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Shadow Kingdoms of Valeria

Shadow Kingdoms of Valeria Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

  • Game Components
  • Setup
  • Game Overview
    • Objective
    • Flow of the Game
    • Refilling the Game Board with Dice
    • Ending the Game and Final Scoring
  • The 5 Shrines
    • The Gem Shrine
    • The Magic Shrine
    • The Champions Shrine
    • The Gold Shrine
    • The Tactics Shrine
  • Perform a Battle at Your Camp
  • Player Board
  • Campaign Map
    • Skirmish Area Bonuses
    • Chain Bonuses
  • Solo Variant
    • Game Setup
    • Flow of the Game
    • Ending the Game
    • Final Scoring
  • Champion Cards
    • Instant
    • Ongoing
    • End-Game
  • Credits
  • Quick Play Reference

Game Components

  • 1 Game Board
  • 5 Campaign Maps
  • 48 Battle Plan cards
  • 61 Champion cards
  • 10 Gems
  • 15 Award cards
  • 1 Starting Player token
  • 45 dice, 9 of each color
  • 1 Dice Bag
  • 5 Player Sets, each including:
    • 1 Player Board
    • 10 Conquest Markers
    • 1 Warden token
    • 1 Score Tracker
    • 1 Gold token
    • 1 Magic token
    • 1 Influence token

Setup

  1. Place the game board in the middle of the table.

  2. Shuffle the Battle Plan cards. Place them face-down in the top space in the Battle Plans line to form the Battle Plans deck. Fill each spot below the Battle Plans deck with a face-up Battle Plan from the deck.

  3. Place Gems in the top-left Gem Shrine area according to the number of players (see table here or on the game board).

    # of players# of Gems
    24
    36
    48
    510

    Return unused Gems to the box.

  4. Referring to the chart shown here, fill the dice bag with a number of dice of each color (there are five different colors) depending on player count. Return unused dice to the box. Randomly draw and roll dice from the bag so that each of the 5 Shrine areas on the game board has an equal number of dice as shown on the chart. Some dice will be left over in the bag.

    # of playersdice of each color in bagdice in each Shrine at setup
    264
    375
    486
    597
  5. Shuffle the Award cards into 3 separate decks according to the glowing diamonds (left, middle, right) on the card back. Place 1 Award from the left diamonds deck face-up in the left slot, 1 from the middle diamonds deck face-up in the middle slot, and 1 from the right diamonds deck face-up in the right slot. Return unused cards to the box.

  6. Divide the Champion cards into 3 separate decks based on the icon: Instant, Ongoing, and End-game. Shuffle each deck separately and place them face-down in the marked slots on game board. Fill each slot to the left of each deck with a face-up card from that deck.

  7. Each player chooses a color and takes the player board, Warden, Score Tracker, and 10 Conquest Markers of their chosen color. Then, each player places their Conquest Markers over all 10 circles on their player board.

  8. Each player randomly takes a Campaign Map and places it to the right of their player board. Note: Campaign Maps are double-sided. You can play with either side but can't flip mid-game.

  9. Each player places their Warden in the Camp area of their player board.

  10. Each player takes and places an Influence token on the 10 space, a Gold token on the 6 space, and a Magic token on the 3 space of the track on their player board. Return unused Influence, Gold, and Magic tokens to the box.

  11. Each player places their Score Tracker on the 0 space of the score track with the white image face-up.

  12. Randomly determine the first player and give them the Starting Player token. You are now ready to begin the game!

Game Overview

Objective

Visit shrines to gain troop dice and activate shrine powers. Recruit champions, gain gems and gold to fuel your war machine, and call upon ancient magic to aid you in your glorious cause. Scout for battle opportunities and command your troops into battle to conquer the lands and earn Victory Points. The player with the most Victory Points at the end of the game will be declared the General of the Dark Army.

Victory Points: Whenever you gain Victory Points, move your Score Tracker that many spaces clockwise on the score track on the game board. When your score token laps the board, flip it over to the unprinted side to indicate your +70 status.

Flow of the Game

The game takes place over several turns starting with the player holding the Starting Player token and continuing clockwise.

On your turn, you must move your Warden from its current location to another location. There are 6 locations your Warden can occupy. One of the 6 locations is the Camp on your player board. Your Warden starts the game here and only your Warden can occupy this location. Important: You may only move to your Camp if you can complete a Battle Plan (see "Perform a Battle at Your Camp").

The other 5 locations are the Shrines on the game board: Gem, Magic, Champions, Gold, and Tactics.

