Quicksilver
Quicksilver Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Component List
- 1 double-sided race map
- 1 start/finish line token
- 3 numbered checkpoint tokens
- 6 pilot instrument panels
- 12 instrument panel arrows
- 12 plastic connectors
- 6 airship tokens
- 6 airship token stands
- 6 cloud / minefield tokens
- 3 turret tokens
- 4 velocity dice
- 1 deck of 66 tactics cards
- 6 turn order cards
- This Rulebook
Assembling Your Instrument Panels
The rulebook shows how to assemble the instrument panels in a pictorial diagram only, with no written steps.
Components Key
The rulebook's diagram of a set-up table is keyed as follows:
- A – Turret Tokens
- B – Cloud/Minefield Tokens
- C – Map
- D – Dice
- E – Hand
- F – Airship Tokens
- G – Draw Pile
- H – Discard Pile
- I – Start/Finish Line
- J – Instrument Panel
- K – Checkpoint Token
Setup & Begin Your Race
Preparing for Race Day
- Place the board on the table.
- Each player selects an airship token and its corresponding instrument panel, setting Velocity to Zero and Armor to 4.
- Shuffle the deck of cards and deal 5 cards to each player. Place the deck where all players have easy access to them.
- Players agree upon the location of the start/finish line as well as the number of checkpoints for the race, their locations and their directions. See Preparing for Your First Race for our recommended first-time setup suggestion.
- Each player may choose an obstacle token (cloud, mine, or turret) to place on the map. No obstacles may be placed within 4 spaces of the start/finish line, or within 3 spaces of a checkpoint. Turrets must be placed on a mountain space. Mines must be placed on an open air or cloud space. Clouds may be placed on any type of space.
- Deal 1 Turn Order Card at random to each player. The player whose card has the portrait of Queen Victoria on the back will be the starting player in this race. (Make sure that the Queen's card is included when playing with less than 6 players.)
- Starting lineup happens in reverse order: The player to the right of the starting player places his airship on an open space on or behind the starting line. Placement continues to that player's right until all ships are placed. The starting player places his airship last.
- Play begins with the starting player and continues in a clockwise manner.
Preparing for Your First Race
It is recommended that first-time players use a two-checkpoint race on the Paradise Falls map, with Checkpoint 1 on the left mark of the map and Checkpoint 2 on the upper-center mark. Both checkpoints should face clockwise.
Fair Play
During their first two turns, players may not attack each other. No attack cards and no collisions with other ships are allowed. Collisions must be avoided by discarding a card (see Obstacles, pg. 5). Players are free to be as dastardly or as gentlemanly as they wish on their third turn.
Rules for Racing, Overview
A player's turn has five distinct phases:
- Velocity: Change Velocity, if desired.
- Roll: Roll Velocity dice and determine total movement.
- Pivot: You may spend one movement point to pivot the airship.
- Move: You must move ALL remaining movement points, if possible.
- Draw: Draw a tactics card. Discard if you hold more than 5 cards.
During a pilot's turn, he may also play any number of tactics cards from his hand. (see Two Ways to Use Cards, page 4)
He may also attack an opponent in one of two ways, either by ramming his airship into an opponent's, or by card play. (see Attacks, page 6)
Racing: Turn Order
1) Velocity: Change Velocity, if desired
At the beginning of a player's turn, he may upgrade or downgrade his Velocity by one level. As Velocity ratings get faster, the number of Velocity dice a player rolls on their turn will increase. Velocity can reach a maximum of 3, but the player must discard two cards any time he moves at Velocity 3.
2) Roll: Roll Velocity dice
The player rolls a number of dice equal to the airship's current Velocity. The total is the player's movement points. However, if a player rolls below the minimum speed for his Velocity, he will instead move at that minimum speed, indicated in the chart below:
| Velocity | Name | Dice | Min. Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| V1 | SLOW | 1 Die | Min. Speed = 1 |
| V2 | FAST | 2 Dice | Min. Speed = 3 |
| V3 | DANGER! | 3 Dice | Min. Speed = 6 |
A player may also make small adjustments to his movement by discarding one card from his hand to add or subtract its point value to/from his movement. Only one card may be used in this manner per turn.
Finally, if a player begins his turn within a white-bordered area, he must reduce his movement total by one-half, rounded up.
The result is the total amount of movement points the player must use on his turn. An airship will always have at least one movement point in a turn.
3) Pivot: Pilots may use one movement point to pivot your airship
At the beginning of the movement phase, a player may choose to use one of his movement points to pivot the airship. He may choose to pivot at the beginning of the movement phase, not at the end nor at any other point during forward movement (unless a card allows that choice).
