Tiny Epic Vikings
Tiny Epic Vikings Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Game Setup
- Gameplay Overview
- Resources and Runes
- Phase 1: Drafting Cards
- Phase 2: Performing Actions
- The Map: Islands and Fjords
- Perform a Leader Action
- Gain Control of an Island
- Influence
- Steal an Island Rune
- Perform a Rune Action
- Dedicate a Village (optional)
- Phase 3: Cleanup
- Final Scoring
- 2-Player Game Variant
- Solo Rules: The Enemy Clan
- Phase 1: Solo Drafting Changes
- Phase 2: Solo Action Changes
- Battling
- Phase 3: Solo Cleanup Changes
- End of Game and Final Scoring
- Quick Reference Guide
Components
- 1 Double-Sided Map Board
- 4 Clan Mats
- 48 Viking Cards
- 18 Favor Cards
- 6 God Mats
- 1 Era/Score Mat
- 13 Villages
- 24 Settlers (6 in 4 colors)
- 16 Boats (4 in 4 colors)
- 8 Temples (2 in 4 colors)
- 4 Scoring Markers
- 1 Raven
- 1 Chieftain Marker
- 9 Runes (3 in 3 types)
- 3 Fury Markers
- 12 Resource Markers (4 in 3 types)
Game Setup
-
Unfold and place the Map Board in the center of the play area. Flip to the side that matches the player count, noted by the icon in the bottom right of the board.
- 1A. Place 1 Rune onto each Island on the Map, matching its icon, and return unused Runes to the box.
- 1B. Place a Village on each village spot on the Map (not on the boat spots). Return any unused Villages to the box.
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Shuffle the God Mats and randomly choose 3 gods, placing them faceup in a row above the Map. Return remaining mats to the box.
- 2A. Randomly select a Fury Marker for each of the 3 God Mats, placing it on the "0" space on its mat's Fury Track.
-
Place the Era Mat, Raven-side-up, to the right of the God Mats.
- 3A. Place the Raven Marker on the "1" space to show it is Era 1.
- 3B. Leave space to the left side of the Era Mat to place a Favor Card (for each Battle).
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Shuffle the Viking Cards into a single, facedown deck, and place it nearby. Leave space next to the deck for a Discard Pile.
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Shuffle the Favor Cards, and draw and place several faceup in rows on the top and bottom of the Map. Each of these two rows will have the following number of cards:
- 2-players: 4 cards per row
- 3-players: 5 cards per row
- 4-players: 7 cards per row
Return unused cards to the box.
-
Give each player a Clan Mat and the following tokens, matching the mat's color:
- 6A. 6 Settlers: place them onto the matching spots on the mat.
- 6B. 4 Boats: place 3 onto the matching spots, and set one aside for Step 8 (see below).
- 6C. 2 Temples: place them onto the matching spots.
- 6D. 1 Score Marker: set aside for scoring at the end of game.
- 6E. Give each player 3 different Resource Markers (Wood, Food, and Steel). Place each on the "2" space on the mat's Resource Track (at the bottom).
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Give the Chieftain Marker to the starting player: the player who last set foot on an island.
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Starting with the player to the right of the starting player, place the set-aside Boat into any empty Fjord (water space) that touches the edge of the Map. Proceed counter-clockwise, ending with the starting player.
If setting up for a 1 or 2 player game, see the additional rules on pg 16-17.
Gameplay Overview
The game is played over a series of three eras, tracked by the Raven on the Era Mat. Each era consists of three phases:
- Drafting Cards Phase - Players are given a hand of Viking Cards. They select 1 card to keep, and then pass the remaining cards (see next page).
- Performing Actions Phase - Players play their cards to take actions, such as Sail, Build, Battle, and Harvest.
- Cleanup Phase - All Viking Cards in play are discarded and placed in the discard pile, and the era is finished.
After the third era is complete, the game ends and proceeds to final scoring. Players gain Victory Points from the Island Runes and Favor Cards they have acquired.
Resources and Runes
You track resources and runes in the game.
The 3 Resources: Wood, Food, and Steel.
How much of each resource you own is tracked by a tracker on your Clan Mat. As you gain or spend a resource, its corresponding token moves right or left on the track. You cannot collect more resources than the track allows (a maximum of 7 each), nor can you spend resources you do not have.
The 3 Runes: F "Wealth", C "Secrets", and N "Nature's Fury".
Runes are symbols of power you get from Viking Cards, Favor Cards, and Islands you control. Each of the 3 Runes represents one of the 3 gods. Active Runes are gained from (A) playing Viking Cards and (B) controlling Islands. Active Runes also (C) boost abilities or (D) allow you to perform Rune Actions. Passive Runes are gained from (E) Favor Cards and only offer Victory Points at the end of the game.
An Active Rune is only gained by taking control of an Island or by playing a Viking Card (listed in the top left of each card). Unlike resources, Active Runes do not have a track, and are not spent when used. Instead, you lose these Runes when you lose control of an Island, or at the end of an era when you discard your Viking Cards.
