A FAST PACED CARD GAME OF TACTICAL MECH COMBAT OFFICIAL RULEBOOK 2-6 PLAYERS AGES 13+ CREATED BY SHANE BUTLER 40 MIN

Transcription

1 A FAST PACED CARD GAME OF TACTICAL MECH COMBAT OFFICIAL RULEBOOK 2-6 PLAYERS AGES MIN CREATED BY SHANE BUTLER

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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 2 The world of Arsenal 3 The Mechs of Arsenal 8 Weight class 9 Body type 10 Combat profile 12 What you need to play 14 Overview 14 Building your deck 15 Card types Mech 16 Action 17 Attack 18 Lock-On 19 Object 20 Protocol 21 Key concepts 22 Gameplay Quick reference 26 Recharge phase 27 Action phase 28 Initiative 28 Start of your turn 28 Standard movement 28 Non-standard movement 29 Playing cards 29 Playing functions 29 Playing an Attack 30 Attack rolls and evasion rolls 31 Damage and armor rolls 32 Attacking Objects 33 Movement and Attacks 34 End of turn 34 Discharge phase 35 Winning or losing the game 35 Glossary 36 Expanding the game 43 Credits 43 Setting up the game 23 Official Rulebook, First Edition 2016 Endymion Games LLC 1

4 INTRODUCTION is a 2-to-6-player card game with a fast-paced, explosive style of play. Arsenal is about strategy and tactics; it s how you build your deck, and how you play your cards, that will lead you to victory. You take on the role of a pilot in a combat Mech arena. This arena is represented by a small hex grid. You move your Mech around on this grid to gain an advantage against your opponent, and then play cards from your hand to attack or defend. You will manage your energy levels (the resource used to play cards), and use all manner of subterfuge, electronic warfare, deployable drones, maneuvers and mobility, or shear firepower to win out against your opponent. Arsenal Mechs come in a wide variety of weight classes, body types, and combat profiles. The Mech you choose determines which cards you can have in your deck. Will you roll out the heavy assault Mech, and pummel your foe with relentless attacks? Will you choose a light Mech built for mobility, and run circles around your opponent, dodging their every strike. Or perhaps you ll pilot a Mech designed to wage electronic warfare on your enemy, draining his energy and stripping his defenses? Your Mechs fight it out in sanctioned tournaments, in special arenas, and crowded stadiums. In the world of Arsenal, the Mechs and their pilots are celebrities, with rivalries and reputations. Big name sponsors fund these giant war machines by painting their logos all over them and paying for their ammunition, repairs and upgrades. Pilots represent their country of origin, with displays of national pride, participating in regional and national leagues. In the world of Arsenal, these Mechs are big business and popular sport. Something to remember while reading this rulebook: The following 12 pages provide an introduction into the Arsenal universe, but when the rules officially begin on page 15, important words will be bolded to let you know there is more to learn in the glossary about that particular topic. If you have trouble with a concept, turn to the back of this rulebook for more detailed explanations of important keywords and concepts. 2

5 THE WORLD OF ARSENAL The world of Arsenal is our world, but in the not-too-distant future. It takes place in a hundred years or so, sometime in the 22nd century. Many budding technologies of the early 21st century are commonplace and refined in the Arsenal time frame. Read on for a brief overview of how the future of technology and politics have affected the world of Arsenal! Space travel Our solar system is the new frontier. Leaving and entering the Earth s atmosphere is not the challenge it was in the 20th century. Outposts and colonies can be found all over the system, as well as terraforming efforts on Mars and several moons. Our mastery of space travel has come a long way, but there are still many concepts that elude the reach of science. Interstellar travel is still a distant dream. We have no way of even approaching the speed of light, nor have we discovered any stable form of wormhole or teleportation technology (though classified experiments abound). For all his advancement, mankind is still trapped in the neighborhood of his own star. Interplanetary tourism as well as corporate mining efforts have left humanity s footprint on countless moons and asteroids. Though people can be found all over the Sol system, Earth is still our home, and most space travelers and lunar commuters still long to return to that familiar gravity and natural oxygen. 3

6 Politics & war Most countries from the 21st century have retained their territories and character over time. Country borders and political parties within large and powerful nations have changed little in the last hundred years. As the major corporations that buy and sell elections realized that they benefit more from stable national boundaries, there has been little effort to change the status quo. But war war never changes. One surefire constant in the history and future of mankind is war. There has always been conflict, and likely always shall be. Although there is still just as much war and violence in the world now as there has always been, the nature of its execution continues to evolve with technology. While major countries remain static and tradition-bound, the smaller, less stable regions of the world become their proving grounds. Areas in Central and South America, South-Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the islands of the South China Sea, and pretty much all of Africa. These are the areas where powerful nations like the USA, the EU, Russia, and China test their weapons and tactics, and exert their political will in a seemingly endless procession of proxy wars. 4

7 Military technology Advances in military technology have changed the face of war in the 22nd century. Precision nuclear strikes are commonplace, as advances in nuclear armaments have all but eliminated the threat of long-term fallout. Unmanned drones fill the skies and remotely piloted vehicles protect power-armored troops. Various fantastical technologies are now regular sights on battlefields across the world. Tanks hover inches above the ground. Soldiers in armored exoskeletons break down walls in a single punch. Troops and vehicles employ optical camouflage and vanish from sight to infiltrate guarded compounds. EMP grenades shut down mechanized infantry. Automated turrets, proximity mines, and the unblinking eyes of thinking machines defend sensitive areas, but the king of 22nd century combat is the war-mech. The war-mech (the militarized cousin of the popular arena-mech) is the undisputed master of the battlefield. They can be loaded out for endless strategies; small and agile for urban sweeps, large and well armored for heavy open battle, carrying long range weapons for artillery support, fast and stealthy for precision strikes, they fill just about any combat role. Mech pilots are hard wired with neural connectivity directly into their vehicles, allowing them to act with a human s reflexes and balance, enhanced by the processing power of extremely complex onboard artificial intelligences. 5

8 The arena In the 22nd century, giant war machines called arena-mechs (or just Mechs for short) fight each other in massive open arenas for sport. They utilize all the firepower and advanced technology found in real military engagements, but tweaked for more effective and flashy use in the arena environment. Mechs fight until one is disabled or destroyed. There are no time-outs or breaks for injuries. Once the green light flashes, there s no turning back. Numerous cultural and political circumstances come together to make lethal combat arena s possible. Advances in medical science to extend human life. Overpopulation and overcrowding. The elevated power of international corporations with little regard for safety. All these things play a part in making this bloody spectacle a reality. Pilots often die in the arena, sometimes even the fans! But it s all part of the game, and the crowds love it. The arena matches are televised and broadcast all over the solar system. Stadiums can be found on every continent and on almost every colonized planet or moon. Corporate sponsor logos, big and small are plastered all over each mech and along arena walls. The arena is big business, so you won t see the same sleek and camouflaged Mechs you see on the battlefield, because the crowd wants a show, and they re going to get one. 6

