LINEAGE AGE 13+

Parts of a Miniature NAME

ABILITY

Cost
A miniatures cost has two partsspawn cost and aspect cost.

Spawn Cost
The minimum number of spawn points you have to spend in
order to spawn this miniature (move it from your reserves to the
dreamscape).

Aspect Cost
Each miniature has one or more aspect symbols after the spawn
cost. The symbols indicate which aspect the miniature belongs to.
Each aspect symbol also represents one miniature of the
indicated aspect. If you spawn this miniature when you have
fewer than that many miniatures of the indicated aspect in the
dreamscape and/or in your graveyard, then you have to pay one
additional spawn point for each creature that youre short.

Power
The number of attack dice that this creature contributes to an attack.

Ability Reminder
A shorthand description of this miniatures abilities. Full FLAVOR TEXT
descriptions are on the bottom of the base. See Abilities on
page 27 for more details. SET ICON
RARITY SYMBOL
Defense COLLECTOR NUMBER
The amount of damage that is enough to disrupt this creature.
When an opponent disrupts one of your creatures, he or she moves
DEFENSE
it to an empty cell in the dreamscape at the end of the combat.
COST POWER
LIFE

ASPECT COST

COST SPAWN COST POWER

Life
The amount of damage that is enough to destroy this creature.
Your destroyed miniatures go to your graveyard. When one of
your miniatures is destroyed, the opponent who destroyed it
scores 1 conquest point, and you get 2 bonus spawn points on
your next spawn phase.

Lineage
If a miniature belongs to a lineage, the lineage is
listed here. Certain abilities interact with miniatures
belonging to specic lineages.

Ability
Special rules that change the way a miniature works.
Many abilities include an activation cost of some kind
(see Activation Costs on page 9 for more details).
Abilities can also include reminder text, in parentheses
and italics.

Flavor Text
Some miniatures include avor text,
DEFENSE

LIFE NAME
ABILITY REMINDER reecting the nature of the miniature in
the game world. rulebook
30095642000002 EN
 contents
Miniatures
Credits
collectable game
Welcome to the Dreamscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Game Design: Jonathan Tweet (lead), Rob Heinsoo, and Brian Tinsman U.S., Canada, Asia Pacic
& Latin America World Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Game Development: Henry Stern (lead), Mike Donais, Robert Gutschera, Matt Place, Steve Warner
Set Design: Jonathan Tweet (lead) and Teeuwynn Woodruff
www.wizards.com/customerservice Object of the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Set Development: Mike Donais (lead), Henry Stern, Aaron Forsythe, Steve Warner
P.O. Box 707 Summary of Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Renton WA 98057-0707
Additional Playtesting: Mike Elliott, Nate Heiss, Ryan Miller, Steve Warner, Teeuwynn Woodruff U.S.A. Game Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Tel: 1-800-324-6496 (within the U.S.)
World Design: James Wyatt (lead), Brady Dommermuth, Ryan Miller, Jonathan Tweet
1-206-624-0933 (outside the U.S.) Parts of a Miniature 6
Rules Writing: Jonathan Tweet Fax: 1-425-204-5818 Parts of the Dreamscape Map 8
R&D Leads: Andrew Finch (director) and Paul Barclay (producer)
U.K., Eire & South Africa Attack Dice 9
Editing: Justin Webb Hasbro UK Ltd.
Caswell Way
Activation Requirements 9
Flavor Text: Bruce Cordell and Jonathan Tweet Newport, Gwent NP9 0YH Tips for Using Blade Abilities 10
UK
Art Direction: Stacy Longstreet (lead) and Shauna Wolf Narciso
Tel: + 800 22 427276
Zones of Play 11
Graphic Design: Scott Okumura and Dan Colavito Email: wizards@hasbro.co.uk Four Aspects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Imaging: Travis Adams European Headquarters Lineages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Packaging Art: Aleksi Briclot Wizards of the Coast
Visual World-Building: Glen Angus, Mitch Cotie, Brian Hagan, Arnie Swekel
p/a Hasbro Belgium NV/SA Building Your Warband . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
t Hofveld 6D
Model Concepting: Dave Allsop, Christopher Burdett, Ed Cox, Carolina Eade, Tomas Giorello, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden Sample Warband 14
BELGIUM
David Grifth, Des Hanley, Heather Hudson, Paul Komoda, Doug Kovacs, Raven Mimura, Locations 15
Lee Moyer, Jim Nelson, Glen Osterberger, Joshua James Shaw, Anne Stokes, Bradley Williams Tel: +32.70.233.277
Model Painting: Eve Forward-Rollins and Dylan S. Email: custserv@hasbro.be Starting the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
France The First Turn 16
Brand Management: Elena Moye and Greg Yahn WotC / Hasbro France
Savoie Technolac C6 Turn Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Production: Raini Applin, Chas DeLong, Freddy Yang 73378 Le Bourget du Lac Cedex
FRANCE Initiative Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Tel: 04-79-96-47-61 Spawn Phases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Email: custserv@hasbro.fr
Starter Set Components Action Phases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Germany
Hasbro Deutschland GmbH Shift 20
16 randomized prepainted plastic miniatures Overweg 29
D-59494 Soest
Strike 22
8 attack dice
1 initiative die
GERMANY Conquest Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Rules booklet Italy Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Hasbro Italy S.r.l.
Double-sided dreamscape map Centro Direzionale Milanoori Game Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Strada 7 - Palazzo R1
Checklist 20089 Rozzano (MI) World Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
ITALY
Tel: 199 111 543
Expanded Turn Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., P.O. Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, U.S.A. MADE IN CHINA. Spain & Portugal
Questions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Wizards of the Coast, Dreamblade, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the
U.S.A. and other countries. For Europe: Hasbro UK Ltd., Caswell Way, Newport, Gwent NP9 0YH, UK. Hasbro Iberia S. L,
Please retain our company details for future reference. Pol. Industrial Sector 13
Avda del Gremis - Parcela 28
46394 Ribarroja del Turia
Visit www.dreamblademinis.com Valencia
SPAIN

2 3
 Welcome to object of the game
the Drea mscape Win six turns to control the dreamscape and win the game.

J OAN STOOD in a surreal courtyard The demonic horde advanced and summary of play
before a towering hospital deep in claimed the shifting landscape for their
the dreamscape. The hospital could master. She felt her hold on the dreamscape In the Dreamblade game, two players battle, each using a warband of 16 miniatures,
plus the dreamscape map, several special attack dice, and two regular dice. From
be a place of comfort and healing for the slipping, and she knew that if she didnt
turn to turn, players put some of their miniatures into the dreamscape, where they
countless unwitting dreamers who visited act shed be lost. But now the demons claim territory and battle the other players creatures. The winner of each turn is the
it. Just as easily though, it could turn into were spread out. Redoubling her efforts, player whose creatures have claimed the most key territory and destroyed the most
a hellish monument to terror and torture, Joan spawned even more creatures, which enemy creatures. Victory goes to the rst player to win six turns.
whose evil would spread night after night piled upon the nearest enemies. The tide
to the waking world. What it was, and of battle began to turn. Now she had
how it affected the lives of dreamers across hope, but she would also need luck.
the globe, was up to her . . . and
her enemya vicious Hellbred
sorcerer who had come to claim
Those who control humanitys
the hospital as his own. dreams control humanity itself.
Joan raised her ashing crystal
sword, her dreamblade, and focused her IN THE NEAR FUTURE, specially trained
psychic power. Soon, stalwart warriors and psychics called dream lords venture deep
erce creatures from her unconsciousness into the dreamscape. Here they explore a
shifting landscape of ancient archetypes,
moved across the courtyard. There they
modern terrors, and mismatched
faced demonic creatures that the enemy elements of the waking world. This is
dream lord had spawned. Battles raged in the shared unconsciousness of humanity,
a melee of fangs, sts, and leathery wings. the boundless well of hopes and fears
One by one, her creatures were knocked that makes us human. The reality they
create in this timeless realm reverberates
apart. Some she could pull back together
through the minds of dreamers

ILLUS. ALEKSI BRICLOT

before they were lost. Others turned back everywhere. Some dream lords seek to
into raw dreamstuff, which she gathered protect it, others to dominate it, and
and used to spawn more creatures. others to destroy it.

4 5
 Name Ability
game elements The miniatures name. Special rules that change the way a
miniature works. Many abilities include
Parts of a Miniature ASPECT COST
Ability Reminder an activation cost of some kind (see
Activation Costs on page 9 for more
Cost
COST SPAWN COST POWER A shorthand description of this miniatures
abilities. Full descriptions are on the details). Abilities can also include reminder
A miniatures cost has two partsspawn
bottom of the base. See Abilities on page text, in parentheses and italics.
cost and aspect cost.
27 for more details.
Spawn Cost Flavor Text
The minimum number of spawn points Lineage Some miniatures include avor text,
you have to spend in order to spawn this If a miniature belongs to a lineage, the lineage reecting the nature of the miniature in the
miniature (move it from your reserves to is listed here. Certain abilities interact with game world. Flavor text has no effect on
the dreamscape). miniatures belonging to specic lineages. game play.