Phase 1: Drafting Cards
Players are dealt an initial hand of Viking Cards. They choose a card to keep, and then pass the remaining cards to the next player:
- Deal the number of cards listed on the Era Mat for the current era to each player:
- In Era 1, deal 4 cards
- In Era 2, deal 5 cards
- In Era 3, deal 6 cards
- You look at your hand of cards, select one card to keep for your final hand in this era, and place it facedown in front of you.
- Then, pass the remaining cards from your initial hand to the next player. The direction you pass is listed on the Era Mat for the current era:
- In Era 1, pass clockwise
- In Era 2, pass counter-clockwise
- In Era 3, pass clockwise
- Then, look at the cards passed to you, choose another card to place facedown in front of you for your final hand, and then pass the rest.
- Continue drafting cards (selecting one and passing the rest) until you are passed a single card. At that time, players are done drafting. Add this single card to your other facedown cards—your final hand for this era is complete. You are now ready to move to Phase 2: Performing Actions.
Note: When drafting, players may reference the cards they have placed facedown, but they cannot exchange cards they have already placed facedown with those in their hand.
Viking Card Information
It's important to understand the information presented on each Viking Card:
- Active Rune granted to you for playing the card
- Viking leader's name
- Strength used for resolving Battles
- Leader Action you may perform
- Rune Action, a bonus you may perform if you possess the Active Rune(s)
Phase 2: Performing Actions
In this phase, you take turns in order, starting with the player with the Chieftain Marker, and going clockwise. Each turn you play a Viking Card from your hand. This represents a generation in the life of your clan, and the card you play is your clan leader for that generation. On your turn:
Step 1: Resolve a Battle (mandatory, if started on previous turn)
At the start of a turn, if your most recently played card (rightmost on your row of cards) is facedown (which can only happen if you started a battle on your previous turn), you now resolve the battle. At this time, all other players who also have facedown cards flip over their cards and you all compare Strengths to see who wins the battle (see next page).
Step 2: Play a Card and Perform its Actions (mandatory)
You play one Viking Card on your turn into the space below your Clan Mat. Choose one of the two ways to play the card:
- Start or Join a Battle: Play facedown (see below)
OR
- Perform its Leader and/or Rune Action: Play faceup (see pg 10-12)
In either case, the cards are placed into a row going from left to right below your Clan Mat. Each new card added is placed to the right of the previous card.
Step 3: Dedicate a Village (optional)
If you possess a raided Village, you may dedicate it, placing it on one of the Dedication Actions and performing the resulting bonus action (see pg 14).
Start or Join a Battle
Players clash steel and spill blood for the chance to gain a Favor Card. On your turn, place a Viking Card facedown as the rightmost card in your row. If you are starting the battle (no other players have a facedown card), you select one of the Favor Cards above or below the Map from either end of either row (this typically means there are 4 options to choose from).
Place the Favor Card into the slot on the left edge of the Era Mat. Other players may now join the battle—on their turn, they may also play a Viking Card from their hand facedown. However they do not choose a Favor Card, as they are fighting for your chosen Favor Card.
Resolving a Battle
At the start of your next turn, you and other players with facedown Viking Cards flip cards over and compare Strengths. The card with the highest Strength wins the battle and gains the Favor Card.
Strength may be boosted by adding or multiplying the number of Active Runes or a resource the player currently has. Resources that boost Strength are not actually spent, so do not move its marker.
Some cards have a Steel cost to use them, and you must pay this cost if you can. If you cannot meet the cost, your card remains faceup in the row, but you do not compete in the battle, gain a Valhalla Boon, or increase your god's Fury (see Losing a Battle, below).
Winning a Battle
If you have the highest strength you win the battle and gain the Favor Card. There are two benefits from gaining the card:
- In final scoring, the Passive Rune(s) at the top contribute to your Victory Point total.
- You immediately gain the resources listed in the Bag icon at the bottom.
Place your Favor Card facedown into one of the three slots at the top of your Clan Mat. This card is kept secret from other players, but you may look at your own cards at any time. You can own a maximum of 3 Favor Cards at one time (noted by the slots), and if you were to gain a fourth card, you must choose one of your cards and return it to either end of either Favor Card row. It can now be battled for again.
Losing a Battle
For some, losing a battle is a great honor, as the fallen leader will go to Valhalla. If you lose a battle, follow these two steps:
- Note the Active Rune listed at the top left of your Viking Card. You may gain the Valhalla Boon of that Rune's god (listed on their mat). Players perform Boon actions in order, starting with the player who began the battle and going clockwise.
- The fury of the god rises! You must move the Fury Marker of that god up by 1 space. If ever the total Fury goes above 20, flip the token to its "20+" side and place it at the beginning of the track (Fury can never go below 0).
If there is a tie for most Strength: No player wins. The Favor Card is returned to its original spot in its card row. All players in the battle gain Valhalla Boons and increase Fury as if they lost (see above).
