Valda: Rise of the Giants Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Game Set-Up
  • Game Board
  • Giant Areas
  • Cards
• Player Boards
  • Runes
  • Action & Building Tokens
  • Cards (Expansion Symbol)
• Gameplay
• Gods vs. Giants
• Turn Structure
  • 1. Valda Phase
  • 2. Attack Phase
  • 3. Followers Phase
  • 4. Resource Phase
• Area Control
• End of the Game
• Updated Gods From First Base Game Edition
• Meet the Giants
  • Ymir (Ice Giant)
  • Agir (Water Giant)
  • Hel (Queen of the Underworld)
  • Mork (Mud Giant)
  • Thrym (Ruler of the Giants)
  • Grim (Mountain Giant)
  • Kari (Storm Giantess)
• Updated Basegame Cards
• Cards Description
  • Card Effects
  • Divine Weapons

Contents

• 7 area tiles
• 5 player boards
• 35 Giant temple tiles
• 83 cards
• 7 Gods vs. Giants cards
• 12 runes
• 7 action / building tokens
• 10 wooden cubes in 5 colours (2 per player)

Game Set-Up

Game Board

Place the game board in the middle of the table, the drakkar pawn on '1' in the middle of the mythical world map and the Vikings on the '0' of the Yggdrasil tree as you are familiar with.

Giant Areas

For each area on the world map (game board) you have 2 options, a God or a Giant. They all have different divine powers. Determine individually for each area who will occupy that area, by using the Gods vs. Giants cards. Then take for each area the corresponding divine cards, the area tile and the temple tiles.

Each area pairs one God with one Giant:

• Freya vs. Kari
• Tyr vs. Agir
• Surtur vs. Hel
• Loki vs. Mork
• Odin vs. Thrym
• Thor vs. Grim
• Heimdall vs. Ymir

For example: in the area originally inhabited by Freya you can either choose the Goddess Freya or the Giantess Kari. When you choose Freya, you shuffle and lay the divine cards that belong to Freya on the designated area for the divine deck and you put the Kari area tile and temple tiles back in the game box along with her divine deck. When you choose the Giantess Kari you lay the Kari area tile on the Freya/Kari area and put Kari's divine cards on it. Also add Kari's Giant temple tile on every player board, on top of Freya. Put the Freya's divine cards back in the box.

Cards

Take all cards without the picture of a God or Giant in the lower right corner and sort them in the 2 main decks: A ('Action' deck) and B ('Battle' deck). Put the action cards from the Rise of the Giants expansion into the A deck with the other action cards from the base game and shuffle thoroughly. Do the same with the defence and attack cards to form the B deck. Place both decks, face-down, next to the world map. Put deck B on the right side of deck A.

Don't place the divine decks on their corresponding areas yet.

Player Boards

A new player board is introduced: it will allow you to keep a close eye on your available divine powers (for Gods and Giants) through temples, as well as the modified player turn. The Giant temple tiles are used when playing with Giant areas.

Place the corresponding temple tile on the player board, to cover its God counterpart.

The expansion player boards only have 4 player phases, starting with the Valda phase. The Gods and Giants are shown under the phase their divine power applies (unless otherwise stated).

The player boards also have a new stockpile for runes.

Runes

The runes are used as a resource next to diamonds, gold and divine blood. It can't be obtained through rolling dice but it is acquired through cards, trading building points and certain Giant powers.

Action & Building Tokens

The double-sided tokens are used in the Valda phase to keep track of your action and building points.

Cards (Expansion Symbol)

All the cards from this expansion have the expansion symbol in the bottom left corner to be able to sort them easily after use. On top of that, the divine cards of the Giants have a Giant picture in the bottom right corner.

Form separate decks with the divine cards of the Giants, as they function the same as the divine cards of the Gods. They are to be added as a deck to the corresponding chosen Giant areas. A normal expansion card must be put in the corresponding main deck (the printed example card, Rune Theft, goes in the B deck).

