[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1211},["ShallowReactive",2],{"game-en-war-chest":3,"overlays-en-war-chest":595},{"id":4,"title":5,"accent":6,"age":7,"backdrop":8,"bggUrl":9,"body":10,"categories":27,"components":8,"cover":31,"deepDive":32,"description":16,"duration":292,"extension":295,"faq":296,"industryLegend":8,"lastReviewed":337,"leaders":8,"locale":338,"manualUrl":339,"mechanics":340,"meta":344,"navigation":345,"path":346,"players":347,"publisher":350,"quickStart":351,"resourceLegend":8,"rulesVersion":554,"seo":555,"sourceFiles":556,"sourceNotes":558,"stem":559,"strategies":560,"summary":591,"videoLanguage":8,"videoUrl":8,"weight":592,"year":593,"__hash__":594},"games\u002Fen\u002Fwar-chest.md","War Chest","#1D6FA5","14",null,"https:\u002F\u002Fboardgamegeek.com\u002Fboardgame\u002F249259\u002Fwar-chest",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":23},"minimark",[13,17,20],[14,15,16],"p",{},"War Chest plays like an abstract: there are no dice and combat has no luck.\nWhat you have is a bag of coins and a hex board. Every coin does two jobs at\nonce, because the unit it represents can be on the board and the action it\nallows can be in your hand. That double life is the whole game.",[14,18,19],{},"The round is always the same: draw three coins, take one action per turn and\nalternate until both hands are empty. When the bag runs out it is recycled from\nthe discards. That is why the composition of the bag matters as much as your\nposition on the board: the coins you add and the ones you leave out decide what\nyou can do in the rounds ahead.",[14,21,22],{},"The bases are the clock. With two players each side has six control markers;\nwith four, each team shares eight. There is no scoring and no tie-break: as soon\nas someone places the last one, the game is over. Everything else — moving,\nattacking, recruiting, claiming initiative — exists to make that moment arrive\nbefore it does for your rival.",{"title":24,"searchDepth":25,"depth":25,"links":26},"",2,[],[28,29,30],"Abstract","Strategy","Medieval","\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcover.webp",{"title":33,"intro":34,"phases":35},"Nine actions and a bag to manage","You already know how to set up and play a round. What decides games is something else: which coins you put in the bag, what you reveal when you discard them, and which hexagon you stand on before attacking. These three phases go from the most concrete (the actions, one by one) to the most strategic (the combos that break the normal rhythm).",[36,176,224],{"id":37,"label":38,"steps":39},"acciones","The nine actions",[40,54,67,80,93,106,123,136,149,163],{"title":41,"text":42,"images":43,"check":47},"Deploy","Play a coin face-up onto an empty base you control and create that unit. You cannot deploy if you already have a unit of that type on the board or if all your bases are occupied. The exception is the Scout: it can deploy onto any empty tile adjacent to a friendly unit, even if that tile is not one of your bases.",[44],{"src":45,"alt":46,"label":41},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-desplegar.webp","A coin from hand placed face-up on an empty friendly base that already holds a control marker.",{"question":48,"options":49,"answer":52,"explanation":53},"Where does a normal unit deploy?",[50,51],"On an empty base you control","On any empty tile",0,"Only the Scout can deploy next to a friendly unit.",{"title":55,"text":56,"images":57,"check":61},"Bolster","Play a coin face-up on top of the matching unit already on the board. The stack grows without limit and moves as a whole: bolstering is both defence and preparation for a big unit. If the unit is destroyed, every coin in the stack leaves the game.",[58],{"src":59,"alt":60,"label":55},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-reforzar.webp","Two coins of the same type stacked on a unit already deployed on the board.",{"question":62,"options":63,"answer":52,"explanation":66},"How many times can a unit be bolstered?",[64,65],"As many times as you like: there is no height limit","Only once","The stack can grow as tall as the coins you own of that type.",{"title":68,"text":69,"images":70,"check":74},"Move","Play the coin face-up into your discard and move the matching unit one hexagon onto an adjacent empty tile. If every surrounding tile is occupied, the unit cannot move: check the space before spending the coin.",[71],{"src":72,"alt":73,"label":68},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-mover.webp","Knight on one board hexagon and an arrow pointing to the empty adjacent hexagon.",{"question":75,"options":76,"answer":52,"explanation":79},"How far does a unit move with one move action?",[77,78],"One hexagon, onto an adjacent empty tile","Two hexagons in a straight line","Long moves come from specific tactics, not from the basic action.",{"title":81,"text":82,"images":83,"check":87},"Attack","The unit matching the coin attacks an adjacent enemy unit. The target loses one coin, which goes back to the box. If it was its only coin, the unit is gone and can be deployed again later. The Archer cannot attack this way: it only attacks with its tactic, two hexagons away.",[84],{"src":85,"alt":86,"label":81},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-atacar.webp","Attack on a two-coin stack: one of the coins leaves the board marked with an X.",{"question":88,"options":89,"answer":52,"explanation":92},"Where does the coin removed by an attack go?",[90,91],"To the box: not to the supply or the discard","To the attacker's discard pile","Attacks destroy coins; that is why killing units drains the rival's bag.",{"title":94,"text":95,"images":96,"check":100},"Control","The unit matching the coin controls the base it occupies. If the base was neutral, place your marker; if it belonged to the rival, return theirs and place yours. You cannot control a base you already control. If you place your last marker, you win immediately.",[97],{"src":98,"alt":99,"label":94},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-controlar.webp","Two hexagons side by side: the control marker on a base changes owner.",{"question":101,"options":102,"answer":52,"explanation":105},"Can you control a base you already control?",[103,104],"No, your marker is already there","Yes, to secure it","Each base holds one marker; controlling takes it from the rival or from neutral.",{"title":107,"text":108,"images":109,"check":118},"Claim initiative","Discard any coin face-down and take the initiative marker. It only works if the rival has it and nobody has claimed it yet this round. It lets you open the next round, which matters because it chains the last action of this round with the first of the next.",[110,114],{"src":111,"alt":112,"label":113},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-iniciativa.webp","The initiative token passing from one side of the table to the other, with the bag in the background.","Passing initiative",{"src":115,"alt":116,"label":117},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fmarcador-iniciativa.webp","Wooden token with a capital I carved into it, the initiative marker.","Initiative marker",{"question":119,"options":120,"answer":52,"explanation":122},"How many times can initiative change hands in a round?",[65,121],"As many times as you like","The marker may transfer once per round.",{"title":124,"text":125,"images":126,"check":130},"Recruit","Discard a coin face-down and take any coin from the supply; show it and put it face-up in your discard pile. It does not have to match the coin you spent. It does not enter the bag until the discards are shuffled, so it is an investment one or two rounds ahead.",[127],{"src":128,"alt":129,"label":124},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-reclutar.webp","A coin taken from the supply goes face-up onto the discard pile next to the bag.",{"question":131,"options":132,"answer":52,"explanation":135},"When can you use the coin you recruit?",[133,134],"When the discards are shuffled back into the bag","In the same round, immediately","A recruited coin waits in the discard until the next reshuffle.",{"title":137,"text":138,"images":139,"check":143},"Pass","Discard a coin face-down and do nothing else that turn. Passing does not force you to pass with your remaining coins. Passing is better than recruiting something you do not need, because every coin you add to the bag lowers the frequency of the ones you do want.",[140],{"src":141,"alt":142,"label":137},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-pasar.webp","A coin face-down on the discard pile with its face hidden.",{"question":144,"options":145,"answer":52,"explanation":148},"After passing, what happens to your other coins?",[146,147],"You can use them normally","They are discarded too","Passing is a single-coin action; it does not end your round.",{"title":150,"text":151,"images":152,"check":157},"Tactic","Every unit card has its own tactic; the action is to execute it as written. Some move and attack, others push a friendly unit or attack at range. The Ensign and the Marshal work in two steps: first select their coin in hand, then select the friendly unit on the board they activate.",[153],{"src":154,"alt":155,"label":156},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-tactica.webp","The Marshal selects a friendly unit two hexagons away and shifts it one hexagon.","Marshal tactic",{"question":158,"options":159,"answer":52,"explanation":162},"What do you need to execute a tactic?",[160,161],"Spend a coin of that unit and follow its card text","Keep the unit bolstered at all times","Only some siege tactics require the unit to be bolstered.",{"title":164,"text":165,"images":166,"check":170},"Attack via position","When