penance

ARENA SCENARIO #2: RELIQUARY RUINS

Type: 1v1 Objective Control Factions: Church of Absolution vs Dwarven Clans Estimated Playtime: 60-75 minutes Difficulty: Intermediate (requires map control tactics) Victory Condition: Control 3 of 5 Reliquaries at end of Round OR reduce opponent to 0 HP

SCENARIO SETUP

Map: The Reliquary Ruins (14×12 Hexes)

 [W ][W ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][W ][W ]
 [W ][F ][F ][ ][R1][ ][ ][R1][ ][F ][F ][W ]
 [ ][F ][P ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][P ][F ][ ]
 [ ][ ][ ][R2][ ][F ][F ][ ][R2][ ][ ][ ]
 [ ][ ][ ][ ][F ][E2][E2][F ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
 [W ][ ][ ][F ][E2][R3][R3][E2][F ][ ][ ][W ]
 [W ][ ][ ][F ][E2][R3][R3][E2][F ][ ][ ][W ]
 [W ][ ][ ][F ][E2][E2][E2][E2][F ][ ][ ][W ]
 [ ][ ][ ][ ][F ][ ][ ][F ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
 [ ][ ][ ][R4][ ][F ][F ][ ][R4][ ][ ][ ]
 [ ][F ][P ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][P ][F ][ ]
 [W ][F ][F ][ ][R5][ ][ ][R5][ ][F ][F ][W ]
 [W ][W ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][W ][W ]

Terrain Legend

[W] - Water/Moat (14 hexes)

[F] - Forest/Overgrowth (16 hexes)

[P] - Pillar/Ruins (4 hexes)

[E2] - Elevation 2 (Central Platform) (10 hexes)

[R1] - Reliquary 1 (North Shrines) (2 hexes)

[R2] - Reliquary 2 (East/West Shrines) (2 hexes each = 4 total)

[R3] - Reliquary 3 (Central Cathedral) (4 hexes)

[R4] - Reliquary 4 (South Shrines) (2 hexes)

[R5] - Reliquary 5 (Far South Shrines) (2 hexes)

[ ] - Clear Ground (All other hexes)

RELIQUARY CONTROL SYSTEM

5 Reliquaries (10 individual control points)

  1. North Shrines (R1): 2 hexes (1 point each)
  2. East Shrines (R2): 2 hexes on east side (1 point each)
  3. Central Cathedral (R3): 4-hex zone on Elevation 2 (2 points total)
  4. South Shrines (R4): 2 hexes (1 point each)
  5. Far South Shrines (R5): 2 hexes (1 point each)

Total Points Available: 10 points

How Control Works

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

  1. Check which Reliquaries 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

Victory Conditions:

DEPLOYMENT

Church of Absolution Deployment Zone

Hexes: North section (rows 2-4, columns 3-9)

 [F ][F ][ ][R1][ ][ ][R1][ ][F ]
 [ ][F ][P ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][P ]
 [ ][ ][ ][R2][ ][F ][F ][ ][R2]

Starting Position: Player chooses any clear ground hex in rows 3-4 Facing: Player chooses initial facing Strategic Note: Close to North Shrines (R1) and East/West Shrines (R2)

Dwarven Clans Deployment Zone

Hexes: South section (rows 10-12, columns 3-9)

 [ ][ ][ ][R4][ ][F ][F ][ ][R4]
 [ ][F ][P ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][P ]
 [W ][F ][F ][ ][R5][ ][ ][R5][ ][F ]

Starting Position: Player chooses any clear ground hex in rows 10-11 Facing: Player chooses initial facing Strategic Note: Close to South Shrines (R4, R5)

Deployment Order

  1. Roll 1d6: Higher roll chooses who deploys first
  2. First player: Places Casket in their deployment zone
  3. Second player: Places Casket in their deployment zone
  4. First player begins Round 1

PRE-BUILT DECKS

CHURCH DECK: “ZEALOT’S MARCH”

Casket Class: Scout (Light Frame - 6 SP)

Build:

Total: 28 cards (10 Universal + 6 Faction + 10 Equipment + 2 Tactics)

