Elder Races

• Elder Races
• CW

Elder Races {TGW-2} is an expansion released with The Gods War. Its main mechanics are the addition of various recruitable units to the map, depending on which layout is in play.

Components

Units

Mortal Minions
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:Duck (Painted).png	Duck	3	2	0
			Setup: Place a Duck in the Togaro Ocean. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure. If a diplomacy attempt fails with the Ducks, the Duck moves clockwise into the next sea area (not counting a sunken land).
			Flocks (Ongoing): When you pay to summon a Duck, immediately place all Ducks in your pool among your buildings, as you choose.
			Heroquest: A Duck is killed in battle. Bad Luck to Kill a Duck (Post-Battle): If one or more Ducks are killed in a battle, the enemy immediately loses 1 Power or 1 VP (his choice).
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x3), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x3)
File:Dwarf (Painted).png	Dwarf	3	2	2
			Pre-Requisite: Jrustela must be on the map. Setup: Place a Dwarf in Jrustela. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure. If the Elves are allied with an empire, any attempt to ally with the Dwarfs automatically succeeds. (However, you must make a die roll. A result of 6 still kills a unit).
			Construction (Action: Cost 0): If you have a Dwarf in an area lacking a building (a Chaos Nest can be present, unless you are Chaos), replace the Dwarf with any building from your pool, regardless of requirements.
			Heroquest: No Dwarfs are in your Unit Pool. The Dead God (Action: Cost 0): Do nothing. This counts as an action.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x3), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x3)
File:Elf (Painted).png	Elf	3	2	2
			Pre-Requisite: The Elf Jungle must be on the map. Setup: Place an Elf in the Elf Jungle. Place the Aldrya marker at 0 on the victory track. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure. If the Dwarves are allied with an empire, any attempt to ally with the Elves automatically succeeds. (However, you must make a die roll. A result of 6 still kills a unit).
			Annual Cycle (Power Phase): Earn VP equal to the position of the Aldrya marker, then advance the marker one space along the victory track.
			Heroquest: An Elf dies in Battle. Dryads (Post-Battle): After applying combat results, pay 1 Power to immediately Summon an Elf into the battle area. This will protect your building from conquest or destruction.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x3), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x3)
File:Scorpion Man (Painted).png	Scorpion Man	3	1	2
			Pre-Requisite: The Chaos empire must be in play. Setup: When the first Chaos Nest is built, also place a Scorpion Man in that area. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure.
			Parasitic (Ongoing): You may ally with another elder race in addition to the Scorpion Folk. It does not matter whether you ally with the Scorpion Folk before or after allying with the other race. Feasting (Post-Battle): After a battle involving a Scorpion Man, if any enemy units were killed, summon 1 Scorpion Man to the area (for free). This is not optional.
			Heroquest: A Scorpion Man survives a battle in which any unit was killed. Disloyal (Pre-Battle): Before a battle involving Scorpion Folk, roll a die. If the roll is lower than the total number of Scorpion Folk in play, they switch allegiance to the enemy empire, and fight on that empire's side in that battle. When the Scorpion Folk switch allegiance, keep this gift on their loyalty card.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x3), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x3)
File:Slarge (Painted).png	Slarge	3	3	1 OR 3
			Pre-Requisite: Umathela must be on the map. Setup: Place a Slarge in Umathela. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure.
			Generation Alternation (Battle; Ongoing): Before rolling combat dice, roll a die. On a roll of 1-3, each Slarge in the battle has a combat of 1. On a roll of 4-6, each Slarge has a combat of 3. If you need to check a Slarge's combat when not in a battle, follow the same procedure.
			Heroquest: No Slarges are in your Pool. Obsession (Action: Cost 2): When you gain this gift, place it face up on this side. Name any action, then flip this gift over and follow the instructions on the other side. Each time another empire with more VP than you performs the action you named, earn either 1 power or 1 VP, decided by the enemy empire. Flip the card to the other side at the end of the action phase.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x3), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x3)
File:Dragonewt Scout (Painted).png	Dragonewt	1	1	0/1/2/3
			Pre-Requisite: Teleos must be on the map. Setup: Place the Dragonewt in Teleos. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure. Point the evolution marker to 1st stage: Scout.
			Rebirth (Council Phase; Ongoing): Each Council phase, and each time the Dragonewt is killed in Battle, you may choose to rotate the Evolution marker one step counter-clockwise. If the Dragonewt is eliminated instead of killed, or the Final Stage is killed, restart at the Scout level. The stages are: Scout. Combat 0. Warrior. Combat 1. Priest. Combat 2. Noble. Combat 3. Dragon. Combat 4 Dragon Magic (Power Phase): In the Power Phase, if the Dragonewt is a priest it provides 2 power. If it is noble, it provides 1 power and 1 VP. If it is a dragon, it provides 2 VP.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x1), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x1)
File:Vadeli Raider (Painted).png	Vadeli Raider	3	2	2
			Setup: Not Placed. Alliance: (Council Phase) During any Council Phase, if there is a single player without an elder race ally, that player MUST now take the Vadeli as their ally. This is the only way to ally with them. Place a Vadeli Raider at your most expensive building.
