Kardnarök Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Glossary
• Components
• Object of the Game
• Setup (Preparação do Kardnarök)
• Getting to Know the Game Cards
  • 1 - Warrior Card
  • 2 - Norn Card
  • 3 - Hero Card
• Getting to Know the Coins (Riches)
  • 4.1 - Silver Coins
  • 4.2 - Bronze Coins
• Getting to Know the Game Boards (Kingdom and Ragnarök Cards)
  • 1 - Kingdom Card
  • 2 - Ragnarök Card
  • 3 - Force Counter Card
• How to Play Kardnarök: Basic Mode (3 to 4 Players)
  • 1 - Hero Swap (once per round)
  • 2 - Silver Coins in the Kingdoms
  • 3 - Effective of Warriors and Norns
  • 4 - Forming Armies
  • 5 - Changing Formed Armies
  • 6 - Start of Round 1: Combat Turns
  • 7 - Combat Rituals
  • 8 - Pre-Combat with Specific Norns
  • 9 - Counting the Forces of the Armies
  • 10 - Order of Actions During Combat
  • 11 - Ties in Combat
• How to Play Kardnarök: Duel Mode (2 Players)
• How to Play Kardnarök: Story Mode (2 to 4 Players)
• Ragnarök and the Card QR Codes
• Quick Rules (Game Flow)
• Iconography Quick Guide

Glossary

• CARDS – the term "cards" appears in the texts of other components and refers to Warrior cards and Norn cards. For example, when a card's text says "Draw 2 cards", you may draw 1 Warrior card and 1 Norn card; or 2 Warrior cards; or 2 Norn cards; and so on.
• FORCE – the combat value of each Warrior card and Hero card, added together during combat and recorded on the Force Counter in the center of the table.
• KINGDOM – refers to each player together with their own Kingdom card and all of their cards: the Warriors and Heroes in the army and the other cards in hand.
• HAND – the Warrior and Norn cards left in a player's hand after the armies are formed. These are the cards not yet played and not yet placed on the table.
• ARMY – the combination of 2 Warrior cards and 1 Hero card that a kingdom uses to fight. These 3 cards are placed on the reserved spaces at the top of the Kingdom card.
• EFFECTIVE (Efetivo) – the exact number of cards (Warrior and Norn cards only) that a kingdom must have, both at the start of a round and at the end of each combat.

Components

[FIG.01] Components and table layout:

• Hero cards (15)
• Silver coins (21)
• Force Counter card (1)
• Meeples for the Counter (2)
• Warrior cards (44)
• Ragnarök cards, levels 1 and 2 (12)
• Norn cards (42)
• First Kingdom (PR) card (1)
• Kingdom cards (4)
• Ritual tokens (12)
• Defense cubes (4)
• Bronze coins (20)

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to win combats against other kingdoms during the events of Ragnarök, in order to collect silver and bronze coins, which count as victory points. To do this, form armies with the strongest Warriors, fight using powerful Heroes, and become a mercenary for other kingdoms, winning more victories! At the end of Ragnarök, the kingdom that has collected the most riches will rule Midgard (Earth) under the blessings of the god Balder! (See RAGNARÖK AND THE CARD QR CODES.)

Setup (Preparação do Kardnarök)

As shown in Fig. 01, arrange the components on the table so that they form the shape of Mjölnir, the legendary and powerful hammer of the god Thor:

