War for Edaðh Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Getting Started
  • Secondary Mastery Card
  • Mastery Card
  • Troop Card
• The Battlefield
  • Terrain Card
• Game Setup
• Conflict Resolution - How to Fight!
  • Conflict Resolution: 3 Rounds - 1 Duration
  • Conflict Resolution: Examples
  • Conflict Resolution: End of Duration
  • Conflict Resolution: Playing with Less than 3 Troop Cards
  • Combining Troop Cards
• Combat Masters
  • Combat Master Card
  • Both Players Bringing Their Combat Masters into Play
• Standard Cards
  • Standard Card
• Battle Masters & Stratagem Cards
  • Stratagem Card Deck
  • Battle Master Card
  • Stratagem Card
• Mounts - 1st Duration at Melee
• Weapon Ranges
  • Ballistic Weapon Range
• Unit Compositions
  • Melee Unit Compositions
  • Charge Unit Compositions
  • Ballistic Unit Compositions
• More on Terrain Cards
  • Moving onto a Terrain Card
  • Default Movement
  • Moving Troop Cards within a Unit
  • Terrain Card Effects
  • Combining Terrain Cards
• Support Units
  • Combining Support & Main Units
  • Adding the Support Unit to the Main Unit
  • Switching the Main & Support Units
• The Games
  • Multi-Player Games
  • Solo Gaming
• Building Armies
  • Picking Troop Cards
  • Picking Masters & Standards
  • Building 'Unit vs. Unit' & 'Best of 3' Armies
• "Best of 3"

Introduction

You can find help (if you need it) on the publisher's website, www.warriorelite.com. There is an active forum where you can find answers or post questions. A video demonstration of how to play is also available.

At the back of this rulebook you'll find a glossary of terms and an index. Use them. As you read the rules in this manual you will find notes referring to the cards. These appear in the following format -

(see Troop Card 8, pg. 9)

When you encounter such a note, turn to the page noted (in this case page 9) and find the card referred to (in this case, the Troop Card). The pictures of the cards are annotated so that you will know what every bit of text, every symbol and every statistic is for. You then find the number being referred to in the note (in the above case 8) in the picture of the card and you will then be able to follow the rules easily.

Beyond War for Edath you can acquire expansion packs and books that enable you to expand your army but also add more tactics, new gameplay and new games.

Getting Started

As a battle game, War for Edath revolves around combat. Combat is resolved in the game by the use of Mastery Cards.

Each player has a set of Mastery Cards (see illu. 2) and holds these in his hand so that his opponent can't see the faces.

Illu. 3 shows a 'Secondary Mastery Card' on the left and a Mastery Card on the right.

Secondary Mastery Card

1. Tactics (tcts) symbol (on right of card) and title (on left of card)
2. Title of Secondary Mastery Card - tactics/master
3. Master (mst) symbol and title

Mastery Card

1. Conflict Value (CV) - in this case '4'
2. Altered Conflict Value - in this case '16' versus '11' or '12'
3. Mastery Point Value (MP Value) - in this case '2'
4. Guard Note - in this case 'guard versus 8 or 9'
5. Conflict Value written
6. Damage Modifier - in this case '+2 Damage'
7. Altered Mastery Point Value - in this case '1 MP versus 1, 2 or 3'

Each Mastery Card has a different Conflict Value at either end. You can play the card either way up. For instance, if you played the card as shown in illu.3 you would be playing a 4 and if you played it the other way up you would be playing a 10.

In combat you use the Troop Cards in your Unit to attack your opponent.

Troop Card

Although Troop Cards have a lot of information on them you will soon know your way around them and will not be using all of this in the basic game. You certainly don't need to get familiar with everything before playing.

As troops can fight at different ranges they need the same type of information - skill, attack ability, defence ability, etc. - for each range. You will be referred back to this illustration and the following key in the rules.

1. Warring Faction - the faction the Troop belongs to
2. Cost - figure 1 = cost. figure 2 = level. (See Building Armies.)
3. Rarity - i = infantry, b = ballistic, r = rider, w = wildsman, a = aerial
4. Psyche (psy) - how mentally tough the troop is
5. Speed (spd) - how quickly the troop moves
6. Guard Value - troops with shields can guard and the Guard Value represents the toughness of the shield
7. Guard Penetration - some weapons can punch through shields and the Guard Penetration represents this
8. Combat Level Symbols - troops can fight at different ranges - from top to bottom: melee, charge, ballistic, wildsman
9. Mastery Level - the skill level of the troop with the weapon it uses at the corresponding Combat Level
10. Mastery Point Bonus (MPBonus) - a representation of skill
11. Skirmish symbol - troops that fight in a skirmish formation have this
12. Special section & symbols - some troops can form specific unit formations when grouped with other similar troops. The symbols here show these Unit Compositions
13. Card Code - used to identify specific cards
14. Terrain Troop Symbols - some troops are skilled at operating in certain terrain and have a bonus when they do so
15. Troop Type
16. Element Symbol - troops can fight in up to 4 different elements (different arenas of combat)
17. Weapon Name - name of the weapon used at the corresponding Combat Level
18. Attack Damage (Att Dmg) - the amount of damage the troop does if it successfully attacks
19. Attack Value (att) - a value that represents both skill and weapon type that shows how good the troop is in attacking

The Battlefield

Combat takes place over Terrain Cards that represent the battlefield.

