Judge Dredd: The Game of Crime-Fighting in Mega-City One Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Contents
• Game Mode
• Setup
• Movement Phase and Arrest Phase
  • Movement Phase
    • The Board
    • Movement
  • Arrest Phase
    • Strength
    • Arrest
  • Arrest Phase (Continued)
    • Joint Arrests
    • Competing Arrests
    • Special Combats
    • Worked Examples (page 3)
• Refill Phase and Ending the Game
  • Add New Crimes
  • Hospitalise KO'd Judges
  • Draw New Action Cards
  • Alert Cards
  • Pass the Starting Player Card
  • Ending the Game
  • Game Length
• Action Cards
  • Combat
  • Movement
  • Alert
  • Special
  • Alternative Options
• Specialist Judges
  • Overheating (Mechanismo token)
  • Specialist Judge Tokens

Overview

It's the 22nd century and Mega-City One, the largest city on Earth, is awash with crime. You are Judges, tasked with enforcing the law and dispensing justice city-wide. Each turn you'll move through the city, headed for the Sectors containing crimes, then revealing the Perps responsible and attempting arrest. You'll have backup from the Justice Department in the form of Action cards: events, tools and even obstacles in the fight against crime.

Each round is split into three phases: movement, arrest and refill. In each phase players act in turn, starting with the Starting Player, then moving in clockwise order. Players do not need to wait until their turn to play Action cards, though some cards can only be used during certain phases (detailed on page 5).

In the movement phase Judges head towards Sectors where they can make arrests or draw additional cards. In the arrest phase all Judges who can attempt arrest on a Perp in their Sector must do so. In the refill phase new Perps and Crimes are added to the board (if necessary), players redraw Action cards, then the Starting Player card is passed to the next player on the left.

The player who has the greatest total strength of Crime and Perp cards in their score pile at the end of the game is the winner.

The first six pages of this book detail the rules, while the rest is a card album detailing the history behind Mega-City One's various Perp, Crimes and Sectors.

Contents

• 28 Perp Cards
• 28 Crime Cards
• 21 Sector Cards
• 7 Judge Cards (including Starting Player Card)
• 7 Judge Standees (6 bases)
• 6 Specialist Judge Tokens
• 55 Action Cards
• Quarantine & Alien Tokens
• 2 Dice
• Game Board

Game Mode

Before you play, agree on the game length: Hotdog Run, Day Shift or Night Shift (see page 4). Also agree on whether you'd like to use the Specialist Judges, introducing unique abilities for each player (see page 6).

If this is your first game, we recommend playing Hotdog Run without Specialists. In future games, we recommend playing Day Shift with the Specialists.

Setup

1. Choose which game mode you would like to play.
2. Place the board in the centre of the table.
3. Shuffle the Judge cards, then deal one face-up to each player until someone is dealt the Starting Player card.
4. Each player chooses a standee (and the matching Specialist Judge ability if using them). In the event of disagreement, use the remaining Judge cards to assign them randomly.
5. Starting with the Starting Player and moving clockwise, each player places their standee on an empty Starting Sector on the board (these are the spaces with black text on a white background).
6. Shuffle the Perp, Crime, Sector and Action cards separately. Place them face-down beside the board, leaving space beside them for face-up piles of discarded cards.
7. Reveal the top card of the Sector deck. Place a face-down Perp card and a face-up Crime card on the matching Sector on the board, then place the Sector card in a discard pile. Repeat this until there are 6 Perps and Crimes on the board.
8. Deal 6 Action cards to each player. Return any yellow Alert cards drawn during setup to the deck and replace them with a new card, then reshuffle the deck if necessary. Players must keep their hand of Action cards secret from one another. You're now ready to start!

Movement Phase and Arrest Phase

Movement Phase

Judges will move across the board with the goal of revealing Perps during the movement phase, before attempting to arrest them in the arrest phase. The player with the Starting Player card moves first, then each remaining player moves in clockwise order.

The Board

The board shows the heart of Mega-City One, divided into 28 Sectors by the black and white boundary lines and by the rivers. Boundary lines can be crossed freely, while rivers can only be crossed if there is a bridge present.

The Sectors with black text on white backgrounds are Starting Sectors, where the Judges will begin the game.

