Cards & Components

Every Heart of Darkness component with a picture: the map, Expedition Sheet and charts, terrain and Water Markers, all Incident, Finding, Discovery, Special Discovery and Encounter chit faces, Resources, Patrons, Color Codes and the expedition markers.

Chit faces come from the VASSAL module by Jim Pyle, built from Legion Wargames’ counter art; the Lost chit, the icons and the Expedition Sheet come from the rulebook. Copy counts are those of the module’s five-player setup. Coloured dots are terrain dots: green Jungle, yellow Savanna and Veldt, brown Desert, blue Water Zone (legal chits). Effects are in our own words; the rulebook wins.

Boards

Picture	Description
	Map — the regions with their peoples, Ports of Entry, Presumed Terrain squares, Color Codes on every border, the Terrain chart, Drama Track, Patrons’ area, Turn Track and New Sources box (numbered tour). Water Zones require a Water Marker or printed river on a border; each Port of Entry and one neighbor also count as Water Zones. FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ
	Expedition Sheet (one per player) — Time, Askaris, Porters, Gifts, Food, the Matrix, the River Chart and the Sanity & Health track (numbered tour, Your Expedition). Time resets to current Health + 5; the first two Porters carry Resources only, not Food or Gifts. FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ
	Encounter Chart and Special Discovery Chart — the previous Encounter crossed with the current one, the Incident and Resource modifiers, and the 16 Special Discoveries (Encounters, Special Discoveries). Handle Discoveries before each player’s own first Matrix turn; a Special Discovery normally ends that player’s remaining Time. FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ
	Incident Chart — each Incident crossed with the land terrain and Water Zones, with its conditions (Incidents). FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ
	Resource Chart — what every Resource does, owned or spent (Resources). FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ
	Drama Point Chart — every way to earn DP (Drama points). FAQ FAQ FAQ
	Sequence of play — the flow chart of a Game Turn (Map Phase, Matrix Phase). FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ

Cards

Heart of Darkness has no cards: every Event, Encounter and Resource is a counter, listed under Tokens & pieces.

Tiles

Terrain markers

Picture	Description
	Jungle — 2 DP; costs 1 Time without a Machete; never next to Desert (Deciding terrain). FAQ
	Savanna — 1 DP; replaces a Jungle next to Desert.
	Veldt — 1 DP; replaces a Desert next to Jungle.
	Desert — 2 DP; costs 1 Time without a Canteen; never next to Jungle.

Water markers

Picture	Description
	River (10) — the river goes on upstream; draw again (Exploring upstream). FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ
	Fork (13) — two branches upstream; each placed Fork adds a Generic Source to the cup (More sources). FAQ FAQ
	Generic Source (18) — a dead end beside the river; 5 start in the cup, the rest in the New Sources box. Altimeter +1 DP. FAQ
	Waterfall (river, 1) — 2 DP, −2 Time; Painting +1 DP (scoring).
	Marsh (river, 1) — 2 DP, −2 Time; blocks the border; Painting +1 DP.
	Marsh (source, 1) — 2 DP, −2 Time; blocks the border; Painting +1 DP.
	Lake Source (2) — 2 DP, −2 Time; blocks the border; Surveying +1 DP.
	Largest Lake Source (1) — 3 DP, −2 Time; blocks the border; Surveying +1 DP.
	Mountain Source (1) — 2 DP, −2 Time; Altimeter +1 DP.

Tokens & pieces

Incidents

Black square behind the picture; five of each, twelve Rumors (Incidents). For returned chits. FAQ FAQ

Picture	Description
	Warband — Ambush-roll against your Askaris (none in a Jungle); lose a Porter and 5 Items, or chase them off and make an Ammo-roll (Warband). Only Food and Gifts count as Items for its loss; Resources are safe. FAQ FAQ
	Malaria — Health-roll; automatic −1 Health in a Jungle, nothing in a Desert (Malaria).
	Taboo — Sanity-roll, two in Desert or Jungle, none in Savanna (Taboo).
	Accident — lose d10 Gifts (+4 Water Zone, +4 Tusk) (Accident). If you cannot pay the full loss, the remaining penalty still costs a Porter. FAQ
	Storm — lose d10 Food (+4 Water Zone, +4 Wildlife) (Storm).
	Thirst — one loss of Health, Sanity, an Askari or a Porter; two in a Desert (Thirst).
	Lost — lose 1 Time, 2 in Desert or Jungle (Lost).
	Success — remove the Encounter in your slot, or choose one die result (Success). As the first Event, Success can clear the current Encounter and Finding before movement; no intervening roll is made. FAQ
	Impassable — first Event: keep out of Findings and Discoveries; second Event: return the one in your slot (Impassable). FAQ
	Rumor (12) — goes on a Village or Kingdom; activated, it leads to a Special Discovery (Rumors). Once activated, a Rumor stays in the Matrix until an Explorer enters it. FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ

Findings

Green edge, an hourglass: 2 DP and −1 Time when you deal with them (Findings). A slot holds at most one Finding. FAQ FAQ

Picture	Description
	Flora: Gum Arabica — on a Missionary, Healer, Plant or Tusk; Books +1 DP; “Science”.
	Flora: Devil’s Claw — as above.
	Flora: Centella — as above.
	Flora: Bitter Melon — as above.
	Flora: Rooibos — as above.
	Culture (a man with a horned headdress) — on a Village; Books +1 DP; “Science”.
	Culture (a woman with a painted face) — as above.
	Culture (a group of painted young men) — as above.
	Culture (three warriors in red) — as above.
	Scenery (a deep valley) — on a Wildlife; Painting +1 DP; “Exploring”.
	Scenery (zebras under an escarpment) — as above.
	Scenery (snowy peaks over a river) — as above.
	Scenery (a rain forest) — as above.
	Mineral: Silver — in an empty slot within two; Pickax +1 DP; “Finance”. A slot cannot hold a second Finding; a Mineral also needs an empty slot. FAQ FAQ
	Mineral: Zinc — as above.
	Mineral: Lead — as above.
	Mineral: Iron (2) — as above.
	Mineral: Gold (2) — as above.
	Mineral: Diamonds (2) — as above.
	Mineral: Copper (2) — as above.
	Mineral: Cobalt — as above.

Discoveries

Red edge, an hourglass, terrain dots: only the Discovery Procedure places them (Discoveries). Discoveries stay in the bag. FAQ FAQ FAQ

Picture	Description
	Mountain — green, yellow, brown. Altimeter +1 DP; “Exploring”.
	Mountain — green.
	Mountain (2) — yellow.
	Highest Mountain — green, yellow, brown; 3 DP.
	Lake (wide lake) — yellow. Surveying +1 DP; “Exploring”.
	Lake (long, narrow lake) — brown.
	Lake (slanting lake) — green.
	Lake (broad lake) — green, yellow, brown.
	Lost City (arched ruin) — green, yellow, brown. Machete +1 DP; “Exploring”.
	Lost City (stone tower) — green, yellow, brown.
	Lost City (carved gateway) — green, yellow, brown.
	Kingdom — brown. Offer Gifts to the King; Bible +1 DP; “Politician” (The King). FAQ
	Kingdom — green.
	Kingdom (2) — blue.
	Kingdom (3) — green, yellow, brown.
	Kingdom — yellow.
	Warrior Nation (5) — green, yellow, brown. An Askari dies unless you spend a Quinine or 1 Ammo; “Politician”.

Special Discoveries

Green background and a title; drawn at an activated Rumor (Special discoveries). Resolve a Special Discovery fully once drawn. FAQ FAQ

Picture	Description
	Christian Kingdom — 3 DP; +20 Food, lose all Bibles.
	Queen — 3 DP; a Rifle and a Revolver buy 20 Gifts, or lose an Askari.
	Madness — 3 DP; 10 Gifts for 5 Food, or lose a Porter and an Askari.
	Leprosy — 3 DP; give all Cannabis, or −1 Sanity and −1 Health.
	Plague — 3 DP; give all Canteens, or −1 Health and an Askari deserts.
	Wildman — 4 DP; a Revolver buys 2 more Time, or he takes up to 20 Food.
	Solomon’s Mines — 4 DP; Ambush-roll and Health-roll; no loss in the ambush gives 20 Gifts.
	Cursed — 4 DP; a Porter deserts, make a Health-roll.
	Kurtz — 4 DP; all your Quinine buys 20 Gifts, or he kills 2 Askaris.
	Kanger — 4 DP; lose all Gifts, then draw a random Resource if you lost any.
	Haunted — 5 DP; 2 Porters desert, make a Sanity-roll.
	Cannibals — 5 DP; −3 Ammo Stock, or lose an Askari and 2 Porters.
	Zombies — 6 DP; return Machetes and Pickaxes, 4 Ambush-rolls.
	The Link — 6 DP; return Surveying and Altimeters, lose 30 Items.
	Lost World — 7 DP; return Fishing and Telescopes, lose 40 Items.
	Lost Eden — 8 DP; return all Resources but one Diary; Health and Sanity 5, Discontent 1.

Encounter chits

From the Encounter bag; terrain dots decide where they stay (Encounters). Encounters and Events may use “End here” during exploration; once you leave an Encounter it returns under your Arrow.. FAQ FAQ FAQ

