RWBY: Combat Ready Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Player Decks
  • Character Scroll Tracker
  • Character Setup
  • Villain Setup
  • Villain Stances
• How Do You Win the Game?
• The Duel
  • How Each Duel is Fought
    • 1. Refresh
    • 2. Duel Rounds
  • Villain Speed and Damage Bonuses
    • 3. End of Duel
  • Sideline Players
    • Rest
    • Play an Assist Card
    • Combo
  • Which Card Should I Play?
• Fury
  • Hero Fury Track
  • Villain Fury Track
• Semblances
• Ultimates
• Experience
• Upgrading Cards
• Overcharging

Components

• Rules
• Scenario Book
• Game Board
• 24 Plastic Cubes to mark Aura, Experience, Fury, and other tracks
• 5 Plastic Miniatures
• 5 Plastic Semblance Markers
• 5 Hero Decks, 30 cards each (Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Penny)
• 5 Character Scroll Trackers
• 3 Villain Decks, 36 cards each (Roman, Adam, and Cinder)
• 18 Objective Cards
• 1 Sheet of Markers and Tokens
• One 10-Sided Die
• 3 Minion Decks, 18 cards each (Roman's Henchmen, the White Fang, and the Grimm)

Setup

Player Decks

Every character has their own deck of cards. Each card represents an attack or action they can take during a Battle. All cards have a Speed rating. Attacks with higher Speed have a greater chance of hitting an opponent.

A card shows the following:

• Card Name
• Speed
• Damage
• Subtype — Various cards and abilities may refer to a card's subtype. For example, flying Minions can only be attacked by attacks with the "Ranged" subtype.
• Effect — Some cards cause additional effects after they are played. If an effect has the immediate symbol, it happens immediately and before combat. Other effects are conditionally triggered, for example, by successfully hitting an Enemy.
• Assist — Some cards have an Assist ability printed at the bottom. An Assist is an alternate way to use the card to help your allies during Battle.

Tier Level: All cards have a Tier Level: 1, 2, 3, or 4. The higher the Tier level, the more powerful the card. Players start the game using only their Tier 1 cards. Tier 1 cards are easy to identify because they have a black border. Higher Tier cards have a gold border. During a Battle, players earn Experience points and can purchase upgraded cards of higher Tiers by paying their Experience cost.

Ultimate Card: Every character has a signature Ultimate finishing move they can perform during a Duel! Like other cards, these can also be upgraded to a higher Tier Level during the Battle.

Character Scroll Tracker

• Hero Name — the character's name.
• Semblance — a special power that a player can use once per Duel. It is tracked using a Semblance marker.
• Aura Track — Heroes track the amount of Damage they take with the Aura track. If they get to 0, they're out of the Battle!
• XP Track — Track XP on this track. XP can be used to upgrade cards for more powerful attacks.

Character Setup

1. Each player chooses a character to play and takes the corresponding Scroll Tracker, miniature, Semblance marker, and cards.
2. Players place 2 cubes on their Scroll Tracker. Place a green cube on the "0" space for their XP, and place a red cube on the highest number of their Aura track, showing they have full Aura.
3. All players take their Tier 2, 3, and 4 cards (gold border) and place them in an "Upgrade Deck" to the side of their Scroll Tracker.
4. All players place their Semblance marker face-up (Ready) near their Scroll Tracker with the icon showing.
5. All players place their Ultimate card face-up near their Scroll Tracker.
6. All players shuffle their deck of Tier 1 cards and place them in a face-down draw pile. They then draw 6 cards into their hand.
7. Decide which player will be the Active Player for the first Duel and place their character miniature on the start space of the Hero Fury track on the game board.

Villain Setup

1. After choosing a Villain to Battle (see the Scenario Book), set the Villain's starting Aura to the amount indicated by the Scenario. For example, Roman Torchwick starts with 65 Aura by placing one red cube on "60" and one red cube on "5".
2. Place a yellow cube on the "+0" space of the Speed Bonus track and a purple cube on the "+0" space of the Damage Bonus track. During a Duel, the Villain gains Speed and Damage Bonuses from various cards. These Bonus tracks are reset to zero after each Duel.

The game board tracks the Villain's Aura, Fury, Speed and Damage Bonuses, and cards.

