Darksiders: The Forbidden Land
Darksiders: The Forbidden Land Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents of the Box
- Rule Book, Campaign Book, Quickstart Guide
- 4 x Player/Creature Phase Reference Card
- 4 x Character Board
- 12 x Soul Tracker
- DICE: 5 Combat Dice (6 sided), 2 Spawn Dice, 1 Fate Die
- GAME CARDS: 80 x Rider Card (War), 80 x Rider Card (Death), 80 x Rider Card (Fury), 80 x Rider Card (Strife), 18 x Creature Card, 54 x Event Card, 2 x Jailer Boss Card, 6 x Jailer Phase Card, 25 x Vulgrim Upgrade Card
- TOKENS: 27 x 1 Armor Point, 17 x 2 Armor Points, 16 x 3 Armor Points, 35 x 1 Soak Point, 14 x 3 HP (Jailer), 1 x Boss Phase Token, 4 x 'X'-Token, 4 x Necromancy (Death), 2 x Shadow Clone (Strife), 2 x Death Glyph (Strife), 2 x Teleportation Point (Strife), 2 x Vulnerable, 12 x Relic
- GAME TILES: 2 x 16-Hex Tile, 2 x 7-Hex Tile, 4 x 4-Hex Tile, 4 x 2-Hex Tile, 9 x 1-Hex Tile, 1 x Start Tile, 1 x End Tile, 3 x Portal Tile, 3 x Grave Tile, 3 x Obstacle Tile, 2 x Door Tile, 1 x Loot Tile, 1 x Vulgrim Tile
- FIGURES: 1 x War, 1 x Death, 1 x Fury, 1 x Strife, 20 x Zombie / Bloodthirsty Zombie, 6 x Wraith / Banshee, 12 x Minion / Bloodclaw, 12 x Phantom Guard / Phantom Lieutenant, 2 x Zombie Swarm / Rampaging Swarm, 2 x Fleshburster / Ravenous, 1 x Phantom Commander / Phantom General, 1 x Goreclaw / Elder Goreclaw, 1 x Jailer / Unchained Jailer
Component Details
Rider Cards
- Deck Icons: Indicates which recommended deck this card belongs in. Cards with both icons are used in both decks. Cards with no icons have been included as an option for custom decks.
- Rider Icons: Indicates which rider may use this card in their deck.
- Card Type: This can be an Ability or Equipment. Equipment includes Weapons (Melee and Ranged), Armor (Torso, Spaulders, Boots, Gauntlet) and Talismans.
- Movement Value: Cards in a player's hand may be discarded to move your Rider on the board. This bar indicates the maximum possible movement a particular card may be used to make (1, 2 or 3). To move a Rider, the player must discard a card. How far they are able to move the Rider depends on the discarded card's Movement Value. If the player chooses to use the card only for movement, no additional cost listed on the card must be paid, nor do they gain the benefit of any other text on the card. The player may also choose to move less than the total Movement Value.
- Custom Deck Value: Necessary if you choose to build your own deck (see PG. 18).
- Purchase Cost of Equipment: The cost a player must pay to equip this item.
- Number of Combat Dice and Difficulty: Each 5 or 6 rolled does 1 damage (for a Difficulty of 5+). E.g. the Player rolls 3 dice, showing 1, 5 and 6. They therefore do 2 damage.
- Text: Describes the ability or equipment available from this card, if the player chooses to use it for such.
- Cost: The price a player must pay to either use the Ability or to equip the Equipment. This must only be paid to use the text on the card, not if the player chooses to discard the card for any other purpose.
Ability Cards
- Cost (example): Death pays the cost to use his Reaper Form ability. Death receives 2 additional Combat Dice to help him defeat his foes when he attacks. He also receives 2 Soak Markers to help him avoid taking damage. Finally, Death gains the benefit of his Reaper Form until the beginning of the next Player Phase. This is called a Temporary Effect (pg. 21).
- Pre-Requisite: This refers to a specific condition that must be met before you may use the Ability on the card. In this case, War must have Chaoseater equipped as his primary weapon. If War does not have Chaoseater equipped, or if it is in the Secondary Weapon slot, the Ability may not be used. However this card can still be used for movement, attack, or anything else.
- Destroyed: This means that once the Ability on this card has been used, the card is not placed in your discard pile. It must be removed from play, and the only way to get it back is to use the Summoning card from Vulgrim.
Creature Cards
- A Boss icon indicates that this creature is a type of Boss. Creatures have 4 different types in ascending order of power: Mobs, Boss Mobs, Mini Bosses and Bosses. (Example: the Zombie Swarm is a Boss Mob.)
- HP: e.g. to defeat this Creature a player must deal at least 1 damage with an attack or ability.
- Damage: e.g. This Creature deals 1 damage.
- Movement: e.g. Minions move +1 hex space further than the highest movement value showing on the Event Cards each Creature Phase.
- Reward: e.g. The attacker is rewarded with 1 soul when they defeat this creature.
- Frenzy: When the figures for a particular creature run out, or when an Event Card instructs so, Creatures enter a Frenzy. When this happens, flip the creature card. Frenzied creatures are stronger, faster, or more resilient than normal, but also give Riders increased rewards for vanquishing them. For example, there are 6 Wraiths included in the game. Let us say there are 5 on the board already and during the creature phase 3 more should spawn. You place the last Wraith on the board, but are unable to place all three as you have no more. You must then flip the Wraith creature card, and all Wraiths are Frenzied until the start of the next creature phase.
- Some creatures have special abilities or instructions. These details can all be found explained on the creature card. In the example, the Phantom Commander has 3 special rules: 1. He causes all Phantom Guards to remain in Frenzy while he is on the board. 2. He spawns more Phantom Guards every turn, separate from the creatures spawned by Event Cards. 3. He does not move until either he can attack a Rider or a Rider attacks him first.
Event Cards
- Movement Value: e.g. Minions have a movement of +1, therefore an Event Card with Movement Value 2 would allow all minions to move 3 hex spaces. All other creatures also move according to their movement in relation to the event card with the highest movement value each turn.
- Event Type: Reference from scenario level setup: e.g. "Minions 1-2" would require all Minions cards with 1 or 2 be included in the event deck for the level.
- Event Description: e.g. For each Portal on the board 1 Spawn Die must be rolled to determine how many Minions spawn this Creature Phase.
- Example of a Movement Value 3 card: "All creatures move according to this movement value in relation to their creature type's movement." A card that increases all Creatures' movement by 1 for the current Phase: Zombies normally have a Movement of -1. This card has a Movement Value of 3, which would normally allow Zombies to move 2 spaces. This card increases the Movement of Zombies by 1, bringing their Movement to 0 for this phase. Zombies would therefore move 3 spaces this Phase.
