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Thank You!

A big sincere thank you for purchasing Storm the Castle!. This is just the beginning of a long line of premium games from Giant Goblin Games. We wish you the best as you summon your ruthless hordes, pillage defenseless villages, and crash down castle walls as you play the bad guys!

Working Together?

Storm the Castle! is a semi-cooperative game meaning players can work together to weaken the castles defenses to make it easier to win. There may be times when it makes sense to attack your so-called allies to put your Dark Force army in a better position to win.

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Game Overview

Storm the Castle! is an exciting and challenging 1 - 4 player, semi-cooperative game. Players control 1 of the 4 unique Dark Forces armies in a race to breach Castle Storm Havens defenses and overrun its Fantasy Defenders. The games unique mechanics, allow for players to constantly be in the action. Since the strategies, card combinations, and paths to wining are so varied, players will have a unique experience each game played.

Like any new game it may take a few plays to fully grasp the subtle strategies that Storm the Castle! offers. You dont need to read every section to start playing. Try going through the turns phases and read only sections that apply for each unique situation. Youll start building up the knowledge of how the game plays instead of trying to memorize everything at once.

Learning the Rules

Components
Rulebook. Game Board. Dice x4 (1 Burst Die, 3 Battle Dice). Army Reference Cards x5. Arcanists Power Cards x22. Boss Deck x9. Dark Elves Power Cards x22. Fantasy Defender Event Deck x54. Fantasy Defender Magic Deck x5. The Green Tide Power Cards x22. Undead Horde Power Cards x22. Fantasy Defender Units x22. Arcanist Units x13. Dark Elves Units x13. The Green Tide Units x13. Undead Horde Units x13. Battlefield Upgrade Tokens x4. Castle Building Tokens x4. Castle Walls x16. Dark Elf Equipment Tokens x3. Gold Tokens (1 denomination) x25. Magic Tokens (5 denomination) x5. Green Tide Equipment Tokens x12. Ladder Tokens x 12. Player Turn Order Tokens x4. Structure Damage Tokens x25. Unit Damage Tokens x35.

How the Dark Forces Win

Attacking Castle Storm Haven is no easy feat! It takes hordes of minions willing to be led to certain death (err victory), cunning strategy, and a touch of treachery. The first player whose Dark Force unit enters the castles keep first, can claim total victory over the other players.

How the Fantasy Defenders Win

Throughout the game, players will have the opportunity to control the Fantasy Defenders, including playing Event Cards, summoning heroes, and mustering brave defenders to keep the Dark Forces at bay. If the Defenders manage to prevent the players from reaching Castle Storm Havens keep by the end of turn 8, the Dark Forces are repelled and must try again another day!

Components Overview
Battlefield Upgrades Unique buildings a Dark Force player may buy and place in his Battlefields Upgrade slot. Boss Deck A small deck of mighty cards used by the turns Boss. Castle Buildings This token is placed in any unoccupied Castle Building Space when certain Event Cards are played. Damage Tokens Each token represents 1 damage to either a Structure or Unit. Dice The Burst and Battle Dice, used to resolve Battle. Equipment Tokens Tokens used by the Green Tide and Dark Elves to equip their units with. Event Cards Deck of various events that can occur throughout the game, generally favoring the Defenders. Game Board The game board shows the 4 Battlefields, Castle Storm Haven, Turn Track, Battlefield Locations and Battlefield Upgrade Slots. Game Turn Marker Tracks the current game turn. Gold and Magic Tokens Used to purchase and/or play units, Power Cards, and more. Ladders Equipment used to scale walls. Peasants Guards the 4 Battlefield Locations. Attack & Health 1 & Strikes Last.
Structure Units

Power Cards Cards used to augment the Dark Force armies. Reference Cards Used to refer to Dark Force and Defender units abilities. Turn Order Tokens Used to keep track of turn order among the players. Units Dark Force and Defender units used in the attack and defense of Castle Storm Haven. Walls Castle and Keep Walls are placed, per the set-up diagram to prevent the Dark Forces from easily entering the keep.

The Invasion Begins!

It all began one day when a mysterious Dark Boss gathered together the 4 emissaries of the Darklands, representing the different Dark Forces. With his charm, threats, oversized helmet, and promises of untold wealth, the Dark Forces banded together to invade the rich and fertile fields of the land of Holmenstein. But only one thing stood in their path, Castle Storm Haven. As the invaders neared, the outnumbered defenders called upon any who would come to their aid. Can you bring victory to your Dark Force or will you return to face the Dark Boss in shame?

Playing Storm the Castle! (STC )

We find playing STC with 4 players to be optimal experience. If playing with less than 4 players, please refer to the end of the rule book for additional game variants. Weve also included rules for an Introductory Game and recommend players play this variant first to get a feel for the mechanics and rules of the game before doing a full castle assault!

Card and Rule Conflicts

Sometimes the text of a card will conflict with that of the rules. The cards text will always supercede the rules.

Dice Rerolls

You may only ever reroll once and must keep that result.

He/She

For sake of simplicity players are referred to as he instead of he/she. We do value and love female gamers with all our hearts!

Speeding Up Play

The Green Tide: This tribal alliance specializes in brute force and strange technology. Players who enjoy large explosions will enjoy this deadly team! Pros: Hard hitting units with potentially powerful equipment. Cons: Equipment can be deadly for both you and foe! The Undead Horde: The walking deads power derive from ever increasing numbers and the ability to sustain damage while pressing forward. Players looking to overwhelm their opponents while using dark magic will find great pleasure in fielding this army. Pros: Many units cause Fear and can sustain a lot of damage. Cons: Slow units with low attack values.

As a suggestion to speed up play, we recommend players take no more than 5-7 minutes on their turn. If not, thats OK! But remember, in the thick of battle, generals are usually given seconds to make critical decisions.

A Challenge!
Winning at Storm the Castle! is challenging, very challenging! Youre likely to be repelled several times before understanding how to fully utilize your army and develop winning strategies.

The Dark Forces

The Arcanists: Masters of metal and magic, they use their powers to manipulate the events and minds of their enemies and allies! Pros: Incredible Power Cards that can shift game elements to your favor. Many units can be augmented for even more power Cons: Many of your units have low health and are not strong in melee battle. The Dark Elves: No foe is safe from the tips of their arrows nor the teeth of their treachery. Players who revel in backstabbing and shooting should choose this Dark Force army.

Opening up your box

Carefully punch out the tokens, shuffle the different decks separately and open the game board. The following instructions detail how to set up for the standard 4-player game.

Game Setup

Gather the Turn Order Tokens into the game box or a cup and have each player blindly draw 1.

