Solo games

Frequently Asked Questions

Effect Rules

• Does a cascade count as part of the action that added the original Blight (e.g., for effects that care about Blight being added during a Ravage Action)?
  Yes. This means that a Ravage in one land can, via cascading, add Blight into another land, even one on another board.

  For specific examples:

  • The "Destructive Nature" special rule of Heart of the Wildfire protects its Presence from cascades caused by Spirit Actions.
  • Against the Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), if a single Ravage Action causes 8+ Damage to a land, then all of the Blight cascading from that Ravage also counts towards the Adversary's "Irreparable Damage" loss condition. (In solo play, this causes an immediate loss.)
  • Against the Tsardom of Russia Level 1+, Blight cascading from a Ravage destroys Beasts tokens due to "Hunters Bring Home Shell and Hide," possibly harvesting multiple Beasts tokens from a single Ravage Action.
  • Against the Kingdom of Scotland Level 5+, Blight cascading into a Coastal land from a Ravage triggers the extra Blight from "Runoff and Bilgewater" even if the Ravage Action was in an Inland land or on a different board. If Blight is added into multiple Coastal lands this way due to a single Ravage Action (e.g., if a Ravage in a Coastal land cascades into another Coastal land), only trigger "Runoff and Bilgewater" once. (Thus if a single Ravage Action adds Blight into Coastal lands on multiple boards, player choose which of those boards is "that board" for "Runoff and Bilgewater.")

  However, cascading Blight against the Kingdom of Sweden Level 5+ doesn't activate the "Mining Rush" effect, since "Mining Rush" explicitly excludes cascades.
  Tags: Ravage, Blight, Victory and Defeat, Solo games, 6 more...

Power Cards

• In a solo game, do you get bonuses on powers like Boon of Vigor that usually only happen if you target another player?
  No.

  You can target yourself with powers that say 'Another Player', but any effects that are conditional on targeting someone else do not activate. (Rulebook p. 22)
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Solo games, Boon of Vigor (River Surges in Sunlight), Gift of Constancy, Elemental Boon, 6 more...
• What happens if you play Entwined Power in a solo game?
  As usual, you can use it on yourself. As the power is worded, you can gain two powers and, if you hit the threshold, gain 6 Energy.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Solo games, Entwined Power

Scenarios

• Is it possible to play Destiny Unfolds with only one player?
  Playing with one player removes most of the drafting dynamics, but if you would like to try out a Destiny with just one player, the suggested adjustment is:

  • On the first round, draw 5 Minor Powers and 3 Major Powers.
  • Put 5 of the Powers into your Destiny and discard the other 3.
  • On the second round, draw 6 Minor Powers and 2 Major Powers.
  • Again put 5 of them into your Destiny and discard the other 3.
    Tags: Solo games, Player count, Destiny Unfolds
• When the players collectively perform the Ritual of Terror, whose Action is it?
  Rituals that are not explicitly associated with one Spirit are Spirit Actions for the purpose of anything that cares what type of Action they are (e.g., Vengeance as a Burning Plague destroying its Presence as part of a Ritual of Terror), but are not an individual Spirit's Action for the purpose of their Special Rules. (No, not even in solo play, for the sake of consistency.)

  In Rituals of the Destroying Flame, it is an individual Spirit doing the Action, and so is that Spirit's Action and can benefit from special rules that apply to their actions.
  Tags: Solo games, Actions, Rituals of Terror, Vengeance as a Burning Plague, 3 more...

Setup

• Can every Spirit be played in a solo game?
  Yes, it is possible to play and win with each Spirit in a solo game.

  It is possible to win even with Spirits with special restrictions like Ocean's Hungry Grasp or Bringer of Dreams and Nightmares. Some Spirits will be harder to win with than others (particularly against certain Adversaries), but the difficult Spirits may not be the ones you expect.
  Tags: Solo games, Ocean's Hungry Grasp, Bringer of Dreams and Nightmares
• Can one person play more than one Spirit?
  Practically speaking, sure. Because the game doesn’t usually have secret information that only one player knows, one person can play as many Spirits as they’d like. However, that one person is taking on the roles of multiple Players, e.g., simultaneously making choices for the Red Player, the Blue Player, and the Yellow Player. The game mechanics scale with the number of Players, not the number of people who are participating.

  Two scenarios involve secrets and thus get easier if a person plays multi-handed:

  • "A Diversity of Spirits" introduces communication barriers between the people playing the game. When playing multiple Spirits, only gain the "Strength in Diversity" benefits when a Spirit you are playing adds Presence to the land of a Spirit being played by a different person. If you are the only person playing, don’t play this Scenario — it has no effect on the game.
  • "Destiny Unfolds" adds extra setup steps where no communication is allowed. Playing multi-handed considerably reduces the Difficulty of this Scenario and changes the dynamics of the extra setup. If some of the participants are each playing multiple Spirits, it is strongly recommended that there be at least three people participating, e.g., by each playing 2 Spirits using the 6-Player rules. If you still want to play with only a single player, it's recommended that each Spirit use the solo drafting guidelines.
    Tags: Player count, Solo games, A Diversity of Spirits, Destiny Unfolds, 0 more...

Spirits and Innate Powers

• How does Serpent Slumbering Beneath the Island work in a solo game?
  The Presence limit from its special rule Deep Slumber still applies. It can use Absorb Essence on itself [p. 22]. Presence on its Deep Slumber track is not "on the Island" and does not count against the limit. It cannot get a double benefit from the Serpent Wakes in Power innate power.
  Tags: Solo games, Serpent Slumbering Beneath the Island, Deep Slumber (Serpent Slumbering Beneath the Island), Absorb Essence (Serpent Slumbering Beneath the Island), 1 more...
• When playing Fractured Days Split the Sky solo, is Pour Time Sideways useless?
  In a one-board game, yes, it's nearly useless. (JE p. 31) This is why you get 1 Time as compensation during Setup. Solo games are no longer strictly single-board, however, with the addition of "use an additional board" as a Play Option.

  In a one-board game, Fractured Days Split the Sky is apt to want at least one Major Power if not more, so it can be useful for Forgetting.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Solo games, Pour Time Sideways (Fractured Days Split the Sky)
• When playing Fathomless Mud of the Swamp solo, can it gain 2 Power Cards with Exaltation of Tangled Growth?
  Yes. It can pay 1 Energy to gain a Power Card as “target Spirit,” and then can pay 2 Energy to gain a Power Card as “you.”
  Tags: Solo games, Exaltation of Tangled Growth (Fathomless Mud of the Swap), Fathomless Mud of the Swamp
• When Relentless Gaze of the Sun is the only Spirit in the game, can it choose itself for the Plant thresholds of Consider a Harmonious Nature?
  No, the "another Spirit" exception in solo play only applies to the "Target" box, not the effects of the Power. The last two thresholds will simply fail to do anything, since choosing another Spirit is impossible.
  Tags: Solo games, Consider a Harmonious Nature (Relentless Gaze of the Sun), Relentless Gaze of the Sun