Guards
There are three different guard types in the basic game. Seven in the advanced game (bow equipped versions of guards and the Roving guard).
Setup
The guard on the Vault Map Tile is always a Wandering guard (red meeple). This guard isn't placed until the vault map tile is entered by a thief for the first time. The player of that thief is now responsible for moving the guard for the vault.
Guards start the game as either Bored (if a Stationary guard) or Interested. Place a status counter under each one to show their status.
Movement
If a guard enters an Extinguished Torch hex, remove the Extinguished Torch counter, the guard has relit the torch.
Guards have keys and may freely move through any Special Hex.
Catching Thieves
If a guard hears a noise (e.g. from a Thief using the Run card) it will change to Alert status if it is Distracted, Bored or Interested.
If a guard ever spots a thief, it will change to
Pursuing status. see
Line of Sight
If a guard investigates (moves into the same hex as) a Thief Marker:
Line of Sight
A guard's line of sight is measured in a straight line from the centre of the hex the guard is in.
It extends past every map tile unless it hits a wall or if it is limited by a status that shortens their line of sight (e.g. Distracted or Bored).
All guards normally look down the row of hexes in their immediate front. If on a higher Status - this line of sight expands to a 3 hex side (180 degree) arc to their front, but does not include hexes they can only partially see (i.e. they must be able to draw an uninterrupted line to each of the 6 corners of the hex).
A guard has line of sight into a Special Hex but not through it to the hex on the other side.
| In this example -
the Wandering Guard at F2 is Distracted and has no line of sight at all a thief could stand next to this guard and not be seen.
the Patrolling Guard at D3 is Alert and can see off the map tile to the top left (hexes B2 and C3 etc) also the full hexes of B3 (which is a Special Hex), C4, C5, C6, D4, D5 and E6. The guard can only see parts of the hexes B5, C7, E5, E7 and F6 and so cannot spot a thief in those hexes. The guard cannot see through the Special Hex and so cannot spot a thief at A4 either.
the Stationary Guard at E4 is Bored and can only see 2 hexes. It can only see hexes F4 and G5. |
Guard Types
Stationary Guard
| A Stationary guard (blue meeple) starts on the blue crescent marker on the map tile facing in a random direction. Roll the black die.
Each Guard Movement Phase the Stationary Guard rotates to face the next clockwise hex side.
Stationary guard default status is Bored. | |
Patrolling Guard
| A Patrolling guard (green meeple) starts on the green star marker on the map tile.
Each Guard Movement Phase the Patrolling guard moves towards the green shield marker on the map tile following the green line. The guard always faces towards the next hex it will move into. Once the Guard reaches the shield marker it will immediately turn around and on the next Guard Movement Phase commence to move towards the star marker.
Patrolling guard default status is Interested |   |
Wandering Guard
| A Wandering guard (red meeple) starts on a random red shield marker. Roll the black die.
Each Guard Movement Phase the Wandering guard moves one hex along the path indicated by the red arrows. The guard always faces towards the next hex it will move into.
Wandering guard default status is Interested |  |
Statuses
Advanced Guards
Guards with Bows
If the guard has a bow and spots a thief no matter what the status the guard is currently in, the thief is shot and loses a wound. The guard with the bow then changes status to Pursuing as normal. If a thief loses three wounds, they are killed.
Guard with Bow | Any of the standard guard types may have a bow (white lightning meeple). Whenever this guard spots a thief, it will shoot them, causing 1 wound. The player discards a wound counter. The guard will then change to Pursuing status as normal. | |
Setup
Medium Difficulty: The single guard for every map tile is now armed with a bow. No special Bow Markers are used as all default guards now have a bow.
Hard Difficulty: Choose an additional guard armed with a bow to go on your map tile. The type of bow guard must be different to the first guard for that tile. Place a white lightning marker next to the guard that has the bow.
Roving Guard
Roving Guard | The Roving guard (white meeple) starts on the Vault Hex (the crown icon) on the Vault Map Tile at the beginning of the game.
Each Guard Movement Phase the Roving guard moves 1 hex towards the closest Thief Marker if any have been revealed. If no Thief Markers are on the map, the Roving guard remains stationary.
Roving guard default status is Alert. | |
Setup
Undead
The undead may haunt unused parts of the Black Keep.
Undead ignore guard cards that would effect guards.
Undead do not re-light extinguished torches. They simply move over the counter and keep going.
Undead are slow. When Pursuing they only move 1 hex.
Undead are not interested in capturing thieves. If an undead ever enters the same hex as a thief, it causes 1 wound
You cannot Pick Pocket the undead.
Undead | Any of the standard types of guard may be an undead. To show a guard is undead, lay the meeple horizontally on its Status Marker. |
Setup