Richard Borg On a fateful night, ’s Crown was stolen by the Trickster. The wrath of Odin the Allfather was so great, he summoned his son, the Thunder God, to retrieve this precious possession. In so doing, he also bestowed upon Thor his prized ring of power and authority, Draupnir. Loki had hoped for the opportunity to also steal Odin’s Ring and has now gathered an army to do so. But Thor too has rallied an army of his own and the help from many Nordic gods. The players take on the roles of Thor and Loki and must use strategy and cunning to pit their own allies against their opponent’s. For whoever gains control of Odin’s Crown and Ring will be able to claim the throne of .

GOAL Thor wins when he finds Odin’s Crown. Loki wins when he finds Odin’s Ring CONTENTS 100 cards (two decks, Loki and Thor, of 50 cards) 1 Thor figure 1 Loki figure PREPARATION • The players sit opposite each other. • Each player thoroughly shuffles his card deck and draws 9 cards as his starting hand, which is kept hidden from • One player takes the role and cards of Thor (left) and his opponent. The players place the remaining cards in the other player takes the role and cards of Loki (right). their deck facedown on their side of the table. • If a player draws Odin’s Crown/Ring as one of his first nine cards, he shows the card to his opponent, draws another card to replace it, and shuffles the Crown/Ring card back into his deck.

2 THE CARDS THE BATTLEFIELD Each player has a deck of 50 cards. Each player chooses three cards from his hand of nine cards and places them on the table facedown next to each Most of the cards have a number (0-7) in their upper other as his first row and initial deployment. corners. The number is the strength value of the card in a challenge. The higher this number is, the stronger the card. Cards with a strength value are normally played Loki Row 4 face down onto the battlefield.

Loki Row 3 5 FIRE GIANT 5 7 7

Loki Row 2 Some cards have a mythological symbol ( ). You may use the power of most of these cards by playing them Loki’s Initial Card Deployment from your hand to your discard pile. A few cards need to Loki Thor be played onto the battlefield for their power to be active. Draw Draw Deck Deck The cards will either have a mythological symbol below the Thor’s Initial Card Deployment numbers or only a mythological symbol.

2 FEMALE ARCHER 2 THOR Thor Row 2 3 1

Thor Row 3 Both types may be played onto the battlefield, but cards without a strength value may not challenge and will lose automatically if challenged. Thor Row 4 All the cards with special mythological powers are explained in detail later in the rules. During the game, the players will add other cards to the You will find a number in the lower righthand corner of battlefield. Each player may add up to 3 more rows of • Does not cost an action point to play. cards. Thus, behind each card in the first row, a player may each card. This number tells you• howMust be playedmany faceup copies in the first row. of that • When on the battlefield, may challenge and • Cannot be moved. Only challenged by Ravens. defeat a Wall. card are in your deck. • Once in play, you have a total of 4 action have 1, 2, or 3 rows of cards. The card in the first row and points, including the turn played. 5 1 the cards behind form a column. Each column can have 1, 2, 3, or 4 cards. A player, therefore, may have at most 12 cards on his side of the battlefield (i.e., up to 4 cards in each of the 3 columns).

