Stronghold: 2nd edition
Stronghold: 2nd edition Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
The box contains the following pieces:
- 1 game board and 1 turn token
Invader's components
- 200 Invader units (60 Goblins, 100 Orcs, 40 Trolls)
- 20 Wood counters
- 23 Action cards
- 36 Invader Machine cards (10 Hit, 26 Miss)
- 10 Invader Objective cards
- 1 pouch
- 3 ballista, 3 catapult, 2 trebuchet tiles
- 3 mantelet, 3 siege tower tiles
- 3 banner, 3 bridge, 3 ladders, 3 poison, 3 sap tiles
- 3 quartermaster, 3 saboteur, 3 trench master tiles
- 3 blood stones, 3 demon, 3 gale, 3 possesion, 3 specters tiles
- 5 Invader orders tiles
Defender's components
- 20 Hourglasses
- 41 Defender units (17 Marksmen, 20 Soldiers, 4 Veterans)
- 23 Wall section components
- 6 Defender Hit cards
- 10 Defense Plan cards
- 2 Heroes tokens and 3 Heroic Order tiles
- 8 board tiles
- 9 Cauldron markers (3 each against Goblins, Orcs and Trolls)
- 9 Traps tokens (3 Goblin, 3 Troll, 3 Siege Tower)
- Defender Machines tokens (3 Cannon, 3 Pole, 3 Bay Window)
- 1 Marksmen Blessing, 1 Unearthly Glare, 3 Ladders
- 1 Malfunction and 3 Spies tokens
Note: With the exception of Hourglasses, all components in the game are limited to those provided. If all of the pieces of a given type are in use, no more are available until they are freed up. For example, there are three Cauldrons that kill Trolls. The Defender may not build a fourth such Cauldron.
The Board
Wall Sections
The Stronghold Walls are divided into sections. On these sections, the fight between Invader and Defender Units takes place.
Each Wall section diagram shows: Invader unit spaces, a Siege tower space, Defender unit spaces, an Equipment space, a Hero space, a Ladder space, and Wall components and cauldron spaces.
Spaces on the Board
There are spaces on the board where counters, cards, tiles, tokens and Units are placed. Only one piece may be placed on each space - unless specified otherwise.
Foregrounds & Ramparts
The Foregrounds and Ramparts are intermediate staging areas for the Invader Units moving to the Walls. Before the Invader Units reach the Walls, they need to be mustered on the Foreground, then move to the Ramparts and finally move to the Walls. The Ramparts are where the Invader Machines and Fortifications are built and Training counters are placed.
Each Foreground may hold a maximum of 10 Invader Units.
Each Rampart may hold a maximum of 7 Invader Units.
Units may not enter a Rampart or Foreground which is full. While moving Units from the Rampart and Foreground, be sure that you have made enough space for upcoming Units.
Paths
The Foregrounds, Ramparts and Wall sections are connected by Paths, which are used by the Invader Units to advance. Note that the Invader Units cannot move backwards - they may only advance towards the Walls. The Defending Scouts can place Traps on these Paths, while the Invader may set up Bridges to prevent this.
Trap Spaces
This is where the Defender may place Traps for Goblins, Trolls or Siege Towers and the Invader may set up Bridges.
The Towers
The Defender may use each Tower to hold one Cannon, Pole or Bay Window. Each Tower may only hold one Machine Counter. Additionally, each tower may also hold 2 Marksmen. Marksmen may be added to or withdrawn from any Tower by the Defender.
Buildings Inside the Stronghold
The Stronghold contains several Building tiles: the Forge, the Workshop, the Scouts' Quarters, the Cathedral, the Hospital, the Courtyard, the Barracks and the Guard House. Detailed descriptions of these Buildings begin on page 10.
Setup
Game Preparations
The players decide who will play as the Defender and the Invader. Place the board on the table with the Defender sitting behind the Stronghold.
Invader Preparations
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Place all of your Units in the pouch.
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Locate both the Phase 1 and Phase 6 cards from the Action deck and place them face up on the table. The Invader shuffles each set of Phase 2, 3, 4 and 5 cards separately, and randomly draws three cards from each set. These cards outline the strategies available to the Invader during the game. All three cards from Phase 2 and 3 enter the game immediately and should be placed side by side with the Phase 1 and 6 cards. Action cards must always form a line in ascending numerical order with the Phase 1 cards at the far left and the Phase 6 cards at the far right. When the Invader has multiple Action cards with the same Phase number, he may choose the order those cards from left to right.
Note: Place the drawn Phase 4 and 5 cards aside in an Action Supply pile. Return all unused cards to the box.
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Place 1 white, 3 green and 1 red Units on each Foreground space.
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Place 1 white and 1 green Unit on the Marauders space.
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Shuffle the Objective cards, draw 3, keep 2 of them, and place them face up. Return the remaining cards to the box.
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Consult the action cards being used for this game and gather all tokens needed.
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Take 5 Wood tokens into your supply and place the remaining ones aside to form a Wood supply.
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Place the Machine Hit and Miss cards near the board.
Note: Random selection of Phase cards enhances the diversity of the game and requires some Stronghold gaming experience from the Invader. For your first few games it is recommended that you use the preset cards. The preset cards are marked with a red line as shown: Briefing, Ballista, Ladders, Saboteur, Gale, Maneuvers and Orders.
