Heroes and Spells
Core Rule Book
(Realms of Thaloria Playtest Draft v1.10)
This playtest rule book combines the Core Rules and the Advanced Rules Appendix into a single reference.
1. Game Overview
Heroes and Spells is a tactical fantasy strategy game set in the Realms of Thaloria. Each player commands a faction, deploys Warriors, casts Spells and leads a powerful Wizard into battle for control of the realm.
A player wins by:
- Becoming the last Wizard remaining in the game; or
- Controlling eight enemy tiles with their Faction Banners.
Heroes and Spells is designed for two to five players.
The Golden Rule
When card text directly contradicts a general rule, follow the card text.
Card text only overrides the part of the rule that it specifically changes. All other rules continue to apply.
Lore and Expansions
The Realms of Thaloria release marks the alpha release in the Heroes and Spells universe. This inaugural set introduces the five founding factions — Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, Goblins and Skeletons — as they battle for dominance across the mystical lands of Thaloria.
Future expansions will expand the world, factions, Spells, Relics and adventures, deepening both the lore and the gameplay. Expansions may be combined with the Realms of Thaloria set. To begin, choose your faction and adjust the shared Main Deck to match your group’s tactics and preferred play style.
2. Players, Components and Setup
Players and Dice
- Players: 2 to 5.
- Standard Warriors use D6 dice.
- Elite Warriors use D12 dice.
- Some Spells and special effects may also require D6 or D12 dice.
- Use a D30, tracking app or suitable counters to record Wizard Life Points.
- In a two-player game, D20 dice or another suitable counter may be used if necessary.
Using Dice as Counters
Use dice as counters whenever needed to track:
- The duration of Spells, Rituals, Curses or Dungeon effects.
- Limited-use Wizard abilities.
- Turn-based effects.
- Life Points.
- Any other changing game value.
Place the die beside the relevant card, tile, Wizard or game piece and adjust its value as the effect changes.
Dedicated physical tokens, such as the Black Last Muster token, are used where specifically required by the rules.
Game Components
- One shared 100-card Main Deck.
- One shared discard pile.
- Nine faction-coloured hex tiles per player.
- One light grey Dungeon tile per player.
- One gold Grotto tile.
- Eight Faction Banners per player.
- Eighteen Standard Warriors per player.
- Nine Elite Warriors per player.
- One Wizard per player.
- Light grey Artifact pieces, counters or tokens.
- D6, D12 and other dice used for combat and as counters when needed.
- Life Point counters or a tracking app.
- One Black Last Muster token per player, plus any other limited-use markers required.
Choosing the Starting Player
Each player rolls a D12. The player with the highest result becomes the starting player. Reroll ties until there is a clear winner. Play proceeds clockwise from the starting player.
Choosing Factions and Wizards
Each player chooses one faction and one Wizard. A Wizard does not have to be paired with the faction associated with that Wizard’s theme. Any Wizard may command any faction unless a scenario says otherwise.
Board Setup
- Place the gold Grotto tile in the centre of the play area.
- Beginning with the starting player, players take turns placing one faction tile at a time around the Grotto.
- Each player must include their light grey Dungeon tile among their tiles.
- Every tile placed must have at least one complete side touching a tile already in play.
- Once placed, a tile cannot be moved or rotated unless a card, scenario or agreed playtest rule allows it.
- Continue until every player has placed all nine faction tiles and their Dungeon tile.
Preparing the Main Deck
Shuffle the 100-card Main Deck and place it face down in the centre of the table. Leave space beside it for the shared discard pile.
All players draw from the same Main Deck and use the same discard pile.
Starting Hand
Each player draws five cards. The maximum hand size is ten cards.
Preparing the Army
Each player places the following Warriors in their Wizard’s Reserve:
- 18 Standard Warriors.
- 9 Elite Warriors.
Place the Wizard in front of the player at full Life Points. Give the player one Black Last Muster token and place it beside their Wizard. Leave a visible area beside the Reserve for Fallen Warriors. The Fallen Warriors area begins empty.
3. Wizards and Factions
Core Factions
| Colour | Faction |
|---|---|
| Cyan | Humans |
| Dark Grey | Skeletons |
| Sunflower Yellow | Goblins |
| Bambu Green | Elves |
| Maroon Red | Dwarfs |
Expansion factions may use other colours.
Wizards
Each player assumes the role of a Wizard who commands their chosen faction. A Wizard remains in front of the player and is not normally placed on a battlefield tile.
Every Wizard has a Special Ability. Unless the ability states otherwise, it may be used once during each turn in which its conditions are met.
