Morrigan Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Setup
• Card Overview
  • Action Cards
  • Ordeal Cards (Épreuve)
  • Adversary Cards
  • Territory Cards
  • Special Cards
• Goal of the Game
• General Flow of Play
  • Phase 1: Draw
  • Phase 2: Action
  • Phase 3: Reinforcement
  • End of Turn
• Detail of the Phases
  • Draw
  • Play a Territory
  • Play an Adversary
  • Play an Ordeal
  • Fight an Adversary
  • Conquer a Territory
  • Play a Special Card
  • Reinforce a Territory
  • Reinforce an Adversary
• Reaching the Required Prestige
• Duel and End of Game
  • Draw
  • Determining Maletar's Strength
  • Losing the Duel Against Maletar
  • Winning the Duel Against Maletar

Setup

The cards are shuffled and each player is dealt 5 cards, which form their hand.

The undealt cards are placed face down on the table and form the game's draw pile.

The player who explained the rules to the others chooses who begins the game.

Play then proceeds clockwise.

Card Overview

Action Cards

Action cards represent a knight's potential for action. They are the most common cards in the game.

Action cards have a black colour and a symbol representing an eagle. They may have a value between 1 and 5.

Ordeal Cards (Épreuve)

Ordeal cards make up all the quests and perilous situations a knight may encounter, putting at stake his honour, valour and faith. Some ordeals are trivial, while others are glorious but deadly and can only be accomplished by the greatest knights.

Ordeals have a red colour and a symbol representing a shield. They may have a value between 1 and 5.

Adversary Cards

An Adversary card represents an enemy or a legendary creature. Defeating an Adversary in single combat brings glory and renown to the knight who wins the duel. Some knights will not hesitate to face the most dangerous Adversaries and risk their lives so that their name is sung by the bards.

Adversaries have a yellow colour and a symbol representing an axe. They may have a value between 1 and 5.

Territory Cards

A Territory card represents a place or a building that increases its owner's prestige. The higher the value of the Territory, the more it is coveted. Territories often change hands after bloody conflicts.

Territories have a blue colour and a symbol representing a castle. They may have a value between 1 and 5.

Special Cards

A Special card represents an object a knight may take possession of, or an event that breaks the normal course of the game. A knight well equipped with Special cards will be able to face certain dangerous situations much more easily.

Special cards have a white colour. They have no symbol.

Goal of the Game

The goal of the game is to be the first knight to obtain 15 points of prestige, in order to earn the right to face Maletar in a duel.

Several means are available to the players to accomplish this task: obtaining Territories, recovering trophies and completing quests.

If, during his turn, a player obtains the 15 prestige points required and manages to keep them until the start of his next turn, he may decide to face Maletar and attempt to free Princess Morrigan.

If he succeeds, he is considered the winner of the game.

General Flow of Play

Clockwise, each player must in turn carry out the following phases, in this order.

Phase 1: Draw

The player draws the 2 cards on top of the draw pile. He may then temporarily exceed the maximum hand limit of 5 cards.

Phase 2: Action

During his action phase, a player may use as many cards as he has in hand, in no set order. He may also face as many Adversaries and attempt to conquer as many Territories as he chooses, in the order he wishes. Each action must be resolved before another one is begun.

He may:

• Play a Territory
• Play an Adversary
• Play an Ordeal
• Face an Adversary already in play
• Conquer a Territory owned by another player
• Play a Special card

Phase 3: Reinforcement

During this phase, a player may reinforce his Territories or the Adversaries in play.

He may:

• Reinforce each of his Territories with ONE card from his hand (one per Territory per turn)
• Reinforce each Adversary in play with ONE card from his hand (one per Adversary per turn)

End of Turn

At the end of his turn, a player must have 5 cards at most in his hand. If he holds more, he must discard until he reaches this maximum.

Detail of the Phases

Draw

If the draw pile runs out during this phase, the player whose turn it is shuffles all the discarded cards together. He must then rebuild a new draw pile before continuing to play.

Play a Territory

During the action phase, the player may place a Territory he has in hand in front of him, face up. The card immediately scores the prestige points indicated.

A player may have as many Territories in play as he wishes.

Play an Adversary

During the action phase, the player may decide to play an Adversary he has in hand. He places it face up in the centre of the table and asks the other players whether they wish to reinforce it.