Equipment Cards
- Equipment cards come in 3 different types: Weapons, Armor and Talismans. Armor is further broken down into Torso armor, Gauntlets (hand armor), Boots and Spaulders (shoulder armor). Each equipment type can only be equipped in a certain slot on your character board. The only exception to this is that weapons can either be equipped as Primary or Secondary weapons.
- Sets: Some cards are a part of a set. Sets are always 4 cards in total, and provide a special bonus when all 4 are equipped. E.g. both the Crow Master and Angel of Death sets give bonus Combat Dice to specific cards in Death's deck.
- Certain equipment cards give additional bonuses. E.g. Death's Angel of Death Scythe gives Death the chance to recover HP every time he defeats an enemy.
- Either a Gauntlet or a Weapon can be equipped in the second hand slot on your character board. E.g. the Voidwalker Gauntlet gives Death the special ability to move through other figures and obstructions like a ghost.
- Talisman: Talismans are powerful items that give bonuses to the Rider who equips them. E.g. Death not only gains HP but actually increases the maximum HP he can have as well.
- If a weapon is in the second slot, it is called your Secondary Weapon. This can still be used for normal Attacks, but most Abilities use the Primary Weapon.
- Ranged Weapons act almost the same as Melee Weapons, but they have an additional statistic: Range. This determines up to how far away the weapon can be used to attack. E.g. Death can use Redemption to attack enemies up to 2 spaces away.
Summary
Darksiders – The Forbidden Land is a cooperative game. Each player assumes the role of one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and they play together against the game. A Game Master is therefore not necessary, but a player may opt to control all the enemies instead of playing a Horseman.
The game difficulty scales to match the number of participating Horsemen, so you can play in twos or threes. You can also have a single Horseman, so if you want to play a solo game, go right ahead!
While we refer to Darksiders - The Forbidden Land as a board game, the "board" is actually made up of many smaller boards with a varying number of hexagonal spaces on them. We refer to each individual hexagon as a "hex space". On any hex space can be placed no more than one figure, whether that is a Rider or a Creature.
The Horsemen (also referred to as Riders) are controlled by the players. Creatures are divided into four categories in ascending order of power: Mobs (relatively simple opponents), Boss Mobs (more powerful opponents), Mini Bosses (very challenging opponents) and Bosses (the most powerful creatures in the game). Creatures act according to specific rules (see PG. 26), or are controlled by a player who has decided to be the Game Master (see PG. 38). Which creatures you encounter is explained in the campaign book.
Each Rider plays with his own set of cards. These are called Rider Cards and are collectively a Deck. There are many different ways to use these Rider Cards. They can be discarded to move your Rider, or to make an Attack. Many cards are Ability cards, which a Rider can use (often for a price) to perform spectacular feats. Some cards are Equipment that can be purchased and equipped to strengthen your Rider.
The game takes place over in Rounds. Each round is broken down into the Player Phase and the Creature Phase.
In the player phase the Riders draw cards from their decks into their Hand. They may then play cards from their hand. When a Rider makes an attack they get to roll the Combat Dice. If one or more creatures is defeated the Rider is rewarded with Souls. Souls (HP, Wrath, Energy) are resources that allow a Rider to purchase equipment and upgrades, cast spells or even recover Health.
During creature phase Event Cards are drawn. These determine how far creatures can move this round, as well as how many creatures spawn (come into play). Creatures do not roll dice to deal damage, instead dealing a fixed amount when they are adjacent to a Rider. There are Rider abilities that can help avoid this damage, and Armor equipment cards that take damage instead of your Rider.
In the Campaign Book you will find an entire Campaign, separated into Scenarios and further broken down into Levels. Players can go through the entire campaign in the order it is written, select a single scenario to play through, or even pick a single level for a quick play-through.
The players' task as Horsemen of the Apocalypse is to complete the Goal of whichever level you are playing. This could range from defeating all of your enemies, retrieving an important object, rescuing a vulnerable character or even just making it out alive! Beware, as you move through the game it will steadily get more challenging, until eventually you will come face-to-face with the dreaded final boss, The Jailer!
Game Setup
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Initially, you are spoilt for choice! The Four Horsemen are very different in terms of their abilities and gear, but we have been very careful to ensure that all Four of them are of equal strength.
War is a melee warrior and generally in the front line, while his brother, Strife, is more in the background as a ranged fighter. Their sister, Fury, is a fire mage and uses the blades of her whip in melee and ranged combat. Death, the oldest of the Four Horsemen and their leader, is a necromancer and can summon flocks of crows.
Character Decks
Once you have selected a Horseman, you can now pick from your Horseman's deck of cards the ones you want to use during play in your chosen scenario. You can either choose one of the preset decks or you can create your own (recommended only for more experienced players.)
Every preset deck has a specific icon on the cards to make it easier for you to pick the cards. Many cards have just one icon while others have two, which indicates that card is used in both decks. (pg. 41 - 47)
Deck icons: Indicates which recommended deck this card belongs in. Cards with both icons are used in both decks. Cards with no icons have been included as an option for custom decks.
If you choose to create your own deck, keep in mind that the card values of all the cards in a deck must not exceed a total of 220 points. It is advisable to have roughly 50 cards in the deck.
Note: The points limit for the deck may change under the difficulty level special rule.
The number of HP, Wrath and Energy your Horseman has at the start of the scenario and the maximum points are specified in the character descriptions below. It also states which basic equipment you start with (the basic equipment is not part of the deck of cards).
Start setup: the Character Board shows the selected preset card deck, the Primary Weapon at start, the Armor at start, and 5 Rider Cards drawn from the current Card Deck.
| Horseman | HP | Wrath | Energy | Starting gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| War, Horseman of the Red Steed | 3 (max. 5) | 3 (max. 12) | 0 (max. 24) | Chaoseater; Battle-Scarred Armor |
| Death, The Pale Horseman | 3 (max. 5) | 3 (max. 12) | 0 (max. 24) | Harvester; Reaper Armor |
| Fury | 3 (max. 5) | 3 (max. 12) | 0 (max. 24) | Scorn; Ember Armor |
| Strife | 3 (max. 5) | 3 (max. 12) | 0 (max. 24) | Mercy; Redemption |
Each Horseman's special tokens: Death has the Necromancy token; Strife has the Death Glyph Marker, Shadow Clones and the Teleport Point Marker.
Prepare the Game Board and Level
Select a scenario from the Campaign Book and build the first level, based on the guidelines in the book. Now look for the Event Cards listed there, shuffle them and place them next to the board. Place the Creature Cards of the enemies awaiting you in the level, next to the board and make sure they are not turned to "Frenzy".
