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Unveiling Secrets in Mage Knight

Have you ever found yourself captivated by the enchanting world of Mage Knight, where heroes and legends collide? Exploring this fantasy realm, I’ve come to realize the significance of the mysterious tiles laid before me. These tiles hold profound power and can be the key to my success or downfall. Let’s delve into the art of revealing these enigmatic tiles and unlock their hidden potential.

When I stumble upon a tile, I can’t help but feel a surge of curiosity within me. I am drawn to the unknown possibilities that lie beneath. The decision to uncover a tile is integral, as it sets in motion a chain of events that can alter my path. Each tile has its secrets and choosing the right one can make all the difference.

As I carefully uncover a tile, the suspense builds. What lies beneath? It can be a newfound ally, a treacherous foe, or a valuable resource. The joy of discovery consumes me as I anticipate the possibilities. Each tile is a gateway to the unknown, challenging me to adapt and make strategic choices.

But unlocking the secret of a tile also comes with risks. Unveiling something sinister may unleash a formidable adversary or trigger a series of unfortunate events. I must be prepared to face the consequences of my revelations and strategize accordingly. The thrill of the unknown can be both exhilarating and perilous.

Understanding the ins and outs of these tiles is crucial for a successful journey in Mage Knight. By interpreting the symbols and patterns, I gain valuable insights into what lies before me. A network of roads may lead to treasures, while a dense forest may hide lurking dangers. Each detail holds significance, and I must analyze, plan, and adapt to the ever-changing landscape.

When someone embarks on their Mage Knight quest, they must possess a keen eye to spot the hidden tiles and the courage to uncover their secrets. Are you prepared to embrace the unknown and embark on this epic adventure? By following your instincts and mastering the art of revealing tiles, you will navigate this fantastical world with finesse. Remember, the fate of this realm lies in your hands.

Hey there! Let’s talk about keeps. They’re pretty important in the game, so it’s crucial to understand what they do. When you come across a keep, you’ll find a gray enemy token waiting for you on its designated space.

Now, here’s the interesting part. If you move next to a keep during the Day Round, you’ll reveal that token. It’ll stay face up, even during the Night Round. However, if you don’t reveal it before Night arrives, that token will remain face down until someone decides to assault the keep.

The gray token you see represents the keep’s garrison. Unlike those rampaging enemies, the garrison doesn’t move around. No, they prefer to stay cozy behind the keep’s walls. You can’t attack them from an adjacent space either. To take them on, you’ll have to be bold and move onto their space to assault the keep.

Now, onto the Assault

So, here’s the deal when it comes to entering a fortified site like a keep, mage tower, or city during your movement – you’ll have to assault the site. Once you do that, your movement is over, and you’ll have to face the defenders. No passing through unconquered fortified sites without a fight, my friend.

Now, unlike defeating rampaging enemies, assaulting a fortified site doesn’t exactly win you any popularity points with the locals. In fact, each assault costs you a bit of reputation – Reputation -1, to be exact.

That’s not all, though. After the assault, it’s time for combat. If by some stroke of luck, you manage to defeat the enemy, you not only earn some Fame for your victory, but you also become the proud owner of the keep. Just place one of your Shield tokens there to show off your conquest. Oh, and here’s the kicker – only you can enjoy the benefits of this keep. It’s all yours, my friend.

If I can’t defeat the enemy, my assault has failed. I’m forced to retreat back to where I started my attack. I can regroup and try again next turn, but my reputation will take another hit.

The Challenge of Fortified Enemies

Enemies inside a keep are well-defended, just like if they had the “fortified” symbol on their token. That means ranged attacks won’t work against them during the Ranged and Siege Attacks phase. To defeat them, I either need to use Siege Attacks exclusively, or I have to wait until the Attack phase when any type of attack can be used, even ranged attacks.

If the enemy defending a keep also has the Fortified ability on its token, it gets fortified twice. This means that even Siege attacks cannot be used against it during the Ranged and Siege Attacks phase.

