Shadow of Helheim - GM Rules
Shadow of Helheim
GM Rules
Confidential — Do Not Share With Players
14. Tutregna Ĉiaro at a Glance
Tutregna Ĉiaro is the hidden antagonist. It plays by the same rules as every other nation — with one secret exception: it controls the only oil fields in the Old World, and fields military technology no player can match or anticipate.
| Standard Stats (visible to players) | Secret Stats (GM only) |
|---|---|
| Food ×2, Steel ×2, Stone ×1, Luxury ×1, Timber ×1 per round | Oil: +3 per round while Petrovilo is controlled |
| Starting stockpile: 3 Food, 3 Steel, 2 Stone, 2 Luxury, 4 Gold, 2 Timber | Oil starting stockpile: 3 · Oil cap: 6 |
| Stability: 5 · Action Points: 3 per round | Secret Agenda Track: 0–8 |
| Max 3 active armies | Hidden objective: hold 8 territories simultaneously by round 12 |
| Special Unit: Shadowblade Corps | Second Special Unit: Iron Tide (oil-powered) |
| 1 Standard Army (2 units) + 1 Shadowblade Corps | |
| 1 Sloop in Western Sea home port · 1 Sloop in Northern Sea home port |
Shadowblade Corps (listed in main rulebook): 2 AP + 2 Steel. Rolls 2d6; any 6 deals 2 hits. Moves 2 territories per AP — no oil required. Best used for rapid strikes, flanking, and late-game territory grabs. Players will notice the double-movement quickly — this is intentional. The Iron Tide is the surprise.
15. The Agenda Track
Every time Tutregna Ĉiaro captures a new territory from any nation, advance the track by 1. Track this privately. Note that the track advances on capture — if a territory is taken and then lost, the track does not decrease. The win condition, however, requires simultaneous control of 8 territories.
| Track | Situation |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Tutregna Ĉiaro is expanding. Players may still believe diplomacy can contain it. |
| 4–5 | The pattern is undeniable. Intel Cards drawn this round may reference Tutregna Ĉiaro's movements directly. Players who have been appeasing Tutregna Ĉiaro will face pressure from their neighbours. |
| 6–7 | Coalition or collapse. Player nations that have not coordinated will not survive alone. This is the moment the game has been building toward. |
| 8 | Check for the win condition: if Tutregna Ĉiaro simultaneously controls 8 territories, the game ends immediately — Tutregna Ĉiaro wins. If it does not currently hold 8 (due to losses), play continues. |
16. Playing Tutregna Ĉiaro: Strategic Guidance
Tutregna Ĉiaro is not a hidden villain — it is a great power with real interests, playing by the same rules as everyone else. Play it as a rational actor that happens to want more than the other nations are willing to give.
Early game: Tutregna Ĉiaro has genuine diplomatic interests. Trade, sign NAPs, and build goodwill where it is useful. Stockpile Steel and Timber. Tutregna Ĉiaro does not need to manufacture pretexts for expansion — it simply pursues its interests, and those interests will eventually conflict with others.
Mid game: Begin pushing borders where player coordination is weakest. Use naval access to apply pressure on coastal nations and cut trade routes. A Warship in the Western or Northern Sea is as much a political instrument as a military one — the threat of amphibious landing can extract concessions without firing a shot.
Late game: Commit every resource. Tutregna Ĉiaro's Western and Northern Sea access means it can threaten Susalle, Kingdom of Wer, and Daletheria simultaneously by land and sea. If no declaration has been made, continue to press — isolated nations are far easier to absorb than a unified coalition.
Tutregna Ĉiaro's Naval Strategy
- Early game: Use the Western and Northern Sea Sloops to intercept Susalle's trade convoys — a legitimate act under the rules that applies economic pressure without triggering an Act of War.
- Mid game: Build a Warship. The threat of amphibious landing on any Western or Northern Sea coastal territory is a powerful diplomatic lever — use it to extract concessions before ever landing.
- Late game: A Carrack carrying an army can land troops directly into an unsuspecting coastal territory, bypassing the land front entirely.
