Objective of the Game

Welcome to Wonderland, where the tea parties are anything but sane and the Jabberwock has gone rogue! In *Wonderland's War*, you and your fellow players take on the roles of iconic Wonderlandian leaders, each fighting to restore the land to its former, wonderfully illogical glory. Your ultimate goal? To be crowned the new ruler of Wonderland! You'll achieve this by building **Castles**, completing **Quests**, and amassing the most **Victory Points (VP)** by the end of the third round. Get ready to rally your Faction, recruit Allies, and dive into epic battles – but beware the creeping **Madness**!

Preparation (Setup)

Alright, gather 'round, future rulers! Let's get this chaotic tea party started.

1. Place the **game board** in the center of your play area.
2. Shuffle the **Region Scoring markers** and place one onto each of the 5 **Regions**.
3. Choose one set of **Ally cards** (A, B, C, or D – for your first game, we recommend set A) and place all cards from that set next to the game board. Place the **Forge Ally card** next to them. Then, place the **Ally chips** on their respective cards. Return any unused Ally cards to the game box.
4. Shuffle the **Wonderlandian cards** and place the deck face-down next to the game board. Draw the top 3 cards and place them face-up beside the deck.
5. Depending on their type (figure or chips), place the matching **Wonderlandian standee** or 2 **chips** next to the face-up cards. Keep the remaining Wonderlandian standees and chips to the side.
6. Place the **Madness chips**, **Shards**, and **Shard die** in the center of the Tea Party area.
7. Shuffle each of the 3 **Tea Party decks** (Round I, Round II, Round III). From the **Round I deck**, deal cards face-up to the Tea Party spaces based on your player count: 11 for 2 or 3 players, 12 for 4 players, and 13 for 5 players.
8. Place the **Round I deck** on the tea service tray next to the Head of Table space. Place the **Round II** and **Round III decks** aside for later.
9. Shuffle the **Quest cards** and place them to the side of the game board.
10. Place the **Starting Battle standee** in the Red Keep (unless it's a 2-player game, where this might differ). Roll the **Shard die** and move the Starting Battle standee clockwise as many **Regions** as there are Shard symbols on the die.

Now for your personal Faction setup:

1. Each player chooses a **Faction** and gathers their components:
   • 1 **Faction board** (use the 2-player side for 2-player games)
   • 14 **Supporters**
   • 5 **Castles**
   • 1 **Faction Leader standee**
   • 4 **Faction Starting chips** (values: 1, 1, 1, 2)
   • 6 **Faction Artifact chips** (value: 3)
   • 1 **draw bag**
   • 1 '50' **Scoring token**
   • 4 **Wager cards** (not used in 2-player games)
   • 1 **Starting Double Madness chip** (dark blue with 2 'remove unit' symbols)
   • 2 **Single Madness chips** (purple with 1 'remove unit' symbol)
   • 1 **Forge chip**
   • 6 **Faction discs**
   • 1 **Faction cube**
   • 1 **Shield token**
   • 2 **Ally Ability reference cards**
2. Place your **Supporters** and **Castles** next to your Faction board.
3. Place 4 of your **Supporters** onto the marked spaces of the 3rd Forge track on your Faction board.
4. Place 4 of your **Faction Artifact chips** onto the matching symbols on the right side of your Faction board.
5. Place 4 of your **Faction discs** onto the 4 matching upgrade spaces on the left side of your Faction board. Then, place another disc on the '1' spot of your **Leader Strength track** (sword icon).
6. Place your 4 **Faction Starting chips**, 2 **Faction Artifact chips**, 1 **Forge chip**, 1 starting **Double Madness chip**, and 2 regular **Madness chips** into your **draw bag**.
7. Place your **Shield token** 'Active' side up at the top left corner of your board.
8. Place 1 **Faction disc** at the start of the **score track**.
9. Place 1 **Faction cube** at the start of the **Battle track** as your Battle Strength tracker.
10. Draw 2 **Quest cards**. Choose 1 to keep face-down next to your Faction board and shuffle the other back into the Quest deck.
11. Return any **Wager cards** for Factions not in play to the game box.
12. Find the **Ally ability reference card** for the Ally chip set you are using (A, B, C, D) and place that side up next to your Faction Board. Return the unused Ally Ability reference card to the game box.
13. Place your **Leader standee** onto the Tea Party board at the Head of the Table.
14. The player who has most recently had tea is the first player! Distribute starting **Shards** based on the player order and number of players (refer to the chart in your manual). Place these next to your Faction board.
15. If you are playing as the **Jabberwock**, take a number of **Poison chips** equal to (number of players – 2). Place these next to your Faction board and return any remaining Poison chips to the game box.