When you move your Warden into one of the Shrines, take 1 die from the Shrine and place it on an open Troop space on your player board (see "Player Board"), then perform the action associated with that Shrine. The die you take may give you a Discount to perform the action.

Important: You may not move your Warden to a Shrine if there are no dice in it.

Die Faces: Each die face has a Strength value (top). The Strength value is used when resolving Battles. Each die face has a Discount value (bottom left corner). The Discount value applies only when taking certain Shrine actions. Note: The "6" Strength die face gives no Discount. Each die face has a Troop Type (bottom right corner). There are 5 Troop Types (die colors) in the game: Goblin, Orc, Skeleton, Gargoyle, and Gnoll. Note: Throughout the game, the Wild color icon represents any 1 of these 5 Troop Types.

Refilling the Game Board with Dice

At the start of your turn, if the total number of dice on the game board is equal to or lower than the number of players, begin the Shrine refill process by returning those dice to the bag. Mix the dice in the bag to ensure a random result in the next step.

Note: Shrine refill is also triggered if there is nowhere for you to legally move your Warden, but this is very rare.

Example: David, Kira, and Charlie are playing a 3-player game. At the start of David's turn there are only 3 dice throughout the 5 Shrine locations. David places the 3 dice in the bag.

Next, starting in the Gem Shrine, randomly draw and roll a number of dice equal to the number of players. Place these dice in the Gem Shrine without changing the values. Repeat for each Shrine, moving clockwise until all Shrines are filled.

Example, continued: David randomly takes out 3 dice from the bag, rolls them, and places them in the Gem Shrine. He continues this process until all 5 Shrines have 3 dice.

Finally, return all of the face-up Champion cards on the game board to the bottom of their respective decks then refill the Champion spaces with new cards from each deck. Note: Do not reshuffle the Champion decks.

Example, continued: As David is placing the new dice on the game board, Kira and Charlie move the Champion cards on the game board to the bottom of their respective decks, then draw new Champion cards to fill the card slots on the game board.

Note: In the unlikely event that there are not enough dice or cards to fill up the Shrines or Champion slots, simply fill in as many as you can.

Ending the Game and Final Scoring

The end game is triggered when one player completes their 7th Battle Plan. Play continues until the current round is complete so that all players have taken an equal number of turns.

Players then gain bonus Victory Points from their Champion cards and 1 Victory Point per Troop die on their player board.

The player with the most Victory Points is the winner! In the event of a tie, the tied player with the most Influence is the winner. If still a tie, then all tied players share the victory.

The 5 Shrines

The Gem Shrine

After taking a die from this Shrine, you may immediately take a Gem and place it on your player board (see "Player Board"). If you have no spaces to hold a Gem on your player board or no Gems are available in the Shrine, do not take a Gem.

Gems: Gems allow you to manipulate your dice only when completing a Battle Plan at your Camp. You may return a Gem to the Gem Shrine to flip 1 die from your player board onto its opposite side (e.g., turn a "1" into a "6"). Alternatively, you may return a Gem to the Gem Shrine to consider 1 die of your choice as a Wild color for the purpose of satisfying a Battle Plan's dice color requirements. You may use any or all of the Gems on your player board when completing a Battle Plan.

The Magic Shrine

After taking a die from this Shrine, you can either: Claim 1 Award or Gain 2 Magic.

Claim 1 Award: To claim an Award you must show that you currently meet the criteria on one of the 3 face-up Award cards. Remove one Conquest Marker from your player board and place it on the leftmost unoccupied circle on your chosen Award card and immediately score the noted Victory Points.

Awards: Award cards give you Victory Points for meeting game conditions. The left and middle circles on each card may only hold 1 Conquest Marker. In 4 or 5-player games, multiple markers may be placed on the rightmost circle of each card. You may only have 1 of your Conquest Markers on each Award card. Some Award cards require Conquest Markers to be in certain configurations on the Skirmish Areas on your Campaign board. The orientation of the configuration does not matter. You may flip or rotate the orientation to meet the configuration requirement.

Gain 2 Magic: To Gain 2 Magic, slide your Magic token 2 spaces forward on the track on your player board.

Magic: Magic is tracked on your player board. You may have a maximum of 20 Magic on your player board (13 if your Conquest Marker is still covering the 14 spot on your player board). Any excess Magic is wasted and not taken.

On your turn, you may spend Magic to accomplish certain tasks.

