New Factions can dramatically change the ways in which Cthulhu Wars is played. With the Core Game’s Earth Map, you may play with one of these as a fifth Faction (or with all of them, using the 6–8 Player Map expansion), or you may replace any or all of the Factions from the Core game with these. Every combination is interesting and different! These additional Factions have been painstakingly balanced through hundreds of playtests over the course of several years.

A player may purchase a Neutral Monster's Loyalty Card during the Doom Phase. A player may never purchase more than one of these in a given Doom Phase, but there is no limit to the number of Neutral Monster Loyalty Cards a player may possess.

To purchase on of these Loyalty Cards, pay 2 Doom when it is your turn to perform a Ritual of Annihilation. If you wish, you may still perform the Ritual. When spending Doom, choose a Neutral Monster Loyalty Card from among those available, placing that card and its associated Monsters by your Faction Card. You will typically have the opportunity to immediately place one of these new Monsters for free.

Once you have purchased a Neutral Monster Loyalty Card, it is yours for the rest of the game. From then on only you may Summon and Control its associated Neutral Monsters.

Terrors are Summoned as though they are Monsters, and require a Controlled Gate to be able to enter play. They are equal to Monsters in their ability to Capture Cultists. That is, Monsters can protect Cultists against Terrors (and vice versa), and Great Old Ones can still Capture Cultists protected by Terrors. However,as Terrors are a different type of Unit, they are not vulnerable to abilities that specifically target Monsters.

To acquire a Terror, pay 2 Power and 2 Doom when it is your turn to perform a Ritual of Annihilation. You may still perform the Ritual, if you wish. Take your choice of available Terror Loyalty Cards and follow the instructions for placing your new figure on the Map.

Players may only purchase a single Loyalty Card in any given Doom Phase, so they may not gain a Neutral Monster in the same Doom Phase in which they acquire a Terror (and vice versa). Once a Terror Loyalty Card has been acquired, it belongs to that player for the rest of the game. Only that player may Summon and control that Terror.

Awakening

Take the Independent's Loyalty Card, Spellbook and tokens, and add them to you pool. Place the Independent's figure on the Map, under your Control. There are no limits to how many Independents you may Control, and you may use one Independent to help you Awaken another.

Death

If your Independent is Killed, place it's Loyalty Card, figure, unused tokens, and Spellbook back into the general Pool (tokens already on the Map remain there). If you had earned its Spellbook, it "falls off" the Loyalty Card and is no longer in effect. If this Independent is Awakened again, even by the same player, the Spellbook must be earned anew.

Spellbook

Each Independent has its own Spellbook to be earned. When a Spellbook's requirements have been met, place the Spellbook on the Independent's Loyalty Card; you may reap that Spellbook's benefits as lon as you control that Independent. This Spellbook does not count as one of your "Faction" Spellbooks for any purpose, and it cannot be placed on your Faction Card.

Doom Phase

When you perform a Ritual of Annihilation, do NOT gain an Elder Sign for any Independent Great Old Ones you Control.

Note

For your first game with Independents, it is recommended to use one fewer Independent than the number of players.

Elder Gods

Elder Gods are similar to Great Old Ones, except they do not provide Elder Signs during a Ritual of Annihilation, and do not roll combat dice.

Awakening

Take the Independent’s Loyalty Card, Spellbook, and any tokens, and add them to your Pool. Place the figure on the Map, under your Control. There are no limits to how many Independents you may Control, and you may use one Independent to help you Awaken another.

Death

If your Independent is Killed, place its Loyalty Card, figure, unused tokens, and Spellbook back into the general Pool (tokens already on the Map remain there). If you had earned its Spellbook, it “falls off” the Loyalty Card and is no longer in effect. If this Independent is Awakened again, even by the same player, the Spellbook must be earned anew.

Spellbook

Each Independent has its own Spellbook to be earned. When a Spellbook’s requirements have been met, place the Spellbook on the Independent’s Loyalty Card; you may reap that Spellbook’s benefits as long as you control that Independent. This Spellbook does not count as one of your “Faction” Spellbooks for any purpose, and it cannot be placed on your Faction Card.

Doom Phase

When you perform a Ritual of Annihilation, do NOT gain an Elder Sign for any Independent Elder Gods you Control.

New Maps can dramatically change the ways in which Cthulhu Wars is played. Each Map expansion includes new plastic figures and new rules that only apply to that Map. Map expansions accommodate 2–5 players, and they can be used with any of the Factions (core or additional), as well as with any combination of other expansions. Please note that these Maps add varying degrees of complexity and may affect the length of your games.