The War of the Worlds: England
The War of the Worlds: England Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Component Overview
- Counters
- Battle Cards
- Victory
- Set-Up
- Sequence of Play
- Production Phase
- Battle Phase
- Battle Set-Up
- Martian Step
- Human Step
- End of the Battle
- After the Battle
- Devastation Phase
- Human Action Phase
- Escape Phase
- Naval Battle
- Martian Action Phase
- Assembly Phase
- Scenarios
- (Optional) League of Terran Nations
Foreword
The War of the Worlds is a solitaire strategy board game. Relive the story told by H. G. Wells in his famous novel and command the desperate human forces defending Earth from the Martian invasion.
Component Overview
Display Board
There are several helpful areas on the Display Board that will help you play The War of the Worlds.
- Tripod Staging Areas. There are a total of 5 Tripod Staging Areas where each of a Wave's Tripods are placed.
- Progress Track. This keeps track of Human and Martian Progress with Victory, Germs, Colonization, and Production Points.
- Workforce. Production counters are placed in these squares to show the Zone's current Workforce Value and Production Points.
- The Strategic Map. The Strategic Map depicts England at the beginning of the XXth Century. This map is divided into named Zones.
- The Flying Machine. This area is where the Martian Flying Machine is built throughout the game.
- Sequence of Play. Follow the Sequence of Play to complete each turn.
- Harbor Sites. Harbor Sites are found around the coastal edges of the map.
Also On the Display Board
- Factories. Factory symbols show where you can place newly purchased Units.
- Hills. Hills improve your defense during Battles.
- Battle Boards. Use the Land Battle Board to resolve Land Battles, and the Naval Battle Board to resolve Naval Battles.
Player Help Sheet
The Player Help Sheet has information to help you through each of the Sequence of Play's different phases.
Custom Dice
When asked to roll a die, roll 1 of these custom dice. There are 3 colors on each die: Green, Yellow, and Red. Green appears three times, Yellow twice, and Red once.
Counters
Progress Track Counters
Production Point Counters: Use these counters to record your Production Points on the Progress Track.
Human Counters
Martian Counters
Handling Machines turn Cylinders into Waves.
Cylinders create new Waves. After a Cylinder is placed in a Zone with a Handling Machine, the Handling Machine will start creating a new Wave. You can Attack the Cylinder during the Human Action Phase to destroy Tripods in the Cylinder before they are built.
Wave counters. You will face several Waves of Tripods. Each Wave is depicted by a counter. The Wave counters Move on the Strategic Map. When battling a Wave, you will confront all the Tripod counters in that Wave's Tripod Staging Area.
Example: When battling Wave #1, you will battle the Tripods currently sitting in Tripod Staging Area #1.
Martian Tripod Counters. Tripods are depicted with a double-sided counter, showing a Tripod on the front and a Damaged Tripod on the back. Tripods are placed in 1 of the 5 Tripod Staging Areas according to the Wave they are associated with.
Production Counters
Production counters are used to keep track of a Zone's Workforce Value. The current Workforce Value of the Zone is printed in the upper right corner.
The Workforce Value represents the amount of human resistance occurring in the Zone.
Every Zone that has not been Destroyed provides Production Points, indicated by the number of Gears in the middle of the counter.
Example: Place a Production counter on a Zone's Workforce space. If the Zone begins the game with a Workforce Value of 8, place the Production counter with the 8 in the upper right corner. As the Zone takes damage, the number will decrease.
Use the Production counter with Blue Gears for London.
Production Points are spent to purchase Units, Move during the Production Phase, to purchase Battle Plans and to complete some Event Cards.
Destroyed and Red Weed Counters
Use these counters to mark Zones that are Destroyed by the Tripods, or have been converted to Red Weed by the Martians.
Battle Location Counter
The Battle Location counter marks the Zone where a Battle takes place.
Battle Plan Counters
Battle Plans give your forces advantages on the Land or Naval Battle Boards. Battle Plans are purchased at the start of Battles and are discarded at the end of Battles, whether they were used or not.
Clock Counter
The Clock counter shows the phase you are currently resolving.
Character Counters
Character counters are mentioned on Event cards and in Scenarios. Once their counters are placed on the Display Board or Battle Boards, they are treated as Units that can be Captured, Move, and Escape, depending on the information given by the Scenario or Event card.
Battle Cards
Land Battle Cards are used during Land Battles to dictate Tripod actions.
Naval Battle Cards are used during Battles taking place when Refugees are Fleeing, to dictate Tripod actions.
Event Cards introduce random elements to a phase. Unless otherwise stated on the card, an Event card's effect happens immediately.
Event Card Check
Each Event card's back side shows a phase from the Sequence of Play. At the start of the shown phase, draw the card and complete the Event.
If the phase shown on the card does not match the phase you are in, ignore the card. When the Event card's back shows your current phase, draw the card, complete the Event, then discard the card.
Victory
A Victory for either side may happen at any time during the game, when any one of the following conditions are met. These conditions are checked in the following order:
- If there are no Wave or Cylinder counters on the Strategic Map – You Win!
- If the Human Germ counter is in the "10" space on the Progress Track – You Win!
- If the Martian Colonization counter is in the "10" space on the Progress Track – You Lose!
- If London is Destroyed – You Lose!
- If the Martians assemble all 4 pieces of the Flying Machine – You Lose!
Victory, Germ, and Colonization Points
You earn Human Victory Points from each producing Zone and by evacuating Refugees.
The Martians earn Martian Victory Points by devastating Zones and Capturing Refugees, Infantry, Cavalry, or Characters.
Use the Human and Martian Victory Point counters to record the Points on the Progress Track.
