Shadowrun Duels

Shadowrun Duels Rulebook

Table of Contents

Your Figure

Your shadowrunner is a uniquely painted and sculpted figure that represents one of the many types of shadowrunners that prowl the urban sprawl. Pose it on or off its base and equip it with an array of gear.

Your Figure's Gear

Each figure comes with gear. These pieces of gear can be swapped between characters, allowing you to customize your figure for each game. Each piece of gear has a point cost and a game bonus printed on it. Gear may give your character extra dice, damage protection in the form of a shield, or both.

Your Figure's Base

Your figure comes with a unique base stand, which is also a playing piece in the game. The base and its three combat dials display all your figure's game information. The base details your figure's name, the number and kind of dice it gets, its collector's number, its point value, and its damage bonus.

The numbers and symbols on your figure's combat dials represent its abilities in the game. As your figure receives damage, you'll click its combat dials, changing the numbers that appear.

The three combat dials are as follows:

Head. Shows your figure's current base movement value. You may roll dice and add the result to this number to move even farther.
Weapon. Shows your figure's current base attack value. In order to attack, you must roll dice and add the result to this number for a revised attack value.
Body. Shows your figure's current base defense value. You may roll dice and add the result to this number to get a better defense.

Your Figure's Cup

The bottom of your figure's base is a removable cup, which is used in the game. When not playing, use the cup to store your dice, tape measure, and gear.

The Tape Measure

Each figure has a unique tape measure. You must use the tape that matches its figure. Each tape has yellow, blue, and green damage tracks that represent different attack ranges. Some tapes may also have black and/or red damage tracks that represent tech and magic special abilities, respectively.

The Dice

The Shadowrun Duels game uses differently shaped and colored dice. The dice are listed below:

4-sider (4-Siders: use the top result)
6-sider
8-sider
10-sider
12-sider

Dice come in six different colors: white, yellow, blue, green, black, and red. Die color is important because it indicates what you use the die for. You may roll a certain color die only for the purpose for which it is intended.

White — Use for movement and dodge attempts.
Yellow — Use for attacks made with the yellow damage track (close-combat attacks) and for dodge attempts.
Blue — Use for attacks made with the blue damage track (short-range attacks).
Green — Use for attacks made with the green damage track (long-range attacks).
Black* — Use for tech effects; this die may be used with any other color die.
Red* — Use for magic effects; this die may be used with any other color die.

*Black and red dice are "wild cards." If your figure doesn't have a black or red damage track, that color die must be rolled only with other color dice — never alone. If your figure has a black or red damage track, you may use that color die to roll for any effect — including moving, dodging, and attacking — without using another color die.

Setting Up Play

Play Area

The Shadowrun Duels game is best played on the floor or a large, flat tabletop that is at least 5' x 5'.

The Teams

Each Shadowrun Duels team may consist of any number of figures played by any number of players. For balance, each team should have the same point value (add point values if using multiple figures). These rules assume that each player is playing with only one figure.

Preparing Your Figure

Begin the game by assigning up to 12 points of gear to your figure. Remove your figure's cup from its base. The dice you'll play with come from two sources: 1) the gear being used and 2) the starting dice indicated on your figure's base. Place these dice in your figure's cup; this is your dice pool. Click all your figure's combat dials so that green arrows show through the top of the stat slots. A green arrow indicates a dial's starting position.

Who Goes First

A player on each team rolls two 6-sided dice. The team with the highest roll is called the alpha team. Reroll any ties. The alpha team will place its figures first and act first in the round. After the first round, the alpha team designation moves to the team to the left of the alpha team. Game play always moves to the left of the alpha team. If there are only two teams, simply alternate alpha teams each round.

Placing Terrain and Figures

Small boxes, books, or whatever is handy may be used to represent terrain. Terrain blocks movement and ranged attacks. Each team may place two terrain pieces; terrain is placed before figures. The alpha team places terrain first, and the chance to place next moves around the table to the left of the alpha team. Then place figures using the same order. Teams must place their figures at least 48" away from any other opposing figure already in the play area.

Shadowrun Duels Reference Guide

Game Setup

Choose your figure and remove its base from the cup.
Pick up to 12 points of gear for your figure.
Collect all the starting dice and dice from your gear, and place them in your figure's cup.
Each team rolls two 6-sided dice. The team with the highest total is the alpha team.
Place terrain on the play area, starting with the alpha team and moving to the left.
Place figures on the play area, starting with the alpha team and moving to the left.

