Objective of the Game

Welcome, Mage Knight! Prepare to embark on an epic journey of conquest and glory. In Mage Knight Board Game, you are a powerful Mage Knight, exploring a vast and ever-changing land, battling formidable foes, and ultimately, conquering cities. Your ultimate goal is to achieve the most **Fame** by the end of the game, proving yourself the most legendary hero (or villain!) of all. While the specific conditions for victory can vary slightly depending on the chosen **Scenario**, the core objective remains: outshine your rivals through strategic movement, combat, and interaction with the world.

Preparation (Setup)

Alright, gather 'round, future legends! Let's get this table ready for some serious Mage Knight action.

1. **Choose Your Hero**: Each player selects a **Hero** and places their **Order Token** in the order they were chosen.
2. **Dummy Player Setup (for Solo or Co-op Scenarios)**: If playing solo or cooperatively, an unused **Hero Card** and **Order Token** are chosen for the **Dummy Player**. Place 3 **Crystals** matching the hero card's depiction into its inventory. Shuffle the **Hero Deck** (basic action cards).
3. **Enemy and Ruin Tokens**: Shuffle all **Enemy** and **Ruin Tokens** into seven face-down piles.
4. **Artifacts**: Shuffle the **Artifacts** into a face-down pile.
5. **Wound Cards**: Stack the **Wound Cards** face up.
6. **Spell and Advanced Action Decks**: Shuffle **Spell** and **Advanced Action** cards into two separate face-down decks. Reveal the top 3 cards from each deck, placing them face up as the current offers.
7. **Unit Offers**: Shuffle **Regular** and **Elite Units** into two face-down decks. Reveal a number of **Regular Units** equal to the number of players (excluding the dummy) plus 2, placing them face up as the unit offer.
8. **Day/Night Board and Mana Dice**: Place the **Day/Night Board** with the day side up. Roll a number of **Mana Dice** equal to the number of players (excluding the dummy) plus 2. Reroll any black or gold dice until at least half of the displayed dice show basic colors (red, green, blue, white).
9. **Tactic Cards**: Display the **Day Tactic Cards** and set the **Night Tactic Cards** aside.
10. **Tile Deck (Scenario Specific)**:
    • Separate **Core (brown) Tiles** into **City** and **Non-City** piles. Choose the appropriate number of each as specified by your chosen **Scenario** and shuffle them together.
    • Randomly pick **Countryside (green) Tiles** as specified by the scenario. Shuffle these and place them on top of the **Core Tile** deck.
11. **Map Setup**: Place the **Starting Tile** as indicated by the scenario. Reveal 2 or 3 additional tiles (depending on the scenario's instructions) and place them as depicted, handling any revealed **Sites** immediately.
12. **Player's Area**: Each player sets up their personal area:
    • Stack **Level Tokens** face up, with the lowest on top. Place a blank **Level Token** in your unit area as a **Command Token**.
    • **Deed Deck**: Shuffle your 16 **Basic Action Cards** to form your **Deed Deck**. Draw 5 cards to form your starting hand.
    • Place your **Shields** on the '0' space of both the **Fame** and **Reputation Tracks**.
    • Shuffle your **Skill Tokens** into a face-down pile.

The Game Turn

A game of Mage Knight is played over a series of **Rounds**, each divided into several phases, and within each round, players take individual **Turns**. Let's break down how a round and your turn flow.

Round Structure

Each round follows these steps:

1. **Prepare**:
   1. Flip the **Day/Night Board** to the appropriate side.
   2. Reroll all **Mana Dice**. If any black or gold dice appear, reroll them until at least half of the dice show basic colors.
   3. **New Unit Offer**: Discard any remaining units from the previous round's offer to their corresponding decks. Deal new units equal to the number of players plus 2. If no **Core Tiles** have been revealed, deal only **Regular Units**. Otherwise, alternate between **Elite** and **Regular Units**, starting with Elite.
   4. **Refresh Advanced Action and Spell Offer**: Discard the lowest valued **Advanced Action** and **Spell** cards from their respective offers. Move the remaining cards down to fill the empty slots, and draw new cards to replenish the top slots. For the **Dummy Player** (if applicable), add the lowest advanced action to its deck and shuffle, and add a crystal of the lowest spell card to its inventory (no limit).
   5. **Collect Tactic Cards**: Collect and display the appropriate **Tactic Cards** for the current day or night.
   6. **For Each Player**:
      • Flip any used **Banners** and **Skills** back to their ready side (you may discard Banners at this point).
      • Ready all your **Units** (flip them back to their ready side).
      • Shuffle all your **Deed Cards**, including any **Wounds**, back into your **Deed Deck**.
      • Draw cards until you reach your **Hand Limit**.
2. **Choose Tactic Cards**: Players choose **Tactic Cards** in reverse **Fame** order (or reverse round order for ties). Rearrange the **Round Order Tokens** so the player with the lowest Tactic number goes first. The **Dummy Player**'s Tactic choice is determined by the scenario.
3. **Player Turns**: Players take turns in the new **Round Order** until a player with an empty **Deed Deck** announces the end of the round instead of taking a turn. Once this is announced, all other players take one last turn, and then the round ends.
4. **Check Scenario for Game End**: After the round, check the **Scenario** rules to see if the game has ended.