Defender Preparations
- Place the appropriate Units on each Wall section. Each space with a colored mark receives one Unit of the corresponding type. Additionally, place 2 Stone Wall components on each Wall section.
- Place the Building tiles in the Stronghold in any arrangement you find comfortable. Be sure not to cover important spaces on the Wall sections!
- Place 1 Marksman in the Guard House.
- Place three Marksmen, one Soldier and one Veteran in the Barracks. The remaining Units are placed next to the board.
- Place the Heroes on the appropriate Wall sections. Place the Heroic Order tiles next to the board.
- Shuffle the Defense Plan cards, draw 3, and choose 2 to keep. Place the chosen cards face down next to the board. Return the unused cards to the box.
- Place the Defender Hit cards in a pile near the board.
- The Defender receives 4 Hourglasses to use after the first Invader Action of the 1st Turn.
- Place the remaining Hourglass tokens next to the board to form a supply.
- Place the remaining markers and tokens near the board.
- Place the turn token on the first space of the turn track.
You are all set up and ready to play!
Note: At the start of every round, the Defender receives 2 Hourglasses to spend after the Invader's first action. This means that the Defender begins with 6 Hourglasses in the first Round plus any additional gained from Invader actions.
The Invader
Invader Goal
The Invader goal is to breach at least one Wall Section before the end of the 7th turn.
Invader Units
The Invader has the following Unit types at his disposal:
- Goblin - Strength 1
- Orc - Strength 2
- Troll - Strength 3
Actions
The Action cards define the abilities available to the Invader during the game. The Action cards must be resolved from left to right in ascending order of their Phase numbers:
- PHASE 1 - SUPPLIES
- PHASE 2 - MACHINES
- PHASE 3 - EQUIPMENT
- PHASE 4 - TRAINING
- PHASE 5 - RITUALS
- PHASE 6 - MANEUVER
Each Action card presents a unique action available to the Invader and the rules corresponding. For a more detailed explanation of each action, see Invader Actions Explained in the supplement.
The Invader may perform any of these Actions - all of them, some of them or none. The Invader must have the required amount of Units and Wood available in his supply to pay for every Action used. Place these resources on the Action card to mark that it has been used. Each Action may only be performed once per Turn and only in order from left to right. Once an action has been used or skipped over, the Invader may not perform that action again this turn.
The Defender receives 1 Hourglass for every Unit the Invader spends. Most actions can be completed faster by spending stronger Units or more slowly by spending weaker Units.
EXAMPLE: The Invader can build a Catapult by assigning 1 Troll (strong, faster at building) or 2 Goblins (weaker, slower at building) to this task. The Defender would then receive 1 or 2 Hourglasses respectively.
Some actions show an Hourglass in the cost. This indicates an additional requirement to pay the Defender a number of Hourglasses in addition to any Hourglasses required from spending Units.
After the Invader performs an Action, the Defender must spend all the Hourglasses in their supply (if any). After all Hourglasses are spent, the Invader proceeds with the next Action.
The game proceeds back and forth in this manner through all 9 Action cards and then the Assault commences. After the seventh turn, the game ends.
Note: Actions must be paid with Units and Wood from the Invader's Supply. If the Invader does not have enough resources available in his Supply to pay for an Action, that Action may not be taken. Units already on the board may not be used to pay for Actions.
Objectives
At the start of the game, the Invader draws 2 Objectives which may provide small benefits in this game. Each Objective has a goal and a benefit. When the goal is met, the Invader must resolve the benefit section of the card. Most Objectives are discarded after they are resolved, but a few stay in play for the remainder of the game.
NOTE: Blood Magic, Not A Single Stone, and Devoted Warlocks remain in play once they are fulfilled. All other Objectives are discarded.
Invader Actions
The following is a brief summary of all actions available to the Invader during each phase. For a more detailed explanation of each action, see Invader Actions Explained in the supplement.
Phase 1: Supplies
In Phase 1 the Invader receives Units and Wood. These make up the Invader's Supply.
Briefing
First, the Invader receives new resources:
NEW UNITS - The Invader draws 14 Units from the pouch at random.
Note: These units are placed in the Invader's supply and are used to pay for future actions. Unspent units may be moved during Phase 6 - Maneuvers.
WOOD - The Invader receives 5 Wood. There is no cost for receiving these resources.
Note: In the first Turn of the game the Invader has additional 5 Wood as defined in the section "INVADER PREPARATIONS".
Then the following action is available:
Exchange phase cards
Cost: 1 Hourglass (to the Defender)
Effect: The Invader may exchange any number of Action cards with those available in his supply. The Phase 1 and 6 cards may never be exchanged.
Note: Phase cards of the same Phase number may be rearranged by taking this action.
Note: During the first Turn of the game, the Invader may only exchange the Phase 2 and 3 Action cards with the Phase 4 and 5 cards that were drawn and set aside. These cards make up the Invader's supply of Action cards. Actions that have been exchanged out are added to the remaining supply for future Turns.
Resources
Effect: The Invader may: discard 1 Goblin to gain Additional 1 Wood, or discard 1 Orc to gain Additional 2 Wood, or discard 1 Troll to gain Additional 3 Wood.
Note: The Invader can acquire up to 8 Wood per Turn (5 + 3 if a Troll is used for the Resources action).
