Stronghold
Stronghold Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
General Information
The Course of the Game
One Stronghold game is divided into 10 turns. Each turn consists of six subsequent Phases, after which the Assault commences.
Players take actions alternately in each turn: after each Invader's Phase comes the Defender's Phase.
Each Invader's Phase represents a subsequent stage of preparations for the Assault. In the first Phase – called the Supplies – the Invader receives new Units and Resources. In the second Phase the Invader uses the Resources and constructs Siege Machines: deadly Ballistas, devastating Catapults or huge Trebuchets. In the third Phase the Invader equips his Units with Shields, Poisoned Weapons or Banners. In the fourth Phase the Invader conducts Training of the Units: Drovers, Quartermasters and other special characters appear at the Ramparts. In the fifth Phase the Invader's Shamans conjure the powers of black magic: by sacrificing Goblins they provide the Invader's forces with additional combat advantages. Finally, in the sixth Phase, the Invader orders his troops to Move Out and gives orders to Units fighting on the Walls. This is how the Assault begins.
Invader's actions take a certain amount of time. During this time the Defender prepares the defenses of the Stronghold. The passing of time in the Stronghold game is represented by Hourglasses. After each Action the Invader gives the Defender a certain number of Hourglasses. After each Invader's Phase, the Defender must spend all the Hourglasses received.
There are various buildings located in the Stronghold – the Defender spends the Hourglasses to use these structures to prepare the defenses. The Forge is where the blacksmith manufactures deadly Cauldrons and Cannons. At the Workshop, the carpenter makes Platforms for additional Units and reinforces the Walls and the Gates. The priests pray at the Cathedral for divine help and tend to the wounded soldiers in the Hospital. The Defender also trains his troops in the Barracks. The Scouts move from their base to the Ramparts in order to set traps and sabotage the Siege Machines of the Invader.
When the sixth Phase ends the Assault commences. The Ranged Combat takes place first: the Cannons on the Walls rumble, the projectiles from the Invader's Machines rain down on the Stronghold, the Marksmen pelt the opponent with swarms of arrows. Then the Melee Combat starts: the Cauldrons placed on the Walls reap their bloody harvest while the Invading troops execute the given Orders trying to outsmart the defenders.
If the Invader manages to break the defenses on at least one Wall Section, the Invader troops breach into the Stronghold. This is where the game ends: the Glory Points are counted up for both players. If the Invader fails to enter the Stronghold, another turn begins.
Game Pieces
The box contains the following pieces:
- 1 game board
- 1 Glory board
- 29 Glory chips
- 200 Invader's Units (60 Goblins, 100 Orcs, 40 Trolls)
- 16 Resource chips
- 49 Phase cards (23 for 2 players and 26 for 3 and 4 players)
- 11 Machine Hit cards
- 25 Machine Miss cards
- 5 Battering Ram chips, 11 Invader's Machines chips (4 Ballistas, 4 Catapults, 3 Siege Towers), 5 Order chips, 15 Training chips, 12 Ritual chips, 21 Equipment chips, 2 Altar Influence chips
- 4 Invader's Machine cards (2 Altars, 2 Trebuchets)
- 24 Hourglasses (in two colors)
- 41 Defender's Units (17 Marksmen, 20 Soldiers, 4 Veterans)
- 28 Wall Components (23 Stone and 5 Wooden Components)
- 6 Defender Hit cards
- 2 Heroes
- 9 Cauldron markers (3 against Goblins, 3 against Orcs and 3 against Trolls)
- 6 Trap chips (3 for goblins, 3 for trolls), 3 Platform chips, 3 Cover chips, 6 Defender's Machine chips (3 Cannons, 3 Poles), 1 Haste chip, 1 Marksmen Blessing chip, 1 Unearthly Glare chip
The cards. Red numbers: for a 2-player game. Black numbers: for a 3- and 4-player game.
If at any point of the game all free pieces and chips of a given type are used, next pieces of this type cannot be used until at least one is made free during the course of the game. This rule does not apply to the Hourglasses.
Example: There are three Cauldrons against Trolls in the game. The Defender cannot build the fourth Cauldron as there are not enough resources in the Stronghold.
The Board
The board is composed of: the West Side of the Stronghold, the East Side of the Stronghold, the Barbican Rampart, Foregrounds, Ramparts, Towers, Wall Sections, Gates and Paths (with some Paths having no connecting fields, marked "No paths").
Fields on the Board
There are fields on the board where chips, cards and Units are placed. Only one piece (a chip or a Unit) may be placed on each field – unless the piece description specifies otherwise.
Sides of the Stronghold
The Stronghold is divided into Western and Eastern Sides. No Invader Unit or chip may be transferred to the other side of the Stronghold during the game.
Foregrounds & Ramparts
The Foregrounds and the Ramparts are intermediate staging areas for the troops on their way to the Walls. Before the Invading troops reach the Walls, they need to move to the Foreground, then to the Ramparts and finally to the Walls. The Ramparts are where the Machines and fortifications are built and Training chips are placed.
The Rampart has: a Machine field, a Unit field, a Cover field, and a Training chips field.
Paths
The Foregrounds and the Ramparts are connected by Paths, which are used by the Invading troops to advance. Note that the Invading troops cannot move back – they may only advance towards the Walls. The Scouts can place Traps on the Paths, while the Invader may set up Bridges to prevent this.
Trap fields. This is where the Defender can place the Traps for Goblins or Trolls and the Invader can set up the Bridges.
Wall Sections
The Stronghold Walls are divided into Sections. This is where the fight between Invader's and Defender's Units takes place.
A Wall Section has: Invader's Units fields, a Siege Tower chip field, Equipment tiles fields, Defender's Units fields, Cauldron marker fields, fields for Stone and Wooden Wall Component cubes (these pieces can be stacked on top of each other), a Hero marker field, and a Platform chip field.
The Towers
The Defender can use the Towers to place Cannons and Poles. If either occupies a Tower, the Marksmen cannot be placed there. On the other hand, if the Marksmen are in a Tower, Cannons or Poles cannot be installed until the Defender withdraws the Marksmen.
The Barbican
The Barbican is used in those games where the Invader has the Battering Ram. The Barbican features three Gates: each of the Gates has the initial Toughness of 8. The actual Toughness of the assaulted Gate is tracked with the Toughness Counter.
The Barbican and its Rampart have: Battering Ram components fields, Battering Ram Crew fields, the First Gate, the Second Gate, the Third Gate, and the Gate Toughness Counter.
Buildings Inside the Stronghold
The Stronghold houses several structures inside of its walls: the Forge, the Workshop, the Scouts' Quarters, the Cathedral, the Hospital, the Barracks, the Honor Guard and the Guard. Detailed description of these structures is in the Defender's Book.
A structure has: Hourglass marker fields, icons of Actions bought with the Hourglasses, and fields representing that the given action is no longer available in the current turn (after its purchase). (The Scouts' Quarters additionally has a Saboteur field.)
Locations of the Defender's Units in the Structures: a Unit field (for any Unit type), a Unit field (for any Unit type, with the mark of Marksman's initial position), a Marksman field (with the mark of Marksman's initial position), a Soldier field, a Soldier field (with the mark of Soldier's initial position), and a Veteran field.
Two-Player Game
Note: The basic game rules are presented for the two-player scenario. Description of three- and four-player games are at the end of this manual.
Game Preparation
Place the main board on the table and the Glory board next to it.
Place the Glory tiles on the Glory board: 10 chips on the Invader's book, 1 Glory chips on the four fields at the top and the bottom of the board, on the Defender's side. Place the rest of the Glory chips next to the Glory board.
Now the players decide who will play as the Defender and the Invader.
The brown cubes are used by the Defender as the Wooden Wall Components and the Resources for the Invader. Before the game starts, the Invader places 16 cubes on their side of the board as the Resource Bank, while the Defender takes 3 cubes for the Wooden Wall Components. The last remaining cube is the Toughness marker of the Gates.
