First of all, these are the mechanics. You do not need to read this to play the game. Besides, your faction has a training area that tells you what you need to know about the rules. However, if you want to know what rules the Game Operator uses as a guidline, then continue to read this post.
HOW TO TAKE A TURN
Players will post in their factions strategy thread and that is how they take their turn. There must be three elements to their post which amount to directions for their squad.
1. Stay put or move.
2. Running orders
3. A die roll
The Game Operator does not allow posts after 10PM Eastern Standard Time. Gaming resumes at 12:00AM. During this two hour window the GO posts results in the operations area of the battlefield for all to see. Based on these public results, plus private revelations to each faction and character, orders might change for the next day.
DAY ONE RULES
G.I. Joe must have elected a leader for day one to get started.
All of the players must have their character sheets in order.
Provided those are out of the way, the game may begin. During the first day the Cobra players may issue orders but the G.I. Joe players may not. Posting times are anytime before 10:00 PM EST. To issue orders, Cobra players must fill out orders in the Cobra HQ. They will already be notified of their starting position, and they must issue orders based on that including their move, stance, and die roll.
Likewise, G.I. Joe members will be notified as to where their starting positions are. Lets take a detailed look at how to issue orders.
MOVEMENT RULES
Right now we only have to deal with infantry. How far can they move?
The short answer is any spot within your region or a neighboring region, or any ocean spot adjacent to your region. The Game Operator will not be too stringent in a questionable area. As long as it fits these perimeters it will be allowed. So if you're anywhere in the united States you may move to any space within that blue region, including Hawaii or Alaska. You could also go to any Canadian space or any Central American space. You could not go to Greenland next turn, nor could you go to South America. Ocean spaces work like regions except there is no activation rule for sea. It is not a space that can award you points as of yet. The land spaces are the ones that matter.
The map area contains helpful guides as to where players can move from each region.
COMBAT RULES
Combat results when one faction player lands on a space with an opposing faction player and certain criteria are met. The Game Operator uses the chart below to determine if combat transpired during the days round. When a player is posting their orders they use the appropriate attack die. For all but veterans, officers and commanders this will be 1d4. This number is the attack number the Game Operator will use to determine combat should you encounter it. He will not include any roll for you if you don't do this so it matters a lot. Characters can have a bonus, but their situation and stance create a hidden modifier. This is a list of those modifiers.
You use ASSULT ASSET
-vs- Assult Asset: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Defend Asset: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: Nothing
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Region Recon: Equal Combat determined by rolls
You use DEFEND ASSET
-vs- Assult Asset: You get a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Defend Asset: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: Nothing
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: You get a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Region Recon: Equal Combat determined by rolls
You use SLEEPER CELL/UNDERCOVER
-vs- Assult Asset: Nothing
-vs- Defend Asset: Nothing
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: Nothing
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Region Recon: Nothing
You use SET UP AMBUSH/ATTACK ENEMY
-vs- Assult Asset: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Defend Asset: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: You get a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Region Recon: You get a +1 to combat rolls
You use REGION RECON (Costs 2 F/F points unless character is a recon specialist)
-vs- Assult Asset: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Defend Asset: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Region Recon: Equal Combat determined by rolls
Damage is evenly divided up among combatants if there are multiple combatants on each side and they won't budge from the fight. Whoever was there the longest (Post wise) gets any of the leftover damage.
A lot of times to enemies will trade shots, then on the next day they'll be inclined to change their stance but remain where they are. Meanwhile more combatants will trickle into this space throughout the day. By ten o clock it's a regular old cluster ---. That's okay, and it doesn't seal the origional fighters fate. They may take that final bit of damage but what matters is how much damage they take. If they're knocked down to 1 they retreat. They retreat to an area chosen by the GO that should be one space away and closer to the defeated unit's leader or the next nearest region. If they get to 0 they are captured. If they get to -1 or lower they're taken out of the game. Players can only re-enter a game at the GO's discretion.
If players sit their squad in Defend Asset mode, they get a health point back a turn. In sleeper/undercover mode they get four back per turn. When healed, they get up to 12 points back.
Add the end of a battle, both sides recieve Freedom/Fear points.
FREEDOM POINTS/FEAR POINTS (FF pts)
Speaking of which, how do you earn FF points? The Joe team starts out with a bunch of them, not so with cobra. Neither team wants to spend too much because it pays your enemy, albeit 2 points when you recon but potentially many more due to fighting and terrorism. Here's how you make or lose points.
