Beetown Beatdown

Beetown Beatdown Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Objective
Key Terms
Components
1.0: Game Setup
2.0: Game Order
3.0: Global Rules
4.0: On Your Turn
5.0: Honey Upgrades
6.0: Combat & Combat Cards
7.0: A.I. Players
8.0: Advanced Rules
9.0: Further Rule Clarifications
- 9.19: Optional Variants

Game Objective

The sole objective is to build as many HIVES as possible before the Winter Season arrives. There are no victory points or countin' Bee Dollars at the end. Mathematics isn't fun, plus counting past six is difficult.

To win the game, your COLONY needs to be unmatched for owning 3 or more HIVES by the end of ANY of the three Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn). If no other player can match your HIVE count, you've won. Alternatively, if you are the only COLONY with a HIVE at the end of a Season, you win.

If nobody has met either victory condition before the end of Autumn, that technically means everybody's a loser, as nobody has enough of a stronghold to last the Winter. Hey, we don't make the rules; we only write and enforce them.

But we get that's not what everyone wants to hear. If you're feeling particularly generous, you can settle ties by the player who has the most HONEY on their Queen Command Mat. If that's still a tie, pick the player with the most POLLEN and NECTAR, and if that still doesn't decide things, go on Turn Order.

Key Terms

COLONY: This refers to players and their Factions.
EXTRACTED TILES: Useless terrain. Has no effect until the end of the round. (2.6: Beetire)
POLLEN: Food. Powers WORKERS, builds HIVES, & trains BEES. (4.2: How to take Actions, 4.3: Description of Actions)
NECTAR: Fuel. Powers DRONES & places HONEY on tech upgrades. (4.2: How to take Actions, 5.0: Honey Upgrades)
HONEY: Essential for tech & devastating in Combat. (5.0: Honey Upgrades, 6.1: Playing Combat Cards)

Components

Rulebook (the thing you're reading)
Double-sided Beetown Board
110 Combat Cards
100 Resource Tokens: 30 × 1 POLLEN (small), 30 × 1 NECTAR (small), 20 × 5 POLLEN (large), 20 × 5 NECTAR (large)
6 sets of COLONY PIECES, each containing 4 WORKERS, 4 DRONES, 25 BEES, and 6 HIVES.
1 Season Tracker (Squirrel) & 1 Game Order Tracker (Rooster)
128 Double-Sided TERRAIN TOKENS. Each token has an "EXTRACTED" flip side. The flip side also has red dots to indicate the Tier Value on the reverse side.
- 24 "EXTRACTED"
- 78 "Tier 1" (39 POLLEN, 39 NECTAR)
- 18 "Tier 2" (9 POLLEN, 9 NECTAR)
- 6 "Tier 3" (3 POLLEN, 3 NECTAR)
- 2 "Tier 4" (1 POLLEN, 1 NECTAR)
6 Queen Command Mats
100 Cubes of delicious Honey (consumption only for bees!)
6 Double-Sided Reference Boards (Combat Flowchart & Crib Sheet)
124 S.T.I.N.G. cards for SOLO play, and/or up to 3 autonomous players. The AI can even play alongside multiple standard players!
1 Drawstring Scouting Sack & Scouting Setup Card
6 "Turn Skip" tokens.

1.0: Game Setup

1.1: Board

Put the double-sided board for Beetown the appropriate player count.

1.2: Hive Placement

Place players' HIVES and the Level 1 TERRAIN TOKENS on and around them.

1-3 Players: Single EXTRACTED tile in the middle.
4-6 Players: Two EXTRACTED tiles in the middle.
In 1-4 Player games, each player receives 3 NECTAR and 3 POLLEN at the 2.2: Harvest Resources stage.
4 Players: With this setup, each player receives 3 NECTAR and 4 POLLEN on the 2.2: Harvest Resources stage.
5-6 Players: For 5-6 player games, HIVES are placed near the edge of the board. Resources are not shared between different COLONIES, so you may arrange the TERRAIN TOKENS around your HIVE in any configuration you prefer.

1.3: Queen Command Mat

Take a Queen Command Mat and COLONY Pieces for your chosen colour. Each player also receives 1 cube of HONEY, a Turn Guide, a Turn Skip Token, and a Combat Flowchart.

On your Queen Command Mat, place the WORKER and DRONE pieces over the corresponding WORKER and DRONE spaces.

1.4: Distribute Combat Cards

Shuffle the Combat Card deck and place it next to the Beetown Board.

Deal 5 Combat Cards to each player. You may look at your own cards, but keep them hidden from other players. Keep it secret! Keep it safe!

1.5: Scouting Sack

Open the Scouting Sack and place the TERRAIN TOKENS inside. The setup card specifies how many of each resource type to include based on the player count.

For your first few games, we recommend adding an even mix of NECTAR and POLLEN tokens (where possible). For future games you should randomise this balance (8.0), to ensure EXPLORING (4.3.1) is more unpredictable.

At the start of both the Summer and Autumn seasons, add one EXTRACTED token to the Sack for each player (e.g., add 3 tokens for a 3 player game). This reduces the chances of finding useful resources as the game progresses.

If the Scouting Sack ever runs out of TERRAIN TOKENS, return ALL remaining tokens to the sack and continue drawing.

Every TERRAIN TOKEN has an EXTRACTED side! Be sure to check both sides before adding.

1.6: Deciding First Player

The player to have most recently fallen asleep inside a flower whilst collecting NECTAR goes first. If no players meet this criteria, the first player is the most recent winner of the last board game you played (including Beetown Beatdown).

The first player places one of their Bees on the "1" Honeycomb on the Beetown Board, and going clockwise, other players place a bee on the subsequent numbers to indicate their turn order.

NOTE: This is only for the first Season. Turn order is recalculated at the end of a Season*. (*2.7: Rise and shine).

2.0: Game Order

There are 7 steps. Don't be intimidated! Most of these steps are instantaneous but essential, so they're broken down for clarity.

These steps are also listed on the Beetown Board, so you can easily track the Game Order by placing the Rooster there.

2.1: Advance Season

The game has a maximum of 3 rounds, including the first round. Each round is represented by a Season.

