Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate
Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Overview
- Playing Worldbreakers
- Reference
- Game Modes
- Appendix: Decklists
- Glossary
Game Overview
Worldbreakers is a two-player card game. Players start with a Worldbreaker and a deck of 30 cards. During the game, players take turns to play their cards, attack their opponent, and gain power. The first player to finish a round with 10 power wins.
Getting Started
The game components in Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate are packaged as follows:
- 3 punch-out sheets of counters and markers
- Turn tracker board
- Rulebook
- Earth pack (33 cards)
- Stars pack (33 cards)
- Moon pack (32 cards)
- Void pack (32 cards)
- Campaign pack (54 cards)
- Extras pack (24 or more cards)
Each guild pack contains a ready-to-play deck.
In this document, the "Playing Worldbreakers" section explains the core rules you need to start playing. For your first few games, each player just needs the cards from any one guild pack.
The "Reference" section provides additional rules and clarifications.
The "Game Modes" section describes several different ways to play Worldbreakers beyond using the guild packs.
If you are unsure about any rules or card interactions after consulting this document, please visit the Worldbreakers homepage for links to online player communities and other resources: https://worldbreakersgame.com
Errata
The first printing of Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate contains the following errors:
- Rulebook p2: "15 Stage Counters" should read "12 Stage Counters"
- Rulebook p32: Should include a step for optionally gaining power.*
- Rulebook p35: "Burst of Creativity" should read "Throes of Fancy"
- Serpent Strike: "Response:" should read "Interrupt:"
- Baleful Viper: "Response:" should read "Interrupt:"
*Additionally, this expanded rulebook adds more detailed rules for campaign difficulty levels.
Playing Worldbreakers
Object of the Game: Power
Power represents your control of mythium through conquest, political favors, intrigue, trade, or any other means. You gain power counters by developing location cards and attacking your opponent. Each player aims to be the first to reach 10 power.
Starting the Game
To start a game of Worldbreakers, perform the following steps:
- Each player puts their Worldbreaker card into the play area.
- Each player gathers their starting resources: 5 mythium and 1 standing from the Guild indicated on their Worldbreaker card. The purpose of each of these resources is explained in the Resources section.
- Each player shuffles their deck and draws a hand of 5 cards. You can look at your hand right away.
- Randomly select the first player. Set the Turn Tracker in the center of the table, oriented so that the first space is on that player's side of the play area.
- Starting with the first player, each player may take a single "mulligan" to change what cards they will start the game with. To take a mulligan, set aside any number of cards from your hand. Then, draw the same number of cards from your deck, so that your hand is back to 5 cards. Finally, reshuffle the cards you set aside back into your deck.
- You are now ready to begin the first round of play!
Structure of a Round
Rounds in Worldbreakers consist of two phases: the Action Phase and the Rally Phase.
Action Phase
In the Action Phase, players alternate turns, each taking one turn for each of the four spaces on their side of the Turn Tracker.
Begin the Action Phase by placing the Turn Marker on the first space of the Turn Tracker.
As each turn is completed, move the Turn Marker to the next space so that both players can see where they are in the round.
A player's turn consists of one action, chosen from the following options:
- Gain 1 mythium.
- Draw 1 card.
- Pay 2 mythium → Gain 1 standing with any guild.
- Play a card from your hand.
- Attack.
- Develop a location you control.
These actions are described in detail in the Actions section.
Players typically do not have to make any decisions during their opponent's turn. The exception is combat, which consists of several steps and allows both players opportunities to affect the game. Combat is explained in the Combat section.
After each player has taken four turns, play proceeds to the Rally phase.
Rally Phase
In the rally phase, players perform the following steps:
- Resolve Rally abilities. Some cards have abilities marked by the "Rally:" condition. If a player controls cards with these abilities, they can trigger them now. If multiple Rally abilities are active, each player resolves the abilities they control in player order. If a single player controls multiple abilities, they choose the order among their own abilities. Abilities resolved during this step cannot initiate combat.
- Each player readies all their exhausted cards. Combat and some card abilities can cause follower and Worldbreaker cards to exhaust (turn sideways). In this step, each player readies (turns upright) all exhausted cards they control.
- Each player gains 2 mythium. Each player takes 2 mythium from the supply.
- Each player draws 1 card. Each player must draw 1 card from their deck, putting it into their hand. There is no limit to the number of cards a player can have in their hand at a time. In some games, a player may run out of cards in their deck. If a player cannot draw a card in this step, their opponent gains 1 power. Note that this power can only be gained once per round. If a player is instructed to draw a card at any other time and cannot do so, their opponent does NOT gain power.
- Check for victory. Each player counts how many power counters they control. If you have at least 10 power and your opponent does not, you win the game! If both players have at least 10 power, the player with more power wins. If the players are tied for power or if neither player has at least 10 power, the game continues for another round.
- Change player order. The second player becomes the new first player. Flip the Turn Tracker over so that the first space is on that player's side of the play area.
After this step, play proceeds to the Action Phase of the next round.
The Play Area
Each player should dedicate space to their left or right for their deck and discard pile. The play area is directly between the players, with the Turn Tracker at the center. While players are not required to arrange their cards in a particular way, we recommend that you leave space near the Turn Tracker to place attacking followers and resolving events in front. Keep other followers you control in the second row and locations you control in the third row.
Place your Worldbreaker card on one side of the play area, and keep your pool of mythium counters and power counters nearby so that each player can easily see how many you have at all times.
Anatomy of the Cards
Each Worldbreakers card has one of four card types: Worldbreaker, event, follower, or location. Each player has one Worldbreaker card which they control for the entire game. Other cards are active only while they are in play, except for abilities that specifically state that they apply from an out-of-play area. This section explains how to read each type of card.
Rules Text, Flavor Text, and Reminder Text
Each card type has a place for rules text, which describes the abilities it has in the Worldbreakers game, and flavor text, which gives information about the Worldbreakers setting or our own real-world history. Flavor text appears in italics and has no impact on gameplay.
Some cards have a quill symbol at the end of their flavor text. This symbol indicates that the text contains real-world historical information.
Other cards have their flavor text marked with the symbol for the set they appear in. This indicates that the text describes one of the key moments in that set's story:
- The set symbol for Advent of the Khanate is the tug, the black banner made out of horse-tail hairs which is flown by Khutulun's forces.
- The set symbol for The Indigo Sisterhood is the mythium chamber of Miriam's nullifier.
Some cards have reminder text interspersed with their rules text. Reminder text appears in italics and parentheses (like this), and serves as a helper for understanding a keyword or another effect. Reminder text has no actual gameplay function and does not supersede the full rules for that ability.
Worldbreaker
Your Worldbreaker card represents your character, a leader vying for control of mythium. Your chosen Worldbreaker gives you access to unique Signature cards for use in your deck (see Game Modes). Your Worldbreaker also has a guild affiliation, which determines your starting standing. Your Worldbreaker's abilities are active and under your control for the entire game.
A Worldbreaker card shows: card name; guild; rules text; flavor text; signature cards; illustrator, set, and card number.
Some effects demand special attention from your Worldbreaker, requiring them to exhaust. Indicate that your Worldbreaker card is ready by placing it in an upright, vertical orientation, and indicate that it is exhausted by turning it sideways to a horizontal orientation. Your Worldbreaker will become ready again during the Rally Phase at the end of each round.
Each Worldbreaker has a number of signature cards listed on their back face. A card with a five-pointed star in its top-right corner can only be included in a deck if it is listed on that deck's Worldbreaker card.
