The Wizard
The Wizards strength lies in being able to manipulate the cards in your hand. He allows you to discard any card in your hand and replace it with the top card of the deck. This can lead to some interesting scenarios, such as:
- Third Eye, Draw for turn, and then activate the Wizard ability and draw a second card.
- Wait for another person to use a third eye, then activate the Wizard ability to draw the card that the other player wanted.
- In the middle of combat, use the Wizard ability and try to draw a card to help you in that specific scenario.
- Many More…
The Warrior
A fierce leader, the Warrior rallies his troops and is always the first to strike. He allows you to bypass the standard 1 soldier per round limit to add additional soldiers to your army. Use this ability strategically and you can quickly change the outcome of any battle.
- In the middle of combat, use the Warrior ability before you declare your blockers to bring out another Soldier to help defend you.
- Someone used Ape-ocalypse to kill all the soldiers? Use the Warrior ability to refill your army and strike while your opponents are defenseless.
- Many More…
The Necromancer
Death is nothing more than a temporary setback. The Necromancer is one of the strongest Generals in Battle Monkeys, if he is played correctly. He has the power to resurrect dead soldiers and recruit them directly into his army, but raising the dead is costly and the Necromancer must use his own life to do so.
- In the middle of combat, use the Necromancer ability to resurrect a soldier to come fight for you.
- Someone used Ape-ocalypse to kill all the soldiers? Use the Necromancer ability to refill your army and strike while your opponents are defenseless.
- Resurrect Gorilla after Gorilla to build the strongest army possible.
- Many More…
The Chieftan
A true leader inspires the soldiers that serve him. The Chieftan has the ability to rally his troops and make them more effective in combat.
- Spider Monkey vs Spider Monkey? Buff yours by +1 and come out victorious.
- No enemy soldiers to block yours? Buff all the attacking soldiers and deal even more damage to the enemy General.
- Many More…
The Cleric
Patience is a virtue. The Cleric, one of the most powerful Generals in Battle Monkeys, continually heals himself over time. Deal with this General quickly, or pay the price.
- Automatically heals 2 points of damage at the beginner of your turn.
The Chimp
The Chimp is the weakest of all the Soldiers in Battle Monkeys. With a power of 2, his main use is the deal damage or defend when there are no better options.
- Sometimes it can be strategic to only put out Chimps in the beginning of the game. There is a good chance that more powerful soldiers will be stolen or killed early on.
The Spider Monkey
The second most powerful Soldier in Battle Monkeys, the Spider Monkey, is the only Soldier in the base game with a special ability. With the Strike First ability, Spider Monkeys are a force to be reckoned with on the Battlefield.
- Double Block with two Spider Monkeys and kill a Gorilla before they have a chance to deal any damage!
- More Soldiers with special abilities will be available with the first expansion, coming to Kickstarter in February!
The Gorilla
The Gorilla is the most powerful Soldier in Battle Monkeys. With a power of 5 they can be very difficult to deal with.
- Don’t put a Gorilla into your army too early. Chances are, they will be killed or stolen very quickly since they pose so much of a threat.
Ape-ocalypse
Ape-ocalypse is hands down the most powerful card in the game, but there is only 1 of them. Used correctly, it can drastically alter the balance of power.
- Once played, the game stops and no actions can be taken until after Ape-ocalypse is finished resolving (i.e. the desired effect is finished and the deck has been shuffled).
- Use at the beginning of your turn to wipe out the enemies defenses and then attack while they are weak.
- Enemy attacking with a full army and you have no soldiers to defend you? No problem, use Ape-ocalypse to stop them in their tracks.
- Use most of the cards in your hand while attacking/defending? Pull out Ape-ocalypse and refill your hand.
Reinforcements
Normally, you can only add one soldier to your army per turn. With reinforcements, you can add additional soldiers to your army at any time.
- Leave your army low on numbers to trick your enemies into attacking. Then, use reinforcements to fill up your army and decimate theirs!
