Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One

2019

Unmatched is a thrilling asymmetrical miniature fighting game. With unique heroes, tactical movement, no-luck combat, and stunning artwork, dive into epic battles that reward expertise and strategic play.

40
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

Medium Light

About the game

In battle, there are no equals. Unmatched is a highly asymmetrical miniature fighting game for two or four players. Each hero is represented by a unique deck designed to evoke their style and legend. Tactical movement and no-luck combat resolution create a unique play experience that rewards expertise, but just when you’ve mastered one set, new heroes arrive to provide all new match-ups. Battle of Legends, Volume One features four heroes. King Arthur sacrifices cards to power up his attacks and gets some timely assistance from Merlin’s magic. Alice is back from Wonderland with a giant vorpal blade and the Jabberwock by her side as she grows and shrinks to gain advantages on attack and defense. Medusa is happy to attack from range and let her harpies hound you, but just one devastating glance could end the battle quickly. Sinbad grows in power as he gains experience on each of his voyages. Combat is resolved quickly by comparing attack and defense cards. However, each card’s unique effects and a simple but deep timing system lead to interesting decisions each time. The game also features an updated version of the line-of-sight system from Tannhäuser for ranged attacks and area effects. The game includes a double-sided board with two different battlefields, pre-washed miniatures for each hero, and custom life trackers that’s brought to life with the stunning artwork of Oliver Barrett and the combined design teams of Restoration Games and Mondo Games.

Setup and rules summary

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One is a board game that combines strategy, tactics, and the imaginative world of legendary characters. Here are the main components of the game:

1. Game Board: The game board is a map where the battles take place. It features different terrains that can affect the movement and combat of the characters. It is divided into spaces and zones that regulate character movement and range of attacks.

2. Character Figures: There are four character figures in the game – King Arthur, Alice, Medusa, and Sinbad. These figures represent players on the board. Each character has a unique ability that can be utilized during the game.

3. Sidekick Tokens: Each character, except Alice, has sidekick tokens. These tokens represent additional forces that a player can command. They have their own attack and defense capabilities.

4. Health Dials: Each character and sidekick has a corresponding health dial. The health dial tracks the health points of a character or a sidekick. When the health points reach zero, the character or sidekick is defeated.

5. 30-Card Decks: Each character has a unique 30-card deck. These cards are used for attacking, defending, and using special abilities. The cards depict various actions that characters can take during their turn.

6. Reference Cards: These cards contain the details about the special abilities of characters and sidekicks. They provide a quick reference for players to understand the unique abilities of their characters.

7. Boost Tokens: These are used to increase the attack or defense value of a card. They can be used once per turn to give a temporary advantage during a battle.

8. Effect Tokens: These tokens are used to indicate any lasting effects from the action cards. They serve as reminders for any ongoing effects.

In Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One, players move their characters and sidekicks around the game board, engaging in battles by playing cards from their deck and using their unique abilities. The objective of the game is to defeat the opponent’s characters by reducing their health points to zero.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One is a highly engaging board game that combines strategy, luck, and tactical prowess. Whether you’re a seasoned board game veteran or a newcomer, here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game.

Step 1: Determine Player Roles

Each player begins by selecting a hero deck of their choice. There are four heroes available in Volume One: King Arthur, Alice, Medusa, and Sinbad. Each hero comes with a unique deck of cards and a corresponding hero miniature. Additionally, each hero has a sidekick with its own miniature as well.

Step 2: Board Setup

Unfold the game board in the center of the play area. The board represents the battlefield where your heroes and sidekicks will maneuver and combat against each other. Each space on the board can contain any number of fighters, but only one fighter per player.

Step 3: Place Fighters on the Starting Spaces

Each hero and sidekick has a designated starting space, indicated by the color and symbol that match those on their character cards. Place the corresponding miniatures on their starting spaces.

