The Breach Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Game
• Components
  • Avatar Models
  • I.C.E. Models
• Setup
  • 1. Database Setup
  • 2. Firewall Setup
  • 3. Password Token
  • 4. Avatar Choice
  • 5. Breacher Choice
  • 6. Interface Setup
• Basics
  • Database
    • Room Effects
    • Links
  • What Is an Effect?
  • Hard Disk & CPU
  • Skills
• Game Flow
  • Game Rounds
  • End of Game and Victory
• Breachers' Turns
  • Action Phase
    • Move
    • Attack
    • Screen
    • Configure
    • Infect
    • Log Out
    • Upgrade
    • Reconnection
  • Configuration Phase
  • Tracking Phase
• Firewall Turn
  • Password Phase
  • Activation Phase
    • I.C.E. Tracks
    • I.C.E.s
    • The Guardian
    • Resolving an Activation Card
• Advanced Notions
  • Resolving an Attack
    • Elude
    • Eliminating an I.C.E.
    • Disconnected Avatar
  • Malware Cards
  • Research Tokens
  • Threat
  • Cheat
    • Shift
    • Open a Breach
  • Credits, Rewards and Purchase Operation
• Advanced Setup
  • Database Setup
  • Firewall Setup
• Compendium
• Appendix
  • Training Mode
  • Solo Mode
  • Deathmatch Mode
  • Icons
• Credits

The Game

THE BREACH is a competitive game in which players connect to the Achab Corporation's Gene.sys Database to steal the secret information hidden within it.

Players take on the role of Breachers, digital rebels acting out of self-interest or under the banner of a particular faction. Within the Database they are represented by Avatars, digital projections created with a single purpose: to penetrate the Firewall's defenses and steal the information they're interested in before others do.

The Breacher who succeeds in this purpose will gain the power and riches to fulfill their dreams, and, most importantly, win the game!

Components

• 4 Player Interfaces
• 1 Firewall Board
• 12 Rooms
• 1 Ω Room
• 4 Program Sleeves
• 24 Upgrade Cubes
• 54 Code Cubes
• 3 I.C.E. Cubes
• 1 Password Token
• 3 I.C.E. Tracks
• 10 Full Information Tokens (2 x type and 2 x blank)
• 44 Partial Information Tokens (10 x type and 4 x blank)
• 53 Virus Tokens (9 x Player Color, 17 x Firewall)
• 1 Infection Die
• 1 Firewall Die
• 16 Credit Tokens
• 20 Research Tokens
• 4 Screen Tokens
• 4 Gate Tokens
• 4 Avatar Models (Hugo, Sturm, Vitruvian, Mila) with Avatar Bases in 4 player colors
• I.C.E. Models: Xan4th.rar, Kynodontas x3, Echo x5, Tentacle x7, Worm x10
• 4 Avatar Sheets
• 6 Breacher Cards
• 46 Malware Cards (28 x Avatar, 18 x Breacher)
• 12 Objective Cards
• 1 Guardian Description Card
• 11 Guardian Activation Cards
• 4 I.C.E. Description Cards (2 x Seeker, 2 x Bot)
• 32 Activation Cards (16 x Seeker, 16 x Bot)
• 6 Reward Cards
• 1 Guardian Sheet
• 4 Reference Sheets
• 10 Breach Cards
• 1 Avatar Program Card
• 1 Breacher Program Card

Avatar Models

The four Avatars are Hugo, Sturm, Vitruvian, and Mila. Each Avatar Base comes in the 4 player colors.

I.C.E. Models

The I.C.E. models are Xan4th.rar (the Guardian, unique), Kynodontas (x3), Echo (x5), Tentacle (x7), and Worm (x10).

Setup

This chapter describes the steps for preparing a game in Competitive Mode. The Advanced Setup (see below) allows for other game configurations than those described in this chapter.

1. Database Setup

The Database is the battlefield where the game takes place. It consists of virtual Rooms that Breachers explore to track Information. Follow these steps:

1. Select and place Rooms as shown in the setup diagrams based on the number of players.
2. Select and place Information Tokens as shown in the setup diagrams based on the number of players.
3. Create a Common Supply pile with the remaining Full and Partial Information Tokens and place it next to the Database.
4. Place Gate Tokens adjacent to the 4 Rooms at the corners of the Database as shown in the setup diagrams based on the number of players.

NOTE: Blank Information Tokens are only used for the Advanced Setup.

1-3 Players: Pick up all Rooms (setting aside the Ω Room), except the two Tower Rooms (TW-1 and TW-2) and one Empty Room (V4). Shuffle the 9 Rooms and place them face-down randomly as shown in the illustration.

4 Players: Shuffle the 12 Rooms (setting aside the Ω Room for later) and place them face-down randomly as shown in the illustration.

2. Firewall Setup

Place the Firewall Board next to the Database and follow these steps:

1. Place the Guardian Board with side A facing up near the Firewall Board.
2. Put the Worm and Echo Description Cards on the corresponding slots in the Firewall Board.
3. Place the Worm, Echo and XAN4TH.RAR I.C.E. Models next to the Database. Put the other I.C.E. Models back in the box.
4. Select the Worm, Echo and XAN4TH.RAR I.C.E. Activation Cards based on the number of players (see Selecting Activation Cards below). Put the remaining Bot, Seeker and Guardian Activation Cards back in the box.
5. Prepare the starting deck of Activation Cards using the Bot and Seeker cards selected. Shuffle and place the deck next to the Firewall Board.
6. Prepare the Guardian Activation Cards deck using the Guardian cards selected. Shuffle and place this deck face-down on the Guardian Sheet.
7. Place the Guardian Description Card at the top of the deck of Guardian Activation Cards with the red side showing.
8. Place the 3 I.C.E. Tracks in the dedicated slots with the same color as the Firewall Board, with side A facing up.
9. Place the (purple) I.C.E. Cubes on top of the icons to the left of each Track.
10. Place the Firewall Die so that it shows the value 1 on the corresponding slot of the Firewall Board.
11. Shuffle and reveal 4 Reward Cards and place them in the dedicated slots. Put the remaining cards back in the box.
12. Make Supply piles of Research Tokens, Credit Tokens, and Screen Tokens.
13. Shuffle the Breach Cards and place the deck next to the Database with the Front side facing up.
14. Place the Infection Die next to the Database.

SELECTING ACTIVATION CARDS

Each Activation Card has 6 circular LEDs in the upper right corner, below the I.C.E. name. The LEDs can be on (white) or off (dark gray). The number of lit LEDs, in order from left to right, indicates the number of players a game must have for the card to be used. In the card example, the card is to be used in games with 4, 5 and 6 players.

So, the number of these cards in a game will vary depending on the number of players:

• 1 player: 3 Bot, 3 Seeker and 6 Guardian Cards.
• 2–4 and 6 players: 6 Bot, 6 Seeker and 6 Guardian Cards.
• 5 players: 5 Bot, 5 Seeker and 5 Guardian Cards.

3. Password Token

Randomly determine the player who receives the Password Token at the beginning of the game or assign it to the player who most recently used cheats in a video game.

4. Avatar Choice

Starting with the player holding the Password Token and proceeding clockwise, each player chooses an Avatar and takes the associated components:

• 1 Avatar Sheet
• 1 Avatar Model
• 6 Malware Cards
• 1 Malware Program Card

AVATAR AND PLAYER

In THE BREACH, the terms Avatar and player are used to refer to the model of the Avatar in play and the player who controls that model, respectively.

5. Breacher Choice

Starting with the player to the right of the player holding the Password Token and proceeding counterclockwise, each player chooses a Breacher and takes their corresponding components:

• 1 Breacher Card
• 2 Malware Cards
• 1 Malware Program Card

6. Interface Setup

Players set up their Interface by following these steps in order:

1. Starting with the player who has the Password, each player chooses an Interface. This determines the color associated with the player during the game.
2. Each player receives their color's 9 Virus Tokens and places them next to their Interface.
3. Each player receives their color's Avatar Base. They attach it to their Avatar model and place it on their Interface's Reconnection Slot.
4. Each player receives 6 Upgrade Cubes (transparent) and places them in their Interface's corresponding slots.
5. Each player places their 2 Program Cards in a Program Sleeve so that the back of one card is next to the back of the other. Insert the assembled Program Sleeve into the Program Slot, choosing which side will be visible at the start of the game.
6. Each player shuffles the remaining 6 Avatar Malware Cards with the 2 Breacher Malware Cards into a single deck that is to be placed near their Interface.
7. Each player consults the Starting Equipment on the back of their Avatar Sheet and picks up the indicated Code Cubes (a black Code Cube means the player can choose the color of the Code Cube they want).
8. Each player draws 1 Malware Card.
9. Each player inserts the Avatar Sheet into their Interface.
10. Each player places the Code Cubes on the Skill Boxes of the corresponding color.
11. Each player places the Breacher Card in the dedicated slot of their Interface.
12. Shuffle the Objective Cards and hand out 1 Objective Card face-down to each player. This card is secret and must not be revealed to other players. Place the remaining cards back in the box.
13. Each player receives 1 Reference Sheet.

