规则

规则 - Storm over Olympus
If you are reading these rules for the first time, ignore the text along the right hand side. These rules serve as a summary to help you quickly familiarize yourself with the game.

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Storm over Olympus

Envious of the prestige and privileges of the Olympian gods, their counterparts of the Underworld - the Chthonians - decide it is time to take their place. Led by Hades, their faction declares war and plots to dominate the Olympians’ throne. Zeus and the Olympians are not intimidated and resolve to eliminate the enemy leadership.
Whichever group achieves this goal first is the winner and sole ruler of the entire Universe.

Game Components
24
units
1
game board
Important Concepts

    Objective:

  • A Chthonian leader must reach the Olympus
  • The Olympians must eliminate Chthonian Leader(s)
  • Neither may lose all Honor

    • Unit Strength:

    Number on Character Card

    Energy:

    Stock of extra strength for fights and Special Powers

    Honor:

    Measurement of followers' devotion

    Special Regions:

  • Olympus with Base Olympian's Palace
  • Underworld with Base Tartarus
  • Exterior World and the River Styx

    • Lose 1 Honor point for each foreign unit in own Base at start of turn

    Objective:

    the goal of each faction is different.
    The Chthonians must make one of their leaders (Hades or Persephone) reach the top of the Olympus. They win the game even if there are opponent units occupying that region.
    The Olympians' objective is simply to impede the Chthonians to achieve their goal, so they win if both Hades and Persephone are eliminated.
    Also, if any faction has their Honor reduced to zero or less, they lose immediately (even if they reach their objective at the same time). If both factions are out of honor simultaneously, the game is drawn.

    Unit Strength:

    each character has a number beside its name that represents their relative strength to other characters. It is referenced as nominal strength. In a combat it will usually be the units base strength, but that can be changed by Special Powers.

    Energy:

    is a stock of extra strength that can be used to activate Special Powers or in battles to increase each group’s relative strength. It is usually obtained from the followers of each faction by ritual (Liturgy).

    Honor:

    is a measurement of the admiration and devotion of a faction’s worshippers. It affects the amount of Energy that can be transmitted to the gods through ritual and is paramount to the cohesion and the very existence of each faction.

    Special Regions

    The game map is divided in three realms: the Underworld (dark grey regions), the Olympus (light blue) and the exterior world (green). The most important region are its extremes: at the bottom is the Tartarus and at the top is the Olympian's Palace. Each faction should take special care for these two regions, which are considered the Base Regions of each factions.
    When a player has enemies at his base at the start of his turn he loses 1 Honor point for each foreign unit there.
    Besides, for the Chthonians, it will not be possible to bring back eliminated units. And for the Olympians, of course, if the invading unit is the Chthonian leader, it means defeat.

Setup
    Setup:

    Choose 9 our of 12 characters; Leaders cannot be excluded

    Start with 16 points of Honor and 24 points of Energy

    Chthonians start

    Each player gets a set of twelve characters, from which must choose nine. Each chosen character must be placed in an individual hexagonal region in their correspondent realm - the Olympians in the light blue area and the Chthonians in the dark gray area. Zeus and Hades must be placed in one of the regions and cannot be excluded from the initial setup.
    In Yucata setup phase, the players are free to move the units around the valid spaces, and can also switch characters positions, until nine units are placed.


    The players start with 16 points of Honor and 24 points of Energy each (represented beside the Laurels and Thunderbolt icons, respectively).
    The Chthonians must do the first movement.

Game Play
    Alternate turns of:
  • Move – either friendly or into a combat
  • Liturgy to replenish the Energy Stock
  • Use Special Powers
    The players take turns in which they move one of their units to an adjacent region. The players alternate their moves till the end of the game. Each player’s units are hidden to the opponent: they know where they are, but not which character is there. Only in case of a combat or the use of Special Powers are they revealed.

    In times of war, the virtue the gods’ followers admire the most is courage. Each action that might be regarded as cowardice reduces their admiration and enthusiasm. This is measured by the Honor points. Actions regarded as brave (even if foolish) will increase a player’s Honor, while actions that demonstrate weakness (even if prudent) reduce it.

    On a players turn, he has several options:
  • Move – either friendly or into a combat
  • Liturgy to replenish the Energy Stock
  • Use Special Powers

    • Passing the turn

    There is only one exception to the basic rule that each player must take an action at his turn: if all units of the Olympians are in the Tartarus, the Olympians may choose to do nothing.
    In order to do this in Yucata, the player must click on his Energy icon and then decide not to call for a Liturgy. He will be then able to Finish Turn.

Special Powers

    Three types of Special Powers

  • Use of a Special Ability instead of Movement
  • Special Movement Abilities
  • Combat Powers

    • To use the Special Power of a Unit, it must be revealed.
    Every unit in the game has special characteristics (special powers and, in some cases, disadvantages). You can see each unit description any moment by clicking on the "person" icon button (see at → Hints for Handling).
    These Special Powers can be categorized in three types:
  • Use of a Special Ability instead of Movement
  • Special Movement Abilities
  • Combat Powers
    To use the Special Power of a unit, it must be revealed to the opponent.

