The Harbinger Project

The Harbinger Project Rulebook

Table of Contents

Overview

The Harbinger Project is a solitaire game in which you play as the head of a group of codebreakers and spies in an attempt to defend your country from invading enemy forces. It will be your job to decipher and break enemy codes and to use this information to maximize the efforts of your military forces. There are fourteen each of the four enemy unit types; your job is to destroy them all before they reach the Capital. If any enemy units remain after the Siege of the Capital, you lose the game. Otherwise, you win.

The enemy is also attempting to break your codes. Doing so would give them the advantage they need to take the Capital. After each Invasion, the enemy makes headway on this task, but you can slow their progress by spending time enciphering allied codes. If they aren't stopped, however, they will eventually break the allied codes, and you lose the game.

Components and Setup

To play you will need to print off both the Map and the Cipher Sheet. You will also need a pencil with an eraser and two eight-sided dice. Place the Cipher Sheet to the right of the Map so that the six rows on each sheet line up.

The Map

The Map shows the area of your country being invaded. Each of the six rows corresponds to one of the six Invasions. The first Invasion is the beach landing, using the top row; each successive Invasion uses the next row down.

At the bottom of the Map is the enemy's destination: your capital city. Here there are 20 Recruited Units spaces that may be filled in during the game.

Each Invasion row is separated into three, four, or five spaces. These are the potential targets of the enemy attacks. Each space contains what you need to track all the information about invading forces and your defenders.

The map areas are:

Invasion Row: the row for the current Invasion.
Target Values: numbers used to randomly determine which spaces will be targeted in each Invasion.
Enemy Ground Units: there are four types of enemy ground units that may attack a targeted space: Infantry, Armor, Artillery, and Paratroopers. When a type of enemy ground unit is determined to be attacking a specific targeted space, the matching symbol is circled in that space.
Friendly Ground Units: in each space, you may defend with up to four types of friendly ground units, each of which excels at combating a specific type of enemy ground unit. These are Snipers, Engineers, Commandos, and AA Guns.
Bombers/Fighters: spaces may be attacked by enemy Bombers. When the location of the Bomber attack is determined, the symbol in the corresponding space is circled. Bombers are defeated by friendly Fighters; each Invasion you will have the chance to circle these symbols in the spaces you wish to defend.

Snipers are used to defeat enemy Infantry.

Engineers use mines and tank traps to destroy enemy Armor.

Commandos raid enemy emplacements and use explosives to destroy Artillery.

Anti-aircraft guns shoot down the aircraft transporting Paratroopers.

The Cipher Sheet

The Cipher Sheet is used to track information needed during the game. There are six rows that correspond to the six Invasions; each row provides the symbols and spaces needed to track the relevant information for the corresponding Invasion.

The areas of each Invasion row are:

Critical Structures
Ready/Recruited Units
Codes
Time Track

Critical Structures. Each of the six Invasions threatens two Critical Structures, the loss of which will have severe negative impacts on your defense. Below each structure are eight spaces to be filled in as units are assigned to defend that structure. Each Critical Structure begins the game with two defenders; these spaces are already filled in. Next to each structure are the symbols for enemy Bombers and friendly Fighters; these symbols will be circled to denote the presence of these units at each structure.

Ready/Recruited Units. Each Invasion you will accumulate units to assign to defend. You start with seven units in each row, and can recruit more. The seven units you start with for each Invasion are called Ready Units. Each row contains 15 spaces that can be filled in to mark extra Recruited Units.

Codes. During each Invasion there are three different Codes that can be deciphered and broken: Targets, Ground Attacks, and Air Attacks. As you attempt to decipher the codes, you will use these spaces and symbols to track your progress.

Time Track. There is a limited amount of time to prepare before each Invasion. Each time you take actions to ready your defenses and break codes, you mark off spaces on the Time Track. Use the top row space first, then drop down and use the second row when needed. When the rules refer to the leftmost space of the Time Track, use the leftmost space following this order.

