Road to War! Informational Booklet

A Turn Based Strategy Game from Sharks With Robot Arms!

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Table of Contents

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Downloads https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxTY8dSVcjLBaU9ueU9pVjBCcnc&usp=sharing This link provides access to the download files associated with the game pieces included in Road to War! Assembly Instructions are located inside of the download folder and accompanied by diagrams and printable versions of materials needed. The map for both versions must be printed out using Microsoft Visio and includes instructions on how to assemble it. The “Deluxe Version” includes printable Siege Units, Resource Tokens, Personnel Units, Building Structures, a reference table and a resource ledger. The map for both versions must be printed out using Microsoft Visio and includes instructions on how to assemble it. The “Barebones” version includes examples of substitutes for game pieces to be used during prototype testing which save time, paper and ink.

Included Materials/Game Piece Overview

Game Board and Accessories 1. Road to War! Rules and Reference Guide (x1) 2. Six Side Dice (x8) 3. 40 x 40 Grid Reversible Maps with reference data tables (x2)

a. Reversible 4 Player Map (x1) i. Side 1: Scorched Earth (Resources Fixed) ii. Side 2: Darkness Falls (Resources Fixed)

b. Reversible 2 Player Map (x1) i. Side 1: Fire and Ice (Resources Fixed) ii. Side 2: Blank customizable map (Also may be used for 4 Players)

4. Fishbowl Tokens a. Red (x30) b. Blue (x30) c. Green (x30) d. Clear (x30)

Personnel Units 1. Archer Unit – 8 per Nation (x32) 2. Cavalry Unit – 8 per Nation (x32) 3. Infantry Unit – 8 per Nation (x32) 4. Ruler Unit – 1 per Nation (x4)

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5. Spearman Unit – 8 per Nation (x32) 6. Worker Unit – 8 per Nation (x32)

Resource Tokens/Blanks 1. 5 Lumber (x24) 2. 10 Lumber ( x24) 3. 20 Lumber (x24) 4. 40 Lumber (x24) 5. 5 Ore (x24) 6. 10 Ore ( x24) 7. 20 Ore (x24) 8. 40 Ore (x24) 9. 5 Stone(x 24) 10. 10 Stone (x24) 11. 20 Stone (x24) 12. 40 Stone (x24) 13. Logging Grid Tile (x48) 14. Mining Grid Tile (x60) 15. Units Used (x156)

Siege Units 1. Battering Ram – 5 per Nation (x20) 2. Boiling Oil – 5 per Nation (x20) 3. Catapult – 5 per Nation (x20) 4. Trebuchet – 5 per Nation (x20)

Structure Pieces 1. Gate (x36) 2. Keep – 1 per Nation (x4) 3. Large Wall (x70) 4. Small Wall (x54)

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Story/Setting

There exists a land unto itself is bountiful, beautiful, and magnificent. A land of peace and tranquility to which all of its inhabitants and coexist and live in harmony. This land is named Rasputin and it is a remarkable paradise. This glorious personification of Xanadu has supported and fostered the unique cultures of various civilizations. Each with their own customs and traditions all co­inhabit this peaceful land without a nary or a care, or at least that is how it used to be. Centuries of turmoil and catastrophic conditions have severely devastated Rasputin, straining its resources and making the bountiful landscape a barren wilderness. What was once a never ceasing supply of resources and luxuries have now become a source of conflict and strife. This has taken its effect on the inhabitants of this mighty land. No more does neighbor trust neighbor nor brother rely on brother. There is no more room for loyalty and honor. Every nation and man must risk everything and gambit for the sake of their own. All the borders have been shut and tourism has become a trifle of the past. Each nation must bear arms and fight for dominance of the land before all is lost. Only one culture can rise above the rest and bring back peace and unity to the land. The future of Rasputin resides on the Road to War!

General Rules Ages ­ 13+ Players ­ (2­4)

Setup

Players first select the faction they wish to play (Rome, Greece, Persia or Carthage). However, no two may choose the same faction.

Each faction commands ¼ of the map. This section of the map is their chosen nations’ home territory.

