Overview

Onward is a competitive board game inspired by MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) video games. Players draft champions, slay monsters, rally minions, and battle opponents to destroy the enemy Nexus (which has 9 hit points). The game combines card drafting, hand management, and tactical combat. Published by Skytear Games.

Components

• Game board with lanes and jungle areas
• Champion cards and miniatures
• Minion tokens
• Monster tokens
• Item cards
• Ability cards
• Nexus boards (9 HP each)
• Dice
• Various tokens and markers

Setup

1. Place the game board between opposing sides.
2. Each player selects champions through a drafting process.
3. Place Nexus boards for each side with 9 HP.
4. Set up minion waves in designated lanes.
5. Place monsters in jungle areas.
6. Distribute starting hands and resources.

Turn Structure

The game plays over multiple rounds. Each round includes phases for minion movement, player actions, and combat resolution. Players take turns activating their champions to move, attack, use abilities, and interact with the board.

Actions

• Move: Move your champion along lanes or through the jungle
• Attack: Engage enemy champions, minions, or the Nexus
• Use Ability: Play ability cards for special effects
• Slay Monsters: Defeat jungle monsters for gold and experience
• Rally Minions: Recruit minion waves to push lanes
• Shop: Spend gold on item cards to power up champions
• Destroy Nexus: Attack the enemy Nexus to remove HP

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win: Destroy the enemy Nexus by reducing its 9 hit points to 0.

There is no point-based scoring – the game is won by destroying the opposing Nexus.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Champions that are defeated respawn after a set number of turns.
• Minion waves advance automatically each round.
• Jungle monsters provide strategic advantages when slain.
• Items purchased with gold enhance champion abilities.
• Lane control and map positioning are critical for pushing toward the enemy Nexus.
• Different champions have unique abilities and playstyles.

Player Reference

Objective: Destroy enemy Nexus (9 HP)

Core loop: Draft champions → Slay monsters for gold → Buy items → Push lanes → Attack Nexus

Champions: Unique abilities, respawn when defeated

Minions: Advance automatically, help push lanes