Ruination
Ruination Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview and Objective
Ruination is a 2-4 player area control and civilization game set in post-apocalyptic Eurasia. Using an innovative action system, players will gather resources to acquire advantages from the wreckage of the world before, bolster their armies with powerful exiles, and march across the Wasteland to war. Only the strongest and most canny horde will rule beside the Khan in this new world.
As a horde leader, you will compete against your rivals to prove yourself worthy to the Khan. This will be measured in Victory Points (VP). VP are earned in many ways throughout the game, but primarily through participating in, and winning, battles. The end of the game is triggered after a player has invoked the Khan's Fury. The player with the most VP at the end of the game wins.
The golden rule: Rules on game components always supersede the rules printed in this manual.
Component Summary
- 42 action cards (14 in each of 3 types)
- 24 advantage cards (8 in each of 3 tiers)
- 24 blessing tokens
- 14 bastion tokens
- 12 battle dice
- 12 exile reference cards
- 12 exile miniatures
- 8 starting bonus tiles
- 9 nomad tokens
- 2 nomad battle board markers
- 1 battle board
- 1 Death Wurm die
- 1 favor die
- 1 First Player standee
- 1 game board
- 1 Khan's Fury token
- 1 rule book
- 4 horde sets, to include:
- 8 grunt miniatures of the horde's color
- 5 horde tokens (favor, glory, VP, and 2 battle board markers)
- 4 resource tracker tokens (1 of each type)
- 3 brute miniatures of the horde's color
- 3 raider miniatures of the horde's color
- 1 horde board
Each action deck can be identified by its unique card back, which corresponds with the matching graphic printed on the game board. Likewise, each advantage deck and the exile deck can be identified by their unique card backs, which correspond with the matching graphics printed on the game board.
Game Area Setup
- Place the game board in the center of the play area.
- Separate and shuffle the 3 action card decks by type. Place each deck faceup on the game board, so the top card is always visible in the corresponding deck space.
- Separate and shuffle the advantage card decks by tier (I, II, and III). Place each deck faceup on the game board, so the top card is always visible in the corresponding deck space. Then deal 1 advantage card faceup from the top of each advantage deck to the other available space of the same tier.
- Shuffle the exile reference cards into a deck and place it faceup on the game board, so the top card is always visible in the corresponding deck space. Then deal 1 card faceup from the top of the exile deck to each of the available spaces.
- Place 1 bastion token in each of the 4 corner territories. Then place 2 bastion tokens in the Citadel, the central-most territory of the board. Lastly, place 1 bastion token on the fourth and the eighth space of the favor track.
- Set aside all remaining bastion tokens, blessing tokens, and dice to form the supply.
- Place the battle board near the game board. Place the nomad battle board markers on the starting spaces of the battle board.
- Place the Khan's Fury token at the top of the Fury track on the game board.
- Players now gain their personal supply of components outlined in Player Area Setup.
Player Area Setup
- Each player chooses a horde and collects the components in that horde's set based on the color of the horde (as outlined in the components section). If this is a player's first game, it is recommended that players use the basic side of their horde board.
- Each player places their horde board in their personal play area.
- Each player places all of their brute, grunt, and raider miniatures beside their horde board to establish their reserve of units.
- Each player places 1 of their horde tokens on the 0 space of the favor track, glory track, and VP track matching the icons on the token to the tracks. Each player places their 2 horde battle board markers near the battle board.
- Each player places their set of 4 different resource tracker tokens near the resource circle to the left of the 1 space on the resource track at the top of their horde board.
The left side of each horde board shows the horde's color, icon, and name of that horde. Each of a horde's specific components matches the color of the horde and may contain the matching icon, including its recruit costs and stats.
The basic or advanced side of a horde board is indicated on the bottom left corner of each horde board.
Each horde miniature set contains 8 grunts (circle base), 3 brutes (hexagon base), and 3 raiders (rectangle base).
Start of Game Setup
- Shuffle the starting bonus tiles facedown and deal 2 to each player.
- Each player looks at their starting bonus tiles. They then choose 1 to keep facedown in front of them for its bonus and set 1 aside to be revealed for determining First Player.
- Players simultaneously reveal the tile they set aside. The player who revealed the highest-numbered bonus tile takes the First Player standee. They will remain the First Player for the whole game.
