" Mission card, which reads "When you acquire this Mission card, the player to your left must place one of his character tokens on this card, indicating that he is your target." Alex, playing the nemesis Moarn Goreheart, is sitting to his left but is not considered a player for the purposes of card text. Therefore, Zach passes over Alex to the next eligible player to his left, Jason, who is playing the Canoness. Jason places one of his character tokens on Zach's "Watch Your Back" Mission card.
Example: Alex, playing Moarn Goreheart, lands on the same space as Jason's character, the Callidus Assassin. While Jason would prefer to avoid a fight with the fearsome berserker, Moarn is a nemesis not an enemy, and therefore the Callidus Assassin's special ability cannot be used to evade him.
Nemeses and characters are unique entities; however, they have some similarities. Each nemesis has an attribute and Life dial and moves around the game board resolving engagements. However, a nemesis does not interact with the game board's text boxes or resolve Threat cards. Rather, a nemesis uses unique cards from either the Imperium deck or its unique Nemesis deck to progress through the game to gain infamy.
Attributes and Life
Unlike characters, each nemesis has only one of three attributes: Strength, Willpower, or Cunning. Each nemesis also has a starting Life value. The rules governing how nemeses gain and lose attributes and Life are identical to the rules described in the Relic base-game rulebook for how characters gain and lose attributes and Life. When a nemesis' Life value is reduced to zero, he is vanquished (see "Vanquished Nemeses" below).
Infamy
A nemesis' influence in the Antian Sector is represented by its infamy. Infamy is not an attribute. As such, when rules and card text reference attributes, they refer only to Strength, Willpower, and Cunning.
Gaining, Losing, and Spending Infamy
A nemesis can gain infamy. Each time this happens, he adjusts the infamy dial on his nemesis board by rotating it clockwise by the specified amount.
A nemesis can lose or spend infamy. Each time this happens, he adjusts the infamy dial on his nemesis board by rotating it anticlockwise by the specified amount.
A nemesis' infamy dial has a minimum value of 0 and maximum value of 25. Each nemesis begins the game with his infamy dial at "0." (unless specified otherwise). If a nemesis' infamy dial ever reaches "25," that nemesis immediately wins the game (see "Winning the Game" below).
Nemesis Sheet, Board, and Cards
The diagram on page 7 labels the parts of a nemesis' play area: Attribute Dial, Life Dial, Infamy Dial, Level Track, Level Rewards, Name and Affiliation, Nemesis' Attribute, Special Abilities, Bounty, Starting Space, Starting Life Value, Starting Attribute Value, Nemesis Discard Pile, and Nemesis Deck. The diagram shows the nemesis Githellion Ath'ulwei, Dire Avenger Exarch, with the Starlight Blade arsenal card in his discard pile. The printed special abilities of that nemesis sheet are:
- Special Abilities: Gain 2 infamy each time a character discards 1 or more Corruption cards. At the start of your Movement phase, you may move to any Webway Portal space or any other space containing a Forgotten Portal card. Then, resolve your Movement phase normally. If you win a battle against a character, he must discard 1 Corruption card. Choose a character in your area. That character discards 1 Corruption card (if he has any) and loses 1 Life.
- Bounty: Draw 1 Power card.
- Starting Space: Eldar Falcon Squadron
- Starting Attribute Value: Cunning: 4
- Starting Life Value: Life: 4
Imperium and Nemesis Cards
The Imperium deck and Nemesis decks are only used when playing with the "Enemies of the Imperium" game mode.
Imperium Cards
The Imperium cards represent events, agents, and arsenal that nemeses can discover during a game. Imperium cards function similarly to Threat cards found in the base game. A nemesis draws these cards during his Exploration phase (see "Draw Imperium Cards" on page 9) and resolves them during his Engagement phase (see "Resolving Imperium Cards" on page 10).
The Imperium card example on page 8 labels its parts: Title, Attribute, Type and Trait, and Ability. The example card is the Imperial Guardsman, an Agent - Imperial Guard with Attribute 1:
Special Timing: At the start of the Engagement phase, draw 1 additional Imperium card. If the card is an event, discard it. Otherwise, place it on your space.
