Tannhäuser: Revised Edition Rulebook
Tannhäuser: Revised Edition Rulebook Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Using This Rulebook
- Overview of Play
- Components
- Setup
- Playing the Game
- Characteristics
- Characters
- Skills
- Affiliation Symbols
- Equipment
- Equipment Packs
- Traits
- Maps and the Pathfinding System
- Map Features
- Moving
- Sighting
- Actions
- Tests and Duels
- Natural 10s
- Natural 1s
- Test and Duel Bonuses and Penalties
- Combat
- Grenades
- Injury and Death
- Command Points
- Overwatch
- Game Modes
- Crates
- 3–8 Player Rules
- Challenge Tokens
- Hound DOG
- Operation: Novgorod Rules
- Character Descriptions
- Scenarios
- Appendix I: Tactical Maps
- Appendix II: Bonus Tokens
- Glossary
Using This Rulebook
This Tannhäuser Revised Edition rulebook includes a complete set of revised rules for the core set as well as those originally found in the Operation: Novgorod expansion, as well as the Wolf, Yula, Gorgeï, and Ramirez single figure packs.
This rulebook is much more than a ruleset and also serves as an invaluable tool; including equipment and hero reference, scenarios, and background flavor. It includes the rules for the following products: TANNHÄUSER, OPERATION: NOVGOROD, WOLF, YULA, RAMIREZ, AND GORGEÏ.
Some sections of this rulebook provide rules requiring ownership of an expansion and are marked with a corresponding expansion icon (generally because necessary components such as tokens or figures are included only in that expansion). Players should ignore all sections of this rulebook that refer to expansion sets they do not own.
Pages 8-27 describe the rules of playing the game, while pages 28-31 list different modes of play available to players. Pages 36-71 list the abilities and equipment available to the characters found in the game. Unless stated otherwise, this rulebook assumes that you are playing a two player game. Rules for three to eight players are slightly different and are described on page 31.
Overview of Play
Each game of Tannhäuser is played by two players in one of six modes: deathmatch, capture the flag, domination, king of the hill, objective, or story. The mode chosen determines how the game is set up and what each side must do to win.
Each player controls a number of characters – usually five – which are allied on one side. During setup, each player has the opportunity to customize his side by choosing which characters to use and how to equip them.
The game is played over a number of game turns in which both players activate every character on their side. In each game turn, players alternate activating their characters one at a time – to move and take an action – until all surviving characters have been activated. Actions include attacking, using equipment, searching crates, activating locations on the board for special effects, and more. Once both sides have completed all activations, a new game turn begins with the Initiative Roll (see page 10 – Initiative Roll).
Play continues until one side wins!
Components
The following sections list and describe the components included in the Tannhäuser core game. The components found in the covered expansions can be found at the end of this section, on pages 6 and 7.
Component List
- 1 Double-sided Game Board
- 10 Miniatures (Eva Krämer, Hermann Von Heïzinger, Karl Zermann, Schocktruppen, Stosstruppen, John MacNeal, Barry Daniel Brown, Tala Aponi, Commando Alpha, Commando Delta)
- 6 Ten-sided Dice
- 10 Character Sheets (Eva Krämer, Hermann Von Heïzinger, Karl Zermann, Schocktruppen, Stosstruppen, John MacNeal, Barry Daniel Brown, Tala Aponi, Commando Alpha, Commando Delta)
- 10 Health Indicator Tokens (1 Blutsturm Division, 4 Obscura Korps, 5 Army of the Union)
- 72 Equipment Tokens (8 Eva Krämer, 8 Hermann Von Heïzinger, 8 Karl Zermann, 6 Schocktruppen, 6 Stosstruppen, 8 John MacNeal, 8 Barry Daniel Brown, 8 Tala Aponi, 6 Commando Alpha, 6 Commando Delta)
- 28 Objective Tokens (10 Reich Primary Objective Tokens, 10 Union Primary Objective Tokens, 4 Reich Secondary Objective Tokens, 4 Union Secondary Objective Tokens)
- 10 Command Point Tokens (5 Reich, 5 Union)
- 14 Crate Tokens (6 Command Points, 7 Equipment, 1 Double-sided crate)
- 8 Flag Tokens (4 Reich, 4 Union)
- 11 Rubble Tokens (10 single-icon, 1 double-icon)
- 9 Smoke Tokens
Component Descriptions
Game Board. Tannhäuser's double-sided game board provides two separate maps, either of which can be used to play a game of Tannhäuser. One side depicts Castle Ksiaz, while the other depicts the Catacombs beneath the castle. "Game board" and "map" are equivalent terms.
Miniatures. These pre-painted, plastic figures are used to indicate each character's location on the map during play.
Ten-sided Dice. Ten-sided dice are used to generate random numbers in Tannhäuser. These ten-sided dice use the numeral 0 to represent a result of 10. The quantity of dice included in the core game is not the maximum number that may be rolled in a test or duel. If circumstances require a player to roll more dice for a single test or duel than the players have, the player simply rolls some of the dice more than once, tracking all of the results.
Character Sheets. Character sheets record information about each character's characteristics, are used to track the degradation of each character's characteristic values as he is wounded, and provide an area to place the equipment tokens a character is carrying at any given time.
Health Indicator Tokens. Health indicator tokens are placed on character sheets and rotated (or "dialed") in the course of play to indicate which row of characteristics is currently operative for that character. The symbol on each health indicator token corresponds to one of the unit affiliations of the character it is used with. Each health indicator token has an identical front and back.
Equipment Tokens. Equipment tokens represent gear, medals, abilities, and arcane knowledge that characters can possess. Each equipment token has a picture of a specific piece of equipment on the front and the character to whom that equipment belongs on the back. These tokens are usually placed on character sheets to represent the equipment the character possesses.
Objective Tokens. These tokens are primarily used when playing objective mode and indicate which skill(s) can be used to accomplish which objectives. The back of each objective token bears either a Reich or Union symbol. The back also has either a gold or silver ring around the outside, indicating whether that token is a primary objective token (gold) or secondary objective token (silver). The face of each primary objective token (whether Reich or Union) bears two skill icons, one larger and the other smaller. The face of each secondary objective token (whether Reich or Union) bears a single skill icon.
Command Point Tokens. Each set of Command Point tokens is used by one team to track the number of Command Points available to that side at any given time. Each of the numbers 0 through 9 is represented on one side of one of the five tokens in each set.
Crate Tokens. Crate tokens are placed on the map during setup and provide characters with the opportunity to find additional equipment, and gain additional Command Points for their side, in the course of play. All crate tokens bear a crate icon on the back. A crate token's face bears either a numeral (which represents a quantity of Command Points), a picture of a piece of equipment (which represents the equipment contained in the crate), or another crate icon (which indicates a token that is only used in certain scenarios when explicitly called for).
Flag Tokens. These tokens are primarily used in capture the flag mode and must be placed, retrieved, and planted to win. Each flag token depicts either a Reich flag or Union flag. Each flag token has an identical front and back.
Rubble Tokens. Rubble tokens are used to mark movement circles to indicate that they require extra movement points to cross, effectively turning that movement circle into a modifier circle (see page 15). Rubble tokens are usually placed on the board where grenades explode. Each rubble token is the same on both sides. There are both single-icon rubble tokens and double-icon rubble tokens. The double icon is only used when specifically called for. When the rules refer to a rubble token without specifying a double-icon token, it is referring to a single-icon token.
Smoke Tokens. Smoke tokens are used to indicate paths that are full of vision-impairing smoke. These tokens are usually used to help track how long smoke persists when Smoke Grenades explode. Each smoke token has an identical front and back.
Operation: Novgorod Components
All boards, tokens, and characters found in Operation: Novgorod are used in the same manner as those found in the core game, unless otherwise specified.
- Tesla Priory Game Board – The reverse of this game board provides a duplicate of the Castle Ksiaz game board from the core game.
- 7 Miniatures – Zor'ka, Irina Kravchenko, Irishka Voronin, 4 Voïvodes. For additional information on the Voïvodes, see "Voïvodes" on page 34.
- 5 Character Sheets – Zor'ka, Irina Kravchenko, Irishka Voronin, A/B Voïvodes, C/D Voïvodes. For additional information on the Voïvodes, see "Voïvodes" on page 34.
- 36 Equipment Tokens – 8 Zor'ka, 8 Irina Kravchenko, 8 Irishka Voronin, 12 Voïvode.
- 31 Objective Tokens – 14 Matriarchy Primary Objective Tokens, 2 Reich Primary Objective Tokens, 2 Union Primary Objective Tokens, 7 Matriarchy Secondary Objective Tokens, 3 Reich Secondary Objective Tokens, 3 Union Secondary Objective Tokens.
- 4 Matriarchy Flag Tokens.
- 5 Matriarchy Command Point Tokens.
- 3 Matriarchy Health Indicator Tokens.
- 4 Destroyed Voïvode Tokens – See "Voïvodes" on page 34.
- 6 Meteop Tokens – Used in conjunction with Kaali, one of Irishka Voronin's pieces of equipment (see "Kaali" on page 61).
- 4 Secret Door Tokens – See "Secret Doors" on page 35.
- 3 Syringe Tokens – Used in the scenario "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" on page 74.
- 6 Barricade Tokens – Used in the scenario "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" on page 74.
- 3 Core Tokens – One each of red, green, and blue, used in the scenario "Thunderstruck" on page 76.
- 3 Smoke Tokens.
- 4 Rubble Tokens – 3 single-icon, 1 double-icon.
- 9 Crate Tokens – 3 Command Point, 6 equipment.
- 7 Bonus Tokens – See "Appendix II: Bonus Tokens" on page 83.
Operation: Novgorod also included a rulebook, but its contents are superseded by the rules found here.
Common Components
Tannhäuser is a board game rather than a collectible game, and assumes that all players will use the components included in a single copy of the game.
When choosing forces, packs, or factions, the rules assume everyone has access to all available components. For example, if one player has brought Wolf to the table, any player may use his services during the game. The same is assumed for any bonus tokens or additional factions.
Single Figure Packs
Wolf. Wolf Miniature; Wolf Character Sheet; Wolf Health Indicator Token; 8 Wolf Equipment Tokens; 4 Wolf Challenge Tokens – See "Challenge Tokens" on page 32; 3 Gold Bar Scenario Tokens; Double-Wolf Scenario Token; Sten Mark II Bonus Token – See "Appendix II: Bonus Tokens" on page 83 for more information. The Wolf single figure pack also includes a rulebook, but its contents are superseded by the rules found here.
Yula. Yula Miniature; Yula Character Sheet; Yula Health Indicator Token; 8 Yula Equipment Tokens; 4 Yula Challenge Tokens – See "Challenge Tokens" on page 32; 2 Cave-in Scenario Tokens; Secret Codes Scenario Token; Eye of Horus Bonus Token – See "Appendix II: Bonus Tokens" on page 83 for more information; Iikaah Bonus Token – See "Appendix II: Bonus Tokens" on page 83 for more information. The Yula single figure pack also includes a rulebook, but its contents are superseded by the rules found here.
Gorgeï. Gorgeï Miniature; Gorgeï Character Sheet; Gorgeï Health Indicator Token; 8 Gorgeï Equipment Tokens; 4 Gorgeï Challenge Tokens – See "Challenge Tokens" on page 32; 3 Bomb Scenario Tokens; Crate Token (3 Command Point); Wolftrap Bonus Token – See "Appendix II: Bonus Tokens" on page 83 for more information. The Gorgeï single figure pack also includes a rulebook, but its contents are superseded by the rules found here.
Ramirez. Ramirez Miniature; Hound DOG Miniature; Ramirez Character Sheet; Hound DOG Character Sheet – The rules on the back of this character sheet are superseded by the rules on page 32; 2 Health Indicator Tokens – Separate tokens are provided for Ramirez and Hound DOG; 8 Ramirez Equipment Tokens; 4 Ramirez Challenge Tokens – See "Challenge Tokens" on page 32; 3 Hound DOG Parts Scenario Tokens; NOS Bonus Token – See "Appendix II: Bonus Tokens" on page 83 for more information. The Ramirez single figure pack also includes a rulebook, but its contents are superseded by the rules found here.
Setup
The following sections provide instructions for setting up a game of Tannhäuser. First, general rules for setting up all games are introduced.
1. Choose Mode of Play
Both players agree on the mode of play for the game. There are six modes, described under "Modes of Play" on page 28. Unless stated otherwise, this rulebook assumes that you are playing deathmatch mode, which is the recommended mode of play for first time players.
If Story mode is chosen, the players must also choose a scenario. See "Story Mode" on page 31.
2. Choose Factions
Each player chooses which faction they wish to play.
Tannhäuser core game includes two factions: Union and Reich. The Operation: Novgorod expansion adds a third faction: the Matriarchy.
In story mode, the scenario chosen may limit the available factions. Otherwise, players are free to choose factions, save that both players may not choose the same one.
If both players want to choose the same faction, each rolls a die, with the high roller choosing first and the low roller choosing from among those remaining.
3. Choose Map
Both players agree which map will be used. The Tannhäuser core game comes with two maps, Castle Ksiaz and the Catacombs beneath the castle. The Operation: Novgorod expansion adds a third map: the Tesla Priory.
In story mode, the map may be preselected, and will be indicated in the specific scenario. Otherwise, players may choose a map freely from among those available.
If the players can't agree on which map to use, the map should be determined randomly.
Once chosen, the map is placed in the center of the table.
4. Choose Characters
Each player chooses characters to control from among those available. Each player controls five characters (although some scenarios may change this number), and must choose them according to the following restrictions:
- Each team is comprised of three Heroes and two Troopers.
- All characters chosen must be from the same faction (excluding Mercenaries; see below).
Each player takes a single token from every character available, for his faction, including mercenaries. Each player then selects the five models that he wishes to comprise his team, and puts their matching tokens in a closed fist (or one hand below the table). Both players reveal the five tokens they have chosen at the same time. If the same mercenary has been chosen by both players, see the Mercenaries section below.
The chosen miniatures are placed next to the board until they enter it, during the first turn (see "Entry Points" on page 9 and "Actions" on page 18).
Mercenaries
Some characters – including Wolf and Gorgeï Volkov – are mercenaries, which means that every player has the opportunity to add them to their team. All mercenaries' character sheets bear the mercenary unit affiliation symbol.
Mercenaries may be mixed with any faction, and may be chosen by either player. If both players choose the same mercenary, roll a die. The higher roller must include the mercenary on his team, while the lower roller must choose another character (If there are multiple copies of the mercenary see page 31 for details on multiple copies of the game).
Some mercenaries are described as faction loyal. This means that they will not work against their home faction. Gorgeï is Matriarchy faction loyal, and may not be chosen by a team that is fighting against the Matriarchy.
Both Yula Korlïtz and Ramirez are single figures, but neither of them are mercenaries. They may only work for their faction.
5. Choose Packs
Each player chooses one equipment pack (combat, stamina, or command) for each of his characters individually, and fills that character's equipment slots with the corresponding equipment tokens, facedown. Once both players have chosen a pack for each of his characters, the tokens are flipped faceup.
Some scenarios specify which packs or individual pieces of equipment must be chosen. The equipment tokens that constitute each character's various packs are presented in the character descriptions (See "Equipment" on page 13 for more information).
6. Choose Bonus Tokens
Bonus tokens are equipment tokens available from sources outside the various characters' normal packs. Bonus tokens can be found on the web at www.FantasyFlightGames.com, and many are available in expansions.
After players have chosen packs and revealed them, each player may equip the characters on his side with up to three bonus tokens. Each bonus token replaces one item of equipment provided by a character's chosen pack, and each character may only receive a single bonus token. Return the replaced equipment token to the box.
Many bonus tokens can only be used by certain characters, or types of characters. Such restrictions are part of each bonus token's description. See "Appendix II: Bonus Tokens" on page 83.
Bonus tokens are chosen and assigned simultaneously. If both players wish to use the same token, roll a die, with the higher roll getting to use the token.
7. Selecting Entry Points
Both players roll a die, with the highest roller choosing which entry point he will have his characters enter through on the first turn. In addition, he will also be activating a character first in the opening turn of the game. The other player must select an entry point from those remaining, and will be second in activating his characters.
8. Mode-specific Setup
After each player has equipped his characters, setup steps diverge depending on the mode of play chosen. The steps for deathmatch mode are detailed in the following sections.
Tannhäuser has six modes of play: deathmatch mode, capture the flag mode, domination mode, king of the hill mode, objective mode, and story mode. For the first game, players should stick to Deathmatch mode. A full listing of the other modes can be found on page 28.
Rush-and-go Variant
For game boards with four entry points, such as the Tesla Priory game board, the players may agree to play with the rush-and-go variant. In this variant, immediately after choosing their entry points, each player chooses an additional entry point (in the same order the first pair were chosen). Each player may use his pair of entry points equally and interchangeably in the course of play. This variant can be used with any mode.
Setup Rolls
All game modes require that a Setup Roll be made.
To make a Setup Roll, each player rolls a die and adds any modifiers allowed from equipment or other sources. Modifiers specified for Setup Rolls and for Initiative Rolls are added to the Setup Roll. The low roller may spend a Command Point to re-roll once, if he wishes (see "Re-rolling Setup or Initiative Rolls" on page 25). The high roller acts first during setup as the mode's setup rules specify.
In addition to affecting the course of setup per the mode's instructions, the Setup Roll's results also serve as the results of the first game turn's Initiative Roll (see "Roll Initiative" on page 10).
Deathmatch Mode Setup
a. Command Points. Each player sets up his Command Point tokens to indicate that he has 2 Command Points. (See "Tracking Command Points" on page 24.)
b. Crate Tokens. Collect all available crate tokens depicting Command Points or equipment. Shuffle them facedown on the table or in a cup or unused box top. For each Action circle and Objective circle on the game board (see "Map Features" on page 15), randomly draw one of these tokens and place it facedown on the circle (crate icon side up), until each circle has a token.
