Car Wars (Sixth Edition)
Car Wars (Sixth Edition) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Chronology
- Components
- Car Miniatures and Bases
- Common Icons
- Dashboards
- Arena Setup
- Counters, Turning Keys, and Dice
- Wreck Markers
- Damage Cards
- Build Cards
- Game Size
- Car Construction
- Starting Positions
- Sequence of Play
- Low-Risk Moves
- Maneuvers
- Maneuvering Results
- Out of Control
- Spinning Out
- Collisions
- Pushing
- Pile-Ups
- Attacking
- Defending
- Damage
- Player Elimination
- End of Game
- Quick Reference
Chronology
2035: Federal government moves to nationalize dwindling supplies of oil and natural gas production. Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana secede, and nationalize these resources themselves. Pitched battles follow on both sides of the new border.
2038: U.S. armored columns stopped in hills of central Texas, ending bloody "Gulf or Bust" campaign. Rebel forces begin to retake lost territory.
2039: Texarkana Accords signed, ending Second Civil War. Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana become three separate sovereign nations – the Free Oil States.
2047: Grain blight breaks out in Nebraska, spreading rapidly. A similar blight takes root in Ukraine. A nuclear exchange ends quickly, but the world's breadbaskets are devastated. Food shortages break out across the globe.
2051: The Food Riots. National governments fail to keep order. "Fortress" towns develop.
2053: Outside fortress towns, gangs rule most of the world. Country real estate becomes worthless. Algae farms make up lost food production.
2055: Many large cities totally abandoned. Governments regain some authority, but law enforcement is decentralized. Texas, Finland, and USA have best economies in the world, with employment rates tied at 37%.
2057: U.S. Supreme Court decriminalizes manslaughter in arena games. "Death sports" become popular. Television stocks hit new highs weekly.
2058: "Crazy Joe" Harshman wins Fresno destruction derby by mounting a surplus .50-caliber machine gun on his Chevy. The term "autoduelling" is first used by sportswriters.
2060: Autoduelling becomes most popular TV sport worldwide, edging out combat football and private wars. Nine autoduel arenas are open in North America, with dozens more in planning stages. The American Autoduel Association is formed.
2061: Utah autoduellists fight vigilante campaign against Badlands cycle gangs. AADA holds first sanctioned National Championship in Austin, Texas. AADA also begins issuing area advisories and helping duellists organize against armed threats to their communities. Some local police forces condemn this; others join in.
2062: Police admit inability to deal with armed vehicles in highway use. Informal duels increase in number.
2063: Many areas legalize vehicular weaponry of a loosely defined "defensive nature." Duelling outside city limits now legal in 14 states, tolerated in others.
2064: Most makes of cars now offer a variety of weaponry as factory options.
2065: Statistics show "smash and grab" car and cycle crime much reduced. Law enforcement officials credit vehicular weaponry of private citizens, but point out that "the gangs that are left are now better armed than we are." Autoduelling is now legal in all 47 U.S. states, all 12 Canadian provinces, the Free Oil States, the Republics of Quebec and Deseret, and most surviving nations worldwide.
Today: Car Wars.
Components
2-Player Set: 6 car miniatures, 2 car bases, 2 dashboards, 2 power sliders, 2 tires sliders, 2 speed sliders, 8 armor sliders, 20 dice (6 yellow, 4 blue, 3 red, 3 green, 2 black, 2 white), 2 wreck tokens, 2 barrier tokens, 2 barrel tokens, 2 turning keys, 36 ace tokens, 36 control tokens, 48 damage tokens, 1 first-player marker, 6 vehicle record sheets, 1 rulebook, and 132 cards: 2 play sequence cards, 12 damage cards, 14 hazard cards, 4 scenario cards, 100 build cards (50 cards in 2 player colors).
4-Player Set: 12 car miniatures, 4 car bases, 4 dashboards, 4 power sliders, 4 tires sliders, 4 speed sliders, 16 armor sliders, 20 dice (6 yellow, 4 blue, 3 red, 3 green, 2 black, 2 white), 4 wreck tokens, 4 barrier tokens, 4 barrel tokens, 2 turning keys, 36 ace tokens, 36 control tokens, 48 damage tokens, 1 first-player marker, 6 vehicle record sheets, 1 rulebook, and 234 cards: 4 play sequence cards, 12 damage cards, 14 hazard cards, 4 scenario cards, 200 build cards (50 cards in 4 player colors).
Car Miniatures and Bases
Each player takes a car base and the miniature of their choice. Use the pegs and sockets to attach the miniature to the base.
The term "car" in these rules refers to the combined car base and miniature.
For movement and combat, the rectangle depicted on the base represents the car — the attached miniature does not. The rounded nose and rear of the base are only used to resolve collisions.
Common Icons
The most common icons encountered during play are shown below, described here in words.
Dice. Dice come in six colors: yellow, red, green, blue, black, and white. These icons indicate the color of die needed in a particular situation. If there is a number within the icon, it indicates how many dice of that particular color are needed. For example, if a card calls for 3 yellow dice and 1 green die, roll 3 yellow dice and 1 green die.
Control, ace, and damage tokens. These icons indicate when a token of a specific type is required.
Terrain level (0, 1, 2, 3). Indicates how many dice must be added to your driving rolls based on the highest level your car is overlapping (see Drive, p. 12 of the original).
Full cover, partial cover, and no cover. Each of these indicates a certain amount of cover, which may prevent an attack or help when defending (see Cover, below).
Drive-thru, light obstacle, and wall. These icons indicate an obstacle's weight. The outside edges of the arena are walls. Any other obstacle that does not show one of these icons is considered a heavy obstacle. Weight is an abstract term that defines how an obstacle is treated in collisions (see Collisions, below).
Durability. This icon indicates that an item can be destroyed. The number inside the icon indicates the amount of damage it takes to destroy that item. If a durability icon is not present, that item cannot take damage (see Damage, below).
Basic damage, tire damage, fire, and explosion. These icons all indicate different types of damage that is dealt during play. The numbers inside the icons indicate the amount of damage being dealt (see Damage, below).
