Valda Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Game Set-Up
  • Playing cards
  • Board
  • Yggdrasil score tree
• Player Boards
  • Types of cards
• Start of the Game
  • Starting resources
• Gameplay
  • 1. Resource Phase
  • 2. Game Phase
  • 3. Building Phase
• Meet the Gods
  • Heimdall — Watcher of the Gods
  • Freya — Goddess of Fertility
  • Surtur — Fire Giant
  • Tyr — God of Justice
  • Thor — God of Thunder
  • Odin — Leader of the Gods
  • Loki — God of Chaos
  • 4. Attack Phase
  • 5. Followers Phase
• Territory Control
• God Weapons
• End of the Game
• Icon Reference

Contents

• Book of rules
• World map
• 5 player boards
• 5 player pawns
• 9 dice in three colours: blue (3), yellow (4) and white (2)
• 150 playing cards
• 90 resource materials: 30 drops, 30 gold and 30 diamonds
• 45 temple figures in 5 colours (9 temples per player)
• 55 cubes in 5 colours (11 cubes per player)
• 1 Drakkar ship pawn

Game Set-Up

Playing cards

Take all cards out of the box and sort in two stacks. Place the cards without the image of a God in the lower right corner in one stack and shuffle thoroughly. This stack of cards forms the base deck. Put this pile next to the game board.

Sort the second stack of cards with an image of a God in the lower right corner in 7 piles according to the different Gods. Shuffle all the stacks and place them in their corresponding God area on the world map in the space provided. They form the God decks.

Board

Place the game board in the middle of the table.

The map consists of 7 god areas. Put the Drakkar ship pawn, which functions as a tracker and identifies the rounds, down in the middle of the world map (at the bottom between Midgard and Asgard) on '1'. Place all player pawns on the '0' tile of the Yggdrasil score tracker.

Yggdrasil score tree

If you receive followers (through cards, building temples or through divine abilities) you move your Viking up on the Yggdrasil tree.

There are safe zones at 0, 5, 12 and 20 followers. When you are on or passed those safe zones you cannot lose followers under that threshold.

For instance if a player attacks you with a steal 1 follower card, this will have no effect on you or your position on the tree. Other attacks are still possible.

If you pass 20 followers, you continue tracking at the bottom of the tree.

Player Boards

Each player places cubes on their board to indicate the number of mines, blood drills and temples. In the beginning one cube must be placed on '2' for the mines.

The divine abilities you get when you have 1 or more temples in a certain god area.

The player board is divided into five game phases, in order: Resources phase, Game phase, Building phase, Attack phase, Followers phase. It also holds a stockpile for drops, gold and diamonds.

Types of cards

Basic cards (yellow): show the card's name and what you get when you play this card.

Attack cards (red): show the attack power — the damage you do when this card is not defended.

God cards (yellow, red or blue): show a God icon.

God weapons (blue): special cards tied to a God.

Defence cards: show a defence power.

Start of the Game

Everyone chooses a pawn and a colour with which he/she will play.

Give each player his/her player board and temple figures in the right colour.

Everyone takes 6 cards from the base deck as their starting hand.

The oldest Viking (read: player) begins the game. Then take turns clockwise.

Game variant 1: 'The Turnaround' — There is an alternative beginning and ending of the game. The player with the highest dice roll begins the game. Turns go clockwise but when the sixth and final round begins, the player on the right of the starting player begins this final round. Then turns go counter-clockwise and end with the starting player.

Game variant 2: 'Race to the Gods' — There is an alternative ending. The player who is the first to have 20 followers wins the game and becomes a god.

Starting resources

	starting player	player 2	player 3	player 4	player 5
2 players	2 drops, 1 diamond, 1 gold	2 drops, 2 diamonds, 2 gold
3 players	2 drops, 1 diamond, 1 gold	2 drops, 1 diamond, 2 gold	2 drops, 2 diamonds, 2 gold
4 players	2 drops, 1 diamond, 1 gold	2 drops, 1 diamond, 2 gold	2 drops, 2 diamonds, 2 gold	2 drops, 2 diamonds, 3 gold
5 players	2 drops, 1 diamond, 1 gold	2 drops, 1 diamond, 2 gold	2 drops, 2 diamonds, 2 gold	2 drops, 2 diamonds, 2 gold	2 drops, 2 diamonds, 3 gold

Gameplay

Each player finishes five phases in their turn. If all phases are completed for one player, it's on to the next player: Resources phase, Game phase, Building phase, Attack phase, Followers phase.

1. Resource Phase

Roll the resource dice.

Because you already have two mines, you start the game by rolling 2 yellow dice. The resources you receive by rolling the yellow dice are gold and diamonds.

When you build blood drills, you can also roll the blue dice. The resources you receive from the blue dice are drops.

In this phase you can also trade 4 resources of one kind to 1 resource of choice.

