Defcon Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Objective
• Components
• Setup
• Round Structure
• Initiative
• Preparation
• Investment
• Headquarters Board
• Conflict
• Reorganisation
• Consensus
• End of the Game
• Action Cards

Overview

The leaders of the world must improve their armed forces to increase their international influence. Moreover, winning the support of the population will prove decisive in defeating enemy forces, both outside and inside their borders. The megapowers that can combine public opinion with military expansionism will lead the world of tomorrow.

Objective

The hegemonic megapower at the end of the 5th round wins the game. Victory is obtained by occupying the highest position on the Consensus Table, which itself comprises two rankings: the Reputation Index and the Military Index. Whoever finds the right balance between military strength and the support of their citizens will win!

Components

• 1 rulebook
• 1 Tension token
• 1 game board
• 8 combat dice
• 51 Action cards
• 12 Sabotage tokens
• 12 Radiation tokens
• 16 Fortification tokens
• 4 Capital tokens
• 12 nuclear missiles
• 12 conventional missiles
• 4 headquarters boards
• 4 reference sheets (aides de jeu)
• 100 troop figures
• 16 megapower markers
• 16 fleet tokens
• 20 territory tokens

Setup

Place the game board in the centre of the table. Each megapower starts the game with 8 territories of its colour. In a game of 2 or 3 megapowers, the starting territories of the megapowers not in use are ignored for the whole game: they can be neither occupied nor crossed. If only 2 opponents face each other, choose neighbouring megapowers.

Give each megapower in play:

• 1 Headquarters board: each megapower places its headquarters in front of it.

• 25 troop figures: each megapower deploys 1 figure on each of its starting territories (8 figures in total). The remaining figures are placed beside the Headquarters boards.

• 5 Territory tokens: each megapower places its Territory tokens in the Intelligence section of its headquarters.

• 4 megapower markers: each megapower places 1 megapower marker on the initiative track. To determine the order of placement, each megapower rolls all of its combat dice. The first space on the track goes to the megapower with the greatest number of hits. The other megapowers place their markers in descending order. In case of a tie, roll again. Each megapower then places 2 megapower markers on the Consensus Table:

  • one on the upper level 8 of the Military Index, and
  • one on the upper Watched State level of the Reputation Index.

  The megapowers place their 4th marker on level 0 of the Aggression Index.

• 1 Capital token: in initiative order, each megapower places its Capital token on one of its starting territories, of its choice.

• 4 Fleet tokens: in initiative order, each megapower places 1 Fleet token on a sea zone adjacent to one of its starting territories. The remaining Fleet tokens are placed beside the Headquarters boards.

The number of tokens and figures is limited. For example, a megapower cannot deploy more than 25 troops at the same time.

Shuffle the 51 Action cards to form a face-down draw pile and place it near the game board. Place all the missiles and the Sabotage, Radiation and Fortification tokens beside the board. Place the Tension token on the DEFCON 5 alert level on the Tension Track.

The printed rulebook also shows a "Setup for 2 megapowers" diagram. It is an illustration only and is not reproduced here; the text rule above (choose neighbouring megapowers) applies.

Round Structure

A game of Defcon lasts 5 rounds, each representing a DEFCON alert level. At the start of each round, move the Tension token down to the next alert level. This countdown ends after the 5th round, when DEFCON 1 has been reached. The megapower then occupying the best position on the Consensus Table wins the game. Each round is divided into 5 phases:

1. Initiative: update the initiative track.
2. Preparation: draw new Action cards.
3. Investment: make new investments according to the GDP level.
4. Conflict: carry out offensive actions.
5. Reorganisation: reorganise troops and update the Aggression Index.

During a round, each phase is carried out by all the megapowers, in initiative order, before moving on to the next phase. These 5 phases are detailed below.

Initiative

Move the Tension token one level along the Tension Track. Skip this step in the first round.

A game of Defcon is played over 5 rounds. The Tension token is initially placed on the DEFCON 5 alert level. At the start of each round, the token is lowered one level to represent growing tension. The DEFCON 1 level announces the final round.

Reorder the megapower markers on the initiative track according to the Consensus Table. Each megapower adds up the GDP points granted by its positions on the Military Index and on the Reputation Index. The first space on the initiative track goes to the megapower with the greatest GDP. Its opponents place their markers in descending order. In case of a tie, the megapowers are separated by their Reputation level. If the tie persists, the megapower controlling the most territories prevails. If that still does not settle it, the order stays unchanged for the megapowers concerned.

