Underlings of Underwing Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup for Multiplayer Game
  • A Note on Handlers
  • Handler Deficiency
• Eggs & Dragons
  • Dragon Score
  • Temperature
  • Special Effects
  • Wild Dragons
• Gameplay
  • Phase 1: Element Collection
  • Phase 2: Move & Assign Dragon Handlers
    • Handler Jobs: Claiming an Egg
    • Handler Jobs: The Field
    • The Break Room
  • Phase 3: Placing Elements on Eggs
    • Eggs Hatched in the Wild
    • Trading Elements
  • Phase 4: Hatching and Claiming Completed Eggs
• Ending the Game
  • Hatching Eggs
  • Temperature Bonus
• Solo Rules
  • Setup for Solo Game
  • Special Notes for Each Phase
  • Solo Scoring

Components

• 90 dragon cards
• 36 handlers (x6 each color)
• 1 first player token
• Elements: x5 each, x10 each, x20 each (see element bag)
• 1 element bag
• 1 round tracker
• Field & tracker mats (solo on reverse)
• 6 player mats

Time: 30-60 mins. Players: 2-6. Ages: 12+.

Setup for Multiplayer Game

1. Shuffle the Egg Deck and place it Dragon-side down.
2. Place the Egg Cards in a 4x4 grid beginning with the top left and working left to right, top to bottom. This grid makes up the Hatching Grounds. See below for alternate grid sizes based on the number of players.
3. Place the Field Mat and the Turn/Handler Tracker Mat adjacent to Hatching Grounds.
4. Each player should take a Player Reference Mat, pick the corresponding set of colored Dragon Handlers, place 2 Handlers in their Ready Room and the remaining Handlers on the Handler Tracker mat.

Suggested Maximum Number of Handlers & Hatching Grounds Size:

• For 2 players: 4 Handlers, 3x2 Hatching Grounds
• For 3 players: 5 Handlers, 4x3 Hatching Grounds
• For 4-6 players: 6 Handlers, 4x4 Hatching Grounds

5. The player who most recently ate eggs becomes Player 1 for the first round and receives the Egg Token to indicate that he or she is Player 1.
6. Place all Elements (i.e., colored crystals) into the Element Bag.

A Note on Handlers

Handlers are your specially trained workers. All potential Dragonlords have Handlers to help them carry out specific tasks. As recognition for quality dragon hatching, Underwing's authorities will occasionally grant new Handlers to those competing for the Dragonlord title. These Handlers will appear as a positive effect on a hatched dragon card (i.e., the green "tame hatching" ribbon).

Handler Deficiency

At two specific thresholds, 12 and 25 points, players are granted a 3rd and 4th Handler (respectively) if they do not already have that many. If a player reaches 12 points from successfully hatching Dragons but already has a 3rd Handler, they DO NOT receive this bonus (likewise with 25 points and a 4th Handler). If a player receives an additional Handler for hatching a Dragon while simultaneously crossing the score threshold, they DO NOT receive the deficiency bonus Handler.

Eggs & Dragons

Each card has an egg side and a dragon side. The card shows: dragon type, dragon score, temperature, element spaces, the tame hatching effect and the wild hatching effect.

Each Egg requires skilled application of color theory to make a perfect Dragon, accomplished through the infusion of Elements into Eggs.

Players infuse Eggs with Elemental energy by placing their collected colored crystals onto the corresponding colored symbols featured on each Egg card.

Elements: red / courage, orange / fire, yellow / air, green / earth, blue / water, purple / spirit, black / death, white / life.

Once an Egg has all of the requisite Elements, it will either be transferred to the player who claimed it for controlled hatching, or it will hatch in the Wild; these results have different effects that will impact gameplay. See the Gameplay overview for Phases 3 and 4 for more information about placing Elements on Eggs and hatching Dragons.

Dragon Score

Each Egg/Dragon has an assigned Dragon Score point value. This number not only tells you the relative power of the Dragon (and its Special Effects), but it is used for scoring purposes at the end of the game. When an Egg hatches, it is at this point that the score is considered "added" to the player's total. See Ending the Game for more information on scoring.

