Battle for the Galaxy: Zylatron
Battle for the Galaxy: Zylatron Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
To gain control of the galaxy of Zylatron (i.e. control of the BOARD), by landing a WARRIOR on the enemy CONTROL HEADQUARTERS position or by taking off the board ALL THE OTHER PLAYER'S Warriors.
Equipment
Board: This board represents the galaxy of Zylatron. It has a planet at each corner with a moon and a central planet called Zylon. Each planet has a CONTROL HEADQUARTERS designated by a circle. Each planet also controls three FACTORIES shown by squares. The positions for the pieces are also outlined on the board. The central planet of ZYLON is marked with a Control Headquarters and this is neutral at the beginning of the game.
Strike Cards: Placed in a pile face down next to the bank.
Information Sheets (4): One per player or team.
Money (Zys): Total amount 200 Zys. (Each player starts with 10 Zys). Kept by one player who acts as Banker.
Zylon Card: This card is given to the player that lands a WARRIOR on the Control Headquarters of the central planet Zylon and denotes ownership.
Space Units: Four sets of each of the following pieces:
- 2 Battle Stars
- 4 Star Fighters
- 5 Warriors
- 4 Krill Missiles
Range Measuring Card: Used to measure range when firing lasers or when beaming up cargo.
NOW: Read the rules and then START TO PLAY referring to the Explanatory Notes as you go along. Remember that all players have an INFORMATION SHEET in front of them for the whole of the play and this sheet has most of the information needed.
NOTE: In addition to the major game outlined above, there is a short game. For the short game there is a separate rule sheet. Younger children could start with this simpler version.
CAUTION: Some of the pieces are quite small, please keep out of reach of small children.
Rules for the Short Game
In the short game ONLY the Star Fighters and Warriors are used. The Information Sheets are NOT used. The Damage Strike Cards are NOT used.
Set Up: Each player picks a Planet and places that Planet's coloured pieces on the marked positions on the board.
Each player receives from the Bank 10 Zys, and a Range Card.
The Object of the Game: When you either LAND A WARRIOR ON AN OPPONENTS CONTROL HEADQUARTERS or TAKE OFF ALL HIS WARRIORS you take over all that Players remaining Pieces and Factories and he is out of the game. The last Player left is the Winner.
To Play the Game: Play proceeds, clockwise around the table. A turn consists of moving any two of your pieces in any direction along the points of the grid.
A Warrior can move up to 4 grid positions over land only. A Star Fighter can move up to 10 grid positions over land or in space.
A piece can be moved ONCE ONLY IN A TURN.
A Star Fighter can carry other pieces on its peg. For instance, it is possible to have up to four Star Fighters, one on top of the other, with a Warrior on top of all. So in one move a Star Fighter could move 10 grid positions, unload another Star Fighter with a Warrior on it and move that 10 grid positions.
A Star Fighter picks up other pieces by moving to where they are on the board during a turn. For instance, a Star Fighter could move 5 grid points to a Warrior, pick it up and then move another 1 position.
The Warrior and Star Fighters have laser guns and when you think you are within range of another piece, you can "FIRE" on it. The range is then checked with the Range Finder Card. If the enemy piece is in range, then you draw a Strike Card for that piece. If the Strike Card says "HIT" the piece is removed from the board, if it says "MISS", then nothing happens.
Firing the laser guns does not count as a turn and each piece can fire ONCE ONLY during a turn. If a Star Fighter is carrying other pieces, all the pieces can fire.
Each Planet has 3 Factories (shown on the board by a square) and these Factories earn money. At the end of each turn you collect 1 Zy for each Factory you own. This includes any factories you have taken over from another Player. If you land a Warrior on the Control Headquarters of Zylon, the centre Planet, you take the Zylon Control Card and your Factories earn TWICE as much while you keep it. Your Warrior does not have to stay on the Control Headquarters, but if another Player lands a Warrior there he takes the Card and his Factories earn twice as much.
You can use the money you earn to replace Warriors and Star Fighters when they are lost. A Warrior costs 8 Zys to replace. A Star Fighter costs 14 Zys to replace.
If you want extra details about something you can refer to the Explanatory Notes. You can progress to the major game when you are ready.
Rules for the Major Game
Set Up: Each player picks a Planet and places that Planet's coloured pieces on the marked positions on the board.
Each player receives from the Bank 10 Zys, a Range Card and an Information Sheet.
The Object of the Game: When you either LAND A WARRIOR ON AN OPPONENTS CONTROL HEADQUARTERS or TAKE ALL HIS WARRIORS you take over all that Players remaining Pieces and Factories and he is out of the game. The last Player left is the Winner.
To Play the Game: Play proceeds, clockwise around the table. A turn consists of moving any three of your pieces in any direction along the points of the grid.