Example: At the start of the DEFCON 3 round, these 4 megapowers must reorder the megapower markers on the initiative track. They refer to the Consensus Table, which shows the following scores:

• America is currently a Watched State (Reputation Index) and controls 11 territories (Military Index);
• Eurasia is a Model State (Reputation Index) and controls 8 territories (Military Index);
• Africasia is a Threat to Peace (Reputation Index) and controls 6 territories (Military Index);
• Estasia is a Threat to Peace (Reputation Index) and controls 7 territories (Military Index).

America and Eurasia both have 28 GDP points. America totals 12 points for its Watched State reputation and 16 points for its 11 territories. Eurasia gets 16 points for its Model State reputation and 12 points for its 8 territories. There is therefore a tie; Eurasia alone occupies a higher position on the Reputation Index, so it takes first place.

Africasia and Estasia each also have 16 GDP points. Africasia has 8 points for its Threat to Peace reputation and 8 points for its 6 territories. Estasia obtains exactly the same number of points, with an identical reputation level and 7 territories. As these megapowers share the same level on the Reputation Index, they are separated by the number of territories they hold. Estasia therefore wins the tie (7 against 6).

This gives the following order on the initiative track:

• Eurasia
• America
• Estasia
• Africasia

Preparation

In initiative order, each megapower may draw up to 2 Action cards and add them to its hand, within the limit set by its level on the Reputation Index. Before drawing, megapowers may discard 1 or 2 cards to make room in their hand so they can draw new cards. The higher the Reputation level, the higher the card limit:

• Rogue State: 1 Action card
• Threat to Peace: 2 Action cards
• Watched State: 3 Action cards
• Model State: 4 Action cards
• Catalyst State: 5 Action cards

So a better reputation means more cards in hand and therefore more actions in a single round. Each Action card is explained in detail at the end of this rulebook. Once played, Action cards are placed in a discard pile. When the Action draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new one.

Warning: with the exception of the Coup d'État and Censorship cards, no immediate card may be played during the Preparation phase.

Example: Just before the Preparation phase of the DEFCON 3 round in a game of 3 megapowers, the situation is as follows:

• Eurasia, as a Model State, already has 1 Action card in hand;
• Estasia is a Watched State and has 2 cards in its hand;
• Africasia is considered a Threat to Peace and its hand holds 3 Action cards.

During the Preparation phase, each megapower may draw up to 2 new Action cards.

• Eurasia, as a Model State, has a hand limit of 4 cards. It therefore does not need to discard any cards to draw the 2 new ones.
• Estasia, as a Watched State, has a hand limit of 3 cards. If it wants to draw the 2 new cards, it must first discard at least 1 of its 2 cards. Otherwise it may choose to keep its hand and draw only 1 new card.
• Africasia, as a Threat to Peace, has a hand limit of 2 cards. If it wants 2 new cards, it must discard its hand before drawing. It may also choose to keep its hand.

Investment

Megapowers may spend GDP to buy valuable elements, such as troops, missiles or tokens. The available GDP is determined by the Consensus Table. It is the sum of the points granted by the positions of the markers on each index (Reputation Index and Military Index). Megapowers have every interest in spending all the points they have, since GDP is not carried over from one round to the next.

Example: America controls 7 territories and is a Model State. It therefore has 24 GDP points for the current round. Estasia rules 9 territories and has a Threat to Peace reputation. It therefore cannot spend more than 20 GDP points in this round.

In initiative order, the megapowers spend their GDP to invest in new elements. Once the first megapower has finished its purchases, it is the next one's turn. These elements are first placed beside the Headquarters board to show what is available. They are then placed on the game board or on the Headquarters board, depending on the rules specific to each one.