Assault And Rampaging Enemies

Assaulting is part of movement. When you make a move that results in an assault, and both the space you are assaulting from and the site you are assaulting are adjacent to that monster, you provoke rampaging enemies. This means that the enemies will join the battle, and you have to fight against both them and the garrisoned enemies.

The rampaging enemies do not receive the benefits of being fortified from the site you are assaulting. You are also not required to defeat the rampaging enemies in order to conquer the keep.

Before launching an attack, it’s a good idea to deal with any enemies that might be causing trouble. You can either defeat them in combat or avoid provoking them altogether. If you’re feeling brave, you can even take on multiple enemies at once – check out the Revealing Ruins section in this chapter for tips on how to handle that.

Taking Control of a Keep

When you successfully capture a keep, make sure to place your Shield token on it. Owning a keep comes with two advantages:

First, let’s talk about recruiting Units. You can recruit Units by interacting with the keep icon. It’s similar to recruiting at a village. However, please note that you can’t recruit a Unit on the same turn that you conquer a keep. Conquering a keep uses up your action for that turn.
Now, let’s move on to the second point. Keeps provide you with supplies. If you end your turn in or next to a keep that you own, your Hand limit increases by 1 for each keep you own. This means you can draw more cards at the end of your turn.

Here’s an example to help you understand better. Let’s say you own three keeps on the map. Your Hand limit will be 3 higher than what is printed on your level token, as long as you end your turn in or next to one of your keeps.

Now, let’s talk about assaulting an enemy keep.

When you’re playing the game, you have the option to attack keeps that have already been taken over. It’s a way to challenge the player who owns the keep and show them that you’re a force to be reckoned with.

If the owner of the keep is inside it when you attack, that’s considered an attack against the player themselves. It adds an extra layer of challenge and strategy to the game.

But if the owner of the keep is not present, you’ll encounter a different kind of challenge. You’ll have to draw a random gray enemy token, which represents the garrison defending the keep. This enemy is fortified and fights just like the enemies you face when attacking neutral keeps.

If you manage to defeat the garrison, you’ll only receive half the Fame you would normally earn from those enemies, but the keep will now belong to you. You’ll remove the other player’s Shield token and proudly display your own.

If, on the other hand, you’re not successful in defeating the garrison, the enemy token is discarded, and a new random gray enemy will be drawn to defend the keep the next time someone tries to attack it. You’ll have to retreat back to your starting point and rethink your strategy.

When I try to attack someone else’s keep, even if they’re not there, I still lose Reputation points. It’s frustrating, but that’s the way it works.

The Magic Tower

Hey there! I’ve got an important task for you. You need to find and read the Mage Tower Description card. These mage towers are like neutral keeps, but instead of having a gray enemy token, they have a violet one. The enemy token is hidden at Night but revealed during the Day if someone gets close to it.

Now, when it comes to assaulting a mage tower, the rules are the same as assaulting a keep. That means the defenders are fortified, and you’ll lose one Reputation point. Oh, and don’t forget that the mage tower you just revealed is located in a desert. During the Day, you’ll need a Move of 5 to assault it.

But wait, there’s more!

When you find the first mage tower, you should also get ready for the Spell offer. Flip over the top three cards of the Spell deck and place them in a column below the tower.

Keep in mind: In future games, the Spell offer is revealed at the beginning. However, during the first game, it’s better to follow this method. It allows players to have fewer cards to check during setup, and it avoids unnecessary questions like “what are these for and how do I get them?”.

Conquering Mage Towers

When you conquer a mage tower, place your Shield token on it. Unlike keeps, this doesn’t mean the tower belongs to you. It simply serves as a reminder that you’ve broken the resistance of their garrison. As a bonus for conquering a mage tower, you’ll receive one Spell from the Spell offer at the end of your turn.

Once a tower is conquered, the mages become eager to collaborate with anyone. This means that any player can interact with a conquered tower, regardless of who conquered it.

Joining the Team

When you’re at the mage tower, you have the opportunity to recruit Units. These Units have the mage tower icon and must be recruited according to the regular Unit recruitment rules.

