Defenders of the Last Stand Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Component Overview
  • Game Board
  • Radiation Location
  • Lined and Broken Borders
  • Colored Crossed Pistols
  • Ranger Boards
  • Leader Boards
  • Tokens
  • Defender Cards
  • Special Cards
  • Raider Tribe Cards
  • Raider Cards
  • Mutation Cards
  • Common & Unique Artifacts
  • Monstrosity Cards
  • Krank's Ancient Tech Cards
  • Mission Cards
  • Stage Cards
• Game Set Up
• Playing the Game
• Turn Phases
• Actions Requiring 1 Action Token to Be Exhausted
• Basic Rules for All Raiders
• Phase III – Radiation & Raiders
• Winning and Losing
• Additional Rules
  • Adventures
  • Artifacts (Common and Unique)
  • Attributes and Skills
  • Blockades
• Combat
  • Combat with Raiders
  • Combat with Monstrosities
  • Combat with Leaders
• Defender Cards
• Hand Size
• Dice Rolls
• Karma
• The Leaders
  • Bama
  • Bramble
  • Krank
  • Puke
• Missions
• Radiation and Mutation
  • Location Radiation Resistance Tests
  • Adventure Radiation Resistance Tests
  • Mutation Cards
• Scavenging
  • Scavenging Tokens
• Special Cards
• Stage Cards
• Scenarios
  • Scenario 1: Lightning of the Ancients
  • Scenario 2: Defend Last Stand
  • Scenario 3: Flight to Paradise
• Raiders
  • Earthers
  • Road Riders
  • Techies
  • Puke
• Credits & Acknowledgements

Components

• Boards:
  • 1 Game Board
  • 2 Guide Boards
  • 4 Clan Leader Boards with Leader Miniatures in four colors
  • 12 Oil & Ammo Wood Tokens
  • 4 Clan Leader Health Tokens (round shaped wood pieces)
• Rulebook
• 4 Wooden Health Markers for Clan Leaders (in 4 colors)
• Miniatures:
  • 30 Green Road Riders
  • 30 Red Techies
  • 30 Yellow Earthers
  • 8 Blue Monstrosities
  • 5 Ranger Boards and Miniatures
• Cards:
  • 36 Adventure Cards
  • 80 Defender Cards
  • 16 Special Cards
  • 57 Raider Cards
  • 16 Missions Cards
  • 32 Mutation Cards
  • 15 Common Artifact Cards
  • 15 Unique Artifact Cards
  • 8 Monstrosity Cards
  • 10 Krank's Ancient Tech Cards
  • 4 Stage Cards
  • 4 Raider Tribe Cards (1 for each Raider Tribe)
• Tokens: 30 Action/Wound tokens, 12 Radiation Tokens, 15 Scavenge Tokens, 15 Karma Tokens, 3 Barrier Tokens, 3 Trapper Frank Tokens, 1 Adventure Token
• Dice: 12 dice in 4 different colors: Red, Green, Yellow, and Blue.

Component Overview

Game Board

The game board represents the ravaged land of the American Southwest with The Last Stand in the center. Each Section has one or more named locations, and each Section contains a number. This number is used on all cards so that players may easily find named locations (e.g. Mission cards, Raider cards, etc.).

Radiation Location

Characters who end their turn on a Radiation location must pass a Resistance test or suffer a mutation. The more Radiation icons on the location, the more difficult the Radiation Resistance Test. The Ranger will need to gain successes equal to the Radiation icons to avoid gaining a mutation.

Lined and Broken Borders

Each location is divided by lines separating it from adjacent locations. These determine whether Rangers and Raiders may move from one location to another during certain actions and events. Solid lines may not be crossed by Raiders or Rangers unless they are flying.

Colored Crossed Pistols

On the main board, the Crossed Pistols appear in the color of the Leader they are associated with (yellow, green, red) and identify the travel path of that Leader from their point of entry onto the board and into Last Stand. Note: There are no Crossed Pistols for the Blue Leader (Puke) as this leader does not follow a set path.

Ranger Boards

Each Character is represented by their Ranger board and has a matching miniature to be used on the board. The Ranger board shows the name of the Ranger, their picture, attributes and skills. On the left of the card are printed their 4 basic Attributes (from top to bottom; Radiation Resistance, Adventure, Ancient Technology, and Scavenge). The higher number of the attribute, the better the Ranger's ability.

Attributes: Used in tests. Players generally roll a number of dice equal to the attribute. A roll of 5 or 6 is considered a success.

Skills: Each character has 2 Skills and a 3rd Bonus Skill that requires a Karma Token to use.

Example (Pearl's Ranger board): When Pearl is on a Location with a Leader, she may spend an Action and discard 1 Defender card with the pistol icon to deal 1 wound to the Leader (Limit: once per turn). When attacking Raiders (not Monstrosities or Leaders), roll 1 additional die. You may choose the die color if multiple Raider types are present.

Leader Boards

There are 4 Clan Leaders and 4 Raider groups (one for each Leader). Each Leader board identifies the Strength/Health of the Leader, their combat abilities, and a 'Rangers' Defeat' section that is used if the attacking Rangers fail to defeat them. The Shield on the card identifies the To-Hit number to damage the Leader and their Raiders. The back of the Leader Board identifies the bonus that is gained by the Ranger who deals the blow that slays the Leader. A Leader's Strength/Health may be reduced prior to attacking the Leader by Adventures, Missions, and Sabotage actions.

Tokens

There are number of Tokens used in the game: Action Token, Scavenge Token, Radiation Token, Karma Token, Blockade Token. The use of each token is described in the rules.

Defender Cards

These cards provide the players with dice required to attack the Leaders, and icons that may be spent by the players to perform special actions, increase movement, and gain Special Cards.

Special Cards

These are gained as rewards for completing Missions and Adventures, and for defeating Monstrosities and Leaders. They can also be purchased by discarding certain Defender Cards. Each is very powerful and is discarded to the box after being played.

Raider Tribe Cards

There are 4 Raider Tribe cards, 1 for each tribe. These cards show the To-Hit number for the Tribe, the miniature, and special abilities of the Tribe. These cards are used for reference only.

Raider Cards

These are used to control the enemies assaulting Last Stand. They place enemy Raiders and Monstrosities, move Leaders, and activate Events.

Mutation Cards

These represent the toll of radiation on the characters, resulting in expanded powers, illnesses, and penalties. Each card is numbered, representing the severity of the mutation.

Common & Unique Artifacts

There are two decks of Artifacts: Common and Unique Artifacts. These provide various bonuses and are gained through Scavenging and completing Adventures.

Monstrosity Cards

These are drawn when a character scouts or attacks a Monstrosity. Each card defines the Monstrosity and how to kill it.

Krank's Ancient Tech Cards

Krank is one of the 4 Leaders trying to capture Last Stand. He gains these cards as his tribe explores the ancient cities. They improve his skills and make him a more deadly opponent when attacked.

Mission Cards

These provide tasks for the Rangers to perform, and the rewards for performing them successfully.

Stage Cards

These cards identify the activities that are performed during each Stage of the game and the requirements to advance to the next Stage.

Game Set Up

1. Game Board

Place the game board on the table within reach of all players.

2. Ranger Boards

• Each player chooses a Ranger they wish to play (or takes one at random). After each player has chosen a Ranger, they take the matching Ranger miniature and place it in location #19 in the center of the main board (Last Stand).

3. Leaders, Raiders, and Monstrosities

• Place each Leader miniature on their corresponding Leader board, which are all placed off to one side of the main board.
• Place the Health token matching each Leader's color on the Start box of their respective tracks (reduce accordingly, as instructed by your scenario).
• Keep the Raiders miniatures in groups (Red, Green, Yellow near the board).
• Place the Monstrosity miniatures near Puke's Leader board.
  • NOTE: When drawing Raider cards for Raider placement on the map, ignore the Leader movement section and that section's corresponding location.

4. Cards

• Shuffle each deck of the Defender, Raider, Mutation, Mission, Common Artifact, Unique Artifact, and Monstrosity cards and place them near the board.
• Shuffle the Adventure Cards and place them, location-side up (this is the backside of the cards) near the board. Take the Adventure Token and place it on the location shown on the top card of the Adventure deck.
• Shuffle the Krank's Ancient Tech Cards and place them next to or on Krank's Leader board.
• Place the 4 Raider Tribe Cards near the Leader boards as reference.
• Take the Stage Cards and place them near the board. The instructions for the chosen Scenario (see Step #6) will explain how to arrange them.
• Keep the Group Mission cards to one side for now. The instructions for the chosen Scenario (see Step #6) will explain which Mission cards (if any) can be used.

