PrintnPlay | Grimpath

Print & Play
Demo

Welcome, brave adventurers, to Grimpath! A world teeming with heroes, villains and the relentless echoes of unyielding warfare!

Yet, amidst the peril, you’ll find a diverse array of characters, creatures, and citizens, ready to offer their aid while you forge your path through this extraordinary land.

At the heart of Grimpath lies a power struggle among five spheres of influence: each seeking dominance over the realm.

It is within these spheres of influence that you’ll find allies who align with your unique playstyle. Choose wisely, as the companions you select will shape your journey and ultimately determine your success on the battlefield!

This rulebook and document contains everything you need to begin your adventure with the Print & Play Demo of Grimpath.

Prepare to embark on an epic journey filled with thrilling challenges, powerful magic, and unforgettable encounters.

The fate of Grimpath lies in your hands!

The Grimpath Print & Play Demo is a convenient and accessible way to experience the game. All you need to start playing is to print out and assemble the game elements and you're ready to go! To do that first you’ll need a few things:

Computer & Printer

Scissors

Tape (or glue)

2x D10 fantasy dice (or pencil & notepad)

Recommended, but optional:

60 Standard Trading Card Sleeves

60 Trading Cards (to use as support in your card sleeves)

After you’ve gathered the necessary materials, download the proxy minis, cards, and battlefield from the links below:

Now it’s time to get crafty! There’s three things to build before you can start playing, the cards & decks, the mini’s that make up your warband, and a battlefield to battle on.

Deck Assembly

If everything prints correctly each card should be 2.5x3.5 inches (63.5×88.9mm) and fit nicely inside your favorite standard trading card sleeves.

Warband Assembly

After assembling your decks, it’s time to build your warband! We recommend assembling them with a little bit of tape or glue. Cut along the dotted outer lines, and fold along solid inner ones to create a pyramid.

Battlefield Assembly

The final component to assemble is the Battlefield. Cut out each of the 4 corners of the battlefield and use some tape to attach them to create a 10x10 unit grid.

After completing the print and play setup you should have everything you need to play, but if you’d like to use your own custom fantasy miniatures, you'll want to make sure you have everything listed below.

Print & Play Components

2x 30 card decks

2x d10 dice counters (or a notepad to keep track of each players power)

One 10x10 unit battleground

16x unique proxy minis & 7 alternates

Proxy Minis Fury

3x Pack Goblins
1x Rocket Rider
1x Demolitions Expert
2x Dropgoblin
2x Summoned Giant
1x Skullcrusher
1x Warlord Mercenary
1x Knicknacker
1x Red Barrel

Proxy Minis Shadow

2x Slickterror
2x Venomdancer
1x Severed Servant
1x Shadowed Assassin
2x Servant of Shadow
2x Golem

Proxy Minis Terrain

4x Cube
4x Block
2x Mountain
1x Altar of Souls

Grimpath is a trading card & fantasy wargame where two or more players assume the roles of powerful warlords, leading warbands into strategic battles for supremacy.

Each player positions themselves at opposite ends of a 10x10 unit battlefield and brings a deck of 30-40 cards, a D10 dice counter, and some fantasy miniatures to represent their warbands. Each player's territory spans half of their side of the battlefield.

Players determine initiative by having a roll-off and then shape the battlefield by strategically positioning terrain and accessories on their territory, filling any number of spaces as they rolled initiative.

After setting the stage for the epic confrontation to come, players set their dice counters to 10, draw 7 cards, and wait for the attacker to signal the start of the game.

During a match players take turns drawing cards and putting them into play, moving their minis around the battlefield and attacking each other, until they have beaten their opponent into submission.

In Grimpath the point of the game is to use the cards and fantasy miniatures you bring to the battlefield to attack each other - until only one warlord (player) is left standing!

Winning the game

In a standard match of Grimpath each player starts the game with 10 Power.

When you reduce your opponents power to 0 you take control of the battlefield and Win the Game!

Tactics: How to put pressure on your opponent

On the battlefield your objective is to outmaneuver and attack an enemy players minis, forcing them to spend valuable power reinforcing them.

You may also strategically advance onto enemy territory, gradually chipping away at your opponents resources from behind enemy lines by ransacking their territory.

Demo Strategies

Grimpath is the ultimate test of wits or might! To get you started here’s some good ideas to think about while playing a match of the Grimpath Demo.

The Feral Battalion

The Feral Battalion are a gang of roaming goblins, orcs, and barbarians. They don't value their own safety and like to head into combat face first!