Invader's Preparations
The Invader puts all his Units in the pouch. The Invader puts the Resources and the chips next to the board. Next the Invader draws one Phase 1, one Phase 6 and one Camp card from the deck and places these cards before them. Now the Invader draws two random cards for each of the remaining Phases (i.e. Phase 2, 3, 4 and 5 – a total of 8 cards) and keeps one card of each selected pair. The remaining Phase cards are rejected.
This is where the Invader outlines the strategy they will use during the game. The rejected Phase cards are placed back in the box and not used in the game.
Note: Random selection of Phase cards enhances the diversity of the game and requires some Stronghold gaming experience from the Invader. If you play your first games of Stronghold, it is best to use the preset cards. This allows to start the game immediately and bypass this preparation stage. The preset cards are marked with a star.
The Invader also receives 5 Resources before the game starts.
Defender's Preparations
The Defender places their Units on every Section of the Wall. The type of Units to be placed is determined by the dot in the color of the respective Unit. However, these dots only indicate the initial positions of the Units and have no significance during the rest of the game. The Defender also places 2 Stone Wall Components on each Wall Section.
Next, the Defender places 2 Soldiers in the Honor Guard field and 1 Marksman in the Guard structure. 4 Marksmen and 1 Soldier are also placed in the Barracks. The remaining Units are placed next to the board for now.
The Heroes are placed on their respective Wall Sections.
All remaining pieces are set next to the board.
The Defender receives 4 Hourglasses before the game begins.
Invader's Book
Invader's Goal
The Invader's goal is to break into the Stronghold and earn as much Glory Points as possible.
Invader's Units
The Invader has the following Unit types at their disposal:
- Goblin – Strength 1
- Orc – Strength 2
- Troll – Strength 3
Phases
The Actions represented on the Phase cards define the actions available to the Invader during the game. The Phases are organized in succession and correspond to the following preparations for the Assault on the Walls:
- PHASE 1 – SUPPLIES
- PHASE 2 – MACHINES
- PHASE 3 – EQUIPMENT
- PHASE 4 – TRAINING
- PHASE 5 – RITUALS
- PHASE 6 – MOVING OUT
Each Phase card presents the Actions allowed during its respective Phase. The Invader may perform any of these Actions – all of them, some of them or none. Each Action may only be performed once per turn.
Each action also has its cost: it is the number of Units that have to be sent to do the work to perform the Action (these Units are then discarded from the game). Actions in Phases 2 and 3 require spending additional amounts of Resources.
Each Invader's Unit used to perform an Action gives 1 Hourglass for the Defender. Most of the actions in the game can be completed faster (by sacrificing stronger Units) or slower (by sacrificing weaker Units).
Example: The Invader can build a catapult by assigning 1 strong Troll (faster building) or 2 weaker Orcs (slower building) to this task. The Defender would then receive 1 or 2 Hourglasses respectively.
When the Invader finishes all the Actions in the Phase, they must declare the end of the Phase. When the Invader's Phase ends, the Defender must spend all the Hourglasses received (if any). When the Hourglasses are spend for the Defender's Phase, the Invader proceeds with their next Phase.
The Phase 6 ends and the Defender spends all Hourglasses generated during this Phase. Now the Assault begins.
Note: Phases must follow each other in the given order. When a Phase is finished, you cannot go back to it – or to any of the preceding Phases for that matter.
Note: Some Actions cost Hourglasses only.
Note: The Actions paid for ONLY with the Units which are not on the board yet.
Phase 1: Supplies
In Phase 1 the Invader receives Units and Resources.
New Units. The Invader takes 14 Units from the pouch at random. These Units will be used for the Actions in this turn.
Resources. The Invader receives 5 Resource cubes. Moreover, the Invader may perform the following Action:
Gain Resources
- Cost: 1 Unit of any type (1 Hourglass for the Defender)
- Effect: Goblin – 1 additional Resource, Orc – 2 additional Resources, Troll – 3 additional Resources. The Invader can spend 1 Unit only for the Gain Resources action.
Note: The Invader can acquire up to 8 Resources per turn (5 + 3 if a Troll is used for the Gain Resources action).
Note: In the first turn of the game the Invader has additional 5 Resources as defined in section "Invader's Preparations".
Phase 2: Machines
The Invader may assign their Units to build Siege Machines. There are 7 types of Siege Machines in the game:
Ballista
- Cost: 6 Resources + 1 Troll or 2 Orcs (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Preparation: The Invader draws 2 Hit cards and 5 Miss cards; the cards are then shuffled and placed face down in a pile on the board.
- Location: The Invader places the card pile on the Rampart of their choice and covers them with the Ballista chip to indicate the type of the Siege Machine used.
- Range: The Ballista can shoot at those Wall Sections which are connected by the Paths running to this Ballista's Rampart.
- Effect: The Invader announces which Wall Section will be fired upon and draws the first card from the pile. If it is a Miss card, the Ballista misses. The Miss card is discarded from the game. If the Invader draws a Hit card, the shot is a success. The Ballista kills one Defender's Unit on the Wall Section – the Invader chooses the Unit. If there are Invader's Unit on the hit Wall Section, the strongest Invader's Unit is also killed by the shot. The drawn Hit card is then shuffled with the pile of this Ballista.
Note: Scouts from the Stronghold may sabotage the Ballista.
Note: If there are no Defender's Units on the hit Wall Section, the Ballista does not need to be used.
Catapult
- Cost: 6 Resources + 1 Troll or 2 Orcs (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Preparation: The Invader draws 2 Hit cards and 5 Miss cards; the cards are then shuffled and placed face down in a pile on the board.
- Location: The Invader places the card pile on the Rampart of their choice and covers them with the Catapult chip to indicate the type of the Siege Machine.
- Range: The Catapult can shoot at those Wall Sections which are connected by the Paths running to this Catapult's Rampart.
- Effect: The Invader declares which Wall Section will be shot upon and draws the first card from the pile. If it is a Miss card, the Catapult misses. The Miss card is discarded from the game. If the Invader draws a Hit card, the shot is a success. The Catapult destroys one Stone Wall Component. If there are also Wooden Components on the Section, all of them are destroyed too. If there are no Components at all on the Wall Section, the hit destroys the Cauldron hidden behind that Section or the Cannon/Poles located in the Tower opposite to the Catapult's Rampart. The drawn Hit card is then shuffled with the pile of this Catapult.
Note: Scouts from the Stronghold may sabotage the Catapult.
Battering Ram
- Cost: 3 Resources + 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Battering Ram chip is placed in front of the Gate. Each new Ram piece is placed on the next free field.
- Effect: The Invader needs to assign Units to the Battering Ram in order to use it. There are two Unit fields at every Ram chip. During the Assault the Invader can use only those Ram pieces which are crewed by two Units. Each Ram chip decreases the Gate Toughness by 1 point. When the Toughness drops to 0, the Invader receives the following:
- 1 Glory Point if the rammed Gate is the First Gate; all Battering Ram pieces and its Units are moved to the Second Gate.
- 1 Glory Point if the rammed Gate is the Second Gate; all Battering Ram pieces and its Units are moved to the Third Gate.
- 3 Glory Point if the rammed Gate is the Third Gate; all Battering Ram pieces and its Units are moved to the Third Gate. Ramming the Third Gate means that the Invader breaks into the Stronghold and the game is over.
Note: When the total of the Battering Ram chips decrease the Gate Toughness BELOW 0, the negative points (below zero) are deducted from the Toughness of the next Gate.
Altar
- Cost: 4 Resources + 1 Troll or 2 Orcs (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Invader places the Altar card on the Rampart of their choice.
- Range: The Altar can affect any Wall Section at the Side of the Stronghold where it is built.
- Effect: In each turn the Altar gives +1 modifier to the Invader's Strength at the Wall Section selected by the Invader. The Invader may change the affected Wall Section ONCE per every turn. The Invader marks the selected Wall Section during the Move Out Phase with the Altar Effect chip.
