Humanity has stretched its reach across the solar system, building outposts, refineries, and defense platforms to secure its future. But now, there's growing turmoil—stations silent, crews missing, and the faint traces of violence written across bulkheads and blackened soil. What began as isolated incidents is revealing something far more sinister.
Derelict is a tactical sci-fi board game for 1 to 4 players, where you command elite Marine Squads deployed to investigate and contain a growing threat. Each mission drops you into hostile environments—reactor facilities, flooded mines, corporate strongholds, and derelict ships. As the campaign unfolds, you'll begin to grasp the scale of the danger... and the chilling truth behind it.
Explore shifting locations, scavenge vital equipment, and fight to survive. Coordinate your Squads, navigate environmental hazards, and outmaneuver a reactive, intelligent enemy. But beware—on some missions, the real threat may already be among you. A hidden Infiltrator might be working from within, undermining your every move.
Every mission is a battle against the unknown. Every victory, a temporary reprieve. The real war hasn't even begun.
Complete each mission's unique objectives by navigating hostile environments, overcoming deadly threats, and adapting to evolving challenges. Whether you're restoring power, rescuing civilians, or holding critical positions, your Squad must work together to survive — and succeed.
Some missions may include hidden roles or time-sensitive conditions. Stay alert. The situation will change, and not all threats are visible at first.
32mm x 45mm (Micro)
63mm x 88mm (Poker)
89mm x 127mm (Jumbo)
120cm x 70cm
2cm
2.5cm
2.5cm
0.5cm x 2.5cm
In Derelict, you take on the roles of elite Marines facing a desperate mission for survival. You'll need to think strategically and cooperate closely to explore a dangerous network of interconnected rooms, where both valuable rewards and deadly threats await. Success hinges on carefully managing your Squads' Energy and Equipment as you confront the alien menace of the Venomshades and strive to complete your objectives.
Gameplay revolves around controlling individual Marine Squads and taking turns to perform actions like moving, attacking, and searching. As you explore deeper into the derelict locations, you'll reveal the game board room by room, creating a dynamic and unpredictable environment. But be aware: the Venomshades are not passive enemies. They react to your Squads' actions, and on their own turn, they will actively try to hinder your progress. Danger can come from many sources – the alien enemies, the environment itself, and even the equipment you find might have unforeseen consequences.
The gameplay of Derelict is driven by several key game elements, primarily represented through the following decks: - Rooms: These cards create the game board, dynamically revealed as you explore. Each room presents unique layouts, potential threats and spawn points for enemies, room-specific effects, and equipment to discover. Adapting to the layout and challenges of each new room is crucial. - Equipment: This deck represents scavenged gear and weaponry. Equipment cards provide vital bonuses in combat, enhance defense, and offer tactical options for your Squads. Finding and managing equipment is key to survival. - Faction: These decks contain Squads for both the Marine players and the enemy Venomshade Threat faction. Each Squad type has unique abilities and roles, leading to asymmetrical and strategically varied gameplay. Missions may specify different Faction deck configurations. - Infiltrator: In games with the optional Infiltrator player, this deck provides cards for that hidden role. The Infiltrator secretly works against the Marine players, adding a layer of social deduction and hidden objectives to the game. - Ship: Some missions include Support Ships, represented by this deck. Support Ships provide powerful, energy-consuming abilities that can offer crucial assistance to the Marines during challenging missions.
In each round, players take turns activating their Marine Squads to perform actions. You'll need to coordinate your Squads effectively, plan your exploration carefully, and manage your resources wisely to overcome the Venomshades and achieve victory. Remember: boldness has its rewards, but recklessness can be deadly in the derelict.
The station's layout typically involves 27 rooms: a 5x5 grid of 25 Rooms plus an Airlock and a Command Center. Players begin in the Airlock. Follow these steps:
In 3- or 4-player games, each player controls a Marine Squad, and one may be an Infiltrator—a rogue Squad leader pursuing a secret agenda. To assign roles: - On a 3-player game, remove 1 Squad Leader role card from the deck. - Shuffle the Role cards and deal one to each player. - Players may look at their Role card at any time but must not reveal it unless instructed. - Remove any leftover Role cards from play without revealing them.
In single-player and 2-player games, there is no Infiltrator, so skip this step.
Each player draws a Squad as above, but the player whose Squad has the lowest number draws two extra Squad cards and selects one to keep as the Reserve Squad. Players may choose the other as a replacement for their Squad. After this, the unselected Squad is placed by the Airlock in the Ready state.
The Reserve Squad is controlled by the player with the First Squad token each round and always acts last.
Follow the same steps as for 4 Players, but each player draws two cards and will control two Squads.