In each Time Track space are two values. The number to the left of the slash is called the Recruitment Value and is used when taking a Recruit action. The number to the right of the slash is called the Encipherment Value and is used when taking an Encipher action. The number below some spaces is called the Invasion Value and is used after each action is taken to see if the current Invasion begins.

The Cipher Sheet also contains areas to track information relevant to all Invasions:

Enemy Cipher: while Invading, the enemy is also attempting to break your codes; doing so will result in a loss of the game. This area is used to track their progress. Below this are six spaces for you to write in Enciphered Codes which can be used to slow down the enemy's codebreakers. There are also three Radio Tower symbols to track how many Radio Towers have been lost.
Fighter Reserve: enemy Bombers pose a terrible threat to your units and Critical Structures. To combat them, you can send Fighters to defend an area. You have ten Fighter squadrons at your disposal during the game, and can never gain more.
Enemy Units: there are four types of enemy units. Fourteen of each type are marching toward the Capital. As enemy units are defeated, their symbols are crossed off; defeat all fourteen of each type to win the game. Next to each type are two values used to randomly select enemy unit types. (On the printed sheet these are: Infantry 1 and 2; Armor 3 and 4; Artillery 5 and 6; Paratroopers 7 and 8.)
Ground/Air Attacks: these areas are provided to assist you in remembering where enemy attacks will take place, if needed. The Air Attacks area has the words Target and CS, and Left and Right, selected by the numbers 1-4 and 5-8. The Ground Attacks area has a Left and a Right column of enemy unit symbols.

Play

Each Invasion works the same way, and you resolve them one at a time starting with the Invasion row at the top of the Map and proceeding down. You will begin by choosing an action to take and resolving its effects. After each action you will cross off a space on the Time Track and check to see if the enemy attack triggers. If it does, you will have a chance to assign your Ready Units, Recruited Units, and Fighters. You mark off any enemy units you were able to destroy, roll to see if you lost any Critical Structures, and determine how much progress the enemy makes breaking your codes. After resolving the attack, you begin taking actions for the next Invasion down.

After completing all six Invasions, you proceed to the Siege of the Capital. If at any time you destroy all fourteen of each enemy type, you win; if, after the Siege of the Capital, there is at least one undestroyed enemy, you lose.

Actions

You begin each Invasion by taking actions. The possible actions are:

Decipher intercepted enemy codes.
Break enemy codes to learn valuable information about the incoming attack. The more time spent Deciphering, the more information you are likely to gain. This action may only be taken once per Invasion.
Recruit new units to defend your country and Critical Structures.
Encipher allied codes to make it harder for enemy codebreakers to make any progress.
Deploy defensive units to defend your Critical Structures. This action may only be taken once per Invasion. Once taken, you may no longer take actions, and the Invasion automatically begins.

After each action is taken, cross off the leftmost uncrossed-off space of the Time Track for your current Invasion. If the box you crossed off has a corresponding Invasion Value, you must make an Invasion Roll by rolling one die. If the rolled value is greater than or equal to the Invasion Value, the Invasion begins: you may take no more actions and must resolve the Invasion.

Each action is detailed below.

Decipher

To have a better chance of breaking the enemy's codes, you must first decipher them. Deciphering involves rolling the dice and writing numbers into the six circles that make up the three Codes. Later, when taking a Break action, you will hope to roll numbers that fall within the range between the two numbers for each Code, so the farther apart these two numbers are, the better. When you choose to take the Decipher action, roll both dice. With each die, in either order, you must:

Write the rolled value into any empty Code circle, or
Ignore the rolled value and erase any one value in a Code circle.

You must do one of these for each die. The order of the two numbers in a Code has no effect.

Example: You decide to Decipher. You roll both dice and get a 4 and an 8. Since you want numbers as far apart as possible, the 8 is perfect. You write it in an empty circle for the Targets Code. You don't want to erase the 8, though, so you must also write the 4 in an empty circle; this time you choose the Ground Attacks Code. You cross off the first space of the Time Track, but it has no Invasion Value so you do not make an Invasion roll.

