Goal of the Game

In Savage, players take on the roles of animal resistance groups that have united to counter-attack humanity due to the uncontrolled growth of cities. The goal is to conquer human territories by forming animal herds and accumulating Victory Points (VP). The player with the most VP at the end of the game wins.

Setup

1. Separate the cards into two piles: Animals and Humanity. Shuffle each pile separately.
2. Set the scoring tokens aside.
3. Reveal the first 3 cards from the Humanity pile and place them in the center of the table.
4. Each player draws 5 cards from the Animals pile.
5. The player who most recently visited a zoo goes first.

Gameplay Flow

Players take turns in clockwise order. Each turn is divided into:

1. Take 3 actions: Choose from the available actions (draw cards, create/reinforce herds, defend, move, attack, or use abilities).
2. Complete your hand: At the end of the turn, the player draws cards until they have 5 in hand (if they have fewer).

Actions and How to Play

Available Actions

• 1.1 Draw two cards: Take 2 cards from the Animals pile.
• 1.2 Create or reinforce a herd: Use an Animal card to form a new herd or strengthen an existing one (adds the strength of the animals).
• 1.3 Defend a Humanity card (only in Combat Mode): Place an animal to protect a conquered territory.
• 1.4 Move an animal: Transfer an animal between herds or to defense.
• 1.5 Attack a Humanity card: Use a herd with at least 2 animals to attempt to conquer a territory (compare the herd's strength with the target's defense).
• 1.6 Use an ability: Discard an Animal card to activate its effect (there are Action, Instant, and In-Play abilities).

Attack Details

• Attacks can be interrupted by Instant abilities.
• In Combat Mode, it is possible to attack other players' territories (adding the location's defense + the strength of the defending animals).
• Successful attack: Conquers the territory and gains its VP. Animals used in the attack are discarded, except for the weakest one (which becomes the defender).
• Failed attack: Discard the strongest animal in the herd.

Bonus Points

• Habitat Herds: All animals of the same habitat in the attack → gain VP according to the habitat (1 to 5 points).
• All-Habitat Herds: At least one animal from each habitat in the attack → 3 points.
• Species Herds: All animals of the same species in the attack → 1 point per animal.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when a player conquers 3 Humanity cards. The other players take one last attack (only against cards in the center) before the final count:

• Sum the VP of the conquered Humanity cards + bonus points.
• The player who ended the game gains 3 bonus VP; others who conquer 3 territories in the final attack gain 1 bonus VP.
• In case of a tie, the player with the most bonus points wins.

Tips for Winning

• Plan your attacks: Waiting to form herds with animals of the same habitat or species can yield more bonus points.
• Use strategic abilities: Instant abilities can sabotage opponents' attacks or protect your territories.
• Pay attention to Combat Mode: Defending your territories with animals prevents them from being stolen by other players.