When you earn 10 Human Victory Points, move the counter back to the "0" space, and advance your Human Germ counter by 1 space on the Progress Track.
When the Martians earn 10 Martian Victory Points, move the counter back to the "0" space, and advance their Martian Colonization counter by 1 space on the Progress Track.
Set-Up
Place the Display Board on the table.
Separate the cards into 3 decks: Land Battle, Naval Battle, and Event cards.
Place all the Land Battle Tripods into a cup and all the Naval Battle Tripods into a different cup.
Place all the Harbor counters into an opaque cup.
Place all tall (rectangular) counters into plastic stands before placing the counters on the Display Board.
Place the Clock counter next to the Production Phase on the Sequence of Play.
Place the x1 and x10 Production Point counters on the "0" space on the Progress Track.
Place the Germs and Colonization counters in the "0" space on the Progress Track.
Place the Human Victory Point and Martian Victory Point counters in the "0" space on the Progress Track.
Place Production counters in each Zone, according to the initial value indicated in the square matching the Zone. The London Zone receives the Blue Production counter.
Zones with 1 or more Gears are referred to as Producing Zones.
Example: For the Leicester Zone, place a Production counter, so the number 6 is in the top right corner. Likewise, for Scotland place a Production counter with a 4 in the top right corner.
Place a Green Handling Machine in Scotland. Place a Yellow Handling Machine in Wales. Place a Red Handling Machine in Leicester.
Roll a single die and match the result to the New Cylinder Placement chart on the Player Help Sheet. Place the Wave #1 counter in the indicated Zone. Randomly draw 4 Tripod counters from the cup and place them in the #1 Tripod Staging Area.
Example: I roll a die to place Wave #1. I roll Green. I check the chart and place Wave #1 in Scotland. I then draw 4 Tripod counters from the cup, fit them each into plastic stands and place them in the #1 Tripod Staging Area.
Replace that Zone's Production counter with a Destroyed Zone counter. The game begins with Wave #1's Zone Destroyed. Zones that are Destroyed or have Red Weed are referred to as Non-Producing Zones.
Roll again on the New Cylinder Placement chart to determine where the Cylinder starts. Place the Cylinder counter on the associated Zone. Place 4 random Tripods in the #2 Tripod Staging Area. Wave #1 and the Cylinder for Wave #2 may both begin the game in the same Zone.
Example: I roll a die to place the Cylinder. I roll Yellow, and place the Cylinder in Wales.
It is now time for you to save the world!
Sequence of Play
Play until you or the Martians win. A game turn is divided into phases that are repeated until one of the Victory conditions is met.
Advance the Clock counter after completing each phase.
Production Phase
Event Check
If the Event card takes place during the Production Phase, draw the card, and complete the Event.
Purchase Units
During the Production Phase, you receive Production Points that you may spend to purchase Units, Harbors, Battle Plans, and Unit Movement.
The total number of Gears inside all Production counters on the map indicates the number of Production Points you gain.
Example: A Zone with 2 Green Gears gives you 2 Production Points.
Add up the number of Gears on the map to determine the number of Production Points you gain this Production Phase. Add these new Points to any Production Points you might already have.
Move the Production Point counters on the Progress Track to show your current number of Production Points.
After gathering your Production Points, you may now spend them to buy new Units. The cost of each Unit is also shown on the Player Help Sheet.
Infantry – 10 Production Points. Infantry cannot Destroy a Tripod during Battle, but they can Destroy Tripods before they emerge from their Cylinders. Infantry can also Attack Tripods indirectly by building Powder Kegs, and they can protect Guns by building Earthworks.
Cavalry – 10 Production Points. Cavalry cannot Destroy a Tripod during Battle but they can improve your capabilities in each Battle by gaining you Battle Plans. Cavalry can also change a Wave's movement destination.
Field Gun – 12 Production Points. A Field Gun can Destroy a Tripod during a Land Battle. A Field Gun has a Range of 3 Hexes and can Fire once at a Tripod in any direction.
Siege Gun – 22 Production Points. A Siege Gun can Destroy a Tripod during a Land Battle. A Siege Gun has a Range of 3 Hexes and can Fire twice at the same Tripod in any direction.
Random Harbor – 2 Production Points to Draw a Random Harbor. A Harbor is the only way for Refugees to Escape. If you draw a Harbor for a Zone that has been Destroyed, remove the Harbor from play and Draw a new Harbor.
Movement – 2 Production Points. Spend 2 Production Points to Move a Unit into an adjacent Zone. You can do this with as many Units as you want, into as many Zones as you want, as long as you have the Production Points to pay for it.
Example: I have an Infantry Unit and a Field Gun Unit in Southampton, and I want to Move them. I spend 4 Production Points to Move them both to Norwich, and then another 2 Production Points to Move the Infantry to Leicester.
New Unit Placement
Place newly purchased Units into Stands.
Infantry, Cavalry, Field Guns, and Siege Guns can only be placed in a Zone with a Factory symbol.
You can only place a Harbor counter in an indicated Harbor site on the map. The name on the Harbor counter must match the name on the Strategic map where it is placed.
You may place Units in a Zone, even if it has a Martian Wave, Cylinder or Handling Machine in it.
You cannot place Units in a Zone if that Zone is Destroyed or has Red Weed.
Captured vs. Destroyed
Human Units are removed from play when their counter is Captured or Destroyed.
Human Units that can be Captured include: Infantry, Cavalry, Freighters, Refugees, and Characters.
The Martians gain 1 Martian Victory Point for each Unit Captured.
The Martians do not gain Martian Victory Points when a Unit is Destroyed.
Battle Phase
Advance the Clock counter to the Battle Phase.
Event Check
If the Event card takes place during the Battle Phase, draw the card, and complete the Event.