Bees don't work during the Winter, so the game immediately concludes at the point of advancing from Autumn.

Place the Squirrel Season Tracker on Spring for the first round, and simply advance the Squirrel to the next Season when you progress.

2.2: Harvest

All TERRAIN TOKENS on and adjacent to every HIVE has resources. In order to HARVEST the resource, the tile must be unowned, OR owned* by you. (*3.0: Tile Ownership).

To HARVEST, take the matching RESOURCE TOKENS displayed on the TERRAIN TOKENS and place them next to your Queen Command Mat. EXTRACTED tiles do NOT generate resources.

Red COLONY Example: 3 POLLEN, 4 NECTAR.

2.3: Busy Bees

In turn order, all players take 1 WORKER/DRONE Action*, until all players have skipped their turn in succession. (*4.2: How to take Actions). To skip your turn, flip your turn skip token over to its skipping side, so everybody around the table can clearly see you have skipped your turn.

If you choose to skip your turn, this is NOT permanent! The game will only advance to the next Season if everybody has skipped their turn during the same round.

2.4: Crown Queen

If a COLONY is UNMATCHED for 3 or more HIVES (i.e., owns more HIVES than any other player and has at least 3 HIVES), they gain domination over Beetown and are deemed to be victorious. Alternatively, they are victorious if NO other Colonies have a HIVE left.

2.5: Pesticides

Unfortunately, scary pesticides from the Big World affect bees, no matter how delicate a COLONY has been with their own ecosystem!

In TURN ORDER, each player flips 1 (ONE) TERRAIN TOKEN over to its EXTRACTED side. The token they flip MUST be on, or adjacent to, one they own*. (*3.0: Tile Ownership).

Players can only flip a token if the tile has been EXPLORED* and it is NOT owned by a different COLONY. (*4.3.4: Tile Exploration).

2.6: Beetire

With a heavy heart, we wave goodbye to some brave furry friends. Any bees who find themselves on an EXTRACTED tile sadly don't survive the Season, and must be removed from the board.

2.7: Rise and Shine

In turn order, players may discard up to 5 Combat Cards and draw new ones to replace them. In the Advanced Rules (8.0), players must spend resources for each card they choose to discard and replace.

All players then return their WORKERS/DRONES to the pools on their Queen Command Mat and recalculate the turn order.

The LOWEST valued COLONY CHOOSES which turn they start on (e.g., a player may opt to start on turn 2), then the next lowest value COLONY chooses, and so on.

Decide lowest values in order of: HIVE count, HONEY UPGRADES, Bees on Beetown Board, Prior order maintained.

3.0: Global Rules

3.1: Tile Ownership

A player OWNS a tile if they have any BEES and/or a HIVE on the tile. A tile is UNOWNED if nobody has any BEES or a HIVE on the tile.

3.2: Hive Deployment

A HIVE can NEVER be placed directly next to another. They must be at least 1 (one) tile away from ANY other HIVE.

3.3: Secret Information

Everything except for COMBAT CARDS is public knowledge. Other players can see your resources (HONEY, POLLEN, NECTAR), your WORKERS, DRONES, and all information on your Queen Command Mat.

You should not look to deliberately obfuscate anything. If you wish to beat your opponents, do so sportingly!

3.4: Negotiating/Trading

War can be a messy affair, but the real battles happen around the negotiating table! Any time on your turn (but not during Combat), you can make deals with other Colonies. Players are only bound by their word if resources are exchanged.

Deals should be made in good faith and adhered to where possible. You're making honourable arrangements with bees, not genies! Be specific in your proposals; vague suggestions like "let's team up" won't do.

Example: You propose that PLAYER 1 must attack PLAYER 2 on their next Action. To seal the deal, you offer them 1 POLLEN. If they accept and take your POLLEN, they are then honour-bound to attack PLAYER 2 as their next Action.

Keep in mind that other factors might prevent the deal from being fulfilled, such as the player losing all their bees before their turn. In these cases, the original deal is considered null and void — so choose your words wisely when making proposals!

You can also use negotiations as bargaining chips. For instance, you might say, "This stack of 40 bees will attack your HIVE this round — unless you give me 6 POLLEN." If they agree, you can't attack their HIVE this round, but you do get that precious 6 POLLEN!

BEFORE Negotiating, you may also TRADE resources with other players. See 9.2 if you wish to do this.

4.0: On Your Turn

4.1: Before Taking Actions

These steps are OPTIONAL, but can only be taken BEFORE making a WORKER or DRONE Action.

Convert any amount of NECTAR into HONEY (2:1).
Place any amount of HONEY on your Queen Command Mat* for 1 NECTAR per HONEY you place. Command Mat limit is 4 HONEY per Action. (*5.0: Honey Upgrades).

4.2: How to Take Actions

On your Queen Command Mat, place 1 WORKER or DRONE from your pool onto one of the four Actions spaces.

There are four Actions: MIGRATE, RECRUIT, EXTRACT, and BUILD HIVE.

A WORKER can take ANY Action, and can go on an Action space that already has a WORKER.
A DRONE can only take an Action that a WORKER is already on.

DRONES are Apprentices for the WORKERS. They can copy Actions, but cannot take their own!

Whenever you take a WORKER or DRONE Action, you will uncover a resource beneath it. This resource is the cost required to perform another WORKER or DRONE Action.

Your first WORKER and DRONE Action is always free. The revealed resources are only required for subsequent Actions. (The cost of each further WORKER or DRONE is the resource printed beneath the previous one on the Queen Command Mat.)

Actions can have unlimited WORKERS or DRONES on them.

4.3: Description of Actions

4.3.1: Migrate

It's a big world out there, brimming with wonderful resources! Only the boldest bees will dare leave the safety of the HIVE and gather precious goodies for the Queen.

The MIGRATE Action allows you to move 1 (ONE) group of bees from one tile to another. By default, you can only move 1 tile, though this can be increased*. (*5.0-5.1: Honey Upgrades)

Providing the tile you FINISH your movement on is unowned OR owned by you*, gain the resource on it. (*3.1: Tile Ownership)

You can NEVER split movement to multiple locations for the same Action, regardless of Honey Upgrades.