5. Tokens

• Turn all the Scavenge Tokens face down and mix them, then leave them in a pile near the board.
• Place the Radiation Tokens, Karma Tokens, and Blockade Tokens in separate piles near the board.
• Each player takes Action/Wound Tokens and places them face-up on their Ranger Board. The number a player receives depends on the number of Rangers in the game:
  • 1-4 Rangers: 7 Action Tokens each
  • 5 Rangers: 5 Action Tokens each
  • Any remaining Action Tokens can be returned to the box.
• Place the Oil & Ammo Depot Tokens off to the side of the main board. The actual number in each game is determined by the Scenario.

6. Scenario

• Choose a Scenario from the Scenario Section of this booklet (starting Page 28-31) and apply any additional setup rules that are specified.

7. First Player

The players should decide among themselves who will be the first player.

Playing the Game

Starting with the first player, DEFENDERS OF THE LAST STAND is played in turns, with each player completing all phases of their turn before the next player to their left (clockwise) starts their turn. Play will continue in this order until the players win or lose as a group.

Each player's turn is largely driven by their Action Tokens, which represent the Health of the Ranger as well as the number of actions they may take each turn. Action tokens have a healthy (face up) and wounded (face down) side.

Tracking Actions: At the start of the game, each player should have all their Action Tokens face up on their Ranger Board. As the player takes Actions, they move the tokens off the Ranger board and place them to the side, still face up.

Wounded Action Tokens: When Rangers become wounded, they turn Action Tokens (one per wound) face down and move them off their Ranger board. When suffering a Wound, active Action Tokens (i.e. those still on the Ranger Board) are always flipped first. If a Ranger is wounded and there are insufficient Action Tokens left on the Ranger board, the player flips Action Tokens that have already been used.

Turn Phases

Phase I – Rise & Shine:

1. Return all the player's non-Wound (face up) Action Tokens to the Ranger Board. Action Tokens that show a Wound (blood drop) remain off their board until healed. A Wound represents one less action you may take.
2. Characters that have a Rise & Shine skill perform those actions at this time.
3. Cards that are exhausted are refreshed (turned to the upright position).

Phase II – Out on the Range:

This phase of the player's turn represents the actions their character takes that day, and is driven by the number of active Action Tokens the player holds. Most actions require the player to spend 1 Action Token from their Ranger Board, but the player may also take any number of free actions, if available.

Characters are not required to use all their Action tokens on their turn, but may not exceed their non-Wound Action tokens. When all tokens have been used, the Character's turn ends and they move to Phase III (Radiation and Riders; see the Phase III section below).

Actions Requiring 1 Action Token to Be Exhausted

Adventure: When the character is on the location with the Adventure Token, they may spend 1 Action to draw the top Adventure Card and encounter it. Most encounters will require the player to make an Attribute Test (See 'Attribute & Skills'). After completing the Adventure, move the Adventure Token to the next location as shown on the new top Adventure card. If it is the same location as the current one, place that Adventure card on the bottom of the deck until a new location appears.

IMPORTANT: Many Adventures enable the player to reduce the Health track of one of the Leaders and often Karma tokens are required to perform this benefit. It is essential the players reduce the Health tracks of the Leaders so they can more easily defeat them when they ultimately attack. Players should be prepared by having one or more Karma when they choose to adventure.

Attack a Leader: When a Ranger is on the same location as a Leader, they may spend 1 Action Token to attack that Leader. If they do, any other Rangers on the same location may join in the Attack (see 'Combat', below). The player determines the number of attack dice by discarding Defender cards that match the color of the Leader being attacked. Each such card will specify whether it provides 1 or 2 dice. The player also adds any dice from special items or skills specific to attacking a Leader (see 'Combat', below, for more details).

If the Leader is defeated, they are removed from the Game board and each Ranger in the battle gains 3 Defender Cards. In addition, the character who landed the final blow takes the Leader card, gaining the bonus shown on the back of the card. If the players are defeated by the Leader, the Ranger's Defeat section on the Leader card is resolved, and all characters involved in the attack are returned to Last Stand (location 19 on the main board).

Attack Oil & Ammo Depot: A player may spend 1 Action and any number of Defender cards that show the grenade icon to attack an Oil & Ammo Depot at that player's current location. The player gains 2 dice to attack for each card discarded with the grenade icon. The player needs to roll a 5+ on one or more of the dice to successfully destroy the Depot. If more than one Depot is on the location, each 5+ rolled will remove one Depot. VICTORY REWARD: When you destroy one or more Oil & Ammo Depot, either gain 1 Special Card, or 2 Defender cards, or 1 Karma Token.

Attack Monstrosity: When on a location with a Monstrosity miniature or Monstrosity card, the player may spend 1 Action Token to attack it. If there is already a Monstrosity card on the location from a previous Scouting, perform the Fight activity on that card instead of drawing a new Monstrosity card. If there is no Monstrosity card on the location where there is a Monstrosity miniature, take the top card from the Monstrosity deck and perform the Fight activity on it. If you defeat the Monstrosity, gain the reward listed on the card. If you do not defeat the Monstrosity, leave the card and miniature on the same location.

Note: Having decided to Attack, you must perform the Fight activity even if you cannot win. Such are the penalties of charging bravely – perhaps foolishly – into battle.

Attack Raiders: When on a location with 1 or more Raiders of any tribe, the player may spend 1 Action Token to attack. The player rolls 1 die matching the color FOR EACH Raider present. For each die that rolls equal or higher than the To-Hit number for the Raider of the appropriate color, remove that Raider's miniature (See 'Combat', below, for more details).

Gamble: (LIMIT once per turn) When on a Gambling location with the playing cards icon, the player may spend 1 Action Token to Gamble. The player then plays (bets) from their hand any Defender card face down on the table, and the player calls any color (does not need to match the card played faced down), then the player draws 3 Defender cards from the draw deck. If none of the 3 cards match the called color, the player loses their bet (face-down card). Alternatively, if any of the 3 drawn Defender cards match the called color, the player keeps both his bet and any cards matching the called color.

EXAMPLE: Frank is at a Gambling location and spends an action, placing a face-down card from his hand on the table. Frank calls for the color Green then draws three cards from the Defender draw deck. He draws a Red, Blue and Green card. Frank keeps his face-down bet card, placing both it and the drawn Green card in his hand.

Heal: There are two ways you can heal your Ranger. Method 1: When a Ranger is on a Gambling location (with the playing cards icon) or Last Stand, the player may spend 1 Action Token to heal all Wounds. Method 2: A Ranger may decide at the start of his turn to move his Ranger directly from any location to Last Stand, healing all wounds, then ending his turn. The Wounds healed are flipped to the Action side and placed to the side of the player's Ranger board. Tokens regained by healing may not be used for actions until the player's next turn.

Move: Spending 1 Action Token allows the player to move their character to one adjacent location separated by dotted lines. The player may use their Ranger's movement abilities if they possess any, and may also discard Defender Cards with movement icons to move more than one location:

• Vehicle/Motorcycle Movement: Discard any Defender card with a motorcycle icon to move 1 extra location (2 total) by spending 1 Action Token. This type of movement may not cross solid borders.
• Flight Movement: Discard any Defender card with a glider icon to move 3 extra locations (up to 4 locations total) by spending only 1 Action Token. Glider movement allows a Ranger to cross over solid lines.

Note: Enemy Raiders, Monstrosities, and Leaders cannot prevent movement of Rangers to or from their locations unless an event, Scenario Special Rule, or Raider Skill states otherwise.

Mission Actions: Some missions require the players to spend Actions. See the Mission card for details.

Pick Up Karma Token: When on a location with a Karma Token - and no Raiders or Monstrosities are present - the player may spend 1 Action to collect the token (See 'Karma Tokens', below).

Sabotage Leader: When a player's Ranger is on a location with a Leader, the player may spend 1 Action Token and discard ANY 2 Defender cards with the pistol icon to reduce the health of that Leader by 1. Discarded cards do not need to match the color of the Leader being sabotaged.

Scavenge: When on a location with a Scavenge Token, the player may spend 1 Action Token to make a Scavenge Test. The player rolls dice equal to their character's Scavenge attribute. A roll of 5 or 6 on any die is required to gain the item listed on the Scavenge Token. SPECIAL: If the token states 'Special', refer to the instructions on the current Scenario. If the roll is failed, discard the token face up. If the discarded token had a star symbol, flip all previously discarded Scavenge tokens (including the current token) face down and shuffle them into the supply.

Scout Monstrosity: When on a location with a Monstrosity, the player may spend 1 Action Token to look at the top Monstrosity card. The card is then placed on the player's location with the Monstrosity and remains there until the creature is defeated.

Note: It is not necessary to Scout a Monstrosity before attacking it. Characters may Attack a Monstrosity without having Scouted first.

Free Actions: The player may perform as many free actions as they wish during their turn, subject to any restrictions listed.