Events
Events carry impactful one-time effects. When you play an event card, place it in front of your side of the play area and immediately resolve its abilities. When you finish, place the event in its owner's discard pile.
An event card shows: card name; mythium cost; standing requirement; card type and traits; rules text; flavor text; illustrator, set, and card number.
Followers
Followers are people that join your cause. When you play a follower card, place it in the middle row of your side of the play area. Followers can help you in many ways: with their abilities, by attacking your opponent and their locations, and by defending you and your locations.
In addition to their costs and abilities, follower cards have two other important values: strength, which represents the number of wounds this follower can deal to another follower, and health, which represents what it takes to defeat the follower. If a follower has at least as many wound counters on it as its health value, it is defeated and placed in its owner's discard pile.
Followers can also ready and exhaust. Indicate ready followers by placing them in a vertical orientation, and exhausted followers by turning them sideways to a horizontal orientation. Followers enter play ready, and can be exhausted during combat or by abilities. Exhausted followers become ready again during the Rally Phase at the end of each round.
Note: Followers can attack or block in the same round they enter play. Worldbreakers does not have a "summoning sickness" rule.
A follower card shows: card name; mythium cost; standing requirement; card type and traits; rules text; flavor text; strength; health; illustrator, set, and card number.
Locations
Locations are places such as mines, markets, or fortresses. Each location card has an ordered list of abilities called stages. When you play a location card, place it in the back row of your side of the play area, and place a stage counter on each stage.
Players develop their locations in order to trigger their stage abilities. When a player develops a location (either using an action or through a card ability), they remove the topmost stage counter from it and resolve the ability of that stage.
Locations can also be damaged: a successful combat allows the attacking player to damage one of the defending player's locations (see the Outcome Phase), and a few card abilities can damage locations directly. Each time a location is damaged, remove its topmost stage counter but do not resolve the corresponding ability.
When the final stage ability of a location finishes resolving, or when the last stage counter is removed by damage, the location is depleted and placed in its owner's discard pile.
A location card shows: card name; mythium cost; standing requirement; card type and traits; rules text; ordered list of stages; flavor text; illustrator, set, and card number.
Resources
During a game of Worldbreakers, you will accumulate and manage two types of resources: mythium and standing.
Mythium
Mythium is a mysterious substance which amplifies the natural abilities of Worldbreakers. Mythium counters represent the mythium readily available for your use.
You start each game of Worldbreakers with 5 mythium and gain and spend it over the course of the game. Each card has a mythium cost that you must pay to play it, and some abilities also include mythium in their trigger costs. To pay a mythium cost, spend the indicated number of mythium.
There is no limit to the amount of mythium you can have.
Standing
Standing represents your access to or the trust of one of the Worldbreaker Guilds: Earth, Moon, Stars, or Void.
You start each game with 1 standing for the guild indicated on your Worldbreaker card. Track standing separately for each guild.
Many cards have a standing requirement, depicted directly beneath their mythium cost. You must have at least the amount of standing shown on a card in order to play that card. Note that standing is not expended by playing cards, although some card abilities can remove or spend players' standing.
You can mark your standing with the standing tracker cards, as shown on the next page, or with dice and a standing tracker board from The Indigo Sisterhood expansion.
The Guilds
The four guilds each have different strengths and weaknesses. In building and playing a deck, you may wish to gain standing with a single guild, in order to access their most powerful cards, or you may wish to seek favor with multiple guilds, to combine their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses.
The Earth guild are ferocious warriors and sages who connect with mythium through meditation and training. The Guild employs efficient followers who swarm their opponent for power.
The Stars guild includes artisans and merchants who infuse mythium into clothes, jewelry, and art. They slow down the opponent while developing locations in quick, unstoppable bursts.
The Moon guild is composed of engineers and scientists who use mythium as a power source for their inventions. They focus on controlling the board and slowly developing powerful locations.
The Void guild are assassins and spies who weaponize mythium directly. Void agents persistently nibble at their opponent's resources, winning through attrition.
Actions
During each turn of the Action Phase, the player whose turn it is takes 1 action. This section explains each of the actions available in the game.
Actions from Cards
Some cards have "Action:" abilities. If you control such a card, then you can use an action to trigger that ability instead of taking one of the actions below. You can only trigger an "Action:" ability if you are able to pay any costs and meet any requirements it may have.
Gain 1 Mythium
Take 1 mythium counter from the supply. See Mythium.
Draw 1 Card
Draw the top card of your deck.
There is no limit to the number of cards you can have in your hand.
Buy Standing
Pay 2 mythium to gain 1 standing with a guild of your choice. See Standing.
You cannot take this action unless you are able to pay its cost.
Attack
Begin a combat. Combat has several steps involving both players, and is explained in the next section. To begin combat, you must have at least 1 follower that can be declared as an attacker.
Play a Card
Play an event, follower, or location card from your hand. To play a card, follow these steps:
- Place the card face up in the play area. Any abilities on the card that affect the costs and requirements to play it become active (other abilities are inactive until the card itself becomes active).
- Check that you meet the card's standing requirement (if it has one) and any other requirements. The required standing is not spent.
- Pay the card's mythium cost and any additional costs that apply. If you are not able to pay the card's costs or did not meet all of its requirements, undo all of these steps and start your action again.
- If the card you played is a location, put a stage counter on each of that location's stages.
- The card becomes active. If it is a follower or location, it will remain in play. If it is an event, resolve its event abilities in the order they appear on the card, then place the event in its owner's discard pile.
Some abilities also allow you to play cards. If the ability does not specify where the card should be played from, it must be played from your hand. Follow the same steps to play a card through an ability as if you had spent an action to play it. You must pay costs and meet requirements as normal unless the ability directs otherwise.
After you finish resolving an action or ability that included playing a card, you may resolve any "Enters:" abilities on that card, as well as any "Response:" abilities on other cards with trigger conditions that were met by playing the card.
Develop a Location
Develop a location you control. To develop a location, remove its topmost stage counter and resolve the stage ability that corresponds to that counter. Then, if the location has no stage counters left, discard it from play.
Example: Covert Exchange is a location with 3 stages, so it enters play with 3 stage counters. The first time you develop Covert Exchange, remove the counter from stage I and resolve that ability (gaining 4 mythium). The next time you develop Covert Exchange, you will remove the counter from stage II and resolve that ability (drawing 2 cards).
Combat
When a player takes the Attack action, that player becomes the attacking player and combat begins. Their opponent becomes the defending player. Combat consists of the following steps:
- The attacking player resolves the Attack Phase.
- The defending player resolves the Defense Phase.
- The attacking player resolves the Outcome Phase.
- Combat ends, and the game proceeds to the next part of the round.
An example combat is presented after the explanation of each phase.
Attack Phase
In this phase, the attacking player declares which followers are attacking and resolves any abilities with trigger conditions based on attacking. There are two steps in the Attack Phase:
- To declare an attack, choose one or more ready followers you control. Move them forward within the play area and exhaust them. These followers are now attacking. Followers with the "stationary" ability cannot be chosen to attack.
- After you declare an attack, you may resolve "Attacks:" or "Your Attack:" abilities that apply to this attack, in the order of your choice. A "Your Attack:" ability on a card you control applies to any attack you make. An "Attacks:" ability on a follower applies only if that follower is attacking.
Once the attack is declared and any resulting abilities are resolved, continue to the Defense Phase.
