War for Atraxia
War for Atraxia Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Objective
War of Civilizations is a fast-paced 4x strategy board game. Players take on the role of Clan Leaders and compete to gain mystical powers, acquire resources, and build powerful fleets to conquer lands and defeat rival clans.
Victory in War of Civilizations is achieved in one of three ways:
- CONTROL: The Isle of Myth for three consecutive rounds.
- ELIMINATE: All other players by conquering their Home Bases.
- OBTAIN: The most Magic Crystals by the end of the game.
Magic Crystals can be obtained in various ways:
- SUPREMACY: Control the Isle of Myth for 1 full round after paying Ocean Crystals for Upkeep.
- WARFARE: Win in combat against opponent or *Pirates.
- EXPLORE: Discover hidden treasure around Apex Island.
- EXTERMINATE: Eliminate an opponent by conquering their Home Base, gaining their Magic Crystals and resources.
The end game is triggered once any Clan Leader enters the Isle of Myth for the first time. Once this occurs, the game ends after 5 more rounds.
Components
Game Components
- 1 Central Continent Board
- 6 Player Continent Boards
- 8 Lost Expedition Tiles
- 33 Power Cards
- 1 Turn Tracker Token
- 55 Ammo Cards
- 30 Magic Crystals
- 20 Resource Cards of 10 Denomination (10 each for OC and AlWood)
- 1 Rulebook
Player Components
- 102 Warship Meeples
- 6 Capital Ships (1 for each player; listed separately below)
- 30 Destroyers (5 each per player)
- 30 Frigates (5 each per player)
- 36 Gunboats (6 each per player)
- 6 Player Mats (1 for each player)
- 12 Teleporter Meeples (set of 2 per player)
- 6 Combat Quick Reference Cards (1 for each player)
- 12 Resource Cubes (1 of each type per player)
- 6 Clan Marker Tokens (1 for each player)
The Rise of Pirates Mini Expansion
- 6 Pirate & Privateer Ships (1 for each clan)
- 1 Dice
- 6 Pirate Quick Reference Cards
Deluxe Edition
- 126 Wooden Meeples:
- 36 Gunboats (6 for each player)
- 30 Frigates (5 for each player)
- 30 Destroyers (5 for each player)
- 6 Capital Ships (1 for each player)
- 6 Teleporter Sets (set of 2 per player)
- 6 Pirate Ships (1 for each clan)
- 6 Privateer Ships (1 for each clan)
The World
The new world is now made up of archipelagos, a series of islands that are rich in resources. These islands are the main focus of the game, as players compete to gather resources, build their fleets, and explore the new world.
Central Continent
When the earthquakes subsided, and the seas settled. The first explorers of the new world made a startling discovery, a new continent!
The most intriguing aspect of this new world is the emergence of a mysterious continent that has risen from the ocean. This continent is located centrally with respect to the other continents, making it the focus of the game.
The continent contains the Isle of Myth located in its center surrounded by Apex Islands.
Apex Islands
Uncharted new islands hold the bountiful resources of the new world. The Apex Islands enjoy a rich spring of all the resources, including Aluminum Wood, Ocean Crystal, and Ammunition, which Clan Leaders must gather to advance their goals.
Isle of Myth
Hidden deep within the central continent, the mysterious island has captivated the attention of clans across the world.
The island is located at the center of the central continent and is known to have a large reservoir of Magic Crystals.
Player Continent and the Home Base
Looking to lay claim to riches and power, clans have established new bases from which to strike out on adventures.
Each Clan Leader begins the game exploring their own Player Continent, which is a unique archipelago. Each island on the player's continent is rich with a particular resource. The northernmost island in the archipelago is closest to the unexplored central continent. Unlike the central continent, most islands on the player continent can only produce 1 resource type.
Located on the southernmost island of the continent is the Home Base. It is a vital strategic location. If a Clan Leader ever loses their Home Base in battle they will be eliminated from the game. So it is crucial to defend it at all costs. The Home Base is the primary resource production center able to create any resource, much like the Apex Islands of the central continent. It is also the largest island in the archipelago and able to hold more ships.
Island Features
Fleet Capacity of the Region
Each island has a fleet capacity that determines how many total ships can occupy that location. Once the capacity is full, additional ships can not enter the island for any reason (including combat). The number inside the flag on each island indicates its fleet capacity.
NOTE: THE ISLE OF MYTH IS THE ONLY ISLAND THAT HAS AN UNLIMITED FLEET CAPACITY.
Lost Expedition Tiles
At the beginning of the game, each of the Apex Islands on the central continent is covered by a Lost Expedition tile. The tiles must be resolved before Clan Leaders can fully explore the Apex Islands.
See pg 19 for a full explanation of Lost Expedition Tiles.
