For Master Game Scenarios, you can use a pre-set Army or a premade Army, or you can draft an Army. These three ways of gathering an Army are explained below.

As you gather your Army, be sure the total Points Cost doesn’t exceed the Points Cost limit listed for the Scenario you chose. It can be lower, but not higher. Players don’t need to have the same number of Army Cards. For example, you may have three Army Cards while an opponent has four or five Army Cards. This is okay

Army Card colors:

In the Master Game, the complexities of the characters and their allegiances are on full display. Therefore, your Army can include Army Cards of mixed colors.

Using a Pre-Set Army

Some Scenarios specify the Armies to use. As in the Basic Game, you choose which pre-set Army you want to control. After choosing your Army, place your Army Cards in front of you, then place your figures on the battlefield where shown in the Scenario.

Using a Premade Army

Experienced players may know exactly which Armies they want, based on the Scenario, the Points Cost, their favorite figures, or other factors. If both players agree, they may both supply custom premade Armies with Points Cost totals equal to or less than the Scenario’s Point Cost limit. If you’ve already chosen (or brought along) your Army, place your cards in front of you. Then players roll the 20-sided die to see who places their Army on the battlefield first. Reroll ties. The highest roller will place their entire Army first; placement then passes to the left. You must place your entire Army in one of the Scenario’s same-color starting zones. You cannot place any figures in an enemy-occupied starting zone. If you are combining sets and playing with three or more players, unless stated otherwise in the Scenario, teammates start in the same starting zone. If there are more figures in your Army than spaces in your starting zone, you can’t use the extra figures.

Drafting an Army

Drafting is a fun way for players to interact and share figures while building their Armies, by taking turns choosing which Army Cards they want to include in their Army from a shared pool of figures. When you select an Army Card, take the figure or figures shown on the card and place them in a starting zone immediately, before the next player selects an Army Card. You must place your entire Army in the same starting zone. You cannot place any figures in an enemy-occupied starting zone. Unless stated otherwise in the Scenario, teammates start in the same starting zone. If there are more Army figures than spaces in your starting zone, you can’t use the extra figures.

For a two-player game, players draft as follows:

1. Both players roll the 20-sided die, rerolling any ties. The player who rolls higher drafts first, by choosing one Army Card. This card is added to their Army.

2. The other player then chooses two Army Cards, adding both to their Army as before.

3. Taking turns, each player then chooses one Army Card at a time until they reach the Points Cost limit, or until no additional figures can be chosen.

For a game with three or more players, players draft as follows:

1. All players roll the 20-sided die, rerolling any ties. The player who rolls the highest drafts first, by choosing one Army Card. This card is added to their Army.

2. The player to their left then chooses one Army Card, and so on. The last player to draft chooses two Army Cards.

3. Drafting goes back around the table in reverse direction. The last player—the player who drafted first—chooses two Army Cards. Then the draft reverses direction again.

4. If at any time a player cannot pick another Army Card because choosing it would exceed the total Army Points Cost limit, that player must pass. If you pass, you have completed your Army.

5. Continue going back and forth around the table with the last player in each direction choosing two Army Cards and reversing the draft direction until all players have completed their Armies.

Friends and Enemies

Once all players have gathered their Armies, you’ll know who is a friend, and who is an enemy. All figures represented by Army Cards in your Army are “friendly” figures. All figures represented by Army Cards in your opponent’s Army are “enemy” figures.

Most games of Heroscape are played with only two players, but if you combine multiple boxes, you can play with more! In multiplayer games that support teams, figures in your allies’ Armies are also friendly figures. Note: only figures represented by Army Cards in YOUR Army are figures “you control”. If you are playing with a teammate, any effects that target figures you control do not affect your teammate, so plan carefully!