Terrain Card

1. Move Indicators (Nocks) - used in games available in expansions
2. Height/Depth & Access Values - the top figure is the height or depth of the terrain type: e.g. height of trees or depth of rivers. There can be 2 Access Values, one under the other and these determine what size of beast can or can't go onto or move through the terrain
3. Terrain Symbol - see Troop Card 14, pg. 9 3.5 Crossed Terrain symbol
4. Terrain Effects - the terrain can permit some actions to take place - such as hiding - or prevent other actions - such as stopping a cavalry charge
5. Combat Level Symbols - see Troop Card 8, pg 9
6. Ballistic Modifier & Guard Value - some terrain can act like a shield (hiding behind trees) and so has a Guard Value. Terrain can also increase or decrease the amount of damage a unit takes (e.g. troops are easier targets in a marsh) and the Ballistic Modifier represents this
7. Charge Modifier & Guard Value - this is the same as 6. above but apply when fighting is occurring at the Charge Combat Level
8. Terrain Move - indicates how hard the terrain is to move through, how much it slows troops down
9. Range - the maximum range a weapon can fire up to on that terrain
10. Card Code - used to identify specific cards
11. Terrain Name & Level - the name is preceded by a 1, 2 or 3: the Level. The higher the level the greater the terrain - e.g. the steeper the hill
12. Terrain Element - see Troop Card 16, pg. 9
13. Combined Terrain Restrictions -
    • C - can be combined with any other Terrain Card
    • CU - can only be combined with 1 'U' Terrain Card
    • U - can be combined with a 'C' or 'CU' Terrain Card
    • If the Terrain Card has no letters it can only be combined with a 'C' Terrain Card

Game Setup

To get playing straight away, you and your opponent sit across a table from each other. Take a Woods Terrain Card and place this between you and your opponent.

Units in an army are built in rows of 3 Troop Cards (see illu. 1).

One player will be the Dzaa Empire and selects 3 'Gunner' Troop Cards and 3 'Spears'. The 3 Gunners are placed in the Front Rank of his Unit and the 3 Spears in the 2nd Rank.

The 2nd player will be the Ang rebels and selects 3 'Archers' Troop Cards and 3 'ClanMaidens'. The Archers make up the Front Rank and the ClanMaidens the 2nd.

In the future you can build your own army (see Building Armies later).

At the start of a battle the units begin at long range, the Ballistic Combat Level. They then move in to close range, the Charge Combat Level, and finally end up in hand to hand combat, the Melee Combat Level.

You move the middle Troop Card in the Front Rank of your Unit on the Terrain Card to show the Combat Level it is at (see illu. 6).

To start playing now, the Dzaa player places his middle Gunner at the Ballistic Combat Level and the Ang player places his middle Archer on the opposite side of the Terrain Card at the Ballistic Combat Level.

The stats you will need in the basic game on the Troop Cards are shown in illu. 7. Each Troop Card will have some or all of these for each Combat Level - the Ballistic Combat Level is shown in the illustration.

Play the following rules but to begin with ignore any rule that begins with Standards, Stratagems, Combat Master, Battle Master or Support Unit. Once you are familiar with the basics you can add these other rules in to play the full game. It is best to add one element in at a time.

After you know the basics, we recommend you add the Combat Master and Standards into your games first. Then add in Battle Masters with Stratagems. Then Unit Compositions and finally Support Units. You will then be playing the standard War for Edath game.

Conflict Resolution - How to Fight!

Each player has a Score Card for his Unit. The players place an MP Counter onto the '50' square of their Score Cards and a Dmg Counter onto the '0' square of their Score Cards (see illu. 1).

Conflict Resolution is made up of two parts - the playing of 3 rounds (1 Duration) and the 'End of Duration'.

Conflict Resolution: 3 Rounds - 1 Duration

Conflict Resolution is played as follows -

Stratagems - Before the first round of a game is played, each player can select Stratagem Cards per step 7 of the 'End of Duration' rules (see pg. 21-22).

Stratagems - If a player has any Stratagem Cards in the 'In Play' Position (see illu. 1) then their effects apply in full to every round of the Duration. However, if your Unit is at a Combat Level that doesn't appear on the Stratagem Card (see Stratagem Card 3, pg 28) then you can't apply the effects. Also, some Stratagem Card effects (see Stratagem Card 7, pg 28) only apply at certain Combat Levels. These effects have the Combat Level symbols in front of them and you can't apply those effects when your Unit isn't at one of the indicated Combat Levels.

1. Lay a Mastery Card - each player picks a Mastery Card with a Conflict Value of their choosing (see Mastery Card 1, pg 8) and the players then lay their chosen cards simultaneously face up on the table. Your Conflict Value may change to the Altered Conflict Value on your Mastery Card depending on the Conflict Value laid by your opponent (see examples on page 19)

   Combat Master & Battle Master - A player can also choose to lay their Secondary Mastery Card and, if so, must lay it at the same time as their regular Mastery Card. The way round the Secondary Mastery Card is laid is important - 'tcts' or 'mst' at the top of the card from the laying player's point of view. A player can't play this card with 'mst' at the top left if his Combat Master is flipped and can't play this card with 'tcts' at the top left if his Battle Master is flipped

   Combat Master - If a player laid his 'mst' Secondary Mastery Card then this card is Actioned (see Combat Master later)

2. Attacker & Defender - The player with the highest Conflict Value - or Altered Conflict Value - is the Attacker and their opponent the Defender. If both players laid the same Mastery Card the round is a draw

3. Reduce & Absorb Mastery Points - Each player reduces his MP Counter on his Score Card by the MP Value on their laid Mastery Card (see Mastery Card 3, pg 8). Note that you may use the Altered MP Value (see Mastery Card 7, pg 8) depending on the Conflict Value laid by your opponent

   For example, if you play a Conflict Value of 10, the MP Value is 8 and so you reduce your MP Counter by 8. However, if you played the 10 and your opponent played either the 1, 2 or 3 you would use the Altered MP Value of 1 and so only reduce your MP Counter by 1

