Black Rose Wars

2019

Immerse yourself in the exciting universe of Nova Aetas in Italy with Black Rose Wars. Compete as a powerful mage, master spells, fulfill missions, and battle for supreme power!

90
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Black Rose Wars is a captivating board game that transports players into a mystical world of magic, strategy, and competition. It’s not just a game; it’s an immersive journey into a fantasy universe where every move determines your fate.

Set in the gloomy halls of the Black Rose Lodge, a secret society of mages based in the heart of the Forgotten Realms, players assume the roles of powerful mages who are battling for supremacy. Through cleverly designed room tiles and spell cards, players weave together strategies to outwit, outplay, and outlast their opponents.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Black Rose Wars is a strategy board game that offers an immersive magical experience. It includes a variety of components, each with their own role and impact on the gameplay.

In the Black Rose Wars game box, you will find:

Evocation Cards: These cards represent summoned creatures or constructs that players can bring to the battlefield. They can provide additional abilities or actions to the player, and can also act as shields against enemy attacks.
Spell Cards: These cards are the primary way players can interact with the game and each other. They represent the magical spells that players can cast. Each spell has a unique effect, which can range from attacking other players to manipulating the game board.
Mage Miniatures: These detailed miniatures represent the players on the game board. They are moved around the board to different rooms, where they cast spells and engage in combat.
Damage Tokens: These tokens are used to track the amount of damage a player has taken. When a player’s damage tokens reach a certain amount, they are defeated.
Black Rose Room Tiles: These tiles make up the game board, representing different rooms within the Black Rose Lodge. Players move their Mage Miniatures around these rooms, and the layout of the rooms can dramatically affect gameplay.
Quest Cards: These cards give players specific objectives to complete for additional rewards. They can provide a strategic advantage and guide a player’s actions during their turn.
Victory Point Tokens: These tokens represent the players’ score. Players earn these tokens by defeating other players, completing quests, and through certain spell effects. The player with the most Victory Point Tokens at the end of the game wins.
Mage Sheets: Each player has a Mage Sheet that outlines their specific abilities, health, and other important information. They also contain spaces for cards and tokens, helping players to organize their resources.

Each of these components interact with each other in a dynamic and engaging manner, creating a complex web of strategy and chance. The combination of these components provides a rich gaming experience that encourages strategic thinking, tactical decision making, and immersive role-playing scenarios.

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

Black Rose Wars is a competitive fantasy board game where each player takes on the role of a powerful mage in the Black Rose Lodge. The guide below will walk you through the steps of setting up the game.

Step 1: Player Roles

Each player chooses a mage to play as. Each mage has a unique ability and a pre-determined set of starter spells. The mages include:

Jaf’ar, the Conjurer
Rebecca, the Illusionist
Nero, the Necromancer
Tessa, the Divinator

Step 2: Board Placement

Place the game board in the center of the table. The board represents the different rooms of the Black Rose Lodge, each with its own unique effect. Each player places their mage figure in the central room of the board, the Throne Room.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player starts the game with a mage sheet that tracks their health and power points, 3 power points, and a deck of spell cards. The number of spell cards each player starts with depends on their chosen mage’s starter spells. Shuffle your spell cards and draw 6 to form your initial hand.

Step 4: Random Elements

Shuffle the deck of event cards and draw the top card. The event card adds a unique rule that applies to all players for that round. Place the drawn event card next to the game board.

Next, shuffle the deck of mission cards and deal 2 to each player. These cards represent personal objectives that each player can complete for extra points. Keep your mission cards secret from the other players.

Finally, place the Black Rose token on the zero space of the Black Rose track. This track represents the health of the Black Rose Lodge. The ultimate goal of the game is to deal more damage to the lodge than the other players and the Black Rose itself.

Step 5: Starting the Game

The player who most recently read a book goes first. Play then proceeds clockwise around the table. On your turn, you can move, cast spells, and activate room effects. The game continues until the Black Rose Lodge is destroyed or only one mage remains standing.

Game flow Round and round we go

Black Rose Wars is a competitive fantasy game of deck-building, strategy, and combat set in the hectic universe of Nova Aetas in Italy. The game is structured into a series of rounds, each containing multiple phases. Below is a detailed overview of the game structure.

Preparation of the Game:

Each player chooses a mage character and collects their related deck of spell cards, personal board, and action tokens.
The game board is set up according to the number of players, and each player places their mage in the starting room.
Event cards are shuffled and placed on the designated space on the board, while damage markers are placed within reach of all players.

The game proceeds in a series of rounds, each divided into the following phases:

1. Preparation Phase:

Event: The top card from the event deck is revealed and its effects are applied.
Study: Players can learn new spells from their spell deck or unlearned spells, adding them to their hand.

2. Action Phase:

Planning: Players choose two action cards from their hand and place them face down on their personal board.
Activation: Players reveal their action cards and perform the actions in turn order. Actions can include moving, invoking spells, activating power, and more.

3. Evocation Phase:

Invocation: Any spells with the ‘Invocation’ keyword that were cast in the action phase now take effect.

4. Clean-up Phase:

Reset: Players discard any used action cards and refresh their mage, removing any temporary effects.
Damage: Any mages in a room with damage markers take damage. The damage markers are then removed from the room.
Control: Players check to see if they control the rooms their mages are in. Control is gained by having the most damage markers in a room.