The Justice Department Hospital in the centre of the board is where Judges will be sent when they are injured in combat. Only Judges (not Perps or Aliens) can enter the Hospital. It has a red border.

Movement

On your turn in the movement phase, you may move your Judge up to two adjacent Sectors in any direction. You may not cross the river unless there is a bridge between the two spaces. More than one Judge can be in the same Sector.

A Judge cannot leave a Sector containing a Perp unless:

• There is another Judge in that Sector.
• They are forced to leave by an Action card.
• They are KO'd during combat.

If you enter a Sector containing a face-down Perp, immediately turn the card face up and end your movement there.

After everyone has moved, and nobody wishes to play more Action cards, the arrest phase begins.

Board note (page 2 illustration): The Judge in Resyk can move up to two spaces. If they enter Devil's Island they cannot move any further, as there is a Perp in that Sector. They cannot move from the Academy of Law to the Power Tower as there is no bridge across the river.

Arrest Phase

In the arrest phase, Judges fight Perps in order to bring them to justice (and score the points that win them the game). Starting with the Starting Player and going clockwise, each player in the same Sector as a Perp must attempt to arrest them, resolving a combat.

Each Judge may only be in one combat per round. If a Judge takes part in a special combat, they can't initiate a separate arrest attempt.

If there are multiple Judges in the same Sector as a Perp (who haven't been in combat already this round), the players must decide whether to band together for a joint arrest or attempt competing arrests.

Once every Judge who can fight has done so, the arrest phase ends.

Strength

Each Judge has a base strength of 6.

Each Perp has a base strength equal to the value on their card, as well as any Crime cards in the same Sector.

Both Judges and Perps will add a die roll to their strength. Action cards committed in combat will further modify the strength values of the participants.

At the end of combat, all cards played are discarded.

Arrest

Most combat happens when a Judge tries to arrest a Perp in their Sector. Once combat begins, any player may play Action cards face-down on the table. Each time a card is added the other players can choose to add more cards, but they cannot take back any cards they have already committed. Once everyone is finished adding cards, all face-down cards are revealed.

Action cards with a red bar are combat cards, which can support or sabotage the arresting Judge. Any cards with a number in a shield add (or subtract) that value to the Judge's total strength.

Players may add non-combat cards too. If the player controlling a Judge in combat plays a non-combat card with a shield on the bottom of the card, that total is added to their strength. If another player has added any card other than Escape or Sabotage it was a bluff, and that card is discarded with no effect.

Add the total values of all cards to either the Judge or the Perp's strength (as per the card). The Judge player then rolls the black Judge die and whichever other player added the most Action cards to the combat (or the next player clockwise if tied) rolls the red Perp die. Add the results to the Judge and Perp's strength respectively. If any cards gave the Judge or Perp additional rolls then roll again, adding each result to the total. The highest total strength wins the combat.

Card example (page 2): SABOTAGE "Aah-Ankle Trap!" and SUPPORT "Fergee, the slugger from the Old Ohio River, fights for justice." These two cards are added to a combat. The Judge rolls a 2 for their normal roll, and a 5 for the extra roll Fergee provides. They're left with a total strength of 10 (6 – 3 + 2 + 5).

Arrest Phase (Continued)

If you win the combat, you arrest the Perp: place the Perp and Crime cards face-down in front of you as a score pile. Cards in this pile count as points at the end of the game. You may check your own score pile at any time, but not those of other players.

If the combat ends in a tie, you stop the crime but the Perp escapes. Add the Crime card to your score pile, then the player who rolled the Perp die moves the Perp card up to two Sectors in any direction. They cannot stop on the Hospital or on a space with another Perp.

If you lose the combat, your Judge is KO'd: knock over their standee. You cannot move or play any more Action cards this round, and at the end of the round you will be forced to discard and redraw your entire hand.

If multiple Judges are in the same Sector as a Perp (and haven't been in combat already this round), they may choose to band together for a joint arrest, or compete for the rewards. Either way, the arrests happen on the turn of whichever Judge in that Sector is earliest in turn order.

Play Action cards in front of the player you wish them to apply to. If the card affects the Perp's strength, it will apply to all Judges present, regardless of where it was played. All cards played into a combat are discarded afterwards.

