Mission: Combat!

Mission: Combat! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Overview

Players take turns during the course of the game using action points to get cards, play units and events, move their forces and attack their opponent. The first player to destroy all of her opponent's units is the winner.

Material

60 playing cards, 30 for each faction (Marines and Portalists)
10 area cards, 5 for each faction (Marines and Portalists)
1 rulebook

Layout of Playing and Area Cards

The icon on the bottom right of the area cards and playing cards indicates which faction the card belongs to.

The titles and illustrations of each card serve as an indicator to make it easier to specify units, events and area cards. They have no other function in the game.

Unit cards

The unit's attack and defense value as well as icons for any special ability it may possess are found at the top of the card.

Event cards

Event cards are identified by an event icon at the top of the card and will also have other special effect icons.

Abilities of units, effects of events and the meaning of the icons will be explained in detail later.

Area cards

The icon in the upper left hand corner of the card shows the type of area.

At the bottom left is the number (1 to 5) of the area card, which is required to set up the game (see set up).

Icons and effects of the area cards will be explained in detail later.

Game Setup

Each player chooses a faction (Marines or Portalists) and takes all playing and area cards of that faction. The area cards should be set up as depicted in the figure to generate the game board. Players shuffle their deck of playing cards and place it face down next to the game board. Each player draws 5 cards from their deck. Discard all event cards and draw replacement cards from the deck (repeat until each player has 5 unit cards as their starting hand). Randomly determine a start player.

[Figure: the five area cards of each faction arranged to form the game board. Icon key: Event, Building, Feature: Oversized.]

Beginning with the start player, the players take turns playing one of their units face up onto one of their area cards until both players have played all 5 of their units. It is possible to play several units onto the same area card while leaving other area cards empty. Oversized units cannot be played on buildings. Players should no longer have cards in their hands by the end of the Setup phase.

Game Sequence

The game proceeds over several turns until one player has destroyed all units of his opponent.

Player Turn

The player whose turn it is chooses from 4 possible actions: draw card, play card, move unit, attack. Each action costs one action point (AP) and can be chosen multiple times during a turn. The actions move unit and attack can be performed several times with the same unit card during a turn.

The start player has 2 AP at his disposal for the first turn. Subsequently each player can use 4 AP in each of their turns. It is possible that a player can take additional free actions which may be provided from the faction or area cards the player controls. These free actions do not cost AP.

All actions can be performed in any order.

When a player has performed all desired actions, his turn ends.

Note: Because free actions can still be performed after the active player has spent 4 AP, the active player should inform her opponent when her turn has ended.

At the End of Turn

All damage is removed from all units in play and their defense value is completely restored. Unused AP are lost at the end of a turn - they cannot be saved for future turns.

It is now the next player's turn.

End of the Game and Winning

When a player removes all units of the opponent from the board the game immediately ends and that player is the winner.

The Actions

Action: Draw Card (cost: 1 AP)

Draw the top card of your deck and add it to your hand. As soon as your deck is exhausted shuffle your discard pile to form a new deck. There is no limit to the number of cards players can hold in their hand. The players hands are kept secret.

Action: Play Card (cost: 1 AP)

Either bring a unit card into play or play an event card.

Play a Unit Card

Play a unit card face up from your hand onto one of your own area cards that does not contain enemy units. There is no limit to the number of units on an area card. Oversized units cannot be played on buildings.

Action: Play an Event Card

Play an event card face up from your hand. Execute its effect then discard it face up on your discard pile.

Action: Move Unit (cost: 1 AP)

Move one of your units from one area card to an adjacent area card. There is no limit to the number of units on an area card.

Moving Into an Area Occupied by the Opponent

A unit can be moved several times during a player's turn, but it cannot be moved through area cards with enemy units present. As soon as a unit moves into such an area, it must stop and immediately perform attack actions until there are no more enemy units on the area card. Otherwise, it must retreat back to the area card from which it came, which costs 0 AP.