Victory Conditions. In deathmatch mode, a player wins immediately when none of his opponent's characters remain on the board.
Playing the Game
Regardless of mode, a game of Tannhäuser is played out over a series of turns. The core activities of each turn involve the players alternately activating their characters to move and act.
Each turn, players follow the steps below in the listed order. Each player completes the entire step before either player moves on to the next step.
- Refresh Tokens
- Roll Initiative
- Set Overwatch
- Activate Characters
In the first game turn, the Roll Initiative step is skipped, because the results of the Setup Roll also serve as the results of the Initiative Roll in the first turn (see "Setup Rolls" on page 8).
1. Refresh Tokens
At the beginning of each turn, both players refresh their Command Points to the number specified by the game mode. (Exception: Command Points are not refreshed the first turn of the game. Points spent to influence the Setup Roll come out of a player's first turn pool.) Unused Command Points from the previous turn are lost, even if they arose from an unusual source, such as from equipment or a crate. See "Tracking Command Points" on page 24.
Tokens used to mark the previous round's character activations are also removed from all players' character sheets at this time (see "Marking Activations" on page 10).
Any characters who were placed on overwatch on the previous turn, but did not make overwatch attacks, lose their overwatch status; the tokens under their miniatures that marked the overwatch status are removed (see "Overwatch" on page 26). Finally, the top Smoke token on each stack on the board is removed (see Smoke tokens on page 23).
2. Roll Initiative
In this step, each player makes an Initiative Roll, rolling a single die and adding any applicable bonuses, such as from equipment tokens.
Multiple bonuses, such as bonuses from Ranks or Medals belonging to different characters, are cumulative.
After the dice are rolled and results compared, the player with the lower result may spend 1 Command Point to re-roll his die. See "Re-rolling Setup or Initiative Rolls" on page 25 for more information.
After the option to make a re-roll has been taken or declined, the player whose modified Initiative Roll is highest has initiative for the duration of the turn.
3. Set Overwatch
A character on overwatch is standing ready to attack anything that moves, and gains the ability to interrupt an opponent's movement with a vicious attack!
In this step, starting with the player who does not have initiative, players take turns choosing a character he controls, one character at a time, and places him on overwatch. Setting a character on overwatch costs 1 Command Point. An unused objective token is placed beneath that character's miniature on the game board to indicate this. A character who is on overwatch will not receive an activation during this turn (see "Activating Characters" on page 10).
A player is not required to place any of his characters on overwatch.
The maximum number of characters a player can place on overwatch is limited only by his Command Points.
When both players decline in sequence to place a character on overwatch, this step ends. (However, note that a player may choose to place a character on overwatch even if he previously declined in the current step, as long as both players have not yet declined in sequence, which ends the step. See "Overwatch" on page 26 for details.)
4. Activate Characters
During this step, players alternate activating their characters. The player who has initiative goes first. If one player runs out of characters to activate (frequently because some of his characters have died, or are on overwatch), his opponent activates the rest of his characters one after the other.
When his turn to activate a character comes, a player may choose to activate any character on his side who has not been activated yet and is not on overwatch.
When activated, a character can move (see "Moving" on page 17) and take one action (see "Actions" on page 18). Taking an action is also known as acting.
During an activation, a character performs one of the following:
- Move and then act.
- Act and then move.
- Move, then act, then move some more.
- Move without taking an action.
- Act without moving.
Rules for moving characters are found under "Moving" on page 17. Rules for acting are found under "Actions" on page 18, and include attacking, equipping new items, and more.
Characters who have not yet entered play are activated as normal but must begin their activation by moving onto one of their entry points (see "Entry Points" on page 16). Such characters cannot carry out actions before entering the board.
All characters must enter the game board on the first game turn. That is, a player may not leave some of his starting characters off the board, for introduction on some later turn.
Marking Activations
When a player finishes activating a character, he must place an unused objective token facedown on that character's character sheet. This placement indicates that the character may not be activated again in the current game turn. When all characters have been activated, or are on Overwatch, the turn ends, and play proceeds to the Refresh Tokens step (see page 10).
Characteristics
Each character is described by four characteristics: Combat, Stamina, Mental, and Movement. A character's capabilities in a given characteristic at a given level of health is represented by a value.
- Combat represents a character's skill at fighting, both up close and at range.
- Stamina represents a character's physical durability and capacity to withstand pain.
- Mental represents a character's intelligence, willpower, perception, and mental capabilities.
- Movement represents a character's speed and quickness, and directly communicates the number of movement points that character may use each turn.
Characters
Each character in Tannhäuser has unique characteristics and capabilities. These are detailed on the character's character sheet.
There are two general types of characters: Heroes and Troopers, which can be distinguished from each other by their number of health rows. Heroes have four rows, while Troopers have three rows.
Health indicator tokens are rotated to show which row of values is in effect. For example, a health indicator token rotated so its mark points to the third row of values shows that row is the character's current row, and its values are his current values.
Character Sheet Anatomy
- Illustration: A picture of the character.
- Name or Rank: The character's name (if a Hero) or rank (if a Trooper).
- Skill Icons: A collection of icons representing the character's aptitude for completing objectives in objective mode.
- Characteristics: A table of values that record the character's Combat, Stamina, Mental, and Movement characteristics at various health levels.
- Health Indicator Position: The place where a health indicator token is placed in order to track the character's health in the course of play.
- Affiliation Symbols: One or more symbols that indicate which groups a character belongs to.
- Equipment Slots: A series of spaces, each of which can hold up to one equipment token at a time.
Characteristic Rows and Current Values
Every character has several rows of characteristic values. The top row is the set of values that character uses when fresh, at the start of a game. Successively lower rows are used as the character's health degrades. Lower rows generally (but not always) have lower values than higher rows.
Each health indicator token has a mark. During play, the token is rotated so the mark points to the row currently in effect for that character. The row that a character's health indicator token points to at any given time is that character's current row. Its values are that character's current values. See "Injury and Death" on page 23 for more information about how the health indicator token is rotated as wounds are sustained.
Characters always use the characteristic values from their current row, save where a specific rule indicates otherwise. There are generally two types of exceptions.
- When a rule calls for a character to use his best row, that character uses the value for the given characteristic from his top row, even if it is not his best value for that characteristic.
- When a rule calls for a character to use his best value, that character uses the value for the given characteristic from whichever row contains the highest value, even if it is not in his top row.
Abilities that call for a character's worst row or worst value work the same way, calling for the character's bottom row or lowest value, respectively.
Null Characteristics
Some characters have null values for some characteristics, shown by a dash. Voïvodes, for example, have null Mental values.
A character with a null characteristic cannot make tests or participate in duels based on that characteristic and is not affected by effects that would cause such tests or duels. For example, a Voïvode cannot make a Mental test, cannot participate in a Mental duel, and cannot be the target of any effect that would require either.
Skills
Different characters have different training, represented by a series of skill icons on their character sheets. If a character's sheet bears a given skill icon, he has that skill. Otherwise, he does not. There are no gradations of skill level in Tannhäuser.
Most skills are useful solely in accomplishing objectives in objective modes. However, certain skills convey particular capabilities to characters who have them, and are required to use certain equipment. Otherwise, skills do not impact gameplay.
What each skill represents is described in the Skills Table.
| Skill | Name and Description |
|---|---|
| Athletics | The character is quick, supple, and has built up an exceptionally muscular body. |
| Archaeology | The character has detailed knowledge of ancient civilizations and their historic objects and artifacts. |
| Command | The character knows how to effectively lead others in combat situations. |
| Dexterity | The character has great facility with his hands, and exceptional hand-eye coordination. |
| Engineering | The character knows how to conceptualize, design, construct, and use complex machinery and equipment. |
| Hand-to-Hand Combat | The character is an expert in melee combat. |
| Mechanics | The character knows how to use, repair, and sabotage mechanical apparatuses and simple electronic equipment. |
| Sangfroid | The character knows how to react calmly in even the most stressful and dangerous situations. |
| Reasoning | The character is able to apply rigorous logic to complex cognitive problems. |
Affiliation Symbols
Each character is affiliated with one or more units, which are designations for various groups of soldiers. Each character sheet bears one or more affiliation symbols, each corresponding to a unit with which that character is associated.
The affiliation symbols used in Tannhäuser and its expansions to date are shown in the Affiliation Symbols Table. The symbol artwork is not reproduced here; the table lists the unit each symbol represents.
| Unit |
|---|
| Blutsturm Division |
| Paranormal Division |
| Obscura Korps |
| Airborne Destruction Squad |
| 42nd Marine Special Forces |
| Mercenary |
| Matriarchy |
Equipment
Equipment in Tannhäuser, from combat knives to first aid kits, is represented by equipment tokens. Equipment tokens are also used to represent abilities and bonuses that are not, strictly speaking, physical hardware.
All equipment tokens have a front side and a back side. An equipment token's front side distinguishes it from other equipment, while its back side generally identifies which faction or character it belongs to.
Every equipment token has specific rules that apply to its use in play. The rules that govern a particular equipment token are generally found with the corresponding character. The rules associated with a given equipment token do not change in the course of play, even if the equipment is dropped or handed off to a different character.
Equipment Slots
Each character has a number of equipment slots, each of which can accommodate up to one equipment token. Most characters have four equipment slots. A character who has an equipment token in one of his equipment slots is said to have that token "in his inventory." A character cannot have more equipment tokens in his inventory than he has equipment slots.
Each character begins play with a certain collection of equipment tokens, called a pack. Most characters have several equipment pack options, among which their player may choose during setup.
Disposable Equipment
Some equipment is disposable. Disposable equipment tokens have a yellow-and-black border. Equipment tokens without this border are not disposable.
Disposable equipment can be dropped on the board or handed off between characters. Non-disposable equipment cannot be dropped or handed off (see page 13 for details).
Special Objects
Every character has one special object, a defining – and powerful – piece of equipment for that character.
Every character begins each game with his special object in one of his equipment slots; it is considered to be part of each of his equipment packs (see below).
Equipment Packs
An equipment pack, or pack, is a collection of equipment tokens that together comprise one group of tokens that a player may choose for that character during setup.
An equipment pack generally (but not necessarily) consists of three equipment tokens plus that character's special object.
Traits
Many items of equipment have one or more traits, which identify them as belonging to one or more broad classes of similar equipment. For example, every equipment token that can be used to launch an attack has the Weapon trait. Most weapons have additional traits like Hand-to-Hand, Pistol, or Mental. When rules refer to "a Weapon" or "a Hermetica" (for example), this reference means "an equipment token with the trait Weapon" or "an equipment token with the trait Hermetica."
When rules refer to multiple traits at once, this reference means an equipment token with all of the referenced traits. For example, "an Automatic Weapon" refers an equipment token with both the trait "Automatic" and the trait "Weapon," and "an Occult Ability" refers to an equipment token with both the trait "Occult" and the trait "Ability." Exception: "Smoke Grenade" is a single trait, discrete from the "Grenade" trait.
An equipment token's traits are always the first word or words listed in its rules text, and are separated from other rules by a bullet (•). Equipment whose rules do not begin with a trait word do not have any traits.
Traits make it easy to refer to large groups of similar equipment at once. For example, the rules for attacking specify that a character who attacks with an equipment token having the trait "Pistol" rolls four dice.
Some traits are provided for ease of reference in scenarios and future Tannhäuser expansions, but do not have any additional effects in these core rules of play.
Maps and the Pathfinding System
One of the core elements of Tannhäuser is the Pathfinding System.
Under the Pathfinding System, each map is divided into paths. Each path is comprised of a series of movement circles (or simply, "circles") that are all marked with the same color. As a general rule, characters whose miniatures occupy circles on the same path can see each other and attack each other. In contrast, characters who do not share a path cannot generally see or attack each other. (Some attacks have additional restrictions, however. See "Combat" on page 21.)
Many circles belong to more than one path. These circles are marked with the color of each path to which they belong. Characters on such circles are simultaneously on all of the corresponding paths; all characters on any of those paths can generally see and attack them, just as they can generally see and attack all of the characters on all of those paths.
Each circle is adjacent to one or more other circles. Which circles are adjacent to which other circles is generally obvious from their arrangement, but explicit tactical diagrams of all the circle adjacencies can be found on pages 80–82. As a general rule, circles separated from one another by walls are not adjacent to each other, while circles separated from one another by doors usually are adjacent to each other.
Adjacency between movement circles is determined independently of path. That is, two circles can be adjacent to each other regardless of whether they are on the same path or not.
A movement circle can be adjacent to circles that are not themselves movement circles, such as Action circles and Objective circles. (See the "Circle Terminology" sidebar.) These adjacencies are generally obvious, but are also marked on the tactical diagrams on pages 80–82.
Paths are made up only of movement circles. Action circles and Objective circles are never part of a path.
Circle Terminology
There are many map locations that are labeled, in part, with the word "circle," and because each type of location has critical gameplay differences, it's important to avoid confusing them with each other.
- Movement circle: A location on the game board where a miniature can stand. Every movement circle is part of one or more paths, and every movement circle is adjacent to one or more other movement circles. Any time the rules refer to a "circle" without additional specification (such as "Objective circle" or "Action circle") they are referring to a movement circle.
- Modifier circle: A type of movement circle that imposes special bonuses, penalties, or restrictions. See "Modifier Circles" below.
- Entry point: A type of movement circle where a miniature can enter play.
- Objective circle: A location important to victory in certain game modes. Objective circles are not movement circles. See "Objective Circles" below.
- Action circle: A location where a character standing in an adjacent movement circle can do some corresponding action. Action circles are not movement circles. See "Action Circles" below.
Map Features
Each Tannhäuser map features many different elements. By far the most common are movement circles, which are described in the previous section. The following sections describe the other features found on Tannhäuser maps.
Modifier Circles
Some movement circles are also modifier circles. These circles are marked with icons that correspond to one of the four characteristics (Combat, Mental, Stamina, or Movement). Each icon is always either red or green.
The icon present determines which characteristic that circle affects, while the color determines whether the effect is positive for the character (green) or negative for him (red).
Modifier circles work in two different ways, depending on which characteristic they pertain to.
- A character standing on a Combat, Mental, or Stamina modifier circle receives a bonus or suffers a penalty to the corresponding stat while he remains there, depending on the number of icons present and their color. Green icons provide bonuses, red icons inflict penalties, and the number of icons present indicates the magnitude of the bonus or penalty. For example, one green Combat icon gives a character on that circle a +1 bonus to his Combat characteristic, while two red Mental icons inflict a –2 penalty to his Mental characteristic.
- A moving character who enters a Movement modifier circle must pay a modified movement cost at the time of entry. If the icon is red, entering that circle costs an extra number of movement points equal to the number of icons present. If the icon is green, entering that circle gives the moving character a number of movement points back equal to the number of icons present. (Note, then, that a circle with a single green Movement icon costs a net zero movement points to enter.)
Note that movement modifier circles do not adjust a character's Movement characteristic.
Rubble tokens have the effect of replacing modifier circles where they are placed. This replaces whatever was on the circle originally.
Walls
Walls divide areas of the game board from each other.
Most of this area-dividing effect is also reflected in the layout of the game board's paths. That is, the map's different-colored paths show which characters can see and attack each other even if the walls were not there.
Walls on the game board serve primarily to give information about which circles are adjacent to each other: Two circles on opposite sides of a wall are never adjacent.
In some cases – such as near the ends or corners of walls – adjacency seems open to interpretation. In such cases, refer to the tactical diagrams on pages 80–82, which show all adjacencies explicitly.
Doors
Doors are decorative – rather than mechanical – elements of a Tannhäuser game board. As with walls, the information about how doors affect the ability of different characters to see and attack each other from various positions is already encoded in the game board's paths.
Unlike walls, however, the doors drawn on the map do not affect or indicate circle adjacency. As with all questions about whether two particular circles are adjacent, refer to the tactical diagrams on pages 80–82.
Entry Points
Entry points are locations on the game board where characters enter play.
Ownership of the map's entry points is determined during setup. The side who owns a given entry point is the only side who can bring miniatures into play there.
For maps with more than two entry points, some entry points may be unowned, and thus not useful for bringing characters of either side into play.
When a player brings a miniature onto the game board through an entry point, the entry point circle costs one movement point, according to the normal rules for movement (see "Moving" on page 17).
Objective Circles
Objective circles are locations on the game board that characters must interact with to fulfill the victory conditions of certain modes. There are two types of Objective circles: Primary Objective circles, which are gold-colored, and Secondary Objective circles, which are silver-colored.
All Objective circles bear a skill icon, which provides information about which objective tokens can be placed on them during setup in objective mode.
In some game modes, Objective circles are covered with crate tokens during setup.
Flavorful descriptions of the various Objective circles on the Castle Ksiaz, Catacombs, and Tesla Priory maps are found along with those maps' tactical diagrams on pages 80–82.
Objective circles are not movement circles, so miniatures never stand on them. However, every Objective circle is adjacent to one or more movement circles.
Objective circles do not belong to paths.
Action Circles
Action circles are locations on the game board where crate tokens are frequently placed during setup. Some scenarios introduce additional uses for Action circles.
Action circles are not movement circles, so miniatures never stand on them. However, every Action circle is adjacent to one or more movement circles.
Action circles do not belong to paths.
Moving
Players move their characters' miniatures around the game board by spending movement points.
At the beginning of a character's activation, that character receives a number of movement points equal to his Movement characteristic (see diagram on page 11). Each movement point allows that character to move from his current movement circle to an adjacent movement circle.
A character may not enter a circle occupied by an enemy miniature (exception: see "Bull Rush," below). A character may move through, but may not end its activation in, or stop to act in, a circle occupied by a friendly miniature.