A Lone Fighter: "The Invaders"
When you are the only player to resolve a battle, the Invaders see an opportunity to attack, and as the lone fighter, you must defeat the Invaders' leader. Reveal the top Viking Card from the deck and place it faceup to the right of the Era Mat, stacking on top of any previously placed cards.
Now compare the Strength of your card and the Invaders' card. For the Invaders, they can always pay its Steel cost, and the Runes of all of the previously played Invader cards boost their card's Strength (the type of Rune does not matter). If resources are required to boost, then calculate Strength as if each Invader card (previous and current) contributes 1 of that resource.
- If the Invaders win: The Favor Card is returned to its original spot in its card row, and you may perform your god's Valhalla Boon and must increase their fury by 1 (see Losing a Battle, pg 9).
- If the Invaders lose: You win and gain the Favor Card! The Rune on the Invaders' card increases that god's fury by 1, however the Invaders do not receive a Valhalla Boon.
- In the case of a tie: It is a loss for both you and the Invaders (apply the loss results for both you and the Invaders listed above). The Favor Card is returned to its original spot in its card row.
If you start a battle on the last turn of the era: Once all players have taken their final turn, then resolve the battle right before the Cleanup Phase.
The Map: Islands and Fjords
The Map contains Islands surrounded by Fjords. Each Island is a region that Settlers and Temples can occupy and Boats can Dock at. Fjords can only be occupied by Boats and are separated by dotted lines called Ferry Routes, which also connect Islands.
Perform a Leader Action
Instead of playing the card facedown to start or join a battle, you may play the card faceup to perform its Leader Action. Then, if you have the required amount of Active Runes from Islands or Viking Cards, you may perform the card's Rune Action (see pg 14). Though it is mandatory to play a card, it is never mandatory to perform either action.
Sail a Boat
You sail by moving one of your Boats from a Fjord to an adjacent Fjord and/or to or from a Dock (see below). If you move your Boat to a Dock, you may then deploy Settlers onto its Island and/or raid a Village (if one is there).
Moving Boats: Boats can occupy Fjords and Docks. They cannot be placed directly onto the Islands themselves. To the right of the Sail icon is a number which notes how many moves you may make. For instance, a Boat with a "Sail x3" may make up to 3 moves. Each costs 1 move:
- A. Moving from a Dock into an adjacent Fjord
- B. Moving from one Fjord into an adjacent Fjord
- C. Moving from a Fjord into an adjacent Dock
Note: All moves must be spent on a single Boat and cannot be divided among multiple Boats. Multiple Boats can occupy a single Fjord, but only one Boat can occupy a single Dock.
Docking Boats: A Dock is noted by a white circle where dotted Ferry Routes touch Islands (both village spots and boat spots are Docks). When you sail a Boat to a Dock, several things can occur:
- If there is another player's Boat already at that Dock, the owner of that Boat must immediately move it into an adjacent Fjord.
- You may immediately deploy Settlers onto that Island (see below).
- If there is a Village at that Dock, you may pay Steel to raid it (see next page). If you choose not to raid it, your Boat and the Village share the Dock.
- If you now have the most Influence on the Island, you take control and gain its Island Rune (see pg 13).
Deploy Settlers: As soon as you sail and land at a Dock, you may pay Food to deploy Settlers onto that Island. The cost is 1 Food per Settler (noted on the Clan Mat), up to the number for the Sail's action. For instance, if it is a "Sail x3", then up to 3 Settlers may be deployed. Settlers are boots on the ground (see pg 13).
When Deploying Settlers, they must come from your Clan Mat, but on your turn you may return your Settlers from Islands to your mat so that more Settlers are available.
Attack Opponents' Settlers: After deploying, if you have the most Settlers on the Island, then each opponent with Settlers on the Island must remove 1 Settler, returning them to their Clan Mats (noted on the Clan Mat). For example, Yellow has 2 Settlers and Blue has 1 on an Island. When Red deploys 3 Settlers, Blue and Yellow must each remove 1 of their Settlers.
Raid Villages: If you end your Sail at a Dock with a Village, you have the option of raiding it (this is the only time you can). To raid a Village, you must pay the Steel cost listed on the Era Mat. For example, Villages cost 1 Steel to raid in Era 1. Place the raided Village next to your Clan Mat. You may use it on this turn, or on a future turn, to Dedicate a Village (see pg 14).
Explore with a Settler
Move one of your Settlers from one Island to an adjacent Island following a Ferry Route, which is a dotted line connecting Islands and separating Fjords. Routes that lead off the Map cannot be used.
- "Explore x2": The same Settler can be moved 2 Islands, or 2 different Settlers can each be moved one Island.
- After moving your Settlers, if you have the most Settlers on an Island, each opponent with Settlers must remove 1 Settler from that Island, returning them to their Clan Mats.
Harvest
Gain resources up to the number next to the icon. These can be any combination of the three resource types. For example, for a "Harvest x3", you can gain 2 Food and 1 Steel. If you have built Boats or Temples, you also gain bonus resources whenever you take a Harvest action (noted on the Clan Mat):
- For each Boat, you also gain 1 Food.