Joint Arrests

If multiple Judges are in the same Sector, they can agree to make a joint arrest. Judges who are working together have a strength of 6 per Judge, but still only roll a single die. Action cards and Specialist Ability tokens modify their strength as normal.

If you win the combat, the Judges involved split the rewards: starting with the earliest player turn order, each player takes the Perp or Crime card with the highest value. This means a third arresting Judge will usually receive no points. The Crime Spree Action card means there may be two Crime cards with a Perp. In this instance a third Judge could take the lowest value card. If there were only two Judges involved, the first Judge would take the highest and the lowest, while the other Judge would take the middle value.

In a tie, the earliest player in turn order gets the Crime card.

If you lose the combat, all Judges involved are KO'd.

Competing Arrests

If different Judges (or groups of Judges) do not wish to join together for an arrest, they make simultaneous arrest attempts.

The Judge (or group) that beats the Perp by the highest margin makes the arrest. Any Judges (or groups) with a lower strength than the Perp are KO'd.

In the event of any ties between Judges, the player who is earliest in turn order wins the tie.

Special Combats

The Alien Escape card adds an Alien token to the board, who must be fought by any Judges in its Sector during the arrest phase instead of a Perp. It has a base strength of 12 and wins ties, but does not add a die roll. When fighting the Alien other players may add combat cards as usual. Cards which help Perps have no effect, but cards which hinder Judges still do. If the Alien is defeated, remove the token from the board. The Alien is not worth any points at the end of the game.

Alert card (ALERT: ALIEN ESCAPE!): Place the alien token in any sector adjacent to the alien zoo. If it's already on the board, move it up to two sectors instead.

Judges in the Alien's Sector cannot leave, and must fight it on their turn. The Alien wins ties.

The Block Mania card forces two Judges to immediately fight each other, regardless of where they are on the board. Any player may add combat cards in front of either Judge. The Judge with the lowest strength is KO'd, and the remaining Judge cannot be in combat (including joint arrests) again this round. If tied, both Judges are KO'd.

Worked Examples (page 3)

Example 1, The Mantis Brothers (Perp strength 6, Crime card 4): There are four Judges (A, B, C & D) at Channel 99, where The Mantis Brothers are robot smashing. Judges A & B decide to make a joint arrest, while both C & D decide to go it alone.

The players now play cards face-down. Once everyone is done playing cards, they are revealed.

A & B don't add any Action cards to the combat. C adds two, revealing Robo Dogs with strength 4, and an alternative ability with strength 2. D has played Stumm Gas, adding 4 to their strength. They each roll individually.

• The Perp adds the Perp die result to the strength of the Perp card (6) and the Crime card (4): 6 + 4 + (red die) = 15.
• Judges A & B add a single die roll to their joint base strength (12): 6 + 6 + (die) = 15.
• Judge C adds the Judge die result to their base strength (6) and their played cards (4+2): 6 + 4 + 2 + (die) = 18.
• Judge D adds the Judge die result to their base strength (6) and their played card (4): 6 + 4 + (die) = 12.

Judge C has the highest result, and beats the Perp, so makes the arrest and adds the Perp and Crime cards to their score pile. Judge D has a lower total than the Perp, so is KO'd, even though the Perp was arrested. As Judges A & B equal the Perp's strength, nothing happens.

Finally, all Action cards are discarded.

Refill Phase and Ending the Game

This is the end of the round, where new crimes are reported, and Judges get new Action cards.

Add New Crimes

If there are fewer than 6 Perps on the board, draw a Sector card and add a face-down Perp and a face-up Crime to the matching Sector. Repeat this until there are 6 Perps on the board, or the Sector deck is empty.

If playing the Hotdog Run version of the game, discard the top card of the Sector deck if no Perps have been added to the board this round (see Game Length).

Hospitalise KO'd Judges

Stand up any KO'd Judges, and move them to the Justice Department Hospital. They must discard their entire hand, then redraw the same number of cards as they discarded. KO'd Judges who have no Action cards draw 1 card in addition to the Action card below, for a minimum of 2.

Draw New Action Cards

Every player draws 1 new Action card. Any non-KO'd Judges who end their turn on the Hospital or a Starting Sector get the bonus indicated by the card icon on that Sector. This is always in addition to the card they will draw normally.