The game ends when the Black Rose (game board) has completed its transformation or when a player achieves a certain number of points. The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Black Rose Wars is a competitive deck-building game, where each player takes on the role of a mage in the Black Rose Order, fighting to become the new Supreme Magister. The game unfolds over seven rounds, each with four phases. The most important phase is the Action Phase, during which players can take a variety of actions. Below is a detailed breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn in this phase, outlining all possible actions and strategic choices, as well as how they can affect gameplay.

1. Activate a Room:

Players can activate the room they are in, using its special abilities to their advantage. This action can only be taken if the room is not destroyed. The room activation effect varies from room to room, providing diverse strategic choices for players.

2. Prepare a Spell:

Players can prepare a spell by moving a spell card from their hand to one of the three slots in their spellbook. Players can only prepare one spell per turn, and only if they have enough mana. Preparing spells is crucial for offensive and defensive strategies, as well as for controlling different rooms in the Black Rose lodge.

3. Cast a Spell:

Players can cast a spell that they have prepared in their spellbook. To do this, they must pay the mana cost shown on the card. Spells can have a variety of effects, including damaging opponents, healing the caster, controlling rooms, or changing the rules of the game. The choice of when and where to cast a spell can have a significant impact on the game’s outcome.

4. Invoke Black Rose:

Players can invoke the Black Rose, effectively changing the game’s state by flipping a Black Rose card and applying its effects. This can lead to unpredictable situations that may require players to adapt their strategies.

5. Move:

Players can move their mage token to an adjacent room. Moving allows players to escape danger, reach rooms with useful abilities, or position themselves to cast spells. Strategic movement is key to controlling the game board and achieving victory.

Remember, the order of these actions is not fixed – players can perform them in any sequence during their turn. However, players cannot perform the same action twice during a turn, except for moving. The strategic choices players make during their turns – what spells to prepare and cast, when to activate a room, where to move, and whether to invoke the Black Rose – can dramatically alter the game’s balance, making each game of Black Rose Wars a unique and unpredictable experience.

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

Black Rose Wars is a competitive fantasy game of deck-building, strategy, and combat set in the hectic universe of Nova Aetas in Italy. The game ends when the Black Rose event “The Final Conflict” is resolved or when the Black Rose room is destroyed for the third time.

Victory Conditions:

The Final Conflict: This is one of the Black Rose events, and once this is drawn and resolved, the game immediately ends. The player with the most points at this time is declared the winner.
Third Destruction of the Black Rose Room: If the Black Rose room is destroyed for the third time, the game immediately ends, and the player with the most points is declared the winner.

Before final scoring, players must perform the following actions:

Resolve Unresolved Spells: Any unresolved spells in their Lodge are resolved.
Check Quests: Players check if they have completed any of their quests.
Evocation Points: Players add the points from their summoned creatures to their current score.
Damage Points: Players convert their damage points on enemy mages into scores.

Once these actions are completed, the player with the highest number of points is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the most damage points assigned becomes the winner. If there is still a tie, then the player who triggered the game end event wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Black Rose Wars is a competitive fantasy game of deck-building, strategy, and combat set in the hectic universe of Nova Aetas in Italy. Players earn points by learning new spells, defeating enemies, and accomplishing missions. The scoring system is as follows:

1. Learning New Spells

Every time a player learns a new spell, they receive 1 point.

2. Defeating Enemies

When a player defeats an enemy mage, they score 3 points.
If a player defeats a summoned creature, they earn 1 point.

3. Accomplishing Missions

Completing a personal mission awards the player with 2 points.
Completing an event mission gives the player 2 points plus the number of players in the game.

4. Control of the Black Rose

The player who controls the Black Rose at the end of the game gets 3 points.

5. Remaining Power Points

At the end of the game, each remaining power point a player has is worth 1 point.

Tie-Breaking Rules

In the event of a tie, the game has a series of tie-breakers to determine the overall winner. They are applied in the following order:

The player with the most total damage dealt to enemy mages wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has the most power points left wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who triggered the end of the game wins.
If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Black Rose Wars is a competitive fantasy game of deck-building, strategy, and combat set in the hectic universe of Nova Aetas in Italy. While the game’s rules are generally straightforward, there are a few rare or special rules, exceptions, and rule clarifications that are important to know and understand.

1. Damage and Destruction: When a room is completely filled with damage, it is destroyed. However, it’s important to note that the damage doesn’t disappear. Instead, it is transformed into destruction tokens. Also, players cannot place damage in a room that is already destroyed.

2. Movement: In the game, a mage can move up to two rooms per action. But, there is an exception. If the mage is in a room with another mage, they cannot leave unless they use a disengage action or a spell that allows them to do so.

3. Rose Ceremony: During the Rose Ceremony, the player with the most power points becomes the starting player. If there is a tie, the player with the most damage points on the Black Rose board becomes the starting player. If there is still a tie, the player who won the previous tiebreaker will win again.

4. Special Cards: Some spells have a ‘permanent’ effect. These spell cards, after being activated, are placed near the player’s Lodge until the end of the game or until they are removed by some game effect.

5. Quests: Completing quests allows players to earn points. However, players can only complete each quest once. Once the quest is completed, the player places a token on it to indicate it has been completed.

6. Evocation Rules: When an evocation is summoned, it must be placed in the same room as the mage. Evocations cannot move, but they can attack other mages in the same room. If a room is destroyed, any evocations in the room are also destroyed.

7. Forbidden Magic: There are some powerful spells known as Forbidden Magic. These require a greater amount of power and resources to cast, but they can have a significant impact on the game. They are, however, limited in number and once used, they are removed from the game.