DRAGONS FROM AN ANCIENT ERA HAVE RISEN FROM A SLUMBER THAT HAS LASTED MILLIONS OF YEARS.

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2 DRAGONS FROM AN ANCIENT ERA HAVE RISEN FROM A SLUMBER THAT HAS LASTED MILLIONS OF YEARS. Their protective sleep saved them from a comet impact, yet they awoke to a changed world. Continental drift and receding ice sheets had carved out a new continent called Dara, and humanity had evolved to rule it. The dragons spread out into far regions of this new land and subjugated its inhabitants through violence, diplomacy, and trickery. Now, as ancient feuds resurface and Dara erupts into war, the dragons and their allies battle for resources and dominance. Drake is a true scale, 28 mm fantasy miniature wargame that blends incredible dragons, horrifying beasts, and powerful chant magic. You choose a great dragon to lead a force of servants and monstrous creatures to battle, then craft a deck of chant magic cards to annihilate your foes. This fast-paced and bloody gameplay experience rewards tactics, nerves of steel, and quick responsive actions especially on your opponent s turn! The following starter rules cover the basics of how to play Drake. They are written especially for small games, either dragon vs. dragon or perhaps with a small number of chant constructions and creations or other followers.

3 WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY Models: You will need assembled miniature models to send into battle. Each player will need a dragon and, optionally, an equivalent amount of supporting units. Painting is optional but encouraged! Force cards: You will need force cards to consult for each unit s statistics, attacks, and traits. Chant cards: Each player will need to build a deck of chant cards to represent the spells their dragons can cast. Dice: You will need a handful of 10-sided dice (D10s), around six of them at least. Measuring tape: You will need a measuring tape. Drake often requires players to measure distances in inches. Markers: You should have a number of small items to mark game effects that persist over time. You can use buttons, beads, coins, or whatever you like. READING THE CARDS FORCE CARDS A force card provides all the information needed to play a game with its corresponding unit, including that unit s statistics, attacks, and traits. STATISTICS MV: Movement is the number of inches a model can move in a normal advance. ACT: Action is the number of action points (AP) a model generates when selected. CR: Courage is used for composure checks when a model is frightened. Templates: Some spells and abilities use area of effect templates, either circles of 3, 4, or 5 diameter or teardrop-shaped templates that represent the area of effect of a dragon s breath weapon or similar effect. Printable templates are downloadable from if you do not have a Drake template set. Battlefield: You will need a playing surface to use as the battlefield. Dragon vs. dragon games are recommended to be played on a battlefield that is 2 square. Larger games will require a larger battlefield. Terrain: Standard games of Drake should have at least one feature each of water terrain, stone terrain, and forest terrain on the battlefield. Flat templates can be used if you don t have miniature terrain pieces. CP: Chant power is used to pay the cost of casting chant cards. Dragons regenerate their CP to full when selected. Except for MV, HP, and CP, statistics cannot be increased beyond a maximum of 9. A model cannot be healed to more than its maximum HP, but it can be reduced to negative HP. A model can gain AP and CP without limit and cannot have negative AP or CP. ATTACKS Attacks are either melee attacks ( ) or missile attacks ( ). CON: Constitution is used for survival checks when a model is badly wounded. DEX: You must roll equal to or greater than a model s Dexterity to hit it with an attack s hit roll. AR: You must roll equal to or greater than a model s Armour to damage it with an attack s damage roll. HP: Hit points represent the amount of damage a model can suffer before it must pass a survival check or be destroyed. ATTS: The attack strength is the number of damage dice rolled in this attack s damage roll. ( 0), ( 1), etc.: The number of extra attacks, after the first, that a model can buy with this attack using AP. Range: The short and long range, in inches, of a missile weapon. 2