Specific rules may apply to the scenarios and/or levels. These rules apply, for example, to the First Spawn (this is the term used for the appearance of new enemies at graves or portals) and the requirements for completing the level successfully. Read these rules carefully, so that everything is clear from the outset.
Game Structure
The First Spawn
Before the first Player Phase starts, you draw as many event cards as Horsemen participating in the level. These are used exclusively for spawning creatures. If the event cards indicate an instant effect, i.e. that all creatures in Frenzy expire, then you ignore it. After you have performed the First Spawn, you go directly to the first Player Phase.
- Draw as many event cards as Horsemen participating.
- Roll the Spawn dice. In the example you have 1 die for the first card and 2 dice for the second card. Therefore you roll 3 times.
- You rolled 4 Zombies. Now place the Zombie Figures according to the rules on page 27.
The game progresses in rounds that take place in two consecutive phases. During the Player Phase the players act, and during the Creature Phase, Event Cards are drawn, the enemies move, new enemies are spawned and finally the opponents attack. Summary:
- Player Phase
- a) Remove temporary effects (*) from all Horsemen
- b) Draw cards
- c) Play cards – all players play simultaneously
- Creature Phase
- a) Calculate Power Points
- b) Remove Frenzy from Creatures (flip Creature Card to non-Frenzied side)
- c) Draw as many Event Cards as participating Horsemen - instant effects take effect in the sequence of the cards drawn
- d) Move all Creatures according to the drawn Event Card with the highest movement value
- e) Spawn new Creatures
- f) Creatures inflict damage (if there is a Horseman on an adjacent hex)
1. Player Phase
a) Before starting play, remove any temporary effects(*).
b) First draw your hand, up to a maximum of 5 cards. A Player cannot draw additional cards, if they already have 5 or more cards in their hand.
c) The Player may then play as many or as few Rider Cards as desired. Unless stated otherwise, Rider Cards may only be played during the Player Phase. The Players act simultaneously or in any sequence.
A Player may play a Rider Card for any one of the following uses:
- Use the ability described in the text on the card
- Movement according to the card's movement value
- Attack
- Reorganize your own inventory
- Open a loot box
- Pick up/use an "X" marker
- Pick up a relic
- Receive a relic or an "X" marker from another player
- Trade with Vulgrim
NOTE: The number of cards in hand may change under the Difficulty Level special rule.
IMPORTANT: If a card should be "Destroyed", remove it from play and keep separate. This should not go into your discard pile.
(Each Rider has a Card Deck, a Discard pile and a "Destroyed" card pile, plus Soak Markers, a Primary Weapon, an Armor Card with Armor Markers, and 5 Rider Cards drawn from the current Card Deck.)
(*) Temporary effects: Some Ability cards provide a Temporary Effect. This is when a Rider gains a benefit from the ability until the beginning of the next Player Phase, at which point the temporary effect wears off.
Equipment Cards and Inventory
Many cards in your hand are Equipment, which can be paid for using Energy Souls and they will then remain next to the character board of your Horseman. Every Horseman can carry a Primary Weapon, a Secondary Weapon / Gauntlet, Torso Armor, Spaulders, a pair of Boots and a Talisman, at the same time.
NOTE: Each Armor Item has a specific number of Armor Markers. Place these on the card, once you have acquired them. If your Horseman receives damage, then remove the markers from the card.
When two cards of the same type have been purchased, one should be equipped and laid on top so as to be visible. Any unequipped cards are laid below the equipped cards. Any cards which are not equipped do not have any effect. This also means that, for example, Armor Markers on cards that remain in the stock are not counted among those of your Horseman. During the player phase, each player can discard a card to reorganize their entire inventory, which means exchanging weapons and gear. This includes cards from the stock. When purchasing a new equipment card, however, the entire inventory including the stock may be reorganized free of charge.
NOTE: Every melee and ranged combat weapon can be wielded either as a primary weapon or a secondary weapon. You may then decide whether you use the primary or secondary weapon in an attack.
Range of Movement
The Range of Movement is marked on all the playing cards (including on those of the Horsemen and on event cards). This indicates how many hex spaces a character can move with the card. If a hex space is already occupied by another figure, no other figure may enter and/or pass through the space. You must always use one of your cards to move your Horseman, whereby no other effects on that card may then be used unless specifically stated otherwise.
Melee and Ranged Combat
To carry out a Melee Attack, an enemy must be in a hex space next to that of the relevant Horseman. For a Ranged Attack however, a single enemy must be selected within the range of the weapon, and of whom your Horsemen has an unobstructed view. You must discard one card from your hand to perform an attack. When using a melee or ranged weapon to perform an attack, you may roll a number of six-sided dice (combat dice) specified on the weapon card. Every die with a points value equal to or higher than the difficulty on the weapon card deals 1 damage to an opponent. Riders attack independently, it is not possible to combine the damage of attacks from multiple Riders! When performing a Melee Attack, all damage rolled may be distributed as the player wishes among any adjacent enemies. In a Ranged Attack, all the damage is inflicted exclusively on a single target which must be declared before the attack is rolled.
EXAMPLE: War is fighting with his sword, Chaoseater (Difficulty 4+, 3 combat dice). There are two Zombies (1 HP each) on the directly adjacent hex spaces. War discards one of his cards to perform an attack: the 3 combat dice show 3, 4 and 6. The 3 is too low, the 4 and the 6 are equal to or higher than the difficulty of Chaoseater. War has 2 damage, which he can now inflict on the two Zombies in the adjacent hex spaces. As each Zombie has only 1 HP, War has destroyed both Zombies with a single attack.
IMPORTANT: A Creature is only considered eliminated if it suffers damage equal to its HP. If it suffers less damage than it has HP, then all the damage fizzles out, and the Creature's HP is not reduced!
MINI BOSSES: Mini Bosses have a number of soak points which must first be used up before you can destroy a Mini Boss. The following applies: 1 damage removes 1 soak point.
For every enemy killed, your Horseman will receive one or several souls in the colors green (replenish HP), yellow (replenish Wrath) and/or blue (replenish Energy). Only those who have destroyed the creature receive souls. An exception to this, however, is a Mini Boss, in which case every Horseman involved receives the same number of souls.
Field of View (FOV)
For ranged attacks and for some abilities, your Horseman must have a free and unobstructed view of the target. Basically: if another figure or obstacle is positioned directly between your Horseman and the target, then no line of sight exists. If figures and/or obstacles do not obstruct the FOV between the Horseman and his target, then the target is considered as seen and may be targeted. You can establish this precisely using a pen or ruler, or just estimate it. If in doubt, the players themselves jointly decide whether the FOV is free or blocked. (The illustration shows a target that is more than 50% visible.)
