Tidal Blades: Banner Festival Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview and Objective
• Components
• Game Setup
• Board Overview
• How to Play
  • Each Bout, take the following steps:
    • 1. The Lead Player Moves the Trade Gate
    • 2. Simultaneously Play Merchandise Cards
    • 3. Resolve Actions
• Fruit and the Fruit Pool
• Scoring Phase
  • 1. Score Banner Majorities
  • 2. Clear Banners
  • 3. Reset for a New Round
• Endgame and Final Scoring
• Trading Houses
• Merchandise Card Abilities
• Scoring Example
• Credits

Overview and Objective

Over a series of three days, you will compete for sales in each of the city's Quadrants, making the best of your available Merchandise. Striking deals will let you grab location bonuses and hang your Banners proud and high — but play your cards right and you might also gain access to influential Navirians, or boost your wealth in the race with perfectly timed stunts. Each round, Profit will be split based on Banner majorities in each Region. The player who accumulates the most Profit by the end of the game wins!

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Components

• 1 Game board
• 20 Goya Star Fruit
• 1 Trade Gate
• 70 Banners (14 per player color)
• 35 Character cards (7 per player color)
• 5 Watercraft (1 per player color)
• 40 Merchandise cards
• 5 Reference cards (1 per player color)
• 46 Profit tokens (18 x 1s, 16 x 3s, and 12 x 6s rewards)

Game Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the play area.
2. Build the Merchandise deck:
   • If playing with 4 or fewer players, remove the 0-value card for each suit (there are 4 suits in the game) from the deck and return those cards to the box.
   • Shuffle all remaining Merchandise cards to form the Merchandise deck, then place this deck facedown near the game board.
3. Establish a supply of all Fruit rewards near the game board.
4. Assemble your Character deck: a. Choose a player color. b. Take all Character cards in your player color and arrange them facedown in a deck such that the lowest-numbered card (the "1 Profit") is on top of the deck, and the cards proceed down in order (so that the highest, the "28 Profit", is at the bottom of the deck.). c. Place this deck in your personal play area, leaving room beside it for a scoring pile.
5. Take a Reference card and all Banners in your player color and place them in your personal play area, near your Character deck.
6. Place your player color's Watercraft on the 1 space of the Racing Track, in the center of the game board.
7. Place the Trade Gate on the colored ring, aligned with the fourth space of the Racing Track.
8. Establish the Fruit Pool. Place a number of Fruit appropriate to your player count in the center of the game board:

Player Count	Fruit in Pool
2	7
3	9
4	11
5	13

9. Deal 8 cards from the Merchandise deck to each player.
   • For 5 players, instead deal only 7 cards to each player. Place any leftover cards facedown on the table.
10. If playing with fewer than 4 players, place one Banner from a player color not in play over the spaces labeled "Even" and "Odd" in each Quadrant.
11. Group the Profit tokens by type and place them near the board.

This is the symbol for Profit. You'll see it on Character cards, Merchandise cards, and Profit tokens.

Board Overview

1. The board is split into two halves by a thin white bridge that runs from the edge towards the numbered Racing Track. This bridge separates the board into one Region of orange and yellow, and a second Region of purple and teal.
2. Two other short bridges come out from the Racing Track and separate each Region into two Quadrants. Each Quadrant is made up by a single color on the colored ring. The Trade Gate is placed on this ring and only ever moves clockwise along the colored spaces. The placement of the Trade Gate each Bout indicates the active Quadrant for that Bout.
3. Each Quadrant of the board has a dock or path that extends out of it with 4 spaces on which Banners may be placed. Each space on the dock grants a bonus to a player when they place a Banner there as shown on the space.
4. The dock leads to that Region's tower, a fifth space for Banners which is shared by the other Quadrant in that Region. The Tower serves as a special space for both Quadrants in that Region and any Banners placed on the Tower are not removed until the end of the game. When placing Banners, the Tower is the furthest space you can place on while on that Quadrant's dock and it is considered to be the end of that dock. Towers can also hold any number of Banners.

Trawlers are a tight-knit community, many of whom make a living hunting spinesquids and other large sea creatures. They export a lot of seafood to the urban centers, but don't typically get a ton of visitors. To help deal with the record crowds during the Festival, trading is regulated with the use of a Trade Gate. This results in both smoother navigation for all attendees and a fun competition for the traders involved.

