Legend of the Burning Sands: The Awakening rulebook

Notes: This is the most recent rulebook for Legend of the Burning Sands. In converting the book to HTML, I have attempted to transcribe the rulebook as accurate as possible (hence the page numbers). There are some known omissions, however; I have listed these in grey type. -ZF

Table of Contents

Legend of the Burning Sands

The Legend of the Burning Sands game is a trading card game (TCG), a cross between traditional card games and collectible cards. You begin with the sixty-fix cards that came with this rulebook, and you can buy more in Caravan Packs. You don't have to buy new cards right away; you can play using just the cards that came in your box.

The back of your box depicts your Stronghold. Your deck includes a card with the same art and abilities, so you can use the card in the game.

As each episode is release, rules are added to the game and the options available for play are expanded. The Legend of the Burning Sands TCG is much more than a game -- it is a complex story with characters that grow and change as time passes. When you and your friends play a Legend of the Burning Sands game, you enact a unique story.

How Do You Play?

Get together with a friend or two, each with a deck of Legend of the Burning Sands cards. Keep some tokens handy -- beads, dice, etc. -- to represent Water and other elements of the game. You can't change cards in your deck during play, but you can change cards and trade with other players between games.

Preparing Your Deck

You need at least fifty-five cards in your deck, plus your Stronghold and City Section cards, which we'll explain soon. Part of the fun of a trading card game is deciding what cards to include. Cards work together in interesting ways, and you can increase the chance of drawing a given card by increasing the number of copes of it that you include in your deck. You can have up to three copies of any card, except for a Pantheon card (see page 33) in your deck, even of cards marked Unique.

If you're playing your first game of Legend of the Burning Sands, don't worry about deckbuilding. After playing a few games, you'll see how the cards interact. That's when you'll really enjoy constructing your deck.

You should read each of your cards before you begin play, to understand the forces and abilities you'll have at your disposal during the game. You can request a pause to review the rules or read cards in play at any time, but once the game begins, you cannot look through your deck unless allowed to do so by a card effect.

Card Types

The following pages contain descriptions of each card type. Refer to them as you read these rules.

Stronghold

LBS stronghold

On the back of your deck box is a depiction of your Stronghold. It includes your Stronghold's name (A) and determines your Faction, such as Senpet. The three numbers in the middle of the card are your Stronghold's City Points (B), Copper Production (C), and Influence (D).

Use your City Points before play begins to purchase and place on the table City Sections (see the next page). Copper Production is the amount of Copper your Stronghold produces when bowed (turned sideways -- see p. 34). The Influence number is the amount of Influence your Stronghold can produce when bowed.

Also on your Stronghold are its special ability (E) and Fate value (F). The ability may be in effect all the time, or it may require you to bow the stronghold.

Your Stronghold starts the game in play. It is not a Holding (as described on page 23), and it cannot be destroyed. More than one player can represent the same Faction, as there are often as many internal struggles as external.

City Section

City Section card

Your Faction's sections of the City of One Thousand Stories contain your initial reserves of Water. A City Section's name (A) is at the top of the card. It has three numbers: its Base Strength (B), its Water Capacity (C), and the number of City Points you must allocate to begin the game with the City Section in play (D). The text box (E) describes the City Section's abilities or restrictions.

Select your City Sections by allocating some or all of your Stronghold's City Points. If your Stronghold has 20 City Points, you could start the game with four City Sections of 5 City Points each (5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20). After you select your City Sections, leftover City Points are lost. This is the only time you can select City Sections.

The Base Strength of the City Section is how much damage it can take before it is destroyed. Rules for attacking City Sections begin on page 45.

Water Capacity is the number of Water tokens that begin play on the City Section. This is also the maximum number of Water tokens the City Section can hold, unless text on the card indicates otherwise.

Some City Sections have the Advanced trait. This has significance only for cards that refer to Advanced City Sections.

Hero

Hero card

Heroes are the city inhabitant who make a lasting mark on its destiny. Flanking the Hero's name (A) is the upper left corner is a globe representing the sun (B). The value in the sun is the Hero's Strength. The Upper right corner contains a globe representing the moon (C); its value is the Hero's Ka, or inner force of will. If a Hero's Ka is ever reduced to 0, the Hero dies.

Just below a Hero's picture are three values. The left value is the Hero's Water cost (D), and the center value is the Copper cost (E). These value determine how much of each resource you have to pay to bring the Hero into play. The value on the right is the Hero's Influence (F).

The text box contains a description of the Hero's traits and abilities (G), possibly including the Hero's affiliation with a Faction. If you bring into play a Hero aligned to another Faction, you must pay 2 Copper more than the Hero's printed cost. You do not incur this extra cost when bringing into play Heroes from your Faction or Unaligned Heroes.

The number at the bottom of the card is the Hero's Fate value (H).

A Hero plus any cards attached to the Hero are a unit.

Action

Action card

An Action card usually represents something you have one of your Heroes do, like challenging someone to a knife fight or haggling with a merchant. You do not attach action cards to Heroes. When you want to play one, simply play it and discard it. The name (A) is at the top of the card.

Action cards have three important numbers. The center left number (B) is the Water cost, and the center right number (C) is the Copper cost. As with all cards, you must pay both of these costs to bring an Action card into play. Beneath these number is the text box (D), which tells you the type of action the card creates (i.e., in what situation it can be played) and its effects. The bottom number (E) is the card's Fate value.

Actions (both on Action cards and as abilities on other cards) come in five varieties: Open, Battle, Day, Night, and Reaction. The "Actions" section of page 57 fully explains their differences. In short:

Day actions are played during the Day Phase.

Night actions are played during the Night Phase.

Battle actions are played during battle

Open actions are played whenever you can play Day, Night, or Battle actions.

Reactions tell you when they can be played.

Holding

Holding card

Holdings are your resource cards. Many of them generate the Copper necessary to hire Heroes and buy Items and other cards. Some also perform special abilities when activated. A non-Fortification Holding enters play bowed and cannot generate any effects until it straightens.

