Tank Battle Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• To Assemble Tanks
• To Assemble Plotting Grids
• Object of the Game
• To Set Up the Game
• To Play the Game
• Special Shots (White Pegs)
• Tank Attacks
• Landing on Land Mines
• Special Movement of Tanks
• Winning the Game
• Some Suggestions for Strategy
• Game Variation

To Assemble Tanks

1. Carefully separate the plastic tank parts from the runners.
2. When assembling the tanks, be sure to use the same color parts for a tank. Do not try to assemble parts of a different color. Assemble Green Tanks First.
3. Insert the pegs of the left tread into the cylinders of the right tread (FIG. 1).
4. Holding the treads together with cylinder side toward you, press the top into position over the treads (FIG. 2). The pins on treads will go into holes in top.
5. Insert the turret into the top of the tank (FIG. 3).
6. Repeat the assembly for all twelve tanks.
7. All six tanks of each color must be numbered one through six. Carefully separate the paper numbers from the number sheet. Fold each along crease (FIG. 4A) and insert into the rear of the tank with the number facing the rear (FIG. 4B & FIG. 5A). Extra cards for numbers are supplied (save them); be sure to use only one of each number for each color tank.
8. During the game, a tank may become a command tank and receive a flag. The flag is inserted into the turret (see FIG. 5B). Set the flags aside as they are not needed in the beginning of the game.

To Assemble Plotting Grids

9. With illustration of tank facing away from grid, fold down area surrounding tab on top of grid and insert the plotting grid into the grid support (FIGS. 6A & 6B).
10. Lock the plotting grid and grid support together by sliding the grid down in slots (FIG. 7).
11. Separate the spinner and supports and assemble as illustrated (FIG. 8). Insert spinner into hole. Fold supports on crease and insert into base.

Object of the Game

Be the first player to destroy all six of your opponent's tanks.

To Set Up the Game

1. Place the game board between opponents so that the numbered spaces can be read. The river (red line) divides the board into 2 sides, of 50 squares each.
2. Players choose what color pieces they will play. Each player takes all pieces of that color; the other player takes all pieces of the other color. Each player takes 5 white and 6 red pegs.
3. Each player places his Headquarters (HQ), Ammunition Dump (AMMO) and Fuel Dump (FUEL) on his own side of the board, one to a square, on three DIFFERENT horizontal rows, but NONE may be placed on the BACK ROW. Each must also be placed on a different vertical column. Once placed, they cannot be moved during the game. See Cover Example.
4. Each player places his six tanks, with numbers 1-6 representing rank and power, on any six squares in his own BACK ROW (which is the row nearest him). Tanks are the only pieces that are moved during the game.
5. Each player places his five anti-tank guns on any squares on his side of the board, but not on the same space occupied by installations (Headquarters, Ammunition Dump, Fuel Dump) or tanks. Anti-tank guns cannot be moved during the game. They are usually placed on squares to defend installations.
6. See booklet cover for one possible starting position for both players.
7. The flags and spinner are put aside and are explained later in the directions.
8. Each player stands a plotting grid in front of him off the board. Note that the grids are different. The player facing the board with the "100" square in the upper left hand corner should have the plotting grid with the "100" in the same position.
9. The five white pegs are special shots and are placed in the five special holes at the bottom of each of the grids (see FIG. 6A, page 3). Their use will be explained later.
10. Land Mines blow up enemy tanks when they end their move on the mine squares. Each player will have two mines. There are no game pieces to represent land mines, as their location must remain secret. Each player writes his mine locations on a piece of paper. They must lie on his side of the board, but not on squares containing anti-tank guns, headquarters, ammo dump or fuel dump. The paper is placed inside the HEADQUARTERS TENT so it can be read without removing, and is hidden from the opponent. Later he may prove his locations by showing the square numbers. Land mine squares cannot be changed during the game.

To Play the Game

1. The players take turns moving their tanks, with the player with the green tanks moving first.
2. In each turn, a player MUST move his tanks a total of six squares.
   • A. A tank may move forward or sideward.
   • B. A tank may NOT move DIAGONALLY or BACKWARD (except as a Command Tank, Rule H).
   • C. A tank may NOT move back and forth nor return to its starting square in any turn.
   • D. One tank CANNOT move more than three squares in any one turn (Exception: Special Movement of Tanks, page 8).
   • E. At least ONE TANK must move at LEAST ONE square FORWARD in each turn.
   • F. A tank CANNOT move across a square occupied by any other playing piece, nor LAND ON his own or opponent's TANK or gun.
   • G. A tank may move ONTO a space occupied by an opponent's Ammo Dump, Fuel Dump or Headquarters (Tank Attacks 1-C).
   • H. A tank reaching the last row on the opponent's side becomes a Command Tank, and places a flag on top. A Command Tank has the privilege of moving forward or backward. When a tank reaches the last row to receive a FLAG it cannot move from that row in the same turn.
3. The first turn and movement of tanks for each player is safe and is without shots being taken by his opponent.
4. Before the first player takes his second turn in moving his tanks, the opponent takes six shots at the tanks by plotting his shots with six red pegs on his grid, guessing where his opponent will move his tanks. In other words, a player marks the squares where he THINKS his opponent will stop his tanks.
5. Shots can only be placed on unoccupied (open) squares. Exception: Refer to "Game Variation".
6. If an opponent's tank (or tanks) has ENDED ITS MOVE on the same numbered square marked by the player with a peg, it is "HIT". Shots (placement of the pegs) are revealed to an opponent after the opponent's turn is completed to prove the "Hit" square locations and to verify if white pegs were used. The tank(s) is destroyed and immediately removed from the board and any further play.

