Quartermaster General Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Player Assignments
• Country Profiles
  • Axis
  • Allies
• The Game Board
  • Map clarification
  • Straits
• Order of Play
  • Turn Sequence
• Pieces
• Supply
  • Supply Space markers
  • Understanding Supply
  • Supply example
• Cards
  • Who can see what?
  • Card example
• Card types
• Card play
  • Using Status and Response cards during play
  • Using teammate's cards
  • Card play particulars
• Scoring & Victory
  • Sudden Victory
  • Scoring Victory
  • Optional Tournament Victory
• Extended card play examples
  • Example 1
  • Example 2
• Credits

Components

• Game board
• Rules booklet
• 216 cards
• 33 Wooden Army pieces
• 22 Wooden Navy pieces
• Punch-out counter sheet includes:
  • 4 Victory Point markers
  • 1 Game Round marker
  • 2 Supply Source markers

Setup

First, players choose which countries they'll play. All six countries are played every game; when playing with fewer than six players, some players play multiple countries. (see Player Assignments chart below)

When you play multiple countries, you play the different countries separately. Any time game text refers to "you" or addresses the player in some manner, it refers to the country and not the person. For example, if you were playing both Germany and Italy, you could not discard cards from Italy's draw deck to satisfy the requirements of the German Blitzkrieg card.

Place each team's "+0" Victory Point marker on 0 of the Victory Point track. Place the Game Round marker on Round 1 of the Game Round track.

Each country starts off with one of its Armies in its Home Space. Each country's deck is shuffled and the player draws 10 cards. The player must put 3 cards into the country's discard pile, leaving each country a hand of 7 cards.

Player Assignments

	2 players	3 players	4 players	5 players	6 players
Player 1	Germany, Italy, Japan	Germany, Italy	Germany, Italy	Germany, Italy	Germany
Player 2	United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union	United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union	United Kingdom, United States	United Kingdom	United Kingdom
Player 3		Japan	Japan	Japan	Japan
Player 4			Soviet Union	Soviet Union	Soviet Union
Player 5				United States	Italy
Player 6					United States

Country Profiles

Axis

Germany — 40 Cards, 7 Armies, 3 Navies. Home Space: Germany.

Germany's deck is loaded with potent Status cards to fuel a conquest of the United Kingdom or the Soviet Union. But don't spend too much time getting things organized – the Allies will be at your doorstep before you know it.

Japan — 33 Cards, 5 Armies, 5 Navies. Home Space: Japan.

Japan has an array of Response cards designed to confuse the Allies about their real capabilities. You'll want to take the time to set up the combinations to spring a potent surprise attack just at the right moment.

Italy — 30 Cards, 4 Armies, 3 Navies. Home Space: Italy.

Italy must support Germany in conquering the Soviet Union or the United Kingdom, at the same time as using their own Status cards to gain Victory Points. Italy has the fewest cards, so be careful about discards!

Allies

United Kingdom — 39 Cards, 5 Armies, 5 Navies. Home Space: United Kingdom.

The key to playing the United Kingdom is to marshal the empire's forces without losing the United Kingdom in the meantime. You have limited Build Army and Land Battle cards, so be careful when planning invasions!

Soviet Union — 34 Cards, 7 Armies, 1 Navy. Home Space: Moscow.

The Soviet Union must initially play very carefully, only shifting into an offensive posture once Moscow is safely secured, possibly with the help of your Allies. Consider saving your Land Battle cards for when some of your offensive Status cards are in play.

United States — 40 Cards, 5 Armies, 5 Navies. Home Space: Eastern United States.

While arguably the most powerful country, as the United States you must support your Allies while building up your own forces. You must also judicially divide your force between the European and Pacific theaters of operations.

The Game Board

The game board is a map of the world with land and sea spaces. Adjacent spaces share a common border. The map wraps around east to west, like a cylinder.

Game board features:

• A. Supply Spaces (gold star icons)
• B. Straits (anchor icons)
• C. Victory Point track
• D. Game Round track
• E. Boxes on east/west edge spaces indicate which spaces are adjacent

Map clarification

Spaces that meet at exactly one point are not considered adjacent. Specifically, the Middle East and the Balkans are not adjacent, and Black Sea and Mediterranean are not adjacent.

Straits

A strait is indicated on the game board with an anchor icon. The anchor appears on the land space that allows control of the strait, and the arrows indicate which two bodies of water are connected by the strait. If the Strait is open, then the two Sea spaces are considered adjacent; otherwise, the spaces are not considered adjacent.

• Straits are only open to one team at a time.
• A Strait is open to the Allies if no Axis Army occupies the Land space that controls the strait.
• A Strait is open to the Axis if an Axis Army occupies the Land space that controls the strait.