1. The player with the lowest numbered Turn Order Token (the First Player), and continuing in turn order (Second, Third, Fourth Player), each player Pros: Awesome ranged attacks and chooses the Dark Force army they wish to play ranged supporting Power Cards. and collects the corresponding Reference Card, Special back stab cards give you Power Cards, and Tokens. a unique competitive edge against 2. Then starting with the First Player, and continuing other players. in turn order, each player selects 1 of the 4 BattleCons: Low health units means that fields to start at. youve got to know when to fight and when to move in. Players may give Each player then: you strange can I trust you looks. 1. Shuffles their Power Card deck and then draws 3 cards. They may look at these cards. 2. Collects 5 Gold Tokens. 3. Collects 3 Magic Tokens if playing the Arcanists and/or Undead Horde.
We really wish dem Dark Forces wuld leeves us alone. But if theeyz come welz fite em good. - Farmer Bill

Give the Fantasy Defender Reference Card to the player to the left of the First Player.

Fantasy Defender Setup

The Card will pass clockwise among players after: 1. An Event card is drawn and resolved. 2. A Hero is summoned and does its own Onward March 1. 3. After placing a Defender unit(s) during the Reinforcement phase.

Please refer to the Setup Diagram.

1. Place 3 Castle Walls on each of the 4 Castle Sides. 2. Place 1 Castle Wall on each side of the Keep Grounds. 3. Place 1 Peasant Token on each of the 4 Battlefield Locations (e.g. +2 draw, +2 magic, +2 hand, +2 The Current Player may never have the Card. If this gold) happens, the Current Player passes the Card to his If playing the Introductory Game, put the left. Peasant Tokens back into the game box. 4. Place the Defender units into a cup or the game Intro Game box. Starting with the First Player and continuing clockwise, blindly draw 1 Defender unit token and place it on an unoccupied space anywhere on the Castle Walls have a health of 2 (instead of 3). Towers or Ramparts. Pre-selected Fantasy Defender units will be If playing the Introductory Game, place the placed as per the Set-up diagram. 2 Musketmen and 2 Dwarven Pikers on the Towers do not confer a +2 Cover Defense, or +1 Towers as show in the Setup Diagram. Range to the Fantasy Defenders ranged units.

Battle Tip: Youll want to place the Defenders in a space that will hinder the other players while making it easier for you to storm the castle.

5. Place any Hero Tokens off to the side for now. If playing the Introductory Game, place the Hero Tokens back into the game box as these will not be used. 6. Shuffle the Defenders Event and Magic Decks. Turn Summary 7. Place the Game Turn Marker on the Turn 1 posi- A game turn is played over a series of phases. Below tion of the Game Turn Track. is a brief summary of each phase in a turn: 1. Collect: Players will collect gold and magic, draw cards, and refresh any Exhausted Cards. The player who currently has the Fantasy Defender 2. Whos the Boss?: Players bid to become the allReference Card is referred to as the Defenders Conpowerful Boss for the turn. troller. To simplify naming this Reference Card 3. Turn Order: Players will draw Turn Order Tokens throughout the rules, it is known as the Card from to determine the turn order . here on. 4. Lets Buy & Deploy: Starting with the First Player, and continuing in turn order, the player may buy The Card reminds the Defenders Controller of his 4 power cards and units and/or equipment. After responsibilities: players have purchased, units and/or equipment deploys. 1. Drawing and resolving the Event Card on the Cur5. Reinforcements: Additional Defender units arrive rent Players turn. in the Castle to stop the invaders and a number of 2. Deploying the Defenders units during the ReinEvent Cards are drawn. forcement Phase. 3. Explaining the abilities of the Defenders units and 6. Players Turn: Starting in turn order, Players will resolve Events, may play Power Cards, and actiheroes. vate and move their units. 4. Rolling the dice during battles involving the De7. Wrap Up: Check for victory or defeat. Players fenders. discard down to their hand size, Defenders unflip, and the Game Turn Marker advances.

The Hero is not summoned (lucky for you!). Place the Hero Tokens back into the game box. Do not place the Peasants at the 4 Battlefield Locations. Players cant deploy into other players Battlefields. Do not use any of your units text abilities (except for traits).

Fantasy Defender Reference Card (The Card)

p Diagram Setu
1

2 3 21 4 22 5 6 7 8 18 9 10 12 11 13 14 17 20 23 24 25 27 26 19

16

15

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

Boss Deck. Health (heart) and Structure Damage tokens (circle). Castle Buildings. Loot Pile: Magic (blue) and Gold (yellow) tokens. Ladder tokens. Player Turn Order tokens. Defenders Unit Reinforcement pool. Defenders Hero Reinforcement pool. Defenders Event Deck. Defenders Magic Spell Deck. A players Power Card Deck. A players Reference Card. A players hidden hand consisting of Power Cards. A players unpurchased units. A players Gold and Magic pool. Game Turn Marker on the Game Turn Track.

17. 1 of 4 Battlefield Locations (if playing a standard Game include the Peasants). 18. 1 of the 4 players Battlefield Start Locations where units deploy and their 3 Start Spaces (first row of arrows). 19. 1 of the 4 players Battlefields with 3 Paths, each having 3 Spaces (represented by the arrows). 20. 1 of 4 Castle Towers. 21. 1 of the 4 players Battlefield Upgrade Locations Slots. 22. 1 of 4 Castle Sides with Castle Ramparts, each having 3 Castle Walls. 23. Castle Grounds. 24. Keep Grounds. Each side having 1 Castle Wall. 25. Castle Keep. 26. 1 of 4 Castle Building spaces to place Castle Buildings.

Collect

Players perform this phase together: 1. Place any Exhausted Cards (see Exhausted Cards) back into your hand. 2. Collect Gold: Each player collects 5 Gold Tokens. If you control the Battlefield Location (+2 gold), collect an additional 2 gold. 3. Collect Magic: The Arcanists will collect a number of Magic Tokens equal to the amount of magic generated by their magic-generating units (see Magic). The Undead Horde collects 1 Magic Token for each non-flipped (see Flipped Units) Undead unit they currently have in play. If you control the Battlefield Location (+2 magic), collect an additional 2 magic. 4. Draw 1 Power Card: Draw 1 Power Card from your Power Card Deck. If you control the Battlefield Location (+2 Draw), draw an additional 2 Power Cards.

The Boss Vote Each player declares how many base votes they have and are calculated as follows: 1. Each player has 1 vote and: +1 vote for each Castle Wall theyve destroyed. +1 vote if their Battlefield Upgrade is in play. +1 vote if their Champion is in play and not flipped. +1 vote for each group of 3 Fantasy Defenders (excluding peasants) theyve destroyed. +1 vote if theyve defeated a Hero. 2. Players then secretly put any amount of gold they wish from their current stash into their right hand. Each gold contributed adds +1 to their vote total.

Note: Any gold contributed (win or lose) is lost after the bid and placed back into the loot pile.
3. When everyone is ready, players reveal the amount of gold theyre using in their right hand (even if no gold was contributed). Whoever has the most votes (base votes plus gold-contributed votes) becomes the Boss for the turn.

You can only hold so much Note: If this is the first turn, the First Player breaks A player can hold a maximum of 10 gold and 10 magic at any one time. Any excess is immediately dis- any tie. On subsequent turns, the current Boss will carded and cannot be used to pay for an ability, card, break any ties. etc. Additionally, you can only hold a maximum of 3 Power Cards and 3 Boss Cards at the end of your turn.

