AEGIS: Combining Robot Strategy Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Premise
• The Five Classes
• Combined Class Levels
• World of A.E.G.I.S.
  • Relic Robots
  • The Five Nations
  • Commanders
• Components
  • Robot Cards and Pieces
  • Board and Terrain Pieces
  • Energy Trackers and Energy Tokens
  • Damage / Drain Tokens
  • Reminder Tokens and Scrap Tokens
• Building Your Robot Team
• Robot Card Overview
  • Robot Card Schematic
• Standard Rules
  • Standard A.E.G.I.S. Game Materials
  • Starting a 2-Player Game
  • Tournament Rules
• Multiplayer Game - Free For All
  • Free For All Rules
• Multiplayer Game - Tag Team
  • Tag Team Rules
• Turn Order: Recharge Phase
• Turn Order: Action Phase
• Moving Robots!
  • Terrain - Movement Rules
• Attacking with Robots!
  • Friendly Fire
• Range and Line of Sight
  • Line of Sight Rules
• Action Types
  • Buffs and Debuffs
• Action Attributes
• Action Examples
• Passive Abilities
  • Abilities that say "Ally" and "Enemy"
• Combining Robots!
  • Combine Requirements
• High Tier Combining
  • Mode Change Combining
  • Scrap Combining
• Win Conditions
• Passive Ability Index
• Commander Ability Index
• Machineless Commander Abilities
• Combine Ability Index
• Advanced A.E.G.I.S.
  • Advanced A.E.G.I.S. Game Materials
  • Advanced A.E.G.I.S. Rules differences
• Machine Chess
  • Rules
• Point Control
  • Setting up the Board
  • Winning
  • Gaining Points
  • Sending in New Robots
• Combine Rondo
  • Creating your Team
• Drafting A.E.G.I.S.
  • How to Draft
  • Draft Combining

Premise

A.E.G.I.S. is a strategy game where you assemble a team of five fighting robots and do combat against the teams of other players. There are five different Classes of robot in the game. Each of these Classes has traits that separate them from one another! Within each Class are numerous sub-types, or Makes, that have specific functions in battle. It's up to you to find good synergy between the five robots you choose!

Each robot in your team of five produces and shares Energy with the other four robots, so building an efficient and balanced team is key!

Robots of certain Classes and Makes can combine to create more powerful, versatile robots, quickly altering your strategy or even turning the tide of battle!

Outwit your foe and destroy or incapacitate their team to win!

The Five Classes

The five Classes in A.E.G.I.S. are Assault, Evasive, Guard, Intel and Support.

• A-Class: Aggressive Attackers. Powerful, durable, and swift, Assault Class robots use melee attacks and guns to damage foes, and can increase the strength of nearby allies. Common Abilities: Melee, Overload, Critical.
• E-Class: Swift Scouts. With versatile movement and powerful bomb, missile, and machine gun attacks, Evasive Class robots can aid allies and quickly disrupt enemy tactics. Common Abilities: Flight, Evade, Parting Shot.
• G-Class: Sturdy Tanks. Guard Class robots are hard to destroy, and utilize ramming and heavy firepower to grapple with foes defending the rest of the team. Common Abilities: Push, Pull, Overload.
• I-Class: Tricky Technicians. With multi-faceted attack styles, Intel Class robots use a variety of lightning and energy abilities to snare, relocate, and weaken enemies. Common Abilities: Jamming, Critical, Evade.
• S-Class: Helpful Backliners. With high energy output and super-long-range laser and rocket attacks, Support Class robots can keep foes at bay while aiding and repairing other robots. Common Abilities: Repair, Reroll, Parting Shot.

Combined Class Levels

Robots of different Classes can combine into greater forms that share aspects of their components, gaining new powers and versatility. There are five robot Levels in the game:

• Level 1: Basic Robots. Robots that are A, E, G, I, or S-Class. In battle they rely on teamwork to be effective. Players pick five of these to form their Teams at the start of the game.
• Level 2: Duo-Class Robots. These and all subsequent levels are formed mid-battle by combining two of your robots together, such as an E and a G-Class robots.
• Level 3: Trio-Class Robots. These are powerful robots made by combining a Basic Level 1 robot with a Level 2 robot. They have access to more attacks and versatility, while also having the aid of allies.
• Level 4: Quadra-Class Robots. These robots are made by combining all but one Basic robot on your team. They are very powerful and self-sufficient, and play with unique strategies that are best when their ally is around.
• Level 5: AEGIS-Class Robots. When five different Classes come together, they can combine into a single, omni-functional form. These robots are devastating, yet difficult to command.

World of A.E.G.I.S.