Tutregna Ĉiaro produces only 1 Timber per round. Prioritise carefully. A single well-used Warship is worth more than a fleet you cannot afford to feed.
Neutral Nation Absorption
If a Neutral Nation is at Stability 0 and Tutregna Ĉiaro has adjacent armies, the GM may absorb the territory during Mobilization without open war. Announce it openly and advance the Agenda Track publicly.
The Shadow Envoy Card
When a player draws the Shadow Envoy card, roleplay a Tutregna Ĉiaro diplomatic approach to that player's nation. Offer something real — a NAP, a trade deal, military access, or Gold. Tutregna Ĉiaro is pursuing its interests through diplomacy before resorting to force. Whatever is agreed is binding and recorded publicly.
Final GM Advice: The best session is one where players spend the early game disagreeing about whether to appease Tutregna Ĉiaro or confront it, the mid game watching that argument become irrelevant, and the late game finding out whether they left it too long.
17. The Oil System
Oil is a fifth resource that exists only for Tutregna Ĉiaro. It never appears on a resource table, Nation Card, or Country Sheet visible to players. No other nation produces, trades, or knows it exists.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Production rate | 3 Oil per round (automatic, silent) |
| Stockpile cap | 6 Oil — excess is lost |
| Starting stockpile | 3 Oil |
| Visible to players? | Never (unless Petrovilo is captured) |
| Tradeable? | No |
Use the Oil Tracker in Section 27 to record income and spending each round.
18. The Oil Territory
The town of Petrovilo is a named location within Tutregna Ĉiaro's home region, visible on the map. To players it appears unremarkable — just another small settlement. Circle it in red on your master copy.
If asked about it during diplomacy, describe it as "a refinery town" or "an industrial settlement" — accurate, and uninformative.
Fortification: In round 4, spend 2 Stone to build a Fortification on the Petrovilo territory. Players will see construction activity but won't know what is being protected. This investment is strongly advised — losing Petrovilo mid-game is crippling.
Production dependency: All Oil production requires Tutregna Ĉiaro to control this territory. If captured, production drops to zero immediately. The existing stockpile remains available to spend until exhausted.
| Trigger | Effect |
|---|---|
| Player army occupies Petrovilo | Oil production drops to 0 immediately. The player gains no oil benefit — they hold a town called "Petrovilo" and don't know why Tutregna Ĉiaro wants it back so badly. |
| Tutregna Ĉiaro retakes Petrovilo | Production resumes the following Resource Phase at full rate (3 Oil/round). |
| Tutregna Ĉiaro reaches Stability 0 | All oil production ceases. |
19. Oil Spending
Oil may be spent during the Mobilization Phase (movement and recruitment) and the Combat Phase (combat bonuses). Declare spending privately on the GM move slip before the phase begins. Effects are applied openly in play — players will see armies moving faster or hitting harder, but won't know why.
A single army may only benefit from one oil ability per round. Use Burning Advance (2 Oil) instead of stacking Combat Boost and Forced March separately.
| Cost | Ability | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oil | Combat Boost | One army rolls on 3+ instead of 4+ to hit this round. Declare before rolling. Once per army per round. |
| 1 Oil | Forced March | One army moves 2 territories this round instead of 1 (same 1 AP cost). Declare during Mobilization. |
| 1 Oil | Iron Tide Upkeep | Maintain one active Iron Tide unit for the round. Must be paid each round or the unit is immobilised. |
| 1 Oil | Iron Tide Deploy | Recruit one Iron Tide unit. Full recruit cost: 2 AP + 2 Steel + 1 Oil. |
| 2 Oil | Burning Advance | One army gains both Combat Boost and Forced March this round. Declare before Mobilization. |
| 2 Oil | Deeprunner Upkeep | Pay maintenance for one active Deeprunner. Must be paid each round or it surfaces. |
| 3 Oil | Oil Denial | When absorbing a Neutral Nation territory, destroy its resource infrastructure — that territory produces 0 resources for 2 rounds under Tutregna Ĉiaro control. Invisible to players. |
See Section 24 for spending priorities when oil is scarce.