A Land Battle occurs when a Wave is in the same Zone as a Siege Gun or Field Gun.
Place the Battle Location counter in the Zone where the Battle is taking place.
If there are several Waves in a Zone, resolve each Battle separately. You can choose which Wave to Attack first.
All Units in that Zone participate in the Battle.
When a Battle is over, all the surviving Units Attack the next Wave in the Zone.
Initiative
Initiative is chosen based on the Zone where the Battle is being fought. If the Zone has Hills, Humans have the Initiative. If there are no Hills in the Zone, the Martians have the Initiative.
Move all Unit counters and Earthworks counters from the Strategic Map and the Tripods from the matching Tripod Staging Area and place them on the Land Battle Board.
The side with Initiative sets up their Units after the opponent sets up their Units.
Battle Set-Up
Human Set-Up
Place each Field Gun or Siege Gun in any Hex with an Artillery Image.
If a Battle takes place in a Zone with a Hill symbol, the Guns in the Zone gain up to 2 free Earthworks counters to distribute for protection. Only 1 Earthworks counter can be placed on each Gun due to Hills.
Place any Infantry, Cavalry, Refugees, or Characters in any Hexes at the bottom of the Land Battle Board. There is no limit to the number of these Units placed in each Hex.
Earthworks
Once each Battle, an Infantry Unit located in the same Zone as a Field Gun or Siege Gun may attempt to build Earthworks.
Up to 4 total Earthworks can be placed on each Gun.
Each Infantry counter can attempt to build Earthworks counters for 1 Gun in their Zone.
The dangerous act of building Earthworks can result in:
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| Green | Building 1 Earthworks for a Gun. |
| Yellow | Building 2 Earthworks for a Gun. |
| Red | Building 1 Earthworks for a Gun, but the Infantry is Destroyed. |
Place any Earthworks counters next to the Gun they are Concealing.
Example: 2 Waves are in a Zone with my Infantry counter and 2 Field Guns. At the beginning of the Battle with the first Wave, my Infantry rolls Yellow for one of the Field Guns. I place 2 Earthworks on that Field Gun. At the beginning of the second Battle, my Infantry rolls Red for the same Field Gun. I place 1 Earthworks on the Field Gun and remove my Infantry.
Revealed Gun
A Revealed Gun is a Gun that is not protected by Earthworks. If a Gun does not have an Earthworks counter on it during a Battle, the Gun is Revealed.
Cavalry (Planning)
For every Cavalry in a Zone where a Battle will be taking place, you may roll a die and consult the Player Help Sheet. You may roll once per Cavalry counter, each time a Battle is taking place.
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| Green | You randomly gain 1 Battle Plan. |
| Yellow | You choose 1 Battle Plan, but the Cavalry is Destroyed. |
| Red | No Effect. |
Buying Battle Plans
As the Human player, you may spend Production Points to buy Battle Plan counters.
Pay 5 Production Points to randomly draw 1 Battle Plan counter.
Pay 10 Production Points to choose 1 Battle Plan counter. The counter mix limits the Battle Plans present for each Battle.
These counters are discarded when used and are automatically returned to their cup at the end of the Battle. Discard them when you use their effects.
Each Battle Plan may be used at any time during the Battle, at your discretion. Each Battle Plan may be used only once during each Battle. Battle Plans have the following effects:
- Kriegspiel: When a Battle card is drawn, draw a 2nd Battle card and choose which one you want to apply to the Tripods.
- Trap: Roll a die. If you roll Green, Damage up to 2 Undamaged Tripods. If all Tripods are already Damaged, the Trap has No Effect.
- Line of Sight: Re-roll any die.
- Explosive Shell: After a Gun or Warship Attack Damages a Tripod, Destroy the Tripod.
- Surprise Shot: Place on a Gun or Warship. The first time the Gun or Warship Fires, roll 2 extra dice.
- Terrain: Every Gun or Warship may Fire 2 times during this round. Each time a Gun is Fired, it will lose 1 level of Earthworks.
Martian Set-Up
During a Battle, take that Wave's Tripods and place them on the Land Battle board. After the Battle is resolved, place the surviving Tripods back in their Tripod Staging Area.
Draw a Battle card and place the Tripods in the Hex with the matching letter (from A to E) according to the Tripod's color.
Example: I am battling 4 Tripods. 2 Green, 1 Yellow, and 1 Red. I draw a Battle card and place the 2 Green Tripods in the Hex labeled "E". I place the Yellow Tripod in "B", and the Red in "A".
(The Setup column of the example Battle card lists, top to bottom, Green: Hex E, Yellow: Hex B, Red: Hex A, Blue: Hex C, Black: Hex D.)
Martian Step
The Martians act first each turn.
Draw a Battle card for the Martians. Match the colors of the Tripod counters to the colors on the Battle card to determine what each Tripod does this turn.
Follow the list in order from top to bottom.
Example: The 2 Green Tripods Move down, then roll to Detect. The Yellow Tripod will Move down-left, then roll to Detect. The Red Tripod will roll to Detect, then Fire at a Revealed Gun in Range.
(On the example Battle card's action list, Green: Move down + Detect; Yellow: Move down-left + Detect; Red: Detect + Fire; Blue: Detect + Move down; Black: High Activity.)
Martian Actions
Each Tripod will do a combination of one or more of the following actions:
Detect: The Tripod rolls against the closest Gun with an Earthworks counter. To successfully Detect, the Tripod must roll a die based on its Range from the Gun.
| Range | Success |
|---|---|
| Range 1 | Green |
| Range 2 | Yellow |
| Range 3 | Red |
A successful Detect lowers a Gun's Earthworks by 1. When a Gun's Earthworks have all been removed, the Gun is Revealed.