• Player's Fury Track — For each point of Damage the Active Player deals to the Villain, move the Hero's miniature one space along the Fury track.
• Villain's Deck and Villain's Aura — track the Villain's remaining cards and Aura.
• Villain's Speed & Damage Bonus Tracks — track the Villain's current Speed and Damage Bonuses.
• Hero Cards — The Heroes may play their attacks, Assists, and Combos against the Villain here.
• Villain Fury — The Villain starts on the first slot of the Fury track and progresses one space at the start of each new Round.

3. The Villain's Event cards must be shuffled into their deck prior to play. Event cards represent various power-ups and special abilities gained throughout the Battle. The longer the Battle takes, the more Events will be drawn, and the more powerful and challenging the Villain becomes. This escalation is a key part of the game's feel and tension. Players must defeat the Villain before he gets too powerful!

Prepare the Villain's deck as follows:

a. Find and separate all the special Event cards for the Villain (these have a different back and are labeled "Event"). b. Shuffle the remainder of the deck thoroughly. c. Separate the shuffled deck into a number of similarly sized piles equal to the number of Events plus one. d. Then put them back together by sandwiching Event cards between the layers: Start with one of the piles, place a random Event card on top, then stack another pile, then an Event card, etc. Finish with the last pile on top, so that the deck does not start with an Event card. When you are done, you will have a single deck of cards with the Events hidden inside. e. Place the completed deck face-down on the designated space on the game board.

Villain Stances

Each Villain has their own custom card deck which represents all of their attacks, defenses, abilities, special Events, and diabolical surprises! The backs of these cards show various stances that hint at what kind of action the Villain is about to perform. Remember, the Villain's stance gives you a clue as to how powerful or fast the next attack might be.

Aggressive: An Aggressive stance usually means the Villain is going to make a powerful or fast attack. Be careful!

Balanced: The Balanced stance is a well-rounded stance that can foreshadow a wide range of attacks and abilities, but is less likely to lie at an extreme end of the spectrum.

Subtle: A Subtle stance usually means the Villain is going to make a lower Speed or Damage attack, but also possibly do something sneaky, such as powering up for the Duel, repelling a team Combo, etc.

Event: Event cards represent special powers and actions that power up the Villain and make the Battle more challenging.

How Do You Win the Game?

Each complete Battle with a Villain is fought until the Villain is defeated (Aura is reduced to zero), or until all Heroes are defeated (their Auras are reduced to zero). If an individual player is defeated, they may not participate for the remainder of the current Battle, but their friends continue to fight on to bring down the Villain!

The Duel

Battles are fought in a series of Duels. Each Duel is fought between one player, known as the Active Player, and the Villain.

Duels are fought as a series of combat Rounds. The Rounds are short and fast-paced, escalating to a crescendo until one of the combatants is Bashed, the Active Player runs out of cards, or the Villain Fury marker reaches the end of the track. The Active Player may not voluntarily retire from the Duel.

When a Duel ends, the next player clockwise becomes the Active Player, and another Duel begins with the new Active Player fighting the Villain. Duels continue until the players defeat the Villain or are defeated themselves (see above: "How Do You Win The Game?").

Active Player: The Active Player is the focus of the camera and the action, driving each Round in the Duel! The other players are called Sideline Players. Sideline Players participate during the Duel by Assisting the Active Player, performing Combos, or encountering one of the Objectives in play.

How Each Duel is Fought

Each Duel follows a set order of actions:

1. Refresh

• Objective Cards: At the start of each new Duel, check each Objective card in play and update it. Some Objectives bring Minions into play, while others may advance a track. See the Scenario Book for more details on Objectives.
• Refresh Semblances: At the start of each new Duel, every player refreshes their Semblance marker by flipping it to its ready side (the side showing their icon). Note that Yang's marker refreshes differently and flips when she receives Damage.

2. Duel Rounds

The Duel is fought over a series of Rounds. For each Round:

A. Event Cards: Event cards always take place at the beginning of a Round. If the top of the Villain's deck shows an Event card, turn it over and play it now. Event cards power up the Villain in some way and remain revealed and in play for the rest of the Battle, including all future Duels! If the Villain's deck needs to be reshuffled, do not shuffle any played Events back into the deck.