Core Wizard Abilities
| Wizard | Faction Theme | Special Ability |
|---|---|---|
| King Alaric | Human | Once per turn, after rolling attack dice in combat, you may reroll one of your attack dice. You must accept the second result. |
| King Thalorien | Elf | During your Advance Step, one of your Warriors may move up to two adjacent tiles instead of one. All normal movement restrictions continue to apply. |
| King Haldrek | Dwarf | Once per turn, when rolling defence dice in combat, you may add +1 to one defence result. |
| King Zarkul | Goblin | After board setup, choose three of your faction tiles and mark them as Empowered Strongholds. Your Warriors may occupy up to six Power Points on each Empowered Stronghold instead of five. The normal maximum of three Warriors from the same faction still applies unless another rule changes it. |
| King Azmorth | Skeleton | During your Draw Step, you may return one of your Fallen Warriors to your Wizard’s Reserve. This ability may be used once per turn and no more than six times during the game. Use a die as a counter to track each use. |
Wizard Life Points
- Two-player game: 40 Life Points.
- Three-to-five-player game: 30 Life Points.
A Wizard reduced to zero Life Points is defeated.
4. Warriors, Army Supply and Starting Deployment
Warrior Types
| Warrior Type | Power Points | Combat Die |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Warrior | 1 | D6 |
| Elite Warrior | 2 | D12 |
Fixed Army Supply
Each player has a fixed maximum army supply of:
- 18 Standard Warriors.
- 9 Elite Warriors.
A player may never control more Warriors than their army supply allows.
Warriors may be located in:
- The Wizard’s Reserve.
- On battlefield tiles.
- In a Dungeon.
- In the Fallen Warriors area.
Warriors removed from the game are no longer part of the available army supply and cannot return unless a card specifically says otherwise.
The Wizard’s Reserve
The Wizard’s Reserve contains Warriors who are available to:
- Enter the battlefield during the Deployment Step.
- Protect the Wizard.
- Be summoned by card effects.
- Replace losses through recovery effects.
Warriors in the Reserve are not considered to be on the battlefield.
Fallen Warriors
When a Warrior is destroyed through combat or a Spell, place it in its owner’s Fallen Warriors area unless the effect specifically says to:
- Return it to the Reserve.
- Move it somewhere else.
- Remove it from the game.
Fallen Warriors may return through Spells, Wizard abilities, Rally the Fallen or Last Muster.
Returning Warriors to Reserve
Returning a Warrior to its owner’s Reserve is not the same as destroying it.
A Warrior returned to Reserve:
- Does not enter the Fallen Warriors area.
- May be deployed again later.
- May protect its Wizard.
- Remains part of its owner’s Army Power.
Removed from the Game
A Warrior that is removed from the game is placed outside the Reserve and Fallen Warriors area. It cannot be deployed, revived, summoned or returned unless a card specifically refers to Warriors removed from the game.
Tile Capacity
A single tile may contain up to:
- Five Power Points from each faction.
- Three Warriors from each faction.
- Two different factions in total.
Examples of legal groups include:
- One Standard Warrior and two Elite Warriors, worth five Power Points.
- Two Standard Warriors and one Elite Warrior, worth four Power Points.
- Three Standard Warriors, worth three Power Points.
A player is not required to fill all five Power Points. The nine-Elite army supply allows every faction tile to hold two Standard Warriors and one Elite Warrior, creating a full three-Warrior board.
Starting Deployment
Beginning with the starting player, each player takes one starting deployment turn. Play then continues clockwise among the players who have not yet finished deploying.
During each starting deployment turn, a player may place one group of Warriors from their Wizard’s Reserve onto one of their faction-coloured tiles.
The group may contain up to five Power Points of Warriors and must obey the normal tile limits:
- No more than five Power Points from that faction on the tile.
- No more than three Warriors from that faction on the tile.
A player may place fewer than five Power Points during a starting deployment turn. Players may place as many or as few of their available Warriors on the battlefield as they choose across the full starting deployment.
Any Warriors not placed on the battlefield remain in the player’s Wizard’s Reserve.
When a player has placed all the Warriors they wish to begin with, they declare, “I am deployed.”
Once a player has declared that they are deployed, they take no further starting deployment turns. The remaining players continue taking turns and placing Warriors until each player has declared that they are deployed.
The normal five-Power-Point Deployment Step allowance does not apply during starting deployment.
No Warriors may be placed on:
- The Grotto.
- A Dungeon.
- Another faction’s tile.
Starting deployment ends when every player has declared, “I am deployed.”
5. Turn Structure
Each turn follows these steps:
- Resolve Disputed Tiles.
- Draw Step.
- Deployment Step.
- Advance Step.
- Attack and Defence Step.
- Consolidation Step.
Complete each step before moving to the next.
Disputed Tiles
A tile containing Warriors from two factions is disputed. Before the active player begins their Draw Step, resolve any disputed tiles involving that player.
If a card effect created the dispute, the player who controlled that effect is treated as the attacker. If this is unclear, the active player is treated as the attacker.
Combat continues until only one faction remains or the attacking faction retreats.
Draw Step
Resolve the Draw Step in this order:
- Last Muster.
- Rally the Fallen.
- Start-of-Draw-Step effects.
- Draw one card.
- Play legal Action or Deferred Spells.
- Check the hand limit.
Drawing a Card
The active player normally draws one card during their Draw Step. Spells and abilities may cause additional cards to be drawn or prevent the normal draw.
Hand Limit
A player may hold no more than ten cards at the end of their Draw Step. If a player has more than ten cards, they must discard cards until they have ten.