- For each Temple, you also gain 1 of any resource of your choice.
Build
Spend Wood to build either a Boat or a Temple, moving it from your Clan Mat to the Map. The Wood cost is listed under each piece on your mat (they can be built in any order). Boats and Temples cannot move around on your mat to fill cheaper slots.
- Boat: place it onto a Fjord adjacent to any region you occupy.
- Temple: place it onto an Island where you have at least 1 Settler. You cannot build or have both of your Temples on the same Island, but you may build on an Island with opponents' Temples.
Gain Control of an Island
At the start of the game, each Island contains one Island Rune. You can take this Active Rune if you have the most Influence and at least 1 Settler or Temple on the Island (see below)—this is called boots on the ground (noted by the boot icon). As soon as this happens, gain the Island's Rune and place it near your Clan Mat. Boats docked on an Island do not count as boots on the ground.
Increase the Island's God Fury
Whenever you take an Island Rune (either stolen from a player or directly from the Island), immediately increase that god's Fury by 1. In the example game from the setup, if you take control of the Frigg Island, then Frigg's Fury increases by 1.
Influence
Each unit contributes Influence, and you need the most Influence to control an Island. The different amounts that each unit gives are listed on your Clan Mat:
- A Settler on an Island gives you 1 Influence.
- A Temple on an Island gives you 4 Influence.
- A Boat in a Fjord gives you 0 Influence, however one at a Dock gives you 2 Influence for that Island (this is not considered boots on the ground).
Steal an Island Rune
After completely resolving a Leader or Rune Action, if you have more Influence than the player that controls an Island AND have boots on the ground, then you immediately steal its Island Rune from that player. For example, you deploy 3 Settlers onto an Island that Red controls. Since you now have more Settlers, they remove 1 Red Settler. With 3 Settlers and 1 docked Boat, you have a total of 5 Influence. Red only has 4 Influence from their Temple, so you steal the Rune, which increase Frigg's Fury by 1.
If you no longer have Influence on an Island, BUT no player is stealing the Rune, then you must return the Rune to its Island (you have lost control of it). However, you do not then increase that god's Fury for returning the Rune.
Perform a Rune Action
After the Leader Action, you may perform the Rune Action listed on the card if you have the required number of Active Runes from Islands you control and Viking Cards you've played. For instance, to perform this Rune Action on the right, you need 1 Wealth Rune. The 4 main Leader Actions can also be Rune Actions, but there are some additional actions:
- Explore with a Temple: You may move one of your Temples from one Island to an adjacent Island following a Ferry Route. This is considered boots on the ground.
- Smite a Settler: You may remove an opponent's Settler ("x1") or two Settlers ("x2") from any Island(s). Return them to their owner's mat(s). If "x2," they can be from the same opponent or two separate opponents.
- Draw and Replace a Card: You may draw a Viking Card from the deck, adding it to your hand, and then discard any card from your hand faceup to the discard pile.
- Enter a Battle: Immediately flip the card—it is now in the battle. If there are no other players engaged in a battle, then start one (the Strength of this card is not hidden information).
- Collect Resources: Immediately gain the listed resources. If there is a Rune that boosts the action, collect the amount based on how many Active Runes of that type of Rune you possess.
- Exchange Resources: Exchange any number of one type of resource for the same number of a single different type of resource.
Dedicate a Village (optional)
After playing a Viking Card (either faceup or facedown) and resolving Leader/Rune Actions, you may dedicate one Village to the gods—taking a Village you have raided and placing it onto a Dedication Action:
- One of the 4 Actions on the right side of the Era Mat.
- On each God Mat, you can increase that god's Fury by 2.
You then perform that action. However, there is a limit to how many times each Dedication Action can be performed, equal to the number of players. Stack new dedicated Villages on top of previously placed ones. Once the number of Villages in the stack matches the player count, that action can no longer be used.
Note: each player can only dedicate 1 Village per turn.
Phase 3: Cleanup
After all players have played all of the Viking Cards from their hands, the era is over. If it is the end of Era 3, the game is over and the players proceed to Final Scoring (see below). If not, discard all of the played Viking Cards from players' rows (not Invader Cards) to the discard pile and then move the Raven down to the next space on its track (on the Era Mat).
Pass the Chieftain Marker to the player who has the most Island Runes—that player takes the first turn of the new era. If there is a tie for the most, the marker is given to the tied player latest in the previous era's turn order.
Start the Next Era
To start Phase 1: Drafting Cards of the next era, deal the number of cards listed on the Era Mat. If there are not enough cards in the Viking Deck, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
Final Scoring
After Era 3 is complete, all players reveal their Favor Cards and total their scores based on their Runes. Note the positions of the 3 Fury Markers on their tracks. The god with the most Fury is the most powerful, and that god's Rune grants the most Victory Points for players possessing it. The second and third most powerful gods' Runes grant lesser amounts of Victory Points:
- Controlled Island Runes - The 1st god's Runes are worth 6, the 2nd god's Runes are worth 5, and the 3rd god's Runes are worth 4.
