Hi,

I'll try to be clear because I'm French and I don't speak very well english

I just bought the game (Dungeon Quest) in NYC and I started to translate the rules in french but I don't understand the Combat part.

it said "Each Round, both the Hero and monster player draw cards from the Combat Deck [...] until they have a hand of 5 cards [...]"

Hum ok draw 5 cards from the Combat deck ... it's clear ...

but the complexity come with this sentence "During the Very first combat round the Hero and monster player randomly draw and add one of their Power cards to theirs hands before they fill their hands to a total of five cards"

now it's not clear anymore We must draw 5 cards from Combat Deck but the first round we must draw 1 card from the Power Deck ... so we got 6 cards in hands ?

Each round we have to draw 1 card to get a hand of 5 cards before starting to fight ?

**** these rules are so obviously unclear !

thx community

You get a hand of five cards (unless you are that dwarf who gets 6 cards in total each round). This will be at the start of each new combat round. But at the start of a new combat, you FIRST draw one power card at random (you draw one from your pile, and the monster from his own pile, both at random). After this first card, you fill your hand up to 5 cards (so you draw another 4 combat cards from the "community" pile).
When the first combat round is over (and both still are alive) you both fill up your hand to 5 cards and continue untill one of the fighters is dead.

Thanks you very much.

Just to be sure. Each round we play only only One card (if we dont counter attack) isn't it ?

Absolutely correct! (Extended from just "correct!" so I could post it...)

Combat start - draw 1 power card at random, then 4 battle cards to get a full hand of 5 (or 6 for dwarves).

If you want to attempt escape, do it now.

Play 1 card each, face down; flip-over and compare values. Highest wins.

If lowest has compatible counter-attack, play more cards to equal or defeat the current winner.

If highest has main damage type = one or more cards of that type in the stack, take those other cards and apply them to your Deathblow.

If nobody is dead, re-draw to full hands and repeat.

Death blow can only be done in single attack not in counter attack isn't it ?

In a counter attack we can only use a card with the same type of the counter attack type ?

You're not alone my friend. That part in the rule book was too confusing to me. I just don't understand why they have to make the combat that confusing? does it REALLY add something to the game? it could have been done in a different way (without this confusing, draw power card, draw combat cards, place a card, counter attack, death blow... wow) I bet you anyone can bring something that plays the SAME or even plays better with little preparation time and confusion.

jstengren said:

Thanks! I'm actually considering printing this one out and glue'ing it above the **draw cards** section in the rulebook!

SC

Another thing I don't understand:

Why the monster token life value is being kept hidden from the Hero?

I mean, how will the Hero know when he defeated or not the Monster, if the Monster's life value (on the bottom of the round token) is hidden.

This way, the combat can go on for hours and hours. What is the point of keeping its life value secret?

Yes, the combat system is a pain. I still cant play the game because of it. It makes little sense to me. Ah yes, I should mention I am playing it solo. And the solo rules for combat makes it even less clear, if that's possible.

No matter how much discussion is over the rules for the Castle Ravenloft board game, that game is way easier than DungeonQuest. A pity, indeed.

I personally find the rules quite simple. Sure, it's not as easy a throwing a dice and see which number is higher/lower, but it's just basic pare-rock-scissors. As for Solo-play, i've done that myself too and it's easier then "multiplayer".
with the hiding of the live value: as soon as you have enough cards/wounds to kill the monster; the player playing the monster must say so. In solo play you turn it around right away so you can see right away what number you have to beat.

The rules on combat are confusing to me let alone someone trying to translate. what they should have done is put headings for first round combat and then all rounds combat sequence, then maybe it would make sense.

Translate ? which language ?

Another question : What will happen if we escape a combat on the very first chamber ? (next to tower )

Will we stay on the tower ? Will we reveal the second chamber next to the tower ?

Is there any kind soul willing to help me (or maybe I should say "us") with a streamlined and very concise explanation of the solo rules for combat? Step by step, if possible.

This is killing me! I've waited for this game for an eternity it seems and now I am unable to play it because of this ridiculous combat system. The fact that English is not my first language either is only making things worse.

I've wanted to teach this game to a few of my friends but I can't even play it SOLO!