How to Play

Banner Festival is played over a series of three rounds, each followed by a scoring phase for that round. At the end of the third round, complete a final end of round scoring phase and then proceed to game end scoring.

Each round is comprised of seven or eight Bouts depending the number of players in your game. You will select and play one Merchandise card from your hand during each Bout.

Each Bout, take the following steps:

1. The Lead Player Moves the Trade Gate

You become the Lead Player by playing the lowest card in the previous Bout.

Skip this step during the first Bout of the game. Move the Trade Gate 1, 2, 3 or 4 spaces clockwise around the game board's central Colored Ring. This will determine the Quadrant where players are competing this turn.

Trawlers are a tight-knit community, many of whom make a living hunting spinesquids and other large sea creatures. They export a lot of seafood to the urban centers, but don't typically get a ton of visitors. To help deal with the record crowds during the Festival, trading is regulated with the use of a Trade Gate. This results in both smoother navigation for all attendees and a fun competition for the traders involved.

2. Simultaneously Play Merchandise Cards

Choose a card in your hand, and place it facedown in front of you. Once all players have chosen their card to play for the Bout, reveal all chosen cards simultaneously, and compare them to one another based on the Trade Gate's current Quadrant.

In order to win, you'll need to have the most Profit at the end of the game. Choosing the right card at the right moment is the key to victory. During each bout the highest card will move your watercraft, playing the lowest card will give you the special ability on your chosen card, and anything between those will be a mid-ranked card that allows you to place a banner. All of these paths will grant you Profit, and there are many paths to victory!

Ranking Cards by Quadrant

When you compare Merchandise cards during this step, they are ranked in order based on the Quadrant's printed "suit order" graphic. This represents the value of the card relative to buyers of this Quadrant.

If the Trade Gate is at either space in the Teal Quadrant, for example, all Teal cards are ranked higher than all Purple cards, all Purple cards are higher than all Orange cards, etc. The number on your Merchandise card determines the rank within that color — for example, a Teal 8 would always be ranked higher than a Teal 5.

The hierarchy is always ranked in clockwise order of the Quadrants' colors.

Example: In this example, according to the order determined by the position of the Trade Gate, the Teal 2 is the highest-ranked card in this Bout. Both the Orange 6 and the Yellow 5 are mid-ranked cards, and the Yellow 2 is the lowest-ranked card.

2 and 3-Player Variant: If playing with 2-3 players, reveal one random undealt card from the Merchandise deck faceup before players choose their cards. If playing with two players, place another random Merchandise card from the deck, facedown, and do not reveal it until after players have revealed their cards. These "dummy" cards take no action. If any of these dummy cards is the lowest, the Trade Banner advances exactly 3 spaces at the start of the next Bout (instead of a player choosing how far to advance it).

3. Resolve Actions

Once you have ranked all players' played Merchandise cards according to the Quadrant's hierarchy, players will simultaneously take one of three different actions. These actions are determined by whether you had the highest-ranked card, the lowest-ranked card, or if you fell in the middle.

Highest-Ranked Card

Move your Watercraft clockwise to the Trade Gate's current location. If your Watercraft was already at the Trade Gate's location, then it moves a full lap on the Racing Track.

Do not reveal your Character card until after you have completed your movement. This means that, if you passed the arrow after the 8th space and landed on your current Character card Stunt Location, you collect the Fruit before revealing your topmost card.

• Every time your Watercraft passes the 8th space of the Racing Track, reveal the top card of your Character deck and place it faceup next to your deck. The more laps you complete, the deeper you dig into your Character deck, and the more Profit you score at the end of the game!
• If your Watercraft lands exactly on the Stunt Location indicated on your topmost Character card, collect one Fruit from the Pool. Your second, third, fourth, and fifth cards in your Character deck each indicate a specific Stunt Location on the Racing Track.
• If your Watercraft makes another full lap and you have no further Character cards to reveal, your Scoring pile does not change. Instead, gain 3 Fruit.

Merchants don't race, but it is customary for trading houses to enter a professional racer under their banner's name. Thus, using your merchandise to advance your watercraft is akin to using the goods to support your faction's racer. With some luck and planning, it can be just as profitable as selling the same merchandise on the floating market!