- Runes from Favor Cards - The 1st god's Runes are worth 5, the 2nd god's Runes are worth 4, and the 3rd god's Runes are worth 3.
If two or more gods have equal Fury, then their Runes are worth the lower amount that either of them would receive. In the example above, if Odin and Frigg tie for 1st, then for Controlled Island Runes, both Nature's Fury and Wealth would only grant 5 (not 6). Thor would be 3rd so Secrets would grant 4.
Scores are recorded on the Score Mat—flip over the Era Mat and place each player's Score Tracker near the "0" space on the track. Score Trackers start with the blank-side up, but if a player's score grows beyond the end of the track (40 points), then flip it to the "+40" side and start again at the beginning.
The player with the highest Victory Points is the winner. If there is a tie, use these tie-breakers in order until a winner is determined: Most Island Runes > Most Favor Cards > Most Temples built > Most Boats built > Most combined resources.
2-Player Game Variant
In a 2-player game, a third player called the enemy is set up at the start of the game. Place 1 Temple and 2 Settlers onto each of the 3 Outer islands (the ones that touch the edges of the Map), using pieces from the 2 player-colors not being used by either player. The enemy represents both of these colors, and starts out controlling each of these Islands (however, leave the Island Runes placed on each Island, and do not increase their gods' Fury). If you remove an enemy's Settler from one of its Islands, return the Settler to the box.
2-Player Phase 1: Drafting Changes
Deal both players the normal number of cards for the era, and then deal the enemy a facedown hand of cards: the era's number of cards, minus 1. The enemy "sits" between both players at the table, and players pass cards to and take cards from it (following the direction of passing cards listed for the current era on the Era Mat).
For example in Era 1, deal each player 4-card hands and deal the enemy a facedown 3-card hand (4 cards - 1):
- Player A chooses 1 card to keep, passes 3 cards facedown to the enemy, and then takes the 3 cards passed from Player B.
- Player B chooses 1 card to keep, passes 3 cards to Player A, and then takes the enemy's 3 cards.
After each pass, shuffle and discard 1 card from the enemy's hand before passing again. Players continue drafting and discarding an enemy card until both players and the enemy are passing a single card. Finally, discard the enemy's final single card.
Solo Rules: The Enemy Clan
The Enemy Clan, also called the enemy, is represented by the combined pieces of 2 separate player colors. Its most important piece, however, is its Chieftain Boat. It marks the Island of the enemy's focus, which is where the enemy performs its main actions.
Solo Setup
Set up for a normal 2-player game, but do the following changes:
- Select 2 of the unused Clan Mats, flip one to its normal-side, and flip the other to its Enemy Clan-side. Place them next to each other.
- 1A. Collect all of the game units (Settlers, Boats, and Temples) of both mats' player-colors, and double stack 2 tokens onto each unit's slot (see illustration on previous page). All of these pieces belong to the enemy (it does not matter which colors are in each stack, as long as there are 2 in each).
- 1B. The Chieftain Marker is not needed to mark the starting player, so it is now called the "Chieftain Boat." Return the 2 extra Boats to the box.
- 1C. Place a Resource Marker of each type onto the "0" space on each of their tracks on the Enemy Clan-side Mat. This is where the enemy tracks its resources.
- Note that there are 3 Inner Islands in the center of the Map that do not touch the edge. From those Islands take the 3 Runes into your hand, shake, and then randomly drop one. The enemy starts the game by controlling this Island and gaining it as its Active Rune.
- 2A. Place the Rune near the enemy's Clan Mats, and then increase that god's Fury by 1. Return the other 2 Runes to their Islands.
- 2B. Using the central Fjord with the whaletail graphic and its 6 Docks, place the Chieftain Boat onto the leftmost Dock of that Rune's Island.
- 2C. Place the leftmost 2 Settlers (they are stacked and are 2 different colors) from the enemy's Clan Mat onto this Island.
- Unlike a normal 2-player game, do not also place 1 Temple and 2 Settlers onto each of the 3 Outer Islands. The Enemy Clan alone will be enough challenge!
- You now can place your starting Boat into any Fjord touching the edge of the Map of your choice. You will also take the first turn in Phase 2.
Phase 1: Solo Drafting Changes
You and the enemy draft Viking Cards in a different way than in a regular game:
- Instead of dealing both players a hand of cards, deal cards into 3-card, facedown piles. The number of piles equaling the number of cards dealt for each era, plus one. For example in Era 1, there will be five facedown piles (4 cards + 1).
- Take the first 3-card pile and reveal them. Select 1 card to add to your hand. Place the 2 unchosen cards into a facedown pile near the enemy's mats. These will form a deck of the enemy's cards for the era.
- Continue revealing piles, choosing 1 card and placing the other 2 into the enemy's pile until you have reached the number of cards necessary for the era. For example in Era 1, you stop after you draft 4 cards for your hand. The remaining unseen 3-card pile is then placed into the enemy's pile without revealing. Shuffle the enemy's cards to form a facedown deck. These cards are drawn from this era for the enemy to take actions.
