Game Guidebook

1. The Objective

Command the elemental forces of Snow or Ash. Win by:

Vanquishing the enemy leader (capture Ash Tyrant or Frost Lord).

2. Core Gameplay

Turns & Movement

One unit moves per turn. A full round = Snow turn + Ash turn.
Most units move 1 square (orthogonal or diagonal) unless restricted (Hamstrung, Stuck).

Combat & Territory

Move onto an enemy square to initiate combat. Higher Effective Power wins and captures the enemy.
If tied, the player with more Territory wins the tie.
Moving to an empty square converts it to your territory (important for tie-breakers and some abilities).

Some combat notes

Abilities, status effects, and terrain modifiers (Unstable Ground, IcyGround, Void Scars) modify Effective Power. Many specialist and veteran effects interact with combat resolution — consult Section 6 for specifics.

3. The Map Objectives

The Awakened Conduit (Rifts)

Two corner Rift areas can link into the Conduit. Anchors, teleports, charges, and Forge events make this a high-value objective.

Conduit full mechanics

The Conduit forms when one faction holds both Rift areas; anchors get power boosts, and friendly units near anchors can use the Conduit highway to teleport between anchors. The Abyssal Forge periodically either expands the Rift area or spawns Elemental Cores. If highly charged it may Void Snap into permanent Void Scars.

Elemental Cores

Ruby: offensive charges.
Topaz: movement/cooldown benefits.
Emerald: defensive/heal effects.
Sapphire: siphon/utility effects.

The Unstable Shrine

Capturing a Shrine gives a permanent +1 Power and adds a charge. At 2 charges the Shrine Overloads and the next entrant becomes Trapped.

Shrine full rules

A Trapped unit's owner chooses either Primal Ascension (sacrifice the unit for a permanent upgrade) or Release (free the unit with -1 permanent Power and Dazed 3). Opponents can "steal" trapped sacrifices by moving onto the Shrine.

4. Primal Ascension Paths

Sacrificing a unit grants a permanent faction upgrade. Key: each unit category has two paths — pick one when you activate Ascension.

Shaper (Ice Weaver / Rift Forger)

Path A: [Master of Creation] — Leader gains a one-time wall/hazard placement ability.

Path B: [Territorial Claim] — Vanquishing an enemy captures two adjacent empty squares.

Priest (Soul Freeze / Scorch Priest)

Path A: [Leader's Ward] — Leader gains a one-time Priest's Ward that blocks the next enemy ability targeting them.

Path B: [Martyrdom] — When one of your units is vanquished, the attacking enemy is Dazed for 2 turns.

Striker (Frostbite Stalker / Cinder Scout)

Path A: [Lethal Precision] — Skirmisher unit permanently gains +1 Base Power.

Path B: [Targeted Weakness] — Units attacking a debuffed enemy gain +1 Power (attacking only).

Warrior (Glacial Brute / Magma Prowler)

Path A: [Unstoppable Force] — Brawler gains "Steadfast" (immune to Daze, Stuck, push/pull).

Path B: [Home-Field Advantage] — Units defending on starting squares gain +1 Power.

Siphoner (Void Chanter / Rift Warden)

Path A: [Primal Power] — Mage ability upgraded (Wisp Power 1 / Lava Glob reach).

Path B: [Energy Siphon] — Capturing an empty square adjacent to an enemy Dazes them for 1 turn.

Mage (Cryomancer / Magma Spitter)

Path A: [Elemental Harmony] — Priest ability upgraded (extra effects such as Hamstring on Soul Freeze).

Path B: [Magical Supremacy] — Losing a tie results in Banishment instead of vanquish (teleport away, -1 permanent Power, Dazed 1).

Brawler (Rampaging Yeti / Blazebound Beast)

Path A: [Rampage] — Permanent upgrade to Warrior primary ability.

Path B: [Vengeance] — If an enemy vanquishes your unit, the attacker is Marked for 2 turns.

Skirmisher (Arctic Trapper / Ash Strider)

Path A: [Acrobatic Tactics] — Striker gains Acrobat (can jump over allied units).

Path B: [Hit and Run] — Units that end their turn on newly captured squares gain Entrenched (wins tie-breakers until your next turn).

Mystic (Hoarfrost Mystic / Obsidian Shaper)

Path A: [Arcane Attunement] — Siphoners can use Siphon on any friendly territory square.

Path B: [Rift Reinforcement] — Anchors always receive the full +2 Power boost even if the link is Contested.

5. The Tether System & Overload (Siphoners)

Siphoners can form Tethers to shift Power and absorb debuffs for allies; Overload points accumulate and can be vented on map objectives.

Full Tether rules and modes

Tether (Action): Link units within 2 squares (4 on Rift). Modes: Benevolent, Hostile, Parasitic, Resonance — each transfers 1 Power and generates Overload Points.
Status Siphoning: Tethered ally debuffs can be absorbed by the Siphoner (Siphoner gains 1 Overload Point).
Overload: Permanent points; 1–3 safe, 4 destroys the Siphoner.
Venting: Spend a turn to vent all Overload on a Power Rift (triggers Abyssal Forge) or Overloaded Shrine (adds Shrine charge).

