Judean Hammer Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Setup
• Overview
  • Components
• Goal of the Game
• Sequence of Play
• Cards
• Recruiting
• Movement
• Battles
  • Casualty Chart
  • Battle Example
• Ambushes
• Check Supply
• Score Regions
• End of the Game
• Glossary
• Designer Notes
• Quick Reference
  • Recruiting
  • Movement
  • Sequence of Play

Setup

1. Place 1 cube for each faction icon on the map. These are your units. (The Greek player uses the purple cubes and the Greek faction symbol; the Maccabean player uses the green cubes and the Maccabean faction symbol.)
2. Place 1 cube for each faction icon on the victory point track.
3. Follow the sequence of play. First turn the Maccabean player is the starting player.

Place the card mat between the players. The remaining cubes make up each player's stockpile and are used for future recruiting.

Overview

In each round players draw 4 cards each. The player behind in points chooses who is the first player for the round, then players alternate playing 1 card until both players have no cards left. Unit supply is checked and regions are scored based on how many cities each player controls. The game ends when a player reaches 12 victory points or when only 12 or fewer cards remain in the deck and discard piles.

Components

• Map
• 30 Green Cubes (Maccabean units)
• 30 Purple Cubes (Greek units)
• 2 Dice
• 26 Cards
• Card mat
• Rules

Goal of the Game

Have the most victory points at the end of the game by controlling the most cities in the 6 regions.

Sequence of Play

Each round is made up of 5 phases played in this order.

1. Each player draws 4 cards.

2. Select Starting Player. The player with the fewest victory points decides who is the starting player for the round. If the scores are tied, the Maccabean player decides who goes first.

3. Take Turns Playing 1 Card. On your turn, you must play 1 card from your hand. When you play a card you choose to use it for either its operations points (OPs) or for its event. If you play the card for OPs place it in the discard pile after use. If played for the event, the card is removed from the game. You may only play a card event if that card shows your faction icon.

   Important: If you play a card for OPs and the event belongs to the other player, they can play the event, even though it is still your turn! They do this after you have finished using your OPs value. As usual, after they play the event on the card, the card is removed (or "burned") from the game. Now it is their turn to play 1 of their cards.

   A card played for its OPs value can be used for either recruitment or movement, which are explained below.

   Each player takes turns playing 1 card until both players have played all 4 of their cards.

   Important: At the end of the round AND when you run out of cards in the draw deck, shuffle both discard piles into a new draw deck. Remember, cards played for their events are removed from the game and are never shuffled back into the draw deck.

4. Check Supply. First reduce all areas down to just 3 units. Then the Greek player checks to see if each of their controlled areas can trace supply back to a Greek Supply Center, otherwise remove 1 unit from each area out of supply (see Check Supply below).

5. Score regions. Score 1 point for each region you control. Then shuffle the discards back into the draw pile. If a player has 12 or more victory points, or the draw pile has 12 or fewer cards, the game ends.

Cards

Each card shows: the Operation Points (OPs) value; a Faction Icon (which faction the card belongs to, e.g. the Maccabean faction); event text in the center; a Combat Modifier at the bottom left; and a Card Identifier.

Cards with Green and Purple banners have events that help their faction.

Orange bannered cards can be considered sacrifice cards. If you play the event you hurt your faction on the map, but also take a strong Combat Modifier for your opponent from the deck!

Recruiting

The Maccabeans have 3 options for recruiting units.

1. Recruit units equal to the OPs value in empty or Maccabean controlled cities in regions not controlled by the Greeks (regions in which the Greeks do not have the most controlled cities).
2. Recruit units equal to the OPs value -1 in a single empty or Maccabean controlled city in a Greek controlled region.
3. Recruit units equal to the OPs value -1 in a single empty wilderness area.

The Greeks always recruit units equal to the OPs value and can split this value across any of the following locations:

1. Greek Supply Centers
2. Greek controlled cities
3. Areas adjacent to Greek controlled cities in Greek controlled regions (with no Maccabean units in it). Greek units must always be recruited into Greek controlled regions

When the Greek player recruits units, the areas these units are placed in must be in supply. This means they can trace a path along roads from the area to a Greek Supply Center without passing through Maccabean units.

Important: If you run out of units in your stockpile you cannot place any more.

Movement

• You can move a number of units up to the OPs value +1.
• Units must move along roads.
• If units move into an area containing enemy units they must stop. After all units have completed movement and any ambush is resolved (see below), a battle occurs in every space with opposing units.
• Units moving into a space are considered a group if an ambush occurs.