Cards may only be played while reducing the hand if their normal timing conditions are met.
Last Muster
Last Muster is an emergency recovery rule.
Once per game, at the beginning of your Draw Step, if you have no Warriors on the battlefield and no Warriors in your Wizard’s Reserve, you may return up to two Fallen Standard Warriors to your Wizard’s Reserve.
After using Last Muster, return your Black Last Muster token to the game box to show that it has been used.
Last Muster cannot return Elite Warriors. If you have fewer than two Fallen Standard Warriors, return as many as possible. Last Muster occurs before Rally the Fallen.
Rally the Fallen
Rally the Fallen helps a weakened faction recover without rewarding the leading player.
At the beginning of your Draw Step, calculate your Army Power.
Army Power includes all your Warriors:
- On battlefield tiles.
- In the Grotto.
- In Dungeons.
- In your Wizard’s Reserve.
Army Power does not include:
- Fallen Warriors.
- Warriors removed from the game.
- Your Wizard.
Each Standard Warrior is worth one Army Power. Each Elite Warrior is worth two Army Power.
Compare your Army Power with the living opponent who has the highest Army Power. If your Army Power is at least four points lower, you may return one Fallen Standard Warrior to your Wizard’s Reserve.
A player tied for the highest Army Power cannot use Rally the Fallen.
Rally the Fallen:
- Can only be used once per player turn.
- Cannot return an Elite Warrior.
- Does nothing if you have no Fallen Standard Warriors.
- Is not considered a Spell.
- Does not use the Spell Chain.
Deployment Step
During your Deployment Step, you may deploy up to five Power Points of Warriors from your Wizard’s Reserve.
Standard Warriors are worth one Power Point each. Elite Warriors are worth two Power Points each.
Examples of a five-Power-Point deployment include:
- Five Standard Warriors.
- Three Standard Warriors and one Elite Warrior.
- One Standard Warrior and two Elite Warriors.
- Two Elite Warriors.
- Any smaller combination totalling no more than five Power Points.
You may divide the deployed Warriors between multiple legal tiles.
Warriors may only be deployed from your Wizard’s Reserve onto your own faction-coloured tiles that you currently control.
A conquered tile displaying your Faction Banner is not a deployment point. Warriors must reach and reinforce conquered tiles through normal movement, Consolidation or a card effect that specifically allows it.
Warriors cannot normally be deployed onto:
- A conquered tile, even if it displays your Faction Banner.
- The Grotto.
- A Dungeon.
- A disputed tile.
- One of your faction-coloured tiles while it displays another faction’s banner.
- A tile that would exceed its Warrior or Power Point limit.
Unused Deployment Power is lost at the end of the Deployment Step and cannot be saved for a future turn.
Direct Summoning
When a card directly summons a Warrior, take that Warrior from your Fallen Warriors area and place it directly onto the legal battlefield tile named by the card.
Direct Summoning:
- Does not take Warriors from the Wizard’s Reserve.
- Does not count against either five-Power-Point deployment allowance.
- Must obey the normal limit of five Power Points and three Warriors from each faction on a tile.
- Must obey any destination restrictions stated on the card.
- Cannot return a Warrior that has been removed from the game.
If you do not have enough eligible Fallen Warriors, summon as many as possible.
Advance Step
During your Advance Step, you may move as many or as few of your Warriors as you choose.
Each Warrior may normally move one adjacent tile.
Warriors may:
- Begin on different tiles.
- Move to different destinations.
- Include any mixture of Standard and Elite Warriors.
- Move into friendly-controlled, empty or enemy-occupied tiles.
A Warrior cannot normally:
- Move more than one tile.
- Enter or leave a Dungeon.
- Enter a tile that already contains two factions.
- Enter a tile if doing so would exceed its Warrior or Power Point limit.
- Move through an impassable tile.
All movement must be completed before combat begins.
Moving onto an enemy-occupied tile creates an attack that is resolved during the Attack and Defence Step.
Attack and Defence Step
Resolve every attack created during the Advance Step. The active player chooses the order in which multiple attacks are resolved. Complete one battle before beginning another.
Consolidation Step
During the Consolidation Step, resolve actions in this order:
- Consolidation movement.
- Any legal Consolidation effects.
- Consolidation Deployment.
Consolidation Movement
You may move as many or as few eligible Warriors as you choose between adjacent friendly-controlled tiles, including:
- Your controlled faction-coloured tiles.
- Conquered tiles displaying your Faction Banner.
Consolidation movement:
- Cannot start combat.
- Cannot enter an enemy-controlled tile.
- Cannot enter a disputed tile.
- Cannot enter or leave a Dungeon.
- Must obey all Warrior and Power Point tile limits.
Consolidation Deployment
Consolidation Deployment is the final action of the player’s turn.
After completing all Consolidation movement and other Consolidation effects, you may deploy up to five Power Points of Warriors from your Wizard’s Reserve.
Consolidation Deployment follows the same restrictions as the normal Deployment Step:
- Warriors may only be deployed onto your own faction-coloured tiles that you currently control.