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10 THE MECHS OF ARSENAL Each Arsenal Mech has three aspects that help define it. These are weight class, body type, and combat profile. In the game, these are three keywords found on each Mech card that limit what other types of cards you can use to build your deck. For example, if you choose a Light Humanoid Mobility Mech when building your deck, you may not include cards with requirements such as Heavy, Multi-Legged, or Assault. Many cards are non-restrictive, and can be used in any deck, but if a card has a requirement, you must ensure that it doesn t conflict with your chosen Mech s aspect before including it in your deck. Weight Class Body Type Combat Profile All Arsenal Mechs fall into one of three weight classes: Light, Medium, or Heavy. A Mech's body type determines how it gets around the arena. Arsenal Mechs are found in six distinct forms: Hover, Humanoid, Multi-Legged, Reverse-Joint, Tracked, and Wheeled. A Mech's combat profile is a way to describe what type of stategies it employs in battle. There are six combat profiles currently recognized in the arena: Acquisition, Assault, Close- Combat, Defense, Electronics, and Maneuver. 8

11 WEIGHT CLASS All Arsenal Mechs are grouped into one of three convenient categories, determined by the Mech s overall mass. This is called its weight class. Lighter Mechs are quicker and more maneuverable. Heavier Mechs are slower, but with greater defensive capabilities. Medium Mechs fall somewhere in between, and gain benefits from this balance. Each class has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each is designed to be an effective challenge versus any other class. Sometimes certain tournaments or events will be restricted to one class or another, but this is not a game rule. Any Mech can go up against any other Mech, and stand the same chance, regardless of class. Light Light Mechs are on the small side, and excel at evading attacks and moving quickly around the arena. They have less armor and hit points than other classes, but make up for it by more effectively dodging attacks and acting with greater urgency. Medium Medium Mechs try to find balance between speed and defense. This gives them a stability that enhances the accuracy of their attacks, and gives them more options during play. Heavy Heavy Mechs trade speed and maneuverability for a high defense. They re not as good at evading attacks, but they can take a beating as a result. Additionally, their increased weight capacity brings more guns and ammo to the arena than other classes. 9

12 BODY TYPE Most Mechs are built the same way from the waist up (a humanoid torso, two arms, and a head), but from the waist down, you ll find 6 distinct body types: Hover, Humanoid, Multi-Legged, Reverse-Joint, Tracked, and Wheeled. A Mech s body type dictates how it gets around the arena. Some are quick and light, some are slow and heavy. Each body type has its own strengths and weaknesses, and like weight class, body types are sometimes used as a restriction for tournaments or themed events, but all six are balanced to play effectively against each other, with none being more or less powerful than any other. The capabilities of each body type often mesh well with the capabilities of a Mech s combat profile. Some of these ideal pairings are listed here, but they are by no means conclusive or restrictive. Arsenal Mechs are built in just about any combination imaginable, and good pilots can turn any Mech into a winner. Hover Hover Mechs use advanced principles of magnetics to float a few meters off the ground with minimal energy output. This helps them cover ground quickly while avoiding any rough terrain that might slow down Mechs that use other forms of locomotion. Hover Mechs have the highest top speed of any body type and make great Maneuver profiles, but the nature of the technology limits the amount of armor and weapons they can carry, making them more fragile and less heavy-hitting as a result. Humanoid Humanoid Mechs stand and move like a human would. They have a good balance of speed, maneuver, and defense that makes them a popular choice for many pilots. The more traditional configuration of a Humanoid Mech makes them great candidates for Close-Combat or Defense profiles, but they adapt well to just about any style of combat. 10

13 Multi-Legged Multi-Legged Mechs sport anywhere from 4 to 8 legs, with varying functionality depending on the design. Their legs are typically arrayed in a spider-like fashion, but some models appear inspired more by horses or cats. Having multiple points of contact with the arena floor give Multi-Legged Mechs greater stability and quick reaction time, being able to move in any direction at about the same speed. The more stable and grounded nature of Multi-Legged Mechs gives them an advantage with an Acquisition or Electronics profile. They don t typically have a great top-speed, but that is balanced out with high evasion rates. However, the complexity of their moving parts makes them more susceptible to damage than other Mechs. Reverse-Joint Reverse-Joint Mechs are similar to Humanoid Mechs, but their leg joints are reversed. The appearance of their legs is often compared to birds or bipedal dinosaurs. This configuration gives them a slight advantage in speed and evasion, but at the cost of defense and firepower. Reverse-Joint Mechs have a good top speed, and as a result, are able to advance and retreat more effectively than other Mechs. This makes them well suited to a Close-Combat profile. Tracked Tracked Mechs sit atop one or two sets of heavy tank treads. They can overcome just about any battlefield obstacle, and once they get going they re hard to stop, but they have the lowest speed and maneuverability of any body type. With their high stability and weight capacity, Tracked Mechs carry more armor and weapons than other Mechs, making them excellent candidates for Assault and Defense profiles, but their low speed and evasion rate often make them easy targets for more agile Mechs. Wheeled Wheeled Mechs feature anywhere from four to eight big, knobby, armor-plated tires. Wheeled Mechs share many traits with Tracked Mechs, but trade some of the load capacity for increased speed and mobility. They have high top speeds, but poor maneuverability. Wheeled Mechs excel with a Maneuver profile, but their great combination of speed and stability also make them great Assault platforms. 11

14 COMBAT PROFILE A Mech s profile is what truly defines its capabilities. Every Mech has a combat profile; a style of combat that it was designed to facilitate. There are currently six profiles recognized in the arena: Acquisition, Assault, Close-Combat, Defense, Electronics, and Maneuver. A combat profile is a good indication of what you can expect from it in the arena. Certain capabilities are only deployed within certain profiles, but that doesn t mean that a profile dictates the way a Mech should fight. Sometimes a profile might be paired with a body type in such a way as to make surprising tactics available. there are ways to do just about anything in the arena that are not profile-specific, but choosing the right profile for your strategy can go a long way towards claiming victory. Acquisition Utilizing advanced fire control systems, radar and targeting data, Acquisition Mechs are designed to effortlessly find their targets and strike with pin-point accuracy. They are often built to engage at long range and strike with precision rifles, lasers, or cannons. Acquisition decks favor lock-on cards. Getting them into play and keeping them in play. They are also adept at gaining greater advantage from having a lock than other profiles do. To reflect advanced targeting and radar, Acquisition cards may add bonuses to attack rolls, or even look at the cards in an opponent s hand. Assault Assault Mechs are designed to carry and deploy numerous methods of destruction. They suppress their enemies with relentless attacks, and never seem to run out of ammunition. They are designed to deliver maximum damage in the shortest amount of time, often employing rapid-fire or explosive weaponry. Assault decks are all about attacks; anything and everything, though with a lesser focus on melee and missile attacks. There are cards to enhance the effects of rapid-fire or explosive attacks, increasing the chance of doing damage with every strike. There are plenty of cards that increase the damage of attacks, or even deal damage that bypasses armor. 12

