This War of Mine: Tactics

Expansion for This War of Mine: The Board Game

This War of Mine: Tactics Rulebook

Table of Contents

Tactics

At the beginning of your playthrough divide the Tactics cards into:

the Rooms and Corridors deck.
the Hiding Space and Open Space deck.
the remaining cards (2 Action cards, 2 Special cards, 1 Noise card, 1 Alarm card).

Place them where you wish but next to the board.

Now place the double-sided Tactics Map next to the decks, along with 9 Tactics tokens and 4 Soldier minis.

Using Tactics Mode

Tactics can be used during Scavenging, right after the Combat with Residents (Soldiers, Deserters, Rebels or Thugs) begins. This expansion introduces an alternative way of resolving Combat.

Tactics mode is especially useful in a situation where Combat will begin and you are prepared for it. Otherwise it is recommended to simply choose the Fleeing rule (see COMBAT – page 24).

When Tactics mode is triggered the Characters make their way deeper into the Location they are currently in and then begin a tactical paper chase.

In Tactics mode, you will be given a chance to: reduce 1) the advantage of numbers your Enemies might have over you, by fighting them one by one, 2) the advantage of their Prowess, by fighting them in places where it’s pitch black, and also 3) any advantage they might have over you due to Firearms, by picking narrow corridors for the fight. Moreover, the Tactics tokens will let you gain an additional edge in a fight.

Setup

Determine The Side of the Tactics Map

When triggering Tactics mode place the Tactics Map on side that fits the size of the Location you are currently in:

In case of a Medium or Large Location – use the side marked with the letter A.

In case of a Small Location – use the side marked with the letter B.

Placement of the Tactics Tokens

After setting up the Tactics Map place 1 Tactics token on the spaces marked with a single Tactics token icon, and on the spaces marked with a double Tactics token icon place 2 Tactics tokens.

Determining the Enemies

Determine the number, Prowess, and Weapons of the Enemies in the usual way – according to the text on the Residents card. Place the Enemy tokens on the Combat chart on the board.

These tokens represent the Enemies lurking nearby. You do not know where exactly they are, similarly they don’t possess the knowledge of the Character's exact location. These tokens will be used only when you actually run into one of the Enemies (see further description).

Determining The Starting Spaces for the Characters

Roll the Black die for each Character in the group and place the Characters on the spaces on the Tactics Map that correspond to the results of your rolls (see spaces with numbers on a black background).

The Characters begin on the determined spaces. During the playthrough with Tactics mode triggered, the Characters will either try to get out of the Location (two exit spaces located on the edge of the Tactics Map), or will attempt to reach the places that provide the best tactical advantage and the element of surprise to be used during Combat.

Gameplay

Tactics Turns

Tactics mode consists of turns that happen one after the other. During a turn, you will:

Perform one action from the Actions cards.

The exact description and conditions of particular Actions can be found on the backs of the two Actions cards.

Check the color of the space that you have finished your movement on.

If the space is blue = draw and resolve the effect of a Room and Corridors card.
If the space is green = draw and resolve the effect of a Hiding Space card.
If the space is red = draw and resolve the effect of an Open Space card.

Note: The effects of Hiding Space and Open Space cards are placed in one deck.

On each space marked as a Hiding Space there are black dots that determine the maximum limit of Characters from your group that can stand there.

After each turn: pass the first player miniature (Next Player).

Movement on the Tactics Map

Almost every one of the actions enables the group / a Character to move by a specified number of spaces.

This means that you can move the miniature representing the group / a Character by that amount (or less) in any direction but only along the passages marked on the Tactics Map.

Special Passages and Special Spaces

The Tactics Map should be treated as a symbolic representation of the area, not literally. The map shows a sectional view of a building – long corridors, narrow rooms, balconies providing opportunities for climbing higher, rubble and furniture scattered about, doors that let you stand behind them, hideouts, ladders, cellars, attics and so on.

The passages and spaces that have special features are marked with special symbols on the Map.

The description of these symbols and their meaning can be found on the 2 Special cards: Special Passages and Special Spaces.

Dividing and Joining Groups

Characters that are placed on the same space are a group. Choose just 1 miniature to represent that group and place the remaining miniatures, representing different members of the group, aside for the time being.

When a Character finishes a move on a space that is occupied by another Character, they immediately form a group.