a unit uses a tactic that moves it and then attacks, you choose the hexagon where its movement ends. The attack resolves from there, so position is part of the play: one hexagon closer can put the unit you wanted to kill in range, but also the one that can answer.",[167],{"src":168,"alt":169,"label":164},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Faccion-atacar-por-posicion.webp","The Archer moves to an intermediate hexagon and attacks a pikeman stack from there; the removed coin is marked with an X.",{"question":171,"options":172,"answer":52,"explanation":175},"What do you choose when attacking via position?",[173,174],"The hexagon where the movement ends before attacking","The coin removed from the target","The arrival hexagon decides the range and the units you can hit.",{"id":177,"label":178,"steps":179},"bolsa","The bag rules",[180,188,200,212],{"title":181,"text":182,"images":183},"Nine coins and a repeating cycle","You start with two coins of each unit plus the royal one: nine. Since you draw three per round, you go through the whole bag every three rounds. Anything you add or remove changes the odds of drawing the unit you need, and those odds are your real hand.",[184],{"src":185,"alt":186,"label":187},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fbolsa-inicial.webp","Open bag next to the nine starting coins: two of each of the four unit types plus the royal coin.","The starting bag",{"title":189,"text":190,"images":191,"check":194},"Thinning is often better than adding","To play a unit more often it is not enough to recruit copies of it: taking the coins you do not use out of the bag refills it with the ones you do. Deploying and bolstering your secondary units keeps them off the bag for a long time, which makes your key units show up more often. Recruiting without a plan only lengthens the cycle.",[192],{"src":59,"alt":60,"label":193},"Coins you play instead of recruit",{"question":195,"options":196,"answer":52,"explanation":199},"What do you gain by bolstering a secondary unit instead of recruiting?",[197,198],"Its coins spend time on the board, not in the bag","The unit can attack at range","Fewer coins in the bag means better odds of drawing the ones you want.",{"title":201,"text":202,"images":203,"check":206},"The discard pile talks","Coins spent face-up stay visible until the reshuffle. The rival can count how many of a unit you have left and infer what is in your hand. If you do not need to move a unit, discard it face-down: you reveal nothing and the rival cannot tell whether it is ready.",[204],{"src":141,"alt":142,"label":205},"Face-down reveals nothing",{"question":207,"options":208,"answer":52,"explanation":211},"What does a face-up discarded coin reveal?",[209,210],"Which unit was spent and how many are still available","Nothing: it cannot be looked at","Face-up discards are public until the next reshuffle.",{"title":213,"text":214,"images":215,"check":218},"Initiative buys a double turn","Claiming initiative costs a coin and an action, but it lets you close one round and open the next: two actions in a row with no reply. Use it when that pair lets you kill a unit or control a base; claiming it out of habit just pays for going first.",[216],{"src":115,"alt":116,"label":217},"The double turn",{"question":219,"options":220,"answer":52,"explanation":223},"What does claiming initiative cost?",[221,222],"One coin discarded face-down","Two coins of any type","It costs one action, like any other coin.",{"id":225,"label":226,"steps":227},"combinaciones","Unit combinations",[228,236,244,252,260,268,276,284],{"title":229,"text":230,"images":231},"Herald and Earl: free movement","The Herald moves every time a decree is proclaimed. The Earl, when it controls a base, activates a decree for free. With both on the board, every base the Earl takes moves the Herald without spending a Herald coin: decrees become a second engine for the army. They need the Nobility expansion.",[232],{"src":233,"alt":234,"label":235},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcombo-heraldo-conde.webp","Herald and Earl coins joined by a curved arrow, with an activated decree between them.","Herald + Earl",{"title":237,"text":238,"images":239},"Mercenary and Ensign: the mercenary rush","Every time you recruit a Mercenary you may move it; the Ensign moves a friendly unit without spending one of its coins. Together they push mercenaries towards the enemy base far faster than the rival can react. If the rival has ranged units, bolster them before advancing.",[240],{"src":241,"alt":242,"label":243},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcombo-mercenario-ensign.webp","Mercenary and Ensign coins with arrows pointing to a forward base.","Mercenary + Ensign",{"title":245,"text":246,"images":247},"Herald and Siege Tower: a free, bolstered tower","The Siege Tower bolsters for free when deployed and again when redeployed. If the Herald is already on the board, the redeploy decree moves it too, and the Herald returns the favour by activating decrees. The result is a three-coin tower before the rival has set up a defence.",[248],{"src":249,"alt":250,"label":251},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcombo-heraldo-torre.webp","Siege tower with three stacked coins and the Herald beside it, joined by a decree arrow.","Herald + Siege Tower",{"title":253,"text":254,"images":255},"Warrior Priest and a small bag","The Warrior Priest draws a coin every time it attacks or controls. If you put only its coins plus the royal coin in the bag, every action pulls out another Warrior Priest: the engine never stops. It is slow to build and fragile: cavalry, pikemen and the bannerman punish it, and with few coins every loss hurts twice.",[256],{"src":257,"alt":258,"label":259},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcombo-sacerdote-bolsa.webp","Bolstered Warrior Priest next to an almost empty bag and three loose coins.","Warrior Priest + small bag",{"title":261,"text":262,"images":263},"Earl and Scout: taking bases on the first pass","The Earl can move right after deploying and the Scout reaches forward tiles. With a redeploy decree, the Scout jumps from base to base while the Earl controls. It is a race: if the rival does not defend the forward bases, the game is decided before the second shuffle.",[264],{"src":265,"alt":266,"label":267},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcombo-conde-explorador.webp","Earl and Scout on two forward bases, with a redeploy arrow between them.","Earl + Scout",{"title":269,"text":270,"images":271},"Berserker and War Wagon: push to attack","The Berserker hits harder the more coins it carries. The War Wagon can push it, and doing so triggers its ability without spending a Berserker coin. The stack grows and moves with the wagon: if the rival cannot kill the wagon, it cannot stop the Berserker.",[272],{"src":273,"alt":274,"label":275},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcombo-berserker-carro.webp","Berserker with a tall coin stack next to a War Wagon pushing it with an arrow.","Berserker + War Wagon",{"title":277,"text":278,"images":279},"Bishop and Mercenary: two actions per coin","The Bishop moves or attacks after recruiting. The Mercenary moves when it is recruited. If you recruit a Mercenary with a Bishop coin you chain both: the Bishop advances and the Mercenary arrives already in position. It is the cleanest way to turn a recruit action into immediate pressure.",[280],{"src":281,"alt":282,"label":283},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcombo-obispo-mercenario.webp","Bishop and Mercenary with two chained arrows starting from a recruit coin.","Bishop + Mercenary",{"title":285,"text":286,"images":287},"Bannerman and Ensign: move and shove","The Bannerman pushes enemy units when it moves; the Ensign repositions it without spending its coin. With both, the Bannerman lands on the awkward hexagon, shoves what is in the way and moves again in the same round. It is the combo that breaks defensive plans hardest.",[288],{"src":289,"alt":290,"label":291},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcombo-abanderado-ensign.webp","Bannerman pushing an enemy unit while the Ensign repositions it with an arrow.","Bannerman + Ensign",{"min":293,"max":294},30,60,"md",[297,301,305,308,312,315,318,321,324,327,330,333],{"category":298,"question":299,"answer":300},"setup","Can you deploy onto an enemy base?","No. Deploying requires an empty base you control. The only exception in the game is the Scout, which can deploy onto any empty tile adjacent to a friendly unit, even if that tile is not one of your bases.",{"category":302,"question":303,"answer":304},"turn","What happens when the bag runs out?","It is refilled with the coins in the discard pile, shuffled, and you keep drawing until you have three. The supply is not used to refill it: supply coins only enter the bag when you recruit. In the rare case where you have fewer than three coins between hand and discard, draw what you have and take fewer actions that round; your rival then finishes their hand.",{"category":302,"question":306,"answer":307},"Can you move and attack with the same coin?","Not with the basic action: one coin is one action. Moving and attacking requires a tactic that allows it, such as cavalry or siege tactics, or a unit that attacks at range without moving. Tactics still cost a single coin.",{"category":309,"question":310,"answer":311},"special","Which coins leave the game for good?","Those removed by an attack. They go back to the box, not to the discard or the supply. When a unit loses its last coin it leaves the board, but a new unit of that type can be deployed later if coins remain in the supply.",{"category":302,"question":313,"answer":314},"Can