• Define the First Kingdom (PR, Primeiro Reino). This can be decided by the Kardnarök app, or by the player who most recently read or watched a publication, film or series with a Viking theme. This player receives the First Kingdom card [FIG.01-H].
• Place the Force Counter [FIG.01-C] in the center of the table, with the two meeples [FIG.01-D] – the red one for the attacker and the blue one for the defender – in their starting positions.
• Separate the 12 Ragnarök cards [FIG.01-F] as follows: one pile for the 6 level 1 cards and one pile for the 6 level 2 cards. Place them near the table face down.
• The First Kingdom takes the pile of level 1 Ragnarök cards, shuffles it, and draws one of them to be placed just below the Force Counter, face down, that is, not yet revealed.
• Shuffle the Warrior deck [FIG.01-E] and the Norn deck [FIG.01-G], and place them one on each side of the Ragnarök cards.
• Shuffle the Hero cards [FIG.01-A] and place them on the table, just above the Force Counter card, completing the shape of Thor's hammer.
• Each player chooses a Kingdom card [FIG.01-I] and takes a defense cube [FIG.01-L] to mark the defenses of their kingdom. Place it on the first defense marker on the Kingdom card.
• Each player takes 3 ritual tokens [FIG.01-J]: one with the inscription Odin, another with Thor, and another with Frey.
• Place the 21 silver coins [FIG.01-B] inside the bag placed on the table.
• In games for 3 or 4 players, everyone receives 5 bronze coins [FIG.01-M]. Place them near each Kingdom card. For 2 players, see DUEL MODE.

Getting to Know the Game Cards

Warriors, Norns and Heroes are the cards of Kardnarök. They take part in building armies and in resolving combat between kingdoms. To understand the cards, see their structure below:

[FIG.02] The 3 card types of Kardnarök: Warriors, Norns and Heroes.

• [FIG.02-A] Runes – each Warrior may have one of five runes: Jera (J), Dagaz (D), Ingwaz (N), Algiz (Z) and Eihwaz (I). Runes are used to make combinations with certain Heroes and to generate Force bonuses in combat.
• [FIG.02-B] Force icon – the combat Force of this card, regardless of any bonuses.
• [FIG.02-C] Condition or request – the Warrior's requirement for generating a bonus (see the card text).
• [FIG.02-D] Bonus – the bonus this Warrior grants if the condition (FIG.02-C) is met.
• [FIG.02-E] Card title – each card type has a different wood-colour and background.
• [FIG.02-F] Quantity – the number of copies of this card in its corresponding deck.
• [FIG.02-G] Norn condition – the condition for a Norn card to generate a bonus (see the card text).
• [FIG.02-H] QR Code – gives access to historical or legendary information about the character on the card, on the Kardnarök website (https://sites.google.com/view/kardnarok).
• [FIG.02-I] Divinity icon – indicates that the card refers to a deity of the Norse pantheon: a god or a goddess.
• [FIG.02-J] Bonus icon – the bonus generated by the card if the condition beside it is met.
• [FIG.02-L] – describes the functions and possibilities of all cards: Norns, Warriors and Heroes.

1 - Warrior Card

You have everything from the humblest villagers to the most fearsome men and women of war, to fight in the armies and in the reinforcements of the kingdoms, as well as non-human beings. Each human Warrior has a specific rune [FIG.02-A]. Runes can be used to gain strategic advantages and make combinations, obtaining the bonus of Heroes. For example, when forming an army, you may use 2 Warriors with the rune combinations a Hero asks for, so that it increases the combat Forces.

The Warrior card also shows the Force [FIG.02-B] and any bonuses [FIG.02-C] that will be added in combat. There are 9 different types of Warriors.

2 - Norn Card

In Norse mythology, the Norns are the 3 goddesses who weave the destinies of all the other gods, humans and other beings of the nine realms. These cards may give more Forces to armies (FIG.02-H) and grant the protection of the gods, for example to reduce the Forces of the opposing kingdom, cancel some Norn cards used against your kingdom, grant more cards, and other actions. There are 27 different types of Norns.

Some of these cards have two actions to choose from: you do "this" or you do "that" (when playing it on the table). These functions are represented by icons and by the text explanations (FIG.02-H) on the cards.

Norns may be used before the armies are revealed, during combat, in Mercenary actions, or "at any moment" (as described on the card's text).

3 - Hero Card

Heroes are the leaders of the army, and each player receives 2 Hero cards. The player may designate which of their Heroes will be used in the army. To form an army, 1 Hero and 2 Warriors are required. Some Heroes ask for a specific combination of runes on the Warriors in the formed army, in order to generate more bonus in combat. The bonus conditions required by a Hero are explained in the text of the card itself. There are 15 types of Heroes.

