Overview

Elysium is a card-drafting and set-collection game set in Greek mythology. Players are ambitious demigods recruiting Heroes, acquiring Artifacts, and completing Quests to build Legends. Over 5 Epochs, players draft cards into their Domain (active play area) using colored Columns, then transfer cards to their Elysium to form scoring Legends. Cards in the Domain provide powers; cards in Elysium score Victory Points. The player with the most VP wins.

Components

• 168 cards from 8 Families (21 cards each, identical backs showing Citizens)
• 4 Player Boards
• 4 Player Aid cards
• 1 Temple (two parts) and 1 Pediment board (double-sided)
• 1 Oracle board (for Apollo Family)
• 1 Steps board
• 40 Gold tokens (25x1, 15x3)
• 25 Prestige Point tokens (for Ares Family)
• 45 Victory Point tokens
• 4 Order of Play Discs
• 16 Columns (4 per player in 4 colors)
• 12 Trigger Rings
• 6 Quest tiles
• 19 Bonus tiles (3 Level Legend Bonuses, 16 Family Legend Bonuses)
• 1 Epoch Marker

Setup

1. Choose 5 of the 8 Families. Shuffle their 105 cards; deal cards to the Agora (1 + 3x players).
2. Place Pediment (random side up), Quests in ascending order below it, Steps board below Quests.
3. Each player takes a board, 4 Columns (one each of 4 colors), 4 Gold, and VP equal to their Disc number.
4. Disc #1 = first player (random). Discs assigned clockwise in order.
5. Place Epoch Marker on space 1. Set up Family-specific components (Oracle for Apollo, PP for Ares).

Turn Structure

Each Epoch has 4 Phases:

Phase I - Awakening: Remove leftover Agora cards to discard. Refill Agora to (1 + 3x players) cards from the draw pile.

Phase II - Actions: In Disc order, each player takes 4 turns total. Each turn: take 1 card or 1 Quest from the Agora.

• Must take exactly 1 Quest and 3 cards per Epoch.
• To take a card/Quest, you must have the Column(s) matching its Acquisition Condition on your board.
• After taking, dismiss (remove) 1 Column of any color from your board.
• If you cannot take any card, take a Citizen (top card face down from deck) instead.
• If you cannot take any Quest, you receive an Incomplete Quest after others finish.

Phase III - Writing Legends:

1. Reallocate Discs based on Quest numbers taken this Epoch.
2. Receive VP and Gold shown on your Quest.
3. In new Disc order, each player may transfer cards from Domain to Elysium. Transfers limited by Quest’s Lyre number. Each transfer costs Gold equal to the card’s Level (1/2/3).

Phase IV - End of Epoch: Return 4 Columns to board. Straighten Activate cards. Advance Epoch Marker.

Actions

Card Powers (usable while in Domain)

• Instantaneous: Activate when you take the card, once only.
• Permanent: Always active while in Domain.
• Trigger: Use once per game (mark with ring; remove ring when used).
• Activate: Use once per Epoch (turn card 90 degrees; straighten in Phase IV).
• Eleusis: Only works if you have at least 1 other Eleusis card in Domain.
• Legend: Usable during Phase III only.

Citizens

Face-down cards that act as jokers in Legends. Can only be added to a Legend that already has 2+ cards. Transfer cost equals the Level of the missing card. Each Citizen in Elysium at game end costs -2 VP.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Legend Scoring

• Family Legends (same Family, different Levels, max 3 cards): 2 cards = 3 VP, 3 cards = 6 VP
• Level Legends (same Level, different Families, max 5 cards): 2 cards = 2 VP, 3 cards = 4 VP, 4 cards = 8 VP, 5 cards = 12 VP
• Single cards in Elysium score nothing (removed at game end).

Legend Bonuses

• Family: First to complete a Family Legend gets 5 VP tile; second gets 2 VP tile.
• Level: First to write a Legend of at least 2 cards at that Level gets the tile. A player with more cards in a same-Level Legend steals the tile.

Ares Prestige Points (if in play)

Most PP = 16 VP, second = 8, third = 4, fourth = 2. Ties: share cumulative VP of tied positions.

Final Score

Add all VP from Legends, Bonus tiles, Chronos powers, PP bonuses, in-game VP, minus 2 VP per Citizen in Elysium. Highest total wins. Tiebreaker: most Gold remaining.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• You cannot have two identical cards (same illustration) in your Domain.
• Card powers override general rules when conflicts occur.
• Once a card is placed in a Legend, it cannot be moved.
• Incomplete Quests give the highest-numbered Disc.
• Columns can be dismissed in any color, not just the color used for acquisition.
• The Oracle (Apollo Family) shows 4 face-up cards that preview next Epoch’s offerings.

Player Reference

Epoch structure: Awakening > Actions (4 turns: 1 Quest + 3 cards) > Writing Legends > End of Epoch

Transfer cost: Gold equal to card Level (1/2/3)

Legend VP: | Legend Type | 2 cards | 3 cards | 4 cards | 5 cards | |————|———|———|———|———| | Family | 3 VP | 6 VP | – | – | | Level | 2 VP | 4 VP | 8 VP | 12 VP |

Agora size: 1 + (3 x player count)

Citizen penalty: -2 VP each at game end