IN THE DEEPEST OF THE DEEP SEAS...

lies the Lurk. It is dark but clear, cold but habitable and a swell of life begins where land ends. The Gorgangrackles eat the Anglerfin. The Anglerfin eat the Chumtails. The Chumtails eat the Trollsharks. The Trollsharks...well they eat each other. Between the moistened mountains of Bluff and Butte sprawl the villages of the Nautilus, a peculiar race of tentacle-bearded nature-lovers. The villages are said to reside on top of a rare mineral deposit of UnderAether.

Topside a Cog would give his left leg for a small glimpse of the material. The UnderAether could supply their steam-factories for centuries and here it is resting under the tentacles of water breathers. The Rivalry has been fought for years. Now the famous Gearhead's Brigade has been sent by the High Cog Warden to investigate a strange beacon in the deep dark depths.

Rivals: Masters of the Deep is a tactical game for two or more players set in the cold dark depths of the Lurk. Players take command of either the Cog or the Nautilus, gather a fighting force and, through wise decisions and strategic moves, destroy the opposition. In Rivals, Cog & Nautilus go head to head on the battlefield. Your team will engage in fast-paced combat and interact with the board itself. The Creatures of the Lurk will come out of hiding, coral will try and eat you, Underwater rip tides will batter you, all as you fend off your opponent.

To Setup your game you first gather your army by spending Aether. Each model has a cost. You then pay for any abilities or starting equipment you would like your army to have. You then create the "Lurk" Map. The Lurk is where all battles in the base game play out. The Lurk map is made with hex tiles. After setting up the map, including all card decks and dice, you place your units in the starting points. Your teams are now ready to do battle.

There are two phases for each side, a Movement Phase & an Action Phase. During the Movement phase you may activate up to two hexes worth of models to begin their movement. After all movement is completed the player moves on to the Action phase. Like the movement phase you may activate up to two hexes, same or different, to begin their Actions. In the Action phase each activated model can perform one of four actions or a special action. The basic actions are Attack, Search, Recover or Charge. There are special areas on the map that you can search and explore but be wary because there is usually danger in dark places. The map also contains dangers and difficult terrain including Coral, underwater geysers and much more.

Turns go back and forth until your opponents hero is destroyed.