4 TRAITS Traits are the skills and powers of the unit. Many traits are passively in effect all the time. Some traits are triggered ( ) when certain conditions are met. Some common traits are not defined on the card. Flying: This model is a flying model and can choose fly as a movement option. Aquatic: This model ignores the movement penalty of shallow water and treats deep water as difficult rather than impassable terrain. While completely within deep water, this model is obscured and gets hard cover even without a cover marker (see Missile Attacks). Trailblazer: This model ignores the movement penalty of all difficult terrain other than water. Traits with a cost listed after their name are abilities that can be used by paying their cost. Certain types of abilities differ from mundane abilities (which have no symbol) in terms of how and when they can be used. Mundane ` Snap ( ) When to use Only in the unit s action step Whenever a snap can be used How often Once per round Once per round CHANT CARDS Chant cards represent chant magic that dragons use to summon creatures directly onto the battlefield, enhance their troops, and blast deadly attacks at their enemies! Cost: The number in the top left is the amount of CP required to cast the chant card. Synergy: Some chant cards, especially chant creations or constructions, have a synergy rating. If such a card is targeted by a chant card while waiting to resolve, the targeting card s controller immediately makes a synergy check by rolling a D10. It passes if the roll is equal to or greater than the synergy rating of the targeted card. If failed, the targeting card immediately goes to the dead pile and has no effect. Element: Every chant card has an element, such as Earth, Life, Spirit, or Sun. Range: Many chant cards have a range, in inches. Some of those specify that the range is a radius, and some specify that the caster must also have LOS to the target. Type: The type of the chant card enhancement, flow, or snap affects when it can be cast and what it does (see Chant Magic). Chant ( ) Snap chant ( ) Only in the unit s action step Whenever a snap can be used As often as the cost can be paid As often as the cost can be paid Chant abilities ( ) and snap chant abilities ( ) go into the chant order (use a placeholder card) and can be responded to with snap chant cards or snap chant abilities. Snap abilities ( ) that are not also chant abilities cannot be used while a chant order is waiting to resolve (see Chant Magic). Some abilities are additional movement options ( )that a unit can choose instead of the standard movement options. 3

5 BASIC GAME CONCEPTS GENERAL RULES DICE ROLLS When a die is rolled to determine success or failure, generally the result must be equal to or greater than or equal to or less than a target number. Rolling a natural 1 or 10 (that is, where the die roll is 1 or 10 before applying modifiers) counts as automatic success or failure. A roll is therefore never made impossible by modifiers. When you must roll high to succeed, 10 is a success and 1 is a failure. When you must roll low to succeed, 1 is a success and 10 is a failure. If a model or unit must make a statistic check, like a DEX check or a CR check, roll one D10. The check passes if the roll is equal to or less than the statistic. Some effects require a perilous check or advantage check. These effects will provide a target number, like 6+. Roll one D10. The check passes if the roll is equal to or greater than the target number. For perilous and advantage checks, the consequences for passing or failing the roll will be stated in the effect. If an effect requires players to make an opposing roll, each player rolls a D10, and the winner is the one with the higher result. Ties are won by the controller of the effect. DIVISION Always round up when dividing unless calculating a measurement in inches, in which case the exact value is used even if it is not a whole number. For example, rolling a D10 and dividing by 3 yields the following possible results: 4 D10 roll Divided by 3, rounded up MEASURING Any player can measure any distance at any time. MODELS AND UNITS A model is any game miniature on a single base of any size: small, medium, large, or mighty. A unit is any single model or group of models deployed and commanded as a single entity, represented by a single force card. FRONT/REAR ARCS AND MELEE RANGE The front arc of most models extends from the front 180 of their base, which players can assume to be centred on the point the model s head is facing if it is not marked or otherwise stated by the model s owner. A model s rear arc extends from the back 180 of its base. Some models have attacks they can make from their rear arc, such as a tail strike. These attacks always get 1 to hit. A model s melee range extends out the following distance from its front arc, depending on its base size. Small base 0 Medium or large base 1 Mighty base 2 Small-based models have a 360 front arc and are therefore able to make melee attacks against anything their base is touching as well as being able to draw LOS from any point on their base. A model is engaged if it is within the melee range of an enemy model. LINE OF SIGHT A model has line of sight (LOS) to a point if you can draw a straight line from the front arc of the model s base to that point and that line is uninterrupted by terrain that blocks LOS or by models. A model has LOS to another model if it has LOS to any point on its base. Models and terrain only block LOS to models of equal or smaller height (HT).

