Impact: Battle of Elements
Impact: Battle of Elements Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Materials
- 26 element dice
- 1 box with cauldron
- 1 foam mat
Game Setup
Place the box with the cauldron in the center of the table and put the foam mat inside. Each player receives the same number of dice:
| Number of Players | Dice per player |
|---|---|
| 2 | 8 |
| 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 6 |
| 5 | 5 |
At the start of the game, place 1 of the surplus dice into the cauldron, showing any symbol (not the blank side).
If there are less than 5 players, put the remaining dice aside, they won't be used in this game.
Playing the Game
The oldest player goes first and then play continues clockwise. The game ends when there is only 1 player left with any of the element dice. That player wins and becomes the 'Master of Elements'.
On your turn, you must throw one of your element dice into the cauldron. It is up to you whether you cautiously drop the die into the cauldron or throw it with reckless abandon.
BEWARE: Any dice that miss the cauldron or get kicked out of it are immediately removed from the game.
After each throw, check the dice in the cauldron:
-
Any blanks? If one or more dice show their blank side they are removed from the cauldron immediately. These dice are lost forever.
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Any matching symbols? If there are any dice with matching symbols, take them and add them to your supply. Your turn ends and the next player in turn order gets to throw.
Note: The sets of matching dice don't have to include the one you threw! You win all dice showing matching element symbols!
-
No matches? After throwing your die, if all the dice in the cauldron show different symbols, you may end your turn. If you do, it's the next player's turn. However, you may also throw another die into the cauldron.
Then, if there are any matching dice, take them and end your turn. Otherwise, if all the dice in the cauldron again only show different symbols, you have to decide again: End your turn or throw another die, etc.
-
Empty supply? Once you have used up all your dice you are eliminated from the game.
Big Bang
If it's your turn and the cauldron is completely empty (because the previous player removed all dice), there is a Big Bang! You have to throw all your dice – all at once! – into the cauldron. Then you remove any matching dice, as usual. If there are no matching symbols you are eliminated from the game.
Example
The cauldron contains 1x fire, 1x water, and 1x stone.
You throw your mandatory die, resulting in 1x fire, 1x water, 1x lightning, and 1x air. You decide to throw an additional die.
This time, you are lucky: The cauldron now contains 5 dice, showing 2x fire, 2x water, and 1x stone. You take the four dice with matching symbols (2x fire and 2x water) from the cauldron and add them to your supply. You end your turn. This leaves only a single die in the cauldron (1x stone) for the next player.
Transforming
When throwing your die, you may knock over some of the dice in the cauldron, transforming them into other elements. This might improve your chance to get matching symbols. To do that, you are allowed to move any number of dice in the cauldron before you throw. However, make sure you don't stack or rotate them!
Full Tilt
If one or more dice in the cauldron are tilted so it's not clear which symbol they show, knock on the table or give the box a light push.
Dice Supply
Other players must always be able to see how many element dice you have in your supply.
End of the Game
Whenever a player ends their turn without any dice left in their supply they are eliminated from the game. Once the penultimate player is eliminated, the last remaining player with dice is the winner.
Tournament of the Elements
Before you start the game, you may agree to play as many games as there are players. The starting player changes with each game (in clockwise order).
When you are eliminated, count the number of remaining players. You lose that many points. The winner of a game doesn't win or lose any points.
The winner of the tournament is the player who lost the fewest points. If there is a tie there are multiple winners.
Variant – Power of the Elements
Once you are familiar with the base game, you may unleash the "Power of the Elements."
First, the starting player throws the starting die into the cauldron. The rolled element is "activated" during this game. After a player throws their die, whenever two or more dice show the activated element, it is triggered. The other symbols don't have any special function in this game, they're treated as usual.
If the starting die shows its blank side, repeat the initial die roll.
Lightning Storm – When there are two or more lightning symbols in the cauldron there is a lightning storm: All other players now quickly throw one of their own dice into the cauldron, all at the same time. Then, the active player receives all dice that show matching symbols.
Note: After a lightning storm, if there are still two or more lightning symbols in the cauldron, there is no additional lightning storm!
Hurricane – When there are two or more air symbols in the cauldron there is a hurricane: First, the active player receives all dice showing matching symbols. Then, each player passes all their dice to the player sitting to their left. Eliminated players are skipped.
Boulders – When there are two or more stone symbols in the cauldron, the active player receives them, as usual. However, instead of just adding them to their supply, they must arrange them on top of each other. This pile of boulders can be used in a subsequent turn, but they must be thrown into the cauldron together. This counts as a single throw.
Swamp – Water always stays in the cauldron, no matter how many dice show the water symbol. Water can't be removed without being transformed into another element first.
Column of Fire – When there are two or more fire symbols in the cauldron, each player must immediately build a tower with their dice. Players with a low number of dice obviously have an advantage. The player who finishes first shouts, "Stop!" and wins all dice with matching symbols in the cauldron. The player sitting to the left of the winner is next.
Note: If fire is the activated symbol for this game, players are not allowed to pre-arrange their dice in a tower.
Variant – Avatar
Caution: Play at your own risk!
Before you start the game, you may decide to play with multiple activated elements, or all of them. After a throw, if more than one element is triggered, we recommend the following order:
- Remove blank dice
- Lightning storm
- Column of fire
- Boulders
- Hurricane
Note: You don't have to rebuild your pile of boulders after a column of fire.
Credits
© 2012/2018 Ravensburger Spieleverlag GmbH, Postfach 24 60, D-88194 Ravensburg. Ravensburger Ltd, Unit 1, Avonbury Business Park, Howes Lane, BICESTER, OX26 2UB, GB. Ravensburger USA, Inc., One Puzzle Lane, Newton, NH 03858, USA. www.ravensburger.com