Resources
Ocean Crystals (OC)
Evolved from a combination of the pressures of the swelling seas and the helium released from the Earth's crust, Ocean Crystals are an energy source capable of powering entire cities.
Ocean Crystals are used to buy ships, buy power cards, and pay for fleet upkeep costs.
Aluminium Wood (AlWood)
A few species of trees survived the catastrophic climate change by evolving rapidly, absorbing aluminum to reinforce their strength. The third most abundant element on the Earth, aluminum is prized for its strength, flexibility, and resilience.
AlWood is used by clans to purchase ships and power cards, construct teleporters, and mount Magic Crystals.
Ammunition (Ammo)
As opposing fleets travel the seas to explore and conquer new territory, conflict inevitably erupts.
Ammo is turned into Ammo cards, which are used to aid in attacking or defending islands from rival Clan Leaders.
No Teleporter Zones
Teleporters cannot be built on islands with a no Teleporter icon. While the Home Base has a built in teleporter, additional teleports cannot be built on it.
Teleporters are explained in full on pg 8.
Defense Strength (Home Base Only)
Each Home Base island is heavily fortified, providing a +10 bonus to combat strength when being defended during battle.
Defense Strength is explained in full on pg 17.
Magic Crystals
The molecular structure of this crystal, first found on the Central Continent, is unlike any other compounds found on Earth, and were named Magic Crystals. The potential of these Magic Crystals makes them the most coveted possession on Earth.
Magic Crystals are used to convert other resources, and are one of the keys to winning the game.
Player Units
Player Mat
The Player Mat shows the Clan Leader's Player Actions (explained on page 13), Upkeep Cost (explained on page 20), Ship Buying Cost (explained on page 13), Resource tracker (explained on page 13), Victory condition (explained on page 21), and Character Ability (explained on page 17).
Clan Leaders
To survive the harshest of climate catastrophes, humans have organized into different mystical clans, each with its own unique clan symbol, specialties and led by a powerful Clan Leader.
Each clan leader has a special ability that impacts the game, and can be permanently upgraded.
The clans are the Fox Clan, Rhino Clan, Tiger Clan, Ape Clan, Squirrel Clan, and Lion Clan.
Ships
To traverse the relentless seas in search of new lands and resources, each Clan Leader has access to a fleet of ships.
Fleets can contain four types of ships. Ships are useful for exploring and taking control of islands. Each ship type also has a combat value it contributes during battle.
- Gunboat: Can be used to collect resources from islands.
- Frigate
- Destroyer
- Capital Ship: The main ship of a fleet. Returns to Home Base if defeated in Battle. Required to enter Apex Islands for the first time. Required to take control of The Isle of Myth.
The combat values printed on the ship icons are: Gunboat 1, Frigate 3, Destroyer 6, Capital Ship 10.
Clan Leaders begin the game with just a few ships available, but will have opportunities to expand their fleet over time.
NOTE: FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE RULES: THE TERM "FLEET" REFERS TO ALL SHIPS OF A CLAN LEADER IN ONE LOCATION. SO, A FLEET CAN REFER TO A SINGLE SHIP OR A COLLECTION OF SHIPS.
Teleporters
The new age of scientific discovery has led to incredible technological advances, including the ability to teleport ships and fleets across great distances.
Each Clan Leader has a set of two teleporters. Once built, these teleporters allow each clan to move their fleet across long distances between teleportation points.
Each Home Base island has a pre-built teleporter that is unique to them. If a Clan Leader conquers an opponent's Home Base, they gain use of that Home Base's teleporter. Additional teleporters may not be built on any Home Base.
Set Up
Game Setup
A. Central Continent: Place the Central Continent board in the middle of the play area.
B. Player Continent Board: Gather Player Continent boards equal to the number of Clan Leaders. Place each board so that the northernmost island on each board is attached to an Apex Island of the central continent, with the Home Base island closest to each Clan Leader. Player Continents should be spaced as evenly as possible, and not connect to one another.
C. Power Cards: Shuffle the Power cards and place the deck face-down near the Central Continent. Draw 4 power cards and place them face up in a row next to the deck. (In a 3 or 4 player game, do not use the Power cards marked with _____ [description of icon]. Those cards are only used in a 5 or 6 player game.)
D. Lost Expedition Tokens: Shuffle the 8 Lost Expedition tiles and randomly place one tile, Magic Crystal side up on each Apex Island. Then place 1 Magic Crystal on each. Return the 2 unused tiles to the box.
E. Magic Crystals: Place 15 Magic Crystals on the Isle of Myth. Place the remaining Magic Crystals in a pile near the play area.
F. Turn Tracker: Place the turn tracker on the starting position icon on the Isle of Myth.
G. Ammo and Resource Cards: Collect the Ammo Cards and separate them into three decks based on value (1, 2 and 5). Then collect the value 10 AlWood and OC Resource Cards and place them into two decks. Place all the decks face-up near the play area.