Defense Phase
In this phase, the defending player sends their forces to contest the attack. While battles in Worldbreakers are chaotic events with many engagements happening simultaneously, the game examines the fate of each attacking follower one by one.
To resolve the Defense Phase, the defending player chooses whether to send a ready follower they control to block one of the attacking followers. They can perform any number of blocks, resolving them one at a time, and they do not have to commit to any future blocks until after completing the current block.
To resolve a block, follow these steps:
- Exhaust the blocking follower and clearly indicate which attacking follower is being blocked.
- If the blocking follower has a "Blocks:" ability, you may resolve it.
- The two followers fight each other. Place wound counters on the blocking follower equal to the attacking follower's strength and simultaneously place wound counters on the attacking follower equal to the blocking follower's strength. If a follower has at least as many wound counters on it as its health, it is defeated and placed in its owner's discard pile. The attacking follower still counts as having been blocked, even if the blocking follower is defeated.
- If the attacking follower is still in play, it is removed from combat and no longer counts as attacking. Have the attacking player move it back to the row with other followers not involved in the combat.
Once the defending player has no ready followers left or chooses not to perform any more blocks, continue to the Outcome Phase.
Outcome Phase
The Outcome Phase determines the results of the combat.
At the beginning of the Outcome Phase, each follower that is still attacking breaches the defending player's forces. Note that followers stop attacking when they are blocked (or if they leave play). If at least one follower breaches, the attack is successful and the attacking player follows these steps:
- Gain 1 power for each breaching follower.
- You may resolve "Breach:" abilities on those followers.
- You may damage a location controlled by the defending player. (This removes one of its stage counters without resolving the stage ability. See Locations.)
If the attack is not successful, there are no additional steps to follow.
Example of Play
This section walks through an example turn of Worldbreakers and shows the combat rules in action.
In this game, Khutulun and the Earth guild are playing against Marco Polo and the Stars guild. Khutulun starts her turn with Confident Suitor, Sparring Braggart, Kalari Adept, and Eagle Huntress in play.
First making sure she has the required 3 Earth standing, Khutulun uses her action to play The Ten Thousand Ride from her hand, which will allow her to play a follower and attack in the same turn!
Khutulun plays Poised Duelist from her hand, spending 2 mythium to pay its mythium cost. She meets the requirement of the Duelist's "Enters:" ability, so she places a +1/+1 counter on it.
Next, she initiates combat.
Attack Phase. The Eagle Huntress is already exhausted and cannot attack. Sparring Braggart is ready, but has a stationary counter on it, so it cannot attack either.
Khutulun declares her other three followers (Confident Suitor, Poised Duelist, and Kalari Adept) as attackers, exhausting them and moving them to the front row.
Next, she uses her own card's "Your Attack:" ability to boost Poised Duelist to strength 4. She also uses Kalari Adept's "Attacks:" ability to gain 1 mythium.
Defense Phase. Now Marco Polo has the opportunity to defend. He exhausts Mothkeeper and indicates that it will block Kalari Adept. Since the two followers both have strength 1, each of them deals 1 wound to the other. Kalari Adept only has 1 health, so it is defeated.
Polo continues by exhausting Suave Sycophant and indicating it will block Poised Duelist. He uses the Sycophant's "Blocks:" ability to give the Duelist a stationary counter. Then the two followers fight. Poised Duelist deals 4 wounds to Suave Sycophant, and simultaneously, Suave Sycophant deals 1 wound to Poised Duelist. Suave Sycophant is defeated. Poised Duelist survived, but since it was blocked, it is now removed from combat.
Polo has no more ready followers, so he cannot block a third time, and combat proceeds.
Outcome Phase. At the start of the Outcome Phase, Confident Suitor is still attacking. The attack is successful!
Khutulun gains 1 power, as she has 1 attacking follower. She must then trigger the Suitor's "Forced Response:" ability, gaining 6 mythium and defeating it. She has no other card abilities to resolve, so finally, she may damage a location (but not Illicit Bazaar, which is hidden). She damages The Submerged Brilliance, removing its last stage counter and depleting it.
Combat—and Khutulun's turn—are now over, and the game continues.
Reference
The Golden Rules
Specific card abilities have precedence over general game rules. If a card's rules text conflicts with the rulebook, follow the card.
"Can't" has precedence over "can". If two abilities conflict about whether something is allowed, follow the one that prohibits.
Keywords
Some complex or frequently used abilities and concepts are abbreviated using a keyword.
Bloodshed
Bloodshed is a triggered ability that appears on followers. "Bloodshed N" means: "Attacks: If this follower is attacking alone → It deals N wounds to 1 follower controlled by the defending player."
If a follower has more than one instance of bloodshed, each applies separately, and each instance can wound a different one of the defending player's followers.
Hidden
Hidden is a static ability that appears on locations. A location with hidden cannot be damaged by anyone other than its controller, unless the ability performing the damage specifically says that it can apply to hidden locations.
Some abilities use damage to a location you control as a cost or drawback. Hidden does not prevent these effects or interfere with paying these costs.
If a location has multiple instances of hidden, there is no additional effect.
Migrate
Migrate is an effect with special formatting. "Migrate →
Overwhelm
Overwhelm is a triggered ability that applies during combat. When a blocking follower is defeated in step 3 of the block, if it was blocking an attacking follower with overwhelm, the attacking player immediately gains 1 power. The attacking player gains power even if the attacking follower is also defeated.
Followers with overwhelm get no special benefit when blocking. Defeating an attacking follower does not award power to the defending player.
If a follower has multiple instances of overwhelm, there is no additional effect. The follower's controller will still only gain 1 power when that follower defeats a blocker.
Some cards have a "Response:" ability with a trigger condition that uses the word "overwhelms". A follower overwhelms when its controller gains power from its overwhelm ability.
Replenish
Replenish is an effect that adds stage counters to a location. A location cannot be replenished if each of its stages already has a stage counter.
To "replenish 1 stage on" a location means to put a stage counter on the last stage of that location that does not already have a stage counter.
Stationary
Stationary is a static ability that appears on followers. Followers with stationary cannot be declared as an attacker. If a follower somehow gains stationary while it is already attacking, the ability has no effect on that combat.
Stationary has no effect on a follower's ability to block or deal wounds.
A follower with a stationary counter on it gains stationary.
If a follower has multiple instances of stationary, there is no additional effect.
Storage
Storage is a keyword that allows a card to hold other cards. Cards stored on another card are placed underneath the storage card and are not active. Cards can only be stored or removed from storage as directed by card abilities. If a card with storage leaves play, any cards stored on it are placed in their owner's discard pile.
The storage keyword is always accompanied by a numeric value, which represents the card's capacity. The capacity of a card is the maximum number of other cards that can be stored on it at once. If a card has multiple instances of storage, that card's capacity is the sum of the values on all its instances of storage. If a card would be stored on a card that is already storing as many other cards as its capacity, instead the first card remains in its previous location.
If an effect allows you to play a card from storage, you can choose a card stored on any card you control. You cannot play or interact with cards stored on a card you don't control unless specifically directed otherwise.
Unless an ability specifically directs that a card be stored facedown (not possible in the Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate set), cards in storage are faceup and visible to all players.
Stun
Stun is an effect that means "put a stun counter on". See Counters and Counter Effects.
Other Rules
Abilities
Each paragraph of rules text on a card is an ability. Abilities come in three types: triggered abilities, static abilities, and event abilities.
