2012: The Day of Fallout Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Box Contents
• Components
  • Game Board
  • Order Cards
  • Unit Cards
  • Strategic Action Cards
  • Squad Cards and Other Components
  • Flags and Walls
  • Two Six-Sided Dice
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • Drawing and Forming Squads
  • Placing Squads, Walls and Flags
  • Assigning Orders
  • Squad Movement
  • Combat, Range and Carrying Out Orders
  • Strategic Action Cards in Play
  • Special Abilities
• Victory Conditions
• Example Scenarios
  • Example Scenario for 2 Players
  • Example Scenario for 3 Players
  • Example Scenario for 4 Players

Box Contents

• 25 map elements
• 24 Strategic Action cards
• 60 unit cards (4 decks of 15 cards)
• 16 order cards (4 for each army)
• 12 squad cards
• 5 wall cards
• 3 flag cards
• 20 stands
• 2 dice
• this rulebook

Players: 2-4. Playing time: approx. 30-90 minutes. Age: 10+.

Components

Game Board

The modular board represents the Last District, the region on Earth where the armies fight among the buildings. Each board module consists of 4 square spaces on which the squads will move.

The module numbering shown in the booklet uses the form "1z25", where "z" means "of" (module 1 of 25).

Order Cards

Squads can perform actions only when they receive an appropriate order. Order cards serve this purpose. Each card contains several orders, but a squad can choose and carry out only one of them in its turn.

The components of an order card are:

• Army symbol (top left).
• Order card symbol (top right).
• Orders to choose from (three orders are shown on the sample card).
• Number of dice needed for the success test of the order (shown as one or two white dice beside each order).

The sample card shows the following orders:

• SPRINT (no dice): "The squad may move 3 spaces."
• MOVE + LIGHT ATTACK (one die): "The squad may move up to 2 spaces and make a light attack (1 damage)."
• MOVE + HEAVY ATTACK (two dice): "The squad may move up to 1 space and make a heavy attack (2 damage)."

Unit Cards

Unit cards represent the units that take part in the game. There are 60 cards: 15 unit cards for each army (Section 8, Arkarians, CyberZone and Triad).

The card backs are coloured by army: Triad (red), Section 8 (yellow), CyberZone (blue) and Arkarians (green).

The components of a unit card are:

• Army symbol (top left).
• Unit name (top).
• Description of the unit's special abilities.
• Number of dice the unit uses when using the ability (shown as white dice beside the ability).

The sample card is the Sniper, whose ability reads: "The Sniper can perform a Sniper Shot at a distance of 4 spaces (1 damage)." The Sniper Shot uses 2 dice.

Strategic Action Cards

Strategic Action cards are special action cards that may be used instead of order cards. Using a Strategic Action card "costs" a set number of the player's order cards: 1 or 2 orders.

At the start of the game, each player receives 3 Strategic Action cards, which they keep secret from the other players.

The components of a Strategic Action card are:

• Card name (top).
• Description of the card's action.
• Cost of using the card, shown as radiation symbols at the bottom. The number of radiation symbols equals the number of order cards that must be spent.

The sample card is URANIUM SHELL. It is played at the start of your turn. The selected enemy unit receives 1 damage and its squad cannot move in its next turn. Its cost is 2 radiation symbols.

Squad Cards and Other Components

During play, players issue orders to squads, which are represented by squad cards placed on plastic stands. Each army has 3 squad cards, marked with the army's symbol and colour and numbered 1 to 3.

Flags and Walls

Flags and walls are essential components in selected scenarios. Flags represent points on the map that the player usually must capture. Walls act as barriers, limiting the range of shooting and the movement of squads.

Capturing a flag: To capture a flag, the player must bring their squad onto a space adjacent to the flag and make a 1-die test:

• 1 or 2: the attempt to capture the flag fails.
• 3, 4, 5 or 6: the squad captures the flag.