Moving an Oversized Unit Into a Building Area

Oversized units cannot move through building areas. However, an oversized unit is allowed to move into a building and then immediately perform attack actions. After attacking or at the end of a turn, an oversized unit on a building area card must retreat back to the area card from which it came, which costs 0 AP.

Action: Attack (cost: 1 AP)

Select one of your units in play and inflict damage up to its attack value to one or more opposing units in the same area. There are several different types of damage that may be inflicted. A target is only damaged if it is not immune to the type of damage inflicted by the attacker.

If a unit takes damage equal to or greater than its defense value, it is destroyed and discarded.

If a unit takes less damage than its defense value it remains on the area card. However, it may receive more damage later in the turn. Anytime during a turn a unit receives damage equal to or greater than its defense value it is destroyed and discarded. At the end of a turn, all damage is removed from units that have not been destroyed and are therefore fully restored.

Examples: see pages 30 and 31.

Unit Type and Defense Value

The symbol at the upper right of the unit card represents one of three different unit types: standard, elite and colossal.

The number on the symbol indicates the defense value of the unit.

[Symbols: Standard = defense 10 (yellow); Elite = defense 20 (red); Colossal = defense 30 (blue).]

Damage Type and Attack Value

Three types of damage exist in the game matching the three different unit types. The symbol at the upper left of the unit card represents the type of damage this unit can inflict. A unit can only attack another unit whose unit type matches the type of damage the attacking unit inflicts. A unit whose unit type does not match the damage type of an opposing unit cannot be attacked by that unit. The number on the symbol indicates the attack value of the unit i.e. the amount of damage this unit inflicts.

[Table: Damage type Standard (yellow) inflicts damage to Standard units; Damage type Elite (red) inflicts damage to Elite units; Damage type Colossal (blue) inflicts damage to Colossal units.]

Features of the Factions and Free Actions

Units

Oversized (Marines and Portalists): units with the feature colossal [sic: printed "colossal"; the feature is named Oversized] cannot be brought into play on buildings. Oversized units cannot move through building spaces. They are allowed to enter building spaces to attack but must be moved back from where they came after the attack or at the end of the turn.

Speed (Portalists only): units with the feature speed have a free move action. Once per turn they may perform the action move unit without spending AP.

Ranged attack (Marines only): units with the feature ranged attack can attack units in adjacent areas in addition their normal attacks. Players can distribute the damage points of a ranged attack to any opposing units within reach of the ranged attack and whose unit type matches the damage type of the attacking unit.

Examples: see pages 32 and 33.

Events

Hellfire (Marines only): Distribute up to 50 points of damage to one or more opposing colossal units in one or more areas.

Artillery Barrage (Marines only): Distribute up to 40 points of damage to one or more opposing standard units in one or more areas.

Missile Strike (Marines only): Distribute up to 40 points of damage to one or more opposing elite units in one or more areas.

Trap Portal (Portalists only): Remove one unit of your opponent from the play area and put it face up on the discard pile of that player.

Areas

Your Own and Opposing Areas

The five areas of a faction a player sets up at the start of a game are considered as their own areas. The five areas the opposing player sets up at the start of the game are considered as opposing areas. Regardless of which player controls these areas during the game, they are always considered as the players own or opposing areas.

Area Control and Use of Its Effects

A player can use the effects of an area card if he controls that area.

At the start of the game players control their own five areas.

A player has control of his own area, if the area is empty or occupied by his own unit(s).

A player has control of an opposing area, if it is solely occupied by his own unit(s).

If there are units of both players present at an area, the player who controlled the area before units of the other player entered the area remains control.

Area Cards of the Marines

Bunker East, Bunker West (buildings): "Units in a bunker have defense value +10"

As long as a unit stays at a bunker area, its defense value is increased by 10 points. As soon as a unit leaves a bunker area, its defense value reverts to its printed defense value.

Note: A bunker increases the defense value of all unit types.