Triggered abilities resolve at a particular time. Stage abilities on locations are triggered abilities. Other triggered abilities can be recognized by a bold word or phrase followed by a colon (:). That phrase consists of one or more of a specific set of timing words, and indicates when the ability can be resolved. See Triggered Abilities for more details, including explanations of all the timing words.
All abilities on non-event cards that are not triggered abilities are static abilities. They apply continuously for as long as the card with the ability is active.
If an ability on an event imposes, modifies, or otherwise changes the costs and requirements to play that event, and it is not an "Interrupt:" triggered ability, it is a static ability. It applies continuously throughout the process of playing that event.
Any other non-triggered ability on an event card is an event ability. Event abilities resolve when the event is played.
Ability Timing
To resolve a triggered ability, event ability, or game step (in any sequence of game steps other than this one), perform the following sub-steps:
A. Determine the effects the ability or step would perform.
B. Check if those effects meet the trigger conditions of any active "Interrupt:" abilities. If they do, the controllers of those abilities may trigger them, one at a time, following the steps under Triggered Abilities.
C. Perform the effects of the original ability or game step, accounting for any modifications applied by "Interrupt:" abilities.
D. Perform cleanup.
E. Check if the effects that occurred meet the trigger conditions of any active "Response:" abilities, or if any cards with "Enters:" abilities entered play. If any of these apply, the controllers of those abilities may trigger them, one at a time, following the steps under Triggered Abilities.
Once an ability starts to resolve, except if that ability initiates a multi-step process, the ability must complete its resolution before any "Response:" abilities or other abilities can be triggered.
Attack Abilities
An event that initiates combat remains active in the play area throughout that combat. The ability that created combat is not finished resolving until combat is over (including resolving "Response: After combat ends →" abilities). See also Ability Timing.
If any ability would allow a player to initiate combat when it is not their turn or while combat is already in progress, instead that part of the ability does nothing.
Cleanup
Cleanup is a process that checks the status of game pieces in the play area. Cleanup entails the following effects, which are performed simultaneously:
- Any follower with a number of wound counters equal to or greater than its health is defeated and put into its owner's discard pile.
- Any location with no stage counters is depleted and put into its owner's discard pile, unless a stage ability of that location is still resolving or waiting to resolve.
- Any counters that had been located on a card that has left the play area are returned to the supply.
- Any cards in storage that had been stored on a card that has left the play area are put into their owner's discard pile.
- Any lasting effects that have expired cease to exist.
If any change to the game state is made while performing cleanup, immediately perform cleanup again.
Counters and Counter Effects
Some types of counters have built-in effects:
- +1/+1 counters: A follower with any number of +1/+1 counters on it gets +1 strength and +1 health for each of those counters.
- Stage counters: After the last stage counter is removed from a location, that location is depleted and placed in its owner's discard pile. If the counter was removed by developing the location, this happens after the corresponding stage ability finishes resolving. If the counter was removed by damage, the location is depleted immediately.
- Stationary counters: A follower with a stationary counter on it gains stationary.
- Stun counters: If an exhausted follower would be readied while it has at least 1 stun counter on it, instead that follower remains exhausted and 1 stun counter is removed from it. Note that stun counters are only removed from exhausted followers: if a ready follower has any stun counters, they have no effect unless the follower later becomes exhausted.
- Wound counters: When a follower has at least as many wound counters on it as its health, that follower is defeated and placed in the discard pile.
Mythium counters and power counters have no built-in effects.
Most counters included in the Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate game box are double-sided, with a "1" and "3" side. All abilities and game rules that refer to or manipulate counters treat a "3" counter as three "1" counters. Counters of the same type are interchangeable, and players can freely "make change" as is convenient to represent the counters on a card or in their pool.
Costs and Requirements
Costs include the mythium cost in the top-left corner of each card (except Worldbreaker cards), anything that describes itself as an "additional cost", and any instructions in the text of a triggered ability that are written before an arrow (→). To play a card or use an ability, a player must pay all of its costs using their own cards and resources. Any counters spent to pay a cost are returned to the supply.
Requirements include the standing requirement below the mythium cost on many cards, anything that says "Play only" or "Use only", and any conditions in the text of a triggered ability that are written before an arrow (→). To play a card or use an ability, a player must meet all of its requirements, but nothing used to meet a requirement is spent or lost.
Exhausting Cards
To exhaust a ready follower or Worldbreaker, turn it sideways. Cards that are already exhausted cannot be exhausted again.
A follower that is exhausted cannot attack or block.
If a triggered ability says simply "Exhaust →", this means that the ability's cost requires exhausting the card it appears on.
Lasting Effects
While most triggered abilities have an immediate effect at the time they resolve, some triggered abilities indicate a certain period of time for which the ability applies. When this type of ability resolves, a lasting effect is created as part of the game state.
A lasting effect applies continuously, like a static ability on a card, but once created it exists independently of its source. The lasting effect will continue to function if the card that created it leaves play or otherwise becomes inactive.
Each lasting effect has a specific duration, indicated by phrases like "this combat", "for the remainder of this round", or "on your next turn this round". When this duration ends, the lasting effect has expired, and it is removed from the game state the next time cleanup is performed.
Mandatory and Optional Abilities
Triggered abilities are optional unless they begin with the word "Forced". A "Forced Interrupt:" or "Forced Response:" must be resolved after its trigger condition is met.
Once a player chooses to use a triggered ability and pays its costs, each effect of the ability is mandatory unless its text uses the word "may". A player cannot trigger an ability if they are unable to pay its costs and meet its requirements. When resolving a triggered ability, if it is not possible to carry out the given effects in full, do as much as possible.
Once a player chooses to play an event and pays its cost, they resolve each of its event abilities. This is mandatory unless the text uses the word "may". When resolving an event ability, if it is not possible to carry out its effects in full, do as much as possible.
Multi-Step Processes
A multi-step process is a game procedure that is divided into steps that resolve separately, one at a time. There are three types of multi-step processes:
- Combat is a multi-step process. An ability that initiates combat follows all of the steps of the Attack Phase, blocking, and the Outcome Phase.
- Playing a card is a multi-step process. An ability that plays a card follows the steps of the "Play a Card" action.
- An ability can explicitly create a multi-step process by repeating the same step several times. This is indicated by the phrase "Do the following N times" or "Repeat this process N times", where N is a number, the variable X, or the phrase "any number of". Each time performing the indicated effect is one step.
When performing a multi-step process, each step is treated as its own ability and is resolved according to sub-steps A-E (see Ability Timing). This means that triggered abilities relating to the individual steps (such as "Interrupt:" abilities that modify the costs and requirements of a card being played) can resolve in the middle of the original ability that initiated the process.
"Enters:" abilities and "Response:" abilities that trigger from a card being played do not resolve until after the original ability that initiated playing a card finishes resolving. For purposes of sub-step E, cards are not yet considered to have entered play or to have been played during any of the steps of playing a card.
Example: The active player is resolving Throes of Fancy and reveals Swift Messenger and Volatile Furnace. Playing each of those cards is a multi-step process, and those steps are resolved one at a time and separately for each card. However, neither card's "Enters:" ability resolves until the entire ability from Throes of Fancy finishes resolving. So the player cannot use Swift Messenger's ability to reach the standing requirement for Volatile Furnace in the middle of resolving Throes of Fancy. They must already have 2 standing before playing the event.
Ownership and Control
The "owner" of a card is the player who started the game with that card in their deck or as their Worldbreaker. The "controller" of a card in play is the player allowed to use that card and its abilities. Usually, cards in play are controlled by their owner. A card in a player's hand, deck, discard pile, or stored on another card has no controller.