2. Game Phase

When your game phase starts you receive the top 2 cards from the base deck. Place those cards 'open' on the table. In this phase you can use these drawn cards and the cards in your hand. You now can do 3 actions. An action is indicated with a lightning bolt.

You have different options to spend these actions: playing a yellow card counts as one action, taking 1 resource of your choice counts as an action and taking two cards from the base deck counts as two actions. You can do combinations of these options.

1 action = 1 yellow card. 1 action = 1 drop/gold/diamond of choice. 2 actions = 2 cards from the base deck.

Yellow cards can only be played during the game phase.

All cards you play can only be played once. The cards that are played go to the discard pile. The explanation of the icons can be found on the backcover. At the end of the game phase, you may only have ten cards left in your hand. If you have more, choose which cards to throw onto the discard pile. You're not allowed to throw cards onto the discard pile unless you have more than 10 cards.

3. Building Phase

In this phase, a player can build structures with the diced and obtained resources. You are allowed to build up to two buildings in the building phase.

There are two kinds of structures. The first kind of structures are resource buildings. The more resource structures you have, the more dice you can roll at the start of your turn. You have blood drills and mines. In the beginning of the game, each player owns 2 mines to gather diamonds and gold. Besides getting divine blood through cards in the game phase, you can also harvest divine blood through blood drills. When you build a mine or drill, you pay the amount indicated on our player board. Use your coloured cubes to indicate the right number.

Mine — construction cost: 1x divine blood, 1x diamond, 1x gold

Blood Drill — construction cost: 2x diamond, 2x gold

The second kind of structures are temples. You can see the building costs on the world map above the area for the God decks and also on your player board.

There are 5 construction sites per God area. Depending on the God domain where you build your temple, you will receive a different kind of divine ability. Having two temples in the same area improves the divine ability that you have. In the Odin and Thor areas you can use both abilities when you own 2 temples.

If you have three temples in one God area you don't further improve your divine ability but you become owner of that area. See further in the rulebook under section 'territory control'.

When you build a temple in a God area, you are not only granted a divine ability, you also receive a follower for free and a card from the corresponding God deck. When taking a card from the God decks, you look at the top two cards and choose one. You put the other card to the bottom of the pile.

Cards from the God decks are always more powerful and more complex than the cards from the base deck. With taking cards from the God deck, you have a chance of getting the most powerful cards of the game, the God weapons.

Every God has his or her own personality. That personality is reflected in the divine ability and in the God cards. You can accord or customize your own playing style to that of the personality or powers that particular God has.

Meet the Gods

Heimdall — Watcher of the Gods

Characteristics: rich – friendly – wise – trader

Temple cost: 2x diamond + 2x gold + 1x divine blood

God deck: higher chance to obtain resource cards

Divine ability:

• (1 temple) transform 2 resources of the same kind in 1 resource of your choice
• (2 temples) transform 1 resource in 1 resource of your choice

Freya — Goddess of Fertility

Characteristics: beautiful – adventurous – possessive – combative

Temple cost: 3x diamond + 3x gold

God deck: higher chance to get more cards

Divine ability:

• (1 temple) cards taken in the game phase are 'closed' (for your eyes only) AND you can buy cards in the game phase. 1 card costs 1 action.
• (2 temples) you can draw three cards from the base deck in the game phase instead of 2

Surtur — Fire Giant

Characteristics: aggressive – bloodlust – impulsive – brutal

Temple cost: 2x divine blood + 2x diamond

God deck: higher chance on attack cards

Divine ability:

• (1 temple) when playing with 2-3 players, you may play 2 attacks during the attack phase; when playing with 4-5 players your attack cards get +1 attack power
• (2 temples) when playing with 2-3 players, your attack cards get +1 attack power; when playing with 4-5 players your attack cards get +2 attack power

Tyr — God of Justice

Characteristics: protective – loyal – warrior – righteous

Temple cost: 2x divine blood + 2x gold

God deck: higher chance on defence cards

Divine ability:

• (1 temple) your defence cards get +1 defence power
• (2 temples) your defence cards get +2 defence power

Thor — God of Thunder

Characteristics: powerful – popular – impulsive – combative

Temple cost: 2x diamond + 2x gold + 2x divine blood

God deck: higher chance on followers

Divine ability:

• (1 temple) 3 diamond / 3 gold can be transformed in 1 follower during the follower phase. You can use this ability up to 3 times. The resources must be of the same kind. E.g. So if you have one Thor temple and have 3 gold and 3 diamond left, you can turn them into 2 followers.
• (2 temples) 2 diamond / 2 gold can be transformed in 1 follower. You can use this ability up to 3 times.

Odin — Leader of the Gods

Characteristics: wise – leader – powerful – negotiator

Temple cost: 3x diamond + 3x gold + 2x divine blood

God deck: higher chance on followers

Divine ability:

• (1 temple) 2 divine blood can be transformed in 1 follower during the follower phase. You can use this ability up to 3 times.
• (2 temples) 3 divine blood can be transformed in 2 followers during the follower phase. You can use this ability up to 2 times.

