Greece Lightning Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Prepare the Racecourse
  • Prepare Players
  • Place Lap Counter
  • Prepare Favors
  • Place Ships
  • Golden Fleece
• Overview
• Gameplay
• Roll Dice
  • Navigation Roll
  • First Movement Roll
  • Optional Second Movement Roll
  • Total Movement
  • Example: Dice Rolls
• Place Wedges
• Move Ship
  • Wake Token
• Reveal Favors
  • Example: Player Turn
• End of Round
• End of Game
• Bonuses & Obstacles
  • Fish
  • Favor of the Gods
  • Wedge
  • +3 Speed Boost
  • Starting Line
  • Charybdis Whirlpool
  • Scylla Whirlpool
  • Hydra
• Spending Fish
  • Reroll Navigation Die
  • Reroll Second Movement Die
  • Pass Obstacles

Components

• 1 Starting Line wedge & Central piece
• 28 Racecourse wedges
• 4 Player boards
• 1 Lap Counter board
• 4 Navigation dice (numbered 1 to 3)
• 8 Movement dice (numbered 1 to 6)
• 8 Ships (2 of each color)
• 4 Wake tokens (1 of each color)
• 16 Fish tokens
• 36 Favor of the Gods cards
• 1 Golden Fleece token

Setup

Prepare the Racecourse

1. Find all 12 wedges marked with the 4 starting symbols along the edge. Sort them by symbol into sets of 3.
2. Take each symbol set and lay its 3 wedges out in a random order, so that they form one quarter of a circle. When you have done this for all 4 symbols, you should have 4 separate quarter circles, each made up of 3 wedges.
3. Join the 4 quarters together to form a complete circle. You can arrange the quarters in any order (as long as you keep the wedges grouped together by symbol).
4. Randomly place the Starting Line wedge on top of one of the 12 wedges and insert the Central piece.
5. Shuffle the remaining Racecourse wedges and place them in a facedown stack near the racecourse.

Prepare Players

6. Each player chooses a color and takes the following pieces in that color:

   • 1 Player board
   • 2 Ships
   • 1 Wake token

   In addition, each player takes 1 Navigation die, 2 Movement dice, and 2 Fish (for a difficult game, take only 1 Fish).

7. Each player places their Wake token and 1 Ship near the Starting Line. (Do not place them on the racecourse just yet!)

Place Lap Counter

8. Place the Lap Counter board near the racecourse. Each player places 1 Ship on the "Start" space of the Lap Counter board. This will act as their Lap marker.

Prepare Favors

9. Search the Favor of the Gods deck and find the following 4 cards that say "Starter" on top:

   • 1 Demeter Favor
   • 1 Apollo Favor
   • 1 Hephaestus Favor
   • 1 Janus Favor

10. Shuffle these 4 Favor cards and deal 1 card to each player. Each player places their card faceup in one of the slots on their board. If you are playing with fewer than 4 players, return the leftover cards to the Favor deck.

11. Shuffle the Favor deck and place it facedown near the racecourse.

Place Ships

12. Each starting Favor card dealt is numbered from 1 to 4. Starting with the player with the lowest number, they choose a dot on the Starting Line and place their Ship with their Wake token under it. Then, the player with the next lowest numbered Favor card chooses another dot on the Starting Line to place their Ship and Wake token. This continues until all players have placed their Ships and Wake tokens on different Starting Line dots.

Note: The Starting Line wedge shows icons for Fish, Wedges, and Favors. Ignore these icons during setup: players will receive these bonuses when their Ships land on or cross the Starting Line wedge.

Golden Fleece

13. Give the Golden Fleece token to the player that placed their Ship last. They will be the starting player in the first round.

Golden Fleece Token: The Golden Fleece token doubles the amount shown on the Navigation die, granting the starting player extra movement and extending that player's Hydra protection (see "Bonuses and Obstacles" on p. 10).

Transcriber's note: the source prints "Gloden Fleece" once, under Roll Dice; it is transcribed here as "Golden Fleece".

Overview

Each round, all players will roll dice simultaneously, then the player with the Golden Fleece token takes their turn, doing the following actions in this order: Place Wedges, Move Ship, Reveal Favors. When they are done, the player next in clockwise order takes their turn.

At the end of a round, the Golden Fleece token is passed to the player in last place.

Gameplay

The game is played in rounds. Each round, players take the following actions in sequence:

• Roll Dice: All players simultaneously roll their dice.
• Player Turns: The player with the Golden Fleece token will take their turn first and do the following three actions in order:
  • a. Place Wedges: Place the Racecourse wedges they drew on their previous turn.
  • b. Move Ship: Move their Ship on the Racecourse.
  • c. Reveal Favors: Reveal Favor of the Gods cards they drew during movement.

When a player has done all three actions, play passes to the next player in clockwise order, who now takes their turn.

After every player has taken a turn, the round is over and the player in last place receives the Golden Fleece token: they will be the starting player for the next round.