Terrorist Attack! (Cobra only) = 2points
Successful Defense! = 2points
Sleeper Cell attack! = 3 points
Prison Break = 5points
Enemy character withdraws = 1 point
Enemy character captured = 2 points
Enemy character killed = 3 points
Enemy Officer withdraws = 1 point
Enemy Officer Captured = 4 points
Enemy Officer killed = 6 points
Enemy leader withdraws = 5 points
Enemy leader captured = 10 points
Enemy leader killed = 15 points
Objective met = anywhere from 4-12 points
Recon = Costs 2 points
Joes have to keep their FREEDOM score above 0
Cobras have to raise their FEAR score to 100
One of the biggest FF point modifiers is Objectives. The GO will inform both teams of several objectives at once. He will do this a few time throughout the game. The Objective might be the launching of a secret weapons, or the appearence of a threatened world leader. When this happens, it will draw both factions into one spot for a fight where more points are at stake. Be prepared for the valueable curve balls.
HOW SPECIALISTS AFFECT THE GAME
Combat: +1 to all attack rolls, all day. Simple. Effective.
Support: Unless they've specified otherwise, they will uproot and join the first fight involving an ally in any space adjacent to the one they're in. Once per day. This does not include a terrorist act or a fight against regional forces. Only team allies recieve your support.
Medic: Totally heals the worst injured ally that ends a turn on the same space as medic. The medic may specify which ally he intends to heal.
Long Range: Uses Attack Enemy stance and instead of moving attacks to any adjacent space for 1d4 damage with no recourse.
Recon: If in sleeper mode/undercover and an enemy passes through your space, you may track them for free. Can also spot long range if used on their space. Can also detect enemies in adjacent spaces. This allows recon specialists to help spot for long range.
ATTACK ROLLS
Forgetting to do an attack roll can hurt bad because they help in every situation.
1. In any combat they're your basic damage element.
2. In Cobra Sleeper mode a roll of 4, 6, and 8 serve as FF point multipliers on a successful attack.
3. In G.I. Joe undercover mode a roll of 4, 6, and 8 full heals and an automatic region recon for free.
4. In Region Recon mode a roll of 4, 6, and 8 captures a copy of closest, most recent enemy post.
5. In all cases a 1 is a fumble. Fumbles do nothing, they just trip you up. They can lead to capture.
If the player forgets to roll, the Game Operator must count his roll as a fumble. So when a player is issuing their orders in their strategy thread, they must roll no matter what.
The die they roll is determined by their rank.
NCO - 1d4
Officer - 1d6
Commander - 1d8
SCENARIOS (The smaller maps)
There are two types of games that will be played. Global games and scenario games. So far we've covered the rules in Global games. Scenarios take place in a smaller area like a cave network or a supertanker. In scenario games each team has a very specific mission. They will deploy on the map, move to their target, and then try to extract. Unlike the global game, in scenarios you can only move one spot a turn. NPC's are also encountered when playing the scenario game. These could include dogs, guards, or any local resistence.
MOVE
In a scenario game you may first choose to move. You can move to any adjacent spot to yours. At times there will be barriers limiting where you can move, and these will often be grey or thick black walls in between spaces. Simply say stay put or move here or there.
STANCE
Then choose your stance. When entering the adjacent space will you assult it or go in covert. Assult is faster, as no matter what you will enter that space and engage in combat should an enemy be there. In covert you will back off if you spot an enemy, and you will get a full run down of enemies in that spot. The third stance option is only used if you stay put and that is defend. You'll get a plus one to combat when you defend. Some strategic locations will give a plus to defense beyond your default plus one.
ROLL
No matter what you roll the dice. If nothing happens then oh well, but if anything does happen the GO can use your die roll in his or her calculations.
That's it. That's how you play. You tell us where your going, what your doing, and then roll.
Here's what classes do in scenarios.
Combat specialists still get their bonus.
Long range can still attack at range up to one space adjacent to theirs.
Support will still move to join combat within one space of theirs.
Medic will still heal on the same space as he or she.
Recon can still track enemies and can remain undetected.
SPECIAL COMMANDS
Special Commands come into play when it means completing an objective. This could include take hostage, arm bomb, disable bomb, capture item, or a number of other commands. Team leaders will tell you when and where to use these.