Step 4: Shuffle and Draw Cards

Shuffle your deck and draw a starting hand of five cards. You can look at your cards, but keep them secret from other players. The rest of your deck forms your draw pile, which should be placed within easy reach.

Step 5: Prepare the Health Tracker

Each player sets their hero’s health to the maximum value indicated on their hero card by placing a health tracker on the corresponding number of the health dial. The sidekick’s health is tracked separately on the same dial, underneath the hero’s current health.

Step 6: Random Elements

There are several random elements in Unmatched. The deck of cards you draw from is shuffled, so you never know which card you will draw next. Some cards have effects that are determined randomly. For instance, Alice’s “Drink Me” card makes her grow or shrink randomly.

Step 7: Begin the Game

The youngest player goes first. On your turn, you can perform two actions: maneuver and scheme, attack or boost. After performing two actions, the turn passes to the next player clockwise.

Game flow Round and round we go

Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One is a strategic board game that involves two to four players, each controlling a legendary character with unique abilities. The goal is to defeat all other characters by reducing their health points to zero. Each player gets their turn during which they can perform specific actions. The game proceeds in rounds until one player emerges as the winner.

In each round, a player’s turn consists of two phases:

Start of Turn Phase
Play Cards Phase

The Start of Turn Phase is the initial phase of a player’s turn. It is structured as follows:

Draw a card: The player begins their turn by drawing a card from their deck. If their deck is empty, they don’t draw a card.
Check hand size: If a player has more than seven cards in their hand after the draw, they must discard down to seven.

After the Start of Turn Phase, the player moves to the Play Cards Phase. During this phase, the player can do any of the following actions, in any order, and as many times as they are able:

Movement: The player may play a card with a ‘Move’ action to move their hero and/or sidekick around the board. The number on the card indicates how many spaces they can move.
Attack: The player may play an ‘Attack’ card to target another character within range. The target player may choose to defend by playing a ‘Defense’ card from their hand.
Scheme: The player may play a ‘Scheme’ card. The effect of the scheme card varies and is described on the card itself.
Recover: If the player’s hero is in the same space as their sidekick, they may use a ‘Move’ card to recover health instead of moving. The number on the card indicates how much health they recover.

Once a player has performed all the actions they wish to or can perform, their turn ends and the next player’s turn begins with the Start of Turn Phase. The game continues in this way, with players taking turns until a player’s hero’s health is reduced to zero, at which point that player is out of the game. The last player with a surviving hero wins the game.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One is a highly strategic, card-driven board game where players control legendary characters in a battle of wits and strength. Each player’s turn during the game consists of two phases: the maneuver phase and the scheme phase. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what each phase entails and the strategic choices that can affect gameplay:

1. Maneuver Phase:

Draw a Card: The player begins their maneuver phase by drawing a card from their deck. This card could be an attack, defense, or special card that can be used later in the game. The decision of when to use these cards can greatly affect the outcome of the game.
Move: After drawing a card, the player has the option to move any or all of their fighters up to a number of spaces equal to their character’s movement value. Deciding where to move your characters involves strategic planning, as positioning can be critical to both attack and defense.

2. Scheme Phase:

Play a Scheme Card: If the player has a scheme card in their hand, they may choose to play it during this phase. Scheme cards can have a variety of effects, such as dealing damage, healing, manipulating the player’s or opponent’s deck, and more. The strategic use of these cards can drastically change the tide of the game.
Attack: Alternatively, the player can choose to attack an opponent’s character during the scheme phase. The attacking player selects one of their fighter’s attack cards and the defending player selects a defense card. The outcome of the battle is determined by comparing the values on the cards. Strategic selection of which cards to use for attack and defense is a key aspect of gameplay.

These choices can dramatically affect the game. For instance, holding onto a powerful attack card until the right moment could turn the tide of the game. Similarly, clever use of movement can put a player’s fighters in an advantageous position or out of harm’s way. In-depth knowledge of your own deck and predicting your opponent’s moves are also crucial tactics.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One is a thrilling board game where players take on the role of legendary characters in one-on-one combat. The game ends when one player achieves the victory condition, which is to reduce their opponent’s hero character to zero health.