Phase 2: Solo Action Changes
Each era, you and the enemy alternate taking turns, with you always going first. On the enemy's turn, the following happens:
- The enemy plays the top card from its deck as the next card in its Leader Row.
- The enemy resolves the card's Leader Action (see below).
- After resolving the Leader Action, if it has the required Runes the enemy performs the card's Rune Action (see pg 21).
Performing Enemy Leader Actions
The enemy can perform all of the 4 main actions on its turn: Sail a Boat, Explore with a Settler, Harvest, and Build. However, they are different than normal actions:
Enemy: Sail a Boat Action
The enemy always sails with the Chieftain Boat. However, it sails differently than a normal Boat:
- The enemy targets the closest Island that matches the Rune on the played Viking Card. If the Boat's current Island matches the Rune, it will target the other Island with that same Rune. Counting the number of Docks and connecting Ferry Routes, it plots the shortest route to reach that Island. If there is a tie for closest-route for both Islands, then it will choose the Island where it has the least total Influence. If still tied, you decide which it targets.
- It never sails into a Fjord. Instead it moves from Dock to adjacent Dock, along the shore of an Island to reach its target.
- If it needs to sail to a different Island to continue on its route, it can sail across a Ferry Route to the Dock of an adjacent Island.
- The maximum number of Docks it can sail is the number of its Sail action, plus the enemy's Chieftain Sail number listed in the top right of the Enemy Clan Mat. However, it will stop as soon as it reaches its target Island.
- If it passes or ends movement at a Dock with your Boat, immediately undock your Boat and move it into an adjacent Fjord. Its own Boats are not undocked if it passes or moves onto them. The Chieftain Boat may occupy the same Dock as another of its own Boats.
- If it passes or ends movement at a Dock with a Village, it immediately raids it without paying the Steel cost and dedicates it (see next page).
- At the Dock where it ends its sail, that Island is its new focus. It then deploys Settlers onto that Island (see next page).
In this example of an enemy's sail are 3 possible routes depending on which of the 3 Runes that its Viking Card could have. The total Docks the Chieftain Boat can sail is 'Sail x3' plus its Chieftain Sail, which is 2, so the total is therefore 5 Docks. For each Island, it finds the shortest possible route to reach it, counting Docks around Islands and moving across Ferry Routes. Also note that when it passes over your docked Boat, you must move it to an adjacent Fjord. However, its own red Boat is not undocked. Also note when it passes over or lands on a Village, it immediately raids it, paying no Steel to do so.
Enemy: Deploy Settlers (after a Sail Action)
After the Chieftain Boat ends its sail, it then Deploys Settlers from its Clan Mat onto its current Island. It does not pay Food to do this, instead deploying the number listed for the Sail action and not counting the additional Chieftain Sail. For example, for a "Sail x3", it would deploy 3 Settlers. If there are not enough Settlers on the enemy's mat, it will take any remaining Settlers from another Island where it has the most Settlers. If there is a tie for most, choose the tied Island where your influence is least. If there is still a tie, you choose which it takes them from.
Enemy: Raid and Dedicate Villages
When the enemy raids a Village, after the Sail (and Deployment) Action is complete, the enemy immediately dedicates each such Village. It does this one-by-one, placing them on the 4 Dedication Actions on the Era Mat. Going from top to bottom, it chooses the action that has the least Villages, and since it is a 2-player game it ignores actions with 2 Villages. It then performs that action (note that this could cause it to raid more Villages). Once all slots on the mat are filled, it no longer dedicates Villages. It will still raid them if it can.
Enemy: Takes Control/Steals an Island Rune
After adding Settlers to an Island, the enemy now has boots on the ground. The enemy takes control if it has the most influence, gaining its Rune and increasing that god's Fury by 1. Also, anytime the enemy adds Settlers to an Island, note if it has more Settlers (of both colors) than you. If so, remove 1 of your Settlers and return it to your mat. If the enemy now has more Influence than you on that Island, the enemy steals the Rune from you too (and increases that god's Fury by 1). For the enemy's Influence, all Settlers (1) and Temples (4) give their normal Influence, and all Boats (both the Chieftain and regular ones) offer 2.
Enemy: Explore with a Settler Action
Instead of moving Settlers between adjacent Islands, follow the Ferry Route connected to the Chieftain Boat's Dock, and then place 1 enemy Settler from its Clan Mat onto that Island. If there are not enough Settlers on the enemy's mat, it will take any remaining Settlers from another Island where it has the most Settlers. If there is a tie for most, choose the tied Island where your influence is least. If there is still a tie, you choose which it takes them from. If the Ferry Route does not connect to an Island (and goes off the edge of the map), then place 1 enemy Settler on the Chieftain Boat's Island.
