A special thanks to our friends and family for supporting us while we chase our dreams, I hope that you

you enjoy playing it as much as we enjoy creating it. It truly holds a special
to our Discord group for being with us from the very beginning, and to our Kickstarter place in my heart. Here’s to having fun, your victories, and more content in the future!
backers for making Ivion a reality! Thank you for playing Ivion.
~ Aislyn

Playtesters
Adam Hockemeyer, Alex Mooers, Arsi Liimatainen, Hugh Wichman,
Jake Dardzinski, Noble Solana-Walkinshaw, Ryan Eckton, and our Discord community.

T h e h o u n d
a n d t h e h a r e

r u l e s
r e f e r e n c e

© 2021 Luminary Games LLC.

Game Design Aislyn Hall & Aaron Shaw Ivion and the Herocrafting System
are trademarks of Luminary Games LLC.

Identity & Graphic Design Mike Højgaard / neue.pink Luminary Games LLC is located at 4068 Kingston Street,
Box Artwork Septimius Ferdian Bellingham, WA, 98226, 425-436-0740. USA.
Sculptor Rakib Hasan THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A TOY. NOT INTENDED FOR
Fiction Aislyn Hall, Aaron Shaw, USE BY PERSONS OF THE AGE 13 OR YOUNGER.
Jake Dardzinski & Glenn Anderson
 Core Concepts P l ay i n g C a r d s & C o n t ro l
STOP ! In tro d u c t ion Playi ng C ards Co nt rol
We recommend first reading through the Learn to This Rules Reference expands upon the Learn to Play. It contains detailed rules You may play cards from your hand, and you may play Some cards can apply “control” to your hero. The three
Play before diving into this Rules Reference. Once for more advanced concepts, and basic strategy tips to get you started. Reading feats that have resource costs. kinds of control are slow , silence , and disarm .
you’ve read through the Learn to Play and setup through this document will help you tackle advanced situations during gameplay. Control does not deal damage but does prevent your hero
your first game, review these rules if you have Each starter deck additionally comes with a reference card to review basic game To play a card, go through these steps: from doing certain things. When you receive control, place
any questions or need to clarify something. concepts, a mechanics card that explains key features of your character, and the appropriate number and kind of tokens in front of you.
a decklist card in case you’d like to recreate the starter decks at any point. 1. Choose your card. Select a card to play and place
Before starting your second game we it face up in front of you. Control will prevent you from playing some of your cards.
recommend reading from Core Concepts After you’ve played a game or two with the starter decks, we recommend opening a. If the card requires you to “choose”, decide now. Each card has a banner to the left of its rules text which
up to just before Additional Rules in this the extra shrink-wrapped deck in your box. At this point, you’ll have some options b. If the card requires one or more targets, indicates what kinds of control prevent it from being
Rules Reference, as many of the concepts will on how to approach the game. Check out the Herocrafting and Make Your Own select them now. played. If you have any control of those kinds applied to
become more clear after having experienced Hero sections for more information. c. If the card has a range, the selected targets you, you cannot play that card. Additionally, while slowed,
the game firsthand. must fall within it. you can’t move nor spend an initiative token to move.
We hope you enjoy the game, and welcome to the world of Ivion!
2. Pay its cost. Spend resources equal to the card’s Control is counted in increments, up to a maximum of five
cost by removing the appropriate amounts of for each type. A hero may never be affected by more than
actions and / or power from your resource pools. five tokens of a single type of control at any given time.
Control is removed accordingly.
Res ource s - Your card has now been played. But watch out! Before your
REMOVING CONTROL
card “resolves” and its effects occur, your opponent can After you spend resources in any way, you remove that
respond by playing an instant card. If they do, you can many control tokens in any combination from your hero.
Actions and power are collectively referred to as DAMAGE respond to their instant by playing an instant of your own! Some game effects such as stun can cause you to lose
resources. You can use resources to move, play cards, resources. Lost resources do not remove control. A player
remove control, and pay for effects. Unspent resources The most common effect a card will have is damage.
In Ivion, a player is defeated when their HP is reduced When a player chooses not to respond, all played cards may also spend resources during their turn for the sole
are saved in your resource pools between turns, but a attempt to resolve in the reverse order of which they were purpose of removing control.
player can never have more than five of each resource. to zero. When a card “deals damage” to a player,
that player’s HP is reduced by that amount. played. THIS CARD IS
HEROIC CARDS UNAFFECTED
ACTIONS To resolve a card, go through these steps:
RANGE Some cards have the icon instead of the control banner, BY SLOW,
You gain three actions at the start of each of your turns. denoting that they are heroic. They are unaffected by AND AFFECTED
There are very few other ways to generate actions, A card’s range is the maximum number of tiles away you 1. Was it countered? If the card has been countered
