Catacombs & Castles (Second Edition) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Overview
  • Important Concepts
• Components
  • Sticker Instructions
• Heroes
• Setup
  • Playmat Setup
  • Quick Start
  • Team Mode Setup
• Team Mode
  • Team Mode Objective
  • Team Mode Turn Order
• Shots and Shot Sequences
  • Character Shots
  • Ranged Shots
  • Ranged Piece Placement
  • Shot Sequences
• Health and Damage
  • Inflicting Damage
  • Health and Transfer Types
  • Armour Tokens
• Abilities and Team Actions
  • Hero Actions
  • Hero Abilities
  • Team Actions
  • Attributes
• Shot Types
  • Character Shots
  • Ranged Shots
    • Variant Rules for the Net and Web Shots (Optional)
  • Special Shots
  • Shield Shots
• Warriors
• One versus One Mode
• Team Mode Tutorial
• Boss Mode (One vs Many)
  • Boss Mode Overview
  • Boss Mode Setup
  • Boss Mode Turn Order
• Boss vs Boss Mode (One vs One)
  • Boss vs Boss Mode Overview
  • Boss vs Boss Mode Turn Order
• Boss Mode Rules
  • Castle and Catacomb Bosses
  • Reinforcements and Boss Action Cards
• Catacombs 3E Integration
  • Team Catacomb Heroes
  • Dark Spell Cards
  • Catacombs & Castles Playmat(s)
  • Catacombs & Castles Shots In Catacombs 3E
  • Hero Attributes
• Appendix: Changes in Second Edition
  • New in Second Edition
  • Hero and Ability Changes
  • General Rule Changes
  • Shot Changes
• Reference
  • Character Shots
  • Ranged Shots
  • Special Shots
  • Transfer Types
  • Hero Roles

Game Overview

Catacombs & Castles is a fast-paced dexterity game. Players engage in dexterity-based combat (flicking wood discs) in an attempt to eliminate their opponent's Health Tokens, securing victory for their team. While controlling a hero, you will perform shots with the character piece or a variety of ranged pieces representing missiles, fireballs, etc. Don't get discouraged if your aim is poor in the beginning. As this is a dexterity game, it will require practice to improve your accuracy!

Important Concepts

• Shot - A single flick of a specific piece across the playmat. There are character shots and ranged shots.
• Shot sequence - One or more shots to be performed in a specific order. Shot sequences are found on Rules, Team Action, Boss Action, or Warrior cards.
• Turn - Is when a character performs a shot sequence.
• Round - Is when all characters have completed their turn. A character has one turn per round.
• Mode - Refers to one of the ways to play the game (Team, Boss, One versus One, Boss versus Boss).
• Hero - A player controls one or more heroes during Team, Boss, and One versus One Mode. Heroes share a Health Pool.
• Boss - Refers to a Team Castle boss or Team Catacomb boss.
• Warrior - A helper with a single point of health.
• Character - Refers to a hero, boss, or warrior.
• Friendly Character - Refers to a character that is on the same team.
• Teammate - Refers to a friendly character.
• Enemy - Refers to a character that is on the opposing team.

Components

• Compatibility Deck (Catacombs Compatibility Deck x1), which includes:
  • Castle Hero Cards x12
  • Catacomb Hero Cards x12
  • Ability Cards x8
  • Item Cards x16
  • Castle Spell Cards x9
  • Catacomb Spell Cards x11
  • Catacomb Lord Cards x3
  • Wraith Knight Monster Family Cards x3
• Castle Hero Cards x18
• Castle Boss Cards x4
• Castle Team Action Cards x6
• Castle Warrior Cards x3
• Castle Boss Action Cards x3
• Catacomb Hero Cards x18
• Catacomb Boss Cards x4
• Catacomb Team Action Cards x6
• Catacomb Warrior Cards x3
• Catacomb Boss Action Cards x3

Note: The Ranged Piece Placement rule refers to an included Ruler Token. No Ruler Token is shown on the printed component list.

Sticker Instructions

Sort the wooden pieces by size and colour. Firmly apply the stickers to the centre of the wooden pieces.

• When a piece requires a sticker on both sides, two stickers will be in the box.
• When a piece only requires a sticker on one side, one sticker will be in the box.
• When a sticker is to be placed on a white piece, it is indicated by a thin black border. Black pieces are indicated by a thick black border.
• An "x2 pieces" label indicates how many pieces have the same stickers.
• In the top-left corner of the box, the size of the piece to be used will be filled in (Extra Large, Large, Medium, Small, or Extra Small).

Heroes

Each team in a game of Catacombs & Castles is made up of heroes, with each player controlling at least one hero. Every hero has their own play-style and abilities, which are defined on their Hero Rules Card.

Team Castle

• Larra the Huntress - Defender. Larra uses her agility and her longbow shot to maintain distance and strike from afar.
• Kethyst the Ranger - Infiltrator. Kethyst uses his grapple to pull enemies in or rescue his teammate from imminent danger.
• Delilah the Mage Princess - Spellcaster. Delilah moves from cover to cover, dealing serious damage with her magical ice boulder shot.
• Randsarr the Watch Commander - Defender. Randsarr fires ranged attacks from behind his invincible shield, then gets in close for the finishing blow.
• Sothemir the King's Champion - Striker. Sothemir gets up close and personal, dealing damage and using magic to force his enemies back to their spawn.
• Serangan the Royal Archer - Healer. Serangan strikes from a distance, relentlessly firing shots from his bow.

Team Catacomb

• Hakoru the Assassin - Infiltrator. Stealthy and agile, Hakoru uses his shuriken to deal damage from the shadows.
• Formilus the Marauder - Defender. Like his counter-model Kethyst, Formilus can retrieve his teammates from danger or bring enemies in close, inflicting massive damage.
• Cahreliss the Queen of Storms - Spellcaster. Cahreliss uses magic to conjure a powerful vortex, damaging her enemies and sending them flying.
• Angelique the Vampire Princess - Healer. Angelique uses her shield to get in close, revealing herself and sucking health from her enemies.
• Xaugorth the Wraith Knight - Striker. Xaugorth uses powerful fireballs to weaken his enemies before charging up his devastating giant fireball.
• Edarir the Shaman - Defender. Edarir picks away at his enemy's health with his fireball shots.