Example: Your next action you Decipher again and roll a 2 and a 5. The 5 isn't great, but the 2 is really good. You first use the 5 to erase the 4 since neither of them will make a good range. You write the 2 in the Targets Code next to the 8. You check off the next Time Track space which also has no Invasion Value.

Example: You decide to Decipher again and roll a 2 and a 5. These make a decent range, so you write the values into the Ground Attacks Code. You cross off the third space of the Time Track, which has no Invasion Value.

Example: You Decipher again and roll a 3 and a 7. You don't plan to Decipher again, so you write both numbers into the Air Attacks Code. You cross off the 4th space of the Time Track. This space has an Invasion Value of 8, so you roll one die and roll a 2; the Invasion does not yet happen.

Break

In order to learn the enemy's plans, you must break their codes. Once per row you may take the Break action to figure out as much information as possible from each of the three Codes. The more time you've spent Deciphering Codes, the better your chances of learning what you need to successfully defend against the invading forces. You may only take a Break action once per Invasion.

When you choose to Break you will resolve each Code one at a time. You start with the Targets Code, then the Ground Attacks Code, and finally the Air Attacks Code. If a Code does not have both circles filled in with values from Deciphering, you may not attempt to resolve it. You may still take the Break action, but may only resolve Codes with a number in both circles.

To resolve a Code, roll both dice and compare the rolled values with the numbers written in the circles for that Code. Each rolled value that falls within the range of the two numbers in the Code circles, including being equal to either number, is considered a Success. You are not required to have the smaller number on the left and the larger number on the right; a die is considered a Success if it is equal to or greater than the smaller number and less than or equal to the larger number.

After rolling you may choose to use a Spy Plane to reroll either or both dice. To do so you will have to outfit one of your Fighters with cameras. Cross off one of your ten Fighters on the Cipher Sheet and reroll either or both dice. You may do this as many times as you wish on any Break roll.

After you are happy with your roll, count the number of Successes you rolled: zero, one, or two. If you rolled one Success, circle one Success symbol. If you earned two Successes, circle two. Then move on to the next Code to resolve. After resolving each Code once, the Break action is complete. You may not take any more Break actions until the next Invasion.

Example: You attempt to Break the codes you've been Deciphering. You start with the Targets Code and roll a 1 and a 2. The 2 falls within the inclusive range between 2 and 8 that you Deciphered for your Targets Code, but the 1 does not. You decide to use a Spy Plane. You cross off one of your Fighters and reroll the 1 getting another 1! You decide not to use another Spy Plane. The 1 and 5 earn you one Success, so you circle the appropriate Success symbol next to the Targets Code.

Example: You roll for the Ground Attacks Code and roll a 4 and a 7. You decide not to use a Spy Plane and circle the one Success symbol.

Example: You roll for the Air Attacks Code getting a 5 and a 2. You circle the 1 Success symbol. You cross off the 5th space of the Time Track and roll a 4 for the Invasion Roll; it is lower than the Invasion Value of 8 so the Invasion does not yet happen.

Recruit

Knowing the enemy's plans is helpful, but it's all for naught if you don't have the manpower to make use of what you know. You may know where the enemy is going, but you'll need to have enough friendly units to send there to defend. The Recruit action allows you to increase the number of units you have at your disposal.

When you choose to Recruit, find the Recruitment Value in the leftmost uncrossed-off space on the Time Track. This is the number of Recruited Units spaces you may fill in. You may fill in any of the 15 Recruited Units spaces in your current Invasion or any of the 20 Recruited Units spaces in the Capital. For your current Invasion row, the 15 spaces are not a limit; if you Recruit more than 15 units in one row, simply mark them some other way. For the Capital, the 20 spaces are a limit; you may never Recruit more than 20 units at the Capital.