Aspect Cost
LINEAGE
Set Icon
NAME
The miniatures aspect and an indicator of The set icon tells you what set a miniature
ABILITY
how soon you can play it. Each miniature belongs to.
has one or more aspect symbols after the
spawn cost. The symbols indicate which Collector Number
aspect the miniature belongs to. If there is The collector number lists the miniatures
more than one kind of aspect symbol, the DEFENSE ABILITY REMINDER order in the set, as well as the total number
miniature belongs to more than one aspect. of miniatures the set contains.
LIFE NAME
Each aspect symbol also represents one
miniature of the indicated aspect. If you spawn Rarity Symbol
this miniature when you have fewer than that Defense The rarity symbol indicates how easy the
many miniatures of the indicated aspect in The amount of damage that is enough to miniature is to nd. There are three levels
the dreamscape and/or in your graveyard, disrupt this creature. When an opponent of collectability: common ( i), uncommon
then you have to pay one additional spawn disrupts one of your creatures, he or ( u ), and rare ( h ).
point for each creature that youre short. she moves it to an empty cell in the
For example, if a creature has a cost dreamscape at the end of the combat.
of 7VVV, and you have one Valor FLAVOR TEXT

creature in the dreamscape and a second

Life SET ICON
in your graveyard, then you have to spend RARITY SYMBOL
The amount of damage that is enough
8 spawn points to spawn that creature. COLLECTOR NUMBER
to destroy this creature. Your destroyed
miniatures go to your graveyard. When DEFENSE
Power one of your miniatures is destroyed, the COST POWER
LIFE
The number of attack dice that this creature opponent scores 1 conquest point, and you
contributes to an attack. get 2 bonus spawn points on your next
spawn phase.
6 7
 Parts of the Spawn Row Rows Activation Requirements
Dreamscape Map These are the cells where you spawn your
creatures. To spawn a creature outside
A row is a line of cells that goes from left
to right.
Many of the most decisive abilities are
blade abilities, activated during combat.
Cell of your portal in a spawn-row cell, you Some other abilities are activated by
The dreamscape is divided into twenty-ve need to have a miniature somewhere in Columns spending spawn points on them, having
separate cells, or areas. When a creature that cells column, and that cell must A column is a line of cells that goes the miniature on a scoring cell, or simply
moves, it moves from one cell to an adjacent have contained no allied creatures at the from your edge of the dreamscape to the by spawning the miniature.
cell. When creatures ght, all the allied beginning of your spawn phase. opponents edge.
creatures in a cell can ght together, dealing
damage to any or all of the local enemies. Blade Abilities
Key Cells/Scoring Cells During attacks, youll often get blade
Stacking Limit: A cell can contain up The nine cells in the center of the dreamscape results on the attack dice. The blade faces
to eight creatures (no more than four are key cells. Players score conquest points will come up randomly, but you decide how
creatures for each player) and one location. when their creatures claim these cells. The to use them when you get them. Using these
three key cells on the opponents side of the blades effectively, and setting up combats

Portal
dreamscape are scoring cells for you, while
the three key cells on your side are scoring
Attack Dice where you can put blades to good use, is
one key to winning the game. Blade abilities
This is the dream lords connection to the Youll use attack dice when your creatures
cells for your opponent. The three in the come in different kinds, as determined by the
dreamscape. You spawn your rst creatures attack enemy creatures in a cell. When
middle are scoring cells for both players. blade symbols on the miniature.
here. your creatures in a cell attack, add up
their total power scores and roll that
OPPONENTS PORTAL
many attack dice. Each attack die has the B blade: To make this ability work,
you need to assign a blade to it. You can
ROW following sides.
S SPAWN
YOUR 6 SCORING CELLS
assign only one blade to this ability. As
O PPONENT with all blade abilities, you must attack
, , : These faces indicate
with a creature to use its blade ability. You
that amount of damage.
can use a locations blade abilities provided
local allies are attacking.
, : Miss. These faces have
ROWS no effect.
M multiblade: For each blade you assign
LS
9 KEY CEL
to this ability, it activates once. You can
: Blade. When you roll blades, you assign any number of blades to this ability.
activate your miniatures blade
OPPONENTS 6 SCORING CELLS abilities. You must assign blades b double blade: To make this ability
if you can. If you cant assign a work, you need to assign two blades to it
blade, it has no effect. instead of one. You cant assign one blade
to this ability.
WN ROW Initiative Die: The initiative die is
YOUR SPA a regular six-sided die. m double multiblade: You must
assign two blades to make this ability
work, and each time you assign two blades,
it works once. You cant assign an odd
8 COLUMNS
YOUR PORTAL number of blades to this ability. 9
 Other Abilities S score: To make this ability work,
These types of abilities give you more the miniature must be on one of your six
Tips for Using Blade Abilities options. scoring cells. This ability works even if the
Many creatures have powerful blade abilities. Getting the most scoring cell is contested. This activation
out of your creatures blade abilities will help you win. Here are 1, 2, 3, etc. one spawn, two requirement is sometimes combined with
some guidelines to get you thinking about blade abilities. spawn, three spawn, etc.: To make spawn points; for example, when a creature
The More the Merrier: In order to activate a blade ability, you need to roll a
this ability work, you must spend spawn has a spawn ability that you can only
B in combat. The more dice youre rolling, the better your odds of rolling a points. You spend spawn points only activate if the creature is on a scoring cell.
B. If a creature has a good blade ability, team it up with other creatures that during your spawn phase. You may
have high power. activate each such ability only once per C comes into play: This ability works
spawn phase. when you spawn the miniature.
Diversity is Key: If you have a creature with the Skirmish ability and another
with the Advance ability ghting together, thats better than two creatures
with Skirmish or two with Advance. When you roll a single B, youll be able
to choose between activating the Skirmish ability or the Advance
ability.
zones of play
Blade Abilities at Range: Several powerful blade abilities can affect
creatures anywhere in the dreamscape. Just because your creatures
There are four zones of play where your miniatures can be located during the game.
are far away from the enemy doesnt make them safe. When youre
the one with blade abilities that work at range, youll sometimes want Reserves miniatures is in the dreamscape, you are said
to make attacks even when you have no chance of hurting the local Your warband (or army) is the group to control that miniature. If an ability refers
enemies. If you roll a B, you can use the blade ability to help you of miniatures that you bring to use in the to a creature you control, then a creature in
elsewhere in the dreamscape. your reserves or graveyard doesnt count.
game. All the miniatures in your warband
Time Your Battles: When youre striking, look at all start in your reserves. When you spawn
the combats youre going to run and decide which ones miniatures, you take them from your Graveyard
you want to do rst. Sometimes a blade ability in one reserves and put them into the dreamscape. Destroyed creatures go to your graveyard
combat will affect another combat; for example, if you
and stay there until the end of the game.
try to use the Lure ability in one combat to move an
enemy into a different combat. Dreamscape
This is the shared arena where the action Removed from the Game
Blade Drawbacks: Some blade abilities are negative happens. Once spawned, creatures move Some effects remove miniatures from the
instead of positive. Creatures with negative blade
across the dreamscape ghting each other game altogether.
abilities work best when you can combine them with
creatures that have positive blade abilities, especially and claiming scoring cells. When one of your
multiblade abilities. That way, when you roll a B, you can assign
it to the positive ability instead of the negative ability.

End of Combat: If a blade ability affects a creatures stats,

its effect lasts only until the end of combat. If a blade ability
somehow moves a creature into another cell or a different zone
of play, that creature doesnt get moved back to its original cell
at the end of combat.

2I 3V 3VV 4V 5V 6V 6VV 7I 8V 9I !I @V
7V
10 Hint: Line up the miniatures in your reserves by cost, lowest to highest. 11
 Hivelings: Mysteriousand
four aspects perhaps inhumandream lords
who create insect-like monsters,
Dream lords spawn dream creatures from their subconscious emotions, which affects the mostly based on Fear.
nature of the creatures. For example, creatures made of Passion tend to be ferocious in
combat, while those created out of Valor are more likely to be tough and defensive. There Hellbred: Self-styled sorcerers who
are four aspects that they draw from: Valor, Madness, Fear, and Passion. draw on Fear and Passion to createor
possibly summondemonic creatures.