Character Card Anatomy

Each Character card features the following:

• Potential Stunt Location
• Character Banner
• Character Illustration
• Number of Profit

Lowest-Ranked Card

Gain the ability printed on the Merchandise card you played this Bout. You become the Lead Player (and will choose the Trade Gate's destination during the next Bout).

If no player in a 2- or 3-player game has the lowest card, there is no Lead Player, and the Trade Banner advances exactly 3 spaces at the start of the next Bout.

This is the only time you gain the effect printed on your Merchandise card. If your card is highest- or mid-ranked, do not take the action on your Merchandise card.

Using Merchandise cards for their abilities means you're starting to learn the ropes! Going straight to the supplier can gain you all kinds of special deals and advantages. These influential characters from Naviri are very in demand, which is why only one merchant at a time can get special favors.

Mid-Ranked Cards

Place a Banner in this Quadrant.

Follow the path and place your Banner on the first space that your card qualifies for. For example, if you have an even number, check to see if the space is available for Even, if not proceed to the space that matches your card's color, then if none of those spaces are available, place your Banner at the Region's Tower.

Example: Blake plays an Orange 6 which is middle-ranked in this Bout. His 6 would normally be placed in the first location, since it is Even. However, that location is occupied by another player's Banners. He follows the dock path, and the next location that his card matches is the fourth space (since his card is Orange). Blake places his Banner at that location, and immediately collects 2 Fruit from the Pool. If another player had also played a mid-ranked Orange card, that player would also place a Banner at the same location as Blake's and collect two Fruit.

Once all players have resolved their actions, a new Bout begins, starting by the Lead player moving the Trade Gate. This continues until all players have played all of the cards in their hand, at which point a Scoring Phase begins (see "Scoring phase").

Wherever you place your Banner, immediately gain any bonuses printed at the bottom of your new Banner's location. These bonuses are marked on each space and will either gain you extra Fruit or let you place an extra Banner at the same location.

• Odd and even spots — place an additional banner on this dock space.
• Fruit icon — gain 1 or 2 fruit according to suit shown.

The Tower

If no unoccupied spaces match your card's color or number, your Banner is instead placed on the Tower. The Tower grants no immediate bonus, but any number of players' Banners can be placed there, and Banners at the Tower do not clear away during Scoring Phases (see "Scoring phase").

Once a player has placed a Banner in a non-Tower space, that space is considered occupied. However, if multiple players play cards that match a location's number/color requisite during the same Bout, then all of those players' Banners are placed at the location - the location does not count as being occupied until after the Bout fully resolves.

Merchandise Card Anatomy

Each Merchandise card features the following:

• A number (uniquely numbered 0-9 in each color)
• A color (Purple, Orange, Yellow, or Teal)

The abilities are shared by each card of a specific number. Therefore, all 7s would feature the same ability as shown on the card in this example, regardless of their color. Only 10 unique card effects exist among all Merchandise cards.

Fruit and the Fruit Pool

During setup, the size of the Fruit Pool was established, and the Pool was populated with Fruit. Many effects in the game will allow you to take Fruit. All Fruit you take will come from the Pool.

Whenever the Pool is emptied of Fruit, this triggers a Feast. To perform a Feast, take the following steps:

1. Ensure that all players have taken all Fruit they were due from any effects played in the current Bout. If the Pool does not have sufficient Fruit, take the rest from the supply.
2. Compare each player's number of Fruit.
   • If you have the most (or if you are tied for the most), gain Profit tokens equal to the number of fruit you've collected, then return all of your fruit to the supply.
   • All other players, gain Profit tokens equal to half the amount of fruit they collected, rounded up. Then return their fruit to the supply.
3. Reset the Fruit Pool by moving Fruit from the supply to the Pool (in the same quantity as during setup):

Player Count	2P	3P	4P	5P
Fruit Pool	7	9	11	13

At the end of the game, one final Feast will occur (even if the Pool was not emptied during the game's final Bout).

Example: The Pink player will score only half their Fruit rounded up. So in this case, they will discard both Fruit to the supply and gain 1 Profit token. The Red and the Green player are tied for the most Fruit, and will each discard all their Fruit and gain 4 points of Profit.

