G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game
G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 117 Player Cards
- 24 Cobra Cards
- 24 Complication Cards
- 36 Mission Cards
- 1 Threat Meter & 4 Threat Markers
- Mission Success/Failure Tokens
- 1 Reserve Tile
- 1 Hangar Tile
- 1 End of Round Token
- 8 Dice
- 4 Player Aid Cards
- 6 Expert Mode Cards
Goal
Your Team Wins:
- If you defeat the final Story Mission.
Your Team Loses:
- If the Threat Marker reaches the top space of the Threat Meter.
- Cobra Battalions cover 5 cards in the line-up and you must add a 6th.
- If the main deck runs out.
Basic Setup
Below are the setup and rules for 3 & 4 player games. For 2-player and SOLO-specific setup and rules, see the 2-Player & Solo Rules section.
JOES Setup
Players start with one special Leader card and a team of rookie G.I.s in their starting deck. Most cards you play generate "Recruit" points you will use to buy new cards and improve your deck. You can Recruit new cards from the line-up by paying the cost number in the upper left corner. Over the course of the game, you will recruit new Joes and other helpful cards from a line-up of available cards and add them to your deck. As you add cards to your deck, you'll use them to take on Missions to defeat Cobra villains and thwart their schemes.
Shuffle the 6 Starter Leader cards and give 1 to each player at random. Then, take the Promoted Leader card that matches your Starter Leader and place it face-up near your player aid card. Your Promoted Leader is not part of your starting deck, but may come into play later. Return any unused Leader cards to the game box.
Each player collects a starting deck composed of 9 Starter cards (6 G.I.s, 1 Comms, 1 Defuse, 1 Second Effort). Add your Starter Leader to these 9 cards to form your 10-card starting deck. Each player should also take a player aid card to place in front of them for quick reference.
Shuffle your 10-card deck and draw 5 cards to form your starting hand. Leave space to the right of your deck to form a discard pile during the game.
Place the Hangar in play in reach of all players. Place the Starter Transport VAMP in the Hangar.
Shuffle the main deck and place 6 cards from it face-up into the line-up as shown. Leave space to the right of the main deck to form a main deck discard pile. Cards discarded from the line-up are placed there.
COBRA Setup
Flip the Threat Meter to the side with the matching player count (1/2 players or 3/4 players). Place the Threat Marker on the starting space at the bottom of the Threat Meter.
Separate the Complication cards into three Acts (10 Act I, 8 Act II, 6 Act III). Create the Complication deck by shuffling only the 10 ACT I cards and place it face down near the Threat Meter. Act II & Act III Complications should be kept nearby and will be added later when Act II and Act III begin.
Place the SUCCESS and FAILURE tokens nearby with space for Story Missions as they are completed.
Place the Cobra Troopers, Cobra Battalions, and Cobra Officers in separate face-up stacks nearby.
Randomly determine a starting player and place the End of Round Token to their right with the text side up. This token reminds you when a round is completed and you must perform all End of Round effects.
There are 6 Expert Mode cards included in the game. If this is your first game, simply return them to the box. When you are ready for an extra challenge, see the Expert Mode section for details on how to add them to your game.
CHOOSE YOUR STORY
The G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game includes two different Story Missions: The M.A.S.S. Device and Dr. Mindbender's Operation: Total Control. Choose which Story you would like to play and collect all 18 Story Mission cards for the chosen Story.
For your first game, we recommend playing The M.A.S.S. Device.
STORY MISSION SETUP
The Story Mission deck is separated into 3 Acts. Each act consists of 2 randomly drawn Story Missions and 1 Finale card (with a gold border). If this is your very first game, see the "Practice Game" sidebar below.
Start by placing the 3 Finale cards (gold) face up and nearby. Then, shuffle the 5 Act I cards and randomly place 2 of them face down to start the Story Mission stack. Take the Act I Finale and place it face-down on TOP of those 2 cards. Return the remaining 3 Act I cards to the box. Repeat this process with the Act II cards, randomly placing 2 Act II cards face down on top of the stack started by Act I. When 2 Act II cards are on the stack, you can add the Act II Finale face down on top of the stack. Repeat this process with Act III cards until the Story Mission stack has 9 cards in it comprising 3 Acts, and 1 Finale per Act for a total of 6 Missions.
Finally, flip this stack of 9 cards face up so that the 1st Mission in Act I is face-up and you are ready to play. As cards from this stack are put into play (into the Mission area), you will be able to see the next Mission on the stack (but not the cards under that). Use this advance knowledge to gather the Skills and cards you will need to overcome these future challenges.
Practice Game
If this is your first time playing and you would like a shorter and easier experience to help you become familiar with the rules, you can try a practice game. When creating the Story Mission deck as explained above, include only 1 random Mission from each Act instead of 2. This will give you 1 random Mission and 1 Finale per Act for a total of 6 Missions. If you beat the final Mission, you win and are ready for a full 9 Mission game!