Valor Fear Bloodcut: Self-taught vigilante

dream lords who call on the
Valor creatures are tough and Fear creatures come in large
hard to budge. As a group, Valor creatures numbers, overwhelming their enemies. Fear primal power of Passion
excel at getting themselves and their allies creatures often shut down, weaken, thwart, and Valor to create bestial
to the ght. Some are able to protect other push, or stymie enemy creatures. Fear is creatures and beastpeople.
creatures. Valor is the enemy of Fear. the enemy of Valor.

building your warband

Madness Passion
Like intrusive thoughts or Passion creatures are violent Before play, you build your warband.
haunting phantoms, Madness creatures and destructive, but they dont have the
are easy to disrupt but hard to eliminate. same staying power as creatures of other Sixteen Miniature Maximum: You may Locations: Locations can help
Unbound by the limits of three- aspects. Dream lords that tap into Passion have up to 16 miniatures in your warband. your creatures prevail, but most of your
dimensional thinking, some Madness nd a powerful reservoir of primal energy, miniatures should be creatures.
creatures are able to attack enemies at a allowing them to harness more energy to Any Aspect Combination: Your
distance. Madness is the enemy of Passion. spawn even bigger creatures. Passion is the miniatures can be of any aspect or Limited Play: One fun way to play the
enemy of Madness. combination of aspects. The more aspects Dreamblade game is with limited warbands.
you have in your warband, the more Instead of creating your warband out of
miniatures you can choose from when all the miniatures you own, each player
lineages assembling your force, but the more spawn
points youre going to have to pay to
builds a warband from a limited number of
miniatures. Each player opens one Starter
satisfy your miniatures aspect costs. Set and one Booster Pack (or three Booster
A lineage is a group of dream lords, or the creatures spawned by such a group. Creatures Packs) and builds a warband from the
of the same lineage often work particularly well together. Here are the rst ve lineages. Three-Copy Limit: You can have up to random miniatures inside. The normal rules
For more information, see the World Glossary on page 40. three copies of a given miniature in your for building warbands apply. Making the
warband. most of what you get is a real challenge, and
Janus: Psychics working for the Akasha Lost: Dream lords that are no longer fully youll have fun elding unusual warbands
Corporation who draw on Valor and human who draw on Madness to create Miniature Costs: Having miniatures of that you normally wouldnt put together.
Madness to create two-faced creatures. faceless creatures. different costs gives you a better chance to
use all your spawn points each round. Etiquette: Each player is allowed to see
the opposing players warband.
12 13
 Sample Warband Locations
Heres a sample of what a warband looks like and how miniatures in a warband work together. Locations work differently from creatures. Here is a list of how they compare to each other.
MINIATURE COST ASPECT LINEAGE POWER DEFENSE/LIFE ABILITY Creature Location
Spellbound Scissors 2I Madness Janus 2 2/5 Regenerate Spawn in the spawn row, either in your portal or Spawn in a cell where you control a creature.
behind a miniature you control.
2 Runetagged Brawler 3V Valor 2 5/5
Pearlthorn Castle 3VV Valor : Move target adjacent Moves, attacks, and can be attacked. Neither moves nor attacks. Cant be attacked.
ally into this cell.
Contests and claims cells. Neither contests nor claims cells.
Inspired Samurai 4V Valor 1 5/8 Bodyguard
2 Twilight Scout 5V Valor Bloodcut 3 5/7 B: Advance Up to four creatures from each player in a cell Only one location can be in any cell.
(up to 8 total).
Mirrorman 6V Valor Janus 3 8/9
Eagle-feather Warrior 6VV Valor 3 6/6 Reinforce Valor Has power, defense, and life stats. Has no power, defense, or life.
Faceless Stalker 7I Madness Lost 3 5/12 Fortunate 2 Must attack to activate blade abilities. Can activate blade abilities while local allies attack.
2 Savannah Dreamhunter 7V Valor 3 8/9 M: Crit 1
Opponent scores 1 conquest point by destroying it.
Saint of Roses 8V Valor 5 9/11 Defender
Iron Thug 9I Madness 6 6/14 B: Fumble 2 Player gets 2 bonus spawn points after its destroyed.
Windborne Blademaster !I Madness 6 6/14 B: Crit 5; B: Dissipate Satises aspect cost for other miniatures.
Noble Dragon @V Valor 6 11/12 B: Payback

Warband Notes Combos: Saint of Roses is powerful

Aspects: This warband has two aspects. but cant enter an enemy-occupied cell.
Having two aspects gives you more Pearlthorn Castle and Twilight Scout can
miniatures to choose from than a one- get the Saint where you need it.
aspect warband would, and it costs less to Your Madness creatures are easy to
eld than a three- or four-aspect warband. disrupt, but the Twilight Scouts can get
them back into the ght fast.
Spawn Cost: The miniatures range in cost Iron Thug and Windborne Blademaster
anywhere from 2 to 12 and cover almost have drawback blade abilities. Team
every cost in between. That way youll be them up with Faceless Stalker to reroll
able to spend all your spawn points on blades you dont want or with Savannah
almost any roll. Dreamhunters to use up extra blades.
Inspired Samurai protects your other
Aspect Cost: All but two of these miniatures creatures, especially the Madness creatures,

ILLUS. ALEKSI BRICLOT

have a one-symbol aspect cost. That gives whose defense scores are low.
you lots of options as to which miniature to
play, especially early in the game. Lineages: You have ve creatures from
lineages in this warband, but that doesnt
make much difference since you have no
14 creatures with lineage-related abilities. 15
 starting the game initiative phase
Place the dreamscape map between you and your opponent. Put your warband on the Each player rolls the initiative die. The player with the higher result goes rst. If the rolls
table. Its best to arrange your miniatures in cost order so that you can more easily choose tie, the player who has won more turns goes rst. If neither player has won more turns
which miniatures to spawn each turn. You and your opponent can look at each others than the other, reroll ties.
miniatures. The game begins when each player rolls for initiative on the rst turn.
Skipping Spawn Phases: If either player rolls a 1, each player skips his or her spawn
phase. On the rst turn, reroll an initiative die if its a 1.

The First Turn

The rst turn of play goes a little differently than later turns.
Initiative: Reroll 1s and reroll both dice if theres a tie.

Portal: Miniatures you spawn go in your portal. On later turns, youll also be able to spawn
creatures into certain cells on your spawn row.

Action Phases: Since your creatures and your opponents creatures start on opposite corners of
the dreamscape, they wont be able to ght in the rst turn. Each player should use both action
phases to shift (move). The best place for your creatures to end up on the rst turn is usually the
cell one row up and one column over from your portal.

turn sequence
A turn is divided into several phases.

Initiative Phase
First Players Spawn Phase
Second Players Spawn Phase
First Players Two Action Phases

ILLUS. ALEKSI BRICLOT

Second Players Two Action Phases
Conquest Phase

Expanded Turn Sequence: See page 42 for a more detailed turn sequence.

16 17
 For example, if a creature has a cost Your Portal: You can always spawn
spawn phases of 7VVV, and you have one Valor creatures in your portal, even if you control
creature in the dreamscape and a second in no miniatures in that column, even if it isnt
The rst player spawns miniatures. When the rst players phase is over, the second player your graveyard, then you have to spend 8 empty, and even if there are already four or
does the same. Both players skip their spawn phases if either rolled a 1 on the initiative die. spawn points to spawn that creature. more of your creatures there. There can still
be only one location in the portal.
Spawn Points: Add both players initiative Paying Spawn Costs: You can spawn any Spawn Row: You can spawn creatures into
rolls together to see how many spawn number of miniatures one at a time. If you one of your spawn-row cells other than Spawning Locations: Unlike creatures,
points each player can spend. This number spawn two, the rst can help satisfy the your portal if: locations can be spawned in any cell where
will be anywhere from 4 to 12. aspect cost of the second. you control a creature. There can only be
1. That cell didnt contain an ally at the one location in a cell, so you cant spawn
Bonus Spawn Points: For each of your Aspect Costs: For each aspect symbol start of your spawn phase. a location in a cell where there already
miniatures that has been destroyed since in a miniatures cost, you must have one is one. Locations dont move, so plan
2. You control a miniature in the same
your last spawn phase, you get 2 bonus miniature of that aspect already in the carefully when spawning them.
column as the spawn-row cell.
spawn points. If you skip your spawn dreamscape or graveyard. For each miniature
phase, any bonus spawn points that you you come up short, you must spend one Spawn Abilities: Some miniatures have
You can spawn up to four creatures into a
have remain until your next spawn phase. extra spawn point to spawn the miniature. abilities that you can activate during the
cell each spawn phase.
spawn phase. These abilities start with a
spawning creatures number in a circle, like this: 2: Advance.
In general, you can activate these
abilities at any point during your own
1 You have a miniature in this column so spawn phase. Most of these abilities
you can spawn creatures here. require you to spend spawn points on
OPPONENTS CREATURES
them. Each spawn ability can be activated
2 You have no miniatures in this column so
you cant spawn any creatures here. only once per spawn phase.

YOUR CREATURES 3 You have miniatures in this column so Leftover Spawn Points: You cant save
you can spawn creatures here. It doesnt spawn points. At the end of each spawn
matter whether the creatures are engaged.
phase, any unspent spawn points are wasted.
4 You do have miniatures in this column,
but you controlled a creature in this cell at Modifying Initiative: Some abilities alter
the beginning of your spawn phase. initiative results. These effects dont alter
spawn points. Use the unmodied results
5 This is your portal so this is always a legal
on the two initiative dice.
cell for spawning creatures.