Each nation may now place their keep. The Keep may be located anywhere as long as there is a 2 x 2 area suitable for placement. This Building Structure cannot be built upon impassible terrain such as Mining or Logging Grid Tiles.

Once every player’s keep has been placed, all players may now place one Worker Unit, one Infantry Unit, and their Ruler Unit anywhere inside their territory.

Players receive 25 Units of Stone and 25 Units of Wood to be allocated to their stockpile to begin the game.

To decide who goes first each player must roll a single die with the highest roll going first with any ties being re­rolled again with highest winning.

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Turn rotation will then go either clockwise or counterclockwise, based upon player agreement in a game with more than 2 players.

How to mark Turns The color coded border of the map is intended to be used as part of the playing

surface. Feel free to use this in your movement, attacking and building strategies. This area may also be used to place Logging and Mining Grid Tiles while playing on the blank customizable map.

Every turn a player has a number of actions they can take (Movement, Attack, Build, Replenish, Harvest, Salvage) however a player is not obligated to use them all every turn. Players perform actions in any order with a few exceptions.

Moving a unit (if the player chooses to move the unit) must be done first. If another action has been performed before movement, any movement for that unit is deemed invalid and that unit cannot move. Units that have taken movement receive a Green fishbowl token next to it.

Attacking uses up all remaining actions regardless if any have been performed or not. (see Combat Personnel Tokens for special rules about Calvary)

Players may not perform the same action twice in a turn with the exception of harvesting/salvaging resources, building structures, or spawning new units.

A unit that has already performed one action receives a Clear fishbowl token next to it.

A unit that has no actions left receives a Blue fishbowl token next to it to signify that units end of action.

Units do not have to perform actions sequentially. The player may perform an action on one unit and return to that unit later in their turn, as long as each individual unit’s action rules have been followed.

After all of the player’s units have run out of actions to take, or they chose to take no more, the player’s turn is over moving on to the next player.

Player has the option to take no action and skip their turn.

Movement Rules The color coded border of the map is intended to be used as part of the playing

surface. Feel free to use this to move about. Siege Units and Building Structures may not move or be moved once they are

placed on the playing surface.

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A unit can move in any direction within its movement range Units may not stack on top of another unit. A unit may not move through impassable terrain.

Impassable terrain is considered as Mining Grid Tiles, Logging Grid Tiles, enemy Personnel Units, enemy Siege Units and all Building Structures.

Friendly Personnel Units are not considered impassable terrain, however Siege Units are impassable regardless of faction affiliation.

Rubble and denoted salvage markers are not impassable terrain. They also do not obstruct view or encumber line of sight.

A Personnel Unit is not required to move the full amount of its movement range. The diagram below shows the movement range of an Infantry Unit, which

has a Movement Value of 5.

Attack Rules The color coded border of the map is intended to be used as part of the playing

surface. Feel free to use this in your attack strategies. If a player chooses a unit to attack, the attacking combatant must attain a sum

greater than the difference between its attack damage and its targets defensive value in order to win the skirmish. Matching values on rolling two six sided dice to the targeted value is considered a draw and this token must rest for the remainder of the turn.

Example of an attack action during gameplay. Archer has an attack rating of 10.

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Infantry has a defensive rating of 17. Player needs to roll a 8 or higher to win.

When attacking Siege Units, individual Personnel Units can choose to either attack the Siege Unit or the manning Personnel Unit individually. The Siege Unit and Personnel Unit stats do not stack.

Units cannot attack behind obstructions and must have Line of Sight (LoS) or a clear unobstructed view of the unit. Line of Sight is displayed in the diagram below.

A clear line of sight is blocked by a Building Structure, enemy personnel/siege, or impassable terrain (excluding water).

A target is considered out of line of sight if the unit attacking cannot make a straight line from the base of the attacker to base of the target. This makes for inclusion of diagonal attacks.

A unit can attack in any direction so long as the target in range. Siege can attack structures as well as other units. Each Siege or Personnel Unit has its own attack range which represents the

number of Grid Tiles away it can attack. Siege units must have an adjacent non­mounted unit for it to attack.

Calvary is not a valid unit to operate Siege. Both of these rules are depicted in the diagram below.