3 PLAYING THE GAME •DRAW ONE CARD Starting with Loki, the players alternate turns. Take the topmost card from your card deck and add it to On your turn, you have as many action points to use as your hand. you have columns at the beginning of your turn. This will When a player has exhausted his card deck, he may no be 1, 2, or 3 actions. longer use this action. For example, if you start your turn with 2 columns, you Note: At any time, a player may never have more than will have 2 action points to use. 12 cards in his hand. When you have your Thor or Loki card in play, you receive •PLAY A CARD ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD 4 action points regardless of how many columns you have. Play a card from your hand, facedown on your side of You may take the following actions for the cost of the battlefield. 1 action point each: You may play the card in front, behind, or between cards • Draw a card, in any column on the battlefield. When you want to play a card where another card lies, first move that card and other • Play a card onto the battlefield, cards behind it backwards (towards yourself) to make room • Challenge an opponent’s card, or for the new card. You may not have empty spaces between • Play a Mythological card. the cards in a column. You may take any specific action as often as you have You need not fill in a row (with three cards across) before action points to spend. These actions may be taken in starting a new row in a column. Similarly, you need not fill a any order. column before placing cards in another column. For example, with 3 action points you may: Note that you may not voluntarily remove one of your cards draw a card, challenge an opponent’s card, and then draw from the battlefield. Therefore, your must carefully plan another card. each of your deployments. However, as indicated above, you may shift cards in a column by placing a new card. You must spend all action points you are allowed. Players Also, some Mythological card actions may allow a player to cannot save action points for later or refuse to use them. rearrange cards on the battlefield. Note: If a player begins his turn with no cards on his side of Players may look at their facedown cards on the battlefield the battlefield, he loses the game (see Ending the Game and at any time. Winning on page 5). Remember: Each player’s side of the battlefield may have only 3 columns and 4 rows in each column.

4 •CHALLENGE AN OPPONENT’S CARD The player who initiates the challenge slides the Important: You may not choose this action during challenging card forward (toward the challenged card). your first turn. Then, both cards involved in the challenge are turned faceup (if any were facedown). The card with the higher THE CHALLENGE strength wins the challenge. The losing player puts the When the opposing columns from the two opponents defeated card faceup on his discard pile. The winning card both have cards, a challenge is possible. A player may not remains faceup in the first row. challenge an opponent’s card diagonally. When two cards have an equal strength, both cards are discarded. When a card loses a challenge and is discarded, the player Loki’s 1st row moves the cards remaining in that column forward to fill the empty row spaces. These are •PLAY A MYTHOLOGICAL CARD the possible challenges You may play a card from your hand to use its special power. Once played, that card is placed in your discard pile. Thor’s 1st row ENDING THE GAME AND WINNING A player is not obligated to initiate a challenge unless no The game ends in your victory when: other action is possible. • Your opponent is unable to use all of his allowed Remember, players may not use the challenge action action points. during their first turn. • Your opponent starts his turn with no cards on Only cards in the player’s first row may normally challenge his battlefield. or be challenged. However, some Mythological card • Your opponents loses or discards Odin’s Crown/Ring. actions may allow a player to challenge cards in other positions on the battlefield. Important: Once deployed on the battlefield, these cards may never initiate a challenge: Thor, Loki, Odin’s Crown, Odin’s Ring, Shield Wall, and Nightmare.

5 MYTHOLOGICAL Thor/Loki can never initiate a challenge nor may they be challenged from the opposing column. The Ravens card is POWERS the only card that may challenge Thor/Loki. Some cards have Mythological powers (indicated by the Nordic Valknut symbol ). Each mythological power is When a player challenges Thor/Loki with a Ravens card, he described in the lower portion of the card. immediately discards the Ravens card and his opponent discards Thor/Loki from the battlefield. The opponent The following pages explain the Mythological cards in then moves the cards, if any, that were behind Thor/Loki, detail. You do not need to read them before playing. Refer forward in the column to fill the empty row spaces. A to each card’s entry should you have any questions. player may even choose to remove his own Thor/Loki card THOR AND LOKI when playing a Ravens card.

THOR LOKI Playing Thor/Loki costs SHIELD WALL no action. 0 SHIELD WALL 0 A Shield Wall is played facedown onto Thor/Loki is placed the battlefield. Once deployed to the faceup onto the battlefield, it may only be defeated in a battlefield in the player’s challenge by a Female Archer.

