Deep Rock Galactic: The Board Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• COMPONENTS
• OVERVIEW
• MAP SETUP
• MISSION SETUP
  • SELECT A MISSION
  • Objectives
  • HAZARD LEVEL
  • MISSION TYPES
  • FLARE SYMBOLS, PICKUP & UPGRADE TOKENS
• PLAYER SETUP
• TURN OVERVIEW
• ACTIONS
  • 1. MOVE
  • 2. ATTACK
    • RANGE & LINE OF SIGHT
    • ACTIONS & AMMO
    • ASSIGNING HITS
    • RESISTANCE
  • 3. PICKAXE
  • 4. THROW
  • 5. OVERCLOCK SECONDARY WEAPON
  • 6. RESUPPLY
  • 7. EXCHANGE SUPPLIES
  • 8. ASSIST/REVIVE
  • 9. PLAY ROCK 'N' STONE CARDS (FREE)
• WEAPON EFFECTS (DIE RESULTS)
• WEAPON UPGRADES
• EVENT PHASE
  • COMMON EVENTS
  • REACTION ATTACK
  • ACTIVATION EVENTS
• END OF THE GAME
  • DIFFICULTY VARIANTS
• THE DWARVES
  • THE SCOUT
  • THE DRILLER
  • THE GUNNER
  • THE ENGINEER
• VARIANTS
  • SOLO MODE
  • DEEP DIVE CAMPAIGN
  • ALTERNATIVE PRIMARY WEAPONS
• CREDITS
• REFERENCE
  • Selected throwables
  • Secondary Weapons
  • VARIOUS EFFECTS
  • RESOURCE EFFECTS
  • CREATURE INFO
  • CREATURE LIST
  • TURN SUMMARY (2 TO 4 PLAYERS)
  • TURN SUMMARY (SOLO MODE)
  • EASILY FORGOTTEN RULES

COMPONENTS

• 13 swarm cards
• 18 Rock 'n' Stone cards
• 16 throwables cards
• Main board with a swarm threat track and slots for decks of cards
• 50 event cards
• 9 supply pod cards
• 9 secondary weapon cards
• 4 player aid cards
• 10 creature info cards
• 45 minerals: 13 Morkite, 13 gold, 13 Nitra, 6 Aquarqs
• 4 unique Dwarf miniatures
• 4 unique special miniatures: 1 sentry gun, 1 BOSCO, 1 resupply pod, 1 M.U.L.E.
• 38 Glyphid miniatures
• 7 stalagmites
• 1 mission book
• 1 rulebook
• 4 character boards, one for each Dwarf
• 24 single space cave segments
• 1 drop pod (with a cave segment on its back)
• 2 Glyphid tunnel exit pieces, numbered 1 and 2
• 25 health cubes
• 24 pickup tokens: 4 Loot Bugs, 2 red sugar, 3 barley bulbs, 5 apoca blooms, 5 alien eggs, 5 alien fossils
• 15 damage cubes
• 1 swarm threat marker
• 4 cave segments of various sizes
• 4 deep pit segments (1 of which has a mine head on its back)
• 8 hidden cave segments
• 14 custom dice
• Ammo tokens: 25 primary ammo, 20 secondary ammo
• 4 alternative primary weapon tokens
• 10 weapon upgrade tokens
• 10 special condition tokens: 3 stunned, 4 frozen, 3 webbed
• 27 other tokens: 1 proximity grenade, 1 satchel charge, 1 L.U.R.E. grenade, 1 inhibitor field generator, 1 shield, 3 stalagmites, 6 flames, 2 flares, 6 platforms, 2 !-tokens, 3 ziplines

OVERVIEW

Choose a mission and set up the board. Deploy your Dwarves. Work together and fight your way through the caves. Complete mission objectives. Get back to the pod before time runs out.

MAP SETUP

Place the main board (A) in the center of the table. Shuffle the event (B), swarm (C), Rock 'n' Stone (D), and supply pod (E) decks and place them face down on their matching spaces at the top of the board. If you have the deluxe version of the game, place the M.U.L.E. miniature next to the supply space with the Deep Rock Galactic logo. Shuffle the throwables deck (F) and place it face down near the board. Place the secondary weapons deck (G) face up near the board: there's no need to shuffle it. Make sure there's room for separate discard piles next to all the decks. Separate the following components and place them in piles near the board: primary weapon tokens (H), health and damage cubes (I), ammo tokens (J), and a smaller pile with all remaining tokens (K). Place the single cave segments (L) next to the board. Finally, choose a hazard level and place the swarm threat marker on the corresponding space of the swarm threat track (M) based on the chosen hazard level (page 8).

MISSION SETUP

SELECT A MISSION

Select a mission from the mission book. It will describe how to set up the map and provide you with one or more objectives. If this is your first game of Deep Rock Galactic, we suggest selecting Mission 1: New Darkness, New Fortunes. It is an introductory mission.

Objectives

Your goal is to complete the objectives described on the mission page. You will all win or lose together. Missions are usually won when you have collectively completed the objectives and moved your Dwarf miniatures aboard the drop pod for safe evacuation. The mission is lost if the swarm threat marker is on the final space of its track and needs to advance, or if all Dwarves are unconscious at the same time.

HAZARD LEVEL

Before the game starts, players must agree on a hazard level, which determines the difficulty of the game. Missions can be played on 5 hazard levels: hazard 1 is the easiest, and hazard 5 is the hardest. We only recommend trying hazard 5 after you've gathered some experience and are looking for an intense challenge.

Place the swarm threat marker on the appropriate numbered space of the swarm threat track, depending on the chosen hazard level. For example, if the players agree on hazard 4, the threat token starts on the '3 - 5' space. Higher difficulty levels also come with an extra bit of setup:

• Hazard 4 and 5: place an additional Grunt at each tunnel exit at the start of the game.
• Hazard 5: Grunts are now stronger. When attacking, they also deal 1 damage on a [!] result.

MISSION TYPES

• Mining Expedition. Mine Morkite from the cave walls.
• Egg Hunt. Locate and mine alien eggs. Be careful, because the Grunts are very protective of them!
• Drone Retrieval. Find and retrieve lost drones that are valuable to the company.
• Elimination. Locate and eliminate a huge creature.

FLARE SYMBOLS, PICKUP & UPGRADE TOKENS

During setup, each revealed cave segment on the map will show a number of flare symbols. Each hidden cave segment shows exactly 1 flare symbol. Refer to the mission book to determine which flare symbols your mission contains, then randomly place 1 face-down pickup token on each flare symbol of the map. Pickup tokens do not block movement and cannot be destroyed. If your Dwarf moves into a space adjacent to a pickup token, flip it over. When you move through a space that contains a pickup token, you may collect it at no cost. However, some pickup tokens show a pickaxe symbol. This means you need to carry out a separate pickaxe action in order to collect them. However, you can collect these tokens directly from their space or from an adjacent space.

Note: hidden cave segments can also show 1 or more weapon upgrade symbols. Place a random face-down weapon upgrade token here as soon as the cave is revealed. These tokens are revealed and collected like pickup tokens.

• Loot Bug. A harmless creature with a great appetite for minerals, which makes it an easy prey for Dwarves who are mining nearby. See 'Pickaxe' (page 15) to discover how to harvest Loot Bugs.
• Barley bulb. Used to brew all kinds of tasty beverages back at the Abyss Bar. When you collect a barley bulb, draw a Rock 'n' Stone card for yourself and then discard the token.
• Apoca blooms. White, faintly-glowing, petaled flowers that are valuable to Management. Some missions mention collecting them as an objective. When you collect them, add them to the M.U.L.E. / shared supply space.
• Alien egg. These large, olive-green, ovoid eggs are highly sought after, so some missions mention collecting them as an objective. See 'Pickaxe' (page 15) to discover how to harvest alien eggs.
• Red sugar. A glowing, deep red, mineral-like resource with rejuvenating qualities. See 'Pickaxe' (page 15) to discover how to harvest red sugar.
• Alien fossil. Alien fossils resemble a prehistoric ammonite. Some missions mention collecting them as an objective. When you collect them, add them to the M.U.L.E. / shared supply space.
• Weapon upgrades. Collected upgrade tokens can be attached to an empty upgrade slot on either of your weapons. You can discard already attached tokens to make room for new ones, but the removed token is then lost. You can choose to not immediately attach an upgrade and then attach it in a later turn for no action. See 'Weapon Upgrades' (page 21) for a detailed explanation of the weapon upgrade tokens.

PLAYER SETUP

Each player chooses a Dwarf miniature and takes the corresponding Dwarf character board. Your character board shows a picture of your Dwarf (A), his class symbol (B), and his default primary weapon (C). Place 5 primary ammo tokens in the column to the left of your primary weapon (D).

