Агенты: Щит и меч (Agents: Shield and Sword) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Game Setup
  • Setup for 4 Players
  • Differences in Setup for 3 Players
• Goal of the Game
• Control of a Region or Sector
• Secret Missions
• Game Round
• Phases of a Game Round
  • 1. Check of Victory Conditions
  • 2. Infiltration
  • 3. Deployment
  • 4. Operation
    • Types of Operations
  • 5. Operational Summary
• Example of a Game Round
• Agent Cards
• Description of Cards
• End of the Game
• Special Abilities of the Intelligence Services Mode
• Two-Player Game Mode
  • Setup for 2 Players
  • Differences in Rules

Game Components

• Agent cards - 20 (face / back "AGENT")
• Mission cards (Secret Missions) - 10 (face / back "MISSION")
• Player boards - 4
• Bags for Agent tokens - 4
• Finance tokens - 28
• Region cards - 7:
  • Home Region cards - 4 (Western Europe, Middle East, North America, USSR)
  • Neutral Region cards - 3 (Australia and Oceania, South America, Africa)
• Agent tokens (each intelligence service has its own colour; tokens have a face and a back with the service emblem):
  • Operative tokens - 64 (16 for each intelligence service)
  • Informant tokens - 32 (8 for each intelligence service)
  • Diplomat tokens - 32 (8 for each intelligence service)
• Influence tokens - 20 (Third World Countries, USSR, North America, Middle East, Western Europe, Australia and Oceania, "Successful Liquidation"; plus Sector tokens)

Game Setup

Setup for 3 and 4 players is described below in two subsections. The rules for 2 players are on page 14 (see "Two-Player Game").

Setup for 4 Players

1. Each player chooses the intelligence service they will play and takes the components of the corresponding colour: the player board, Agent tokens and the Influence token of the home Region. Each player also takes 1 bag for Agent tokens.
2. Lay the Region cards in the centre of the table so that they form 3 Sectors:
   • Western Sector - "North America" and "Western Europe",
   • Eastern Sector - "Middle East" and "USSR",
   • Third World Countries Sector - "South America", "Africa", "Australia and Oceania".
3. Lay out the Influence tokens of the remaining Region cards and the Influence tokens of the Sectors as shown in the picture (the Sector token is placed above its Sector; the Region's Influence token lies on the Region card).
4. Each player receives 3 Finance tokens.
5. Place the Diplomat and Operative tokens with the dark background face up to the left of the player board, so that everyone can see how many Diplomats and Operatives you have left.
6. Turn the Operative and Informant tokens with the light background face down and shuffle them. The shuffled Operative and Informant tokens are the player's Agent reserve for the Infiltration phase.
7. Each player has their own home Region; it corresponds to the player's colour. Randomly take 3 tokens from your Agent reserve, look at them and, without showing them to the other players, place them face down on any city spaces of your home Region. The city names exist so that players can more easily remember the location and movements of Agent tokens.

Now everything is ready to begin the game!

Differences in Setup for 3 Players

Setup for three players is the same, except for step 2, step 10 and step 12.

2. Place on the table the home Regions of the intelligence services participating in this game. These Regions are combined into the Northern Sector (instead of the Western and Eastern Sectors). The Third World Countries Sector is the same as in the 4-player game.
3. Check that you did everything correctly: after steps 7, 8 and 9 you should have 8 face-down tokens left in your Agent reserve. Place them to the left of the player board. They are the turn counter. When all players have run out of tokens in their Agent reserve, the last player finishes the round, and then the end of the game occurs.
4. Remove from the Secret Mission deck the card with the Region not participating in the game and return it to the box. Shuffle the cards thoroughly. Each player receives two Secret Mission cards and chooses one of them. A player may not take a Secret Mission card that matches their home Region.

Goal of the Game

Have 5 or more Victory Points at the start of your turn, or have the most Victory Points after the game ends because the tokens in the Agent reserves have run out.

Control of a Region or Sector

Each Region or Sector controlled by a player brings them Victory Points.

