Game Objective

In the Ragnarok scenario, the end of the world has arrived: the sea has frozen and the giants of Jötunheim are devastating the Runic Islands. Players take on the role of Viking clans who, aided by Valkyries sent by furious gods, must fight to defeat these giants. The greatest honor for a clan is to give their life defeating a giant, and the goal is to accumulate the highest possible score through their achievements and kills.

Setup

In addition to the base game setup, follow these steps for the expansion:

1. Replace the base game board with the Relentless North Map Board.
2. Each player receives a Valkyrie Board and 3 Valkyries of matching colors. The board should be positioned next to the Clan Board, with the Valkyries in their designated spaces.
3. Shuffle the Giants (keeping the point values on the back hidden) and place 1 Giant in each Region. Unused Giants return to the box.
4. Shuffle the 6 Valkyrie Cards and the 6 Giant Slayer Cards and add them to the Viking Deck.
5. Shuffle the 6 God Boards together with the purchase boards.

Game Flow

The game follows the base game structure, with the addition of new mechanics and phases:

• Phase 2: Performing Actions: During this phase, players can perform their normal actions or choose to Slay a Giant instead of playing a card for battle or action.
• Cleanup Phase: A new step has been added to this phase. You must reduce a god's Fury by 1 for each Giant present in a Region that possesses the Rune corresponding to that god (Fury cannot be lower than 0).

Actions and How to Play

Slaying a Giant

To perform this action, you must play a card face up and declare that you are Slaying a Giant. It is mandatory to complete the action once declared. The Strength of the Viking Card does not influence the outcome.

• Standard Requirements: Have at least 1 of your Valkyries and 3 of your Settlers in a Region with a Giant.
• Execution: You sacrifice the 3 Settlers (returning them to the Clan Board) and collect the Giant, keeping its point value secret. The Valkyrie remains in the region.
• Effect: The Rune of the Viking Card used increases the corresponding god's Fury by 1 (this does not grant the Blessing of Valhalla).

Special Combat Cards

• Valkyrie Card: When slaying a giant, the card replaces the need to have an independent Valkyrie token on the island.
• Giant Slayer Card: Reduces the action cost; only 2 Settlers are required in the Region and only 2 are sacrificed.

Valkyries and Movement

Valkyries are sent to the map when a player loses a battle and receives a Blessing of Valhalla. They have the following characteristics:

• Influence: Each Valkyrie is worth 2 Influence and counts as "boots on the ground."
• Restrictions: They cannot be sent via the Sail a Boat Action, do not count as Settlers for Attacking Settlers, and cannot be removed by "Punish a Settler" actions.
• Special Movement: Instead of a normal Explore with a Settler action, you may:
  • Move 1 Valkyrie to an adjacent Region.
  • Pay 1 Food to move the Valkyrie and carry 1 Settler.
  • Pay 3 Steel to move the Valkyrie and carry 1 Temple.

The Relentless North Map

Some Islands are divided into separate Regions separated by Land Borders. Each Region has its own Rune and Influence is counted separately.

• Exploration: It is possible to move between adjacent Regions by crossing a Land Border.
• Docks: When Sailing to a Dock on a border, you may send Settlers to one or both Regions (respecting the Sailing Action limit). The Docked Boat provides 2 Influence to both Regions.

Leader and Runic Actions

Valkyries and Giant Slayers can be played face up to perform Leader Actions or Runic Actions, but they have different requirements:

• Giant Slayers: Require that you have slain at least 1 Giant.
• Valkyrie Cards: Require that you have 1 or 2 Valkyries already deployed on the map.
• New Runic Actions:
  • Move a Giant to an adjacent Region (via Ferry Route or Land Border), provided the destination region does not have another Giant.
  • Raid a Village in a Region where you have at least 1 unit, without paying the Steel cost.

Temple Blockers

As long as there is a Giant in a Region, no one can build a Temple, Explore with a Temple, or use a Valkyrie to carry a Temple there.

End Game and Scoring

Consult the manual for details on the end-game trigger and general base game scoring. However, for the Ragnarok expansion:

• Giant Scoring: At the end of the game, the Victory Points indicated on the back of each slain Giant are added to the player's total score.

Tips for Winning

• Take Advantage of Wild Runes: Use the Wild Rune from Valkyrie Cards to improve any action or to strategically choose which god to receive the Blessing of Valhalla from and increase Fury.
• Optimize Transport: Utilize the transport capacity of Valkyries to move Temples (paying 3 Steel) or Settlers (paying 1 Food) to adjacent Regions, accelerating your expansion.
• Control the Fury: Remember that the presence of Giants in Regions reduces the Fury of the corresponding gods during the Cleanup Phase; slaying these giants is essential to maintain divine favor.