ATTENTION! The Force of the Hero is added to the Forces of the other 2 Warriors in the army, even if the bonus condition is not met or is cancelled. Forces are always counted!

Because they are not ordinary Warriors, Heroes cannot be discarded during the resolution of a combat, even if the army is defeated; that is, Heroes do not die! In addition, Hero cards are not counted toward the Effective number shown on the Ragnarök card.

Getting to Know the Coins (Riches)

Silver and bronze coins represent the riches and the victory points of Kardnarök. The kingdom with the most riches in total (silver + bronze) at the end of the rounds will be the winner of the game.

[FIG.03] Silver coins [A], bronze coins [B], and the place to put the silver coin on the Kingdom card [C].

4.1 - Silver Coins

Silver coins [FIG.03-A] are light grey and have values of 3, 4 and 5, and are placed in the bag. At the start of a round, each kingdom takes one silver coin and places it on its Kingdom card, above the illustration of the queen or king [FIG.03-C]. The value of the coin is revealed. At the end of a combat, the winning kingdom keeps the silver coin of the defeated kingdom, which in turn takes another coin from the bag to put in its place, until the end of the round. However, when the round ends, any silver coins remaining with the kingdoms (not conquered) must be returned to the bag.

4.2 - Bronze Coins

Bronze coins [FIG.03-B] are beige and have only the value 1. At the start of the game, all kingdoms receive bronze coins. At the end of the game, these coins are added to the silver coins won to form the kingdom's riches. However, the main function of the bronze coins is to negotiate with mercenary kingdoms, as explained below (see MERCENARIES).

Getting to Know the Game Boards (Kingdom and Ragnarök Cards)

1 - Kingdom Card

Each player has their own Kingdom card [FIG.04], and the component parts of the card are:

[FIG.04] The Kingdom card for each player to place armies (2 Warriors and 1 Hero), place the silver coin of the moment, mark the defenses made in the round, and also decide which god they will perform rituals for.

• It is where you form your army, placing 2 Warriors [FIG.04-A] and 1 Hero [FIG.04-B] in the areas reserved for these cards.
• The Kingdom card also serves to place silver coins (above the head of the queen or king) [FIG.04-C], to mark how many times the kingdom has defended itself [FIG.04-D], and to place ritual tokens before a combat [FIG.04-E].

2 - Ragnarök Card

Kardnarök has 2 rounds, and each one is governed by a level of Ragnarök card: 6 level 1 cards [FIG.05-A] and 6 level 2 cards [FIG.05-B]. The first round is governed by a level 1 Ragnarök card that was drawn at the start, as seen in the chapter SETUP.

[FIG.05] The level 1 [A] and level 2 [B] Ragnarök cards, where [C] is the title of the Ragnarök event; the Effective value for the round is [D]; the forecast of occurrences made by the seeress (Völva) is [E]; and the fixed rule is [F].

The Ragnarök card presents an event title [FIG.05-C], the Effective quantity for the round [FIG.05-D], the descriptions of the Ragnarök events [FIG.05-E], and a fixed rule that must be obeyed by all kingdoms during all rounds [FIG.05-F].

3 - Force Counter Card

It is on the Force Counter card [FIG.01-C] that the excitement of combat develops! The attacking kingdom uses the red meeple and the defending kingdom uses the blue meeple.

As soon as the armies of the two kingdoms in combat are revealed – that is, the Warriors are turned face up – the Forces (Warriors + Hero) are counted. Then the attacker and the defender place their meeples on the number of Forces totalled by their respective armies. For example, if the attacker totalled 10 Forces and the defender totalled 12 Forces, the defending kingdom is winning the combat. However, the attacker may still use their Norn cards, make reinforcements with other villagers, or negotiate with mercenaries to change the counter, until there is nothing left to do and the combatants know the winner and the loser. Finally, if the count goes above 19 on the counter, continue counting as if they were values of the next ten, using the numbers 0 (for 20), and so on.

How to Play Kardnarök: Basic Mode (3 to 4 Players)

With the setup complete, the game of Kardnarök can begin.