If you left the safety of the orbital space rig and went into the tunnels now, you'd almost certainly die. To better equip yourself, take any secondary weapon from the secondary weapons deck. Place it to the right of your character (E) and load it with 3 secondary ammo tokens (F). The overclocked (red) side of your secondary weapon should be facing down.

Note: if you're not sure which weapon to pick, we recommend choosing a secondary weapon that shows dice that are different from those on your primary weapon. Place 5 health cubes on the health bar below your portrait (G). Draw 1 Rock 'n' Stone card and 1 throwables card and place them face-up to the right (H) and left (I) of your character board respectively. Finally, each character will receive special components depending on their class:

• Engineer. The sentry gun and platform tokens.
• Gunner. The shield token and 3 zipline tokens.
• Scout. 2 flare tokens.
• Driller. 6 flame tokens.

The player who can yell "Rock 'n' Stone" in the most convincing manner will be the starting player. Place the Dwarf miniatures on their corresponding spaces of the drop pod tile: it's time to descend into the caves.

Rock 'n' Stone, brothers!

TURN OVERVIEW

Players take turns in clockwise order. A turn consists of 2 consecutive phases: an action phase and an event phase. A summary of all the actions and phases can be found on page 44 of this rulebook.

During the action phase, you may carry out up to 3 actions from the list below. You may carry out your actions in any order, and you may select the same action multiple times. You may also end your turn at any point without taking all 3 actions.

• Move, page 12
• Attack, page 13
• Pickaxe, page 15
• Throw, page 17
• Overclock Secondary Weapon, page 17
• Resupply, page 18
• Exchange Supplies, page 19
• Assist/Revive, page 19
• Play Rock 'n' Stone Cards (free), page 19

Aside from this list, each Dwarf has unique class-based actions they can carry out. See 'The Dwarves' (page 28).

During the event phase, draw the top card from the event deck and carry out its instructions.

Now your turn is over, and play passes to the player on your left.

Turn example: the Gunner carries out 3 actions during the action phase: move, pickaxe (to mine the Aquarq), and attack. He then draws an event card in the event phase.

ACTIONS

1. MOVE

Using the move action, you can move your Dwarf up to 3 spaces (hexagons) on the map. The following rules apply when you're on the move:

• You may not move into walls (the black, uncovered spaces of the board) or stalagmites;
• You may not move into spaces containing a creature miniature;
• You may not move into a deep pit space;
• You may move into empty cave or drop pod spaces, or a space containing a pickup token or weapon upgrade token;
• You may move through other Dwarves, special miniatures and tunnel exits, but you may not end your movement in such spaces.

As soon as all Dwarves have exited the drop pod, flip the drop pod's tile to reveal the cave floor. These spaces are treated like normal cave spaces. The drop pod will return later (see 'End of the Game', page 27). Make a mental note of the location of the drop pod's landing spot, as you will need it later.

Example: the Engineer (red) can spend 1 action to move up to 3 spaces. He may move through the Driller (yellow), the tunnel exit and the sentry gun, but may not end his movement there. He may move through the space containing the Loot Bug, and even end his movement there. He may not move through the Glyphid Grunt or the stalagmites, nor cross the deep pit space.

2. ATTACK

RANGE & LINE OF SIGHT

When attacking, the targeted space must be within range of your weapon, and within your line of sight (LOS). Here's how both of these criteria are defined:

• Range determines the maximum distance your weapon can shoot, counted in spaces and following the shortest path. For example, an R1 weapon can only hit a target 1 space away (adjacent to you);
• Line of sight is determined by drawing an imaginary straight line between any part of your Dwarf's current space and any part of the target space. If this line crosses or touches a hexagon containing a creature, a standing Dwarf, a cave wall, flames, or a stalagmite, that's where your line of sight ends.

Notes:

• All Dwarves and creatures follow the same rules for range and line of sight;
• Grunts are too small to block the line of sight of Dwarves or other creatures;
• A Dwarf that's lying down or unconscious does not block line of sight;
• BOSCO, the supply pod and the sentry gun do not block line of sight.

Example: the Driller (yellow) is unable to shoot the Grunt behind the Engineer (red) or the one behind the stalagmite, because he doesn't have line of sight. Both Web Spitters, as well as the third Grunt, are within range and line of sight of the Driller, so he can attack them. His flamethrower has a range of 3, so the Mactera is too far away to be attacked.

ACTIONS & AMMO

Firing your weapon requires 1 action and 1 ammo. Your primary weapon needs primary ammo, and your secondary weapon uses secondary ammo. If your weapon is out of ammo, you can always use your pickaxe (more on that later). Discard spent ammo to the general supply, and select the targeted area according to your weapon's ability. If your weapon has several activation options, choose which ability you want to use.

Grab the color and number of dice depicted on your weapon, give them a good shake, and let 'em fly! Even though the dice have different colors and symbols, most of them work in the same way: they either hit or miss. If the die face shows 2 identical symbols, it counts as 2 hits.

Drop pod. The drop pod is shielded by heavy armor. While inside the drop pod, Dwarves can still attack, but they cannot be attacked. The drop pod also protects them against the effects of event cards.

ASSIGNING HITS

After rolling your weapon dice, you must assign them to the targeted spaces. The first die you assign must be a hit. You may assign the next die (hit or miss) to the same space or an adjacent space that is also within line of sight and range. If you rolled a third die, the same rules apply to it.

• Double hit symbols cannot be split and must be assigned to a single target. The only exception is the pickaxe (see 'Pickaxe' on page 15);
• Each hit symbol deals 1 damage. The 'scare' result deals no damage;
• Stun or freeze effects only apply on a hit, and they activate even if the target has resistance against the weapon type. Effects are applied after the damage is dealt;
• Even if you rolled all blanks, you must still pay 1 ammo.

Example: the Driller (yellow) wants to eliminate the nearby Grunts, so he spends 1 action and 1 primary ammo to fire his flamethrower. He rolls 3 dice and gets a double flame hit, a single flame hit, and a blank result. The Driller decides to assign the double hit to the middle Grunt. Even though 1 flame symbol is enough to kill it, the die result cannot be divided across multiple spaces. He assigns the blank result to the space below the center Grunt, and uses the damage on the third die to kill the bottom Grunt.

RESISTANCE

Most creatures have some type of resistance that shields them from specific attacks. When assigning damage to a creature, first look at the number of successful hits you rolled, then deduct the creature's resistance level. All additional hits are applied.

Example: the Gunner rolls 3 bullet damage. The Spitball Infector has 1 point of resistance against bullets, so it suffers 2 damage and survives with 3 health remaining.

Damage. Whenever you successfully deal damage to a creature, place the appropriate amount of damage cubes next to its miniature. Each damage cube reduces the creature's health by 1. When a creature has zero health remaining, remove its miniature from the board. Killing a Spitball Infector, Praetorian or Oppressor also allows the active Dwarf to immediately draw a Rock 'n' Stone card. The card symbol shown on some of the creature cards serves as a reminder for this.

3. PICKAXE

Swinging your trusty pickaxe around is a key skill as a mining Dwarf. After all, you're here to dig for minerals!

The pickaxe is the most versatile item in your inventory. Look at all the stuff it can do!

• Mining. Collect a mineral from an adjacent wall;
• Farming. Harvest a Loot Bug, red sugar, or alien egg on your space or an adjacent space;
• Self-defense. Attack a creature on an adjacent space;
• Digging. Dig out a passage by destroying a wall adjacent to your space;
• Rock cutting. Destroy a stalagmite adjacent to your space.

When you spend an action to use your pickaxe, roll the white die to see how many successful chops you perform during this action. Each pickaxe symbol equals 1 hit, and each hit can be spent to carry out any of the pickaxe actions. You may spend the hits on the same action multiple times, or spread them across different actions.

Mining. Whack the wall and collect the reward. Collected minerals are immediately added to the M.U.L.E / shared supply space with the Deep Rock Galactic logo. You can use the collected minerals immediately or store them for later use, and you'll also need them to complete the mission objective. Aquarqs are a special type of mineral. Each Dwarf can only carry 1 Aquarq at a time, and you need to drop them off at a mine head (a specific drop point in certain missions). When you drop them off, add them to the M.U.L.E / shared supply space.

Note: when you chop a mineral from a wall, place a single space cave segment on the wall segment to indicate it has been carved out and is now open for passage.

Farming. Whack a pickup token and collect its contents. If a pickup token shows a pickaxe symbol, you must carry out 1 pickaxe action in order to collect the token. You can do this from the space itself or from any adjacent space, even if there's a Dwarf or a creature on it. Each token provides an immediate benefit, and is then discarded:

• Loot Bug. Gain 1 gold, then roll the mineral die and collect the mineral it shows;
• Red sugar. Heals up to 3 health. If you can't take all the health, any excess health cubes are left on the space. Any Dwarf can walk over it to collect it;
• Alien egg. Add the egg to the M.U.L.E. / shared supply space. The Glyphids don't appreciate you stealing their eggs. For each revealed tunnel exit, roll 2 creature dice. Place 1 Grunt at the corresponding tunnel exit for each [!] rolled.