If the deck of Action cards ever runs out, shuffle up the discarded cards to form a new deck.

Players can never have more than 6 cards in hand. If drawing more cards would bring them over this limit, they do not draw.

• Recycle icon: Judges voluntarily ending their turn on the Hospital may discard as many Action cards from their hand as they choose before drawing, then draw new cards equal to the number they discarded plus 1 additional card.
• +1 and +2 icons: Judges on a Starting Sector draw 1 or 2 additional cards at the end of the round, for a total of 2 or 3.

Alert Cards

If any player draws a yellow Alert card, they must play it immediately then draw a new card to replace it. Some effects will last for the next round, while others (like the Alien) can last even longer.

Pass the Starting Player Card

The Starting Player passes that card to the player to their left, who begins the next round.

Ending the Game

The game ends after the final round. There are three options for when the final round is triggered: choose how long you want the game to last from the Game Length options.

The Hotdog Run is recommended for learning the game, while the Day Shift is recommended for normal play.

When the final round is triggered, play one last round of the game. At the end of that arrest phase the game ends.

Add the total strength of all cards in your score pile. The player with the highest total wins.

If tied, each tied player has one final combat against the others to decide the victor, playing any remaining Action cards they have. Non-tied players may not add cards to this combat.

Game Length

Hotdog Run: The final round is triggered when the deck of Sector cards runs out. During the refill phase, if no arrests have been made this round, discard the top card of the Sector deck.

Day Shift: The final round is triggered when the deck of Sector cards runs out.

Night Shift: The final round is triggered when either the deck of Perp or Crime cards runs out. When the Sector cards run out, shuffle up the discard pile to form a new Sector deck, and continue the game.

Action Cards

The Action cards represent the unexpected twists and turns of life in Mega-City One. They are split into four types, indicated by the coloured bar across the top of the card: Combat (red), Movement (green), Alert (yellow) and Special (blue).

You do not have to wait until your turn to play an Action card, and can play them on any player, including yourself.

Most cards include an alternative option at the bottom of the card, which can be used instead of the main action to help yourself in combat or to dodge other card effects.

Combat

Combat cards are played face-down during combat (usually in the arrest phase). Most add to the Judge or Perp's strength – the amount added (or reduced) is shown in the badge in the top right corner.

• A badge showing a number adds (or, if negative, subtracts) that value.
• If the badge shows a die, then roll the Judge die an extra time and add that amount to the Judge's total.

Once a combat has begun, you can only play cards face-down as part of that combat, and you must do so before the dice are rolled.

Movement

Movement cards can be played on any Judge (including your own) during the movement phase. Most will reduce or increase the distance that Judge can move, while Barney cards will send the Judge directly to one of the Starting Sectors.

If that Judge has moved already this round, any reduction or increase applies to their movement next round.

A Judge who has been moved by a Barney card can still move this round if they have not already done so.

You cannot play an action card while a Judge is mid-movement.

Alert

Alert cards must be played immediately when drawn. The player who drew the card chooses how the effect is applied, then draws a different card to replace it.

The Alien Escape card adds an Alien token to the board, who must be fought by any Judges in its Sector during the arrest phase instead of a Perp. It has a base strength of 12 and wins ties, but does not add a die roll and is not worth any points at the end of the game. When fighting the Alien other players may add combat cards as usual. Cards which help Perps have no effect, but cards which hinder Judges still do. If the Alien is defeated, remove the token from the board.

Alert card text (ALERT: ALIEN ESCAPE!): Place the alien token in any sector adjacent to the alien zoo. If it's already on the board, move it up to two sectors instead. Judges in the alien's sector cannot leave, and must fight it on their turn. The alien wins ties.

Quarantine locks off an entire Sector for one round, making it impossible to enter or leave, but also rendering Judges there immune from the effects of any Movement or Special cards. A Barney card cannot force a Judge to enter a Quarantined Sector. However, if the Hospital is Quarantined, KO'd Judges are still sent there during the refill phase.

Bridges Closed prevents Judges and Perps (but not the Alien) from crossing the river for one round.

Special

Special cards can be used during either the movement or arrest phase, unless there is a specific timing mentioned on the card.

