Snails: Fire in the Shell Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Box Contents
• New Game Elements Setup
• New Game Elements Overview
  • New Terrain Tiles
• New Faction Special Abilities
• New Tokens
• New Rules
• Game Modules
  • Specialists
  • Wind
• Terrain Tile Layouts Using Expansion Elements
  • Layout 1: Crustacean
  • Layout 2: Robot
• Examples
  • Examples of New Card and Ability Use
  • Examples of Soldier Ability Use (Specialists Module)
  • Examples of Wind Effects (Wind Module)

Box Contents

• 1 Rulebook
• 4 Reference Sheets
• 4 Leader Markers
• 1 Compass Rose Marker
• 4 Faction Tiles
• 4 Leader Health Tokens
• 12 Double-sided Terrain Tiles (6 Beaches, 4 Meadows, 2 Mountains)
• 35 Action Cards:
  • 31 Arsenal Action Cards (18 red Attack Cards, 13 purple Special Cards)
  • 4 Faction Action Cards (1 per faction)
• 4 Leader Declaration Tokens
• 4 1st Aid Markers
• 18 Fire Tokens
• 1 Used Faction Ability Marker
• 6 Damaged Terrain Tokens
• 2 Dead Weight Tokens

New Game Elements Setup

The Fire in the Shell expansion introduces new game elements to Snails. This section of the rulebook contains information regarding the setup of new elements.

• Mix new terrain tiles with their corresponding terrain tiles from the base game based on their backs (beaches, meadows and mountains). From now on, you have a larger pool of available tiles to choose from, which improves the replayability and offers new board layouts. Important: In case of the basic board setup, after placing all terrain tiles you will have a number of unused tiles of each type. Place them back into the box without looking at them.
• Separate new faction action cards from the other new action cards and add them to the faction action cards from the base game. Shuffle the other action cards into the arsenal deck.
• Add new faction tiles, leader markers, leader health tokens and leader declaration tokens to their corresponding game elements from the base game. They introduce new factions to be chosen by players in the third step of the player setup.
• Each player takes 1 new reference sheet – it features the new rules summary and expansion game element overview.
• Place additional fire tokens, damaged terrain tokens, Dead Weight Tokens, and the used faction ability marker into the pool.
• Set aside the Compass Rose Marker and 1st Aid Markers. They are needed only when you introduce the Specialists and/or Wind module into the game (see p. 5 and 6).

New Game Elements Overview

This expansion introduces new game elements, their content and rules corresponding to the base game, such as action cards and terrain tiles. Additionally, some elements are connected with two optional modules described in detail later in the rulebook.

New Terrain Tiles

Beach

There are 6 new beach tiles in the game. Their backs feature 3 Twin Barrels and 3 Fertilizers, respectively.

If a beach tile is destroyed and its back shows twin barrels, immediately move the contamination marker 2 spaces up the track. On the other hand, if its back shows fertilizers, all snails currently in the water are immediately dealt 5 damage (this effect also affects snails from the Pirates faction).

Meadow

There are 4 new meadow tiles. Their backs feature 1 Turnip, 1 Turnip and an Action Card and 2 Eggshells. If a meadow tile is destroyed using the basic action card Dig or the special action card Golden Shovel and its back features a turnip, the active snail heals 5 health. If it also shows an action card, the active player draws 1 card from the arsenal deck. If a meadow space is destroyed in any other way, no additional action cards are drawn and no healing is resolved. If a meadow tile is destroyed and its back shows eggshells, each snail on the destroyed tile is pushed.

The 1st player chooses where the affected snails are pushed.

Mountain

There are 2 new mountain tiles. Their backs feature Salt Deposits. If a mountain tile is destroyed and its back shows a salt deposit, each snail on the destroyed tile immediately leaves the shell.

New Faction Special Abilities

You may command one of four new snail factions represented by various leaders. Similarly to the base game, unique faction special abilities are marked on faction tiles and action cards. Additionally, the expansion contains 1 used faction ability marker because of new factions utilizing it.

