- Assemble armies as described in the Core Rules.
2. Determine Mission
- Shuffle and draw one card from Deployment, Mission Rule, and Primary Mission decks for use.
- Read and understand Mission and Mission Rule cards for scoring Victory Points (VP) and additional conditions or special rules.
4. Place Objective Markers
- Set up objective markers on the battlefield as shown on the Deployment card.
- Set up terrain features as per Core Rules on a battlefield 44” by 60” in size. Terrain should not be within 1” of objective markers or obstruct sections.
6. Determine Attacker and Defender
- Use the Deployment card to assign battlefield edges. Roll off to decide Attackers and Defenders.
- Choose between Fixed and Tactical Secondary Missions. Note and reveal choices.
Fixed Missions
Fixed missions are goals that remain throughout the battle, and can be achieved multiple times
- Remain throughout the battle and can be achieved multiple times.
- Marked with a specific symbol.
- Selected Fixed Mission cards can't be discarded unless specified (Adapt or Die).
Tactical Missions
Tactical missions are replenished at the start of your Command phase, and are discarded once achieved
- Draw two cards at the start of the first Command phase.
- Replenish cards to two active during subsequent Command phases.
- Discard achieved cards.
- Can spend CP at the end of Command phase to draw a new card using "New Orders" Stratagem.
- At the end of either player's turn, if you scored any VP this turn as described on a Secondary Mission card, discard that Secondary Mission card - it is achieved.
- At the end of your turn, you can discard one or more of your active Secondary Mission cards. If you do, you gain 1CP.
- If your Secondary Mission deck runs out, you cannot generate any additional Secondary Missions during the battle.
Secret Missions
Secret Missions are challenging covert goals you can pursue if the Primary Mission seems in jeopardy.
At the end of the 3rd battle round, starting with the player who had the second turn, if your Primary Mission VP total is less than or equal to your opponent's, you can choose to undertake a Secret Mission. If you do:
- Secretly select on card from your Secret Mission Deck
- You cannot score more than 20VP in primaries
- At the end of battle, reveal your Scret Mission
8. Declare Battle Formations
Players secretly note down which of their Leader units will start the battle attached to which Bodyguard units, which of their units will start the battle embarked within which Transports, and which of their units will start the battle in Reserves (including Strategic Reserves). Players then reveal these decisions.
Reserves Restrictions
- No more than half the units and points can be in Reserves.
- Reserve units cannot arrive in the first round (excluding units placed into Strategic Reserves during the battle)
- Units not arrived by the end of the third round are destroyed.
- Take turns setting up units, starting with Defender. Follow deployment zone rules and alternate deployment.
10. Redeploy Units
Some rules allow players to redeploy certain units after both armies are deployed. Unless otherwise stated, such rules are resolved in this step. Players alternate resolving any such rules, starting with the Attacker.
Roll off: the winner takes first turn.
12. Resolve Pre-Battle Rules
Players alternate resolving any pre-battle rules units from their army may have, starting with the player who will take the first turn.
The first battle round begins. Players continue to resolve battle rounds until the battle ends.
14. End the Battle
The battle ends after 5 battle rounds have been completed. Even if one player has no models remaining in their army at the start of their turn, players continue to play out their turns until the battle ends.
At the end of the battle, the player with the most VP is the winner. If the players are tried, the battle is a draw.
The maxiumum VP each player can score is 100VP. Each player scores 10VP if their army is painted to a Battle Ready standard. The max VP that can be scored from each source of VP is:
- Primary Mission and/or Secret Mission: 50VP
- Secondary Missions: 40VP (if using Fixed Missions, 20VP max per fixed mission card)
- Army painted to Battle Ready standard: 10VP
16. Actions
Your forces can attempt daring battlefield tasks to turn the conflict in your favour.
Some cards feature Actions that certain units can perform. Each Action states which units can perform it, when it is started and completed, and what the effects of completing it are.
A unit cannot start to perform an Action if one or more of the following apply:
- it is an Aircraft unit
- it is Battle-shocked
- it has an Objective Control characteristic of 0
- it is within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units (unless it is a Titanic Character unit)
- it Advanced or Fell Back this turn
- it is not eligible to shoot this phase (including units that have already been selected to shoot this phase)
If a unit starts to perform an Action, until the end of the turn, that unit is not eligible to shoot or declare a charge, unless it is a Titanic Character unit, in which case, until the end of the turn, that unit cannot start to perform another Action and is not eligible to declare a charge.
If a unit performing an Action makes a move (excluding Pile-in and Consolidation moves) or leaves the battlefield, that Action cannot be completed.
