CODEX / SCENARIOS / Overview
B

attle Scenarios

"Step into the arena. Steel your will. Only one walks out."

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Scenario Overview

Penance includes multiple playtest scenarios designed to teach different aspects of tactical combat. Each scenario progressively introduces new mechanics, from basic deathmatch duels to complex objective control battles. Master these proving grounds to prepare for the brutal campaign ahead.

All scenarios feature pre-built decks for immediate play, detailed maps with terrain effects, and clear victory conditions. Whether you're learning the core combat system or testing advanced tactics, these scenarios provide balanced, engaging challenges.

New: Campaign Mechanics Tutorial

Before diving into campaign mode, we recommend completing the Energy & Threads Tutorial. This solo scenario teaches Soulstone Energy management, Thread Snap damage, and post-mission resource decisions in 30-45 minutes.

Prerequisites: Complete Scenario #1 (The Proving Grounds) first to learn basic combat.

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Scenario #1: The Proving Grounds

Type 1v1 Deathmatch
Factions Church of Absolution vs Dwarven Forge-Guilds
Map Size 12×12 hex grid
Estimated Playtime 45-60 minutes
Difficulty Beginner (Core Mechanics Tutorial)
Victory Condition Reduce opponent to 0 HP OR force 4+ deck reshuffles

Scenario Description

The Proving Grounds is a classic arena deathmatch designed to teach the core combat mechanics of Penance. Two Caskets face off on a 12×12 hex battlefield featuring varied terrain...forests for cover, rubble for defensive positioning, water for Heat management, and elevated platforms for tactical advantage.

This scenario emphasizes fundamentals: SP economy (when to spend, when to save), Heat management (risking overload for power), deck cycling (when to reshuffle), and component damage tracking. Players learn how terrain modifiers, facing angles, and reactive cards create tactical depth.

The Proving Grounds Hex Map

Map Features

Terrain Type Hexes Effect
Forest 8 +1 Defense when standing in hex. Blocks LOS if 2+ forest hexes in a row.
Rubble 8 +1 Defense, difficult terrain (2 SP per hex to enter)
Water/Mud 20 Difficult terrain (2 SP per hex). Remove 1 Heat at end of turn if standing in water.
Elevation 1 4 +1 damage to attacks FROM this hex. Ignore cover. Costs 3 SP to climb from ground.
Elevation 2 4 +2 damage, +1 Range. Costs 5 SP to climb from ground, 3 SP from Elevation 1.
Plain Ground Rest No modifiers. 1 SP per hex movement.

Pre-Built Decks

Church: "Martyr's Fury" (Aggressive Striker)

Dwarves: "Immovable Wall" (Defensive Tank)

Learning Objectives

This scenario teaches the following core mechanics:

  1. SP Economy: Balancing movement, attacks, and abilities within 4-5 SP per turn
  2. Heat Management: Risk/reward of high-Heat cards. Strain checks at 5+ Heat.
  3. Deck-as-HP System: Each card = 1 HP. Discarding cards = taking damage. Reshuffle adds Damage cards.
  4. Component Damage Tracking: Discarding Primary Weapon cards = Component Damage. 3 Component Damage = Component Destroyed.
  5. Facing Modifiers: Rear arc attacks deal +3 damage. Positioning matters.
  6. Terrain Usage: Cover (+1 Defense), Elevation (+1/+2 damage), Difficult Terrain (extra SP cost)
  7. Reactive Cards: 0 SP interrupt abilities (defend, counter-attack, reposition)
  8. Death Spiral Mechanics: How Damage cards accumulate after reshuffles, creating inevitable decline

Expected Game Flow

Phase Turns Description
Positioning Phase 1-3 Both players navigate terrain toward center. Church moves faster (5 SP), Dwarves slower (4 SP). Establish early positioning advantages.
First Engagement 4-6 First attacks land. Church uses Blood Offering for burst (8-10 damage). Dwarves build Rune Counters for defense. Initial HP exchange (4-6 damage per turn).
Brutal Exchange 7-10 Both sides trading heavy blows. Component Damage begins accumulating. Heat management becomes critical. Terrain control becomes decisive.
Death Spiral 11-15 Decks contain Damage cards (dead draws). Component destruction occurs (arms, legs). Winner emerges through superior attrition management.

