Steel Arena: Arsenal
Steel Arena: Arsenal Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 4 Ability cards
- 8 Mine tokens
- 14 New Attack modules
- 4 New Terrain tiles
- 8 Additional Turn modules
- 4 Accelerate Mode reference cards
- 4 New modules, Terrain, Ability and Mine reference sheets
New rules
The Steel Arena: Arsenal expansion changes the basic rules of the game and brings four additional rules. You can follow all four or choose the one that matches your style of playing. The new rules add mobility to your Robots, give them more abilities, teach you to control the battlefield or provide you with the Generation II modules from the very beginning, accelerating the start of the game. Besides that you will find Attack modules and terrain tiles with new features in the box!
Use the basic rules with the following modifications:
- Remove from the game (put back into the box) the F451 and the Quasar modules. Add new Attack modules and Terrain tiles from the expansion to the corresponding piles.
- During the Active phase, after cooling down all modules, a player can activate the Central module (and only that one).
- Modules are discarded immediately after taking damage (not at the end of turn). If the choice of modules to discard of one player affects the choice of other players, the active player discards their modules first. Then other players discard modules in a clockwise order.
- Modules with an Auto-Cooling ability lying face down can be cooled down during the end of any player's turn. To do so you need to flip them over face up. There are exceptions for Move and Turn modules when using the Acceleration mode additional rule.
- One of the game end conditions has changed. Now you don't need to destroy your opponent's Central module. The game ends immediately as soon as one of the Robots has no more modules.
Additional rules
Use optionally (you can find a full description of each rule below):
- Acceleration mode. This mode replaces the Wastage rule from the basic version of the game. Now players can use Move and Turn modules in an alternative way – any Generation II or III Move or Turn module lying face down can be activated. Its effect and abilities depend on its type and Generation. The Generation II modules allow to take a Speed action, the Generation III modules allow to take a Speed and Auto-Cooling action.
- Starting munition. After getting a starting pack of the Generation I modules each player also gets a pack of 4 Generation II modules (2 Attack modules, 1 Move module and 1 Turn module), choose and keep 2 modules and shuffle the rest back into the corresponding piles of the Generation II modules.
- Abilities. After the battlefield is formed, each player gets a two-sided card with unique abilities of the Robot they have chosen. Players must decide which side of their ability card they will use during the game. Once the choice is made it cannot be changed.
- Mines. After the battlefield is formed, each player gets 2 Mine tokens of the Robot they have chosen. During their turn a player can put one of the Mines on a tile or the empty space of the battlefield where the player has started moving or where they stepped during their turn. Anyone (including the Mine's owner) who stepped on the Mine is stopped by it, then the Mine's effect is applied.
Acceleration mode
This mode replaces the Wastage rule from the basic version of the game.
You can use the Turn and Move modules in an alternative way. It is considered that all facing down Turn and Move modules are in the Acceleration mode. You can activate them and they stay face down after that. At any moment of your turn you can flip over as many modules as you want face up or face down unless there are the Overheat tokens lying on them.
In the Acceleration mode the Generation II and III Turn modules turn your Robot 1 sector in any direction, and the Generation II and III Move modules allow your Robot to move 1 step forward.
In this mode the Generation II Turn and Move modules also have a Speed ability, and the Generation III Turn and Move modules have both Speed and an Auto-Cooling abilities.
NOTE: Ignore abilities and effects depicted on the face of the module while it is in the Acceleration mode.
When using the Acceleration mode, remove 2 of each AXIS M2-R and AXIS-M3-RC modules and shuffle the Turn and Move modules from the expansion into corresponding piles.
Starting munition
After getting a starting pack of the Generation I modules each player also gets a pack of 4 Generation II modules: 1 Move module, 1 Turn module and 2 Attack modules. Then, simultaneously, players secretly choose 2 modules and attach them to their Robot boards face down. The rest of the modules are shuffled into corresponding piles.
When using the Starting munition rule, shuffle the Turn modules from this expansion into corresponding piles.
Abilities
After the battlefield is formed, each player gets the Ability card corresponding to the Robot they have chosen. There are different abilities on each side of the Ability card. Players secretly choose one of the abilities. Then they simultaneously put the Ability cards next to their Robot boards. During the game each robot will have a unique ability depicted on the visible side of the card.
NOTE: The Ability card cannot be flipped over till the end of the game.
Robot abilities
OBJECT113'S MOBILITY. Right after another player's turn during which your Robot took damage, it can move in any direction to a distance not exceeding the value of damage taken. You should apply all the basic rules for moving.
NOTE: The Robot doesn't pick a module after this move.
This move is not considered a jump.
This ability is activated right after an active player ended their turn.
BATODO'S REFLEXES. Right after another player's turn during which your Robot took damage, you can activate 1 module (in this case the Speed ability doesn't work). This activation is not considered as a turn, it cannot be used for cooling down and you don't pick a new module after it.
NOTE: This ability is activated right after the end of the active player's turn.
NOTE: If Batodo's Reflexes and Object113's Mobility are both activated during the same turn, their effects are applied in a clockwise order starting with the active player.