Goblins rely on each other to deal damage but that can also be their weakness, a strong early offense is their favorite tactic.

When things start to get scary, pull out the big guns like Orctillary to deal damage from long range to continue the fight, but from a safe distance!

The Nightcrawlers Web

The ruins of a once powerful empire are now covered in the Nightcrawler’s web creating a hive of spiderlings and necromancer priests looking to sever their ties with the living realm.

This deck is all about sacrificing your minis and preparing powerful traps for your enemy. Lay in wait in the safety of your territory for foolhardy adventurers to enter your domain, then strike!

By employing defensive tactics you'll skillfully weave the trap, patiently awaiting the perfect moment to ensnare and consume your unsuspecting prey.

How you win the game is ultimately up to you and your strategy may need to change based on the cards you draw or your opponents behavior, so always keep your wits about you!

Warlords

You are a powerful warlord! You've forged a mighty warband with a deck of cards, imbued with minis, munitions and magical powers.

Warbands

Your warband is your army that you command during play. It’s usually a gang of around 10 unique monsters or heroes that all share a common goal: to serve you on the battlefield!

Power

Power is the lifeblood of your ability to command your army. Each player begins the match with 10 and you’ll spend or lose it reinforcing your minis, or by having an enemy mini occupy & ransack your territory.

Influence

Influence allows you to control your warband. It comes in the form of cards you put in your deck and every turn you may increase your influence by 1, gradually increasing your strength as a match rages on!

Action Costs

To recruit a mini, perform an action, or take a step you must pay an action cost. Action costs on cards appear as a value that indicates how much influence must be spent for you to put it into play.

Cards & decks

Each player has a deck of 30-40 cards carefully constructed before a match. It’s full of approximately 10-13 mini’s, and other cards like magic items, spells & feats that offer fun ways to influence play.

Mini cards

Mini cards (minis) form the backbone of your warband. Each mini card corresponds to a fantasy miniature that represents it on the battlefield.

Fantasy Miniatures

Fantasy miniatures are fun small figurines that you can use to represent your minis on the battlefield. Grimpath allows you to use any type of fantasy miniature you like to bring your own flare to a game.

Offense & Defense

A Mini card has an offense and defense value that determines its ability to deal and withstand damage during combat.

Readying & Exhausting Cards

Readied cards can be exhausted to provide you with influence or a variety of other abilities. Ready cards appear vertically in your play area in front of you. To exhaust one, turn it 90 degrees onto its side.

Note: At the start of your turn players each ready their cards, unless otherwise stated.

Battlefield & Territory

In Grimpath the area your minis fight on is called the battlefield, and your territory is the area that makes up your half of the battlefield.

Goal of the Game

The goal of the game is to reduce your enemies power to 0. You can accomplish this a few different ways!

1. By attacking their minis directly forcing them to spend power reinforcing them.

2. You may occupy and ransack enemy territory, damaging their troops morale.

3. And cards in your deck may offer other fun and unique goals for you to accomplish during a match allowing you to win the game in various ways.

Keywords

A keyword is a specific term or ability that has a predefined set of rules associated with it. These keywords are used to simplify the card text and make it easier to understand and play the game.

Starting a match

To start a match follow these steps, in order:

1. Place the battlefield between 2 or more players.

2. Each player sets their deck to the side of the battlefield.

3. Roll for initiative with your D10 dice counters.

4. Shape the battlefield by placing terrain on your territory up to your initiative roll

5. When both players are ready, the player with initiative signals the start of the game.

6. Both players draw 7 cards and the game begins!

7. See Turns & Phases to follow the turn order.

Note: During the first turn the player that goes first does not draw a card.

Turns & Phases

In Grimpath, each player's turn consists of a series of well-defined phases, which are carried out in a specific order. It is essential to understand these phases to play the game effectively. The turn structure in Grimpath is as follows:

1. Beginning Phase

a. Ready Step: Ready all of your exhausted cards (e.g., Influence, minis, magic items, etc.).

b. Refresh Step: Perform any necessary upkeep actions or triggers.

c. Draw Step: Draw one card from your deck.

2. Tactics Phase:

During this phase, you may play one Influence card from your hand (if you have one), rally minions, perform actions, move minis around the battlefield, and activate abilities and magic items.