HOW TO TAKE A TURN
Players will post in their factions strategy thread and that is how they take their turn. There must be three elements to their post which amount to directions for their squad.
1. Stay put or move.
2. Running orders
3. A die roll
The Game Operator does not allow posts after 10PM Eastern Standard Time. Gaming resumes at 12:00AM. During this two hour window the GO posts results in the operations area of the battlefield for all to see. Based on these public results, plus private revelations to each faction and character, orders might change for the next day.
DAY ONE RULES
G.I. Joe must have elected a leader for day one to get started.
All of the players must have their character sheets in order.
Provided those are out of the way, the game may begin. During the first day the Cobra players may issue orders but the G.I. Joe players may not. Posting times are anytime before 10:00 PM EST. To issue orders, Cobra players must fill out orders in the Cobra HQ. They will already be notified of their starting position, and they must issue orders based on that including their move, stance, and die roll.
Likewise, G.I. Joe members will be notified as to where their starting positions are. Lets take a detailed look at how to issue orders.
MOVEMENT RULES
Right now we only have to deal with infantry. How far can they move?
The short answer is any spot within your region or a neighboring region, or any ocean spot adjacent to your region. The Game Operator will not be too stringent in a questionable area. As long as it fits these perimeters it will be allowed. So if you're anywhere in the united States you may move to any space within that blue region, including Hawaii or Alaska. You could also go to any Canadian space or any Central American space. You could not go to Greenland next turn, nor could you go to South America. Ocean spaces work like regions except there is no activation rule for sea. It is not a space that can award you points as of yet. The land spaces are the ones that matter.
The map area contains helpful guides as to where players can move from each region.
COMBAT RULES
Combat results when one faction player lands on a space with an opposing faction player and certain criteria are met. The Game Operator uses the chart below to determine if combat transpired during the days round. When a player is posting their orders they use the appropriate attack die. For all but veterans, officers and commanders this will be 1d4. This number is the attack number the Game Operator will use to determine combat should you encounter it. He will not include any roll for you if you don't do this so it matters a lot. Characters can have a bonus, but their situation and stance create a hidden modifier. This is a list of those modifiers.
You use ASSULT ASSET
-vs- Assult Asset: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Defend Asset: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: Nothing
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Region Recon: Equal Combat determined by rolls
You use DEFEND ASSET
-vs- Assult Asset: You get a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Defend Asset: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: Nothing
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: You get a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Region Recon: Equal Combat determined by rolls
You use SLEEPER CELL/UNDERCOVER
-vs- Assult Asset: Nothing
-vs- Defend Asset: Nothing
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: Nothing
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Region Recon: Nothing
You use SET UP AMBUSH/ATTACK ENEMY
-vs- Assult Asset: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Defend Asset: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: You get a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Region Recon: You get a +1 to combat rolls
You use REGION RECON (Costs 2 F/F points unless character is a recon specialist)
-vs- Assult Asset: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Defend Asset: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Sleeper Cell/Undercover: Equal Combat determined by rolls
-vs- Set up Ambush/Attack Enemy: Enemy has a +1 to combat rolls
-vs- Region Recon: Equal Combat determined by rolls
Damage is evenly divided up among combatants if there are multiple combatants on each side and they won't budge from the fight. Whoever was there the longest (Post wise) gets any of the leftover damage.
A lot of times to enemies will trade shots, then on the next day they'll be inclined to change their stance but remain where they are. Meanwhile more combatants will trickle into this space throughout the day. By ten o clock it's a regular old cluster ---. That's okay, and it doesn't seal the origional fighters fate. They may take that final bit of damage but what matters is how much damage they take. If they're knocked down to 1 they retreat. They retreat to an area chosen by the GO that should be one space away and closer to the defeated unit's leader or the next nearest region. If they get to 0 they are captured. If they get to -1 or lower they're taken out of the game. Players can only re-enter a game at the GO's discretion.
If players sit their squad in Defend Asset mode, they get a health point back a turn. In sleeper/undercover mode they get four back per turn. When healed, they get up to 12 points back.
Add the end of a battle, both sides recieve Freedom/Fear points.
FREEDOM POINTS/FEAR POINTS (FF pts)
Speaking of which, how do you earn FF points? The Joe team starts out with a bunch of them, not so with cobra. Neither team wants to spend too much because it pays your enemy, albeit 2 points when you recon but potentially many more due to fighting and terrorism. Here's how you make or lose points.
