Legends of Andor

2012

Legends of Andor is an immersive, cooperative board game where 2-4 players become heroes, embark on quests, and defend the realm from invading hordes. Experience an unfolding narrative in this thrilling fantasy adventure!

90
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

10+

Medium

About the game

Legends of Andor is an enthralling board game that captures the essence of an epic fantasy adventure. This cooperative game, designed by Michael Menzel, invites players to immerse themselves in a land full of magic, mystery, and adventure. It is set in the enchanting world of Andor, a kingdom filled with fabled beasts, daring quests, and untold treasures.

In Legends of Andor, players are thrust into the role of brave adventurers, each with their own unique abilities and skills. As a team, they must work together to protect the kingdom from invading forces, complete challenging quests, and ultimately, save Andor from impending doom. The game is divided into a series of legends, each providing a new, dynamic storyline for the players to explore.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Legends of Andor is a cooperative adventure board game where players work together to defend the kingdom of Andor from various threats. The game is filled with numerous components each serving a different purpose in the game. These components contribute to the overall gameplay and experience. Below is the list of components included in the game and how they interact with the game.

1. Game Board: The game board represents the kingdom of Andor where the entire game takes place. It is divided into several regions which players can explore.

2. Legend Cards: These are the narrative engine of the game. Each card describes a specific event or task that players must accomplish. They determine the pace and progression of the game.

3. Hero Boards: Each player is represented in the game by a hero. The Hero Boards display the stats and abilities of these heroes, and the equipment they carry.

4. Dice: The game includes a set of dice which are used in combat and determining outcomes of certain actions.

5. Wooden Figures: These figures represent the heroes and the enemies in the game. They are placed on the game board and are moved around during gameplay.

6. Tokens: The game includes various tokens such as strength tokens, gold tokens, and hour tokens. These are used to track the status of players and the progression of time in the game.

7. Creature Boards: These boards represent the enemies in the game. They display the strength and abilities of these creatures.

8. Equipment Cards: These cards represent different types of equipment that heroes can acquire during the game to increase their abilities.

9. Event Cards: These cards introduce random events that can change the course of the game. They add an element of unpredictability to the game.

10. Companion Cards: These cards represent characters that heroes can meet during their adventure. Companions can help heroes in their tasks.

11. Legend Markers: These markers are used to track the progress of the game. They are moved along the legend track as players complete tasks described in the legend cards.

12. Narrator Board: This board is used to track the progress of the legend. It displays the current legend card and the position of the legend marker.

13. Shields: These items are used by heroes to protect themselves in battles. They are represented by shield tokens.

14. Wells: These are locations on the game board where heroes can rest and regain their strength. They are represented by well tokens.

15. Fog Tokens: These tokens represent areas of the game board that are covered in fog. Heroes must enter these areas to clear the fog and reveal what lies beneath.

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

Step 1: Prepare the Game Board

Place the game board in the center of the table. The game board is double-sided: one for the Legend 1 and another for Legends 2 to 5. Choose a side according to the Legend you wish to play.

Step 2: Set Up Legend Track

At the top of the game board, you’ll find the Legend track. Place the Narrator marker on the starting space of this track. Then, place the necessary Legend cards in the designated Legend card spaces on the board.

Step 3: Prepare the Castle

Place the six grey Swords at the top of the Castle, and the black Sword at the bottom. The shield wall should be placed in front of the Castle with no gaps.

Step 4: Set Up the Heroes

Each player chooses a Hero and takes the corresponding material: a Hero board, wooden figure, and seven Hourglasses. The Hero’s strength points marker (white cube) is set on 7 and the willpower points marker (red cube) is set on the number indicated on the Hero board. The Hero’s wooden figure is placed on the space indicated on the board.

Step 5: Distribute the Initial Resources

The initial resources for each player are: 2 Strength Points (white cubes) and 3 Gold. Distribute these resources to each player and place them in their respective areas.

