Root Stuff

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Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Thu Feb 13, 2020 6:11 pm

I thought it would be fun to write up the Root factions the way I write up the Cthulhu Wars factions. After all, there are eight Root factions, which practically makes Root the same as Cthulhu Wars.


Marquis de Cat wrote: Field Hospitals - Whenever any number of your warriors are removed from a clearing, you may spend a card matching the clearing to place those warriors with the Keep token

Elimination - You can be eliminated from the game (because if you have no pieces on the map, you can't rule any clearings to get started playing any pieces)

Setup - Choose three homeland clearings adjacent to one another. Put 2 warriors in each homeland clearing, and 1 warrior in every other clearing (even enemy homelands). Put the Keep in one of your homelands, not adjacent to an enemy homeland if possible. Put a sawmill in one homeland clearing, a workshop in another, and a recruiter in the third.

25 Warriors

Buildings
6 Sawmills
6 Workshops
6 Recruiters
(Buildings are kept on their tracks when unbuilt. You must build from left to right, and replace to the track from right to left)

Tokens
8 Wood
1 Keep - Only you may place any pieces in the clearing with the Keep token. If this token ever leaves the map, remove it from the game

Birdsong
1. Place 1 Wood token at each Sawmill

Daylight
1. You may craft cards from your hand by activating Workshops in matching clearings
2. You take any three actions below, and you may discard Bird cards to do an additional action for each Bird card you discard (You may do the same action more than once, except Recruit)
a. Battle
b. March - Take up to two moves (You may move the same units twice as your two moves, if you like)
c. Recruit - Place one warrior at each Recruiter. You may only do this action once per turn
d. Build - Place one building, in a clearing you rule. You must pay the cost above in the building in Wood. The Wood must come from the build clearing, or from clearings connected to the build clearing by chains of clearings you rule. You now score VP according to the number uncovered as you removed the building from the track
e. Overwork - Discard a card matching a clearing with a Sawmill to place 1 Wood there

Evening
1. Draw one card, plus one card for each uncovered draw symbol (Draw symbols are uncovered by placing the third and fifth Recruiters)
2. Discard down to five cards
Eyrie Dynasties wrote: Lords of the Forest - You win all ties for determining who rules a clearing

Disdain for Trade - When you craft a card, you only get 1 VP, no matter what the card says

The Decree - You have a separate area for cards called The Decree. This area has four columns: Recruit, Move, Battle, and Build. These cards are not in your hand, don't count against your hand size, can't be spent, and so on

Leader cards and Vizier cards - You have your own cards called Leader cards and Vizier cards. They are never in your hand. The two Vizier cards will always be in The Decree area. One of your Leader cards will be active in its own Leader card area, and the others will either be face-up (not used yet) or face-down (used previously). Each Leader gives you an ability. Your four leaders are as follows:
Builder - Starts with Viziers on Recruit and Move. You ignore Disdain for Trade
Charismatic - Starts with Viziers on Recruit and Battle. Your Recruits always place 2 Warriors instead of 1
Commander - Starts with Viziers on Move and Battle. When you are the attacker, you deal an extra hit
Despot - Starts with Viziers on Move and Build. You score a VP whenever you remove one or more enemy buildings or tokens in battle (in addition to the VP that players always score for destroying buildings and tokens)

Turmoil - You at times "go into Turmoil," because you couldn't enact the entire Decree. When you do:
1. Humiliate - Lose VP equal to the number of bird cards in The Decree (the Viziers are bird cards)
2. Purge - Discard all the cards in The Decree, except the Viziers
3. Depose - Flip your current Leader card face-down, and choose a new Leader. Place the two Vizier cards onto The Decree in the columns specified by the Leader card you chose. Whenever you must choose a new Leader and none are face-up, flip them all face-up and then choose one (this will allow you sometimes to have the same Leader twice in a row).
4. Rest - End Daylight immediately, and go to Evening

Setup - Choose a homeland clearing on the map edge -- it must be as far from enemy homelands as you are able. Put 6 warriors and your Roost in your homeland. Choose a leader, and set up your loyal viziers.

20 Warriors

Buildings
7 Roosts - You cannot have more than one Roost in a clearing
(Buildings are kept on their track when unbuilt. You must build from left to right, and replace to the track from right to left)

Tokens
(None)

Birdsong
1. If you have no cards in hand, draw 1 card
2. You must add either 1 card or 2 cards from your hand to The Decree, in any column(s) you wish
3. If you have no Roosts on the map, place 1 Roost and 3 Warriors in a clearing with the fewest warriors (do not count clearings that prevent their placement)

Daylight
1. You may craft cards in your hand by activating Roosts in matching clearings
2. You must resolve The Decree:
a. You must resolve all the cards in The Decree, by Recruiting/Moving/Battling/Building, once for each card in that column, doing each column in that order. If you cannot take the corresponding action, you go into Turmoil (for example, if you're supposed to Battle in a mouse clearing, but there are no enemies with you in any mouse clearings, you would go into Turmoil)
b. Recruit - Place 1 Warrior into any clearing with a Roost matching the card
c. Move - Move from any clearing matching the card
d. Battle - Battle in any clearing matching the card
e. Build - Place a Roost in any clearing you rule matching the card (and which has no Roost already)

Evening
1. You now score VP equal to the number above rightmost empty space on the Roost track
2. Draw 1 card, plus one card per uncovered draw bonus (Draw bonuses are uncovered by placing the third and sixth Roosts)
3. Discard down to 5 cards
Woodland Alliance wrote: Guerilla War - You always get the higher die in battle, even when defending

Supporters - You have a separate stack of cards called Supporters. (The cards themselves are referred to as Supporters, for ease of discussing them.) These cards are not in your hand, and can't be crafted, don't count against your hand size, can't be taken from you, etc. Supporters are face-down, but you may examine them at any time. As long as you have no Bases on the map, you can only have 5 Supporters, and you must check for this at all times (not just the end of your turn). But if you have 1+ Bases on the map, you may have any number of Supporters

Officers - You have a separate area off the map for Warriors called the Officers area. Having Warriors in your Officers area will allow you to do extra actions (listed below under Evening)

Setup - Draw 3 cards and place them into the Supporters stack (All your pieces start off the map)

