Dictator. Control Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Playing Field
  • Combat Units
  • Squads
  • Energy
  • Workshops and Mercenaries
  • Tutorial Mission
  • Unlimited Simulation
• Setup
  • Initial Deployment
  • Order of Play
• Turn
  • Squad and Card Actions
  • Maneuver Phase
  • Battle
  • Conditions Phase
  • Strength Phase
  • Clash Phase
  • Damage Phase
  • Squad Destruction
  • Storming a Workshop
  • Combat Links
  • Victory Conditions
  • End of the Tutorial Mission
• Standard Game
• Extended Modes
  • Fog of War
  • Reserve
  • Reinforcement
  • Architect
• Tournament Mode
  • Forming the Combat Deck
  • Determining the Order of Play
  • Forming the Squads
  • Before the Start
  • Goal of the Game
• Thirteen Rules of Combat Etiquette

Introduction

Playing Field

The arena for the game simulation is a conditional City: a three-level megalopolis with dense construction.

• Ground (the lower, darkened level): the place where the least privileged layers of society live. The mortality rate and the mutagenic factor reach unprecedented heights here. The Symbiotic Synclit originates on the Ground; its army of "new people," combat mutants and synthetic organisms becomes almost invincible here.
• Core (the middle part): the home of the knightly orders and of the mercenaries organized into Guilds, who offer their services to anyone ready to pay. The strongest order, the Order of the New Templars, fights to establish Order throughout the whole City.
• Heavens (the upper, light level): the gods dwell at the top of the World Tree, and those who decide the fate of the City live on its diamond summit. The gatekeepers of the Heavens come from the Federal Control Service.

For ease of simulation, the whole field is divided into hexagonal sectors.

Combat Units

In the combat simulator "Dictator," troops are represented by cards.

The three factions are:

• Order of the New Templars: relies on heavy machinery and armored infantry.
• Symbiotic Synclit: specialists in unconventional tactics and sabotage.
• Mercenaries: the best fighters, who can be hired for money.

Card anatomy:

1. Card name.
2. Card type. The starter set has five card types: infantry, armored infantry, vehicle, bio-vehicle and aviation. The card type also determines the colour of the card's background: infantry is green, armored infantry is grey, vehicles are brown, bio-vehicles are yellow, and aviation is blue.
3. Card strength in combat.
4. Phase in which the card acts: Maneuver Phase, Conditions Phase, Strength Phase, Clash Phase or Damage Phase.
5. Card action and its text description.
6. Faction, game set and card number in the set: T — Templars, S — Synclit, N — Mercenaries.
7. Card cost.

Squads

Combat unit cards are grouped into squads.

• Each squad consists of at most three cards.
• On the simulator field, a squad is represented by a squad token (chip).
• No more than one squad token may be in a single sector.

Example from the card sheet: squad no. 3 is shown on the field as the squad no. 3 token.

Energy

According to the simulator rules, each player has Energy, marked by a token on the Energy scale.

• The position of the token symbolizes the army's energy reserve, which is spent to perform some actions.
• A player gains Energy by capturing Workshops or through card actions.
• If an action's description says that Energy must be spent, move the Energy token that many divisions to the left when the action is applied.
• You cannot apply an action if your Energy supply is smaller than the amount required to perform it.
• If an opponent's card action forces you to spend more Energy than you have, you lose all of your Energy: move the token to the zero division.
• If an action gives Energy, move the Energy token to the right by the indicated number of divisions.
• If an action says "take Energy from the opponent," move your own Energy token to the right by the indicated number of divisions and the opponent's Energy token to the left by the same number.
• You cannot take more Energy from an opponent than they have. Instead, take all of the opponent's Energy.

Workshops and Mercenaries

Mercenaries are powerful neutral cards; owning them brings the Dictator closer to victory.