- Warriors cannot be deployed onto conquered tiles, even if those tiles display your Faction Banner.
- Warriors cannot be deployed onto the Grotto, a Dungeon or a disputed tile.
- Deployment cannot exceed the tile’s limit of five Power Points and three Warriors from your faction.
Warriors deployed during Consolidation cannot move or begin combat during that turn.
Unused Consolidation Deployment Power is lost and cannot be saved for a future turn.
A card or ability may override these restrictions when it specifically says so.
Once Consolidation Deployment is completed, the player’s turn ends.
6. Movement and Combat
Beginning Combat
Combat occurs when Warriors from one faction move onto a tile containing enemy Warriors. The moving faction is the attacker. The faction already occupying the tile is the defender.
Combat Dice
The attacker selects up to three attacking Warriors on the tile. The defender selects up to two defending Warriors on the tile.
Each selected Warrior rolls:
- Standard Warrior — D6.
- Elite Warrior — D12.
Each die remains linked to the Warrior that rolled it. The type of die shows whether that Warrior is Standard or Elite.
Warriors beyond the attack or defence limit remain on the tile but do not roll during that combat round. Different participating Warriors may be selected during the next combat round.
Resolving a Combat Round
- Both players roll the combat dice for their selected Warriors.
- Keep each die linked to the Warrior that rolled it.
- Arrange each side’s results from highest to lowest.
- The number of comparisons is determined by the side rolling the fewest dice.
- Compare the highest attacking result with the highest defending result, then compare the next-highest results until all available comparisons have been made.
- The Warrior linked to the lower result in each comparison is defeated and placed in its owner’s Fallen Warriors area.
- If two compared dice are tied, reroll those two dice until there is a clear winner. The dice remain linked to the same Warriors.
- Any die not used in a comparison causes no casualty, and its Warrior remains in the battle.
- A Standard Warrior may defeat an Elite Warrior when its D6 result is higher than the Elite Warrior’s D12 result.
- Begin another combat round if both factions still have Warriors on the tile.
Three Attackers Against Two Defenders
All three attacking Warriors and both defending Warriors roll. Only the attacker’s two highest results are compared with the defender’s two results. The attacker’s lowest result is unused during that combat round, and the Warrior linked to that die remains on the tile.
Combat Example
The attacker rolls a 5 for a Standard Warrior and a 2 for an Elite Warrior. The defender rolls a 4 and a 3 for two Standard Warriors.
- The attacking Standard Warrior’s 5 defeats the defending Standard Warrior’s 4.
- The defending Standard Warrior’s 3 defeats the attacking Elite Warrior’s 2.
Each side loses one Warrior. The attacking player specifically loses the Elite Warrior because the D12 linked to that Warrior rolled the losing result.
Combat continues through further combat rounds until only one faction remains on the tile or the attacker retreats.
Defeated Warriors
When a Warrior is defeated during normal combat or an attack against a Wizard, place that Warrior in its owner’s Fallen Warriors area.
A defeated Warrior is not returned to the Wizard’s Reserve and is not removed from the game unless a card or ability specifically says otherwise.
Fallen Warriors may later return through Summoning, Last Muster, Rally the Fallen or another card or ability.
Ending Combat
Combat ends when only one faction remains on the tile or the attacking faction retreats. The surviving faction controls the tile.
Retreat
The attacker may retreat after any completed combat round.
Retreating Warriors must move to one adjacent legal tile that is:
- Friendly-controlled.
- Empty.
- The Grotto.
The destination must have enough capacity for all retreating Warriors. The attacker cannot divide a retreat between multiple tiles unless a card allows it. The defender cannot normally retreat.
Combat Created by Spells
If a Spell places opposing factions together on a tile, resolve combat at the timing stated on the card.
If the card does not provide a timing, the tile becomes disputed and is resolved before the next relevant Draw Step.
Returning Instead of Destroying
Some effects return Warriors to their owner’s Reserve instead of destroying them.
Returned Warriors:
- Do not enter the Fallen Warriors area.
- Do not count as combat casualties.
- May be deployed again later.
7. Dungeons, the Grotto and Special Zones
Dungeon Tiles
Dungeons are light grey special tiles.
Warriors cannot enter or leave a Dungeon through normal movement.
Warriors may only enter a Dungeon through:
- A Spell.
- A special ability.
- A scenario rule.
No combat occurs in a Dungeon unless a card or scenario specifically creates Dungeon combat.
Dungeon Duration
Unless a card states otherwise, Warriors sent to a Dungeon remain there for two of their controller’s Draw Steps.
Use a die as a counter to track the duration.
After the second Draw Step begins, return those Warriors to their owner’s Reserve unless the card states another destination.
Warriors in a Dungeon:
- Remain part of their owner’s Army Power.
- Cannot defend the Wizard.
- Cannot be normally deployed or moved.
- May be affected by cards that specifically mention Dungeons.
The Grotto
The gold Grotto is placed in the centre of the battlefield. The Grotto is neutral territory.
Rules for the Grotto:
- Combat is not permitted there.
- It cannot be conquered.
- No Faction Banner may be placed there.