A player may rotate his airship 60 degrees (one turn of the hexagon) without risk of damage to the airship. The player may choose to turn his airship 120 degrees, if he so wishes, but the airship will lose one point of Armor in the effort.
Under no circumstance can an airship turn 180 degrees in a single turn.
4) Move: You must move ALL remaining movement points, if possible
The player must use the remainder of his movement points to move the ship forward in a straight line at the rate of one hex per movement point – even if he would wish to use fewer spaces. A ship continues to move forward until it runs out of movement points or it collides with a mountain, checkpoint, or the boundary of the racing course.
5) Draw: Draw a card. Discard if you have more than 5 cards
The player draws a card from the deck into his hand. If he has more than 5 cards in his hand, he must discard down to 5 cards at this time. Cards cannot be played after drawing.
At this point, the player passes all dice to the player to his left and play continues clockwise.
Winning the Race
In order to win the race, a pilot must clear all checkpoints in order and cross the finish line.
Two Ways to Use Cards
Players may use each card for either its Tactical Effect or its Point Value.
Tactical Effect: At any time during a player's turn, he may play any number of tactics cards from his hand for their card effect (Cards with cancelling effects can be played out-of-turn. See Card Manifest, page 7). A player may make only one successful attack per opponent, per turn. However, he may attack as many opponents as he wishes during his turn. (see Attacks, page 6)
Point Value: Cards may also be spent for their point value, shown in the lower left corner of each card, to adjust the total of any dice roll. If adjusting a movement roll, one card may be played to adjust the total up or down by the number on the card. If adjusting a combat roll, either member of the conflict may spend any number of cards to add to their total.
Racing: Obstacles & Checkpoints
Checkpoints
Players must maneuver around checkpoints in the direction indicated by arrows on each checkpoint token, being either clockwise or counterclockwise.
The arrows that extend from the checkpoints represent the entry and exit lines for that checkpoint. These lines extend to the edges of the map.
To clear a checkpoint, players must cross the entry line, navigate around the checkpoint, and then cross the exit line completely.
Fig. 1 – Clearing the Checkpoint in the direction marked on the Checkpoint Token: Blue has fully cleared the Checkpoint. If Red's movement ends on the line, he has not yet cleared the checkpoint.
The first player to cross a checkpoint fires up the spirits of their competitors. All other players draw cards up to their maximum hand size.
Obstacles and Potential Hazards
Clouds
Clouds are contained within a white-bordered area. Clouds may be passed through at the normal movement rate. However, a player who starts his turn in a cloud reduces his total movement by one-half (rounded up).
Mountains
Mountain spaces are contained within a red-bordered area. An airship cannot pass through a mountain. If an airship collides with a mountain, the airship stops its movement at the boundary of the mountain, facing the same direction it was traveling. It loses one point of Armor, and its Velocity is reduced to Zero.
Checkpoints
Colliding with a checkpoint bears the same consequence as colliding with a mountain: the ship loses one point of Armor, and its Velocity is reduced to Zero. Colliding with a checkpoint does not in itself count as clearing the checkpoint.
Minefields
When a player collides with a minefield token, the minefield explodes, causing one point of Armor damage to all ships within 2 spaces of the minefield. The token is removed from play. Mine collisions do not end movement.
Turrets
When an airship ends its turn within 3 spaces of a turret, the turret will fire upon it. Its attack score is 5 (see Attacks, page 6); if successful, the turret will cause 1 point of Armor damage to the ship. Turrets will not fire on a ship more than once, unless the ship leaves and re-enters its range.
Map Boundary
If an airship moves outside of the established race zone, the player loses a turn as his airship is returned to the field of play, to the space the airship occupied before leaving the course. He suffers no Armor or Velocity penalty, and the player is allowed to orient his ship in any direction upon re-entry.
Other Pilots
If a player passes through another player's airspace, his airship collides with the other, and the collision is resolved as an attack (see Attacks, page 6). However, the active player may choose to avoid the collision by discarding a card of his choice.
A player may not end his movement in another player's space; if a player would end his turn in another player's space, he instead ends his turn in the space directly behind the other player. No collision occurs.
Attacks & Variant Rules
Attacks
An attack is defined as any action that interferes with an opponent.
There are two ways for players to attack one another: collisions and card play. A player is only allowed one successful attack per opponent, per turn.