How to Play
The game is played over multiple rounds. The starting player begins by taking their turn. Once their turn is over, the next player in clockwise order takes their turn. A round ends after every player has had 1 full turn. At that time, all End of Round effects are resolved and the next round begins (this is noted on the End of Round Token). Play continues in this way until the players collectively win or lose (see Goal).
Open Comms
You are encouraged and allowed to communicate with the other players during the game. You can talk about the cards that are in your hand and help newer players learn the rules. You're in this together and the best players know how to strategize as a team!
Starting Round
The Threat Marker starts each game in the Blue Zone at the bottom of the Threat Meter. The players have 1 round at the start of the game to Recruit cards from the line-up before the first Mission card enters play.
At the end of the Starting Round (when you reach the End of Round token), you will advance the Threat Marker 1 space on the Threat Meter (as described on the End of Round token). Then, at the beginning of the next player's turn, put the first Story Mission card into play as normal. After the Starting Round, the Threat Meter can never move back to the Blue zone and can only return as far as the 1st space in Green.
Player Turn Sequence
Start Phase
- Refill Story Mission (if there isn't one)
- Resolve "Start of Turn" effects.
Action Phase (in order)
- Missions
- Recruit
End Phase
- Story Mission effects, Cobra and Side Mission effects.
- Discard your hand and any cards you control (other than Side Missions), then draw back to 5 cards.
Start Phase
At the start of your turn, you will follow these two steps in the order listed. No cards can be played during this Phase.
1. Refill Story Mission
Check to see if a Story Mission is in play. If there is, skip this step. If there isn't, put the top card of the Story Mission stack into play in view of all players and resolve any immediate effects listed on the card. (Note: In the Starting Round of the game, this step is skipped.)
If there is a complication icon on the Story Mission card, you must draw a number of Complication cards equal to the value shown and place them face-down next to the Story Mission.
2. Start of Turn Effects
Then, resolve any Start of Turn effects that are in play. If there are multiple effects to resolve, Story Mission effects are resolved first, followed by any Cobra card effects, and finally any Joe effects. If multiple effects take place at the same time, you choose the order in which the effects occur.
Action Phase
The Action Phase consists of two steps which must be performed in order: Missions and Recruit. During the Action Phase, you will play cards from your hand for their special effects and to go on Missions. After you have finished all of the Mission attempts you wish to undertake, you may play any additional cards remaining in your hand. Recruit new cards from the line-up using the total Recruit value of all the cards you have played during your turn. You may decline to start any Missions and simply recruit during your turn if you wish.
When you play a card, place it face-up in front of you. If it has an ability, that ability goes into effect immediately.
When you play a Joe, you may assign them to a Mission. You must assign at least 1 Joe on your turn to start a Mission. Joe's can even be played on another player's turn during a Group Mission if the active player starts such a Mission. A Joe's ability text affects the current Mission only.
Card Types
JOES: To take down Cobra, you're going to need to recruit an elite squad of Joes with unique tactical expertise. Each Joe card represents a classic G.I. Joe character with specialized Skills and abilities that you can add to your arsenal. While you begin with a set of standard G.I. cards and a single Leader, as the game continues you'll be able to add new Joes to your deck to take on increasingly difficult missions.
Joe card anatomy: Cost to Recruit, Card Name, Card Type, Recruit Value, Skills.
UTILITY/GEAR/BASIC: Utility cards represent the inspirational fighting spirit of the G.I. Joes, whereas Gear cards represent the specialized equipment used by the Joes to dismantle Cobra's operations. Basic cards represent standard issue weapons and tactics. These cards are played to increase your Joes' combat effectiveness during Missions and for their specialized bonuses during your turn. Utility, Gear, and Basic cards are functionally identical.
Utility/Gear/Basic card anatomy: Cost to Recruit, Card Name, Card Type, Recruit Value, Mission Icon, Ability Text.
If a card of this type has a Mission icon symbol, it can be played at any time during a Mission as long as you have at least 1 Joe assigned to that Mission, even and especially after rolling dice. If it does not have that symbol, it can only be played on your own turn. However, you are free to play it for its effect at any time during your Action Phase, just not while a Mission is already underway.
TRANSPORT: Transports represent the iconic vehicles deployed by the G.I. Joes to thwart Cobra's plan across the globe. These especially capable machines can offer the Joes additional bonuses when used on a Mission that matches their Terrain type, and each list a maximum number of Joes that they can carry to a Mission.
Transport card anatomy: Cost to Recruit, Card Name, Card Type, Capacity, Transport Type, Mission Type Bonus (When using this Transport), Ability Text no matter the Mission type.
Every time you go on a Mission, you'll need to choose 1 Transport from the Hangar to use. Transports have a Capacity number inside the Capacity icon that shows the maximum number of Joes in total that can be used on the Mission.
The VAMP starts each game in the Hangar and is the default Transport for any Mission unless another Transport is chosen. It is always returned to the Hangar at the end of each Mission, so it may be used over and over, even during the same turn.
