RoboRally: Grand Prix
RoboRally: Grand Prix Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Board Elements
The Grand Prix Factory Floor Guide (printed banner reads "Factoy Floor Guide") lists the board elements below. Each entry gives its function, its operation and its timing.
Oil Slicks
Function: Oil slicks move robots.
Operation: If a robot attempts to end its movement on an oil slick, it continues to slide in the direction of its movement until it is stopped by a wall or another robot that is not on an oil slick, or until it is no longer on an oil slick. If a robot slides into another robot that is on an oil slick, both robots slide as described above. Note that a robot does not slide until it attempts to end its movement on an oil slick; robots that are still moving behave in the normal manner. If a robot begins its movement on an oil slick, the first square of movement is negated. Oil slicks have no effect on rotate cards.
Timing: Occurs during the Robots Move segment of the register phase sequence.
Portals
Function: Portals move robots to other specific locations.
Operation: A robot that enters a portal during the execution of a movement card immediately moves to the other portal of the same color, and continues its movement from there. If another robot occupies the moving robot's destination portal, the portal does not activate and the moving robot continues to move as if the portal were open floor.
Timing: Occurs during the Robots Move segment of the register phase sequence.
Ledges
Function: Ledges separate one level from another.
Operation: When a robot crosses over a ledge from the upper level to the lower level, the robot lands and receives 2 points of damage.
Timing: Occurs when a robot moves over a ledge.
Operation: When a robot approaches a ledge from the lower level, treat the ledge as a wall.
Timing: Occurs when a robot moves into a ledge.
Ramps
Function: Ramps allow travel from one level to another.
Operation: When a robot moves up a ramp from the lower level, treat the ramp as an extra square of open floor. If a robot stops on the extra square, move the robot back one square.
Timing: Occurs when a robot moves up a ramp.
Operation: When a robot moves down a ramp from the upper level, the ramp has no effect on robot movement.
Timing: Occurs when a robot moves down a ramp.
Trap Door Pits
Function: Trap door pits are covered pits that occasionally open to destroy robots.
Operation: If a robot is on this square when the trap door pit is active, the trap door pit opens and the robot is destroyed. When not active, the trap door pit is treated as open floor. When a robot begins a phase on a trap door pit that has suddenly become active, the robot is destroyed.
Timing: During a register phase in which a trap door pit is active, treat it as a pit for the entire phase.
Repulsor Fields
Function: Repulsor fields push robots that run into them.
Operation: A robot that runs into a repulsor field is pushed directly away from the field for the number of squares equal to its movement card, and loses any remaining movement from that card. A robot that is pushed into a repulsor field by another robot is pushed directly away from the repulsor field for the number of spaces equal to the pushing robot's movement card, and the pushing robot loses any remaining movement from its card. Robots being pushed by a repulsor field can push other robots. A robot can only be pushed by a repulsor field when it runs into a field or when it is pushed into a field by another robot.
Timing: Occurs during the Robots Move segment of the register phase sequence.
Chop Shop
Function: Chop shops have three distinct abilities that affect option cards. A robot may use only one function of a chop shop per register phase.
Operation: If a robot ends a register phase on a chop shop and has any options, it may either scrap one of its options and draw a new option card to replace it, or it may replenish the ammunition of one of its options. If a robot ends a turn on a chop shop, it may draw an option card even if it has no options.
Timing: Occurs during the Touch Checkpoints segment of the register phase sequence.
Component note (printed on the insert): Grand Prix exclusive: a random bonus board from a previous RoboRally release is on the back of every Grand Prix board.
Timing Summary
This timing summary incorporates elements from the RoboRally basic game as well as the Armed and Dangerous, Crash and Burn, and Grand Prix expansions. Some elements mentioned in the summary are not featured in Grand Prix. Board effects introduced in Grand Prix appear in italics.
During each register phase, robots interact with board elements in the following sequence.
A. Reveal Program Cards
Players reveal their program cards.
B. Robots Move
During Robots Move, robots are moved in order according to card priority.
- Robots are affected by pits and walls, and may be pushed by other robots.
- Robots are affected by active trap door pits.
- Any robot executing a movement card on a teleporter appears as many squares forward as is indicated by its movement card plus two squares.