A Holding's name (A) is at the top of the card. Much like other cards, a Holding has both a Water cost (B) and a Copper cost (C), both of which must be paid to bring it into play.

The text box (D) contains a description of the Holding's function and operation, such as whether it produces Water, Copper, both, or a special ability. The Holding's Fate value (E) is at the bottom of the card.

Some Holdings have the Fortification trait. Unlike other holdings, which come into play in your home (see the diagram on page 37), and do not attach to other cards, you attach a Fortification to one of your City Sections. Most Fortifications make City Sections harder to destroy, but some have more exotic abilities. When you bring a non-Fortification Holding into play, it is bowed.

Follower

Follower card

Followers are characters with a lesser role to play in the ongoing story than the Heroes. To the left and right of the card name (A), are sun and moon values. The "sun" number (B) is the Follower's Strength. The "moon" number (C) is the Follower's Ka.

Just below the picture are three values. The left value (D) is the Follower's Water cost, and the center value is the Copper cost (E). The right value (F) is the Follower's Influence, or political clout.

Under these values is the Follower's text box (G), which contains any special information about the Follower. The number at the bottom of the card is the Follower's Fate value (H).

You can only bring Followers into play by attaching them to unbowed Heroes you control. Followers with a "+" in front of their Strength or Ka value add the value directly to their Hero's value. For example, a Follower with 0S/+1K increases its Hero's Ka by 1. A Hero also gains a Follower's benefits (as described in the Follower's text box) as long as the Follower remains attached.

Followers with an Influence value (something other than "-") always add it to that of their Hero; Followers don't have Influence independent of their Hero.

Item

Item card

Items are objects you give to your Heroes to make them faster or stronger or to give them magical abilities. Like Followers, you can only attach Items to unbowed Heroes you control.

The name (A) is at the top of the card. An Item gives a Strength bonus (B) and/or a Ka bonus (C) directly to its Hero.

Of course, you have to buy your items. Like other cards, an Item has a Water cost (D) and a Copper cost (E) to bring it into play.

The text box (F) lists the special abilities (if any) the Item grants to it Hero. Any other important traits are listed here in boldface type. For instance, the Item may be a Weapon or a piece of Armor. No Hero can have more than one Weapon and one piece of Armor at a time.

The bottom number (G) is the Item's Fate value.

Spell

Spell card

Spells are magical effects cast by Heroes with the Sahir trait. The Spell's name (A) is at the top. The values in the center of the card are its Water cost (B) and Copper cost (C).

The text box (D) tells you the the requirements for bringing the Spell into play, the Spell's action type (Day, Night, Battle, Open, or Reaction), the Spell's effects, and any other important information.

Spells, like other cards, also have a Fate value (E).

To cast a Spell, you must bow one of your Sahir, who casts the Spell. You must also pay any Copper or Water costs associated with the Spell at this time. If a Spell does not indicate otherwise, it is discarded after use.

Jinn Spells summon Jinn Heroes into play. Like other Heroes, Jinn have Strength (F) and Ka (G), but they also have 0 Influence. When a Sahir casts a Jinn Spell, just place the Jinn in play and treat it like any other Hero. (This is not considered a Jinn effect.) It stays a Hero even in destroyed.

Some Spells produce effects and are then discarded (placed in your Saved pile) or buried (see "Saved and Buried Piles" on page 37). Others, like Jinn, stick around.

Story

Story card

A Story card represents one of the thousand tales that make up the legacy of the city. You can follow the fates of your favorite characters through Stories. You cannot have more than one of each Story in play. The name of the Story (A) is at the top of the card, the information about the Story is in the text box (B), and the Story's Fate value (C) is at the bottom of the card.

The requirements you must meet to bring a Story into play are described in the text box following the "Tale Reaction" indicator. As soon as you meet these conditions, you can play the Story from your hand into your home, and its effects become available to you. Stories are worth Story Points; if you get cards with a total of 5 Story Points into play, you immediately win the game. This is called a Story Victory.

While in play, a Story manifests an effect noted in the text box following the "Reward" indicator. This is the benefit you receive for telling the Story through your masterful play.

Pantheon Card

Pantheon card

In this age of crisis, faith wavers and beliefs change, even for your Faction's favored god. A Pantheon card represents the benefit bestowed to you Faction from the deity it worships.

You can have only one of each Pantheon card in your deck. Playing a Pantheon card is an Open action. When you play a Pantheon card, it replaces any previous Pantheon card you put into play. Other players' Pantheon cards are not affected. Bury the replaced card. (Gods are fickle, and once your spurn them, you will find it difficult to return to their favor.)

The name of a Pantheon card (A) is at the top. Values in the middle are the Water cost (B) on the left and the Copper cost (C) on the right. Below the two values is the text box (D). At the very bottom is the Fate value (E).

Commands of the Sultan

These are the commands of the Sultan:

Bowing cards

When a card is bowed, you turn it sideways to indicate that it has taken its action for the turn. The reverse of bowing is straightening--returning the card to its normal, upright position. A card that is not bowed is unbowed. Some cards have effects that manifest without requiring them to bow.

Once a card is bowed, it cannot take any other action until it straightens. It cannot attack, defense, raid, or take any action in its text box.

Example: One of Abdul's Heroes is in a battle. After several battle actions, Abdul comes to the conclusion that his Hero is in trouble and decides to save the Hero. His Assassin Stronghold ability reads, "Battle: Bow this card. Send home one of your Assassin Heroes in a battle, bowed. Abdul bows his stronghold to send the Hero home to safety. Now that the Stronghold is bowed, Abdul cannot use the ability to send other Heroes home from that Battle.

If a card attached to a Hero bows, the Hero can still take actions. If a Hero is bowed, the Hero's unit cannot attack, raid, or defend, although other cards in the unit can use any of their special abilities.

