Heroscapers - The Top 11 Most Frequently Overlooked (yet [ab]used) Rules

NHSD is just two days away, and there are a number of simple rules that aren't that obvious upon the first reading of the rulebook, but are essential to almost any player, and likely will come up in a tournament at least once. Most of them have to do with movement, which is something that you do every turn.

Most of this is coming from off the top of my head, so if you need any clarification or see a mistake, I'll find the relevant portion in the appropriate rulebook.

In general, if you don't know the answer to a question, most general questions will be answered by the rulebooks.

Always read the cards closely.

If you still don't know, check out Hasbro's advanced FAQ.

11. Roll all of your dice. You can't 'forget' to roll defense dice for your Krug, or 'forget' your height advantage with Rechets or Deathstalkers. (Mathematically speaking, I can think of very few situations where you'd want to do that anyway, but that's a whole different matter entirely).

The other half of this is that you always get to roll when a roll should happen. Even if your opponent doesn't roll any skulls, your Samurai or Gurei-oni are still allowed to roll defense dice to try to hit them back (in fact, it's the most likely time for these abilities to work)! Similarly, Deathreavers can still scatter when an opponent doesn't roll any skulls if they used a normal attack. (There are a few exceptions to this. Me-Burq-Sa can cause a figure to not roll any defense dice, and the Rechets can prevent defense rolls, even for Isamu).

As an aside, when you play with people from other groups, dice rolling etiquette is often the most common source of disputes and anxiety. Be polite and try to explain how different rolling gaffes will be handled before they occur.

10. Special attacks never receive any bonuses. Even Sujoah's Lethal Sting doesn't get the benefit of Lodin. A special ability is not a special attack unless it has the words "special attack" on the card.

For a complete list of special attacks, go here.

Figures defending against special attacks always receive any relevant bonuses. However, there are a large number of special powers that only work against normal attacks. This is the main thing that makes special attacks special.

9. Like special attacks, most movement abilities on the left side of the card are unaffected by Glyphs and Roads.

Gladiatron Movement bonding, Ninja Disappear, Jandar's dispatch, Scatter, etc... all have a specific number of spaces they can move (even if it's X).

The Kozuke Samurai ability, Soldier and Scout Leadership are exempt from this restrictrion, because they specifically add to that figure's base Move value. Essentially, any movement that is made on a figure's own turn can take the advantage of roads or glyphs, but 'free' moves do not get the bonus.

However, figures always get to use their own special powers that involve movement, even if moved by another figure. Sentinels of Jandar can fly when moved by Sir Gilbert, Agent Carr can still Ghost Walk and Disengage when moved with Agent Skahen's Cover Fire, and Deathreavers can always Disengage while scattering if they are allowed to move.

8. It costs 3 movement points to walk up the outside of a RttFF wall or a FotA battlement, and 2 to walk up it from the inside. Remember to add the movement for the space you land on, just as you would for any other kind of climbing.

Check out the rulebooks again if this is not clear. The simple way that I think about is that the battlements themselves have a height of 2, and that you add the 1 when you come in from the outside because you have to account for the base/the hex underneath said battlement or wall.

7. Subtract 1 from a figure's Height to figure out how high he can climb (or fall safely) at once. Note that Climb x2 and Climb x3 do not affect adjacency.

Adjacency is determined by that same Height-1 criteria. The main difference between adjacency and engagement is that you're never engaged to friendly figures. Adjacency is the only criteria for making an attack with Range 1. If one of your figures is engaged with one or more other figures, your figure may attack only those figures.

Clarification: Adjacency is mutual. If one figure is on the low end of the Wall piece, it has to have at least a height of 4 to be adjacent to something on the other side, while the figure on top must have at least a height of 3. The ruins from RotV have a Height of 6, so figures on both sides of a ruin need at least a height of 7 to engage/be adjacent to each other across it.

6. Engaged figures can still move. They can even move away from the figures with which they are engaged.

(Excepting of course figures affected by Gladiatron or Major X17's cyberclaw).

5. When determining Clear Sight to a figure, any part of their sculpt is a valid target, from the smallest wing feather to the largest sword. When you are attacking or using a special ability on a figure using clear sight, you are still targeting it with that ability. Figures cannot target themselves. Sonlen is the only exception to this rule that I know of.

When determining Line of Sight, primarily used for ranged attacks, all you need to be able to see is anything that is red on that figure's Army Card.

4. Figures are at the mercy of the terrain that they (or their leading end) are currently moving through or landing on. (Note that all terrain is the same from the side, unless of course it's a height 0 tile). Here's a short list.

A figure must end its movement when it steps on a glyph.

A small, medium, or large figure standing next to a jungle piece rolls 1 extra defense die against all non adjacent attacks.

A single spaced figure who steps onto water must end its movement immediately. A double spaced figure must end its movement if both spaces are in water.

You do not have to stop movement when moving into swamp water. The only differences between swamp water and regular terrain is that it has a height of 0 and Marro Warriors, Marro Drudge, and Microcorp Agents can use their bonuses on it. The Obsidian Guards also experience their weakness on Swamp Water.

Stepping onto Slippery Ice or Heavy Snow costs 2 movement points per space. Be sure to ask your TD whether either or both of these rules will be used on the maps at your event.

Stepping onto molten lava ends movement just like water and the figure dies unless it rolls a 20. Even double spaced figures who just step in for a second need to roll.

Lava field tiles take effect at the end of the round. Roll one attack die for every affected figure, and take one unblockable wound for a skull.

3. Leaving engagement attacks are optional. You don't have to roll against your opponent's Krug or your own Marcu Esenwein if you don't want to.

Secondly, leaving engagement attacks are not considered attacks. Until the SotM rulebook, they were called passing swipes. Passing swipe and leaving engagement attack are interchangeable terms, but they are never treated as attacks (e.g. Ornak's Orc Battle Cry Aura, Deadly Strike or Deadly Shot's additional hits, etc).

2. Figures with normal flying have to take any and all leaving engagement attacks as soon as they lift off, whether they engage the enemy figures upon landing or not. They are allowed to walk.

1. You cannot move through your own engaged figures, unless you have phantom/ghost walk or fly over them.

Well there you have it. I kind of feel like I cheated with number 4. Oh well.