King of the Tabletop
The Official Handbook & Strategy Guide
📜 Objective
You are a landed aristocrat in a strange kingdom. Your goal is to accumulate wealth, build magnificent structures, and raise armies. You can win in one of two ways:
- The Builder's Victory: Accumulate 30 Prestige Points AND build a Gran Muniment (Level 4 Fortification).
- The Warlord's Victory: Eliminate all other players by capturing or destroying all their Land tiles.
🗺️ The Game Board
The interface is divided into three main zones:
1. Your Realm (Bottom)
Your player chart has 4 vertical columns representing your lands. Each column has three slots:
- Bottom Slot (Land): Holds the Terrain Tile (Forest, Mountain, etc.).
- Middle Slot (Fort): Holds Fortifications (Towers, Keeps).
- Top Slot (Improvement): Holds economic buildings (Cities, Mines).
2. The Bank (Center)
This is where the game is controlled. You will find the Land Deck (Left), the Playing Deck (Right), and the Dice/Phase controls.
3. The Hand
Your wooden rack at the bottom of the screen holds your cards. These are hidden from your opponent until played.
⏳ Sequence of Play
The game is played in turns, divided into 4 Phases. You must complete actions in a phase before clicking "NEXT PHASE".
Phase 1: Collection & Construction
1. Collect Gold: Automatic. +1 per Land, plus the value of Mines/Cities.
2. Count Prestige: Automatic. Based on Lands, Buildings, and Wealth (1pt per 10g).
3. Actions:
- Cash In: Click Treasure cards to sell for Gold.
- Build: Drag City cards onto Lands. (Note: Mines only go on Mountains!)
- Fortify: Click the middle slot of a land to buy a Fort (10g).
Phase 2: Random Events
Click "ROLL EVENT". Two dice determine your fate:
- Disasters: Fires, Floods, and Earthquakes may target specific terrains. If hit, roll a die: Even = Safe, Odd = Destroyed.
- Boons: Good Harvests or Tax Laws can give you extra Gold.
Phase 3: Acquire Tiles
You automatically draw 1 Free Card from the Playing Deck.
Phase 4: War (In Development)
Select units to attack opponent lands. Ranged units fire first, followed by melee. Capture lands to eliminate opponents.
🏰 Game Components
Terrain Types
Forest, Mountain, Plains, Swamp, Desert. Terrain is crucial because units fight better on their home terrain, and disasters only affect specific types.
Card Types
- Characters (Units): Used for war. Have a Combat Value (top left).
- Improvements (Buildings): Cities (High Def/Gold), Villages, Mines.
- Treasures (Gold): Items like "Gold Nugget" or "Diamond". Sell these immediately!
- Magic (Items): Special effects that break the rules.
💡 Strategy & Hints
- The Mountain Strategy: If you find a Mountain, guard it! It is the only place for Mines (+4g/turn), the fastest path to wealth.
- Fortify Early: A Tower (Level 1) is easily destroyed by an Earthquake. A Keep (Level 2) survives as a Tower. Higher levels are insurance.
- Hoarding vs. Spending: You get Prestige for hoarding gold (1pt per 10g), but unspent gold cannot defend your lands. Balance is key.
- Diversity: Don't just own Forests. If a Forest Fire strikes, you could lose everything. Diversify your portfolio!