Guards of Atlantis II

To set up the game, each player first selects a hero from the available character cards. Each hero card displays stats like attack, defense, initiative, and movement, along with roles and abilities. Players are advised to choose one-star heroes for their first game. After selecting a hero, players place their hero miniature and a starting set of minions on their designated starting zones on the game board. Each player then draws five cards from their hero's unique deck, which will be used for actions during the game. The game board also features life counters for each team's heroes and designated spawn points for minions.

There are three primary ways to win Guards of Atlantis II. The first is to eliminate all enemy heroes; each hero has a life counter, and when it reaches zero, that hero is defeated. The second way to win is by successfully pushing your minions into the enemy's base. This is achieved by defeating all enemy minions in a zone, allowing your minions to advance to the next zone. If your minions reach and occupy the enemy's base, you win. The third victory condition is based on time: if the game reaches a predetermined number of waves (e.g., three for a quick game, five for a full game), the team with more minions in the enemy's base at that point wins.

The gameplay loop involves players simultaneously playing one card from their hand. Once all players have played a card, they are revealed. The cards have an 'initiative' value (indicated by an hourglass icon) which determines the order in which players take their actions. Players with higher initiative values resolve their card's actions first. During a turn, a player can perform the primary action described on their card (e.g., an attack or skill), a secondary action (movement), or choose to 'hold' their position. After a player resolves their actions, their played card is moved to a designated 'character board' area, signifying it has been used for the round. This process repeats for four cards in a round.

Scoring in Guards of Atlantis II primarily revolves around collecting 'coins' and using them for hero progression. Coins are earned by defeating enemy minions on the board; each defeated minion grants a certain number of coins. At the end of each round, all players must level up their hero as much as possible using the collected coins. The first level-up costs one coin, and each subsequent level-up costs one additional coin (e.g., level 2 costs two coins, level 3 costs three coins, etc.). When leveling up, players can choose to upgrade an existing card in their hand to a better version (with improved stats or abilities) or acquire a new, different card. Any card not chosen for an upgrade is converted into a permanent item that passively increases the hero's stats for the remainder of the game. This system allows for significant strategic customization of heroes throughout the game.

The game concludes when any of the three victory conditions are met. If a team eliminates all enemy heroes, they win immediately. If a team successfully pushes their minions into the enemy's base, they also achieve an immediate victory. If neither of these conditions is met by the end of the final wave (which can be set to three for a quick game or five for a full game), the game ends, and the team that has more minions occupying the enemy's base at that moment is declared the winner. This ensures that games have a definitive conclusion, whether through direct confrontation or strategic territorial control.