Whos the Boss? Phase

The Boss
1. 2. 3. 4. If you win the Boss Vote: Take the Boss Reference Card Draw 2 Boss Cards, choose 1 to keep, and discard the other into a Boss discard pile. Boss Cards dont count against your hand-size limit of 3 Power Cards. You may hold up to 3 Boss Cards in your hand at the end of any game turn. At any time should you run out of Boss Cards, reshuffle the Boss discards to create a new deck. If youve just ousted a player who was the Boss by winning the bid, the former Boss must discard any Remain-in-Play (RIP) Boss Cards. If he has any Boss Cards in his hand, you may look and choose 1 to keep. Any remaining Boss cards in his hand are discarded. Take 1 gold or magic from the loot pile. Revel in your glorious victory!

Players will bid to become the Boss. Being the Boss grants unique bonuses such as: Gain access to the powerful Boss deck. No player may attack the Boss with their units, though the Boss may attack other players. However, once the Boss attacks another player, that player(s) may counterattack and attack the Boss as normal that game turn. Break any Boss vote ties. During the Turn Order Phase, the Boss draws 2 Turn Order Tokens instead of 1. The Boss may give any amount of gold to any player during the Lets Buy and Deploy Phase it doesnt hurt being charitable to your underlings.

Note: Players can play Power Cards against the Boss, including cards that can attack the Bosss units.

5.

Turn Order Phase

To determine the players turn order: 1. Return any Turn Order Tokens to the game box or cup. 2. The Boss first blindly draws 2 Turn Order Tokens from the game box or cup, chooses 1 to keep, and then returns the other Turn Order Token to the game box/cup. 3. Going clockwise from the Boss, players each draw 1 Turn Order Token. 4. Place your Turn Order Token near your Battlefield Start Area for all to see. 5. The player with the lowest Turn Order Token is considered the First Player for the turn. The player with the next-lowest token is considered the Second Player, and so on.

Battlefield Upgrade: You may buy and deploy your Battlefield Upgrade in your Battlefield only if you have the Battlefield Upgrade Power Card in your hand. Pay the cards cost and place the token on your Reference Card to deploy. To deploy, place the token in your Battlefield Upgrade Location on your Battlefield. Once paid for, keep your Battlefield Upgrade Power Card in your play area to use as a reference; it no longer counts as being part of your hand. Power Cards: You may purchase additional Power Cards for 1 gold each. Your Reference Card will have an image of your Power Card, reminding you of this option. Equipment Tokens: You may pay the cost of any Equipment Cards in your hand. Once purchased, take the corresponding equipment token and place it on your Reference Card to deploy. You may place the Equipment Card near your play area to use as a reference. Once you pay the cost of that Equipment Card to play it on a unit, it no longer counts as part of your hand (see Equipment for more information).

Note: The Boss gets a distinct advantage. By drawing 2 tokens first and choosing 1, he can decide to go either earlier or later during the turn.

Lets Buy and Deploy Phase

The battlefield is a constantly evolving spectacle of whirling blades with masses of troops attempting to scale Castle Walls. Players will need to wisely plan what to purchase and how to deploy these forces each turn if they are to be successful.

Ladders: Your army has a total of 3 ladder tokens and may use up to 3 Ladders at one time by paying each Ladders cost (see Ladders for more information) and place the ladder token(s) on your Reference Card to deploy. Ladders dont require a corresponding Power Card to purchase. Your Reference Card has a ladder Players can simultaneously spend any amount of their symbol on it reminding you of this purchase option. available gold to buy any number of units, ladders, equipment, and additional Power Cards. Deploying Units After youve purchased a unit(s), you may deploy this After all purchases are made, starting in turn order unit(s) in any of your 3 Battlefield Start Spaces. with the First Player, players deploy any units and/or equipment purchased. Deploying in your Battlefield What you may buy: Units: The costs for units, noted by the gold icon, are shown on your Reference Card. Once purchased, take the unit token and place it on your Reference Card to deploy later. Battlefield Start Areas have the first 3 spaces into which units can be deployed. Only 1 unit may occupy any space at any time (i.e. you cannot deploy 2 units to one space). You may destroy your unit(s) to make room for a newly purchased unit(s) youre deploying. Place the destroyed Unit Token back into your play area to be used again.

Note: Each Dark Force Player is limited in the number of units he may purchase by the number of unit tokens provided. Gold spent is returned to the Loot Pile.

Deploying in your Battlefield (Cont) Fantasy Defenders Reinforcement Phase Should another players unit occupy a space your unit You didnt think the Defenders were pushovers, did is deploying on, a Battle with multiple rounds imme- you? During the Reinforcement Phase, the brave diately begins (see Battle Rounds). guardians of Castle Storm Haven will call upon their allies to repel the invaders! The Battle is considered to be at range 1 The deploying unit is considered to have acted for There are 2 steps to the Reinforcement Phase: the turn and may not attack, move, or use abilities again this turn. 1. Summon the Defenders If an ability allows your unit to deploy in a space 2. Determine the number of Event Cards to be other than a Battlefield Start Area and another played during the turn players unit is already there, a Battle with multiple rounds begins as normal. Summon the Defenders On all turns, except 4 and 7, 1 Defender unit is sumDeploying in another players Battlefield moned. On turns 4 and 7, 2 are summoned instead. You may also choose to deploy any of your unit(s) in The Turn Track has larger images for turns 4 and 7 to any of the 3 Battlefield Start Spaces of another players remind you of this. Battlefield by paying 1 additional gold for each unit deployed in this manner. This gold is immediately The Defenders Controller will: spent when the unit declares its deployment into that space. 1. Blindly draw a Defender Token (2 Tokens during turns 4 and 7) and deploy it in any non-occupied Example: Greg decides to deploy his Witchlings into space within the castle. 1 of Katrinas Battlefield Start Spaces. In addition to 2. The Defenders unit MUST be placed inside the the cost of his unit, he must pay 1 additional gold to Keep, if not occupied, if a Dark Force player has a deploy there. unit within 3 spaces of the Keep. 3. Once the Defenders unit(s) is deployed, pass the Card clockwise, remembering to always skip the Current Player.

Note: Should the Defenders run out of Unit Tokens, they cannot further reinforce the castle.
If deploying on a Battlefield Start Area that is empty, that unit deploys normally. If occupied, a Battle immediately begins: Determine the Number of Event Cards The final step to the Reinforcement Phase is determining how many Event Cards be played this turn: 1. Count the number of Castles Sides that have at least 1 Castle Wall remaining (whether damaged or not) and add +1 to that number. The Castles Keep Walls are never counted in this manner

Note: You cannot deploy in Battlefield Locations.


Deploying Equipment You may place any purchased equipment on any of your units in any Battlefield space, including as your unit is being deployed.

Note: Equipment is immediately attached to a unit, prior to it actually being deployed and placed on the Battlefield.
Ladders can only be placed on units in your Battlefields start space and/or as theyre being deployed.