2. Creature Phase
a) Before the Creature Phase begins, and therefore before you draw the event cards, you calculate the Power Points of your Horsemen. For more details, please see pg. 33 "Power Points and Power Level".
b) Any creatures still Frenzied at the start of the Creature Phase revert to normal, so flip their Creature Cards back over now.
c) In the Creature Phase, there are as many Event Cards drawn from the stock, as Horsemen participating in the scenario; Horsemen who are unable to fight are also counted. Many Event Cards have an Instant Effect instead of spawning creatures. This comes into effect immediately after the card has been drawn. If the Event Cards have all been used, re-shuffle the deck.
IMPORTANT: The appearance of a Zombie Swarm / Rampaging Swarm or a Fleshburster / Ravenous counts as an Instant Effect and not a Spawn, which moves Boss Mobs in the same creature phase!
Move Creatures
d) Next, the highest movement value of the event cards drawn is used to move all the Creatures on the board, whereby Creatures may receive a penalty or bonus applied to their range of movement – see their Creature Cards. (Example: the highest movement value of all event cards is 2.)
IMPORTANT: Creatures always move towards the Horseman positioned nearest to them or who they can see. In addition, the Creatures closest to the Horseman are always moved first, followed by the others.
If two or more Horsemen are the same distance from a Creature, the players decide where the Creature moves. In general, Players decide together which hex spaces will take the Creatures to their destination, provided this is the shortest route to their target. If no Horsemen are visible, the Creatures follow the closest ally in their FOV, after the ally has moved. If no Horsemen are in view, no other enemies within sight have moved, or there are no unoccupied hexes adjacent, the Creature does not move.
Boss Mob enemies: Zombie Swarms / Rampaging Swarm and Fleshbursters / Ravenous are dangerous enemies! They always use the shortest route to move to their target, thereby ignoring Mob enemies; these are removed from the space the Boss Mob enters, and are placed on the square from which the Boss Mob moved!
Mini Bosses: The Phantom Commander / Phantom General and the Goreclaw / Elder Goreclaw have the same movement feature as Boss Mobs, but Mini Bosses can also brush Boss Mobs aside! In addition, Mini Bosses only move if a Horseman is within their range of movement and they can attack him! If a Mini Boss has been attacked, it will move to the nearest attacker in the same turn, even if it cannot reach the attacker with one move.
Spawn Creatures
e) The event cards drawn indicate which Creatures could spawn. To do this, the total number of spawn dice specified on the cards are thrown for each corresponding spawn point in the level.
The new Creatures spawn first on spaces directly adjacent to the Spawn Point. If these are all occupied, then they can appear on the hexes one removed from the spawn point, and then on the twice removed the spawn point. The players decide together in which space a new creature will spawn provided this space is physically connected to the spawn point and is a maximum of 3 spaces away from it. Newly spawned creatures can't move until the next round, but can attack immediately if a Horseman is occupying an adjacent hex space.
IMPORTANT: If a creature can no longer be placed down because all the creatures of this type are already on the board, all these creatures enter Frenzy (turn creature card over) until the start of the next creature phase. Repeat this process for each spawn point of the type specified by the event cards.
Deal Damage
f) Creatures do not roll dice to deal damage, instead always inflicting the damage points indicated on their creature card. If a creature is able to attack more than one Horseman, then the players decide together who will be attacked. If a Horseman receives damage, a soak marker will be removed for each damage point if they have any. If there are no soak markers available, then armor markers will be deducted. If a player has multiple pieces of armor they may decide how to allocate the damage between various equipped armor pieces. Once these have all be used up, the Horseman's HP will be removed, and the Horseman is defeated when there are no more HP left.
Combat Against the Jailer
The battle against an End Boss is always a very special challenge in Darksiders – The Forbidden Land, and that's why specific rules also apply to the battle against the End Boss.
Phase Cards
The Jailer has Phase Cards which it plays in sequence; Event Cards that are used in the normal levels are not used by the Jailer. The number of Phase Cards to be laid out when facing The Jailer depends on many Horsemen are playing. Consult the following list for which cards to use and in which order to lay out those cards for your battle with The Jailer:
- One Horseman: "Jailbreak", "Furious Swing", "Release the Inmates!"
- Two Horsemen: "Jailbreak", "Furious Swing", "Rain of Zombies", "Smash"
- Three Horsemen: "Jailbreak", "Furious Swing", "Rain of Zombies", "Smash", "Release the Inmates!"
- Four Horsemen: "Jailbreak", "Furious Swing", "Rain of Zombies", "Smash", "Release the Inmates!", "Furious Swing"
When preparing the level, first lay out the "Jailbreak" phase card beside the game board. "Furious Swing" is then placed, and then the other cards as described above.
The number of phase cards is also the number of phases in a round. If you compete against the Jailer with two horsemen, then a round is divided into 4 phases.
The following occurs in each phase:
- Boss Phase:
- a. Calculate power points (pg. 33)
- b. Any creatures still Frenzied at the start of the Boss Phase revert to normal, so flip their Creature Cards back over now.
- c. Creatures move according to the movement value on the phase card
- d. Carry out the event on the phase card
- e. Creatures inflict damage (pg 28)
- Player Phase:
- a. Remove temporary effects (pg. 21) from all Horsemen
- b. The Horsemen may now draw up to 3 hand cards
- c. Horsemen may play cards (pg. 21)
At the beginning of your battle with The Jailer place the Phase Marker on "Jailbreak". When you have completed the Boss and Player Phases, place the phase marker on the next card. Do this at the end of each phase, and once you have finished the last phase card place the marker back on the "Jailbreak" card and continue.
IMPORTANT: At the beginning of the first player phase only the Horsemen may draw up to 5 cards from their deck to fill their hands. After this only 3 cards are allowed to be drawn at the beginning of the player phase.
Combat and HP
Unlike other enemies, the Jailer does not inflict a fixed number of damage points. Instead, it has a number of combat dice which are indicated on specific phase cards along with the difficulty for the hit dice roll.
The Jailer can only be injured if it is Stunned. The Jailer is stunned once all of its soak points are removed. For The Jailer's total HP and soak points see The Jailer creature card as they are dependant on how many Riders are in the game.
IMPORTANT: If The Jailer is stunned and loses HP, or if the phase ends, The Jailer recovers all soak points and is no longer stunned.
IMPORTANT: Note that The Jailer only has HP markers with 3 on them. This is because you must hit it for at least 3 damage to remove an HP marker. Good luck!