Discarded divine cards of Giants function the same as divine cards of Gods and are placed on the discard piles next to deck A or B. Giants, like Gods, have divine weapons. They follow the same rules. All divine weapons are removed from the game when played or discarded.

Gameplay

Each player chooses a colour and takes a player board and the components in their colour. Similar to the base game, you start with 2 mines and no blood drill. Place the cubes accordingly.

Everyone takes 3 cards from deck A and 3 cards from deck B as their starting hand. The player who played the base game the most, begins the game.

Every player receives 2 divine blood, 3 diamonds and 3 gold.

Do not use the starting resources table of the first edition of the base game.

Gods vs. Giants

There are 3 ways to determine who occupies the area:

1. Ad Random (for beginning players): Before the start of the game, randomly determine Gods and Giants by shuffling the Gods vs. Giants cards and then dropping them from a little distance above the table. Use, in their corresponding areas, the Gods/Giants that are face-up.

2. Before the start of the game, the players choose a God or Giant for each area. Shuffle the Gods vs. Giants cards and hand them out counter-clockwise starting by the last player. The last player (on the right of the starting player) chooses, from the cards they have, a God or Giant for the corresponding area. Then choosing turns go counter-clockwise.

3. During play (only for advanced Rise of the Giants players): Choose the God or Giant during play. That means that when you build the first temple in an area on the world map, choose between the God or Giant for that area. The choice is definitive for the rest of the game.

Turn Structure

Like in the base game, Rise of the Giants is played in 6 rounds. During a round, players will each take a turn, starting with the first player then going clockwise. Each player's turn consists of 4 consecutive phases. When a player finishes their 4th phase, the turn of the next player begins.

The four phases are: 1. Valda phase, 2. Attack phase, 3. Followers phase, 4. Resource phase.

1. Valda Phase

In this phase you can build and take actions. At the start of your turn, you receive 5 action/building tokens. Flip the tokens in the way that you have 3 action points and 2 building points face-up.

You spend action points and building points by discarding a corresponding token.

You can take the following actions in any order, the same action can be taken several times:

• Spend 1 action point to play an action card.
• Spend 1 action point to gain any 1 resource (excluding runes).
• Spend 1 action point to draw 1 card from any main deck.
• Trade 4 identical resources for any 1 resource (excluding runes), as many times as you want.
• Trade 1 rune for 1 divine blood, 1 diamond and 1 gold.
• Trade 1 building point for 1 rune.
• Spend 1 building point and pay the construction cost to build a building.

There are still 2 types of buildings that can be built in this phase: resource buildings and temples. When you have finished all your actions, move on to the attack phase.

2. Attack Phase

This phase is played similar to the base game. Every other player will, in turn, have the opportunity to launch 1 attack on the active player. Depending on the number of players, players can launch 2 attacks when they have a specific divine power (Surtur or Hel). See the Surtur / Hel section on the player board for their divine powers.

Transcriber's note: the printed text reads "opportinuty"; corrected to "opportunity".

3. Followers Phase

Now, the Giants Thrym and Grim also allow you to trade resources and cards for followers. The trade options and costs can be found on the player boards/temple tiles. The divine power of each Giant can be found in section 'Meet the Giants'.

4. Resource Phase

The player turn now ends with the resource phase. In this phase you roll the dice according to the amount of resource buildings you have, like in the base game.

At the end of your resource phase, you draw a total of 2 cards (or more with a divine power) from one base deck.

Drawn cards at the end of the Resource phase go directly into your hand. If at any time there is no card in a deck, shuffle the corresponding discard pile to form a new A or B deck.

Area Control

All effects with controlling an area apply here.

End of the Game

As in the Valda base game, the game ends at the end of round 6. The player who has collected the most followers wins the game and becomes a Viking God or Giant. In case of a tie, the player with the most temples wins. In case of a second tie, the player with the most runes wins. In case of a third tie, the player with the most resources wins.