Firing Arcs
The dotted lines sculpted into the car base indicate the car's sides and firing arcs (front, back, left, and right). Imagine the dotted lines extend indefinitely from the car base, dividing the arena into 4 quadrants.
Each quadrant represents one of the car's firing arcs (front, back, left, and right). The letters on the base indicate the sides of the car (F, B, L, and R).
Dashboards
Each player takes the dashboard that matches the color of their car base, one power slider, one tires slider, one speed slider, and four armor sliders.
The dashboard depicts the car's power plant, tires, and speed. It must be assembled by placing the sliders in their corresponding grooves. Don't worry about where they are positioned in the grooves yet (see Sequence of Play, below).
The armor sliders start with the non-fire side down. This indicates that the car is not (yet) on fire.
As the sliders move, they will cover and uncover control and reduce-speed icons.
The control icons show how many control tokens a player takes at the start of a round (see Take Control, below). Higher speeds and tire damage will cause these icons to become hidden. Slowing down will reveal more of them.
As a car takes tire damage, reduce-speed icons will be uncovered. Each reduce-speed icon reduces a car's maximum speed by 1. The maximum speed for an undamaged car is 5, but it can be reduced as low as 1 (see Check Speed, below).
When the speed slider is set to 0, a reverse-1 icon is revealed. This is a visual reminder that the speed 0 setting also represents driving in reverse at speed 1 (see Adjust Speed, below).
Arena Setup
Designate a flat, smooth, playing area, roughly 3 feet per side, to serve as the arena. The outside edges of the arena are walls (see Walls, below).
Corners of walls must be 90 degrees or more – no acute angles. Gaps between walls must be at least one turning key (2 car lengths) long.
Players should be positioned evenly around the arena, leaving a good amount of space outside the arena for dashboards, cards, and tokens (see Car Construction, below).
Once players are familiar with the rules, terrain features and obstacles can be added during setup to customize the arena (see Terrain and Hazards and Obstacles, below).
Terrain and Hazards
Regular arena terrain is designated "level 0," and carries no penalties. A higher terrain number adds risk. Add a number of dice to your driving roll equal to the highest terrain number you are overlapping (see Drive, below). Typically, a road is level 0. Its shoulder might be level 1, and the area beyond the shoulder would be 2 or even higher.
Hazard cards, such as mud and clay, represent spots of especially chancy driving surface. A car's movement is affected by all hazards it overlaps. For example, when your car is overlapping a Clay card, you must add 2 (2 blue dice) to your driving roll, in addition to any other dice you would normally roll. The drive-thru icon means cars drive over top of the Clay hazard, and the no-cover icon means that it does not offer any protection from attacks.
Some cards have unique effects that are described in the text on the card itself. Mud, for instance, adds 1 shield result to your driving roll. Hazards do not negate terrain – they add to it!
There are also four cards numbered 0 through 3. These may be used to customize your arena in different ways. They can represent checkpoints or event triggers (for instance, you can't fire a weapon until you cross the checkpoint of your own color). They can be used as extra hazard cards; these cards may be declared in advance or may be unknown – under a harmless-looking puddle, perhaps! – until a driver hits them. Or they can be used as a countdown (hence the 0 card).
Obstacles
Everything in the arena that isn't terrain is an obstacle, including the cars. Obstacles have cover, durability, and weight attributes, usually indicated by icons (see Common Icons, above).
Cars are heavy obstacles that provide partial cover (see Collisions and Cover, below).
Many obstacles show a durability on one side, but not on the other. This is to allow more options when setting up the arena.
Scenarios and Customization
Once players are familiar with the rules, we encourage experimenting with the game system to create custom arenas and exciting scenarios. However, if a custom setup or scenario conflicts with these rules, it is up to the players to address those conflicts.
Counters, Turning Keys, and Dice
Separate the control, ace, and damage tokens. Place these tokens, the turning keys, and the dice all within easy reach of all players.
Set the barrier and barrel tokens aside for now. They are optional when setting up the arena.
Decide who will be the first player. That player takes the first-player marker.
Turning Key
The turning key is an all-in-one tool that is used for setup, movement, and combat. It is 2 car-lengths long and 1/2 car-length wide, and the car bases work in conjunction with the turning key to make driving, turning, and sliding around the arena quick and easy (see Maneuvers, below).
Dice Icons
Each different color of die has a unique mix of the icons shown below. When a die face shows two icons, each icon is treated as an individual result.
Hit – This typically represents 1 basic damage when attacking (see Basic Damage, below).
Skid/Shield – When driving, skids may cause a car to lose control. On defense, shields negate incoming hits.
Wrench – When maneuvering, wrenches cause a car to lose tires. Additionally, some cards have unique effects that occur when wrenches are rolled.
Wreck Markers
Wreck markers are used to show a car that has been destroyed. Set them aside at the start of the game. When a car is destroyed, replace it with a wreck marker. Place the marker with the durability icon face-down.
Wreck markers are not player-controlled and do not move unless they are involved in a collision.
Players that are familiar with the rules may choose – at the start of the game – that wreck markers be placed with the durability icon facing up, indicating that they can take damage and be destroyed.
Damage Cards
Damage cards are used after a car's armor has been stripped away. Separate the 12 damage cards into two decks (A and B), each containing 6 cards.
Each damage card shows a card number in one corner that can be used to sort the decks.
Once the game size has been determined, one of the damage decks will be returned to the box (see Game Size, below).
Each damage card lists several items in order (for example: structure, accessory, crew, power plant), each with a limit shown as "no limit" or a specific number, and a card number in the corner for sorting the deck.
Build Cards
Build cards are used to equip the cars and outfit crew members (see Car Construction, below). There are several types of build cards, and some have restrictions that limit how they can be used (see Restrictions, below).
Weapons, accessories, upgrades, and structure cards are equipped using build points. Crew, gear, and sidearms are equipped using crew points (see Game Size, below).
Restrictions
Many cards have restrictions that affect how they can be used:
RANGE X – can only be used within X car lengths of a target.
ONE-SHOT – can only be used once (then it is flipped face-down).
FRONT ONLY – must be equipped to the front.
BACK ONLY – must be equipped to the back.