Roll Dice

At the start of each round, all players simultaneously roll their dice to determine how far they can move on their turn. (If players choose, they can take turns rolling their dice, starting with the Golden Fleece player and going clockwise.)

Your Ship's movement will be the total of all of the dice on your Player board. However, you must be careful not to bust, as if you do, you will lose both of your Movement dice!

Each player must roll their dice in the following order: Navigation Roll, First Movement Roll, Optional Second Movement Roll, then Total Movement.

Navigation Roll

First, roll your Navigation die. Place your result on the Hydra space on your Player board.

• Spend Fish to Reroll: You can spend a Fish to reroll your Navigation die (see "Spending Fish" on p. 12).

First Movement Roll

Next, roll one of your Movement dice. Place your result on the first Movement space on your Player board.

Optional Second Movement Roll

Next, choose whether to roll your second Movement die. If you roll your second Movement die, compare the results on both your Movement dice:

• Success: If your second Movement die is equal to or higher than your first, you're successful! Place your second Movement die on your Player board.
• Bust: If your second Movement die is lower than your first, you bust! Remove both Movement dice from your Player board and set them aside until next round. (This does not affect your Navigation die.)
• Spend Fish to Reroll: You can spend a Fish to reroll your second Movement die and avoid busting (see "Spending Fish" on p. 12).

Total Movement

Add together the results of all dice on your Player board to determine your total movement for the round:

• If you did not roll your second Movement die: Add together your Navigation die and your first Movement die.
• If you rolled your second Movement die successfully: Add together your Navigation die and both your Movement dice.
• If you busted: Count only your Navigation die.

Example: Dice Rolls

At the start of a round, Ollie and Lucy both roll their dice to determine their movement.

Ollie rolls a 3 on his Navigation die, then gets a 4 on his first Movement die. He decides that 7 movement is enough, so he doesn't roll a second Movement die, to avoid busting.

Lucy gets a 1 on her Navigation die and a 3 on her first Movement die. She decides to risk rolling a second die and gets a 2 - she busts!

Luckily, she has a Fish on her Player board, so she spends it to reroll her second Movement die. This time she gets a 5, which is higher than her 3, so she's safe. Her total Movement for the round is 1 + 3 + 5 = 9!

Note: Players only roll and total their dice at this point, but do not actually move their Ships until the second step of their turn.

Once all players have finished rolling their dice, each player, starting with the player who has the Golden Fleece, and going clockwise, takes their three actions in order.

Place Wedges

If you drew any Racecourse wedges on your previous turn, place each of them one at a time on the racecourse, following the rules below:

• You must place each wedge so it lines up with the wedge below it.
• You may not place on top of the Starting Line wedge.
• You may not place on top of a wedge with a player's Ship.
• There is no limit to the number of wedges that can be stacked on each other.

Note: In a 3-4 player game, you may not draw or place more than 1 wedge each turn and in a 2-player game, you may not draw or place more than 2 wedges each turn.

Move Ship

Move your Ship across the racecourse a number of dots equal to your total Movement roll (if you have the Golden Fleece token, remember to double the amount shown on your Navigation die). The following rules apply:

• Racecourse: You must always move clockwise along the printed paths on the racecourse. You may never move "backwards."
• Distance: Each move from one dot to the next uses 1 point of the total movement on your dice. You must use your entire movement (you may not choose to use only part of the total movement you rolled).
• Intersections: If more than one path leads out of your dot, you may choose which of them to take. (Remember you must always travel clockwise.)
• Bonuses and Obstacles: During your movement, you may encounter one or more bonuses or obstacles printed on the racecourse. Each time you do, you must fully resolve the bonus or obstacle before continuing (see "Bonuses and Obstacles" on p. 10).
• Other Ships: If you encounter another player's Ship during your movement, skip over the dot it occupies. Do not count that dot towards your total movement. You are not affected by any obstacles or bonuses on the dot you skip over. (The Starting Line is an exception. If you skip over a player on the Starting Line, you still gain 1 Fish, 1 Favor of the Gods card, and 1 wedge.)
• Favors: If you have a Favor of the Gods card faceup on your Player board that affects movement, you may use and discard it at any time during your movement.

Wake Token

Your Wake token helps you keep track of how far you've moved during your turn. Once you've finished moving, move your Wake token to your current dot and place it under your Ship.

Reveal Favors

During movement, you may draw up to 2 Favor of the Gods cards from bonuses you encounter.

Favors you draw during movement are kept facedown in front of you. After you finish moving, reveal each Favor you drew, one at a time, and do the following:

• If the Favor has a lightning bolt, use it immediately.
• If the Favor has a boat, place it faceup in a Favor slot on your Player board. If you do not have an empty Favor slot, you may discard a Favor and place this one in its place, or discard the newly revealed Favor.
• If the Favor has a trident, choose another player to place it on their Player board (if both of their Favor slots are filled, that player must discard a Favor card of their choice to make room for it).