Phase 2: Machines
The Invader may assign Units and Wood to build Siege Machines. When built, place the corresponding Siege Machine token on an appropriate spot on the board. There are 5 types of Siege Machines in the game.
The Ballista, Catapult, and Trebuchet are barrage weapons which attack the Stronghold. When built, the Invader constructs a Machine card deck of 2 Hit and 4 Miss cards, shuffles them, and places them face-down on the Machine tile.
Note: The maximum number of Barrage Weapons (Ballista, Catapults, Trebuchets) on the board during the game is 4.
Ballista
Location: Rampart
Effect: May fire at any Wall section connected to this Rampart. Kill 1 Defender and 1 Invader unit on the target Wall section.
Catapult
Location: Rampart
Effect: May fire at any Wall section connected to this Rampart. Destroy 1 Wall component on the chosen Wall section. If there are no components, destroy a Cauldron instead. If there are no Cauldrons, target the Tower (removing a Cannon/Pole/Bay Window placed there).
Trebuchet
Location: Foreground
Effect: May fire at any Wall section on this side of the Stronghold. Destroy 1 Wall component on the chosen Wall section. If there are no components, destroy a Cauldron instead. If there are no Cauldrons, target the Tower (removing a Cannon/Pole/Bay Window placed there).
Mantelet
Location: Rampart
Effect: Marksmen attacks have no effect at this Rampart.
Siege Tower
Location: Foreground
Effect: The Siege Tower moves like any other Unit. Wall Components and Cauldrons are not resolved during a combat where the Siege Tower is present.
Note: Siege Machines can be sabotaged by Scouts and stopped by Traps.
Phase 3: Equipment
In addition to constructing Siege Machines, the Invader provides his Units with powerful equipment. Each Wall section may hold a maximum of 2 different equipment tokens, 1 on each space provided. There are 5 Equipment types available:
Banner
Location: Wall section
Effect: +1 Melee Strength at this Wall section.
Ladder
Location: Wall section
Effect: +1 Unit space at this Wall section.
Sap
Location: Wall section
Effect: The Invader may move 1 Goblin or 1 Orc from his Supply to this Wall section during Maneuvers.
Bridge
Location: Path with no Traps present.
Effect: The Defender may not place Traps on this path.
Poison
Location: Wall section
Effect: 1 Marksman dies at this Wall section before Melee combat if the Invader has at least 1 Unit present.
Phase 4: Training
When the Units are equipped, the Invader may proceed with their Training. Up to 2 different Training counters may be present at each Rampart on the appropriate spots (this rule does not apply to the Artilleryman, Trainer and Saboteur Trainings - see their descriptions). There are 5 Training types available:
Artilleryman
Effect: Remove 1 Miss card from any Machine and reshuffle the Machine card pile.
Quartermaster
Location: Rampart
Effect: During Maneuvers one Unit may ignore this Rampart and proceed directly to the Walls.
Trench Master
Location: Rampart
Effect: Cannon attacks have no effect at this Rampart.
Saboteur
Effect: Actions at a chosen Defender Building cost +1 Hourglass.
Trainer
Effect: Draw 2 Wood. Place them on any Foreground.
Phase 5: Rituals
The Invader may also use the power of shaman Rituals to help capture the Stronghold. Rituals effects are only temporary. When the Turn ends, all Ritual tokens are removed from the board and returned to the Invader's supply. The Ritual may be performed again in future turns by paying the appropriate cost.
There are 3 tokens for each Ritual: 1 Target, and 2 Bluff. Each time a Ritual is selected, the Invader places up to three corresponding tokens on up to three different spaces face down as required by the Ritual. The Defender has no knowledge which space is the true target.
Rituals trigger when the Action (or space) they are on is used. Flip the token over and check the result: Bluff, or Target. A bluff does nothing and is discarded to the Invader's supply. A Target means the ritual is resolved and the token remains on the board until the end of the turn.
There are 5 Rituals available:
Bloodstones
Location: Siege machine
Effect: When the Target Siege Machine hits a Wall, kill +1 Defender Unit.
Possession
Location: Hero Order token
Effect: When the Target Hero Order is activated, remove the Order from the game without resolving it.
Demon
Location: Buildings
Effect: When the Defender performs an action in the Target building, kill 1 Unit in the Courtyard.
Specter
Location: Wall sections
Effect: Defender Units killed at the Target Wall section are placed on the Foregrounds as Invader Units of equal strength.
Gale
Location: Wall Sections
Effect: Sending Defender Units to or from the Target Wall section costs +1 Hourglass.
Phase 6: Maneuver and Orders
All remaining Units not used by the Invader in previous Actions may be sent to attack the Stronghold. Any Invader Units which are on the Walls may be issued Orders. Unused Units remain in the Supply.
Movement of Units
The Invader has two Maneuver Actions available: Minor and Major. Both Actions send a number of Units from the Supply to the Foregrounds and move Units which are already on the board. The Units can only move along the Paths shown on the Board. Units may only move to a location if there is a space available.
Exception 1: The Defender receives Hourglasses for Phase 6 Actions after ALL maneuvers were done and the Orders were given (not separately after minor and then major Maneuver Actions).
Exception 2: At least one of the Maneuvers has to be performed each round.
