G.I. Joe: Operation Cobra Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Component List
• Clarification of Terms
• Component Anatomy
  • G.I. Joe Character Sheets
  • Cobra Character Sheets
  • Weapon & Improvement Cards
  • Cobra Activation Cards
• Game Board
• Tokens & Templates
• Game Dice
  • Attack Dice
  • Cover Dice
  • Defense Dice
  • VS Advantage Token (VAT)
• Playing the Game
  • Skirmish or Campaign Game
  • Number of Players & Number of Joes
  • Set-Up
  • Deployment & Spawn Rules
• Game Concepts
  • Adjacency and Distance
  • Line of Sight (LoS)
  • Cover
    • Types of Cover and Terrain
    • Characters Within Cover Terrain
  • Defense & Obstructions to LoS
    • Defense
    • Characters Obstructing Line of Sight
  • Vitality
  • Wounded Characters
  • Heroic Resolve
• Basic Rules
  • The Game Round and the Game Turn
    • Round Sequence
    • Turn Sequence
  • Types of Actions
    • Move Actions
    • Attack Actions
    • Interact Actions
    • Rest / Heal Actions
    • Special Actions
  • Ranged, Melee and Area Weapons & Attacks
    • Melee Weapons
    • Ranged Weapons
• Activation
  • Activating G.I. Joe Heroes
  • Activating Cobra Characters
    • Cobra Activation Cards (CAC)
  • Cobra Activation Card Icons
  • Cobra Activation Orders
    • Cobra Movement Orders
    • Cobra Attack Orders
    • Other Cobra Orders
    • Unique Cobra Signature Abilities
  • Loadout or Equipment Cards
• Advanced Rules
  • Stealth & Hidden
    • Hidden
    • Stealth
    • Hidden Cobra Characters
  • Token Characters
  • Weapon Properties & Skill Effects
  • Character Status & Status Tokens
  • Non-Status Game Tokens
  • Area of Effect Templates
• Conclusion
• Icon Glossary & Reference
  • CAC Actions Priorities

Introduction

The players' antagonists are the Cobra forces, which act through a fully automated decision-making system, presenting a challenge to the players' team. The game is turn-based, where the player-controlled G.I. Joe team tries to achieve the mission objective while the game-controlled Cobra antagonists try to thwart them. Each mission is different, featuring a composition of elements through modular boards with a grid of square spaces, a set of rules, defined objectives for that mission, and a combination of different villains. Being a cooperative game, players win together or are defeated by the game.

In Campaign Mode, if players fail to achieve the mission objectives, they can try again with more preparation or progress to the next mission, facing the campaign consequences of their defeat. Thus, most missions are replayable, often requiring two or three attempts to complete successfully.

Component List

• 4x G.I. Joe miniatures: Duke, Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, Roadblock
• 35x Cobra miniatures: 8x Vipers, 8x Cobra Troopers, 6x Techno-Vipers, 6x B.A.T.s, 1x Zartan, 1x Croc Master, 1x Dr. Mindbender, 1x Firefly, 1x Major Bludd, 1x Cobra Commander, 1x Cobra Officer
• 14x Dice: 2x Red Attack, 2x Blue Attack, 2x Green Attack, 3x Yellow Attack, 1x Light Defense, 1x Heavy Defense, 1x Obscured Vision, 1x Light Cover, 1x Heavy Cover
• 31x Tiles
• 141x Cards: 77x Cobra Activation cards, 20x Cobra Loadout cards, 24x G.I. Joe Signature cards, 20x G.I. Joe Loadout cards
• 15x Character Sheets: 4x G.I. Joe (two-sided), 11x Cobra (one-sided)
• 160x Tokens & Templates:
  • 8x Normal Doors
  • 2x Large Doors
  • 10x Activation tokens
  • 6x Hidden / Danger tokens
  • 12x Fire / Smoke tokens
  • 22x Damage / Effort tokens (x1)
  • 8x Damage / Effort tokens (x3)
  • 10x Mission Marker / Numeric tokens (1-10)
  • 12x NPC tokens: 4x Scientist, 3x Politicians, 2x Executives, 3x Workers
  • 6x Parry / Restrained tokens
  • 12x Inspiration / Disoriented tokens
  • 6x Stun / Injured tokens
  • 8x Bleed / Ammo tokens
  • 10x Supplies tokens: 2x Weapon, 4x Medical Kit, 4x Valuables
  • 10x Perception tokens: 2x Perception +2, 3x Perception +3, 2x Perception +4, 2x Perception +5, 1x Blank
  • 1x Timber Companion token

Clarification of Terms

In this Rulebook, as well as in the Campaign Manual and character sheets, player-controlled characters are referred to as "Joes" or "Heroes" interchangeably. When mentioning "G.I. Joe," it refers to either a character's faction or the organization as a whole.

Antagonists are referred to as "Cobra" or "Cobra characters." Members of this nefarious organization are controlled by the automa and their behavior is managed automatically through a set of rules, which are explained throughout this manual.

Character Sheets may represent individual characters, such as G.I. Joes, the main Cobra Characters (Villains) and Cobra soldier groups of the same type (Squads).

All individual figures, whether they are part of a Squad, are G.I. Joes, or Villains, are classified as "Units."

Component Anatomy

G.I. Joe Character Sheets

1. Name: The name of the character.
2. Vitality: The amount of damage a character can withstand.
3. Heroic Resolve: The ability to make heroic efforts.
4. Defense: The defensive capability provided by their training or basic armor.
5. Movement: The number of movement points a character has per action.
6. Aggro: A character's Aggro Value indicates how much attention they attract from enemies. Higher values mean enemies are more likely to target that character.
7. VS Advantage: Special ability that activates at the beginning of a round when the VS Toss gives the advantage to the G.I. Joe.
8. Skills: The permanent abilities of the characters and those they can activate during battle.
9. Muscle: Represents the character's physical power.
10. Stealth: Represents the character's ability to move quickly and silently.
11. Expertise: Represents a character's specialized skills and proficiency in specific areas. It determines their effectiveness in performing the most difficult actions and in recovering Heroic Resolve.

G.I. Joe character sheets have two sides. The front shows the character in full health. If they take enough damage to become Wounded, flip the sheet. Wounded characters are less effective but, being exceptional individuals, they may gain new abilities as they rise to the challenge. Changes in this state are highlighted in red on the "Wounded" side.

Cobra Character Sheets

1. Name: The name of the Character or Squad.
2. Vitality: The amount of damage a single figure can withstand.
3. Defense: The defensive capability provided by their training or basic armor.
4. Movement: The number of movement points a single figure has per action.
5. Aggro: A character's aggressiveness and, for Cobra characters, their tendency to act first, determining their activation order.
6. VS Advantage: Special ability that activates at the beginning of a round when the Versus Toss gives the advantage to the Cobra.
7. Skills: The permanent abilities of the characters and those that can be activated during battle.
8. Perception: The base range at which they could detect hidden enemies.

Weapon & Improvement Cards

Both factions have Loadout improvement cards that could be utility items or new skills, tactical or physical improvements. They have a short text explaining their rules, relying much on the game iconography. They also have a power tier from 1 to 3 and can be signature cards exclusive to a particular character.

The Cobra cards have the Special Properties in the mandatory order they must execute them, as explained in Cobra Activation. The Joe's cards have the Special Properties in any order; they choose how to execute them. They also have a Tier symbol (0, I, II, III) and may belong to a specific character (Roadblock, Duke, etc.) or could be used by any G.I. Joe.

Card parts: 1. Name; 2. Base Range; 3. Melee / Ranged; 4. Max Hits; 5. Max Stars; 6. Special Text; 7. Attack Dice; 8. Special Properties.

The background of all Cobra Weapons is the same. The G.I. Joe weapon cards could have the G.I. Joe logo (if they are of the common pool) or the portrait of the character if they are signature items. The back also shows a Tier emblem (0, I, II, III) on those that are not signature items.

Cobra Activation Cards

Card parts: 1. Name; 2. Base Range; 3. Melee / Ranged; 4. Max Hits; 5. Max Stars; 6. Special Text; 7. Attack Dice; 8. Special Properties; 9. Tier; 10. Character Name.

The Cobra Activation Cards (CAC) have several lines; each line of icons represents a different order (action) that Cobra characters will perform in order from top to bottom. Each unit has its own Activation Deck; the back of the card shows the Unit Portrait.

An order line has: 1. Order Type; 2. Order Target; 3. Unit Signature.

Game Board

The game board is made up of tiles, consisting of squares forming a grid. They are deployed according to the mission description by their ID (different for each side of the tile). The Campaign Guide dictates how the tiles are arranged in each mission.

The squares can have different types of borders that determine their type:

• Passable: This is considered "normal" terrain with no penalties for moving through it or for visibility.
• Difficult Terrain: These squares represent terrain that hinders movement but does not provide cover (rocks, uneven terrain, steep slopes, etc.). Moving through these squares is more costly in terms of movement but does not obstruct vision.
• Impassable: This edge represents barriers that cannot be crossed; they block all movement and line of sight.
• Obstacles - Light Cover: These lines represent light obstacles that can be crossed at an extra movement cost and provide some cover, hindering the line of sight. Sometimes it may be a completely enclosed object that fills the entire square (like a crate), while other times it may be an element that occupies only some sides of the square (like a barrier or curtain).
• Obstacles - Heavy Cover: These lines represent heavy obstacles that cannot be crossed but do not completely block line of sight, though they do provide significant cover. Sometimes, they may indicate a fully enclosed object filling an entire square (like a vehicle), while other times, they might represent an element occupying only part of the square (like a fence).
• Sunken Terrain: These squares represent terrain that is below the height of the rest of the tile. They depict features like watercourses, pools, depressions, etc. These squares do not affect the line of sight (as it passes "above" them) but do hinder movement. They also provide cover, but only for figures within the square (in the water, crouched in the depression, etc.).

Tokens & Templates

• 8x Normal Doors: These doors are vertical cardboard elements placed on solid bases as indicated by the scenario. While the door remains closed, it stays in place, and when the door opens, the cardboard piece is removed, leaving only the base to indicate an opening in the impassable line that represents the wall. Once doors are opened, they do not close again unless the scenario specifies otherwise.
• 2x Large Doors: These work like the normal doors but cover two squares. They represent main entrances, security doors, or large arches for vehicles, hangars, etc.
• 10x Activation Tokens: These tokens are placed next to miniatures or on their character cards to remind players that the unit has already been activated and cannot be reactivated until all other units have been activated. They are the same on both sides.
• 6x Hidden/Danger Tokens: These tokens indicate that the miniature is hidden and no enemy knows it is there, nor can they pinpoint its exact location. They are used in missions involving infiltration and in certain situations. On the other side they represent a generic "danger" that could be some explosive material, one of Croc-Master's crocodiles, etc.
• 12x Fire/Smoke Tokens: These tokens are used on one side to indicate that something or someone is on fire, and on the other side to indicate the presence of dense smoke (caused by smoke bombs, scenario effects, etc.).
• 30x Damage/Effort Tokens: These tokens, alongside activation tokens, are the most frequently used in the game. When a character or game element suffers damage, these tokens are placed on their character sheet (for Joes or Cobra Lieutenants) or next to the miniature (for Cobra Squad soldiers and other applicable game elements). On the reverse side of the Damage tokens is the Heroic Effort icon, which is placed on the character sheet to track the Heroic Resolve expended by the character. There are 22x Single Damage/Effort Tokens and 8x Triple Damage/Effort Tokens.
• 10x Mission Markers/Numeric Tokens: These tokens have a generic symbol on one side that marks a mission objective that can be interacted with to affect the mission status (something to pick up, a panel to deactivate, a specific enemy or object, etc.). The other side of the token has numbers from 1 to 10, as in some missions it will be necessary to differentiate mission elements from each other or determine random effects.