Player Interface anatomy (as labeled on the Interface component): Reconnection Slot — when your Avatar is Disconnected, place your model here; Upgrade Cubes; Upgrade Slots; Program Slot — houses the Program Sleeve; Cheat Slots; Threat Indicator — indicates your Avatar's Threat value; Virus Slot — Viruses assigned to your Avatar are placed here; Hard Disk — this is where Information obtained by the player is kept; CPU — shows your Interface's Click and Configuration values; First Advancement slot — the first player to cover this slot must advance the I.C.E. Track cube by 1 slot on the corresponding Track; Second Advancement slot — the first player to cover this slot must advance the I.C.E. Track cube by 1 slot on the corresponding Track.

THE GAME STARTS WITH THE PLAYER WHO HAS THE PASSWORD TOKEN!

Basics

Database

The Database consists of Rooms that represent the virtual environment in which the game takes place.

Rooms placed adjacent to each other form empty spaces at their corners. These spaces are called Nodes and this is where Database Information is stored.

Each piece of Information belongs to one of these types: Bio, Science, Crypto, Politics.

A Node formed by the corners of 4 Rooms is called a Central Node and may contain a Full Information Token. A Node formed by the corners of 2 Rooms and the outer edge of the Database is called an Outer Node and may contain a Partial Information Token.

ROOMS IN THE DATABASE

Each Room in the Database can be Revealed or Obscured based on which side it is turned to. Each Room is Obscured at the beginning of the game.

MODELS IN THE DATABASE

Any model that is in a Database Room is considered Connected. Any model that is not in a Database Room is considered Disconnected. If a Connected model becomes Disconnected due to a game effect, it must be removed from the Database and placed on its Interface's Reconnection Slot. When an I.C.E. becomes Disconnected it should be placed in the Supply pile.

ROOM ANATOMY

Each Room features the following:

• Link: It may be closed or open. An open Link can display one or more Movement Point icons.
• Effect: It may be resolved by activating the Room during a Move Action (see Move, below).

Room Effects

• INDUSTRIAL [IN-1] and [IN-2]: An Avatar may spend 2 Movement Points to gain 1 Malware Card.
• COMPUTER [TM-1] and [TM-2]: An Avatar may spend 1 Movement Point to perform 2 Push effects.
• GARDEN [GR-1] and [GR-2]: An Avatar may spend 1 Movement Point to reset their Threat.
• TOWER [TW-1] and [TW-2]: An Avatar may spend 3 Movement Points to immediately perform a free Attack Action with Range +1.
• EMPTY [V-1], [V-2], [V-3] and [V-4]: If there is at least 1 Research Token in this Room, an Avatar may spend 1 Movement Point to gain one of its Research Tokens (see Revealing Obscured Rooms, under Move).
• OMEGA [Ω]: The Ω Room is used late in the game as the Guardian XAN4TH.RAR's entry point. It has no effects that can be used by Avatars.

Links

Each side of a Room is called a Link and it may be:

• Open: it shows a non-continuous white line.
• Closed: it shows a continuous white line.

NOTE: an Obscured Room has 4 open Links.

Two adjacent Rooms that both show an open Link on the shared side are considered Linked. Two adjacent Rooms that do not both show an open Link on the shared side are not considered Linked.

What Is an Effect?

In the course of the game, players perform Actions, play cards, and activate game components. Each of these operations allows an effect to be resolved.

An effect is defined as any single procedure that is capable of making a change in the state of the game.

For convenience in this rulebook, a "group of effects" generated by the same game component is also called an effect. For example, a card might involve three different effects that are collectively called a card effect.

When a player performs an effect, it must be resolved in its entirety, if possible, unless otherwise specified. The same effect can be generated by different game components and follows the same rules for resolving it.

Some effects are described by text, while others are described by icons. Resolving an effect represented by an icon means that the player either gains that game component (e.g., a Token) or performs the single effect represented by the icon (e.g., moves a Code Cube). See the Icons section for a complete list of icons.

DANGEROUS EFFECT

Some effects have "X:" icons at the beginning of the effect's description. This type of effect is called a dangerous effect, and it imposes a penalty (indicated by the icon before the colon) on the Avatar who wants to use it (see the Compendium for a full description of this type of effect).

Hard Disk & CPU

The CPU indicates the performance of the Interface that the player uses to connect to the Database. As the player gains new Information, they make progress toward completing their Objective and the CPU's performance improves. Whenever the player gains an Information Token, they should place it in the leftmost free Hard Disk Slot. If the Hard Disk is full, you can discard an existing Information Token to place the new one.

The Click and Configuration values are determined by the CPU Slot below the rightmost Hard Disk Slot occupied by an Information Token, or by the leftmost CPU Slot if the Hard Disk is empty. When a player places an Information Token in the Hard Disk, Click and Configuration values update immediately, and become available for the current Turn.

The first player to cover the leftmost Slot on their Hard Disk with a symbol must immediately advance the I.C.E. Cube on the corresponding Track by 1 Slot (see I.C.E. Tracks, below). The same goes for the rightmost Slot of their Hard Disk with the symbol.

Skills

Skills determine the effectiveness of an Avatar in the Database. The Avatar Sheet shows the Cache Box and the three Skill Boxes, each identified by the corresponding Skill icon and color.

Each Skill has a value and allows you to perform a specific Action associated with that Skill:

• The Movement Skill is associated with the Move Action.
• The Defense Skill is associated with the Screen Action. It also allows you to perform the Elude Operation (see Elude, below) when you are the target of an Attack.
• The Attack Skill is associated with the Attack Action.

Code Cubes are placed and moved in the boxes, and each cube is associated with the Skill of the corresponding color.

A Skill's value is determined by all the Code Cubes in that Skill's Box:

• Each Code Cube with the same color as the Skill Box it is on has a value of 2.
• Each Code Cube with a different color from the Skill Box it is on has a value of 1.

A Skill's value affects the Actions associated with it. When a player declares they are performing an Action associated with a Skill, they must consider the value of that Skill before moving a Code Cube of the same color (see below).

To perform an Action associated with a Skill, the player must choose 1 Code Cube in the same color as that Skill from the Skill Box associated with the Action they want to perform and move it to one of the other boxes indicated by arrows that match the box color. Code Cubes in a Skill Box that are a different color cannot be moved to perform an Action associated with that Skill. However, since they are in the same box, they can enhance it.

The value of each Skill changes after a Code Cube is moved. Cubes in the Cache Box have no value and are not used in any Action, but are pending to be moved elsewhere. Whenever a player gains a Code Cube, it must be placed in the Skill Box of the same color.

NOTE: the value of a Skill can never be less than 0.

EXAMPLE: SKILL VALUES. Cubes in the Cache Box have no value.

CACHE TRANSFER

Some Actions or game effects show icons representing either a penalty or a cost. To resolve any of these Actions or effects, the player must place 1 Code Cube with the same color as the Skill Box in the Cache Box. If there are no Code Cubes of the same color in the Skill Box, the Action or effect that requires moving to the Cache cannot be resolved.

Game Flow

Game Rounds

A game of THE BREACH consists of a variable number of Rounds that follow one another until the end of the game. In each Round, starting with the player who holds the Password Token and proceeding clockwise, the players take their Turn followed by the Firewall Turn. The Turn is composed of the Phases shown below.

BREACHERS' TURNS

1. ACTION PHASE. If the player's Avatar is Disconnected, the player performs the First Connection effect (see box below) or the Reconnection effect (see Reconnection, below). Then the player performs Actions with their Avatar (see Breachers' Turns, below).
2. CONFIGURATION PHASE. The player prepares their Avatar in anticipation of the next Turns (see Configuration Phase, below).
3. TRACKING PHASE. The player can Track a Node and collect the Information in it (see Tracking Phase, below).

REPEAT FOR EACH PLAYER

FIREWALL TURN

1. PASSWORD PHASE. The player with the Password gives it to the next player in counterclockwise order.
2. ACTIVATION PHASE. Starting with the player who has the Password and proceeding clockwise, each player draws and resolves an Activation Card for each connected Avatar (see Firewall Turn, below).

FIRST CONNECTION

At the beginning of their first Turn, the player must place their Avatar in the Database for the first time. The player must choose a Room adjacent to a Gate and place their Avatar in the chosen Room. If it is an Obscured Room, it is first turned to the Revealed side and then oriented according to the player's preference. At this point, the player performs their Turn.