[FIG.06] Setup and start of the game for 2 players (duel).

Then the First Kingdom (PR) does the following:

1. Deals 2 Hero cards to each player (kingdom).
2. Reveals (turns over) the Ragnarök card on the table and reads it aloud.

1 - Hero Swap (once per round)

At any moment, once per round, a kingdom may swap 1 of its 2 Heroes for 1 new one from the corresponding deck. This is a fixed rule! To do this, it places its Hero at the bottom of the Hero deck and takes the top card, which becomes its new Hero.

2 - Silver Coins in the Kingdoms

To start the round, each kingdom takes a silver coin from the bag and places it on its Kingdom card with its value revealed, as shown in FIG.06-D.

3 - Effective of Warriors and Norns

The Ragnarök card shows the Effective icon (see FIG.05-D), which tells the kingdoms how many cards must be drawn at the start of the round (the Effective) and after the conclusion of each combat in the game. The cards must be drawn from Warriors and Norns. For example, if the Effective is 8 cards, a kingdom may draw 4 Warriors and 4 Norns; or 5 Warriors and 3 Norns; or 3 Warriors and 5 Norns; or 6 Warriors and 2 Norns! Remember that for combat, kingdoms need at least 2 Warriors to form armies.

ATTENTION! Hero cards are not counted for Effective purposes (neither at the start nor at the end of combats). Only Warrior and Norn cards count, as shown by the icon on the Ragnarök card.

4 - Forming Armies

After drawing Warriors and Norns, all kingdoms must form their armies for the start of this round. To do this, each kingdom chooses 2 Warrior cards and 1 Hero card and places them in the upper part of their Kingdom cards. As shown in FIG.07, the Hero [FIG.07-A] is placed face up (revealed), and the 2 Warriors [FIG.07-B] are placed beside it, face down. Form your armies according to the best combinations of Forces, meeting the requirements of the Warriors and, if possible, fulfilling the orders requested by the Hero.

[FIG.07] An army formed on the Kingdom card.

5 - Changing Formed Armies

During a game of Kardnarök, armies already formed on the Kingdom card may only be changed in two very clear circumstances:

• Right after a combat, when the kingdoms that fought and lost Warriors and Norns have replenished the Effective so the attack turns can continue.
• Or, when it is the turn of a kingdom that, before announcing its attack, may change its army: both its Warriors (not yet revealed) and its Hero.

6 - Start of Round 1: Combat Turns

Starting with the PR, each kingdom has its attack turn in clockwise order. The PR then announces which kingdom it will fight (it may choose any other kingdom). Only the two kingdoms will fight: one as attacker and the other as defender. When the last kingdom has completed its attack turn, the round ends and a new one must begin.

7 - Combat Rituals

Right after the combat is announced, and before revealing their armies, the attacking and defending kingdoms take their ritual tokens to choose one of the gods they intend to use (by the name on the token). The token is placed face down in the reserved area on the Kingdom card. Both kingdoms reveal their rituals together. Each of the 3 gods grants a specific tactical advantage and must be chosen wisely, because the same god cannot be used in two consecutive combats. As seen on the Kingdom card:

• ODIN [FIG.08-B] grants 2 surplus Norn cards, that is, in addition to those it already drew in the Effective. The cards stay in the player's hand to be used if needed.
• THOR allows the use of up to 2 human Warriors (not jötnar or other beings) as reinforcements to the armies, that is, their Forces are added to the total Forces of the army, without contributing either their runes or any other combination bonus. The Warriors used are discarded at the end of the combat.
• FREY grants +3 Forces to be added to the total Forces of the formed army, as soon as the Force count of the army in combat begins. The kingdom that performed the ritual for Frey therefore adds 3 Forces on the Counter card.

At the end of the combat, the ritual token that was used [FIG.08-A] is turned over and slides beneath the ritual marker of the Kingdom card, as indicated by the arrows [FIG.08-C]. This token stays in that position until another token used in a new combat pushes it back into hand, for new rituals.

[FIG.08] Diagram of the ritual tokens on the Kingdom card.

