G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game: New Alliances – A Transformers Crossover Expansion Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Setup
  • 1. MAIN DECK AND LEADERS
  • 2. THE ARK
  • 3. AUTOBOTS
  • 4. PRIME'S TRAILER
  • 5. CONSTRUCTICONS & MINI-CASSETTES
  • 6. COMPLICATIONS
  • 7. OFFICERS
  • 8. MISSIONS
  • 9. THE SPACE BRIDGE
• New Rules and Components
  • Autobots
  • Energon Pool
  • Dice Icons
  • Recruiting Autobots
  • Autobots on Missions
  • Ark Modules
  • Constructicons
  • Mini-Cassettes
  • Space Bridge
  • Prime's Trailer
• New Concepts
• Crossover Clarifications
• Solo Play

Contents

• 22 Main Deck Cards
• 6 Officer Cards
• 11 Complication Cards
• 18 Mission Cards
• 8 Mini-Cassette Cards
• 6 Constructicon Cards
• 1 Ark Tile
• 13 Autobot Cards
• 2 Ark Module Tiles
• 1 Space Bridge Tile
• 4 Leader Cards
• 8 Energon Dice
• 1 Progress Marker Token

Setup

1. MAIN DECK AND LEADERS

• Marissa Faireborn and Cover Girl are two new Joes you can choose as your Leader during setup. If chosen, be sure to keep their Promoted card nearby.
• Swap out your choice of Joe, Gear, Utility, and Transport cards from the core game with new cards of the same type that have a similar cost. For example, you could replace Distraction with Roll Out, which are both Utility cards with a cost of 3.
• In the end, you should still have 54 cards in the main deck before adding any Autobots.

2. THE ARK

• Place the Ark tile near the line-up within reach of all players.
• Place the Teletraan and Repair Bay tiles in their matching slots on the Ark with their OFFLINE/DAMAGED sides up.
• Add 2 Energon dice to the dice pool by placing them directly on the Ark. Put the remaining 6 Energon dice next to the Ark.
• Place the Bumblebee Autobot card below the Ark in the slot designated for Autobots.

3. AUTOBOTS

• Sort and shuffle the remaining 12 Autobots into 3 face down stacks, separated by Act (upper right of card). Place each stack in a column next to the Ark with Act I on bottom.
• Draw the top 2 Autobots from each stack and shuffle them into the main deck without looking at them. The other Autobots remain where they are.

4. PRIME'S TRAILER

• Place the Prime's Trailer card face up next to the Hangar.

5. CONSTRUCTICONS & MINI-CASSETTES

• Place all 6 Constructicons directly below the main deck, in a face-up stack.
• Shuffle and place the 8 Mini-Cassettes nearby in a face-down stack.

6. COMPLICATIONS

• Separate the new Act I, II, and III Complications into 3 stacks.
• Shuffle these with 6 random core game Complications from each of the corresponding Acts to form the 3 Complication stacks.

7. OFFICERS

• Add the 5 new Decepticon Officers and 1 Cobra Officer to the Officer stack.

8. MISSIONS

• Follow the normal Story Mission setup using the new Mission cards, but with one exception: Use only 1 random Mission for Act II and 1 for Act III (instead of 2) in addition to the Finale. Therefore, you will add 2 random Missions to Act I, placing them on top of the Act I Finale, then add 1 random Mission to Act II and 1 to Act III.
• When complete, there should be a total of 7 missions in the stack: 3 Act I, 2 Act II, and 2 Act III.

9. THE SPACE BRIDGE

• Place the Space Bridge and the Progress marker off to the side and out of play for now.

New Rules and Components

Autobots

This expansion comes with 13 new Autobot cards, with Skills that are limited in ways that Joe Skills are not, and with the unique ability to be sent on Missions in either their robot form (Bot mode) or their Transport form (Alt mode). You start the game with Bumblebee, and will have the opportunity to recruit new Autobots throughout the game to expand your options. Similarly, you'll need to manage a new resource—your Energon pool—in order to maximize the advantages these new robot allies provide.