Spawn Creatures (Jailer)
If the Jailer summons Zombies, it will always throw them in the direction of the Horsemen, thereby ignoring the obstacles in the way. If there is no available space directly next to a Horseman, a Zombie is placed on the nearest available hex space.
In general, Zombies follow all the normal Creature Phase rules apart from movement: as no event cards are used, the range of movement of the Zombies indicated on the Jailer's phase cards determines how you move the Zombies.
If all the Zombies are already on the board, the Zombies will then go into Frenzy when more are summoned. Frenzy continues until the end of the round, and not just to the end of the phase!
When the End Boss is destroyed, all the creatures summoned by the End Boss will also perish.
Additional Rules
Death - Necromancy
Death can use his Necromancy Rider cards to control a creature, as long as it is not Frenzied. The Creature controlled by Death can be moved in the creature phase before any of the other creatures as far as creatures of their type can move. Before the Creatures can inflict damage on the Horsemen, the controlled Creature can attack an opponent with the Damage Points indicated on the Creature Card, whereby it is always itself destroyed and, if the enemy attacked also dies, Death receives their souls in addition to those from the controlled creature. If the creature type controlled would become Frenzied while still under control, the other creatures of this type do but the controlled creature does not. The rest of the enemies view the Creature as an ally, and the Creature may still be attacked and killed by a Horseman.
Strife - Shadow Clones
Strife may use his Shadow Clone Rider card to create a Shadow Clone. When Strife creates a Shadow Clone, he can proceed to use his own cards to move and attack with the Clone in exactly the same way the player moves and attacks with Strife - by discarding cards from their hand. If a Shadow Clone destroys an enemy, Strife will acquire the soul from that enemy. Shadow Clones may also use card abilities. Creatures perceive Shadow Clones as Horsemen and will also attack them. Shadow Clones use Strife's Primary Weapon to attack.
NOTE: Shadow Clones have Soak Points instead of HP. Once all Soak Points are gone the Shadow Clone is destroyed.
Relics
In certain levels Relics may be found on the board. These items originate from ancient times and are extremely valuable: 3 souls per relic, to be precise. Relics neither obstruct the FOV nor block the characters in any way. To pick up a relic from the board, you must be in the same hex space and discard a card from their hand. Players can also exchange relics, if they are in adjacent spaces. The player who receives one, needs to discard a card from their hand. If you don't want to trade the relics you have collected with Vulgrim, you can also take them with you to another level.
'X' Markers
"X" Markers are multi-purpose indicators that have different meanings depending on the level. To find out what they are, please read the level description text. Similar to Relics, "X" Markers obstruct neither the FOV nor movement. To pick up or use an "X" Marker, your Horseman must be located in the same hex space, and you must discard a card.
Vulnerable
A character marked as Vulnerable is one that must be protected by the Horsemen in a level. Vulnerable Characters cannot fight and have neither Armor nor Soak Points.
The challenge with a Vulnerable character is that: a) the Horsemen must use their cards to move the Vulnerable character; b) all enemies advance towards the Vulnerable character, whether they see them or not, and c) all enemies attack the Vulnerable character if they can reach them.
More detailed information about the Vulnerable character can be found in the description of any levels that make use of this mechanic.
Vulgrim & Upgrade-Cards
To trade with Vulgrim, The Soul Merchant, your Horseman must be on a hex space directly adjacent to Vulgrim. You must then discard a card.
Vulgrim offers each Horseman character and weapon upgrades, and you can use him to summon back "destroyed" cards in your deck. You can purchase any number of character upgrades for your Horsemen from Vulgrim and place them next to the Character Board, provided you meet the requirements for the upgrade. However, weapons may only receive one upgrade at a time. If you don't want a new upgrade for your weapon, the old one will be removed and will return to Vulgrim, where you can buy it again. The Summon Card remains with Vulgrim, after you have purchased and used it. You can use Summon as many times as you like, but must always pay the full price for summoning.
Power Points and Power Level
Power Level is a way of scaling the difficulty of the game as you become stronger over the course of play. You start the game at Power Level 0, and as you gain Power Points during the game you will eventually rise in Power Level, keeping the game challenging. You should calculate your Power Points, before every Creature Phase or before each new phase in the combat against the End Boss. Every item equipped and in the inventory (including the basic equipment) counts as 1 Power Point. You also receive Power Points for each upgrade you have purchased from Vulgrim.
| Participants | Power Level 1 (+1 Spawn Die per Creature type) | Power Level 2 (+1 more Spawn Die per Creature type) | Power Level 3 (All Creatures are leveled up) | Power Level 4 (All Creatures receive +1 HP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Horseman | 6 | 11 | 15 | 18 |
| 2 Horsemen | 10 | 15 | 19 | 22 |
| 3 Horsemen | 13 | 18 | 22 | 25 |
| 4 Horsemen | 15 | 20 | 24 | 27 |
EXAMPLE:
- Number of Riders: 4
- Number of Equipment Cards equipped and in Inventory: 12
- Power Points from Vulgrim Cards: Strife: 2+2, Fury: 0, War: 0, Death: 0
- Power Points Total: 12 + 4 = 16
- According to the table, with 4 riders in the game they reach Power Level 1 with 15 Power Points, therefore they are now at Power Level 1.
- Enjoy the extra Spawn Die!
(In the illustration, one Rider's equipment is 7 and another's is 5; 2 Vulgrim Cards give 2 Power Points.)
Power level 1: Once you have drawn the Event Cards, it is determined how many Spawn Dice will be rolled at each Spawn Point for specific Creatures. You now roll an additional Spawn Die for each Creature type. This also applies to the First Spawn and when the End Boss spawns Creatures.
Power level 2: Similar to Power Level 1, but now with a total of +2 Spawn Dice per Creature type!
Power level 3: Exchange the following Creature Cards:
| Normal | Level up |
|---|---|
| Zombie | Bloodthirsty Zombie |
| Minion | Bloodclaw |
| Phantom Guard | Phantom Lieutenant |
| Wraith | Banshee |
| Zombie Swarm | Rampaging Swarm |
| Fleshburster | Ravenous |
| Phantom Commander | Phantom General |
| Goreclaw | Elder Goreclaw |
| Jailer | Unchained Jailer |
Power level 4: All creatures have +1 HP more than is written on their Creature Cards. This includes Boss Mobs and Mini Bosses. The Jailer receives one additional 3 HP marker.
Loot Tile
Many levels contain a Loot Tile. To access the valuable Souls contained within it, your Horseman must be in a hex space next to the Loot Tile, and you must discard a card from your hand to open it. Every Horseman can access the Loot Tile only once per level.
