Marsh Hallow Instructions

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DESCRIPTION

At the heart of every Mallow Flower lies a Spark. And for the Marshmallows of Marsh Hallow, the Spark means life. One day, while performing The Ritual of Life, an unknown force enchanted each Marshmallow around every Mallow Flower. The Enchanted Marshmallows continued The Ritual longer than usual and with no foreseeable end. The Sparks grew stronger, brighter. Eventually, the Sparks became Flames. Now, the Marshmallows of Marsh Hallow have a big problem. A Pyre problem. The Pyre stands at the center of Marsh Hallow. Embers of floating flames have ignited the Pyre. Many Marshmallows are running around panicked, others are stuck pondering the situation. The Pyre’s Intensity is growing stronger. So strong that the Pyre may bring forth the Immortal Flame. Marsh Hallow is in danger.

It is up to You to save Marsh Hallow. Recruit Critters, activate Elemental Powers, call on the Spirit of the Hallow, and find all three parts of the fabled Stupendously Outrageous Splasher (SOS) in your quest to slow the growing Pyre Intensity, ultimately extinguish the Pyre, and save Marsh Hallow from the Immortal Flame.

Marsh Hallow is a cooperative teambuilding Flip and Write game for 1-4 players. Players use revealed Critters, represented as shapes from the Critter Deck, to navigate Marsh Hallow Splashers (water guns), Splooders (water balloons), and Droplets (water) to disenchant the Enchanted Marshmallow and slow the growing Pyre Intensity. The game is played over 18 rounds. Each round consists of 4 Phases: Recruit, Placement, Map Actions, and Pyre Intensity. In the Recruit Phase, you recruit a Critter. You may also activate Elemental Powers or you may call on the Spirit of the Hallow. In the Placement Phase the selected Critter (or Spirit of the Hallow) is drawn onto the map. Players then resolve Map Actions. Each round ends at the Pyre Intensity Phase where the Pyre Intensity grows more and more dangerous. Can You and your Friends recruit the right Critters, increase your Splashers and Splooders to put out the Pyre and suppress the emergence of the Immortal Flame.

OBJECTIVES

Disenchant the Enchanted Marshmallows to slow the growth of Pyre Intensity and ultimately extinguish the Pyre preventing the emergence of the Immortal Flame.

To do this you must:

Recruit Critters, activate Elemental Powers or call upon the Spirit of the Hallow.
Limit the growing Pyre Mana by disenchanting Enchanted Marshmallows and extinguishing the Mallow Flowers’ Flames.
Increase your Splashers by saving Marshmallows and visiting Loot Tents.
Gain Splooders by saving Splooder Specialists and visiting Loot Tents.
Refill Splashers by visiting Lakes and Loot Tents.
Find and assemble the Stupendiously Outrageous Splasher (SOS). Each Lake contains 1 of 3 SOS parts.
Create a brigade of Critters, and potentially the Spirit of the Hallow, which by games end reaches to the Pyre’s Base.

Important Note: This objective is required in order for a Player to add their Loaded Droplets and obtained Splooders in Endgame, The Battle of the Pyre.

GAME SETUP:

Give each player a Marsh Hallow Map and a Player Dashboard sheet.
Give each player a pencil. (Players may use color pencils, crayons, markers, etc.)
Each player starts the game with Two Equipped Max 2 Splashers. On the Player Dashboard, locate the Max 2 Splashers.

Filled in Splashers are considered.

Good news! The first two Max 2 Splashers comes with 2 Loaded Droplets.

Note: A Splasher’s Max Capacity is indicated below the Splasher. For example, the Max 2 Splasher can carry at most 2 Loaded Droplets at any point in time. A Max 3 Splasher can carry at most 3 Loaded Droplets, and so forth. Crossed out “used” Droplets do not count toward this limit. (See Map Actions on the various ways to refill Droplets.)

