How to Play

Aeon's End: War Eternal

1-4 players 60-60 min 8.2 Board Game Geek Rating

Players cooperatively defend humanity's final stronghold against otherworldly invaders called The Nameless in this deck-building game. Using spells, abilities, and unique characters, teams must repel monster hordes through strategic card play. Victory requires surviving the assault while managing decks carefully amid chaotic, variable turn orders that simulate unpredictable combat.

Published 2017

Aeon's End: War Eternal

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Choose player mages
Each player selects a player board and a corresponding player number token
2
Build starting hands
Construct your hand and starting deck as indicated on your player board, with deck cards placed in the specified order (leftmost card on top, rightmost on bottom)
3
Configure breaches
Each player takes one breach of each type (I-IV) and places them as shown on their player board, matching the orientation and face indicated
4
Set player life
Players start with 10 life points tracked with life tokens on their player board
5
Set Gravehold life
Adjust the Gravehold life dial to 30
6
Select the nemesis
Choose which nemesis to fight and place its board near the players, reading its additional rules carefully
7
Set nemesis life
Adjust the nemesis life dial to the number shown on the nemesis board
8
Gather nemesis-specific cards
Take the nine cards specific to your chosen nemesis and separate them into three piles by tier (1, 2, 3)
9
Add basic nemesis cards
Consult the player count table to add the correct number of basic cards to each tier pile (2 players: 3/5/7 for tiers 1/2/3)
10
Shuffle tier piles separately
Mix each tier pile independently
11
Stack the nemesis deck
Place tier 3 cards face-down, then tier 2 face-down on top, then tier 1 face-down on top (never shuffle once assembled)
12
Complete nemesis setup
Follow any additional setup instructions on the nemesis board
13
Build the supply
Select 3 gems, 2 relics, and 4 spells, placing each pile of identical cards in the center of the table
14
Create the turn order deck
Include four player turn order cards and two nemesis turn order cards based on player count
15
Shuffle the turn order deck
Mix all turn order cards together and place face-down

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Reveal turn order card
Draw from the turn order deck to determine who plays next
2
Reshuffle when empty
When the turn order deck runs out, shuffle the discard to form a new deck
3
Cast spells from open breaches
You may choose to cast spells prepared on open breaches
4
Cast spells from closed breaches
You must cast any spells prepared on closed breaches that were stabilized last turn
5
Choose casting order
Select the order in which your spells are cast
6
Resolve cast spells
Immediately discard the spell to your discard pile, then apply the "Cast:" effect
7
Apply breach bonuses
Spells cast from breaches with "+1 damage when casting" deal 1 additional damage
8
Deal damage to targets
Each spell can only damage one minion or the nemesis unless stated otherwise
9
Play gems or relics
Place cards from hand into play and apply their effects immediately
10
Acquire cards
Spend æther gained this turn to purchase cards from the supply, placing them on top of your discard
11
Gain charges
Spend 2 æther to place one charge token on your player board (maximum charges equal to spaces shown)
12
Stabilize a breach
Pay the stabilization cost shown on a closed breach and rotate it 90° clockwise
13
Open a breach
Pay the opening cost to flip a breach to its open side permanently
14
Prepare a spell
Place a spell from your hand onto an open breach or a breach stabilized this turn (one spell per breach)
15
Resolve "When Prepared" effects
Use the "When Prepared" ability of any prepared spell during your main phase
16
Resolve "TO DISCARD:" effects
Complete the specified effect on a nemesis Power card to discard it
17
Activate your ability
When all charge spaces are filled, spend all charges to use your unique mage ability
18
Discard played cards
Place all gems and relics played this turn on top of your discard pile in any order
19
Draw to five cards
Draw cards from your deck until you have five cards in hand
20
Cycle your deck
If your deck is empty when drawing, flip your discard pile to form a new deck without shuffling
21
Resolve effects in order
Apply effects of all minions and powers in play, starting with the oldest
22
Apply persistent effects
Resolve all "PERSISTENT:" abilities on minions
23
Remove power tokens
Remove one power token from each Power card in play
24
Trigger depleted powers
When a Power card has no tokens remaining, apply its "POWER X:" effect and discard it
25
Draw a nemesis card
Reveal the top card of the nemesis deck
26
Resolve Attack cards
Apply the effect immediately, then discard the card
27
Put Minion cards into play
Apply any "IMMEDIATE:" effect, then place life tokens on the card as indicated
28
Put Power cards into play
Apply any "IMMEDIATE:" effect, then place power tokens on the card as indicated
29
Handle empty nemesis deck
If no cards remain, apply the "Unleash" effect three times instead
30
Trigger exhaustion
When a player's life reaches zero, they become exhausted
31
Apply Unleash twice
Immediately resolve the nemesis Unleash effect two times
32
Destroy a breach
Remove one breach from the game and discard any spell prepared on it
33
Discard all charges
Remove all charge tokens from the exhausted player's board
34
Double damage to Gravehold
Any damage dealt to an exhausted player is instead dealt doubled to Gravehold
35
Continue playing
Exhausted players still take turns but cannot gain life

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Victory by nemesis defeat
Players win immediately when the nemesis life reaches zero
2
Victory by deck depletion
Players win at the end of any turn if the nemesis deck is empty and no minions or powers remain in play
3
Defeat by total exhaustion
Players lose immediately if all players become exhausted
4
Defeat by Gravehold destruction
Players lose immediately if Gravehold's life reaches zero
5
Check special conditions
Some nemeses have unique victory or defeat conditions listed on their board

watch & Learn

Let the pros teach you with these top videos.

Aeon's End | Com s'hi Juga? | TUTORIAL

Aeon's End | Com s'hi Juga? | TUTORIAL

Instructional

[PRIMERAS IMPRESIONES] AEON'S END: LA GUERRA ETERNA - ¿Es el deckbuilding que esperábamos?

[PRIMERAS IMPRESIONES] AEON'S END: LA GUERRA ETERNA - ¿Es el deckbuilding que esperábamos?

Review

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FULL rules

Looking for the full details? Grab the complete rulebook as a downloadable PDF.

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