The available investments are as follows:

• Troop (2 GDP points): when a megapower recruits new troops, it has two options. It may keep them in the Cantonment section of its Headquarters board; the troops are then ready to invade enemy territories. Or it may deploy them on its own territories; they then serve defensive purposes.
• Conventional missile (4 GDP points): conventional missiles are placed in the Arsenal section of the Headquarters board. They represent all the missiles that are not armed with nuclear warheads and may be used against enemy troops, fortifications and fleets. These missiles can be useful for preparing a land attack.
• Nuclear missile (6 GDP points): nuclear missiles are placed in the Arsenal section of the Headquarters board. They represent all the missiles armed with nuclear warheads. A nuclear missile destroys everything on a given territory. However, this fearsome weapon damages the reputation of the megapower that launches it.
• Fleet (4 GDP points): when a megapower expands its fleet, it places one of its available Fleet tokens on an empty sea zone adjacent to a territory it controls. It may also place it on a sea zone that already contains one of its Fleet tokens.
• Sabotage (4 GDP points): Sabotage tokens are placed in the Intelligence section of the Headquarters board. During the Conflict phase, megapowers may use these tokens to discredit opponents in the eyes of the public. The targeted megapower then loses 1 reputation level (-1). Once used, Sabotage tokens return to the supply. Several Sabotage tokens may be bought at the same time, but a megapower may target a given opponent only once in the same round.
• Fortifications (4 GDP points): when a megapower builds fortifications, it places a Fortification token on a territory it controls. A territory can hold only one Fortification token. Fortifications strengthen the defence of a territory: the megapowers defending a fortified territory roll 3 additional dice.
• Humanitarian aid (4 GDP points): a megapower may spend its GDP points on humanitarian aid or to contribute to development cooperation funds. This increases its popularity with the public. By making this investment, the megapower immediately gains 1 level on the Reputation Index (+1).

Headquarters Board

Megapowers plan all their offensive strikes within their Headquarters. Each board is divided into 4 sections:

• Transit: gathers the troops returning from a land attack; these troops cannot be used to attack other territories.
• Cantonment: holds the troops ready to be deployed.
• Arsenal: holds both nuclear and conventional missiles.
• Intelligence: holds the Sabotage tokens.

Conflict

Megapowers may carry out offensive actions against their opponents by invading their territories, launching missiles and fighting battles at sea. The Conflict phase consists of a succession of turns during which each megapower may either carry out one offensive action or pass. This phase ends once all the megapowers have passed. If a megapower decides to pass, this ends its Conflict phase; its opponents may still carry out as many offensive actions as they wish.

Offensive actions are decisive for progress on the Military Index. However, they have a negative effect on the Aggression Index, which is itself linked to the Reputation Index.

During their turn, megapowers may play non-immediate Action cards. This is not considered an offensive action. However, after passing, megapowers may no longer play non-immediate Action cards until the next Conflict phase.

In initiative order, each megapower may carry out, as it chooses, a land attack, a missile strike or a naval attack.

• Land attack: to launch a land attack, a megapower first decides how many troops in its Cantonment it wants to deploy. It moves them from its Headquarters board to the targeted territory. Only an adjacent territory may be attacked.

  Adjacent territories: territories are considered adjacent if they border a controlled territory, or a controlled sea zone linked to a controlled territory.

  Once the troops are deployed, the outcome of the battle is determined by dice rolls. The attacking megapower rolls as many combat dice as troops deployed. The defending megapower rolls as many dice as troops present on the disputed territory. If the territory contains a Fortification token, the defender has 3 additional dice. Furthermore, if the territory holds a Capital token, it rolls 2 additional dice.

  Once the attack and defence rolls are made, each megapower counts the number of hits obtained. For each hit, 1 enemy troop is removed from the board and returns to the supply.

  Defence of a capital: a territory containing a Capital token grants 2 additional combat dice in defence.

  After each resolution of the dice, if at least 1 attacking troop and 1 defending troop are still present, the attacking megapower may either withdraw or roll for a new round of combat. On withdrawal, the surviving attacking troops are placed in the Transit section of the attacking megapower. They cannot be deployed again during this phase.

  At the end of each round of combat, if no troops remain on either the attack or the defence, the attack ends. If all the attacking troops have been defeated, the attack has failed; the territory does not change hands. Conversely, if all the defending troops have been eliminated, but at least one attacking troop remains, the attack succeeds. Any Fortification token present is then returned to the supply. The attacking megapower may occupy the disputed territory by leaving at least 1 troop on it to control it.

  The remaining troops may:

  • A. be placed in the Transit section of the Headquarters board;
  • B. be used to attack another adjacent territory immediately after the newly conquered one.

  Update the Military Index after each successful attack: the attacking megapower gains 1 level (+1) while the defending megapower loses 1 level (-1).

Important: a megapower may not carry out offensive actions against territories it controls.