10 Warriors

Buildings
3 Bases - Each base has a clearing type printed on it, and can only be placed in that type of clearing. Whenever a Base is removed from the map, you must discard all matching Supporters (this includes birds) and discard half your Officers, rounded up

Tokens
10 Sympathy - A clearing can only hold 1 Sympathy token. A clearing with a Sympathy token is a "sympathetic clearing," and one without a Sympathy token is an "unsympathetic clearing"
(Sympathy tokens are kept on their track when unplaced. You must place them from left to right, and replace to the track from right to left)
Outrage - Whenever another player removes a Sympathy token, or moves any Warriors into a sympathetic clearing, they must add a matching card from their hand to the Supporters stack. If they cannot, they must prove they cannot by showing you their hand, and then you add the top card of the deck to the Supporters stack

Birdsong
1. Revolt - You may perform Revolts in any clearings that are sympathetic, that match an unbuilt Base, and if you spend two Supporters matching the clearing
a. Remove all enemy pieces from the clearing. Place the Base matching the clearing. Place Warriors there equal to the number of sympathetic clearings matching this clearing (including this clearing). Place 1 Warrior from your pool in the Officers box
2. Spread Sympathy - You may spread Sympathy into any clearings that are adjacent to Sympathetic clearings (but any clearing if none are sympathetic), and if you spend Supporters matching the clearing. The number of Supporters you must spend is the number above the token you're placing. You must spend 1 extra Supporter if any opponent has 3+ Warriors in the clearing. (This isn't cumulative.) You now score VP equal to the number uncovered as you removed the token from the track (the track goes (011)(122)(3444))

Daylight
You may do any of the following actions, as many times as you're able, in any order:
1. Craft - You may craft cards in your hand by activating Sympathy tokens in matching clearings
2. Mobilize - Add 1 card from your hand to the Supporters stack
3. Train - Spend 1 card matching a built Base's clearing to place 1 Warrior from your pool into the Officers box

Evening
1. You may do any of the following actions, in any order, one time for each Officer you have
a. Move
b. Battle
c. Recruit - Place 1 Warrior with any Base
d. Organize - Remove 1 Warrior from an unsympathetic clearing, place a Sympathy token there, and now score VP equal to the number uncovered as you removed the token from the track
2. Draw 1 card, plus 1 card for each uncovered draw bonus (Draw bonuses are uncovered by placing Bases)
3. Discard down to 5 cards
Vagabond wrote: Lone Wanderer - You have only one playing piece on the map - yourself. You are not a Warrior, and never contribute to or against rule of a clearing. You are never prevented from moving by not ruling a clearing. You can never be removed from the map by anything. Whenever an opponent performs a game function that eliminates all pieces from a clearing (e.g. Revolt by the Woodland Alliance), this does not remove you, but you must damage three of your items. You have a means of being in the forests in between clearings (You set up in a forest, for example)

Your Items - Unlike all the other factions, you actually use crafted items instead of merely making them available for purchase. You keep your items on your sheet, in three areas: On their own track, for teas, coins, and bags; in your Satchel; and in your Damaged Item area within your Satchel. You also keep your items face-up or face-down, with face-down representing exhausted items. (This means that each item can be exhausted or unexhausted, and also damaged or undamaged.) Your Satchel, including the Damaged Item area, holds 6 items, plus 2 items for each bag on your bag track. When you have too many items during Evening, you will have to remove items from the game until you are within capacity. If you exhaust or damage an item on a track, you must move it to your Satchel

In Battle - You are only considered defenseless if you have no undamaged swords. Hits against you damage items instead of removing pieces. Your maximum hits you can deal equals your undamaged swords (whether exhausted or not)

Relationship Track - You have a track that keeps a Relationship status with each opponent. You start at Indifferent toward each opponent. You improve the Relationship by doing the Aid action (see Daylight below) a number of times in one turn equal to the number separating the current status box from the next highest status box. If you reach the Allied status with an opponent, you now get 2 VPs every time you Aid them. When you move, you may drag allied Warriors with you against their will (but not into forest). When you battle, you may use allied Warriors as your own pieces, against their will, except against that player. However, when you take hits in such a battle, you must damage at least as many of your own items than you remove Warriors, or that player becomes Hostile. Hostile opponents cannot be made non-Hostile by the Aid action. (But you may still Aid them so as to get their items.) Also, if you remove any Warriors of a non-Hostile player at any other time (by Battle, Strike, etc.), that faction immediately becomes Hostile. You get 1 VP each time you remove a piece of a Hostile faction via battle on your own turn. (But not for removing the Warrior that made them Hostile in the first place. This is in addition to the VP anyone gets for removing enemy buildings and tokens)

Dominance - You cannot use dominance cards the normal way (because you can't rule clearings), but you have an alternate use for them. In games with four or more players, you may activate a dominance card to form a coalition with the opponent with the fewest VPs (whether they like it or not). You place your scoring marker on their faction board. If the player was Hostile toward you, they become Indifferent. From now on, if that player wins the game, you also win. You cannot do this with a player who has already activated a Dominance card themselves

Quests - You have a deck of quests. You fulfill them during Daylight

Vagabond cards - You have a series of Vagabond cards representing different characters. The draft determines which one is in the game. It will list your starting items, and will have an ability on it that you can do during the game. This card is never in your hand.
These are the Vagabond cards, their starting items, and the special action they can take by exhausting a torch (Ronin and Adventurer are different. see below):
Thief - Start with boot, torch, tea, sword. Steal - Exhaust one torch to take a random card from any player in your clearing
Tinker - Start with boot, torch, bag, hammer. Labor - Exhaust one torch to take a card from the discard pile matching your clearing (you may take a bird card)
Ranger - Start with boot, torch, crossbow, sword. Hideout - Exhaust one torch to repair three items. Immediately end Daylight and go to Evening
Vagrant - Start with coin, torch, boot (yes only three items). Instigate - Exhaust one torch to make two players in the clearing battle each other. You choose the attacker and make all removal decisions. You get 1 VP for every building and token removed (and warriors of Hostile players)
Arbiter - Start with boot, torch, sword, sword. Protector - Any player defending in your clearing may enlist your help (if you're not the one battling). You immediately score 1 VP, and your undamaged swords raise the defender's maximum hits
Scoundrel - Start with boot, boot, torch, crossbow. Scorched Earth - Exhaust one torch and place it in your clearing. Remove all enemy pieces from the clearing. For the rest of the game, no one may enter or place pieces in this clearing (You are still there, but once you move out, you can never move back in)
Adventurer - Start with boot, torch, hammer (yes only three items). Improvise - Once per turn, while doing the Quest action, you may treat one of your undamaged, unexhausted items as a different item. You must then damage that item in addition to exhausting it
Ronin - Start with boot, boot, torch, sword. Swift Strike - In battle, you may exhaust one (and only one) sword to add an extra hit. You may do this after seeing the dice roll
Harrier - Start with coin, torch, sword, crossbow. Glide - Exhaust a torch to move to any clearing without exhausting a boot, and regardless of distance or Hostility

