Tannhäuser: Operation Novgorod

Tannhäuser: Operation Novgorod Rulebook

Table of Contents

Rules

This section contains new rules and options for Tannhäuser.

A. Character Types

Operation Novgorod introduces a new Character Type (see page 5 of the Tannhäuser Instruction Manual). The Character Type "Legend" joins the Heroes and Troopers of the Tannhäuser universe.

This new Character Type (treated as a Hero for unit composition purposes) has enormous potential and characteristics well above normal. However, the real distinguishing mark of characters of this type is their innate capacity to cancel the special powers of enemy equipment that operate on a Natural 10 Combat Roll.

Characters of this Character Type can be identified by the "Legend" stamp on the Character Sheet's illustration.

B. Null Characteristics

It is possible for some characters to have a Null Characteristic, which is shown on their Character Sheet by a dash. Voïvodes, for example, have a Null Mental Characteristic. This means that they are unaffected by all things Mental – duels, mental attacks, and all other actions related to this characteristic.

C. Modifier Circles

The Operation Novgorod game board has a green Mental Characteristic Circle. The current Mental Characteristic of any character placed on this circle is increased by one point.

D. Game Mode

This expansion presents a new fifth Game Mode that adds to the four Modes in the Tannhäuser Instruction Manual.

King of the Hill Mode

In this Game Mode, the protection and survival of the units' Leaders is of primary importance, because those characters are the only ones who can score the points each side needs to win.

Before starting play, each player takes one unused Equipment Token for each of his Heroes, mixes them up, and draws them in a random order. The order in which the Heroes' Equipment Tokens are drawn determines the precedence of that unit's Leaders, with the first-drawn being the first Leader, the second-drawn being the second Leader, and so on. If the first Leader dies, the second Leader takes his place, and so on.

After randomizing, each player places the Equipment Tokens representing his Leaders in a stack with the first Leader on top, the second Leader below that, and so on. Players should not show the order of their Leaders to their opponent. When a Leader is killed, his Equipment Token is removed from the Leader stack to reveal the new Leader for that unit.

Starting in Game Turn 2, a unit's current Leader (i.e., the Leader on top of his stack) can use his Action Phase to "activate a position." To do so, the Leader must be in a circle adjacent to the position he wishes to activate. The Leader may not move after the activation during that Sequence.

A given position may be activated by both factions in a given game, but only once for each. Once a faction activates a given position, an Objective Token for that faction should be placed on that position to indicate it cannot be activated again by that faction.

When Leaders activate positions, they earn points for their side depending on the type of position activated, according to the table below. These points are not Victory Points, and cannot be spent during the game.

Position Activated	Points Earned
Objective Circle	1 Point
Action Circle	2 Points
Opponent's Entry Point	5 Points

At the end of the tenth Game Turn, the player with the most points is declared the winner.

E. Variants

Variants apply to Game Modes to renew game strategy and to add a little suspense.

Secret Door Variant

This variant can be used with any Game Mode. At the beginning of the game, place Secret Door Tokens on two Action Circles some distance away from each other, at locations either mutually agreeable to both players or as specified by the scenario.

Characters use Secret Doors to travel quickly across the board. A character planning to use a Secret Door must announce at the beginning of his Sequence that he intends to do so. The character does not lose his Action Phase for either making the announcement or actually travelling through the door (as described below), but does use his worst Characteristic Values for the duration of the Sequence upon having made the announcement.

To move through a Secret Door, a character who made the appropriate declaration at the beginning of his Sequence simply moves into the circle adjacent to one of the Secret Door Tokens on the board. Then, as long as no enemy characters are adjacent to either Secret Door Token, the character may then spend 1 movement point to move his character to the circle adjacent to the other Secret Door Token. As always, characters can never move onto Action Circles.

Equipment does not function "through" Secret Doors, nor may characters make attacks through them.

Example caption printed with the variant: Irini uses a Secret Door. Her movement in this example costs 3 movement points in all.