15 Close-Combat Close-Combat Mechs are masters of all manner of melee attacks. Punches, kicks, grabs, throws, claws, swipes, just about anything you can think of. They wield brutal melee weapons, or latch onto their targets with grappling hooks, or cut out their legs so they can t run. A Close-Combat Mech gets in under the missiles and bullets and gets right in its enemy s face. Close-Combat decks have cards that help the player to stay at melee range. There are cards that allow you to advance quickly when an enemy tries to flee, or even lock them in place so they can t run. They also have plenty of cards that increase the accuracy and damage of melee attacks. Defense Carrying multiple layers of heavy armor plating, Defense Mechs are designed to mitigate incoming damage. Usually preferring to absorb a hit, rather than dodge it. Defense Mechs employ multiple techniques for resisting damage, using large shields to deflect bullets or firing off flares to disrupt missiles. Defense decks are full of cards that prevent or redirect damage. They resist the effects of attacks, even when hit, and sometimes find ways to repurpose the momentum from failed attacks. They take much less damage than other profiles, and use this advantage to outlast their opponents. Electronics Electronics Mechs personify electronic warfare. They jam signals, confuse transmissions and hijack control systems. They can redirect missiles or drain a Mech s energy. They are designed to find weaknesses and exploit them, shutting down a Mech s systems and winning battles through attrition. Electronics decks play a different type of game than other profiles. They cause your opponent to scrap cards from his hand, spend his energy before he can play them, and generally hinder a player s ability to fight. Maneuver Maneuver Mechs are quick and agile, specializing in evading the attacks of their opponents. You can unload a full clip at close range and still miss. They bob and weave, dodge and evade, all the while wearing away at an enemy s defenses. Maneuver decks have many cards that make them difficult to hit, using effects that add a bonus to evasion rolls. They can then use this momentum to give them a tactical advantage, such as drawing cards or opening an opponent for a counter-attack. 13

16 WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY This rulebook The official Arsenal gameboard* Each player will need the following items: * The official Arsenal gameboard represents a small arena, ideal for short, brutal engagements. o o o o o o o 1 token (or miniature) to represent your Mech A few paired tokens to represent your Autonomous Objects in the arena A pile of tokens to represent damage to your Mech and Objects About 20 6-sided dice 8 double-sided Energy cards 1 Mech card A deck of exactly 40 cards (rules for deckbuilding can be found on page 15) However, once you re comfortable with the rules, feel free to experiment with Arsenal on any hex map of your choosing. Arsenal Mechs are close to Battletech scale, and will play just as well on any map made for that classic war game. OVERVIEW To play Arsenal, each player first chooses a Mech, then they each build a deck from the cards available to that Mech (not all Mechs are created equal). For help with this, see Building Your Deck on page 15. Next, you and your opponent(s) shuffle your decks, grab 8 energy cards, a handful of 6-sided dice and damage counters, and put a token on the board that matches your Mech. Then you figure out who's going first, and start playing! Players take turns moving their Mech around the arena, and playing cards from their hand to represent things like lockons, deployable objects, or any number of actions and reactions. All cards have an energy cost. You have 8 energy to spend on every player's turn, but you also have the option to "burn" any or all of your 8 energy. Doing so could pay off big, but "burned" energy comes back at a much slower rate, leaving you open to counter attack. On your turn, you play attack cards from your hand that represent both your weapons and your ammunition, provided your target is within the attack's effective range. When an attack is played, all players have a chance to react to it, by playing their own cards that represent things like taking evasive maneuvers or bracing for impact. After everyone has had a chance to react, the attack is resolved: the attacker and defender both roll a number of dice determined by the attack card, range, and other variables. Both players then count the number of 1's and 6's they rolled. The defender must meet or beat the attacker's roll in order to dodge the attack. If they don't, it hits, and their Mech takes damage! Repeat until only one Mech (or team) is left standing. 14

17 BUILDING YOUR DECK Before you can play Arsenal, each player must have a Mech card, 8 Energy cards, and a 40-card play deck. Your deck must have exactly 40 cards, with no more than 2 copies of any one card. You ultimately choose which cards make up your deck, but those cards must meet certain restrictions set by the Mech card you ve chosen. Each Mech has three aspects listed on the right side of the card (the orange icons). These are weight class, body type, and combat profile. If any card in your deck lists an aspect, that same aspect must be listed on your Mech card. Each of these aspects represents a certain style of play, and you should take this into account when choosing your Mech, and building your deck. Your Attack cards represent all of your offensive abilities; your weapons and your ammunition. If you don t have enough Attack cards in your deck, you may not be able to deal enough damage to destroy your opponent s Mech. You should have somewhere between 12 and 16 Attack cards in your deck. The remaining cards should be chosen to supplement these Attacks, or defend against your opponent s. As you play Arsenal, you will constantly discover new card combinations, and learn the best strategies that work for your desired style of play. Don t be afraid to experiment! Weight Classes Light (LIT) Medium (MED) Heavy (HVY) Body Types Hover (HOV) Humanoid (HUM) Multi-Legged (MUL) Reverse-Joint (REV) Tracked (TRA) Wheeled (WHE) Combat Profiles Acquisition (ACQ) Assault (AST) Close-Combat (CLO) Defense (DEF) Electronics (ELE) Maneuver (MAN) 15

18 THE MECH CARD CARD NAME ATK, EVA, ARM This is how many dice you have in your attack pool (ATK), evasion pool (EVA), and armor pool (ARM) at the start of every turn. SPD (your Mech s speed) This is how many hexes your Mech can move around the arena on your turn. HP (your Mech s hit points) When your Mech receives this many damage counters, you lose the game. ASPECTS These three icons limit which cards you can put in your deck. FLAVOR TEXT This text is for entertainment purposes, and has no effect on gameplay. 16

19 THE ACTION CARD An Action card produces a oneoff effect. After the body text (or function ) is resolved, the card is scrapped. ENERGY COST This is how much Energy you must spend to play this card. KEYWORDS The card type (the types are Mech, Action, Attack, Lock- On, Object, and Protocol), and whether it is an Instant or not. BODY TEXT This describes what happens when you play the card. Also referred to as a function. CREDITS Artist credits and copyright information. 17

20 THE ATTACK CARD An Attack card represents both your weapons and your ammunition. When you play an Attack, you must be within range of the target (a Mech or Object in play). You and the defending player roll dice to determine the success of the Attack. After it is resolved, the card is scrapped. RANGE & RANGE BONUS This is the number of hexes your Mech must be from the target before you can play this card. If the target is in the yellow ranges, the Attack may be played; otherwise, it cannot. The number is the defender s range bonus to his evasion roll. ACCURACY Add this many dice to your attack roll when you play this card. DAMAGE Put this many damage counters on the target Mech or Object if the Attack hits. 18

21 THE LOCK-ON CARD A Lock-On card represents your Mech s radar, target tracking, and fire control systems. When you play a Lock-On, it remains in play on the table next to your Mech. You may only have one Lock- On in play. If you ever have more than one, choose one to remain in play, and scrap the others. All Lock-Ons provide a way to give you a lock on one or more Mechs or Objects (a temporary effect that usually lasts until the end of the turn), as well as an added benefit that applies whenever you have a lock, whether derived from this card, or otherwise. Having a lock is required to play Attacks that have the Guided function. If you play a Guided Attack, and lose your lock before the Attack is resolved, it automatically misses. You may only have one Lock-On in play. 19

22 THE OBJECT CARD An Object is any of the equipment, devices, or gear, deployed and used by your Mech. When you play an Object, it remains in play on the table next to your Mech. You may have any number of Objects in play (within placement limitations). Objects may be targeted by Attacks, and dealt damage just like Mechs. Personal Objects are always in the same hex as your Mech. Autonomous Objects play to the hex your Mech is currently in and never move. HP (this Object s hit points) When an Object receives this many damage counters, scrap it from play. ASPECT RESTRICTION Your Mech must have this aspect icon. PLACEMENT RESTRICTION Every Personal Object has a placement, and every placement has a quantity limit. You can only have a number of matching placements in play as the number listed next to it. Objects may be targeted by Attacks, and dealt damage just like Mechs. 20