I just cant understand why FFG release such heavy rules games when everything should have been, you know, fun to play and relatively easy to learn/teach.

I'm not influent in english to help you i think ... i m the creator of this post lol

If you can follow the combat system with more then one player then solo play is a bit easier.
I don't have the rules here but in short and from mind:

1. draw a coresponding monster token and lay it face up in front of you (example: a skeleton with 2 health)
2. you do NOT use power cards that come with your hero (only if you want to retreat, so not if you are actually going into combat).
3. you draw a hand of 5 card from the combat deck (the common deck normally shared by both hero and monster)
4. the monster does NOT get a hand of cards (since you are alone, and no-one can play for the monster like that)
5. you choose from your hand the card you want to play and lay it in front of you (open)
6. you draw 1 card from the combat deck for the monster and lay it in front of you (also open).
7. if you have more points then you win the round and put your card on the monster side (1 damage) the monster's card get's in the middle stack.
8. If the monster can make a counter attack (he has less or the same amount of points on his card, and also the correct counter symbol on his card) you draw 5 cards and all the cards that you can (so from the same sort and with a counter symbol)

I guess it's mainly a language issue that people find the rules hard to understand. I have shared this game with a couple of friends who are not really known with these kind of games and they fully understood the rules after a short explanation and whole playing the game (we're from Holland, so not native to english either)

Hopefully this is concise enough.

Rules for solo combat:

First understand that there are three stacks of cards. A) Monster Damage Stack. B) Combat Stack. C) Hero Damage Stack.
Also flip over the chosen monster token so that you know how many hit points they have. Shuffle the combat cards every time a new monster is fought.

Step 1 - Add cards from the Combat Card Deck to the hero's hand to get to 5 cards (6 for Krutzbeck). Power cards are not used for solo combat.

Step 2 - Choose a card from the hero's hand of cards to play against the monster.

Step 3 - Take the top card of the Combat Cards Deck which will be the monsters attack card.

Step 4 - Determine who has the lower value card. Look at the upper right corner of the lower value card. If the icon in the upper right corner matches the card type played by the opponent, then they may counterattack, go to Step 5. If the icon does not match, then they may not counterattack, go to Step 6. Exception: If the card values are tied, then look at the icon in the upper right corner. If one of the icons matches the card type of their opponent, they also may counterattack, continue to Step 5. If neither one matches the opponents card type, they may not counterattack, continue to Step 6.

Step 5 - Play counter attack cards only for the opponent that had the lower value card.
The hero may play cards from those remaining in his hand if the icon in the upper right corner matches the opponents card type (will be the same card type that the hero played initially). You may continue to play cards until the value either matches or exceeds the monster's card value. Once the hero's cards have a higher total value, no more cards may be added.
The monster may draw up to 5 cards from the Combat Card Deck and play any of them if the icon in the upper corner matches the opponents card type (will be the same card type that the monster played initially). The monster will continue to add cards from the 5 just drawn until the value either matches or exceeds the hero's card value. If the value can be exceeded, it will, the monster will not stop on a tie if another card can be played. Once the monster's cards have a higher total value, no more cards will be added, discard unused cards.

Step 6 - The opponent with the higher value card (or cards) is the winner. Take the winner's cards and place them into the opponent's Damage Stack. Take any cards from the Combat Stack that match the card type the winner used that round and add them to the opponent's Damage Stack (there will be no cards after the first round of combat in the Combat Stack). Now take the loser's cards and place them in the Combat Stack.

Step 7 - Compare number of cards in the Monster Damage Stack to his hit points on his token. If the number of cards is equal or greater than the number on the token, the monster is dead, continue to Step 8. Compare the number of cards in the Hero Damage Stack to his remaining hit points. If the number of cards is equal or greater to the number of remaining hit points, the hero is dead, the game is over. If the monster and hero are both still alive, continue to Step 1.

Step 8 - Count the number of cards in the Hero's Damage Stack. Take 1 wound for each card. Take all the Combat Cards and reshuffle the Combat Card Deck to be ready for the next battle.

Shmoozer and DoomTurtle, thank you kindly, gentlemen!
I am going to print your very helpful messages and read them in the next few hours.
I am not going to capitulate this time! Now or never!
Many thanks, once again.