- Warriors may enter or occupy it through normal movement.
- A maximum of three Warriors from each faction may occupy it.
- A maximum of two factions may occupy it at once.
- Normal Power Point limits apply unless a card says otherwise.
- Warriors cannot normally be deployed directly onto it.
Warriors from opposing factions may occupy the Grotto without fighting.
Impassable Tiles
A tile described as impassable cannot be entered or passed through.
Warriors already on a tile when it becomes impassable may remain there unless the effect states otherwise.
A movement effect that has no legal destination fails.
8. Reinforcements, Spells and Card Types
Reinforcements
Unless a card says otherwise, reinforcements enter the player’s Wizard’s Reserve.
Warriors returned to the Reserve by a Spell may be deployed during a future Deployment Step or during the final Consolidation Deployment. They do not receive an additional deployment unless the card specifically permits it.
Finding Warriors for an Effect
Whenever an effect adds, summons, revives or returns a Warrior, use an eligible Warrior from that player’s fixed army supply.
A card cannot cause the player to exceed:
- 18 Standard Warriors.
- 9 Elite Warriors.
Direct Summoning takes eligible Warriors from the Fallen Warriors area and places them directly onto the battlefield. It does not take Warriors from the Wizard’s Reserve.
Other effects may return a Fallen Warrior to the Wizard’s Reserve or move a Warrior from another location specifically named by the card.
A Warrior removed from the game cannot be used unless the card specifically allows it.
If there are not enough eligible Warriors, resolve as much of the effect as possible.
Summoning Directly to a Tile
When a card directly summons Warriors to a tile:
- Take the eligible Warriors from their owner’s Fallen Warriors area.
- The summon bypasses both five-Power-Point deployment allowances.
- Tile capacity still applies.
- The tile must be a legal destination named or permitted by the card.
- Excess Warriors that cannot legally enter remain in the Fallen Warriors area.
- The card’s controller chooses which eligible Warriors enter if only some can fit.
- Warriors removed from the game cannot be summoned unless the card specifically says otherwise.
Defensive Reinforcement Reactions
A Reaction that directly summons defenders to an attacked tile may be played after an attack is declared but before combat dice are rolled.
The summoned Warriors are taken from the defending player’s Fallen Warriors area.
The summoned Warriors:
- Enter the attacked tile.
- May participate in the coming combat.
- Bypass both normal deployment allowances.
- Must obey tile capacity and the card’s destination restrictions.
The Reaction cannot be played unless its stated attack condition has been met.
Playing Cards
Players may play any number of cards, provided:
- The timing is legal.
- All targets are legal.
- All required costs are paid.
- Any stated conditions are met.
Spell Types
| Spell Type | Timing | How It Resolves |
|---|---|---|
| Action Spell | Played during your Draw Step. | The effect normally resolves immediately. |
| Reaction Spell | Played when its stated condition or trigger occurs. | A Reaction may be played during another player’s turn. |
| Deferred Spell | Played during your Draw Step. | The card remains pending until its stated trigger or timing occurs. |
A Reaction without a valid trigger cannot be played.
Card Types
| Card Type | Definition |
|---|---|
| Spell | A general playable card that creates an effect. |
| Relic | A magical object or item placed into play. A Relic remains in play until its effect ends, it is destroyed, it is discarded or it is removed from the game. |
| Charm | A temporary positive effect placed on a player, Warrior or other legal target. |
| Curse | A temporary negative effect placed on a player, Warrior, tile or game state. |
| Ritual | A temporary positive effect placed on a tile or space. Place the Ritual card on top of the affected tile. |
| Trap | A temporary negative effect that normally triggers when a Warrior enters a tile, leaves a tile, attacks, defends, or is summoned or placed. |
Cards with Two Classifications
A card may have both a Spell Type and a Card Type. The Spell Type determines when the card may be played. The Card Type determines how it behaves after being played.
Examples include:
- Action Charm.
- Reaction Trap.
- Deferred Relic.
9. Main Deck Construction and Expansions
Shared Main Deck
Heroes and Spells uses one shared Main Deck. All players draw from the same deck. All completed Spells are placed into the same discard pile.
Main Deck Size
The Main Deck contains exactly 100 cards unless a scenario or future format states otherwise.
Singleton Rule
Each card in the Main Deck must be unique. The deck cannot contain duplicate cards unless an expansion or variant specifically allows them.
Empty Main Deck
When a player must draw and the Main Deck is empty:
- Shuffle the shared discard pile.
- Place it face down as the new Main Deck.
- Continue drawing.
Cards currently in play, on the Spell Chain or waiting as Deferred effects are not shuffled into the deck.
If both the Main Deck and discard pile are empty, no cards can be drawn.
Expansions
Cards from expansion sets may be added to the Main Deck.
When using expansion cards:
- The Main Deck must still contain 100 cards.
- The Singleton Rule continues to apply.
- Cards from different factions and sets may be combined.
- The group may agree on a theme or preferred card mix.
Set Identification and Rarity
Each card displays a set code, such as ROT for Realms of Thaloria.