8 - Pre-Combat with Specific Norns

Before the combat actually begins with the revealing of the Warriors of each army involved and the counting of Forces, some Norn cards may be used. They are: the Assassin, Terrible Disease, Hugin/Munin, Frey and the Valkyries. These cards have the corresponding icon on the left side.

9 - Counting the Forces of the Armies

The combat begins! Both players must reveal the Warrior cards used in their armies, since the Hero card is already placed face up. Now the kingdoms may count the Forces as shown in the example in FIG.09.

[FIG.09] Demonstration of the Force count and bonuses of an army.

The three cards add up to 6 Forces, since each Warrior used in the army is worth 2 Forces, and the Hero is also worth 2. However, when the Champion Warrior is in the army alongside the Seidkona (check the text of the card), she receives a bonus of +2 Forces [FIG.09-B], which totals 8 Forces so far. Finally, the Heroine Freydís asks for a combination of runes that the Warrior women meet (Ynguz + Algiz) [FIG.09-A], and this generates a bonus of +3 Forces [FIG.09-C]. The army thus totals 11 Forces, including bonuses. After totalling the Forces, the attacker and defender record the values on the Force Counter card using their corresponding meeples.

ATTENTION! The red meeple represents the Forces of the attacking kingdom and the blue meeple represents the Force count of the defending kingdom.

10 - Order of Actions During Combat

After counting the Forces and placing the meeples on the counter, the kingdom that is losing has the initiative in the actions to try to reverse the score on the counter. To do so, it may choose, in any order it wishes, the following actions:

• It may use villager reinforcements (as many as are in hand).
• It may use Norn cards (as many as are in hand, if it wishes and is able to).
• It may use the Forces of up to 2 human Warriors as reinforcements through the Thor combat ritual.
• And, after all the previous resources, it may begin negotiating with a mercenary kingdom.

As soon as a kingdom that was losing changes the score and is winning, the other kingdom in combat takes the initiative for the actions described above. In short, the initiative always belongs to the kingdom that is losing, including for hiring a mercenary.

11 - Ties in Combat

In case of a tie – that is, the two kingdoms involved in combat equalling the Forces on the Counter (even after Mercenaries) – the kingdom with the higher value silver coin on its kingdom wins if the tie persists. But if the values of the silver coins are equal, then, while the tie persists, the kingdom that is defending wins.

12 - Use of Norns in Combat

Kingdoms may use the Norn cards in their hands to alter the result on the Force Counter. The initiative to use the cards always belongs to the kingdom that is losing. Simply place the Norn card on the table, revealed, and announce its effect. On cards offering 2 options, the player declares which one they will use. At the end of the combat, the Norns used are discarded, placed at the bottom of the Norn deck. We recommend shuffling them before placing them on the deck.

ATTENTION! The Norn cards "Magic of Freya" are used to cancel any other Norn last used by the opponent, nullifying and undoing the Forces or actions performed by it.

13 - Use of Villager Reinforcements

With the Warrior cards that remain in hand after forming the army, a kingdom in combat may use as many villagers as it wishes as reinforcements; that is, it may play villagers that add +1 Force each [FIG.10-A]. However, their runes are not valid and they receive no other type of bonus: they only add +1 Force each. At the end of the combat, the villagers used as reinforcements are discarded and placed at the bottom of the Warrior deck.

[FIG.10] Army [B] with the villagers from hand used as reinforcements, adding +3 Forces [A].

14 - Use of Thor Ritual Reinforcements

If the kingdom is losing on the Force Counter, one of the actions it may take to change the score is to play up to 2 human Warriors from its hand through the combat ritual performed for Thor (see topic 7 - COMBAT RITUALS OF THE KINGDOMS). Their Forces are added, without contributing their runes or any other bonus. As with villagers used as reinforcements, these cards are discarded at the end of the combat.

15 - Mercenaries

After having taken every possible action (villager reinforcements, the Thor combat ritual and the use of Norns), the kingdom that is losing may hire another kingdom (from outside the combat) to be its mercenary, in an attempt to win.

