Old Ones Origins Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• How to Use This Document
• Old Ones
• Component List
• Setup
  • Game Length
  • Game Objective
  • Choose Your Old Ones
  • Create the Space Map
• Playing the Game
  • Eldritch Scheme Phase
  • Awakening Avatars
  • Plotting Phase
  • Influence Phase
  • Influence Upgrades
  • End Phase
• Influences in Detail
  • Dominion
  • Ascension
  • Conjuration
  • Invasion
  • Movement
  • Movement Blockers
  • Empowered Influence
  • Any Influence
• Conflicts
  • Conflict Order
  • Preconflict Steps
  • Preparation Steps
  • Die Results
  • Attrition
  • Psychic Damage
  • First Combat Step
  • Minions
  • Second Combat Step
  • Spell Casting
  • Spell Cost
  • Attack and Defend
  • Card Icons
• Icons List

Object of the Game

Old Ones Origins is a game of terrifying conflict set in the Mythos universe, aeons ago. Two to four players can choose between Hastur, Cthulhu, Shub-Gorath, and Yog-Sothoth, each of them commanding a unique army of hideous creatures, and each of them being able to manifest itself as a different Avatar.

Players will gather assets, build structures, gather units, as well as scheme and clash in order to find and break the opponents Seals. The first player to break a given number of seals, depending on a chosen game length, will win.

How to Use This Document

The How to Play booklet is written specifically to allow players to start actual play without further ado. There are many rules, exceptions, and small nuances that are explained in detail in the Rules Grimoire and should be referred to when in doubt.

Old Ones

There are four factions in the base game of Old Ones Origins. Each of them has a different style of play, uses different units and provides different strategies. All factions are balanced against each other so it does not matter if you play a two, three, or four player game - choose freely among all four old gods.

Cthulhu: Brutal force, destruction imperative, and overpowering armies - Cthulhu is not the subtlest of the ancient gods. He thrives in prolonged conflicts, where its growing power becomes inescapable. Cthulhu commands armies built on resilience and overwhelming presence. Drawing strength from fractured worlds, this faction can shift between unbreakable defence and crushing counter-offensives as the battle evolves.

Hastur: A master of manipulation and subtle devastation. With balanced forces and high spell resistance, the Yellow King gains strength as enemy units tire and falter. Hastur wields a suite of powerful spells designed to twist opponents' plans from within. This faction excels at turning exhaustion into opportunity, controlling the flow of battle through deception, disruption, and perfectly timed strikes.

Yog-Sothoth: With unmatched spell resistance and the ability to appear where least expected, Yog Sothoth stands as the ultimate master of magical dominance. This is a faction of pure sorcery and spatial distortion that bends the battlefield with shifting portals and reality-warping paths. Its forces boast exceptional mobility and potent, devastating spells that turn nexus zones into engines of power.

Shub-Gorath: Shub-Gorath thrives in the chaos of battle, spawning fresh minions at alarming speed and converting sacrificed followers into vital resources and brutal bonuses. Shub-Gorath overwhelms foes with sheer numbers, fielding vast hordes of weak but relentless units. With aggressive pressure and swarm tactics, this faction engulfs the battlefield in a tide of dark fertility and ferocious offense.

Component List

• 4 Avatar minis
• 15 double-sided map tiles
• 4 building boards
• 16 outpost minis
• 8 acropolis minis
• 81 unit minis
• 4 faction boards
• 48 seal tokens (12 per faction)
• 1 tracker board
• 32 influence tokens (8 per faction)
• 160 generic tokens (40 per faction)
• 24 eldritch scheme cards (6 per faction)
• 48 conflict cards (12 per faction)
• 4 rift tiles
• 16 influence upgrade cards (4 per faction)
• 16 spawn tokens
• 25 fracture tokens
• 16 minion tokens
• 12 starting forces cards (3 per faction)
• 10 dice
• 4 avatar cards
• 1 conflict marker

Setup

Game Length

Decide as a group what game length you want to play. The length of the game and the number of players will determine how many victory points are needed to trigger the end of the game, the maximum number of rounds in the game, and in part which components will be used.