• At the start of the game, no Mercenary cards are in any army.
• When forming starting squads, you may place cards of any faction into them except Mercenaries.
• Proud and independent Mercenaries join only the side of the strongest. The only way to persuade a Mercenary to join an army is to storm one of the Workshops.
• Workshops are the headquarters of free orders, warehouses of secret weapons, bases of hunters and street samurai. Besides Mercenaries, other fighters and various secret cards may be found in Workshops.
• Workshop sectors are marked on the map with the Workshop symbol. At the start of the game, Workshop tokens lie on them.
• A sector with a Workshop token is impassable for squads.
• A Workshop can be stormed only by a squad whose token stands in an adjacent sector.
• In the normal game, the Strength of a Workshop is 3.
• On a successful storm, the winner removes the Workshop token from the field and replenishes their squad with a new card from the Combat Deck. Alternatively, if the winner prefers, or if the deck is exhausted, they may not take a Mercenary and instead increase their Energy supply by 1.
• On a failed storm, when the Workshop wins, the loser must damage a card in their squad, as after an ordinary battle.
• A sector without a Workshop token is an ordinary empty sector, and squads pass through it freely.

Tutorial Mission

The tutorial mission is a training scenario for two players. Play a battle between the cyborg squads of the Order of the New Templars and the bio-troops of the Symbiotic Synclit.

The battle follows the rules of the simplified simulation:

• there is no deck building;
• the composition of the squads is predetermined;
• the dice roll results and the action algorithm of the opponents are fixed in the program.

Once you have mastered the tutorial mission, you can move on to the unlimited simulation.

Starting data of the tutorial mission ("The First Clash"). Each side has nine cards of its own faction, forming three squads of three cards each.

Templar squads:

• First squad: Knechts, Komtur, Kerberos
• Second squad: Orion, Knight, WASP
• Third squad: Tholos, Perseus, Grenadier

Synclit squads:

• First squad: Argus, Rider, Hoplon
• Second squad: Shamir, Manta, Agitator
• Third squad: Infiltrator, Snail, Genomorph

Unlimited Simulation

The virtual simulator "Dictator-Control" offers two main game modes: the normal mode and the tournament mode.

• Compared with the tutorial mission, in both modes the player forms their own deck of fighters and determines the composition of their own squads.
• All details of the normal and additional modes are given at the end of the rules.
• For quick access to the unlimited simulation, go to page 18 of the original simulator help.

Setup

Initial Deployment

• Place the Workshop tokens face up in the corresponding sectors.
• Together with your opponent, lay out your squads near the edge of the field, back side down (faces up).
• In the tutorial mission, as in the normal game, your Energy is six units. Place your Energy token on the sixth division of the scale. Your opponent does the same.
• The recommended Energy supply for the normal game of two to four players is 6 units. Mission settings or agreement between the players may change this.
• Roll the die to determine who makes the first move.

Order of Play

• The order of play is determined by a single die roll at the start of the game. After that, the turn passes in turn from opponent to opponent.
• Under your control there are several squads (usually three). On your turn you may act with them in any order.
• When you have acted with all of your squads, the turn passes to your opponent.

Example of the first move. You roll a 6 and your opponent rolls a 4. Your result is higher, which means that, thanks to luck, you have seized the initiative, and the Templars make the first move of the game.

• Your fighters land in the green Start Zone and the Synclit takes up the yellow Start Zone. Place the tokens of your squads in the sectors of the green Zone.
• In the normal game, the player who moves first chooses their Start Zone. The other players take the free Zones.
• Advancing to the starting positions is complete, and it is time to act.

Turn

Squad and Card Actions

To determine what actions your squad can perform and when, look carefully at its cards. Under the pictures of the combat units you will see "tabs" with pictograms. These are the Action Phases. They set the sequence in which the card actions of your squad are performed.

• If a tab is highlighted by colour and size, you may apply the special action whose description is given under that tab.
• When you start acting with a squad, you must announce it aloud to the other players. Only after finishing its movements and attacks may you move on to the next squad. The squad you acted with is considered to have taken its turn.
• You may act with each of your squads once per turn. A squad that has taken its turn cannot act again until the next turn.
• Each card in a squad may perform any one of its actions only once in the designated phase, even if it has moved to another squad or to another player.
• A card's action is applied at the player's discretion, unless the description says "you must perform this action."
• Golden rule. If the text on a card contradicts these rules, the text on the card is always correct.