Note: The board does not include fields for the Altar Effect chips: the chip must be placed directly on the selected Wall Section to avoid confusion as to which Section is affected.
Trebuchet
- Cost: 8 Resources + 1 Troll or 2 Orcs (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Preparation: The Invader draws 2 Hit cards and 5 Miss cards; the cards are then shuffled and placed in a pile and faces down on the board.
- Location: The Invader places the card pile on the Rampart of their choice and covers them with the Trebuchet chip to indicate the type of the Siege Machine.
- Range: The Trebuchet can shoot at any Wall Section which is located on the same Stronghold Side as the Trebuchet's Rampart.
- Effect: The Invader declares which Wall Section will be fired upon and draws the first card from the pile. If it is a Miss card, the Trebuchet misses. The Miss card is discarded from the game. If the Invader draws a Hit card, the shot is a success. The Trebuchet destroys one Stone Wall Component. If there are also Wooden Components on the Section, all of them are destroyed too. If there are no Components on the Wall Section at all, the hit destroys the Cauldron hidden behind that Section. The Trebuchet cannot destroy Cannons/Poles in the Tower. The drawn Hit card is then shuffled with the pile of this Trebuchet.
Note: Trebuchets are built too far from the Stronghold and cannot be targeted by the Scouts for sabotage.
Siege Tower
- Cost: 8 Resources + 1 Troll or 2 Orcs (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Siege Tower chip is placed at the chosen Wall Section. There are only four Wall Sections which allow placing this chip.
- Effect: The Invader sends his Units to the Siege Tower during Phase 6. The Units move to the Tower directly from the Camp, bypassing the Foregrounds and Ramparts. The Siege Tower provides 3 additional Unit fields at the attacked Wall Section – these Units take part in Melee Combat on the Walls.
Note: At the end of the turn all Units from the Siege Tower are moved onto all free fields on the attacked Wall Section.
Note: The Siege Machines CANNOT be destroyed (although some of them can be sabotaged by the Scouts).
Note: The maximum number of Siege Machine chips of ANY type on the board during the entire game is FOUR.
Phase 3: Equipment
When the Siege Machines are built, the Invader can begin equipping their troops. The Invader can assign only two types of Equipment to every Wall Section attacked by their Units. There are 7 Equipment types available:
Cover
- Cost: 4 Resources + 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Invader places the Cover chip on the Rampart of their choice.
- Effect: The Cover protects the Invader's Units from the Defender's attacks at the Rampart where the chip is placed. The attacks of the Marksmen on this Rampart have no effect.
Note: The Covers DO NOT protect from Cannons and the Sharpshooter.
Banners
- Cost: 1 Resource + 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Banner chip is placed at the chosen Wall Section.
- Effect: +1 bonus to the Invader's Strength at the Wall Section where the chip is placed.
Ladders
- Cost: 2 Resources + 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Ladder chip is placed at the chosen Wall Section.
- Effect: Gives one extra Unit field at the Wall Section where the chip is placed.
Note: The Ladder cannot be moved if there is an Unit on it.
Ropes
- Cost: 2 Resources + 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Rope chip is placed at the chosen Wall Section.
- Effect: During Phase 6 the Invader can move 1 Unit from the Wall Section with the Rope chip to the neighboring Wall Section.
Sap
- Cost: 2 Resources + 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Sap chip is placed at the chosen Wall Section.
- Effect: During Phase 6 the Invader can send one of their Units from the Camp directly at the Wall Section with the Sap chip.
Note: If the Invader plays two Move Out Actions in one turn, they can use the Sap during each Move Out.
Bridge
- Cost: 1 Resource + 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Bridge chip is placed on the Path which is free of any Traps.
- Effect: The Bridge chip does not allow the Defender to place any Trap at this field.
Shield
- Cost: 3 Resource + 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Shield chip is placed at the chosen Wall Section.
- Effect: If the Invader's Units lose Melee Combat at the Wall Section with the Shield chip, the result of the fight must be modified as follows: the Invader increases the Strength of every Unit at the Wall Section by +1. If the modified Strength of the Invader is more than or equal to the Defender's, the combat result remains unchanged. If the Invader's Strength is still less than the Defender's, remove the number of the Invader's Units in accordance to the recalculated Strength values. The Shields do not increase the winning chance of the Invader – they only allow to minimize the losses when the Invader loses the fight.
Poison
- Cost: 1 Resource + 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Poison chip is placed at the chosen Wall Section.
- Effect: If the Invader wins the combat at the Wall Section with the Poison chip, one Marksman at this Section dies before Melee Combat is resolved.
Note: The Equipment CANNOT be destroyed.
Phase 4: Training
When the Invader's troops are equipped, the Invader may proceed with the Training of their Units. The Invader can place two different Training chips at each Rampart (this rule does not apply to the Artilleryman and Saboteur Training chips – see their descriptions). There are 7 Training types available:
Artilleryman
- Cost: 2 Orcs or 3 Goblins (2 or 3 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Effect: The Invader adds one additional Hit card to the card pile of the selected Siege Machine.
Note: The Invader can train more Artillerymen for the same Siege Machine in the next turns.
Quartermaster
- Cost: 2 Orcs (2 Hourglasses for the Defender)
- Effect: The Invader can move two extra Units to the Rampart in Phase 6 over the number of Units the issued Order allows for. Moreover, the chosen Rampart can house 9 Units instead of 7.
Trench Master
- Cost: 2 Orcs (2 Hourglasses for the Defender)
- Effect: When the Marksmen Ranged Combat is resolved, the Strength of the Units at the chosen Rampart is multiplied by 2.
Master Archer
- Cost: 1 Orc or 2 Goblins (1 or 2 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Effect: Any Goblin at the chosen Rampart can shoot at the Wall (but ONLY in the direction of the Paths) or the opposite Tower. One Goblin can kill one Marksman. The Goblins CANNOT shoot at the Wall Section if there Melee Combat is in progress there, however they still can shoot at the Marksmen at the Tower.
Drover
- Cost: 2 Orcs (2 Hourglasses for the Defender)
- Effect: During the Move Out Phase the Units at the chosen Rampart can move to any nearest Rampart or retreat to the Foreground. The Move Out limit applies to these Units.
Saboteur
- Cost: 2 Orcs or 3 Goblins (2 or 3 Hourglasses for the Defender, respectively)
- Location: The Saboteur chip is placed on the chosen structure inside the Stronghold.
- Effect: All Actions available at the affected structure cost 1 Hourglass more.
Note: There has to be at least 1 Unit in the Guard building to use this Action. When the Saboteurs are removed, the delays caused by them are also cancelled and those Actions with enough Hourglasses are immediately in effect.
Drill Sergeant
- Cost: 2 Orcs or 2 Goblins (2 Hourglasses for the Defender)
- Effect: The Invader receives 2 Units (from the rejected pool): 2 Orcs for the Goblins or 2 Trolls for the Orcs. The new Units are placed in the Camp.
Phase 5: Rituals
This last Phase of preparations is Phase 5. This is where the Shamans perform magic rituals to help the Invader capture the Stronghold. Note that the Rituals have temporary effect: when the turn ends all Ritual chips are removed from the board. There are 7 Rituals available:
Note: The Goblins sacrificed for the Rituals are placed on the Blood Rituals field on the Glory Board (see Section "Glory").
Bloodstones
- Cost: 2 Goblins (2 Hourglasses for the Defender)
- Location: The Bloodstone chip is placed on the chosen Catapult.
- Effect: If the Bloodstone Catapult hits the Wall, it destroys the Wall Component (as usual) AND kills one of Defender's Unit selected by the Invader.
Gale
- Cost: 1 Goblin (1 Hourglass for the Defender)
- Location: The Gale chip is placed on the selected Wall Section.
- Effect: Sending an Unit or a Hero at the affected Wall Section costs 1 Hourglass more.
Possession
- Cost: 1 Goblin (1 Hourglass for the Defender)
- Location: The Possession chip is placed on any Hero.