Example: On turn 1, all 4 Castle Sides have at least 1 Castle Wall. Add +1 to this number. The Dark Forces will be facing 5 Event Cards this turn!
2. Draw that many Event Cards and place them side by side in a row face down. This is called the Event Card Stack. This allows the players to more easily track which Event Cards were played and how many remain this turn.

Determine the Number of Event Cards (Cont) Note: Event Cards are never removed from the Stack if a Castle Side is destroyed later during the turn. Once they are drawn, they remain for that turn.

Note: There may be times when more or less than 5 Event Cards will be drawn during a turn (See Events).
Players Actions During a players turn, he may do any of the following in any order: Move Units Play Power Cards Play Boss Cards (if hes the Boss) Attack with his Units

diagram of stack

Some Event Cards may remain in play (RIP). Simply place any RIP card on or near the game board so that all players may easily reference it. Any Event Cards that RIP, stay in play, unless somehow canceled.
Battle Tip: Destroy all walls on a Castle Side. Events can severely impact your ability to win the game. Players may need to work together for the greater good!

Example: Jimmy moves his Dark Elf Archer 2 spaces, then attacks a unit 1 space away. After the battle, he plays a Power Card. He then proceeds to move his Dark Miner 1 space.
Move Units Each player begins his turn with a total of 5 Army Moves which he may use to move any combination of his units. Each space a unit moves costs 1 Army Move. Once a player uses all 5 Army Moves, that player can no longer move any more units. However, he may still attack (as attacking does not take a move action), play Power Cards etc.

Players Turn

After any reinforcements are placed, the first player will begin his turn. Players will have many options available including where and how to move; when to start battles; which Power Cards to play; what devastating magic to unleash; and much more!

The majority of units can move up to 2 adjacent spaces each unless an ability or card specifies otherwise (i.e. At the START of the First Players turn: such as a unit being Slow). All moves by a single unit 1. If the Fantasy Defenders Hero is currently in play, must be uninterrupted by other move actions in other words, you cant move 1 unit a single space, the Defenders Controller will resolve the Heros then move a different unit, and then move the first Onward March now (see Heroes). If not, skip to unit a second time. step 2. 2. The Defenders Controller draws and resolves the first Event Card. Once the Event is resolved, the Card is passed clockwise as explained before. The First Players turn:

Example, Greg decides to just move his Skeleton Warriors 1 space. He then moves his Zombie Horde 2 spaces. He can no longer move the Skeleton Warriors.
Additional Move Guidelines: Units can only move into adjacent spaces. You may move through any Dark Force unit, but no unit can end its movement in a space already occupied by another unit, unless the unit is moving into another players Battlefield (see Moving into Another Players Battlefield). You may not move past a space controlled by a Defenders unit (see Move Lock). You may move through another Dark Force players unit. If for some reason you are stuck on a space with another players unit, a battle with multiple rounds begins immediately (see Battle Rounds).

1. The First Player then takes his turn (see Players Actions). 2. At the end of the First Players turn, the second Event Card is drawn and resolved by the current Defenders Controller. Once that event is resolved, pass the Card clockwise, always skipping the Current Player and start the next players turn. The Second, Third, and Fourth Players turn: The Second Player now begins his turn. Unlike the First Player, an Event Card is only drawn and resolved at the END of players 2, 3, and 4s turn

Example: No Event Card is drawn and resolved at the start of his turn.

Moving in the Battlefield A Battlefield Space is designated on the board by an arrowhead. In the Battlefield, spaces forward, backward, and to the left and right of a space are considered adjacent. Spaces that are diagonal are not considered adjacent, and therefore units cannot move directly between them.

The Witchling may spend 2 movement (from any space its at) to enter this Battlefield Location (BL) or ANY BL in ANY Battlefield!

Moving in the Castle A Castle Space is designated on the board by a diamond. In the Castle, spaces forward, backward, left and right, AND diagonally of a space is considered adjacent.

Play Power and Boss Cards Power and Boss Cards provide unique abilities to further your unrighteous cause. Some cards may bolster a units attack/defense, give you the power to peek into the future, and much more! You may play any number of cards on your turn so long as you meet the requirements of each card and can pay its cost (if any). Power and Boss Cards can only be played on your turn, unless noted otherwise on the Card. Some Power Cards remain in play (RIP) unless somehow canceled. Your RIP cards can also be canceled on your turn. Simply place RIP cards in your play area so all can know of their constant effect. Power Card Types Action Cards unique to your army. Common Cards that other players also have. Magic Cards that are also referred to as Spells. These cards are unique to the Arcanists and Undead Horde and typically have a magic cost.

Moving into another players Battlefield Players can enter another players Battlefield to either help or hinder them! A unit on a space located either on the right or left paths of a Battlefield may move to the corresponding space of an adjacent Battlefield at the cost of 2 moves for that unit.

Note: This is only possible with either the player to the left or right of you, though it is possible to continue to move your unit, from turn-to-turn into other Battlefields.
If your unit moves to another players Battlefield and his unit is on that space, a battle immediately begins (see Battle Rounds) at range 1. Moving to a Battlefield Location A unit on any space in any Battlefield may move to ANY Battlefield Location for a cost of 2 moves, for that unit. If another unit is already at the Battlefield Location into which the moving unit moves, a Battle immediately begins at range 1 (see Battle Rounds). The battle continues until one of those units is victorious.

Running out of cards At any time, should you run out of Power or Boss Cards, shuffle your Power Card discard pile (or the Boss card discard pile) to create a new deck, as needed. Hand Size You may hold up to 3 Power and 3 Boss cards at the end of your turn. Any excess must be discarded.

Note: Remain-in-Play (RIP) cards count against your respective hand sizes for both Power and Boss cards.
Attack During your turn, each of your units may initiate a single attack against another eligible unit or structure. An eligible target is a unit that is within range (see Ranged Battles) and with nothing blocking the line of site to that unit, or in an adjacent space for melee battle. Attacking is a free action and does not take a move action or count against your 5 Army Moves.

10

Attack (Cont) A unit does not have to move to attack, but it may move and then attack. Once a unit attacks, it may not move again this turn unless it Battle Marches (see Battle March). The Dice for Battles! Battles are fought using the Burst and Battle Dice. A unit attacks by rolling a single red Burst Die PLUS 1 Battle Die for each attack value greater than 1. Any hits rolled will damage the defending unit unless somehow canceled (see Defenses). Note: Attack values for units are listed on your reference card
DICE HERE

Melee Battles (Cont) A Battle is simultaneous, meaning both the attacker and defender will roll their attack value (see Melee Counterattacks) to determine if they hit. After rolling the attack and any counterattacks, the battle is over unless your unit is involved in Battles requiring multiple rounds (see Battle Rounds). Melee Counterattacks After a Melee unit rolls its attack, the defending unit rolls for its counterattack even if the attacker rolled enough damage to destroy it. Battle is simultaneous, so its possible for both the attacker and defender to destroy each other.