Maneuver Phase

The initial phase of a squad's actions is the Maneuver Phase. In this phase you act with the squad on the game field.

First standard maneuver: movement. You move the squad token into an adjacent free sector.

• You cannot move a squad into a sector occupied by another squad or by a Workshop token.
• The special actions of some cards allow a squad to move more than one sector. In that case the squad may pass through sectors with Workshops and through your own squads, but the final sector of the movement must always be free.
• Even when performing a special action, you cannot move a squad through a sector occupied by an enemy squad.
• If you have formed an alliance with another player, you may move through sectors occupied by that player's squads.
• In the Maneuver Phase you may perform a movement and the special actions of cards.

Second standard maneuver: exchange. You redistribute any number of cards between two of your own squads standing in adjacent sectors.

• You cannot make an exchange if at least one of the squads has already acted this turn.
• After an exchange, both squads are considered to have taken their turn. They can no longer perform maneuvers, special actions, or attack the opponent.

The highlighted tab of the Maneuver Phase indicates that you may apply the special action of a card. This may be accelerated movement, repair or healing; in general, any action of the squad on the game field.

• Performing maneuvers or special actions with each squad in the Maneuver Phase is not mandatory. You may leave the squad in place, i.e., pass its action.
• Or you may immediately attack an enemy located in an adjacent sector.

All further action phases of the squad relate to battle.

Example. The Templar player decides to force the clash. The player applies the standard maneuver and immediately the special action of WASP. Under the roar of turbojet engines, the squad token is moved first one sector and then two more sectors, and it stands next to the third squad of the Synclit. The Templar's Maneuver Phase is complete, and the opponent is within reach. Prepare for battle!

Battle

After your squad has completed or passed its Maneuver Phase, you may attack with it an enemy squad or a Workshop occupying an adjacent sector.

• In each battle phase, the cards of the attacker act first, and then the cards of the defending squad act. The player chooses the order in which their own cards act.

The battle consists of four phases, in this order: the Conditions Phase, the Strength Phase, the Clash Phase and the Damage Phase.

Conditions Phase

Cards acting in this phase establish additional rules that affect the rest of the battle.

• The attacking squad's cards act first. If the attacking squad has no card with a highlighted Conditions Phase tab, it skips this phase and passes the initiative to the opponent.

Example. The Templar squad attacks, so its cards act first. It has no card with a highlighted Conditions Phase tab, so it skips the phase and passes the initiative to the opponent. The Synclit leader calls on the help of the Snail. For applying this action, the leader moves the Energy token one division to the left. The dangerous consequences of the "Acid Eruption" will be felt in the next phase.

Strength Phase

In this phase, both sides add up the total Strength of the cards in their squads.

• The special actions of cards in this phase affect the total Strength of the squads.

Example. The "Acid Eruption" played by the opponent in the previous phase partly disables your infantry: Orion does not add his Strength to the squad in this battle. You add up the Strength of all the cards in your squad, and the opponent does the same. The Strength of your squad is WASP (1), Knight (1), Orion (0), total 2. The Strength of the opponent's squad is Infiltrator (1), Snail (2), Genomorph (1), total 4.

The attacking Templars apply the actions of their cards first. The Templar squad has a card that acts in the Strength Phase: the Knight, with the action "Forsage!" (Overdrive).

• Applying the Knight's action, you move the Energy token one division to the left. "Overdrive" increases the Strength of your squad by 2, so it now equals 4.
• The defending Synclit squad has no cards acting in the Strength Phase. The Strength of the opponent's squad does not change and remains 4.

Clash Phase

In this phase the winner of the battle is determined.

• Each side rolls a die and adds the rolled number to the Strength of its squad. At the end of the phase, the squad with the largest sum wins.

Example. You roll a 6. Together with the Strength of your squad (4), this gives you 10. Your opponent rolls a 4. Together with the Strength of their squad (4), this gives them 8.

