Dave's Game Rant: Attacktix TF House Rules

     Spun off 8/5/06, terrain rules added.

     For the most part, this file is an attempt to re-represent the largely
pictorial rules into text, and clear up some vague bits.  It also splices in
the Battle Master rules and spackles over some gaps.  At the end there are
pure house rules for multiplayer games and the use of terrain.

     1.0 The Figures
     2.0 Setup
     3.0 The Turn
     4.0 Multiplayer Rules (optional)
     5.0 Terrain (optional)
     6.0 Etiquette

1.0 The Figures:

     Each figure consists of two parts, a sculpt and a base.  
     The sculpt has several points of articulation, and holds either a Melee
or Ranged weapon.  Those with Ranged weapons come with one or more missiles.
Be sure to keep track of which missile goes with what figure, as not all of
them are interchangeable.
     The base has information on the top, the front, the back and the bottom,
and rolls along on a wheel on its bottom.  Each time the ratchet on these
wheels clicks is called a "tik", with "tix" being the plural.
     A window on the top of the base shows the current Speed value.  The
label on the front shows (from left to right) the point value, the Attacktix
Class (see below), the name and the Faction Class (see below).  The label on
the rear shows the figure's collector's number and provides a space for the
owner to write their name and any other identifying information.  The bottom
of the base shows the figure's special ability as well as a window that lets
you know if the special ability is currently active.

     Attacktix Classes and Faction Classes (called Transformers Classes in
the Transformers version of the game) are important for some special
abilities, which may only work on a particular Class, or may not work on a
particular class.  Classes have no independent game effect.
     Attacktix Classes are Warrior (W), Leader (L), Captain (C), Trooper (T),
Specialist (S) and Mega (M), indicated by a single letter on the front
label.  Transformers Classes are Autobot and Decepticon, indicated by the
relevant faction symbol on the front label.  Star Wars Classes include Jedi,
Droid Army, Wookiee, Sith, Republic and Separatist.  Additional Faction
Classes are possible in later expansions.


2.0 Setup: 

     Each player picks a battle force, with point totals equalling a
multiple of 100 points agreed on by both players.  Each player also picks a
Back-Up force, with point totals equalling half the points agreed on for the
battle force.  
     Your force may have more than one of a given figure, and may have
figures that your opponent also has.  The labels on the base are useful for
avoiding confusion in such a case.  You may have figures from multiple
factions, or even mix sets (i.e. Darth Vader and Megatron teaming up).

     Battle Masters: These are oversized figures with extra missiles or
enhanced melee attacks.  Because they are so hard for regular figures to
defeat and have extra firepower, both players should agree in advance on the
number of Battle Masters allowed.  Each player should have the same number of
Battle Masters, regardless of point totals.  You may place Battle Masters in
your Back-Up force, but they still count against your total allowed number of
Battle Masters.
     Battle Masters are not allowed in official tournaments.

     Pick two starting lines 3 feet (or 1 meter, if you prefer) apart on any
flat surface.  "Grind" each of the figures in your battle force (move them
forward several times without looking at the Speed window, to randomize the
starting speed) and place them with their fronts touching your starting
line.  You may then advance any of your figures up to 2 tix from the starting
line. 

     Set Back-Up force figures aside in one location, and establish another
location for defeated figures.  Do not mix them up, as some special abilities
only allow bringing figures into play from one or the other group.

     Determine first player by covering the speed window on a Back-Up figure
and grind it.  If the number is red, the player whose figure it was goes
first, if the number is white, the other player goes first.

     You're now ready to play!

3.0 The Turn:

     3.1: Move as many of your figures as you want.
     3.2: Attack with up to two of your figures.
     3.3: Resolve any special abilities of defeated opponent figures.
     3.4: Check for victory.
     3.5: Reset weapons.

3.1 Movement: 

     On your turn, you may move every figure in your battle force a number of
tix up to the value showing in their Speed window at the start of the move.
You may turn the figure at any angle, but cannot move backwards.  You may
stop at a value smaller than the maximum (for instance, if you see an
exceptionally high Speed show up, and want to start on that next turn).  You
do not have to move a figure at all.
     Example: You have a figure with a 5 showing in the Speed window.  You
can move 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 tix, turning at any point along the way.
     You must finish moving any figures you intend to move before making any
attacks.

     Note: You may move your figure so that it touches an opposing figure,
but may NOT push the opposing figure or otherwise move them during your
movement.  

3.2 Attack: 

     You may attack with up to two of your figures.  Before making an attack,
you may adjust the weapon using any articulation the sculpt possesses, but
you can only turn the base during the movement phase.  You may ask your
opponent to keep the base of your figure steady for you while you adjust the
articulation.  (In friendly games, it's okay to turn the base as well,
especially when dealing with melee attacks.)