Two Vagabonds - There can be two of this faction in a game. The Ruins will each have two items per Ruin instead of one. Neither Vagabond can ever have two of the same Ruin item e.g. neither can have both Ruin swords. (However, you could still have multiple swords because you could have non-Ruin ones.) Even if two Vagabonds are playing, there are only 3 quests face-up at a time, total. The two Vagabonds cannot use the same Vagabond card

Setup - Place your pawn (yourself) in any forest. Shuffle your quest deck, and place 3 quests face-up. Set up the 4 Ruins on the map, and put the Ruins bag, boot, hammer, and sword under them randomly so that no one knows which is under which Ruin. (With two Vagabonds, shuffle all the items together first, so that a Ruin could have two of the same item.) Take the starting items listed on your Vagabond card

0 Warriors

Buildings
(None)

Tokens
(None)

Birdsong
1. Refresh - Flip 2 exhausted items face-up for each face-up tea you have, and then flip up 3 more items
2. Slip - You may move into any adjacent clearing, or into any adjacent forest, for free. This special move ignores anything that would prevent exit or entry to a clearing (e.g. the Corvids' snares) and is free

Daylight
You exhaust items to take the following actions, in any order or number:
1. Move - Exhaust one boot to make a move, plus one extra boot if the destination clearing has any Hostile Warriors (You cannot move into a forest with this action) (Recall that you may move Allied Warriors with you)
2. Battle - Exhaust one sword to battle (Recall that you may use Allied Warriors)
3. Explore - Exhaust one torch to examine any items under a Ruin marker in your clearing, and take one. If you take one, you score 1 VP. (You might fail to take one in a two-Vagabond game.) If you remove the last item from a Ruin, remove the Ruin
4. Aid - Exhaust any item, and give a card matching your clearing, to purchase a crafted item from any player with pieces in your clearing (This may change your Relationship)
5. Quest - Choose a quest whose suit matches your clearing, and exhaust the items listed on the quest to complete it. Place the quest in your play area, and draw a new quest to replace it along with the other two uncompleted quests. You may now score 1 VP for each quest you've completed of this color, including this one, or instead you may draw 2 cards
6. Strike - Exhaust one crossbow to remove a Warrior from your clearing. If a player has no Warriors there, you may remove one building or token of theirs instead (Removing Warriors makes you Hostile with that faction)
7. Repair - Exhaust one hammer to undamage one item (do not unexhaust the item)
8. Craft - Exhaust hammers to craft a card in your hand that matches the clearing you're in
9. Special - Exhaust one torch to take the action listed on your Vagabond card

Evening
1. An Evening's Rest - If you are in a forest, undamaged and unexhaust all of your items
2. Draw 1 card, plus 1 card for each coin on your coin track
3. Discard down to 5 cards
4. Check your capacity, and remove items from the game if you're exceeding it
Lizard Cult wrote: Hatred of Birds - Bird cards are not wild for your Rituals (see Daylight below)

Pilgrims - You automatically rule any clearing where you have any Gardens (This beats Eyrie because it isn't a calculation)

Lost Souls - Whenever you're in the game, all cards discarded by all players must go to the Lost Souls pile instead of the discard pile. (They are face-up there.) You examine these cards on your turn to determine the Outcast suit. (See Birdsong below.) You will move them to the regular discard pile each turn after this check

The Outcast - You have a marker called the Outcast marker, which goes on a track where it will match one of the clearing types. This marker will move on this track during the game. The reverse of the marker says "Hated," which gives you certain benefits (You can't flip the marker voluntarily!)

Setup - Choose a homeland clearing, not adjacent to any enemy homeland if possible. Put 4 warriors and a matching garden in your homeland. Put 3 warriors in adjacent clearings as evenly as possible. Put 2 warriors in Acolytes. Put the Outcast marker in whichever suit you wish.

25 Warriors
Revenge - You have an Acolyte box where Warriors may end up instead of in your pool. Whenever one of your Warriors is removed while you're defending in battle, place the Warrior in the Acolyte box (this is desirable)

Buildings
15 Gardens - Each Garden has a clearing type printed on it, and can only be placed in that type of clearing. You have three Gardens tracks, one for each type of Garden
(Buildings are kept on their track when unbuilt. You must build from left to right, and replace to the track from right to left)
Fear of the Faithful - Whenever a Garden is removed, you must discard a random card

Tokens
(None)

Birdsong
Do the following:
1. Adjust Outcast - Look at the cards in the Lost Souls pile, ignoring bird cards. The suit with the most cards becomes the new Outcast. Move the marker accordingly and put it on its Outcast side. If that suit already was the Outcast, flip the marker to the Hated side. On a tie, the marker doesn't move and automatically flips to the Hated side
2. Discard all of the Lost Souls cards to the regular discard pile
3. Perform Conspiracies - You spend Acolytes to perform conspiracies in clearings matching the Outcast:
a. Crusade - Spend 2 Acolytes (1 Acolyte if Hated is showing) to Battle in an Outcast clearing, or to move 1+ Warriors from an Outcast clearing to another clearing and then Battle (At least 1 Warrior must move or you can't do the Battle)
b. Convert - Spend 2 Acolytes (1 Acolyte if Hated is showing) to remove an enemy Warrior in an Outcast clearing, placing your own there instead
c. Sanctify - Spend 3 Acolytes (2 Acolytes if Hated is showing) to remove an enemy building from an Outcast clearing, placing a matching Garden there instead

