Icy GripAn enemy piece (not king or queen) is banished for 3 moves.
The NorthHel
The North · Style Underworld
HelThe queen of the underworld
Hel banishes enemy pieces, raises captured pawns as ghosts and freezes every enemy pawn. The pick for patient players who like to wear their opponent down.
Banishes, raises ghosts and freezes pawns. Made for patient players.
- Free to download
- No ads
- No account
- Plays offline
Who is Hel?
The mistress of the underworld seizes intruders with an icy hand and summons an army of ghosts.
Hel rules the realm of the dead, a cold and misty land where summer never comes. One half of her face is alive, the other pale as ice, and she says it saves on makeup. Whoever comes to her usually stays. Hel is not evil, just very consistent. She rarely receives visitors, but she is polite about it.
Before the first move, Hel hides the Ice trap on the board. If your opponent moves onto the square, the piece freezes solid: it is paralyzed for 3 moves.
Powers
Hel's three powers
Every move earns 1 favor, every captured piece adds its value on top. Instead of moving, you use a power. After that it needs a few moves before it is ready again.
- Icy Grip
An enemy piece (not king or queen) is banished for 3 moves.
- Army of the Dead
Up to two of your captured pawns return as ghosts to your third rank. After 4 of your moves they fade away.
- Fimbulwinter
Ultimate power: All enemy pawns are frozen for 2 moves.
In mythology
Who was Hel really?
Hel is the daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, and the sister of the wolf Fenrir and the Midgard Serpent. Odin cast her into Niflheim and gave her power over the realm of the dead, which is also called Hel. All who die of sickness or old age come to her. The Edda describes her as half bluish black and half flesh-colored. When the god Baldr died, Hel promised to release him if everything in the world wept for him. A single giantess refused, and so Baldr stayed in her realm. In the game she becomes a cold ruler who banishes, freezes and calls the fallen back as ghosts.
Tactics
How to win with Hel
Banish the defender cheaply
Icy Grip banishes any piece except king and queen for 3 moves, for just 7 favor. Remove a key defender and attack while it is gone.
Ghosts as a shield
Army of the Dead returns up to two pawns as ghosts to your third rank for 4 of your moves. Perfect as a quick wall in front of your king.
Fimbulwinter before the advance
Fimbulwinter freezes all enemy pawns for 2 moves, once per game. No pawn can chase your pieces away, so plant them on strong forward squares.
Ice for queen and rook
The Ice trap paralyzes a piece for a full 3 moves. Hide it on a square the enemy queen or a rook would use to invade your camp.
Quips
Hel has something to say about everything
Sit down. You will stay a while.
at the startDeath does not scare me. I live there.
in checkHow warm. How unpleasant.
when hitA trap? How alive of you.
caught in a trap
Every mythology has a god of the Underworld style: Hades and Anubis play a similar game with very different powers.
Good to know
Questions about Hel
The download is free. Hel can be bought on their own in the game, or together with every other god in the Key of the Gods.
The ultimate power Fimbulwinter. It costs 25 favor, works only once per game and does this: All enemy pawns are frozen for 2 moves.
Every mythology has one god for the Underworld style. Besides Hel, these are Hades (Greece) and Anubis (Egypt).
24: eight each from Greece, Egypt and the North, each with a play style of their own. Zeus is playable right away, Gaia and Hermes join you after three wins.