Temperature

Each Dragon has an assigned color temperature: cool, neutral, or warm. During the final scoring process, players who hatch more Dragons of a particular color temperature (or an equal number of both) will receive a bonus.

Special Effects

When a Dragon is hatched (either in the Wild or under the supervision of a Handler), its associated effects are resolved. The positive effects (located on the green ribbon) are resolved when an Egg hatches under the supervision of a player Handler. The negative effects (located on the red ribbon) are only resolved when an Egg hatches in the Wild.

Wild Dragons

During the game, Eggs that are hatched without owners become Wild Dragons. Wild Dragons remain in their location as permanent fixtures in the Hatching Grounds and cannot be removed from play unless a Special Effect allows for this to happen. When hatched in the Wild, they have a negative effect (red ribbon) that causes Hatching Day chaos. Effects include: adding Elements to adjacent Eggs, hatching adjacent Eggs, and scaring off Handlers. These Dragons can be used to throw off opponents or even help your own Dragons hatch faster. Be warned, however: Wild Dragons can build up fast if left unchecked, ending the game for everyone!

Gameplay

Underlings of Underwing is played over a number of rounds that represent hours of the day during Underwing's Great Hatching. Each round (one Underwing "hour") has 4 phases to maximize Dragon-hatching efficiency.

1. Element Collection
2. Move & Assign Dragon Handlers
3. Add Elements to Eggs / Hatch Wild Dragons
4. Hatch Eggs / Collect Completed Eggs / Discover New Eggs

At the conclusion of each round, the Egg Token (indicating Player 1) is passed to the left, and the round tracker token is advanced one space to the right.

Suggested Number of Rounds:

• For 2 players: 15 Rounds
• For 3 players: 13 Rounds
• For 4-6 players: 12 Rounds

The tracker is built to allow players to choose the length of their game without needing to make any awkward modifications. Depending on the number of players and each player's level of experience, average round length should be approximately 3-4 minutes. Plan accordingly!

Phase 1: Element Collection

Beginning with Player 1 and rotating to the left, each player draws an appropriate Element from the Element Bag for each Dragon Handler they currently have on the Field (i.e., matching the Handler's currently occupied space on the Field track). For each of their Dragon Handlers that is NOT in the Field (i.e., in the Break/Ready Rooms or with an Egg), players should draw 1 random Element from the Element Bag.

Note that during the FIRST ROUND, there will be NO Dragon Handlers in the Field. During ALL rounds, players are expected to draw ALL of their Elements before passing the bag to the left.

If desired, players may draw their random Elements before guaranteed Elements (from either Handlers in the Field or Dragon effects). Importantly, some Dragon effects allow Players to draw more Elements than Handlers they currently have employed, and players are permitted to draw a random Element in place of any Element they would normally receive from a Handler in the Field (for instance, if they do not need that Element).

N.B.: If a player cannot draw a guaranteed Element because of a shortage in the bag, that player should instead draw a random Element.

Phase 2: Move & Assign Dragon Handlers

Move ALL Handlers in each player's Break Room to the Ready Room.

Move ALL Dragon Handlers currently on the Field ONE space clockwise. If a Handler is currently on the White Element space, that Handler MUST be withdrawn to the Break Room and cannot be moved again this round.

Starting with Player 1 and rotating to the left, each player may perform ONE of the following actions:

• Assign 1 Dragon Handler currently in the Ready Room to any space on the Field to collect Elements; this Handler is now considered "employed"
• Assign 1 Dragon Handler currently in the Ready Room to claim any unclaimed Egg in the Hatching Grounds; this Handler is now considered "employed"
• Recall 1 "employed" Dragon Handler to the Break Room; this Handler is exhausted and must remain in the Break Room until Phase 2 of the following round.

Repeat until all players have made the assignments they wish to make.