can be from the card’s target; if a card’s range is not listed, or meta-countered, it has no further effect and control. Try using them while you’re controlled to escape BY SILENCE AND DISARM
so spend them wisely! it quickly!
there is no maximum. is placed in its owner’s discard.
POWER a. If the card was meta-countered, the resources
MOVEMENT spent to play it are refunded.
You don’t gain power at the start of your turn. Instead,
some cards give you power, and others cost power to play. On your turn, you may move your miniature to an adjacent
tile. This costs one action each time. Tiles that are diagonal Daring Strike costs one action 2. Gain resources. If the card generates resources,
The only way to gain power is through card effects. those resources are gained now.
+
to one another are not considered adjacent. ESCAPING CONTROL
INITIATIVE 3. Resolve its effect. The effects listed in the rules Your foes will try to keep you constrained
text of the card occur, from top to bottom.
You gain an initiative token at the start of each of your a. If the card is not attached, it is then placed by applying control to you, but there are
turns. You can expend an initiative token to either draw in its owner’s discard. ways to manage this. It’s almost always
a card or move one tile. better to spend resources by playing cards
or moving to remove control rather than
Important: paying resources explicitly for that purpose.
Players cannot take other Save heroic cards to fight through heavy
game actions such as moving, control, and opt to spend resources that
SAVING RESOURCES spending resources to remove would otherwise be wasted to remove
control, or expending initiatives control. Sometimes it’s difficult to break
You’ll need to save actions and power between turns to play your most powerful while one or more cards are
cards. Remember that the maximum of each is five, but that you gain three free, but properly manage your resources
unresolved.
actions each turn – try to spend your actions each turn down to two so you to avoid control and you will stand tall
don’t waste any. With five actions, five power, and a fistful of cards at the against these fiends!
start of your turn, no evil can stand against you!
... and generates one power
 Diving Deeper A d d i t i o na l Ru l e s
EXHAUSTION to change tiles. Traveling causes players to enter and leave ZONES
I n stants At tac h e d C a rds A player is exhausted while they have no cards in their
tiles, but does not count as moving. Players do not travel
along “paths”; players simply leave one tile and enter the Cards exist in zones. Zones are either public or private.
deck. When you are exhausted, damage you take can’t other. Cards in public zones are available for any player to look
be reduced, you can’t gain HP, and if you would draw through at any time, while cards in private zones cannot
Instant cards can be played in response to your opponent Some cards will attach to your hero, an opponent, a tile, or a card, instead take 5 damage. be viewed by some or all players. Each player has their
OCCUPIED TILES
playing a card, and will take effect before your opponent’s something else when they resolve. Only empty tiles can have own deck and hand (private), and their own discard and
card resolves. Instant cards have the icon in the top right cards attached to them. You haven’t lost the game yet while exhausted, but you’re A player can’t enter a tile that has an opponent in it. feat zones (public), and they share the field (public).
of their rules text. These cards can also be played normally close. Try to finish off your opponent with the cards still A card that would cause a player to travel to a tile with
during your turn. DESTROY at your disposal, or suffer defeat! an opponent cannot resolve and will be meta-countered. REVEALING CARDS
If a card allows you to choose between multiple tiles to
COUNTERS Some cards destroy attached cards. An attached card must have When a card in a private zone is placed in a public zone,
TERRAIN travel a player to, you cannot choose a tile with their
resolved before it can be destroyed. Destroying cards uses the it becomes revealed. When a card is revealed it is shown
opponent in it.
Some effects can counter cards, which is a way of preventing normal targeting rules; attached cards are in either the tile they are attached to, the tile When terrain is created in a tile, place the appropriate to all players. The card then remains face up for the rest
a card from resolving. A countered card does not resolve and goes to its owner’s discard. of the player/card they are attached to, or else in the tile of their controller. terrain token onto that tile. If terrain is made on a tile that of the game, even if in a private zone. When a player’s
SIMULTANEOUS EFFECTS
already has terrain on it, the previous terrain is replaced. deck is shuffled, any revealed cards in that deck are no
META-COUNTERS If multiple effects trigger at the same time, each player longer revealed.
Sometimes, when a card you have played attempts to resolve, the conditions which
allowed you to play that card are no longer met. If this is the case, your card is meta-
S e co n d W in d TRAVELING in turn order resolves their effects in whichever order
they wish, starting with the player whose turn it is.
Traveling is a term for when a card effect causes a player
countered. A meta-countered card does not resolve, but any resources you spent to
play it are refunded. Generally, cards are meta-countered in one of two ways:

1. You have received control which would prevent your card from being played.
When you flip your hero’s HP tracker to the wounded side for the first time
during the game, interrupt the current player’s turn and immediately use your
G lo ssary
2. None of your card’s targets are valid, usually because they are out of range. second wind. Look at the top five cards of your deck and pick two from among
them to put into your hand, then put the other three on the bottom of your CANTRIP Additionally, copied cards don’t go to the discard. In all RELICS
deck in any order. other ways, treat it like playing a normal card.
F e ats A card with cantrip can be played for free by expending
an initiative token. Because initiative tokens are not
Before a game begins, if your deck can gain relics,
you’ll shuffle them together into their own, separate
EMPTY TILE
resources, If a card played this way is meta-countered, pile. When you gain a random relic, draw the top card
the initiative token is not refunded. A tile is empty if it has no cards attached to it and of this deck and immediately activate its effects. If a
Each hero has three special cards that are kept separate from their 45-card deck:
no heroes in it. An empty tile may have a terrain relic would enter the discard, instead remove it from
one ultimate and two traits. Ultimates and traits are collectively referred to as feats.
Instead of being shuffled into your deck, feats reside in the feat zone. Some feats have CHIVALRY token on it. the game. It cannot be gained again in this game.
resource costs and can be played like cards in your hand, others have effect as long as While you are chivalrous, at the start of your turn,
they are in the feat zone. Once a feat is played, regardless of whether it successfully ENCHANTED TERRAIN STUN
you heal 2 HP. Once you become chivalrous, you will
resolves, it cannot be played again until the start of its controller’s next turn. If a feat
remain so until you dishonor the code of chivalry. After a player enters a tile with enchanted terrain, they When a hero is stunned, they lose a resource of their
would be sent to the discard, hand, or deck, it is instead returned to the feat zone.
You dishonor the code of chivalry when: gain 1 power, and the enchanted terrain is removed. choice. This resource is lost, not spent, and thus does
not contribute towards removing control tokens.
• You play a card targeting an enemy affected FREE
UNLEASH
by control.
When a card is played “for free”, its controller plays it
• You play a card during an enemy’s turn When you play a card with unleash, you choose
as if its cost were 0 actions and 0 power. For example,
STAYING VIGILANT • A game action or effect you control causes whether or not to unleash it. If you choose to unleash
ULTIMATES a -1/+1 card played for free will not generate power.
you to leave a tile near an enemy and enter it, you spend the rest of your remaining power to gain
Each hero has an ultimate card which comes from their
Some cards will have a major impact on the a tile that is not near an enemy. the secondary effect. If a card that is unleashed
battle, turning the tide to one side’s favor. Save NEAR
specialization. An ultimate functions the same as all feats but is meta-countered, the additional unleashed power
COPY
also determines the starting and maximum HP of the hero. powerful instant cards for a pivotal moment to Something is near when it is in the same tile as or adjacent is also returned to the controller. A card can only
ensure that your important cards resolve – and When you copy a card, you play an identical version to the referenced object. Tiles that are diagonal to one be unleashed if one or more extra power is available
that theirs do not. Try to anticipate when your of it. If it would normally attach, it instead does not. another are not considered adjacent. to be spent.
foe is planning to strike a decisive blow, then
prevent them from resolving their important
cards. If you have multiple instant cards,
aggressively use them, and if they attempt MOVING METHODICALLY
TRAITS to stop you with their own, engage in a Maneuvering across the board with purpose is critical to gaining and maintaining the advantage. While you’re ahead, aggressively keep your
In addition to their ultimate, each hero has two “traits”. Traits “counter-war” to strain their resources. foe within distance so they can’t escape your onslaught. While you’re on the backfoot, disrupt their assault by slowing them and moving away.
have a bar at the bottom of the card indicating what kinds of Remain unpredictable and victory will
heroes can use them. Trait eligibility during deck construction Beyond this, attach cards to central tiles, forcing your opponent towards the outer edge to reduce their avenues of escape or assault. Move
become a mere illusion for them! methodically and illusory chains will figuratively bind them!
is explained further in the Make Your Own Hero section.
 hero cra fting M A K E YO U R O W N H E RO
This box alone is a complete, replayable game experience. However, the Herocrafting System empowers you to quickly try new characters without the usual hassle Beyond the Herocrafting System is a fully customizable card game to explore – the options to create your perfect fantasy hero are vast and expand with each new release.
of constructing your own deck. To get started using the Herocrafting System, you will need each of the three content boxes: While one content box alone is sufficient to craft a hero from scratch, we recommend two or more content boxes to unlock the true potential of choices available in Ivion.
The Hound and the Hare, The Knight and the Lady, and The Sun and the Stars.

