Sentinel Tactics: The Flame of Freedom
Sentinel Tactics: The Flame of Freedom Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Map Tiles
On the token sheets, you will find eight large, double-sided hex map tiles. Each tile features a section of the city Megalopolis on one side and the jungle island Insula Primalis on the other. Each map tile also has a number and arrow at the top, which aids in setup of scenarios.
On each hex space, the white dots along the edge indicate the elevation. One dot is "ground level", two dots is "a few stories up", three dots is "really very tall", and four dots is "the tallest thing around". Elevation can affect movement and line of sight.
Tokens
There are many different types of tokens, some of which represent characters, targets, or features on the map, and others that are used to track effects. Check out the Token List on page 12.
Dice
This game includes 18 six-sided dice!
Cards and Panels
On the next few pages, you will find in-depth explanations of the 10 panels and 92 cards.
Character Panels
Each character is represented by a character panel. The front shows the game-relevant information about a character and their abilities. The back has biographical information about that character. Let's look at the parts of a character panel now:
Health
Represents the life force of your character. At the start of the game, place a health token over each of the wound spaces on your character panel. Whenever that character takes damage, remove a health token. If a character runs out of health tokens, they are incapacitated. (See page 5 for rules on incapacitation and recovery.)
Actions
How many actions you may take during the Go Time! phase of your turn. (See pages 4 & 5 for more information on taking actions.)
Defense
How many dice you roll in defense when you are attacked.
Movement
How you determine your character's move value. At the beginning of the game and during the To Be Continued phase of each turn, roll the number of dice noted in your movement. An up arrow means you take the highest die rolled; a down arrow means you take the lowest die rolled; a sideways arrow means you take the median die (the middle of three - if you rolled 4, 5, and 6, the median die is 5. If you rolled 2, 2, and 3, the median die is 2). Place that die on your character panel by your movement. The value shown is your move value for your next turn. If a card lists a target as having a move value, rather than movement, that target does not need to roll to determine move value, as it is a static, printed value.
Innate Powers
Each character has abilities and attacks that they always have access to. These are listed in the innate powers section of their character panel. Attacks are commonly found in the lower-right of a character's panel. Learn more about the icons and the attack die codes on the next page!
Power Cards
Each character also has a hand of cards. These cards are always available to you! At the start of the game, each character gets two of their cards in play, which can be switched out one at a time during the Power Up phase of your turn. Each character can have no more than two power cards in play at a time, unless they have an ability that indicates otherwise.
In the game text section of a power card, there are icons that indicate how to use that card's abilities:
Action icon (fist) — This is an action ability. It takes an action to activate.
Ongoing icon (burst) — This is an ongoing ability. When this ability is in play, it is active. It does not require any kind of activation.
Health icon (cross) — This is a health ability. To activate this ability, your character loses one health, but does not have to use an action.
Any abilities with a different cost will feature icons indicating what that cost is, such as Bunker's Omni-Cannon, which costs four attack+1 tokens to activate.
Abilities are limited by nature. Each ability may only be used once per turn, unless it is labeled Unlimited. Unlimited abilities still require an action or health to activate (depending on the type of action), but can be used multiple times in the same turn.
Any card with the keyword One-Shot may only be used once per incapacitation. Upon using the ability on a One-Shot card, remove that card from play. It goes back to your hand when your character recovers from incapacitation.
Attacks have an attack die code, which indicates how many dice to roll as part of that attack, which numbers are auto-misses, and any extra targeting information about that attack. Let's take a look at this attack die code:
3 [dice icon] 1 2 3 4 5 6 (with 2 and 4 struck through)
When making this attack, you roll 3 dice, removing all 2s and 4s. Then if at least one of your attack dice makes range, the target of your attack would roll defense dice.
We'll talk more about attacking and defending on page 8.
Turns
Each turn has four phases:
Power Up: During your Power Up phase, you may pick up any one of your power cards in play and replace it with a different power card from hand. If you do not have as many power cards in play as you are allowed, you may place a power card instead of replacing a power card this phase.
Then, discard any Aim or Dodge tokens you have.
(You cannot pick up and put back down the same power card.)
(If your character is incapacitated, during your Power Up phase roll new movement, and replace all of their health tokens.)
Surge: Any effect which triggers during the Surge phase occurs now. These effects can be found on power cards or character panels and specifically list the Surge phase. If there are no Surge effects in your play area, nothing occurs in this phase.