   Each player then picks a Troop Card that is face up in their Front Rank -

   Ballistic/Charge - If the Units are at the Ballistic or Charge Combat Levels, the players can select any face up Troop Card. The Attacker picks first and then the Defender, but if the round is a draw, the player whose MP Counter is on the highest value picks his Chosen Troop first and his opponent then picks his. If both players' MP Counters are on the same value then both players lay Mastery Cards until a player lays a higher Conflict Value and he then picks his Chosen Troop first

Conflict Resolution: Examples

Altered Conflict Value examples (illustrated in the rulebook):

• 4 beats 1; 9 beats 4; 12 beats 9.
• 3 changes to Altered CV 15 versus 10, 11 & 12, so beats 12.
• 4 changes to Altered CV 16 versus 11 & 12, so beats 11.
• 1 changes to Altered CV 13 versus 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12, so beats 8.
• 2 versus 2 - a draw. 8 versus 8 - a draw.
• 2 versus 8 - a draw as the same Mastery card was played.

Conflict Resolution: End of Duration

1. Stratagems - If a player's Battle Master is in the 'Promoted' position (see illu. 1) the player moves all Stratagem Cards from under the Battle Master to the 'In Play' Position turning them face up (see illu. 1). The player then returns his Battle Master to its normal position

   If a player's Battle Master isn't Promoted he must return any Stratagem Cards he has in the Holding Position to his Stratagem Card Deck

   Any effects on 'In Play' Stratagems that begin with the word 'Instant' are put into effect. If this effect is to pick and Counter one or more of an opponent's Stratagem Cards, the player can only pick Stratagems that have the 'C' notation on (see Stratagem Card 5, pg 28) and that have been 'In Play' for at least 1 Duration. Countered Stratagem Cards are immediately removed from the game

2. Lose? - If a player's Dmg Counter on his Score Card is on a higher value than his MP Counter then he loses the game. If both players have their Dmg Counters on a higher value than their MP Counters, the game is a draw

3. Instant Discards - If a player has any Troop or Combat Master Cards that were Instant Discarded into his Discard Pile he must reduce his Dmg Counter on his Score Card by the Damage Values - DV - of these cards (see Troop Card 23, pg 9 and Combat Master Card 12, pg 24)

4. Discard and/or Retire Troop Cards - If a player's Dmg Counter is on a higher value than the lowest Discard Value - DV - of any of his Troop Cards in his Front Rank (see Troop Card 23, pg 9) then the player must Discard a Troop Card. If a player's MP Counter is on or below 30 he can choose to Retire Troop Cards

   Troop Cards can only be Discarded or Retired from the Front Rank.

   A player must Discard or Retire Troop Cards so that the number of Troop Cards in each column of his Unit are as equal as possible

   For each Troop Card Discarded the player decreases his Dmg Counter on his Score Card by the Discard Value of the Discarded Troop Card. The player then moves the Troop Card in the 2nd Rank up to the Front Rank - if there is a Troop in the 2nd Rank. A player must continue to Discard Troop Cards until his Dmg Counter is on a value that is less than the lowest Discard Value on any of his Troop Cards in his Front Rank

Conflict Resolution: Playing with Less than 3 Troop Cards

If both players have only 2 Troop Cards in their Front Rank then only 2 rounds are played each Duration. If both players have only 1 Troop Card in their Front Rank then only 1 round is played each Duration.

If one player has less Troop Cards in his Front Rank than his opponent, then his opponent plays with an advantage as follows -

• If a player has 2 Troop Cards versus his opponent's 3, then only 2 rounds are played that Duration. The player with 3 Troop Cards can Combine 2 of his Troop Cards but in only 1 of the 2 rounds (see below for Combining Troop Cards)
• If a player has 1 Troop Card and his opponent has 2 or 3, then only 1 round is played that Duration. The player with 2 or 3 Troop Cards can Combine all of his Troop Cards that round (see below for Combining Troop Cards)

Combining Troop Cards

When you Combine Troop Cards the following applies -

• The player uses the stats of his Chosen Troop during the round but can add or subtract the Mastery Level of any Combining Troop Card to any one stat of his Chosen Troop

  The player must flip all of the Combined Troops at the end of the round

• When the player comes to Discard Troop Cards he can Discard any of the Combined Troops in whatever order he chooses

Combat Masters

Combat Master Card

1. Warring Faction - the faction the Combat Master belongs to
2. Mastery Level (ML) - the skill level of the Combat Master
3. Cost - used in building armies
4. Combat Level symbols -
5. Mastery Level Bonus (ML Bonus) - increases a Troop Card's Mastery Level
6. Mastery Point Bonus (MP Bonus) - increases a Troop Card's MP Bonus
7. Special section - notes the Combat Tactics Mastery Level
8. Card Code - used to identify specific cards
9. Attack Bonus - increases a Troop Card's Attack score
10. Weapon - notes that bonuses apply to a Troop Card's weapon
11. Discard Value (DV) - the amount of damage the Combat Master can take
12. Damage Bonus - can increase the damage a Troop Card does or decrease the damage a Troop Card takes
13. Defence Bonus - increases a Troop Card's Defence score

To bring your Combat Master into play you play your 'mst' Secondary Mastery Card during step 1 of Conflict Resolution.

If a player's 'mst' Secondary Mastery Card is 'Actioned' (see pg. 15) he can bring his Combat Master Card into the game. Whether the player is the attacker, defender or if the round was a draw, he can pick one of the bonuses on the Combat Master Card and add this to the relevant stat on his Chosen Troop.

