Valkyries
Valkyries Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 4 markers — 1 for each Valkyrie. You can draw on the book!
- 10 monster cards — They indicate which monsters will attack.
- 6 equipment cards — They improve your attack and defence.
- 6 favour cards — They provide unique advantages during battle.
- 12 challenge cards — They indicate how to gain extra victory points.
- 4 Valkyrie figures — They represent each player on the battlefield.
- 4 Valkyrie boards — They are used to track the damage you are dealt and your victory points.
- 60 combat cards — They are used to move and attack.
- 4 wild cards — They can be used as any type of combat card.
- 10 scenario cards — They allow you to customise your games once you've completed this book.
2-4 players, 20 minutes, ages 10+
About This Book
You take on the role of 4 Valkyries sent to Niflheim to hunt all kinds of evil abominations. Each chapter of this book introduces new rules and a new battlefield to play on.
During the first 3 chapters, you will gradually become familiar with the basic rules of the game. When you have mastered them, you can play the Full Mode on any single battlefield, venture into the Vanaheimr campaign in the last chapter, or create your own scenarios and campaigns.
Challenge for 2 to 3 Valkyries
To make your games more exciting, you can reduce the size of the battlefield by crossing out the spaces on the edge of the board. You won't be able to move through these spaces nor use them to place your figures at the beginning of the game. Likewise, you can't attack any of the monsters in the crossed-out spaces.
- 3-Valkyrie games: Cross out the upper and lower rows of the battlefield.
- 2-Valkyrie games: Cross out the spaces on the 4 edges of the battlefield.
Remember to erase all the boards and put the caps back on the markers after each battle!
Game Setup
Each Valkyrie takes her Valkyrie board, her 15 combat cards, her wild card, and the marker of her chosen colour.
Choose the starting Valkyrie and colour in the rune on her board to indicate it. She will be the starting player. Turns are played clockwise.
The orange Valkyrie takes her 16 cards, her board, her Valkyrie figure, and her marker. If she's the starting Valkyrie, she must colour in the rune on her board.
Every Valkyrie removes the wild card from her combat deck, shuffles the rest of the cards, and places the wild card on the bottom of the deck. Then, each Valkyrie places her deck next to her board, face down, and draws 3 cards to form her starting hand.
Shuffle the 10 monster cards and create a row with 8 cards face up next to the battlefield, overlapping the cards as shown in the image below. Return the 2 remaining cards to the game box. The first monster in the attack row is considered the active monster. All the monsters of the same class will attack you during your movement and after your own attack.
In this example, the Ice Giant will be the active monster.
Whenever the turn proceeds again to the starting Valkyrie, flip the active monster card. The next card in the attack row will be the new active monster.
Basic Mode
Assault on Niflheim
The icy air warns you. Something went wrong. Where are you? Is it possible that Heimdall made a mistake when he sent you through the Bifröst? You should be in Midgard, but you are in a completely different place, surrounded by hundreds of monsters! There's no time for reflection, draw your steel. For Asgard!
How to Play
Starting with the last player in turn order and followed by the rest in anticlockwise order, each Valkyrie places her figure on an empty corner of her choice on the battlefield. Let the battle begin!
During each turn, you will play 2 of the 3 cards in your hand. The first card is always used to move and the second one is used to attack.
1. MOVEMENT (ORTHOGONALLY): Play 1 card and move to the first space, in your row or column (never diagonally), that matches the icon on the card and isn't occupied by another Valkyrie. You can move through other figures, but you can't end your movement on the same space as another Valkyrie.
Göndul, the purple Valkyrie, plays the card to move and she can choose a space with the icon to place her figure on. She can't skip any matching icon during her movement.
When you move, you are dealt 1 damage for each active monster you move through or end your movement on that hasn't been circled and is visible. Cross out 1 heart from your board for each damage taken.
When you move through the active monster you are dealt 1 damage. There's another active-monster icon under Skeggöld, the orange Valkyrie, but, since it is covered by a Valkyrie, it doesn't attack you.
2. ATTACK: Play your second card. You must circle all the monsters in your attack area that match the icon on your card. The 8 spaces adjacent to your figure comprise your "attack area." All the monsters you circle are considered your "preys."
You cannot circle a monster in a space occupied by another Valkyrie or one that was previously circled.
Göndul plays her second card to attack the monsters and uses her marker to circle the 2 icons adjacent to her, but not the one that was already circled.
3. MONSTERS' ATTACK: After your attack, each active monster that is visible, not circled, and adjacent to your figure deals you 1 damage. Cross out 1 heart from your board for each damage.
After attacking and circling 2 monsters, the 2 that aren't circled (the active monster) deal 2 damage to you. Circled monsters never attack.
4. DRAW CARDS: At the end of your turn, draw 2 cards from your combat deck and think about your next move.
You must play 2 cards (mandatorily) every turn. These cards will go to your discard pile. At the beginning of your turn, if you have 3 matching cards in your hand, you can reveal them and use 1 as if it were a wild card.