23 THE PROTOCOL CARD A Protocol card represents your Mech s routine behaviors or procedures. It is essentially a programmed series of actions and responses that allow your Mech to consistently perform complex processes, while freeing up the pilot to focus on other activities. When you play a Protocol, it remains in play on the table next to your Mech. You may only have one Protocol in play. If you ever control more than one, choose one to remain, and scrap the others. Many Protocols have functions that allow you to scrap them for a temporary bonus. They are otherwise difficult for your opponent to remove from play. You may only have one Protocol in play. 21

24 KEY CONCEPTS MARKING CARDS To mark a card, simply rotate it on its side. To unmark a marked card, simply rotate it back to the upright position. In addition to Energy cards, you will need to mark Mechs, Lock-Ons, Objects, and Protocols to use some of their functions. If a card requires you to mark it, you will see the mark symbol ( ) before an arrow in the body text of the card. This means you must mark the card as a cost for using its function. Each card may be marked only once each turn. After a card has been marked, you must wait until the beginning of the next player s turn to unmark it, making it available again. ENERGY COSTS Mark Unmark Playing cards from your Hand costs Energy. The Energy necessary to play a card is listed at the top left of the card, below the title. Additionally, some Mechs, Lock-Ons, Objects, or Protocols require an Energy cost to use their functions. If a card requires additional Energy to use its function once it s in play, you will see a number before an arrow in the body text of the card. This means you must generate that much Energy (by marking or burning Energy cards) as a cost for using its function. You can generate Energy in one of two ways: You can mark Energy cards (if they re on the blue side), or burn Energy cards (flip them over to the orange side). Both options will give you (1) Energy to spend. Burned Energy is discussed in more detail on page 25. DICE POOLS uses 6-sided dice to resolve attacks. These dice come from three pools, the attack pool, the evasion pool, and the armor pool. The number of dice you have in each pool is determined by your Mech s ATK, EVA, and ARM, respectively. When you play an Attack card, you ll have the option to pull some of the dice from your attack pool, and roll those along with the others, increasing your chance of hitting the target. You similarly may pull dice from your evasion pool when your Mech or Personal Object is the target of an Attack, then once more from your armor pool if the Attack hits. Using dice from one of your pools is always your choice. You can use one, two, all, or none, whatever you want. This is far from a frivolous decision, however, because your dice pools do not replenish used dice until the beginning of the next turn. When the next player s turn starts, all unused dice are lost (including additional dice you may have added with a card or function), and your pools go back to having a number of dice equal to your Mech s ATK, EVA, and ARM. 22

25 SETTING UP THE GAME THE ARENA Place the arena game board on the table within reach of each player. Each player should have a Mech token or miniature that is used to keep track of his or her position in the Arena. These markers should be placed in the Arena in a specific hex determined by the number of players (see below), this is where they begin play. 2 PLAYERS 3 PLAYERS 4 PLAYERS 4 PLAYERS (2 teams) 5 PLAYERS 6 PLAYERS 6 PLAYERS 6 PLAYERS (2 teams) (3 teams) 23

26 Cards in play Mech Burned Energy Reserve Scrapheap Energy cards RESERVE Each player s deck is referred to as their Reserve. Each player s Reserve must contain exactly 40 cards when the game starts. This does not include your Mech card, or Energy cards. Before play, shuffle your Reserve and ask your opponent to cut it. Place your Reserve face-down on the table to your right. SCRAPHEAP Your Scrapheap is formed during gameplay, and should be placed next to your Reserve, face-up. When you scrap a card, either from play or from your Hand, it goes into your Scrapheap. When Action or Attack cards are resolved, they go into your Scrapheap. When multiple cards enter your Scrapheap, they enter one at a time, with each card visible to all players as they are placed there. The contents of each player s Scrapheap are not a secret. Any player may request to look through another player s Scrapheap, provided they don t change the order of the cards or use too much game time doing so. MECH CARD Each player has one Mech card. This card is not shuffled into your Reserve, but placed face-up next to your Reserve. The information on your Mech card dictates and limits which cards you may have in your Reserve, and gives your opponents a general idea of what to expect from you during the game. CARDS IN PLAY Whenever you play a Lock-On, Object, or Protocol card from your Hand, it goes here, face-up, and remains here until scrapped from play. 24

27 ENERGY CARDS Each player has 8 Energy cards. They are not shuffled into your Reserve, but placed on the table in front of you for all players to see. Energy cards begin the game face-up (blue side) and unmarked. Energy cards are marked (turned on their side) to pay the cost to play cards in your Hand, or to use functions on cards already in play. Marking one Energy card gets you 1 Energy. At the start of each player s turn, every player s marked Energy cards are returned to the unmarked position. If an Energy card is already marked (and even if it s unmarked), you may burn it (flip it over to the orange side) for 1 additional Energy. Burned Energy cards do not unmark regularly each turn. Instead, you refresh (flip it back to the blue side, unmarked) only one burned Energy at the beginning of each player s turn. Burned Energy cannot be marked to pay costs. You must wait until that Energy is refreshed before you can mark it again. DICE & COUNTERS You ll need 8 to 10 dice for each player, then around 20 more for everyone to share, and a pool of tokens you ll use to keep track of damage on your Mech and Objects. You must also have tokens to represent the location of your Autonomous Objects in the arena, which occupy a hex just like Mechs. ORDER OF PLAY Choose a player to start at random. After each player s turn, play proceeds to that player s left (clockwise). If you re playing a team game, the players should be positioned around the table to alternate team turns and prevent any unfair advantages. 25

28 GAMEPLAY QUICK REFERENCE 1) Recharge phase (in listed order, all players) a) Unmark (all cards) b) Refresh (one Energy) c) Restore (all dice in your attack pool, evasion pool, and armor pool) d) Draw (until you reach your maximum Hand size, default is 8) 2) Action phase (a, b, and/or c, in any order) a) Standard moves (free, then paid) b) Play cards from your Hand Actions: Resolve then go to Scrapheap. Attacks: Roll attack/evasion, roll armor, deal damage, then go to Scrapheap. Lock-Ons, Objects, Protocols: Remain in play on the table. c) Play functions on cards already in play 3) Discharge phase (in listed order, all players) a) Discard (forced, down to your maximum Hand size) b) Discard (optional, as many as you want) 26

29 RECHARGE PHASE (applies to every player on every turn, moving clockwise around the table, starting with the active player) 1) Unmark all of your marked cards (Mechs, Objects, Lock-Ons, Protocols, and Energy). 2) Refresh one (yes, only one) of your burned Energy cards. 3) Restore each of your dice pools (attack pool, evasion pool, and armor pool) to a number of dice equal to your Mech s ATK, EVA, and ARM, respectively. Excess dice unused from the previous turn are lost. 4) Draw cards one at a time from the top of your Reserve until you reach your maximum Hand size. This is not optional. If you go to draw a card, and your Reserve is empty, your Mech powers down and you lose the game. If you go to draw a card, and your Reserve is empty, your Mech powers down and you lose the game. 27