NOTE: IN A 5 PLAYER GAME, ONE APEX ISLAND REMAINS COVERED THROUGHOUT THE GAME. DURING SETUP, PLACE A RED TILE OVER IT. THERE ARE NO MAGIC CRYSTALS ON THIS ISLAND.
4 Player Setup and 5 Player Setup
(The printed page shows the board layouts for a 4 player game and a 5 player game as diagrams.)
Player Setup
A. Player Mat and Clan Marker Token: Collect 1 Player Mat and the corresponding clan marker tokens. Each player mat corresponds with a specific Clan Leader. Clan Leaders can be chosen or drawn at random.
B. Resource Markers: Take 2 Resource Markers to track OC and AlWood. Place them on 5th place on the AlWood and OC resource tracks on the player mat.
C. Ships: Gather 1 Capital Ship, 6 Gunboats, 5 Frigates, and 5 Destroyers of the same color as the Clan Leader. Clan Leaders will place their Capital Ship on their Home Base. Then take 3 Gunboats and 1 Frigate and place them in any combination on either of the two islands directly connected to the Home Base. Place the remaining ships in a pile next to their player mat to create a Reserve.
D. Teleporters: Take one set of 2 teleporters in the same color as the Clan Leader.
E. Ammo Cards: Take 3 ammo cards of value 1 and place them face down near the player board.
F. Combat Reference Card: Place the Combat Reference Card in view (the printed page shows its placement; no further text is printed for this step).
Gameplay
War of Civilizations is played over several rounds. Every round, each Clan Leader takes a turn and performs a variety of actions.
Important Concepts
Controlling Location
When only one Clan Leader has at least one ship present on any island, the Clan Leader controls that location.
Unlike other locations, The Isle of Myth can only be controlled if a Capital Ship is present. For complete rules on controlling the Isle of Myth, see pg 19.
NOTE: AN ISLAND (OR LOCATION) IS CONSIDERED UNDER PLAYER'S CONTROL, WHEN AT LEAST ONE SHIP OF THE PLAYER IS PRESENT ON THE LOCATION WITHOUT PRESENCE OF THE OPPONENT. IN CASE OF THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER PLAYER'S SHIP, REFER TO THE CONFLICT AND BATTLE RESOLUTION SECTION.
NOTE: UNLIKE OTHER LOCATIONS, ISLE OF MYTH IS CONSIDERED UNDER PLAYER'S CONTROL ONLY IF THAT PLAYER'S CAPITAL SHIP IS PRESENT ON THE ISLE OF MYTH.
Connected Trail
If a travel path for ships exists between two locations, and the Clan Leader controls each location in-between, then the Clan Leader has a connected trail. A connected trail can be any length, and can span across multiple continents, Apex Islands and even islands on another Clan Leader's continent.
The Isle of Myth can not be part of a connected trail.
Teleporters can be used to create a connected trail. A connected trail is necessary to take the Redistribute Ships Action (see pg 15).
Dockable and Non-Dockable Islands
In general, Clan Leaders can move around the archipelago freely, even crossing to other continents. When crossing to another continent, dockable islands must be used. The four northernmost islands on each player continent, as well as, all of the Apex Islands are dockable islands.
The two southernmost islands on each player continent (which includes the Home Base) have defenses that protect the Clan Leader from direct invasions. These islands are known as non-dockable islands. A Clan Leader moving onto an opposing Clan Leader's continent may not cross directly onto a non-dockable island. To enter a non-dockable island, a Clan Leader must travel from an adjacent dockable island. In addition, non-dockable islands cannot have teleporters.
The Isle of Myth is also a non-dockable island since it is surrounded by Apex Islands. To reach the Isle of Myth, a Clan Leader must travel from one of the adjacent Apex Islands.
Lost Expeditions and Apex Islands
Each Apex Island begins the game with one Lost Expedition tile covering it. When a Clan Leader moves their fleet onto an Apex Island for the first time, they must secretly look at the Lost Expedition tile to see the exploration cost. The Clan Leader must pay the exploration cost mentioned on the token and collect 1 Magic Crystal. The tile is then removed and put back in the game box.
If the Clan Leader is not able to pay the exploration cost, their fleet does not move onto the location, and the tile remains face down on the Apex Island. Then each remaining lost expedition tile is shifted one step clockwise on unexplored Apex Islands. The Clan Leader's turn continues if they have any actions left to perform, or it ends immediately.
Player Actions
Actions are divided into two types - Active Actions and Bonus Actions. On each turn, a Clan Leader may perform any two Active Actions. Clan Leaders may perform the same Active Action twice.
