# Cthulhu Wars: Azathoth Expansion

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2015
- **BGG Rating**: 8.1
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 2-4
- **Duration**: 90 min
- **Weight**: 3.50 / 5
- **Designers**: Arthur Petersen, Sandy Petersen
- **Artists**: Andrew May, Mark Evans (I), Stephen May (II), Tim Prow
- **Publishers**: Green Eye Games, Pegasus Spiele, Petersen Games
- **Categories**: Expansion for Base-game, Horror, Miniatures
- **Mechanics**: Action Points, Area Movement, Dice Rolling, Variable Player Powers

## Verdict
If you enjoy Cthulhu Wars and want more monster options and a race-for-exclusivity mechanic, this expansion is for you! Azathoth's customization adds an extra strategic touch.Exclusive and unique monstersFun race mechanicCustomizable AzathothMore strategy and tensionHigh language dependencyRequires base gameHIGHLY RECOMMENDED

## Description
Prepare to dive even deeper into cosmic chaos with the Azathoth expansion for Cthulhu Wars! This addition is a true gem, bringing a brand-new dynamic to the base game. The main twist here is that Azathoth and his minions are neutral units, but with a special twist: whoever first summons one of these monsters (or Azathoth himself) gains the exclusive right to call them to fight by their side. Think of it as a race to secure your favorite monster before your opponents do!

The new recruits include the terrifying Dimensional Shamblers, the insatiable Star Vampire, the enigmatic Elder Things, and the loyal Servitors of the Outer Gods. Each comes with its own Loyal Card, detailing its stats and unique abilities. And Azathoth himself? He's a Great Old One who arrives with customizable combat power. When summoning him, you decide how much Power to spend to make him more lethal, adding an extra layer of strategy and even a bit of bluffing. If you fear an opponent using Azathoth against you, it might be tempting to summon him more cheaply just to keep him out of their hands. This tension and the potential for bold plays are what make this expansion so fun and addictive.

Remember that, as with Cthulhu Wars, communication can be a challenge if you're not fluent in English, as the game requires a lot of card reading. But if you're already a fan of the base game and are looking for more tactical options and epic confrontations, the Azathoth expansion is a feast for expanding your battles against Lovecraftian horrors.

## How to Play
1. Game Objective
In Cthulhu Wars: Azathoth Expansion, you do not control a traditional faction. Instead, the game introduces neutral elements — Neutral Monsters and Neutral Spellbooks — that can be used by any player, regardless of the faction they choose. The core objective remains the same as the base game: accumulate Doom points and meet the requirements to win, but now with the possibility of incorporating Azathoth himself, the Blind Idiot God, into your army to sow chaos and destruction.

2. Setup
The setup for this expansion is modular and integrated into the base game:

    Components: Separate the 13 gray figures, the Neutral Spellbooks, the Azathoth Spellbooks, and the Loyalty Cards.
    Azathoth: The Azathoth Loyalty Card and its marker remain available to any player who meets the Awakening requirements.
    Neutral Monsters: The Neutral Monster Loyalty Cards are placed at the ready. When a player acquires one, they receive the card and, usually, a free figure of that type.
    Spellbooks: The Neutral Spellbooks are kept in a common reserve. They do not belong to any specific faction until they are claimed.


3. Game Flow
The game follows the standard Cthulhu Wars structure, with the following additions during the Doom phase:

    Monster Acquisition: During your turn in the Doom phase, when performing (or choosing not to perform) a Ritual of Annihilation, you may reduce your track by 2 Doom points to acquire a Neutral Monster Loyalty Card from those available.
    Spellbooks: When you reach a Faction Spellbook requirement, you may choose to take a Neutral Spellbook instead of one from your own faction.
    Azathoth: The first player to meet the Awakening requirements on the Azathoth Loyalty Card assumes control of the unit, the card, and the special Nuclear Chaos Spellbook.


4. Actions and How to Play
The new game options work as follows:

    Azathoth: He is an Independent Great Old One. If he is killed, his Loyalty Card returns to the reserve and the Spellbook is removed until he is awakened again. The Azathoth Spellbook (Nuclear Chaos) can only be used by the controller of Azathoth and never on a Faction Card.
    Neutral Monsters: Once you possess the Loyalty Card, only you may Summon and control these monsters. They have inherent Cost, Combat, and Special Abilities that come into play as soon as the unit is placed on the board. You may only gain one Neutral Monster Loyalty Card per Doom phase.
    Neutral Spellbooks: Once a player chooses a Neutral Spellbook, it becomes unavailable to others. Choose wisely, as by taking a Neutral Spellbook, you no longer have access to one of your original Faction Spellbooks.


5. End of Game and Scoring
Consult the manual for details on this section.

6. Tips for Winning

    Strategic Spellbook Choice: Remember that by opting for a Neutral Spellbook, you sacrifice access to one of your Faction Spellbooks. Evaluate whether the neutral ability outweighs the loss of your faction's natural synergy.
    Azathoth Management: Azathoth is a powerful unit, but vulnerable. Since he can be killed with a single Kill result under certain conditions, protect him well or use him to force opponents to spend resources trying to remove him from the board.
    Monster Synergy: When acquiring Neutral Monsters, check how their Special Abilities interact with the units you already possess. For example, using the Mind Control of the Elder Things can negate crucial abilities of opposing Great Old Ones, changing the course of a battle.

## FAQ
### Can this expansion be played alone?
No, the Azathoth expansion requires the Cthulhu Wars base game to be played.

### How many players does this expansion support?
The expansion maintains the player count of the base game, which is 2 to 4 players.

### What is the average playtime with this expansion?
The playtime remains around 90 minutes, similar to the base game.

### Does the expansion add much complexity to the game?
It adds new units and an exclusivity mechanic, which increases tactical depth, but doesn't drastically change the overall complexity for those already familiar with the base rules.

### Do I need to read English to play this expansion?
Yes, like the base game, this expansion has a lot of text on the monster cards and Azathoth himself, so a good level of English or using translations is highly recommended.

### What new monsters come in this expansion?
The expansion includes Dimensional Shamblers, Star Vampire, Elder Thing, and Servitor of the Outer Gods, in addition to Azathoth himself.

### Is Azathoth a monster that everyone can summon?
No, whoever first summons Azathoth or one of the associated monsters gains the exclusive right to summon them, unless they are eliminated from the game.

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