All Favors are discarded after you use them. Place used Favors in the discard pile next to the deck. If the deck is ever empty, shuffle the discard pile to make a new deck.

Example: Player Turn

At the start of his turn, Perry has 1 wedge to place (which he drew on his last turn) and 3 movement to use.

He starts by placing the wedge. There is a Hydra on the wedge, so he decides to place it two wedges ahead of his opponent, Ollie, in order to slow him down.

Next, he moves his Ship 3 dots. This lets him pick up an extra Fish bonus and draw 1 Favor of the Gods card, which he places facedown in front of himself.

Once he's finished moving, he flips his Favor card faceup. It has a boat icon, so he places it in an open Favor slot on his board. He'll be able to use it on a future turn.

End of Round

After each player has taken a turn, all players clear their dice from their boards. Determine which player is in last place. This player takes the Golden Fleece and becomes the new starting player for the next round.

Note: If multiple players are on the "last place" wedge, the player furthest from the center of the map (the Hydra's body) is furthest behind.

End of Game

Each time a player crosses the Starting Line, they advance their marker on the Lap Counter. If a player completes their second lap on their turn, the remaining players finish the round so that everyone has had an equal number of turns. Then the game ends.

The player whose Ship is furthest past the Starting Line at the end of the game is the winner!

Note: If multiple players are on the "first place" wedge, the player closest to the center of the map (the Hydra's body) is furthest ahead.

Bonuses & Obstacles

As your Ship moves, you will encounter bonuses and obstacles printed on the map. Each time you do, fully resolve the bonus or obstacle before continuing.

Fish

Take 1 Fish from the supply and place it on your Player board. You may have no more than 3 Fish on your Player board. If you already have 3 Fish, you may not take any more.

Favor of the Gods

Draw 1 Favor of the Gods card and place it facedown in front of you, without looking at it. You will reveal it at the end of your turn. You may draw no more than 2 Favors on your turn. If you already have 2 facedown Favors in front of you, do not draw any more.

Wedge

Take 1 Racecourse wedge from the stack and place it faceup in front of you. You will place it at the start of your next turn (see "Place Wedges" on p. 10). You may draw no more than 1 wedge in a 3-4 player game or 2 wedges in a 2-player game on your turn. If you already have 1 wedge (3-4 players) or 2 wedges (2 player) do not draw any more.

+3 Speed Boost

Add three movement to your current movement.

Starting Line

Whenever you land on or cross the Starting Line, advance your Lap marker on the Lap Counter board. Then take 1 Fish, 1 Racecourse wedge, and 1 Favor of the Gods card. If you skip over another Ship on the Starting Line, you still gain this bonus.

Charybdis Whirlpool

A Charybdis Whirlpool has paths numbered 1 to 3. When you encounter a Charybdis Whirlpool, you must choose a path that matches the number on at least 1 of your dice. If your Navigation die is your only die that matches a path, you must take that path.

Note: If you land on a Charybdis Whirlpool at the end of your movement, do not choose a path until your next turn.

Scylla Whirlpool

Each Scylla Whirlpool has paths showing 0, 1, and 2 Fish. When you encounter a Scylla Whirlpool, you must spend the number of Fish shown on the path you choose to take. If you have no Fish, you must take the 0 Fish path.

Note: If you land on a Scylla Whirlpool at the end of your movement, do not choose a path until your next turn.

Hydra

When you encounter a Hydra, you must spend 1 Fish to feed it. If you are able to feed the Hydra and have movement remaining, you may continue moving normally. (If you land on the Hydra at the end of your movement, you must still spend 1 Fish.)

If you encounter a Hydra and you have no Fish, you must spend the rest of your turn battling it, and you lose all remaining movement. You may move off of the Hydra normally at the start of your next turn.

• Hydra Protection: If you encounter a Hydra and the number of dots you have moved so far this turn is equal to or less than the number on your Navigation die (or double the number on the Navigation die if you possess the Golden Fleece), you may ignore its effect and continue moving normally.

Spending Fish

You may have up to 3 Fish on your Player board. You may spend Fish in the following ways by removing the Fish from your board and returning it to the supply.

Reroll Navigation Die

After rolling your Navigation die, you may spend 1 Fish to reroll it. You may repeat this until you run out of Fish. You cannot go back to a previous result after rerolling.

Once you roll your first Movement die, you can no longer spend Fish to reroll your Navigation die.

Reroll Second Movement Die

After rolling your second Movement die, you may spend 1 Fish to reroll it (whether or not your roll was a bust). You may repeat this until you run out of Fish. You cannot go back to a previous result after rerolling.

You may never reroll your first Movement die.

Pass Obstacles

If you encounter a Hydra, you must spend 1 Fish to feed it, if you have one. If you encounter a Scylla Whirlpool, you may spend 1 or 2 Fish to take the alternate paths.