2020 Solomode

“Shadow of the Monsters” for King of Tokyo

25-40 minutes
Andrew A. Ernst
[email protected]

Shadow of the Monsters

a King of Tokyo Solo Variant by Andrew A. Ernst
Monsters have arrived to rain destruction upon the city of Tokyo! It is up to you to save the
city from complete destruction and to put an end to these tyrants.

Game Setup:
Remove the following power cards from the game. These cards either add overly complex
decisions to the monsters or simply do not work well for this variant. After playing a few times
and becoming familiar with the AI system you may decide to add some of these back in for a
more advanced game.
 Background Dweller  Omnivore (1st Edition)/
 Complete Destruction Detritivore (2nd Edition)
 Energy Hoarder  Opportunist
 Healing Ray  Parasitic Tentacles
 Herd Culler  Plot Twist
 High Altitude Bombing  Poison Spit
 Jets  Psychic Probe
 Made in a lab  Rapid Healing
 Metamorph  Smoke Cloud
 Mimic  Stretchy
 Monster Batteries (1st Edition)  Telepath (1st Edition/
Do not remove Battery Monster (2nd Energy Drink (2nd Edition)
Edition)  Wings
Set the following 3 cards face up next to the board:
 Evacuation Orders x2  Shrink Ray
Setup the rest of the game as usual with 2-3 monsters including their monster boards and
standees. They should start with 0 ★ and 10 ♥. Shuffle the remaining power cards and
create a purchase row of 3 cards as usual. You will be playing as the forces of Tokyo trying to
fend off and destroy the monsters, so you will not need a monster board or standee.
Goal and End Game Conditions:
Your goal is to defeat and reduce each monster’s ♥ to zero. You win and the game ends
immediately if all monsters’ ♥ = 0.
In this variant ★ represents destruction and loss of morale to the city of Tokyo. You will never
gain ★, but you will want to minimize and reduce each of the monster’s ★ because you lose
and the game ends immediately if ★ ever reaches 30 collectively among all monsters or if a
single monster reaches 20 ★. When a monster dies, you no longer count their ★ toward the
collective total.

Playing the Game:

Start the game with the monster to your left using the Monster AI Tree continuing clockwise to
the rest of the monsters. You will go last. The Monster AI Tree is found at the end of the rules.
Monster Turns
 They essentially play the game as normal attacking each other, gaining ★ (damaging
Tokyo), and buying power cards.
 A monster will roll and reroll the six dice as usual up to three times as long as there are
still dice that are not locked in and being kept.
 Ignore the top dice check in each section of the AI Tree. This is used in the advanced
game with cards that were removed during setup.
 If a monster’s ♥ < 5 after being hit with , they will automatically yield Tokyo. They
cannot yield if you attack them.
 Once a monster is the last surviving in the game a couple things change: they can gain
♥ while in Tokyo and all = ★.
Player Turns
 You will also roll and reroll the 6 dice as usual. However, the symbols have different
meanings to you.
 = Targeted Attack. You may apply and distribute your to any monsters as you
choose to reduce their ♥ regardless of whether they are in or outside of Tokyo.
However, at the beginning of the game it requires 6 to do a single point of damage
to any one monster! In order to defeat them, you must spend research points to learn
their weaknesses and become more effective. The number of required to reduce
 their ♥ by 1 point is equal to 6 minus the number of research points on the targeted
monster, with a minimum of 1 required. Additionally, if you have 10 research points
on a single monster, each will reduce its ♥ by 2.
o Example A: If you have 3 research points on a monster and roll five you would
be able to reduce its ♥ by only 1, since 2 of the would be lost.
o Example B: If you have 4 research points on a monster and roll 4 you would
be able to reduce its ♥ by 2.
o Example C: If you have 7 research points on a monster and roll 3 you would
be able to reduce its ♥ by 3.
o Example D: If you have 10 research points on a monster and roll 3 you would
be able to reduce its ♥ by 6.
 = Repairing Tokyo. Since the Monsters’ ★ represent the destruction and loss of
morale for the city of Tokyo, represents your attempt at combating that either by
repairing buildings or bringing in more troops to slow down a monster’s destruction.
Each that you roll allows you to reduce a monster’s ★ by 1. You may target
different monsters with each .
 = Research. Rather than gaining ★ for rolling 3+ of the same value, you gain
research points equal to the same number of ★ that you would have gained. You may
distribute the research points as you choose among any number of monsters. You may
apply research points to monsters before resolving any . Use whatever you wish to
help track research points such as spare tokens or dice.
 = Energy. You gain as normal. However, you are not allowed to purchase monster
cards from the deck or card row. Instead, you are allowed to spend at the end of your
turn only on the 3 cards that were set aside at the start of the game (Evacuation Orders
x2, Shrink Ray). You may also spend 5 to gain 2 research points and may do so
before resolving any . This may be done any number of times throughout the game.
 Monster AI Tree
Yes Last Monster Alive? No
♥ in Tokyo No ♥ in Tokyo
: :
Check to see if certain cards Check to see if certain cards
activate if playing advanced game. activate if playing advanced game.
: Always Keep. Each = 1★ : if no one in Tokyo, reroll.
____Otherwise, Keep.
: if ♥ < 5 OR has a shrink
____counter, Keep. : if ♥ < 5 and outside Tokyo OR
____Otherwise, reroll. ___has a shrink counter, Keep.
___Otherwise reroll.
: if ★ < 10, Keep.
____Otherwise reroll. : if ★ < 10, Keep.
___Otherwise reroll.
: if 3+ match, Keep.
____Otherwise reroll. :
 If 3+ match, Keep.
 If 2+ match and possible to get
3rd, Keep. Otherwise reroll.
 If multiple 2+ match, keep the
highest # matches, then the
End of turn highest value. Reroll the rest.
 If a monster’s ♥ < 5 after being hit with , they will yield Tokyo.
They cannot yield if player (Tokyo) hits them.
 Use to first remove any shrink tokens, then gain ♥.
 Use to purchase highest power card possible, unless that card would
reduce ♥ to 0. Choose randomly in the case of a tie.
Easier Game:
Add High Altitude Bombing along with the Evacuation Orders and Shrink Ray during setup.
Change text to “All Monsters gain 3★ and lose 3♥”. Note that the 3★ is resolved first and
could result in an immediate game end. Winning after playing this card is still a victory but is
considered a dishonorable victory since you had to bomb the city.