3. Combat Phase:

a. Attack Declaration Step: Declare that you are entering combat by clearly indicating which mini is being attacked, which minis are doing the attacking, and how much their total offensive value of the attack is.

b. Defenders Reaction Step: Defending minis controller responds by choosing to reinforce their mini or perform actions, if the mini survives this round of combat it deals damage to the attacker.

c. Attackers Reaction Step: The attacker is given the opportunity to perform any additional actions, or reinforce their mini if the responding player's response damage exceeds their blockers defense.

e. End of Combat Step: Perform any end-of-combat actions or triggers and remove all “until the end of combat” and “this round” effects and damage from minis.

4. Tactics Phase:

You may enter and exit tactics and combat any number of times as long as you are able to on your turn.

5. Ending Phase:

a. End Step: Perform any end-of-turn actions or triggers.

b. Cleanup Step: Discard cards from your hand if you have more than your maximum hand size (usually seven cards). Simultaneously, remove all "until end of turn" and "this turn" effects and damage from minis.

After the Ending Phase, the turn passes to the next player in turn order, and they proceed through the same sequence of phases. The game continues until a player wins, either by reducing their opponents' power totals to zero, or fulfilling an alternative win condition provided by a card in play.

Movement

In Grimpath, you'll command fantasy miniatures on a battlefield. Your influence determines their movements, guiding them into combat or steering them away from it.

A "Step" defines a unit or space on the battlefield in which a miniature can move. Think of the battlefield as a grid of these units. For instance, a battlefield consists of a 10x10 grid, each unit being a "Step."

The flexibility of Grimpath allows your miniatures to take as many steps as you permit during a turn. The movement of a mini can vary, here are a few examples:

Influence points

A mini can always take 1 step for every influence you spend on movement. You may exhaust any cards that provide influence during your action phases to move a mini in any direction.

Influence Cards

Influence often offers you abilities to move your minis. They provide fun and exciting ways to move your minis.

Mini Abilities

Sometimes mini’s have abilities that they can use during a match to help other minis move, either by throwing a smaller one, or using magical spells to aid an ally

Straight Line

To move in a straight line you must continue the carnal direction you are traveling while moving diagonal left, straight, or diagonal right. You cannot move 90 degrees to your right or left, or backwards when traveling in a straight line.

Combat

You may enter combat any times mini's are in range of each other and it is your turn. You may enter combat as many times as you are able to.

Combat: how to

To enter combat, exhaust a minion that is in range of a target. You will deal damage equal to your minions offense, and can take as much damage as

Killing a Mini

If a minis health is reduced to 0 it is killed. Remove from the battlefield and move its card into your discard pile.

Exhausting

A minion may only attack, or block, if it is un-exhausted. Exhaust it to perform these actions.

Range

In Grimpath, all attacks are by default Melee. Only miniatures with the "Ranged" keyword have the capacity to attack from a distance.

For a standard melee attack, your miniature needs to be directly adjacent to an enemy. However, if your miniature is endowed with the "Ranged" ability, it can target enemies within its line of sight, regardless of adjacency.

Note: On the battlefield Minis can see anything that doesn't have Cover (even if there’s a wall between you!) so when a ranged mini is in play watchout for things falling from the sky!

Print & Play

Note: if you have your own battleground, or minis, feel free to use them instead and skip to the Components section after assembling the decks.

Print & Play Assembly

Note If you print your cards on standard paper they can be a little flimsy! You can slide a card from any TCG behind your printed Grimpath card to give it some heft!

Print & Play Assembly

Game Overview

Winning the game

Rules

Key concepts & strategies

Rules

Combat Phase breakdown

Note: During Action performance steps players may exhaust minis & influence to perform actions.

Attack Declaration

1. Declare attackers step

2. Declare target step

3. Action performance step

Defenders Reaction

1. Action performance step

2. If damage exceeds mini defense, choose to Reinforce or let the mini die

a. If reinforced (or survived attack)

i. Reduce defending players power equal to the minis innate influence

ii. Action performance step

iii. Declare response damage dealt to attacking player

b. If killed

i. Declare that the mini will take the damage

ii. Action performance step

Attackers Reaction

1. Declare a blocker (one of the attacking minis that will take incoming response damage)

2. Action performance step

3. If response damage exceeds an attacking mini defense, choose to Reinforce or let iti die

a. If reinforced

i. Reduce attacking players power equal to minis innate influence

b. If killed

i. Action performance step

ii. Remove miniature(s) from battlefield

iii. Move mini card(s) to discard pile

End of Combat

Perform any end-of-combat actions or triggers and remove all “until the end of combat” and “this round” effects and damage from minis.