Using This Box

HOW IT WORKS 2 CHOOSE YOUR SPECIALIZATION
Each hero is a combination of three fantasy arche- Pick a specialization in your collection. It must share a Gianna Florre Each starter deck in this product also has an extra package of cards for your hero that are not used in the starter deck. Simply try swapping out a few cards
types. Two of these archetypes are classes, and one is a color with at least one of your chosen classes. Further- that you didn’t find useful with a few cards that look fun!
specialization. more, each specialization has an associated card that
has a unique back compared to its other cards. For now, In this example, we’ll take a look at a Herocrafted Additionally, there are extra decklist cards that contain interesting characters for you to try.
1 CHOOSE YOUR TWO CL ASSES set this card aside. Illusionist. Please note that to construct these decks, you will need one or more additional content boxes of Ivion.
Firstly, pick two different classes in your collection that Gianna knows she wants to be an Illusionist,
sound fun, cool, or otherwise interesting—what kind so picks Wizard as her first class and sets those
of hero you want to craft is ultimately up to you! Note cards aside. Wizard is blue, and thus satisfies the
the color of the classes you choose. color requirement of Illusionist, a blue and green HOW IT WORKS 3 CHOOSE YOUR TRAITS
specialization. She additionally picks Sorcerer
You may pick the same class twice. If you do, simply as her second class and sets those cards aside. An Ivion deck is comprised of the following elements Traits are feats that have colored pips at the bottom
take two copies of each of the cards marked for Hero- Specialization cards can be identified by the platinum exactly: middle instead of an associated class or specialization.
crafting instead of one. bar above the name of the Specialization. Second, she picks Illusionist as her specialization For each required color, one of your archetypes must
and sets those cards aside. • One or two classes (30 class cards total) also be that color (an archetype’s color is indicated
3 CRAFT YOUR HERO! • One specialization (15 specialization cards) at the bottom of the card). If a trait requires two pips
i WHICH CARDS SHOULD YOU
She finds that the Herocrafted traits associated • One ultimate (from your specialization) of the same color, then two of your archetypes must
In each of your three chosen archetypes, 15 cards will CHOOSE?
with Wizard (blue) are Timerunner and • Two traits (for which you qualify) be that color.
bear the Herocrafting System icon. Find each of these Ponder, and the Herocrafted traits associated A hero isn’t simply born—they grow over time.
45 cards and combine them into a deck! with Sorcerer (red) are Spellwake and Enchant. 1 CHOOSE YOUR CL ASSES Trait cards can be anything from a bonus attack to Keep these tips in mind to get started.
She can pick any combination of these two, a subtle passive. Try to find two that seem fun or useful
Additionally, there are two trait cards that aren’t Your hero’s classes define the core of your hero. Take
and opts for Timerunner and Spellwake, then to you. • Add many cards that generate power.