B. Active Player Attacks: The Active Player must make an attack against the Villain by choosing and playing one of the cards in their hand. Place the card face-up on the table near the game board, but do not resolve combat until Step D. Consider the Villain's stance when choosing which attack to make! These stances give a hint as to what the Villain is going to do next as well as the relative Speed of the action. Some cards allow you to boost them by paying Aura, discarding cards, etc. The decision to boost these cards must be made before the Enemy's card is revealed and combat is resolved. These cards may only be boosted by paying the cost a single time unless stated otherwise on the card.

C. Sideline Players Act: Now each of the Sideline Players chooses an action. Sideline Players may act in any order that they choose. Each Sideline Player chooses one of the following actions:

• Play an Assist card
• Combo with the Active Player
• Encounter an Objective card
• Rest

For each of these actions (except for Rest), the Sideline Player chooses and plays a card, and the actions are resolved immediately. The cards they play are placed in their discard pile. These actions are described in detail later.

D. Villain Attacks: After all the Sideline Players have taken an action, you can reveal the Villain's card! Flip over the top card of the Villain's deck. Compare the Active Player's Speed and the Villain's Speed. The higher Speed card hits! If both cards have the same Speed, neither one hits!

When comparing Speeds, don't forget to count any Speed Bonuses! The Villain may have acquired Speed Bonuses from various cards that have been played. This is normally recorded by the Speed Bonus track on the game board, but it may also come from any special Events currently in play.

Example: Weiss' Speed 11 beats Roman's Speed 6, so she hits with Swift Blade. Remember that other cards or bonuses may increase or decrease your Speed and must be factored in when comparing Speeds.

The player may also have enhanced Speed from Sideline Player assist cards or prior cards they have played. For example, Ruby's Semblance increases her Speed.

The card which hits deals Damage to the target equal to the number of Damage symbols on the card. If the Villain hits the Hero, don't forget to add any Damage Bonuses from the Villain's Damage Bonus track. Cards that do not normally deal Damage or have no Damage value printed on them cannot have their Damage enhanced. Additionally, Hero attacks that deal indirect Damage, such as Area Blast and Cleave, are not able to have the Damage of their special effects increased. Some attacks may have additional effects printed on them which occur either when they are played, when they hit, or based on other conditions.

If, after revealing the Villain's card, an Event is showing, do not play it yet. Events are always played at the beginning of the next Round (see Event cards, above). If the Duel ended, the Event will take place at the start of the first Round of the next Duel.

E. Discard: Discard any cards left in play. Each player has their own discard pile, and the Villain's discard pile is marked on the game board. Some cards may grant a bonus for the next Round. If you need a reminder, you can always glance at the top face-up card of your discard pile.

Villain Speed and Damage Bonuses

Various card effects grant the Villain Speed or Damage Bonuses which are recorded on his Bonus tracks.

When a player's card changes the Villain's Speed or Damage Bonus, it takes effect immediately. When the Villain's card changes his Speed or Damage Bonus, it occurs at the end of the current Round, after the attack is resolved.

The Villain's Speed and Damage Bonus tracks cannot exceed their maximum values, nor can they go below zero. Bonuses from other sources may still continue to affect the Villain's attacks even if these tracks have reached their upper limit. If the Villain would both gain and lose Bonuses at the same time, the tracks are first advanced, and then reduced.

At the beginning of each new Duel, the Villain's Speed and Damage Bonus tracks are reset to zero. Note that other effects may alter the Villain's Speed or Damage without adjusting the Bonus tracks. For example, some Event cards offer "permanent" bonuses which are not recorded on the Bonus tracks and remain in play boosting the Villain's attacks.

F. Advance the Villain's Track: Move the Villain marker one space along the Villain Fury track. Follow any text on that space. For example, the Villain may receive a Speed or Damage Bonus (track this on the Speed and Damage Bonus tracks). As the Duel progresses, the Villain continues to get more powerful!

If the Villain has reached the end of the track, the Duel is over. The Duel also ends if there was a successful Bash attack, or the player runs out of cards. Otherwise, continue a new Round with Step A, as described above.

This happens regardless! This icon means that the text takes effect regardless of whether the attack hits or not.

3. End of Duel

At the end of each Duel, some Objectives might have an effect that takes place. For example, Minions will deal Attrition Damage to the Active Player unless their Ultimate was used. Note that cards offering bonuses on your "Next Attack" do not carry over between Duels.