How to Win

There are several paths to victory. You can eliminate your rivals by destroying their City Sections or by outlasting them as available Water dwindles (a Military Victory), or you can win by creating a powerful legend through Story cards (a Story Victory). Some story cards create and define other paths to victory (Alternate Victories), which are only available to you once you have such cards in play. The game ends the instant a player achieves victory. You lose and are removed from the game if you ever end your turn with no Water tokens in your control.

Game setup

Each player chooses his or her Stronghold and City Section cards (see pages 15 and 17, respectively), and prepares a deck of fifty-five or more cards, not counting Stronghold and City Section cards. This is the only time you can select City Sections. You cannot include more than three copies of a card in your deck. (You can, however, have as many copies as you want of a given City Section; City Sections are not in your deck.)

Shuffle you deck and give an opponent the opportunity to cut it. Place your Stronghold into play in front of you. The area of the table around it is your home, where you will bring your other cards into play.

Place your deck face-down to your right. Place your city sections in a horizontal row to the left of your deck; this represents your scope of control in the Jewel of the Desert.

Draw four cards, plus one card for each of your City Sections, to form your hand. Do not reveal these cards to the other players.

 LBS game setup

Saved and Buried Piles

Cards are removed from play into one of the two discard piles. Unless otherwise stated, cards that you discard or play from your hand always go to your Saved pile. This pile is immediately reshuffled to replace your deck whenever your deck runs out of cards.

When your cards are "destroyed" or "removed from play," they go to your Buried pile. These cards are not reshuffled.

Determining Who Starts

Cut your deck and compare the Fate value of the exposed card with those of other players. The player with the highest Fate value has the Caliph's Blessing for the first turn. This player -- the Blessed player -- goes first. Resolve ties with another cut. After the first player takes an action, play continues clockwise.

Bringing Cards into Play

Before you can use a card, you must bring it into play. Too bring a card into play, you must pay all costs and meet all conditions required to play it, as described on the card and in these rules. Cards in your deck, your discard piles, and your hand are not "in play," and they do not affect the game. The player who brings a card into play controls it, unless a card effect specifically transfers control to another player.

If a card has the Unique trait, only one card of that name can be in play at any time (unless it has the Experienced trait - see page 68). You cannot bring a Unique card into play in any way if a Unique card with the same name is already in play. If a Unique card was in play but has been destroyed, another copy of the card can be brought into play.

Many cards have Copper or Water costs. If you cannot meet the Water requirement of a card after producing Copper to bring it into play or vice versa, the Copper or Water you paid is lost and the card does not enter play.

Holdings come into play bowed. Heroes enter play unbowed an ready for action.

Paying Copper Costs

To produce Copper, bow any Copper-producing card, including your Stronghold, at any time. You cannot bow a card to produce Copper unless you are paying a cost. Only one card can be brought into play at a time: you can bow multiple cards to generate enough Copper to meet the Copper cost of one card, but you cannot pay for two or more cards with the Copper produced by one card. For instance, the Copper Mine, which bows to produce 2 Copper, cannot pay for a Follower costing 1 Copper and an Item costing 1 Copper. Excess Copper is taxed by the Sultan and lost. If you try to put a card into play that you cannot afford, the card goes back into your hand and any Copper produced in the effort is lost to the Sultan's coffers.

Paying Water Costs

Some cards require that you pay Water tokens to bring them into play. Pay the Water tokens from any of your City Sections; you cannot use Water tokens attached to any other cards as payment. All tokens used to pay a Water cost leave the game; they do not attach to the paid-for card.

If you do not have enough Water when forced to pay it by another player's card effects, pay as much as you can.

Attaching and Moving Cards

A Hero must be unbowed to attach cards. When you attach a card to a Hero, slide it partway beneath the Hero. This is considered an action. The card is under the command of or in possession of the Hero. Newly attached cards are unbowed an ready for use when they enter play. A Hero and all of the Hero's Followers and Items are a unit.

The move Followers or Items among Heroes, you must bow all of the exchanging Heroes. Once the Heroes are bowed, you can exchange any number of cards between them as a Day action. You cannot transfer cards to a Hero who was already bowed. Whether you are transferring cards this way or with a card effect, the Hero to which you wish to transfer cards must be legally able to attach them.

Once attached to a Hero, cards and tokens remain there and cannot be removed unless a card or rules effect allows or causes you to remove them.

Traits and Abilities

Many Heroes have traits and abilities, which specify any Faction allegiances, indicate whether they are Sahir or Jinn, and create interesting effects. A trait is anything in a Hero's text box that is not italicized and is not prefaced by "Open," "Battle," "Day," "Night," or "Reaction." Traits include Faction identifiers and titles, whether the Hero is a Warrior or Sahir, and bonuses.

Any card with, say, "Foo" (or plural "Foos," or possessive "Foo's) in the title or in the bold faced section of the trait area is considered a Foo card and is affected by things that refer to Foo cards. Any action by a Foo card is considered a Foo action. Foo cards with Faction allegiances are Faction Foo cards.

Reserved game terms (including, but not limited to, "ally," "attacker," "Day," "Night," and "Stronghold") do not count as traits when they appear in a card's title, trait text, or italicized text. Italicized text on a card is "flavor text" and has no bearing on the card or the game whatsoever.

An ability is anything in a Hero's card text box that is prefaced by "Open," "Battle," "Day," "Night," or "Reaction." An ability on a Hero with the Sahir trait is an innate ability.

Example: A hypothetical card called Monstrous Lost Giant reads: "Moto Giant * Sahir* Duelist * The Lost Giant cannot defend." Below the traits it reads: "Day: Bow the Lost Giant. Destroy a bowed Scarab Hero."
This card is considered a Monstrous, Lost, Giant, Moto, Sahir and Duelist card. (Moto, Sahir and Duelist are traits.)
The Hero is not considered a "defend," "bow," "destroy," or "Scarab" card because these terms are not bold-faced. These terms are, however, traits.
The section that begins with "Day: Bow the Lost Giant..." is an ability. It is also an innate ability, because the Giant is a Sahir.