• Pick Up New Mission: If a player is in Last Stand and they have no current Mission, they may take a Mission card if one is available in Last Stand (See Missions, below).
• Rad Suit: 1) Players may discard 1 Defender card of any color with the rad suit icon to prevent an otherwise required Resistance Test when on a board location with a radiation icon(s). 2) Or, you may discard a rad suit to reroll all dice in a failed Resistance Test from an Adventure card.
• Special Card Purchase: Players may discard 2 Defender cards with the Badge icon to gain 1 Special Card.
• Trade Artifacts: Players at the same location may freely give or trade Artifacts.

Basic Rules for All Raiders

Setup: Raiders are set up according to the scenario instructions. The setup instructions may have the players return some Raider tokens to the box to reduce the number of Raiders for the game.

Placement: Raiders will appear on locations as directed by the Raider cards. Additional Raiders may appear by Overruns (see below). When a Raider card is revealed, place the number of Raiders (number of figures shown on the card) in the location(s) revealed. Most cards reveal 2 Placements of Raiders. Each placement is represented by a location and figure(s) to place on that location. Stage 1A Card, for example, directs you to conduct 'only the first Raider Placement'. If there are two Raider placements, as there are on most cards, you only place the top first Raiders for Stage 1A. Note: Raiders continue to populate even if their Leader is dead unless the scenario being played states otherwise.

Depleted Raiders: If the players are ever instructed to place Raiders and no Raiders of the type (color) required remain, the players lose the game.

Maximum Raiders Per Location: There can never be more than 3 Raiders in total - all colors combined - on a single location, except in Last Stand where a 4th figure may be added resulting in a game loss for the players. This number is total and not related to the type of Raider. If 3 are present and 1 is to be added, the location Overruns. See Overrun for details.

Raiders Attack: Raiders only attack a Ranger in the Radiation and Raiders Phase of the player's turn if there are Raiders on their location. The Ranger will suffer wounds for each Raider present. If Road Riders they suffer 2 Wounds. Note: Raiders never attack in Last Stand – the Rangers are protected by the walls.

Ranger's Movement: Raiders do not block Ranger movement unless their card specifically states they do. Rangers may freely move through spaces with Raiders present.

Raider Overruns: An overrun occurs when adding Raiders to a location would bring the total number of Raiders - of any color(s) - in that location to 4 or more. When a location overruns, leave 3 Raiders in the original location, and carry out the following steps:

• Add 1 Oil & Ammo Depot Token to the location (locations may have multiple Ammo & Oil Tokens).
• Place 1 new Raider of the same type that was to be added to the original location in each adjacent location over an open border (not over a solid-line border).

Other rules for Overruns: Overruns cannot cause additional overruns. If placing Raiders from an overrun would cause a new location to have more than 3 Raiders, place 1 Oil and Ammo Depot Token on that location instead. Monstrosities do not count as Raiders for overruns. If the Overrun was caused by the Techies (Red Raiders), Krank also gains an Ancient Tech Card. See the Raiders section, below, for more information on Raiders.

Phase III – Radiation & Raiders

IMPORTANT: Monstrosities are not considered to be 'Raiders'. Raiders include Red Techies, Yellow Earthers, Green Road Riders.

The following steps are performed in the Radiation & Raiders Phase in the order listed below. After a player completes Phase III, the next player's turn begins.

• Raiders and Monstrosities Attack: If a Ranger ends their turn in a location with Raiders, they suffer 1 wound for each Techie (Red) and Earther (Yellow) present. Bama's Raiders (Green) give 2 Wounds for each present. Monstrosities give 2 wounds for each present unless the Ranger can discard 1 Defender card for each monstrosity on their location. USE THE RAIDER TRIBE CARDS AS A GUIDE.
• Raiders in Last Stand: Rangers ending their turn on Last Stand suffer no wounds from Raiders or Monstrosities at this location. If there are ever 4 or more Raiders in Last Stand the players lose the game.
• Radiation Test: If a Ranger ends a turn on a location with one or more Radiation icons, they must test their Radiation Resistance (see 'Radiation and Mutation', below).
• Gain Defender Cards: The character draws the number of Defender cards as directed by the current Stage Card.
• Raider Cards: Draw one or more Raider Cards as directed by the current Stage Card, then place Raiders & Monstrosities, move Leaders, and trigger events as described below under 'Placement of Raiders'.

Placement of Raiders:

• Place Raiders of the appropriate type in the locations shown on the Raider card. See Scenarios for more information.
• Insufficient Raiders available: If there are insufficient Raiders of the correct color available, the players lose the game.
• Enemy inside Last Stand: Last Stand does not cause Overruns. Instead if players add a 4th miniature - Raider or Monstrosity - to Last Stand the players all lose the game.
• Overruns: If a placement would cause the location to have more than 3 total Raiders (not Monstrosities or Leaders) present, regardless of color, an Overrun occurs and is conducted as follows:
  • Add 1 Oil & Ammo Depot Token to the overrun location (locations may have multiple Ammo & Oil Tokens).
  • Place 1 new Raider in each adjacent location over an open border (not over a solid line border) of the same type (color) as the Raiders that caused the overrun.
• No Multiple Overruns: Overruns cannot cause additional overruns; instead place 1 Oil & Ammo Depot Token on each additional location that would have overrun.
• Monstrosities do not count as Raiders for overruns.
• If the Overrun was caused by the Techies (Red Raiders), Krank gains an Ancient Tech Card. If Krank has no more Ancient Tech Cards to draw, he instead advances one location. Refer to the Raider Tribe Cards placed near the board for reference.
• If the last Oil & Ammo Depot Token is placed on the Board, all Leaders immediately attack Last Stand. Unless the scenario states otherwise, the players lose the game.

Placement of a Monstrosity:

• If the card shows a Monstrosity to be placed, add a Monstrosity miniature to the location stated.
• This placement will never create an overrun, but if there are no Monstrosity miniatures left to place, their Leader Puke (Blue) flies into Last Stand and the players lose the game.

Moving a Leader:

• If the card shows Puke (Blue Leader), his miniature moves directly to the location indicated. Unlike the other Leaders, Puke always advances to the location shown on the card.
• If one of the three land-bound Leaders (Red, Green, and Yellow Leaders) is shown and a specific location is identified, they move only if the shown location on the Raider card is the next one on their path to Last Stand, otherwise they do not advance. Their path on the game board is identified by the cross-guns icons matching their color.
• Sometimes an advancing leader will add Raiders or Monstrosities to the location they advance. If a Raider card advancing the leader shows Raider or Monstrosity figure(s) next to the Leader, add that many Raiders to the location the Leader has advanced. This may also cause a Raider overrun. In Puke's case, add a Monstrosity to the location he flies. Instructions for how the Leaders first enter the Game board are given in the set-up guide for each individual Scenario.
• If no location is shown and the card says 'to Advance any Leader', move one of the Leader's shown one location along their path to Last Stand as identified by the cross-guns icons matching their color on the game board. Puke will only advance from a 'Advance any Leader' card if all 8 of his Monstrosity miniatures are on the board. In that case, he moves into Last Stand and players lose the game.

Example: A card reads Move Puke to Red River and add one Monstrosity to Red River.

Events:

• Events are located at the very bottom Raider cards. Refer to the Raider cards and Stage cards on when to resolve events. Important: Only one event will be resolved each player turn and that will be the Event on the last card drawn unless the Scenario states otherwise.

Winning and Losing

The players win or lose as a team, no single victory unless the Scenario instructions state otherwise.

Victory:

• Defeat all 4 Leaders.
• Complete the Mission Objective for your scenario, if it grants victory.

Defeat: There are many more ways to lose the game than to win:

• A Leader moves into Last Stand.
• All Oil & Ammo Depot Tokens are on the board.
• The players are to add a Raider to the board and there are no Raiders of that color in the supply.
• 4+ Raiders are in Last Stand.

Additional Rules

Adventures

Adventures represent a major component of both the story and strategy of the game. The back of each Adventure Card shows a board location and number. At the start of the game, the deck is shuffled and placed near the board for easy access. The Adventure Token is then placed on the location showing on the backside of the top card. This is the only location in which the players can encounter that Adventure Card. When the Adventure has been resolved, or the card has been discarded through an event or other action, the Adventure Token is moved to the new location showing on top of the Adventure deck.

Note: When an Adventure is resolved, if the next location showing (backside) is the same as the current location, the top Adventure card is placed on the bottom of the deck to reveal a new location. Consecutive Adventures may not appear at the same location.

Each Adventure card has a Location Name, an icon of the likely Attribute used at that location, an Adventure Story printed on the card front, an Attribute Tested, and a Reward or Failure result. Many Adventures will present a free bonus action (at the bottom of the card).