    In some cases, the player does not need to do anything in order to use a unit's powers. For example, if Hephaestus is part of a defending group he will get +5 strength automatically. For other cases, the player must reveal the unit beforehand. For instance, for Charon to allow free passage across the Styx, the player must click on him after selecting him. Then, answer yes to the question if he should be revealed. After that, a nearby comrade or Charon himself can cross the Styx for free.
    In other cases, like when Hades brings back a defeated unit or Demeter steals energy, the unit gets immediately revealed to the opponent.
    The way each unit's power should be used is described in the → Appendix.

    When a unit's power only works when fighting alone, that can change in the course of a combat. For example, if Ares is fighing alongside Artemis and the Olympians lose the first round, if they choose Artemis is to be eliminated the power from the energy spent will be doubled on the second round, since Ares will be alone and his power will become active.

    Revealing Enemy Units

    When using a unit's Special Powers, the player reveals to the opponent its position. Also, in any combat, all units involved are revealed to both factions.
    In a live game a player would easily memorize the positions of the surviving units, but in Yucata.de a game may take several days. So, after the combat the surviving units remain apparent to the opponent player. Usually, a revealed unit will remain so for the rest of the game, but there is a case where it goes back into "hiding": when an incomplete part of a group of units moves out of a Region into another one in which there are no enemies, it is not possible for the opponents to be sure of which ones left and which ones remained. So, they will no longer be disclosed to the opponent (not until they get involved in another combat). A player can see which of his units are being disclosed to his opponent by clicking on the button with an eye icon in the bottom.
Movement

Friendly Movement
    Backwards movement cost 2 Honor Points.
    Backwards means for
  • Chthonians: towards Tartartus
  • Olympians: towards Olymp
    A player's turn usually consists of a single unit being moved to an adjacent region.
    When the player moves one unit to a region with no enemies he has no Honor penalty if moving "forward". For the Chthonians, that means moving up, towards the top of the Olympus. Any of the three (or less) regions adjacent to his present location that are above it, are considered an acceptable destination. But if a Chthonian moves "backwards" (down), towards the Tartarus, bottom of the Underworld, there is a penalty of 2 Honor Points. For the Olympians it works the same way: they must move down, towards the enemy lines, or they lose 2 Honor points.
    To perform a movement, click on a unit, wait for the possible destinations to appear (transparent red hexagons) and click on one of them. If you did not move forwards, you will be required a confirmation, for your Honor will be automatically reduced.
    Crossing the Styx costs 2 Energy

    Crossing the Styx

    There is no restriction to go to an adjacent region, except when they are on different sides of the river Styx (the blue line at the top of the Underworld). In this case, the player must spend 2 Energy to cross it, regardless of his faction or the direction of the movement. If more than one unit crosses the Styx together, the cost is still limited to 2.

    In short, moving from regions 2, 7, 13 or 18 to one of the regions 1, 6, 12 or 17 (or vice versa) means the Styx is crossed and Energy must be spent. Region 22 is not considered adjacent to the river and can be used to enter or leave the Underworld with no costs.
    This button can be used to display the regions numbers refered on this section:
    (see this section for more details: → Hints for Handling)
    Limit of 4 units of the same faction in the same region

    Moving 1 unit into a group does not cost Honor

    Moving a group costs 1 Honor Point per additional unit

    Moving a group backwards costs:
  • 2 Honor Points for groups of 1, 2 or 3 units;
  • 3 Honor Points for groups of 4 units.

    Moving in Groups

    At any time, at most 4 units of the same faction may stand in the same region.
    Entering a region where there is another unit of the same faction does not cost honor points. If it was a backwards movement, there is the usual 2 point penalty, but if the movement was forwards, the only condition to be observed is the limit of 4 units of the same faction in the same region .

    When one unit leaves a region where it has company there is no penalty, provided it goes forwards. But it is also possible to move more units which are at the same region to an adjacent region. Any number of units can be moved from the group. But moving as a group is considered lack of courage and costs Honor points. The cost for moving more than one unit is 1 Honor point per "extra" unit - for instance, advancing 3 units simultaneously costs 2 Honor points.
    If moving backwards the penalty is 2 points also for groups, unless the group is 4 units, in which case the higher penalty of 3 honor applies, which is the same penalty for moving forwards a group of that size.
    As a general rule, if a movement is frowned upon for different reasons, the Honor penalty will be equal to the worst one.
    To move more than one character in Yucata they must be individually selected by clicking in each of them, one at a time. After selecting all the desired units, you click on the destination.