• Does not cost an action point to play. • Does not cost an action point to play. first row of a column. • Must be played faceup in the first row. • Must be played faceup in the first row. When a Female Archer challenges a • Cannot be moved. Only challenged by Ravens. • Cannot be moved. Only challenged by Ravens. • Once in play, you have a total of 4 action • Once in play, you have a total of 4 action points, including the turn played. points, including the turn played. 1 1 After playing Thor/Loki, • When challenged on the battlefield, Shield Wall from the battlefield, the Shield Wall defeats all cards except for Female Archer. • The Shield Wall may not challenge. Shield Wall is defeated and is discarded. move all the cards in 4 that column back one space, including the card in the first The Female Archer card remains faceup row. Place the Thor/Loki figure on the card so it is easily on the battlefield. identifiable. If a column already has 4 cards, Thor/Loki When any card, except a Female Archer, challenges a may not be placed in that column. If all 3 columns have Shield Wall, the card loses the challenge and is discarded 4 cards, the player may not play Thor/Loki. and the Shield Wall card remains faceup on the battlefield. Note: Thor/Loki may be played in an empty column. A Shield Wall can never initiate a challenge. Starting with the turn the Thor/Loki card is played and FEMALE ARCHER as long as you have Thor/Loki in your first row, you get four action points to spend, regardless of the number of 2 FEMALE ARCHER 2 When a Female Archer is deployed to the columns you have on the battlefield. If the card is played battlefield and challenges a Shield Wall, after you have used one or more action points, you do not the Shield Wall is defeated and is get four more points; instead treat your turn as though discarded. The Female Archer card you had four points to start with. remains faceup on the battlefield. Once Thor/Loki has been placed on the battlefield, that • When on the battlefield, may challenge and defeat a Shield Wall. card may not be moved. Thor/Loki must always be in the 5 first row of a column, which means that no other cards can be played in front of Thor/Loki. 6 RAVENS If you challenge Nightmare (strength 0), it is discarded and all cards in that column (on both sides of the battlefield) 1 RAVENS 1 Ravens may be used in several ways: playing it on the battlefield, challenging are lost. a card in your opponent’s first row, or If you challenge a card with a strength value of 2 through challenging an opponent’s hand card. 7, the card remains faceup. •Play the Ravens to the player’s Note: A player may not use the Ravens special mythology

• Challenge a card in your opponent’s 1st row, or battlefield • Challenge a card in your opponent’s hand. challenge action from a player’s hand on the first turn. A strength 2-7 card is placed faceup in your opponent’s first row. Any other card is defeated. 9 You can play a Ravens card facedown on •Challenge an opponent’s hand card your side of the battlefield like any other Discard Ravens from your hand to challenge a random strength card. As the card is facedown, your opponent will card in your opponent’s hand. not know what it is and may believe it to be a stronger card. When a Ravens card is in a player’s first row, he may If the challenged card is Odin’s Crown/Ring, it is discarded. use it in a normal challenge. The game ends and the player who played the Ravens card is the winner (see Ending the Game and Winning). Note: Once a Ravens card is on the battlefield, it may not use its other special mythological powers. Note: Thus, it is not advisable for a player to hold Odin’s In a challenge, a Ravens card is rather weak, as it only has Crown/Ring in his hand for long. 1 strength. The Ravens’ real value to a player is that of If the challenged card is Nightmare, the opponent’s entire a scout. hand of cards is discarded. Your opponent places these cards in his discard pile in whichever order he chooses. If •Challenge a card in your opponent’s first row Odin’s Crown/Ring must be discarded, the game ends and Discard Ravens from your hand to challenge a card in the player who played the Ravens card is the winner (see your opponent’s first row, including Thor/Loki. Turn the Ending the Game and Winning). challenged card faceup if it is facedown. If the card being If the challenged card has a mythological symbol or challenged is Odin’s Crown/Ring, it is discarded. The game mythological symbol and a strength value of 0 or 1, the ends and the player who played the Ravens card is the card is placed on your opponent’s discard pile. winner (see Ending the Game and Winning). If the challenged card has strength of 2 through 7 If you challenge your opponent’s or your own Thor/Loki (regardless of the presence of a mythological symbol), card, remove it immediately. If you remove your own Thor/ place the card faceup on an opponent’s first row in a Loki card, you still have 4 action points this turn. column of your choice. You may not place the card in a Note: Thor/Loki is the only card you may challenge on column with 4 cards or in a column with Thor/Loki in the your side of the battlefield. first row. If there is no column where the card may be If you challenge a Shield Wall (strength 0), it is not placed, the card is placed in your opponent’s discard pile. discarded. Shield Wall may only be defeated from the battlefield when challenged by a Female Archer.