Game Dice

G.I. Joe: Operation Cobra uses special dice to determine the outcome of various situations, particularly attacks and skill checks.

Attack Dice

The attack dice come in four types: Max Power, Balance Power, Max Precise, and Support. They have two main icons:

• Hit icon: This icon represents a hit. Each hit obtained at the end of an attack inflicts one damage on the target. In skill, stealth, or rest rolls, it represents a success. To hit with an attack, it is necessary to achieve at least one hit in the final roll result.
• Star icon: This icon represents skill, precision, aim, and even a bit of luck, allowing you to reach targets at greater distances, direct hits to critical locations, or apply special effects of the weapons.

During skill checks, you must accumulate a certain number of successes. Each hit represents a success, and every two stars also count as one success.

Cover Dice

Light Cover and Heavy Cover dice are used in opposition to attack dice, and their icons cancel out those rolled by attack dice. They represent the cover provided by elements of the scenario. This type of die does not stack in the same roll; when multiple types of cover are present, only the highest is applied. Heavy cover is greater than Light cover.

• Block icon: This icon represents a failed hit, blocked by armor or cover. Each cancels out one hit in the attack roll.
• Deviation icon: This icon represents a trajectory deviation, a lack of precision due to visibility, or simply a poorly aimed shot. Each cancels one star obtained by an attack die.

Defense Dice

Light Defense, Heavy Defense and Vision Impaired dice represent characters' defensive skills, visual impairments like darkness or dense smoke, armor, or their ability to avoid the line of fire. Unlike Cover Dice, these can stack, or multiple dice of the same type can be rolled together. Additionally, there may be situations that "upgrade" a defensive die. In such cases, a Light Defense die becomes a Heavy Defense die and a Vision Impaired die becomes a Light Defense die. If a defensive die is "downgraded," apply the criteria in reverse.

They have the same icons and behaviour as the Cover Dice.

• Misfire icon: This icon indicates a total misfire or unsuccessful attack caused by poor visibility or an impact against an impenetrable barrier.

VS Advantage Token (VAT)

In the battles that define the ongoing struggle between G.I. Joe and the forces of Cobra, much like any historical conflict, initiative, courage, and ingenuity in combat can be more decisive than sheer resources. Each specific mission explains exactly when to flip the VS Advantage Token. The token has two sides: one side represents the advantage for G.I. Joe, and the other side represents the advantage for Cobra. By flipping the token, you determine which team holds the advantage.

From now on, this token is referred to as the Versus Token (abbreviated as VAT). The act of flipping or tossing it is called a Versus Toss, abbreviated as VST. Whenever a mission calls for a VST, simply toss the VAT to determine which side gains the advantage.

Playing the Game

A game of G.I. Joe: Operation Cobra is played in individual modules called Missions. Each mission can be played as a standalone Skirmish, with no connection to other games, requiring no extra preparation, and having no continuity.

Missions can also be played in Campaign Mode, where there is progression between missions represented by the acquisition of Loadout Cards (Equipment and Skills), the application of special rules, and the determination of which missions the players will face, creating a coherent narrative. The Campaign Guide explains all of this in detail.

Skirmish or Campaign Game

The specific rules for Campaign Mode are explained in the Campaign Guide, but the setup is mostly the same for both modes, with one key difference: in Skirmish Mode, your group chooses the level of difficulty they want to face.

In Campaign Mode, as you complete missions, your characters unlock more powerful Loadout Cards with new skills and weapons based on your progress. In Skirmish Mode, however, you can start at any Tier level you want. Higher Tier levels make your G.I. Joe soldiers more powerful. As missions get tougher toward the end of the campaign, choosing a higher Tier makes completing missions easier.

Tier	Max. Cards	Tier Cap
Tier 0 (Initial)	2	0
Tier 1	3	1
Tier 2	3	4
Tier 3	4	7
Tier 4	4	12

Signature Cards are an exception: they have a Tier value solely for unlock order, but they always count as Tier 0 when calculating equipped card limits. Also, you can't equip a Loadout Card of a Tier higher than yours (i.e., at Tier 2, you can't equip Tier 3 cards, even if you are still under the Tier Cap).

Number of Players & Number of Joes

Both in Campaign and Skirmish Mode the recommended number of G.I. Joes to choose depends on the number of players:

• 1 Player Game: Two to Four Joes are suitable for solo play, with a minimum of two.
• 2-Player Game: Ideally, each player controls two Joes, for a total of four. However, it's also possible to play with just one Joe each (total of two). For a middle-ground option, the more experienced player can control two Joes while the other controls one, for a total of three.
• 3 Player Game: It is recommended that each player controls one character. However, to ease the difficulty, the more experienced player can control two characters.
• 4 Player Game: Each player controls one character.

Set-Up

1. Arrange the Board: Separate and place all the tiles as indicated in the mission description.
2. Place Markers: Set up and place the specific markers (Supplies, Doors, Mission Markers, etc.) in their designated locations according to the mission. All Supplies Tokens or Numeric Tokens must be placed face-down unless otherwise noted.
3. Set Up Cobra Units: Place the character sheets for the Cobra units as specified by the mission. Take the proper Cobra Activation Decks, shuffle them, and place them next to the corresponding character sheets. Keep the figures for those units handy as well.
4. Equip Cobra Units: The mission specifies the equipment cards each enemy unit uses in this Mission. Separate those Cobra Equipment Cards and place them on the corresponding character sheets.
5. Each player selects the G.I. Joe characters they will use for the mission and places their character sheets in front of them. They then choose their Loadout cards based on the Tier of each character, taking the corresponding miniatures for their Joes as well.
6. Deploy Joes: The mission description indicates the initial deployment point for the Joes. Players should place their Joe miniatures in one of those spaces. Players can freely agree among themselves how to deploy within the available spaces (see deployment rules in the next section).
7. Reveal Initial Tiles: The initial board tile is considered revealed. All figures indicated by the mission for that tile should be deployed during the setup.
8. Deploy Starting Enemies: Deploy all enemy figures on any tiles that form a continuous space with the initial tile. These tiles are also considered revealed. (Tiles are continuous if there is no complete line of impassable terrain between them and no unopened door crossing one of these lines).
9. Place the Mission Timer on Turn 1 and follow any additional guidelines provided in the mission description.

Throughout the game, enemy automa and other rules may require you to choose targets based on criteria such as the shortest distance, most cover, highest health, etc. If an action cannot be resolved using these criteria, the target with the highest Aggro will ALWAYS be chosen. In the rare case that consensus cannot be reached, players must agree on what would be most beneficial for the Cobra team.

Deployment & Spawn Rules

During a mission, there may be different deployment points such as Joe Deployment Points, Cobra Reinforcement Points, etc. Also some effects "spawn" units or tokens. Usually Deploy is used at the Set-up of the mission and Spawn refers to situations during the mission. In any case the deployment rules remain consistent:

• Figures are deployed starting from the designated deployment point, followed by adjacent squares, first the orthogonal ones and then the diagonal ones.
• G.I. Joe characters can choose who is placed first in which deployment square. Once all deployment squares are occupied they may be placed in the adjacent squares. Always start with the orthogonal adjacent squares and only use diagonal squares if no orthogonal ones are available.
• Cobra characters follow the same principle as G.I. Joe, but they are placed in order of Aggro (higher Aggro first). They always prefer to deploy in squares closest to the Joe characters.
• TOKENS spawning follow the same orthogonal-diagonal principle. They always prefer to spawn in squares closest to enemy characters (remember that in case of an undecisive situation players decide). This applies to any kind of token that spawns during the game.
• TOKENS and Cobra characters should always spawn in spaces without special terrain. Only if no other option exists can they be placed on spaces with different terrain.
• If there is no space to deploy a unit because all adjacent squares to the deployment point are occupied, deploy it in the next available square after the last deployed miniature (again following the orthogonal-diagonal order).
• Cobra characters always prefer to deploy the closest possible to a G.I. Joe character, even if they can't see him. If there are multiple options, players decide in which legal space it will deploy.
• If you run out of tokens of a specific type and the effect doesn't explicitly say otherwise, you may use any other kind of token as a placeholder until more tokens of that type become available.

Game Concepts

Adjacency and Distance

All squares surrounding a given square (including diagonals) are considered adjacent as long as they are not separated by an impassable terrain line. In the example, all squares labeled A are adjacent to the central square, while the squares labeled B are not.

To determine the "Distance" between two elements in the game, draw the shortest direct path from the starting point to the destination, including diagonals. Count the spaces along this path while making sure not to cross any IMPASSABLE terrain lines (such as red or thick black lines). If you cannot find a path that avoids crossing these lines, the target is considered "unreachable."

Line of Sight (LoS)

Line of Sight (LoS) is a concept that is used constantly throughout this game. It is essential for performing attacks, using abilities, and determining how Cobra characters act.

To determine if a character has Line of Sight:

Remember that if an imaginary line, used to calculate movement or LoS, passes exactly through the vertex of two or more squares with different types of terrain, it is always considered that the line crosses the lesser of both terrains. Therefore, if it crosses impassable terrain and another type of terrain, there WILL be LoS.

• Draw two imaginary straight lines from any one vertex of the origin square to any two vertices of the target square. These imaginary lines:
  • A. Cannot pass through spaces outside the board.
  • B. Cannot pass through impassable terrain lines.
  • C. Cannot overlap each other.
  • D. Both lines must originate from the same vertex.

If all these conditions are met, there is Line of Sight (LoS) between the origin square and the target square. If any one of these conditions is not met, there is no LoS between the origin square and the target square.

These imaginary lines are not interrupted if they run parallel to a line of impassable terrain, nor do they provide cover, as they are not considered to cross these lines.

Cover

To determine if a character has cover, follow these simple steps:

• Once you've established that there is Line of Sight (LoS), draw a third imaginary line from the same vertex to a third different vertex of the target square.
• If any of these three lines crosses an edge that provides cover, the target has that Cover type. If the lines cross different edges with different types of cover, always apply the cover with the highest value.
• This third line must follow the same rules for LoS: it cannot pass through spaces out of the board, it cannot overlap, and it must start from the same vertex. The exception is that it can cross impassable terrain (which provides the highest level of cover).