Recall that modifier circles bearing the Movement characteristic icon cost more, or fewer, movement points to enter. Also remember that characters never move onto Objective circles or Action circles.
A character is not required to spend all – or any – of his movement points on a given activation. However, any unspent movement points are lost at the end of the character's activation.
Characters are allowed to act before, after, or in the middle of spending movement points. Players who worry that they may forget how many movement points a given character has already spent while they perform that character's action may place a die next to that miniature, setting its top face to the number of movement points that remain for that character to spend after his action is over.
Bull Rush
A moving character may not normally move through a circle occupied by an enemy. However, a desperate character may try to do so by executing a bull rush against that enemy from an adjacent movement circle.
To attempt a bull rush, the moving character and target character engage in a Stamina duel (see "Tests and Duels" on page 19). If the moving character wins, then he may move through the target circle (the one occupied by the enemy character) as if it were unoccupied. If the moving character loses, then he may not enter the target circle, and furthermore, the enemy character may immediately make a free melee attack against him before his activation continues. ("Free melee attack," here, means that the attack uses up no action and costs no Command Points).
A character may only attempt one bull rush per activation. However, a bull rush – whether successful or not – does not use or require the activated character's action.
A bull rushing character cannot stop to act, or end his activation, in the target circle. A character may not attempt a bull rush if there are no clear circles beyond the target of the bull rush ("beyond" meaning circles adjacent to the bull rush circle that are not the circle from which the rushing character originated). Similarly, a character may not attempt a bull rush if he does not have enough movement points to enter a clear circle beyond the bull rush circle.
Example: Eva Krämer wishes to "Bull Rush" through the circle John MacNeal is standing in. Both she and John MacNeal roll four dice (equal to their Stamina characteristic). Eva's results grant her 3 successes. John's results grant him 2 successes. As Eva Krämer has scored more successes than John, she may now move through his circle as if it were empty. Note that she may not stop in his circle for any reason.
Sighting
It is sometimes important to know which characters can see each other. One character who can see another character is sometimes said to have line of sight to that character.
Line of sight is always reciprocal. That is, a character who can see another character can always also be seen by that character.
Two characters who share a path can always see each other. (Exception: Certain equipment, such as Smoke Grenades, can limit this. See "Smoke Grenades" on page 23.)
The only exception to this is Hand to Hand attacks. Hand to Hand attacks may target a character on the other side of a door, regardless of Line of Sight. The target must still be in an adjacent circle, as indicated by the tactical maps on pages 80–82.
Out-of-path Ranges
Some equipment allows characters to attack non-adjacent characters who do not share a path with the attacker. Such attacks are only permitted when a piece of equipment's rules explicitly allow them (e.g., "out-of-path attacks are allowed").
When allowed, such attacks are often limited by a range measured in movement circles and expressed in the form of "x out-of-path circles." These ranges are measured in the same way that movement is measured, and always by the shortest possible route. For example, two figures that are adjacent to each other are at a range of 1. (Exception: Penalties arising from Movement modifier circles do not increase this measured range as they would increase a character's cost in movement points.) Such ranges are not blocked by other characters' miniatures, whether friendly or enemy.
Example: Eva Krämer is two out-of-path circles away from each of John MacNeal and Barry Daniel Brown. She is three out-of-path circles away from the Schocktruppen. Although the Schocktruppen, Brown, and MacNeal are all on the same path (red), an "out-of-path range" can still be measured between any given pair of them. An out-of-path range can be measured across multiple paths, but does not have to be.
Actions
Actions are the meat of a game of Tannhäuser. Every character has the opportunity to take one action during his activation, whether before, after, or in the middle of moving.
Common actions include the following, each of which is described in greater detail in the sections that follow.
- Attack
- Throw a Grenade
- Pick Up Equipment
- Pass Equipment
- Use Equipment
- Search a Crate
- Activate an Action Circle
This list of actions is not exhaustive. Some special rules – especially those provided by particular scenarios – provide additional action options for certain circumstances. Some items of equipment also provide special action options (although usually the "use equipment" action governs the use of equipment).
Attack
A character uses this action to try to wound – and hopefully eliminate – an enemy character. See "Combat" on page 21 for complete rules.
Throw a Grenade
This action is used to throw both Grenades (any piece of equipment with the Grenade trait) and Smoke Grenades (any piece of equipment with the Smoke Grenade trait). See "Grenades" on page 22 for more information.
Pick Up Equipment
A character can use the "pick up equipment" action to add any or all equipment tokens from his or an adjacent circle to his inventory, and/or to drop any or all disposable equipment tokens currently in his inventory to the same circle.
By the end of this action, the character may not be carrying more equipment tokens than he has equipment slots on his character sheet.
Pass Equipment
A character can use this action to take one or more equipment tokens from his inventory and place them in the inventory of a friendly character standing in an adjacent circle.
If the receiving character does not have enough open equipment slots to receive these equipment tokens, the receiving character may give equipment to the active character, or the receiving character (printed as "thee character") may drop any number of equipment tokens into the circle he occupies. At no point may any character have more equipment tokens than equipment slots on his sheet.
Use Equipment
The "use equipment" action is a catch-all for the actions required by the multitude of equipment tokens in Tannhäuser that must be triggered with an action in order to function. Each such piece of equipment describes the requirements and effects of the action(s) necessary to use it.
Example: As the active character, Eva Krämer's owner wishes to "use" her Iron Cross First Class token. She reads what to perform when the item is used, in this case her team would gain two additional Command Points. She decides to carry out that action, by placing two more Command Points on her side.
Search a Crate
A character adjacent to a crate token may use the "search a crate" action to secretly examine the crate's contents (which are pictured on the token's face). That character's player must then do one of the following:
- He may return the token to the game board in the same location, facedown.
- If the crate contains equipment, he may place the token in the searching character's inventory. If the character lacks an empty equipment slot to receive the equipment, he may drop an item from his inventory in the circle he's standing in, without any additional action cost, to make room.
- If the crate contains Command Points, he may increase his side's available Command Points accordingly. Recall that Command Points do not persist from turn to turn (see "Refresh Tokens" on page 10).
Activate an Action Circle
Some scenarios allow characters to do special things by activating certain Action circles. A character adjacent to such an Action circle can use the "activate an Action circle" action to do these things.
A character can use the "activate an Action circle" action even if the Action circle contains a crate token.
Tests and Duels
The outcomes of many things Tannhäuser characters can attempt are uncertain, and dice are often rolled to determine whether their exploits succeed or fail. Many actions or equipment require characters to make die rolls in the form of a TEST or DUEL.
Tests occur when a character is acting without opposition from another character, while duels take place when another character directly opposes the acting character.
Both tests and duels are described in detail in the following sections.
Tests
A test has two elements: a dice pool and a difficulty.
- The dice pool is the number of dice to be rolled.
- The difficulty is the number that the player needs to roll or exceed on any given die.
The size of a test's dice pool varies according to the circumstance requiring the test. The default dice pool when no other size is specified is four dice.
The difficulty of a test is (10 minus the value of the specified characteristic of the testing character). The characteristic used is always specified by the rules. For example, a character might be called on to make a Mental test. If such a character's current Mental value is 4, then the difficulty for the test is 6 (10 – 4 = 6).
To make a test, the player rolls a number of dice equal to the dice pool and compares each die result to the difficulty. Each die result that equals or exceeds the difficulty is called a success. If the player generates at least one success, the test is successful.
Example: Eva Krämer must make a Mental test, so her player rolls four dice. The results are 1, 4, 5, and 8. Her current Mental value is 4, so the difficulty of the test is 6 (10 – 4 = 6). As Eva has rolled at least one success – that is, one of her results is equal to or greater than the difficulty of 6 – she succeeds at the test.
Duels
A duel is similar to a test, differing primarily in that it involves two opposed characters rolling dice and comparing their results to each other in order to determine the outcome. The character who initiates a duel is called the attacker. The other character is the defender. Each character has his own dice pool and difficulty.
Once the dice have been rolled, each of the defender's successes cancels one of the attacker's successes. In order to win the duel, the attacker must have at least one success left after this process has been done. If he does not, the defender wins the duel.
The effects of winning and losing a duel vary according to the circumstances of the duel, and are described in each case.
Example: Hermann Von Heïzinger uses the Patmos Amulet equipment token against John MacNeal, which requires the two characters to conduct a Mental duel. Since Von Heïzinger initiated the duel, he is the attacker and MacNeal is the defender.
Both roll four dice. Von Heïzinger rolls 2, 4, 4, and 10. MacNeal rolls 3, 4, 8, and 9. Von Heïzinger's current Mental value is 6, so his difficulty is 4 (10 – 6 = 4), which means that he has rolled three successes. MacNeal's current Mental value is 4, so his difficulty is 6 (10 – 4 = 6), which means that he has rolled two successes.
Each of MacNeal's successes cancels one of Von Heïzinger's successes, which leaves one uncanceled success. Von Heïzinger wins the duel. Per the Patmos Amulet's rules, MacNeal turns to attack the nearest character…
If MacNeal had been able to roll one more success, he would have canceled all three of Von Heïzinger's successes. In that case, MacNeal would have won the duel, because the attacker must have at least one success in order to win.
Natural 10s
When rolling dice for a test or duel, a die that rolls a 10 naturally – i.e., before bonuses and penalties are added or subtracted – is said to have generated a Natural 10.
A Natural 10 is always a success, regardless of the difficulty of the test and regardless of any penalties that apply.
It is possible to have modified roll results of 10 (or higher) that are not Natural 10s. These results generate successes, or not, according to the normal rules (i.e., whether or not the die results equal or exceed the difficulty). For example, a character might roll a dice pool of four dice, with a +2 bonus, against difficulty 9. Given a raw die result of 4, 7, 8, and 10, leading to modified results of 6, 9, 10, and 12 respectively, three successes are generated, but only one Natural 10 scored.
Certain tests, duels, and pieces of equipment have additional rules that are triggered by Natural 10s.
Natural 1s
When rolling dice for a test or duel, a die that rolls a 1 naturally – i.e., before bonuses and penalties are added or subtracted – is said to have generated a Natural 1.
A Natural 1 is never a success, regardless of the difficulty of the test and regardless of any bonuses that apply.
It is possible to have modified roll results of 1 (or lower) that are not Natural 1s. These fail to generate successes, or not, according to the normal rules (i.e., whether or not the die results equal or exceed the difficulty). For example, a character might roll a die pool of four dice, with a –3 penalty, against difficulty 5. Given a raw die result of 1, 2, 6, and 9, leading to modified results of –2, –1, 3, and 6 respectively, one success is generated, and one Natural 1 counted.
Certain tests, duels, and pieces of equipment have additional rules that are triggered by Natural 1s.
Test and Duel Bonuses and Penalties
Sometimes characters receive bonuses or suffer penalties when making tests or duels.
Bonuses and penalties can affect the size of a dice pool or the results of individual dice.
- Bonuses and penalties that affect the size of a dice pool are written as: "one additional die" or "one less die."
- Bonuses and penalties that affect the difficulty of a test are written as: "a +1 bonus," "a –3 penalty," or "a +2 modifier."
Example: Eva Krämer makes a Mental test with equipment that gives her "one additional die" but under circumstances that inflict "a –2 penalty." She rolls five dice (one more than the default four), but must subtract two from each die's result. The raw die results are 2, 4, 4, 6, and 9. The modified results are thus 0, 2, 2, 4, and 7. If the difficulty were 6, she would score one success.
A test whose dice pool is reduced to zero or fewer dice is not invalidated; the character is simply not allowed to roll dice (meaning that failure is almost certain!).
Combat
When one character attacks another, the resulting combat is resolved as two separate tests that together determine whether the target of the attack is wounded, or perhaps killed.
Attack Overview
Attacks are launched by the "attack" action (see "Attack" on page 18). Once an attack has been announced, the attacking character must choose a weapon and a target character. Next, the attacker makes a roll called an attack roll. If he generates at least one success, the target makes a roll called a shock roll. Each shock roll success cancels one attack roll success. Each attack roll success that is not canceled inflicts a wound on the target.
To summarize, the steps of an attack are:
- Declare Weapon and Target Character: The attacker chooses one of his weapons and a legal target character.
- Perform Attack Roll: The attacker makes an attack roll.
- Perform Shock Roll: The defender makes a shock roll; each success cancels one attack roll success.
- Deal Wounds: Each uncanceled attack roll success inflicts one wound.
Each of these steps is described in greater detail in the sections that follow.
1. Declare Target and Weapon
Upon announcing an "attack" action, the attacker must choose the Weapon (i.e., the equipment token with the Weapon trait) that he will use, from his inventory. If the attacker does not have a Weapon or chooses not to use one, he makes an unarmed attack.
The attacker must then choose a target character. A legal target must either share a path with the attacker or be on an adjacent circle unless special rules or equipment allow unusual targets or prohibit normally legal targets. To choose a non-adjacent target, the attacker must have a Weapon that also has one of the following traits: Pistol, Automatic, or Mental (see "Traits" on page 14). To choose an adjacent target, there is no equipment requirement.
Any attack made with a Weapon having the Pistol, Automatic, and/or Mental traits is called a ranged attack. An attack made with a Weapon having the Hand-to-Hand trait is called a melee attack. An unarmed attack is also a melee attack.
Example: The Shocktruppen can declare either Barry Daniel Brown or Tala Aponi as the legal target of an attack, because each shares the red path with him. The Schocktruppen can't attack John MacNeal; they do not share a path.
2. Perform Attack Roll
After choosing a target, the attacker makes an attack roll.
The dice pool for this attack roll is determined by the chosen Weapon's other traits (i.e., its traits other than Weapon) according to the table below.
The difficulty is equal to (10 minus the character's current Combat value).
| Weapon Trait | Dice Pool |
|---|---|
| No Weapon | 2 dice |
| Hand-to-Hand | 4 dice |
| Pistol | 4 dice |
| Mental | 4 dice |
| Automatic | 5 dice |
If the attacker does not roll at least one success, the attack ends unsuccessfully and play continues.
If the attacker does roll at least one success, the defender must perform a shock roll. The number of successes on the attack roll is important when wounds are determined, so this number should be remembered or noted.
Example: Eva Krämer attacks John MacNeal with her Mauser C96, which has the traits Weapon and Pistol. Eva's player rolls four dice (per the "Pistol" entry on the relevant table) against difficulty 5 (because her current Combat value of 5 results in a difficulty of 10 – 5 = 5). The dice are with her, and the results are 3, 5, 6, and 9, giving her three successes.
Automatic Attack Successes
Some rules provide automatic attack successes. Automatic attack successes are similar to the automatic successes sometimes granted for tests outside combat.
Simply put, an automatic attack success is treated like a regular attack roll success. That is, the target still makes a shock roll and uses the resulting successes to cancel them. As usual, each shock roll success cancels one attack success (automatic success or regular success), with each uncanceled automatic attack success inflicting one wound.
Automatic attack successes can be inflicted even without a corresponding roll of attack dice. For example, when a Grenade explodes (see "Grenade Effects," below) it deals four automatic attack successes to each affected character; no roll is required. Each of the affected characters makes a shock roll to try to cancel these automatic attack successes just as if they had been rolled on an attack roll. Each uncanceled automatic success results in one wound.
When they arise from an attack, automatic attack successes are combined with regular (i.e., rolled) attack roll successes before the shock roll, just like the regular automatic successes that are applied to other tests. That is, the defender does not make one shock roll to counter automatic attack successes and a second shock roll to counter rolled successes.
3. Perform Shock Roll
If the attacker rolls at least one success on his attack roll, the defender makes a shock roll.
The dice pool for a shock roll is always 4 dice.
A shock roll is a Stamina characteristic test, so the difficulty is (10 – the character's current Stamina value).
The number of successes on the shock roll is used when wounds are determined.
Example: (Previous example continues) Since Eva rolled at least one success on her attack roll, John MacNeal's player must make a shock roll. He rolls four dice against difficulty 5 (because MacNeal's current Stamina value of 5 results in a difficulty of 10 – 5 = 5). He doesn't roll particularly well, with results of 2, 4, 4, and 6, giving him only one success.
4. Deal Wounds
Each shock roll success cancels one attack roll success. For each success on the attack roll that is not canceled, the defender suffers one wound. If all attack roll successes are canceled, the defender suffers no wounds.
As usual, for each wound sustained, the target dials his health indicator down (see "Injury and Death" on page 23).
Example: (Previous example continues) John MacNeal's single success on his shock roll cancels one of Eva Krämer's three attack roll successes. Each of her two uncanceled successes inflicts a wound, for a total of two wounds. John MacNeal's player rotates his health indicator token down two rows.
Grenades
Pieces of equipment with the trait Grenade or Smoke Grenade use the rules in this section to resolve their effects. Grenades explode violently, causing some of the most massive damage in Tannhäuser, while Smoke Grenades hinder future attacks on the paths where they land.
Grenades and Smoke Grenades are thrown using the "throw a grenade" action (see "Throw a Grenade" on page 18).
All Grenade and Smoke Grenade equipment tokens in Tannhäuser represent a single piece of ordnance. When thrown, the corresponding equipment token is removed from the appropriate character's inventory.
When a Grenade or Smoke Grenade is thrown, the throwing player chooses a target circle. The target circle must be within the relevant range (see the sections that follow), and all circles through which this range is measured except the last circle must share a path with the throwing character. (The last circle may share a path, it is simply not required that it do so.) This method of targeting represents a grenade bouncing from one area into an adjacent room or hallway.
A character can throw a Grenade or Smoke Grenade into his own circle, any occupied circle, or any open movement circle.
A character cannot throw Grenades or Smoke Grenades through a wall, but Grenades and Smoke Grenades can through around walls [sic; the printed sentence omits a verb] (since the last circle can be out of path). See "Out-of-path Ranges" on page 18 for more information about how walls block ranges.