Your Turn: Actions and Rest

On your turn, you have a choice: take a **Regular Turn** or **Rest**. You can also skip your turn if your hand is empty.

A. Regular Turn

During a regular turn, you can **Move** first and/or perform one **Action**. You can play special or healing effects at any time, except healing effects during combat. **Mandatory Actions (if applicable)**:

• **Player vs. Player**: If you end your move on a space occupied by another player, combat is initiated.
• **Fortified Site Assault**: If you enter an unconquered **Fortified Site** (like a **Keep** or **City**), an assault begins.
• **Attacked by Rampaging Enemies**: If you move between spaces adjacent to a **Rampaging Enemy**, you are attacked.

**Voluntary Actions**:

• **Interact with Locals**: At an **Inhabited Site** (like a **Village** or **Monastery**), you can interact with locals.
• **Explore Adventure Site**: Enter an **Adventure Site** (like **Ancient Ruins** or a **Dungeon**) as an action.
• **Challenge Rampaging Enemies**: Challenge adjacent **Rampaging Enemies** (like **Draconum** or **Marauding Orcs**) as an action.
• **Burn Monastery**: As an action, you can burn a **Monastery** (with a reputation penalty).
• **Do Nothing**: Sometimes, the best action is no action!

B. Rest

If you choose to rest, you can do either a **Standard Rest** or **Slow Recovery**. You must play or discard at least one card to rest.

• **Standard Rest**: If you have at least one non-wound card in hand, discard one non-wound card and any number of **Wounds**.
• **Slow Recovery**: If your hand consists only of **Wounds**, discard one **Wound**.

Playing Cards

Your **Deed Cards** are your primary tools.

• **Action Cards**: Can be played for their basic effect or powered with one corresponding **Mana** for a stronger effect.
• **Spell Cards**: Powered by one corresponding **Mana** for their basic effect. At night, they can be powered with **Mana** and one **Black Mana** for a stronger effect.
• **Artifact Cards**: Played for their basic effect or "thrown away" (removed from the game) for a stronger effect.
• **Wound Cards**: Cannot be played unless explicitly stated.
• **Any Non-Wound Card**: Can be played sideways for 1 **Move**, **Influence**, **Attack**, or **Block** point.

You cannot play a card if its cost is not paid in full. You cannot pay with **Wound Cards** unless explicitly stated.

Mana

**Mana** is crucial for powering your cards.

• **Pure Mana**: Comes from **Mana Dice** or **Tokens** in the common area. You must use it by the end of your turn.
• **Crystals**: **Mana Tokens** in your inventory (max 3 of each basic color). You can convert them to **Pure Mana** at any point during your turn.
• **Special Colors**:
  • **Gold Mana**: During the day, it can be used as any basic mana color.
  • **Black Mana**: During the night, it powers some effects.
• **Mana Source**: Each turn, you may take one **Mana Die** from the source, but you must use it. At the end of your turn, reroll and return it to the source.

Movement

You can play any amount of **Movement Effects** on your turn. Total your **Move Points** and spend them according to the **Terrain Cost**. You can move and/or explore any number of spaces.

• **Limitations**:
  • Movement ends and an assault begins if you enter an unconquered **Fortified Site** or an opponent's **Keep**.
  • You cannot enter a space occupied by a **Rampaging Enemy**.
  • You are attacked if your move takes you between spaces adjacent to a **Rampaging Enemy**.
  • Spaces marked with 'X' are inaccessible.
• **Explore**: You can reveal the top map tile for 2 **Move Points** if you are adjacent to an empty, valid space.
  • Corner symbols must line up, and the orientation must match the starting tile.
  • Tiles cannot be added behind a coastline.
  • **Country Tiles** must be adjacent to or border a tile that is adjacent to at least 2 other tiles.
  • **Core Tiles** must be adjacent to at least 2 other tiles.
  • If no suitable tiles are available, use a random country tile (removed during setup) or a non-city core tile if no country tiles remain. These must be adjacent to at least three tiles. You cannot explore if there are no more tiles.
• **Modifications**:
  • Terrain costs reduced to zero can be entered for free.
  • "Jumping" spaces (e.g., via a skill) doesn't provoke **Rampaging Enemies**.

