How to Play Arcadia Quest: Pets

Game Objective

In Arcadia Quest: Pets, players embark on a new linear campaign of 6 scenarios in the Magic Gardens of Arcadia. The witch Vexia, obsessed with cute creatures and creator of "Cutenessmancy," is behind the disappearance of pets and the creation of new animal breeds that now roam the gardens. The main objective is to progress through the scenarios, face Vexia's enchanted animals, and eventually confront the witch herself. Guilds must complete Player vs. Environment (PvE) Quests and Player vs. Player (PvP) Quests to emerge victorious in each scenario, with their Pets acting as loyal and strategic companions.

Setup

To play Arcadia Quest: Pets, you will need the Arcadia Quest or Arcadia Quest: Inferno base game. The general setup for a scenario follows the base game rules, with the following expansion-specific additions:

• Choosing Heroes and Starting Pets: After choosing their Heroes, each player chooses 1 Starting Pet. Take all Level 1 Pet cards and distribute them as evenly as possible among the players. Each player chooses a Pet for their Guild and places the Pet card in the "Favorite Pet" space on their Pet dashboard. Unchosen Pet cards are discarded.
• Pet Miniatures: Each player takes the miniature of the Pet they chose and places the plastic base of their Guild's color.
• Pet Dashboard: All players add one of the Pet dashboards next to their respective Guild dashboards. The Pet dashboard can hold up to two Pet cards and two Pet Item cards.
• Upgrade Decks: The new Upgrade cards (including Pet Items and Hero Upgrades) must be shuffled into the base game cards to form the Upgrade decks at all levels.
• Wild Pets: During the setup of each scenario, shuffle the Pet cards of all Pets that do not yet belong to any Guild. For each Wild Pet indicated on the scenario map, draw a Pet card and place the corresponding Pet miniature in the indicated Space. Wild Pet miniatures do not have a colored base. Use the generic Wild Pet Monster card of the level corresponding to the scenario number. Undrawn Pet cards remain near the board for reference.
• Scenario Maps: Each scenario features two different maps, one for Arcadia Quest and one for Arcadia Quest: Inferno, using the expansion's double-sided boards.
• Special Scenario Setup: Consult the "SPECIAL SETUP" section of each scenario for specific setup rules, such as the distribution of Quest or Exploration tokens.

Gameplay Flow

The Pets campaign is linear, meaning players progress directly from the first scenario ("Enter the Magic Gardens") to the sixth ("Witch's Revenge"), without choosing where to go after finishing a scenario. The game advances in player turns, where each player activates their Heroes and Pets.

Pet Activation

During each player's turn, in addition to activating one of their Heroes, they can also activate one of their Pets. This can be done before or after activating a Hero. If there is an additional Hero activation (by ability or Additional Activation Potion), the player can make another Pet activation before or after that extra activation. However, if the player uses their turn to Rest their Guild, none of their Pets can be activated.

Upgrade Phase

During each Upgrade Phase, players can spend coins to Level Up each of their Pets once. Additionally, they can purchase Pet Items.

Actions and How to Play

Pets

Pets are loyal companions that each player must move around the board to use their abilities. All Heroes of a Guild are Owners of all Pets of that Guild.

• Anatomy of a Pet Card:
  • Defense: Number of Defense dice the Pet can roll.
  • Level: Indicates the evolution level of the Pet (can evolve up to 3 levels).
  • Health Points: How many Wounds are needed to kill the Pet.
  • Name: Name and species of the Pet.
  • Ability: Each Pet has a Natural Ability that is always active, functioning as an "aura" that affects Characters who are Near them. If the ability refers to Owners, it refers to any Hero of the Pet's Guild who is Near it.
• Pet Movement:
  • Pets only Move, never Attack.
  • They have 3 Movement Points per activation.
  • Each Movement Point can be used to: Move to 1 Space, use a portal, or open/close a door on one of the sides of their Space.
  • Differences in Pet Movement:
    • Cannot collect Exploration tokens.
    • Cannot reveal Infernal cards, Tombstone cards, or Dragon cards.
    • Do not activate Monster Alert Reactions.
    • Do not "occupy" a Space and do not count towards the two-miniature limit per Space, being able to move or end movement in a Space with 2 Enemies.
• Pet Peculiarities:
  • Do not block Line of Sight.
  • Do not count as Allies or Enemies for Hero abilities.
  • Do not count for Flanking requirements.
  • Cannot be used for an Owner to Resurrect Near them.
  • Cannot receive Exploration tokens.
  • There is no limit to the number of Pets in the same Space.
• Attacking Pets:
  • Players can attack Pets of opposing Guilds normally.
  • Killing a Pet does not grant coins and does not count towards the Player vs. Player Quest.
  • When a Pet is killed, it is removed from the board and placed on its Pet Card (it does not receive a Death token).
  • When the Guild Rests, the Pet returns to the board Near an Owner or in the Guild's Starting Area, with all Wounds removed.
• Leveling Up Pets:
  • During the Upgrade Phase, players can spend 3 coins to Level Up a Pet once.
  • Remove the current Pet card and replace it with the Pet card of the same Pet one level higher.
  • Each Pet can Level Up twice (up to Level 3).
  • Leveling Up Pets does not count towards the three-card purchase limit in the Upgrade Phase.
• Favorite Pet and Pet Items:
  • The Pet Dashboard has two spaces for Pets. Only the "Favorite Pet" can be equipped with Pet Items.
  • Pet Items are Upgrade cards that only Pets can carry, purchased in the Upgrade Phase or received as a Quest reward.
  • Pet Items in the Favorite Pet's inventory are always active, granting special abilities or bonuses.
  • A Guild can have a maximum of 2 Pet Items. If they buy a third, they must discard an existing one.
  • When Resting, the Guild can swap the positions of their Pet cards, making the other Pet the favorite.
  • No other card, except Pet Item cards, can be placed in the Pet Dashboard spaces.