The planet Sigaea is where the Five Nations War rages on. Two years ago, the Allied Provinces split from its mother country, the Empyreal Realm, in a fierce rebellion. Ultimately, they won their independence through the actions of the young hero Ainer, who awakened powerful dormant machines to fight with. This was the spark of a worldwide conflict, and now all five factions are vying to amass and further unlock the powers of these mysterious robots.

Relic Robots

Sigaea is split into five warring nations, all of which are dotted with mysterious, ancient, and well-armed robots, with origins dating from before the planet's colonization. Their true purpose long-forgotten, the machines are now used to wage battle and maintain territory, taking the place of more conventional implements of war. They operate on a circuit, only being able to activate in the vicinity of at least four other robots, and utilize a mysterious energy source they themselves produce.

Their miraculous bodies are made of a material that can self-repair and change shape, allowing them to unite into larger, more devastating forms. Those who control these squads of robots are humans of great natural talent known as Commanders.

The Five Nations

• A newly-independent mining nation in the northern mountainous regions of the continent. They rebelled against the Empyreal Realm and won, aggressively maintaining the border they fought for.
• The oldest and largest nation. It was the world superpower for many generations, but is now in steady decline. Nonetheless, they maintain far-reaching influence with a fervent and robust air force.
• The second-newest nation, originally formed by a seed of dissent sown by outsiders. Once it broke free from the Empyre, it quickly became vast and proud, but corruption and beauracracy keep it stagnant.
• An ancient nation with an isolationist culture. It utilizes infiltration forces and spies to manipulate the world at large and bolster its own prosperity. All inner-workings of this country are highly secretive.
• The smallest, yet most advanced nation in terms of both culture and technology, they control Sigaea's space elevator, watching over the world and policing international conflict to varying levels of success.

Commanders

Hailing from each nation are Commanders: those who are capable of forming a link with a squad of robots and controlling all of them in combat.

• Ainer: Reluctant hero of the Allied Provinces, clever guerrilla fighter, and the first to activate relic robots and use them in battle.
• Etwal: With supreme, unshakable pride, this master aviator dominates the skies. Third heir to the Empyreal Realm throne.
• Gamound: The unsung military genius of the Great States, he guards their chaotic western border day-in, day-out.
• Ixa: Known across the world and yet never seen, she is the Iris Dominion's shrewd and ruthless boogieman, dubbed the Prime Possessor.
• Stell: A passionate, yet naive Mediation Officer from the Sector Authority's global peacekeeping forces.
• Diane: Former master marksman of the Empyreal Realm, she defected and now aligns with no nation.
• Ryos: An independent warrior, criminal, and mercenary, an army and nation of one.
• Poppet: Once the duchess of a small country now destroyed by the Empyre, on a lone crusade to destroy as much as she can.

Components

Robot Cards and Pieces

There are 100 robots in the Core Set for A.E.G.I.S. and each one has a card and its corresponding piece. They are arranged on the included punchboards in the same order as the cards in the decks. Also included are 30 stands in 6 colors. When you play, the five robot pieces you start with are placed in five stands of a single color.

Board and Terrain Pieces

The board in the game is double-sided, with a 2-player side (greenery) and a 4-player side (snow field). Terrain Pieces: There are 28 included terrain tiles to customize the battlefield. There is a default terrain arrangement on each side of the board, indicated by the colored cracks in the ground.

Energy Trackers and Energy Tokens

There are 13 double-sided Energy trackers, representing 18 Commanders and an alternate game mode, Point Control.

Damage / Drain Tokens

Use to track damage on robots.

Reminder Tokens and Scrap Tokens

Use to track other abilities and effects.

Building Your Robot Team

Each robot has a robot card and a game piece that are needed to play. The game centers around building teams of these robots. There are also pre-built teams in the box based around various Commanders.

A Robot Team is comprised of five Basic robots and up to 5 combined robots. A Team can be made of any robots, except:

1. No Team may contain any duplicate robots. (Only one of each name. Ex.: only one SNO-100, and only one SNO-400, but both of these SNO robots may be on the same Team.)
2. Only one Faction may be used on a Team. Faction is indicated on the top-left of the robot's card. Robots without a Faction are Neutral, and can be used on any Team, including ones with a Faction.
3. There can be only one Commander Robot per Team. Commander robots are indicated by a gold card frame and Commander Robot subtitle. You don't have to use a Commander.
4. Robots in a sideboard follow the same rules.

In addition to choosing your five Robot team, you can also have a Combine Pool, which is comprised of Level 2 and higher robots you want to combine into during a battle. You can have up to five combined robots in your Combine Pool. Your Combine Pool is kept off the play area.

Having a Combine Pool isn't mandatory, but it will give you extra options during battle.

Robot Card Overview

Each robot in A.E.G.I.S. is represented by a robot card. Robot Cards display all important information about the specific robot. These cards tell you everything about what the robot can do and are kept off the game play area, and should be viewable by both players at any time.