- Starting with the player revealing the highest-numbered bonus tile, and proceeding in descending order to the player revealing the lowest-numbered bonus tile, each player does the following:
- Choose an unoccupied territory with a single bastion token. Recruit 1 grunt to that territory and each adjacent territory.
- Gain 1 resource of the type available in the chosen territory, by moving the corresponding resource tracker token to the first space of the resource track at the top of their horde board.
- Reveal their remaining facedown bonus tile and gain the indicated bonus.
- Gain 1 blessing token.
- Return all starting bonus tiles to the game box.
- Add 1 facedown nomad token to each territory without any miniatures. Return all remaining nomad tokens to the game box.
- The game begins with the First Player taking the first turn of the game and play proceeds in clockwise order for the rest of the game.
Core Concepts
The Map
The central portion of the game board is a map, which will serve as the focus for battles in Ruination. This map includes several important features:
- Regions: The map includes 5 distinct regions. A region is a cluster of 3 adjacent territories that are separated from the other regions by the Wasteland. The central 3 territories are considered the Khan's region, with the Citadel at its center.
- Territories: Territories are the 15 outlined portions of the map. A player controls a territory if only their units are present in that territory.
- The Wasteland: The central canyon area defined by the black and white dashed border that separates each of the 5 regions, is known as the Wasteland: a no-man's land fraught with dangers. Units cannot occupy the Wasteland.
The Wasteland is a special zone: all territories bordering the Wasteland are considered adjacent to each other. Unfortunately, the Wasteland will claim its toll! Players that move units through the Wasteland must pay 1 resource or inflict 1 casualty upon themselves returning 1 of those units to their reserve (see Casualties below).
Home Regions and Territories: A player's home region is the region in which they began the game. Players can always recruit units to territories in their home region unless units belonging to another player are present in that territory.
Bastions: 6 bastions begin on the map, but more can be added over the course of the game. These monuments to the Khan are important during certain scoring intervals, and for the resolution of some action cards. Bastions are attached to the territories where they are located. If you control a bastion's territory, you also control that bastion. A territory can have more than 1 bastion. Once all bastions have been placed, no further bastions are available.
Controlling Territories
A player controls territories where they are the only player with units present. While a player controls a territory, they benefit from the following:
- The player may move units in a territory they control as part of a move action.
- The player may benefit from bonuses on certain action cards, advantages, and exiles.
Control of a territory can change when 1 player moves their units into an enemy-controlled territory, causing a battle to occur. The player who wins the battle gains (or retains) control of the territory if they have at least 1 unit remaining.
Units and Exiles
A unit is the general term for 1 of a player's units: either a grunt, a brute, a raider, or an exile. Nomad tokens are also considered units. A player's units can be recruited to the map through a variety of means, and are important for controlling territories, participating in battles, and scavenging for resources. Each unit type has a different cost to recruit, with the exception of exiles and nomad tokens, which are not recruited.
In battle, units will contribute strength and provide battle dice. The amount of strength and dice a unit provides is covered in greater detail in the Battle section of the rules. Some exiles provide additional battle dice beyond their unit type.
An enemy is another player or nomad token. An enemy unit is a unit that belongs to another player or a nomad token. Battles occur at the end of a turn in which the current player has units present in 1 or more territories with enemy units.
Exiles are unique units primarily acquired through the recruit action. Each exile has a miniature and corresponding reference card with the following features:
- A. Name
- B. Artwork corresponding to the exile miniature
- C. Resource type and quantity to acquire the exile
- D. Bonus — resolve this ability immediately after the exile is acquired.
- E. Strength value — this exile contributes this much strength in a battle.
- F. Number of bonus battle dice — this exile adds extra battle dice in a battle.
After a player acquires an exile, they add it to a territory where they have units or a territory in their home region that is not controlled by another player and resolve its bonus. They then refill any empty exile card space on the game board with the top card of the exile deck. Players can have any number of exiles in their armies, but they still count toward the limit of 6 units per army.
Unlike other units, exiles are removed from the game after being returned as casualties. As such, make sure to protect your exiles with other units. Once all exiles have been acquired or removed from the game, no further exiles are available.
