How to Play Rurik: Stone & Blade

Objective of the Game

In Rurik: Stone & Blade, a modular expansion for Rurik: Dawn of Kiev, players are vying for the throne of Kievan Rus against their sibling rivals. The core objective is to rise above your competitors by building epic structures, capturing enemies for ransom, and dealing with rebel opposition. The game is won by the player who has the most victory point tokens at the end of the game, as stated by the Victorious agenda card.

Preparation (Setup)

Follow the setup for the base game, with these specific changes:

1. Give each player two coins instead of three.
2. Add the four new rebel miniatures to those from the base game.
3. Shuffle the four new deed cards, marked with the core content icon, into the deed deck.
4. Before placing troop miniatures, shuffle the inheritance cards and deal three face down to each player. Ensure you use cards marked for the current player count. Each player selects two of these cards to keep and returns the other to the game box.
5. Each player places two troops on the game board instead of three.
6. After all players have placed their leader miniatures, in clockwise order, beginning with the first player, players each reveal their selected inheritance cards and gain the starting bonuses shown. Return all inheritance cards to the game box.
7. Each player takes three trade boon tokens in their color and places one below each of the three central boat columns on their household mat (wood, fish, honey).
8. Each player takes two stables and two taverns in their color.
9. Select five warfare reward tokens at random. Place them face up next to the claim board, with one token next to every space on the right side of the warfare track. Return the remaining token to the game box.
10. Place the victory point tokens off to the side.
11. Choose whether to play with intrigue cards. If you do, shuffle the intrigue cards and place three cards face up in a row, above the strategy board. Return the others to the game box.
12. If playing with Module A - Epic Structures:
    • Shuffle the Renowned agenda card into the agenda deck.
    • Shuffle the epic structure cards and reveal a number of them equal to the number of players plus one (e.g., five cards in a four-player game). Place these cards face up next to the game board. Return the others to the game box.
    • Place the matching epic structures below the revealed epic structure cards. Return the others to the game box.
13. If playing with Module B - Warfare:
    • Shuffle the new agenda, deed, and scheme cards, marked with the warfare module icon, into their respective decks.
    • Give each player a dungeon mat (they are all identical).
    • Give each player one new conversion token for multiplayer to place above the dock on their household mat.
14. If playing with Module C - Rebel Factions:
    • Shuffle the rebel faction cards and select one at random. Choose the side of the card with the desired difficulty level: easy (one victory point) or hard (two victory points). Place this card next to the game board, with that side face up. Return the others to the game box.
    • Shuffle the inheritance cards into a face-down deck. Make sure to use the cards marked for the current player count, including all cards chosen by players for their starting bonuses (as part of core content setup). Place this deck next to the selected rebel faction card. Return all unused cards to the game box.
    • Reveal the top card of the inheritance deck and place the rebel den in the region listed on that card.

Fluxo do Jogo

The game proceeds in rounds, with specific phases and events occurring. The expansion rules take precedence if there's a conflict with base game rules.

Intrigue Cards (Core Content)

If playing with intrigue cards, they introduce a new effect each round, with only one active at a time. At the start of rounds 2–4, the leftmost intrigue card activates. Some effects are immediate, while others are ongoing and remain in effect until the end of the round. At the end of rounds 2–4, flip the active intrigue card face down to signify its effect no longer applies.

Rebel Factions (Module C)

If playing with Rebel Factions, the rebel faction musters one rebel per round and has an ongoing effect that hinders players in all regions with rebels. At the start of the Claim Phase (before Step A), if the rebel faction has not been defeated, they muster one random rebel miniature as follows:

• If there are no rebels in the region with the rebel den, place the rebel in that region.
• If there are any rebels in the region with the rebel den, reveal the top card of the inheritance deck and place the rebel in the region listed on that card.

Releasing Troops (Module B)

If playing with Warfare, at the start of the Claim Phase (before Step A), you must release captured troops from your dungeon mat. When you release captured troops, gain the reward shown on the table. Upon release, return captured leaders and troops to their owners, and place captured rebels next to your household mat. You release captured leaders by themselves, but you only release troops and rebels in groups of two (i.e., two troops, two rebels, or one troop and one rebel). If you have a single captured troop or rebel on your dungeon mat, they remain there until the next Claim Phase.

Ações e Como Jogar

Players will take actions on their turn, which can include building new structures, engaging in warfare, and interacting with goods and deeds.

Inheritance Cards (Core Content)

Inheritance cards provide various starting bonuses such as troops, coins, goods, structures, schemes (top of deck), and deeds (top of deck). Some inheritance cards have a coin cost, requiring you to spend one coin to gain the bonus. When you gain a structure or troop from an inheritance card, you must place it in the region listed on the card OR spend one coin to place it in any region. If you do not want the bonus (or cannot pay its coin cost), you may forfeit it to gain two coins from the supply.

Trade Boon Tokens (Core Content)

When you completely fill a boat column that has a trade boon token below it, gain the trade boon token and place it on your dock. When accomplishing deeds or converting goods, you may spend one trade boon token from your dock in place of one good. You may spend multiple trade boon tokens at once. Return trade boon tokens to the game box when spent.

New Structures: Stable and Tavern (Core Content)

There are two new types of structures you can build: stables and taverns. Each region may still contain no more than three structures total, including no more than one structure of each type (no matter who builds them).

