Dino Dunk Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Game Setup
• Play Area
• Scoreboard Reference
• Character Cards
  • Mesozoic Meteors (team card face examples)
  • Triassic Tropics (team card face examples)
  • Exhibition Cards
• Standard Placement Rules
• Measuring Distance Using Card Length
• Dinosaur Tokens
• Turn Overview
  • Shot Clock
• Game End
• Actions
  • Move
  • Pass
  • Shoot
  • Dunk
  • Loose Ball
• Fouling
  • Foul Shots
• Variant Game Modes
  • Exhibition Match
  • Backboard
  • Layup
• Sticker Reference

Components

• 1 - Double sided neoprene game mat
• 20 - Character Cards
• 2 - Wooden discs (large)
• 12 - Wooden discs (medium)
• 2 - Wooden discs (small)
• 6 - Wooden discs (tiny)
• 2 - Wooden blocks (backboards)
• 1 - Scoreboard Reference
• 6 - Exhibition Cards
• 2 - Starter Play Cards
• 1 - Sticker sheet
• 1 - Rulebook

Game Setup

1. Choose a game mat and place it in an easily accessible space.

2. Place the Scoreboard Reference near the sideline of the game mat, and place a scoring token with the team logo visible on the '0' space on each score track.

3. Each player chooses a team, collects the ten Character Cards associated with their chosen team, and selects five dinosaurs to use during the game.

   Note: It is suggested that players use the Exhibition Match and Backboard optional rules located on page 8 for their first game, using the white bordered Exhibition Cards instead of the standard Character Cards.

4. Both players simultaneously reveal their five chosen Character Cards and return any unused Character Cards to the game box.

5. Players collect the dinosaur tokens associated with their chosen Character Cards.

6. Determine the offensive team by flipping the ball token.

7. The offensive team chooses one dinosaur to start the game in possession of the ball. The offensive team then places the chosen dinosaur anywhere along the baseline on their side of the play area and places the ball token adjacent to the chosen dinosaur using standard placement rules.

8. The offensive team then places their four remaining dinosaurs anywhere on their side of the play area.

9. The defensive team then places each of their five dinosaurs anywhere on their side of play area.

10. Place the possession token on the starting space of the offensive team's shot clock.

11. The offensive team then takes the first turn and activates two dinosaurs.

Play Area

The game mat is double sided, with two play areas: Tropic Turf and Crater Court.

1. Scoring zone - The area of the game mat that the ball token must overlap in order to score.
2. Three-point line - The boundary surrounding each scoring zone. Used to determine whether two or three points are awarded for a successful shot.
3. Foul line - The boundary used when attempting a foul shot.
4. Water - The area of the game mat that is used for game effects involving water terrain.
5. Snow - The area of the game mat that is used for game effects involving snow terrain.
6. Baseline - The edge of the game mat along the width of the play area.
7. Sideline - The edge of the game mat along the length of the play area.

Scoreboard Reference

1. Team name - The team that each score track is associated with.

2. Score track - Used to show each team's current score.

   Note: If a team exceeds the maximum score on the score track, then flip the scoring token over to its opposite side and return it to the '0' space on the score track.

3. Shot clock - Used to show the number of turns the offensive team has taken during a given possession. The offensive team has up to six turns to successfully score before the shot clock is expired and the ball is turned over to the defensive team.

Character Cards

Each Character Card shows:

1. Dinosaur image - Portrait corresponds to token.
2. Name - The name of the dinosaur.
3. Team - The team that the dinosaur is associated with.
4. Stats - Fun statistics about the dinosaur.
5. Actions - The actions available to the dinosaur.
6. Ability - Unique effects that the dinosaur has in the game.

Action icons on each card are shown in the order Move, Pass, Shoot, Dunk. An action is available to the dinosaur when its icon is in colour; an icon shown in grey is not available to that dinosaur.

Mesozoic Meteors (team card face examples)

Tyrannosaurus Rex (Drafted 2nd Round: Mesozoic Meteors; Length 42' 5", Height 14' 7", Weight 15 tons. Bigger than Sue.)

• Actions: Move, Pass, Dunk. (Shoot not available.)
• Roar and Run - After performing a Pass action, this dinosaur may immediately perform a free Move action.