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Building Rules The color coded border of the map is intended to be used as part of the playing

surface. Feel free to use this in your building strategies. Siege Units can be placed (once built with required resources) anywhere on the

map as long as there is enough open space. As long as the unit/structure can be put on the map without overlapping

another unit or structure it has enough space to be placed. Boiling pots can only be placed over walls. It can be on any expanse of the wall

as long as that wall contains at least 1 gate. There is no limit to what you can build in a turn so long as you have enough

resources. Built units must wait until next turn before taking any actions. Destroyed siege units and structures turn to rubble when they are destroyed. When building Wall Structure Pieces, they must be placed next to other Wall

Structures with the exception of the first piece you place in a new wall segment. This can be placed anywhere you like to start your construction.

When constructing, wall segments must be placed next to other wall segments, with the exception of the first wall piece you place. This can be placed anywhere you like to start your construction.

Salvaging Rules Salvaging returns 50% of the resources spent to build the Building Structure or Siege Unit initially. These return values are displayed on the reverse side of the

original token.

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When a Siege Unit or Building Structure is in a defeated state, they must be in the flipped position in order to display harvestable materials.

Only Worker Units may salvage destroyed or abandoned Siege Units and Building Structures in a state of rubble.

A Worker Unit must be adjacent to rubble in order to recover materials listed on the token or piece. The diagram below depicts adjacency.

Resources and Gathering Rules The three available and sought after resources are Ore, Stone, and Wood. There is a limited amount of resources available on the map that once gone,

cannot be replaced. Workers are the only unit who can gather resources. Gathered resources get put into the players’ stockpile. Gathering resources counts as an action, and once taken the Worker Unit is

unable to perform another action until the next turn. Players roll a 1d6 when gathering resources and getting a 6 results in double the

amount resources gathered. (If player rolls more than once die then they must re­roll with only one)

This rule does not apply to salvaging. Salvages are automatically granted upon use of an action by a Worker Unit.

Once a resource has been gathered, a Units Used token is placed over the resource and it is no longer obtainable.

Salvaged resources are removed from the map and added to the gatherer’s inventory.

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Winning the Game Road to War! end game conditions are simple, and there are only two. The game is over and the player wins if either of the following criteria is met:

All opposing players’ keeps have been captured. Opposing players have exhausted all resources, including salvaged material, and have

no more units on the field.

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The Nations Rasputin is a host to numerous nations and cultures. Each have their own unique story and set of values that are unique only to those in Rasputin. While no nation holds any advantages over another, there are four major powers: Greece, Carthage, Persia, and Rome.

Greece

“In Greece, we conjoin our animals, make a new god every day of the week, and oh,clothing is optional.” Greece admires culture and learning above all other things. They are often look at as the trend setters and the citizens are often the winners of the annual Miss Rasputin of the Universe competition. It can be a terrifying ordeal on the battlefield to know you are strategizing against the educators of the land.

Carthage

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“Not only are we coastal, fun loving, and festive, but we also import the most exotic of animals.” Carthage is often nicknamed “The Movers of Rasputiin” as they were quick to master the usage of animals and livestock. This has helped them amass the power and wealth in Rasputin. Can they implement all they have learned to also conquer the entire land?

Persia

“If it isn’t baggy, wispy light, or covered in gold, it isn’t worth wearing.” While Persia is often looked on as being a tad strange and eccentric there is no doubt that their style is an impressive one. Both simple and flamboyant their attire is often sought after by the most affluent in Rasputin and of course no party is complete without a Persian dancer or blade master as entertainment. Beautiful yet deadly is a dangerous combination to meet upon the battlefield.

Rome

“Rome, our culture is similar to yours… only better.”

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It is one thing to say someone has copied you but it is another thing to say it to the face of a Roman. That is not to say Rome does not have their own culture or style, they do. They have mastered the style of streamlining nearly everything, even other cultures. This has its advantages, however. Being the highly efficient in just about everything has helped gain Rome the power they so proudly boast. Facing the effective Roman war machine in battle is no easy task.