Rush and Go Variant

This variant is recommended for game boards that have four Entry Points, in any Game Mode. To use it, each player chooses his first Entry Point with a normal Deployment Roll. Then, a second Deployment Roll is made, and the third and fourth Entry Points are chosen, giving each player a total of two Entry Points, which can be used equally and interchangeably over the course of the game.

F. Weapon Types

Operation Novgorod adds Liturgies to the list of weapon types found in the Tannhäuser Instruction Manual (page 22).

A Liturgy is always active, and a character does not spend his Action Phase to use it. A Liturgy's effects may be used once per Game Turn for either the character or one of his allies in range. A Liturgy's range is the Current Value of the character's Mental Characteristic plus one, and is not limited by Path. When a Liturgy is used, its Equipment Token should be flipped facedown until the beginning of the next Game Turn as a reminder that it has been used.

Characters

Zor'ka

Special Object: «Awakening» – When the consciousness of the god incarnate awakens, he regains the full power of his glory for a brief instant. His wrath is thus without limit…

Declare the Awakening at any time. Until the end of the Game Turn, one of Zor'ka's characteristics is considered to have a Current Value of 9, and is not subject to penalties of any kind.

During the next Game Turn, Zor'ka skips her Sequence and can take no action. During that Game Turn, she cannot be repaired or make a Counterattack.

Awakening can only be used once per game, and not on the first Game Turn. During the Awakening, Zor'ka cannot use Victory Points.

Combat Pack

«Magnifier» – Zor'ka has a weapon to match the measure of her reincarnation… The Magnifier has the capability to discharge several gigawatts of energy!

Zor'ka can use the Magnifier in two ways:

As a direct attack. This attack requires a Voïvode or an empty circle to be adjacent to Zor'ka and on the same Path. Make a Combat Roll against all other characters (ally or enemy) on Zor'ka's path Path [sic]. All targets have a 1-point penalty on their current Stamina characteristic for the Shock Roll, regardless of any equipment. The Voïvodes are immune to this attack.
As a relay attack using a Smiljan Coil or a Smiljan Module (see the rules for those objects for details).

The Magnifier cannot Counterattack and is not a Hand-to-Hand Weapon.

«Tesla Coil» – Designed to guarantee the security of engineers working on the projected-energy weapons project, the F.E.M. coil produces a counter-forcefield by modulating the speed of the induction flux.

The counter-forcefield produced by the Tesla Coil automatically cancels 1 hit of the attacker's Combat Roll (except Natural 10s).

«Rebirth» – Based on divine power, when Rebirth is used, the deity commands its servitors to rise up for their final combat.

When Zor'ka uses Rebirth, all destroyed Voïvodes (no matter their position on the game board) are reactivated. Replace each of the Debris Tokens with the appropriate figure. They may take Sequences if they have not yet acted during the current Game Turn.

Rebirth may only be used once per game. The Smiljan Module is the only Voïvode equipment that is functional after reactivation. Discard all other Equipment Tokens from reactivated Voïvodes.

Stamina Pack

«Magnifier» – The rules for this item appear in the above Combat Pack.

«Imposing» – Zor'ka's exoskeleton is made of an alloy of tantalum, silver, and gold. In addition to its superconducting properties, the armor offers outstanding protection against even the most powerful explosions.

Zor'ka never takes Automatic Wounds, no matter their source.

«Servitude» – Created for no purpose other than to assist Zor'ka, the Voïvodes are her bodyguards, her servants, her extensions, and her messengers of death…

Zor'ka can use her Action Phase to call one Voïvode back to an open circle on the same Path as her. The Voïvode moves as its Movement Characteristic allows and takes the shortest route. Servitude cannot be used if the move is not possible. If successful and if the Voïvode has not yet acted in the Game Turn, it can do so normally.

The Voïvode cannot Bull Rush during this movement.

Mental Pack

«Magnifier» – The rules for this item appear in the above Combat Pack.