Although Trawl grows its fair share of gob fruit like in the rest of Naviri, the region is most famous for its goya stars, a bright yellow fruit that only grows every six wet seasons. Because of their rarity—and surprising longevity—goya stars have become a traditional gift during the Banner Festival and are much coveted by traders.

Scoring Phase

After the last Bout of each round, a Scoring Phase begins. To resolve a Scoring Phase, take the following steps:

1. Score Banner Majorities

Each Region gains Profit tokens for the player(s) with the most Banners in that Region. A Region is a pair of Quadrants that share a Tower (Orange/Yellow form one region, and Purple/Teal form the other region).

a. The player with the most Banners is awarded 6 Profit. b. Second most is awarded 3 Profit. c. (4 or 5-players only) Third most is awarded 1 Profit.

In case of a tie, all tied players receive the best possible reward, but the next level's reward is skipped. For example, in a 4-player game, if Ryan and Geoff both have 4 Banners in a Region, and Blake has 3 Banners, then Ryan and Geoff would both receive 6 Profit, and Blake would receive 1 Profit.

2 and 3-player Variant - The neutral Banners in each Region count towards these majorities. Therefore, to earn Profit during a Scoring Phase, you must have 2 or more Banners in the Region.

2. Clear Banners

Return all of your non-Tower Banners to your personal supply. Banners at the Tower persist between rounds. In a 2 to 3-player game, neutral Banners are not cleared during this step.

3. Reset for a New Round

If this is the third Scoring Phase, proceed to endgame and Final Scoring. Otherwise, shuffle all Merchandise cards together and begin a new round by dealing 8 cards to each player (or 7 cards to each player in a 5-player game). The player who most recently played the low-ranked card still retains Lead Player, and will move the Trade Gate in the first Bout of the new round.

Any 9-value Merchandise cards in your score pile are not returned to the Merchandise deck. Because of this, it's possible to have as few as 1 card undealt to players in a 4- or 5-player game.

Endgame and Final Scoring

The game ends after the third Scoring Phase. At this point, award points for the following:

Perform a Feast (see "Merchandise card abilities"), but do not reset the Fruit Pool again. Score as normal, converting all Fruit into Profit tokens as normal and discarding Fruit back to the supply.

Profit Tokens — Total value on all your Profit tokens.

Top Character Card — The Profit showing on the topmost revealed card of your Character deck.

Everything Else — The Profit from any other components in your play area (such as the 9-value Merchandise card)

The player with the most Profit wins! In case of a tie, the tied player with the most Banners on the board wins. If a tie still persists, the tied players share the victory.

Trading Houses

During the Festival, all trading houses compete for the same customers, and will try to broaden their stocks for the occasion. Still, behind every banner lies a unique history.

Aquarius Imports

Aquarius Imports is renowned for celebrating artisans from all over Naviri and beyond. Their stalls always shine bright amongst the crowds, bedecked with colorful displays of hand-crafted jewelry. Their traders are fond of saying that every object has a story, and they will invariably tell you all about it.

Moontide Exchange

Naviri is brimming with drifters specializing in watercraft repairs, but few could ply their trade without the prompt, around-the-clock services of Moontide Exchange. The trading house has grown quickly in recent years and offers more than just spare parts, but it still prides itself as one of the only collectives operating under the starry night.

The Bokai Fleet

Anyone who has felt peckish at sea probably found themselves unconsciously looking for the white banners of the Bokai Fleet. They don't have everything in stock, but they have the basics, and they'll deliver it the fastest. The collective has become a household name in the food industry, ensuring a vast supply of goods and ingredients to drifters and far-off restaurants.

Bluehorn Goods

Bluehorn Goods sells mostly exotic goods from Stoen, but unlike other desert traders, they don't shy away from reaching customers right on their own dock step. Their strategy relies on one simple observation: the booming interest for foreign goods, and the vast untapped market of Navirians reluctant to scorch their fins on the shore to get them.

Tentacular Stocks and Rarities

Although Tenta's service is slow and their headquarters are hard to find, they offer something nobody else can: the rarest, most peculiar wares in Naviri. All of their traders are seasoned lorehunters and will work tirelessly to locate that rare pearl you always dreamed of—and aren't sure even exists.