HOW TO:
- The Rider must be in a space adjacent to a Loot Tile.
- The Rider discards a card from their hand to open the Loot Box.
- The Rider receives a chance at all rewards as follows:
- Roll one (brown) die: the number rolled is how many HP the Rider receives.
- Roll two (brown) dice: the total of the numbers shown on both dice is how many Wrath the Rider receives.
- Roll one (red) die: the number rolled is the number of Energy souls the Rider receives.
Destroying Spawn Tiles
Graves and Portals can be destroyed, if this is not otherwise stated in the level description. To do this, your Horseman must be on a space adjacent to the Spawn Tile and deal a specific amount of damage with a single attack. The extent of the damage is stated in the level description. The Horseman who destroys a Spawn Tile receives a reward at the end of the level. The Spawn Tile is flipped and treated as a normal hex space.
Win / Loss
Once you have completed the objective of the level, you can proceed to the next level in the scenario. The discarded cards, not including equipped weapons and gear, as well as "destroyed" cards, are shuffled again and can then be re-used in your deck. You can either shuffle the cards you are still holding back in the deck, keep some of them, or keep all of them in your hand to use in the next level. Once you have completed a level, you may reorganize your inventory, free of charge.
You can lose the game in two ways: if one of the Horsemen has played through his entire deck of cards, before the level objective has been achieved OR when all Horsemen are at 0 HP.
Special and Additional Rules
The following Special and Additional Rules can either be used or ignored; this of course applies to all rules of Darksiders – The Forbidden Land. The fun of all the players should always take priority over the rules!
Respawn Horsemen
If one of your Horsemen loses all his HP, then the Character is removed from the board. Shuffle the cards relevant Horseman's hand with the unused deck of cards; do not touch the discard pile! The Horseman loses all his temporary cards and receives 1 HP, and he can now rearrange his inventory cards free of charge. The Horseman should then reappear at the start square at the next player phase, and you can decide which round they join the game again.
NOTE: It can be very frustrating, if one of the Horsemen dies during the game and you can only watch the others continue playing. You don't have to agree, whether you want to use this rule or not prior to the start of the game; you can also see how it goes and decide when the case arises.
Difficulty Level
Darksiders – The Forbidden Land has been designed to scale the difficulty of the scenarios with the number of participating Horsemen, so the game is therefore no easier to win with three Horsemen than with just two. If that doesn't provide enough thrills, then you can apply this rule.
The points limit of 220 per deck and the hand limit of 5 cards per Horseman correspond to the normal difficulty level. The higher the difficulty level, the lower the card limit for the deck, and the fewer cards can be held by each Horsemen; any gear and/or abilities which increase the hand limit of a Rider function normally.
| Difficulty level | Points limit | Handcards |
|---|---|---|
| easy | 250 | 6 |
| normal | 220 | 5 |
| hard | 190 | 4 |
| nightmare | 160 | 3 |
Friendly Fire
Normally, Riders cannot injure each other. However, some players may find it exciting, challenging or therapeutic to be able to hurt themselves and their siblings with abilities that cause damage in an area. If you choose to use this rule, War's Blade Geyser, Strife's Death Glyph and all other abilities that similarly target an area rather than specific figures will injure other Riders that are in range. Keep in mind that this will also affect Vulnerable characters! Please note that standard Ranged and Melee attacks still only hurt your enemies, and you may not specifically target your fellow Riders when an ability requires a target be declared.
The "Character Scaling" Rule
If you would like to play a specific level without having to play the previous level, then this rule is perfect for you: for every level you skip, each of your Horsemen receives 4 Energy souls and 1 Wrath soul.
You can then search through your deck for any Equipment Cards you want to buy immediately. At the end, your deck will be thoroughly shuffled again.
Game Master Mode
Darksiders – The Forbidden Land is designed to be a cooperative game with all players working together towards a common goal, but a player may decide to act as a Game Master, instead of assuming the role of one of the Horsemen. The Game Master manages the drawing of event cards and moving all creatures. The Game Master may control all creatures free from the standard rules of creature movement and is therefore free to manage them more strategically than may otherwise happen.
Character Preset Decks
War, Horseman of the Red Steed
Starting values: HP 3 (max. 5), Wrath 3 (max. 12), Energy 0 (max. 24). Starting gear: Chaoseater, Battle-Scarred Armor.
Warlord deck (50 cards, 220 points). War is the lord of battles. No enemy can withstand his onslaught!
1x Abyssal Axe; 3x Advanced Blade Geyser; 5x Attack; 1x Battle-Scarred Boots; 1x Battle-Scarred Pauldrons; 2x Block; 2x Chaos Form; 2x Charge; 1x Chronosphere; 2x Counter-Attack; 2x Healing Potion; 2x Immolation; 2x Lucky Break; 1x Mercy; 2x Rage; 2x Ruin; 2x Shadow Flight; 2x Sharpen the Blade...; 2x Shove; 1x Strength Talisman; 2x Ulthane's Boon; 1x Warlord Armor; 1x Warlord Boots; 1x Warlord Gauntlet; 1x Warlord Spaulders; 4x Wrathful Assault; 2x Wrathful Ecstasy
Warlord set: Once the set is complete (Warlord Armor, Warlord Spaulders, Warlord Gauntlets, Warlord Boots), War receives +1 Combat Die for every melee attack.
Defender deck (55 cards, 220 points). War stands like a rock in the surf as waves of attackers break upon him.
1x Abyssal Armor; 1x Abyssal Boots; 1x Abyssal Chain; 1x Abyssal Gauntlet; 1x Abyssal Spaulders; 3x Advanced Blade Geyser; 2x Affliction; 5x Attack; 1x Battle-Scarred Boots; 1x Battle-Scarred Pauldrons; 3x Blade Geyser; 4x Block; 2x Chaos Form; 2x Counter-Attack; 1x Crossblade; 4x Dodge; 4x Healing Potion; 2x Immolation; 2x Lucky Break; 1x Ruin; 4x Sharpen the Blade...; 2x Stoneskin; 1x Strength Talisman; 2x Ulthane's Boon; 4x Wrathful Assault
Abyssal Armor set: Once the set is complete (Abyssal Armor, Abyssal Spaulders, Abyssal Gauntlets, Abyssal Boots), War receives additional Soak Points, which regenerate at the start of each new player phase. (The number is shown by an icon in the original.)
Death, The Pale Horseman
Starting values: HP 3 (max. 5), Wrath 3 (max. 12), Energy 0 (max. 24). Starting gear: Harvester, Reaper Armor. Special token: Necromancy.