Self-defense. Whack a Glyphid (preferably with the pointy end of the pickaxe) if you run out of ammo, or because you're conserving ammo, or just because it feels more rewarding! Each hit will deal 1 damage just like any other weapon, but you'll have to get close to the enemy. The creature must be adjacent, and you need to check for any resistance against the pickaxe, just like you would for regular ammo.

Remember: in contrast to other weapons, you are allowed to split up double pickaxe hits.

Digging. Whack a wall you're standing next to and carve out a path. Place a single cave segment on the adjacent wall, indicating that this is now an open space connected to the cave you are currently in (and possibly other adjacent caves). If you destroy a wall connected to a hidden cave segment, that cave is immediately revealed. Flip it to its revealed side, making sure the cave maintains its shape and original placement. Next, add the miniatures and tokens that are depicted on its front side.

Rock cutting. Whack a stalagmite to destroy it. You must be adjacent to the stalagmite, then remove it with a pickaxe hit. Stalagmites block line of sight, and they also block movement for everybody except flying creatures, BOSCO and the Scout. However, some of them conceal valuable minerals! After you've successfully destroyed a stalagmite, remove it from the board and roll the mineral die. If you roll a hit, collect the depicted mineral immediately and add it to the M.U.L.E. / shared supply space.

Example: the Driller (yellow) can use his pickaxe to either mine the Morkite, destroy the stalagmite, or destroy the wall to reveal a hidden cave. The Engineer (red) can use his pickaxe to either kill the Grunt, destroy the stalagmite, destroy the wall or wack the Loot Bug. A double pickaxe hit can be split up to do any 2 of the above actions.

4. THROW

Each Dwarf starts the game with 1 or more throwable cards, most of which are grenades. All throwables are one-shot cards: follow the text on the card, then place it in the throwables discard pile.

Throwables have a maximum range that shows how far a Dwarf can throw it. Some throwables require you to roll dice to deal damage, others have a negative effect that lasts until the affected creature is activated.

To use a throwable, declare a target space within range and follow the text on the card. Your line of sight is only blocked by walls, not by objects or miniatures because you throw in an arc. Some throwables have an area effect and affect multiple adjacent spaces, as indicated by the small diagram on the card. Only the space with the [T] symbol needs to be within range. You may choose how to angle the blast pattern.

To determine the damage inflicted by a throwable, roll the dice. Add up their results and deal this amount of damage to everyone caught inside the blast area, including Dwarves!

Note: if you use a throwable to destroy a wall containing a mineral, the mineral falls to the floor, ready to be picked up. However, if you use a throwable to destroy a stalagmite, do not roll the mineral die.

Example: the Engineer is able to damage all 3 creatures using his frag grenade, because he can trace a line of sight to at least 1 of the Grunts. The Slasher is not within line of sight, but will be caught in the blast, since the Engineer may decide how to angle the 3 targeted spaces.

5. OVERCLOCK SECONDARY WEAPON

You can spend 1 action and 1 gold from the M.U.L.E / shared supply space to overclock your secondary weapon. Flip the weapon card to its overclocked side: it will stay that way for the rest of the game. An overclocked weapon comes with the upgrades shown on the weapon card. In addition, the symbols on the left side of the weapon card remind you that the top 2 secondary ammo slots on your character board (with a spiked frame) are now unlocked. Your secondary, overclocked weapon can now hold up to 5 ammo when reloading.

Note: overclocking does not give you extra ammo immediately.

If you overclock a weapon that has an upgrade token attached to it, reattach it to 1 of the 2 slots on the weapon's overclocked side.

6. RESUPPLY

When carrying out the resupply action, you can choose to either call down a new supply pod, or to collect supplies from a supply pod that's already on the board.

Call down a new supply pod. Spend 1 action and 3 Nitra from the M.U.L.E / shared supply space to instantly call down a supply pod.

Note: gold can be used to substitute Nitra.

This goodie box is filled to the brim with vital supplies in the form of medicine and ammo. Place the supply pod token on any empty ground space in the cave system, except tunnel exits or pits. Draw a supply pod card to discover the contents of the pod.

If the supply pod miniature is already in play, move it to its new location. Discard the previous supply pod card, along with any unclaimed supplies still on it. Finally, draw the top card from the supply pod deck, place it face up on the table, and place the new contents on the card.

Collect supplies. If you're adjacent to a supply pod, you can spend 1 action to collect supplies. You may not take more health or ammo from the supply pod card than you have room for on your character board. Once the last of its contents have been collected, remove the supply pod from the board and discard the supply pod card.

Example: the Driller (yellow) spends 1 action, and pays 2 Nitra and 1 gold to call down a new supply pod. He can't place it next to himself, as there's no empty space available. Instead, he places it next to the Engineer (red), so his companion doesn't have to move to get to it. The Driller reveals a supply pod card: it contains 7 primary ammo, 4 secondary ammo and 1 health cube. The contents are placed on the card, ready to be collected by adjacent Dwarves.

7. EXCHANGE SUPPLIES

Spend 1 action to freely exchange ammo, throwables, unattached weapon upgrades and Rock 'n' Stone cards with any adjacent Dwarves. You cannot exchange health this way. You are allowed to exchange supplies with a Dwarf that's knocked over or unconscious.

8. ASSIST/REVIVE

It's not easy to topple a Dwarf, but it happens. He might have been knocked down, or fallen unconscious. In any case, he needs to get back up, because a Dwarf that's lying down can't carry out any actions. A Dwarf that's been knocked over can still play Rock 'n' Stone cards, whilst an unconscious one cannot.

ASSIST (a Dwarf that's lying down). You can crawl back to your feet by spending 2 actions in a single turn. However, it's easier to help an adjacent Dwarf back to his feet: this only costs 1 action. Teamwork is everything!

REVIVE (an unconscious Dwarf). A Dwarf that ran out of health isn't dead, he's just unconscious. If a Dwarf is unconscious at the start of his turn, advance the swarm threat marker by 1. Dwarves that are unconscious skip their turn and don't draw an event card, but a Dwarf still standing can spend 1 action to revive an adjacent, unconscious Dwarf. The revived Dwarf stands back up and receives 1 health cube.

9. PLAY ROCK 'N' STONE CARDS (FREE)

Rock 'n' Stone cards represent encouraging cries and morale boosts, which usually have a positive effect on your fellow Dwarves.

Playing a Rock 'n' Stone card is a free action. It doesn't count toward your 3 regular actions, which means you can play as many of them as you like on your turn. In fact, you can even play them during another player's turn. However, you can't play them while a creature is moving or attacking, unless the card says otherwise. Rock 'n' Stone cards are one-shot cards. After you've played one, discard it to the Rock 'n' Stone discard pile. Most cards will affect another Dwarf, but sometimes also your own.

Note: in a solo game with only BOSCO and 1 Dwarf, you may play Rock 'n' Stone cards on yourself, no matter what the card says. Just go ahead and give yourself an encouraging pat on the back.

WEAPON EFFECTS (DIE RESULTS)

• Pickaxe. Deals 1 damage to an adjacent target. Can also be used to carve out tunnels, destroy stalagmites, or mine adjacent minerals or tokens with a pickaxe symbol.
• Bullet. Standard ammo type for smaller caliber weapons and the Gunner's minigun. Deals 1 damage to the target.
• Armor-piercing round. Almost unstoppable. Deals 1 damage to the target.
• Flame. Used by the flamethrower and some throwables. Deals 1 damage to the target.
• Explosion. Affects 1 or multiple spaces. Choose your blast area and deal 1 damage to each target within it. Watch out for friendly fire: explosions also damage Dwarves!
• Scare. Move any affected creatures up to 2 spaces away from the source of the effect (with the exception of immobile creatures). The symbol deals no damage. A Glyphid Exploder will scare off adjacent creatures this way, but Dwarves are not affected by this symbol. Creatures resistant to explosive damage are still scared off by this symbol. If a creature is both scared and either stunned or frozen in the same attack, the attacking Dwarf picks 1 effect to apply.

WEAPON UPGRADES

• Choose 1 die result for each attack. The damage on that die is doubled. If you double the 'scare' effect, you may move the affected creatures up to 4 spaces instead of 2.
• Ignore any resistance the targeted creature(s) may have against this weapon type. All damage applies. This upgrade does not let you ignore the effect of the Warden's shield.
• This weapon's range is increased by 1.
• You may reroll 1 die for each attack, but you must keep the new result.
• Apply the 'stunned effect' to all creatures hit by this weapon. See 'Various Effects' (page 38).
• After rolling for normal damage, roll a bonus explosion die.
• After rolling for normal damage, roll a bonus flame die.
• After rolling for normal damage, roll a bonus armor-piercing die.
• After rolling for normal damage, roll a bonus bullet die. If it hits, apply the 'stunned' effect to the target that was assigned the bullet hit. See 'Various Effects' (page 38).
• This weapon can use primary ammo, secondary ammo, or a combination of both. Take ammo from any weapon when you fire a weapon with this upgrade.