LAND, AIR, SEA: Any type of Transport can be used for any Mission, regardless of the Terrain type listed. However, if you match the Transport's Terrain with the Mission's Terrain, you unlock the special ability on your Transport for that Mission. This is listed at the bottom of each Transport card next to the Terrain type.
Example: Since your Transport features an Air icon that matches your Side Mission, you'll get a +3 Wild Skill to add to your Joes.
Repair/Refuel
When a Mission is over, the Transport you used (other than the VAMP) immediately goes into the discard pile of the player that started the Mission. This represents the time it takes to get the Transport ready for active duty again. It will be shuffled into your deck like any other card. When a Transport is in your hand, you must return it to the Hangar at the start of your Action Phase. Transports cannot be played from your hand during another player's turn.
Missions
Mission card anatomy: Mission Name, Mission Type/Act, Mission Description, Terrain Type, Face down Complications, Ongoing Effects, Difficulty Number, Success Bonus, Failure Penalty, Skill Type.
There are 2 types of Missions: Group Missions (which include Story Missions and Cobra Officers) and Side Missions (Precision Strikes, Cobra Battalions, and Cobra Troopers). A Group Mission is started by the active player and all players may join it. A Side Mission can only be started and joined by the active player. Each Mission has a Difficulty number and lists up to 2 Skills. The Difficulty is the number of Hits the Joes on the Mission must roll to succeed against that Mission. If a Joe has Skill(s) that match the Skill(s) on a Mission card, look at the number next to the Skill: A Joe provides that many dice to the Mission. However, ALL Joes can forgo their printed Skills (if any) to instead provide 1 WILD Skill to a Mission. A G.I. may do this even though it has no printed Skills.
Example: a "3 Tracker" Skill grants 3 dice against a Mission requiring Tracker.
WILD SKILL
A WILD Skill can be used during a Mission requiring any Skill type. For each WILD Skill used, add 1 die to the Mission.
Even if a Joe's listed Skills do not match the Mission, they can always ignore those Skills to instead add 1 WILD Skill (which matches all Skills).
When a card adds WILD Skill to a Mission, add those dice to the collective pool before rolling against the Mission. Some cards can add WILD Skill to a Mission after the roll, in which case you will roll and add those dice to the dice already rolled.
AND / OR / ANY 1 SKILL
- If a Mission lists 2 Skills with an & between them then both Skills are useful on the Mission. Joes with Skills that match one or both of those two Skills (or WILD) add those dice.
- If a Mission lists 2 Skills with an OR between them, the active player must choose only 1 of those Skills and all Joes with that Skill (or WILD) add those dice (the other Skill is not used).
- If a Mission lists "ANY 1 SKILL," the active player must choose which single Skill of their choice is being used for the Mission (all other Skills except WILD do not add dice to the total).
Group Mission Sequence
1. Announce the Group Mission you would like to start. A Mission begins when you play at least 1 Joe from your hand and 1 Transport from the Hangar. Play them both face-up in front of you. The Joe you choose is now "starting the Mission."
You and the other players may then add additional Joes to the Mission, as long as the total number of Joes on the Mission does not exceed the Transport's capacity. It's important to communicate with your teammates, as only players with at least 1 Joe on the Mission can play Mission-icon cards to affect the outcome. Each player may add any number of Joes to the Mission, as long as there is room in the Transport. Keep your cards in your own play area, so they don't get mixed with other players' cards.
The team of Joes and the single Transport chosen for a Mission must be assigned before moving to the next step in the Mission sequence. However, until then you may switch Joes, Transports, and even the Mission and the Skill the group will use (if there are 2 options). Talk to your teammates! They might have Skills that you don't have, so even if a Group Mission seems hopeless, their cards might make the difference. Players should talk about their cards before playing them. The active player has the final say on all decisions.
The VAMP can always be chosen as it will immediately return to the Hangar after every Mission. Other Transports are normally discarded after use and won't be available again until they are drawn later.
2. If there are any Complications assigned to that Mission, they are resolved at this time. First, flip over all face-down Complications, then resolve all Complications in the order of your choosing. If you have any effects that target Complications, use them before resolving or placing any Complications. (See "Complication Cards" below.)
3. If there is a Skill choice to be made, make that now. Determine your team's total SKILL and roll that many dice. Count up all your Hits (stars on the dice).
Before determining whether you Succeed or Fail, be sure to play any cards with the Mission icon you want to use and double-check your Transport for any bonuses. This can sometimes make a big difference.
Dice Distribution: Each die has three sides with no Hits, two sides with 1 Hit, and a single side with 2 Hits. Dice are meant to be infinite. If you need to roll more than the number of dice included in the game, simply re-roll some misses. In the rare instance that you need more than 8 Hits, count your current Hits and then roll additional dice as needed.
SUCCESS: If your total Hits matches or exceeds the Difficulty number on the Mission, it is a Success! If it is a Story Mission, gain the bonus for Success and place the Mission card under the blue SUCCESS token. If it is a Cobra Officer, return it to the supply.