If all the Guns in Range are already Revealed, or there are no Guns in Range, the Detect Action has no effect.
If more than 1 Gun is in the closest Range, you can choose which Gun is Detected.
Example: The Tripod is 2 Hexes away from the nearest Gun with an Earthworks counter. It must roll Yellow to successfully Detect. It rolls Green, which has no effect.
Fire: The Tripod rolls against the closest Revealed Gun. To Destroy a Gun, the Tripod must roll a die based on its Range from the Gun.
| Range | Success |
|---|---|
| Range 1 | Green |
| Range 2 | Yellow |
| Range 3 | Red |
Example: The Tripod is 2 Hexes away from my Field Gun. I roll a die for the Tripod, getting a Yellow result. The Gun is Destroyed.
If the Tripod Destroys a Gun, remove the Gun counter from the Battle Board.
Only a Revealed Gun can be Fired upon.
Move: The Tripod advances by 1 Hex toward the bottom of the Land Battle Board. It may enter a Hex already occupied by another Tripod.
Angled arrows indicate that the Tripod Moves down and to the left or right, as shown by the arrow.
If the Tripod cannot Move in the direction stated on the card (due to being on the edge of the map), it Moves down 1 Hex.
If the Tripod Moves into a Hex with a Gun (with or without Earthworks), the Gun is Destroyed.
If the Tripod Moves into a Hex with a Refugee, Infantry, Cavalry, or Character, the Tripod Captures them, and the Martians gain 1 Martian Victory Point on the Progress Track for each Unit Captured.
When a Tripod Moves into a Hex in the bottom row, it Destroys any Guns or Captures any Human Unit in that Hex, including Infantry, Cavalry, Refugees and Characters.
It is then immediately removed from the Battle and returned to its Tripod Staging Area.
Martian Special Actions
Any Martian Action other than "Detect", "Fire", or "Move", is a Special Action.
Example: The Double Move Action on the example card is a Special Action.
- Arrival: A new random Tripod appears on Hex "C" and joins the Wave.
- Detect All: Roll to Detect each Gun within Range of the Tripod.
- Double Move: The Tripod Moves twice straight down.
- Fire All: The Tripod Fires at all Revealed Guns in Range.
- Focused Detect: The Tripod successfully Detects the nearest Gun in Range, lowering a Gun's Earthworks by 1.
- Focused Fire: The Tripod Destroys the nearest Revealed Gun in Range.
- High Activity: The Tripod makes 2 Detect attempts against the closest Gun with an Earthworks counter. It then makes 2 Fire attempts against the closest Revealed Gun in Range.
Example: I'm following the list from top to bottom. The Yellow Tripod gets an Arrival result. I draw a random Tripod from the cup (it's Blue) and place it in the C Hex. I continue down the list and come to the Blue Tripod's turn. The new Blue Tripod Moves down twice. If I had drawn a Green Tripod, it would not get an Action until next turn.
Damaged Tripods
If a Tripod is Damaged, it can only perform the first action on the Battle card.
Example: The Damaged Yellow Tripod only Moves down-left. This ends the Yellow Tripod's turn.
If the Tripod is Damaged, it cannot perform Special Actions.
Example: The Damaged Black Tripod gets the High Activity result. The Tripod does not act this turn.
Human Step
Your Guns may Fire at any Tripod in Range.
Every time a Gun that is protected by Earthworks Fires, it loses 1 level of Earthworks. Field Guns roll 1 die, and Siege Guns roll 2 dice when they are Fired.
Guns do not have to Fire if there is a Tripod in Range.
Infantry, Cavalry, Refugees, and Characters cannot act. They stay in the Hex they were placed at the beginning of the Battle.
Firing at a Tripod
When a Gun Fires at a Tripod, it must roll a die to see if it successfully hits. The roll is based on the Range from the Gun to the Tripod.
- At Range 1, a Green roll will inflict 1 Hit on a Tripod.
- At Range 2, a Yellow roll will inflict 1 Hit on a Tripod.
- At Range 3, a Red roll will inflict 1 Hit on a Tripod.
If your Attack roll inflicts a Hit against an Undamaged Tripod, the Tripod becomes Damaged.
If your Attack roll inflicts a Hit against a Damaged Tripod, you Destroy the Tripod, and remove it from the Battle.
Field Guns roll 1 die and Siege Guns roll 2 dice.
Repeat
Repeat the Martian Step and Human Step until the Battle ends.
End of the Battle
The Battle ends when any one of the following occurs:
- There are no Human Units on the Battle Board.
- There are no Martian Tripods on the Battle Board.
Place all the surviving Human Units and remaining Earthworks counters back on the Strategic Map, in the Zone with the Battle Location counter.
Put the surviving Tripods back in their Tripod Staging Area. A Damaged Tripod is returned to the Tripod Staging Area Damaged. You choose how to display a Damaged Tripod.
Examples: With the Damaged side facing you. Placed in the stand upside down or sideways. Removed from the stand and laying with the Damaged side face up.
Discard all Battle Plans, even those that were not used.
After the Battle
If all the Tripods in a Wave are Destroyed (none were returned to the Tripod Staging Area), remove the Wave counter from the Display Board.
Remove the Battle Location counter from the Strategic Map.
If there is another Wave in a Zone with a Gun, start another Battle.
Devastation Phase
Advance the Clock counter to the Devastation Phase.
Event Check
If the Event card takes place during the Devastation Phase, draw the card, and complete the Event.
Martian Attack
Perform Tripod Devastation Attacks for each Zone with a Wave counter. Reference the Player Help Sheet's Tripod Devastation section, and roll a die for each Wave.