Bonus Free Actions: Many Adventures will present a free bonus action (at the bottom of the card). Most of the time the player will need to spend 1 or more Karma Tokens to take advantage of this opportunity. Sometimes, you may be presented with the option of lowering the health of a Leader. When a player can lower the health of a Leader, they lower it by the number stated, although a Leader's health cannot be reduced to zero through a Bonus Adventure action.

Artifacts (Common and Unique)

Artifact Cards can be gained through Adventuring and also by making a successful Scavenge Test (see 'Scavenging', below) at a location with a Scavenge Token. Regardless of how the Artifact is gained, the player draws a card from the appropriate deck - Common or Unique - as directed by the Scavenge Token or Adventure reward.

Hand Size: Each Ranger may hold a maximum of 4 Artifacts, 3 Special Cards, and 1 Mission Card (see Hand Size limits for Defender Cards, below). If they gain another, they must choose one Artifact to discard. Artifacts may be traded between characters on the same location as a free Action.

Some Artifacts instruct the player to 'exhaust' them when used. The card should be tilted sideways to show that it cannot be used again that turn. Exhausted Artifacts are refreshed in the 'Rise and Shine' phase of the player's next turn.

Attributes and Skills

All Attribute and Attribute tests are performed by rolling dice equal to the Attribute number, with die rolls of 5 or 6 being considered a success. Most tests will only require one success. There are 4 basic attributes in which each character has a number. The higher the number, the better they are at that Attribute Test.

• Radiation Resistance: the character's ability to withstand the radiation-ravaged world and keep mutation at bay.
• Adventure: the character's knowledge of the land and its people, and their exploration and fighting ability in the resolution of Adventure Cards.
• Scavenging: the ability of the character to find ancient items in the decaying buildings and countryside.
• Ancient Tech: the ability of the character to deal with ancient items, identify their value, and use them effectively against the invading tribes.

Modified Test Rolls: Some tests may modify the number of dice rolled. Example, if a card states for you to 'TEST ADVENTURE -1' that means you roll the number of dice granted by your Adventure attribute minus one less. In addition to their 4 attributes, each character has unique skills that define them and aid them as a Ranger defending Last Stand. One of their skills requires them to spend Karma Tokens to activate.

Blockades

Blockades are built as the result of certain Mission, Group Mission, and Adventure Cards. When built, the player chooses 1 of the borders into Last Stand and places a Blockade Token on it. The Blockade will delay the entry of a land-bound Leader (i.e. Red, Green or Yellow) into the city from that direction. When a Leader is to advance into Last Stand and a Blockade is blocking movement from his current location, the Blockade is removed instead and the Leader remains in place.

IMPORTANT: Blockades will not prevent flight movement. If Puke moves into Last Stand, he does so from above and cannot be stopped by a Blockade. Some Scenarios or technology cards may allow other Leaders flight movement. If this occurs, they can no longer be stopped by Blockades.

Combat

There are three types of combat in the game; combat with Raiders, combat with Monstrosities, and combat with Leaders. Each is handled differently.

Combat with Raiders

The player rolls 1 matching color die for each Raider present. For each die that rolls equal or higher than the To-Hit number for the Raider of the appropriate color, remove that Raider.

Note: Raiders have the same To-Hit Number as their Leader. It is displayed on the Shield Icon of their Raider Card and the Leader card.

EXAMPLE 1: Frank the Trapper is on the Red River Island with 2 Techie Raiders. The player spends one Action token to combat the Raiders. Since there are 2 Techie Raiders (Red), Frank rolls 2 red dice. The To-Hit Number for the Techies is 3+ as noted by the shield icon on their card. Frank's dice results in a '5' and a '2'. He removes one of the Raider tokens since the '5' was equal to or greater than the To-Hit of 3+. The '2' die result was less than 3 so one Techie remains. The player may spend another action token, if available, on combat to try to remove the last Techie.

EXAMPLE 2: Frank has moved into the US Air Base and 1 Techie and 2 Earther Raiders are present. The player spends an Action to attack and rolls 3 dice; 1 Red Die for the Techie and 2 Yellow Dice for the 2 Earther Raiders. The To-Hit for the Techie is a 3 or higher and the Earther Raiders is a 4 or higher. He rolls a red '6', a yellow '1' and a yellow '4'. He removes the Techie for the red '6' rolled, and one of the Earthers for the yellow '4' rolled. The yellow '1' failed to defeat the other Earther because it is less than the required number To-Hit of 4+. Since this was Frank's final action, he suffers 1 wound from the remaining Earther.

Combat with Monstrosities

Each individual Monstrosity Card provides details of the combat activity needed to defeat the Monstrosity. The card also lists the rewards for removing the Monstrosity and the penalties for failure. Some Monstrosity cards will have a player test one of their Attributes (in this case any 5+ results are considered successes unless the card states otherwise. Other cards may state a 'TO-HIT'. That is the minimum number needed on the resulting dice. Under the TO-HIT number, the cards will state how many successes are needed to defeat the Monstrosity.

EXAMPLE: Jake is attacking the Monstrosity Slither. He will roll 4 dice and he needs to roll one 5 or 6 to slay the creature since the attribute, Ancient Tech, is being tested. The player rolls 4 dice with results; 3,3,4,6. Jake gained one success and slays Slither. The Monstrosity miniature is removed from the board and placed in the Monstrosity pool. The player gains the reward of 3 Defender cards and 1 Karma Token as stated on the card. The Monstrosity card is discarded.

Combat with Leaders

Only attack dice from cards matching the Leader, special skills, some artifacts and special rewards may be used to attack Leaders. A Group Attack may be performed against Leaders whereby all characters present at that same location when a Ranger spends an Action to attack the Leader may join in the attack with the active player. The player whose Ranger spent the Action token is in command of the battle and decides when each Ranger will roll their attack dice. The following rules apply to attacking the Leader.

• All Rangers on the location with the Leader become active and may join in the attack. Those that join will gain rewards for victory and suffer the penalties of losing.
• All cards and artifacts used to generate dice for the attack are displayed by all players joining the attack prior to any dice rolled. All cards spent will be discarded even if not required for the battle.
• The order of the Rangers attacking is decided by the Ranger player who spent the Action to attack. When a Ranger is attacking, the player rolls all their attack dice prior to moving to the next Ranger to attack.
• Defeating the Leader gains the Leader card as a reward - with the bonus on the backside - to the player who lands the killing blow. The Killing Blow is always the blow that reduces the Leader's Strength/Health to zero.
• Any Combat skill the Leader has is active during the battle and may alter Ranger attributes and dice rolls.
• If the Rangers are defeated, the Ranger's Defeat section on the Leader card is performed and all Rangers in the battle returned to Last Stand (Section 19). If defeating a Leader, each Ranger in the battle gains 3 Defender Cards.

There are four Leaders in the game and each has different skills when attacked, identified in the Combat Skills Section. Additionally, each Leader has a shield that identifies the number that must appear on a die rolled to result in a wound to the leader.

GROUP COMBAT EXAMPLE: Jake moves onto Devil's Junction where Pepzi and Trapper Frank are waiting for him. Jake has two Actions remaining and spends an Action to attack Bama. Pepzi and Frank join the attack as both can roll at least 4 dice, which is Bama's Combat Skill. Each player reveals the Bama Defender cards they are using to gain dice for the attack. Jake gains 5 dice, Pepzi gains 3 Dice from cards and uses her Cool in Battle skill by spending Karma to gain 3 more dice for a total of 6 dice, and Frank gains 4 dice from Defender cards. Bama's current health is 5, having been reduced by sabotage. Jake is in control and instructs Frank to roll first. Frank discards his committed Defender cards and rolls 4 dice: 1, 3, 4, 6 – 1 Hit and lowers the health to 4. Next Jake has Pepzi attack. She rolls 6 dice: 1,3,4,4,5,5 – 2 hits lowering Bama's health to 2. Jake decides to use his Special card True Grit to enable Pepzi to reroll her four failed dice. She rerolls the 4 dice: 2,2,4,5 – another Hit lowering Bama's health to 1. Now Jake rolls his 5 dice; 1,1,3,4,5 – 1 hit, reducing Bama to 0 health and slaying him. Jake takes the Bama card and flips it over becoming the Slayer of Bama. Each of the Rangers in the battle gains 3 Defender cards as a reward.

After the battle remove the Bama miniature from the board and check the Stage card to see if the game advances to the next stage.

Leader Slayer Bonus: The Ranger that lands the slaying blow (the hit that moves the wound token from the 1 to the Skull on a Leader's health track). That player takes the Leader's mat and flips it to the back. On the back is the Slayer Skill.

Defender Cards

The Defender cards represent the resources and tactics used by the Rangers to defeat the advancing Leaders.

Each Defender card shows a Special Action Icon, a Portrait of Leader, the Name of Leader, and the number of Attack Dice vs Krank.