• If the MP bonus is chosen, the player adds this to his Chosen Troop's MP Bonus (see Troop Card 10, pg 9)
• If the ML bonus is chosen the player adds this to his Chosen Troop's Mastery Level (see Troop Card 9, pg 9)
• If the Attack bonus is chosen the player adds this to his Chosen Troop's 'att' value (see Troop Card 19, pg 9)
• If the Defence bonus is chosen the player adds this to his Chosen Troop's 'def' value (see Troop Card 26, pg 9)
• If the Damage bonus is chosen and the player is the Attacker, his opponent must increase his Dmg Counter by this amount. If the player is the Defender he can decrease his own Dmg Counter by the Damage bonus

The player doesn't announce which bonus he's going to use at the start of the round. The player plays through the steps of Conflict Resolution and when he gets to the step where his chosen bonus will apply he announces he is using the bonus and applies it as detailed above.

If the player gets to the end of the round and hasn't picked a bonus he can still choose the MP bonus (and only that bonus) and will increase his MP Counter on his score card by the value of the MP Bonus.

The player must then flip his Combat Master and can't lay his 'mst' Secondary Mastery Card again until his Combat Master is unflipped - see 'End of Duration'.

Both Players Bringing Their Combat Masters into Play

If both players play their 'mst' Secondary Mastery Card in the same round the following applies -

• The Attacker in the round picks his Combat Master bonus before the Defender

• If the round is a draw, the player with the most remaining MP decides who picks his Combat Master bonus first. That player must then announce what bonus he is going to use immediately after the Chosen Troops have been selected for the round

  If both players have the same MP then the players lay Mastery Cards until one plays a higher Conflict Value and he then chooses who picks first

Standard Cards

Each Standard Card can have a 'Res' that you can use as detailed in the 'End of Duration' rules step 5. However, a Standard Card can also have one or more bonuses in its Special section. If you have an unflipped Standard Card you can use one of these bonuses at any time in the game but when you do, you must flip that Standard Card and can't use it again in the game.

Standard Card

1. Warring Faction - the faction the Standard is a part of
2. Resolve (Res) - represents the ability of a unit to hold its ground
3. Cost - used in building armies
4. Special section - contains any bonuses the Standard provides
5. Title -

Battle Masters & Stratagem Cards

Battle Masters enable you to use Stratagem Cards. The rules for using Battle Masters and Stratagems in the game have been detailed under Conflict Resolution previously and these rules begin with either 'Battle Master' or 'Stratagems'.

Stratagem Card Deck

Before a game, each player must build a Stratagem Deck as follows -

• Each player automatically gets the 'Hold', 'Retreat' and 'Counter' Stratagems
• The Mastery Level of the player's Battle Master - see below - is the number of additional Stratagems the player can have. The player chooses this number of Stratagems from all those that he has and adds them to his Stratagem Deck

During the game, a player can only select and use Stratagems that he has in his Stratagem Deck.

Battle Master Card

1. Warring Faction - the faction the Battle Master is a part of
2. Mastery Level - the skill level of the Battle Master
3. Cost - used in building armies
4. Tactics Proficiencies - a Battle Master may be a skilled tactician in up to 6 different areas
5. Tactics Proficiency Mastery Level - the Battle Master will have a Mastery Level (skill level) for one or more Tactics Proficiency
6. Tactics Proficiency Mastery Point Bonus (MP Bonus) -
7. Card Code - used to identify specific cards
8. Attack Score ('att') - used in games available in expansions
9. Attack Damage - used in games available in expansions
10. Discard Value (DV) - the amount of damage the Battle Master can take
11. Defence Score ('def') - used in games available in expansions
12. Defence Damage - used in games available in expansions
13. Move Cost - used when moving Units in an army around a battlefield

Stratagem Card

1. Cost - used when selecting Stratagem Cards
2. Stratagem Proficiency - can be Combat Tactics or Battle Tactics
3. Effect Combat Level Symbols - the effects of the Stratagem Card only apply when the Units are at one of the indicated Combat Levels
4. Assign to . . . - notes what card the Stratagem is assigned to
5. Counter Notation ('C') - only cards with this notation can be Countered
6. Restrictions - some Stratagems have restrictions as to when they can be chosen or used
7. Effect(s) - the effect the Stratagem has on the game
8. Flags - used when choosing Stratagem Cards
9. Symbols - notes the type of the Stratagem
10. 'X' symbol - used when selecting Stratagem Cards
11. Secondary Card Symbol - Stratagems with this symbol aren't automatically brought into play unlike those without it
12. Card Code - used to identify specific cards
13. Stratagem Name - the name of the Stratagem

Mounts - 1st Duration at Melee

Mounted Troops and some other Troop types are able to charge with extra impetus and mass into melee. Such Troops get a bonus to their stats during the 1st Duration at Melee.

Troops with a 1st Duration Melee Bonus have an extra row of stats on the reverse of the card (see illu. 12) preceded by the '1st Duration Melee Bonus' symbol. The rules as to when you use these stats are as follows.

1. If the Terrain Card your Unit is on has the 'Counter Mounts' symbol (see Terrain Card 4, pg 12) then you can't use the 1st Duration Melee Bonus stats at all whilst on that Terrain

2. During the 1st Duration after the Troop has moved from the Charge Combat Level to the Melee Combat Level you use the '1st Duration Melee Bonus' stats

3. If at the end of the 1st Duration and after Discarding cards, your opponent has more Troop Cards in his Discard Pile than you, you can use the '1st Duration Melee Bonus' stats in the next Duration. Place any kind of counter on the Troop Cards in your Front Rank that have the '1st Duration Melee Bonus' stats to show that you can use these in the next Duration

   If you Discard a Troop during the 'End of Duration' and the replacement Troop has the '1st Duration Melee Bonus' stats then you can use these (as long as your opponent has more Troop Cards in his Discard Pile)

4. After each Duration where you have used the '1st Duration Melee Bonus' stats you apply step 3 above to see if you can then use the stats again in the next Duration

Weapon Ranges

Both ballistic and melee weapons can have a range (see Troop Card 24, pg 9). The range of melee weapons can be used to keep an opponent at the Charge Combat Level. There is a specific Stratagem Card available in the publisher's expansion packs that enables you to do this.