Example: Germany has a Navy in the Mediterranean Sea (A) and an Army in North Africa (B). Italy has a Navy in the Mediterranean (C). The United Kingdom has a Navy in the North Sea (D). The United Kingdom player cannot battle either Navy in the Mediterranean because an Axis Army occupies North Africa. Italy can battle the United Kingdom Navy because its teammate Germany has an Army in North Africa and therefore the Axis controls the straits.

Order of Play

A game can last up to 20 rounds. Every round, each country takes a turn in the following order:

1. Germany
2. United Kingdom
3. Japan
4. Soviet Union
5. Italy
6. United States

At the end of each round (after the United States turn) the Game Round marker is advanced.

Turn Sequence

1. Play Step: Play a card.
2. Supply Step: Remove your out-of-supply pieces from the board.
3. Victory Step: Collect Victory Points.*
4. Discard Step: Discard as many cards as you want from your hand.
5. Draw Step: Draw until your hand has seven cards.**

*Skip this step if your Home Space is occupied by an enemy Army.

**Response and Status cards on the table are not in your hand.

Pieces

Each country may only have one piece per space, although different countries on the same team may each have a piece in a space. Pieces from countries on different teams may never occupy the same space. Navies may only occupy Sea spaces; Armies may only occupy Land spaces.

A country receives a fixed number of pieces for the game; if all are in play, no more are available to be recruited or built. Pieces removed from the board for any reason become available; at any time you may remove your own piece from the board to make the piece available, but you cannot be compelled to remove a piece by a teammate.

Supply

At any moment, a piece is either supplied or out-of-supply. Armies and Navies must trace a line of its own country's Armies and/or Navies to a Supply Space. You cannot use another country's pieces to trace supply.

Navies have an additional requirement, beyond tracing a line of their own country's pieces; Navies must be adjacent to a land space occupied by an Army from any country on the same team. This Army does NOT need to be in supply.

During the Supply step of a country's turn, that country's out-of-supply pieces are removed. Pieces of other countries are not affected.

Supply Space markers

There are two Supply Space markers, one for Canada (United Kingdom) and one for Szechuan (United States). These markers are placed when certain Status cards are played, and serve as a reminder that these spaces are Supply Spaces for those Allied countries.

Understanding Supply

Quartermaster General is game about supply. Army and Navy pieces represent not only the front line forces, but the trucks, merchant marines, and other support necessary to keep your troops fighting.

You cannot trace supply through a teammate's pieces because for the most part countries did not use the same equipment.

The additional requirement for Navies reflects the limited carrying capacity of ships at sea. Navies need to replenish food, water, and fuel stocks on a regular basis, but these supplies are not specialized by country.

Supply example

The United States has a fleet in the Eastern Pacific (A) and an Army in the Western United States (B). The United Kingdom has an Army in Australia (C) and a Navy in the South China Sea (D).

The United States cannot build a Navy in the Central Pacific until it gains a base, as an out-of-supply piece cannot be built. One solution would be to build an Army on Hawaii on one turn, and build the Navy the next turn. Another solution would be for the United Kingdom to build an Army on New Guinea or the Philippines, on its turn.

Cards

Each country has a separate draw deck of cards, hand of cards, a discard pile, and (perhaps) face-down Response cards and face-up Status cards on the table.

If your draw deck is depleted, you no longer draw cards but otherwise continue playing. Likewise, if your hand and deck are depleted, you continue playing to collect Victory Points and check supply.

If a card directs you to discard cards from your draw deck but your draw deck is depleted, the cards are discarded from your hand. (This may be a result from an enemy card or from the use of your own card.) Likewise, if a card directs you to discard from your hand but your hand is empty, you must discard the top card(s) of your draw deck instead.

If both your hand and draw deck is depleted, your team loses 1 Victory Point for each card you were unable to discard.

Who can see what?

You cannot show or disclose the cards in your hand or your face-down Response cards to other players, even teammates. Other players may know the number of cards in your hand and the number of Response cards on the table. (When a Response card is turned over and used, it is placed face up on top of the discard pile.)

The top card of your discard pile and any played Status cards are known to all players.

Unplayed cards discarded from your hand, cards discarded from the top of your draw deck, and unused face down Response cards may all be discarded to the bottom of your discard pile to keep them a secret from the other players.

Card example

Here is the United Kingdom after their third turn.

• Draw Deck (A)
• Discard Pile (B)
• Closed hand of 7 cards (C)

Cards played were, in this order,

• A Response card, face down (D)
• Status card Lord Linlithgow Declares India to be at War (E)
• Build Army card (on top of discard pile)

Card types

Build Army: Put one of your available Armies in a Land space adjacent to your own supplied piece. In addition, you can always build an Army in a country's own Home Space. Remember however, at no time may a country have two Armies in the same space, and at no time can pieces from enemy teams occupy the same space.