6 NO OVERLAPPING MODELS A model can never end its movement or be placed in a location where its base overlaps another model s base or impassable terrain. If a model must be placed in such a location, it is instead placed in the next closest location. If a model must end its movement in such a location, it instead backs up to the last legal location it could have ended its movement. CHANT MAGIC THE CHANT ORDER When casting a chant card, identify its caster (but not its target) and pay its cost, and then place it in the chant order, which is where chant cards wait to resolve. Once a card is in the chant order, it can only be responded to by snap chant cards or snap chant abilities. No other abilities or cards can be used while a chant order is waiting to resolve. New cards added to an existing chant order go on top of the other cards. When no player wishes to respond to the chant order, all cards and abilities in the chant order resolve in order, starting at the top (the most recently played). No cards or abilities can be used while the chant order resolves. Players choose targets and make other decisions required by their cards when each card resolves. THE DEAD PILE Chant cards that have been countered, discarded, or no longer have an effect on the game go to the dead pile. Force cards for destroyed units also go to the dead pile. RUNNING OUT OF CARDS If a player is supposed to draw a chant card but cannot because there are no chant cards left in their deck, the draw is ignored and nothing happens. TYPES OF CHANT CARDS Flow cards can only be cast during the caster s action step while there is no chant order waiting to resolve. Flow cards go to the dead pile after they resolve unless they have a persistent effect on the battlefield. Enhancement cards have persistent effects on the units they enhance. Enhancements also can only be cast during the caster s action step while there is no chant order waiting to resolve. However, instead of going to the dead pile, enhancements are placed on the force card of the unit they targeted and remain until destroyed or otherwise removed. At any time, each player can only have a single enhancement on any unit. If a player controls an enhancement on a unit, that player cannot target that unit with another enhancement unless one of them is a halo enhancement, which allows a player to have up to two different enhancements on the enhanced unit. Snap cards can be played at almost any time, including while a chant order is waiting to resolve. Any time that a snap can be used, the active player gets the first opportunity to do so. Snaps can be used by any player at the end of each of the following phases and steps of the turn: the beginning phase the selection step of each operation the movement step of each operation (after the unit ends its movement) the end step of each operation the end phase During the action step of an operation, snaps can only be used by the active unit or by any player in response to a chant order begun by the active unit. Chant creations and chant constructions can only be cast during the caster s action step while there is no chant order waiting to resolve. When one of these cards resolves, it summons a unit to the battlefield, which must be placed in a manner specified on the card. Chant creations do not get an operation the turn they are created unless cast in overdrive, where the caster pays an additional 1+X CP and then rolls a D10 and adds X when the card resolves. If the result is equal to or greater than 8, the chant creation gets a normal operation that turn. The chant creation loses 1 HP upon creation when cast in overdrive, whether or not the roll was successful. Chant constructions are inanimate objects that do not operate and never make survival or composure checks. They are destroyed immediately when reduced to zero HP, and they do not need to be in coherency with other models in their unit. 5

7 HEROIC CHANTS A chant card must be cast as a heroic chant if cast in the following circumstances: the caster is engaged by an enemy model; or the caster has just ended a run or fly move or another move that would otherwise cause it to skip its action step. After making a heroic chant, that caster cannot cast snap cards in that chant order unless it contains an enemy snap. Immediately after a chant order resolves, casters who made a heroic chant lose all CP. TERRAIN Terrain adds tactical depth and excitement to the game. Especially in dragon vs. dragon games, terrain is important to give the dragons cover from each other while they angle for position and cast chant cards in hopes of getting the advantage. Here are the standard effects of different types of terrain. Open ground: Has no effect on gameplay. The battlefield is generally considered open ground anywhere that there is no terrain piece. Difficult terrain: A model is slowed to half speed in difficult terrain, spending double the movement for any distance moved. Dangerous terrain: A model suffers an attack at the end of a movement step in which it was within dangerous terrain at any point. Small- and mediumbased models suffer an ATTS 1 attack. Large- and mighty-based models suffer an ATTS 2 attack. Impassable terrain: A model cannot be moved through or placed on impassable terrain. Some terrain pieces can also provide light cover or hard cover (see Missile Attacks) or can block LOS. Here are some examples of how common kinds of terrain pieces affect the game. Water: Shallow water is difficult terrain. Deep water is impassable terrain. A toxic pool is difficult, dangerous terrain. Forest: A sparse forest is difficult terrain that provides light cover. A dense forest is difficult terrain that blocks LOS and provides hard cover. A thorn bush is difficult, dangerous terrain that provides light cover. Stone: Large boulders or tall rock walls are impassable terrain that block LOS and provide hard cover. A short rock wall provides hard cover and is not impassable, but a model cannot end its movement or be placed on it. PLAYING THE GAME BUILDING A CHANT DECK Before the game, each player will need to build a deck of chant cards. The deck must contain at least 21 cards. Chant creations and constructions, such as Rakhera and Marks of Ether, count toward that minimum of 21 cards in your deck. Your chant deck can include no more than three copies of any card and only one copy of any unique card. If your dragon s alliance has a chant affinity, you must include at least five cards of that element in your deck, plus one card for each dragon of that alliance in your force beyond the first. You do not have to reveal the contents of your deck to your opponent before the game. Once each player has chosen their deck and their force, the game can begin! Alliance Builders Great Mystics Lords of the Mountain Shi Nation Chant affinity Earth Spirit Life Sun 6