Card Breakdown

• Hero Cards: Team icon; hero's name; hero's class; hero's role; hero's shot sequence (the shots the hero may perform on their turn); ability (a shot sequence the hero may perform on their turn once fully charged with Health Tokens); ability charge (the number of Health Tokens required to perform the ability); and attributes (additional attributes appear as icons, see Attributes).
• Team Action Cards: Team icon; Team Action name; Team Action charge (the number of Health Tokens required); Team Action shot sequence (performed by the hero and their teammates on their turn once fully charged with Health Tokens).
• Boss Cards: Team icon; boss's name; boss's class; boss's shot sequences (the boss may perform one of these on their turn); the Boss Action charge and Boss Action shot sequence.
• Warrior Cards: Team icon; warrior's name; health (warriors have their own health, separate from their team's Health Pool); and the warrior's shot sequence.

Note: the small icon in the bottom left corner of a card identifies which game or expansion it belongs to.

Setup

Playmat Setup

1. Assemble the walls on the play surface. Join each wall segment together using the plastic stands as shown. The result should be a square with three wall segments on each side. Fitting stands to the top and bottom of the joint increases the stability of the wall.
2. Combine the two halves of the playmat in the centre of the walls. Line them up so that the artwork is continuous and there is no gap.
3. The two opposing teams take turns placing the wooden obstacle pieces on top of Obstacle Location icons printed on the playmat.
   • The play area is divided into four quadrants. No more than two obstacles may be placed in any one quadrant.
   • An obstacle cannot be placed in a quadrant that already contains one until all the other quadrants have a minimum of one obstacle.
   • Cylinder obstacles must be placed upright on their base, but cube and slab obstacles may be placed vertically or horizontally.

Quick Start

The following quick start assumes two players playing Team Mode.

1. Sort out the Portrait cards and "Rules A" cards for the following heroes from Team Castle: Larra the Huntress, Randsarr the Watch Commander, and Sothemir the King's Champion. Find the corresponding white pieces for each of these heroes and place them behind the Start Zone line on the playmat. Take 12 Team Castle Health Tokens and place them beside the six cards.
2. From Team Catacomb, find the following Portrait and "Rules A" cards for: Hakoru the Assassin, Angelique the Vampire Princess, and Xaugorth the Wraith Knight. Find the corresponding black pieces for each of these characters and place them behind the Start Zone line on the opposite side of the playmat. Take 12 Team Catacomb Health Tokens and place them beside the six cards.
3. The object of the game is to eliminate the opposing team's Health Tokens by skilfully flicking pieces around the battlefield represented by the playmat. The team that goes first is determined by flipping the giant fireball piece.
4. Each player takes turns flicking their heroes in whichever order they choose. If a hero piece leaves the playmat, then simply place it back on the playmat at the edge where it departed.
5. A Rules card describes what shots each hero may perform. There are two parts: a hero's shot sequence at the top of the card and a hero's ability in the middle of the card (each hero ability has a unique name). Each icon indicates that a player performs a particular shot, by flicking a piece across the playmat. Multiple shots may be performed in sequence, one after the other, from left to right as indicated by the arrow icon. A player performs a given hero's shot sequence in its entirety or their hero's ability shot sequence (if it is charged). Then their opponent does the same with one of their heroes.
6. Whenever a hero's ability has been charged, meaning it has the required number of Health Tokens on it, then a player may choose to perform the hero's ability instead of the hero's shot sequence. Discard the Health Tokens and perform the shots below the ability's name.
7. Play continues until one team has captured or eliminated all of their opponent's Health Tokens. This team wins the game.

Team Mode Setup

1. Players select their teams - either Team Castle or Team Catacomb. Depending on the number of players, each player will control between 1 and 3 heroes:
   • 2 players: Each player controls 3 heroes in teams of 3 vs 3.
   • 4 players (short game): Each player controls 1 hero in teams of 2 vs 2.
   • 4 players (long game): Each player controls 2 heroes in teams of 4 vs 4.
   • 6 players: Each player controls 1 hero in teams of 3 vs 3.
   • 8 players: Each player controls 1 hero in teams of 4 vs 4.
   • 3, 5 or 7 player games are possible, where one team has an extra player. Depending on if it is a 3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4 match, some players may be controlling more than one hero, as decided by the players.
   • Each team must have the same number of heroes.
2. Players pick their heroes and take the Portrait card and Rules card for each hero.
   • Each hero has a role assigned to them. There can only be one of each role per team. The roles are Defender, Infiltrator, Striker, Healer, and Spellcaster.
   • Every hero has an A and a B variant of their rules, labelled "Rules A" and "Rules B". For balance reasons, every hero must be using the same rule variant during a game.
   • Rules Card A - use simplified shot sequences and are recommended for your first couple games.
   • Rules Card B - variant of their rules use the more complicated shot types and are best used once you are more familiar with the game.
3. Each hero has a Team Action card. Players take the Team Action card for each of their heroes. Every player should now have three cards for each of their heroes.
   • Note: Team Action cards are optional when playing with the "Rules A" cards. This manual assumes that they are being used.

Team Mode

Team Mode Objective

The goal of the game is to eliminate all of the opposing Team's Health Tokens. When a team's Health Pool is depleted, the game is over and the opposing team has won.

Reminder: On their turn, a player will perform their hero's shot sequence, ability (if charged), or team action (if charged).

Team Mode Turn Order

• First Team Rule: Randomly determine which team goes first by flipping the giant fireball piece like a coin ("Fireball" is heads, "Ice" is tails).
• Turns alternate between both teams, back and forth. A turn is completed when a hero on a team performs their shot sequence. A hero performs one shot sequence per round unless they participate in a Team Action.
• A round is completed once all heroes on both teams have taken a turn. A new round then begins with the heroes taking their turns again. The game ends immediately when one team's Health Pool is depleted.
• Important: The order in which heroes take their turns may be different each round. Teams with multiple players are encouraged to decide amongst themselves which hero should perform their turn next.
• First Strike Rule: The team that goes first has a potential advantage as their first hero to take a turn can hit vulnerable targets in the enemy Start Zone. To compensate, the hero that goes first cannot inflict any damage on their first turn.

