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Game Rules

Cthulhu Wars

Phases

  1. Action Phase:
    • Take turns spending power to take actions.
      • -1: Recruit a dude in a space with one of your units. (-1 power)
      • -3:Create a Gate in a space with a dude. (-3 power)
      • -?: Summon a Monster. (-? power)
      • -?: Awaken a GOO. (-? power)
      • -1: Move a unit. (-1 power)
      • -1: Start a battle. (-1 power)
      • -1: Capture an unprotected dude. (-1 power)
    • Freely move your dudes on or off Gates.
    • If you’ve accomplished all 6 of your goals, you can start as many battles as you want on your turn, but only one per area on the board.
  2. Gather Power Phase:
    • +1 per dude.
    • +2 per Gate you control.
    • +1 per Abandoned Gate (everybody gets it)
    • +1 Power for each captured dude. (Return them to their owner)
    • Bonus power based on ablities.
    • Make sure each player has at least half (rounded up) as much power as the player with the most.
  3. Determine First Player
    • Give first player token to the player with the most power.
      • Tiebreaker is previous round’s First Player.
      • (Before the game begins, choose starting player randomly, but Cthulhu player gets dibs.)
    • That player decides whether the round goes clockwise or widdershins.
  4. Doom Phase: (Doom is points.)
    • Each player gains 1 point Doom for each Gate they control.
    • Each player can choose to pay power to do a Ritual of Annihilation. If they do:
      • They gain another 1 point Doom per gate they control.
      • They get +1 Elder Sign for each GOO they have in play.
    • Check for the end of the game.

Combat

You can only start combat if you can roll at least one combat dice. A little dude can’t do a fight on his own.

  1. Pre-battle abilities (order goes attacker, defender, bystanders)
  2. Roll combat dice at the same time.
  3. Apply the results to attackers then defenders
    • Any 6s rolled kills an enemy.
    • Any 4s and 5s pain an enemy, meaning they have to retreat to an adjacent space.
      • A unit can’t retreat to a space with units of the faction they just fought.
      • If there is nowhere to retreat, one of the pained units is killed, and the rest just stay put.
    • Players get to choose which of their units are killed and pained.

Game End

At the end of the Doom Step, the Game Ends if either - The ritual track is at the end. - A player has at least 30 points Doom

The game can also end immediately during the the Action Phase if a player reveals Elder Signs to bring their points Doom to 30.

To win the game, you need to have accomplished all 6 of your objectives.
Among the players who have done so, then the one with the most points Doom wins.

See also the https://necronomicon.app/ for the game.

Cthulhu Wars is a game by Sandy Peterson