  1. If you are at the Tactics Shrine or at your Camp, you may spend 1 Magic to move 1 face-up Battle Plan on the game board to the bottom of the deck. Slide the remaining cards down to fill in the empty space, then draw a new Battle Plan from the deck and place it in the 5-Gold space.
  2. If you are at the Champions Shrine, you may pay 1 Magic to move 1 face-up Champion card on the game board to the bottom of its respective deck, then draw a new Champion to fill the open space.
  3. When completing a Battle Plan at your Camp, you may spend 1 Magic to change any 1 Troop die on your player board by 1. Dice may not be higher than 6 or lower than 1.

You may repeat tasks as often as you can afford.

The Champions Shrine

After taking a die from this Shrine, you may buy one face-up Champion card, if able. You apply the Discount from the die you took this turn when buying a Champion. The cost in Gold to buy a Champion is shown on the game board to the left of the row.

You pay an amount of Gold equal to the cost shown on the Gold icon (base cost) plus 1 Gold for each Champion card you have of the same type (Instant, Ongoing, or End-game). The "+" symbol on the Gold cost is there to remind you that Champion card prices increase as you get more of each Champion of the same type.

Example: Kira takes a 5 Strength die from the Champions Shrine (Discount of 1 Gold). Kira wants to buy a 3-Gold cost Ongoing Champion. She already has 2 Ongoing Champions and wants to purchase a third so its cost would be 5 Gold (3+2). After applying her Discount, she pays 4 Gold for her third Ongoing Champion card.

When using your Discount, you may take a more costly card by paying the difference in Gold. If you take a Champion which costs less than your Discount, the excess Discount is lost.

Remember: If you don't see a Champion that you like, you may pay Magic to discard and replace face-up Champion cards on the game board.

Champion Cards: Champion cards provide a variety of benefits and special abilities (see "Champion Cards" for a full description of all cards). Champion cards are divided into 3 decks by icons shown in the upper left corner and on the back of the card:

  • Instant cards have a one-time effect which resolves as soon as the card is taken.
  • Ongoing cards give you abilities and bonuses you may use throughout the game. Note: These abilities could then trigger other Ongoing Champions in your possession.
  • End-game cards grant you bonus Victory Points at the end of the game.

After paying for the Champion card, place it to the left of your player board and refill the space on the game board.

Do not discard one-time Instant cards because they still count against your total limit.

Important: Your total number of Champion cards is limited by the value shown on your player board. If you have already reached your limit, then you may not buy a Champion card. (See "Player Board".)

The Gold Shrine

After taking a die from this Shrine you immediately gain Gold equal to the Discount value from the die you took this turn (e.g., a 5 Discount will gain you 5 Gold).

Note: If you took a die with 6 Strength, it gives no Discount so you gain no Gold.

Gold: Gold is tracked on your player board. When gaining Gold, slide your Gold token 1 space forward on the track for each Gold you gain. You may have a maximum of 20 Gold on your player board (13 if the Conquest Marker is still covering the 14 spot on your player board). Any excess Gold is wasted and not taken.

The Tactics Shrine

After taking a die from this Shrine, you may pay Gold to take a Battle Plan from the Battle Plans line on the game board and place it in any open and unlocked reserve slot below your player board (see "Player Boards"). You may not take a Battle Plan if you do not have an open reserve slot. The cost to reserve a Battle Plan is listed on the game board to the right of the card. You apply the Discount from the die you took this turn when reserving a Battle Plan. When using your Discount, you may take a more costly card by paying the difference in Gold. If you take a Battle Plan that costs less than your Discount, the excess Discount is lost.

Example: Kira takes a 2 Strength die from the Tactics Shrine. She gets a 4 Gold Discount and takes the Battle Plan in the 2 Gold cost slot without paying any gold. The remaining 2 Gold Discount is lost.

Remember: If you don't see a Battle Plan that you like, you may pay Magic to discard, slide down, and refill Battle Plans on the game board.

Battle Plans: There are 3 Battle Types: Ambush, Siege, and Clash. Some Champion cards and Campaign board Skirmish Area bonuses trigger based on these Battle Types. All Battle Plans require 2, 3, or 4 specific Troop Types to complete. See "Perform a Battle at Your Camp".

Example: Kira has taken the Clash Battle Plan, Triumph at Avery Hollow, which requires 2 Orc, 1 Gargoyle, and 1 Goblin Troop Types to complete.

After performing the action, slide Battle Plan cards down to fill in the empty space, then draw and place a new Battle Plan from the deck in the 5-Gold slot.