I claim initiative if I already had it this round?","No. The marker can only change hands once per round, and you cannot claim it if you already hold it. In a team game you also cannot take it from your teammate.",{"category":309,"question":316,"answer":317},"How do you attack a bolstered stack?","Each attack removes one coin. Against a three-coin stack you need three attacks or a tactic that hits several times, such as siege tactics. That is why bolstering a key position forces the rival to spend several actions and buys you time.",{"category":302,"question":319,"answer":320},"What if my hand is empty and my rival still has coins?","You sit out the rest of the round: the rival keeps spending coins until their hand is empty. Then you draw again and the next round begins, with whichever player holds initiative.",{"category":309,"question":322,"answer":323},"Can I recruit a unit I already have on the board?","Yes. Recruiting adds another coin of that type to your bag, and with it you can bolster the unit already deployed. What you cannot do is deploy a second unit of the same type: only one per player may be on the board.",{"category":309,"question":325,"answer":326},"What is a matchup?","The relationship between two units that answer each other. The pikeman suffers against archers and crossbowmen but is brutal if the rival has no ranged units; cavalry punishes slow units; the bannerman displaces units that need a fixed position. Drafting and deploying around those matchups matters more than taking your favourite unit.",{"category":298,"question":328,"answer":329},"What is the difference between a base and a hexagon?","Every base is a hexagon, but not every hexagon is a base. Only tiles with the green knotwork symbol can be controlled, and only there can you deploy (except for the Scout). The rest of the board is ground to move across and attack from.",{"category":298,"question":331,"answer":332},"How do you play with four players?","In teams of two, seated alternately. Each player has three unit types and a seven-coin bag; the team shares eight control markers and places three at the start, one per starting base. Initiative passes clockwise and cannot be claimed from your teammate. It has its own expansion toggle in this guide.",{"category":334,"question":335,"answer":336},"end","How long does a game last?","Thirty to sixty minutes with two players. There is no round limit: the game ends when someone places their last marker. Fast games are decided in the first or second pass through the bag; slow ones become a war of attrition over the last bases.","2026-10-25","en","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.alderac.com\u002Fwar-chest\u002F",[341,342,343],"Bag building","Area control","Combat",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fwar-chest",{"min":25,"max":348,"best":349},4,[25],"Alderac Entertainment Group",{"pitch":352,"pitchCheck":353,"setup":359,"turn":444,"mistakes":519,"winning":547,"winningCheck":548},"War Chest is chess with a bag. Every coin is both a unit and an action: face-up on a base it deploys or bolsters; face-down in the discard it recruits, claims initiative or passes; face-up in the discard it moves, controls, attacks or triggers that unit's tactic. Each round you draw three coins and take one action per turn until both hands are empty. The winner is whoever places their last control marker on a base.",{"question":354,"options":355,"answer":52,"explanation":358},"When does a game of War Chest end?",[356,357],"When a player places their last control marker","When someone runs out of coins in their bag","There is no scoring and no round limit: the game ends the moment the last marker goes down.",[360,377,388,399,410,423,433],{"text":361,"images":362,"check":371},"Lay out the board. With two players you only use the central area: the darker edge tiles stay in the box. With four you use the whole board, because each team starts from its own area at either end.",[363,367],{"src":364,"alt":365,"label":366},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Ftablero-2.webp","Screenshot of the two-player board: only the central area, with the starting bases marked and the darker outer tiles out of play.","Central area for two",{"src":368,"alt":369,"label":370},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Ftablero-4.webp","Screenshot of the four-player board: the central area plus both outer areas, with three starting bases per team.","Full four-player board",{"question":372,"options":373,"answer":52,"explanation":376},"Which part of the board is used with two players?",[374,375],"Only the central area; the darker edge tiles are not used","The whole board, as in a four-player game","The outer areas belong to the team setup.",{"text":378,"images":379,"check":382},"Pick a faction and take its bag, its royal coin and its six control markers. Put two coins of each of your four unit types into the bag, plus the royal coin: nine coins in total. The rest of those units' coins become your supply, in piles next to their cards.",[380],{"src":185,"alt":186,"label":381},"Nine coins in the bag",{"question":383,"options":384,"answer":52,"explanation":387},"How many coins start inside the bag?",[385,386],"Nine: two per unit type plus the royal coin","Every coin of your four units","The rest stay in the supply and only enter the bag when you recruit them.",{"text":389,"images":390,"check":393},"Draw your first three coins and look at them without showing them. That is your opening hand. From now on you draw three at the start of each round, not one per turn: what you decide is how to spend them and in which order.",[391],{"src":185,"alt":186,"label":392},"The bag and its nine coins",{"question":394,"options":395,"answer":52,"explanation":398},"When do you draw coins?",[396,397],"Three at the start of each round","One at the start of each turn","A round starts with three coins in hand and you take one action per turn until they are gone.",{"text":400,"images":401,"check":404},"Put one control marker on each of your two starting bases; every other base is neutral. With four players each team places three markers and shares the team's eight: the bases belong to both players, not to one.",[402],{"src":364,"alt":365,"label":403},"Starting bases for two",{"question":405,"options":406,"answer":52,"explanation":409},"How many bases do you control at the start of a two-player game?",[407,408],"Two per player","Six per player","You start with two bases; the rest are neutral and must be controlled during the game.",{"text":411,"images":412,"check":417},"Keep the supply visible, each pile of coins next to its unit card, and set aside an area for your discard pile. The discard pile is what refills your bag when it runs out; the supply never goes back into the bag on its own, only through recruiting.",[413],{"src":414,"alt":415,"label":416},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fcartas-unidad.webp","Four unit cards on the table, with the name, illustration and tactic text readable.","Cards and supply",{"question":418,"options":419,"answer":52,"explanation":422},"What refills the bag when it runs out?",[420,421],"The discard pile","The supply","The supply is only touched when recruiting; the bag is recycled from discards.",{"text":424,"images":425,"check":427},"Flip the initiative marker. Whoever matches the face-up side takes it and opens the round. Initiative is not permanent: it can be claimed once per round by discarding a coin face-down.",[426],{"src":115,"alt":116,"label":117},{"question":428,"options":429,"answer":52,"explanation":432},"Who starts the first round?",[430,431],"Whoever matches the face-up side of the initiative marker","The youngest player","Initiative is drawn at setup and can change hands during the game.",{"text":434,"images":435,"check":438},"You win by placing your last control marker. With two players that is six markers each; with four it is eight shared by each team. Remember that a base is only controlled by a unit standing on it and an action of control: there are no points to add up at the end.",[436],{"src":364,"alt":365,"label":437},"The bases you need to control",{"question":439,"options":440,"answer":52,"explanation":443},"How many control markers does each two-player side have?",[441,442],"Six","Eight","Six per player in a two-player game. In a four-player game the team shares eight.",[445,456,468,484,496,507],{"title":446,"text":447,"images":448,"check":451},"Draw three coins","At the start of the round, draw three coins from your bag and keep them hidden. If the bag empties mid-draw, add the discards, shuffle and keep drawing until you have three. The supply is not used for this.",[449],{"src":185,"alt":186,"label":450},"Draw three",{"question":418,"options":452,"answer":52,"explanation":455},[453,454],"The discards, shuffled","New coins from the supply","The bag recycles the discards; supply coins only enter through recruiting.",{"title":457,"text":458,"images":459,"check":462},"One action per turn","The player with initiative starts, then turns alternate clockwise. On each turn you spend exactly one coin. The round ends when both hands are empty; then you draw again and start over.",[460],{"src":72,"alt":73,"label":461},"One coin, one action",{"question":463,"options":464,"answer":52,"explanation":467},"How many actions does a player take on their turn?",[465,466],"One, using a single coin","Three, one per coin in hand","You hold three coins, but they are played one at a time with alternating turns.",{"title":469,"text":470,"images":471,"check":478},"Choose the coin and the kind of action","Before touching the board, look at the coin and decide which kind of action it allows. Face-up on the board: deploy or