EVENT PHASE

When your action phase is over, you must draw an event or swarm card. Event or swarm cards represent all of the unknown—and usually dangerous—events that can occur inside a hostile cave system. Often they will instruct you to spawn and/or move hostile creatures, or to advance the swarm threat marker. Other event or swarm cards represent special events that can be either good or bad. Some cards require the player who drew the card to carry out a specific task or an optional action.

In any case, after carrying out the instructions on the card, place it on the event card discard pile. If the draw pile of event cards runs out, shuffle the event card discard pile to form a new draw pile.

Unconscious Dwarves, and Dwarves aboard the drop pod (after the objectives have been met) don't draw an event or swarm card at the end of their turn (see 'Assist/Revive' on page 19).

COMMON EVENTS

MISSION SPECIFIC EVENTS. These have circumstantial effects based on the current mission. Read the corresponding text in the mission description to see what happens.

OPTIONAL EVENTS. These offer the active Dwarf a choice of 1 or more options. Most optional events require you to be on your feet. In that case, the event is ignored if you're lying down.

SWARM THREAT EVENTS. Some event cards will instruct you to increase the swarm threat by 1 or 2. To do so, move the swarm threat marker 1 or 2 spaces to the right on the swarm threat track. If the marker reaches a space with a creature symbol, a swarm is triggered. Flip over the top swarm card, place the creatures as the card dictates, then activate all creatures. Some event cards instruct you to reveal 2 swarm cards simultaneously. In that case, place the creatures 1 card at a time. Once the creatures from both cards have been placed, all creatures activate, including the ones you just placed! It's generally a good idea to stay clear of the tunnel exits when a swarm is about to occur.

SPAWNING EVENTS. Some event cards instruct you to place new creatures at specific tunnel exits. Tunnel exits are where the creatures emerge from their lairs; they're not a way out of the cave system. All missions have 2 tunnel exits, and 1 of the hidden cave segments features a third. If an event card instructs you to place creatures at tunnel exit 3 but that exit currently isn't on the board, do not place these creatures. When creatures spawn at a tunnel exit, always place them on (or as close as possible to) that exit. Often, several spaces will be available. In that case, place them on the spaces closest to the nearest Dwarf. If there are still multiple options, the active Dwarf decides where to place the creatures.

If a card instructs you to spawn a certain creature but all creatures of that type are already on the board, instead spawn 1 Grunt for each creature you couldn't place.

If by doing so you also happen to run out of Grunts, don't spawn anything else. Looks like you have enough to worry about already!

Example: an event card instructs you to place 3 Grunts at tunnel exit 1. The first one (A) will always be placed on the tunnel exit itself, provided it's empty. The second one (B) is placed on the space with the Loot Bug, as it's the only available space adjacent to the exit. The third Grunt (C) will have to be placed further out: 2 spaces from the exit and then as close as possible to the nearest Dwarf. We highlighted the topmost space, adjacent to the Engineer, but you could have also chosen the space to the right of it, since both spaces are at an equal distance from the exit and next to the Dwarf.

REACTION ATTACK

Some event cards cause an unseen enemy to attack you, but allow your allies (including BOSCO and the sentry gun) to carry out a reaction attack first. Any other standing Dwarves (not you) are allowed to interrupt the enemy and help you out. Allies within range and line of sight of your Dwarf may immediately carry out 1 attack each, in turn order.

If the event card instructs you to spawn a creature, that creature needs to be within range and line of sight of the supporting Dwarves instead (not necessarily your Dwarf). For this attack, the supporting Dwarves are only allowed to use ranged weapons that cost a single action to use. They do not spend any actions on this attack, but they must still spend the required ammo.

In some cases, a single hit of any type will suffice to eliminate the threat. In other cases (like with 'A Slasher Emerges'), a hit from a reaction attack might only injure the creature.

The reacting Dwarves are allowed to carry over any additional damage from the attack to adjacent creatures (for example, when rolling multiple hits with a flamethrower). If the creature dies before each player has had a chance to react, the remaining players do not get to react.

Example — Dug out surprise: the "Dug out surprise" event card spawns a Grunt next to the Gunner. The Driller is within range of the Grunt to perform a reaction attack. He may freely spend one ammo to roll the three flame dice against the Grunt.

ACTIVATION EVENTS

Some event cards and all swarm cards activate the creatures. Creatures activated this way will either move or attack, but not both (unless specified).

Activate each creature once per activation event and follow these rules:

• Creatures are always activated in numerical order, starting with the lowest number, even if it means some creatures will block the way for others later. Check the number at the top right of the creature cards;
• If possible, creatures will always attack instead of moving. Rotate each creature to face its target, then roll the number of dice shown on the hostile creatures cards and apply their effects;
• If there's no Dwarf within range and line of sight, if possible the creature will move instead, to try and get closer to the nearest Dwarf. Creatures that are out of range end their movement as soon as they're in range to attack;
• If several Dwarves are at the same distance, creatures always go after the Dwarf that most recently took a turn;
• Creatures can move through caves just like Dwarves, but they can also enter deep pit spaces. They don't jump over the pit, but crawl along the sides instead. They can also end their turn on a deep pit space;
• Creatures may pass through spaces containing other creatures, but not Dwarves;
• Creatures must end their move on an empty space, which also includes tunnel exits and deep pits;
• If no direct path is available to get closer to the target, the creature will take a longer path. If that's not possible either, the creature doesn't move;
• Creatures cannot move into the drop pod, and they can't attack it. They will choose another target instead;
• If there are multiple creatures of the same type, the one closest to a Dwarf activates first. If several creatures are closest to a Dwarf, the active Dwarf decides which creature to activate first.

Whenever you need to activate creatures, first refer to the activation number in the top right corner of their card. Creatures are always activated in ascending numerical order.

Example: the Engineer (red) drew an event card that activates all creatures on the board. The board contains 1 Grunt, 2 Mactera Spawns, 1 Slasher and 1 Brood Nexus. They will be activated in this order, according to the Creature List on page 40.

The Grunt (A) only has 1 range, so it can't attack this time. Instead, it will move 2 spaces toward the nearest Dwarf. In this case, that's the Driller (yellow), because creatures can't leap over deep pits: they crawl along the sides instead.

Next, the Mactera Spawns activate. The front one (B) is within range of both Dwarves, but attacks the Engineer (red), because that player took their turn most recently. It deals 1 point of damage.

The second Mactera (C) is not within range. It moves 1 space, to the space where the Grunt was earlier, and stops there. It doesn't move the full distance, as it's now within range of the nearest Dwarf.

Next, the Slasher (D) attacks, because it's already within range of both Dwarves. It will attack the Engineer. The Slasher deals 2 damage.

Finally, the Brood Nexus (E) activates, which never moves or attacks. Instead, roll 2 dice to see how many Grunts it spawns, if any. In this case, 1 [!] was rolled, which means 1 Grunt (F) spawns next to the Brood Nexus, closest to the nearest Dwarf (the Engineer). This Grunt will not activate, as Grunts are higher up on the hostile Creatures List and were already activated during this event.

END OF THE GAME

As soon as all objectives have been met, the drop pod returns from orbit to pick up the Dwarves. Flip its cave segment back over to make the drop pod reappear. Any creatures or objects that were on this cave segment are crushed by the drop pod and removed. Any Dwarves that are standing on the cave segment when the drop pod lands jump to safety at the last moment. Move them to the nearest empty space next to the drop pod and knock them over.

A mission can end in a win or a loss for the Dwarven team:

• If all the mission objectives were met and all Dwarves have safely made it back to the drop pod (they don't need to end on their own space), the mission is a success;
• If at any point all Dwarves are unconscious at the same time (i.e. everyone ran out of health), the mission fails;
• If an event card instructs you to move the swarm threat token, but the token is already on the final spot of the swarm threat track, time runs out and the mission fails;
• If you need to advance the swarm threat token, but it's already on the final space of the threat track, the mission is a modest success if at least 1 Dwarf made it onto the drop pod. This distinction is particularly important when playing the 'Deep Dive Campaign' variant (page 33).

If the mission was a success, congratulate yourselves on your achievement and your collaborative skills. Feel free to reset the game and try another mission!

If the mission was lost, don't despair! Drown your sorrows with a sturdy brew at the Abyss Bar and discuss your strategy for the next time your team embarks on this mission. Reset the mission and try again, maybe with an easier hazard level. Of course you can always try your luck on a different mission!