Perform a Battle at Your Camp

After moving your Warden to the Camp location on your player board, you must perform a Battle in the following order:

  1. CHOOSE A BATTLE PLAN from your reserves or buy a Battle Plan directly from the game board for its listed cost. Place your chosen Battle Plan in the main art area of your player board. (Important: Buying a Battle Plan card directly from the line does not activate a reserve bonus. See "Reserved Plans" under "Player Board".)

    Example: After moving her Warden to her Camp, Kira pays 1 Gold to take a Battle Plan from the line on the game board and places it on her player board.

  2. CHOOSE TROOP DICE from your player board and place them on your chosen Battle Plan. The Troop dice must match the Troop Type and quantity of dice shown on your chosen Battle Plan. At this time, you may spend Magic or Gems to alter your Troop dice (see "Gem Shrine" and "Magic Shrine"). If you use Magic to change the value of your Troop dice, you must change the actual value on the dice. If you use a Gem to flip a Troop die, you must actually flip the die. Remember: A die cannot be higher than 6 or lower than 1.

    Example: Kira places the 3 Troop dice she has collected on the Battle Plan and returns 1 Gem to the Gem Shrine to make the Orc die Wild so that it will fill the need for the Battle Plan's required Skeleton die.

  3. DETERMINE YOUR STRENGTH for this Battle Plan by adding the Strength value on all the Troop dice on your Battle Plan, then add any Strength bonuses from your Champions and your player board. Compare this combined Strength number to the Influence level on your player board. The LOWER number is your Total Strength for this Battle. Important: The Strength of your battle may never exceed your Influence level.

    Example: Kira's dice have a Strength of 17 (6+6+5) and she has no Champion or player board bonuses. She compares 17 to her Influence of 14 and the lower number is her Total Strength for this battle.

  4. DETERMINE YOUR VICTORY POINTS for this Battle Plan by finding your Total Strength on the chart at the right side of your player board. Immediately score your Victory Points on the track surrounding the Shrines on the game board.

    Example: Kira finds 14 Strength on the chart below her Camp to see that she earns 9 Victory Points for this Battle. She immediately moves her Score Tracker clockwise 9 spaces on the track around the Shrines.

  5. CLAIM CHAMPION REWARDS triggered by aspects of your newly completed Battle Plan. Check your Ongoing Champions for bonuses and abilities. (See "Champion Cards".)

    Example: Kira has a Shaman Champion which earns her 1 Gold when she spends a Gem, so she increases the Gold on her track by 1. She also has a Peddler Champion which earns her 2 Gold whenever she gains Gold, so she increases her Gold by 2 more on her track.

  6. LEVEL UP YOUR PLAYER BOARD by removing one Conquest Marker from your player board. This unlocks bonuses and abilities you can use for the rest of the game. (See "Player Board".)

    Example: Kira chooses to unlock a new Troop space by moving that Conquest Marker off her player board.

  7. CLAIM A SKIRMISH BONUS by placing the Conquest Marker you removed from your player board onto any uncovered Skirmish Area on your Campaign Map. If the Battle you just completed matches the criteria shown on the Skirmish Area you cover, you immediately score additional Victory Points. Note: Skirmish Bonuses are only earned at the time you initially cover a Skirmish Area. (See "Campaign Map".)

    Example: Kira places her Conquest Marker on the upper-left Skirmish Area on her Campaign Map, earning her 2 additional Victory Points because the battle she completed was a Clash and the Skirmish Bonus triggers for a Clash Battle.

  8. CLAIM CHAIN BONUSES when the newly placed Conquest Marker is adjacent to one or more previously placed Conquest Markers. Immediately gain the bonus items shown between the newly adjacent Conquest Markers. It is possible to gain multiple Chain bonuses from a single Conquest Marker placement. Note: Chain bonuses are only earned by adjacencies formed from this Conquest Marker placement. (See "Campaign Map".) Chain bonuses can also trigger Ongoing Champion bonuses and abilities.

    Example: The Conquest Marker Kira just placed is adjacent to one she placed earlier in the game (center-left on Campaign Map) so she earns the 1 free Champion Chain Bonus that is between the two Conquest Markers. Kira takes the Kingslayer Champion from the game board.

  9. RETURN THE TROOP DICE used to complete this Battle Plan to the dice bag, then move the Battle Plan card to the lower left of your player board.

    Example: Now that the battle has been resolved, Kira returns the three Troop dice to the dice bag and moves the Battle Plan card to the lower left of her game board with her other completed battles.

Player Board

At the start of the game, you have 10 areas of your player board covered by Conquest Markers. As you complete Battle Plans and move Conquest Markers off your player board, you will unlock a variety of bonuses and abilities.

