The Guardians of Haversack Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview and Goal of the Game
• Game Components
• Setup
• Course of Play
• Positioning the Creatures
• Phase 1 - Scout
• Phase 2 - Adventure
  • Moving the Guardians
  • Special Spaces and Tokens
  • Special Abilities of the Guardians
  • Chests and Items
• Phase 3 - Glory
• Phase 4 - Recruitment
• Phase 5 - End of Round
• End of the Game
• A Few Tips...

Overview and Goal of the Game

Each player leads an expedition of Guardians, traveling across the kingdom of Haversack to lift the curse of the witch Aster Morgane. There are many tasks to accomplish: fighting monsters to free them from the curse, discovering treasure chests, rebuilding Villages, or capturing Fairies... All of these activities earn Glory. At the end of each round, Glory earns players victory points and lets them recruit new Guardians to improve their Expedition bag. At the end of the game, the player with the most victory points is declared the winner.

Game Components

• 88 Guardian tokens: 12 Guides, 24 Warriors, 16 Thieves, 16 Priestesses, 10 Druids, and 10 Huntresses
• 1 score board
• 112 Creature pawns, including 28 Fairies and 84 Monsters (52 Foxes, 16 Crocodiles, and 16 Pigs)
• 6 double-sided Guardian tiles (Day / Night)
• 28 Gold coins: 20 x 1 Gold and 8 x 5 Gold
• 28 Scout cards: 7 Fairies, 13 Foxes, 4 Crocodiles, and 4 Pigs
• 12 Tent tokens
• 4 sets of pieces (1 per player), each including:
  • 1 Expedition bag in the player's color
  • 1 double-sided Adventure board (Summer / Winter)
  • 10 Village tokens in the player's color
  • 10 Chest tokens in the player's color
  • 1 score marker in the player's color

Setup

Place the score board at the center of the table. Set the Guardian tiles next to the score board. These double-sided tiles show the abilities of the Guardians for the game. Randomly select which face of each tile will be used.

First game: place all Guardian tiles on their Day face.

Once all players are familiar with the game, it is possible to jointly choose, for each tile, which face to use.

Each player takes a set of pieces in the color of their choice (1 Adventure board, 1 score marker, 10 Village tokens, 10 Chest tokens, and 1 Expedition bag). Before the game begins, the players decide together which side of the board (Summer or Winter) they will all use for the game.

First game: all players use the Summer side.

Players shuffle their 10 Chest tokens without looking at them, then place them face down on the 10 corresponding spaces of their board. They place their 10 Village tokens on the 10 corresponding spaces, in the Village column on the right side of their board. Each player puts their score marker near the score track on the score board. Each player takes their Expedition bag and fills it with the following Guardians:

• 1 Guide
• 2 Warriors
• 1 Priestess
• 1 Thief

Gather the remaining Guardian tokens into a general Guardian supply, accessible to all players. Then form a Creature supply with all the Creature pawns, as well as a Gold supply with all the Gold coins.

Finally, one player is designated as the Scout: they will be responsible for bringing Creatures into play during the game. They take the 28 Scout cards and shuffle them without looking at them. They arrange them, in front of themselves, into 5 face-down piles of 5 cards.

They reveal the remaining 3 cards at random and place the corresponding Creatures, in order, on spaces 1, 2, and 3 located around the Castle, at the center of their Adventure board. The other players do the same, taking the corresponding Creatures from the supply and placing them on the same spaces of their own Adventure board. All players begin the game with the same configuration.

Course of Play

A game takes place over 5 rounds, each made up of the following 5 phases:

1. Scout
2. Adventure
3. Glory
4. Recruitment
5. End of Round

In each phase, all players play simultaneously. There is no turn order. Once the 5 phases have been completed, players move on to the next round. If it was the fifth round, the game ends and players proceed to final scoring. The player with the most victory points is declared the winner.

Positioning the Creatures

Each Creature is identified by a colored letter or number. The color indicates which quarter of the board the Creature appears in. The letter or number indicates where the Creature must be positioned.

• Fairies are identified by numbers and are always placed on Groves.
• Monsters are identified by letters and are always placed on Huts.

If a player must place a Creature on a space that contains a Tent token, they place it in the gains area, at the top left of their board instead. It will be counted with the other Creatures during Phase 3 - Glory (see below).