FAILURE: If your total Hits is lower than the Difficulty number on the Mission, it is a Failure! If it is a Story Mission, suffer the penalty for Failure and place the Mission card under the red FAILURE token. If it is a Cobra Officer it remains in play.
The Mission-icon Symbol
This symbol indicates that the card effect can be played during a Mission. At any time during a Mission, even and especially after the dice have been rolled, any player who has at least 1 Joe on the Mission may play any number of Utility, Gear, Starter, or Basic cards with that symbol.
It is ALWAYS best to wait until after the dice roll before using an effect that manipulates the dice results in any way. If you get a lucky roll, you may not have to play any Mission-icon cards. Of course, you can always choose to play a card for its ability if it's in your best interest, even if you have already exceeded the difficulty.
Joe cards MUST be assigned to the Mission to use their abilities/Skills and CANNOT be played from your hand during a Mission after the Complications are revealed or the dice have been rolled.
Example Mission: Nicole decides to start the "Secure the Rare Liquid Element" Story Mission. She plays Torpedo to start the Mission and chooses the VAMP (removing it from the Hangar) as the Transport so there is room for other Joes. Since a Story Mission is a Group Mission, she asks the other players at the table if they would like to join and notes that this Mission uses the Martial Arts Skill. Elijah plays Jinx to add to the Mission since she has 4 Martial Arts. Amelia doesn't have anything that matches the Skill, but decides to play Low-Light from her hand anyway, because she has a Gear card that may help. The other players choose not to add any more Joes, so Nicole decides to add 1 G.I. to fill up the VAMP. Nicole could choose another Transport now if she wanted to, but determines that the VAMP is still a good choice.
Nicole checks the Story Mission, but it lists no Complications, and there are no Complications cards to flip. However, a face-up Complication from a previous turn is attached to the Story Mission and will need to be resolved. "Nobody Ever Knocks" prevents any player on the Mission from playing a Utility card. They will have to keep this in mind as the Mission continues.
Nicole counts up the total number of dice they will roll. Torpedo adds 3 dice because of his matching Martial Arts Skill, but they are not using a Sea Transport so his ability text does not activate. Jinx adds 4 more dice of Martial Arts. Low-Light doesn't have the matching Skill, but like every Joe, he can always add 1 WILD Skill to any Mission, so he adds 1 more die. Since the Threat Marker is in the Red on the Threat Meter, his special ability text does not apply. Finally, the G.I. offers 1 more die. (3+4+1+1=9) Nicole will need to roll 9 dice, trying to meet or exceed 6 Hits.
She collects all 8 dice and rolls them. Then, since she still needs to roll a 9th die, she collects a single miss and rolls it for a total of 9 dice. Oh no, only 5 Hits!
Nicole plays a Second Effort from her hand. It allows her to re-roll 1 die. She re-rolls it, but no luck: they still have only 5 Hits.
Amelia reminds everyone of her Gear card: a Sniper Rifle. This allows them to roll 2 additional dice for a Mission. Since it is a Gear card and not Utility, it is unaffected by the "Nobody Ever Knocks" Complication. Nicole retrieves 2 dice showing blank sides and rolls them, getting 2 more Hits! That's 7 Hits total and the Mission is a SUCCESS!
Because the Mission was a success, they move the Threat Marker down 2 spaces on the Threat Meter as indicated in the Success area of the Story Mission card. And it looks like their activities have attracted the attention of Baroness, whom they immediately put into play near the Story Mission area. Then, they place the Story Mission under the blue SUCCESS token.
Amelia discards Low-Light to her discard pile. However, Elijah notes Jinx's ability to return to his hand after a Story Mission is complete and puts Jinx back into his hand. Nicole puts Torpedo above her discard pile: since he was played for a Mission, he cannot be used for any other Mission this turn. Then, even though the G.I. could offer her 1 Recruit, she decides to use its ability text instead to destroy it after a successful Mission. She puts the G.I. card back into the game box, improving the efficiency of her deck.
Finally, Nicole returns the VAMP to the Hangar and continues her turn. She can attempt another Mission if she has more Joes in hand (and there's a Mission). Or she can just play the rest of her cards, add up all of the Recruit values (including Torpedo's 3), and buy cards from the line-up.
End of a Mission
After a Mission is complete, the active player's Joe cards and any other cards they played either before or during the Mission remain in play, but should be moved to the side of their playing area until they are ready for the Recruit step of their Action Phase. All of your teammate's cards used during the Mission are discarded to their own discard piles immediately. If the Transport used was the VAMP, put it back into the Hangar. If any other Transport was used, put it into your discard pile. When you draw it later, you will put it back into the Hangar.
