Browse Terms

A Hex the Unit could not move onto due to Terrain or, for minions, not connecting to Mark. If a Minion is on an invalid Hex due to an effect, its next Movement uses the fewest possible unoccupied hexes of any Terrain to reach a Valid Hex, then uses remaining Movement to make Progress if possible. A Hero on an invalid Hex can only move off it by moving onto a Valid Hex.

Large Hex groups placed at start of game to make Play Area. Each isle contains one or two Source wells and Terrain.

Expansion/scenario chips that can be picked up by Adjacent heroes before or after Movement and placed under Hero similar to Equipment. One item per Hero. Units may move onto item hexes. Heroes cannot pick up from a Hex Occupied by another Unit. If Hero carrying item is defeated, item drops on that Hex. Items cannot otherwise be dropped. Returning to Fortress removes item from Hero. A Hero may have both an item and Equipment.

There are 3 basic types: swamps, ruins, temples. Unique landmark types may have separate rules. Landmarks are placed facedown during setup covering Source wells (swamp closest to each Fortress Gate). Unrevealed landmarks are not units and only interact via Exploration. When explored, you may reveal (flip faceup) or keep Unrevealed. Revealed landmarks gain Health equal to Health Stat if they have one. Bronze-bordered Revealed landmarks are landmark minions. Landmarks without borders are not units. When defeated/discarded, go to landmark discard; shuffle discard if needed. Landmarks with Health are discarded when they lose last Health unless a Talent says otherwise. See also: Exploration, Revealed, Source Well, Unrevealed

Revealed landmarks with bronze border. Considered Opposing units to every Faction. They do not move or Attack, but do retaliate. If controlled by a Faction, it is considered a Faction Minion instead of a Landmark Minion (still a Landmark for effects).

Your closest-to-Mark Minion that has not yet moved. After it moves, the next closest becomes leading, and so on. Ties: you choose. See also: Close, Minion

Key phrase on some talents: if this Unit is top of a Group, it must leave its Group when it uses the Talent, moving to an Adjacent Valid Hex; next Minion becomes Active and gains Health equal to its Health Stat. If there is no Valid Hex to move onto, it cannot use this Talent.

You may choose to level up heroes when they Defeat a Unit, Spire, or Fortress Gate. Check Upgrade Capacity: if not at capacity, add an upgrade chip. If leveling up on Basic Side while at or above max Upgrade Capacity, Hero is Promoted (flip, remove Upgrades, adjust Health difference). If Promoted Side and at max capacity, leveling up has no effect. Optional. Minions do not level up; Minion promotion is Faction-specific. See also: Basic Side, Hero – Hero Upgrades, Promoted Side, Upgrade Capacity

Build options available at the start of your Turn during Onslaught. You can construct or upgrade a Spire. Max of 2 limited build options per Faction per Onslaught Phase; track with pegs. Both may be used on same Turn. See also: Build Option

The Hex or chip minions must make Progress toward each time they move. Declared at start of Prep. In standard game, Opposing Fortress Gate is your mark. All possible marks must always be connected by Path Terrain. Mark chip is placed near mark as reminder.

Consists of earthscapes, Equipment, Merc heroes/minions/spires. Setup: shuffle market chips facedown, make Earthscape stack, then flip up market offerings equal to player count +1 and top Earthscape faceup. At start of each Market Phase except Wave 1, refresh by discarding offerings and refilling. Each player takes one Turn to purchase; offerings are replaced immediately when removed. Only one Earthscape may be purchased per Market Phase total. See also: Earthscape, Equipment, Merc

Short for mercenary. Units/spires acquired via Market purchase. Can be heroes, minions, or spires. When deployed/constructed, controlling Faction places an unused chip of their color under the stack as reminder. See also: Market

Merc spires can be constructed like Faction spires and do not cost Source to construct (cost paid on purchase). They count toward Spire Limit, are kept beside Barracks until constructed, and go to Market discard when defeated.

Merc heroes/minions purchased are kept beside Barracks until selected during Prep. Merc units cost no CP to deploy. Merc heroes count toward 2-Hero limit. Defeated Merc heroes are removed from game; defeated Merc minions go to Market discard. Merc units are Faction units for game effects but not units of your named Faction for effects that specify Faction name.

A Unit with a bronze border. Minions do not have free choice in Movement/Attack. (Landmark minions are also minions, but this section applies to Faction minions.) Minions are used on Basic Side by default; Faction promotion differs by Faction reference sheet.

Minions Attack during Attack stage of Onslaught and must Attack if able. Can Attack Adjacent Opposing units, spires, and Fortress gates; Adjacent landmarks with Health also valid. If multiple targets, you choose. Each Minion attacks once per Turn. See also: Attack

Minions do not Level Up when they Defeat units/spires/gates. When one of your minions is defeated, it returns to your Barracks. If it is a Merc Minion, it is discarded instead. See also: Defeat

Minions use Movement to get closer to Mark and must use full Movement Stat while making Progress if possible. If cannot use full Movement to make Progress, use as much as possible. If cannot make Progress, may optionally make a lateral move ending no further from Mark than started. May not move back onto a Hex already moved out of that Turn. May Displace Friendly heroes. Includes step-by-step procedure for determining valid end hexes. See also: Displace, Leading Minion, Mark, Progress

Select any number of minions each Wave, limited by CP and availability. Minions may be stacked Ungrouped or grouped. Ungrouped: place Health equal to Health Stat under each; any order. Grouped: stack top-down from lowest to highest Movement Stat; ties you decide. Place Health equal to top Minion Health Stat under entire Group. Minions must deploy at earliest opportunity if they can make any amount of Progress by deploying. See also: Select, Deployment, Group

The name of a Minion is its type (example: battleborn, elfinkaze).

Minions can only gain Upgrades through Fortress advancements and other game effects. Upgrades on a Minion work the same as Upgrades on heroes. See also: Hero – Hero Upgrades

Occurs as a stage of your Turn during Onslaught. Units cannot move on or through Occupied hexes. Some talents trigger when a Unit moves. Physical movement triggers these talents even if Unit does not use its own movement (e.g., teleporting or being displaced). See also: Blocked, Deployment, Displace, Hero Movement, Minion Movement, Progress, Teleport

[Movement_Stat] The maximum number of hexes this Unit can move each Turn. For minions, this is the number of hexes it must move if doing so is possible while making Progress. Heroes can use all, some, or none of their Movement. See also: Hero – Hero Movement, Minion – Minion Movement

Any unoccupied Hex that is not Path Terrain, a Source Well, or a Fortress Gate.

A Hex containing any units, spires, landmarks, or other chips. Units cannot move onto occupied hexes unless a Talent allows it.

Key phrase on some talents: may be used a maximum of once per Wave.

A Unit, Spire, or Fortress Gate that belongs to an opponent. Landmark minions are opposing to all factions. Anything not opposing is Friendly. See also: Friendly

Terrain that can be moved onto and through by all units. Path must connect all possible marks. See also: Terrain

Occurs when you Defeat a Fortress Gate in a 3-4 player game and more than one Fortress Gate remains undefeated. Gain all Source the defeated Faction has, and their Source becomes 0. Once a Fortress is defeated, it cannot be another Faction’s Mark for the rest of the Wave; players with that Mark must declare a new Mark immediately in Turn order. See also: Mark, Repairing Your Gate

All isles used during setup plus any earthscapes added during play. Units in Fortress Gate and spires on Fortress Source wells are also within the play area. Units/spires In Play area are In Play.