How to Play Kemet: Blood and Sand

Game Objective

In Kemet: Blood and Sand, each player takes on the role of an Egyptian deity (Anubis, Bastet, Horus, Wadjet, or Sobek) vying for dominance over Kemet through armies and mythological creatures. The goal is to accumulate Fame Points (FP) — both Permanent (square tokens) and Temporary (round tokens). The game ends when a player reaches 9 or more FP at the start of their turn, provided no other player has more points than them. Victory is awarded immediately at that moment.

Setup

Board Setup

• Assemble the central board according to the number of players (2 to 5), ignoring gray zones or areas covered by storms.
• Organize the Power Tokens by color (Ruby, Sapphire, Diamond, Onyx) and level (1 to 4) above the board.
• Place Creature miniatures on their corresponding tokens and FP Tokens on the Temples and Sanctuary.

Individual Preparation

• Each player chooses a color and receives:
  • 12 Battle Units, 5 Action Tokens, 8 Battle Cards.
  • 3 Pyramids (levels 1, 2, and 3) and colored tops according to the colors in play.
  • 2 initial Divine Intervention (DI) Cards (including "Diversion").
• Place 5 Units in 2 Districts of your City (2 units remain in the supply).
• In reverse turn order, each player acquires a Level 1 Power Token of the color matching one of their Pyramids.

Game Flow

The game is divided into rounds, each consisting of:

1. Day Phase: Players take turns to perform 5 Actions (one per token), adhering to the Balance Rule (at least 1 token in each Pyramid level by the end of the phase).
2. Night Phase: Resolved in 9 fixed steps (e.g., gaining Prayer Points, Temple control, recruitment with Veteran Tokens).

Actions and How to Play

Main Actions

• Pray: Gain 2 Prayer Points (PP).
• Buy Power Token: Acquire a token of the color matching a Pyramid you control, paying PP equal to the token's level. Restriction: Maximum 1 token per color per Day Phase.
• Build Pyramid: Pay PP to increase the level of an existing Pyramid or build a new one in an empty District.
• Recruit: Spend X PP to place X Units in your Districts. If recruiting in Districts controlled by opponents, initiate Battles.
• Move: Relocate troops using land movements or Teleport (spending 2 PP to move from a Pyramid to an Obelisk).

Battles

Occur when rival troops occupy the same zone. Steps:

1. War Council: Each player chooses 2 Battle Cards (one discarded face down, the other played).
2. Clash: Add Strength (Units + bonuses from cards/Power Tokens/Creatures).
3. Casualties: Calculate damage by subtracting the opponent's Defense.
4. Rewards: Winner (attacker) gains 1 Battle FP; victorious defender gains 2 Veteran Tokens.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends immediately when a player reaches 9+ FP at the start of their turn, provided they have the highest score. FP are accumulated by:

• Battles (winning as the attacker).
• Control of Temples/Level 4 Pyramids (Temporary FP).
• Specific Power Tokens or Night Phase (e.g., controlling 2+ Temples grants 1 Permanent FP).

Tips for Winning

• Action Balance: Distribute tokens across the 3 Pyramid levels to avoid penalties at the end of the Day Phase.
• Strategic Teleportation: Use Pyramids and Obelisks for quick movements and surprises.
• Power Synergy: Power Tokens of the same color activate synergies (e.g., Ruby for battle strength).