To do this, the kingdoms that will ask for help may only use their bronze coins, if they still have any. The kingdom will then say something like: "I offer 1 bronze coin for your kingdom to help me win!"; or "I offer 2 bronze coins for my kingdom to win the combat! Who helps me?" (offering it to the first kingdom that accepts the proposal and is able to help).

The rules for mercenaries are as follows:

• Each kingdom in combat may hire only one mercenary.
• The kingdom outside the combat may bargain over the values (bronze coins) or refuse to be a mercenary.
• The mercenary's help may be up to 2 Norn cards from its hand (with a combat function).
• The Norn cards to be used by the mercenary must have a combat function relating to the condition of the hiring kingdom: either for the attacker or for the defender. In addition to Norn cards that grant Forces without specifying whether it is for defense or attack.
• The mercenary may also use Norn cards that have the text "at any moment" for its own benefit, without counting toward the limit of 2 Norns for Mercenaries. For example, it may use a card to gain more Norns and thus decide which of them to use in favour of the kingdom that hired it.
• The hiring kingdom only pays the mercenary the bronze coins that were agreed upon if it wins the combat. In case of defeat, the hired mercenary does not receive the bronze coins.

ATTENTION! The only card that a hiring kingdom may use during a mercenary's help or after hiring one is the Norn card "Magic of Freya". That is, by hiring a mercenary, the kingdom may not take any of the other possible actions.

ATTENTION! In games for 3 players, one kingdom may try to hire a mercenary, and the other kingdom in the combat may offer more bronze coins to the mercenary to "do nothing" and allow its victory. An auction!

16 - Winning and Losing Kingdoms

When the kingdoms in combat and the hired mercenaries have finished all their possible actions, the kingdom that has more Forces recorded on the Counter card, or that is favoured by the tie-break criteria (see topic 11 - TIES IN COMBAT), is the winner of the combat.

The winning kingdom then does the following:

1. Takes the silver coin that was on the defeated kingdom's Kingdom card and keeps it as victory points to be counted at the end of the game.
2. Chooses 1 of the Warriors used in its army to be discarded, placed at the bottom of the Warrior draw pile.
3. Pays bronze coins agreed with the mercenary kingdom it hired, if applicable.
4. According to the number shown in the Effective icon on the round's Ragnarök card, draws Warrior and Norn cards sufficient to replenish the Effective.

The defeated kingdom does the following:

1. After handing over its silver coin, takes a new one from the bag and places it on its Kingdom card (if it still has the attack turn of another kingdom in the round).
2. Discards the 2 Warriors used in its army, placed at the bottom of the Warrior draw pile.
3. According to the number shown in the Effective icon on the round's Ragnarök card, draws Warrior and Norn cards sufficient to replenish the Effective.

17 - Replenishment

After any combat, ALL kingdoms, including those that were mercenaries, draw Warrior and Norn cards sufficient to replenish the Effective, according to the number shown in the Effective icon on the round's Ragnarök card.

18 - Defense Marking

At the end of the combat, the kingdom that defended itself (whether it was the winner or the loser of the combat) places the defense cube on its Kingdom card. This marking indicates that the next time it has to defend, it will start with an advantage (+2 Forces or +3 Forces).

ATTENTION! These Forces only apply when the kingdom defends and not when it attacks!

19 - End of Round 1

The round ends when all kingdoms have completed their attack turn and the last replenishment of cards has been made, as indicated by the Effective. Then:

1. All kingdoms that have a silver coin revealed on their Kingdom card must return it to the bag; that is, kingdoms only keep the coins won through victories!
2. All cards used in the armies return to hand, after the last replenishment made;
3. The defense marking of the kingdoms returns to zero;
4. The 3 ritual tokens return to be used again (removed from the Kingdom card).