Trading Cards & Types

Grimpath is a TCG (Trading Card Game) as much as it is a Fantasy Wargame. TCGs have distinct card types. Minis, Actions, Magic Items, and Influence are examples of different card types, and each has their own border themes and artwork to help you easily identify them.

In Grimpath cards can be one of two super types:

Permanent Cards

These cards stay in play and represent ongoing resources, re-usable abilities, or your warband. Mini’s, Influence, Relics and Auras are all examples of Permanent cards.

Non-Permanents

Typically these do not remain on the battlefield after resolving. They provide instant benefits or actions and are then placed in your discard pile. Spells & Feats, are the most common types of non-permanent in Grimpath.

Along with super types there are 4 card types that you’ll use to build out your decks and warbands with:

Influence

Influence allows you to control your warband. Spend it each turn recruiting minis from your hand, performing actions, moving minis around the battlefield, and influencing play in a variety of other ways. A deck of cards will have anywhere for 10-13 influence cards in it.

Gaining Influence

At the start of each turn players will put 1 influence card from their hand into play, increasing the size of and a players ability to control their warbands.

Spheres of Influence

There are Five Spheres of Influence and the type of influence your cards provide you with is often a key element in a mini cards Recruitment cost, or a spell or feat’s action cost.

Note: When customizing your decks consider what type of influence you have vs what type of actions, relics, and minis you bring to battle!

Quests

A player is only able to have 1 quest in play with the same name at any given time. If you put an Quest card into play while you have one with the same name in play already, move them both to your discard pile instead.

Minis

The bread and butter of any warband! You’ll want to bring 10-13 minis with you in your warband to ensure your victory on the battlefield!

Innate influence

Mini’s come with an innate influence that can be spent to help you pay action or recruitment costs for cards in your hand. To use a mini’s innate influence exhaust that mini. You may spend that influence however you wish.

Note: Generating influence this way takes a mini’s full attention that turn, and it is unable to perform an action (unless that action is a bonus action) the same turn you use it to generate influence.

Offense & Defense

Minis each have an offense and a defense that they use during combat. A mini may become exhausted to deal as much damage to a target it is in rage of. If a mini takes damage equal to or greater than their Defense, then they are killed and move to the discard pile if they are not reinforced by its controller.

Recruitment cost: Spend as much influence as is required to recruit a mini by exhausting influence cards or other minis that have the required type of innate influence.

Relics

These cards represent physical objects that can be summoned onto the battlefield. They provide passive effects, re-usable abilities, or can be used while attacking.

Relics are usually held by minis in their inventory. To put a relic into a mini cards inventory simply pay the relic’s summoning cost and place it in play on top of or behind your mini card.

Weapons

When a mini holds a weapon and performs an attack, you may choose a weapon card to attack with adding the effects of that card to your attack.

A weapon usually has an effect that provides value during an attack and often will have the phrase “until the end of combat” in its text. This means that after combat is resolved the effects of the weapon are no longer taken into account and your mini returns to the state it was in before attacking with that weapon.

Mini’s can hold any number of relics, but may only attack with one weapon unless otherwise stated.

Keyword: Battleground

Sometimes a relic card will have a keyword on it called battleground. If it does, that relic may not be held in a minis inventory, instead you will drop it on your territory only (unless otherwise stated). The number of spaces a relic that has battleground takes up is equal to the number next to the keyword. If there is no number you may assume it takes up 1 space.

Dropping a Relic

The phrase “drop a relic” means to put it onto the battlefield. When a mini is killed it drops all relics it had equipped onto the space where it stood, set the card to the side of your play area, exhausted.

Picking up a Dropped Relic

Only allies of mini that dropped a relic may pick it up. To do so simply move an ally (a mini you control) onto the space with the dropped relic and then you may put it into your hand.

Actions

Action cards represent powerful, one-time magical effects mini can perform. Sorceries often have impactful abilities that can change the course of the game, like destroying creatures, drawing cards, or manipulating the battlefield.

Performing Actions

A mini you control may perform as many actions during any action phase of your turn, or during a response phase, but it must be readied to do so.

Action Types

There are a few different types of actions, each representing a different fantasy themed abilities, in general you can only perform an action during your own turn, unless it is an initiative. Initiatives can be performed on your own turn, or during an enemies.

Spells

Spells are magical actions that you can only perform on your own turn.

Feat

Feats are powerful physical acts that your minions can perform on your own turn only.

Initiatives

Initiatives are actions that a mini can perform on the enemy players turn.

