Saga

About this board game

Saga is a strategy game for 2–4 players, played in about 40 minutes, in which rival princes seek to free six countries from an evil ruler and become the new king.

Each round, players lay out knight cards with different strength values. A knight’s color shows the country it seeks to conquer, and knights of the same color played in later rounds form a row beneath one another. However, only one knight of each color may belong to a conquering squad.

To take a country, a player must use a knight with a higher strength value than the knight defending it. Control can change repeatedly: after a country is conquered, its former owner receives the relevant knight cards back, while opponents can attempt to seize it again with knights whose overall strength is higher.

Each country also has a special function that can influence your strategy. Many countries provide income, while others allow a player to strengthen their defense troops. Choosing when to commit your knights—and where to challenge an opponent—determines how effectively you can build and protect your holdings.

• Compete to control six countries.
• Use colored knights to identify your targets.
• Compare strength values to conquer and reclaim territory.
• Make use of countries that generate income or reinforce defenses.

At the end of Saga, the game awards a general rating based on your controlled countries. The owner of each country scores the value of the defense knight there, while unused cards provide minus points. After adding the resulting amounts, the player with the highest total of money wins.