Game Objective

In Res Arcana, 2-4 alchemical mages compete for control of ancient Monuments and Places of Power. Your goal is to use magical Essences and items to build Artifacts, activate their Powers, and command Dragons. The mage who first reaches 10 or more victory points (VPs) when victory is checked wins the game.

Setup

1. Place the 8 Magic Items, the essence tray, and the 5x essence chips in the center to form the supply.
2. Set out the 5 Places of Power. For the first game, use the designated sides; in later games, randomly select which side to use for each.
3. Shuffle the Monuments. Place 2 face up and form a draw pile with the rest.
4. Give each player 1 of each Essence (including Gold) for their initial Essence Pool.
5. Select a First Player, who takes the First Player token.
6. Shuffle the Mages and Artifacts separately. Deal 2 Mages and 8 Artifacts to each player.
   • Each player shuffles their Artifacts to form a deck, has it cut by an opponent, and draws 3 Artifacts as their initial hand.
   • Each player selects 1 Mage and reveals them.
7. In counter-clockwise order, starting with the player to the right of the First Player, each player chooses 1 Magic Item.

Game Flow

A game typically lasts 4-6 rounds. Each round consists of the following steps:

1. Collect: Players resolve Collect abilities and may take Essences from their Components. This is usually done simultaneously, though players may request to go in clockwise order starting with the First Player.
2. Actions: Starting with the First Player and moving clockwise, players take 1 action per turn. This continues until all players have Passed.
3. Check Victory: At the end of the round, the game checks if any player has 10 or more victory points. If no one has won, all Turned Components are Straightened, and a new round begins.

Actions and How to Play

During the action phase, you may perform one of the following actions on your turn:

• Place an Artifact: Play an Artifact from your hand by paying its Placement Cost in Essences. Components enter play Straightened.
• Claim a Monument or Place of Power: Pay the Placement Cost to take one of the 2 face-up Monuments, the top card of the Monument deck, or a Place of Power from the center. Monuments always cost 4 Gold. Once claimed, they cannot be taken by another player.
• Discard a Card: Discard an Artifact from your hand to gain 1 Gold or any 2 other Essences.
• Use a Power: Use a Power on a Straightened Component. You must pay the cost (which may include Turning the Component) to apply the effect. A Power that does not involve Turning can be used multiple times per round, but each use counts as a separate action.
• Pass: End your actions for the round.
  • The first player to Pass takes the First Player token.
  • Swap your Magic Item for a different one from the supply.
  • Draw 1 card from your Artifact deck.

Technical Details

• Components: Includes Artifacts, Mages, Magic Items, Monuments, and Places of Power.
• Turning and Straightening: When a Component is Turned (placed sideways), its Powers cannot be used until it is Straightened, except for React Powers.
• React Powers: These are used out of turn in response to a specific condition. They do not count as an action and can be used even if the Component is Turned (unless the Power's cost requires Turning).
• Life Loss: Some effects force rivals to lose Life Essences. If a player lacks Life, they must lose any 2 other Essences (including Gold) for each missing Life. Players who have Passed ignore Life Loss.

End of Game and Scoring

Victory is checked after all players have Passed. A player wins if they have 10 or more points. Points are calculated from:

• Placed Artifacts, Monuments, and Places of Power.
• The First Player token (worth 1 point).
• Specific Place of Power victory abilities and points for Essences placed on them.

Tie-breaking: If multiple players have 10+ points and are tied for the most, the player with the most Essences in their Essence Pool wins, with Gold counting as double. If still tied, they share the victory.

Tips for Winning

• Manage your hand: Do not try to place all your Artifacts; instead, discard some to gain the Essences needed to place others.
• Synergy check: During setup, check if you have Dragons, Creatures, or ways to make Gold, as this suggests which Places of Power or Monuments will work best for your strategy.