You can ALWAYS choose how many bees to move (e.g., move only 1 bee from a group of 5 bees, leaving 4 bees behind).

When moving to a tile which does not have a TERRAIN TOKEN on it, you EXPLORE the tile.

To EXPLORE the tile, rustle your tarsals into the Scouting Sack, pull out a TERRAIN TOKEN, and plop it on the board (EXTRACTED side down!) You then gain that delicious resource. If you pulled out a TERRAIN TOKEN which was EXTRACTED on both sides, better luck next time!

Bees work hard! Even 1 bee can collect 4 resources from a tile.

If you have upgraded movement:

MIGRATE is UP to your movement value, and you may stop your movement at any point.
When you enter an UNEXPLORED tile, draw a TERRAIN TOKEN immediately and place it.
You can stop your movement there and gain the resource, or continue moving/exploring.
You may pick-up/drop-off bees during movement.
You may move back onto a tile you have already moved through during that Action.

4.3.2: Recruit

Basic bees need not apply! The HIVE hosts a recruitment event, but training for the top spot is hungry work!

The RECRUIT Action costs 1 POLLEN for each HIVE you select.

When taking the Action, players add 4 Bees on any tiles on, or adjacent to, their HIVE. You may mix or match where they go.

EXAMPLE: Yellow places 2 bees directly on their HIVE, and splits their 2 remaining bees on 2 different tiles.

If you have multiple HIVES, you choose which HIVES you'd like to use the RECRUIT Action against.

EXAMPLE: Yellow has 3 HIVES and uses the RECRUIT Action. They choose to only use this Action against 2 HIVES rather than all 3. This costs 2 POLLEN.

You may RECRUIT directly onto a tile OWNED by a different COLONY, providing you have a HIVE adjacent to that tile. This will IMMEDIATELY initiate Combat – (see 6.0: Combat & Combat Cards).

EXAMPLE: Red has bees adjacent to one of Yellow's HIVES. Yellow opts to first place 2 bees on their HIVE, and the remaining 2 on Red's bees.

NOTE: Because COMBAT always triggers the INSTANT a group of Bees are added to an enemy-occupied tile, an attack initiated via RECRUIT Action can only be performed by a single HIVE.

4.3.3: Extract

"Long-term planning," hummed the Council of the Hive-Elders, stroking their bee-beards with wise, deliberate buzzes. "Keep your resources secure, so you can harvest them in future Seasons." Pfft! What do they know? Burn it all — surely nothing could go wrong with that.

When you EXTRACT a tile, you permanently remove the resource and reveal/gain the resource from one neighbouring UNEXPLORED tile.

To EXTRACT, choose a TERRAIN TOKEN on or adjacent to one of your HIVES. The tile MUST be either UNOWNED, or OWNED by YOU. Flip that token to its EXTRACTED side and gain the corresponding resource. If possible, you then add a TERRAIN TOKEN to an UNEXPLORED tile next to it and gain that resource as well.

EXAMPLE: YELLOW opts to flip a NECTAR token adjacent to their HIVE. They flip it to its EXTRACTED side and gain 1 NECTAR. YELLOW then selects an UNEXPLORED tile which is adjacent to the tile they just EXTRACTED. They explore this tile by drawing a TERRAIN TOKEN from the Scouting Sack and placing it on the tile. YELLOW immediately gains that resource (in this example, they gain 2 POLLEN).

You MUST nominate the UNEXPLORED tile you wish to EXPLORE before you draw the TERRAIN TOKEN.

You can still EXTRACT a resource without a neighbouring UNEXPLORED tile, but this is less effective as no bonus resource can be gained.

You can EXTRACT the resource directly on your HIVE, but this is a very bad idea!* (*6.5: Retreat + 2.6: Beetire = Ouch)

4.3.4: Build Hive

Building HIVES may be costly, but they're worth it! These mighty bee bastions are essential to assert domination and secure your COLONY's future in Beetown.

A HIVE CANNOT be built directly next to ANY other HIVE. For the places which are free, you don't need to apply for planning permission, so be as quick as you can – or somebody might steal your spot! HIVES may also be built on EXTRACTED terrain.

There are two methods to build a HIVE:

You can convert 10 (ten) Bees which occupy the SAME tile into a HIVE. The cost for this is 1 POLLEN, plus an additional POLLEN for every HIVE you already have. Return the 10 bees to your player area.
Alternatively, you can remove 8 HONEY from your Honey Upgrades on your Queen Command Mat. The HONEY must already be on your Command Mat and CANNOT be unplaced HONEY.

When building a HIVE via the HONEY method, place the HIVE on ANY tile on the Beetown Board which has 1 or more of your bees. The bees remain on this tile. There is no POLLEN cost to building a HIVE via this method, but placement rules still apply.

Upon placement for the HIVE, you discover all neighbouring UNEXPLORED tiles. Take the TERRAIN TOKENS one at a time from the Scouting Sack, placing them on the UNEXPLORED tiles adjacent to your new HIVE. You immediately gain those resources.

You ONLY gain resources for NEWLY DISCOVERED tiles revealed when placing a HIVE, and NOT for tiles which had already been explored.

5.0: Honey Upgrades

Honey sweetens everything! Under each Action, there is a HONEY UPGRADE option, which boosts the four Actions you can play.

On your turn, BEFORE taking an Action, you may place ANY amount of HONEY you own onto ANY upgrades. No single Action can EVER have more than 4 HONEY on it. Placement costs 1 NECTAR per HONEY.

You ONLY remove HONEY from your board if building a HIVE.

5.1: Migrate

The HONEY UPGRADE for MIGRATE allows you to move +1 tile for each HONEY you have on it. 2 HONEY would give you a maximum of 3 tile movement (1 base, +2 upgraded).

As outlined in 4.3.1, this increases your MAXIMUM movement value. You may stop movement at any time.

5.2: Recruit

The Honey Upgrade for RECRUIT allows you to Recruit +1 bee per HONEY you have on it. 2 HONEY would mean you get 6 bees when RECRUITING (4 base + 2 upgraded). Placement rules are identical.