30 ACTION PHASE Initiative When the action phase begins on your turn, you have initiative. You must have initiative before you can take any actions in the game, whether it s moving your Mech, playing cards from your hand, or using a function on a card in play. Whenever a player with initiative declares an action, initiative passes around the table clockwise from that player. Only when initiative returns to that player does the action take effect. Any instant card or function played before another card has resolved must be resolved first. In effect, all cards and functions are resolved in a last played, first resolved order. Start of your turn This is the point when your turn officially begins. Any cards in play that read at the start of your turn or at the start of each player s turn automatically take effect now. All start of turn effects are triggered and resolved in initiative order, but may be interrupted by instant cards or functions just like any other action. Standard movement (SPD) A Mech s SPD (or speed ) is a reflection of its general mobility. Each Mech has a number of standard moves, equal to its SPD (listed on the Mech card). This is the number of hexes this Mech can move on the map each turn. A Mech s SPD is displayed in the form of two numbers, separated by a slash. The first number is how many standard moves a Mech can make at no cost. The second number is how many additional standard moves a Mech can make at a cost of (1) Energy apiece. Standard moves can only be made on a player s turn, during his or her action phase, while he or she has initiative. Standard moves are declared and resolved one at a time. A player cannot make multiple standard moves as a singular action. Declaring and resolving standard moves follows these steps: 1) Standard move declared (you don t have to declare where you will move to), Energy cost paid. 2) Initiative passes around the table (players may react to the declaration). 3) Standard move resolved, Mech moves one hex. Because standard moves use initiative, they can be reacted to, or even prevented, by other players. Before each standard move is resolved, initiative passes to each other player, who may play cards that prevent that Mech from moving. If that is the case, once the standard move resolves, it automatically fails, and the Mech does not move, though any Energy cost is still paid. How many hexes a Mech can move at no cost: Additional hexes a Mech can move for (1) Energy apiece: 28

31 Non-standard movement Some cards allow for other types of movement that do not count as standard moves. When movement is an effect of a card, the entire span is treated as one action, rather than one hex at a time, like standard moves. For example: You play a card that says Move your Mech three hexes. After every player has had an opportunity to react to the card being played and initiative returns to you, the full effect of the card is resolved. You would move your Mech three hexes all at once, with no player able to react at any point during that movement. Some cards refer to retreating or advancing. They will always name something to retreat from or advance to, such as another Mech. If a Mech retreats, it must move away from the named Mech or Object with every single hex it moves as part of that retreat. If it advances, every hex it moves as part of that action must be one hex closer to the named Mech or Object. There is no limit to how many hexes a Mech may move in a turn when utilizing non-standard movement. Playing cards Whenever you have initiative, you may play cards from your hand. Unless it has the keyword Instant, it can only be played on your turn, while no other cards or functions are waiting to be resolved. Almost every card has an Energy cost, printed in the top left of the card. You must mark this much Energy (or burn the Energy if it s already marked) as part of playing the card. If you cannot mark or burn enough Energy, the card is never played, and stays in your Hand. Playing functions Functions are the effects written on cards in play (Mechs, Objects, Lock-Ons, and Protocols) that must be triggered in some way in order to take effect. Some are triggered at certain times, such as the start or end of your turn; others require you to take some sort of action before they ll do anything. These will have an arrow ( ) and are formatted like this: Triggering action Triggered effect Many such cards must be marked (turned on their side) as the triggering action. Some have an Energy cost (expressed through a number). Unless otherwise stated, all functions are instant and can be triggered (or played ) any time you have initiative, provided you can pay the cost. 29

32 Playing an Attack Attacks are played like other cards, but have a different resolution process. Here is a brief summary: Step 1) Declare Attack and target (must be in a legal hex range), Energy cost paid. Step 2) Initiative passes around the table (players may react to the declaration). Step 3) Attacker makes attack roll (optionally using dice from his attack pool). Step 4) Defender makes evasion roll (optionally using dice from his evasion pool). Step 5) Compare dice with 1 s and 6 s (evasion roll must have same or more to evade). Step 6) Defender makes armor roll (optionally using dice from his armor pool). Step 7) Damage is dealt (reduced by 1 s and 6 s in armor roll). Before you can play an Attack, you must first be in a legal range from the target. Count the number of hexes from your Mech to the target Mech or Object (all Personal Objects are considered to be in the same hex as the controller s Mech). The number of hexes determines the range to the target: 0 hexes (in the same hex) Melee range (defender adds no dice to the evasion roll) 1 hex Short range (defender adds one die to the evasion roll) 2 hexes Medium range (defender adds two dice to the evasion roll) 3 hexes Long range (defender adds three dice to the evasion roll) 4, 5, or 6 hexes Extended range (defender adds five dice to the evasion roll) Targets farther away than six hexes are out of range from any Attack (unless you have a card in play that increases your extended range to farther than six hexes). Each Attack card has an array of blue and yellow hexes on the left side that show which ranges you can play the Attack at. The ranges with yellow hexes are the playable ranges for that Attack. The blue hexes are the ranges that Attack cannot be played at (for example, Melee Attacks are typically only able to be played at melee range). The numbers are bonus dice added to the defender s evasion roll, and are called the range bonus. 30

33 Attack rolls and evasion rolls Like any other card, when you play an Attack card, you pay the cost, then initiative goes around the table to give each other player a chance to react before the Attack is resolved. Once the Attack resolution begins (die rolling and damage dealing), no player has initiative. That means any cards or functions that add dice to an attack roll, evasion roll, or armor roll must be played before any rolls are made. Some of these cards apply to your next attack roll, evasion roll, or armor roll. These effects just apply to the NEXT roll that s made (usually during one player s turn), and no subsequent rolls. Once all cards or functions have been played, rolls are made in the following order: 1) The attacker collects a number of dice equal to the Attack s accuracy, plus any dice that may have been added as a result of cards or functions played. He may then (optionally) pull any number of dice from his attack pool, and add them to this roll (the number of available dice in the attack pool is diminished by this choice, but they will be restored next turn). The attacker then rolls all of the dice, and looks for any 1 s and 6 s. This is called an attack roll. 2) Next the defender collects a number of dice equal to the Attack s range bonus, plus any dice that may have been added as a result of cards or functions played. He may then pull any number of dice from his evasion pool, and add them to this roll (the number of available dice in the evasion pool is diminished by this choice, but they will be restored next turn). The defender then rolls all of the dice, and looks for any 1 s and 6 s. This is called an evasion roll. 3) If the number of 1 s and 6 s in the evasion roll is equal to or greater than the number of 1 s and 6 s in the attack roll, the Attack misses, otherwise, it hits. any cards or functions that add dice to an attack roll, evasion roll, or armor roll must be played before any rolls are made. 31

34 Damage and armor rolls When an Attack hits, its damage is dealt to the target Mech or Object (put a number of damage counters on it equal to the Attack s damage value). If any cards were played before the Attack was resolved that would prevent any of that damage, reduce the number of damage counters before putting them on the Mech or Object card. Lastly, the defender may choose to pull any number of dice from their armor pool and roll them to try and prevent any incoming damage. Every 1 and 6 rolled prevents 1 damage from an Attack. This is called an armor roll. Attack example: John and Mike are playing Arsenal. John s Mech is Eagle Eye, and on his turn he plays the Attack card Heavy Beam, targeting Mike s Mech, Stone Helix, which is 3 hexes from Eagle Eye, putting it at long range. Long range is highlighted yellow on Heavy Beam, so the Attack is legal. Heavy Beam has an accuracy of 6, so that s how many dice John will get for his attack roll. Mike plays the card Range Advantage, doubling the range bonus for his evasion roll. Mike s range bonus for a long range Attack is three dice, so this card brings his range bonus to six dice. When both players pass on initiative, the Attack is resolved. First John makes his attack roll: He starts with 6 dice from Heavy Beam s accuracy, and decides to take three dice from his attack pool of six dice (saving the other three for a follow-up Attack). He rolls all nine dice and gets two 1 s and a 6 (the other numbers are ignored). That means Mike must roll at least three 1 s or 6 s in his evasion roll to evade the Attack. Mike starts with six dice from his doubled range bonus, then pulls both dice out of his evasion pool (leaving him with none). He then rolls all eight dice, getting only one 1 and one 6. He needed a total of three to evade the Attack, so that means Heavy Beam hits! Heavy Beam will deal 5 damage to Stone Helix, but fortunately Mike has four dice in his armor pool. He decides to roll all of them (reducing his armor pool to zero dice) to try and prevent some of the incoming damage. He rolls all four dice and gets two 6 s, preventing two of the damage from Heavy Beam, which then deals only 3 damage to Stone Helix. 32