Player Order
Whenever both players need to make decisions or resolve abilities at the same time, the active player announces those decisions or resolves those abilities first, followed by the inactive player.
During the Action Phase, except in combat, the active player is the player whose turn it is.
During the Rally Phase, the active player is the current first player, namely, the player who had the first turn in the previous Action Phase. The first player changes in step 6 of the Rally Phase.
In the Attack Phase and Outcome Phase of combat, the active player is the attacking player. In the Defense Phase of combat, the active player is the defending player.
Signature Cards
Signature cards represent the iconic followers and locations tied to a particular Worldbreaker, as well as that Worldbreaker's renowned deeds (events). Signature cards can be recognized by a large star symbol in the top-right corner.
Each Worldbreaker card's back face lists the signature cards associated with that Worldbreaker, and a signature card can only be included in a deck using its associated Worldbreaker. In a draft, players automatically have access to their Worldbreaker's signature cards.
Including signature cards in your deck is not required.
Traits
Traits are words or phrases that help indicate the role of a card in the story. Traits appear on the same line as a card's type. Traits are not abilities and have no effect on gameplay on their own, but abilities can make reference to groups of cards by their traits.
Triggered Abilities
A triggered ability begins with a word or phrase that indicates when it can be used, followed by a colon (:). If the ability has any costs or requirements, they will appear between the colon and an arrow (→). Note that some keywords represent triggered abilities, but are not explicitly written this way on cards.
When something happens in the game that matches the timing indicated for a triggered ability you control, you may trigger the ability by following these steps:
- Declare that you are triggering the ability. If something allows you to trigger an ability on a card in your hand or from another hidden location, you must reveal the card at this time.
- Confirm that you meet any requirements of the ability (including its trigger condition, for "Interrupt:" and "Response:" abilities).
- Pay any costs required by the ability. If you are not able to pay all costs or did not meet all requirements, undo these steps. You cannot trigger this ability at this time.
- Resolve the ability using the sub-steps under Ability Timing.
A player can only trigger an individual ability once for each time the appropriate timing (game step or trigger condition) occurs. Players can, however, trigger multiple different abilities in the same step or in relation to the same trigger condition. If multiple triggered abilities are applicable at the same time, those abilities are handled one at a time. Each player chooses the order to trigger their own abilities, with the active player handling their abilities first. See Player Order.
Here is a list of all the timing words used for triggered abilities in Worldbreakers, along with a description of the trigger condition they represent:
- I, II, or III: Stage abilities do not use a colon, but Roman numerals on location stages are implicit timing words. The ability is used when the location is developed and the corresponding stage counter is removed. See the rules for the Develop action.
- Action: Used by a player as the action for their turn. See Actions.
- Attacks: Used after the follower with the ability is declared as an attacker. See the Attack Phase (step 2).
- Blocks: Used after the follower with the ability blocks an attacking follower. See blocking (step 2) under the Defense Phase.
- Breach: Used after a follower with the ability completes a successful attack. See the Outcome Phase (step 2).
- Enters: Used after the card with the ability enters the play area. Note that a card's "Enters:" abilities do not trigger during any of the steps of playing that card. Instead, they trigger after completing the resolution of the action or ability that allowed the card to be played. See also Ability Timing.
- Forced: Always used with another timing word. If the timing phrase of a triggered ability includes "Forced", that ability is mandatory and its controller must resolve it if able. If the timing phrase does not include "Forced", triggering the ability is optional. See Mandatory and Optional Abilities.
- Interrupt: Catchall timing word for abilities used just before an effect or game step resolves. These abilities will indicate the condition they interrupt as a requirement (before the arrow).
- Rally: Used during the Rally Phase (step 1).
- Response: Catchall timing word for abilities used after a game step or another ability resolves. "Response:" abilities will indicate the condition they respond to as a requirement (before the arrow).
- Setup: Used by solo campaign cards for abilities that resolve before the game begins. "Setup:" abilities in campaigns are always mandatory, even though they don't explicitly use "Forced".
- Your Attack: Used after its controller declares an attack. See the Attack Phase (step 2).
"With"
Some abilities refer to performing an effect "with" certain cards.
To "attack with" a specific follower is to attack, declaring only that follower as an attacker.
To "attack with" a specified number of followers is to attack, declaring exactly that number of attackers.
A condition of "breaching with" a specific follower or number of followers is met if a successful combat occurs while the indicated follower or followers are attacking. See the Outcome Phase.
X
Some cards and abilities have a variable cost, written as an X. Before paying a cost that includes X, the player must choose and declare the value X will take, from among the positive integers and 0 (zero). All occurrences of X on the card where the cost appears are treated as the chosen number, for the appropriate duration (see below). The player can only choose a number such that they will actually be able to pay the resulting cost. Any modifiers to costs are applied after choosing the value for X.
When a value is chosen for X in the cost of a triggered ability, that value is maintained until the ability finishes resolving.
When a value is chosen for X in the play cost of an event card, that value is maintained for as long as the event remains in play.
When a value is chosen for X in the play cost of a follower or location card, that value is maintained until all "Enters:" abilities on that card finish resolving.
If another card makes reference to X when there is no applicable value, use 0 (zero), even if that ability refers to the "printed cost".
Game Modes
Worldbreakers features many ways to play, combining the same core rules with different ways to build a deck. Here are some of them!
Preconstructed Decks
Each copy of Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate comes with a ready-to-play deck for each of the four guilds. If you want to reassemble the Advent of the Khanate Preconstructed Decks after playing other game modes, either refer to the complete decklists in the Appendix, or follow the Short Instructions below.
Each Worldbreakers expansion contains decklists for preconstructed decks using cards from that expansion and from Advent of the Khanate. These decklists are also provided in the Appendix. Note that the decks from any given expansion are balanced against the other decks from the same expansion, so decks may not be evenly matched across different sets.
Preconstructed decks are designed so as to also be valid for play using the Constructed Decks rules.
Short Instructions (Advent of the Khanate only)
- For each guild, find its affiliated Worldbreaker card.
- Create that Worldbreaker's deck with their 3 signature cards and the 19 other cards with standing requirements matching their guild.
- Add the 8 neutral cards indicated below.
Earth: Khutulun — Gratuitous Gift, Raid the Mines, Weary Veteran, Irate Vandal, Lowly Bard, Earth Apprentice, Swift Messenger, The Humble Underpass
Stars: Marco Polo — Surprising Development, Caravan Guard, Lowly Bard, Stars Apprentice, The Humble Underpass, The Submerged Brilliance, The Den of Sabers, The Pit of Despair
Void: Ruknuddin Khurshah — Gratuitous Gift, Raid the Mines, Mythium Fund, Weary Veteran, Yam Operator, Irate Vandal, Swift Messenger, Void Apprentice
Moon: The Muhandasat — Surprising Development, Mythium Fund, Desperate Miners, Moon Apprentice, The Submerged Brilliance, The Den of Sabers, The Pit of Despair, The Indigo Grotto
Constructed Decks
To play with full customization, choose a Worldbreaker and 30 other cards to form a deck. Each card in your deck must have a different name. Duplicates are not allowed in this play mode.
You can include any of your Worldbreaker's signature cards but no signature cards that belong to another Worldbreaker. You can freely mix cards from different guilds.
5-1-2 Draft
Drafting is an exciting and skill-testing way to make building your deck a competitive game of its own! These 2-player draft rules are recommended when combining Advent of the Khanate with another Worldbreakers set. To draft with Advent of the Khanate alone, see the rules for Three Pile Draft below.