The Player Help Sheet shows the result of the Wave's Attack. The Tripods in the Wave will either use their Heat Rays, Black Smoke, or cause Panic.
Devastation Phase table
| Tripods in Wave | Green: Heat Ray | Yellow: Black Smoke | Red: Panic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5+ | -1 Unit; -5 Workforce; 5 Refugees; -1 Human VPs | -7 Workforce; 2 Refugees; -2 Human VPs | -1 Unit; -2 Workforce; 5 Refugees; -2 Human VPs |
| 4 | -3 Workforce; 3 Refugees; -2 Human VPs | -4 Workforce; 2 Refugees; -2 Human VPs | -2 Workforce; 4 Refugees; -2 Human VPs |
| 3 | -1 Unit; -2 Workforce; 2 Refugees; -1 Human VPs | -1 Unit; -3 Workforce; 1 Refugees; -1 Human VPs | -1 Workforce; 2 Refugees; -2 Human VPs |
| 2 | -1 Unit; -2 Workforce; 2 Refugees | -2 Workforce; 1 Refugee; -1 Human VPs | -1 Workforce; 3 Refugee; -1 Human VPs |
| 1 | -1 Human VPs | -3 Workforce | 3 Refugees |
Heat Ray: A mix of damaging the Workforce in a Zone, creating Refugees, and destroying Units.
Black Smoke: Primarily damages the Workforce of a Zone.
Panic: Primarily creates Refugees, and destroys Units in the confusion.
Follow the list shown for each Devastation in order from top to bottom.
If the Devastation roll causes Unit loss, you can remove any Human Unit including Infantry, Cavalry, Guns, Refugees, and Characters.
For all Units other than Guns, the Martians gain 1 Martian Victory Point on the Progress Track for each Unit Captured. Only remove Units from that Wave's Zone. You choose which Units to Destroy or Capture.
Example: I have a Wave in Southampton with 4 Tripods in its Tripod Staging Area. I roll for that Wave's Devastation and get a Green result (Heat Ray). I lower my Workforce by 3, from 8 to 5. I also add 3 Refugees to the Zone and lower my Human Victory Points by 2.
If the Production counter's Workforce Value reaches "0", remove the Production counter and replace it with a Destroyed counter.
This ends the Devastation Phase for that Wave. Do not continue down the list by adding Refugees or subtracting Human Victory Points.
If the Destroyed Zone has a Harbor, remove the Harbor counter.
If the Devastation Phase causes Human Victory Point loss, reduce your Human Victory Points by that amount on the Progress Track. If you are at "0" Human Victory Points, and "0" Germ Points, do not lower your Victory Points any further.
Example: You have 3 Germ Points and 1 Human Victory Point. You get a result of "-2 Human VPs". Your Human Victory Point counter moves down to 9, and your Germ Point counter moves down to 2. (Think of the Germ counter as being in the "10s" place and the Human VPs counter as being in the "1's" place.)
Workforce Loss
Each Workforce counter is double sided with 1-4 on one side and 5-8 on the opposite side. London has an additional counter showing 9-12.
To indicate that a Zone has taken a Workforce loss, rotate and/or flip the Zone's Production counter until the Zone's current Workforce Value shows in the upper right corner.
Human Action Phase
Advance the Clock counter to the Human Action Phase.
Event Check
If the Event card takes place during the Human Action Phase, draw the card, and complete the Event.
Human Movement
Each Infantry, Cavalry, Field Gun, Siege Gun, Refugee, and Character can freely Move 1 Zone as their Action during the Human Action Phase.
Each Zone can only hold a number of Refugees equal to its Gears. Refugees in excess of a Zone's Gear value are Captured.
Score 1 Martian Victory Point for each Captured Refugee.
Example: I have 5 Refugees in Scotland, but my Production counter only has 1 Gear. Scotland can only hold 1 Refugee. I must either Move 4 Refugees into other Zones, or the additional 4 Refugees will be Captured at the end of the Escape Phase.
Infantry
Instead of Moving, Infantry can perform any one of the following Actions:
Cylinder Attack
An Infantry Unit located in the same Zone as a Cylinder may attempt to Destroy 1 of the Tripods in the Cylinder.
Roll a die and consult the Player Help Sheet to see the effect.
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| Green | 1 Tripod is Destroyed. Remove the Tripod from its Tripod Staging Area. |
| Yellow | No Effect. |
| Red | The Infantry is Destroyed. |
If all the Tripods in the Cylinder are Destroyed, remove the Cylinder.
Powder Kegs
An Infantry Unit in any Zone may attempt to place a Powder Keg. One at a time, roll a die:
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| Green | Places a Powder Keg counter in the Zone. |
| Yellow | The Infantry is Destroyed. |
| Red | No Effect |
If a Wave enters a Zone with a Powder Keg, immediately roll a die.
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| Green | 1 Damage. Discard the Powder Keg. |
| Yellow | 2 Damage. Discard the Powder Keg. |
| Red | No Effect. Discard the Powder Keg. |
Waves placed in a Powder Keg's Zone after being created by a Cylinder are not affected.
Damage can be spread across multiple Tripods in a Wave's Tripod Staging Area.
Example: I have 2 Powder Kegs placed in Norwich. A Wave gets a Move result to Norwich. As soon as the Wave Moves in, I roll for all Powder Kegs. I roll Green and Yellow causing 3 Points of Damage. I decide to Damage 3 Tripods in the Wave's Tripod Staging Area. I could have Destroyed a Tripod, and Damaged a second.
The counter mix limits how many Powder Kegs you can have in the game. At any time, you may choose to remove 1 Powder Keg counter from the board so you can build it elsewhere.
