BattleLore: Creatures
BattleLore: Creatures Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
A Word About Creatures
Like all Creature units, the units introduced in this booklet follow the same rules governing Creatures found in Chapter 7 (pg. 41) of the BattleLore Player's Guide, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Those rules include ordering a Creature out-of-section, morale, and trampling rules. An updated edition of the Creature rules can be found at www.FantasyFlightGames.com.
Wood Giant
Giants, like the Wood Giant and his distant cousin the Hill Giant, are almost impossible to tell apart as they share many of the same physical characteristics. Wood and Hill Giants are normally not found in the same territory, so it is unlikely that both Giant types would be on the same field of battle. When encountered, the best way to tell which type of Giant an army is up against is by the Creature's banner and the lair the Creature uses.
Although weaker than his kin, rolling only two battle dice, the Wood Giant has a distinct advantage. A Forest Lair hex is deployed by the Wood Giant's camp at the beginning of the adventure. All units treat the Forest Lair as Wooded Terrain. The Wood Giant, though, ignores movement and combat restrictions when in any Wooded Terrain hex and treats any Wooded Terrain as a Forest Lair.
Components: One Creature unit representing a Wood Giant; one Forest Lair hex.
Wood Giant Summary Card (Level 1)
- Movement: Up to 2 hexes and battle.
- Retreat: 2 hexes/flag.
- Weapon: Giant Hammer - Melee only.
- Damage: 2d.
- Bonus Strike: Yes - Special*.
- Card text: A Wood Giant on a Wooded Terrain hex ignores the movement and combat restrictions of the terrain.
*The card prints "Special" with an asterisk after the Bonus Strike entry; no footnote for the asterisk appears on the card or in this booklet. Transcribed as printed.
Hydra
This multi-headed creature has the ability to move quickly, deliver a powerful strike, and grow new heads when existing heads are damaged.
The Hydra is a figure with the following seven pieces: one body section, three neck pieces each with one head, and three neck pieces each with two heads. The Hydra starts an adventure with the three one-headed neck pieces attached to its body.
The Hydra is different from other Creatures since it does not have to suffer a critical hit in order to be wounded. Instead one neck piece attached to the Hydra of the Hydra owner's choice is removed from the game for each hit rolled against the Hydra. When rolling battle dice for the Hydra when it battles, the player can use Lore to place a neck piece with two heads into an empty neck slot. Lore rolled by the Hydra is either used for this effect or is lost. The additional heads are valuable because, in combat, the Hydra rolls one battle die plus one additional battle die for each head it has.
Hydra Heads
At the beginning of the adventure, the player controlling the Hydra puts three single heads into each of the Hydra's empty necks.
When damaged, a number of head pieces are removed equal to the amount of hits taken. In this example, the Hydra is taking two hits. These heads are returned to the box and are out of the game.
If a wounded Hydra attacks and rolls Lore symbols, the player controlling the Hydra can place a double-head into an empty neck space for each Lore symbol rolled. In this example, one Lore symbol is rolled.
Components: One Creature unit representing a Hydra; six interchangeable neck pieces (three single heads and three double heads).
Hydra Summary Card (Level 1)
- Movement: Up to 2 hexes and battle.
- Retreat: 2 hexes/flag.
- Weapon: Bite - Melee only.
- Damage: 1d + 1d/head.
- Bonus Strike: Yes - on [yellow shield icon].
Rock Elemental
The Rock Elemental is a stronger, more powerful elemental than the Earth Elemental that can be summoned by troops on a Circle of Summoning. The Rock Elemental must be conjured by a Wizard Lore Master from an army's War Council. The Creature, when successfully conjured, arrives through a magical Vortex from another dimension.
Rock Elemental Summoning
During his turn, the controller of the Rock Elemental pays the Lore cost listed on the "Magic Vortex" card which allows the player to place the Magic Vortex hex on any vacant Countryside hex.
The Rock Elemental figure is then placed on the magic Vortex hex. During the turn in which it appears, the Elemental can battle but not move.
Lastly, the Conjure token is placed on the Wizard in the War Council. If the Elemental leaves the board for any reason, the Conjure token and the Magic Vortex are also removed.
Components: One Creature unit representing a Rock Elemental; one Magic Vortex hex.
Rock Elemental Summary Card (Level 1)
- Movement: Move X spaces, where X is the amount of Lore spent, ignoring movement and terrain restrictions.
- Retreat: None - All flags ignored.
- Weapon: Rock Fist - Melee only.
- Damage: 4d.
- Bonus Strike: Yes - on [yellow shield icon]. Ignores all terrain combat restrictions.
Blue Widow Spider
The Blue Widow Spider is slower moving but more deadly than its little green sister, the Giant Spider (from the core game). Players can tell the difference between the two by the Creature's banner color.
Components: The spider figure is not included; it uses the Spider figure from the base game. Included are one Blue Widow Summary Card, poison tokens, and web tokens.
Blue Widow Spider Summary Card (Level 1)
- Movement: Up to 3 hexes and battle.
- Retreat: 2 hexes/flag.
- Weapon: Bite - Melee only.
- Damage: 1d.
- Bonus Strike: Yes - on [yellow shield icon].
Battle Savvy Troops
Scenarios in this expansion utilize rules for Battle Savvy troops that represent advanced fighting techniques. Battle Savvy units have the following rules:
- A Battle Savvy unit attacked in melee combat that is not eliminated or forced to retreat from its hex may battle back.
- A retreating Battle Savvy unit may not battle back even if the retreat places the unit in a hex that is adjacent to the attacking unit.
- When a Battle Savvy unit in melee is unable to fulfill a required retreat movement, the unit may battle back (after it takes losses and if it is still in its original hex).
- Battle Savvy units with ranged weapons do not collect Lore tokens in ranged combat.
- Battle Savvy units with ranged weapons collect Lore tokens in melee combat.
Notes on This Transcription
- The booklet's introduction states that the expansion includes five new, ready-to-play adventures. The adventures are not printed in this three-page booklet and are not transcribed here.
- The Bonus Strike entries on the Hydra, Rock Elemental and Blue Widow Spider summary cards show a yellow shield-shaped icon. The booklet does not name this symbol in its text; it is shown here as "[yellow shield icon]" and its meaning is as defined in the BattleLore base game rules.