Robot Card Schematic

1. Class: Class and robot level.
2. Movement Value: How far a robot can move in a turn.
3. Energy Output: How many Energy Points the robot gives to the rest of the team.
4. Robot Name: Made up of a Make (the letters) and a Model Number. The Model Number sets a robot apart from others of the same Make.
5. Integrity: The amount of Damage the robot can take before being destroyed. Commonly referred to as "HP".
6. Passive Abilities: Special skills that can change how a robot plays.
7. Actions: Attacks and skills the robot can use on other robots.
8. Faction Emblem: Which Faction the robot belongs to, if any. Robots aligned to Factions have access to certain special abilities and can't exist on the same team as other Faction robots.

Standard Rules

Standard A.E.G.I.S. is played between two players on a Hex Grid Battlefield Board, where movement and attacks of player robots are based on numbers of hexagonal spaces.

Standard A.E.G.I.S. Game Materials

1. An A.E.G.I.S. Hex Grid Battlefield Board
2. Two Teams (five Basic Robot cards and their pieces)
3. Both players' Combine Pools' cards and pieces
4. An Energy Tracker for each player
5. Several 6-sided dice for attacking
6. Damage Counters (or extra dice) to track robots' Integrity
7. Terrain Pieces

Starting a 2-Player Game

1. Both players have a team of 5 Basic robots, and an optional Combine Pool deck kept off to the side.
2. Place up to 10 pieces of normal terrain. Terrain can't be placed in Start Zones or within 2 hexes of a Start Zone.
3. Roll dice. High roll goes first. That player puts their robots in their Start Zone first, followed by player 2, and then player 1 takes the first turn. Start Zones are on the corners of the board.
4. On the first turn, players cannot target enemy robots.

A player wins when one of these conditions are met:

1. All of their opponent's robots are destroyed.
2. Their opponent cannot produce 5 or more total energy at the start of their turn.
3. The opponent can no longer deal damage, energy drain, push, or pull.

Tournament Rules

1. Official games of A.E.G.I.S. are played in best 2 out of 3 matches.
2. Sideboards: Players have seven basic robots, and then use five in a game. The other two are a player's sideboard. Players can switch out basic robots between games, after the first game. Matches start by showing all seven robots to the opponent, followed by secretly picking five of your seven to play with.

Multiplayer Game - Free For All

A multiplayer game of A.E.G.I.S. is played with 3 to 4 players on the side of the board that has four start zones, or on the 6-Player Mat (sold separately). It follows the rules of a standard game, but with a few noted exceptions listed below.

Free For All Rules

1. Roll dice. High roll goes first. That player puts their robots in their Start Zone first, placement continuing clockwise around the board. Then player 1 takes the first turn, followed clockwise by player 2, 3, 4, and so on back to player 1.
2. Opponents' robots cannot be targeted until each player has completed a full turn.

The game proceeds as normal until all but one player is eliminated. Player elimination occurs when:

1. All of a player's robots are destroyed.
2. A player can no longer take any action.

• Unlike standard games, players in 3+ player games may keep playing as long as they can use Actions, regardless of Energy Output. However, if only one player produces 5 or more energy, that player wins the game at the start of their turn.

Multiplayer Game - Tag Team

A tag team game of A.E.G.I.S. is played when two or more players play together against other teams of equal numbers of players. It is played on the side of the board that has four start zones, or on the 6-Player Mat (sold separately).

Tag Team Rules

1. Roll dice. High roll goes first (Team A). The winners can choose any two start zones on the map, followed by Team B.
2. Turn order alternates. Player 1 from Team B gets to move first, followed by player 1 from Team A. Then player 2 from Team B, and finally player 2 from Team A.
3. Opponents' robots cannot be targeted until each player has completed a full turn.
4. Teammates can combine their robots. The team decides which player controls the combined robot (and whose Energy Pool it adds energy to). You cannot combine with a teammate's robot if it would make their total energy output fall below 5. You also can't Scrap Combine with your teammate's robots.

Player elimination occurs when:

1. All of a player's robots are destroyed.
2. A player can no longer take any action. Players in tag team may keep playing even if below 5 energy, or unable to attack, as long as they can still perform actions.

A team wins the game when:

1. The opposing team has no robots.
2. The opposing team can't deal damage, energy damage, push, or pull.
3. Neither player on the opposing team can produce 5 or more energy at the start of their turn.

Turn Order: Recharge Phase

Each turn of the game is separated into two phases:

• The Recharge Phase: where your active robots generate Energy Points into your Energy Pool.
• The Action Phase: where your robots Activate and use those Energy Points to move and attack other robots. The turn ends when you have used all your Energy or available Actions.

