Wroth
Wroth Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Tour of Wroth
- Modes of Play
- Credits
- The Factions
- Components
- Quick Reference: Round & Turn Overview
- Setup
- About Troops
- About Corra
- Game Rounds
- The Map
- Feat Cards
- Attacking & Dealing Damage
- Vitality
- "Gathering" Troops
- Moving vs. Deploying
- Solo/Cooperative Mode
Tour of Wroth
In Wroth, each player represents a unique culture with a distinctive approach to battle and a variety of fighters with remarkable capabilities.
Each faction is made up of basic troops, represented by common faction-specific markers, and two or more kinds of elite troops that are represented by dice.
These warring factions fight to control the regions of a radiant landscape rising from the ocean mist. Each region grants victory points to the faction that controls it at the end of each round, as well as a bonus if that faction is the only one present.
Factions draft dice to perform actions allowing for the deployment and maneuvering of troops in order to control these regions.
The game ends after a round when one faction either reaches 30 victory points or completes a scenario-based mission, depending on the game mode.
Modes of Play
Wroth can be played in two different MODES.
- STANDARD MODE: In standard mode (or "PvP mode"), two to four human players each control one faction and face off against each other.
- SOLO/COOPERATIVE MODE: In solo/cooperative mode, one to four human players work together to fight a single AI faction.
The first portion of this rulebook describes standard mode. For solo/cooperative mode, start by learning standard mode, and then refer to the specific rules differences which start on page 14.
Credits
PUBLISHERS: Adam Carlson & Josh Carlson
GAME DESIGN: Manny Trembley
SOLO/CO-OP DESIGN: Adam Carlson
ILLUSTRATION AND CREATIVE WRITING: Manny Trembley
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Gui Landgraf
RULEBOOK: Jeff Tidball
SPECIAL THANKS: Lisa, Jasper, & Jared Trembley
The Factions
The Aldan
The Aldan are an ancient culture—tall, proud, and all but undying. They value order and precision above all else, and do not tolerate those who would deviate, stray, or differ. The Aldan march to battle according to the strict dictates of their history and tradition, and will refuse to engage until they have faithfully observed requirements that outsiders often find incomprehensible. Their ways are strange, perhaps, but none can deny the power of the Aldan traditions.
The Guild
The Guild are knowledge, shadow, and grim amusement. They acquire wealth as if by habit, their victims none the wiser until struck dead by assassins never perceived, hollow chuckling on the wind Death's only calling card. The Guild's power is not in its own armies or weapons, but in the mercenary muscle always available in lands torn by violence, and in the decisive intelligence attained by their cunning and purchased with their wealth.
The Koda
The Koda are fierce islanders who have passed down hatred of mainlanders for generations. In one Koda coming-of-age ceremony, the Shedding, young warriors chosen for the purity of their rage cast aside mortal bodies to embrace the essence of the Great Bear, Koda-konn. At the same time, the Koda practice selfless love for each other, and they protect and nurture every one of their children, adults, and elders from birth to death.
The Ooglan
Some swear that the Ooglan did not actually exist until the legends their enemies invented about them grew so powerful that they birthed these agents of chaos and malevolence. These pale warriors screech and squeal before descending into uncanny silence when they sense an opportunity to catch enemies unaware. Few survive an encounter with the Ooglan, but those who do spread tales of their ferocity.
The Paldeyn (Expansion)
The Paldeyn stand tall and stride nobly. On horseback, their armor dazzles whether the sun gleams or hides. On foot, their lines hold against all enemies, shields turning blows that would eviscerate others. And where their iron-willed commanders erect their battle-pavilions, the Paldeyn will not be moved. Capes flowing free, they pursue the singular goal of driving before them any who would dare challenge the Paldeyn's right to keep what they have fought for.
The Runen
The Runen are simultaneously unmovable and unstoppable. Where they choose to dwell, they die to a person to defend what they have claimed. And where they resolve to travel, they press without relenting. If their determination is exceeded by any other facet of their character, it is only by the grudges they hold over generations, jealously sharpening their anger over ancient slights both grievous and invented.