The game experience has been mostly optimized for Medium Games but some players may prefer a quick and brutal game.

Short Game - 4 rounds max. Intended for first-time players or those who want a quick, focused experience. Does not use Avatars or related components, such as the additional Schemes and Conflict upgrades for Avatars.

Standard Game - 6 rounds max. The intended standard game. Use Avatars along with their 3 Conflict upgrades and 2 "Med+" Eldritch Schemes.

Game Objective

No matter which game length you choose, the game will end prematurely when the following conditions are met depending on the number of players:

• 2 Players: 2 VP to trigger the end of the game
• 3 Players: 3 VP to trigger the end of the game
• 4 Players: 4 VP to trigger the end of the game

Choose Your Old Ones

After game length is chosen, each player should:

1. Choose a Faction and take all its components: a. Faction and Building boards. b. Unit and Structure figures. c. Conflict Deck and Conflict upgrades. d. Influence upgrades. e. Influence markers, Seal tokens, and Faction tokens. f. Starting Forces cards. 2a. If playing with Avatars, pick your faction Avatar. 2b. Add the corresponding Avatar card, Avatar figure, Conflict upgrades, and Eldritch Schemes that match the type of game you are playing to your supply. Shuffle the starting Conflict card into your Conflict deck.

Create the Space Map

1. Shuffle all available Region tiles (a Region is a large square tile with four sections) together, flipping them over and rotating them randomly.
2. Place a number of tiles out randomly to form the game board, depending on the number of players:
   • 2 players = 3x2 tiles
   • 3 players = 3x3 tiles
   • 4 players = 4x3 tiles
3. Randomly determine the 1st player. If you can not decide on the way of choosing them, simply determine who has the longest tentacles.
4. Starting with the 1st player and continuing clockwise, each player claims 1 Region by doing the following: a. Choose 1 unclaimed Region. b. Choose 1 of their unused Starting Forces cards. c. Take all components listed and do the following:
   • Place all units and structures in any world areas in the chosen Region. Only Units with Flying may be placed in void areas instead. Otherwise you may divide the units among the four areas.
   • Place the listed number of Seals in different areas, blocking an Asset slot.
   • Place any fractures in any areas.
   • Add any Conflict upgrades to your Conflict deck.
   • Place any Influence upgrades in your play area.
   • Mark any Unit or Structure upgrades with a token over their upgrade cost.
5. Once all players have claimed 1 Region, starting with the last player and continuing counter-clockwise, players claim a second Region, repeating the same steps.
6. Once all players have claimed 2 Regions, starting with the 1st player and continuing clockwise, players claim a third Region, repeating the same steps.
7. Starting with the last player and continuing counterclockwise, each player places 1 Rift in Time and Space between two Regions. Time and Space is the border between two large Region tiles.

Example of the Space map after Setup in a 2-player game is shown in the booklet as a photograph and is not reproduced here.

Playing the Game

The game will last at most for the number of rounds you agreed on by choosing the game length, and at least until someone reaches the respective VP threshold. For example, if you are playing a 3-player Standard game, you will play either until the end of the 6th round or until one player gathers 3VP. You gather VP by breaking your opponent Seals.

Each round consists of 4 Phases, always resolved in the following order:

1. Eldritch Scheme Phase - this is when you determine player order, as well as choose your unique, powerful abilities for the round.
2. Plotting Phase - this is the order giving time. You will place your Influence markers on the board, carefully planning all your moves for the round.
3. Influence Phase - in this phase you will reveal your Influence tokens and resolve them.
4. End Phase - at this point you will check for end game conditions, as well as refresh the game and move the Rifts on the board.

Eldritch Scheme Phase

1. Each player selects 1 of their available Schemes that has not been used in this game yet.

2. Reveal the selected Schemes simultaneously.

3. Set Turn Order for the current round of play. The player with the lowest Initiative on their revealed Scheme is the 1st player, the second lowest Initiative is the 2nd player, etc.

   TIE: If there is a tie, the player who had the lower Initiative in the previous round (or during Setup if it's the first round), has the higher Initiative for the tie and so goes later in the Turn Order.

