Rules of Battle

Traditional Game (Around 60-90 Minutes)

Game time depends on how familiar people are with the cards.

1. How to Win: All Roman Players must have a Domination Level of 3 and each player must have no Active Enemy Encampments by the end of 10 rounds. As soon as those conditions are met, the Roman Side wins.
2. A Round is when all players each had a turn. Use a counter to keep track of the rounds.
3. All Resistance cards may be played during the Resistance Phase. If there are no Ambush cards to resist, you may still play them and reap other benefits. Each failed Ambush results in -1 Power loss.
4. Each Roman Player starts with a Domination Level of 0 and a Power Level of 3. You can never go below 0 power. Every time a player's Power gets to 10 or more, he or she increases a Domination Level and Power rolls through (i.e. if you would be at 12 power, you are now up a domination and at 2 Power) The player who increased in Domination gets to choose one Domination Level Abilities below.
5. There may be other ways to increase your Domination Level depending on different cards.

Domination Level Progression

As players mature, they draw more cards and face more Enemy Ambushs

Domination Abilities

Dominate Together or Purchase
All-Player Abilities

When all Players reach the next Domination Level, collectively choose an ability below or you may purchase for the price listed. This applies to all Roman Players. (Also available in Duel mode — the lone Roman player unlocks them by leveling up or purchasing with Cost.)

High Price (Each Player pays 11 immediately after a Player's Cost Zone Phase to purchase)

As of Oct 31, 2025 - Roman players may Rotate cards to Resist (only for their turn) for themselves. If you get Double Resistance, then Other Players may Resist by Rotating cards in their Cost Zone

• Benevolence: You may help other Roman Players by rotating cards in your Cost Zone
• Double Resistance (Domination Level 2+): Other Players besides You may now Spend/Rotate the cost of the Enemy Ambush to Resist it instead of only playing a Resistance card. In Duel, abilities are earned only by leveling up (no purchasing with Cost).
• Brotherly Horse: You may help other Roman Players by playing a card and choosing the effects to benefit that player.
• Restoration (1 use per level-up): Once each time all Roman Players reach a new Domination Level, every Roman Player shuffles up to 15 random cards from their discard pile back into their own Deck. It recharges at each new shared level.

Low Price (Each Player pays 7 immediately after a Player's Cost Zone Phase to purchase)

• Vibrancy: After your Cost Zone Phase Before your Enemy Draw/Play Phase, Flip 2 cards in Cost Zone face up randomly. (Face-up cards can be played as if they were in your Hand)
• Cost Zone Power: At the end of your turn, if you gained at least 3 Power that turn (even if you lost power), you may draw a card from your deck directly to your Cost Zone
• Speed: You may play 1 Encampment or Domination card at any time during your turn (not during other Player's turns).
• Foresight: Reveal (but do not Resist yet) the cards that the Enemy Deck will Draw at the beginning of your Cost Zone phase.

Card Types

• Encampment - Roman or Enemy Habits, cards that stay in play.
• Token - These are similar to Encampments because they stay in play (for example Armor of God Tokens or Assault Action Tokens).
• Ambush - Enemy cards that come against you trying to tear away your Domination and Power
• Resistance - Roman - Only allowed to be played when Ambush comes.
• Domination - Roman - Helps you Mature and Grow in Supply, Played only on your Turn
• Tactic - Roman - Played at any time, Stacking mechanics

Phases

Start of Game: Each player draws 7 cards to Hand and draws 3 cards to Cost Zone. Determine who goes first.

Primary Gameplay is when no human plays the Enemy Deck, There have been thoughts of having a Human playing Enemy Deck, but needs to be tested.

If you have 3 or more players, you may all play on the same team or have one player play the Enemy Deck. Most Play-Testing has occurred when all players playing are on the Roman Side. Try these rules if you want to have a human player play the Enemy Deck:
If one player plays the Enemy Deck then they draw 7 cards and draws 3 cards to Cost Zone. When it is time for Enemy Draw/Play Phase like in the other mode, instead he draws to hand plus 1 more card directly to the Cost Zone. At the end of that Roman Player's turn, he Un-Rotatess his cards in Cost Zone and may put more in Cost Zone. Now he or she may play Enemy cards against anyone as long as he Rotates cards in the Cost Zone. At the end of every Round The Enemy Player may shift cards to or from his or her Cost Zone to his or her Hand

Primary Gameplay, Players take turns, each turn consists of several phases:

1. Check Phase: This is the first possible phase before you Un-rotate any cards in the Reset Phase.
2. Reset Phase: Un-Rotate all your cards to make them usable.
3. Roman Draw Phase: Draw the number of cards equal to your Domination Level + 2
4. Cost Zone Phase: No cards can be played during this time (not even Tactics) Play up to 4 of your cards to the Cost Zone face down. (Choose wisely because you will not get to play them again unless you gain Vibrancy)
5. Enemy Draw/Play Phase: Enemy Deck draws and plays the number of your Domination Level + 1 If there are no more cards in the Enemy Deck, re-shuffle the non-resisted cards in the discard pile (Enemy cards that could not be Resisted) back into the Enemy Deck and continue drawing.
6. Resistance Phase: Resist Ambush cards or give into more Chaos. Enemy Cards that were Resisted go in a separate Resisted Pile, ones that could not be Resisted go into a Unresisted Pile Do not play any card other than a Resistance or Tactic card during this time.
7. Main Phase: Play cards (such as Dominations or Encampments).
8. Discard Phase: Discard down to 7 cards.
9. Tactic cards are special and may be played at any time (except during Cost Zone Phase); the most recent Tactic gets resolved first (stack mechanics).

Phrases and Definitions

Boosts may only be played once per Person unless otherwise specified. If other cards cause boosts to cost less, they may never go below 1 (come on, that would be too easy).

• Brotherly-Any-Boost: Any Roman Player, other than the one who played it, may pay the cost (listed directly after the word Brotherly-Any-Boost to do what the card that the owner played says.
• Any-Boost: Any Roman Player, including one who played it, may pay the cost (listed directly after the word Any-Boost to do what the card that the owner played says.
• Self-Boost: Only Roman Player, the player of this card may execute a Self-Boost like the other boosts above.
• Permanent-Brotherly-Boost: This is usually on a Encampment, which is like the Brotherly-Any-Boost above, except he or she may execute it once per turn if and only if the card with that label is Un-rotated (usable)
• Permanent-Any-Boost: This is usually on a Encampment, which is like the Any-Boost above, except he or she may execute it once per turn if and only if the card with that label is Un-rotated (usable)
• Permanent-Self-Boost: This is usually on a Encampment, which is like the Self-Boost above, except you may execute it once per turn if and only if the card with that label is Un-rotated (usable)
• Bounce-Back Boost: A bounce back boost is only possible if someone has boosted your card.
• Multi: If a Boost is prefixed with the word "Multi" Then it may be used multiple times (default is only once per Player)