Enemy: Build Action
The enemy does not build Temples; instead it only builds Boats from its Clan Mat (Temples come from a Resource Action, see pg 21). It does not pay Wood to do this, instead it just places its leftmost Boat from its mat onto the Chieftain Boat's Dock (both being allowed to occupy the same Dock). If there is already a Boat at the Chieftain Boat's Dock, then place it on the closest clockwise Dock on that Island that does not have either an enemy Boat or one of your Boats. If all Docks on the Island are occupied, then choose the closest open Dock on an adjacent Island, following Ferry Routes as if it were sailing.
Enemy: Harvest Action
The enemy collects the number of resources listed for the action, move each individual marker forward on its own track: It collects 1 resource type at a time (moving forward 1 space), starting with the resource in the top track and going down. For instance, for a "Harvest x2," the enemy gains 1 Steel and 1 Wood, but not Food. If the enemy collects four (or more) resources, collect three different resources and then collect the top resource again, and so forth. It also can gain bonus resources based on any open Boat or Temple slots on its Clan Mat:
- Food for each open Boat slot (note: enemy Boats can be returned to its mat).
- 1 of each resource for each open Temple slot.
When gaining resources, if a marker reaches the end of its track, it stops there and does not gain any additional resources of that type for the rest of the enemy's turn. At the end of the turn, two effects happen: (1) move that marker back to the "0" space of the track, and (2) you must lose 1 of that resource.
Your Sail a Boat Action
You perform the Sail a Boat action normally, but now if you land your Boat at a Dock with a regular enemy Boat then the enemy Boat is returned to the rightmost open spot on its Clan Mat (there is a maximum of 2 stacked Boats per spot). However, if you land your Boat at the Chieftain Boat's Dock you DO NOT undock the Chieftain Boat.
Your Deploy Settlers and Explore with a Settler Action
Any time you add Settlers to an Island, you have an opportunity to attack the enemy's Settlers. If you have more Settlers than the enemy's Settlers (they may be 2 different colors), return 1 enemy Settler to its rightmost open spot on the enemy's Clan Mat (there is a maximum of 2 stacked Settlers per spot).
Enemy: Rune Actions
After performing the Leader Action, if the enemy has the required Active Runes, it performs the Rune Action. It can perform any of the 4 main actions: Sail a Boat, Explore with a Settler, Harvest, or Build.
It cannot perform any other type of action. Instead, the enemy performs that Rune's Action listed on its Enemy Clan Mat. For example, the enemy cannot perform the "Discard and Replace a Card" action, so it instead performs its mat's Wealth action. Active Runes required for the action can come from its Island Runes and Viking Cards in both its Leader Row and Battle Row (see next page).
Enemy: Resource Actions
Listed on each Resource Track are special icon actions that trigger when their marker lands on or passes them. Perform these actions after resolving Leader, Rune, and Dedication Actions. If multiple actions are triggered on the same turn, resolve them in order from top to bottom and left to right. Each type of resource has specific types of action icons:
All Tracks:
- Increase the god's Fury of the god whose Island Rune the enemy has the most of by 1. If the enemy has a tied amount for most, then each gods' Fury is increased by 1. If the enemy has no Island Runes then ignore this action.
Wood Track:
- Move the Chieftain Boat to the Dock with your closest Boat, and then move your Boat into an adjacent Fjord. If you have no docked Boats then ignore this action.
- Move the Chieftain Boat across its connected Ferry Route to the Dock on the opposite Island. If there is no Island connected to the Ferry Route then ignore this action. It will raid a Village if it lands on one.
Food Track:
- Add 1 Settler from the Clan Mat to the Island where the Chieftain Boat is currently docked. If there are no Settlers on its mat, then the Settler comes from the Island where it has the most Settlers.
- Add 1 Boat from the Clan Mat to the Dock where the Chieftain Boat is currently docked. If there is already a Boat on that Dock, then place it on the closest open Dock, moving clockwise. If there are no Boats on the mat, then ignore this action.
- Place a Temple onto the Island with the most enemy Settlers that does not already have an enemy Temple on it. If tied, you choose. The enemy must remove half of its Settlers from that Island, rounded up, returning them to its Clan Mat.
Steel Track:
- The enemy immediately starts a Battle (see next page). When resolving, it also gains additional Strength from the number listed with the icon.
Battling
Battling with the Enemy
The enemy can both start a battle and join one. However, there are some basic rules the enemy must always follow:
- If the enemy wins the Battle, it gains the Favor Card and the resources on it, which could trigger Resource Actions (see pg 21). The Favor Card goes to a facedown pile near the enemy's area, where it is not revealed until final scoring at the end of the game. There is no limit to the number of Favor Cards the enemy can gain.
- If the enemy loses the Battle, instead of gaining the Valhalla Boon of its card's god, it performs the card's Rune Action listed on its Enemy Clan Mat. That god's Fury also still increases by 1.
- If the enemy ties the Battle, it has the same outcome listed above for losing it, except the Favor Card is then returned to its original spot.
- The enemy does not pay a Steel cost for a card.