Getting Spells

Not only can you recruit Units, but you can also purchase Spells at the mage tower. The Spell offer contains a variety of Spells that you can purchase. In order to buy a Spell, you need to spend 7 Influence points and have one mana of the same color as the Spell you want to buy. Buying Spells is not an easy task!

Keep in mind that you can only use one mana from the Source. This means you’ll either need to generate 7 Influence points without using mana or find a way to use more mana during your turn. Once you’ve chosen a Spell to purchase, place it on top of your Deed deck. This allows you to access the Spell quickly (most likely at the end of your turn) and use it later in the Round.

Now let me explain how you can add Spells to your collection. When it’s time to reveal another card from the top of the Spells deck, three Spells will be available for you to choose from. Pay attention because the newly revealed Spell will always occupy the topmost position in the offer column. Before adding it, you need to shift the other Spells down to fill the gap of the one you took.

You Can Earn Spells as Rewards

Just like any other reward for combat, you get to pick your Spell at the end of your turn. This speeds up the game because you can take your time to read the Spells in the offer and make your decision while other players take their turns.

If you earn a Spell as a reward, it goes to the top of your Deed deck, just like when you buy one through interaction. The only difference is that you don’t have to pay any Influence or mana for it. Once you’ve made your choice, replenish the offer and shift the remaining cards down as needed.

When you play the game, remember this: you collect your rewards first, and then you get to draw new cards. This means that if you claim a Spell, you’ll likely be able to use it right away.

Now, let’s talk about Casting Spells. Spells are incredibly strong cards that require mana to use. And not just any mana – you need two types. One of them has to match the color of the Spell, and the other has to be black. Here’s the catch: you can only use the stronger effect of a Spell at Night, because black mana can only be used during that time.

But even then, it’s not so simple. If you decide to use a black mana die taken from the Source, you will have to provide the other mana from your own reserves. It’s a bit of a challenge, but it’s worth it for the powerful effects you can achieve.

Now, here’s something interesting to know. Even the mightiest of Spell cards can be played in different ways. You can use them as Move 1, Influence 1, or Attack or Block 1. It’s like having multiple options in your arsenal, depending on what you need at the moment.

Lastly, let’s talk about Violet Enemies. They’re tough opponents, but you can handle them.

So, you wanna take down a mage tower, huh? Well, lemme tell ya, it ain’t gonna be easy. First things first, you gotta defeat a violet enemy. These violet enemies? Yeah, they’re mostly groups of mages and golems. Nasty stuff. The mages, they like to throw Fire or Ice Attacks at ya. And both the mages and the golems, well, they’re resistant to certain elements. So, ya gotta plan your strategy real careful.

Now, when a mage tower pops up, you gotta reveal it to the players. Then, here’s the fun part – show ’em a few violet tokens and explain how they work. Mix ’em up real good, shuffle ’em, and pick one. That’s gonna be the garrison for that mage tower, hidden like a secret weapon.

The Colors of Attack

Alright, listen up. Up until now, all them enemies you’ve been fighting? They’ve been using physical Attacks, right? You know, the ones with the gray fist icon? Well, get ready, ’cause things are about to change. Now, you’re gonna be facing Fire and Ice Attacks. Flames and frost, my friend. It’s a whole new ballgame. So, be prepared, and think smart. You got this!

Hey there! So, when you see this icon, it means you’re dealing with a serious threat – a Fire Attack!

It’s pretty similar to a regular attack, but there are a few important things to keep in mind:

The only way to fully protect yourself from a Fire Attack is by using an Ice Block. Regular Blocks and even Fire Blocks won’t do the trick – their effectiveness is cut in half!
Now, if a Unit takes damage from a Fire Attack, it works just like a normal attack, except that Physical resistance doesn’t help at all. Only Units with Fire resistance are able to resist the flames (kind of like how Physical resistance helps against physical Attacks).

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You’ve probably heard of Fire Attacks. Well, Ice Attacks are just like them, but with a chilly twist. The only Blocks that can really defend against Ice Attacks are the ones with Fire. Those will work at full power. The other Blocks, though, will only provide half the protection. When it comes to handing out the damage, only your Ice Resistance stat matters. All other resistances are useless against Ice Attacks.