When a player takes a 'Combat With Leaders' action, each Defender card played that matches the color of the Leader provides 1 or 2 attack dice, as shown on the card.

Defender cards also provide specific actions to assist Rangers as they travel on the board. These are determined by the icons shown on the cards:

• Vehicle: The player may discard a Defender Card with a Vehicle icon when spending an Action Token to move 1 additional location (i.e. 2 in total).
• Glider: The player may discard a Defender card with a Glider icon when spending an Action Token to move 3 additional locations (i.e. 4 in total) rather than just 1 location. When moving by Glider the character can move across solid lines.
• Grenade: The player may spend 1 Action Token and any number of Defender cards with the Grenade icon to attack an Oil & Ammo Depot at their location. The player gains attack 2 dice for each card played. Each 5 or 6 result will destroy one Oil & Ammo Depot at a player's location.
• Crossed Pistols: When a player's Ranger is on a location with a Leader, the player may spend 1 Action Token and discard 2 Defender cards (any color) with the Crossed Pistols icon to reduce the Health of that Leader by 1. Important: The color and name of the Leader on the Defender cards discarded for a sabotage action do not have to match the Leader being targeted. The cards need only show the crossed pistols icon.
• Ranger Badge: Players may discard 2 cards with the Ranger Badge icon to gain 1 Special Card. This action is free and does not require the player to use an Action Token, but it can only be performed during the player's turn.
• Rad Suit: There are two different ways to use a Rad Icon from a Defender card.
  • Radiated Board Locations and Events - Resistance Tests: Players may discard 1 Defender card with the Rad Suit icon whenever their character is required to test Radiation Resistance on a location (see the Radiation and Mutation section, below), or for an Event that causes Wounds or Mutations. When used this way, the player automatically passes the test, even if the location would have required multiple successes.
  • Adventure Card Resistance Tests: In contrast to above, which allows a player to auto pass a Resistance Test, when players test Resistance from an Adventure card, players may discard 1 Defender card with the Rad Suit Icon to reroll ALL dice on a failed Radiation Resistance Test.

Hand Size

The maximum hand size for DEFENDER CARDS of each Ranger is based on the number of Rangers being used in the game:

• 1 Ranger Character: The hand size is unlimited.
• 2-5 Ranger Characters: The hand size is 12 Defender cards.

ARTIFACT cards hand size limit is 4 per Ranger no matter the number of players. SPECIAL hand size limit is 3 no matter the number of players.

Dice Rolls

The players will be required to make a number of dice rolls. This section identifies the various rolls and dice abbreviations used on the cards.

• Combat With Raiders: Roll Dice equal to the number of Raiders present.
• Combat with Leaders: Roll Dice equal to the Leader Dice gained from Defender cards, Special Items, and Special Skills.
• Skill/Attribute Tests: Roll dice equal to the Attribute Number on each character card.
• D6: Roll a single six-sided die and use the result.
• D3: Roll a single six-sided die, treating a 1 or 2 as a '1' result, a 3 or 4 as a '2', and a 5 or 6 as a '3'. Example, if a card instructs you to take D3 wounds, you divide the result of D6 roll by two, rounding down.

Karma

Characters can earn Karma Tokens (good fortune) a number of different ways (Missions, Rewards for slaying a Monstrosity, etc.), including spending an Action to pick up a Karma token off a game board location. There must be no Raiders or Monstrosities on a player's location to pick up a Karma Token. They must be cleared first.

Using Karma:

• Each Character has a Special Bonus Skill that requires 1 or more Karma Tokens to use.
• Many of the Adventure Cards offer beneficial actions (often free) if spending 1 or more Karma Tokens.

The Leaders

There are four Leaders assaulting Last Stand, each with their own special combat skills and unique Raiders. This section takes a brief look at each Leader: The following rules apply to all Leaders:

• Leaders never attack Rangers, nor block their movement.
• Leaders only engage the Rangers when they are attacked. Their combat ability is only active when they are attacked. Each Leader's combat skills are unique. Leaders may be group attacked by Rangers.
• Leaders' To-Hit numbers represent the number required to be rolled to cause a wound when Rangers attack them. Leaders may have their health reduced by the Sabotage action.
• Defeating a Leader gains that Ranger the character power on the back of that Leader's mat. Their Raiders continue to attack, but are easier to defeat for the Slayer of the Leader.
• Each Leader has a tribe of Raiders (or Monstrosities for Puke). The Raiders all have the same To-Hit number as the Leader. Each Monstrosity is unique.
• Defeating a Leader gains each attacker 3 Defender cards.
• Losing a Battle with a Leader causes each attacker to suffer the Leader's Defeat penalty as stated on their mats. Then the losers are returned to Last Stand.

Bama

Bama and the Road Riders are a barbaric band that has been riding north for decades, taking from the small defenseless (and defended) communities they encounter. The Road Riders expand toward Last Stand and across the region only to places connected by road - their scouts riding ahead and the bulk of the nomadic barbarians following behind with their leader, Bama. Being the vicious psychopath that Bama is, his scouts try to leave prizes in the road for him to enjoy - enslaved young men and women who will be used, tortured, and often slain in a hideous way. The nighttime festivities of the tribe involve pitting captives against each other in mortal combat. The Road Riders are destroyers, taking oil and gas as well as food and goods from the weak, to strengthen themselves and keep their tribe moving. But supplies are now running low, and as luck would have it, before them is the greatest prize they have ever seen - Last Stand. And they intend for it to be theirs.

Bama is a brutal warlord who has risen to power in what was once a small rabid tribe of bandits. Over time his ruthless leadership has forged a barbaric culture that has attracted the most vicious and deprived to wear the Red Bandana. New recruits prove their battle prowess in the Circle, a ceremonial battle required to join the band and to rise in rank. Bama, the greatest warrior to ever rise from the Circle, has proven to be as wise of a warlord as he is brutal. The Band has never been so prosperous, so large, and on the verge of gaining the greatest victory – the capture of Last Stand.

Bama's To Hit Number: Die rolls of 5+ will wound Bama.

Bama's Combat Skills: Bama has the following skills when Rangers attack him.

• Body Guards: A Ranger may not join in an attack against Bama unless they can roll a minimum of 4 Dice.
• Armor: Defender die rolls of 1 and 2 may not be re-rolled by any means.

Ranger's Defeat: Each Ranger in the battle suffers 3 wounds, and an Oil & Ammo Depot is added to the location of the battle. Then heal Bama 2 wounds.

Bramble

The young Bramble rose to power because of her beauty and wisdom. It seemed as if even the creatures of the wild recognized her as a goddess on Earth, one who would nurture the new world from the irradiated ashes of humanity. Like all her followers, Bramble has no mutations and is not subject to radiation sickness or side effects. She is a daughter of the new world, stronger and more in tune with nature than the remnants of humanity clinging to a world long past. Her warriors are all females, Amazonian in strength and battle prowess. Until recently the Earthers have been content residing in the mountains and wild places, including their sacred God's Eye Forest, where it is fabled that Bramble conversed with the ancient gods and was anointed to rule. It is with this belief that the Earther War Bands have begun to venture toward Last Stand, taking back the land they believe no one can possess, but only they can nourish.

Bramble's To Hit Number: Die rolls of 4+ will wound Bramble.

Bramble's Combat Skills: Bramble has the following skills when Rangers attack her.

• Blessed by the Gods: The attacking Ranger must roll at least one unmodified 6 or all hits rolled become blocked by Bramble and are ignored.

Ranger's Defeat: Each Ranger in the battle suffers 3 wounds, roll a D6 and on a 4+ advance Bramble 1 location toward Last Stand and add to her location 2 new Earther War Parties.

Krank

Krank is just the latest of the Techie Leaders, as no Leader ever lasts for long with this wild bunch of youthful maniacs. It seems that a new one rises up every couple of years to take power from the previous - thus is the way of the young ones, and no member can remain when they start showing signs of aging, for the youthful techies trust none of what they call Oldsters.

The Techie Leader is always at risk of being overthrown unless they can continue the advancement of ancient technology. As for Krank, he took power by creating a bottled chemical that explodes when the bottle is broken, erupting in a brilliant flame and releasing a noxious smoke. His predecessor learned how deadly the concoction could be when Krank used it on him to take power. Now, after ruling for almost 3 years, Krank knows his time is short unless he can keep the tribe excited about the opportunities of new technology. As such, he has sent his mobs out further than ever. Krank has a new plan, and one that should keep him in power even when he becomes an Oldster. He wants to capture Last Stand, where he believes technology exists that can keep him young. Since announcing his plans, the Techies have taken to burning and cleansing the desert. They have been brought into a frenzied state, focused on Krank's grand plan to capture Last Stand. This makes Krank a very dangerous foe to the inhabitants of Last Stand.