End of Game and Victory

The Objective Card shows the Information that the player holding it must have in their Hard Disk to win the game. This set of Information is the player's Objective.

For the purpose of the Objective, two Partial Information Tokens of the same type are equivalent to a Full Information Token.

The most direct way to gain Information is to place Viruses in the Database Rooms to Track Nodes. There are also other ways to gain Information:

• Reward Card (see Credits, Rewards and Purchase Operation, below).
• Copying Information (see Disconnected Avatar, below).

When a player has all the Information Tokens shown on their Objective Card in their Hard Disk, they must reveal it immediately. The game ends and that player is the winner!

If two or more players complete the Objective at the same time, the player who is taking their Turn wins the game. If none of the players who completed the Objective are playing their Turn, the player closest in the counterclockwise direction to the player with the Password wins the game.

The game can also end when every Gate is removed (usually by the Guardian). In that case, no player is the winner.

Breachers' Turns

Action Phase

In the Action Phase of your Turn, if your Avatar is Disconnected, perform the First Connection (see Game Rounds, above) if you are playing your first Turn, or the Reconnection Operation (see Reconnection, below).

However, if your Avatar is Connected, you can perform Actions. The number of Actions available is equal to the value of Click indicated in your CPU. The possible Actions are: Move, Attack, Screen, Infect, Upgrade, Configure, Log Out.

You may perform the same Action multiple times, and you are not required to perform all the Actions at your disposal. An Action must be completely resolved before a new Action can be performed, unless otherwise specified.

NOTE: Actions are always represented by an icon in square brackets.

FREE ACTIONS

Free Actions are indicated by a symbol before that Action's icon. Players can gain Free Actions in various ways. A Free Action does not count toward the number of Actions performed on one's Turn, it does not use a Click and, if indicated, may also be performed outside of one's Turn. When obtained, a Free Action must be performed immediately. In the case of Move, Attack or Screen, no Code Cubes can be moved. In the case of Upgrade, no additional costs need to be paid.

Move

To perform the effect of a Move Action, resolve the following steps in order:

1. Calculate Movement value based on the Code Cubes in the Movement Box. This value determines the Movement Points available.
2. Move 1 Code Cube from the Movement Box to the next one indicated by the arrows. If a Code Cube cannot be moved in this way, the Move Action cannot be performed.
3. Spend available Movement Points in any combination of these effects:
   • Reveal an Obscured Room
   • Move your Avatar
   • Activate a Room

During their Move Action, the player must resolve one effect at a time following the steps described. It is not mandatory to spend all available Movement Points. Movement Points not spent in the current Action are lost.

REVEALING AN OBSCURED ROOM

If an Avatar is in a Revealed Room, they can reveal an Obscured Room Linked to the one they are in. To reveal a Room, resolve the following steps in order:

1. Spend the Movement Points shown by the open Link adjacent to the Room to be revealed and in the Room where your Avatar is.
2. Flip the Obscured Room to its revealed side and choose the desired Orientation. If an Empty Room has been revealed, place the indicated number of Research Tokens in the corresponding Slot.
3. Now the player may choose to enter the Revealed Room. To do so, they must spend the Movement Points shown in the open Link that has been placed adjacent to their Avatar's Room.

NOTE: you can orient a Room to put a closed Link towards the Avatar who revealed it.

Due to an effect, it's possible that an Avatar may be in an Obscured Room that has not yet been revealed:

• If this happens during their Turn, the owner of that Avatar immediately reveals that Room without spending Movement Points.
• If this occurs outside their Turn, the owner of that Avatar reveals that Room at the beginning of their Turn, if still Obscured, without spending Movement Points.

EXAMPLE: REVEALING A ROOM. 1. To reveal a Linked Room, you must spend 1 Movement Point. Then you must choose the Orientation of the newly revealed Room. 2. After placing it, you may choose to enter by paying 1 additional Movement Point. Alternatively, you may spend the remaining available Movement Points in other ways or end the Move Action. 3. From now on, moving an Avatar between these two Rooms will cost 2 Movement Points.

MOVING YOUR AVATAR

An Avatar can move from the Room they are in to a Revealed and Linked Room adjacent to their own. To do so, they must spend Movement Points equal to the sum of the icons present among the Links they must cross or listed on the Breach Card placed on the Rooms (see Open a Breach, below).

ACTIVATING A ROOM

Each Revealed Room has an effect. To Activate a Room, an Avatar must be in that Room. When a player Activates a Room, after spending the indicated Movement Points they perform the effect.

ITERATION LIMIT: an Avatar cannot Activate the same Room more than once per Turn. However, different Rooms can be Activated with the same effect in the same Turn.

Attack

Using Attacks, an Avatar can Assign Viruses to another model. An Attack must target a single model that is in the attacker's Room, unless otherwise specified.

To perform the effect of an Attack Action, resolve the following steps in order:

1. Calculate the value of Attack based on the Code Cubes in the Attack Box.
2. Move 1 Code Cube from the Attack Box to the next one indicated by the arrows. If the Code Cube cannot be moved this way, the Attack Action cannot be performed.
3. Resolve the Attack (see Resolving an Attack, below).

EXAMPLE: ATTACK. The player declares an Attack Action (with Attack value = 3). They therefore move 1 Code Cube from the Attack Box to the next one indicated by the arrow. The player will not be able to perform this Action a second time in this Turn because they do not have any other Code Cubes in the Attack Box. To Attack again, the player will have to succeed in moving more Code Cubes to the Attack Box.

Screen

This Action allows you to protect your Avatar against dangers from the Firewall or enemy Avatars.

To perform a Screen Action effect, resolve the following steps in order:

1. Move 1 Code Cube from the Defense Box to the next one indicated by the arrows. If the Defense Cube cannot be moved in this way, the Screen Action cannot be performed.
2. Clip the Screen Token to your Avatar model by placing it next to the base.

As long as an Avatar is screened, they gain the following benefits:

• They may ignore 1 Virus each time they are the target of an Attack Action (see Resolving an Attack, below).
• They may ignore any effect that increases the Threat (see Threat, below).
• They may ignore all I.C.E. Traits (see I.C.E.s, below).

An Avatar must discard the Screen Token only after one of the following situations occurs:

• The Avatar has completely resolved an Attack Action.
• The Avatar has completely resolved a Move Action.
• The Avatar has completely resolved a Shift effect (see Compendium).

Configure

This Action allows you to optimize your Avatar's resources during the current Turn. When performing a Configure Action, resolve its effect by choosing one of the following options:

• Perform 2 Push effects
• Draw 1 Malware Card (see Malware Cards, below)

PUSH

This effect allows the player to Move 1 Code Cube in their Avatar Sheet to the next Skill Box in the direction of the arrows. If a box has multiple ways of moving the cubes within it shown by different arrows, the player chooses which direction to move. Moving the same cube multiple times in the same Turn is allowed. Each Push effect must be performed separately.

Infect

This Action allows the player to place Viruses of their color in the Rooms within the Database. Spreading your own Viruses is a prerequisite for collecting Information, but it may draw the Firewall's attention to your Avatar.

To perform the Infect Action effect, the player rolls the Infection Die and applies the result:

• Virus — Place 1 Virus of your color in the Room in which your Avatar is located.
• Virus and Advancement — Place 1 Virus of your color in the Room in which your Avatar is located. Then advance the I.C.E. Cube 1 Slot in the corresponding Track.
• Double Threat — Place 1 Virus of your color in the Room in which your Avatar is located. Then increase the Threat of your Avatar by 2.
• Threat and Reroll — Increase the Threat of your Avatar by 1, then roll the Infection Die one more time and resolve the new result.

Whenever the Infection Die allows a Virus to be placed, it is placed even if the Avatar becomes Disconnected.

ANTI-VIRUS

Some I.C.E.s have the Anti-Virus Trait. The player cannot perform the Infect Action if their Avatar is in a Room where one of these I.C.E.s is present.

NOTE: A Screened Avatar ignores this Trait.

TOKEN LIMIT

The number of Viruses available to a player is limited. If a player needs to place or assign Viruses but does not have any available, they can choose to remove any Virus of their color from any game space of their choice in order to assign or place the new Virus.

A Room may contain Viruses of different colors, but no more than one Virus of the same color. If an effect allows a player to place a Virus in a Room where their own Virus is already present, that effect is ignored.

Log Out

In case the situation in an area of the Database is too dangerous, the player can choose to disconnect their Avatar through the Log Out Action.

To perform the Log Out Action, place your Avatar model on the Reconnection Slot of your Interface. The player's Action Phase ends. For more info about a Disconnected Avatar, see Disconnected Avatar, below.

