Showdown Phase

The part of a session where survivors face off against a monster. See individual monster showdown pages for instructions on how to start and end the Showdown Phase.

## Rules

A showdown is a battle between a monster and the survivors. The showdown ends only when the monster or the survivors are defeated.

### Table Setup

Place the showdown board, monster control panel, and the gear grids and record sheets of the survivors participating in the showdown on the table.

### Create a Monster

To create a monster, players will need:

* Monster Ai deck
* Monster () cards and any attribute tokens
* Monster hit location deck
* Basic resource deck
* Monster resource deck
* Double-sided Basic Action / Reference Card

#### Creating the AI Deck

A monster's AI deck is assembled from its pool of unique AI cards. Ai deck construction is different for each monster and also varies by the monster level. Consult the monster attribute section on the monster's showdown story event in the row corresponding to the monster's level. This will indicate the number of basic (), advanced (), and legendary () cards to include.

To build the deck, set aside the monster's () AI cards. Seperate the monster's Basic, Advanced, and Legendary AI cards into stacks and shuffle each stack. Draw the indicated number of each card type from each stack without looking at them. Combine the resulting cards and shuffle them to create the AI deck. Place the AI deck face down on the monster control panel.

#### Monster  Cards and Attributes

Each monster showdown story event lists and () cards and further modifiers that start in play. These are not added to the AI deck. Place these face up on the monster control panel and apply their rules for the duration of the showdown.

#### Basic Action/Reference Card

Place the double-sided Basic Action / Reference Card on the monster control panel.

#### Resource Decks

Take the basic resource deck and shuffle it. Place it face down next to the monster control panel. If the monster has its own monster resource cards, shuffle those and place them face down next to the monster control panel.

### Showdown Board Setup

#### Terrain & Deployment

Each monster's showdown story event has a Terrain & Deployment section. It lists specific and random terrain to place on the showdown board.

First, use any specifically listed terrain cards to set up their corresponding terrain tiles according to the Showdown Setup diagram found on the story event/ If the terrain times are not on the diagram, follow the setup rules on the bottom of each card. Set aside these terrain cards. Next, add random terrain by shuffling the terrain deck and drawing the number of cards specified by the story event. Set up their corresponding terrain tiles, one card at a time, according to the rules on the bottom of each card.

Place the monster and survivors on the showdown board according to the Showdown Setup diagram. Once the terrain, the monster(s), and the survivors are on the showdown board, the showdown begins.

Additional terrain: Some effects add extra terrain to the showdown board. Unless direct otherwise, always follow the setup rules on the bottom of the card.

### The Showdown Round

The showdown proceeds in rounds consisting of the monster turn followed by the survivor's turn. Rounds will continue until the monster is dead or all the survivors are dead.

Unless otherwise stated, monsters always go first.

Each round, a new player takes the monster controller tile and is responsible for controlling the monster that turn. The monster controller tile moves clockwise at the start of every round.

#### Monster Controller Bonus

When a monster controller's survivor is selected as the monster's target, this foolhardy action earns that player's survivor +1 insanity. If the monster controller controls more than one survivor, make sure to nominate a different survivor each time you take the monster controller tile, cycling through all possible survivors.

#### Monster Turn

A monster's turn proceeds in the following order:

* Start Turn
* Draw AI
* End Turn

**Start Turn**

Some AI cards and persistent injuries have rules that are performed at the start of the monster's turn. Make sure to perform them before drawing an Ai card. If there are multiple instances, the monster controller decides the order in which to perform them.

**Draw Ai**

The monster controller draws the top AI card on the monster's AI deck and plays it. If there are no cards in the AI deck, shuffle the discard pile, create a new AI deck, and draw the top card.

If the monster does not have any cards in either its AI deck or its AI discard pile, it will perform its Basic Action (listed on the monster Basic Action / Reference Card) instead of drawing AI cards until it is defeated.

**End Turn**

Some AI cards and persistent injuries have rules that are performed at the end of the monster's turn. If there are multiple instances, the monster controller decides the order in which to perform them. Once these are resolved, the monster's turn comes to an end and the round continues.

#### Playing AI Cards

After drawing an AI card, the monster controller should read the card in its entirety, then **perform all the actions** on the card. AI cards consist of actions, flows, alerts, and persistent injuries. Perform each action before moving to the next. Some cards may only have one action. Some AI actions are conditional. If the conditions are met, perform the action. Otherwise, continue to the next action. If there are no further actions on a card, the card is resolved. Discard the AI card by placing it face up on the monster control panel in the discard pile. Then, continue the round.