KSERKS' FURY. Once per play your Robot can use an overheated Attack module, which is immediately discarded after that. This ability card is also discarded.
NOTE: you still cannot activate the same module twice per turn.
TILDA'S MOBILITY. If your Robot ends its turn at the edge of the battlefield it can immediately turn 1-2 sectors in any direction.
If a Speed module has been activated for that move, you continue your turn following the basic rules.
BATODO'S POWER. The Central module has the Melee attack ability with the value 2 (instead of the value 1).
KSERKS' SECRET WEAPON. The Central module has the Direct Shot ability with the value 1 (instead of Melee attack).
OBJECT113'S SPEED. The Central module allows to move 1-3 tiles forward (instead of 1).
TILDA'S AGILITY. The Central module allows to turn 1-2 sectors in the Normal mode and 1-3 sectors in the Forced mode.
Alternative variant of the Ability rule
Before starting a game choose one ability. All the Robots will have this ability. The Kserks' Fury ability becomes reusable; Batodo's Reflexes and Object113's Mobility are activated in a clockwise order beginning with the active player.
Mines
After the battlefield is formed, each player gets the Mine tokens corresponding to their Robot. During their turn, a player can put a Mine token face down on the tile on which their Robot has started the turn or moved to. A player can put all their Mines during one turn, but they must be placed on different tiles. You cannot put a Mine on the tile where your Robot stops.
All Mines have the following general features:
- The Mine placed on the tile is activated when any Robot (including the one that has put it there) steps on this tile or stops on it. The activated Mine is flipped over face up and its effect is immediately applied. After that the Mine is returned to the box.
- The move that caused the Mine activation immediately ends. If the Speed module was used for this move, the active player can continue their turn but only after the Mine effect is applied.
- Mines cannot be targets. You can attack a tile with a Mine on it, but it won't activate the Mine.
IMPORTANT: The Jump feature doesn't activate the Mines placed on the tiles you cross while moving. You only activate the Mine on the tile on which you stop.
NOTE: If there is a Mine on the empty space of the battlefield you should still put the Generation III tile there at the end of your turn.
Mine types
The Mines table in the printed rules shows these effects as icons only; the labels below name each icon row.
Each Mine shows one of the following effects:
- Overheat (1 module or all modules of the same type). The Robot that has stepped on this Mine overheats 1 module or all modules of the same type, respectively, at the Mine owner's choice.
- Move (1 or 1-3 tiles). The Robot that has stepped on this Mine moves 1 or 1-3 tiles in any direction at the Mine owner's choice.
- Turn (1 or 1-3 sectors). The Robot that has stepped on this Mine turns 1 or 1-3 sectors in any direction at the Mine owner's choice.
- Damage (1 or 2 hits). The Robot that has stepped on this Mine takes 1 or 2 hits of damage respectively. You can protect yourself from this kind of damage only with the help of the Umbrella and the Swarm Defence modules. All discarded modules become the Mine owner's trophies. You don't get any trophies in case your Robot steps on its own mine.
Attack modules
New types of attack
RAM. This module can only be activated during a Collapse. The target takes damage equal to the number of tiles crossed by the module owner, plus one. It is not necessary to move in a straight line. Take into account only the tiles that have been crossed before and at the moment of Collapse during this turn.
EXAMPLE: It's Object113's turn. It moved 2 tiles, turned 1 sector to the left and activated a Move module with the value 2. It bumps into Tilda and inflicts it 3 units of damage.
MELEE ATTACK, CIRCULAR. It can hit all the targets on the adjacent tiles.
BURST. It can hit one target in the shot line and in each of two parallel lines. Burst cannot hit a target behind other Robots or terrain tiles with the Hindrance ability.
New additional effects
PROTECTION IGNORING. It applies to one target in the shot line. Allows to ignore any protection of the target.
TARGET HEATING. It applies to one target in the shot line. Damage is dealt before applying the effect. It overheats a specified number of target's modules at the attacker's choice (if possible). Overheating of modules with Overheat tokens on them doesn't lead to any effects.
SELF-DAMAGE. It is applied after all other module abilities have been activated. It deals damage to its owner. The damage cannot be minimized by any kind of Defence.
TARGET COOLING (WEAPON). It applies to one target in the shot line. The target can cool down a specified number of modules at its choice. Damage is dealt before or after the effect at the attacker's choice.
INDRAWAL. It applies to one target in the shot line and can only target a Robot. The target can be moved to the tile adjacent to the attacker. Moving the target activates all terrain tile effects and Mines on the way. Damage is dealt before the INDRAWAL effect is applied.
New terrain tiles
SLIDING. The Robot that has stepped or stopped on this tile is immediately moved the specified number of tiles in the direction of its movement (if possible). After that, the Robot can continue its movement if it was interrupted.
SLOWDOWN. The Robot that has stepped or stopped on this tile reduces the number of tiles to move by the specified amount.
COMPLETE COOLING. It cools down all the modules of the Robot that has stopped or started its turn on this tile. It doesn't allow to activate the same module twice per turn.
DAMAGE. The Robot that has stepped, stopped or begun its turn on this tile takes the indicated amount of damage.