Daylight
1. Reveal cards from your hand to perform the following Rituals in any order and amount you're able. (You don't have to discard the cards, except for Score. A card can only be revealed for one purpose a turn -- track this by keeping the card revealed until Evening. Recall that bird cards are not wild for Rituals)
a. Build - In a clearing you rule matching 1 revealed card, place a matching Garden
b. Recruit - In a clearing matching 1 revealed card, place 1 Warrior
c. Score - Score the VPs listed above the rightmost empty Garden spot on your track for the suit matching 1 revealed card. You must discard this card. You may only do this Ritual once per turn per suit
d. Sacrifice - Place a Warrior from your pool in the Acolytes box by revealing 1 bird card

Evening
1. Return all revealed cards to your hand
2. Craft - You may craft cards in your hand by activating Gardens in matching clearings, but only in Outcast clearings
3. Draw 1 card, plus 1 card for each uncovered draw bonus (Draw bonuses are uncovered by placing the second Garden of each suit)
4. Discard down to 5 cards
Riverfolk Company wrote: Swimmers - You treat rivers or the lake as paths, and may move along them regardless of who rules clearings

Public Hand - Your hand is always face-up (This is because players buy cards from you. See below)

Funds - You have several boxes where you keep Warrior pieces of players, representing money. You have a Funds box, a Committed box, and a Payments box. Warrior pieces will move among these boxes based on events. (See below.) Warrior pieces may also end up on your Trade Post tracks, when you craft items. To commit a fund, move a Warrior from the Funds box to the Committed box. To spend a Fund, return a Warrior from the Funds box to its owner's supply

Buying Services - Other players buy things from you during their Birdsong. They pay for this by putting Warriors from their pool into your Payments box, except for the Vagabond, who pays by exhausting items and then moving that number of your own Warriors from your own pool to the Payments box. You set the price of the things you sell on each of your turns. (You can't change the price except when specifically allowed.) Players who want to buy things from you must have a piece in the same clearing as one of your Trade Posts, except the first thing they buy on their turn waives this requirement. You sell three things:
a. Cards from your hand (which are face-up as they shop)
b. Riverboats - The player treats rivers or the Lake as paths for the rest of their turn (This doesn't mean they get to ignore rulership like you do)
c. Mercenaries - The player treats your Warriors as their own for battles during their turn (They still can't move them. This doesn't function when they attack you. They must split the hits they take, taking the odd hits on their own pieces. The Vagabond cannot purchase this service at all)

Setup - Place 4 Warriors in any clearings touching the river or lake. Place 3 Warriors in your Payments box. Set the prices of your services

15 Warriors

Buildings
(None)

Tokens
9 Trade Posts - 3 in each matching suit, on tracks corresponding to that suit
Trade Disruption - Whenever a Trade Post is removed, you must remove it from the game permanently, and you must also remove half your funds rounded up

Birdsong
1. Protectionism - If the Payments box is empty, place 2 Warriors in it
2. Score Dividends - If there are any Trade Posts on the map, score 1VP for every 2 Funds
3. Gather Funds - Move all Warriors from the Payments and Committed boxes, and from the Trade Post tracks, to the Funds box

Daylight
1. Take as many of the following actions as you wish and you're able to pay for:
a. Move - Commit 1 fund to take a move
b. Battle - Commit 1 fund to initiate a battle
c. Craft - Commit funds to craft a card from your hand. Instead of moving these funds to the Committed box, you must move them onto empty spaces of the Trade Post track matching the suit of the crafted card. When you craft a card, you may ignore its listed text to instead place a Warrior from your pool to the Payments box (representing exports!)
d. Draw - Commit 1 fund to draw a card
e. Recruit - Spend 1 fund to place a Warrior on any clearing with a river or the lake
f. Establish Trade Post and Garrison - Spend 2 funds to place a Trade Post and a Warrior. The funds must be of the player who rules the clearing. You now score VPs equal to the number uncovered as you removed the building from the track

Evening
1. Discard down to 5 cards (You do not automatically draw cards!)
2. Set costs - Move the price markers as you see fit, from 1 to 4 for each thing you sell
Underground Duchy wrote: The Burrow - You have a special area called the Burrow when you are in the game. It is connected to the main board by Tunnel tokens. Only your pieces can ever be in the Burrow. You always rule the Burrow even if you have no pieces there

Ministers - You have a separate pile of Minister cards. These cards are never in your hand. You will "sway" these Minister cards so that they begin taking effect. When you sway a Minister, you place a crown on it to show that it is swayed. The Minister cards have three ranks - Squire, Noble, and Lord. Crowns are kept on three tracks displaying the same ranks when unused

The Price of Failure - Whenever any of your buildings are removed, you discard a random card, you return your swayed Minister of the highest rank back to the Minister pile, and you remove the crown on that Minister from the game. On a tie for Minister rank, you choose from among the tied Ministers

Setup - Choose a homeland clearing, not adjacent to any enemy homeland if possible. Put 2 warriors and 1 tunnel in your homeland. Put 5 warriors among adjacent clearings as evenly as possible (even clearings with enemy pieces). Set up your ministers etc.

20 Warriors

Buildings
3 Citadels
3 Markets
(Buildings are kept on their track when unbuilt. You must build from left to right, and replace to the track from right to left)

Tokens
3 Tunnels - When allowed to place a Tunnel, if all 3 are already on the map, you may remove one to place it in the new space

Birdsong
Place 1 Warrior, plus 1 Warrior per Warrior icon showing, in the Burrow (Warrior icons are revealed by placing Citadels)