FRONT/BACK – must be equipped to either the front or the back.
SIDE ARC FIRE – players may attack with this from either their left or right arcs.
EXCLUSIVE – players may not equip more than one exclusive card.
Weapons
Weapons are the primary means of dealing damage. Each card provides some combination of basic damage and attack dice (see Attacking, below).
Players can equip multiple copies of a weapon to any firing arc.
Weapons that cost 6 or more build points cannot be equipped in games using 24 build points or less. Note that players will, at most, have 2 attacks per turn.
Example weapon: the Heavy Machine Gun (cost 3, Weapon – Shred type) has a durability of 2 and shows that each wrench result adds 1 tire damage.
Accessories & Upgrades
Accessories and upgrades modify the basic game rules.
Players cannot equip multiple accessories that share the same name. Players cannot equip multiple upgrades that share the same name or subtype.
Unless a restriction says otherwise, accessories can be equipped to any firing arc. Upgrades are placed in the crew area.
Example accessory: Advanced Brakes (cost 1, Back Only, durability 2) lets you take 1 ace token during the Take Control step and ignore tire damage from hard braking.
Structure
Structure cards provide defensive benefits when defending, such as increased durability and additional dice.
Unless a restriction says otherwise, players can equip structure cards to any firing arc.
Players can equip multiple copies of a structure card, but are only allowed to equip one structure card per side of their cars (up to a maximum of 4 cards).
Example structure: Standard Steel Plate (cost 2, durability 2) — when attacked on this side, add 1 basic damage to your defense roll.
For even more plastic cars, as well as new Build Point and Crew Point cards, don't miss the Car Wars miniatures expansions. Add tons of new design options to your game! Mix and match cards from different sets to build your perfect autoduel machine. Visit carwars.sjgames.com for more!
Crew
Players must choose 1 driver and 1 gunner to form their crew. All crew members are able to drive the car and fire weapons. Many have additional special abilities.
Crew cards are not equipped to the dashboard like other cards. Each player must form a crew area near their dashboard. This is an open space where equipped crew and gear cards are placed.
Example crew card: Amateur (cost 2, Crew – Driver) — take 1 control token and 1 ace token during the Take Control step.
Gear
Gear cards modify the crew, rather than the car, and they cannot be destroyed (similar to upgrades).
Gear is equipped to the crew area, and the special rule provided by a gear card applies to both crew members.
Players cannot equip multiple copies of the same gear card.
Players cannot equip a gear card that shares the same subtype as another gear card they already have equipped.
Example gear card: Holographic Sight (cost 1, Gear – Optic) — when attacking with a sidearm, add 1 basic damage if your target is within 2 car lengths.
Sidearms
Sidearms are crew-held weapons that cannot be destroyed, and they can be fired even if there are no other weapons on the car.
Sidearms can be fired from either the left or right sides of the car.
Both crew members carry the equipped sidearm(s), even though there is only one card per sidearm in the crew area.
Unlike other weapons, which can only be fired once per round, each crew member can fire the same sidearm in the same round.
All players have the Hand Cannon card equipped by default — each player should immediately take this card from their player deck and equip it. Purchasing additional sidearms does not replace the Hand Cannon — all equipped sidearms are available for the crew to use.
Players cannot equip multiple copies of the same sidearm.
Game Size
Players must decide how many armor points (AP), build points (BP), and crew points (CP) will be used.
AP indicate the amount of damage a car can take before internal systems and crew are affected. Players set all of their armor sliders to this number.
BP are used to purchase weapons, accessories, upgrades, and structure. A player may not spend more BP than the game size allows when building their car.
Weapons that cost 6 or more cannot be equipped in games using 24 BP or less.
CP are used to hire crew members and outfit them with gear and sidearms. A player may not spend more CP than the game size allows when building their car.
For a small game using 24 BP or less, use damage deck A and return deck B to the box (see Damage Cards, above). We suggest 4 AP, 16 BP, and 4 CP for your first small game.
For a large game using 25 BP or more, use damage deck B, and return deck A to the box (see Damage Cards, above). We suggest 9 AP, 36 BP, and 9 CP for your first large game.
Car Construction
Once the game size is determined, all players simultaneously outfit their cars and crews using the build cards from their player decks.
Players equip weapons, accessories, upgrades, and structure cards by placing them adjacent to their dashboards. Each card is placed on the side of the dashboard that correlates to the car's firing arc where the item is located.
Crew, sidearms, and gear are equipped by placing them near the dashboard (in the crew area).
Each player's crew consists of exactly one driver and one gunner. Remember to equip the Hand Cannon card!
Do not look at the other cars until everyone has finished — do not make decisions based on what the other players are doing.
Once the cars are all built, players should check one another to make sure that all cars are built according to the rules and the agreed-upon game size.
Starting Positions
Starting with the first player (the player with the first-player marker) and going clockwise around the arena, each player determines their starting position.
Place the turning key against the arena edge and then position the car in any orientation, so long as some part of the base is touching the turning key.
Here are some starting setups based on different player counts: 2 players, 3 players, and 4 players each have their own recommended starting layout around the arena edge, spacing cars evenly.
When all cars are in their starting positions, the first round starts.
Sequence of Play
At the start of the game, all players set their speed slider to 2, and their power and tires sliders each to 10. The armor sliders should be positioned based on the game size (see Game Size, above).
Play proceeds in rounds until there is only one player remaining. Starting with the first player, follow the phases below (in order) each round.
1. Check Speed
All players perform this phase simultaneously.
Check for reduce-speed icons showing on the dashboards. Each reduce-speed icon reduces a car's maximum speed by 1. If any player's speed is higher than allowed, that player must adjust their speed down to their new maximum speed.
2. Take Control
All players perform this phase simultaneously.
Each player takes control tokens and ace tokens according to the icons visible on their dashboards and on their equipped cards. Tokens must be kept visible.
3. Manage Fires
Starting with the first player and going clockwise, each player has an opportunity to extinguish fires that may be burning on their car (indicated by armor sliders that have been flipped to their fire side). Players are not required to extinguish fires.