Setup. Randomly choose a Worldbreaker for each of the four guilds. Give each player a copy of those Worldbreakers and their 12 signature cards. These cards are the foundation for each player's pool, where they will keep the cards they have drafted.
Create a supply using 1 copy of each non-signature card. For drafting Advent of the Khanate with The Indigo Sisterhood, the supply will have 140 cards.
The Draft. The draft takes place over a number of rounds. Each round consists of the following steps:
i. Deal each player a hand of 5 cards from the supply.
ii. Each player secretly drafts 1 card from their hand (adding it to their pool).
iii. Players exchange their hands with each other.
iv. Each player secretly drafts 2 cards from their new hand.
v. The 4 remaining cards (2 from each player's hand) are discarded facedown. They will no longer be available to either player.
Resolve draft rounds until there are not enough cards in the supply to do so anymore. Discard any leftover cards.
Building Decks. After the draft, each player chooses a Worldbreaker and 30 other cards from their pool to form their deck. As usual, you can (but are not required to) use your Worldbreaker's signature cards in your deck, but you cannot use any other signature cards.
Once both players have their decks ready, it's time to play Worldbreakers!
If you and your opponent play more than one game with the decks you drafted, between games you may change which cards from your pool are in your deck. Remember that if you switch your Worldbreaker, you must also switch signature cards.
Three Pile Draft (Advent of the Khanate)
Drafting is an exciting and skill-testing way to make building your deck a competitive game of its own! These 2-player draft rules work with one copy of Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate.
Setup. Give each player a copy of each of the 4 Worldbreakers and their 12 signature cards. These cards are the foundation for each player's pool, where they will keep the cards they have drafted.
Create a 96-card supply using all of the non-signature cards with standing requirements and 1 copy of each neutral card. Shuffle the supply.
Deal out 3 cards from the top of the supply, face down, to create 3 piles of 1 card each.
The Draft. As the draft proceeds, cards will flow from the supply into the piles, and from the piles into the players' pools, until there are no cards left in the supply or the piles.
Choose a player to go first, and alternate turns. Each turn should always start and end with at least 1 card in each pile (until the supply runs out).
On your draft turn, start at pile 1 and follow the procedure below. Note: there will often be only 1 card in a pile.
i. Look at all of the cards in this pile. Either draft all of those cards (add them to your pool) or return them facedown.
ii. If you drafted the pile, deal a new facedown card from the supply into that pile to replenish it, and end your turn. If you returned the cards, deal 1 new card from the supply to this pile. Then, if you are at pile 1 or 2, move to the next pile in order and return to step (i).
iii. If you returned all three piles, look at the top card of the supply and draft it. End your turn.
You can always inspect the cards in your pool.
Building Decks. After all 96 cards have been drafted, each player chooses a Worldbreaker and 30 other cards from their pool to form their deck. As usual, you can (but are not required to) use your Worldbreaker's signature cards in your deck, but you cannot use any other signature cards.
Once both players have their decks ready, it's time to play Worldbreakers!
If you and your opponent play more than one game with the decks you drafted, between games you may change which cards from your pool are in your deck. Remember that if you switch your Worldbreaker, you must also switch signature cards.
Four-Player Draft
Drafting is an exciting and skill-testing way to make building your deck a competitive game of its own! These 4-player draft rules are based on a system commonly known as a Booster Draft. They require Advent of the Khanate and another Worldbreakers set. The second set could be another copy of Advent of the Khanate, a "Card Doubler" expansion, or a different expansion.
To begin, randomly choose a Worldbreaker for each of the four guilds. Set aside each copy of those Worldbreakers and their 12 signature cards. Create a supply, randomize those cards, and deal them into facedown packs as follows:
- If you are drafting with 2 copies of Advent of the Khanate (or with the Advent of the Khanate Card Doubler), use 2 copies of each non-signature card with a standing requirement and 2 copies of each neutral card. The supply should be 192 cards. Create packs of 12 cards each.
- If you are drafting with Advent of the Khanate and The Indigo Sisterhood, use 1 copy of each non-signature card with a standing requirement and 2 copies of each neutral card. The supply should be 164 cards. Create packs of 10 cards each. There will be 4 cards left over.
You should have exactly 16 packs of the appropriate size. Seat the players around the table so that each player has someone on their left, someone on their right, and someone across from them.
If any cards are left over from the supply that were not put into packs, deal 1 of those cards to each player and remove the rest from the draft. Each player looks at that card and adds it to their pool.
You are now ready to begin draft rounds. During drafting, each player will have a facedown pool of cards they take from packs. There will be four draft rounds, each of which is carried out as follows:
i. Each player takes one of the unused packs. They can look at the pack they are holding, but no other packs.
ii. Each player chooses one card from the pack they are holding and adds it to their pool.
iii. Each player simultaneously passes the pack they have to the player next to them and receives a new pack from the player on the other side. During draft rounds 1 and 3, each player passes their pack to the player on their left. During draft rounds 2 and 4, each player passes their pack to the player on their right.
iv. Repeat steps ii and iii until the packs are empty. Over the course of the draft round, each player should have added the same number of cards to their pool as the starting number of cards in a pack.
v. Before the next draft round, players should take a moment to review the cards in their pool.
Once the four draft rounds are over, retrieve the set-aside Worldbreaker cards and signature cards. Each player chooses a Worldbreaker for their deck and adds 1 copy of each of the corresponding signature cards to their pool.
Finally, each player selects 30 cards from their pool to be their deck. Note that if your pool contains multiple copies of the same card, you MAY include all of those copies in your deck.
Now, it's time to play Worldbreakers! We recommend that you play your first game against the person who sat across from you in the draft.
If you and your opponents play more than one game with the decks you drafted, you may swap cards between your deck and your pool between games. You may also switch your Worldbreaker with an unused Worldbreaker between games. If you do, switch their signature cards as well.
Advent of the Khanate Solo Campaign
In addition to its two-player game modes, Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate includes a single-player experience in the form of a 10-chapter campaign. The campaign is divided into two 5-chapter parts and managed through the campaign deck. Each chapter is a single game played against an automaton. You follow the regular rules of the game, while the automaton is controlled by a deck of Order cards.
Campaign Difficulty Levels
Before beginning a solo campaign, take a moment to think about what kind of experience you would like to have. Are you looking for a challenge, or are you more interested in the Advent of the Khanate story?
Players are welcome to modify the solo rules to change what kind of experience the campaign creates. Play whichever way helps you enjoy the campaign the most! The easiest way to customize the campaign is to choose a difficulty level, which determines the amount of power you start with when setting up a game in the campaign. You can choose any difficulty level you like, and you can switch difficulty levels between games freely. Here are some recommended difficulty levels:
Artisan: You begin each game with 2 power. This difficulty is recommended for players who want to read the story and get a taste of the solo experience, but who don't want to get bogged down having to replay chapters because of a slow start.
Scholar: You begin each game with 1 power. This difficulty is recommended for players who want to solve tactical puzzles and improve their skill at playing Worldbreakers effectively.
Warrior: The first two times you play each chapter, you begin with no power. If you lose twice against the same chapter, you begin the rest of your games in that chapter with 1 power. This difficulty is recommended for players who want to train themselves to master each chapter.
Worldbreaker: You begin the game with no power. This difficulty is recommended for players who want an intensely challenging experience. Be warned: some chapters may take many attempts to defeat!