Updated Gods From First Base Game Edition

The following divine powers replace the first-edition versions in the base game.

• Heimdall: You cannot trade resources for runes. His divine power now happens during the Valda phase.
• Freya: Draw 3 cards (instead of 2) at the end of the Resource phase, keep 2. The card you didn't keep is placed at the bottom of its deck. With the second temple tier, draw 3 cards (instead of 2) at the end of the Resource phase. Her divine power now happens at the end of the Resource phase.

Transcriber's note: the printed Freya entry marks the two lines with a temple icon (one icon for the first line, two for the second); this is rendered here as the first and second tier.

Meet the Giants

Each Giant's divine power is printed in tiers. The tier is marked by temple icons: one temple icon for the first power line and two temple icons for the second.

Ymir (Ice Giant)

• Temple cost: 1x divine blood + 2x diamonds + 2x gold
• Divine deck: higher chance to obtain action cards.
• Divine power (1 temple): you can change up to 2 times an action point into a building point and vice versa.
• Divine power (2 temples): +1 action point (token) at the beginning of the Valda phase.

Agir (Water Giant)

• Temple cost: 2x divine blood + 2x gold
• Divine deck: higher chance to obtain defence cards.
• Divine power (1 temple): with each successful defence you make, gain 1 rune.
• Divine power (2 temples): with each successful defence you make, gain 2 runes.

Hel (Queen of the Underworld)

• Temple cost: 2x divine blood + 2x diamonds
• Divine deck: higher chance to obtain attack cards.
• Divine power (1 temple):
  • 2-3 players: you can attack twice during every Attack phase.
  • 4-5 players: with each successful attack you make, gain 1 rune.
• Divine power (2 temples):
  • 2-3 players: you can attack twice during every Attack phase AND with each successful attack you make, gain 1 rune.
  • 4-5 players: with each successful attack you make, gain 2 runes.

Mork (Mud Giant)

• Temple cost: 4x divine blood + 1x diamond + 1x gold
• Divine deck: higher chance to obtain cards that enhance divine powers.
• Divine power (1 temple): seduction cards that give +1 / +2 follower(s) can be played in the Followers phase and don't cost an action.
• Divine power (2 temples): during the Followers phase, move any 1 of your temples to any area. You do not gain followers nor cards from moving temples. This moving power can be used once per turn during your Follower phase.

Thrym (Ruler of the Giants)

• Temple cost: 2x divine blood + 3x diamonds + 3x gold. Temples cost 1 divine blood less when Tyr or Surtur is part of your game and 2 divine blood less when both are part of your game.
• Divine deck: higher chance to obtain runes.
• Divine power (1 temple): trade 1 rune for 1 follower. You can use this ability up to 3 times per turn during your Follower phase.
• Divine power (2 temples): trade 2 runes for 3 followers. You can use this ability 2 times per turn during your Follower phase.

Grim (Mountain Giant)

• Temple cost: 2x divine blood + 2x diamonds + 2x gold
• Divine deck: higher chance to obtain cards.
• Divine power (1 temple): discard 2 cards to gain 1 follower. You can use this ability up to 3 times per turn during your Follower phase.
• Divine power (2 temples): discard 3 cards to gain 2 followers. You can use this ability up to 2 times per turn during your Follower phase.

Kari (Storm Giantess)

• Temple cost: 3x diamonds + 3x gold
• Divine deck: higher chance to obtain resources.
• Divine power (1 temple): Kari's divine power can be used during any phase of your turn. You can reroll any 1 die (once per turn). On follower dice, you don't lose a follower if the result is the "lose 1 follower" face. Rerolling a resource die: if the result is "1", gain 2 of that resource instead.
• Divine power (2 temples): Kari's divine power can be used during any phase of your turn. You can reroll any 1 die (twice per turn). On follower dice, you gain a follower if the result is the "lose 1 follower" face (instead of losing one). On resource dice, if the result is "1", gain 2 of that resource instead. You can reroll the same die twice.

