2 PLAYER SETUP
Choose and set up an appropriate battlefield for the number of
players. Place the turn marker on space 1 of the turn track.
Each player chooses a Planeswalker (players may each roll
the D20, with the high roller choosing first) and takes the
matching color spell cards, army cards, and figures.
Each player rolls the D20 and the high roller chooses who is
the first player. The first player places their Planeswalker in a
starting zone, followed by their opponent. You cannot place
your Planeswalker in an occupied starting zone.
Players place their Planeswalker army cards faceup in front of
them, and all their non-Planeswalker army cards and figures
faceup off to one side in their reserve.
Both players shuffle their spell card decks and draw a hand of
3 cards. Your spell card draw pile is called your library, and
your discard pile is called your graveyard.
THE GAME
On most of your turns you perform 5 actions, in this order:
1: DRAW A SPELL CARD
The first player does not draw a card on their first turn.
If your Planeswalker is on the battlefield, draw a spell card
from your library.
On your turn, you may play up to 3 spell cards. You cannot
play spell cards on another player’s turn. You may play spell
cards anytime after action 1 and before action 3, and also
after action 4 and before action 5.
At the end of your turn, if you hold more than 7 spell cards,
discard cards to reduce your hand to 7. You do not reshuffle
your graveyard to create a new library: if your library is empty
when you want to draw a card, do not draw a card.
A sorcery spell card is resolved and then placed it in your
graveyard. Auras are attached to army cards in play. Enchant
cards are placed faceup on the called-out army card.
Hidden enchant cards are played facedown on the called-out
army card (your army cards only). If an army card already has a
face-down hidden enchant card, place the extra card under the
already played card. A hidden enchant card can be countered.
If you forget to trigger a hidden enchant card, it is placed
out of play without being triggered. If you have more than 1
hidden enchant card triggering at the same time, they trigger
in order, topmost card first.
If your Planeswalker is destroyed, you cannot play or draw
spell cards. Hidden enchant cards can still be triggered.
A countered spell counts as played, but has no effect and is
placed in its owner’s graveyard.
2: CHOOSE AN ARMY CARD
Choose any 1 of your army cards to use on your turn. You can
only use activated abilities from the army card you chose.
Before action 3 of your turn, your Planeswalker may summon
up to 2 squads and heroes from your reserve to the battlefield.
Summoned figures must be placed on empty spaces within 5
clear sight spaces of your Planeswalker (a double-space figure
needs only 1 hex of its base within this range).
3: MOVE
Move any or all of the figures on the chosen army card.
You can move a figure in any direction up to the move number
on its army card. Move squad figures in any order, 1 at a time.
You can move through a space with a friendly figure on it
unless the figure is engaged. You can’t move through a space
with an opponent’s figure on it, or end your move on a space
with any other figure.
When you move to a higher level, count the side of each higher
level as 1 space, as well as the space you land on. Glyphs do
not add height to spaces on which they are placed. A figure
cannot move up a number of levels equal to or higher than its
height number all at once.
When you move to a lower level, don’t count sides on the way
down. However if a figure moves down onto a level that is
equal to or higher than the figure’s height, the figure falls: roll
1 combat die. If you roll
, it takes 1 damage. Falling rules
do not apply if a figure falls onto a water space. Falling does
not stop movement.
When you move onto a water space from any other space (even
from another water space), you must end your move. Double-
space figures can move past 1 water space that’s between 2
non-water spaces without stopping (they must stop only if they
move onto 2 water spaces). When moving out of water, add 1
to move out of the water space.
When moving a double-space figure, decide which side to lead
with, then move the figure so that the other side follows the
same spaces that the leading side just occupied. Always end a
double-space figure’s move on 2 spaces at the same elevation
(water is considered a lower elevation).
You can freely flip a double-space figure anytime during its
move: turn the figure around while keeping it on the same
2 spaces. The figure does not take any leaving-engagement
attacks when flipping.
When you end a figure’s move, make sure its base lies flat and
is on that space or spaces only. No part of its base may overlap
another space. A figure can’t move through or onto a space
that it can’t fit completely on.
Ruins may limit the movement of some figures.
Engagement
A figure becomes engaged when it moves adjacent to an
opponent’s figure. However, if a figure’s base is on a level
equal to or higher than the height of the other figure, they are
not adjacent or engaged.
If an obstacle such as a ruin is between 2 figures, both figures’
heights must be higher than the obstacle to be engaged. If
both figures’ heights are lower than the obstacle, or only 1
figure’s height is lower, they are not engaged.
Your figure may move around an opponent’s figure it is
engaged with. But as soon as your figure moves away (onto
a space that’s not adjacent), the opponent’s figure may take
a leaving engagement attack at your figure. The player who
controls the opponent’s figure rolls 1 combat die to attack, and
you do not roll any dice to defend. If a
is rolled, your figure
takes 1 damage.
Your figure may become engaged with more than 1 figure
at the same time. As you leave each engagement, your
opponent’s figure may roll 1 die. For each
rolled, your
figure takes 1 damage.
4: ATTACK
Attack with any figures on your chosen army card within range
and a clear LOS (if necessary).
If no figure on your army card meets these conditions, no
attack is possible.