Angel of Death deck (50 cards, 220 points). As the Angel of Death, Death cuts all his enemies down with his scythe.
3x Necromancy; 4x Attack; 2x Reaper Form; 2x Red Harvest; 2x Teleport Slash; 4x Dodge; 3x Reaper Storm; 2x Aegis Guard; 2x Death's Blessing; 1x Angel of Death Scythe; 1x Ulthane's Boon; 3x Healing Potion; 1x Chaos Fang; 1x Reaper Spaulders; 1x Reaper Boots; 2x Despair; 1x Heartstone Amulet; 1x Redemption; 1x Lucky Break; 1x Voidwalker; 2x Straighten the Mask...; 3x Destruction; 1x Angel of Death Armor; 1x Angel of Death Spaulders; 1x Angel of Death Boots; 1x Angel of Death Gauntlet; 1x Crown of the Dead; 2x Bloody Ecstasy
Angel of Death set: Once the set is complete (Angel of Death Armor, Angel of Death Spaulders, Angel of Death Gauntlets, Angel of Death Boots), Death can use the [icon] to prevent the creature controlled by necromancy from being destroyed when it attacks.
Crowfather deck (55 cards, 220 points). Death allows his enemies to approach, and then eliminates them.
2x Harbingers of Death; 3x Harvest; 3x Necromancy; 3x Attack; 2x Reaper Form; 3x Red Harvest; 4x Dodge; 2x Murder of Crows; 2x Reaper Storm; 2x Aegis Guard; 3x Block; 3x Death's Blessing; 1x Ulthane's Boon; 2x Healing Potion; 1x Mortis; 1x Reaper Spaulders; 1x Crow Armor; 1x Crow Gauntlet; 1x Reaper Boots; 1x Despair; 1x Crow Spaulders; 1x Executioner's Hooks; 1x Heartstone Amulet; 1x Crow Boots; 1x Redemption; 2x Lucky Break; 4x Straighten the Mask...; 2x Destruction; 1x Bloody Ecstasy
Crowfather set: Once the set is complete (Crow Armor, Crow Spaulders, Crow Gauntlets, Crow Boots), the Flock of Crows (using the "Harbinger of Death" and "Murder of Crows" card) will be boosted by 2 Combat Dice. Death can also discard a card to take one of the named cards from the discard pile back into his hand.
Fury
Starting values: HP 3 (max. 5), Wrath 3 (max. 12), Energy 0 (max. 24). Starting gear: Scorn, Ember Armor.
Inferno deck (55 cards, 220 points). Like an inferno, Fury storms ahead and consumes anything and anyone who gets in her way.
3x Attack; 3x Block; 6x Breathe Deeply...; 3x Claw Attack; 1x Ember Boots; 1x Ember Spaulders; 2x Flame Dance; 2x Giant Lava Beetle; 2x Great Leap; 2x Healing Potion; 2x Inferno; 3x Jump; 2x Lava Beetle; 2x Lava Form; 1x Lucky Break; 1x Magma Armor; 1x Magma Boots; 1x Magma Gauntlet; 1x Magma Spaulders; 1x Nemesis; 3x Outburst; 1x Rampage; 2x Smash; 1x Sprinter Talisman; 1x Ulthane's Boon; 3x Whip Swing; 3x Whiplash; 1x Wrath Focus
Inferno set: Once the set is complete (Magma Armor, Magma Spaulders, Magma Gauntlets, Magma Boots), Fury can sacrifice 1 Wrath in each of her battles after the combat dice have been cast to inflict 1 additional damage.
Nemesis deck (55 cards, 220 points). Fury allows her enemies to approach, and then beats them mercilessly!
4x Attack; 3x Block; 5x Breathe Deeply...; 1x Claw Attack; 4x Dodge; 1x Ember Boots; 1x Ember Spaulders; 1x Flame Armor; 1x Flame Boots; 1x Flame Dance; 1x Flame Gauntlet; 1x Flame Spaulders; 2x Great Leap; 2x Healing Potion; 2x Inferno; 2x Jump; 1x Lance of Scorn; 2x Lava Form; 2x Lucky Break; 2x Nemesis; 3x Outburst; 1x Rampage; 1x Salvation; 3x Smash; 1x Sprinter Talisman; 1x Ulthane's Boon; 2x Whip Swing; 4x Whiplash
Nemesis set: Once the set is complete (Flame Armor, Flame Spaulders, Flame Gauntlets, Flame Boots), the ability of the "Nemesis" card costs only 2 Wrath. Fury can also discard a card to take a Nemesis card from the discard pile back into her hand.
Strife
Starting values: HP 3 (max. 5), Wrath 3 (max. 12), Energy 0 (max. 24). Starting gear: Mercy, Redemption. Special tokens: Death Glyph Marker, Shadow Clones, Teleport Point Marker.
Storm deck (55 cards, 220 points). Strife has come to restore balance. There's no safe hiding place from him!
5x Attack; 2x Chaos; 2x Death Glyph; 2x Dodge; 5x Dual Wield; 3x Focus; 2x Gravity Shot; 5x Grin evilly...; 2x Healing Potion; 2x Lava Shot; 2x Lucky Break; 1x Murder Talisman; 2x Nature Shot; 3x Quickdraw; 1x Shadow Holster; 1x Stealth Armor; 1x Stealth Boots; 1x Stealth Spaulders; 2x Synergy; 1x Tempest Boots; 1x Tempest Cloak; 1x Tempest Spaulders; 1x Tempest Talisman; 2x Void Bomb; 3x Wild Shootout; 2x World Ender Beam
Tempest deck set: Once the set is complete (Tempest Cloak, Tempest Spaulders, Tempest Talisman, Tempest Boots), Strife can ignore all other characters and obstacles when he moves. His move must end in an unoccupied space.
Shadow deck (55 cards, 220 points). Strife controls the shadows and makes them fight for him. Woe to anyone who dares approach him!
6x Attack; 2x Block; 1x Chaos; 1x Death Glyph; 4x Dodge; 3x Focus; 1x Ghost Hook; 1x Gravity Shot; 5x Grin evilly...; 2x Healing Potion; 2x Lava Shot; 3x Lucky Break; 1x Murder Talisman; 1x Nature Shot; 2x Quickdraw; 1x Shadow Armor; 1x Shadow Boots; 2x Shadow Clone; 2x Shadow Form; 1x Shadow Holster; 1x Shadow Spaulders; 1x Shadow Talisman; 1x Shortsword; 1x Stealth Armor; 1x Stealth Boots; 1x Stealth Spaulders; 2x Synergy; 2x Ulthane's Boon; 1x Void Bomb; 2x Wild Shootout
Shadow deck set: Once the set is complete (Shadow Armor, Shadow Spaulders, Shadow Talisman, Shadow Boots), Shadow Clones receive 2 additional Soak Points. Strife can also discard a card to take a Shadow Clone card from the discard pile back into his hand.