Wild Pets

These are creatures enchanted by Vexia. They function as Monsters and their statistics are on the generic Wild Pet Monster card, corresponding to the scenario level.

• Capturing Wild Pets:
  • When a Hero defeats a Wild Pet, the player can capture it for their Guild.
  • Place a plastic base of the Guild's color on the Pet miniature, which remains in the Space.
  • The player takes the corresponding Pet card and places it in 1 of the spaces on their Pet Dashboard, being able to swap the position of a current Pet if desired.
  • Remove all Wounds or conditions from the captured Pet.
  • Guilds can have a maximum of two Pets at a time. If a player already has two Pets and captures another, an existing Pet must be discarded (miniature removed, card discarded).
  • Fleeing Pets: When a Wild Pet is captured, all other Wild Pets flee and are removed from the board. Only one player can capture a Wild Pet per scenario. They only flee when captured, not when defeated.
  • The Level of Pet cards available for capture depends on the scenario number:
    • Scenario 1 or 2: Level 1
    • Scenario 3 or 4: Level 2
    • Scenario 5 or 6: Level 3

Quests

Each scenario features Quests divided into:

• Player vs. Player (PvP) Quest: Defeat Heroes of enemy Guilds.
• Player vs. Environment (PvE) Quest: Scenario-specific feats, such as defeating a Monster or performing a task.

Completing Quests can grant Reward cards or Titles. No player can complete the same Quest twice.

Titles

In all scenarios (except the last), a Quest grants a Title to the Guild (or Guilds) that completed it. Titles offer advantages in later scenarios and in the Final Confrontation.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when players complete the sixth and final scenario of the campaign, "Witch's Revenge".

Victory Condition

To win the "Witch's Revenge" scenario, the Player vs. Environment Quest is "Kill Vexia".

Special Rules for the Final Confrontation ("Witch's Revenge")

• Vexia takes no Wounds until all Vespinhos, Korillas, and the Coeruja are off the board.
• Every time a Vespinho, a Korilla, or the Coeruja is killed, the player who killed it can move a Pet from an Enemy Guild up to 3 Spaces and deal 1 Wound to all Enemy Heroes in the Space where it ends its movement.
• Active Heroes can spend 1 coin to cancel the Monster's Alert Reaction. Limit once per turn.

Scoring and Rewards

The final score and campaign victory criteria are not detailed in the provided context, beyond the completion of the final scenario. The Pets Campaign Sheet lists "WINNER", "FEWEST DEATHS", "MOST COINS", "RECEIVED TITLE", "RECEIVED REWARD", and "MEDAL WINNER", but does not specify how these criteria translate into an overall campaign victory.

Tips for Winning

1. Position Your Pets Strategically: Pet abilities function as "auras" that affect Characters who are Near them. Keep your Pets close to your Heroes so they benefit from defense or attack abilities, or close to Enemies to apply penalties. Remember that Pets do not activate Monster Alert Reactions, allowing for more aggressive positioning.
2. Prioritize Capturing Wild Pets: Capturing a Wild Pet not only adds a new companion to your Guild but also removes all other Wild Pets from the board, preventing opposing Guilds from capturing them. Choose a Pet that complements your Guild's strategy, considering that higher-level Pets can be captured in more advanced scenarios.
3. Take Advantage of Campaign Titles: Titles earned by completing certain Quests offer significant advantages in subsequent scenarios and in the Final Confrontation. For example, the "Tamer" Title grants an additional Hit against Monsters, and the "Ranger" allows using Portals without spending Movement Points. Plan your Quests to acquire the Titles that best fit your strategy.