Updated Basegame Cards

• Yggdrasil: Instead of the normal 2 building points for the Valda phase, you have 3 or 4 (= you gain an extra 1 or 2 tokens).
• A glimpse into the future: When building a blood drill or mine for free, you don't spend a building point.
• Loki - Backstab: Play after an opponent has spent their last building point. The opponent recovers the resources spent for the construction cost but not the building point.

Cards Description

Card Effects

• Victory: Gain 1 or 2 runes.
• Grim: Spend 2 diamonds or 2 gold to draw 1 card from a main deck.
• Ruler of the Giants: Take any 1 attack card from the discard pile.
• Giant Smash: Destroy 1 of the attacked player's cards. When destroying a card, pick and discard a random card from the hand of the opponent. You can destroy a companion (blue) or ploy card (orange) (available in another expansion), that is face-up in front of the opponent.
• Rune Theft: Steal 1 rune from the attacked player.
• Power Shift: Exchange your hand of cards (even if empty) for that of the opponent.
• Sacrificial Stone: The attacked player loses 1 follower per 1 divine blood you spend. You can spend up to 5 divine blood.
• Hel: Steal 1 follower from attacked player. This is a particular attack: you can play it during any opponent's Attack phase but it targets all your opponents. Every opponent has to defend it like a normal attack.
• Mork: Switch one of the attacked player's temples with one of your own. It may change area control. Adjust the cubes on the player boards accordingly. You cannot perform this attack when you don't own a temple yourself.
• Thrym: Destroy 1 of the attacked player's cards. This is a particular attack: you can play it during any opponent's Attack phase but it targets all your opponents. Every opponent has to defend it like a normal attack. Resolve the attacks simultaneously. See card Giant Smash for the rules for destroying a card.

Divine Weapons

Divine weapon Agir

• Aegis: Use the attack value of an attack card in your hand as a defence value to block an attack. Divine powers that modify the defence of a card (Tyr) need to be added to the total defence value.
• Lust for Treasure: Steal up to any 4 resources (runes excluded) from 1 opponent.

Divine weapon Grim

• Brute: Play 2 attack cards for one single attack. Sum up their attack values but choose only one of the two effects. All effects involving an attack (like Freya/Surtur/Tyr's weapons) also apply for an attack with 2 attack cards, and they apply to both cards. Example: Tyr - Tyr's revenge. When cancelling an attack with a combination of 2 attack cards, you take both cards in your hand. Example: Surtur - Surtur's claim. The defending player has to defend again against the attack card or combination of 2 attack cards just played.
• Branch of Yggdrasil: Draw 3 cards from one main deck.

Divine weapon Hel

• Necromancy: Gain 1 follower for each follower lost by an opponent, from any single attack or effect. It only applies to followers lost (skull icon), not stolen.
• Bone Wand: When stealing something, steal 1 more.

Divine weapon Kari

• Storm: Reset the main decks by shuffling the two discard piles into their corresponding deck (A or B). Divine cards in the discard piles are also shuffled in a main deck.
• Wind of Change: Steal 2 followers from any opponent.

Divine weapon Mork

• Found Treasure: When an opponent draws a Giant or God card, steal it.
• Pubble of Mud: Increase the total attack value of any player's attack by +3.

The card name is printed as "Pubble of Mud" in the source and is transcribed unchanged.

Divine weapon Thrym

• Indestructible Temple: Your temples are immune to all negative effects this turn. Until the end of this turn, all your temples cannot be destroyed, moved, switched, frozen, etc. You can play this card when an attack card is being played against your temple(s).
• Safe Zone Abolishment: You ignore the safe havens until the end of the round.

Divine weapon Ymir

• Transform: Gain 2 extra action/building tokens for this Valda phase.
• Ice Cave: If you have successfully built 3 buildings this turn, gain 2 followers.