# Tyrants of the Underdark: Board Game

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2021
- **BGG Rating**: 8.2
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 4)
- **Duration**: 90 min
- **Weight**: 2.46 / 5
- **Designers**: Andrew Veen, Peter Lee, Rodney Thompson
- **Artists**: Aaron J. Riley, Adam Paquette, Alex Aparin, Arnie Swekel, Ben Wootten, Brian Hagan, Bryan Syme, Carlos Nunez de Castro Torres, Claudio Pozas, Conceptopolis, Craig J. Spearing, Damien Mammoliti, Daren Bader, Emily Fiegenschuh, Eric Belisle, Eva Widermann, Francis Tsai, Guido Kuip, Héctor Ortiz, Howard Lyon, Ilich Henriquez, Jacob Masbruch, James Zhang, Jason Engle, Jason Juta, Jesper Ejsing, Jim Nelson, John-Paul Balmet, Julie Dillon, Kieran Yanner, Klaus Pillon (I), Lars Grant-West, Marc Sasso, Marcel Mercado, Marco Nelor, Matias Tapia, McLean Kendree, Milivoj Ceran, Olga Drebas, Ralph Horsley, Raymond Swanland, Richard Whitters, Rick Hershey, Rob Alexander, Ryan Pancoast, Sam Burley, Sławomir Maniak, Stephen Tappin, Steve Ellis (I), Todd Harris, Tomasz Jedruszek, Tyler Jacobson, Tyler Walpole, Vance Kovacs, Wayne England, William O'Connor
- **Publishers**: Gale Force Nine, LLC, Across the Board, Hasbro, Lavka Games, Wizards of the Coast
- **Categories**: Fantasy, Fighting
- **Mechanics**: Area Majority / Influence, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building

## Verdict
Perfect for those who love aggressive strategy and want to feel the political intrigue of D&D.Perfect mix of deck-building and area controlDirect and competitive interactionDrow theme is very well implementedComplete edition with expansion includedModerate learning curve for newcomersLanguage dependency requires translationRECOMMENDED

## Description
Get ready to dive into the depths of the Underdark, where betrayal is the currency and ambition knows no bounds. In Tyrants of the Underdark, you take command of a Drow house with a simple but brutal goal: dominate the region beneath the Sword Coast. The game blends the tension of territory control with the strategy of deck-building. Your army is represented by minion cards, each belonging to one of the five aspects of Drow society. Do you want to be the one who recruits frantically and promotes allies to the inner circle to secure extra points? Or do you prefer the path of malice, wiping out opposing troops with precise assassinations?

The dynamics revolve around two main resources: influence and power. Use influence to recruit new minions from the central marketplace, strengthening your deck. Power, on the other hand, is what puts your troops on the board, allowing you to expand your domain, manipulate city politics, and, of course, annihilate the competition. The strategy is deep: you must balance the improvement of your deck with your physical presence on the map. Whoever controls strategic sites and promotes the most valuable minions to the inner circle ends the game with the crown. It's worth noting that this 2021 printing is the definitive version, already including the Aberrations & Undead expansion, bringing even more creature variety and tactics to your table. If you enjoy strategy games where resource management meets territorial disputes, this game is a treat. Player interaction is constant and aggressive, so don't expect peace; expect intrigue and sudden twists!

## How to Play
Game Objective
In Tyrants of Umbreterna, you take on the role of a drow house leader, competing to dominate the underground regions of Umbreterna. Your goal is to accumulate Victory Points (VP) through:

  Recruiting powerful minions for your deck
  Assassinating enemy troops
  Controlling strategic regions on the Game Board

The player with the most VP at the end of the game wins.

Setup

  Assemble the Game Board based on player count:
    
      2 players: Use only the central section
      3 players: Central section + 1 outer section
      4 players: All 3 sections
    
  
  Choose 2 faction decks (40 cards each), shuffle them to form the market deck
  Place the Priestesses of Lolth and House Guards cards face-up in the market
  Draw 6 cards from the top of the market deck to the Market Cards slots
  Place white troops on all spaces marked with "X"
  Each player receives:
    
      A drow house board and pieces in their chosen color
      7 Noble cards + 3 Soldier cards to form their starting deck
      5 starting cards in hand
    
  


Game Flow
Each turn follows this sequence:

  Action Phase: Play cards and spend resources to:
    
      Assassinate troops
      Position troops
      Recruit cards
      Return enemy spies
    
  
  End Phase:
    
      Promote cards if needed
      Gain VP from control markers
      Discard all used and hand cards
      Draw 5 new cards
    
  

The game continues in clockwise rounds until an end-game condition is triggered.

Actions and How to Play
Basic Actions (spending resources)

  Assassinate troop (ⓕⓕⓕ): Remove an enemy troop where you have Presence
  Position troop (ⓕ): Place a troop in an empty space where you have Presence
  Recruit card (⚡): Buy cards from the market by paying their cost in Influence
  Return spy (ⓕⓕⓕ): Send an enemy spy back to its owner


Special Actions (via cards)

  Usurp: Assassinate a troop and place yours in the same space
  Infiltrate spy: Place a spy in any region (no Presence required)
  Promote: Move cards to your inner circle (worth VP at game end)

Refer to the manual for details on special abilities like Focus and arrow costs (►).

End Game and Scoring
The game ends when:

  A player places their last troop OR
  The market deck runs out

The match continues until the current round ends. Calculate final VP by adding:

  VP value of controlled regions (+2 VP for Total Control)
  1 VP per troop in the Trophy Hall
  VP value of cards in deck, hand, and discard (deck icon)
  VP value of cards in the inner circle
  VP markers collected during the game


Winning Tips

  Prioritize Total Control: Regions with control markers grant extra VP during and at game end
  Balance your deck: Remove weak cards (like Soldiers) to increase play efficiency
  Use spies strategically: They allow actions in distant regions without needing troops

## FAQ
### Is the game too complex for non-RPG players?
Not at all! While based on D&D, the rules are independent of the RPG. If you've played any deck-builder, you'll pick it up quickly.

### How long does a game take?
Usually around 90 minutes, though it may vary depending on how aggressive players are with area control.

### Do I need a translation to play?
Yes, there is moderate language dependency. The cards have important text, so a translation sheet or translated cards are recommended.

### How many people can play?
From 2 to 4 players. The experience changes significantly between a tense 2-player duel and 4-player anarchy.

### What's included in the 2021 version?
This is the 'Big Box' version, which already includes the base game and the Aberrations & Undead expansion.

## Price Comparison
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