Index -> Playing the Game -> Multiplayer Games

A multiplayer game is a game that has more than two players. There are a few special concepts that are unique to multiplayer games. Several different formats are provided.

• Team (2 versus 2)
• Two-man Raid (2 versus 1)
• Four-man Raid (4 versus 1)

Mini-Map

Normally, the playmat scrolls to the location of the action in a multiplayer game. A mini-map is provided that shows the locations of the players, identified by their archetype icons. A highlight shows you which player is currently performing an action. You can click any of the quest locations or one of those player icons to recenter your view. Tooltips are also provided with names of the players. A small version of each player's power and health bars are available as well.

Zooming

Your mouse wheel zooms in and out of a multiplayer game. Roll forward to zoom in and focus on the action, or roll backward to zoom out and see the whole playmat.

Teammates

The game is always a two-sided contest, and the players on your side are called your teammates. You can play cards and use effects that help friendly units (units that belong to other players on your team), but actions during combat may be performed only by the attacking and defending commanders (see below).

Quests

There are always three quests in play in a multiplayer game. In any four-player game, the fourth player's level 2 quest is removed from the game, and that player draws an extra card for his hand.

Normally, you'll only be able to play units to two of the three available quest locations. These two quests are the ones you have in reach. Sometimes, when one of your teammates has his avatar destroyed, your reach is extended to cover one of his quests.

In a 4-versus-1 game, the players to the far left and right begin the game with only one quest in reach.

The quest meter only has four gems to mark completion, even in a multiplayer game in which sometimes a player can complete more than four quests.

Power

You receive power each turn based on the quests completed at the locations that are in reach for you. (Your reach might change when one of your teammates is destroyed.)

Drawing Cards

Each player on a team that has more than one player draws two cards in the draw phase, just like normal rules. In raids where a side has only one player, that player draws one card plus one more for each player on the other team.

For example, in a Two-Man Raid the single player draws three cards. In a Four-Man Raid, the single player draws five cards.

Commanders

Sometimes you'll be able to attack or defend with units that belong to one of your teammates. When that happens, you'll become the commander of those units and be able to use their activated actions or play tactics for them during combat. Each combat, whether it involves avatars or units, is a two-sided event and one player makes all the decisions for one side.

Attacking Raid Commander

You become the commander of any of your teammates' units at a quest when you begin a raid there during your turn. If there are no opposing units at that quest, the raiding units you command may attack any avatar within reach of that quest. If there is more than one such avatar, you may choose which to attack.

Defending Raid Commander

When an opponent is attacking a raid location (either a raid with opposing units or questing by an opposing avatar) and there are units defending there that belong to more than one player, the player who has the most units defending will be the commander (even if that player doesn't have that quest location in reach). If there is a tie for which player has the most defending units there, the attacking player decides who defends.

Winning the Game

The conditions for victory are the same in a multiplayer game as for a 1-versus-1 game. There is one way for you to win the game and two ways to lose:

• Win the game by completing a quest when your quest pile is empty. (Normally, when you complete your fourth quest, you win.)
• Lose the game when your avatar is destroyed. (Your team wins the game when the last opposing avatar is destroyed. If your avatar is destroyed, your teammates continue playing.)
• Lose the game when your deck runs out of cards. (If at any time you need to draw a card and have none remaining, you lose the game. Your teammates continue playing.)

The completion of quests is tracked separately for each player on a team, so only one player on a team needs to complete a quest with his quest pile empty for that team to win.

For example, if two teammates have each completed two quests, they don't win the game yet.

Some special scenarios and raids will not allow these victory or loss conditions, and they will provide other ways to win.

Leaving the Game

When a player leaves a game (for example, when that player's avatar is destroyed or when he can't reconnect), all of that player's cards and tokens are destroyed except that any quests that player has in play remain in play.

There are additional multiplayer rules specific to raids.