2020 BGG rank #5140

HEXplore It: The Sands of Shurax

1–6 players 60–180 min Ages 14+ 4.2/5 complexity 5.8/10 rating

About this game

HEXplore It is a hero building adventure board game system. The Sands of Shurax is the third volume in the series. Journey into an entrancing land full of danger and intrigue. Collect Ravager Crystals and interact within a rich world, directing your actions toward saving it from a titan of a beast, the Ravager of Shurax. Make your way across the desert to perform missions, work with caravan masters, or ply your trade by gambling or even enter the gladiatorial arenas. Battle through a variety of encounters while traveling, or move carefully and see what other discoveries you might find. To save the City-States, you must build your heroes and gain power as quickly as you can. Kismet is what it will always be, but your heroes have the power to change the world. The object of HEXplore It: The Sands of Shurax is to finish the game in one of four ways. Power up your heroes, and choose one of four paths to victory. Can you save Shurax from the Ravager? -description from designer (edited)

What it feels like

Cooperative Game Grid Movement Modular Board Variable Player Powers Dice Rolling Push Your Luck Role Playing Storytelling Adventure Exploration Dice Fantasy Deserts

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Setup

1. Start with 10 Gold and Food equal to 3x your hero's rating. 2. Place bars and quadrants A–D in any orientation; at least 2 quadrants must touch 2 hexes on bars. 3. Draw 4 Circumstance cards and 1 Mission card per City-State. 4. Place heroes on the start hex of their chosen bar. 5. Place a random HOTile adjacent to the start hex. In solo play, also add an Oasis HOTile to the opposite start hex. 6. Move Reputation one space toward your chosen City-State's alignment. You may buy Gear Upgrades.

Turn flow

Each turn has up to 5 phases: 1. MOVEMENT PHASE – Choose one movement mode (or skip if in Black Pyramid): - Camp: Heal 3 Health & 3 Energy; Navigate auto-succeeds; -1 to skill rolls (cumulative each successive camp); may discard a Circumstance if allowed. - Cautious: Move 1 hex; Navigate auto-succeeds; may discard a Circumstance if allowed. - Normal: Move default speed (4 hexes); roll all skills normally. - Reckless: Move normal speed +2; each hero suffers 2 Energy Drain; roll Navigate and one of Explore or Survival (the other automatically fails). 2. SKILLS PHASE – Skip if on a City-State. Roll skill checks. On 2 Crit Successes: choose a Circumstance. On 3 Crit Successes: draw 1 Power Up (all heroes receive bonus) and receive the Rage Shard legendary item. - Navigate: Half of party (rounded up) must succeed or Wander. Hex result: Negate Wander OR move 1 extra space of choice (limit once per turn). - Explore: Success = +2 Gold. Hex: all heal 1 Health OR gain 1 extra Gold. - Survival: Success = do not eat. Hex: +1 Food, Negate an Affliction, or all heal 1 Energy. 3. CIRCUMSTANCE PHASE – Skip if in: Black Pyramid, Caravan, City-State, Boss, Gambling Den, Merchant Shop, Oasis, or Crystal Tower. Roll D6 and face the matching Circumstance (or discard if allowed). On a 5 or Hex result, draw from the deck. 4. EVENT PHASE – Resolve the event type for your current location: - Caravan: May join a Caravan (see Caravan rules). - Boss Site: Fight the corresponding Boss. - City-State: May shop and choose one activity: (1) Schooling & Sparring, (2) Employ, (3) Arena, (4) Scarabs. Apply Danger effect if applicable. If Reputation is aligned, -1 Gold cost to Schooling/Sparring and non-Bazaar items, +2 Gold to Mission/Employ rewards. - Remnant: Each hero gains Irradiated(5). If on Crystal Tower side, gain D4 Ravager Crystals (and a Power Up per hero if in Wastes), then flip the tile. - Mission: Attempt mission in matching terrain; adjust Reputation afterward. - Oasis: Heal all Energy, Conditions, and Afflictions; each hero may gain up to 20 Food. Limit 4 times per game. 5. VILLAIN / RAVAGER PHASE – The Ravager acts based on current Act (see Ravager rules).