Gameplay

Skill Cards (Abilities)

Cards contain 1-5 actions like move, attack and more. Heroes begin the early game with the ability to hold 3 skill cards in their hand for a mission. Later on, 4 and 5 cards are able to be held, plus an ultimate skill card.

You can undo using a skill card before you take an action using the back button.

There are 9 base skill cards and one ultimate skill per hero. The Arcanist receives one additional base skill card.

Move

A character may perform a number of move actions equal to the stated value. A move can be used to advanced to an adjacent hex, swap hexes with an adjacent hero or ally, interact with an object such as a chest, or push an adjacent monster.

• Swap: Move on to the hex of another hero to switch places with them.

• Leap: The character jumps into another hex directly.

• Teleport: Movement between two hexes magically. Not blocked by obstacles, characters or objects. Unaffected by haste and slowed.

• Interact: Interacting with objects like treasure chests uses 1 movement point.

Attack

A target in range takes damage equal to this value. Heroes and monsters draw from their fate deck when attacking, but allies do not. If no range is stated, then the target must be adjacent to the attack. 

Ultimates

This card is always equipped and doesn't count toward your card limit. Ultimates are powerful but exhausting. They take 2 rounds of combat before they are ready for use. Once a hero plays their ultimate, every heroes' ultimate goes on cooldown for 2 rounds.

Other Actions

• Push: Uses 1 movement point. Tip: Use spare movement points to push monsters into more advantageous positions such as by pits, in fire or other traps. If it's straight you push straight, if it's an angle it's a 50/50 between the two "most correct" angles. There is no way to control this other than getting in a straight line or, if you can, blocking one of the open directions

• Pull: Pull character(s) to adjacent hex(es). Similar to Push, If it's straight you pull straight, if it's an angle it's a 50/50 between the two "most correct" angles. There is no way to control this other than getting in a straight line or, if you can, blocking one of the open directions

• Throw: Toss a character to another hex directly.

• Cleanse: Removes debuff(s)

• Execute: Destroys a character or object

Status Effects

Buffs 

Positive status effects.

• Shield: Reduce incoming damage by 1 (stacks)

• Absorb:

• Strength: Increase damage output by 1 (stacks)

• Firepower: The Pyromancer passive (stacks up to 3)

• Frenzy: Gain +1 strength and +1 haste when attacked or unable to attack for the round

• Haste: Increases movement points.

• Retaliate: When a character with retaliation is attacked, the attacking character takes 1 damage for each retaliation, the this character loses all retaliation.

• Rage: Berserker passive that adds strength and shield. 

Debuffs 

Negative status effects. Afflictions that can be inflicted on units.

• Blind: Character misses their next attack

• Expose: Increases damage taken by attacks or environment (stacks)

• Provoke: Taunt monsters so that they prioritize attacking you. On a provoked character's next turn, they move towards and attack the provoker, if possible. At the end of their turn, they lose provoked.

• Weak: Reduce damage output (stacks)

• Frighten: Unable to take any action (idle).

• Root: Cannot move, leap or teleport. Lasts 1 round.

• Stun: Skip a round

• Slow: reduce movement

• Confuse: Will attack any nearby characters, even if they are on the same side

Downed 

When a character has 0 health, they are downed. Downed heroes miss a round. They return the next round with half health.

Heroes downed via a pit move to the next closest available safe hex when placed back on the map.

Depending on your campaign difficulty setting, reviving a hero requires the life seed's magic. The life seed's magic can revive heroes only a limited number of times per mission. When the seed runs out of charges, you'll fail the mission.

Heroes Phase

Heroes can use their skill cards in whichever order party members draw them. Heroes can skip parts of their card actions. 

Trinkets

You can activate your trinket anytime during your turn, but they can only be used once per mission. Activating your trinket will allow you to immediately take the action listed on the trinket.

Monster Phase

Enemies take their turn to move and attack using their own set of skill cards.

Idle monsters

Idle monsters will take not take their turn during the monster phase. They will skip their turn until they are attack or something else moves within 2 hexes of them. This zone is indicated by glowing purple hexes. Any character who wanders into the purple idle monsters hex zone will awaken those monsters.