Thor
Thor Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Cards
In the game there are 30 god cards, 36 offering cards, and 14 action cards.
The Basic Game
(2-5 players)
Game Preparation
Remove the 5 Baldur cards, the 6 Baldur-offering cards and the 14 action cards. They are not used in the basic game.
The remaining god cards are sorted by color and placed as five adjacent stacks of five cards each. The remaining 30 offering cards are shuffled.
Depending on the number of players, the following cards are set aside face-down:
- 2 players – 2 offering cards
- 3 players – 3 offering cards
- 4 players – 2 offering cards
- 5 players – no offering cards
These cards will not be needed during the game, and no one should look at them.
The rest of the offering cards are distributed evenly among the players.
Game Play
Draw lots to decide who will begin. The players take turns in clockwise order. During his turn a player will first place one of his offering cards directly beneath the stack of god cards in the same color.
Important: Offering cards of the same color should be placed overlapping each other so that the values at the top of all cards are clearly visible.
To end his turn, a player takes one god card from a stack of his choice, and places it on the table in front of himself. The color of the placed offering card does not have to be the same as the color of the chosen god card.
When the last god card of a color has been taken, this type of god card is no longer available, but players may still play offering cards to this god.
Game End
The game ends when a player places the sixth offering card beneath the same god. This player may finish his turn by taking a god card.
Scoring
The value of the last played offering card for each color determines the satisfaction of that deity. The total number of god cards determines the player who is most in favor. Each player will score the value of the deity for each god card in his possession. A deity without any offering cards will score nothing.
Example: At the end of the game I have 3 Freya cards, 2 Odin cards, and 3 Thor cards in front of me. The last played offering card on Freya is the Goose (value 2), on Odin is the Bull (value 5), and on Thor is the Boar (value 4), so I score the following points:
- 3 x 2 = 6 from Freya
- 2 x 5 = 10 from Odin
- 3 x 4 = 12 from Thor
I have gained 28 favor points in total.
When several rounds are played you should keep track of the favor points on a piece of paper.
We recommend that you play as many rounds as there are players. Each player will then become the first to play once. The player with the highest combined total of favor points wins the game as the one most favored by the gods.
The Big Game
(4-6 players)
The 11 gray Baldur cards are now used in the game. There will be six stacks of god cards and a total of 36 offering cards. The game takes a little longer, but the game play is unchanged.
Variant: Thor's Will
(3-6 players)
This variant may be played in the basic game as well as the big game. The 14 action cards are now shuffled and placed face down as a draw pile.
In his turn a player has the following additional options:
Instead of taking a god card, the player may take the top card from the action deck instead (thus receiving no god card this turn).
An action card may be played instead of placing an offering card. The card must be played above a god stack, but only if the stack does not already have an action card. There can never be more than a single action card above each stack of god cards.
Also, any action card may be played to remove an action card from a stack. The text on the card has no effect when played to remove another action card, and both action cards are removed from play. The space above the god stack is now vacant for future play of an action card.
No more than one Action card may be played per turn (and then no offering card).
The game is played as the basic game with one additional rule: the game also ends when a player plays his final offering card. He simply declares that the game has ended, and he may finish his turn by taking a god card.
Note: the action card "Drei Gaben" (Three Gifts) cannot be placed above a god stack. However, it may be used to remove another action card.
Action cards that change the value of the god cards only have effect as long as they remain in play.
Action Cards
Drei Gaben (Three Gifts) x 2 – This card is worth +3 points at the end of the game, if kept in hand.
Gunst der Stunde (Favorable Times) – You may immediately take 2 god cards (if available) from this stack.
Fluch der Vanen (Oath of the Vanir) x 2 – The fading force of the Vanir is with you. Place this card above a god stack to move one god card of this type from another player's display into yours.
Lokis Ränke (Loki's Intrigues) – Place this card above a god stack to modify its value by -3.
Lokis Rat (Loki's Advice) – Place this card above a god stack to modify its value by +3.
Lokis Schliche (Loki's Ploy) – Place this card above a god stack to modify its value with -2.
Lokis Tricks (Loki's Tricks) – Place this card above a god stack to modify its value with +2.
Mjöllnirs Macht (Mjollnir's Might) – The might of Mjollnir makes the universe tremble. Use this chance to rearrange the order of offerings in the stack where you place the card.
Ruf aus Walhall (Cry from Valhalla) – Valhalla demands tribute. Place this card above a stack. Each player must immediately return a god card of this type to the stack if he has one.
Thors Gunst (Thor's Favor) – Place this card above a god stack to change its value to "5".
Thors Zorn (Thor's Wrath) – Place this card above a god stack to reduce its value to zero.
Yggdrasills Früchte (Fruits of Yggdrasill) – Place this card above a god stack to double its value.