Casualties
During a game of Ruination, casualties will be inflicted upon players in a number of different ways. When casualties are inflicted upon a player, they must choose which of their units they have and returns those units to their reserve. Any exiles that would be returned to a player's reserve due to casualties are instead removed from the game. When casualties are inflicted upon a nomad token, the nomad token is removed from the game.
If an effect outside of a battle, such as an action card or exile bonus, would inflict casualties and a territory is not specified, the player upon whom the casualties are inflicted chooses units from any territories where they have units and returns those units to their reserve. Any exiles that would be returned to a player's reserve due to casualties are instead removed from the game.
For example, the current player acquires the Ghost of Khala advantage card and resolves its bonus. If they choose a territory with enemy units belonging to another player, that player chooses 2 of their units from that territory to return to their reserves. If they choose a territory containing a nomad token, the nomad token would be removed from the game, and the second casualty would have no effect.
Resources
Resources are gained primarily through the scavenge action, which allows a player to recover resources from their territories. Whenever a player gains a resource, they advance that specific resource tracker token along their resource track on their horde board. Territories in the Khan's region provide any resource in any combination of a player's choice when gained.
A player can only hold a maximum of 6 of each resource (or 5 if using the advanced side of the Rust Buzzards horde board). If a player would ever exceed 6 of a resource during a turn, they instead gain 1VP and 1 blessing from the supply. They may only gain this bonus once each turn, regardless of how many resources they would gain in excess of 6.
Advantage Cards
Advantage cards are acquired primarily during scavenge actions. They provide ongoing bonuses for a player's horde throughout the game. Additionally, advantage cards each provide a tactic for use in battles.
Each advantage card has the following features:
- A. Name
- B. Artwork
- C. Resource cost
- D. Bonus (black text) — this can apply immediately, throughout the game, and/or at the end of the game.
- E. Tactic (red text) — triggered by taking a battle action in a battle.
- F. Tier — indicated by a number of hash marks on the bottom right corner.
After a player acquires an advantage card, they pay any resources shown on its cost bar. They then choose a slot on their horde board and place it there. If that slot features any additional cost icons, they must pay that cost as well.
Replacing advantages: If a player wishes to place an advantage card into a slot that already contains an advantage card, simply discard the advantage card that was already there. Place the discarded advantage card on the bottom of the corresponding advantage deck. When replacing an advantage card, a player does not need to pay the extra resource cost printed on their horde board.
After a player acquires an advantage card, and places it in a slot on their horde board, refill any empty advantage card space on the game board with the top card of the corresponding advantage card deck. Each advantage card is unique. After all advantage cards of a tier are acquired, no further advantage cards of that tier are available.
Tier III advantages: Tier III advantage cards allow players to gain an immediate bonus. They also offer end game scoring conditions. All tier III advantage cards have the same tactic: gain 1VP.
Favor, Glory, and Blessings
The 2 tracks at the top of the board represent a horde's reputation and expertise — especially in the Khan's eyes. Both of these tracks provide unique benefits over the course of the game.
Favor represents a player's standing with the Khan. The favor track provides VP, as well as a bastion to the player that first reaches the marked spaces (the 4th and the 8th space) on the favor track. In each battle, the player in that battle that has advanced furthest along the favor track will roll the favor die. The favor die provides blessing tokens, resources, and VP.
Glory represents each horde's reputation throughout the Khanate. The glory track provides players with the opportunity to bolster their home territories with units, acquire an exile for free, as well as score VP for each bastion in territories where they have units.
When a player gains favor or glory, they advance their horde token immediately along the corresponding track and gain any bonuses on the track space they pass and on which they end. Gain these bonuses in the order they are shown on the corresponding track resolving them 1 at a time. Players gain favor and glory primarily through action cards, but also through exile bonuses and tactics. A full reference of these bonuses can be found on the back of this rule book.
If a player would ever advance on 1 of these tracks but are at the end of that track, they instead gain 1VP, and 1 blessing token for each space they would have advanced. VP and blessing tokens gained in this way are not limited to once per turn like the excess from resource tracks. After a player advances past the 10th space on the favor and/or glory track, they invoke the Khan's Fury and trigger the end of the game (see Khan's Fury and End of Game section).
Players primarily gain blessing tokens at the end of battles and as a result of some card bonuses. Each player gains 1 blessing token for each blank die result they have at the end of a battle. However, blessing tokens can be spent in a battle before a battle action is taken for 1 of the following benefits to affect their dice:
- Spend 1 blessing token to reroll 1 die.