bolster. Face-down in the discard: claim initiative, recruit or pass. Face-up in the discard: move, control, attack or use the tactic. The royal coin only works for face-down actions.",[472,474,476],{"src":59,"alt":60,"label":473},"Face-up on the board",{"src":128,"alt":129,"label":475},"Face-down in the discard",{"src":85,"alt":86,"label":477},"Face-up in the discard",{"question":479,"options":480,"answer":52,"explanation":483},"What can the royal coin be used for?",[481,482],"Only face-down actions","Any action of any unit","It has no matching unit, so it cannot deploy, move or attack.",{"title":485,"text":486,"images":487,"check":490},"Resolve the action","Resolve the whole action before passing the turn. Deploying puts the coin on the chosen base; bolstering stacks it on the unit; moving takes one hexagon; controlling swaps the marker; attacking removes one coin from the target. You cannot start an action and leave it half done.",[488],{"src":98,"alt":99,"label":489},"Control swaps the marker",{"question":491,"options":492,"answer":52,"explanation":495},"What happens when you attack a unit with a single coin?",[493,494],"The coin leaves the board and the unit is gone","The unit stays on the board with no coins","With its only coin removed, the unit is no longer deployed.",{"title":497,"text":498,"images":499,"check":502},"Where the coin goes","Every spent coin ends up in your discard pile. Placement and maneuver actions go face-up, so the rival sees what you spent. Claim initiative, recruit and pass go face-down and reveal nothing. Coins removed by an attack never reach the discard: they go back to the box and leave the game.",[500],{"src":141,"alt":142,"label":501},"Face-down discard",{"question":503,"options":504,"answer":52,"explanation":506},"Where does a coin removed by an attack go?",[505,91],"To the box: it leaves the game","Destroyed coins are not recycled; they only come back if someone recruits them again.",{"title":508,"text":509,"images":510,"check":513},"Draw a new hand and check for victory","When both hands are empty, draw a fresh hand and start another round. Before drawing, check whether anyone has placed their last marker: if so, the game ends right there, without finishing the round.",[511],{"src":115,"alt":116,"label":512},"End of the round",{"question":514,"options":515,"answer":52,"explanation":518},"Does the round finish when someone places their last marker?",[516,517],"No: the game ends at that very moment","Yes, the round ends and then you score","Victory is immediate; there is no count-up and no extra round.",[520,529,538],{"title":521,"text":522,"check":523},"Spending the wrong coin","Each coin does a specific job, and spending it face-down when you needed to move that unit (or the other way round) leaves you without the play you wanted. Before discarding, check whether the coin belongs to a unit already on the board: it may be worth far more as a maneuver than as a recruit.",{"question":524,"options":525,"answer":52,"explanation":528},"What can a coin of a unit already on the board do?",[526,527],"Move, control, attack or use its tactic","Deploy another copy of that unit","Only one unit of each type may be on the board; once it is out, the coin is for maneuvering.",{"title":530,"text":531,"check":532},"Attacking without position","An attack removes one coin, not the whole unit. If the target is bolstered, you spend an action and the problem is still there. Attacking head-on without counting the rival's coins or setting up the second hit is the quickest way to give away tempo.",{"question":533,"options":534,"answer":52,"explanation":537},"How many coins does one attack remove?",[535,536],"One, even if the target has several","Every coin in the target stack","A tall stack needs several attacks or a tactic that hits more than once.",{"title":539,"text":540,"check":541},"Giving away initiative","Initiative can be claimed once per round with a face-down coin. Used well it is worth two actions in a row: the last of one round and the first of the next. If you always leave it with your rival, they decide when to hit you twice before you can answer.",{"question":542,"options":543,"answer":52,"explanation":546},"What is the strongest use of initiative?",[544,545],"Chaining the last action of a round with the first of the next","Drawing an extra coin when you claim it","Its value is the double turn, not an extra coin: it does not give you one.","You win the moment you place your last control marker on a base. With two players that is six markers each; with four it is eight shared by a team. There is no final scoring and no tie-break: the first player or team with no markers left in reserve wins.",{"question":549,"options":550,"answer":52,"explanation":553},"How do you win a game of War Chest?",[551,552],"By placing your last control marker","By destroying every enemy unit","You do not need to sweep the board: victory comes with the last control marker.","EN rulebook (AEG, 2018) + War Chest Online",{"title":5,"description":16},[557],"reglamentos-pdf\u002FWar_Chest_Rules_EN.pdf","This guide follows the standard two-player game and the action order used by War Chest Online. The team variant has its own expansion toggle in this same guide; the unit draft is explained in the FAQ.","en\u002Fwar-chest",[561,565,568,571,575,578,581,585,588],{"level":562,"title":563,"text":564},"beginner","Master the matchups","Before you move, look at which units answer each other. The pikeman is a wall if the rival has no range and a victim if they do; cavalry punishes slow units; the bannerman displaces units that need position. Bring the unit that answers their army, not the one that looks strongest in a vacuum.",{"level":562,"title":566,"text":567},"Pick a plan before the first coin","Decide whether you are racing to six bases or grinding the rival down, and whether you press one flank or both. It is not a rigid plan: it changes when the board changes. But every coin should move you towards a concrete goal, even a small one such as killing a unit or preparing a base.",{"level":562,"title":569,"text":570},"The bag rules: recruit with intent","Every coin you add lowers the frequency of the others. Before recruiting, ask which coin you want to draw more and whether this purchase pushes it away. Often it is better to bolster or deploy a secondary unit to get it out of the bag than to add another copy of the same one.",{"level":572,"title":573,"text":574},"intermediate","Count your rival's coins","Face-up discards and units on the board tell you what they have left. If you know they spent their last cavalry coin, you can move safely; if you do not, do not gamble. War Chest is won on timing, not luck: avoid plays that only work if the rival lacks the right coin.",{"level":572,"title":576,"text":577},"Discard face-down to give nothing away","If you do not need to move a unit, do not reveal it. A face-down discard leaves the rival unsure whether it is in your hand, in the bag or out of circulation. That doubt is worth actions: it can stall an attack that would otherwise have been profitable.",{"level":572,"title":579,"text":580},"Initiative is worth two actions","Claim it when you can close one round and open the next with a pair of actions the rival cannot interrupt. Do not take it out of habit and do not give it away: if the rival holds it and you cannot punish them, they are playing with an extra action every round.",{"level":582,"title":583,"text":584},"advanced","Re-evaluate when the board changes","Every enemy deployment, every killed unit and every base taken changes what is safe. Stop and review both goals: the one for the whole game and the one for this round. If the rival overextends for a base, leaving them to it and breaking their bag may be better than defending.",{"level":582,"title":586,"text":587},"The small bag","The fewer different coins you have, the more predictable your turn is and the faster your best actions come back. With two unit types bolstered and the rest out of the bag, you almost always play what you want. The price is fragility: lose one of those units and it takes a while to recover.",{"level":582,"title":589,"text":590},"The six-base countdown","When the rival is down to two markers the game changes: you can no longer afford slow plays. Stop their next placement, even if it means exposing a unit, and use initiative to cut off their double turn. If you are the one close to winning, protect the base that gets you there before placing the penultimate marker.","Coins are units and actions, one action per turn and six markers: control more bases than your rival before they place all of theirs.",2.4,"2018","lzc-Pjk0CINgsAUtB3BU3YYLmiDHClGZ_XRz6GkMcHU",[596,808,1015],{"id":597,"title":598,"accent":599,"body":600,"cover":613,"description":604,"duration":614,"extension":295,"faq":615,"game":637,"kind":638,"lastReviewed":639,"leaders":8,"locale":338,"meta":640,"mistakes":641,"modules":669,"navigation":345,"path":703,"pitch":704,"pitchCheck":705,"players":711,"requires":712,"requiresExpansions":8,"rulesVersion":713,"scoring":714,"seo":716,"setup":717,"shortTitle":744,"sourceFiles":745,"sourceNotes":747,"stem":748,"strategies":749,"summary":768,"turn":769,"__hash__":807},"expansions\u002Fen\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fnobility.md","War Chest: Nobility","#B08A2E",{"type":11,"value":601,"toc":611},[602,605,608],[14,603,604],{},"Nobility does not change War Chest's skeleton: still a bag of coins, a board of\nlocations and a race to place markers. What it does is give the royal coin a\npurpose, since in the base game it only paid for face-down actions.",[14,606,607],{},"Decrees are the interesting part. They are shared, but each side spends its own\nseals, so the same