Energon Pool

Autobots have a limited pool of Energon dice to use when rolling their Skill checks. This pool is located on the Ark tile. Any dice not on the Ark tile are not in the pool and should be kept separate. When you make a Skill choice and roll dice based on an Autobot's Skills, you must roll these pink Energon dice, not the green Mission dice. No matter what Skill value your Autobots have, you can only roll dice from the available pool, which may be less than your Autobots' available Skills. You may also choose to roll fewer dice than you have available. The maximum Energon you can have in the pool is 8.

Energon dice rolled during a Mission are still considered "in the pool" until the Mission is complete. After the Mission is complete, remove any Energon dice you rolled from the pool. They can only be re-added by another effect, as explained below. Managing this pool to make sure you have enough dice is a key strategy in using Autobots effectively!

There are multiple ways to increase your Energon pool during the game:

• Recruit a new Autobot: Each time you add an Autobot to the Ark, add 1 Energon to the pool.
• Put an Autobot you've already recruited into the Ark, such as when you play it from your hand. Whenever you do so, add 1 Energon to the pool. This triggers even when using effects like those on the Repair Bay.
• At the end of each Round, add 1 Energon to the pool (up to 3 max) for each Autobot in the Ark.
• Some cards (like Energon Drill and Recharge) allow you to add Energon to the pool.

Dice Icons

Not all dice rolled for Autobots are Energon dice. The Alt Mode "Transport" often allows the use of Mission dice instead, as does some ability text, and those abilities are designated with the [green Mission die icon]. Likewise, Energon dice are designated by the [pink Energon die icon]. Unless otherwise specified with these icons, skills listed on Autobots use Energon dice, whereas skills listed on non-Autobot cards use Mission dice.

Recruiting Autobots

You can recruit Autobots from the line-up as you would any other card, or you can recruit the topmost, face-up Autobot from the stack(s) next to the Ark. These stacks will have new Autobots available for each new Act, but none will be face-up during the first round of play.

Access to new Autobots will be granted with each new Act. When the first Mission is put into play (in round 2), flip the Autobot stack for Act I face-up. The topmost card is now available to recruit. If it's recruited, the card beneath it is now available, and so on. Likewise, once the first Mission for Act II is put into play, the second stack will flip face-up, offering more Autobots to recruit in addition to any remaining in the Act I stack. Recruiting an Autobot is a "Group Item." [Group Item cost icon: blue circle with wings] The active player must initiate the purchase, but any other player(s) may contribute cards with Recruit values to help recruit the card. See more on Group Items on page 13. When recruited, the Autobot is immediately put into the Ark and 1 Energon die is added to the Energon Pool.

Note: If the Ark is ever full (5 Autobots) when you need to add an Autobot to the Ark, you must discard a different Autobot from the Ark to the active player's discard pile before adding the new one.

Autobots on Missions

Autobots in the Ark or a non-active player's hand can be sent on Missions, similar to Joes. However, a Joe still needs to be on every Mission. In some cases, an Autobot may also lead the Mission when a card grants that ability, so long as at least 1 Joe joins them.

Autobots have 2 Modes to choose from, and you can only use one of them on each Mission, unless a card (like T-Cog Device) says otherwise:

• Bot Mode (the section of the card above the Alt Mode)—This has the Autobot's Recruit value, Skills, and ability text. When using these Skills, you use the Energon dice.
• Alt Mode (the bottom section of the card)—This is an Autobot's "Transport" option. This section has the capacity to carry Joes, along with an ability that is only active while in this Mode.

When sending an Autobot on a Mission, first declare what Mode they are in, then treat them accordingly:

Bot Mode Missions: Autobots in Bot Mode do not require a Transport. They can join your Joes without taking up space in whichever Transport you are using. Joes on a Mission still need a Transport to ride in. When sending an Autobot on a Mission in Bot Mode, you may only roll the Skills they have up to your available Energon dice. In addition, you may activate any non-Alt mode ability text they have.

Important: Autobots do not have inherent Wild Skills like Joes do, only the Skills listed on their card.