NO YES
NO YES Your opponent has only two cells in which he
YES 4 5 can spawn creatures this turn.
2 3
1

18 19
 action phases
Action phases are the core of the game.
After each player has taken his or her spawn
phase, the rst player takes two action Engaged & Unengaged
phases, then the second player takes two Creatures
action phases. During each action phase,
you can either shift or strike. A creature is engaged if there is
The option you choose applies to at least one enemy creature in
all the creatures you control. You cant the cell with it.
choose shift for some and strike for
others. When you shift, your creatures can A creature is unengaged if there
move but not attack. When you strike, your are no enemy creatures in the
cell with it or if the only enemy

ALEKSI BRICLOT
creatures can attack but not move.
Finding the right balance between shifting miniature in its cell is a location.
and striking is the key to winning the game.
If you shift at the right time, youll have a
strong position on the dreamscape map. If
shifting
you strike at the right time, youll beat your
opponents creatures down.
1 When you shift, each of your unengaged
creatures can move one cell, but not
Shift diagonally. OPPONENTS CREATURES

When you shift, each of your unengaged

creatures may move to an adjacent cell. 2 Engaged creatures cant move. They also
dont attack because you are shifting, not
striking. YOUR CREATURES
Unengaged Creatures Only: Engaged
creatures cant move when you shift. 3 Your creature cant enter a cell if you
already have four creatures in it. 1 2
No Diagonals: Creatures move forwards, 4 Creatures in a single cell may go in
back, left, or right, but not diagonally. different directions.
3
Stacking Limit: Your creatures cant enter a 5 Moving is optional. An unengaged 5
cell if you already have four creatures in it. creature may hold still when you shift. LEGAL MOVE 4

ILLEGAL MOVE

20 21
 Strike Creatures Attack Together: All your
creatures in a cell that attack do so as part
When you strike, your engaged creatures
may attack. When your creatures make a
of a single combat. You may keep some of Positive and Negative Blade Abilities
your creatures out of an attack if you wish. Some creatures have both negative and positive blade abilities.
regular attack, they dont select specic
defenders ahead of time. Your creatures One such creature is Misbegotten Mutant, which has the
Blades: If locations or attacking creatures abilities B: Crit 5 and M: Fumble 5. In these cases,
attack, you roll the attack dice, you add up
have blade abilities, and you roll one or when you attack you usually want to assign your rst blade
how much damage they deal together, and
more blades, you must assign the blades to to the positive ability. Any other blades, however, have to
you divide that damage up among the local
these miniatures. Blade abilities sometimes be assigned to the negative ability or to another miniatures
enemy creatures. For more information on
affect the local battle and sometimes affect ability. Since you never know how many blades youre
attacking, see the Attack section on page 25.
miniatures elsewhere in the game. Activate going to roll, creatures like this are unpredictable. If you can,
blade abilities before damage is assigned. have these creatures attack with allies that have positive blade abilities so they
One Cell at a Time: Conduct combat one
You dont have to assign all your blades at can use up blades that would otherwise activate the creatures negative ability.
cell at a time in any order you choose. You
onceyou can activate blade abilities one at a
cant choose the same cell twice, even if
time. If a miniature has more than one blade
creatures that havent attacked move into it
ability, you may activate some and not others,
after the combat.
and you may activate them in any order. Damage Disrupts or Destroys Enemy
Creatures: Damage that your creatures
striking deal is split up however you like among the
enemy creatures in the cell. At the end of the
combat, damage at least equal to a creatures
1 When you strike, your engaged creatures
defense will disrupt it, and damage at least
may attack.
OPPONENTS CREATURES equal to its life will destroy it.
2 Resolve attacks in each contested cell one Sometimes youll want to disrupt a
cell at a time, in any order that you wish. creature even though youve dealt enough
damage to destroy it. If you deal damage at
YOUR CREATURES 3 Unengaged creatures cant attack. They
least equal to both a creatures defense and
also cant move because youre striking,
not shifting. its life, you choose whether to disrupt or
destroy it.
1 2
3 Stacking Damage: If a creature takes damage
3 3
3 more than once during a single attack, apply
all the damage before checking whether
the creature is disrupted or destroyed. For
example, if you activate two blade abilities that
deal damage, and the rst one deals enough
damage to an enemy to disrupt that enemy, the
enemy isnt disrupted immediately. You have
time to apply damage from the second blade
ability as well, perhaps destroying it instead.
22 23
 Disrupted and Destroyed Creatures: No Saving Damage: Any extra damage is combat hasnt yet taken place. In these
During a strike, creatures dont get disrupted wasted at the end of each phase. You cant cases, what matters is the state of the cell
or destroyed until the end of the combat in a Strike Sequence hold over damage from one phase to another. when you conduct the attack there, not the
cell. When a creature is disrupted, all damage Follow these steps when striking. state of the cell at the start of the phase.
on it clears. Moving During Combat: Sometimes For example, if a creature attacks in one
Choose a contested cell. abilities will result in creatures moving, cell, then gets moved into a cell where
Deathblow: If some of the second players so that creatures that were engaged at the combat hasnt taken place, that creature
Choose which creatures attack.
creatures are destroyed during one of the start of a strike become unengaged, and will be able to take part in an attack in that
rst players action phases, those creatures Roll attack dice. vice versa. Creatures that have attacked in cell, too.
may attack local enemies just before they are Assign blades. Resolve blade one cell might also end up in cells where
put into the opponents graveyard. Creatures abilities.
that are destroyed in the same attack make Assign damage from the attack,
including damage from abilities.
their deathblows together. Blades count as
Disrupt and destroy creatures.
misses during a deathblow. Tips for Handling Destroyed Creatures
Creatures destroyed during one of If its the rst players action When one of your miniatures gets destroyed, youll need to remember that it was
phase, destroyed creatures get
the second players action phases dont destroyed this turn so that your opponent can score conquest points correctly.
deathblows.
make deathblows. Neither do creatures Youll also need to remember to add its bonus spawn points on your next spawn
Damage clears off disrupted
destroyed during other phases, including creatures. Damage to other phase. Heres a way to help you keep track of these details.
the spawn phase. Disrupted creatures creatures remains. When your creature is rst destroyed, place it in the border area at the edge
dont get deathblows. End-of-combat effects happen. of the map sheet. At the end of the turn, when your opponent scores conquest
You choose how to assign damage points for those destroyed miniatures, tip them on their sides but leave them in
from a deathblow among the local enemy place. Leave them there until you use their bonus spawn points. At that time,
Choose another contested cell and
creatures. Even creatures that didnt remove them to your graveyard proper.
repeat. You cant choose the same
participate in the original attack can take On turns where you skip the spawn phase, the recently destroyed, tipped-
cell twice, even if creatures that
damage from a deathblow. over miniatures stay in place. If more miniatures get destroyed that turn,
havent attacked have moved into it
after the combat. youll have those miniatures upright on the side of the dreamscape, the
Damage Remains Until the End of the miniatures destroyed the previous turn tipped over on the side of the
Phase: Sometimes your creatures have dreamscape, and the rest of your destroyed miniatures already in
At the end of the phase, damage
abilities that allow a creature to take your graveyard proper.
to creatures clears.
damage more than once during a phase. At For all game effects, destroyed miniatures are
the end of each combat, creatures that have considered to be in a graveyard right away. Keeping
taken sufcient damage are disrupted or the newly destroyed miniatures separate from
destroyed. Creatures that have taken less the other miniatures in your graveyard is
damage than their defense or life still have just a way to remember which ones were
that damage until the phase ends. If they destroyed recently.
take more damage later in the phase, they
could still be disrupted or destroyed.
If creatures take damage during a phase
other than an action phase, the damage
remains until the end of the phase.

24 25
 conquest phase abilities
After the second players last action phase, both players add up their conquest points to see This section covers general ability concepts. Refer to the glossary for rules on how
which player won the turn. The rst player to win six turns is the winner of the game. specic abilities work and what specic terms mean.

Scoring Cells: At the end of the turn, Destroying Miniatures: Each player scores General Rules: When an ability conicts (3) Do as much as you can. If an ability
if you have at least one creature in one 1 conquest point for each enemy miniature with the rules or when two abilities conict has you do something you can only partly
of your scoring cells and there are no that he or she destroyed that turn. with each other, follow these general rules: complete, do what you can. For example,
enemy creatures in that cell, you score the if an ability had you assign damage to
(1) Miniatures trump rules. If a miniatures
conquest points for that cell. Total up the Total Scores: Whichever player has the all the creatures in a cell and something
ability directly contradicts the rules of the
conquest points for all the scoring cells most total conquest points wins the turn prevents you from assigning damage to
game, the ability takes precedence.
that your creatures claim. Your opponent and advances one space on the victory some of them, assign the damage to all of
does the same for his or her creatures. track. On a tie, neither player wins the (2) Cant trumps can. If one ability them that you can assign it to.
Locations cant claim cells, nor do they turn. The rst player to win six turns wins says something can happen and another
contest cells to prevent enemy creatures the game. says it cant, the cant ability wins. Damage to Creatures: When you deal
from claiming them. damage to creatures, you must assign that
damage if you can. You cant voluntarily
scoring
reduce the amount of damage you deal.
If you deal a creature enough damage to
1 Your creature has uncontested control over
disrupt or destroy it, you must do so. You
this scoring cell, so you score the cells
conquest points (3). may not decline to disrupt or destroy the
OPPONENTS CREATURES creature. If, however, you deal damage at
2 This cell is a scoring cell for both players,
least equal to both the creatures defense
1 but your only miniature here is a location.
and its life, its your choice whether
5 Locations dont contest cells, so your
opponent scores this cells conquest point (1). you disrupt or destroy the creature. For
YOUR CREATURES example, you might choose to do this
3 3 These cells are scoring cells for both players,
to avoid a deathblow or to prevent the
but both cells are contested and neither
3 player scores one. opponent from getting bonus spawn points.
You may assign more damage to a creature
2 4 This is a scoring cell for your opponent than is necessary to disrupt or destroy it if
and not for you. Since its contested, the
4 opponent doesnt score it. you want to waste the extra damage.

5 This turn, your opponent destroyed three of your Damage Outside of Combat: Sometimes
5 miniatures and you destroyed two of his. He or
abilities damage creatures outside of combat.
she scores 3 conquest points and you score 2.
For example, Fleshless Reaper has the Ambush
Your opponent has scored 4 conquest points this ability and makes an attack against each enemy
turn and you have scored 5. You win the turn. The that enters its cell. Generally, you check to
rst player to win 6 turns wins the game.
see whether a creature has been disrupted or
destroyed each time it takes damage. Damage
clears at the end of every phase.
26 27
 Exception: Damage from simultaneous the conquest phase, effects controlled by Unfortunately, you must assign all the blades Nullify Valor negates only the blade
effects adds up; dont check for disruption the rst player resolve rst. If one player that you can. If you have more blade abilities abilities on local Valor creatures. The
and destruction until all simultaneous effects controls more than one simultaneous than you have blades, then not all the blade ability Nullify Enemies negates only the
have resolved. Effects are simultaneous effect, then that player decides their order. abilities will be activated. The safest time blade abilities on local enemy creatures.
when they trigger from the same game event. to attack with a creature that has a negative
For example, if your creature enters a cell Simultaneous Damage: If simultaneous blade ability is when there are other creatures Numbers: Many abilities have numbers
where there are two enemy Fleshless Reaper effects deal damage, resolve all with blade abilities participating in the attack. associated with them, dening the specic
creatures, dont check for disruption and simultaneous effects before checking for That way you can assign blades to those effect of that ability. For example, B: Crit 3
destruction until both attacks have resolved. disruption and destruction. creatures rst. A creature with a multiblade means that you deal an additional 3 damage
ability is even better because you can assign that combat when you assign it a blade, while
Blades and Special Attacks: Special attacks, More Triggered Effects: If simultaneous it all the blades you like. You can even assign B: Crit 5 means that you deal an additional
including deathblows, generate damage effects in turn trigger multiple effects, those blades to abilities that have no effect, such as 5 damage. Numbers are sometimes negative.
only. Blades rolled on the attack dice are effects are also simultaneous. to the Scare ability when your opponent has
treated as misses. no unengaged creatures. But you may not Ability Duration: If a blade ability affects
Minimum Stats: Effects can reduce a leave blades unassigned when there are blade a creatures stats, its effect lasts only until
0-Power Creatures: Creatures with 0 power creatures power, defense, life, and even abilities that you could activate with them. the end of combat.
may participate in an attack just like any cost. Power and cost cant be reduced below You cant activate the blade abilities of If a blade ability somehow moves a
other creature. Naturally, such a creature 0. Defense and life cant be reduced below 1. miniatures you dont control. creature into another cell or a different zone
contributes no dice to the attack. Still, you Damage cant be reduced below 0. of play, that creature doesnt get moved back
can assign blades that you might roll during Minimums apply after all modiers. If a new Blade Abilities with May: Some blade to its original cell at the end of combat.
the attack to this creatures blade ability, if modier is added, recalculate the result with all abilities use May. Even if you assign a If a miniatures ability grants a stat
any. And there may be other special reasons modiers and then apply the minimum. For blade to the ability, you dont have to use bonus/penalty to a local or adjacent
why you would want a creature to attack example, if an attack deals 2 damage but has it. You can use these abilities to dump creature, that bonus/penalty stops as soon
even though its power is 0. a 5 penalty, then the attack deals 0 damage. blades that you dont want, such as when as the creature is no longer local or adjacent.
If the attack then gets a +5 bonus to damage, an ally has a negative blade ability.
Timing: A player that is doing more than one the damage goes back up to 2, not to 5. Destroying Your Own Miniatures:
thing in a phase can generally do them in any Scoring Cells and Abilities: Abilities with an Unless an ability allows you to do so, you
order. For example, if a player is assigning Targeting: Some abilities use the term activation cost that includes S only activate cant destroy your own miniatures. For
one blade each to two different blade abilities, target, such as in the phrase target if theyre on a scoring cell. Remember, only example, you cant assign combat damage
they can be assigned in either order. creature. This term means that you choose six of the key cells count as scoring cells for to your own creatures.
the miniature, cell, or other thing in question. you and your creatures. For these abilities, it If one of your creatures abilities does
Simultaneous Effects: Sometimes multiple doesnt matter whether the cell is contested, destroy a miniature you control, then no
effects are triggered by the same game event. Attacking a Target Creature: Some special just whether its a scoring cell. player scores conquest points for it. But
These effects are said to be simultaneous. All attacks require that you target an enemy you do get the +2 bonus spawn points on
simultaneous effects are resolved before any creature rst. In this case, you choose the Stacking Limit: Many abilities allow you your next spawn phase.
other effects or actions take place. creature before rolling the attack dice, to move creatures. These abilities dont Sacricing a miniature doesnt count as
and that creature is the only one to which allow you to put more than four of a destroying it. If you sacrice one of your
Order of Simultaneous Effects: The effects damage from the attack can be assigned. players creatures into a cell. own miniatures, no player scores conquest
controlled by the player whose phase it is points for it. You dont get the +2 bonus
resolve rst. If its a shared phase, such as Negative Blade Abilities: Some blade abilities Modied Abilities: Some abilities have spawn points on your next spawn phase.
are drawbacks rather than advantages. They modiers. For example, the Nullify ability
28 take effect when you assign blades to them. negates local blade abilities. The ability 29
 game glossary
This glossary denes terms used in the Dreamblade game rules and on the miniatures.

B blade: An activation cost. To make this ability C comes into play: An activation trigger. This
work, you need to assign a blade to it. You can ability triggers when the miniature is spawned.
assign only one blade to this ability. As with all
blade abilities, you must attack with a creature V Valor: A symbol that indicates a miniatures
to use its blade ability. You can use a locations aspect and its aspect cost.
blade abilities provided local allies are attacking.