The Turn of Play

*Wonderland's War* unfolds over 3 **Rounds (I, II, and III)**. Each Round has two distinct phases: the **Tea Party phase** and the **War phase**.

Tea Party Phase

This is where the chaos begins! During the Tea Party, you'll be zipping around the table, gathering resources, recruiting Allies, and preparing for battle.

Your Turn in the Tea Party

If you have fewer than 4 **Tea Party cards** from the current Round:

1. Move your Leader: Move your **Leader** clockwise any number of spaces to an unoccupied chair with a card.
2. Take Rewards: Take the **Tea Party card** and gain all of its benefits in any order you choose.
   • Units: Place the number of **Supporters** (or **Wonderlandians** you've recruited) shown in the top-left corner into a single **Region**. If a card has two unit placement icons, you can place each set into a different Region. If you run out of Supporters, you can move existing units from the board to a new Region.
   • Ally Chip: Gain the indicated **Ally chip** (weak or strong) and place it into your **bag**. If the specific chip is unavailable, you can take any equivalent level chip.
   • Any Ally: Choose any **Ally chip** and gain one at the indicated level (1 pip for weak, 2 pips for strong).
   • Shard Die: Roll the **Shard die** and gain that number of **Shards**, placing them next to your Faction board.
   • Shield: Flip your **Shield token** over to its 'Active' side if it was broken.
   • Wonderlandians: Choose one of the face-up **Wonderlandian cards** and place it near your Faction board.
     • **Figures:** If it's a **Wonderlandian figure card**, immediately place its standee into any **Region**.
     • **Chips:** If it's a **Wonderlandian chip card**, place the 2 item chips into your **bag**.
     After gaining a Wonderlandian card, draw a new one to replace it in the market.
   • Faction Abilities: Unlock one of your **Faction abilities** by removing a disc from it. You can unlock them in any order. Each Faction has 4 abilities: 2 that improve your **Faction Artifact chips** and 2 passive abilities.
   • Discard Shards: Discard the shown number of **Shards**.
   • Castle: Place a **Castle** into a **Region** where you don't already have one. Castles provide 2 Strength at the start of Battle if you have units there and score VP at the end of the game.
   • Leader Strength: Increase your **Leader Strength** by 1. If it's already maxed (6), you discard 1 Shard instead.
   • Discard Madness: Search your bag for 1 regular **Madness chip** and discard it permanently (you cannot discard your Double Madness chip).
   • Quests: Draw 1 **Quest card**, or draw 2 and discard 1 from your hand.
   • Split Cards: If a Tea Party card has a line through the middle, choose to gain rewards from either the top or bottom section. You always gain the Supporters shown and must roll the Shard die if its icon is in the top-right corner.
   • Corrupted Cards: If a Tea Party card has a grey background and a Shard die icon attached to a reward, you have two options: roll the Shard die and gain the Shards *and* the reward, or ignore the Shard reward and only take the other rewards.
3. Place Supporters: Place any **Supporters** gained into a single **Region**.
4. Passing the Head of the Table: If you reach the Head of the Table space, you must stop temporarily. Roll the **Shard die**, take that amount of **Shards**, and then refill all unoccupied Tea Party card spaces. You then continue your turn by moving to any open chair. You cannot pass the Head of the Table more than once per turn.