     Most Melee attacks are made by twisting the figure and letting it go,
attempting to knock over a nearby target.  There are three special forms of
Melee attacks: Throwing, Jabbing and Claw.
     Throwing attacks use a lifting motion rather than a sideways slashing
motion to attack opponents, and are potentially more effective against Battle
Masters than other Melee attacks.
     Jabbing attacks thrust at the target with a missile-like weapon that is
designed to not leave the launcher.
     Claw attacks are like Jabbing attacks, but once the weapon is in contact
with the target, a knob at the back may be turned to attempt to throw the
opponent.  

     Ranged attacks involve firing a missile at the target.  Regular figures
fire a single missile, Battle Masters may fire up to four.  A Battle Master
must stop firing if a figure is knocked over, in order to check the special
abilities.  It may resume firing in the same direction if desired (for
instance, if the special ability allows the figure to stand back up, or if
there is a target behind it).  It may not change the aiming direction between
shots, however.

     Any attack that knocks its target over so that the entire base is no
longer on the surface "defeats" that target.  This includes a "ring out"
where the figure remains upright but its base is no longer inside the defined
playing surface (relevant only if you have sharply defined the play area in
some way).  
     If you accidentally knock your own figure over with your hand, it is not
defeated, but if you accidentally knock your own figure down with an attack
(Melee or Ranged), it is defeated.

     Special Defeat Condition: Battle Master figures have a pair of target
switches on them.  If both of these switches are tripped, the figure will
fall over and is Defeated.  Accidentally tripping these switches yourself
works the same as accidental knock-over above.  Note that hitting the figure
in the upper body hard enough may also trigger the "fall over" feature, and
simply knocking the Battle Master over through main force also works.
     If the Battle Master leans over but does not actually fall, it is still
considered to be Defeated.

3.3 Special Abilities: 

     When a figure is defeated, check the window on the bottom of its base.
If it shows a white rectangle, then the figure's special ability may come
into play.  Each special ability has a name (like "Transform") and text that
explains what it does (i.e. Transform lets you exchange a figure with the
alternate mode version of the same-named figure, but only if it's in your
Back-Up force, not from the Defeated Area).
     If the special ability refers to another figure by Name, Attacktix Class
or Faction Class, and that figure is available (i.e. in Back-Up or Defeated
area, or is the figure using the ability), then the special ability is used
IMMEDIATELY unless it specifies otherwise.
     If no relevant figure is available, the special ability fails.
     Unless the special ability returns the user to play, move the defeated
figure to the Defeated area once the ability is either used or is determined
to be unusable.

     If a special ability brings any figure into play, grind it, then place
it at your starting line and move it 2 tix straight backwards.  This is the
only time when you should move a figure backwards.

3.4 Check for Victory: 

     If, at the end of the turn, one player has no upright figures left in
play, that player loses.  Figures returned to play by special abilities and
behind the starting line count as "in play".

3.5 Reset Figures: 

     Reload any missiles, reset any Jabbing or Claw weapons.  Any tripped
switches on Battle Master figures are reset as well.  You may not leave
missiles unloaded during your opponent's turn, since they represent part of
the "hittable" figure.


4.0 Multiplayer Rules:

     There are two ways to play Attacktix with more than 2 players: team, and
free-for-all.  Team play is simpler to set up, especially for odd numbers of
players. 

4.1 Team play: 

     Each team starts with the same number of points in each side's battle
force and Back-Up force, split however the players wish.  There need not be
the same number of players on each side.  All figures on a team set up at the
same starting line, and starting lines may remain 3 feet apart.
     After grinding all figures and setting them up, each player totals the
Speed values visible on the figures they own.  The player with the smallest
number goes first, and play proceeds clockwise around the table from there.
     On a player's turn, they get to attack with 1 figure for every 100
points they contributed to the battle force, rounding fractions (so 149
points gives one attack, 150 gives two).
     Special Abilities that apply to your own side can apply to anyone on
your team.  Special abilities that apply to your opponent may only be used on
members of the opposing team, not your own teammates.
     The game ends when a team has no figures left in play.  If a player runs
out of figures, they must pass (but it's possble for them to get back into
the game if a teammate's figure has a special ability that can bring out
figures for them). 

4.2 Free-for-all: 

     This only really works for 3-4 players.  

     3-player setup - Define a 3 foot by 3 foot playing area (or 1 meter on a
side).  One player chooses a side to set up on.  All of that player's figures
must start at least 8 inches (20cm) from the adjacent sides.  The other two
players set up on the adjacent sides, at least 16 inches (40cm) away from the
first player's side.  This should result in a roughly triangular arrangement.

     4-player setup - Define a 4 foot by 4 foot playing area (or 1.3 meters
on a side) Each player picks one side, and sets up with no figure less than 10
inches (25cm) from any other side.