Core rarity levels are:
| Rarity | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Essential | Light Blue Gem |
| Strong | Purple Gem |
| Superior | White Gem |
| Elite | Yellow Gem |
Rarity represents power, complexity and strategic impact. Because the Main Deck is singleton, rarity does not change how frequently an included card appears in the deck.
10. Conquering Tiles, Banners and Wizard Attacks
Tile Control
A faction controls a tile when:
- It is one of their faction-coloured tiles and has no enemy banner; or
- The tile displays their Faction Banner; and
- No enemy Warriors are disputing the tile.
A disputed tile is not uncontested for victory purposes.
Conquering an Occupied Tile
When an attacking faction defeats all enemy Warriors on a tile, it conquers that tile. Immediately place the attacker’s Faction Banner on the tile.
Conquering an Empty Tile
If Warriors enter an enemy tile that has no defending Warriors and is not already controlled by the entering faction, the tile is conquered immediately.
Place the entering faction’s Faction Banner on the tile.
Conquering an empty enemy tile during the Attack and Defence Step allows the attacking player to make one attack against that enemy Wizard.
Reclaiming Your Own Tile
When the original owner enters one of their faction-coloured tiles displaying an enemy banner:
- Resolve combat if enemy Warriors are present.
- Remove the enemy banner once the original owner controls the tile.
- Do not place a new banner.
The tile’s colour already identifies its original owner.
Changing Control
When another faction conquers an already bannered tile, remove the previous banner and place the new controlling faction’s banner.
A tile may only display one Faction Banner.
Attacking the Wizard
After conquering an enemy tile during your Attack and Defence Step, you may make one attack against that enemy Wizard.
This applies whether the tile was defended and its Warriors were defeated, or the tile was empty when your Warriors entered it.
No Wizard attack occurs when:
- Reclaiming one of your own empty faction-coloured tiles.
- Placing a banner through a Spell or ability rather than conquest during the Attack and Defence Step.
- Conquering a tile belonging to a player whose Wizard has already been defeated.
- Changing control outside the Attack and Defence Step.
Only one Wizard attack may be made for each tile conquered.
Wizard Defenders
The attacker selects up to three Warriors from the newly conquered tile.
The defending Wizard may select up to two Warriors from their Wizard’s Reserve as defenders. These Warriors do not move onto the battlefield tile.
A Wizard attack lasts for one combat round only.
Resolving the Wizard Attack
- Each selected Warrior rolls its normal combat die: a Standard Warrior rolls a D6 and an Elite Warrior rolls a D12.
- Keep each die linked to the Warrior that rolled it.
- Arrange the attacking and defending dice from highest to lowest.
- Compare the highest attacking die with the highest defending die, followed by the next-highest dice, exactly as in normal combat.
- For each matched comparison, the Warrior linked to the lower result is defeated and placed in its owner’s Fallen Warriors area.
- If two compared dice are tied, reroll those two dice until there is a clear winner.
- Any attacking dice left unmatched because there are more attackers than defenders deal damage directly to the Wizard. Subtract the value of each unmatched attacking die from the Wizard’s Life Points.
- After these comparisons and any Wizard damage are resolved, the Wizard attack ends. No further combat round is fought from that conquest.
Wizard damage is only dealt by unmatched attacking dice. Therefore:
- One attacker against one defender deals no damage to the Wizard.
- Two attackers against two defenders deal no damage to the Wizard.
- Two attackers against one defender leave the attacker’s lower unused result to damage the Wizard.
- Three attackers against two defenders leave the attacker’s lowest result to damage the Wizard.
- Three attackers against one defender leave the attacker’s two lower results to damage the Wizard.
Surviving defending Warriors remain in the Wizard’s Reserve.
Defeating a Wizard
When a Wizard reaches zero or fewer Life Points, that Wizard is defeated immediately. Apply any replacement or prevention effect before eliminating the Wizard.
Wizard Defeat Consequences
Army Disbands
Remove all Warriors controlled by that Wizard from the game, including Warriors:
- On battlefield tiles.
- In the Grotto.
- In Dungeons.
- In the Reserve.
- In the Fallen Warriors area.
Banners Are Removed
Remove all Faction Banners belonging to the defeated Wizard.
Original Tiles Become Neutral
Tiles belonging to the defeated faction become neutral until claimed by another surviving faction.
Conquering Tiles Belonging to a Defeated Player
The defeated player’s faction-coloured tiles remain on the battlefield and may still be conquered by surviving players.
When a surviving player conquers one of these tiles:
- Place the conquering player’s Faction Banner on the tile as normal.
- The tile counts towards Territorial Victory.
- No Wizard attack takes place because the defeated player no longer has a Wizard.
All normal movement, combat, tile-capacity and banner rules continue to apply.
Conquered Tiles Return
Tiles originally belonging to another surviving faction return to their original owner when the defeated Wizard’s banner is removed.
Cards and Effects
Place the defeated player’s hand into the shared discard pile. Discard or remove ongoing effects controlled by that player unless the card or scenario says the effect remains after its controller is eliminated.
11. Victory and Defeat
The game ends immediately when a player meets a Victory Condition.