Krank's To Hit Number: Die rolls of 3+ will wound Krank.

Krank's Combat Skills: Krank has the following skills when Rangers attack him.

• Ancient Tech: Each time the Techies overrun a location, Krank gains 1 Ancient Tech card placed face down on his board. If no Ancient Tech cards remain, instead advance him one location towards Last Stand. When Rangers attack Krank, any face-down Ancient Tech cards on his board are revealed and become active.

Ranger's Defeat: Each Ranger in the battle suffers 3 wounds and Krank gains an Ancient Tech card. Then heal Krank 3 wounds.

Puke

No one knows the origin of Puke or his/her real name. I think it was auntie Dot that first called him Puke, but it caught on like brush fire, and now all folks know and fear the name. I guess the most frightening thing is that I reckon he or she was human at some point even though nobody remembers him anymore but as the 'Puke Monster'. Now he wanders the land, taking what he sees as his, and he stands as a warning to what can become of humans that mutate too far. Some folk worry about it, but most just go on with their lives hoping that they never join his hideous legion. That sounds like a curse worse than death to me but I recon when you turn into a monstrosity you are past such human thoughts. If Puke and his followers have any real intelligent thought at all, I suspect it is that whatever they want in this radiation ravaged land, they take. And it appears that they want Last Stand.

Puke's To Hit Number: Die rolls of 4+ will wound Puke.

Puke's Combat Skills: Puke has the following skills when Rangers attack him.

• One of Us! One of Us!: Prior to attacking Puke, each Ranger must discard 1 random Defender card from their attack cards played, plus 1 random Defender card for each Mutation they possess.

Ranger's Defeat: Each Ranger in the battle suffers 3 wounds and draws a Mutation card. Then heal Puke 2 wounds.

Monstrosities Coordinated Attack: If there are 8 Monstrosities on the Board and Puke moves again, he/she flies onto Last Stand and ends the game with the Rangers losing.

Also, if Puke is the last surviving Leader, he/she will jump to Last Stand if Puke moves regardless of how many Monstrosities are active.

Missions

The Mission deck provides tasks for the Rangers. Each Mission Card describes the actions the character must perform, and the results of success or failure.

Missions only become available as identified by the Scenario, and through Events. When new Missions become available from an Event, the new Mission cards are added to Last Stand (Section 19) face up on the board.

• Each Ranger can only have 1 Mission at a time.
• Missions are added to Last Stand in the setup of the Scenario and more become available through Events. Rangers can pick which Mission they would prefer.
• Rangers do not automatically gain a new Mission as they complete one, but may as a free action take a Mission card if one is present when their character is located in Last Stand.
• Characters are not required to do Missions, but they can offer valuable rewards.
• Each Mission describes the actions the character must perform and the success or failure related to the mission.

Radiation and Mutation

Note: We refer to 'Radiation Resistance' and 'Resistance' interchangeably on cards and in this rulebook. There is no distinction.

Rangers may mutate by being exposed to radiation from locations on the board and from Adventures. If you end your turn on a location with a Radiation icon, you must either test your Resistance or discard a Defender card with a gas mask icon to prevent the radiation test. Many locations on the board have 1 or more radiation icons on them, and more may be placed as the game continues. When directed by an Event or Adventure to add a Radiation Token, place a Radiation Token on the appropriate location on the board. Locations with multiple icons need additional successes in order to pass a Resistance Test.

Location Radiation Resistance Tests

When a character ends their turn on a location with one or more radiation icons, they must test Radiation Resistance. To do this, the player rolls a number of dice equal to their Radiation Resistance attribute. A roll of 5 or 6 is considered a success; players must gain successes equal to or greater than the number of radiation icons on the location.

• If successful, the radiation has no effect.
• If unsuccessful, the player draws a Mutation card.

When at a board location with radiation icons, players may instead discard 1 Defender card with a gas mask icon, and they then do not have to test Radiation Resistance. The play of this card is an automatic success, regardless of how many icons were on the location.

Adventure Radiation Resistance Tests

If a player makes a Radiation Resistance test for an Adventure Card, the procedure is the same as above with the following differences:

• The Adventure card will specify how many successes (rolls of 5 or 6) are needed.
• IMPORTANT: A Defender card with a gas mask icon may be discarded to reroll ALL dice in a failed Adventure Resistance Test (no limit) - in contrast to Resistance Tests due to icons on board locations (see above).

Mutation Cards

If your total Mutation value exceeds 5, your character turns into a Monstrosity! Mutation cards often provide benefits to the Ranger, but characters must be careful not to become too mutated. Each Mutation Card has a number in the top left corner. If drawing a Mutation card results in a total Mutation value (of all your Mutation cards) of 5 or more, the Ranger becomes a Monstrosity:

• The Ranger miniature is removed from the board and replaced with a Monstrosity miniature at the same location. Important: If all Monstrosities are already on the board, Puke moves into Last Stand and the players lose the game.
• The player whose character became a Monstrosity resets their Ranger Board and discards all cards the character held (including Defenders Cards, Artifacts, Mutations, etc.)
• The player can choose a new Ranger Board, or keep their current, and draws 2 Defenders cards, and places their Ranger miniature on Last Stand. Their turn then ends.

Scavenging

Scavenging Tokens

The Scavenge tokens represent ancient artifacts that characters can find by making a successful Scavenge Test. Scavenge tokens are always placed face down, both in a draw pool and when placed on the board, and remain that way until unearthed.

• Scavenge Tokens are placed on the board as the result of an Event or Adventure.
• Characters may spend 1 Action to make a Scavenge Test when on a location with a Scavenge token. As with picking up Karma Tokens, the location must be free of Raiders or Monstrosities in order to pick up a Scavenge Token.
• If the Attribute test is successful (the player rolled at least one 5+ on a die) they flip the Scavenge token and gain the item on the token. The items will be a Common Artifact, Unique Artifact, Defender cards, a Special Item or Nothing. Special items are defined differently for each Scenario.
• If the Scavenge Attribute Test is failed, reveal the Scavenge Token and discard it. If the token had a star icon, all discarded tokens are returned to the Scavenge Token Pool and the Pool is shuffled face down, creating a new draw pool.

Special Cards

Special cards are similar to Defender cards, but are never shuffled into the Defender deck. They do not count against the hand size for Defender cards, but each player may hold no more than 3 Special cards. A player with 3 Special Cards in their hand may not draw another. Special cards may be gained from other cards as a reward and from Events on Raider cards. They may also be purchased on a player's turn as a free action by discarding 2 Defenders cards showing the Ranger Badge icon.

Important Rule Reminder: Special cards do not count as part of the Defender cards hand size. The Special cards have their own hand size of 3 and no new Special cards can be gained while a Ranger holds 3 Special cards.

Special cards are played in different ways, depending on the card:

• SPECIAL ABILITY: When playing a Special card for the ability on the card, no Action is required to play it unless the card states otherwise.
• A Special card may be played at any time, even on another player's turn (unless an Action is required). For example, some Special cards can interrupt the placement of Raiders or the movement of a Leader. Exception: the 'Flank Attack' card, which is used to force a Leader out of a location, cannot be used to force a Leader out of Last Stand after they have moved into the city, as the players lose the game as soon as the Leader entered the city.
• ATTACK DICE: When playing a Special card as part of an 'Attack a Leader' action, the dice shown on the bottom of the card are added to the attack regardless of which Leader is being attacked.
• SIDEKICKS: Some of the Special cards are allies that join the character and grant them ongoing benefits. The card should be placed face up near the player's Ranger mat. A Sidekick remains in play as long as the player wishes unless some event or penalty causes them to be discarded. Sidekicks always count as one of the player's 3 Special cards.

When played for Special Ability or Attack Dice, Special Cards are discarded to the box and out of play for the rest of the game. The same applies to Sidekicks that are discarded. The Special Card deck is never reshuffled after initial game set-up.

Stage Cards

The Stage cards show the progression of the Ranger's battle against their foes. Each Scenario will provide instructions on how the six Stage cards should be used in a game. The individual cards state how many Defender cards and Raider cards each player should draw in Phase III of each turn. The Stage cards also describe the conditions required to advance to the next Stage. These cards, in some way, may change the default rules of the game. Always follow the instructions on the Stage card if this happens. Example, Stage 1A card does not advance Leaders beyond their starting location until all Leaders are on the board (Scenarios that will use this card have the 4 Leaders start off the board).