Upgrade

This Action allows you to improve your Avatar's performance. Each player has 6 Upgrade Cubes placed on their Interface at the beginning of the game.

To perform the Upgrade Action effect, resolve the following steps in order:

• Choose 1 Upgrade Cube from the Upgrade Slots.
• Move the chosen Cube to 1 Cheat Slot of your choice.
• Resolve the Upgrade effect corresponding to the Slot from which the Upgrade Cube was removed.

Each Cheat Slot can hold a maximum of 1 Upgrade Cube.

Some Breacher or Avatar Upgrade effects have a cost to be paid in order to move the Upgrade Cube (see Cache Transfer, above).

The Upgrade effects shown on the Player Interface of all players are resolved as follows:

• 2 Malware Cards: the player draws 2 Malware Cards (see Malware Cards, below).
• Gain 1 Code Cube: the player gains 1 Code Cube in a color of their choice and places it on the Skill Box of the corresponding color.

The Upgrade effects defined by the choice of Avatar and Breacher are shown on the corresponding Avatar Sheet and Breacher Card.

Reconnection

The Reconnection Operation allows a Disconnected Avatar to become Connected again.

A Disconnected Avatar must perform the Reconnection at the beginning of the Action Phase of their Turn. Only a Disconnected Avatar can perform the Reconnection.

To perform the Reconnection effect, resolve the following steps in order:

1. Remove Viruses Assigned to your Avatar and Reset the Threat.
2. Place your Avatar in a Room adjacent to a Gate or adjacent to a Tracked Node that contains one of your Virus Tokens.
3. The player continues their Action Phase with a value of Click 1, instead of the value reached on their Interface.

OPERATIONS

An Operation is not an Action and does not use up a Click. Its effect must be resolved as indicated in its description. See the Compendium for complete Operation rules.

Configuration Phase

After performing the Actions, the player has the opportunity to manage their Avatar's resources and plan a strategy for the next Turns.

In this phase, the player performs the Configure Action for free (see Configure, above) up to a number of times equal to the value of their CPU's Configuration. This step is performed even if the Avatar is Disconnected.

If the Configuration value is greater than 1, the player must completely resolve a Configure Action before performing the next one.

Tracking Phase

Tracking a Node is the most direct way to collect Information from the Database and get closer to achieving your Objective. This step is performed even if your Avatar is Disconnected.

A player may Track a Node if there is a Virus of their color in each Room that makes up that Node (2 Rooms for an Outer Node and 4 Rooms for a Central Node).

To Track a Node, follow these steps in order:

1. The player declares which Node they want to Track.
2. The player removes 1 Virus of their color from each Room that makes up that Node.
3. If present, the player gains the Information Token contained in the Tracked Node and places it in the leftmost free Slot of their Hard Disk.
4. The player places 1 Virus of their color in the Tracked Node (even if Viruses of other players are already there).

An Avatar may Track a Node regardless of where they are. The player may Track one or more Nodes at this stage, however each Tracking must be resolved in full before proceeding with another one.

A Node can be Tracked multiple times and by multiple players, although there may not be an Information Token inside it. Some game effects, such as Malware Cards, refer to Nodes Tracked by a player. A Node is considered Tracked by a player if a Virus of that player's color is present within that Node.

EXAMPLE: TRACKING A NODE. The RED player can Track the central Node and gain the Full Bio Information Token (green); alternatively, they can Track the external Node containing the Partial Crypto Information Token (yellow), or one of the three external Nodes that do not contain Information. The GREEN player can Track the External Node containing the Partial Crypto Information Token (yellow). The YELLOW player cannot Track any Nodes.

Firewall Turn

Password Phase

In this phase, the player who has the Password gives it to the next player counterclockwise to them, who will be the first to perform the next Activation Phase and will be the first player to perform the Action Phase during the next Breachers' Turn.

Activation Phase

The Database is protected by the Firewall, which disrupts the Breachers' incursion. In the Activation Phase, the Firewall is Activated by unleashing the I.C.E.s in the Database against the Breachers. The efficiency of the Firewall increases as the game goes on and is determined by the number on the Firewall Die (see I.C.E.s, below).

During this phase, each player whose Avatar is Connected, starting with the one who has the Password and proceeding clockwise, reveals and resolves the card at the top of the Activation Card deck (see Resolving an Activation Card, below).

I.C.E. Tracks

I.C.E. Tracks mark the occurrence of effects and determine the Deployment of new I.C.E.s in the Database, and their effects come into play primarily (but not exclusively) during this phase.

Each time an I.C.E. Cube advances by one or more Slots on one of the I.C.E. Tracks, the player who moved it must resolve all effects indicated by the icons in the Slot passed and reached:

• I.C.E. Icon (Bot, Seeker, Guardian): for each icon present, deploy (see Deploying an I.C.E., below) an I.C.E. model from the indicated category.
• Threat: for each icon present, increase your Avatar's Threat value by 1.
• Firewall: for each icon present, increase the Firewall Die value by 1.

When an I.C.E. Cube on the Bot or Seeker Tracks would advance past the last Slot on the right, it is instead placed on the first Slot at the beginning of that Track. The Guardian Track's I.C.E. Cube cannot advance beyond the last Slot and is not repositioned once it reaches it.

I.C.E. Track anatomy: Identification Icon; Track Slot; Track Effect.

DEPLOYING AN I.C.E.

To deploy an I.C.E., the player takes its model from the Supply and places it in the Room their Avatar is in. If that player's Avatar is Disconnected when they are supposed to perform this operation, the I.C.E. model should be placed in the Room where the Avatar was before being Disconnected.

QUICK SUBROUTINE

When deploying an I.C.E., if there are no models of the category to be deployed available in the Supply, the player must resolve the Quick Subroutine shown on that I.C.E.'s Description Card. This is considered an additional activation of an I.C.E. and is resolved against the player who could not deploy its model. To Resolve a Quick Subroutine, the player must choose and activate an I.C.E. from the category that was supposed to be deployed and that can target their Avatar. If no I.C.E. from that category can target that player's Avatar, the Quick Subroutine is ignored.

FIREWALL DIE

This die represents the efficiency of the Firewall by changing the Attack and Defense value of the I.C.E.s in the Database. Each I.C.E. has Attack and Defense values equal to the lowest value between the number currently shown by the Firewall Die and the Strength value shown on its Description Card. Subroutines can modify the Attack and Defense values of an I.C.E. even beyond the maximum indicated by their Description Card.

I.C.E.s

I.C.E.s are considered enemies of all players and are represented in the Database by their models. Each I.C.E. has a Description Card placed on one of the Slots on the Firewall Board, and a set of Activation Cards located in the corresponding deck.

DESCRIPTION CARD

A Description Card indicates the I.C.E. category to which it refers (Bot, Seeker, Guardian), its special characteristics and Traits, and the passive effects that continuously affect the model that has them.

I.C.E.s are divided into three categories:

• Bot: They are run by low-efficiency algorithms. They can become dangerous if present in large numbers.
• Seeker: These I.C.E.s are more sophisticated and aggressive. Their purpose is to limit Viruses in the Database and eliminate Avatars.
• Guardian: These are the most advanced I.C.E.s with impenetrable defenses. They come into play late in the game.

Description Card anatomy: Name and Category; Strength (see Firewall Die); Resistance; Drop; Traits; Quick Subroutine.

ACTIVATION CARD

An Activation Card shows commands that the Firewall sends to I.C.E.s, called Subroutines. The most common Subroutines performed by I.C.E.s are the Attack and Shift Actions:

• To resolve a Shift, the model moves to an adjacent Linked Room.
• To resolve an Attack Action, follow the steps given for the same action performed by an Avatar (see Attack, above), skipping the step where Code Cubes are moved (I.C.E.s do not have to Move Code Cubes to perform actions).

Whenever an I.C.E. assigns Viruses, it must use the Firewall's Virus Tokens. The complete rules about resolving an Activation Card are described in Resolving an Activation Card, below.

Activation Card anatomy: Card Name; I.C.E. name and player count; I.C.E. artwork; Subroutine; I.C.E. Track Advancement Icons.

NOTE: these Subroutines are not used in Training mode.

The Guardian

The Guardian is the most advanced category of I.C.E.. Each Guardian carries unique instructions in its game components. This rulebook provides general rules for using all Guardians.

