DeathBot Derby Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• What's In The Box
• Arena Cards
• Armor Cards
• Component Cards
• Set Up
• Building A DeathBot
• Gameplay
  • DeathBot Dueling
• Training Bot
• System Malfunctions

What's In The Box

• 30 Arena Cards
• 2 Armor Cards (one red, one blue)
• 20 Component Cards
• 2 Meeples (one red, one blue)
• 1 Die
• 2 Hazard Buttons
• 1 Rulebook

Arena Cards

Arena Cards are 2 sided, and each side has 2 spaces on them. One of those 4 spaces contains an obstacle. There are 5 different obstacles and their effects get resolved immediately.

• Wall - can't pass or shoot through. (Must have line of sight, center to center in order to attack.)
• Speed Belt - +1 movement in the direction of the belt. (Can't move in the opposite direction.)
• Buzz Saw - take 1 damage to your movement card.
• Bomb - take 1 damage then flip this card.
• Power Up - repair 1 damage then flip this card.

All Arena Cards also have a number located in the center. This number is used for the "Evolving Arena". (See Evolving Arena under Gameplay.)

Armor Cards

The Armor Card is your DeathBot's main defense. Each card has 4 Hit Points, or HP, around the border. As a card takes damage, turn the card to indicate the current HP remaining.

Flip the Armor Card over when the HP has been reduced to "0". Your DeathBot's armor has now been disabled and will remain that way until repaired. An enemy must disable your armor before attacking the other components of your bot (unless specified otherwise).

Component Cards

There are 4 different sets of Component Cards (Movement, Ranged Weapons, Melee Weapons, and Secret Weapons). Players will draft one of each to build their DeathBot. Like Armor, the Component Cards have HP along the border. As a component takes damage, turn the card to indicate the current HP remaining. Flip the component card over when the HP has been reduced to "0". That component is now disabled and loses its abilities until repaired.

NOTE: The Movement and Melee component cards have "limited functionality" even after they have been disabled. Once a DeathBot's Armor and Components have all been reduced to "0", that bot is scrapped, and the game is over.

The card also indicates things like Range, Speed, Damage, and Abilities.

Range or RNG - Range applies to the max distance of your ranged attacks. Range is always counted orthogonally (up, down, left, right) unless specified otherwise by an ability. Note: In the case of a wall, you must have line of sight from the center of your location to the center of your opponent's location.

Attack Example: the Red Bot has a range of 3 with the Armor Piercing Rifle. The Blue Bot is in range of that attack. (The example shows a 2x2 grid of arena spaces with the Red Bot at the lower left and the Blue Bot at the upper right, both within 3 spaces orthogonally.)

Speed or SPD - Speed applies to the distance a DeathBot can go in a single move. Speed is always counted orthogonally (up, down, left, right) unless specified otherwise.

Move Example: the Red Bot has Mech Legs, giving it a max range of 5. Note: you may pass through another bot, but may not occupy the same space at the end of the action. (The example shows the Red Bot's possible movement path across the arena.)

Damage or DMG - Indicates the amount of damage dealt to an enemy per attack.

Abilities - Each card has abilities that set it apart from the others. Abilities are lost when the component is disabled.

Set Up

1. Players select either the red or blue bot, and then take the matching armor card and meeple.
2. Shuffle the 30 arena cards, both flipping and turning the cards while shuffling. Set them up in a 5x6 grid (laying horizontally) on the table in front of both players.
3. Shuffle and place the Component Cards into their 4 respective piles. Place each pile (Movement, Ranged Weapons, Melee Weapons, and Secret Weapons) in order, off to the side of the arena.
4. Select 2 diagonally opposite corners of the arena that are unobstructed to place the meeple for both the red and blue bots. (Flip the corner Arena Cards if needed.)
5. The player that most recently used a remote controller goes first.

Building A DeathBot

(For teaching purposes, feel free to use the pre-made bots in the Training Bot section.)

1. The first player draws the top 3 cards of the movement deck and secretly selects 1 to build their bot with, passing the remaining 2 to the second player. The second player selects 1 card and puts the unused card back on the movement pile face down. Both players then reveal their cards.
2. The second player draws the top 3 cards of the ranged weapon deck and secretly selects 1 to build their bot with, passing the remaining 2 to the first player. The first player selects 1 card and puts the unused card back on the ranged weapon pile face down. Both players then reveal their cards.
3. Second player repeats step #2 with the melee weapon deck.
4. First player repeats step #1 with the secret weapon deck, but both players keep their secret weapons hidden.
5. Players may feel free to name their DeathBot or use the name that is randomly generated on the top left corner of their Component Cards (movement, ranged weapon, and then melee weapon).

Example: the example shows a Secret Weapon card, a red Armor card, and the Turbo, Kaboom, and Saw component cards together, labeled TURBO - KABOOM - SAW.

Gameplay

DeathBot Dueling

During a turn, a player may take up to 2 actions. They can use any combination of moves or attacks.

Move - A player may move the full distance (or SPD) that their bot allows. A DeathBot must stop before taking its next action, and any unused distance is lost for that action.

Attack - A player must declare what component they are attacking with. They inflict that amount of damage (or DMG) on their opponent. Unless their opponent still has armor, the attacker chooses how to delegate the full amount of that damage.

Evolving Arena - Each player has a Hazard Card with 4 uses on it. On a player's turn, they may spend one use, as a free action. That player then rolls the die, and flips all the Arena Cards with the corresponding number on them (if #1 is rolled, player chooses any number).

If a player's DeathBot now occupies the same spot as an obstacle, resolve the effects immediately. Note: If on a wall, player takes one damage and moves to an adjacent spot of their choice.

Secret Weapon - On a player's turn, they may choose to use their Secret Weapon as a free action. Note: Secret Weapons are one time use only.

End Game - Once a DeathBot's Armor and all components have been reduced to "0", that bot is scrapped, and the game is over.

Training Bot

For first time players, use the Training Bots for teaching purposes.

Red Bot - Mech Legs, Rocket Launcher, Chain Saw, and Thrusters

Blue Bot - Tank Treads, Machine Gun, Taser, and Net Gun

System Malfunctions

All machines have their little quirks. Use this section to troubleshoot some of those rare situations.

1. Scythed Wheels deal 1 damage per action to an opponent on your turn only.
2. If a player is harpooned to a speed belt, the attacked player remains on the belt until the space in front is unoccupied.
3. Ballistic Armor absorbs 1 damage before being destroyed.
4. Tech Upgrade swaps a component with a random component of the same type.
5. If a player is trapped by multiple obstacles, they can use the hazard button to get free. If they are out of uses, then the game ends and they lose.