Tiny Epic Defenders (Second Edition) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Components
• Game Setup
• Creating the Card Decks
• Gameplay Overview
• 1. Draw and Resolve Turn Cards
  • A. Defender Cards
• Defender Actions
  • Move to a Region
  • Secure a Region's Threat
  • Use an Ability
  • Fight the Epic Foe
• Defenders Becoming Exhausted
• B. Enemy Cards
  • Destroyed Regions
  • Attacking the Capital City
  • Defending an Outer Region
• C. Dire Enemy Cards
  • Gaining Artifacts
• 2. Reshuffle Turn Cards and Add a Horde Card
• Revealing the Epic Foe
• Solo Variant Rules
• Credits

Overview

In Tiny Epic Defenders, players work together to defend Aughmoore from the hordes of attacking Enemies and ultimately defeat the Epic Foe. All players win or lose together, traveling between the Capital City and its Outer Regions, Defending them from attacks, and Securing their Threats. The game ends when either the Capital City falls (players lose) or the Epic Foe is defeated (players win).

Components

• 7 Region Cards (double-sided)
• 10 Player Cards
• 6 Defender Cards
• 9 Enemy Cards
• 6 Dire Enemy Cards
• 10 Artifact Cards
• 6 Epic Foe Cards
• 10 Artifact Items (Coming Soon...)
• 4 Defender ITEMeeples®
• 4 Defender Hit Point Tokens
• 1 Epic Foe Hit Point Token
• 7 Threat Tokens

Game Setup

1. Place the 7 Region Cards to form the Game Map:

   • A. Place the Capital City Region Card in the center of the table.
   • B. Place the 6 Outer Region Cards (Forest, Ruins, Mountains, Plains, Coast, and Desert) in a circle around the Capital City. The Outer Region Cards are placed randomly in ANY order:
     • i. Place 2 Outer Regions to the left and right of the Capital City.
     • ii. Place 4 Outer Regions around the Capital City forming a circular shape, 2 above and 2 below it.
     • iii. Randomly choose which Outer Region Card side to play with (A or B, noted by the icon at the bottom left of each card).
   • C. Place all 7 Threat Tokens on the "0 space" of each Region Card's Threat Track (the numbered spaces on the right side).

2. Give each player a Player Card (selected or randomly drawn) along with a Defender ITEMeeple® and a Hit Point Token in their choice of color. Place the remaining Player Cards and tokens back in the box.

   • D. Each player places their ITEMeeple® on the Capital City Card.
   • E. Each player places their Hit Point Token on the highest number of the number track on the Player Card, indicating full Hit Points.

3. Shuffle the Artifact Cards and place the deck face down within reach of all players. Place the Artifact Items near this deck.

4. Shuffle the Epic Foe Cards and place one face down near the Game Area. Put the unused Epic Foe Cards back in the box without revealing them. Place the Epic Foe Hit Point Token near the card for use later.

5. Create the Turn Deck and the Horde Deck, and remove any Leftover Cards (see Creating the Card Decks):

   • F. Place the Turn Deck in its starting configuration within reach. Designate an area next to it for a Discard Pile.
   • G. Shuffle the Horde Deck and place it on top of the Epic Foe Card.
   • H. Place the Leftover Cards in the Box Lid; these cards will remain face down for the remainder of the game.

Creating the Card Decks

First, separate the cards into piles based on type (Regular Enemy, Dire Enemy, and Defender) before creating the Card Decks:

• 9 Enemy Cards: Shuffle and add 3 Enemy Cards to the Turn Deck. Shuffle and add 3 Enemy Cards to the Horde Deck. Add the remaining 3 Enemy Cards to the Leftover Cards.

• 6 Dire Enemy Cards: Add Dire Enemy Cards to the Horde Deck based on the number of players in the game (1-2 Players: 2 Cards, 3 Players: 3 Cards, 4 Players: 4 Cards). Add the remaining Dire Enemy Cards to the Leftover Cards. (For a harder difficulty, add 1-2 additional Dire Enemy Cards to the Horde Deck. Your funeral...)

• Defender Cards: Add 1 Defender Card matching each player's color to the Turn Deck and shuffle. Add any unused Defender Cards to the Leftover Cards.

• All Defender Cards (based on the number of Players): Add All Defender Cards matching the number of players (not for 4 player games) and shuffle them in with the other Defender Cards in the Turn Deck. Add any unused All Defender Cards to the Leftover Cards.

Place the 3 Enemy Cards ON TOP of the Defender (and All Defender) Cards in the Turn Deck. DO NOT SHUFFLE; this configuration is only used in the first Round. In subsequent Rounds the Turn Deck will be shuffled.