Each Recharge Phase, reset your Energy Tracker to 0 and then add up the Energy Output symbols in the top-right corner of each robot card you have active on the board. Place your Energy Marker on that number on the Energy Tracker. This is your Energy Pool, the maximum Energy you may use each turn.

• Robots without pieces on the board do not generate Energy. Make sure to recount your Energy at the start of each turn if your robots have changed. Use the Max Energy Token as a reminder of what your starting Energy is each turn.
• Any Energy Points not used on your turn remain in your Energy Pool, and don't disappear until the start of your next turn.
• If a player's robots cannot produce 5 or more total Energy during the Recharge Phase, that player loses the game.

Turn Order: Action Phase

During the Action Phase, you Activate robots, allowing them to move and perform Actions by consuming Energy Points. Each of your robots Activates one by one in any order. Once a robot is done acting, you can't Activate it again until next turn.

Each robot's Activation works like this:

1. Choose a bot. Choose one robot to activate.
2. Move it. You have the option of moving your robot by spending 1 Energy Point per hex.
3. Take action. Take an Action or Combine (Pg. 27) with another robot. Pay Energy to do these things. Robots can only use one of its Actions or Combine. Robots can not move after using an Action.
4. Repeat. Repeat steps 1-3 until you run out of Energy in your Pool, or, when every robot on your team has activated. Once this is done, it's then the opponent's turn.

Moving Robots!

Each robot has a movement value that tells you how far you can move its game piece around the battlefield. When you move a robot, you can move it up to its maximum movement value in hexes.

Robots with the Flight and Jet passive abilities have special markers next to their movement value to remind you that they have those abilities.

For each hex moved, you must spend 1 Energy Point from your Energy Pool. If you don't have enough energy to continue moving, you must stop. Robots may not move over or through terrain.

Terrain - Movement Rules

The battlefield in A.E.G.I.S. contains terrain, either via the default terrain or terrain pieces that are placed before the game starts. Robots without Flight or Jet cannot move through terrain. No robot can end its movement on a terrain piece.

Attacking with Robots!

Get in range, Roll dice, Deal damage!

Each robot in the game has between one and three Actions that represent various attacks and abilities they can perform by paying energy and rolling 6-sided dice.

• Each Action represents something the robot can do, from shooting guns to repairing allies, etc. Each Action may only be used once per turn unless stated otherwise.
• Robots may use only one Action per turn, by spending Energy and rolling an equal number of dice. For each die rolled, you must spend 1 Energy Point from your Energy Pool.
• Each Basic robot has up to two Actions on their card, while Level 3 and higher robots have up to three.

Actions are read left to right: Cost. Accuracy. Power. Range. Attributes.

1. Cost: How much Energy you pay and how many 6-sided dice you roll.
2. Accuracy: You are trying to roll this number or higher on the dice.
3. Power and Type: How strong the action is and what it does. Aside from Damage, there are several other Action types.
4. Range: How many hexes away the Action can target.
5. Attributes: These keywords modify Actions in various ways.

When using an Action, follow these steps:

1. Look at the range. One icon: how far an attack can hit a single target. Another icon: how far an attack can hit every robot around the user.
2. Pay the cost. How much energy you pay and how many 6-sided dice you roll.
3. Look at the accuracy. Each die that lands on this number or above is a success. Alternatively (the "all dice" accuracy icon): all dice must land on this number or above for the Action to succeed once.
4. Power (deal damage, etc). For each time the Action succeeds, it will apply that effect. This determines whether the attack does damage, repairs, pushes, etc.
5. Note the attributes. These modify the Action in different ways.
6. Resolve. The Action is over and the effects are applied to the target.

Friendly Fire

Actions you use in the game affect robots indiscriminately, so pay attention to your targets!

Range and Line of Sight

Action range determines what other robots are affected by Actions. There are three types of range value:

• Distance: This Action can target a robot up to this many hexes away. Robots can't target empty spaces.
• Radius: This Action affects all robots within this many hexes, unless there is terrain in the way (see Line of Sight rules below). Does not count as targeting a robot, and ignores Evasion.
• Distance & Radius: This Action targets a robot within a certain number of hexes and then affects it and all other robots a certain number of hexes around the target. Robots can't target empty spaces. You still only roll dice once as normal.

Line of Sight Rules

Most Actions are restricted by Line of Sight, which determines if an attacking robot can "see" its target. You have a clear line of sight if there are no terrain pieces or robots between the attacking robot and its target. You determine line of sight by drawing a line from the center of the attacking robot's hex to the center of the target's hex.

Action Types

Actions can have a variety of effects on other robots. The Action Power determines how strong each effect is, while the Action Type symbol determines what it does.

• Damage: Reduces the affected robots' Integrity equal to the Action Power. When a robot has 0 integrity, it is destroyed. (Track damage with damage counters.)