Here’s the thing: if you want to stop an elemental attack in its icy tracks, you need to counter it with Blocks of the opposite element. Or, if you can’t block it, at least have some Units that are resistant to ice. That will soften the blow.

Picture this:

Picture this: I’m in a battle against an Ice Attack with a strength of 5. To defend against it, I have a few options. I can use a Fire Block with a strength of 5, or I can mix and match different Blocks to add up to 5, such as playing a Fire Block 3 and then a regular Block 4. In this case, the regular Block gets reduced to 2, but that’s still enough to block the Ice Attack.

Now, if I decide not to block the Attack and instead want to assign the damage to one of my Units, the best strategy is to choose a Unit that has resistance to Ice. If the Unit has an Armor value of at least 3, it will absorb all the damage. For example, if the Attack is for 3 damage, the Unit’s resistance will soak up 3 damage, and any remaining damage will Wound the Unit. And if the Unit has an Armor value of 5 or higher, it won’t even be Wounded by the Attack!

Enemy Resistances

So far, we’ve seen enemies that have Physical resistance. But now, we’re encountering enemies that are resistant to Fire, Ice, or maybe even multiple types of Attacks.

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All resistances work in the same way – when a Unit has resistance to a certain Attack type, the total value of that type of Attack is halved, rounding down. For example, if you’re fighting the Ice Golems you see here, a Fire Attack with a value of 4 would be enough to defeat them on its own.

However, if you decide to use physical and/or Ice Attacks, you’ll need a total Attack value of at least 8 to defeat them.

Resistance to Special Effects

Ice and Fire resistances on enemy tokens have an extra effect – they also make the Unit immune to special combat effects of that specific color. So, if a red card (or an ability paid for with red mana) says that something should happen to an enemy, Units with Fire resistance cannot be targeted with that effect. Similarly, if a red card (or red text on a Unit) applies an effect to “all enemies,” Units with Fire resistance won’t be affected by it.

Hey there! Let’s talk about how different cards and abilities work in the game, especially when it comes to colors and enemy resistance.

First off, it’s important to understand that this rule applies to special combat effects only, not regular Attacks.

Here’s an example to help you grasp the concept:

Attack 4 is a physical Attack, even if it’s on a red card. This means it works fully against enemies resistant to Fire.
On the other hand, Fire Attack 4 is a specific type of Attack that relies on Fire. When used against enemies resistant to Fire, its efficiency is only halved.
Lastly, there are special effects like “Destroy target enemy” or “All enemies get Armor -1”. These effects don’t depend on a specific Attack type and are not affected by enemy resistance if they’re on a red Action or Spell card.

Monastery

Hey there! Let’s talk monasteries. They’re like these awesome places where you can recruit Units and get healed. Sounds pretty cool, right? It’s like a village, but even better!

The Lowdown on Training

Here’s the deal: when a monastery is revealed, you get to draw a card from the Advanced Action deck and add it to the Unit offer. This is called the monk’s knowledge, and it’s something you can learn at any monastery.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. You can learn one of these Advanced Actions through interaction, but it’ll cost you 6 Influence points. If you decide to buy it, you’ll put it on top of your Deed deck. Don’t worry, you’ll have a chance to use it later. And guess what? You can buy multiple Advanced Actions in one go, as long as there are enough monasteries around and you have enough influence to pay for them.

Whenever you use Advanced Actions in the game, you need to be aware that they won’t automatically replenish until the start of the next Round.

If there are any Advanced Actions left in the Unit offer by the end of the Round, they are discarded to the bottom of the Advanced Actions deck. However, for each monastery on the map (except those that have been burned down), a new Advanced Action is added to the Unit offer.

Burning The Monastery

If you find yourself in a monastery and want to burn it down, you can choose to do so as your Action for the turn. It’s important to note that you should make this decision before taking any other actions in the monastery. When you announce your attempt to burn down the monastery, you will immediately lose 3 Reputation points.

Whenever I find myself near the monastery, I can’t help but feel a mix of curiosity and apprehension. There’s this undeniable urge to explore it and discover its secrets, but deep down, I know that what I’m about to do is frowned upon by my Units. Nonetheless, I can’t resist the temptation.