5.3: Extract

The Honey Upgrade for EXTRACT adds +2 resources per HONEY you have on it. This only applies to the first tile you EXTRACT, and NOT the one you EXPLORE.

2 HONEY on this would mean that if you EXTRACTED a Tier 3 NECTAR token adjacent to one of your HIVES, you would gain 7 NECTAR: (3 base + 4 upgraded).

5.4: Build Hive

The Honey Upgrade for BUILD HIVE removes the need to pay 2 POLLEN for each HONEY you have on it. This only occurs when building HIVES by converting 10 bees.

2 HONEY on this upgrade would mean that if you had 3 HIVES and went to build your fourth, there would be no POLLEN cost for the Action. (1 POLLEN for Action, + 3 POLLEN for existing HIVES) = 4; minus 4 POLLEN from Honey Upgrades (2 + 2) = 0.

6.0: Combat & Combat Cards

Combat begins the INSTANT any bees move into, or RECRUIT onto, a tile occupied by a different COLONY. SURPLUS MOVEMENT DOES NOT CARRY OVER.

Combat Cards are ONLY used during Combat. There are NO circumstances where they can be used outside of Combat, or during other players' Combat.

6.1: Playing Combat Cards

Both players MUST play at least one Combat Card during Combat. You may play more than one Combat Card, but the cost for this is 1 HONEY for every additional Combat Card you play (e.g., playing 3 Combat Cards costs 2 HONEY).

Combat cards are revealed simultaneously by both players after a count of three.

When revealing Combat Cards, any HONEY costs for playing additional cards must be paid IMMEDIATELY. Any other HONEY effects/payments will resolve at a later point.

6.2: Combat Card Anatomy

Card name & definitely 100% accurate bee-quote.
COMBAT SCORE. In this example, the card adds 3 (+3) to your Combat Score. Some cards are neutral (e.g., +0), and other cards even reduce your Combat Score (e.g., -3).
Additional effects of the card. In this example, you must spend a POLLEN to use the card, and sacrifice one of your bees on the tile. If you cannot spend a POLLEN, the card is discarded and the Combat Score is calculated without it.
Card theme. Themes frequently combine with other Combat Cards for potent attacks.

6.3: Calculating Combat Score

The Combat victor is the player who has the highest COMBAT SCORE. This score is calculated by adding the bees on the tile to the values listed on the Combat Card. Each bee on the tile has a COMBAT SCORE value of 1.

EXAMPLE: Yellow had 2 bees on the tile and Red had 3 bees. Yellow played a Combat Card which added +2 to their COMBAT SCORE. Their card also grants a +1 bonus if it was the only card they played in Combat, giving them a total COMBAT SCORE of 5 (2 bees + 2, + 1). Red played a card with +1 COMBAT SCORE, giving them a total COMBAT SCORE of 4 (3 bees + 1), so Yellow is victorious.

In the event of a Draw in Combat (both players have an identical COMBAT SCORE), both players lose ALL their bees on the tile, and NO further Actions occur. No stealing resources, no trading, no benefits, and no HONEY. Absolutely nothing.

NO CARD OR RULE CAN CHANGE THIS OUTCOME. A Combat Draw always results in mutual elimination. In short: you'll usually want to avoid a draw at all costs.

6.4: Resolve Combat Cards

The winner of Combat gains 2 HONEY. The loser gains 1 HONEY.

Any final effects on the COMBAT CARDS are now resolved. These include gaining or stealing resources, losing resources, sacrificing bees, or converting enemy bees. A number of examples are listed in 6.6 and 6.7, and the order on resolving them.

6.5: Retreat

The player with the lowest COMBAT SCORE retreats their bees from that tile to their closest HIVE. If they have multiple HIVES, it MUST be the closest one. They can only choose a HIVE if the choices are the same number of tiles away.

If they do not have any HIVES left, they instead retreat to a neighbouring tile of their choice. This may immediately initiate Combat again.

6.6: Applying Combat Card Effects

If BOTH players play Combat Cards which take effect simultaneously, the first player in the turn order resolves ALL their effects first, then the second player resolves theirs.

If the SAME player played multiple Combat Cards which simultaneously take effect, they CHOOSE the order in which their card effects resolve.

All players have their own COMBAT FLOWCHART they can reference.

Any Combat Cards which take effect BEFORE calculating COMBAT SCORE are in PINK/PURPLE font.

After resolving PURPLE cards, card effects affecting the COMBAT SCORE now apply. Effects which take place DURING COMBAT SCORE calculation are in YELLOW font.

EXAMPLE: Player 1 used a Combat Card with the listed effect. They may CHOOSE whether to pay 1 NECTAR to increase their COMBAT SCORE by +1.

After Player 1 has declared their COMBAT SCORE, Player 2 then calculates their COMBAT SCORE. This means the second player has an advantage in Combat, as they can see what their opponent's COMBAT SCORE is before responding.

Any cards which mandate spending a resource MUST be paid when calculating COMBAT SCORE. You CANNOT decline to spend the cost. If you do not have the resource to pay it, that Combat Card is discarded and your COMBAT SCORE is calculated without it.

Unless stated otherwise, ALL remaining Combat Card effects are resolved after HONEY rewards (winner/loser gaining HONEY).

Effects which take place AFTER COMBAT SCORE calculation & HONEY rewards are in BLUE font. Some of these effects include stealing/gifting resources, and sacrificing/converting bees.

All resource exchange effects occur first. Like all other Combat Card behaviour, the first player resolves all their effects, then the second player resolves all of theirs. The same then occurs for Sacrifice, and finally for Convert.

This is not an extensive list. There are many other Combat Cards with unique effects.

6.7: Overlapping/Contradictory Combat Cards

You may find you play multiple Combat Cards where effects take place simultaneously, but addressing one might compromise the other. For instance, the following combination:

This Combat Card adds +3 COMBAT SCORE for every 3 NECTAR the player has.
This Combat Card requires spending 1 NECTAR to activate the card.

In the above examples, we will assume Player 1 only has 3 NECTAR, so activating the NECTAR spend card will prevent the +3 COMBAT SCORE of the other.