Cyborgs

Targeters: When you resolve a red action card requiring you to roll at least 1 attack die, you may treat it as if it featured the ignore Line of Sight icon.

Druids

Oneness with the Land: When one of your effects causes a terrain tile to be destroyed or damaged, you may additionally damage an adjacent tile. This effect can be used once per round.

Mobsters

Ace in the Hole: When you draw action cards in the Drawing Phase, draw 2 additional cards and discard 2 cards, keeping 1 card out of 3 cards just drawn. Additionally, during the player setup at the beginning of the game, you draw 1 additional action card.

Knights

Defensive Stance: When you resolve any action with a snail in the shell, you may decide that it does not leave the shell no matter the resolved action. This effect can be used once per round.

New Tokens

This expansion introduces one new token type, whose description does not fit on its action card. It is described in detail below and on new reference sheets.

Dead Weight

This token appears on the board after playing the Dead Weight action card. The active player puts this token on the space of the snail resolving this action. A dead weight token cannot be put on a water space. In the first step of the Cleaning Phase a terrain tile with a dead weight token is destroyed. Then put that dead weight token on the tile directly underneath the destroyed tile. If this token would be put on a water space, discard it.

New Rules

This section of the rulebook contains detailed clarifications and thorough overviews of the base game rules. They should be used in all games, both using base game elements and additional elements from this and future expansions, modules and game modes.

Action Card Discard Pile

Whenever any effect allows a player to draw cards from the discard pile or search it – e.g. the Claw faction action card from the base game or the Litterbuss from this expansion – the active player first shuffles the discard pile, then draws the proper number of action cards from it (or searches it) and resolves the effect. After resolving the effect the discard pile should be placed back, face-up, next to the arsenal deck.

Arsenal Action Cards Expanding Basic Action Card Effects

Various Snails expansions contain arsenal action cards that enable players to perform a basic action, e.g. Dig or Aim, but also have other effects. Some of those are the 1st Aid Shell, Crawlie-talkie or the Insect Drone (Supply Drop mini-expansion). Such cards feature a basic action name in italics. When the active player resolves such a card, they take into consideration all possibilities and limitations of the basic action mentioned on that card, i.e. the card enables them to perform the basic action and additionally resolve some extra effect directly connected with the action. For example, the Combat Mole card cannot be resolved by a snail in the water, because the basic action Dig cannot be performed on a water space. Similarly, the Insect Drone card will immediately lose its effect when the snail using it ends up on a water space (because that is what happens in case of the basic action Aim).

Game Modules

Game modules described below are meant for players well-versed in the Snails base game rules. They offer sets of alternative rules enhancing gameplay. Players should decide before the beginning of the game which modules they wish to use. Remember that the more modules you use, the more complicated the game becomes.

Specialists

This module has been designed for players who expect more strategy. It introduces rules for Specialists, providing common soldiers with new, unique abilities. If players choose to use this module, in the second step of the player setup each of them should take the 1st aid marker in their player color (in addition to all other player components of that color). They place it on their faction tile with the active (player color) side face-up.

Below you can find descriptions of soldier special abilities. They work independently and in addition to faction abilities of various players.

Grunt

Each Grunt is a squad tough guy. Its ability is permanent and makes it immune to being pushed. It means that – for example – it cannot be shot off a terrain tile with the Ball Thrower action card, the Pusher Beetle will not affect it and it will not be pushed off a tile when the fourth snail moves on it.

The Grunt is still affected by other effects forcing it to move or be placed on a different space, such as the Golf Club, Fishing Rod or Teleport (Supply Drop mini-expansion) action cards.

Scout

Scouts are guerrilla combat experts. Each Scout's ability works permanently, making it impossible to target with attacks targeting a single snail, if that attack is not performed on its space (i.e. at range 1 or more). It means that – for example – the Scout cannot be attacked with the Assault Rifle or Sniper Rifle action cards, the Gatling Gun will not affect it (even if other snails are dealt damage as part of the same attack) and the Flail will be of no use (as it only works at range 1).