1. All players draw cards until they have 6 cards in hand. If a player has more than 6 cards in hand at the end of the Duel, then they must discard down to 6 cards. If you run out of cards, simply reshuffle your face-up discard pile to make a new face-down draw pile.
2. All players can Upgrade their cards (see "Upgrading Cards").
3. The next player clockwise becomes the Active Player and a new Duel begins.

Sideline Players

Rest

The player may Rest by drawing 1 card and healing 1 Aura. The player may optionally discard a card when Resting in order to make room for more cards to be drawn at the beginning of the next Duel.

Example: Blake can play this card two different ways. She can use it to make a Siphon attack, or she can use it for its Assist ability (circled).

Out of Villain cards? If the Villain's deck runs out of cards, reshuffle the discard pile to form a new deck. Do not reshuffle Event cards!

Just because they are not on center stage doesn't mean Sideline Players aren't important. In fact, they are crucial to team success!

Play an Assist Card

Some cards have an Assist ability printed at the bottom. This is an alternate way to play the card to support the Active Player or a Sideline Player. Assists can boost an Ally's Speed or Damage, heal their Aura, shield them from attack, increase their Fury, allow them to draw extra cards for fresh options, and much more! Playing a card for its Assist ability can be a very tough decision because you are forfeiting the primary attack which is also printed on the card. To play an Assist, choose an appropriate target and play the card sideways next to its intended target. Assists may only be played on other player's Heroes.

Assisting is a great way to lend support to your Allies when they are most in need. They offer a variety of situational boosts that can turn the tide at a pivotal moment in the Battle!

Combo

The Combo system allows players to double down on the Active Player's attack in an all-or-nothing gamble to take down the Villain! When a Sideline Player decides to Combo with the Active Player, they place their attack card with the Active Player's card. Other Sideline Players may join in and Combo too, and it's even possible to create an epic 4-player Combo attack!

The players involved in a Combo are attacking together as a team, so they all slow down to match the lowest Speed attack. All players, including the Active Player, are considered to be attacking at this Speed as part of a Combo. In other words, when the Villain's card is revealed, its Speed is compared to the lowest Speed attack amongst the players involved in the Combo. If the Villain's attack has an effect that is activated when attacked by a specific Subtype, such as Melee or Ranged, then the effect is activated as long there is at least one attack in the Combo with that Subtype.

Combos are very exciting risk/reward plays – because either all the players hit the Villain, or the Villain hits all of the players! If the Villain hits, the attack's Damage and effects apply to each and every Hero involved in the Combo! If the players hit, they each deal their attack's Damage and effects to the Villain.

Combos can be risky moves to make, but the potential payoff is huge! Players want to try to match their Speeds as closely as possible to maximize the synergy of their attack. Combos are easier to pull off when the Villain is at a lower Speed, but be careful, the Subtle stance is filled with devious tricks that could thwart the effort!

Combo Example: Blake is the Active Player and plays her Whirling Blades attack against the Villain. Weiss decides to attack with Ice Spear, which gains +1 Damage when used in a Combo. Yang decides to join in too. Blake's card has a Speed of 12, but because Yang's attack has a Speed of 8, that Speed is used for the entire Combo to compare against the Villain. If the Villain's Speed is less, then the Heroes win and do a total of 7 Damage.

Which Card Should I Play?

• You only have 6 cards in your hand at the start of a Duel. You must carefully consider the appropriate time to play each one.
• A higher Speed card has a better chance to hit, but lower Speed cards typically deal more Damage and may also have more powerful effects.
• Sometimes it's better to play a lower Speed card. In fact, you almost always want to play the lowest Speed card you feel you can get away with!
• Some of your cards have special abilities or effects printed on them. It might be better to hold one of these until it is likely to have a more profound effect or is sorely needed.

Fury

The Fury system reinforces leveraging your combat momentum while preventing the Villain from gaining the upper hand. Sideline Players do not use a Fury track. They are preoccupied with helping the Active Player defeat the Villain or are dealing with Objectives. There are 2 Fury tracks on the game board, one for the Villain and one for the Active Player. The Fury tracks are a measure of the Villain's or Hero's determination, momentum, and resolve. During a Duel, the Villain and the Active Player are in an intense race to gain Fury faster than the other. As they gain Fury, they gain power and can eventually deliver a spectacular finishing attack to their opponent!