ILLUS. JIM NELSON

See also blade ability I Madness: A symbol that indicates a
miniatures aspect and its aspect cost.
b double blade: An activation cost. To make
this ability work, you need to assign two blades F Fear: A symbol that indicates a miniatures
to it instead of one. You cant assign one blade to aspect and its aspect cost.
this ability.
You also arent required to assign as many P Passion: A symbol that indicates a miniatures adjacent: In a cell next to this one (but not diagonal Assault (X): An ability name. After activating its
blades as you can. Instead, youre merely aspect and its aspect cost. to it). A cell is not adjacent to itself. ability, a creature with the Assault ability makes
required to assign blades if there are blade an X-power attack against target local enemy.
abilities that they could activate. For example, if ability: Special rules for a miniature that are written Advance: An ability name. After activating its
you roll two blades and have one creature with a on its base. Some creatures have no abilities. ability, a miniature with the Advance ability may attack: When you strike, your engaged creatures
B ability and another with a b ability, youre Some miniatures have several abilities. move target unengaged ally one cell. can attack. When creatures in a cell attack, roll
not required to assign both blades to the b a number of attack dice equal to their total
ability. Once youve assigned a blade to the single action phase: A part of a turn. Each player takes ally: Another creature controlled by the same power. The attack results in a certain amount of
B ability, theres nothing you can do with the two action phases each turn. On each of your player. A creature isnt its own ally. damage and a certain number of blades. Blades
second blade, so doing nothing with it is legal. action phases, you either shift or strike. are assigned to locations and attackers with blade
Ambush (X): An ability name. A miniature with an abilities, and damage is assigned to local enemies.
M multiblade: An activation cost. For each B activation requirements: What is needed to make active Ambush ability makes an X-power attack A creature gets an attack (deathblow) if its
you assign to this ability, it activates once. You certain abilities work. Activation requirements against each enemy creature that enters its cell. If destroyed during an opponents action phase
can assign any number of blades to this ability. include: more than one enemy enters the cell at the same and its controller hasnt taken an action phase
B blade; time, make an attack against each one. yet that turn. For deathblows, blades are treated
m double multiblade: An activation cost. M multiblade; as misses.
You must assign two blades to make this work, b double blade; Appease: An ability name. After activating the Sometimes abilities allow creatures to make
and each time you assign two blades, it works m double multiblade; Appease ability, sacrice a creature. special attacks at other times. Again, blades count
one time. You cant assign an odd number of 1, 2, 3, etc. one spawn, two spawn, as misses.
blades to this ability. three spawn, etc.; aspect: A category of miniatures. The aspects are
S score; Valor, Madness, Fear, and Passion. attack die: A special six-sided die with these faces:
1, 2, 3, etc. . . one spawn, two spawn, C comes into play. 1 damage, 2 damage, 3 damage, miss, miss, and
three spawn, etc. . . : An activation cost. To make Some abilities have more than one activation aspect cost: A miniature stat. The number of blade.
this ability work, you must spend the indicated requirement, such as one that you spend spawn miniatures from an aspect that you must have in
number of spawn points. You spend spawn points points on, but that only works when the creature the dreamscape or graveyard in order to spawn banish: To take a miniature from the dreamscape
only during your spawn phase. You may only is on a scoring cell. the miniature for just its spawn cost. If you have and put it in its controllers reserve.
activate each such ability once per spawn phase. fewer than this number of miniatures of that
active: An ability is active when its working. Some aspect, then you must pay one additional spawn blade: A special result on an attack die. You assign
S score: An activation condition. To make this abilities are always active, which means that there point for each miniature you are short. blades to activate locations and attackers blade
ability work, the miniature must be in one of are no activation requirements for them. Other If more than one aspect is indicated, you must abilities (if any).
your six scoring cells. abilities have activation requirements and are satisfy each aspect cost separately and pay the
30 active only when the requirements have been met. difference for each aspect cost that you fail to satisfy.
31
 blade ability: An ability that you activate by assigning Bodyguard: An ability name. A creature with an claim: To occupy a cell with no enemies in it during Copied blade abilities cant be copied. Say, for
it a B from an attack. By default, most blade active Bodyguard ability prevents opponents from the conquest phase. If a creature you control example, you control two creatures with the Copy
abilities can be activated only once per attack. assigning damage to other local allies until enough claims a scoring cell, you score the listed number ability and one creature with the Crit 5 ability, and
You must assign each blade if you can. Even damage has been assigned to disrupt or destroy of conquest points. they are all in the same cell. Then, each creature
if an attackers blade ability is negative, you each local creature with the Bodyguard ability. with the Copy ability has just one copy of the
must activate it if you have an unassigned blade. column: A line of cells going from one players edge Crit 5 abilitythey dont copy additional copies
Some blade abilities are multiblade abilities (see Bolster (+X): An ability name. Allies that are local of the board to the other players edge. of the Crit 5 ability off each other.
multiblade). or adjacent to a miniature with an active Bolster
Some creatures have multiple blade abilities. ability have +X defense. combat: The attacks and activated blade abilities cost: A miniature stat. The spawn cost plus the
If you assign fewer blades to a creature than that occur within a cell when you strike. Its aspect cost. If the miniature has a higher aspect
that creature has blade abilities, you may choose Bomb (X): An ability name. After activating its ability, possible that there could be more than one attack cost than you can satisfy, you have to pay one
which abilities to activate. you can sacrice a miniature with the Bomb ability during a combat, such as when a blade ability additional spawn point for each miniature you
Some blade abilities require more than one and deal X damage to each local enemy. makes a special attack. are short.
blade to activate. You may not assign fewer
blades than are necessary to activate an ability. bonus spawn points: When a miniature is destroyed, conquest phase: A part of a turn. During the creature: A type of miniature. Creatures have
If a creature didnt participate in an attack, you get 2 bonus spawn points on your next conquest phase, each player totals up his or her stats printed on the tops of their bases. Unlike
you may not assign it blades. spawn phase. If you skip a spawn phase because conquest points to determine who has won the locations, they have power, defense, and life stats.
If your location has a blade ability, you may a player rolls a 1 on an initiative die, then the turn.
assign blades to it from regular attacks made by bonus spawn points arent used up. They apply Crit (X): An ability name. After activating its
your local creatures, but not special attacks. to the next spawn phase that you actually play. conquest points: You score conquest points for ability, a miniature with the Crit ability deals +X
If a blade ability affects a creatures stats, its claiming scoring cells and for destroying enemy damage this combat.
effect lasts only until the end of combat. cell: One of the 25 squares or areas in the miniatures. Each scoring cell is worth a different
If a blade ability somehow moves a creature dreamscape. number of conquest points. You score 1 conquest damage: Harm inicted on a creature. At the end
into another cell or a different zone of play, that point for each enemy miniature you destroy each of each combat, check to see whether creatures
creature doesnt get moved back to its original Channel (X): An ability name. If you control a turn. The player that scores the most conquest are disrupted or destroyed. Damage dealt within
cell at the end of combat. miniature with an active Channel ability, your points in a turn wins that turn. If theres a tie, no a single phase adds up. At the end of a phase,
miniatures cost ~ less to spawn. player wins the turn. damage clears.
Bloodthirsty: An ability name. If a creature with an Damage from different phases or turns
active Bloodthirsty ability makes a regular attack Charge (X): An ability name. Whenever a creature contest: Engaged creatures contest the cells theyre doesnt add up. All damage assigned to creatures
and no enemies are destroyed by the attack, with an active Charge ability enters a cell where in. A creature can only claim a cell if it isnt is cleared at the end of each phase.
sacrice it. there are one or more enemies, it makes an contested. Locations dont contest cells.
immediate X-power attack against target local deathblow: During the rst players action phases,
enemy. contested cell: A cell containing creatures enemy creatures that are destroyed can attack
controlled by different players. before going to the second players graveyard.
All the creatures that were destroyed in a single
control: To have a miniature from your warband in cell make their deathblow attack together. For a

ILLUS. JOSHUA JAMES SHAW

the dreamscape, as in the phrase creature you deathblow attack, treat blades as misses.
control. Deathblows dont happen during the second
players action phases or during other phases of
Copy: An ability name. A miniature with an active the turn.
Copy ability has the blade abilities of each local
creature. If a miniature with an active Copy Defender: An ability name. When you shift, you
ability uses a blade ability of an allied creature cant move a creature with an active Defender
during a combat, the ally can still also use its ability into a cell that contains one or more
blade ability that combat. enemy creatures.
For example, if you control a creature with the
Copy ability and a creature with the B: Crit 5 defense: A creature stat. The amount of damage that
ability, and roll at least 2 blades during combat, is enough to disrupt the creature.
you can use the Crit 5 ability twice that combat.
32 33
 Demolish: An ability name. After activating its Enrage (+X): An ability name. Allies that are local
ability, a miniature with the Demolish ability or adjacent to a miniature with an active Enrage
destroys target local or adjacent location. ability have +X power.

destroy: To put a miniature from the dreamscape enter: To move into a cell from another cell in the
into a graveyard. Usually, a creature is destroyed dreamscape. Creatures dont enter cells when
by taking damage at least equal to its life. they are spawned. Creatures dont enter cells
when they are moved to a cell from a different
Detonate: An ability name. If a creature with an zone of play.
active Detonate ability attacks, sacrice it at the
end of the combat (unless it has been destroyed). Expel: An ability name. After activating its ability, a

ILLUS. TOMAS GIORELLO

miniature with the Expel ability may move target
disrupt: When you disrupt a creature, you put it engaged enemy into an adjacent cell.
in any empty cell in the dreamscape. Usually, a
creature is disrupted when you assign it damage Fade: An ability name. Whenever a creature with
at least equal to its defense. All damage on a the Fade ability attacks, banish it at the end of
creature clears when it is disrupted. that combat (unless it has been destroyed).
You cant put an enemy creature in your own
portal. Ferocity: An ability name. After activating its graveyard: A zone of play. Where you keep Invigorate (X): An ability name. While allies are
If there are no empty cells, a disrupted ability, a creature with the Ferocity ability miniatures that have been destroyed or sacriced. local or adjacent to a miniature with an active
creature is destroyed. targets a local enemy during combat. If the target Invigorate ability, they have +X life.
enemy is disrupted during that combat, destroy Hells Fury: An ability name. A miniature with
Dominate: An ability name. A creature with an it instead. an active Hells Fury ability grants all local and key cell: One of the nine central cells in the dreamscape
active Dominate ability claims scoring cells even adjacent Hellbred allies the B: Crit 2 ability. that are scoring cells for one or both players.
when those cells are contested. Fight (type) (+X): An ability name. While a creature
with an active Fight ability is in the same cell as an Heroics (X): An ability name. After activating its life: A creature stat. The amount of damage that is
Drain (X): An ability name. While enemies are in enemy of the specied type, it has +X power. ability, if you control fewer creatures in this enough to destroy a creature.
the same cell as a miniature with an active Drain cell than each opponent, a miniature with the
ability, they have -X life. A creatures life after all Flanking (X): An ability name. After activating Heroics ability deals +X damage this combat. lineage: A designator that some miniatures have that
modiers cant be less than 1. its ability, a miniature with the Flanking ability represents membership within a group. Some
deals +X damage that combat if you control Inciter (X): An ability name. Enemies in the same abilities interact with miniatures of particular
dreamscape: A zone of play consisting of the 25 more creatures in the combat cell than each cell as a miniature with an active Inciter ability lineages. The rst ve lineages are Bloodcut,
cells on the play map. opponent. have +X power. Hellbred, Janus, Hivelings, and Lost.

dreamscape map: The sheet of paper with the Fortunate (X): An ability name. When a creature initiative: A roll during the initiative phase to see local: In the same cell. A miniature is local to itself.
dreamscape printed on it. with an active Fortunate ability attacks, you may which player goes rst. On a tie, the player who
reroll up to X dice. Decide how many dice to has won more turns goes rst. If neither player location: A type of miniature. Locations dont have
enemy: A creature controlled by an opponent. reroll before rerolling any. This ability applies to has won more turns, reroll ties. The total of the stats printed on the tops of their bases. Unlike
Also, belonging to an opponent, as in an enemy special attacks as well as regular attacks. two initiative dice is the number of spawn points creatures, they dont have power, defense, and
location. that each player may spend that turn. If either life stats.
Fumble (X): An ability name. After activating die is a 1, however, both players skip their spawn Locations dont move or attack. They dont
Energize (X): An ability name. A miniature with an its ability, a miniature with the Fumble ability phase that turn. Abilities that alter initiative rolls contest cells.
active Energize ability gives you X extra spawn deals -X damage this combat. The total combat dont alter the number of spawn points each If your location has a blade ability, you may
points during your spawn phase. damage after all modiers cant be less than 0. player gets each turn, or whether the spawn assign blades to it from regular attacks made by
phase is skipped. your local creatures, but not special attacks.
engaged: In a cell with one or more enemies. Geomancy (X): An ability name. A miniature with Unlike a creature, a location can be spawned
Engaged allies may attack when you strike but an active Geomancy ability has +X power, +X initiative phase: A part of a turn. The inititative in any cell where you control a creature. You
cant move when you shift. defense, and +X life for each location you control phase is the rst phase of each turn. cant spawn a location in a cell that already
in its column. contains a location.