7 NIGHTMARE card that wins a challenge against Angrboda/Tyr. remains on the battlefield and Angrboda/Tyr is discarded. 0 NIGHTMARE 0 Nightmare is a female who gives people bad dreams and appears in many If Angrboda/Tyr challenges Frigg when on the battlefield, different shapes. The Scandinavian word Frigg loses and is discarded. for Nightmare directly translated, means When Frigg challenges, or is challenged by, any other than Mare-ride, or Mare-dream. Nightmare is a Angrboda/Tyr, it is a normal challenge. very dangerous card – for both the player

• When challenged in a column, discard all Note: Once Frigg is on the battlefield, it may not use its cards in its column (yours and opponent’s). and his opponent. • When challenged in your hand, discard all cards in your hand. other special mythological powers. 1 When any card challenges a Nightmare •Spy on your opponent’s hand on the battlefield, all cards in that column (on both sides of the battlefield) are lost and discarded. Each player Discard Frigg from your hand to force your opponent determines the order in which the cards are placed on his to show you all the cards in his hand. When Frigg finds own discard pile. If Odin’s Crown/Ring is in the affected Angrboda/Tyr in your opponent’s hand, your opponent column, the player who loses the Crown/Ring, loses the must immediately discard it. If Frigg finds Odin’s Crown/ game (see Ending the Game and Winning). Ring or Nightmare, nothing happens, but you may use that information to your advantage. When you use a Ravens card and challenge a Nightmare in your opponent’s hand, your opponent loses all cards from Note: Using Frigg to look at your opponent’s hand on your his hand and places them on his discard pile in the order first turn is not a challenge and is legal. he wants. If Odin’s Crown/Ring is in your opponent’s hand, •Turn over all cards in your opponent’s column your opponent loses (see Ending the Game and Winning). Discard Frigg from your hand to turn over all facedown Nightmare can never initiate a challenge. cards in the column of your choice on your opponent’s Special case: If challenging a Nightmare causes the side. You may select the column with Thor/Loki. These Crown AND Ring to be lost simultaneously, the player cards remain faceup and cards later added to this column who challenged the Nightmare loses (i.e., the player whose are placed normally. turn it is loses). Note: Using Frigg to turn over the opponent’s cards does FRIGG not cause any effect if Odin’s Crown/Ring, Nightmare, or Angrboda/Tyr are among the turned over cards. 1 FRIGG 1 Frigg may be played in several ways: challenge Angrboda/Tyr from the battlefield, or spy on your opponent’s hand, or turn over cards in an opponent’s column.

• Look at your opponent’s hand and defeat •Challenge Angrboda/Tyr from Angrboda, if there, or • Select an opponent’s column and turn all cards in it faceup, or • When on the battlefield, may challenge the battlefield and defeat Angrboda. 2 When on the battlefield, Frigg is the only 8 ODIN

