Zoar Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Objective
• Components
• Board Tiles
  • Land Tiles
  • Capital Tiles
  • Cross Formation Tiles
• Game Setup
• Player Board
• How to Play
• Phase 1: Production & Movement
  • Collecting Resources
  • Extra Moves
  • Sacred Relics
• Phase 2: Combat
  • Declaration
  • Hidden Reinforcements
  • Combat Resolution
• Phase 3: Trade & Build
  • Trade
  • Build
  • Building a City
  • Building a Temple
  • Building Armies
  • Building Restrictions
• Phase 4: Divine Intervention
  • Divine Intervention Effects
  • Offering
  • Lightning Rod
• Winning the Game

Game Objective

In Zoar players take the role of a tribe leader who guides their tribe across the desert, building great cities and armies in a struggle to get the tribe's Sacred Relic back to their Capital. The player that will return the Sacred Relic first or destroy a certain number of cities wins the game.

Components

The game includes the following:

• 1 x warrior tribe relic
• 1 x Religious tribe relic
• 1 x Trader tribe relic
• 1 x farmer tribe relic
• 4 x Tribe Leaders (1 per color)
• 16 x Board Tiles
• 16 x armies (4 per color)
• 20 x food resources
• 20 x metal resources
• 2 x Temples (for Religious Tribe only)
• 8 x Cities (2 per color)
• 16 x Destroyed City Tokens
• 4 x Player Boards (for Warrior, Trader, Farmer and Religious tribe)
• 1 x 12-sided Dice

Board Tiles

There are 16 Board Tiles in the game. They are separated into 4 Capital Tiles and 12 Land Tiles.

Land Tiles

Each Land Tile is divided into 4 separate Areas (squares). These areas can be Empty Desert, Rocks, Grassland or Lake. In the center of each tile, the tile's number is displayed.

• a: Empty Desert
• b: Rocks
• c: Grassland
• d: Lake
• e: Tile Number

Capital Tiles

Each Capital Tile is divided into 4 separate Areas (squares). These areas can be Empty Desert, Altar or Capital. These tiles are not numbered, they are distinguished by the color of the Capital that matches the color of the relevant player.

• a: Empty Desert
• f: Altar
• g: Capital

Cross Formation Tiles

The Cross Formation Tiles diagram shows the layout of the board: the Land Tiles form a cross, and the Capital Tiles are placed at the Outer Corners (see Game Setup, step 2).

Game Setup

1. Shuffle and place randomly the 12 Land Tiles in a cross formation.
2. Shuffle and place the 4 Capital Tiles at the Capital Locations (as shown in the image above). The Capital area of each tile must be in the Outer Corner.
3. Place 1 Metal Resource on every Rock area and 1 Food Resource on every Grassland area.
4. Each player chooses a tribe, places the corresponding player board in front of them, and their Tribe Leader on the their Capital area (the one that matches their color).
5. Each player takes 1 Food and 1 Metal and places them in the Ready Supplies area on their player boards.
6. Each player places their Sacred Relic on the Altar diagonally opposite to their Capital.
7. Place remaining resources adjacent to the board. These will form the Market.
8. Place Destroyed City Tokens adjacent to the board.
9. Each player gets 4 Armies and 2 Cities of corresponding colors. The Yellow player also receives 2 Temples.

Player Board

1. Tribe Castle (different color per player)
2. Tribe Ability: Each tribe has a unique ability that can be used during a specific phase:
   • Trader Tribe (Blue): This tribe has turned to trading to improve their lives. The Trader can trade resources at a 1 : 1 ratio during the Trade & Build phase.
   • Farmer Tribe (Green): This tribe is focused on farming. If their resource limit has not been reached, the Farmer gains 1 additional Food whenever collecting Food during the Movement Phase. The extra resource is taken from the Market (if one exists).
   • Warrior Tribe (Red): This tribe specializes in the art of war. If their resource limit has not been reached, the Warrior gains 1 additional Metal whenever collecting Metal during the Movement Phase. The extra resource is taken from the Market (if one exists).
   • Religious Tribe (Yellow): This tribe is deeply Religious. The Religious Tribe can build Temples during the Trade & Build phase.
3. Destroyed enemy cities: Whenever a player destroys an enemy city (by any means) they place a Destroyed City Token on a free spot on their player board. Depending on the number of players, you need to destroy a certain number of cities to win.
4. Newly Collected Supplies: Your Supplies are divided into "Newly Collected" and "Ready". Resources collected during Movement are placed in the "Newly Collected" area and cannot be used during the Movement or Combat Phases of the same round.
5. Ready Supplies: Resources in this area can be used whenever needed during the round.
6. Turn Phases Display: Players can check the phases of the game and the benefits they can gain by spending the indicated resource.

How to Play

At the beginning of the game, everyone rolls a 12-sided dice. The player that will roll the highest number will be the First Player for this game.

Starting with the First Player and proceeding clockwise, each player takes a turn. During your turn, go through 4 consecutive phases.