To control a Region, you must have more Agents in it than any other player.

Agents come in three types: Diplomats, Operatives and Informants. Although they have different properties, they are equal in their influence on a Region/Sector.

Control of a Sector is determined by the total number of the player's Agents in the Regions belonging to that Sector. It is not necessary to control the Regions of that Sector.

Example (Eastern Sector): The purple player controls the Region "Middle East" but does not control the Region "USSR". In total in the two Regions he has 4 Agent tokens, which is more than the other players, so he also controls the Eastern Sector.

For controlling a Region or Sector you receive 1 Victory Point (VP).

If several players have an equal number of Agents in a Region/Sector, nobody controls this Region/Sector and nobody receives Victory Points for it.

If the Influence token was held by a player and the number of Agents became equal, the Influence token must be returned to the playing area. If the advantage in the number of Agents passed to another player, the Influence token is passed to that player.

Secret Missions

A Secret Mission card shows a Region; if you control it at the end of the game, you receive 1 additional Victory Point.

The Secret Mission deck has 10 cards. For the Regions "USSR", "North America", "Middle East" and "Western Europe" there is 1 card each. For the Regions "South America", "Africa" and "Australia and Oceania" there are 2 cards each.

At the start of the game each player receives two Secret Mission cards. From these cards the player chooses one and keeps it, returning the other to the deck. A player cannot take a Secret Mission card that shows their home Region.

Other players must not know what is on your Secret Mission card. Only at the end of the game must you reveal your Secret Mission card so the other players can verify that it was fulfilled.

If at the start of your turn you have 5 VP, counting the Secret Mission, show your Secret Mission card to the other players. You have won!

Game Round

The game is divided into rounds, each of which, in turn, is divided into 5 phases. A player's turn proceeds in strict sequence:

1. Check of victory conditions.
2. Infiltration - throw your Agent token into an opponent's bag.
3. Deployment - place an Agent token from your bag onto the board.
4. Operation - choose one of the types of operations.
5. Operational Summary - check of control of Regions/Sectors, distribution of Influence tokens and use of some Agent cards.

All phases, except Operation, are mandatory. After all 5 phases are completed, the turn passes to the next player clockwise.

Phases of a Game Round

1. Check of Victory Conditions

If at the start of this phase a player has 5 or more Victory Points, the game ends and this player wins.

What can earn Victory Points?

• Control of a Region - 1 VP.
• Control of a Sector - 1 VP.
• Completing a Secret Mission - 1 VP.
• Each Successful Liquidation - 1/2 VP.

2. Infiltration

Without looking and without showing anyone, the player puts a token from their Agent reserve into an opponent's bag. The player chooses whose intelligence network they will infiltrate with their Agent.

Once per round, by paying 1 Finance token, the player may additionally infiltrate one of their face-up Operatives into the bag of the same opponent.

3. Deployment

The player draws one Agent token from their own bag and places it in any Region of their choice. The player cannot predict which Agent token they will draw - their own or an opponent's. After drawing an Agent token from the bag, the player may look (without showing the others) at which Agent it is: Operative or Informant. The player then places the Agent token on any empty city space in any Region, thereby activating the Region.

IMPORTANT! The Region into which you place the Agent token in the Deployment phase is considered the active Region, and it is in this Region that you must conduct the Operation.

Once per round, by paying an additional 2 Finance tokens, the player may place 1 Diplomat in this same Region. Diplomats are placed in a special zone (the Diplomat zone at the top of the Region card).

NOTE: City spaces and Diplomat zones do not limit the number of Agents that can be in a Region. If there are more Agent tokens than city spaces, the player may place their Agent next to a city space. If the space in the Diplomat zone has run out, place the Diplomat token next to it.

If there are no Agents in the bag, the player places an Operative face down. If the player has run out of all their Operatives, they take their Diplomat token and place it in the Diplomat zone of the chosen Region. If the player has neither Diplomats nor Operatives left, they must perform a Transit of their Agent into the Region that they want to activate (the probability of such a situation is extremely small).