Example: Now that you've attempted to break some of the enemy's codes, you decide to Recruit more units to defend. The Recruitment Value in the leftmost uncrossed-off space of the Time Track is 2. You decide to fill in one Recruited Unit in the current Invasion and one Recruited Unit in the Capital. You cross off the 6th space of the Time Track which has an Invasion Value of 7. You roll a 3; the Invasion does not yet happen.

Encipher

While you're attempting to break the enemy's codes, the enemy codebreakers are attempting to do the same thing to you. You track their progress on the Cipher Sheet using the Enemy Cipher grid. To break your codes the enemy generates random numbers after each Invasion and fills in the grid. To prevent them from doing this, you take the Encipher action to write numbers in the Enciphered Codes spaces on the Cipher Sheet. If the enemy attempts to fill in the grid with a number you Enciphered, the number is erased instead of written in.

When you choose to Encipher, find the Encipherment Value in the leftmost uncrossed-off space on the Time Track. The Encipherment Value is how many numbers you may write into the Enciphered Codes spaces. You may write in any numbers you wish. There are only six spaces; you may never Encipher more than six values at once. You may not erase or replace numbers already written in the Enciphered Codes spaces.

Example: To keep the enemy codebreakers at bay you take an Encipher action. The Encipherment Value in the leftmost uncrossed-off space of the Time Track is a 1. You may write any one number into the Enciphered Codes spaces, and choose to write in a 3. You cross off the 7th space of the Time Track which has an Invasion Value of 6; you roll a 5 and the Invasion does not yet happen.

Deploy

Deploying your units allows you to get bonus units to defend your Critical Structures. You may only choose the Deploy action once per Invasion, and, once it is carried out, the time for you to take actions is over and the Invasion of the row is resolved.

When you choose to Deploy, fill in any five of the spaces located below the two Critical Structures of the current Invasion. Two spaces below each Critical Structure start the game already filled in. After Deploying, you may take no more actions and must proceed to resolving the Invasion.

Example: You choose a Deploy action in order to get some bonus units to defend your Critical Structures. You choose to fill in 1 space below the Bridge in the row and 4 spaces below the Radio Tower in the row. You may take no more actions, so you move on to resolving the Invasion.

Time Track

After taking each action you will mark off the leftmost uncrossed-off space of the Time Track for your current Invasion. Some spaces of the Time Track have an Invasion Value. After taking any action, if the space you cross out has an Invasion Value, you must immediately make an Invasion Roll by rolling one die. If the rolled number is greater than or equal to the Invasion Value, you may take no more actions and must proceed to resolving the Invasion. Otherwise, you may continue by taking another action.

There is no need to mark off a Time Track space or make an Invasion Roll after taking a Deploy action as the Invasion must be resolved after a Deploy action is taken.

Resolving the Invasion

The Invasion of each row will start one of two ways: either you will choose to Deploy, after which it happens automatically, or you will roll equal to or higher than the Invasion Value when making an Invasion Roll after taking an action. In either case, resolving the Invasion works the same way and follows these steps in order:

Determine Success Information
Assign Units and Fighters
Determine Remaining Information
Resolve Bomber Attack
Resolve Ground Attack
Resolve Critical Structure Attack
Apply Effects of Lost Critical Structures
Roll for Enemy Cipher Progress

The step numbers are not printed as headings in the source; they are taken from the rulebook's own cross-references to "Step 1", "Step 4", "Step 6" and "Step 8".

Step 1: Determine Success Information

Each Success that was gained during Break actions reveals one piece of information about the enemy's plans relating to the Code on which the Success was earned. You can have up to two Successes for each of the three Codes.

During this step you will roll dice based on the number of successes earned, and fill in the information you learn. Start with the Targets Code, then the Ground Attacks Code, and finally the Air Attacks Code.

Targets. For each Success you earned on the Targets Code you will learn one of the two spaces on the Map the enemy intends to attack. Roll one die for each Success and check off the matching Target Values in the spaces in your current Invasion. It is possible that both targeted spaces will be the same space.

Example: During your Break action you earned 1 Success for the Targets Code, so you learn one of the targeted spaces. You roll one die and roll a 3. You check off that number on the Map; the space that number is in is one of the two spaces where the enemy will attack.