Handler Jobs: Claiming an Egg

Placing a Dragon Handler on an Egg in the Hatching Grounds claims that Egg as yours. No other player can place a Handler on that Egg unless: 1) you voluntarily recall your Dragon Handler from the Egg; 2) a Wild Dragon hatching effect causes your Handler to be removed from the Egg; or 3) another tamer's Dragon does something nasty to you.

Handler Jobs: The Field

A Dragon Handler can be placed on any space in the Field. Each space represents an area where high concentrations of a particular colored Element can be found. During Phase 1, for every Handler a player has in the Field, that player can collect those specific Element types in lieu of their random Elemental draw. Individuals can play one of their Handlers on the same space as another player's Handler, but no more than one of a given player's Handlers can occupy the same space in the Field. Once in the Field, Handlers cannot be moved to another space by player action; a player can only reassign a Handler to the Break Room (where they must remain until the next round's Phase 2).

The Break Room

Sometimes even the most experienced Dragon Handlers need a little bit of rest. If a player recalls a Handler from an assigned task (either claiming an Egg or gathering Elements in the Field), that Handler must return to the Break Room and remain there until Phase 2 of the next round. At that point, they will be moved to the Ready Room.

If a Dragon card grants a player an additional Handler, that Handler should report to the Ready Room immediately (i.e., no Break Room cooldown).

Remember that all Handlers in a player's Break and Ready Rooms afford a random Element draw during Phase 1.

Phase 3: Placing Elements on Eggs

Starting with Player 1 and rotating to the left, each player MUST place one of their collected Elements on an Egg card for EACH Dragon Handler they currently have on their staff. Where those Elements are placed (e.g., unclaimed Eggs, their's or another player's claimed Eggs) is at individual player discretion; that is, any color space on any Egg can be played onto by any player.

Elements follow the rules of color theory, allowing players to combine primary colors to make secondary colors. For example, placing one Red and one Blue Element together on a Purple Element space will fulfill the space's requirement.

N.B.: Players are allowed to play a single Element in anticipation of creating a combination Element. For example, Player 1 may place a Red Element on a Purple Element space and then later place a Blue Element to complete the combination. Any Element placed in this manner counts, for turn limit purposes, as one Element played per Dragon Handler. Similarly, multiple Elements played at the same time count as one Element played per Dragon Handler no matter how many individual Elements are included in the combination.

Throughout play, players are free to combine three unique Primary Elements (Red + Yellow + Blue) or three unique Secondary Elements (Orange + Green + Purple) to create Black.

Because Primary Elements can be used to create Secondary Elements, the following combination (shown in the manual as an illustration: two Primary Elements combined as a Secondary, plus the remaining Secondary-type element, producing Black) is considered a "fair" play.

Any player performing this combination could have also used Red and Blue to substitute for Purple or Blue and Yellow to substitute for Green. They COULD NOT, however, have combined a single Primary Element with the appropriate Secondary Element to make Black (i.e.; a Red Element plus a Green); the infusion ratios are not stable enough to successfully hatch a Dragon Egg under these conditions. Many Handlers have perished attempting to do so, resulting in a blanket-wide ban across Underwing.

White, the rarest Element, CANNOT be created. Only through the blessings of the ancient Dragon spirits (i.e., random draw) or through intentional discovery and research at the Ivory Tower (i.e., a Handler on the Field) may a Tamer collect a White Element.

N.B.: If there are no spaces available for a player to spend a given Element, that player will retain the Element in their Storage and is no longer required (for that round) to spend a number of Elements equal to their Handler total.

Eggs Hatched in the Wild

If, during this phase, an Egg is completed but unclaimed by a player, that Egg is immediately hatched and the Dragon inside is released into the wild (i.e., it occupies its previous "Egg" space on the grid). Negative hatching effects should be resolved immediately as well. The player who placed the Element that caused the Wild Dragon to hatch makes any decisions regarding its negative effects.

If a Dragon hatches in the wild and causes Elements to scatter to adjacent Eggs, those Elements can be placed on their matching color OR as a partially complete combination. For example, a Blue Element could be placed on an empty Purple space and later completed by adding a Red Element.