Go Time!: This is when you get to take actions and make attacks! You may take up to the number of actions listed in the Action section of your character panel during this phase. Additionally, you may use abilities which have costs other than actions during this phase, such as health actions or rare cases, such as Bunker's Omni-Cannon (which costs four attack+1 tokens to activate).
To Be Continued: First, roll your movement dice to determine what your move value will be for your next turn. Then, any hazard spaces your character is standing in activate. Last, flip your turn order token face down to indicate that your turn is over.
When all of the players' turn order tokens are face down, the round is complete and a new round begins with everyone flipping their turn order tokens face up again.
Effect Tokens
Attack+1 tokens and Defense+1 tokens may be spent after you make an attack or defense roll. You may spend one token to roll one additional die. You may spend as many tokens as you have, choosing to use them one at a time. When making any attack that hits multiple targets, each Attack+1 token may only affect the roll against one of the targets.
Attack-1 and Defense-1 tokens, conversely, reduce the amount of attack or defense dice you roll, but at the rate of only one token per roll. No matter how many -1 tokens you have, only one is used at a time. Whenever you make the associated roll, roll one fewer die and discard one of the associated tokens.
Aim and Dodge tokens can be gained by taking an Aim or Dodge action (see page 5). You may spend an Aim token before making an attack to make all of the attack dice you roll equal the highest die you roll for one of your targets, or spend a Dodge token before making a defense roll to make all of the defense dice you roll equal the highest die you roll.
Actions for Everyone!
There are four actions which everyone has access to, unless specifically stated otherwise. During your Go Time! phase, you may use one or more of your actions to do one or more of these:
Move: Move your character any number of hexes up to your move value. When moving this way, each point of elevation change, whether up or down, takes an additional point of move value, unless your character has Mobility, which allows you to ignore elevation changes when moving.
If you enter a hazard space while moving, it immediately makes its attack on you.
You can move through spaces occupied by other characters, but you cannot end movement in a space occupied by another character.
(Omnitron-V and other multi-hex targets have special movement rules - see page 11)
Sprint: Move your character up to two hexes. Sprinting ignores elevation changes, but still can activate hazard spaces. Because Move and Sprint are separate actions, you may do both in the same turn.
Aim: Gain an Aim token. You can spend an Aim token before making an attack roll to change each die rolled to the highest roll, after removing auto-misses. When attacking multiple targets with the same attack roll (such as an Area Attack), Aim only affects the first target of your attack.
Dodge: Gain a Dodge token. You can spend a Dodge token before making a defense roll to change all dice rolled to the highest die rolled.
Conflict Resolution
If multiple events would happen at the same time, such as three targets being hit by an Area Attack, the player whose turn it is chooses the order in which the events occur.
Anything with health is a target. Only targets and incapacitated characters occupy hexes. Any target may move through another target, but a target cannot end its movement in an occupied hex. Map elements, such as scenario markers, Absolute Zero's Impaling Structures, and Ra's Blazing Tornado, do not occupy hexes, and targets can share spaces with them.
For questions about specific cards, check out www.sentineltactics.com/cards
Incapacitation
When a character is reduced to 0 health, that character is incapacitated. They lose all tokens, any power cards in play are returned to their hand, their move value die is removed from their character panel, and their token is flipped to the incapacitated side. Any used One-Shot cards are returned to their hand at this point, as well. Damage in excess of what it took to reduce the target to 0 health becomes one hex of push (see page 9) per point of "overkill" damage.
On their next Power Up phase, that character stands back up, regains full health, rerolls their movement, flips their token, and may place one of their power cards.
Table Layout
A Game in Progress! The character panels and their power cards go in front of each player. Health tokens go over each of the spaces in the health area of each character panel. Tokens or miniatures show where on the map each character is. Turn order tokens help keep track of who acts when. Game on!
Line of Sight & Range
When making attacks, line of sight is important. All attacks require a line of sight from the source of the attack to the target, unless the attack specifically says otherwise. Fortunately, drawing line of sight is easy! If the attacker can trace a straight, unobstructed line from any point within its own hex to any point on the target hex, the attacker has line of sight. If not, then there is no line of sight. Line of sight can be blocked by elevation, but not by characters or other targets. If there is a hex of elevation higher than either end point between the attack's origin and the target, then line of sight is blocked.
