Evenfall solo rules (Essen preview #2)
One book to rule them all: belated September edition
In Evenfall the witches' seat of power has been vacated and the veil is thin enough to travel to distant lands. It’s up to you to fight for your right to rule.
Summed up
You play against an Automa that has a special board. This board allows it to choose actions based on a rondel. There are two sure actions that always happen whenever the AI would pass through, it instead stops on these actions marked with golden rings. Otherwise you determine the action by drawing a top card from the main deck and use the VP value to move that far on the track.
The game is played over three rounds, each divided into four phases:
1. Scout phase - gain cards, resources, mana...
Printed on player boards, clan specific.
2. Action phase - take turns performing actions until you pass.
Discover a place of power: place witches on a region to acquire the card and place it into your Outer Circle (it doesn’t score there, but provides bonuses).
Activate clan token: harvest places of power, gain resources.
Play a card: ritual (only on place of power), specialist or council member in respective places on your board.
Use an action space: for example transfer moves cards from Outer Circle to Inner Circle (allowing them to score).
Build catalysts: scythe copies harvest bonus, orb advances coven track (giving you bonuses).
3. Battle phase - fixed order of resolution.
Strength = number of player witches/elders + mana spent.
AI strength = number of AI witches + current round + VP of drawn cards (draw cards equal to number of AI witches).
All participants gain battle rewards, only winner gains powerstone (doubles scoring of rituals). In case of tie, player wins.
4. Round end - replenish all empty spaces, return witches/elders...
The Automa participates only during action and battle phases. Doesn’t use resources, gains VPs instead. You always play first (even if AI would gain first player, it never will), and if you pass, the AI passes too, making the rounds played equal.
Final scoring depends on VPs of specialists, rituals/places of power only in Inner Circle. The player can also score from end game effects.
My thoughts are revealed
Rulebook
Well written and contains a game summary right at the end, which is super helpful. Although only for multiplayer, solo isn’t included.
Overall
Another of our Essen previews (accidentaly published after the show). The theme is a bit weird to me, not sure how it is connected and doesn’t really help much with the terminology, but it’s different. However one thing I really like is how the AI works. I’m not a fan of AI, but the rondel on the AI board seems like a really nice and simple way to decide its actions.
Evenfall was released at Essen 2023 and is available in shops. Images source: game page on BGG.