Grenade Effects
A Grenade has a range of up to 5 circles. Range does not count the thrower's circle, but does count the target circle.
A thrown Grenade deals four automatic attack successes to any character on its target circle and to any character on any circle adjacent to the target circle. These characters make shock rolls to resist this damage in the same way shock rolls are made to resist attack rolls (see "Perform Shock Roll" on page 22).
Note that even though an exploding Grenade deals "automatic attack successes," throwing a Grenade does not constitute an "attack." An "attack" is an activity arising from an "attack" action only, and Grenade use arises from the "throw a grenade" action.
Example: A Grenade explodes in the circle adjacent to John MacNeal. MacNeal makes a shock roll. His current Stamina value is 4, so he rolls four dice against difficulty 6. He rolls 3, 5, 7, and 10, resulting in two successes. As he only cancelled two of the four automatic attack successes, he sustains two wounds.
After resolving any damage dealt by a Grenade, place a rubble token in the targeted circle.
Smoke Grenade Effects
A Smoke Grenade has a range of up to 8 circles. When thrown, place the Smoke Grenade token in the target circle, which indicates that all circles sharing a path with that circle are filled with smoke.
Any character standing on a circle filled with smoke can only attack targets in adjacent circles. Furthermore, such characters roll two fewer dice on all attack rolls.
The effects of a Smoke Grenade last for the remainder of the game turn in which they are thrown, and for the entirety of the following two turns. Use the following to track this.
- When thrown, place the Smoke Grenade token in its target circle with two smoke tokens on top of it.
- In each "refresh tokens" step:
- First remove from the map any Smoke Grenade tokens without smoke tokens on top of them.
- Then remove from the map one smoke token that is stacked on top of each Smoke Grenade token.
In this way, each Smoke Grenade's effects will last for the appropriate duration.
(Note: The relevant path is considered to be filled with smoke both when the Smoke Grenade token has a smoke token stacked on top of it and when it does not. The stacking of tokens is for duration-tracking purposes only.)
Example: The Shocktruppen could legally target any of the marked circles with a grenade. (The tactical diagram on page 80 shows, explicitly, which circles are adjacent to each other in this part of the Castle Ksiaz map.)
Injury and Death
The world of Tannhäuser is a violent one and characters sustain injuries – and die – with frequency.
Recall that each character has a table of characteristic values and a health indicator token that is used to mark which row of characteristics are the current values for that character (see "Characteristics" on page 11).
As characters sustain wounds, their health indicator markers are rotated, or dialed down, to indicate that successively lower – and generally worse – characteristic values are their current ones.
Every source of damage that can inflict harm on a character measures that damage in some quantity of wounds. Each wound a character suffers dials his health indicator down by one row.
A character dies when he sustains wounds that would take him below his lowest row.
Example: John MacNeal's health indicator token currently marks his second lowest characteristic row. A nearby Schocktruppen gets four successes on an attack roll against MacNeal, and MacNeal is only able to roll two successes on the corresponding shock roll. Forced to sustain two wounds, MacNeal is eliminated. (The first wound turns his dial to his last characteristic row – the fourth of four. The second wound kills him, as he has no more characteristic rows to dial down to.)
Automatic Wounds
Automatic wounds are wounds that are applied directly to a character, with no shock roll allowed to cancel them.
It's important to understand that automatic wounds are different from automatic attack successes. (In brief, automatic wounds bypass the shock roll process while automatic attack successes do not.)
Shock Rolls Outside Combat
Unless a given source of damage specifies that it inflicts automatic wounds (see "Automatic Wounds," above), the target of the damage may always make a shock roll to resist that damage, just as if it had arisen in combat. See "Perform Shock Roll" on page 22.
Command Points
Each side has a pool of Command Points at its disposal each turn. These tokens are not associated with a particular character, but instead with all characters of the player's side. Command Points can be used for a wide variety of purposes and are an important resource in Tannhäuser.
A player's Command Points are refreshed at the beginning of each turn (see "Refresh Tokens" on page 10) and can then be spent throughout the turn. Unused Command Points from the previous turn are lost at the next turn's "refresh tokens" step, and so cannot be built up from turn to turn.
Command Points can be spent for the following effects. (Keep in mind that some scenarios provide additional uses for Command Points.)
- Re-rolling Setup or Initiative Rolls.
- Buying extra movement points.
- Placing a character on overwatch.
- Temporarily increasing a characteristic value.
- Launching a counterattack.
- Shaking off a wound.
- Introducing a reinforcement character.
Each option is described in detail, along with any special circumstances and limitations that apply, in the sections that follow.
Tracking Command Points
Players can track their Command Points any way they wish. The standard method is described below, but alternatives (using beads, coins, tokens, etc.) are perfectly acceptable.
The standard method calls for the player to keep all five of his Command Point tokens in a stack so that the number of Command Points he has remaining at any given time is always the faceup numeral at the top of the stack. Each time the player spends or gains points, he simply rearranges the stack so that the numeral on top of the stack communicates his new total.
Restriction on Spending Command Points
There is one common restriction on spending Command Points: During a single activation, a player may not spend Command Points for the same effect more than once. No matter how many Command Points a player has, he may not increase a characteristic value more than once in the same activation, buy an extra movement point more than once in the same activation, shake off a wound more than once in the same activation, and so forth. Note that this restriction is "reset" for each successive character's activation.
All values return to their printed value at the end of every activation.
Example: On Karl Zermann's activation, the Reich player spends a Command Point to increase Zermann's Combat value by one. He also spends a Command Point to buy an extra movement point. This is legal, although both expenditures take place in the same activation, they are different Command Point effects. After Karl Zermann's activation, the Union player activates John MacNeal. During MacNeal's activation, the Reich player spends another Command Point to increase Zermann's Combat value once more. This expenditure is legal because John MacNeal's activation is a new activation.
Re-rolling Setup or Initiative Rolls
Immediately after both players roll a die for either a Setup Roll or Initiative Roll, the player who lost the roll – that is, the player who rolled lower – may spend a Command Point to re-roll his die. He may only spend a Command Point once for any particular Setup or Initiative Roll. His second result replaces the first result and is final, even if the second result is lower.
Note that if a re-rolled Setup or Initiative Roll results in the re-rolling player gaining the respective advantage, his opponent is not allowed to spend a Command Point of his own in response to make his own re-roll.
Note that a player who spends a Command Point in this way on a Setup Roll effectively gains its benefit on the first game turn's Initiative Roll as well, since a game's Setup Roll also functions as the first turn's Initiative Roll.
In case of a tie, both players will re-roll their dice. No Command Points may be spent on a re-roll due to a tie.
Buying Extra Movement Points
A player may spend a Command Point during a character's activation to add one movement point to his pool of movement points.
This expenditure may be made after that character's last movement point is spent, as long as the next character's activation has not yet begun. (For this reason, a player should wait until his opponent tells him that his activation is over before beginning the next activation.)
Placing a Character on Overwatch
A player may spend a Command Point during the "set overwatch" step of the game turn in order to set one of his characters on overwatch for the duration of the turn. Multiple characters may be set on overwatch at a cost of 1 Command Point per character. However, the same character may not be set on overwatch more than once. (That is, there is no "double overwatch.")
When setting a character on overwatch, an unused objective token is placed beneath that character's base to indicate this status.
A character set on overwatch does not receive an activation in the current game turn. Mark his character sheet immediately as having been activated when overwatch is set to help remember this (see "Marking Activations" on page 10).
See "Overwatch" on page 26 for more information about the effects of being on overwatch.
Temporarily Increasing a Characteristic Value
A player may spend a Command Point at any time in order to increase the current value of his character's Combat, Mental, or Stamina characteristics by one. This increase lasts until the end of the current activation. It is applied after any bonuses or penalties from equipment tokens are applied.
Exception: A player may not spend a Command Point in between the roll of a die and the associated resolution of, for example, a test. That is, a player may not make a test, see that he has not been successful, and then spend a Command Point to increase the associated characteristic in order to be successful. Rather, the characteristic must be modified before the relevant roll is made.
The restriction against spending Command Points more than once in the same activation for "precisely the same effect" restricts a player from increasing a given character's particular characteristic more than once in a single activation, but does not prevent a player from increasing different characteristics in the same activation. For example, a player could spend two Command Points to increase a character's Combat and Mental values by one each in the same activation, but could not spend two Command Points to increase a character's Mental value by two points in the same activation.
Launching a Counterattack
A player whose character is attacked by an enemy and survives may spend one Command Point to make a counterattack. This opportunity must be taken or declined immediately after the original attack is resolved, before the original attacker's activation continues (or ends).
A counterattack is resolved as a regular attack, with the following restrictions:
- The original attacker must be the target of this attack, and is subject to the normal rules for attacking (See The Attack Action on page 21).
- The counterattacking character uses his worst Combat value for this attack.
- Only one counterattack can be made in response to a given attack, no matter how many Command Points are available.
- The Extra Ammunition equipment may not be used to gain an additional counterattack.
- A counterattack cannot be made in response to a counterattack.
Note that because throwing a Grenade does not constitute an attack (because it is not carried out with the "attack" action), characters wounded by a Grenade are not eligible to launch counterattacks.
Shaking Off a Wound
Immediately after making a shock roll (see "The Shock Roll" on page 22), a player may spend one Command Point to shake off a single wound that character would otherwise suffer. A player may not improve the character's overall state of health compared to his state of health before the attack was launched. (Shaking off a wound only negates a new wound; it does not heal old ones.)
Introducing a Reinforcement Character
A player may spend 3 Command Points before activating any characters to introduce a reinforcement character to the game board.
Recall that most modes of play only give each player 2 Command Points per turn. Because introducing a reinforcement costs 3 Command Points, introducing reinforcements is only an option in these modes when a player manages to gain extra Command Points on a given turn, such as by searching a crate or receiving them from a piece of equipment.
There is no limit to the number of times a player may introduce reinforcements in the course of a game.
Example: The Reich player chose the standard assortment of characters at the beginning of an objective mode game: Eva Krämer, Hermann Von Heïzinger, Karl Zermann, one Schocktruppen, and one Stosstruppen. In the course of play, Eva Krämer dies. However, even given 3 Command Points per turn, the Reich player still cannot introduce any reinforcements. He cannot introduce Eva Krämer as a reinforcement because only Troopers can be reinforcements. He cannot introduce another Schocktruppen or Stosstruppen, because then he would have more active characters of one of those types in play than he had at the beginning of the game. Later, the Reich player loses a Schocktruppen. Now he can spend 3 Command Points at the start of his activation in order to bring a Schocktruppen into play as a reinforcement.
Reinforcements enter play in the same way that other characters entered the game on the first game turn: through their owner's entry point. They must enter the board the turn they are reinforced.
Only Troopers may be introduced as reinforcements. Furthermore, only a Trooper who has already died in the course of play, and who is not currently on the map, may be returned to the game as a reinforcement. Thus, a player may never have more characters on the game board, nor more duplicates of a given character on the game board, than he had at the beginning of the game.
When introducing a reinforcement, a player may equip that character with any of the character's equipment packs, regardless of which pack was chosen for that character during setup. Reinforcements may not be equipped with bonus tokens when introduced to play, however.
Equipment for Reinforcements
When a character is eliminated, his disposable equipment is placed on the game board where he died. However, when the same character returns as a reinforcement, a problem arises, because the players may not have enough tokens to represent both the dead character's equipment (left behind on the board) and the reinforcement's equipment (to be placed on his character sheet). In these circumstances, players should use proxy tokens – such as scraps of paper or otherwise unused tokens marked with small post-it notes – to represent tokens they do not own.
Overwatch
A character on overwatch is standing ready to attack in response to enemy activity. A player can use Command Points to set characters on overwatch during the "Set Overwatch" step of each game turn. Recall that an unused objective token is placed under that character's miniature at that time to remind the players that the character is on overwatch. See "Placing a Character on Overwatch" on page 25 for more information.
A character on overwatch can interrupt an enemy character's activation upon any of the following triggers:
- The enemy character moves onto a circle on the same path as the overwatch character. (The enemy character can be moving from a circle on the same path or a different path.)
- The enemy character moves onto a circle adjacent to the overwatch character.
- The enemy character announces an action while standing on the same path as, or on a circle adjacent to, the overwatch character.
Upon interrupting, the overwatch character launches an overwatch attack against the character being interrupted.
Launching an overwatch attack is always optional; a player is never required to launch an overwatch attack simply because his character is on overwatch and a legal trigger occurs.
Note: A player must give his opponent a chance to declare an overwatch attack when activating his characters.
An overwatch attack launched in response to movement is resolved immediately after the movement to the new circle, but before any additional movement can be carried out or actions announced. An overwatch attack launched in response to the announcement of an action is resolved before that action is carried out.
An overwatch attack is resolved as a normal attack, save that the target must be the character whose movement or announcement triggered the attack, and save that weapons with the Mental and/or Heavy traits may not be chosen for an overwatch attack.
If the target of an overwatch attack is killed, his activation ends immediately with his death. Otherwise, once the overwatch attack has been resolved, the triggering character's activation simply continues as normal from the point of interruption. If the announcement of an action was what triggered the overwatch attack, the character must continue by carrying out the announced action. That is, he may not change his mind about what he wants to do next based on having suffered the overwatch attack.
When a character launches an overwatch attack, the token beneath his miniature is removed from the board. The character is no longer considered to be on overwatch. That character may not launch another overwatch attack this game turn, nor may he be activated normally, as described under "Placing a Character on Overwatch" on page 25.
There is one final restriction on overwatch attacks: Each of a potential target's action announcements and movements between two adjacent circles may only trigger one overwatch attack against that target, no matter how many nearby characters are on overwatch. So, for example, if a potential target announces an attack, then only one enemy character who is on overwatch may attack that character in response to that announcement.
Example: The Reich player has set Eva Krämer(1) and Yula Korlïtz(2) on overwatch as shown in the diagram. The Union player moves John MacNeal(3) as shown. The Reich player may react to that move by announcing an overwatch attack from either Krämer or Korlïtz, but not both of them. Alternately, he may choose not to respond. He attacks with Krämer. After her attack – which does not kill John MacNeal – is resolved, the Union player continues John MacNeal's activation, choosing to announce an attack action. Yula Korlïtz may interrupt that announcement with an overwatch attack if the Reich player wishes. Eva Krämer, however, may not; she has already used up her overwatch attack for the turn. Yula Korlïtz makes the overwatch attack, but does not kill John MacNeal. The Union player resumes John MacNeal's attack.
Game Modes
Tannhäuser has six modes of play: deathmatch mode, capture the flag mode, domination mode, king of the hill mode, objective mode, and story mode. For the first game, players should stick to Deathmatch mode (listed on page 9). All other modes can be found in this section.
Capture the Flag Mode
Mode-specific Setup
a. Command Points. Each player sets up his Command Point tokens to indicate that he has 2 Command Points. (See "Tracking Command Points" on page 24.)
b. Crate Tokens. Collect all available crate tokens that depict equipment. (Do not collect crates depicting Command Points.) Shuffle the collected tokens facedown on the table, or in a cup or unused box top. For each Action circle on the game board (see "Map Features" on page 15), select one of these tokens at random and place it facedown on the circle (crate icon side up), until each circle has a token.
c. Flag Tokens. The Setup Roll winner places one of his own flag tokens on any Objective circle on the game board (e.g., the Reich player places a flag token bearing the Reich symbol). Then the Setup Roll loser places one of his own flag tokens on any remaining Objective circle. Players continue alternating the placement of flag tokens until each player has placed three. No Objective circle can have more than one flag token on it. Unused flag tokens are returned to the box without looking at their faces.
Special Rules
In capture the flag mode, characters can pick up and carry the opposing side's flag tokens placed during setup as follows:
A flag token can be acquired by a character standing in a circle adjacent to the token's circle. To do so, the character simply spends an action (see Actions on page 18). However, a character may not acquire a flag token if an enemy character is also standing in a circle adjacent to the same token.
After being acquired, flag tokens are similar to disposable equipment (see "Disposable Equipment" on page 13). They can be dropped, picked up, and passed from character to character, and are left behind upon a character's death according to the regular rules for disposable equipment. However, carrying a flag token does not require an empty equipment slot. Furthermore, a character may carry any number of flag tokens at once.
A character may never acquire, pick up, or be passed a flag token belonging to his own side. Characters can only manipulate flag tokens belonging to the opposing side. If a character is eliminated, he drops all his flag tokens in his current circle (along with all other disposable equipment).
Characters carrying flag tokens can plant them on their own side's entry point(s). To plant a flag token, a character carrying one must be adjacent to one of these locations and spend an action. It does not matter whether enemies are also adjacent to the entry point. When planted, the flag token is placed next to that player's Command Point tokens to indicate progress toward victory. Flag tokens cannot be "unplanted."
A character carrying multiple flag tokens can only plant one flag token per action spent. Any number of flag tokens can be planted in the same location.
Victory Conditions
In capture the flag mode, a player wins immediately when he has planted two of his opponent's flag tokens.
Domination Mode
Mode-specific Setup
a. Command Points. Each player sets up his Command Point tokens to indicate that he has 3 Command Points. (See "Tracking Command Points" on page 24.)
b. Crate Tokens. Collect all available crate tokens depicting equipment and Command Points. Shuffle them facedown on the table or in a cup or unused box top. For each Action circle on the game board (see "Map Features" on page 15), select one of these tokens at random and place it facedown on the circle (crate icon side up), until each circle has a token. Place all unused crate tokens back in the box without looking at their faces.
c. Flag Tokens. Each player takes four of his own flag tokens and places them in a supply near his character sheets. They will be placed on the game board over the course of play.