The Burst Die has a side showing a hit and another showing a critical hit. Blank sides represent a miss. When a critical hit is rolled, first count the roll as a hit and then roll 3 additional Battle Dice. Any hits rolled with these Battle Dice are added to the previous hit total. The Battle Die has 2 of its sides showing hits. Blank sides represent a miss. Any hits that equal or exceed the targets health will destroy that unit or structure. Otherwise, place a number of Unit Damage Tokens on that unit, or Wall Damage Tokens if it was a Structure (see Structures). Damage Tokens remain unless somehow removed.

Example: Greg uses his Dark Miner (Attack 1) to attack Katrinas Witchling (Attack 1). Greg and Katrina will each roll a Burst Die. Greg rolls a miss. Katrina rolls a Critical and inflicts 1 hit. She then rolls an additional 3 Battle Dice further scoring another hit. The 2 damage is enough to destroy the Miner (2 Health).
Counterattack Limit A Melee unit can counterattack only once during a players turn (unless involved in Battle with multiple rounds see Battle Rounds) or for a single Onward March. Should another Onward March be played later during the turn, the unit may counterattack once, as normal, if attacked again.

Melee Battles

A melee unit is a trait thats found on your Reference Card. Melee units adjacent to another unit or structure Example 2: During an Onward March 2 Event, a may attack to begin a Battle. Warrior Knight attacks Katrinas Arcane Warrior. Both may attack and counterattack as normal. Should another Defender unit attack that Arcane Warrior again it may no longer counterattack again during this Onward March Event.

Example 1: Greg had previously unsuccessfully attacked Katrinas Witchling. He attacks her again with another Dark Miner. Because the Witchling had already counterattacked during Gregs turn, she may not counterattack again. Should another player attack the same Witchling, she may counterattack again (but only once per players turn).

In the first example, the Ghost Fiend is adjacent to the Warrior Knight and may attack it. In the second example, the Ghost Fiend is not, as in Battlefields diagonal spaces are not considered adjacent.

Battle Tip: Particularly devious players will attack a unit with one of their weaker units, and then attack that same unit again (if it survives) with another of their units since that defending unit can no longer counterattack.

Ranged Battles

A Ranged unit will be denoted on the units reference card with the Range trait along with its maximum range. Having the Range Trait allows for that unit to fire its weapon from a distance following adjacent spaces. A Ranged unit may attack another unit or structure, within its range and that has line of sight (see Line of Sight below), to begin a ranged battle.

Ranged Attacks and Counterattacks vs Melee units Ranged units have the opportunity to deal their damage before a Melee unit can attack or counterattack. If a Ranged unit attacks, or is attacked by an adjacent Melee unit, the Ranged unit rolls its attack first and then deals its damage first. If the Ranged unit does enough damage to destroy the Melee unit, it is immediately removed and cannot participate in the battle. If the Melee unit survives (and is adjacent to the Ranged unit) it may attack or counterattack as normal. If a Ranged unit attacks a Melee unit that is not adjacent to it, that Melee unit cannot counterattack - its simply too far away.

With a Range 2, the Dark Elf Archer may strike any of these spaces.

Note: During Battles with Multiple Rounds, the Ranged Unit would do its damage first ONLY during the first round. Ranged Attacks and Counterattacks against Ranged units.
If a Ranged unit attacks or counterattacks another Ranged unit, battle is then simultaneous as normal. The target Ranged unit must be in range of the attacker or it cannot counterattack - its too far away. Range Counterattack Limitation Similar to Melee counterattacks, a Ranged unit can counterattack only once during a players turn or on a single Onward March, unless involved in a battle with multiple rounds (see Battle Rounds). Should another Onward March be played later during the turn, the unit may counterattack as normal if attacked again. Unable to Counterattack Some units cannot counterattack due to an ability, being Flipped (see Flipped Units), etc. In Battle, the attacker will roll his attack as normal and inflict any damage on the non-counterattacking unit. The battle is then over. If a unit that cannot counterattack is involved in a Battle with multiple rounds, then that unit is immediately destroyed.

A Ranged unit may shoot up to a numWith a Range 2, the Dark Elf Archer ber of adjacent spaces may strike any of these spaces. Note: equal its range value. the Wall and Unit share the same space and may target either one. The Some ranged units Archer cannot shoot past the wall. may have a range of 1. This simply means it may shoot an adjacent unit. Similar to melee battles, Ranged units will roll a number of dice equal to their attack value. Ranged Battles and Line of Sight (LOS) There are only a few examples of when a Ranged Unit cannot see their target.

Example: Gregs Dark Miner attacks a Musketman that is flipped in the castle. The Dark Miner would roll its attack and inflict any damage. The Musketman cannot counter attack. Example 2: Katrina deploys her Witchling on a Battlefield start space containing a Dragon Ballista. Since the unit cannot counterattack, due to a trait, and the Battle involves multiple rounds, the Dragon Ballista is immediately destroyed.

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Magic Attacks

Magic attacks works in the same manner as either Storming a castle is a tiresome and bloody job. Now melee or ranged battles, depending on if a melee its time to clean up the mess. or ranged spell used. If your Caster is attacked, or counterattacking, it may use either its melee/ranged 1. Each player discards down to 3 Power Cards and attack value, or it may cast 1 spell with an attack value 3 Boss Cards (if hes the Boss). (should you have enough magic to cast it), but not Remain-in-Play (RIP) and Exhausted cards both! count against your hand size. Cards set aside to use as a reference (such as played ChamCasters may cast additional nonpion, Battlefield Upgrades, and Equipment attack spells, during the battle, if Cards) do not. they meet all requirements (i.e. 2. Unflip any Defender units. new magic card here magic cost) of that spell. Once a spell 3. Shuffle the highest Onward March Event Card is cast, it will either Exhaust (see Exdrawn this turn back into the Event Deck. hausted), meaning the card is turned Example: During the turn an Onward March 2 to its side to be used again another and an Onward March 1 were drawn among 3 turn, or Fizzle (see Magic), meaning other Event cards. Take the Onward March 2 the card is placed in your Power Card discard pile. Event Card and reshuffle it back into the Event Deck and discard the rest. Rolling for an Attack outside of Battle 4. Move the Turn Tracker to the next game turn. Some Boss, Event, and Power Cards may ask the player to roll an Attack X. Similar to normal battle, If at the end of turn 8 the Dark Forces embarrassingly roll a Burst die for an attack of 1. For each attack value cannot reach the Castle Keep, all is lost! The invaders greater than 1, add a Battle Die to the roll. are routed, the Boss beheaded, and the Defenders can celebrate their valiant win! Example:, an Event Card says to roll an Attack 3 against a Dark Force unit. The Defenders controller If the Dark Forces unfortunately do not conquer the will roll 1 Burst Die and 2 Battle Dice. Defenders, the players can celebrate the vilest, most cunning valuable player.