Shots and Shot Sequences

To perform a shot, a player flicks a piece across the playmat with their finger. Obstacles on the playmat are there to provide cover and shots may ricochet off them. When a character is knocked off the playmat, they are all placed back on the edge of the mat at the location where they departed.

Different shots do varying amounts of damage. For a full list of shots, refer to pages 17-19 and the Reference page (page 32).

Character Shots

The two basic character shots are rush and melee. A player performs a melee shot by flicking their hero piece across the playmat. If the hero piece hits a hero from the opposing team, one point of damage is inflicted. Critical melee shots inflict two points of damage and enable a void transfer (see page 17).

Rush shots are performed in the same way as melee shots except they don't inflict any damage. They are useful for getting a hero into a better position on the playmat.

Ranged Shots

Unlike character shots, ranged shots involve flicking a separate ranged piece. This ranged piece is placed anywhere within 2.5cm (1") of the character and then shot across the playmat. This simulates a character shooting a projectile during battle.

Ranged shots include missile, fireball, net, ice boulder, and shields. When a ranged shot is complete, the ranged piece is removed from the playmat (except shield pieces). Different ranged shots inflict varying amounts of damage.

Ranged Piece Placement

Whenever a piece is placed on the playmat with a character piece as its origin (for example when performing a net shot), it is placed within 2.5cm (1") of that character. In a casual game, players can just estimate this distance by eye. In a more competitive game however, players may want to be more exact. In this case, use the included Ruler Token to measure from the center of the origin piece to the edge of the piece being placed to determine exact placement.

Shot Sequences

One or more shots may be performed during a player's turn when controlling a character; this is called a shot sequence. All shots in a shot sequence are optional.

• "Then" connector: Multiple shots that are performed in a row are represented on a card by the "Then" connector icon between each shot icon. For example, Larra is able to perform a rush shot, followed by a longbow shot as her shot sequence.
• "Or" connector: In some cases, a player must choose which shot sequence to perform from two possible alternatives. This is represented by the "Or" connector icon between the sequences. A player must declare which shot sequence they are choosing before performing it. A player cannot perform every shot on a card when there is an "Or" connector present. The "Or" connector may also appear horizontally, separating longer shot sequences. For example, Xaugorth (when playing as a Catacomb boss) may choose to perform either the two shots above the line, or the three shots below the line.
• "Elastic" connector: The "Elastic" connector icon enables the player to perform shots in a sequence in any order they choose. For example, Sothemir (when playing as a Castle boss) performs a shield shot. He may then perform a rush shot and a critical melee shot in any order.
• Legal Location Rule: A piece must always end a shot in a legal location on the playmat. No shot can result in a piece ending up on top of another piece - including obstacles. If this happens, the player who performed the shot is responsible for moving the piece to the nearest possible location on the playmat where it is able to lay completely flat.
• If a piece leaves the playmat as the result of any shot, simply place it back on the edge of the playmat at the point where it left.
• The Shaman has the option of performing the melee, fireball, or net shot. He may only perform one of these three shots.

Health and Damage

Inflicting Damage

Each team is attempting to reduce the other team's Health Pool by inflicting damage. Each time a hero is damaged, their team loses Health Tokens from their Health Pool. The damage must be inflicted directly hit with either a character or ranged shot.

Multiple targets may be damaged by a single shot provided the shot hits them directly. For example, a hero's melee shot can ricochet off an enemy (inflicting one point of damage in the process) then hit another enemy (again inflicting one point of damage). When a hero's melee shot strikes an enemy who is then pushed into another enemy, no damage is inflicted on the second, because the attack did not hit them directly.

Finally, it is possible for a character to damage multiple targets who are adjacent to each other simultaneously.

• The Chain Rule: In Catacombs & Castles, the same target cannot be damaged consecutively during the same shot sequence. If the same target is hit consecutively, damage that would have been inflicted by the additional hit(s) is ignored. By preventing damage being applied consecutively, the chain rule ensures that damage from a particular shot sequence is distributed across several targets. Ranged shots always originate from the location of the character performing them. This is the same mechanic as the chain modifier in Catacombs Third Edition, except it applies to all shots in Catacombs & Castles by default.
• The Friendly Fire Rule: There is no "friendly fire". Teammates cannot inflict damage on each other in any way. This includes warriors and Castle / Catacomb bosses on the same team.

Health and Transfer Types

When an enemy is damaged by a shot, one or more Health Tokens are transferred from their team's Health Pool to the attacker. The player places the Health Token on top of their Ability or Team Action card (their choice), charging it up. This is called a power transfer.

• The Charging Rule: If a hero's Ability and Team Actions are all fully charged, then surplus Health Tokens from a power transfer are discarded.

By default, all shots that inflict damage enable a power transfer. Some shots allow for additional transfer types, when one of the following icons are shown beside the main shot icon:

• Assist Transfer: The attacking player may transfer a Health Token(s) to their teammate's Ability or Team Action card to help charge it up instead. This is useful if the attacker's Ability and Team Action card are fully charged.
• Health Transfer: The attacking player may perform a health transfer by flipping the captured Health Token over (showing their team emblem) and adding it to their team's Health Pool.
• Void Transfer: The attacking player may discard Health Tokens from the damaged hero's ability or Team Action card, preventing them from being charged.
• Capture Transfer: The capture transfer enables the attacking player to trap the opposing team's Health Token(s) and immediately convert them into an Armour Token (see below). One Health Token is converted into a Half Power Armour Token, and two or more Health Tokens are converted into a Full Power Armour Token. The "converted" Health Tokens are discarded. The Armour Token is assigned to a friendly hero if they don't already have one.

Armour Tokens

When a hero is damaged by an enemy's shot, the player controlling them may choose to block the shot by activating their Armour Token. All damage from that shot is immediately nullified, including the effects of any transfer types.

When a Full Power Armour Token is used, it is flipped over and may be used once more. A Half Power Armour Token is discarded after use.

Important: A hero or boss can only have a maximum of one Armour Token at a time. The exception is the Castle Boss Sothemir who starts with three Armour Tokens. Warriors cannot use Armour Tokens directly, however they may assign them to a friendly hero or boss subject to the limits described in this paragraph.