Special Rules
In the course of domination mode play, a character may place one of his team's flag tokens from his supply onto an Objective circle that is either empty or that contains one of his opponent's flag tokens. To do this, the character must be in a circle adjacent to that Objective circle and spend an action. If that Objective circle previously had an opposing flag token on it, the opposing flag is immediately removed from the board and returned to his opponent's supply. However, a character may not place a flag token if there is an enemy character adjacent to the Objective circle in question.
Victory Conditions
In domination mode, a player wins immediately when all four of his flag tokens from his supply are on the game board.
King of the Hill Mode
Mode-specific Setup
a. Command Points. Each player sets up his Command Point tokens to indicate that he has 3 Command Points. (See "Tracking Command Points" on page 24.)
b. Crate Tokens. Crate tokens are not used in king of the hill mode.
c. Chain of Command. Each player separately takes one unused equipment token corresponding to each of his characters and randomizes them in a cup or box top. He then randomly draws these tokens out one at a time to establish the chain of command for his side. The first token drawn becomes the first leader for his side, the second token becomes the second leader, and so on. Once all five of his tokens have been drawn, the player stacks them so that his first leader is on top and the others descend in order. The order of tokens beneath the top token is known to the player who drew them (and can be reviewed by that player at any time) but concealed from his opponent.
Special Rules
King of the hill mode is a struggle for points. Only the current leader of a given side – the character whose token is at the top of the chain of command stack – can score points for that side at any given time.
Neither side may score points during the first game turn, but beginning in the second game turn, a side's current leader may stand adjacent to an Objective circle, Action circle, or the opponent's entry point and spend an action to activate that location. Activating an Objective circle is worth one point, activating an Action circle is worth two points, and activating the opponent's entry point is worth five points.
A character's activation ends immediately upon activating a location. He may not continue on with additional movement in that activation, as is normally possible after carrying out an action.
Each player may only activate each given Objective circle, Action circle, or opposing entry points on the board once in the course of the game. To track this, upon activating a location, a player places a facedown objective token corresponding to his faction at that location. Both players can activate each given Objective circle and Action circle on the board.
When a character dies in king of the hill mode, his token is removed from his side's chain of command stack. If a current leader dies, removing his token reveals that side's new leader, the character who can now score points for that side.
A player who brings in a reinforcement places an unused equipment token for that character at the bottom [of] his side's leader precedence stack. [Sic: the printed text reads "at the bottom his side's"; "of" is supplied here.]
The passage of game turns must be tracked, because king of the hill mode ends after 10 turns. Use scratch paper, a set-aside die (be careful not to roll it, though!), or a spare stack of Command Point tokens to track the current turn.
Victory Conditions
After 10 full game turns have elapsed, the player with the most points is the winner. If a team manages to eliminate the opposing team, they do not win. Only the side with the most points at the end of 10 full game turns is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the side with more living characters wins.
Objective Mode
Make sure to check out the descriptions of each objective found on the tactical map for the board you choose. All the tactical maps can be found on pages 80–82.
Mode-specific Setup
a. Command Points. Each player sets up his Command Point tokens to indicate that he has 3 Command Points. (See "Tracking Command Points" on page 24.)
b. Crate Tokens. Collect all available crate tokens depicting Command Points. Shuffle the collected tokens facedown on the table or in a cup or unused box top. For each Action circle on the game board (see "Map Features" on page 15), select one of these tokens at random and place it facedown on the circle (crate icon side up), until each circle has a token. Place unused tokens back in the box without looking at their faces.
c. Flag Tokens. Each player takes four of his own flag tokens and places them in a supply near his character sheets. They will be placed on the game board in the course of play.
d. Objective Tokens. Each player collects all of his own side's objective tokens, both primary and secondary. Then, starting with the player who won the Setup Roll, the players take turns placing them on the board.
Each objective token must be placed facedown on an Objective circle whose skill icon matches a skill icon on the token being placed. For primary objective tokens, the larger icon must match the icon on the Objective circle. Furthermore, primary objective tokens (which have gold rings) must be placed on primary Objective circles (which have gold icons), and secondary objective tokens (silver rings) must be placed on secondary Objective circles (silver icons).
Players take turns placing objective tokens until all Objective circles on the game board have objective tokens on them.
Special Rules
To win, players must accomplish objectives at the game board's Objective circles.
Every objective is accomplished in two halves (although sometimes, both halves can be accomplished with a single action). When a character is adjacent to an Objective token, he may flip that token faceup without using an Action.
When a character completes the first half of a given objective, that player places an unused equipment token corresponding to that character facedown – i.e., with that character's illustration facing up – next to the Objective circle to record that it is halfway completed for that side.
When a character completes the second half of a given objective (which a given side may only do once it has already completed the first half), his player places one of the flag tokens from his supply next to that Objective circle, replacing the "halfway" token placed earlier, and that objective is accomplished for that side.
To attempt to complete either half of an objective, a character must stand adjacent to the Objective circle in question and spend an action. To determine what else is required to complete either half of a given objective, the following rules apply:
- For a primary (gold) objective, if the character attempting to accomplish the objective has a skill that matches the skill icon in the objective token's larger circle, that character automatically completes both halves of the objective in a single action if the objective token belongs to his side, or automatically completes half of the objective (either the first half or the second half, depending on whether the first half is already completed) if the objective token belongs to his opponent.
- If the character does not have a skill that matches the skill icon in the objective token's larger circle, but does have a skill that matches the skill icon in the smaller circle, that character completes half of the objective with that action, regardless of which side that objective token belongs to.
- For a secondary (silver) objective, if the character attempting to accomplish the objective has a skill that matches the skill icon on the objective token, that character completes both halves of the objective in a single action if the objective token belongs to his side. If the token belongs to his opponent, a character can only complete half with a single action.
- For either a primary or secondary objective, if the character attempting to accomplish the objective does not have a skill that matches any of the icons on the objective token, that player must roll a die and score 6 or higher to complete either half of the objective. This die roll is required no matter which player placed that objective token. If the player is unsuccessful, that action is spent with no progress toward accomplishing the objective.
For example, if the Reich player has Eva attempt to complete a Union objective, and she has the skill found in the larger icon, she completes the first half with a single action. If Eva were to use a second action (on a future turn), she would complete both halves and place a Reich flag token. If Eva were to attempt to complete a Reich objective, and she has the skill found in the larger circle, she would complete it with a single action.
A player may not accomplish the same objective more than once, although a player may accomplish an objective that his opponent has already accomplished, and both players may both be "halfway" accomplished with the same objective at the same time.
Victory Conditions. In objective mode, a player wins when he completes his fourth objective. For more information on the story behind the objectives, see the tactical maps on pages 80–82.
Story Mode
The setup instructions, special rules, and victory conditions for each scenario vary as presented in each scenario's description. There are a number of scenarios included in this rulebook (see pages 72–79) and more are available on the web at www.FantasyFlightGames.com.
Crates
Most game modes call for crate tokens to be placed on the game board during setup. Crate tokens always begin the game facedown, their contents hidden.
A character on a circle adjacent to a crate token can spend an action to search the crate (see "Search a Crate" on page 19). Each crate token contains either equipment or Command Points. Command Points are represented by a number, while equipment is represented by an illustration.
The rules for the specific items of equipment that can be found in crates are listed in the Crate Equipment sidebar. Crate equipment tokens, once claimed, also obey all of the normal rules for equipment tokens.
Crate Equipment
- First Aid Kit: Hardware • As an action, discard this token to dial up your health indicator token, or an adjacent character's health indicator token, by up to two rows.
- Stielhandgranate: Grenade
- Extra Ammunition: Hardware • Discard this token at any time during your activation to make an attack. This attack does not require an action.
- Combat Knife: Weapon, Hand-to-Hand
- M15: Smoke Grenade
- MP40: Weapon, Automatic
- Mauser C96: Weapon, Pistol
3–8 Player Rules
Each game of Tannhäuser has two sides facing off, in one of the six modes. When playing with multiple players, teams of players vie to get their side to win. Each team is still comprised of three heroes and two troopers. Assign an equal number of characters to each person on a side. In case of an odd number or multiple people wishing to control the same character, have them roll a die, with the higher roller taking control of the character they wish.
Once the game begins, each player retains control of the same characters. Teammates will need to work together to gain victory over their enemies. Each side will nominate one player to act as the general. This player will roll all Initiative rolls, and make all rolls that affect the entire side. Command Points may be spent by any player on a side.
Multiple Copies of the Game
If players own more than 1 copy of the game or an expansion, the same Hero may not be chosen more than once, by any player. (For example, a player may not control two John MacNeal characters, nor may two different players choose John MacNeal.)
Challenge Tokens
Characters distributed in single figure packs (Wolf, Yula, Gorgeï, and Ramirez) can take on personal challenges when they're deployed in play.
There are four types of challenges: combat challenges, physical challenges, mental challenges, and special challenges. Each character's single figure pack is distributed with a set of four challenge tokens, one of each type. A challenge of each type is described for each of these characters on the corresponding character pages of this book.
During setup, when a player selects a character who has challenges, that player shuffles that character's challenge tokens and chooses one at random, revealing it to his opponent and leaving it on that character's character sheet as a reminder. It does not take up an equipment slot.
In the course of play, if that character carries out that challenge, the challenge token is discarded and the character's player receives 3 Command Points.
Hound DOG
Hound DOG is a special piece of equipment found in the Ramirez single figure pack and represented in play by a miniature. A player who chooses Ramirez during setup also receives Hound DOG. The following rules apply to Hound DOG in play.
- Hound DOG enters play when its controller (the character with the Hound DOG Remote Control) spends an action to place the Hound DOG miniature on a circle adjacent to the character and on the character's own path.
- Hound DOG's controller moves Hound DOG one circle after each character's activation. For example, Eva Krämer activates, then Hound DOG moves one circle, then John MacNeal activates, then Hound DOG moves one circle, and so on. Hound DOG is never activated like a normal character.
- When he takes any action other than attacking, Hound DOG's controller may also direct Hound DOG to attack. (Alternately, Hound DOG's controller may simply spend an action to direct Hound DOG to attack.) Hound DOG attacks according to the normal rules for attacking, and is attacked, wounded, and eliminated just like characters are. Hound DOG is considered to be armed with an Automatic Weapon.
- Hound DOG has one equipment slot, which may only be equipped with a freely chosen Area 51 equipment token. Hound DOG is considered to be armed with an Automatic Weapon, in addition to the Area 51 token chosen (during setup).
- Hound DOG moves according to the regular rules of movement, except as described above. Hound DOG does not block characters' movement, although they may not end their movement on Hound DOG's circle.
- Hound DOG ignores the effects of modifier circles, ignores the effects of smoke, and cannot accomplish objectives.
- Command Points cannot be spent on Hound DOG's behalf. Hound DOG cannot be healed or repaired, is not considered a character, is neither a Trooper nor a Hero, and cannot return to play as a reinforcement.
Operation: Novgorod Rules
Operation: Novgorod introduced new components and new rules to Tannhäuser. Some of these rules – such as king of the hill mode and the rush-and-go variant – are simply incorporated into the main body of these revised rules, as they require no special components and can be used even by players who do not own Operation: Novgorod. Rules that require the Operation: Novgorod components, however, are explained in the sections that follow.
Voïvodes
Voïvodes are unusual robotic characters with special rules, detailed in the following sections.
Choosing Voïvodes During Setup
Voïvodes are chosen in pairs as they are presented on their character sheets, with each pair of Voïvodes taking up the slot of a single Trooper. Voïvodes may only be chosen by a player who also chooses Zor'ka.
Each of the four Voïvodes included in Operation: Novgorod has an identifying letter. Voïvodes A and B must be chosen as a pair, and C and D must be chosen as a pair.
Voïvode Equipment
Each Voïvode has two equipment slots, rather than four. See the Voïvode character descriptions on page 62 for more information.
Voïvodes in Play
Voïvode Damage. Voïvodes do not have health indicator tokens as other characters do, because each has only a single row of characteristics. Upon sustaining one wound, a Voïvode is destroyed. Its miniature is removed from the board, and the corresponding destroyed Voïvode token is placed in the circle where the Voïvode was destroyed.
Voïvode Activations
Voïvodes are activated in pairs, A with B or C with D. When activating a pair of Voïvodes, a player must address both the movement and action of one Voïvode before addressing the movement and action of its mate. Otherwise, each Voïvode activation is carried out in the same way as any other character's activation, with movement points to be spent, one action to be chosen, and so on.
The mate of a destroyed Voïvode is activated on its own.
Example: The Matriarchy player has Zor'ka and four Voïvodes – A, B, C, and D – on his side. When it comes time for him to make an activation, he chooses to activate Voïvodes A and B. He first moves Voïvode A a few spaces, then carries out an attack for Voïvode A, and then finishes off Voïvode A's movement. Then, as part of the same overall game turn activation, he activates Voïvode B, which he moves but chooses not to select an action for. The next activation belongs to his Reich opponent, who activates Eva Krämer. After that, the Matriarchy player has the option to activate either Zor'ka or Voïvodes C and D.
Other Voïvode Rules
- Voïvodes can sustain wounds in Zor'ka's stead. Whenever Zor'ka sustains one or more wounds (after a shock roll has been made, if one is allowed), one – and only one – wound may be assigned to a Voïvode that shares a path with Zor'ka rather than to Zor'ka.
- Voïvodes are considered to have the Weapon and Hand-to-Hand traits intrinsically. That is, they do not need another weapon in order to roll four dice in melee combat.
- Command Points may not be spent on behalf of a Voïvode. To be clear, Command Points may not be used to increase a Voïvode's characteristic value, to buy extra movement points for a Voïvode, to place a Voïvode on overwatch, to allow a Voïvode to launch a counterattack, or for a Voïvode to shake off wounds.
- Voïvodes are not affected by the presence of smoke tokens or Smoke Grenades.
- Voïvodes are not affected by Liturgies (i.e., equipment with the Liturgy trait).
- Voïvodes may only re-enter the game as reinforcements in pairs, A with B and C with D. Single Voïvodes cannot return as reinforcements. When a Voïvode returns as a reinforcement, its corresponding destroyed Voïvode token is removed from the board.
- Voïvodes may not pick up or be handed equipment tokens by other characters and cannot search crates. They can, however, pick up and use flags and other equipment-like tokens that do not require an equipment slot just as other characters can (see, for example, the syringe tokens in the scenario "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" on page 74).
Secret Doors
Operation: Novgorod includes secret door tokens, which can be used in any game mode to connect distant locations on the game board.
Setup and Placement
If both players agree to use secret doors, the secret door tokens are placed immediately after the game board is chosen during general setup. Either two or four secret door tokens can be used; the quantity should be agreed on by both players.
Each player places an equal number of secret door tokens. A random die roll determines which player places first; players alternate placing secret door tokens until the agreed-upon number has been placed. Secret door tokens must be placed on Action circles, and new secret door tokens must be placed at least six circles away from previously placed secret door tokens.
Crates may not be placed on an Action circle with a Secret Door.
Using Secret Doors
During play, characters can move through secret doors to swiftly cross the board.
For a character to use secret doors, his player must declare at the beginning of that character's activation that the character intends to do so. This declaration does not use up either movement points or an action, but does cause that character to use his worst row of characteristic values for the duration of his activation.
A declared character is allowed (but not required) to move through secret doors during his activation. To do so, that character stands adjacent to any secret door token, spends a movement point, and moves to any movement circle adjacent to any other secret door token. This movement does not require an action. If the destination circle is a Movement modifier circle, the corresponding modifier applies as normal.
A character may pass through secret doors as many times in a turn as he is able. For example, a character could move through one secret door to emerge at a second, launch an attack, re-enter the second secret door, and emerge at a third secret door.
Characters cannot leave the board through secret doors; that is, they may not elect to remain "in the secret passages" either during or after their movement.
Example: Eva Krämer's player declares, at the beginning of her activation, that she intends to use secret doors during this activation. As a result of this declaration, Eva Krämer uses her lowest row of characteristic values for her entire activation. Eva Krämer spends three movement points to complete the movement shown in the diagram. It costs her one point to move so that she's adjacent to secret door "A," (1) a second point to move "through" the "secret passage" to be adjacent to secret door "B," (2) and then a third point to move (per the regular movement rules) to her final position (3).
Character Descriptions
Each character entry gives the character's special object and the equipment tokens in each of the character's equipment packs (Combat, Stamina, and, where printed, Command), with each token's traits and rules as printed. The flavor text is not reproduced, and the printed page does not carry the characteristic values, which are on the character sheet components.
Eva Krämer
Special Object: Strafe. Weapon, Hand-to-Hand • When attacking with this weapon, you may choose an adjacent target (as usual) or a target at range 2. When attacking with Strafe, add one additional die to your attack roll. Additionally, if you roll at least one Natural 10 on your attack roll, the target rolls two fewer dice when making his Shock Roll.
Combat Pack
- Mauser C96 – Weapon, Pistol
- Iron Cross 1st Class – Medal • Discard this token to add 2 Command Points to your side's pool once per game.
- Critical Hit – Ability • Each Natural 10 you roll on any attack roll counts as two successes (rather than one).
Stamina Pack
- Luger P-08 – Weapon, Pistol • When you attack with this weapon, your target may not counterattack.
- First Aid Kit – Hardware • As an action, discard this token to dial up your health indicator token, or an adjacent character's health indicator token, by up to two rows.
- Iron Cross 2nd Class – Medal • Discard this token to add 1 Command Point to your side's pool once per game.
Command Pack
- Mauser C96 – Weapon, Pistol
- Iron Cross 2nd Class – Medal • Discard this token to add 1 Command Point to your side's pool once per game.
- Infiltration – Ability • Prior to the game's first turn, Eva may enter the board through any entry point (even an enemy entry point) and move using her full normal complement of movement points. This is not an activation, and she may not perform actions during this time. On the first game turn, she activates as normal.