Sequence of Play

1. Dawn Phase

Beginning with the Blessed player, all players straighten their cards. Cards with the trait "can remain bowed" do not have to straighten.

2. Day Phase

Starting with the Blessed player and going clockwise, each player takes one of the actions below (in any order) or passes. This continues untill all players pass consecutively, at which point the Day Phase ends.

You must give all of your opponents, in turn, a chance to play a Reaction to each of your actions before playing a Reaction of your own. See pages 57-60 for more details about actions and Reactions.

Attacking

You can only attack once per turn, but you can attack more than one opponent. You are not required to attack. You can only send unbowed Heroes to attack or defend a City Section.

Attack Phase

The Attack Phase has four segments.

I. Declaration Segment
II. Ground Maneuvers Segment
III. Flying Maneuvers Segment
IV. Battle Action Segment

I. Declaration Segment

First, you declare your attack against one or more players' City Sections. (Only card effects allow you to affect Heroes and Holdings.)

You are the attacker and the other players are the defenders. You do not need to attack against all opposing player -- only those you wish to attack. You can attack as many of the defender's City Sections as you want.

Requirements for Attack

By declaring an attack against one or more players, you thereby obligate yourself to send at least one unit against each defender in either the Ground or Flying Maneuvers Segments. If you cannot legally sent a unit, you cannot declare an attack.

Offensive and Defensive Allies

During the Declaration Segment, the attacker and then the defender can ask any or all of the other players to become allies. A player does not have to become an ally if asked. Allies can commit as many units as they wish. The attacker and defender can ask the same player for assistance.

A player cannot join as an ally unless invited and cannot be both an offensive and defensive ally in the same Attack Phase. One defender can ally with another. Potential allies do not have to state their intentions until they send units; you can remain silent or lie about your intentions.

A player can demand a Water token from each player with whom he or she is allying in return for a promise to commit at least one unit to that player's battle. A player who accepts a Water token must send at least one unit to assist the player who paid the token. All offensive and defensive allies return home bowed after battle.

In battles involving allies, each army can take one action at a time. When one army takes an action, it can come from the ally or the attacker/defender, but not both. Then the opposing army takes an action.

The attacker/defender decides which cards in his or her army to use to absorb damage, but the ally decides whether or not he or she discards to absorb damage. All actions, including engagements, on the cards in the battle must be taken by the controlling player. Thus, allies can only engage their own units.

II. Ground Maneuvers Segment

There are two basic types of unit: Ground and Flying. A unit is Ground unless its members have the Flying trait. A Hero and all attached Followers must have the Flying trait to make a Flying unit.

The attacker chooses the units to make Ground attacks and names the City Section each unit attacks. Multiple units can attack and defend one City Section.

Once the attacker assigns Ground units, other players can declare themselves offensive allies, if invited to do so by the attacker in the Declaration Segment. Starting with the player on the attacker's left, each player chooses to send units or pass.

Every offensive ally assigns one or more Ground units to attack, declaring which City Section each unit is attacking. An ally can assign Flying units now or wait to do so during the Flying Maneuvers Segment. If an ally who accepted a Water token does not declare a Ground unit now, the ally must declare a Flying unit in the Flying Maneuvers Segment.

Example: Jisha declares an attack against Aziz. Both players ask Hala for assistance. Hala demands a Water token from Aziz, who pays it. Jisha assigns Kitai and Jana Barakah to attack Aziz's Secret Wall, then assigns Arhgoun to attack Aziz's Jewel of the Desert. Jisha has no allies, but if she did, they would assign their Ground units now.

Once all Ground attacks have been declared, the defender brings Ground units into the battles to defend his or her City Sections, indicating which City Section each unit will defend. The defender can assign units to City Sections whether they are being attacked or not, to be prepared for surprises.

Any player wishing to ally with the Defender then follows the same procedure, assigning one or more units to defend City Sections belonging to the defender. Flying unit can also assign now.

Example: Aziz does not assign Ground units to defend his Secret Wall, but he does send a Bonepicker to defend his Jewel of the Desert against Jisha's Argoun. Hala, who must assign at least one unit because she accepted Aziz's Water token, sends her Eye of Night to defend Aziz's Secret Wall.
III. Flying Maneuvers Segment

The Flying Maneuvers Segment immediately follows the Ground Maneuvers Segment and is conducted in exactly the same way. Only Flying units can be assigned to attack or defend in this segment. This is the last chance for a player to declare an alliance with either side, by assigning a Flying unit to attack or defend a City Section.

Example: Abdul assigns his Jinn of Desire to attack the Secret Wall. Aziz has no defending Flying units to assign. Hala sends her Al Hazaad to defend at the Secret Wall.
Battle Action Segment

Once units commit to combat, the battles begin. The units of the attacker and attacking allies are the attacking army. The units of the defender and defending allies are the defending army. The attacker must assign at least one unit to one City Section. The defender does not have to defend. Once a unit commits to battle, it cannot move to another battle without using a card effect.

A battle takes place at each of the defender's City Sections whether there are any units assigned to it or not; some cards allow actions to affect battles without declared attackers or defenders. Each battle resolves wish a different Battle Action Segment; the attacker determines the order in which battles resolve.

Beginning with the defender, each player can take one of three actions in the Battle Action Segment:

1.) Play a Battle or Open action. All Battle and Open actions must either:

If a card's text refers to an "opposing" card, "this battle," or "another attacking/defending Hero," the card creating the effect must be in the battle. If you do not have a unit in the battle, you cannot take any Open or Battle actions, including playing an Omen. The only exceptions to this rule are cards that allow you to bring a unit into the battle. (This rule only applies to Battle and Open actions; if the trigger event for a Reaction occurs, you can play the Reaction no matter where your units are.) Omens take effect when played, but Omen effects that modify a card's attributes are applied last if other effects modify the same attribute. If an Omen is replaced, it is destroyed. Battle Omens are destroyed at the end of Battle.

2.) As a Battle action, bow cards in one of your units at the battle to engage the opposing army. (See "Engaging the Enemy" below.)