Trading Elements

Players may trade Elements with other players AT ANY TIME. There are NO LIMITS on the number, type, or balance of Elements traded. Highly-resourceful tamers who are willing to make trades are more likely to complete their Eggs.

Phase 4: Hatching and Claiming Completed Eggs

The beginning part of Phase 4 involves Eggs completed THIS ROUND. All players must remove their completed Eggs from the Hatching Grounds and place them in their respective personal play areas. All Elements on completed Eggs are returned to the bag, but Handlers must stay with their claimed Eggs for ONE additional round (to ensure proper hatching protocols are followed). These Eggs will hatch during Phase 4 of the NEXT ROUND.

Any empty spaces left behind in the Hatching Grounds should be filled with new Eggs from the draw pile (starting with the top row and moving left to right).

Next, players should hatch any completed Eggs they claimed during the PREVIOUS ROUND. It is important to note that Eggs are hatched - and resolved - IN THE TURN ORDER for that round. This proceeds as follows:

1. The Egg's Handler is sent to the Ready Room; the experience of watching a Dragon hatch warms the Handler's heart and encourages them to get back to work
2. The Egg card is flipped to its Dragon side
3. Positive effects on the green "tame hatching" ribbon resolve immediately

Once ALL Eggs have hatched, pass the Player Token to the left, move the round tracker one space toward 'zero,' and begin the next round.

N.B.: One helpful way to keep track of a player's "claimed" Eggs versus their "ready-to-hatch" Eggs is to lay the Handler down on any Egg claimed during THIS Phase 4 (i.e., "claimed" but not "ready-to-hatch") and stand the Handler up on any Egg claimed during THE PREVIOUS Phase 4 (i.e., "ready-to-hatch" in the coming round). Any Handler laying with an Egg can be thought of as nurturing it, and any Handler standing with an Egg can be thought of as delivering it to the player.

In the FINAL round of play, claimed Eggs are hatched and have their effects resolved immediately (for scoring purposes).

Ending the Game

When the Round Tracker reaches '1,' the FINAL ROUND begins. At its conclusion, each player should tally their total score by adding the Dragon Point values displayed on each of their hatched Dragons with any applicable temperature bonuses. Remember: Eggs completed in the final round of play are hatched in Phase 4 of that round, so strategize ahead of time!

Note that there are two ways to score Dragon Points and become the next Dragonlord - combine them for the best results:

Hatching Eggs

Accumulate Dragon Points by hatching valuable Dragon Eggs. Dragon Point values are displayed on the Dragon head symbol in the upper-righthand corner of each card. A Dragon's point value is added to the player's total when it hatches, NOT at the end of the game or when the Egg is initially collected.

Temperature Bonus

The two players who end the game with the most NET "warm" and "cool" Dragons (i.e., the difference between the two, greater than zero) each score a bonus of +15 Dragon Points (one for most "warm," the other for most "cool"). Any player who ends the game with a perfect temperature balance (i.e., equal numbers of warm/cool and/or neutral Dragons) receives +20 Dragon Points. If there is a tie for the most number of "warm" or "cool" Dragons, all players who meet the bonus requirement receive its full value.

Example: If a player ends with 7 "warm" dragons, 2 "cool" dragons, and 1 "neutral" dragon, they would have a net total of +5 "warm." If a player ends with 2 "warm" dragons, 2 "cool" dragons, and 3 "neutral" dragons, they would have a net total of +0, a perfect temperature balance (i.e., +0 "warm"/"cool").

In games with two players, it is recommended that players NOT use the temperature scoring bonus.

When Hatching Day reaches its close, the player with the highest Dragon Point total is hailed as this century's Great Dragonlord!

IMPORTANT: If at any time the Hatching Grounds become filled with Wild Dragons, ALL tamers are immediately exiled from Underwing. Play ends, and the few Handlers who receive severance pay are the game's only winners. In your lust for power and prestige, you managed to squander the century's only Great Hatching, unleashing doom upon civilization!