4. Operation

There are 4 types of Operations. The player may choose 1 type of Operation and perform it in the active Region. To perform an Operation, its conditions must be met. The player may decline to conduct an Operation and skip this phase.

Types of Operations

Financing

Receive 1 Finance token for each Agent token of your colour in the active Region. All types of Agents are counted, including Diplomats.

Conditions: there must be at least 1 of your Agents in the Region.

Reconnaissance

Look at up to 3 of any Agents in the active Region.

The player chooses face-down Agent tokens (the tokens may belong to different players) and looks at what is depicted on them, then returns the Agent tokens to the city spaces of the same cities. You may not swap the positions of the tokens or show them to other players.

Conditions: there must be at least 1 face-down opponent's Agent in the Region.

Transit

Move the token of any of your Agents from any Region to the active Region.

NOTE: Diplomat tokens are moved from the Diplomat zone of the chosen Region to the Diplomat zone of the active Region.

Liquidation

Flip over any face-down opponent's Agent token, except the token that you placed in this round.

Depending on the type of the attacked token, do the following:

• If you revealed an Informant, its owner takes the token and puts it into their bag. You receive an Agent card (1 of 3) and a "Successful Liquidation" Influence token worth 1/2 VP.
• If you revealed an Operative, it remains lying in the Region face up (the Operative is revealed and stays in the Region), and its owner receives an Agent card (1 of 3).

Conditions: there must be at least 1 opponent's Agent token on a city space in the Region.

IMPORTANT! When you receive an Agent card, take three cards from the Agent deck, choose one of them and put the other two in the discard pile.

NOTE: After the second successful Liquidation you may not take a new token, but instead flip the one you already have to its opposite side (the "Successful Liquidation" token then shows the second one).

5. Operational Summary

In this phase, players check the number of Agent tokens in Regions and Sectors after the change of situation on the table. Redistribute the Influence tokens depending on the number of Agent tokens in Regions. Some Agent cards are activated only in this phase.

Example of a Game Round

It is now the turn of the blue player (CIA), who has 3 Finance tokens. The situation on the board is as follows (Western Sector: North America, Western Europe; Eastern Sector: Middle East, USSR; Third World Countries Sector: South America, Africa, Australia and Oceania).

Game situation at the start of the turn:

• Blue player (CIA) - "Australia and Oceania", Third World Countries Sector.
• Green player (MI-6) - "North America", Western Sector.
• Red player (KGB) - "USSR", "Middle East", "Africa", Eastern Sector.
• Purple player (Mossad) - none.

After the Check of Victory Conditions, the blue player understands that at the start of the turn he has 2 Victory Points for controlling the Region "Australia and Oceania" and the Third World Countries Sector.

In the Infiltration phase the blue player puts his token into the bag of the red player (KGB), because he has the most Influence tokens. He also decides to pay 1 Finance token to additionally place 1 Operative.

In the Deployment phase the blue player draws from his bag a token of the purple player (Mossad) and examines it - it is an Operative. The player places the token in the Region "Western Europe", because the purple player has no Agents in this Region, so it will not much affect the distribution of influence; also this Region is on the blue player's Secret Mission card and it is advantageous for him to activate it in order to conduct an Operation.

In the Operation phase the blue player decides to perform a Liquidation, because in previous turns he performed Reconnaissance and remembers the tokens of the green player (MI-6). He reveals an Agent token and it turns out to be an Informant; the token is returned to the green player's bag.

For the successfully completed Operation, the blue player takes the 1/2 VP Influence token and 3 cards from the Agent deck, chooses one, and then lays it face up to the right of his player board (for the properties of Agent cards, see the next section).

The blue player moves on to the next phase - the Operational Summary. After the player's actions, the situation on the board has changed. The blue player gains control of the Region "Western Europe" because he has the most Agent tokens (3 - blue player, 2 - green player, 1 - purple player). The player takes the Influence token of the Region "Western Europe" and places it above his player board.