- Effect: The affected Hero cannot use his Action, i.e.: the Officer cannot use Speech, the Warrior cannot attack the Invader's troops.
Note: Possession does not affect the characters' attributes, e.g. the Warrior still adds +2 to the Wall Strength.
Note: Possession does not cancel the effects of Actions performed in one of the preceding phases.
Accident
- Cost: 3 Goblins (3 Hourglasses for the Defender)
- Location: The Accident chip is placed on one of the Cauldrons.
- Effect: The affected Cauldron does not kill the Invader's Unit. If there is a Defender's Unit at this Wall Section and its Strength is equal to the Invader's Unit which the Cauldron should have killed, the Defender's Unit is killed instead (the Troll Cauldron kills a Veteran, the Orc Cauldron kills a Soldier and the Goblin Cauldron kills ALL Marksmen at the Section).
Fire
- Cost: 1 Goblin (1 Hourglass for the Defender)
- Location: The Fire chip is placed on one of the buildings in the Stronghold.
- Effect: Purchase of Actions in this building requires 1 additional Hourglass.
Specters
- Cost: 1 Goblin (1 Hourglass for the Defender)
- Location: The Specters chip is placed on the Hospital field.
- Effect: The Defender's Units which were not saved at the Hospital and those killed in the Barrage are placed on the Foregrounds and join the Invader's troops (Marksmen turn into Goblins, Soldiers turn into Orcs and Veterans turn into Trolls).
Panic
- Cost: 1 Goblin (1 Hourglass for the Defender)
- Location: The Panic chip is placed on the Courtyard.
- Effect: Each time there is more than 1 Defender's Unit in the Courtyard the weakest one is immediately killed. When there are only Units of the same Strength, one of them is killed.
Phase 6: Moving Out
All Units which the Invader did not use in previous Phases end up in the Camp. They can be now sent to attack the Stronghold. The Invader's troops on the Walls are issued Orders. Those troops which are not sent to attack stay at the Camp.
Movement of Units
The Invader can use two Actions: Minor Move Out and Major Move Out. These are used to send the troops from the Camp onto the boards or move those troops which are already on the boards. The troops can move only along the Paths.
Move Out Action allows to:
- Move the Units from every Rampart to selected Wall Sections
- Move the Units from every Foreground to selected Ramparts, and:
- Place the remaining units in the Camp on both Foregrounds and/or the Barbican.
Note: The Move Out Action allows to move Units from all Foregrounds and Ramparts, as well as from the Camp at once.
Note: The board is asymmetrical on the Western Side which allows the Invader to move the Units at the inner Rampart to the outermost Rampart.
Note: The Invader CANNOT withdraw the Units from the Walls.
Note: Each Wall Section has a limit of Units which can occupy it. Likewise, there can be up to 10 Units only on each Foreground and up to 7 at each Rampart.
Note: These rules can be modified by Actions enabled by Phase cards.
Note: Sending Units to a Siege Tower or through the Sap does not increase the limit of Units in a Move Out (example: Minor Move Out allows to move 3 Units from the Camp to the Siege Tower and 2 to a Foreground, which is 5 Units total.)
Note: There can be only up to 2 Invader's Units at each Battering Ram section at the Barbican throughout the game.
Minor Move Out
- Cost: 3 Hourglasses
- Effect: The Invader may move up to 5 Units from any field.
Major Move Out
- Cost: 5 Hourglasses
- Effect: The Invader may move up to 7 Units from any field.
The Camp
All Units which were not placed on the board during the Move Out Actions stay at the Camp. The Camp has a limited capacity and the more Units it contains the more expensive it is for the Invader to maintain the Camp.
- Cost: Up to 3 Units in the Camp do not generate Hourglasses. 4-7 Units in the Camp generate 1 Hourglass. 8-11 Units in the Camp generate 3 Hourglasses. 12 and more Units in the Camp generate 6 Hourglasses.
- Effect: The Units remaining in the Camp cannot be used in the subsequent turns for any other Action than Move Out (i.e. which means that the only thing that can be done is to place them on the board in subsequent turns).
Example of a Minor Move Out: The Invader plays the Minor Move Out Action (a) which generates 3 Hourglasses for the Defender. The player moves 3 Units from the Rampart (f) to the Wall Section (j). No more Units can be moved to that section since it has the space for 3 Units only. The player also moves 2 Units from the Rampart (g): one to the Wall Section (k) and the other to the Wall Section (l). Now the player moves 5 Units – which is the maximum for the Minor Move Out – from the eastern Foreground (d) to the following fields: 2 to the Rampart (g), 1 to the Rampart (h) and 2 to the Rampart (i). 4 Units are also moved from the western Foreground (c): 1 to the Rampart (e) and 3 to the Rampart (f). The player could not move more than 1 Unit to the Rampart (e), since there are already 6 Units there and the Rampart capacity is 7. The player moved the maximum number of Units (during a Minor Move Out) to the Ramparts (c, d): 5 for each Rampart. This leaves 4 Units at the Camp (b), which generates 1 Hourglass for the Defender. Conclusion: the entire Action generates 3 Hourglasses for the Defender plus 1 Hourglass for the troops at the Camp.
Orders
During Phase 6 the Invader can give Orders to Units engaged in combat. At least one Invader's Unit has to carry out the given Order.
Note: The board has no special fields for Orders; the Order chips should be placed at the chosen Wall Section in such a way that there are no doubts which Wall Section they affect.
Note: If the Defender manages to kill all Units which have received an order before the Order comes into effect, this Order chip must be taken off the board.
There are two ways the Invader can issue Orders:
Open Order
- Cost: none
- Effect: The Invader places one Order chip face up at the chosen Wall Section.
Classified Orders
- Cost: 1 Hourglass
- Effect: The Invader places any number of Order chips face down and flips them face up only during the Assault. Only one Order chip is placed on each Wall Section.
There are four Orders available:
Goblin Fury
- Effect: The Goblins break into fury. The Strength of each infuriated Goblin is 3. After the combat the infuriated Goblins die and are taken off the board irrespective of the combat result.
Note: If the Strength of the infuriated Goblins is enough to win the combat and break into the Stronghold, they will do so even if there are no other Invader's Units on their Wall Section.
Note: If the Defender has the Advantage on the Wall in combat, the infuriated Goblins are removed from the board before the losses of the Invader are calculated.
Example 1: There are 2 Orcs, 1 Goblin and the Banner chip at the Invader's side of the Wall Section. There are 2 Soldiers, 1 Veteran and 4 stone Wall Components on the Defender's 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+4=11. The Defender wins the combat with 3 points of Advantage. Since the Invader loses this combat, the Goblin is removed from the board BEFORE the losses are resolved. It means the Invader has only 5 points while the Defender has 11 and both Orcs are killed too.
Example 2: There are 2 Orcs, 1 Goblin and the Banner chip at the Wall Section on the Invader's side. This time there are only 2 Soldiers and 3 stone Wall Components on the Defender's side. The Invader issues the Goblin Fury Order for that Wall Section and the Goblin's Strength increases from 1 to 3. The Strength of both parties at the Wall Section is as follows: Invader – 2+2+3+1 = 8; Defender – 2+2+3=7. The Invader wins the combat with 1 point of Advantage. The Goblin is removed from the board AFTER the losses are resolved. The Invader has 8 points and the Defender has 7, which means that one of the Soldiers ends up in the Hospital.
Orc Detonation
- Effect: At least one of the Orc detonates. The Invader removes those Orcs which have detonated. Each detonated Orc destroys one Stone Wall Component and all Wooden Wall Components at the Section. The detonated Orc is removed from the board before the combat is resolved.
Call of the Trolls
- Effect: If the Invader has a Troll on the Wall, the Call of the Trolls can be used to order another Troll on the board to Move Out. The Called Troll must move towards the Wall Section where the Order is given.
Note: The Trap for Trolls affects the Called Troll.
Bluff Chip
- Effect: The Bluff chip is used to mislead the Defender and does not modify any attributes or Actions of the Units.