Scenarios

We recommend that players initially play these scenarios in order, although players are free to choose any Scenario. Scenario 2 – 'Defend Last Stand' is the default game of Defenders of the Last Stand and, as such, does not present a Group Mission. It is considered the base game scenario with a high level of replayability. It is our plan to make new scenarios available on the 8th Summit website and in future expansion publications with new Rangers, Group Missions, and Adventures. WWW.8THSUMMIT.NET

Scenario 1: Lightning of the Ancients

Situation: Raiding tribes are advancing ever closer to the city. Now, even Puke is on the move and unless the Rangers can find a way to turn back the allied attackers, Last Stand will soon be under siege. But all is not lost; the Governor believes that using stalling tactics will slow the Raider's advance long enough for an ancient weapon to be built. Hope may be slim, but if we can build the fabled Lightning of the Ancients, Last Stand will remain a safe haven for humanity.

Set-Up: After the basic set-up steps have been completed, follow the steps below to complete the set up for the Lightning of the Ancients Scenario.

Step 1: Ranger Set-Up

• Each Ranger starts with 1 Mission card and 2 Karma Tokens.
• Each Ranger draws 6 Defender cards and 1 Special Card.
• Each Ranger chooses any location on the board to place their character token. They do not have to start in Last Stand.

Step 2: Raiders

• The Game board is populated with Raiders as noted below:
  • Techies: Place 2 Techies on each of (1) Death Maze City, (5) Myst City, (12) US Air Base, (34) Once Was City, and (37) Old Factory.
  • Road Riders: Place 1 Road Rider on each of (3) Mad Man Villa, (10) Last Stop/Wishbone Pass, (21) South Road, and (23) Ashtown. Place 2 Road Riders on (16) Hard Road/Apache Plains and (17) Cacti Forest.
  • Earthers: Place 1 Earther on (18) Ole' Boma Road and (27) Boxville. Place 2 Earthers on each of (6) Stink Hills, (14) Scrapyard, (26) Hazard Gulch, and (28) Joey Died Here.
  • Random Raiders: Draw 2 Raider cards and place Raider types and number of figures as shown on card (usually 1 or 2 figures will be shown for each location). If the card does not show Raider placement, keep drawing until Raiders have been placed on 2 locations. Do not move Leaders or activate Events.
  • Remove the 2 Advance One Leader cards from the Raiders deck and return them to the box.
  • Overruns may occur during setup.

Step 3: Monstrosities

Place 1 Monstrosity on (20) White Crater and 1 Monstrosity on (35) Mutant Mountain. Draw a Raider card and add 1 Monstrosity to the first 2 Locations revealed (redraw if necessary).

Step 4: Karma

Draw Raider cards and place Karma Tokens on the first 4 locations revealed on the cards for Raider placement (ignore Leader movement).

Step 5: Scavenge Tokens

• Remove the following Scavenge Tokens from play: 2 Special, 2 Nothing, and 3 Common Artifact. Then reshuffle the remaining Scavenge Tokens face down to form the Scavenge Pool.
• Draw Raider cards and use the locations to place random Scavenge Tokens in the first 6 locations revealed.
• Important: Reshuffle all Raiders cards used for set up back into the draw deck.

Step 6: Oil & Ammo Depots

Place 1 Oil & Ammo Depot token on the following locations: Devil's Junction (22), Boxville (27), and Ash Town (23). Place the remaining 9 near board. All Oil & Ammo depots are available for this scenario.

Step 7: Leaders

The Leaders begin the game on the following locations:

• Bama: Place Bama on (16) Hard Road and add Road Riders to the location to bring to a total of 3 Road Riders. Health: The starting health of Bama is 6.
• Bramble: Place Bramble on (27) Boxville and add Earthers to the location to bring them to a total of 3 Earthers. Health: The starting health of Bramble is 7.
• Krank: Place Krank on (7) Liberty Tunnel and add Techies to the location to bring them to a total of 3 Techies. Health: The starting health of Krank is 8. Ancient Tech: Krank starts the game with 1 of his Ancient Tech cards face down on his board.
• Puke: Place Puke on White Crater. Health: The starting health of Puke is 7.

Step 8: Stage Cards

Gather the following Stage Cards: 1B, 2B, 3B, and 4A. Place the Stage Cards in order, with Stage 1B face-up.

Step 9: Group Mission

• One player should read the Situation at the start of this Scenario to the other players.
• One player should take the Group Mission Card Lightning of the Ancients and read the requirements aloud.
• Place the Lightning of the Ancients card, starting side up, near the board so that all players can refer to it during the game.

Step 10: Blockage

Place a Blockade Token on one entrance to Last Stand (to be decided by the players as a group).

Special Scenario Rules

USING THE LIGHTNING OF THE ANCIENTS ARTIFACT: New Action: Targeting Lightning - Once the weapon is active it may be fired by the active Ranger spending both an action and a Karma token to attack one target adjacent to the location of the Ranger firing the weapon. Targets are resolved depending on type of target.

• Raiders: All the Raiders on the location are automatically slain. Remove them from the board.
• Monstrosity: Roll 3 dice and if gaining a 4+ on any die, the Monstrosity is destroyed. Remove the Monstrosity, but do not gain any reward.
• Leader: Roll 3 Dice and reduce the Leader's Health/Strength by 1 for each die resulting in a 5 or 6.
• Oil & Ammo Depot: Automatically destroy all Oil & Ammo Depots on the location targeted.

No rewards are gained for targets destroyed by the Lightning. EXCEPTION: A Ranger who defeats a Leader using the Lightning gains the Slayer of a Leader benefit.

Victory Conditions: Players win by defeating the 4 Clan Leaders. Normal Loss rules apply.

Scenario 2: Defend Last Stand

Situation: The war started only a few moons ago, but one of the moons was as red as blood, fulfilling a prophecy from the "Black Book of Wisdom". As fear swept the city, the Governor took action and swelled the ranks of the Rangers. Regardless of how you became a Ranger, either through years of valiant service or recently conscripted, you are committed to take the fight to the invading Raiders and the malignant Monstrosities that threaten the only home you have ever known. The battle cry has gone out again: "Defend Last Stand!"

Set-Up: After the basic set-up steps have been completed, follow the steps below to complete the set up for the Defend Last Stand Scenario.

Step 1: Ranger Set-Up

• Each Ranger starts with 1 Mission card.
• Each Ranger draws 2 Defender cards.
• Each Ranger starts in Last Stand.

Step 2: Raiders

• The Game board is populated with Raiders as noted below:
  • Draw 2 Raider cards that reveals 2 placement locations of Raiders or a Monstrosity. If the Raider card does not show two locations for placement, redraw. Ignore the number of figures revealed for each location, instead place 2 Raiders of the type shown, or 1 Monstrosity, if shown.
  • Next, draw 3 Raiders card and place 1 Raider on the first three locations revealed by the Raider cards. Redraw if necessary until you have placed on three locations. Ignore any placement of Monstrosities.
  • Overruns may not occur during the setup. If a card would cause an overrun, discard and redraw.

Step 3: Monstrosities

No pre-set Monstrosities, other than Puke's setup and ones placed during Step 2.

Step 4: Karma

Draw Raider cards and place 1 Karma on each location until 4 Karma have been placed.

Step 5: Scavenge Tokens

Draw Raider cards and place 1 Scavenge token on each location until 6 Scavenge tokens have been placed.

Step 6: Oil & Ammo Tokens

Draw Raider cards and place 1 Oil & Ammo Depot token on each location until 2 have been placed.

• Put the remaining 10 Oil & Ammo depots near the board. All 12 Tokens are available for this scenario. Now, reshuffle drawn Raider cards back into the deck.

Step 7: Leaders

The Leaders begin the game on the following locations:

• Bama: Place Bama on (17) Cacti Forest and bring the number of Road Riders on the location to 3. Health: Bama starts at full health if playing with 1 to 3 Rangers. If playing with 5 Rangers, reduce Bama's starting health by 2. If playing with 4 Rangers, reduce Bama's health by 1.
• Bramble: Place Bramble on (33) God's Eye Forest, and bring the number of Earthers on the location to 3. Health: Bramble starts at full health if playing with 1 to 3 Rangers. If playing with 5 Rangers, reduce Bramble's starting health by 2. If playing with 4 Rangers, reduce health by 1.
• Krank: Place Krank on (1) Death Maze City and bring the number of Techies on the location to 3. Health: Krank starts at full health regardless of the number of Rangers in the game. Ancient Tech: Krank starts the game with no Ancient Tech cards.
• Puke: Place Puke on (35) Mutant Mountain and also place 1 Monstrosity figure at that location. Health: Puke starts at full health if playing with 1 to 3 Rangers. If playing with 5 Rangers, reduce Puke's starting health by 2. If playing with 4 Rangers, reduce health by 1.

Step 8: Stage Cards

Gather the following Stage Cards: 1B, 2B, 3B, and 4A. Place the Stage Cards in order, with Stage 1B face-up.

Step 9: Group Mission

There is no Group Mission card for this scenario.

