Eschaton: Iconoclasm

A brutal cooperative or solo-play expansion for the cult strategy deck-building game.

1 - 6 Players | 1 - 2 Hours | Adaptive Deck-Driven Adversary

Through their conquests, the Inquisition has managed to establish a foothold in the realm. This support network of Inquisitorial sympathizers grants the Inquisition the ability to bolster their crusade against the cultists and the citadel.

If the Inquisition holds a position in the realm, they will perform actions based on the specific territories which they control.  These territories increase the strength of their ‘pious’ cause and aid them on their path to victory.  The loss of these territories will violently provoke the Inquisitor’s resolve against the Dark One’s chosen, who will be awash in favor from their victories.

The ferocity of the Inquisition is driven by their resolve.  While the Inquisition holds the realm in their grasp, their intention remains firm and constant.  As the cults rise to power, seizing the realm in the name of the Dark One and completing objectives in his name, the resolve of the Inquisitors rises in opposition. For every victory that the cults gain in the realm, the Inquisitorial hammer comes down ever harder, making them more threatening to the cultist horde.

The resolve track is the core of the Inquisition’s threat level as they take their turns.  This track dictates the number of Incursions that are made, how many Tactics cards are used, and the size of the Inquisitorial force added to the board on a turn.  As the players build towards victory, the Inquisitor's resolve will increase, yielding a more aggressive and deadly play style.

Through domination of the realm, the Inquisition builds their campaign against the Dark One’s cults.  Conquest of territories grants the Inquisition more resources and power in the realm and drives the cults back into the shadows.

Every turn, the Inquisition will make plays on the Realm Map based on cards drawn from the Inquisitor Incursion deck.  For every territory played from the Incursion Deck on the Inquisitor’s turn, Inquisitor cubes will be added to the Realm Map and marched closer to the Citadel. As their resolve increases, these cards will yield more Inquisitor cubes in more territories, pushing against the cultists’ efforts with progressively more force.

As their resolve increases, the Inquisition begins to add strong tactical maneuvers to their incursions in the realm. Inquisitor Tactics will increase the potency of their cause and eventually bring them to victory.

Tactics are played from the Inquisitor Tactics deck.  Based on the status of the Resolve Track, the Inquisition will add a number of Tactics cards to their actions for the turn.  The tactics cards in the deck are of a progressive threat level and will become more powerful as gameplay advances.  If the Inquisition manages to play through their full Tactics deck, they will have successfully routed the cultists and won the game.

The cults stand in constant opposition to the Inquisition, and their deeds do not go unnoticed by the Dark One. Favor is earned through conquering territories and sacrificing relics, forming a shared currency that can be spent to unleash powerful hindrances against their enemies.

Players work together to decide which maledictions to invoke. Favor is limited, and each decision carries weight.

While fending off the onslaught of the Inquisition’s forces, the cults must forge covenants over the course of the game. Failure to do so means Armageddon will not come to pass, and the Inquisition will stand triumphant.

United in purpose, the cults must set aside rivalry and act as one. Every conquest, every sacrifice, every covenant forged brings the world closer to its final hour. Only through coordination and ruthless fervor can the Inquisition be broken and the path cleared.

Work together, spend your favor wisely, and see the ritual through to its end. Fail, and the world endures under the Inquisition’s rule. Succeed, and the Dark One returns… and the end of all things begins!