To reiterate what was outlined in 6.6, you can resolve such instances in ANY ORDER YOU WISH, as both of the card effects take place simultaneously during COMBAT SCORE calculation. For this example, +3 COMBAT SCORE resolves first, THEN 1 NECTAR is removed to use the other, giving you the full value of both Combat Cards.

6.8: Chained Combat Card Effects

Unusual combinations of Combat Cards may lead to "chained events" that contradict the turn order sequence. For example:

Player 1 used a Combat Card which takes place before calculating the COMBAT SCORE. Its effect is resolved, and play now passes to Player 2.
Player 2 has a card which ALSO takes place before calculating COMBAT SCORE. Its effect requires one of the opponent's in-play Combat Cards to be replaced with the top card of the deck.
One of Player 1's in-play Combat Cards is then replaced with this card.

In this instance, the effects of Player 1's newly drawn Combat Card WILL apply, even though they have already taken their turn. The COMBAT SCORE has not yet been calculated, so there is no reason a new variable should not apply. For these reasons, had this replacement card appeared during/after COMBAT SCORE calculation, its effects would NOT have applied.

IF IN DOUBT: Combat should be fun and unpredictable. Don't be a buzzkill!

6.9: Other Coloured Combat Cards

Some cards have two colours on them, with effects that apply at different stages. In these instances, resolve the card effects independently in the normal colour order. For example: if you play such a card without also playing a themed card, the purple effect will still apply (flip TERRAIN TILE). It is only when calculating COMBAT SCORE that the card cannot be used without a themed card, and is discarded.

Other cards have WHITE text. White text cards relate exclusively to Combat Cards. Their effects are pertinent to Combat Cards you play, or when drawing replacement Combat Cards.

The colour coding on the Combat Cards is simply for quality of life, to ensure you can quickly reference these via the Combat Flowchart. The cards will already tell you when their effects apply!

6.10: Attacking a HIVE

Combat works identically when attacking a HIVE, except:

When attacking a HIVE, the HIVE COLONY immediately adds 10 (ten) of their bees on the tile with the HIVE. These bees stay on the board indefinitely!
If the COLONY attacking the HIVE has a higher COMBAT SCORE, the HIVE immediately converts to that COLONY. Remove the defender's HIVE from the tile and replace it with one of the attacker's HIVES.

HIVES are difficult to take, but worth the reward!

6.11: Combat Flowchart

All players receive a Combat Flowchart (on the Reference Boards) summarising the order above: purple effects before Combat Score, yellow effects during Combat Score calculation, HONEY rewards, then blue effects (resource exchange, Sacrifice, Convert).

7.0: A.I. Players

S.T.I.N.G, or the Surveillance Tactic Insect Network Gatherer, is the ultimate form of ecological intelligence. S.T.I.N.G takes the sting out of thinking: independently optimising foraging strategies, enhancing communication between pollinators, and ensuring sustainable resource management in diverse ecosystems – all this for just 799 BumbleBucks! At least, that's what the brochure claimed.

S.T.I.N.G can even be used in tandem with any number of players (we would recommend within a 4 player limit, see 7.14), though we would encourage playing it in 1 player mode first to ensure you familiarise yourself with its behaviour!

7.1: S.T.I.N.G in 1 Player Mode

For a 1 PLAYER game, set the Beetown Board up as you would in a 2 player game. For your part, game Actions and rules are identical.

Set up a Queen Command Mat for S.T.I.N.G. Like you, S.T.I.N.G has 4 WORKERS and 4 DRONES, in addition to the standard TERRAIN TOKENS around their HIVE on the Beetown Board.

UNLIKE you, S.T.I.N.G has a different HONEY limit for their Actions (you have a limit of 4 per Action). Their limit depends on the difficulty you choose.

S.T.I.N.G is dealt 5 COMBAT CARDS, which are kept secret from you. No peeking!

S.T.I.N.G will ALWAYS prefer to use a DRONE for their Action. If they cannot use a DRONE, (because they either have no WORKERS left, or there is no WORKER on the Action they wish to take), they use a WORKER instead.

S.T.I.N.G NEVER gains resources and they do not start with any HONEY. S.T.I.N.G NEVER pays POLLEN/NECTAR cost for their WORKERS/DRONES, and NEVER pays HONEY cost to play additional Combat Cards.

On the Beetown Board, place one of your bees on PLAYER 1. You will always go first. S.T.I.N.G places one of their bees to the side on their Mat. They'll be using it later.

Before you take your turn, choose your difficulty from the difficulty card! For a slight challenge, we'd suggest diving in as a ROOKIE.

7.2: On S.T.I.N.G's Turn

The S.T.I.N.G. Deck includes a flowchart card to guide its actions.

At the start of S.T.I.N.G's turn, check if it can build a HIVE by either having 10 bees on a tile, or removing 8 HONEY from the Queen Command Mat. Follow HIVE placement rules (3.2).

If a HIVE can be built, it is placed automatically without an Action. Then, if there are 5 or more bees on a S.T.I.N.G tile, flip as many bees as you can to their "5" side and return the remaining bees to the Queen Command Mat.

Finally, draw a card from the S.T.I.N.G deck. The S.T.I.N.G. card is divided into three sections, with Actions based on the chosen difficulty. Harder Actions appear lower on the card.

S.T.I.N.G has TWO discard piles. When playing a card, place it face-up by the Queen Command Mat and place S.T.I.N.G's bee on top of the Action it just took.

S.T.I.N.G cannot repeat the same Action in consecutive turns, so the bee is used to mark the last Action. When S.T.I.N.G draws a new card, place it on the second discard pile, next to the last played card.

If S.T.I.N.G's new card tries to take the same Action as the bee is on, perform the alternative Action per your Difficulty card. If that is also the same, take the next available Action per difficulty.

If S.T.I.N.G ever skips its turn or advances to the next Season, remove the bee, allowing ANY Action on the next turn.

The Difficulty card shows the order of Actions if the primary Action can't be taken. The HONEY icons on this card indicate the HONEY limit for each Action on the Queen Command Mat.

For example: in TRAINEE, you attempt the top Action first (1). If that cannot be done, perform the middle Action (2). If neither is possible, S.T.I.N.G skips its turn (skip icon). Each difficulty level has a unique Action order. For example, on HOTSHOT, the sequence is middle Action (1), bottom Action (2), then top Action (3).