Follow the same steps as for 4 Players, but draw five Squad cards and select four. The unselected Squad is placed by the Airlock in the Ready state.
The initial turn order is decided by the Squad numbers on each player's chosen card. The player with the lowest number gets the First Squad token; the next lowest acts second, etc. This order remains constant, even if players change Squads later. At the start of each new round (except the first), pass the First Squad token to the next player in the sequence.
The game proceeds in rounds. During each round, do the following:
The Marines win immediately if they fulfill the mission's primary objective, as described on the Mission card — regardless of how many Marine Squads remain.
The Infiltrator wins the game if either of the following conditions are met: - All Infiltrator objectives listed on the Mission card are completed; - The Infiltrator is the last remaining player-controlled Squad, and no other players are able to deploy replacements; - The game ends due to a mission or room card triggering an immediate loss condition.
The game ends in a Marine defeat if any of the following occur: - All Marine Squads have been eliminated, and no players are able to deploy a replacement (i.e., the Marine Faction deck is empty, no Squads are Ready, and the Reinforcements token is on the Exhausted side); - The Infiltrator completes all of the mission's Infiltrator objectives; - A mission or room card specifies an immediate loss condition that is triggered. - All Marine Squads start the round on the Airlock with a Disabled token, and no Infiltrator was revealed in the previous round.
Rooms are fundamental elements that create the game board, and represent the interconnected locations within missions. Most room cards contain the following information: - Name: A descriptive name for the location - Energy: The amount of Energy a fully controlled room generates at the start of the round, during the Energy Collection step. Contested rooms provide half the Energy. - Room Type: An icon indicating whether the room is normal (white) or special (orange). - Equipment Area: A reserved area for placing equipment cards, with a number indicating how many equipment cards should be placed when the room is revealed. - Size: Indicate how much space for Squads from each faction there is in the room. Only that number of Squads can be on the room at any moment. - Threat Spawn: An icon indicating the behavior of spawns in the room (fixed, normal, recurring) and the value on a die roll required for Threats to spawn. - Effects: A list of special effects that are present on the room. These may be player-triggered, situational or persistent. - Colored Border: Each room card has colored borders to assist quick visual identification, with rooms of the same name always having the same color. Rooms used as replacement for others typically have the same color as the original room they replace. Additionaly, some rooms also have contain: - Replacement Rules: Present on mission-specific room cards, indicating which common room they replace. - Side Indicator: Double-sided room cards feature an icon that indicates which is the A-Side and which is the B-Side. - Mission Logo: Present on mission-specific room cards, indicating which mission they belong to. - Mission Name: Present on mission-specific room cards, indicating which mission they belong to. - Additional Card: Present on rooms (e.g the Battery Banks rooms) that require players to place equipment cards on the room for special purposes.
Two rooms are considered adjacent if they share a full side (north, south, east, or west). Rooms that only touch at a corner (diagonally) are not considered adjacent, and abilities or effects that target adjacent rooms won't apply. Diagonal movement between corner-touching rooms is also not permitted.
Unless otherwise specified, any calculation resulting in a fractional value is always rounded down.
Some missions may modify your standard Faction deck using "Deck Setup" or "Combined Arms" rules, as specified on the Mission card under the "Deck Setup" section.
Deck Setup: When a mission specifies "Deck Setup", the Mission card will list specific Squads from your original Faction deck that you must replace. For each original Faction Squad you're told to replace, simply swap it out for one Squad of the corresponding Combined Arms Squad option (you can find these options in the Factions section of this rulebook or on separate cards). These swaps are mandatory and always one-for-one, following the mission card's instructions.
Combined Arms: When a mission specifies "Combined Arms", you have the option to customize your Faction deck with Combined Arms Squads. You may choose to include up to the number of the available Combined Arms Squad options. For each Combined Arms Squad you decide to use, you must replace all Squads with a specific original Faction Squad name, keeping it a one-for-one swap.
Example: The Radiance Station mission specifies 1 Combined Arms replacement is available. Let's say you want to use the "Wraith" Combined Arms Squad with the Dreadnaught Corps. You'd simply remove all 3 "Legionnaire" Squads (that's the Squad name) from your Dreadnaught Corps deck and put in 3 "Wraith" Squads instead. Your deck will still have the same number of Squads.
Combined Arms Squads are always designed to be swapped in one-for-one. If you decide to include a Combined Arms Squad choice, you'll always replace an equal number of your original Faction Squads.
These allow you to use specialized Squads and adapt to different situations.