• After the rolls, the cards with a highlighted Clash Phase tab act. They may spring an unexpected and unpleasant surprise on the opponent.
• In this example, you have no cards acting in the Clash Phase. The opponent decides to use the help of the bio-hacker Infiltrator. The player of the Synclit applies the "Biobugs" action of the Infiltrator and requires you to re-roll your die. (Thousands of tiny "bugs" produced by the Infiltrator penetrate the depths of your command complex, seeking to distort the processed information.)

Example (continued). You roll the die again, and this time you roll a 2. Together with the Strength of your squad (4), this gives you 6. The Synclit total is 8, which is more than 6. The Symbiote squad wins the clash.

• If the results are equal, it is a draw. There is no winner and no loser.

Damage Phase

At the beginning of this phase, the losing squad takes damage. The owner of the losing squad must choose and damage one card. The owner marks it by tilting it to the right.

• A damaged card serves as an indicator of the damage inflicted on the squad, without losing its properties. It still adds its Strength to the squad's result in the attack and performs its actions.
• You must choose one damaged card in your squad. In the example, you choose Orion and tilt this card to the right.
• A card cannot be damaged twice.

After a card in the losing squad has been damaged, special actions come next. In the Damage Phase, they concern losing squads and damaged cards.

• In this example, one of your cards acts in this phase: Orion, the sniper of the Order. By spending one unit of Energy, Orion performs "Aimed Shot."
• Out of a sense of just revenge you choose the Infiltrator, which cost you the defeat in battle, as the target. You remove the Infiltrator card to the Scrapheap.

Scrapheap. The Scrapheap is a separate stack of cards on the table into which a player puts the cards of their fallen fighters.

• Cards in the Scrapheap lie face down. Each player may, if they wish, look through the cards in any Scrapheap, their own or their opponent's.
• Card actions that affect the Scrapheap apply only to your own Scrapheap.
• A card taken from the Scrapheap by means of a special action joins the squad undamaged.

Example (continued). The Damage Phase could end here, but for the Genomorph, which dropped from an ambush on your Orion. Paralysing the fighter with stinging capsules, the Genomorph envelops Orion in its biomancy. The sniper's cells mutate rapidly under the influence of an evolutionary enzyme. The Genomorph's dead flesh falls away, and Orion becomes the "New Orion."

• The opponent takes the damaged Orion card and places it in their squad in place of the Genomorph card. The Genomorph card is removed to the Scrapheap.
• Now the opponent's squad has two cards: the damaged Orion and the undamaged Snail. Your squad also keeps two undamaged cards: the Knight and WASP.
• When cards move from squad to squad, the card remains damaged. A damaged card is restored by the special actions of other cards.
• Orion has already acted in this phase and, according to the rules, cannot perform "Aimed Shot" again. A card acts only once per phase, even if it has passed from one player to another. Fortunately for you, this saves your Knight.

Example (continued). This completes your first and most difficult battle. Your squad has passed all phases, from Maneuvers to Damage, and cannot act again in this turn. You still have two other squads.

Squad Destruction

• If all cards of a squad are damaged after the Damage Phase is completed, the squad has been destroyed. Immediately remove the token of the destroyed squad from the field and put all of its cards into the Scrapheap.
• If after a battle all cards are damaged both in your squad and in the opponent's squad, both squads are considered destroyed.
• All cards of a squad may also be damaged as a result of an exchange maneuver or of the special actions of cards during the Maneuver Phase. If this happens, such a squad is considered destroyed at the end of the Maneuver Phase.

Example: exchange. Since the Synclit has captured Orion, you must take measures to protect your infantry and armored infantry formations. With the first and third squads, which have not yet taken their turn, you perform the standard exchange maneuver. You swap the cards of Tholos and Kerberos: the armour of the striding tank will protect the Komtur and the Knechts from the rocket bullets of your former sniper. The squads that took part in the exchange can no longer act in this turn. You have now completed the actions of all three of your squads, and the turn passes to your opponent.