Clan Leaders get an extra, third, Action Action, if at any point during their turn, they control all the islands on their player continent. (Printed as "Action Action"; read here as a single "Action", matching the rest of this section.)
Bonus Actions are each paired with a specific Active Action. Bonus Actions are always performed prior to the associated Active Action. For example, a Clan Leader can build & deploy a teleporter before performing the redistribute or move ships action. In order to take a specific Bonus Action, a Clan Leader must also take the associated Active Action. But taking a Bonus Action is always optional.
The player mat summarises the actions:
- Active Actions (any 2): Collect Resources; Buy Multiple Ships; Move Ships or Redistribute Ships; Currency Conversion.
- Bonus Actions: Rebuild Barren Island (cost 3 AlWood); Buy Power Card (max 2); Build & Deploy Teleporter set (cost 2 AlWood); Mount or Dismount Magic Crystal (cost 2 AlWood).
- The mat notes: 1 extra action if a player controls all islands on the player continent.
The printed rulebook text does not separately describe Rebuild Barren Island or Barren Island; the entry appears only on the player mat and in the icon glossary and is marked with an asterisk on the mat.
Collect Resources
Collect resources from every island where the Clan Leader has a gunboat stationed.
Gunboats are the only ship that can collect resources. If the Clan Leader has multiple gunboats on the same island, they only collect resources from that island once, per action.
Take the corresponding number of total resources as marked on each island. Some islands offer just one resource, while others offer multiple types. For each OC and AlWood, move the corresponding resource tracker up on their player mat. For every 10 resources of OC or AlWood in a Clan Leader's supply, draw a value 10 resource card and continue tracking the rest via the resource tracker. For Ammo, draw any number of Ammo cards with a total combined value matching the total Ammo collected. Place them face down next to the player mat.
Buying Ships
A Clan Leader can buy any number of ships available in their reserve. Multiple ships can be bought in one action, so long as all of the resource costs are paid. Purchased ships can be placed at any location controlled by the Clan Leader, with the exception of the Isle of Myth. When placing ships, the fleet capacity rules must be obeyed. Purchased ships do not need to all be placed at the same location.
The COSTS panel (shown on the page and on the player mat) gives the ship costs:
- Gunboat: 1 OC and 1 AlWood
- Frigate: 2 OC
- Destroyer: 4 OC
- *Pirate (Rise of Pirates expansion): 6 OC and 4 AlWood
REMINDER: A LOCATION IS CONTROLLED BY A PLAYER WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF THEIR SHIPS IS PRESENT.
Buy Power Cards [Bonus Action - Buy Ships]
Power cards are one-time use cards that grant special abilities. A Clan Leader can use the buy action to purchase up to 2 Power cards simultaneously by paying the cost listed on the bottom of each card.
Clan Leaders are limited to a maximum hand limit of 2 cards and may not purchase more than 2 Power cards per turn. Power cards can be used immediately or saved for a later turn. Once a card is used, it is placed into the discard pile. If a Clan Leader wants to buy more cards after reaching the hand limit, they must first discard a Power card from their hand. They will not receive a refund for any resources spent.
There are always four face-up Power cards available to buy. When a Clan Leader purchases a card, a new card is immediately drawn from the deck to replace it. If the deck ever runs out, shuffle the discarded Power cards to create a new deck.
Move or Redistribute Ships
To spread their fleet around the archipelago a Clan Leader can take the Move or Redistribute Ships action.
Move Ships: Used to move ships from one location to any immediately adjacent location which is NOT under the Clan Leader's control.
When moving from a location holding multiple ships, the Clan Leader may choose how many ships to move, but all ships moved must travel to the same location. However, the Clan Leader must abide by the fleet capacity of the destination.
If due to this movement, a Clan Leader's fleet reaches a location occupied by an opposing fleet, a battle will immediately begin. Refer to the Rules of Warfare on pg 17.
NOTE: THE FIRST TIME A CLAN LEADER MOVES TO THE APEX ISLANDS, THEIR CAPITAL SHIP MUST BE PART OF THE FLEET.
Re-Distribute Ships: In the Redistribute Ships action, a Clan Leader can move multiple ships along a Connected Trail of islands. The Connected Trail must exist before taking the Redistribute Ships action. When redistributing multiple ships from one location, the Clan Leader can move all of the ships to the same end location, or can redistribute them among different locations along the same Connected Trail.
If the Clan Leader has two separate connected trails (for example across two different player continents), they can perform the Redistribute Ships action for only one of the connected trails per action.
Ships moved via the Redistribute action must still abide by the fleet capacity rules.
Build & Deploy Teleporter
Use as a bonus action before taking the Move or Redistribute Ships action.
Pay 2 AlWood, then place the set of 2 teleporters on any dockable islands. One teleporter must be placed on a dockable island controlled by the Clan Leader.