- Spend 2 blessing tokens to reroll any number of dice.
- Spend 3 blessing tokens to set 1 die to any result.
After a player gains a blessing token, they place it near their horde board. After a player spends blessing tokens, return them to the supply. Players may have any number of blessing tokens. While the supply has no blessing tokens, no further blessing tokens are available to be gained.
Action Cards
Action Cards are the core mechanism that drives a game of Ruination, and each player starts their turn by choosing one to resolve.
Action cards have the following features:
- A. Name
- B. Artwork
- C. Action — indicates the action deck and associated action when resolving the action card.
- D. Favor and/or Glory — indicates the amount of favor and/or glory gained when resolving the action card. See back of rules for Favor and Glory banner reference.
- E. Bonus — the effect the action card provides when resolving the action card.
After a player chooses an action card to resolve at the beginning of their turn, they will resolve all parts of the action card (C, D, and E) in an order of their choosing. A player must perform all parts of an action card to the greatest extent possible if they are able.
How to Play
Starting with the First Player and proceeding clockwise, the current player takes the following steps:
- Choose and resolve an action card.
- Resolve all battles.
- Check army limits.
After the current player has fully completed those steps, play passes to the next player and continues in this manner until the End of Game.
Choose and Resolve an Action Card
The top of the game board has 3 action decks: move, recruit, and scavenge. The current player chooses the top card of 1 of those decks, and then performs the following steps in any order they choose:
- Resolve the chosen card's action.
- Gain the favor and/or glory on the chosen card.
- Gain the bonus.
After the current player has performed all of these steps, they remove the chosen card from the top of its deck and place it facedown into a discard pile above that action deck. After the last card of an action deck is discarded in this way, invoke the Khan's Fury. Shuffle all discarded cards for that action deck and create a new action deck.
Scavenge
Choose 1:
- The current player chooses 1 territory they control and gains resources of that territory's type equal to the number of units they have in that territory. Territories in the Khan's region provide any resource in any combination of a player's choice when gained.
- The current player gains 1 resource from each territory where they have 1 or more units.
After a player resolves their scavenge action card, they may spend resources to acquire up to 1 advantage card. If the acquired advantage card was tier III, immediately resolve its bonus.
Move
Choose 1:
- The current player chooses 1 territory they control. They move any number of units from that territory into any number of adjacent territories.
- The current player chooses 1 territory. They move any number of their units from any number of adjacent territories they control into the chosen territory.
A unit's movement ends after entering a territory with 1 or more units belonging to another player or a nomad token. Moving into enemy-controlled territories will initiate a battle after a player has fully resolved their action.
Moving through the Wasteland: Players that move units through the Wasteland must pay 1 resource or inflict 1 casualty upon themselves returning 1 of those units to their reserve.
Recruit
The current player gains 3 recruit points to add units to the board. Grunts (circle base) cost 1 to recruit, while brutes (hexagon base) and raiders (rectangle base) cost 2. Players can always refer to the left side of the horde board for the recruit cost of each unit type. Players cannot recruit exiles, they must acquire them. A player may recruit units in any combination they wish. For example, with 3, a player could recruit 3 grunts, or 1 grunt and 1 brute, or 1 grunt and 1 raider.
A player can only recruit units to a territory where they have units or a territory in their home region that is not controlled by another player. While a player's reserve contains no units of a specific type, no further units of that type are available to be recruited.
Recruiting without units: A player can always recruit to a territory in their home region as long as that territory is not controlled by an enemy. If a player would recruit units, and they do not currently have any units on the map, they may recruit those units to any territory — even an enemy-controlled territory.
After the current player resolves a recruit action card, they may spend resources to acquire up to 1 exile. After a player acquires an exile, that player adds it to a territory where they have units or an unoccupied territory in their home region. After an exile is acquired, immediately resolve its bonus.
Bonuses with Action Icons
Sometimes the bonus of a card will include action icons or action icons with a modifier following the icon. An action icon appearing as part of a bonus without a modifier is resolved following the rules for that action. An action icon appearing as part of a bonus with a modifier following the icon is resolved using the indicated value and text on the card instead. For example, the action card Toil "Gain 2 resources from a territory you control," would allow a player to gain 2 resources from 1 of their territories regardless of the number of units they have in that territory. Another example, the action card Fortify includes an X as its modifier. In this instance, if the player controlled 4 bastions they would recruit with 4 recruit points instead of the normal 3 for a recruit action.