Minor Maneuver
Effect: The Invader may move up to 5 Units from each Rampart to attached Wall sections, and 5 Units from each Foreground to connected Ramparts. Additionally, up to 5 Units may be moved from the supply to each Foreground, for a total of 10 new Units on the board.
Major Maneuver
Effect: The Invader may move up to 7 Units from each Rampart to attached Wall sections, and 7 Units from each Foreground to connected Ramparts. Additionally, up to 7 Units may be moved from the supply to each Foreground, for a total of 14 new Units on the board.
The Invader may perform either Maneuver, or both, but may only perform each Maneuver action once. The Major and Minor Maneuver have to be taken one at a time, for example, first take a complete Major Maneuver and then a complete Minor Maneuver. Moving Units are moved in the following order:
- Sap Units to the Walls
- Ramparts to the Walls
- Foreground to the Ramparts
- Supply to the Foregrounds
Note: The board Paths on the bottom right side of the Stronghold (Defender's view) requires Units to move through one Rampart before reaching the outermost Rampart. Invader Units move in the following order: first from the outermost Rampart to a connected Wall section, second new units from previous Rampart may come there.
Check the Maneuvers examples on the next page and in the Examples section on page 14.
Marauders
On the right side of the Stronghold (Defender's view), there are Marauders between the final two Ramparts. During both the Minor and Major Maneuvers, if the Invader moves any unit to the final Rampart, two Marauders join the attack. The Invader draws 1 Green and 1 White cube from the pouch and adds them to the last Rampart.
Note: The Maneuver Action allows the Invader to move any mix of Units from both Foregrounds, all the Ramparts, as well as from the Supply.
Note: The Invader MAY NOT withdraw Units from the Walls.
Note: These rules may be modified by Action cards.
Example of a Minor Maneuver
The Invader plays the Minor Maneuver Action: 3 Hourglasses are given to the Defender.
The Invader moves 5 Units from the Rampart 1: 1 Unit to the Wall section A and 4 Units to the Wall section B.
The Invader also moves 5 Units from the Rampart 2. 4 go on the Wall section C and 1 to the Wall section D on the right.
Other two Units come here from the Rampart 3. No more Units can be moved to the Wall section D since there are only spaces for 3 Units.
Additional 2 Units from the Rampart 3 are placed on the Wall section E, so the Invader moved 4 Units total from Rampart 3.
Now the Invader moves 5 Units - which is the maximum for the Minor Maneuver - from the Foreground 4 to the following spaces: 4 Units to the Rampart 1, and 1 to the Rampart 5.
5 Units are also moved from the Foreground 6: 2 to the Rampart 2 and 3 to the Rampart 3.
Finally the Invader moves the maximum number of Units (during a Minor Maneuver) to the Foregrounds 4 and 6 (step 7): 5 for each.
Orders
The Invader may now give Orders to Units engaged in combat. If possible, at least one Invader Unit must carry out the given Order. If all Units die at a Wall Section with an Order present, remove the Order from the game without resolving the effect.
Note: The board has no special spaces for Orders; the Order tokens should be placed at the chosen Wall section in such a way that there are no doubts which Wall section they affect.
There are two ways the Invader may issue Orders. Only one of these methods may be used each turn:
Open Order
Cost: none
Effect: The Invader places one Order token face up at a chosen Wall section.
Classified Orders
Cost: 1 Hourglass (to the Defender)
Effect: The Invader places any number of Order tokens face down and flips them face up only during the Assault. Only one Order counter may be placed on each Wall section.
There are four Orders available:
Goblin Fury
Effect: The Goblins go berserk. The Strength of each Goblin at this Wall section is 3. After the Assault all goblins here are killed. You will find a Goblin Fury play example in the Assault section on page 12.
Note: If the Strength of the Goblins is enough to win the combat and break into the Stronghold, they will do so even if there are no other Invader Units on that Wall section.
Note: If the Defender has the Advantage on the Wall in combat, the affected Goblins are removed from the board before Invader's losses are calculated.
Orc Detonation
Effect: At least one of the Orcs detonate. The Invader removes any number of Orcs at this Wall section. Each Orc removed destroys one Wall component at this Wall section. Detonated Orcs are removed from the board before the Assault is resolved.
Call of the Trolls
Effect: If the Invader has a Troll at this Wall section, the Call of the Trolls may be used to order another Troll on this side of the Stronghold to Maneuver. The called Troll must immediately move one step towards the Wall section where the order has been given.
Note: The Troll Trap affects the Called Troll as normal.
Bluff Counter
Effect: The Bluff counter is used to mislead the Defender and does not modify any attributes or Actions of the Units.
End of Maneuvers
When the Invader ends Maneuvers and Orders and the Defender spends all remaining Hourglasses, the Assault begins (see the Assault section on page 12).
The Defender
Defender Goal
The Defender goal is to keep the Invader from breaching the Stronghold for 7 Turns.
Defender Units
The Defender has the following Units available:
- Marksman - Strength 1
- Soldier - Strength 2
- Veteran - Strength 3
Hourglasses and Actions
Remember: At the start of every Turn the Defender receives 2 Hourglasses to use after the first Invader Action.
The Actions of the Invader take time and as such they provide the Defender with a certain number of Hourglasses. Each of the Defender Actions also takes time and has a certain cost in Hourglasses.
The Defender uses these Hourglasses to move his Units around the Stronghold and perform defensive Actions.
