In the Hall of the Mountain King

2019

Embark on a strategic journey as trolls in 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'. Unearth riches, restore your kingdom, and claim the crown with innovative cascading production gameplay.

90
minutes

2 - 5
player(s)

12+

Medium

About the game

In the Hall of the Mountain King is a thrilling board game that invites you to delve deep into the heart of a mountain, as you take on the role of a troll tribe, aiming to restore the long-lost glory of your ancestral home. The game is set in the mystical realm of the trolls where centuries-old monuments are waiting to be rebuilt amidst the crumbling ruins.

The game’s unique premise is bolstered by a richly thematic setting and a set of core mechanics that seamlessly blend strategy and creativity. In the game, you will be excavating tunnels, mining resources, and constructing great halls, all while managing your troll workforce for maximum efficiency.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The game ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ comes with a variety of components. These include:

Game Board

The game board is a map of the mountain. This is where players will dig tunnels, build Great Halls, and place statues. The board is divided into different areas, each with a specific function in the game.

Player Boards

Each player receives a player board. This board is used to keep track of resources, trolls, workshops, and spells. It also serves as a reminder of the various actions a player can take on their turn.

Troll Cards

Troll cards represent the trolls that players can recruit to their team. Recruiting trolls provides players with resources and special abilities. There are three different levels of troll cards, each providing different benefits and requiring different amounts of resources to recruit.

Spell Cards

Spell cards provide players with one-time or ongoing special abilities. These cards can be acquired by building workshops on the game board.

Workshop Tiles

Workshop tiles are placed on the game board when a player builds a workshop. These tiles provide players with spell cards and additional resources.

Resource Tokens

Resource tokens represent the three types of resources in the game: stone, iron, and heartstone. These resources are used to dig tunnels, build Great Halls, and recruit trolls.

Statue Tokens

Statue tokens are placed on the game board when a player builds a Great Hall. These tokens score points at the end of the game based on their placement on the board.

Great Hall Tiles

Great Hall tiles are placed on the game board when a player builds a Great Hall. These tiles score points at the end of the game based on their size and the statues placed in them.

Tunnel Tiles

Tunnel tiles are used to dig tunnels on the game board. Tunnels allow players to move their resources and statues around the board.

Player Markers

Player markers are used to keep track of a player’s score on the score track. The player with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner.

Pedestal Tokens

Pedestal tokens are used to mark the locations of statues on the game board. These tokens also score points at the end of the game based on their placement on the board.

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

‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ is a fascinating board game where players play as trolls rebuilding their abandoned ancestral palace in the heart of the Mountain King’s realm. Here is a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

1. Player Roles:

Each player chooses a Trollsmoot card, which determines the player’s start position, starting resources, and special ability. The special abilities are unique to each player and give a specific advantage in the game.

2. Board Placement:

Place the game board in the middle of the playing area. Make sure there is enough space around the board for the card and token piles. The board has a map of the mountain with various tunnels and rooms that players will use to rebuild the palace.

3. Initial Resources:

Each player receives starting resources as indicated on their Trollsmoot card. These resources include a set number of trolls, carts, hammers, and pedestals.

4. Troll Cards:

Shuffle the Troll cards and draw 16 of them. Place these cards on the four designated spots on the board, four cards per spot. These cards represent additional trolls that players can recruit during the game to help with their rebuilding efforts.

5. Workshop Cards:

Shuffle the Workshop cards and place them in a pile next to the game board. Draw the top three cards and place them face up in a row next to the deck. These cards represent additional abilities that players can acquire during the game.

6. Statue Tokens:

Sort the Statue tokens by type and value and place them in separate piles next to the game board. These tokens represent statues that players can erect in the palace for additional points.

7. Great Hall Tiles:

Shuffle the Great Hall tiles and, depending on the number of players, remove a specific number of tiles from the game. Place the remaining tiles in a stack next to the game board. These tiles represent halls that players can construct in the palace.

8. Random Elements:

The game includes several random elements to keep each playthrough exciting and unpredictable. For example, the Troll and Workshop cards drawn at the start of the game can vary, and the order of the Great Hall tiles in the stack is always random.

With these steps, you are now ready to begin playing ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’. Happy gaming!

Game flow Round and round we go

‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ is a strategic board game that involves tunnel excavation, resource management, and spell-casting. The game is divided into a series of rounds, each of which consists of multiple phases. The following sections will detail the structure of a game round and the actions that players can perform during each phase.