Finally, shuffle the Horde Deck (Enemy Cards + Dire Enemy Cards) and place it on top of the face down Epic Foe Card. Place the Leftover Cards into the Box Lid without revealing them.

Gameplay Overview

The game is played in a series of Rounds. Each Round is as follows:

1. Draw and Resolve Turn Cards - During a Round, players draw cards, one at a time, from the Turn Deck until it is depleted, resolving the actions or outcomes of each card and then placing them into the Discard Pile.
2. Reshuffle Turn Cards and Add a Horde Card - When there are no more cards left in the Turn Deck, flip the cards in the Discard Pile and add 1 card from the Horde Deck without revealing it. Shuffle these cards together to make a new Turn Deck to start a new Round.
3. Reveal Epic Foe - If there was no Horde Card to add to the Turn Deck this Round, reveal the Epic Foe instead, and place its card next to its Region Card.

Game End – The game will end in one of two ways:

Victory! The players win the game if they Fight and defeat the Epic Foe, reducing its Hit Points to 0!

Defeat! The players lose the game if the Capital City is Destroyed, its Threat reaching the Destruction Level.

1. Draw and Resolve Turn Cards

During a Round, players draw the top card from the Turn Deck and resolve the actions or outcomes listed on that card. After the card is resolved it is placed into a Discard Pile and then the next card is drawn. There are 3 types of Turn Cards:

• A. Defender Cards (see below)
• B. Enemy Cards
• C. Dire Enemy Cards

A. Defender Cards

When a Defender Card is drawn, it grants a Turn to the Defender whose color matches the card. That Defender gains 3 Action Points, or 4 if there is at least one Destroyed Region, which can be spent to perform actions and abilities.

When an All Defenders Card is drawn, 3 Action Points (or 4 if there is a Destroyed Region) are divided collectively among the Defenders to take Turns, however they choose.

Sacrifice Health: When a Defender's Card is drawn and after all of the Action Points are spent, a player may choose to pay 1 Hit Point (move the Hit Point Token down on the track) from their Player Card to gain 1 additional Action Point. This additional Action Point must be spent immediately. Sacrificing may happen only once per Turn.

Defender Actions

Defenders may spend Action Points on their Turn to take the following Actions in any order and any number of times, as long as they have enough Action Points to spend.

Move to a Region

For 1 Action Point, a Defender may move to an adjacent Region. When moving around the Game Map:

• The Capital City is only adjacent to the 2 Outer Regions, on its left and right.
• The 4 Outer Regions above and below are not considered adjacent to the Capital City.
• Each Outer Region is adjacent to exactly 2 other Outer Regions on either side of it.
• Outer Regions all have another Outer Region directly opposite of it. In the example below, the Mountains Region is opposite of the Desert Region.

Example (Red, Blue, and Green Defenders occupy the Mountains, Capital City, and Coast respectively): Red Defender can only move to the Plains or the Coast. Blue Defender can only move to the Coast or the Forest. Green Defender can only move to the Mountains, the Ruins, or the Capital City.

Secure a Region's Threat

For 1 Action Point, a Defender may reduce the Threat by 1 in the Outer Region they occupy. Move the Threat Token down one level.

• The Capital City cannot be Secured (unless with a specific Ability).
• An Outer Region with Level 0 cannot be Secured any further.
• Destroyed Regions cannot be Secured (see Destroyed Regions, below).

Use an Ability

For the amount of Action Points indicated on a relevant card, a Defender may use their own Defender's Ability, a Region's Ability, or an Artifact's Ability.

• Defender Abilities: Each Defender has an ability listed on their Player Card, which may require Action Points to be Used. Some do not require Action Points and are instead conditional. For instance, an Ability that says "When Defending" applies only when that Defender is Defending.
• Region Abilities: Regions have Abilities that can be used ONLY when Defenders occupy them. There are 2 types of Region Abilities:
  • Active: requires a Defender to spend Action Points to Use.
  • Passive: the effect is triggered if certain conditions are met.
• Artifact Abilities: Like Defender Abilities, some require Action Points to be spent while others are conditional. Artifacts can only be Used by the Defender that is carrying them.

Fight the Epic Foe

For 1 Action Point, a Defender may Fight the Epic Foe (see Revealing the Epic Foe) if they are in its same Region. Move the Epic Foe's Hit Point Token down 1 space on its track. Note the effect listed on the Epic Foe Card. For example, the Dragon's effect is "When ANY Defender Card is drawn, immediately move the Dragon clockwise 2 Regions."

Epic Events: If the Hit Point Token enters a space marked with an Epic Event Icon, the event listed on the Epic Foe Card occurs immediately, or it triggers a condition that changes how the game is played. For example, on spaces 6 and 2 of the Dragon's track, the event "All Defenders lose 2 Hit Points" is triggered.