• Phase 1: Production & Movement - Your cities produce resources and you may move your Tribe Leader and/or Armies, collect resources and carry your Sacred Relic.
• Phase 2: Combat - You may attack an adjacent enemy (Army, City or Temple).
• Phase 3: Trade & Build - You may trade resources with the Market at a 2:1 ratio. You may also build Cities, Temples or Armies at a cost.
• Phase 4: Divine Intervention - Roll a 12-sided Die. The tile matching the rolled number becomes 'Touched by God'. In that tile, Cities produce Armies, Resource areas produce resources and your enemies are destroyed.

Phase 1: Production & Movement

At the beginning of this phase add 1 Food to each Grassland and 1 Metal to each Rocks area in Land Tiles where you have at least one City present.

Now it is time to move your units (Tribe Leader and/or Armies). With each move a unit moves to an adjacent area. They cannot move diagonally and cannot enter Lake areas.

• Tribe Leaders: 2 moves. Leaders start this phase with two moves.
• Armies: 1 move. Armies start with one.

Example: Ann is playing the Trader (Blue). Ann moves her Tribe Leader twice. She cannot move him on or through a Lake Area (red path) as it is not allowed. She moves him 2 Areas towards the Metal resource (green path).

Tribe Leaders can stay and/or pass through any area (including ones where enemy units are present), except Lakes.

Armies cannot enter an area occupied by another player's Army, City or Temple. They cannot end their movement in an area occupied by another player's Sacred Relic, but they can pass through it. They can stay and/or pass through an area occupied by an enemy's Tribe Leader.

Example: Timothy's Tribe Leader (Yellow) is already in the same area as Mathew's Army and City. He decides to move him 2 areas to collect resources and find a location to build a Temple. His Army is adjacent to Mathew's City. It cannot move through the City or the Lake, so the only options are to stay there or move to the right.

Collecting Resources

When any unit enters an area with resources, that player collects them all and places them on the Newly Collected Supplies area of their player board.

You can have up to a total of 3 Food and 3 Metal at any time in your Supplies. Resources in either the Newly Collected or Ready areas count towards this limit. If you have reached your max limit, you cannot collect any more of that resource.

Example: Mathew moves his Army in an area with 2 Metals. Mathew already has 1 Metal in his supplies. Due to his tribe's ability (Warrior), whenever he collects a Metal Resource he gets one extra. This means that as soon as he collects the first one he will have reached his maximum of 3 in his supplies. He cannot collect the second Metal, which will remain in its place.

Extra Moves

During the Movement Phase you may spend Food from your Ready Supplies to gain extra moves. For each Food spent, you gain 2 extra moves. You can use them to either move one unit two areas or move two different units one area each.

Example: Timothy's Tribe Leader (Yellow) moved twice and his Army moved once. Then he decides to spend 1 Food and gain 2 extra moves. He splits them and moves his Army once, and his Tribe Leader once.

Sacred Relics

When an Army enters an area occupied by its Sacred Relic, it can carry it. You pick up the Relic's Token and place it on top of the Army. Picking up or dropping a Sacred Relic is a free action. If an Army is killed while carrying a Relic, the Relic drops in that Area. It does NOT return to its starting place.

If a player has 2 cities on the map, the Army unit that carries the Sacred Relic moves up to 2 areas (instead of 1) during the Movement Phase. As soon as a player stops having two cities on the board, their army unit with the Sacred Relic, loses the extra movement ability.

Example: Ann's Army (Blue) reached the area with her Sacred Relic during the previous round and she picked it up. She has 2 cities on the map so she can move her Army that carries the relic up to 2 areas.

Example A: Mathew (Red) decides to attack Ann's Army (Blue). Mathew wins the battle.

Example B: Ann's Army (Blue) is discarded. The Sacred Relic remains in that area.

Phase 2: Combat

Combat takes place between two adjacent areas. Using your Army you can attack an enemy's Army, City or Temple.

Declaration

Choose an area occupied by at least one of your Armies, and declare an attack on any adjacent area occupied by an enemy's Army, City and/or Temple. You cannot attack Tribe Leaders or Capitals.

Hidden Reinforcements

Both the attacker and the defender may decide to spend Metal to summon reinforcements. You can summon Reinforcements even if you do not have any Army in the area. For every 1 Metal spent, you summon 1 Reinforcement. Each player takes all their Metal from their Ready Supplies, decides in secret how much they want to spend and hides it in one of their hands (keeping the rest hidden in their other hand). Then, simultaneously reveal their hands showing how much Metal they invest in Reinforcements. Metal invested in Reinforcements, no matter the outcome, is spent and returned to the market. Metal not used for reinforcements returns back to the player's Ready Supplies.

Combat Resolution

Each Army, City and Reinforcement has a Health of 1 and a Strength of 1. Temples have only a Health of 1, no Strength.

You calculate all your Strength and you deal that much damage to your enemy.

IMPORTANT: Cities take part in the battle only when defending. If you attack with your army from an area that you also have a city, that city does not participate in the battle. It does not add to your total strength and it cannot be targeted to apply damage.

