How to Play Thunderstone Quest: Barricades Mode

Objective of the Game

In Thunderstone Quest: Barricades Mode, 1-6 players take on the role of Champions who must collaborate to protect the Village from destruction. The Village is under attack by foul creatures driven to the surface by something far more frightening. The Champions must improve their decks, form Parties, build Barricades, share cards, and gain levels in the all-new Prestige Classes to face the Guardian together. The game ends when the Champions destroy the Guardian before too many Village Locations are destroyed (based on the chosen difficulty). If the Guardian destroys too many Village Locations, the Champions lose. If the Guardian destroys the Village Locations by the end of the turn the Champions destroy the Guardian, it is a Pyrrhic Victory.

Preparation (Setup)

Setting up Barricades Mode is similar to the normal Thunderstone Quest setup, with a few changes:

1. Each Champion chooses 1 Prestige Class, placing it to the right of their Champion board.
2. Place the Guardian board, Lair side face up, below the rooms in the Dungeon, and place the Threat token on the 1 space. Place the new Wilderness tile showing the “Barricades Mode” side.
3. Place the 20 Destruction chits inside the Destruction chit bag and place the bag near the Village.
4. Place the 5 Barricades onto their respective Village Locations, inactive (red) side up.
5. Champions may optionally use Guild Sponsorships, but there’s no time for Side Quests, so they are not used in Barricades Mode.
6. No Champions start with Iron Rations.
7. Remove 2x Lantern and 2x Thunderstone Shard Starter cards from your deck and replace them with new Starter cards based on the number of players.
8. In Solo Mode, use fewer stacks of cards in the Village: 2 Hero stacks and 4 Marketplace stacks.

Flow of the Game

In Barricades Mode, the Monsters attack the Village each “night” (at the end of each turn), meaning Champions can take both a Village Phase AND a Dungeon Phase during the same turn. Champions take a single simultaneous turn using the following structure:

1. All Champions take their Prep Phase as normal, rolling Guardian dice, discussing plans, and placing their Champions.
2. All Champions who wish may take a Village Phase.
3. All Champions who wish may take a Dungeon Phase, resolving battles simultaneously or one at a time.
4. The turn ends with all Champions resolving lingering card effects, discarding, and drawing new hands before advancing the Threat token 1 space on the Threat Level track.

Actions and How to Play

Champions can perform several actions during their turn:

• Form or Join a Party: Champions in the same Dungeon Room may form or join a Party to combine their efforts. Parties combine Light values to move, Attack values to battle Monsters, and share rewards and penalties.
• Build Barricades: Champions at a Village Location with an inactive Barricade may combine to pay 10 gold to build the Barricade, flipping it to its active side. Active Barricades cancel Destruction chits.
• Roll Guardian Dice: At the beginning of each Prep Phase, Champions roll Guardian dice based on the current Threat Level. The dice determine the strength of the Monster Horde attacking the Village.
• Level Up Heroes: Champions can level up Heroes by visiting the Guilds’ Quarter or using abilities.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when the Champions destroy the Guardian before too many Village Locations are destroyed (based on the chosen difficulty). If the Guardian destroys too many Village Locations, the Champions lose. If the Guardian destroys the Village Locations by the end of the turn the Champions destroy the Guardian, it is a Pyrrhic Victory. The Champions win if they destroy the Guardian before the Village is destroyed.

Tips for Winning

• Coordinate with Your Party: Forming a Party allows Champions to combine their strengths and share resources, making it easier to defeat powerful Monsters and Guardians.
• Build Barricades Early: Building Barricades early can protect Village Locations from Destruction chits, giving the Champions more time to prepare for the Guardian.
• Focus on Leveling Up: Leveling up Heroes and gaining Ranks in your Prestige Class can significantly increase your power, making it easier to defeat Monsters and the Guardian.