Sigil
Sigil Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Board
- 15 Spells
- 20 Blue Stones
- 20 Red Stones
- 2 Lock Dice
The fifteen Spells are the spell tiles that go on the board. Each tile carries its own name and effect text, which this rulebook does not reproduce.
Setup
- Randomly distribute 9 spell Sigils onto their respective spaces on the board – three 1-Node Spells, three 3-Node Spells, and three 5-Node Spells – as shown.
- Place a blue stone on the on the Score Keeping Track. This is the Score Keeping Stone.
- Place a red stone on the Red Starting Node (denoted by the [M1] symbol).
- Place a blue stone on the Blue Starting Node (denoted by the [M2] symbol).
Fig 1 KEY SPACE: nodes, mana nodes, 5-node spells, 3-node spells, 1-node spells, starting locations, score track, score keeping stone.
Each game uses 9 random Spells, so the Spells you play with, and where they are, will vary from game to game.
Structure of Turn
Players alternate taking turns. Red always goes first.
Turns follow a simple structure with one mandatory action, followed by two optional actions, and then a cleanup step. Any actions that are taken must be taken in order:
- Regular Move (mandatory)
- Dash (optional)
- Cast a Spell (optional)
- Cleanup (adjust score)
Turn actions must be taken in order – that is, you may not Cast a Spell and then Dash. But, you may Dash and then Cast a Spell.
Pushing & Crushing
When you place a stone onto a node occupied by an opposing stone – the opposing stone gets pushed to the nearest empty node.
Stones may be pushed through stones of their own color but may not be pushed through opposing stones.
If there are multiple equally distant empty nodes, the active player (the player whose turn it is) chooses which of those nodes to push the stone onto.
When the blue player places a stone as shown, there is only one valid node for the red stone to be pushed onto.
When red places a stone as shown, there are two equidistant empty nodes for the blue stone to be pushed onto. The red player chooses which node to push the blue stone onto.
If there are no empty nodes for a pushed stone to be moved onto – the stone is crushed and removed from the board. This occurs when one player fully surrounds an opposing stone (or stones) and then makes a move onto one of those stones.
Note that if a stone can be pushed onto an empty node it is always pushed onto the empty node rather than being crushed.
Regular Move
The first action each turn is to place a stone.
When placing a stone, the stone must be "touching" – that is directly adjacent to – a node in which you already have a stone.
Unless otherwise specified due to a spell's effect – every stone placed in Sigil must follow the "touching" rule.
Stones may be placed either on empty nodes, or onto nodes occupied by opposing stones.
Dash
Once per turn, after making your Regular Move (that is placing a stone), the active player may take an optional dash action.
To Dash:
- First sacrifice any two of your stones
- Then place one stone as normal
The two sacrificed stones can come from anywhere on the board, and do not need to be touching each other.
Dashing generally costs you a stone, so make sure to dash only when you have a very good reason – for instance, if an enemy stone is surrounded and you would crush it with your dash move, this will offset the stones you sacrificed.
[Page 5 of the printed rulebook carries a placeholder call-out reading "Additional Call Out text explaining something. Additional Call Out text explaining something…". It contains no rules text and is not transcribed.]
Cast a Spell
The last optional action a player may take is to Cast a Spell. You may only cast up to one spell each turn, and you must cast it after your Regular Move and any optional Dash moves.
To Cast a Spell, it must first be completely filled with your stones. You may cast a spell as soon as you have it filled up, but you can also choose to save it for a later turn.
Figure: a spell filled with blue stones (valid), a spell with one empty node (not valid), and a spell containing red and blue stones (not valid).
To Cast a Spell take the following steps:
- Pay for the spell (by sacrificing stones on the spell)
- Resolve the spell's effect
- Lock the spell (only when casting a 3-Node or 5-Node Spell)
Pay for the Spell
To Cast a Spell, you must first pay for it by sacrificing stones from the nodes within the Spell. The number of stones sacrificed will depend on the number of Mana Nodes a player controls.