«Triglaf» – The Triglaf represents the three facets of the universe: expansion, contraction, and equilibrium. It also symbolizes the power of the three worlds: terrestrial, celestial, and infernal.

At the beginning of the game, choose Combat, Stamina, or Mental Values. For the duration of the game, Zor'ka's Values in the chosen characteristic are considered to be 7, 7, 7, 7.

«Presence» – Zor'ka's technological incarnation represents the power of the alliance between the Slavic pantheon and the prodigies of the Prime Magistrate Tesla.

During a Mental Duel, Zor'ka's adversary always uses his worst Mental Value.

Legend characters are not affected by Presence.

Irina Kravchenko

Special Object: «Martyr» – The Holy Commissars are prepared to face death. Idolized, feared, and respected, the loss of one of their number in combat transforms the fallen into a Martyr and galvanizes their troops.

If Irina is killed by an adversary, her unit immediately gains Victory Points that can be spent as soon as the following Sequence. If these points are not used, they are counted as normal Victory Points at the end of the game.

If Irina is killed in Game Turns 1–3, her unit gains 4 Victory Points; in Game Turns 4–6, her unit gains 3 Victory Points; and in Game Turn 7 or later, her unit gains 2 Victory Points.

Combat Pack

«1920 Nagant Special» – Originally a gift for Count Otto Von Zorft, this unusual six-round, double-barrel revolver was created in the Fanryka Broni Radom arms foundry. It was stolen by the Inquisitor Popov of Okhrana the night of May 8, 1940.

Type: Close Combat Weapon • During a Combat Roll, the precision of the Nagant offers a 1-point bonus to the result of each die (except for Natural 1s). Thanks to its double-barrel, the two lowest dice that are not Natural 1s may be rerolled if desired. (Natural 1s may not be rerolled.)

The counter-forcefield produced by the coil automatically cancels 1 hit of the attacker's Combat Roll (except Natural 10s).

«Liturgy of Valor» – This sacred chant is a call to the armed fist of Sventovit, the four-headed divinity and god of valor, war, and the fight against the forces of evil.

Type: Liturgy (see page 3) • Irina, or an ally within range, may make a Counterattack (see page 19 of the Tannhäuser Instruction Manual) without spending a Victory Point. All rules and restrictions concerning a Counterattack must be respected.

Stamina Pack

«1920 Nagant Special» – The rules for this item appear in the above Combat Pack.

«Tesla Super-Coil» – The Tesla Super-Coil is a double-coil version of the Tesla Coil developed in the Novaïa Zemli factory-bunker in 1920.

The electromagnetic field produced by the coil automatically cancels 2 hits of the attacker's Combat Roll (except Natural 10s).

«Liturgy of Courage» – This Liturgy is a homage to Stibog, the son of Svarog and supreme god of the winds. This Liturgy calls forth lightness, rapidity, and the divine breath.

Type: Liturgy (see page 3) • Irina, or an ally within range, may increase her Movement Value by 1 [printed as "l"] (see page 19 of the Tannhäuser Instruction Manual) at the beginning of her Movement Phase without spending a Victory Point. This bonus is valid for the current Sequence and the current Sequence only.

Mental Pack

«1920 Nagant Special» – The rules for this item appear in the above Combat Pack.

«Holy Commissar» – Existing outside of the command chain, the Holy Commissars possess absolute authority, and assure the loyalty of troops to the Matriarchy. They are the voice of the Great Hierarchy and of the divine power.

Any ally within six circles of Irina (regardless of the Path) may reroll one die (except Natural 1s) on any die roll.

May only be used once per Game Turn.

«Liturgy of Faith» – These Liturgies, linked to the cult of Giva, the goddess of life, are some of the sacred chants most used in battle. They support the vital energies and fight against Moréna, the goddess of winter and death.

Type: Liturgy (see page 3) • Irina, or an ally within range, can heal 1 wound (see page 19 of the Tannhäuser Instruction Manual) without spending a Victory Point.

All rules and restrictions concerning healing wounds must be respected.