End of Phase 6
When the Invader ends Phase 6 and the Defender spends all their Hourglasses, the Assault begins (see section "The Assault").
Reverse Sides of Phase Cards – Special Actions
At the start of each turn the Invader may decide to stop using the Actions available on any of the Phase cards. In such case the Invader may flip the selected Phase card face up and use its Special Action. Each Special Action is used during its respective Phase as determined by the card. Once the selected Phase card is turned face up it stays that way until the end of the game. There are five Special Actions available in the game:
All Charge! (Phase 1 – Supplies)
- Cost: none
- Effect: The Invader stops collecting Resources and concentrates on assaulting the Stronghold only. This way the Invader receives 2 extra Units in each turn, but does not receive any more Resources.
Accurate Shot (Phase 2 – Machines)
- Cost: 2 Hourglass
- Effect: When a Catapult, Ballista or Trebuchet shoots, the Invader draws not one but TWO cards from the pile of this Siege Machine and selects the one which suits him best. The other card is put back into the pile of this Siege Machine pile. The Invader declares this action in Phase 2 and gives the Defender 2 Hourglasses immediately.
Move Equipment (Phase 3 – Equipment)
- Cost: 1 Hourglass
- Effect: The Invader can select an Equipment chip and move it to another place on the same side of the Stronghold.
Move Training (Phase 4 – Training)
- Cost: 1 Hourglass
- Effect: The Invader may choose and move: 1 Training chip to another Rampart field on the same side of the Stronghold, or 1 Saboteur chip to another building in the Stronghold.
Escape the Slaughter (Phase 5 – Rituals)
- Cost: 1 Hourglass
- Effect: The Invader takes 3 Goblins from the pile of rejected (killed) Units (except those on the Glory Board) and places them on the Foreground fields.
Note: This Special Action is only available when there are Goblins in the rejected pool.
Defender's Book
Defender's Goal
The Defender's goal is to keep the Invader from breaking into the Stronghold and to earn as many Glory Points as possible.
Defender's Units
The Defender can use the following Units:
- Marksmen – Strength 1
- Soldiers – Strength 2
- Veterans – Strength 3 (not available in the beginning of the game)
Hourglasses and Actions
The actions of the Invader take time and as such they provide the Defender with a certain number of Hourglasses. Each of the Defender's Actions also takes time and has a certain cost in Hourglasses which are spent to pay for the Action. The Defender can spend the Hourglasses to move his troops around the Stronghold and perform Actions.
The Invader's turn is divided into Phases. After each Phase the Defender makes their move and must spend all Hourglasses earned in that Phase. When the Hourglasses are spent the next Invader's turn begins. If the Defender receives no Hourglasses, the Invader starts the next Phase immediately. Note that if you run out of Hourglass chips you should use other markers for them.
At the start of every turn the Defender receives 1 Stone Wall Component and 2 Hourglasses to use after Phase 1 – Supplies.
Moving Around the Stronghold
Moving Units and Heroes
- Cost: 1 Hourglass
- Effect: Any Unit or Hero can be moved to any free spot in the following ways: from a Wall Section to an adjacent Wall Section; from a Wall Section to a Building or the Courtyard; from a Building to the Courtyard or a Wall Section; from a Wall Section to an adjacent Tower; from a Building or the Courtyard to a Tower; from a Tower to an adjacent Wall Section; from a Tower to a Building or the Courtyard. The Barracks, the Courtyard, the Guard and Honor Guard buildings are treated as adjacent to any Wall Section and Tower. They are also adjacent to one another.
The Defender cannot move Units to the Forge, the Workshop, the Cathedral and the Scouts Quarters. The Defender cannot move Units to Towers which have Cannon or Pole chips. The Heroes may only move on Wall Sections and between them and the Courtyard.
Note: Moves are not Actions – they can be repeated.
Note: Following an Action a Hero cannot move anymore.
Note: The number of Units in the Courtyard is unlimited.
Swap Places
- Cost: 1 Hourglass
- Effect: Instead of moving to a free place, the Unit can swap places with another Unit at the adjacent position (see moving of Units and Heroes).
Actions
The Defender spends Hourglasses to perform Actions available in specific buildings of the Stronghold. The Defender does not need to have all the Hourglasses necessary to buy the specific Action – they can be collected during more than one turn and placed at the chosen Action until there will be enough of them to complete it. This way the player can see how Cannons, Cauldrons or Traps are gradually built inside the buildings. Each Action available in the Stronghold may only be performed once per turn. After the Action is performed an Hourglass chip should be placed next to this Action's field to mark that it is unavailable for the rest of the turn. The rest of the Hourglasses spent on that Action are removed from the board.
Special example: The Defender spends 4 Hourglasses for the Cannon Action, but a Saboteur raises the cost to 5 Hourglasses. The Cannon is built as soon as the Saboteur is removed since there are enough Hourglasses already.
The Defender may perform Actions available at one of the 8 buildings inside the Stronghold. The buildings and their actions are listed below.
THE FORGE
Troll Cauldron
- Cost: 3 Hourglasses
- Location: The Cauldron marker is placed on the chosen Wall Section. The marker stays at the Section until the game ends.
- Effect: During the Assault the Cauldron kills 1 Troll at this Wall Section. The Cauldron works during every Assault.
Note: Some Wall Sections cannot accommodate Cauldrons.
Orc Cauldron
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Location: The Cauldron marker is placed on the chosen Wall Section. The marker stays at the Section until the game ends.
- Effect: During the Assault the Cauldron kills 1 Orc at this Wall Section. The Cauldron works during every Assault.
Note: Some Wall Sections cannot accommodate Cauldrons.
Goblin Cauldron
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Location: The Cauldron marker is placed on the chosen Wall Section. The marker stays at the Section until the game ends.
- Effect: During the Assault, the Cauldron kills all Goblins at this Wall Section. The Cauldron works during every Assault.
Note: Some Wall Sections cannot accommodate Cauldrons.
Cannon
- Cost: 4 Hourglasses
- Location: The Cannon chip is placed in any free Tower.
- Effect: During the Assault the Cannon fires at the Invader's Units placed in the following areas: on the Foreground on the same Side of the Stronghold, or on the Ramparts opposite or adjacent to the Cannon's Tower, or in the Siege Tower standing at the Wall Section with the Cannon Tower. The attack with the Cannons is resolved using the Defender's Hit deck. The Defender declares the target of the Cannon and picks the first card. If there are more than one Cannon firing, the Defender picks the first card for each Cannon. All Cannon cards are reshuffled after the volley. If the Hit card indicates that several types of Units are hit, the Defender chooses only one Unit from these types and the Unit dies. The Miss card means that no Unit is hit.
Note: The Cannon may be destroyed by the Invader's Catapult.
Poles
- Cost: 4 Hourglasses
- Location: The Pole chip is placed in the chosen Tower.
- Effect: The Defender picks one of the two Wall Sections adjacent to the Tower equipped with the Poles. The attack with the Poles is resolved using the Defender's Hit deck. The Poles kill the weakest Unit indicated by the card. This procedure is repeated for every Pole chip. After all the Poles attack the Hit deck is reshuffled and put aside. The Miss card means that no Unit is hit.
THE WORKSHOP
Platform
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Location: The Platform chip is placed at a chosen Wall Section.
- Effect: The Platform provides one additional place for the Defender's Units. There can be only one Platform at each Wall Section.
Note: Some Wall Sections cannot accommodate Platforms.
Gate Reinforcement
- Cost: 1 Hourglass
- Effect: Gate Reinforcement increases Gate Toughness by 1 point.
Note: The maximum Toughness of the Gate is 8.
Wall Reinforcement
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Location: A Wooden Wall Component marker is placed on any Wall Section. If there are Stone Components already at the Section, the Wooden Wall Component is placed on top of them.
- Effect: The Wooden Wall Component adds 1 to the Defender's Strength at that Wall Section.
Note: Each Wall Section may contain up to 3 wooden Reinforcement Components.