Range
The target figure must be within the attacking figure’s range
(don’t count extra spaces for any difference in levels).
A figure with a range of 1 can only attack a figure from an
adjacent space. A double-space figure can attack from either
space it occupies.
If one of your figures is engaged with one or more other
figures, your figure may only attack those figures.
You may attack even if other figures are between your figure
and the target, but you must have a clear LOS to attack.
Line of Sight (LOS)
LOS is an imaginary straight line between your attacking
figure’s target point and the targeted figure’s hit zone; it has
nothing to do with the spaces on the battlefield.
A figure does not need LOS to attack a figure that it is engaged
with or adjacent to.
To determine if there is a clear LOS, check the target point
(the green dot on your figure’s army card) and the hit zone (the
dark gray area on the targeted figure’s army card). Then get
behind your figure and look to see if its target point can see
any part of the targeted figure’s hit zone. If so, there is a clear
LOS. If players cannot agree, roll the D20 and the high roller
wins the dispute.
Players may touch or move only their figures, and may do so
only on their turns.
Attacking
The figures on your chosen army card attack one at a time, in
any order. Each figure can attack only once, but each figure
can attack the same figure or a different figure. Some figures
can attack more than once.
Height Advantage: If the base of 1 figure is higher than the
base of the other figure (no matter what their actual size or
height), the higher figure has height advantage, and rolls 1
extra die for either attack or defense. Remember that glyphs
do not add height to spaces, and water spaces are lower than
land spaces.
To carry out the attack:
1. Announce which figure is the attacker and which is the
defender.
2. Check the power number on your attacker’s army card,
adding any extra dice for height advantage, abilities, spell
cards, or glyphs. Then roll that number of attack dice. After
you roll, the defender rolls the number of toughness dice on
their defender’s army card, adding any extra dice for height
advantage, abilities, spell cards, or glyphs.
3. Every
the attacker rolls counts as 1 hit. For every hit the
attacker rolls, the defender must roll at least 1
to block it.
For attack rolls, the attacker counts only
. For defense
rolls, the defender counts only
.
If the attacker rolls the same number of
or less than the
defender rolls
, the attack is unsuccessful. All figures stay
where they are, and that attack is over.
If the attacker rolls more
than the defender rolls , the
attack is successful. For each unblocked
the attacker
rolled, the defender takes 1 damage. For each damage
dealt, a damage marker is placed either on the base of the
figure (if it is common) or on the army card (if it is unique).
When a figure has as many damage markers as its life number,
it is destroyed. A figure with only 1 life is destroyed by only 1
damage. The player who controls the destroyed figure places
it in their figure graveyard. When all figures on an army card
have been destroyed, place the army card in your army card
graveyard.
5: MOVE TILE TURN MARKER
At the end of your turn, move the turn marker on the turn track
to the next number.
The player to your left takes the next turn.
ENDING THE GAME AND SCORING
The game scenario sets the victory conditions for each game.
However, if the game hasn’t ended by the time you’ve played a
certain number of turns, the player with the most points wins.
When scoring is necessary, each player scores points for each
figure still on the battlefield. Total the Price Per Figure (PPF)
cost for all figures remaining to determine a player’s score.
GLYPHS
Depending on your battlefield choice, you may place glyphs on
top of battlefield spaces, either ability-side up or Planeswalker
symbol-side up. Glyphs are stationary unless otherwise stated
in a scenario.
When one of your figures moves onto a glyph whose
Planeswalker symbol is side up, stop there and turn the glyph
ability-side up. The abilities on the glyph then take effect
immediately. When your figure lands on a glyph whose ability
is side up, it must stop. If it’s a double-space figure, it must
stop when its leading side moves onto it.
MULTIPLAYER
The player who goes first in a multiplayer game or team game
does draw a spell card on their first turn.
In a team game, teammates sit next to each other on one side
of the table, facing their opponents. Each team rolls the D20,
and the high-rolling team goes first and places first. In some
scenarios teammates can share starting zones. The player who
goes first and places first is always the player sitting farthest to
the left, and play passes to the left.
Teammates take separate turns and can discuss strategy, offer
suggestions, look at teammate’s spell cards, and so on.
Friendly figures are both figures you control and figures your
teammates control.
Teammates are always numbered 1 and 2. If two teammates
have hidden enchantments that trigger at the same time, they
are triggered in player number order, starting with 1.
BUILDING AN ARMY
Scenarios will indicate the total army points to build to. All
scenarios in the core set have a total build of 500 points per
army.
When building an army, you must include one and only one
Planeswalker. Then select your army cards: each must be
of a color matching your selected Planeswalker, or be an
artifact army card. The total of all army cards, including your
Planeswalker card, cannot exceed the total build number for
the scenario.
If you’re combining two sets of army cards, make sure that
no player has more than one of the same unique army card in
their army. However, you and an opponent can both have the
same unique army cards.
Build your spell deck: each deck must contain 12 cards, and
the total cost of the 12 cards cannot exceed 200. Each card
in your spell deck must be of a color matching your selected
Planeswalker.
If you are playing with multiple sets or expansion sets, you
may want to use a permanent marker to initial the underside
of your figures’ bases to remember who owns which figure.