Triceratops (Drafted Fourth Round: Mesozoic Meteors; Length 27' 4", Height 9' 10", Weight 8.7 tons. The trick is to pass the ball without deflating it.)

• Actions: Move, Pass, Shoot. (Dunk not available.)
• Bounce Pass - Before performing a Pass action with this dinosaur, you may place the ball token within one long card length of this dinosaur's token.
• Follow Through - Before performing a Shoot action with this dinosaur, you may place the ball token within one short card length of this dinosaur's token.

Stegosaurus (Hometown: Garden Park, Colorado; Born: February 16th, 153,000,400 B.C.; Number of Plates: 20. Round mound of spikey rebound.)

• Actions: Move, Pass, Shoot. (Dunk not available.)
• Boxing Out - After performing a Move action, if an opposing dinosaur token of equal or smaller size was struck by this dinosaur while moving, then that opposing dinosaur may be placed adjacent to this dinosaur using standard placement rules.

Velociraptor (Drafted Third Round: F3 Future Fossil Fuels; Length 6' 7", Height 1' 11", Weight 31 lbs. The camera really does add 10 pounds, or maybe 150.)

• Actions: Move, Pass. (Shoot and Dunk not available.)
• Point Guard - Before performing a Pass action, this dinosaur may be placed within one long card length from its current position.
• Swift Seizer - Before performing a Move action, this dinosaur may be placed within one short card length from its current position.

Brontosaurus (Drafted Second Round: Lost World Long Necks; Length 71' 0", Weight 14.6 tons. Yeah, you've seen the neck, but the trick is the pass with the tail.)

• Actions: Move, Pass, Shoot. (Dunk not available.)
• Tail Whip - After gaining possession of the ball from a Pass action, this dinosaur may immediately perform a free Pass action.

Triassic Tropics (team card face examples)

Spinosaurus (Drafted First Round: Triassic Tropics; Length 44', Weight 14 tons, Spine Height 5' 2". You might say that I... sail to the basket.)

• Actions: Move, Pass, Dunk. (Shoot not available.)
• Ferocious D - After performing a Move action, if this dinosaur gained possession of the ball, then this dinosaur may immediately perform a free Pass or Dunk action.

Mauisaurus (Drafted Third Round: Cretaceous Craters; Length 25' 2", Weight Unknown. There are few things as magical as my hook shot.)

• Actions: Move, Pass, Shoot. (Dunk not available.)
• Swift Swimming - When performing a Move action, place this dinosaur anywhere within water terrain.
• Synchronized Swimmer - After performing a Move action, this dinosaur may perform a free Pass action.

Parasaurolophus (Hometown: Alberta, Canada; Born: September 20th, 75,770,390 B.C.; Favorite Song: Jungle Boogie. It's hard to say, though, "Parasaurolophus.")

• Actions: Move, Pass, Shoot. (Dunk not available.)
• Ball Call - You may give this dinosaur a Shoot action even if they do not possess the ball. Before performing a Shoot action with this dinosaur, another friendly dinosaur may be given a free Pass action. At the end of the pass, if this dinosaur does not possess the ball, the ball is considered a loose ball.

Ankylosaurus (Drafted Fifth Round: Triassic Tropics; Length 19' 3", Height 5' 5", Weight 5.7 tons. They'll never know what hit 'em. Well, I guess they do. It's always my tail.)

• Actions: Move, Pass, Shoot. (Dunk not available.)
• Tail Guard - This dinosaur begins the game by placing their tail token adjacent using standard placement rules. After performing a Move action, this dinosaur may place their tail token using standard placement rules.
• Tail Fake - Before performing a Pass or Shoot action or after gaining possession of the ball, this dinosaur may place their tail token using standard placement rules.

Pterodactyl (Drafted Fourth Round: Pangean Pterosaurs; Length 2' 11", Weight 27 lbs., Wing Span 3' 9". Look ma, no hands!)

• Actions: Move, Pass. (Shoot and Dunk not available.)
• 50 Foot Vertical Soar - If this dinosaur is in possession of the ball, instead of performing a Move action, this dinosaur may place the ball on top of its token instead of using standard placement rules until the beginning of your next turn.