The second teleporter can be placed on any dockable island even if the Clan Leader does not control it, and even if it is controlled by an opponent. The same dockable island can contain teleporters from multiple clans.
Once built, Clan Leaders can consider islands with their teleporters as adjacent, and may use the Move Ships action as normal, even across continents. If the Clan Leader controls all of the islands with their teleporters, they automatically form a connected trail. In that case, the Clan Leader can use the teleporters to take the Redistribute Ships action as normal.
If a Clan Leader has already built and deployed their set of teleporters, they may instead use the Bonus action to redeploy them. To redeploy a teleporter, the Clan Leader must still pay the AlWood cost of the teleporter set. The cost of moving a single teleporter or the set of two teleporters is the same, and must be paid with each redeployment.
REMINDER: EACH CLAN'S HOMEBASE HAS A PREBUILT TELEPORTER. IT CAN BE USED ALONG WITH THE SET OF TWO DEPLOYABLE TELEPORTERS.
Resource Conversion
After mounting a Magic Crystal, the Clan Leader gains access to the unique capability of converting resources. Conversion occurs at a ratio of 1:1. Up to 5 resources can be converted per action. A Clan Leader may convert a maximum of 5 resources per turn.
To convert resources, the Clan Leader chooses an island they control that has a Magic Crystal mounted. They can convert any resource into the resource that the island produces. For example, if the crystal is mounted on an ammo producing island, the Clan Leader can only convert other resources into ammo.
Example, as printed: Player pays 2 OC to gain 2 Ammo, OR pays 1 AlWood and 1 OC to gain 2 Ammo.
Mount or Dismount the Magic Crystal
A Clan Leader may pay 2 AlWood to mount one of their Magic Crystals. Mounting a crystal will allow a Clan Leader to convert resources. Magic Crystals can only be mounted on islands the Clan Leader controls with an open mounting spot, on their own continent.
While mounted, a Magic Crystal is vulnerable. If an opponent gains control of the island they will also gain control of the Magic Crystal.
A Clan Leader can choose to Dismount a Crystal already on the board, by taking the Dismount action instead and paying 2 AlWood.
However, a Magic Crystal can not be mounted and dismounted on the same turn.
Upgrade Clan Leader's Ability
Clan Leaders can spend one Magic Crystal to permanently upgrade their Clan Leader ability to the 2.0 version.
Clan Leaders can perform this action at any point during their turn, as a free action.
The printed example uses the Xanthe clan: her Ability 1.0 gives +2 Strength, and her Ability 2.0 (after the upgrade) gives +4 Strength.
Rules of Warfare
Opposing fleets cannot exist in the same location. Whenever a Clan Leader's fleet moves into a location already occupied by another Clan Leader's fleet, a battle is triggered.
NOTE: FLEET CAPACITY DETERMINES THE NUMBER OF SHIPS THAT CAN BE PRESENT ON AN ISLAND. IF AN ISLAND'S FLEET CAPACITY IS FULL NO MORE SHIPS CAN MOVE ONTO IT, SO IT CANNOT BE ATTACKED.
During battles, each Clan Leader builds up their total combat strength. Unless specified, both the attacker and defender perform each of the following actions to resolve a battle:
- Redistribute Ships: When the battle begins, the defender can take a Redistribute action for free, if possible, and bring in additional ships as reinforcements. The fleet capacity rule must be observed.
- Convert Resources: If either Clan Leader has already mounted a Magic Crystal, they can perform 1 free convert resources action during combat.
- Play Ammo Cards: Clan Leaders can contribute Ammo cards to increase their combat power by placing them face down on the table. This is called blind bidding. A Clan Leader may contribute up to 10 Ammo cards per battle.
- Activate Clan Leader Abilities (if applicable): Clan Leaders can activate their ability, if it is relevant, at any point during a battle and resolve its effect.
- Play Power Cards: Clan Leaders can contribute a maximum of two Power cards by placing them face down on the table.
- Determine Total Combat Strength and Resolve Combat: Each Clan Leader turns over any face-down Ammo and Power cards that were played, and adds their value to the combined power of their fleet, and resolves any card effects.
- If the battle occurs at the defending Clan Leader's Home Base, the defender gains an additional +10 to their combat power.
- Any Clan Leader abilities that provide a combat strength bonus are also added.
- Compare the total combat power of the two Clan Leaders. The Clan Leader with the highest total combat power wins. In the event of a tie, the attacker is victorious.
The Combat Reference Card summarises the win condition: Fleet Strength + Blind Bidding (*can convert currency if a crystal is mounted) + Power Cards + Character Abilities. Highest scorer wins; in case of a tie, the attacker wins.
At the end of a battle, both Clan Leaders discard all Ammo cards and all Power cards contributed to the battle.