The Scout is still affected normally by all attacks with the whole-space icon – for example the Grenade – and other effects targeting whole spaces, such as the Bomber action card. Additionally, all attacks performed on the Scout's space affect it normally. For example, it would be dealt damage with the Present action card (its range is 0), the Bow would damage it as long as the attacking snail would be sharing the Scout's space and the Hammer or Drill cards would damage it normally.

Important: If the Wind module is also used in the game, the Scout cannot be hit by a missed attack affected by the wind from a single-snail attack card.

Medic

Medics provide on-site help to their snails in arms. Each Medic's ability can be used once per round. Players are reminded of this by their 1st aid marker. A player can use their Medic's ability only in their turn in one of the following ways:

• After resolving the Medic's action, during which it moved, placed itself, or was placed in any other way on a space with a friendly snail.

OR

• After resolving another friendly snail's action, during which it moved, placed itself, or was placed in any other way on a space with the friendly Medic.

When this happens, the Medic causes the friendly snail to heal 10 health (or 5 health, if it heals itself) and the active player flips their 1st aid marker to its passive (grey) side.

Important: In order for healing to work, a snail being healed must end their action on the space with the Medic – it is not enough to pass through such space.

In the first step of the Cleaning Phase all players who used their Medic's ability flip their 1st aid markers back to their active side. Medics will be able to provide help again in the next round.

Wind

This module has been designed for players who – on one side – do not like to waste any shots and – on the other side – are not afraid of even more mayhem than in "normal" snail battles. It introduces rules for the Wind, turning all missed ranged attacks into potential lethal threats.

If players choose to use this module, in the third step of the board setup, after all terrain tiles have been placed, they should put the compass rose marker, face down, on one of the empty, border spaces of the board. Then, it should be randomly rotated, adjusted so that its edges are aligned with all sides of its space, and flipped face-up. The arrow shown on the marker points at one of six sides of the space – this is the wind direction in the first round of the game.

Optionally, after choosing the 1st player in the first step of the player setup, that player may place the compass rose marker face-up on the board, pointing in any direction of their choice.

Example of placing the compass rose marker on the board.

Wind Direction Change

Each round, at the end of the Drawing Phase, the 1st player rolls 1 attack die and rotates the compass rose marker clockwise based on the die result, so that the arrow on the marker points at a new side of its space:

• Triangle: The player rotates the marker by 1 side.
• Square: The player rotates the marker by 2 sides.
• Circle: The player rotates the marker by 3 sides.

Important: Skip the wind direction change in the first round of the game.

Wind Effects

The wind is taken into account when an attack action is being performed, but only if a given attack misses. The player who rolled at least 1 attack die during this attack, but got no result shown on their attack card, resolves the following steps:

1. Wind Direction: The active player checks the current wind direction – the missed attack affects a space in range 1 from the original target as indicated by the wind direction.

   Important: The wind may cause the attack to affect a space outside of its normal range. For example, a shot from the Bow made in range 3 could be carried to a space in range 4.

   Important: The wind may cause the attack to affect a space on a higher level, even if the attack card being resolved does not feature the ignore Line of Sight icon. For example, an attack with the Revolver action card performed from a meadow tile could be affected by the wind and hit a snail on a mountain tile.

2. New Attack Target: If the attack affects a whole space of the board, the new attack also targets the whole space indicated by the wind direction. If the attack affects a single snail, the new attack also targets a single snail on the space indicated by the wind direction. If the new space contains more than one snail, the attack affects the snail belonging to the person sitting to the left of the active player. If the space contains several snails belonging to the same player, the attack affects the snail chosen by the 1st player.

   Important: The wind may force the active player to hit their own snail.

3. Attack Effects: The active player resolves all attack effects for the lowest result icon on the attack card. If any additional effects must be resolved along with the attack, e.g. choosing an adjacent space, the new space indicated by the wind direction is considered to be the space targeted by the attack.

The active player resolves the lowest result from their attack card.