Build Navy: Put one of your available Navies in a Sea space adjacent to your own supplied piece. A newly built Navy must be in supply. Again, at no time may a country have two Navies in the same space, and at no time can pieces from enemy teams occupy the same space.

Land Battle: Select an enemy Army adjacent to one of your own supplied Army or Navy pieces and remove it from the board.

Sea Battle: Select an enemy Navy adjacent to one of your own supplied Army or Navy pieces and remove it from the board.

Event: The text on Event cards specify what will happen when it is played.

Status: These cards are played face-up on the table. The text on a Status card indicates when it may be used and what it does. Playing a Status card to the table is your Play step for that turn; you cannot play a Status card and another card (unless the card text says otherwise). You are never forced to use your own Status cards. Status cards stay on the table and are potentially useful throughout the game unless discarded by another card.

Response: These cards are played face-down on the table. Playing a Response card to the table is your Play step for that turn. The game text on a Response card indicates when it may be used and what it does. When you want to use it, reveal it to the other players. A Response card is discarded after one use. You may use a Response card on the same turn as it is played.

Economic Warfare: These cards generally allow a player to discard opponents' cards. Remember, if an opponent runs out of cards, their team must lose Victory Points instead! There is no requirement that an opponent still occupy their own Home Space for Economic Warfare cards to work against them.

Card play

On the Play step of your turn you MUST play (or discard) a card, even if it cannot be of any use, unless you have no more cards to play. There are certain situations where you cannot or would not want to take advantage of a card; in this case you can just discard it with no effect; you can always discard a card, regardless of the prerequisites.

If a card has two or more actions, these actions are performed in the order presented on the card. When a card specifies that several actions occur in a sequence, each follows the next. For example, if a card allows you to build two Armies, the second Army could trace supply through the first. Each action is resolved one at a time (although the entire card text is known to all, once revealed).

One benefit is not (typically) a prerequisite for another. For example, Tito's Partisans allows the Soviets to eliminate an Axis Army in the Balkans and then recruit a Soviet or United Kingdom Army in the Balkans. If the space was unoccupied when the card was played, the Soviets could still recruit an Army in the Balkans.

Some cards specifically direct you to build or recruit a teammate's piece; this is not a misprint! However, unless the card indicates another country, a card always refers to the pieces and cards of its own country.

Using Status and Response cards during play

The text on Status and Response cards indicates under what condition(s) the cards can be used. Status and Response cards must be played onto the table during Play step of your turn before being used – they can't be used directly from your hand. Playing a Status or Response card to the table is your Play step for the turn. Once on the table the card is available to be used whenever conditions permit.

Use or applicability of Status or Response cards is always at the discretion of the country of the card, not necessarily the country that is affected. For example, the RAF Response card could prevent a United States Navy from being removed.

Whenever you play a card that creates a situation that could cause one or more opponents to play a Status or Response card, both teams take turns using their Status and Response cards, starting with the opposing team. A team may use one Status or Response card, or pass up the opportunity. Then the other team is can use a Status or Response card, or pass.

The opportunity to use a Status or Response goes back and forth until neither team wishes to use one.

(See Extended Card Play examples for more details.)

Using teammate's cards

You cannot use another country's Status or Response cards unless specified in the text of the card.

Card play particulars

Build vs. Recruit

This game distinguishes between build and recruit. Using an Event, Status, or Response card to build a piece is just like playing a Build Army or Build Navy card to build a piece — that is, the Army or Navy being built must be in supply. When you recruit a piece, you put it in the space specified regardless of supply considerations. (Of course, the piece might be removed in your Supply Step.)

Battle vs. Eliminate

The game also distinguishes between battle and eliminate. A battle is carried out like a Land Battle or Sea Battle. When a piece is eliminated, it is simply removed from the board regardless of other considerations.

Using Build Cards without Building

At times, you may wish to use a Build Army or Build Navy card without actually building a new piece. Typically this is done to establish the conditions to play a Status or Response card. In this case, you may designate an existing supplied piece (Army or Navy as appropriate) to be the newly built piece without having to remove the piece first.

Using Battle cards against empty spaces

Similarly, you are allowed use a Battle card on an empty space in order to fulfill Status and Response card prerequisites. You cannot battle a space occupied by a piece from your own team.

Scoring & Victory

As teams, the Axis and the Allies accumulate Victory Points throughout the game. Each side keeps track of their score with a Victory Point marker that is moved along the track on the edge of the map.

During the Victory step of a country's turn, gain 2 Victory Points per starred Supply Space where that country alone has an Army; or 1 Victory Point is gained if the space also contains a teammate's Army. In addition, certain Status cards may provide Victory Points during the Victory Step.