DIFFICULTY VARIANTS

Once you are familiar with the game, you should try the following variants, to make the game slightly more challenging:

• Constant critters. Before the game starts, remove the 'Starch nuts', 'Crack in the floor' and 'Ouch!' cards from the event deck. This will make the event deck a bit less random (but also tougher on the players).
• Climactic ending. Once the drop pod returns to the cave system (i.e. all objectives have been met), trigger a swarm instead of drawing an event card. Draw normal event cards during the following turns, as usual. This will add a bit more pressure to the run toward the drop pod at the end of the game.
• Overwhelming odds. When the swarm threat marker is at the end of the track, draw and resolve swarm cards instead of event cards. If you ever need to draw a swarm card, but the deck is empty, the players fail the mission. This gives the Dwarves a small chance to escape or go down in a blaze of glory when the end of the track has been reached.

THE DWARVES

Deep Rock Galactic would be nothing without its 4 heroes: the Driller, Gunner, Engineer and Scout! Each player represents one of these unique Dwarven classes. Below is a description of each, as well as their individual skills and gear.

THE SCOUT

The Scout is the most mobile of the Dwarves, as he is both light-footed and carries his own grappling hook to easily cross deep pits. The Scout also packs a flare gun for lighting up distant areas, and the M-1000 rifle for deadly precision at long range.

SKILLS 'N' GEAR

Light-footed. At the end of each move action, the Scout may carry out a ranged (or throwable) attack, or use a Flare Shot. This doesn't cost an action, but you must still pay ammo. You can't use this skill when firing the M-1000's Aimed Shot.

Grappling Hook. The Scout can move through obstacles like creatures, stalagmites and deep pits without issue, but can't end his move on them. However, he cannot move over walls or flame tokens. You're still limited to 3 spaces per movement, including deep pit and creature spaces.

Flare Shot. Spend 1 action to place 1 flare token on any space within line of sight (empty or occupied). Dwarves (as well as BOSCO and the sentry gun) may reroll 1 die per ranged attack against any creature that is on or next to the space with the flare token. Take the flare token back at the start of your next turn. Flares do not block movement or line of sight.

PRIMARY WEAPON

The Scout is equipped with the M-1000 long range rifle, dealing deadly, armor-piercing damage from afar.

• Regular Shot. Spend 1 action and 1 ammo. Range: 6 spaces.
• Aimed Shot. Spend 2 actions and 1 ammo, but roll 2 dice and apply both results to the same target. Range: 8 spaces.

THE DRILLER

The Driller can move through any obstacle effortlessly, thanks to his twin power drills. He also carries a menacing flamethrower, for a hot 'n' spicy kind of crowd control.

SKILLS 'N' GEAR

Drill Move. Thanks to his powerful drills, the Driller can drill move into an empty wall space or a stalagmite, destroying it in the process. This is all part of your normal move action. The move action ends on the space where the wall segment or stalagmite was; if you want to move more this turn, you'll have to carry out another move action.

Drill moving into a stalagmite: As soon as you move into a stalagmite, remove it from the board and end your movement action. Don't roll the mineral die when you destroy a stalagmite during movement: anything and everything inside of it gets pulverized by your dual mammoths.

Drill moving into a wall: Place a single space cave segment under your Driller as you move into the wall space and end your movement action. You are unable to drill into walls containing minerals.

Drill Attack. The drills also serve as an extended close combat weapon for the Driller. When attacking in close combat, you can use your drills instead of the pickaxe. Roll the pickaxe die as normal, but ignore any pickaxe resistance on the target.

Example: the Driller wants to reveal the hidden cave segment. He cannot move into the wall with the gold so instead he spends an action to drill into wall space 2. Place a single space cave segment below him. This ends his first movement action. For his next action, the Driller moves into wall space 3, revealing the hidden cave. Again, place a single cave segment below him. As this ends his second movement action, he is left with a single action this turn - hopefully enough to deal with any revealed threats in the new cave.

PRIMARY WEAPON

The Driller handles a powerful but short-ranged flamethrower. It has 2 firing modes: the crispy fire haze and the defensive flaming ground.

• Fire Haze. Spend 1 action and 1 ammo to roll 3 flame dice. Range: 3 spaces. Assign each die result to 1 or more adjacent spaces, all within 3 range of the Driller.
• Flaming Ground. Up to twice per turn, spend 1 action and 1 ammo to roll 2 flame dice against a target space within 3 range. Apply damage from the dice to any target on the space, then place up to 3 flame tokens. The first token is placed on the space that was targeted initially, if it is empty at this point—otherwise, place the token on an empty, adjacent space. The 2 other tokens are placed on connected, empty spaces, if possible, still within 3 range. Flame tokens block creatures' line of sight and movement, even the flying ones. If a creature can only be spawned on a flame token, remove the token and deal 1 fire damage to the creature (check for resistance first). Return the tokens at the beginning of your next turn.

THE GUNNER

The Gunner carries a triple-barreled minigun capable of taking down entire swarms of enemies. He is also equipped with ziplines, which are great for creating fast connections across deep pits. Finally, the Gunner can deploy a stationary shield to protect himself and those around him.

SKILLS 'N' GEAR

Zipline Launcher. When next to a deep pit, you can spend 1 action to place 1 or more zipline tokens on empty spaces across the pit, in a straight line from the Gunner's location. Any Dwarf can use the move action to move using the deployed zipline. This always counts as 1 space of movement, regardless of how long the zipline is. However, you can't end your movement on a zipline. The Gunner may choose to take back previously placed ziplines before placing down new ones.

Shield Generator. Spend 1 action to place the shield token on your space or an adjacent, empty space. The shield protects all Dwarves on its space and on any adjacent spaces. It can withstand attacks from all types of creatures, even leeches, grabbers and other aerial surprises. Attacks will still happen (nearby creatures will not seek out new targets further away), but will not affect shielded Dwarves. Also, creatures cannot move into any of the shielded spaces, unless they were already there when the shield activated. Creatures can still spawn on a shielded space, but they cannot harm shielded Dwarves. If you move while shielded, the shield token stays on its space. Discard the shield token at the start of your next turn. You will get a new shield the next time you collect any supplies from a supply pod, or start a new mission.

PRIMARY WEAPON

The massive minigun can fire bursts in a sustained salvo.

Burst Fire. Spend 1 action and 1 ammo to roll 3 bullet dice. Range: 5 spaces.

Successive attacks with the minigun are free actions if carried out immediately after firing a burst. You still have to pay ammo, but each successive attack after the initial burst allows you to roll 3 additional bullet dice against the same or different targets.

Example: the Gunner wants to reach the pickup token across the deep pit. He spends 1 action to place down 2 connecting zipline tokens, starting with the space next to him. Because ziplining across the deep pit only takes up 1 movement space, he is able to move across and reach the space next to the token by just moving 2 spaces in a single move action.

THE ENGINEER

The Engineer can help the Dwarves to stand their ground by installing his automatic sentry gun. He also carries a devastating grenade launcher, and a platform gun that can be used to bridge deep pits.

SKILLS 'N' GEAR

Sentry Gun. Spend 1 action and 1 ammo to place the sentry gun on an adjacent empty space. It does not block movement or attacks, but nothing can end its movement on the space containing the sentry gun. Creatures will only prioritize attacking the sentry gun if all Dwarves are further away. It has 1 hit point, which means it's destroyed and returned to the Engineer as soon as it takes damage. The sentry gun cannot be stunned, frozen or knocked over.

Relocating the sentry gun. The Engineer always has the option of relocating the sentry gun, even if the old one wasn't destroyed yet. Spend 1 action and 1 ammo to move the sentry gun to its new location.

Firing the Sentry Gun. The sentry gun has a range of 3 spaces. As soon as a creature comes within range, roll 1 bullet die, check for resistance, and apply any damage. The sentry gun only fires 1 shot per creature per event or swarm phase, even if the creature moves several spaces or gets to both move and attack. Firing the sentry gun does not require spending an action, and it doesn't use any ammo. The sentry gun and the creature activate at the same time, which means the creature still gets to carry out its attack while being fired upon.

Platform Gun. The platform gun is not a weapon: it generates platforms that are stable enough to walk on. Spend 1 action to place up to 3 platforms on deep pit spaces within your line of sight, but regardless of distance. It doesn't matter if these spaces have creatures on them. Platforms can be used by Dwarves and creatures alike. If you shoot more platforms than you have tokens remaining, you may relocate a previously placed platform, provided there's nothing on it.

PRIMARY WEAPON

The Engineer packs a mighty grenade launcher, which can shoot over obstacles (except walls) to strike targets on the other side. It comes with 2 modes.

• High Explosive Grenade. Spend 1 action and 1 ammo to target 1 space within 4 spaces of your current location, then target 2 spaces adjacent to it, creating a triangle of 3 hexagons. Roll the explosive die and apply its effects to any creatures and Dwarves on the affected spaces. One side of the explosive die shows a 'scare' symbol. When rolled, all creatures inside the affected spaces move up to 2 spaces away from the targeted space, if possible. Dwarves are fearless and are not affected by the 'scare' symbol.
• Armor-piercing Grenade. This focused attack can only hit a single creature on a single space. Spend 1 action to roll 2 explosive dice and choose 1 to apply. Range: 4 spaces.

