=== Wizard Kings FAQ ===
--- About ---
Wizard Kings FAQ v0.31
30/09/2004
This is a temporary FAQ, until version 2.0 of the rules is released.
Note that most of these issues are minor and the game plays perfectly well without this
FAQ.
--- 1 - Setup ---
--- 1.1 Choosing Maps ---
--- 1.2 Raising an Army ---
--- 1.3 Deploying Units ---
Q: How do you handle simultaneous deployment in a fair way? I would want to watch what units my
opponent deploys before I made my decisions. What do people do to resolve this? Do you put
something between the maps to hide where you are setting up?
A: After selecting armies secretly, deployment is simultaneous. The rules are not clear. You
can either:
1. Ignore your opponents deloyments and just look after your own (we do this).
2. Use a screen between the maps.
3. Use the Victory deplyment rules. Clockwise every players places 3 (or 4) units.
4. Allow one to deploy after the other. Players then take it in turn to swap two blocks each,
until both are happy.
--- 1.4 Winning the Game ---
Websites for scenarios:
http://www.columbiagames.com/resources/8500/wizardkings-scenarios.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/c_farrell/WizardKings/
Q: What's the equivalent of the basic scenario for four maps?
A: For 2 players and 4 maps, try 100 initial gold points, playing to ten turns - counting
accumulated victory points at the end of every Build Phase. Don't bother with adapting the gold
values of cities to the larger map size, as there will not be enough pieces to garrison
everything.
--- 2 - Armies ---
--- 2.1 Unit Data ---
--- 2.11 Strength ---
--- 2.12 Unit Name ---
--- 2.13 Combat Rating ---
--- 2.14 Movement Allowance ---
--- 2.15 Unit Cost ---
--- 2.2 Wizards ---
--- 2.21 Spells ---
--- 2.22 Spellcasting ---
Q: Wizards have no normal attacks and cannot use spells when have a single step left. So is a
Wizard 1 useless until "healed" (except as fodder)?
A: Yes, and we don't know what to do then, since you must fire or retreat. A 1 CV wizard must
retreat, but we say it may do nothing and thus stay.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=662&sid=eb90bc10eacbdd1cc70206bb7f664471
--- 2.23 Henges ---
--- 2.24 Wizard Elimination ---
Q: Does this mean you can't ever build a wizard during the build phase, or that you are limited
to the number of wizard blocks in your army?
A: Any Wizards you don't use in your opening setup can be subsequently built if desired. Any
Wizards eliminated due to combat are permanently eliminated and may not be rebuilt.
--- 2.3 Ground Units ---
--- 2.31 Forest Folk ---
--- 2.32 Mountain Folk ---
--- 2.33 Desert Folk ---
--- 2.34 Amphibians ---
--- 2.4 Fliers ---
Q: Can a flying unit end its movement on or retreat to a water hex?
A: Flying units cannot retreat to or end movement on water hexes.
--- 2.5 Aquatics ---
--- 2.6 Castles ---
Q: How many castles can be built in one hex?
A: As many as you can afford. However, there are several factors that limit the number and
usefulness of strongly fortified cities:
1. The more castles you put into one city, the less you have for others
2. Attacker has an advantage in combat; this makes castles quite vulnerable to attacks by big
armies
3. You cannot create anything new in non-original city besides castles
4. If you have castles and a strong garrison, you would have many 'passive' units, ie less
units for other fights. This is quite limiting when playing on large maps.
Note rule 6.3.
--- 2.7 Chaos Units ---
Q: My Chaos and Lycanthrope (Were-creature) armies come with labels and different colour
blocks, but there is no guide for attaching which colour block to which sticker.
A: Use this article on "Balancing Armies with Chaos creatures"
http://www.columbiagames.com/resources/8500/chaosbalancing.shtml or do it how you like.
--- 3 - Maps ---
--- 3.1 Terrain Types ---
--- 3.11 Clear ---
Q: A forest hexside is shown in the picture on page 5 of the 1.2 rules. Am I correct that this
feature has only ONE affect on play? An attacker may only move 1 unit through it. Otherwise, it
acts as clear terrain.
A: Yes.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=662&sid=eb90bc10eacbdd1cc70206bb7f664471
--- 3.12 Desert ---
--- 3.13 Forest ---
--- 3.14 Swamp ---
--- 3.15 Mountain ---
--- 3.16 Rivers ---
--- 3.17 Sea ---
--- 3.18 Coastal ---
--- 3.19 Shoal ---
Q: Can amphibians cross shoal hexsides?
A: No.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/56300
--- 3.2 Cities ---
--- 3.3 Roads ---
Q: If elves get attacked in a forest hex with road, does the forest bonus still count or is
this a road hex?
A: A road hex does not effect combat. For combat purposes a road hex is whatever the other
terrain in the hex is (forest, swamp, mountain, clear, etc.). Roads do not effect hexside
limits either. A road only provides a means for ground units to cross generally impassible
hexsides (mountain, river, or sea) and allows additional movement if all movement is along that
road. The hexside limit is determined by the terrain type of the hexside, regardless of any
road.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/49171
--- 4 - Movement ---
--- 4.1 Initiative ---
--- 4.2 Movement Phase ---
Q: What happens if I am attacking some units on a hex and the other player enters the same hex
attacking mine? Do I have to resolve the first battle first as attacker and the second as
defender?