A Warrior can move up to 4 grid positions over land only. A Star Fighter can move up to 6 grid positions over land or in space. A Battle Star can move 6 grid positions in space only. A Missile can move 8 grid positions in space and over land but only on launch.
A piece can be moved ONCE ONLY IN A TURN. A piece does not have to move the full distance, a piece does not have to move at all.
A Battle Star or Star Fighter can pick up and carry other pieces (cargo) while moving along the grid. Pieces can be carried piggy back. So a Battle Star can carry as many Star Fighters, Missiles and Warriors as can be loaded, and a Star Fighter can carry other Star Fighters, Missiles and Warriors. Battle Stars can beam up or beam down Warriors and Missiles if they are within beaming range. Beaming does not count as a move.
A Star Fighter or Battle Star picks up other pieces by moving to where they are on the board during a turn. For instance, a Star Fighter could move 5 grid points to a Warrior, pick it up and then move another 1 position.
The Warriors, Star Fighters and Battle Stars have laser guns and when you think you are within range of another piece, you can "FIRE" on it. The range is then checked with the Range Finder Card. If the enemy piece is in range, then you draw a Strike Card for that piece. If the Strike Card says "HIT" the piece is removed from the board, if it says "MISS", nothing happens. If it says "DAMAGE" refer to Information Sheet.
Firing the laser guns does not count as a turn and each piece can fire ONCE ONLY during a turn, e.g. if a Star Fighter is carrying other pieces, all the pieces can fire.
Each Planet has 3 Factories (shown on the board by a square) and these Factories earn money. At the end of each turn you collect 1 Zy for each Factory you own. This includes any factories you have taken over from another Player. If you land a Warrior on the Control Headquarters of Zylon, the centre Planet, you take the Zylon Control Card and your Factories earn TWICE as much while you keep it. Your Warrior does not have to stay on the Control Headquarters, but if another Player lands a Warrior there he takes the Card and his Factories earn twice as much.
You can use the money you earn to replace or repair pieces when they are lost or damaged. See Information Sheet.
All pieces are to be moved out mentally. Once a piece is touched THAT PIECE MUST BE MOVED, and once the player has let go the piece he is not allowed to change his mind and move the piece somewhere else.
If you want extra details about something refer to the Explanatory Notes.
Explanatory Notes
(Alphabetical order. To be read in conjunction with the rules.)
Bank
The Bank holds all the Zys (money) and controls "lost" (taken off) units until they are repurchased. It pays out the revenue to complete each players turn. The Bank never goes broke. If it runs out of money Zys may be written on paper.
Battle Stars
Battle Stars cannot move across land. They travel six space grid positions each turn. The grid position is measured from the centre of the Battle Star. Battle Stars can fire lasers and can launch missiles, if they are being carried on board as cargo. (See Krill Missiles). A Battle Star has three cargo bays and can beam land units aboard.
Beaming
As Battle Stars cannot move over land they can BEAM UP or transfer missiles or Warriors from land or from another craft provided that what they want to beam up is in range. The beaming range is shown on the bottom of the Information Sheet and on the range card. Beaming can take place during a turn and it does not count as a move. Battle Stars can also BEAM DOWN (i.e. offload) pieces. Star Fighters cannot be beamed, only missiles or warriors.
Cargo
Cargo is the term used for a piece (warriors, missiles, or Star Fighters) being carried on top of another piece on the cargo bay (the peg on the top of the unit). The cargo that can be carried is only limited by the number of bays (pegs) available.
A Battle Star can carry Star Fighters, Warriors and Missiles. A Star Fighter can carry other Star Fighters, Warriors and Missiles. Battle Stars and Star Fighters can pick up or discharge cargo at any time during their travel. They pick up cargo by moving to the grid position that the cargo occupies, they pick up the cargo and if they still have some of their move left, they can continue to finish the move. Cargo can be offloaded in the same manner.
A disembarked unit may then take a turn immediately it has been offloaded if desired, in this way a piece can move a long way across the board, for example: a Battle Star loaded with a Star Fighter and a Warrior can move six grid positions, unload the Star Fighter with a Warrior on it as cargo, the Star Fighter could then move six, disembark the Warrior on a planet and the Warrior could then move four grid positions. ALL IN ONE TURN. Warriors and Star Fighters can fire lasers whilst being ferried. Combinations of cargo may be altered during transit i.e. during a turn a Battle Stars missiles may be transfered to a Star Fighter also being ferried by that same Battle Star without counting as a move.
Cargo Bays
Cargo Bays are the "pegs" on the top of the Battle Stars and Star Fighters which other pieces fit onto.
Control Headquarters
When a player lands a fully armed Warrior on another players Control Headquarters, that player takes over all of the capacity of that planet, i.e. the factories, with their earning power, and all ships, armaments, bases and money. However that player cannot repurchase that planets lost units.