Card Orientation
The orientation of each card in Relic is either vertical or horizontal. Cards that specifically interact with characters are oriented vertically, similar to all cards in the base game. Cards that specifically interact with nemeses are oriented horizontally.
- This card interacts with characters (vertical card, e.g. Outcast Chirurgeon).
- This card interacts with nemeses (horizontal card, e.g. Imperial Guardsman).
When encountering spaces, characters never read horizontal cards, and nemeses never read vertical cards, including those from the base game.
Nemesis Cards
Each nemesis has a unique Nemesis deck. Each nemesis deck contains several kinds of cards. Some cards (asset, encounter, enemy, and corruption) are similar to those found in the base game, and a nemesis uses them to interact with characters. Other cards (arsenal, crisis, and Might) are unique to this expansion and interact with nemeses as described on page 10.
Cards are always discarded back to the discard pile that corresponds to the image on their backs, not their fronts. Thus, whenever a Nemesis card is discarded, it is always discarded back to that nemesis' discard pile.
The Nemesis Turn
When playing the "Enemies of the Imperium" game mode, each character takes a turn in clockwise order as normal. Then, after each character has taken his turn, each nemesis takes his turn in clockwise order. To aid players in remembering the turn order, it is recommended that nemesis players sit next to each other.
Turns proceed in this manner until the game is over. The active nemesis is the nemesis currently taking a turn.
During his turn, an active nemesis performs the following four phases in order:
- Movement Phase: The active nemesis rolls one die and moves his nemesis piece clockwise or anticlockwise around the game board the exact number of spaces equal to the die result, identical to the movement for characters.
- Exploration Phase: The active nemesis initiates a battle against a character, draws one or more Imperium cards, or draws one card from his Nemesis deck. A nemesis does not read or interact with any text boxes on the game board.
- Engagement Phase: The active nemesis resolves a battle against a character, resolves the Imperium cards on the space he occupies, or resolves a drawn Nemesis card.
- Experience Phase: The active nemesis may spend trophies to gain levels.
Movement Phase
During the Movement phase, the active nemesis must move to a new space. He cannot remain on his space, even if it contains an Imperium card.
Outer and Middle Tiers: The rules governing nemesis movement in the Outer and Middle tiers are identical to the rules described on page 8 of the Relic base-game rulebook for character movement. To move between the Outer and Middle tier, see "Entering and Exiting the Middle Tier" on page 14.
The Inner Tier: The nemesis cannot enter the Inner tier.
Exploration Phase
During the Exploration phase, if the active nemesis is on a space with a character, he may choose to initiate a battle with that character. Otherwise, he must draw either one or more cards from the Imperium deck or one card from his Nemesis deck.
To resolve the Exploration phase, the active nemesis follows these steps:
- Check for Characters.
- Draw Cards.
Check for Characters
If the active nemesis is on a space with one or more characters, he may initiate a battle with one of those characters of his choice. If he chooses to initiate a battle, he proceeds to his Engagement phase. Otherwise, he proceeds to the "Draw Cards" step.
Draw Cards
If the active nemesis does not initiate a battle with a character, he draws either Imperium cards or a Nemesis card.
Draw Imperium Cards
If the active nemesis is on a space containing threat icons or one or more Imperium cards, he compares the number of threat icons, ignoring their colour, on the space he occupies with the number of faceup Imperium cards already on that space. For each threat icon that exceeds the number of Imperium cards, the active nemesis draws one card from the Imperium deck and places it faceup on the space he occupies.
Some abilities can cause a space to contain more Imperium cards than threat icons. These cards remain in that space until a nemesis resolves them or until they are affected by another ability.
After the number of Imperium cards on the active nemesis' space equals or exceeds the number of threat icons on that space, the active nemesis proceeds to his Engagement phase.