Example: Sabrina reveals a Scout card and announces out loud: "we place a Pig on yellow Hut R."

Phase 1 - Scout

The player with the Scout role takes one of the remaining piles of 5 Scout cards in front of them.

They reveal the 5 cards one after another. For each one, they announce out loud, to the other players, the type of Creature shown on the card (Fairy, Fox, Crocodile, or Pig), as well as its position on the board. Each player takes, from the supply, a pawn of the Creature in question and places it on their own board, at the indicated spot.

When all 5 cards of a pile have been drawn and the Creatures have been placed, players move on to the next phase.

Phase 2 - Adventure

Players simultaneously draw the Guardian tokens from their Expedition bag, one at a time, at random, until their bag is empty. Each time a player draws a Guardian, they play it on their Adventure board and may use its special ability. They then draw another Guardian at random, and so on. At any time, a player may look inside their bag to check which Guardians they still have left.

When all players have played all the Guardians from their Expedition bag, players move on to the next phase.

Moving the Guardians

When a player draws a Guardian, they begin by carrying out its movement. Each Guardian's movement ability is shown on the Guardian tile placed next to the central board.

Example: Marceau draws a Warrior, who has a movement ability of 2 spaces.

The player chooses the Guardian's starting point on their board: the Castle, another Guardian already present on the board, or a Tent token. They then move their Guardian in the direction of their choice.

Example: Marceau moves his Thief starting from a Guardian already present on the board.

The Guardian must move at least one space but is never required to use the full extent of its movement. Movement is orthogonal; it is not possible to move the Guardian diagonally. It may change direction at any point during its movement. A Guardian cannot pass through a space occupied by another Guardian, nor stop there.

Special Spaces and Tokens

The Adventure board contains several special spaces and tokens that affect the Guardians' movement and actions.

Forests — When a Guardian enters a Forest space, it stops immediately, even if it has not used the full extent of its movement.

Lakes — A Guardian cannot stop on a Lake space, nor pass through it.

Chests — All Guardians can move onto and through a Chest, but only Thieves are able to open them (see Special Abilities of the Guardians, below).

Monsters — Only Warriors can move onto a space containing a Monster. When a Warrior enters a Monster's space, it ends its movement and eliminates the Monster (see Special Abilities of the Guardians, below). Take the Monster pawn and place it in your gains area, at the top left of your board. It will earn you Glory during Phase 3 - Glory. Other Guardians are not allowed to enter a Monster's space.

Fairies — All Guardians can move onto a space containing a Fairy. When a Guardian enters a Fairy's space, it ends its movement and captures the Fairy. Immediately take the Fairy pawn and place it in your gains area, at the top left of your board. It will earn you Glory during Phase 3 - Glory.

Villages — All Guardians can move onto a Village space. By ending its movement on a destroyed Village, the Guardian repairs it. Immediately take the highest available Village token in the Village column of your board and place it beneath your Guardian. This Village will earn you Glory during Phase 3 - Glory.

Example: Romane moves her Guide onto a Village. She takes the first available Village token and places it beneath her Guide.

All Guardians can move freely across Villages, whether repaired or not.

Finally, Hut, Chest, and Grove spaces have no effect on Guardian movement when they are empty.

Special Abilities of the Guardians

Each Guardian has a special ability, shown on its corresponding Guardian tile, next to the score board. The ability depends on which face of the tile is being used, identified by its background: Day or Night.

Reminder: the face used for each Guardian tile is determined once and for all at the start of the game.

Guide

• Day: At the end of the round, place a Tent token beneath each of your Guides. This Tent token becomes a new starting point for your Guardians, for the following round only.

  Example: Fred's Guide finished its movement on a Hut, so he places a Tent token on this Hut at the end of the round.

• Night: After finishing its movement, the Guide may capture a Fairy at a distance of 2 spaces orthogonally (but not diagonally), regardless of any obstacles between it and the Fairy. This ends its movement. In the Night version, the Guide does not place Tents.

  Example: Fred's Guide is 2 spaces away from the Fairy. He uses his special ability to capture her.

Warrior

• Day: The Warrior is the only Guardian able to move onto a Monster's space. When a Warrior enters a Monster's space, it ends its movement and eliminates the Monster. Take the Monster pawn and place it on the left side of your Adventure board, in the gains area. It will earn you Glory during Phase 3 - Glory.