Types of Cover and Terrain

1. If it crosses Impassable Terrain or Heavy Cover Obstacles, the target has Heavy Cover.
2. If it crosses Light Cover Obstacles or the target square is within Sunken Terrain, the target has Light Cover.
3. Heavy Cover and Light Cover don't stack. If a character has both types of cover, they only apply the higher level of cover.
4. Some effects can "upgrade" Cover. Light Cover upgrades to Heavy Cover, while Heavy Cover cannot be upgraded further.
5. Some effects can "downgrade" Cover. Heavy Cover downgrades to Light Cover, and Light Cover downgrades to No Cover.

Cover allows characters being attacked to use cover dice that can reduce the damage and effects of the attack. Heavy cover is much more effective at protecting against attacks than Light cover.

The starting corner of the LoS line only considers the terrain types along the line, not the terrain type of the origin LoS square. Being adjacent or inside a certain type of terrain offers a significant advantage. Figures near such obstacles or terrain types are more likely to have cover against opponents who are not. This advantage represents the character's ability to "peek" around corners or obstacles, using cover effectively while shooting at opponents without this benefit. (The printed rulebook illustrates this with examples.)

Characters Within Cover Terrain

When a character is inside a space that is entirely covered by a specific type of terrain (such as Sunken Terrain, Light Cover, etc.), they are always considered to have the indicated cover, even during melee attacks. This is the only way to get cover against melee attacks.

Defense & Obstructions to LoS

Defense

Some characters and effects provide Defense Dice. These dice add to a character's existing cover, but they are not considered cover themselves (they are defenses). Unlike cover, defense dice can be stacked, so you can roll multiple dice of the same type or different types. Defense dice can also be "upgraded" or "downgraded" as follows:

1. A Heavy Defense die can be downgraded to a Light Defense die.
2. A Light Defense die can be downgraded to a Vision Impaired die.
3. A Vision Impaired die downgraded is removed from the dice pool and not rolled.
4. If a character without defense gets a defense upgrade it starts as a Vision Impaired die. This die can be upgraded to a Light Defense die, and then to a Heavy Defense die.
5. An upgraded Heavy Defense die has no additional effect.

(Transcriber's note: the die icons in this passage are images in the printed rulebook; they are rendered here following the upgrade chain given in the Defense Dice section above.)

Characters Obstructing Line of Sight

When determining the cover provided to a target within the LoS, both friendly and enemy characters, as well as character tokens, can obstruct the line of fire and negatively affect the attack roll. If one or more of these characters are in the line of fire, reduce the total number of hit results in the attack roll by one. Regardless of how many characters are obstructing the line, the reduction is always just one.

Vitality

Each character in G.I. Joe: Operation Cobra can withstand a limited amount of physical damage, represented by their Vitality value.

When a character takes damage, Damage Counters are placed on them according to the amount of damage received. If the total Damage Counters equal the character's Vitality then:

• If the character is a Joe, they become Wounded. If the Joe was already Wounded he is neutralized and must be removed from the game.
• If it is a Cobra character, they are neutralized and must be removed from the game.

Wounded Characters

This is the most severe state a Joe can reach while still in play. When a Joe character takes damage equal to or exceeding their Vitality, they become Wounded. Flip their character sheet over to reflect this condition and continue to endure in this compromised state for the remainder of the mission. Cobra characters are neutralized instead; they never get Wounded status, even Villains.

When a G.I. Joe character becomes Wounded:

• Flip their character sheet; usually this means they are out of his main special skills and VS advantage skills.
• A wounded character can't perform normal Rest Actions. Only if an effect provides them Free Rest Actions.
• When becoming Wounded, remove all status tokens from the character, negative and positive (except for the Activation token, if any). The penalties of these tokens are implicitly included in the character's new state and also represent the desperate adrenaline boost to push through their current circumstances.
• If the damage that caused a character to become Wounded exceeded their Vitality, the excess damage passes to their Wounded state.
• If a Wounded G.I. Joe character takes damage equal to or exceeding their Vitality, they are Neutralized and removed from the mission. This may cause mission failure.

Heroic Resolve

Heroic Resolve reflects the G.I. Joe soldiers' heroic nature and training, allowing them to overcome adversity, perform extraordinary feats, and make crucial moves in critical moments.

Each time they use their Heroic Resolve, they gain a Heroic Effort (also referred to as HE) token. Once the number of HE tokens equals the character's Heroic Resolve, they cannot perform additional Heroic Efforts until they rest or remove HE tokens.

G.I. Joe players may use their Heroic Resolve to:

• Move diagonally during a movement action.
• Repeat the same type of action a second time during their turn.
• Remove a Disoriented counter before performing an Action.
• Add +2 to movement during a Movement Action.
• Activate some special effects described on a Mission.

A Heroic Effort cannot be used more than once for the same purpose during a single activation, but a character can use multiple HE for different effects in a single turn.

VS Token & VS Advantage

In the battles that define the ongoing struggle between G.I. Joe and the forces of Cobra, much like in any historical conflict, initiative, courage, and ingenuity in combat can be more decisive than sheer resources.

To determine which side holds the upper hand at any given moment, a special token called the VS Advantage Token (VAT) is usually flipped at the start of each round. The result of this toss indicates which faction has the advantage for that round. Each specific mission explains exactly when to toss the VAT. Flipping the VAT is abbreviated as VST (VS Toss) throughout this manual, cards, and missions.

When a side gains the upper hand, their characters can activate special abilities, and various mission-specific effects may trigger. However, this advantage is fleeting; the tides of battle can shift unexpectedly, swinging the momentum from one side to the other in an instant. Sometimes, the battle may reach a temporary stalemate, with neither side gaining the upper hand. But this balance is precarious and hard to sustain.

To keep track of which side has the initiative, use the VAT to display the appropriate side as determined by the VS Toss.

Some character VS Advantage Skills give them an advantage throughout the entire turn, an advantage when performing a specific action, or an advantage the moment the result of the VST is revealed. Each skill specifies this, but instant abilities that must be resolved immediately after tossing the VAT are marked with a special symbol.

Skill Checks

Certain missions and game effects require players to perform a Muscle, Stealth, or Expertise check, known as a Skill Check.

The difficulty of the check is specified by the game effect (e.g., Muscle Check (3), Expertise Check (2), Stealth Check (4), etc.) and indicates the number of successes needed in a single roll for the check to be effective. If no difficulty is provided, players should aim to achieve as many successful results as possible. Outcomes in a Skill Check are counted as follows:

• Each hit is a success.
• Each two stars are a success.

Cumulative Skill Checks

Some missions require characters to make cumulative skill checks. Since the number of successes needed for these checks can be too high to achieve in a single roll due to the complexity of the task, multiple skill checks can be performed. Successes can be accumulated from turn to turn, or even round to round, until the required number of successes is reached. To track accumulated successes, players can use numeric tokens or damage tokens if the former are unavailable.

Loadout Cards

G.I. Joe and Cobra characters have their abilities determined by their character sheet and Loadout cards. Loadout cards mainly represent the weapons that provide the ability to neutralize opponents, but they can also represent training upgrades, protective armor or utility accessories that grant additional abilities.

G.I. Joe:

• Players choose which cards to equip each G.I. Joe character with for the mission.
• Initially, a G.I. Joe character can equip two cards. In campaign mode, as characters progress, a G.I. Joe can increase the number of equipped cards up to a maximum of 4 (see the Campaign Manual for more details).
• When a G.I. Joe reaches a new Tier, all Loadout Cards of that Tier become available to them. Only one copy of each card exists, so players must agree if two want the same card.
• Also Signature equipment can be found during missions by interacting with a Supply Crate. This is the only way to exceed the equipment limit during a mission.

Cobra:

• Usually Cobra characters have one or two equipped cards; some characters and advanced missions may have extra cards equipped.
• The mission description determines exactly which cards these are.
• All Cobra characters of the same Squad are equipped in the same way.
• In the mission description, the first weapon listed for a Cobra is their Primary Weapon and the second is their Secondary Weapon.

Limited Ammo Cards

Some weapons and upgrades in the game have the "Limited Ammo X" property. This means they start with X Ammo Tokens, and each time the ability is used, one token is removed. Once all tokens are depleted, the ability can no longer be used.

Supply Tokens

In most missions, G.I. Joe characters can find items, information, and equipment that may be useful either during that mission or throughout the entire campaign. These Supply Tokens are placed during the game setup as indicated by the scenario. They must be shuffled and placed randomly, with the side showing a generic image facing up.

When a Joe interacts with one of these tokens (using an Interaction Action as explained in the Actions section), the token is removed from the board and flipped over, granting the following benefits:

• Medical Kit: allows the Joe who obtains it to use it immediately as part of the Interaction Action, discarding 2 Damage tokens or two Heroic Effort tokens. He can also keep it on his character sheet and later use it on himself or an adjacent ally to discard 4 Damage tokens or 4 Heroic Effort tokens, but using a Special Action to do so. Then discard the Supply token.
• Valuable: These resources can represent useful Intel on the enemy, resources usable against Cobra, tactical experience and insight into the current mission or future missions. The Joe who interacts with this Supply token keeps it on his character sheet. At the end of a successful mission, if the Joe has kept their token (remember: when a Joe is wounded or neutralized, they lose all tokens on their character sheet), they gain +3 Performance Points (see the Campaign Guide for details on performance and progression). If playing in skirmish mode this token is discarded with no effect.
• Loadout/Equipment: This Supply token is the scarcest and perhaps the most valuable. It allows the Joe who takes it to immediately unlock one of the Loadout Signature Cards that make up his own personal set (those with the character's image on the back) from his next Tier. All G.I. Joe characters start with 3 Tier 0 cards unlocked and then have one for each higher Tier (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3). Even if they receive promotions during the campaign mode, these Signature cards can only be unlocked and obtained during missions by interacting with Supply tokens. Discard the Supply Token, and take the appropriate Loadout Signature Card and equip it immediately. Once it is unlocked, it is permanently unlocked and can be equipped as normal in subsequent missions!

Equipment Supply Token and Loadout Card Limit

Note that when you unlock a Signature card you equip it immediately and you can use it during the mission even if you exceed the limit of equipped cards indicated by your current Tier. In subsequent missions you will be able to equip it, but treat it as a normal Signature card and respect the limit of equippable cards.

Basic Rules

The Game Round and the Game Turn

A game of G.I. Joe vs Cobra consists of carrying out a mission and is divided into a series of Rounds. Each Round is further divided into Turns, with G.I. Joe Activation Turns and Cobra Activation Turns alternating until all figures on the board have been activated. When there are no more figures left to activate, the Round ends and the next one begins. This continues until the mission's victory or defeat condition is met.