####  Persistent Injuries

Persistent injuries are conditional actions that replace the normal rules of an AI card. If a persistent injury action is performed, ignore any other actions on the card.

Persistent injury actions are only performed when the monster draws an AI card with a persistent injury action that matches a persistent injury on a hit location in play.

#### Playing Moods & Traits

Moods & Traits have persistent effects over multiple rounds. These cards may change a monster's behavior and/or actions as play continues. Apply any persistent rules as long as the card remains in play (any time after it is drawn and before it is discarded). Perform any conditional actions as their conditions are met.

If an AI card contains an action to "draw ," complete any applicable actions on the current AI card before drawing and playing a new AI card.

#### Pick Target

Monsters choose their target based on a Pick Target list or diagram at the top of each AI card.

A Pick Target list is made of a series of conditions. Each may include several terms that create a single condition (e.g. knocked down survivor, in range). Start with the first condition. The monster controller should check if the conditions for targeting can be met. If not, move to the next condition and so on. Stop when a target condition is met.

    In some cases, the target is determined by an area or zone, such as adjacent survivors or all survivor in a zone described by a diagram. These AI cards will illustrate or clearly state the area of the **board** that determines the target. The dark gray box represents the monster and its current facing.

In some cases, more than one target may be picked. Each AI card will specify if multiple survivors can be targeted by that AI card.

The last condition on the targeting list is no target. When this is reached, instead of performing any other action on the card, discard it and perform the indicated no target action or rule. This is most often the monster's instinct.

A target may not be changed once the target is chosen.

Often, multiple survivors will satisfy a targeting rule. For instance, multiple survivors might be considered closest. In these cases, the monster controller decided which survivor becomes the target. Monster controllers can use their decisions to give the advantage to the monster or to the group, or approach each decision randomly.

Some attacks have collateral damage that effect survivors in a zone. In these cases, these survivors are not targets unless stated otherwise.

#### Common Targeting Terms

* Facing: A monster is facing all spaces on the board that are in front of the miniature.
* In Field of View: A survivor is always in a monster's field of view, unless they are in the monster's blind spot or the monster's line of sight is blocked. Only terrain with the Obstacle rule blocks field of view. See Also: Terrain.
* In Range: A survivor is in range of a monster if the number of spaces between them is less than or equal to its current movement (including modifiers). If 'in range' is followed by a number, such as 'range (8)', that number replaces the monster's movement when calculating to see if a survivor is in range.
* Random Survivor: The monster controller should randomly pick a survivor. Use dice, names in a hat, or any other preferred method.
* Threat: A threat is a survivor that is not knocked down or using special gear/terrain to prevent being considered a threat.
* Closest Survivor/Threat: The survivor/threat fewest spaces from the monster
* Last to Wound:The last survivor to wound the monster.
* Non-deaf Survivor:Survivors not suffering from the deaf severe injury.
* Most/Least: Zero can count as most or least unless otherwise stated (e.g. Survivor with the most Bleeding Tokens).

#### Priority Target Token

If a survivor gains the priority target token, that survivor captures the monster's attention. Only one survivor may have the priority target token at a time and they will gain it, even if another survivor already has it.

When a monster performs a Pick Target action on an AI or  card, ignore all other targeting conditions and target the survivor with the priority target token. When the survivor is picked as a target, they discard the priority target token. That survivor is now the target and after the attack the monster will lose its special interest in them. The priority target token does not affect AI cards that pick multiple targets or all survivors, nor any targeting on monster AI cards outside of a Pick Target action (e.g. the White Lion's Cunning  card). The priority target token does not affect targeting in a monster's hit location deck. If a monster's reaction on a hit location card targets the attacker, the priority target token has no effect.

#### Move & Attack Target Actions

Move & Attack Target actions are the most common way a monster will attack survivors. Move & Attack Target, unless specifically stated otherwise, is an instruction to move the monster towards its target up to its current movement or until adjacent, turn to face them, and attack using the action's attack profile. If a monster is already adjacent to its target, it will turn to face its target and attack without moving.

Some actions simply state to full move towards the target, the attack target. This is effectively the same as Move & Attack Target.

#### Variants of Move & Attack Target

Other actions, such as Materialize & Attack Target, or Move and Intimidate Target, are performed similarly to Move & Attack Target, but with rules of another behavior substituting for a portion of the action. Some attack profiles will only be preceded by an instruction to attack target. One these profiles, the monster does not move before attacking.