Two Six-Sided Dice

Dice are needed to determine the effectiveness of unit attacks and the success of using unit abilities and orders. An order or action that requires a test and a dice roll is described on the cards by one or two white dice. This symbolises the number of dice needed to perform the test.

Roll result: 1 or 2 is a failure; 3, 4, 5 or 6 is a success.

Setup

Control the length of play by choosing an optimal scenario. Scenarios can be found on the game's website.

1. Choose a scenario. Example scenarios are at the end of the instructions, or more are available at www.thedayoffallout.pl.
2. Arrange the board elements according to the scenario.
3. Choose or draw an army for each player, in any way.
4. Shuffle the Strategic Action deck thoroughly and deal every player 3 Strategic Action cards.
5. Split the army decks and shuffle the unit cards of each army.
6. Deal each player 4 order cards, matching the symbol and colour of the chosen army.
7. Choose or draw the order of players, in any way.

Gameplay

Drawing and Forming Squads

After setup, each player draws 9 unit cards from their army deck. The players then form 1, 2 or 3 squads from the cards they received, with which they will play on the board.

At the start of the game, each player chooses how many squads to start with, unless the scenario determines the number of squads and units in them. A player holding 9 unit cards assigns any number of cards to their squads, creating 1, 2 or 3 squads in front of them. A player may create as few as 1 squad of 9 units, or 3 squads of 3 units each. It all depends on the player's strategy and tactics.

The example in the booklet shows a player who created 3 squads of 3 units each.

Placing Squads, Walls and Flags

When the players have finished preparing, they place their squad cards on plastic stands on the board, at starting positions. In the scenarios, starting positions are marked with the letters A, B, C and D, depending on the number of players.

• Placing squads: players place their squads on the chosen or drawn starting points on the board.
• Placing walls and flags: if the scenario requires it, place the number of walls specified by the scenario, and the flag cards on plastic stands, at the positions marked on the board.

The booklet illustrates a starting setup for 2 players, with starting points A (CyberZone) and B (Section 8).

Assigning Orders

Each player has 4 order cards for their army at their disposal. To perform a squad's action, the player assigns one order card to that squad, chooses from it the order that suits the player's strategy and situation, and carries it out. Each squad may receive and carry out only one order per turn. A player may also spend order cards and use a Strategic Action card.

Then the player carries out the chosen order for each squad. Examples:

• SPRINT: the player moves the squad a set number of spaces on the board.
• MOVE + LIGHT ATTACK: the player moves the squad a set number of spaces on the board and may attack a chosen enemy unit if it is in range. The attack is a roll of 1 or 2 dice, with each die showing a result: 1 or 2 is a failure; 3, 4, 5 or 6 is a success. A success deals 1 or 2 damage, depending on whether the roll was made with 1 or 2 dice.

After carrying out the orders for all of their squads, the player ends their turn. The next player, sitting to the left, begins their turn.

The booklet illustrates the assignment of an order to a player's squad.

Squad Movement

Squads may move when they receive an order that allows it (for example SPRINT). The chosen squad then carries out the order by moving its card, which bears the matching number and army colour, on the board.

A squad may move only in a straight line. It cannot move diagonally.

The booklet shows an example of correct and incorrect movement of 3 spaces. A correct move runs in straight lines along the spaces; an incorrect move changes direction diagonally and is crossed out.

Combat, Range and Carrying Out Orders

Units carry out orders. One of the orders is ATTACK, which can be carried out only at a distance of up to 3 spaces and only in a straight line. The exceptions are special orders, Strategic Action cards and the special abilities of certain units, which may change the basic rule (for example, by increasing shooting range).

To carry out an order, or to use a special ability, where a dice roll is required, the unit must have a target within range. By default, that range is 3 spaces in a straight line. Each ability is described by dice symbols (1 or 2). When the player decides which ability or order to use, they roll the die (or dice) shown to check the effectiveness of the action or order.

When rolling 2 dice, for the test to succeed both dice must show POSITIVE results: 3, 4, 5 or 6.

