The Great Wall: Stretch Goals Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Component List
• Genghis Khan Expansion
  • Introduction
  • Setup
  • New Goal of the Standard Game
  • Genghis Khan
  • Genghis Khan Vital Spots
  • Genghis Khan Skill Cards
  • Moving Genghis Khan
  • Wounding Genghis Khan
  • Emperor's Awards
  • Bannermen
  • End of the Game
• Ancient Chronicles
  • Introduction
  • Setup
  • Freezing Weather
    • Freezing Weather's Scenario Card
    • Production Track
    • Resource Slots
    • Special Rules
  • Great Famine
    • Market Location
  • Emperor's Visit
    • Emperor's Visit Scenario Card
    • Special Rules
• 5th Player
  • Setup
• Rat Expansion
  • Introduction
  • Setup
  • The Rat Miniature
  • Rat Cards
• Notes on Transcription

Component List

Depending on your version, your game will contain meeples or miniatures.

Miniatures

• 5 Bannerman (1 per Player)
• 8 Clerks
• 10 Spearmen
• 4 Archers
• 2 Horsemen
• 1 Genghis Khan
• 1 Emperor's Award
• 1 Rat

Cards

• 1 Genghis Khan Horde card
• 9 Genghis Khan Horde cards
• 6 Genghis Khan Advisor cards
• 6 Emperor's Award cards
• 6 Genghis Khan Skill cards
• 5 Genghis Khan Help cards
• 5 Rat cards
• 5 Rat Artifact cards
• 6 Scenario cards
• 4 Ancient Chronicles General cards
• 8 Ancient Chronicles Tactic cards
• 10 Ancient Chronicles Advisor cards
• 10 Ancient Chronicles Artifact cards
• 4 5th Player General cards
• 4 5th Player Tactic cards
• 4 5th Player Advisor cards
• 6 5th Player Command cards

Tokens

• 1 Tea track marker
• 1 Honor marker

Others

• 1 Player screen
• 1 Stickers Sheet

Genghis Khan Expansion

Introduction

In the Genghis Khan expansion, the mighty Mongol conqueror leads the Hordes against the Wall, and puts the defenders to the test by increasing the game's difficulty.

This expansion may be added to mostly any game mode (Ancient Chronicles excepted).

Setup

Setup the game as normal, except for the following changes:

4. Draw 1 random Emperor's Award card and place it somewhere near the board. Place the Emperor's Awards model on it. Then, place the Artifacts as normal.

5. Each player takes a new Bannerman miniature (each Clan has a different Bannerman!) in addition to all the other components.

6. Prepare the Horde deck: First, remove 2 card types from the basic Horde deck (for a total of 6 removed cards) at random. Then add the 3 new types of Horde from the Genghis Khan expansion to the deck (for a total of 9 added cards). Shuffle all the Horde cards and place the deck on the top side of the board.

   2-player game: Remember to remove all Horde cards with the leftmost Wall Section on their back from the game.

7. Draw a number of Horde cards equal to the number of players; place them on the Wall Sections as normal. Then, place the Genghis Khan Horde card above the board. Shuffle the Genghis Khan Skill deck and draw 2 Genghis Khan Skill cards. Place them on both sides of the Genghis Khan Horde card. Place the Genghis Khan miniature on the Wall Section pointed by the Invasion Indicator on the topmost Horde card of the Horde deck.

8. Add the Genghis Khan Advisor cards to the Advisor deck and shuffle it. Then, deal 2 face down cards at random to each player.

New Goal of the Standard Game

The new goal of the game is to Defeat Genghis Khan. In order to do that, you will need to cover all Vital spots on the Genghis Khan Horde card and on the two Skill cards. Once you do it, play the current Year to the end and then proceed to the Final Honor Scoring.

Remember that Defeating Genghis Khan is just another way to finish the game. You can still fulfill any standard endgame condition.

This rule only applies when playing a competitive game. The Co–op mode victory conditions remain unchanged.

Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan himself is going to invade The Great Wall, aiding his loyal Hordes and inspiring them with his presence. Genghis Khan is always present on one of the Wall Sections, which is indicated by the position of his miniature.

Genghis Khan Vital Spots

Genghis Khan does not have any Offensive Power, nor any Honor Reward.

Genghis Khan is Defeated when all Vital spots on his Horde card and on his two Skill cards are covered.