  1. Champion Cards: You may only have 3 Champion cards of any type until you unlock the ability to have 6, then up to 10 Champion cards by moving these Conquest Markers off your player board.

  2. Completed Battle Plans: Once you have completed a Battle Plan, place the card face-up to the left of your player board. Remember: The end-game is triggered when a player has completed their 7th Battle Plan.

  3. Wild Ability: Each player board has a unique ability to make one die of its Troop Type a Wild when completing a Battle Plan. Once unlocked, you can use this ability for the rest of the game.

    Example: David has unlocked his wild ability which gives him mastery over the Skeleton Troop type. He may use 2 Skeleton and 1 Gnoll die in a Battle Plan that would normally require a Gnoll, a Skeleton, and a Gargoyle.

  4. Gem Storage: You may only hold 1 Gem until you unlock the ability to hold 3 Gems by moving your Conquest Marker off your player board. Important: When you move this Conquest Marker off your player board you immediately gain 1 Gem.

  5. Reserve Slots: Battle Plans you reserve at the Tactics Shrine are placed here. You have 3 reserve slots for Battle Plans, each with a unique bonus depicted above each slot. You may only have 1 Battle Plan reserved until you unlock the other slots.

    Reserve Slots and Their Bonuses: When you place a Battle Plan in any open reserve slot of your player board, you may immediately claim the reserve bonus depicted above the slot by paying the required Gold. Reserve bonuses may be used only when a Battle Plan is reserved and placed in the slot, and cannot be saved for later. From left to right, the bonuses are:

    • Pay 1 Gold to gain 1 Influence.
    • Pay 2 Gold to gain 1 die of your choice from any Shrine on the game board. You do not gain the Shrine action.
    • Pay the base Gold cost (ignoring the extra cost for owning other Champions of the same type) to buy 1 Champion card. You may not buy one through this reserve bonus if you are at your maximum allowed Champion cards.

    Once a Battle Plan is reserved it can not be discarded or moved to a different reserve slot. You may only remove a Battle Plan from a reserve slot by completing it. The reserve slots can be unlocked and filled in any order, and you may complete reserved battles in any order. There are no penalties for having reserved Battle Plans at the end of the game.

  6. Strength Bonus: After unlocking this ability, you will add 1 Strength to the total of your Troops during step 3 when performing a Battle for the rest of the game. (See "Perform a Battle at Your Camp".)

    Example: Kira uses a Gnoll and a Skeleton, both with 6 Strength. She has her Strength Bonus unlocked so her combined Strength for this battle is 13 (6+6+1).

  7. Track: Magic, Gold, and Influence are tracked on your player board. These tokens may occupy the same space on the track. Magic, Gold, and Influence may not be higher than 13 until you move the Conquest Marker off the 14 space. Magic and Gold are gained and spent throughout the game through Shrine actions, Chain bonuses, card purchases, and certain Champion card effects. The track on your player board is maxed out at 20. You may never have more than 20 Magic or 20 Gold.

    Influence can only be gained and is never reduced or spent. The track on your player board is maxed out at 20. Whenever you gain Influence in excess of 20, your Influence token remains on the 20 space but you immediately earn 2 Victory Points for each Influence you would have gained.

    Example: Kira has 20 Influence. She buys an Elite Guard which gives her 2 Influence. She gains 4 Victory Points for the 2 Influence in excess of 20.

    Note: While it is not necessary to max out your Influence to do well, it is advisable to bump it up when possible so that you can earn more Victory Points when you complete a Battle Plan.

  8. Camp and Troop Spaces: Dice you take from Shrines go into Troop spaces in your Camp. Each Troop space can hold 1 die. You may only have 3 dice until you unlock the other slots, for a total of 5.

    Limits on Troop Spaces: When taking a die, if you do not have an empty Troop space you may either return the new die to the bag or return one of the other dice on your player board to the bag and put the new die in its place.

    Below the Troop spaces is where your Warden token is placed when performing a Battle. The Camp also has a chart listing ranges of Strength and their Victory Point payout.

Campaign Map

At the start of the game, each player will get their own Campaign Map. The map is double sided and you may select which side to use for the game during setup. Every map features 9 Skirmish areas and 12 Chain bonuses.

Skirmish Area Bonuses

You gain these one-time Victory Point bonuses immediately when you place a Conquest Marker in a Skirmish Area if the Battle Plan you completed meets the requirements shown in the Skirmish Area. There are 3 types of Skirmish Area Bonuses:

  1. Troop Bonus: If you complete a Battle Plan that shows 1 or more of the matching Troop Type icons, gain 1 Victory Point per matching icon. Only the Troop Type icons on the Battle Plan card matter when taking this bonus, not the actual dice you used.
  2. Strength Bonus: If you complete a Battle Plan with a Total Strength of 15 or greater, gain 2 Victory Points.
  3. Battle Type Bonus: If you complete a Battle Plan of the matching Battle Type, gain 2 Victory Points.

