Fast & Furious: Full Throttle
Fast & Furious: Full Throttle Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 double-sided Game Board
- 12 Street Car tokens (6 x 2 paint jobs)
- 4 Driver Consoles and Gear Markers
- 12 Driver Cards
- 120 Gear Cards (6 suits of 20 cards)
- 42 Upgrade tokens
- 4 Block tokens
- 12 Control tokens
- 1 Penalty Tracker dial
- 1 Start and 1 Finish Card
- Various Obstacle tokens
Set-Up
- Choose a Car: Each Driver receives a Driver Console, a Gear Marker and chooses a Street Car token. Experienced players may want to play with the optional Driver Cards; in this case, each player selects (or draws randomly) a Driver Card and notes its ability.
The next step is to decide on a race. How long, how many corners and what kind of obstacles, if any. The length of the course and difficulty of its turns will determine how many Upgrades each Driver will receive for their Consoles.
- Choose a Course: Place the Start card and the Finish card on the board at the desired locations and trace a course between them that all players agree to (you can place Obstacle tokens to block paths and remind you of the agreed to course if you wish).
As a general rule, the more corners, the more challenging the course will be. It is always recommended that the Start card be placed at the beginning of a straightaway so Drivers can gain speed quickly. In general keep the courses Fast and Furious. There is always more time for more races! See the back pages of this manual for some recommended Courses.
Next, determine which obstacles you would like to add, if any. It is recommended that you first play without obstacles and start to add them as your driving improves. Obstacles can also add more challenge to races with fewer Drivers. Place Obstacle tokens on the road to mark spaces cars can not move into.
Along the edge of the track are red Upgrade Indicators with numbers. Add together the numbers that the course passes by. The resulting number is the number of Upgrades each Driver will have for that race (see Step 3).
Gear Marker: During a race, when a Driver Downshifts, or Upshifts they move the Gear marker accordingly to track their current gear. All Drivers begin with their car in Neutral (N).
Damage: Truly Furious Drivers can choose to play with the optional Control and Damage rules. Damage to your car is marked on the right of your Console, in Damage Slots. Three strikes and you're out! See Damage and Control.
- Upgrade Your Car: Before the race begins, each Driver takes a number of Upgrade tokens (equal to the sum of Upgrade Indicators along the agreed upon course) to soup-up and customize their car. A car can have a maximum of 10 Upgrades (with the exception of Han Lue, whose car may have up to 12 Upgrades). Note: the Start card automatically adds 4 Upgrades to the race.
Each player simultaneously places their Upgrade tokens in their chosen Upgrade circles on their Console. They must place them all before the race begins and they cannot thereafter be changed.
Upgrades: The Upgrades you choose can greatly effect how you race. The course you are racing can be a good guide to the sorts of Upgrades that might be best to choose. A Driver may choose to have as many Upgrades of a certain type as they like, but may not exceed the listed maximum number of Upgrades for TIRES and NITROUS. During the race, when you use an Upgrade, remove that token from your Console; it has been spent. Multiple Upgrades may be used on the same turn, with the exception of HANDLING and ENGINE POWER, which can only be used once per turn. Upgrades often allow you to break rules and go beyond what a car can normally do. If there is a conflict with what a general rule and an Upgrade rule, the Upgrade rule supercedes the general rule.
- To the Starting Line!: The Gear cards are shuffled and placed within reach of all players, leaving room to flip cards and for a discard pile. Choose a first player randomly; the player to their right places their Street Car token at the starting line on the Start card. Then, in anti-clockwise order, each player places their car at the starting line. Each player draws 6 Gear cards.
Summary
Turn Order: The Driver that placed his car last will start the game. Play then proceeds clockwise around the table until at least one player crosses the finish line and all players have had an equal number of turns.
A Turn Consists of:
- Once per turn, playing a matching set of Gear cards to allow you to flip an equal number of cards from the deck and then Select a Speed to move (from those listed in the Speed Draw section of the flipped cards, beside the Gear you are in). Then moving your Street Car token the chosen number of spaces on the Game Board.
- Discarding cards to change Gears as often as you may, both before and/or after you move.
- Noting any Speed Penalties you have incurred on your turn. Decreasing your next turn's hand size and downshifting gears as required.
- Redrawing cards. You must keep any cards remaining in your hand after your turn.
Gear Cards
There are six "Gears" of Gear card, from 1st Gear to 6th Gear. Each Gear has a "Minimum Speed" (which comes into effect when the Gear cards you play match your current Gear) and a Speed Draw section (for when the card is one of those flipped during a Speed Draw).
Gear Cards also show a Nitrous Value which can be used to increase a Driver's speed when used in conjunction with a NITROUS Upgrade (see Upgrades).
Changing Gears
Cards can be discarded during your turn to change your Gear. Upshifting to a higher Gear requires 3 cards are discarded and Downshifting requires 2 cards are discarded. The cards can be of any Gear and do not need to match. You may change gears during any part of a turn, and as many times as you like; simply discard the necessary number of cards and move your Gear marker to the new Gear.