Only 1 Mission per Joe
Joes are only played when assigning them to a Mission and can only be part of 1 mission per turn. If you wish to perform additional Missions, leave the Joes you want for those Missions in your hand until the current Mission is over. Once that Mission is complete, your current Joes cannot be assigned to another Mission that same turn, but they still contribute their Recruit value. If you are the active player, move them to the side of your playing area if you intend to start any additional Missions this turn. You may re-run a failed Mission if you wish that same turn, but with a new set of Joes.
COBRA OFFICERS
When a Complication or Story Mission calls for a Cobra Officer to enter the game, put their card next to the line-up near the Story Mission: Their abilities will sometimes affect the Story Mission. When a Cobra Officer is defeated, return it to the Officer stack with the others.
Cobra Officer card anatomy: Cobra Card, Card Name, Card Type, Difficulty, Skills needed to defeat her, Ability Text.
SIDE MISSION - Active player ONLY
The difference between a Group Mission and a Side Mission is that only the active player can send Joes on a Side Mission. Their teammates cannot add Joes to aid them in these Missions. Otherwise, resolving a Side Mission follows the same steps as a Group Mission.
If you fail a Side Mission, the card remains in play. If you succeed, return Troopers and Battalions to their respective stacks. Place defeated Complications into a face-up discard pile next to the Complication deck (for more information on Side Missions, see "Side Missions" below).
Recruit
After you have attempted all of the Missions you wish to attempt during your turn, you may then play any remaining cards from your hand for their Recruit value or other effects that apply during this Phase.
The number in the Recruit star is the Recruit value the card provides when you play it. Add up your total Recruit value from all cards you have in play (including any cards you played during Missions). This is your "purchasing power" for the turn.
The cost to Recruit a card is the number in the recruit-cost icon. To Recruit a card from the line-up, you must spend Recruit from your total equal to the cost of the card you wish to Recruit. Then, take that card from the line-up or Service Rifle stack put it on TOP of your deck. (Be sure to put it on TOP of your deck as this guarantees you will have the card available to use during your next turn or a teammate's turn.)
After recruiting a card from the line-up, immediately replace it with the top card from the main deck.
You may Recruit more than one card during your turn if you have enough Recruit value to pay for all of them. Any Recruit value you do not use is lost at the end of your turn.
Recruiting Transports
If you Recruit a Transport, put it directly in the Hangar for use by any player.
PROMOTING YOUR LEADER
Your Starter Leader also has a Promoted version (placed nearby during setup). During the Recruit part of the Action Phase you may Promote your Leader to their more powerful version.
Your Starter Leader may only be promoted if it's in play. Spend 6 Recruit and destroy (return to the box) your Starter Leader card. You may use your starting Leader's Recruit value as part of this payment. Then, gain your Promoted Leader card and put it on top of your deck as usual.
End Phase
Once you have finished playing cards and Recruiting new cards, your Action Phase ends and the End Phase begins. Follow the steps listed here in order. No cards can be played during this Phase.
- Resolve all End of Turn effects. If there are multiple effects to resolve, Story Mission effects are resolved first, followed by any Cobra card effects (including Side Missions), and then any End of Turn effects listed on the Threat Meter. If multiple effects take place at the same time, you choose the order in which the effects resolve.
- Discard your hand and all the cards you have played this turn. Then, draw back up to 5 cards.
Note: If it is not defeated, a Precision Strike you have gained from a Complication remains in play. A Cobra Trooper is discarded into your discard pile.
Reshuffle Rule
When you need to draw, reveal, or discard the top card of your deck but your deck is empty, shuffle all of the cards in your discard pile to create a new deck. Then, continue drawing cards. This rule also applies to the Complication deck.
END OF ROUND
Once all players have completed 1 turn, the round is over. This is denoted by the End of Round Token placed to the right of the Starting Player. At this time, resolve the End of Round effects in the order listed on the End of Round Token. This will ALWAYS result in the Threat Meter moving up 1 space, but there may be other effects as well. End of Round occurs between player turns.
- Resolve End of Round effects in this order: a. Story Mission End of Round effects b. Cobra Operative End of Round effects c. Any effects on the Threat Meter.
- Move the Threat Marker up 1 space on the Threat Meter.
END OF ACT
When the Finale Story Mission of an Act is completed (gold border), a new Act will begin at the start of the next player's turn. After the first Story Mission of a new Act is placed, take the Complication discard pile and all Complication cards for the next Act and shuffle them into the main Complication deck. This means that the Complication deck will be renewed and upgraded with a mixture of cards from previous Acts and the current Act.
Symbol GUIDE on Threat Meter
The Threat Meter is separated into 4 different colored zones (Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red). When the marker is on a space within one of these zones, the effect listed in that zone is active and you must suffer its effects at the indicated time. Below are the four effects found on the Threat Meter.
- Starting Round Only: The Threat Marker will only ever occupy this space during the very first round of the game.
- CB Add a Cobra Battalion to the leftmost uncovered card in the line-up.
- + Complication icon Draw and immediately resolve a Complication card.
- Move icon Move the Threat Marker up 1 space on the Threat Meter.