After each Invader Action, the Defender must spend all Hourglasses in his supply. Place the spent Hourglasses in the spaces next to the Action. Placing the Hourglass on the last free space activates the Action. When all the Hourglasses are spent, the Invader takes his next Action. If the Defender receives no Hourglasses, the Invader starts the next Action immediately.
Moving Around the Stronghold
Moving Units and Heroes
Cost: 1 Hourglass per move
Effect: Any Unit or Hero can be moved to any free spot in the following ways:
- from a Wall section or Tower to a connected Wall section or Tower
- from a Wall section or Tower to any Building or the Courtyard
- from a Building or the Courtyard to any spot on the board
Only Marksmen may move into the Towers. The Defender cannot move Units to the Forge, the Workshop, the Scouts, the Hospital or the Cathedral.
Note: Game components may override these restrictions.
The Heroes may only move on Wall sections and to/from the Courtyard.
Note: The Defender may move any number of Units each turn. Individual Units may move multiple times. Discard the Hourglasses used to pay for Movement actions.
Swap Spaces
Cost: 1 Hourglass per swap
Effect: Instead of moving to a free space, a Unit may swap places with another Unit in an adjacent space. Heroes may also swap in this manner.
Note: The Defender may move any number of Units each turn. Discard the Hourglasses used to pay for Movement actions.
Note: The Courtyard may hold an unlimited number of Units.
Defense Plans
At any time during the game, the Defender may choose to use the Defense Plans chosen at the start of the game. Once used, all Defense Plans have a negative section that affects the Defender in different ways. Most Defense Plans are retained for the remainder of the game and continue to impact the Defender.
Defender Actions
The Defender spends Hourglasses to perform Actions available in the Buildings. The Defender does not need to have all the Hourglasses necessary to complete a specific Action at one time - they may be built up over a series of Defender Phases or Turns. Each Action available in the Stronghold may only be performed once per turn unless otherwise noted.
After the turn is over, remove all Hourglasses used on completed Actions. Hourglasses placed on Actions that were not fulfilled remain for later Turns.
Saboteurs in a Building
If there is a Saboteur token in a Building, it increases the cost of the actions in that building by 1 Hourglass. The additional Hourglass should be placed on the red Hourglass space on the Building tile.
There is a brief summary of each action available below. For a more detailed explanation of each action, see the Defender Actions Explained on the extra sheet.
The Forge
In the Forge, the Defender fashions the armaments required to defend the Stronghold.
Cannon
Location: Tower
Effect: During Ranged Combat, choose this side's Foreground, or any Rampart opposite or adjacent to the Tower. Reveal the top card of the Defender Hit deck. Kill one of the indicated Units. If more cannons shoot, resolve all cards and then reshuffle the deck.
Note: Each Tower may only have 1 Cannon, Pole, or Bay Window.
Cauldron
Location: Wall section
Effect: During Melee Combat, kill one unit of the corresponding type. Goblin Cauldron kills all Goblins.
The Workshop
In the Workshop, the Defender's craftsmen build the wooden fortifications and tools of defense that are needed in the Towers.
Pole
Location: Tower
Effect: During Melee combat, choose 1 Wall section adjacent to this Tower. Reveal the top card of the Defender Hit deck for each Pole. Kill the weakest of the indicated Invader Units on the Wall section. If more poles attack, resolve all cards and then reshuffle the deck.
Bay Window
Location: Tower
Effect: Gain 1 Strength at both Wall sections adjacent to this Tower during Melee combat if there is at least one Marksman present.
Ladder
Location: Wall section
Effect: You may have an extra Defender Unit at this Wall section.
Wall
Location: Wall section
Effect: Place 1 Wall component on any Wall section.
The Scouts
Training the scouts is key to protecting the Stronghold. Use your advanced units to sabotage the Invaders best laid plans.
Trap
Location: Path (placed face down)
Effect: When the Invader moves over a trap reveal it. The target units are affected:
- Troll - Kill 1 troll
- Goblin - Kill all goblins
- Siege Tower - The Siege Tower does not move during this maneuver (it may move in subsequent maneuvers).
Malfunction
Location: Ballista, Catapult, or Trebuchet
Effect: This weapon may not fire during the next Assault. Then discard this token.
Spy
Location: Invader Action Card
Effect: Place the Spy token on an available Invader Action Card. The Invader must pay +1 Unit when activating this card.
Note: The Spy may not be placed on the Phase 1 or 6 cards.
The Cathedral
The spiring towers of the cathedral are not only good for worship and prayer. Looming high above the walls, they make a perfect location for marksmen and lookouts.
Marksmen Blessing
Location: One side of the Stronghold
Effect: During Ranged Combat, Marksmen on this side of the Stronghold fire all together at any single Rampart on this side of the Stronghold.
Unearthly Glare
Location: Wall section
Effect: The Assault is not resolved at this Wall section.
Sharpshooters
Location: None
Effect: Kill one Invader Unit anywhere on the board.
Orders Mix-up
Location: None
Effect: Discard one Invader Order.
The Barracks
While stuck inside the Stronghold's walls, the defending units have plenty of time to train for the inevitable battle.
Note: Training Actions may be used multiple times during a turn. Remove spent Hourglasses after each use.