The Venna (Expansion)
The northern Venna are exiles and outcasts from other lands, gathered for safety but bound together by the purpose, meaning, and magic of the hyperborean forests. Their community and knowledge give them power, but so too do their ties to the darker powers of the world below. By spells and by incantations dredged from places best not named, the Venna manifest powers innate, discovered, claimed, and even outright stolen.
Components
- Map Playmat (1)
- Faction Playmats (Front: Human Player, Back: AI faction) (5)
- VP Tracker Playmat (1)
- First Player Token
- Basic Troop Markers (130)
- Aldan Troop Markers, Maroon (26)
- Koda Troop Markers, Ruby (26)
- Runen Troop Markers, Emerald (26)
- Guild Troop Markers, Dark Blue (26)
- Ooglan Troop Markers, White (26)
- Action Die
- All-Seeing Die
- Elite Troop Dice (39)
- Aldan (6)
- Elagynt (3)
- Wynden (3)
- Koda (9)
- Grizzled (3)
- Trapper (6)
- Runen (9)
- Stoic (3)
- Miner (3)
- Ram (3)
- Guild (6)
- Stellen (3)
- Crysen (3)
- Ooglan (6)
- Karn (3)
- Nameless (3)
- Aldan (6)
- First Player Token (1)
- Faction Feat Cards
- Corra Gemstones (20)
- Action Dice (9)
- All-Seeing Dice (5)
- Victory Point (VP) Tokens (11)
- Objective Tokens (2)
- AI Deployment Base (DB) Token (1)
- Round Counter Die (d6) (1)
- Chaos Die (d8) (1)
- Solo/Cooperative Scenario Cards (15)
- Player Round, Turn, and Dice Reference Cards (4)
Running Out of Corra
The amount of Corra is intentionally limited to twenty pieces.
- If several players are collecting Corra simultaneously, such as during Phase 3, and there is not enough in the stockpile for them to all take their full allotment, then players will distribute in player order (AI last) until the stockpile is gone. Play continues.
- If one player is collecting Corra and there is not enough left, that player empties the stockpile and forfeits the balance.
Quick Reference: Round & Turn Overview
This summary is reproduced from the player reference card.
Round Overview:
- Phase 1 (Maintenance): A) Set the Round Counter Die to match the current game's round #. B) Pass the First Player token to the next clockwise player.
- Phase 2 (Spoils): In Region # order, activate Actions on VP tokens, if earned.
- Phase 3 (Groundwork): In player order, each faction deploys 2 troops to their DZ, rolls their All-Seeing Die, and gains 1 Corra. Solo/Co-op: Players each get 1 troop.
- Phase 4 (Draft): Roll all Action Dice and in player order, draft dice one at a time, until 1 die remains undrafted. PvP: The player with the least VP gains the last die. If tied, no one gains it.
- Phase 5 (Actions): Turns (see below) are taken in player order, skipping players with no Action Dice remaining.
- Phase 6 (Victory Points): In region # order, players will score VP only (no Spoils).
Player Turn Overview: Can be done in any order.
- Spend Corra
- Activate Action Die or Exodus Action (mandatory)
- Activate All-Seeing Die
- Activate Faction Feat, if available
AI Rules Per Phase (ignore for PvP):
- P1: A) Advance the DB to the next Region #. B) Activate the current Chaos Die effect and advance the die. Do this step a number of times equal to round # (Example on pg 16).
- P2: AI cannot earn VP token Actions in Round 1.
- P3: AI goes last. Deploy 1 troop per human player to the DB, roll the All-Seeing Die, and gain 1 Corra.
- P4: AI does not draft dice; rather, it gains the last undrafted die to be used as its first Action Die.
- P5: AI always goes last. AI will take a total of 3 turns in Solo or 2 turns in Co-op. AI Turn: A) Spend Corra, if possible. B) Activate actions equal to # of players, starting with the drafted Action Die and then rolling Action Dice for the rest. AI will activate its All-Seeing Die immediately after its first Action Die, if possible. Otherwise, it is lost.
- P6: VP is also scored for the AI during this phase.
Setup
- PREPARE THE TABLE: Set the map and VP tracker in the center of the table.
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Each player should choose a side of the map where they will deploy their troops.