VARIANTS

SOLO MODE

In solo mode, you can choose to play with 1 Dwarf and BOSCO, or to control multiple Dwarves as if you were playing a multiplayer game. If you're playing with multiple Dwarves, you must manage their player boards and resources separately, and also activate the Dwarves separately, one at a time. If you're playing with BOSCO, place its miniature on any empty ground space adjacent to the drop pod during setup.

• BOSCO is a useful sidekick, because it cannot be attacked by creatures and never runs out of ammo.
• BOSCO does not block movement or line of sight, and can't pick up minerals or tokens. However, it can be used to dig out hidden caves and reveal the pickup tokens and creatures that dwell within.
• If it's within range, BOSCO can provide combat support using reaction attacks, just like any other Dwarf.

Note: in a solo game with only BOSCO and 1 Dwarf, you may play Rock 'n' Stone cards on yourself, no matter what the card says.

After you've carried out your 3 actions but before you draw an event card, BOSCO will carry out 2 actions from the following list (you may choose the same action twice):

Move. Move BOSCO up to 3 spaces. BOSCO is a flying robot, which means it ignores deep pits, creatures, Dwarves, and stalagmites. However, it cannot end its move on them.

Pickaxe. You can use BOSCO's pickaxe on adjacent walls, stalagmites, Loot Bugs, red sugar or creatures. Roll the pickaxe die to do so. Any minerals it finds fall to the ground and must be manually collected by a Dwarf. BOSCO cannot mine alien eggs.

Machine Gun. Roll 1 bullet die. Range: 3 spaces.

Rocket Launcher. Roll 1 explosive die. Range: 4 spaces. No area effect - single target only.

Note: activating the rocket launcher uses up both of BOSCO's actions.

Revive. If you become unconscious, BOSCO will sacrifice itself to rush to your location and save you, no matter how far away it is. Stand your Dwarf back up, receive 1 health, and then immediately carry out your turn. You do not draw an event card first, but your buddy is destroyed: return the BOSCO miniature to the box.

DEEP DIVE CAMPAIGN

Attempting the deep dive campaign is risky, since you'll be playing all the missions consecutively without returning to the space rig to rest. This means you'll have to make do with any equipment you come across during missions.

Use the following setup rules between missions:

• Players carry over their current health, ammo, Rock 'n' Stone cards, throwables, and overclocked secondary weapons to the next mission. Nothing gets restocked, except character-specific tokens such as the Engineer's platforms and the Gunner's ziplines;
• You're allowed to keep any weapon upgrades you found;
• Each Dwarf may choose to discard 1 or more weapon upgrades to either fully replenish their own health, or to allow themselves or another Dwarf to fully reload 1 weapon;
• Unspent gold and Nitra are discarded: they are shipped back to Management along with the rest of the cargo. For each gold discarded this way, give 1 health, 1 ammo, 1 throwable or 1 Rock 'n' Stone card to any Dwarf. Players collectively decide on the distribution, but handing out throwables and Rock 'n' Stone cards is limited to 1 of each type per Dwarf;
• If the mission is a success but 1 or more Dwarves are unconscious, the unconscious players will start the next mission with 1 health and whatever equipment and ammo they had when the mission ended;
• If one of the missions fails, the deep dive campaign is abandoned.

If you manage to run through the entire campaign in one sitting, we must admit you truly are a bunch of fearless troopers. However, if you decide to finish your gaming session early, use a pen and paper to note down all the stats and objects your Dwarf will start the next run with.

Example: the Driller just got back from a Deep Dive mission; he has no secondary ammo or cards, and his health is low. He decides to discard the weapon upgrade that he has on his overclocked Experimental Plasma Charger, to completely fill his secondary ammo (to 5, as it is overclocked). He then pays 2 gold from the M.U.L.E / shared supply space to regain 2 health. The Nitra is simply discarded.

ALTERNATIVE PRIMARY WEAPONS

For your first game, we recommend using the default primary weapons depicted on your character boards. In future games, feel free to choose an alternative primary weapon: place its token on top of the default weapon. These tokens are class-specific: you can only use the token that matches your Dwarf's class.

• Deepcore GK2 Assault Rifle (Scout). The Deepcore GK2 has a shorter range than the M-1000, but packs some extra oomph. In full-automatic mode, spend 2 ammo to roll 2 armor-piercing dice. Range: 5 spaces.
• Cryo Cannon (Driller). This frosty alternative to the flamethrower will cause the target to become 'frozen' when hit. As a free action, the Cryo Cannon can create a flake storm, which deals no damage but causes up to 2 adjacent targets to become 'frozen'. Range: 3 spaces.
• 'Thunderhead' Heavy AC (Gunner). This heavy autocannon offers an explosive alternative. Spend 2 actions, roll 2 explosive dice, and assign both. The Thunderhead does not have sustained fire. Range: 6 spaces.
• Breach Cutter (Engineer). This railgun fires a concentrated beam in a straight line. It has the ability to shoot through and damage multiple enemies at once. The best part is that line of sight is not required. Roll 2 flame dice, and assign 1. Range: 5 spaces. Apply damage to the target and to every creature lined up in between, following the shortest path to your target. The Breach Cutter shoots through everything, including stalagmites and walls, but without destroying them. It can also fire a devastating, close-range plasma blast. Roll 1 flame die and 1 armor-piercing die, and assign both. Range: 1 space.

CREDITS

Game Designer: Ole Steiness

CEO: Søren Lundgaard

Game Director: Mikkel Martin Pedersen

Art Director: Robert Friis

Community Manager: Jacob Herold

Art Director: Jonas Springborg

Executive Producer: Rasmus Berggreen

Creative Producer: Christopher Rabenhorst

Artists: Mayenna Sophie Plastow-Smed, Coco Apunnguaq Lynge, Daniel Gstir, Jacob Møller, Aske Kaagaard, Fredrik Bangsund Nordahl, Jesper Friis Henriksen, Silas Amdi, Malte Madsen, Mads Thøgersen, Konsta Nikkilä, Michael Koudal

Miniature Designer: David Arberas

Producer: Kasper Mou

Layout: Anne Digens, Jeanne Touzet

Finance: Malene Iversen

Community Manager: Sharon Murillo

Game printed by: Eastar Game Manufacturing Co.,Ltd, China.

Rulebook Editing: Jo Lefebure & Bryan Gerding for The Geeky Pen

Testers: Magnus Maigaard Falk, Christian Breuner, Mads Brynnum, Adel Hadi, Simon Gjerløv-Christensen, Thomas Steiness, Johannes Trappaud Sjolte, Daniel Ditlevsen, Alexander Risvang, Thomas Gymoese, Thomas "Fyrsten" Carnell, André Glasius Tischer, Uffe Friis Lichtenberg, Niels Peter Meyn Milthers, Uffe Gram Christensen, Martin Vegeberg Nielsen, Michele Rosa, Christen Lorensen

REFERENCE

Selected throwables

Throwable	Effect
Incendiary / Frag Grenade	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 2 flame dice (Incendiary Grenade) or 2 explosive dice (Frag Grenade) and apply the results to each affected space.
Plasma Grenade	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 2 explosive dice and apply both results to the target space, as well as 2 connected spaces in a straight line. The target space must be closer to your Dwarf than the 2 connected spaces.
Impact Axe	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 2 armor-piercing dice and apply the highest of the 2 results to a single target.
Inhibitor Field Generator	Range: 4 spaces. Creatures cannot enter or leave the blast area, but can still spawn there. Discard the card and token at the start of your next turn.
L.U.R.E. Grenade	Range: 4 spaces. Creatures will attempt to destroy the L.U.R.E. hologram (token) if no other target is closer. The token cannot be destroyed and blocks creature movement. If a Dwarf or the sentry gun is closer to a creature, it will go after one of them instead, depending on which activated most recently. Discard the card and token at the start of your next turn.
Proximity Grenade	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 2 explosive dice for the first non-flying creature that enters its space. Remove the token once the grenade has been detonated. If the explosion scares a creature away, move the creature back in the direction it came from, and end its move.
Sticky Grenade	Range: 4 spaces. Pick a target and move it up to 3 spaces. Then the grenade detonates: roll 1 explosive die and apply the damage to everyone within the blast area, including Dwarves. Creatures that take up more than 1 space and immobile creatures cannot be moved this way.
Satchel Charge	Range: 1 space. Remotely detonate at any time, even during creature movement. Roll 2 explosive dice, apply the damage to all affected spaces, then remove the token. Also destroys platforms, walls and stalagmites. Minerals from the walls are left on the ground for easy pickup.
Tunnel Carver	Range: 4 spaces. Remove all walls and stalagmites on 3 connected spaces in a straight line. The target space must be closer to your Dwarf than the 3 connected spaces. Minerals from the walls are left on the ground for easy pickup.
Corrosive Bomb	Range: 4 spaces. Deal 1 damage to all targets within the blast area.
Electrocution Grenade	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 1 bullet die and apply its damage to all affected spaces. Creatures caught in the blast area become 'stunned', even if you rolled a blank.
Soil Smasher	Range: 4 spaces. Remove all wall segments and stalagmites adjacent to the target space. Minerals from the walls are left on the ground for easy pickup.
Cryo Grenade	Range: 4 spaces. Each ground creature in the area of effect becomes 'frozen'. Any affected flying creature is killed instead.
Cluster Grenade	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 2 explosive dice and apply their combined results to each affected space hit (excluding the targeted space).
Phosphor Grenade	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 1 flame die and apply the result to each affected space (including the targeted space).