Moving into a Combat

    All the former rules apply for cases where there is no enemy unit in the destination. When the enemy is there, the movement is considered an attack. The honor calculation is very different in this case. The main assessment to be made is comparing the number of units attacking to the number of defenders.
    Attacking fewer opponents: penalty of 2 Honor points times the difference

    Attacking more opponents: bonus of 2 Honor points times the difference

    Attacking same number of opponents: penalty of 1 Honor Point if attack is backwards

    Attacking an enemy in own's home base is considered to be forwards

    Penalties do not stack
    If there are more attackers, the penalty for attacking is 2 Honor points times the difference in units (to go with 3 against 1 costs 4 honor, for instance); if there are more defenders, the attacking faction gains a bonus of 2 Honor points times the difference. These numbers do not change wether the attack is forwards or backwards.
    In the most common case, where the number of attackers and defenders is the same (usually one to one), the direction of the attack does matter. If it is forwards, there is no change in Honor points; if it is backwards, there is a penalty of 1 Honor point.
    There is an exception: when you attack an enemy that is occupying your home base, this is treated as a forwards movement - your followers will understand your need to go back and get rid of the invaders.

    The Honor penalties never stack: one single decision may cause at most one penalty.

    In Yucata, the user will always be warned when one of his decisions causes loss of Honor points (or Energy, for that matter).
Example:In the picture the Erinyes and Hecate have 6 adjacent regions to where they can move. The ones pointed by the green arrows represent a forwards movement; the red ones mean the movement is backwards.

If both of them will move together:
- Region 9 is the only destination where there is no loss of Honor (attacking forwards an even-numbered group);
- Region 20 means losing 1 Honor point (one "extra" unit is moving);
- Region 15 means losing 2 Honor points (attacking a smaller group);
- Region 8 causes the same penalty of Region 15 (it is additionally a backwards move, but penalties do not cummulate);
- Region 13 means losing 2 Honor points, for moving backwards.
- Region 19 means losing 1 Honor point, for it is a backwards attack against an even-numbered group.

If one of them moves alone:
- Regions 9 and 19 are destinations where the Chthonians gain 2 Honor points (for attacking a larger group, regardless of the direction);
- Regions 15 and 20 would not represent any change in Honor (attack forwards an even-numbered group or advance friendly);
- Region 8 means losing 1 Honor point, for it is a backwards attack against an even-numbered group.
- Region 13 means losing 2 Honor points, for moving backwards.

Flying

    Flying:


    Flying Units can move to any region (if revealed)

    Crossing the Styx when flying does not cost Energy

    Flyer cannot fly in retreats

    Same Honor penalties as for ground movement applies

    Sidewards movement will be treated as forwards if it is an attack and as backwards otherwise
    Units that can fly can move any time to any region. In order to do this, the player has to reveal the unit beforehand (Flying is considered a Special Power)
    If a flying unit is revealed, all hexes appear as possible destinations when selecting it.
    When crossing the Styx there will be no cost if the flying unit is revealed.
    When a flier attacks from far away, there is no adjacent region that is considered as original of the attacker. Both parties will be able to retreat to any adjacent region, provided it is not across the Styx and there are no enemies and not too many friends. The flier cannot fly in retreats, though, and must go to an adjacent region like any other not-flying unit.
    The fliers are subject to the same honor penalties used for ground movement. To define whether a flying movement is backwards or forwards, the "altitude" of the original and final destination must be compared (and not the perceived distance to the Olympus Palace or the Tartarus). When the altitude is the same (in a sideways move, like from region 1 to 11) the penalties will be the same as for backwards moves if there is no enemy in the destination - in the case of an attack this will be treated as a forwards move.
    In Yucata the system will warn the user of the possible penalties in all cases.
Combat

    Combat:


    When units of both factions meet, there is a combat which is fought in combat rounds until only one faction has survivors in the combat region.
    5 possible combat maneuvers:
  • Standard Maneuver
  • Retreat
  • Chase
  • All-out Attack
  • All-Out Defense
    When units of different factions meet in the same region there is automatically a combat involving all present units. All units are revealed to both players, and they choose simultaneously their combat maneuver and the energy to be applied to determine the combat round winner.
    If there are survivors from both factions in the combat region, another combat round is fought.
    There are five combat maneuvers. Besides the Standard maneuver there are four other possibilities that can have very different consequences in combat:
  • Standard Maneuver
  • Retreat
  • Chase
  • All-out Attack
  • All-Out Defense

Standard Maneuver

    Standard Maneuver:


    Winner of a combat round is the group with higher Effective Power; in case of a tie the attacker.
  • Effective Power = Base Strength + Energy
    Spend up to 6 Energy per unit (using more than 4 Energy costs 1 Honor).
  • Base Strength = Nominal Strength + Combat Modifiers
  • Nominal Strength = number on character card

    • Defeated faction loses one unit.