35 Attacking Objects Objects are targeted, Attacked, and damaged the same way Mechs are, but there are some differences in the die rolls. Evasion rolls: When one of your Personal Objects is the target of an Attack, add one bonus die to your evasion roll. Otherwise, proceed as normal. When one of your Autonomous Objects is the target of an Attack, your evasion roll includes only your range bonus and two bonus dice. No other cards or functions may add dice to the evasion roll for an Autonomous Object (unless explicitly noted), and you may not pull dice from your evasion pool to add to the evasion roll. Armor rolls: Objects do not get armor rolls, whether Personal or Autonomous, and you may not pull dice from your armor pool to make one. Other cards and functions may be played to prevent damage to an Object, but you may never make an armor roll to prevent any. As soon as an Object has damage on it equal to its HP, it is scrapped (removed from play and sent face-up to the Scrapheap). When one of your Personal Objects is the target of an Attack, add one bonus die to your evasion roll. When one of your Autonomous Objects is the target of an Attack, your evasion roll includes only your range bonus and two bonus dice. 33

36 Movement and Attacks When an Attack is played, each player has a chance to play cards and functions before the Attack resolves. Some Instant cards and functions allow a Mech to move out of turn. If a player moves their Mech to a different hex than it was in when the Attack was played, any unresolved Attack against that player s Mech or Personal Object is automatically disrupted (cancelled, but still technically played and paid for). The exception to this rule is Guided Attacks. Guided Attacks are not automatically disrupted when the target moves to a new hex. Instead, if the new hex is in a different range, check the Attack to see if it is still a valid target. If it is, then the Attack proceeds as usual, but possibly with a different range bonus for the defender s evasion roll. If the Attack is no longer valid because the target moved to a range too close or too far for the Attack to be played, then the Attack is disrupted. However, Guided Attacks also require a lock, so if the lock is lost somehow (not necessarily the Lock-On that created the lock), then the Attack would be disrupted, no matter what range the target is in. If a player moves their Mech any unresolved Attack against that player s Mech or Personal Object is automatically disrupted. End of your turn If it is your turn and you have initiative, with no cards or functions waiting to be resolved, you may end your turn at any time. When you declare that you are ending your turn, any cards you have that read at the end of your turn take effect now. Initiative is passed around the table, and players may react just like the rest of the turn. Only Instants or functions may be played by any player during the end of turn step. 34

37 DISCHARGE PHASE (applies to every player on every turn, moving clockwise around the table, starting with the active player) 1) If you have more cards in your Hand than your maximum Hand size (the default is 8), scrap cards from your Hand one at a time until you reach your maximum Hand size. 2) Optional: Scrap any number of additional cards from your Hand one at a time. It will be easy to scrap and refill your Hand every turn in order to find the cards you re looking for, but be very careful with this strategy. If the card you want is at the bottom of the deck, or if you simply suffer a series of bad die rolls, you can find yourself quickly drawn out of the game. Once all players have scrapped their cards (both forced, and optional), your turn is over. Play then proceeds to the next player on your left, and that player begins his recharge phase. WINNING OR LOSING THE GAME If your Mech has damage counters on it equal to its HP, your Mech is destroyed, and you lose the game. Every card you control leaves the game with you. If another player managed to take control of a card you own during play, and the game is not yet over, that card remains in the game until that card is scrapped, or returned to a player s hand, at which point it leaves the game. If you are required to draw a card from your Reserve (such as during the recharge phase if you have less than your maximum Hand size of 8 cards, or if a card or function requires you to draw any number of cards) and you can t because there are no cards in your Reserve, then you lose the game. In effect, your Mech s power reserves are drained. It shuts down and surrenders the match. In a free-for-all game with more than two players, the game continues until only one player remains. In a team match, the game is over when the winning team has no more opponents. 35

38 GLOSSARY Action Action Phase Advance ARM (Armor) Armor Pool Armor Roll Aspect ATK (Attack) Attack Attack Pool A card type. Action cards are resolved immediately and then scrapped. The second phase of each player's turn. During the action phase you can play cards from your hand, and move your mech. You can do these things in any order. A term that refers to a Mech or Object s movement on the hex board. When a Mech or Object advances to another Mech or Object, it must move one space closer with every hex. A value found on every Mech card. At the start of every turn, you have a number of dice in your armor pool equal to your Mech's ARM. No more, no less. If you use them to add to an armor roll, they are not restored until the start of the next player s turn. A collection of dice that represents your Mech's defensive readiness. When you make an armor roll, you may pull any number of dice from your armor pool and add them to the roll. Once rolled, they do not return until the start of the next player s turn. Any time your Mech is dealt damage, you may pull any number of dice from your armor pool and roll them to attempt a mitigation of damage. If you wish to make an armor roll in response to taking damage from an Attack, you must play any cards that modify your armor roll or add dice to your armor pool before the attacker makes his attack roll. When you make an armor roll, count up any dice that rolled a 1 or a 6, and prevent that much damage to your Mech. You may not make an armor roll to prevent damage to an Object. Icons found on the right side of the card. Mech cards have three: weight class, body type, and combat profile. If a non-mech card has an icon, it must match one of your Mech icons before you can put it in your deck. A value found on every Mech card. At the start of every turn, you have a number of dice in your attack pool equal to your Mech's ATK. No more, no less. If you use them to add to an attack roll, they are not restored until the start of the next player s turn. A card type. When you play an Attack, you must declare a target, and the target must be within legal range for that Attack. Before an Attack is resolved, the attacker must make an attack roll and the defender must make an evasion roll. If the Attack hits, the defender may then make an armor roll to try and prevent some damage. A collection of dice that represents your Mech's attack readiness. When you make an attack roll, you may pull any number of dice from your attack pool and add them to the roll. Once rolled, they do not return until the start of the next turn. 36

