The Umbrella Academy: The Board Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Set Up
  • Example Game Set Up
• How to Play
  • Winning and Losing the Game
  • Communication
  • A Greater Challenge
• 1. Play Phase
  • Actions
    • Action: Move
      • Following
    • Action: Play a card from your hand to your Location
      • Example of playing a card to a Location to place a Battle Token
    • Action: Play a card from your hand for its effect
    • Action: Discard a card
    • Action: Pick up Advantage cards
    • Action: Use board ability
    • Action: Pass
• 2. Draw Phase
• 3. Effect Phase
  • Devastated
  • Gaining Wounds
  • Check for Defeat
• 4. Crisis Phase
• Glossary
  • Advantage Cards
  • Ally Cards
  • Battle Tokens
  • Defeat / Losing
  • Destroyed Cards
  • Drawing and Discarding
  • Devastated
  • Feuds
  • Free Villain
  • Hand
  • Hazards
  • Location
  • Move
• Super Villain Missions
  • Hazel & Cha Cha
  • White Violin
  • Orchestra Verdammten
• Solo Play

Game Components

Cards: Skill cards, Hazard cards (standard and Villain ones), Ally cards, Feud cards, Wound cards, Advantage cards, Super Villain cards, Villain cards, and the Save the World special card.

Hero models: Spaceboy, Rumor, Séance, Kraken, Number Five.

Ally tokens: Pogo, Spaceboy, Rumor, Séance, Kraken, Number Five.

Villain tokens: Conductor, Orchestra member x8, Hazel, Cha Cha, Vanya, White Violin.

Battle tokens: Wits x18, Power x18, Fight x18.

Other tokens: First player token, Partner token.

Also: the game board and a 10-sided die.

Set Up

Before you begin, there are some steps you need to go through to prepare the game.

1. Place the game board in the centre of the table within easy reach of all the players.

2. Shuffle the Ally cards and place them face down near the board to create the Ally Deck.

3. Shuffle the Feud cards and place them face down near the board to create the Feud Deck.

4. Place the 20 Wound cards face up near the board to create the Wound Deck.

5. Each player now chooses one of the Heroes to play as - Spaceboy, Rumor, Kraken, Séance or Number Five, taking both the appropriate Hero model and that Hero's Skill cards. Each player should also draw two Feud cards from the Feud Deck. All 12 cards are now shuffled together and placed face down in front of each player to form the Hero Deck.

   Note: In a five player game, each player should also shuffle a single Wound card into their Hero Deck. Players should now draw a number of cards to form their initial hand of cards. Players should keep these face down, but they can tell other players what they have in their hand at any time.

Number of players	Cards to draw/Hand size
2	5
3	4
4	3
5	3*

6. Each player takes their Hero model and places it in its start Location.

   • Séance: Huxley Country General Hospital (Location number 3)
   • Kraken: Downtown (Location number 9)
   • Spaceboy: The Moon (Location number 1)
   • Rumor: The City (Location number 5)
   • Number Five: The Mansion (Location number 10)

7. Place any Hero Skill cards not being used back in the box.

8. Shuffle the Advantage cards together and deal out 20 Advantage cards into five separate piles of four.

9. Place the remaining Advantage cards back in the box.

10. Choose a Super Villain Mission from pages 22 and 23 to face, and take its unique deck of ten Hazard cards from the box. Shuffle those cards with ten normal Hazard cards then deal out these twenty cards equally onto the five decks of Advantage cards.

    For your first game we suggest taking on the dangerous Hazel and Cha-Cha Super Villain Mission, but be careful not to gain too many Wounds!

    Follow any other set up instructions for the Super Villain Mission you have chosen and then put the Super Villain card, showing the 1 side (not the Finale side), where all players can see it.

11. Place the Save the World special card onto the middle pile of cards. (Its effect: Flip the Super Villain card and discard this card. You are now in the Finale.)

12. Shuffle each of the five piles separately, then place them face down on top of each other from left to right to form a single deck. The Save the World card should now be somewhere in the middle of the deck. This is now the Main Deck and should be placed next to the game board.

You are now ready to play!

Example Game Set Up

In the example, three players have chosen to play as Spaceboy, Rumor and Séance. They have placed their models on their starting location, and have created their Hero Decks, drawing 4 cards each into their initial hand. The Main Deck is face down; the Wound Deck is face up; the Ally Deck and Feud Deck are face down to the side; the Battle Token supply and 10-sided die are within reach; the Super Villain card is visible to all players; 10 cards from the Main Deck are placed face up onto each Location. Bill has the First Player token.