Advanced Game:
You may add the following power cards back into the deck for the monsters to acquire. Keep
in mind that this can increase the time and complexity of the game significantly.
 Background Dweller: After last roll, if there are any that are not scoring ★, reroll them.
 Complete Destruction: Check dice after each roll to see if this activates. If so, keep all six.
 Energy Hoarder: When gaining store it on this card up to a maximum of 6. The stored
on this card will never be spent to purchase cards. It is still possible to lose or spend it
from other card effects.
 Healing Ray: Add the following check for : If another monster’s ♥ < Maximum AND
they have at least 2 , keep. For multiple , you will need to verify there is a valid target
for each die and checking whether ♥ and already accounted for. Use to first remove
any shrink or poison counters, gain ♥ only if ♥ < 5, then for each remaining , target a
valid monster with Healing Ray that has the least ♥.
 Herd Culler: After last roll, change any one die to a as long as it is not being used for
another benefit. For example, results in no damage due to Armor Plating, does not
add ♥, and or does not score ★. Make sure to check if the changed die now scores
★ or activates other card effects.
 Jets: Monster will still yield Tokyo if would normally reduce ♥ < 5.
 Made in a Lab: When spending you may purchase from the top card of the deck as well.
 Metamorph: At end of turn, If ALL the following are true sell the least cost power card
owned, (excluding Metamorph):
o current < highest cost power card available for purchase
o least cost power card owned < highest cost power card available for purchase
o + least expensive card owned ≥ most expensive card available for purchase
 Mimic: At the time of acquiring this choose to duplicate highest cost power card available
among other monsters. Choose randomly in the case of a tie. At start of turn, if there is a
 higher cost card and 1 available, switch to the new highest cost card. Otherwise, it
remains unchanged.
 Monster Batteries (1st Edition): A monster will only purchase this if they have at least an
additional 3 available. They may use stored on Energy Hoarder and will spend all of
the additional available.
 Omnivore (1st Edition) / Detritivore (2nd Edition): Check dice after each roll to see if this
card activates. If so, keep the . You still keep matches of 2+ , but if keeping
the dice from this card’s activation prevents a 3rd match, reroll the matching dice.
 Opportunist: If monster has the to purchase the new card, they do so.
 Parasitic Tentacles: If monster’s allows to purchase a card from another monster that is
greater in cost than what is available in the card row, they do so. If monster’s cannot
afford a card from the card row, but can afford a card from another monster, they
purchase it. In either case, choose randomly among valid options.
 Plot Twist: At end of turn, if changing a die value would result in gaining 2+ ★ OR would
result in ending the game, change that die value. This may require running through each
face value to evaluate the results.
 Poison Spit: Add the following check for : If a monster has a poison token, keep. At
end of turn, Use first to remove any poison tokens, then to remove any shrink tokens,
then to gain ♥.
 Psychic Probe: After the last roll of each other monster, if any were rolled, choose that
die to reroll.
 Rapid Healing: At the end of any monster’s turn in which this monster’s ♥ < 5 use any
available to activate this ability until ♥ = 5.
 Smoke Cloud: After last roll, if there are any dice not being used for a benefit (refer to Herd
Culler), spend a smoke token to reroll.
 Stretchy: At end of turn, if monster has 2 and changing a die value would result in
gaining 2+ ★ OR would result in ending the game, change that die value. This may
require running through each face value to evaluate the results.
 Telepath (1st Edition) / Energy Drink (2nd Edition): After last roll, if there are any dice not
being used for a benefit (refer to Herd Culler), spend to reroll if available.
 Wings: If monster ever receives damage and has 2 available, activate this card.