# Return to Dark Tower: Covenant ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2023 - **BGG Rating**: 8.5 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 100-120 min - **Weight**: 3.00 / 5 - **Designers**: Brian Neff, Justin D. Jacobson, Noah Cohen, Rob Daviau - **Artists**: Eleonor Piteira, Martin Mottet, Nastya Lehn - **Publishers**: Restoration Games, Broadway Toys LTD - **Categories**: Adventure, Expansion for Base-game, Fantasy, Fighting - **Mechanics**: Area Movement, Cooperative Game, Events, Random Production, Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game, Trading, Variable Player Powers, Variable Set-up ## Verdict If you're already digging the vibe of Return to Dark Tower, this expansion is a treasure trove for those who crave more and more challenge!More heroes and powersNew treasures and itemsExtra difficulty challengesContent for replayabilityRequires the base gameCan increase complexityHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Get ready to dive headfirst into another epic adventure with Return to Dark Tower: Covenant! This expansion supercharges the base game with a ton of new content that will keep everyone hooked. Check it out: there are four brand-new heroes for you to choose from, each with their own unique tricks and powers. Just imagine: the Reverent Astromancer, the Roguish Trickster, the Indomitable Guardian, and the Fearless Aegis joining your team! Plus, there are new miniatures, exclusive hero boards, a bunch of virtue tokens, and spells to boost your heroes. And it doesn't stop there! The expansion brings 8 powerful Monuments and cards to give you that extra edge, along with offerings and foundation tokens to make everything more strategic. For those who enjoy an extra challenge, Covenant adds 14 Doom Skulls (which stick to the building and won't budge!), 6 ward tokens, and 32 Wasteland tokens that will complicate your journey across the map. Oh, and the treasures? There are 20 new ones, including Wands, which use charge tokens to unleash awesome effects. And for those who like to crank up the difficulty, there are 12 new and tougher Corruptions. All of this is designed to give you more content and replayability in your fight against the Dark Tower. It's for those who already love the base game and want more and more challenges! ## How to Play Objective of the Game Before the Dark Tower rose, the people of the Four Kingdoms prospered under the protection of the gods of light, who were bound by an ancient covenant. As faith faded, so did the gods' power. Now, the Tower's malevolence blights the lands. Heroes must make offerings and erect great monuments to reforge the Covenant of the Light, regain the gods' favor, and turn the tide against this powerful threat. Preparation (Setup) World Setup Create separate supplies for blessing cards, wasteland tokens, offering tokens, charge tokens, and doom skulls. Keep doom skulls and regular skulls in separate supplies. Treasures If using only the new treasures, shuffle them to form the treasure deck and create a market of 3 cards. If combining new treasures with those from the base game, shuffle them together to form the treasure deck and use 4 cards for the market. Corruptions The new corruptions are more challenging. You can adjust game difficulty by the number of new corruptions shuffled into the corruption deck. For a more challenging game, use only the new corruptions from this expansion. Monuments The app will specify which monuments to include and their assigned kingdoms. For each monument, remove the corresponding building from its kingdom (as indicated on the matching monument card) and return it to the box. Place a foundation tile in that building's space. Place the monument and its monument card (offering-side up) near that kingdom. Skulls cannot be placed on foundations, and foundations do not count as buildings. Any skulls that would be placed on a removed building during setup remain in the supply. The Arch of the Golden Sun replaces a bazaar. Heroes Setup instructions for new heroes are in their respective sections. If a hero starts in a kingdom without a citadel, place the hero as normal in the citadel space where the foundation tile is. Undaunted Aegis: Draw a random corruption from the corruption deck and place it on their hero board. Relentless Warden: Take the quarry token. Reverent Astromancer: Start with spell cards in hand. Set invocation cards aside. Create a supply of protection tokens near your hero board. Game Setup Follow the base game setup with the changes listed above. Fluxo do Jogo Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Ações e Como Jogar Building Monuments Monuments are grand structures honoring the gods of light. They start unbuilt, represented by foundation tiles. Four monuments are used per game, one in each kingdom, replacing one building of each type. Building a monument unlocks powerful effects and slows the spread of wastelands. Each monument has a unique condition on its card that generates offerings. Whenever any hero meets this condition (regardless of hero, kingdom, or turn), place an offering token on the foundation. A foundation tile can hold a maximum of three offering tokens. Once a foundation has three offering tokens, any hero can complete the monument by taking the Build action in that space. Build is a new heroic action used solely to complete a monument. Like all heroic actions, you gain two spirit after completing it. When you build a monument: Indicate completion in the app (go to the monument screen and hold the button). Return the offering tokens to the supply. Remove the foundation tile from the game and place the matching monument in its space. Flip the monument card to its completed side. Example: If the Argent Oak foundation is in the Northern Kingdom and an offering marker is placed when any hero gains a corruption, and it currently has two offerings, gaining another corruption