Example: Luxuria lands on the Vaulgast Spire space, which contains two Threat icons. It already contains two yellow Threat cards, but no Imperium cards. Luxuria draws two cards from the Imperium deck, placing an Ultramarines Bike and the Death Riders of Krieg on the Vaulgast Spire space.
Draw a Nemesis Card
If the active nemesis occupies a space without faceup Imperium cards and without threat icons (likely a space with a text box), he draws one Nemesis card from his Nemesis deck. He looks at his Nemesis card without revealing it and proceeds to his Engagement phase.
Example: Specimen X lands on the Ultramar Emissary space, which contains a Purestrain Genestealer Threat card and the Rogue Trader character, but no Imperium cards. Specimen X chooses no battle with the Rogue Trader. Since there are no threat icons in his space, Specimen X draws one card from his Nemesis deck and proceeds to the Engagement phase.
Engagement Phase
During the Engagement phase, the active nemesis must participate in a battle with a character on his space, resolve any Imperium cards on his space, or resolve the Nemesis card he drew during his Exploration phase.
Resolving Battles Against Characters
If the active nemesis chose to resolve a battle during his Exploration phase, he must resolve a battle following the steps described on page 12. After resolving a battle, the active nemesis proceeds to his Experience phase.
Resolving Imperium Cards
If the active nemesis is not resolving a battle against a character and is on a space containing one or more Imperium cards, he must resolve them. The order in which a nemesis resolves Imperium cards is determined by the card's type (event, agent, or arsenal) following these steps:
- Resolve Events: The active nemesis resolves the abilities of all Imperium cards in his space that have the event trait. After resolving an event, it is discarded. If there are multiple events on his space, he resolves them one at a time in any order he chooses.
- Battle Agents: The active nemesis must participate in a battle with each agent on his space (see "Nemesis Battles" on page 12) before proceeding to the next step. If a nemesis loses a battle, his Engagement phase ends immediately and he cannot resolve other Imperium cards.
- Acquire Arsenal: The active nemesis takes all arsenal cards on his space and places them faceup in his play area. A nemesis can only use arsenal card abilities if the card is in his play area.
After resolving these steps, the active nemesis proceeds to his Experience phase. If a situation arises in which the active nemesis draws Imperium cards during his Exploration phase yet occupies a space without any Imperium cards during his Engagement phase, he immediately proceeds to his Experience phase.
Resolving Nemesis Cards
If the active nemesis drew Nemesis cards during the Exploration phase, he must now resolve them. The different types of Nemesis cards are described in the following sections.
Cards that Interact with Characters
Cards that interact with characters are oriented vertically (see "Card Orientation" on page 8). Each vertical Nemesis card mimics a card type from the Relic base game (asset, encounter, enemy, or corruption) and interacts with a character. These vertical cards contain NEMESIS TEXT presented in bold that instructs the nemesis how to resolve the card during his Engagement phase.
The printed examples on page 10 are:
- Enemy Card (Purestrain Genestealer, 3): Place this card on your space. This enemy adds 1 to its battle score for each other Tyranid on its space.
- Corruption Card (Arresting Beauty, 1): Choose a character with 3 or fewer Corruption cards. That character receives this card as if they had just drawn it from the Corruption deck. You may spend 1 influence to evade any enemy.
- Encounter Card (Throne of Blood): Place this card on any space with a threat icon in your tier. You may immediately spend 1 trophy to gain 1 level. If you do so, Moarn gains 2 infamy.
During his Engagement phase, the active nemesis reads the nemesis text on the Nemesis card he drew and follows the instructions. A nemesis only reads and resolves the nemesis text on a card once, and only during the Engagement phase that follows the Exploration phase in which he drew the card. If a nemesis places a Nemesis card on the game board, neither characters nor nemeses can resolve the nemesis text again. After a nemesis resolves the nemesis text, these cards function identically to the card type they represent from the base game.