Hermann Von Heïzinger
Special Object: Patmos Amulet. Occult • As an action, engage in a Mental duel with any target within (your Mental value + 1). This target may be out-of-path. If you win, the target immediately attacks the closest character to him, friend or foe, with your choice of his Weapons. This attack may not use Mental Weapons. If multiple characters are equally close, you choose among them. If there are no available targets to attack, no attack is made, just the movement. After this attack, the target moves its full normal complement of movement points (or as many as possible) away from you through circles of your choice, and may not be activated for the rest of the turn.
Combat Pack
- Walther P.38 – Weapon, Pistol
- Sha-Na-Ra – Occult, Mental • As an action, once per game, engage in a Mental duel with any target within (your Mental value + 1). This target may be out-of-path. If you win, the target suffers automatic wounds equal to the number of your uncanceled successes in the duel. Turn this equipment token facedown when you do this, as a reminder that it has been used.
- Hermetica Umbra – Occult, Hermetica • You, and all characters with the Obscura Korps unit affiliation symbol within 6 circles of you, add one die to all their attack rolls.
Stamina Pack
- Walther P.38 – Weapon, Pistol
- Eye of Tages – Occult • As an action, once per game, return yourself or any adjacent character to full health. Turn this equipment token facedown when you do this, as a reminder that it has been used.
- Hermetica Astra – Occult, Hermetica • When making a shock roll, all characters on the game board with the Obscura Korps unit affiliation symbol (including you) receive one automatic success, but roll one fewer die.
Command Pack
- Walther P.38 – Weapon, Pistol
- Generalleutnant – Rank • Add +4 to your side's Initiative Rolls.
- Hermetica Occulta – Occult, Hermetica • Any character lacking the Obscura Korps unit affiliation symbol who wishes to move into a circle on your path must win a Mental duel (which does not require an action) against you first. Losing the duel does not prevent that character from continuing his movement, it simply prevents him from moving into a circle on your path. A given character may only initiate this Mental duel once per activation. This duel must be fought each time a character wishes to enter into a circle on your path.
Karl "Ozo" Zermann
Special Object: Doom. Weapon, Mental, Occult • When attacking with this weapon, you must choose any target up to (your Mental value + 1); this target may be out-of-path. Extra Ammunition may not be used to attack with Doom.
Combat Pack
- Stielhandgrenate – Grenade
- Supernatural Strength – Ability • Always use your best Combat value when making attack rolls.
- Immunity to Pain – Ability • Always use your best Stamina value when making shock rolls.
Stamina Pack
- Stielhandgrenate – Grenade
- Celerity – Ability • Add +2 to your current Movement value.
- First Aid Kit – Hardware • As an action, discard this token to dial up your health indicator token, or an adjacent character's health indicator token, by up to two rows.
Command Pack
- Stielhandgrenate – Grenade
- Oberleutnant – Rank • Add +3 to your side's Initiative Rolls.
- Ringkragen – Medal • Add one die to attacks made with Doom.
Schocktruppen
Special Object: Mad Minute. Ability • If you have not yet moved this turn, add one die to any attack roll made with an Automatic Weapon. (This includes overwatch attacks.)
Combat Pack
- MP40 – Weapon, Automatic
- Stielhandgrenate – Grenade
- Keep Firing – Ability • While on Overwatch, you do not lose your Overwatch status after making an attack, you only lose it at the end of the turn. You only get to roll 2 dice when making an Overwatch attack, but this number may be modified by other abilities and equipment.
Stamina Pack
- MP40 – Weapon, Automatic
- Extra Ammunition – Hardware • Discard this token at any time during your activation to make an attack. This attack does not require an action.
- First Aid Kit – Hardware • As an action, discard this token to dial up your health indicator token, or an adjacent character's health indicator token, by up to two rows.
Stosstruppen
Special Object: Demon Taint. Weapon, Hand-to-Hand • When attacking with this Weapon, add one additional die to your attack roll for each Hand-to-Hand Weapon in your inventory, including this one.
Combat Pack
- Combat Knife – Weapon, Hand-to-Hand
- Supernatural Strength – Ability • Always use your best Combat value when making attack rolls.
- Immunity to Pain – Ability • Always use your best Stamina value when making shock rolls.
Stamina Pack
- Not Dead Yet – Ability • Once per game, when you die, you re-enter play on the following turn as a reinforcement would (at no Command Point cost), but with only Demon Taint in your inventory.
- Celerity – Ability • Add +2 to your current Movement value.
- Immunity to Pain – Ability • Always use your best Stamina value when making shock rolls.
John MacNeal
Special Object: Nighteyes. Hardware • You ignore the effects of smoke, and you add +2 to any single ranged attack die rolled each time you attack. (Choose which die to increase after the roll. This bonus cannot make a die result into a Natural 10.)
Combat Pack
- Flash-gun MK1 – Weapon, Automatic • When attacking with this weapon, if you roll at least one Natural 10 on your attack roll, roll two additional dice and add their results to the attack roll. You may only use this ability once per attack.
- Combat Infantry Badge – Medal • When attacking, you may re-roll your lowest two dice, including Natural 1s.
- Medal of Honor – Medal • Once per game, as an action, discard this token to place your character on overwatch without spending a Command Point.
Stamina Pack
- Flash-gun MK1 – Weapon, Automatic • When attacking with this weapon, if you roll at least one Natural 10 on your attack roll, roll two additional dice and add their results to the attack roll. You may only use this ability once per attack.
- Expert Infantry Badge – Medal • Each Natural 10 you roll on a Shock Roll negates two wounds (rather than only one).
- Medal of Honor – Medal • Once per game, as an action, discard this token to place your character on overwatch without spending a Command Point.
Command Pack
- Colt .45 1911 A1 – Weapon, Pistol
- Captain – Rank • Add +4 to your side's Initiative Rolls.
- Silver Star – Medal • Discard this token to add 2 Command Points to your side's pool once per game.
Barry Daniel Brown
Special Object: Flash Machine Gun A6a. Weapon, Automatic, Heavy • When attacking with this weapon, you may choose two adjacent targets you could normally target. Apply the same attack roll to both targets (however, each target makes a separate shock roll). In addition, when attacking with this weapon, if you roll at least one Natural 10 on your attack roll, roll two additional dice and add their results to the attack roll.
Combat Pack
- Knife – Weapon, Hand-to-Hand
- BA-27 – Hardware • When attacking with the Flash Machine Gun A6a, add one additional die to your attack roll.
- MKII A1 – Grenade
Stamina Pack
- Incredible Strength – Ability • Always use your best Stamina value when making shock rolls.
- BA-27 – Hardware • When attacking with the Flash Machine Gun A6a, add one additional die to your attack roll.
- First Aid Kit – Hardware • As an action, discard this token to dial up your health indicator token, or an adjacent character's health indicator token, by up to two rows.
Command Pack
- Smith & Wesson 1917 – Weapon, Pistol
- Sergeant – Rank • Add +2 to your side's Initiative Rolls.
- MKII A1 – Grenade
Tala Aponi
Special Object: TNT 440gr. Grenade • When used as a Grenade, TNT 440gr inflicts 5 (rather than 4) automatic attack successes and leaves a double-icon (rather than single-icon) rubble token behind. Alternately, as an action, you may place this token on your current circle. Then, in any of your later activations, you may spend an action to detonate it, dealing damage in that location as above and eliminating the token. If placed in this way any character with the Engineering skill can pick this equipment up and use it as a Grenade, with the increased effects described above. Only Tala may place it, and it may not be destroyed except by Tala detonating it or by it exploding when used as a grenade. This token does not block movement. Turn this equipment token facedown when you use it, as a reminder that it has been used.
Combat Pack
- M3 – Weapon, Automatic
- M15 – Smoke Grenade
- Extra Ammunition – Hardware • Discard this token at any time during your activation to make an attack. This attack does not require an action.
Stamina Pack
- Smith & Wesson 1917 – Weapon, Pistol
- First Aid Kit – Hardware • As an action, discard this token to dial up your health indicator token, or an adjacent character's health indicator token, by up to two rows.
- Morphine Shot – Hardware • The Morphine Shot, once activated, cancels all wounds dealt to you by the next attack. To activate, as an action flip this token facedown; leave it on your character sheet but move it out of its equipment slot – it is no longer considered part of your inventory. Alternately, you may flip this token facedown as an action and move it onto the character sheet of an adjacent character, where it is considered activated and not considered to be in inventory.
Command Pack
- Smith & Wesson 1917 – Weapon, Pistol
- Corporal – Rank • Add +1 to your side's Initiative Rolls.
- M15 – Smoke Grenade
Commando Alpha
Special Object: Keep Moving. Ability • Ignore one point of penalty from each movement modifier circle you enter.
Combat Pack
- Flash-gun MK1 – Weapon, Automatic • When attacking with this weapon, if you roll at least one Natural 10 on your attack roll, roll two additional dice and add their results to the attack roll. You may only use this ability once per attack.
- MKII A1 – Grenade
- M15 – Smoke Grenade
Stamina Pack
- Reising M50 – Weapon, Automatic
- MKII A1 – Grenade
- Go! Go! Go! – Ability • At the beginning of your activation (before any movement or actions), you may receive 3 extra movement points this activation, but may not use your action to attack.
Commando Delta
Special Object: BG-42. Hardware • If you roll a Natural 10 on any shock roll to resist an attack with a Pistol Weapon or Automatic Weapon, all attack roll successes are canceled.
Combat Pack
- Smith & Wesson 1917 – Weapon, Pistol
- Keep Moving – Ability • Ignore one point of penalty from each movement modifier circle you enter.
- M15 – Smoke Grenade
Stamina Pack
- Smith & Wesson 1917 – Weapon, Pistol
- M15 – Smoke Grenade
- Go! Go! Go! – Ability • At the beginning of your activation (before any movement or actions), you may receive 3 extra movement points this activation, but may not use your action to attack.
Zor'ka
Special Object: Awakening. Ability • At the beginning of any of your (i.e., Zor'ka's) activations after the first game turn, you may trigger Awakening. When you do so, make a Mental test; you must score three successes (rather than one) in order to be successful on this test. If successful, you receive twice your Movement value in movement points and may carry out two actions during this activation. However, on your next activation, you may not move or act. Awakening is not used up if the test is failed. If the test is successful, discard Awakening.
Combat Pack
- Magnifier – Weapon, Hand-to-Hand • After concluding an attack with the Magnifier, if there are any characters (whether friend or foe, but not including Voïvodes) within 3 circles of your target, you must make an additional attack against all of those characters with the Magnifier at no further action cost. You do not need line of sight to the characters attacked with the secondary attack. This attack is made as normal, an attack roll must be made against each character, who may then make a Shock roll. Circles anywhere on the game board that contain or are adjacent to a Smiljan Module that has been placed on the map or a Voïvode with a Smiljan Coil in its inventory are considered to be adjacent to you for the purpose of Magnifier attacks.
- Tesla Coil – Hardware • When you suffer a wound as a result of a melee attack, your attacker suffers an automatic attack success (i.e., he must make a shock roll to avoid sustaining a wound).
- Rebirth – Ability • Once per game, as an action, discard this token to replace all destroyed Voïvode tokens with their miniatures (i.e., the Voïvodes are returned to play). Any such Voïvode that has not yet been activated this game turn, and whose pair-mate has not been activated this game turn, may be activated normally.
Stamina Pack
- Magnifier – Weapon, Hand-to-Hand • After concluding an attack with the Magnifier, if there are any characters (whether friend or foe, but not including Voïvodes) within 3 circles of your target, you must make an additional attack against all of those characters with the Magnifier at no further action cost. You do not need line of sight to the characters attacked with the secondary attack. This attack is made as normal, an attack roll must be made against each character, who may then make a Shock roll. Circles anywhere on the game board that contain or are adjacent to a Smiljan Module that has been placed on the map or a Voïvode with a Smiljan Coil in its inventory are considered to be adjacent to you for the purpose of Magnifier attacks.
- Imposing – Ability • Roll one additional die when you make shock rolls.
- Servitude – Ability • Once per game, regardless of their locations, discard this token and spend an action to place all surviving Voïvodes adjacent to your miniature. If there are not enough adjacent circles to place all surviving Voïvodes, place as many as possible (of your choice), leaving the others where they are.
Command Pack
- Magnifier – Weapon, Hand-to-Hand • After concluding an attack with the Magnifier, if there are any characters (whether friend or foe, but not including Voïvodes) within 3 circles of your target, you must make an additional attack against all of those characters with the Magnifier at no further action cost. You do not need line of sight to the characters attacked with the secondary attack. This attack is made as normal, an attack roll must be made against each character, who may then make a Shock roll. Circles anywhere on the game board that contain or are adjacent to a Smiljan Module that has been placed on the map or a Voïvode with a Smiljan Coil in its inventory are considered to be adjacent to you for the purpose of Magnifier attacks.
- Triglaf – Hardware • During your activation, when you announce a Magnifier attack that will be relayed by a Voïvode, you may move that Voïvode up to five circles first (without activating it) and following normal movement restrictions.
- Presence – Ability • Treat your Mental Stat as if it were a "–" (a dash, i.e., null; the printed text reads "a -."). You may not be targeted by Mental Duels.
Irina Kravchenko
Special Object: Martyr. Ability • Once per game, when you die, discard this token and re-enter play on the following turn as a reinforcement would (at no Command Point cost), but with only your 1920 Nagant Special in your inventory.
Combat Pack
- 1920 Nagant Special – Weapon, Pistol
- Tesla Coil – Hardware • When you suffer a wound as a result of a melee attack, your attacker suffers an automatic attack success (i.e., he must make a shock roll to avoid sustaining a wound).
- Liturgy of Valor – Liturgy • All characters with the Matriarchy unit affiliation symbol add +1 to their Combat value.
Stamina Pack
- 1920 Nagant Special – Weapon, Pistol
- Tesla Super-Coil – Hardware • When you are wounded by a melee attack, your attacker suffers two automatic attack successes (i.e., he must make a shock roll to avoid sustaining wounds).
- Liturgy of Fortitude – Liturgy • All characters with the Matriarchy unit affiliation symbol add +1 to their Stamina value.
Command Pack
- 1920 Nagant Special – Weapon, Pistol
- Holy Commissar – Ability • Once per game, discard this token to allow your side to introduce a reinforcement without spending Command Points. This introduction of a reinforcement is not done on your activation and does not require you to spend an action.
- Liturgy of Faith – Liturgy • All characters with the Matriarchy unit affiliation symbol add +1 to their Movement value.
Irishka Voronin
Special Object: R.U.R. Hardware • As an action, if adjacent to and sharing a path with Zor'ka, you may repair one of Zor'ka's wounds (i.e., dial Zor'ka's health indicator token up one row). Alternately, as an action, if adjacent to and sharing a path with a destroyed Voïvode token, you may replace that token with its miniature, returning the Voïvode to play.
Combat Pack
- Kaali – Weapon, Automatic, Heavy • Attacks made with this weapon place a meteop token on any circle you share a path with. Any character entering, or currently standing in, that circle makes it detonate. On detonation, remove the meteop token and deal three automatic attack successes to that character. Only a character with the Weaponry skill may use this weapon.
- Tesla Coil – Hardware • When you suffer a wound as a result of a melee attack, your attacker suffers an automatic attack success (i.e., he must make a shock roll to avoid sustaining a wound).
- Volta Pistol – Weapon, Pistol
Stamina Pack
- Kaali – Weapon, Automatic, Heavy • Attacks made with this weapon place a meteop token on any circle you share a path with. Any character entering, or currently standing in, that circle makes it detonate. On detonation, remove the meteop token and deal three automatic attack successes to that character. Only a character with the Weaponry skill may use this weapon.
- Tesla Super-Coil – Hardware • When you are wounded by a melee attack, your attacker suffers two automatic attack successes (i.e., he must make a shock roll to avoid sustaining wounds).
- Electric Truncheon – Weapon, Hand-to-Hand • When attacking with the Electric Truncheon, add two additional dice to your attack roll.
Command Pack
- Kaali – Weapon, Automatic, Heavy • Attacks made with this weapon place a meteop token on any circle you share a path with. Any character entering, or currently standing in, that circle makes it detonate. On detonation, remove the meteop token and deal three automatic attack successes to that character. Only a character with the Weaponry skill may use this weapon.
- Summoning Module – Hardware • As an action, you can remove this token from your inventory and place it on an empty, adjacent circle on your path. After being placed, this token cannot be picked up, destroyed, or deactivated by any character, including you. Once placed, this token does not block movement and does not prevent a character from standing in its circle. As its activation, any Voïvode may be moved to any circle adjacent to the placed token. Voïvodes must follow all normal movement restrictions. If moving, the Voïvode may not take any actions.
- Smiljan Module – Hardware • As an action, you can remove the Smiljan Module token from your inventory and place it on an empty, adjacent circle on your path. After being placed, the Smiljan Module cannot be picked up, destroyed, or deactivated by any character, including you. The placed Smiljan Module does not block movement and does not prevent a character from standing in its circle. (See "Magnifier" on page 57 for additional information. The source prints "page @@" at this point; the reference is to the Zor'ka Magnifier entry.)
Voïvodes (Equipment)
Voïvodes do not have regular equipment packs. Instead, when equipment packs are chosen during setup, each Voïvode is equipped with a Smiljan Coil and two equipment tokens chosen freely (subject to component limits) from among those listed here.
See page 34 for additional rules related to Voïvodes.
All Voïvodes – Smiljan Coil. Each Voïvode contains a Smiljan-Class Superconducting Coil capable of directing and redirecting Zor'ka's Magnifier discharge across great distances. Hardware • This equipment expands the reach of Zor'ka's Magnifier attacks. See "Magnifier" on page 57 for additional information.