A Guardian follows these general rules:

• The Guardian is an I.C.E. and uses their same rules except for what is stated on their game components and what is stated below.
• If an effect would cause a Guardian to be Eliminated or Disconnected, ignore that effect. A Guardian can never be Eliminated or Disconnected.
• When a player Assigns a Virus Token to the Guardian, they must place it on the Guardian's Description Card.
• The Guardian model is deployed (see Deploying an I.C.E., above) when a player moves an I.C.E. Cube on a Slot causing it to reach the Slot with the Guardian symbol (see I.C.E. Tracks, above). When this happens, no other game material related to the Guardian should be handled other than its model. The deployed Guardian is considered Connected.
• The player who has deployed the Guardian model places the Guardian Card and all the material on it next to their Interface. That player must perform the Guardian's Awakening at the end of the current Firewall Turn (see below).

GUARDIAN'S AWAKENING

The player who has the Guardian Card and all the material on it next to their Interface at the end of the Firewall Turn must resolve the following steps:

• They resolve the effects of the Guardian Description Card (red side). After resolving these effects, the Guardian's Activation Cards (currently under the Guardian Description Card) should be shuffled into the Activation Card deck of the other I.C.E.s.
• They turn the Guardian Description Card over and place it on its Slot of the Firewall Board so that it shows the side with the Guardian's features.
• They turn the Guardian Sheet over to side B (red side) and read the rules on it aloud. This side contains rules that do not apply immediately, but affect the Guardian for the rest of the game.

From this point in the game, the Guardian will Activate exactly like other I.C.E.s.

GUARDIAN ACTIVATION

The Guardian's objective is to remove all Gate Tokens from the Database. As soon as this happens, the game ends immediately and all players lose the game.

Gate Tokens have a number printed on them which indicates their Priority. Some Guardian rules refer to Gate Priority to resolve Subroutines.

When a Guardian Activation Card is revealed, it must be resolved by following the rules given in Resolving an Activation Card (below), but taking into account what is stated on the Guardian Card. In case of any conflict, the rules indicated on the Guardian Card take precedence over the standard rules.

As indicated on each Guardian Activation Card, the player must reveal 1 additional card after resolving a Guardian Activation Card, if it was revealed as that player's first card in the Firewall Turn.

Resolving an Activation Card

To resolve an Activation Card, the player must follow the steps in order:

1. Choose an I.C.E. to Activate.
2. Resolve Subroutines.
3. Advance I.C.E. Tracks (if any).

After an Activation Card has been completely resolved, it is discarded face-up in the discard pile next to the Activation Cards deck. After revealing a card, if the Activation Cards deck is empty, the player shuffles the discard pile to form a new deck.

NOTE: I.C.E. Worms use the Clip rule described in the Compendium.

1. CHOOSING AN I.C.E. TO ACTIVATE

• The player must choose 1 I.C.E. model in the Database of the category (Bot, Seeker or Guardian) indicated by the card. That model activates.
• If multiple I.C.E.s of the same category are present in the Database, an I.C.E. must be chosen that can reach, or is already in, a Room with at least one Avatar in it, using the Movements given by a Subroutine.
• If no I.C.E. in that category can reach an Avatar, the player chooses any I.C.E. in that category. The Activated model moves as close as possible to an Avatar in the Database chosen by the player who is resolving the Activation Card, using the shortest path to reach the target.
• If no I.C.E. in that category can either reach or move toward an Avatar (e.g., because there is no Linked Rooms path that allows it), any I.C.E. in that category must be chosen. The Activated model becomes Disconnected.
• If the revealed Activation Card does not provide movements, an I.C.E. must be chosen that can target an Avatar with the Subroutines provided by the card. If this is not possible, no I.C.E. is Activated.

2. RESOLVING SUBROUTINES

• The activated model performs the Subroutines one at a time, in the order they are listed on the Activation card, from top to bottom.
• Each revealed Activation Card Subroutine must be resolved.
• Subroutines other than movement must be resolved by choosing 1 target Avatar in the Room of the Activated model, unless otherwise stated. If a target cannot be chosen, the effect of a Subroutine is ignored.
• When multiple possible choices arise, the decision is up to the player who is resolving the effect of the Activation Card.
• I.C.E.s can also move across Obscured Rooms.
• I.C.E.s do not reveal the Obscured Rooms they enter.
• An I.C.E. is not required to perform all available movements.
• I.C.E.s cannot cross closed Links, unless otherwise stated.

3. ADVANCE I.C.E. TRACKS (IF ANY)

For each I.C.E. Category icon in the I.C.E. Track Advancement Icons section present on the Activation Card, advance the I.C.E. Cube of the corresponding Track by 1 slot to the right (see I.C.E. Tracks, above, for complete rules regarding the advancement of I.C.E. Cubes on Tracks).

Advanced Notions

Resolving an Attack

To Resolve a model Attack, follow these steps in order:

1. Declare a target model.
2. Play Malware Cards/Research Tokens.
3. Assign Viruses.

1. DECLARE A TARGET MODEL

When the target of an Attack (or effect) is to be declared, the player must choose a model in the Room in which their Avatar or the I.C.E. they have Activated is located (such a Room is considered to be at Range 0).

Some effects can increase the Range. Range is calculated through Linked Rooms even if Obscured, not necessarily in a straight line, and its value indicates the maximum distance within which the target can be chosen.

For example, if an effect provides +1 Range to your Avatar, you can choose to target a model that is in the same Room as your Avatar or in a Room at distance 1 from it.

2. PLAY MALWARE CARDS/RESEARCH TOKENS

After declaring the target, but before Assigning Viruses, the attacking player chooses whether to play one or more Malware Cards and/or Research Tokens. If they choose not to, they can no longer play Malware Cards and/or Research Tokens until the end of Step 3 — Assign Virus.

If the target of any Cards or Research Tokens played is an Avatar, the player controlling that Avatar may choose to play one or more Malware Cards and/or Research Tokens in turn as a response to the Attack. If they do, the attacking player has the option to play Malware Cards and/or Research Tokens again, and so on, until a player decides to stop or can no longer play Malware Cards and/or Research Tokens.

3. ASSIGN VIRUSES

To determine how many Viruses are Assigned, compare the attacker's Attack value to the target's Defense value. To Assign Viruses, the Attack value must be at least 1. If this is the case, proceed as indicated below:

• If Attack is less than or equal to Defense: the attacker assigns 1 Virus to the target.
• If Attack is greater than Defense: the attacker assigns 2 Viruses to the target.
• If Attack is equal to or greater than twice the Defense: the attacker assigns 3 Viruses to the target.
• If at least 1 Virus is assigned and the Defense is 0: the attacker assigns 3 Viruses to the target.
• If the target of the Attack Action is a Screened Avatar, they ignore 1 assigned Virus.
• If the target of the Attack Action is an Avatar, the player controlling the Avatar may decide to use the Elude Operation.

ASSIGNING VIRUSES TO AN AVATAR

The Viruses assigned to an Avatar should be placed on their Interface's Virus Slot. When an Avatar is assigned the third Virus, that Avatar is Eliminated: their model is removed from the Database and is placed on their Interface's Reconnection Slot. Now that Avatar is considered Disconnected.

ASSIGNING VIRUSES TO A BOT / SEEKER I.C.E.

Place Viruses Assigned to a Bot or Seeker I.C.E. next to its model. At the end of each player's Turn, the Viruses Assigned to the Bot or Seeker I.C.E.s are removed. So, the player must assign enough Viruses to an I.C.E. to eliminate it by the end of their Turn.

NOTE: you can keep track of the number of Viruses Assigned to a Bot or Seeker I.C.E., so that you do not have to use Virus Tokens.

Elude

Once per attack, as the last point of Step 3 — Assign Virus, the player controlling the Avatar targeted by the attack may perform the Elude Operation. If you choose to do so, ignore 1 Virus that would be Assigned to your Avatar.

To do so, Move 1 Defense Cube from the Defense Skill Box to the next one indicated by the arrows. If there are no Defense Cubes to move in this way, you cannot Elude.

It is possible to Elude only when Resolving an Attack Action, unless otherwise stated.

Eliminating an I.C.E.

An I.C.E. is Eliminated when it is assigned a number of Viruses equal to or greater than its Resistance value, indicated on its Description Card.

When an I.C.E. is Eliminated, its model is removed from the Database and placed in the Supply. The player who Eliminates an I.C.E. gains the effects indicated on the Drop Slot of that I.C.E.'s Description Card.

EXAMPLE: The player who Eliminated a Kynodontas I.C.E. gains 2 Credits and performs 2 Push effects.

Disconnected Avatar

An Avatar may become Disconnected due to several effects, but regardless of how this happens, their model must be placed on the Reconnection Slot of their Interface. A Disconnected Avatar must follow these rules:

• If they were carrying out the Action Phase of their Turn, it ends.
• They cannot be chosen as targets of other players' or the Firewall's effects.
• They cannot perform Actions, except for the Free Action Configure during the Configuration Phase.
• They can neither be placed nor perform any kind of movement.
• At the beginning of their next Turn, they must perform the Reconnection Operation (see Reconnection, above).