• Stable: When you build a stable, gain three movement points to use with any of your troops located in the region where you built the stable.
• Tavern: When you build a tavern, gain coins from the supply equal to the number of structures located in the region where you built the tavern (including the tavern itself). If you have not played a scheme card yet this turn, you may play the top card from the scheme discard pile and return it to the game box.

Warfare Reward Tokens (Core Content)

When you advance your warfare marker to a space on the warfare track that has a warfare reward token next to it (i.e., after every second attack), gain the reward shown on that token. The reward then remains available to the other players.

Epic Structures (Module A)

You can build epic structures to gain rewards and unlock effects. Epic structures do not belong to any player; their effects, once unlocked, apply to all players. They count toward the three structure limit in a region. On your turn, you may build one of the available epic structures. To do so, you must spend build points as normal in a region you occupy (i.e., where you have one or more troops). In addition, you must meet the listed restriction. Place the epic structure in the region where you have chosen to build it. Then gain the reward shown. When you build an epic structure, its unique effect is unlocked. Some epic structures have ongoing effects, and some have game-end effects.

• Border Fort:
  • Restriction: Must be built on the border between two regions.
  • Effect: On your turn, you may move one troop from one of these two regions to the other without spending any movement points. The Border Fort is not in either region and does not count toward the three structure limit in either region. You may not use the Border Fort to move into the region with the City Gate.
  • Reward: Draw one scheme card.
• Capital Port:
  • Restriction: Must be built in a region that produces fish.
  • Effect: When you tax in the region with the Capital Port, you may exchange any one good for any other good from the supply. If the good that you collect from taxing in this region fills a central boat column, you gain the trade boon token before you trigger the ongoing effect of the Capital Port.
  • Reward: Gain any one good.
• Catacombs:
  • Restriction: (none)
  • Effect: After the Catacombs has been built, players may not build any additional structures in the region with the Catacombs.
  • Reward: Gain two coins.
• Cathedral:
  • Restriction: Must be built during rounds 1–3 and replace your church. You must build the Cathedral in the same region from which you removed your church.
  • Effect: At the end of the game, the player who rules the region with the Cathedral gains one victory point token.
  • Reward: Gain one victory point token.
• City Gate:
  • Restriction: Must be built in a central green region.
  • Effect: When you move a troop into the region with the City Gate, you must spend one additional movement point.
  • Reward: Gain two tax points.
• Library:
  • Restriction: Must have accomplished one or more deeds.
  • Effect: When the Library is built, reveal three deeds and place them on this card. Once per round, when you move your leader into the region with the Library, you may exchange one of your deeds for any deed on this card.
  • Reward: Choose one deed card.
• Logging Camp:
  • Restriction: Must be built in a region that produces wood.
  • Effect: At the end of the game, the player(s) with the most wood gain(s) one victory point token.
  • Reward: Gain one wood and two coins.
• Palace:
  • Restriction: Must be built in a region occupied by multiple players.
  • Effect: At the end of each round, if your leader occupies the region with the Palace, draw the top card of the deed deck.
  • Reward: Gain one victory point token.
• Siege Tower:
  • Restriction: Must be built on the border between two regions.
  • Effect: On your turn, you may attack with a troop in one of these two regions as if it were in the other region. The Siege Tower is not in either region and does not count toward the three structure limit in either region. If you suffer a casualty during this attack, the troops you remove must be from the region where the attack occurred and may include the troop who used the Siege Tower.
  • Reward: Gain one attack point.
• Town Wall:
  • Restriction: Must be built in a region with two other structures.
  • Effect: When you attack an opponent in the region with the Town Wall, you must reveal one additional scheme card when you check for a casualty.
  • Reward: Gain one victory point token.
• Veche:
  • Restriction: Must place a troop from your supply on this card.
  • Effect: Once per round, when you move a troop into the region with the Veche, you may place a troop from your supply on this card. If you do, draw a scheme card. At the end of the game, the player(s) with the most troops on this card gain(s) one victory point token.
  • Reward: Draw one scheme card.

Capturing Troops (Module B)

Immediately after resolving an attack, you may attempt to capture the attacked troop (opponent or rebel). You may only attempt a capture if you revealed at least one scheme card during the attack and did not suffer a casualty. If you would normally reveal zero scheme cards during an attack (e.g., attacking a rebel or using Boris’s ability), you may voluntarily reveal one scheme card to check for a casualty in order to be eligible for a capture attempt. Before you attempt a capture, resolve the rest of the attack. If you attacked an opponent, advance your warfare marker. If you attacked a rebel, gain the reward (and, when applicable, use Sviatopolk’s ability to replace the rebel with one of your troops). When you attempt a capture, reveal one card from either scheme deck and check for a casualty, which will determine the outcome of the capture attempt. Then discard the revealed scheme card.

• If you reveal a scheme card with a casualty icon, the capture attempt fails. Remove the attacked troop from that region as normal and suffer the casualty (or double casualty).
• If you reveal a scheme card with no casualty icon, the capture attempt succeeds! Place the attacked troop on your dungeon mat.

You may not attempt a capture if you are out of room on your dungeon mat, which has a limit of five troops (one leader and four other troops).

Conversion Tokens (Module B)

The new conversion token functions like the conversion tokens from the base game. When you use it, flip it face down and perform the listed conversion. You may still use no more than one conversion token per turn. The new conversion token allows you to spend one defeated rebel and two coins to gain one attack point