Terrorist Attack! (Cobra only) = 2points
Successful Defense! = 2points
Sleeper Cell attack! = 3 points
Prison Break = 5points
Enemy character withdraws = 1 point
Enemy character captured = 2 points
Enemy character killed = 3 points
Enemy Officer withdraws = 1 point
Enemy Officer Captured = 4 points
Enemy Officer killed = 6 points
Enemy leader withdraws = 5 points
Enemy leader captured = 10 points
Enemy leader killed = 15 points
Objective met = anywhere from 4-12 points
Recon = Costs 2 points
Joes have to keep their FREEDOM score above 0
Cobras have to raise their FEAR score to 100
One of the biggest FF point modifiers is Objectives. The GO will inform both teams of several objectives at once. He will do this a few time throughout the game. The Objective might be the launching of a secret weapons, or the appearence of a threatened world leader. When this happens, it will draw both factions into one spot for a fight where more points are at stake. Be prepared for the valueable curve balls.
HOW SPECIALISTS AFFECT THE GAME
Combat: +1 to all attack rolls, all day. Simple. Effective.
Support: Unless they've specified otherwise, they will uproot and join the first fight involving an ally in any space adjacent to the one they're in. Once per day. This does not include a terrorist act or a fight against regional forces. Only team allies recieve your support.
Medic: Totally heals the worst injured ally that ends a turn on the same space as medic. The medic may specify which ally he intends to heal.
Long Range: Uses Attack Enemy stance and instead of moving attacks to any adjacent space for 1d4 damage with no recourse.
Recon: If in sleeper mode/undercover and an enemy passes through your space, you may track them for free. Can also spot long range if used on their space. Can also detect enemies in adjacent spaces. This allows recon specialists to help spot for long range.
ATTACK ROLLS
Forgetting to do an attack roll can hurt bad because they help in every situation.
1. In any combat they're your basic damage element.
2. In Cobra Sleeper mode a roll of 4, 6, and 8 serve as FF point multipliers on a successful attack.
3. In G.I. Joe undercover mode a roll of 4, 6, and 8 full heals and an automatic region recon for free.
4. In Region Recon mode a roll of 4, 6, and 8 captures a copy of closest, most recent enemy post.
5. In all cases a 1 is a fumble. Fumbles do nothing, they just trip you up. They can lead to capture.
If the player forgets to roll, the Game Operator must count his roll as a fumble. So when a player is issuing their orders in their strategy thread, they must roll no matter what.
The die they roll is determined by their rank.
NCO - 1d4
Officer - 1d6
Commander - 1d8
SCENARIOS (The smaller maps)
There are two types of games that will be played. Global games and scenario games. So far we've covered the rules in Global games. Scenarios take place in a smaller area like a cave network or a supertanker. In scenario games each team has a very specific mission. They will deploy on the map, move to their target, and then try to extract. Unlike the global game, in scenarios you can only move one spot a turn. NPC's are also encountered when playing the scenario game. These could include dogs, guards, or any local resistence.
MOVE
In a scenario game you may first choose to move. You can move to any adjacent spot to yours. At times there will be barriers limiting where you can move, and these will often be grey or thick black walls in between spaces. Simply say stay put or move here or there.
STANCE
Then choose your stance. When entering the adjacent space will you assult it or go in covert. Assult is faster, as no matter what you will enter that space and engage in combat should an enemy be there. In covert you will back off if you spot an enemy, and you will get a full run down of enemies in that spot. The third stance option is only used if you stay put and that is defend. You'll get a plus one to combat when you defend. Some strategic locations will give a plus to defense beyond your default plus one.
ROLL
No matter what you roll the dice. If nothing happens then oh well, but if anything does happen the GO can use your die roll in his or her calculations.
That's it. That's how you play. You tell us where your going, what your doing, and then roll.
Here's what classes do in scenarios.
Combat specialists still get their bonus.
Long range can still attack at range up to one space adjacent to theirs.
Support will still move to join combat within one space of theirs.
Medic will still heal on the same space as he or she.
Recon can still track enemies and can remain undetected.
SPECIAL COMMANDS
Special Commands come into play when it means completing an objective. This could include take hostage, arm bomb, disable bomb, capture item, or a number of other commands. Team leaders will tell you when and where to use these.