Terrain Tile Layouts Using Expansion Elements

The optional board layouts utilize all terrain tiles from the base game and this expansion. Players should use base game rules for setting up the board and utilize the expert side of the board. More information about optional board setups and alternative tile layouts can be found in free game materials, which can be downloaded from www.galakta.pl.

Layout 1: Crustacean

Tactical Tips: This layout offers 8 mountains only waiting for a brave snail to claim them. But is this really a good idea? Taking over the upper section of the board seems tempting, but you should not forget that one well-aimed area attack could mean the end of your snail. Hiding inside the shell may not be so safe, either – salt deposits will effectively force everyone out. It is also good to secure a position on one of the meadows, because they are few and the expanded shore line will make it easy for snails to get out of the water later in the game.

Layout 2: Robot

Tactical Tips: This layout is riddled with narrow water areas dividing various sections of the island. The robot's "feet" formed out of beaches can disappear really quickly and it is not so easy to climb up the "body", so every experienced soldier should keep some purple cards, such as the Barrel, Mine, or Dead Weight. They will help to get out of the water. It is also reasonable to set up some soldiers on the "arms". Otherwise, even range 4 weapons might prove of little value.

Examples

This section of the rulebook contains practical examples showing how to resolve various actions and how to use cards, whose effects might seem complex at first glance.

Important: For clarity's sake, snails are shown in examples as round tokens, but in the actual game they are represented by standees.

Examples of New Card and Ability Use

Fire tokens and the Knight faction ability

Snail A performs the Crawl action using 2 moves. It enters the space with 3 fire tokens, so it is dealt 15 damage. Snail B (Knight) in the shell performs the Crawl action using 1 move and enters the same space. Normally, it would be forced to leave the shell, but it uses its faction special ability to stay in it. Thanks to it the Knight is dealt 5 less damage (10 instead of 15).

Using the Grapes of Wrath attack action

1. Snail A attacks the space with Snail B and Snail C, rolling the square result. This means that both snails are dealt 5 damage and their space is destroyed. As attacking with the Grapes of Wrath card also affects one chosen adjacent space, Snail A can choose the space with Snail D – it is also dealt 5 damage and its space is destroyed. Remember to resolve both effects simultaneously.

2. Snail A attacks the space with Snail B and Snail C, rolling the circle result. It means that the attack hits, but has some negative side effects. First of all, both snails are dealt 5 damage and their space is destroyed. Secondly, the Grapes of Wrath attack also affects one chosen adjacent space, so Snail A can choose the space with Snail D – it is also dealt 5 damage and its space is destroyed. Finally, the circle result means that the attack also affects the space with Snail A. Therefore, it is dealt 5 damage and its space is destroyed.

Using the Gatling Gun attack action and the Cyborg faction ability

Snail A (Cyborg) belonging to the blue player is on a meadow space. It attacks with the Gatling Gun all snails in range 1. As it rolls the square result, they are dealt 10 damage. It hits Snail B and Snail C on the meadow tile despite the fact that Snail C belongs to its faction. It also hits Snail D on the beach tile. Finally, thanks to its faction ability, the Cyborg hits Snail E on the mountain tile. Gatling Gun action cards feature no ignore Line of Sight icon, but the Cyborgs may add this icon to their ranged attacks.

Examples of Soldier Ability Use (Specialists Module)

Using the Grunt special ability

Snail A (Pirate) attacks with the Ball Thrower from a water space thanks to its faction special ability. It rolls the triangle and circle results. It chooses the circle effect, dealing 5 damage and causing a push. It hits the space with Snail B (Grunt), Snail C (in the shell) and Snail D. As a result of this attack, Snail B is dealt 5 damage, but it is not pushed, because it is protected by its ability. Snail C ignores the attack (the shell makes it immune to 5 damage and pushes), while Snail D is dealt 5 damage and is then pushed into the water.

Using the Medic special ability

1. Snail A moves using the basic action Crawl toward the space with Snail B (Medic) from its faction. It could use 2 moves, but it wants the Medic to heal it, which means that it must end its action on the Medic's space. When this happens, the friendly Medic heals 10 health from Snail A. This activity is marked by flipping the 1st aid marker to its grey side.