Winner:
- Takes control of the battle location and retains their fleet.
- Gains 1 Magic Crystal. If the defeated fleet contained a Capital Ship, gain 2 Magic Crystals instead.
- If the battle location was an opponent's Home Base, immediately acquire all Magic Crystals and resources of that opponent.
Loser:
- Initiates a retreat. Half of the ships from their defeated fleet (rounded down) are sent to the Clan Leader's Home Base. The remaining ships are removed from the board and placed in the clan's fleet reserve for repurchase. The Capital Ship is always sent to the Home Base.
- Destroys teleporter (if present). It may be rebuilt on a subsequent turn by paying the required cost.
- If the battle results in the Clan Leader losing control of their Home Base, they are eliminated from the game.
Battle Example
Defender: Xanthe. Attacker: Myles.
Myles moves his fleet of three ships into a location occupied by Xanthe's fleet, causing a battle. Xanthe, the defender, has only one ship in the location, but has a Connected Trail. So she takes a free redistribute action to bring in two additional ships as reinforcements. The total number of ships on the location is 6, which is below the fleet capacity limit. Xanthe then contributes 3 Ammo cards to the battle, and Myles contributes one, all face-down. While both players have a clan ability neither is applicable in this battle, so these abilities will not activate. Xanthe and Myles then each contribute a face-down Power card to the battle. The battle can now be resolved and all cards are turned face up.
Xanthe has a total of 20 power (15 from her fleet and 5 from her Ammo Cards). However, her power is reduced by 4 because of the Power card that Myles played. Her final total combat power is 16.
Myles has a total of 23 power (18 from his fleet and 5 from his Ammo Card). However, his power is reduced by 6 because of the Power card that Xanthe played. His final total combat power is 17.
Myles wins the battle.
Both players discard the Ammo and Power cards that were used in battle. Myles takes control of the location, retains his ships, and earns 1 magic crystal. Xanthe must retreat, and sends 1 of her ships to her Home Base, and the remaining 2 ships to her fleet reserve.
The Isle of Myth
When any fleet containing a Capital Ship enters the Isle of Myth for the first time, it will trigger the End Game. See page 21 for the full end game rules.
Controlling the Isle of Myth
A Capital Ship is required to take control of the Isle of Myth. A fleet without a Capital Ship can enter the Isle of Myth, but cannot take control of it.
The fleet capacity of Isle of Myth is infinite and can accommodate any number of ships. Similar to other locations, the Isle of Myth can also have a fleet of only one player. If another player's fleet tries to enter the Isle of Myth, it will start a battle immediately.
Any player who controls the Isle of Myth and holds it for one full round is rewarded with three Magic Crystals. If any Clan Leader controls the Isle of Myth for 3 consecutive turns, the game immediately ends and they are declared the winner.
Upkeep Cost
The Isle of Myth is an actively volcanic area. To maintain control a Clan Leader's Capital Ship must remain on the isle for a full round, and not lose control via attack by another Clan. At the start of the next turn if they are in control, they must pay an upkeep cost for their fleet. This means that a Clan Leader does not pay upkeep costs on the same turn that they move onto and take control of the Isle. On a turn when the upkeep cost must be paid, it is paid before any actions are taken.
The upkeep cost is determined by the strength of the fleet located on the Isle of Myth. The upkeep table printed on the player mat is (fleet strength → Ocean Crystals to pay):
- 10 or more → 3 OC
- 20 or more → 5 OC
- 30 or more → 7 OC
- 40 or more → 9 OC
- 50 or more → 11 OC
The controlling Clan Leader must pay the entire upkeep cost if they are able to. If they cannot pay the full upkeep cost, they must move their entire fleet to the nearest island they control. If the Clan Leader controls no Apex Islands this may mean the ships will move to the nearest island on another continent.
If the Capital Ship is moved and does not return in the same turn, the Clan Leader will lose control of the Isle of Myth.
Any Clan Leader who successfully controls the Isle of Myth for one full round, gains three Magic Crystals, after paying the upkeep cost.
If a Clan Leader controls the Isle of Myth for three consecutive turns, they automatically win the game.
After the final round, the Clan Leader who controls the Isle of Myth must pay the upkeep costs. Then they gain 3 Magic Crystals, even if they have not completed a full round controlling the Isle.
NOTE: IF A PLAYER CONTROLS THE ISLE OF MYTH AND THEIR CAPITAL SHIP LEAVES AND RETURNS TO THE ISLE OF MYTH WITHIN THE SAME TURN, THE PLAYER IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE MAINTAINED CONTROL OVER IT.
Game End
If any Clan Leader controls the Isle of Myth for 3 consecutive turns, the game immediately ends and they are declared the winner.
If at any time, all other Clan Leaders are eliminated, and only one remains, the game immediately ends and the surviving Clan Leader is declared the winner.