    If there was more than one unit, another combat round is fought.
    If both factions choose the Standard maneuver, the winner is decided by a comparison of the Effective Power of both factions. A faction's Effective Power is simply the sum of each of its present units nominal strengths (marked on top of the unit, beside the unit’s name) plus participating unit's combat modifiers plus the energy spent in the round. Each faction can spend up to 6 Energy per unit participating in the combat (that is usually limited by the faction Energy stock).
    However, excessive demand for help is also disliked by the factions' followers: if more than 4 Energy is spent in a combat round, that faction will lose 1 Honor point - regardless of the number of combatants on each side. Spending zero to four Energy does not incur any Honor cost.
    The faction with the greater sum is the winner. If there is a tie, the attacker wins.
    The defeated faction decides which of its present units will be removed from the game. If there was only one unit, the combat is over. If there were more, a new combat round begins with the remaining units, with each player choosing simultaneously a maneuver and energy to apply. The original attacker will have the advantage in ties in all rounds till the end of the whole combat.

    In summary:
  • Nominal Strength: Number marked on top of a unit, beside the character’s name.
  • Base Strength: Sum of the nominal strengths of a group with all its units combat modifiers. Example: if defending, Hephaestus gains a +5 bonus, so his Base Strength goes from 3 to 8.
  • Effective Power: Score that determines the winner of a combat round. It usually consists of the sum of the group's Base Strength plus the Energy that the player spent in that round.
    Tactical Hint: When choosing his parameters, each player should take into account his and the opponent's Base Strength (sum of the units nominal strength with possible modifications with Special Powers) and also each side's stock of energy (shown beside the Thunderbolt icon on each side).

Retreat

    Retreat:


    No elimination of units, group will retreat to adjacent region with following condition:
  • Attacker: to region from where he came or adjacent to that or combat region
  • Defender: adjacent but not any where attacker can retreat to

    • Not valid for retreat are regions with enemy unit or too many friendly units, nor over the river Styx.

    No valid region for retreat leads to Standard Maneuver.

    Successful Retreat cost 2 Honor Points.

    Selected Energy will be spent even if not used, and selecting more than 4 Energy will cost 1 extra Honor Point.
    If a player chooses the Retreat maneuver (and the opponent does not choose Chase - described below) no units will be eliminated. The whole group of the retreating faction will move out of the region where the combat took place into an adjacent region.
    If the retreating faction was the attacker, its units must move to the same region from where it came, or to one of the regions adjacent to both its original region and targeted region.
    If the retreating faction was the defender, its units must move to a region adjacent to the region where the combat took place but not adjacent to the region from where the attacker came. That region is also not a possibility.
    In any case, it is not possible to retreat into a region occupied by an enemy unit or into a region that would have to contain more than four characters.
    Also, it is not possible to cross the Styx while retreating.
    If a faction chooses Retreat but there is no possible retreating region, the maneuver works the same as Standard, and the faction will remain in the combat region (and will not spend 2 honor).
    If both parties chose to retreat, both retreat. The defender must define its retreating region first. This may make the attacker to have no possible region to retreat, forcing its units to remain (and saving 2 honor).
    The retreating faction must define how much energy it will spend. If the retreat is successful this will be to no use, but that energy will be considered to determine the group Effective Power if the enemy chooses the Chase maneuver. In any case, regardless of the fact that there is actual combat or not, the chosen energy will be spent and the faction stock will be reduced. Likewise, selecting more than 4 Energy will cost an additional Honor point.
    When a faction successfully retreats it loses 2 Honor points (if the player did not retreat there is no loss in Honor points).
Example: In the picture the Harpies left Region 13 to attack Artemis in Region 19.

The pink arrows represent possible retreats for the attacker - its original region or a region adjacent to it. Since regions 13 and 18 are empty, they are both valid. But region 14 is forbidden because there is an enemy unit there.
The blue arrows represent possible retreats for the defender - any region adjacent to the defender's region, but not adjacent to the attacker's. Since regions 20 and 24 are occupied by friendly units, they are both valid. But region 23 is forbidden because there is an enemy unit there.

If the Harpies had flewn to the combat region from any non-adjacent region, all six arrows would be possible retreat directions for both parties (limited by the presence of enemy units, of course).

Chase

    Chase:


    Maneuver to prevent possible Retreat of Enemy

    Effective Power is reduced by 3
    Like for the Standard maneuver, the Chase maneuver does not have Honor penalties or bonuses.
    This maneuver is used exclusively to prevent a possible retreat of the opponent. If one faction chooses this maneuver and the other chooses Retreat, both factions may fight as if they had chosen Standard. But there is a drawback to the chaser: its Effective Power is reduced by 3. For instance, if a unit with basic strength 2 starts a combat alone, chooses Chase and spends no energy, it will have an Effective Power of -1. Spending 5 energy will lead its Effective Power to 4 .

    When a faction selects Retreat and the other selects Chase and the Effective Power of the faction that selected Retreat makes it the winner of the combat, it will have the option to perform the originally desired retreat (spending 2 Honor) or to allow itself to be chased, staying and eliminating one enemy unit.