20 - Start of Round 2

Round 2 begins as follows:

1. The First Kingdom (PR) becomes the last kingdom that attacked in round 1. It then takes the PR card for itself and flips it (reddish side).
2. The PR draws a new Ragnarök card, but now from among the level 2 cards [FIG.11-A], and reads it to all kingdoms.
3. The new Ragnarök card [FIG.11-A] is placed over the first one [FIG.11-B].
4. The fixed rules of the two cards remain in effect until the end of the game.
5. The new Ragnarök card announces a new Effective that must be met. To do so, some Warrior and Norn cards will have to be discarded by the kingdoms.
6. The attack turns of the kingdoms follow the reverse direction of round 1, that is, counter-clockwise (the player to the right).
7. All kingdoms take a silver coin to place on their Kingdom card again.

[FIG.11] Image showing how the level 2 Ragnarök card looks placed over the level 1 card, and the two fixed rules.

21 - End of the Game

When the last kingdom finishes its combat and the silver coins on the Kingdom cards are collected back into the bag, the game in basic mode ends and each kingdom counts its riches:

• Silver coins won in combats.
• Bronze coins kept by the kingdom and obtained as a winning mercenary.

The kingdom with the most riches will be the new sovereign of Midgard (Earth) under the protection of the god Balder, who was resurrected after the events of Ragnarök!

22 - Tie-Breaks at the End

If there is a tie between 2 kingdoms with the most coins (silver and bronze), the tie-break may follow these criteria: 1 – the sum of the silver coin values only; 2 – each kingdom draws 3 new Warriors from the deck and only the Force values of those are added to determine the winner.

How to Play Kardnarök: Duel Mode (2 Players)

The Duel mode receives some adaptations to the rules of the basic mode:

• ROUNDS – The game has 4 rounds (as in Story Mode). Separate the 12 Ragnarök cards by their faces, as follows: 3 that show the number 1 on the pennant (see FIG.12); 3 that show the number 2; 3 that show the number 3; and 3 that show the number 4. Place these sets face down and shuffled so that one of them is drawn by the PR to start each round. At the start of each new round, the cards are adjusted as in FIG.11, and their rules remain in effect for the whole game.
• SILVER COINS – Place the same 21 silver coins as in basic mode into the bag.
• BRONZE COINS – Each player receives 10 bronze coins.
• MERCENARIES – In each combat, the player who is losing may buy 2 more Norn cards, but only after all of their possible actions. They pay the coins immediately and draw the cards. When buying the Norns of the "mercenary", the 2 cards are for the immediate use of the buying kingdom, in an attempt to resolve the combat, and the bronze coins used are removed from the game. Each kingdom may buy only 2 Norn cards from the Mercenary per combat, but doing so is not mandatory.
• PRICE OF THE "MERCENARY" – The price of these 2 mercenary Norn cards is the same as the round number. That is, in the first round, to buy the 2 mercenary Norns the player must pay 1 bronze coin; in the second round, they must pay 2 bronze coins; in the third round, they must pay 3 coins; and in the fourth round, they must pay 4 bronze coins if they want the 2 extra Norns.
• Do not use the Defense Marking (do not place the cube when defending).

How to Play Kardnarök: Story Mode (2 to 4 Players)

This game variant does not change the basic game rules much, but in Story mode (the events of Ragnarök) the total duration of Kardnarök becomes longer, since there are 4 rounds. It is recommended to play this mode with players who are more familiar with the basic rules.

Preparation and rules for Story mode:

• RAGNARÖK CARDS – Separate the 12 Ragnarök cards by their faces, as follows: 3 that show the number 1 on the pennant (see FIG.12); 3 that show the number 2; 3 that show the number 3; and 3 that show the number 4. Place these sets face down and shuffled so that one of them is drawn by the PR to start each round. At the start of each new round, the cards are adjusted as in FIG.11, and their rules remain in effect for the whole game.
• FIRST KINGDOM OF EACH ROUND – At the end of a round, the PR becomes the player on the left.
• At the end of the last round, the game ends and the riches are counted to determine the winner.

[FIG.12] Shows the 4 Ragnarök cards that will be used at the start of each round of Story mode.

