Quick Answer

Valkyrie is a cooperative board game where you and your team work to assassinate Hitler before the Gestapo gathers enough evidence to convict you. This guide walks you through setup, turn structure, and key strategies.

What Makes Valkyrie Different from Black Orchestra

Valkyrie is a standalone game in the Black Orchestra universe, but it's designed to be quicker and simpler while adding new strategic elements. You'll focus on the specific mission of assassinating Hitler with explosives, and the Gestapo is always close at hand, ready to pull you in for questioning. This means you need to balance your plot preparations with staying one step ahead of suspicion.

The Core Tension: Plot vs. Evasion

Every turn you'll be making a choice: advance your assassination plot or cover your tracks. If you focus too much on plotting, the Gestapo will collect evidence and you'll face execution. But if you spend all your time evading, you'll never get the explosives in place. The game rewards careful planning and a bit of calculated risk.

Understanding the Win and Loss Conditions

You win by successfully assassinating Hitler before the Gestapo accumulates enough evidence to have you tried for treason. If you're executed, the game ends in defeat. This creates a race against time that keeps every decision tense.

Step-by-Step Guide to Playing Valkyrie

  1. Set Up the Game: Place the game board in the center. Shuffle the conspiracy, plot, and Gestapo decks. Each player chooses a character and takes their corresponding pawn and player board. Set the suspicion track and evidence track to their starting positions as indicated in the rulebook. Check that all components are present before starting; a missing token can disrupt the game.
  2. Understand the Turn Structure: On your turn, you may take a number of actions equal to your character's action points. Typical actions include moving to a location, drawing a plot card, playing a plot card, or using a special ability. After your actions, draw a card from the Gestapo deck and resolve its effects, which may increase suspicion or add evidence. Always consider the Gestapo draw before committing to a risky action—you may need to save an action for damage control.
  3. Advance Your Plot: To win, you must complete the assassination plot. This usually requires collecting specific plot cards and being at the right location. Pay attention to the requirements on the plot cards and coordinate with your team to gather what's needed. Don't hoard plot cards; share information and plan together to avoid wasting actions.
  4. Manage Suspicion and Evidence: Suspicion and evidence are your two main threats. Suspicion may limit your actions or trigger immediate effects, while evidence brings you closer to execution. Use actions to reduce suspicion or discard evidence cards when possible. Keep an eye on the evidence track—if it gets too high, you may need to sacrifice a turn to lower it.
  5. Coordinate with Your Team: Valkyrie is cooperative, so communication is key. Discuss who will gather which plot cards, who will distract the Gestapo, and who will move to the assassination location. Use the shared information to optimize your collective actions. A common mistake is playing solo; always ask teammates for help if you're stuck.
  6. Execute the Assassination: Once you have the required plot cards and are at the target location, you can attempt the assassination. Follow the rules on the plot card to resolve the attempt. If successful, you win the game. Make sure you have a backup plan if the first attempt fails—don't put all your resources into one roll.

Game Overview

  • Valkyrie A Black Orchestra Game: Valkyrie is a Black Orchestra game with quicker, simpler gameplay and new strategic elements. It's a great entry point if you're new to the series or want a faster session, but still offers deep decisions.

    Valkyrie A Black Orchestra Game

    Valkyrie A Black Orchestra Game

  • Valkyrie A Black Orchestra Game: The game focuses on assassinating Hitler with explosives and completing Operation Valkyrie. This gives you a clear objective and a thematic framework for your actions.