Wrap-Up Phase

Defeated Units/Battle Trophies

Each players score is calculated as follows: The more you destroy, the more respect you get on the battlefield in the form of extra votes for being the Boss. These votes stay with your Dark Force from turn +1 for each Wall destroyed. +1 for each group of 3 Defender units slain (Peasto turn unless those trophies are somehow removed ants are not counted). from you. +1 for each defeated Hero +1 if their Champion is in play and not flipped. To represent your inglorious battle prowess: +1 for each group of 3 units they have in play and not flipped. When you destroy a Wall, place it in your play +1 if their Battlefield Upgrade is in play. area. This now counts as +1 vote during each Boss +1 for every 3 gold they have. phase. +1 if theyre the Boss. When you destroy any non-peasant Fantasy Defender, place those Defender Unit Tokens in your +1 if theyre wearing a pink tie and green goblin ears. play area so all may admire your battle prowess. For each group of 3 non-peasant Fantasy Defenders you slay, you gain +1 vote during each Boss Phase. For each Hero slain, set him aside for +1 vote. The player with the highest total may celebrate being the baddest of the bad (even though you technically lost). Always think positive, dark invaders! If somehow there is a tie, the Boss decides who wins between the tied players.

Note: You do not gain a trophy for defeating another Dark Force players unit.

Intermission

Congratulations, you now know how to play! The remaining sections of the rulebook deal with additional rules that may occur during the game.

Onward MarchMoving and Attacking in the Keep While in the Keep, a Hero/Defender unit will only attack another unit: If that Defender has a ranged attack and cant be counterattacked. The target unit cant counterattack. If the target is flipped (see Flipped Units).

Onward March

Onward March Event cards are the primary way Defenders activate to move and attack during a turn. There are different versions of Onward March, e.g. Onward March 1, 2, and 3. The number represents how many different Defenders will be activated. The Defenders Controller resolves all the units in an Onward March Event.

A Hero or Defender unit may move and/or Battle March to leave the Keep if there is not a Dark Force unit within 3 adjacent spaces of the Keep.

Note: The same Defender unit can NEVER be activated more than once during a single Onward March event. The unit may be activated again, as normal, with another Onward March Event card. Example: On turn 3, the first Event Card is an Onward March 2. There is a Dwarven Piker and Musketman currently in the castle. The Controller would be able to activate both of these but not the same unit twice.
Onward March-Defenders Actions Defender units act similar to the Dark Force units: each have 2 moves, may attack, counterattack, and can Battle March (see Battle March). And like the Dark Forces, 1 Defender unit must complete its actions before moving to another Defender unit. Defender units that have an eligible target must be activated first. An eligible unit is a Dark Force unit that can be attacked (e.g. in range, etc). This may require the Defender to move into position to do so. Sometimes the Defenders Controller may have to attack his own Dark Force units to meet this requirement. There may be times when more than 1 unit is eligible to be attacked. In this case, the Defenders Controller chooses who to attack. Onward March-Protecting the Keep If a Dark Force player is within 3 adjacent spaces of the Keep and the Keep is undefended (i.e. not occupied by a Defender unit), a Defender unit must be activated first, during an Onward March to enter into the Keep to protect it. If it cannot enter the Keep during its move, it must move as close as possible to the Keep. The Defenders Controller may only move out a unit in the Keep with another unit within the same Onward March Event. Ranged Dark Force and Defender units may still fire over the Keep Wall as normal. Melee Dark Force units may attack the Keep Wall, or the unit behind the Wall, with a ladder as normal.

In this example, all three of these Dark Force units are within three spaces of the Defender within the Keep. As such, the Archpriestess cannot leave.

Onward MarchMoving and Attacking in the Keep Grounds As a special rule only a melee Defender unit, in the Keep Grounds, may charge through the Keeps Gate and attack a unit in any of the 3 adjacent spaces in the Castle Grounds. Because the Defender left the protection of the Keep Wall (assuming the Wall is there), it does not gain Cover Defense (see Defenses).

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Onward March Guidelines The Hero can be activated with an Onward March Event Card even if activated by a previous Onward March Event Card. Once a Defender unit attacks, it cannot move. An activated Defender unit must complete all actions before the next Defender unit is activated or it loses its remaining actions. Defenders are unaffected by Move Lock (see Move Lock). Defenders may move up to 2 spaces. A Defender may spend 1 of its move actions to knock down a Ladder, even if a Dark Force unit is on it (see Ladders). Defenders may not move into Battlefield Locations or Battlefields, but they may attack into the Battlefield. If there are not enough Defenders to activate, remaining activations are lost. Defenders may Battle March as normal. Peasants are never activated.

Battle Rounds-Magic Any Magic cast during Battle Rounds stays in effect until the conclusion of the Battle Rounds. After the first round, no new spells with an attack value can be played nor can the caster choose to switch how it attacks (i.e. ranged and/or melee) for this Battle.

Example: Greg, playing the Arcanists, casts Vorpal Blast as his attack against a Peasant unit occupying the same space. Neither of the 2 units destroys the other so another round of battle begins. Vorpal Blast remains in play as Gregs attack spell. He cannot cast another spell with an attack value, but he could play another non-attack spell

Battle March

Onward March and Fantasy Defender Casters When a Defenders Caster (i.e. Battle Mage, Wizard Lord) is chosen to activate, the Defenders Controller first draws a number of spells as directed by that units reference card. The player then moves and/or attack with that Caster. Like Dark Force Casters, a Defender Caster may choose to make a melee or ranged attack, or cast a spell, but it cannot do more than 1 of these things.

If a Melee unit attacks and destroys an adjacent unit, it may move into the targets space. To do this, the unit must be able to move into the new space (e.g. have at least 1 Unit and Army Move remaining). A Battle March Move is considered a move and takes 1 unit/ army move as normal. It may not continue moving after the Battle March even if it has moves remaining.

Example: Jimmy has 2 Army Moves remaining. Hemoves his Skeleton Warriors 1 space (1 Army Move remaining), then attacks an adjacent unit. After defeating it, he decides to Battle March into that units space. He no longer has any Army Moves remaining.
A unit may ignore Move Lock (see Move Lock) with a Battle March. You may not Battle March: After destroying a structure. If the adjacent unit destroyed is behind a Wall (unless your unit is on a Ladder then you may Battle March over the Wall See Ladders). If involved in a Battle with multiple rounds.

Battle Rounds

Some Battles require multiple battle rolls to determine a victor. Each series of rolls is called a Battle Round. The only time youll go through more than one Battle Round is if 2 units share the same space; otherwise, the Battle is over after 1 round.

Battles with multiple rounds of battle are immediately First Strike resolved when: Some units have the trait First Strike. This will be noted on their unit card. A unit with First Strike deals 1. 2 units are at a Battlefield Location. its damage first in an attack or counterattack. The unit 2. 2 units are sharing the same space, such as when with First Strike rolls first. If the First Strike unit deals a unit moves from 1 Battlefield to another players sufficient damage to destroy the target, that unit canBattlefield. not roll its attack or counterattack as normal. 3. A unit deploys on another players unit. For each round of battle, the attacker and defender roll their dice for attack and counterattack. Note: to clarify, the defender rolls his counterattack for each round of battle. A Ranged unit, regardless of range, will deal its damage before a Melee unit with First Strike can. First Strike-Battle Rounds A unit with First Strike, only applies its First Strike in the first round of battle.