Loki — God of Chaos

Characteristics: cunning – evil – sly – wise

Temple cost: 4x divine blood + 1x diamond + 1x gold

God deck: higher chance to get trick cards

Divine ability:

• (1 temple) you can roll with 1 white follower die. You can gain but also lose followers depending on the roll. A skull means you lose a follower of your own.
• (2 temples) you can roll with 2 white follower dice.

Roll the Loki dice only in the follower phase.

4. Attack Phase

In the attack phase all players (except for the player in turn) can launch 1 attack card on the player in turn.

Attack cards have an attacking power (number of swords) and an effect (upper left corner) when the attack is successful.

Attacks can only be blocked with defence cards. Defence cards show a defence power.

You can play multiple defence cards to block one attack. A tie or higher count of defence power is a successful defence. Then nothing happens. When you don't want to defend or don't have enough to tie, it is a successful attack. When the attack is successful look at the upper left corner of the card for its impact. The attacker then performs the action of the impact. Attack cards and defence cards, that have been used in the attack phase, will go to the discard pile.

There is an attacking order: first goes the player who has the most followers, then the player who has the second most and so on. If there's a tie in follower count, the player who has the most resource materials can attack first. If you don't want to attack, you can pass. Attacking after your place in line is not allowed.

5. Followers Phase

In the followers phase you can exchange your remaining resources into followers if you have temples in the Thor and Odin areas. Also, in the followers phase, you roll the Loki die/dice if you have temples in Loki's area.

Territory Control

If you own three temples in a certain area of a God then the area becomes 'locked' and you become the owner of that area. This means that, even if there are available construction sites in that area, others are not allowed to build temples there. The temples that were already in the area may remain.

As a bonus for a lockdown you gain a follower for free. At the start of the game phase you draw 1 card from the god deck and 1 card from the base deck instead of 2 cards from the base deck.

If one temple is destroyed or moved, the area is unlocked and again available for all players.

God Weapons

God weapons are the most powerful cards in the game. They do not cost any action and may be played at any time, even out of your turn. You also have two options to play the card. Choose 1. There's only one God weapon per God area available in the God decks. God Weapons go to the discard pile after they have been played.

ODIN

• Bullseye — Take a card of your choice from the discard pile.
• Soulspear — The number of killed followers, by the result of an attack, counts double.

FREYA

• Vanished — Pass an attack onto a player of your choice. This obliges the attacker to attack someone else. You can choose the player who gets attacked.
• Crown of Fortune — Rotate a die to a result of your choice.

TYR

• Thief — Steal a card from the hand cards or open cards of a player of your choice. The card stolen cannot be an 'active' card. This means when a card is played or is used the card cannot be stolen.
• Tyrs Revenge — Cancel the attack and take the attack card in your hand.

HEIMDALL

• War Horn — This attack cannot be defended.
• Sound of the Gjallarhorn — Take 2 defensive cards from the discard pile.

SURTUR

• Resisted — Play after you successfully defended an attack. Get 2 followers for this.
• Surturs Claim — The defended attack card can be played again (on the same player).

THOR

• Hammertime — Play a yellow card twice (without spending an action for it).
• Wrath of Thor — Double the strength of an attack power.

LOKI

• Backstab — Play this card when a player of choice is building his last structure. Negate the building option of that player. The targeted player doesn't lose his or her resources.
• Deadly Dagger — Take 2 attack cards from the discard pile.

End of the Game

After each round the Mighty Drakkar slowly moves to its destination. When the ship enters the realm of Asgard after 6 rounds of play, the game ends. The player who has collected the most followers wins the game and becomes a Viking God. In case of a tie, the player with the most buildings wins.

You can now claim your seat at the high council of Gladsheim and have an ale with Odin and Thor.

Icon Reference

The icons printed on the board, cards and player boards mean the following:

• Lightning bolt: Action
• Sword: Power of attack
• Dice: Roll the dice
• Hammer and axe: Build
• Triangle/arrow: Player of choice
• Curved arrow: Move
• Tent/temple shape: Temple
• Skull: Lose a follower
• Hand: Steal
• Kneeling figure: Follower
• Compass/circle: Defence
• Cards stack: Discard pile
• Water drop: Divine blood
• Pickaxe on rock: Blood drill
• Card with eye: God-card
• Gold nugget: Gold
• Mountain: Mine
• Standing figure: Player
• Diamond/gem: Diamond
• Circular arrow: Play again
• Facing parentheses: Lend
• Black card: Closed card (from base deck)
• Check mark: Successful
• Two arrows facing outward: All players
• Axe on card: Attack
• Card with sword: Attack card
• Yellow square: Play yellow card
• Flame hand: Destroy
• Two arrows switching: Switch with base deck
• White square: Open card from base deck
• Card with shield: Defence card
• Arrow pointing right: Change into
• Eye: Look at