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Each game requires a specific number of action dice. Return unneeded action dice to the box so they are not accidentally rolled and drafted later.
Human Players 2-3 4 Action Dice 7 9 -
Place a random VP token on each of the map's numbered regions. Return leftover VP tokens to the box.
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- DISTRIBUTE FACTIONS: Each player chooses a faction, takes that faction's playmat, and places it along their side of the map with the human player side face up. The AI faction side is the one with "A," "B," and "C" labels in the elite troop dice areas and the letters "AI" above the All-Seeing Die area.
- Players select one of their faction's corresponding feat cards, basic troop markers, elite troop dice, and an all-seeing die, and then place them on their playmat as shown. They place one of their basic troop markers next to the VP tracker mat to keep track of their running victory point total during play.
- DEPLOY STARTING TROOPS: Each player places three of their basic troops into the deployment zone on their side of the map (see "The Map" below).
- DETERMINE FIRST PLAYER: Randomly choose a first player. They take the first player token. Turns go in clockwise order.
About Troops
Each faction has 25 BASIC TROOPS, the foot soldiers of their army. While each faction refers to these troops by a unique name, they all follow the same rules. These troops are a limited resource. Once defeated (by taking 1 point of damage), they are removed from the map and placed in a discard next to the faction mat.
Each faction also has a number of ELITE TROOPS, represented by dice. These dice are never rolled in play. Rather, their numbers are used to track the elite troops' remaining vitality, or HP, as they suffer harm. When deployed, an elite troop is placed with its highest value showing. Their die value decreases as they lose vitality. Once an elite troop's die value reaches zero, they are removed from the map and returned to the player's faction mat, available for purchase once again.
About Corra
CORRA is a mystical currency that powers every faction's capabilities in the game. Corra gemstones are gained from the central stockpile and returned to it when they are spent.
Game Rounds
Wroth is played in ROUNDS. Each round has six PHASES, which always occur in the same order. Rounds continue until one player wins.
Phase 1: Maintenance
Set the Round Counter Die to match the current game's round #. Then, pass the First Player token to the next clockwise player (unless on Round 1).
Phase 2: Spoils
Regions showing one of 4 symbols on their VP tokens bestow bonus actions in this phase.
Go through each of the map's regions, in order (see "Region Order" below). For each region containing a VP token with another symbol, the player who has the most troops there may carry out the associated bonus action. If there is a tie for most troops in a region, no player receives the bonus action.
Bonus actions are carried out identically to those from action dice. Refer to "Phase 5: Actions" below for a description of each one.
The four bonus action symbols are: Mine, Extend, Maneuver, Battle.
The numbers shown on the VP tokens are ignored in this phase. They are only used in the Victory Phase.
Phase 3: Groundwork
Players may carry out this phase simultaneously. Each player does the following:
- REINFORCE: Each player places two of their basic troops in their deployment zone.
- DISCERN: Each player rolls their all-seeing die and places it back onto their faction playmat with the new result showing. Even players who did not use their all-seeing die last turn must reroll. A player may use the result of their all-seeing die roll at any time during one of their turns in the Action Phase.
- ALLOCATE: Each player takes one Corra.
PLAYERS ARE NEVER ELIMINATED: As long as the game continues, every player remains an active participant. Having all of your troops eliminated (for example) does not prevent you from drafting action dice, taking turns, or spending Corra to deploy fresh troops.
Phase 4: Draft
One player rolls all of the action dice to form a DRAFT POOL.
Each die, depending on its result, allows a particular action to be performed in the Action Phase. For example, the Mine face allows a player to take one Corra from the stockpile, the Extend face allows a player to deploy two basic troops, and so on.
Once the dice have been rolled, starting with the first player, each player drafts one of the dice from the pool and puts it on their faction playmat without changing its face.
Players take dice this way, in order, clockwise around the table, until each player has two. Then, the player with the fewest victory points takes a third die, the last one left in the pool. If there is a tie for fewest victory points, no player takes a third die.
TWO-PLAYER DICE DRAFTING: In a standard mode game with two players, each player drafts three dice instead of two in the Draft Phase. The last die goes to the player with the lowest victory point score as normal, unless players are tied, in which case neither takes it.