immediately adds the third offering. Then, a hero can use the Build action on a future turn to complete it. Completed Monuments A completed monument counts as a building of the type it replaced. For example, you could place a skull on the Moonstone Temple if an effect said to place a skull on a sanctuary. Each monument can hold up to three skulls, like buildings. If a monument would receive its fourth skull, it is destroyed. The player whose home kingdom it is in gains a corruption as normal. The Endless Necropolis can hold any number of skulls and is not destroyed when it receives a fourth skull. When a monument is destroyed, remove the monument and all four skulls from the game. Indicate destruction in the app (hold the button for the corresponding monument). Each completed monument has the free Reinforce effect of the building it replaced. It also has a new enhanced Reinforce effect, which replaces the normal enhanced effect of that building type. The completed side of the monument card describes this enhanced effect and its cost. Reinforcing at a completed monument counts as a normal Reinforce action. Completed monuments also generate beneficial effects that appear as events. Wastelands Wastelands are areas blighted by the Tower. The app will instruct you when and where to place wasteland tokens. A space with a wasteland token loses its terrain type and cannot gain a terrain type from other effects (e.g., siege trees). When a hero enters a wasteland, they cannot leave that space for the remainder of the turn, even by movement effects. Wasteland tokens can only be removed by effects that expressly remove them. Once a monument has been completed, spaces in that kingdom will no longer gain wasteland tokens. Example: If you (Devious Swindler) move to a Muted Forest that is a wasteland, you will not gain the benefit of your Champion of the West virtue (2 Wild Advantages in Forests). After battling, the wasteland prevents further movement. Doom Skulls Doom skulls are special black skulls used alongside regular skulls from the base game. The app will trigger "Creeping Doom" events, instructing you to drop a certain number of doom skulls into the Tower. Resolve any skulls that tumble out by placing them on a building (including a completed monument) in the kingdom where they emerged. Doom skulls cannot be cleansed, removed, moved, or returned to the supply by any effect. They count as regular skulls for other effects (e.g., battle cards causing losses based on adjacent skulls). Doom skulls are only removed from the game when the building they are on is destroyed. Note: The Tower sensor turns off during a Creeping Doom event, meaning the turn counter will not advance, and no additional events will trigger. Example: If you (Undaunted Aegis) use the Wand of Pacification to remove skulls, four normal skulls might be removed, but one doom skull on the citadel remains. Treasures: Wands Wands are a new type of treasure card that use charge tokens. When you acquire a wand, it starts with a number of charges indicated on the card. Take that many charge tokens from the supply and place them on the card. On your turn, you can use a wand by spending charges to trigger its effect, returning the charge tokens to the supply. You can gain additional charges as indicated on the card. There is no limit to the number of charges a wand can hold; use a proxy if you run out of charge tokens. Blessings Blessings are gained from various effects (e.g., Reverent Astromancer's Bestow Blessing spell, Azkol's Vambraces treasure, Moonstone Temple's event). You can spend a blessing during a heroic action to gain a Wild Advantage. At the end of your turn, lose any unspent blessings. You cannot keep blessings for another turn. Blessings are not items and cannot be traded. When a blessing is spent or lost, it is returned to the supply. The supply of blessings is limited; do not use a proxy if it runs out. New Heroes Undaunted Aegis: May have up to three corruptions (indicated by an extra slot on their hero board). Ascetic virtue: Gain a spirit immediately after confirming a battle card you spent no Advantages on. This spirit can be used for subsequent cards in the same battle. Resolute virtue: The cost to take any enhanced Reinforce action is reduced by one spirit for each corruption you have. If the Reinforce glyph faces your home kingdom, you must still spend one spirit for a Reinforce action. Relentless Warden: Starts with the quarry token. Banner action: Assign the quarry token to any foe (including the adversary) by placing it on their token. That foe is now your quarry. If the quarry token is already on a foe, you may instead move your quarry up to two spaces. You cannot move your quarry token to another foe until your quarry is removed from the board. If your quarry is defeated or removed, return the quarry token to your hero board; you may reassign it with your next Banner action. Instinctive virtue: When a "Foe Strike" event occurs and your quarry token is on a foe of that type, you may remove the token to your hero board. If you do, ignore the event effects for that specific foe (including the adversary). You still resolve the event for other foes of that type. Devious Swindler: When you roll the haggle die for your Banner action, gain any result shown on the die (the result has no effect). You may always take your Reinforce action as normal, even if you roll a result. Inventive virtue: Gains only regular Advantages (black background) in the treasure market. Cannot use conditional Advantages (gray background). Reverent Astromancer: Has six spell cards and four invocation cards. Starts with spells in hand, invocations set aside. Creates a supply of protection tokens. Pious virtue: Prepares spells at the start of each month, equal to the month number (e.g., one spell in month one, two in month two). Choose spells after monthly quests are revealed but before the first player's