In a collision or ranged attack, each player rolls two dice. After the roll, either player may increase their total by playing any number of cards for their point value. Cards can be played until a player is satisfied with his total or accepts defeat. The player with the higher total wins the attack. In the event of a tie, the player who initiated the attack wins. All cards played during the attack are discarded.
Collisions
A player may choose to not pay a card to pass through an occupied space, and instead ram into the other airship when passing through. In this case, an attack roll occurs. The player with the higher total is unscathed; the player with the lower total absorbs the blow, and his ship loses one point of Armor. The attacking player continues his movement.
Card Play
There are a number of cards that allow a player to attack another player from a distance. Ranged attacks must be played before or after movement, not during movement. In order for a ranged attack to be successful, the attacking player must win – a defender's win results in no penalty occurring to either player.
Other cards count as automatically successful attacks, if they are not cancelled.
Running Out of Armor
When a pilot's Armor reaches zero, the following occurs:
- The player tips over his airship on the board and resets his Velocity to zero.
- On the player's next turn, he stands his airship token up in the same space, facing it in the direction of his choice. Emergency crews restore 1 point of Armor to the airship. The player does not move or draw a card this turn.
- The player's NEXT turn proceeds as normal.
Variant Rules
Elimination Variant
When your airship's Armor is reduced to zero, you are eliminated from the race.
Freewheeling Attack Variant
Players may make card-based attacks on other players at any time during their movement. If your ship passes within the designated range at any time, you can play a card to attack that player.
Open Targeting Attack Variant
Players may make card-based attacks on other players when it is not their turn, assuming they meet the range conditions of the attack and they do not break the "one successful attack per player" rule. If you successfully attacked this player on your turn, you would NOT be able to attack them again on their turn. (The attack limit resets on your turn.)
Strategic Draw Variant
Place 2 cards face up beside the draw pile. During a player's Draw phase, the player may take one of these cards, or draw from the top of the deck as per normal. If a face up card is chosen, fill its spot on the table with the top card from the deck, face up.
Blind Attack Variant
Instead of adding cards to an attack roll, players commit their cards, face-down, before they roll. All card values are added to the roll, and all cards played in the attack are discarded.
Cards
Card Manifest
Adjusting: This card cancels any roll and the player rerolls his choice of any number of dice. This card may be used to cancel either movement or attack rolls. This card can be played on one's self or on an opponent. If played on an opponent's roll, the player of the card determines which dice get rerolled.
Bad Form: This card cancels the card played before it. Additionally, if the player chooses, the player may take the canceled card and add it to his hand. Hand size limits apply.
Best Laid Plans: The penalty for this ranged attack is the loss of all cards.
Bootlegger: The player does not lose Armor when rotating more than 60 degrees for this turn. The action still costs one movement point.
Emergency Stop: The player may choose to end his movement early (i.e. without spending all of his movement points). Player's Velocity is reduced to 0.
Flying Pitstop: This card instantly adds one Armor point to a player's airship.
Flawless Navigation: The player does not suffer a movement penalty when starting his turn in a white-bordered area. The effect is good for one turn only.
Gust of Wind: The player of this card rolls one Velocity die and moves any airship that many spaces in any one direction. The affected airship does not change its orientation. Gust of Wind cannot be used to affect a ship during its movement. If played as an attack, the affected player may cancel the effect at the cost of one Armor.
Heavy Artillery: The penalty for this ranged attack is one point of Armor and two cards.
High Spirits: This card allows a player to draw cards to their maximum hand size.
Lucky Shot: The penalty for this ranged attack is an automatic drop to Velocity Zero.
Not Amused: This card cancels the card played before it. This card cannot be used to cancel another player's Not Amused card.
Pardon Me, Chap: Until the beginning of the player's next turn, the player cannot be targeted for attacks by other players, and his ship does not collide with other airships, but is still susceptible to damage from other obstacles. (Printed as "succeptable" in the source; spelling corrected.)
Precise Engineering: Instead of rolling dice for movement points, the player can choose one of the movement point options for his current Velocity as if he rolled that number. Players cannot discard a card for its point value this turn. Cloud penalties still apply.
Ranged Attack: A player who passes within 6 spaces of another airship may fire upon that airship as an attack. The penalty is the loss of one point of Armor.
Sabotage: This card counts as an attack upon a player. The targeted player loses two cards at random from their hand.
Scavenger: This card allows the player to search through the discard pile, choose any card, and place that card face-down in front of his player mat. The player adds that card to his hand at the beginning of his next turn.
Side Step: The player may use one of his movement points to shift one space to the left or right during movement. The ship does not change direction as it executes this maneuver.