Tuatha dé Danann Land Cards THE Lands sacred to the Tuatha FOMORIAN WAR dé Danann. Murias Findias Each card has a Clan Holdings icon in the lower left which denotes which 12 8 5 3 12 6 3 2 1 6 I 1 2 3 4 B I 1 2 3 4 B clan currently holds the card, and an icon in the lower right which shows its Battle Point Value and that it is a Land Card. Each card is worth a number of Victory Points after a battle, depending upon how many players are in the winning clan. Gorias Falias In ancient legend the mythicTuatha dé Danann 9 5 4 2 9 12 8 5 3 12 I 1 2 3 4 B I 1 2 3 4 B arrived on the shores of Ireland and met the mighty Fomor, they of chaos and nature.

Sacred Item Cards Items revered by the Tuatha And there ensued at Mag Tuireadh a terrible battle for dé Danann. Each card has a clan icon in control of the lands and their treasures... Dagda’s Cauldron Núada’s Sword the lower left which denotes 5 +1 which clan currently holds The Fomorian War is a card game for 3 or 4 players who secretly the card, and an icon in the 3 2 4 0 3 6 3 2 1 6 choose Tuatha deities to help them in battle as part of a clan. Players I 1 2 3 4 I 1 2 3 4 lower right which shows its fight for control of the lands and treasures of Ireland and also can Battle Point Value and that it appeal to the Fomor for help of an underhanded sort or use the power is a Sacred Item Card. of sacred items. Winning a battle for their clan gains Victory Points. Each card is worth a number of Victory Points after a The game continues for a series of rounds or until all the lands and battle, depending upon how their treasures are held by one clan. The player with the most Victory many players are in the winning clan. Points is then declared the winner. Lugh’s Spear Fál’s Stone B B E E r2 Each card also possesses a

Needed to play: 9 5 4 2 3 2 1 0 different power in the game I 9 I 0 The deck of 54 cards and 2 eurocubes per player in different colors 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 which players may use. (blue, green, yellow and purple) for the score track (players may alternately wish to keep score on paper).

Setup: Fomor Cards Choose a start player by the length of their beard. That player will Fomor allies for the players. divide the deck of cards as follows: Each card has a clan icon in 1. Shuffle together into one deck: the lower left which denotes which clan currently holds Bres tyrant the card, and an icon in the the 4 Land Cards lower right which shows its B Elatha Battle Point Value and that it I 9 5 4 2 E9 darkness is a Fomor Card. these icons appear 1 2 3 4 -2 the 4 Sacred Item cards in the lower right corners Each card is worth a number 10 7 4 2 E10 of these cards 1 2 3 4 of Victory Points after a battle, depending upon how and the 2 Fomor cards many players are in the E winning clan. All of these cards are double-sided and care should be taken to first Note there are only 2 Fomor Balor cards and their reverse faces sort half of the cards so that they show the I icon in the lower left poison eye and the other half of the cards show the icon. When finished, lay do not match. Each Fomorian Ethniu possesses a different power mother the cards out in a “Circle of Cards” in the center of all the players. 12 8 5 3 E12 in the game which players I 1 2 3 4 1 may use. 10 7 4 2 E10 1 2 3 4 2. Shuffle together into one deck, and set face down next to the dealer, Tuatha Cards all the Tuatha Cards. Each card has Tuatha allies for the players. this symbol on the back. At the beginning of each At the start of each game round round, one of these Tuatha Lugh of the Long Arm allies will be chosen secretly warrior the current start player will discard two cards by each player to aid them from this deck face down and then choose during that round. one of the five remaining cards, keeping it +5 1 secret from the other players. They then pass Numbers show which ally is revealed in which order. the rest of the deck the player to their left to choose a card from those that remain. The deck will be passed this way until each player has Each Tuatha deity has a chosen a card. The remainder are discarded. different power the player may use. 3. Give each player three Cattle Herd Card and a Clan Holdings Card in their chosen color. The Clan Holdings Cards are double-sided and The Morrigan players may choose which Clan - Óir or Airgid - they belong to at the strife start of the game (Note: Players are only loosely allied into clans and may switch clan allegiance back and forth during the game.) It is suggested that players divide themselves amongst the two clans. E+ 1 2

Núada Silverhand king

4

Meadhbh queen

CattleCattle Herd Herd I Cattle Herd Creidhne +3 6 metalsmith

+1 +1 +1 3

Ogma Three Cattle Herd Card and a Clan Holdings Card - Óir or Airgid champion clan - Players may decide what clan they belong to at the start of the game and will display that icon face up. I 5