34 35
 Loner: An ability name. A creature with the Loner opponent: The other player. A player that isnt you. pull: To move a target miniature closer to a miniature reroll: Some abilities let you reroll attack dice.
ability cant attack when other creatures are you control. A local creature cant be pulled When you reroll attack dice, you choose which
attacking, not even with a deathblow. Remember, Pack: An ability name. After activating its ability, because it cant be moved any closer. You dont dice to roll again, and you reroll them all at once.
you can keep local allies out of an attack so that the a miniature with an active Pack ability deals +X have to move the target in any particular direction You take the new results even if theyre the same
creature with the Loner ability can attack on its own damage this combat, where X is equal to the as long as it ends up being one cell closer. or worse than before.
number of local and adjacent allies.
Lure: An ability name. By activating its ability, a Purge: An ability name. After activating its ability, reserves: A zone of play. The miniatures in your
miniature with the Lure ability may pull target Panic (X): An ability name. While enemies are a miniature with the Purge ability allows you to warband that you havent spawned yet (or that
unengaged enemy one cell closer to itself. You dont in the same cell as a miniature with an active choose a target opponent. That opponent puts a you have spawned but that have returned to your
have to move the target enemy in any particular Panic ability, they have X defense. A creatures miniature of your choice from his or her reserves reserves).
direction as long as it ends up being one cell closer. defense after all modiers cant be less than 1. into his or her graveyard.
Respawn (X): An ability name. If a miniature with
miniature: A creature or a location. You have up to Payback: An ability name. After activating its push: To move a target miniature farther away from the Respawn ability is in your graveyard, you
16 miniatures in your warband. They start the ability, a miniature with an active Payback ability a miniature you control. You dont have to move may spawn it for as if it were in your reserves.
game in your reserves. You spawn them a few at deals +X damage this combat, where X is the the target in any particular direction as long as it
a time into the dreamscape. power of target local enemy. ends up being one cell farther away. row: A line of cells going from the left edge of the
dreamscape to the right.
move: To go from one cell to an adjacent cell. phase: A part of a turn. The phases, in order, are: Raise: An ability name. After activating its ability,
Your unengaged creatures may move when you initiative, spawn phases, action phases, and a miniature with the Raise ability allows you to sacrice: Move one of your creatures from the
shift. Certain abilities also move miniatures. conquest. put a creature from your graveyard into your dreamscape to your graveyard. Your opponent
Miniatures may not move diagonally or out of reserves. doesnt score conquest points for the sacriced
the dreamscape. portal: The cells in the bottom-right and top-left creature and you dont get bonus spawn points
corners of the dreamscape. Each player has one Regenerate: An ability name. If a creature with an for it during your next spawn phase. Sacricing
multiblade ability: A blade ability to which you portal. You may spawn creatures in your portal, active Regenerate ability would be destroyed, isnt destroying.
may assign multiple blades in a single attack. even if you have four or more creatures in it. banish it instead. It doesnt get to make a
Each B you assign to a multiblade ability As with any other cell, there can be only one deathblow. Your opponent doesnt score a Scare: An ability name. After activating its ability, a
activates the ability once. location in a portal. conquest point for the regenerated creature miniature with the Scare ability may push target
You may have up to four creatures and one during the next conquest phase, and you dont unengaged enemy one cell away. You dont
nonlocal: Not in the same cell. location in an enemy portal. get any bonus spawn points for it during your have to move the target enemy in any particular
next spawn phase. direction as long as it ends up being one cell
Nullify: An ability name. A miniature with an power: A creature stat. The number of attack dice farther away.
active Nullify ability negates the blade abilities of that a creature contributes to an attack. Reincarnate: An ability name. When a creature
local creatures (not locations). with an active Reincarnate ability is destroyed, scoring cell: One of the six key cells that are worth
put a different creature from your graveyard into points if one of your creatures claims it during
your reserves. If your graveyard is empty, this the conquest phase. Three key cells are scoring
ability does nothing. cells for one player. Three other key cells are

ILLUS. TOMAS GIORELLO

scoring cells for the other player. The three key
Reinforce: An ability name. A miniature with the cells in the center row are scoring cells for both
Reinforce ability may be spawned in any cell that players.
contains an ally. The reinforce ability doesnt
allow you to break a cells stacking limit. Self: An ability modier. An ability with this
modier changes the ability to apply only to the
Relentless: An ability name. Whenever a creature miniature itself.
with an active Relentless ability attacks, enemy
creatures damaged by the attack cant be disrupted. shift: One of two actions you can take during an
action phase. When you shift, each unengaged
removed from the game: A zone of play. Where creature you control may move to an adjacent cell.
you keep miniatures that have been removed
from the game.
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 Skirmish: An ability name. After activating its Stalwart: An ability name. After activating its
ability, a miniature with the Skirmish ability may ability, a miniature with the Stalwart ability deals
move target engaged ally to an adjacent cell. +X damage this combat, where X is the number
of local enemies.
spawn: To take a miniature from your reserves and
put it in the dreamscape. To spawn a miniature, strike: One of two actions you can take during an
you must pay its spawn cost in spawn points, action phase. When you strike, every engaged
plus additional points if you dont satisfy its creature you control may attack.
aspect cost.
Strikeback (X): An ability name. During an
spawn ability: An ability that you may activate opponents action phase, if local enemies attack

ILLUS. TOMAS GIORELLO

during your spawn phase by spending spawn and dont disrupt or destroy any creatures, a
points. You may activate each spawn ability only creature with an active Strikeback ability makes
once per turn. an X-power attack against target local enemy.

spawn cost: A miniature stat. The number of Swap: An ability name. After activating its ability,
spawn points you have to spend to spawn this a miniature with the Swap ability may exchange
miniature. The other part of a miniatures cost is positions with a nonlocal ally. Put the creature
the aspect cost. with the Swap ability into the cell containing before spawning another creature (or activating Vessel (X): An ability name. When a miniature you
the nonlocal ally and vice versa. Remember, a another creatures spawn ability). control with an active Vessel ability is destroyed,
spawn phase: A part of a turn. Each player has one creature that enters a cell after the attack dice you get X bonus spawn points for it during your
spawn phase each turn. During each players have been rolled cant use its blade abilities that turn: A game is divided into turns. During each next spawn phase instead of 2.
spawn phase, that player can spawn miniatures combat because it didnt attack. turn, the players roll initiative (during the
and activate spawn abilities. initiative phase), each spawns miniatures (during Wail: An ability name. After activating a miniatures
target: Specically selected, as in target creature. his or her spawn phase), each takes two action Wail ability, roll two initiative dice and add their
spawn points: Points used to spawn miniatures phases, and nally both players score conquest totals together. Then banish each creature in the
and activate spawn abilities during a players Teleport: An ability name. After activating its points (during the conquest phase) to see who dreamscape with exactly that spawn cost.
spawn phase. The number of spawn points each ability, a creature with the Teleport ability can won the turn.
player may spend equals the total of the two move a creature into any nonportal cell. The warband: Your warband consists of up to 16
initiative dice rolls. In addition, you get 2 bonus Teleport ability doesnt allow you to break a unengaged: In a cell with no local enemies. miniatures. Your warband starts in your reserves,
spawn points during your spawn phase for each cells stacking limit. Unengaged creatures can move when you shift and you spawn miniatures a few at a time until
miniature of yours that has been destroyed since but cant attack when you strike. youve spawned them all or the game ends,
your last spawn phase. Thanatomancy: An ability name. A creature with whichever comes rst.
an active Thanatomancy ability has power equal Unique [NAME]: An ability name. You cant
spawn row: The bottom row of cells on your side to the number of creatures in your graveyard. spawn a miniature with the Unique ability if Warpstrike (X): An ability name. After activating its
of the dreamscape. You spawn creatures in your you already control a miniature with the same ability, a miniature with the Warpstrike ability makes
spawn row. triggered ability: An ability that happens Unique ability in the dreamscape. You can still an X-power attack against target nonlocal enemy.
automatically in response to some event in the spawn such a miniature if an opponent has a
special attack: Any attack other than a regular game. Once a triggered ability occurs, players miniature with the same ability. You can control Weaken (X): An ability name. While enemies are
attack made while striking. cant take voluntary actions (moving creatures, more than one miniature with the Unique ability in the same cell as a miniature with an active
starting combat, spawning creatures, etc.) until if the Unique abilities are different from each Weaken ability, they have -X power. A creatures
stacking limit: Each cell can have up to eight the triggered abilities are resolved. other, such as Unique Ekkyon and Unique power after all modiers cant be less than 0.
creatures in it, and each player can have up to For example, if you spawn a creature with Glorious. If you somehow control more than
four creatures in a cell. In addition, each cell may the C: Appease ability, the Appease ability one miniature with the same Unique ability, X: A variable amount. If the ability doesnt dene
contain only a single location. is triggered and you have to sacrice a creature. sacrice all but one of them. what X equals, you can choose it.
Portals are the exception. You may break the You cant quickly spawn a second creature in
stacking limit when spawning miniatures in your order to sacrice it and resolve the Appease Vengeance (X): An ability name. A miniature with zone of play: Each miniature in your warband is in
portal. A portal can still have only one location in it. ability. You have to resolve the Appease ability the Vengeance ability cant be spawned unless an one of four zones of play: reserves, dreamscape,
by sacricing a creature you already control opponent has won X or more turns. graveyard, or removed from the game.