Storming a Workshop

A Workshop can be stormed by a squad standing in an adjacent sector. Storming a Workshop proceeds like an ordinary battle. The opponent rolls the die for the Workshop.

Example. Before going over to the counter-offensive, the Synclit leader decides to reinforce their troops. Their first squad, consisting of Argus, Rider and Hoplon, moves one sector and attacks the eighth Workshop. In the tutorial mission, as in the normal game, the Strength of a Workshop is 3.

• The total Strength of the first Synclit squad is 3. The "Control" action of the Rider allows adding a number equal to the Strength of any bio-vehicle in its squad, for example Argus. The squad's Strength increases by 1 and becomes 4.
• Your opponent rolls the die and gets 5. Together with the Strength of their squad (4), this gives them 9.
• You roll the die for the Workshop's guard and get 4. Together with the Strength of the Workshop (3), this gives 7.
• The advantage in Strength secures victory for the forces of the Universal Symbiosis. Your opponent removes the Workshop token from the field.
• Argus performs its action "Spy."

In the normal game, the winner draws the top card of the Combat Deck and attaches it to their squad. If they wish, or if the deck is empty, they may instead take one unit of Energy.

• If the storm fails and the Workshop's guard wins, the loser must damage one card in their squad.

Example (continued). Thanks to the timely action of Argus, the Synclit leader may choose a card from the top three cards of the Combat Deck. The three cards are Ghost, Minotaur and Myrmidon. The opponent selects the Minotaur.

• The Minotaur is a secret combat robot of the federal troops, and one of the strongest cards in the starter set.
• The number of cards in a squad must not exceed three. Therefore, if your squad already has three cards, you must put one of them into the Scrapheap. You place the new card in the freed place.
• The Synclit squad is now fully manned, so the opponent must put either the Minotaur or one card from their squad into the Scrapheap. The opponent puts the Argus card into the Scrapheap and places the Minotaur in its place.
• If, having taken a card from the Combat Deck, a player decides not to place it in the squad but to put it into the Scrapheap, they do not receive the unit of Energy.

The turn of the first Synclit squad ends here.

Combat Links

The actions of many cards complement one another, creating effective combat links.

• Combat links are not described in the rules. You must discover them yourself, and you may even give them names!

Example of one of the strongest Synclit links.

• Name: "Perpetual Motion"
• Cards: Minotaur, Hoplon
• Description: If the Minotaur is damaged, its owner receives one unit of Energy at the end of the battle. If all cards in the squad are damaged, the owner spends this Energy to restore the Hoplon card. Thus, a squad with "Perpetual Motion" cannot be destroyed without the use of another combat link.

Example (continued). The second Synclit squad, consisting of Shamir, Manta and Agitator, applies the action of Shamir, moves into the sector next to the first Workshop and attacks it. The total Strength of the squad is 4, and the card actions of the squad's cards cannot increase it. The opponent rolls a 3, which together with the Strength of their squad (4) gives 7. You roll a 3, which together with the Strength of the Workshop (3) gives 6. The Symbiotes win the clash again.

• This time your opponent decides not to take a card from the Combat Deck, preferring to receive an additional unit of Energy. They remove the Workshop token from the field and move their Energy token one division to the right.

Victory Conditions

• In the normal game, the winner is the player who destroys all of the opponents' squads, or who stands for thirteen turns in a row in the central sector of the field.

End of the Tutorial Mission

The tutorial mission is complete. You may play out the battle of your squads to the end, or move on to the next section of the simulator.

• The simulator's additional modules, sold in shops, contain new cards, rule extensions and missions that tell the story of the war for the City.

Standard Game

The standard mode is intended to prepare future Dictators for uncompromising tournament clashes. It is distinguished by fewer formalities and a smaller required number of cards in the Combat Deck.