39 Attack Roll Autonomous (Auto.) Body Type Burn Combat Profile Damage Types Whenever you play an Attack card, you must make an attack roll. You start with a number of dice equal to the Attack card's accuracy, then pull as many dice as you wish from your attack pool. Other cards may also add to your attack roll. All modifications to this roll must be played before the dice are rolled. Pulling from your attack pool is the very last thing you do before the roll. Once you roll all the dice, you count the number of dice that rolled a 1 or a 6. The player you are attacking must roll an equal or greater number of 1s or 6s on his evasion roll to evade the Attack. If he does not, the Attack hits, and damage is dealt to the target Mech or Object. An Object card type that represents equipment your Mech deploys to the battlefield, but doesn't carry with it. When one of your Autonomous Objects is being attacked, you roll only two dice and the range bonus for your evasion roll, and nothing else. You cannot add dice to this roll, or pull from your evasion pool as normal. An aspect symbol found on each Mech, and some other cards. There are six body types: Hover, Humanoid, Multi-Legged, Reverse-Joint, Tracked, Wheeled. If you want to put a card in your deck that has a body type icon, the Mech you choose must also have the same icon. The act of flipping an Energy card over from its blue to orange side. At the start of every turn, only one of your burned Energy cards is refreshed (flipped back over to the blue side); no matter how many are burned. An aspect symbol found on each Mech, and some other cards. There are six combat profiles: Acquisition, Assault, Close-Combat, Defense, Electronics, and Maneuver. If you want to put a card in your deck that has a combat profile icon, the Mech you choose must also have the same icon. On every Attack card, there is an icon next to the damage value, used to symbolize the type of damage that Attack deals. They are Ballistic, Canister, Chemical, Cryo, EMP, Incendiary, Laser, Melee, and Missile. These are damage types for Attack cards, and have no immediate impact on gameplay. Some other cards might create effects that only apply to Attacks of a certain damage type. 37

40 Discharge Phase Disrupt Energy EVA (Evasion) Evasion Pool Evasion Roll Explosive X Extended Range The last phase of each player's turn. During the discharge phase you scrap cards from your Hand if you have more than your maximum Hand size, then you may scrap as many additional cards from your Hand as you like. Causing a disrupt is a way of cancelling a card or function. A card may only be disrupted while it is being played, before it has resolved. A disrupted card is scrapped, and has no effect, but any costs are still paid. Non-Guided Attacks will be disrupted if the target moves at least one hex. Guided Attacks will be disrupted if the attacker loses their lock on the target. All Attacks are disrupted if the target moves out of the Attack s effective range. A card that represents your Mech's power supply. Every player has eight Energy cards. You must mark Energy to play cards. Marking an Energy card while it is on its blue side generates (1) Energy to pay the cost of a card or function. Burning Energy (flipping an Energy card from its blue to orange side), whether it has been marked or not, also generates (1) Energy. At the start of every turn, all of your marked Energy cards become unmarked, but only one burned Energy card is refreshed (flipped back over from the orange to blue side and unmarked). A value found on every Mech card. At the start of every turn, you have a number of dice in your evasion pool equal to your Mech's EVA. No more, no less. If you use them to add to an evasion roll, they are not restored until the start of the next player s turn. A collection of dice that represents your Mech's evasive readiness. When you make an evasion roll, you may pull any number of dice from your evasion pool and add them to the roll. Once rolled, they do not return until the start of the next turn. Whenever your Mech or Object is the target of an attack, you must make an evasion roll. You start with a number of dice based on the target's range from the attacker (melee = 0, short = 1, medium = 2, long = 3, extended = 5), then, if the target is your Mech or Personal Object, pull as many dice as you wish from your evasion pool. Other cards may add dice to this roll. If the target is a Personal Object, add one die. If the target is an Autonomous Object, add two dice. All modifications to this roll must be played before the dice are rolled. Pulling from your evasion pool is the very last thing you do before the roll. First the attacker makes his attack roll, counting up the number of dice that rolled a 1 or 6. Then you decide how many dice to pull from your evasion pool and make your evasion roll. Count up the number of dice that rolled a 1 or 6. If this number meets or beats the number rolled by the attacker, the Attack is evaded; otherwise, it hits, and damage is dealt to the target Mech or Object. This is an Attack card function typically found on Canister Attacks, and some Missile Attacks. This type of Attack explodes when it hits the target, dealing additional damage to a Mech s Objects. An Attack with Explosive X deals X damage to each of a player s Personal Objects if it deals damage to their Mech. A number of hexes from your Mech to the target Mech or Object. Any target that is between four and six hexes from your Mech is considered to be at extended range. When the target is at extended range, the defender adds five dice to his evasion roll. 38

41 Guided Hand Hex HP (Hit Points) Initiative Instant Lock Lock-On Long Range Function Any effect described in the body text of a card. This is an Attack card function found on most Missile Attacks. You cannot play a Guided Attack unless you have a lock on the target. These Attacks typically have higher accuracy. If you play a Guided Attack, and then lose your lock on the target before the Attack resolves, that Attack is disrupted; however, if the target moves to a different hex before your Attack resolves, Guided Attacks are the ONLY Attacks that are not disrupted. The cards held in your hand during the game. Your base maximum Hand size is eight cards. At the end of every turn, you must scrap (discard) cards from your Hand if you have more than eight. You may then continue to scrap any cards you don't want to have in your Hand. At the start of every turn, you draw back up to your maximum Hand size. The hexagonal spaces that make up the game board. A value found on Mech and Object cards. When a Mech or Object receives damage counters equal to or greater than its HP value, it is destroyed (scrapped from play). When this happens to your Mech, you lose the game. A concept that helps to manage when players may play cards and take actions. Only one player may have initiative at any one time, and only a player with initiative may do anything at all. When a player begins his turn, he has initiative. Initiative only passes when that player does something. As soon as that player does something, initiative passes clockwise around the table, giving every other player a chance to react before it actually happens. A card type that can be played at any time, even when it is not your turn. Playing an Instant interrupts all other currently unresolved cards, and must be resolved before those. The last Instant played is always the first one resolved. Having a lock on a Mech or Object is not the same as having a Lock-On card in play. The Lock- On is a card, the lock is a function. Most Lock-On cards have a function that allows you to have a lock on a target Mech or Object. Having a lock is a concept that represents your Mech s targeting system zeroed in on a target, increasing its chances of hitting with Attacks. If a card says you have a lock on target Mech or Object, with no other conditions, then the lock is a result of the card being in play, and scrapping the card ends the lock effect. If a card says you have a lock on target Mech or Object this turn, that means you keep that lock effect for the remainder of the turn, even if the card that created it is scrapped from play. The only way to end that kind of lock is by playing a card or function that says a player loses or cannot have a lock. A card type. Lock-On cards are played to the table next to your Mech and remain in play until scrapped. You may only have one Lock-On card in play at a time. Lock-Ons may not be targeted by Attacks like Mechs and Objects. A number of hexes from your Mech to the target Mech or Object. Any target that is three hexes from your Mech is considered to be at long range. When the target is at long range, the defender adds three dice to his evasion roll. 39