			Trickery (Ongoing): When you activate an area containing a Vadeli Raider for movement, you may also move any enemy units present in the area as you please (they need not go to the same destinations as your own units).
			Heroquest: No Vadeli Raiders are in your Unit Pool. Plunder (Post-Battle): If a Vadeli Raider participated in a battle in which you conquered or destroyed an enemy building, earn 1 VP.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x3), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x3)
Mortal Heros
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:Giant (Painted).png	Giant	1	4	4
			Setup: Not placed. Alliance: A diplomacy attempt with the Giant may be made in any area without a building. If the diplomacy action succeeds, one emissary unit dies. Place the Giant in that area.
			Contrary (Ongoing): The Giant cannot be chosen as the target of gifts or abilities, even beneficial ones. This is not optional. The Eater (Action: Cost 1): If the Giant is in an area containing enemy mortal minions, that enemy empire must choose one minion to be eliminated. (If there are minions from two empires in the area, you must first choose a single empire to target). The presence of their greater god or Ziggurat protects mortal minions from The Eater.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x1), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x1)
File:Maidstone Archer (Painted).png	Maidstone Archer	1	3	3
			Pre-Requisite: Fronela must be on the map. Setup: Place a Maidstone Archer in Fronela. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure.
			Ballista (Post-Battle): If the Maidstone Archer is in a battle, after rolling dice you may apply up to 3 of your rolled kills and/or routs to any chosen enemy empire's units in an adjacent area (that empire still decides which of the 3 results applies to which of its units in the adjacent area).
			Heroquest: An enemy unit is killed in a battle involving the Maidstone Archer. Countershot (Post-Battle): If the Maidstone Archer is in a battle, after rolling dice you can cancel up to 3 enemy kill and/or rout results by canceling up to three of your own kill and/or rout results, matching results to like result (e.g., if you cancel 1 kill and 2 routs rolled by your enemy, you must cancel 1 kill and 2 routs that you rolled).
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x1), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x1)
File:Dragonewt Inhuman King (Painted).png	Dragonewt	1	1	4
			Pre-Requisite: Teleos must be on the map. Setup: Place the Dragonewt in Teleos. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure. Point the evolution marker to 1st stage: Scout.
			Rebirth (Council Phase; Ongoing): Each Council phase, and each time the Dragonewt is killed in Battle, you may choose to rotate the Evolution marker one step counter-clockwise. If the Dragonewt is eliminated instead of killed, or the Final Stage is killed, restart at the Scout level. The stages are: Scout. Combat 0. Warrior. Combat 1. Priest. Combat 2. Noble. Combat 3. Dragon. Combat 4 Dragon Magic (Power Phase): In the Power Phase, if the Dragonewt is a priest it provides 2 power. If it is noble, it provides 1 power and 1 VP. If it is a dragon, it provides 2 VP.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x1), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x1)
Lesser Gods
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:Waertagi Dragon Ship (Painted).png	Waertagi Dragon Ship	3	2	2
			Setup: Place a Waertagi Dragon Ship in the Banthe Ocean. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure.
			Fleet Muster (Power Phase): Summon a free Dragon Ship into any sea area.
			Heroquest: No Dragon Ships are in your Pool. Major Invasion (Battle): When you are in a battle in a land area, your Waertagi Dragon Ships in adjacent sea areas may add their combat values to your total. Unlike Sky's Shanasse gift, these Dragon Ships are vulnerable to battle results (kills and routs). Major Invasion does not apply to battles against your lone buildings.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x3), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x3)
File:Boggle (Painted).png	Boggle	3	2	0
			Setup: Not placed. Alliance: When you attempt a diplomacy action with any elder race and roll a 6 (and your unit is killed) you may immediately choose to accept the Boggles as an ally instead (whether or not a 6 would be a success in allying with that other elder race). If there are no other elder races on the map with whom to perform the diplomacy action, then as a 1-cost action you may eliminate your own unit and take the Boggles as an ally. When you ally with the Boggles, place one anywhere on the map.
			Pest (Council Phase): An enemy building sharing an area with a Boggle does not provide its empire with VP during the Council Phase.
			Heroquest: No Boggles are in your Pool. Vermin (Action: Cost 1): Each enemy empire with any units or buildings sharing an area with a Boggle immediately loses 1 power.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x3), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x3)
File:Luathan (Painted).png	Luathan	3	2	2
			Setup: Place a Luathan in Luathela. Alliance: Normal diplomacy procedure.
			Demigod (Pre-Battle): You may rout one or more Luathans before dice are rolled. For every Luathan pre-routed in this way, the enemy must also pre-rout a greater god.
			Heroquest: No Luathans are in your Unit Pool. Devastate (Action: Cost 0): Lay one of your in-play Luathans on its side. All other units in the Luathan's area (including your own) are routed to adjacent areas, following standard rout procedure. Then, destroy all buildings in the area; buildings may no longer be built or placed in this area. The laid-down Luathan can no longer be moved or leave the area; it can initiate and participate in battle, but ignores all routs, kills, and eliminations.
		Availability: Elder Races {TGW-2} (x3), Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x3)