• Assemble the cards you like into your own Combat Deck. It must contain at least twenty-five cards of any factions, including Mercenaries. The maximum size of your Combat Deck is fifty-four cards.
• If you want to play with a friend using only the cards of the "Hot Start" set, the best way to divide the Mercenaries between you is as follows:
  • put all the Mercenary cards into one pile;
  • remove one random Mercenary card;
  • draw cards in turn until each of you has six in hand.
• At the start of the game, determine the order of play by rolling the die. The player who moves first chooses their Start Zone. The other players take the free Zones.
• Choose nine cards from your Combat Deck, except Mercenaries, which cannot be part of starting squads. Winning the right to add them to your army requires a fight.
• Form three squads of three cards from the nine cards and lay the cards out along your edge of the field. Shuffle the rest of your Combat Deck and set it aside; you will need it later.
• Place the tokens of your squads in the sectors of your Start Zone and place the Workshop tokens in the Workshop sectors.
• Place your Energy token on the sixth division of the Energy Scale.

Goal of the game: destroy all of the opponents' squads or, if an opponent avoids direct clash, stand for thirteen turns in a row in the central sector of the field.

Extended Modes

To vary the game, you may activate the additional modes of the simulator. They may be used together or separately.

Fog of War

This mode is intended for experienced players who want to add elements of realism and the surprise of an urban clash.

• When forming your squads, do not show them to your opponent; lay the cards face down. During the game, reveal only the cards whose actions you apply (for example, cards that accelerate a squad's movement).
• When storming a Workshop, the Strength of each of your face-down cards equals one. If this result does not suit you, reveal one or more cards for the duration of the battle, and then turn them face down again.
• When taking a card from the Combat Deck, do not show it to your opponent.
• During a battle with an opponent, reveal the cards of the fighting squad, carry out the battle, and then turn the cards face down again.

Reserve

A mode for long games with active use of the Combat Deck.

• If your squad has been destroyed, form it anew. On your next turn, take any three cards from the Combat Deck and place the squad token in your Start Zone.
• If all sectors of the Start Zone are occupied, you lose the right to use the Reserve.
• The player who has exhausted the Combat Deck and lost all of their squads is defeated.

Reinforcement

Another mode for long games. In this mode, squads gain an additional standard maneuver: Reinforcement.

• If your squad has not taken its turn and its token is in the Start Zone, you may, at your discretion, remove any number of cards from the squad to the Scrapheap and take the required number of random cards from the Combat Deck into the freed places.
• If during reinforcement you drew a Mercenary card, return it to the deck.
• Reinforcement does not allow Mercenaries to be recruited into squads.
• For each card taken from the Combat Deck, you must spend one unit of Energy.
• After reinforcement, the squad is considered to have taken its turn.

Architect

A mode for long games that increases the factor of surprise.

• After the last Workshop token has been removed from the field, each player at the start of their turn must roll two dice and add the rolled numbers together. The resulting number indicates the number of the Workshop sector.
• If the sector with this number is free, a Workshop token is placed in it. If the sector with this number is occupied, nothing happens.
• After the roll, the player continues their turn by the normal rules.

Once you have mastered the normal mode, you may begin to play by the tournament rules.

Tournament Mode

Tournament games take place in clubs or in specially designated rooms. A certified judge must be present at a tournament. The judge's task is to monitor compliance with the rules, keep the tournament table, and enter the results of the tournament into the global Rating.

• The Rating is a table of registered players. It records all of a player's wins and losses, the tournaments in which they took part, and their Status.
• Registered players who take part in official tournaments receive valuable prizes and learn of all news about the game first, through a special mailing list. When limited print runs of cards are released, they have priority in purchasing them. A discount system applies to them.
• Online registration and the Rating itself are on the official website of the game, WWW.DICTATORCONTROL.RU. The same site has all the details of the judging procedure, tournament news and the latest amendments to the rules.

Forming the Combat Deck

• You come to a tournament with your own Combat Deck, which you assemble yourself from the cards of the starter set and the expansion modules.
• The Combat Deck must contain a minimum of thirty-two and a maximum of fifty-four cards of any factions, including Mercenaries.
• According to the Clone Convention of 2027, the following limits apply to identical cards in a deck:
  • the same card, if it is not a Mercenary card, may appear in the Combat Deck no more than four times;
  • the same Mercenary card may appear in the Combat Deck no more than two times.
• Before the start of a tournament game, you must hand the judge your Battle List: the list of all the cards in your Combat Deck. A convenient form for filling in your own Battle List can be downloaded from the official website.