Ballistic Weapon Range

When your Unit first moves onto a Terrain Card you play 2 Durations at the Ballistic Combat Level. During the 1st of those 2 Durations the Ballistic weapon Range affects play as follows -

• During the 1st Duration at Ballistic both sides place their Units at the Range Position on the Terrain Card (see illu. 13)
• If your Chosen Troop's Ballistic weapon Range and the Terrain Range (see Terrain Card 9, pg 12) are both more than your opponent's Chosen Troop's weapon Range, then if you're the Defender in the round you don't take any Damage (NB. a Terrain Range of * is always more than your Ballistic weapon Range). Instead you must decrease your MP counter by 5. This is because you are out of the range of your opponent and so can't take damage
• After the 1st Duration at Ballistic the Units are pushed forward to the normal Ballistic Combat Level position unless a player successfully brought the 'Hold' Stratagem into play in which case the Units remain at the Range Position

During the remainder of the game whenever your Unit is at the Ballistic Combat Level you can use the 'Retreat' Stratagem Card to move the Units back to the Range Position. The above rules then apply and after a Duration in the Range Position the Units are moved forward for a Duration to be played at the normal Ballistic Combat Level before moving forward to the Charge.

Unit Compositions

Unit Compositions represent formations that units can build. These come about when two or more Troop Cards work together and become stronger as a result. The exact place that you have Troop Cards within a Unit can increase the combat potential of the Unit. Some Troop Cards when placed in the 2nd, 3rd or more rearward Ranks will give a bonus to the Chosen Troop of the round.

Towards the bottom of the face of the Troop Cards you will find that many Troops have notes and symbols (see Troop Card 11, 12 & 13, pg 9). Most of these are to do with Unit Composition. Illu. 14 shows these symbols and what they represent.

The following rules apply to all Unit Composition bonuses.

• Unless otherwise specified, you can not use any Unit Composition bonus on your Chosen Troop
• Some Unit Composition rules enable you to pick your Chosen Troop from a rank other than your Front Rank. If you do this you can use any Unit Composition bonus on your Troop in your Front Rank
• Some Unit Composition rules enable you to pick your opponent's Chosen Troop from a rank other than his Front Rank. If you do this, during the following 'End of Duration' your opponent has to Discard that Troop Card before Discarding any other Troop Card in the same column
• If your Chosen Troop for a round has been picked from a rank other than your Front Rank, you flip that card at the end of the round per usual. You can only have one Chosen Troop per column of a Unit, per Duration
• If you picked your Chosen Troop from a rank other than your Front Rank, in the following 'End of Duration' you Discard and Retire from the Front Rank of the Unit and do not Discard your Chosen Troop first

Unit Composition symbols may have one of the following notations below (or notation similar to one of the following): (R2+1), (R*+1), (FR-5), (C-10).

• R - stands for 'Rank' and the following number is the number of the rank. R2 would then be Rank 2. If the Troop Card with the Unit Composition symbol on is in the rank specified (or any lesser rank) then the bonus can be applied

  For example, if the notation was 'R4' then if the Troop Card is in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th Rank, the bonus can be applied

• R* - stands for any Rank. If the Troop Card with the Unit Composition symbol on is in any rank then the bonus can be applied

• FR - stands for 'Front Rank'. All Troop Cards in the Front Rank of the Unit must have the same Unit Composition symbol on in order for the bonus to be applied

• C - stands for 'Column'. All or Most Troop Cards in the Column that the Chosen Troop is in must have the same Unit Composition symbol on in order for the bonus to be applied

• +1 - this is a Unit Composition Bonus. Any time the bonus is a plus value, it is added to the Chosen Troop's Conflict Bonus (see Troop Card 28, pg 9). This could be +1, +2, +3 or more.

• -10 - this is a Unit Composition Bonus. Any time the bonus is a minus value, it is deducted from the damage that the Chosen Troop takes that round. This could be -1, -2, -3 or more.

Melee Unit Compositions

Symbols that are to the right of the Melee symbol but to the left of the Charge symbol in the Special section of the Troop Card (see Troop Card 12, pg 9) affect the game when your Unit is at the Melee Combat Level. These affect the game as follows -

MOUNTS - This symbol confirms that the Troop type is a Mounted one. All Mounted Troops will have the '1st Duration Melee Bonus' stats on the reverse. You would look for this symbol on your opponent's Troop Cards if you have a Troop with the 'Spear Hedge' symbol (see next).

SPEAR HEDGE - The Spear Hedge symbol is composed of 2 interlocking symbols - the Spear symbol and the Formation symbol. This classifies the Spear Hedge as a Formation. Some Terrain Cards and Stratagem Cards have the 'No Formation' symbol on, and if your Unit is on such a Terrain Card or affected by such a Stratagem Card then you can't gain any bonus from the Spear Hedge.

The Spear Hedge represents 2 or more ranks of Troops armed with any weapon capable of being employed like a spear. Troops with spears that are in the 2nd rank of a Unit can attack over their kin that are in the front rank.

The Spear Hedge can give a bonus to your Chosen Troop's Conflict Bonus.

You can only gain the Spear Hedge Bonus from a Troop Card that is in the same Column as your Chosen Troop.

If you have a Troop Card with the Spear Hedge symbol and that Troop is in a Rank where its bonus applies, then you can pick that Troop Card to be your Chosen Troop that round instead of the Troop Card in the Front Rank.