If you cross out your last heart, you must withdraw from the battle at the end of your turn (even if you are dealt the damage during your movement). Remove your figure from the battlefield, but don't erase your preys. You will not take part in the subsequent rounds, but your preys will earn you points during the final score.
End of the Battle
In the last round, you will only draw the wild card, therefore you will only have 2 cards in your hand during your turn. Remember that the wild card replaces any combat card of your choice. The battle ends when every Valkyrie has either run out of cards in their deck or have withdrawn from the battle. In both cases, you will all tally your final score at the end of the battle.
Each circled monster on the battlefield counts as 1 prey and earns you 1 victory point. Count your preys to know how many victory points you have gained. The Valkyrie with the most victory points is the winner. In case of a tie, the tied player with the most Ice Giants wins. If there's still a tie, the tied Valkyries share the victory.
Challenge Mode
The Challenges of Freya
A blinding ray crosses the sky and lands in front of you with a huge bang. When the flash vanishes, you find yourselves facing the god Freya herself. You kneel down immediately. Your comments in the halls of Vingólf have not gone unheard. Maybe the gods can't prevent Ragnarök, but what about the Valkyries? Prove that you are ready for such a quest by overcoming several challenges. The Valkyrie who stands out among the rest will lead this small group of chosen warriors in their quest to change the fate of the Aesir.
All the rules you are familiar with from the Basic Mode apply.
Setup
After finishing the Basic Mode setup, shuffle the challenge deck. Draw 3 cards and place them face up near the battlefield. Those are the challenges you will face during this battle.
This is an example of 3 challenge cards you might encounter during a battle: Heads in Twos (Gain 1 victory point for each pair of orthogonally adjacent preys, counting each prey only once per pair), Hunting Ground (for each of the 4 zones: the Valkyrie with the most preys gains 2), and Nomadic Hunting (Gain 3 victory points for each set you have: a set is a group of 4 of your preys, 1 in each of the 4 zones).
New Rules
Turns are played as in the Basic Mode; the only difference is how you score at the end of the game.
In this battle, you won't only try to hunt more monsters than the other Valkyries, but you will also try to complete the challenges. Each challenge indicates a way of gaining extra points at the end of the battle. If several Valkyries are tied while scoring a challenge, they gain the same number of points.
Look closely at the battlefield. It is divided into 4 equal zones bordered by slightly thicker lines. Some challenges refer to these zones.
The battlefield is divided into 4 zones: Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4.
End of the Battle
The battle ends when every Valkyrie has either run out of cards in their deck or have withdrawn from the battle. In both cases, you will all tally your final score at the end of the battle.
Write down your score on your Valkyrie board by adding the points of your preys and the points gained in each challenge. As usual, you score 1 victory point for each circled monster.
- Count your preys on the battlefield and write them down.
- Write down the score for each of the 3 challenges.
- Ignore the campaign spaces when playing this game mode. They're only used in campaigns.
- Add all your victory points and write down the result. These are your total victory points.
In case of a tie, the tied player with the most preys wins. If there's still a tie, the tied Valkyrie who gained the most victory points in the first challenge wins. If there is still a tie, do the same with the second challenge, and so on.
Full Mode
Sacred Weapons
The news of your deeds has crossed the Bifröst and reached the ears of the gods in Asgard. They are terribly pleased by the bravery and efficiency you have shown in battle. And—why not say it?—they truly enjoyed watching you hunt giants, draugr, and demons. Although they don't know the ultimate goal of your actions, they have ordered blacksmiths to forge special equipment for you, imbued with their powers, in the foundries of Nidavellir. Take the equipment and prepare for battle. You were fearsome before, but, with this new power, now you are unstoppable.
All the rules you are familiar with from the Challenge Mode apply.
Setup
After finishing the Challenge Mode setup, shuffle the equipment deck and draw as many cards as Valkyries in the game plus 1.
In a 3-Valkyrie game, you will draw 4 equipment cards. Place these cards face up on the table, near the battlefield. Return the remaining cards to the game box.
After placing your figure on the battlefield, choose 1 of the available equipment cards and place it next to your board.
New Rules
There are 2 types of equipment cards:
WEAPONS: They allow you to swap your attack area for the one shown on the card. Each time you attack, you can decide whether to use the normal attack area or the attack area of the weapon.
- Spear: All the spaces in the same row or column as your Valkyrie.
- Sword: A 6-space cross around your Valkyrie.
- Mace: A 6-space area adjacent to your Valkyrie.
- Throwing Axe: 1 monster of any class within your attack area.
DEFENCE: These cards prevent part of the damage you are dealt every round.
- Shield: Prevent 1 damage you are dealt during the monsters' attack. Ignore this effect during movement.
- Breastplate: Prevent all the damage you are dealt during your movement. Ignore this effect during the monsters' attack.
