For 2-5 players, ages 9 and up. Game Time: 20 minutes

Developer: Rob Seater Editor: Mark BigneyArtwork and Graphic Design: Brian Patterson

Contents:1 Rulebook NOTE: This rulebook is 2 Garden Boards still a work in progress. 118 Gnome Cards More graphic design will2 Rules Reference Cards happen before printing!6 Gnome Commander Pawns6 Double-sided Tactics Tiles

Introduction: Tale of the GnomekriegThe grizzled veteran sat at the head of the annual assembly of novice Junggnomen, polishing his deadly Heckenshere. The razor-sharp clippers could shape a hedge into a perfect sphere just as easily as they could send a rival gnome to the Secondhandladen, the gnomish afterlife. He set aside the Heckenshere, and the ritual began.

“Why do we fight?” he asked the assembly, solemnly.

“To please the massive planters who rule the garden!” the Junggnomen replied in unison.

“And how do we know that the Gnomekrieg is their will?” he continued.

“Because they leave us these weapons!” the audience chanted.

A Gnomehorn could be heard in the distance, and the veteran rose. “It is time. The Gnomekrieg is nearly upon us.”

ObjectiveDuring the game, players will amass an army of gnomes by playing squads that are each sets of one color. At the end of the game, the Gnomekrieg will break out, and the smallest sets of each color will be eliminated. The player with the most surviving gnomish recruits will claim victory. As players recruit new squads, they will trigger gnomish tactics to wreak various sorts of havoc on the garden battlefield.

CardsEach card shows one or two gnomes in one of the six colors. Grey (wild) gnomes can be part of squads of any color. The icons on the top corners of the card depict each tribe’s weapon of choice.

SetupPlace the garden mats in the middle of the table. They show the six different gnome tribes. Place each gnome commander with the tribe of its corresponding color. Leave space below the garden mats for the discard piles for each tribe. Whenever you discard a card, you will put the card on the pile matching its color. Discarded wild (grey) cards can be discarded to any pile of your choosing.

Note: If you are called upon to banish a card, place it back into the game box (Secondhandladen). It will not be used for the remainder of the game.

Shuffle the double-sided tactic tiles. If this is your first game, use only the lighter sides of the tiles. On subsequent games, flip over some tiles while shuffling to produce a random assortment of light and dark tactics. Place one tile with each tribe. Whenever you recruit a squad, you’ll perform their favored tactic.

The shortest player will take the first turn, and turns proceed clockwise (to the left). Shuffle the deck of gnomish soldiers, and deal four cards to each player. Place the rest of the cards face-down to form the draw deck. Depending on the player count, players later in the turn order draw a fifth card to start the game.

# of Players give a fifth card to... 2 2nd player 3 3rd player 4 3rd and 4th players 5 4th and 5th players

Taking a TurnTo start your turn, either draw two cards from the deck OR pick up one tribe’s entire discard pile into your hand. Then:

• If you drew two cards, you can choose to either recruit a squad from your hand, or discard one card.

• If you picked up a discard pile, you must recruit a squad of that tribe’s color. If you aren’t able to do this, return the cards and start your turn over.

In either case (after discarding or recruiting), your turn ends. Play passes clockwise (to the left). There is no hand limit.

DiscardingIf you choose to discard one card, it does not have to be one of the cards you drew this turn; it can be any card in your hand. As you create discard piles, spread out the cards so all of them are visible. Remember that wild (grey) gnomes can be discarded into any pile, but other gnomes must go to the pile matching their color.

Recruiting a SquadTo recruit a squad from your hand, perform the following steps in order:

1. Declare the color of your new squad. If you picked up a discard pile to start your turn, it must be that tribe’s color.

2. If you already have a squad of that color, you must banish it by placing all its cards in Secondhandladen (the game box).

3. Place a new squad of 3 or more cards face-up in front of you. A squad may contain wild (grey) cards, but must include at least one card of the chosen color.

4. Trigger the chosen color’s tactic.5. Check to see if you claim the gnome commander of that color.

Your squads in play should always be splayed out so that the number of gnomes in each is easily countable by any player.

Notes on Recruiting a Squad:

• If you recruit a squad after picking up a discard pile, it must be of that tribe’s color, even if the discard pile contained only wild (grey) gnomes.

• If you drew two cards to start your turn, you can recruit a squad of any one color (including wild gnomes as desired).

• You cannot recruit a squad with fewer than 3 cards, even if you could get to 3 gnomes by using 2-gnome cards. If a squad is reduced to less than 3 cards due to tactics, nothing happens. If all cards of a squad are removed due to tactics, its commander returns to the garden, if present.

• You can never have a squad of all wild gnomes. It is possible (through tactics) that a squad will wind up with only wild gnomes in it. If this happens, immediately return the squad to your hand, and return its commander to the garden, if present.

• You can only have one squad of each color in front of you, since recruiting a new squad requires you to banish any existing squad of that color that you have. If you recruit a new squad and your previous squad of that color had a commander, keep it. He’s too scared to run away!

