Sangram Board Game - Rules and FAQs
- Nightingame
- Nov 28
- 6 min read
Publisher: Nightingame
Game Designers: Neha Mittal & Nalin Mittal
Players: 2–5
Time: 30 minutes
Ages: 8+ Years
Introduction to Sangram
Sangram is a fast, competitive strategy card game for 2–5 players. You take the role of a ruler of a major Indian kingdom under attack by British forces.
Your mission?
Rewrite history.
Assemble the most powerful army, recruit warriors from across Bharat, manage British infiltration, defeat the other competing kings of India and rise to the top of the strength track. The first player to reach an Army Strength of 18 or more triggers the endgame. The player with the highest strength wins and becomes the Ruler of Bharat.
Theme: Indian Kingdoms vs British Invasion
Goal: Build the strongest army and reach 18 total strength to win.
What’s Inside the Box
According to Sangram board game rules, the Sangram box includes:
Strength Track Board
6 Mini Crowns (player markers)
40 Britisher Tokens
55 Warrior Cards
11 Warrior Types
5 Cards per Type
Each Warrior Card mentions:
Warrior Type
Army Strength it contributes (0, 1 or 2)
Number of Britisher tokens that follow it
Unique Motivation Number (1 to 55)
Special Power / Activity
Game Setup
Place the strength track in the center.
Each player chooses a crown and places it at 0 on the track.
Shuffle the Warrior Deck.
Deal 3 Warrior Cards to each player, to be kept hidden in their hand.
In the center, reveal Warrior Cards equal to the Number of Players + 1. These are volunteer warriors available for recruitment. (for example, in a 3 player game, reveal 4 Warrior Cards face-up).
How to Play – Round Structure
Each round consists of four phases, played in order:
Phase 1: Activate
All players secretly choose 1 Warrior Card from their hand.
Reveal simultaneously.
Cards activate from highest to lowest Motivation. Read the activity/power mentioned on each card and follow its instructions.
A player may choose to play a card but not use its activity.
After all activities resolve, discard the played cards (even if its activity is not used).
Phase 2: Recruit
Played in the same order as Phase 1 (from highest to lowest Motivation).
Each player:
Takes one volunteer card from the center.
Also takes Britisher tokens equal to the number printed on that recruited card.
Note: Britishers weaken your army’s progress on the Strength Track.
After recruitment:
Discard the leftover volunteer cards.
Reveal new volunteer cards: Players + 1.
Note that the number of cards in each player's hand will now be the same as it was at the starting of this round. If a card is played in Phase 1 and discarded, a card must be recruited in Phase 2. If for any reason a player's turn is skipped and no card is played in Phase 1, then no card is recruited in Phase 2 (Phase 3 and 4 will be played even if a player's turn is skipped).
Phase 3: Train
If a player has 4 or fewer Britisher tokens, move their crown up by one level on the strength track.
If a player has 5 or more Britishers, they do NOT move up.
Note that you cannot go below 0 or above the topmost level on the Strength Track. Now calculate each player’s:
Total Army Strength = Sum of Strengths on your current cards in hand + your Strength Track level
Phase 4: Grow (Triggered Only Twice per Player)
Each player may trigger this phase only when they cross specific thresholds for the first time:
When your Total Army Strength becomes 7 or more (first time):→ Take 2 additional Warrior Cards immediately
When your Total Army Strength becomes 13 or more (first time):→ Take 1 more Warrior Card immediately
After this, you will have 6 cards for the rest of the game.
Note that 2 or more players can also trigger growth in the same round if they reach the required army strength for the first time. However, if only 1 player triggers growth, then the other players do not increase their number of cards. Triggering growth is individual and unaffected by other players' growth.
End of the Game
The game ends when at least one player reaches Total Army Strength 18 or more.
This is checked at the end of a round, not during it. Then the game ends immediately, without any extra turns for any players.
The player with the highest total strength wins.
If the deck runs out, you may shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
FAQs
Based on Sangram Board Game rules
1. How many players can play Sangram?
2 to 5 players.
2. What is the victory condition?
Endgame triggers immediately when someone reaches 18 or more Total Strength at the end of any round. The player with the highest total strength wins.
3. What counts as Total Army Strength?
Strength on your warrior cards + your position on the strength track.
4. How many cards does each player start with?
3 Warrior Cards.
5. How many volunteer cards are revealed each round?
One more than the number of players.
6. What determines the order of activation in Phase 1?
Motivation number on the played Warrior Cards, highest to lowest.
7. Can you play a card without using its ability?
Yes, you may choose to not use its activity. It will still be discarded at the end of Phase 1, and you will still have to recruit a new one in Phase 2.
8. What happens after all played cards activate?
They are discarded.
9. How do you gain Britishers?
When you recruit a volunteer card, you gain the number of Britisher tokens printed on it.
10. What effect do Britishers have?
If you have 5 or more Britishers, you cannot move up on the strength track during Phase 3.
11. Do Britishers reduce card strength?
No they do not affect the cards, only the Strength Track, thereby limiting your total army strength.
12. When does Phase 3 movement occur?
If you have 4 or fewer Britishers.
13. How many spaces do you move up during Phase 3?
1 level. However, if they have reached the top of the track already then they cannot move up further.
14. What happens when you have 5+ Britishers?
You cannot move up the track that round.
15. When do you trigger Growth Phase 4 for the first time?
When your total Army Strength reaches 7 or more.
16. What happens at the 7+ strength milestone?
You receive 2 additional Warrior Cards (so you have a total of 5).
17. When do you trigger the second Growth?
When your total strength reaches 13 or more.
18. What do you receive at the 13+ milestone?
1 additional Warrior Card (so you have a total of 6).
19. How many times can you use Phase 4?
Each milestone triggers only once per player.
20. How many cards will you have after both milestones trigger?
6 cards for the rest of the game.
21. What happens to unused volunteer cards each round?
They are discarded before revealing new ones.
22. What happens when the deck runs out?
Shuffle the discard pile to create a new deck.
23. Can multiple players reach strength 18 simultaneously?
Yes; winner is whoever has the highest total strength at the end of that round.
24. Does the game end immediately at 18+ strength?
Yes, end triggers immediately.
25. Do you still complete the round after someone reaches 18?
Check for the army Strength of 18 only at the end of every round. So when the game end is triggered, that round is already over and the winner is determined immediately.
26. How many Warrior Types exist?
11 types.
27. How many cards per Warrior Type?
5 cards each.
28. Are Warrior activities mandatory?
No—you may choose not to use the ability.
29. Do the Britishers ever leave your army?
Yes, several Warrior cards let you discard Britisher tokens. Use this power in Phase 1 when activating your card.
30. Can you ever move up more than one strength level in a single round?
Yes, some Warrior cards let you move up one strength level in Phase 1 hen the card is activated. In addition, you can also move up in Phase 3 if you have 4 or fewer Britishers.
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