Optional rules are great. They can enhance the game and give it new dimensions of play as well as a variable depth. With optional rules can you – the player – play the game in a way you like the most. This is why we’d like to provide you with the most important ones. Why they are not mentioned in the manual you ask? So that I have something to do… -.-*
You can use any of the following rules, but you don’t have to, please take what you like and leave the rest for other players to enjoy.
| Name | Description | Effect |
| Sudden Death | As soon as one player kills a Noble, this player wins the game. | The games become faster and alliances less attractive unless they are only to “reduce” the threat of a strong player.
For some players this side effect may be most important: There is no knock out anymore and noone needs to wait until the other players finished each other. |
| Protecting Walls | Enemy units within their own castle receive +1 Def. against attacks from outside this castle. | The players may tend to fortify themselves in their castle and don’t leave it happily. This reduces the pace of the game.
On the other hand a “rusher” (someone who tries to knock out an opponent fast) has a hard time doing so. |
| Obstructing Walls | The cost of entering an enemy castle is 2 AP for the units full pace. | Rusher have a hard time and players might tend to not leave their castle so happily which might reduce the pace of the game. |
| Lumberers and Climbers | For 2 AP a unit can enter one field on the side of the board. Each step there costs 2AP, even if the unit has more than one movement. | It is easier to “hide” your suppliers, the game gets only a little bit more tactical but lasts longer. |
| Gold Rush | Each player starts with double their regular starting funds. | This will become bloody really fast. A feast for agressive players. |
| The streets are paved with gold | Each kill gives the player who kills the unit 2G. You get 2G whilst standing on the bonus field in addition to the 1AP. | Units with “Income” are less important and you can recover if you have none of those. The pace of the game might accelerate. |
| The Great Depression | Each player starts with three Gold, the undead with one. | The Beginning of the games lasts longer as well as the game itself. A lot. |
| Two players: It’s a big world | The players play diagonally. | The fast pace of the game is gone as well as the feeling of a duell. Instead the game takes much longer but you have opportunity to build a huge army. |
| A world full of eventy | Each player draws two event cards before the game starts. | The game is “swingy” from turn one. |
| Tomorrow is another day | AP go to an account and may be accumulated. You don’t have to spend them at the end of your turn. | At the beginning the game may take longer but turns may explode due to accumulated AP. Players who have a lot of AP may draw a big red fading cross on their head.
The balancing of the game is disturbed. |
| Instant Spells! (Only in combination with “Tomorrow is another day”) | Each event card may be played whenever a player choosses to do so. The cost must be payed as usual. | The game becomes very swingy and chaotic, the balancing is gone almost entirely.
This rule requires common sense, not every event cards can be played anytime, i.e. “Quick Attack”. |
| Grim and Gritty | Each unit which is attacked applies ist combat damage to the attacker as well. | Combat becomes more bloody and more tactical thinking is needed. You also need a much more diverse army. |
| What a waste | You don’t need to spend all your AP, they are lost at the end of your turn. | The game might last longer but you don’t need to run back and forth to get rid of your AP. |
Attention: Not all of these rules are tested and do not represent the intentional spirit of the game. Please do not judge the game by any of the optional rules. We beg you to play the game with the rules in the manual first. Do play a few rounds before you consider to add optional rules one by another.
So long…
Mathias is an Erzieher (~Educator) and studies Educational Science at the TU Braunschweig. He became a professional game designer through a difficult education like: Till asked him: “Would you like to join?” and he answered: “If I have to.”.
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Mathias ist Erzieher und studiert Erziehungswissenschaften an der TU Braunschweig. Er wurde durch eine diffizile Ausbildung zum Profi-Spieldesigner: Till fragte ihn: “Willst du mitmachen?” und er antwortete: “Wenn’s sein muss.”.