associated with any archetype you’ll need to add to each card from up to two classes and set them aside
sets those cards aside. • Add many attack cards to deal damage.
your new character. Based on the color of your two in separate piles. You’ll pick cards from them soon!
4 MAKE YOUR HERO! • Add some cards that cost power for big plays.
class choices, you’ll find Herocrafting-marked trait Finally, Gianna takes the set aside cards she’s • Add a few cards with the destroy effect.
cards for each. Take whichever two you’d prefer and 2 CHOOSE YOUR SPECIALIZATION Pick 30 class cards from among your hero’s two
gathered. She sifts through to find each card • Add a few instant cards that surprise your
set them aside. classes and 15 cards from your hero’s specialization.
with the Herocrafting icon and creates her deck Pick a specialization in your collection. It must share opponents.
Those 45 cards comprise your new hero’s deck!
with those cards. She takes the Illusionist minia- a color with at least one of your chosen classes. Your
4 SHUFFLE & PLAY! Your ultimate and two traits comprise your new
Class cards can be identified by the gold bar above ture and the Illusionist ultimate, Confuse. hero’s specialization will define the unique strengths Making custom decks is rewarding, but can be
hero’s feats.
the name of the class. Shuffle your new, 45 card deck. The three extra cards Along with her two chosen traits, she’s ready of your hero. Take each card in that specialization and difficult and competitive. For strategy advice and
from the archetypes you chose initially will be your hero’s to shuffle and play! the corresponding ultimate card and set them aside. examples of other player’s decks, visit playivion.com
feats. Once you’ve found your associated specialization’s You’ll pick cards from it later. and join the Ivion HCG Discord server!
miniature, you and your new hero are ready to play!

INITIATIVE STRATEGY
How to spend your initiative each turn may seem like a simple choice, but EVALUATING MOMENTUM
understanding when to move, when to draw, and when to use special choices As you play games with your character, you’ll find they align better with an attacking playstyle, a defensive playstyle, or somewhere in
is key to gaining the advantage. If you need more cards to fill your hand, and between. While battling your foes, it’s important to consider which deck will be playing more aggressively, which will be playing more defen-
you often will, consider using your initiative to draw a card. If you find that you sively, and which style you should adopt in the match. A deck more suited to defense will not succeed in playing aggressively against a deck
have more cards than resources to play them, it may be more useful to put your with far more explosive damage potential, and an offensive deck can’t easily outlast a deck with numerous defensive options. Understand
character in an advantageous position on the board by spending an initiative to this theory and you will honor the king and the Lady!
move. While each turn this choice may seem minimal, it adds up! Expertly spend
your initiative and you will become a phantom of the battlefield!