A: No. Remember that the player with initiative moves first, the player without the initiative
moves and then combats are resolved. There is only one battle in each hex. The original owner
of the hex is the defender, even if new units were brough in during the movement phase. All
units get lumped together and fight as one army. If you have a multiplayer game, this gets a
little more complicated, as the third party has to decide to join the attacker or defender
before the battle begins, and then places units alongside the ally of choice.
(Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
--- 4.3 Terrain Effects ---
Q: When you have an hex with a forest line on one side. What is the effect on forest creatures
and others? For example: If a non forest creature will pass through it, he must stop because
he's not forest creature? But if a forestwalk creature pass through this line of the hex, can
he attack with +1 or he must he be in a hex full of forest to have this +1 attack?
A: A forest hexside does not require a unit to stop. Its only effect is to limit the number of
blocks crossing into a battle to 1. The combat bonus only applies in a Forest hex, with forest
predominant.
(Grant Dalgliesh, Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
Q: Do special terrain penalties (must stop in forest for example) apply to hexsides?
A: No, they only apply to the whole hex, BUT mountain hexsides are a special case and stop
movement completely.
(Grant Dalgliesh, Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
--- 4.4 Stacking Limit ---
Q: Can the 6 stack limit be ignored DURING movement? For example, can I move a ground unit
THROUGH a hex with 6 units as long as I don't stop there?
A: This is not explicit in the rules, but the stacking limit seems to be intented for combat,
rather than movement.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=662&sid=eb90bc10eacbdd1cc70206bb7f664471
This needs official clarification.
--- 4.5 Hexside Limits ---
Q: Are hexside limits only used when you are moving units into a hex with an enemy unit or are
they used for every space that you move through?
A: Hexside limits only apply for moving into spaces with enemy units, thus creating a battle,
thus a battle hex.
(Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
Q: What is the hexside limit for attacking a sea hex from a sea hex?
A: An all water hexside has an attack limit of two.
(Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
Q: It seems strange Elfs with forest abilities, attacking through wood into a clear hex would
be limited to one unit from the forest hexside. Is that correct?
A: Yes
(Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
Q; What about attacking from a forest into a clear hex following a road? Still only one unit
from a forest hexside with road?
A: Road have no effect on normal hexside attack limits. (Note that bridges have an attack limit
of one.)
(Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
Q: What about attacking from a clear hex into a forest hex, is that two units?
A: The important thing to remeber is that the attack limit is based on the hexside not the
terrain in the middle of the hex (which determines the hex's terrain). So if its a clear
hexside but forest in the middle, then its an attack limit of two.
(Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
Q: Is there such a thing as a Marsh or Desert hexside?
A: Yes, and they have a hexside limit of one.
http://www.blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=390
Q: What is the hexside limit of a named pass through mountains?
A: One
http://www.blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=390
Q: Can an amphibian and another ground unit cross a bridged river at the same time?
A: No. The hexside limit is one.
http://www.blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=390
Q: If a river crosses over an unclear hexside can an amphibian/aquatic and another ground unit
cross simultaneously?
A: Yes.
http://www.blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=390
Q: Some hexsides are ambiguous. For instance, the Viris NE hexside on map 12 could be either
clear or unclear as the middle of the hex is the tip of a forest.
http://www.columbiagames.com/resources/8500/maps/WKMap12.jpg What do we do in this
situation?
A: Use common sense. In the case of Viris NE, Gozer and I agree that it is clear.
http://www.blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=390
Bottom line: Clear 2, Ocean 2, Coastal 3 (at least one of which must be Aquatic), everything
else 1. Rivers add one to the hexside limit when moving *along*, but at least one unit must be
Aquatic.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/56988
--- 4.6 Hex Control ---
The sentence "Hex control changes at the beginning of the Build Phase and lasts until the next
Build Phase." should apply *only* to city hexes. Tracking this state for any random hex would
be too tricky, and the note for rule 5.4 on retreats seems to imply persistant hex control
should apply only to cities. In order to control a non-city hex, you have to have units there,
and that for non-city hexes control state is judged at the instant it's relevant. Cities have a
"default" level of control that you check at the beginning of the build phase.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/56381
--- 4.7 Sea Transport ---
Q: If a port is on one side of a land mass and the other port is land-locked (the city is a
port but the ocean does not connect to another ocean or river) can you still use sea
transportation even if you have to travel over one or more land hexes to reach that port?
A: A sea move is restricted to sea or river hexes. You cannot cross an all-land hexside.
(Grant Dalgliesh, Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
Q: Sea transport rules state that you move from a sea port to a sea port, but they don't say it
must happen all in a single turn. Are you allowed to move over 8 water hexes over the course of
2 turns?
A: No.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=662&sid=eb90bc10eacbdd1cc70206bb7f664471
--- 4.8 Pinning ---
--- Stacking Limits ---
Q: There is a maximum of one mage per hex. Does this also mean they cannot pass through a hex
containing a mage?