When an Avatar becomes Disconnected, it provides an opportunity for other players to access their Hard Disk. When this happens, each player who assigned at least 1 Virus of their color to that Avatar chooses one of the following options:

• Copy Information (see below).
• Gain 1 Credit.

COPYING INFORMATION

To Copy Information, the player must choose an Information type present in the Hard Disk of an Avatar who is Disconnected and to whom they have Assigned at least one of their own Viruses. When they do so, they gain 1 Partial Information Token of the chosen type from the Supply and place it in their Hard Disk.

Malware Cards

Malware Cards represent computer tools unique to the Avatar or Breacher they are associated with.

Each player owns 10 Malware Cards: 7 Avatars and 3 Breachers.

A player's Malware Cards form their Malware Card deck, from which that player draws them. The Malware Cards discarded by a player form their discard pile, which is to be placed next to their Malware Cards deck. The Malware Cards in the corresponding discard piles are visible to all players. If a player needs to draw a card when their Malware Cards deck is empty, they must shuffle their discard pile to form a new deck.

A player can have a maximum of 4 Malware Cards in their hand. If at any time a player has more than their limit of Malware Cards in their hand, they must immediately discard the excess cards.

A player's Malware Cards are secret and must not be shown to other players unless otherwise stated.

Malware Card anatomy: Card name; Timing; Card type; Card Effect; Assigned Breacher/Avatar Name; Alternative Effect.

Below are the Timing options that indicate when the card can be played:

• Your Action Phase: during the Action Phase of your Turn, the card can be played before, after or during the resolution of an Action.
• Any Moment: the card can be played during any player's Turn or during the Firewall's Turn.
• Any [X] Action: the card can be played when any model has declared or is resolving the indicated Action.
• Your [X] Action: the card can be played when the player has declared or is resolving the indicated Action.
• Enemy [X] Action: the card can be played when an enemy model has declared or is resolving the indicated Action.
• Firewall Turn: the card can be played at any time during the Firewall Turn.

ITERATION LIMIT: a player cannot play more than one Malware Card with the same name during the same Turn.

IN-GAME VALUES

• A numerical value before an icon indicates the number of those items to be counted. For example, 2 Credit means 2 Credit Tokens.
• An icon without a number indicates 1 item.
• A numerical value after an icon indicates an increase provided to that value. For example +2, means the Attack value increases by 2.

Malware Cards can be played as described below, each according to its type:

• TACTICS. Based on the Timing, declare you are playing the card and resolve its effect. The card is then discarded.
• MISSION. Based on the Timing and at the moment the condition is met, declare you are playing the card and resolve its effect. Then discard the card.
• PROGRAM. Each player has 2 Program Cards placed in the Program Sleeve. The effect of the visible Program Card can be resolved by activating the corresponding Cheat (see Cheat, below), then the Program Sleeve must be turned to the opposite side to show the other Program Card.

Research Tokens

Research Tokens represent advantages that players acquire by exploring the Database and can use at the appropriate time.

Each Research Token has a front showing its effect and a common back. The effect of a Research Token can only be accessed by its owner and must be kept secret from other players. There is no limit to the number of Research Tokens a player may own or use.

Research Tokens are obtained by activating Empty Rooms that contain them and resolving their effect, or they are taken from the Common Supply through other game effects. If a player needs to gain a Research Token and the Supply is exhausted, shuffle all the Tokens discarded during the game to form a new Supply.

In the Action Phase of their Turn, a player may discard their own Research Tokens to resolve their effect, discarding them one at a time following the timing indicated in their effect's description, and fully applying the effect of one Token before discarding another. When a Research Token is discarded, place it face-up in the Supply discards.

The effects of Research Tokens are described below:

• Enhancement: when declaring an Action related to the Skill shown on the Research Token, discard it to gain the indicated enhancement.
• Reroll die: after rolling the Infection Die, discard this Research Token to reroll the die and apply the new result in place of the previous one.
• Move Gate: discard this Research Token to move a Gate Token of your choice. The Gate should be located adjacent to the outer edge of any Room in which there is not already a Gate.
• Remove Virus: discard this Research Token to remove 1 Firewall Virus assigned to your Avatar.
• Push: discard this Research Token to perform 1 Push (see Push, above).
• Reset Threat: discard this Research Token to remove the Virus Token from the Threat indicator on your Interface.

DEFENSE ENHANCEMENT

This is the only Research Token that can also be played outside of a player's Turn when their Avatar is the target of an Attack.

Threat

Some game effects, such as infecting a Room or activating I.C.E.s, can increase an Avatar's Threat value.

• When an Avatar experiences the first Threat increase, they take a Firewall Token and place it on the position with value 1 of the Threat indicator on their Interface.
• When they get the second increase, they must move the Token to the position with value 2.
• When they get the third increase, they must Reset the Threat and the Firewall assigns 1 Virus to that player's Avatar.

Cheat

The lower part of the Interface shows the player's Cheats, on which an Upgrade Cube can be placed. If a Cheat Slot has an Upgrade Cube in it, that Cheat is considered ready.

The two Cheats on the central part of the Interface are shown on the Player Interface of all players, and their effects (Shift and Open a Breach) are described below. The Cheat to the left, determined by the Breacher Card, is called the Breacher Cheat. The Cheat on the right, determined by the visible Program Card, is called a Program Cheat.

A Cheat can only be activated if it is ready. Activating a Cheat is not an Action nor an Operation: it does not use up Clicks and may be performed in the Action Phase of a player's Turn before or after performing an Action. A player can activate a Cheat even if their Avatar is Disconnected, although in this case it may not be possible to apply its full effects.

When a Program Cheat is activated, the visible Program effect can be resolved. After the effect has been fully resolved, the Program Sleeve must be turned to the opposite side. The Program Cheat can be activated based on the Timing indicated on the Program Card.

When activating a Cheat, the player resolves its effect and discards the Upgrade Cube from the corresponding Slot. A discarded Upgrade Cube can no longer be used for the rest of the game.

ITERATION LIMIT: a player cannot activate the same Cheat more than once per Turn, but each side of the Program Sleeve can be activated once.

Shift

This Cheat allows an Avatar to Perform a Shift (see Compendium).

Open a Breach

This Cheat is essential for reaching every corner of the Database.

When Opening a Breach, the player takes the top card from the Breach Card Deck and places it with the Front facing up on the edge between any two adjacent Rooms to cover their respective Links.

BREACH

A Breach changes the cost of moving between the two Rooms it links. The two Rooms between which a Breach is placed are always considered Linked. A Breach Card has a Front and a Back.

After an Avatar has spent Movement Points and crossed a Breach with the Front facing up, the Breach card is turned over with the Back facing up. After an Avatar has spent Movement Points and crossed a Breach, if the Back of that Breach was facing up, the Breach must be removed and placed at the bottom of the Breach Card Deck.

NOTE: a Breach must be turned to the opposite side only when it is crossed by a model that has spent Movement Points.

REVEALING WITH A BREACH

It is possible to Reveal an Obscured Room Linked to your own with a Breach. To do so, the player spends the Movement Points indicated in the Breach and flips the Room to the Revealed side. When the Room has been revealed, the Avatar then chooses whether to Move inside it, without spending any more Movement Points.

If the Breach is crossed in this way, it must be flipped to the opposite side if the Front is facing up or removed if the Back is facing up.

EXAMPLE: PLACING A BREACH CARD. After the first use, the Breach Card is turned over with the Back side facing up. If it is used again, it is removed from the Database.

Credits, Rewards and Purchase Operation

Credits are a resource that allows players to gain Information or other benefits. Players can gain Credits when they Eliminate the most dangerous I.C.E.s or enemy Avatars.

Some Reward Cards feature an Information icon. When this effect is resolved, the player chooses an Information type and gains 1 Partial Information Token of the chosen type from the Supply.

PURCHASE

A player, during the Action Phase of their Turn and before or after resolving any Action, may declare they are performing the Purchase Operation by spending Credits. To do so, they must choose an available Reward Card and discard the same number of their Credit Tokens as the cost of the chosen card. If they do, they resolve the effect, then turn the card face down. Reward Cards turned face down are no longer available to players.

Alternatively, by performing a Purchase Operation, a player can discard 4 Credits to gain 1 Partial Information of a type of their choice from the Supply, as indicated on the Firewall Board.

Advanced Setup

This section provides the advanced rules for setting up a game of THE BREACH, so you can create your own custom games.

Database Setup

ROOM SELECTION

Players can randomly determine the Rooms to be used for games or choose them by mutual agreement. The size of the Database remains unchanged based on the number of players. It is recommended to use pairs of Rooms with the same name and to respect the number of Empty Rooms based on the size of the Database: 3 Empty Rooms per 3x3 Database or 4 Empty Rooms per 4x3 Database.