The Heros Onward March Just when you think youre about to crush those pesky Once the Hero has been placed, the Defenders ConDefenders, a mighty Hero always appears to save the troller (who placed the Hero) activates the Hero as if given his own Onward March 1. day.

Fantasy Defender Heroes

Immediately PAUSE the game and summon the Hero when any one of the following happens: The 9th Wall is destroyed (Castle and/or Keep Walls). A Dark Force unit declares he will enter the Keep (pause the game before he actually moves into the Keep). A Dark Force unit declares it will attack a Defender in the Keep (pause the game before the battle begins).

Similar to both how the Dark Forces and Defender units act, the Hero acts the same (e.g. he gets 2 moves, may Battle March, counterattack, etc). If the Hero was placed in the Keep and there is a Dark Force unit within 3 spaces of the Keep, the Hero will not leave the Keep. The Hero will move into an unoccupied Keep, if possible, if a Dark Force unit is within 3 spaces of the Keep. While in the Keep space, the Hero will only attack Flipped (see Flipped Units) units or units uable to counterattack.
Battle Tip: Some dastardly players will place a strong Defender unit in the Keep while the Mighty Hero goes about slaying the invaders in the castle.

Note: Only 1 Hero is summoned in this manner during the game.


After the Heros move, continue play as normal. Summoning the Hero The Defenders Controller randomly chooses a Hero and places him in a space based on the following priority: The Keep, if unoccupied. The Keep Grounds if none of the 4 spaces are occupied. If the Keep Grounds are occupied by any Dark Force units, place the Hero on top of a Dark Force unit within the Keep Grounds, immediately destroying that Dark Force unit. If the Keep Grounds spaces are occupied by Defenders, place the Hero anywhere in the Castle Grounds so that he may attack a Dark Force unit in the Keep Grounds (if able). If the Castle Ground spaces are occupied by Dark Force units, place the Hero on top of a Dark Force unit, immediately destroying it. Defender unit in the Keep while the Hero goes about slaying his allies in the castle.

The Heros Event Card Once the Hero has completed its Onward March, add 1 extra Event Card to be resolved at the end of the Current Players turn (this may result in more than 1 Event Card to be resolved at the End of a players turn). Heroes on Subsequent Turns Heroes are an inspiring force. They add 1 additional Event Card during the Reinforcement Phase! Theyll also make their own Onward March 1 BEFORE the first Event Card is drawn and resolved. The Hero is always controlled by the Defenders Controller. Once the Heros activation has been resolved, the Card is passed clockwise (as normal). Heroes and Counterattacks Unlike other Defender units, Heroes ALWAYS counterattack even if theyve already counterattacked during a players turn!

Flipped Units

There may be times when a unit is forced to Flip or voluntarily Flips. A Flipped Unit generally represents the unit being dazed, confused, etc. The other side of unit tokens show a dazed/confused symbol. This side is used to represent being flipped.

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Flipped Units (Cont )


A unit that is flipped may not: Move. Attack or Counterattack. Use Abilities. Generate Magic. Cast Magic. Contribute any Vote Bonuses. Use Equipment or have Equipment Deployed on it. If the unit is equipped, it cannot gain any of the abilities and/or bonuses that equipment confers. Cause Move Lock (see Move Lock). Gain any Armor or Cover Bonuses (See Defenses).

Structures

All Castle and Keep Walls, Towers, the Keep, Castle Buildings, and the players Battlefield Upgrades are considered Structures. When a Structure takes damage, place one Wall Damage Token on it for each point of damage taken. Walls Castle and Keep Walls prevent movement into the Castle until they have been destroyed. Each Wall has a health of 3. If a unit is in the Ramparts space when that spaces Castle Wall is destroyed, that unit it takes an immediate Attack 1. This represents the Wall collapsing and possibly damaging the unit there.

Note: A Flipped Unit does not count for purposes of controlling a Battlefield Location or the Keep.
Flipped Units and Moving Dark Force units may move through a Defenders Flipped Unit, and vice versa. Attacking a Flipped Unit A unit attacking a Flipped Unit gains +1 Battle Dice. The Flipped Unit cannot counterattack or benefit from Defenses (see Defenses). Unflipping Units A Dark Force unit may unflip on its next turn for a cost of 1 of its 2 moves. A Defender may spend 1 of its 2 moves to unflip and act during an Onward March. Theyre motivated to defend their castle even at the point of exhaustion!

Note: This does not apply to units behind the Keep Walls, inside the Keep.
Walls - Attacking Units/Walls The space on the Castle Ramparts and Keep Grounds is shared both by the Wall and unit there. Ranged units may target either the Wall or unit in the space directly behind the Wall. Melee units may only attack the Wall, unless a Ladder has been placed (see Ladders), in which case he may choose to either attack the Wall or the unit directly behind the Wall. If the Wall is destroyed, Melee units may attack adjacent units.

Note: Defenders automatically unflip during the Wrap-Up Phase

Move Lock

In the Castle, Defender units prevent adjacent Dark Force units from rushing past them. A Dark Force unit adjacent to a Defender cannot move into another space until that Defender unit is either destroyed or Flipped.

Note: Dark Force units can attack Walls only from the front (not from the rear/sides), and may not Battle March after destroying a Wall.
Walls Defense Defenders gain a +1 Cover Defense (see Defenses) while directly behind a Wall, unless a Ladder (see Ladders) has been placed and theyre being attacked by an adjacent unit on the Ladder.

Structures (Cont )

Walls and Line of Site into the Castle Grounds Normally, units cannot fire through/over Castle Walls to hit targets in the Castle Grounds, and vice versa into the Battlefield from units in the Castle Grounds. If the Castle Wall in front of the unit is destroyed, units in the Castle Ground can see out to the Battlefield (and can themselves be seen) by following a straight line of adjacent spaces. Castle Buildings Buildings are considered to be Structures. Some Event Cards will allow the Defenders Controller to place the Castle Building in any open Castle Building Space. The Castle Building is treated as a clear space and may be moved onto and fired through. Castle Buildings may be attacked, even if a unit is on the Castle Building space, and are treated as Structures. Should a unit be on the same space as a Castle Building, the attacker must choose to attack the Unit.

Battlefield Locations (Cont )


The following also applies to Battlefield Locations: A unit may move from any Battlefield Space (including another players Battlefield) to any Battlefield Location for 2 moves. If a Dark Force player moves into a Battlefield Location containing another unit, a Battle begins immediately and continues until one unit is victorious (see Battle Rounds). A unit may return from a Battlefield Location to any space on any players Battlefield Start Area for 2 moves. Only 1 of your units may be at a single Battlefield Location at any time.