Mana Nodes are the three nodes denoted by the red, purple, and blue Mana Node symbols. Controlling a Mana Node – by having a stone on it – reduces the cost of 5-Node and 3-Node Spells.
To cast a 3-Node or 5-Node Spell first sacrifice all of your stones within that Spell less one stone for each Mana Node you control. For example, if you are casting a 5-Node Spell and control 2 Mana Nodes, you may cast the Spell by sacrificing 3 stones from it.
Strategy Tip: Casting a 3-Node or 5-Node Spell while controlling 2 or more Mana Nodes will usually give you an advantage.
1-Node Spells are unaffected by Mana – you must always sacrifice the one stone on the Spell in order to cast it.
Figure 8: a board with some spells full and some not, and Red with 1 Mana.
Red may cast Starfall by sacrificing 4 stones from it.
Red may cast xx by sacrificing the stone on it.
[The printed rulebook leaves "xx" as a placeholder spell name in this example; it is transcribed as printed.]
Resolve the Spell's Effect
Each spell has a powerful and unique effect. Often these effects result in you placing new stones on the board or destroying enemy pieces. You might notice some terminology on spells which restricts or explains how to resolve them.
There are three specific types of stone placement in a game of Sigil which spells refer to:
- Soft Move: A stone placement that must be made onto an unoccupied node. Regular restrictions on adjacency apply.
- Hard Move: A stone placement that must be made onto a node occupied by an opposing piece. Regular restrictions on adjacency apply.
- Blink Move: A stone placement that does not have to follow the rules for adjacency. That is, it may be placed anywhere on the board. Some spells will specify that a Blink Move must be Soft or Hard. In these instances, the stone does not have to be adjacent to another of your pieces, but must follow the noted Soft or Hard Move restrictions.
Remember that you resolve the spell's effect after sacrificing the stones required to cast it.
A Spell's effect is only resolved after the cost has been paid. So, be thoughtful about which Stones you sacrifice when Casting a Spell.
Locking a Spell
After you cast a 3-Node or 5-Node Spell you must lock it. To lock a spell, place your Lock Die (the die of your color) in the center of the spell.
If this is the first 3-Node or 5-Node Spell that you have cast, place the die with the number 1 facing up.
When you cast each subsequent 3-Node or 5-Node Spell, rotate the Lock Die to one number higher (to 2, then 3… with the 6 represented by its symbol).
You may not cast a spell that is locked with your Lock Die. In order to unlock the spell, you must cast a different 3-Node or 5-Node Spell, moving your Lock Die to the newly-cast spell.
Locks make it so that you cannot cast the same 3-Node or 5-Node Spell twice in a row.
Figure: Seal of Wind is fully filled with Blue Stones, meaning that the Blue player has its effect. Seal of Lightning is not filled with Red Stones, meaning the Red player does not have its effect.
Each player has a different lock. Players may cast a 5-Node or 3-Node Spell that is Locked by the opposing player (in which case both players will have Locks on that Spell).
1-Node Spells are not Locked.
Static Spells
Some spells have static effects. These are called Static Spells and denoted by the word "STATIC" before their effect text.
Static Spells grant a passive ability for as long as the spell is completely filled with stones of a single color.
Static Spells are not cast. Stones are not sacrificed to activate them, and they do not lock.
Static Spells are not cast, therefore they do not count towards the 6 spell end-of-game trigger (see the Ending the Game section on page x).
"Page x" is printed as such in the source rulebook.
If a stone is removed from a Static Spell mid-turn, its effect is immediately lost. Similarly, if a Static Spell is filled mid-turn (regardless of whether it is from a regular move, a Dash, or the effect of a Spell) – its static effect is immediately gained.
Cleanup & Score Keeping
After all turn actions are taken update the score by adjusting the blue Score Keeping Stone on the Score Keeping Track.
The Score Keeping Track measures the difference in number of stones in play between the red and blue players.
The location of the blue Score Keeping Stone shows that blue has a 2-stone advantage.