Ground Attacks. The enemy can attack with four different types of ground units. In each of the two targeted spaces, the enemy will send one or two types of units. For each Success you earned on the Ground Attacks Code you will learn which types of enemy units will be present in one of those spaces. If you learned the targeted spaces, you can circle the enemy unit types in those spaces; if you did not, you can circle the enemy unit types on the Ground Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet in order to remember what information you learn during this step.

For each Success roll both dice and look up the rolled numbers in the Enemy Units section. It is possible that both rolled numbers will correspond to the same enemy unit type.

On the Cipher Sheet, circle the enemy unit types in the Ground Attacks section that correspond to the numbers you rolled. If you had only one Success you will learn which types of enemy units will attack the leftmost targeted space; circle the enemy unit types in the left column. If you had two Successes you learn which enemy unit types will attack both the leftmost and rightmost spaces; roll both dice once for the left column and then a second time for the right column.

If, while resolving the Targets Code, you learned what both of the targeted spaces would be, you do not need to use the Ground Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet as you know what both the leftmost and rightmost targeted spaces are. In that case, you can simply circle the enemy unit types directly in the targeted spaces themselves. If you learned none or one of the targeted spaces, you can use the Ground Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet to remember what you rolled and can transfer that information to the Map once both targeted spaces are learned.

It is possible that there is only one targeted space. In that case, the leftmost and rightmost spaces are the same, and both Ground Attacks rolls will apply to that single space.

Example: During your Break action you earned one Success. You roll two dice to determine which enemy unit types will attack the leftmost targeted space; you roll a 4 and a 5 which corresponds to enemy Armor and Artillery. Since you only know one of the targeted spaces, you do not yet know which space will be the leftmost targeted space, so you cannot yet circle the enemy units on the Map. Instead, you circle the Armor and Artillery symbols in the left column of the Ground Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet.

Air Attacks. The enemy will attack either one of the targeted spaces or one of the Critical Structures with their Bombers. Knowing their target will allow you to defend with Fighters. Bombers can cause terrible damage if they are not stopped.

If you get one Success on this Code you learn whether the enemy plans to send their Bombers to one of the targeted spaces on the Map or to one of your Critical Structures. Roll one die and reference the Air Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet. If you roll a one through four, the enemy will attack a targeted space and you can circle the word "Target." If you roll a five through eight, the enemy will attack one of your Critical Structures and you can circle the word "CS."

If you get two Successes on this Code, you learn exactly where the enemy plans to send their Bombers. Roll one die and reference it the same way as above to find if they will attack a Target or a Critical Structure. Then roll one die and reference the Air Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet. If you roll a one through four, the enemy will attack the leftmost Target or Critical Structure and you circle the word "Left." If you roll a five through eight, the enemy will attack the rightmost Target or Critical Structure and you can circle the word "Right."

If you know which of the two Critical Structures the Bombers are attacking you can circle the Bomber symbol next to that Critical Structure. If you know both Targets and know which one of the two targeted spaces the Bombers are attacking you can circle the Bomber symbol in that space. If you don't know precisely where the Bombers will attack, you can circle what information you do know on the Air Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet and circle the correct Bombers symbol once that information is learned.

Example: During your Break action you earned 1 Success for the Air Attacks Code. You roll one die and roll a 6. The enemy will attack your Critical Structures, and you circle "CS" in the Air Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet.

Step 2: Assign Units and Fighters

After determining what information you've revealed from breaking enemy codes, you may assign your units to defend Critical Structures and spaces on the Map. Add together the Ready Units and the number of Recruited Units spaces you have filled in on the current Invasion. This is the total number of units you may assign. You may assign units to Critical Structures and to spaces on the Map. Assigning units to defend Critical Structures gives you better odds of successfully defending these structures from the enemy. If you choose to assign units to Critical Structures, fill in that number of spaces under the Critical Structures in the current Invasion row. Each Critical Structure begins with two units already defending, and more may have been added from taking a Deploy action. You may never have more than eight units defending one Critical Structure.