Secondary Weapons

Each secondary weapon card shows a standard (unclocked) side and an overclocked side. Overclocking a weapon is done via the 'Overclock Secondary Weapon' action (page 17).

Weapon	Standard	Overclocked
BRT7 Burst Fire Gun	Range: 3 spaces. Roll 3 bullet dice and assign them to a single target.	Range: 5 spaces. Roll 3 bullet dice and assign them to a single target.
Bulldog Heavy Revolver	Range: 5 spaces. Roll 1 armor-piercing die.	Range: 5 spaces. Roll 1 armor-piercing die. A hit causes the target to become 'frozen'.
Experimental Plasma Charger	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 1 explosive die.	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 1 explosive die and target a triangle-shaped blast area of 3 hexagons. The result applies to all creatures and Dwarves inside the blast area.
Experimental Plasma Igniter	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 2 flame dice and choose 1 to assign.	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 2 flame dice and assign both. May be split between adjacent targets.
Jury-Rigged Boomstick	Range: 2 spaces. Roll 2 armor-piercing dice and choose 1 to assign.	Range: 2 spaces. Roll 2 armor-piercing dice and assign both. May be split between adjacent targets.
Stubby Voltaic SMG	Range: 3 spaces. Roll 2 bullet dice and assign both. May be split between adjacent targets. A hit causes the target to become 'stunned'.	Range: 5 spaces. Roll 2 bullet dice and assign both. May be split between adjacent targets. A hit causes the target to become 'stunned'.
Subata 120 Semi-Automatic	Range: 5 spaces. Roll 1 bullet die. Shots from this weapon are free actions and can be performed multiple times during your turn (spending ammo each time).	Range: 5 spaces. Roll 2 bullet dice and assign both. Shots from this weapon are free actions and can be performed multiple times during your turn (spending ammo each time).
'Warthog' Auto 210 Shotgun	Range: 3 spaces. Roll 1 armor-piercing die and 1 bullet die, and assign both. May be split between adjacent targets.	Range: 3 spaces. Roll 1 armor-piercing die and 2 bullet dice, and assign all 3. May be split between adjacent targets.
Zhukov NUK17 Twin SMGs	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 2 bullet dice and assign both. May be split between adjacent targets.	Range: 4 spaces. Roll 2 bullet dice and assign both. May be split between adjacent targets. Don't spend ammo if both roll blanks.

VARIOUS EFFECTS

Effect	On a Dwarf	On a creature
Damage	Remove 1 health cube from your board.	None
Special	Special damage or effect caused by an event or creature.	None
Stunned	Place a 'stunned' token next to your Dwarf. You may only carry out 1 action on your next turn. Remove the token at the end of your turn. Note: if you're both knocked over and stunned, you won't have enough actions to get back on your feet!	Place a 'stunned' token next to the creature. The next time the stunned creature is activated, remove the stunned token but do not activate the creature. A frozen creature cannot be stunned. If a stunned creature becomes frozen, remove its stunned token. If a creature is both scared and stunned in the same attack, the attacking Dwarf picks 1 effect to apply.
Webbed	Place a 'webbed' token next to your Dwarf. You cannot move on your next turn, but you can still carry out all other actions. Remove the token at the end of your turn.	None
Frozen	None	Place a 'frozen' token next to the creature. While frozen, any damage dealt to the creature is doubled, but its resistance is not ignored. The next time the frozen creature is activated, remove the frozen token but do not activate the creature. Flying creatures that are frozen immediately die. If a creature is both scared and frozen in the same attack, the attacking Dwarf picks 1 effect to apply.
Shield	You are not affected by damage or effects from any creatures while the shield is in effect, and neither are Dwarves who are adjacent to you. If you move while shielded, the shield token stays on its space. It continues to block creatures from entering or harming anybody on or adjacent to its space. The shield token is discarded at the start of the Gunner's next turn. He will get it back the next time he collects any supplies from a supply pod.	None
Knocked over	Place your miniature on its side. You cannot carry out any actions until you get back up yourself (for 2 actions) or are assisted by an adjacent Dwarf (for 1 action). Be careful, creatures will still attack knocked over Dwarves, unlike unconscious ones.	None
Unconscious	Oh no, you've run out of health! On your turn, you cannot carry out any actions and you don't draw an event card. Advance the swarm threat marker by 1 if your Dwarf is unconscious at the start of his turn. Creatures will ignore unconscious Dwarves and instead look for new targets. They can move over unconscious Dwarves but not end their move on them. An adjacent Dwarf can revive you as an action: stand up and gain 1 health.	None

RESOURCE EFFECTS

• Morkite. A shiny mineral that's very valuable to Management. Often, locating and mining Morkite will be your main objective. You'll find it contained within the cavern walls.
• Nitra. A crimson-red type of ore. You can spend 3 Nitra to call in a supply pod, which can be a real life-saver when your team is low on health and ammo.
• Gold. Can be used to substitute Nitra when calling in a supply pod, or to overclock your secondary weapon.
• Aquarq. A blue, shiny, very valuable mineral. Aquarqs are heavy though: each Dwarf can only carry 1 at a time, and you need to drop them off at a mine head.

CREATURE INFO

• Activation number. Whenever you need to activate creatures, first refer to the activation number in the top right corner of their card. Creatures are always activated in ascending numerical order.
• Health. The number next to the health icon refers to the amount of damage you must deal to a creature in order to kill it.
• Attack range (R). This number indicates the creature's attack range, in any direction.
• Movement (M). This number indicates the amount of spaces a creature moves when activated. Creatures always follow the shortest possible path toward the nearest Dwarf.
• Attack resistance. These icons appear in the creature list, as well as on the creature cards. They indicate that the creature is resistant to a specific type of attack. Whenever you attack that creature, each visible icon cancels out 1 success on a die of the corresponding type (also see 'Resistance' on page 14).

CREATURE LIST

Creature	Health	Range	Movement	Reward / Notes	Resistance
Grunt	1	R 1	M 3	No effect (deals 1 damage on a [!] result on Hazard 5)	—
Web Spitter	2	R 5	M 3	—	—
Exploder	1	R 1	M 3	—	—
Mactera Spawn	2	R 3	M 3	—	—
Slasher	2	R 1	M 3	—	—
Brood Nexus	5	R –	M 0	Spawns Grunt(s)	—
Spitball Infector	5	R 7	M 0	—	—
Praetorian	6	R 2	M 3	—	Resistance ignored when attacked from behind
Oppressor	7	R 1	M 3	—	Resistance ignored when attacked from behind
Warden	2	R 3	M 3	If more than 3 spaces away from nearest creature, spawns 1 Grunt	–

Grunt. The most common enemy type in the caves, especially during swarms. Grunt attacks are purely melee based. Grunts are small, so they don't block line of sight. Ranged attacks can fire over them to hit a target on the other side. Grunts are tougher on hazard 5 and will also deal 1 damage on a [!] result.

Web Spitter. The Web Spitter fires damaging and sticky web projectiles from afar. Those can web a Dwarf, immobilizing him on his next turn and leaving him wide open to attacks. Webbed Dwarves can carry out all actions on their next turn, except the movement action.

Exploder. When an Exploder attacks while adjacent to a Dwarf or the sentry gun, it explodes instead, destroying itself and dealing explosive damage to creatures, Dwarves and the sentry gun on all adjacent spaces. Dwarves and the sentry gun ignore a 'scare' result. Killing an Exploder will detonate it as well, applying the same destructive effect to all adjacent spaces.

Mactera Spawn. The Mactera can fly over obstacles (including stalagmites), but can't end its movement on them. This creature has a dangerous spit attack, with a stun ability that reduces the target's action points to 1 on their next turn.

Slasher. The Glyphid Slasher is covered in sharp white growths, for increased protection. It has a nasty habit of burrowing out of the ground before attacking. Slashers can knock over a Dwarf with a crippling slash attack.

