Catacombs & Castles 2E

Game Overview

Catacombs & Castles is a fast-paced dexterity game set in the land of Tellaryth. Xaugorth and his army of Wraith Knights lay siege to Castle Mivorih, seat of power of the four Matriarchs. These Mages protect the mysterious Keystone that Xaugorth seeks to capture.

Players engage in dexterity-based combat by flicking wooden discs representing heroes, missiles, fireballs, and other elements. Teams attempt to eliminate their opponent’s Health Tokens to secure victory. The game supports multiple play modes from competitive team battles to cooperative boss fights.

The second edition brings updated components, refined gameplay, and enhanced compatibility with the Catacombs ecosystem. The game plays in 30-60 minutes and scales from intimate duels to large group battles with up to 8 players.

Key Features

Four Game Modes

Team Mode creates fast-paced competitive battles between Castle and Catacomb forces. Two teams of players face off, each controlling multiple heroes. Teams share a Health Pool represented by Health Tokens. When a team loses all Health Tokens, they are defeated.

Boss Mode provides cooperative gameplay where 2-4 heroes team up to defeat a powerful boss adversary. The boss has significantly more health and special abilities. Players must coordinate their attacks and use tactics to overcome the stronger opponent.

One versus One Mode offers head-to-head battles between two players. Each player selects heroes from either Castle or Catacomb forces. This mode emphasizes individual skill and strategy.

Boss versus Boss Mode pits two boss characters against each other in an epic confrontation. Each player controls a powerful boss with unique abilities and increased health pools.

Castle and Catacomb Forces

Players choose sides between the Castle and Catacomb forces. Each side has distinct heroes, abilities, and playstyles.

Castle heroes include Larra the Huntress, Randsarr the Watch Commander, and other defenders of Castle Mivorih. Castle forces excel at defensive positions and coordinated teamwork. Castle heroes can summon Castle Warriors to support their efforts.

Catacomb heroes serve Xaugorth and the invading army. They include Wraith Knights and dark magic users. Catacomb forces focus on aggressive attacks and overwhelming opponents with numbers. Catacomb heroes can summon Catacomb Warriors as expendable troops.

The game includes 18 Castle Hero Cards and 18 Catacomb Hero Cards, providing variety and replayability.

Warrior System

Warriors are helper characters with a single point of health. Heroes can summon Warriors during combat to create numerical advantages or use them as tactical sacrifices.

Warriors have their own shot sequences independent of their team’s Health Pool. When a Warrior takes damage, it is immediately removed from play. Warriors create dynamic tactical situations as players position them to block attacks, flank enemies, or execute coordinated strikes.

Castle Warriors and Catacomb Warriors have different abilities and shot patterns, reflecting their respective factions’ combat styles.

Health Pool and Victory Conditions

Teams share a Health Pool tracked by Health Tokens. When characters take damage, Health Tokens are removed from the pool. When a team’s Health Pool is depleted, that team loses.

This shared resource creates strategic decisions. Players must balance aggressive plays that risk taking damage against defensive positioning that preserves health. Teams decide collectively how to spend health resources, whether to summon Warriors, or when to activate powerful abilities.

Heroes can charge special abilities by accumulating Health Tokens. These abilities require spending tokens but provide powerful effects that can swing battles.

Boss Characters

Boss Mode introduces powerful boss characters with enhanced abilities. Castle Bosses and Catacomb Bosses have more health, stronger attacks, and unique shot sequences compared to standard heroes.

Boss Action Cards provide devastating attacks and special powers. Bosses can perform multiple actions per turn and have access to shot types unavailable to regular heroes. Fighting a boss requires coordination and tactical planning from the hero team.

The game includes 4 Castle Boss Cards and 4 Catacomb Boss Cards, each with distinct mechanics and strategies.

Compatibility with Catacombs 3E

The second edition includes a Catacombs Compatibility Deck containing 12 Castle Hero Cards, 12 Catacomb Hero Cards, 8 Ability Cards, 16 Item Cards, 9 Castle Spell Cards, 11 Catacomb Spell Cards, 3 Catacomb Lord Cards, and 3 Wraith Knight Monster Family Cards.

This compatibility allows players to mix Catacombs & Castles with Catacombs 3E. Heroes and monsters from different sets integrate seamlessly. Expansions like Red Box, Siege Defender, Keystones & Keeps, and Wyverns of Wylemuir all work with both games.

The game also includes first edition cards labeled “1st Edition” in the bottom left corner. Players who prefer the original edition can use these cards with the second edition components.

Components

Catacombs & Castles 2E includes:

• 18 Castle Hero Cards
• 18 Catacomb Hero Cards
• 4 Castle Boss Cards
• 4 Catacomb Boss Cards
• 6 Castle Team Action Cards
• 6 Catacomb Team Action Cards
• 3 Castle Boss Action Cards
• 3 Catacomb Boss Action Cards
• 3 Castle Warrior Cards
• 3 Catacomb Warrior Cards
• 4 Castle Hero Pieces (wooden discs)
• 4 Catacomb Hero Pieces (wooden discs)
• 1 Castle Boss Piece (wooden disc)
• 1 Catacomb Boss Piece (wooden disc)
• 12 Castle Warrior Pieces (wooden discs)
• 12 Catacomb Warrior/Wraith Knight Family Monster Pieces (wooden discs)
• 1 Castle Shield Piece (wooden)
• 1 Catacomb Shield Piece (wooden)
• 2 Missile Shot Pieces (wooden)
• 2 Grapple Shot Pieces (wooden)
• 1 Hook Shot Piece (wooden)
• 1 Lightning Shot Piece (wooden)
• 2 Cylinder Obstacles (wooden)
• 2 Cube Obstacles (wooden)
• 2 Slab Obstacles (wooden)
• 60 Castle/Catacomb Health Tokens
• 2 Target Tokens
• 1 Two-Piece Playmat
• 12 Wall Segments
• 24 Plastic Stands
• Catacombs Compatibility Deck (68 cards for integration with Catacombs 3E)
• First Edition Cards (for players who prefer 1st Edition rules)
• Sticker Sheet (to apply to wooden pieces)

The game uses Elzra’s Dexterity Game System with wooden discs in various sizes representing different characters and projectiles.

Compatible Expansions

• Red Box (adds cooperative play against the game)
• Siege Defender (additional characters and abilities)
• Keystones & Keeps (new heroes, monsters, and gameplay elements)
• Wyverns of Wylemuir (flying mounts and area-of-effect attacks)

Resources

Read the Manual

Component List and Support

View on BoardGameGeek

Purchase at Elzra USA/International Shop

Purchase at Elzra Canada Shop