Moving
Once on your turn you may move your car. To do so, play a matching set of Gear cards (1 card is considered a set) and then flip an equal number of cards from the Gear deck onto the table. This is called the Speed Draw.
When the required number of cards have been flipped, check the speeds listed in the Speed Draw section of the flipped cards. Specifically the numbers beside your current Gear. You can choose any of the speeds listed there to move your Street Car token.
If the set of cards played from your hand matched the Gear you are currently in then you may also choose to move the Minimum Speed listed in the top right corner of those cards.
Example
Driver #1 is in 4th Gear. He plays three matching 5th Gear cards to Move. This lets Driver #1 Speed Draw three cards, flipping them from the top of the deck. All that matters on these flipped cards is the information in the Speed Draw section.
Driver #1 is in 4th gear so the speeds listed beside 4th gear are noted: 3, 6 and 8. Driver #1 can choose to move any of those distances. Note: If Driver #1 had been in 5th gear then they would have chosen one of the listed 5th gear speeds (3, 8 or 5), however because the set of cards he played (5th Gear) would have matched the gear he was in, he could also choose to move the Minimum Speed listed on those 5th Gear cards, which is 7. Driver #1 chooses to move 8 spaces.
Driver #1 has three cards left in hand and decides to discard two of them to DOWNSHIFT to 3rd gear in preparation for an upcoming corner. Driver #1 then cleans up and discards any cards left on the table from those played and the Speed Draw, and draws back up to 6 cards.
Speed & Movement
Speed Value: The chosen Speed from the Speed Draw is combined with any Speed gained or lost through Driver Abilities, Upgrades or other effects to arrive at your Speed Value and the number of spaces your car must move on your turn.
Passing: Drivers are only allowed to make lane changes on straight sections of track, and in one direction on any given turn. For example, if a Driver chooses to move left, they may only move left or forward for the rest of the turn. Drivers are not allowed to move diagonally.
Speed Penalties: These represent breaking and/or making maneuvers to avoid crashing. There are two main causes of Speed Penalties.
BLOCKED: When a Driver is unable to complete movement, because they are unable to pass, or are blocked in and unable to move forward or to the side, they will incur Speed Penalties equal to the number of movement points left unused. For instance, if a Driver's Speed Value is 7 but they can only move 5 spaces they will suffer 2 Speed Penalties. This means their hand size for the next round will be 4 (a standard 6, minus 2 Penalties).
CORNERS: Drivers suffer Speed Penalties for each corner space moved through with a number less than their current Speed Value. For instance, if a Driver's Speed is 9 and they move into a space with a 5 they will take 4 Speed Penalties. Drivers must continue taking Speed Penalties for each corner space they move through in which the number is less than their Speed, until they clear the corner or they come to a stop.
A Corner Space is any space on the track that contains a number in a white circle.
Each Speed Penalty reduces your next turn's hand limit by 1 card. You may need to discard cards still in your hand to comply with your new hand limit. If Speed Penalties remain after you have exhausted your potential six-card hand, you must then Downshift 1 Gear for each remaining Penalty. If you still have Penalties remaining after dropping to Neutral, stop all movement immediately.
You can keep track of the number of Speed Penalties you have incurred with the Penalty Tracker. Always start with the indicator on 6 (7 exists for Dom's Driver ability) and move it one number clockwise with each penalty you incur.
For example: You are in 3rd Gear and start to incur Speed Penalties. After incurring 6, your hand size for next turn has been reduced to zero. After 9 penalties you have Downshifted 3 Gears and are in Neutral Gear. After the 10th penalty you must stop movement immediately.
Upgrades
Unless contradicted below; on your turn, you can play and discard any number of Upgrade tokens from your Driver Console to activate the Upgrades they are assigned to.
- NITROUS: 1 Token Max. Allows you to draw the top card from the Speed Deck and add the Nitrous value to your Speed. PLAY BEFORE MOVEMENT.
- ENGINE POWER: Each token played allows you to ignore your current Speed Check and begin the process anew for the turn. You may not keep any of your results from the first Speed Draw. PLAY AFTER SPEED DRAW.
- ENGINE TUNING: Discard X number of cards from your hand and draw X+1 to replace them. PLAY BEFORE SPEED DRAW.
- TIRES: 4 Token Max. May be used to gain +2 on First Turn. If played at other times, each tire played lowers the car's apparent speed value by 1 when testing for Speed Penalties. This does not affect the actual number of spaces the car moves.
- TURBO CHARGER: Use the Speed Values for the gear above your current gear. PLAY BEFORE SPEED DRAW.
- HANDLING: At the end of your movement you may place a Block token on either side of your car in a non-corner space OR you may pay to ignore the Block token of another player. For a Driver to ignore a Block token (without using Handling) they must expend 3 Speed rather than 1 when they move onto the Block token space. If a Driver cannot move past a Block token they incur a Blocked Speed Penalty. YOU CAN ONLY USE ONE BLOCK TOKEN PER TURN, remove your Block token when you next move.
- TRANSMISSION: Cost of up shifting or downshifting a Gear is decreased by 1 for the turn.