Abilities and Team Actions

Hero Actions

A hero may perform one of the shot sequences found on either their Hero Rules card or their Team Action card. They have the choice between their hero's:

1. Shot Sequence
2. Ability* (*must be charged with Health Tokens)
3. Team Action* (*must be charged with Health Tokens)

Hero Abilities

Abilities are used to perform powerful attacks that are played instead of the hero's shot sequence. Each hero has their own Ability, which is found on their Hero Rules card.

The number of the opposing team's Health Tokens required to charge the Ability is displayed on the card, as is the shot sequence that the hero may perform. The player chooses when to perform the Ability by discarding the Health Tokens on it.

For some Abilities, the Horn of Heroes icon may appear before a shot sequence. The player chooses one friendly hero to perform the indicated shot sequence after this icon (this is not optional). If the chosen hero is controlled by another player, that player performs the shot sequence.

Team Actions

Most heroes have a Team Action card. Like an Ability, the player chooses when to perform the Team Action by discarding the Health Tokens that were used to charge it. The shot sequence after the Team Action icon is performed by all friendly heroes, even if they have already taken a turn. The player performing the Team Action decides the order in which each hero will perform the shot sequence on the Team Action card. This is not optional. If the chosen hero is controlled by another player, that player performs the shot sequence.

Note: A hero with an assigned Wyvern card does not have a Team Action card.

Important: An Ability or Team Action card cannot be charged while it is in use. The Charging Rule applies (see page 15).

Attributes

Some characters have attributes, which appear as an icon on their card.

• Anchor: The Anchor icon allows the player to use a finger to hold the character in place during their opponent's turn. This enables that character to remain in the same location, which opens up new strategic possibilities.
• Flying: The Flying icon allows the character to perform an optional Move to Rune (see page 19) at the end of their shot sequence. This includes their ability and any friendly team action shot sequence they participate in. A character with the flying attribute cannot return to the same rune from which they initiated a shot sequence.

Shot Types

Character Shots

• Rush (0 Damage) - A rush shot enables a character to move across the playmat, but does not inflict any damage.
• Melee (1 Damage, Power Transfer) - A melee shot enables a character to move and attack.
• Critical Melee (2 Damage, Power or Void Transfer) - A critical melee shot is a more powerful variation of the standard melee shot and inflicts 2 points of damage. It also provides the option to perform a void transfer.
• Leech (1 Damage, Power or Health Transfer) - A leech shot is a variation of the standard melee shot and inflicts 1 point of damage. It also provides the option to perform a health transfer.
• Target Melee (1 Damage, Power Transfer) - A target melee shot is a variation of the standard melee shot and inflicts 1 point of damage. Place the Target Token on an enemy piece and perform a melee shot. If this shot misses, the player may perform another shot from where the character's piece ended up. Damage is only inflicted on the declared target. Remove the Target Token when the shot is completed.
• Temporal Shift (1 Damage, Power or Assist Transfer) - A temporal shift shot is a variation of the standard melee shot and inflicts 1 point of damage. It may provide the option to perform an assist transfer. After damage is inflicted, the attacking player places the affected enemies in their Start Zone.

Ranged Shots

• Missile (1 Damage, Power Transfer) - The missile shot is the standard ranged shot and enables a character to attack from a distance. Inflicts 1 point of damage. Extra small ranged piece.
• Fireball (1 Damage, Power or Void Transfer) - A fireball shot is a variation of the standard missile shot and inflicts 1 point of damage. It may provide the option to perform a void transfer (if shown). Small ranged piece.
• Giant Fireball (2 Damage, Power or Void Transfer) - A giant fireball shot is a more powerful variation of the standard fireball shot and inflicts 2 points of damage. It also provides the option to perform a void transfer. Large ranged piece.
• Ice Boulder (1 Damage, Power or Assist Transfer) - The ice boulder shot enables a character to attack from a distance. Inflicts 1 point of damage. It also provides the option to perform an assist transfer. Large ranged piece.
• Net (1 Damage, Power or Capture Transfer) - The net shot enables a character to attack from a distance. Inflicts 1 point of damage. It also provides the option to perform a capture transfer. Medium ranged piece.
• Web (2 Damage, Power or Capture Transfer) - The web shot enables a character to attack from a distance. Inflicts 2 points of damage. It also provides the option to perform a capture transfer. Medium ranged piece.

Variant Rules for the Net and Web Shots (Optional)

Players may choose to play with this variation of the net and web shots instead. If chosen, this variant must be used for the duration of the game.

• Net (1 Damage, Power Transfer)
• Web (2 Damage, Power Transfer)

After inflicting damage on an enemy, place the net or web piece on top of the affected character. While the net and web shots only trap one enemy character at a time (the attacker decides which), they can still inflict damage if they hit multiple adjacent targets.

The trapped character may not take their turn or participate in team actions until the net or web piece is completely knocked off. When this happens, the piece is immediately removed from the playmat. However, damage is still inflicted normally on the trapped character if the net or web piece is not completely knocked off.

• Hook (0 Damage) - The hook shot is a ranged shot that enables a player to choose whether to move a character across the playmat. It does not inflict any damage. After performing the hook shot, the player may choose to move their character's piece within 2.5cm (1") of the hook piece. If the hook piece is flicked off of the playmat, simply place it back at the edge where it departed. The hook piece is always removed from the playmat at the end of the player's turn. Small ranged piece.
• Lightning Shot (1 Damage, Power Transfer) - A lightning shot is a variation of the standard missile shot and inflicts 1 point of damage. The player performing the lightning shot flicks the lightning piece three times consecutively. The first two flicks do not inflict any damage, the third flick inflicts one point of damage. If either of the first two flicks results in the lightning piece leaving the playmat, simply place it back at the edge where it departed and continue. Small ranged piece.
• Longbow (1 Damage, Power or Assist Transfer) - A longbow shot is a variation of the standard missile shot and inflicts 1 point of damage. It also provides the option to perform an assist transfer. If the attacking player chooses, the longbow shot may be performed from the location of a teammate instead of the attacker's piece. Flat ranged piece.
• Shuriken (1 Damage, Power or Assist Transfer) - A shuriken shot is a variation of the standard missile shot and inflicts 1 point of damage. It also provides the option to perform an assist transfer. After hitting (but not necessarily damaging) an enemy with the shuriken shot, the attacker must immediately perform a rush shot. Flat ranged piece.
• Target (1 Damage, Power Transfer) - A target shot is a variation of the standard missile shot and inflicts 1 point of damage. Place the Target Token on an enemy and flick the target piece. If this shot misses, the player may perform another shot from where the target piece ended up. Damage is only inflicted on the declared target. Remove the Target Token when the shot is completed. Small ranged piece.
• Vortex (1 Damage, Power or Void Transfer) - The vortex shot enables a player to push enemies back and inflicts 1 point of damage. It also provides the option to perform a void transfer. For each enemy hit (but not necessarily damaged) by the vortex piece, the attacking player performs a single rush shot with that enemy's piece. This includes enemy shield pieces. Small ranged piece.