3.) Bow a unit led by one of your unbowed Heroes to return the unit home.

A player can pass for his or her turn without taking an action. If all players pas consecutively, the battle ends (see "End of Battle" on page 54).

Engaging the Enemy

To destroy an opposing army or City Section in a battle, your Heroes must engage. As a Battle action, bow one of your Heroes in the battle and announce that the Hero is engaging. The opposing army must absorb damage equal to the Strength of the Hero (see the next page).

A Hero and attached Followers can engage as a unit. The opposition must absorb damage equal to their total Strength. Followers can engage simultaneously with their Hero, individually, or with other Followers in their unit, even if their Hero is bowed. Bowing a Follower to engage is an action only for the Follower.

Absorbing Damage in Battle

When your opponent engages, you must absorb the damage by destroying bowed or unbowed cards in your army, Water tokens on the City Section under attack, or the City Section. A destroyed card absorbs damage equal to its Strength. A destroyed Water token absorbs 1 point of damage. Destroying the City Section absorbs all damage. If a City Section has 0 Base Strength, it is destroyed if it has no Water tokens.

Example: You army consists of a 1-Strength Hero, a 2-Strength Hero, and a 3-Strength Hero. Saladin, your opponent, engages a 4-Strength Hero. To absorb the damage, you can sacrifice your 1- and 3-Strength Heroes, your 2- and 3-Strength Heroes, 4 Water tokens from the CIty Section under attack, the City Section itself, or any combination to that the total damage absorbed equals or exceeds the damage inflicted.

You must destroy all of a City Section's Water tokens before destroying the City Section. Any cards or tokens attached to a destroyed City Section are destroyed.

Any card with Strength greater than the initial engaging damage is immune to the attack. You do not need to destroy it if you cannot absorb all the damage, but you still have to absorb damage by destroying cards, Water tokens, or the City Section, if they are not immune. Followers that are immune to the engaging damage provide the same immunity to their Hero. This immunity is purely optional, so if you want to sacrifice one of these cards, you can.

Example: You attack Saladin with a 2-Strength Hero and a 5-Strength Hero. Saladin defends with a 4-Strength Hero and engages that Hero as his first action. If you absorb the damage with your Heroes, you need only lose your 2-Strength Hero, although you could sacrifice your 5-Strength Hero to save your 2-Strength Hero.

You might not want to lose all of your Heroes to one engaging card. You can reduce your losses by sacrificing Heroes and discarding cards from your hand to your Saved pile, using the cards' Fate values to absorb the damage. You must sacrifice one Hero for each card you discard in this manner.

Example: You attack with three 2-Strength Heroes. Saladin defends with a 5-Strength Hero and engages the Hero as his first action. Normally, you would lose all three of your Heroes to absorb the damage, but you can absorb some damage with a card from your hand. You give up one of your 2-Strength Heroes and discard a 3-Fate-value card to absorb the remaining damage (2 Strength plus 3 Fate equals 5 points absorbed).
End of Battle

A battle ends after all players with units in the battle pass consecutively or the City Section is destroyed. When battle ends, attacking and allying units (including defending allies) return home bowed. The defender's units return home in their current orientation (bowed or unbowed). After all battles at the defender's City Sections resolve, the attack ends.

3. Night Phase

Beginning with the Blessed player and going clockwise, each player takes an action from the list below (in any order) or passes. Take turns performing things from this list until all players pass consecutively, at which point the Night Phase ends.

Raiding

Water is life. It controls the cards you bring into play and your defensive capacity. There comes a time in every game when you simply don't have enough Water to satisfy your needs. Since your opponent has Water, why not sneak in at night and take some? Your Heroes carry Water tokens away from a successful Raid, which only happens in the Night Phase. You do not have to Raid.

Raid Phase

There are four steps to raiding:

I. Declaring a Raid Phase

Declare your intention to raid an opposing player or players. (You can raid more than one player at a time.)

II. Assigning Raiding Units

Assign one of your unbowed Heroes to each City Section you want to raid. You do not have to raid all of a player's City Sections. You cannot raid a City Section that was already targeted for a raid this turn.

When you assign a raiding unit, place a card from your hand face-down on it. The Fate value of the card is your raiding Fate value.

III. Assigning Defending Units

Each player being raided can assign one of his or her unbowed Heroes to defend each of the City Sections being raided. As the defender assigns each defending unit, he or she must place a card from his or her hand face-up on it (if the defender has no cards, he or she cannot defend). The Fate value of the card is the defending Fate value.

IV. Resolving the Raid

Reveal the raiding Fate value and compare them with the defending Fate values. If a raiding Fate value is higher than the corresponding defending Fate value -- or higher than the City Section's Base Strength if there is no defending unit -- the raid succeeds and the raiding player takes a Water token from the raided City Section and places it on the raiding Hero. If a City Section has 0 Base Strength, it is destroyed is it has no Water tokens. In an unsuccessful raid, no Water tokens are taken.

Discard the Fate-value cards and return all raiding units home bowed, regardless of success. Defending unit return home without bowing.

4. End Phase

Any players without Water tokens attached to any of their cards are eliminated from the game. If more than one player does not have any Water tokens, eliminate Waterless players starting with the Blessed player and going clockwise.

Your maximum hand size is four cards, plus one card for each of your City Sections. Draw four cards, then discard down to your maximum hand size.

Place any Water tokens that are on your Heroes onto your City Sections, distributing them as you see fit. Any Water tokens that you cannot place on City Sections are lost at the end of this phase. You can also redistribute Water tokens among your City Sections. The Blessed player passes the Caliph's Blessing to the player on his or her left, who becomes the Blessed player for the next turn.

Actions

There are five types of actions: Battle, Day, Night, Open, and Reaction. Actions take the form of text following action indicators, such as "Battle," on all types of cards. Play Action cards from your hand to your Saved pile, unless they are Omens (see the next page).

All actions except Reactions must resolve before an other action can be played. For instance, you cannot use an Open action to raise the Ka of Hero on the way into a duel caused by an earlier action.