How to Play

The game is played in Turns. Each Turn is divided into four Phases. Each Phase is completed before moving on to the next one. Once all four Phases are complete, if the game is not over, the next Turn begins, starting with the Play Phase again.

The four phases are:

1. Play Phase
2. Draw Phase
3. Effect Phase
4. Crisis Phase

Winning and Losing the Game

Winning the game requires that you successfully complete the condition on the Super Villain card, which is different for each villain and mission being played. Often it means defeating that villain by placing enough Battle Tokens on them.

Losing can happen in multiple ways, most commonly by gaining too many Wounds, letting too many Locations on the board gain Hazards, or by letting the Main Deck run out of cards.

Communication

The Umbrella Academy board game is a co-operative one and the players must work together to thwart the villains and save the world. Players should keep their hand of cards secret but are otherwise allowed to discuss strategy with the other players and say what cards they have at any time.

A Greater Challenge

Sometimes, families just don't talk! Once you have played a few games and you think your player team are up for a tougher challenge, then try playing with the following rule:

Players are NOT allowed to communicate their intentions, or what cards they have, or suggest what other players should do (or not do), during the Play Phase. All planning must be done in advance before each the Play Phase begins!

1. Play Phase

During the Play Phase players take turns making Actions. Starting with the person with the First Player Token, players make one Action before play then continues with the next player, clockwise round the board. This continues until all players have performed all the Actions they wish and have Passed.

Discarding cards. When players discard cards from their hand, unless specified otherwise, they are placed in that player's Discard Pile. The Discard Pile is shuffled and placed back face down to form a new Hero Deck when the previous Hero Deck runs out of cards.

Actions

Players can perform one of the following Actions when it is their turn to play.

Action: Move

By discarding a card from their hand, a player may move in one of the following ways:

• Move their Hero model from any Location to the Mansion Location
• Move their Hero model from the Mansion Location to any other Location
• Move their Hero model from any Location to any Connected Location

Connected Locations are shown graphically on the game board. (Example: Locations 1 and 2 are not connected; Locations 2, 3 and 4 are all connected.) For example, if Rumor was at Location 2, her player could discard a card to move Rumor to a Connected Location, or to the Mansion.

Following

If a Location contains more Villains than the combined total of Heroes and Allies at that Location, the "excess" Villains are said to be Free. Each Free Villain will follow any Heroes moving from that Location to the new Location.

Note that any Villains that have had Battle tokens played on them (see below), will take those tokens with them when they Follow a Hero.

For example:

1. Séance and Kraken are in the Mansion with three Orchestra Members.
2. Kraken's player moves their Kraken model to the Moon.
3. The one Free Orchestra Member, follows Kraken and moves to the Moon too.

Action: Play a card from your hand to your Location

You can play a card with any Fight, Power, or Wits symbols on it to add the corresponding Battle Token to a Villain or Hazard at your Hero model's Location. You must specify which Villain or Hazard you are placing the Battle Token(s) on - they are not placed generally in a Location.

If there are enough of the right type of Battle Tokens to match the requirements of a Hazard or Villain as specified on its card, you may immediately Destroy it, removing it from the game board. Battle Tokens "spent" in this way are returned to the supply.

If the card you play has Modifier card text at the bottom, that is also actioned, but any other text on the card is not.

(Illustrated example: a Kraken Skill card "Loner" grants a Power Battle Token and also has Modifier text, "MODIFIER: You may only play this card if you are a lone Hero in your Location." The Hazard "Ally in Trouble" requires 1 Wits, 1 Power and 1 Fight to match and Destroy it.)

Once a card has been played and any tokens placed and text resolved, the card is discarded to the player's Discard Pile (note that Advantage cards are instead Destroyed).

Example of playing a card to a Location to place a Battle Token

1. Number 5 is in a Location with a Hazard that already has a Fight Battle Token placed on it.
2. Number 5's player plays a Skill card that puts another Fight Battle Token onto the Hazard. The Skill card is then discarded.
3. The requirements (2 Fight) for the Hazard have been matched, and so the Hazard is Destroyed and the tokens returned to the supply.

Action: Play a card from your hand for its effect

Action the card text of a card in your hand by playing it, unless it has the Modifier keyword before it. Once the text is resolved, the card is discarded.

Action: Discard a card

You may discard a Skill card for no effect. Note that you cannot discard a Feud or Wound card using this Action.

Action: Pick up Advantage cards

If there is no Hazard in your Hero model's Location, you may pick up any Advantage cards in the Location and add them to your hand.