Expected Winner: 51/49 Church favor (slightly more aggressive, can burst down Dwarves before attrition matters). However, skilled Dwarf players can outlast Church martyrdom through superior defense and Rune stacking.

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Scenario #2: Reliquary Ruins

Type 1v1 Objective Control
Factions Church of Absolution vs Dwarven Forge-Guilds
Map Size 14×12 hex grid
Estimated Playtime 60-75 minutes
Difficulty Intermediate (Objective Control Tactics)
Victory Condition Control 6+ points at end of Round OR reduce opponent to 0 HP OR hold Central Cathedral for 3 consecutive Rounds

Scenario Description

Reliquary Ruins is an objective control scenario where two Caskets battle for sacred shrines scattered across a ruined cathedral complex. Victory doesn't require killing your opponent...controlling the majority of Reliquaries is enough. This scenario emphasizes map control, mobility, and strategic positioning over pure combat prowess.

Five Reliquaries (worth 10 total control points) are scattered across the 14×12 battlefield. The Central Cathedral (R3) is the most valuable objective, sitting atop Elevation 2 with 4 hexes worth 2 total points. Players must balance offensive pressure with objective scoring, choosing when to contest enemy-held shrines versus securing their own.

Reliquary Ruins Hex Map

Reliquary Control System

5 Reliquaries (10 total control points available):

Reliquary Location Hexes Points
R1: North Shrines Top of map 2 hexes 1 point per hex (2 total)
R2: East Shrines East side 2 hexes 1 point per hex (2 total)
R3: Central Cathedral Center, Elevation 2 4 hexes (zone) 2 points total (standing on ANY of 4 hexes)
R4: South Shrines South side 2 hexes 1 point per hex (2 total)
R5: Far South Shrines Bottom of map 2 hexes 1 point per hex (2 total)

How Control Works

At the END of each Round (both players have taken a turn):

  1. Check which Reliquary hexes each player is standing on
  2. Award control points:
    • R1, R2, R4, R5: 1 point per hex occupied
    • R3 (Central Cathedral): 2 points if ANY of the 4 hexes occupied
  3. Track cumulative control points on paper or tokens
  4. Victory Check: If one player has 6+ points (majority control), they win immediately

Important: If both players occupy different hexes of the same Reliquary (e.g., Church on R1-Hex1, Dwarves on R1-Hex2), NEITHER player scores points from that Reliquary. This creates "contesting" gameplay where denying opponent scoring is as valuable as scoring yourself.

Victory Conditions

Pre-Built Decks

Church: "Zealot's March" (Fast Objective Runner)

Dwarves: "Fortress Keeper" (Central Cathedral Holder)

Map Features

Terrain Type Hexes Effect
Water/Moat 14 Difficult terrain (2 SP per hex). Remove 2 Heat at end of turn (increased from standard 1).
Forest/Overgrowth 16 +1 Defense. Blocks LOS if 2+ forest hexes in a row.
Pillar/Ruins (P) 4 +2 Defense. Blocks LOS completely (total cover). Creates chokepoints.
Elevation 2 (Cathedral) 10 +2 damage to attacks FROM this hex. Ignore cover. Costs 3 SP to climb from ground.
Reliquaries (R1-R5) 10 +1 Defense (R1/R2/R4/R5), +2 Defense (R3 on Elevation 2). Score points at end of Round.

Special Rules

1. Objective Denial (Contesting)

You can contest a Reliquary by standing on it, denying opponent control. If Church is on R1-Hex1 and Dwarves are on R1-Hex2, NEITHER player scores points from R1 that round. Blocking opponent scoring is as valuable as scoring yourself, especially if you're ahead on points.

