Teach the Game
Build nine characters into a scoring square.
How you win
“Recruit nine characters into a three-by-three tableau. Their abilities fund later purchases, while their shields, locations and positions combine for points. The best-scoring tableau wins.”
The boards
A. Castle display — grey-backed characters. B. Village display — brown-backed characters. C. Messenger — indicates where you recruit this turn.
A turn
- Optionally spend one Key to move the Messenger or refresh its current display.
- Buy a character from that display and place it next to an existing card.
- Resolve its ability; it usually counts itself.
- Follow its Messenger icon, then refill both displays to three cards.
How the game ends
After everyone has nine cards, distribute leftover Gold onto purse cards up to their capacities. Score all character scrolls and gain one point per remaining Key. Unspent Gold breaks ties. See scoring.
Ways to score
| Source | When |
|---|---|
| Character scoring scroll | At game end, using your own tableau |
| Gold in purses | At game end, according to that purse’s scoring rule and capacity |
| Keys | One point each at game end |
| Face-down characters | Zero points |
What each resource is for
| Resource | Use |
|---|---|
| Gold | Recruit characters; fill purses at the end |
| Keys | Move or refresh the available market; score leftovers |
| Shields | Meet scoring and ability conditions |
| Castle / Village banners | Count location-based conditions |
| Tableau spaces | Build row, column and adjacency combinations |
Teaching tips
- Demonstrate a face-down recruitment: free card, 6 Gold and 2 Keys, no printed effects.
- Distinguish a permanent discount from an immediate gain.
- Place the first card without declaring it a fixed corner; later cards determine its final row and column.
- Show why one Key cannot both move and refresh the Messenger.