The Pieces Now that you are acquainted with the world of Rasputin and have seen the land that you are to conquer, let’s discuss how that is to happen and what you have at your disposal to do so. Road to War! is a game comprised of numerous pieces all working together to accomplish a larger goal. Each unit must be strategized and coordinated in concert with each other piece in order to be victorious. An army is not comprised of but one soldier but of a host of nefarious, blood­thirsty henchmen.

Resource Grid Squares and Tokens Resources are what is required to build Defenses, train Personnel Units, and run your nation. There are a limited amount available in the world and once they run out, they are gone for good. Life has become hard in Rasputin.

Resources can only be gathered by Worker Units.

Mining Grid Tiles

“In my day, when we wanted to go get stone we had to go dig it out of the ground!” Old man Chooch, 135 A.D. Mining is the simplest and most efficient way to harvest Stone and Ore. This is a valuable and required resource to build just about everything in Rasputin.

Gathering from a Mining Tile will reward the player with: 20 Stone (40 with a critical roll) 10 Ore (20 with a critical roll)

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Logging Grid Tiles

“If a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound? Only if you’re around to hear it screaming.” Ciaran the Lumberjack, 1242 A.D. Logging Tiles are another critical resource that must be gathered from to construct and train numerous different units to be used on the battlefield. Logging tiles are the most efficient way to gather this resource but once depleted are gone for good.

Gathering from a Logging Tile will reward the player with: 20 Lumber (40 with a critical roll)

Lumber “The perfect replacement for both lost appendages and teeth.” Lumber is primarily gathered from Logging Tiles and is a major asset in Personnel and Siege construction as well with the construction of Gates.

Ore

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“Is it a metal ore a mineral?” Ore is one of the resources gathered from Mining Tiles. Ore has various uses and is an extremely important asset.

Stone “Put you in between this and a hard place.” Stone is the other resource gathered from Mining Tiles. It is the primary resources used in defensive Walls as well as in many Siege weapons.

Resource Gathering

Resource Amount per Gather Square

Amount on Critical Roll

Lumber 20 40

Ore 10 20

Stone 20 40

Building and Structure Pieces One cannot keep what is theirs unless they defend it. These are your defensive pieces that you must utilize to keep out the attacking forces. Should all of your defenses be dropped and your keep captured or destroyed your conquest of Rasputin has come to an end.

Once a Structure has been destroyed, its token is flipped and its resources are available for gathering.

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Keeps “Why would I want to go out there? Yes, there is a horde of besieging militants, but it’s cold and wet and in here I have a fire not to mention nice hot mutton and mead!” ­ King Gerbal, the Slothful ­ 1460 A.D. This is the most important piece in all of Rasputin. Here is where you train and build your forces to venture out and conquest. If you lose your keep you have lost everything and your adventure is over. Protect this with your life.

Must be place on an accessible 4x4 tile square Can be rolled against by any Personnel or Siege Unit to be captured or

destroyed. Your game is over if your Keep is destroyed or captured

Walls “Our job here is most important, we are the watchers!” Guardsman, 127 A.D. Walls have all sorts of purposes. They keep away annoying pests, block unwanted from spying on you, and most important, establish boundaries to defend what is yours. Walls

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can give you advanced warning of encroaching monsters and wild armies. Keep them maintained and armed. Don’t forget, 3 horn blows for “Others”.

Walls have 2 different sizes Small ­ 2x2 tile square ­ 20 stone Large ­ 2x4 tile square ­ 40 stone

Walls cannot span an entire section of passable terrain without at least 1 Gate included in its expanse.

Gates “Do I like my job here? Sure, I get to tell people to get lost and go home.” ­ Gatekeeper Joe, 1540 A.D. If eyes are the gates to the soul, then gates are the portal to the world. Gates not only block out unwanted guests but they allow friendly armies to come and go as you please. While these are not as strong as the walls they occupy they are crucial and necessary for without them your armies can never progress.

Placed between 2 Wall sections Occupies 2x2 tile square ­ 20 Lumber

Required when a series of Wall makes the terrain impassable.

Structure Building

Structure Type Cost to Build Space Needed Defensive Value

Gate 20 Lumber 2 x 2 16

Keep N/A 2 x 2 18

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Large Wall 40 Stone 2 x 4 17

Small Wall 20 Stone 2 x 2 17

Combat Siege Tokens When you attack a bigger target it helps to have a bigger weapon. That is exactly what the Siege Tokens do. These behemoths of the battle field take great strategery and skill to operate properly but in turn yield great results.

