Summoner Wars: Master Set – The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Itharia!

Hey there, Summoners! Ready to dive headfirst into Summoner Wars? I'm the senior editor at BoardGameBot, and I'm here to guide you through the epic battles that await in Itharia. Forget ancient rivalries and the desire for power stones for a moment, because today we're going to learn how to dominate the battlefield and crush the enemy Summoner!

Game Objective: The Hunt for the Enemy Summoner!

In Summoner Wars, you're not just a player, you're a Summoner! With your own Summoning Stone, you have the power to conjure fearsome warriors and cast devastating spells. Your objective? Simple: destroy your opponent's Summoner card. The one who is the last to have a Summoner in play is the great victor! Prepare to summon, move, and attack strategically to ensure your Summoner is the only one standing!

Setup: Setting Up the Battlefield!

Let's clear the table and prepare the ground for war! Follow these simple steps to get started:

1. Unfold the Battlefield and place it on a flat surface. Make sure the Draw, Magic, and Discard areas are facing each player.
2. Separate the 5 Dice and the 20 Wound Markers into piles accessible to all players.
3. Each player chooses a deck of cards. Each deck has a unique color and symbol for easy identification.
4. Grab your Reference Card. It will be your best friend during the game, so keep it close!
5. Now, it's time to assemble your starting army! Consult your Reference Card for the "Initial Setup" and position your cards on the Battlefield. Remember to orient the card text towards your side of the table, so everyone knows who commands what.
6. Shuffle the remaining cards in your deck and place them face down in the "Draw" space, forming your Draw Pile.
7. To decide who starts, each player rolls a die. The player with the highest value chooses who goes first. In case of a tie, roll again.
8. The starting player has a small difference in the first turn: they skip Phases 1, 2, and 3 and start directly in the Movement Phase. Additionally, they can only move 2 Units (instead of the normal 3). After that, the turn proceeds normally.

The Game Turn: Summoning, Moving, and Attacking!

A turn in Summoner Wars is a sequence of six phases. Pay attention to the order so you don't lose the rhythm of battle!

1. Phase 1: Draw

   Time to replenish your hand! Draw cards from your Draw Pile until you have 5 cards in hand. If your Draw Pile runs out, no problem, you continue with what you have in play and in hand. The war doesn't stop!

2. Phase 2: Summon

   This is where the magic happens! You can bring new Units to the Battlefield. To do this, you need to pay their Summoning Cost using Magic Points. How? By removing cards from the top of your Magic Pile and placing them face up in your Discard Pile. Each card removed is worth 1 Magic Point. After paying, the new Unit must be placed in a space adjacent to a Wall Card you command. If you don't have enough Magic Points or free spaces near your Walls, no summoning! You can summon as many Units as you want, as long as you have the cards, the magic, and the spaces.

   • Adjacency: A card is adjacent to another if it is in one of the 4 directly neighboring spaces (not diagonally).

3. Phase 3: Play Event Cards

   It's time to turn the tide with Event Cards! You can play as many as you want, one at a time, and their effects are resolved immediately. After playing, the card goes to your Discard Pile, face up. Oh, and Walls are a special type of Event Card! To play a Wall, simply place it in an empty space on your side of the Battlefield. They serve to protect your Units and, more importantly, as summoning locations for your new troops. No Walls, no new Units!

   • Vine Walls: A special exception! These Walls are not shuffled into your deck. You start with them in a separate pile and can place them in any space on the Battlefield, even on your opponent's side! They have 2 Life Points and can be placed under a Unit. Beware: moving off a Vine Wall can cost 1 Wound Marker if you roll 3 or less on a die.

4. Phase 4: Movement

   Move your troops! You can move up to 3 Units under your command, and each can move up to 2 spaces. Remember: no diagonal movements! Two Units cannot occupy the same space. Each Unit can only move once, unless a Special Ability says otherwise. Activating a Special Ability that requires movement, even if it's zero spaces, counts as one of the 3 allowed movements.

5. Phase 5: Attack

   The moment of truth! You can attack with up to 3 different Units. They don't have to be the same ones you moved. Each Unit only attacks once, unless a Special Ability says otherwise. Resolve each attack before moving to the next. If you destroy an enemy Unit, its card goes to YOUR Magic Pile – a great way to get more Magic Points!

   • How to Attack: Roll a number of dice equal to the Attack Strength of the Unit. A result of 3 or more is a Hit. A 2 or less is a Miss. For each Hit, place 1 Wound Marker on the attacked Unit. When the Wound Markers equal the Life Points of the Unit, it is destroyed!
   • Sword Attack: Units with the sword symbol attack only adjacent cards (no diagonals!).
   • Bow Attack: Units with the bow symbol attack cards up to 3 spaces away, in a straight line (vertical or horizontal). Cannot attack diagonally, nor through other cards (Units or Walls) that block the line of sight.

6. Phase 6: Accumulate Magic

   End the turn by strengthening your magic reserve. You can take any number of cards from your hand and place them face down on top of your Magic Pile. This not only increases your magic but also frees up space in your hand to draw more cards next turn. You can look at the cards in your Magic Pile, but you cannot change their order.

End of Game and Scoring: Victory Belongs to the Last Summoner!

The victory condition in Summoner Wars is clear and direct: you win when you are the only player on the Battlefield with a Summoner still alive! There's no complex point counting, just the annihilation of the enemy Summoner. Keep your Summoner safe and attack your opponent's with everything you've got!

Rules for 3-4 Players: More Chaos, More Fun!

If you have more than one Battlefield, you can expand the fun to 3 or 4 players! Most of the rules are the same, but with some adaptations:

• Position 2 Battlefields side by side.
• Divide players into 2 teams. In a 3-player game, one player plays with 2 separate decks.
• Walls can be positioned in any space on your team's side of the Battlefield.
• Movement and Attack: Your Units can move and attack from one Battlefield to another!
• Elimination: If a player's Summoner is destroyed, they are eliminated. Their Magic cards go to their teammate's Magic Pile.
• Team Magic Accumulation: During the Accumulate Magic Phase, you can move cards from your Magic Pile to your teammate's.

Tips for Winning: Strategies of a Master Summoner!

To become a true master in Summoner Wars, pay attention to these tips:

1. Protect your Summoner at all costs: Remember, the goal is to destroy the enemy Summoner, but also to keep yours alive! Use your Walls and Units to create a solid defensive line around your leader. An exposed Summoner is a defeated Summoner.
2. Manage your Magic Pile wisely: The Magic Pile is your source of new Units and also your "currency" to summon them. Destroying enemy Units is crucial to increase your magic, but also consider sacrificing cards from your hand in the Accumulate Magic Phase to ensure you have resources to summon the right warriors at the right time. Think ahead!
3. Take advantage of Special Abilities: Each Unit has a Special Ability that can "break" the game rules. Read them carefully and use them to your advantage! A good Special Ability at the right moment can turn the game around. Remember that some are optional ("may"), while others are mandatory.

With this guide, you are ready to summon your armies and dominate the Battlefield of Itharia! May your summons be powerful and your attacks precise. Good luck, Summoner!