    If the faction trying to retreat is successfully chased and loses the round, it will have to eliminate one unit. If it has additional units, they will be able to retreat (spending 2 Honor points) and the combat will be over.

Example: The Chthonians use Charon and Cronus to advance together into a region with two enemies: Hermes and Poseidon. The sum of the Base Strength of both parties is 8. The Chthonians decide to Retreat, but select to receive 1 Energy, just in case. The Olympians choose Chase, with 4 Energy to compensate the drawback of chasing. The Effective Power of the Chthonians is 9 (8 + 1). The Olympians power is also 9 (8 -3 + 4). The Chthonians are the winners of the round, since in case of equal Effective Power the original attacker wins. So, the Chthonians will get to decide if they proceed with their Retreat (paying 2 Honor points and ending the combat) or stay and enjoy that round win, forcing the Olympians to choose one unit to be eliminated, and the combat will have another round.

All-out Attack

    All-out Attack:


    Costs 2 Honor Points

    Doubles Effective Power

    All own units will be eliminated at end of combat round (if opponent retreats there is no combat and all survive)
    Even if an all-out attack may be considered a brave action, the followers of both factions consider this maneuver as too desperate and treacherous. If a faction chooses this maneuver, it immediately loses 2 Honor points.

    The use of that maneuver makes all units of that faction to be eliminated at the end of that combat round. But during that combat, that group's Effective Power will double . For instance, if a group with two units with 3 and 4 of base strength spends 3 energy, it will have an effective power of 20 ((3 + 4 + 3) * 2) . If both factions use this maneuver, all units in combat are eliminated.
    If one faction all-out attacks and wins the combat, only one opponent unit is eliminated, despite of the difference in Effective Power.
    The use of this maneuver by the defending party does not alter the tie advantage - the original attacker will always be considered the winner in case of ties.
    If the opponent of the all-out attacker retreats there is no combat - no unit will be eliminated, even if the energy will be spent normally.
    If his opponent uses all-out defense (see below) no unit of the all-out attacker can be eliminated, and one of the all-out defender units is eliminated if he loses the round.

All-out Defense

    All-out Defense:


    Costs 2 Honor Points

    Doubles Effective Power

    If all-out defender wins, no unit dies
    If a faction chooses the All-out Defense maneuver, it immediately loses 2 Honor points.

    As in the All-out Attack maneuver, choosing All-out Defense will give its faction double Effective Power. However, if the all-out defender wins, no unit is eliminated . Both factions' selected amount of energy is spent and a new combat round is played.
    When the all-out defender loses, he loses one unit and the combat proceeds if he has remaining units in that region, as usual.

Maneuver Overview

    The following picture shows an overview over the interactions between the different maneuvers. Unconditional Honor Point losses (All-out Attack/Defense, using more than 4 Energy) are not shown.


Liturgy

    Liturgy:


    Receive 6 Energy

    Lose Honor points (1 if current Energy stock is empty, 2 otherwise)
    In order to increase their Energy stock the factions can request a Liturgy from their followers at the start of a turn, instead of moving. The faction will receive 6 Energy.
    This act of perceived weakness does not go unnoticed: after receiving the Energy, the faction that called the liturgy reduces its Honor: in 1 point if their current Energy stock is zero, in 2 points otherwise.
    In Yucata this option is executed by clicking on the faction's Energy icon.
Game End
    Chthonians win if one of their leaders reaches the Olympus Palace or the Olympians lose all Honor.

    Olympians win if they eliminate Chthonian leader(s) or Chthonians lose all Honor.

    The game is a draw if both factions lose all Honor simultaneously.
    The game ends with the victory of the Chthonian faction when Hades or Persephone reaches the Olympus Palace (the top region on the map). They win even if there are Olympian units there - no need for combat.
    Exception: if Demeter is in the Olympus Palace when Persephone enters, both units are eliminated before Persephone can snatch victory.

    The Olympians win if both Hades and Persephone are eliminated (or if Hades is eliminated and Persephone was not selected at the beginning of the game).

    For the player to be considered the winner, his honor must be above zero. If one of the player's Honor gets below one point , he loses the game immediately. If both players reach that at the same moment, the game is drawn.
Game Variants

Game Variant: Challenge

    As a Challenge, the starting player defines a bonus or penalty for the Chthonians.

    The second player then chooses the faction he wishes to play with.
    After having played many games against different opponents, experienced players may feel that one of the factions is intrinsically stronger and easier to play. In order to play a game with a more balanced feel, or to offer a handicap to a less-skilled opponent, it is possible to give one of the factions an advantage in Honor points.

    The starting player in a "Challenge" game defines an advantage in form of bonus Honor points for the Chthonians if he feels they are weaker, or a handicap in form of a Honor Point penalty for the Chthonians if he feels they are stronger.
    The second player then chooses which side he prefers to play with, even if it is the weakened one.

