Hidden Leaders Duel

Step into a world of political intrigue and strategic maneuvering with this compelling board game set in the turbulent land of Oshra. As the dust of conflict settles, two candidates rise to claim control of the newly formed Senate Chambers, each vying to secure a peaceful governance. Your mission? To win over esteemed Heroes and invite them to join your secret Council of Leaders. The player who can cultivate the strongest influence will emerge victorious!

Gameplay Overview

This game spans 7 thrilling turns, during which players will craftily manipulate two rows of Heroes while secretly inviting select members into their Councils. Will you outwit your opponent and seize control?

Setup

• Shuffle the Hero and Leader cards.
• Deal 3 secret Hero cards to each player.
• Deal 1 secret Leader card to each player and add it to your Council.
• Create 2 rows of 7 face-down Hero cards on the table, only revealing their faction.
• Prepare a face-down draw pile with the remaining 8 Hero cards.
• Designate space for each player’s hidden Council of Heroes.

How to Play

On your turn, you’ll make strategic choices:

• Choose 2 Heroes from either row on the table, ensuring they aren’t blocked, and move them to your hand.
• Return 2 cards from your hand to the table slots, face up, revealing their strengths. Feel free to include the heroes you just picked!
• Select 1 card from your hand for one of two actions:
  • Add it face down to your secret Council of Leaders. You can have as many Leaders as you like, but remember, their strength won’t affect your final score!
  • Place it face down on top of an unblocked Hero in one row to block it, while still displaying the faction and strength of the underlying Hero.
• Finally, draw 1 card from the draw pile. If there are no available cards, simply skip this step.

The game concludes after both players have cycled through their hands for 7 turns.

Scoring Your Influence

At the end of the game, it’s time to gauge your strategic prowess:

• Reveal all Leaders and Heroes in your Council.
• Evaluate the four factions—Imperial Army (red), Hill Tribes (green), Water Folk (blue), and Undead (black)—and calculate the total Influence for each faction by adding all respective values, including your Leader’s strength.
• The player with the highest total Influence in a chosen faction captures all Heroes from the corresponding row (whether face up, face down, blocked, or blocking). The rest go to the other player. In case of ties, players will claim Heroes from the row nearest to them.
• If a player has no Leaders or Heroes for a specific faction, the Heroes in that row will be discarded.
• Finally, discard all Council cards; they don’t count towards your score. Count the total Strength of your collected Heroes in your Army—the player with the highest total wins and ascends as the new Emperor! In the event of a tie, the player with more Heroes wins. If a tie persists, prepare for a thrilling rematch!

Unleash your strategic thinking and test your diplomatic skills in this captivating game of influence and power!