Game Play

Each player picks six dice from his or her figure's dice pool and places them on his or her figure's base.
The alpha team goes first, and play proceeds to the left.
Each figure can move once and attack twice. You need not do all three actions. You can do the actions in any order.
When moving, your figure may move up to its base Head value. You may roll extra dice to give your figure a revised movement value. Your figure's final movement value (base or revised) is the maximum it can move this turn. All dice used this way are placed in your figure's cup.
Combat follows the Combat Order below. All dice used are placed in your figure's cup.
A figure's turn is over when it has taken all its actions or its player has decided not to continue.
Repeat Game Play steps 4 and 5 for each figure in the game, one team at a time. When all figures have had a turn, the round is over.
Before the next round begins, remove all dice still on your figure's base and place them in your figure's cup.
The team to the left of the alpha team becomes the alpha team for the next round. Begin again at Game Play step 1.

Combat Order

A. Measure distance to the target.
B. Pick your attack dice.
C. The defender may pick dodge dice.
D. Roll the dice.
E. Check for Bad Karma.
F. Check for aces.
G. Determine final attack and defense values.
H. Compare results.
I. Check for shields.
J. Remove blocked dice.
K. Calculate damage.
L. Determine ace effects.
M. Assign damage.

Victory

When a team's figure is eliminated, remove it from the play area and recalculate each team's point value. The team with the lowest point value has two turns to reduce another team's point value below its own. If it cannot, that team loses.

The Shadowrun Rules

Playing the Game

The game is played in rounds. Each figure on a team gets one turn every round.

Before the alpha team takes its first turn, each player chooses up to six dice from his or her figure's dice pool and places them on his or her figure's base. If there are more than six dice in your pool, you must choose which to use. All players do this at the same time.

These are the dice you'll use to move, attack, and defend with during this round. Any figure's dice rolled during the round are removed from that figure's base and returned to its dice cup; these dice are unusable for the remainder of that round. On the next round, you may want to choose six different dice from your pool: Choosing dice is a key game strategy, and you should examine your choices each round to best use the gear you picked.

You may give your figure three actions on its turn: one move action and two attack actions. You may attack then move; move then attack; or attack, move, and attack. The figure's turn is over when you cannot perform any other actions with it or if you declare it is the end of its turn. When all figures on a team have taken their turns, the figures of the team to the left take their turns, and so on. When the figures on all teams have taken their turns, the round is over.

Players remove any dice left on their figures' bases and return them to their dice cups. Then the next round begins with all players picking six dice and placing them on their figures' bases at the same time. This sequence of events continues until the end of the game.

Measuring Movement and Attacks

You can measure distances for movement and attacks from any edge of your figure's base. When measuring movement, the tape must show the exact path of movement. When measuring an attack, the tape must be stretched taut, showing the exact line of fire. This line of fire must be a straight line from any part of the attacking figure's base to any part of the defending figure's base. If any part of another figure's base or a piece of terrain blocks this straight line, the attack cannot be made. Ignore any numbers with a plus on your ruler.

Movement Actions

You can move your figure a number of inches equal to the value on its Head combat dial; this is its base movement. For example, if the Head value is 6, your figure can always move at least 6". You may roll dice and add the result to your figure's base movement; this new total is the figure's revised movement, and you may move up to this new value. The figure may move in any direction, though it cannot move through terrain, and you must measure around the bases of opposing figures — not through them. In addition, the figure may not end its movement with any part of its base overlapping terrain or another figure's base. When your figure moves, no part of its base may exceed its final movement value. Your figure may face in any direction at the end of its move. Once you move your figure, the movement portion of its turn is over. You cannot move that figure again until its next turn.

Attack Actions

A figure may make up to two attacks each turn and can attack in any direction. Its attacks may be at two different targets or at the same target. To resolve combat, follow these steps:

1. Measure distance to the target. Your figure's tape will indicate which color dice you may use for the attack. You can choose any dice of the color tracks that touch both your base and the base of the figure you are attacking.

2. Pick your attack dice. Pick the dice you plan to use and show them to the defending figure's controller. You must roll dice in order to attack.

3. The defender may pick dodge dice. The defender may try to dodge the attack by choosing appropriate dodge dice. Dodging is optional.