Reorganisation

Megapowers may reassign their troops. First, each megapower moves the troops present in the Transit section of its Headquarters board to the Cantonment section. Then, in initiative order, each megapower may transfer up to 4 troops from one or more territories under its control to other territories, not necessarily adjacent.

During this phase, the Cantonment is considered a controlled territory. It is therefore possible to move troops from the Cantonment to a controlled territory, and vice versa.

Thanks to the Territory tokens at their disposal, megapowers may control up to 5 territories without leaving any troops on them.

Finally, check the Aggression Index. In Defcon, an aggressive foreign policy has a negative effect on reputation at world level:

• megapowers on level 0 of the Aggression Index keep the same level on the Reputation Index;
• megapowers on level 1 of the Aggression Index lose 1 level on the Reputation Index (-1); (The French text carries a stray typesetting word, "insécable" ("non-breaking"), after this figure; it is not a rule and is omitted.)
• megapowers on level 2 of the Aggression Index lose 2 levels on the Reputation Index (-2);
• megapowers on level 3 of the Aggression Index lose 3 levels on the Reputation Index (-3).

Once reputation has been updated, all the markers are returned to level 0 of the Aggression Index.

In Defcon, offensive actions are linked to the Aggression Index. Thus, land attacks are considered moderately aggressive (1). A megapower launching a land attack against a rival megapower must move its marker to level 1 of the Aggression Index. However, if it carries out other attacks during the same round, it does not move its marker again. Conventional missile strikes, which are relatively aggressive (2), and nuclear missile strikes, which are extremely aggressive (3), follow the same principle.

There are, however, certain exceptions:

• The Aggression Index takes into account only the most aggressive action carried out by the megapowers during a given round. Thus, if a megapower launches a land attack after launching a nuclear missile, its marker stays on level 3 of the Aggression Index.
• If a megapower launches a land attack on one of its starting territories it had previously lost, the Aggression Index is not affected.
• If a megapower launches a land attack on a megapower considered a Threat to Peace or a Rogue State, the Aggression Index is not affected.
• If a megapower uses a conventional missile against the troops of a megapower considered a Rogue State, it moves its marker only to level 1 of the Aggression Index, and not to level 2.
• If a megapower uses a nuclear missile against a megapower considered a Rogue State, it moves its marker only to level 2 of the Aggression Index, and not to level 3.
• If a megapower uses a special Action card, such as Casus Belli, the Aggression Index is not affected.
• If the optional rule ARMAGEDDON is applied, all megapower markers stay on level 1 of the Aggression Index during the 5th round (DEFCON 1), whatever their actions.

Example: Estasia, a Watched State, launches a land attack against America, which is a Model State. Estasia's marker therefore moves to level 1 of the Aggression Index. This would not have been the case had America been considered a Threat to Peace or a Rogue State. In retaliation, America launches a conventional missile against Estasia. As a result, America's marker is placed on level 2 of the Aggression Index. If, during the same round, America launches a land attack, it stays at level 2, since a conventional missile strike is more aggressive than a land attack. However, if America launches a nuclear missile during this same round, it then moves to level 3 of the Aggression Index.

Optional rule – ARMAGEDDON: whether to use this optional rule is decided before the game begins. If it is activated, the rules governing the Aggression Index apply only until the end of the 4th round (DEFCON 2). During the 5th round (DEFCON 1), reputation is not affected by an aggressive foreign policy.

Consensus

In Defcon, the Consensus Table is decisive, since it represents the ranking of the megapowers during the game. It comprises 2 distinct rankings. On one side, the Military Index reflects the degree of territorial expansion reached by the megapowers. It corresponds to the number of territories controlled. On the other, the Reputation Index depicts world public opinion of the megapowers' foreign policy. At the end of the 5th round, the megapower with the most GDP points, granted by both the Reputation Index and the Military Index, wins the game.

The Consensus Table is limited. Thus, a megapower controlling more than 13 territories cannot gain any further level on the Military Index. This simply leaves fewer territories available to its opponents. Likewise, a megapower has no advantage, even indirect, in further increasing its reputation once it is considered a Catalyst State.

All megapowers start the game with 8 starting territories and a Watched State reputation. During the game, this is bound to fluctuate considerably. Thus, any invasion or loss of territory results in gains or losses of levels on the Military Index.