Phase 5: Actions
Starting with the first player, players take TURNS clockwise around the table.
On their turn, a player must spend one of the action dice they drafted to perform an action. If they do not wish to perform the action associated with the die, they may simply discard it. Sometimes a player may spend two action dice in a single turn for a special effect. See "The Exodus Action," below.
- MINE: Take one Corra from the stockpile.
- EXTEND: Deploy up to two of your basic troops from your faction playmat to any region where you currently have one or more troops.
- MANEUVER: Move up to two of your troops from one region to a single adjacent region, or deploy two basic troops from your faction playmat to your deployment zone.
- BATTLE: Attack a region you occupy or a region adjacent to one you occupy for 1 damage.
Spent dice are returned to the central pool.
If a player has no action die to spend on their turn, their turn is skipped. In this case, they do not have the option to buy elite troops or use their all-seeing die.
The Actions Phase ends immediately at the end of the player turn when no player has any action dice left.
The Exodus Action
On their turn, instead of taking a regular action, a player may spend two unspent dice, including their all-seeing die, showing any faces. If they do, they forfeit those dice actions and may choose a region and move as many of their troops as they wish from it to any adjacent region or regions.
Doing this still counts as an "action" for any ability that invokes that term.
Buying Elite Troops and Faction Abilites
At any time during a player's turn, they may spend Corra on a faction ability listed on their faction mat (certain factions only), or to bring elite troops into the battle. A player may buy abilities and/or deploy as many elite troops as they can afford.
The cost of an ability or elite troop is shown on the faction mat.
Many troops have specific rules about where they are deployed when purchased, but if not, they are placed in their owner's deployment zone.
Elite troops may only be purchased if they can be legally placed and can only be purchased from their owner's faction playmat.
Buying abilities and elite troops does not count as an "action" for any ability that invokes that term.
The All-Seeing Die
Players may spend their all-seeing die on their turn during the Actions Phase by removing it from their faction playmat. The all-seeing die is not considered a form of action die, so this would be activated in addition to your action for the turn, if available. Each action represented on the all-seeing die is described below.
- MINE: Take one Corra from the stockpile.
- STRIKE: Attack any region for 1 damage.
- ASSAULT: Attack a region you occupy, or a region adjacent to one you occupy, for 2 damage.
- DOUBLE: Immediately repeat an action you just carried out. For example, collect a second Corra from the Mine action, Extend again, or even spark an Exodus Action from a second region.
Phase 6: Victory Points
In this phase, players gain victory points based on the map regions their troops occupy.
Examine each region on the map, in order (see "Region Order" below), and award victory points as follows:
- CONTROL: The player with the most troops in the region gets the number of victory points shown on its VP token.
- DOMINATION: If the player who controlled the region is also the only player with troops there, they receive one extra victory point.
The symbols shown on VP tokens are ignored in this phase. They are only used during the Spoils Phase. If multiple players are tied for control of a region, no one gains the victory points.
Many elite troops have special abilities that allow them to claim additional victory points from regions they occupy. For each unique troop type with a VP-bonus ability in a region, gain that many VP during scoring (you can only claim one VP bonus per specific elite troop type per region. For example, if you have two Stoics in the same region, you only gain one bonus in that region).
If one player has now reached or exceeded 30 victory points, they are the winner! If more than one player has done so, the player with the highest total wins. If there's a tie, the tied player who controls more regions (not counting the Shores region) is the winner. If there's still a tie, players will engage in a game of Wrock Paper Scissors to break it (or they will choose to share the victory).
The Map
The map playmat is the central focus of battle in Wroth.
The map consists of REGIONS that are separated from each other by a thick white line. Regions on this map are considered ADJACENT to each other if they share a common border, or if they are connected to each other by a land bridge with a double-ended arrow on it. The adjacency of regions is important because when troops move, they must move between adjacent regions, and some actions allow factions to deal damage to adjacent regions.
Each region is randomly assigned a VP token at the beginning of the game. This shows how many victory points that region is worth each round. Some VP tokens also provide a bonus action to that region's controller. A region's VP token generally does not change during a game.