Upon entering the monastery, I prepare myself for a confrontation. It seems there’s always an enemy waiting for me, a violet token drawn at random. In this battle, I must rely solely on my own skills and instincts, as my Units refuse to assist me. They believe that what I’m doing is wrong, and so I can’t activate them or use their special abilities. The responsibility falls entirely on me.

If, against all odds, I emerge victorious from this forbidden duel, I am rewarded with an Artifact at the end of my turn. It’s a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. The monastery, now reduced to ashes, serves as a testament to my triumph. I mark the space with one of my Shield tokens, symbolizing its demise. From this point forward, the monastery becomes nothing more than an empty space, devoid of any significance.

It’s worth noting that despite the destruction of the monastery, the Advanced Action it offered remains in the Unit offer. Its knowledge hasn’t disappeared completely; it simply means that this specific monastery will no longer provide a new Advanced Action at the start of the next Round. However, there are still other places where I can learn this valuable knowledge.

If you try and fail, nothing bad happens. You’ll just remember what you tried to do based on where your Reputation token is and maybe you’ll get a few Wounds in your hand.

Getting Artifacts

You always get an Artifact at the end of your turn, so you won’t slow down the game.

Draw two cards from the Artifacts deck and look at them. Choose one to put on top of your Deed deck. Put the other Artifact card back on the bottom of the Artifacts deck.

If you ever get more than one Artifact during your turn, draw that many cards from the Artifact deck, plus one. You can choose which ones to put on top of your deck in any order, and put the rest back on the bottom of the Artifact deck.

Using Artifacts

When you acquire new Artifacts, they are placed at the top of your deck, ensuring that you’ll have quick access to them. There are multiple ways to utilize Artifacts:

The upper section of an Artifact card explains its basic effect. You can play it just like any other card. At the end of your turn, you discard it along with the other cards you played during that turn.
Alternatively, you have the option to activate the ultimate ability of the Artifact by using its lower effect. This action destroys the Artifact, and it is discarded after use.
Even a powerful Artifact can be played sideways as Move 1, Influence 1, or Attack or Block 1, before being discarded at the end of the turn.

Banners

Banners are special items that have a unique purpose. Like other artifacts, you can use their ultimate ability once to unleash a powerful effect.

The top part of the banner works differently. While it doesn’t do anything on its own, you can attach it to any unit. This causes the unit to gain the bonuses or effects specified by the banner. Keep in mind that certain banner abilities can only be used once in each round. Once they are used, flip them face down. When the next round starts, flip them face up again.

Once a banner is attached to a unit, it stays with that unit until the end of the round. When the round ends, you have a choice. You can either keep the banner with the unit for the next round or shuffle it back into your deck of deeds. If you disband the unit or it gets destroyed, put the banner in your discard pile. Don’t worry, though, because you can use it again if you draw it later on in a different round.

So here’s the deal: I can only put one Banner on each Unit. Yep, I know it’s a bummer if you’ve got a Unit that already has a Banner. In that case, you gotta get rid of the old one and replace it with the new one you want to assign. Simple as that.

But wait! There’s something you need to know. When a Unit has a Banner assigned to it, you can’t use the Artifact’s ultimate ability. So keep that in mind when you’re making your choices.

Here’s the scoop on Monster Den:

Hey there! Let’s dive into the Monster Den Description card. It’s our first adventure site, and it’s pretty interesting. Unlike those pesky enemies or strongholds, you can actually choose to ignore an adventure site. It’s totally up to you, even if you’re standing right on it!

But here’s the catch: if you want to explore the monster den, you gotta say it out loud. It’s as simple as that! Just make sure you haven’t already done something else like fighting enemies. If you’re good to go, announce that you’re entering the monster den and grab a brown enemy token to battle.

Now, if you defeat the enemy, give yourself a pat on the back and mark the space with a Shield token. That way, you’ll always remember that you triumphed over this adventure. The monster den is pretty much yours to claim, and it won’t bother you again for the rest of the game. As a bonus, you also get two random crystals as your reward. Just remember, like any other reward, you can only claim it at the end of your turn.