Setting Up the Campaign
Each part of the solo campaign has its own setup. To begin a solo campaign for either Part I or Part II, follow the steps below. (Start with Part I to experience the full story.)
- Gather the campaign deck. Do not shuffle it. It is set up in a particular order. If you are playing Part II, remove all the cards up to and including the "End of Part I" card and put them away.
- Take the 12 order cards that are on top of the campaign deck to form the starting Orders deck.
- If you are playing Part II, take the two "New Rules" cards from the top of the campaign deck, read them, and set them aside.
- Create the starting play decks for yourself and for the automaton by gathering the cards listed for Part I or for Part II, as appropriate.
- The "Chapter 1" (for Part I) or "Chapter 6" (for Part II) card should now be on top of the campaign deck. Proceed to the first game!
Setting Up a Campaign Game
To set up a game in the campaign, shuffle your deck and prepare your starting hand, standing, and mythium as normal. Then follow these steps:
- Separate any cards added to your opponent's play deck during the previous game. Shuffle that deck, but do not draw any cards. If your opponent has a Worldbreaker card, put it into play.
- Gather any "New Rules" campaign cards that have been revealed from the campaign deck. Place them near the play area. They remain active for the entire game. (There are no "New Rules" for Chapter 1.)
- Resolve all "Setup:" abilities on "New Rules" cards you gathered.
- Shuffle the 12-card Orders deck and put it into the play area, making sure that the "Turns 1 and 3" side of each card is facing up.
- Gain starting power based on your chosen difficulty level.
- You are now ready to begin playing. You are the first player in the first round.
The Draft Deck
Some cards in the campaign deck allow you to draft new cards to add to your deck. When instructed to build the draft deck, gather the cards indicated for Part I or for Part II, as appropriate.
Whenever you are instructed to draft cards, shuffle the draft deck and deal out twice that many cards. Choose the indicated number of cards to add to your deck for the remainder of the campaign. Remove the cards you did not choose from the campaign. (Do not return them to the draft deck.)
Playing in Solo Mode
When taking your own actions and resolving your own abilities, you follow all of the normal rules of Worldbreakers, except that for the duration of Part I (chapters 1-5), you cannot attack. This restriction does not apply during Part II (chapters 6-10).
Your opponent is an automaton. It has no hand, no mythium, and cannot gain or spend mythium, gain or spend standing, or draw cards, either in the Rally Phase or with abilities on its cards. All other abilities work normally. The automaton always triggers any ability it is able to use.
If your opponent's play deck ever runs out of cards, shuffle their discard pile to form a new deck.
Order Cards
On each of your opponent's turns, instead of the automaton taking an action, you must resolve the ability on the top card of the Orders deck.
Order cards have two sides: a "Turns 1 and 3" side that ends by instructing you to flip the card, and a "Turns 2 and 4" side that ends by instructing you to discard the card.
Whenever the last card of the Orders deck is discarded, reshuffle the discarded Order cards to form a new Orders deck, making sure once again that the "Turns 1 and 3" side of each card is faceup.
Most "Turns 1 and 3" abilities put the top card of your opponent's play deck into play. Most "Turns 2 and 4" abilities cause your opponent to attack. Cards that break this pattern are illustrated and marked with a "•".
Choosing Targets
Whenever the automaton must choose a card in play, it uses the following criteria to make its choice. At each step, if more than one card is tied, it proceeds to the next step to choose from among the tied cards.
- Choose ready followers before exhausted followers.
- Choose a card with the highest standing requirement.
- Choose a card with the highest mythium cost.
- Choose a location with the fewest remaining stages or a follower with the least remaining health.
- If there are still multiple valid choices, you decide which one the automaton chooses.
Ending the Game
The chapter card indicates the amount of power required to win the current game. As usual, check for victory in the Rally Phase.
If you lose, you can reset and play this chapter again under the same conditions. If you win, flip the chapter card and follow its instructions to continue the story.
The back of the chapter card will guide you through the next cards in the campaign deck. Resolve them one at a time, as follows:
- Order card: Add the card to the Order deck. Remove a basic Order card (one with no illustration or "•" on either side) from the deck.
- "New Rules" card: Follow the instructions and set the card aside for future games.
- Chapter card: Stop! You are ready to continue to the next game.
This document also includes rules for The Indigo Sisterhood Solo Campaign, an 8-chapter single-player experience specific to the Worldbreakers: The Indigo Sisterhood expansion; those rules are out of scope for this base-game transcription.
Appendix: Decklists
Advent of the Khanate Preconstructed Decks
Earth — Worldbreaker: Khutulun, the True Daughter
Khutulun's Kheshig, Confident Suitor, The Ten Thousand Ride, Call to Arms, Ger Migration, Wild Boar Charge, Lay Siege, Dogtamer, Gallant Soldier, Kalari Adept, Airag Maker, Eagle Huntress, Skillful Bruiser, Amu River Armorer, Champion of the Tumen, Mongol Quartermaster, Poised Duelist, Forbidding Guru, Sparring Braggart, Astute Tactician, Tengri's Cavalry, The Amu River Encampment, Gratuitous Gift, Raid the Mines, Weary Veteran, Irate Vandal, Lowly Bard, Earth Apprentice, Swift Messenger, The Humble Underpass
Stars — Worldbreaker: Marco Polo, Robed in Silk
Silkworm Terrarium, Polo's Portraitist, Exploitative Extraction, Proof of the Grotto, Inspirational Vision, Straight to the Source, Pacify, Frantic Getaway, Throes of Fancy, Heedless Investor, Mothkeeper, Sly Sentinel, Solemn Guardian, Generous Dealer, Auspicious Smuggler, Suave Sycophant, The Blind Sculptor, Illicit Bazaar, Mesmerizing Maze, Covert Exchange, Weaving Workshop, The Uncanny Valley, Surprising Development, Caravan Guard, Lowly Bard, Stars Apprentice, The Humble Underpass, The Submerged Brilliance, The Den of Sabers, The Pit of Despair
Void — Worldbreaker: Ruknuddin Khurshah, Leader of the Order
The Right Hand, Alamut Castle, Hide in Plain Sight, Amazing Arithmetic, Stupefy, Serpent Strike, Vicious Stab, Consumed by the Dust, Pernicious Powder, Novice Cutpurse, Cunning Reclaimer, Resourceful Aide, Serendipitous Witness, Silent Assassin, Baleful Viper, Alamut Saboteur, Alamut Emissary, Callous Closer, Swirling Skirmisher, The Ancient Butcher, Forlorn Flats, Raider's Hideaway, Gratuitous Gift, Raid the Mines, Mythium Fund, Weary Veteran, Yam Operator, Irate Vandal, Swift Messenger, Void Apprentice
Moon — Worldbreaker: The Muhandasat, Council of Engineers
Ambitious Construction, Muhandasat Pilot, Solomon's Throne, Naming Ceremony, Unveiling the Council, Mythium Ingot, Bolt Trap, Surge, Electrifying Revelation, Blood Moon, Peaceful Engineer, Fledgling Defender, Natty Matron, Steelclad Captain, Alert Warden, Fanciful Astronomer, Muhandasat Savior, Nocturnal Reaper, Patient Mentor, The Paragon, Luminous Lagoon, Volatile Furnace, Surprising Development, Mythium Fund, Desperate Miners, Moon Apprentice, The Submerged Brilliance, The Den of Sabers, The Pit of Despair, The Indigo Grotto
The Indigo Sisterhood expansion's preconstructed decklists (Visions of the Steppe, Shangdu's Shadows, Seeking Victory, Alamut's Veil) are out of scope for this base-game transcription.