In the Western Sector the situation has also changed. The blue and green players have an equal number of Agents (5 - blue player, 5 - green player, 2 - purple player), so nobody controls this Sector, and the green player is forced to return the "Western Sector" Influence token to the playing area.

Game situation at the end of the turn:

• Blue player (CIA) - "Australia and Oceania", Third World Countries Sector, "Western Europe".
• Green player (MI-6) - "North America".
• Red player (KGB) - "USSR", "Middle East", "Africa", Eastern Sector.
• Purple player (Mossad) - none.

Agent Cards

You receive a personal Agent card as a reward: in case of a successfully conducted "Liquidation" Operation, or in case another player conducted a "Liquidation" Operation against you but failed.

To receive an Agent card, take three cards from the Agent deck, choose one of them, and put the other two in the discard pile. If the Agent deck has run out, shuffle the discarded cards and form a new deck.

Agent cards have two types of effects: a one-time effect (x1) and a permanent effect (infinity symbol). A one-time effect is applied in the Operational Summary phase of the active player, after which the card is discarded.

(Card layout: effect type - permanent or one-time; description of properties; codename.)

A permanent effect is applied each time its conditions are met.

NOTE: If the rules on the Agent cards conflict with the rules of the game, the text on the cards takes priority.

Description of Cards

Agents: Retush (Retoucher) / Koketka (Coquette) - If your Agent is placed on the board, look at one Agent in this Region. The permanent property of the card is activated each time you or an opponent place your Agent on the board in the Deployment phase. An opponent activates one of the Regions; in it you may look at one face-down Agent token, without showing the others. ATTENTION! This property works against the special ability of the KGB.

Agents: Titan / Boss - Receive 1 Finance token if you lose control of a Region or Sector. The permanent property of the card is activated in the Operational Summary phase if you cease to control a Region or Sector. Receive 1 Finance token from the supply for each Influence token of a Sector or Region that you gave up.

Agents: Kapkan (Trap) / Knyaz (Prince) - If an Operation "Liquidation" is conducted against you, you may infiltrate an Operative into the bag of the attacking player. The permanent property of the card is activated each time any player conducts the "Liquidation" Operation against your Agents, regardless of its result. You may infiltrate an Operative into the bag of the attacking player.

Agents: Voron (Raven) / Krasavchik (Handsome) - Receive 1 Finance token if an Operation "Liquidation" is conducted against you. The permanent property of the card is activated each time any player conducts the "Liquidation" Operation against your Agents, regardless of its result. You receive 1 Finance token from the supply.

Agents: Shakal (Jackal) / Ovod (Gadfly) - Return any Agent token of an opponent from a city space to its owner's bag; pay the owner 1 Finance token. The property is used once. In the Operational Summary phase, return from the board to the bag of its owner any opponent's Agent, except Diplomats, and pay its owner 1 Finance token.

Agents: Vyuga (Blizzard) / Polza (Benefit) - Move any Agent (may be an opponent's) to any Region. The property is used once. In the Operational Summary phase, move any Agent (may be an opponent's) to any Region. Diplomats are moved from the Diplomat zone of one Region to the Diplomat zone of another.

Agents: Koshchey / Lis (Fox) - Receive 4 Finance tokens. The property is used once. In the Operational Summary phase, receive 4 Finance tokens from the supply.

Agents: Tiski (Vise) / Chuma (Plague) - Place one of your Diplomats in any Region. The property is used once. In the Operational Summary phase, place one of your Diplomats in any Region.

Agents: Buzina (Elder) / Zefirka (Marshmallow) - 3-4 players: place one Operative in the bags of all opponents. 2 players: place 2 Operatives in the bag of the opponent. The property is used once. In the Operational Summary phase, place 1 Operative token in the bags of all opponents. In a two-player game, place 2 Operatives in the bag of the opponent.

Agents: Ten (Shadow) / Siluet (Silhouette) - Place up to two Operatives in your own bag. The property is used once. In the Operational Summary phase, place up to 2 of your Operatives in your own bag.