Deck Composition:

Universal Core (10 cards):

  1. Move ×3 (1 SP, Move 2 hexes)
  2. Sprint ×2 (2 SP, Move 4 hexes, +1 Heat)
  3. Brace ×2 (1 SP, +2 Defense until next turn)
  4. Disengage ×1 (1 SP, Move 2 hexes, ignore attacks of opportunity)
  5. Focus ×1 (0 SP, Draw 1 card)
  6. Emergency Repair ×1 (3 SP, Recover 3 cards from discard)

Church Faction Core (6 cards):

  1. Blood Offering ×1 (0 SP, Discard 2 cards, next attack +3 damage)
  2. Martyrdom Protocol ×1 (2 SP, Redirect damage from ally to yourself)
  3. Righteous Fury ×1 (Passive, +1 damage per enemy killed - permanent)
  4. Divine Judgment ×1 (4 SP, Deal 8 damage, ignore Defense)
  5. Consecrated Ground ×1 (3 SP, Create 3-hex zone, allies heal 1 card/turn)
  6. Last Rites ×1 (0 SP, When reduced to 0 HP, deal 10 damage to killer)

Equipment - Spear (5 cards):

  1. Spear Thrust ×2 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 4 damage, +1 Range)
  2. Defensive Stance ×1 (1 SP, +2 Defense, next attack from Front Arc deals +2 damage)
  3. Piercing Strike ×1 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 3 damage, ignores 1 Defense)
  4. Lunging Attack ×1 (3 SP, Move 1 hex + attack for 5 damage)

Equipment - Buckler Shield (2 cards):

  1. Deflect ×1 (1 SP, Reactive, Reduce damage by 2)
  2. Shield Bash ×1 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 2 damage, push 1 hex)

Equipment - Martyr’s Brand Sigil (3 cards - Church-Exclusive):

  1. Martyr’s Blessing ×1 (Passive, When you discard cards via Blood Offering, gain +1 Defense until next turn)
  2. Sacred Wound ×1 (2 SP, Self-harm: discard 1 card, all allies gain +1 damage this turn)
  3. Zealot’s Fervor ×1 (Passive, When below 15 HP, all attacks deal +1 damage)

Tactics (2 cards):

  1. Righteous Fury Tactic ×1 (0 SP, Once per game: Next attack deals double damage)
  2. Last Rites Tactic ×1 (Passive, When reduced to 0 HP, recover to 5 HP once per mission)

Opening Hand: Shuffle deck, draw top 6 cards

Playstyle:

Win Condition: Rush North Shrines (R1) + East/West Shrines (R2) early, hold 4+ points before Dwarves climb Cathedral

DWARVEN DECK: “FORTRESS KEEPER”

Casket Class: Fortress (Ultra-Heavy Frame - 3 SP)

Build:

Total: 35 cards (12 Universal + 6 Faction + 17 Equipment + 2 Tactics) - Slowest but most durable

Deck Composition:

Universal Core (12 cards - includes Stone Endurance bonus):

  1. Move ×4 (1 SP, Move 2 hexes) - +1 extra from Stone Endurance
  2. Sprint ×3 (2 SP, Move 4 hexes, +1 Heat) - +1 extra from Stone Endurance
  3. Brace ×2 (1 SP, +2 Defense until next turn)
  4. Disengage ×1 (1 SP, Move 2 hexes, ignore attacks of opportunity)
  5. Focus ×1 (0 SP, Draw 1 card)
  6. Emergency Repair ×1 (3 SP, Recover 3 cards from discard)

Dwarven Faction Core (6 cards):

  1. Crushing Blow ×1 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 4 damage, ARMOR PIERCING - ignore all Defense)
  2. Forge Fury ×1 (2 SP, Convert all Heat to damage, deal X damage where X = current Heat)
  3. Rune of Protection ×1 (2 SP, Gain 1 Rune Counter, reduce damage by 1 per counter - max 3, lasts until end of mission)
  4. Unbreakable ×1 (1 SP, Reactive, Reduce damage by 3)
  5. Earthshaker ×1 (3 SP, Melee AOE, Deal 3 damage to all adjacent enemies, push 1 hex)
  6. Clan Vengeance ×1 (Passive, +2 damage per Component Damage taken - permanent)