Otherwise, when any fleet containing a Capital Ship enters the Isle of Myth for the first time, the game will end after 5 more rounds. To keep track of the countdown, immediately place the Turn Tracker token on the number 5 on the Isle of Myth when the first Clan Leader enters the Isle of Myth. The marker is then advanced to a lower number at the end of each round. Once the marker reaches number 1, that signals the last round and each Clan Leader gets one final turn.
After the final round, the Clan Leader who controls the Isle of Myth must pay the upkeep costs. Then they gain 3 Magic Crystals, even if they have not completed a full round controlling the Isle.
Once the end game countdown begins, it cannot be stopped or reset in any way, even if the Clan Leader controlling the Isle of Myth loses control of it.
If no Clan Leader is able to hold the Isle of Myth for three rounds, and more than one Clan Leader remains once the end game countdown ends, proceed to final scoring to determine a winner.
Final Scoring
The Clan Leader who has the most Magic Crystals wins the game.
Mounted Magic Crystals do not count toward the final score. They must be unmounted before the end of the game.
In case of a tie, the Clan Leader who controls the most locations wins the game. If the game is still tied, the Clan Leader with the highest total fleet strength on the board wins.
The Rise of Pirates - Mini Expansion
Seafaring marauders now control the coveted Apex Islands, and are determined to protect the fragments of Magic Crystals and raid any unsuspecting explorers who cross their path.
The 'Rise of Pirates' is an optional mini expansion that adds new variability to the game via a new threat: the Pirates. Clan Leaders must strategize how to reach and gain control of the elusive Isle of Myth while dealing with the Pirates. Clan Leaders can seek to conquer the Pirates via warfare, or strike up treaties and commission them as Privateers to bolster their fleets in the ongoing war for domination.
Setup
When playing with the Rise of Pirates expansion, add these steps to the Game and Player Setup:
- Instead of placing a Lost Expedition tile face-down on each Apex Island, place one of the Pirate tokens, Pirate side up, on each Apex Island. (If playing with 5 players, do not add a Pirate token to the covered island.)
- Give each Clan Leader a pirate reference card.
- Place the black die near the gameboard in reach of all players.
Gameplay
When a Clan Leader's fleet moves onto an Apex Island, they will encounter the pirates. Each Apex Island surrounding the Isle of Myth is guarded by one pirate ship with a fleet power of 15.
Immediately upon moving to an Apex Island controlled by the pirates a Clan Leader must choose one of the two following scenarios. Once a scenario has been completed, the Clan Leader can continue their turn and perform any remaining actions.
- Scenario A: Combat the Pirate.
- Scenario B: Make a Pirate ally, aka Privateer.
Scenario A: Combat with Pirate
If the Clan Leader chooses to engage in combat with the pirate, then a battle begins. The attacker follows the normal rules for warfare to determine their total combat power: playing Ammo and Power cards, and activating clan abilities (if applicable) to add to their fleet power. The Clan Leader determines their total combat power first.
To determine the total combat power of the pirate fleet, a Clan Leader rolls the black pirate die twice, and adds the combined value of the two dice rolls to its default fleet power of 15. (The maximum possible pirate fleet combat power is 27).
The printed worked examples show a player score of 22 + 5 = 27 against a pirate score of 15 + 2 + 3 - 4 = 16, and a player score of 22 against a pirate score of 15 + 6 + 6 = 27.
If the Pirate is Defeated: The pirate ship is permanently removed from the board, and the island is now free of the pirate ship. The attacker retains their fleet, and takes control of the island.
Discard any Ammo and Power cards that were used.
The attacker gains 1 Magic Crystal as a reward.
If the Clan Leader is Defeated: The Clan Leader retreats. Half of the ships from their defeated fleet (rounded down) are sent to the clan's Home Base. The remaining ships are removed from the board and placed in the clan's fleet reserve for repurchase. The Capital Ship is always sent to the Home Base.
The pirate ship retains control of the Apex Island.
Scenario B: Hire the Pirate as a Privateer
A Clan Leader may choose to form an alliance with a Pirate, hiring them as a privateer.
To hire a pirate, pay a cost of 6 Ocean Crystals and 4 AlWood.
Once the resources have been paid, remove the pirate ship from the Apex Island. Take the privateer ship meeple matching the Clan Leader's color, and place the privateer on the clan's Home Base.
The Clan Leader's fleet moves onto the now vacant Apex Island and takes control of the location.
NOTE: EACH CLAN LEADER MAY ONLY HAVE ONE ACTIVE PRIVATEER ALLY.
Privateer Rules
Once hired, a privateer becomes another ship available for the Clan Leader to use. But this ship follows special rules.
The privateer will avoid combat whenever possible. A privateer cannot be part of an attacking fleet.