Note: If the reinforced Wall Section is hit by a Trebuchet, Catapult or suffers damage from the Orc Detonation Order, all Wooden Wall Components are removed along with any Stone Components.
THE SCOUT'S QUARTERS
Goblin Trap
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Location: This Trap chip is placed on a chosen Path.
- Effect: The Trap for Goblins kills all Goblins which move on the trapped Path.
Note: Trap tiles cannot be placed on Paths secured with Bridges.
Troll Trap
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Location: This Trap chip is placed on a chosen Path.
- Effect: During each Move Out, this Trap kills 1 Troll from all the Trolls which travel on the trapped Path.
Note: Trap tiles cannot be placed on Paths secured with Bridges.
Damage Machine
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Effect: The Defender takes the first Miss card from the stack which is not used on the board and shuffles it with the Hit deck of the chosen Ballista or Catapult.
Note: The Damage Machine cannot be used against the Trebuchet.
Excursion to the Tower
- Cost: 1 Hourglass
- Effect: The Defender uses the Excursion to kill 1 selected Invader's Unit at the Siege Tower.
THE CATHEDRAL
Marksmen Blessing
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Location: The Marksmen Blessing chip is placed at the selected side of the Stronghold.
- Effect: All Marksmen at one of the two Stronghold Sides and not engaged in combat may shoot at any Rampart. This Action lasts until the end of the turn it was bought in.
Unearthly Glare
- Cost: 4 Hourglasses
- Location: The chosen Wall Section.
- Effect: The Assault is not resolved at the Wall Section with the Unearthly Glare. This Action lasts until the end of the turn it was bought in.
Note: If there are two Defender players in the game, each of them performs Cathedral Actions on their Side of the Stronghold only.
THE BARRACKS
Training Actions can be used more than once per turn.
Train Soldier
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Effect: The Defender removes 1 Marksman from the Barracks and puts 1 Soldier in his place.
Train Veteran
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Effect: The Defender removes 1 Soldier from the Barracks and puts 1 Veteran in his place.
Note: There can be up to 4 Marksmen, 2 Soldiers and 1 Veteran at the Barracks at any given time.
THE GUARD
The Guard allows the Defender to remove the Invader's Saboteurs from the Stronghold.
Find Saboteurs
- Cost: 3 Hourglasses and 1 Unit
- Effect: If there are Saboteurs inside the Stronghold, the Defender may sacrifice 1 Unit from the Guard to remove all Saboteurs.
Sharpshooter on the Tower
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Effect: The Defender kills and removes 1 Invader's Unit from the board.
Confuse Orders
- Cost: 2 Hourglasses
- Effect: The Defender picks one of the orders issued by the Invader and discards it without uncovering it.
THE HOSPITAL
All Defender's Units which fall in Melee Combat are placed in the Hospital. At the end of each turn two of these Units recover and are moved to the Courtyard. The rest of the Units at the Hospital during that turn die and are removed from the board.
THE HONOR GUARD
In the beginning of the game there are 2 Soldiers in the Courtyard whose duty is to keep the Honor Guard at the Stronghold. The Defender may move any of the Honor Guards to any Wall Section as defined in section "Moving Around the Stronghold".
However if both Honor Guards remain at the Courtyard until the sixth turn begins, the Defender receives 1 Glory Point at the end of each successive turn during which the Honor Guards remains on their stations (see "Glory").
Heroes
Two Heroes assist in defense of the Stronghold: the Officer and the Warrior. Each of them affect the Wall Sections they are at in a different way. Moreover, each of them may perform one Special Action per turn that will help the Defender fighting the Invader. The Heroes cannot be killed.
Officer
- Attribute: Each Defender's Unit which fights on the Wall Section of the Officer receives +1 to Strength.
- Action: Speech – Cost: 1-4 Hourglasses. Effect: For every Hourglass spent the Officer adds +1 to Defender's Strength at his Wall Section.
Warrior
- Attribute: +2 to the Defender's Strength at the Wall Section where the Warrior fights.
- Action: Sally – Cost: The number of Hourglasses depends on the target's Strength. Effect: The Warrior can kill 1 Invader's Unit at the Wall Section he is at: a Goblin for 1 Hourglass, an Orc for 2 Hourglasses or a Troll for 3 Hourglasses.
The Assault
When Phase 6 ends and the Defender spends all the received Hourglasses, the Assault commences. First comes the Ranged Combat and then Melee Combat starts on the Walls. This part of the game consists of the following successive stages:
I – Ranged Combat
- Stage 1 – Cannons
- Stage 2 – Siege Machines
- Stage 3 – Marksmen
- Stage 4 – Goblins
II – Melee Combat
- Stage 1 – Cauldrons
- Stage 2 – Poles
- Stage 3 – Orders
- Stage 4 – Resolving Strength
- Stage 5 – The Hospital
III – The Barbican
I. Ranged Combat
1. Defender's Cannon Barrage. The Defender announces which Foregrounds and Ramparts will be fired upon with the Cannons. The Defender uncovers one Hit card per each Cannon and removes killed Invader's Units (if any). After the volley the player reshuffles the deck used to resolve the Barrage and puts it next to the board.
2. Siege Machine Barrage. The Invader selects the Wall Sections the Siege Machines will shoot at, uncovers the top card from each Siege Machine deck and determines the effects of the Barrage.
3. Marksmen Volley. The Marksmen on the walls and in the Towers who are not currently engaged in Melee Combat may shoot at the Invader's troops. The Marksmen can shoot at the Ramparts connected to the given Wall Section with Paths or – if they are in a Tower – at the Ramparts opposite or adjacent to that Tower. Every shooting Marksman adds +1 to the Volley Strength. The total Strength of the Volley hitting the given Rampart determines the total Strength of the Invader's killed Units (the Invader chooses which Units die, e.g. if 2 Strength points must be removed, the Invader can remove 1 Orc or 2 Goblins).
Note: The Defender's Volley Strength has to be equal or higher than the Strength of the targeted Invader's Units.
Note: If there are Invader's Units on a given Wall Section, the Marksmen on this Section are engaged in Melee Combat and cannot shoot.
Note: The Marksmen in the Towers are never in Melee Combat.
4. Goblin Volley. The Goblins on the Ramparts which are accompanied by a Master Archer can shoot at the Stronghold's walls (along the Paths). If there are Defender's Marksmen at that Wall Section, they are killed. One Goblin kills one Marksman. The Goblins cannot shoot at the Wall Sections where troops are engaged in Melee Combat.
II. Melee Combat
1. Cauldrons. The Defenders pour the lethal contents of the Cauldrons onto the Invader's troops. The Invader removes the Units killed by a Cauldron (remember which Cauldrons affect which Units).
2. Poles. The Poles can be used to attack those Wall Sections which are adjacent to the Towers with the Poles. The Defender declares which Wall Section is attacked. The Defender uncovers one card from the Hit deck per each Pole attack. The Invader removes the weakest Unit from that Wall Section but only if its symbol is on the drawn Hit card!
3. Orders. The Invader uncovers the Order chips (if they were face down) and determines their effects.
4. Resolving Strength. The Strength of the fighting forces is compared on each of the Wall Sections. Each of the players sums up the total Strength of their respective troops on each Wall Section.
Invader's 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
- 1 Altar Influence chip = 1 Strength point
Defender's Strength:
- 1 Marksman = 1 Strength point
- 1 Soldier = 2 Strength points
- 1 Veteran = 3 Strength points
- 1 Wall Component (stone or wooden) = 1 Strength point
- The Officer = +1 to the Strength of every Unit plus the effect of the Speech Action (if used)
- The Warrior = 2 Strength points
Advantage of Strength. The Combat is won by the player with the higher Strength value. The losing player's Strength is deducted from the winning player's Strength. The result is called the Advantage. The player who loses the Combat loses the number of involved Units (counted in Strength points) equal to the Advantage. Those Units are killed and removed from the board (in case of the Invader) or placed in the Hospital (in case of the Defender). The player which lost the Combat decides which Units are removed as a result of the Advantage.