Defenders Becoming Exhausted

When a Defender's Hit Point Token reaches the "0 space" on their Player Card's track, they are Exhausted. That Defender may not use Action Points to Secure, Fight, or Defend, but may still use Action Points to Move and Use Abilities (as long as they do not Secure, Fight, or Defend).

If a Defender is in the Capital City at the start of their Turn (during a Defender or an All Defender Card) they are restored to full Hit Points.

B. Enemy Cards

If an Enemy Card is drawn, it will increase the Threat Level of each of the 2 Outer Regions it attacks in order of "First" and "Second." Move the Threat Token up 1 space on the track of first Region attacked and then the second. After an Enemy Card is drawn and resolved, place it into the Discard Pile.

Destroyed Regions

If the Threat Token ever reaches the top Destruction Space of the Threat Track, that Region is Destroyed. Immediately place the Enemy Card attacking that Region face down over the top of that Region, covering its ability text. The Destroyed Region's ability can no longer be Used, but Defenders may still move into or through it. Also immediately increase the Capital City Region's Threat by 1. If the "First" Region gets Destroyed by the card's attack, the "Second" Region does not increase its Threat because the Enemy Card first placed onto the Region Card. If a Region is Destroyed by the special effect of an Epic Foe or a Dire Enemy, use a face down Leftover Card from the box lid.

Attacking the Capital City

When a Destroyed Outer Region is attacked and NOT Defended, or if Threat was increased in a Destroyed Region due to an effect, the Capital City's Threat increases by 1 instead. Defenders cannot Secure Destroyed Regions, and Destroyed Regions cannot be restored to their original state.

Defending an Outer Region

If a Defender is in an Outer Region when it is attacked, they may Defend it by losing 1 Hit Point. The attack is then cancelled and the Threat does not increase in that Region, or in the Capital City if it is a Destroyed Region. When an Enemy Card attacks two Regions, Defenders would have to be in each Region for both to be Defendable.

C. Dire Enemy Cards

If a Dire Enemy Card is drawn, it is resolved the same as a "Regular" Enemy Card with the following exceptions:

• Dire Enemies only attack 1 Outer Region. For example, the Harpy only attacks the Mountains Region.
• If a Defender in the Dire Enemy's Region chooses to Defend against it, they MUST lose 2 Hit Points to Defend instead of 1.
• If the Dire Enemy is NOT Defended, it also triggers an effect listed on the card. For example, the Harpy's effect is "All Outer Regions at Threat Level 0 must increase to Threat Level 1."

Gaining Artifacts

Artifacts are gained by Defenders when they Defend against Dire Enemies. After Defending, the Defender immediately draws an Artifact Card from the Artifact Deck, placing it next to their Player Card and then inserting the matching Artifact Item into one of their Defender ITEMeeple's® hand slots, or into the two slots on its back.

• A Defender can hold a maximum of 2 "Hand Artifacts" (1 pin each) and 1 "Back Artifact" (2 pins).
• If a Defender gains an Artifact but is already at the maximum amount, the Defender MAY drop one of their Artifacts (both the card and the item) and equip the new Artifact drawn. However, if an Artifact is dropped, it is removed from play and its Artifact Card is shuffled back into the Artifact Deck.

2. Reshuffle Turn Cards and Add a Horde Card

Once the Turn Deck is depleted and all of its cards are resolved, the Round is over. Flip the Discard Pile so that it is face down and then do the following:

• If there ARE cards in the Horde Deck: Add 1 card from the Horde Deck to the Discard Pile (now face-down) without revealing the new card. Shuffle these cards together to make a new Turn Deck to start the next Round.
• If there ARE NO cards in the Horde Deck: The Epic Foe is then revealed (see below). After this, continue playing Rounds until the game ends in Victory or Defeat (see Game End).

Revealing the Epic Foe

Flip the Epic Foe Card face up to reveal it. Place it onto the Region Card that matches its symbol, covering the left side. Then place the Epic Foe's Hit Point Token on the highest space on its track, and note any effect that may be triggered when it is revealed. The Epic Foe does not leave the game until it is defeated.

Solo Variant Rules

A solo player MUST play with 2 Defenders. Setup a 2-player game and choose 2 Player Cards to track the separate Defenders' stats.

Credits

Designer: Scott Almes Game Developer: Michael Coe Illustrator: Ian Rosenthaler Graphic Designer: Benjamin Shulman Editor: Dylan D. Phillips

© 2018 Gamelyn Games, LLC all rights reserved. No part of this product may be reproduced without specific permission. Tiny Epic Defenders, TED, Gamelyn Games, ITEMeeples, and the TED logo are trademarks of Gamelyn Games, LLC.