Pay 2 control tokens to extinguish a fire, and flip the armor slider so the non-fire side is face down.
Players can put themselves out of control by extinguishing a fire (see Out of Control, below).
Each fire left burning deals 1 damage to that side of the car as soon as a player is done extinguishing fires (see Fire Damage, below).
This damage is resolved before the next player is required to manage their fires.
4. Movement
Once all players have managed their fires, the movement phase begins.
Starting with the first player and going clockwise, each player performs two steps during the movement phase: adjust speed and drive.
4A. Adjust Speed
The speed indicated on the dashboard shows how many movement points a player has available. When adjusting speed, a player may:
- Maintain their current speed, or
- Increase their speed by 1, or
- Decrease their speed by 1.
A player cannot exceed their maximum speed (check the reduce-speed icons on the dashboard), and they cannot change their speed once they have begun moving their car.
Movement points indicate the number of car lengths a car will move during the drive step. Cars always move forward unless at speed 0.
Speed 0 means either stopped or in reverse. A player at speed 0 must inform the other players whether they are stopped or in reverse before continuing.
Hard Acceleration. After increasing speed by 1, a player may hard accelerate (only once per turn) to increase their speed by 1 more. If they do, their power plant takes 1 damage (see Power Plant Damage, below). A player may not exceed their maximum speed. Adjusting speed from reverse to 1 does not require hard accelerating. Players can be eliminated from the game if hard accelerating reduces their power plant to 0 (see Player Elimination, below).
Hard Braking. After decreasing speed by 1, a player may hard brake (only once per turn) to decrease their speed by 1 more. If they do, their tires take 1 damage (see Tire Damage, below). The minimum possible speed is 0 (or reverse). Adjusting speed from 1 to reverse does not require hard braking. If a player's tires are reduced to 0, that player may not hard brake.
Reverse is considered to be speed 1, but the car will move backward. When the speed slider is set to 0, the reverse-1 icon is a visual reminder that the speed 0 setting also represents driving in reverse at speed 1.
All movement is described in these rules as though the car is moving forward. Use the same methods in reverse, but treat the back of the car as though it is the front.
A player cannot adjust their speed to reverse if the back of their car is touching a wall.
4B. Drive
The player must move their car using all of their available movement points before the next player begins their movement phase.
As long as they are not out of control (see Out of Control, below), a player may make a low-risk move or a maneuver during any of their movement points (see Low-Risk Moves and Maneuvers, below).
After each movement point is spent, a driving roll might be required as the result of terrain, hazards, or a maneuver. A driving roll consists of the following:
- a number of dice equal to the highest terrain level their car is overlapping, plus
- any dice required by hazards their car is overlapping, plus
- any dice required by the maneuver they are making.
See Maneuvering Results, below, to learn about resolving driving rolls.
5. Combat
Once all players have completed their movement phases, the combat phase begins.
Starting with the first player and going clockwise, each player is given a chance to attack with their surviving crew members (see Attacking, below).
6. End of Round
Once all players have made their attacks and the damage is resolved, the combat phase is over and the round ends.
All remaining control tokens and ace tokens are returned to the supply, and the first-player marker is passed to the next player to the left.
The next round begins.
Re-Rolling Dice. When you are given a re-roll of 1 or more dice, use each re-roll one at a time, choosing from the dice initially rolled. For example, an effect that allows you to re-roll 2 dice indicates that you have 2 separate re-rolls available. Re-rolls are optional unless an effect says otherwise.
Ace Tokens. Ace tokens are earned by making maneuvers (see Maneuvers, below), and they may always be spent for defense re-rolls (see Defending, below). There are also cards that, when equipped, provide additional ways to earn and spend ace tokens.
Low-Risk Moves
Players do not roll dice or take ace tokens for low-risk moves.
Drive Straight
Position the turning key against either side of the car and move the car straight forward exactly 1 car-length (using the turning key as a guide).
Slight Turn
Position the turning key against the same side of the car as the direction of the turn (for a left turn, put the turning key against the left side of the car).
Align the front of the car to the pivot point on the turning key.
Move the car straight forward 1 car-length until the back is aligned with the pivot point, and then pivot the front of the car over the tip of the turning key.
The player decides how far to pivot the car, as long as the edge of the car does not go beyond the SLIGHT zone on the turning key.
Maneuvers
Any time a player commits to making a maneuver, before rolling dice, that player takes 1 ace token (see Ace Tokens, above).
When making a maneuver, dice are added to the driving roll. The player adds yellow dice equal to their speed, plus any additional dice required by the difficulty of that particular maneuver. Note that terrain and hazards may add even more dice to the driving roll (see Drive, above).
See Maneuvering Results, below, to resolve maneuvering die rolls.
Turn
Position the turning key against the same side of the car as the direction of the turn (for a left turn, put the turning key against the left side of the car).
Align the front of the car to the pivot point on the turning key.
Move the car straight forward 1 car-length until the back is aligned with the pivot point, and then pivot the front of the car over the tip of the turning key (past the SLIGHT zone) until the desired turn is achieved.
The player decides how far to pivot the car, up to 90 degrees. As the car turns, the edge will overlap the colored difficulty zones on the turning key (D1 to D4).
The car does not need to align precisely to the lines that separate the difficulty zones on the turning key – a player may stop their turn anywhere within a difficulty zone.
When the car is positioned, the player then adds yellow dice equal to their speed, plus the dice shown on all zones the car is overlapping on the turning key.
In the example shown, there are no terrain or hazard effects. The player makes a D3 turn at speed 3. That player takes 1 ace token and then rolls six dice: 3 for their current speed, plus 1 for zone D1, plus 1 for zone D2, plus 1 for zone D3.
Slide
Wedge the turning key at an angle beneath the car and align the SLIDE zone to one edge of the car. Then move the car diagonally until that same edge aligns with the other end of the SLIDE zone.
The player adds yellow dice equal to their speed, but this maneuver does not add any additional dice to the driving roll.
Maneuvering Results
After a driving roll, the player must pay 1 control token for each skid/shield result and take 1 tire damage for each wrench result (see Tire Damage, below). Hazard and terrain effects that did not directly affect the driving roll itself are applied now.
