War of the Nine Realms Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Print & Play Version
• Winning the Game
  • Last Ruler Standing
  • Fill the Blood Cauldron
• Print & Play – What You Need to Provide
  • Action Markers
  • Blood Markers
  • Dice
  • Figure Bases
• Print & Play Game Components
  • Blood Cauldron
  • Fate Cards and Fate Card Deck
  • Figures
  • Realm Cards
  • Realm Tiles
  • Terrain Tiles
  • Terrain Hexes
  • Wound Counters
• Game Setup
  • Preparation
• Turns
  • Resource Phase
  • Action Phase
  • Actions
  • Counterattack
  • At any time
• Combat
  • Movement & Terrain
  • Range and Visibility
  • Types of Attack
  • Attacking
  • Wounds
• Forces of the Realms
  • Aesir
  • Norsemen

Print & Play Version

This is designed to give you a taste of the full game. With only two Realms and fewer Figures, It's faster to play and easier to learn. It contains a simplified board setup and other elements. The rules are only those need to play this version. This game has been created by humans and not the Norse Gods, so please let us know of any errors that may have slipped through.

Winning the Game

There are two ways to win the game:

Last Ruler Standing

The Realm with the last Ruler alive is the Winner. They are now the progenitors of the new world.

As Attacks and Counterattacks are simultaneous, it is possible for two Rulers to kill each other. If this occurs, it is the Attacking side that wins, the Counterattack was just not quick enough to count.

Fill the Blood Cauldron

The world of Norse Mythology is full of battle and blood. In the Print & Play version, the first Realm to fill the Blood Cauldron with nine points of their enemy's blood with their Ruler alive wins. The Cauldron overflows and washes the world clean of all their enemies, leaving them as progenitors of the new world.

Print & Play – What You Need to Provide

Action Markers

Two five pence pieces are used as the base for the Action Markers. These are used to keep track of the six Actions each Realm has. There is an eight-legged horse figure to attach to each coin. This is Sleipnir, Odin's magical horse.

Blood Markers

Two one pence pieces are used as Blood Markers for each Realm. These are used to keep track of Blood in the Blood Cauldron each Realm has. There is a raven figure to attach to each coin.

Dice

At least five twelve sided dice (D12). To use, roll and read the top number. Rolling a 12 is important as it can mean an Automatic Wound in an Attack. No Dice? There are many online and smartphone dice rollers to choose from.

Figure Bases

Eight two pence pieces are used as bases for the Figures. Once you have cut the figures out, fold them in half and use the tabs to glue or Blu Tack them each to a two pence piece.

Print & Play Game Components

Blood Cauldron

Filling the Blood Cauldron with your enemies blood is one way to win the game, once it overflows everyone else is washed away. A Realm's Blood Marker is advanced by one on the Blood Cauldron for every Wound the Realm causes. In the Print & Play version, the first Realm to reach nine with their Ruler alive is the winner.

Fate Cards and Fate Card Deck

There are 14 Fate Cards in the Print & Play Fate Deck. Fate Cards are collected in the Resource Phase and kept secret from other players. At the start of your Resource Phase If your current hand has less than three Fate Cards make it up to three. There are no limits on the number of Fate cards that can be used at once. Fate cards are refreshed on each player's turn. There are six types of Fate card:

• Re-roll all dice. Re-roll all your dice at any time or force another player to re-roll all their dice at any time. There are two of these cards in the Print & Play Fate Deck.
• +3 Actions or Re-roll one die. Either; gain three more Actions, or re-roll one of your dice at any time or force another player to re-roll one of their dice at any time. There are two of these cards in the Print & Play Fate Deck.
• +5 Attack or Defence. Add five to any Attack, Defence or Counterattack roll at any time. There are four of these cards in the Print & Play Fate Deck.
• +6 Attack. Add six to any Attack or Counterattack roll at any time. There are two of these cards in the Print & Play Fate Deck.
• +6 Defence. Add six to any Defence roll at any time. There are four of these cards in the Print & Play Fate Deck.

Attack bonuses may be added to any Attack or Counterattack roll totals at any time. This may turn failures into successes. You can not create Automatic Wounds this way. Automatic Wounds are only the result of a natural twelve.

Defence bonuses may be added to a Figure's Defence at any time. This may prevent an Attack from being successful.

Fate Cards may be played at any time, including out of turn by other Realms.