• Night: The Warrior can enter Fox and Crocodile spaces to eliminate them. However, she cannot enter Pig spaces and therefore cannot eliminate them normally. She may still do so with a Sword or a Bow found in a chest, like the other Guardians.

Huntress

• Day: At the end of her movement, the Huntress may shoot an arrow toward a Monster to eliminate it. The shot travels in a straight line, in any direction but not diagonally. It is blocked by other Guardians, Fairies, Monsters, Villages, and Forests, but can pass over Lakes, Huts, Groves, and Chests. The Huntress cannot move onto a space containing a Monster; she must eliminate it from a distance.

  Example: Sabrina's Huntress can shoot and eliminate the Fox located above her. She cannot eliminate the Crocodile to her right since the Fairy is in the line of fire.

• Night: At the end of her movement, the Huntress may shoot an arrow toward a Monster to eliminate it (as with the Day version of the Huntress). Each time she eliminates a Monster at a distance, the Huntress immediately earns 1 victory point.

Priestess

• Day: Instead of moving, the Priestess may take the place of another Guardian (except another Priestess) already present on the board. That Guardian is immediately returned to your Expedition bag and will therefore be played again this round. If you use the Priestess's special ability, she cannot move.

• Night: Once the Priestess's movement is finished, you may return to your Expedition bag a Guardian (except another Priestess) that is on the same row or column as her, regardless of any obstacles between her and that Guardian. This Guardian will be played again this round. If there is no Guardian on the same column or row as the Priestess, her special ability has no effect.

  Example: The Priestess has finished her movement. Marceau uses her special ability to return the Warrior to his bag.

Thief

• Day: He is the only one able to open Chests. When a Thief ends his movement on a space containing a Chest token, take it and place it face up next to your Adventure board. Each Chest contains an Item usable during the game (see how Items work on the following page). In addition, each opened Chest, whether it was used or not, earns 2 victory points at the end of the game.

• Night: The Thief always opens chests but only moves in a straight line. He may move as many spaces as you like, but he cannot enter a Monster's space or a Lake space, and Forest spaces end his movement.

  Example: The Thief cannot open the chest because his movement is stopped by the forest.

Druid

• Day: He may move while ignoring terrain restrictions. He is not required to stop in Forests and may pass over Lakes. He is allowed to end his movement on a Lake but cannot enter a space containing a Monster.

• Night: At the end of his movement, the Druid may repair Villages at a distance of 2 spaces orthogonally (but not diagonally), regardless of any obstacles between him and the Village. In this version, he remains subject to the same movement restrictions as the other Guardians: he cannot enter a Lake space and must stop his movement when he enters a Forest.

  Example: The Druid repairs the Village at a distance thanks to his special ability.

Chests and Items

Items found in Chests by the Thief can be used starting with the next Guardian drawn. Each Item can only be used once during the game. As soon as you have used an Item, turn it face down to show that it can no longer be used. A Guardian may use several Items at once.

• Boots — A Guardian using the Boots may move 2 additional spaces. The Boots cannot be used by the Night version of the Thief.
• Sword — A Guardian using the Sword may enter a space containing a Monster and eliminate it, as if it were a Warrior. This ends its movement.
• Bow — The Bow allows a Guardian to eliminate a Monster at a distance, as with the Huntress. The same restrictions apply, and this ends the movement of the Guardian using the Bow.
• Feather — The Feather allows the Guardian using it to move while ignoring terrain restrictions, like the Day version of the Druid.
• Hammer — The Hammer allows a Guardian to repair a Village at a distance of 2 spaces orthogonally (not diagonally), as with the Night version of the Druid. This ends the movement of the Guardian using it.
• Butterfly Net — A Guardian using the Butterfly Net may capture a Fairy at a distance of 2 spaces orthogonally (not diagonally), as with the Night version of the Guide. This ends its movement.
• Cup — The Cup adds 2 to your Glory total, during Phase 3 - Glory of the round in which you found it.

Phase 3 - Glory

Each player totals the Glory they earned during the previous phase:

The Monsters located in the gains area of their board earn them the indicated Glory: 1 for Foxes, 2 for Crocodiles, and 3 for Pigs. Once the player has counted them, they place these Monsters on the Hunting Board at the top of their Adventure board. They will also earn victory points with them at the end of the game.