decree can be used twice per game. That turns proclamation into\na race to reach the ability you need first, especially when both armies can execute\nit.",[14,609,610],{},"The four new units are built to chain actions: the Earl generates proclamations,\nthe Herald moves for free, the Mercenary arrives through the recruit decree and the\nBannerman pushes enemy units around. The result is a more combo-driven, less\npositional game that rewards reading the table before spending the royal coin.",{"title":24,"searchDepth":25,"depth":25,"links":612},[],"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fnobility.webp",{"min":293,"max":294},[616,619,622,625,628,631,634],{"category":298,"question":617,"answer":618},"Can you play Nobility without drafting?","You can, but the rules sheet itself says to deal eight cards and draft. With twenty units, a random deal of four can leave one player with no answer to the opponent's combinations.",{"category":298,"question":620,"answer":621},"Are decrees dealt before or after units?","Before: reveal the three decrees and hand out seals first, then draft. That way you can pick an army with the available decrees in mind.",{"category":298,"question":623,"answer":624},"What about the four-player variant?","Each team shares its three seals and its two players decide who proclaims and when. Decrees are shared by both sides, so seal management becomes a team decision.",{"category":302,"question":626,"answer":627},"Can I proclaim twice in the same round?","Not with a single royal coin. You only have one in your bag, so a second proclamation means recovering it from the discard pile in a later round. The exception is the Earl, whose tactic generates a proclamation without spending it.",{"category":302,"question":629,"answer":630},"Can a decree kill a leader?","Decrees have no leaders or coins of their own: their effects are actions. If a decree grants an attack, that attack follows the normal rules, including removing a coin from the target unit.",{"category":309,"question":632,"answer":633},"How does it combine with Siege?","Cleanly, and it is recommended: if you combine both expansions, place the fortifications at the same time you reveal the decrees, before the draft. Decrees can attack fortifications like any other attack action.",{"category":334,"question":635,"answer":636},"Does the victory condition change?","No. Whoever places all their control markers still wins. Nobility adds tools, not an alternative win condition.","war-chest","module","2026-10-24",{},[642,651,660],{"title":643,"text":644,"check":645},"Spending the royal coin blindly","The royal coin is the only way to pay for decrees. Use it to recruit in the first round and you give up a proclamation at the point where decrees usually decide the game.",{"question":646,"options":647,"answer":52,"explanation":650},"Which actions can the royal coin pay for?",[648,649],"Face-down actions and proclamations","Any action, maneuvers included","The royal coin has no unit: it cannot move, attack or control, only pay face-down actions and decrees.",{"title":652,"text":653,"check":654},"Grabbing the wrong decree in a hurry","A decree you cannot fully execute cannot be chosen. Before proclaiming, check that the target unit exists, is adjacent and has coins: otherwise you waste both the seal and the royal coin.",{"question":655,"options":656,"answer":52,"explanation":659},"What if you pick a decree you cannot fully execute?",[657,658],"It is not a legal move: choose another or do not proclaim","It resolves halfway and the seal is lost","The rules require you to be able to execute the ability completely to choose that decree.",{"title":661,"text":662,"check":663},"Forgetting the new Royal Guard card","When playing with Nobility the Royal Guard uses the expansion's revised card. Mixing the old card with the new units unbalances that unit and breaks the experience the designers intended.",{"question":664,"options":665,"answer":52,"explanation":668},"Which Royal Guard card do you use with Nobility?",[666,667],"The revised one included in the expansion","The base game one","The expansion ships a corrected version that replaces the original.",[670,677,684,690,697],{"title":671,"text":672,"images":673},"Earl","A noble commander: its tactic generates a proclamation action, letting you chain a decree with a unit without spending the turn's royal coin. With the Herald in play the chain can stretch further still.",[674],{"src":675,"alt":676,"label":671},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Funidad-earl.webp","Earl coin, with the noble illustration and the number of coins available.",{"title":678,"text":679,"images":680},"Herald","Its attribute grants a free move after another unit performs a maneuver, including the one the Earl generates. It is the piece that turns one proclamation into two actions.",[681],{"src":682,"alt":683,"label":678},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Funidad-herald.webp","Herald coin, with the herald illustration and their banner.",{"title":685,"text":686,"images":687},"Mercenary","It can be recruited with the Enlist decree without spending the normal action, and its attribute still triggers when it arrives that way. It is the unit that turns a recruit into tempo.",[688],{"src":241,"alt":242,"label":689},"Mercenary and Ensign",{"title":691,"text":692,"images":693},"Bannerman","It can move an adjacent enemy unit instead of itself. That is not a maneuver —it does not use maneuver wording— but the move follows normal rules: empty, adjacent and no passing through occupied hexes.",[694],{"src":695,"alt":696,"label":691},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Funidad-bannerman.webp","Bannerman coin, with the unit illustration and its banner.",{"title":698,"text":699,"images":700},"Royal Guard (revised card)","The expansion includes a revised Royal Guard card. Replace the original with it whenever you play with Nobility: the new card was designed with community feedback to improve the game's balance.",[701],{"src":414,"alt":415,"label":702},"Revised card","\u002Fen\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fnobility","Nobility adds a fourth action class to War Chest —proclamation— and with it a reason not to spend the royal coin on recruiting or initiative every time. At set-up three royal decrees are revealed and each side gets three proclamation seals. During the game, discarding the royal coin face up lets you seal a decree and execute its ability; each decree can only be used once per side, so timing and order matter far more than they look. Four new units come along —Earl, Herald, Mercenary and Bannerman— plus a revised Royal Guard card.",{"question":706,"options":707,"answer":52,"explanation":710},"How many times can each side use the same decree?",[708,709],"Once, by placing one of its seals","As often as it likes while it has the royal coin","Each decree takes one seal per side: it can be used once per faction, even if the opponent already spent it.",{"min":25,"max":348},[637],"EN rulebook (AEG, 2019)",{"text":715},"Nobility does not change the victory condition: whoever places all their control markers on locations still wins. Decrees only accelerate or protect that goal.",{"title":598,"description":604},[718,732],{"mode":719,"replaces":720,"text":721,"images":722,"check":726},"replace",1,"Add the four new cards to the sixteen from the base game and shuffle all twenty. Deal eight cards face up for the draft (twelve in a four-player game) and pick in turn: one, then two each. Drafting is not optional here, because with twenty cards a random deal of four can leave badly lopsided armies.",[723],{"src":613,"alt":724,"label":725},"Royal decree card anatomy from the rulebook: title, ability, seal space and the proclamation coins.","Decrees and seals",{"question":727,"options":728,"answer":52,"explanation":731},"How many unit cards are shuffled with Nobility?",[729,730],"Twenty: the sixteen base plus four new","Sixteen: the new ones replace four base units","The four units are added to the sixteen originals; they replace nothing.",{"mode":733,"after":720,"text":734,"images":735,"check":738},"add","Shuffle the seven royal decrees and place three face up where both sides can see them; the other four return to the box. Give each side its three proclamation seals in its faction colour. Decrees are dealt before units are drafted.",[736],{"src":414,"alt":415,"label":737},"Unit cards",{"question":739,"options":740,"answer":52,"explanation":743},"How many decrees are available in a game?",[741,742],"Three","Seven","Three are revealed and the rest are set aside: they are part of that game's scenario.","Nobility",[746],"reglamentos-pdf\u002FWar_Chest_Nobility_Rules_EN.pdf","The expansion sheet adds the proclamation action, seven royal decrees, the seals and four new units, plus a revised Royal Guard card. It has no scenarios of its own: the base game's set-ups still apply.","en\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fnobility",[750,753,756,759,762,765],{"level":562,"title":751,"text":752},"Save the royal coin for a decree","Before spending it on recruiting, look at the three decrees. If one fits your army, that coin is worth more proclaiming than going back into the bag.",{"level":562,"title":754,"text":755},"Read the decrees before drafting","Pick units that can meet the decrees' conditions: a granted attack needs an adjacent unit, and a free deploy needs an empty location.",{"level":562,"title":757,"text":758},"Do not hoard seals","Three unused seals at the end of the game are three proclamations wasted. Spend them when the decree changes something real, not to keep them safe.",{"level":572,"title":760,"text":761},"Chain Earl and Herald","The Earl's tactic