Place the Critter Deck in a central location, accessible to all players.
Each player draws 3 cards from the Critter Deck and looks at their cards. Notice the Marshmallow at center of each card; this Marshmallow corresponds to a Marshmallow on the Marsh Hallow Grid. From these 3 Marshmallows, players will designate 1 Marshmallow Magus and 2 Splooder Specialists.
1. Marshmallow Magus: Select 1 card, the Marshmallow on this card will be the starting point, aka the Marshmallow Magus. Locate the Marshmallow Magus on the Marsh Hallow grid and draw a Star over it. Each player keeps their selected Marshmallow Magus card by them. This card will be their individual Round 1 card.
2. Splooder Specialists: The Marshmallows on the remaining cards will be your Splooder Specialists. Locate each Splooder Specialist on the Marsh Hallow Grid and Circle each.

Note: Saving a Splooder Specialist during the game grants you 1 additional Splooder.

All players return the 2 Splooder Specialists cards back to the Critter Deck.
Shuffle the Critter Deck again and draw 17 cards. Remove the remaining cards from the game.
Place the 17 cards face down in a pile. Each card represents a round in the game. Once there are no more cards left, the game ends.

And that is Setup!

RECRUIT PHASE:

Round 1: Each player’s Marshmallow Magus card is their individual Round 1 “revealed” card. Select one of the two Critters, represented as shapes, to be the first Critter recruit added to your team! (See Placement Phase section for additional Placement Rules.) Draw the shape onto the Marsh Hallow Grid being sure to cover the Marshmallow Magus and following Placement Rules. After placing, stack all Marshmallow Magus cards into one pile and place the pile face up next to the Critter Deck. Continue the round onto Map Actions and Pyre Intensity Phases.

Round 2 – 18: Each round, flip the top card of the Critter Deck over and place it where all players can see. Players select one of the two Critters to add to their team. Place the new card over the previously revealed cards covering the previous card’s shapes and leaving the previous Critters and Marshmallow visible. On Round 9, start a new column of revealed cards. In this manner, you can easily track Rounds and showcase all the brave Critters who have come to help save Marsh Hallow!

OPTIONAL RECRUIT ACTIONS:

Elemental Powers: Before players start drawing selected Critters on the Marsh Hallow Grid, they may activate an Elemental Power according to their selected Critter Type.

Players must announce the Elemental Power being used so all can hear. Each Elemental Power may only be used once per game per player.

Quake: Pound the table thrice and announce “QUAKE!” An Earth Critter rumbles in to help, stretching and contorting itself to the limit. The announcing player must and every other player may select the Earth (Green) Critter this round. Each player who selected an Earth Critter this round may move one square of the Critter’s Shape anywhere around the Shape. The resulting Shape must still be touching squares orthogonally or diagonally. No creating two Shapes from one.

Fortell: Announce “Fortell!” A Sky Critter whispers the next round’s Critters to you! Make a real show of it and exclaim, “I have seen future arrivals, and they are…” Reveal the next round’s card by flipping and the top card of the Critter Deck over for all to see. All players may use this information to plan ahead. The announcing player must use the Sky (Gray) Critter this round.

Burst: Rhythmically drum/tap your fingers on the table in a manner resembling falling raindrops and announce “BURST!” A Water Critter has activated Marsh Hallow’s geyser, O’TrustTrust. All players may fill 1 empty Droplet on an Equipped Splasher following Max Capacity rules. The announcing player must use the Water (Blue) Critter this round.

Legendary: Purple Critters are Legendary Marshmallows of stories past; here to fight for good and peace among all. Their “power” lies with their inspirational presence extending far and wide. Use them whenever possible.

Note: Multiple players may use the same or different Elemental Powers each round.

Spirit of the Hallow: Occasionally, the Critters available to you in a Round may not be as helpful as you wish. In these instances, call upon the Spirit of the Hallow! The Spirit of the Hallow flows throughout the hallow, helping those in need. Locate the Spirit of the Hallow on the Player Dashboard, represented as a 3x2 rectangle. Place an X on one of the squares, the remaining Shape becomes the Spirit of the Hallow.