- AERODYNAMICS: Make one diagonal move and change directions as often as desired for the turn. This overcomes the usual limits of passing.
- STEERING: While in 3rd Gear you may drift and ignore the speed limits of a corner. Movement must stop on the first spaces outside of the corner. PLAY BEFORE SPEED DRAW.
Obstacles
There are obstacles like Speed Barriers that are printed on the Game Board and optional Obstacle tokens you can place on the streets yourself.
Speed Barriers: The numbers in Speed Barriers work in the opposite way to corners. If a Driver's Speed is less than the speed listed then the car cannot pass the barrier. There is a Speed Barrier on each of the two street maps, detailed below.
Baja, California - The Train Crossing: If a car isn't doing 10 or more when it reaches the train crossing, then the car fails to jump cleanly over the train car. The Street car pauses (in dramatic slow motion) on the Speed Barrier. On the Driver's next turn they will need to reach a Speed of 10 or more to complete the jump. If the Driver cannot, they crash into the side of the passing train and are out of the race!
Los Angeles - The Shoulder Drop-Off: Roadworks are underway on the Freeway. Traffic cones have been placed to keep traffic away from the edge of the overpass, where it slopes away steeply to the road below. But that won't stop daring street racers dropping down the shoulder, or leaping up it! The same general rules apply as with the above Train Crossing. It takes enough Speed to either safely drop down or jump up the steep slope. The required speed is either 6 or 9, depending on the direction of approach.
Obstacles: There are several tokens you can use as obstacles, most of them commuter cars. Place them on the street as you and the other Drivers agree, or place them in turn. It is recommended you don't reduce a street to only one space wide or you may end up with a severe bottleneck. It is also recommended that you never put an obstacle in a corner space; but then again, you can try anything!
The Finish Line
Race End: All players will have the same number of turns in a game. When a Driver first crosses the finish line and onto the Finish card, the game then ends as soon as all Drivers have had the same number of turns as that Driver.
Photo Finish: Every Driver that crosses the Finish line will count their remaining speed by positioning their Street Car on the Finish card (or recording the remaining Speed on paper if you prefer).
The Winner: The Driver with the most extra Speed after crossing the finish line is the winner. If still tied, the car with the highest speed on the last turn wins (keep your last Gear card played as proof). If all things are equal it is considered a draw. Race again.
Example: Three cars crossed the Finish line. Gold crossed the finish line with no Speed remaining, Black crossed with 17 Speed remaining, and Blue, scraped through for the win with 18 Speed remaining.
Damage and Control (Optional Rules)
Some Gear Cards have Damage icons on the lower Speeds of the highest Gears: Speeds 1-5 in 6th, 1-3 in 5th and 1-2 in 4th. You can ignore these icons, or you can decide to play with the Damage and Control rules. (Note: Gisele uses the Damage icons for her ability even when you are not using the Damage and Control rules.)
Place the Control tokens face down (with the Damage icon showing) beside the board, and mix them up. When you select a Speed (or must select a Speed) with a Damage icon next to it, select and take a Control token.
You are losing control of your car, smoke is billowing from the tires and from under the hood, but your Driving skills are keeping it on the road. Flip the Control token and look at the number. Place it, with the number face-up in a Damage Slot on your Driver Console. You must add the Speed on the token to your total Speed on your next turn...
Your wheels are spinning! The momentum of you car out of the skid may help you keep up the pace, or see you careen out of control entirely. After you add the Speed on the Control token to your Speed, and Move, flip the token back to the Damage side and leave it in the Damage slot. You've stayed in the race, but the stress has the bolts rattling.
If you have three Control tokens with the Damage side showing on your Console you've junked your car and can no longer move! Which might not matter if you've limped or blasted across the finish line!
Courses
Following are some recommended courses to get you started and introduce you to the streets. Playing through them will help you to build your own custom courses. Go to town and create whatever you like. Try races with more than one course to take to get to the finish line, circular courses or even scenarios - maybe three players are the police trying to block the fourth's getaway!
The Main Event (No Obstacles; Upgrades: 4): This is definitely the course to play on your first game. It's a fast smooth run along the freeway, without the slightest risk of Speed Penalties. Just put the pedal to the metal and go for it.
Tokyo Drift (No Obstacles; Upgrades: 10): The narrow ramps and alleys of the city have are perfect for two car duels. More racers can race, but it will get tight!
Varone's Test (Obstacles, approximately 10; Upgrades: 7): The city is still awake, and the streets are bustling with traffic returning home from a night out. Things could get a little cramped towards the finish!
The All-Timer (Obstacles, approximately 5; Upgrades: 10): Its time to bump it a nickel. Put up or shut up. Charge through the streets but watch out for the surprise at the end.
This is BRASIL! (No Obstacles; Upgrades: 10): A course with lots of slow downs and speed ups. When travelling under the over pass, treat the spaces on either side as adjacent.
Tag Team (Teams of two. No Obstacles; Upgrades: 7): Place all cars on the start line. One car from each team starts (racing down the right path) and back to the start line. On the turn that the first driver crosses the start line, the other teammate may start moving on the same turn. Replace the Start card with the Finish card.