Example: The Defender has 2 Soldiers and 1 Marksman on the Wall. The Wall has 2 Stone Components. The Defender's total Strength is 2+2+1+2=7. The Invader has 2 Trolls and 1 Orc on the wall: 3+3+2=8. The Invader has the Advantage of 1 point. The number of Units which have to be removed from the board by the Defender equals 1 point of Strength. This means that the Marksman is killed.
The Advantage is always rounded up to the losing player's disadvantage, which means the losing player's Unit is killed even if the Advantage is lower than the Unit's Strength.
Example: The Defender has 2 Soldiers and 1 Marksman on the Wall. The Wall has 2 Stone Components. The Defender's total Strength on that Wall Section is 2+2+1+2=7. The Invader has 3 Orcs on that Wall Section, which is 2+2+2=6. The Defender has the Advantage of 1 point. The Invader has to remove the number of Units equal to Strength 1. An Orc has the Strength of 2 points, but it is killed nevertheless due to the rounding up rule.
Note: The Defender can win a Melee Combat without any Units on the Wall Section (with only Stone or Wooden Wall Components). The attacker suffers no casualties (see the example on the following page).
III. The Barbican
If the Invader builds the Battering Ram, then it hits the Gate in every turn – see the Battering Ram rules.
Breaking Into the Stronghold
If the Invader's Advantage is higher that the Strength of the Defender's Units, the Invader breaks into the Stronghold and captures it. Next, the situation on the remaining Wall Sections is resolved, the game ends and Glory Points are counted.
Example: The Defender has 2 Warriors. The Wall has two stone Components. The total Strength of the Defender is 2+2+2=6. The Invader has 3 trolls and 2 Orcs on the wall. 3+3+3+2+2=13. The Invader's Advantage is 7. The Defender's Units have the total Strength amounting to 6 and die. The remaining Advantage points clearly indicate that the Invader breaks into the Stronghold! The game is over and Glory Points are counted.
If the Invader fails to break into the Stronghold at any of the Wall Sections, the turn ends and another one begins.
Examples of Assault
Example 1: The Invader storms the Wall with 2 Orcs (Strength 4) and 2 Trolls (Strength 6). The total Strength of the Invader's Units on this Wall Section is 10. The Section is defended by 2 Marksmen (Strength 2) assisted by the Warrior (Strength 2). They are additionally protected by 3 Stone Wall Components (+3 to Strength). The total defense Strength is 7. Now let us calculate the Advantage: Deduct the Defender's Strength from the Invader's Strength (10 – 7 = 3). The Invader's Advantage is 3. The Defender must defend the Wall and removes the Units the total Strength of which is 3. In this example only 2 Marksmen are available and their total Strength is 2, so the Defender cannot reduce the Advantage to 0. The Warrior is a Hero character – he cannot be killed and his Strength cannot be used to reduce the Advantage of the Invader. This means that the Invader breaks the defense and enters the Stronghold.
Example 2: The Invader assaults the Wall Section with the same Units as in Example 1 (see above) – again, their total Strength is 10. But now the Wall Section is defended by 2 Marksmen (Strength 2) and 1 Soldier (Strength 2). The 3 Stone Wall Components provide +3 bonus to the Strength of this defense line and here the total Strength of the Defender is 7. At the first glance the situation is the same as in Example 1, but only seemingly. Let us calculate the Advantage: Deduct the Defender's Strength from the Invader's Strength (10 – 7 = 3). The Invader's Advantage is 3. The Defender must defend the Wall and removes the Units the total Strength of which is 3. The Defender sacrifices 1 Marksman and the Soldier, which reduces the Invader's Advantage to 0. The Defender suffered casualties, but holds the Wall with the last Marksman and the Invader does not break inside.
Example 3: The Invader has 2 Orcs and 2 Trolls with the total Strength of 10. This time the Wall is defended by 2 Soldiers (Strength 4). The 3 Stone Wall Components provide +3 bonus to the Strength of this defense line. The total defense Strength here is 7. Let us calculate the Advantage: Deduct the Defender's Strength from the Invader's Strength (10 – 7 = 3). The Defender must defend the Wall and removes the Units the total Strength of which is 3. One Soldier has 2 points of Strength, so in order to reduce the Advantage the Defender must remove both Soldiers: the Advantage is always rounded up to the disadvantage of the losing player and that is why the Unit of the losing player dies even if the Advantage is smaller than the Strength of this Unit. The Wall is held by the Defender, but at a high price.
Assault on an undefended Wall Section (a special case). The Invader attacks an unmanned Wall Section with 2 Goblins (the total Strength is 2). However the Defender has reinforced the Wall with 4 Stone Wall Sections which give the Strength of 4 points. Calculate the Advantage as before: 2 – 4 = -2. The Defender has the Advantage of 2 points. The Wall Section is defended from the attack. However, the Defender had no Units or Heroes on this particular Section, so the Advantage cannot be used to kill the two attacking Goblins.
Assault on the Wall Section defended by the Officer
Example 1: The Invader attacks the Wall Section with 1 Orc (Strength 2). There are no Defender's Units on this Section, but there is the Officer (a Hero character). 3 Wall Components give the Defender the Strength of 3 points and 1 point of Advantage. Nevertheless, the Invader does not lose the Orc – the Officer's Strength is 0, so he gives no bonuses in this combat. That is why in such situations the real Advantage is given by the Wall Components only.
Example 2: The Invader uses 1 Orc (Strength 2) to attack the Wall Section which has been completely destroyed (i.e. there are no Wall Components at this Section). The Defender sends 1 Soldier and the Officer (who gives +1 Strength bonus to all defending Units at the same Wall Section). The Defender gains the Advantage of 1 point. This time the Invader must remove his attacking Unit to bring the Defender's Advantage to 0.
Moving Out Examples
Using both Move Out Actions in one turn. The Invader has just played the Major Move Out with the Move Out card, which allows to move 7 Units to any field on the board. The Invader has moved 6 Units from the Rampart (d) to the Rampart (e). Note: Only the Western Side of the board allows moving the Units from Rampart to Rampart. It is due to the asymmetric distribution of fields. Note that it is only possible to move from the Rampart (d) to (e) – never the other way around. Note: A Drover chip placed on the Rampart allows to move the Units from this Rampart to any adjacent one, even from the Rampart (e) to (d). The Drover also allows to move the Units from the Rampart back to the Foreground.
Now the Invader moves 7 Units from the Foreground (a) to the Rampart (c) and (d): 5 Units go to the Rampart (d) and the other 2 to the Rampart (c). The Invader ends the Major Move Out by moving 7 new Units on the board and places them on the Rampart (a).
In the same turn the Invader decides to use the other Action indicated on the Move Out card he has played before. The Invader gives 3 Hourglasses to the Defender and performs the Action as follows: First, the Invader moves the Units from the Ramparts to the Walls. The Invader moves 5 Units from the Rampart (e) to the Rampart (c). The Invader ends the Minor Move Out by moving 5 new Units on the board. Knowing that only 5 Units can be placed on the Foreground (a), it is wise to move at least 2 Units. No more than 10 Units can be placed on one Foreground. The Invader decides to use the Minor Move Out optimally: 3 Units are moved from the Foreground (a) to the Rampart (b) and 2 more from the same Foreground to the Rampart (c). A total of 5 Units is moved and 2 more Units cannot move. The Invader also leaves 2 Goblins on the Rampart (c).
Glory
The Glory Points represent the chronicles which will record the course of this battle. The players try to have as many chronicles record their deeds and heroism as possible. The Glory board and the Glory Point chips are used to mark the players' Glory Points. The Glory Points are earned – and lost – in the following three ways:
Glory Points Earned for Time
At the start of the game the Invader has 10 Glory Points and gives 1 Glory Point to the Defender at the end of each turn, provided the Invader does not break into the Stronghold. The sooner the Invader captures the Stronghold, the more Glory Points they retain.