8 SETUP Battlefield setup: Players should discuss the terrain they are using and agree on what each piece does. Then players each roll a D10 and take turns placing terrain pieces, starting with the winner. Alternately, players can place terrain however they wish, provided all players agree to the placement. Deployment: Players each roll a D10 again. The winner chooses which corner or side to deploy on. In a dragon vs. dragon game, players deploy their dragons completely within a 5 radius of opposite corners of the battlefield. In larger games, players deploy completely within 10 of opposite edges of the battlefield and take turns deploying one unit at a time, starting with the winner of the roll. Drawing a starting hand: Each player can take any cards from their deck with a point cost (such as chant creations or constructions) and put them into their starting hand. Each player then shuffles the rest of their chant deck and draws chant cards until they have seven cards in their hand. Determining first player: Players each roll a D10 again. The winner will take the first turn. TURN STRUCTURE Each player s turn consists of three phases: a beginning phase, operation phase, and end phase. BEGINNING PHASE Effects that trigger at the beginning of the turn resolve. Any player can then use snaps. OPERATION PHASE The player must operate each of their units on the battlefield in whatever order they choose. A unit s operation consists of the following steps. Selection Step The player selects a unit, which then generates its AP and CP. When a player selects a dragon, that player draws a chant card. Any player can then use snaps. Movement Step The unit must choose one of the following movement options. Some movement options have an AP cost. When moving, unless the movement option specifies that the model must move in a straight line, the model can change facing and direction an unlimited number of times during its movement. Hold: The model cannot move, not even to change facing. Advance: The model can move up to its MV in inches. Run (1 AP): The model can move up to 2 its MV. The model then skips its action step, unless it is a dragon. A dragon takes an action step but can only make a heroic chant this operation. Fly (2 AP): Only available to flying models. The model first must make a takeoff move of half its MV in a straight line in any direction. If the model successfully makes the takeoff move without contacting any other models or impassable terrain, it then makes a glide move of up to 2 its MV. The glide move does not have to be in a straight line. A gliding model ignores free strikes and can move over all terrain and other models. If the model was slowed by difficult terrain during its takeoff move, subtract the distance travelled through difficult terrain from the model s MV before doubling it to calculate its glide distance. A model that flies or makes an unsuccessful takeoff skips its action step, unless it is a dragon. A dragon takes an action step but can only make a heroic chant this operation. Charge (1 AP): The model must choose a model in LOS and then move up to 1.5 its MV in a straight line in a direction that would bring it in base contact with its target, stopping at any point once the target is in melee range. The model cannot make missile attacks this operation and must make at least one melee attack against its target. If the model moved at least 2, it gets +1 to melee damage rolls against its target this operation. If the model contacts impassable terrain or another model, the charge fails, but the model still takes its action step. If the model runs out of movement, the charge fails and the model skips its action step, unless it is a dragon. A dragon takes an action step but can only make a heroic chant this operation. A flying model can make a flying charge, where it divides its charge into a takeoff move of half its MV and then a glide move of up to 1.5 its MV, both parts of the movement in a straight line toward its charge target, following the charge rules for direction and stopping point, but otherwise like a normal takeoff and glide. After movement, any player can use snaps. 7