Cards that Interact with Nemeses
Cards that interact with nemeses are oriented horizontally (see "Card Orientation" on page 8). When the active nemesis draws a horizontal Nemesis card, he resolves or acquires it according to its type:
- Crisis: Crisis cards are one-time events that trigger as soon as the nemesis resolves the card. To resolve a crisis card, the active nemesis reads the text on the card, follows the instructions, and then discards the card.
- Might: Might cards function like Power cards but can only be used by nemeses. To acquire a Might card, the active nemesis takes the card and adds it to his hand of Might cards. Nemeses keep their Might cards secret from other characters, revealing them only when deciding to use them.
- Arsenal: Arsenal cards function like asset cards but can only be used by nemeses. To acquire an arsenal card, the active nemesis takes the card and places it faceup in his play area. A nemesis can use the abilities of all arsenal cards in his play area.
The printed crisis example is Allure of Slaanesh: Each character may draw 1 Corruption card to gain 1 attribute of their choice. (Epigraph: "The covetous man is always in want." —ancient Terran aphorism.)
The printed Might card example is Avarice, Might Number 4, with the ability: Play during the Prepare for Battle step. If your opponent in this battle is a character, add 1 to your battle score for each influence he has.
The printed arsenal example is The Starlight Blade (Arsenal - Weapon, value 1): At the start of your Experience phase, if there are no Corruption cards in play, gain 1 infamy.
Experience Phase
During the Experience phase, the active nemesis gains levels and discards any cards he no longer wishes to keep. A nemesis resolves his Experience phase following these steps:
- Spend Trophies
- Discard Cards
Spend Trophies
Each time a nemesis wins a battle against an agent, he takes the agent Imperium card as a trophy (see "Nemesis Battles" on page 12). Each trophy has a trophy point value equal to the agent's attribute value. For example, if an agent has an attribute value of 4, that agent is worth 4 trophy points.
The active nemesis may spend (discard) trophies during this step to gain levels. For every six trophy points he spends during this step, he gains one level (see "Gaining Nemesis Levels" on page 13). He may spend any number of trophies; however, any excess trophy points above multiples of six are lost and do not count toward the cost of his next level.
The printed Imperium card example is the agent Venerable Dreadnaught with an attribute and trophy value of 7.
Discard Cards
There is no limit to the number of cards the nemesis can have. However, if a nemesis has any arsenal or Might cards that he no longer wishes to keep, he may discard them at this time. A nemesis cannot discard cards outside of his Experience phase unless a game effect allows him to do so.
Winning the Game
To win a game, a nemesis must acquire 25 infamy. When a nemesis' infamy dial reaches 25, he immediately wins the game. For a character to win the game, he must resolve the confrontation section of the scenario card as normal.
Nemesis Battles
During a nemesis' turn, he may participate in a battle against either a character or one or more agents in his space (see "Exploration Phase" on page 9).
Additionally, if a character ends his Movement phase on a space containing one or more nemeses, he may resolve a battle with one of those nemeses of his choice.
To resolve battles with a nemesis, follow these steps:
- Determine Battle Form: When a nemesis participates in a battle, the battle form always matches the nemesis' attribute type. For example, if a character participates in a battle with a nemesis that has the Strength (red) attribute, it is a Strength battle.
- Prepare for Battle (Nemesis): During this step, the nemesis may declare and apply any battle bonuses used to modify his battle score. A nemesis may only use one weapon and one armour during a battle.
- Roll Battle Die (Nemesis): The nemesis makes a battle roll by rolling one die. If he has an ability that allows the use of additional dice, he rolls all dice simultaneously. Any battle roll that produces an explode result (shown as a die icon in the printed rulebook) explodes, allowing him to roll an additional die. If a nemesis wishes to use an ability to reroll or change the result of his battle roll, he does so during this step.
- Prepare for Battle (Character): During this step, the character may declare and apply any battle bonuses used to modify his battle score. A nemesis is not an enemy; therefore, assets and Power cards that reference enemies do not apply to nemeses. (This step is skipped when battling an agent.)
- Roll Battle Die (Agent/Character): Follow the appropriate sub-step ("Agent" or "Character") as determined by the nemesis' opponent for the battle.