The number of Vital spots that must be covered depends on the number of players taking part in the game. Some Vital spots are numbered: if the number in a Vital spot is lower than or equal to the number of players, that spot is active and must be covered. If the number is higher, then that spot is inactive and has no effect in play. Vital spots without any number are always active.

Card text (Genghis Khan Horde card): "Genghis Khan. Each Vital spot reward on this card and each Skill card is 6 [Honor icon]."

Card text (Genghis Khan Skill cards):

• "Our enemies are weaklings! During the Resolve Assault step, [red gem icon] placed on Breaching [grey block icon] do not prevent from getting [icon]."
• "Let them fear us! Players must pay 2 [icon] to Attack Genghis Khan."

The Skill card text above is only partly legible at print resolution. Icons that could not be identified are shown in brackets, and the printed words around them are transcribed as shown.

Genghis Khan Skill Cards

The Genghis Khan Skill cards add Vital spots to his Horde card, and also have effects that increase the game's difficulty. Skill cards are only active on the Wall Section containing the Genghis Khan miniature. A Skill card with all its active Vital spots covered becomes inactive and generates no effect until the end of the game.

Moving Genghis Khan

Each Year, after placing new Horde cards on the board, check the Invasion indicator on the topmost Horde card of the Horde deck and place the Genghis Khan miniature on that Wall Section.

Wounding Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan is not Wounded as standard Horde cards:

• Genghis Khan can be Wounded only by Spearmen and Horsemen.
• Genghis Khan cannot be Wounded by Archers or by any effect that uses Wound markers.

Each time a Horde card is Defeated on any Wall Section, the player who claims it may Attack Genghis Khan with 1 of his Soldiers on the Defeated Horde card. This Soldier has to survive (it may be necessary to Save it using Chi or another way of Saving Soldiers). When Attacking his Horde, place this Soldier on 1 (or possibly 2, if you use a Horseman) of Genghis Khan's Vital spots (either on Genghis Khan card or on a Skill card). The Player who does it immediately gains 6 Honor for each Vital Spot covered this way.

Note that Genghis Khan does not have to be on the same Wall Section as the Defeated Horde card to be Attacked. A player who Defeats a Horde card may Attack Genghis Khan even if he is on a different Wall Section.

Soldiers sent to Attack Genghis Khan remain on his Horde/Skill card until the end of the game. They cannot be removed from that card in any way.

Emperor's Awards

The Emperor's Award cards represent special favors granted by the Emperor to his most trusted Generals.

There is only one active Emperor's Award card each game, drawn during setup.

Whenever a player builds a part of the Wall, they get the Emperor's Award miniature. As long as they hold the miniature, they benefit from the effect of the active Emperor's Award card.

The Emperor's Award model changes hands each time a part of the Wall is built (unless it is built by the player already holding the miniature).

Bannermen

Bannermen are special Soldiers introduced in the Genghis Khan expansion. Each player has 1 Bannerman at their disposal. The cost of recruiting the Bannerman is 2 [gold icon] and 1 [red resource icon].

Bannermen follow the Spearmen rules – they may only Attack the first Horde (closest to the Wall) on the Wall Section where they are located. Also, if a Bannerman is present on a Wall Section (either on a Horde card or in the Rest Zone) at the start of Winter, its owner may Attack with 2 Soldiers on that Wall Section right before the Shooting step.

End of the Game

When all active Vital spots on the Genghis Khan Horde card and both Skill cards are covered, Genghis Khan is Defeated. Play the current Year to the end and, after resolving the Winter, proceed to the Final Honor Scoring. If Genghis Khan is not Defeated at the end of the last Year, resolve endgame according to the basic rules.

Ancient Chronicles

Introduction

The Ancient Chronicles expansion introduces Scenarios, which are sets of components and rules altering the standard game. In most Scenarios, the goal of the game does not change: the player that gathers the most Honor wins the game. In co–op Scenarios, the goal is to survive all Years until the endgame is reached.

Each Scenario comes with a special Scenario card – one side displays the game mode (some Scenarios can only be played in co–op), and the setup, which consists of additional steps that must be performed before the standard setup. The other side displays the Scenario special rules, which are detailed in the following sections.

Due to the specific rules of the Ancient Chronicles, they cannot be combined with the other expansions.

Setup

Before starting the game, choose a Scenario and read its rules. Some Scenarios use Setup rules for standard gameplay, and some of them for Co-op mode. Make sure you perform the Setup of the correct mode.

