The Laws of the Campaign
Enter the sanctum of knowledge where heroes are forged and history is written in the heat of battle. Before the duel begins, one must master the intricate dance of copper, timing and strategy that governs the campaign. Follow these laws to ascend the ranks of the great warlords.
The Goal
You win when one of your heroes attacks while no opposing hero can be targeted — because all are in the infirmary or otherwise untouchable.
Think of the infirmary as 'knocked out'. Once all three enemy heroes are there and one of your heroes declares an attack, you win.
Getting Started
Find an Opponent
Heroes of the Campaign is a 1-vs-1 duel. Sit across from a friend, choose your cards, and prepare for battle.
Build Your Deck
Each player brings exactly 3 hero cards and 3 strategy cards. Heroes are your fighters — strategy cards are your tricks.
Reveal Your Heroes
Both players secretly choose their cards, then simultaneously lay all heroes face-up. No take-backs!
Decide Who Goes First
Agree together who takes the first turn. The second player's heroes cannot take wounds during round one.
Your Turn
A round is simple — you act, then your opponent acts. On your turn you have two things you can do.
Hero Tasks
Each of your heroes may perform one task — options are printed on the hero card. Pay the copper cost shown on the pouch icon to activate it. Tasks can earn copper, deal wounds, heal, and more. Heroes can only perform tasks you can afford.
Strategy Cards
In addition to tasks, you may play strategy cards from your hand. Some cards are marked 'at any time' — these can even be played during your opponent's turn.
Combat
Combat happens when a hero performs an attacking task. It resolves in one simultaneous exchange — there is no back-and-forth.
Attacking
Choose an opposing hero as the target. Both heroes deal wounds equal to their attack power at the same time. Your opponent does not choose a defender — the targeted hero always defends.
Wounds & the Infirmary
Every hero has a resistance value — the right number below their portrait. When a hero's wound count reaches that number, they go to the infirmary and can no longer act or be attacked.
In the infirmary a hero is fully inactive — no abilities, no tasks. They can still be healed. While there, their wound count always equals their resistance exactly.
Resources
Copper
Copper is the game's currency. Heroes earn it through tasks and you spend it to activate tasks and play strategy cards. Copper carries between rounds — save it for the right moment.
Hero Stats
Every hero has two numbers below their portrait. These tell you everything about their combat ability.
Building Your Deck
Choose 3 Heroes
Heroes are your fighters. Each card shows their tasks, attack power, and resistance. Pick heroes whose abilities complement each other — a balanced team beats a stack of attackers.
Choose 3 Strategy Cards
Strategy cards extend what your heroes can do. Choose one type or mix them — there are five kinds:
Deployable allies that fight as heroes at your side. Once a support is deployed, it counts as a hero on your adventure.
Learnable from round 2. The hero gains all listed abilities and may perform one extra task per round.
Immediate effects that return to your hand after use. Usable once per round, each time paying the copper cost.
Enact immediately and remains in effect until broken. Cards always take precedence over rules.
Send heroes to a location by paying travel costs. They gain new abilities and tasks while stationed there.
Key Terms
A hero with wounds equal to their resistance goes to the infirmary and can no longer act. Abilities are deactivated and tasks cannot be performed. While there, wound count always equals resistance. Heroes in the infirmary can be healed.
Copper is the currency of the game. Heroes can earn copper and spend it on tasks and strategy cards. You can collect and save copper to spend in later rounds.
Some heroes are in cover. This status alone has no effect. Other heroes and effects can reference or influence this status.
Classes are used to describe heroes. Heroes and effects can reference or influence classes. Heroes are at your side when they are on the adventure with you and not in the infirmary.
Cards always take precedence over the rules. If a card allows something the rules forbid, you may do it when you play that card.
The Golden Rule
Cards always take precedence over the rules. If a card explicitly allows something these rules forbid, you may do it when you play that card.
Full Rulebook
Heroes of the Campaign
Game Start
Secretly choose three heroes and three strategy cards with which you want to undertake the adventure.
At the same time as your opponent, place all your heroes face-up in front of you.
Together, decide who begins the game. The other player's heroes cannot take wounds in the first round.
Game Objective
The goal of the game is to have one of your heroes attack while no opposing hero can be attacked—either because they are in the infirmary or are untouchable.
A Turn
During your turn, each of your heroes may perform one task, such as earning copper, healing wounds, or attacking.
Additionally, you may use your strategy cards.
Copper
Copper is the currency of the game. Your heroes can earn copper and complete tasks for copper.
You can collect and save copper to use in later rounds.
Heroes
At the beginning of the adventure, choose 3 different heroes to accompany you.