Leader Effects during Tea Party

Each **Leader** has a unique power they can use during this phase:

• Jabberwock: At the start of your turn, if no **Poison chips** are on the board, place 1 onto any card. If an opponent takes that card, they gain the Poison. If you take it, the Poison returns to your supply. (Poison chips, when drawn, make you lose 1 unit and return to the Jabberwock; they can be blocked by a Shield).
• Mad Hatter: Once per Tea Party phase, the Mad Hatter can refill all unoccupied card slots with new cards, then gain any card without moving.
• Red Queen: On each of her turns, the Red Queen may place **Supporters** from a single card into multiple **Regions**.
• Alice: Alice always moves counter-clockwise around the table when acquiring Tea Party cards.
• Cheshire Cat: When you roll a 2 or 3 on the **Shard die**, you may give 1 of the **Shards** you gain to any player.

End of Tea Party

The Tea Party phase ends when all players have collected 4 **Tea Party cards** and placed their **Leader** into a **Region**.

• All players gain 1 **Madness chip** from the supply and place it into their bag.
• The player(s) with the most **Shards** gain 1 additional **Madness chip** to their bag, then discard half of their Shards (rounded up).
• If there aren't enough Madness chips for even distribution, no players gain Madness. If the player(s) with the most Shards don't gain Madness, they don't discard half their Shards.

War Phase

Time to put those preparations to the test! In the War phase, you'll battle in each **Region** where you have units (Supporters, Wonderlandians, or your Leader).

Battles

Battles are resolved starting in the **Region** with the **Starting Battle standee** and proceeding clockwise.

• All players with at least 1 unit in the Region participate. **Castles** grant a Strength bonus but don't count as units for participation.
• Wagers (not in 2-player games): If you have no units in a Battle, you can place a **Wager** on who you think will win. Choose a card showing the Faction you predict will win and place it face-down. If correct, gain 1 weak **Ally chip** to your bag. If incorrect, gain 1 **Shard**. No chips or Shards are gained in a tie.
• Determine Starting Strength: Players gain Strength for each **Leader**, **Wonderlandian figure**, and **Castle** they have in the Region. Move your **Strength tracker (cube)** to this total.
• Drawing Chips: Players simultaneously draw and reveal a **chip** from their **bag**. (No peeking into your bag during the War Phase!)
• Play Your Chip: Resolve any "When Played" effects from the chip, Wonderlandians, or Faction abilities.
• Place Chip: Place the drawn chip onto the leftmost open space in your **Active chip track**.
• Madness Chip Check:
  • If it's *not* a **Madness chip**, proceed to advance Strength.
  • If it *is* a **Madness chip**, place it onto the leftmost open space of the **Madness track** and lose the indicated number of units. If you still have units, proceed. If you have no units left, you have busted and are out of the battle.
• Advance Strength: Advance each player's **Strength tracker** by their drawn chip's Strength on the Battle track.
• Draw Again or Halt: Players simultaneously decide to draw again or halt. If a player halts, they reach into their bag but bring out an empty hand.
• Is there a Victor? The Battle ends if:
  • All players have busted or halted.
  • A player has reached 25 on the Battle Track.
  • The only active player is in the lead.
  If not, repeat the drawing and playing steps.

The player with the highest Strength wins the fight, earning Victory awards and building a **Castle** in that Region!

End of Game and Scoring

The game concludes at the end of the 3rd **Round**, after all **War phases** have been resolved. The player with the most points (from **Castles**, completed **Quests**, and other **Victory Points**) wins the game and is declared the new ruler of Wonderland!

Tips for Winning

Here are a few pointers to help you navigate the madness and claim your crown:

1. Balance Tea Party Gains: Don't just grab the biggest unit rewards! Pay attention to **Ally chips** that synergize with your Faction, **Wonderlandians** that offer ongoing benefits, and **Forge chips** to unlock your unique Faction abilities. Sometimes, a well-timed **Discard Madness** or **Discard Shards** can save you from a crushing defeat later.
2. Strategic Unit Placement: During the Tea Party, carefully consider where you place your **Supporters**. You can't win every battle, so choose your fights wisely. Focus on **Regions** where you can gain a strong foothold, potentially build a **Castle**, and complete your **Quests**. Remember, Castles give you a starting Strength bonus!
3. Manage Madness and Shards: **Shards** can be powerful, but too many can lead to more **Madness chips** in your bag, which can cripple your battle efforts. Look for opportunities to discard Shards or Madness chips, and be mindful of your opponents' Shard counts, especially at the end of the Tea Party phase.