Roll results:

• 1 or 2: failure.
• 3, 4, 5 or 6: success.

Light attack: when the attack test fails, the attacked unit receives no damage. If the attack test succeeds, the attacked unit receives damage. When a unit receives damage, the player turns its unit card 90 degrees. This symbolises that the unit is wounded. Each unit that receives a 2nd damage dies: it is removed from the board and handed over to the player whose army eliminated it.

Heavy attack: the heavy attack is the exception. It is a roll of 2 dice.

• If the results on both dice are positive, the attacked unit receives 2 damage and dies.
• If only one result is positive and the other is not, the attacked unit receives only 1 damage.
• If the results on both dice are negative, the attacked unit receives no damage.

The booklet shows a wounded unit (turned 90 degrees) and units at full strength.

Strategic Action Cards in Play

As part of assigning and carrying out orders, a player may in their turn play 1 of their 3 held Strategic Action cards. A player may spend 1 or 2 orders of their army to be able to use a Strategic Action. Each card has a specific action that affects the game or other orders.

Example: The player plays the Strategic Action (SA) card "Intercepted Orders". The card must be played at the end of a turn, so the player must have 2 unused order cards to play it, because this SA card requires spending 2 army order cards. The player uses the card according to its description: at the end of their turn, they spend 2 army order cards and place the SA card next to the selected enemy squad, according to its action.

The card text reads: "Play this card at the end of your turn. Intercept the opponent's orders. The selected enemy squad cannot move in its next turn." The number of order cards needed to carry out the action is shown by the radiation symbols at the bottom of the card.

Special Abilities

Units have Special Abilities, marked on their unit cards. Some require a roll of 1 or 2 dice to check the effectiveness of using that Special Ability (for the test results, see the combat section above).

To use a unit's Special Ability, which requires a test and a dice roll, the player must assign an order to the squad in which the unit is located. In exchange for carrying out one of the orders from the assigned order card, the player may use the unit's Special Ability described on its card. In addition, the target of the action must be within 3 spaces of the unit.

Example: The player assigns an order card to the squad in which a Sapper is located. However, the player decides to use the Sapper's Special Ability, because the squad is in a space next to a wall on the board.

• The player carries out the Sapper's order, Blowing up a barrier/wall.
• The player rolls one die to check the effectiveness. The roll result is 4, so the wall-blowing operation succeeds.
• The player removes the wall card from the board and continues play.

The SAPER card text reads that a Sapper can plant a bomb under a barrier or wall, or under an enemy transport unit. Blowing up a barrier/wall uses 1 die; blowing up a vehicle uses 2 dice.

Victory Conditions

The main element of 2012: The Day of Fallout is the scenarios. Each scenario defines its victory conditions. Most often these are:

• eliminating the appropriate number of enemy units or squads;
• capturing a specified number of flags;
• bringing a given squad to a specified objective.

When one of the players fulfils a victory condition, the game ends, and the player who achieved the scenario's goal wins the game.

Example Scenarios

The booklet gives example scenarios. Scenarios can also be found on the publisher's website, www.thedayoffallout.pl.

Example Scenario for 2 Players

• Arrange the map following the pattern shown in the booklet, with starting points A and B.
• Choose which player begins play (at point A or B).

Victory conditions:

• eliminate 2 enemy squads, or
• eliminate 5 enemy units.

Example Scenario for 3 Players

• Arrange the map following the pattern shown, using all map elements except 4, 5, 6, 10, 17 and 24. The booklet marks the flag positions on the map with the flag icon.
• Choose where the players begin play (point A, B or C).

Victory conditions:

• capture 2 flags, or
• eliminate 5 enemy units.

Example Scenario for 4 Players

• Arrange the map following the pattern shown, using all map elements except 13.
• Choose where the players begin play (point A, B, C or D).

Victory conditions:

• eliminate 5 enemy units, or
• eliminate 3 squads (no unit remains in the squad).