2. Snail A (Medic) "flies" using the Jetpack action to the space with its friendly Snail B. Then it uses its special ability to heal 10 health. Its player also flips the 1st aid marker.

3. Snail A (Medic) resolves the Deathglider attack action. It places itself on the space with Snail B and Snail C, dealing 15 damage to all snails on this space (including itself) and destroying the tile. As this action encompassed placing the Medic, at the end of it the snail heals itself by 5 health, remembering to flip the 1st aid marker.

Using the Scout special ability

1. Snail A attacks with the Hunting Rifle in range 3. The targeted space contains two enemy snails. Snail B (Scout) cannot be chosen as the target of this attack, because thanks to its ability it is immune to all attacks with a single-snail icon at this range. This means that Snail C must be targeted by this attack.

2. Snail A attacks with the SMG. Although this is an attack with a single-snail icon, Snail B (Scout) can become the target, because it is on the same space with the attacking snail and the SMG can affect targets in range 0.

3. Snail A attacks using the Flaming Star. It targets all snails in range 1 positioned on meadow tiles or lower (as Snail A is on a meadow itself and the card lacks the ignore Line of Sight icon). Snail B is dealt 5 damage and a fire token is placed on its space. Snail C (in the shell) is not dealt 5 damage thanks to the shell, but a fire token is still placed on its space. Snail D is on a mountain, so the attack does not affect it. Thanks to its ability Snail E (Scout) cannot be targeted by attacks with a single-snail icon performed from range 1 or more, so it ignores all effects of the Flaming Star. Snail F is on a water space – it is dealt 5 damage, but no fire token can be placed on its space. As far as the empty meadow tile goes, no snail present means that the Flaming Star does not work (it is a single-snail attack, so it lacks a valid target).

Examples of Wind Effects (Wind Module)

Using the Revolver attack action

Snail A attacks Snail B with the Revolver attack action card. It rolls the square result. The attack misses and the action is affected by the wind rules. Based on the current wind direction indicated by the compass rose marker, the Revolver hits the adjacent space with Snail C and Snail D (Scout) despite the fact that the space is in range 3 – outside the normal Revolver range. This attack card features a single-snail icon – the Scout cannot be the target of this attack (even accidentally because of the wind). It means that the attack hits Snail C. The lowest card effect shown on the Revolver states that Snail C should be dealt 5 damage.

Using the Bazooka attack action

Snail A attacks with the Bazooka, choosing the space with two enemy snails. It rolls the square result, so the attack misses and is affected by the wind rules. The wind direction points to the adjacent space with Snail C and Snail B who is from the same faction as Snail A. The Bazooka affects the whole space and its lowest effect means that Snail B and Snail C are both dealt 5 damage. In addition, their space is destroyed. This way the active player unwillingly harmed their own snail!

Using the Assault Rifle attack action

Snail A attacks Snail B using the Assault Rifle. It rolls the square result, dealing 10 damage according to normal rules. The Assault Rifle ability enables it to attack the same snail again. This time Snail A gets the triangle result – a miss! However, the wind causes the unsuccessful attack to hit Snail C one space away despite the fact that it is in range 3 – outside the normal Assault Rifle range and on a higher level than the meadow. Snail C is dealt 5 damage according to the lowest effect from this action card. Still, the Assault Rifle attack did not hit its original target, so Snail A cannot perform any more attacks – neither targeting Snail B nor Snail C.

Using the Gatling Gun attack action

Snail A attacks using the Gatling Gun card. It hopes to hit Snail B, Snail C and Snail E. The result is the triangle, so no success. The wind carries bullets based on the compass rose marker indication, but in case of the Gatling Gun attack it means moving the whole "ring" of hits by one space. Effectively, the attack hits Snail D (although it is one level higher on a mountain), Snail E, Snail F and, finally, Snail A itself attacking with the Gatling Gun. All mentioned snails are dealt 5 damage as shown on the lowest part of the action card.