Game Setup:

Board Preparation: Set out the mountain board with the avalanche tile at the top and the heart of the mountain tile at the bottom. Each player selects a color and places a matching gateway token on the designated starting space.
Draw Spells and Pedestals: Shuffle the spell deck and reveal three spells. Shuffle the pedestal deck and reveal five pedestals.
Prepare Trollsmoot: Shuffle the troll cards and reveal trolls depending on the number of players.

Game Round:

Each game round consists of the following phases:

Gathering Phase: In this phase, players gather resources by activating their trolls. The type and amount of resources are indicated on the troll cards.
Workshop Phase: The players can use their resources to dig tunnels, build workshops, or cast spells. The cost of these actions is indicated on the respective cards or board spaces.
Trollsmoot Phase: Players can recruit new trolls from the trollsmoot. These trolls provide additional resources in future rounds. The cost to recruit a troll is the sum of all visible coins on that troll’s row and column.

End of the Game:

The game ends after a certain number of rounds, depending on the number of players. Players then add up their points from tunnels, workshops, statues, spells, and remaining resources. The player with the most points wins the game.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ is a strategic board game where players manage resources and build a network of tunnels to unearth statues and establish great halls. During a player’s turn, they take two main actions: Tunneling and Workshopping. Let’s delve into these actions and their potential strategic implications:

1. Tunneling:

Building Tunnels: Players can choose to build tunnels, extending their network underground. The deeper they go, the better the reward but the higher the cost.
Using Tunnels: Tunnels aren’t just for show. They can be used to connect different areas of the board, and to reach valuable statues and great halls. The strategic use of tunnels can determine the outcome of the game.
Controlling Tunnels: Players can also attempt to control tunnels, blocking the path of other players or forcing them to use resources to go around.

2. Workshopping:

Workshop Building: Players can build workshops on their turn, which provide a variety of benefits including resource generation and special abilities.
Workshop Placement: The placement of workshops is critical, as it can affect the efficiency of resource generation and the reach of a player’s network.
Workshop Usage: Once built, workshops can be used to generate resources or activate their special abilities. Smart usage of workshops can give players a significant strategic advantage.

Additionally, there are several strategic choices a player can make during their turn:

Resource Management: Deciding which resources to collect and when to use them is a key strategic choice. Resources can be used for building tunnels, workshops or for trading with other players.
Trading: Players can choose to trade resources with other players, potentially gaining an advantage or disrupting other players’ plans.
Statue Placement: The placement of unearthed statues can lead to significant point gains. Players must decide when and where to place statues for maximum benefit.
Building Great Halls: Establishing great halls can provide a significant point boost, but requires careful planning, as halls must be completely surrounded by tunnels.

Each action and strategic choice a player makes during their turn in ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ can greatly affect the outcome of the game. Each decision must be carefully considered in light of the player’s current situation, available resources, and overall strategy.

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

In the Hall of the Mountain King is a strategic board game that concludes when a certain game condition is met. The game ends immediately when one of the following two conditions occurs:

The War-Erected Statues stack is exhausted. This means that all of the statues have been placed on the game board.
Any player has completely tunneled through the mountain from one edge to the other. In other words, if a tunnel extends from one side of the mountain to the opposite side, the game ends.

Once the game ends, players proceed to final scoring. However, before moving to final scoring, certain actions must be taken:

Final Pedestal Scoring: If a statue is on a pedestal at the end of the game, it scores according to the scoring chart on the game board. Each player calculates and adds the points from their statues on pedestals to their score track.
Great Hall Scoring: Players earn points for each of their Great Halls that is completely surrounded by tunnels and/or walls. The points awarded are printed inside each Great Hall.
Network Scoring: Players score points based on their largest network of connected tunnels. Each space in this network scores points equal to the number of different tunnel levels present in the network. A level is considered different if it is separated from other levels by at least one wall or empty space.

The player with the highest total score is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the player who has the most leftover resources (ore and carts) is the winner. If there’s still a tie, the player who is furthest ahead in the turn order wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the Hall of the Mountain King is a board game that encompasses strategies, economies, and a compelling point system. The scoring system is based on several factors including tunnel building, statue placement, workshops, and great halls. The game concludes after the 7th round, after which the final scoring takes place.