Resolve All Battles
Battles occur at the end of a turn in which the current player has units present in 1 or more territories with enemy units. Each turn, after the current player has fully resolved their action, they must resolve the battle in each contested territory. Contested territories are those in which the current player and an enemy both have at least 1 unit. When there is more than 1 contested territory, the current player chooses the order in which to resolve those battles. The current player is always considered the attacker.
To resolve a battle against another player, take the following steps:
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Select a contested territory: The current player chooses a contested territory and begins resolving the battle in that territory.
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Determine starting strength and casualties: Strength and casualties come from units and bonuses. Each player calculates their initial strength and casualty total and places their horde tokens on those values on the battle board.
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Check start of battle bonuses: Apply any bonuses from cards.
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Determine battle dice: Players collect the necessary dice from the supply. Players determine the number of dice they roll in the battle in the following ways:
- 1 die for each different type of unit a player has in the battle. The unit types are brute, exile, grunt, and raider.
- Any dice listed on the exile reference cards of each exile a player has in the battle. Any such dice are in addition to the die for their unit type.
- Any dice listed on advantage cards a player has acquired.
- The player that has advanced the furthest along the favor track takes the favor die. If the players are tied, no player rolls the favor die in this battle.
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Roll and take battle actions: Both players simultaneously roll all of their dice. Then, starting with the attacker, each player chooses 1 or more dice to assign to a battle action. Possible battle actions are as follows:
- A player may spend a die showing 2 strength (gain 2 strength) icons to gain 2 strength in the battle and advance their horde markers on the strength and casualty tracks on the battle board. Return the die to the supply.
- A player may spend 1 or more special results icons to activate a tactic on their horde board. When activating a tactic, the player places dice to gain the tactic bonus (red text) printed on the advantage card in the corresponding slot (if any). A player may spend a battle die showing a 2 special result in place of 2 dice to activate a tactic on their horde board.
- A player may spend the favor die or a special die to gain its result. Return the die to the supply.
- A player may pass and take no further battle actions. It does not require any dice to pass. Once a player passes, they can take no further battle actions. If a player does not take a battle action, they must pass.
Maximum casualties: Players can never inflict more than 6 casualties ( ) at the end of a battle. Any excess that would be gained is lost instead.
For example, a player could assign a special result to tactic slot 1 to gain 1 strength and increase the casualties they will inflict at the end of the battle by 1. They would advance their horde markers on the strength and casualty tracks on the battle board by 1 each.
Blessing tokens can be spent by a player in a battle before a battle action is taken for 1 of the following benefits to affect their dice:
- Spend 1 blessing token to reroll 1 die.
- Spend 2 blessing tokens to reroll any number of dice.
- Spend 3 blessing tokens to set 1 die to any result.
After a player has taken a battle action or passed, play continues to the other player, who may also take 1 battle action or pass. Continue this until all players have passed.
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Determine the winner: After all battle actions are complete, the player with the highest total strength wins the battle. If both players' strength values are tied, the attacker wins the battle.
The winner then resolves the following steps:
- Gains 1 blessing token for each blank die result remaining on their battle dice.
- Advances their horde token on the battle board's casualty track by 1, to a maximum of 6.
- Gains 1 VP for each unit in the defeated army, if the current player is the winner.
- The losing player inflicts a number of casualties on the winner equal to the value indicated by their horde token on the battle board's casualty track. The winner must choose and return a number of their units in the battle to their reserve equal to the casualties inflicted upon them. Exiles returned in this way are instead removed from the game. Return their reference card and miniature to the box. The removed exile can no longer be acquired this game.
The loser then resolves the following steps:
- Gains 1 blessing for each blank die result remaining on their battle dice.
- The winning player inflicts a number of casualties on the loser equal to the value indicated by their horde token on the battle board's casualty track. The loser must choose and return a number of their units in the battle to their reserve equal to the casualties inflicted upon them. Exiles returned in this way are instead removed from the game. Return their reference card and miniature to the box. The removed exile can no longer be acquired this game.