Manannán mac Lir 4. Shuffle the remain deck of Warrior Cards between worlds (Each card has this symbol on the back.) B and deal three cards to each player to E + +1 7 keep as their starting hand. Place the remaining cards as a draw pile in the center of the Circle of Cards. Warrior and Cattle Herd Card 5. Lastly, place the Score Track Card to one side and the two eurocubes for each Warrior Cards are played during battles to increase player next to it. the Battle Point Value of a clan. Each player plays as many cards from their hand as they like to help decide the outcome of a battle.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Players begin the game with three cards in their 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 3 hands. A player may increase the number of cards 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 they have each round by placing Cattle Herd Card 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 underneath a Land Card. For each Cattle Herd 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 placed, a player may draw one extra card at the 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 end of a round. 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 100 Each Land Card may hold, at most, two Cattle Herd Card, whether from the same player or different players. Cattle Herd

Pllayers may alternately wish to keep score with pencil and paper. +1 The Score Track Card 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 keeps track of Victory Points 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 for each player. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 At the start of the game 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 place 2 eurocubes, 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 in each player’s color, 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 next to this card. 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

Sacred Item Card 50 100

4 3 2 1

I 9

2 4 5 9

E

B

B 12

1 Lugh’s Spear Lugh’s 4

6

2 3 3

3

3 5 2

2

4 8 1

1

12 +1

6

Núada’s Sword Núada’s Murias

Land Card

12

B

1

3 4

3

2 Discarded Tuatha Cards

2

3 Dagda’s Cauldron Dagda’s

5

3

4 are placed here each round 2

8

4

5

1 0

Falias

12

3 I

10

E Fál’s Stone E 3 B

1 2 4

2 Draw deck for Ethniu 2 r2 mother 4 -1 3

1 Warrior Cards 3 7 2

0 4 10 1

0

Fomor Card

Findias Gorias

6 9 2 B 1 3 4 4 2 2 5 3 3 1 9 2 4 Bres B 1 6 tyrant I

9 5 4 2 E9 I 1 2 3 4 the Circle of Cards

Cattle Herd Cattle Herd Cattle Herd

+1 +1 +1

Each player receives three Cattle Herd Card and one Clan Holdings Card in their chosen color. Players may decide which clan they belong to and should place that side of the card face up. Sample Game Setup Play:

Each round of the game is played in the same order of phases.

Phase 1 - Battle Area. The last player to choose Manannán mac Lir In this example: (or, at the start of the game, the initial start player) chooses which two cards in the Circle of Cards which will be the Battle Sites. The two the Green and Blue players belong cards chosen must show different Clan Holding Icons in the lower to Clan Óir left. The cards must be adjacent to each other.

(In the Sample Game Setup, the player could choose the Fomor Card - Bres (showing Clan Airgid’s icon I ) and the Land Card - Findias (showing Clan Óir’s icon ) and the Yellow and Purple players belong to Clan Airgid Each card chosen will show an initial Battle Point Value in the lower I I right. This value is the initial strength of the clan players who have the matching clan symbol on their Clan Holding Card.

Phase 2 - Choose Tuatha Ally. The current start player will shuffle the Tuatha Deck and discard two cards face down to the center of the Circle of Cards, and then choose one of the remaining five cards from the deck, keeping it secret from the other players. They will then pass the rest of the deck the player to their left to choose a card from those that remain. The deck will be passed this way until each player has chosen a card. Any remaining cards are discarded to the center.

Phase 3 - Reveal Warrior Cards. Each player, beginning with the Land Card - Findias - has an current start player, will now play one or more Warrior Cards in front initial Battle Point Value of of them, face up for all other players to see. These Warrior Cards will 6. The Blue Clan Óir player plays a Warrior Card worth add Battle Point Values, for their clans, to the respective Battle Site an additional 3 Battle Points. cards and their initial Battle Point Values. The total for Clan Óir is now 9 Battle Points. Findias Players of the same clan are trying to beat the combined Battle Point 3 Value of the other clan. 6 3 2 1 6 1 2 3 4 B Phase 4 - Reveal Tuatha Allies. Now each player will, in turn, reveal their hidden Tuatha Ally. The current start player will call out the numbers in order (from 1 to 7) and the player possessing that numbered card will reveal it and the power of that card may be used by the player. Tuatha allies are resolved in order:

1. Lugh of Long Arm - The player adds +5 Battle Points to their clan total.

2. The Morrigan - The player gains one Victory Point and may use the power of one of the revealed Fomor Allies in the Circle of Cards. See the Icon Glossary for these powers.

3. Creidhne - The player may use the power of one of the Sacred Item cards. See the Icon Glossary for these powers.

4. Núada Silverhand - The player may swap any two Warrior Cards between any two players they choose.

5. Ogma - The player may flip the Clan Holding card of any player, thereby changing their allegiance. This new allegiance counts for the current battle.