• Repair: Increases the targets' Integrity equal to the Action Power. Integrity can't go higher than the printed number on the target's card.

• Energy Drain: Reduces affected robots' Energy Output permanently, equal to the Action Power. (Track lost Energy Output with drain counters.)

  • If the target produces no Energy, this Action does damage instead.
  • Energy Drain counts as a type of damage and is affected by various buffs and debuffs similar to Damage Actions.

• Push and Pull: Actions push or pull affected robots in a straight line away from or towards the user in hexes equal to the Action Power.

  • Robots pushed off the board are destroyed.
  • If a robot is pushed or pulled into another robot or terrain, the robots involved take damage equal to half the remaining distance, rounded down.

• Move: Action moves each affected robot hexes equal to the Action Power in any direction.

  • Robots do not take collision damage and cannot be pushed off the board using this Action.
  • Robots cannot be moved through other robots or terrain with this ability.

Buffs and Debuffs

Actions that increase or decrease a certain stat of the affected robots. These changes last until the user's next Recharge Phase. A robot may have more than one buff or debuff affecting it at one time.

• Accuracy Up/Down: This Action makes targets become more or less accurate. Affected robots have all their Accuracy values reduced/increased by this Action's power. (An attack buffed by 1 would need to roll 1 lower to succeed on all dice rolled, and an attack debuffed by 1 would need to roll 1 higher). Accuracy values can never go above 6 or below 1.

• Damage Up/Down: This Action makes targets more/less powerful. Affected robots deal additional/less Damage, Energy Drain equal to this Action's Power if their Actions succeed at least once. (This is a one-time effect per Action, applied to the total damage dealt.)

• Defense Up/Down: This Action makes affected targets take less Damage or Energy Drain. After being hit with an action, the affected robot will receive less/more Damage or Drain equal to this Action's Power.

• Evasion Up/Down: This Action makes affected targets harder/easier to hit. Robots targeting the buffed robot must roll higher/lower on all dice an amount equal to this Action's Power. (This applies to ally robots' abilities as well.) Accuracy values can never go above 6 or below 1.

• A robot with an Evasion buff is basically the same as having 'Evade X'. Evasion buffs and Evasion passive abilities stack.

Action Attributes

• Anti-Air: This Action adds 1 additional damage to the total damage dealt if it hits a robot with Flight.
• Anti-Air 2: This Action adds 2 additional damage to the total damage dealt if it hits a robot with Flight.
• Aimed: This Action is unaffected by buffs and debuffs. (It always does exactly what it says it does.)
• Arcing: This Action can hit any target within its Distance Value from the user, not requiring line of sight.
• Critical: This Action's Power is increased by 1 for each 6 rolled.
• Disarm: Targets affected by this Action can't use Actions until the start of your next turn. Level 3 and higher robots can't be Disarmed.
• Force: Treat this Action as if it were also a Push Action. Deal damage as normal before pushing the target.
• Heavy: This Action can't be used if the user has moved during its Activation.
• Laser: This Action has infinite range, and gains Piercing if the there are multiple robots lined up in a straight hex line. Actions with Laser and Arcing don't pierce, however.
• Light: This Action can be used before or after moving or before or after using another Action.
• Melee: This Action only affects targets adjacent to the user.

Action Examples

• Pay 3 energy, roll 3 dice. Each one that's a 3 or above deals 1 damage. This attack can hit any single robot up to 3 spaces away.
• Pay 2 energy, roll 2 dice. They both need to land on 2 or better to deal 1 damage to all robots (ally and enemy) within 3 spaces of the user, unless they're behind terrain. This attack doesn't target anything, so it will ignore passive abilities like Evade.
• Pay 3 energy, roll 3 dice. They all have to land on 2 or better to drop a robot's evasion by 1 (all Actions targeting that robot after this one have +1 Accuracy until your next turn). It can target any robot within 8 spaces, including behind other bots and obstacles due to Arcing.
• This Action has Heavy, so you can't use it if the robot has moved itself this turn. Pay 5 energy, roll 5 dice. Each one that's a 5 or above deals 1 damage. This attack can target any single robot between 4 and 10 spaces away. The damage will also be dealt to all robots within 2 spaces of the target.

Passive Abilities

Some robots also have Passive Abilities. These can alter how they move or attack, or give other additional skills.

Passive Abilities are found in normal text at the bottom of certain robots, and often have a reminder for what they do. Most of them passively affect how a robot plays, like allowing extra Movement or Actions, but some can also be activated. There are also two kinds of special Passive Abilities: Combine Abilities and Commander Abilities.

Combine Abilities are in green text.

• All Level 2 and higher robots have either a Combine Action or Combine Ability, so the action of combining has an immediate strategic payoff.
• These trigger when the Robot comes into play after Combining. They trigger only once.

Commander Abilities are in gold text.