generates a proclamation, and the Herald moves for free when another unit maneuvers. With both on the board, one coin can produce three effects.",{"level":572,"title":763,"text":764},"Offer decrees the opponent cannot use","Decrees are shared, but each side has its own seal. If your opponent lacks the unit to execute a decree, that decree is effectively yours: use it while you can.",{"level":582,"title":766,"text":767},"Plan the last proclamation","If you still hold a seal and the royal coin is in the discard pile, plan two rounds: one to recover it and one to proclaim. Opponents who do not count rounds usually leave the last decree unused.","Four noble units, royal decrees and proclamation seals: one more action for your royal coin.",[770,783,795],{"title":771,"text":772,"images":773,"check":777},"Proclaim","Discard your royal coin face up and choose one of the three decrees. Place one of your seals on it —you cannot pick one that already holds your seal, but you may pick one holding your opponent's— and execute its ability. If you cannot fully execute it, you cannot choose that decree.",[774],{"src":613,"alt":775,"label":776},"Sacrifice decree card with its ability and proclamation seal space, next to the faction coins.","Proclaiming a decree",{"question":778,"options":779,"answer":52,"explanation":782},"Can you proclaim a decree the opponent already used?",[780,781],"Yes, seals are per side","No, a decree is spent for both sides","Each side has its own seals: a decree can be used once per faction.",{"title":784,"text":785,"images":786,"check":789},"Chain with attributes","The words on a decree —attack, move, deploy— are normal actions, so they trigger tactics, attributes and restrictions. An attack granted by a decree is a normal attack under the usual rules.",[787],{"src":154,"alt":155,"label":788},"Chaining actions",{"question":790,"options":791,"answer":52,"explanation":794},"Does an attack from a decree trigger unit attributes?",[792,793],"Yes, it is a normal attack","No, decrees do not interact with units","Bold terms on a decree are normal actions and set off the matching attributes.",{"title":796,"text":797,"images":798,"check":801},"Manage your seals","You have three seals and they do not come back. Every proclamation is a resource that is gone for good, and the royal coin is the only thing that pays for it: spend it recruiting or claiming initiative and you get no decree that turn.",[799],{"src":185,"alt":186,"label":800},"The royal coin pays for decrees",{"question":802,"options":803,"answer":52,"explanation":806},"Do seals return after use?",[804,805],"No, you have three for the whole game","Yes, when the bag is reshuffled","The three seals are a finite resource for the entire game.","Wyww5J0-9mPTf49bWs_xJ7wnVsx_IU6ZVZGgO5Rs4i0",{"id":809,"title":810,"accent":811,"body":812,"cover":825,"description":816,"duration":826,"extension":295,"faq":827,"game":637,"kind":638,"lastReviewed":639,"leaders":8,"locale":338,"meta":849,"mistakes":850,"modules":878,"navigation":345,"path":915,"pitch":916,"pitchCheck":917,"players":923,"requires":924,"requiresExpansions":8,"rulesVersion":925,"scoring":926,"seo":928,"setup":929,"shortTitle":951,"sourceFiles":952,"sourceNotes":954,"stem":955,"strategies":956,"summary":975,"turn":976,"__hash__":1014},"expansions\u002Fen\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fsiege.md","War Chest: Siege","#8B2E2E",{"type":11,"value":813,"toc":823},[814,817,820],[14,815,816],{},"Siege turns locations into strongpoints. Four of them start with a wall, and while\nit stands you can neither enter an enemy-held one nor attack the unit inside. It is\na small expansion in components and a big one in consequences, because it changes\nthe maths of every attack.",[14,818,819],{},"Siege engines are the answer. Trebuchet, Siege Tower and War Wagon get new tactics\nthat only work while bolstered, which gives a clear purpose to an action that\nsometimes felt secondary in the base game. The Sapper does the opposite: it builds\nwalls from the supply.",[14,821,822],{},"The objective does not change, but the rhythm does. With fortifications, the player\nspending coins to break walls sets the pace; the one who ignores them ends up\nneeding two actions for what used to cost one.",{"title":24,"searchDepth":25,"depth":25,"links":824},[],"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fsiege.webp",{"min":293,"max":294},[828,831,834,837,840,843,846],{"category":298,"question":829,"answer":830},"Which fortification card is used?","Shuffle the six and draw one at random; the other five return to the box. Each card marks four different starting positions, so the game changes every time.",{"category":298,"question":832,"answer":833},"Can you pick the fortification map?","The rulebook draws one at random. For a specific game you can agree on a card, especially if you want to play a historical set-up.",{"category":302,"question":835,"answer":836},"Does a fortification control the location?","No. Fortifications neither control nor count as a marker: they only block access and protect the unit inside. Controlling the location still needs a unit there and a control action.",{"category":302,"question":838,"answer":839},"Can I deploy into my own fortified location?","Yes, if it is yours or neutral and empty. The restriction applies to enemy fortified locations, which cannot be entered or passed through until the wall is down.",{"category":309,"question":841,"answer":842},"Does the attack that destroys a fortification hurt the unit?","No. The attack spends the fortification's coin, which returns to the supply. The unit inside loses nothing in that attack.",{"category":309,"question":844,"answer":845},"How does it combine with Nobility?","No conflict. If you play both, place fortifications at the same time you reveal decrees, before the draft. A decree granting an attack can destroy a fortification like any other attack.",{"category":334,"question":847,"answer":848},"Do fortifications change the win condition?","No. Whoever places all their control markers wins. Fortifications only make some locations cost more actions to reach.",{},[851,860,869],{"title":852,"text":853,"check":854},"Attacking the unit instead of the wall","While a fortification stands in the hex, the unit inside cannot be attacked. Any attack aimed at it is illegal: the fortification must come down first, and the attack that destroys it does no damage to the unit.",{"question":855,"options":856,"answer":52,"explanation":859},"Can you attack a unit behind a fortification?",[857,858],"No, the fortification must be destroyed first","Yes, with two attack coins","The fortification absorbs the attack and shields the unit until it falls.",{"title":861,"text":862,"check":863},"Using siege tactics unbolstered","The Siege Tower, Trebuchet and War Wagon cannot use their tactics with a single coin. Deploying them and spending the second coin elsewhere leaves them as ordinary units.",{"question":864,"options":865,"answer":52,"explanation":868},"How many coins does an engine need for its tactic?",[866,867],"At least two: one on the board and one on top","One","The unit must be bolstered when the tactic starts.",{"title":870,"text":871,"check":872},"Forgetting the fortification supply","The Sapper can only build while fortifications remain in supply, and every destroyed fortification goes back there. If your opponent keeps knocking walls down, that supply refills and the Sapper becomes useful again.",{"question":873,"options":874,"answer":52,"explanation":877},"Where do the Sapper's fortifications come from?",[875,876],"The fortification supply","The box, there are always more","Without fortifications in supply, the Sapper's attribute cannot be used.",[879,885,892,901,908],{"title":880,"text":881,"images":882},"Fortifications","They are not units: they do not move, do not control and count for nothing except as a wall. They are placed during set-up, and the Sapper can add more from the supply.",[883],{"src":364,"alt":365,"label":884},"Where the walls go",{"title":886,"text":887,"images":888},"Sapper","Its attribute plays additional fortifications from the supply. It cannot use that attribute if no fortifications remain, so check the supply before relying on it.",[889],{"src":890,"alt":891,"label":886},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Funidad-sapper.webp","Sapper coin, with the unit illustration and the number of coins available.",{"title":893,"text":894,"images":895},"Siege Tower","A siege engine with two chained attacks. Its tactic only works while bolstered, and it is the piece that turns one coin into two hits on the wall.",[896,899],{"src":897,"alt":898,"label":893},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Funidad-siege_tower.webp","Siege Tower coin, with the machine illustration and the number of coins available.",{"src":59,"alt":60,"label":900},"Bolstered to use the tactic",{"title":902,"text":903,"images":904},"Trebuchet","Siege artillery: its siege tactic strikes at range, which makes it valuable against fortifications you cannot flank.",[905],{"src":906,"alt":907,"label":902},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Funidad-trebuchet.webp","Trebuchet coin, with the counterweight machine illustration.",{"title":909,"text":910,"images":911},"War Wagon","Its siege tactic moves a friendly unit and fills the space it vacates, as if pushing it. The wagon itself must move, and it must be bolstered to use the tactic.",[912],{"src":913,"alt":914,"label":909},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fwar-chest\u002Funidad-war_wagon.webp","War Wagon coin, with the armoured wagon illustration.","\u002Fen\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fsiege","Siege puts walls on the