Game Variant: Open Combat

    The combatants choose their combat parameters one after the other:
    • The defender can see the combat parameters of the attacker in the first round of combat.
    • The attacker sees the defender's options in subsequent rounds

    The attacker gains one Honor point when starting a combat against a same-sized group

    Both factions start the game with 10 Honor points
    In this variant, the first player chooses his parameters as usual, but the second one will be able to see the first player's choice when making his decision.
    The "first player" in this case is the attacker: he has the disadvantage of defining his parameters knowing that the opponent will make their choice with full information of his intentions. However, if there are more rounds in that combat, the advantage is reversed: the defender will make the decision first, and the attacker will see it before making his choices. In any subsequent rounds the attacker keeps that advantage.

    The attacker is still considered the winner of any rounds in case of ties. But since most combats have only one round, attacking is less advantageous in comparison to the standard game. The factions' followers are aware of that: each time a player starts a combat with the same number of units, his faction will be awarded one Honor point. Combats with different numbers of units per side have the same bonuses and penalties used in the standard game.
    However, each faction will start the game with only 10 Honor points , 6 less than in the standard variant.

Game Variant: Random Setup

    All units are randomly selected when the game starts

    Zeus and Hades are always selected, and they are placed either in their home base or in one of its adjacent regions
    If this option is marked, the units to be included in the game and their initial positions will be randomly chosen when the game starts. Any unit may be left out, except for Zeus and Hades, which are always selected. They will be placed either in their home base or in one of its adjacent regions.

    This option should be useful for beginners, since the setup is very complex for someone who has not memorized well all units' powers.
    Also experienced players might enjoy this option if they feel their choices are feeling scripted, forcing the use of some less popular units by themselves and their opponents, or simply because they want some action right away.
Appendix

Olympians

Zeus: He is the supreme god and leader of the Olympians. Zeus can throw thunderbolts on his enemies and thus eliminate them. At the start of the Olympian player's turn the power of Zeus can be activated instead of performing an actual movement. The target has to be an enemy or group of enemies in an adjacent region outside the Underworld. When there are more than one units, the chthonic player chooses the unit to be eliminated. This action costs the Olympians 6 Energy. Additionally, the Olympians lose 1 Honor point for not choosing to eliminate their enemy in a proper combat.
Cerberus cannot be affected by thunderbolts. If a thunderbolt hits a region where he is the sole occupant, the Olympians energy and honor are wasted. If Cerberus has company he cannot be chosen as the eliminated unit.
If Hecate is present in a region hit by a thunderbolt the Chthonians receive 6 energy, regardless of the unit that gets eliminated.
In order to use Zeus power, click on his figure while it is already the only selected figure (or simply double-click it).
Hera: Zeus' wife is the mother goddess and benefits from being in a group. For each character in the Olympian team beside her in a combat , she receives +3 strength.
Additionally, if Zeus is eliminated, she becomes the Olympian leader and receives his powers to cast thunderbolts (but not his nominal strength).
Athena: In the first round of a combat, the goddess of wisdom can see the opponent's combat parameters before choosing hers - they simply appear below the enemy's base strength. When attacking, her group must confirm maneuver without defining any parameter; after the defender makes his choices, she should then enter hers. However, it is possible for her to speed things up and choose her parameters beforehand.
In games where the Open Parameters option is selected, Athena's usefulness is not so great, since all units will have an equivalent power to hers when defending. However, when she is attacking, the first round advantage is reversed, and she still gets the Honor point bonus in same-sized battles.
Aphrodite: When she is in a combat, all her male comrades gain +2 strength each, and all male enemies gain a penalty of up to -3 strength each (no unit can have a negative base strength, so the penalty for Charon, for instance, is -2).
When she is adjacent to a region where there is combat she has no influence on enemies but keeps giving +2 strength to each male Olympian. In order to do this, the Olympian player chooses to reveal her or not while defining his combat parameters. If the Chthonian player had already defined his parameters and she is revealed, he will have an opportunity to redefine his choices.
These are the units not influenced by her: Hera, Artemis, Athena and Demeter (among the Olympians) and Cerberus, Hecate, Nyx, Erinyes, Moirae, Harpies and Persephone (among the Chthonians).
Dionysus: The reputation of the god of wine for debauchery and irreverence ends up being an advantage: his followers do not use to him the same standards used to the other gods. When making decisions by himself, his penalty in honor points is reduced by one point (to a minimum of 0). So, when he retreats or moves backwards, the Olympians lose only one Honor point, he has no penalty for using more than 4 energy in a combat, and so on.
For his non-combat related "powers" to take effect it is necessary that Dionysus be revealed beforehand.
Apollo: In contrast to Dionysus, Apollo's virtuous reputation is a setback for him: whenever he or his group has an Honor penalty, the loss of points is doubled. So, when he retreats the Olympians lose 4 Honor points, even if he is not alone (taken to the bad path by Dionysus, for instance). However, the god of sun can take his flying chariot to any region of the board, either to attack or for a peaceful movement.
Apollo will only suffer special penalties in actions where he must get revealed. If he performs an action that could be performed by any other character without it being revealed, the Olympians only get the usual punishment (even if Apollo was revealed in a previous action). This can happen in friendly moves to adjacent regions, alone or in group.
In short, Apollo will cause double Honor penalties in battles and when he flies.
Hermes: When moving alone, the fast messenger of the gods can keep making moves indefinitely to adjacent regions, or until he enters an occupied region (by friend or foe).
In order to to it, the user must select him again for each individual movement. Each move is treated separately and can generate costs in Honor and Energy.
Additionaly, Hermes is the only Olympian against which Persephone cannot retreat, provided he selects the Chase Maneuver. His power works even if other units are present in the combat.
Ares: The irascible god of war knows how to make the most of the elements of combat: when fighting alone each unit of Energy emplyed in combat is worth double. This amount can be increased even more with the all-out maneuvers. Example: if Ares gets 2 energy in a combat, his final strength is 7 with Standard maneuver or 14 with all-out attack.
Poseidon: Far away from his dominions, the god of the seas cannot use the full force of his might. However, when moving close to the river Styx he receives a breath of power: the Energy stock of the Olympians increases by 2. This happens when Poseidon's movement starts and finishes in regions adjacent to the Styx.
When crossing the river with or without comrades, the energy balance will even out and will not be altered.
Artemis: The goddess of the hunt has no strength penalty when using the Chase maneuver, at the contrary: it gives 2 strength bonus instead of a penalty of 3 to her group.
Hephaestus: The god of metallurgy is particularly strong in defense: his armor gives +5 strength to his side when attacked.
Also, he cancels the elimination of an Olympian unit if present in a region Sneak Attacked by the Erinyes.
Demeter: The goddess of agriculture has a close relationship with things Chthonic, receiving also homage as Chthonian herself. If she finishes her move inside in an empty region of the Underwold (with neither friend nor foe) she can drain 3 Energy from the Chthonians to the Olympians (or less, if their stock is smaller).
Also, the mother of Persephone cannot bear to fight her: if they happen to be in the same region, both leave the game (the two units are eliminated, even if this occurs in the Olympus Palace).
If eliminated this way, Persephone cannot be brought back by Hades.