• These are abilities that often affect other ally robots, or even your entire team. They come attached to specific robots represented by Commander characters.
• There can only be one robot across your entire team (including your sideboard) with a Commander Ability.

Abilities that say "Ally" and "Enemy"

• "Ally" refers to any robot used by you or a teammate, including itself.
• "Enemy" refers to any robot used by an opponent.

Combining Robots!

1. You must have a Combined robot capable of being made by the two robots (see Combine Requirements below).
2. The two robots you are combining must be within 1 hex of each other.
3. Pay Energy equal to the Energy Output of the bot you are combining into.
4. Remove the two pieces, and put the new robot piece in either space where they were standing.
5. Now you have a powerful new ally on your team with full Integrity.
6. It can't move or attack this turn, but can trigger its Combine Abilities and has full Integrity.

Rules:

1. Combining counts as using an Action.
2. Combine Actions or Combine Abilities trigger immediately and cost no Energy.
3. Damage, buffs, debuffs, restrain, etc do not carry over to Combined robots.
4. Reminder: You cannot de-combine.

Combine Requirements

• To figure out if you can make a Combine Robot, look at its Class and Make. If it's an AG-Class robot, it needs an A and a G-Class as components. If the AG-Class is named Ark-2500, then then a A-Class making it needs to also have the Ark Make. The Make of the G-Class doesn't matter.
• Level 2 and higher Commander Robots can only be made by lower-level versions of the same Commander.

High Tier Combining

Only two robots can Combine at a time. A Level 2 robot is made up of two Basic (Level 1) robots. A Level 3 robot has to be made from a Level 2 and a Basic, etc.

A level 2 robot named "GAN-2000" made from a "GAN-100" and an "EXCEL-100" counts as both a GAN and an EXCEL if it combines up to a Level 3. Keep track of this by putting the Robot Cards of the lower level robots underneath the Combined Robot.

Mode Change Combining

Two robots don't always have to make up the sum of their parts. For example, an AEG robot and an IS robot can combine to make an AES, or an AEGS. You can't combine into something smaller than the largest component however, such as an ES. You also can't combine an ES with a G to make another ES - it could only become a EG, GS or EGS.

Scrap Combining

Scrap Combining is an optional rule that allows you to combine with one of your destroyed Basic robots. This rule is for new players and best-of-one matches as opposed to best 2-of-3.

At the start of the game, each player receives a single Scrap Token, and spends it when they Scrap Combine. Scrap Combining costs the same as normal combining, but the still-functioning robot on the board can't move or use Actions the turn it Scrap Combines. When you Scrap Combine, the robot piece on the board is replaced with the combined robot's piece.

Win Conditions

When the players' robots are on the battlefield and attacking each other, performing amazing feats of teamwork and combining, the game will inevitably come to end. There are three ways to win a standard game of A.E.G.I.S.:

1. Destroy all of your opponent's robots. At the end of any turn, if a player no longer has any robots on the field, that player loses the game. If neither player has any robots on the field at the end of a turn, the game is a draw.
2. Reduce your opponent's energy output by either destroying their robots, or directly removing their energy with special Actions. A player loses the game if they can't produce 5 or more Energy Points at the start of their turn.
3. Remove all damaging ability. At the end of any turn, if a player doesn't have any robots on the field that can cause Damage, Energy Drain, Push, or Pull, that player loses the game. If this is the case for both players, the game is a draw.

Then, reset and play again!

Passive Ability Index

These abilities are found on multiple robots in the game, often on specific Classes.

• Beacon: Any enemy Action that can target this robot must target it. If there are two robots with Beacon in range, the attacker chooses which to target.
• Cloaking X: Instead of acting with or moving this robot, you may pay X and move it up to X hexes. Until your next turn, it cannot use Actions or be targeted. A Cloaked robot blocks line of sight as normal.
• Combat Drop: You may start with this robot off the battlefield. At the end of any of your turns except your first, you may put it into play on any hex that is 5 or more hexes away from enemy robots. Robots off the board do not generate Energy.
• Double-Move: This robot has an extra Movement phase when it Activates, and it can also move after using Actions.
• Evade X: All Actions targeting this robot have their Accuracy values increased by X. Accuracy values cannot go above 6.
• Energy Siphon: If this robot deals Energy Drain to an enemy robot, add that amount of Energy to your Energy Pool. (Not your max, just your current Energy.)
• Flight: Robot can move over terrain and other robots unimpeded. It cannot end its turn on terrain or other robots. Flying robots can't naturally shoot over terrain.
• Infinity Melee: Each time this robot takes 1 or more damage from an enemy, increase its Energy Output by 3.
• Jamming X: You may pay up to X Energy to have an enemy reroll up to X dice after they use an Action against your robot. Can be used each time the robot is targeted as long as you have Energy.
• Jet X: This robot has Flight. It moves X hexes for each Energy spent to move it. (A robot with 3 Movement and Jet 3 can move 9 hexes for 3 Energy.)

