Lords of Hell

The card game of unholy power struggle

GAME SUMMARY

Turn Phases

No trading or playing special cards is allowed during phase start. All actions continue until everyone is ready (has put their cards to table). With exception to optional actions, sub-phases are executed in the order they are listed.

1. Draw phase (reinforcements)

Phase start: Move Starter marker to player with least SP, or if tied, to next one from previous Starter. Draw cards, starting from Starter. Return any creatures on Earth to Hell.

2. Transfer phase (full trading)

Main action: trade and discard resource cards and Souls. Start rituals by tabling them, face-down. Send Fiends and Devils to Earth by tilting them (can be taken back)

3. Combat phase

Phase start: turn tabled rituals face-up. Main action: up to 4 combat rounds, end immediately if all select 'no move' and no unfinished rituals.

4. Gathering phase

Phase start: discard any rituals still on table. Gain 1 SP if any new prisoner(s) gained in combat phase. Soul Gathering, roll a d6 for each creature on Earth: 1: Caught, 2: no souls, 3-4: 1 soul, 5-6: 2 souls. Devil can reroll the result.
1. Objecting: Any proclaimed Devil becomes the new overlord unless at least as many Devils in Hell object that Devil as it has proclaimed-counters. Devil with 10+ SP is automatically new overlord. Tie-breaker for multiple new overlords: 1. Devil in Hell 2. Devil controlling High Palace of Hell 3. Open fight
2. Proclaiming: If no new overlord found, all Devils in Hell can proclaim next one, this is done secretly at the same time. Extra proclaim counter for controller of High Palace of Hell and to those with 6+ SP.
Optional actions: discard any cards or Souls.

Combat Rules

Combat round

1. Intentions: Phase start: discard any illegal rituals. Main action: select secrelty target Devil, 'no move' or 'other move'. Armies without Devil or Fallen Angels are limited to 'no move' or toward own Devil
2. Fight: Phase start: move armies. If several 'other moves' and several possible targets, select simultaneously final destination. Main action: fight rounds as long as armies want to fight
3. Capture Devils: by dominant or agreed army. Non-captured return to game.
4. Combat transfers: occupy realms, transfer tabled cards and Souls with armies in same combat area
5. Award victory points: one SP to dominant or agreed army.
6. Finish rituals: armies that did not move can finish any rituals. Start from Starter, clockwise.

Fight round

1. Retreats: other armies than defender can retreat, from unspecified combat place to home realm or otherwise to unspecified. Others can then pursue, and combat is split if need to. Armies also define targets for attacks.
2. Attack rolls: No trading or special cards. Attack dice equal to 1 + 1 per 3 full power, max 6. Each army can reroll once. To-hit 4+ defense points.
3. Hit assignment: No trading or special cards. Army taking hits selects targets. Handle hits to Juggernauts in each army first.

Game Concepts

Card symbols

Artifact. Ritual. Special. Unstoppable special.
Horde. Power (if not 1). Defense points.

Starting the game

High Palace of Hell to center of table. Random Devil and realm to each player. 5 own Oath cards to each player, shuffle the sixth ones together and deal randomly (face-down). Deal 4 random hordes (no Leviathan) to each player. Give Starter marker to random player.

Support points

1: Winning combat. Only one army, from combats that lasted 2+ fight rounds and at least one army was defeated
1: Gathering Souls. Gain at least 1 Soul in Soul gathering via d6 rolls
1: New Prisoners. At the start of Gathering phase

Devil states

In Hell: all normal actions available
On Earth: cannot cast rituals, does not partake combat or gathering
Imprisoned: as on Earth, but trade limited with captor (unless given a permit). Prisoners can be freed and moved when normal trading allowed (limited in combat).
Knocked-out: in combat only. No trading at all.

Basic promises

No attack to home (NAH): as long as target's army does not move
Non-agression pact (NAP): no attack or objections at all
Attack: move toward target and fight with at least one fight round
No targeting: no direct targeting (mainly rituals)
Object in gathering: object if possible

Miscellaneous rules

No home realm: when no forces in Hell. Cannot keep prisoners. Immediately get a new one if forces in Hell
Ritual: caster needed, as Devil or Diabolic Fiends. Started in transfer phase, face-down, and can be taken back. Discard at the start of combat round if no caster.
Artifacts: immediately tabled, kept by Devil. If Devil captured, capturing Devil confescates all artifacts, and if no Devil present, discarded, as they are during combat at any point when no Devil left.

Victory points

Overlord: 3.5 points
Oaths of the Overlord: 2 points each, non-overlord only
Not least support points: 1 point
Most support points: 1 point, must be 3 more than least support points