Does not have a movement action. Can be Salvaged (50% of cost) for resources or to be rebuilt elsewhere on the

map.

Boiling Oil “My mother always warned me not to touch the stew as it cooked. Too bad they did not know my mother.” Theselanipa at the Unending Siege of Istergarde, 462 A.D. Boiling Oil is a great defense to keep invaders from breaching your walls. Although it does have a small range it delivers a great payout in damage and defense. Each unit comes stocked with its own caretaker. No need to give your Infantry the boring oil duty!

Is only destructible by Catapult or Trebuchet fire. Must be constructed on top of walls. When attacking, damage takes precedent on Battering Rams. The player must attack

the Battering Ram even if the target is currently manned. If a Battering Ram is destroyed, the manned unit tokens are transferred out of range of

the Boiling Oil. Able to attack Siege and Personnel pieces.

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Battering Ram “Why do we use a sheep to name this weapon? Why not use something with more grace like the bull or rhino?” ­ Edgar the Builder, fell to his death off the Cliffs of Esmeraldia due to a ram, 892 A.D. When you need to smash something quick, like a giant door, the Battering Ram is the tool for you. Using the Battering Ram will allow you to quickly break down whatever lies in your path to ensure your quick and speedy victory!

Must be manned to operate This piece is destructible by Catapult, Trebuchet and Boiling Oil. If it is abandoned, it is then destructible by Personnel Units. Able to attack Gate and Personnel Units.

Catapult “Behold my new invention, it can deliver pumpkins to our friends, cattle to those who annoy us or smell like elderberries, or giant flaming rocks to our enemies; all at great distances and at vast speeds.” Michealago, 42 A.D. Want to dish out a great deal of damage but from far away? What you need my friend is the catapult. With an attack that is only equaled by its range, this piece of weaponry will level anything that is in your path.

Must be manned to operate This piece is destructible by Boiling Oil, Catapult and Trebuchet. If it is abandoned, it is then destructible by Personnel Units. This Siege token must have line of sight to its target. It cannot shoot around corners. Able to attack Wall, Gate, Keep, and Personnel Units.

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Trebuchet “We all know and love the catapult, behold the Trebuchet! Now we can fling our cattle in style!.” Donicheldo, 56 A.D. So the catapult didn’t do it for you? Well you’re in luck. At just a small sacrifice in defense the Trebuchet will deliver even more damage and at a greater range!

Must be manned to operate This piece is destructible by Boiling Oil, Trebuchet and Catapult. If it is abandoned, it is then destructible by Personnel Units. This Siege token must have line of sight to its target. It cannot shoot around corners. Able to attack Wall, Gate, Keep, and Personnel Units.

Siege Details

Siege or Structure Type

Cost to Build

Space Needed

Attack Range

Attack Damage

Defensive Value

Battering Ram 10 Lumber + 10 Ore

1 1 10 17

Boiling Oil 10 Lumber + 10 Ore

1 2 11 16

Catapult 10 Lumber + 10 Stone

1 10 10 17

Trebuchet 20 Lumber + 10 Stone

1 14 11 16

Small Wall 20 Stone 2 x 2 N/A N/A 17

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Large Wall 40 Stone 2 x 4 N/A N/A 17

Gate 20 Lumber 2 x 2 N/A N/A 16

Keep N/A 2 x 2 N/A N/A 18

Combat Personnel Tokens There is no army without units to command. Each unit has its own advantages and disadvantages which must be considered when moving and attacking. How they are implemented and even sacrificed is all part of the journey along the Road to War!

Archer “To look your enemy in the eye on the field of battle is to laugh in the face of death. Me, I’d rather smirk at him from afar.” – The Grand Habar 42 A.D. The Archer is best implemented attacking your enemy from just outside of their range. By maximizing your attack time before they can close in on your unit will yield profound success.

Must have clear Line of Sight on target to attack.

Cavalry “To look your enemy in the eye on the field of battle is to laugh in the face of death. Me, I’d rather smirk at him from afar.” – The Grand Habar 42 A.D.