Tunnel Building:

Players earn points from the tunnels they construct during the game. The points value of each tunnel tile is found in its center and ranges from 2 to 5 points.
At the end of the game, the points from all the tunnel tiles a player has built are added up to calculate their score from tunnel building.

Statue Placement:

Players score points for each statue they’ve placed in their network of tunnels. The points value of each statue is shown on its base and ranges from 2 to 6 points.
Statues placed in the heart of the mountain (the center space of the board) score double points.
Statues placed in a player’s starting gate (the space where they started building their network) do not score any points.

Workshops:

Players score points for each workshop they’ve built. The points value of a workshop is equal to the number of workshops a player has built multiplied by the number of matching pedestals they have in their network.

Great Halls:

If a player has built a great hall, they score points based on its size. A 2-space great hall scores 8 points, a 3-space great hall scores 12 points, and a 4-space great hall scores 16 points.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the player with the most leftover resources (ores and gems) is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player who built the most tunnels is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player who went earlier in the turn order during the last round of the game is the winner.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The game ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ has a few unique rules and exceptions that are important to understand for a smooth gameplay experience. This game incorporates a multi-layered strategy, resource management, and spatial puzzle elements.

Rule Clarifications:

Resource Carts: When a player chooses a Troll with a resource cart, they immediately gain those resources. If the resource cart contains wild resources, the player may choose what type they want.

Statues: Statues can be moved multiple times, but players must pay for each move. The cost to move a statue depends on the distance and the number of levels the statue is moved.

Special Rules:

Trollsmoot: Players’ Great Halls are not considered to be connected to each other. For scoring, a Great Hall is only connected to the tunnels and workshops of the player who owns it.

Workshop Tiles: A workshop tile can be placed anywhere in your network, not just adjacent to the troll that dug the tunnel. But keep in mind, the workshop must be connected to your network.

Rare Rules:

End of Game: The game end is triggered once a player places their 7th pedestal or when all the statues have been moved from the Great Hall. However, the game does not end immediately. Players will finish the current round so that each player has the same number of turns.

Exceptions:

Spell Cards: Spells do not require resources to be cast, but some may require a player to expend a certain number of hammers or carts. Spells can only be used once, and then they are discarded. Players can never have more than three spells in their hand.

Spells can only be cast during your turn.
Spells that move statues cannot be used to move a statue onto a pedestal.
Spells that provide resources can’t be used to gain wild resources.

The rules of ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ are designed to create an immersive and strategic gameplay experience. Understanding these special rules, exceptions, and clarifications can help players plan their moves more effectively and enjoy the game to its fullest.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

In the Hall of the Mountain King is a strategy-based board game that involves tunnel building, resource management, and tactical maneuvering. Below are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, and common mistakes to avoid in this game.

Advanced Strategies:

Tunnel Placement: An important strategy is to plan your tunnel placements carefully. Try to place tunnels in a way that maximizes your access to resources and statues. Also, keep an eye on the potential end-game bonuses that you can achieve through smart tunnel placements.
Manage Resources: Be careful not to deplete your resources too quickly. It’s always a good strategy to work towards having a balanced resource pool. This can help you build more tunnels and statues, which are key to earning points.
Workshop Use: Although workshops can be costly, they can provide a significant advantage if used properly. They can help you gain extra resources or even additional turns, which can greatly enhance your gameplay.

Beginner Tips:

Start by focusing on building a strong workforce. This will ensure that you have a steady flow of resources throughout the game.
Try to understand the importance of each type of resource and how they contribute to your overall strategy.
Don’t forget about the Great Hall bonuses. These can give you a significant boost towards winning the game.
Keep an eye on what your opponents are doing. This can help you anticipate their moves and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring Pedestals: One common mistake is ignoring the pedestal tiles. These can be very valuable, especially towards the end of the game.
Unbalanced Workforce: Focusing too much on one type of troll can lead to an unbalanced workforce, which can hinder your ability to gather resources.
Overlooking Workshops: Workshops can be a game-changer if used properly. Ignoring them can be a costly mistake.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Plan your moves ahead of time. This will not only save you time but also help you execute your strategy more effectively.
Make sure to use your spells wisely. They can provide a significant advantage when used at the right time.
Always be ready to adapt your strategy based on the game’s progress. Being flexible can give you an edge over your opponents.