Setup the game as normal/Co-op, except for the following changes:

4. Shuffle the Ancient Chronicles Artifact cards with the base Artifacts and place 3 of them on the Artifact slots as normal. Remember that the Artifact effects from this expansion are active throughout the whole game and not just at the end of the game.

5. Add the Ancient Chronicles Tactic cards to the Tactic deck and shuffle it. Place the deck face down in the corresponding slot of the board (13.1).

6. Shuffle the Ancient Chronicles General cards with the base/Co-op Generals and deal 2 randomly face down to each player.

7. Add the Ancient Chronicles Advisor cards to the Advisor deck and shuffle it. Then, deal 2 face down cards at random to each player.

8. Make sure you have completed the Setup as written on the Scenario card.

Freezing Weather

Freezing Weather's Scenario Card

In the Freezing Weather Scenario, the players have to face poor resource yields as well as ravaging hordes. In addition to the standard Time track, the Freezing Weather Production track will alter the players' Incomes during the game.

Production Track

The Production value on this track modifies the number of Resources obtained during either the Income step at the beginning of Summer, or the Gather Resources step whenever a Production Location is Activated. This modifier is applied to each Overseer individually.

Resource Slots

These slots are used to mark which players have already helped the Emperor by sending Resources, as described below.

Special Rules

Helping the Emperor. Each player must gather 4 units of each Resource (Gold, Stone, Wood and Chi) and send them to the Emperor. During Fall, at the end of your turn after the Horde Defeat check step, you may discard 4 Resources of the same type at once. These Resources are removed from play until the end of the game. Then, place a Clerk from your pool on the Scenario card in the slot corresponding to the Resource type you just removed. Note that these Resources must be spent at once during a single turn.

Breach. Instead of getting a Shame token during a Breach, you may choose to remove 1 of your Resources from play until the end of the game (put it aside, or back in the box).

Raid. During a Raid, instead of removing Shame tokens from the pool, take 2 of each Resource in the pool and remove them from play (put them aside, or back in the box). If you cannot remove any Resource because the pool is empty, remove 1 Shame token for each missing Resource.

Final Honor Scoring. At the end of the game, before Final Honor Scoring, gain 12 Honor for each of your Clerk on the Scenario card.

Great Famine

Market Location

The Market is a new type of Special Location where the players can buy food. For each Clerk you send to the Market, you may pay an amount of Gold equal to the current Lethality value. If you do so, raise your Food value by 2.

Emperor's Visit

Emperor's Visit Scenario Card

This card indicates the type of Resource that the Emperor will value the most this Year.

Special Rules

Food track. The Food track represents the amount of Food gathered by the players, as well as showing the maximum Food capacity.

On the track, each player uses one of their Clerks to mark the Food they have at their disposal.

A Wound marker is used to indicate the maximum Food capacity available to each player. A Clerk can never be higher than the Wound marker. If the Wound marker drops below any Clerk, move that Clerk to the same space as the Wound marker.

When the Wound marker on this track reaches the value of 5 or lower – the game ends immediately and all players lose.

Breach and Raid. Whenever a Breach or Raid takes place, move the Wound marker on the Food track 1 step down for each Breaching/Raiding Horde card. Do not get nor remove any Shame tokens.

Eating phase. Each Winter, after the Assault phase, resolve the Eating phase. Each player must lower their Food by 1 for each of their Soldiers, Overseers and Clerks on the board (this applies to Clerks in Regular Locations and Soldiers in Rest Zones as well). If you cannot or do not want to feed a Clerk/Overseer/Soldier, it goes back to your pool.

Emperor's Claim. Each Winter, after the Assault phase, check the position of the Wound marker on the Emperor's Visit card. Each player who has the indicated number of Resources or more in their pool gets 10 Honor immediately (you must show these Resources to other players). Each player who does not gets a Shame token.

Sending Clerks to Warehouse. In the Emperor's Visit Scenario, the players may send their Clerks to the Warehouse Location. This Location, however, still does not Activate during the Activation step, and cannot be a target for Advanced Activation as well. Instead, after resolving the Assault phase during Winter, the player who has the most Clerks in the Warehouse (or, in case of a draw, the highest player on the Tea track) may move the Wound marker on the Emperor's card to a chosen space (it is not allowed to leave the Wound marker on the same space). Then, all Clerks in the Warehouse are placed back in their owners' pools.

Hungry Ghost Festival

Hungry Ghost Festival's Scenario Card

In Hungry Ghost Festival, the Scenario card is not used as a game component; it serves only as a help card.