- The Yellow section of the 3/4 Player Threat Meter has a "+ Complication" symbol. At the End of Round, if the Threat Marker is in that zone, you must draw 1 card from the Complication deck and resolve it immediately.
- If a card effect tells you to draw a Complication, you must draw 1 card from the Complication deck and resolve it immediately.
MISC RULES
COMPLICATION CARDS
Complications are cards that cause various negative effects to occur when they are revealed. Different situations can require you to draw Complications, including:
- Most Story Missions have a red rectangle with a number in it. This is the number of Complications that you must put face down next to that Story Mission when it is put into play. They are only revealed when you attempt the Story Mission (see "Group Mission Sequence" above).
Many Complications have text reading "STORY MISSION." Place any card with this text face up next to the current Story Mission. When you attempt the Story Mission, this card's ability will go into effect along with any other Complications next to the Story Mission.
Most Complications are straight-forward: they either have an effect that occurs immediately and is then discarded, or they are attached to the Story Mission and go into effect when the current Story Mission is attempted. Precision Strike Side Missions are a little different.
SIDE MISSIONS
There are 2 types of Side Missions: Precision Strikes and Cobra Operatives (Cobra Troopers & Battalions). Side Missions can only be attempted by the active player and cannot be joined by any of their teammates, unless a card says otherwise.
Precision Strikes
When a Precision Strike Complication is revealed, it must be assigned to 1 player. A Precision Strike can be assigned to ANY player regardless of when it is revealed, and the players should communicate as to who would be best able to handle it. When a player accepts the challenge, put the Precision Strike in their playing area face-up and under their control. Its effects and abilities only activate during that player's turn.
NOTE: A player may not control more than 2 Precision Strikes at a time. A player with 2 Precision Strikes cannot choose to take another, so it must be assigned to a different player instead. If all players already control 2 Precision Strikes, discard any additional revealed Precision Strikes and do not draw new Complications to replace them.
You may only attempt a Mission against a Precision Strike you control during your turn. If your Mission against it is a success, put it into a face-up discard pile near the Complication deck. If you fail, it remains in play.
If a Precision Strike has an effect that would cause you to fail a Story Mission, place the failed Story Mission under the FAILURE token when the Precision Strike effect resolves. However, ALL Complications that were attached to the Failed Story Mission remain in play and are added to the next revealed Story Mission. Do not reveal them at this time.
Cobra Troopers and Cobra Battalions
Battalions cover cards in the line-up, preventing players from Recruiting the cards underneath them. A covered card cannot be interacted with in any way. When a Battalion enters play, always place it on the leftmost uncovered card in the line-up, unless a card (like Major Bludd) says otherwise. There can never be more than 1 Battalion covering a card in the line-up.
Battalions are returned to the Battalion stack when defeated and the card beneath it becomes uncovered (and available to Recruit) immediately. It's important to manage their numbers because if there are ever 5 Battalions in the line-up and a 6th needs to be placed, the game ends immediately and the Joes lose!
Troopers are put in your discard pile when you gain them. When you draw them later, you may play them from your hand during your turn to attempt a Mission to defeat them. If you fail to defeat them, they are discarded at the end of your turn into your discard pile like any other card. If you defeat them, return them to the Trooper stack.
GLOSSARY
Any 1 Skill: If a Mission lists ANY 1 SKILL as a requirement, the active player chooses the Skill being used for the Mission. Any Joes with that Skill (or WILD) can contribute dice equal to their Skill value.
Cobra Officer: A named Cobra Operative. These will be referred to by name during Story Missions.
Control: A card that is in your playing area in front of you (usually played this turn). A Precision Strike Side Mission is controlled by a player and stays in play in front of them.
Cover/Uncover: You cannot interact with covered cards in the line-up: They cannot be targeted by any effects or abilities, nor can they be Recruited. When a card becomes uncovered, it is immediately fair game for Recruiting and targeting it with effects.
Defeat: A Mission is defeated when it has been completed successfully. Any Joes that are part of a successful Mission may activate effects that include the word "defeat."
Destroy: To remove a card from the game by way of a card effect. They cannot be interacted with or become the target of effects.
In Play: A card that is face-up and can be interacted with by the players. Cards in discard piles, Cobra Operatives, and Missions in face-up stacks to the side of the play area are NOT considered to be "in play."
Remove From Game: The card is placed back into the game box and will not be used again for the current game.
Target Player: A player of your choice. A target player is any player in the game, which could be yourself.
Teammate: A player other than yourself.
WILD Skill: A WILD Skill can be used during a Mission requiring any Skill. For example, if the Mission requires the Marksman ability, a G.I. card adds 1 die to the Mission. Wild Bill is worth 3 WILD Skill, so he adds 3 dice to the Mission.
Keywords: Below the title of each card is a set of keywords. If an effect references one of these keywords, its effect can interact with that card. The Cobra symbol is a keyword of sorts, but is found in the upper left corner of all Cobra cards.