Note: The rulebook's setup diagram (page 4) shows these card faces at small size; the remaining Character Cards of each team (ten per team in the box, five per team shown above) are not printed in full in the rulebook and are not transcribed here.

Exhibition Cards

Exhibition Cards are denoted by a white border around the front of the card.

1. Size - The size of the wooden disc that represents these dinosaurs.
2. Team - The team that these dinosaurs are associated with.
3. Dinosaurs - The dinosaurs that are represented by this card.
4. Actions - The actions available to these dinosaurs.
5. Ability - Unique effects that these dinosaurs have in the game.

The example Exhibition Card on page 2 of the rulebook (Medium size) shows the following abilities:

• Bounce Pass - Before performing a Pass action with this dinosaur, you may place the ball token within one long card length of this dinosaur's token.
• Layup - Instead of performing a Shoot action, this dinosaur may perform a Move action. After moving, if this dinosaur overlaps the scoring zone, then the result is a successful score. A layup is worth 2 points.

Standard Placement Rules

When placing a token adjacent using standard placement rules, place the token around the circumference of the target token so that the distance between both tokens is within the height of one medium wooden disc.

Measuring Distance Using Card Length

A short card length refers to the width of a dinosaur's Character Card, while a long card length refers to the length of a dinosaur's Character Card.

Distance is measured as a straight line from any part of one token to any part of another token. When placing a token using a card length, the token may be placed any distance up to the specified card length.

Dinosaur Tokens

1. Dinosaur image - The dinosaur that the wooden disc represents.
2. Team pattern - The team that this dinosaur is associated with.

Note: There are three different-sized tokens that represent the dinosaurs in the game. These sizes will be referred to as Small (Velociraptor), Medium (Stegosaurus), and Large (Spinosaurus). When choosing the dinosaurs for your team, you must include exactly one small dinosaur, three medium dinosaurs, and one large dinosaur.

• SM - Small
• MED - Medium
• LRG - Large

Turn Overview

During gameplay, opponents will alternate turns, starting with the offensive team. The team in possession of the ball is always considered to be the offensive team. On a team's turn, they may activate two dinosaurs. When a dinosaur is activated, it may take any of the actions highlighted on their Character Card. By default, each dinosaur can only take one action when activated, but many dinosaurs have special abilities that will allow them to take multiple actions when activated.

A team is not allowed to activate the same dinosaur twice during the same turn. A team must always activate two different dinosaurs on their turn, but this does not prevent a dinosaur from taking actions through the use of special abilities or other gameplay effects.

T-Rex Tip: Have more than two players and want everyone to join in? Play with teams of two and allow each player to activate a dinosaur on their team's turn!

Example: Alice chooses to activate her Brontosaurus on her turn and performs a Move action, moving the Brontosaurus closer towards the scoring zone. Alice is unable to activate the Brontosaurus again, but chooses to activate her Triceratops instead and performs a Pass action to her Brontosaurus. After receiving the pass from the Triceratops, Alice's Brontosaurus is then able to trigger her special ability to make a free Pass action.

Shot Clock

At the end of the offensive team's turn, advance the possession token one space along the shot clock. The offensive team has six turns in order to score. At the end of the offensive team's turn, if the possession token has advanced to the starting space of the defensive team's shot clock, the result is a turnover and the defensive team gains possession of the ball. Both teams then reset the play area according to steps 7-11 in the game setup rules. Whenever the defensive team gains possession of the ball from a turnover, the defensive team then becomes the offensive team and moves the possession token to the starting space of their team's shot clock.

Example: Harry controls the offensive team and has taken three turns during his team's current possession. The shot clock has advanced to space '3' just before Alice takes her turn. During Alice's turn she uses her Velociraptor to steal the ball from Harry's Stegosaurus. Since Alice only activated one dinosaur on her turn she may then activate a second dinosaur, and chooses to activate her Tyrannosaurus Rex. Alice then moves the possession token to her team's starting space on the shot clock, and her team then becomes the offensive team.

Game End

The game immediately ends once one team has scored a predetermined number of points. For a standard game, players should play until one team has scored at least 6 points.

Note: Players are free to decide any point value that their teams should attempt to score before starting the game. For your first game it is recommended that players play until one team has scored 4 points.