Special Rules

Haunted Locations. During this Scenario, some Locations may become temporarily unavailable. Each Winter, after the Assault phase, check the Horde slots on Wall Sections:

• Take 1 Shame token from the pool for each ROW with at least 1 Horde card on it (up to 3 Shame tokens in total).
• Then, starting from the highest player on the Tea track, place each Shame token on 1 chosen Location. All Clerks in these Locations are returned to their respective pools.
• Any Location with a Shame token is considered Haunted. Clerks cannot be Moved in Haunted Locations.

The Barracks and the Tea House cannot become Haunted.

Shame Tokens and Permanent Death

Removing Shame Tokens from Locations

Shame tokens are removed from Locations in 2 cases:

1. At the start of Assault phase, remove all Shame tokens from all Locations, and place them back in the Shame token pool.
2. Each time a Horde card is Defeated, the player who claims it may remove 1 Shame token from a chosen Location. If nobody claims the Defeated card, the decision goes to the highest player on the Tea track.

Permanent Death

Each time a Soldier is Killed, it is not placed back in the player's pool – remove its miniature from the game.

Siege of Diaoyucheng

This Scenario can be played only in co–op mode. Apply the co–op rules and setup, except for the Emperor's Requests – they are not used in this Scenario.

The players' goal is to survive until the end of the game. It means that until the end of the last Year, the Defense of the Fortress never drops below 1, and the Shame token pool is not empty when a player should get a Shame token.

Siege of Diaoyucheng Scenario Card

The Scenario card represents the Diaoyu Fortress and displays 3 Firing spots and a special Defense track. During the game, a number of Shame tokens will be placed next to this card – they indicate the Sieging power accumulated by the Hordes.

Defense Track

The Defense track indicates how long the Fortress will hold before falling to the Attackers. Each Year during the Winter, this value will be lowered by the number of Shame tokens next to the Scenario card.

If the Defense drops to 0 at any time, it means an immediate loss for the players!

Special Rules

Archers in the Fortress. The Fortress hosts 3 Firing spots. There are 2 ways of sending Archers to the Fortress:

• During the Barracks Activation, when you recruit an Archer, you may pay 1 Wood to send it directly to the Fortress and place it in a free Firing spot.
• Using the Logistics Center. This is a special action in this Scenario. For each Clerk in the Logistics Center, you may pay 1 Wood to place 1 Archer from any Wall or Rest Zone in a free Firing spot in the Fortress.

Archers in the Fortress serve 2 purposes – they may Attack Hordes during the Firing phase and they mitigate Defense loss due to Shame tokens accumulated next to the Scenario card.

During the Firing phase, resolve Archers in the Fortress first. An Archer in the Fortress may Attack a Horde card in the first Row from any chosen Section.

Note: because Archers in the Fortress do not count as being on any Wall Section, therefore they may not Attack due to effects of Advisors and Attack Order Command card.

Night phase. Each Winter, after the Assault phase, resolve the Night phase:

1. Decrease the Fortress' Defense by 1 for each Shame token next to the Scenario card. a. Each Archer in the Fortress prevents the effect of 1 Shame token.
2. Move all Archers from the Fortress to Rest Zones chosen by their respective owners.

Increasing Defense. In this Scenario, the Builders' Encampment has a special action that may be used to increase the Fortress' Defense. When the Builders' Encampment is Activated, for each of your Clerks on it, you may pay 3 Resources of any type except Chi to raise the Fortress Defense by 1.

Raid. Each time a Raid happens, place 1 Shame token next to the Scenario card in addition to the normal Raid rules.

End of the game. If the Fortress' Defense drops to 0 or less at any time, the players IMMEDIATELY lose the game. All other endgame conditions are still valid.

Red Turban Rebellion

This Scenario may only be played in co–op mode. Apply the co–op rules and setup, except for the Emperor's Requests – they are not used in this Scenario.

The Players' goal is to survive until the end of the game. It means that until the end of the last Year, no Breach can take place, and the Shame token pool is not empty when a player should get a Shame token.

Note that this Scenario is 1 Year shorter, as indicated by the Shame token on the Time track.

Red Turban Rebellion Scenario Card

In Red Turban Rebellion, the Scenario card is not used as a game component; it serves only as a help card.

Special Rules

Inactive Gold Overseer. Gold Overseers cannot be Upgraded in this Scenario. Cover the first Gold Overseer slot with a Wound token to mark this rule.