turn. To prepare a spell, move it from hand to face-up near your hero board. Set aside unprepared spells for the month. Cast each prepared spell once per month, anytime during your turn. Casting a spell is not an action. Resolve its effect, then return it to your hand. Zealous virtue: Gain a blessing after resolving a spell's effect. Cannot cast a spell if it would have no effect (e.g., solely for the blessing). Exalted virtue: Add the four invocation cards to your hand. At the start of future months, prepare and cast invocations like other spells. Casting an invocation counts as casting a spell for other effects. Cannot keep prepared spells or invocations month-to-month. At month's end, return uncast spells/invocations to hand. Example: At the start of month two, you (Reverent Astromancer) prepare Aura of Friendship and Ritual of Warding. You cast Ritual of Warding to place a protection token, then return it to hand. At month's end, Aura of Friendship is uncast and returned to hand. Example: At the beginning of month three, you prepare three spells. Having unlocked Exalted virtue, you can prepare invocations. You choose Ritual of Warding, Bounty of the Gods, and the invocation Commanding Rebuke. Reverent Astromancer Spells & Invocations AURA OF FRIENDSHIP: When cast, you can use the Reinforce effect of any building on the board when you take a Reinforce action. Pay any cost as normal. This includes completed monuments but excludes unbuilt ones. BOUNTY OF THE GODS: When cast, shuffle the quest item cards. Look at three, choose one to gain, and return the other two to the deck. At the end of the turn, return the chosen item to the deck if it hasn't been returned, even if another hero has it. RITUAL OF WARDING: When cast, place a protection token on your space. The next time a wasteland or foe would spawn on that space, the protection token prevents it. If a wasteland would spawn, do not place it. If a foe would spawn, do not place it, then remove that foe in the app on the foe status screen. Afterward, remove the protection token to your supply. (A protection token does not prevent the adversary from spawning.) SMITE THE WICKED: When cast, remove a savage or lethal foe from anywhere on the board. After removing the foe token, remove that foe in the app on the foe status screen. SOOTHING WORD: When cast, one hero on your space takes a corruption from their board and places it on the bottom of the corruption deck. Then, they take the top card of the corruption deck and place it on their hero board. (This does not count as gaining a corruption for effects like the Argent Oak's offering requirement.) Monument Offering Conditions Cenotaph of the First Prophet: Place an offering on the foundation tile when you defeat a foe in a wasteland space with the Battle action. You may be in another space if an effect allows it (e.g., using the Oakstone Bow). Removing a foe in a wasteland space via another effect does not count for this offering. Monument Reinforce Effects Cenotaph of the First Prophet: For the enhanced Reinforce effect, choose a virtue tile for any hero not in the game, remove one of your inactive virtue tiles from the game, and add the chosen virtue tile to your inactive virtue tiles. Fim de Jogo e Pontuação The players lose if the Undaunted Aegis would ever gain a fourth corruption. Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Dicas para Vencer ## FAQ ### Do I need the base game Return to Dark Tower to play Covenant? Yes, absolutely! Covenant is an expansion and adds content to the base game, so you need the base game to play. ### How many players does this expansion support? The expansion supports the same player count as the base game, which is 1 to 4 players. ### Does the expansion add many new rules or just more content? It adds more content like heroes, treasures, and challenges, but the core mechanics remain the same as the base game. Some new elements like Wands and Wasteland tokens add an extra layer of complexity and strategy. ### Does the game get harder with this expansion? Yes, Covenant introduces new Corruptions and tokens that can significantly increase the difficulty, offering an extra challenge for experienced players. ### What components come in the box? The expansion includes 4 new heroes with miniatures and boards, 8 Monuments, new treasures (including Wands), offering tokens, Doom Skulls, ward tokens, and Wasteland tokens, among other components to enrich the experience. ### Does the game use an app or digital component? Return to Dark Tower, including the Covenant expansion, uses an app (or website) that interacts with the physical tower to generate events and narratives, making it a digital hybrid component. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 44.97 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5753709&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 55.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5724266&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 56.07 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5048634&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 59.95 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6335589&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 63.52 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6860466&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 64.86 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6080500&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 70.45 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5230655&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 102.16 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4399661&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 125.48 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5060250&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/43780/return-to-dark-tower-covenant?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com