Damage is applied starting with the enemy's Reinforcements, then Armies, then Cities or Temples. If you manage to destroy a City during your attack, you gain a Destroyed City Token to place on your player board.

Example: Timothy (Yellow) decides to attack Mathew's (Red) city with his 2 Armies. Since he is attacking, his city does NOT participate in this battle. Timothy attacks with a total of 2 Strength (1 per Army) while Mathew defends with a total of 3 Health (1 per Army and 1 for his City, Tribe Leader does not take part in Combat). Both Armies are destroyed and Mathew's City survives.

Example: Timothy (Yellow) decides to attack Ann's City (Blue) with his Army. He also decides to summon 3 Reinforcements, spending 3 Metal. Ann has 2 Armies defending the city and decides to summon 1 Reinforcement spending 1 Metal. Timothy's total strength is 4 (1 per Army and 3 due to Reinforcements), which is the same as Ann's (1 per Army, 1 due to her City and 1 due to Reinforcemnts). Ann's City is destroyed along with all Armies in the area. Timothy gets a Destroyed City Token.

Phase 3: Trade & Build

During this phase players may trade resources and build armies, cities and temples in any order.

All resources from the Newly Collected Supplies (on your Player Board) are moved to the Ready Supplies and can be used from now on.

Trade

You may exchange resources from your Ready Supplies with the Market at a 2:1 ratio.

2 Foods = 1 Metal or 2 Metals = 1 Food

Example: Ann is playing the Trader (Blue) and has 3 Food and 1 Metal in her Ready Supplies. She decides to trade 2 Food. Normally she would get 1 Metal but due to her special ability (Trader), she exchanges at a 1:1 ratio, so she gets 2 Metals.

Build

You may spend one Metal to build a City or a Temple on an Empty Desert area that is occupied by only your Tribe Leader. No City, Temple, Enemy Unit or Enemy Relic may be present.

Building a City

Whenever you build a City, you may place an Army in the same area for free (if you have one available). You can have a maximum of 2 Cities on the board.

Remember: Cities make the Grasslands and Rocks areas, in their Land Tile, produce resources at the beginning of Phase 1.

Example: Mathew moves his Tribe Leader in an Empty Desert Area. During Trade & Build phase he spends 1 Metal and builds a City. He also places 1 Army in the area for free.

Building a Temple

The Religious Tribe can build a Temple in an Empty Desert Area occupied by their Tribe Leader. Temples collect automatically during the Production Phase of the Religious Tribe's turn all resources present in any of the 4 areas of the Land Tile. Collected resources go to its owner's Ready Supplies. If there is not enough room, then they stay on the board.

Upon building a Temple you may collect immediately all resources on that tile and place them to Ready Supplies.

Example: Timothy moves his Tribe Leader to Board Tile number 7. He then builds a Temple on an Empty Desert Area and immediately collects all resources present on the Tile (1 Metal and 1 Food).

Building Armies

By spending 1 Food you may place 1 Army in an area occupied by one of your Cities. Capitals are not considered Cities.

Building Restrictions

• No Cities or Temples can be built on the Capital Tile.
• You cannot build in an area occupied by another City, Temple, enemy Army or enemy Sacred Relic. You can have up to 2 Temples, 2 Cities and 4 Armies on the board at any time.

Phase 4: Divine Intervention

During this Phase, roll a 12-sided dice and locate on the Land Tile with the matching number. That tile becomes 'Touched by God' and the following effects take place on all 4 areas of that tile.

Divine Intervention Effects

• Place one Food Token on Grasslands and one Metal Token on Rocks areas on the tile.
• If you have a City present on the Land Tile, you may build 1 Army in its area for free.
• All enemy Armies present on the Land Tile are struck by lightning and destroyed.
• Tribe Leaders, Cities, Temples & Sacred Relics are NOT affected.

Offering

You may roll for an additional Divine Intervention by spending 1 Food. You can repeat this action as many times as the amount of Food you have.

Lightning Rod

You can protect your Armies from being struck by lightning by spending Metal! For each Metal you spend you protect one Army.

Example: Timothy rolls a 6 during Divine Intervention. On that Land Tile he has a City (Yellow) that builds an Army for free. The Rock area produces a Metal. Ann's (Blue) Army will be destroyed unless she spends Metal to protect it. Ann decides not to spend metal and her Army is destroyed.

Example: Mathew rolls a 7 during Divine Intervention. On the Land Tile number 7, a Metal is spawned in the Rock area and a Food in the Grassland. Since this is Mathew's roll for Divine Intervention Ann's army is destroyed unless she spends 1 Metal.

Winning the Game

You can win the game in either of the following ways:

1. Be the first to return your Sacred Relic to your Capital, or
2. Collect a number of Destroyed City Tokens depending on the number of players.

• 2 players: Collect a total of 2 Destroyed City Tokens
• 3 players: Collect a total of 3 Destroyed City Tokens
• 4 players: Collect a total of 4 Destroyed City Tokens

The game ends immediately, once any one of the above victory conditions is achieved!