20. The Iron Tide
The Iron Tide are Tutregna Ĉiaro's oil-powered war machines. They are visible to players in combat; their fuel source is never explained. There is no hard cap on Iron Tide units — the practical limit is Tutregna Ĉiaro's Steel income (2/round) and Oil budget (1 Oil upkeep per unit per round).
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Availability | Tutregna Ĉiaro only |
| Recruit cost | 2 AP + 2 Steel + 1 Oil |
| Upkeep cost | 1 Oil per unit per round |
| Combat dice | 2d6, hits on 4+ |
| Special ability | Armoured Hull — ignores the first hit received in any combat round. If 2+ hits are dealt in a single roll, only the excess apply. (e.g. 2 hits dealt → 1 absorbed, 1 applied.) |
| Movement | 1 territory per AP. May benefit from Forced March or Burning Advance. |
| Immobilised state | Cannot move or attack. Armoured Hull does not apply. Remains on the map until destroyed or upkeep is paid. Visible inaction is a tell — avoid this. |
Armoured Hull resets each combat round, not each battle. A multi-round engagement resets the absorption every round.
Strategic value: Steel freed from other Special Unit costs can fund Standard Units, fortifications, or diplomatic trades — while Iron Tide fills the heavy-combat role using Oil instead. With 2 Steel income per round, you can sustain recruitment of one Iron Tide every round while still having Steel for other purposes only if no other Steel costs are being met simultaneously. Plan accordingly.
Describing Iron Tide to players (first encounter):
"A new kind of weapon rolls forward — iron-plated, belching dark smoke, grinding over the terrain with a sound like a millstone. Your soldiers' weapons barely slow it."
If players ask what it is: "A war engine unlike anything the Old World has seen." Do not confirm or deny any guesses about its power source.
21. Iron Tide in Naval Combat
Iron Tide units are land units only and cannot be used in sea zone combat. However, they may be transported aboard a Warship or Carrack as part of an amphibious landing (counts as 1 army unit; Warship capacity: 1 unit, Carrack capacity: 2 units).
When landed on a hostile coast:
- Covering fire resolves normally (each supporting ship rolls 1d6, hits on 4+)
- Armoured Hull applies during subsequent land combat on the coastal territory
- The Iron Tide may not use Forced March or Burning Advance in the same round it is landed
An Iron Tide arriving by sea at an undefended coast is one of the most powerful late-game plays available to Tutregna Ĉiaro.
22. The Deeprunner Programme
While the nations of the Old World build wooden fleets, Tutregna Ĉiaro's engineers have been working on something the sea has never seen.
Deeprunners are tracked exclusively on the GM's move slip. Their position, movement, and actions are never revealed to players unless the Deeprunner surfaces or attacks.
Deeprunner Stat Block
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Build cost | 3 Oil + 3 Steel + 3 AP. No Timber required. Cannot be built by any player nation. |
| Upkeep | 1 Oil per round. If unpaid, the Deeprunner surfaces immediately — announce to all players that "something has surfaced in [sea zone]." |
| Speed | 2 sea zones per AP. Movement declared secretly on the GM move slip. |
| Combat — attack | 3d6, hits on 3+. First strike: always attacks before the enemy fleet rolls in the round it is first revealed. If all enemy ships sink before they roll, they do not return fire. |
| Combat — defence | 1d6 (4+) if engaged while surfaced. Fragile once located. |
| Visibility | Invisible until it attacks. Never appears on the shared map. Enemy players are never told a Deeprunner is present. |
| Surfacing triggers | (a) Fails to pay oil upkeep, (b) hit by a Depth Charge from a Sloop, (c) runs aground in shallow coastal water (GM discretion). |
| Sinking | A surfaced Deeprunner fights with 1d6 (4+) and sinks on 2 hits. Any fleet in the same zone may engage it. |
| Maximum active | 2 Deeprunners at any time. |
GM note: Never confirm or deny the existence of Deeprunners. If a ship inexplicably sinks in calm water with no enemy fleet visible, let players draw their own conclusions.
Running a Deeprunner Each Round
- Resource Phase: Pay 1 Oil upkeep per active Deeprunner. If you cannot pay, surface immediately.