If the player opened a Chest containing a Cup this round, they add 2 to their Glory total. They then turn the Chest face down to show that it has been used.

Example: Romane immediately earns 4 Glory, then places the eliminated Fox and Pig on her Hunting Board.

The Fairies located in the gains area of their board are moved to the corresponding spaces below. They must be placed in order, from top to bottom. Each Fairy earns the Glory shown next to the space where it is placed.

Example: Romane freed a Fairy this round. She places it on the first available space of her board and earns 2 Glory.

Villages earn as much Glory as the number shown on the lowest visible space in the Village column of the player's board. Unlike Fairies and Monsters, Villages earn Glory every round, even if no new Village was repaired during the current round.

Example: Romane has already repaired 2 Villages since the start of the game. Even though she repaired no new Village this round, she earns 2 additional Glory points.

Players then refer to the gains table on the score board. Each player earns the victory points indicated, based on the total Glory they collected during this round. All players advance their score marker on the score track of the score board. Players then earn Gold corresponding to their Glory total, as shown on the gains table.

Example: With 10 Glory, Romane receives 9 Gold and earns 4 victory points.

Beyond 15, each additional point of Glory earns 1 additional victory point. Gold gains do not increase beyond 15 Glory.

If this was the fifth and final round, the game ends here. Players then proceed to final scoring.

Phase 4 - Recruitment

This phase is not played during the fifth round.

Players recruit new Guardians with the Gold they possess. The cost of each Guardian is shown on the Guardian tiles, next to the score board. There is no limit to the number of Guardians a player can buy, as long as they have enough Gold.

For each Guardian bought, the player takes a corresponding token from the token supply and places it in their Expedition bag. Once their purchases are made, the player keeps any Gold tokens they did not spend.

Example: With 8 Gold, Fred could recruit 1 Warrior and 1 Thief, but instead he recruits 1 Priestess and keeps 1 Gold.

In the (rare) case where a type of Guardian token is nearly exhausted, players may wish to recruit their Guardians in a specific order. Players then recruit Guardians one at a time, each in turn, starting with the player who has the fewest victory points and ending with the one who has the most. In case of a tie, tied players are ranked randomly.

Phase 5 - End of Round

This phase is not played during the fifth round.

If you are playing with the Day version of the Guide, players remove all Tent tokens from their board, then place a Tent token beneath each of their Guides. Tent tokens can be placed on any space, including a Lake space. Tents are new starting points for the Guardians during the following rounds.

Next, players take back all the Guardian tokens present on their board, return them to their Expedition bag, and then shuffle their bag.

All Fairies still present on players' Adventure boards are removed from the game and returned to the token supply. They have disappeared and can no longer be captured.

Monsters, Chests, and Villages remain in place for the next round.

End of the Game

The game ends during the 5th round, after Phase 3 - Glory. Each player adds to their point total:

• 2 victory points for each Chest they opened during the game, whether they used it or not.
• The victory points shown on the Hunting Board, at the top of their board. The player only counts the highest score reached.

The player with the most victory points is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the player who eliminated the most Monsters wins. If the tie persists, the tied players share the victory.

A Few Tips...

Before your first game, read these tips to all players.

• Place your Guardians based on which ones remain in your bag. For example, if you still have a Thief, it is wise to position a Guardian near a Chest.
• Even though they stop your Guardians' movement, crossing Forests lets you quickly reach new areas. Also, a Tent placed in a Forest offers many possibilities.
• Sometimes you must know how to give up an immediate gain to reach an area that is more interesting for the rest of the game.
• Always invest your Gold in new Guardians. Analyze what gave you trouble during the previous round and fill in your gaps.
• When playing with the Day version of the Guides, do not underestimate the value of recruiting a few of them so you can place several Tents at the end of the round.
• There are only 7 Fairies per game. Depending on the draw, it will be more or less easy to capture them all, and in any case you will need to optimize your moves to do so.
• Placing a Tent on a Hut or a Grove can be a rewarding gamble. This is even truer as the end of the game approaches.

The Guardians of Haversack is a game by Frédéric Guérard, illustrated by Sabrina Miramon, published by Catch Up Games and distributed by Blackrock Games.

Layout: Clément Milker — Proofreading: Camille Mathieu — Additional graphic design: Christine Alcouffe and Manoël Verdiel.

March 2022 — Catch Up Games