If an enemy Army occupies a country's Home Space, that country skips the Victory step of its turn. That country cannot gain ANY Victory Points during the Victory step of that turn, even from cards.

However, if no is Step specified, Victory Points awards awarded on cards are scored immediately, even if a country's home space is occupied.

Victory is always determined for an entire side (Axis or Allies), not individual players or countries. There are two ways to win, Sudden Victory or Scoring Victory:

If your Victory Point total reaches 100 so that the marker is back on 0, flip the Victory Point marker to the "+100" side, and proceed around the track again. If your total reaches 200 Victory Points, get your side's other Victory Point marker and place it on the "+200" side, and likewise flip this if your total reaches 300 Victory Points.

Sudden Victory

If at any point one team has Armies in 2 of the enemies' Home Spaces, or one side earns 400 points, that team wins immediately.

Scoring Victory

At the end of round 20 the team with more Victory Points wins. In the unlikely event of a tie, the Axis team wins.

Optional Tournament Victory

If at the end of a complete round of play after the United States' turn, one team is ahead by 30 or more Victory Points, the game immediately ends and the winner declared.

Extended card play examples

Example 1

It is Germany's turn. Germany has Armies in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Germany. The Soviet Union has an Army in Ukraine, Russia, and Moscow, and two Response cards on the table. Germany has the Status cards Dive Bombers and Blitzkrieg on the table.

1. Germany plays a Land Battle card and chooses to remove the Soviet Army in Ukraine.
2. The Soviets are prepared for this move. The Stalingrad Response card is revealed and discarded, spoiling the German attack. Note the Stalingrad card not only saves the Army for now, but provides protection for that Army for the rest of the turn. If it did not specify "this turn", the Germans could use the Dive Bombers card to take another try at removing it.

Stalingrad — Use anytime. Do not remove a Soviet Army in Ukraine this turn.

3. Germany decides to discard a card from its draw deck to use the Dive Bombers Status card. Since the Soviet Army in the Ukraine cannot be removed this turn, Germany heads north and battles the Soviet Army in Russia. The Soviets do not respond; the Soviet Army in Russia is removed from the board.

Dive Bombers — Use once per turn when you battle a land space. Discard the top card of your draw deck and battle an additional Army in the same or an adjacent space.

4. Germany decides to now use the Blitzkrieg card, discarding a card from its draw deck, and builds an Army in Russia.

Blitzkrieg — Use once per turn when you battle a land space. Discard the top card of your draw deck and build an Army in the space battled.

5. The Soviet Union turns over the Response card Rasputitsa and removes the German Army from Russia.

Rasputitsa — Immediately eliminate an Axis Army built or recruited in, or adjacent to, Moscow.

Example 2

It is Japan's turn. Japan has an Army in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia and a Navy in the Sea of Japan, and several Response cards on the table. The United Kingdom has an Army in The United Kingdom, Australia, and India and a Navy in the South China Sea and in the Bay of Bengal, as well as several Response cards on the table.

1. Japan plays a Sea Battle card to battle the Navy in the South China Sea.
2. The United Kingdom uses the Destroyers Response card to prevent that Navy from being removed.

Destroyers — Use anytime. Choose a supplied United States or United Kingdom Navy adjacent to a supplied United Kingdom Army. Do not remove that Navy this turn.

3. Japan uses the Surprise Attack Response card, first to battle the United Kingdom Navy in the Bay of Bengal; then the Army in India. Thus the United Kingdom Navy and Army are removed.

Surprise Attack — Use when you battle a sea space. You may battle an additional Navy, and then battle an Army.

4. Japan then flips the Destroyer Transport Response card, and builds an Army in India.

Destroyer Transport — Use when you battle a sea space. You may build one or two Armies adjacent to the space attacked.

5. The United Kingdom flips the Response card Loyal to the Crown to immediately eliminate the Japanese Army just built.

Loyal to the Crown — Immediately eliminate an Axis Army built or recruited in India, Australia, or Canada.

Credits

Game Design: Ian Brody

Graphic Design & Illustration: Nicholas Avallone

Additional Game Development: Ken Mohler, Karin Weston-Brody

Rules Editing: Emma Wyman

Playtesters: Karin Weston-Brody, Allen Thayer II, Andrew Dougherty, Lance Meyer, Marvin Birnbaum, Don Errico, Michael Isgur, Douglas Riggi, Aaron Cordes, Eddie Rodriguez, Ken Mohler, John Behnken, Miriam Ben-Dor.

© 2014 Griggling Games ISBN 978-0-9898295-2-6 GGM00003

Contact us: Griggling Games, Inc. PO Box 1259 Woodstock, NY 12498 www.grigglinggames.com