Game Objective: The Ultimate Duel in Cobble & Fog!

Prepare for an epic clash in Unmatched: Cobble & Fog! This is a game of frantic duels where legendary combatants from all eras face off. Your objective is simple, yet challenging: be the first to defeat your opponent's hero! This means reducing the enemy hero's hit points to zero. Each hero has a unique deck that reflects their fighting style, ensuring that every match is a different experience. You can even mix combatants from other Unmatched system boxes, but remember: in the end, there can only be one winner!

Preparation (Setup): Setting the Stage for Battle

Before diving into the action, let's set up the table for the confrontation. Follow these steps for a quick and headache-free preparation:

1. Choose the Battlefield: Select one side of the double-sided board and place it in the center of the table.
2. Choose Your Hero and Components: Each player chooses a hero (Dracula, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Invisible Man, or Sherlock Holmes) and takes all their corresponding components:
   • The hero's 30 action cards.
   • The hero's character card.
   • The hero's miniature.
   • The sidekick tokens (if any).
   • The health dials.
   • Any other hero-specific components (like Jekyll & Hyde's transformation token or the Invisible Man's fog tokens).

   First-time tip: If you haven't already, assemble the health dials by separating the two circles from the punchboard for each character and connecting them with a rivet.

3. Adjust Hit Points: Adjust your hero's and their sidekicks' health dials to the starting values indicated on the character card. Remember that sidekicks without their own health dial only have 1 hit point.
4. Shuffle and Draw: Each player shuffles their 30 action cards to form their deck and places it face down. Then, draw 5 cards to form your starting hand.
5. Youngest Player's Positioning: The youngest player positions their hero miniature on space 11 of the battlefield. Then, they position their sidekicks in separate spaces, but in the same zone where the hero is. If the hero is in a space that is part of multiple zones, the sidekicks can be in any of them.
6. Oldest Player's Positioning: The oldest player positions their hero miniature on space 22 of the battlefield, following the same sidekick positioning rules from step 5.
7. Who Starts? The youngest player starts the first turn.

Done! The stage is set, the combatants are in position. Let the battle begin!

The Game Turn: Actions, Strategies, and Combat

In Unmatched, players take turns, moving their combatants, playing scheme cards, and attacking their opponents. On your turn, you must perform 2 actions. You can choose two different actions or perform the same action twice. You cannot skip an action.

Possible Actions:

1. Maneuver

The Maneuver action is essential for positioning and for refilling your hand. It happens in two steps:

• Step 1: Draw a Card (Mandatory)

  Draw the top card of your deck and add it to your hand. If your deck runs out, your combatants are exhausted. If you need to draw a card in this situation, do not reshuffle your discard pile; instead, each of your combatants takes 2 damage immediately.

• Step 2: Move Your Combatants (Optional)

  You can move each of your combatants (hero and sidekicks), one at a time, by a number of spaces equal to or less than their movement value (MOV), which is on your character card. For each movement, the combatant must enter a space adjacent to the previous one.

  Important Movement Rules:

  • You can move a combatant through spaces occupied by allied combatants (your own), but you cannot end your movement in an occupied space.
  • You cannot move a combatant through spaces occupied by enemy combatants.
  • You can move your combatants in any order you wish, and by different amounts of spaces (including zero).
  • Boost Movement: When taking the Maneuver action, you can discard 1 card from your hand and add that card's BOOST value to your movement value. Ignore any effects on the discarded card.
  • Secret Passages (Specific Boards): Some boards (like the "V" in Cobble & Fog) have secret passages. A combatant can go from a space with the secret passage symbol to any other space with that symbol as if they were adjacent, costing 1 movement space. However, these spaces are not adjacent for other purposes (like melee attacks).
  • Fog Tokens (Invisible Man): The Invisible Man can move between spaces with fog tokens as if they were adjacent. Other combatants move through spaces with fog tokens as if they weren't there. Fog tokens can be moved through any combatant or token and can be placed in occupied spaces.