Special Shots

• Move To Rune - The character performing Move to Rune is placed directly on top of any unoccupied rune icon (one that is completely uncovered by any other pieces). When all rune icons are already occupied, a player may perform a rush shot in an attempt to displace a character from a rune. If they are successful, then the character moves to the now vacant rune icon. Please note: if the character is already on top of a rune icon, then the move to rune icon has no effect.
• Open Portal - No flicking required, simply switch the position of two teammates on the playmat. No damage is inflicted.
• Runic Shift - The character performing a Runic Shift is teleported from their current location and immediately placed on any unoccupied Rune icon on the playmat. They may then perform a melee shot with that character, inflicting one point of damage (power transfer).

Note that not all playmats in the Catacombs line of games have every rune icon. Rune icons on the playmat represent special locations.

Shield Shots

A shield shot is a ranged shot with a few extra rules. When the shield ranged piece is already present on the playmat, a player may choose to flick it from its current position, or place it beside the character and flick it as normal. Shield shots do not inflict any damage.

Immediately after the entire shot sequence (which contains a shield shot icon) is complete, the shield piece is placed within 2.5cm (1") of the shield's owner to help protect them.

Note: Shield pieces are repositioned after the effect of the flying attribute has been resolved (see page 16). Players may hold their character's shield piece during an enemy's turn.

Warriors

Each warrior has a card that shows their shot sequence. All warriors have a single health point, so they are removed from the playmat when damaged.

A player may summon a warrior after successfully performing the egg shot (see page 18). Immediately upon being summoned, the warrior performs the shot sequence on its card after being placed on the playmat.

After a hero they control has taken their turn, a player may perform the shot sequence of any one friendly warrior on the playmat.

Important: Warriors cannot charge up hero Abilities, Team Action cards, or Boss Action cards. Any Health Tokens they capture are discarded instead.

Warrior card and piece set: The Castle Warrior cards and the Catacomb Warrior cards each show their own shot sequence; the printed manual illustrates the Castle Warrior cards (Querling, Watch Guard, Royal Archer, Plunderer, Raider, Shaman) and the Catacomb Warrior / Wraith Knight Family monster pieces.

One versus One Mode

This section describes a One versus One Mode of the game for two players where each controls a single hero from Team Castle and Team Catacomb. The rules are the same as those for Team Mode, with the following exceptions:

1. Each player chooses a hero and starts the game with one Armour Token each.
2. Each hero starts the game with 12 Health Tokens each. Players could choose to reduce that number to shorten the game. They could also agree that one hero starts with less Health Tokens as a form of handicap for a player with superior flicking ability.
3. The horn of heroes icon is ignored: the hero simply performs the indicated shot sequence after this icon as if it were not there.
4. The hero's assigned Team Action card is used and is charged as normal. However, the Team Action icon is ignored and the hero performs the shot sequence on the card.
5. Assist transfers are ignored, as only one hero is in play.
6. When a hero loses all of their Health Tokens, the game is over, and their opponent is the winner.

Team Mode Tutorial

This tutorial assumes that two players (Sam and Jen) will each control a team of three heroes. It is assumed they have already set up the game components, placed the obstacle pieces, and selected their heroes as directed in the setup section (pages 7-11).

Sam chooses to play as Team Castle with the Huntress, Ranger, and Mage Princess with their "Rules A" card. Jen chooses to play as Team Catacomb with the Assassin, Marauder, and Queen of Storms (again with their "Rules A" card).

When playing with the "Rules A" cards, using each hero's Team Action card is optional. For the purpose of this tutorial, the Team Action cards will be used.

Jen wins the coin toss and goes first. She chooses to start with the Assassin's turn. As the Assassin's ability is not charged, she must perform the hero's shot sequence on the Assassin's Rules card. She performs a rush shot by flicking the Assassin piece out of her Start Zone. Jen then performs a fireball shot by placing the fireball ranged piece within 2.5 cm (1") of the Assassin piece on the playmat and shoots it towards Sam's team. The fireball piece hits an obstacle, ricochets off of it, and misses. Based on the First Strike Rule, this shot would not have inflicted any damage anyway. The fireball piece is removed from the playmat.

It is Sam's turn and he chooses the Mage Princess whose default shot sequence is a rush shot then a missile shot. Sam flicks the Mage Princess out of his Start Zone. Then he places the missile shot ranged piece on the playmat within 2.5 cm (1") of the Mage Princess and flicks it toward the Assassin. Sam's missile shot hits the Assassin's piece. Sam removes the missile piece from the playmat, and one point of damage is inflicted. Sam takes one Health Token from Jen's Health Pool and places it on the Mage Princess' Rules card to start the process of charging up her "Under the Ice" ability (this is called a power transfer).

It is Jen's turn to take a turn with one of her two remaining heroes and she chooses to use the Marauder next. Sam's Mage Princess is hiding behind an obstacle, but is peeking out just enough for the Marauder's fireball shot to hit it. Jen performs the Marauder's rush shot to move him into a better position. Jen then places the fireball piece on the playmat and flicks it toward the Mage Princess. The fireball shot connects and Jen takes one Health Token from Sam's Health Pool and places it on the Marauder's Rules card to charge up his ability.