Victory Conditions:

Hero’s Health Reaches Zero: The primary victory condition in Unmatched: Battle of Legends is to reduce the health of your opponent’s hero character to zero. This is accomplished through successful attacks during your turn.
Opponent Cannot Draw Cards: In rare cases, a player can win the game if their opponent cannot draw a card at the start of their turn because their deck is empty. However, this is not a common way to win given the game’s mechanics and pace.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

Before the game ends and the victory condition is met, there are various actions that players should take to ensure that the game is scored appropriately. These include:

Use All Actions: Make sure you have used all of your available actions for your turn. Each player can take two actions on their turn, which can include maneuvering, scheming, or attacking.
Check Remaining Health: Double-check the remaining health of both the hero and any sidekicks (if applicable). This will help determine if the game should indeed end.
Validate Victory Condition: Confirm that the victory condition has been met. If your opponent’s hero character has zero health or they cannot draw a card from their deck at the start of their turn, then you have won the game.

Remember, despite the competitive nature of the game, the ultimate goal is to have fun and enjoy the strategic gameplay that Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One offers.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the game Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One, the scoring system is directly tied to the health of the heroes and their sidekicks. Each player starts with a specific amount of health points, and the goal of the game is to reduce your opponent’s health points to zero. Here is a detailed breakdown of the scoring system:

Health Points:

Heroes: Each hero starts with a different amount of health points, which is indicated on their character card. When this reaches zero, the game ends and the player whose hero still has health points remaining is the winner.
Sidekicks: Sidekicks also have their own health points. While the elimination of a sidekick does not end the game, it can weaken a player’s position and make their hero more vulnerable. Sidekicks’ health points do not contribute to the final score, but losing them can indirectly impact the outcome of the game.

Damage:

Attacks: When a player attacks an opponent’s hero or sidekick, they can potentially reduce their health points. The amount of damage is determined by the attack card played, minus the defense card played by the opponent, if any.
Special Abilities: Some heroes and sidekicks have special abilities that can cause damage. This damage is also subtracted from the health points of the targeted hero or sidekick.

Tie-breaking rules:

In Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One, ties are very unlikely due to the nature of the gameplay. However, in the rare event that both heroes reach zero health points at the same time, the game is considered a draw. There are no official tie-breaking rules.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One is an exciting board game with unique characters and special abilities. However, it’s important to understand some of the rare or special rules, exceptions, and rule clarifications to ensure a smooth gaming experience.

Firstly, let’s discuss Character Abilities. Each character has unique abilities that can influence the game. For example, King Arthur has a “Once per turn” ability that allows him to draw a card after performing a Feint. These abilities do not use an action and can be used at any time during the character’s turn unless otherwise stated.

When it comes to Defending, players should note that they can only defend with a card from their hand if it has a defense value. If a player cannot or chooses not to defend, they deduct the full attack value from their health.

When a Zone is Overcrowded, no more fighters can be moved into it. If a card or effect would cause a fighter to move into an overcrowded zone, the move is ignored. However, fighters can still be switched between zones.

While Fighters can move around the board, they cannot move diagonally or through obstacles unless a card or effect allows it. Also, remember that fighters cannot be moved outside the game board.

For the Melee attack, a player can only attack an adjacent opponent. However, characters with ranged attack can attack any opponent within their line of sight. Note that line of sight is not blocked by fighters.

Finally, Game End. The game ends immediately when a hero’s health is reduced to zero. The player whose hero still has health remaining is the winner. If both heroes’ health is reduced to zero at the same time, the game ends in a draw.

These are just a few of the rare or special rules and exceptions in the game. Each character brings their own unique abilities and strategies to the table, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with each one for the best possible gaming experience.