You are not required to qualify for the Victory Point bonus to place a Conquest Marker on a particular Skirmish Area. Sometimes it may be prudent to forego the extra Victory Points in order to acquire a certain Chain bonus or Conquest Marker pattern. (See "The Magic Shrine" for Awards.)

Chain Bonuses

You gain a Chain bonus when both Skirmish Areas adjacent to the bonus have been covered by your Conquest Markers. As the pattern of Conquest Markers grows on your Campaign Map, you may gain multiple Chain bonuses from a single Conquest Marker placement. Each Chain Bonus is earned only once.

If any Chain bonus would exceed the limits available on your player board, you gain what you can but lose any excess.

The types of Chain bonuses available are:

  • A. Gain any 1 Champion card for free. Remember: You may use Magic to cycle out Champion cards to find one that better suits your needs.
  • B. Gain 2 Influence.
  • C. Gain 2 Magic.
  • D. Gain 3 Gold.
  • E. Gain 1 Gem.
  • F. Gain 1 die of your choice from any Shrine location. You do not gain the Shrine action when doing so.

Solo Variant

In the Solo game you play against a virtual player called the Adversary. The instructions below cover the rule changes for the Solo game. All other standard rules apply.

Game Setup

In step 3 of setup, place 3 Gems in the Gem Shrine. Remove the "3 Gems" Award card from the Awards deck.

In step 4 of setup, fill the bag with 5 dice of each color then draw and roll 2 dice into each Shrine.

Set the rest of the game as you normally would, taking all the usual setup steps for your player board and the rest of the general components. In step 12, place the Starting Player token on your player board as a reminder that the Adversary will get one final move if you end the game by completing your 7th Battle Plan.

Take 1 Warden of a different color and place it in the Gem Shrine. This Warden is your Adversary. Place your Score Tracker on the 0 space and place the Adversary's Score Tracker on the 10 space.

Flow of the Game

You will be starting player, taking your turns as usual, with additional rules as follows:

  • When taking your turn, you may not move your Warden to the Shrine where the Adversary is located. Effectively, it blocks one Shrine from use.

  • After you are finished with your turn, move the Adversary clockwise to the next adjacent Shrine. The Adversary does not take a die when entering a Shrine. If the Adversary moves to the same Shrine where your Warden is located, the Adversary immediately gains 2 Victory Points.

  • When the Adversary enters the Tactics Shrine, take the Battle Plan card in the 5-Gold space and place it face-up to the left of the Battle Plans deck. The Adversary has completed this Battle Plan and immediately scores Victory Points based on the number of dice icons shown on the Battle Plan. (See table below.) If the Adversary completes their 7th Battle Plan, the game ends immediately.

    # of players# of dice
    29
    312
    415
  • If, at the start of YOUR turn, there are 3 or fewer total dice on the game board, place all the dice back into the bag and refill each Shrine with 2 dice.

Ending the Game

The game will end if one of these conditions occurs:

  • You complete your 7th Battle Plan. You must still move the Adversary one space clockwise and resolve any effects, so that you both have an equal number of turns.
  • The Adversary completes their 7th Battle Plan card after entering the Tactics Shrine. The game ends immediately.

In either case, proceed to Final Scoring.

Final Scoring

Gain bonus Victory Points from your Champion cards, and 1 Victory Point per die on your player board. Then, give the Adversary 7 Victory Points for each empty Award card and 5 Victory Points for each Award card with your Conquest Marker on it.

If your score is higher than the Adversary, you are victorious and win the game! In the case of a tie, the Adversary wins.

Increasing the Difficulty: For a more difficult challenge, start the Adversary with more than 10 Victory Points at the beginning of the game. We found 10 Victory Points is good for beginners, but 30 Victory Points is only for true conquerors!

Champion Cards

All resources and benefits gained through Champion cards are limited by the current state of your player board. You may not gain Gold, Magic or Influence above 13 if the Conquest Marker is still on 14 on your player board track. If that Conquest Marker has been removed, you may not gain Gold or Magic above 20. You may not reserve a Battle Plan if you have no open reserve spaces. You may not gain a Gem if you have no open Gem spaces.