Step 6: Prepare the Creature Display

Shuffle the creature tiles and randomly place them face down on the creature display. The number of creatures depends on the number of players.

Step 7: Randomize the Events

Shuffle the event cards and place them face down next to the game board. The top card is revealed and placed in the ‘Next Event’ space.

Step 8: Prepare the Fog Tokens

Shuffle the fog tokens and place them face down on the designated fog spaces.

Step 9: Role of the Players

The players’ role in the game is to cooperate as Heroes to defend the castle against invading creatures. They will move their Heroes around the board, fight creatures, complete quests, and progress through the Legend cards.

Step 10: Start the Game

The player who has most recently been to a castle starts the game. Play continues in clockwise order.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game Legends of Andor, players take on the roles of heroes working together to combat invading forces and complete various tasks. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn:

1. Start of the Turn:

At the beginning of a player’s turn, they have seven hours (action points) to spend. The actions a player can perform and the time they take are as follows:

Move: It costs one hour to move to an adjacent space.
Fight: It costs one hour to start a fight with a creature in the same space.
Wait: The player can decide to wait and end their turn, saving their remaining hours for the next turn.

2. Performing Actions:

Moving: A player can move to any adjacent space on the board for one hour. This can be used to get closer to objectives, escape from enemies, or reach beneficial spaces.
Fighting: If a player and a creature are in the same space, the player can fight the creature. The player rolls a die and adds their strength value. If the result is equal to or higher than the creature’s strength, the creature is defeated. Otherwise, the player loses willpower points equal to the difference. Fighting can help clear the board of enemies and is often a necessary part of completing objectives.
Waiting: If a player doesn’t want to or can’t perform any more actions, they can choose to wait and end their turn. This is useful if the player needs to save their hours for later turns.

3. End of the Turn:

Once a player has spent all their hours or has chosen to wait, their turn ends. They pass the hourglass marker to the next player, and a new turn begins. If all players have taken their turns and the hourglass marker returns to the starting player, a new day begins, and all players regain their seven hours.

4. Strategic Choices:

During their turn, a player must make strategic choices to optimize their actions. For example, they might decide to move towards an objective, fight a creature blocking their path, or wait to save up hours for a big move next turn. These choices can greatly affect the outcome of the game, as the players must work together to complete their objectives before time runs out.

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

The game of ‘Legands of Andor’ ends when all the legends have been played, and the heroes have either succeeded or failed in their mission. The game is primarily a cooperative one, where players work together to complete a series of quests within a set number of turns.

Victory Conditions:

Completion of All Legends: If the players can successfully complete all the legends prescribed in the game before the time runs out, they win the game. This includes defeating monsters, completing quests, and protecting the castle.
Survival of Heroes: All the heroes must survive until the end of the game. If any hero dies, the game is immediately lost.
Castle Remains Standing: The castle must not fall into the hands of the enemy. If it is breached, the game ends immediately and the players lose.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

At the end of the game, players must check whether they have completed all the legends. If not, the game is lost.
Next, players must check the status of each hero. If any hero has died, the game is immediately lost.
Finally, players must check whether the castle is still standing. If it has been breached, the game is lost.

The scoring in ‘Legends of Andor’ is not based on individual achievements but on the collective success of the team. Therefore, there is no final scoring round for individual players. Instead, the victory is shared among all the players if they were able to meet the victory conditions before the game ends.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Legends of Andor is a cooperative board game that requires players to work together to complete a series of quests. The aim is not to accumulate the most points, but rather to successfully complete the legend before running out of time. However, there are some aspects of scoring that can determine the outcome of the game.

Legend Points:

Monster Kills: Killing a monster rewards the player with the number of willpower points the monster had at its disposal. These points are recorded on the Legend Track.
Completing Tasks: Completing assigned tasks or quests also awards points. The number of points varies depending on the task. These points are also recorded on the Legend Track.
End of Legend Bonus: At the end of each legend, players receive bonus points depending on the remaining hours of daylight. The more daylight remains, the more points are awarded.