It is Sam's turn and he chooses to use the Huntress next. He performs her rush shot and then her missile shot, hitting the Marauder behind cover. Sam takes a Health Token from Jen's Health Pool and charges the Huntress' Team Action card.

It is Jen's turn and only the Queen of Storms has not taken a turn. She flicks the Queen's piece onto the battlefield with her rush shot. Then she flicks a fireball piece but misses (the fireball piece is removed from the playmat).

Sam has one more hero to use and that is the Ranger. He flicks the Ranger's piece out onto the playmat and then performs the Ranger's missile shot, hitting the Queen of Storms. Sam uses the Health Token to power up the Ranger's ability "Judgement". Later in the game, when this ability is fully charged, Sam may discard the Health Tokens to execute the ability. The ability's shot sequence is performed instead of the Ranger's shot sequence.

Now that each hero has taken a turn, the next round begins, and the game continues. The game immediately ends when one team has lost all of their Health Tokens. The surviving team is the winner.

Boss Mode (One vs Many)

Boss Mode Overview

Boss Mode (One vs Many) pits a team of heroes against a Castle or Catacomb boss and their warriors. Either team is the winner when the other team's Health Pool is depleted.

The main differences in Boss Mode:

• The boss player controls 1 boss character, and 3 groups of warriors.
• The hero team consists of 2-4 heroes.

Boss Mode Setup

Boss Mode is set up nearly the same way as Team Mode (as described on pages 9-11), but with the following differences:

1. The boss player chooses their boss and 3 warriors from the same team (Castle or Catacomb).
2. The boss player takes their boss' Portrait, Rules, and Boss Action cards. Some bosses have an additional Portrait and Rules card for their alternate form. The boss player also takes one Summon Reinforcements card.
3. The boss player takes the Warrior cards for their 3 chosen warriors.
4. The hero team takes their Health Tokens for their Health Pool.
5. The boss player takes their Health Tokens for their Health Pool.
6. The boss player takes their Reinforcement Tokens.
7. Some bosses start the game with Armour Tokens. If this is the case, the number is indicated on their Rules card.
8. The hero team places their hero pieces in their Start Zone as normal. The boss player places their boss' piece, as well as one of each type of warrior in their Start Zone.

Health and Reinforcement Tokens are distributed based on the number of heroes in the game:

• 2 heroes: 8 Health Tokens per team, and 2 Reinforcement Tokens for the boss player
• 3 heroes: 16 Health Tokens per Team, and 3 Reinforcement Tokens for the boss player
• 4 heroes: 24 Health Tokens per Team, and 4 Reinforcement Tokens for the boss player

Note: Games with more heroes will be longer.

Boss Mode Turn Order

In Boss Mode, players controlling their heroes take all their turns as a team (in any order). The boss player takes the turns for the boss and all friendly warriors (in any order).

Reminder: On their turn, a hero player will perform their hero's shot sequence, ability (if charged), or team action (if charged). On their turn, a boss player will perform their boss' shot sequence (choose one), or boss action (if charged). They will also perform the shot sequences for all of their warriors on the playmat.

• First Team Rule: Randomly determine which team goes first by flipping the giant fireball piece like a coin ("Fireball" is heads, "Ice" is tails).
• Important: Each time the heroes are taking their turns, only one charged Team Action card may be used.
• First Strike Rule: The team that goes first has a potential advantage as they can hit vulnerable targets in the enemy Start Zone. To compensate, the team that goes first cannot inflict any damage on their first turn.

Boss vs Boss Mode (One vs One)

Boss vs Boss Mode Overview

This mode enables two players to face off in an epic duel between two armies. Each player will control one boss and their warriors. Importantly, these may be bosses from the same team: a Catacomb boss may fight a second Catacomb boss. This is the reason two Summon Reinforcements cards from the same team are included in the game. A player wins when their opponent's Health Pool is depleted.

Follow the same rules for Boss Mode with the following exceptions:

• When two Castle bosses or two Catacomb bosses fight each other, then their warriors must be assigned first. Take all of the available warriors (including warriors from expansions) and arrange them face up on the table. Players take turns choosing the three warriors they will play with.
• As a faster alternative, warriors may be assigned randomly by shuffling the Warrior cards into one deck and dealing three Warrior cards to each player.

Consult the chart below for the number of starting Health and Reinforcement Tokens:

• Short Game Length: 8 Health Tokens per team and 2 Reinforcement Tokens
• Average Game Length: 16 Health Tokens per Team and 3 Reinforcement Tokens
• Long Game Length: 24 Health Tokens per Team and 4 Reinforcement Tokens

Boss vs Boss Mode Turn Order

Players place their boss piece and three different warriors in their Start Zone. Extra warriors remain in reserve off of the playmat. The first player will perform the shots for their boss and their warriors in any order following the First Strike Rule. Then their opponent does the same.

Reminder: On their turn, a player will perform their boss' shot sequence (choose one), or boss action (if charged). They will also perform the shot sequences for all of their warriors on the playmat.

• First Team Rule: Randomly determine which player goes first by flipping the giant fireball piece like a coin ("Fireball" is heads, "Ice" is tails).
• First Strike Rule: The first player has a potential advantage as they can hit vulnerable targets in the enemy Start Zone. To compensate, the player that goes first cannot inflict any damage on their first turn.

Boss Mode Rules

Castle and Catacomb Bosses

At the start of the game, the boss player chooses three different warriors. The warriors must belong to the boss' team (Catacomb or Castle). The boss player starts by placing one of each warrior piece in their Start Zone with the boss piece.

A boss has two Portrait cards showing their primary and alternate forms. Each Portrait card has a corresponding Rules card showing what shot sequences the player may perform while in that form.

The shot sequences on a Boss Rules card are separated by the "Or" connector (the horizontal black line). The player chooses to perform only one of these shot sequences on their turn.

Under certain conditions, the Castle and Catacomb boss will change to their alternate form. In the case of the Sothemir, he changes from his armoured form to his alternate form when he discards his last Armour Token. The Catacomb boss, Xaugorth, may change back and forth from his starting form to his alternate form, if the player chooses to do so.