A: This rule's purpose is to prevend you from having two or more wizards engaged in the same
battle. I see no reason why a wizard could not cross a hex already containing a wizard who is
not fighting.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/49171
--- 5 - Combat ---
--- 5.1 Battle Sequence ---
--- 5.2 Combat Turn ---
--- 5.21 Combat Rounds ---
Q: There is a little confusion between Combat Turns and Combat Rounds. Can a Wizard cast a
spell each Combat Round, as 2.22 states a Wizard may cast one spell per Combat Turn?
A: When all units have fired or cast spells, a Combat Round ends. A Wizard can cast one spell
each Combat Round during a Combat Turn.
--- 5.3 Combat Resolution ---
--- 5.31 Combat Strength ---
--- 5.32 Hit Allocation ---
Q: Are all hits from one attacking unit applied to the strongest defending unit?
A: No. The strongest defending unit is reduced such that it has as many steps as the second
strongest unit(s). Remaining hits are distributed in the same way (defender's choice of unit to
take step loss if there is more than one strongest unit at any time).
(Wizard Kings MSN Group)
--- 5.33 Targeting ---
--- 5.4 Retreats ---
Note that it is possible to retreat forwards. This makes flyers doubly useful. Some dislike
this rule and play with variants banning it.
Q: If you eliminate all enemy during a battle, but still have units that have not taken their
turn, can you still retreat them?
A: No, but you can still regroup them.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=662&sid=eb90bc10eacbdd1cc70206bb7f664471
--- 5.5 Regrouping ---
Q: During combat you lay tiles down to show units. Do you stand them back up again after
combat? If so, are you allowed to "hide" which unit is which (eg take them off the table and
mix them up), or does the opponent have the right to track them from memory?
A: The rules are not clear on that, but I mix up before performing my retreat / regroup.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=662&sid=eb90bc10eacbdd1cc70206bb7f664471
Q: If a flyer retreats more than one hex, is it allowed to regroup?
A: No.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=662&sid=eb90bc10eacbdd1cc70206bb7f664471
--- 6 - Building ---
--- 6.1 Gold Points ---
--- 6.2 Unit Costs ---
--- 6.3 Building Units ---
Q: How do you handle simultaneous building in a fair way? I would want to watch what units my
opponent builds/strengthens before I made my decisions. What do people do to resolve
this?
A: Building is simultaneous. The rules are not clear, but the whole idea of hidden units
implies that it's not decent to watch.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=662&sid=eb90bc10eacbdd1cc70206bb7f664471
Q: What is the castle limit per hex? If more than one, can you add a step to each? Can you
merge them?
A: There is no castle limit per hex, but the number of castles is limited. You can merge them.
This requires clarification. Most house rules disallow building multiple castles in a hex and
merging them.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=662&sid=eb90bc10eacbdd1cc70206bb7f664471
--- 6.4 Captured Cities ---
--- 6.5 Merging and Disbanding ---
Q: Can you disband a wizard during the build phase and rebuild him somewhere else or would that
count as eliminating him - Rule 2.24 Wizard Elimination.
A: A wizard can disband and rebuild.
(Grant Daglish on Consimworld)
Q: Why would I want to disband a unit?
A: Where you have a shortage a block shortage in the disbanding unit's type that you really
want elsewhere and do not want to take the time to travel.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=536&sid=2326853959c54770d536e9e8631e1df8
--- General ---
--- Pegasus's Ride spell ---
Q: Can a Pegasus cast Ride in battle and take a unit to retreat with, in battle phase A?
A: I would suggest that the Strength of the riding unit must be equal to or less than the
Stength of the "steed".
(Grant Dalgliesh, Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
--- Chaos spells ---
Q: With spells like the Unicorn's Charm, the Spider's Web or the Ferkin's Ensnare, which player
chooses the victim?
A: The spellcaster.
(Grant Dalgliesh, Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
Q: What does 1d3 mean?
A: Use a six sided die. A 1 or a 2 count as a 1. A 3 or a 4 count as a 2. A 5 or a 6 count as a
3.
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=583&sid=2326853959c54770d536e9e8631e1df8
--- Errors on block labels ---
Q: I have heard there are lots of errors on the labels. How do I fix these?
A: It is probably best not to doctor the labels. Instead play well-balanced scenarios or use
the Balancing Armies with Chaos Creatures article
http://www.columbiagames.com/resources/8500/chaosbalancing.shtml
(Grant Dalgliesh, Columbia Block Games Discussion Forum)
--- Undead Sacrifice spell ---
This should read: "cast 4d6 at F3".
--- Spells confusion ---
There are two discrepancies on the spell summary cards:
1. Orc - Fire Globe or Fire Arrow.
http://www.columbiagames.com/cgi-bin/query/cfg/zoom.cfg?product_id=8556
2. Ferkin - Double-Jak spell posted on the site does not require the battle to be in a Forest
hex. http://www.columbiagames.com/cgi-bin/query/cfg/zoom.cfg?product_id=8581
http://blockgames.us/viewtopic.php?t=586&sid=2326853959c54770d536e9e8631e1df8