     In both cases, use the "lowest speed total" method to determine first
player, and continue clockwise from there.  You may want to determine player
one before setup, to detemine the order of picking starting locations.
     Special abilities that apply to your own figures cannot be used on any
other player, even if you have formed a temporary alliance.  Special
abilities that apply to an opponent may be used on any opponent.
     Once a player has no undefeated figures, they drop out of the game at
the end of the turn their last figure was removed.  The game is over at the
end of a turn in which only one player has figures in play.

     If running a free-for-all multiplayer tournament, the winner gets points
equal to twice the number of players.  Second place gets points equal to the
number of players.  In a four-player game, third place gets 1 point.  Last
place gets zero points.  The two highest point-earners after the announced
number of rounds play each other in a duel for the final round.


5.0 Terrain:

     Okay, the game is designed to be played on an empty tabletop, but odds
are you'll want to spice things up after you've played a few times.  This
section has some house rules for putting stuff in the way.
     The rolling nature of the figures means that any terrain you use is
going to have to either be drawn on the surface, or something that can be
easily moved out of the way.  Pieces of felt borrowed from the wargaming
table won't work too well.  Larger terrain should be made of pieces about the
size of a typical figure base, so that it can be destroyed by part.  For
instance, a wall made of cocktail spears or folded index cards.

5.1 Terrain types:

     Any piece of terrain will have one or more of the following descriptors:
high barrier, low barrier, slowing, cover, object.  Cover is typically
combined with low barrier or slowing, buy may stand alone.  High barriers and
objects do not combine with any other descriptor.

     High Barrier - You cannot shoot or move through this terrain.  Any
attack action will remove a section (no need to actually fire at it).  Mega
figures treat these as low barriers.

     Low Barrier - You may shoot over these.  Any move that crosses one will
end as soon as the figure is all the way on the other side.  When crossing a
low barrier, you may destroy the section crossed.  An attack action will also
destroy a section.  Mega figures ignore these, but may destroy sections they
cross if the player wishes. 

     Slowing - You may shoot through this terrain.  Any figure moving into
this terrain stops as soon as it is entirely inside the terrain.  Any figure
starting a move in slowing terrain will only get half as many tix of movement
(rounded up).  Slowing terrain cannot generally be destroyed, and represents
things like forests, mud, ice, swamp, etc.

     Cover - Typically applied to low barriers or slowing terrain.  If a
figure ends its move inside or touching cover terrain AND its speed number is
red, then it may not attack or be attacked with ranged weapons so long as it
stays put.  If the figure is not inside the cover (i.e. with the low barrier,
or being at the edge of slowing terrain), then only attacks that would cross
the cover terrain are affected.  It is possible to have a terrain be cover
alone, and not be a low barrier or slowing terrain, but that should be rare.
Mega figures may not take advantage of cover, and can ignore the cover
provided by low barriers (but not by slowing terrain).

     Object - This is a physical object of some sort placed on the playing
field, such as a half-full soda bottle or a book.  It may be attacked as if
it were a figure, but if knocked over it is left where it falls.  If it can
be knocked over by attacks, then a figure starting in contact with it may
push it up to half its normal movement (as if in slowing terrain).  It may
not be used to also push an opposing figure, but it can be knocked over onto
a figure and topple that target in a domino effect.  Objects are their own
terrain type, and is never combined with other types.  They cannot be
destroyed, although if knocked off the play surface are considered to be
removed.  

5.2 Sample terrain:

     Energon Tower - This would be an object, possible represented by a 20oz
soda bottle with an inch or two of water in it.  It can be knocked over, but
cannot be pushed.
     Forest - Slowing and cover.  While theoretically destroyable, it would
still act as terrain over the time scale of a typical game.
     Highway noise barrier - Low barrier and cover.  Build it from toothpicks
or other similar short pieces, so that sections can be destroyed.
     Cybertronian fortress - An object, represented by a large textbook,
toolbox, or other immobile thing.  No one gets in or out during the game.
     Cybertronian stockade - A series of high barriers.  Build from short but
robust segments, such as folded over pieces of cardstock.
     Junkyard - A pile of objects small enough that a Thrower melee attacker
could conceivably throw bits of it at opponents.  Alternately, slowing with
cover.  
     Underground Maze - Draw lines on the map as indestructible high
barriers.  Perhaps mark weak points as destroyable high barriers.  Mega
figures may not enter this map.


6.0 Etiquette:

     Never touch an opponent's figure without permission.
     Do not tik a figure except when moving it, such as to check what numbers
are coming up.
     Do not move any figure at an angle so that it moves farther per tik.  If
you have a figure that tix quietly, do not try to sneak an extra tik or two
into your movement.
     Always reload missiles at the end of your turn, but not before.
     If a Battle Master falls over spontaneously, you may reset it.  But if
any triggers had been tripped, you must re-press them after resetting.
     If a rules dispute comes up and there is no impartial referee, cover an
out-of-play figure's Speed window and grind it.  The other player calls "red"
or "white", as if calling a coin flip.  Reveal the Speed window to see if the
call was correct.