On their turn, the boss player may perform one shot sequence for the Castle or Catacomb boss. The player also performs shot sequences for all warriors on the playmat. This can be done in any order.

Reinforcements and Boss Action Cards

When a boss inflicts damage, their Boss Action cards are charged with Health Tokens (like a hero's Team Action card). Once charged, the boss player may perform a Boss Action card by discarding the Health Tokens on it. Then they perform the shot sequence on the Boss Action card with the boss piece. This must be done at the beginning of the player's turn.

In the case of the Summon Reinforcements Boss Action card, the player must also discard one of their Reinforcement Tokens. A boss starts with a limited number of these tokens. When all Reinforcement Tokens have been used, summoning additional warriors is not possible.

Important: Damage inflicted by warriors does not charge a Boss Action card. Instead, the Health Tokens are discarded.

Catacombs 3E Integration

Team Catacomb Heroes

Team Catacomb heroes follow the same rules for heroes in Catacombs 3E. They may have abilities, use items and spells, be recruited as allies, ride wyverns, and hire mounts. A party of heroes may be composed of both "regular" heroes and Catacomb heroes. Thematically, the Catacomb heroes are only in it for personal gain and will join a party on an adventure if they stand to profit from it.

Catacomb heroes cannot pool their gold with any other heroes (including other Catacomb heroes) when making purchases or otherwise spending coins in special rooms. This still applies when the rules describing the special room may suggest otherwise; for example, when staying at the Amaranth Inn, each Catacomb hero must pay individually for their lodging.

• Cahreliss, the Queen of Storms (Catacomb Hero): Spell cards: Hydro Mistress x1, Ion Correlator x1, Lightning Blast x1, Lightning Bolt x1, Dominate Weather x1, and choose 2 additional Spell cards. Special Rules: Cahreliss may spend 2 gold coins to [upgrade icon not reproduced in the text layer].
• Xaugorth, the Wraith Knight (Catacomb Hero): Choose 10 Spell cards. Catacomb heroes are experienced in dealing with creatures of the catacomb and consequently their shots cannot be suppressed. Special Rules: After resolving the effects of one or more Poison cards, Xaugorth may perform a [shot icon not reproduced in the text layer].
• Catacomb heroes are unaffected by the corrosion shot modifier.
• When recruiting an ally at the Amaranth Inn, the player must pay 15 gold coins and then choose an unused Catacomb hero as an ally.
• A Catacomb hero pays three coins (instead of five) when visiting the Altar of Soloth.

Dark Spell Cards

A dark spell is usually more potent, but also imposes a penalty on the hero casting it. After casting a dark spell, the hero must either: pay one gold or deduct one health (to a minimum of one). Most of the time, players will choose the former.

All heroes in Catacombs 3E (including the Catacomb heroes) are classified into four types: Clerics, Fighters, Spell Casters, and Monarchs. Only certain hero types may use Spell cards - see below.

• Clerics rely on their faith and cannot use any weapons, spells, or magic items.
• Fighters can use weapons, but cannot use any spells or magic items.
• Spell Casters can cast both spells and dark spells. They can use magic items, excluding weapons.
• Monarchs are restricted to only casting either spells (heroes) or dark spells (catacomb heroes). They can use magic items, including weapons.

Catacombs & Castles Playmat(s)

The playmats from Catacombs & Castles may be used interchangeably in games of Catacombs 3E. Use the Catacombs 3E obstacles instead of those from Catacombs & Castles. This isn't strictly necessary, but is stated for those players that want an official ruling. The heroic forces choose their Start Zone, the Overseer player uses the other one.

Catacombs & Castles Shots In Catacombs 3E

The following shots are directly compatible in Catacombs 3E and may have shot modifiers applied to them. For the grapple shot, both the grab and rescue functions are available. Treat the leech shot as if it always has the regeneration modifier by default (additional modifiers may be applied). When playing Catacombs 3E, follow the variant rules for the Net and Web shots as described on page 17. The rules for the longbow, shuriken, target melee, and vortex shots remain the same for Catacombs 3E.

• Grapple Shot
• Leech Shot
• Longbow Shot
• Net Shot
• Shuriken Shot
• Target Melee Shot
• Vortex Shot
• Web Shot

Important Note: The transfer related rules for shots from Castles 2E are ignored when playing Catacombs 3E.

The hook, ice boulder, and lightning shots are compatible with Catacombs 3E as they were introduced in the Ice Box expansion.

Hero Attributes

• Bloodless - After resolving damage, a character with this attribute does not provide any health to the attacker. Affects the following: leech shot, regeneration shot modifier.
• Climber - After resolving damage, the character may attempt to escape from their attacker by performing a single rush shot. If this rush shot hits an obstacle, then the escaping character is placed on top of that obstacle. If the rush shot does not hit an obstacle, the character remains in the position after the rush shot was completed. If the rush shot hits multiple obstacles, the first obstacle is automatically chosen. At the start of their next turn, they must climb down from the obstacle and take their turn as normal. Note: while on top of an obstacle, the character is safe from all template attacks.
• Construct - After resolving damage, the character with this attribute may immediately perform a hook shot. A character with this attribute is immune to the effects of the corrosion shot modifier. Affects the behaviour of the following: corrosion shot modifier, any shot that inflicts damage.
• Heat Resistant - A character with this attribute does not suffer damage from fire walls and fire obstacles. An unmodified fireball shot inflicts no damage. The giant fireball shot inflicts one point of damage instead of two. Affects the behaviour of: fire walls, fire obstacles, fireball shot, giant fireball shot.
• Stun Resistant - A hero with this attribute does not take a Stunned! card when damaged by a shot with the stun modifier. Affects the behaviour of the following: stun shot modifier.
• Toughness - A character with this attribute receives one less damage from any shot (minimum one). Affects the behaviour of the following: any shot that inflicts damage.
• Toxic - A character with this attribute is immune to the effects of the poison shot modifier and does not draw Poison cards under any circumstances. When damaged by a character shot, the attacker must immediately suffer one point of damage to themselves (defensive properties are ignored). Affects the behaviour of the following: character shots, poison shot modifier.

Note: See page 16 for the anchor and flying attributes which behave the same in Catacombs 3E.