- a. Agent: The player to the left of the active nemesis makes a battle roll for the agent by rolling one die. Any battle roll that produces an explode result (shown as a die icon in the printed rulebook) explodes, allowing him to roll an additional die (see "Exploding Dice" on page 20 of the Relic base-game rulebook). The player rolling a die for the agent cannot use any of his character or card abilities that affect his die rolls.
- b. Character: The character makes a battle roll by rolling one die. If he has an ability that allows the use of additional dice, he rolls all dice simultaneously. If a character wishes to use an ability to reroll or change the result of his battle roll, he does so during this step.
Multiple Agents
If there is more than one agent on the space the active nemesis occupies, he resolves a battle with all agents at the same time.
To resolve a battle against multiple agents, the player to the left of the active nemesis adds each agent's attribute value to a single battle roll to create a single battle score for all agents. That player follows all instructions on agent cards normally.
If the active nemesis produces a higher battle score than the agent's battle score, he wins the battle, applies all rewards from all participating agents, and claims those agents as trophies. If the active nemesis produces a lower battle score than the agent's battle score, he loses the battle, loses one Life, applies all penalties from all participating agents, and ends his Engagement phase.
Additional Nemesis Rules
This section contains additional rules for nemeses.
Gaining Nemesis Levels
Each time a nemesis gains a level, he moves the level peg on his level track one slot to the right. Then, he receives all level rewards listed in the column on his nemesis sheet below the new position of the level peg, starting with the reward on the top of the column and proceeding downward.
A nemesis may gain a maximum of 9 levels. If he gains a level, but has already reached level 9, he gains one infamy instead.
Most of the level rewards for nemeses match those found in the Relic base game. The two level reward icons found only on the nemesis sheets are as follows:
- Nemesis Card: Draw one card from your Nemesis deck and immediately resolve it.
- Infamy: Gain 1 infamy.
Vanquished Nemeses
If a nemesis' Life is reduced to zero, he is vanquished. Each time a nemesis is vanquished, he performs the following steps:
- Discard Might Cards and Trophies: The nemesis discards all of his Might cards and trophies.
- Lose Infamy: The nemesis loses half of his infamy, rounded up.
- Reset Life: The nemesis adjusts his Life dial to match the starting Life value on his nemesis board.
- Relocate: The nemesis places his nemesis piece on his starting location.
The nemesis keeps all other cards and tokens. Any nemesis tokens on the game board or arsenal in his play area remain.
Playing Might Cards
Might cards are similar to the Power cards found in the base game; however, only nemeses can use them. Might cards provide a nemesis with one-time special abilities. Playing Might cards is always optional. The text on a Might card indicates when a nemesis can play the card, and the text also describes the special ability the card provides.
Additionally, all Might cards feature a Might Number on the right side of the card. Immediately before a nemesis is required to roll a die to make a movement, battle, or skill roll, he may declare that he is playing a Might card instead. Each time a nemesis uses a Might card instead of rolling a die, the might number on the card is treated as a substitute for the die result. For the purposes of special abilities and effects, when a nemesis uses a Might card this way, it is equivalent to a die roll. A nemesis cannot use more than one might number as a substitute for a single movement, battle, or skill roll.
If a nemesis substitutes a die roll with a Might card, it can explode following normal rules (see "Exploding Dice" on page 20 of the Relic base-game rulebook). A nemesis can substitute additional die rolls caused by an exploding die with a Might card.
When playing a Might card, the nemesis may use the might number or the special ability; he may not use both. After a nemesis uses a Might card, he must discard it. There is no limit to the number of Might cards a nemesis may use during a turn.
Support Bonuses
Enemies and agents can aid characters and nemeses during a battle if they occupy the same space. When resolving a battle, players must apply the following bonuses when necessary.
Enemy Threat Card Bonus
A nemesis adds 1 to his battle score during the "Determine Battle Scores" step for each enemy Threat card on his space. This bonus applies when a nemesis participates in a battle against both agents and characters.