4. In Turn Order, players resolve their revealed Scheme: a. If your Scheme has "Remove/Replace" in the Rift movement section, remove 1 Rift from the board. b. If your Scheme has a "Now" effect, resolve it. c. If playing with Avatars, you may spend 3 Ancient Signs to awaken your Avatar if it is dormant. d. If you did not awaken your Avatar, or if you aren't playing with Avatars, gain 1 Ancient Sign.

   • If you have more Seals on the board than any other player, also gain the bonus listed.

5. Ongoing effects on Schemes are active immediately when revealed, and their effects should be taken into account when resolving the "Now" effects. Ongoing effects last until the Scheme is banished during the End Phase.

6. All effects of Schemes are mandatory unless they say "may" or are impossible to resolve.

Awakening Avatars

When your Avatar awakens do the following:

1. Flip your Avatar tile from the Dormant side to the Awoken side. You can no longer use the Empowered effect of your Avatar.
2. Resolve any "Awaken" effects on the Awoken side.
3. Add the Avatar figure from your supply (if it's still there) to any area with your Seal.

If your Avatar is ever destroyed, return the Avatar to your supply and flip your Avatar card from the Awoken side to the Dormant side. You can now use the Empowered effect of your Avatar and can awaken them again.

Plotting Phase

1. In turn order, players place 1 Influence marker facedown in one of the 5 empty influence slots of any Region where they have presence. Influence slots are the circular, semi-circular, and quarter-circular spaces at the corners and centers of the large square Region tiles.

   1a. You have presence in any Region where you either: a. Have an allied figure (unit or structure). b. Already have an allied Influence marker in any of the Region's 5 influence slots. You may chain your Influence tokens placement. This means that you might gain presence in a Region by placing an Influence token at its corner, and in the subsequent move place your next Influence tokens in this Region.

2. Players continue to place Influence markers in turn order until each player has placed 5 Influence markers.

Influence Phase

In turn order, players choose 1 of their unrevealed Influence markers that is not covered by another marker, and do the following:

1. Reveal the Influence marker and announce to the other players what Influence is being resolved. 2a. If the marker is in the center slot of a Region, resolve the Influence in that Region. 2b. If the marker is in a corner slot, choose 1 Region that the Influence marker is touching and place the marker in the Region's center slot and resolve it. a. If there is already an enemy Influence marker in the center slot (at the top of any other markers stacked there) instead place your marker facedown under the Enemy marker (at the bottom of any markers stacked there) and end your Influence turn. b. If there is already an allied Influence marker in the center slot (at the top of any other markers stacked there), then you cannot choose that Region to resolve your Influence marker. You must choose another Region that the Influence marker is touching. 2c. Instead of resolving an Influence marker, you may return it to your supply without revealing it to gain 1 Wild Resource.
2. When you resolve an Influence marker you may spend 1 Ancient Sign to empower it and resolve it as any Influence, instead of the printed type. a. If playing with Avatars and your Avatar is dormant: When you resolve an empowered Influence, also resolve the Empowered effect on your Avatar card's dormant side.
3. After the Influence is resolved, remove the marker from the board and return it to your supply.

Influence Upgrades

Any Influence upgrades that you have gained can be used whenever you resolve an Influence of the listed type. Most Upgrades resolve before, after, or during the Influence. 'Before' effects should be resolved before any other steps for that Influence. 'After' effects should be resolved after all other steps for that Influence. 'During' effects are active while performing any steps of that Influence.

Players continue to take turns choosing and resolving their Influence markers until all have been resolved and none remain on the board. Then move to the End Phase.