Instant

  • Elite Guard: Immediately gain 2 Influence.
  • Mercenary: Immediately gain 1 die from any Shrine location. You do not gain the Shrine action when doing so. If all of your Troop dice spaces are full, you may replace one of your current dice with the new die. If you do, return the replaced die to the dice bag.
  • Quartermaster: Immediately gain 2 Magic and 3 Gold.
  • Sentry: Immediately reserve 1 Battle Plan from the Battle Plans line without paying its cost.
  • Shadow: Immediately gain 4 Magic.
  • Thief: Immediately gain 6 Gold.
  • Warlock: Immediately gain 1 Magic and 1 Gem from the Gem Shrine.

Ongoing

  • Adept: Whenever you gain a Champion card, you gain 1 Gold and 1 Magic.
  • Assassin: Whenever you perform a Battle with an Ambush Battle Type, you gain +2 Strength when determining your combined Strength.
  • Brawler: Whenever you perform a Battle with a Clash Battle Type, you gain +2 Strength when determining your combined Strength.
  • Brute: Whenever you perform a Battle with a Siege Battle Type, you gain +2 Strength when determining your combined Strength.
  • Cutter: Whenever you gain a Chain bonus, you gain 2 Gold. It's possible to trigger this card more than once if you gain more than 1 Chain bonus in a single turn.
  • Dark Conjurer: Whenever you gain Magic from any source except this card, you gain 1 additional Magic. It's possible to trigger this card more than once in a single turn.
  • Death Knight: Whenever you pay to take a Champion card, you pay 2 Gold less than the cost listed. If you take a Champion that costs less than 2 Gold, the excess discount is lost.
  • Engineer: Whenever you complete a Battle Plan with a Siege Battle Type, you gain 2 Gold and 1 Magic.
  • Miner: Whenever you pay for a reserve bonus, you pay 1 Gold less. Note: This makes the left bonus free. It gives you a 1 Gold discount towards buying an extra die when using the middle reserve bonus or buying a Champion when using the right reserve bonus, effectively making Instant Champions free.
  • Oracle: Whenever you gain or spend a Gem, you gain 1 Magic.
  • Peddler: Whenever you gain Gold from any source except this card, you gain 2 additional Gold. It's possible to trigger this card more than once in a single turn. Gain 2 Gold for each instance of gaining Gold.
  • Priest: Whenever you gain Influence, you gain an equal number of Magic.
  • Satyr: Whenever you gain Influence, you gain an equal number of Gold.
  • Scout: Whenever you gain a Battle Plan from the Battle Plans line, you gain 1 Gold and 1 Magic.
  • Shaman: Whenever you gain or spend a Gem, you gain 1 Gold.
  • Soldier: Whenever you complete a Battle Plan with a Clash Battle Type, you gain 2 Gold and 1 Magic.
  • Soul Reavers: Whenever you gain a Chain bonus, you gain 1 Magic. It's possible to activate this card more than once if you gain more than 1 Chain bonus in a single turn.
  • Stalker: Whenever you complete a Battle Plan with a Ambush Battle Type, you gain 2 Gold and 1 Magic.
  • Tactician: Whenever you pay to take a Battle Plan from the Battle Plans line, you pay 2 Gold less than the cost listed. If you take a Battle Plan that costs less than 2 Gold, the excess discount is lost.
  • Warrior: Whenever you perform a Battle, you gain 1 Strength when determining your combined Strength.

End-Game

  • Bombardier: You gain 2 Victory Points per completed Battle Plan that has the Siege Battle Type, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Clan Chief: You gain 1 Victory Point for every Orc Troop Type icon on your completed Battle Plans, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Conqueror: You gain 2 Victory Points per completed Battle Plan that has the Clash Battle Type, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Conscriptor: You gain 2 Victory Points per Instant Champion card you have to the left of your player board, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Firebrand: You gain 1 Victory Point per completed Battle Plan.
  • Grim Giant: You gain 1 Victory Point for every Skeleton Troop Type icon on your completed Battle Plans, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Hoarder: You gain 1 Victory Point for every 2 Gold you have on your player board, rounded up.
  • Huntsman: You gain 2 Victory Points per completed Battle Plan that has the Ambush Battle Type, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Juggernaut: You gain 3 Victory Points for each of your Conquest Markers on an Award card.
  • King Slayer: You gain 1 Victory Point for every Gargoyle Troop Type icon on your completed Battle Plans, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Overseer: You gain 2 Victory Points per die you have on your player board, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Pharaoh: You gain 10 Victory Points if you have completed 2 Ambush Battle Plans, 2 Clash Battle Plans, and 2 Siege Battle Plans.
  • Seer: You gain 2 Victory Points per End-game Champion card you have to the left of your player board, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Skullbasher: You gain 1 Victory Point per Influence you have on your player board above 10 Influence.
  • Sorceress: You gain 1 Victory Point per Magic you have on your player board, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Strategist: You gain 5 Victory Points per Battle Plan still in a reserve slot below your player board, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Trail Master: You gain 1 Victory Point for every Gnoll Troop Type icon on your completed Battle Plans, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • War Beast: You gain 2 Victory Points per Ongoing Champion cards you have to the left of your player board, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Warmonger: You gain 1 Victory Point for every Goblin Troop Type icon on your completed Battle Plans, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.
  • Witch Doctor: You gain 5 Victory Points per Gem you have on your player board, to a maximum of 10 Victory Points.

