Pacts Support

Welcome fae royalty!

This is the FAQ for Pacts. If you have a question about play, see below for more information if we have answered it before. Otherwise try to reach out to us via our contact page, social media, or post on BoardGameGeek. We can then update that information below.

FAQ

  • What if I don't use a card?

    You may skip all or part of a card, but it will still be discarded. You cannot split a card (such as multiple moves) with other actions in between.

  • What if the Banshees make me run out of Court cards?

    Then you will play no more Court cards.

  • What if I run out of cubes?

    If you run out of cubes, you can remove cubes from any region before placing them again. In effect, 'place' becomes 'move' with unlimited range.

  • I am worried that the game positions are unbalanced. What can be done about that?

    Consider the auction system on the final page of the rulebook. We realize that veteran players will dig into and find specific matchups that won't feel as fair as others, and should take to an auction of cubes to balance things for themselves.
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Factions

Banshees

Your passive ability triggers during your turn after selecting pacts. Once you have revealed your COURT card, your opponent checks their hand for the same card and discards it if they have it. This does not affect the Court card they played for the current round. If a player runs out of Court cards later in the game, they don't select one at the start of a round.

Your active removes three cubes in total, but they must be in regions that share a color/symbol, so the cubes can be from two different regions.

Changelings

Your passive ability lets you place a cube if you go first in a round. You don't have to place it immediately; you can resolve other cards first if you would like to.

Your active ability removes any two cubes and replaces them with your own, even if they are in two different regions.

Cu Sidhe

Your passive ability spawns cubes upon first entering a region, not including the cubes placed during set-up. If you move any quantity of cubes into a region, you still only add two cubes. This can trigger in-between individual moves of pieces.

Your active ability allows swapping two region tiles currently on the mat only. You cannot flip them or peek at the other side.

Dragons

Your passive ability changes all MOVE cards to MOVE 5 when you play them, including your MOVE 1 Court card. You don't have to use all movement when using a MOVE card.

Your active ability removes all cubes in a region, black and white. It is not a choice between one or the other.

Fir Bolg

Your passive ability, essentially, spawns a cube in any region you do not have cubes in at the start of each round of play, including the first. As long as you have cubes in a region, even one, the passive doesn't have an effect. It doesn't trigger mid-round.

Your active ability is essentially a MOVE 3, but you can target your opponent's pieces with it. You can mix and match whose pieces you are moving.

Fomorians

This is a promotional card from Origins 2026.

Your passive ability copies your WILD cards, even your PLACE 1 WILD Court card, allowing you to play them twice. They can target different regions.

Your active ability removes a region point tile from the mat and returns it to the box. This makes the region worth zero points, but cubes are unaffected. Cubes can still be moved and placed in and from that region.

Kelpies

Your passive ability upgrades your WILD cards. Once you target a region and place cubes there, you can remove 2 opposing cubes in the same region.

Your active ability is essentially a PLACE 3 WILD, where all the placed cubes must go in the same region.

Sluagh

Your passive ability changes any PLACE 2 card you play into PLACE 4. The cubes must still be placed in the same region.

Your active ability removes a total of three cubes, but they must be from different regions.

Selkies

Your passive ability essentially transforms the card if you want to. It will not give 3 points, but instead act as a PLACE 4 WILD, which must all be placed int he same region.

The active ability allows copying other cards you have in play, including your chosen Court card. Ability cards cannot target or copy other ability cards.