The sequence of a Round follows this structure:

Round Sequence

1. Determine Tide of Battle 1.1. Toss the Versus Advantage Token to determine which side has the Tide of Battle on their side (this is done every turn except the first, unless the mission specifies otherwise). 1.2. Resolve any immediate VS Advantage effects. 1.3. Resolve Mission Special Rules that apply when Start of Round X is reached, if applicable.
2. G.I. Joe Activation Turn 2.1. The G.I. Joes always have the first opportunity to activate. 2.2. Players must take an Activation Turn with a minimum of one and a maximum of two characters. 2.3. Resolve End of Turn effects.
3. Cobra Activation Turn 3.1. Activate one Cobra Unit with the highest Aggro. 3.2. Each figure in a Squad activates in descending order, starting with the one with the highest number on its base. 3.3. Resolve End of Turn effects.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all figures on the board have an activation token. When there are no more figures to activate, proceed to Step 5.
5. Resolve End of Round: 5.1. Remove one activation token from each figure. 5.2. Remove any appropriate Status Tokens from each figure. 5.3. Advance the Mission Timer by 1 turn. 5.4. Resolve Mission Special Rules that apply when End of Round X is reached, if applicable.
6. Start a new Round and continue until the mission ends with the Victory or Failure Conditions being met.

Turn Sequence

Each team has a different turn to perform their actions. The G.I. Joes always have the first opportunity to take a turn each round. The Joes may choose to activate either one or two characters, in any order they wish. Whenever a character completes their actions, an Activation Token is placed on them. Only characters without an Activation Token can perform an activation turn, though they can still perform Free Actions.

G.I. Joe characters are elite soldiers selected from the best, with extensive training. Their teams have great tactical flexibility, allowing them to coordinate by choosing to activate either one or two characters during the G.I. Joe turn.

Types of Actions

A character's Activation Turn is their moment to take actions. By default, each action type may be performed only once per activation. Certain traits allow a character to repeat some types of actions a second time. Additionally, G.I. Joe characters can use Heroic Effort to repeat once any type of action. The available actions could be:

• Move
• Attack
• Interact
• Rest / Heal
• Special Actions

G.I. Joe characters and Cobra characters perform their activations in different ways. G.I. Joe characters, controlled by the players, can make their decisions freely, while Cobra forces operate under an automated system that determines their actions. However, both factions share the basic rules for each type of action, as we will see below.

Move Actions

Characters have a Movement value, which determines the number of Movement Points (MP) they can use with a Movement Action. Moving from one square to another costs 1 MP.

Movement points cannot be carried over from one Turn to the next, and if a move cannot be fully paid for with the available movement points during an action, the move cannot be completed. If a character performs two consecutive Movement Actions, they can combine the MP from both actions and then execute the movement. This represents the character running harder to overcome more difficult terrain.

Character movement can only be performed orthogonally, not diagonally, unless the character has the Nimble skill or uses Heroic Effort.

Moving through different types of terrain can be more challenging than regular terrain (which has no special edge) with the following costs:

• Entering or Exiting Normal Terrain: 1 movement point.
• Entering Difficult Terrain: 2 movement points.
• Entering or Exiting Sunken Terrain: 2 movement points.
• Entering Obstacles: 2 movement points (Only Light Cover obstacles are passable).
• Entering a square occupied by an enemy figure: 2 movement points.

To check if a character is crossing one of these terrain types when entering or exiting a square, draw an imaginary line from the center of the square the character is moving from to the center of the square they are moving to. If this line crosses a highlighted edge, the character is considered to be entering (or exiting) that type of terrain and must pay the extra movement point cost.

Squares of a particular terrain type that are grouped together in a closed cluster of identical squares are considered to all have the same colored border. The reason only the squares that enclose the group have the colored border is aesthetic, but all of these squares are considered to be of that terrain type on all four sides.

Squares of a particular terrain type that are grouped together in an open cluster of similar squares (if at least one of the squares forming the cluster has an open side) only affect movement when the aforementioned imaginary line crosses one of these borders. If entering such a square through the open border, it will not incur an additional movement cost.

Attack Actions

This action is one of the main (if not the primary) elements of the game. Through this action, the Joes attempt to neutralize the rival forces, while the Cobra minions try to take the heroes out of action to complete their nefarious plans.

The sequence of an attack is as follows:

1. Declare the Weapon
2. Declare the Target 2.1. Check Line of Sight (LoS) 2.2. Check Cover 2.3. Create the Attack Dice Pool
3. Create the Defense Dice Pool 3.1. Activate Relevant Skills
4. Make the Roll 4.1. Check for Misfire 4.2. Subtract Block and Deviation results from the attack results.
5. Check Range, Spend Stars remaining.
6. Assign Damage

Let's now examine each of these steps in detail:

1. Declare the Weapon: The attacker decides which of their equipped weapons to use for the attack. This choice determines the base range, as well as the type and number of attack dice available.

2. Declare the Target: The attacker must declare an enemy figure within LoS. If there are no enemies in sight or if the attack cannot reach the target even with the best possible roll (each weapon shows the maximum number of stars it can achieve in a roll), the attack cannot be made. The only exception to this rule is area weapons, which can target empty spaces to place their template.

   Once LoS is established and the target is declared, check if the target has cover from the attack.

   The attacker gathers the dice indicated by their weapon, as well as any additional dice provided by skills or the mission during the attack. The attacker also adds any dice provided by tokens, such as Inspiration tokens.

3. Create the Defense Dice Pool: Based on their Cover and Defense, the target adds a number of defense dice. It is entirely possible and common for a poorly positioned target to have no defense dice at all. If there are any skills or mission effects that grant bonuses to defense, they are used now. This includes dice provided by tokens or other temporary modifiers.

4. Make the Roll: All available dice are rolled simultaneously (both Attack and Defense dice).

   Check for Misfire: if any defense die shows a Misfire result, the attack fails completely, and no star or hit can be used to gain additional effects.

   Then subtract Block and Deviation results from the attack results.

   Any Block results on the defense dice cancel out hits on the attack dice. If all hits are canceled, and there is no hit left, nor added by skill or effects, the attack ends here and fails. In that case stars cannot be used for additional effects either.

5. Check if the target is within the weapon's current range. Ranged weapons often have properties (activated with stars) that can extend range. If the target isn't within reach, activate these properties first to bring it within range. Otherwise (or if there aren't enough stars to reach), stars cannot be used to activate other weapon properties.

Neutralizing Units: When a Cobra unit takes damage equal to its Vitality, it is neutralized and its miniature removed from the board, no longer in play, though it may be reused to represent another character of the same type if more spawn on the map. If a G.I. Joe character takes damage equal to its Vitality, they become Wounded. They can remain in play but likely won't last long, and their combat effectiveness is reduced. If they were already Wounded and again take damage equal to their Vitality, they are neutralized and removed from the game.

Interact Actions

Using one of their activation actions, a character can interact with elements on the board to achieve various effects.

• Tokens: The character can interact with a Supply Token, searching it to gain the benefits of its contents (see the Advanced Rules section for more details). Also some missions need the Joes to interact with other tokens.
• Mission Markers or Numeric Tokens: The character can interact with a Mission Marker or Numeric Token that has a specific effect related to the current mission (the mission's rules detail how to resolve this interaction).
• Opening a Door: To open a closed door, the character must be adjacent to it and spend an interaction action. Unless the scenario states otherwise, once a door is opened, it cannot be closed again.

Interaction Actions are unique because they're the only actions that can be performed mid-Movement. Other actions can only happen once a Movement Action is fully completed. With Interaction Actions, however, a character can spend part of their MP, perform an Interaction Action, and then resume moving with any remaining MP.

Weapons with the property Quick Draw also allow to perform an attack in the middle of another action.

Cobra characters usually do not perform this type of action unless the mission specifies otherwise.

Doors: Closed doors are considered impassable terrain for all purposes (line of sight, movement, etc.). Once opened, they are treated as normal passable terrain. The door piece is removed, but the base remains to indicate that the wall section now represents an opening through which line of sight and movement are possible.

Rest / Heal Actions

During the mission, characters can take a moment to patch up their wounds, catch their breath, perform damage control, reload their weapons, and prepare to continue the fight. Joe characters can spend a Rest Action to recover either Vitality or Heroic Resolve. When performing a Rest Action, G.I. Joe characters choose to:

• Roll Muscle: Discard one damage token for each hit rolled, and an additional damage token for every two stars rolled.
• Roll Expertise: Discard one Heroic Resolve token for each hit rolled, and an additional Heroic Resolve token for every two stars rolled.

Cobra characters perform Heal actions; their effects and dice are explained in the Cobra Activation section later.

Special Actions

There are two types of Special Actions: Special Actions are abilities preceded by a Special Action symbol on character sheets or certain Loadout Cards, indicating they require a Special Action to activate. These actions tend to be powerful, which is why they cost a Special Action.

Additionally, some missions may require characters to perform Special Actions to achieve specific objectives or benefits.

Ranged, Melee and Area Weapons & Attacks

To perform an attack, you need to use a weapon. Both G.I. Joe and Cobra characters have slots on their character sheets where they can equip up to two weapons. G.I. Joe characters can choose which weapons to equip from those available to them, while Cobra characters are equipped according to the mission's requirements. In campaign mode, G.I. Joe characters can unlock additional slots for upgrades as they gain ranks, but in any case, only one weapon can be used per attack action.

Weapons can be of three types, indicated by the symbols for Ranged, Melee or Area.

Melee Weapons

The use of these weapons is similar to the general rules for attacks, with the following exceptions:

• They can only be used against adjacent enemies.
• For all other considerations, melee weapons ignore range, so there is no minimum distance to reach (leaving them with more stars available to activate additional effects).
• Melee weapons do not require a minimum of 1 hit to continue the attack. Therefore, even if the attack results in 0 hits, you can still spend stars on additional effects, including damage, unlike with ranged weapons.

Ranged Weapons

All ranged weapons have a Base Range, which is the minimum distance the weapon will reach. This range can be extended using stars with the weapon properties. The combination of Base Range and Range Increased during an attack determines how far the shot can travel. Each weapon card indicates the maximum number of hits and stars the weapon can achieve, allowing you to easily calculate the maximum range of that weapon.

Ranged weapons follow the previously explained general rules with one exception:

• Point-Blank Shots: When used against adjacent enemies, the weapon's Base Range is reduced to 0 and you must achieve at least Range 1 using stars to hit (after deducting the Block and Deviation results in the defense dice); otherwise, the attack fails and can't use stars to activate other properties. This simulates the target deflecting or dodging the weapon's barrel, avoiding the close-range shot completely.

Weapons and Effects Using Area Templates

Some weapons and effects use area templates: Small, Large, or Directional. These templates must always have a central square to target. The area template is centered on that square, which is marked on one side of the template for ease of use. All squares covered by the template are affected by the attack.

• Fully Covered Squares: Squares that are fully covered by the template receive the full effect of the attack. All fully covered squares are affected equally.
• Partially Covered Squares: Squares that are only partially covered receive a partial effect of the attack. A character taking partial effect receives only half the damage, along with any effects that can be activated with half the stars (both rounded up).
• Template Markings: The templates are designed with darker colors for fully covered squares and lighter colors for partially covered squares to avoid confusion.

Some weapons and effects, like B.A.T.s' self-destruction, Scarlett's Explosive Arrows or Cobra Flamethrower, always use Area Templates. Other weapons using templates only apply the area if a specific property is triggered. If not, the damage and effects are limited to the targeted square. For example, a RDT 7 Assault Rifle only affects the target square if the Area property is activated.