In the following examples, successful line of sight is denoted by a red line.
In the example to the left, Ra and the Assault Drone can obviously not see each other, as the hex of elevation 2 is perfectly between them.
The Wraith and the Assault Drone have line of sight, as an unobstructed line can be drawn between them with no difficulty.
However, Bunker and the Assault Drone do not have line of sight, as the line would have to pass through points of elevation 2, and the Drone is standing on elevation 1.
Range is also affected by elevation. Range is the number of hexes from one target to another plus the difference in elevation.
In the example on the right, only Citizens Autumn, Summer, and Dare can see Legacy, and vice-versa.
Citizen Autumn and Legacy are at range 6, as they are 3 hexes away from each other and the difference in their elevation is 3.
Citizen Summer and Legacy are at range 2, as they are 2 hexes away from each other but on the same elevation.
Citizen Dare and Legacy are adjacent, but still at range 4, as they are 1 hex away from each other and the difference in their elevation is 3.
Range is important when rolling attack dice, as dice must make range to hit. Let's talk about how range affects attacking and defending now!
Attacking & Defending
When you make an attack (using the attack die code discussed on page 3), follow these steps:
- Declare that you are using an Aim token, if you have one and want to use it
- Check for line of sight
- Roll attack dice (roll one fewer die if you have an Attack-1 token)
- Use any number of Attack+1 tokens you hold, if you want
- Remove any die that rolled an auto-miss number
- Apply Aim effects, if an Aim token was used
- Check range, and remove all dice that rolled lower than that range
Then, the defender follows these steps:
- Declare that you are using a Dodge token, if you have one and want to use it
- Roll defense dice (roll one fewer die if you have a Defense-1 token)
- Use any number of Defense+1 tokens you hold, if you want
- Apply Dodge effects, if a Dodge token was used
- Block attack dice with defense dice
The defender may assign each defense die to block an attack die that rolled the same number or lower. Each unblocked attack die removes one health token from the target.
Types of Attacks
Under the attack die code of an attack, there can be various modifiers which change the type of attack.
Melee attacks may only be made against targets in adjacent hexes. They still count range.
Area Attacks hit multiple targets. They list an origin and a radius. The origin is the maximum number of hexes away from you the attack originates. You must have line of sight to the origin, but ignore elevation when counting hexes for determining origin. The radius is how many hexes are hit by the attack. An origin 2, radius 2 attack would originate from a hex up to 2 hexes away from the source of the attack and hit every hex within radius 2 of the origin. Hexes in the radius which do not have line of sight from the origin cannot be hit. Area attack dice check range from the point of origin.
Vertex Area Attacks function like regular area attacks but do not have a radius. Instead, count origin from the source, selecting one of the vertexes of that hex (one of its corners). Then, make the attack against all targets in hexes that vertex touches (affects three hexes).
Hazard Attacks are made by hazard spaces. The hexes affected by the radius listed on the hazard attack activate when a target enters or ends their turn in one of those hexes. The origin of the attack must have line of sight to the target for the hazard space to activate.
Push moves a target hit by this attack that number of hexes in any direction, ignoring elevation. This movement can trigger hazard spaces.
Any attack that hits multiple targets will always use one attack roll for all of the targets, though each of the targets rolls defense individually against that attack.
All targets are immune to their own attacks, which is important for area attacks with origin 0.
Example Combat
As seen on the map tile on the right, Baron Blade and two of his Blade Battalion Soldiers are menacing the hero Ra!
Fortunately, it's Ra's turn, and he has three Attack+1 tokens!
During his Power Up phase, he replaces one of his power cards with Inferno!
Nothing happens during Ra's Surge phase, so it's Go Time!
Ra uses his first action to activate the action on Inferno. He places the origin only 2 away from him (indicated with the red line).
He rolls his 5 dice, getting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Not great. Ra uses two of his Attack+1 tokens on one of the Blade Battalion Soldiers and the other on Baron Blade. He rolls a 2 and a 4 for the soldier and 4 for the Baron. So, after removing the 2s and 5s as they are auto-misses, there's a 1, 3, and 4 going at each enemy, as well as another 4 at both Baron Blade and the soldier. However, the 1 can't make range on Baron Blade, due to elevation. Baron Blade rolls three defense dice, getting 2, 4, and 6. His 6 and 4 block Ra's two 4s, but the 2 cannot block Ra's 3, so Baron Blade takes 1 damage. One soldier rolls defense, blocking all but one attack die, so it takes 1 damage. The other soldier manages to only block the 1 and is destroyed.