Glory Points Earned for Glorious Deeds (the Invader)
The Invader can earn Glory Points for performing Glorious Deeds. Each Glorious Deed gives 1 Glory Point. The following Glorious Deeds are available to the Invader:
- Attack of the Trolls – Prerequisite: 4 Trolls on the same Wall Section at any given moment of the game.
- Blood Rituals – Prerequisite: The Invader has sacrificed at least 12 Goblins for the Rituals.
- Massive Siege – Prerequisite: The Invader's Units are on at least 7 Wall Sections at any given moment of the game.
- Ruined Walls – Prerequisite: The Invader manages to demolish all Wall Components at one Wall Section twice during the game. This can be achieved on one or two different Wall Sections. Note: The first demolition must be marked by placing the ruined Wall Component on the Ruined Walls field.
- Points Earned for Destroying the Gates (the Invader) – +1 GP for destroying the 1st Gate, +1 GP for destroying the 2nd Gate, +3 GP for destroying the 3rd Gate.
- Breaking into the Stronghold – +3 GP for breaking into the Stronghold plus 1 GP for every additional Wall Section where the breach is made.
Glory Points Earned for Steadfastness (the Defender)
The Defender begins the game with 4 Glory Points placed on 4 different fields of the Glory board. In the fifth turn the Defender can exchange one of the Glory Points for one of the Dishonorable Deeds which is a Special Action associated with the field of that Glory Point. Only 1 Glory Point can be exchanged per turn. There are 4 Special Actions available to the Defender:
- Barricades – Effect: +4 Hourglasses to use in the Workshop. These Hourglasses may be used to perform the same Action twice in one turn.
- Disgraceful Negotiations – Effect: +3 Hourglasses for the Defender.
- The Last Breath – Effect: The Defender removes all Hourglasses which mark the Actions performed in the chosen building. The cost of Actions available in that building is lowered by 1 Hourglass. The minimum cost of one Action is 1 Hourglass.
- Amnesty – Effect: The prisoners are released from the dungeons and appear in the Courtyard. The Defender receives 1 Veteran and 1 Soldier (if available).
Glory Points Earned for the Honor Guard (the Defender)
Beginning with the sixth turn the Defender receives 1 Glory Point for every completed turn with two Soldiers remaining on the Honor Guard.
The Winner
When the game is finished (i.e. after the turn during which the Invader broke into the Stronghold), the earned and retained Glory Points are counted. The player with the most Glory Points wins.
If the Invader fails to break into the Stronghold in 10 turns, the Defender wins by default.
Draw
In case of a draw the Assault must repeated on these Wall Sections where the Invader failed to break into the Stronghold. If the Invader breaks into the Stronghold at any of these Wall Sections during the repeated Assault, the Invader wins the game by 1 Glory Point – but if the breach fails the Defender wins by 1 Glory Point.
Note: Play the Ranged Combat, Melee Combat and the Barbican actions. All chips remain as they were in the previous Attack.
Multiplayer Game
Three-Player Game
In the three-player game one player is the Defender and the remaining two are the Invaders. Each of the Invaders attacks one Side of the Stronghold.
The goal of the game remains the same: if one of the invading players wins, both Invaders are the winners.
The game is the same as the two-player game with exception of the following:
Choosing the Stronghold Sides. The Invaders take one Side of the Stronghold each. All Move Out Actions and effects of other Actions performed by each of the Invaders must be at this Invader's Side of the Stronghold.
Invaders' Preparations. The Invaders decide which Phase cards they will play with. They use the three-four-player deck shuffled into separate piles for each Phase.
The Invaders automatically receive Phase 1, Phase 6 and Camp cards. Then they need to pick the cards for Phases 2-5 together. The Invaders randomly draw 3 out of 5 cards of a given Phase and then each of them selects the one from the three which suits them most. The third card is then removed from the game.
Note: It is worth choosing the Phase cards so that the Invaders' Actions complement each other.
Note: The cost of some Actions in the three- and four-player game is different than in the two-player game as indicated on the Phase cards.
Note: In the beginning of the game both Invaders receive additional 3 Resources.
The Phases. Both Invaders act simultaneously in each Phase.
Using the Other Invader's Action
- Cost: 1 (additional) Hourglass
- Effect: One of the Invaders may make their Phase card Actions available to the other but cannot use it themselves.
Phase 1 – Supplies. Each Invader draws 10 random Units from the pouch and receives 5 Resource cubes.
Troop Transfer
- Cost: 1 Hourglass
- Effect: One of the players can give their ally up to 3 Units of one type.
Phase 6 – Move Out.
Movement of Units. Each of the Invaders may perform the Move Out to the Foregrounds on their respective Side of the Stronghold. Both of them may carry out the Move Out to crew the Battering Ram.
Orders. Both Invaders decide together how to use the Orders.
The Essence of the Three-Player Game. A three-player game rewards good cooperation of the Invaders. They should coordinate their actions, otherwise the Defender will be able to easily respond to the threat from one Invader while using the incompetence of the other. Only coordinated actions – consistent production of Machines and simultaneous Assaults – will diminish the Defender's advantage. The Invaders should not refrain from using each other's Actions when necessary. Local situations often justify issuing additional Hourglasses since the effects significantly exceed this cost.
Four-Player Game
In the four-player game two of the players become the Invaders and the other two take the roles of the Defenders. The victory is collective – either both Invaders or Defenders win.
This type of game mode is governed by all two-player game rules modified for the three-player game, with the following changes:
Choosing the Sides of the Stronghold. The Defenders also pick one Side of the Stronghold each. All actions by one of the Defenders have their effect only on their Side of the Stronghold. Each Defender commands Units and Heroes on the walls on their Side of the Stronghold. The Defender may decide to send Units or Heroes from his side of the Stronghold to help their ally: first, the Units are sent to the Courtyard, where the ally can take them to their side of the Stronghold. Units and Heroes located inside the buildings are at disposal of both Defenders.
Phase 1 – Supplies. At the start of every turn the Defenders receive 1 Stone Wall Component, and each of them receive 1 Hourglass.
Hourglasses. In the four-player game each of the Invaders has a different Hourglass color. Each Defender receives Hourglasses of one color for actions taken by the Invader playing on the same side of the Stronghold. The Defenders can use the Hourglasses as usual. The only difference is that Actions can only be bought with Hourglasses of one color. It is not possible to start an Action with one Hourglass color and finish it with another. Placing even one Hourglass of one color blocks the Action for the other Defender.
The Haste Chip. In every turn the Defenders have 1 Haste chip at their disposal.
- Cost: 0
- Effect: The Haste chip can be used to remove the ally's Hourglass which has been marking the Action already used in the turn. This enables the other player to use that Action in that turn.
The Essence of the Four-Player Game. The four-player game is more demanding for the Defenders. Using Actions by one Defender means they become unavailable for the other. It is necessary for the Defenders to thoroughly discuss their next steps to maintain solid, coherent defense of the Stronghold despite of two players in command. Mutual blocking of defense options is the worst thing for the Defenders and leads to a complete paralysis of defense. The challenge for the Defenders is to correctly assess the situation on their respective parts of the Wall and, if necessary, support the Defender who is worse off. There is no gain in having one untouched Side of the Stronghold if the other falls too soon.
Assignment of Elements and Components at the Start of Every Turn (Depending on the Number of Players)
| Number of players | Invader: Resources | Invader: Units | Defender: Wall Components | Defender: Hourglasses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | 5 | 10 | 1 common | 1 |
Credits
- Game Designer: Ignacy Trzewiczek
- Publisher: Portal (ul. Św. Urbana 15, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland)
- Game Manual: Rafał Szyma, Ignacy Trzewiczek
- Board and Box Graphic Design: Mariusz Gandzel
- Chip Graphic Design: Michał Oracz, Mariusz Gandzel
- Game Manual and Backcover Graphic Design: Tomasz Jędruszek
- Game Graphic Concept and Design: Michał Oracz
- Translation: Marcin Słapa, Jędrzej Ilukowicz