38 39
 lineage: A particular group of dream lords, or the Madness: The aspect of insanity, impossibility,
world glossary creatures spawned by such a group. The creatures
that a lineages dream lords spawn tend to have
paradox, imagination, and whimsy. Madness
creatures are easy to disrupt but difcult to
features in common. For example, Bloodcut destroy. They have weird powers, including
This glossary denes terms used in the ctional setting rather than in the game. creatures are bestial, and they bear the Bloodcut the ability to strike distant enemies. The Janus
crescent-and-lightning symbol. Other dream lords Legion and the Lost draw on Madness.
aspect: A basic source of unconscious energy and dreamscape: The dimension of dreams. Casual can copy the creatures of a lineage. Just because a
power. dreamers visit the shallow parts of the dream lord is spawning Hellbred creatures doesnt Passion: The aspect of rage, lust, greed, hatred, and
dreamscape, but dream lords explore the older, mean that hes a Hellbred dream lord himself. In other primal emotions. Passion creatures are
Bloodcut: A group of self-trained, vigilante dream deeper, and more powerful areas. Actions in the fact, he might also spawn creatures from a second ferocious and deadly in battle, often heedless
lords who draw on Passion and Valor. Their bestial dreamscape affect the collective unconscious of lineage, such as the Hivelings. of danger. The Bloodcut and Hellbred draw on
creatures wage war against any who threaten humanity. Passion.
humanitys collective unconscious. Bloodcut dream location: A locus of power in the dreamscape.
lords dont pretend to understand whats really dreamwar: The struggle to control the dreamscape. Dream lords can use force of will to bring portal: The place in the dreamscape where a dream
going on in the dreamscape, which might put them locations into being near them, which can help lords presence is strongest.
ahead of dream lords from other lineages. The Fear: The aspect of terror, dread, pain, and their creatures in battle. Different locations are
crescent-and-lightning symbol appears on each loss. Fear creatures can weaken, hinder, and associated with different aspects. spawn: To dream a creature or location into existence.
creature that a Bloodcut dream lord spawns. manipulate their enemies. The Hellbred and
Hivelings draw on Fear. Lost: A group of dream lords who have transcended Valor: The aspect of bravery, justice, and toughness.
creature: A simulacrum that a dream lord creates, or forgotten personal identity. They might exist Valor creatures are mobile when they want to
based on one or more aspects. Some dream lords Hellbred: A group of self-styled sorcerers who now only in the dreamscape, or as fragmented move and hard to budge when they want to
believe that at least some such creatures are actually work in Fear and Passion. They hope to alter personalities who haunt the delusions of the stand. The Janus Legion and the Bloodcut draw
independent entities that inhabit the dreamscape. the dreamscape and usher in an age of terror and insane. Their motivations are unclear, but they on Valor.
lust. Naturally, they plan to rule this new age. may be bent on liberating humankind from the
destroy: When a creature is very badly damaged, Their creatures are demonic, sometimes alluring constraints of sanity. Their creations lack faces,
it breaks up, and the dream lord cant hold it but usually hideous. The Hellbred actually and they draw mostly on the power of Madness.
together. This destruction frees up the psychic believe these creatures to be independent living
energy in the creature, which the dream lord can demons that they summon to battle.
use for spawning other creatures.
Hivelings: A mysterious group of dream lords who
disrupt: When a creature is badly damaged, it draw on the psychic power of hive minds found
breaks up. A dream lord can reform the among communal insects. If these dream lords
disrupted creature before it disappears, but it are human at all, theyre certainly not entirely
often winds up in the worst possible place. human. Their creatures are insect-like, and they
usually power their creatures with Fear.
dreamblade: Typically, each dream lord carries
a weapon or tool on travels through the Janus: The Janus Legion is a group of scientically
dreamscape. Although it isnt always a knife trained and chemically enhanced dream lords
or sword, the traditional term for this item is who work primarily with Valor and Madness.
dreamblade. The dreamblade focuses psychic They have trained with and work for the
will, allowing the dream lord to undertake feats of Akasha Corporation, a corporate entity of
dream creation and manipulation. Hellbred dream ambiguous motivation. They call themselves
lords might carry ritual daggers or magic wands. oneironauts, after the Greek word oneiros,

ILLUS. DAVID GRIFFITH

Bloodcut dream lords often carry switchblades, a dream spirit. Their creatures are easy to
hunting knives, or hand tools. Janus oneironauts identify as they each have two faces. The Janus
are trained to carry high-tech, glowing blades. Legion appears to be bent either on economic
domination of the world or on liberty for the
dream lord: A dreamer of great power who can collective unconscious, or both.
shape the dreamscape to their will.

40 41
 Second Players Spawn Phase Destruction: Each player scores 1
expanded turn sequence This works the same as the rst-players conquest point for each enemy miniature
spawn phase. that he or she destroyed this turn.
Initiative Phase Acting During the Spawn Phase: Do
Each player rolls a regular die. The one these things any number of times in any Winning the Turn: The player who scores
First Players Action Phases
who rolls higher goes rst. order until youre out of spawn points. the most conquest points wins the turn. The
First Action: The player either shifts or
strikes. If the player shifts, each unengaged rst player to win 6 turns wins the game.
Ties: If theres a tie, the player whos won Spawn one or more creatures in your portal.
creature he or she controls can move into an
the most turns goes rst. If neither player Spawn one or more creatures in a spawn- adjacent cell. If the player strikes, engaged
has won more turns than the other, then row cell that is in the same column as creatures he or she controls can attack.
reroll ties. a miniature you control. The cell must

Skipping Spawn Phases: If either player

have contained no allied creatures at the Combat: When resolving combat, do so questions?
beginning of your spawn phase. one cell at a time. Creatures in a cell attack
rolls a 1, each player skips his or her spawn Spawn a location in a cell where you together. If damage is dealt more than once U.S., Canada, Asia Pacic &
phase. On the rst turn, reroll an initiative control a creature. during a combat, it all adds up until the end Latin America
die if its a 1. of the combat, at which point creatures might www.wizards.com/customerservice
Activate a miniatures spawn ability. Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Each spawn ability can be activated only be disrupted or destroyed. Once a cell has
First Players Spawn Phase once per spawn phase. nished combat, that cell cant engage in P.O. Box 707
Renton WA 98057-0707
Spawn Points: If the spawn phases arent combat again that phase. U.S.A.
skipped, each player gets a number of spawn Activate an ability that specically Tel: 1-800-324-6496 (within the U.S.)
points equal to the total of the initiative activates during your spawn phase. Deathblow: Enemy creatures destroyed 1-206-624-0933 (outside the U.S.)
dice. If any abilities modify the result of the during the rst players action phases get Fax: 1-425-204-5818
initiative dice, they dont also modify the You dont have to use all your spawn points, deathblows.
number of spawn points each player gets. but you cant save them for later use either. U.K., Eire & South Africa
Hasbro UK Ltd.
In addition, you get +2 bonus spawn points Second Action: After the rst action phase Caswell Way
for each miniature you controlled that was If any damage is dealt during the spawn is over, the rst player gets a second action Newport, Gwent NP9 0YH
destroyed since your last spawn phase. phase, it clears at the end of the phase. phase that works the same way. UK
Tel: + 800 22 427276
Email: wizards@hasbro.co.uk
At the end of each action phase, damage
clears.
ILLUS. DAVID GRIFFITH
All Other European
Countries
Second Players Action Phases Wizards of the Coast p/a Hasbro
Belgium NV/SA
The second player gets two action phases,
t Hofveld 6D
just like the rst player, except that 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden
destroyed creatures dont get deathblows. BELGIUM
Tel: +32.70.233.277
Email: custserv@hasbro.be
Conquest Phase
Scoring Cells: Each player scores conquest
points for scoring cells that his or her
creatures claim.
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