Irishka Voronin

Special Object: «R.U.R.» – Professor Rossum built this cognitive module during his research in protoplasm. The R.U.R. is a perfect mechanical third arm.

The R.U.R. can be used during Irishka's Action Phase if she is adjacent to and on the same Path as Zor'ka or a destroyed Voïvode. If adjacent to Zor'ka, the R.U.R. repairs the armor for the equivalent of 1 wound (move the Health Indicator Token up one line). If adjacent to a destroyed Voïvode, the R.U.R. repairs it (replace the Debris Token with its figure). The Voïvode can then take a Sequence later during the current Game Turn.

Combat Pack

«Kaali» – Irishka developed Kaali by coupling an electromagnetic cannon, originally invented by the Frenchman Fauchon-Villeplée, with a Meteop launcher.

Type: Automatic Weapon • Rather than doing damage directly, as most weapons do, Kaali is a Meteop launcher. A Meteop is a clinging explosive that attaches itself to the defender if he does not deflect all the hits from the firer's Combat Roll. When this occurs, a Meteop Token is placed on the defender's Character Sheet. When a character with a Meteop Token is hit (i.e., suffers a successful Combat Roll before a Shock Roll is applied) by the Magnifier, the Volta Pistol, or a Smiljan Coil or Module, it explodes, dealing 2 Automatic Wounds (in addition to any other damage from the attack). When a Meteop explodes, its token is discarded.

A given character may not have more than one Meteop Token at a time.

The counter-forcefield produced by the coil automatically cancels 1 hit of the attacker's Combat Roll (except Natural 10s).

«Volta Pistol» – An admirer of Alessandro Volta's research, Bonaparte asked him to improve on his prototype of an electric pistol. He created a unique weapon that never left the emperor's side. It was lost during the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812.

Type: Close Combat Weapon • The Volta Pistol does not do any damage, but a single hit is enough to detonate a Meteop attached to the adversary (he makes no Shock Roll).

Stamina Pack

«Kaali» – The rules for this item appear in the above Combat Pack.

«Tesla Super-Coil» – The Tesla Super-Coil is a double-coil version of the Tesla Coil developed in the Novaïa Zemli factory-bunker in 1920.

The electromagnetic field produced by the coil automatically cancels 2 hits of the attacker's Combat Roll (except Natural 10s).

«Electric Truncheon» – This weapon, essentially defensive and dissuasive, is composed of a tube full of liquid helium that allows superconductive multi-phase current.

Type: Hand-to-Hand Weapon • The powerful electric shock from this weapon reduces the neuromuscular capacity of the enemy and provokes contractions of his muscles. For this Hand-to-Hand attack, the adversary has a 1-point penalty to his current Stamina Characteristic regardless of his equipment.

Mental Pack

«Kaali» – The rules for this item appear in the above Combat Pack.

«Summoning Module» – This module can emit a low-frequency distress signal that the Voïvodes can pick up from several hundred meters away.

During her Action Phase, Irishka can place the module on an empty adjacent circle on the same Path. During its Sequence, a Voïvode can move to an empty adjacent circle on the same Path as the module no matter what distance it must travel, as long as there are no enemies along a legal movement route. It is not possible to pick up, destroy, or deactivate the module. It is possible to occupy the same circle as the module, and it does not hinder movement. A Voïvode moving with the module's capability does not have an Action Phase during that Sequence. The module can only be deployed once per game, although the Voïvodes may return to it as often as they like.

«Smiljan Module» – This module is identical to the Smiljan Coils that the Voïvodes are equipped with. It serves to focalize and direct the Magnifier discharge.

During her Action Phase, Irishka can place the module on an empty adjacent circle on the same Path. This module has the same properties and effects as a Smiljan Coil (see page 11). Occupying the same circle as the module is no protection from the Magnifier (see page 5). Once placed, the module cannot be picked up, destroyed, or deactivated. It is possible to occupy the same circle as the module, and it does not hinder movement.