Actions

Move

A player moves a dinosaur they control by flicking the wooden disc representing the dinosaur with their finger. A dinosaur has completed its movement when the dinosaur token has come to a complete stop. When a dinosaur leaves the play area completely, then the dinosaur is considered out-of-bounds. A dinosaur that has moved out-of-bounds is placed at the edge of the game mat approximately where the dinosaur token left the play area and cannot take actions for the remainder of the turn.

Note: A dinosaur token is never allowed to overlap either scoring zone. When a dinosaur token overlaps a scoring zone, slide the token the shortest distance so that the entire token is outside of the scoring zone.

A dinosaur in possession of the ball is allowed to take a Move action. After moving a dinosaur that has possession of the ball, place the ball token adjacent using standard placement rules. When a dinosaur in possession of the ball moves out-of-bounds, the result is a turnover. The defensive team then chooses a player to gain possession of the ball according to step 7 in the game setup rules.

Note: When a dinosaur completes its movement, but the token representing the dinosaur is partially off of the game mat, slide the token the shortest distance so that the entire token is within the play area.

A dinosaur is allowed to make contact with other dinosaurs while moving, but is not allowed to make contact with the dinosaur currently in possession of the ball. When a dinosaur is struck by a moving dinosaur token, it remains in place wherever it stopped moving, or is returned to the edge of the play area if moved out-of-bounds.

When a dinosaur performing a Move action makes contact with the ball token without committing a foul, that dinosaur gains possession of the ball and places the ball token adjacent using standard placement rules. If a dinosaur on the defensive team gains possession of the ball after a Move action, the result is a turnover.

Pass

A dinosaur must be in possession of the ball to perform a Pass action. Pass the ball by flicking the ball with your finger. The first dinosaur that is struck by the ball token gains possession of the ball and places the ball token adjacent using standard placement rules.

When a defensive dinosaur gains possession of the ball from a Pass action, the result is a turnover, and that dinosaur places the ball token adjacent using standard placement rules.

If the ball token fails to strike any dinosaur after being flicked, then the result is a loose ball. If the ball token fails to strike any dinosaur after being flicked and travels out-of-bounds, then the result is a turnover. The defensive team then chooses a player to gain possession of the ball according to step 7 in the game setup rules.

When performing a Pass action, a dinosaur may automatically gain possession of the ball if the dinosaur's token is within one long card length of the dinosaur in possession of the ball, and a straight line can be drawn between both dinosaurs without passing through any other dinosaur tokens in the play area.

Note: Players must declare a Pass or Shoot action when flicking the ball. If the ball token is determined to be a loose ball after a Pass action, but overlaps a scoring zone, the result remains a loose ball.

Shoot

A dinosaur must be in possession of the ball to perform a Shoot action. Shoot the ball by flicking the ball with your finger. When performing a Shoot action, a team scores 2 points when any portion of the ball token overlaps the target scoring zone after it has stopped moving. If the dinosaur performing the Shoot action is outside the three-point line, a team instead scores 3 points when any portion of the ball token overlaps the target scoring zone after it has stopped moving.

After performing a Shoot action, if the ball token does not overlap the target scoring zone after it has stopped moving, the result is a loose ball. The ball token may come into contact with other tokens, but if the ball token travels out-of-bounds, the result is a turnover. The defensive team then chooses a player to gain possession of the ball according to step 7 in the game setup rules.

After a team scores, players then reset the play area according to steps 7-11 in the game setup rules with the defensive team gaining possession of the ball and becoming the offensive team.

Scoring - 2 point shot: 1 - Score - 2 points. 2 - Miss - loose ball.

Scoring - 3 point shot: 1 - Score - 3 points. 2 - Score - 2 points.

T-Rex Tip: Having trouble scoring those close shots? Check out the Layup or Backboard optional rules listed on page 8.

Dunk

A dinosaur must be in possession of the ball to perform a Dunk action. Dunk the ball by placing the ball token on top and at the edge closest to the scoring zone of the dinosaur token and then flick the wooden disc representing the dinosaur. After the dinosaur has finished moving, if the dinosaur token overlaps the scoring zone, and the ball token remains on top of the dinosaur token, then the result is a Dunk and the player has successfully scored.

If the ball token falls off the top of the dinosaur token while moving, the result is a loose ball and no points are scored.