Draw the Spirit of the Hallow on the Marsh Hallow Grid. (See Placement Phase) Note: The Spirit of the Hallow gets weaker the more you use it because with each use you cross out one square from its Shape. When crossing out a square, all remaining squares within the Shape must be touching orthogonally or diagonally.

PLACEMENT PHASE:

Draw the selected Shape onto the Marsh Hallow grid following Placement Rules.

Placement Rules:

Shapes may be mirrored and/or rotated 90 or 180 degrees. There are up to 8 variations of every Shape. Pick the one that’s best for you.

Shapes must be placed diagonally (on the corners) of any previously drawn shape.
Shapes cannot touch orthogonally (up, down, left, or right) to other previously placed shapes.
The selected Shape may cover: Loot Tents, Lakes, and/or Slingshots. (See Map Actions for activated abilities.)
Covering a Marshmallow, Splooder Specialist, and/or Enchanted Prayer Marshmallow, requires an equal number of Loaded Droplet(s) to be sprayed. Cross out the appropriate number of Loaded Droplets by placing an X over them. (See Map Actions for activated abilities.) Note: If your Splashers do not have the necessary number of Loaded Droplets, you may not place a Shape over a Marshmallow, Splooder Specialist, and/or Enchanted Marshmallow.
The selected shape may not cover the Mallow Flower spaces nor go beyond the edges of the Marsh Hallow Grid.

MAP ACTIONS PHASE:

Covering these Map Icons on the Marsh Hallow Grid triggers a benefit on the Player Dashboard:

Marshmallow: Spraying the panicked Marshmallow snaps them back to reality and immediately mellows them. The first 3 pairs of Mellowed Marshmallows join the team and bring with the one empty Max 1 Splasher each. Equip a Max 1 Splasher as the Mellowed Marshmallows pair up. Every Mellowed Marshmallow beyond the first 6 is extremely appreciative and will tell joyful tales of your heroic efforts today.
Splooder Specialist: You have saved a Splooder Specialist who immediately helps by providing one ready to use Splooder! (See Slingshots for maximum use of a pair of gained Splooders.) If needed, Splooders may also be used as if they were 1 Loaded Droplet. Splooders are 1 time use, cross out each used Splooder.
Enchanted Prayer Marshmallow: Spraying Enchanted Prayer Marshmallows disenchants them from The Ritual; decreasing the Pyre Intensity growth for this and every future round. If this is the first disenchanted Marshmallow around the Mallow Flower, extinguish the Mallow Flower Flame. The Mallow Flower Flame is no more and will no longer add to the Pyre’s Intensity. (See Pyre Intensity Phase for rules on increasing Pyre Intensity.)
Loot Tent: Covering one or both squares of a Loot Tent gives you access to bonus loot!

Bonus Loot (Select 1):

Max 3 Splasher! Equip the Max 3 Splasher. This Splasher is empty. We need to get better about refilling all these Splashers.
2 Splooders! Fill in the two Splooders next to the Loot Tent Icon
Water! This round, fill up to 4 Droplets on Equipped Splashers following Max Capacity limits.

Cross out the selected item from the Loot Tent legend on your Player Dashboard; it is no longer available in other Loot Tents. The remaining loot can be found in the other Loot Tent(s). Loot Tents are each one-time use.

Lake: Refill all equipped Splashers to Max Capacity! AND:
- 1ST Lake: You have found the first section of the Max 9 Stupendously Outrageous Splasher (SOS)!
- 2ND Lake: You have found the second section of the Max 9 SOS!
- 3RD Lake: Congratulations! You have found the third and final section of the Max 9 SOS! Equip the SOS. Wait, what’s this? The SOS comes with 9 Loaded Droplets! Pause for a moment, the final battle is just around the corner. Note: There are no more Lakes to refill your Splashers.
Slingshot: Slingshots give you the opportunity to assist fellow players! You may use one of two actions, each with their own requirements:
- Launch 2 Splooders - Requirements: Cover at least one Slingshot square AND have 2 Splooders available.