Equipment - Greatsword (8 cards, 2-handed - no Shield slot):

  1. Cleaving Strike ×2 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 6 damage)
  2. Overhead Slash ×2 (3 SP, Melee, Deal 8 damage, +1 Heat)
  3. Defensive Sweep ×1 (1 SP, Melee, Deal 3 damage, +1 Defense until next turn)
  4. Executioner’s Blow ×1 (4 SP, Melee, Deal 10 damage, must be below 50% HP)
  5. Whirlwind ×1 (3 SP, Melee AOE, Deal 4 damage to all adjacent enemies)
  6. Guard Break ×1 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 4 damage, target loses all Defense buffs)

Equipment - Reinforced Plating (3 cards):

  1. Ablative Armor ×1 (Passive, First hit each turn deals -2 damage)
  2. Heavy Plating ×1 (Passive, +1 Defense against all attacks)
  3. Impact Resistance ×1 (1 SP, Reactive, Reduce damage by 3, lose 1 Heat)

Equipment - Repair Kit (3 cards):

  1. Field Repair ×1 (2 SP, Recover 2 cards from discard)
  2. Emergency Patch ×1 (1 SP, Reactive, When taking 5+ damage, reduce by 2)
  3. Jury-Rig ×1 (3 SP, Prevent adding Damage card on next reshuffle)

Equipment - Forge-Rune Sigil (3 cards - Dwarven-Exclusive):

  1. Runic Regeneration ×1 (Passive, When you gain a Rune Counter, recover 1 card from discard)
  2. Forge Heat ×1 (1 SP, Gain 2 Heat, +1 damage to next attack)
  3. Rune of Endurance ×1 (Passive, Max Rune Counters increased from 3 to 4)

Tactics (2 cards):

  1. Stone Endurance ×1 (Passive, +2 Universal Core cards, deck starts at 35 cards instead of 33)
  2. Runic Overcharge ×1 (2 SP, Once per game: Gain 3 Rune Counters immediately)

Opening Hand: Shuffle deck, draw top 6 cards

Playstyle:

Win Condition: Control Central Cathedral (R3, 2 points) + South Shrines (R4, 2 points) = 4 points, hold position until Church exhausts

TURN STRUCTURE REMINDER

Round Structure

Each Round consists of:

  1. Player 1 Turn (4 phases: Refresh, Action, Draw, End)
  2. Player 2 Turn (4 phases: Refresh, Action, Draw, End)
  3. End of Round Control Check

Control Check (End of Round)

After both players complete their turns:

  1. Check Reliquary occupation (who’s standing on which hexes?)
  2. Award control points:
    • R1 (North): 1 point per hex (max 2)
    • R2 (East/West): 1 point per hex (max 2)
    • R3 (Central Cathedral): 2 points if ANY hex occupied
    • R4 (South): 1 point per hex (max 2)
    • R5 (Far South): 1 point per hex (max 2)
  3. Check victory: Does anyone have 6+ points?

Example Control Check:

COMBAT RESOLUTION (WITH DICE)

Attack Steps

  1. Declare attack: Play attack card, spend SP, declare target component
  2. Calculate To-Hit Number:
    • Base: 5+ (roll 2d6 Attack Dice)
      • Range (Short 0-3 hexes +0, Medium 4-6 +1, Long 7-10 +2)
      • Attacker movement this turn (0 hexes +0, 1-3 +1, 4-6 +2, 7+ +3)
      • Defender movement last turn (0 hexes +0, 1-3 +1, 4-6 +2, 7+ +3)
      • Hex-side facing (Front +0, Weapon +0, Flank -1, Rear -2, Shield +1)
      • Cover (Light +1, Heavy +2, Pillar +2)
      • Elevation (Higher -1, Lower +1)
  3. Check LOS: Can you see target? (Pillars block LOS entirely)
  4. Roll 2 Attack Dice, add values:
    • 5-6 = Hit (standard damage)
    • 7-8 = Strong Hit (+1 damage)
    • 9 = Critical Hit (+2 damage, bypass 1 Defense)
    • 10 (double ) = EXECUTION (auto-destroy component)
    • <5 = Miss (attack wasted)
    • 2 (double ) = Catastrophic Failure (weapon jams)
  5. If hit, defender plays reactive card (optional, 0 SP)
  6. Defender rolls Defense Dice (1d6 per damage):
    • Count blocks: SHIELD, ABSORB (each blocks 1 damage)
    • Apply special effects: CRITICAL (+1 Component Damage), HEAT (+1 Heat), PIERCE (no reactives)
  7. Defender discards final damage (original - blocks) from hand/deck