2. Central Cathedral High Ground

R3 (Central Cathedral) is the most valuable objective, sitting on Elevation 2 with the following benefits:

Tactical Note: Dwarven Fortress Caskets have only 3 SP per turn, meaning climbing to R3 costs their ENTIRE turn. Church Scouts (6 SP) can climb and still have 3 SP remaining for attacks. This asymmetry creates interesting strategic tension.

3. Pillar Cover (Chokepoints)

Pillars (P) provide total cover, creating tactical bottlenecks:

Learning Objectives

This scenario teaches advanced tactics:

  1. Objective Control Tactics: When to contest enemy objectives vs securing your own
  2. Map Control Priority: Controlling space and objectives > killing opponent
  3. Mobility vs Durability Trade-offs: Church's 6 SP speed vs Dwarven 3 SP tankiness
  4. High-Ground Advantage: Elevation 2 grants +2 damage and ignore cover (extremely powerful)
  5. Chokepoint Usage: Pillars create tactical bottlenecks forcing close combat
  6. Resource Allocation: Spend SP on movement to objectives or combat to deny opponent?
  7. Long-Term Planning: Domination victory (3-Round Cathedral hold) requires sustained control
  8. Asymmetric Playstyles: Church mobility vs Dwarven durability creates different win paths

Expected Game Flow

Phase Rounds Description
Rush Objectives 1-2 Church rushes North/East shrines (R1, R2) with 6 SP mobility. Dwarves push toward South shrines (R4, R5) or beeline to Central Cathedral.
Cathedral Contest 3-5 Both players push toward Central Cathedral (worth 2 points). First to claim R3 gains massive advantage (+2 damage from elevation).
Objective Denial 6-8 Losing player switches to contesting opponent's objectives instead of scoring. Strategic denials to prevent 6-point victory.
Endgame 9-12 One player reaches 6+ points for majority victory OR deck death spirals force combat resolution OR Cathedral domination (3 Rounds held).

Expected Winner: 55/45 Church favor (higher mobility, faster objective grabbing). However, skilled Dwarf players can win by securing Central Cathedral early and holding it as an impregnable fortress, forcing Church to contest high ground at disadvantage.

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Example of Play: Turn-by-Turn Walkthrough

Below is a detailed walkthrough of Turns 3-5 from Scenario #1: The Proving Grounds, demonstrating actual gameplay with complete mechanics including to-hit rolls, defense rolls, component damage, and Heat management.

Scenario The Proving Grounds (1v1 Deathmatch)
Players Alice (Church "Martyr's Fury") vs Bob (Dwarven "Immovable Wall")
Starting Positions Both players have navigated terrain and are now within striking distance (3 hexes apart)

Turn 3: Alice's Alpha Strike

Alice's Current State:

Alice's Actions:

  1. Play Blood Offering (0 SP): Discard 2 cards from top of deck. Next attack gains +3 damage, ignores 1 Defense, -1 to target number. (HP: 29 → 27 cards)
  2. Move 2 hexes through Water (4 SP): Costs 2 SP per hex (difficult terrain). Position behind Bob's rear arc. (SP: 5 → 1)
  3. Play Faithful Thrust (1 SP, reduced from 2 SP by Crusader's Vow Tactic):
    • Base damage: 4
    • Blood Offering: +3 damage
    • Rear arc: +3 damage
    • Total: 10 damage
  4. Roll Attack Dice (2d6 custom dice): [DEATH BLOW (5)] + [DOUBLE STRIKE (4)] = 9 total → CRITICAL HIT
    • Critical Hit: +2 damage, bypass 1 Defense
    • Final damage: 10 + 2 = 12 damage

Bob's Defense:

  1. Cannot play reactive card: Rear arc prevents reactive defense cards
  2. Roll 12 Defense Dice (1d6 per damage):
    • Results: [SHIELD] [SHIELD] [SHIELD] [ABSORB] [ABSORB] [BLOOD] [BLOOD] [BLOOD] [CRITICAL] [CRITICAL] [HEAT] [PIERCE]
    • Blocks: 5 ([SHIELD]×3 + [ABSORB]×2) = Reduce damage by 5
    • Criticals: 2 ([CRITICAL]×2) = +2 Component Damage
    • Heat: 1 ([HEAT]×1) = +1 Heat to Bob
  3. Apply Defense Buffs:
    • Rune Counters: -3 damage (Bob has 3 stacks)
    • Tower Shield: -3 damage (equipped)
    • Terrain (Rubble): -1 damage
    • Total mitigation: -7 damage
  4. Final Damage Calculation:
    • 12 damage - 5 (Defense rolls) - 7 (buffs) = 0 damage
    • Wait, that can't be right... Blood Offering ignores 1 Defense, Critical Hit bypasses 1 Defense!
    • Revised: 12 damage - 3 (5 blocks minus 2 ignored) - 7 (buffs) = 2 damage taken
  5. Discard 2 cards from hand/deck: Bob discards 1 Primary Weapon card (Warhammer) + 1 Universal card. (HP: 33 → 31 cards)

Component Damage Tracking:

End of Turn 3:

Turn 4: Bob's Desperate Counter

Bob's Current State:

Bob's Actions:

  1. Play Forge-Ward (0 SP reactive): Gain +2 Defense until end of turn. Generate 1 Rune Counter. (Rune Counters: 3 → 4)
  2. Move 1 hex (1 SP): Reposition to face Alice (no longer rear arc). (SP: 4 → 3)
  3. Play Forge-Hammer's Fist (Universal Core attack, 2 SP): Since Primary Weapon is destroyed, must use Universal attacks. Deal 3 damage, melee range.
    • Base damage: 3
    • Rune Counter bonus: +2 damage (4 Rune Counters × 0.5)
    • Total: 5 damage
  4. Roll Attack Dice: [STRIKE (3)] + [DOUBLE STRIKE (4)] = 7 total → STRONG HIT
    • Strong Hit: +1 damage
    • Final damage: 5 + 1 = 6 damage

Alice's Defense:

  1. Play Martyr's Defiance (0 SP reactive): Reduce damage by 2. Gain 1 Heat.
  2. Roll 6 Defense Dice:
    • Results: [SHIELD] [ABSORB] [BLOOD] [CRITICAL] [HEAT] [PIERCE]
    • Blocks: 2 ([SHIELD] + [ABSORB]) = Reduce damage by 2
    • Critical: 1 = +1 Component Damage to Alice
    • Heat: 1 = +1 Heat to Alice
  3. Final Damage: 6 - 2 (Martyr's Defiance) - 2 (Defense rolls) = 2 damage taken
  4. Discard 2 cards: 0 Primary Weapon cards discarded (no additional Component Damage). (HP: 27 → 25 cards)

End of Turn 4:

Turn 5: Alice's Finishing Blow

Alice's Actions:

  1. Play Divine Judgment (4 SP): Deal 8 damage, ignore 1 Defense. Execute attack. (SP: 5 → 1)
  2. Roll Attack Dice: [STRIKE (3)] + [STRIKE (3)] = 6 total → HIT
    • Damage: 8 (base) + 0 (standard hit) = 8 damage

Bob's Defense:

  1. Roll 8 Defense Dice:
    • Blocks: 4 ([SHIELD]×2 + [ABSORB]×2) = Reduce by 4, but Divine Judgment ignores 1 Defense = Reduce by 3
    • Rune Counters: -4 damage
    • Tower Shield: -3 damage
    • Total mitigation: -10 damage
  2. Final Damage: 8 - 3 (Defense rolls) - 7 (buffs capped at remaining damage) = 0 damage? NO!
    • Divine Judgment has "ignore 1 Defense" which applies to Defense buffs, not just rolls.
    • Revised: 8 damage - 3 (rolls) - 4 (Rune) - 1 (Shield after ignore) = 0 damage taken

Note: This demonstrates how stacking Defense buffs (Rune Counters + Tower Shield + terrain) can completely negate even powerful execute attacks. Alice needs to chip away at Bob's defenses over multiple turns, forcing him to reshuffle and accumulate Damage cards in his deck.