Tasks
Heroes can perform tasks. Each of your heroes can perform one task per turn, as listed on their card. To make a hero do what you want, you pay the amount of copper shown on the pouch, and the hero performs all listed actions in strict order.
Heroes can only perform tasks you can afford to pay for.
If a hero takes enough wounds to be sent to the infirmary while performing a task, the remaining actions of the task are not executed.
Combat
Heroes who either attack or defend are in combat.
Attacking
To have your hero attack, choose an opposing hero as the target. Both heroes simultaneously deal wounds equal to their attack power.
If you have one of your heroes attack and there is no opponent hero who can be attacked because all are either in the infirmary or untouchable, you win the game.
Heroes affected by a status effect that prevents them from attacking cannot perform tasks that involve attacking.
Defending
You cannot choose defenders. Your opponent selects the defender with their attacker.
The hero whose player did not initiate the fight is the defender.
Healing Wounds
Some heroes can heal wounds on themselves or other heroes.
A hero cannot be healed for more wounds than they have taken. Excess healing is lost.
Heroes without wounds can still be targeted by healing, but it has no effect.
Heroes can also heal opposing heroes.
Taking Copper
Some heroes can take copper from your opponent.
This means your opponent loses the corresponding amount of copper, and you gain as much as they lost.
If your opponent has less copper than the amount to be taken, then as much as possible is taken.
Even if your opponent has no copper, your heroes can still perform tasks that include taking copper—no copper is taken in that case.
Classes
Classes are used to describe heroes. Heroes and effects can refer to or influence classes.
Infirmary
If a hero takes as many wounds as their resistance, they go to the infirmary and can no longer act.
While in the infirmary, a hero has no effect on the game. Their abilities are inactive, and they cannot perform tasks.
While in the infirmary, the number of wounds a hero has is always equal to their resistance. This may mean the number of wounds changes while in the infirmary.
Heroes in the infirmary can be healed.
Attack Power and Resistance
Heroes always have attack power and resistance.
Attack power is the number on the left below the hero's image. It determines how many wounds the opponent receives in combat.
Resistance is the number on the right below the hero's image. It determines how many wounds a hero can take before being sent to the infirmary.
In Cover
Some heroes are "in cover." This alone has no effect.
However, other heroes and effects can refer to or influence this status.
At Your Side
Heroes are at your side (or another hero's side) if they are on the adventure with you and not in the infirmary.
Strategy Cards
At the beginning of the adventure, choose 3 different strategy cards to bring with you.
Keep your strategy cards hidden and reveal them only when you use them.
The different types of strategy cards are: Support, Maneuvers, Events, Laws, and Locations.
Support
You can deploy support if all conditions are met. Once deployed, support counts as a hero on your side.
If a support card can be deployed "at any time," it may be played during the opponent's turn as well.
Maneuvers
Your heroes can learn maneuvers starting from the second round. If all conditions are met, you may play a maneuver card face-up and assign it to a hero.
Once learned, a hero gains all listed abilities and may use one of the maneuver's tasks in addition to their regular task each round.
Heroes may learn multiple maneuvers. If a maneuver can be learned "at any time," this includes the opponent's turn.
Events
You can trigger events. If the conditions are met, show the event card and pay the copper cost listed.
Not all events have a condition. The event takes effect immediately.
Events return to your hand after use. You may use them multiple times, but only once per round—paying the cost each time.
If an event can occur "at any time," it can be used during the opponent's turn as well.
Laws
You can enact laws. If the conditions are met, show the strategy card and pay the copper cost listed.
Not all laws have a condition. A law takes effect immediately and remains in effect until it is broken.
If a law can be enacted "at any time," it can also be enacted during the opponent's turn.
Some heroes can break laws. This removes an enacted law from the game.
Even if no laws are currently in play, heroes may still perform tasks that include breaking a law—the law-breaking effect is simply ignored.
Locations
If you choose one or more locations as strategy cards, place them face-up in front of you at the start of the adventure.
You can send heroes to a location by paying the travel cost (shown on the pouch above the type line on the left).
A hero remains at that location until sent elsewhere or moved to the infirmary.
Once at a location, a hero gains all abilities and tasks listed on the location and may perform them like any of their own.
Sending a hero to a location does not count as a task. They may still perform a task that round.
Some locations have a maximum capacity, shown on the fortress icon above the type line on the right.
Heroes that aren't at any location are in the camp.
Golden Rule
Cards always take precedence over the rules.
If a card allows something that the rules forbid, you may do it when you play the card.
Language Note
For readability, gender-neutral language has been omitted. All personal terms apply equally to all genders.
Helden des Heerzugs v1.1.1