- Mobilization Phase: Declare Deeprunner movement secretly on your move slip (up to 2 sea zones per AP). Do not place it on the shared map.
- Combat Phase: If in the same zone as an enemy fleet, you may attack. Roll 3d6 hitting on 3+. Announce results as: "[Nation]'s fleet in [sea zone] has been attacked by an unknown vessel." Do not name the vessel type. Apply first strike — Deeprunner hits resolve before the enemy rolls.
The Depth Charge Counter
Players have exactly one tool to find and destroy a Deeprunner: the Depth Charge Run, available only to Sloops. It is printed in the player-facing naval rules — whether players think to use it is their problem.
| Who can use it? | Any Sloop. Warships, Carracks, and Flagships cannot. |
| Cost | 1 Steel per attempt. |
| When | During Combat Phase, instead of normal combat. Uses the Sloop's entire combat action for the round. |
| How it works | Player tells the GM they are performing a Depth Charge Run in a named sea zone. GM secretly checks whether a Deeprunner is present. If YES: roll 1d6 — on a 5 or 6, the Deeprunner is forced to surface. On 1–4, say "no contact." If NO Deeprunner present: say "no contact." Players cannot tell the difference. |
| After surfacing | Immediately visible to all players. Any fleet in the same zone may engage it this round. Fights with 1d6 (4+), sinks on 2 hits. |
GM honesty rule: Resolve Depth Charge Runs honestly — no fudging results to protect the Deeprunner. The 5-in-6 failure rate is already strongly in Tutregna Ĉiaro's favour.
Deeprunner Strategy
Use the Deeprunner as a terror weapon more than a battle-winner. One sinking in an unexpected location is worth far more psychologically than two predictable ones.
- Early (rounds 5–7): Sink a single Sloop where Tutregna Ĉiaro has no visible presence. Say nothing. Let players argue about what happened.
- Mid-game: Interdict convoy routes. A Carrack carrying an army that sinks in the Western or Northern Sea is a strategic catastrophe.
- Late game: Break blockades. A blockading fleet losing ships to an invisible attacker will struggle to hold position.
- Never place both Deeprunners in the same sea zone — if one is discovered, players will know where to look for the second.
If players figure it out: Do not confirm or deny. Tutregna Ĉiaro can respond diplomatically.
If a Deeprunner is sunk: Describe it for the first time: "A strange iron vessel, long and cylindrical, sinks beneath the waves. You have never seen anything like it." The paranoia this creates is a victory condition in itself.
23. Oil Budget Management
Early Game (Rounds 1–4)
With 3 Oil income and a 6 Oil cap, there are only 2 rounds of pure saving before Oil is wasted.
Recommended pattern:
- Round 1: Save. Stockpile → 6.
- Round 2: Spend 1 Oil (Forced March — absorb Neutral Nation). Stockpile → 5 → 6 after income.
- Round 3: Spend 1 Oil (Forced March — second Neutral Nation). Stockpile → 5 → 6 after income.
- Round 4: Build Fortification on Petrovilo (Stone cost, not Oil). Hold full Oil reserve for Round 5.
Mid Game (Rounds 5–8)
Begin deploying Iron Tide (1 Oil recruit cost each, plus 1 Oil upkeep per unit per round thereafter). Consider recruiting the first Deeprunner (1 Oil upkeep/round).
- 1 Deeprunner running: 1 Oil remaining per round for land use.
- Prioritise Burning Advance for major offensive actions — save between rounds to afford it.
- Do not recruit a second Deeprunner unless stockpile is above 4.
Late Game (Rounds 9–12)
Spend aggressively. The cap makes saving pointless.
- Use Burning Advance every round if possible.
- If Petrovilo has been captured: prioritise Deeprunner upkeep, then Burning Advance, then let remaining abilities lapse.
- If stockpile hits 0 and Petrovilo is captured: all oil abilities cease. Deeprunners surface. Iron Tide units already in the field are immobilised — they cannot move or attack but remain on the map until destroyed or routed.