The blue Score Keeping Stone is always counted towards blue player's total number of stones in play. However, the blue Score Keeping Stone may not be interacted with in any way (other than adjusting the score) – it may not be sacrificed or destroyed.
Example: The blue player casts Flourish. They use their 4 soft moves to fill Seal of Summer and finish filling Hail Storm. Since Seal of Summer is now filled, the blue player immediately gets its benefit and may cast a second spell this turn. In this case they may cast Hail Storm.
Example: The red player has 8 stones on the board. The blue player has 6 stones on the board (5 stones on the play area and 1 stone on the Score Keeping Track). Therefore, the red player has a 2-stone advantage as shown on the Score Keeping Track.
Ending the Game
A Game of Sigil ends under two conditions:
- Either player ends a turn with a 3-stone (or greater) advantage.
- At the end of the turn in which either player casts their 6th Spell.
In either case whoever has the most stones wins.
When either player's Lock Die reaches the 6 face (that is, when they cast their sixth 3-Node or 5-Node Spell of the game), the game will end at the end of the turn. Finish resolving the spell's effect, resolve any end-of-turn effects, and then whichever player has the most stones wins the game.
If the game is tied after a player casts their 6th 3-Node or 5-Node Spell, that player loses the game. This is because if the game continued, the other player would have more stones after they place a stone on their next turn.
Loops
In rare cases a board state of Sigil will enter a loop such that the same exact placement of stones repeats itself after some number of turns.
If either player notices that the game has entered a loop, they must inform their opponent. From that point onward, if the exact same game state repeats again – the blue player automatically wins.
FAQ
Can I move my stones that are already on the board?
No, the only way for stones to be moved is if they are pushed by an opposing player.
What is a Regular Move?
The Regular Move turn action involves placing a stone on the board. This is the first action that you will take every turn. Unless noted due to the effect of a spell, your stone placement must be made adjacent to a stone that you already have on the board.
If a stone could be pushed onto multiple equidistant nodes, who decides where it is pushed?
The active player decides everything that happens on their turn. For instance, if the blue player places a stone to push a red stone, the blue player gets to choose where it is pushed to (among equidistant nodes).
If I Dash can I also Cast a Spell?
Yes, you may Dash and Cast a Spell in the same turn.
Can I cast a Spell and then Dash?
No, turn actions must be taken in order: Regular Move, Optional Dash, Optional Cast a Spell. You may not Cast a Spell and then Dash, or Cast a Spell and then take your Regular Move.
Do I have to cast a spell the turn that I fully fill it with my stones?
No, casting a spell is optional. You can wait to cast a spell until a later turn when it will give you more of an advantage.
If I fill a Static Spell partway through a turn can I use its effect?
Yes, if you fill a Static Spell partway through a turn you may immediately use its Static effect.
Can I take over my opponent's starting Mana Node?
Yes, you can take your opponent's starting Mana Node, just like you can take any other node. Controlling any Mana (including your opponent's starting Mana Node) gives you a discount when casting 3-Node and 5-Node Spells.
If I control a Mana Node, can I cast 1-Node Spells for free?
No, you always must sacrifice your stone on a 1-Node Spell in order to cast it. Mana gives you a discount on 3-Node and 5-Node Spells.
Does casting a 1-Node Spell count as the one spell I can cast on a turn?
Yes.
Do 1-Node Spells get locked?
No, only 3-Node and 5-Node Spells are locked. That means you can Cast the same 1-Node Spell multiple turns in a row.
Can I Cast a Spell that is Locked by my opponent?
Yes, you can cast spells locked by your opponent. But you cannot cast a spell that is locked by you.
What happens if the game is tied after a player casts their 6th Spell?
When either player casts their 6th 3-Node or 5-Node Spell the game ends at the end of that turn. At that time, whoever has the most stones wins. If both players have the same number of stones at that time, then whoever would go next wins. This is because on their turn they could place a stone and win the game with a 1-stone advantage.