Daylight
1. You may take up to two actions, in any order. Some of the actions require you to reveal cards. Cards you reveal cannot also be spent during this same Daylight. A card can only be revealed for one purpose a turn -- track this by keeping the card revealed until Evening. You will have to discard (during Evening) any Bird cards you reveal:
a. Build - Reveal 1 card to place a Citadel or Market in a matching clearing you rule
b. Recruit - Place 1 Warrior in the Burrow
c. Move - Take a move
d. Battle - Initiate a battle
e. Dig - Reveal and spend 1 card to place a Tunnel in a matching clearing without a Tunnel. Then move up to 4 Warriors from the Burrow to that clearing
2. Parliament - You may take the action of each swayed Minister, in any order:
a. Foremole (Squire) - Reveal a card to place a Citadel or Market in any clearing you rule (the card doesn't have to match)
b. Captain (Squire) - Initiate a battle
c. Marshal (Squire) - Take a move
d. Brigadier (Noble) - Take up to two moves or initiate up to two battles
e. Banker (Noble) - Reveal and spend any number of cards in one suit to score that many VP
f. Mayor (Noble) - Take the action of any swayed Noble or Squire (not Lord)
g. Queen of Mud (Lord) - Score 2VP if all 3 Tunnels are on the map
h. Baron of Dirt (Lord) - Score 1 VP per Market on the map
I. Earl of Stone (Lord) - Score 1 VP per Citadel on the map
3. Sway - Sway one Minister. You must have an available crown of the matching rank to put onto that Minister. Reveal the number of cards listed on the chosen Minister (2 for Squires, 3 for Nobles, and 4 for Lords) -- for each revealed card, you must have a piece in a matching clearing (and must use a different clearing for each card!) You now score VP equal to the number uncovered as you removed the crown from the track (1 VP for Squires, 2 VP for Nobles, and 3 VP for Lords)

Evening
1. Discard any bird cards you revealed this turn. Return all other revealed cards to your hand
2. Craft - You may craft cards in your hand by activating Citadels and Markets in matching clearings
3. Draw 1 card, plus 1 card for each draw bonus showing (Draw bonuses are revealed by placing Markets)
4. Discard down to 5 cards
Corvid Conspiracy wrote: Nimble - Corvids can move regardless of who rules clearings

Exposure - All other players, anytime during their own turns as long as they haven't drawn cards for Evening, may try to guess one of your face-down Plot tokens. That player must have a piece in the clearing. They show you 1 matching card from their hand, and name a Plot type. If they're correct, they get to remove the Plot with no effect. (They score a VP as normal for removing an enemy token.) If they're incorrect, you say "No," keep the Plot unrevealed, and take the card they showed you

Embedded Agents - Whenever you're defending in a clearing with a face-down Plot, you score an extra hit (even when defenseless)

Setup - Choose a homeland clearing. Put 1 warrior and any 1 plot token face-down in that clearing. Put 1 warrior in one clearing of each suit (even in enemy homelands if you wish).

15 Warriors

Buildings
(None)

Tokens
8 Plot tokens - You have 2 of each type, Bomb, Snare, Extortion, and Raid. You normally keep your Plot tokens face-down on the map, and also keep them face-down even when in your pool, so that no one will know which types have been placed on the map. You may look at Plot tokens at any time, but you cannot flip them up except when specifically allowed. You might keep some Plot tokens (Snare for example) face-up on the map so that they impact the game in a desirable way for you. The Plots do the following:
Bomb - When flipped up, remove all enemy pieces in the clearing, and remove this token
Snare - While face-up, enemy pieces cannot be placed in or moved out from this clearing
Extortion - When flipped up, take a random card from each player who has 1+ pieces in this clearing (Extortions also give you extra cards during Evenings)
Raid - When removed from the map, except by Exposure, place 1 Warrior in each adjacent clearing (but not this clearing)

Birdsong
1. Craft - You may craft cards in your hand by activating Plots in matching clearings (whether face-up or face-down)
2. Flip Plots - Flip up any Plots you wish, in any clearings with your Warriors. Score 1 VP for each face-up Plot on the map each time you do this. (Including the Plot you're flipping up.) Resolve any Bomb or Extortion you flip up
3. Recruit - Once per turn, you may spend any card to place 1 Warrior in each matching clearing. (Birds cards are any one type, not all types!)

Daylight
1. You may take up to three actions in any order and amount you're able:
a. Move - Take a move
b. Plot - Remove one of your Warriors, plus another Warrior for each Plot you've already placed this turn, from a clearing with no Plots to place a Plot there
c. Battle - Initiate a battle
d. Trick - Swap any two Plots on the map. They must both be face-down, or both face-up

Evening
1. Exert - You may take one Daylight action now, by choosing now that you will draw no cards this Evening
2. Draw 1 card, plus 1 card for each face-up Extortion
3. Discard down to 5 cards
Lord of the Hundreds wrote: Contempt for Trade - When you craft items, you may gain the item, or score the listed points, but not both. If you choose to gain the points and not to gain the item, the item is removed from the game. If you gain the item, it will go in your Hoard, see below.

Looters - Whenever you Battle another player in a clearing you rule, and they have one or more buildings or tokens in the clearing, instead of dealing rolled hits to them, you can take any crafted item that they have on their faction board, and you score 1 victory point. The dice are still rolled, and you still take the hits you should. You also still deal any extra hits to them, although you do not deal the hits you rolled. (There's no way to do this to the Vagabond, because they don't have buildings or tokens, and there's no way to do this to the Lizards, because they have no tokens, and their buildings cause them to rule the clearing instead of you.)

The Mob Die - You sometimes roll a special die. It has foxes on two of the faces, mice on two of the faces, and bunnies on two of the faces.

Moods - You have a special stack of Mood cards. They're not in your hand. Each turn, one of them will be "your current Mood," and will be affecting you. Each Mood card pictures an item in the top left corner. You can't choose Mood cards when you possess their associated items.
Stubborn (crossbow) - In Battle with your Warlord, you take one hit less
Relentless (bag) - Whenever you Advance and both Move and Battle, you may Move or Battle with your Warlord again
Bitter (hammer) - In Battle with your Warlord, before the roll, you may remove any Mobs in or adjacent to your Warlord's clearing to place that many warriors there
Grandiose (tea) - You can Build in your Warlord's clearing without spending an action. (You still have to spend a card)
Jubilant (boot) - When you Incite in your Warlord's clearing, you then roll the Mob Die up to four times to see if you get to spread more Mobs
Rowdy (coins) - In Evening, draw one extra card. If your Warlord's clearing has three or more enemy pieces, draw yet another extra card
Wrathful (sword) - As attacker in Battle with your Warlord, you deal an extra hit
Lavish (none) - At the end of Birdsong, you may remove any items in your Hoard from the game, and place two warriors per removed item into your Warlord's clearing

The Hoard - You have a display where you put all items you gain, including crafted items. Adding items to the Hoard increases your command, giving you more actions, or increases your prowess, giving your Warlord more Moves and Battles. If a track is full and you gain another item for that track, remove either the gained item or any of the other items from the game.
- Boots, bags, and coins increase your command: None - Command of 1; One -- Command of 2; Three -- Command of 3; Four -- Command of 4
- Hammers, tea, swords, and crossbows increase your prowess: None - Prowess of 1; One -- Prowess of 2; Three -- Prowess of 3; Four - Prowess of 4

1 Warlord - This piece is a warrior, but it cannot be removed except by Battle. It can never be placed on any card or faction board.
20 Warriors

Buildings
6 Strongholds

Tokens
5 Mobs - A clearing may not have multiple Mobs.