Oil Budget by Configuration
| Scenario | Income | Deeprunner upkeep | Iron Tide upkeep | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Deeprunners, no Iron Tide | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1 Deeprunner, no Iron Tide | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 Deeprunners, no Iron Tide | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| No Deeprunners, 1 Iron Tide | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| No Deeprunners, 2 Iron Tide | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1 Deeprunner, 1 Iron Tide | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 Deeprunner, 2 Iron Tide | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 Deeprunners, 1 Iron Tide | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Note: All configurations are sustainable on 3 Oil income. Running 2 Deeprunners alongside 2 Iron Tide units (4 Oil upkeep total) would exceed income — avoid this combination unless you have a banked stockpile to draw from.
24. If Players Capture Petrovilo
Capturing Petrovilo is the single most effective counter to Tutregna Ĉiaro's advantages.
Immediate effects:
- Oil production drops to zero immediately.
- The existing stockpile is not affected — Tutregna Ĉiaro keeps what is banked and spends it down.
- Players gain no oil themselves. They hold a town called "Petrovilo" and don't know why Tutregna Ĉiaro wants it back so badly.
How to respond: React with visible desperation. Tutregna Ĉiaro should be willing to offer extravagant diplomatic concessions, break existing NAPs (accepting the Stability penalty), and redirect the Shadowblade Corps. Do not let Petrovilo sit in enemy hands quietly — the scramble to retake it is part of the story.
If Petrovilo is held for 3+ rounds:
- Deeprunner upkeep becomes unsustainable — surface any you cannot afford
- Iron Tide recruitment ceases
- Existing Iron Tide units are immobilised each round upkeep cannot be paid
- Burning Advance becomes unavailable
If Tutregna Ĉiaro retakes Petrovilo: Production resumes the following Resource Phase at full rate (3 Oil/round). Deeprunner upkeep may resume immediately if stockpile permits.
25. Three-Act Strategy
Act One: The Charming Empire (Rounds 1–4)
Tutregna Ĉiaro enters as a friendly trading partner. Build goodwill, lock in at least two alliances or NAPs, and use oil to rapidly absorb 2–3 Neutral Nation territories without triggering alarm.
- Sign NAPs with immediate neighbours, especially Susalle (diplomacy bonus) and any nation you don't plan to attack until round 8+.
- Use Forced March on Neutral Nation grabs — fast, quiet, looks like routine expansion.
- Keep Iron Tide in reserve. Don't deploy yet.
- Trade Luxury and Gold generously.
Act Two: The Provocation (Rounds 5–8)
Begin pushing borders using pretexts. Blame border incidents on Neutral Nations. Frame defensive actions as reluctant. Start using Burning Advance for contested territories.
- Deploy the first Iron Tide unit. Frame it as "a new defensive technology" if asked.
- If a player nation is weakened (Stability 3 or below), consider moving against them — but have a story ready.
- Use the Shadow Envoy Intel Card now if you haven't already.
- Watch Petrovilo carefully. If players move armies toward it, prioritise its defence over expansion.
Act Three: Domination (Rounds 9–12)
The mask is off. Spend all oil aggressively. Push for territories with Burning Advance every round. Shadowblade Corps should be deep in enemy territory.
- If players haven't yet identified you as the threat, maintain the facade until it's no longer possible.
- If Petrovilo has been captured, shift to pure stockpile drawdown.
26. Oil & Deeprunner Tracker
Print separately and fill in each round.
Game date: __ · Players: __
Oil Tracker
| Round | Opening | + Income | − Spent | Closing | Petrovilo held? | Spending notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | +3 | Y / N | |||
| 2 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 3 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 4 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 5 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 6 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 7 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 8 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 9 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 10 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 11 | +3 | Y / N | ||||
| 12 | +3 | Y / N |
Iron Tide Units
| Round recruited | Current territory | Upkeep paid (Y/N per round) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Deeprunner Status
| Unit | Round launched | Current sea zone | Upkeep paid (Y/N per round) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deeprunner 1 | ||||
| Deeprunner 2 |
Agenda Track
| Territory captured | Round | Running total | Simultaneously held? |
|---|---|---|---|
Shadow of Helheim — GM Rules. Confidential. Do not share with players.