Escape Phase
Advance the Clock counter to the Escape Phase.
Event Check
If the Event card takes place during the Escape Phase, draw the card, and complete the Event.
Refugees Escape
If there is a Refugee in a Zone with a Harbor counter, roll a die to see if that Refugee successfully Escapes.
If there is a Refugee in a Zone without a Harbor counter, they cannot attempt to Escape during this phase.
Each Refugee must get onto a Freighter (Fleeing) so they can Escape.
Roll a die for each Refugee.
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| Green | The Refugees are Fleeing. |
| Yellow | No Effect. |
| Red | The Refugees are Fleeing. |
No effect means the Refugee did not make it onto a Freighter this turn.
Just because they got onto a Freighter does not mean they have gotten away safely. They might be attacked by Martians while they try to Escape.
Roll once to determine if all Fleeing Refugees in a Zone are able to Escape without alerting the Tripods.
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| Green | The Refugees are Escaping. |
| Yellow | A Naval Battle with 1 Tripod. |
| Red | A Naval Battle with 2 Tripods. |
Tripods are drawn from the cup for each Naval Battle, and returned to the cup after each Naval Battle.
If the Refugees get an Escaped result, remove them from the Strategic Map, and gain 1 Human Victory Point for each Refugee.
Naval Battle
Human Set-up
If the Refugees get into a Naval Battle, exchange each Refugee Point for a Freighter counter and place the Freighters on the Naval Battle Board in any top row Hex.
Warship – 4 Production Points. Warships can only be present in a Naval Battle. Warships protect Fleeing Freighters.
Buy as many Warships to assist your Escaping Freighters as you want. After the Tripods are placed, place your Warships in any Hex except the top row.
You can also decide to purchase Battle Plans now.
Martian Set-up
Draw a Naval Battle card and place the Tripod(s) in a Hex with the matching letter (from A to E) according to its color.
Martian Step
Similar to Land Battles, draw a Naval Battle card. This determines what the Tripods do this turn.
(On the example Naval Battle card: Green: Closest + Move; Yellow: Arrival; Red: Fire + Fire; Blue: Closest + Move; Black: Freighter + Move.)
Closest: The Tripod will Move 1 Hex closer to the nearest Unit. If there is more than 1 Unit at the same distance from the Tripod, you choose. If a Tripod enters a Hex with a Freighter counter, the Freighter is Captured. Martians gain 1 Martian Victory Point per Freighter Captured.
Fire: The Tripod Fires at the closest Warship or Freighter.
| Range | Success |
|---|---|
| Range 1 | Green |
| Range 2 | Yellow |
| Range 3 | Red |
Example: The Tripod is 2 Hexes away from my Warship. I roll a die for the Tripod, getting a Green result. The Warship is missed.
If the Tripod Destroys a Warship, remove the Warship counter from the Battle Board.
If the Tripod successfully Fires at a Freighter, the Freighter is Captured. Remove the Freighter counter from the Battle Board. The Martians gain 1 Martian Victory Point.
Move: The Tripod advances by 1 Hex in the direction of the arrow. It may enter a Hex already occupied by another Tripod. If the Tripod cannot Move in the direction stated on the card (due to being on the edge), it Moves 1 Hex closer to the center of the Battle Board.
The center of the Battle Board is located 2 Hexes below Hex "C".
If the Tripod Moves into a Hex with a Warship, the Warship is Destroyed.
If the Tripod Moves into a Hex with a Freighter, the Freighter is Captured. The Martians gain 1 Martian Victory Point per Captured Freighter.
Tripods are not removed from the Battle Board unless they are Destroyed.
Freighter: The Tripod will Move 1 Hex closer to the nearest Freighter. If there is more than 1 Freighter the same distance from the Tripod, you choose. If a Tripod enters a Hex with a Freighter counter, the Tripod Captures the Freighter. Martians gain 1 Martian Victory Point per Freighter Captured. If there are no Freighters present, the Tripod does nothing for this Action.
Warship: The Tripod will Move 1 Hex closer to the nearest Warship. If there is more than 1 Warship the same distance from the Tripod, you choose. If a Tripod enters a Hex with a Warship, Destroy the Warship. If there are no Warships present, the Tripod does nothing for this Action.
Naval Battle Special Actions
Any Naval Action other than "Closest", "Fire", "Move", "Freighter", or "Warship" is a Special Action.
If the Tripod is Damaged, it cannot perform Special Actions.
- Arrival: A new Tripod appears on Hex "C" and joins the Battle.
- Fire All: The Tripod Fires at all Units in Range.
- Focused Fire: The Tripod Destroys the nearest Unit in Range.
- High Activity: The Tripod makes 2 Fire attempts against the nearest Unit in Range.
Human Step
Warships may Move 1 Hex and Fire.
- At Range 1, a Green roll will inflict 1 Hit on a Tripod.
- At Range 2, a Yellow roll will inflict 1 Hit on a Tripod.
- At Range 3, a Red roll will inflict 1 Hit on a Tripod.
Freighters may Move 1 Hex. When a Freighter counter enters a bottom row Hex, it has successfully Escaped. Remove the Freighter from the Naval Battle Board, and gain 1 Human Victory Point.
If all Tripods are Destroyed, all remaining Freighters successfully Escape.
End of the Battle
The Battle is over when one side no longer has any Units on the Naval Battle Board.
Return all remaining Tripods to the cup and remove all Warships.
Repeat for every Harbor Zone with Refugees.
Too Many Refugees in a Zone
If a Zone has more Refugees than Gears on its Production counter at the end of this phase, the additional Refugees are Captured.
Totaling Points
Gain 1 Human Victory Point for every Producing Zone, and 1 Human Victory Point for every Refugee or Freighter that successfully Escaped this phase.