4. Roll the dice. Both players roll their dice at the same time.

5. Check for Bad Karma. Bad Karma can happen only on an attack roll. Bad Karma is a stroke of bad luck that interferes with your attack, such as your figure's gun jamming, the tech being poorly wired, magic fouling up, and so on. Once the attack dice are rolled, look at the results. If the same numbers appear on any of them, Bad Karma has occurred. The attacker removes the dice showing the same numbers from the attack and puts them into his or her cup; these dice do not add to the attack. If the attacker has no dice remaining because of Bad Karma, the attack automatically fails.

6. Check for aces. Some dice have an ace symbol replacing the "1" printed on them. That symbol is an ace. Aces count as zero for all rolls, but they do have special effects when rolled on an attack. Set any aces aside; you'll need them later. Multiple aces ignore the Bad Karma rule.

7. Determine final attack and defense values. Once Bad Karma dice have been returned to your figure's cup and any aces have been set aside, add the remaining dice total to the attacking figure's base attack, which is the value shown on its Weapon combat dial. This new total is the figure's revised attack. The defender adds his or her dodge dice total (if any) to his or her figure's base defense, which is the value shown on its Body combat dial; this new total is the figure's revised defense.

8. Compare results. If your figure's final attack value (base attack + dice result) is equal to or greater than the defender's final defense value (base defense + dice result, if any), the attack succeeds and the target is hit by the attack. If the attack value is lower than the defense value, the attack fails, and the target is not hit by the attack.

9. Check for shields. If the attack was successful, you must check to see if the defender has shields from gear. Shields block damage only from the same color dice. So a yellow shield protects a figure from damage inflicted using yellow dice, but not damage from another color. A single shield can block only a single die, but a figure with multiple shields can prevent damage from multiple colors or multiple dice of one color. Shields may also appear on a figure's combat dial, and they work the same way shields from gear do. A shield on a combat dial may be "clicked away" if damage is assigned to that combat dial. Ignore numbers that might appear in shields.

10. Remove blocked dice. Remove to your figure's cup any dice blocked by shields. Shields do not block aces.

11. Calculate damage. A successful attack does 1 click of damage to the target for each die that remains after shields have been used, so two remaining dice deal 2 clicks of damage. Some figures do more damage with certain color dice. This damage modifier is listed on the attacking figure's base next to the symbol. Add that bonus to the damage only if a die of the same color still remains to do damage. Only one bonus is allowed per attack. If more than one die gains a bonus, the attacker chooses which bonus to apply.

12. Determine ace effects. Every ace rolled on an attack deals 1 click of damage in addition to having one special effect. Ace special effects are as follows:

Blue Dice — Stun Attack: The defending player removes all the dice from the target's base and places them into the dice cup for that figure. These dice are not available for the rest of the round.
Green Dice — Called Shot: The attacker chooses where to apply damage from the attack.
Black Dice — Technical Superiority: The defending player must remove one piece of gear from the target figure. The defending player chooses the gear and its corresponding dice, if any, and sets them off to the side. Do not place these dice back into the cup; they cannot be chosen for the next round and are unavailable for the remainder of the game.
Red Dice — Major Mojo: Add an additional 1 click of damage to the attack.

13. Assign damage. The defender assigns all the damage from the attack to one of the target figure's combat dials: Head, Weapon, or Body. Click the dial at that location clockwise a number of times equal to the damage inflicted, revealing the figure's new stats in that location.

Eliminating a Figure

A figure is eliminated whenever three bullet holes are visible among its combat dials. The three bullet holes do not all have to be located on the same dial.

Victory

Note: the Victory section in the Reference Guide prints "below its own"; this section prints "equal to or below its own". Both are transcribed as printed.

What's Next?

Now that you've played Shadowrun Duels, head over to www.wizkidsgames.com to get even more information on the Shadowrun universe. The Shadowrun website, called Shadowlands, showcases character bios, play tips, fiction, and sneak peeks of future products.

The website also includes new ways to play Shadowrun Duels. You'll find scenarios, goal-oriented adventures, and advanced suggestions for multiplayer play. And the website is the only place to get Campaign rules, which are expanded rules for game play, including advanced initiative and shield use, healing, and gear swapping.

For Shadowrun Duels rules translations, go to www.srrules.com. (The opening page of the rulebook also lists the translation pointer in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Czech and Greek, all directing to www.srrules.com.)