Region Order
Every region other than the Shores region (see below) has a REGION ORDER NUMBER that determines when it is assessed during scoring and in certain other circumstances. The map's region order never changes from game to game, and it is shown directly on the map.
A region's order number is not related to its victory point value and does not contribute to its value when scoring.
The Shores Region
The SHORES REGION is a single large region that surrounds the map's central plateau and touches all four edges of the map.
- It has four DEPLOYMENT ZONES, shown by piers (in the south and west) or tent encampments (in the north and east). These are areas where players typically deploy troops. Troops in these deployment zones occupy both their deployment zone and the Shores region. That is, the deployment zones are not regions of their own. Rather, they are specific portions of the Shores region.
- Neither the Shores region nor the troops in it (including in its deployment zones) can attack, be attacked, or be targeted for damage. However, troops found here are considered "in play" for purposes meeting certain ability or scenario requirements.
- The Shores region is adjacent to regions 1-6, meaning that when troops move from any player's deployment zone, they can proceed directly into any of these regions.
- Once they leave the Shores region, troops may never return to it.
Multi-Region Moves
Some abilities allow troops to move more than one region at once. Such moves are considered two regular single-region moves rather than one extended move. The distinction can become important when abilities react to each move a troop makes.
Feat Cards
Each faction has three unique feat cards. They describe either a unique power that faction can use once per game or an ongoing effect that lasts the entire game. When players choose a faction to play with, they also choose one feat. After making their selection, return the other feat cards to the box.
At the beginning of the game, players place their feat card face up next to their player mat, with the description of the ability showing.
Unless otherwise stated, players may only use their feat card during their own turn.
In standard mode, players of different experience levels may balance the game by allowing new players to take an additional feat card for their faction.
Attacking & Dealing Damage
In Wroth, troops have many opportunities to ATTACK. Attacks always deal DAMAGE, as do a number of other abilities (but other abilities that deal damage are not considered attacks unless specifically stated).
Whatever its source, damage is always measured in POINTS.
In general, attacking is always directed toward a specific region, and damage is dealt to a specific faction within that region. When this happens, the player dealing the damage may divide those points of damage any way they wish among any or all troops from the same faction.
Note that some elite troops may have abilities that affect how and where that damage may be applied. Also note that you cannot attack or damage your own faction (or freely discard your own troops).
Vitality
A troop's capacity to absorb damage before being removed from the map is called its VITALITY.
A basic troop has 1 vitality and is removed from the map when it suffers 1 point of damage.
Different elite troops have different levels of vitality. An elite troop's starting vitality (that is, its vitality when deployed) is the largest number on its die. Each time an elite troop suffers a point of damage, its vitality is reduced by one. When an elite troop's vitality is reduced to zero, it is removed from the map.
"Gathering" Troops
Some rules call for a player to GATHER troops before taking an action with them, such as deploying them to a region.
When troops are gathered, they may be taken from any combination of the player's faction playmat, the region(s) on the map, or even a player's discard (the stockpile of basic troops that have been removed from the map when eliminated).
Moving vs. Deploying
Some abilities in Wroth apply specifically to when troops are moved or deployed. Moving and deploying are slightly different actions, as defined below.
- MOVE: A "move" happens any time one or more troops change their position between two adjacent regions on the map.
- DEPLOY: A "deploy" happens any time one or more troops are placed on the map from somewhere else, usually from a faction mat but sometimes from elsewhere. Occasionally, troops gathered from the map and then deployed back to it might be placed in a region adjacent to the one they were gathered from. This is considered a deploy action, rather than a move action.
Solo/Cooperative Mode
In Wroth's solo/cooperative mode, one to four players work together against a single AI faction. A scenario in this mode can be considered one chapter of an AI faction's epic narrative.
Solo/cooperative mode has some unique setup rules that modify or replace the standard mode setup rules. It also adds new rules that determine how the AI faction moves, acts, attacks, and deals damage.
Unless a standard rule is specifically superseded in this section of the rulebook, it applies in solo/cooperative mode just as it does in standard mode.
Key Components
FACTION ALTERNATE PLAYMAT: Each faction has an AI version of its playmat that provides more information about how it behaves as an AI combatant.