End Phase

1. Check for Victory according to the required number of VP determined during setup.
   • If only one player has the required amount of VP for victory, they win the game!
   • If more than one player has the required amount of VP for victory, the player with the most VP wins the game.
   • If any players are tied for the most VP, the player with the most allied Seals on the board wins the game.
   • If 1 or more players are tied for the most allied Seals on the board, then Azathoth, the Mad Idiot God awakens and all creation is destroyed. All players lose the game! 1 b. Check for game end. If any player has no more Schemes available to play, the game is over.
   • The player with the most VP wins.
   • If more than one player has the most VP, use the tie breaks in the previous section.
2. Refresh all units.
3. In turn order, players resolve the Rift movement of their revealed Scheme.
   • The player chooses 1 Rift that has not yet been chosen during this step and moves it according to the icons on the top left corner of their Scheme card.
   • Rifts cannot be moved into the same area between Regions that is already occupied by a Rift.
   • Rifts can be moved off the board as if all board edges are aligned with their opposite board edge.
   • If a Rift movement is "Stay": choose a Rift that cannot be moved again this phase. It still counts as having been moved.
   • If a Rift movement was "Remove/Replace": take the Rift you removed during the Scheme phase and add it to any valid place on the board. It counts as if you had moved it.
   • After a Rift has been moved, place 1 allied Seal in an empty Asset slot in one of the two Regions now touched by the Rift, if able. If the Rift stayed or was replaced, still place a Seal in one of the two Regions where the chosen Rift is.

Example of Rift Movement: Yog-Sothoth moves the Rift diagonally, following their Scheme card and places a Seal in one of the Regions adjacent to a spot where they placed that Rift.

Influences in Detail

When resolving an Influence, perform the listed steps for the corresponding Influence in the listed order. Each step is optional unless it says "must": but a step that is performed must be performed completely. Parts of a step cannot be skipped unless they say "may" or if it is not possible for that part of the step to be completed. Each Influence is resolved in a single Region. All steps are resolved in that Region unless specified otherwise.

There are four types of Influence:

1. Dominion - allows you to collect Assets and break enemy Seals, gaining you the precious VP.
2. Ascension - upgrades your Units, Structures, as well as Conflict cards and Influence orders.
3. Conjuration - this is how you build new Structures and recruit new Units.
4. Invasion - your way to move and potentially start Conflicts.

Dominion

1. Collect Assets in all allied areas in the Region.
2. Gain 1 Follower for each allied Outpost in the Region.
3. Gain 1 Wild Resource for each allied Acropolis in the Region.
4. Break 1 Seal in an allied area in the Region by removing it from the map.
   • If it's an enemy Seal, that Enemy gains 1 Ancient Sign and you gain 1 VP. Return the Seal to that player's supply.
   • If it's an allied Seal, return it to your supply without any other effects.

Example of Dominion: Yog Sothoth collects 1 Follower and 2 Substance. Since they have an Outpost in the Region, they get 1 extra Follower. Finally they break one of their Seals.

Ascension

1. Gain up to 1 available Influence, Conflict, Structure and/or Unit upgrade by paying their cost.
   • With the Library Outpost upgrade, for each allied structure in the Region, a different upgrade costs 1 Lore less.
   • Influence upgrades cost 1 Lore for each Influence upgrade you already have. Place them in your play area where other players can clearly see them.
   • Conflict upgrades cost 0 Lore or 2 Lore. When you gain a Conflict upgrade, shuffle it into your deck.
   • Structure upgrades cost the listed amount on the Faction sheet and are marked by covering up the cost with a token.
   • Outpost upgrades apply to allied Outpost and Acropolis. Acropolis upgrades only apply to allied Acropolis.
   • Unit upgrades cost 1 Lore and are marked on your Faction sheet by covering the cost listed with a token.
   • Unless otherwise specified, Unit upgrades can only be triggered once no matter how many figures of that unit type are in the conflict/area/region.

Example of Ascension: Yog-Sothoth spends a total of 3 Lore and 1 Substance to buy Fractal Entity's Unit Upgrade, Outpost's Monolith Upgrade and Horrid Shriveling Conflict Upgrade.

Conjuration

1. Summon up to 1 unit into either an allied world, or an unaligned world. Units cannot be summoned into Warded and Sealed areas.

   • Units with Flying may be summoned into void areas instead of worlds.
   • Units with Subtle may be summoned into contested and enemy areas.
   • If you have the Portal upgrade, you can also summon up to 2 units into each area in the Region with an allied structure, ignoring restrictions.

   Sealed areas prevent from summoning units only during Conjuration. When you are asked to add a unit, you ignore every restriction.