If a player lands a Warrior on the Control Headquarters of the centre planet of Zylon the player takes control of the planet and collects the control card. Immediately a player owns the Control Headquarters of Zylon the earning capacity of ALL his factories is doubled. The Warrior does NOT HAVE TO STAY ON THE CONTROL CENTRE in order to retain control and control ONLY changes hands when another player lands one of his Warriors on the Control Headquarters.
Factories
At the start of the game each planet has three Industrial complexes or Factories, one on his home planet, one on his moon and one on the Central Planet, Zylon. These factories earn money and at the completion of each turn a player collects one Zy for each Factory that he owns, provided that it is not damaged or destroyed.
If a player takes over control of the Control Headquarters of Zylon (the Centre Planet) the capacity of his factories is doubled with each factory earning two Zys per turn.
When one planet is victorious over another it takes over its armament and the full earning capacity of that planet's factories.
If a factory is damaged then it cannot earn money until the next turn. If a factory is destroyed it can be rebuilt at a cost of 4 Zys.
Krill Missile
Firing a missile does not count as a move.
Krill Missiles can be fired from their starting position on the board or when they are being carried by a Star Fighter or Battle Star. They cannot move independently (unless they have been launched).
After a Krill Missile has been launched it has to be detonated and ANY TARGET whether it is friend or foe that is within range MUST HAVE A strike card drawn for it.
The Missile range is shown on the information sheet and on the RANGE MEASURING CARD. Each target must be nominated BEFORE the strike card is drawn. The Strike card will say whether it has been a hit, miss, or whether damage has occurred; so, draw a Strike card and refer to the information sheet for any further action.
Travel: A missile may travel a maximum of 8 grid positions. After a missile has moved its 8 grid positions it must be detonated and removed from the Board. A missile does not have to go its full range before it is detonated.
Laser Guns
Firing the laser guns does not count as a turn.
When firing laser guns the target must be nominated before the strike card is picked up. A piece may fire ONCE ONLY during a move but firing can take place any time during travel. The firing range is shown on the information sheet and the Range measuring card should be used.
Range Measuring Card
The Range measuring card has all the ranges clearly marked on it. This is to be used after a target has been nominated in order to ensure that the target is actually in range of the missile or laser guns before the Strike Cards are drawn.
Use of the measuring card: The range distance is measured between the points on the grid occupied, not the edge of the pieces.
If, after measuring, the target is found to be out of range the player must wait until the next turn before that unit may fire again. In other words it missed because it was out of range.
Repurchased Units and Missiles
Units "hit" that have been removed from the Board may only be repurchased by the original owner. If the original owner has been eliminated from the game his/her lost units remain lost for the duration of the game.
When replacing units on the board (with the exception of missiles) they must be placed back on one of their own starting positions or if another planet has been captured then the starting positions on that planet can be used.
A repurchased missile can be placed on its original starting position or on any space vehicle. If the missile is replaced onto another space vehicle the vehicle may move but the missile may not be launched that turn.
Star Fighters
Star Fighters can travel over land and in space. They can carry other Star Fighters, Missiles and Warriors. They have laser guns. The range is shown on the Range Card and information sheet. In the MAJOR GAME a Star Fighter can move 6 GRID POINTS, in the SHORT GAME it can move 10 GRID POINTS.
Strike Cards
The strike cards are shuffled at the beginning of the game and placed in a pile face down and turned over as required. When all the cards are turned over during the course of the game, the pile is re-shuffled and started again face down.
When a laser is fired or a missile detonated and its target is within range a STRIKE CARD is drawn. There are three classes of strike card:
- Hit Card: The piece (target) is removed from the board and kept by the Bank.
- Damage Card (not used in short game): Inactive for next turn. For full details see info. sheet.
- Miss Card: The piece continues unharmed.
Warriors
Warriors can travel four grid positions each turn. They can move ONLY ON LAND unless being carried as cargo.
Warriors are the key unit. When a Warrior occupies another players Control Headquarters then that player is eliminated and control of ALL his forces is passed to the OCCUPYING PLAYER.
When a player lands a Warrior on the Central Control Headquarters of Zylon then that player takes the Zylon Control Card and the earning capacity of all his factories is doubled. If a player loses ALL HIS WARRIORS he MUST buy another DURING HIS NEXT TURN. If he cannot do this then he is out of the game. The player that eliminated the last Warrior then takes over ALL THAT Planet's remaining Forces and Factories.
Zylon Control Card
When a Warrior occupies the Central Control Headquarters of Zylon he takes the Zylon Control Card and keeps this until he loses control by another player landing on the Control Centre.
The Warrior does not have to stay on the Control Centre, possession of the Zylon Control Card identifies the owner. As soon as the player has the card his revenue from his factories is doubled.