Assigning units to defend spaces on the Map allows you to kill enemy units that are in that same space. There are four types of friendly units you may choose from, each of which destroys a specific type of enemy unit. To assign units to the Map, you must choose which space or spaces you wish to defend and which types of units you wish to defend with. In each space, next to each friendly unit type, is a blank space to write in how many of that type of friendly unit you wish to assign to that space. The total number of each type of unit you assign, plus the number of spaces you choose to fill in under your Critical Structures, may not be more than the total of Ready and Recruited Units.

You may also assign Fighters to defend against Bombers. In any space on the Map in the current Invasion, or at either Critical Structure, you may circle the Fighter symbol to defend with Fighters at that space or structure. For each Fighter you assign, cross off one of the ten Fighter symbols on the Cipher Sheet. You may not cross off a Fighter more than once.

Example: You have 7 Ready Units and 1 Recruited Unit, so you may assign 8 units to defend against this Invasion. You know one of the two spaces they will attack, and you know the enemy unit types they will send to the leftmost space. Since you took a Deploy action, you already have some extra units defending your Critical Structures so you choose to send all 8 units to defend on the Map. Given the placement of the Target Values in the spaces for this Invasion, it's fairly likely that the one space you know will end up being the leftmost targeted space and eventually be attacked by enemy Armor and Artillery. You decide to place 4 Engineers and 4 Commandos there to defend.

Example: You know that the enemy Bombers will attack your Critical Structures, but not which one. You decide losing these structures would set you back too far, and assign a Fighter to defend at both structures. You cross off two Fighters from the Fighter Reserve and circle the Fighter symbol next to both Critical Structures.

Step 3: Determine Remaining Information

Each Success at breaking an enemy code gives information about the Invasion that you get to see before you assign units. After assigning units you determine the rest of the information that you were unable to learn.

Targets. The enemy will attack one or two spaces. The process of determining these targets is the same as during Step 1. If you have already learned both targets during Step 1, then there is nothing left to learn. If you learned one target during Step 1, roll one die to determine the other target. If you learned neither target, roll both dice to determine them both.

Example: During Step 1 you learned one of the two targeted spaces. Now you determine the other space and roll an 8. You fill in the 8 on the Map, and now know both targeted spaces.

Ground Attacks. The enemy will attack each targeted space with one or two enemy unit types. The process for determining these targets is the same as during Step 1. If you had two successes for this Code and learned each type of unit, transfer the information from the Ground Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet to the Map; the unit types in the left column are circled in the leftmost targeted space on the Map, and the units in the right column are circled in the rightmost targeted space on the Map.

If you had one success for this Code, transfer the information from the left column of the Ground Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet to the leftmost targeted space on the map. Roll both dice to determine the enemy unit types in the rightmost targeted space following the same procedure as in Step 1. If you had no successes, roll separately for the enemy unit types in each space following the procedure in Step 1. It is possible that there is only one targeted space. In that case, the leftmost and rightmost spaces are the same and both Ground Attacks rolls will apply to that single space.

Example: You earned one Ground Attacks success during your Break roll, and learned what enemy unit types will attack the leftmost space. Since you now know which space is the leftmost targeted space, you circle the Armor and Artillery symbols in that space. You need to roll for the rightmost space; you roll a 7 and an 8 and circle the Paratroopers symbol in the rightmost targeted space.

Air Attacks. The enemy will attack one of the targeted spaces, or one of the Critical Structures, with their Bombers. If you had two successes for this Code then you know exactly which space or structure the enemy is attacking and can circle the Bomber symbol near it. If you had zero or one success for this Code, roll for the information you didn't learn following the same procedure as in Step 1. Circle the Bomber symbol in the attacked space.

Example: You had one success on the Air Attacks Code during your Break action, and you learned the enemy will send their Bombers to your Critical Structures. You roll one die and roll a 1, meaning the Bombers will attack the Critical Structure on the left. You circle the Bomber symbol next to your Bridge.