2. Build up to 1 Structure on an allied world.

   • To build an Acropolis, both Outposts adjacent to the Acropolis on the Faction sheet must have been built.
   • When built, the Acropolis must be placed in the same area as an allied Outpost. Place the Outpost on top of the Acropolis. At this point they become 1 structure, and you only collect Assets and roll dice for the Acropolis.
   • If an Acropolis is destroyed, return the figure to your supply, keeping the Outpost figure in that area.

Example of Conjuration: Yog Sothoth spends a total of 3 Followers, 1 Substance, and 1 Lore to summon Pack of Tindalos, and Watcher from Beyond. Pack of Tindalos is Flying so it can be summoned into a Void area. By having a Portal Structure Upgrade, they could summon additional unit in a region where they have a Structure. Afterwards, they spend 1 Substance and 1 Lore as Wild Resource to build an Acropolis under the already present Outpost.

Invasion

1. Move any allied units in the Region to any areas in the Region that they can reach.
2. Move any allied units from 1 adjacent Region to any areas in the Region that they can reach.
3. You must choose 1 contested area in the Region to resolve a Conflict (if you have at least 1 figure in the area). Conflict is described in detail in the next section of this booklet.

The above means basically that the Region you resolve your Influence in is your target Region. You can move the figures within and into it during this Influence resolution.

Movement

When a unit moves, choose a valid area to be its destination area and then move from an adjacent area to an adjacent area until it reaches its destination.

• Exhausted units (units laid on their back) cannot move but can warp.
• Units in contested areas cannot move unless they are Evasive.

Movement Blockers

Certain types of areas can stop a unit's movement. Units must stop moving when they enter a blocked area. If a unit's movement to an area is blocked, that area cannot be its destination.

• Void Areas: Block movement unless the unit is Flying.
• Unaligned Worlds: Block movement unless the unit is Evasive.
• Contested Areas: Block movement unless the unit is Evasive.
• Enemy Areas: Block all movement.

Example of Movement during Invasion: Shub-Gorath resolves their movement first within the target region and then they choose 1 adjacent Region to move their units from it towards the target region. Firstly, Beastmen move to an adjacent enemy area and finish their movement. Then, Spawn and Beastman from the adjacent Region move into an enemy area in the target Region and finish their movement. The remaining Spawn from that adjacent Region cannot move, because it would be stopped by the Void area next to it, and therefore it would not finish their movement in the target Region which is illegal. Now there are 2 contested areas and Shub-Gorath needs to choose in which one of them they want to resolve a Conflict.

Empowered Influence

Each faction holds one Influence token that is Empowered. That Influence token is marked with a distinctive pattern around its rim. When resolving such Influence, refer to your Dormant Avatar sheet (if available - you are playing with Avatars and your Avatar has not Awoken) and follow the unique rules for this Influence.

Any Influence

Instead of revealing an Influence marker, you may use your turn to remove an allied marker from the map (without revealing it) and gain 1 Wild Resource.

Conflicts

A conflict begins when a contested area is chosen for a conflict, usually during an Invasion. Conflicts can involve 2-4 players and is resolved through multiple steps:

1. Preconflict - you will determine who fights whom and where, set the conflict up and potentially announce surrenders.
2. Preparation - draw your cards, roll for battle statistics, resolve start of conflict effects, and suffer damage from fractures in reality. 3&4. First and second Combat Steps - play your cards and spend Assets to gain extra support in the battle.
3. Spell Casting - use your powerful magic.
4. Attack and Defend - time to get physical (well, and psychic, too) and bring your wrath upon your enemies.
5. Resolution Step - clean up and check for survivors.

Conflict Order

During a conflict, when something is done in "turn order" it means the Invader goes first, followed by other participating players acting in normal initiative order.

Preconflict Steps

Designate Conflicted Area: Place the Conflict marker in the contested area to show that it is the conflicted area. There can only ever be one conflicted area at a time.

Determine Participants: All players with figures in the conflicted area must be participants. If it is a Nexus area, any players without figures in the conflicted area may choose to be participants. The player who started the conflict is known as the Invader.