Reinforcing an Adversary when it is played

The other players now have the opportunity to place one card from their hand, face down, under the Adversary played. They may place either an Action card, which really increases the Adversary's power, or a card of another type, which has only a deterrent effect (bluff).

Reinforcements are placed one after another, clockwise, starting with the player to the left of the player who played the Adversary. Reinforcing is not mandatory, and a player may decline to take part.

This special reinforcement of an Adversary by the other players does not interrupt the action phase of the player whose turn it is.

Ownership of Adversaries

Once played, the Adversary no longer belongs to the player who placed it in play. In later turns, anyone may reinforce or fight this Adversary.

Immediate confrontation

An Adversary may be faced in the same action phase in which it was played.

Play an Ordeal

During the placement phase, a player may bring into play an Ordeal he has in hand. He places it face up in the centre of the table and asks the other players whether they wish to take part in it.

Each participant must take a card of his choice from his hand and place it in front of him, face down; this represents his stake for the Ordeal in progress. Stakes are placed clockwise, starting with the player to the left of the player who played the Ordeal. A player who has declined to stake cannot go back on his decision, even when there are several staking rounds.

To attempt to win the Ordeal, a player may use either an Action card, or a card of another type which has no value but puts more pressure on the other participants (bluff). All participants in the Ordeal reveal their cards at the same time.

Taking part in an Ordeal is not mandatory.

Winning an Ordeal

The winner of the Ordeal is the participant whose staked Action card has the highest value. The cards played by all players are discarded immediately after being revealed.

The Ordeal scores the prestige points indicated, and the card is placed in plain view in front of its winner.

Tie

In case of a tie between two or more participants, another staking round is held, reserved for these players. If none of the participants has a card to play in this additional round, the Ordeal is discarded and won by no one. A bluff is enough to avoid a tie and win the Ordeal if no other tied player stakes an Action card in that round. If all players play a bluff, the staking round is considered a tie.

Withdrawal

During an additional staking round, a player may decide to stop staking. The Ordeal continues normally for the other participants. If all players withdraw, the Ordeal is discarded and won by no one.

Fight an Adversary

During the action phase, a player may attempt to challenge an Adversary already in play.

Attack strength

After naming the Adversary he wishes to fight, the player places on the table as many Action cards as he wishes and adds up their values. This total is his attack strength.

Defence value of the Adversary

If there are any, the reinforcement cards placed face down under the Adversary are turned face up. The values of the reinforcements and the prestige value are added together; this total is the Adversary's defence value. The other cards, which served as bluffs, are discarded.

Winning a combat against an Adversary

If the player's attack strength is greater than the Adversary's defence value, the Adversary is defeated. All the cards played by the player and the cards placed as reinforcements of the Adversary are discarded.

The Adversary immediately scores the prestige points indicated, and the card is placed in plain view in front of its winner.

Losing a combat against an Adversary

If the player's attack strength is less than or equal to the Adversary's defence value, the player loses the combat. Only the cards placed by the player are discarded. The reinforcement cards remain in play and are placed face down under the Adversary again.

The Adversary remains in play, but its current defence value is now known to all. It may be reinforced normally during the next reinforcement phases.

Conquer a Territory

During the action phase, a player may attempt to conquer a Territory owned by another player.

Attack strength

After indicating to the other players the Territory card he wishes to conquer, the player places on the table as many Action cards as he wishes and adds up their values. This total is his attack strength.

Defence value of the Territory

If there are any, the reinforcement cards placed face down under the Territory are turned face up. The values of the reinforcements and the prestige value are added together; this total is the Territory's defence value. The other cards, which served as bluffs, are discarded.

Taking a Territory from another player

If the attacking player manages to accumulate an attack strength greater than the defence value of the other player's Territory, the Territory changes owner. All the cards played by the attacking player and the cards placed as reinforcements of the Territory are discarded.

The Territory immediately scores the prestige points indicated, and the card is placed in plain view in front of its new owner.

Defeat when conquering a Territory

If the player's attack strength is less than or equal to the Territory's defence value, the player loses the combat. Only the cards placed by the player are discarded. The reinforcement cards remain in play and are placed face down under the Territory again.

The Territory's current defence value is now known to all. It may be reinforced normally during the next reinforcement phases.

Play a Special Card

If a Special card is played, it is placed face up in the centre of the table. The card remains in play for as long as its effects have not dissipated, or until it has been used. It is then discarded.