When the Human Victory Point counter reaches 10, start it back at zero, and Advance the Germs counter by 1.
New Cylinders Land
When you Move your Germ counter into the 3rd space on the Progress Track, Cylinder #3 lands.
When you Move your Germ counter into the 6th space, Cylinder #4 lands.
When you Move into the 9th space, Cylinder #5 Lands.
Roll a die and consult the Player Help Sheet to see in which Zone the Cylinder lands.
New Cylinder Placement (roll when Germ Counter reaches 3/6/9): Green: Scotland; Yellow: Wales; Red: Leicester.
If you roll Green, place the new Cylinder in Scotland, Yellow goes to Wales, and Red to Leicester.
Cylinders may become new Waves during the Assembly Phase.
When a new Cylinder is placed, draw 4 random Tripods and place them in that Cylinder's Tripod Staging Area.
Martian Action Phase
Advance the Clock counter to the Martian Action Phase.
Event Check
If the Event card takes place during the Martian Action Phase, draw the card, and complete the Event.
Martian Actions
Roll a die for each Wave on the Strategic Map and refer to the Martian Action Phase on the Player Help Sheet.
Martian Action Phase table
| Zone Workforce (counter color) | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Move | Arrival | Flying Machine |
| Green | Move | Repair | Move |
| Blue | Repair | Flying Machine | Flying Machine |
| Destroyed or Red Weed | Move | Arrival | Flying Machine |
Depending on the Workforce Value of the Zone (Yellow, Green, Blue, Destroyed or Red Weed), the Wave will have different Actions, including:
Arrival: The Wave gains 1 random Tripod.
Example: Wave #2 is in a Zone with a Yellow Production counter. I roll Yellow which results in an Arrival. I draw a new Tripod from my cup and place it in Wave #2's Tripod Staging Area.
Flying Machine: 1 part of the Flying Machine is built. Place a random Flying Machine counter on the Strategic Map. When all 4 are built, you Lose the game.
Move: Find the Wave's Zone on the Player Help Sheet. You will see three possible Zones where the Wave might Move. Roll on the Movement chart and Move the Wave to the new Zone.
Example: A Wave is in Norwich with a Green Production counter. I roll Red getting a Move result. I consult the Tripod Movement chart for Norwich on the Player Help Sheet and roll a die. I roll Yellow, so the Wave Moves to Southampton.
(The Norwich Movement chart reads: Green: London; Yellow: Southampton; Red: London.)
Martians do not move into Destroyed or Red Weed Zones. If you get a Movement result that places the Martian into a Destroyed or Red Weed Zone, re-roll until you get a Zone result that has not been Destroyed or have Red Weed.
If all possible Movement Zones are Destroyed or have Red Weed, the Martian will move into the Destroyed or Red Weed Zone that is closest to that Strategic Map's Capital (the Zone with Blue Gears).
Repair: Any 1 random Damaged Tripod in the Wave becomes Undamaged. If there are none, ignore this result.
Cavalry (Attract)
If a Martian gets a "Move" result, and a Cavalry Unit is in the same or adjacent Zone, you may roll to alter where the Wave will go. The Wave can only be Attracted to the 3 Move options available to the Wave based on the Wave's current Zone.
Each Cavalry counter in a Zone can roll to Attract once for each Moving Wave.
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| Green | You choosing the Wave's Movement, but the Cavalry is Destroyed. |
| Yellow | You choosing the Wave's Movement. |
| Red | No Effect. |
Example: There is a Wave in Liverpool. The Wave rolls for its Action, and gets a Move result. I have a Cavalry in Leicester. I can either let the Wave roll on its Movement chart, or my Cavalry can attempt to Attract the Wave to Move to the location of my choice.
(Liverpool Movement chart: Green: Leicester; Yellow: Birmingham; Red: Wales.)
I choose to have my Cavalry perform an Attract Action. They roll Yellow, allowing them to Attract a Wave. I choose to have the Wave Move to Wales.
Zone Destruction
Roll a die for each Destroyed Zone. On a Red die roll, flip the Zone's counter from Destroyed to Red Weed.
The Martians gain 2 Martian Victory Points for each Destroyed Zone, each Turn.
The Martians gain 4 Martian Victory Points for each Red Weed Zone, each Turn.
Example: There are two Destroyed Zones and 1 Red Weed Zone on the Strategic Map at the end of a Martian Action Phase. The Martians gain 8 Martian Victory Points. At the end of the next Martian Action Phase, one of the Destroyed Zones is now a Red Weed Zone, which means there is now 1 Destroyed Zone and 2 Red Weed Zones. They now earn 10 Martian Victory Points.
When the Martian Victory Point counter reaches 10, start it back at 0, and Advance the Colonization counter by 1.
At the end of the Martian Action Phase, if any Refugees are in the same Zone as a Wave, the Refugees are Captured. The Martians gain 1 Martian Victory Point for each Refugee they Captured this phase.
Assembly Phase
Advance the Clock counter to the Assembly Phase.
Event Check
If the Event card takes place during the Assembly Phase, draw the card, and complete the Event.
During the Assembly Phase, every Cylinder rolls a die. If the color of the die matches the color of the Handling Machine in that Zone, the Cylinder counter is replaced with its Wave counter.
If the color rolled does not match the Handling Machine, nothing happens.
Example: During the Assembly Phase, Cylinder #2 located in a Zone with a Green Handling Machine rolls a die, and gets a Green result. The Cylinder is exchanged for a Wave. If the die roll was a Yellow or Red result, nothing would happen during this Assembly Phase.
Scenarios
Use all the preceding Rules, except for the changes stated in each Scenario.