- Active Runes that can boost Strength can come from any card the enemy has played this turn. Resources that can boost Strength come from its marker's position on its track.
- Always note if the enemy gets bonus Strength from a Resource Action's icon if it is triggered on the Steel track (see pg 21).
If You Start the Battle
After you have chosen the battle's Favor Card, the enemy immediately joins it. The enemy takes the top card from its deck and places it faceup into a new row above its last card played, called the Battle Row. You now resolve the battle using your card and the enemy's card in its Battle Row.
The Battle Row: these cards do not count toward the number of cards that the enemy plays in an Era for performing actions. However, their Active Runes still count toward the total it can use for Rune Actions and to boost actions. You will never fight the Invaders in a Solo Game, but instead only fight the Enemy Clan.
If the Enemy Starts the Battle
When the enemy's Steel track triggers a Battle (see below), the enemy immediately takes the top card from its pile and places it facedown into the Battle Row above its last card played (see pg 22), and then the enemy chooses a Favor Card.
The Enemy Chooses a Favor Card
The choice of picking from the top or bottom row of cards is based on the location of the Chieftain Boat. If it is docked at one of the 3 Islands at the top of the Map it chooses the top row, and likewise chooses from bottom if at one of the 3 bottom Islands. If there are no more cards in the row, it chooses from the other row.
Next, to choose from the leftmost or rightmost card of the row, it simply picks the card the Chieftain Boat is closest to. If both cards are equidistant, then you choose which one.
You Choose to Join the Battle
On your next turn, you must choose whether or not to join the enemy's battle, fighting against its facedown Battle Row card.
- If you join, the battle is then immediately resolved.
- If you do not join, before you play your card the enemy resolves its Battle alone and an Invaders Card is drawn. The enemy must see if it can defeat the Invaders, where all normal Lone Fighter rules apply (see pg 10).
Phase 3: Solo Cleanup Changes
Collect all of your Viking Cards and all of the enemy's cards (from its Leader Row, Battle row, and any unflipped cards from its deck) and place them in the discard pile.
End of Game and Final Scoring
After all of your Viking Cards in Era 3 have been played, the game is over. The final standings amongst the gods' Fury is established and both you and the enemy score based on the Runes you each have (note that the enemy may have more than 3 Favor Cards).
Designer: Scott Almes Game Developer: Michael Coe Illustrator: Nikoletta Vaszi Editors: David Ladyman, Dylan Phillips Graphic Designer: Benjamin Shulman
Honorary Producers: Stephen B. Eckman, Robert Corbett, Dean Chase, Captain Schwartz, Carlos Emmanuel Oliva Nunez, F.K.N. Zach, Aaron M Pope, Alfred Pinkenberg, Scott Stephen Kegler, and Tabletop Gaming Solutions
©2022 Gamelyn Games, LLC all rights reserved. Tiny Epic Vikings, Gamelyn Games, the Gamelyn Games logo, and the TEV logo are trademarks of Gamelyn Games, LLC.
Quick Reference Guide
Resources: Wood, Food, Steel, Any 1 Resource
Runes: "Wealth" (F), "Secret" (C), "Nature's Fury" (N), Any 1 Rune
The Map: An Island Rune sits on an Island. Docks are marked with a Village icon (with a Village) or a Boat icon (without a Village).
Viking Units: Village, Settler, Boat, Temple
- Era - The round that the game is currently in, marked by the Raven; there are 3 eras in the game.
- Influence - The amount of control that you have over an Island, given by each of your units.
- Sail a Boat - Move 1 of your Boats from a Dock to a Fjord, Fjord to Fjord, or Fjord to Dock.
- Deploy Settlers - After a Boat docks, pay 1 Food, up to the Sail, to add that many Settlers. Referred to as placing "boots on the ground."
- Attack Settlers - After adding Settlers to an Island, if you have more Settlers than each other player, each must remove 1 of their Settlers.
- Raid a Village - After Sailing to a Dock with a Village, pay the era's Steel cost to take it.
- Dedicate a Village - Once per turn, pay a raided Village to perform a Dedication Action.
- Explore with a Settler - Move one of your Settlers to an adjacent Island, following a Ferry Route.
- Build - Pay Wood to build a Boat or a Temple.
- Harvest - Gain any resources, up to the number listed.
- Battle - Turn the Viking Card facedown to start or join a battle, fighting to gain a Favor Card.
- Favor Card - The reward for winning a battle (max of 3). Has Passive Runes.
- Valhalla Boon - Perform this action if you lose a battle.
- Fury - Move the Fury Marker up or down. At the end of the game, the god with the most fury has the most powerful Rune.
- Explore with a Temple - Move one of your Temples to an adjacent Island, following a Ferry Route.
- Smite a Settler - Remove an opponent's Settler.
- Draw + Replace Card - Draw 1 Viking Card then discard 1.
- Enter a Battle - Immediately flip the card to enter an on-going Battle.
- Collect Resources - Gain the resources listed in the bag.
- Exchange Resources - Swap one type of resource for another.