If the dinosaur token fails to overlap the scoring zone after being flicked, and the ball token remains on top of the dinosaur token, then the dinosaur retains possession, and the player places the ball token adjacent using standard placement rules.

A dunk is worth 2 points.

After a team scores, players then reset the play area according to steps 7-11 in the game setup rules with the defensive team gaining possession of the ball and becoming the new offensive team.

Scoring - Dunk: 1 - Dunk - 2 points. 2 - Miss - loose ball. 3 - Miss - retains possession and places ball token adjacent using standard placement rules.

Loose Ball

Do not advance the possession token when there is a loose ball. A dinosaur may gain possession of a loose ball with a Move action. When the offensive team gains possession of a loose ball, advance the possession token to the next space on the shot clock. When the defensive team gains possession of a loose ball, the result is a turnover.

Fouling

When performing a Move action, if a dinosaur strikes the dinosaur currently in possession of the ball, or causes another dinosaur to strike the dinosaur in possession of the ball, the result is a foul.

Fouling diagram: 1 - Dinosaur in possession of the ball is struck by a moving dinosaur. 2 - Moving dinosaur causes another dinosaur to strike dinosaur in possession of the ball.

When a foul occurs, the dinosaur's token that performed the Move action is removed from the play area. The removed dinosaur is returned to the play area, and placed along a sideline of the game mat within water terrain at the end of the fouling team's next turn. When an opposing dinosaur is removed from the play area as the result of a foul, move the possession token to the previous space on the shot clock.

Note: If the possession token is already on the starting space of the shot clock, do not move the possession token when resolving a foul.

A dinosaur in possession of the ball that is struck due to a friendly dinosaur's Move action is stunned. A stunned dinosaur cannot take any actions for the remainder of the offensive team's turn.

Foul Shots

When a dinosaur is fouled by an opposing dinosaur within their opponent's three-point line, the foul is considered a shooting foul. The fouled dinosaur may then attempt a Shoot or Dunk action from its position before the foul. If the result of the Shoot or Dunk action is a successful score, then the offensive team may attempt one foul shot; otherwise if the result was a miss, then the offensive team may attempt two foul shots. When attempting a foul shot, remove all dinosaur tokens within the three-point line and place the ball token behind the foul line. The offensive team may then perform a Shoot action, with a successful score earning them 1 point. After resolving all foul shots, regardless of their results, reset the play area according to steps 7-11 in the game setup rules with the defensive team gaining possession of the ball and becoming the offensive team.

Variant Game Modes

Exhibition Match

During an Exhibition Match, players ignore the actions and special abilities printed on the standard Character Cards and use the actions and special abilities printed on the Exhibition Cards instead. During an Exhibition Match, the available actions and special abilities are determined by the size on the dinosaur's token, with all dinosaurs of the same size having the same available actions and special abilities. When selecting dinosaurs for their team, players are still required to include exactly one small dinosaur, three medium dinosaurs, and one large dinosaur. Players also ignore the rules outlined on page 6 for Fouling, and when a dinosaur in possession of the ball is knocked out-of-bounds by an opposing dinosaur, the offensive player may then attempt two foul shots. After resolving all foul shots, regardless of their results, reset the play area according to steps 7-11 in the game setup rules with the defensive team gaining possession of the ball and becoming the offensive team.

Backboard

During step 2 of the game setup rules, in addition to placing the Scoreboard Reference near the sideline of the game mat, players may also place one backboard token (wooden block) along the baseline behind each team's scoring zone. During a Shoot action, the ball token may come into contact with the backboard token but must overlap the scoring zone once it has stopped moving to successfully score.

Layup

Instead of performing a Shoot action, a dinosaur that overlaps snow terrain may perform a Move action. After moving, if the dinosaur token overlaps the scoring zone, then the result is a successful score. A layup is worth 2 points.

Note: When using the Layup optional rules, players should select the Tropic Turf game mat during step 1 of game setup.

Sticker Reference

• LRG - Large: one sticker on each side of the token.
• SM - Small: one sticker on each side of the token.
• MED - Medium: one sticker per token.
• Tiny: one sticker on each side of the token for the Possession Token, Scoring Token and Ball Token; one sticker per token for the Ankylosaurus Tail.