FACTION SCENARIO CARDS: Each faction has three different scenarios that are used when it plays as an AI faction. Every scenario can be played with one to four human players.
Setup
In the setup steps, the generic "player" (as opposed to a "human player" or "AI faction") can refer to both human and AI players.
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PREPARE THE TABLE: Don't place VP tokens as normal during this step of setup. Instead, wait until the factions are distributed and the AI faction is known. Some scenarios have a predetermined arrangement of VP tokens, and the scenario is determined by which AI faction is used in the game.
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Each game requires a specific number of action dice. As with the standard game, return unneeded action dice to the box so they are not accidentally rolled and drafted later.
Human Players 1 2 3 4 Action Dice 4 5 7 9 -
Set the Round Counter Die to 1 and place it somewhere everyone can see it.
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Roll the Chaos Die and place the AI Deployment Base token (DB token) in the region that corresponds with the result. This region is called the DEPLOYMENT BASE. The "DB" token marks the region where new AI troops are deployed to unless a scenario or ability says otherwise.
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Roll the Chaos Die again, and place it with the rolled result showing so that everyone can see it.
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Note that these setup rules may be altered or added to by a specific scenario (i.e. changing where the DB token is placed, setting the Chaos Die number, or adding specific troops to various areas).
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DISTRIBUTE FACTIONS: Freely choose one AI faction, and then freely choose one human faction per human player.
- Rather than taking all 25 basic troop markers, human players take the number indicated by the table in this section. They then place a single basic troop marker belonging to one human faction next to the VP tracker playmat, returning the remaining basic troops to the box. Human players track a single collective score during play.
- The AI faction takes 25 basic troops and places its 26th basic troop marker next to the VP tracker playmat.
- The AI faction does not take a feat card.
- Choose a scenario associated with the AI faction, and then place the VP tokens as instructed in the setup portion of that scenario card. For any regions that do not specify a token, place a random one from those remaining.
- Also perform any other setup instructions on the scenario card at this time.
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DEPLOY STARTING TROOPS: Each human player places the number of basic troops indicated by the Basic Troop Deployment table in their deployment zone.
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Rather than placing basic troops in a deployment zone, the AI faction places four basic troops in its deployment base (no matter the number of players).
BASIC TROOP DEPLOYMENT
Human Players Troops Taken During Setup Troops Deployed in Setup Troops Deployed Per Round 1 20 4 1 2 15 3 1 3 12 2 1 4 10 1 1
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DETERMINE STARTING PLAYER: Randomly select one human player to be the starting player.
Scenario Card Anatomy
AI FACTION SCENARIO OVERVIEW: (Not pictured) This shows the AI faction used in this scenario and gives a brief description of the conflict. This information can be found on the back side of the card.
SCENARIO NAME: What this scenario is called.
EVENT: Unusual rules for this scenario that supersede the regular rules.
MISSION: One or more ways different players can win the scenario. Some missions apply only to the human players, while others apply to the humans or the AI. Missions that apply to human players apply to all of them collectively. That is, the humans work together to prevail over the AI faction. When a scenario has more than one mission that applies to the same type of player, only one of them must be completed to win.
SETUP: Information about how to set up the scenario's VP tokens (in the map area) and additional setup instructions.
CHAOS DIE TABLE: A table that shows how the Chaos Die is used in this scenario.
Example scenario card ("Show of Strength"):
- Event: AI will prioritize using Corra to purchase Rams before other elite troops.
- Mission: 35 VP
- Setup: DB token is randomly placed in regions 1-4. Place Rams by rolling the Chaos Die and placing the Ram in the corresponding region #. For 2 human players, place 1 Ram. For 3, place 2 Rams. For 4, place 3 Rams.
- Chaos Die:
- Deploy a Ram.
- Each faction gains 1 Corra for each region they dominate.
- Move all Rams. Reminder: See reference card for AI priority.
- Advance the DB token to the next ascending region #.
- If there are 2+ human players, AI deploys an elite troop and attacks each region with a Ram for 1 damage. Otherwise, no effect.
- If there are 2+ human players, each faction gains 1 Corra for each region they dominate. Otherwise, no effect.
