Set Up: Remove one side of perimeter stone walls from each battle board. Place the boards together side by side. This creates a new row of spaces called Battle Alley. It is marked by a stone pattern. “Open ground is easily traveled by all, so beware.”    Prince Paul The Elder.

Walls can never be placed across Battle Alley either during set up or by the playing of a card. Gates may not be placed across Battle Alley during setup but may swing across Battle Alley during game play or by card playing. At no time during the game can a gate impede player movement in either direction by being connected to a wall that would not let the gate travel freely across Battle Alley. If it does it is removed from the board for the duration of the game at the time this occurs and the player who caused that action continues their turn.  “This is a highway to hell.” Prince Kurt The Younger.

In the side by side set up the game can be played with 2, or 4 players. It can be played as two, two player teams, 4 players individually or 2 players each with two castles.

2 Player 4 castles. In this version one person controls castles1 and 3 and their opponent controls castles 2 and 4. Each player sets up two castles, each castle with its own-colored player pieces and with 10 game pieces. 4 walls, 3 gates and 3 long gates on one half of one board. Each castle gets one turn per round and shares a four card hand. Play order goes from castle 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 and repeats until the game is over. When one castle is out of player pieces that castle no longer takes a turn. When a player has no pieces left for either castle, play ends. The remaining player pieces still on the board enter their opponent’s castle and are scored accordingly.

4 Player 4 Castles Allies. In this version one person controls each castle. Castles 1 and 3 are allies and castles 2 and 4 are allies. Each castle sets up 3 Crusaders and 2 Archers of one color and 10 game pieces. 4 walls, 3 gates and 3 long gates on one half of one board. Each castle gets one turn per round. Each team shares a four card hand and both teams draw from the same deck.  Play order goes from castle 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 and repeats until the game is over. When one castle is out of player pieces that castle no longer takes a turn, and their remaining cards are placed in the discard pile. Play ends when one team has no player pieces left on the board. All of the remaining player pieces enter any opponent’s castle and are scored accordingly.

4 Player 4 Castles Individually. In this version one person controls one castle. Each castle sets up 5 player pieces of one color and 10 game pieces. 4 walls, 3 gates and 3 long gates on one half of one board. Each castle gets one turn per round and its own set of cards. Play order goes from castle 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 and repeats until the game is over. When one castle is out of player pieces that castle no longer takes a turn, and their remaining cards are placed in the discard pile. Play ends when only one player has player pieces left on the board.  All their remaining player pieces enter any opponent’s castle and are scored accordingly.

Set Up: Remove one end of the castle perimeter stone walls from each battle board and place them together. When placed end to end a new feature is created known Miser Run is the row of spaces marked by blue water feature. Any player piece in Misery Run at the end of any player’s turn dies. If an opponent moves your player piece into Misery Run by rotating a gate your player piece dies. Your opponent scores one point and they forfeit the dice portion of their turn.

If you move one of your own player pieces into Misery Run and they are still there at the end of your turn they have committed suicide. The player piece is removed from the game and no points are scored. “Suicide before surrender.”   Prince Kurt The Younger.

The divider for this set up is placed down the middle of Misery run. Each player uses all 20 game pieces that came with their set to set up their half of the playing field. Each player uses 6 Crusaders and 4 Archers.

Each player still has only one castle with two entrances and the game is played with the same rules as in the one battle-board game. A player now needs 16 points to win the game.