Train Troops
Effect: Replace a Unit in the Barracks:
- Replace 1 Marksman with 1 Soldier
- Replace 1 Soldier with 1 Veteran
The Guards
The Guards allows the Defender to remove Invader Saboteurs from the Stronghold.
Tracking Saboteurs
Effect: Discard 1 Marksman from the Guards to remove all Saboteur tokens from the Stronghold.
The Hospital
All Defender Units which die this Turn are placed in the Hospital. At the end of each Turn two of these Units (Defender's choice) recover and are moved to the Courtyard. The rest of the Units at the Hospital go back to Supply.
The Courtyard
The Courtyard can hold any number of units and Heroes. There are no special actions on the Courtyard, it is simply a holding place for unassigned Units.
Heroes
Two Heroes assist in defense of the Stronghold: the Officer and the Warrior. Each of them affects their Wall sections differently. Additionally, each may perform one Heroic Order per Turn to aid the defense. These Orders do not cost Hourglasses and may be used during any Defender phase.
The Heroes cannot be killed.
- Warrior = 2 Strength
- Officer = 3 Strength
Action: Each Hero may perform one Heroic Order per turn from the following options. Each Heroic Order may only be used once per turn.
Heroic Orders:
- Move 1 Unit from the Courtyard to a Wall section where a Hero is present.
- Move any Unit to any Building (except for the Guards and the Barracks) and gain 1 Hourglass to use on the chosen Building.
- Move one unit from any Wall section, on the same side of the Stronghold as the Hero, to the Courtyard.
The Assault
The Phase 6 ends when the Defender spends all his Hourglasses, and then the Assault commences. The Assault consists of the following successive stages:
Ranged Combat
- Stage 1 - Cannons
- Stage 2 - Siege Machines
- Stage 3 - Marksmen
Melee Combat
- Stage 1 - Cauldrons
- Stage 2 - Poles
- Stage 3 - Orders
- Stage 4 - Resolving Strength
- Stage 5 - The Hospital
Golden Rule: Any time your Units are killed as a result of combat or action, your opponent chooses which of your units are killed.
Ranged Combat
Defender Cannon Barrage
The Defender selects which Foreground or Rampart each Cannon will fire upon. Turn over one Hit card per Cannon. Consult the Cannon portion of the card. Remove one Unit of the type indicated on the card. After all Cannons have fired, reshuffle the hit cards and place them next to the board.
Siege Machine Barrage
The Invader selects a Wall section each Siege Machine will fire upon. Reveal the top card of each Siege Machine deck and resolve all Hits. Discard all Miss cards and return all Hit cards to their deck face-down. Reshuffle all Machine Card decks.
Marksmen Volley
Marksmen on the walls who are not currently engaged in Melee Combat and Marksmen in the Towers may fire at the Invader Units.
Marksmen on Walls may Fire at the Ramparts connected to their Wall section by Paths.
Marksmen in a Tower may Fire at any Ramparts opposite the Tower.
Every participating Marksman firing adds +1 to the Volley Strength at that Rampart. The total Strength of the Volley hitting the given Rampart determines the total Strength of the Invader Units killed. The Defender chooses which Units to kill (e.g. if 2 Strength points must be removed, the Defender can remove 1 Orc or 2 Goblins).
Note: The Defender Volley Strength has to be equal to or higher than the Strength of the targeted Invader Units.
Note: If there are Invader Units on a given Wall section, the Marksmen on that section are engaged in Melee Combat and cannot shoot.
Note: Marksmen in the Towers are never in Melee Combat.
Melee Combat
Cauldrons
The defenders pour the lethal contents of the Cauldrons onto the Invader Units. The Invader removes Units killed by each Cauldron.
Poles
Each Pole may be used to attack one Wall section which is adjacent to the Tower equipped with a Pole. The Defender declares which Wall section is attacked by each Pole and turns over the top card of the Hit deck for each Pole. Consult the Pole section of the card. If a hit is shown, discard the Invader Unit attacking that Wall section with the lowest Strength. Reshuffle the Hit deck after resolving all Pole attacks.
Orders
The Invader reveals all Order tokens (if they were face down) and resolves the effect of each Order.
Resolving Strength
The Strength of the remaining fighting forces is compared on each of the Wall sections. Both players sum the total Strength of their respective Units on each Wall section.
Invader Strength:
| Unit | Strength |
|---|---|
| 1 Goblin | 1 Strength point (or 3 points if the Goblin Fury Order was issued) |
| 1 Orc | 2 Strength points |
| 1 Troll | 3 Strength points |
| 1 Banner | 1 Strength point |
Defender Strength:
| Unit | Strength |
|---|---|
| 1 Marksman | 1 Strength point |
| 1 Soldier | 2 Strength points |
| 1 Veteran | 3 Strength points |
| 1 Wall component | 1 Strength point |
| 1 Bay Window with at least one Marksman on it | 1 Strength point |
| The Officer | 3 Strength points |
| The Warrior | 2 Strength points |
Strength Advantage
Melee Combat at each Wall section is won by the player with the highest total Strength. Subtract the losing player's Strength from the winning player's total. The result is called the Advantage.
The player who lost the Combat must lose Units (counted in Strength points) equal to the Advantage. Those Units are killed and removed from the game (in case of the Invader) or placed in the Hospital (in case of the Defender).
Breaching the Stronghold
If after Strength resolution the Advantage is higher than the Strength of Defender Units, the Invader has breached the Stronghold. The game ends immediately, the Invader wins.