FREYA Freya is used to seduce an opponent’s ODIN Discard Odin from your hand to take up allies to join your side in the conflict. to 3 Ravens cards from your discard pile and add them to your hand. You may use Discard Freya from your hand to take these Ravens cards on this turn or on the top card from your opponent’s subsequent turns (at the cost of one discard pile, as long as it has a strength action, as usual). If there are only one or of 1-7. Add the opponent’s card to your • Take the topmost card from your opponent’s discard pile if it has a strength of 1-7 and • Take up to 3 Ravens cards from your discard two Ravens cards in your discard pile, add it to your hand. pile and add them to your hand. 1 hand. You may play it on this turn or 1 take what cards there are. a subsequent turn (at the cost of one action, as usual), as if it were your own card. Note: The 12-card player hand limit still applies. When the top card of the opponent’s discard pile does not Important: When looking through your discard pile, you have a strength of 1-7, you may not play Freya. may not change the order of the cards in it. Note: Because the backsides of the each player’s cards are different, the opponent may easily identify “his” card in the BALDR Discard Baldr from your hand to move player’s hand. one of the cards on your side of the If this card is later lost, it is discarded to your own battlefield to a different position (any discard pile, not your opponent’s discard pile. row and/or column). In whichever column you move the card to, the card may be placed in front • Move 1 card on your side of the battlefield HEL Discard Hel to take back a card from to any other position (any row or column) on the same side. of, between, or behind the cards in your discard pile. You may search your 2 that column. discard pile and take one card back into your hand. You may not move a card to a column that already has four cards. The card taken may be played immediately or on a subsequent turn You may not use Baldr to move Thor/Loki or place the card • Search through your discard pile and take 1 card of your choice. (at the cost of one action, as usual). You being moved in front of Thor/Loki. Thor/Loki must always 1 need not tell or show your opponent occupy the first row of a column. which card you took. If the card you take is Thor/ Loki card you may not play it on this turn. Important: When looking through your discard pile, you may not change the order of the cards in it.

9 the Thor/Loki card. If your opponent already has 12 cards in his hand, the card is discarded. If Odin’s Crown/ VALKYRIES Valkyries are magical ladies that can arrange and position those who will Ring is discarded, the game ends (see Ending the Game go into battle. Tricky and mischievous and Winning). Valkyries can mess up the best VIDARR opponent’s plans. VIDARR Organizing a flank attack is the strength Discard Valkyries from your hand of Vidarr. • Move 1 card on your opponent’s side of the battlefield to any other position (any row or column) on the same side. to move one of the cards on your 1 Discard Vidarr from your hand to have a opponent’s side of the battlefield to a card in the first row of your right or left different position (any row and/or column). column make a flanking challenge. In whichever column you move the card to, the card may • Have the leftmost/rightmost card in your 1st row challenge any card in When you challenge with the first row be placed in front of, between, or behind the cards in your opponent’s rightmost/leftmost column. 1 card in your right column, you may that column. challenge any card in any row of your Your may not move a card to a column that already has opponent’s left hand column. When you challenge with four cards. the first row card in your left column, you may challenge any card in any row of your opponent’s right hand You may not use Valkyries to move Thor/Loki or place the column. card being moved in front of Thor/Loki. Thor/Loki must always occupy the first row of a column. Note: Thor/Loki do not stop a flanking challenge in the column they occupy. SEER

SEER Foreshadowing of what is to come and IDUNN reacting to it is the strength of a Seer. IDUNN Idunn is the keeper of the golden apples Discard Seer from your hand to draw of youth and acts as a tiebreaker. up to three cards from your opponent’s Discard Idunn from your hand to your deck. Draw the cards one at a time and discard pile. As long as Idunn is the top

• Draw 3 cards from your opponent’s deck. resolve the fate of each card drawn card on your discard pile, you will win 1-7 strength cards are placed faceup in your opponent’s 1st row. Any other card is given to your opponent before drawing the next card. • When Idunn is the top card on your discard for his hand. challenges that result in a tie. 1 pile, you win all tied challenges. • Idunn may not be at the top of both player’s discard pile at the same time. You place each card drawn with strength 1 If one player has Idunn as the top card of 1 or more faceup on your opponent’s first row in a of his discard pile, the other player may column of your choice. You may not place the card in a not play or lose Idunn to the top of his discard pile. If the column with 4 cards or in a column with Thor/Loki in the Idunn card would be lost, in this case, the player must first row. If there is no column where the card may be place the Idunn card at the bottom of his discard pile. placed, the card is placed in your opponent’s discard pile. Mythological cards and cards with a strength of 0 are given to your opponent and added to his hand, including 10 - LOKI’S DECK Note: The 12-card player hand limit still applies.