Commander Ability Index

Each of these abilities is specific to a Commander and their robot(s).

• Ambuscade: Your robots gain Reroll 1 until end of turn if they target an enemy with full Integrity and Energy Output.
• Arrest Mandate: Your robots gain Reroll 1 until end of turn if they target an enemy that has already been targeted by an ally this turn.
• Benevolence: Your robots gain Reroll 1 until end of turn if they target an ally.
• Dread Salvage: Before your Recharge Phase, if this robot is destroyed you may deal 2 damage to an ally to put this robot into play adjacent to that robot.
• Eminence: Your Energy Pool doesn't empty each turn. Your Energy Pool cannot exceed 25.
• First Pilot: The first robot you use an Action with on your turn gains Reroll 1 until end of turn.
• Gordo's Wild Shield: If this robot would take damage, you may instead deal that much damage to another one of your robots.
• Lone Crusade: If there are no allies within 2 hexes of this robot, it takes 1 less damage from incoming Actions.
• Magnificence: This robot gains 1 Energy Output, 1 Movement, and 1 Integrity for each destroyed ally robot. Combined robots count as multiple destroyed robots. Each destroyed robot only counts once, even if you use them to Scrap Combine and they're destroyed again.
• Nakama System: Your robots can combine from up to 3 hexes away from one another. This ability persists if the robot combines.
• Whenever a die you roll is unsuccessful, add 2 Energy to your Energy Pool.

Machineless Commander Abilities

Machineless Commanders are pilots without designated robots, and instead, their abilities can be added to Basic robots. Each ability is represented by a Machineless Commander card. You equip these abilities before each game starts and during game-play all the same rules apply to them as normal Commander abilities.

• Mirror Match: Equippable on Assault robots. This robot loses all Action Attributes. Whenever it targets an enemy, it gains AIMED if that robot has AIMED. The same is true for CRITICAL, PIERCING, RESTRAIN, and/or DISARM. This ability persists if this robot combines.
• Wallflower: Equippable on Evasive robots. As long as your robots are adjacent to terrain, they have Jamming 1.
• Undaunted: Equippable on Guard robots. Once per turn, if this robot fails any dice rolls, choose one: Move up to 3 spaces, add 2 Energy to your Energy Pool, or repair 1 Integrity.
• Propaganda: Equippable on Iris Dominion (purple) factioned robots. At the end of your turn, you may have an enemy robot get -1 Accuracy until your next Recharge Phase. This does not target, meaning it can affect Cloaked robots, etc.
• Optimize: Equippable on Support robots. Whenever you combine, add 3 Energy to your Energy Pool. This ability persists if this robot combines.

Combine Ability Index

• Blitz: After this robot combines, it may move in a straight line up to its maximum Movement Value for free.
• Detonator: After this robot combines, it deals 2 damage to all enemies in a 2-hex radius. Doesn't affect allies.
• Capture: After this robot combines, any target robot cannot move until after your next Recharge Phase.
• Flicker: After this robot combines, you may move it up to its maximum movement for free. Then, enemies adjacent to it can't use Actions next turn.
• Ignition: After this robot combines, it may move and use Actions immediately. Pay Energy as normal.
• Refuel: After this robot combines, it immediately adds its Energy Output to your Energy Pool.
• Ultrablitz: After this robot combines, you may move your other robots up to their maximum Movement Value for free.
• Vanish: After this robot combines, it can't be targeted or take damage until your next Recharge Phase.

Advanced A.E.G.I.S.

Advanced A.E.G.I.S. is played like a traditional wargame, where distances for movement and action range are measured in inches with a ruler or tape measure. Playing this way allows for more free-form movement and attacking, along with the ability to play on very large surfaces with no cap on the number of players!

Advanced A.E.G.I.S. Game Materials

1. Your team (five Basic Robot Cards and their pieces, along with your Combine Pool's cards and pieces) and an opponent with the same.
2. A square or rectangular space, ideally at least 2' x 2'.
3. A ruler or tape measure.
4. All standard amounts of dice and tracking tokens.
5. Optional: Any number of terrain pieces with placement agreed on by both players, etc.

Advanced A.E.G.I.S. Rules differences

1. All in-game numbers related to hexes are treated as meaning inches. This means movement, range, radius, pushing, pulling, etc.
2. Start Zones are 12" in radius, measured from the corner or edge of the play space. Robots can be placed anywhere in this space. Players should start as opposite each other as possible.
3. Piercing Actions are no longer bound to a grid and affect all lined-up robots as long as the line touches their bases.