Once the Mission is complete, any Autobots played by a non-active player are immediately discarded to that player's discard pile. Autobots played from the Ark by the active player remain in play and apply their Recruit value in the active player's Recruit Phase. Then they are discarded to the active player's discard pile.

Alt Mode Missions: If you choose to send an Autobot on a Mission in Alt Mode, you are using it as a Transport, and therefore cannot use any other Joe Transport. This Autobot will take the place of the VAMP or any other Transport you would have used. You cannot have an Autobot Transport and regular Joe Transport on the same Mission unless you use a card like T-Cog Device, or when using an Autobot with a non-Transport Alt Mode (like Blaster).

[Page 9 card examples, captioned in the printed rulebook: under the first card, "Used as Transport" (an Autobot in Alt Mode); the middle card is a VAMP card with a large X over it; under the third card, "Allows Both" (T-Cog Device).]

An Autobot's Alt Mode ignores Terrain types and always has access to any ability listed regardless of Terrain. Unlike Bot Mode Skills, they can often roll Mission dice instead of Energon dice, as noted on the card.

When on a Mission in this Mode, tuck the Autobot card under the Joe who leads the Mission, so only the Transport section is visible. This will help remind you that this card is acting as a Transport, and not to activate any Bot Mode ability text or Skills.

Once the Mission is complete, the Autobot used as a Transport is discarded immediately. You cannot use its Recruit value this turn. Bumblebee (as a Transport) may be returned to the Ark, but you do not gain 1 Energon as you normally would.

Autobots in Hand: At the start of your turn, place any Autobots in your hand into the Ark, where they are now available for Missions. If you draw an Autobot later during your Mission or Recruit Phase, immediately place it into the Ark. When putting an Autobot into the Ark, remember to add 1 Energon to the Energon pool. You cannot hold onto and play an Autobot from your hand just for its Recruit value.

An Autobot in a non-active player's hand can be played directly to a Mission. In this case, the Autobot will be discarded to that player's discard pile when the Mission is over, just as a Joe would be. A non-active player who contributes at least 1 Autobot may then also play cards with effects, even if they did not play a Joe.

Note: You cannot take Autobots out of the Ark strictly for their Recruit value. You must send them on a Mission first by removing them from the Ark and placing them in your play area alongside your Joes. Furthermore, you do not need Energon dice in your pool in order to send an Autobot on a Mission. You won't be able to roll dice for their Skills, but you can still use their Recruit value and any ability text they have. And while in Alt Mode, their Transport ability will often allow you to roll Mission dice instead.

Ark Modules

The Ark comes with 2 useful Modules which start the game "offline" or "damaged": Teletraan I and the Repair Bay.

Teletraan I: When Teletraan I is Online, it grants you +2 Recon or +2 Tracker (Mission dice, not Energon dice) if you have an Autobot on the Mission. In order to bring Teletraan I Online, you need to have at least 6 Energon dice in the pool. Once you do, immediately flip Teletraan I to its Online side. If you have 0 Energon dice in the pool, immediately take Teletraan I Offline by flipping the card back to its Offline side.

If Teletraan is taken Offline during a Mission after you have already rolled your Mission dice, you still get the benefit of that roll.

Repair Bay: When the Repair Bay is Operational, you may choose to discard 1 card in order to move 1 Autobot from your discard pile to the Ark at the start of your turn. To fix the Repair Bay, which is a Group Item, you need to pay the cost of 6 Recruit value, then flip the card to its Operational side. More on Group Items on page 13.

Constructicons

Constructicons are similar to Cobra Battalions in that they interact with the line-up, one card at a time, with a few important distinctions:

• They are placed in a row below cards in the line-up from right to left, not left to right.
• They may be placed below a card that already has a Cobra Battalion on it, and vice versa.
• Cards in the line-up with a Constructicon below it cost +2 to recruit.

Defeated Constructicons return to the bottom of their stack. If there are ever 6 Constructicons below the line-up, you must immediately put Devastator into play! Then place every Constructicon in the line-up underneath Devastator, increasing the difficulty to defeat the current Story Mission by +1 for each.

