Royal Decree Strategy Guide
The Eyrie Dynasties are the proud avian rulers seeking to reclaim their ancestral lands. They're a momentum-based faction that grows stronger each turn through their Decree system, but face catastrophic turmoil if they can't fulfill their promises. Master the balance between ambitious expansion and careful planning to soar to victory.
The Eyrie's power comes from their Decree - a growing list of actions they must perform each turn. Each card added makes you stronger but also more vulnerable to turmoil. The key is managing this growth carefully.
The Decree is your engine of power and your greatest weakness. Each turn, you must perform all actions in your Decree or face turmoil - losing points, warriors, and your leader.
If you can't fully take an action in the Decree, you fall into turmoil:
Recovery: If you have no face-up leaders remaining, flip them all face up.
Your leader determines your starting Decree and special ability. Choose based on your strategy and the current board state.
Starting Decree: Loyal Viziers begin on Recruit and Battle
Ability: Whenever you take a Recruit action, you must place two warriors instead of one
Best For: Rapid army building and aggressive expansion
Starting Decree: Loyal Viziers begin on Move and Battle
Ability: In battle as attacker, you deal an extra hit
Best For: Aggressive military campaigns and combat superiority
Starting Decree: Loyal Viziers begin on Recruit and Move
Ability: Whenever you craft, you ignore your Disdain for Trade ability
Best For: Economic strategies and crafting-focused gameplay
Starting Decree: Loyal Viziers begin on Move and Build
Ability: Whenever you remove at least one enemy building or token in battle, score one victory point
Best For: Aggressive anti-building strategies and disruption
Emergency Orders: If you have no cards in hand, draw one card
Add to Decree: You MUST add one or two cards to the Decree (only one bird card max)
A New Roost: If you have no roosts on the map, place a roost and three warriors in clearing with fewest warriors
Craft: You may activate roosts to craft cards from your hand
Resolve Decree: Starting with leftmost column and moving right, resolve all cards in each column in any order:
Critical: If you can't complete any action, you fall into turmoil!
Score Points: Score the victory points listed on the rightmost empty space of your Roosts track
Draw and Discard: Draw one card, plus one card per uncovered draw bonus. Then, if you have more than five cards in your hand, discard cards of your choice until you have five
Charismatic: Choose if you want maximum early expansion and have good card flow
Commander: Best for beginners - flexible and forgiving
Builder: Good if corner clearings are available
Despot: Choose if enemies are already fighting each other
Place your first roost in a corner clearing if possible. This gives you:
Avoid: Placing roosts where enemies can easily attack them
Turn 1-2: Add suited cards to Build and Recruit to establish territory
Turn 3: Start adding to Move for flexibility
Bird Cards: Use sparingly early game - they're your safety net
Golden Rule: Never add a card unless you can guarantee execution
Don't get greedy with your Decree! Adding too many cards too quickly will lead to early turmoil. Focus on 1-2 cards per turn and build sustainable patterns.
With 2-3 roosts established, focus on controlled expansion:
Goal: 4-5 roosts by turn 6 for sustainable point generation
vs Marquise: Use your mobility to hit their undefended buildings
vs Alliance: Battle constantly to prevent sympathy spread
vs Vagabond: Keep them hostile - their flexibility threatens your plans
Key: Use your growing military to disrupt enemy engines
Mid-game turmoil can be devastating. Prevent it by:
With 5+ roosts, you're scoring 5+ points per turn. Focus on:
Target: Reach 30 points by turn 8-10
Dominance Victory: If you have 10+ victory points and rule 3+ clearings of one suit, you can craft a matching dominance card to win immediately
Late game Decree should focus on:
Sometimes turmoil is better than disaster:
Recovery: Choose Builder or Commander for stability
Don't rush! With 6+ roosts, you win through patience. Let other factions make mistakes while you score consistent points. Avoid risky Decree additions that could cause turmoil.
Adding too many cards too quickly leads to inevitable turmoil. Be conservative - better to add one guaranteed action than two risky ones.
Running out of cards means you can't add to Decree or execute actions. Always maintain a hand of 3+ cards and prioritize card draw over aggressive expansion.
Battle actions in Decree are mandatory - don't add them unless you're sure there will be enemies to fight. Empty Battle actions cause immediate turmoil.
Roosts are your point engine and recruitment bases. Losing them to enemy attacks cripples your game plan. Always defend roosts with adequate warriors.
Bird cards are wild but expensive in turmoil. Use them for:
Save 2-3 bird cards as insurance against turmoil
Sometimes controlled turmoil is strategic:
Best Time: Early game when bird card cost is low
Strategic roost placement maximizes effectiveness: