Product Information
Board Game Geek Avg Player Rating: 8.6. Suitable for 2 to 5 players and published in 2019. This is the Kickstarter Deluxe Edition of the In the Hall of the Mountain King board game by Burnt Island Games. It includes the core game in its Deluxe Edition and all unlocked stretch goals. Note that paid add - ons from the Kickstarter Campaign are not included unless otherwise stated. The war ended generations ago. We trolls were driven from our ancestral home under the mountain and have been wandering in the wilderness, barely surviving in the cold and dirt. Now, the mountain has collapsed as it lost our people's soul, taking revenge for us. Our enemies have fled, and the rubble of our ancient halls calls us back home. We'll return with claws, hammers, sweat, and songs. As a respected leader, gather trolls from the Mud, Fire, Ice, and Moon clans. Dig stone, iron, and heartstone - clad tunnels. Carve out spacious galleries as great halls. Unearth ancient statues and, with the clans' help, place them near the mountain's heart. As our kingdom is rebuilt, the wave of returning trolls grows mightier, and one leader will rise to be crowned the Mountain King! We trolls are competing to excavate the mountain, earn honor, and become the Mountain King. Honor is earned by digging tunnels and great halls, building statue pedestals, and placing lost statues near the mountain's heart. The rules are simple. Each turn has the following steps: 1. (Optional) Cast 1 spell and/or activate 1 Workshop. Place a rune crystal on a spell to unleash magic. After three castings, the spell disappears and a new one appears. Use workshops to transform what you have into what you need, but only fast miners can access the best ones. 2. Recruit 1 Troll or Dig 1 Tunnel. - Recruit 1 Troll: Pick a troll from the horde, but you must bribe all trolls below it. When added to your group, it generates resources, and the effect cascades down, giving resources to trolls below. Time your recruitments well. - Dig 1 Tunnel: Spend minerals to dig tunnels on the map. Tunnels help you reach resources, statues, connect to workshops, and reach the mountain's heart. 3. (Optional) Dedicate a great hall. If you have a large enough tunnel region, lay a great hall over it for scoring opportunities. 4. (Optional) Move statues. Spend carts of the correct clan to move statues through tunnels. Closer to the heart is better, especially on pedestals. At the end of the game, score honor points for your tunnels, great halls, pedestals, statues, and leftover resources. The highest - scoring player wins. Play as trolls rebuilding your abandoned kingdom under the mountain. Use muscle and magic to unearth riches, dig tunnels, and carve great halls while restoring ancestral statues. The gameplay uses an innovative cascading production system. Timing and tactics are crucial to restore your home and win the crown. Play on the same gameboard as other players (starting at your own entrance). Spend valuable materials to lay polyomino tiles and dig competing tunnel networks. Connect to resources, workshops, and statues. Statues are key to scoring, and you'll spend carts to move them to prime locations. The cascading production is a major game aspect. Start with four trolls. Each troll shows the resources it produces. When you hire a new troll, place it above two others in a 'pyramid'. The new troll and those below it activate, gaining resources. As you hire more trolls, you get larger resource windfalls near the game's end. Time your hiring and building turns to maximize cascades, get the trolls you want, and stay competitive on the map. The game ends shortly after the last player hires their sixth troll. The player with the most Honor is crowned the Mountain King and wins. We're happy to back campaigns to bring you games like this. A large percentage of your purchase will go towards backing new Kickstarter games. If you have questions about buying this game online or need game advice, contact The Game Steward.
How to Play: First, gather 2 - 5 players. Each player starts at their own entrance on the gameboard. On your turn, you have several options. You can choose to cast a spell or activate a workshop. Just place a rune crystal on a spell to use its magic. Remember, after three uses, the spell goes away and a new one shows up. Workshops are great for changing what you have into what you need, but you have to be quick to get to the best ones. You can also recruit a troll or dig a tunnel. When recruiting a troll, pick one from the horde, but you'll need to pay off the trolls below it. Once you add the new troll to your group, it gives you resources, and the trolls below also get some. So, think about when you recruit. If you choose to dig a tunnel, spend minerals to dig on the map. Tunnels help you find resources, statues, and connect to workshops. Optionally, you can dedicate a great hall if you have a big enough tunnel area. And you can move statues by spending carts of the right clan. Try to get the statues close to the mountain's heart, especially on pedestals. At the end of the game, count up your honor points for tunnels, great halls, pedestals, statues, and leftover resources. The player with the most points wins and becomes the Mountain King. Things to Keep in Mind: The paid add - ons from the Kickstarter Campaign are not included unless the rules say otherwise. Time your actions well. The cascading production system means that hiring more trolls can give you lots of resources near the end, but you need to balance it with your building and moving on the map. Maintenance: Keep the game components in a dry and clean place. If the polyomino tiles or cards get dirty, you can gently wipe them with a soft, dry cloth. Make sure to store the game in its box to avoid losing any pieces.