2. Scheme

When performing the Scheme action, you choose a scheme card (indicated by the lightning bolt icon) from your hand and play it face up on the table. Declare which of your combatants is playing the card (the active combatant). You cannot play a scheme card if the combatants listed on it are defeated. Resolve the card's effect, then place it in your discard pile.

3. Attack

The Attack action is the heart of combat in Unmatched. Follow these steps:

• Step 1: Declare the Target

  Declare which of your combatants is attacking (the active combatant) and which enemy combatant is the target.

  • Melee Attacks (fist icon): Can only attack a combatant in an adjacent space.
  • Ranged Attacks (target icon): Can attack an adjacent combatant or a combatant anywhere in the same zone, even if not adjacent.
• Step 2: Choose and Reveal Cards

  The attacker chooses an attack card from their hand and plays it face down. The defender can (but is not required to) choose a defense card from their hand and play it face down. Both players must choose cards that their respective combatants can use. When both have chosen, reveal the cards simultaneously.

  Versatile Cards: Cards with the lightning bolt and fist/target icon are versatile cards and can be used for both attack and defense.

• Step 3: Resolve Combat

  Combat resolution follows a specific order:

  1. Instant Effects: Immediately resolve any card effects labeled "instant." If there are two effects at the same time, the defender's is resolved first.
  2. During Combat Effects: Resolve any effects that occur "during combat."
  3. Determine Damage: The attacker deals damage to the defender equal to the value of the attack card played. If the defender played a defense card, subtract the defense card's value. Reduce the defender's hit points on the health dial.
  4. After Combat Effects: Resolve any card effects that occur "after combat." Even if a combatant is defeated, "after combat" effects are still resolved (unless the game ends).
  5. Other Post-Combat Effects: Resolve any other game effects that occur after combat, such as a hero's special ability.
  6. Discard Cards: All played cards are placed in their respective discard piles.

  Winning Combat:

  • The attacker wins combat if they deal at least one point of damage to the defender due to the attack (not from effects).
  • The defender wins combat if they did not take damage due to the attack (even if they took damage from effects).

End of Turn

At the end of your turn, if you have more than 7 cards in hand, you must discard the excess until only 7 cards remain, placing them in your discard pile. Then, your opponent's turn begins.

End of Game and Scoring: Victory is Near!

In Unmatched: Cobble & Fog, victory is clear and straightforward:

• Defeating a Combatant: When a combatant's hit points are reduced to zero (for any reason), they are defeated.
  • If a sidekick is defeated, immediately remove their token from the battlefield.
  • If your hero is defeated, you immediately lose the game.
• Winning the Game: The game ends immediately and you win when your opponent's hero is defeated (i.e., their hit points are reduced to zero).
• Team Games (3 or 4 players): In team matches, both opposing heroes must be defeated for your team to win. If all of a player's combatants are defeated, they are eliminated and no longer take turns.

Tips for Winning: Master Strategies in Cobble & Fog

To dominate the battlefields of Unmatched, some tactics are crucial:

1. Hand Management is Key: Your action cards are your most valuable resources. Use the Maneuver action to draw cards and keep your hand full, but be mindful of the 7-card limit at the end of your turn. Knowing when to use a card to BOOST a movement or an attack, instead of playing it for its effect, can be decisive.
2. Tactical Positioning: Movement is fundamental! Use zones and adjacency to your advantage. Ranged attacks depend on zones, while melee attacks require proximity. With heroes like the Invisible Man, use his fog tokens for extra mobility and enhanced defense. With Dracula, position yourself to use his special ability at the start of the turn, dealing damage and drawing cards.
3. Know Your Hero (and Your Opponent's!): Each hero has a special ability and a unique deck. Familiarize yourself with your own cards and your opponent's. For example, Dracula can regain health and bring Sisters back, while Sherlock Holmes can force discards. Knowing what to expect from your opponent can help you predict moves and plan effective counterattacks. Keep an eye on the discard piles, as they are public and can reveal valuable information about the cards your opponent has already used.