Solo Rules

In the solo version of Underlings of Underwing, players relive the story of the original Dragonlord, first to successfully harvest and infuse Elements into wild Dragon Eggs.

During play, the would-be Dragonlord must contend with the various Elemental forces represented by wild "Handlers" moving around the Field. These wild forces infuse Eggs in the Hatching Grounds with bursts of Elemental energy, keeping the player at the center of a delicate Egg balancing act.

Setup for Solo Game

1. The Player should use the Alternate Solo Side of the Field Mat
2. The Player should use the Alternate Solo Side of the Tracker Mat
3. Hatching Grounds are arranged in a 2x2 grid to start
4. Legendary Dragons should be removed from the Deck
5. Choose a Player Mat, place 2 Handlers in the Break Room, and place 3 corresponding colored Handlers on the Tracker
   • Max. number of Handlers for solo play: Player = 5, Wild Forces = 6
6. Assign one Wild "Handler" to the White, Black, and Purple Elemental spaces on the Field; place the remaining 3 Wild "Handlers" in the allocated spaces on the Tracker
7. Place the Round Tracker on number 12

The Turn/Phase order remains the same as core game.

Special Notes for Each Phase

During Phase 1: Draw Elements - Wild Forces receive Elements FIRST.

During Phase 2: Movement - The Handlers representing the Wild Forces rotate clockwise in Round 1 (the Handler on White will move to Orange, the Handler on Black will move to Red, the Handler on Purple will move to Blue). In the solo version of Underwing, the White space is a part of the Field track and Handlers are NOT recalled to the Break Room after collecting a White Element.

During Phase 3: The player places Elements first, alternating placement with the Wild Forces. The Wild Forces should place Elements in the following order: Black, White, Purple, Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow, Red.

Wild Forces fill Element spaces from left to right, top to bottom, in order of first immediate color fit, then secondary fit (i.e., starting a color combination).

Example: The Wild Forces have a Blue Element. First, they scan for an available Blue space (including any partially-complete combinations for Green, Purple, etc.). If there are no Blue spaces available, they scan for the first available empty Purple or Green spot. Finally, if neither space-type is available, then Wild Forces scan for an available Black space. If there are still no spaces available, the Element is returned to bag.

During Phase 4:

• Hatch claimed Dragons from the Previous Round
• Discover new Eggs, filling the grounds from left to right, top to bottom
• If a new Handler is granted, that Handler reports to the Break Room. The Wild Forces ALSO gain a Handler, and it is placed on the White space; if White is occupied by the Wild Forces, the Handler should be placed on the first available space counter-clockwise from White (i.e. placed on the Green space; if Green is occupied, the Handler should be placed on the Red space, etc.)
• N.B.: Handlers are NOT auto-granted at 12 and 25 points (core game only)
• When a new Handler is granted, the Hatching Ground grid expands to the following sizes:
  • 3 Handlers: 3x2 Grid
  • 4 Handlers: 3x3 Grid
  • 5 Handlers: 4x3 Grid
• Advance Countdown Tracker

Solo Scoring

IMPORTANT: If at any time the Hatching Grounds become filled with Wild Dragons, the Dragonlord has failed and play immediately ends. The original Great Hatching never happens, and the Realm of Underwing never becomes a Dragon-rearing superpower. For shame!

Net "warm" and "cool" bonuses DO NOT apply in solo play; however, a perfect balance of dragons is still worth +20 Dragon Points.

If the Hatching Grounds contain no wild Dragons at the conclusion of the game, the player is granted a bonus of +15 Dragon Points.

In order to win solo mode and attain a legendary epithet, the Dragonlord must achieve one of the following Dragon Point totals before time expires:

Title	Dragon Points
The Breaker of Eggs	< 60
The Master Eggsecutioner	75
The Wrangler of Whelps	100
The Duke/Duchess of Drakes	125
The Rider of Wyverns	150
The Commander of Wyrms	170
The Overlord of Underwing	190
The Legendary Dragonlord	215