The Maccabeans can move each unit up to 3 areas but cannot move into Greek Supply Centers (marked by a purple road). The Greeks can move each unit up to 2 areas.

Maccabeans can conduct an ambush against the Greeks during Greek movement. See below for ambush rules.

If units move into an area containing enemy units, a battle occurs at the end of all movement. Complete all movement (including resolving an ambush) then resolve all battles. You can start more than one battle following movement. Complete all movement and battles before the other player can use the event on the card.

Battles

Battles are resolved by comparing the number of units, revealing a card for its impact, then each side rolling a die to determine casualties.

The process is as follows:

1. Count the number of attacking and defending units. If you moved units you are the attacker. The total number of units each side has is their strength.
2. Reveal the top card of the draw pile. Add the Combat Modifier found on the bottom left of the card to the indicated faction's strength. Put the card into the Combat/Ambush discard pile.
3. If the attacker's strength is equal to or larger than the defender's strength, the attacker is the winner. If the defender's strength is higher, the defender is the winner.
4. Each side looks at the casualty chart and rolls a die to determine if they have any unit losses. Note: The casualty chart refers to the units you will lose, not the number of "hits" you will inflict.
5. After removing losses if both sides still have units in the area the attacker must retreat all remaining units. The attacker will retreat the units into an adjacent area that at least one of the units came from.

Units removed as casualties return to your stockpile to be recruited later.

Casualty Chart

Battle:

1. Reveal card: Add combat modifier to unit total
2. Highest strength wins (attacker wins ties)
3. Casualties:
   • Winner: roll a die; on a 5-6 lose 1 unit.
   • Loser: always loses 1 unit, and then rolls a die; on a 5-6, roll again (lose another unit and roll again).

Each side rolls a die to see if they lose a unit. The winner will lose a unit on a roll of a 5 or 6. The loser will always lose a unit, but if they roll a 5 or 6, they will have to lose another unit and roll again. Yes, you can win the battle, but still have to retreat afterwards. If the other side is eliminated, the surviving side stays to control the area.

Battle Example

In this example, there are 3 attacking Maccabean units and 2 defending Greek units. A card is revealed from the top of the draw pile, showing a Maccabean Combat Modifier of +2 at its bottom left.

The modifier on the bottom left adds 2 strength to the Maccabean side, meaning the Maccabeans have 5 strength to the Greek's 2 strength. The Maccabeans win. They roll a die on the "Casualty Chart" and get a result of 1 and take no losses. The Greeks lose a unit and roll a 5, which means they have to go through the cycle again. They lose another unit, their last. Because the Greek units are completely eliminated during a successful attack, the Maccabean units now control the area.

Ambushes

The Maccabeans are excellent guerrilla fighters, springing ambushes and taking advantage of the hilly terrain in Judea. As such, they can ambush Greek units, forcing them to halt their movement and fight.

When Greek units move into an empty area adjacent to Maccabean units, the Maccabeans may attempt to ambush and stop the Greek movement. An ambush is declared after all of the Greek movement is decided. However, a successful ambush will prevent the ambushed units from completing their movement. A successful Ambush will stop the Greek movement at the area of the ambush. There can only be 1 ambush each turn.

1. Maccabean player declares where they are going to attempt an ambush. They must be adjacent to the area that the Greek units moved into. They cannot choose to ambush an area where a battle is going to take place.
2. Reveal the top card of the deck to show the Combat Modifier. If the revealed card shows a Maccabean combat modifier, then the Maccabeans win the ambush. Note: unit totals do not matter for an ambush - only the Combat Modifier shown on the card.
3. If the Maccabean player wins the ambush attempt, then all Greek units that went into that area must stop there. If the Greek player wins, then movement can continue.
4. If the Maccabees win the ambush, then each player rolls against the casualty chart to see if any units are lost. If the Greeks win the ambush, then no units are lost and movement continues. Note: Unit casualties are separate from a successful ambush. The Maccabean player can lose units in a successful ambush, and vice-versa. The success of an ambush only determines whether Greek movement has to stop in that area, or if it can continue.
5. If all Greek units are eliminated, the Maccabean ambushing units now move into the ambushed area, otherwise they stay in the area they started from.

Greeks cannot be ambushed moving into an area already containing Greek units.