At the beginning of each new Duel, place the Villain marker (or miniature) on the start space of the Villain Fury track and the Active Player miniature on the start space of the Active Player Fury track.

Bash/Ultimate! This is where the Duel could end!

Hero Fury Track

The Active Player's miniature goes up one space on the Fury track for each point of Damage dealt to the Villain by that player's attacks. Additional Damage from Sideline Players and Combo attacks does not increase Fury gained. As they deal more Damage and gain Fury, the Active Player can gain various bonuses. When Fury reaches a certain point on the track, it allows the Active Player to play an Ultimate attack! Once you are able to play your Ultimate, you may continue to fight, and all of your attacks gain +1 Speed for the rest of the Duel. If you manage to reach the end of the track, all of your attacks deal +3 Damage, including your Ultimate! During a Duel, you will need to win Rounds, dealing as much Damage as possible, as quickly as possible, in order to climb your Fury track and be able to finish off the Villain. If you are in the Ultimate zone, you may play your Ultimate at the beginning of any Round to end the Duel.

Villain Fury Track

During the Duel, the Villain's Fury marker tracks his current Fury. At the end of each Round of the Duel, move the marker up one space on his track. As the Duel progresses, the Villain gains Speed and Damage Bonuses which are recorded on the Speed and Damage Bonus tracks. Once the Villain's Fury marker reaches the space marked "Bash", any attack that both hits and Damages the Active Player will Bash them away and end the Duel! If the Villain's Fury track progresses past the end of the track, the Duel ends. However, if the player's Fury track is also in the Ultimate zone when the Duel ends in this manner, the player's Ultimate automatically hits the Villain. This allows a player to risk playing a 6th Round in order to maximize Damage output. At the end of each Duel, the Fury tracks are reduced to zero for both the Villain and player. Then, a new Duel begins with the next clockwise player and the Fury race begins again!

Note that when you are hit or Damaged, you do not lose your Fury. You keep your Fury until the Duel ends by playing your Ultimate or getting Bashed and losing all of it!

Semblances

Each player has a Semblance marker which represents a special power or ability. Their individual abilities and powers are described on each player's Scroll Tracker.

During each Duel, a player may use their Semblance by turning their Semblance marker from its ready side to its inactive face-down side. Once they have used their Semblance, they cannot use it again until it "refreshes" (flips over to its ready side).

At the start of each new Duel, every player refreshes their Semblance marker by flipping it to its ready side.

Note that Yang's Semblance marker refreshes differently - it flips whenever she receives Damage.

Ultimates

Your Ultimate provides a spectacular and satisfying conclusion to your Duel, if you can pull it off! When you accumulate enough Fury on your Fury track, you are able to play your Ultimate attack at the beginning of any Round in place of your normal attack.

Your Ultimate attack is a special card kept face-up to the side of your Status Scroll Tracker. This attack is always available, like an extra card in your hand, but can only be used once you reach the Ultimate zone on your Fury track.

Ultimates have the "Interrupt" ability, meaning the attack always hits, and the Villain does not draw or play a card that Round. Additionally, this effect discards the top card of the Villain's deck (unless it is an Event). Discarding the top card of the Villain's deck can be useful to avoid Aggressive attacks and ensure the next player doesn't begin the next Duel on the back foot.

The Ultimate also Bashes the Villain and ends the Duel immediately without Sideline Players taking further actions. Each player's Ultimate is just a little different, but they always deal great Damage, give bonus Experience, and have powerful effects.

Experience

Experience represents growing in knowledge and capability through combat and overcoming challenges. With each success, the character further develops their combat prowess, enabling them to execute increasingly more powerful attacks and abilities!

Every Round, each player takes one action, such as making an attack or encountering an Objective. When these actions are successful (your attack hits, or your attempt succeeds), the player gains 1 XP (Experience Point). However, if an action is not successful (for example, their attack ties or misses), or if the player used a Rest action, then they do not receive any XP. Note that Ultimates already have the total Experience gained printed on the card, which is much more than a normal attack, and you should not add +1 to this amount.