Brood Nexus. The immobile Brood Nexus deals no damage, which means its bite results are ignored. However, it has the ability to spawn Glyphid Grunts. When the Brood Nexus activates, roll 2 dice. For each [!] rolled, place 1 Grunt next to the Brood Nexus, on the adjacent empty space(s) nearest to a Dwarf. When the Brood Nexus dies, activate it one last time, by rolling 2 dice to check whether any Grunts appear from its corpse.

Spitball Infector. The 'Spitballer' is a tough, plant-like enemy. It's immobile, since it's rooted to the floor. It fires acidic mortar globs, by swelling up and spewing them at the nearest Dwarf, possibly knocking him over.

Praetorian. The imposing Praetorian is well protected, but its abdomen sticks out at the rear, with no plating to protect it. Attacking it from behind (refer to the green spaces in the diagram) allows you to ignore its resistance. When the Praetorian moves, it always faces the direction it moves in (toward the nearest Dwarf). If the Praetorian attacks a target behind it, it automatically rotates on the spot to face its victim, and then carries out its attack.

Oppressor. The monstrous Oppressor takes up 2 spaces on the board. When moving the Oppressor, count its movement from its front part and always turn it so it faces the direction it moves in. As it moves, it will follow the shortest straight path to its target, and will crash through and destroy stalagmites, Grunts and cave walls. Any minerals contained within the walls drop to the floor. If the Oppressor ends its movement next to its target, it performs a free attack. (Note: the 'Fast Critters' event card does not grant the Oppressor 2 attacks.) The Oppressor is equipped with thick front armor, but attacking it from behind (refer to the green spaces in the diagram) allows you to ignore its resistance. Huge creatures like the Oppressor do not suffer double damage if an area effect weapon hits both of its spaces.

Warden. When the Glyphid Warden activates, it moves toward the nearest creature. If after its movement, the Warden is more than 3 spaces away from the nearest creature, place 1 Grunt next to the Warden, on the empty space nearest to a Dwarf. The Warden has no attack, but generates a protective shield around creatures within 3 spaces of its location. The shield cancels 2 damage per attack. When the Warden is killed during an attack, its protective shield disintegrates, and the creatures it was protecting immediately lose the associated protection bonus. When dealing damage to multiple creatures at the same time, including the Warden, you may damage the Warden first, as long as it is not further away from you than the other targets.

TURN SUMMARY (2 TO 4 PLAYERS)

1. ACTION PHASE

Carry out 3 actions (1 if stunned, 0 if unconscious), in any order. If you are knocked over, your first 2 actions must be spent to get back up. If you are unconscious at the start of your turn, advance the swarm threat marker by 1. The actions can be:

• Move. Up to 3 spaces. On or through: empty spaces, drop pod, tokens. Through (but not ending on): Dwarves, special miniatures, tunnel exits. Never on or through: black spaces, stalagmites, creatures, deep pits.
• Attack. Line of sight passes through: tokens, Dwarves lying down, Grunts, special miniatures. Line of sight is blocked by: standing Dwarves, all other creatures, walls, flames, stalagmites.
• Pickaxe. Double symbols can be split up. Possible actions: Mining (collecting minerals), Farming (harvesting tokens), Self-defense (attacking), Digging (destroying a wall), Rock cutting (destroying a stalagmite).
• Throw. Line of sight is only blocked by walls. Only the [T] symbol must be in range.
• Overclock secondary weapon. Cost: 1 action and 1 gold. The weapon can hold up to 5 ammo, but is not automatically refilled.
• Call down supply pod. Cost: 3 Nitra (can be substituted with gold). Placed on: empty cave spaces. Not placed on: tunnel exits, pits, tokens, miniatures.
• Collect supplies. Must be adjacent to the supply pod.
• Exchange supplies. Allowed: ammo, throwables, weapon upgrade tokens, Rock 'n' Stone cards. Not allowed: health cubes.
• Assist. Standing up yourself: 2 actions. Helping up a fellow Dwarf: 1 action.
• Revive. Revive an unconscious Dwarf. That Dwarf receives 1 health cube.
• Play Rock 'n' Stone cards (free). Allowed: on your turn, on another player's turn. Not allowed: while a creature is moving or attacking.

2. EVENT PHASE

Draw and resolve 1 event card, unless you are unconscious or you are back at the drop pod after all mission objectives have been met. If the event card triggers a swarm, draw 1 swarm card and spawn creatures. Then activate all creatures.

TURN SUMMARY (SOLO MODE)

1. ACTION PHASE

After carrying out your actions, carry out 2 actions with BOSCO, in any order. The BOSCO actions can be:

• Move. Up to 3 spaces. Through: empty spaces, deep pits, creatures, Dwarves, stalagmites. Cannot end on: deep pits, creatures, Dwarves, stalagmites.
• Pickaxe. Works on: walls, stalagmites, Loot Bugs, red sugar, creatures — minerals must still be collected by a Dwarf. Does not work on: alien eggs.
• Machine gun. Roll 1 bullet die. Range: 3 spaces.
• Rocket launcher. Uses 2 actions and targets 1 space. Roll 1 explosive die. Range: 4 spaces.
• Revive. From anywhere on the map, revive your Dwarf and receive 1 health. Do not draw an event card, but return BOSCO to the box.
• Play Rock 'n' Stone cards (free). You may play all Rock 'n' Stone cards on yourself.

2. EVENT PHASE

Draw and resolve 1 event card, unless you are back at the drop pod after all mission objectives have been met. If the event card triggers a swarm, draw 1 swarm card and spawn creatures. Then activate all creatures.

EASILY FORGOTTEN RULES

• Weapon upgrades. You can save a weapon upgrade you find. In a later turn, you can attach it as a free action, or give it to another Dwarf with the 'Exchange supplies' action.
• Drop pod. While inside the drop pod, Dwarves can still attack, but they cannot be attacked. The drop pod also protects them against the effects of event cards. Dwarves that are aboard the drop pod after all of the mission objectives were met, don't draw any event cards.
• Double hit. If you roll a double hit with a single weapon die, you must assign both hits to the same target. However, if you roll a double hit with a pickaxe, you may distribute the hits.
• Aquarq. Aquarqs are a special type of mineral that only appears in certain scenarios and must be dropped off in a mine head. This substance is very heavy: each Dwarf can only carry 1 Aquarq at a time.
• Stalagmites. Stalagmites block movement for everyone, except the Driller, flying creatures, BOSCO, and the Scout.
• Throwables. Throwables can damage your fellow Dwarves, so be careful where you fling your grenades!
• Area effect. When throwing a throwable with an area effect, only the space with a [T] symbol needs to be within range. You may choose how to angle the blast pattern.
• Minerals. If you use a throwable to destroy a stalagmite, any minerals contained within are destroyed: do not roll the mineral die. However, if you use a throwable to destroy a wall containing a mineral, the mineral is not destroyed: it drops on its space and can be collected by any Dwarf.
• Creature activation. Creatures are only activated when an event or swarm card says so. Creatures prioritize attack over movement and will become passive again at the start of the next player's turn.
• Driller. If the Driller uses his drill to destroy a stalagmite, any minerals contained within are destroyed: do not roll the mineral die. The Driller cannot drill into walls containing minerals.
• Gold for Nitra. Gold can be used to substitute Nitra when calling down a new supply pod.
• Exchange supplies. Exchanging supplies with a knocked over or unconscious Dwarf is allowed.
• Unconscious Dwarf. If a Dwarf runs out of health, he's unconscious. Unconscious Dwarves skip their turn and don't draw any event cards; instead, they advance the swarm threat marker by 1.
• Scared symbol. Scare symbols on creatures do not affect Dwarves. Creatures resistant to explosive damage can still be scared off. If a creature is both scared and either stunned or frozen in the same attack, the attacking Dwarf picks 1 effect to apply.
• Out of creatures. If a card instructs you to spawn a certain creature but all creatures of that type are already on the board, instead spawn 1 Grunt for each creature you couldn't place. If you run out of Grunts, don't spawn anything else.
• Solo mode Rock 'n' Stone cards. In solo mode, you may play Rock 'n' Stone cards on yourself, no matter what the card says.
• Deep Dive Campaign. Carry over everything between missions, but don't reload your weapons. You may choose to discard 1 or more weapon upgrades to replenish your own health, or to allow yourself or another Dwarf to fully reload 1 weapon. Between missions, discard all Nitra and gold. For each gold discarded, one of the Dwarves receives 1 health, 1 ammo, 1 throwable, or 1 Rock 'n' Stone card.
• Ammo consumption. All weapons cost ammo to shoot, unless specifically mentioned. The sentry gun only costs ammo to place; it does not require ammo to shoot.

If you have a question about the game to which you cannot find an answer in the rulebook, chances are you'll find it in the publisher's extensive FAQ, accessible via the QR code printed at the end of the rulebook.