If none of the Actions can be taken, S.T.I.N.G skips its turn.

7.3: S.T.I.N.G Actions

Before taking an Action, you ALWAYS CHECK to see if S.T.I.N.G can legally take that Action. If S.T.I.N.G cannot perform the action, you proceed to the next Action as noted in the difficulty level. Some detailed examples of being unable to take an Action legally will be noted later (7.7).

Because S.T.I.N.G can build a HIVE at the start of its turn without requiring an Action, the BUILD HIVE Action is redundant and not listed on the cards. Instead, only MIGRATE, RECRUIT, and EXTRACT are noted.

7.4: RECRUIT Action

If the RECRUIT Action was noted, it occurs simultaneously against ALL HIVES S.T.I.N.G owns. The tile placement icons on the right-hand side of the card show where to deploy bees, and how many go on each tile.

The HIVE is always on the centre hex tile, and placement of bees is based on the Beetown Board orientation. In the rulebook's example, the four bees are placed equally around the left/rightmost of the HIVE.

If S.T.I.N.G has HONEY UPGRADES which increases their base RECRUIT limit of 4, the "∞" icon indicates where all remaining bees would go – in the same example, any upgrade surplus would go directly on the HIVE.

If the RECRUIT Action triggers Combat, place as many bees as possible against the other RECRUIT tiles before initiating Combat.

If Combat would occur on multiple tiles simultaneously, follow the DUPE ACTION FLOWCHART to decide which tile to initiate Combat against.

At minimum, S.T.I.N.G must be able to perform the RECRUIT Action against ONE HIVE. If there are not enough surplus bees to perform the RECRUIT Action against any HIVE, skip to the next Action based on your chosen difficulty. Include pending HONEY UPGRADES into account (7.8) when calculating the RECRUIT Action.

If there are enough bees to RECRUIT against some, but not all HIVES, use the DUPE ACTION FLOWCHART to decide which HIVE(s) to target.

7.5: EXTRACT Action

Similar to RECRUIT, the EXTRACT Action uses seven hex tiles to show which tile on or adjacent to the HIVE will be affected. The HIVE is always the centre tile.

Unlike you, S.T.I.N.G's EXTRACT Action occurs against ALL HIVES which they own. Flip the TERRAIN TOKEN on the selected tile(s) to their EXTRACTED side. If there is an adjacent unexplored tile, S.T.I.N.G. MUST DISCOVER (4.3.3) a new tile by placing a TERRAIN TOKEN on it. If multiple UNEXPLORED tiles are available, you choose which ones to DISCOVER.

The EXTRACT Action must be legally possible against at least ONE HIVE. If NO HIVES can be targeted, skip to the next Action based on your difficulty level.

7.6: MIGRATE Action

The MIGRATE Action uses iconography to indicate what S.T.I.N.G will do for its turn. Don't be intimidated! A iconography key is included as one of the cards. We will show some examples of how to interpret it.

The iconography always consists of two lines.

Top Line: Specifies the TARGET of the Action.
Bottom Line: Indicates where to apply the TARGET.

Example: LARGEST BEES → FURTHEST UNEXPLORED TILE. The top line icons indicate "Largest Bees". This refers to the hex tile on the Beetown Board which has the highest number of S.T.I.N.G's bees on it. If this value is a tie, consult the DUPE ACTION FLOWCHART to choose which tile to use.

AFTER you have determined the TARGET, the remaining symbols indicate where to apply the TARGET. In this example, it says "FURTHEST UNEXPLORED TILE", so the group of S.T.I.N.G's bees move to the furthest UNEXPLORED tile they can reach*. (*When calculating, ensure you take pending HONEY UPGRADES into account (see 7.8).)

7.7: Iconography Clarifications

The MIGRATE iconography is always followed LITERALLY. If it cannot be executed, move to the next Action according to your difficulty level.

One example indicates that the Bees closest to a 2 NECTAR TERRAIN TOKEN move 2 tiles downwards. If a specific number of tiles are noted like this, it is the EXACT number of tiles S.T.I.N.G moves, regardless of Honey Upgrades. If a 2 NECTAR TERRAIN TOKEN has not yet been discovered on the Board, or if the movement places S.T.I.N.G out of bounds, this Action cannot take place.
Another example means the smallest number of bees (e.g., a tile with 1 bee) move to the nearest enemy bee within their MIGRATE range*. (*This INCLUDES pending HONEY UPGRADES (see 7.8). The previous example does not, due to specific tiles being noted.) If any values are tied (e.g., multiple tiles with the fewest bees or equidistant enemy bees), follow the DUPE ACTION FLOWCHART. If no enemy bees are within the Migrate range, skip to the next Action based on your difficulty level.
Another example means the largest group of S.T.I.N.G's bees moves to the smallest group of enemy bees. The iconography is again taken LITERALLY. Identify S.T.I.N.G's tile with the largest number of bees, then identify your tile with the smallest number of bees. If those two SPECIFIC groups cannot reach the other, the Action cannot be taken.
Another example states the largest group of bees with fewer than 4 bees (e.g., 3 bees) move to the nearest OWNED tile. Since there are no friendly or unfriendly icons before the OWNED tile, it does not matter whether the nearest tile is owned by S.T.I.N.G or by you — they will move to it, regardless if it contains their bees or your bees.

These examples emphasise that instructions should be followed EXACTLY as written. There will be situations where certain Actions are not possible, but this cycling of Actions ensures that highly specific Actions will arise and have a significant impact.

7.8: S.T.I.N.G HONEY UPGRADES

When calculating if an Action can be taken, you must also take the pending HONEY upgrades into account.

Example: the MIGRATE Action will be taken, and 1 HONEY will be placed on both MIGRATE and EXTRACT. If the Migrate iconography does not have the tiles listed (see first example in 7.7), you must take this additional HONEY (+1 tile) into account.

Once the Action is confirmed as legal, place the HONEY on the Queen Command Mat. After upgrading, S.T.I.N.G. proceeds with the Action.