Surrender: If there are only two participants and the defender has only 1 figure in the conflicted area, the defender may choose to surrender. They remove their figure and gain 1 Wild Resource; the Conflict then ends before it begins.

Setup: Each participant takes their Conflict board, then places all allied figures in the conflicted area next to it. These figures are considered to be "in the conflict". Figures later added or summoned during the conflict are added to the conflict unless otherwise stated.

Preparation Steps

Draw Cards: Participants shuffle their Conflict deck and draw up to 5 cards from it to form their hand.

Roll Dice: In turn order, participants roll dice equal to the total Dice Roll of all unexhausted (standing) allied figures in the Conflict and add the results to their Conflict boards. Each player can only roll a max of 10 dice. Each extra they have over 10 can instead convert 1 of the dice they rolled into any other Conflict Resource as if they rolled [unnamed die face: three-node symbol].

Editor's note: the How to Play booklet draws this die face as a symbol but does not name it in the text or in the Icons List; it is transcribed as the image shows it. The Rules Grimoire, not included here, is the place to confirm its name.

Die Results

When a player rolls a conflict die, they immediately add Damage/Attack, Block, or Power matching the die result to their conflict dial and then remove the die. When a player rolls [unnamed die face: diamond-and-circle symbol], they add a Conflict Resource of their choice.

Example: Both Shub-Gorath and Yog-Sothoth roll 2 dice. Shub rolled 1 Damage/Attack and 2 Power, while Yog rolled 1 Block and 1 Power. They add the results to their respective Conflict boards.

Start of Conflict Effects: In turn order, participants resolve any of their "Start of Conflict" effects. These are usually on unit upgrades, but can also be found on Structure upgrades, Ongoing Scheme effects or Influence upgrades. These effects are optional unless they say "must".

If in a Nexus area, all participants have: "Start of Conflict: Gain 3 Power."

Attrition

In turn order, each player participating in the conflict resolves attrition by suffering 1 Psychic Damage for each Fracture in the area.

Psychic Damage

When you suffer Psychic Damage during a conflict do the following:

1. You may spend any Power to block 1 Psychic Damage for each Power spent.
2. You may exhaust any allied units in the conflict to block Psychic Damage equal to the unit's Power.
3. For each unblocked Psychic Damage destroy 1 allied figure in the conflict. If you don't have enough figures to destroy, destroy as many as possible and then withdraw from the conflict; you are no longer participating.
4. If only one player remains in the conflict, it ends. Skip straight to the Resolution Step.

Example: Shub-Gorath suffers 3 Psychic Damage. They can block it by spending 2 Power and exhausting their Beastmen which is worth 1 remaining Power.

First Combat Step

1. Choose Cards: Participants simultaneously choose 1 conflict card from their hand and place it face down on their conflict board.
2. Resolve Cards: In Combat order, participants reveal their chosen cards and resolve the top "conflict effect". Revealed cards stay faceup and provide their icons.

2b. Spend Assets: After revealing your chosen card, before or after resolving its conflict effect, you may activate 1 Asset Conflict Effect by spending that Asset.

• a. Spend 1 Follower to add 1 Minion to the conflict.
• b. Spend any Substance to gain 1 [unnamed symbol: diamond-and-circle] for each Substance spent.
• c. Spend 1 Lore to gain 3 Power.
• d. Ancient Sign can be spent as any type of Asset.

Minions

Temporary units that count as figures, and only exist during a conflict. They are usually added by spending Followers or through card effects. They have 0 Dice Roll, 0 Block, and 0 Power. They are removed at the end of the conflict.

Second Combat Step

Repeat the procedure listed in the First Combat Step.

Example of a Combat Step: Shub-Gorath reveals a card that allows them to add 2 Minions unless their opponent exhausts a unit. Fortunately for Yog-Sothoth, they spent 1 Follower when they revealed their card to add a Minion of their own. Thanks to that, Yog can exhaust that Minion without weakening their more powerful units to stop Shub from getting 2 Minions.