If Devastator is defeated, discard all Constructicons under him, returning them to the stack. While Devastator is in play, any new Constructicon added to the line-up will be put under Devastator at the start of the next player's turn.

Mini-Cassettes

Mini-Cassettes are similar to Complications, and present Side Missions for players to deal with. These remain in a face-down stack until a card effect tells you to draw one. When defeated, they return to the bottom of the stack. Unless the Mini-Cassette is a Precision Strike, it's a Mission that can be attempted by any player during their turn.

Space Bridge

The Space Bridge tile comes into play at the end of Act I, as specified on the Act I Finale Story Mission. When instructed, place it above the line-up with the "incomplete" side up, which has circles showing the progress of the Space Bridge's construction. Then place the Progress marker on the blue circle.

At the end of each round, advance the Progress marker forward 1 circle, pushing the Space Bridge one step closer to completion. Other card effects may also cause the Progress marker to advance. Whenever the marker lands on (or passes) a circle with the "+ Complication" or "+ Constructicon" icons while advancing forward, immediately draw 1 Complication or 1 Constructicon, respectively, even if you previously passed that same circle in an earlier turn.

When the Progress marker reaches the red circle, flip the tile over and a new End of Turn effect will become active, as shown. On the completed side, you may "defeat" the Space Bridge as part of a Group Mission, effectively damaging it. If this happens, flip the tile back to the incomplete side and place the marker on the yellow circle.

Prime's Trailer

Prime's Trailer is a Towable Asset you can send on any Mission if you pay the cost. The cost is "Discard 2 Joes" if no Autobot Transport is on this Mission, or "Discard 1 Joe" if at least 1 Autobot Transport is on the Mission. An Autobot Transport is any Autobot you send on a Mission in Alt Mode. Any player may pay this cost, alone or shared, not just the active player. Prime's Trailer does not take up a Joe slot, and is in addition to your Transport.

Once the Mission is over, discard the Towable Asset to the active player's discard pile. At the start of your turn, if you have Prime's Trailer in hand, place it next to the Hangar, face-up. It's now available for another Mission. If you are including Towable Assets from Coldsnap, follow the Coldsnap rules for Towables instead, but the Autobot Transport discount still applies.

New Concepts

Peek: Some cards, like the Autobots Prowl and Perceptor, allow you to "peek" at face-down Complications. This allows you to look at the card without resolving it, then return it face-down.

Group Items: As introduced in the Shadow of the Serpent expansion, you will find a new cost icon [Group Item cost icon: blue circle with wings] on Autobots and the Repair Bay Ark Module. When you wish to recruit one of these higher-priced items, you can do so normally or ask for help from your teammates. If you ask for help, each of your teammates may play as many cards from their hand as they wish during your Recruit Phase to increase your Recruit value total. The game text of any cards played by non-active players is not resolved. Only their printed Recruit value (in the star icon) is granted to the active player. You can only use these Recruit points to recruit the agreed-upon Group Item. Afterward, contributed cards are discarded to their owner's discard pile.

Crossover Clarifications

• Cards that refer to a "Cobra Officer" also apply to "Decepticon Officers."
• An Autobot is not a Joe, even when on a Mission in Bot Mode, but they satisfy the "Joe" requirement to play cards with effects. Additionally, an Autobot on a Mission in Alt Mode is considered a Transport for all purposes related to that keyword.
• Mini-Cassettes and Constructicons are their own category of cards, but they are also Side Missions and behave accordingly.
• End of Round effects on tiles (Ark and Space Bridge) are resolved when "Card Effects" are resolved.
• Some Joes (like Marissa Faireborn) have the "Ally" keyword in the card type. This is solely a thematic distinction and has no bearing on gameplay (unless an effect specifically mentions that keyword).

Solo Play

Reduce the cost to recruit Autobots by 1 for each Autobot in the Ark. As in a non-Solo game, you may send Autobots on Missions and then use their Recruit value to help with Group Buys of other Autobots, which may be a better value. However, you can't get the Ark discount AND use their Recruit value, since the Ark discount requires that the Autobot be in the Ark, not in play.

Note: There are some cards that should not be included in Solo play and this will be specified as such on the card.