Bases only score during the Score Bases phase of a turn; they never score in the middle of a turn. If the total power of all cards on a base equals or exceeds the base’s breakpoint (see Know Your Cards), that base is eligible to score at this time. If more than one base is ready to score, the player whose turn it is decides which one to score first. You cannot refuse to score an eligible base.
After a base has been chosen to score, players may use abilities that happen “before” the base scores. Even if these abilities drop the total power on the base below its breakpoint, you still finish scoring that base.
For example, a Pirate player sees that she will be the runner up at Jungle Oasis. Since that’s worth 0 VP, she plays Full Sail to move all her minions away to another base. That drops the total power on this base below 12, but since it’s already started scoring, it still finishes.
If a scoring base leaves play before VPs are awarded (usually because it is replaced by another base), stop scoring it immediately, since the base that was scoring is now gone. Then evaluate the bases on the table to see if any are eligible to score—which may include the replacement base!
Me First!
When scoring a base, several card effects may take place, and players may wish to use Special abilities. Handle this situation (and all similar triggering events) as follows: First resolve abilities of cards in play, in the order chosen by the current player. Then, if more than one player wants to play a card with a Special ability, each player, starting with the current player and going clockwise, either plays one Special or passes. You can play another Special when your next option comes around, and you can play a Special after passing, but once all players pass in sequence, that’s the end of it.
Awarding VP
The players with the highest, second-highest, and third-highest power on a base are the winner, runner up, and third place! They get victory points equal to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd number on the base card respectively. Anyone with the 4th highest power or lower gets nothing. If there are less than 3 players on a base, no one gets the VPs for the unclaimed spots. Dispense VP tokens in the appropriate amounts to everyone who scored. Abilities that happen “when” a base scores may change how this happens. To earn victory points, you must have at least one minion on that base (even if it’s worth 0 power) or a card that gives you at least 1 power there (even if it’s not a minion). If there are monsters on a base when it scores, see Getting Loot [add link].
Tie Fighter
If players are tied on a base, all involved players get points for the position they tied for. So, if three players had 10, 10, and 5 power on a base when it scores, the winners with 10 power each get first place points! The player with 5 power then gets third place, not second. If two players tie for runner up, no one gets third place. Harsh.
If players tie for use of a base’s ability, they each get to use it. Priority starts with the current player and goes clockwise. If using it twice doesn’t make sense (e.g., choosing the next base), then only the first tied player gets to use it.
Back to Your Corners
After awarding points, players can use abilities that happen “after” a base scores, in the same order described under “Me First”.
After that, all cards still on that base go to their respective discard piles simultaneously (regular minions and actions go the piles of their owners, even if they were controlled by other players, or buried; monster and treasure cards go to their own piles; and titans are placed near their owners’ decks). When these cards go to the discard pile, this might trigger abilities. Note: Going to the discard pile after scoring is not the same as being destroyed, but it does count as leaving play. Place the scored base into the base discard pile. Replace it with the top card of the base deck, adding monsters if necessary. If the base deck or monster deck has run out, shuffle the discard pile to make a new deck.
Now that the base is done scoring, check to see if another base is ready to be scored. Score it too, the same way. Since scoring a base can (and often does) change conditions on other bases, you always re-evaluate whether any bases are ready to score after completely finishing a base’s scoring process. Choosing the order to score bases can be a key strategic decision, one even more important than choosing a prom date.
Scoring Summary
- Check all bases to see if any are ready to score. If none are, go to the End of Turn phase.
- The current player chooses one base that is ready to score.
- Play and/or use any “Before scoring” abilities.
- Award VPs according to the current power totals. “When scoring” abilities trigger now.
- Play and/or use any “After scoring” abilities. This may affect steps 6–9.
- Award treasures from any monsters on the base.
- Discard all cards on the scored base.
- Discard the scored base.
- Draw a new base to replace it. Place monsters on it as required.
- Go to step 1.
- There is no step 11
Game Over, Man!
At the end of each turn, everyone checks their VP totals. If anyone has 15 VP or more, then the player with the most VP wins the game! If there is a tie for the most VP, keep playing turns until there isn’t. No sharing the win! Except for your two factions. You guys are BFFs.
Games played with the Madness deck have special rules for determining the winner; see [add link]
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