Machine Chess

Machine Chess is a variant on a standard game of A.E.G.I.S. It's similar to a standard game, but instead of moving all five robots during your turn, you move one robot at a time in an alternating fashion.

Players move their robots one at at a time in alternating order. Once a robot has Activated, it can't activate again. After all robots on the board have Activated, all players' Energy Pools recharge simultaneously in a shared Recharge Phase.

Rules

At the start of the game, player 1 gets the Player 1 Token. This token is passed to the next player after each Recharge Phase, and that player activates the first robot of the round.

Buffs, Debuffs, and other "until end of turn" effects last until the next Recharge Phase.

Players with fewer robots than the opponent may pass their turn. However, as long as the opponent has at least one robot that hasn't activated, you can't move two robots in the same turn. You can only move multiple robots in succession if the opponent passes their turn in between.

The game proceeds as normal and has the same win conditions as a standard game.

Point Control

A Point Control game of A.E.G.I.S. is very different from normal play, and uses a Victory Point system to achieve victory, where players use their robots to battle and claim territory on the board. Points are tracked via the reverse side of the Energy Trackers. Both players have a team of 8 basic robots, in addition to their optional combine deck.

Setting up the Board

At the start of the game, place 3 of the large hex terrain plates with the reverse side facing up. These are the Control Points and can't be placed within 6 spaces of a start zone. Robots can walk on them as normal.

Then place 8 other terrain pieces with the reverse sides featuring the blue circles. These are Entry Points where new robots are put into play. The optimum number of Entry Points on the battlefield is 6. Robots cannot move or attack through them, like normal terrain, and once a newly entered robot moves off of one, they can't move back onto them.

Winning

The first player to reach 14 or more points wins, as long as they have at least 2 more points than the opponent (otherwise, continue). If a player has no more robots, the game ends and points are tallied.

Gaining Points

In this mode, players can score points via several methods:

• At the start of your turn, add 1 point for each Level (letter) of your robots on a Control Point. You don't gain any points if an opponent's robot is also on the same Control Point.
• 1 Point: Destroy an opponent's robot, or reduce its Energy Output to 0. Then, if it's a combined robot, gain points equal to its Level.
• 1 Point: Combine into a level 2 or 3 robot.
• 1 Point: Destroy multiple robots (ally or enemy) at once.
• 2 Points: Combine into a level 4 or 5 robot.
• 3 Points: Your opponent doesn't have 5 or more energy at the start of their turn, or has no robots in play, or has no actions that deal damage, energy damage, or push.

Sending in New Robots

Entry Points allow you to bring in your 3 extra robots under certain conditions. At the start of your turn, after your recharge phase, If you have less than 5 total levels of active robots on the board, you may place your extra robots on entry points until you have a maximum of 5 total levels of active robots in play. These robots then add their Energy Output to your pool. They move and act as normal.

(The manual includes a board set-up example with 3 Control Points and 4 Entry Points.)

Combine Rondo

Combine Rondo is a game mode where you can use combined robots right from the get-go! It can be played in conjunction with multiplayer and Machine Chess. In this mode, you have an alloted amount of Unite Points, which you use to create your team. This mode allows for crazy combinations and maxed out destructive force.

Creating your Team

You have 9 Unite Points to use when creating your five robot team. This counts towards the robots you start with, and not your Combine Pool. Each robot is worth an amount of Unite Points equal to their Level (number of letters in their Class.) You may use Combined Robots in your starting team. In this game mode, you could use a team made up of three Level 3 robots, or four Level 2 robots and a Basic, et cetera.

Players can still combine in this game mode, and may have up to three combined robots in their Combine Pool.

Drafting A.E.G.I.S.

Experienced players can draft robot teams and battle! This mode is for 4 to 6 players. Players build teams from cards drafted from decks passed from player to player.

How to Draft

1. Separate all Combined Robots in one deck and all Basic Robots in a second deck. In 4-Player, also put all Basic Commander robots and Machineless Commander cards in a third deck.
2. Shuffle the Commander Deck and deal 2 Commanders to each player, keeping them secret from others. In 6-Player, this deck doesn't exist and all these Commander cards are in the Basic Robot Deck instead.
3. Shuffle the Combined Robot Deck and deal 5 face-down Combine Cards to each player. They keep these secret from other players too.
4. Shuffle the Basic Robot Deck and deal 10 robots to each player.
5. Draft! Players choose 1 Basic robot and pass the rest clockwise. Until each player has 10 Basic Robot cards.
6. Players build a team of 5 Basic Robots as normal, the other basic Robots are the player's sideboard if multiple games are played.

Draft Combining

Players can Combine without matching robot Make Names in a Draft Game. You also disregard Commander names and Factions, but you can't have more than one Commander robot at a time. Three or more adjacent robots can also combine simultaneously by paying 10 energy.