The Spear Hedge symbol can appear on the reverse of a Troop Card in its own row below the Melee stats (see illu. 15). To the left of the Spear Hedge symbol you'll see 'vs' and then the Mount symbol.

If you meet all the following conditions you can use the stats on the row that has the Spear Hedge symbol every round instead of the stats along the row next to the Melee symbol -

• Your Unit is at Melee
• Your opponent's Chosen Troop is one that has the Mount symbol
• Your Chosen Troop has the Spear Hedge symbol
• At least one other Troop in the same column as your Chosen Troop can add a Spear Hedge Bonus

WARBEASTS - The Warbeast symbol isn't combined with the Formation symbol and so can be used even if your Unit is affected by a 'No Formation' card.

Warbeasts represent the ability for smaller beasts to make their way through to the front of a Unit from rearward ranks to attack the enemy.

Warbeasts can increase the Conflict Bonus of your Chosen Troop.

If you have a Troop Card with the Warbeasts symbol and that Troop is in a Rank where its bonus applies, then you can pick that Troop Card to be your Chosen Troop that round instead of the Troop Card in the Front Rank.

SHIELD WALL - The Shield Wall symbol is composed of 2 interlocking symbols - the Shield symbol and the Formation symbol. This classifies the Shield Wall as a Formation. Some Terrain Cards and Stratagem Cards have the 'No Formation' symbol on and if your Unit is on such a Terrain Card or affected by such a Stratagem Card then you can't gain any bonus from the Shield Wall.

The Shield Wall represents the Front Rank of a Unit locking its shields together. This increases the strength of the Front Rank.

If all the Troop Cards in your Front Rank have the Shield Wall symbol then you gain the Shield Wall bonus every round.

The Shield Wall bonus reduces the amount of damage you take in a round.

Charge Unit Compositions

Symbols that are to the right of the Charge symbol and to the left of the Ballistic symbol affect the game when your Unit is at the Charge Combat Level. These affect the game as follows.

RATE OF FIRE - The Rate of Fire is never joined with the Formation symbol and so applies even if your Unit is affected by a card that has the 'No Formation' symbol on.

Rate of Fire represents the Troop being armed with a weapon that they can use from the Front, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or deeper Rank of the Unit.

Rate of Fire will increase your Chosen Troop's Conflict Bonus.

If you have a Troop Card with the Rate of Fire symbol and that Troop is in a Rank where its bonus applies, then you can pick that Troop Card to be your Chosen Troop that round instead of the Troop Card in the Front Rank.

If your Chosen Troop Card has the Rate of Fire symbol combined with some form of Bow as a weapon (see Troop Card 17, pg 9) then you can pick your opponent's Chosen Troop if you're the Attacker in the round. Your opponent picks which column and then you select any Troop Card in that column to be your opponent's Chosen Troop.

If you have picked your opponent's Chosen Troop from a rank other than the Front Rank and your opponent has to Instant Discard that Troop, he flips his Troop Card in the Front Rank of that column to show that he can not pick a Chosen Troop from that column in another round of the Duration.

Ballistic Unit Compositions

Symbols that are to the right of the Ballistic symbol affect the game when your Unit is at the Ballistic Combat Level. These affect the game as follows.

RATE OF FIRE - This is exactly the same as detailed for the 'Rate of Fire' symbol at the Charge Combat Level.

SHIELD COVER - The Shield Cover symbol is the same as the Shield Wall symbol but appears next to the Ballistic symbol and not the Melee symbol. Again, this is a Formation and so the rules for 'No Formation' affecting the use of the bonus do apply.

Shield Cover is where Troops interlock their shields to create a wall at the front of the Unit and a roof over their heads.

In order to gain the Shield Cover bonus in a round, all of the following must be true -

• The Troop Card in the Front Rank of the column that your Chosen Troop is in must have the Shield Cover symbol (this may or may not be your Chosen Troop)
• Only 1 Troop Card in the column that your Chosen Troop is in doesn't have to have the Shield Cover symbol - all other Troop Cards must have it. But . . .
• . . . if you only have 2 ranks in your Unit then both Troop Cards in the column must have the Shield Cover symbol

The Shield Cover bonus reduces the damage taken in a round. If your column has a mixture of '-' figures then you would apply the most common one. If there is a tie you use the lowest value.

For example, in your column you have 2 Troop Cards with a Shield Cover of (C-10) and 1 Troop Card with a Shield Cover of (C-5). The most common is (C-10) so you use this. But if you had 2 Troop Cards with (C-10) and 2 with (C-5) then you would use the lowest value - (C-5).

More on Terrain Cards

Moving onto a Terrain Card

Some Terrain Cards restrict the type of Troop Card and Unit that can move onto it.

• A player's Unit can only move onto a Terrain Card if all the Troop Cards in the Unit have the Element Symbol (see Troop Card 16, pg 9) that matches the Terrain's Element (see Terrain Card 12, pg 12)

• If the Terrain Card has 1 or more Access Values (see Terrain Card 2, pg 12) then this will restrict the type of Troop Card and Unit that can get onto the Terrain

  The Access Values will be like these 2 examples - '15+' and '9-'. Any value not followed by a '+' or '-' is not an Access Value

  If the Access Value is followed by a plus then no Troop Card that has a Power (see Troop Card 22, pg 9) equal to, or more than, the Access Value can go onto the Terrain. If the Access Value is followed by a minus then no Troop Card that has a Power equal to, or less than, the Access Value can go onto the Terrain Card

  No Unit with such excluded Troops in it can move onto that Terrain Card and must be placed elsewhere on the battlefield

Default Movement

When you start a game you place the middle Troop Card from the front rank of your Unit onto the Terrain Card at the Ballistic Combat Level.