1) Narrator Legendary Victory
- Begin with the Narrator in any Zone that has a Wave.
- During each Human Action Phase, you must Move the Narrator closer to the closest Wave. If he is already in a Zone with a Wave, he does not Move. There is no Production Point cost to Move during the Human Action Phase.
- Treat the Narrator as a Character Unit.
- If he dies, you Lose.
- If he lives and you win the game, you can claim a Legendary Victory.
2) The Mars Ironclads
- Do not place Initial Handling Machines, Waves, or Cylinders.
- Start with 14 Production Points.
- Roll on the Player Help Sheet (New Cylinder Placement: Green: Scotland; Yellow: Wales; Red: Leicester) for the placement of 5 Waves on the Strategic Map. Each Wave has 3 Tripods.
- Do not Destroy a Zone during Set-Up.
- Gain 2 Production Points for each Tripod Destroyed.
- Do not place additional Waves when the Germs counter gets to 3/6/9.
- When the Germs counter gets to 3/6/9, each Wave on the Strategic Map gains 1 Tripod.
3) Handling Machines
- Do not place Initial Handling Machines, Waves, or Cylinders.
- Place 1 Green Handling Machine on each of these 4 Zones: Scotland, Wales, Norwich, and Leeds.
- Roll on the chart below for the placement of the remaining 4 Handling Machines on the Strategic Map.
Roll 2 dice. The first roll indicates the column, the second roll indicates the row.
| Second roll \ First roll | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | Scotland | Norwich | Wales |
| Yellow | Norwich | Scotland | Leicester |
| Red | Wales | Leicester | Bristol |
- Start the Scenario with 9 Production Points.
- At the beginning of Turn 1, before the Production Phase, roll 2 dice for each Handling Machine. If you roll the color of the Handling Machine place a random Tripod(s) in the Zone.
- A Battle will take place if a Wave or a Tripod is in a Zone with a Gun.
- Treat all of the Tripods in a Zone as a Wave during both the Devastation Phase and the Martian Action Phase. If a Tripod enters a Zone with other Tripods, it starts to Move as a Wave with the other Tripods at the end of the Martian Action Phase.
- Treat all of the Tripods in a Zone as a Wave during Battles.
- Infantry can Destroy Handling Machines. Treat the "Cylinder Destruction" Infantry Action as "Handling Machine Destruction".
- During every Assembly Phase, roll a die for each Handling Machine. If you roll the color of the Handling Machine place a single random Tripod in the Zone.
- In addition to the regular Victory/Defeat conditions, you also win if all Handling Machines and Tripods are Destroyed.
4) Refugees
- Start all Zones with 2 Refugees.
- All Zones except London start with a Workforce Value of 7. London starts with a Workforce Value of 12.
- Place a Refugee for every Point of Workforce damage inflicted on a Zone.
Example: A Zone's Workforce is decreased by 4. Decrease the Production counter by 4, and add 4 Refugees to the Zone.
- During each Production Phase, place 1 random Harbor for free.
- The number of Tripods in a Wave is the maximum number of Refugees that Wave can Capture.
Example: A Wave with 1 Tripod ends its Martian Action Phase in a Zone with 2 Refugees. Because there is only 1 Tripod, the Wave can only Capture 1 Refugee.
- For every Zone that has Refugees in excess of Gears at the end of the Escape Phase, you may spend 1 Production Point for each Refugee you do not want Captured.
Example: There are 5 Refugees in a Green Zone. The Zone can only handle 2 Refugees. I pay 3 Production Points so none of the 5 Refugees are Captured at the end of the Escape Phase.
(Optional) League of Terran Nations
When you play games from multiple Nations, this will let you link the games together.
Each game is played simultaneously. Phases are completed at the same time, and a new phase cannot be started until everyone is done with the current phase.
At the beginning of the game, each Nation suffers the negative effects shown in the column of boxes titled Crisis.
As Refugees successfully Escape, place them on this sheet.
The accumulation of Escaping Refugees will improve your abilities.
Multiply Escaped Refugees by the chart at the top of the sheet.
Free Refugees each Turn: 4 Nations = x1, 3 Nations = x2, 2 Nations = x3, 1 Nation = x4.
Example: I am playing a 2 Nation game with England and Japan. A Turn ends with 3 Refugees Escaping from England and 2 Refugees Escaping from Japan. I multiply the 5 Escaped Refugees by 3, placing 15 total Refugees on the League of Nations sheet.
At the beginning of every Production Phase, you may allocate any Refugees that have been placed on the League of Nations sheet.
The number in parentheses shows the number of Refugees you must place in order to Move the Refugee counter 1 space to the right. When you Move a Refugee counter from Crisis to Ramping-Up, you stop suffering the negative effect. When you Move the counter a second time to Break-Through, you gain a benefit.
| Crisis | Ramping-Up | Break-Through |
|---|---|---|
| Clogged: +2 cost to Build Harbors. | (6) Building | (20) Finished: Freely Build 1 random Harbor each Turn. |
| Learning: Limit 1 Earthworks per Battle. | (6) Deploying | (20) In Place: Each Gun freely begins each Battle with 1 Earthworks. |
| Green: Cavalry cannot perform Planning. | (5) Preparing | (15) Veteran: Freely receive 1 random Battle Plan at the start of each Battle containing 1 or more Cavalry. |
Example: I use 6 of the 15 Escaped Refugees to Move from Clogged to Building. I no longer pay +2 to build my Harbors. I then use 5 of the Escaped Refugees to Move from Green to Preparing. My Cavalry can now perform Planning. Finally, I place the last 4 Escaped Refugees in the Veteran Break-Through box. When that box gets 15 Refugees, I will gain that Advantage.