42 Mark Mech Medium Range Melee Range Move Object Personal (Pers.) The act of turning a card over on its side to show that it has been used. You can only mark a card that is currently in play, and it can only be done once each turn. At the start of every turn, all your cards unmark (return to their normal state). A card type. Every player has a Mech, which has aspect icons to limit which cards he can put in his deck. A number of hexes from your Mech to the target Mech or Object. Any target that is two hexes from your Mech is considered to be at medium range. When the target is at medium range, the defender adds two dice to his evasion roll. A number of hexes from your Mech to the target Mech or Object. Any target that is in the same hex as your Mech is considered to be at melee range. When the target is at melee range, the defender adds no dice to his evasion roll. Moving your Mech from one hex to another. Basic movement using your Mech's SPD (speed) can only be done on your own turn, and never as an Instant. Each movement is declared and resolved one hex at a time, with other players free to play Instant cards or functions as a reaction to each declaration, but before the movement actually happens. Movement as an Instant or during another player's turn can only be achieved through the use of certain cards. If your Mech or Personal Object is the target of an Attack, moving to a new hex will disrupt the Attack, unless the Attack has Guided. A card type. Object cards are played to the table next to your Mech and remain in play until scrapped. You can have many Objects in play following placement restrictions. Objects may be targeted by Attacks and damaged in order to be scrapped from play. An Object card type that represents equipment carried around and used by your Mech. When one of your Personal Objects is being attacked, you add one additional die to your evasion roll. Placement A restriction found on Object cards that limits what you can have in play: Head (1), Core (1), Spinal (1), Shoulder (2), Arm (2), Back (2), Flank (2), and Leg (2). Placement restrictions do not limit what you can have in your deck, only what you can have in play at any given time. Protocol Radius X Range Bonus A card type. Protocol cards are played to the table next to your Mech and remain in play until scrapped. You may only have one Protocol card in play at a time. Protocols may not be targeted by Attacks like Mechs and Objects. Typically found on Autonomous Objects, this sets a radius of X hexes around the Object. That radius will then be referenced in body text on the same card. This latter text will explain what happens to any Mechs or Objects within that radius. When an Attack is played, this is how many dice the defender will add to his evasion roll, based on his range from the attacker. Melee range: no dice, short range: one die, medium range: two dice, long range: three dice, extended range: five dice. 40

43 Rapid-Fire X Recharge Phase Refresh Reserve Restore Retreat Scrap Scrapheap Short Range SPD Swarm X Target Rapid-Fire is an Attack card function used to represent a machine gun style Attack, typically found on Ballistic or Laser Attacks. An Attack with Rapid-Fire X will copy itself every time it hits, up to X times. Each copy is an exact duplicate of the original Attack (minus the Rapid-Fire function, of course), and both players must make new attack rolls and evasion rolls for each one. Any one-time attack roll or evasion roll modifiers do not apply to the copies. Each copy also has the same target as the original Attack. The first phase of each players turn. During the recharge phase you unmark all of your cards, refresh one Energy, then draw cards until you reach your maximum Hand size. The act of flipping a burned Energy card over from its orange side to the blue side. You can do this once for only one card at the start of every player s turn. The deck you draw cards from. It must have exactly 40 cards before you begin the game. During the recharge phase of every turn, you make sure your attack pool, evasion pool, and armor pool have a number of dice in them equal to your Mech s ATK, EVA, and ARM (respectively). This is called restoring. A term that refers to a Mech or Object s movement on the hex board. When a Mech or Object retreats from another Mech or Object, it must move one space farther away with every hex. Discarding a card, and placing it in your scrapheap (discard pile) face up, either from play or from your Hand. Where cards go when they are scrapped (discarded). Cards in your scrapheap are always face up, and any player may look at them at any time (provided they do not take too much time and disrupt the game). A number of hexes from your Mech to the target Mech or Object. Any target that is one hex from your Mech is considered to be at short range. When the target is at short range, the defender adds one die to his evasion roll. A value found on every Mech card expressed as two numbers separated by a slash: #/#. The first number is the number of standard moves your Mech can make at no cost. The second number is the number of additional moves your Mech can make at the cost of (1) Energy each. Swarm is an Attack card function typically found on Missile Attacks. A Swarm Missile Attack is actually multiple missiles launching simultaneously. The Swarm value is the number of duplicate missiles that also launch when you play this Attack. An Attack with Swarm X copies itself X times when it is played. Each copy is an exact duplicate of the original Attack (minus the Swarm function, of course), and both players must make new attack rolls and evasion rolls for each one. When you play a Swarm Attack, you may choose the same or different targets for each copy (provided they are still valid targets; many Swarm Attacks are also Guided, which require you to have a lock on each target). The subject of an Attack. Typically a Mech or Object. 41

44 Unmark Weight Class X The act of returning a marked card from its used state to its ready state. At the start of every turn, you must unmark all of your cards that were marked during the turn. An aspect symbol found on each Mech, and some other cards. There are three weight classes: Light, Medium, and Heavy. If you want to put a card in your deck that has a weight class icon, the Mech you choose must also have the same icon. A variable value found as the cost of some cards. X is whatever you wish it to be, but the effect will vary depending on what you choose. If you spend (3) Energy on a card with cost X, then look for any other instances of X on the card, and replace them with a 3. You declare what X will be as you play the card, and cannot change it later. 42

45 EXPANDING THE GAME Arsenal is a living, evolving game, with unlimited expandability. As new cards and decks are released, you ll be able to add these to your collection to change your experience in new and interesting ways. All Arsenal products are compatible with each other, so be on the lookout for new releases and special promotions. You can visit the official Arsenal website for custom deck recommendations, updated errata for this rulebook, or news of upcoming releases. Thanks for playing! CREDITS Created by Shane Butler Artwork Alien Tan Ascary Lazos Demian Nox Faruk Begic Filip Dudek Hao D. Iggy Hango Kazi Rahman M. Dipo Odd Hackwelder Phu Nguyen Xuan Surya Prasetya Manufacturing & Distribution DriveThruCards.com Special thanks Laura Linnap Iconian Fonts Kickstarter is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual persons, places, or entities are purely coincidental. 43

46 is made possible by crowdfunding through Kickstarter. It is a labor of love, and wouldn t be possible without the strong support of fans like you. A special thanks go out to all of our backers! Andrew Parsons Andrew Tabbutt Arthur Santos Atheris Games B B Albrecht Bevan Clatworthy Bill Grenwelge Bookmen Brent Matyas Brett Rabatin Brian Murukis Bryce Undy Casey Stokes Chris Chard Chris Colborn Chris Kenna Chris Krajci Christopher Shifflet Cindy Seyler CoolMiniOrNot corwin CP Cyril Transludie Damiano Debiagi David David Blain David Clarke DC and Jess Carl Dirk de Pol DJ "Shadowy Lynx" Smith Emrys Hopkins Eric Clinton Fábio Fontes Faruk Frank Jaeger Gothmog Grant Greg Merwin Gregory Morris Guillaume Viveiros Héctor Mota Heriberto Valle Invisible James Shipman Janet Berkman Jason Lee Jason Miller <3 Koalataur Jeff Chattin Jeremiah bergendahl Jim McLarty Jinnapat Treejareonwiwat John Cross John Michael Thomas Jonathan Horner Julian Hood Justin Boswell Justin Gan Keith Lewis Ken Kenny Sabir Kevin Dominick Kevin Schantz Laura Linnap Lee Godden Mark Fadden Mark Johnson Mark L Mark Schiavo Michael Brettell Michael Elvenia Michael McLean Miguel Mike Reilly Mike Youtz Mitch Schroeder Murakumo Nate F Nathan Takarabe Noah T Smith Nunya Bizniz Orhan Ertughrul pandagm Peter Candelario III Preston Poland Punch-It Entertainment Rahn Richard Gable Richard Hensman Robert Treadwell Roma Sobieski Sam Do Sam Gazey Scott Muldoon Scott Turner Seán Byrne Sergi Marcet Rovira Shawn Dickey Simon Durkin Slightly Offensive Games Stephen Cox Steven Moy Steven Rideout Sven Eckhardt Travis Pogmore Ty Brower Tyler Graham Unitato Walt Weber Warren Loewen Wendigo Publishing & Consulting Wong Khai Weng Wylliam Judd 44

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