Merchandise Card Abilities

0 — Grido

Advance your Watercraft to the Trade Gate's position.

This card is only included in the deck if 5 players are playing. Advance your Watercraft (clockwise) to the Trade Gate's position. If already at the Trade Gate, move a full lap.

1 — Nyrock

Gain 1 Fruit and Advance your Watercraft 2 spaces.

Gain a Fruit, and Advance your Watercraft 2 spaces (clockwise).

2 — Kase

Place a Banner in the Quadrant's nearest available space.

Place a Banner in the Quadrant's nearest available space, ignoring space restriction for matching the number or color on the card. The Tower can be nearest available space if the rest of the dock spaces in the Quadrant are filled.

3 — Korg

Advance your Watercraft 1 space for each of your Banners in this Region. (Min. 1 - Includes Tower)

Advance your Watercraft one space (clockwise) for each of your Banners in the Region. Minimum: 1 space. Includes your Banners in the Region's Tower.

4 — Lokam

Gain 1 Fruit for each Banner you have in this Quadrant. (Min. 1, Max. 4 - Includes Tower)

Gain 1 Fruit for each Banner you have in this Quadrant. Minimum 1, maximum 4 Fruit. Includes your Banners in the Region's Tower.

5 — Starlove

Place 1 Banner at this Region's Tower.

Place a Banner on top of this Region's Tower.

6 — Miskie

Advance your Watercraft 2 spaces for each of your Banners in this Region. (Min. 2 - Includes Tower)

Advance your Watercraft two spaces (clockwise) for each of your Banners in this Region. Minimum: 2 spaces. Includes your Banners in this Region's Tower.

7 — Sai

Gain 1 Fruit for each Banner you have in this Region. (Min. 1, Max. 6 - Includes Tower)

Gain 1 Fruit for each Banner you have in this Region. Minimum 1, maximum 6 Fruit. Includes your Banners in this Region's Tower.

8 — Babs

Place 2 Banners at this Region's Tower.

Place 2 Banners on top of this Region's Tower.

9 — Caiman

Place this card in your scoring pile. It is worth 5 Profit.

Place this card in your scoring pile. It is worth 5 Profit. This effect permanently removes this card from the deck.

Each of the 9s represents a Tidal Blade chosen to protect the reefs from invading monsters. The Banner Festival takes place after the tournament which helped select the new guardians—an opportunity for Navirians to meet and greet the heroes in a relaxed setting before they are sent on more dangerous missions.

Scoring Example

Here we find an example of the scoring process for a 4-player game about to conclude. They just finished their third round of Bouts and are about to enter the Round 3 Scoring Phase, immediately followed by end of game scoring.

	Pink	Green	Red	White
Points accumulated from Rounds 1 & 2	21	15	14	16
Round 3
Region 1 Banners	5 Banners → 6	4 Banners → 3	3 Banners → 1	0 Banners → 0
Region 2 Banners	2 Banners → 1	0 Banners → 0	4 Banners → 6	4 Banners → 6
End of Game Scoring
Feast	2 Fruit → 1	3 Fruit → 2	3 Fruit → 2	4 Fruit → 4
Highest revealed Character card	21	6	15	3
Scored 9-value Merchandise cards	0	5	0	5
TOTAL Points	50	31	38	34

Credits

Designers: JB Howell & Michael Mihealsick

Art and Narrative: Mr. Cuddington

Graphic Design: Matt Paquette & Co.

Development Team: James Hudson, Ben Kepner, Dan Stong

Production Lead: Kate Finch

Rulebook Editing: Jonathan Cox

Digital Prototype: Dan Stong

Playtesters: Jess Morse, Matt Faulisi, Casey Adams, Brianna Nivinski, Kate Finch, Lauren Peterson, John Hynes, Michael Stong, Judy Stong, Lizzy Iverson, Sandra Hudson, Parker Hudson, Stella Hudson, Dan (Shoe) Hsu, Christina Ha, Tom Twedell, Robbi Ramirez, Bryan Kline, Ryan Paul, William Madden, Shana Boss-Hill, Nick Vollentine, Ian Zang, Brandon Vieira, Camden Clutter, Don Riddle, David Abelson, Jeff Howell, Mark Howell.

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