Appendix: Changes in Second Edition

New in Second Edition

1. New Hero Portrait and Rules cards are included for the King's Champion, Royal Archer, Wraith Knight, and Shaman. This increases the roster of heroes from eight to twelve.
2. New One versus One and Boss versus Boss Modes are described in the core rules.
3. The new Team Action cards were added to the game.
4. The way that Reinforcements work in Boss Mode has been updated. To support this change, new Boss Action cards are included for both teams.
5. A dedicated set of cards for Catacombs Third Edition compatibility are included with Catacombs & Castles Second Edition. As a result, the Catacombs 3E related icons were removed from all the Castles 2E cards. The digital Integration Guide released with Castles 1E is no longer required.

Hero and Ability Changes

1. Each of the twelve heroes has a "Rules A" card and a "Rules B" card. The "A" cards are intended for players who are learning the game and use less variety of shots. They also allow for quicker games between new players. The "B" cards feature most of the various shots included in the game.
2. All heroes now have an Ability on each of their Rules cards like those heroes found in the Keystones & Keeps and Siege Defender expansions. With this change, all heroes have one assigned Team Action card.
3. The 16 hero Rules cards and 26 ability cards from Catacombs & Castles First Edition (both sets clearly labelled) are included with the second edition. This enables players who already know Castles 1E to play that version of the game with the second edition components.

General Rule Changes

1. The rules for placing the obstacles during game setup were simplified.
2. The rules for abilities were harmonized between Team Mode and Boss Mode. Abilities are now charged in Boss Mode.
3. Catacomb and Castle Lords are now referred to as "bosses".
4. The horn of heroes permits only one teammate to perform the indicated shot sequence.
5. The anchor and flying hero attributes were added to the core rules.
6. Hero shot sequences and abilities were updated. All heroes now have one of five roles assigned to them. These roles make building a team of heroes easier.
7. The number of Health Tokens in a Health Pool and the number of Reinforcement Tokens that they start the game with is now determined by the number of heroes on the opposing team.
8. Starting Health is now 12 for Team Mode.
9. Added a new transfer type (capture transfer).
10. Boss Mode now supports teams of 2, 3, and 4 heroes.

Shot Changes

1. The move to rune, runic shift, hook, ice boulder, lightning, and giant fireball shots were added to the core rules.
2. The ice boulder shot replaces the (orange) ice shot.
3. The shield shot rules were harmonized with those from Catacombs Third Edition.
4. The longbow shot rules were harmonized with those from Catacombs Conquest.
5. The shuriken shot has an additional effect.
6. The rules for the net and web shots were updated. The original rules are now an optional variant.
7. The target ice shot is replaced by the target shot.
8. The ice boulder shot enables assist transfers.
9. The temporal shift shot enables assist transfers.
10. The fireball and giant fireball shots enable void transfers.
11. The critical missile and target fireball shots were removed from the core rules (they were never used).
12. The term grapple shot now refers both to the original grapple shot and the claw shot.
13. The same hero cannot damage the same enemy character consecutively during a shot sequence.

Reference

Character Shots

• Rush - Flick to move around the playmat or to push enemies. No damage.
• Melee (1 damage) - A simple attack that inflicts 1 point of damage when hitting an enemy.
• Critical Melee (2 damage) - A simple attack that inflicts 2 points of damage when hitting an enemy.
• Target Melee - Declare target character and perform a melee shot. If shot misses, attacker may take a second shot. Damage only inflicted on declared target.
• Temporal Shift - Inflicts 1 point of damage when hitting an enemy. Affected character is immediately placed in their Start Zone by the attacking player.
• Leech - Inflicts 1 point of damage when hitting an enemy, with the option of performing a health transfer.

Ranged Shots

• Missile - Inflicts 1 point of damage when hitting an enemy.
• Fireball - Inflicts 1 point of damage when hitting an enemy, with the option of performing a void transfer.
• Giant Fireball (2 damage) - Inflicts 2 points of damage when hitting an enemy, with the option of performing a void transfer.
• Ice Boulder - Inflicts 1 point of damage when hitting an enemy, with the option of performing an assist transfer.
• Net - Inflicts 1 point of damage when hitting an enemy, with the option of performing a capture transfer.
• Web (2 damage) - Inflicts 2 points of damage when hitting an enemy, with the option of performing a capture transfer.
• Target - Declare target character and perform a ranged shot with the target piece. If shot misses, attacker may take a second shot. Damage only inflicted on declared target.
• Vortex - Inflicts 1 damage upon hitting an enemy. Perform rush shots with all affected characters and shields on the opposing team.
• Shuriken - Attacker may immediately perform a rush shot after hitting an enemy (whether they inflicted damage or not).
• Longbow - If the attacking player chooses, the longbow shot may be performed from the location of a teammate instead of the attacker's piece. Inflicts 1 point of damage when hitting an enemy, with the option of performing an assist transfer.
• - Player flicks the hook piece like any ranged shot. Optionally move the performing character piece within 2.5cm (1") of where the hook piece lands.

Special Shots

• Open Portal - Immediately switch positions with another teammate on the playmat.
• Runic Shift - Immediately move the character to any unoccupied rune icon on the playmat. Then may perform a melee shot.
• Move to Rune - Immediately move the character to any unoccupied rune icon on the playmat.
• Horn of Heroes - Player chooses one friendly hero to perform the indicated shot sequence.
• Team Action - All friendly heroes perform the indicated shot sequence.

Transfer Types

• Power Transfer - Health Token(s) taken from opposing team and used to charge up the attacker's Ability, Team Action, or Boss Action.
• Assist Transfer - Health Token(s) taken from opposing team's Health Pool and used to charge up a teammate's Ability or Team Action.
• Health Transfer - Health Token(s) taken from opposing team's Health Pool, flipped over, and added to the attacker's Health Pool.
• Void Transfer - Health Token(s) removed from the opposing hero's Ability or Team Action and discarded (attacker's choice).
• Capture Transfer - 1 Health Token taken from the opposing team's Health Pool becomes a Half Power Armour Token. 2 or more Health Tokens become a Full Power Armour Token.

Hero Roles

Defender, Infiltrator, Striker, Healer, and Spellcaster.