If player's actions have timing conflicts, the Blessed player's action takes precedence. Each other player then acts in turn order. During the Battle Action Segment, the defender goes first.

If an action is ever canceled, all costs paid for it are lost. For example, a Buried Action card still must be buried, even if it is canceled.

Some action subtypes, such as Omens and Council actions, have special rules for play and costs. They are described on page 61.

Battle Actions

You can only use these actions (those prefaced by the keyword Battle) during the Battle Action Segment at a battle. All Open action (see below) and Battle actions at a battle must either:

Day Actions

You can only use Day actions (those prefaced by the keyword Day) during the Day Phase.

Night Actions

You can only use Night actions (those prefaced by the keyword Night) during the Night Phase.

Open Actions

Any player can only use Open actions (those prefaced by the keyword Open) during the Day Phase, the Night Phase, or a Battle Action Segment, as long as that player can legally take an action.

Reactions

Reactions (actions prefaced by the keyword Reaction) interrupt other actions and events. A Reaction is not restricted to a phase of the turn; instead, it has an action or event that triggers it. It must be played immediately after the declaration of its trigger action or event; it cannot be played after an action resolves or another action has been declared.

To play a Reaction that affects another action, announce that you are doing so immediately after the player using that action announces it. After you play an action (including a Reaction) or do anything else that can trigger a Reaction, all players can play Reactions in turn, beginning with the person on your left, until everybody passes consecutively.

If a Reaction redirects, nullifies, or alters the attributes of the target of an interrupted action so that the target no longer meets the requirements of the interrupted action, the interrupted action has no effect. Playing a Reaction is not considered an "action" for determining the order of playing actions.

Example: During a battle, Aziz targets Hala's al Hazaad and announces that he's using this innate ability on Takiyah: "Open: Bow Takiyah to attach a -1S/-1K token to another Hero until the end of the turn." Jisha passes on playing a Reaction, but Hala players Alim's Charm of Protection, which reads, "Reaction: Play this card when a Spell or innate ability targets one of your Heroes. The Spell of ability is negated." Abdul can then react, but he passes. Aziz, Jisha, and Hala also pass consecutively, so the reaction phase for the Spell ends. The Spell is negated. Aziz's action has been resolved, so it's the next player's (Jisha's) turn to play an action.

Omens

Some actions have the Omen trait. An Omen is played like a normal action, but if another Omen is already in play, the previous Omen is destroyed, even if it is a Battle Omen. A Battle Omen is destroyed at the end of the battle in which it is played. An Omen stays in play until it is replaced by another Omen or destroyed. Omens take effect immediately, although an Omen's effects that modify a card's attribute are applied last if other effects modify the same attribute. You cannot play an Omen at a battle in which you have no units, unless it moves a unit into the battle.

Council Actions

To take a Council action, you must fulfill its Influence requirement by bowing Hero and Stronghold cards you have in play, whose combined Influence meets or exceeds the requirement.

Bonuses and Tokens

Many card allow you to give bonuses to other cards. These bonuses are in the form #S/#K, where the #s are the changes to a Hero's Strength and Ka. For instance, a -1S/+1K token would give the targeted Hero -1 Strength and +1 Ka. If a negative modifier to a value drops below 0, the value is considered 0 instead. All bonuses and penalties accumulate and a recalculated as needed. They last until the end of the turn unless otherwise indicated.

Some bonuses come in the form of tokens. A card can have many kinds of tokens on it at once. You cannot move tokens between cards or destroy tokens without special card effects that allow you to do so. Unless text restricts a token's placement, you can place any token on any Hero. Cards that are discarded or destroyed lose all attached tokens. If an effect mentions neither a token nor the word "permanent," it expires at the end of your turn.

Permanent Changes

Some cards make "permanent" changes to other cards. A permanent change to a card is not a token. It stays with the card until the end of the game, even if the card is discarded or destroyed. It does not affect other copies of the same card. If the text of an effect neither mentions a token nor contains the word "permanent," it expires at the end of your turn.

Challenges and Duels

Some cards permit one Hero to challenge another Hero. When you play a card that creates a challenge, select one of your unbowed Heroes and a Hero controlled by another player. The other player can refuse the challenge; if he or she does, nothing happens. If the challenge is accepted,a duel ensues.

Once a challenge is thrown down, it is too late to use any actions (other than appropriate Reactions) to increase or decrease a Hero's stats. Like any other action, a challenge must completely resolve before any other actions can be taken.

Once a challenge has been issued and accepted, a duel begins. Only now can Reactions referring to a Hero "entering a duel" be produced. As for other Reactions during the duel, you must still give your opponent a chance to play a Reaction to each of your actions (like thrusting or parrying) before playing a Reaction of your own.

Both players announce their Heroes' Ka values. A Hero's Ka is the value in the upper right corner of the card, plus any effects in play, plus Ka bonuses added by any attached cards with "+X" bonuses. If a card becomes involved in a duel for which it has no printed stat, it is considered to have 0 in the stat.

Thrusting

The challenged Hero begins the duel by thrusting. To thrust, place a card from your hand face-down. You do not have to thrust. If a player does not thrust, the player passes and the opponent can thrust.

Parrying

When a thrust is played, the opposing player must parry by drawing and playing face-up the top card of his or her deck or playing a card from his or her hand. Parries played from your deck are buried, unlike parries from your hand or thrusts, which are discarded after use. Although you can parry from your deck, you cannot thrust from it.

Resolving a Dueling Round

After the parry is played, reveal the thrust card.

Compare the Fate values of the parry and thrust cards. If the parry value is different than the thrust value, the defender subtracts the difference from his or her Hero's Ka. (If the parry value is greater than the thrust value, the defender over-extended the defense.) This is a "missed" parry, which makes the thrust "successful." The Ka loss lasts until the end of the duel. If the parry value equals the thrust value, the defending Hero takes no damage.