7.9: S.T.I.N.G Combat

If you initiate Combat with S.T.I.N.G. on your turn, draw a NEW card from its deck and select the level based on your difficulty. Ignore S.T.I.N.G.'s Actions and instead focus on the left-hand side of the card.

Each card shows resources and a Combat Card icon. Temporarily place those resources on S.T.I.N.G.'s card. These are the resources S.T.I.N.G. is deemed to have for this Combat round, allowing you to steal from it if desired.

In the rulebook's example, S.T.I.N.G has 2 POLLEN, 3 NECTAR, 0 HONEY, and will play 2 Combat Cards.

The Combat Cards S.T.I.N.G plays are chosen randomly from its hand. You only know how many it is playing.

Combat resolves as normal, however when calculating COMBAT SCORE, S.T.I.N.G will always pay as many of its resources as possible to give you the most devastating loss (prioritise troop conversion, THEN COMBAT SCORE), regardless what difficulty setting you are playing on.

If S.T.I.N.G's Action initiates Combat with you via its Action (for example, migrating to a tile you own), use the resources on the left-hand side of the Action they just took.

Once Combat has concluded and all Combat Card effects have been resolved, discard any remaining resources that S.T.I.N.G has.

7.10: After S.T.I.N.G's Actions

7.10.1: Pesticides

On the "Pesticides" stage (2.5), after you have flipped a TERRAIN TOKEN of your choice, S.T.I.N.G must do the same.

When choosing a tile for S.T.I.N.G. to flip, prioritise using the following order of criteria. If multiple items adhere to all criteria, you choose which of those tiles to flip:

Tile does not contain any of S.T.I.N.G's bees;
Tier 1 TERRAIN tile;
Tile is closest to the enemy HIVE;
Tile contains POLLEN;
Tile contains NECTAR.

Example: if there is a Tier 1 tile that does not contain any of S.T.I.N.G.'s bees and is the closest one to an enemy HIVE, this tile should be chosen first, regardless if it is POLLEN or NECTAR.

7.10.2: Beetire

On the "Beetire" stage (2.6), for EVERY 5 bees you remove for S.T.I.N.G, add 1 HONEY to S.T.I.N.G's MIGRATE Action. If this hits S.T.I.N.G's HONEY limit, place any surplus on RECRUIT and finally EXTRACT.

7.11: S.T.I.N.G Rule Clarifications

When calculating "Closest" (e.g., bee on closest EXTRACTED tile), this includes if a bee is ON the tile.
If S.T.I.N.G has a choice of how to build a HIVE, it will always prefer to build using bees rather than HONEY.
If building a HIVE via HONEY and S.T.I.N.G. has more than 8 HONEY on their Mat, keep any remaining HONEY on UPGRADES balanced (e.g., 1/1/1 and 2/2/2). If you cannot balance these, prioritise MIGRATE, then RECRUIT.
When stealing your resources, S.T.I.N.G will always prioritise in this order: 1. HONEY, 2. NECTAR, 3. POLLEN
Unless mandated by a Combat Card, S.T.I.N.G will always prefer to take replacement Combat Cards from the deck, rather than from you/other Colonies.
If S.T.I.N.G has Combat Cards pertinent to stealing your in-play or played Combat Cards, S.T.I.N.G picks the one which will generate the largest Combat Score for you (include bonuses in this, e.g., resource boosts). If these are identical, they then prioritise Cards which steal: 1. HONEY, 2. NECTAR, 3. POLLEN. If there are still no cards which match this criteria, you CHOOSE which card they steal.
In a 3-4 Player Game for S.T.I.N.G (7.13), the "enemy" is considered to be ANY enemy COLONY closest to the Action TARGET (top line of the iconography, see 7.6). If there are multiple enemy Colonies in the same range, it will always pick you. If you are not one of the Colonies in range, select the COLONY by: 1. Most HIVES, 2. Largest amount of Bees on Beetown, 3. Player chooses.

7.12: S.T.I.N.G Personality

Whilst you can shuffle all 120 S.T.I.N.G cards and draw randomly, this results in Actions which feel unfocused and less strategic.

Each card has an icon on the right-hand side, indicating its trait. To create a more focused enemy which replicates different play-styles, you should build a smaller deck of 40 cards by combining specific traits and playing against that deck instead.

Divide the S.T.I.N.G cards into four piles based on their trait icon (30 cards each). You should then use the table below to determine the number of cards from each trait to include, creating a specific S.T.I.N.G Personality for gameplay.

Additional Personalities are detailed in section 8.8, where up to three autonomous S.T.I.N.G Personalities with unique play-styles can be simultaneously used in a four-player game.

The four trait columns below follow the order of the trait icons printed in the rulebook's table (the icons are pictures and are not named).

Personality (deck of 40)	Trait 1	Trait 2	Trait 3	Trait 4
Shellback	23 (57.5%)	1 (2.5%)	7 (17.5%)	9 (22.5%)
Steadfast	6 (15%)	6 (15%)	6 (15%)	22 (55%)
Treader	4 (10%)	4 (10%)	24 (60%)	8 (20%)
Wildfire	3 (7.5%)	21 (52.5%)	6 (15%)	10 (25%)
Tempest	15 (37.5%)	5 (12.5%)	15 (37.5%)	5 (12.5%)

Shellback lays a rock-solid foundation before striking Colonies. They steer clear of reckless gambles, instead putting their vast resources towards strategic HONEY UPGRADES and potent Combat Card combinations.
Steadfast aims to control terrain whilst anticipating shifting dynamics in Beetown. They keep a modest reserve of resources, preparing to capitalise if the opportunity presents itself.
Treader thrives on brute force, aiming to flatten enemy Colonies beneath the weight of sheer numbers. Every available resource is hurled into the war machine, with little consideration for future stockpiling.
Wildfire loves early, lightning-fast assaults, relentlessly striking Colonies before their opponent can react. They aim to overwhelm through unceasing Combat, with no concern for mutual destruction or damage to their infrastructure.
Tempest is an uncompromising combination of traits, aiming to recruit a large number of bees, whilst supported by robust HONEY UPGRADES. Colonies need to stay alert for when it chooses to attack, as its strike is highly formidable.