Credits

Daily Magic Games 14300 32nd Avenue NE #403 Seattle, WA 98125 www.dailymagicgames.com © 2020 Daily Magic Games, all rights reserved.

Design: Stanislav Kordonskiy Illustrations: Mihajlo Dimitrievski Game Development: Isaias Vallejo, David MacKenzie Copy Editing: Sarah Bolland Play Testers: Michael Chew, Andrew Whipple III, Thomas Kerry, Michael Harris, Ryan Whipple, Richie Sanders, Bryce Uzzolino, John Jaworski, and Elysebeth Simmang

Special Thanks: David Iezzi, Andrew Whipple III, Elysabeth Simmang. The designer would like to thank everyone who helped in testing this game. Special thanks to Eric Jome, Patrick Lindsey, Holden Kim and Rachel Kordonskiy.

Quick Play Reference

Objective – Have the most Victory Points by the end of the game through completed Battle Plans, End-game Champion card bonuses, claimed Awards, and excess Influence.

Game Overview – On your turn, you must move your Warden from its current location to 1 of the 5 Shrines or your Camp.

Refilling the Game Board with Dice: At the start of your turn, if the total number of dice on the game board is equal to or lower than the number of players, return those dice to the bag. Next, starting in the Gem Shrine and moving clockwise until all 5 Shrines are filled, randomly draw and roll a number of dice from the bag equal to the number of players. Finally, return all of the face-up Champion cards on the game board to the bottom of their respective decks then refill the Champion spaces with new cards from each deck. Resume your turn as normal.

If you move your Warden to a Shrine, first take a die then perform the Shrine action:

  • Gem Shrine – Gain 1 Gem.
  • Magic Shrine – Claim 1 Award or Gain 2 Magic.
  • Champion Shrine – Buy 1 face-up Champion for the cost in Gold listed to the left of the card row, plus 1 Gold for each of that type (Instant, Ongoing, or End-game) you already own. Apply the Discount from the die you took.
  • Gold Shrine – Gain Gold equal to the Discount value of the die you took.
  • Tactics Shrine – Reserve 1 face-up Battle Plan for the cost in Gold listed to the right of the card. Apply the Discount from the die you took. You may claim the reserve bonus above the slot where you place your Battle Plan.

If you move your Warden to your Camp, you must perform a Battle in the following order:

  1. CHOOSE A BATTLE PLAN from your reserves or buy a Battle Plan to complete.
  2. CHOOSE TROOP DICE from your player board and place them on your Battle Plan. You may spend Magic or Gems to alter your Troop dice.
  3. DETERMINE YOUR STRENGTH by adding the Strength on all dice on your Battle Plan, then add any Strength bonuses from your Champions and player board. Compare this combined Strength number to your Influence level. The lower number is your Total Strength for this Battle.
  4. DETERMINE YOUR VICTORY POINTS using the chart on your player board and score them immediately.
  5. CLAIM CHAMPION REWARDS triggered from your Ongoing Champions.
  6. LEVEL UP YOUR PLAYER BOARD by removing one Conquest Marker from your player board.
  7. CLAIM A SKIRMISH BONUS by placing the Conquest Marker onto a Skirmish Area on your Campaign Map.
  8. CLAIM CHAIN BONUSES if the Conquest Marker you just placed is adjacent to one or more Conquest Markers.
  9. RETURN THE TROOP DICE used to the dice bag, then move the Battle Plan card to the lower left of your player board.

Ending the Game – The end game is triggered when one player completes their 7th Battle Plan. Play continues until the current round is complete so that all players have taken an equal number of turns. Players then gain bonus Victory Points from their Champion cards and 1 Victory Point per Troop die on their player board. The player with the most Victory Points is the winner!