End of the Battle
The battle ends when every Valkyrie has either run out of cards in their deck or have withdrawn from the battle. In both cases, you will all tally your final score at the end of the battle.
You score 1 victory point for each prey on the battlefield. You will also score points for each of the 3 challenges.
Game Campaign
Journey to Vanaheim
Led by Freya, you travel to Vanaheimr, where the monsters have managed to break Odin's seal and capture the Vanir. The plan to set them free has 3 steps: Weaken the enemy army, claim the sacred land, and, eventually, set the ancient gods free.
A campaign consists of 3 consecutive battles. When you finish one, write down the score on your board. Before each battle, erase the damage and score of the previous one. Keep the final score, though. The Valkyrie that gains the most victory points by adding the final score of the 3 battles will win the game.
Use the campaign spaces to write down the final score of each battle. At the end of the campaign, add the score of all 3 battles and write down your final score.
All the rules from the Full Mode apply to this campaign. During the entire campaign, you will keep the equipment cards you chose before the first battle.
Each battle has special rules:
The Four Generals
Draw a square surrounding the space in the centre of each of the 4 zones. These 4 monsters are the generals.
Generals are always treated as active monsters, regardless of the active monster card for the round, and they will always attack.
Thus, a general will always attack you when you move through their space and when the monsters attack.
You score 3 victory points for each circled general.
Equipment cards can't deal the generals damage nor protect you from their attacks.
The Shrine
Draw a square surrounding the 4 spaces in the centre of the battlefield. This will be the shrine.
During setup, shuffle the favour cards and place them face down to create a deck. During the battle, whenever you end your movement inside the shrine, you can draw 1 favour. You can only use each favour once. After using a favour, flip it to remind you that you can't use it anymore.
You can only have 1 favour at a time. If you return to the shrine, after drawing a new favour, you must discard 1 of the 2 in your hand. If the favours run out, shuffle the discard pile to create a new favour deck and draw 1 favour.
After each battle, you keep your favour and flip it face up. If a Valkyrie ends a battle with no favours, she will draw 1 random favour from the deck.
The Fortress
Draw a 4 × 4 square in the centre of the battlefield. This will be the fortress. Favours can't be used and don't have any effect inside the fortress. The walls of the fortress only affect attacks. The monsters inside the fortress can't be attacked from the outside, but the monsters outside the fortress can be attacked from the inside.
The same rule applies when monsters attack: they can deal damage to you from the inside when you're outside, but can't hurt you if they attack from the outside when you're inside. Additionally, the monsters in the fortress deal 2 damage instead of 1, both during your movement and when they attack. You score 2 victory points (instead of 1) for each monster in the fortress you circle.
The Vanir tell you that the monsters tortured them seeking information about the plants that were created in Midgard. It's very weird... All that matters is that you have successfully completed the first mission assigned by Freya and shown your courage beyond the last battle.
New Scenarios
If you follow the steps described below, you will be able to create isolated battles or more demanding campaigns for Valkyries.
1. Choose the Game Mode
Choose between Basic, Challenge, or Full Mode and apply the corresponding rules. When it comes to fighting a battle, no way is better than the other—choose the mode you feel more comfortable with. All that matters is enjoying a good brawl!
2. Choose Between Battle and Campaign
You can play an isolated battle when you don't have enough time, or venture into a 3-battle campaign to enjoy a more epic, fuller experience.
3. Choose Between Simple or Scenario Battle
A "simple battle" is played on an empty battlefield, with no specific scenario rules.
On the other hand, if you want to play a "scenario battle," randomly draw or choose 1 scenario card and apply the corresponding rules. These scenarios help provide a different experience with each battle, increasing their complexity and variety.
To play a campaign with scenario cards, place the 3 scenario cards in a row near the battlefield. This is the scenario order for each battle.
Circus of the Gods: Shuffle the favour cards and place them face down to create a deck. During the battle, if a Valkyrie circles 2 active monsters during her turn, she can draw 1 favour.
Magic Reversal: During setup, don't place your Valkyries in the corners of the battlefield. Place them on the 4 spaces in the centre of the battlefield instead.
Night Assault: Shuffle the monster cards. Discard 2 cards without revealing them and place the rest face down creating a deck. During the Night Assault, the monsters' sight will be reduced and they will be less effective, therefore they will only deal half the damage. On the other hand, you haven't had time to rest after an intense hunting day, so you will all start the battle with 2 damage (1 entire heart).
4. Choose the Battlefield
You can use any of the 5 battlefields included in this rulebook to play in any game mode and any scenario. Choose one and sharpen your blades. It's time to prove your mettle!
Decide How to Play
Valkyries is a board game with modular rules that allow you to decide how you want to play each game.
What game mode are you in the mood for today? Basic / Challenge / Full
Will you fight in a single battle or are you ready for an epic campaign? Battle / Campaign
Do you dare to explore new scenarios? Simple Battle / Scenario
Everything is ready! All you have to do is put on your mean face and shout... FOR ASGARD!