For traditional Trolls, there are many things are worth fighting for. Home, family, tradition, are all causes they would go to battle and even die for, but beyond all of those is Honour. Trolls who live an honourable life and die and honourable death are held up as heroes of their Clan and of the whole Mountain. They are rewarded with statues built in their image and great tales of their deeds are passed down through the generations. The Troll who can earn the most Honour, will surely be the one to lead the tribe if they are forced into exile.
In Fall of the Mountain King, you become a Troll leader fighting to defend your Mountain home against a gnomish onslaught. You are fighting to drive back the invaders to be sure, but you’re also competing against other Trolls to earn the most Honour.
Across three Waves of attacks, many of the actions you take will earn you Honour or put you in a position to earn Honour at the end of the game. It’s up to you to prove you’re the right Troll to lead the tribe. Some Honour is gained through actions you take during the Wave and some Honour is awarded for your positioning at the end of the Wave.
During the Wave, you get Honour for directly attacking Gnomes. Each Gnome has a strength (between one and three) and you’ll earn equal points for defeating them. You can also gain Honour for advancing on the Gnome Wheel and ending on the Honour space. This earns you the value of the spaces you moved plus the value of your disc on the Boost track. Carefully planned Gnome actions can yield a lot of Honour.
Some Champions can earn you Honour during the game, and even when you lose in your bid to recruit a Champion, you have a choice between clan votes and Honour depending on how deeply you’ve invested.
At the end of Waves I and II, you’ll score Honour for your position in the Mountain. Spreading your forces out into different Caverns and different Domains can be very valuable. You earn six Honour for each Domain you control at least one Cavern in, and two Honour for each additional Cavern you control in those Domains. You will however, lose one Honour for each Cavern overrun with Gnomes in a Domains where you have some presence. At the end of Wave III, your Trolls make a final stand defending the Great Halls of the Mountain and will be awarded Honour for controlling the Caverns surrounding them.
The Gnomes aren’t going to take your resistance lying down. At the end of each Wave they launch a new invasion at a number of different Gates around the Mountain. These attacks are deadly, but if you can position your troops in the way, they will earn you Honour as they fall defending their home. As the the Invasions become more vicious throughout the game, you’ll gain more Honour for the troops you lose in this manner.
At the end of the third Wave, Champions awarded give you a chance to earn Honour for the state of the board surrounding Great Halls. You will also gain Honour for the votes you’ve gained on the Clan board. The value of each Clan fluctuates between games and no one strategy can be relied upon each time you play.
Honour is an intangible thing. What one culture reveres, another may shun. As Trolls, your bravery, cunning, and leadership will gain you a place at the head of all Clans. Maybe one day, great Troll artisans will make a statue in your image, and storytellers will recount your brave defence of the Mountain. It’s up to you to earn such honours.
Fall of the Mountain King is coming to Kickstarter June 1.
Learn more about Champions here.
Learn more about Building your Ancestry here.
Learn more about Gameplay here.