If a player runs out of control tokens, see Out of Control, below.
If a player's tires are already at 0, wrench results from a driving roll do not cause further tire damage.
Out of Control
A player goes out of control the moment they run out of control tokens. They must drive straight for any remaining movement points, and their speed no longer provides yellow dice for defense rolls (see Defending, below).
Out of Control: Terrain, Hazards, Collisions, and Maneuvers. Sometimes a player is required to pay control tokens when they have none available. If this happens as the result of a driving roll or a collision, they take 1 tire damage for each control token they could not pay (see Tire Damage, below).
Once their tires are at 0, additional tire damage is ignored.
If this happens as the result of a slide or a turn (see Maneuvers, above), the player takes the tire damage as described above, and their car spins out for each skid/shield result the player could not pay control tokens for (see Spinning Out, below).
Explosions
If a player is out of control and is hit by an explosion result, they instead take 1 basic damage on the affected side (see Explosion Damage, below). This may happen during movement or combat.
Spinning Out
When a player runs out of control tokens as the result of a slide or a turn and has excess skid/shield results they cannot pay for, their car spins out after taking tire damage. They do not take further tire damage if their tires are already at 0.
The severity of the spin is based on the number of skid/shield results the player could not pay for.
To spin out, position the turning key "backwards" against the opposite side of the car from the maneuver that caused the loss of control (if the car turned or slid to the right, the turning key is placed on the left side of the car).
Align the front of the car to the pivot point on the turning key. The back of the car will spin out (similar to making a turn while in reverse).
Pivot the back of the car over the tip of the turning key until the correct spin severity is met:
- 1 unresolved skid/shield result: align the car so that it completely covers the D1 zone on the turning key.
- 2 unresolved skid/shield results: align the car so that it completely covers the D2 zone on the turning key.
- 3 unresolved skid/shield results: align the car so that it completely covers the D3 zone on the turning key.
- 4 unresolved skid/shield results: align the car so that it completely covers the D4 zone on the turning key.
- 5 or more unresolved skid/shield results: align the car so that it completely covers the D4 zone on the turning key. Your car has flipped (see Player Elimination, below).
If there are 5 or more unresolved skid/shield results, pivot the car 90 degrees, just like the D4 spin. The car has flipped. Immediately replace the car with a wreck token.
Any crew members inside the car are immediately killed. When both crew members are lost, that player is eliminated from the game (see Player Elimination, below).
Once the spin is resolved, the car is still out of control and must drive straight for any remaining movement points (see Out of Control, above).
Collisions When Spinning Out
If spinning out causes a new collision, the spinning car stops moving the moment the collision occurs. The remaining movement for the spin is lost, but any remaining tire damage still occurs. A collision does not prevent a spinning car from flipping (if a flip would have happened normally), but the car flips in its current location, rather than at the end of the spin. Resolve the new collision after the spin is fully resolved.
Collisions
The moment a car touches a heavy obstacle or wall, a collision has occurred.
In a collision, everything forward of the rectangle on the car base counts as the front of the car, and everything behind the rectangle counts as the back.
Drive-Through Obstacles
Obstacles with a drive-thru icon, such as hazards, do not cause collisions. Instead, the obstacle is held in place and the car base slides over it.
Light Obstacles
Obstacles with a light-obstacle icon are light. When a car touches a light obstacle, it is not a collision – the car pushes through (see Pushing, below).
Heavy Obstacles
The moment a car touches a heavy obstacle, the car must stop moving. Any remaining distance that the car would have traveled for that particular movement point is lost, but the driving roll (if required) must still happen after the collision is resolved.
The remaining portion of that particular movement point is lost. Any remaining movement points will be used after the collision and driving rolls are resolved.
Follow the steps below to resolve a collision with a heavy obstacle:
- The player that caused the collision pays 1 control token.
- If the collision was with another car, the player controlling the other car also pays 1 control token.
- The player that caused the collision rolls yellow dice equal to their speed.
- The side of their car that touched the heavy obstacle takes 1 basic damage for each hit result rolled in step 3 (see Basic Damage, below).
- If the heavy obstacle that was hit in the collision can take damage, it then takes 1 basic damage for each hit result rolled in step 3 (see Basic Damage, below). If an obstacle can take damage on specific sides (such as another player's car), apply the damage to the side that was touched in the collision.
- Resolve the driving roll.
- Continue with the movement phase.
Walls
Obstacles with a wall icon are walls. Collisions with walls are resolved like collisions with heavy obstacles, but the car may be forced to move in a particular way after a collision with a wall (see Heavy Obstacles, above, and Pushing, below).
Simultaneous Collisions
In the rare instance where multiple collisions occur at once, resolve each collision separately. If multiple players are involved, start from the player with the first-player marker and resolve each collision separately, going clockwise around the table.
If there are multiple collisions with obstacles that are not player-controlled, the player that caused the collisions chooses the order in which they resolve each collision.
Pushing
If a car is already touching an obstacle and must move, pushing occurs.
Light and heavy obstacles can be pushed into new positions. Walls cannot be moved and require the player to reposition their car instead.
Pushed obstacles remain in their new positions in the arena.
Pushing an obstacle is not a collision (see Collisions, above). It is only at the moment a moving obstacle first touches an obstacle that a new collision occurs.
Pushing Light Obstacles
Light obstacles do not impede a car's movement. If a car is touching a light obstacle and needs to move, the car is moved normally. The car base is used to literally push the light obstacle along.
Players must do this slowly and deliberately. Do not smack the car bases into other obstacles.
Light obstacles that are pushed may take damage. At the end of any movement point where a player pushed any light obstacles (and those light obstacles are still in play), that player rolls yellow dice equal to their speed. Each light obstacle that was pushed takes 1 basic damage for each hit result rolled.
Light obstacles cannot cause a pile-up (see Pile-Ups, below).
If a light obstacle is pushed into any other obstacle, the pushed light obstacle immediately "pops" – it is destroyed and removed from play without otherwise affecting the movement point.
If a light obstacle is already touching another obstacle when a heavy obstacle gets pushed into it, that light obstacle immediately "pops."