If the Invader fails to break into the Stronghold, the Turn ends and next one begins.
End of the Turn
Before the next Turn begins:
- Remove all Tokens which expire with the end of the Turn.
- The Invader removes all Units and Wood from the Action cards. The Units are removed from the game while the Wood returns to the Wood supply.
- The Defender removes all Hourglasses from the completed Actions.
Note: Hourglasses marking incomplete Actions remain on the board.
Move Round token by one space. Now the Defender receives 2 Hourglasses to use after the first Invader Action. The Invader begins a new Turn with Phase 1 - Supplies.
Examples
Melee Combat Examples
EXAMPLE
The Defender has 2 Soldiers and 1 Marksman on the Wall. The Wall has 2 Wall components. The Invader has 2 Trolls and 1 Orc on the wall:
The Strength of both sides at the Wall section is as follows:
Defender: 2+2+1+1+1 = 7, Invader: 3+3+2=8
The Invader has the Advantage of 1 point. The Defender loses Units equal to 1 point of Strength. A Marksman is moved to the Hospital.
EXAMPLE
The Defender has 2 Soldiers and 1 Marksman on the Wall. The Wall has 2 Wall components. The Invader has 3 Orcs.
The Strength of both sides at the Wall section is as follows:
Defender: 2+2+1+1+1=7, Invader: 2+2+2=6
The Defender has the Advantage of 1 point. The Invader must lose a number of Units equal to 1 point of Strength. Because Orcs have 2 points of Strength, the Invader does not lose any Units.
Breaking into the Stronghold
If the Invader Advantage is higher than the Strength of the Defending Units at any Wall Section, the Invader breaks into the Stronghold and captures it, winning the game.
EXAMPLE: The Defender has 2 Soldiers and the Wall has 2 Wall components. The Invader has 3 Trolls and 2 Orcs.
The Strength of both sides at the Wall section is as follows:
Defender is 2+2+1+1=6, Invader 3+3+3+2+2=13
The Invader Advantage is 7. The Defender Units have a total of 4 Strength and are all removed. With no Defender Units manning the Wall section, the Invader breaks into the Stronghold! The game is over, the Invader wins!
Examples of Ranged Combat
EXAMPLE
2 Marksmen on the Wall section B may fire at Units 3 and 4 on the Rampart.
Their combined Volley Strength is 2, which is not enough to kill the Troll (4) (they would need 3 points).
They kill the Goblin (3), however, since they only need 1 point of Strength.
They may not shoot at the Orc (2) because this Rampart is not connected to their Wall section by Paths.
The Marksmen on the Wall section A may not fire, as they are engaged in Melee Combat with the Orc (1).
EXAMPLE
2 Marksmen on the Wall section A cannot shoot at the units on Rampart 1 because of the Mantelet token protecting it. They fire at the other Rampart along with the 2 Marksmen on the Wall section B, and the Marksmen in the Tower C.
The combined Strength of all Marksmen firing on this Rampart is 5, which means they kill 1 Orc (2) and 1 Troll (3).
Examples of Assault
EXAMPLE
The Invader storms the Wall section with 1 Orc and 3 Trolls. The section is defended by 2 Marksmen assisted by the Officer. They are additionally protected by 3 Wall components.
The Strength of both sides at the Wall section is as follows:
Invader 2+3+3+3=11, Defender 1+1+3+1+1+1=8
To calculate the Advantage: Deduct the Defender Strength from the Invader Strength (11-8=3).
The Invader Advantage is 3.
The Defender must hold the Wall section and loses units with a total Strength of 3.
In this example only 2 Marksmen are available; their total Strength is 2.
The Wall components may not be used to absorb casualties. The Officer is a Hero - he may not be killed nor can his Strength be used to reduce the Advantage. The Defender is unable to reduce the Advantage to 0. This means that the Invader breaks the defense and enters the Stronghold. The invader wins!
EXAMPLE
The Invader assaults the Wall section with the same units as in the previous example, but now the Wall section is defended by 2 Marksmen, 1 Veteran, and 3 Stone Wall components.
The Strength of both sides at the Wall section is as follows:
Invader 2+3+3+3=11, Defender 1+1+3+1+1+1=8
At first glance the situation seems the same as in the previous Example, but let's examine the results. Let us calculate the Advantage:
Deduct the Defender Strength from the Invader Strength (11-8=3). The Invader Advantage is 3.
The Defender must lose units with a total Strength of 3. Invader chooses to remove the Veteran (Strength 3), which reduces the Invader Advantage to 0. The Invader may not choose to remove the two Marksmen instead because this would leave 1 point of Advantage. The losing player must always reduce the Advantage to 0 if possible. The Defender has suffered casualties, but holds the Wall with both Marksmen. The Invader does not breach the Stronghold this Turn.
EXAMPLE
The Invader has 2 Orcs and 2 Trolls. This time the Wall is defended by 2 Soldiers and the 3 Stone Wall components.
The Strength of both sides at the Wall section is as follows:
Invader 2+2+3+3=10, Defender 2+2+1+1+1=7
Let us calculate the Advantage: Deduct the Defender Strength from the Invader Strength (10-7=3). The Invader Advantage is 3.