The general rules for Area Templates are:

• Ignoring Cover: When an area effect is applied the attack ignores cover of the affected targets completely.
• Defense Dice: No defense dice are rolled; instead, reduce the final damage by 1 for each defense die the target has. This damage is deducted after halving the total for partially affected characters.
• No LoS Penalties: Allies, Enemies and Tokens don't block Line of Sight or penalize the attack.
• Equal Damage: All equally affected figures (totally or partially affected) take the same damage. Area weapons make only one attack roll for all the attack.
• Friendly Fire: Friends and foes alike are affected by the attack. If a weapon property is activated with stars, it applies to all characters within the template area. Partially covered spaces are only affected by properties activated with half the stars (rounded up).
• Measuring Range: Measure the range to the square where the template is centered. If it's out of range, the attack fails.
• Targeting Empty Squares: You can target empty squares with area weapons to hit nearby enemies. LoS rules apply the same as with occupied squares.

The only barrier that can prevent miniatures covered by a template from being affected by the attack is an unbroken line of impassable terrain crossing the template entirely. If the line is not continuous, the attack impacts all covered spaces as usual.

A Special Case: Directional Area Template

Directional area attacks, such as flamethrowers, are positioned on the board in a unique way. The narrow end of the template is placed at the center of one side or the corner of the origin square, and the central axis must align with the opposite point of the origin square. The affected squares vary, as this template has a more irregular shape compared to others. A diagram in the printed rulebook shows which squares are fully affected (dark red) and which are partially affected (yellow) by directional area attacks.

Using Directional Area Templates: Directional area attacks can be placed in 8 possible positions around the origin square (shown in a diagram in the printed rulebook).

Cobra Characters and Area Weapons

Cobra characters, when acting automatically, choose targets for their area attacks as follows:

1. For Small and Large Area attacks, they select their target as usual, activating the areas regardless of potential friendly fire. Cobra characters never target empty squares with these attacks.
2. For Directional Area attacks, they position the area template to fully cover their designated target, or at least partially if full coverage isn't possible. They do not concern themselves with damaging their own allies.

As demonstrated, Cobra's ruthless tactics use these weapons in an especially destructive and aggressive manner to achieve their objectives.

Damaging and Neutralizing Characters

When a character takes damage, they receive the corresponding number of damage tokens. If the total damage equals or exceeds their Vitality, G.I. Joe characters become Wounded, and Cobra characters (or Wounded Joes) are Neutralized. Before a figure transitions to Wounded or becomes neutralized, apply all damage tokens, including those that exceed their Vitality. This is important because, for Joes that become Wounded, any excess damage transfers to their new state. For some Cobra characters (such as Major Bludd), there may be a chance to remove damage before being fully neutralized.

Neutralized characters are removed from the board. While their miniatures may re-enter the game later, they do not retain any of their previous elements, states, or tokens. They effectively become a new instance of the same character (except in the case of Major Bludd, whose ability removes damage tokens just before full neutralization).

Activation

Activating G.I. Joe Heroes

During their activation, a G.I. Joe character receives two activation actions. The actions a character can perform are of various types:

• Move
• Attack
• Interact
• Rest
• Special Action

By default each action type may only be performed once per activation; certain traits allow a character to repeat some kind of activations a second time. Also any character can use Heroic Effort to repeat any kind of action type; each type of action can only be repeated once per Activation Turn.

After ending his Activation Turn a character or unit gets an Activation Token to remember he can't get another Activation Turn until the next Round. This includes Token Characters.

Activating Cobra Characters

In this section, we explain how to activate Cobra forces. Players perform their movements and roll the dice for them, but their decisions are automated by a deck of Cobra Activation Cards (CAC) that give them Activation Orders. Cobra units can be individual Villains or groups of identical units called Squads. Each has its own character sheet and CAC Deck of 7 cards.

When it's the turn of Cobra forces they activate the unit with the highest Aggro that still has unactivated figures. This unit could be a single Villain or a Squad. For Squads, activate each figure in order of proximity to the Joe with the highest Aggro (closest first). If multiple Squad figures are equidistant, players choose which figure activates first.

To activate a Cobra unit, reveal the top card from that unit's Cobra Activation Card (CAC) Deck. The CAC on this card shows the actions that each unit member must perform. Each figure in a Squad (without an Activation token) must complete all the actions on the CAC before the next figure in the Squad is activated.

Cobra Activation Cards (CAC)

Cobra Activation Cards bring Cobra characters to life. Each Cobra unit has its own Activation Deck with 7 cards, all working the same way:

• Each line of icons shows a separate Activation Order. Complete all Activation Actions for each unit member in the order they appear. Once all performable orders in the CAC are completed, that figure's Activation ends, and you proceed to the next figure.
• Always follow the orders from top to bottom.
• If an order can't be completed (like moving when immobilized or attacking with no enemies in sight), skip it and move to the next order.
• If at any point you've used all the CAC cards, shuffle the full deck of 7 cards and place it back, ready for a new CAC draw.

Cobra characters make decisions based on a priority system. While players are responsible for moving the figures on the board and rolling dice, the decisions are guided by the priorities defined for each action. In the following sections, we explain the specifics of each Cobra Activation Order Type, but the general principle remains the same for all:

• First: the character aims to achieve the objective specified by the Cobra Activation Order.
• Second: they attempt to do so while gaining the best possible cover against the highest number of visible enemies.
• Third: if possible, they also try to position themselves in such a way that enemies have the worst possible cover against them.

This situation rarely occurs, but if conditions arise where a specific action presents a deadlock and the automaton cannot decide between two equal options, the players choose. They should aim to select the option that most harms the G.I. Joe characters.

As a reminder, when a Cobra character needs to choose between targets with tied criteria (such as Distance or Damage Tokens), they always select the one with the highest Aggro.

Cobra Activation Card Icons

While the iconography may seem complex at first, players quickly become familiar with it as they play the game. Additionally, there are summary tables that explain the meaning of each symbol.

Basic Orders Icons

• Movement Activation Order
• Attack Activation Order
• Inspiration Activation Order
• Disorient Activation Order
• Hold Activation Order
• Heal Activation Order

Target Icons

• Self
• One Ally at X Range
• One Ally no Range Limit
• Target: All Allies at X Range
• Target: All Allies no Range Limit
• Closest Enemy
• Enemy in LoS with Lowest Cover
• Enemy in LoS with most Damage
• Enemy in LoS with less Damage
• Melee Range to the Closest Enemy
• Path to Mission Objectives
• Closest Square without LoS against Enemies
• All enemies in LoS
• All enemies in LoS at X Range

Cobra Activation Orders

Each Cobra Activation Order consists of two icons: the first indicates the type of activation (Movement, Attack, etc.), while the second icon specifies the target of that activation action (which square to move to, which enemy to attack, etc.).

Cobra Movement Orders

Cobra characters use Movement Points (MP) in the same way as Joe characters. They have a base amount of MP provided by their Movement stat, as well as from other in-game effects. The Movement Order itself may add or subtract MP for that activation. In such cases, the icon is preceded by a numerical modifier (+1, +2, -1).

The order is always followed by a target, which determines where the Cobra character tries to move.

When performing a movement with a Cobra character they always choose the shorter path to reach their movement objective. Getting as close as possible to the specified target with their current MP is their main priority for the action.

When a Cobra character executes a movement, the players move it according to the following decision-making criteria:

1. First, it aims to get as close as possible to the target of its movement (an enemy, a better cover, a square to block objectives, etc.).
2. Among the possible spaces, it seeks the one that provides the best cover. If there are multiple options that provide equal cover, it chooses the one that offers the best protection against the greatest number of visible enemies.
3. Among spaces with equal cover, choose the one that offers the clearest Line of Sight (LoS) to the enemy. The clearest LoS is the one that offers less Cover to the enemy.
4. If possible, it tries to stay as close as possible to the Base Range of its Primary Weapon (this movement might involve moving closer to or farther from the enemies).

Let's see how it works for each type of Movement Order:

SEARCH FOR A TARGET

The objective of this Movement Order is to move to the square closest to where the figure can establish Line of Sight (LoS) with the specified target enemy.

Among all reachable spaces, the activated figure tries to move to:

• The nearest enemy with whom LoS can be established.
• The enemy with the most Damage Tokens in LoS.
• The enemy with the fewest Damage Tokens in LoS.

If the figure cannot reach a space where it can establish LoS with the target enemy (e.g., no enemy is in LoS), it moves as close as possible to the nearest space from which it could potentially better fulfill the order in a future turn.

Priority of Cobra Search for Target Actions:

1. Move closer to the target of the Movement Action.
2. While doing so, seek the best cover against the target.
3. Among spaces with equal cover, choose the one that offers the clearest Line of Sight (LoS) to the enemy.
4. If there are still equal options, try to stay as close as possible to the Base Range of the Primary Weapon.

When referring to the best possible cover, from best to worst:

• 1st: Establish LoS while ensuring others do not have LoS to you is the best possible cover.
• 2nd: Heavy Cover.
• 3rd: Light Cover.

TAKE COVER

The purpose of this Activation Order is to move toward cover, prioritizing own protection over maintaining a clear line of fire against an enemy. Among all the spaces the figure can reach, it seeks those that improve its current cover against enemies in LoS. The figure is not retreating but rather seeking better cover, so it may move farther from enemies without losing LoS. If the character can't reach any space that improves its cover it follows the general rules for movement actions:

1. If cover can't be improved, choose the one that offers the clearest Line of Sight (LoS) to the enemy.
2. If there are still equal options, try to stay as close as possible to the Base Range of the Primary Weapon.

With this movement, the character never ends in a space with less cover than where they started, even if it means not moving at all.

Priority of Cobra Take Cover Actions:

1. Move to improve your cover against as many enemies as possible.
2. Among spaces with equal cover, choose the one that offers the clearest Line of Sight (LoS) to the enemy.
3. If there are still equal options, try to stay as close as possible to the Base Range of the Primary Weapon.

PUSH FORWARD

This Activation Order aims to close the distance to the enemy as much as possible, pressuring them and, if possible, engaging in close combat. From all the spaces the figure can reach with its movement:

1. It seeks spaces that bring it as close as possible to the nearest enemy, ideally ending up adjacent to them.
2. If possible, when it finishes moving, it ends up in the square that provides the best cover against the most enemies.
3. If it can't get adjacent to its target, it tries to have the clearest Line of Sight (LoS) to it.

Priority of Cobra Push Forward Actions:

1. Move to the closest space to the nearest enemy.
2. If possible, when it finishes moving, it ends up in the square that provides the best cover against the most enemies.
3. If it can't get adjacent to its target, it tries to have the clearest Line of Sight (LoS) to it.

SEEK SAFETY

The goal of this order is to move out of the line of fire, if possible. If moving out of the line of fire isn't an option, the character should seek cover and move to a safer position. The Cobra character tries to reach:

1. Choose spaces where the fewest enemies can see the character. The goal is to avoid the line of sight (LoS) of as many Joes as possible.
2. Among these spaces, select the ones that are closest to the character's current position.
3. If it's not possible to avoid being seen by all enemies, pick spaces that offer the best cover against those who can still see the character.
4. If the character can't avoid LoS or only finds cover, focus on moving further away from the enemies.