If a Squad is eliminated: - Threat Squad (eliminated by a Marine Squad or Drone): - Non-Elite: The player draws 1 Equipment card (if available). If a Drone eliminated the Threat Squad, place the Equipment card face-up on the room instead. - Elite: The player draws 2 Equipment cards (if available). If a Drone eliminated the Threat Squad, place the Equipment cards face-up on the room instead. - Marine Squad (eliminated by an event, effect, or non-Infiltrator/mind-linked Threat Squad): - Follow Squad Loss rules. - Marine Squad (eliminated by a revealed Infiltrator or mind-linked Threat Squad): - Follow Squad Loss rules. - The Infiltrator draws 1 Equipment or Infiltrator card (2 if the eliminated Marine Squad was elite).
When a Marine Squad takes damage equal to its HP, it is eliminated. The controlling player performs these steps: 1. Discard the Squad card. 2. Place all equipment cards face-up in the room in random order, on top of any existing equipment cards. 3. If a Squad is in the Ready state: Place it at a Marine spawn point (typically the Airlock, unless the mission specifies otherwise). 4. If no Squads are ready: Draw a new Squad from the Marine Faction Deck, place it at a Marine faction spawn point (typically the Airlock, unless the mission specifies otherwise), and place a Disabled token on it.
If a revealed Infiltrator is eliminated, they follow these steps: 1. Discard all Infiltrator cards. 2. Place all equipment cards face-up in the room in random order, on top of any existing equipment cards. 3. Deal 1 damage to all Threat Squads in play. 4. Choose one of the following: - Switch to a Threat Squad in the Ready state and place it at a Threat faction spawn point. - Draw a new Threat Squad from the Threat Faction Deck, switch to it, place it at a Threat faction spawn point, and apply a Disabled token. - If not controlling an Elite Marine Squad, retain control of it, placing it at a Threat faction spawn point and applying a Disabled token.
A faction controls a room if it has at least one Squad, Drones or Nest tokens inside. If multiple factions have these tokens present, control is contested.
When a mission requires that players control a room, the room must be fully-controlled by their faction. If control is lost or contested, that objective cannot is not considered fulfilled.
At the start of each round, add Energy to the Marines' and Threat's pools following the rules described on the currently active Airlock and Command Center cards.
Each faction has an energy pool, which contain additional energy that may be used by Squads to perform actions. Players may draw energy from the pool to pay for actions if their own Squad does not have enough energy to do so. There's no limit on how much energy a player may draw from their faction's pool, but players may only draw energy from their faction's pool if they don't have energy left to perform an action. If an action requires more energy than the Squad currently has, it must use all its energy and draw the remaining needed from the pool. Threat Squads not under a player's control have different rules for pool energy usage (see Threat Turn for more information), and support ships may not draw energy from the pool. Revealed infiltrators and their mind-linked Squads may draw energy from the Threat pool as they wish.
Squads can carry up to 6 equipment cards. When acquiring new equipment while holding 6 cards, discard an existing card to make space for the new item.
A Squad's held Equipment cards must not be revealed to other players in games with 3 or more players unless instructed by an effect or when using the equipment card. Equipment cards held by the Reserve Squad, however, should always be visible to all players.
To search for hidden equipment in rooms, perform a Search Room action.
Players may perform the Ready Squad action to place a Squad in the Ready state.
At the start of each round, check if there are fewer than 4 Threat Squads in play.
If so, roll a die. On a 4-6 or if there are no Threat Squads in play, draw the top card from the Threat Faction Deck, place it face-up in the Ready state near the Command Center, and add energy tokens up to its maximum energy value. On a 1-3, nothing happens.
When a room is revealed, a Squad enters a room with a Respawn token, or a new round begins, new Threat Squads may spawn.
No more than 8 Threat Squads may be in play at once, unless otherwise specified by mission or room effects. For each squad that would exceed this limit, deal 1 Damage to every Marine Squad instead. If the spawn was caused by revealing a room, deal the Damage and place a Respawn token on that room. The first time this happens, an emergency Vote of No Confidence is triggered on 3 and 4-player games - see the Vote of No Confidence mechanic for more details.
To spawn Threats, reveal the top card of the Threat Faction Deck and place its token in the room (or another valid spawn point, such as an Airlock or Nest, if spawning during the Deploy Ready Threats step of a new round). Then, add Energy tokens to the Threat Squad equal to its maximum Energy value.
After resolving the spawn roll, deploy any Ready Threat Squads to the room. Respawn tokens are always removed after the roll unless no Threat Squads could spawn due to the 8-squad limit. In that case, deal Damage to the Marine Squads and leave the Respawn token in the room.
If a room is already full and no additional Threat Squads can fit due to room limits, the extra spawns are canceled. If a Ready Threat Squad would be deployed to a full room, its deployment is canceled, and it remains in the Ready state.
