
- BGG rank
- BGG #561
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Mythic Battles: Pantheon
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2017

Rules assistance for ZhanGuo
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
ZhanGuo is an expansion for Iliad released in 2007 for 2–7 players and 45 minutes per game. It was designed by Leong Kit Meng and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Tile Placement, and Open Drafting.
This is a mod for the cardgame Illiad which is originally based on the Trojan war between the Greek states and Troy over Helen. Changes have been made to convert the game into the 7 states of late ZhanGuo (Warring States) period of China ca. 4th-3rd century B.C. Distinctive elements of late Warring States warfare have been incorporated into the game, whilst trying to stay within the original spirit of the Illiad gameplay. State Banners (Heroes) 1. Zhao 2. Wei 3. Han 4. Yan 5. Chu 6. Qi 7. Qin Tiles Bamboo Bian +1 (Agamemnon +1) Stone Bian +2 (Athena +2) Bronze Bian +2 (Poseidon +2) Units Crossbow Trap (Harrow) - 6 cards - prevents Cavalry and Chariot from being deployed Yunti Che (Trojan Horse) - 6 cards - hides units within (Ping, Gong & Nu) Pili Che (Catapult) - 8 cards - targets Crossbow Trap, Yunti Che, Pili Che & Chuangze Nu Chuangzi Nu (Ballista) - 8 cards - targets Cavalry, Chariot, Chao Che & Chuangze Nu Chao Che x2 (Elephant x2) - 8 cards - allows mounting of infantry (Ping, Gong & Nu), x2 to total unit values - mounted Nu and Gong can target any unit in any rank of Missile or Skirmish formations Cavalry (Chariot) - 4 cards - targets all infantry units, can attack without being first deployed Chariot (Chariot) - 4 cards - targets all infantry units, can attack without being first deployed Nu 2 (.....) - 6 cards when not in formation - targets Nu, Gong & Ping or 1st to 2nd rank of Nu, Gong & Ping in formation when in 3-row deep "missile-formation" in any value combination - targets Nu, Gong & Ping, 1st to 2nd rank of Nu, Gong & Ping in formation or Cavalry & Chariots - only missile units in the first two rows can attack - values are calculated as the sum of unit values from the first two rows multiplied by the unit value from the last row Gong 1 (Archers 1) - 8 cards when not in formation - targets Nu, Gong & Ping or 1st rank of Nu, Gong & Ping in formation when in 3-row deep "missile-formation" in any value combination - targets Nu, Gong & Ping, 1st rank of Nu, Gong & Ping in formation or Cavalry - only missile units in the first two rows can attack - values are calculated as the sum of unit values from the first two rows multiplied by the unit value from the last row Ping 1 (Hoplite 1) - 6 cards - can be deployed into 4-row deep "skirmish-formation" in decreasing value - values are calculated as the sum of all unit values multiplied by the number of rows Ping 2 (Hoplite 2) - 7 cards - can be deployed into 4-row deep "skirmish-formation" in decreasing value - values are calculated as the sum of all unit values multiplied by the number of rows Ping 3 (Hoplite 3) - 8 cards - can be deployed into 4-row deep "skirmish-formation" in decreasing value - values are calculated as the sum of all unit values multiplied by the number of rows Ping 4 (Hoplite 4) - 9 cards - can be deployed into 4-row deep "skirmish-formation" in decreasing value - values are calculated as the sum of all unit values multiplied by the number of rows Victory Cards Mandate of Heaven (Helen) - 1 card City +1 (Victory Town +1) - 4 cards Fortress +1 (Victory Tireme +1) - 4 cards City +2 (Victory Town +2) - 5 cards Fortress +2 (Victory Tireme +2) - 5 cards City +3(Victory Town +3) - 4 card Fortress +3 (Victory Tireme +3) - 4 cards Oracle Cards Zhan Shen -1 (Thanatos -1) - 4 cards Zhan Shen -2 (Thanatos -2) - 3 cards 7th Month Hungry Ghost Festival (Gorgon) - 2 cards The following are some of the basic changes and assumptions I've made in the Mod: I've introduced crossbowmen (Nu). I've introduced a new "missile-formation" of archer/crossbow/ping 3-row deep ranks. Only the missile infantry of the first 2 rows of the "missile-formation" can attack. Units killed within the formation are removed and the formation is reassembled downward. Cavalry and Chariots can be attacked by missile troops in "missile-formation". I've also bumped the game up to a 7 player game to match the 7 warring states. The 7 banners of the 7 warring states now replaces the 6 heroes. I've increased some of the unit numbers and decreased others to enable the additional 7th player, to take into account the new crossbowmen, as well as to rebalance the game towards a slightly higher emphasis on missile troops. Gorgon is now 7th Month Hungry Ghost Festival. Thanatos is now Zhan Shen. Helen is replaced by the Mandate of Heaven. City/Tireme replaced by the duality of Civil/Military City/Fortress. Agamemnon, Athena & Poseidon have been replaced by Bian (Tablets),a Bamboo Bian, a Stone Bian (for Civil City) & a Bronze Bian (for Martial Fortress) respectively. Chariots are now split into lower value Cavalry & higher value Chariots. Trojan Horse is now a Yunti Che. Elephant is now Chao Che. Harrows are now Crossbow Traps. All other units remain basically the same except labeled in their Chinese equivalent. Go here for more info: http://www.act.com.sg/zhanguo/
ZhanGuo supports 2–7 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for ZhanGuo is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
ZhanGuo belongs to these categories: Fighting, Wargame, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Tile Placement, and Open Drafting. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of ZhanGuo are: Leong Kit Meng. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists ZhanGuo as an expansion for Iliad. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Iliad to use it. Check that your edition of Iliad is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.