Priority of Cobra Seek Safety Actions:

1. Move to avoid LoS of as many enemies as possible.
2. Choose the closest space to your current position.
3. If you can't avoid LoS, find the best cover available.
4. If you can't avoid LoS and only get cover, move as far away as possible.

TACTICAL REGROUP

The goal of this Activation Order is to position the character next to their allies, preparing for follow-up actions. From all the spaces the figure tries to reach:

1. The space next to the closest ally, even if it means losing Line of Sight (LoS) with enemies.
2. Among these spaces, choose the one with the best cover against the most enemies.
3. If several spaces offer the same cover, pick the one with the clearest LoS to the nearest Joe.
4. If options are still tied, select the space closest to the nearest Joe, even if LoS is not available.

Priority of Cobra Tactical Regroup Actions:

1. The space next to the closest ally.
2. Among these spaces, the one with the best cover against enemies.
3. Among these, the one with the clearer LoS to the closest enemy.

BLOCK THE OBJECTIVE

The objective of this order is to obstruct enemy access to Mission Objectives or to protect higher-ranking Cobra characters. From all the spaces the character can reach with its movement, it seeks to position itself to obstruct the enemy's movement as much as possible toward:

1. The closest token or square that the enemy side needs to reach to fulfil a mission objective. a. If the above is impossible, to any Cobra Villain character nearby. b. If the above is impossible, any closed door. c. If the above is impossible, any open door.
2. Among these spaces, it looks for the one that provides the best cover against the greatest number of enemies in sight.
3. From these spaces, it preferably chooses the one that establishes the clearest LoS with the nearest Joe.

Priority of Cobra Block the Objective Actions:

1. Move to obstruct access to Mission Objectives.
2. If that's not possible, move to obstruct the path to Cobra Villains.
3. If that's not possible, move to obstruct Doors.
4. If possible, seek the best cover available.
5. If possible, aim for the clearest Line of Sight (LoS).

Examples of Cobra Movement Orders (illustrated in the printed rulebook)

• In the first example, the Viper must choose Duke as the nearest Joe (because he is the one with higher Aggro). The Viper can't reach any space with LoS against Duke that provides him cover, so he chooses to move to a space where Duke has the lower cover against him and also he gets the highest possible cover against the most enemy Joes (in this case only against Snake-Eyes).
• In the second example, the Viper can't reach any space with LoS against any Joe that provides him cover, so he chooses to move to a space where the closest Joe has the lower cover against him (all reachable spaces provide the same cover: none, so all are equally valid to be chosen to move).
• In the third example, the first Viper to act cannot move to any square that provides cover from Snake-Eyes or Duke, so it moves while maintaining LoS as close as possible to the Weapon's Base Range (3). It ends up as close as possible to the Weapon's Base Range without reaching it.

Cobra Attack Orders

Whenever this order appears, the character performs an attack against the target indicated after the icon. If a Cobra character has more than one weapon, the first weapon listed in the mission is their Primary Weapon, while the other is their Secondary Weapon (usually a Melee weapon). The attack always uses the Primary Weapon unless:

1. The attacker is adjacent to the target and has a Melee weapon equipped, in which case they always use the melee weapon.
2. The Attack Order specifies to use the Secondary Weapon first (if able) with the following icon.
3. If a weapon can't reach the target at the current distance, the character tries to use another equipped weapon that could reach.
4. If the unit is required to use its Secondary Weapon and doesn't have one equipped, it makes the attack with the Primary Weapon.

It is also possible that various bonuses or effects are applied to the attack. In such cases, these are listed immediately below the Attack Order (the iconography is the same as that used for equipment cards). For example, a "+1" order adds +1 Range and also adds a Disoriented token to the target.

When the Attack Order selects a target but the weapon can't reach that target (even rolling the max possible), the attack is redirected to the next best target based on the same criteria. For example: if the directive is to "attack the enemy with the most damage" but that enemy is out of range, the character looks for the next enemy with the most damage, and so on, until they find a valid target. If multiple targets meet the same criteria, follow these tie-breaking rules in order: choose the one with the worst cover, then the one closer to the attacker, and finally the one with the highest Aggro, continuing down the list until a single target is chosen.

COBRA ATTACK TARGET PRIORITY

1. Designated Target Type: Prioritize the target type specified by the order.
2. Cover: If multiple targets match the type, choose the one with the least cover.
3. Proximity: If there's still a tie, select the target closest to you.
4. Aggro: If there's still a tie, attack the target with the highest Aggro.

ATTACK NEAREST TARGET

This is the most common attack order. The Cobra character makes an attack with their Primary Weapon against a target that is:

1. The enemy in Line of Sight (LoS) who is closest.
2. Among enemies at the same distance, the target is the one with the least cover.
3. Among enemies at the same distance and cover, the target is the one with the highest Aggro.

ATTACK LOWEST COVER TARGET

The Cobra character makes an attack with their Primary Weapon against a target that is:

1. The enemy in Line of Sight (LoS) with the worst cover.
2. Among enemies with the same poor cover, the target is the one who is closest.
3. Among enemies with the same poor cover and distance, the target is the one with the highest Aggro.

MOST/LESS DAMAGED TARGET

The Cobra character performs an attack with their Primary Weapon against a target that is:

1. The enemy in LoS with the highest/lowest number of damage counters (regardless of the remaining Vitality of the target).
2. Among enemies with the same amount of damage and at the same distance, the target is the one with the least cover.
3. Among enemies with the same number of damage counters, the target is the one at the shortest distance.
4. If there are still enemies that are equal in all conditions, the target is the one with the highest Aggro.

Other Cobra Orders

Some Cobra characters have special abilities that produce various effects. To determine the target of one of these abilities, the same icons used for attacks and movement are employed, although many of them target allied characters rather than enemies.

HEAL ORDERS

This order allows Cobra characters to remove damage tokens, similar to Joe characters' Rest Orders. The order includes an icon showing the target and the type and number of dice needed. Each hit result removes one damage token, and two star results remove an extra token.

If there are multiple potential targets, the priority is the following:

1. The nearest Cobra in LoS (including themselves) with the highest number of damage counters (regardless of the remaining Vitality of the target).
2. If no other ally meets the previous criteria, the character heals themselves.
3. Also if a Heal action heals all allies in a determined range, the character also heals himself.

BATTLE INSPIRATION ORDERS

This order places Inspiration counters on the target. If a number is over the icon it represents that multiple Inspiration counters are placed on the target.

If there are multiple potential targets, the priority is the following:

1. The Cobra (including themselves) within LoS with the lowest number of Inspiration tokens.
2. If no such ally is within LoS or range, the character inspires themselves.
3. If an Inspire action affects all allies within a specified range, the character also inspires themselves.

DISORIENTING TACTICS

This order places Disorientation tokens on the target. If a number is over the icon it represents that multiple Disorientation counters are placed on the target. To place Disorientation tokens on enemies the acting character needs LoS.

HOLD

This order places a Parry token on the target (usually himself).

Limited Amount of Token: Remember that the number of tokens a single character can have is limited. Most tokens are capped at a maximum of 3, while others (like Stun or Restrained tokens) are limited to just one. On the other hand, while the physical counters are limited, there is no real limit to the number of counters you can use unless specified otherwise. You can use other types of counters as substitutes until enough of the original ones become available again.

Unique Cobra Signature Abilities

Some Cobra units, especially the Villains who form the backbone of the organization, have extraordinary and fearsome abilities. These Signature Actions are represented on their Activation Cards (CAC) with unique icons for each unit. The specific effects of these Signature Abilities are detailed on the character sheet for the respective Cobra Villain.

For example, Cobra Officers can command their troops with remarkable authority, Firefly sets deadly traps with explosive precision, and Croc-Master can summon his terrifying pet reptiles. These unique abilities make these characters truly stand out, delivering a game experience full of unexpected and daunting surprises for their adversaries.

Loadout or Equipment Cards

G.I. Joe and Cobra characters use Loadout or Equipment Cards to represent their weapons, gear and customizable skills. A character without an equipped weapon cannot make attacks unless specified otherwise by the mission. G.I. Joe characters can choose their Loadout Cards, initially selecting two, and in campaign mode, they can unlock the ability to carry more upgrades into battle.

No matter how many weapons a character has equipped, they can only use one at a time. The ability to equip multiple weapons is intended to provide greater tactical adaptability (e.g., a short-range weapon and a long-range weapon, or a ranged weapon and a melee weapon). Some of these Loadout Cards do not represent objects but instead highlight exceptional training, defensive equipment, or even animal companions. These cards describe their effects in their own text. The rest follow a simple icon system indicating:

1. Weapon Name
2. Base Range (the minimum range in squares at which the weapon functions without activating special properties). An icon here also indicates whether the weapon is ranged, melee, or area-based.
3. Maximum number of hits and stars that can be obtained (likely, if you roll many hits, the number of stars will be lower, and vice versa).
4. Permanent weapon properties that are always active (e.g., Limited Ammo) but apply only once per attack.
5. Dice rolled to attack.
6. Weapon properties that can be activated to increase Range, Damage, or produce special effects during an attack.
7. Weapons have a TIER indicator for campaign mode.
8. Some Loadout Cards are exclusive to a specific character and can only be used by them, called Signature Cards. In such cases, the character's name is indicated at the bottom right.

Melee weapons have a base range of zero and can only be used against adjacent targets. Unlike ranged weapons, they do not require a minimum number of hits or stars to succeed and be able to activate special properties or do extra damage.

The main difference between Cobra and G.I. Joe weapons is as follows:

• G.I. Joe weapon properties can be activated by the player in any order and as many times as desired, provided they have the necessary stars and the attack has hit.
• Cobra weapon properties MUST be activated in order. They can be activated as many times as they can be paid for, but they must always be activated from top to bottom on the card. Once you reach the bottom, if stars are still unused, you must activate properties in that order until no stars or activable properties remain.

REMEMBER: Do not perform useless actions! A crucial rule in the game is that if an action does not change the game state in any way, it is ignored without being resolved. This is especially important for automated Cobra characters. For example, if a weapon increases the range of an attack, but the target is already within range, the increase is ignored. Similarly, if instructed to place a Disoriented token on a target that already has 3 tokens, this action is ignored. If an attack is ordered but the target is mathematically out of both base and extended range, the attack action is also ignored.

Weapon properties. Any property requiring more than 1 star to activate must be fully paid or it can't be activated. The most used Weapon Properties are:

• +X Range Increase: Activating this property increases the attack range by the specified amount.
• +X Damage Increase: Activating this property adds the indicated amount of damage to the attack. Note that this does not add to the hit result; it only increases the damage once the attack has hit. Ranged weapons that don't roll hits cannot apply this activation.

The remaining properties, along with their icons and effects, can be found in the Advanced Rules section.

Example of Cobra Weapon Activation: A Viper attacks from a range of 4 squares with his RD7 Assault Rifle. He rolls and obtains hits and stars. Since the target is 4 squares away, the first star property increases the range by +1 (the first listed property). The second would apply an Area Small effect (as RD7s often have an underslung grenade launcher), but since there are no adjacent targets to affect, this is skipped. The next line adds +1 damage, resulting in a total of 4 damage. If there are still stars left to spend, start reviewing the properties from the beginning. In this example, if increasing range or applying an area effect does not change the game state, those effects are ignored, and any additional stars would instead be used to add extra damage.