Step 4: Resolve Bomber Attack

The enemy sends their Bombers to attack one space during each Invasion. Without interference, their Bombers can wreak terrible havoc. Find the targeted space or the Critical Structure with the circled Bomber symbol. If that space or structure also has a circled Fighter symbol, your Fighters shoot down the enemy Bombers and successfully defend the air. There is no Bomber attack; proceed to the next step.

If there is not a circled Fighter symbol in the space or structure with the Bombers, then the enemy Bombers are successful. If the attack was on a targeted space on the Map, erase all friendly units assigned to any spaces on the Map, not just the space with the Bomber. If the attack was on a Critical Structure, cross out both Critical Structures in this Invasion, not just the structure with the Bomber.

Example: The Bombers attacked your Bridge, but you assigned a Fighter to defend. The Fighter keeps the Bombers from destroying both of your Critical Structures.

Step 5: Resolve Ground Attack

In each targeted space on the Map your friendly units engage the invading enemy forces in an attempt to destroy as many of them as possible. Resolve the attack in each targeted space, in any order. Each type of friendly unit can destroy one type of enemy unit:

Sniper destroys Infantry
Engineer destroys Armor
Commando destroys Artillery
AA Gun destroys Paratroopers

In each targeted space, one or two enemy unit types will be circled. These are the types of enemy units that can be destroyed in that space. For each of these enemy units, check to see if the type of friendly unit that can destroy them is also in that space. If so, you destroy a number of that enemy unit type equal to the number of the correct friendly unit type you are defending with. Cross off that many enemy unit symbols from the Enemy Units section of the Cipher Sheet. Do this for each targeted space on the Map. If you cross off all fourteen of each enemy type, you immediately win the game.

Example: The targeted space on the left is under attack by enemy Armor and Artillery. Enemy Armor is destroyed by Engineers; you have four Engineers in the space and so cross out four enemy Armor symbols in the Enemy Units list. Enemy Artillery is destroyed by Commandos. You have four Commandos in the space as well and so cross out four enemy Artillery symbols on the Enemy Units list. In the rightmost targeted space the enemy is attacking with Paratroopers. Unfortunately you do not have any AA Guns in that space, so you do not destroy any enemy Paratroopers.

Step 6: Resolve Critical Structure Attack

Each Invasion, two Critical Structures are under attack. The loss of these structures can be devastating to your defense.

For each Critical Structure, one at a time, roll one die. If the number rolled is greater than the number of spaces that are filled in below the Critical Structure, the structure is lost; cross it off. If the number rolled is equal to or less than the number of spaces that are filled in below the Critical Structure, your defenders have successfully defended the structure and there is no effect.

Example: You have 3 defenders at your Bridge. You roll a 6 and cross off the Bridge. You have 6 defenders at your Radio Tower. You roll another 6 and your Radio Tower is safe.

Step 7: Apply Effects of Lost Critical Structures

Critical Structures can be lost in one of two ways: they are crossed off after a Bomber attack during Step 4, or they are crossed off during the Critical Structure attack during Step 6. Regardless of how they are lost, the effects are the same and depend on the type of structure it was.

Factories produce the weapons and vehicles of war used to repel the invaders, and losing one can severely impact your ability to defend. If a Factory is lost, cross out the seven Ready Units in the next Invasion row; these units may not be assigned to defend.
Radio Towers are used to transmit your messages and orders across the country. If a Radio Tower is lost, cross off one Radio Tower symbol next to the Enemy Cipher. This will speed up the enemy code-breakers' progress during Step 8.
Bridges allow easier movement across more difficult terrain; losing one to the enemy will allow them to move quicker across the country. If a Bridge is lost, cross off the leftmost two spaces of the Time Track in the next Invasion row. When taking actions during that Invasion, these spaces count as if they have already been used.
Airbase houses all of your Fighters and Spy Planes, the loss of which will make defending the Capital much more difficult. If the Airbase is lost, cross out all remaining Fighters on the Cipher Sheet. These may no longer be used during the Siege of the Capital.
THP Office (The Harbinger Project Offices) is where all information regarding your codes and code-breaking efforts are stored. If the Harbinger Project Offices are lost, cross out all four columns of the Enemy Cipher. This does not result in a loss of the game, but columns may no longer be crossed off during the Siege of the Capital.

