Deckbuilding Battle for Arrakis
This is a strategy game with deckbuilding, worker placement, and territory control mechanics. Players will attempt to take control of various factions of the Imperium - the fierce desert warriors of the Freemen, the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, the Pilots` Guild, or the Landsraad High Council led by Emperor Shaddam IV of House Corrino - and fight for the planet Arrakis, rich in melange spices. Spices are the most valuable resource in the Imperium. It is said that whoever controls the spice industry controls the entire universe.
Before the game begins, participants take leaders from the base factions - Paul Atreides, Glossa "the Beast" Rabban, Count Memnon Torvald, Count Ilban Richez or other famous heroes. They receive components of their color, 1 water token and starting decks of 10 "weak" cards. Players shuffle the starting decks and place them next to the leader cards.
Game progress
The game continues until a player scores 10 victory points. During the game, players will both gain and lose victory points. The current situation is displayed on the victory point track.
The game consists of rounds. Each round is divided into 5 phases:
The top card from the conflict deck is revealed. Players draw 5 cards from their decks. If there are not enough cards in the deck, you must form a new deck by shuffling the cards from the discard pile.
Players take turns, clockwise. The active player can send their agent or reveal cards. Intrigue plan cards can also be played (this is not considered an action). After revealing cards, the player no longer moves in this round. The phase ends when all players have revealed their cards.
In a location with a spice extraction symbol - the Imperial Basin, Hagg`s Basin, or the Great Plains - the agent extracts the indicated amount of spices + all spices that were already in the location.
For each dice symbol on a played card or in a location, the player moves a squad die from his supply to his garrison. If the player sends an agent to a combat location, he may add the squad dice obtained this turn and 1-2 squad dice from the garrison to the conflict zone on the field.
For the persuasion points on the revealed cards, cards from the Imperium or Foundation rows can be purchased. The price is indicated in the upper right corner of the card. The player can buy as many cards as he wants, as long as he has enough persuasion points. All purchased and played cards are put on the discard pile.
Starting with the first player, participants with at least 1 unit die in the conflict zone can take turns playing any number of intrigue combat cards. By applying the effects of the cards played and adjusting the strength on the battle track, players determine the winners of the battle. The player who ranks first in strength receives the highest reward from the current conflict map, and the second place player receives the second reward. The third place player receives the third reward only in a four-player game.
If the Imperial Basin, Hagga Basin, or Great Plains are free of agents, 1 spice is added to each of these locations.
If no one has won by scoring 10 or more points, players return their agents from the field. The first player`s marker is passed to the next player in clockwise order.
If someone scores 10 or more points or the conflict deck runs out, players apply the end-of-game intrigue card effects. The player with the most points wins.
Free app. Solo/Two-player, «Scouts of Arrakin» and«Blitz!»
You can also download the free application «Dire Wolf Game Room». It will help you play solo or in pairs. Now your virtual opponents will be able to buy cards from the Imperium Series, which means that the games will become even more interesting and dynamic.
In addition, the application adds the mode «Scouts from Arrakin» for 3-4 players. Using this mode, at the beginning of each round you will open one or more special cards that significantly influence the actions of the players and the development of the current round.
There are 5 types of such cards:
«Blitz!» - an accelerated version of the game for experienced players, which allows you to predict the winner in order to eventually outdo him!
Publisher: Geekach
Language: Ukrainian
Players: 1-4
Play time: 60-120 m
Age: 13+