Special Scenario Rules

• SPECIAL ARTIFACTS: A player scavenging a Special Artifact may use the token when on a location with a leader to reduce that Leader's health by 2. Then the token is returned to the Box.
• VICTORY CONDITIONS: Players win by defeating all 4 of the Clan Leaders before one reaches Last Stand. Players lose by any of the normal loss conditions.

Scenario 3: Flight to Paradise

Situation: People have spoken about a legendary place far from this blasted land, an island where the land is lush, the food is plentiful, and no radiation sickness plagues the people. The Governor believes that now is the time to find out if the legend is true. She has issued an order to scavenge as never before to find what is needed to build a plane the ancients called CARGO and fly from Last Stand to a better world.

Set-Up: After the basic set-up steps have been completed, follow the steps below to complete the set up for the Flight to Paradise Scenario.

Step 1: Ranger Set-Up

Each Ranger starts with 1 Mission card and 1 Karma Token, and 2 Defender cards.

Step 2: Raiders

• Place 5 Earther miniatures, 5 Techies, and 5 Road Riders in the box. They are not used.
• Draw 1 Raider card and place 3 Raiders, (ignoring number of figures shown on card) of the type shown on each of two locations stated on the card (upper section of card). Redraw if the card does not show two locations, or if one location placement is for a Monstrosity.
• Draw 2 cards and place 2 Raiders on each location revealed on the cards, ignoring the number of figures shown on the card. Redraw if the cards do not each show two locations, or if one location placement is for a Monstrosity.
• Draw 3 cards and place 1 Raider on each location revealed on the cards in the same manner as the above.
• Ignore the number of Raiders given on each card drawn and simply place the number of Raiders of the appropriate colors as stated above. If you draw any cards for placement in setup that creates an overrun, you may discard and redraw.

Step 3: Monstrosity

Place 1 Monstrosity miniature on Red River (Section #32).

Step 4: Karma

Draw a Raider card and place 1 Karma token on the first two locations revealed on the Raider card. Redraw as necessary until 2 Karma tokens are on the board.

Step 5: Oil & Ammo

Remove 4 Oil & Ammo pieces and return them to the box. Players will only have a total of 8 for this scenario.

Step 6: Leaders

• The Leaders begin the game on their respective Leader boards, not on the main game board.
• All Leaders start at full Health no matter the number of players.
• Krank Starts the game with no Ancient Tech cards.

Step 7: Scavenge Tokens

Leader Artifacts: Take the 2 'Nothing' Scavenge tokens, 1 'Common' Artifact, and 1 Special Artifact Scavenge tokens and mix them together face down and then place 1 token on each Clan Leader board without looking at it. Put the rest of the tokens facedown to form a supply.

• Draw Raider cards and place a Scavenge token from supply on the first 4 locations revealed in the Raider section of the cards. Reshuffle all drawn Raider cards back into the draw deck.

Step 8: Stage Cards

Place the Stage cards in order, 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A with Stage 1A (you will use the 'a' Stage cards) face-up on the top and Stage 4A on the bottom.

Step 9: Group Mission

• One player should read the Situation at the start of this Scenario to the other players.
• One player should take the Group Mission Card Flight to Freedom and read out the requirements and Victory condition.
• Place the Flight to Freedom card near the board so that all players can refer to it during the game.

Special Scenario Rules

RAIDERS ENTERING BOARD: The first time each Leader is revealed to move due to drawing of a Raider card - to any location - instead place their miniature on their starting location on the board. They will remain there until all Leaders have been placed on their starting locations.

• Bramble: God's Eye Forest (#33) Bring her Earthers at this location to 3 when she is placed on Board.
• Bama: Cacti Forest (#17) Bring his Road Riders at this location to 3 when he is placed on Board.
• Krank: Death Maze City (#1) Bring his Techies at this location to 3 when he is placed on Board.
• Puke: Mutant Mountain (#35) Add 1 Monstrosity to this location when he is placed on the board.

IMPORTANT: LEADERS ADVANCING

• Keep all Raider Cards Drawn to the side until all 4 Leaders are on the board. No Leader can advance past their starting position on the board until all Leaders are on board. (See Stage Card 1A).
• Do not reshuffle the cards if the Last Stand card is drawn. Hold it to the side also.
• If there are 14 Raider cards drawn and all Leaders are not yet on the board, place the remaining Leaders on their starting board position and advance to Stage 2A.
• Reshuffle all drawn Raider cards back into the draw deck.

Revealing a Leader's Scavenge Tokens: For the Rangers to complete their Group Mission, they must recover the Special Artifact Scavenge token held by one of the invading Leaders. To assist in this recovery, they may do the following Special Action.

• SCOUT LEADER ACTION (MAY BE TAKEN ONCE PER PLAYER TURN): When a Ranger is on a location with a Leader, the player may spend 1 Action to Scout that Leader. Player rolls 3 dice. If gaining a 5+ on any of the dice rolled, the player may then reveal and flip the Scavenge Token of the Leader. For each failed die (4 or less), regardless of successful scouting, the player suffers one wound.
• Gaining the Common Artifact: If the Common Artifact token is revealed, the current player immediately draws 1 Common Artifact and discards the token.
• Gaining the Special Artifact from the Leader: The Leader with the Scavenge Special Artifact token must be defeated for the Rangers to gain this token. Leave it face up with the Leader until the Leader is defeated.

Victory Conditions: Players may win by achieving one of the following.

• Either defeat all 4 Leaders, or by achieving the Group Mission and flying away in the cargo plane prior to losing the game by any of the normal loss conditions.

Raiders

Earthers

The Earthers are a nomadic Amazonian people who are unaffected by radiation. They believe God has given them this radiation-ravaged land.

Blessed People: Players may not use skills or Special cards when fighting the Earther Raiders. This includes combat bonuses and skills such as Frank's Traps, and Hat's Brick House Skill. Those abilities will not affect Earthers.

Rain of Arrows: Rangers that end their turn with Earther(s) present on the same location, suffer 1 wound for each Earther present.

Earther Strategy Tip: Earthers are most dangerous when they gather in numbers around Last Stand and move into Last Stand. Players need to keep them to a minimum when they congregate near the city as they can be tough to remove and are the most likely of Raiders to capture Last Stand.

Road Riders

The Road Riders are a gas-guzzling outlaw gang, attacking and raiding villages as they move from the north. They are in constant need of gas and have their sights on Last Stand's oil supply. They are the most deadly of the invading Raiders in combat.

Wild Boys: Rangers that end their turn with Road Rider(s) present on the same location, suffer 2 wounds for each Road Rider present.

Road Rider Strategy Tip: The Road Riders travel everywhere there are Roads, so they cover most of the board during the course of a game. It is best to gain some mutation abilities or artifacts prior to attacking Road Riders, unless your Ranger has a Skill that helps their attack. The high To-Hit Number makes combat with them difficult to most Rangers early in the game.

Techies

Techies consists of an ever-growing and dying tribe of youths who rarely live far into adulthood. They infest and scour the crumbling cities in the constant search for ancient artifacts, fascinated by ancient technology and often misusing it to their own detriment. Krank, their leader, is convinced that a treasure trove of technologies is hidden away in Last Stand.

Find Artifact: Anytime there is a Techie overrun, Krank gains an Ancient Tech Card. Place one face down near his Leader board.

Gas Attack: Rangers that end their turn with Techie(s) present on the same location, suffer 1 wound for each Techie present.

Techie Strategy Tip: The Techies are easy to defeat in battle, but they multiply quicker than any other Tribe. It is important that the Rangers reduce the Techies to at least 1 on locations when possible or they will likely create Overruns and gain tech for their leader Krank.

Puke

Puke is considered to be a Monstrosity and advances differently than the other Clan Leaders. It might be important that he not be the last Leader remaining. If he is the only remaining Leader and he moves anywhere (see Stage 4 card), he instead flies directly into Last Stand and players lose the game.

Credits & Acknowledgements

Defenders of the Last Stand is a trademark of and is copyright 2015 & 2016 to 8th Summit and Forgotten Silver, inc. All rights reserved. Do not use trademarks, artwork, characters, and any creative materials without permission.

Game design by Richard Launius & Jason Maxwell. Editing by Daniel Booth, Jason Maxwell and Ben Pharr. Creative Writing & Development by Jason Maxwell and Richard Launius. Rulebook by Yedah Merino. Graphic design by Julia Semionova. Artwork and Graphic Design by Edu Torres. Additional art from Joe Slucher. Playtesters include Steve Avery, Ben Pharr, Pete Shirey, Gordon Polson, Nathan Land, Travis Sirmons, Jeremy Williamson, Josh Murray and too many others to name.

Printed in China. Not suitable for ages 14 or younger. For comments or replacements, please contact 8th Summit at [email protected]. Also visit us on Facebook.

All inquiries should be made to: 8th Summit Games. Email: [email protected]. www.8thsummit.net