So, here’s what you do: grab a spare mana die (not one that’s already in use) and give it a roll. Do it twice, just to cover all the bases. Now, if you happen to roll gold, you get to choose which color crystal to take – even if it’s nighttime. But if you happen to roll black, you’ll get some Fame instead of a crystal for that roll.

If you don’t manage to defeat the enemy, don’t worry. You’ll stay right where you are. Just make sure to turn the undefeated enemy token face up. It’s not the same as active enemies – you know, the ones that are out rampaging or defending garrisons. But if you’d rather, you can turn the token face down, and anyone can sneak a peek whenever they want.

And here’s the thing to remember: monster dens, along with other adventure sites that we’ll talk about later, have a rule that says you can ignore them. That means you can pass through their space or even end your turn there without having to fight, even if there’s an undefeated enemy token hanging around. It’s totally up to you.

Keep in mind: You earn Reputation by defeating rampaging enemies. You lose Reputation by attacking fortified sites. And you don’t gain or lose Reputation when entering an adventure site – the people there don’t really care.

The Underground Dungeon

I’m going to tell you about the Underground Dungeon. It’s a mysterious and dangerous place where many secrets are hidden. It’s a place of darkness and shadows, filled with treacherous traps and fearsome monsters.

If you’re a brave adventurer like me, you’ll be itching to explore the dungeon and uncover its secrets. But you need to be careful, because danger lurks around every corner. Treasures and rewards await those who are brave enough to face the challenges that lie ahead. But the risks are great, and failure could mean doom.

The dungeon is a double-edged sword. It’s a place where you can prove yourself and become a hero, but it can also be your downfall. It’s a place where you can gain fame and glory, or meet a painful demise. It’s important to take into account your own skills and abilities before venturing into the depths.

In the dungeon, you will encounter all kinds of creatures, from lowly goblins to powerful dragons. Each enemy you defeat will earn you Reputation, which is a measure of your strength and prowess. The more enemies you defeat, the more your Reputation will grow.

However, be warned that the dungeon is filled with traps and puzzles that will test your wits and skills. You’ll need to find hidden switches, avoid deadly pitfalls, and solve intricate riddles to progress. It’s a place where only the smartest and most resourceful can survive.

Remember that the dungeon is not for the faint of heart. It’s a place of danger and uncertainty, where even the strongest can be brought to their knees. But if you have the courage and determination to face the challenges head-on, the rewards can be great.

So, if you’re a bold adventurer looking for excitement and glory, the Underground Dungeon is the place for you. It’s a place where heroes are forged and legends are made. Are you ready to take on the challenge?

Hey there! Let’s talk about dungeons, shall we? Find and read the Dungeon Description card. For now, there are no enemy tokens in this dungeon. It’s just another adventure site, like the monster den. And guess what? You don’t have to deal with a dungeon if you’re already on its space. You can just ignore it and move on with your turn.

But if you do decide to enter a dungeon, get ready for a fight! When you enter, you’ll have to draw a random brown enemy token to battle. But here’s the catch:

You have to fight alone. Your trusty Units won’t follow you into the depths of the dungeon. They’ll be waiting for you upstairs. So, don’t count on their abilities or damage allocation during this combat.
In a dungeon, Night rules apply, even if it’s still Day Round outside. This means you can’t use gold mana, but you can tap into your black mana to cast more powerful Spells. (If you revealed this tile before the end of the first Day, make sure to read the Night rules to everyone).

When you vanquish your enemy, make sure to leave a Shield token in the dungeon to mark your victory. This way, you’ll always remember that it was you who completed this daring adventure. At the end of your turn, it’s time to claim your well-deserved reward. Just roll the mana die and see what fate has in store for you. If you happen to roll a gold or black color, you’ll gain a powerful Spell. But if any other color comes up, you’ll be rewarded with a valuable Artifact instead. To learn more about gaining Spells and Artifacts, refer to the sections titled “Revealing a Mage Tower” and “Revealing a Monastery” – you might already know about these sections. Seems like you’re on quite the magical journey!