Component Damage

When you take damage:

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

Cathedral Combat Example (With Dice)

Church Scout attacks Dwarven Fortress on Central Cathedral (Elevation 2):

To-Hit Calculation:

Attack Roll: (4) + (5) = 9 total → CRITICAL HIT (+2 damage, bypass 1 Defense)

Damage Calculation:

Defense Roll (Dwarf rolls 8 Defense Dice):

Apply Modifiers:

Result: Dwarf tanks the entire hit thanks to Rune Counters + Reinforced Plating + Cathedral terrain. Church must deal with fortress defense!

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Primary Victory: Majority Control (6+ Points)

At the end of any Round, if you control 6+ out of 10 total points, you win immediately.

Point Distribution:

Majority: 6+ points = 60%+ control

Secondary Victory: Deathmatch (0 HP)

If opponent’s deck is empty AND they cannot reshuffle (discard pile also empty), they are defeated.

Tertiary Victory: Cathedral Dominance (3 Consecutive Rounds)

If you control Central Cathedral (R3) for 3 consecutive Rounds, you win via sacred dominance.

Example:

SCENARIO OBJECTIVES (Optional Bonus Points)

These are OPTIONAL goals for competitive play. Track separately from Reliquary points.

Church Objectives

Dwarven Objectives

SPECIAL RULES FOR THIS SCENARIO

1. Objective Denial

You can contest a Reliquary by standing on it, denying opponent control:

2. Central Cathedral High Ground

R3 (Central Cathedral) is on Elevation 2:

3. Pillar Cover

Pillars (P) provide total cover:

4. Forest LOS Blocking

Forest blocks LOS if 2+ forest hexes in a row:

5. Water Heat Management

Water hexes remove 2 Heat (instead of standard 1):

EXPECTED GAME FLOW

Rounds 1-2: Rush Objectives (20 minutes)

Rounds 3-5: Cathedral Contest (20 minutes)

Rounds 6-8: Objective Denial (15 minutes)

Rounds 9-12: Endgame (15 minutes)

Expected Winner: 55/45 Church favor (higher mobility, faster objective grabbing)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This scenario teaches:

  1. Objective control tactics: When to contest vs when to score
  2. Map control: Controlling space > killing opponent
  3. Mobility vs durability: Church’s speed vs Dwarven tankiness
  4. High-ground advantage: Elevation 2 (+2 dmg) is powerful
  5. Chokepoint usage: Pillars create tactical bottlenecks
  6. Resource allocation: Spend SP on movement or combat?
  7. Long-term planning: 3-Round Cathedral victory requires sustained control

After playing this scenario 2-3 times, players should understand:

POST-GAME DEBRIEF

Strategic Questions

  1. Did you prioritize objectives or combat? Which was more effective?
  2. Which Reliquaries were most valuable? (Central Cathedral vs outer shrines?)
  3. Did you use Pillar cover effectively?
  4. Did you contest opponent’s objectives or focus on your own?
  5. How many Rounds did the game last? (Target: 10-12 Rounds)

Tactical Questions

  1. Did Central Cathedral (R3, Elevation 2) feel worth the 3 SP climb cost?
  2. Did high-ground advantage (+2 dmg from E2) impact combat significantly?
  3. Did Forest LOS blocking create interesting positioning choices?
  4. Did Water Heat removal (2 Heat) encourage Heat-heavy plays?