Beginning a group move provides a chance to split the group – simply move just one or some of the Characters and leave the rest where they were.

If there are Characters on the Tactics Map, that occupy different spaces, then it is your decision which Character / group is acting during the current turn. You can choose the same Character / group as many times in a row as you wish.

Tactics Tokens

During a move collect all the Tactics tokens from the spaces you have moved through and from the space where you have finished your move.

At any time, until you leave this Location, you can discard a Tactics token to:

re-roll any chosen result (Combat die / Black die, own / Enemy’s)
lower or raise the Wound result of a Combat die roll by 1 (own / Enemy’s).

You can discard more than one token at a time (for example to raise the result of a roll by more than 1 Wound or re-roll an unfavorable result a couple of times).

Enemies

Characters can encounter Enemies in a few different ways. An Enemy can appear as a result of a Hide test roll, or a Noise test roll or when "mark an Enemy" happens.

When you start Combat with an Enemy, choose any one Enemy token placed on the Combat chart.

When the rules tell you that there is more than one Enemy or that another one just appeared, choose another Enemy token from the Combat chart. If there are no more Enemy tokens on the Combat chart, this means that the new Enemy did not appear / there aren’t more Enemies.

You can immediately pick up the Weapons of the dead Enemies.

Marking An Enemy

Many of the effects on the cards allow you to determine the location of an Enemy by the noise they make. Thanks to this, for a while you can be sure of the exact place where an Enemy is. This is symbolized by the "mark an Enemy" action.

In order to mark an Enemy on a particular space, place a Soldier miniature in there.

When a space marked with an Enemy is within the move range of a Character / group the Assault or Sneak Up (see Actions cards) can be performed.

At the beginning of each turn roll the Black die for each marked Enemy. Result = 1-3 – unmark that Enemy.

Hide

Performing a Hide test means checking if the Enemy that occupies the same space as you do, discovered your presence. In many places the circumstances will help to remain hidden (furniture, corners, darkness, etc.).

Hide: A Hide test for a group / Character is: the Hide modifier of the performed Action + the blue colored number visible on the space where the Character / group finished their move.

Performing a Hide test: Roll the Black Die (the Character / group may use their Prowess to reroll the result).

If the result is lower than or equal to the Hide statistic, an Enemy did not spot you. Mark the Enemy 2 spaces away.

If the result is higher, an Enemy has spotted you and Combat begins.

Noise

The Noise in Tactics mode works very differently compared to ordinary exploration.

Noise: The Noise of a group / Character is: the Noise modifier of the performed Action + the red number visible on the space where the Character / group finished their move.

Performing a Noise test: Roll the Black Die (the Character / group can use their Prowess to reroll the result).

If the result is lower than or equal to the Noise, an Enemy has heard you – resolve a Noise card.

If the result is higher, no Enemies heard you – nothing happens.

Other Rules

Prowess: If a group uses their Prowess to reroll a result, you must use the lowest Prowess score among all the Characters in the group.

Shooting and raising the Alarm: Whenever a Character or an Enemy uses a Firearm (for example during Combat or Backstab), roll the Black die. Result = 1-5 – activate the Alarm card.

Fleeing from Combat: Fleeing from Combat works differently in Tactics mode. When Characters Flee, an Enemy performs a Backstab. After resolving the Backstab, the Character moves 3 spaces from the Combat Location. Then activate the Alarm card and finish the turn.

Support: If a Character / group is situated on an adjacent space to the one where Combat is happening, that Character / group may join the fray as a free move (move them to the space where Combat is happening).

Characters can pass Weapons between each other if they occupy the same space.

Leaving the Tactics Map

There are 2 exit spaces on the Tactics Map. Each one goes out beyond the edge of the map.

When a Character / group finds itself on an exit space, they automatically leave the Tactics Map and therefore finish Scavenging – place the Characters on the Findings Pile.

If there is a Character left on the Tactics map after Tactics mode has finished, they may continue Scavenging.

If all Characters leave the Tactics Map – move to the Choose Findings stage.

Defeating All Enemies

If the Characters manage to defeat all Enemies on the Tactics Map, then all of these Characters can continue Scavenging (even if they were moved to the Findings Pile earlier).

If this happens ignore the Noise until the end of this Scavenging.