7.13: 3 & 4 Player A.I. Campaigns

If you wish to play a 3 or 4 Player game where ALL other players are played by S.T.I.N.G, you can use a recommended Campaign setup below. You can also use S.T.I.N.G in tandem with any number of human players, though we would recommend a maximum of 4 players (see 7.12). You can of course make your own S.T.I.N.G personalities to play against!

Campaign	Personality	Trait 1	Trait 2	Trait 3	Trait 4
3 Player: Chaos Ember	Quake	6 (15%)	9 (22.5%)	18 (45%)	7 (17.5%)
	Inferno	7 (17.5%)	13 (32.5%)	12 (30%)	8 (20%)
3 Player: Whirlwind Voyage	Cyclone	8 (20%)	14 (35%)	7 (17.5%)	11 (27.5%)
	Pilgrim	7 (17.5%)	7 (17.5%)	7 (17.5%)	19 (47.5%)

Quake unleashes a barrage of fierce attacks, deploying HONEY UPGRADES if it can do so without distraction.
Inferno unleashes relentless assaults, striking with both rapid hits and heavy incursions to wear down enemy Colonies.
Cyclone launches quick raids across Beetown, whilst staying flexible by not overcommitting in Combat.
Pilgrim relies on exploration, leveraging TERRAIN control for a strategic edge over HONEY-focused rivals.
Sledge rallies its bees and storms into colossal battles to weaken enemy Colonies.
Viper flanks enemy Colonies, disrupting their lines with precise, piercing attacks.
Sentinel fuels its large-scale HONEY UPGRADES by exploring terrain and channelling those discovered resources.
Titan launches steady waves of modest attacks while building a strong foundation of HONEY UPGRADES.
Paladin favours HONEY UPGRADES paired with powerful incursions to disrupt its opponents.
Nomad has less concern for its own HIVE defence, preferring to focus on tiles around enemy Colonies.

7.14: S.T.I.N.G with Various Human Players

S.T.I.N.G. can also be played with other players! We recommend a maximum of 4 players, including S.T.I.N.G. You can use 2 S.T.I.N.G. with 2 players, or 1 S.T.I.N.G. with 2-3 players. Just like the 1 Player variant, S.T.I.N.G will ALWAYS go last in the turn order, regardless of the Season.

Whilst S.T.I.N.G. can be included in 5-6 player games, we advise against it, as the HIVE placement on the outskirts of the Beetown Board alters game dynamics. Many of S.T.I.N.G.'s cards are designed for a central HIVE start and close proximity to enemy Colonies, leading to frequent skips of Actions or roaming EXTRACTED outskirts in a 5-6 player game.

8.0: Advanced Rules

TERRAIN TOKENS: On game setup, place all Tier 1 TERRAIN TOKENS in the Scouting Sack. In turn order, each player draws one token and places it on, or adjacent to, their HIVE. Repeat until all tokens are placed, then remove the tokens from the Scouting Sack.

Organise the remaining TERRAIN TOKENS by tier, and shuffle them with their EXTRACTED side up. Then, randomly draw tokens according to the tiers listed on the Scouting Setup Card to refill the Scouting Sack.

Each TERRAIN TOKEN has a red dot on its EXTRACTED side. The number of red dots indicates its Tier, allowing you to quickly discern and sort by tiers when randomly refilling the Scouting Sack.

COMBAT CARD DRAFT: Whilst players still start with 5 random Combat Cards, choose 1 card to keep, place it face-down, and pass the rest to the player on your left. Repeat until all players have drafted 5 cards.

COMBAT CARD REPLACEMENT: During 2.7: Rise and Shine, you may spend 1 NECTAR, POLLEN, or HONEY for each Combat Card you wish to discard and replace. You cannot replace more than your starting hand of 5. In the Basic Rules, there is no cost for replacing the Combat Cards.

9.0: Further Rule Clarifications

9.1: If a DRONE was added to a WORKER, but the WORKER is removed from the Action, can a new DRONE take that Action? NO. A Drone can only act if a WORKER is present. WORKERS train DRONES – no WORKER means no training.
9.2: Can I trade resources with other players? YES. Trades must occur BEFORE doing any NEGOTIATION (3.4). All trades have a MAXIMUM 3:1 exchange ratio (e.g., trade 1 HONEY for 2 POLLEN/1 NECTAR), and must involve different resource types (e.g., you cannot trade 2 POLLEN for 1 POLLEN). Once received, those traded resources are locked and CANNOT be traded OR used in negotiations that turn.
9.3: If I have two Combat Cards that replace in-play Combat Cards, and I use one to replace an opponent's card, can I then use the second card to replace the one I just drew? YES.
9.4: If I am asked to replace a Combat Card with one from my hand or my opponent's hand, but we used all 5 Combat Cards, what do I do? Draw the top one from the deck.
9.5: What happens if I destroy S.T.I.N.G's last HIVE in combat? As normal (6.5), their bees retreat to an adjacent tile of THEIR choice. THIS MAY TRIGGER COMBAT. Prioritise their retreat onto an adjacent tile containing: 1. Your bees, 2. Any other enemy bees, 3. Friendly bees, 4. You choose the tile.
9.6: What Actions can I take if I have no HIVES? You can only MIGRATE and BUILD HIVE. Good luck!
9.7: If all Combat Cards are used, what do I do? Shuffle the Discard Pile and draw from that.
9.8: If all S.T.I.N.G cards are used, what do I do? Leave the last played card with the bee still on the Action. Shuffle both of the remaining Discard Piles and draw from that going forward.
9.9: Do I have to RECRUIT to my full RECRUIT limit? NO. You may RECRUIT fewer bees if desired.

9.19: Optional Variants

The core mechanics of Beetown Beatdown are highly adaptable and do not rely on a static starting setup. The game easily accommodates different HIVE placements on the map and starting resources without altering its spirit or dynamics.

Want a lucrative start with 4 HONEY? How about a cluster of Level 2 tiles around your HIVE? Or do you dare to tackle a challenging start with many EXTRACTED tiles?

Optional changes can be made to almost any aspect of the game: Scouting Sack resources, starting HONEY, HIVE placement, TERRAIN TOKENS around the HIVE, or even the Combat Card hand limit.