Action: Use board ability

Some Locations on the game board have an ability that players can use. For example, the Hospital allows a player to Discard Wound cards. If there are no Hazards or Advantages at your Hero model's Location, you may use the ability printed on the game board there.

Action: Pass

If you choose to Pass you cannot make any other Actions for the rest of the Phase. You can Pass at any time when it is your turn to play, and must do so if you cannot do anything else. Once all players have Passed, the game proceeds to the Draw Phase.

Discarding Advantage Cards

Most cards are discarded to your Discard Pile when played, but an important exception to this is Advantage cards.

Advantage cards are discarded back into the game box and are not used again in the current game.

Specific Rules Trump General Rules

Any text on a card overrules any conflicting text in this rulebook.

If two or more cards have conflicting rules, the current player may choose which card text to follow.

Timing and Choice

If the text on two cards would resolve at the same time, the player with the First Player Token chooses the order in which they resolve. Similarly, if a card could be resolved with two or more targets, the player with the First Player Token decides the resolution order.

For example: If an effect references the Location with the most Heroes, but there is a tie, the player with the First Player Token would choose which Location to resolve the effect at.

2. Draw Phase

Each player draws cards from their Hero Deck until they have cards in their hand equal to the player hand size as shown on page 8. Note that Advantage cards do not count toward a player's hand size.

If a player has a Wound card in their hand and does not draw any cards during the Draw Phase the Heroes are defeated and the game is lost!

Once each player has drawn their cards, play continues to the Effect Phase.

3. Effect Phase

Starting with the Moon (Location 1) and working in Location order, resolve the Effect text on all cards in each Location.

Hazards have many different effects, but there are some common ones: Devastating Locations, and causing Heroes to gain Wounds.

Devastated

When a location is Devastated, all cards are removed from that Location and a Devastated card is placed there instead. A Devastated card is a Hazard that cannot be removed from the Location - it stays there for the rest of the game.

Gaining Wounds

When a Hero gains a Wound they take a Wound card from the Wound Deck and place it face up onto their Discard Pile. Whenever Wounds are Destroyed they are returned to the Wound Deck (not the box).

If there are no Wounds left in the Wound Deck when a Hero gains a Wound, they die and the Heroes lose the game!

Check for Defeat

Once cards at the last Location have been resolved, check for Defeat. If there are six or more Hazards on the board (including Devastated cards), the Heroes have been Defeated and they lose the game!

If the Heroes are not Defeated, play now continues to the Crisis Phase.

4. Crisis Phase

Starting with the Moon (Location 1) and working in Location order, draw cards from the Main Deck and place one face up in each Location without a Hazard. More than one card can be in a Location, but never more than one Hazard.

If there are no cards left in the Main Deck at any time, the Heroes have run out of time and they lose the game!

Now clear away all Battle Tokens from Villains and Hazards that remain on the game board and return them to the supply.

Once this has been completed, pass the First Player Token clockwise around the table to the next player, a new Turn begins with the Play Phase.

Glossary

Advantage Cards

These are one-use cards which give powerful bonuses to Heroes. If an Advantage card would ever be discarded, Destroy it instead.

Ally Cards

Ally cards have special rules depending on the Allies in play on the board. Each Ally card corresponds to an Ally model or token. Ally cards form the Ally Deck.

Battle Tokens

Wits, Power, and Fight tokens are placed onto Hazards and Villains in order to Destroy them. Whenever you place a Battle Token on a Hazard or a Villain by playing a Skill or Advantage card, that token stays there until the end of the Turn, or until the Villain or Hazard is destroyed. At the end of the Crisis Phase, tokens at Locations that didn't help Destroy a Hazard or Villain are returned to the supply.

Defeat / Losing

Players can be Defeated and lose the game in a number of ways:

• A hero can die, either by gaining a Wound when none remain in the Wound Deck or by not being able to draw cards during the Draw Phase while they have a Wound card in their hand.
• A card must be drawn from the Main Deck but it has run out of cards
• Six (or more) Locations have Hazard cards in them at the end of the Effect Phase.

Destroyed Cards

Destroyed cards are placed back in the box; they will not be used again this game.

Drawing and Discarding

Draw cards from your Hero Deck to add to your hand. If you need to draw, reveal, or otherwise interact with your deck but it is empty, shuffle your Discard Pile to form a new Hero Deck. Cards are drawn one at a time. Discard cards face up onto your Discard Pile. You may look through your Discard Pile at any time.