Two per Pair (the heading printed above the Voïvode improvement sets)
- Radegast – Improvements dedicated to the god of war: Yttrium Armor ~ Aggressiveness Exchanger ~ Electromagnetic Relay. Ability • Your Combat value is 4 regardless of the characteristic indicated on your character sheet. (This value may be further modified by other circumstances and equipment.)
- Scretcha – Improvements dedicated to the goddess of happy events: Vacuum Tubes ~ Rogowski Coil ~ R.U.R. ~ FEM Coil. Ability • As an action, if adjacent to and sharing a path with Zor'ka, you may repair one of Zor'ka's wounds (i.e., dial Zor'ka's health indicator token up one row).
- Denitsa – Improvements dedicated to the goddess of the morning star and sun: Orientation Sensors ~ Illuminated Manuscripts from the Priory of St. John ~ Servo-Actuators ~ Dynamic Shock Absorbers. Ability • Your Movement value is 10 regardless of the characteristic indicated on your character sheet. (This value may be further modified by other circumstances and equipment.)
- Tchour – Improvements dedicated to the god of travel: Quartz Oscillator ~ Electromagnetic Lens ~ Hydraulic Shock Absorber ~ Contiguity Matrix. Ability • Ignore all Movement penalties, regardless of source.
- Soud – Improvements dedicated to the god of death: Fulmicoton Charge ~ Dikirion ~ Shell Loader. Ability • As an action, when in a circle adjacent to another character, you may self-destruct to inflict four automatic attack successes on that single character. This self-destruction eliminates you from play and prevents you from placing a destroyed Voïvode token on the map (which in turn prevents R.U.R. and Rebirth from bringing you back into play). A Voïvode destroyed by Soud may return to play as a reinforcement, however. If this Voïvode is returned as a reinforcement, the only item in their inventory is the Smiljan Coil.
- Nesretcha – Improvements dedicated to the goddess of woe and bad luck: Superconducting Shield ~ Tesla Generator ~ Electromagnets ~ Diodes. Ability • When you spend an action to make a melee attack, make a (separate) attack roll against every enemy character instead of attacking just one.
Wolf
Challenges (see "Challenge Tokens" on page 32)
- Combat: Wound three enemy characters using a different weapon each time. Unarmed does count as a weapon type.
- Physical: Bring the corpse of an enemy character to your entry point. You may pick up a corpse from the circle where a character died. While carrying a corpse, use your lowest row of values. Neither picking up nor delivering a corpse uses an action.
- Mental: You must roll seven Natural 10s over the course of the game.
- Special: You must plant secret notes on an enemy Hero to implicate him as a traitor. To do this, spend an action while standing on a circle adjacent to and on the same path as your target and win a Stamina duel against him.
Special Object: Jack-of-All-Trades. Ability • During setup when packs are chosen, Wolf's player selects two characteristics, two skills, or one characteristic and one skill. A selected characteristic gets a +1 bonus for the entire game; a selected skill is added to your repertoire for the entire game.
Combat Pack
- MP3008c "Freiheit" Machine Pistol – Weapon, Automatic • While on overwatch, you may make two overwatch attacks. Follow all normal rules for overwatch attacks (see Overwatch on page 26).
- M3 Combat Knife – Weapon, Hand-to-Hand
- F1 Fragmentation Grenade – Grenade
Stamina Pack
- MP3008c "Freiheit" Machine Pistol – Weapon, Automatic • While on overwatch, you may make two overwatch attacks. Follow all normal rules for overwatch attacks (see Overwatch on page 26).
- M3 Combat Knife – Weapon, Hand-to-Hand
- Morphine Shot – Hardware • The Morphine Shot, once activated, cancels all wounds dealt to you by the next attack. To activate, as an action flip this token facedown; leave it on your character sheet but move it out of its equipment slot – it is no longer considered part of your inventory. Alternately, you may flip this token facedown as an action and move it onto the character sheet of an adjacent character, where it is considered activated and not considered to be in inventory.
Command Pack
- Colt .45 – Weapon, Pistol
- Luck – Hardware • Once per turn, you may re-roll all of your dice for a single roll. The new results stand, even if worse. As a reminder, turn this token facedown when used and faceup during each turn's "refresh tokens" step.
- First Aid Kit – Hardware • As an action, discard this token to dial up your health indicator token, or an adjacent character's health indicator token, by up to two rows.
Yula Korlïtz
Special Object: Krueger. Weapon, Hand-to-Hand • When attacking with this weapon, add one additional die to your attack roll. Additionally, when attacking with this weapon, if you roll at least one Natural 10 on your attack roll, you may destroy one of your target's Weapon or Hardware equipment tokens of your choice. A destroyed token is flipped facedown; it continues to take up space in the target's inventory, but may not be used for the rest of the game.
Challenges (see "Challenge Tokens" on page 32)
- Combat: You must inflict at least one wound on each of three different enemy characters in melee combat.
- Mental: You must find secret codes on the corpse of an enemy Hero and deliver them to a Reich Hero. To find the codes, spend an action in a circle where an enemy Hero died. To deliver them, use the regular rules for passing equipment. The codes do not take up an equipment slot when carried.
- Physical: In four different game turns, you must pass through, or end your activation on, a path containing an enemy character. To "pass through" a path, you must enter and leave it by different routes.
- Special: You must destroy an enemy Hero's Weapon using Krueger and then outlive that character.
Combat Pack
- Luger 1900 – Weapon, Pistol
- Close Combat Bar – Medal • Once per activation, you may make a melee attack as if you were on overwatch against the active character, if that character is in a circle adjacent to you. You do not need to be on overwatch to make this attack, if you are on overwatch the attack does not use up your overwatch attack, and making this attack does not use up either your activation or action for the turn.
- Critical Hit – Ability • Each Natural 10 you roll on any attack roll counts as two successes (rather than one).
Stamina Pack
- Luger 1900 – Weapon, Pistol
- First Aid Kit – Hardware • As an action, discard this token to dial up your health indicator token, or an adjacent character's health indicator token, by up to two rows.
- Polonium c210 – Hardware • After making a melee attack roll, you may change a single Natural 1 result into a regular success instead (i.e., into a success that is not a Natural 10).
Command Pack
- Luger 1900 – Weapon, Pistol
- Whirlwind – Ability • Once during your activation, after making a melee attack, you may spend a Command Point to make an additional melee attack. As a reminder, turn this token facedown when used and faceup during each turn's "refresh tokens" step.
- Silencer – Hardware • When you attack with a Pistol, your target may not counterattack.
Gorgeï Volkov
Faction-loyal: Matriarchy.
Special Object: Multiple Targets. Ability • After making an attack with this weapon, you may make an additional attack against any legal target. You only roll two attack dice on this second attack, although abilities or equipment may increase or decrease this number. This ability may be used while on overwatch, but may not be combined with Extra Ammunition.
Challenges (see "Challenge Tokens" on page 32)
- Combat: You must kill two enemy characters before suffering any wounds. Wounds shaken off with Command Points are not "suffered."
- Stamina: You must avoid suffering a wound until every enemy character has been wounded at least once. Wounds shaken off with Command Points are not "suffered."
- Mental: You must pass adjacent to an enemy entry point and two different Action circles.
- Special: You must examine five different pieces of disposable equipment dropped by enemy characters. To examine a piece of equipment, move onto the circle it occupies (you do not need to spend an action). You may examine all equipment in a given circle at once.
Combat Pack
- PPSh-41 Submachine Guns – Weapon, Automatic
- F1 Fragmentation Grenade – Grenade
- Hero of Rugen – Medal • Add one additional die to your attack rolls.
Stamina Pack
- PPSh-41 Submachine Guns – Weapon, Automatic
- Survival – Ability • When you make a shock roll, each Natural 10 you roll cancels two attack roll successes (rather than just one).
- Hero of Giva – Medal • Once per game, discard this token to re-roll all of the dice for one of your shock rolls. The new result must be used, even if worse.
Command Pack
- PPSh-41 Submachine Guns – Weapon, Automatic
- Gold Star – Medal • Once per game, discard this token and spend an action to place yourself on overwatch.
- Major – Rank • Add +5 to your side's Initiative Rolls.
Sergio Ramirez Delastillas
Special Object: Hound DOG Remote Control. Hardware • As long as you have the Engineering skill, you control Hound DOG. (See "Hound DOG" on page 33.)
Challenges (see "Challenge Tokens" on page 32)
- Combat: You must wound two different enemy characters during the same activation.
- Stamina: You must survive wounds caused by two different enemies.
- Mental: Your side must win at least four Initiative Rolls, and you must make at least two attacks with your Mark 19 mod A1.
- Special: You must pilot Hound DOG adjacent to three enemy characters during the game.
Combat Pack
- Mark 19 mod A1 – Weapon, Automatic, Heavy • When attacking with this weapon, choose any circle on your path; make a seperate [sic] attack roll for each character on or adjacent to the chosen circle. Only characters with the Weaponry skill may use this weapon.
- HB-3 Visor – Hardware • You ignore the effects of smoke, and you may re-roll your lowest die result on any ranged attack roll (but must accept the second roll, even if worse).
- Bouncing Betty – Hardware • As an action, you may place this token on your current circle. Then, in any of your later activations, you may spend an action to detonate it, dealing damage in that location as above and eliminating the token. If placed in this way any character with the Engineering skill can pick this equipment up and use it as above. This token does not block movement.
Stamina Pack
- Mark 19 mod A1 – Weapon, Automatic, Heavy • When attacking with this weapon, choose any circle on your path; make a seperate [sic] attack roll for each character on or adjacent to the chosen circle. Only characters with the Weaponry skill may use this weapon.
- Purple Heart – Medal • Once per game, discard this token to re-roll all of the dice for one of your shock rolls. The new result must be used, even if worse.
- The Brothers Bomb – Hardware • As an action, you may place this token on your current circle. Then, at the end of each successive character's activation, you must move this token two circles. The first time this movement takes the Brothers Bomb adjacent to any character (even you) it explodes, dealing four automatic attack successes to every character in all circles adjacent to it. The Brothers Bomb does move at the end of the activation in which it was placed. It only explodes when its movement moves it into a circle adjacent to a character, so it does not explode immediately upon being placed.
Command Pack
- Mark 19 mod A1 – Weapon, Automatic, Heavy • When attacking with this weapon, choose any circle on your path; make a seperate [sic] attack roll for each character on or adjacent to the chosen circle. Only characters with the Weaponry skill may use this weapon.
- Corporal 5th Grade – Rank • Add +2 to your side's Initiative Rolls. In addition, all characters on your side count as having the Weaponry skill (see Skills on page 26).
- Bronze Star – Medal • Discard this token to add 1 Command Point to your side's pool once per game.
Scenarios
Each of the following sections presents a scenario for use in scenario mode play (see "Story Mode" on page 31). Each of these scenarios requires at least one expansion past the Tannhäuser core set, and is thus marked with the appropriate expansion symbol.
The setup diagrams printed with the scenarios (and the tactical maps on pages 80–82) are images and are not reproduced in this transcription.
Gold Save the Queen
Setup
Use the Castle Ksiaz map.
This scenario pits the Union against the Reich.
Players do not choose entry points as normal. Instead, each side's entry points are shown on the setup diagram.
Each player receives 2 Command Points.
Entry points are chosen as in deathmatch mode.
The Union player automatically has Wolf on his side. The Union player does not receive Command Points during the first turn of the game.
The Reich player must choose at least one Schocktruppen as part of his strike force.
After choosing equipment for his characters, the Reich player places his equipment tokens facedown on all of his characters' character sheets (i.e., hidden from his opponent) with the exception of his mandatory Schocktruppen, whose equipment is placed faceup as normal.
After selecting equipment for his characters, the Union player takes the double-sided Wolf token and two unused Wolf equipment tokens. These are Wolf tokens; the double-sided Wolf is the true Wolf token, while the other two are decoy tokens.
The Reich player must then choose an alarm code as follows. He takes three Command Point crates – one each of the values 0, 1, and 2 – and places them facedown on the table in front of him in a left-to-right order of his choosing. He thus designates the alarm code as 012, 021, 102, 120, 201, or 210.
To set up crate tokens, randomly choose eight crate tokens containing equipment from among those available and combine them with the three crate tokens depicting gold bars (referred to as gold bar tokens). Place these 11 tokens randomly on the map in the yellow circles shown in the setup diagram.
(Gold bar token faces: the three-, four-, and six-brick gold bar tokens.)
Special Rules
The game is divided into two phases: Infiltration and Recovery. The Infiltration phase consists of Wolf's stealthy entrance into the base and ends when Wolf either disarms the base's alarm or sets it off. Then the Recovery phase begins.
The Infiltration Phase
During the Infiltration phase:
- The players do not make Initiative Rolls. Instead, the Union player automatically wins initiative each turn.
- Neither player may spend Command Points for any reason.
- The Union player controls only the three Wolf tokens, and the Reich player controls only his mandatory Schocktruppen. All other characters – including the Wolf miniature – remain off the map until the Recovery phase begins.
During the Infiltration phase, each Wolf token moves and is activated like a regular character, save that all three are activated consecutively by the Union player (i.e., before the Schocktruppen's activation). Wolf tokens enter play through the Union entry point as normal. The Wolf tokens are kept facedown so the Reich player does not know which is the true Wolf token and which are the decoys.
Wolf tokens do not affect enemy movement and cannot be attacked. They cannot spend actions.
If the Schocktruppen moves adjacent to a Wolf token, the Wolf token is exposed. If the token exposed is a decoy, it is discarded. If it is the true Wolf token, however, the alarm is set off.
The Alarm
Immediately before each Reich activation during the Infiltration phase, the Union player guesses a possible alarm code (i.e., 012, 210, etc.). If he guesses correctly:
- The alarm is deactivated and can no longer be set off (see below).
- Any Wolf decoy tokens that remain on the map are replaced with Union Troopers chosen during setup.
- The double-Wolf token is replaced with the Wolf miniature.
- The Union player randomly removes one equipment token from each Reich character other than the Schocktruppen. All remaining equipment tokens possessed by those characters are then turned faceup. Those characters enter play with an empty equipment slot.
- The Infiltration phase ends and the Recovery phase begins.
The alarm is set off if any of the following occur:
- The Union player guesses five possible alarm codes (as described above) without guessing the correct one.
- The Schocktruppen passes over the true Wolf token (as described above).
If the alarm is set off, do the following:
- Replace the double-Wolf token with the Wolf miniature and discard all remaining decoy tokens.
- Turn faceup all Reich equipment tokens chosen during setup. The Reich characters begin play with their full complement of equipment.
- The Infiltration phase ends and the Recovery phase begins.
The Recovery Phase
During the Recovery phase, players make Initiative Rolls and may spend Command Points as normal. Players bring the characters they chose during setup onto the map during the first Recovery phase game turn as if it were the first game turn (except for any characters that are already on the map, for example, due to the instructions above for either deactivating or setting off the alarm).
Gold bar tokens are handled (i.e., revealed, picked up, dropped, carried, and so on) exactly like other equipment crate tokens. Each gold bar token represents either three, four, or six bricks of gold as shown on the token's face.
Victory Conditions
Either player can win by having two of the three gold bar tokens on his entry point at the same time. However, if the Recovery phase lasts for five full game turns without either player accomplishing this, the game ends. In this case, the player who has the most bricks among his entry point and his surviving characters' inventories wins.
If neither player has any gold bar tokens during the Recovery phase of the fifth game turn, the game ends in a draw.
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
Setup
Use the Tesla Priority [sic; the map is the Tesla Priory map] map.
This scenario pits the Reich against the Matriarchy.
Each player receives 2 Command Points per turn.
Entry points are chosen as in deathmatch mode.
Place six barricade tokens (yellow) and three crate tokens (red) as shown in the diagram. These crate tokens are not regular crates, so it does not matter what is shown on their faces. Rather, they contain the powerful healing compound Regenedrine. No other crates are placed.
Each player randomly chooses a leader as follows:
- The Reich player places one unused equipment token for each of his Heroes into a cup or box top and selects one randomly. The Hero the selected equipment token belongs to is the leader for the Reich.
- The Matriarchy player places one unused Zor'ka equipment token and three unused equipment tokens for each of his other Heroes into a cup or box top and selects one randomly. The Hero the selected equipment token belongs to is the leader for the Matriarchy.
Each player's leader begins the game seriously wounded, on his side's entry point, with his health indicator token set at his lowest characteristic row.
Special Rules
Each side's leader has been crippled. Until he has been fully healed (see below), he may not be activated or set on overwatch.
The crates placed on the board during setup contain Regenedrine syringes. A character may pick up a syringe token by spending an action while standing adjacent to a circle containing a crate. A syringe is similar to a flag in capture the flag mode (see "Capture the Flag Mode" on page 28) with the following exceptions:
- If a character carrying a syringe is killed, the syringe is destroyed rather than dropped.
- A given character may only carry one syringe at a time.
Picking up a syringe token does not deplete a crate's supply; the crate tokens remain no matter how many syringes are taken from them. If the players run out of syringe tokens, use any convenient markers to stand in; there is no limit to the number of syringes that can be in play at any given time.
To use a Regenedrine syringe to heal his side's leader, a character carrying one must stand adjacent to the leader and spend an action to administer the dose. When this is done, remove the syringe token from the character's sheet and dial the leader's health indicator token up one characteristic row. As noted above, a leader may not be activated or placed on overwatch until fully healed to his highest row of values.
Leaders may only be healed by Regenedrine syringes.
A barricade token on a movement circle prevents characters from standing on that circle. Such circles also interrupt the paths they are on, effectively dividing each such path into two separate paths. However, the barricade token nearest to each entry point is ignored, for the entire game, by all characters on the side that chose that entry point during setup.