- Retreats to an adjacent territory that is either unoccupied or that they control. If there are no territories to retreat to, the loser may instead retreat to a territory they control in their home region. If there are still no territories to retreat to, then the loser may retreat to any unoccupied territory. If none of these options are available, return all of the retreating units to the player's reserve. Exiles returned in this way are instead removed from the game. Return their reference card and miniature to the box. The removed exile can no longer be acquired this game.
Retreat through the Wasteland: If the loser retreats through the Wasteland, they must pay 1 resource or inflict 1 casualty upon themselves returning 1 of those units to their reserve.
The winner is now considered to control the territory, if they have any units remaining in the territory. After the current player has taken all of these steps to resolve a battle, continue resolving battles in contested territories until no contested territories remain.
Nomads
Nomad tokens represent the wayward, and often ruthless, scavengers and traders in the Khanate. They lie in wait, eager to ambush unsuspecting travelers. There are different types of nomad tokens, each with their own strength, battle dice, and reward.
Each nomad token will have the following features:
- A. Name
- B. Reward for defeating the nomad
- C. Strength value
- D. Number of battle dice the nomad will roll
Resolve battles with nomad tokens in a similar manner to battles against other players with a few key differences, described in this section. To resolve a battle against a nomad token in a contested territory, take the following steps:
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Reveal the nomad token: If the nomad token is still facedown, the current player reveals the nomad token. If the nomad token is faceup, skip this step.
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Determine starting strength and casualties: The current player calculates their initial strength and casualty total and places the one of their horde tokens on those values on the battle board. They then place the nomad battle board markers on the battle board values equal to the strength and casualties on the nomad token.
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Check start of battle bonuses: The current player applies any bonuses from cards.
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Determine battle dice: The current player collects the necessary dice from the supply. The player to the right of the current player collects battle dice equal to the dice on the nomad token. This player will roll the dice for the nomad token. The number of dice rolled by the current player is determined the same in the same way as a standard battle. The current player always rolls the favor die in a battle against nomads.
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Roll and take battle actions: The current player, and the player rolling for the nomad token simultaneously roll all of their dice. However, only the current player takes battle actions. The nomad token will take no battle actions, and is considered to immediately pass. Its battle dice will be applied after the player has taken all of their battle actions. The battle actions available to the current player are the same as in a standard battle.
After the current player passes, advance the strength on the battle board for the nomad token equal to the strength rolled on their behalf, ignore all other results rolled by the nomad token. Return all battle dice rolled by the nomad to the supply.
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Determine the winner: After all battle actions are complete, if the current player has strength equal to or in excess of the nomad, they win the battle. Otherwise, the nomad token wins the battle.
If the current player is the winner, they resolve the following steps:
- Gains 1 blessing token for each blank die result remaining on their battle dice.
- Gain control of the contested territory.
- Gains 1VP in addition to the reward shown on the nomad token.
- Remove the nomad token from the game.
If the current player is the loser, they resolve following steps:
- Gains 1 blessing token for each blank die result remaining on their battle dice.
- Advance the nomad battle board marker on the battle board's casualty track by 1.
- The nomad token inflicts a number of casualties on the loser equal to the value indicated by their battle board marker on the battle board's casualty track. The loser must choose and return a number of their units in the battle equal to the casualties inflicted upon them. Exiles returned in this way are instead removed from the game. Return their reference card and miniature to the box. The removed exile can no longer be acquired this game.
- Compare the value indicated by their horde token on the battle board's casualty track against the special results rolled by the nomad token. If the current player's casualties exceed the special results rolled by the nomad token, remove the nomad token from the game. Otherwise, leave the nomad token faceup in the territory.
- Retreats to an adjacent territory that is either unoccupied or that they control. If there are no territories to retreat to, the loser may instead retreat to a territory they control in their home region. If there are still no territories to retreat to, then the loser may retreat to any unoccupied territory. If none of these options are available, return all of the retreating units to the player's reserve. Exiles returned in this way are instead removed from the game. Return their reference card and miniature to the box. The removed exile can no longer be acquired this game.
Check Army Limits
The last thing each player must do on the current player's turn is to check their army limits. Each territory can only contain a maximum of 6 units. While it is possible to exceed this limit during a turn, this limit is enforced for all players during this step in player order starting with the current player. Players in excess of this limit must return units in territories they control to their reserve until no territory contains more than 6 units.