Interacting with Locals

At **Inhabited Sites**, you can:

1. Play **Influence Effects** for **Influence Points**.
2. Total your **Influence** +/- your **Reputation Modifier** (no interaction if on an 'X' space of the reputation track). Gain +1 Influence per shield in a conquered city.
3. Spend **Influence** to buy any number and variety of things (only apply bonus/penalty once per turn):
   • Recruit a **Unit** if its type matches the site.
   • **Healing** (costs 3 Influence at a **Village** or 2 at a **Monastery**).
   • Pay 6 Influence at a **Monastery** to learn an **Advanced Action** from the unit offer.
   • Pay 7 Influence and **Mana** of the same color at a **Mage Tower** to learn a **Spell** from the spell offer.
   • Utilize corresponding **City** options.

Combat with Enemies

Combat is a core part of Mage Knight. It can be initiated in several ways:

• Entering an unconquered **Fortified Site** (e.g., **Keep**, **City**).
• Entering an **Adventure Site** containing enemies.
• Burning a **Monastery**.
• Challenging adjacent **Rampaging Enemies**.
• Being attacked if you move between spaces adjacent to a **Rampaging Enemy**.

**Combat Phases**:

1. **Reveal Enemies**: Reveal all face-down enemies in the combat.
2. **Ranged/Siege Attacks**: You can make any number of **Ranged** or **Siege Attacks**.
   1. Choose one or more enemies as targets.
   2. Play any number/type of siege/ranged attacks. You cannot play cards sideways for these attacks. Only **Siege Attacks** can be used if one or more enemies are **Fortified**. Enemies fortified twice cannot be targeted.
   3. Total your attack value. If one or more enemies are **Resistant**, halve the value of inefficient attacks (rounded down).
   4. If your attack value is greater than or equal to the total armor of all targets, the enemies are defeated. Discard them, and you score **Fame**.
   5. If your attack is less than the total armor, nothing happens.
3. **Block**: Enemies attack, and you use **Block Effects** to block them one at a time.
   1. For each **Summon** ability, draw a brown enemy to replace the summoning enemy. The summoning enemy cannot be targeted.
   2. Choose a single attacking enemy to block.
   3. Play any number/type of blocks.
   4. Total your block value. Total inefficient blocks and reduce by half (round down). All blocks are efficient against physical attacks. **Ice** or **Cold Fire** are efficient against **Fire**. **Fire** or **Cold Fire** are efficient against **Ice**. **Cold Fire** is efficient against **Cold Fire**.
   5. If your total block is greater than or equal to the enemy's attack (double for **Swift** ability), the attack is successful. Set aside the attacking enemy and discard any summoned monsters.
   6. If your total block is less than the enemy's attack, the attack is unsuccessful.
4. **Damage**: Assign damage to yourself and/or your **Units** for unblocked attacks, one at a time in any order.
   1. Each enemy deals damage equal to its attack (double for **Brutal**).
   2. You may assign damage to unwounded units. Place a **Wound** on the unit and reduce the damage by its armor.
   3. For **Resistant Units**: Reduce damage by armor. If all damage is absorbed, do nothing. Otherwise, wound the unit and reduce damage again (once per combat).
   4. Assign all remaining damage to your **Hero**. Put a **Wound** into your hand and reduce the damage by your armor. Repeat until all damage is assigned.
   5. If the number of **Wounds** you receive from combat is greater than or equal to your unmodified hand limit, you are **Knocked Out**. Discard all non-wound cards from your hand. Your units may continue to fight, and your hero can continue using skills and taking wounds.
   6. **Special Abilities** (e.g., **Poison**, **Paralyze**, **Summon**) are resolved.
5. **Attack**: Similar to the **Ranged/Siege Phase**, except:
   1. You can combine any attack types (ignoring fortification).
   2. You can play cards sideways as a physical attack of 1.
6. **Outcome**: Combat ends.
   1. If all enemies are defeated:
      • **Rampaging Enemies**: Remove tokens and gain reputation.
      • **Adventure Site**: Mark with a shield. Claim indicated reward at turn end.
      • **Fortified Site**: Mark with a shield. Claim reward (e.g., a **Spell** for a **Mage Tower**) at turn end.
      • **Monastery**: Mark with a shield. Claim an **Artifact** at turn end.
   2. If you did not defeat all enemies:
      • **Rampaging Enemy**: Stays in its space.
      • **Dungeon**, **Tomb**, or **Monastery**: Discard the enemy.
      • **Monster Den**, **Spawning Grounds**, or **Ruins**: Return remaining enemies. Replace defeated enemies at **Spawning Grounds**.
      • **Fortified Site**: Withdraw to your attacking space.

End of Turn

After your turn, follow these steps:

1. Return **Mana Dice** to the source and reroll them.
2. **Forced Withdraw**: If you are not on a safe space (e.g., a conquered site, your keep), backtrack your move until you are on a safe space, taking one **Wound** per space.