Quick Reference Reminders
Dice are meant to be infinite. If you need to roll more than 8 dice, simply re-roll some misses. In the rare instance that you need more than 8 Hits, count your current Hits and then roll additional dice as needed.
Any time a card is removed or Recruited from the line-up, immediately draw a new card from the top of the main deck to replace it. This means that after you have Recruited a card, you may see what replaces it in the line-up before Recruiting another card.
If a Story Mission FAILS (due to a card effect or ability) but the Complications have not been revealed, those Complications remain in play and are attached to the next Story Mission, in addition to any new Complications that come into play. Remember: Flip over all Complications on a Mission before resolving any of them, and then resolve them in the order of your choosing. Discard all face-up Complications from failed Missions.
After the Starting Round, the Threat Meter can never return to the starting space. This is noted by an arrow icon on the track. Any time an ability or effect would cause the Threat Marker to drop below this point, it immediately advances 1 space again.
All card effects are immediate and are resolved as the card enters play. If a card is played as part of a Mission, it affects the current Mission only. Otherwise, cards are played on your turn when appropriate.
If a card is returned to your hand, it is no longer in play. Even if the returned card was already used for a Mission that turn, it can be played and assigned again to another Mission and its ability resolves again as well.
Once a Transport is loaded, additional Joes added to the Mission due to card effects do not count against the capacity of the Transport.
When a Complication is revealed it is not immediately resolved. You have a chance to play a Mission-icon card before you need to resolve the Complication. If you can remove the Complication from play (with Rocket Launcher for example), you won't be subject to the Complication's ability text. If a Complication removes your only Joe from the Mission, you can't play any Mission-icon cards for that Mission. You always have a chance to play a card to respond to the current situation. However, any effects that last until the end of the Mission will be discarded and lose their effect immediately upon your Joe being removed. If there are no Joes on a Mission, the Mission ends in Failure and all Complications are discarded.
CARD CLARIFICATIONS
Lady Jaye, Roadblock: A Utility or Gear card must already be in play for their abilities to take effect. A card played later on during the turn does not trigger their abilities.
Recovery Signal: Returning Joes to hand means they can be played again that same turn to go on another Mission (even using the same Skill again) or to recruit (only the active player). Their ability text will resolve again when played, but their recruit value does not double.
Tranquilizer Dart: While a Cobra Officer is flipped face-down, it is not in play and the Officer's ability is no longer in effect.
Tips & Tricks
If it's your turn, go all in. Your teammates will have to discard anything they use to help a Mission on your turn, so be sure to put in as much as you can. However, talk to your teammates and see if any of them have Mission-icon cards that could help the Mission during your turn. It's usually worth it for them to join in if it means having a special ability at the ready.
Joes generally have lower Recruit values than Utility and Gear cards. Part of the challenge is deciding when to make your deck better for Missions and when to boost your Recruit values. Because Recruiting is very powerful early and newly Recruited cards go on TOP of your deck, it may be best to buy a Utility or Gear early to guarantee more Recruiting power.
Sometimes, especially when playing solo, it's good to hold back a Joe or two from the Story Mission in case a Precision Strike pops up. If you have nothing left to defend, you may find yourself in a pickle.
Helping out teammates is exciting when they have an important or difficult Group Mission to complete, but be careful since every card you play when it's not your turn means less Recruiting on your turn and you could find yourself with no Joes left to start a Mission.
If a Precision Strike with an effect that states "at the end of your next turn" is assigned to the active player it does not go into effect that same turn.
2-PLAYER & SOLO RULES
2-Player Changes
When playing with only 2 players, there are a few small changes to gameplay that help give your team an advantage against the difficult Cobra forces.
SETUP
Place the 1/2-Player Threat Meter into play. Place the RESERVE tile in between both players, as they share the Reserve tile.
RESERVE
The Reserve tile has space for 1 card. In SOLO and 2-player games, you may use it to save 1 card from each turn to the next, giving you an opportunity to better match Skills and plan ahead.
On your turn, you may place 1 card from your hand into Reserve. This card has no effect and cannot be used to Recruit or for Missions. At the end of your turn, after drawing your new hand of 5 cards, return the card from the Reserve to your hand. This should cause you to have 6 cards in your hand. A Cobra card cannot be placed into the Reserve.
SOLO Play Changes
The G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game provides a great solitaire experience with only a few minor rules changes to help give you an edge when tackling Cobra alone. Whether you are an experienced deckbuilding fan or just want to learn the basic rules, the solo game is an excellent place to start.
SETUP
Place the 1/2-Player Threat Meter into play. Place the RESERVE tile nearby your playing area. It can be used as shown in the 2 Player rules above.
Place the End of Round Token with the G.I. JOE symbol face-up.
Take the rest of the Promoted Leader cards (5) and shuffle them into the main deck. They can be recruited for 6 Recruit like other cards.