Determining the Order of Play

• Roll the die together with your opponents.
• The player with the highest result chooses a Start Zone. This player also moves first. The turn then passes clockwise.
• The player with the next lower result must take the next Zone clockwise, and so on.

Example. Four players take part in a tournament game: Alena, Andrey, Stepan and Svetlana. They roll the dice. Alena rolls 5, Andrey rolls 1, Stepan rolls 3, and Svetlana rolls 4.

• Alena will move first, and she chooses her Start Zone. Counting on fast movement across the Ground, Alena chooses the green Zone.
• Svetlana, who rolled one less than Alena, must take the next Zone clockwise. This is the red Zone.
• Stepan takes the blue Zone.
• Accordingly, Andrey gets the yellow Zone in this game.

The players sit down at the table according to the colours of the plates on the sides of the field, and they are ready to begin assembling their squads.

Forming the Squads

• The players have three minutes to choose nine cards from their Combat Deck and form three squads from them. The judge times this on a stopwatch.
• To form squads, you may use any cards from your Combat Deck except Mercenaries.
• The total Cost of the cards in your squads may not exceed 15.
• Lay out the three squads, three cards each, face down (back side up) along your edge of the field. Your opponents do the same.
• Place the tokens of your squads in the sectors of your Start Zone.
• After the judge's signal, the players turn their squad cards face up (back side down). While the players make their final preparations, the judge totals the Cost of the cards.

Before the Start

• Together with your opponents, place the Workshop tokens in the designated sectors.
• Shuffle your Combat Deck, let the judge cut it, and place it beside you.
• After a successful storm of a Workshop, you take the top card of your Combat Deck. If the action of any card instructs you to take a card from the Combat Deck, you do the same.
• During the game you have no right to look at or rearrange the cards in your Combat Deck.
• Place your Energy token on the sixth division of the Energy Scale.
• Special tournament rules may change the starting supply of Energy, the provisions of the Clone Convention, the limits on the number of cards in the Combat Deck, and the limit on the Cost of cards in squads.

Goal of the Game

• The winner of the game is the player who destroys all of the opponents' squads or who stands for thirteen turns in a row in the central sector of the field.
• The winner moves one step up in the tournament table and advances to the next round.

Thirteen Rules of Combat Etiquette

1. Remember that everything that happens at the table is a game.
2. Do not take the game too seriously; stay composed and polite. This will not only confirm your reputation in the eyes of your opponents, but will also help you observe them better.
3. "The long road to victory begins with a tiny step," the ancients teach us. Begin your path with a handshake, which you exchange with the judge and your opponents.
4. Wish your opponent luck, and luck will not pass you by.
5. Play openly; be ashamed to cheat and to peek.
6. If you suspect another player of cheating, behave calmly. Take the judge aside and state your opinion. If you accuse your opponent to their face, you may turn out to be wrong. Your relations with them, and other players' opinion of you, will be spoiled.
7. Do not start disputes at the table. You came to play, not to argue. The same applies to doubts about how other players or the judge interpret the rules. Postpone all questions until the end of the game.
8. To prove your point, use not emotions but the text of the rules. If you present convincing arguments, the judge will order a replay.
9. During the game, announce your actions and the numbers rolled on your die loudly and clearly. This way you will avoid claims against you and save time.
10. Do not forget courtesy. If you want to look at the cards in your opponent's Scrapheap, ask for permission. The rules allow you to look, but those cards belong to another person. It will be pleasant for them that you remember this.
11. Be restrained before, during and especially after the game. When you win, rejoice in silence. When you lose, hide your disappointment. "His heart is made of stone and his soul of steel," they will say of you.
12. At the end of the game, shake hands again with the judge and your opponents and thank them. All of you have a chance to meet outside the game table. Respect is the guarantee of good relations.
13. Remember that both in the game and in life, it will serve you well to be noble, to show restraint, and to win with dignity.