Voïvodes

Technical Specifications V.130 – Project: Svarog • Class: Voïvode

Special Rules for Voïvodes

A player may only incorporate Voïvodes in a unit if Zor'ka is present in the unit as well.
The Voïvodes are played in a Sequence by pair (according to their Character Sheets, in "A/B" and "C/D" pairs). If one of a pair is destroyed, the other plays individually.
The Voïvodes may not be called as reinforcements.
A player must lose two Voïvodes to earn a 1-point bonus on the Initiative Roll. A repaired Voïvode does not count when calculating this bonus. The elimination of Voïvodes does not earn Victory Points. When a Voïvode is destroyed, a Debris Token is placed on the last circle it occupied. Victory Points may not be spent for Voïvodes.
Voïvodes are treated as having Hand-to-Hand Weapons.
Voïvodes are not affected by Smoke Screen Grenades.
A Voïvode may not pick up equipment or turn over a Crate Token. This technical limitation does not apply to the flags used in various Game Modes.
Liturgies do not affect Voïvodes.
When Zor'ka has been attacked and after she has made her Shock roll, one (and only one) Voïvode eight or fewer circles from Zor'ka may take 1 wound in Zor'ka's place. To do so, the Voïvode must be able to move, without using Bull Rush, to an adjacent open circle on the same Path as Zor'ka, or must already occupy such a position. Making this move does not count as the Voïvode's Sequence or Action Phase.

Smiljan Coil

«Smiljan Coil» – Each Voïvode contains a Smiljan-Class Superconducting Coil capable of redirecting the Magnifier discharge and releasing the Tesla flux with the same power, but at close range.

During Zor'ka's Action Phase, she can transfer a Magnifier discharge through the Smiljan Coil of any Voïvode. The discharge affects all characters on circles adjacent to the Voïvode that are on the same Path as the one occupied by the Voïvode. In addition, the Smiljan Coil immunizes the Voïvode from Magnifier discharges.

The penalty on the adversary's Shock Roll from the Magnifier discharge is not relayed by the Smiljan Coil.

Voïvode Equipment

Voïvodes have no specific Packs. Instead, a Smiljan Coil is integrated into their mechanism and cannot be removed. In addition, each Voïvode can select two Equipment Tokens from among those listed below.

«Radegast» – Improvement dedicated to the god of war: Yttrium Armor – Aggressiveness Exchanger – Electromechanic Relay.

These improvements give the Voïvode a Combat Value of 4.

«Soud» – Improvements dedicated to the god of death: Fulmicoton Charge – Dikirion – Shell Loader.

These improvements give the Voïvode the capacity to self-destruct when it arrives on a circle adjacent to a character. No Combat Roll is necessary – the target takes 1 Automatic Wound.

R.U.R. and Rebirth are not possible on a Voïvode that has self-destructed.

«Nesretcha» – Improvements dedicated to the goddess of woe and bad luck: Superconducting Solenoid – Tesla Generator – Electromagnets – Diodes.

These improvements give the Voïvode the ability to attack each enemy on circles adjacent to it during Hand-to-Hand Combat.

«Scretcha» – Improvements dedicated to the goddess of happy events: Vacuum Tubes – Rogowski Coil – R.U.R. – F.E.M. Coil.

These improvements allow the Voïvode to repair Zor'ka if she is on an adjacent circle on the same Path. During its Action Phase, the Voïvode can move the Health Indicator Token up one level on Zor'ka's Character Sheet.

«Denitsa» – Improvement dedicated to the goddess of the morning star and the sun: Orientation Sensors – Illuminated Manuscripts from the Saint John Priory – Servo-Actuators – Dynamic Shock Absorbers.

These improvements give the Voïvode a Movement Value of 9.

«Tchour» – Improvements dedicated to the god of travel: Quartz Oscillator – Electromagnetic Lens – Hydraulic Shock Absorber – Contiguity Matrix.

When a Voïvode with this improvement crosses a circle that has a movement penalty, it treats the penalty as if it were 1 point lower.