Orcs Must Die: The Boardgame actually consists of TWO separate games! One is based on the heroic Order, while the other is for the Unchained. Both are complete stand-alone games. In Order, you’ll play heroes such as Maximilian the War Mage, Gabriella the Redeemed Sorceress, and others, while fending off the villainous orc onslaught. In Unchained, you play opposing heroes, such as the Kobold King or Midnight the assassin, facing down assaults by human soldiers, lions, elves, bears, dwarfs, and the like.
How Is It Played?
First, you and your friends choose your heroes – each individual game supports 1-4 players, who must co-operate to survive the enemy onslaught. Each hero has his own individual sheet, with his unique characteristics, special ability, and his secret superpower, that he needs to save for just the right moment. He also comes with his own special figure and his own weapon cards that no one else has access to.
When you think you are ready to go, choose a difficulty level, and a map – you can select one of the maps we’ve included, or create one of your own! A typical map is made up of from 4 to as many as 13 tiles (or even more, if you are inventing your own design). The game has a lot of pieces to play with, but the map itself is reasonably tight, and will fit just fine on a typical gaming (or dining room) table.
Finally, the fight begins! Each turn, waves of orcs and other monsters move pitilessly through the map, relentlessly aiming for your poor Guardian, trying to destroy him and your Rift. You and your allies run around the map, placing traps in the various parts of your map, battling the invaders, and performing a host of other actions.
You earn trophy skulls for killing your enemies, and these act as the game’s “cash” – spend them to buy new weapons, magic amulets, and a host of other items. You also can spend skulls to place traps, and to upgrade your Guardian, making him better-able to hold off the orcs, gnolls, and other enemies.
But over time your enemies accrue in strength, too! You have to face three Onslaughts, and with each Onslaught, your foes increase in might. If you do not lay a solid groundwork for your defenses with upgrades and trap placements in the early part of the game, you may face doom later on!
Combat is straightforward and fast – you roll various colored dice depending on what type of weapons and upgrades you own. Remove “killed” enemies from the map, only to see them replaced by new waves each turn. The fun continues. The game builds up over time to a crescendo of doom, in which the last few turns see you frantically try to finish off the final waves of the onslaught before your crippled Guardian is destroyed!
Head-to-head play?
If you or your friends own both the Order and Unchained versions of Orcs Must Die: The Boardgame , you can go head-to-head, pitting the regimented Order against the legions of the Unchained in an epic conflict. You and your friends will split into two teams – one side fights for the Order, and the other will control the Unchained.
Each side has its own heroes, its own armies, its own Items, and its own traps. Your hero can defend your own citadel, or seek to lead your armies to victory inside the enemy lair. With friends to help, your faction can station heroes at both tasks, and even switch off duties. The game supports up to 4 players per side.