If a player causes a new collision (with a heavy obstacle or wall) while pushing a light obstacle, they must stop moving per the normal collision rules. Resolve the push damage to the light obstacle(s) first, then resolve the collision, and then resolve the driving roll.
Pushing Heavy Obstacles
If a car is touching a heavy obstacle and needs to move, the car is moved normally. The car base is used to literally push the heavy obstacle along.
Players must do this slowly and deliberately. Do not smack the car bases into other obstacles.
It is possible that a player cannot push a heavy obstacle with their car base (if the heavy obstacle is pinned against a wall, for example). In this case, the car must be repositioned as though the obstacle they are pushing is a wall (see Pushing Walls, below).
Heavy obstacles do not take damage from being pushed. However, a new collision can occur if a heavy obstacle is pushed into another heavy obstacle or wall, creating a pile-up (see Pile-Ups, below).
Pushing Walls
Walls cannot be moved by pushing. If a car is touching a wall, and moving would cause it to push against that wall, the car must be repositioned before moving by following the steps below.
- Lose 1 movement point.
- Pay 1 control token.
- Position the turning key against the side of the car that is furthest from the wall. If the car is perpendicular to the wall, the turning key may be placed on either side of the car.
- Align the back of the car to the pivot point on the turning key and pivot the car until it fully covers the D4 zone.
If this causes the car to touch a light or heavy obstacle, continue moving the car, pushing those obstacles along. No new collisions result from this push.
Light obstacles still "pop" if they are pushed into other obstacles (see Pushing Light Obstacles, above).
If the car touches another wall or pins another heavy obstacle against a wall before it can be fully repositioned, immediately stop moving the car and leave it in place. It is stuck (see Stuck, below).
Stuck
If a player cannot fully reposition their car after touching a wall, the car is stuck (see Pushing Walls, above).
The player controlling the stuck car must immediately follow these steps:
- Adjust speed to 0.
- Return all remaining control tokens to the supply.
- Move the stuck car in a straight line 2 car-lengths backwards. If this causes the car to touch a light or heavy obstacle, continue moving the car, pushing those obstacles along. No new collisions result from this push. Light obstacles still "pop" if they are pushed into other obstacles (see Pushing Light Obstacles, above). If the car touches a wall, or if it pushes a heavy obstacle into a wall, immediately stop repositioning the car and leave it in its new position.
- Lose all remaining movement points.
Pile-Ups
Pile-ups are collisions involving multiple obstacles, and can only occur as a result of pushing (see Pushing, above).
A car may push one or more heavy obstacles along as it moves. The moment a heavy obstacle is pushed into another heavy obstacle or wall, the car must stop moving. A pile-up collision has occurred.
The car that caused the collision is always involved, as well as the two obstacles that touched in the new collision.
Even if a long chain of obstacles was pushed, the only obstacles involved are the car that caused the collision and the two obstacles that touched in the new collision. Obstacles in the middle of the chain may have been pushed around, but they are not otherwise involved.
Light obstacles "pop," and thus cannot be involved in a pile-up (see Pushing Light Obstacles, above).
Follow these steps to resolve a pile-up:
- The player that caused the collision pays 1 control token.
- If there are any cars involved in the new collision, the players controlling those cars each pay 1 control token.
- The player that caused the collision rolls yellow dice equal to their speed.
- The side of the car touching the pushed chain of obstacles takes 1 basic damage for each hit result rolled in step 3.
- The two obstacles involved in the new collision then take that same amount of damage. The obstacle closest to the car that caused the collision takes the damage first (the newest obstacle added to the chain takes the damage last in the sequence). If an obstacle can take damage on specific sides (such as another player's car), apply the damage to the side that was touched in the collision.
- Resolve the driving roll.
- Continue with the movement phase.
Resolve the driving roll (if required) after the collision. Pile-up collisions are resolved similar to normal collisions, but with a few key differences (as noted above): the car must stop moving when the new collision occurs.
Attacking
During the combat phase, each player has an opportunity to attack once with each of their surviving crew members.
Players may attack with both crew members, only one crew member, or not at all – attacking is entirely optional. If there are no possible targets or the player does not wish to make an attack, their combat phase ends.
A weapon may only be fired once per combat phase, with the exception of sidearms (see Sidearms, above).
Follow the steps below for each crew member that makes an attack:
- Determine possible targets (see Choosing a Target, below).
- Determine any defense bonuses for those targets (see Range and Cover, below).
- Choose a target, which crew member is making the attack, and the weapon being used. Inform the other players of each decision.
- Roll dice for the attack and determine the results (see Shoot, below). The target, if it is another player, may be able to defend against incoming damage (see Defending, below).
- The attack ends after the damage is resolved (see Combat Results, below). Another attack may be made if there is another crew member available to do so. Otherwise, the attacking player's combat phase ends.
Once all players have completed their combat phase, the round ends and the next round begins (see Sequence of Play, above).
Choosing a Target
Use the firing arcs on the car base to determine possible targets (see Firing Arcs, above).
The attacker's firing arcs determine what can be attacked.
If any part of an obstacle is within a firing arc where the attacker has a weapon equipped, that obstacle is a possible target.
The rounded nose and rear of a car base cannot be targeted. Only the rectangle in the center of the base is used when targeting a car.
The target's firing arcs determine where it can be attacked.
Check the target's firing arcs to see which sides contain the attacking car. Those sides of the target can be attacked.
If the attacker is within more than one of the target's firing arcs, the attacker chooses which side to attack.
Targets without firing arcs do not take damage on specific sides.
Range
Use the turning key to measure how far away the target is from the attacker. The target gets one defense re-roll for each full turning key length between the attacker and the target (see Defending, below).
Cover
Some obstacles provide a defense bonus if a sightline crosses that obstacle. A sightline is an imaginary straight line that connects any point on the attacker to any point on the target. The rounded nose and rear of a car base cannot be used for sightlines.
No Cover. An obstacle with this icon does not provide a defense bonus.
Partial Cover. Cars and any obstacles with this icon provide partial cover. When defending, the target gets 1 shield result for each partial-cover obstacle that can be crossed by sightlines (see Defending, below).