Agent Imperium Card Bonus
A character adds 1 to his battle score during the "Determine Battle Scores" step for each agent Imperial card on his space. This bonus applies when a character participates in a battle against both enemies and nemeses.
Nemesis Bounty
Each time a character defeats a nemesis in battle, that character immediately receives the bounty printed on that nemesis' nemesis sheet.
Nemesis Sheet Bounty text (printed example): Bounty: Draw 1 Wargear card. You may purchase it for 1 less influence than its printed cost, to a minimum of 0.
Entering and Exiting the Middle Tier
If a nemesis ends his movement on one of the four corner spaces in the Outer tier (Grey Knight Envoy, Battlefleet Antias, St. Antias' Sanctuary, and Ultramar Emissary), he may spend 1 infamy or discard 1 trophy, Might card, or arsenal to move to the nearest corner space in the Middle tier. If a nemesis moves to the Middle tier in this manner, he skips his Encounter and Engagement phase during the turn in which he moved. A nemesis may also use the movement box located on the Space Hulk space in the Middle tier to move back to the Outer tier.
Clarifications
This section contains additional details for specific game effects and situations.
Master Collector (Scenario Sheet)
All spaces in the Inner tier that contain character tokens are treated as if they do not exist on the game board. Players cannot place additional tokens on those spaces, players do not count those spaces when moving during their Movement phase, and players do not use those spaces when resolving the text box in the Warp Rift. Therefore, if there is a character token on the Crone World Yllen Satari and a player spends eight influence while resolving the text box on the Warp Rift, that player skips both the Crone World and Chaos Titan Mals Furia spaces ending on the Daemon World Braxas space.
Hulk of the Wayward Warrior (Scenario Sheet)
Each time a player is resolving the Confrontation section for this scenario sheet, he may collect any enemy Threat cards he vanquishes as trophies. Each time he spends these trophies to gain levels, he may return them to their corresponding discard piles as normal or he may return them back to the scenario deck as per the instructions on the scenario sheet.
If there are no Threat cards in the scenario deck, a player simply places one of his character tokens on the scenario sheet during his Engagement phase.
Dark Alliance (Scenario Sheet)
The Dark Alliance scenario can only be played with an even number of players.
There are only two Nemesis boards included in this expansion; however, players can play the Dark Alliance scenario with six players (three as nemeses). To do so, the third nemesis player tracks his Life, attribute, level, infamy, and nemesis tokens by other means, such as a pad of paper.
Eversor Assassin (Character)
All trophies possessed by the Eversor Assassin are treated as assets, even by other players. As such, if a player wins a Cunning skill duel against the Eversor Assassin, that player can take one of the Eversor Assassin's trophies as a reward.
Moarn Goreheart (Nemesis)
When using the Moarn Goreheart's Berserker Rage card during the Dark Alliance scenario, Moarn cannot move to a teammate's space. Therefore, for the purposes of this scenario, players resolve the Berserker Rage card targeting the closest eligible (non-teammate) character.
Luxuria (Nemesis)
If Luxuria gives a Corruption card from her Nemesis deck to the Ultramarines Captain or the Canoness, that character flips the Corruption card facedown. Because Luxuria's Corruption cards have different card backs than cards from the Corruption deck, keep track of these cards by placing them near other facedown Corruption cards or by placing a character token on them as a reminder.
Githellion Ath'Ulwei (Nemesis)
If a player is corrupted and must start a new character, Githellion Ath'Ulwei does not gain infamy for the Corruption cards that character must discard as a result of being corrupted.
If Githellion Ath'Ulwei gives a Vision Stone to the Storm Trooper Sergeant, he may use his character ability and discard the Vision Stone to add 2 to his battle roll. Additionally, he can discard it during his Experience phase to make room for more assets.
Kineblades (Wargear Card)
Kineblades only gives a battle bonus for each Power card you have. After a player plays a Power card, that player no longer has that Power card. Thus, if a player has Kineblades and substitutes a Power card for his battle roll, he does not add 1 to his battle score from Kineblades for the played Power card.