Equipment

A unit may be equipped with a maximum of 2 Equipment, and each must have a different name. For example: An Orc Pirate may be equipped with a Ladder and Pirate Ale but not 2 Pirate Ales. Equipment can be given to any of your units on any Battlefield Space or while your unit is being deployed. Equipment Summary: A unit may have a maximum of 2 pieces of equipment, each with a different name, equipped at any one time. If a unit is destroyed, any Equipment Tokens attached to it return to your token pile to be used again at a latter time. You may not deploy Equipment on units in Battlefield Locations. You cannot transfer Equipment to another unit. You may un-equip any Equipment on your units. Return the token to your play area to be used again. Any Equipment purchased must be deployed that same turn; it cant be saved. If you cannot deploy the Equipment, the money is lost and the tokens are returned to your token pile.

Battlefield Locations

Each of the 4 Battlefield Locations confers a unique bonus. The Dark Force player who has 1 of their non-flipped units on that Battlefield Location is considered to control that location and gains its unique bonus. Battlefield Location Bonuses: +2 Draw - Draw 2 additional non-Boss Power Cards during the Collect Phase. +2 Gold - Collect 2 additional Gold Tokens during the Collect Phase. +2 Magic - Collect 2 additional Magic Tokens during the Collect Phase. +2 Hand - Your hand size for Power Cards (not the Boss cards) increases from 3 to 5.

Equipment - Ladders Ladders are considered Equipment and are used to quickly scale Walls to pour your minions into the Castle. Each Dark Force army may have in play up to 3 Ladders at one time. Unlike other Equipment, Ladders can only be placed on units in your Battlefield Start Area or while deploying a unit.

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Equipment (Cont )
Ladders - Placing A unit with a Ladder may remove the Ladder Token its carrying and place it as a free action adjacent to a Wall that does not have a Ladder. It may only be placed in front of a Wall (not from its back or side). A unit is considered to be on the Ladder if a Ladder shares the same space as that unit. The exception is if a Ladder is placed on a Keep Wall and multiple units are in any of the 3 spaces in the castle grounds where the Ladder is located. In that case, 1 unit must be designated (by its owner) as the one who is on the ladder. Once placed, any Ladder may be picked up again at a later point as a free action by any Dark Force unit. This extra Ladder does not count against the maximum of 3 Ladders a Dark Force player may purchase and deploy. Ladders - Moving A unit in the Battlefield may move over a Wall with a Ladder into an unoccupied, adjacent Ramparts space for 1 move. A unit may move over a Wall with a Ladder in the Castle Grounds into the adjacent Keep Grounds space for 1 move. Ladders - Knocking Down Defenders may spend 1 move to knock down a Ladder. Should your unit be on the Ladder when this happens, it takes an Attack 1. A knocked-down Ladder is destroyed and returned to the players, who deployed the Ladder(s), token pool. Ladders - Battlefield Battles If a Wall is between two Melee units, they can only fight each other if one of them is on a Ladder. Normally Defender Units gain a +1 Cover Defense while behind a Wall, on a Ramparts space, (see Defenses). A Dark Force unit, while on a Ladder, that attacks a Defender, negates its Cover Defense.

Magic (Cont )

Fizzle Cards Some spells will say fizzle. This simply means that when this spell is cast, it is then discarded instead of Exhausted (see Exhausted Cards). To clarify, the spell is successful, just discarded after it is casted. Arcanist Magic The Arcanists collect Magic based on what their Caster units (a Unit Trait found on your Reference Card) can generate at the start of the Collect Phase, as noted on their Reference Card. Only Arcanists Casters may use Power Cards that are Magic Actions (AKA Spells). When a Spell is cast that does not say Fizzle, exhaust the card (see Exhausted Cards) by rotating it to its side. Exhausted cards will be refreshed during the next Collect Phase and can be used again. A Spell that Fizzles is discarded after the spell resolves. Undead Magic The Undead collect Magic somewhat differently than the Arcanists: For each Undead unit you currently have in play, gain 1 Magic during the Collect Phase. Their Magic Action Power Cards are played as normal Power Cards and dont require a caster to play.

Exhausted Cards

Most Power Cards are discarded when played. A card that can Exhaust is simply turned to its side showing it can no longer be used this turn or until it Refreshes. Exhausted Cards refresh at the start of the game turn. Exhausted cards count towards your hand size. Should an ability force you to discard a card(s), place any Exhausted Cards back into your hand before discarding. After the ability resolves, return the exhausted cards to your play area in their exhausted state.

Pushing Units

Some units can exert themselves to provide additional bonuses. This is referred to as Pushing the unit, or a Pushed unit. Units that can Push will be denoted on your Reference Card, or the ability will be gained by use of a Power and/or Boss Card. When a unit is Pushed, immediately roll an Attack 1 against it (to reflect the strain of the extra exertion). Any hits rolled cause damage as normal to it. Should the unit survive, it may continue as normal.

Magic

The streams of magic can only be tapped into by mages who Defenses have learned to wield its hidden power. Some Power Cards are There are 2 types of Defenses in Storm the Castle!: Armor and labeled Magic Actions, which is synonymous with Spells. Cover. Though they are called by different names to add flavor to the context of the game, they work in the same manner. Some Magic Cards may RIP. These are considered in-play and count against the Power Card hand size. Some units have thick plates of steel armor, defensive magical auras, or are simply behind a Castle Wall. This protection, Note: Remember, Flipped Units do not generate magic! called Armor X will be noted on your Reference Card. Units behind a Castle Wall or in the Castle Tower can gain Cover X. It is possible for a unit to have both Armor and Cover Defense and as such the defenses are cumulative.

Defenses (Cont )

For each Defense-granting bonus that applies to a given unit, roll 1 Battle Die (not the Burst Die). Each hit rolled will cancel 1 damage. This damage is canceled before the Damage Token is placed on the unit.

Example: Greg attacks a Warrior Knight and inflicts 2 hits. The Knight has Armor 1. It rolls 1 Battle Die for its Armor and rolls a hit. This cancels 1 of the 2 hits.

More than 5 Event Cards

On some turns, the Dark Forces may face more than 5 Event Cards! As described previously, the First Player has an Event Card resolve at both the beginning and end of his turn. The other players have Event Cards resolve at the end of their turns. Should more than 5 Event Cards be drawn, follow the steps below: 6 Event Cards: An Event Card is resolved at the Beginning and End of the turn for both players 1 & 2. 7 Event Cards: An Event Card is resolved at the Beginning and End of the turn for players 1, 2, & 3. 8 Event Cards: An Event Card is resolved at the Beginning and End of the turn for players 1, 2, 3, &4

Fewer than 5 Event Cards

If fewer than 5 Event Cards are to be resolved, simply follow the normal procedure for resolving Event Cards until they run out; some players will not have an Event Card resolved during their turn. Should more than 5 Event Cards be drawn, follow the steps below: 4 Event Cards: Player 3 would have the last Event Card resolved at the end his turn. No Event Cards would be resolved during Player 4s turn. 3 Event Cards: Player 2 would have the last Event Card resolved at the end his turn. 2 Event Cards: Player 1 would have the last Event Card resolved at the end of his turn. 1 Event Cards: Player 1 would have the last event resolved at the beginning of his turn.

Castle Towers

Defenders in a Castle Tower space gain +2 Cover Defense against all attack. If the Defender unit has range, it gains a +1 to their range value.

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