Check Supply

1. No area can support more than 3 units at the end of any round. Remove units from any area containing more than 3 until only 3 remain. Place removed units back into your stockpile.
2. Remove 1 unit from each Greek area that is out of supply. An area is out of supply if you cannot trace a path along roads from the area to a Greek Supply Center without passing through Maccabean units.

Note: It is very important as the Greek Player to try and keep your supply lines protected. In contrast, as the Maccabees, attacking supply lines should be an important part of your strategy!

Score Regions

1. Each region grants 1 point to the faction that controls it. To control a region, you must control more cities in that region than your opponent. Remember that Jerusalem counts as a region too.
2. Add your victory points earned to the victory point tracker.
3. After awarding victory points, add all of the cards from both discard piles to the draw pile. Cards that have been played as events and removed from the game are never put back in the draw pile. Count the number of cards in the draw pile. If there are more than 12 cards then shuffle them to create a new draw pile then start another round. If there are 12 or fewer the game ends, see below.

End of the Game

Play continues until one of the following occurs:

1. A player reaches 12 Victory Points during the Score Regions phase.
2. IMPORTANT: If there are 12 or less cards in the draw pile when you reshuffle the deck during the Score Regions phase the game ends immediately.

If either of these events occurs, then the game is over. Whoever has the most victory points wins the game. In the event of a tie, the Maccabean player wins.

Glossary

Ambush: An ambush is a move only available to the Maccabean player which is (optionally) triggered when any Greek unit moves into an empty area adjacent to an area containing a Maccabean unit.

Area: An area is any part of the map that is encompassed by a dashed line. Areas are either cities, Greek Supply Centers, or wilderness.

Controlled City: A city is controlled by the faction with units in a city. An empty city is not controlled.

Controlled Region: A region is controlled when one faction has a majority of the controlled cities. The region is not controlled if both factions control an equal number of controlled cities.

Event: An event is found in the center of cards and is a special action that the player of the faction that the card belongs to can choose to play. They can choose to play it from their hand instead of playing it for the OPs, or they can play it after an opponent plays it for OPs from their hand. In either case, it is removed from the game. An event cannot be played when a card is revealed during an ambush or combat.

Greek Supply Center: Areas that provide reinforcements and supplies to the Greek player. Maccabean units can never enter any Greek Supply Centers.

Region: A region is all of the areas that are highlighted in one of the 5 colors. Jerusalem is also considered a region.

Stockpile: All the remaining units a player has not deployed on the map.

Wilderness Area: An area with no city or Greek Supply Center in it.

Designer Notes

Design of Judean Hammer began in February 2020, just as the Covid-19 Pandemic began to be felt in Europe, and it was largely done while riding the crowded intercity train to work each day. It feels like a lifetime ago!

The initial design had two main aims. I had long wanted to make a game about the Maccabean Revolt - I'm fascinated by guerilla warfare and this particular conflict is an iconic example with huge cultural significance. I also wanted to make a wargame which was very lightweight in terms of rules, without feeling frivolous or too prone to the whims of luck while you play.

A card-driven approach let me tackle both of these aims - able to represent an otherwise very asymmetric conflict with minimal core rules. I also leaned into those cards to help resolve conflict and represent battle fatigue. Event cards provide modifiers in battles, but those same cards are removed from the game if the events are used. If you too readily push your troops in the early game, you may be left with troops who are sapped of their morale and bellicosity. It means that every event and every combat can carry the weight of the larger campaign, with effects that run beyond what is seen on the board.

A quick note on the "sacrifice" cards - card events that seem to hurt the active player in the short term, but also hurts their opponent in the long term by removing a strong combat modifier. There are three in the game, and you can think of them like offensive actions that don't do anything to gain physical ground, but do significant damage to the morale of your opponent.

Quick Reference

Recruiting

Maccabeans:

• OPs value: split any way across cities in regions not controlled by Greeks.
• OPs -1: a single controlled city in a region controlled by Greeks.
• OPs -1: a single wilderness area.

Greeks:

• OPs value: split any way across controlled cities, and areas adjacent to controlled cities in controlled regions. Must trace supply to a Greek Supply Center.

Movement

Move units = OPs value +1. Maccabeans: range 3. Greeks: range 2 and Maccabeans may ambush.

Sequence of Play

1. Draw 4 cards
2. Select starting player: player with the fewest VPs chooses; if tied, the Maccabean player chooses
3. Take turns playing 1 card: if used for the Event, remove card; if used for Operations, discard; the other player can play the Event if it is their Event
4. Check supply
5. Score regions