Solo End of Round
In a solo game, you will take 2 turns before the end of each round. This is tracked by flipping the End of Round Token from one side to the other. At the end of your turn, activate any effects listed on the End of Round Token and then flip the End of Round Token to the opposite side. A reminder for this action is noted on the End of Round Token by the SOLO symbol. While the token is text side down, none of the "End of Turn/Round" text on Side and Story Missions resolves.
NO SOLO Symbol
When a card with the NO SOLO symbol enters the line-up, immediately discard it and replace it. These cards are never used in the SOLO game.
EXPERT MODE
After you're familiar with the Standard Game and have tackled the challenges the 2 Story Missions have to offer, Expert Mode cards give you a way to easily scale the difficulty of the game with each new play.
SETUP
At the start of the game, shuffle the 6 Expert Mode cards. For each Expert Mode Level you choose to challenge your team with, draw 1 Expert Mode card and put it up face-up in view of all players. This ability text is in effect for the entire game. Expert Mode card effects are considered Cobra card effects when determining the order in which they resolve.
After you have completed Expert Mode Level 1, move to Level 2 by drawing 2 cards at the start of the game and so on. There are 6 Difficulty Levels: Can you beat the game with all 6 Expert Mode cards in play?
ACHIEVEMENTS
To add even more variety to your game, rank up by completing some of these more difficult milestones. As you reach one of these milestones in-game, be sure to check them off. Can you complete all the achievements on this list?
CHALLENGES
- Defeat 2 Cobra Officers in 1 turn.
- Defeat 2 Precision Strikes in 1 turn.
- Attempt a Mission with 5+ face-down/attached Complications.
- Defeat a Story Mission with only 1 Joe.
- Reduce the Threat Meter from Red to Green within 1 Round.
- Roll 15+ total dice on a single Mission attempt.
- Roll 20+ total dice on a single Mission attempt.
VICTORY
- Win a solo game.
- Win a 2-player game.
- Win a 3-player game.
- Win a 4-player game.
- Win a game with zero Missions in the Failure pile.
- Win a game with 4+ Missions in the Failure pile.
EXPERT MODE
- Win a game on Expert Mode Level 1.
- Win a game on Expert Mode Level 2.
- Win a game on Expert Mode Level 3.
- Win a game on Expert Mode Level 4.
- Win a game on Expert Mode Level 5.
- Win a game on Expert Mode Level 6.
THE MASS DEVICE
- End ACT I with Baroness still in play.
- Fail the Mission "The Joes Surrender"
- "Destroy the MASS Device" without defeating Cobra Commander.
OPERATION: TOTAL CONTROL
- Defeat Dr. Mindbender during ACT I.
- Defeat "Prevent the Cobra Attack on Big Ben" after failing to beat it at least twice.
- Defeat "Destroy the Mind Control Device" without defeating Dr. Mindbender.
CREDITS
G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game
Game Design by T.C. Petty III
Senior Game Designer: Matt Hyra Game Designers: Dan Blanchett & T.C. Petty III Senior Producer of Board & Card Games: Dan Bojanowski Associate Producer of Board & Card Games: Jimmy Le Senior Creative Lead of Board & Card Games: Jeanne Torres Illustrator: Robert Q. Atkins Colorist: Brian Atkins Graphic Designer: Jeanne Torres Editor: William Niebling Production Artists: Kim Forrai and Dan Wagner
Graphic Novel Illustrators: Netho Diaz, Chris Evenhuis, S L Gallant, Ron Joseph, Tristan Kelly, Jagdish Kumar, John Royle, Bryan Shearer, Jamie Sullivan
RENEGADE GAME STUDIOS
President & Publisher: Scott Gaeta Vice President Sales & Marketing: Sara Erickson Controller: Robyn Gaeta Director of Operations: Leisha Cummins Director, Strategic Partnerships: Erika Conway Sales and Marketing Program Manager: Matt Holland Senior Producer of Roleplaying Games: Elisa Teague Associate Producer of Roleplaying Games: Trivia Fox Senior Creative Lead of Board & Card Games: Anita Osburn Video Production Manager: Desiree Love Customer Service: Jenni Janikowski Finance Clerk: Minnie Nelson Event Manager: Chris Whitpan Creative Production Lead: Gordon Tucker Creative Production: Noelle Lopez
HASBRO CREDITS
Team Hasbro: Elizabeth Artale, Paul Strickland, Tayla Reo, and Brian Casentin
PLAYTESTERS
Lead Playtesters: Marcus E. Burchers, Augusto Chuecas, Eric Findlay, Samuel L Haist, David Sims
Playtesters: Augusto Chuecas, Bangkhanh Nguyen, Brian Gill, Dan Mucklow, David Mulveney, David Sims, Eric Findlay, Jordan Welsh, Joshua Wood, Kyle Denna, Linzell Williams, Marcus E. Burchers, Michael Plell, Nate Perly, Pat Rurek, Robert Jones, Samuel L Haist, Seth Westcott, Steve Steffey, Tom Moore, Victor Ortiz