#### Monster Movement

Actions will dictate when to move the monster. Most commonly, this will be in the form of a Move & Attack Target action after a monster has picked a target. When an action instructs a monster to move toward a target, the monster controller must identify the shortest path between the monster and the target, then move the monster miniature along that path until it is adjacent to the target, or has no movement remaining. If there are multiple paths tied for the shortest, the monster controller chooses one. Regardless of their size, monsters move 1 space at a time in a cardinal direction (not diagonal).

After moving the monster, turn to face the survivor, resolve any instances of collision then attack the target using the card's attack profile.

Some attacks have reach or range. In these cases, move the monster the minimum number of spaces it must move to attack its target.

#### Full Move

Full move is a term that describes a monster or survivor's maximum available movement, taking into account any positive or negative movement modifier token.

#### Forward, Back, Away, and Toward

Some actions and rules will specify a direction for the monster to move.

* Forward: This is the direction the monster is currently facing.
* Back: This is the opposite direction the monster is currently facing.
* Away: This is usually in conjunction with something on the board (e.g., all survivors, the attacker, a board edge, a terrain tile). The monster controller should move as directly as possible, in any direction that puts the most spaces between the monster and the specified location.
* Toward: This is usually in conjunction with something on the board. The monster controller should move as directly as possible, in the direction that moves the monster closest to the specified location.

### How Monsters Attack

Attack actions direct a monster to attack. The second portion of a Move & Attack Target action tells a monster to attack its target. Attack actions are followed by attack profiles. Attack profiles on AI cards list the 3 basic components of an attack: speed (how many dice in the attack), accuracy (the likelihood of hitting), and damage (how much damage a hit causes). The monster controller makes an attack roll equal to the monster's speed, determines a hit location for each successful hit and deals damage.

**Speed**: The number of attack rolls. Speed is determined by the speed listed on the attack profile and modified by the monster's speed (listed on the monster's story event) and any speed modifier tokens. The monster controller rolls a numver of d10s equal to the speed of the attack.

E.g. When a Level 1 White Lion attacks Zachary with Vicious Claw, the attack speed is listed as 2. The level 1 White Lion has no additional speed, so the monster controller rolls 2d10.

**Accuracy**: The number to meet or exceed on an attack roll result for an attack to hit the target. Accuracy is determined by the accuracy listed on the attack profile, any accuracy modifiers tokens the monster has, and the evasion of the target.

**Attack Roll + Monster Accuracy Modifier must meet or exceed Attack Profile's Accuracy + Survivor's Evasion Modifier**

E.g. The monster controller rolles 2d10 to attack Zachary with Viscious Claw. If the roll results are 1 and 4, one attack roll hits (4) and one misses (1).

**Damage**: An attack's target suffers the amount of damage listed on an attack profile, modified by the monster's damage attribute and any damage tokens. **Damage from a single hit is applied to a single hit location**.

E.g. The Level 1 White Lion's Viscious Claw hit Zachary once. Since the damage listed on the attack profile is 1 and the Level 1 White Lion has no additional damage modifiers, the damage dealt from this hit is 1.

#### Determine Hit Locations

After the number of hits in an attack have been determined, the monster controller rolls the hit location dice once for every hit. Once all the rolls are made, resolve damage from each hit one at a time in the order the target chooses. If there is more than one hit, it is possible that the location dice will roll the same location more than once. Each hit location is resolved seperately.

E.g. The monster controller rolls the hit location die to determine where the Vicious Claw attack lands. The result is waist. Zachary, like all starting survivors, has a Cloth gear that gives his waist 1 armor point. 1 damage to this location reduces the armor by 1 to 0.

## List of Showdowns

### Core Game Showdowns

* Showdown: White Lion
* Showdown: Screaming Antelope
* Showdown: Phoenix
* Showdown: Butcher
* Showdown: King's Man
* Showdown: The Hand
* Showdown: Watcher
* Showdown: Gold Smoke Knight
* Legendary Monsters

### Expansion Showdowns

* Death of the Dragon King
* The Great Devourer
* Secret Meeting
* Showdown: Dragon King
* Showdown: Dung Beetle Knight
* Showdown: Flower Knight
* Showdown: Gorm
* Showdown: Lion God
* Showdown: Lion Knight
* Showdown: Lonely Tree
* Showdown: Manhunter
* Showdown: Slenderman
* Showdown: Spidicules
* Showdown: Sunstalker
* Showdown: Tyrant

### Beta Scenario Showdowns

* Allison the Twilight Knight
* Candy & Cola
* Adam & Anna Explorers of Death
* Paul the Survivor
* Kara Black
* The Messenger of the First Story
* Aya the Survivor
* The Messenger of Courage
* The Messenger of Humanity
* The Messenger of the Spiral Path
* Snow the Savior