- If there are 3+ human players, AI deploys an elite troop and attacks each region with a Ram for 1 damage. Otherwise, no effect.
- If there are 3+ human players, each faction gains 1 Corra for each region they dominate. Otherwise, no effect.
Threat
Some scenarios, AI faction abilities, and rules require players to calculate THREAT.
Threat always pertains to regions, and each region has a threat value that can change throughout the scenario.
A region's threat is calculated by adding 1 to the value for every human faction basic troop in the region, as well as 3 to the value for every human faction elite troop in the region.
A region's threat is cumulative across human factions. That is, a given region's threat is the sum generated by all human faction troops there.
If no human faction troops are present in a region, its threat is zero.
AI faction instructions often target the region with the greatest threat, either across the map, among regions it occupies, or adjacent to regions it occupies. When there are ties and a tie-breaker isn't specified, the tie is always settled via lowest region number (the region # shown on the region map).
Game Rounds (Solo/Cooperative)
Phase 1: AI Maintenance
Unless this is the first round of the game, increase the round counter die by one to show which round of the game this is. For example, if you are starting the second round of the game, move the round counter die from 1 to 2. Also, pass the first player token to the next clockwise human player.
Next, unless a scenario states otherwise, the AI will advance the DB token to the next ascending region # (or back to region 1 if on region 8).
Finally, carry out the following two steps a number of times equal to the number showing on the round counter die (for example, perform both steps three times in the third round of the game).
- EXECUTE A CHAOS DIE EFFECT: Look at the number showing on the Chaos Die, and execute the corresponding effect from the scenario card's Chaos Die table.
- ADVANCE THE CHAOS DIE: Advance the Chaos Die to the next consecutive number. If it shows 8, cycle it back to 1.
Example: In the first round, you roll a 4 on the Chaos Die, perform the #4 Chaos Die effect listed on the scenario card, and cycle the die to 5. In the second round, apply the #5 Chaos Die effect, cycle to 6, and apply that as well. In the third round, you will do this three times, applying effects for 7, 8, and 1.
Phase 2: Spoils
This phase is skipped for Round 1. If the AI faction would earn a bonus action, carry it out the same way the AI faction carries out the equivalent action on its dice (see "Action Dice for the AI Faction" below).
Phase 3: Groundwork
The human players carry out the standard mode steps simultaneously, as usual. However, when human factions reinforce, they are limited to the number of basic troops shown in the table above ("Basic Troop Deployment").
Once the human players are finished, the AI faction does the following:
- REINFORCE: The AI faction places a number of basic troops equal to the number of human players on the deployment base region.
- DISCERN: The AI faction's all-seeing die is rolled and placed on its faction playmat.
- ALLOCATE: The AI faction takes one Corra.
Phase 4: Draft
One player rolls the action dice to form the draft pool. The human players draft action dice normally, with one exception: The player with the lowest victory point total does not draft the last die. Instead, the AI faction takes it.
Phase 5: Actions
Turn Order
Turns in the Action Phase begin with the human player who has the First Player Token and proceed clockwise as in standard mode.
After each human player around the table has taken a turn, the AI faction takes the same number of turns as there are human players, even if one or more human players skipped their turn. The AI faction takes its set of turns all in a row, before any human player takes another turn.
Turns continue with AI always going last, until no human player has any action dice left. This means the AI will always get a total of three turns in solo play or two sets of turns in co-op.
Action Dice for Human Players
Human players spend action dice and use their all-seeing dice on their turns as in standard mode. They also have the same standard turn option to spend two dice on the Exodus Action and spend Corra on elite troops.
Action Dice for the AI Faction
On the first AI turn in the Action Phase, before executing their first Action Die, the AI will purchase and deploy any elites it qualifies for. Then, it carries out the action shown on the die it acquired during the draft. The drafted die is then rolled to determine the action taken on each of the AI faction's subsequent turns.
The AI faction's action die is returned to the pool only when the Action Phase is over. The AI faction carries out the four actions as follows:
- MINE: The AI faction takes two Corra from the stockpile and immediately spends them, if able (see "How AI Factions Spend Corra" below).