9 Action Step Models make attacks and perform other actions during their action step. The player chooses the order in which all attacks or other actions happen. A model can perform any of its actions before, in between, or after its attacks. An active model must choose to make either melee or missile attacks and can make one attack with each of its attacks of the chosen type. It can also make as many extra attacks as are allowed for each attack listed as ( 0), ( 1), and so on at a cost of 1 AP each. Once per operation, an active model can spend 1 AP to get a cover marker (see Missile Attacks). The cover marker is removed the next time the model moves, unless it only changes its facing. An active model can pay the cost to use its abilities. An active dragon can cast chant cards. During the action step of an operation, snaps can only be used by the active unit or by any player in response to a chant order begun by the active unit. End of Operation Step Effects that trigger at the end of the operation resolve. All models on the battlefield lose all AP. Any player can then use snaps. END PHASE Effects that trigger at the end of the turn resolve. If a player has more than eight chant cards in their hand in their end phase, they must discard down to eight cards. Any player can then use snaps. COMBAT MAKING ATTACKS An attack consists of the following steps. Once an attack is made, it must resolve completely, including the hit roll, damage roll, and any other effects, before cards or abilities can be used. Choose a target within range and LOS. Hit roll: Roll a D10. If the result is equal to or greater than the target s DEX, the attack hits. Damage roll: If the attack hits, roll a number of D10s equal to the attack strength (ATTS) of the attack. For each die that is equal to or greater than the target s AR, the target suffers 1 damage. Players can choose to roll multiple hit rolls and damage rolls simultaneously if they know they won t make actions or trigger any effects between attacks. Different colours of dice can be used to differentiate different attacks. MISSILE ATTACKS A model cannot make missile attacks if it is engaged. Breath weapons are a special type of missile attack that can be used while engaged. Missile attacks receive the following modifiers. Deadeye +1 to hit The attacker chose hold as a movement option. Ambush strike +1 to hit and +1 to damage The attacker is completely within the target s rear arc and has spent its entire operation out of the target s LOS. (Also applies to melee attacks.) Long range 1 to hit The target is within the attack s long range but not its short range. Obscured 1 to hit There is no point on the front arc of the attacker s base from which it has LOS to the target s whole base. Light cover or Hard cover 1 to hit or 1 to hit and 1 to damage The target has a cover marker and is within 1 of terrain that is at least half the target s height, provides cover, and is obscuring the target from the attacker. Cover is cumulative with being obscured, but light and hard cover are not cumulative. In melee 1 to hit The target is in melee. If the attack against the target misses, randomly select another model in melee with the target and make an attack against it, with all relevant modifiers, including this one. 8

10 Some missile attacks have an area of effect (AE) represented by a circular template of 3, 4, or 5 diameter or by a small or large teardrop-shaped breath template. When making an attack with a circular template, the player marks a point on the battlefield within the attack s range, then rolls a to-hit directional die (THD), attempting to land the die near that point. Subtract the attack s accuracy (ACR) from the number on the die. If the result is zero or less, the template is centred on the chosen point. If the result is greater than zero, the template drifts that many inches in the direction the THD s top face is pointing. When making an attack with a breath template, place the template with the narrow end touching any point of the attacker s base, pointed directly away from the attacker, so that a line drawn through the centre of the template would cross the centre point of the attacker s base. Once an AE template is placed, attacks are made against all models within the AE. For models completely within the AE, hit rolls are doubled, and cover and obscured modifiers are ignored. TAKING DAMAGE AND SURVIVAL CHECKS When a model is reduced to zero HP or less, it is destroyed immediately after the attack or effect resolves if it has suffered more damage than its base HP in a single unit s operation. Otherwise, when a model is reduced to zero HP or less, it makes a survival check at the end of the operation. A survival check is made by rolling a D10. The model passes if the roll is equal to or less than its constitution (CON). It makes the check at 1 CON for each HP below zero. If failed, the model is destroyed. If passed, the model gets a wounded marker and is restored to 1 HP. A model can only ever have one wounded marker. A wounded model gets 1 to every stat but HP and CP, only generates half its normal CP, and must make a survival check at the end of each of its operations. The next time a wounded model would heal 1 HP or more, the first HP that would be healed instead removes the wounded marker, and further HP is healed normally. WINNING THE GAME In a dragon vs. dragon game, a player wins if they have the only dragon left in play at the end of any turn. The game is a draw if both dragons are destroyed at the end of any turn. 9