Overseer Income. Each Summer, during the Income step each player may lose 20 Honor to Hire a Clerk from the Emperor's Embassy.

State choice. Each Spring, after advancing the Time track, the players decide if they want to enter a state of Peace or a state of War:

• State of Peace – the players may collectively pay a total of 3 Gold to reduce by 1 the number of Horde cards placed during the next step. This may be done any number of times, but the number of incoming Hordes cannot be reduced below 1. In order to choose the state of Peace, the players must pay at least 3 Gold.
• State of War – choosing this state does not require any payment. Each player Hires 1 Clerk from the Emperor's Embassy for free.

Activating Production Locations. Whenever a Production Location is Activated, the player with the most Clerks in that Location takes one of them and sends it to the Emperor's Embassy. In case of a draw, the Tea track decides.

Raid & Breach. Breach – if any Breach occurs, the players lose the game immediately.

Raid – In addition to the normal Raid effects, each player takes 1 Clerk from their pool and sends it to the Emperor's Embassy.

5th Player

A 5–player game is played as a standard 4–player game, with only a few changes to apply during setup.

Setup

1. Place the main board in the play area with the "4–5 player" side faceup.

2. Place the Time marker on the 2nd slot of the Time track instead. [The game will last at most 4 years instead of 5]

3. Place 1 Horde in each slot in the first row (3.1). In a 5–player game place 2 additional Horde cards according to the Invasion indicator on the back of the next Horde cards.

4. Add the 5th Player Tactic cards to the Tactic deck and shuffle it. Place the deck face down in the corresponding slot of the board (13.1).

5. Shuffle the 5th Player General cards with the base/Co-op Generals and deal 2 randomly face down to each player.

6. Add the 5th Player Advisor cards to the Advisor deck and shuffle it. Then, deal 2 face down cards at random to each player.

7. Players place 4 Clerks instead of 3 on the Clerk space of the main board (15.1).

Rat Expansion

Introduction

The Rat expansion is a mini–addon which may be added to any game mode. Its purpose is to bring wealth to the brave Generals facing the invasion of the horde.

Setup

Setup the game as normal, except for the following changes:

4. Shuffle the Rat Artifact cards with the base Artifacts and place 3 of them on the Artifact slots as normal.

5. Add the Rat Advisor cards to the Advisor deck and shuffle it. Then, deal 2 face down cards at random to each player.

6. Shuffle the Rat deck and place it near the board. Then reveal 1 Rat card and place it next to the deck.

7. The highest player on the Tea track places the Rat miniature in 1 chosen Location.

8. You are now ready to start the game.

The Rat Miniature

Each time a Location with the Rat miniature is Activated, each player who has at least 1 Clerk on this Location gets 1 [gold icon].

Rat Cards

The revealed Rat card indicates the required condition to Move the Rat miniature.

Each Fall, after the Horde Defeat check step, the player who meets the condition displayed on the active Rat card (or, in case of a draw, the higher player on the Tea track) Moves the Rat miniature to any other Location of their choice. The Rat must be Moved and cannot remain on the same Location.

Each Summer, after the Reclaim Command cards step, reveal 1 Rat card and cover the previous active Rat card with it. The new drawn card becomes the new active Rat card.

Notes on Transcription

• Two paragraphs in the Genghis Khan section are printed with no heading of their own: "Each time a Horde card is Defeated on any Wall Section..." and "Soldiers sent to Attack Genghis Khan...". They are kept under the preceding "Wounding Genghis Khan" heading rather than given a heading the source does not print.
• The Ancient Chronicles flavour text (scenario intros) is omitted, as is the Ancient Chronicles scenario flavour fiction; all rules text is kept.
• Obvious printing typos corrected: "Deafeating" to "Defeating", "Ghenghis" to "Genghis", "boths" to "both", "In the number is higher" to "If the number is higher", "Player the current Year" to "Play the current Year", "Whenever time a Production Location" to "Whenever a Production Location", "take 1 Clerk ... and send it" to "sends it", "must be Moves" to "must be Moved", "the the highest player" to "the highest player".
• Icons not identified at print resolution: the gold and red icons on the Bannermen cost line, the red gem and grey block icons and the final icon on the Skill card text, and the icon in "pay 2 [icon]". These are shown in brackets rather than named.
• The publisher's FAQ/errata (a separate PDF, listed by the publisher) is not transcribed.
• The Iron Dragon product is a separate sibling set and is not part of this rulebook.