Barricade tokens can be attacked using the normal attack rules. The barricade token is considered to be on all paths that match its movement circle. No shock roll is made for a barricade token; as long as the attacker rolls at least one success the barricade token suffers damage. A barricade token that suffers one or more automatic attack successes or automatic wounds for any reason – such as from an exploding grenade – suffers damage in the same way. When an undamaged barricade token suffers at least one point of damage (printed as "suffersat least"), it is flipped over to record this damaged status. When a previously damaged barricade token suffers damage again, it is removed from play.
Victory Conditions
Either side wins by killing the opposing side's leader.
Last of an Ancient Breed
Setup
Use the Tesla Priory map.
This scenario pits the Reich against the Union.
Each player receives 2 Command Points per turn.
Entry points are chosen as in deathmatch mode.
Place two random Voïvode equipment tokens facedown on each of the four circles on the diagram marked with a Voïvode image (eight equipment tokens total).
Shuffle the Zor'ka Magnifier equipment token facedown with any three other Zor'ka equipment tokens. Roll a die for each of these four tokens, placing each – still facedown – onto the circle on the diagram with the corresponding number. Re-roll any result that would stack two of these tokens on the same circle, and re-roll any result that would place a token on any entry point chosen by a player earlier in the setup process.
These 12 tokens, collectively, are salvage tokens.
Finally, shuffle all available equipment and Command Point crate tokens and place one on each empty Action circle.
Special Rules
Salvage tokens are acquired, picked up, dropped, passed, and left behind on a character's death according to the same rules as flags in capture the flag mode, with two exceptions. First, any character of either side may acquire or pick up any salvage token. Second, a character can only carry one salvage token at a time and, while doing so, must use his worst Movement value. (See "Capture the Flag Mode" on page 28.)
Salvage tokens cannot be used as equipment, and when sitting on the map (as opposed to when being carried by a character), are treated as single-icon rubble tokens with respect to movement.
Players may not look at the faces of any of the salvage tokens prior to the end of the game.
Thunderstruck
Setup
Use the Tesla Priority [sic; the map is the Tesla Priory map] map.
This scenario pits the Union against the Matriarchy.
Entry points are not chosen. Rather, the Matriarchy player places his miniatures at the end of setup in the circles of his choice marked with Matriarchy symbols on the diagram. (He places the second Voïvode of each Voïvode pair – A/B or C/D – in an unmarked circle adjacent to its counterpart.) The Union player uses the entry points marked with the Army of the Union symbols on the diagram, with the special restriction that he must alternate between them when he deploys his characters on the first game turn.
Each player receives 2 Command Points per turn.
Place the red, blue, and green core tokens as shown in the diagram.
(Core token faces: the red, blue, and green core tokens.)
Randomize available crates showing equipment and Command Points and place one facedown on each Action circle, with the exception of the five Action circles adjacent to the Matriarchy starting locations.
Special Rules
Cores are acquired, dropped, passed, and left behind on a character's death according to the same rules as flags in capture the flag mode (see "Capture the Flag Mode" on page 28). Cores can be planted in their color-coded resonance circuits (shown as solid colored circles on the diagram) in the same way flags are planted in capture the flag mode. For each core planted in its circuit, all Union characters suffer a cumulative –1 penalty to all of their characteristic values (minimum value: 1).
However, unlike flags, cores can also be "unplanted" in the same way that they are acquired. A given core's penalty is eliminated when it is unplanted from its circuit and re-planted in its respective starting location. Matriarchy models may not unplant cores, and Union models may not acquire the cores from their starting circles.
Victory Conditions
The Matriarchy wins by planting each core in its color-coded resonance circuit at least once. However, all three cores need not be in their circuits at the same time for the Matriarchy to win.
The Union wins by eliminating all enemy characters.
Kill 'Em All
Setup
Use the Catacombs map.
This scenario pits the Reich against the Union.
Each player receives 2 Command Points per turn.
The Union player selects only two Heroes and two Troopers (rather than his normal complement of five characters). Each of his Heroes begins the game having suffered two automatic wounds. Each of his Troopers begins the game having suffered one automatic wound.
The Reich player does not select characters, but instead plays with Yula Korlïtz, Eva Krämer, and a Schocktruppen. All three begin the game unwounded. (Note that although Hermann Von Heïzinger, Karl Zermann, and a Stosstruppen are part of this scenario, they are not controlled by either player.)
Neither player may use mercenaries.
Place two rubble tokens as shown in the setup diagram. These tokens do not have the effects of regular rubble tokens; see "Special Rules," below.
Place the Hermann Von Heïzinger miniature as shown on the diagram.
Set up the character sheets for Von Heïzinger, Zermann, and the Stosstruppen on a neutral side of the board. None have any equipment and all are badly wounded, with their health indicator tokens pointing to their lowest row.
The players make a series of die rolls to place (a) the two Union Heroes, (b) Karl Zermann, (c) one Stosstruppen, and (d) the two Union Troopers. For each of these four placements, which are made in the order specified (a, b, c, d), each player rolls a single die. The player who rolls highest (re-roll ties) places the character(s) in question on any empty circle(s) marked with a red X on the diagram.
The Union player must choose one piece of disposable equipment from each of his characters' inventories. The chosen equipment remains in that character's inventory, while the rest of his disposable equipment must be placed on the Action circle or Objective circle adjacent to his starting position. (Non-disposable equipment is not affected.)
The Union player does not have an entry point. The Reich player may use both entry points.
Special Rules
The rubble tokens placed during setup are impassible barricades rather than regular rubble tokens. (If you have Operation: Novgorod, you may wish to use barricade tokens instead of rubble tokens.) Characters may not move onto or attack through the movement circles these rubble tokens occupy.
The circles occupied at any given time by Von Heïzinger, Zermann, and the Stosstruppen can be moved through freely by either player (although, as normal, other characters cannot end movement on their circles). These three characters cannot be activated by either player, although (a) at the end of each game turn the Union player may move each of them using up to three movement points each, and (b) when they are attacked, the Union player makes shock rolls for them.
Victory Conditions
To win, the Reich player must eliminate Von Heïzinger, Zermann, and the Stosstruppen in reprisal for their failure.
The Union player wins by eliminating Yula Korlïtz, Eva Krämer, and the Schocktruppen while keeping alive Von Heïzinger, Zermann, or the Stosstruppen for interrogation. Note that only one is required to be alive at the end of the game for the Union to win.
Can't Touch This
Setup
Use the Tesla Priory map.
This scenario pits the Union against the Matriarchy.
Each player receives 3 Command Points per turn.
The Union player must choose Ramirez as one of his Heroes.
After choosing Ramirez's equipment, the Union player must take all of Ramirez's chosen equipment other than the Hound DOG Remote Control from his inventory, shuffle them together with the three Hound DOG Parts tokens, and place these six tokens randomly, facedown, on the six circles indicated by Ramirez icons on the diagram. These six tokens are called Ramirez tokens.
Entry points are chosen as in deathmatch mode. The rush-and-go variant (see page 9) is used.
Randomize all available crate tokens containing equipment and Command Points and place one facedown on each Objective circle.
Special Rules
Hound DOG cannot be deployed until the three Hound DOG Parts tokens are assembled (see below).
On the first game turn, only Ramirez (and no other characters on either side) may be activated. After that turn, characters enter the map and players alternate activations as normal.
Union characters may recover Ramirez tokens by spending an action while standing adjacent to one. (Matriarchy characters cannot interact with Ramirez tokens.) Upon recovering a Ramirez token:
- If it is a piece of disposable equipment, it may be picked up as if taken from a crate or may be left in place faceup.
- If it is a piece of non-disposable equipment, it may be stowed (see below) or may be left in place faceup. (Exception: If Ramirez is the character recovering the equipment, he has the additional option of adding it to his inventory.)
- If it is a Hound DOG Part token, it may be stowed (see below) or may be left in place faceup.
Stowed equipment is placed on the stowing character's character sheet. It is not considered to be in that character's inventory. It cannot be used and does not take up an equipment slot. Stowed equipment can be dropped and passed between characters like inventory equipment. Exception: Passing stowed equipment to Ramirez does not cost an action.
If stowed equipment is dropped, or when stowable equipment is not picked up when discovered, other characters can pick up and stow it as described above, at the cost of an action. Exception: Ramirez can pick up this equipment and either stow it or add it to his inventory as appropriate at no action cost.
Stowed Hound DOG Parts tokens can be assembled to form Hound DOG. A character who has three stowed Hound DOG Parts tokens can spend an action to assemble them. Exception: Ramirez does not need to spend an action to do this. Once all three Hound DOG Parts tokens are assembled together, discard them from play and place the Hound DOG miniature in an empty circle (i.e., one that does not contain a character) adjacent to the character who assembled it, and the character with the Hound DOG Remote Control assumes control of it as normal.
If the Hound DOG Remote Control is ever destroyed, or falls into the possession of a character without the Engineering skill, Hound DOG moves one circle toward the entry point where Ramirez entered the map at the beginning of the game whenever it would normally move. It moves by the most direct route. If multiple routes are equally direct, the Union player chooses among them.
Victory Conditions
The Union player wins if Hound DOG is assembled and escapes the game board at a Union entry point.
The Matriarchy player wins if Hound DOG is destroyed or all Union characters are eliminated.
Citizen Erased
Setup
Use the Tesla Priory map.
This scenario pits the Matriarchy against any other side.
Each player receives 3 Command Points per turn.
The Matriarchy player must select Gorgeï as one of his Heroes. The Matriarchy player places Gorgeï as indicated in the diagram. He also shuffles the three bomb tokens facedown on the table in front of himself; these form his bomb stockpile.
Entry points are chosen as in deathmatch mode. The rush-and-go variant (see page 9) is used.
Special Rules
The Matriarchy player automatically wins the first game turn's Initiative Roll (even if he did not win the Setup Roll). He must activate Gorgeï before activating any other characters on that turn.
Any Matriarchy Hero may spend an action to place a bomb token, selected randomly from the bomb stockpile, faceup on the map. Bombs may only be placed on Action circles, Objective circles, or entry points, and the hero must be standing adjacent to a given location to place a bomb there. Only one bomb can be placed on any given circle, and furthermore, only one bomb may be placed within the Priory Area (see the diagram).
Bomb tokens are placed on the map faceup. The number revealed indicates how many full game turns elapse before the bomb explodes. At the beginning of each turn, replace the token with the next token. For example, a bomb token with the number "2" on it would be replaced with a bomb token with the number "1" on it. If the number "1" is on the board, it would explode at the beginning of the turn, rather than being replaced.
Any character adjacent to a bomb token may disarm or rearm it by spending an action as long as no enemy character is standing adjacent to the bomb. (This restriction does not apply to the hero's initial placement of a bomb.) A bomb that is disarmed is turned facedown and remains in place on the map, but will not explode. A bomb that is rearmed is turned faceup and begins its countdown again from where it left off.
When a bomb explodes, discard the bomb token from play and roll a die. Divide the result by two and round up. All characters within that many circles – which may be measured out-of-path – of the bomb's detonation location are eliminated.
If Gorgeï is ever eliminated (for any reason), his belt of explosives detonates in the same manner as an exploding bomb. However, this explosion does not help fulfill the Matriarchy's bomb-detonation victory condition.
Victory Conditions
The Matriarchy player wins by detonating three bombs. The other player wins if there are ever two disarmed bombs on the map simultaneously.
Appendix I: Tactical Maps
Tactical maps show which circles are adjacent to each other on the various game board. This is to ease play, especially where circles may be close.
The following descriptions provide some context for the various objectives found across the three maps. These do not represent in game rules, but provide some flavorful story options for your objective mode games. For more information on objective mode please see page 30.
The tactical diagrams themselves (pages 80–82) are images and are not reproduced here.
Castle Ksiaz
- Archaeology Primary Objective: Understanding the runes and sigils etched into the floor here – an archaic form of some long-dead language – would be paramount to unlocking the power roiling just beneath the surface of the ground.
- Weaponry Primary Objective: The emanations from the Cardinal Point on this critical location could create a devastating super-weapon too potent for any individual – or nation – to withstand.
- Sneak Secondary Objective: The plans here detail this catacombs' original construction. In addition to enumerating concealed hiding places, they show multiple ways in – and, more importantly, secret ways out.
- Mechanical Secondary Objective: This auxiliary electrical unit feeds power from the generator in the castle above to the circuits that power the critical excavation equipment below.
- Dexterity Secondary Objective: These crates house equipment critical to the success of the dig.
- Engineering Secondary Objective: This radio allows anyone using it to coordinate their actions with those of their allies outside.
Catacombs
The printed Catacombs page lists the following objectives. Its descriptions are word-for-word the same as the Castle Ksiaz list above, and are reproduced as printed.
- Mechanical Secondary Objective: This auxiliary electrical unit feeds power from the generator in the castle above to the circuits that power the critical excavation equipment below.
- Dexterity Secondary Objective: These crates house equipment critical to the success of the dig.
- Engineering Secondary Objective: This radio allows anyone using it to coordinate their actions with those of their allies outside.
- Archaeology Primary Objective: Understanding the runes and sigils etched into the floor here – an archaic form of some long-dead language – would be paramount to unlocking the power roiling just beneath the surface of the ground.
- Weaponry Primary Objective: The emanations from the Cardinal Point on this critical location could create a devastating super-weapon too potent for any individual – or nation – to withstand.
- Sneak Secondary Objective: The plans here detail this catacombs' original construction. In addition to enumerating concealed hiding places, they show multiple ways in – and, more importantly, secret ways out.
Tesla Priory
- Engineering Primary Objective: The shattered remnants of this equipment once provided enough energy to destroy a small country in a matter of seconds. If repaired, it could power a formidable arsenal, and the insight that could be gained from its ingenuity could push any nation to ultimate victory in the Great War.
- Reasoning Primary Objective: These strange devices seems to form a puzzle, the solution to which promises to unlock ancient secrets that could turn the tide of battle.
- Weaponry Secondary Objective: This large-caliber weapon and its fortified position can provide unparalleled cover fire, to enable a swift retreat or devastating advance.
- Athletics Secondary Objective: Although a difficult climb, the commanding view from the top of this wall provides an excellent overview of enemy positions.
- Mechanics Secondary Objective: The coils here produce enough energy every few minutes to power the Matriarchy for decades to come.
- Sangfroid Secondary Objective: Anyone with the audacity to seize these components – each and every one a terrifying perversion of reality as we know it – could build and power a truly devastating super-weapon.
Appendix II: Bonus Tokens
Bonus tokens are equipment tokens available from sources outside the various characters' normal packs. Bonus tokens can be found on the web at www.FantasyFlightGames.com, and many are available in expansions. After players have chosen packs and revealed them, each player may equip up to three different characters on his side with a bonus token.
Each bonus token replaces one item of equipment provided by a character's chosen pack, and each character may only receive a single bonus token. Return the replaced equipment token to the box. Many bonus tokens can only be used by certain characters, or types of characters. The back of each token has the image of the character or faction that can use it.
- Helm of Diomedes – Hardware • Before declaring you as the target of an attack action, another character must first initiate and win a Mental duel. Initiating a Mental duel with you in this way does not require an action, and losing the duel does not commit that character to using up his action in failing to attack you.
- AAA – Ally • In the first game turn, your opponent activates all of his models in succession, before you activate any of yours, regardless of the Initiative Roll. This equipment token may only be given to a Union-affiliated Hero, and may only be swapped for a Special Object.
- Boxing – Weapon, Hand to Hand • When attacking with Boxing, if you roll a Natural 10, you may spend up to two movement points to immediately move the target away from you a single circle for each movement point spent. This equipment token may only be given to John MacNeal.
- Presidential Unit Citation – Medal • Discard this token to add 1 Command Point to your side once per game.
- Trench Gun – Weapon, Automatic • When attacking with this weapon, for each uncanceled attack roll success you generate, you must move your target one circle away from you. The target may not leave the path he started on due to this movement, however, and if the total movement due to this attack cannot be used up, he sustains an automatic wound in addition to whatever wounds he may otherwise suffer. This movement does not trigger Overwatch attacks.
- Section KAOS – Medal • You may use Mad Minute even if you have already moved in the current game turn. This equipment token may only be given to a Schocktruppen, and only when Hermann Von Heïzinger has also been chosen for that character's side.
- Obscura Korps Band – Medal • At the beginning of each of your activations, add +1 to one of your characteristic values until the end of the activation. This equipment token may only be given to a character with the Obscura Korps affiliation symbol.
The printed page 84 also carries an undated flavor-only block (a fragment of a "Patmos Amulet" story with no token name or rules text in the page's text layer). It is not a rules item and is not transcribed here.
Glossary
- Accomplish: The activity by which a character scores points for his side at an Objective circle in objective mode. (pg 30)
- Action: An activity a character can carry out, or attempt to carry out, during his activation. (pg 18)
- Action Circle: A location where an adjacent character can carry out some action, typically to search a crate. Some scenarios describe other actions that can also be performed at Action circles. (pg 16)
- Activate: To move and/or act with a particular character. (pg 10)
- Activation: The gameplay time period in which a given character moves and performs actions. (pg 10)
- Adjacent: The relationship between two movement circles or characters that are next to each other. Also, the similar relationship between a movement circle and an Action circle, or a movement circle and an Objective circle. (pg 14)
- Attack: An action by which a character attempts to injure another character or object. (pg 21)
- Attack Roll: A test involving the rolling of dice for the purposes of attacking another character or object. (pg 21)
- Attacker: The character that initiates a duel, or is targeting a character with an attack. (pg 21)
- Automatic Attack Success: A success that is added to an attacker's attack roll result without the need to roll a die. Also, a success that can inflict damage even in the absence of an attacking character or even an attack roll. (pg 22)