Example: During the attack on your Critical Structures you lost a Bridge. You cross off the first two spaces on the next Time Track. During the next Invasion you will be much more pressed for time.

Step 8: Roll for Enemy Cipher Progress

The enemy codebreakers are trying just as hard to decipher your codes as you are to decipher theirs. After each Invasion they make slow but steady progress which is tracked on the Enemy Cipher. If they break your codes, the game is lost.

To determine their progress, roll both dice. For each die, in either order, you must either:

Erase one matching number from the Enciphered Codes spaces, or
Write the rolled number into an empty space in the Enemy Cipher.

When writing a number into the Enemy Cipher you must write it in the highest row possible that has at least one empty space. If there are multiple empty spaces in that row, you may choose which space to write it in.

Repeat this process a second time, and then once more for each Radio Tower that has been crossed out next to the Enemy Cipher.

After rolling all required dice and writing in all required numbers, check each column. If any column contains two or more spaces containing the same number, draw a line through all nine spaces of that column; the enemy has broken this part of your code. You may no longer write numbers into that column.

If all four columns are crossed off, the enemy has broken your code and you lose the game.

Example: You roll two dice to determine the Enemy Cipher progress and roll a 4 and 5. You write these numbers into the top row of the Enemy Cipher. You roll a second time and roll a 3 and another 5. You erase the 3 from the Enciphered Codes spaces and write the 5 into the Enemy Cipher. You have lost no Radio Towers so far, so you stop rolling. So far, no column has more than one of any number, so no columns are crossed off.

After rolling for Enemy Cipher progress, if you have resolved all six Invasions, continue to the Siege of the Capital. Otherwise, begin taking actions for the next Invasion; you may erase all circles on the Ground Attacks and Air Attacks section of the Cipher Sheet so it may be used again for the next Invasion.

The Siege of the Capital

Eventually the enemy invaders will make it to the Capital. If you have not destroyed all fourteen of each enemy type by the sixth Invasion, you will use all of your remaining resources to attempt to beat the invaders back.

Check each type of enemy unit in order, starting with Infantry and proceeding to Armor, then Artillery, and finally Paratroopers. Follow this process for each unit type:

If you have destroyed all fourteen of the enemy unit type, these units are no longer a threat. You may move on to the next enemy unit type.
If you have not destroyed all fourteen of the enemy unit type then you must make attacks on the enemy in an attempt to do so. You have three options for attacks:
- You may cross off five Recruited Units at the Capital to roll one die and destroy that many of the enemy unit types in question. If you roll higher than the remaining number of enemy units of this type, you may not apply it to other enemy unit types. You may only choose this option once per enemy unit type.
- You may cross off one uncrossed-off column of the Enemy Cipher to roll two dice. Subtract the smaller number from the larger number and destroy that many of the enemy unit types in question. If you destroy more units than the remaining number of enemy units of this type, you may not apply it to other enemy unit types. You may only choose this option once per enemy unit type. Crossing off the fourth column of the Enemy Cipher does not result in a loss of the game during the Siege of the Capital.
- You may cross off one Fighter to roll two dice. Subtract the smaller number from the larger number and destroy that many of the enemy unit types in question. If you destroy more units than the remaining number of enemy units of this type, you may not apply it to other enemy unit types. You may choose this option any number of times per enemy unit type.

If, after exhausting all possible options, you have not destroyed all fourteen enemy units, the invaders overrun the Capital and you lose the game. If you are able to destroy all fourteen enemy units, repeat this process for the next enemy unit type.

If you destroy all fourteen of all four enemy unit types, you have successfully repelled the invading force and win the game.