Key Lessons from Walkthrough

  1. Component Destruction is Devastating: Bob losing his Right Arm (Primary Weapon) forces him to use weaker Universal attacks, crippling his offense.
  2. Blood Offering Burst Damage: Self-harm for +3 damage creates alpha strike opportunities, especially from rear arc (+3 dmg) for total +6 damage modifier.
  3. Facing Modifiers Matter: Rear arc attacks deal +3 damage and prevent reactive defense cards.
  4. Defense Stacking is Powerful: Rune Counters (-4) + Tower Shield (-3) + terrain (-1) = -8 damage reduction makes Dwarves incredibly durable.
  5. Ignore Defense Mechanics Counter Tanks: Divine Judgment's "ignore 1 Defense" and Blood Offering's "ignore 1 Defense" are critical for punching through heavily armored targets.
  6. Heat Management: Reactive cards (Martyr's Defiance) generate Heat. Accumulating 5+ Heat requires Strain checks, creating risk/reward decisions.
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Combat Resolution Quick Reference

Attack Resolution Steps

  1. Declare Attack: Play attack card, spend SP, declare target component (if applicable)
  2. Calculate To-Hit Number: Base 5+ modified by range, movement, facing, cover, elevation
  3. Roll 2 Attack Dice (custom d6):
    • 5-6 = Hit (standard damage)
    • 7-8 = Strong Hit (+1 damage)
    • 9 = Critical Hit (+2 damage, bypass 1 Defense)
    • 10 (double DEATH BLOW) = EXECUTION (auto-destroy component)
    • <5 = Miss
  4. Defender Plays Reactive Card (optional, 0 SP): Can modify damage, Defense, or other effects
  5. Roll Defense Dice (1d6 per damage):
    • [SHIELD] = Block 1 damage
    • [ABSORB] = Block 1 damage
    • [CRITICAL] = +1 Component Damage to defender
    • [HEAT] = +1 Heat to defender
    • [PIERCE] = Attacker bypasses reactive cards
    • [BLOOD] = No effect (blank)
  6. Apply Defense Buffs: Rune Counters, Shields, Armor, Terrain bonuses
  7. Discard Final Damage: From hand first, then deck. Track Primary Weapon cards discarded for Component Damage.

Component Damage Tracking

When you discard cards from damage:

  1. Count Primary Weapon cards discarded: +1 Component Damage each
  2. Count [CRITICAL] symbols on Defense Dice: +1 Component Damage each
  3. Track by location: Arms, Legs, Head, Chassis
  4. When 3 Component Damage to same location: Component Destroyed

Component Destruction Effects

Component Effect When Destroyed
Right Arm Discard all Primary Weapon cards from hand. Cannot play Primary Weapon attacks.
Left Arm Discard all Secondary Equipment cards from hand. Cannot play Secondary Equipment cards.
Legs Movement costs +1 SP per hex (severe mobility penalty).
Head -1 damage to ranged attacks. No sensor abilities (no LOS through obstacles).
Chassis -1 SP maximum permanently (5 SP → 4 SP per turn).

Death Spiral Mechanics

When your deck empties:

  1. Reshuffle discard pile into deck
  2. Add 1 "Damage" card (dead draw, no effect, cannot be played)
  3. Each reshuffle adds another Damage card
  4. After 3-4 reshuffles, deck is 20-30% useless cards
  5. Creates brutal campaign-style inevitable decline
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"The Proving Grounds await. Will you emerge victorious, or will your Casket become another ruin among the rubble?" -Arena Master's Challenge
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