Chthonians

Hades: Supreme ruler of the Underworld and leader of the Chthonian gods. Hades can recall fellow combatants which have been defeated during the war. At the start of the Chthonian player's turn the power of Hades can be activated instead of performing an actual movement. It is necessary that the Tartarus (deepest region and basis of the underworld) not be occupied by 4 chthonian characters nor by enemy units and, of course, at least one Chthonian must have already been defeated. This action costs the Chthonians 10 Energy. In order to use Hades' power, click on his figure while it is already the only selected figure (or simply double-click it).
If Hades enters the Olympus top, the Chthonians win the game.
Persephone: The majestic princess of the underworld uses her slender figure to good use. In any combat where Persephone is fighting alone she can always retreat - if the opponent chooses the Chase maneuver he will suffer the strength penalties but will not stop a retreat. However, this will not happen if Hermes is present. Also, she can retreat to any direction, regardless of the origin of the attacker (as happens when the attacker flies), and even if she is the attacker.
Additionally, if Hades is eliminated, her location is revealed to the Olympian player, and she becomes the Chthonian leader and receives his powers to bring back eliminated units. But she cannot bring Hades back. Her defeat while faction leader means victory for the Olympians.
As for Hades, if she enter the Olympus the Chthonians win the game. This happens even if Hades is alive.
Persephone's main weakness is her mother, Demeter: if they happen to be in the same region, both leave the game (the two units are eliminated). If eliminated this way, Persephone cannot be brought back by Hades.
Cerberus: The multi-headed hound of Hades is rather strong but cannot help but using its instincts when fighting alone: it must use the Chase maneuver. If it combats with at least one comrade they have no restriction, though.
Its usual dwelling immerse in hellish fire made Cerberus invulnerable to thunderbolts. If a thunderbolt hits a region where it is the sole occupant, the Olympians energy and honor are wasted. But if it has company it cannot be chosen as the eliminated unit, since its body does not absorb the energy.
Cronus: The former ruler of the Universe during the mythological Golden Age, the powerful Titan was overthrown by his own son Zeus and imprisoned in Tartarus. After millenniums of awaiting in rage, the opportunity for revenge has arrived, and he joined forces with Hades.
If Cronus and Zeus get in the same region there is no boundary for Cronus wrath: Zeus is eliminated immediately, regardless of who attacked whom. After that, if there is an additional Olympian in that region there will be a regular combat.
Hecate: In any combat round where she participates, the resourceful goddess of witchcraft absorbs all Energy employed by enemies (even when she is defeated, but not in subsequent rounds, if any). The Energy used by the Olympians will increase their final strength normally, but will end up increasing also the Chthonians Energy stock.
Likewise, if Hecate is present in a region hit by a thunderbolt the Chthonians receive 6 energy, whether she gets eliminated or not.
Hypnos: The god of sleep cannot outright knock-out other gods, but his soporiferous influence weakens all other units participating in combat, making their nominal strength to be zero. This affects his comrades as well, if any are present.
Hypnos power cannot affect strengths from special sources, like Aphrodite's influence on males or Hephaestus defensive bonus. The negative influence of Aphrodite cannot reduce any one unit's base strength below zero.
Example: if Hypnos and Hades are in a combat against Hera and Aphrodite in the same region, the Olympians would have 3 as base strength (from Hera's Special Power of +3 per comrade) and the Chthonians would have 0 (Hypnos would be weakened by Aphrodite and Hades by Hypnos). Hades could not be affected by Aphrodite, since his base strength was already nullified.
Erinyes: Also known as the Furies, they are the female deities of vengeance. When attacking with no other Chthonian unit they may choose to perform a Sneak Attack, spending 2 Energy. If the targeted region does not have Hephaestus, one Olympian unit is automatically defeated (when there is more than one, it is chosen by the Olympian player). This treacherous deed is frowned upon by the Chthonian followers, and costs 1 Honor to their faction.
This special attack cannot be made across the Styx. If Hephaestos in is the targeted region, a normal combat is performed, and the 2 Energy and 1 Honor are wasted.