GATE POSITIONING

Shuffle the Gate Tokens and place them randomly at the corners of the Database with the side showing the Priority value facing down. Then turn the Gates so the Priority value faces up.

DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION

It is possible to distribute Information in Nodes randomly instead of following the patterns in the Setup chapter. To do this, randomly associate a letter A, B, C, and D with each type of Information: Bio, Science, Crypto, and Politics.

The following shows the number of Information Tokens (Full and Partial) to be selected for each type in accordance with the number of players. Column X indicates the required number of blank Information Tokens. Turn the selected Tokens face down, shuffle them and then place them on the Database Nodes. Lastly, reveal all Information Tokens and remove the blank ones.

Players	A	B	C	D	X
2	0	1	1	0	2
2 (alt.)	2	0	0	2	4
3	1	0	1	1	1
3 (alt.)	1	3	1	1	2
4	1	1	1	1	2
4 (alt.)	2	2	2	2	2

Table transcribed from the printed setup grid, which lists two rows per player count.

Firewall Setup

I.C.E. SELECTION

Players can randomly or by mutual agreement choose one I.C.E. for each category from those available: Bot, Seeker and Guardian.

DIFFICULTY SELECTION

The Setup chapter indicates all I.C.E. Tracks should be placed on side A. Each of these Tracks has side B on the back, which increases the Firewall's effectiveness and makes the game more challenging. Players choose by mutual agreement which Tracks to place on side A or B based on the level of challenge they prefer.

• Bot Track, side B: advances the Guardian track faster and increases the number of Bots in the game.
• Seeker Track, side B: increases the Firewall Die value faster and increases the number of Seekers in play.
• Guardian Track, side B: brings the Guardian into play sooner and increases the number of I.C.E. Bots and Seekers in the game.

Compendium

The following are useful definitions and game terminology.

ACTION — During their Turn, the player may perform a number of Actions equal to their CPU's Click value. When Performing an Action, the player resolves the effect of that Action. The Actions are: Move, Attack, Screen, Upgrade, Configure, Infect, Log Out.

ALTERNATIVE EFFECT — This card can be used with an alternative effect to the one indicated when used in a game mode other than Competitive Mode. The specific alternative effect is explained in the Modes rules.

AVATAR — The representation of the player in the Database.

BOT — The low-power category of I.C.E.

BREACHER — The player's alter ego in the game, represented by the Breacher Card.

CACHE BOX — This identifies the box in the Avatar sheet that does not have an associated Skill Box. Code Cubes in this box have no value.

CHEAT — A bonus that can be activated by an Avatar using Upgrade Cubes. An Avatar must be able to discard 1 Upgrade Cube in the corresponding Cheat Slot to activate a Cheat and resolve its effect.

CLICK — This value determines the number of Actions that can be performed by an Avatar during the Action Phase of their Turn.

CLIP — Some components can be Clipped to a model: some Models and Tokens have a concave side that matches the round shape of the regular models, and allows the two to be connected with this action. When this happens, the component is referred to as Clipped. All components Clipped to a model are considered part of that model and perform any movement along with it, unless otherwise stated. A model Clipped to another model can be moved independently of the model it is Clipped to. If this happens, the model that moves is no longer considered Clipped and its base must be detached from that of the model to which it was Clipped. A maximum of 3 components can be clipped to a model with a round base. If an effect would Clip an additional component to this type of model, that effect is ignored. A model with a half-moon base can be Clipped to a maximum of 1 component. If an effect would Clip an additional component to a model of this type, that effect is ignored. When a model becomes Disconnected or is placed directly in a Room other than its own, the components Clipped to it are no longer considered Clipped to that model and remain in the Room they are in (if they are models) or are discarded (if they are tokens).

CODE CUBE — These cubes represent the effectiveness of an Avatar in the Database and determine the values of their Skills. The different colored cubes represent Movement, Attack and Defense. A generic icon represents a Skill Cube of any color.

CONFIGURATION — This determines the number of Configure Actions the player can perform in the Configuration Phase of their Turn.

CONNECTED — A model is defined as Connected if it is in any Room of the Database.

CREDIT — A player can gain these Tokens by Eliminating I.C.E.s or through other effects. On their Turn, a player can discard Credit counters to gain a Reward Card.

DANGEROUS EFFECT — These are effects that feature the "X: Y" wording. Effect X constitutes a penalty that the Firewall inflicts on the player before they can perform effect Y. E.g., Increasing the Threat value of your Avatar or assigning 1 Virus of the Firewall to your Avatar. Dangerous Effects can be found in various game components such as Cheats, Upgrades or Malware Cards.

DEPLOY — Through this effect, a Disconnected I.C.E. is placed in a Room and becomes Connected.

DESCRIPTION CARD — This shows the distinctive features of the I.C.E. represented on it.

DISCONNECTED — A model is defined as Disconnected when it is not in a Database Room. A Disconnected Avatar should be placed on the Player Interface Reconnection Slot, while a Disconnected I.C.E. should be placed in the Supply.

DROP — One or more effects an Avatar gains when Eliminated an I.C.E. A Drop is shown in the dedicated box on that I.C.E.'s Description Card.

ELIMINATED — A model is Eliminated when an enemy model causes its disconnection. Eliminating an I.C.E. gains a Drop.

ELUDE — Once per Attack Action, an Avatar can choose to Elude in order to ignore 1 Virus that is about to be Assigned to them from that Attack. To do so, the player must Move 1 Defense Cube from the Defense Skill Box to the next box by following the arrows.

ENEMY — For a player, the models and effects considered Enemy are those controlled by another player or the Firewall. For the Firewall, the models and effects considered Enemy are those controlled by players.

ENTER — A model enters a Room when it moves into a Room by its own movement or when it is moved by other effects. A model that is placed or deployed in a Room is not considered to have entered that Room.

FIREWALL — The Firewall is the entity that manages the Enemies. If an I.C.E. Cube on a Track reaches a Slot with this icon, increase the Firewall Die value by 1.

FIREWALL DIE — Its value indicates the Firewall's efficiency. This value increases during the game, with an upper limit of 8. Each I.C.E. has Attack and Defense values equal to the lowest value between the Firewall Die and the I.C.E. Strength of that I.C.E.. If an effect increases the value of the die beyond 8, that effect is ignored.

FREE ACTION — Free Actions are indicated by a symbol before that Action's icon. A Free Action does not count toward the number of Actions a player can perform on their Turn. It does not consume a Click and can also be performed outside a player's Turn, if specified. A Free Action must be performed when obtained. In the case of Move, Attack or Screen, do not move Code Cubes on their own boxes. In the case of Upgrade, no additional cost must be paid.

GAIN CODE CUBE — Players gain 1 Code Cube in a color of their choice or in a specific color if the icon is colored (Movement, Attack, Defense), and they place it on the Skill Box of the corresponding color.

GUARDIAN — The most powerful category of I.C.E.. Its purpose is to remove Gates to end the game before a Breacher wins. Any effect that Eliminates or Disconnects a Guardian is ignored.

I.C.E. — These are the programs arranged to defend the Database. They are controlled by the Firewall and are the enemies of the Avatars. There are three categories of I.C.E.s: Bot, Seeker and Guardian.

IGNORE — Some effects or game rules allow other effects to be ignored. An ignored effect does not cause consequences for the target that ignored it. If a token is ignored, such as a Virus Token, it is discarded.

INFECTION DIE — This must be rolled when the Infect Action is performed. The result of the roll determines the outcome of the Action and could generate Firewall effects.

INFECTION DIE REROLL — After rolling the Infection Die, this effect allows the player to reroll the die and apply the new result in place of the previous one.

INFORMATION — Collecting these Tokens is the purpose of every Breacher. There are four types (colors) of Information and they can be Partial or Full. Information is kept in the Nodes of the Database and in the Supply. When a player gains an Information Token, they always place it in the leftmost free Slot of their Hard Disk, increasing Clicks and the Configurations at their disposal. Two Partial Information Tokens of the same type equal one Full Information Token of that type.

LINK — Each Room has four Links, one on each side. Links can be open or closed.

LINKED — Two Rooms that have two adjacent open Links or a Breach between them are considered Linked. Models in the Database can only Move between Linked Rooms, unless otherwise stated.

MALWARE — These are cards available to players that provide unique and unusual effects of their Avatar/Breacher. They are hidden from other players and each player has a limit of 4 such cards in their hand. The three types of Malware Cards are: Tactics, Mission, Program.

MODEL — A model is the physical representation of a character in the game.