Quick Rules
Remove temporary effects from all Horsemen (pg. 21: "temporary effects").
Draw hand up to 5 cards. A player's hand may be laid open on the table, to facilitate coordination with other players against your enemies.
Play Cards. All players take their turn at the same time. Try to defeat enemies and prevent them from being able to attack you during the Creature Phase! Cards in a player's hand may be used for one of the following:
- Pay cost (where applicable) to use the ability printed on the card
- Movement according to the card's movement value
- Attack (each successful roll according to the chosen weapon's Difficulty can deal 1 damage)
- Reorganize your inventory
- Open a Loot Box
- Pick up/use a "X" marker
- Pick up a relic
- Accept a relic or "X" marker from another player
- Trade with Vulgrim
End of Player Phase: When all players have taken any actions they desire and agree they are finished. Begin Creature Phase.
Calculate Power Points (pg. 33: "Power Points and Power Level"). See the Power Level table above.
Remove Frenzy from Creatures (flip Creature Card to non-Frenzied side).
Draw as many Event Cards as there are Horsemen in the game. Instant effects occur in the order they are drawn.
Move all creatures according to the event card drawn this round with the highest movement value (pg. 26: "Move Creatures").
Spawn New Creatures: Up to 3 spaces out from the specified spawn point, starting with the closest and moving outwards.
Creatures Inflict Damage: Creatures will attack one Rider in an adjacent space. If a creature is adjacent to multiple Riders, the players decide which Rider is attacked. Riders take damage in the following order: first Soak Points, then Armor Points (), and finally HP. ( If a Rider has multiple pieces of armor they may allocate the damage between multiple pieces as they choose.)
End of Creature Phase: begin Player Phase.
Quick Start Guide
Start a New Game
- Choose: Each Player picks which Rider to take control of.
- Equip: Search through your Rider's deck for their Starting Equipment (pg. 40-46: "Starting gear").
- Deck: Choose which Deck (pg. 41-47: "Preset decks") you would like to use and take all the cards with the related icon. You may also choose to create your own custom deck (pg. 18: "own deck").
- Armor: Place Armor Points in the amount listed on the cards on each equipped piece of armor.
- Track: Place the HP soul tracker on 3. Place the Wrath soul tracker on 3. Place the Energy soul tracker to the side as you start with 0.
- Board: Players select a Scenario Level and set up the board as indicated in the Campaign Book.
- Start: Place your riders on the Start Tile.
- First Spawn: Draw as many Event Cards as there are Riders playing. Spawn all creatures required. Any Event Cards that do not cause creatures to be spawned are ignored during the First Spawn.
- Player Phase: The Player Phase may now start and the game begins.
Start a New Level
- Soak Markers: Remove all Soak Markers received during the previous level.
- Hand: Discard any unwanted cards remaining in a Player's hand from the previous level. A Player may choose to keep all, some or none of the cards in their hand from the previous level.
- Deck: Shuffle all cards from the Player's deck and discard pile together, being sure not to include any Destroyed cards.
- Inventory: Players may re-organise their Inventory at no cost at the beginning of a new level.
- Tokens: All Soul trackers, "X" Marker and Relic Tokens remain unchanged from the end of the previous level.
FAQs
Q: Do you have to play cards in every round? A: No, you don't have to play cards in every round.
Q: I have more than 5 cards in my hand. Do I have to discard the extra cards? A: No. However, no cards may be drawn at the start of the player phase.
Q: Can I pass through a hex space which is occupied by another Horseman? A: No. Even friendly characters are blocking the hex space they are occupying. The exception to this is, if a player is using an ability or piece of equipment which specifically states that a player may move through or over occupied spaces.
Q: Do Spawn Tiles (Graves and Portals) obstruct movement and the FOV? A: Yes. Every Spawn tile counts as an obstacle to movement and the field of view. Grave and Portal spaces cannot be accessed using abilities like Teleporting or Jumping.
Q: What is the value of the margins and the empty areas on the board? A: Unless otherwise stated in the level description, the margins and the free areas cannot be accessed. All the Characters can see and shoot through these spaces, but cannot pass through them. You can, however, access spaces beyond them, using abilities like Shadow Flight, Voidwalker or Teleport Slash, where your feet don't touch the ground in between.
Q: Can Horsemen combine their Combat Dice against a target? A: No. Every Horseman deals damage individually.
Q: Can I use a ranged combat weapon to also attack enemies standing right in front of my Horseman? A: Yes. Even opponents in a hex space immediately adjacent to the hex space of the Horseman, are valid targets for a ranged weapon.
Q: I exchange my armor for new armor. What happens with the Armor Markers on my old armor? A: The Armor Markers remain on the armor items that are currently unequipped. However, these Armor Markers may not be used.
Q: What happens to the souls I have received for a defeated enemy, if I have already reached the maximum for these souls? A: They simply vanish.
Q: I have worn the Heartstone Talisman which has raised my HP maximum by 2, and I have received an additional 2 HP. What happens if I discard the Talisman again? A: The HP maximum will be reduced again, and the 2 additional HP will also disappear. It is therefore not advisable to discard the Talisman if the Horseman has fewer than 3 HP.
Q: All hex spaces with a radius of 3 squares around a spawn point are occupied. Does a Zombie Swarm or Fleshburster still appear? A: Yes. Find another free square on which the Zombie Swarm or Fleshburster may appear one space removed from the spawn point.
Q: Can Zombie Swarms and Fleshbursters enter into Frenzy when they are supposed to appear, but the characters are already on the board? A: No. In this case, the instant effect of the event card is ignored.
Q: We have played through the stack of event cards. What happens now? A: The event cards are shuffled and used again.
Q: We have played through the level. What happens to the cards remaining in our hands? A: You take your hand with you to the next level, but you can decide in advance if you want to discard some or all of them. You may decide not to discard any of your cards.
Q: Some cards are destroyed once they are used. What does this mean? A: The special abilities of these powerful cards can only be used once, then they are placed on a separate stack next to your discard pile. They are not shuffled back into the pack when you reach the next level. If you use these cards for one move only, etc. they are not considered destroyed, and will instead be placed on the discard pile. You can use Vulgrim to summon destroyed cards back.
Q: Can Riders move onto spaces with Graves and Portals? Do they block Field of View? A: Graves and Portals block movement but not the Field of View. Once they are destroyed they are treated as normal board spaces.