The Defender must lose Units equal to a Strength total of 3 if able. One Soldier has 2 points of Strength and the remaining 1 point of Advantage does not kill the second Soldier. The Wall is held by the Defender, but at a high price.
Assault on an undefended Wall section
The Invader attacks an unmanned Wall section with 2 Goblins. The Defender has reinforced the Wall section with 4 Stone Wall components.
The Strength of both sides at the Wall section is as follows:
Invader 1+1=2, Defender 1+1+1+1=4
Deduct the Defender Strength from the Invader Strength 2-4=-2. The Defender has the Advantage of 2 points. Both goblins are killed. The Wall section is defended from the attack.
Goblin Fury Order in action
Example
There are 2 Orcs, 1 Goblin and the Banner counter on the Invader side of the Wall section. There are 2 Soldiers, 1 Veteran, 2 Wall components on the Defender side.
The Invader issues the Goblin Fury Order which increases Goblin's Strength from 1 to 3.
The Strength of both sides at the Wall section is as follows:
Invader: 2+2+3+1=8, Defender: 2+2+3+1+1=9
The Defender wins the combat with 1 point of Advantage. Since the Invader loses this combat, the Goblin is removed from the board BEFORE the losses are resolved.
Example
This time there are only 2 Soldiers and 2 Wall components on the Defender side.
The Strength of both sides at the Wall section is as follows:
Invader: 2+2+3+1=8, Defender: 2+2+1+1=6
The Invader wins the combat with 2 points of Advantage. The Goblin is removed from the board AFTER the Defender losses are resolved.
Using Both Maneuver Actions in One Turn
The Invader has just selected a Major Maneuver which allows the movement of 7 units to every space on the board. The Invader moves 5 units from the Rampart 3 to the Rampart 1. He also takes 2 units from Marauders space, so finally there are 7 units on the Rampart 1.
Now the Invader moves 7 units from the Foreground 5. 6 units go to the Rampart 3 and 1 unit goes to the Rampart 4.
On the Rampart 3 Unit (A) was left from a previous turn and the Invader does not want to move it. The rampart 3 now has the maximum of 7 units present.
On then Rampart 4 there were 2 units (B) left from a previous round and the Invader does not want to move them. Right now there are 3 units total.
The Invader ends the Major Maneuver by moving 7 new units from his Supply onto the Foreground 5.
As part of the same Action, the Invader also elects to use a Minor Maneuver (see next page).
The Invader performs the Maneuver as follows:
The Invader moves 5 units from the Rampart 2 to the Wall section 1. He leaves two units (black framed) on the Rampart 2.
The Invader also moves 5 of 7 units from the Rampart 5. He chooses to transfer 3 of them to the Rampart 2, and two others (the orcs) to the Wall section 4.
Moving from the Rampart 5 to the Rampart 2 he also gets the two units from Marauders space, having 7 units in total on the Rampart 2 right now.
The Invader moves 3 units (goblins) from the Rampart 6 to the Wall section 4. This way he has this Wall section full of his units.
Next the Invader moves 5 units from the Foreground 7. 3 of them go on the Rampart 5 and the other 2 on the Rampart 6.
Finally a total of 5 units is moved from the Supply to the Foreground 7.
The Invader ends the Minor Maneuver.
Note: Only the right side of the board (Defender's view) allows moving the units from Rampart to Rampart due to the asymmetric distribution of spaces.
Now the Defender gets 8 Hourglasses for Invader Maneuvers.
Note: This shows only half of the movements initiated by Maneuvers Action card.
Check also the FAQ at our website to find more detailed examples - http://portalgames.pl
Credits
Game Designer: Ignacy Trzewiczek
Game Development: Ignacy Trzewiczek, Michał Walczak
Game Manual: Chevee Dodd
Illustrations: Tomasz Jędruszek, Mariusz Gandzel, Barbara Trela-Szyma, Roman Kucharski, Rafał Szyma
Graphic Design: Ignacy Trzewiczek, Rafał Szyma
Acknowledgements:
Beta testers: Sebastian Szponar, Maciej Janik, Mikołaj Wilczyński, Zbyszek Wilczyński, Tomasz Gala, Marcin Chałubiec, Tomasz Kowalewski, Marcin Kupiec, Marcin Stępniewski, Siman, Wis, Bartek Daciuk, Maja Włodarz, Grzegorz Polewka, Roman Sadownik, Michał Oracz, Rafał Szyma, Neurocide, Mrówka, Tomasz Kołodziejczak, Klema, Piotr Pieńkowski, Artur Jedliński, Sdek, Widłak, Petr Murmak, Merry, Bogas, Adam Kałuża, Alek Pala, Goor, Bors, Jopek, Michał Łodej, Cnidius with the extra help from: Squirrel, Ragozd, Edrache and the rest of the Poznań crew, Klema, Mst, Widłak, Pancho, Ja_N, Crystal Viper, Eric W. Martin, Piotr Kątnik and many, many others.
Stronghold has been tested by 44 players. I give you my most sincere thanks for bringing this enormous project to a happy end.
Second Edition Betatesters: Jacek Bugajny, Michał Walczak, Marcin Chałubiec, Andy, Michał Oracz.
Special thanks to Kathrin (Kitarja) from the BGG community.
© 2015 Portal Games. All Rights Reserved. www.portalgames.pl
© 2015 Stronghold Games LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.StrongholdGames.com