Picture	Description
	Tusk — green, yellow. Gain d10 Gifts (Tusk). FAQ
	Tusk — yellow, brown.
	Tusk (2) — green, yellow, brown.
	Tusk — blue.
	Plant (2) — green, yellow. Sanity recovery (Plant).
	Plant — green.
	Plant — brown.
	Plant — blue.
	Healer (3) — green, yellow, brown. Health recovery (Healer).
	Healer — green, yellow.
	Healer — blue.
	Missionary (1) — green, yellow, brown. Recruit an Askari or Porter (Missionary). Image credit.
	Missionary (2) — green, yellow. Recruit an Askari or Porter (Missionary). FAQ
	Missionary (2) — blue. Recruit an Askari or Porter (Missionary).
	Village (4) — green, brown (Village). FAQ FAQ FAQ
	Village (4) — green, yellow, brown.
	Village (4) — green, yellow.
	Village (4) — blue.
	Village (4) — yellow.
	Wildlife: Baboon (2) — yellow. A hunt (Wildlife). FAQ FAQ FAQ
	Wildlife: Buffalo (2) — green, yellow.
	Wildlife: Crocodile (2) — blue.
	Wildlife: Elephant (3) — green, yellow, brown.
	Wildlife: Gorilla — green, yellow.
	Wildlife: Hippo (2) — blue.
	Wildlife: Leopard (2) — green, yellow, brown.
	Wildlife: Lion (2) — yellow, brown.
	Wildlife: Rhino — yellow, brown.
	Wildlife: Snake (3) — green, yellow, brown.

Resources

Round white markers; 5 of each sparse kind, 10 of each abundant kind (Resources). Resource types marked 5 are sparse and those marked 10 are abundant.. FAQ FAQ

Picture	Description
	Quinine (10) — save an Askari or Porter; boost Health.
	Cannabis (10) — a Village likes you; boost Sanity. FAQ
	Bible (10) — Healer +1, a sure Missionary recruit, +1 DP at Kingdoms.
	Rifle (10) — hunting Food +1; worth 6 Gifts to a King.
	Ammo (10) — +1 Ammo Stock when your Time is up.
	Books (5) — +1 DP for Culture and Flora.
	Diary (5) — Plant +1; +1 DP for Special Discoveries.
	Revolver (5) — Respect −1, desertion −1.
	Machete (5) — Jungles cost no Time; Lost City +1 DP.
	Pickax (5) — ignore Impassable; Mineral +1 DP.
	Canteen (5) — Deserts cost no Time; helps against Thirst.
	Canoes (5) — cross blocked borders; −3 Ambush; redraw Sources.
	Guide (5) — +2 Time once per Game Turn; helps when Lost. Use it before entering an activated Rumor: a Special Discovery ends your Time before you can extend it afterward. FAQ
	Used Guide — the Guide’s blank side, flipped after its +2 Time.
	Telescope (5) — an extra diagonal Encounter; hunting Success −1.
	Surveying (5) — Lakes +1 DP; helps when Lost.
	Altimeter (5) — Mountains and Sources +1 DP.
	Painting (5) — Scenery, Marsh and Waterfall +1 DP.
	Fishing (5) — at most 1 Discontent from hunger; +5 Food in Water Zones. This pays once per Game Turn, at the end of a Map Phase turn in a Water Zone. FAQ

Patrons

Rulings that apply to every row below: Does anyone lose DP for an opponent’s Patron when chits are removed by the balance draw?.

Picture	Description
	Science (the University) — Culture and Flora (Patrons).
	Exploring (Royal Geographical Society) — Scenery, Mountains, Lakes, Lost Cities and pictured water markers.
	Finance (the City) — Minerals.
	Politician (Westminster) — Kingdoms and Warrior Nations.
	The News (Fleet Street) — Special Discoveries.

Color Code markers

Drawn from a cup to pick a border by its symbol (terrain, water).

Picture	Description
	Black star
	Blue square
	Brown paw print
	Green circle — also confirms a Presumed Terrain marked with a green circle.
	Purple blob
	Red triangle
	Yellow crescent

Expedition markers

One set per colour (blue shown), plus the two Turn Track markers.

Picture	Description
	Disease — players below it make a Health-roll (Turn Track).
	Horror — players below it make a Sanity-roll.
	Turn marker — your place in the order of play. FAQ
	Drama marker — your DP on the Drama Track.
	Explorer (2) — one on the map, one in your Matrix.
	Arrow — the slot you came from (Placing encounters).
	Askari marker.
	Porter marker. FAQ FAQ
	Ammo Stock marker.
	Discontent marker. It has no effect below 10; at 10, resolve the revolt and finish the current player turn. FAQ FAQ
	Time marker. FAQ
	Health marker.
	Sanity marker. FAQ FAQ
	Gifts single marker.
	Gifts x10 marker.
	Food single marker.
	Food x10 marker.
	Bad Luck — force a reroll, 3+ players (Bad Luck).

Icons

The rulebook’s own pictures, used inline on these pages.

Picture	Description
	Drama Points
	Askari, Porter
	Food, Gifts
	Ammo Stock, Ammo Resource
	Time, Health, Sanity, Discontent
	Explorer, Arrow, Bad Luck
	Jungle, Savanna, Veldt, Desert
	Quinine, Cannabis, Bible, Rifle
	Books, Diary, Revolver, Machete, Pickax
	Canteen, Canoes, Guide, Telescope
	Surveying, Altimeter, Painting, Fishing