After a parry card is played and both cards are discarded or buried, the defender now becomes the attacker and can thrust or pass. The attacker becomes the defender, and so on. When a Hero is reduced to 0 Ka, the Hero loses the duel.

If neither Hero has lost the duel by the time both players consecutively pass their opportunity to thrust, compare the Heroes' Ka. The Hero with the higher Ka wins the duel. In the case of a tie, both Heroes suffer the loser's fate. Unless otherwise directed, a duels loser is destroyed and the winner is unaffected. Dueling does not bow the Heroes. Ka lost in a duel is restored after duel resolution.

Example: Round 1
Rashat, with a 4-Ka Hero, challenges Nemet's 3-Ka Hero. Nemet accepts and begins the duel by playing a 2-Fate-value thrust card face-down. Rashat parries blindly from his deck with a 2-Fate-value card. When Nemet reveals her card, Rashat's Hero takes no damage, but his parry is buried.
Rashat now plays his thrust, with a Fate value of 3, face-down. Nemet defends by playing a 4-Fate-value parry from her hand.
Because her parry's Fate value is 1 greater than that of her thrust, her Hero loses 1 Ka.
Example: Round 2
Rashat's Hero now has 4 Ka, Nemet's 2. Nemet plays a 5-Fate-value thrust face-down. Rashat takes another gamble and parries from his deck. He pulls a 1-Fate-value card and takes 4 points of damage. He loses and his Hero is destroyed because the Hero now has 0 Ka. The duel ends, and Nemet's Hero's Ka returns to its usual value of 3.

Destroying Cards

Destroyed cards go to their owner's Buried pile. If a Hero is destroyed, so are the Hero's entire unit and tokens. Effects that would have been produced by a Hero had the Hero survived do not occur.

Any Omen that is replaced by another Omen is destroyed. Battle Omens are destroyed after battle.

Influence

Your Stronghold and Heroes all have Influence values. Influence is the political and charismatic sway an entity has over the people of the city.

Special Card Traits

Many cards have advantages and restrictions. These usually appear in the first line of the text box.

Archery (+X)

Some Heroes and Followers have the Archery trait. When these cards engage, their controller can choose a card in the opposing army to absorb the damage. Only one card card be targeted per used of the Archery talent. Any extra damage is lost. Multiple Archery cards in an unit can bow together for this effect. You cannot target a Hero with attached Followers. If a player does not use the Archery trait to engage the opposing army, the opposing player absorbs the damage as he or she wishes, as usual. You cannot use Archery to target a City Section or Water tokens.

Sometimes the term "Archery" on a card is followed by a modifier (e.g., +1, -1). This modifier adjusts the card's Strength when it uses Archery.

Berserk

Some Heroes and Followers have the Berserk trait. When a Hero or unit with this trait engages, the opponent cannot use cards from his or her hand to absorb damage; the player must absorb all damage with cards and tokens in the battle.

Carry +X

A Hero normally carries 1 Water token away from a successful raid. The Carry trait increases that number of Water tokens by X.

Duelist

A Hero with the Duelist trait can increase his or her parry value by 1 after a thrust card is revealed.

Experienced Heroes

The Legend of the Burning Sands storyline progresses over time, and changes in the expansion sets reflect this. The Experienced trait represents the changes that some heros undergo during the story.

If you have an earlier version of an Experienced Hero in play and the Experienced version in your had, you can lab the Experienced version on top of the earlier version during the Day Phase, paying no Water and only 2 Copper. The Experienced version keeps all attached cards, tokens, and abilities of the card it overlays, and abilities of the card it overlays, but the stats and traits of the Experienced version override those of the non-Experienced version. You cannot "underlay" an earlier version of a Hero under an Experienced version of the same card.

Flying

If a Hero and all attached Followers have the Flying trait, the unit can commit during the Flying Maneuvers Segment. If a Follower or Hero does not have the Flying trait, the unit is Ground and must commit during the Ground Maneuvers Segment.

Gaining Water

If you gain Water through card effects (but not raids), immediately attach it to one of your City Sections, unless otherwise directed.

Khadi

The controller of a destroyed Khadi Hero can return the Hero to play bowed in the End Phase by paying 3 Water. This does not make the Khadi Undead. A Khadi Hero can be raised more than once.

Raid +X, -X

This trait changes your raiding Fate value by X.

Sahir

Sahir are Heroes skilled in the mystical arts. You must bow one of your Sahir to cast a Spell. The abilities of Sahir are called innate abilities.

Tactician

The controller of a Hero with the Tactician trait can play a card from his or her hand as a Battle action once per battle. The player adds the card's Fate value to the Hero's Strength until the turn ends.

Targeting and Redirection

When an action specifies a target or when you must choose among cards, tokens, players, or City Sections, you are "targeting" with the action. When you target something, first choose the target, then take the action. You can target your own bowed cards.

An action that requires a target is the only type that can be redirected. If an action designates the thing it affects without allowing a choice for the player, it cannot be redirected. For example, a card that targets "your deck" or "the Stronghold of the player on your right" falls under this rule. An action can be redirected more than once. Should an action be redirected, the new target is considered the target of the action. No action can be redirected to something it couldn't target in the first place.

Undead

Undead Heroes and Followers are Nonhuman. The will not raid or defend against raids.

Glossary

Advisor: A Holding that represent a member of your Faction with special abilities. An Advisor is not a Hero.

army: All of the units involved in a City Section's attack or defense.

attach: Put a Follower, Item, or Fortification into play.

battle: Combat between attacking and defending armies.

Blessed player: The player with the Caliph's Blessing.

bow: Turn a card sideways to indicate that it was taken its action.

Buried pile: Destroyed or killed cards, placed face-up.

Caliph's Blessing: The possession of the player to takes the first action in each phase of a turn.

