How to Play Cthulhu Wars: Azathoth Expansion

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:

1. 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.
2. Spellbooks: When you reach a Faction Spellbook requirement, you may choose to take a Neutral Spellbook instead of one from your own faction.
3. 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.