Setup - Place your Warlord, 4 warriors, and 1 Stronghold in an edge clearing as far as possible from any enemy homeland. Place the ruin items as though the Vagabond were playing, but do not add a second set of items unless there literally are two Vagabonds. Place your Stubborn Mood card on your Mood Card Area. (If you're not playing with advanced setup rules, set up in a corner as far from possible from any chosen corners, and set up before Keepers.)

Birdsong
1. Raze - Remove all the ruins, enemy buildings, and enemy tokens from all spaces where you have Mobs. If you remove a ruin, take the item revealed, and place it on your Hoard track. Then, roll the Mob Die once to see if your Mobs spread -- place one Mob token in any clearing matching the suit you rolled on the Mob Die that is also adjacent to a clearing with a Mob. (A clearing cannot have multiple Mobs. If no clearing meets the conditions for spread, you simply don't get to spread.)
2. Recruit - Put warriors equal to your Prowess in the clearing with your Warlord, and put one warrior at each Stronghold.
3. Anoint - If your Warlord had died, replace any of your warriors on the map with your Warlord piece. If you have no warriors on the map, you may place your Warlord anywhere.
4. Choose a Mood - Replace your Mood card with a different Mood card. You cannot choose a Mood card if you possess any of the item that the card shows in the upper left corner. (You must change Moods. The Lavish Mood card has no item in the corner. If you possess every item shown on every other Mood card, then and only then may you choose Lavish twice in a row.)

Daylight
1. Craft using your Strongholds
2. Take a number of command actions equal to your command. The command actions are
a. Move
b. Battle
c. Build a Stronghold in a clearing you rule by spending a matching card
3. Advance the Warlord up to a number of times equal to your Prowess. An Advance is an optional Move plus an optional Battle. Your Warlord may bring any number of warriors with him on each Move.

Evening
1. Incite - Any number of times, placing a Mob token by spending a card matching a clearing where you have any warriors/Warlord. The clearing cannot already have a Mob token.
2. Oppress - Score points based on the number of clearings you rule that have no enemy pieces at all. Score 1 point for one or two clearings, score 2 points for three or four clearings, score 3 points for five clearings, and score 4 points for six or more clearings.
3. Draw one card and then discard down to five cards.
Keepers in Iron wrote: Devout Knights - In battle, you ignore the first hit that you would take, regardless of whether you are attacking or defending, if you have at least one warrior and one Relic there. This includes an Ambush card being played on you. When you move, you may move Relics along with your warriors, one Relic per warrior moved.

Elimination - You can be eliminated from the game (because if you have no Waystations or warriors, you have no way to place either)

Prized Trophies - When an enemy removes a Relic, they score 2 points instead of 1. Then they place the Relic in any forest.

Retinue Slots - You have three Retinue Slots for your three Faithful Retainer cards, and for other cards that you might add later. The three slots are:
- Move from a matching clearing
- Battle then may Delve in a matching clearing
- Move from or Recover in a matching clearing
The three Faithful Retainer cards are identical, each with a bird symbol in the corner.

Setup - Shuffle the Relics face-down. Place a random Relic token face-down in each forest. Place 4 warriors in an edge clearing with at least two clearings between it and any enemy homelands, if possible. Then place 4 warriors in an adjacent homeland edge clearing. Put the remaining Relics, if any, face-down among any forests not adjacent to your homelands, as evenly as possible. Put a Faithful Retainer card into each of your Retinue slots.

15 Warriors - Note that your turns have a mechanism where at end of turn, your groups of four or more warriors lose a warrior.

Buildings
3 Waystations - Each Waystation token is double-sided, and has a Statue, Tablet, or Jewelry on one side and a different such thing on the other side (in all three permutations).

Tokens
12 Relics (4 Statues, 4 Tablets, and 4 Jewelry; each group has numbers on the face-up side, 1, 2, 3, 3, and displays the type on both sides) - When an enemy removes a Relic, whether by Battle or some other means, they score 2 points. They then place the Relic in any forest.

Birdsong
1. Encamp - In any number of clearings, you may replace a warrior with a Waystation. Place the Waystation on either side. You can only do this once per clearing.
2. Decamp - In any number of clearings, you may replace a Waystation with a warrior, once per clearing.
3. Recruit - Spend a card to place two warriors at a matching Waystation. You may repeat this action any number of times.

Daylight
1. Craft - You Craft using your Waystations.
2. Act with Retinue - You may take one action per card in your Retinue, in/from a matching clearing. This works like the Eyrie's Decree, except that you may skip over actions with no "Turmoil." Note that with Battle then Delve, the Battle is mandatory if you take the action, while the Delve is optional -- however if no enemies are present then the Battle is simply an automatic victory over no one.
a. When you Delve, if you rule the clearing, you take a Relic from any adjacent forest, transfer it to the clearing, and turn it face-up. Then, if you rule fewer clearings adjacent to that forest than the number on the Relic, you must discard the card you used from your Retinue.
b. When you Recover, one at a time, you make take a Relic whose type matches the Waystation in the clearing, and put the Relic on your card in the leftmost spot of its type. Score the points according to the Relic's position. Then, if you rule fewer clearings of that clearing type than the number on the Relic, you must discard the card you used from your Retinue.