- Any robot executing a movement card in water has its first square of movement negated.
- Any robot moving up a ramp counts the ramp as a square and moves back one square if it ends movement on the ramp.
- Robots take 1 point of damage each time they enter an active flamer square. Robots that execute a rotate card on an active flamer square also take 1 point of damage.
- A robot attempting to end its movement on an oil slick continues to slide in the direction of its movement until it is stopped by a wall or another robot that is not on an oil slick, or until it is no longer on an oil slick.
- A robot entering a portal immediately moves to the other portal of the same color unless the other portal is occupied by another robot.
C. Board Elements Move
- Express conveyor belts move one square.
- Express conveyor belts move their second square of movement. Normal conveyor belts move their first and only square.
- Currents move one square.
- Pushers push one square if active this register phase.
- Gears turn 90°.
- Crushers crush if active this register phase.
D. Resolve Laser Fire
- Board-mounted and robot-mounted laser beams damage robots.
- Active flamers do 1 point of damage.
- Robots may be pushed by options like Tractor Beam or Big Gun.
E. Touch Checkpoints
- Robots on checkpoints and repair sites have now touched them and will withdraw future archive copies from those squares, but robots are not repaired at this time. Any checkpoints touched at this time count toward race victory.
- Robots on chop shops may choose one of three chop shop abilities.
After the fifth register phase, end-of-turn board effects occur.
F. End-of-Turn Board Effects
Robots on checkpoints and repair sites are repaired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Repulsor Fields
Q: What happens when a robot backs up into a repulsor field?
A: When a robot backs up into a repulsor field, it gets "repulsed" one square.
Q: Can robots shoot lasers through repulsor fields?
A: No, repulsor fields act just like walls for weapons and laser fire.
Q: What happens when a robot gets pushed into a repulsor field?
A: The pushed robot gets "repulsed" the number of squares equal to the pushing robot's movement card, moving both robots away from the field.
Q: What happens when an option card moves a robot into a repulsor field?
A: If a robot gets moved into a repulsor field other than by a movement card or a pushing robot, the repulsor field simply acts like a wall.
Trap Door Pits
Q: If a robot leaves a dropped weapon on a trap door pit, does it fall? When does it fall?
A: Any dropped device will fall (and be removed from the board) at the beginning of the phase the trap door pit opens.
Q: Can a robot leave a bridge from the Bridge Layer on a trap door pit?
A: Yes, a robot may leave a bridge on a trap door pit.
Chop Shops
Q: Can a robot "tag" a chop shop with the Robotic Arm?
A: No, the Robotic Arm can only "tag" checkpoints.
Q: When a robot reloads an option, can it end up with more "shots" than counters? For example, if my robot drops two mines, can it reload and drop three more mines for a total of five even though there are only three mine counters?
A: The counters provided for the various options are not meant to imply a maximum number of shots that may be on the board at one time. If your robot gets more mines (or whatever) on the board at one time than you have counters for, just substitute some other counter you are not using.
Ramps
Q: The Canyon board has ramps in the corners of the lower section. Can a robot climb those ramps from the side?
A: Robots can enter those squares from the side, but they can't get out except on the side where the ramp meets the upper section.
Q: If a robot moves off the edge onto one of the ramps in the corner, does it take 2 points of damage?
A: Yes. Unless the robot enters the ramp square where it meets the upper level, the robot will drop and take the damage.
Q: If a robot moves across a ramp, as opposed to climbing one, does that affect its movement?
A: No, ramps only reduce movement when a robot climbs up to the upper section.
Q: If a robot is on a ramp, what level is it considered to be on?
A: The robot is considered to be on the lower level.
Portals
Q: What's with all the different colored portals?
A: When a robot enters any portal, it immediately moves to the other portal of the same color. The colors are meant to make this movement clear.
Oil Slicks and Conveyors
Q: What happens when a conveyor belt dumps a robot onto an oil slick?
A: Basically the same thing happens as when a robot moves onto an oil slick any other time; the robot will keep going until it hits a non-oil space, a robot, or a wall. If an express conveyor belt moves a robot onto an oil slick, and the oil deposits the robot on another conveyor, the second conveyor will still move the robot (moving it a total of three spaces).