The Special cards have the following effects:

• Unexpected Ally (Allié Inattendu): Draw a card from the discard pile. Playable only during your turn.
• The King's Favourite (Favori du Roi): Draw a card from the hand of each of the other players. Playable only during your turn.
• Secret Treasure (Trésor Secret): Immediately draw two cards and add them to your hand. Playable only during your turn.
• Sorcery (Sorcellerie): Force another player to discard his hand. Playable only during your turn.
• Deluge (Déluge): Forbids playing Territory cards for one turn. Playable only during your turn.
• Glacial Winter (Hiver Glacial): Forbids playing Ordeal cards for one turn. Playable only during your turn.
• Curse (Malédiction): Double the defence value of an Adversary by placing this card as a reinforcement. Playable only during a reinforcement phase.
• Earthquake (Séisme): All reinforcements of the Territory cards in play are discarded. Playable only during your turn.
• Blessing (Bénédiction): Double the value of the Action card used in an Ordeal. Playable only together with a stake in an Ordeal.
• Catapult (Catapulte): Double the value of the Action cards used in the conquest of a Territory. Playable only together with one or more Action cards in a conquest.

Reinforce a Territory

To avoid losing his Territories, a player must reinforce them regularly. A player may place one card from his hand, face down, under the chosen Territory card. He may place either an Action card, which really reinforces the Territory, or a card of another type, which has only a deterrent effect (bluff). This card is added to any reinforcements already present and increases the defence value of the chosen Territory.

Reinforcement limit for a Territory

A player may reinforce a particular Territory only once per turn, with one card. However, he may reinforce several Territories he owns in each turn.

There is no limit to the total number of cards that may be placed as reinforcements under a Territory card.

Reinforce an Adversary

To make an Adversary more formidable, it may be reinforced with cards. A player may place one card from his hand, face down, under the chosen Adversary card. He may place either an Action card, which really reinforces the Adversary's power, or a card of another type, which has only a deterrent effect (bluff). This card is added to any reinforcements already present and increases the defence value of the chosen Adversary.

Reinforcement limit for an Adversary

A player may reinforce a particular Adversary only once per turn, with one card. However, he may reinforce several Adversaries in play in each turn.

There is no limit to the number of cards that may be placed as reinforcements under an Adversary card.

Reaching the Required Prestige

When, at the start of his turn, a player has 15 prestige points or more, he may volunteer to face Maletar before the King. He must then loudly declare his intention to the other players.

Calculating one's prestige points

To find the number of prestige points a player has accumulated, add up the values of the Territories he controls, the Ordeals he has won and the Adversaries he has defeated.

Honour above all!

To avoid being seen as a black knight, it is preferable to announce one's number of prestige points to the other players at the end of one's turn when it equals or exceeds the 15 required. Likewise, at any time during the game, a player must courteously answer any question about the number of prestige points he currently has.

Duel and End of Game

To save Princess Morrigan, a player must challenge the Black Prince in a duel. The duel is a special turn (the Duel) for the player who has reached the required prestige, and it replaces his usual turn. It is broken down into three simple phases: a draw phase, the determination of Maletar's strength, and then the resolution of the combat.

Draw

First, the player challenging Maletar draws his two usual cards. He then draws as many additional cards as there are opposing players at the table and adds them to his hand. He then takes all the Action cards from his new hand and adds up their values. This total is the player's attack strength for the duel.

Determining Maletar's Strength

All opposing players may play ONE of the Action cards they have in hand to reinforce Maletar during the duel. Players with no Action cards cannot reinforce Maletar. Unlike the usual reinforcement of an Adversary, bluffing is not possible.

Once all opposing players have played their card, their values are added together and 5 is added to obtain Maletar's defence value for the duel.

Losing the Duel Against Maletar

If the player's attack strength is less than or equal to Maletar's defence value, the player loses the combat. All the cards used for the Duel are discarded.

The player who has lost the duel against Maletar must discard the card in play that gives him the most prestige (his choice in case of a tie). The player's turn ends, and the game resumes its normal course.

If, despite this loss, the player still has 15 or more prestige points at the start of his next turn, he may again attempt to face Maletar.

Winning the Duel Against Maletar

If the player's attack strength is greater than Maletar's defence value, Maletar is defeated.

The player has defeated Maletar in the duel and saved Morrigan, and is therefore declared the winner of the game.