The final two Tuatha Allies Meadhbh( and Manannán mac Lir) will be resolved during Phase 7. Phase 5 - Resolve Battle. After the Tuatha, and Sacred Item and Fomor powers have been resolved, total the Battle Point Values for each clan and compare. The winner is the clan with the most Battle Points. The losing clan’s Battle Site card is flipped over to the other side to show the winning clan’s alignment icon. In the case of a tie, no Battle Site cards are flipped and no Victory Points are awarded in Phase 6.

Phase 6 - Victory Points. All players of the winning clan receive Victory Points as stated by the chart at the bottom the winning Battle 1. Read across the bottom Site card. Track Victory Points on the Score Card. Findias row to find the total 2. Read up to number of winning determine the total Phase 7 - Discard and Draw new Warrior Cards or add Cattle Herd. players for the battle. Victory Points each 6 3 2 1 6 player receives. Discard all used Warrior Cards to the discard pile. 1 2 3 4 B

Players now, in turn starting with the current start player, either draw In our example, Clan Óir has won the battle and the new Warrior Cards or add one of their Cattle Herd Card beneath a Green and Blue Players will each receive 3 Victory Points. Land Card.

For each Cattle Herd card a player places beneath a Land Card they may draw an extra card to their hand on all subsequent turns. Land Cards may hold no more than two Cattle Herd Card (either from the same player of different players). Players who play a Cattle Herd Card in this phase do not draw cards.

Players draw cards from the Warrior Card draw pile until it is exhausted. The discard pile is then shuffled to form a new draw pile.

Players resolve the Tuatha Ally - 6. Meadhbh - during this Phase. Her power grants the player the ability to draw any card(s) from the Warrior Card discard pile as well as from the draw pile. This player draws their cards before any of the other players (possibly out of turn). Or the player may take 3 Victory Points. The Player may not do both.

The maximum number of cards a player can have in their hand is 6. If there are no cards to be drawn, a player may have fewer cards in their hand.

Players now resolve - 7. Manannán mac Lir - The player with this Tuatha ally will decide what the two adjacent Battle Site cards will be for the next round. If another player is, however, using the power of the Sacred Card - Lugh’s Spear - they, and not the Manannán player, decides. Manannán also gives the player an additional 1 Victory Point.

The two cards chosen must show different Clan Holding Icons in the lower left. The cards must be adjacent to each other.

Phase 8 - New Start Player. The player to the left of the current start player is now the new start player.

Game End:

The game ends in one of two ways: A. After 8 rounds if playing with 4 players, or 9 rounds if playing with 3 players. B. If all of the cards in the Circle show the same Clan Holding icon. This game has its antecedents in the wonderful game At this point the player with the most Victory Points is the winner. In Verräter by Marcel-André Casasola Merkle. the event of a tie the player with the most Cattle Herd Cards played The artwork and rules for The Fomorian War are copyright © 2013 is the winner. Todd Sanders | Air and Nothingness Press. Icon Glossary

The Tuatha de Danann The Sacred Items Lugh of the Long Arm B Lugh’s Spear add +5 Battle Points to your clan’s total +5 this player, instead of Manannán mac Lir, E decides the next two Battle Site cards The Morrigan Dagda’s Cauldron use one of the revealed Fomor Ally E+ 1 the player may draw up to 5 cards to powers and gain 1 Victory Point 5 their hand at the end the round. This item negates any bonus from a Cattle Herd Creidhne Cards use one of the Sacred Item Card powers Fál’s Stone B the player may rearrange any Núada Silverhand r -2 combination of two Land, Sacred Item or switch any two Warrior Cards between E Fomor Cards any two players in the current battle Núada’s Sword Ogma each Warrior Card the player has played flip the Clan Holding Card of any one I +1 in this battle is worth an additional player, changing their clan alignment +1 Battle Point Meadhbh when drawing cards in Phase 7, the player may draw from the Warrior Card Additional Icons discard pile or draw pile before any other +3 player draws, or the player may gain 3 Victory Points. Not both. B Land Card Manannán mac Lir B the player decides the new two Battle Site + +1 Sacred Item Card locations and gains 1 Victory Point E

Tuatha Ally Card The Fomor

Bres Fomor Card the player removes one Warrior Card E played by any other player during the current battle +X Battle Point Value Balor the player discards a random card from the hands of all other players. +X Victory Point Value

Ethniu the player reduces the Battle Point Value of Clan Airgid one other player by 1 for each I Warrior Card that player has played -1 (i.e. 2 Warrior Cards equals -2 Battle Points) Clan Óir Elatha the player subtracts 2 Victory Points from one other player’s total -2