Full Cover. If a sightline cannot be drawn without crossing a full-cover obstacle, the attacker cannot attack that target. If a sightline can be drawn without crossing a full-cover obstacle, that target can be attacked. When defending, the target gets 1 shield result for each full-cover obstacle that can be crossed by sightlines (see Defending, below).
If there are multiple obstacles between the attacker and the target, the target gets all defense bonuses that apply. Multiple sightlines may be drawn to maximize the defense bonus.
Shoot
The attacker rolls the attack dice for their chosen weapon. The colors and number of dice shown on the weapon card indicate what dice to roll.
The results of the attack roll determine the damage being dealt in the attack.
Note any basic damage provided by that weapon (see Weapons, above, and Basic Damage, below). For each hit rolled, add 1 basic damage.
Check the weapon for any special rules that use wrench results (see Weapons, above, and Special Damage & Power Plant Damage, below).
Shield results have no effect for attacks.
The target may be able to defend (see Defending, below). Otherwise, the damage is applied (see Damage, below).
Defending
When a player-controlled obstacle is attacked, the player controlling that obstacle is the "defender" until the damage is resolved. They may be able to roll defense dice in an attempt to reduce the incoming damage.
An obstacle that is not player-controlled does not defend unless a rule for that obstacle says otherwise.
Once the attack damage is determined (see Attacking, above), the defender rolls yellow dice equal to their speed, plus any dice provided by equipped cards.
Count the number of shield results rolled, and add shield results provided by cover (see Cover, above).
Each shield result negates 1 tire damage. Once there is no tire damage to negate, each shield result negates 1 basic damage (see Basic Damage, below).
Fire and explosion results are not negated by shield results (see Explosion Damage and Fire Damage, below).
It may be possible to re-roll dice to improve the results.
There may be free defense re-rolls provided by range (see Range, above).
Defense re-rolls can also be purchased by spending ace tokens. For each ace token paid, the defender re-rolls 1 die. This may be repeated as long as the defender has ace tokens to pay (see Re-Rolling Dice and Ace Tokens, above).
Combat Results
Once the defender has determined the final results of their defense roll, any remaining damage is applied (see Damage, below).
Damage
Most damage dealt in the game is basic damage, but there are some unique types of damage categorized as special damage.
Any time a rule refers to combat damage, collision damage, or maneuvering damage, it means damage dealt as a result of combat, a collision, or a maneuver, respectively. It may become important on occasion to specify when the damage occurred.
Basic Damage
Basic damage is indicated by a star icon. The number within the icon shows the amount of basic damage being dealt.
Basic damage is first applied to the armor on the affected side, which is tracked using the dashboard. Move the armor slider on the affected side down by 1 for each point of basic damage.
If the armor on the affected side is at 0, any additional basic damage affecting that side of the car is internal (see Internal Damage, below).
When basic damage is dealt to an equipped card or an obstacle in the arena, place a damage token on that card or obstacle for each point of basic damage.
Destroyed
When the number of damage tokens on an item (card or obstacle) equals its durability, that item is destroyed.
Flip destroyed cards face-down and remove destroyed obstacles from the arena. Return any tokens on the destroyed item to the supply. Special rules provided by a destroyed item no longer function.
If a player's driver and gunner are both lost, that player is eliminated from the game (see Player Elimination, below).
Do not allow damage tokens to affect movement, collisions, or pushing.
If an item does not have a durability (see Common Icons, above) it cannot take damage, though it may be destroyed by other means.
Special Damage & Power Plant Damage
Tire damage, explosion, and fire icons are used to indicate different types of special damage.
Sometimes special damage is converted to basic damage. When this happens, the unique properties of the special damage no longer apply (see Basic Damage, above).
Tire Damage
Tire damage indicates the amount of tire damage being dealt, shown by the number within the icon.
Tire damage is tracked using the dashboard. Move the tires slider on the affected car down by 1 for each point of tire damage.
As tires take damage, reduce-speed icons will be revealed on the dashboard, and control icons will be covered (see Dashboards, above). These changes do not apply until the start of the next round (see Sequence of Play, above).
Weapons with wrench-to-tire-damage conversion add 1 tire damage for each wrench result in the attack roll (see Attacking, above).
If the target's tires are at 0 (or if the target cannot take tire damage), all remaining tire damage results convert to basic damage (see Basic Damage, above).
The defender may be able to prevent tire damage (see Defending, above).
Explosion Damage
Explosions are indicated by an explosion icon. They are most often caused by a weapon, but they may also occur outside of combat.
An explosion result converts to basic damage if it affects a car that is out of control, or any obstacle other than a car (see Out of Control and Basic Damage, above).
Weapons with a wrench-to-explosion conversion force the defender to pay 1 control token if there is at least 1 wrench result in the attack roll (see Attacking, above).
Only the first wrench converts to an explosion. All other wrench results convert to basic damage (see Basic Damage, above).
The defender pays the 1 control token after rolling for defense, but before resolving any other damage (see Defending, above).
When defending, shield results do not negate an explosion.
Fire Damage
Fires are indicated by a fire icon. They are most often caused by a weapon, but they may also occur outside of combat.
A fire result converts to basic damage if it affects any side of a car that is already on fire, or any obstacle other than a car (see Basic Damage, above).
When a fire is started, flip the armor slider to the fire side on the affected side of the car, and return the slider to the same number that was showing on the dashboard before the fire started.
A fire does not cause damage when it is started. Fire damage is dealt at the start of each round (see Manage Fires, above).
Each fire that is not extinguished deals 1 basic damage to the side of the car where the fire is burning (see Basic Damage, above).
Fires continue burning, dealing damage each turn, until they are extinguished.
Weapons with a wrench-to-fire conversion start a fire on the targeted side if there is at least 1 wrench result in the attack roll (see Attacking, above).
Only the first wrench converts to a fire. All other wrench results convert to basic damage (see Basic Damage, above).
The fire starts after the defender rolls for defense, but before resolving any other damage (see Defending, above).
When defending, shield results do not negate a fire.
Power Plant Damage
Power plant damage only occurs as a result of hard acceleration or internal damage (see Adjust Speed and Internal Damage, above).