Devastated

When a location is Devastated, all cards are removed from that Location and a Devastated card is placed there instead. Devastated cards are Hazards and cannot be removed.

Feuds

When a Hero gains a Feud they take a Feud card from the Feud Deck and place it face up onto their Discard Pile.

Free Villain

Free Villains are any Villains (models or tokens) over the total of Heroes and Allies in a Location. If there is a choice, players may choose which Villains are Free.

Hand

Players can have more cards in their hand than their hand size, but will not draw cards during the Draw Phase if they do. Advantage cards do not count towards a player's hand size.

Hazards

Hazards are a challenge that Heroes will have to overcome by placing enough of the right type of Battle Tokens on them to match or beat the requirement on the Hazard card. When a Hazard has enough Battle Tokens on it to meet the requirement, it can be immediately Destroyed by the current player, even if it is in a different Location to their Hero. The Battle Tokens are returned to the supply.

Location

There are ten Locations on the game board. A Location may contain any number of Advantage cards, Heroes, Allies, and Villains, but may only ever contain one Hazard.

Move

• From any Location to the Mansion Location
• From the Mansion Location to any other Location
• From any Location to any Connected Location.

Each Free Villain will follow any Heroes moving from their Location.

Partner Token

This token is used to denote the partner of a player with the Partner Feud card.

Random Location

The die used in Umbrella academy has 10 sides, each corresponding to a Location on the game board. Roll the die when you are required to pick a random Location.

Save the World

This is a special card that is shuffled into the middle of the deck during game set up. When this card is revealed during the Effect Phase, flip the Super Villain card to its Finale side and then discard this card to the box.

Super Villain Card

The Super Villain card has special rules that are in play depending on the Super Villain mission you are using. When the Finale is activated during the Effect Phase, the Super Villain card is flipped, and the rules change.

Villains

Villain cards have special rules depending on the Villains you are facing. Each Villain card corresponds to one or more Villain models or tokens in play. Villain cards do not go into the Main Deck and are used for reference while in play.

Winning

Winning the game requires completing the objective on the Finale side of the Super Villain Mission card being used.

Wounds

When a hero gains a Wound they take a Wound from the Wound Deck and place it face up onto their Discard Pile. Whenever Wounds are Destroyed they are returned to the Wound Deck rather than the box. If there are no Wounds left in the Wound Deck when a Hero gains a Wound, the Hero dies and the players lose the game!

Super Villain Missions

Hazel & Cha Cha

Set up: Place the two models or tokens representing the Hazel and Cha Cha Villains into two random Locations (using the 10-sided die).

Villain cards: Place the cards for Hazel and Cha Cha by the game board, both with the 1 side face up.

Hazard cards: Use the following 10 cards with the Hazel and Cha Cha icon:

• 2X Come Look at This Hazel
• 1X Come Look at This Cha-Cha
• 2X Find Them Hazel!
• 2X Red Liquorice and Armageddon
• 1X Sugar Rush
• 1X The Target
• 1X Stop Playing and Finish Them

White Violin

Set up: Place the model or token representing the Vanya Hargreeves Villain into a random Location.

Villain cards: Place the cards for Vanya Hargreeves by the game board, with the 1 side face up.

Hazard cards: Use the following 10 cards with the White Violin icon:

• 2X Jealousy
• 2X Rage
• 2X Regret
• 2X Loneliness
• 2X Confusion

Orchestra Verdammten

Set up: Place one model or token representing an Orchestra Member Villain into a random Location (using the 10-sided die), for each Hero being used.

Villain cards: Place the cards for Orchestra Member and Orchestra Conductor by the game board, face up.

Hazard cards: Use the following 10 cards with the Orchestra icon:

• 2X Harmony
• 2X Ensemble
• 2X Cresendo
• 2X Concerto
• 2X Cadenza

Solo Play

To play the game as a solo experience, make the following changes to the game:

• During set up, choose three characters rather than one, shuffling all three decks of Skill cards together to make a 30 card Hero Deck. No Feud cards are added to the deck.
• During the Draw Phase of each Turn draw ten cards.
• Skill cards can only be used to affect their corresponding Hero character, so if you were to play Rumor's White Lie, it could only affect Hazards in her model's Location.
• Advantage cards may be used by any Hero, no matter who picked them up. Though you are one player, each model represents a different Hero, so if more than one Hero would be affected by a Hazard effect, you will suffer the effect multiple times.
• Though you are one player, each model represents a different Hero, so if more than one Hero would be affected by a Hazard effect, you will suffer the effect multiple times.

(The last two bullets repeat each other in the source.)