- Gain an advantage early and fill up your army and deal as much damage as you can before your opponents can recover!
Third Eye
Using your Third Eye, you are able to see briefly into the future and change the course of events that are about to unfold. Look at the top three cards, and rearrange them in any order. This allows you to both set yourself up and mess up the cards your opponents will draw.
- Play before you draw your card at the start of your turn and pick which one you want.
- Play before an opponents turn to make sure they don’t get the cards they need.
Loot Chest
Sometimes, card advantage can make the biggest difference in the outcome of battle. use the Loot Chest to draw 2 cards to add to your arsenal of spells and soldiers.
- Play right after an opponent plays a Third Eye to steal the card that they were trying to get for themselves!
Golden Banana
With the exception of the Cleric, Golden Bananas are the only way to heal your General.
- Don’t hold onto them too long, an Ape-ocalypse could wipe them out!
- Cannot heal past 20 total life
- Don’t use them too early! Typically, players with a higher health total tend to be more of a target than those with mid-low health. Rapidly healing your General could make you more of a target.
Sneak Attack
Don’t like that Gorilla that the enemy has? Want to remove some Soldiers before you attack? Sneak Attack allows you to instantly kill any Soldier you choose.
- Is an enemy buffing a Soldier and you don’t want yours to die? Use a Sneak Attack to kill their buffed soldier before it does damage.
- Want to remove an enemies defenses before you attack? Sneak Attack!
Monkey Business
Monkeys are not the most loyal animals in battle. Use a Monkey Business card to recruit an enemy Soldier to come fight for you instead!
- Steal enemy Soldiers prior to attacking and have them deal damage to their old General
- Steal an enemy Soldier while defending and have him kill off his old comrades!
Primal Rage
Every once in a while, monkeys become enraged in battle. This gives them even more strength and health and allows them to be much more of a threat than they previously were.
- Use a Primal Rage on an unblocked Soldier to deal even more damage to an enemy General.
- Use a Primal Rage on a blocking Soldier to save their life and overpower their opponent.
How do I counter Spells?
Countering Spells is done by playing the same Spell card after a Spell has been cast. Example: John plays a Golden Banana and you do not want him to be able to heal. You can play a Golden Banana in response and counter his ability to heal. This can be done with any Spell card except Ape-ocalypse.
Is there a maximum number of cards I can have in my hand?
Yes. At the end of your turn you can have a maximum of 7 cards in your hand. If you have more than 7 cards at the end of your turn, you must discard any additional cards. During any other time (beginning of your turn, on an opponents turn, etc…) there is no maximum hand limit.
Can I attack more than one player?
Yes! As long as you have enough soldiers in your army, you can attack as many players as you want with any combination of soldiers. For example, If Sally has two Spider Monkeys and a Gorilla, she can attack Steve with a Gorilla, John with one Spider Monkey, and James with the other Spider Monkey.
Can I play more than one spell?
Yes! While there is a limit for soldiers, there is no limit for spells. You can play as many spells as you have in your hand whenever you want.
Can I block a single soldier with more than one soldier?
Yes! Multiple soldiers can block a single soldier. When this is done, damage is combined and dealt at the same time in most instances. If a spider monkey is involved, their damage is always dealt first.
How do I keep track of my generals life?
We recommend using either a sheet of paper or a D20 (not included). If you have a smartphone, another good way to keep track of life is to download the free level counter app. Soon we will have a Battle Monkeys playmat you can use to keep track of your life.
Can I help another player defend their general?
Yes! In certain situations, it can be very beneficial to help out another player. You can play any spells you want to help another play as well as send your soldiers over to help defend as well. If you decided to send your soldiers to help, you decide which enemy soldiers they will be blocking. They are returned to your army at the end of combat.
Can I help another player attack?
Kind Of. You can play any spells you want to help out another player (on both attack and defense), but you cannot use your soldiers to help them attack.