The Erinyes suffer a limitation due to their agressivity: if unaccompanied in a combat, they are unable to select a defensive maneuver (Retreat or All-Out Defense).
Moirae: Also known as the Fates, these female deities are the incarnations of destiny. When they participate in a combat, the Chthonians are not limited to select up to 6 Energy per unit: they may fully take control of their fate and use all Energy available to their faction - the only limit is their current stock. Also, the penalty of 1 Honor for using more than 4 Energy does not apply.
Harpies: These creatures carry the souls of evildoers (especially those who have killed their family) to punishment. Their only Special Power is to fly and, unlike Apollo, they do not have any special disadvantage.
Thanatos: This male deity is the personification of death. If he is eliminated in combat, any remaining units in that region will be eliminated as well.
Charon: He is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the river Styx, that divides the world of the living from the world of the dead. He does not spend Energy to cross the Styx and is the only unit that can retreat across it (the retreat across the Styx is only possible when he is fighting alone). Also, if he is adjacent to Styx, other Chthonic units can cross the river at no cost if he is also adjacent to or in the same region of their depart or destination, provided that Charon is revealed beforehand.
Nyx: The goddess of the night is said to be feared by Zeus himself. When fighting alone, her darkness isolates one of her opponents in a way that he cannot receive any external aid: while defining his combat parameters against her, the Olympian player can choose any maneuver, but its energy limit is set as if the Olympians had one less unit. So, if there is only one Olympian fighting, the Olympian player is obliged to define 0 as the Energy to be received. If there are two Olympians, the limit is 6 energy, and so on.

Hints for handling

Ingame Help - Button bar


    There are three (or sometimes four) buttons at the lower bar in order to help playing the game:
    The eye icon: when you click it you can see which of your units can be identified by your opponent, for having been previously revealed. Click on it again to go back to normal viewing mode.
    The "list" icon: it displays the regions numbers, in order to understand the movements on the log. Click on it again to go back to normal viewing mode.
    The "person" icon: when you click it you have a complete list of your enemy's units (which includes units that were not selected). Units eliminated will be shown below a battle symbol. When you click it again you get your own characters listed. Besides the mark on the eliminated units, the units not selected on setup will be reddened. Click the button a third time to go back to normal viewing mode.
    The "minus" icon: this button only appears when you must define combat parameters. It is used to minimize the parameter definition window and allow you to have an overview of the game board. To make the window visible again, just click on the minus button again.

Ingame Help - Honor table

    Honor Table
    There is also a "table" icon at the superior left part of the board (below the Olympian player's user name). If you click on it, you get a table with the honor costs of maneuvers and movements:

More hints

  • In the setup phase, the players are free to move the units around the valid spaces, and can also switch character's positions, until nine units are placed.
  • You can see each unit description any moment by clicking on the "person" icon button
  • To reveal a character so that its Special Power can be used, the player must click on it after selecting it, then answer yes to the question if it should be revealed If a flying unit is revealed all hexes appear as possible destinations when selecting it.
  • A player can see which of his units are being disclosed to his opponent by clicking on the button with an eye icon in the bottom
  • To perform a movement, click on a unit, wait for the possible destinations to appear (transparent red hexagons) and click on one of them. If you did not move forwards, you will be required a confirmation, for your Honor will be automatically reduced.
  • To move more than one character they must be individually selected by clicking in each of them, one at a time. After selecting all the desired units, you click on the destination.
  • A player will always be warned when one of his decisions causes loss of Honor points (or Energy, for that matter).
  • To execute a Liturgy, click on the faction's Energy icon.

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