Advanced Rules

Stealth & Hidden

Hidden

At certain points during the game, characters can be Hidden. You can indicate this by placing a Hidden token next to the figure or on their card. When a G.I. Joe character is Hidden, they gain several advantages:

• A Hidden character is completely ignored by Cobra characters during activation.
  1. They are treated as if they are not there for the purposes of selecting targets for Cobra activation orders.
  2. They are also ignored when considering penalties for passing through their space or obstructing LoS.
• When making an attack from a Hidden position, the character adds +1 star to their attack.

Dense Smoke Allows to Hide: While Smoke tokens offer defense bonuses rather than traditional Cover, they are considered Cover for determining if a character remains hidden or can make a Stealth roll to hide. Remember: Smoke isn't Cover, but it allows characters to hide as if it were.

Some scenarios specify that all G.I. Joe characters start Hidden. Unless that is the case, characters can only become Hidden through special abilities that allow them to hide, and the following conditions must be met:

• The character must have cover from ALL visible enemies or have no line of sight to any enemy.
• The character could not be adjacent to any enemy.
• The character could not be carrying any Mission Marker or NPC token.

A character immediately loses their Hidden token if any of the following conditions are met:

• If the character fires a weapon and does not activate the Silent property.
• If the character fails a Stealth roll (see next section).
• The character ends any Activation Turn in LoS of an enemy and has no cover from that enemy (note that this refers to checking if a character remains Hidden at the end of an Activation Turn, not at the end of a single action).
• If another character ends their turn adjacent to a Hidden character, the Hidden character is revealed unless they are in terrain that fully hides them (such as Light Cover, Smoke, etc.).

Stealth Missions: In missions where all Joe characters start hidden, Cobra Characters do not activate until at least one Joe character has been revealed. No activation cards are drawn, and Cobra characters do not take activation turns while their enemies remain hidden. This applies only to scenarios where all G.I. Joe characters start hidden, not if all Joe characters become hidden in any other circumstance.

Stealth

A character with a Hidden token wants to keep it for as long as possible during the mission, so they make Stealth rolls. Also some missions require a Stealth check in different situations. Characters with a Hidden token make Stealth checks to keep their Hidden status at the end of their Activation (not at the end of each of their actions; that is, when they have completed all their actions for the Turn).

• A Hidden character who ends their Activation Turn at a distance where they could be spotted by one or more enemies (Enemy Perception +5 spaces).

The rules for performing Stealth Checks are as follows:

1. To remain hidden, the character must take a Perception token randomly and place it next to each enemy in LoS. The number on the token is added to that enemy's Perception value. The Hidden character then rolls the Stealth Skill check.
2. If the Perception value + token of any enemy in LoS is equal to or greater than the distance to the Joe + the successes rolled, they have been detected and are no longer hidden!
3. If it is less, the character remains hidden.
4. The hidden character only makes one Stealth Check roll and uses it against each enemy that could possibly detect him. He doesn't make a different roll for each one.
5. The enemies keep their perception token until the end of the round, using this value against multiple enemies in a turn if necessary.

• If the scenario requires a Stealth test in other circumstances, it specifies the difficulty of the roll and how many successes are needed for success.

Hidden Cobra Characters

Some Cobra characters can also become Hidden (such as Zartan or Firefly, for example). The Hidden rules apply to these characters as follows:

• Cobra characters do not make Stealth rolls; if an effect indicates they should become Hidden, they immediately do so.
• G.I. Joe characters do not have a Perception value to detect Hidden characters; therefore, Cobra characters are only revealed when:
  1. The character fires a weapon and does not activate the Silent property.
  2. The character ends their Activation Turn in LoS of any enemy and has no cover from that enemy.
  3. A G.I. Joe character ends their turn adjacent to a Hidden character; the Hidden character is revealed even if they are in terrain that fully hides them (such as Light Cover, Smoke, etc.).

Token Characters

Some tokens in the game represent individuals who are present but not significant enough to warrant their own miniatures. Examples include Croc Master's crocodiles, temporary allies that spawn during missions, hostages to be rescued, civilians, and similar entities. These tokens move like regular characters, and if they have attacks, they perform them as any other character would, with their stats being specified by the mission or the effect that creates them.

• Character tokens are not considered allies or enemies when using powers, effects, or Cobra Activation Cards.
• Character tokens have an Aggro value of zero, so they act last in Cobra Activation phases.
• They hinder movement for both Cobra and G.I. Joe, requiring an extra MP to pass through their spaces.
• Additionally, character tokens impair attacks in the same way as friendly or enemy figures that are in the LoS of another figure.
• When a token of this type spawns, it follows the same deployment rules as figures.
• If there's any uncertainty about the order or priority of actions for a token character, and the token's description provides no guidance, players may decide the order of priority as they see fit.
• When a token character acts (as described in the relevant mission), you must place an Activation Token on it to indicate that it has already acted, just like with regular characters.

Weapon Properties & Skill Effects

Below is a list of the various properties that can apply to characters' weapons and abilities. Some are represented by icons, usually indicating the application of the property, while others are displayed directly by their name in text.

• BLEED (1/2/3): Each time this effect is applied the target receives 1/2/3 Bleed tokens. These tokens damage the character over time at the beginning of their turn. If an effect tries to add a fourth bleed token to a target it deals 1 damage instead.
• BURN: Effects that cause Burn mark the target with a fire token. A character can only have one fire token at a time. At the start of their activation, a character marked with a fire token suffers 2 damage.
• DISORIENT: This effect represents a mix of physical and mental disorientation applied to the target; once activated put +X Disoriented counters on the target.
• INCAPACITATING: A weapon with this property prioritizes incapacitating the target over dealing severe damage. The target first receives Heroic Effort tokens instead of damage. If the target cannot receive more Heroic Effort tokens, they start taking damage. Each damage token added this way also adds a Disoriented token.
• INSPIRE: This effect represents morale, inner focus, leadership, or any other exploitable abstract tactical advantage. Once activated, place X Inspired tokens on the target of the effect.
• INJURY: This is one of the most potentially dangerous effects in the game, significantly harming a character for the remainder of the mission. When this effect is activated, place an Injury token on the target.
• MARK TARGET: This effect places a mark on the target, represented by a danger token, lasting until the end of the round. While marked, the target is considered to have Aggro of 99. Characters targeting the marked target get +1 to the base range of their weapons. At the end of the round, remove the Mark Target danger token.
• MOVE X: When a Move X ability is triggered (typically after an attack or action), the character that performed it may immediately take a Free Movement Action with the following specifics:

Character Status & Status Tokens

During the game, characters experience both positive and negative effects, many represented by tokens known as Status Tokens. These tokens cover a range of situations. This section outlines the rules governing these tokens, along with other various states that can affect a character.

A single figure can never have more than three tokens of the same type assigned. If an effect attempts to add a fourth token of the same type, that effect is ignored.

ACTIVATED: When a unit finishes its activation turn, an activation token is placed on its character sheet as a reminder that it has already been activated (for multi-figure Cobra Squads, you may place a single Activation Token on their character sheet once all figures have been activated. However, if you have enough tokens, it's better to place an Activation Token on each figure individually as soon as they act). Activated units cannot act again unless an effect removes the activation token or they are granted a free action. Some effects might require a figure to be activated in order to be executed.

(BURN) FIRE: Effects that cause Burn mark the target with a fire token. A character can only have one fire token at a time. At the start of their activation, a character marked with a fire token suffers 2 damage.

The G.I. Joe team may only remove a fire token by:

• The character must use a Special Action and Drop Prone, rolling on the ground to extinguish the flames.
• The character must enter a square of Sunken Terrain that represents water (for example, J04 or G03 contain such squares).
• An adjacent character can use a Special Action to remove a fire token from an ally.

The Cobra team may only remove a fire token if:

• The burning character or any ally performs a Heal action on them.
• The character enters a square of Sunken Terrain that represents water (for example, J04 or G03 contain such squares).

FREE AMMO: Weapons with the Limited Ammo property have a limited number of uses, represented by ammo tokens. When the Free Ammo property is activated after using one of these weapons, the ammo token is not removed. This does not allow use of a weapon that has already run out of ammo.

BLEEDING (1/2/3): Some effects and weapons cause Bleeding. Each time a character suffers a Bleeding effect, 1/2/3 Bleeding tokens are placed on them. At the START of their activation, they suffer one damage for each Bleeding token they have, and then remove one Bleeding token. For example, if they have 3 Bleeding tokens, they take three damage at the start of their next activation and then remove one Bleeding token. The next turn, they take two damage and remove another token, and so on.

DISORIENTED: This condition represents a mix of physical and mental disorientation, which can be caused by a significant impact, an unexpected injury, or an overwhelming situation. A disoriented character has difficulty concentrating and coordinating, affecting both their movement and combat effectiveness. A character with one or more Disoriented tokens applies the following effects:

• Any roll they make suffers a -1 star penalty to their total result.
• Their defense rolls suffer a -1 deviation penalty to the total result.
• The Movement Point (MP) cost for moving through terrain other than normal is increased by +1.
• At the end of the character's Activation Turn remove one Disoriented token from it.
• Before each activation, a G.I. Joe character can spend 1 Heroic Effort to remove one Disoriented token from themselves.

HIDDEN: At certain points during the game, characters can be Hidden. You can indicate this by placing a Hidden token next to the figure or on their card. When a G.I. Joe character is Hidden, they gain several advantages:

• A Hidden character is completely ignored by enemy characters during activation.
  1. They are treated as if they are not there for the purposes of selecting targets for activation.
  2. They are also ignored when considering movement penalties for passing through their space or obstructing LoS.
• When making an attack from a Hidden position, the character adds +1 star to their attack.

INSPIRED: Some effects and weapons may raise the morale or cause a character to focus, improving their combat capabilities; a character in this condition is considered Inspired. When an effect indicates that a character should be inspired, assign them an inspiration token. Characters with one or more inspiration tokens gain the following benefits:

• The next attack they make adds one extra attack die (the yellow die icon in the printed rulebook), then remove one inspiration token from the character.
• The next attack made against them suffers a penalty of one additional defense die (shield icon in the printed rulebook), then remove one inspiration token from the character.

INJURED: This state is acquired through the effects of certain weapons and abilities. It implies physical damage that does not render the character out of combat but consistently hinders them. The more injuries a character accumulates, the worse their condition becomes. The following effects are cumulative:

• A character with one Injury token subtracts one deviation and a star total from their rolls.
• A character with two Injury tokens also subtracts one block total from their rolls and 1 MP on each movement action.
• A third Injury token on a G.I. Joe makes the character get Wounded, just like taking damage up to his Vitality. After that, remove all Injury tokens this character had.
• A third Injury token on a Cobra character neutralizes them, just like taking damage up to his Vitality.

Only certain game effects can remove an Injury token; they do not naturally go away until the mission is complete.