MOVE GATE — This effect allows a player to move a Gate of their choice. The Gate must be placed adjacent to the outer edge of any Room in which there is not already a Gate.

MOVEMENT — Models can Move in the Database through different types of movement: the most common are the Move Action (Avatar only) and Shift. A model "moves" when it performs movements on its own. A model is moved when it performs movements effected by other players or the Firewall. An Avatar that is moved must not discard the Screen Token Clipped to their model.

OPEN A BREACH — This effect is explained in detail in the Cheats section (see Open a Breach, above). Nevertheless, it can also be resolved by game effects other than Cheats (e.g., by the effect of a Malware Card).

OPERATION — An Operation is an effect that the player must perform or chooses to perform in the manner described by the specific operation. An Operation is not an Action and does not consume a Click. Operations in Competitive Mode are: Purchase (see Credits, Rewards and Purchase Operation, above), Elude (see Elude, above), Reconnection (see Reconnection, above).

ORIENTATION — The Orientation of a Room defines its 90° rotation within the Database, which must always align with the Database's intended layout. The Orientation of a Room is chosen by the player who Reveals it. The Orientation may change during the game due to effects. When this occurs, any Breaches on it do not rotate.

PERFORM — After a model declares it is performing an effect, it must apply all the steps of that effect. The player is performing an effect as long as the procedure is in progress. Once all the steps provided for that effect have been applied, then the effect is considered resolved.

PLACE — Some game effects allow a model to be placed in a Room. If that model is already in the Database, that model is removed and then immediately placed in the target Room. Placing is not considered a movement.

PUSH — A Push is the movement of a Code Cube from one Avatar Sheet Box to another that is connected to it via arrows.

RANGE — This indicates the maximum distance (measured in Rooms) from which the target of Attacks or other effects can be chosen. Unless otherwise stated, the Range of an Attack or effect is 0, that is, a target must be chosen in the Room in which the model performing the Attack is located. The distance is counted by crossing Linked Rooms.

RECONNECTION — The Reconnection procedure allows a player to place their Disconnected Avatar in the Database in a Room adjacent to a Gate or their own Virus Token in a Node.

RECONNECTION SLOT — An Avatar is placed on this Slot of their Interface when Disconnected.

REMOVE VIRUS — This effect allows you to remove 1 Firewall Virus assigned to a player's Avatar.

RESET THREAT — This effect allows a player to remove a Virus Token from the Threat indicator on their Interface.

RESISTANCE — This indicates the minimum number of Viruses that must be assigned to an I.C.E. in order for it to be Eliminated.

RESOLVE — See Perform.

ROOM — The game element that represents one of the parts of which the Database is composed and that has open or closed Links to other Rooms. A Room is designated as Obscured when it shows its side without effect or Revealed when it shows the side with its effect. If a Revealed Room becomes an Obscured Room due to a game effect, follow the following rules: Models and Virus Tokens that were on the Revealed side of the Room must be placed on the Obscured side of the same Room. Screen Tokens remain clipped to the models. All other Tokens that were on the Revealed side are discarded.

SEEKER — The medium-power category of I.C.E.

SHIFT — This allows an I.C.E. to Move from the Room it is in to a Room Linked to it. It allows an Avatar to move from the Room they are in to a Revealed Room Linked to it. If the Avatar has a Screen Token clipped to it, this must be discarded once this effect has been resolved.

SKILLS — Skills allow players to perform the Actions connected to them and determine their effectiveness. Movement = Movement value/Move Action. Attack = Attack value/Attack Action. Defense = Defense value/Screen Action.

SKILL BOX — One of the boxes on an Avatar Sheet that can contain Code Cubes to determine the value of the associated Skill.

STRENGTH — Determines the maximum Attack and Defense values of all I.C.E. models of the same type. See Firewall Die.

SUBROUTINE — A group of one or more effects performed by an I.C.E. when it is activated.

SUPPLY — There are two types of Supplies: Common — where all game components for the current game that are not in the Database are stored; Personal — where each player stores components (e.g., Tokens) that they accumulate over the course of the game.

TOKEN — These game elements are represented by Tokens: Gate, Full Information / Partial Information, Research, Credit, Screen, Password, Virus.

TRACK ADVANCEMENT (Bot / Seeker / Guardian) — this effect indicates a player should advance the I.C.E. Cube on the corresponding track by one Slot.

UPGRADE CUBE — An Upgrade Cube allows the player to set up a Cheat. They are placed in the Upgrade Slots at the beginning of the game. As a result of an Upgrade Action, an Upgrade Cube is moved to a Cheat Slot to make that Cheat ready.

Appendix

Training Mode

Welcome to the Breacher training mode! Here you can train with our I.C.E. program simulators.

At the beginning of the game, players may decide to use this Mode to simplify I.C.E. management by applying the following changes.

• When an Activation Card is to be resolved as described in Resolving an Activation Card, the activated model performs the Quick Subroutine present on its Description Card instead of the Subroutines listed on the newly revealed Activation Card, which are completely ignored in this mode.
• The Training mode affects the Bots and Seekers; Guardian Activation Cards are resolved normally.

Solo Mode

This Mode allows for solo play. After Performing the 1 Player Setup, use the rules of Competitive Mode, except for the following points:

• When an Activation Card is revealed, the player's Avatar is the only possible target.
• In the Firewall Turn, the player must reveal 1 Activation Card even if their Avatar is Disconnected. In this case, do not activate the Bot or Seeker I.C.E.s, while the Guardian Performs its subroutines if possible.
• I.C.E. Track Advancements must always be resolved.
• If an I.C.E. needs to be deployed while the Avatar is Disconnected, place the model in a Room adjacent to the player's Tracked Node, if possible; otherwise, place it in any Room of the player's choice.
• The Malware Cards with the Alternative Effect icon affect other players and lose effectiveness in this Mode. These cards can be played in the Action Phase of a player's Turn with effect: Perform 3 Push.
• The player wins if they complete their Objective before the Firewall ends the game.

Deathmatch Mode

Deathmatch Mode follows all the rules of Competitive Mode and introduces new setups for the Database, which encourage interaction between players.

Icons

The rulebook's icon legend covers: Move Action, Attack Action, Screen Action, Infect Action, Upgrade Action, Configure Action, Log Out Action, Shift, Movement Value/Movement Point, Attack Value, Defense Value, Cache, Push, Gain 1 Code Cube of any color, Gain 1 Attack Code Cube, Gain 1 Movement Code Cube, Gain 1 Defense Code Cube, Click Value, Configuration Value, Screen, Gate, Open a Breach, Research, Malware Card, Virus, Remove Virus, Elude, Threat, Reset Threat, Range, Credit, Disconnected, Avatar, Breacher, I.C.E. Bot, I.C.E. Seeker, I.C.E. Guardian, Track Advancement (Bot), Track Advancement (Seeker), Track Advancement (Guardian), Infection Die, Full Information, Partial Information, Firewall, Infection Die Reroll, Move Gate, Alternative Effect.

Credits

• Project Director: Fernando Armentano
• Game Designer: Michele Morosini
• Development: Leonardo Romano, Diego Fonseca, Andrea Colletti, Joco Game Studio
• Editing: ITC Studio
• Lead Graphic Designer: Paolo Scippo
• Graphic Design: Paolo Scippo, Diana Maranzano, Jonata Benvenuti
• Art Directors: Andrea Colletti, Fernando Armentano
• Concept Artist: Giovanni Pirrotta, Eleonora Lisi, Simone Murgia, Antonio De Luca
• 3D Artists: Paolo Scippo, Federico Fieni
• Lead 3D Sculptor: Fernando Armentano
• 3D Sculptor: Tommaso Incecchi
• Translation: Elettra Nuzzo
• Web Editor: Emiliano Caretti
• Kickstarter Manager: Andrea Colletti
• Ludus Magnus Store: shop.ludusmagnusstudio.com

Playtesters: Alessandro Angelini, Alessio Mecca, Alice Sabatini, Andrea Chiarvesio, Andrea Schiariti, Andrea Vella, Beto Caprera, Chiara Spagnoletto, Daniele Samele, Daniele Vendittozzi, Fabio Perroni, Flavio Galmacci, Francesco Granitto, Francesco Pica, Gabriele Macchioro, Gaia Monteforte, Gianni Punzo, Giovanni Giuliani, Giovanni Milani, Giulia Marchese, Giuliano Polverari, Leonardo Romano, Lorenzo Meucci, Luca Benedetti, Luca Francescangeli, Luca Noschese, Luca Perra, Luigi De Feo, Pasquale Carotenuto, Pietro Caruso, Sid Neri, Sofia Alterio.

THE BREACH — Rulebook v.1.0 — © 2023 Ludus Magnus Studio — All rights reserved — www.ludusmagnusstudio.com