Spell Casting

1. Each participant has the option to cast 0, 1, or 2 spells. a. Start with the player with the most Power. b. They can choose to cast a spell or to pass. c. After the first spell is resolved, they can choose to cast a second spell or pass. d. After they have resolved their second spell or passed, the player with the next most Power who hasn't yet had the option to cast spells yet this conflict, repeats steps 'b' through 'd'. This means this is an exception from the "Conflict order" rule described at the beginning of the Conflict section.
2. To cast a spell, choose one of your played conflict cards and resolve the bottom "spell effect" by paying the Power cost of the Spell plus Power equal to the difference between your Spell Resistance and the highest enemy Spell Resistance. If you have the most Spell Resistance, or if you are tied, you do not need to pay any extra Power.
3. This continues until all participants have had the option to cast spells.

Example: Players compare their Spell Resistance. Yog-Sothoth has 3 Spell Resistance icons while Shub-Gorath has 2. That means that every Spell that Shub casts cost 1 more than what is written on the card.

Spell Cost

The Power cost of a Spell must be paid for the Spell to resolve. It can be paid by exhausting allied units for Power equal to their Power unit stat or by spending Power from your dial.

Attack and Defend

1. In conflict order, players resolve their attacks.
2. When a player attacks, they choose one Enemy with units in the conflict to attack. That Enemy is the defender.
3. The attacker deals damage equal to the total Damage/Attack on their revealed cards plus 1 for each Damage/Attack they spend from their dial.
4. The defender blocks damage equal to the total Block on their revealed cards plus 1 for each Block they spend from their dial. In addition, they may exhaust allied units to block damage equal to the unit's Block.
5. The defender then destroys 1 allied figure for each unblocked damage. Any extra damage is lost.
6. The attacker repeats this until they have attacked each participating Enemy player once, or they pass.
7. Then the next player in conflict order acts as the attacker, until all participants have had a turn as the attacker.

Card Icons

All Damage/Attack on the attacker's revealed cards applies damage to attacks against all Enemies.

All Block on the defender's revealed cards blocks damage from attacks by all Enemies.

Withdrawal

If only 1 participant remains in the conflict, the conflict ends immediately after finishing resolving the current effect. Proceed to the Resolution Step.

Example: Shub-Gorath has a total of 4 Damage/Attack: 3 from the Conflict board and 1 from played cards. Yog-Sothoth has only 1 Block on their Conflict board and none on their cards, therefore 3 Damage/Attack goes into their units. They exhaust their Watcher from Beyond and destroy their Minion and Bonded Sorcerers to block it. After that it's Yog's turn to attack, but their 1 Damage/Attack is blocked by 1 Block on Shub's card.

Resolution Step

1. Resolve any 'End of Conflict' effects.
2. Return any figures remaining in the conflict to the conflicted area and remove the Conflict marker.
3. For each player with figures remaining in the area, add 1 Fracture there.
4. If only 1 player has figures in the area, they control the area and it is considered an allied area for them. If no players have figures remaining there, the area is not controlled by any player and is considered unaligned.

Cleanup Step

1. Conflict cards by the conflict boards, along with any remaining in players' hands as well as these discarded are shuffled back into their respective Conflict decks.
2. Destroyed figures are returned to their player's supply.
3. Conflict dice and minion tokens are returned to the common supply.

Editor's note: step 1 of the Cleanup Step is transcribed as the booklet prints it.

Icons List

The booklet's Icons List names each symbol as follows. The symbols are printed as images in the booklet and are rendered as words throughout this transcription.

• Resources and stats: Power; Block; Damage / Attack; Psychic Damage; Spell Resistance; Chosen Resource; Random Resource; Wild Resource.
• Followers and resources: Followers; Lore; Seal; Sign (Ancient Sign); Substance.
• Influence types: Ascension; Conjuration; Dominion; Imbue; Invasion.
• Unit keywords: Evasive; Exhausted; Flying; Immortal; Subtle.
• Unit stats: Block (unit stat); Dice Roll (unit stat); Power (unit stat).
• Board and other: Fracture; Nexus; Or; Initiative; Conflict; Scheme.

Editor's note: the Icons List shows Imbue, Immortal, Nexus, and the Chosen and Random Resource symbols, which do not appear in the How to Play text; they are listed here as the booklet names them.