The Active Player will earn 1 XP each Round they hit the Villain. Sideline Players earn 1 XP each time they:

• Attack and hit something (like a Villain, Sub-Boss, or Minion).
• Play an Assist.
• Successfully encounter a non-combat Objective.

Team Experience Bonuses: Players also gain Experience from accomplishing Scenario Goals. These bonuses are usually given equally to every member of the team. Some examples of team XP bonuses are successfully completing Objectives or defeating Villains. See more on this in the Scenario Book.

Each time you gain Experience, mark it by advancing your cube the appropriate amount on your Scroll's Experience track.

Upgrading Cards

Experience can be spent to improve your attacks and moves by buying new cards!

Hero decks include a number of special higher Tier "Upgrade cards" which can be purchased with Experience. Upgrade cards do not start in your regular play deck at the beginning of a new Campaign. Instead, they are kept in their own separate deck, called your "Upgrade Deck".

These Upgrade cards offer the player a variety of improved attacks and abilities. They may deal more Damage than your starting attacks and/or provide new effects and actions not available from the outset.

Before the game begins, separate your Tier 2, 3, and 4 cards from all of your basic Tier 1 cards. Tier 1 cards have a black border, while Tier 2-4 cards all have gold borders. You start your first Battle with only your Tier 1 cards.

Shuffle your Tier 1 cards and place them face-down as your draw deck. Take all of your higher Tier (2, 3, and 4) Upgrade cards and place them to the side as your Upgrade Deck.

You can look at and examine the cards in your Upgrade Deck at any time. During the course of Battle, players are able to see the cards available to purchase in their Upgrade Deck, and will be thinking about which ones they wish to buy. Some of these cards are unique and powerful improvements, and players are encouraged to play well to earn the Experience necessary to purchase them!

At the end of each Duel, after all players have drawn cards to replenish their hands to 6, players have a chance to purchase one or more new Upgrade cards. The XP cost for an Upgrade is printed on the card.

Most of the time, you'll be able to buy a new card, but after some Duels you will not. You can always save up your Experience to buy new cards later in the Battle.

Players may browse through their entire Upgrade Deck, choosing whatever cards they wish to purchase, as long as they have enough Experience to pay for all of them. After choosing new cards from your Upgrade Deck, and paying the total Experience cost from your Experience point track, you must choose an equal number of cards to remove from your hand. For each card you purchase, you must remove a card that is exactly one Tier level lower.

Example 1: If you wish to purchase a Tier 2 card, you will have to choose and remove a Tier 1 card from your hand.

Example 2: If you wish to purchase a Tier 4 card, you must choose a Tier 3 card in your hand to remove. If you do not have a Tier 3 card to remove, you cannot purchase the new Tier 4 card at this time.

Thus, your play deck is always going to have the same number of cards in it, but those cards are always improving and getting better! When choosing which cards to remove, players are also allowed to select new cards acquired during the same Upgrade phase. In this way, a Tier 1 card can be transformed first into a Tier 2 card and finally into a Tier 3 card in succession by paying the appropriate XP costs. When you are finished adding the new cards and removing the old cards, you should have exactly 6 cards in your hand.

The cards you remove from your hand in this way are returned to your Upgrade Deck. Each time you buy a card from your Upgrade Deck, you are putting another card back into it. The exception to this rule is Tier 1 cards, which are permanently removed and not returned to your Upgrade Deck.

The cards put into your Upgrade Deck are always available for purchase at a future time. For example, if you remove a Tier 2 card from your hand because you replaced it with a Tier 3 card, you have added that Tier 2 card to your Upgrade Deck which can be purchased later (replacing a Tier 1 card).

A player may also Upgrade his Ultimate card, even though it's not part of their hand. The player pays the Experience cost as normal and replaces the Ultimate card with the version from the next higher Tier.

Overcharging

You do not have to play your Ultimate attack if you don't want to. You can continue to hold onto it and overcharge! As you play additional normal Rounds of the Duel, your marker continues to move down your Fury track, gaining bonus Experience and a large Damage boost if you manage to reach the end of the track! This bonus Damage applies to your Ultimate as well! But be careful: the Villain might gain the upper hand and your Duel could end abruptly! Once the Ultimate is played, it still remains out to the side of your Scroll Tracker, available again for a future Duel.