- EXTEND: The AI faction places four basic troops in the highest-threat region where there is already at least one AI troop (if fewer than four troops are available, it will place as many as possible). Resolve ties in favor of the lowest region number.
- MANEUVER: The AI faction disperses the region where it has the most troops (See "Dispersing" below).
- BATTLE: The AI faction attacks the highest-threat region it occupies, or that is adjacent to a region it occupies, for 1 damage. Resolve ties in favor of the lowest region number. Then, the AI faction attacks a second time (be sure to recalculate threat in case it has changed as a result of the first attack).
The AI Faction's All-Seeing Die
The AI faction spends its all-seeing die immediately after executing its first action of the round and then sets it aside to reroll next round. In the event that the AI faction can't spend its all-seeing die after its first turn of the round, the opportunity to use it this round is lost and the die is set aside to be rerolled next round.
The AI faction uses its all-seeing die as follows:
- MINE: The AI faction takes two Corra from the stockpile, then spends them immediately if able (see "How AI Factions Spend Corra" below).
- STRIKE: The AI faction attacks the highest-threat region for 1 damage. Resolve ties in favor of the lowest region number. The AI faction then repeats this action a second time (recalculate threat as needed).
- ASSAULT: The AI faction attacks the highest threat region it occupies, or that is adjacent to a region it occupies, for 2 damage. Resolve ties in favor of the lowest region number. The AI faction then repeats this action a second time (recalculate threat as needed).
- DOUBLE: The AI faction repeats the action die effect it activated on its first turn of the round. Remember, each time the AI would carry out an action or repeat an action, it will re-assess threat or other conditions as necessary.
Phase 6: Victory Points
In this phase, the human players gain victory points collectively—that is, the humans have one shared victory point score—based on the regions their troops occupy. This works much as it does in the standard mode, with these modifications:
- CONTROL: When determining who controls a region in a cooperative game, all human players' troops are added together and compared to the AI faction's sum of troops.
- DOMINATION: When determining whether a faction dominates a region, each human player's troops are considered independently. That is, even if there are no AI troops in a region, if two different human factions' troops are present, no faction dominates that region.
At the end of this phase, check the scenario's mission conditions. If either side has achieved one of its conditions, that side wins! For mission conditions based on victory points, resolve ties as in standard mode.
Dispersing
Some rules call on the AI faction to DISPERSE a region. To do this…
- MOVE ELITES: Move all elite troops in the origin region to the adjacent region with the highest threat. Break ties in favor of the region with the lowest region number.
- SCATTER REGULARS: Determine how many regions are adjacent to the origin region. Move one basic troop to the one with the lowest region number, then one to the region with the second-lowest, and so on. When all adjacent regions have received one troop, move a second troop to each one in the same way and in the same order. Do this until only one basic troop remains in the origin region.
- LEAVE ONE BEHIND: Leave the final basic troop behind in the origin region. The disperse action ends.
How AI Factions Spend Corra
In solo/cooperative mode, the AI faction playmats have the PRIORITY LETTERS A, B, and C on the spaces where elite troops await deployment. These letters establish the general order in which the AI faction moves these troops to the map.
When sufficient Corra becomes available to deploy any AI faction elite troop, first check the priority letters of its undeployed elite troops. These troops must be deployed left to right. An A troop must always deploy before a B, and B before C.
AI elite troops are deployed to the deployment base region unless a deployment ability or scenario rule say otherwise.
After placing an elite troop, if the AI faction still has enough Corra to purchase more elite troops, repeat this process until the AI faction no longer has enough Corra to make purchases.
Note that some faction playmat abilities, or "special abilities," don't have priority letters. The AI faction never spends Corra to use these. They are only activated by the Chaos Die.
How AI Factions Deal Damage
When an AI faction deals damage, it targets elite troops before basic troops. If there is more than one valid elite target, the human players choose which one will take the damage.
When the AI faction deals damage to a region, the damage can be split across different human factions. That is, it does not need to be confined to a single faction, as it normally must in standard mode.
How AI Factions Gather Troops
When an AI faction must gather troops, it chooses defeated troops in the discard first, then troops from its undeployed pool, then troops from the map regions in order from lowest to highest.