City Section: A Sphere of your influence and resources in the city. You lose the game if you lose all your City Sections.

commit: Send units to attack or defende. Only unbowed Heroes' units can commit to an attack or defense.

destroyed: Sent to the Buried pile. If a Hero is destroyed, so are all attached cards and tokens. When a CIty Section is destroyed, it no longer exists and cannot be attacked again.

discarded: Put in the owner's Saved pile face-up, to the right of the deck.

discarded from play: Removed from play and put in the owner's Saved pile. A card discarded from play is treated as if it had never been in play.

deck: All of the cards you use to play, except your Stronghold and City Sections.

Duelist: A trait allowing its Hero to increasehis or her parry valueby +1 immediately after a thrust is revealed in a duel.

face-down: The status of cards in decks and hand, and facing the table.

Fate value: The number at the bottom of all your cards.

Flying: A trait that, if possessed by a Hero and all attached Followers, allows the unit to commit during a Flying Maneuvers segment.

Fortification: A holding that attaches to a City Section.

Ground: The default combat trait for Heroes and Followers. A unit is Ground and assigns during the Ground Maneuvers Segment unless the Hero and all attached Followers are Flying.

hand: Cards drawn from the deck but not yet put into play. Cards in a hand are considered face-down.

Hero: A leader hired by your Faction to further your goals.

home: The area of the table for the Stronghold and Holdings.

Human: A Hero who is not a Creature, Jinn, Nagah, Nonhuman, or Undead.

Influence: The political clout of a character.

innate ability: A Day, Night, Open, Battle, or Reaction effect that a Sahir can create without a Spell card.

in play: Not in a deck, Saved pile, Buried pile, or hand.

in turn: The order in which players play, usually decided by seating position and the standard clockwise progression of the game.

Jinn: A creature of "smokeless fire" usually summoned into play by a Sahir. Jinn are Nonhuman.

Ka: A Hero's inner strength and instrincts. A Hero dies if his or her Ka drops to 0. This value is used for duels.

Khadi: A heartless sorceror who serves the Caliph.

Military Victory: Winning the game by eliminating all other players.

Nohuman: A type of Hero that includes, but is no limited to, Creatures, Jinn, Nagahs, and Undead.

Omen: A card that affects the entire play environment while in play. Only one Omen can be in play at a time.

opposing units: The units in the army against which you are fighting in a battle.

parry card: A card placed face-up in a duel after a thrust.

raid: Steal Water from another player.

Sahir: Spellcaster.

Saved pile: Used or discarded cards, placed face-up.

Story Victory: Winning the game by having at least 5 Story Points in play. You cannot have more than one of each Story in play.

straighten: Turn a card upright to indicate that it is unbowed and ready to take an action.

Stronghold: The representation of your Faction on the back of your box and on a card in your starter deck.

Tactician: The trait of a Hero who, as a Battle action once per battle, allows you to discard a card from your hand to raise his or her Strength by the card's Fate value.

thrust card: A card placed face-down in a duel to deal damage.

turn: The sequence of events from the beginning of the Dawn Phase to the end of the End Phase.

Undead Hero: The body of a Human or Nonhuman re-animated after death.

Unique card: A card of which only one copy can be in play at a time. You can still have three copies of such a card in your deck.

unit: A Hero and all of hir or her attached cards.

you: The controller. Cards that start in you deck and get taken over by other players are no longer "your" cards, even though you own the, and get them back when you leave the game.

Credits

Original Concept: David Seay, Ryan S. Dancey & John Zinser

Lead Designer: Raymond Lau

Art Direction: KC Lancaster & Raymond Lau

Story Design and Flavor Text: Patrick Kapera

Design Team: David Williams, DJ Trindle, Erik Yaple, & Robin Lake

Additional Design: Luke Peterschmidt

Conceptual Graphic Design: Cris Dornaus, Paul Allen Timm, & Steven Hough

Editing: Jessica Beaven & DJ Trindle

Brand Management: Luke Peterschmidt

AEG Project Administrator: Maureen Yates

Creative Director: Al Skaar

Packaging Design: Clake Beasley

Card Typesetting/Layout: Paul Allen Timm

Card Art: Anson Maddocks, Anthony Grabski, April Lee, Ben Peck, Bryon Wackwitz, CH Burnett, Chris Arneson, Craig Maher, David Monette, Diana Vick, Eric Anderson, Eric Polak, Frank Gembeck Jr., Heather Bruton, Jim Pavalec, Randy Asplund-Faith, Rob Alexander, Susan Van Camp, Theodore Black, Theresa Brandon, Thomas Gianni, Tim Gerstmar, Tommy Pons

Playtesters: Allison Heimbach, Al Park, Andy Morris, Asif Chaudhary, Ben Handy, Bob Jordan. Colin Edwards, Curtis Enoksen, David Henry, Dion Rigdon, Elliot Wong, Eric Devlin, Ian McGuigan, Jarrett Chaiken, Jason Pitcole, Jennifer Hastings, Jim Callhan, Joe Keyser, Joe Zakszewski, Jon Palmer, Justin Berman, Mark Jerome, Marty Fenelon, Matt Turnquist, Michael Schilder, Michael Wang, Micah Swafford, Mike Maners, Neal Steed, Paul Stachel, Peter Hartman, Robert Kramer, Robert Owens, Scott Chelette, Sean Harvey, Serge Pierro.

Errata

The most recent printing of a card overules all previous versions, which are considered to read identically to the current version. This rulebook overrules all previous rulebooks.

Fields of Rolling Grain should read, "...without bowing."

Khadi Justice should read, "...if a Khadi is in play."

Lands of the Senpet should read, "...repay their printed Water cost."

Sun's Anger should read, "All cards being brought into play have their..."

Moto Oasis should read, "...of any Advanced City Section in play."

All Heroes with the gray border for Unaligned cards are considered Unaligned. These include the Giant, Golem, R'adijr, Rahjid, and Tasir.

Special thanks to Mo, without whose style and grace this never would have come to pass. - rl & pk

Turn Sequence

  1. Dawn Phase: Straighten bowed cards.
  2. Day Phase: Do any or all of the following.
  3. Night Phase: Do any or all of the following.
  4. End Phase: Draw four cards, then discard to your maximum hand size.
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