Goal of the Game

In Strained Kingdoms: STRIFULL, you take on the role of a faction Troop Leader, choosing between the Inquisition (purple banner) or the Mages' Initiative (blue banner). The main objective is strategic combat to remove all of your opponent's cards from the field. Victory is achieved by the player who is the first to eliminate all three of the opponent's lines.

Setup

To prepare the match, follow these steps:

1. Combat Deck Assembly: Each player must choose a faction and build their deck containing exactly 1 Leader Card and 30 Troop Cards.
2. Field Distribution: Each player places 18 random Troop Cards, face down, into their battlefield. They must form 3 lines in the ATTACK Zone and 3 lines in the DEFENSE Zone.
3. Leader Positioning: The Leader Card must occupy one of the three available positions in the center column (between the attack and defense zones).
4. Elemental Definition: The player must choose one of the elements and place the respective Elemental Stone Token on top of their Leader Card.
5. Table Organization: Set aside a space for the Draw Pile (remaining cards) and another for the Graveyard.
6. Initial Adjustments: You may perform up to 3 position changes (swapping one card for another or for one from the Draw Pile) to position your troops more advantageously.
7. Start: Both players roll the Dice; whoever rolls the higher value attacks first.

Gameplay Flow

The game is played in alternating turns. The flow of a turn follows this order:

1. Battle Movement (Optional): You may move a Troop to an adjacent space (in the same line or column) or switch Zones. It is also possible to swap a card from the field with one from the Draw Pile, sending the original to the Graveyard.
2. Leader Movement (Optional): The Leader can move within their column to any of the active lines of their field.
3. Use Leader Ability (Optional): Use the special power of your Leader Card.
4. Attack: Any of the nine cards in your ATTACK Zone can be used to attack.
5. Declaration and Reveal: The attacker declares the target (FRONTAL Attack or FLANK Attack) and the opponent reveals the Troop to be attacked.
6. Advantage Calculation: Calculate the difference between the attacker's Attack value and the defender's Defense value to determine the Combat Advantage.
7. Dice Resolution: Both players roll their Dice simultaneously. The Dice value is added to the Combat Advantage (if any).
8. Result: Compare the totals. The winner of the combat keeps their card revealed (unless an ability states otherwise) and the loser goes to the Graveyard.

Actions and How to Play

During the game, you must manage resources and positioning through the following mechanics:

Attack Types

• FRONTAL Attack: Performed against the first opponent Troop that is in the same column as the attacking Troop.
• FLANK Attack: If a frontal attack eliminates a Troop, the player may perform a flank attack against the Troops adjacent to the space that was left empty.

Elements and Bonuses

The Elemental Stones (Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth) grant a +1 bonus to Attack or Defense under the following conditions:

• By the Leader: If the Troop has the same element as the Leader and is in the same line.
• By Elemental Advantage: If the player has an advantage against the opponent's Troop element. The advantage table is:
  • FIRE beats WIND.
  • WIND beats EARTH.
  • EARTH beats WATER.
  • WATER beats FIRE.

Abilities

Each Troop has a unique Ability that can alter rules (such as forcing the opponent to defend, turning losses into draws, or granting Elemental Stone bonuses). Some abilities remain active as long as the card is revealed.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when a player manages to eliminate all three lines of the opponent's ATTACK Zone or DEFENSE Zone. Attention: When all three cards of a line are removed, the entire line is eliminated. If the Leader Card is in the eliminated line, it is automatically moved to an adjacent line.

Tips for Winning

• Elemental Synergy: It is advisable that, when building your deck, you choose your Leader's Token according to the majority of the elements of the cards that make up your field to maximize bonuses.
• Margin Management: Try to create situations where the difference between your Attack and the opponent's Defense is greater than 5 points, ensuring that the Dice result does not change the winner of the battle.
• Deck Building: For beginners, it is recommended to build the deck with at least 1 card of each Troop type and 2 other Troops of each Brigade of your choice.