Last Wizard Standing
You win if you are the only Wizard remaining in the game.
Territorial Victory
You win if, at the end of your turn, you control eight enemy tiles displaying your Faction Banners.
The eight banners must be uncontested. Tiles displaying your banner but containing enemy Warriors do not count until the dispute is resolved.
Wizard Defeated
You are eliminated immediately when your Wizard reaches zero or fewer Life Points after all replacement and prevention effects have resolved.
Total Territorial Loss
At the end of your Deployment Step, you are eliminated if all nine tiles matching your faction colour display enemy Faction Banners and remain under enemy control.
You may use legal Spells, Last Muster, Rally the Fallen and your Deployment Step before this condition is checked.
No Remaining Army
Do not eliminate a player immediately when they lose their final Warrior.
The player is allowed to begin their next turn and complete:
- Last Muster.
- Rally the Fallen.
- Their Draw Step.
- Their Deployment Step.
At the end of that Deployment Step, the player is eliminated if they still have no Warriors on the battlefield and no Warriors in their Wizard’s Reserve.
Warriors in the Fallen Warriors area do not prevent this elimination. Warriors trapped in a Dungeon are still living Warriors and prevent No Remaining Army elimination.
Simultaneous Victory
If two or more players meet a Victory Condition simultaneously:
- The player with the highest remaining Wizard Life Points wins.
- If tied, the player controlling the most total tiles wins.
- If still tied, the player with the highest Army Power wins.
- If the tie remains, the game is declared a draw.
Simultaneous Elimination
If multiple Wizards are eliminated at the same time, remove them together.
If only one Wizard remains, that player wins. If no Wizards remain, use the simultaneous victory tie-breakers based on the game state immediately before elimination.
Appendix A — Advanced Rules and Clarifications
A1. The Spell Chain
A1.1 Adding a Spell to the Chain
When a player casts a Spell, place it onto the Spell Chain. The Spell has not resolved yet.
Players may respond with legal Reaction Spells. Each new Reaction is placed on top of the previous Spell.
A1.2 Priority
The active player receives the first opportunity to play a Reaction. Priority then passes clockwise.
On receiving priority, a player may play one legal Reaction or pass.
When every player passes consecutively, resolve the top Spell on the Chain.
After it resolves, players receive priority again before the next Spell resolves.
A1.3 Resolution Order
Spells resolve from the top of the Chain to the bottom. This means the most recently played Spell resolves first.
A1.4 When a Spell Is Cast
“When a Spell is cast” means the moment it is placed onto the Spell Chain. Cast triggers occur before the Spell resolves.
A1.5 Cancelled Spells
A cancelled Spell:
- Does not resolve.
- Has no effect.
- Is placed into the discard pile unless another effect says otherwise.
Costs already paid are not refunded. Effects that triggered when the Spell was cast remain triggered.
A1.6 Copying Spells
A copied Spell creates a new Spell on the Chain with the same rules text. The player creating the copy chooses new legal targets where permitted.
The copy is independent of the original. Cancelling one does not cancel the other.
A1.7 Cards Leaving the Chain
After resolving, a card is placed into the shared discard pile unless it:
- Remains in play.
- Becomes a Relic, Charm, Curse, Ritual or Trap.
- Is Deferred.
- Is removed from the game.
A2. Summoning
A2.1 What Counts as Summoning
A Warrior is summoned when a Spell or ability moves an eligible Warrior from its owner’s Fallen Warriors area:
- To the Wizard’s Reserve; or
- Directly onto a legal battlefield tile.
Direct Summoning places the Fallen Warrior directly onto the battlefield. It never takes a Warrior from the Wizard’s Reserve.
Normal deployment and normal movement are not Summoning.
A2.2 Cannot Summon Warriors
If an effect says a player cannot summon Warriors, any summoning portion of that player’s effect fails. Other legal parts of the card still resolve.
A2.3 Summoning and Capacity
A summon cannot exceed tile capacity unless the effect specifically says it may.
If only some Warriors can legally enter, the summoning player chooses which Warriors enter. The remaining Warriors stay in their previous area.
A2.4 Summoning During Combat
A Warrior summoned before combat dice are rolled may participate in that combat. A Warrior summoned after a combat round does not affect a roll that has already resolved.
A3. Draw Steps and Skipped Draws
A3.1 Skipping the Draw Step
If an effect says to skip your next Draw Step, you do not perform that Draw Step.
You do not:
- Use Last Muster.
- Use Rally the Fallen.
- Resolve effects specifically tied to that Draw Step.
- Draw your normal card.
- Play Action or Deferred Spells during that skipped step.
Continue with the Deployment Step.
A3.2 Multiple Skipped Draw Steps
Each instruction to skip a Draw Step applies to a separate future Draw Step.
A3.3 Ending a Turn Early
If an effect ends a turn immediately:
- Proceed directly to end-of-turn effects.
- Unresolved Spells on the Chain are removed without resolving unless a card says otherwise.
- Effects waiting for the player’s next turn remain pending.