Figures

Each Realm has four different types of Figures in the Print & Play version. The height of each Figure denotes their importance with the Ruler being the tallest and the Warrior being shortest. Each Figure has a number denoting Defence and a symbol denoting Role:

• Ruler (crown symbol)
• Companion (flame-crown symbol)
• Champion (axe symbol)
• Warrior (sword symbol)

Only one Figure can be placed in a hex at any time. Figures may not be placed in or move through half hexes. Figures may move through hexes occupied by friendly Figures, but are blocked by Mountain hexes and enemy Figures. A Figure's Movement must end in a whole, unoccupied and accessible hex.

Realm Cards

There are two Realm Cards in the Print & Play version. The cards contain specific information for each Figure type of the Realm.

Realm Tiles, Terrain Tiles and Reference Cards for each Realm are printed onto two sheets of A4 in the Print & Play version.

Realm Tiles

Each Realm has a Realm Tile which acts as their starting place. There are two Realm Tiles in the Print & Play version. They are identical in shape to Terrain Tiles except their colour matches that of their Realm. A Realm Tile's terrain is equivalent to Plain.

Terrain Tiles

There are two terrain tiles in the Print & Play version, each is unique and contains Plain, Forest, Water and Mountain hexes.

• Plain. These can be moved through easily and cause no visibility problems.
• Forest. Forest can be moved through easily. A Figure in Forest adds four to their Defence, but loses one die of their Attacks and Counterattacks. A Figure with zero dice cannot Attack or Counterattack. Intervening Forest hexes block line of sight. Figures in Forest hexes are visible if there are no intervening Forest hexes.
• Water. When a Figure enters a Water hex, its movement ends. Whilst in a Water hex, a Figure's Movement is reduced to one. Leaving a Water hex does not restore Movement until their next turn. Water does not block line of sight.
• Mountain. Figures may not enter a Mountain hex (unless they can fly). Mountain hexes block Line of Sight. Figures may not end their movement in a mountain hex.

Terrain Hexes

These are used to magically alter the underlying terrain. By spending three Actions, a Terrain hex can be transformed into Plain, Forest or Water. There two Plain, Forest and Water hexes. For rules governing each Terrain type see Terrain Tiles

Wound Counters

When a Figure is wounded, put one of these on the Figure's area on their Realm Card. When their Health is equaled, the Figure is dead. Don't forget to increment the Blood Cauldron.

Game Setup

Take some time to familiarise yourself with the Print & Play rules and pieces before starting to play for the first time.

Preparation

Each player selects a Realm and collects their Blood Counter, Action Marker and four Figures.

Place your Action marker on zero on the Action Track.

Now place the Blood Cauldron where everyone can see it and each player places their Blood Marker on zero.

Shuffle the Fate cards and place them face down where everyone can reach them. Each player now takes three each and keeps them secret from the other player.

Now lay out the board as indicated below. This is represents Vigridr - The place on Which the Battle will Surge. The Print & Play version is much smaller than the full version.

Turns

Each Realm's turn has a Resource and Action Phase.

Resource Phase

Actions. Reset Actions to six if not at six.

Fate cards. If you have less than three, refill your hand to three.

Action Phase

As you spend Actions, move your Action marker down the Action track to show their use.

Actions may be held over to allow Counterattacks.

A Figure may only move and attack once.

Counterattacks do not count as attacks. The number of Counterattacks is only limited by available Actions.

Some Figures have Actions noted on their Realm card that override these rules.

Actions

Spend one Action to move a Figure its maximum distance or less.

Spend one Action for a Figure to attack another using Close or Ranged weapons.

Spend three Actions to transform any empty hex adjacent to one of your Figures, into Plain, Forest or Water.

Counterattack

In response to an attack, the attacked Figure may Counterattack if they have Action points remaining. They may Counterattack even if the Attack failed or the attacked Figure was killed. Counterattacks are simultaneous with attacks.

At any time

Fate Cards may be played at any time, including out of turn by other Realms.

Combat

Movement & Terrain

Each Figure has its movement marked on its Realm card.

Movement is the maximum number of hexes the Figure can move per turn. One Action allows a Figure to move up to its maximum movement. A Figure's Movement must end in a whole, unoccupied and accessible hex.

Figures may move through hexes occupied by friendly Figures, but are blocked by Mountain hexes and enemy Figures.

Range and Visibility

To determine range, count the number of hexes the Attack line passes through and/or along the edge of, to see how far away they are.

Close Attacks may only Attack a Figure in an adjacent hex.

For Ranged Attacks, a clear line is needed between the middle of your hex to the middle of your enemy's hex. Intervening Figures, Mountain and Forest hexes block your line of sight. Figures in Forest hexes are visible if there are no intervening forest hexes.