Evening
1. Live off the Land - In each clearing where you have four or more warriors, you must remove one warrior.
2. Muster Retainers - You may add any number of cards from your hand to any slots in your Retinue. Your Retinue has a limit of 10 cards. If you add no cards, you may instead shift one card within the Retinue.
3. Draw one card, plus one per Waystation on the map. Then discard down to five cards.
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Juri » Thu Feb 13, 2020 8:40 pm

hatred of birds is an extremely powerful ability name
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Thu Feb 13, 2020 10:10 pm

Juri wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2020 8:40 pm hatred of birds is an extremely powerful ability name
They think they hate birds now, wait until the Corvids start blowing up their stuff
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Sat Feb 15, 2020 3:53 pm

Image

For a game about counterinsurgency, Root has a very simple map. Of course that's because it's a game about woodland critters

There are 12 clearings, connected by paths. Each clearing has a suit, or type. There are three suits: Mouse, Rabbit, and Fox. The suits matter when doing certain actions, because some actions cannot be done unless the player plays a card of the same type as the clearing where the thing is happening.

Each clearing also has little square boxes -- these are spaces for buildings. A clearing cannot have more buildings than the available spaces.

At the top is a track for putting items. Items can be crafted in this game -- at the start of the game, the uncrafted items go on the track, so everybody can see what hasn't been crafted yet. The track is a hard limit on how many of each item can be in the game -- although, the Vagabond faction starts with extra items not taken from the track, and these add to the limit. And, when the Vagabond faction is playing, there will be Ruins on the map containing four more extra items that add to the limit again.

At the bottom is a victory track. And that's the tea
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Juri » Sat Feb 15, 2020 7:35 pm

oh hey the logo has each of the factions in it
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Ashenai » Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:31 pm

Look out! The rabbit has a knife!

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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Juri » Sat Feb 15, 2020 10:17 pm

Ashenai wrote: Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:31 pm Look out! The rabbit has a knife!
This should be the game's tagline
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Sun Feb 16, 2020 4:15 am

Image

Root has cards. There's a deck of cards, and each player starts with three. I'd tell you how you draw cards, but Root is so highly asymmetric that factions actually have their own turn order, and therefore draw cards at different times from one another.

Cards have a suit. The Ambush card above is a Bird card. Cards normally correspond to clearing types (Mouse, Rabbit, and Fox), but Birds are wild. The suit matters depending upon what you're using the card for. Some cards, like this Ambush card, can be used simply to do what they say -- in this case, Ambush a player who attacks you. Since Bird cards are wild, this Ambush can be used in any clearing. A Mouse Ambush card could only be used in a Mouse clearing.

Image

But most cards can be crafted. This means that you turn the card into an item. This Root Tea card can be turned into a Tea item. Why make a Tea item? Well for starters, crafting this card into a Tea is worth 2 VPs. That's the 2 at the bottom of the card. Second, the Vagabond can come along and Aid you to get the Tea from you. Or if you're the Vagabond yourself, you can actually make use of this item.

Now this card is a Fox card, but you'll notice that down at the bottom where it talks about the Tea, there's a Mouse symbol. To craft this card, you need to match a Mouse clearing with something. The something depends upon which faction you are. Cats, for example, would need a Workshop in a Mouse clearing. The Vagabond, on the other hand, would have to literally be in a Mouse clearing, and then use 1 Mallet to craft the card. Some cards are harder to craft, and require more matching clearings. This is an easy one, with only one symbol.

After you craft this card, you discard it, as it says. Now, since this card is a Fox card, if you use the card for other things, it has to match a Fox thing, not a Mouse thing. For example, if the Eagles have this card in their Decree, it will require them to do something pertaining to a Fox clearing, not a Mouse one.

Image

Some cards when they're crafted don't become items. This Armorer card doesn't become an item or give you VPs if you craft it. Instead, it sits in front of you like an enchantment. You use it for its effect later. This one is like a Spore Frog, preventing the damage to you in a battle.
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Sun Feb 16, 2020 5:42 am

Image

Each faction has a faction card, of course. The Marquise faction card lists the Cats' abilities, and their turn order, and then has spaces to put items they've crafted and their unbuilt buildings.

Image

The Cats build their buildings from left to right. Above each column of buildings is the cost in Wood. The first Sawmill, Workshop, and Recruiter cost 0 Wood -- but the Cats have already built those, having started the game with them in play. As the Cats build buildings, the spaces will be uncovered, revealing VP awards. For the Recruiters, extra card draw bonuses will also be revealed when the third and fifth Recruiters are built.
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Juri » Sun Feb 16, 2020 6:11 am

i like the art of the tea fox
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by drk » Sun Feb 16, 2020 3:57 pm

Art-tea-fox

yuo

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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Sun Feb 16, 2020 4:34 pm

Image

In Root, your Warriors are your most predominant piece for nearly every faction. The Warriors in the physical game are meeples with little faces on them. Here's a cat, a Woodland Alliance mouse, and two Eyrie birds, along with the two dice.

With them are a Sawmill, a Sympathy token, and a Wood token. Buildings are square, while tokens are round.

Although the dice have 12 sides, the sides are 000111222333
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Rylinks » Sun Feb 16, 2020 4:36 pm

that cat looks very angry

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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Sun Feb 16, 2020 5:10 pm

No he's smirking, he's got plans
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Ashenai » Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:09 am

Those d12s should be d4s then. Nobody respects the d4 dammit

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Re: Root Stuff

Post by seathesee » Mon Feb 17, 2020 5:59 pm

Doug wrote: Sun Feb 16, 2020 5:42 am Image

Image
these look fantastic, but tbf i really like the color orange.
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by seathesee » Mon Feb 17, 2020 6:01 pm

i sometimes wonder how much of people being attracted to all sorts of boardgames is about game design and how much is about graphic/product design.
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by seathesee » Mon Feb 17, 2020 6:03 pm

Ashenai wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:09 am Those d12s should be d4s then. Nobody respects the d4 dammit
i find a d4 to be extremely unsatisfying to roll. its just not enough sides--you cant really get good action on the dice!
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Juri » Mon Feb 17, 2020 9:25 pm

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:evilgrin: :wub:
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Crunchums » Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:19 pm

seathesee wrote:i find a d4 to be extremely unsatisfying to roll. its just not enough sides--you cant really get good action on the dice!
u gotta skate

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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Still Alive » Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:37 pm

seathesee wrote:i sometimes wonder how much of people being attracted to all sorts of boardgames is about game design and how much is about graphic/product design.
i really wanted to play root at the last gencon and i knew nothing about it other than i liked the box art

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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Juri » Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:47 pm

seathesee wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 6:03 pm
Ashenai wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:09 am Those d12s should be d4s then. Nobody respects the d4 dammit
i find a d4 to be extremely unsatisfying to roll. its just not enough sides--you cant really get good action on the dice!
what if you got a larger dice with side # divisible by 4 and rolled that instead
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Tue Feb 18, 2020 2:53 am

How to Play Root

Root is perhaps the most asymmetric game I have ever seen. Root is so asymmetric that even the turn order varies by faction.