A4. Movement and Forced Movement
A4.1 Must Move
An effect saying a Warrior “must move” means it must move if able. If there is no legal destination, it remains where it is.
A4.2 Forced Movement
Forced movement must obey:
- Tile capacity.
- Dungeon restrictions.
- Impassable tiles.
- Maximum two-faction occupancy.
This applies unless the effect specifically overrides those rules.
A4.3 Moving Through the Grotto
A Warrior with movement of two or more tiles may pass through the Grotto. Entering and leaving the Grotto each count as one tile of movement.
A4.4 Movement into Enemy Tiles
Movement into an enemy-occupied tile creates combat. A Warrior cannot continue moving after entering an enemy-occupied tile unless an effect specifically allows it.
A5. Life Points and Replacement Effects
A5.1 Reaching Zero Life Points
When a Wizard would reach zero or fewer Life Points:
- Apply any replacement or prevention effects.
- If more than one effect may apply, the Wizard’s owner chooses the order.
- Check the Wizard’s Life Points again.
- If the Wizard still has zero or fewer Life Points, eliminate them.
A5.2 Setting Life Points
An effect that sets a Wizard’s Life Points to a specific number replaces the previous total.
Life Points cannot normally exceed the Wizard’s starting Life Points unless a card specifically allows it.
A6. Wizard Terminology
A Wizard King or Wizard Queen is the player’s leader.
The terms Wizard King, Wizard Queen and leader refer specifically to that player’s main Wizard.
A Wizard token is a Warrior with the Wizard subtype.
A Wizard token:
- May be affected by cards that target Wizards or Warriors.
- Is not the player’s leader.
- Cannot lose the game in place of the leader.
- Does not use the leader’s Life Point total.
When a card specifically says Wizard King or Wizard Queen, it only affects the player’s leader.
A7. Limited-Use Effects
A7.1 Once Per Turn
An effect that says “once per turn” may be used once during each player turn when its conditions are met. The use resets at the beginning of the next player’s turn.
A7.2 Once During Your Turn
An effect that says “once during your turn” may only be used during its controller’s own turn.
A7.3 Once Per Game
An effect that says “once per game” may only be used once during the entire game.
A7.4 Once Per Game Per Opponent
Track each opponent separately. The effect may be used once against each opponent.
A7.5 Tracking Uses
Use dice as counters whenever needed to track:
- The duration of Spells, Rituals, Curses or Dungeon effects.
- Limited-use Wizard abilities.
- Turn-based effects.
- Life Points.
- Any other changing game value.
Place the die beside the relevant card, tile, Wizard or game piece and adjust its value as the effect changes.
Dedicated physical tokens, such as the Black Last Muster token, are used where specifically required by the rules.
A8. Simultaneous Effects
When multiple effects trigger at the same time:
- Identify all triggered effects.
- The active player chooses the order of their own effects.
- Each other player, in clockwise order, chooses the order of their own effects.
- Resolve the effects in the chosen order.
An effect that becomes impossible before resolving does as much as possible.
A9. Rituals and Traps
A9.1 Rituals
A Ritual creates a temporary positive effect on a tile or space. Place the Ritual card on top of the affected tile.
It remains until:
- Its duration ends.
- It is destroyed.
- It is discarded.
- It is removed by another effect.
A9.2 Traps
A Trap creates a temporary negative effect. Reaction Traps may only be played when their stated trigger occurs.
A9.3 Multiple Rituals and Traps
A tile may have more than one Ritual or Trap unless a card says otherwise. Resolve simultaneous triggers using the simultaneous effects rules.
A9.4 Duration
When a Ritual or Trap reaches the end of its duration, place it into the shared discard pile unless the card says to remove it from the game.
A10. Key Terms
- Add
- Place the stated Warrior into the named area from an eligible part of its owner’s army supply.
- Army Power
- The total Power Point value of all Warriors on the battlefield, in Dungeons and in the Wizard’s Reserve.
- Control
- A faction controls a tile when it is uncontested and either matches that faction’s colour or displays that faction’s banner.
- Conquer
- Take control of an enemy tile and place your Faction Banner on it.
- Destroy
- Place the Warrior in its owner’s Fallen Warriors area.
- Discard
- Place a card into the shared discard pile.
- Disputed
- A tile containing Warriors from two factions.
- Fallen Warrior
- A destroyed Warrior that may potentially return to the game.
- Friendly-Controlled Tile
- A tile matching your faction colour without an enemy banner, or a tile displaying your banner.
- Remove from the Game
- Place the card or Warrior outside all normal play areas. It cannot return unless an effect specifically allows it.
- Return
- Move a Warrior or card to the named area without treating it as destroyed.
- Summon
- Move an eligible Warrior from its owner’s Fallen Warriors area to the Wizard’s Reserve or directly onto a legal battlefield tile, as stated by the card or ability.
Final Playtest Ruling
Use the following priority when resolving a rules question:
- Specific card text.
- Core Rule Book.
- Advanced Rules and Clarifications.
- The fairest agreed playtest ruling.
When an unclear interaction occurs, record the issue so it can be clarified in the next playtest revision.