Using a teleporter, a Clan Leader can use a "Move Ship" action to move their privateer to any dockable island controlled by their opponent to block the island. Moving the privateer in this way does not initiate combat.
- The privateer cannot ever move onto any non-dockable islands controlled by an opponent.
- The privateer cannot ever move onto an island that is controlled by a fleet that includes an opponent's Capital Ship.
- The privateer cannot ever move onto an opponent's Home Base.
- The privateer does not count toward controlling an island and therefore cannot be used to create a connected trail by itself. A privateer must be part of a fleet including one other ship to take control of an island.
- The privateer can be part of a defending fleet, if the battle is triggered on the island where the privateer is already located. The privateer can not join a defending fleet as part of the free redistribute action at the start of battle.
- During combat, as part of a defending fleet, the privateer adds 15 to the total fleet power.
Blocking an Island
Once placed on an opponent's island, the privateer will block the island, making it unavailable for the opponent to use and hold it hostage. While the island is held hostage, the opponent cannot collect resources or take any other action that requires control of the island. The opponent's fleet on the island are placed under the privateer as a sign of being held hostage. These ships are not counted as part of the opponent's fleet and cannot move or take actions while they are held hostage.
To unblock an island, a Clan Leader has two options:
- Combat the Privateer
- Pay Ransom to the Privateer
NOTE: IF A CLAN LEADER CHOOSES TO NEITHER ENGAGE IN COMBAT, NOR PAY RANSOM TO THE PRIVATEER, THE PRIVATEER CONTINUES TO BLOCK AND HOLD THE ISLAND HOSTAGE.
Combat the Privateer
To free an island blocked by a privateer, a Clan Leader may defend against the privateer either with the existing fleet on the island, or by first taking the Redistribute Ships action to move another fleet onto the island being blocked. If a Clan Leader chooses to combat the Privateer when it first moves onto their island, the fleet already on the island will contribute their fleet strength to the combat. If the Clan Leader waits to combat the privateer until a later turn, then the ships currently on the blocked island will not contribute their fleet strength to the combat. In that case, the defending Clan Leader would need to first move another fleet onto the blocked island.
Combat involving the privateer follows the normal rules of warfare (see pg 17). The privateer has a fleet power of 15. In addition to the normal resolution of combat, including gaining rewards and retreat:
- If the attacking player defeats the privateer: it goes back to its Clan Leader's reserve and can be repurchased on a subsequent turn. The island is no longer blocked.
- If the privateer wins combat: the island remains blocked.
(Printed as "reteat"; read here as "retreat".)
The printed "How to Win?" box on this page lists the same battle inputs as the Rules of Warfare: Fleet Strength, Blind Bidding (can convert currency if a crystal is mounted), Power Cards and Character Abilities; the highest scorer wins, and in case of a tie the attacker wins. The Magic Crystal rewards shown are: A. Win against Capital Ship: 2 Magic Crystals, or B. Win against opponent fleet or Pirate: 1 Magic Crystal.
Pay Ransom to the Privateer
Instead of attacking a privateer, a Clan Leader may instead negotiate with their opponent and pay a ransom to remove the privateer from the island. This can occur immediately after a privateer ship blocks an island, or any time during a subsequent turn. Once the ransom is paid, the privateer returns to the Clan Leader's Home Base, and can be moved again by the Clan Leader on a subsequent turn using the Move Ship action.
The ransom amount is subject to negotiation between the two Clan Leaders. The Clan Leaders may agree to any amount of resources or even to non-resource conditions, as part of the ransom payment.
NOTE: WHILE AN ISLAND IS BLOCKED, NO THIRD PLAYER CAN MOVE THEIR SHIPS ONTO THE BLOCKED ISLAND. THIS RESTRICTION IS IN PLACE UNTIL THE PRIVATEER SITUATION IS RESOLVED BY EITHER PAYING THE RANSOM OR COMBATTING THE PRIVATEER.
Icon Glossary
The printed icon glossary names each icon (the artwork itself is not transcribed):
- Resources: Ocean Crystal; AlWood; Ammunition; Magic Crystal.
- Actions: Collect Resources; Currency Conversion; Buy Multiple Ships; Rebuild Barren Island; Move Ships; Buy Power Cards; Redistribute Ships; Teleporter; Mount or Dismount Magic Crystal; Extra Action; Character Ability; Non-Teleporter.
- Map and fleet: Isle Of Myth Fleet Capacity; Disaster; Fleet Capacity; Home Base; Gunboat; Frigate; Destroyer; Capital Ship; Pirate Ship.
- Combat and scoring: Fleet Strength; Attacker; Defender; Pirateer (printed spelling); Power Cards; Upkeep Cost; Blind Bidding; Magic Crystal.