The power slider on the dashboard tracks damage to the power plant (see Dashboards, above).
Move the power slider down by 1 for each damage dealt to the power plant.
When a player's power plant is reduced to 0, they are eliminated from the game (see Player Elimination, below).
Internal Damage
When a player's car takes 1 or more basic damage on a side where its armor is at 0, the damage deck is used to resolve internal damage (see Damage Cards, above).
That player mixes the cards in the damage deck, face-down, and then chooses one at random, revealing it to the other players.
Each damage card lists several items. All incoming damage is applied according to the revealed card, starting with the first item and moving down the list until all damage has been resolved.
If the damage card shows structure, weapon, or accessory, the damage applies to an equipped item of that type on the side of the car that is taking the damage. If the listed item is not equipped to that side of the car, move to the next item in the list.
If the damage card shows driver or gunner, the damage applies to that crew member. If the damage card shows crew, the affected player chooses which surviving crew member (driver or gunner) takes the damage.
If a limit is shown on an item and that limit is met, move to the next item in the list.
Track the damage by placing damage tokens on the appropriate cards. When the number of damage tokens on an item equals its durability, that item is destroyed (see Destroyed, above).
If the damage card shows opposite side armor, the damage applies to the armor slider on the opposite side of the car from the incoming damage.
If the armor on the opposite side is at 0 (or the limit has been met) and there is additional incoming damage, move to the next item listed on the damage card.
If the damage card shows fire, a fire starts on the side of the car that is taking the damage (see Fire Damage, above). If the affected side is already on fire, skip to the next item in the list.
When a fire starts in this way, reduce the incoming damage amount by 1.
If there is any remaining damage to resolve after the fire is started (and the damage has been reduced), apply it to the next listed item on the damage card.
If the damage card shows tires, move that car's tires slider down by 1 for each incoming point of damage.
If the tires are at 0 (or the limit is met) and there is additional incoming damage, move to the next item listed on the damage card.
If the damage card shows power plant, move that car's power slider down by 1 for each incoming point of damage (see Power Plant Damage, above).
If a car's power plant is reduced to 0, the car is destroyed. Immediately replace the car with a wreck token (see Wreck Markers, above). That player is eliminated (see Player Elimination, below).
Once the damage is resolved, return the damage card to the deck and play continues.
Player Elimination
A player is immediately eliminated from the game if their driver and gunner have both been lost.
If a car flips as the result of spinning out, or if its power plant is reduced to 0, the car is destroyed and the player is eliminated.
When a player is eliminated, replace their car with a wreck token.
End of Game
The game ends immediately when all but one player is eliminated. The last player with surviving crew wins!
Quick Reference
Snapshot. These rules emphasize fun and fast play over physics. Sometimes a car may move in an "unrealistic" way, or a weapon may not be able to shoot a target that it looks like it is pointing toward. It may help to consider the state of the table at any given time as a snapshot of the arena battle, rather than a continuous, ongoing simulation. When in doubt, favor the defender.
Sequence of Play
- Check Speed – Reduce speed to new max, if necessary.
- Take Control – Take control tokens and ace tokens according to the icons showing on your dashboard and your equipped cards.
- Manage Fires – Extinguish fires by paying 2 control tokens per fire. Take 1 damage for each fire left burning.
- Movement – Adjust your speed and move your car.
- Combat – Attack your opponents!
- End of Round – Return all unspent control tokens and ace tokens to the supply. Pass the first-player marker to the left.
Ace Tokens from Maneuvers. Any time a player commits to making a maneuver, before rolling dice, that player takes 1 ace token.
Dice Icons. Each color of die has a unique combination of the icons shown below. When a die face shows two icons, each icon is treated as an individual result.
- Hit – This typically represents 1 basic damage when attacking (see Basic Damage, above).
- Skid/Shield – When driving, skids may cause a car to lose control. On defense, shields negate incoming hits.
- Wrench – When maneuvering, wrenches cause a car to lose tires. Additionally, some cards have unique effects that occur when wrenches are rolled.
Range. Use the turning key to measure how far away the target is from the attacker. The target gets 1 defense re-roll for each full turning key length between the attacker and the target.
Defending. Once the attack damage is determined, the defender rolls yellow dice equal to their speed (as long as they are not out of control), plus any dice provided by equipped cards. Count the number of shield results rolled and add any provided by cover.
Each shield result negates 1 tire damage. Once there are no tire damage results to negate, each shield result negates 1 basic damage. Fire and explosion results are not negated by shield results.
It may be possible to re-roll dice to improve the results. There may be free defense re-rolls provided by range. Defense re-rolls can also be purchased by spending ace tokens. For each ace token paid, the defender re-rolls 1 die. This may be repeated as long as the defender has ace tokens to pay.
Damage. Basic damage is indicated by a star icon. The number within the icon shows the amount of basic damage being dealt.
Tire damage is indicated by its own icon; the number within the icon shows the amount of tire damage being dealt. Tire damage is tracked using the dashboard. Move the tires slider on the affected car down by 1 for each point of tire damage.
Weapons with a wrench-to-tire-damage conversion add 1 tire damage for each wrench result in the attack roll. If the target's tires are at 0 (or if the target cannot take tire damage), all remaining tire damage results convert to basic damage.
An explosion result converts to basic damage if it affects a car that is out of control, or any obstacle other than a car.
Weapons with a wrench-to-explosion conversion force the defender to pay 1 control token if there is at least 1 wrench result in the attack roll. Only the first wrench converts to an explosion. All other wrench results convert to basic damage.
A fire result converts to basic damage if it affects any side of a car that is already on fire, or any obstacle other than a car.
Weapons with a wrench-to-fire conversion start a fire on the targeted side if there is at least 1 wrench result in the attack roll. Only the first wrench converts to a fire. All other wrench results convert to basic damage.
Car Wars and the pyramid logo are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Car Wars is copyright © 1980, 1990, 2014, 2019, 2020 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Game design by Sam Mitschke and Randy Scheunemann. Original rules by Chad Irby and Steve Jackson. Development assistance by Scott Haring and Ben Williams.