Your Unit moves from one Combat Level to another per the following default movement -

• 2 Durations (incl. 'End of Durations') are played at the Ballistic Combat Level
• 1 Duration (incl. the 'End of Duration') is played at the Charge Combat Level
• All remaining Durations at the Melee Combat Level

When your Unit moves Combat Levels you move the centre Troop Card of your Unit to that Combat Level. When at a Combat Level you use the stats on your Troop Cards for that Combat Level only.

Moving Troop Cards within a Unit

If your Unit is at either the Ballistic or Charge Combat Level you can move Troop Cards around within the Unit. Any single Troop Card can be swapped with another Troop Card in the same column that is no more than 2 Ranks away (see illu. 16). You can only do this at step 8 of the 'End of Duration'. (Note: the 'End of Duration' section as printed lists this action as step 9, "Terrain".)

Terrain Card Effects

Some Terrain Cards have Effects (see Terrain Card 4, pg 12) which affect the game as follows.

• If the Terrain Card has the 'Counter Mounts' symbol neither player can use a 1st Duration Mle Bonus on a Troop Card (see Unit Compositions)
• If the Terrain Card has the 'Counter Aerial' symbol neither player can play an Aerial Type Stratagem Card (see Stratagem Card 9, pg 28)
• If the Terrain Card has the 'No Formation' symbol neither player can play a Stratagem Card that has the Formation Symbol Stratagem Type (see Stratagem Card 9, pg 28) or use a Unit Composition that is a Formation

Combining Terrain Cards

Two or more Terrain Cards can be Combined to represent a large variety of Terrain. Each Terrain Card notes which other Terrain Cards it can be Combined with (see Terrain Card 13, pg 12). However you can't Combine like Terrain - i.e. you can't Combine 2 or more 'Woods' Terrain Cards together.

When you place Combined Terrain they are placed as shown in illu. 17.

Combined Terrain only affects one half of the Terrain. In illu. 17 the bottom half of the Terrain is affected as the stats on the bottom Terrain Card are showing on this half. If you want Combined Terrain to affect the top half then you would place the bottom Terrain so that it protrudes out from the right of the card. Combined Terrain will then only affect one player that is on the Terrain.

The following apply to the player on the side of the Terrain affected by Combined Terrain.

• If there are several Access Values (see Terrain Card 2, pg 12) that are followed by a plus the player uses the lowest valued one. If there are several Access Values that are followed by a minus the player uses the highest valued one
• All the Terrain Effects (see Terrain Card 4, pg 12) on all the Combined Terrain apply
• At the Ballistic and Charge Combat Levels the player adds together all the Terrain Modifiers and uses the final figure. If the player is the Defender in a round he can use the highest Guard Value on any of the Combined Terrain
• The player uses the highest Move on any of the Combined Terrain (see Army Movement later)
• The player uses the lowest Range value - note that the range on any Terrain Card under the top Terrain shows at the top left of the card, upside down (see Expanded Rules for Range)

Combined Terrain Cards are still known simply as a Terrain Card in these rules.

Support Units

Support Units do just what their name implies - they support a Unit that is directly fighting the enemy. Support Units are placed behind a Unit that you have on a Terrain Card (see illu. 18). The Unit that is already on the Terrain Card is known as your Main Unit. The Support Unit can never be at a Combat Level that is further forward than the Main Unit - e.g. if the Main Unit is at the Charge Combat Level then the Support Unit can't be at the Melee Combat Level. Otherwise you are free to choose the Combat Level the Support Unit is at.

Combining Support & Main Units

When your Unit on the Terrain Card is at the Ballistic Combat Level your Support Unit can fire at your opponent's Unit per the following -

• You can pick your Chosen Troop from either your Main or Support Unit but can only select it from the Support Unit if the Chosen Troop has a weapon at the Ballistic Combat Level
• You can Combine your Chosen Troop (see Combining Troop Cards pg. 24) with a Troop Card from the other Unit - i.e. Combine your Chosen Troop in the Main Unit with a Troop in the Support Unit - only if that Troop Card also has a weapon at the Ballistic Combat Level
• When your Main Unit is at the Ballistic Combat Level and you come to Discard Troop Cards, your opponent decides whether you do so from your Main or Support Unit. You can then only Discard Troop Cards from that Unit.
• When you come to Retire Troop Cards you can choose to do so from your Main Unit, Support Unit, or both.

Adding the Support Unit to the Main Unit

During the 'End of Duration' you can add your Support Unit to your Main Unit.

You move the remaining Support Unit Troop Cards to create new Ranks behind those existing in your Main Unit.

Battle Tactics Stratagem Cards available in expansions increase the tactical benefits of Support Units.

Switching the Main & Support Units

If you want to switch your Main Unit with its Support Unit you must use the 'Retreat' Stratagem Card to move the Main Unit to the Ballistic Combat Level. You can then switch your Main Unit with its Support Unit.

The Games

There are several ways that you can play a battle. The simplest is just to play with a single Unit against your opponent - Unit vs. Unit. To play this game each player would build a single Unit which would include 1 Combat Master, 1 Battle Master and a Set of Standard Cards. You would then battle over a randomly selected Terrain Card (or an agreed upon Terrain Card) using all the rules detailed previously until one player wins.

The 2nd game you can play is the Best of 3. In this game each player will have more than one Unit and it is very easy to learn if you know how to play the Unit vs. Unit.

A variant of the Unit vs. Unit game is the Battle game which is also easy to learn if you know how to play Unit vs. Unit. In this game you will have 3 or more Units and 3 or more Terrain Cards laid out as the battlefield. With this game you can move Units from one Terrain to the next and can even manoeuvre to attack your opponent from the side or rear. The rules for the Battle game are available free to download from the publisher's website.