Knowing he'll be attacked, Ra uses his last action to Dodge, gaining a Dodge token. He rolls movement for his To Be Continued phase and ends his turn.
Now it's Baron Blade's turn. In his Power Up phase, he replaces a power card with his Fission Blaster. He spends an action to Aim, gaining an Aim token, and activates the Fission Blaster. Before rolling, he declares that he is Aiming, spending the Aim token he just gained. He then counts range to determine how many dice to roll for his attack. He is 3 hexes away from Ra with an elevation difference of 2, so he rolls 5 dice, ending up with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6. The 1 goes away, as it's an auto-miss, and then the remaining four dice become sixes, due to Aiming.
Ra declares that he is Dodging, spending his Dodge token, and rolls 1, 2, and 6, making all his dice 6s. His three 6s block three of Blade's four 6s, but the unblocked 6 gets through and deals Ra 1 point of damage.
Advanced Rules
Sentinel Tactics comes with many scenarios to play through, each which tell stories from Sentinel Comics and pit heroes and villains against each other with their own objectives and even scenario specific powers!
However, you can also set up your own epic battles! Skirmishes are a great way to take teams of any size, made up of equal numbers of characters, and have a royal rumble! A 3 characters vs. 3 characters skirmish, played to 3 incapacitations makes for a fast, tournament-style battle, but feel free to come up with your own combinations and objectives. You can write your own scenarios, even! At the start of the game, build the map however you like, pick your teams, and then alternate turn order tokens. Scenarios will tell you to use turn order tokens in different sequences, but for skirmishes, just alternate turns. Interested in tournament play? Keep an eye on www.sentineltactics.com for more information...
Omnitron-V
Omnitron-V has its own entry here because it's big. It takes up three spaces. When moving Omnitron-V, it starts its move action from one of its three spaces. Wherever it ends up, you may place it in any configuration, as long as one of its three spaces is in a valid ending point for the movement. Omnitron-V may trace line of sight for its attacks for any space it occupies. Omnitron can occupy multiple elevation points simultaneously, and can attack from and be attacked at any of those elevation points. (These same rules apply to Omni-Reaper.)
The Volcano! Playing a game with the Volcano in play? Feel free to put the "Flow of Fiery Lava" environment card in play. That turns the lava into dangerous hazard spaces! You can also create hazards with the lava tokens!
Environment Effects
In Insula Primalis, there are green-outlined hexes full of vegetation. These introduce the concept of cover. If there is at least one hex of cover between two targets, line of sight is blocked. Also, a target standing in cover can see out of cover, but cannot be seen unless the target attempting to make line of sight is adjacent to them.
In the example on the right, Legacy, the Wraith, and Tachyon can all see each other, but no one can see Absolute Zero. He can see Bunker, but no one else. Bunker can see Tachyon, but not the Wraith, but the Wraith can see Bunker just fine.
Want even more environment effects? Check out the tokens and cards for the monorail train for Megalopolis, and the velociraptors and Tyrannosaurus rex for Insula Primalis!
Token List
Character/Target Tokens: These represent things in the game that have health. They have active sides and incapacitated or wounded sides.
Turn Order Tokens: These are used to keep track of turns.
Scenario Tokens: These are used in scenario setup to denote many different things. They usually start in play initial side up.
Health Tokens: These are used to track health. They are the same on both sides.
Aim/Dodge Tokens: Gain one of these whenever you take an Aim or Dodge action.
Attack+1/Attack-1 Tokens and Defense+1/Defense-1 Tokens: These are for keeping track of modifiers.
Effect Markers: These keep track of where on the map various effects are, such as Absolute Zero's Impaling Structures or Ra's Blazing Tornado or lava. These are the same on both sides.
Pylon/Shard Tokens: These are used in scenarios to denote specific scenario elements. There are 6 different shard tokens.
Monorail Track: These tokens can be laid out on a map to provide a place for the monorail train to travel. There are no scenarios in Sentinel Tactics: The Flame of Freedom which use this track, but there is one in Sentinel Tactics: Uprising!
Tyrannosaurus Rex Token: When this token moves, the movement originates from the first hex, and the second follows in line, like a tail.