Terrain & Tactics

To truly become a master warlord you must become proficient at combat tactics. The terrain in Grimpath will offer you many challenges to overcome, but also provide you powerful ways to take advantage of your positioning to deal extra damage, if you choose!

Shaping the Battlefield

When players start a match they roll for initiative, after determining who goes first the players then get to shape their territory on the battlefield by placing fantasy terrain onto as many units as they scored on their initiative roll.

Terrain

Terrain comes in the form of rocks, structures, and other objects your minis can stand on. Sometimes you may have a card that summons terrain into play, but most of the time you’ll be placing it on your territory during the shaping of the battlefield phase.

Scale

Grimpath allows players to use any scale, but suggests that you keep all your minis and terrain to be approximately the same size. The standard Grimpath unit of measurement is called 28mm Heroic.

Conditional Keywords

Some keywords that you’ll encounter during a match require conditions to be met on the battlefield (usually a card will tell you what those are) but learning them will help you become a master tactician!

Highground

Highground is a Conditional Keyword. When your mini is standing on terrain it has Highground. Often a card may call out highground, for example the Dropgoblin in the Feral Battalion deck can enter play anywhere there is Highground.

Terrain & Miniature Height

A step in Grimpath takes up 1 unit on the battlefield, and Highground it takes up that much space vertically as well. A standard 28mm Heroic miniature takes up 1 unit (step) on the battlefield, but is 2 units high.

To measure highground look at how tall it is next to a standard miniature, if it is not as tall as a miniature, it is 1 unit, if it is taller, it is 2! You can use this process to easily determine how many steps high various height terrains are on a battlefield.

Demo Tips & Tricks: A new players Guide

Setting foot onto a battlefield for the first time can be intimidating, here’s some tips to get you started.

1. Objective

The goal of Grimpath is to reduce your opponent's power to zero. Aim to exploit every opportunity to achieve this

2. Strategies

Strategies can vary widely based on the warband you lead, or what you see your opponents do.

a. Deck Playstyle

Look through your warband to get a feel for what type of combat it prefers. Try to figure out what cards you'll want to use at the start of your match vs the end.

b. Match Strategy

Split up the match into early, and late game strategies. Weaker disposable cards whittle down your opponents power, heavier end game cards will finish them off.

c. Defensive Strategy

Accumulate resources for a powerful combo. Use your miniatures to form a strong defensive line that can deter opponent's attacks.

d. Offensive Strategy

Depending on your warband's strength, you might also adopt an aggressive approach. Move onto their territory early, and control the battlefield by taking out their minis as quickly as you can.

Remember, your strategy should align with your warband's unique strengths and capabilities. Understanding your warband's abilities is key to formulating an effective strategy.

3. Deck-Specific Strategies

The demo comes with some starter strategies to get you started!

a. Fury Battalion Deck

Aim to control the opponent's territory by eliminating their forces early in the game. Initiate offensive actions, penetrate enemy lines, and cause disruption. Keep wizards under constant threat with your attacks.

b. Shadow Deck

Focus on building a strong army using necromancers and priests. Use zombies and other creatures to distract the opponent while building a force on your territory. Try to outlast your opponent by relying on your undead allies.

4. Game Progression

As the game begins, players are faced with numerous strategic choices. Familiarity with your warband improves decision-making. Strategies will evolve based on reactions to opponent's moves.

Remember, victory in Grimpath lies in strategic decision-making and effective command of your warband.

Best of luck, whether you're a noble hero or a scheming dark lord. May victory find you on the battlefield!

The adventure Continues…

You adventurers have come quite a ways to make it this far! Well we have quite a far way left to go! But now it’s time for you to start on your quest and to set out on your journey into Grimpath.

As gamma playtesters you will be helping us shape not just your battlefield, but also the game! We’re going to rely on your feedback during the playtesting sessions you hold at home, so we cant wait to hear what you think!

We’re going to try to host some events as we progress through this process together to help us forge the game together, and occasionally send out some google forms with Questions and requests we’d like you to stress test.

This rulebook will be evolving frequently based on your help, and your feedback. For now please discuss the rules, the game, and your experiences so far freely in the #playtesting Channel in our discord server!

Soon we’ll be adding more to the rulebook, rewording and rearranging sections based on your feedback to help us offer the most accessible start to the game we can, so make sure to join the community in discord to find out more.

Thank you for playing, good luck young warlords, may your quest to raid the nightcrawlers web end in victory, and let your spiderfang traps consume all your enemies!

Grimpath™ 2023