End of the Game

The game ends if one of the players has gained 5 or more points at the start of his turn, or if at the start of the turn (before the Check of Victory Conditions phase) the player has no tokens in his Agent reserve.

If the end of the game occurred because the tokens in the Agent reserve ran out, the player with the most points wins.

In case of a tie, the player who has the fewest Agent tokens on the playing area wins.

If the number of Agent tokens is also equal, the player who is farthest clockwise from the first player wins.

Special Abilities of the Intelligence Services Mode

Each of the intelligence services has its own special property, written at the bottom of the player board. The properties of the intelligence services are asymmetric and set different playing styles.

KGB - Operation "Reconnaissance" cannot be conducted against KGB Agents. KGB Agent tokens can be looked at with the help of the Agent "Retush/Koketka". The special Operation of MI-6 "Reconnaissance of one Agent" does not work on KGB Agent tokens.

CIA - At the start of the game receives additional Finance tokens according to the number of opponents. At the start of the game, before receiving Secret Missions, may place a Diplomat in any Region. Receive additional Finance tokens: 1 with 2 players, 2 with 3 players, 3 with 4 players.

MI-6 - After the Operation conducts one more Operation of choice: Reconnaissance of one Agent; Receive 1 Finance token; Transit for 2 Finance tokens. The special Operation of MI-6 "Reconnaissance of one Agent" does not work on KGB Agent tokens.

Mossad - At the start of the game puts two Operatives into his own bag. Receives 2 Finance tokens for a successful Operation "Liquidation". Do not forget to put 2 Operatives into the bag at the start of the game.

Two-Player Game Mode

In a two-player game, besides the players, a third side takes part - a virtual player. The virtual player's intelligence has no special properties, while its Agent tokens are subject to all Operations and Agent card effects.

Setup for 2 Players

The players choose the intelligence services they will play. Then they decide whom the virtual player will play for.

After the intelligence services have been chosen, lay out the Regions as in the three-player game. Then take the virtual player's tokens - Informants and Operatives, put them face down and shuffle them. From the virtual player's Agent reserve take 3 Agent tokens and place them face down, without looking, in its home Region. Into the home Regions of the players and into all Regions of the Third World Countries, place 1 Agent token of the virtual player each.

After that each player puts, without looking, 4 tokens from the virtual player's Agent reserve into his bag.

If you did everything correctly, the virtual player will have no tokens left in its Agent reserve.

Then carry out setup by the standard rules, except for step 10 and step 12.

10. Check that you did everything correctly: after steps 7, 8 and 9 you should have 9 face-down tokens left in your Agent reserve. Place them to the right of the player board. They are the turn counter. When all players have run out of tokens in their Agent reserve, the last player finishes the round, and then the end of the game occurs.
11. Remove from the Secret Mission deck the card with the Region not participating in the game, then shuffle the deck. Each player receives three Secret Mission cards and chooses two of them. At the end of the game you may receive an additional Victory Point for only one Secret Mission, even if you complete both.

A player cannot take a Secret Mission card that matches their home Region. If a player drew two identical Secret Mission cards and a card with their home Region, they must discard the card with the home Region and one of the identical cards, and then take 2 new cards from the Secret Mission deck.

Differences in Rules

Take all the Influence tokens of the Regions and Sectors that the virtual player controls and place them to the left of the playing area. Put 1 Operative token of the virtual player on top of each Influence token.

If a player has the most Agents in a Region/Sector and should receive an Influence token on which a virtual player's Operative lies, the player, in addition to the Influence token of the corresponding Region, also receives the virtual player's Operative token, which he puts into his own bag.

Subsequently, even if the virtual player gains an advantage in Agent tokens in this Region, the Influence token does not return to it, but is placed in the corresponding place on the playing area.

In a two-player game, during the Infiltration phase, by paying 1 Finance token, a player may place an Operative token either into an opponent's bag or into his own bag.

By playing the Agent card "Buzina/Zefirka", the player may place up to 2 Operative tokens into the opponent's bag.