battlefield. At set-up you draw one of six fortification cards and place four fortification coins on the locations it shows; the remaining three form a supply. A fortification is not a unit, but it is attacked like one: while it stands you cannot enter that location if it is enemy-held, nor attack the unit inside. To break it you have the Sapper, who builds fortifications, and the siege engines, whose tactics only work while they are bolstered. Victory does not change: your control markers still decide the game.",{"question":918,"options":919,"answer":52,"explanation":922},"What do siege tactics require?",[920,921],"The unit must be bolstered with at least two coins","The unit must be adjacent to a fortification","Siege tactics can only be used if the unit is bolstered at the moment you start the tactic.",{"min":25,"max":348},[637],"EN rulebook (AEG, 2020)",{"text":927},"Siege does not change victory: whoever places all their control markers wins. Fortifications score nothing and do not count as a controlled location; they only stop you reaching the ones that do.",{"title":810,"description":816},[930,939],{"mode":719,"replaces":720,"text":931,"images":932,"check":934},"Add the four new cards to the sixteen from the base game and shuffle all twenty. Without drafting, deal four to each player; with drafting, deal eight face up (twelve in a four-player game) and pick in turn.",[933],{"src":414,"alt":415,"label":737},{"question":935,"options":936,"answer":52,"explanation":938},"How many unit cards are there with Siege?",[729,937],"Twelve: only the new ones","Siege adds four units to the sixteen originals.",{"mode":733,"after":720,"text":940,"images":941,"check":945},"Shuffle the six fortification cards and draw one; the others return to the box. Place four fortification coins on the locations shown on the map card and leave the remaining three beside the board as a supply. If you also play with Nobility, reveal decrees and place fortifications before the draft.",[942],{"src":825,"alt":943,"label":944},"Fortification coins and map card from the rulebook, with the starting locations marked on the hex board.","Opening fortifications",{"question":946,"options":947,"answer":52,"explanation":950},"How many fortifications are there at the start?",[948,949],"Four on the board and three in supply","Seven on the board","Four go on the board according to the map; the other three form the supply.","Siege",[953],"reglamentos-pdf\u002FWar_Chest_Siege_Rules_EN.pdf","The rules sheet adds fortifications, siege tactics and four units (Sapper, Siege Tower, Trebuchet and War Wagon). It also includes six map cards with different starting positions.","en\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fsiege",[957,960,963,966,969,972],{"level":562,"title":958,"text":959},"Break before you enter","Against a fortified location the first attack goes to the wall. Counting the actions you need to get in stops you discovering mid-round that you fall short.",{"level":562,"title":961,"text":962},"Bolster the engines","Siege Tower, Trebuchet and War Wagon only use their tactics while bolstered. Place the second coin before counting on them to break walls.",{"level":562,"title":964,"text":965},"Do not ignore the Sapper","The Sapper can raise new walls where it hurts your opponent. It is a defensive unit that gains value whenever the fortification supply has coins.",{"level":572,"title":967,"text":968},"Attack where there is no wall","Fortifications only cover four positions. Going around the map and entering through an unfortified location usually costs fewer actions than besieging the front gate.",{"level":572,"title":970,"text":971},"Manage the supply","Every destroyed fortification returns to the supply, so the Sapper gains options over time. If your plan depends on building walls, do not let the opponent knock them down for free.",{"level":582,"title":973,"text":974},"Two-unit siege","A single engine takes two rounds to open a wall. Pair a ranged attack with a melee unit ready to step into the gap in the same turn.","Fortifications, sappers and siege engines: break the walls before you reach the locations.",[977,989,1001],{"title":978,"text":979,"images":980,"check":983},"Walls and entry","You may enter neutral or friendly fortified locations, but not an enemy fortified one: the fortification must come down first. Units with multi-hex movement also cannot move through fortified locations.",[981],{"src":364,"alt":365,"label":982},"Two-player board",{"question":984,"options":985,"answer":52,"explanation":988},"Can you enter an enemy location with a fortification?",[986,987],"No, the fortification has to be destroyed first","Yes, if the unit has at least two coins","An enemy fortification closes the entrance until it is knocked down.",{"title":990,"text":991,"images":992,"check":995},"Attacking the fortification","A fortification is attacked like a unit: any attack valid against a unit works against it. When hit, its coin is removed and returns to the fortification supply, not the box. While a fortification stands in a hex, the unit inside cannot be attacked.",[993],{"src":85,"alt":86,"label":994},"Attack the wall",{"question":996,"options":997,"answer":52,"explanation":1000},"Where does a destroyed fortification coin go?",[998,999],"Back to the fortification supply","To the box","Destroyed fortifications are recycled into the supply, unlike unit coins.",{"title":1002,"text":1003,"images":1004,"check":1008},"Siege tactics","Trebuchet, Siege Tower and War Wagon have siege tactics, usable only while the unit is bolstered at the moment you start them. If the first attack leaves the unit with a single coin, the tactic still resolves in full.",[1005,1006,1007],{"src":897,"alt":898,"label":893},{"src":906,"alt":907,"label":902},{"src":913,"alt":914,"label":909},{"question":1009,"options":1010,"answer":52,"explanation":1013},"Can a siege tower use its tactic with one coin?",[1011,1012],"No, it must be bolstered when the tactic starts","Yes, if the attack targets a fortification","The condition is checked when the tactic begins; it is not re-checked afterwards.","okWj4P0X2l2IBCfxvYYdruBxplRYBfvUUbtuNFvMZRU",{"id":1016,"title":1017,"accent":1018,"body":1019,"cover":368,"description":1023,"duration":1029,"extension":295,"faq":1032,"game":637,"kind":1051,"lastReviewed":337,"leaders":8,"locale":338,"meta":1052,"mistakes":1053,"modules":1063,"navigation":345,"path":1088,"pitch":1089,"pitchCheck":1090,"players":1096,"requires":1098,"requiresExpansions":8,"rulesVersion":1099,"scoring":1100,"seo":1102,"setup":1103,"shortTitle":1017,"sourceFiles":1156,"sourceNotes":1157,"stem":1158,"strategies":1159,"summary":1172,"turn":1173,"__hash__":1210},"expansions\u002Fen\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fteams.md","Setting up for 4","#8A6A2F",{"type":11,"value":1020,"toc":1027},[1021,1024],[14,1022,1023],{},"The team variant does not change War Chest's engine: it is still coins, actions\nand control markers. What changes is the scale. With the full board, three unit\ntypes per player and a seven-coin bag, cycles are shorter and bases are shared.",[14,1025,1026],{},"That makes conversation matter more than in a two-player game. Each player sees\nhalf the team's coins and makes decisions that affect both bags: where to\ndeploy, which base to defend and when to claim initiative. The team that\ncoordinates those two clocks beats the one playing two separate games on the\nsame board.",{"title":24,"searchDepth":25,"depth":25,"links":1028},[],{"min":1030,"max":1031},45,75,[1033,1036,1039,1042,1045,1048],{"category":298,"question":1034,"answer":1035},"Can I deploy onto a base my teammate controls?","Yes. Bases controlled by the team are open to both players: either can deploy a unit onto an empty team base. What you cannot do is deploy if you already have a unit of that type on the board.",{"category":302,"question":1037,"answer":1038},"Can I claim initiative from my teammate?","No. Initiative can only be taken from a rival. The once-per-round rule still applies: if it has already been claimed, nobody can claim it again until the next round.",{"category":302,"question":1040,"answer":1041},"Can I recruit a coin for my teammate's bag?","No. Each player has their own bag and their own recruiting. What you can do is agree on which units the team needs and have each player recruit theirs to cover that gap.",{"category":309,"question":1043,"answer":1044},"Do my teammate's units count as friendly?","Yes, for tactics and attributes that affect friendly units. They also count for restrictions that mention enemy units: the opposing team is an enemy to both of you.",{"category":298,"question":1046,"answer":1047},"How many unit cards does each player get?","Three. With three types the starting bag is seven coins (two per type plus the royal coin) and the bag cycle is shorter than in a two-player game. The four types per player only apply to the two-player game.",{"category":334,"question":1049,"answer":1050},"How long does a four-player game last?","Forty-five to seventy-five minutes. There are more players and a bigger board, but each player has fewer units and a shorter bag cycle, so it does not take twice as long as a two-player game.","variant",{},[1054,1057,1060],{"title":1055,"text":1056},"Playing as if it were individual","If each player chases their own base without looking at their teammate, the team ends up with two weak fronts and no strong position. Decide together which base each one defends and who brings the units the other needs.",{"title":1058,"text":1059},"Giving information to the rivals","Open communication is with your teammate, not with the table. If you announce which coin you are missing or which base you are about to attack, the rivals