Now, if by any chance you fail during your adventure, don’t worry too much. Nothing drastic happens. Simply discard the enemy token and move on. The next person who dares to enter the dungeon will face a new and different enemy. It’s a never-ending cycle of challenges and triumphs.

Now, onto the topic of conquered dungeons. These are the ones you have successfully overcome. They hold a special place in your heart and serve as a testament to your bravery. Remember, leaving a Shield token behind is not just a way to mark your victory, but also a way to inspire others who may venture into the same dungeon in the future. It’s like leaving a little piece of yourself behind, a reminder of your heroic deeds. So, make sure to leave your mark and let the world know of your conquests.

So, here’s the deal: even if someone has already taken on a dungeon and cleared it out, that doesn’t mean you can’t give it a go yourself. Yep, that’s right. You can go in there and explore it all over again. But, let me be clear, there’s a catch. You won’t get any fancy rewards or get to claim the dungeon as your own. Nope, all you’ll get is some good old fame for taking down the baddies inside. And trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds.

The Old Ruins

So I found this card called Ruin Description. It’s all about ruins and what you can find there. You can choose to ignore the ruins or actually enter them, but you should be careful because you never know what you might stumble upon. Ruins can be quite unpredictable and can offer some of the toughest challenges you’ll come across.

Once you reveal the ruins, you need to place a yellow ruins token there. If it’s daytime, the token should be face up, but if it’s nighttime, it should be face down. If the token is face down, you won’t know what’s inside until the start of the next day or until someone goes into the space.

Inside the ruins, there are two different types of adventures waiting for you to complete:

Ancient Altar

Imagine stumbling upon a mysterious altar, like one that belongs to a long-forgotten deity. On this altar, there is a token that shows three mana of a specific color. To activate the altar, all you have to do is pay three mana of that color. If you decide to go ahead and activate it, you’ll immediately gain 7 Fame. The ruins token will be discarded, and you’ll leave behind a Shield token to show that you conquered this thrilling adventure. However, if you don’t have the mana or simply don’t feel like paying it, nothing will happen. It’s completely up to you.

Enemies Who Are Hiding Treasure

There might be a hidden treasure lurking within the ruins, a secret waiting to be discovered. Inside the ruins, you will come across two enemy tokens and a reward. Upon entering, you must draw the enemies depicted and engage in battle. Should you fail to defeat both enemies, there will be no consequences. The unconquered enemies will remain in that space, while you can keep them face up, making sure not to mistake them for other roaming enemies or garrisons. Eliminated enemies are not replaced.

If you manage to defeat the final enemy, you will remove the ruins token and place a Shield token on that space. At the end of your turn, you can claim the reward shown on the token.

Note: Defeating orcs and draconum enemies in ruins does not grant any reputation points.

Rewards

You may receive the following rewards:

Artifact card:

Spell card:

Advanced Action:

Set of four crystals:

Unit: When you rescue prisoners, they will happily join your team. You can choose one Unit from the available options without paying for it or considering where it can typically be recruited. However, you need to make sure you have a free Command token or dismantle one of your existing Units to make space. #exciting!

Fighting Multiple Enemies

Ruins will probably be the first time you get to fight two enemies simultaneously (another opportunity could arise if rampaging enemies are provoked by an assault, but that’s a separate story – check out the Assault section in the Revealing a Keep chapter to learn more). As the game progresses, you might find yourself taking on three or even more enemies all at once. #bringit

Attacking

When it’s time for Ranged and Siege Attacks or the regular Attack phase, you have more options at your disposal:

When you are in a battle and facing multiple enemies, you have the option to make a powerful attack that can eliminate them all at once. However, there are a few things you need to consider.
First, you must make sure that your Attack is equal to or greater than the total Armor of all the enemies you have chosen. This means that your attack power should be strong enough to break through their defenses. It’s important to note that if you have cards that generate more Attack than needed to defeat one enemy, the extra attack will be wasted when used against the group. So, it’s a good strategy to use those powerful cards in this situation.
It’s also important to be aware of the enemies’ resistances. If any of the chosen enemies have Physical, Fire, or Ice resistance, all your Attacks of the corresponding type will be halved. This means that even if the other enemies in the group don’t have that resistance, your attacks will still be weakened. So, you need to take into account the resistances of the enemies you are targeting.
However, there is one limitation when grouping enemies together for a large attack. If you combine a fortified enemy and an unfortified enemy as the target of a single powerful attack, you will only be able to use Siege attacks against that group. This means that you’ll have to rely on your Siege cards to deal damage in this situation.
To sum it up, making a big attack to eliminate multiple enemies at once can be advantageous, especially if you have strong cards that generate excess attack. But you need to be careful of the enemies’ resistances and consider the limitations of grouping different types of enemies together for a single attack. With these factors in mind, you can make strategic decisions in battle and maximize your chances of victory.

In battle, I have the ability to strategize and play multiple attacks in a single phase. This gives me the flexibility to take down enemies one by one, or tackle them in small groups. It’s a powerful tactic that allows me to adapt to different situations.

For example, some enemies may have resistances, while others do not. Instead of using all of my attacks together and reducing their effectiveness, I can focus on playing attacks that the resistant enemy is vulnerable to. By doing this, I can eliminate the resistance and deal maximum damage.

Similarly, some enemies may be fortified, while others are not. During the Ranged and Siege Attack phase, I can use Siege Attacks to target the fortified enemies exclusively, while using both Ranged and Siege Attacks against the non-fortified enemies. This allows me to optimize my attacks and make the most of my resources.

It’s important to consider these factors when planning my strategy in battle. By taking advantage of the different resistances and fortifications of my enemies, I can increase my chances of success and secure victory.

Now, let’s talk about blocking.

In the Block phase, you have the opportunity to stop any enemies that you haven’t defeated yet. In any order, you can choose to block none, one, or multiple enemies. However, you can’t group them together and block them all with one strong block. If you want to block more than one enemy, you have to handle each of them individually.

Dealing Damage

Now, it’s time to determine the damage done by all the enemies that were not defeated or blocked. You have the freedom to assign this damage in any order, but you must assign damage from all the unblocked enemies. Just like with any attack, you have the choice to assign this damage to your Units or your Hero.

But remember: Each Unit can only be assigned damage once in a single combat. This rule applies even if the Unit managed to survive the first wave of damage without getting injured because it had some kind of resistance.

On the other hand, you could take a different approach, for instance:

When you’re in combat, one strategy you can use is to activate a Unit with a Ranged attack or a Block ability early on. This can help you take care of an enemy. Then, during the Assigning damage phase, you can assign damage from an unblocked enemy to that same Unit.
Another tactic you can employ is to assign damage to a Ready Unit. If that Unit has resistances and manages to survive the combat without getting wounded, you can activate it during the Attack phase.

When exploring the ruins, you might come across red and white enemy tokens. These tokens represent the most dangerous foes in the game. Be cautious because they require Cold Fire Attack to be defeated. Cold Fire blocks are the only effective defense against their attacks, and no unit is naturally resistant to this type of attack, unless it possesses both Ice and Fire resistance.

Moving on to Tiles 9 – 11, there’s nothing new to discover here. You’ll encounter combinations of things you’ve already seen. These tiles, however, offer plenty of opportunities to gain extra fame, especially as the game is reaching its conclusion!

Now let’s talk about the Core Tiles. If you reveal a tile with a city, every player, including you, will have one more turn before the game ends. You can place the corresponding city figure on its space to mark it, but don’t worry about its dial at the moment. Consider that space inaccessible and continue your exploration.

If you find a non-city Core tile, the game keeps going. Core tiles have the same things as Countryside ones, but with a few differences. They’re pretty similar to the ones you’ve already seen, except the enemy combinations are tougher and the rewards are greater – the spawning grounds is like an adventure site

that’s kind of like a monster den, the tomb is like a dungeon, and Draconum are enemies on a rampage, sort of like Orc Marauders. It’s worth noting that the descriptions of similar sites are on opposite sides of each Site Description card.

Revealing Tiles in Mage Knight