The Splooders are launched to another Player’s Marsh Hallow Grid hitting one of their Mallow Flowers. The Splooders hit and explode over the Mallow Flower (player’s choice), disenchanting the entire group of Enchanted Prayer Marshmallows. Cross out the 2 Splooders. The receiving player extinguishes the Mallow Flower Flame, and each Enchanted Marshmallow is saved by the Splooders. Note: Marshmallows disenchanted in this manner are not part of the brigade of Critters navigating the grid. Players may draw Critters over these disenchanted Marshmallows.

Launch 1 Critter - Requirement: Cover both Slingshot squares.

The Critter used to cover both squares is launched over to another Player. In addition to their selected Critter, the receiving Player can now add the launched Critter onto their brigade following Placement Rules.

Note: Slingshots are each one-time use.

PYRE INTENSITY PHASE:

Before finishing the round, all remaining uncovered Enchanted Marshmallows and Mallow Flower Flames contribute to the Pyre’s Intensity. Count up each Enchanted Marshmallow and Mallow Flower Flame and fill up the corresponding number of boxes on the Pyre Mana Track. Reminder: All covered Enchanted Prayer Marshmallows are considered disenchanted and do not add to the Pyre’s Intensity. If at least one Enchanted Prayer Marshmallow around a Mallow Flower has been covered, the Mallow Flower Flame is considered extinguished and no longer burning and the flame does not add to the Pyre’s Intensity.

Example – You are in the Pyre Intensity Phase of Round 1 and earlier in the round you placed a Shape that did not cover any Enchanted Marshmallows. There are 16 Enchanted Marshmallows and 4 Mallow Flower Flames for a total of 20 (16+4) Pyre Intensity. Fill in 20 squares on the Pyre Mana Tracker.

Now, let’s jump ahead to the Pyre Intensity Phase of Round 2 – This round you covered an Enchanted Marshmallow, therefore also extinguished the Mallow Flower Flame. There are now 15 Enchanted Marshmallows and 3 Mallow Flower Flames for a total of 18 (15+3) intensity added to the Pyre Intensity Tracker by filling in 18 more squares.

As you can see, Pyre Intensity starts growing rapidly.

ENDGAME, THE BATTLE OF THE PYRE:

After 18 rounds, the Pyre’s Intensity has grown to dangerous levels. It is now or never.

Every Loaded Droplet and Splooder can weaken the Pyre’s Intensity by 10. Locate the Scoring section of your Player Dashboard.

If, and only if, you covered at least one square of the Pyre’s base, then every one of your Marshmallows, Critters, and even the Spirit of the Hallow has made it to the base of the Pyre. Bringing with them every Equipped Splasher and gained Splooder. Immediately, they start spraying Splashers and throwing Splooders at the Pyre.

1) Enter the total number of Loaded Droplets in the corresponding box.
2) Enter the total number of Splooder in the corresponding box.
3) Sum their totals and multiply by 10 and enter the result in the Total Droplet box.

If you did not cover at least one square of the Pyre’s base, then your team did not make it to the Pyre’s base and cannot assist in quenching the Pyre.

1) Enter a zero for Total Loaded Droplets, Total Splooders, and Total Water

2. Enter the Pyre’s Intensity in the Pyre Mana box. Even if you did not cover at least one square of the Pyre’s base.
3. Subtract Total Pyre Intensity from Total Water. Enter the result in the End Score box.
4. Add up all Player’s End Score. Enter this number in the Final Team Score box. See RESULTS for final outcome.

RESULTS:

If the Final Team Score is Zero or Greater:

The battle is won! Congratulations! The Pyre burns no longer. All in Marsh Hallow celebrate joyously. In time, the Mallow Flowers will regain their Spark. The threat of the Immortal Flame is gone. Marsh Hallow is saved…

…but… who or what enchanted the Marshmallows?

Final Team Score is Less than Zero:

The battle is lost. Every Splasher and Splooder spent to no avail. No more water remains. The Pyre quickly burns hotter and hotter until suddenly, the Immortal Fire emerges. All in Marsh Hallow retreat.

Is Marsh Hallow lost?