Multi-Player Games

All the above games are played with 2 players. However, if you have 2 copies of War for Edath (or 1 copy plus 1 or more expansion decks) you can play multi-player variants of the games which include team play, 2 vs. 2, all against one or all against all! The rules for multi-player games were available for download from the publisher's website and can be found in companion books.

Solo Gaming

War for Edath can also be played solo. Playing solitaire is a great way to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each of the Troop Cards as well as trying out tactics before you unleash them on an opponent. Rules for solo gaming were available for download from the publisher's website.

Building Armies

Armies are primarily built with Troop Cards, Combat Masters, Standards and Battle Masters. All these cards have an 'Army Cost' value and when you total up the Army Costs of all the cards in your army you get your Total Army Cost. When you play an opponent your Total Army Costs must be equitable. Some Conflict Cards and Stratagems may also have an Army Cost value (these are rare) and if you wish to play these in your game you must include them in your Total Army Cost.

The armies provided in this Starter Game have an Army Cost of 167 each. The larger the Total Army Cost the more variety or the larger your army will be. We recommend creating several armies of different Total Army Costs. This way you'll be ready to play a battle of any size or length.

The Total Army Cost depends on the type of game you'll play - Best of 3 or Battle. The following Total Army Costs will create Units 'on average' 2 Ranks deep. Playing with higher Total Army Cost armies will allow you to have bigger Units with more powerful champions, leaders, etc.

Game Type	Total Army Cost
Unit vs. Unit	80
Battle	100

Picking Troop Cards

The Army Cost of a Troop Card (see Troop Card 2, pg 9) has 2 values. The 1st value is the Army Cost - the amount you add to get the Total Army Cost. The 2nd value is the Level of the card - 1 being average, 3 highest. There is a letter and figure in brackets next to the cost. The figure is the Rarity of the troop and the letter denotes the Type of the Troop -

i = infantry, b = ballistic, r = riders, w = wildsmen, a = aerial

The following rules apply to building your army for any game -

• For every 6 Troop Cards you have in an army, 1 of them can be a Level 3 card, 2 of them can be Level 2 cards and the remaining 3 must be Level 1

  When building your army you will group Troop Cards into groups of 6 so that you can apply the above rule on Levels. If, after you have done this, you have 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 Troop Cards left over you apply the following to those Troop Cards -

  • If you have 1 or 2 Troop Cards 'left over' these must be Level 1
  • If you have 3 or 4 'left over' then 1 of these can be Level 2 and the others must be Level 1
  • If you have 5 'left over' 2 of these can be Level 2 and the other must be Level 1

• For every 2 Troop Cards you have of Rarity 1 you can have 1 Rarity 2 Troop of any Type. E.g. if you have 2x (i1) Troops you can have 1x (i2) Troop or 1x (r2) Troop or 1x (w2) troop, and so on

• Each Unit must have a minimum of 3 Troop Cards in it

• Each Unit can have a maximum of 4 Standard Cards and these are known as a 'Set' of Standard Cards

• The rules previously detailed for building 'Unit vs. Unit', 'Best of 3' and 'Battle' armies still apply

Picking Masters & Standards

The other cards that make up your army are Combat Master, Battle Master and Standard Cards. The type of game you play may restrict the number of these that you can have - see below.

There are different levels of Standard Cards - levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. You can only pick one of each level and although you can then have several Standard Cards they actually only represent one physical standard for your Unit or army. If you have several Standard Cards they are known as a 'Set'.

Building 'Unit vs. Unit' & 'Best of 3' Armies

• You can only have 1 Combat Master, 1 Battle Master and 1 Set of Standard Cards
• For a Unit vs. Unit game you have 1 Unit and this Unit can have 1 Support Unit
• For the Best of 3 game, you must have 2 Units and can opt to have 0, 1 or 2 Support Units as well
• Each Unit is built with a number of Ranks with 3 Troop Cards in each Rank - see illu. 1

"Best of 3"

Each player's army is built per the rules detailed in 'Building Armies'.

The 'Best of 3' game is played as follows -

1. One player takes all the Terrain Cards and shuffles them. The other player cuts the deck and places the next Terrain Card between the players

2. Each player has 1 veto over the revealed Terrain Card. If a player vetos the card it is placed to one side and the deck of Terrain Cards is cut again and the next Terrain Card placed between the players

   Instead of vetoing a Terrain Card a player can cut the deck of Terrain Cards again and take the next Terrain Card. If this is a Terrain that can be Combined with the Terrain Card on the table then the player can choose to Combine the Terrain

3. Each player then selects one of their two Units and places it at the Ballistic Combat Level of the Terrain Card. Each player can also place one Support Unit. Each player takes their Combat Master, Battle Master and Set of Standard Cards and places these behind their Unit

4. The conflict is then played out with all the Unit vs. Unit rules until a player wins

5. When a player wins they take the remaining Troop Cards in their winning Unit and place these to one side. They may be used later in the game so must be kept separate from other cards

6. The Terrain Cards are shuffled again, cut and the next Terrain Card placed between the players. Each player has the same choices with this Terrain as detailed in step 2 above.

   However, if a 'Hills' Terrain Card was used in the first combat then the Terrain Cards aren't shuffled, cut and picked from. Instead, the 'Hills' is used again but turned 180 degrees around so that each player will now be on the opposite side of the 'Hills' card than they were in the first combat. Any Terrain Card that was Combined with the 'Hills' is also moved to the player who didn't have it on his half during the first combat. This will then be the Terrain Cards fought over in the second combat

7. Each player takes the second of their two Units and places it at the Ballistic Combat Level of the Terrain Card. Each player can also place one Support Unit. Each player takes their Combat Master, Battle Master and Set of Standard Cards and places these behind their Unit