Types of Attack

In the Print & Play version there are two different ways for Figures to attack each other:

• Close Attack. Attack a Figure in an adjacent hex. The number of Close Attack dice is noted in the Figure's box on the Realm Card.
• Ranged Attack. Attack a Figure that is visible, a minimum of two and a maximum of four hexes away in a straight line. A Figure cannot use a ranged Counterattack on a close attack. The number of Ranged Attack dice is noted in the Figure's box on the Realm Card.

Attacking

Select the number of dice for the type of Attack from the Realm Card.

Identify the Defence of the Figure you are attacking from the Figure or Realm Card.

Roll the dice, set any Twelves aside and total the results.

Twelves are Automatic Wounds.

If you equal or exceed the Defence value of the Figure you are attacking, it receives a Wound. E.g. Odin's 31 exceeds the Sinfjotli's Defence of 18 and so the Sinfjotli receives a Wound.

Each multiple of the Defence you exceed counts as another Wound. E.g. Odin rolls a total of 36, exceeding Sinfjotli's defence of 18 twice exactly and so Sinfjotli receives two Wounds.

Wounds

The number of Wounds a Figure can take is equal to its Health. This is noted on the Realm card. E.g. Sigmund has a Health of 5.

Each time a Figure receives a Wound, place a Wound Counter on the Figure's box on the Realm card and add one to the Realm's Blood Cauldron score.

If a Figure receives Wounds equal to its Health, it dies. Attack and Counterattack are simultaneous, a dead Figure may still Counterattack. Dead Figures are removed from the board after any Counterattack has taken place.

Forces of the Realms

In the Print & Play version, each Realm has only four Figures.

Aesir

Odin: Ruler of the Realm of Asgardr.

• Heroic Close Attack: 4 dice
• Defense: 20
• Movement: 5
• Health: 5
• All Seeing Eye. Draw up to four Fate Cards, discard one.
• Rally. Once during your turn, you may if able, spend an Action to return a fallen Valkyrie to battle. Rallied Figures must start on their Realm Tile. The Valkyrie can be used immediately.

Frigg: Companion of Odin.

• Close Attack: 2 dice
• Heroic Ranged Attack: 3 dice
• Defense: 16
• Movement: 5
• Health: 4
• Foresight. Once during the Aesir turn, Frigg may re-roll one or all of her Attack dice.

Thor: Champion of Asgardr.

• Heroic Close Attack: 4 dice
• Defense: 18
• Movement: 5
• Health: 4
• Battle Born. If a target has more Health than Thor, he may re-roll one or all of his dice during any of his Attacks or Counterattacks on the target.

Valkyrie: Warrior of Asgardr.

• Heroic Close Attack: 3 dice
• Heroic Ranged Attack: 3 dice
• Defense: 17
• Movement: 6
• Health: 1
• Death Seekers. Valkyries add one die to Attacks on Figures that are already wounded.

Norsemen

Sigmund: Ruler of the Realm of Midgardr.

• Heroic Close Attack: 3 dice
• Heroic Ranged Attack: 3 dice
• Defense: 19
• Movement: 5
• Health: 5
• Revenge. Whenever a Norseman dies within two hexes of Sigmund, Sigmund gains one die to his next Attack.
• Rally. Once during your turn you may spend an Action to return a fallen Vanguard to battle. Rallied Figures must start on their Realm Tile. The Vanguard can be used immediately.

Hjordis: Companion of Sigmund.

• Heroic Close Attack: 3 dice
• Heroic Ranged Attack: 3 dice
• Defense: 17
• Movement: 5
• Health: 4
• Ancient Bloodline. Hjordis may ignore one Wound from one Attack during each player's turn.

Sinfjotli the Lycan: Champion of Midgardr.

• Heroic Close Attack: 4 dice
• Defense: 18
• Movement: 6
• Health: 4
• The Hunter. Choose a Figure, you may re-roll any number of Attack dice once per Attack against them. You may not choose another Figure until the first is dead.

The Vanguard: Warrior of Midgardr.

• Heroic Close Attack: 3 dice
• Ranged Attack: 2 dice
• Defense: 17
• Movement: 5
• Health: 1
• The Vanguard's ability cannot work in the Print & Play rules. Consider trying a game with two Vanguard to see how it works. In the full game there are four Vanguard.
• Hit Them Hard. Add one die to your Close Attack for each Vanguard within two hexes of the Attacking Vanguard.