Furthermore, while certain actions such as humanitarian aid improve reputation, others have negative repercussions on it, particularly an aggressive foreign policy.

Consensus Table values (the printed rulebook gives these only in the board graphic; they are transcribed here from the board, each level having two rows on it):

Reputation Index:

Reputation level	Max Action cards in hand	GDP points
Catalyst State	5	20
Model State	4	16
Watched State	3	12
Threat to Peace	2	8
Rogue State	1	6

Military Index (number of territories controlled → GDP points):

Territories	GDP points
13 or more	20
12	20
11	16
10	16
9	12
8	12
7	8
6	8
5	6
4 or fewer	6

Aggression Index levels: 0 (no effect), 1 (land attack, moderately aggressive), 2 (conventional missile, relatively aggressive), 3 (nuclear missile, extremely aggressive).

Tension Track: DEFCON 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (the Tension token starts on 5 and moves down one level each round).

End of the Game

A game of Defcon comprises 5 rounds. At the end of these 5 rounds, the megapower that has reached the best consensus wins. Concretely, each megapower totals the GDP points granted by its positions on the Reputation Index and on the Military Index. Each Capital token present among the territories controlled by a megapower, or beside its Headquarters, is worth 3 additional points.

In case of a tie, the megapowers are separated by their reputation level. If the tie persists, the megapower controlling the most territories wins. If that is still not enough, the megapower holding the most Capital tokens wins the game. Otherwise, victory goes to the megapower controlling the most territories outside its 8 starting ones.

If a megapower loses the last territory under its control, the game ends at the end of the current round. The megapowers then refer to the Consensus Table, as described above, to determine the winning megapower.

Example: After the DEFCON 1 round (5th round), a game involving 4 megapowers (America, Estasia, Eurasia and Africasia) ends.

• America controls 10 territories (16 points on the Military Index) and is a Watched State (12 points on the Reputation Index). It also controls 1 Capital token (3 points). It therefore totals 31 points.
• Estasia has 6 territories (8 points on the Military Index) and is likewise considered a Watched State (12 points on the Reputation Index). It has no Capital token, however (0 points). It therefore reaches 20 points.
• Eurasia controls 7 territories (8 points on the Military Index) and is recognised as a Catalyst State (20 points on the Reputation Index). It also controls 1 Capital token (3 points). It has 31 points in total.
• Africasia has 8 territories (12 points on the Military Index) and is a Threat to Peace (8 points on the Reputation Index). It also controls 2 Capital tokens (6 points). It therefore totals 26 points.

America and Eurasia are thus tied with 31 points. Victory goes to Eurasia, which has the better reputation.

Action Cards

Action cards produce specific actions. Each card bears a title, a unique illustration, a subtitle indicating in which phase it may be played, and text explaining its effect. Immediate cards may be played at any time, even during the turn of opponents, unless the text specifies a particular phase. Conflict cards, for their part, are reserved for the Conflict phase.

The card list below gives each card's title, its phase in brackets, and its effect.

• Trade Agreement (Immediate): A new agreement stimulates economic growth. You have 4 additional GDP points during the current Investment phase.
• Blessing (Conflict): A senior religious figure supports your cause. Keep this card beside your Headquarters. Your reputation cannot fall below Threat to Peace on the Reputation Index. If it is already lower, immediately regain the Threat to Peace level. This card is discarded if you launch a nuclear missile.
• Speculative Bubble (Immediate): The bursting of a speculative bubble brings economic recession. Choose a megapower. It has 4 fewer GDP points during the current Investment phase.
• Casus Belli (Conflict): Any political pretext can sometimes justify a military action. Ignore the repercussions of a land attack on the Aggression Index. This card does not apply to missile strikes.
• Censorship (Immediate): The government puts pressure on the media. Ignore the effects of a Coup d'État or Revolution card.
• Conscription (Conflict): A call to arms strengthens the ranks of the army. Take 2 troops from your supply free of charge.
• Counter-Espionage (Immediate): Infiltrated agents sabotage the enemy's plans. Cancel the effects of a Submarine Fleet or Airborne Troops card.
• Coup d'État (Immediate): A coup d'état has plunged the country into chaos. Choose a megapower. It receives no new Action card during the current Preparation phase.
• International Criminal Court (Conflict): Over time, the authority of international tribunals has grown considerably. Choose a megapower. It immediately loses 1 reputation level (-1).