PARRY: Some effects and weapons may allow a character to be especially prepared to deflect point-blank attacks and defend against melee attacks. When an effect or weapon activates Parry, the character gains a Parry token that lasts until the start of their next activation. While a character has a Parry token, they receive the following benefits:

• When an enemy attacks them from an adjacent space, add one defense die (the dark rounded-square die icon in the printed rulebook) to their defense.

At the Start of their next Activation Turn remove a Parry token from that character.

PRONE: This status implies that an enemy is knocked down. Lay the figure down to indicate it is knocked down. The figure remains knocked down until it expends 2 MP to get up during a movement action.

• The base range of all weapons for a knocked-down figure is reduced by 2 (it can still be increased with stars as usual).
• Enemies attacking a prone character from a distance of 2+ spaces suffer a deviation penalty.
• Enemies adjacent to a prone character from an adjacent square gain a star bonus on their attack and a block on their defense vs them. (Printed as shown; the icons are the star and block icons.)

A knocked-down figure cannot be knocked down again, so it ignores any further attempts to impose this condition while prone.

RESTRAINED: Some effects add a Restrained token to a figure. This implies a temporary hindrance to their movement, such as a binding, snare, or localized blow. A character can only have one Restrained token at a time. The effects are:

• A character with a Restrained token cannot perform movement actions.
• They also cannot perform movement actions to stand up if they are prone.

At the End of their next Activation Turn remove a Restrained token from a character.

STUNNED: Some weapons and effects can cause a momentary stun to a character, represented by a Stunned token. The effects of a Stunned token are as follows:

• A Cobra character with a Stunned token can only perform the last performable line of his CAC. If not able to perform that line, they attempt the next action in ascending order. Their turn ends after performing an action.
• A Joe character with a Stunned token can only perform one action per turn (ignore effects that grant additional actions).
• At the end of an activation turn in which the character performed only one action, remove one Stunned token.

A character can't have more than 1 Stun token at a time; if any effect adds a second Stun token it adds a Disoriented token instead.

WOUNDED: This is the most severe state a Joe can reach while still in play. When a Joe is Wounded, they lose their primary skills, cannot Rest, and cannot be Wounded again. The complete rules for this status are:

• When a character is Wounded, flip their character sheet and discard all tokens on that character (except Activation tokens and any Damage tokens exceeding their Vitality).
• A Wounded character cannot use any skills listed on their character sheet. Some stats may change, and new skills (highlighted in red) may become available.
• A Wounded character cannot perform regular Rest Actions. They can still be healed with other game effects or perform Free Rest Actions if an effect allows them to do so.
• If a Wounded character takes damage equal to or exceeding their Vitality, they are Neutralized, and their miniature is removed from play. That Joe cannot participate or be considered part of the mission until it ends.

Non-Status Game Tokens

AMMO TOKENS: Some items have a limited number of uses, indicated by the Limited Ammo X property. At the start of a game, place Ammo Tokens on the weapon equal to the number specified by X. Once these tokens are depleted, the weapon's limited use properties cannot be used again during the mission. The Free Ammo property allows such a weapon to fire without removing an Ammo token.

SMOKE TOKENS: Smoke Tokens are placed on the terrain by certain scenario effects and abilities. When a smoke token is placed on a space, that space is considered to have the Obscured terrain type in addition to any other terrain type it might have along all its edges. A space with the Obscured terrain type:

• Has no effect on movement.
• Adds a Vision Impaired die to the defense normally provided by the space.
• Although Smoke tokens provide defense bonuses rather than Cover, they allow characters to be Hidden or remain Hidden as if they provided Cover.
• At the start of each Round players remove two smoke tokens of their choice if there is no adjacent fire (unless the scenario specifies otherwise).

(Transcriber's note: the die icon in the "Adds a ... die" line is an image in the printed rulebook; it is rendered as the Vision Impaired die, which the Defense Dice section and the Obscured Vision die in the component list indicate.)

DAMAGE TOKENS & VITALITY: Each character can endure a limited amount of physical damage, determined by their Vitality value. When a character takes damage, Damage Counters are placed on them according to the amount of damage received. If the total Damage Counters equal the character's Vitality and the character is a G.I. Joe, they become Wounded. If the character is already Wounded or is a Cobra character, they are neutralized and must be removed from the board.

HEROIC EFFORT TOKENS & HEROIC RESOLVE: Heroic Resolve reflects the G.I. Joe soldiers' heroic nature and training, allowing them to overcome adversity, perform extraordinary feats, and make crucial moves in critical moments. Each time they use their Heroic Resolve, they gain a Heroic Effort (HE) token. Once the number of HE tokens equals the character's Heroic Resolve, they cannot perform additional Heroic Efforts until they rest.

(AMBIENT) FIRE TOKENS: Previously referred to as Burn tokens, these tokens may also be used to mark empty spaces or terrain obstacles according to different scenarios or character rules. Fire tokens represent Difficult Terrain. In addition to the movement penalty, any character moving through a square with a Fire token immediately receives 2 damage tokens. Cobra characters avoid moving over Fire Tokens as if they were impassable terrain, but this only applies to movement, not to attacking.

DANGER TOKENS: Danger Tokens can represent various effects, from explosives to dangerous creatures like crocodiles. Their specific rules and what they represent are defined by the scenario or effect that places them in play.

MISSION MARKERS: Mission Markers can indicate various elements necessary for completing mission objectives. The scenario or effect that places them in play specifies their rules and purpose. Typically, an Interaction Action is required to utilize these markers.

NUMERIC TOKENS: Represent various elements and are not always negative. They are numbered to differentiate between them as required by the scenario. They may be used to mark specific elements on the board or placed face down to hide their number. The mission specifies how to use them, their effects, and their purpose.

NPC TOKENS: These tokens represent civilians or non-combatant military personnel in the scenario. One side of the token displays a generic figure, while the other side is specific: 4 Scientists, 3 Politicians or VIPs (ambassadors, well-dressed individuals), 2 Executives (suit and briefcase), and 3 Technicians or Workers. The mission details their usage, effects, and purpose.

SUPPLIES TOKENS: Supplies tokens appear in missions and represent consumables or items needed for daily operations, such as food, ammo, medicine, and tools. The contents of these tokens remain hidden until a Joe interacts with them, flipping the token to reveal its type. Each token has an icon indicating the type of supplies.

• Loadout/Equipment: A character who finds this valuable resource immediately unlocks their next Signature Loadout Card of the next Tier. Joes start with three Signature Cards at Tier 0, followed by one each at Tiers 1, 2, and 3. Not only can the character equip this newly unlocked Signature Loadout Card in future missions, but they can also begin using it immediately in the current mission; this is the only way to exceed the equipped item limit during a mission.
• Medical Kit: Allows the Joe who obtains it to use it immediately as part of the Interaction Action, discarding 2 Damage tokens or two Heroic Effort tokens. He can also keep it on his character sheet and later use it on himself or an adjacent ally to discard 4 Damage tokens or 4 Heroic Effort tokens, but using a Special Action to do so. In any case discard the Supply token after use.
• Valuables: These resources can represent useful Intel on the enemy, resources usable against Cobra, tactical experience and insight into the current mission or future missions. The Joe who interacts with this Supply token keeps it on his character sheet. If the mission is successful and the Joe has not been neutralised or wounded after taking the token he gets +3 Performance (this non-status token is discarded if the character is wounded or neutralized). If playing in skirmish mode this token is discarded with no effect when revealed.

PERCEPTION TOKENS: These tokens are used to determine if a hidden character remains hidden or is discovered. One side has the "Perception" icon, and the other side has a number next to the icon. This number is added to the Cobra character's Perception value to determine if they detect the hidden Joes, as described in the Stealth section. The available tokens are: 2x Perception +2; 3x Perception +3; 2x Perception +4; 2x Perception +5; 1x Blank.

Once a Perception Token is revealed for a figure, that figure keeps it until the end of the round, representing its perception bonus for the round. This determines that by default, the maximum distance at which a hidden character can be perceived is the observer's Perception +5.

In scenarios where all characters start hidden, place one of these tokens selected at random face down on each enemy deployed on the map. In other situations involving stealth and perception, draw one of these tokens at random to determine the enemies' perception when needed.

VS TOKEN: Usually at the start of each round, the VS Advantage Token (VAT) is tossed. This toss is a Versus Token toss or VST. The result of the VST determines the Tide of Battle for that entire round, indicating which side currently holds the upper hand. The advantages conferred by having the Tide of Battle in your favor are specified on character sheets and may also be detailed in the mission description. As a reminder of which side has the Tide of Battle, this token is kept nearby, exerting greater pressure on their adversaries.

VARIABLE OBSTACLES AND COVER TOKENS: In addition to the obstacles permanently drawn on the tiles, some additional movable obstacles are needed to complete the scenario. These obstacles can be placed or removed based on circumstances during the missions. Once placed on the board, they function like any other obstacle of the same terrain type, except that some rules may allow them to be removed.

Area of Effect Templates

Some game effects impact multiple squares at once, covering a larger area rather than targeting a single square or a specific burst of bullets. To use such effects, select a "target square" and align the template so that the square marked as the central square on the template fits exactly over a board square. All squares covered by the template are affected:

• Fully covered squares receive the full effect.
• Partially covered squares are affected partially (typically taking half the damage).

The template's front side highlights the squares that are fully affected.

Conclusion

With these rules, you have everything you need to jump into the game. At first, you may need to check the reference sheets or refer back to the manual now and then, but soon enough, you'll have it all down pat, and the games will become faster and more thrilling. The key thing is, you already know how to play, and remember, KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE!

Icon Glossary & Reference

• Dice: Red, Blue, Green and Yellow Attack Dice; Light Cover Die; Heavy Cover Die; Light Defense Die; Heavy Defense Die; Obscured Vision Die.
• Hit: 1 hit = 1 damage. In skill, stealth, or rest rolls, 1 hit = 1 success.
• Star (good aim): In skill, stealth and rest rolls, 2 stars = 1 success.
• Block (failed hit): In the attack roll, each Block cancels out one hit.
• Deviation (bad aim): Each Deviation cancels out one star.
• Misfire: Unsuccessful attack.
• General Game Icons: Heroic Effort; Instant activation; Special Action; Vitality.
• Area Template Icons: Small / Large / Directional.
• Loadout Card Icons: Base Range; Melee; Ranged.
• Weapon Properties & Status Icons: Limited Ammo; Free Ammo; Bleed 1 / Bleed 2 / Bleed 3; Burn; Disorient; Injury; Inspired; Parry; Restrain.
• Cobra Activation Card Icons (Basic Orders): Movement; Attack; Inspiration; Disorient; Hold; Heal.
• Movement Orders: Search for a Target; Take Cover; Push Forward; Tactical Regroup; Seek Safety; Block the Objective.

CAC Actions Priorities

The reference page repeats the priority lists for Cobra Search for Target, Take Cover, Push Forward, Seek Safety, Tactical Regroup and Block the Objective actions, and the Cobra Attack Target Priority, exactly as transcribed in the Cobra Movement Orders and Cobra Attack Orders sections above.