Glossary
Ability: A paragraph of rules text on a card. See Abilities.
Action: Something a player can do on their turn.
Action Phase: The first phase of a game round, wherein each player takes four turns.
Active: The state of being able to affect the game. Cards and abilities are usually active in the play area and inactive elsewhere.
Active player: The player with priority to take an action, declare blocks, or have the first opportunity to resolve abilities. See Player Order.
Alone: A follower attacks alone if it is the only follower declared as an attacker in the Attack Phase of combat.
Attack, Attacking: An action that initiates combat.
Attack Phase: The first phase of combat, in which a player declares an attack.
Attacker: A follower that is attacking in combat.
Attacking Player: The player who declared attacks in this combat.
Attacks: A timing word used for abilities that can be triggered in step 2 of the Attack Phase, if the source of that ability has been declared as an attacker. See Triggered Abilities.
Block, Blocked, Blocking: When defending in combat, a player can use their followers to block attacking followers. When a follower is blocked, it fights the blocking follower and is then removed from combat. See the Defense Phase.
Blocks: A timing word used for abilities that can be triggered during the Defense Phase, in step 2 of blocking. See Triggered Abilities.
Bloodshed: A keyword ability. "Bloodshed N" means "Attacks: If this follower is attacking alone → It deals N wounds to 1 follower controlled by the defending player."
Breach: A timing word for abilities that resolve during a successful combat. See the Outcome Phase.
Card: The primary type of game piece used in Worldbreakers. See Anatomy of the Cards for information about how to read and interpret cards.
Cleanup: The periodic removal of defeated, depleted, or otherwise invalid cards and counters from the play area.
Combat: The process by which players send their followers to battle, for the purpose of gaining power and damaging locations.
Condition: A part of an ability that describes part of a game state, which may or may not be true of the current game state.
Control, Controller: The controller of a card in play is the player allowed to use that card and its abilities. See Ownership and Control.
Cost: Something that must be done or spent in order to resolve an effect. See Costs and Requirements.
Counter: A game piece other than a card. Types of counters include +1/+1 counters, mythium counters, power counters, stage counters, stationary counters, and wound counters.
Damage: To damage a location is to remove its next stage token without resolving the ability for that stage.
Deal: A verb used for assigning wounds. See "wound".
Deck: The stack of cards for a player to draw from, constructed before the game according to the deck building rules. Decks are randomized at the beginning of the game and kept facedown.
Defeat: To place a follower in its owner's discard pile. A follower is defeated when it has wound counters on it equal to or exceeding its health.
Defending Player: The player being attacked in this combat.
Defense Phase: The second phase of combat, in which the defending player has the opportunity to perform blocks.
Deplete: To place a location in its owner's discard pile. A location is depleted after its last stage counter is removed.
Develop: To remove the next stage counter from a location and resolve the corresponding stage ability.
Discard: To discard a card is to move it from a player's hand to their discard pile.
Discard Pile: The place where cards go after they are expended, usually after being in play. The order of cards in a player's discard pile does not matter. Either player may look at the contents of a discard pile at any time.
Draw: To draw a card is to put the top card of your deck into your hand.
Enters: A timing word. When a card with an "Enters:" ability enters play, you may trigger that ability. See Triggered Abilities.
Event: A card type representing concepts and happenings in the world.
Event Ability: The abilities resolved while playing an event. See Abilities.
Exhaust, Exhausted: To exhaust a ready follower or Worldbreaker, turn it sideways.
Fight: Two followers fight by dealing wounds to each other equal to their strength. A follower that blocks an attacking follower will fight it.
First player: The player who takes the first turn of the round.
Follower: A card type representing people who serve your Worldbreaker.
Forced: A timing word that indicates an ability is mandatory. See Mandatory and Optional Abilities and Triggered Abilities.
Hand: The set of cards a player has available to play. A player's hand is kept hidden from their opponent.
Health: A characteristic on follower cards that determines how many wounds are needed to defeat that follower.
Hidden: A keyword ability that protects a location from damage.
Guild: A powerful organization in the Worldbreakers setting.
Inactive: The state of being unable to affect the game. Cards and abilities are usually active in the play area and inactive elsewhere.
Inactive player: A player who is not the active player. See Player Order.
Instead: A term signaling that one effect is being replaced by another.
Instruction: A part of an ability that tells a player to do something. Costs and effects are written as instructions.
Interrupt: A timing word for an ability that resolves just before something else happens. See Triggered Abilities.
Location: A card type representing places where your Worldbreaker can acquire mythium and power.
Migrate: A keyword ability. "Migrate →
Mulligan: The option to change the cards in your hand at the beginning of the game. To take a mulligan, set aside any number of cards from your hand. Then, draw the same number of cards from your deck. Finally, reshuffle the cards you set aside back into your deck.
Mythium: A valuable and dangerous substance that Worldbreakers draw their power from. Also a counter, representing the basic resource that players spend to play cards.
Overwhelm: A keyword ability. Attacking followers with overwhelm gain power for their controller after defeating a blocker.
Play: An action that puts a card into the play area.
Play Area: The part of the table where cards are active and affect the game.
Power: A type of counter that represents the victory condition for the game.
Rally: A timing word for an ability that resolves during the Rally Phase. See Triggered Abilities.
Rally Phase: The second phase of the round, wherein players check if someone has won the game, draw a card and gain mythium, and then change who is the first player for the next round.
Ready: A ready follower or Worldbreaker is positioned upright, and can be exhausted as part of combat or by card abilities. See Exhausting Cards.
Requirement: A condition that must be true in order to play a card or use an ability. Standing requirements are the most common requirement, and are shown just below a card's mythium cost.
Resolve: To carry out the instructions of an ability. See Ability Timing.
Signature: A deck can only include signature cards that match its Worldbreaker.
Source: The source of an effect is the card that originated that effect.
Standing: A resource that represents the player's access to the assets of the Guilds.
Static Ability: An ability that continuously applies to the game state as long as it is active. See Abilities.
Stationary: A keyword ability. A follower with stationary cannot attack.
Storage: A keyword ability that allows a card to hold other cards. Cards in storage are inactive.
Store: To place a card into storage.
Strength: A characteristic on follower cards that determines how many wounds they can deal when fighting.
Successful: An attack is successful if there are still attacking followers at the beginning of the Outcome Phase. The results of a successful attack are described in the rules for that phase.
Trait: A word or phrase that establishes something about a card's role in the Worldbreakers setting.
Trigger: To declare the use of a triggered ability.
Triggered Ability: An ability that can be triggered and resolved at an appropriate time. Triggered abilities begin with a bold timing word (or stage number).
Turn: Each player has four turns per round, taken in alternating order. Each turn allows a player to take one action.
Turn Marker: A game piece placed on the Turn Tracker to indicate the progress of the round.
Turn Tracker: The game board used to track the progress of the round. The Turn Tracker is flipped over when the first player changes at the end of the Rally Phase.
Worldbreaker: A person who controls mythium. Also a card type representing the leader of your forces.
Wound, Wounded: To deal a number of wounds to a follower is to place that many wound counters on it. A trigger condition of the form "When
Wound counter: A type of counter that represents harm that has been inflicted on a follower. Any time a follower has wound counters equal to or greater than its health, it is defeated.
Your Attack: A timing phrase used for abilities that can be triggered in step 2 of the Attack Phase. See Triggered Abilities.