Narrator Progress:

Monster Movements: Each time a monster moves into a new space, the Narrator advances one space on the Legend Track. This does not award points but accelerates the progress of the legend, potentially bringing the game closer to its end.
End of Day: At the end of each day, the Narrator advances one space on the Legend Track. Again, this does not award points but can hasten the end of the game.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In case of a tie, the player with the most gold wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most unused strength points wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has the most willpower points left wins.
If there is still a tie after all these measures, the player who is first in player order is the winner.

Remember, Legends of Andor is not a competitive game, and the scoring system exists primarily to track the progress of the game, rather than to determine a single winner. The true victory is in working together to overcome the challenges and complete the legend!

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Legends of Andor is a cooperative board game with intricate rules, exceptions, and special conditions that can greatly influence the game’s outcome. Here are some of those key points:

1. Monster Movement:

Monsters in Andor move towards the castle following the shortest path. If there are several shortest paths, the players can decide which path the monster takes.
Monsters don’t move if they are already in a space with a hero, but they will fight before they move if a hero enters their space.

2. Combat:

When a hero enters a space with a monster or vice versa, a combat takes place. Both the hero and the monster roll dice, and the higher total wins.
It’s important to remember that heroes can’t die in combat. If a hero loses a combat, they lose willpower points equal to the difference between their roll and the monster’s roll. If a hero’s willpower points reach zero, they lose one strength point and their willpower is reset to seven.

3. Time Progression:

In Legends of Andor, time is a crucial resource. Every action a hero takes costs time, and when the time marker reaches the sunrise box, a new day begins with the sunrise card’s effects taking place and monsters moving.
If the time marker reaches the ‘N’ space, the legend ends immediately, and if the heroes haven’t completed their tasks, they lose the game.

4. Special Legend Rules:

Some legends have special rules that override the general rules. These rules are usually explained on the legend cards and must be followed for that specific legend.
For example, in Legend 3, the witch’s brew can be used to immediately defeat any creature. This overrides the usual combat rules.

5. End of Game:

The game ends either when the time marker reaches the ‘N’ space, or when the players complete all their tasks for the current legend.
It’s important to note that even if the castle is overrun with monsters, the game doesn’t end immediately. The heroes can still win if they complete their tasks before the time marker reaches the ‘N’ space.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

The board game, Legends of Andor, is a cooperative adventure board game where players must work together to complete quests and protect the kingdom. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Effective Teamwork: Always remember that Legends of Andor is a cooperative game; the key to victory is in effective teamwork and strategic planning with your fellow players.
Utilize Hero Abilities: Each hero has unique abilities and strengths. Make sure to utilize them effectively to gain an advantage in the game.
Manage Time Wisely: The game operates on a day-night cycle, with certain actions only possible at specific times. Managing your time effectively is crucial to your success.

Beginner Tips:

Start With The Tutorial: The game comes with a tutorial legend that introduces the game mechanics. Start with this to get a good grasp of the game.
Understand The Legend Cards: The legend cards drive the game’s narrative and events. Make sure to understand them thoroughly before playing.
Don’t Focus Only On Battle: Although battling monsters is a part of the game, don’t make it your sole focus. Remember, the objective is to complete the quests.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Misunderstanding the Game Flow: Legends of Andor is not a traditional hack-and-slash game. Avoid the mistake of rushing into battles without a plan.
Ignoring the Narratives: The legend cards provide important clues and objectives for the game. Ignoring them can lead to missed opportunities and strategies.
Neglecting Defense: Don’t forget to protect the castle. If too many monsters reach it, you will lose the game, regardless of how many quests you’ve completed.

Optimizing Gameplay:

Plan Ahead: Always try to plan your moves ahead, considering the actions of the monsters and your fellow players.
Balance Tasks: Try to balance your team’s actions between fighting monsters, completing quests, and gaining strength and gold.
Communicate: Effective communication with your fellow players can greatly optimize your gameplay. Discuss your plans and strategies openly.