# Fantasy Realms: The Cursed Hoard

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2021
- **BGG Rating**: 7.2
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 3-6 (Best with: 3, 4)
- **Duration**: 20-30 min
- **Weight**: 1.89 / 5
- **Designers**: Bruce Glassco
- **Artists**: Anthony Cournoyer, Octographics
- **Publishers**: WizKids (I), BoardM Factory, Broadway Toys LTD, Don't Panic Games, Looping Games, Rebel Sp. z o.o., Rexhry, Strohmann Games
- **Categories**: Card Game, Expansion for Base-game, Fantasy
- **Mechanics**: Open Drafting, Set Collection

## Verdict
If you enjoy Fantasy Realms and want more excitement and risky decisions, this expansion is a great pick! It adds a "high stakes" feel that makes the game even more addictive.New combos and strategiesRisk/reward decisionsMore variety and replayabilityFlexible modular expansionCursed items give negative pointsSlightly increases complexityHIGHLY RECOMMENDED

## Description
If you enjoyed the base game Fantasy Realms and want to add some extra spice to your matches, "The Cursed Hoard" is the right choice! This expansion brings two new features that can be used together or separately, giving your card collection a fresh boost.

The first addition is "Cursed Items." Imagine having cards that grant you incredible powers, like playing twice in a row or hiding what you've discarded. Sounds great, right? But beware: using these powerful items means gaining negative points at the end of the game. The stronger the power, the greater the curse! It's a calculated risk that adds an extra layer of strategy and tense decisions.

The second part of the expansion introduces three new suits: Buildings, Mythical Creatures, and Undead. This means 47 more cards to mix into the main deck, opening up a range of new combinations and combos. Now you can build your realm with imposing structures, attract fantastic beings, or dominate the underworld with armies of the undead. The base game is already fast and addictive, and "The Cursed Hoard" elevates that experience, maintaining the simplicity of the rules while adding depth and that "just one more game" feeling. Perfect for those who want more variety without overcomplicating things.

## How to Play
Objective of the Game
As the Realms prepare for conflict, a new element has emerged to shift the balance of power: a hoard of ancient artifacts. These artifacts grant considerable power to alter the course of battle, but each also carries a curse. Players are trying to strengthen their lands by creating Castles, Dungeons, and Crypts stocked with Undead, and even Outsiders from other planes are entering the fray. The game is about combining cards to score points, while managing the negative effects of Cursed Items.

Preparation (Setup)

    The Fantasy Realms: The Cursed Hoard expansion can be added to the base game either separately or combined.
    Cursed Items are a separate deck of cards with different backs. Shuffle this deck.
    Deal each player one Cursed Item card faceup.
    Three new suits (Buildings, Outsiders, and Undead) are added to your base game deck. You must add them (and the Garden card) as a group.
    Replace the following base game cards with their Cursed Hoard versions: Bell Tower, Rangers, World Tree, Shapeshifter, Mirage, Great Flood, Necromancer, and Fountain of Life.
    At the beginning of the game, draw eight cards instead of seven, and maintain an eight-card hand throughout the game.
    When playing with the 2-player rules (drawing two cards and discarding one), do not draw any Cursed Items until you have seven or eight cards in hand, depending on whether you are playing the base game or base game plus the new suits.


Fluxo do Jogo
Player Turn
During your turn, you may choose one of three options for your faceup Cursed Item card:

    Do nothing with your Cursed Item card. It stays faceup in front of you, and you may use it on a later turn.
    Discard your faceup Cursed Item card at the end of your turn. It goes into a separate, faceup discard pile (not the discard area). Then you draw a new Cursed Item and put it faceup in front of you. If the deck of Cursed Items is used up, shuffle the discards and reuse them.
    Use the Cursed Item card. Some cards give you an action which replaces your regular turn; others may be played at any time during your turn, including before you draw from the deck or discard area or after you discard. When you use a Cursed Item, flip it facedown and keep it in front of you. All facedown Cursed Item cards score at the end of the game. At the end of your turn, draw a new Cursed Item card to replace the one you played.

No matter which option you choose, at the end of your turn you should always have exactly one faceup Cursed Item card, and any number of facedown cards. You may check your facedown cards at any time, but may never check your opponents’.

Ações e Como Jogar
Cursed Items
Cursed Items are a separate deck of cards. When used, they are turned facedown and are usually worth negative points at the end of the game, though some provide positive points with negative effects. They do not go in your hand but are played in front of you.
New Suits

    Buildings: No special rules.
    Outsiders: The Genie and the Leprechaun in the Outsiders suit allow new cards to be added to your hand at the end of the game. These draws happen before any BLANKINGS, Doppelganger effects, etc., and before any Undead score. When using these three cards (Genie, Leprechaun, and Necromancer) in any combination, you may never have more than nine cards in your hand for any reason. This also applies to the Portal in the Cursed Items section. If at any time you have more than nine cards in hand, you must immediately discard cards into the discard area until you reach nine cards. Cards discarded in this way may not have already been used to draw extra cards.
    Undead: Four of the five Undead provide bonuses for cards that are faceup in the discard area, rather than cards in a player’s hand. Wild cards (Doppelganger, Shapeshifter, and Mirage) in the discard area do NOT count as any suit other than Wild.


Fim de Jogo e Pontuação
End Game Trigger
The end of the game is triggered when twelve cards are in the discard area, rather than ten.
New End Game Sequence

    First, the Leprechaun, then the Genie, and finally the Necromancer may draw new cards from the deck and discard area (as indicated on their cards), discarding if above nine cards in hand.
    Assign Doppelganger, Mirage, and Shapeshifter.
    Use Book of Changes.
    Clear Penalties.
    If its penalty is not cleared, Demon blanks all unmatched cards.
    Apply all uncleared Penalties, beginning with cards not blanked by any other cards.
    Calculate scores for all unblanked cards.

All facedown Cursed Item cards score at the end of the game (most, but not all, will have negative points).

Dicas para Vencer

    The Gem of Order provides no additional bonus for an eight-card run.
    The Judge gets a bonus for Penalties in the hand that are not cleared. Penalties that are partially cleared (like the word "ArmiesArmies" with the Rangers and Warship) still give him the bonus.
    Chapel requires exactly 2 cards from among the suits listed. This means you can have 2 Leaders or an Outsider and an Undead, but you won’t get the bonus if you have 2 Wizards and an Undead or 1 each of Leader, Wizard, and Outsider. You can have any number of the other suits not listed in your hand.

## FAQ
### Do I need the base Fantasy Realms game to play with "The Cursed Hoard"?
Yes, absolutely! "The Cursed Hoard" is an expansion and requires the base Fantasy Realms game to be played.

### How many players does this expansion support?
The expansion maintains the player count of the base game, which is for 3 to 6 players.

### Does the game become much more complicated with this expansion?
Not significantly. The basic rules remain the same. Complexity increases slightly with the new cards and the cursed items mechanic, but it's still quite accessible.

### Can I use both parts of the expansion together?
Yes! You can use the Cursed Items and the new suits together, or choose to use only one of them to vary the experience.

### Are the cards in English?
The expansion itself does not come with translated cards. It's recommended to have a translated reference sheet or printed translations for easier gameplay.

### How long does a game session last with the expansion?
The duration is very similar to the base game, typically between 20 to 30 minutes per game, depending on players' familiarity with the cards.

### Is it worth it for those who already own the base game?
If you enjoy Fantasy Realms and want to add an element of risk and reward, plus more card variety and combos, it's definitely worth it!

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