Arterial Road: "Free action: Once in your own turn move each unit into an opposing area"

Once per turn units on the arterial road area can use a free move unit action. This movement does not cost AP and must start at the arterial road area and end in an opposing area. When the last unit moves from the arterial road into an opposing area it can still use the effect of the arterial road.

Artillery Emplacement: "Opponent controlled: Events of the Marines inflict half their printed damage"

If the Marine player controls the artillery emplacement his events inflict the amount of damage denoted on the cards. When the artillery emplacement is controlled by the opponent the amount of damage these events inflict is halved.

HQ: "Action draw card: Draw one additional card and keep one card"

The player controlling the supplies center draws an additional card whenever he takes the action draw card. He chooses one of the drawn cards and adds it to his hand and discards the other one face up to his discard pile.

Area Cards of the Portalists

Yellow Portal Alpha, Yellow Portal Omega: "Free action: Teleport standard units"

Bringing standard units into play in this area does not cost AP.

Red Portal (building): "Free action: Teleport elite units"

Bringing elite units into play in this area does not cost AP.

Blue Portal: "Free action: Teleport colossal units"

Bringing colossal units into play in this area does not cost AP.

For all portals: according to the rules for playing unit cards, units cannot be brought into play in opposing areas. But if a player controls one or more portals of the Portalist player, he can use the effect of these portals and play units of the appropriate type in an opposing area. [Printed "theses"; read as "these".]

Dark Portal (building): "Free action: Play event card"

Playing event cards does not cost AP.

Examples of Play

Example 1

The Portalist player uses 1 AP for the action move unit to move the Exorcist unit from the Yellow Portal Alpha to the Arterial Road, which is occupied by the Stealth Special Force unit of the Marine player. Next he uses 1 AP for the action attack to inflict 10 points of damage with the Exorcist to the Stealth Special Force. He once more uses 1 AP for the action attack to inflict another 10 points of damage to the Stealth Special Force with the Exorcist. The total inflicted damage now equals the defense value of the Stealth Special Force. The Stealth Special force unit is therefore destroyed and discarded to the Marine player's discard pile.

Example 2

The Marine player uses 1AP for the action move unit to move the Stealth Special Force unit from the Arterial Road to the Yellow Portal Alpha, which is occupied by the Psionic Priest and Psionic Fanatic units of the Portalist Player. Next he uses 1 AP for the action attack to inflict 20 points of damage with the Stealth Special Force and distributes 10 points of damage each to the Psionic Priest and the Psionic Fanatic. The inflicted damage now equals the defense value of the Psionic Priest and the Psionic Fanatic. Both units are therefore destroyed and discarded to the Portalist players discard pile.

Example 3

The Marine player uses 1 AP for the action attack to inflict 20 points of damage with the Stealth Sniper unit. This unit has the feature ranged attack and so can attack units in adjacent areas. The Marine player chooses to distribute 10 points of damage to the Portal Trooper on the Arterial Road and 10 points of damage to the Portal Trooper on the Yellow Portal Alpha. Both Portalist units are destroyed and discarded from play to the Portalist player's discard pile.

Example 4

The Marine player uses the effect of the Arterial Road to move the Armored Gauss Tank to the Dark Portal as a free action without spending AP. Next he uses 1 AP for the action: attack to inflict 20 points of damage, 10 points each to the Portal Trooper on the Red Portal and to the Portal Trooper on the Yellow Portal. Both Portalist units are destroyed and discarded from play to the Portalist player's discard pile. After the attack, the Armored Gauss Tank must retreat back to the Arterial Road, because as a colossal unit, it is not allowed to stay on the Dark Portal building. This movement does not cost AP. However, even if the Armored Gauss Tank were not a colossal unit, it would still be moved back to the Arterial Road for free. The Psionic Fanatic still in the Dark Portal cannot be attacked by the Armored Gauss Tank because they are different unit types. The Armored Gauss Tank cannot use the effect of the Arterial Road again in this turn.