Khan's Fury and End of Game
The End of Game is triggered after the Khan's Fury is invoked. The Khan's Fury is invoked in 1 of 3 ways:
- A player advances their horde token to the 10th space or further on the favor and/or glory track(s).
- A player reaches or exceeds 30VP, and flips their VP horde token to the + side.
- A player discards the last card in an action card deck which causes the deck to be reshuffled.
After the Khan's Fury has been invoked, resolve the following steps:
- Immediately score bastions. Each player gains 2VP for each bastion in territories where they have units. Advance the Khan's Fury token.
- Finish the current round. The current round ends after the player seated to the right of the First Player finishes their turn. Advance the Khan's Fury token.
- Play 1 more full round. Each player takes 1 final turn. After all players have taken a final turn, advance the Khan's Fury token.
- Proceed to final scoring (see below).
After the last player completes their final turn, all players score VP for the following:
- 2VP for each bastion in territories where they have units.
- Any "End of Game" VP printed on tier 3 advantage cards they have acquired.
- 1VP for every resource of which they have 4 or more.
- 1VP for every 2 blessing tokens they have.
The player with the most VP wins. In the event of a tie, the player that controls the most bastions wins. If a tie persists, the tied player that controls the most territories wins. For any further ties, the Khan executes all players for conspiring against the Khanate.
Example of a Battle
Mike moves his army from an adjacent territory into the center territory of the Khan's region containing an army belonging to Laura, leaving 1 grunt behind. The territory is now contested, and a battle occurs. Mike, being the current player, is the attacker, and Laura is the defender.
Set the Battle Board: Before a battle begins, both the attacker and the defender need to determine their starting strength and casualties and mark them on the battle board. In this battle example, Mike starts with 6 strength and 0 casualties, and Laura starts with 9 strength and 1 casualty. These are the starting values for each player's armies, but they will be modified during the battle as the result of bonuses from cards, battle actions, and finally by which player wins.
Check for Starting Bonuses: The next step in a battle is for both players to adjust their strength and casualty totals based on any bonuses they receive from cards. These bonuses may come from either the action card selected by the current player or any advantage cards on either player's horde board. Mike has the War Gear advantage card on his horde board, which provides a bonus of 1 strength at the start of each battle and a bonus of 1 additional strength in battles with a bastion token in the territory. As this battle is occurring in a region with 1 or more bastions, War Gear provides a bonus of 2 strength to Mike's army. Laura does not have any cards that provide a bonus, and therefore the strength and casualty values for her army remain unchanged.
Determine Battle Dice: Now both players collect their battle dice. Mike gains 3 battle dice due to having 3 different unit types (grunt, brute, and exile) in the battle, and 1 additional battle die that is provided by his exile Batu. Laura collects 3 battle dice due to having 3 different unit types (grunt, brute, and raider). Laura also collects the favor die as she has advanced further along the favor track than Mike. Lastly, Laura also takes the Death Wurm die due to her having the Death Wurm advantage card on her battle board.
Roll Dice and Take Battle Actions: Now both players roll all of their dice. Mike's results are 1-special, strength, and 2 blanks. Laura's battle dice results are 1-special, strength, and 1 blank. She also rolls 2 blessings on the favor die, and 1 casualty on the Death Wurm die.
Starting with Mike, as he is the attacker, both players alternate taking battle actions until both players have passed. It is important to note, that before a player takes each of their battle actions, they can spend any number of their blessing tokens to either reroll some or all of their unassigned dice or even choose the face for a single die by spending 3 blessing tokens. In this combat example, both Mike and Laura begin with 0 blessing tokens.
Mike's first battle action is to assign his battle die that provides +2 strength raising his current total to 10. Laura also chooses to assign her battle die with the +2 strength result, increasing her current strength to 11.
Mike now assigns his 1-special battle die to the tactic space below the advantage slot on his horde board containing the War Gear advantage card. This allows him to gain the indicated bonus on his horde board and War Gear providing him with +1 strength and 2 blessing tokens. This brings Mike's current strength up to 11.
Laura now assigns the favor die as her battle action, gaining 2 blessing tokens as well.
Mike chooses to spend 1 of his blessing tokens to reroll 1 of his battle dice with a blank result. He rolls a +2 strength result and assigns it as his battle action, increasing his strength to 13.