11 ADVANCED GAME CONCEPTS FREE STRIKES A model can make a free strike against an enemy model that leaves its melee range when that enemy model ends its movement. The model can make an attack using any of its melee weapons at +1 to hit and +1 to damage. A model reduced to zero HP or less from a free strike in its movement step skips its action step and makes a survival check at the end of the operation as normal. If an effect causes a model to make a free strike during its own operation, the free strike is resolved immediately and does not count toward the normal attacks the model would make in its action step. AMBUSH STRIKES A model gets +1 to hit and +1 to damage a target with all attacks if it is completely within the target s rear arc and has spent its entire operation out of the target s LOS. COMPOSURE CHECKS A composure check is made by rolling a D10. The unit passes if the roll is equal to or less than its courage (CR). In some cases, passing a composure check on a natural 1 will yield a bonus beyond just passing the check. Dragons never make composure checks. Engagement composure checks are made when a unit charges another unit and at least one model in either unit has a larger base than any model in the other unit. The unit with the smaller base size makes a composure check. If failed, a unit being charged gets 1 DEX until the end of the operation; or each model in a charging unit loses 1 AP. If passed on a natural 1, a unit being charged gets +1 DEX until the end of the operation; or each model in a charging unit gets +1 to hit until the end of the operation. Retreat composure checks are made at the end of any single operation, beginning phase, or end phase in which a unit loses half or more of the models it started the game with or, in the case of units of a single model, half or more of its maximum HP. If failed, the unit is fleeing and immediately makes a flee move (see below). A fleeing unit gets 2 DEX and cannot operate until it passes a rally composure check. Rally composure checks are made at the beginning of a player s turn for every fleeing unit. If failed, the unit is still fleeing and immediately makes a flee move. If passed, the unit is no longer fleeing, and its models can immediately change facing. It still cannot operate this turn. If passed on a natural 1, the unit can operate this turn and gets +1 MV. Flee Move Roll a D10 and divide by 2. Each fleeing model in a unit moves its MV plus that amount directly away from the closest enemy model or directly toward the closest point on the edge of the battlefield, whichever is closer. If a model reaches the edge of the battlefield, it is removed from the game. 10

12 GLOSSARY active: May refer to a player currently taking their turn or a model or unit currently operating. base contact: A model is in base contact with something if any part of its base is touching it. caster: Your caster is the model you identify as casting a chant card when you play it from your hand. coherency: In a unit of multiple models, when more than half of the models are all within 3 of another model of that group, those models are in coherency. Units of multiple models must be deployed in coherency. A model out of coherency gets 1 ACT, 1 CR, and 1 DEX, and it must make a CR check in its selection step. If failed, it runs toward the models in its unit that are in coherency. controller, owner: The owner of a model, unit, or card is the one who had it as part of their force or deck at the start of the game. The controller is the one who currently can operate or play it. Certain effects allow a player to take control of something from the other player. destroyed: When a model is destroyed, remove it from the battlefield. directly toward/away: To make a move directly toward or away from a model, the model must travel along a line extending from the centre of its base to the centre of the other model s base. engaged, in melee: A model is engaged if it is within the melee range of an enemy model. A model is in melee if it is either engaged or engaging an enemy model. place: If a model is to be placed in a location, it is removed from the battlefield and placed directly in that location. Placing is not considered moving and therefore ignores intervening terrain and free strikes. round: A round lasts from the start of the first player s turn to the end of the last player s turn. within, completely within: A model is within a given distance or area if any part of its base is within that distance or area, even up to the full exact distance or just touching the outside of an area. To be completely within, a model s entire base must be within the distance or area. A unit containing multiple models is considered within a distance if any of its models is within that distance. 11

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