Ragnarök and the Card QR Codes

Kardnarök unfolds from the beginning of Ragnarök – the catastrophic "twilight of the supreme powers" – to the end of these events, which culminate in the destruction of much of the world (the 9 realms) and the death of the best-known gods, such as Odin, Thor, Frey, Tyr, Heimdall, Loki and others.

Among these terrible events of Norse mythology's Ragnarök, which begin with the death of the god Balder, are: a significant increase in wars between human kingdoms; a long winter lasting 3 seasons (the Fimbulwinter); giant wolves that devour the Sun and the Moon; armies of the dead and jötnar (giants) that advance on Asgard (the home of the gods); great battles between the deities on the so-called fields of Vigrid; the death of most of the gods of the Norse pantheon; the destruction of the roots of the Tree of Life (Yggdrasil); the survival of some gods and of a human couple; the resurrection of the god Balder; and the beginning of a new cycle in a new world.

The main source of references for Ragnarök comes from the Eddic poem called Völuspá (the prophecy of the seeress). In this poem, the seeress (völva) tells Odin how these cataclysmic events will be, and some of them are represented on the Ragnarök cards of Kardnarök, where the event described by the völva is also depicted in the description.

As for historical and mythological references, in Kardnarök the Norn, Warrior and Hero cards have a QR Code that directs the player to study each character on a website specially prepared for this purpose, with texts written by the Yggdrasil Norse studies group.

1 The Kardnarök website is available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kardnarok 2 https://yggdrasil.home.blog

Quick Rules (Game Flow)

1. EFFECTIVE – All kingdoms draw cards from Warriors and Norns, according to the Ragnarök card for the round. Hero cards do not count toward this Effective. Cards should be drawn in groups, such as 4 Warriors and 3 Norns; do not draw one of each.
2. FORM ARMIES – All kingdoms form their armies at the same time: 2 Warriors (face down) + 1 Hero (face up). Try to create a combination between the runes of the Warriors fielded in the army and the chosen Hero, and evaluate the cards left in your hand.
3. COMBAT RITUAL – Only the kingdoms that will fight (attacker and defender) choose one of the ritual tokens (Odin, Thor and Frey) and place it face down on the Kingdom card. Once ready, the kingdoms reveal the ritual and carry it out.
4. COMBAT – Right after using Norns with "pre-combat" text (with the text "Before revealing the armies"), the kingdoms reveal the Warrior cards of their armies and count the Forces. Then they may use Norn cards, villager reinforcements and, finally, Mercenaries.
5. REPLENISHMENT – As soon as the combat ends with one of the kingdoms having won, ALL kingdoms (including mercenaries) replenish the Effective. They draw some cards (Warriors and Norns) so as to restore the Effective quantity shown on the Ragnarök card.
6. NEXT KINGDOM – After the replenishments of the Effective, and after all kingdoms have formed their armies, the attack turn passes to the next player: the one on the left or the one on the right, alternating the direction in each round.

Iconography Quick Guide

• Forces (1, 2, 3 and 4) – indicate the Force of the Warrior and of the Hero, to be added to the Forces of the armies in combat.
• Force bonus – bonuses of +1, +2 or +3 in Forces. Usually comes with a condition for generating the bonus, which is added to the Forces.
• Reduction – reduces the Forces of the opposing army's count by -1, -2 or -3, depending on the function of the Norns.
• Warriors – indicates the condition of having, taking, losing or exchanging Warrior cards. On the back of the card it indicates that it is a Warrior.
• Norns – indicates that you may take, lose or exchange Norn cards. On the back of the card it indicates that it is a Norn.
• Heroes – indicates that you may take, lose or exchange Hero cards. On the back of the card it indicates that it is a Hero.
• Attack – a condition that benefits the kingdom in attack (its turn), present on Warrior and Norn cards.
• Defense – a condition that benefits the kingdom in defense, present on Warrior and Norn cards.
• Hero bonus action – the action indicating the bonus a Hero card may receive, if the condition it asks for is met.
• Actions that impede a Hero – some cards that prevent the bonus of an opposing Hero, or of the Hero's own, from applying.
• Victory – a victory condition that grants some type of bonus to Warrior and Norn cards.