• Tactics are mandatory, but almost always are effects you want to use. The tactic you use always matches the color of the tribe you recruited. Each tactic is listed on the back page of the rulebook.

• Remember: Banished cards are placed in Secondhandladen (the game box) and do not return to the deck or discard piles.

Gnome CommandersGnome commanders are not the brightest nor the most courageous leaders. They like to follow strong squads so they feel safe. If you are the first player to recruit a squad of a color, you win the matching commander’s allegiance. Take the pawn and place it with your squad. He will stay there until a larger squad of that color is recruited.

Whenever a new squad is recruited, check to see if it has more gnomes (not cards) than the squad that currently has the commander. If so, move the commander to the new squad. If not, leave him where he is. In the case of ties, he does not move.

Gnome Commanders, continuedIf you have a gnome commander on one of your squads, and you recruit a new squad of that color, then he automatically transfers to your new squad. He’s too scared to leave after watching you banish the previous squad!

Example: Klaus recruits the first purple squad and it has five gnomes (on four cards). He places the purple commander with it. Greta later recruits a squad of five purple gnomes, but nothing changes as they are the same size. Next, Klaus recruits a new purple squad with only three gnomes. His older squad is banished, but he keeps the commander, even though Greta’s squad is larger.

Note that due to the use of tactics, a gnome commander will not always be on the larget squad of its color. He simply doesn’t notice when squads change in size! A gnomish commander only moves when a new squad is created and it is larger in number of gnomes (not cards) than his current squad.

If a squad with a commander loses all of its gnomes due to the use of tactics, the commander is returned to the garden, regardless of other squads.

A gnomish commander has no effect on the game except to give two bonus points if his squad survives the Gnomekrieg. He does not increase the size of his squad, nor affect the outcome of the final battle. It doesn’t matter who wins a commander’s allegiance first, only who has it last!

Game EndThe game ends when one player has a squad of each of the six colors of tribe, or when the last card is drawn from the deck. In either case, finish the current turn and then the game ends.

Gnomish Tribe CountRed: 6 single, 6 double Green: 12 single, 6 doubleOrange: 8 single, 6 double Blue: 14 single, 6 doubleYellow: 10 single, 6 double Purple: 16 single, 6 double Grey (wild): 12 single, 2 double

Final Battle - The GnomekriegAs soon as the game ends, the gnomes fight! One at a time, in rainbow order (starting with Red and ending with Purple), examine all tribes of the current color. If only one player has a squad of that color, nothing happens. If two or more players have squads of that color, then the squad with the fewest gnomes (not cards) is banished to Secondhandladen (the game box). In the case of a tie, all the smallest squads are banished. This means that it is possible for all squads of a color to be removed! Remember that commanders do not count toward a squad’s size, and if a squad is banished, the commander goes with it.

WinningAfter removing squads in the Gnomekrieg, each player scores points for their surviving gnomes and commanders. Score 1 point per gnome (not card) in a squad you control, and 2 per commander. The highest score wins! In the case of a tie, all tied players are banished to Secondhandladen (the game box) where they rejoice in shared victory. This will work best if all players are cats.

Playtesting and DevelopmentWe are grateful to the many gnomes that were conscripted to help playtest and develop the game, including Rebecca “gnome de plume” Vessenes, Chris “gnome pun intended” Cieslik, Nathan “gnomenclature” Dilday, Mark “rules gnome” Bigney, and Rob “gnome developer” Seater.

About the DesignerDr. Reiner Knizia is one of the world’s most successful and prolific game designers. He has had more than 600 games and books published in many countries and languages worldwide, with sales totalling 20 million games. He has won numerous international awards.

For more information, visit us at AsmadiGames.com(c) 2017 Dr. Reiner Knizia

List of Gnome TacticsEach gnomish tactic tile has two sides, light and dark. The light tactics should be used during your first play, after which a mix of light and dark are best. Dark tactics feature more player aggression and interaction.

Note that a gnomish tactic need not affect the squad or color of squad that triggered its ability.

Propaganda - Each opponent chooses a wild card from one of their own squads and puts it in your hand.Defect - You choose a wild card from any squad in play and add it to the squad you just created.

Squabble - Each opponent chooses and banishes a double-gnome card from one of their own squads.Elope- You choose and banish any one double-gnome card in play.

Mercenaries - Add any number of cards from either your hand or from a discard pile (not both!) to one of your squads. Do not move a gnomish commander due to making the squad larger. Cowardice - Pick up one of your doomed squads and put it in your hand. A “doomed” squad is any squad that would be eliminated if the Gnomekrieg happened now. If it had a commander, return it to the garden.

Boot Camp - Reveal 4 cards from the top of the deck. Place one in your hand and the rest in their appropriate discard piles.Conscription - Draw 3 cards, then discard 3 cards from your hand into their appropriate discard piles.

March - Take an extra turn after this one. If the game would end this turn, you don’t get the extra turn.Revolution - Banish your entire hand, and then draw as many cards as you banished.

Recruitment Poster - Draw 2 cards.Press Gang - Take one entire discard pile into your hand.