hear it too. And if you discard a key unit face-up, they know exactly when they can attack without a reply.",{"title":1061,"text":1062},"Forgetting the reserve is shared","The eight markers belong to the team. If one player places five and the other none, the team is still three away from winning, but it is also easier for the rivals to focus their attacks on the player holding bases. Spread the placements and protect the ones already on the board.",[1064,1070,1076,1082],{"title":1065,"text":1066,"images":1067},"Two bags, one team","Each player recycles their own bag with three unit types, so the cycles are faster: seven coins and three draws mean a full pass takes barely more than two rounds. Over-recruiting shows up sooner than in a two-player game, and so does running dry.",[1068],{"src":185,"alt":186,"label":1069},"The seven-coin bag",{"title":1071,"text":1072,"images":1073},"Shared bases","A team base belongs to both players: if your teammate controls a base, you can deploy onto it. That is the big tactical difference from a two-player game, because one player can prepare the position while the other puts the unit that defends it. Markers, on the other hand, come from the common reserve: every base that takes one brings the whole team closer to victory.",[1074],{"src":368,"alt":369,"label":1075},"Team bases",{"title":1077,"text":1078,"images":1079},"Friendly units","Your teammate's units count as friendly for tactics that move, push or protect a friendly unit. Before spending a Marshal or Ensign coin, look at the whole board: the best unit to activate may be your teammate's, not yours.",[1080],{"src":154,"alt":155,"label":1081},"Tactics across teammates",{"title":1083,"text":1084,"images":1085},"Eight bases, two fronts","The full board adds two outer areas, so there are more bases but also more distance between them. A team can pressure one flank while the other holds, or split up to force the rivals to defend two fronts. What does not work is both players doing the same thing in the same place: they block each other's bases and coins.",[1086],{"src":368,"alt":369,"label":1087},"Two fronts","\u002Fen\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fteams","Four players is not two games running side by side: it is one game in teams of two on a bigger board. Each player has three unit types and their own seven-coin bag; the team shares bases and eight control markers. The actions are the same, but talking to your teammate becomes part of the game.",{"question":1091,"options":1092,"answer":52,"explanation":1095},"How many control markers does each team share?",[1093,1094],"Eight, and the team places three at the start","Six per player, as in a two-player game","The team shares eight markers and starts controlling three bases: one per starting base.",{"min":348,"max":348,"best":1097},[348],[637],"EN rulebook (AEG, 2018), four-player variant",{"text":1101},"There is no scoring: the team that places its eighth control marker wins. Markers are shared, so a marker placed by one player counts for both and the game ends at that moment.",{"title":1017,"description":1023},[1104,1109,1120,1132,1144],{"mode":719,"replaces":52,"text":1105,"images":1106},"Use the full board: the outer areas that stay in the box with two players are starting areas here. Each team takes one end and its two players sit opposite each other, with their rivals to left and right. That way turns alternate between teams and no team plays twice in a row.",[1107],{"src":368,"alt":369,"label":1108},"Full board, two ends",{"mode":719,"replaces":720,"text":1110,"images":1111,"check":1114},"Deal three unit cards to each player, randomly or by draft, and give them the coins for those three types. Each player puts two coins of each type plus their royal coin into their bag: seven coins. The rest go to the supply, next to each player's cards.",[1112],{"src":414,"alt":415,"label":1113},"Three cards per player",{"question":1115,"options":1116,"answer":52,"explanation":1119},"How many coins start in each player's bag in a four-player game?",[1117,1118],"Seven: two per type plus the royal coin","Nine, as in a two-player game","With three unit types the starting bag drops from nine coins to seven.",{"mode":719,"replaces":1121,"text":1122,"images":1123,"check":1126},3,"Each team places a control marker on each of its three starting bases: three markers down and five in reserve. The other eight bases on the board stay neutral. Markers belong to the team, not to one player: either teammate can place them.",[1124],{"src":368,"alt":369,"label":1125},"Three bases per team",{"question":1127,"options":1128,"answer":52,"explanation":1131},"How many bases does each team control at the start?",[1129,1130],"Three, one per starting base","Six, three per player","A team starts with three bases and shares all eight markers.",{"mode":719,"replaces":1133,"text":1134,"images":1135,"check":1138},5,"Flip the initiative marker: the player matching the face-up side opens the round, then play passes to the player on their left, clockwise. Initiative can be claimed, but it cannot be taken from your teammate.",[1136],{"src":115,"alt":116,"label":1137},"Initiative and turn order",{"question":1139,"options":1140,"answer":52,"explanation":1143},"Can you claim initiative from your teammate?",[1141,1142],"No, only from a rival","Yes, it is a normal action","The marker moves between teams, not within the same team.",{"mode":719,"replaces":1145,"text":1146,"images":1147,"check":1150},6,"The team that places its last control marker wins: eight in total, not six per player. Both players win or lose together, and the game ends the instant the eighth marker goes down.",[1148],{"src":368,"alt":369,"label":1149},"Eight markers per team",{"question":1151,"options":1152,"answer":52,"explanation":1155},"When does a team win?",[1153,1154],"When it places its eighth control marker","When one of its players places six","Markers belong to the team: all eight count and the team that places the last one wins.",[557],"The team variant uses the full board and changes the unit deal, the bag size and the number of markers. Every action works exactly as it does with two players.","en\u002Fwar-chest\u002Fteams",[1160,1163,1166,1169],{"level":562,"title":1161,"text":1162},"Split the fronts before the first coin","Agree on which side of the board each of you pressures and which bases each defends. A team with two coordinated fronts wins before a team with two players doing the same thing in the same area.",{"level":572,"title":1164,"text":1165},"Use your teammate's bases","The biggest advantage of team play is deploying onto a base your teammate already controls. Set the position up together and let them place the unit that defends it, or the other way round: every base can be a deployment point for both of you.",{"level":572,"title":1167,"text":1168},"Count the team's markers","Eight markers, not six per player. When two or three are left in the common reserve, the whole team is about to win or lose. At that point initiative and tactics matter more than recruiting, just as in a two-player game but with two players watching the same clock.",{"level":582,"title":1170,"text":1171},"Coordinate tactics with your teammate","The Marshal, the Ensign and the Bannerman can move your teammate's units. One of your coins can be worth two actions if it activates the unit they just deployed. Before spending it, ask which unit on the team is best placed to take the push.","Two teams of two, three unit types per player and eight shared markers: the full board and everything that changes when you play in teams.",[1174,1180,1192,1204],{"title":1175,"text":1176,"images":1177},"Everyone draws from their own bag","At the start of the round each player draws three coins from their own bag and keeps them hidden, even from their teammate. There is no team bag: each player manages their own recycling and recruiting.",[1178],{"src":185,"alt":186,"label":1179},"One bag per player",{"title":1181,"text":1182,"images":1183,"check":1186},"Alternate between teams","The player with initiative starts and play passes clockwise, so teams alternate. When one player runs out of coins the others keep playing their hands; the round ends when everyone is empty.",[1184],{"src":368,"alt":369,"label":1185},"Four turns per cycle",{"question":1187,"options":1188,"answer":52,"explanation":1191},"Which player acts after the one who opens the round?",[1189,1190],"The player on their left, clockwise","Their teammate","Turn order alternates teams; your teammate does not play immediately after you.",{"title":1193,"text":1194,"images":1195,"check":1198},"Bases, units and recruiting","Bases controlled by the team are open to both players: either can deploy onto an empty team base. Your teammate's units count as friendly for tactics and attributes. What you cannot do is recruit a coin into your teammate's bag: each player buys for their own.",[1196],{"src":368,"alt":369,"label":1197},"Shared bases and units",{"question":1199,"options":1200,"answer":52,"explanation":1203},"Can you recruit a coin for your teammate's bag?",[1201,1202],"No, each player recruits for their own bag","Yes, if the coin belongs to one of their units","Bases are shared, but bags and purchases are individual.",{"title":1205,"text":1206,"images":1207},"Play with open information","Teammates may talk about anything: which coins they hold, what they plan and what they fear from the rivals. The only information that is not shared is what is face-down in your hand if you choose not to show it; the conversation itself, however, must be open, not secret signals.",[1208],{"src":414,"alt":415,"label":1209},"Talking is part of the game","YRPsdZ6DwTkhpSTZYNPjxlewWfsgUudgrUD6KPnINp8",1792932784396]