Balance Observations

MAP STRATEGY GUIDE

For Church (Mobile Striker)

Opening Strategy (Rounds 1-3):

  1. Deploy in row 3-4 (central deployment)
  2. Turn 1: Rush North Shrines (R1) using Desperate Lunge
  3. Turn 2: Grab East or West Shrine (R2)
  4. Turn 3: Score 3-4 points, ahead of Dwarves

Mid-Game Strategy (Rounds 4-6):

  1. Push toward Central Cathedral (R3)
  2. Use Buckler Shield (Deflect) to mitigate damage while climbing
  3. Attack from Elevation 2 (+2 dmg advantage)
  4. Control R1 + R2 + R3 = 5 points (close to 6-point victory)

End-Game Strategy (Rounds 7+):

  1. If ahead: Contest Dwarven objectives (R4, R5) to deny points
  2. If behind: All-in attack on Central Cathedral to break control
  3. Use Blood Offering for burst damage to clear Cathedral

Key Hexes: R1 (North Shrines), R3 (Central Cathedral), Pillars (cover)

For Dwarves (Fortress Holder)

Opening Strategy (Rounds 1-3):

  1. Deploy in row 10-11 (southern deployment)
  2. Turn 1: Rush South Shrines (R4) using Advance
  3. Turn 2: Grab Far South Shrines (R5)
  4. Turn 3: Score 3-4 points, match Church

Mid-Game Strategy (Rounds 4-6):

  1. Climb Central Cathedral (R3) early
  2. Play Rune of Protection to stack counters (reduce damage by 3)
  3. Use Emergency Repair to recover HP from attrition
  4. Hold Cathedral + South Shrines = 4 points (need 2 more for victory)

End-Game Strategy (Rounds 7+):

  1. If ahead: Turtle on objectives with Shield Wall + Rune Counters
  2. If behind: Use armor-piercing (Crushing Blow) to clear Church from objectives
  3. Use Jury-Rig to prevent Damage cards on reshuffle (outlast Church)

Key Hexes: R3 (Central Cathedral), R4 (South Shrines), Water (Heat management)

VARIANT RULES (OPTIONAL)

Variant 1: Timed Rounds (Tournament Play)

Variant 2: Reliquary Activation

Variant 3: Sudden Death Overtime

Variant 4: Fog of War

QUICK REFERENCE

Reliquary Points

| Reliquary | Hexes | Points | Special | |———–|——-|——–|———| | R1 (North) | 2 | 1 each | Near Church deployment | | R2 (East/West) | 4 | 1 each | Spread across map | | R3 (Central) | 4 | 2 total | Elevation 2, +2 Defense | | R4 (South) | 2 | 1 each | Near Dwarf deployment | | R5 (Far South) | 2 | 1 each | Far from action |

Total: 10 points available, need 6+ to win

Terrain Movement Costs

Terrain Defense Bonuses

Victory Conditions

| Condition | Requirement | Notes | |———–|————-|——-| | Majority Control | 6+ points at end of Round | Most common victory | | Deathmatch | Reduce opponent to 0 HP | Standard combat win | | Cathedral Dominance | Control R3 for 3 consecutive Rounds | Rare but thematic |

SETUP CHECKLIST

Before starting:

NOTE: If you don’t have custom dice, use regular d6:

DESIGN NOTES

Why This Scenario Exists

Scenario #1 (Proving Grounds) is a pure deathmatch. It teaches combat mechanics but doesn’t test:

Scenario #2 (Reliquary Ruins) forces players to:

Church vs Dwarves Balance

Church advantages in this scenario:

Dwarven advantages in this scenario:

Expected win rate: 55/45 Church favor (mobility > durability for objectives)

Central Cathedral (R3) Design

R3 is intentionally powerful but expensive:

Risk/reward: Spend 60% SP to climb, but gain 2 points + high-ground advantage

3-Round dominance victory: Rewards sustained control over burst grabbing

STATUS: PLAYTEST READY NEXT STEP: Print map, prepare decks, play scenario ESTIMATED TIME: 60-75 minutes (longer than Scenario #1 due to objective control) DIFFICULTY: Intermediate (requires tactical map awareness)

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