Other components

Other components
Image	Component	Quantity	Notes
	Aldrya Marker	1	Used for the Elf
		Availability: [Classic] Elder Races {TGW-2} (x1) [Deluxe] Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x1), Errata Pack {TGW-?} (x1)
	Evolution Marker	1	Used for the Dragonewt
		Availability: [Classic] Elder Races {TGW-2} (x1) [Deluxe] Elder Races {TGW-2-O2} (x1), Errata Pack {TGW-?} (x1)

Strategy

Set Up

At the start of the game, players collectively decide which Elder Races to include. It is recommended to have one Elder Race per player. Each Elder Race has instructions on its Loyalty Card for whether and where to place its first unit. Until an Elder Race is recruited, its units are neutral and may not be attacked or otherwise interacted with.

• If the Scorpion Folk are included, there should be one more Elder Race than the number of players.

Diplomacy

Unless stated otherwise on the loyalty card, an Elder Race may be recruited by performing the Diplomacy Action by a player who has a unit in the Elder Race's "Citadel" (their starting location) and does not already have an allied Race. When a player recruits an Elder Race, they take that Race's loyalty card and add its units to their Pool.

• As Buildings are not units, they do not count towards the cost threshold for Diplomacy, nor may they be sacrificed for its penalty.

Diplomacy (Action: Cost 1): Spend 1 Power and roll a die. If your roll is equal to or less than the combined cost of ALL your units in the area, that Elder Race allies with you. If you roll a 6, one of your units in the area is killed (you choose which one). Otherwise, nothing happens. (If you have units whose combined cost is 6 or greater AND you roll a 6, you lose a unit but also successfully gain the race as an ally.)

Similar to expansion Greater Gods, most Elder Races have a unique Gift that may be earned by completing an associated Heroquest. However, these Gifts do not provide Power or VP during the Power or Council Phases.

Other notes

• Elder Race Units may be chosen to be the target of Chaos's Oblivion.
• If a Waertagi Dragon Ship is routed after using Major Invasion to join a Battle in an adjacent Area, it is moved alongside any other routed units even if that results in moving more than one Area.
• If a Dwarf uses Construction to build Darkness's Castle of Lead, Darkness will not gain the associated Rune unless they possess the Ancestor Worship Gift that grants it.