6. Unit Abilities Reference

Leader Ultimates

King's Edict (Frost Lord): 2 rounds — enemy Ash pieces -1 Power and cannot move diagonally.
Tyrant's Proclamation (Ash Tyrant): 2 rounds — friendly Ash pieces +1 Power; captures create Unstable Ground (hazardous terrain).

Specialist & Veteran Abilities

See list below for primary abilities and veteran upgrades; these are technical and long so expand to read.

Specialists

Arctic Trapper — Set Snare: Create a trap on an adjacent empty square. The first enemy to enter is Stuck for 2 turns. (CD: 4)
Ash Strider — Scorched Retreat: Move 1 square backward and create an Unstable Ground hazard on the square you left (next entrant takes 1 permanent damage). (CD: 3)
Blazebound Beast — Hunter's Rage: Gain +1 Power (attacking only) for 2 rounds. (CD: 4)
Cinder Scout — Kindle Armor: Grants an adjacent ally +1 Power (defending only) for 2 rounds. (CD: 3)
Cryomancer — Summon Ice Wisp: Summons a Power 0 wisp to an empty square within 4 squares. (CD: 4)
Frostbite Stalker — Hamstring: An adjacent enemy cannot move diagonally for 1 round. (CD: 3)
Glacial Brute — Frost Armor: Gain +2 Power (defending only) for 2 rounds. (CD: 4)
Hoarfrost Mystic — Frigid Path: Creates a 1x3 line of IcyGround, claiming territory. The first enemy to enter is Dazed. (CD: 5)
Ice Weaver — Glacial Wall: Creates two impassable walls on adjacent empty squares. Lasts 3 turns. (CD: 6)
Magma Prowler — Frenzied Dash: Move 2 squares in a straight line to an empty square. Cannot capture. (CD: 3)
Magma Spitter — Lava Glob: Deals 1 permanent damage to an enemy with a base power of 1 or 2, within 4 squares. (CD: 10)
Obsidian Shaper — Magma Shield: Place a shield on an ally for 2 rounds. The next enemy to attack it takes 1 permanent damage. (CD: 5)
Rampaging Yeti — Pummel: Pushes an adjacent enemy back 1 square. Deals no damage. (CD: 3)
Rift Forger — Unstable Ground: Make an empty square within 4 squares hazardous. The next piece to enter takes 1 permanent damage. (CD: 4)
Scorch Priest — Mark of Cinder: Mark an enemy within 2 squares, reducing its power by 1. Lasts 3 turns. (CD: 4)
Soul Freeze — Chilling Aura: Activates an aura that reduces the power of adjacent enemies by 1. Lasts 3 turns. (CD: 4)

Veteran Rewards

Arctic Trapper — Distracting Roar (Active). Reduce the effective power of an adjacent enemy by 1 for 1 full round. (CD: 2)
Blazebound Beast — Blaze Lunge (Active). Move up to 2 squares in a straight line to an empty square adjacent to an enemy unit. (CD: 4)
Cinder Scout — Cinder Surge (Active). Removes all debuffs (Daze, Stuck, Hamstrung) from an adjacent friendly unit. (CD: 4)
Cryomancer — Permanent Upgrade: Wisp Enhancement. Summoned Ice Wisp now has 1 Base Power.
Frostbite Stalker — Icy Shift (Active). Swap positions with any unit (friendly or enemy) within 2 squares; both units are Dazed for 1 turn. (CD: 5)
Glacial Brute — Frost Stomp (Active). Daze any adjacent enemy unit for 1 turn. (CD: 3)
Hoarfrost Mystic — Glacial Beacon (Active). Target an empty square within 3 squares; the next enemy to move onto it is Dazed for 1 turn. (CD: 4)
Ice Weaver — Permanent Upgrade: Glacial Fortress. Primary ability now places three (3) walls instead of two.
Magma Prowler — Permanent Upgrade: Siphon Charge. Sacrifice 1 permanent Power to instantly reset the cooldown of Frenzied Dash. (No CD, uses ability slot)
Magma Spitter — Volatile Cinder (Active). Deals 1 permanent damage to an enemy within 3 squares that is currently Marked by Cinder. (CD: 4)
Obsidian Shaper — Eruption Link (Active). Grants an adjacent ally Magma Shield and +2 Power for 1 turn. (CD: 5)
Rampaging Yeti — Hardened Ice (Active). Grants an adjacent ally Steadfast (immune to control effects) for 2 full rounds. (CD: 5)
Rift Forger — Permanent Upgrade: Volatile Forge. Primary ability now places two (2) adjacent hazards instead of one.
Scorch Priest — Soulfire Burst (Active). Detonates a nearby Unstable Ground square, dealing 1 permanent damage to all adjacent units (friendly and enemy). (CD: 6)