Special Shots (White Pegs)

1. Each player can fire his special shots from the anti-tank guns (five white pegs) in addition to his red pegs in any turn.
2. A player may fire one or more white peg shots in any turn. After the tanks have moved, the player MUST ANNOUNCE THAT HE HAS FIRED A WHITE SHOT (or shots) whether or not an opponent's tank was destroyed.
3. When these shots have once been fired, they must be REMOVED FROM THE GAME and may not be used again.
4. For each anti-tank gun destroyed during the game, the player losing the gun also loses a special shot (white peg) if he still has one.

Tank Attacks

These occur at the end of a player's move.

1. A tank attacks an opponent's tank or anti-tank gun by occupying any of the four squares next to an opponent's tank or gun, horizontally or vertically, NOT diagonally. The attack MUST be made when a tank is in position.
   • A. Tank vs. Tank Attack: Each player reveals the rank (number) of his tank in battle and the higher number wins. The losing tank is removed from the game. If both tanks have the same number value both are destroyed. For example, a number 5 tank wins over a number 4 tank.
   • B. Tank vs. Anti-Tank Guns: The player with the attacking tank spins the spinner and the losing piece is removed from the board. If a gun is removed, so is a white shot (peg) if one is available.
   • C. Tank vs. Installations (Headquarters, Ammunition Dump, or Fuel Dump): Whenever a tank ends its turn on the square occupied by an opponent's installation, the installation is destroyed and out of the game.
     • For a HEADQUARTERS: The land mines, if still in the game, are removed with the tent. Those squares that were marked "land mines" are now free of mines.
     • For an AMMUNITION DUMP: The player losing his "Ammo" Dump also loses some of his firing power. Instead of having six shots (red pegs) each turn, he is allowed shots equal to the number of tanks he still has in the game. Example: four tanks, four pegs; three tanks, three pegs, etc. If he loses other tanks in later turns his shots are reduced by each one lost.
     • For a FUEL DUMP: The player losing his Fuel Dump also loses mobility and is able to move his tanks a total of only FOUR SQUARES, instead of the usual six each turn.
2. When a player moves his tank into a square adjacent to MORE THAN ONE of his opponent's pieces, he must do battle with all of the opponent's adjacent pieces, one at a time, but he may select the order in which he will battle the pieces.
3. When a tank lands on the square containing an opponent's Ammo Dump, Fuel Dump or Headquarters and destroys it with opponent's pieces on adjacent squares, it must do battle with each of these pieces as in 2 above.

Landing on Land Mines

1. When a player's tank stops on a "Land Mine" square at the end of a move (as in "Set Up" rule 10), it is destroyed and removed from the game before it can do battle. The "mine" is also destroyed and the square becomes "safe" for any further moves.
2. When a tank passes over a land mine square without ending its turn there, it is safe. Land mine squares do not destroy a "friendly" tank.
3. To verify first hit by a mine, the opponent covers with his fingers the number on the paper of the still active second mine. When he shows the opponent the used-up mine square, it is crossed off and becomes inactive.

Special Movement of Tanks

1. When a player is left with only one or two tanks, the 3-square limit is removed. For example, one tank could be moved 1 space and the other 5 spaces. Also, all 6 (or 4 if Fuel Dump lost) square moves are not required. For example, one tank could be moved one square and the other none, or any combination of movements. However, one tank must be moved at least one square forward as before, unless one of the tanks has the FLAG for having reached its opponent's back row. That tank (with the FLAG) can be moved in any direction in lieu of a forward move.

Winning the Game

The first player to destroy his opponent's six tanks is the winner of the game.

Some Suggestions for Strategy

1. Place anti-tank guns in positions to defend installations, i.e., if an installation is destroyed the attacker must fight a gun.
2. It is usually better to save the anti-tank (white) shots until later in the game.
3. At times you may want to make a conservative move by moving one tank and moving another tank into the square just vacated by the other tank. Movement in this manner exposes only one tank to the destructive firepower of your opponent.

Game Variation

When you get skilled in playing Tank Battle you may want to try this variation, provided both players agree before starting the game:

1. You may place a "shot" on your own Headquarters, Ammo Dump or Fuel Dump in anticipation of your opponent's attack on one of these squares. This would only be done if an attack is imminent.
2. If you elected to do this and your opponent's tank did land on the same square, both the tank and the installation (Headquarters, Ammo Dump or Fuel Dump) would be destroyed and rules under "Tank Attacks" 1-C would apply.
3. If you fired a shot on one of your installations and the tank(s) did not attack, that installation would be destroyed, and rules under "Tank Attack" 1-C would still apply.