Game Objective: The Great Combo Party!

Get ready for the Great Combo Party, summoned by our kind King! In Castle Combo, you and your friends will compete to recruit the best characters and build the most impressive game area. Your goal is simple, yet challenging: at the end of 9 turns, when everyone has a 3x3 card game area, the player with the highest score in their game area will be the grand winner!

Each character you recruit grants an immediate ability and, most importantly, points at the end of the game, depending on their conditions. Can you assemble the best combinations and impress the royalty?

Setup: Assembling the Board for the Party

Let's set the table for the fun to begin! Follow these steps to prepare your Castle Combo game:

1. Separate the Castle cards (gray background) and the Village cards (brown background). Shuffle each type of card separately to form two distinct decks.
2. Place the Castle deck in the center of the table. Next to it, reveal the top 3 cards in a row. This is the Castle display.
3. Do the same with the Village deck. Place it, along with the 3 revealed cards, below the Castle cards. This is the Village display.
4. Place the Messenger token next to the revealed Village cards.
5. Each player takes 2 Keys and 15 Gold.
6. Place all remaining Keys and Gold within reach of all players; this is the reserve. (Don't worry, Gold and Keys are not limited; use substitutes if necessary!)
7. Randomly select the starting player. The game can begin!

Game Turn: Recruiting and Combining

The game proceeds clockwise, starting with the initial player. Each player performs their turn by following 4 mandatory steps (and one optional) in this order:

1. Buy a card (mandatory)

You must choose one of the 3 face-up cards at the location where the Messenger token is. Pay the Gold Cost of the card (top-left corner) and add it to your game area.

• Discounts: Some cards grant permanent discounts when buying characters from a specific location (Castle, Village, or both). Add up all applicable discounts! Remember: a card cannot cost less than 0 Gold, and the discount ability of a newly acquired card only applies to your next purchases.
• Buying Face-Down: If you don't want to pay the cost or use the ability of a card, you can take it and place it face-down in your game area. By doing so, you ignore its ability and end-game points, but you immediately gain 6 Gold and 2 Keys as compensation.

Placement Rules:

• Your game area must form a 3x3 card grid by the end of the game.
• Each card after the first must be placed adjacent (orthogonally) to at least one other card in your game area.
• You can never add a fourth card to a row or column.
• The position of cards is important for final scoring, but it's only fixed when your rows and columns are filled.

2. Apply the card's ability (mandatory)

After placing the card in your game area, activate its ability. The card is considered for the resolution of its own ability (except if it's a discount). Abilities are generally gains for you and consider only what's in your game area. Take the Gold and/or Keys gained from the reserve.

Example: If an ability says "Gain 1 Key for each Village Emblem in YOUR game area", you count the emblem of the card you just bought too!

3. Move the Messenger token and refill the display for both locations (mandatory)

• If the card you bought has a Messenger Icon printed on its emblem, move the Messenger token to the indicated location (brown/down = Village; gray/up = Castle).
• If the card doesn't have the icon or was bought face-down, the Messenger doesn't move.
• Then, reveal cards from the corresponding decks so that each display (Castle and Village) has 3 visible cards again.
• Discarding: Discarded cards are placed in a visible pile to the left of the corresponding deck. If a deck runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.

4. Spend a key (optional)

You can spend 1 (and only 1) of your Keys to perform one of the two actions below:

• Move the Messenger token to the other location (Castle or Village).
• Discard all 3 cards at the location where the Messenger is and reveal 3 new cards from the corresponding deck.

After completing these 4 steps, the turn passes to the player on your left.

Game End and Scoring: Counting Fame and Fortune

The game ends as soon as all players have built their game areas with 9 cards (a 3x3 grid).

Final Scoring

It's time to count the points! Use the scoring block to record:

1. Card Points: Count the points of each Score Parchment shown on your cards. Each parchment refers only to the elements in YOUR OWN game area. Face-down cards are worth no points.
2. Gold Pouches: If you have cards with "pouch scoring", place your remaining Gold in them. Each pouch can hold the amount of Gold printed in black on it (e.g., 4 Gold). The Gold stored in pouches is worth points as indicated on the card.
3. Remaining Keys: Each Key you have is worth 1 point.

The player with the most points wins the game! In case of a tie, the tied player with the most Gold left over (not stored in pouches) wins. If the tie persists, the tied players share the victory.

Tips to Win: Strategies for the Combo Party!

To stand out in the Combo Party, consider these tips:

1. Plan your 3x3 Grid: From the start, think about how your cards will fit into the grid. Some cards score based on their position (row, column), so having an idea of where you want them to go is crucial to maximizing your points.
2. Take Advantage of Discounts and Immediate Abilities: Keep an eye on cards that offer discounts on future purchases. Accumulating these discounts can allow you to acquire more expensive characters at a much lower cost. Additionally, immediate abilities can generate essential Gold and Keys for your next moves.
3. Manage the Messenger and Displays: The Messenger token determines which location you can buy cards from. Use your Keys strategically to move the Messenger or refresh the displays, ensuring you always have access to the cards you need or to deny valuable options to your opponents.