GUNGNIR Gungnir is a magical spear that always Important: When looking through your discard pile, you hits its mark. may not change the order of the cards in it. Discard Gungnir from your hand to BERSERKER remove any card on your opponent’s side BERSERKER Discard Berserker from your hand to your of the battlefield. The removed card is discard pile. As long as Berserker is the placed faceup on your opponent’s discard • Remove from the battlefield any opponent’s card. Place it faceup on your opponent’s top card of your discard pile, your Viking discard pile. pile. If the card being removed is Odin’s 1 Warriors cards will challenge with a Ring, the game ends and you (Loki) are strength of 6, but will only have a the winner. strength of 3 when being challenged. • When Berserker is the top card of your discard pile, your Viking Warriors challenge with a strength of 6, but only have a strength of 3 Note: This card allows you to remove Thor or a Shield Wall when challenged. • Berserker may not be at the top of both If one player has Berserker as his top player’s discard pile at the same time. card from the battlefield. 1 card, the other player may not play or - THOR’S DECK lose Berserker to the top of his discard pile. If Berserker card would be lost, in this case, the player must place the MJÖLNIR Mjölnir is Thor’s mighty hammer. Berserker card at the bottom of his discard pile. Discard Mjölnir from your hand to remove any card on your opponent’s side of the battlefield. The removed card is placed faceup on your opponent’s discard pile. If the card being removed is Odin’s • Remove from the battlefield any opponent’s card. Place it faceup on your opponent’s discard pile. Crown, the game ends and you (Thor) are 1 the winner. Note: This card allows you to remove Loki or a Shield Wall card from the battlefield. LONGSHIPS

LONGSHIPS Discard the Longships card from your hand to take up to 3 Viking Warrior and/ or Female Archer cards, from your discard pile and place them in your hand. You may use these cards on this turn or on subsequent turns (at the cost of one

• Take up to 3 Viking Warriors and/or Female Archer cards from your discard pile. action, as usual). If there is only one or 1 two such cards in your discard pile, you take what cards there are in your discard pile.

11 STRATEGY TIPS Nightmare is a very scary card (the name says it all) and can be very unpredictable. The cards the players place in their first rows, at the start of the game, have great influence on the game. One or Defensive battles often end when a player cannot use all two high strength cards in the first row may seem like a of his action points. good idea, but a player who loses his strongest cards early in the game is in a weak position. It is rare, but it may happen that a player may have to place a card with only mythological symbols on the battlefield at the start of a game. A card, on the battlefield, that does not have a strength value will lose when challenged. A mythological symbols card on the battlefield may not use its special mythological power. Although challenges can occur as early as the second round, a player is often better served to build up his forces on his side of the battlefield before initiating challenges. From the first row, a Shield Wall protects the cards in the column, but it reduces the player’s ability to challenge his opponent’s cards. Ravens can be used to uncover the opponent’s facedown CREDITS cards. Also, Ravens is the only way to defeat Thor or Loki. Author: Richard Borg By holding Odin’s Crown or Ring in his hand, a player can Illustration: Chris Quilliams keep it off the battlefield and postpone it being found, but Graphic design and layout: Philippe Guérin Ravens can still locate it either directly or by discovering a Editing: Jean-François Gagné Nightmare in the hand. Special thanks to Adam Marostica and Mike Young. By playing Thor or Loki, a player can increase his action ©2015 F2Z Entertainment Inc. points, but this is often not a good strategy early in All right reserved. the game. 31 rue de la Coopérative Rigaud QC J0P 1P0 The cards with mythological symbols are powerful, Canada but when played from a player’s hand, as most must be, they are immediately discarded, and thus, have only an instant effect.

The Female Archers are important weapons against a [email protected] Shield Wall late in the game. www.zmangames.com

12