Glossary
Action: An ability which can be used on a player's turn
Active Power Card: A power card which is in play in front of a player
Adjacent: Targets are adjacent when they are in hexes next to each other, regardless of elevation
Aim: An action that gains an Aim token, which can be spent to make attack dice all equal the highest die rolled
Ally: A character or target on your team
Area Attack: An attack centered on a hex that hits multiple targets with the same attack roll
Attack: An action or ability that has the attack die code
Attack Die: A die rolled as part of an attack
Auto-Miss: A de-emphasized number in an attack die code; indicates attack dice that roll this number are removed
Block: Blocking dice are defense dice which have been assigned to attack dice equal to or less than the value they show
Cardinal Hex Direction: One of the six directions which proceeds along a straight line from the origin point
Character: A target that also has a character panel and power cards
Companion: A target controlled by a power card; companions enter play adjacent to the controlling character
Cover: Line of sight blocking hexes with advanced rules
Damage: Damage dealt reduces health of a target equal to the amount of damage
Defense: The number of dice rolled in response to being attacked
Defense Die: A die rolled as part of a defense roll
Destroy: A non-character target reduced to zero HP is destroyed; destroyed targets are removed from the game
Dodge: An action that gains a Dodge token, which can be spent to make defense dice all equal the highest die rolled
Elevation: Height, as indicated by the number of white dots in a hex; blocks line of sight and can impede movement
Enemy: A character or target not on your team
Go Time!: The third phase in a turn, in which the active player may use actions
Hand: The cards belonging to your character not in play or removed from play
Hazard Space: A hex that, when a target enters or ends their turn there, causes a damage source to attack
Health: The vitality or durability of a character or target
If: Abilities using "if" trigger before the listed effect would occur
Incapacitated: A character reduced to zero health is incapacitated and will recover at the start of their next turn
Line of Sight: An unobstructed line traced from anywhere in one target's hex to another target's hex
Melee Attack: An attack which can only be made against an adjacent target
Mobility: Targets with Mobility ignore changes in elevation when moving
Move Value: The distance a target can move on their turn, taking into account elevation
Movement: The code on a character panel that indicates how many dice to roll to determine a character's move value
One-Shot: A card that, after using its ability, is removed from play until the controlling character is incapacitated
Ongoing: Abilities which do not need to be activated
Origin: The hex or point from which certain attacks originate
Place: Put a power card into play, if you do not already have your maximum of two power cards in play
Power Card: One of a character's cards which lists their abilities and actions
Power Up: The first phase of a turn; power cards may be placed or replaced in this phase
Push: Forced movement in any direction; pushing ignores changes in elevation
Radius: Area, centered on an origin hex; radius ignores elevation when counting hexes
Range: The distance from one point to another, counting hexes and difference in elevation.
Replace: To pick up one power card from play and put a different power card into play
Reach: Checking range with Reach treats range as if it were less than it actually is by the Reach amount
Scenario Bonus: Any extra effect granted as a result of an objective or an incapacitation in a scenario
Sprint: An action which moves a target or character two hexes, ignoring elevation
Surge: The second phase of a turn, in which Surge abilities are activated
Target: Anything with health
To Be Continued: The last phase of a turn, in which new movement is rolled and hazard spaces are activated
Unlimited: An action that can be used multiple times in a turn
Vertex Area Attack: An attack centered on a point between three hexes that hits multiple targets with the same attack roll
Whenever: Abilities using "whenever" trigger after the listed effect occurs
You: Whenever you are mentioned by a card or panel, it is referring to the controlling player specific to that character
Quick Reference
Turn Phases
1: Power Up — You may place a power card or replace an active power card with one from your hand.
2: Surge — Do any Surge actions listed on your power cards or character panel.
3: Go Time! — Take your actions!
4: To Be Continued... — Roll movement and activate hazard spaces you are in, if any.
See pages 5 & 6 for more details!
Actions
Each player has access to these actions, which can be used during the "Go Time" phase of a turn.
Move — Move a number of hexes up to your move value, taking elevation changes into consideration.
Sprint — Move up to two hexes, ignoring elevation changes.
Aim — Gain an Aim token.
Dodge — Gain a Dodge token.
Icons
Action — This ability costs an action to activate.
Ongoing — This ability is a persistent effect. It does not need to be activated.
Health — This ability does not cost an action to activate. To activate it, you instead lose one health.