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The Cavalry is as majestic as it is deadly. This unit can traverse great distances to reach their target and still be able to rush in for the kill. But every sword has an edge, should the Charge! fail this unit is susceptible to attack!

Calvary is not able to man and control Siege Units Calvary can choose to interrupt an enemy's movement that passes within five

squares by using it’s Charge! attack. Implementing Charge! leaves the unit unable to act for an additional turn.

Using charge puts the Cavalry unit in an adjacent square of the target in range, within 5 spaces.

Once Charge! has been activated a Red fishbowl token is placed next to the unit.

On the player’s next turn the Red token is replaced with a Blue token to signify that units end of action.

The diagram below shows the base movement for Cavalry in green and Charge! range in orange from a standing still position prior to action.

Infantry

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“The foot soldier, the backbone of any army. Just don’t expect me to volunteer for the front line.” – Thesselonica 67 A.D No army is complete without its footmen. This unit has a strong balance of attack with defense and is designed to live on the battlefield.

Spearman “A man can only attack what his arms can reach. Give me a spear and I reach farther that you!” ­ Sigh Sao Woo, 92 A.D.

The Spearman is a modification of the Infantry. While this unit does sacrifice in defense it more than makes up for it in range of attack. This unit is designed to spearhead any attack.

Ruler “There is no one more important than the King. It is through his insight and leadership alone that everything is made possible. There is no kingdom without a King, I am the end all.” ­ Richard “The Fool” the IV, beheaded by the people 1262 A.D. The Ruler truly does rule the battlefield. This unit is a proverbial juggernaut as it has the highest attack and defense of any Personnel Unit. As with any true ruler, there is only one and once it is defeated there are no replacements, rule wisely.

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Worker “I was once tasked to gather wood for my master, I obeyed. I was asked to work the mine, I did not hesitate. My master directed me to construct a home, I acquiesced. I only replied ‘STOP POKING MEEEEE!’” ­ a random peon, unknown. No kingdom can function without those who perform the labor. While this unit is not entirely defenseless, all altercations should be avoided at all cost. The major purpose of this unit is to provide their nation with the necessary resources to master the kingdom of Rasputin.

Combat Details

Pawn Type

Cost to Outfit

Movement Range

Attack Range

Attack Damage

Defensive Value

Archer 15 Lumber 6 7 10 15

Cavalry 15 Ore 8 1 with Melee 5 with Charge

9 16

Infantry 10 Ore 5 1 11 17

Ruler N/A 7 3 10 18

Spearman 10 Lumber + 10 Ore

5 3 11 16

Worker 10 Lumber 7 1 7 14

Keep N/A N/A N/A N/A 18

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Leave Blank ­ Outline on next page to follow in creation

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When moving text, use Red Ink to signify it has been moved. Also, state in parenthesis where it came from. I changed all the game pieces to read Carthaginian or Carthage instead of Iberian.

Prototype Booklet

1. Cover/Title Page 2. ToC ­ Hyperlinks 3. Download

a. included files b. Google Drive

4. Included Materials/Game Piece Overview moved from 7. ­> 4.map here a. impassible

5. Assembly

a. paperclips b. toothpicks c. bottlecaps d. aluminium can tabs e. nuts, bolts, washers f. coins

6. Intro/Story 7. General Rules ­ 8. How to mark turns

i. Fishbowl tokens ii. Maximum 2 turns/actions before a rest iii. to pass rest status, wait one complete turn without completing an action

on that specific token 1. movement ­ green 2. attack/siege use/gather/salvage ­ clear 3. end turn ­ blue (is removed at start of next turn) 4. charge ­ red (switches to blue upon next turn)

b. movement c. general economy

i. lumber ii. stone iii. ore

1. spending 2. spawning troops

d. general gathering e. general salvage f. general building/destruction structures g. general attack

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i. line of sight 9. Piece by Piece

a. Nations (added section) b. Personnel ­ quotes

i. Archers ii. Infantry iii. Cavalry

1. Charge! (Moved from 7.g.) c. Siege

i. precedence ii.

d. Resources i. starting resources ii. gathering

e. Structures

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