Neuro Disruptor, Scissorhand, Chaos Chain Axe (Wargear Card)
If a player uses the Neuro Disruptor, Scissorhand, or Chaos Chain Axe and his dice explode reducing him to 0 Life, the player is vanquished and immediately returned to the St. Antias' Sanctuary space following normal rules. He treats the battle as if it never happened. The battle was neither won nor lost and all enemies remain in their space.
Imperial Guardsmen Agent (Imperium Card)
A nemesis must draw an Imperium card each time he resolves Imperial Guardsmen agent.
Running Out of Cards
Whenever any of the decks of cards in this expansion are exhausted, players should shuffle all cards in the corresponding discard pile to create a new deck from which to draw from.
Threat Card Colour
The colour of a Threat card is always determined by the coloured border on the front of that card, not by the card's back.
Scenario Sheet Text
The following text is printed on the Hulk of the Wayward Warrior scenario sheet in the components illustration on page 2.
Confrontation: Shuffle the scenario deck and draw 4 Threat cards from that deck plus 1 additional Threat card for each of your character tokens on this sheet. Then, place the drawn cards on this sheet and initiate a battle against each card drawn, combining enemies that have the same attribute as normal. Treat all abilities on enemy Threat cards in the scenario deck as blank. After the battle(s), if there are no Threat cards remaining on this space, place one of your character tokens on this sheet. Otherwise, place any Threat cards remaining on the space back on top of the scenario deck. If 3 of your character tokens are on this sheet, you win the game!
Special Game Rules: Each time a player spends trophies (except those from Nemesis decks), he may choose to place any, all, or none of them on this scenario sheet, forming a single scenario deck, instead of discarding them to their respective discard piles.
Quick Reference
Nemesis Turn Sequence
During his turn, the active nemesis performs the following four phases in order (see "The Nemesis Turn" on page 9 for more details):
- Movement Phase: The active nemesis rolls one die and moves his nemesis piece clockwise or anticlockwise around the game board the exact number of spaces equal to the die result.
- Exploration Phase: The active nemesis initiates a battle against a character, draws one or more Imperium cards, or draws one card from his Nemesis deck. A nemesis does not read or interact with any text boxes on the game board.
- Engagement Phase: The nemesis resolves a battle against a character, resolves the Imperium cards on the space he occupies, or resolves a drawn Nemesis card.
- Experience Phase: The active nemesis may spend trophies to gain levels.
Imperium Card Resolution
If there are Imperium cards in the active nemesis' space during his Engagement phase, he resolves them in the following order:
- Resolve Events
- Battle Agents
- Acquire Arsenal
Nemesis Level Reward Icons
- Draw 1 card from your Nemesis deck and immediately resolve it.
- Gain 1 infamy.
Battles with Nemeses
Battles with nemeses are resolved using the following steps (see "Nemesis Battles" on page 12 for more details):
- Determine Battle Form
- Prepare for Battle (Nemesis)
- Roll Battle Die (Nemesis)
- Prepare for Battle (Character)
- Roll Battle Die (Agent/Character)
- Determine Battle Scores
- Determine Battle Result
- Apply Consequence
Vanquished Nemeses
If a nemesis' Life is reduced to zero, he discards all of his Might cards and trophies and loses half of his infamy (rounded up). Then, he resets his Life to his starting Life value and moves to his starting space (see "Vanquished Nemeses" on page 13 for more details).
Skill Duels and Consequences
To resolve a skill duel, a player follows these steps (see "Skill Duels" on page 4 for more details):
- Determine Challenge Form
- Set the Challenge Value
- Make Defender Skill Roll
- Apply Consequences
- Strength: The loser loses 2 Life.
- Cunning: The winner may steal 1 of the loser's assets (except relics).
- Willpower: The winner looks at the loser's hand of Power cards and chooses to take either 1 of those cards or 3 influence from the loser.
- Steal Apostate Asset
- Proceed to the Experience Phase