Laura spends both of her blessing tokens and chooses to reroll all of her remaining unassigned dice. She rolls 1 strength result and a blank on her battle dice, and 1 casualty on the Death Wurm die. Laura assigns the +2 strength battle die and increases her strength to 13.
Mike spends his last blessing token to reroll his remaining battle die with the blank result. He rolls a strength result and assigns it raising his total strength to 15. Laura assigns the Death Wurm die, increasing her casualties to 2.
Mike passes as he has no more dice to assign. Laura passes as well because she only has a blank die remaining and no further blessing tokens with which to modify it.
Determine the Winner: Players now compare their final strength totals. Mike finished the battle with 15 strength to Laura's 13 and is the winner of the battle.
As the winner of the battle, Mike now increases the casualties he inflicts by 1, raising his total to 1. Since Mike is both the winner of the battle and the current player, he gains VP equal to the defender's number of units. In this battle, Laura had 6 units, so Mike gains 6 VP.
Now he returns a number of his units equal to Laura's casualty total on the battle board. Laura inflicted 2 casualties, so Mike returns both of his grunts to his reserve, leaving his brute and Batu in his army.
Laura gains 1 blessing token for her remaining unassigned blank battle die. Laura must return 1 of her units to her reserve as Mike is inflicting 1 casualty. She chooses to return 1 of her grunts, leaving her with an army consisting of 1 grunt, 3 brutes, and 1 raider.
Lastly, Laura must retreat her army to an adjacent territory that is either unoccupied or that she controls. She retreats to the empty adjacent territory in the Khan's region, where she will begin plotting her revenge on Mike!
Turn and Battle Reference
Player Turn
On a player's turn they perform the following steps:
- Choose and resolve an action card.
- Resolve all battles.
- Check army limits.
After the current player has fully completed these steps, play passes to the next player and continues in this manner until the End of Game.
Battle Resolution
- Select a contested territory.
- Determine starting strength and casualties.
- Check start of battle bonuses.
- Determine battle dice.
- 1 die for each different type of unit a player has in the battle.
- Any dice listed on the exile reference cards of each exile a player has in the battle.
- Any dice listed on advantage cards a player has acquired.
- The player that has advanced the furthest along the favor track takes the favor die. If the players are tied, no player rolls the favor die in this battle.
- Roll and take battle actions. A player may spend blessing tokens to modify dice.
- A player may spend a die showing 2 strength icons to gain 2 strength in the battle.
- A player may spend 1 or more special results to activate a tactic on their horde board.
- A player may spend the favor die or a special die to gain its bonus.
- A player may pass and take no further battle actions.
- Determine the winner.
Favor and Glory Banners
- 1 favor / 2 favor / 1 favor OR 1 glory / 1 glory / 2 glory / 1 favor AND 1 glory: Gain the indicated amount of favor and/or glory when a track space displaying these banners is passed or reached.
- VP: Gain the indicated amount of VP.
- Bastions: The first player to reach these spaces adds a bastion to a territory.
- Invoke the Khan's Fury: The Khan's Fury is invoked.
- Blessings and VP: Gain 1 VP and 1 blessing token for each space a player would advance.
Icon Reference
- Action icons: scavenge, move, recruit — the action a card takes when resolved.
- Track icons: VP, glory, favor.
- Battle dice icons: strength, special, blank — results a battle die can show; fight, blessing, and Death Wurm dice are the additional die types a player takes into a battle.
- Resource icons: wild beast, crops, scrap, water — the 4 resource types, each with a matching resource token.
- Unit icons: grunt, raider, brute, exile — the 4 unit types.
Tracks
The Favor track features 2 bastion-granting spaces (the 4th and 8th space) and a series of favor bonuses that grant blessings, resources, VP, or advance a player 1 or 2 spaces further. The Glory track features a recruit-in-each-home-territory bonus at 1 recruit point, a bastion-scoring bonus (1VP for each bastion in territories a player controls) at the next space, a recruit-in-each-home-territory bonus at 2 recruit points, and an "Invoke the Khan's Fury and Acquire an Exile" bonus (acquire an exile at no cost, then invoke the Khan's Fury) further along the track. Passing the 10th space on either track invokes the Khan's Fury and grants 1VP and 1 blessing token for each space a player would otherwise advance.