The good news is that this means learning to play isn't that hard. Most of the rules are contained within each faction's separate description. Another good chunk of rules is written on the different cards.

Of course, there have to be some commonalities, but they are not difficult.

It's important to keep in mind when you're learning the rules that there's an exception to nearly everything. For example, if I said, "Each player has a hand of cards that is kept hidden from other players," even that has an exception, because the Riverfolk keep their hand face-up. Now as I explain the rules, I'm not going to mention the numerous exceptions. Just keep in mind that they exist.

----------

Root is a counterinsurgency game for up to six players. Each player is trying to be the first to reach 30 victory points (VPs). As with GMT's COIN series, gameplay is almost totally confined to each player's turn i.e. sorcery speed. Very little is done at instant speed in this game. Some cards can be used at instant speed -- but they say so. Players earn VPs by removing enemy buildings and tokens, but not by removing Warriors. Players also earn VPs by crafting cards, below.

Players have wooden meeples representing Warrior pieces. Players also have square building counters, and round token counters. There are also square item counters. There are four buildings counters that are neutral Ruins, belonging to no player, that are set up on the building spaces marked with an R. The Vagabond has a pawn, the only pawn in the game.

The game map consists of clearings, connected by paths. The spaces between the clearings are forests. There's a river, but it has no effect of its own other than when mentioned by something else. Each clearing has one to three square spaces for buildings -- this is a max limit on buildings in a space. If you need to know whether forests are adjacent, they are adjacent when separated by only a path. The river does not separate forests -- it's the same forest on either side of the river.

A clearing is ruled by the player with the most Warriors and buildings in the space. Tokens and pawns do not help. On a tie, no one rules. Warriors can normally move from clearing to clearing, but only if either the origin or destination is ruled by the owning player. A move is any number of Warriors from one clearing to an adjacent clearing. A Warrior could be moved many times in one turn -- the limit would be on how many moves your faction rules give you, and whether you ruled an origin or destination clearing with each move.

There are cards in the game. Cards have one of four suits: Mouse, Fox, Rabbit, and Bird. Bird cards are wild. "Wild" doesn't work in reverse, of course, so if something requires a Bird card, there's no substitute. Cards are used for the suit by various faction effects. All clearings are either Mouse, Fox, or Rabbit clearings -- there are four of each.

Each player gets a Birdsong phase, a Daylight phase, and an Evening phase during their turns. What happens during these phases is entirely different for each faction, except for a tiny number of commonalities.

Nearly all cards have text at the bottom, describing into what the card may be crafted. A crafted card becomes some sort of item or permanent effect that is set in front of the player. You cannot craft a card for a permanent effect if you already have a card with that permanent effect in front of you e.g. no "two Armorers." To craft a card, the player will have to activate something according to their faction instructions -- this is like tapping the thing, and so each thing can only be activated once per turn. A crafted card begins doing its thing immediately. Many cards are worth VPs when you craft them. If a crafted card gives you an item, you may only craft the card if such an item is still available in the pool of items. Place your new item in the Crafted Items box of your faction sheet. You simply keep it there -- it does nothing further after giving you VPs (except of course stay unavailable for others to craft).


Image


A few of the cards in the game are Dominance cards. When used for their suit, they are not put in the discard pile. Instead, they are placed off to one side. They can be taken by a player during that player's Daylight phase, by spending a card of the same suit. In your hand, Dominance cards can be activated by a player with 10+ VPs. Place the card face-up in front of you, and remove your VP marker from the game -- you can no longer win via VPs. You will now win the game during any subsequent Birdsong phase if you rule three clearings of the suit of the Dominance card. If the card is a Bird card, you win if you rule two opposite-corner clearings.

Dominance cards are not used in 2-player games.

Players can battle each other with Warriors. Battles are always one-player-on-one-player. When a battle is announced, the defender may play an Ambush card matching the clearing. This will deal two hits to the attacker, unless the attacker plays another Ambush card matching the clearing. The attacker now rolls the two dice (they go from 0-3 in equal proportions for each numeral). The attacker takes the higher die, while the defender has to take the lower die. Each player deals that many hits to the other. However, a side cannot deal more hits than the Warriors it has present. A player with no Warriors at all is defenseless, and automatically is dealt an extra hit.

Hits cause the person being hit to lose that many Warriors, buildings, and tokens. Warriors must be removed first, but after that, it's the victim's choice.

Each player starts with three cards, and the item supply at the top of the map starts filled. All other setup rules are by faction.

That's it!
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by seathesee » Tue Feb 18, 2020 11:24 pm

seems neat.

/in
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Wed Feb 19, 2020 4:12 am

I'm going to make an Excel for PBF
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Wed Feb 19, 2020 4:54 am

Image



This is what the Excel might look like, except that this is only Cats. I of course have a lot of work to do. But I wanted to see if you found this legible
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Doug » Wed Feb 19, 2020 4:55 am

Oh shit I have to number the clearings, don't I

Or name them
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Juri » Wed Feb 19, 2020 5:01 am

have the players name the clearings each game imo
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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Ashenai » Wed Feb 19, 2020 5:24 am

Are we playing this? I'd like to throw my hat in the ring if so!

I also like the idea of the clearings having names, whether it be the mod or the players doing that

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Re: Root Stuff

Post by Still Alive » Wed Feb 19, 2020 6:29 am

this seems like a lot of work doug

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