When using a Tip-Off card to move a Perp, you may move through other Perps and Judges, but cannot end the movement in the Hospital or in a space containing another Perp.

The Block Mania card forces two Judges to immediately fight each other, regardless of where they are on the board, and neither can be in combat again this round. Any player may add combat cards in front of either Judge. The Judge with the lowest strength is KO'd. If tied, both Judges are KO'd.

BOING! (card text: "Some futties do a Boing from the top of a tower block. Unless you play a Tip-Off card, you are KO'd.")

The Robodoc card is used when you are KO'd for any reason. You avoid the KO, and instead move to an adjacent space.

Alternative Options

Most cards have a black bar along the bottom of the card with an alternative option which can be used instead of the main action on the card. Alternative options can only be used on your own Judge: they cannot be used to help other players.

If the bar contains a badge, the card can be played during your own combat to add that value to your strength.

Example: "Your anti-dazzle visor gives you the edge." (shield badge 2)

If the bar instructs you to ignore the effect of a Boing or Barney card, you can immediately play this card to cancel its effect. Both cards get discarded.

Example: "Anderson deals with your new orders. Ignore the effect of a Barney card."

Specialist Judges

Expansion rules.

The Justice Department is a vast organisation, overseeing all of Mega-City One. Street Judges like Dredd make up the majority of their numbers, but many other types of Judge come to the service of the city.

With the Specialist Judges expansion, each player will take on the role of a Specialist Judge with a unique ability. If all players agree, then you can choose which specialist you would like to play as, or they can be randomised as suggested in part 4 of Setup.

When assigning Judge standees, also take the Specialist Judge token that matches your standee and place it in front of you. Each token describes one or more abilities that let you override the usual rules of the game in unique ways.

The badge shows that Judge's base strength, replacing the default 6.

Overheating (Mechanismo token)

If you roll a 6 on any rolls in combat (including on any bonus rolls) you overheat, and lose the combat no matter what. This only applies to your rolls, not to the Perp's rolls.

Before each combat you may choose to cool: subtract 2 from your strength, but you do not lose if you roll a 6.

Specialist Judge Tokens

Chief Judge (base strength 6)

• Traffic Privileges: You can move up to 3 Sectors per turn. If your movement is halved, round down.

The Chief Judge acts as both Head of the Justice Department and Head of State for Mega-City One. As such they have ultimate responsibility for the city and its citizens, and often pay with their lives when they fail in this duty.

SJS (base strength 6)

• Internal Affairs: You may look at all the Action cards in one other player's hand at the start of the refill phase.
• You win ties in combat.

The Special Judicial Service, or SJS, stand in judgement of the Judges themselves. They ensure no-one, even the Chief Judge, is above the law.

Psi-Judge (base strength 6)

• Mind Reader: When you are in combat, the first card each other player adds must be played face-up.
• Once per round you may secretly look at a face-down Perp card on the board.

Cadets with powerful mental abilities are assigned to Psi Division, where their powers ensure that there is no secret kept from the department.

Wally Squad (base strength 6)

• Undercover: You can exit and move through Sectors with revealed Perps. If you enter a Sector with an unrevealed Perp, reveal it and end your movement.
• You do not have to arrest Perps in your Sector.

The Wally Squad act as an undercover unit within the Justice Department. Embedded among citizens or criminal organisations they are given a degree of flexibility not usually afforded to Judges, including in matters of hygiene.

Cadet (base strength 4)

• Academy Support: You can hold up to 7 Action cards (rather than 6). Start the game with 7 cards.
• Draw 1 additional Action card during the refill phase unless you are already getting a bonus from the Sector you are in.

Cadets are Judges in training at the Academy of Law. They begin their training at age 5 to prepare for a lifetime of serving the law, unless they fail in their final assessment.

Mechanismo (base strength 8)

• Overheating: If you roll a 6 on any rolls in combat (including on any bonus rolls) you overheat, and lose the combat no matter what. This only applies to your rolls, not to the Perp's rolls. Before each combat you may choose to cool: subtract 2 from your strength, but you do not lose if you roll a 6.

Mechanismo ("Mecha-Machismo") units are robot Judges. Initially intended as auxiliary units, they are now in general use, despite Judge Dredd's misgivings.