At the start of each round, if one or more Marine Squads are in a room where its Spawn Type is recurring, perform the roll again and add Threats as you would during reveal again.
Some missions allow the Marines to use support ships. If the mission card specifies certain support ships, find them in the support ships deck, place them within reach, and add the specified amount of energy tokens to them.
If a mission provides a set number of support points, players may choose any combination of support ships before the game begins, as long as the total cost does not exceed the allowed amount. Support ships are not limited to the Marines' faction for that mission—their faction (e.g., Expeditionary Forces, Dreadnaught Corps, or Combined Arms) simply represents who operates them and is for flavor only.
Each support ship has unique abilities, which cost energy. Support Ships have a maximum Energy value, but unlike Squads, their energy is not automatically refilled at the start of each round. Instead, immediately refill their energy to their maximum value whenever the Reinforcement token is flipped. Support ships cannot use Energy from the shared pool.
Support ship abilities may be used at any time during a player's turn, but doing so requires unanimous agreement among all Marine players or the success of a vote. At least two players must place cards in this vote for it to be successful. Revealed Infiltrator players do not participate in this decision.
If energy would need to be removed from a support ship (e.g due to a mission effect) but it has none, roll a die. On a 1 or 2, it is destroyed: remove it from the game - it cannot be used in the current mission again.
At the end of a Marine Squad's turn, if they performed any actions in a room with Threat Squads (including moving into the room), each Threat Squad with Energy left uses 1 Energy to make an attack with a -1 penalty, with that Squad as a target if possible. If Squads in that room have Redirect tokens, they will target those instead. This attack cannot critically hit. - If the attack roll is a 6 (before modifiers), it deals 1 damage and the Threat Squad gains an Aim token. If it already has an Aim token, the attack only deals 1 damage.
After all Marine Squads have finished their turns, each Threat Squad activates. Threat Squads use any Energy remaining on their card to perform actions. They may spend Energy from the pool once per turn to pay for a single ability listed on their card. This Energy may be used alone or combined with any remaining Energy on the card. If no Threat Squads with abilities that require Energy use are in play, or it's the last Threat Squad playing on that round, Threat Squads will use Energy from the pool once per turn to perform an attack, if possible.
Activation Order - Threat Squads activate in ascending number order. - Any Threat Squad in the same room as Marine Squads activates first.
Action Priorities Threat Squads attempt the following in order:
Threat Priority Actions If the Squad's card includes any priority actions, perform them first.
Highest-Damage Group Attack Use the Squad's highest-damage ability that targets multiple Marine Squads. If you must choose specific targets, select those with the lowest remaining HP first.
Highest-Damage Single-Target Attack Use the Squad's highest-damage ability against the single Marine Squad in the same room with the lowest remaining HP.
Healing Use any healing or self-repair ability on itself or allied Threat Squads.
Attack Enemy Drones Attack any Drones in the same room.
Attack Lowest-HP Squad Attack the Marine Squad in the same room with the lowest remaining HP.
Attack a Barricade If a Barricade is blocking the path, attack it.
Move Toward Nearest Squad Move to another room toward the closest Marine Squad.
Move Toward Nearest Drone Move to another room toward the nearest Marine Drone.
Tie-Breakers - When Attacking: If multiple Squads have the same remaining HP, target the one that acts first in the next round. - When Moving: The Threat Squad moves toward the target with the least remaining HP. If it's still tied, it moves toward the Squad that acts first next round.
Other Movement Rules - If a Threat Squad cannot enter a room, it moves toward the next closest Marine Squad or Drone. - If multiple Barricades block the path, the Squad destroys the one that opens the shortest route to a Marine Squad. If there's still a tie, choose the path leading to the Squad with the least remaining HP. If that remains tied, move toward the Squad that acts first in the next round. - If there are no valid movement options (e.g., all Marines are located in a single room that's fully occupied and there are no Drones in other rooms), Threat Squads will move as closely as possible to them. If they're already as close as possible and have no other valid actions, they'll remain in place and end their turn. - If all Marine Squads are in rooms with the Haven effect and Threat Squads have no other valid targets or actions, they will remain in place and end their turn.
Sometimes players may need or want to call a vote. Any player can initiate one. In a vote, each player controlling a Squad (in the usual turn order) may place any number of equipment cards face-down into a common pile.
The Infiltrator's main goal is to undermine the Marines' objectives while advancing their own, preferably without being discovered. They can reveal themselves at any time during their turn.
Revealing When the Infiltrator decides to reveal themselves: 1. Discard all cards in hand. 2. Remove 1 Damage token from your Squad (if any). 3. Optionally move to an adjacent revealed room without spending Energy. 4. Draw the same number of cards from the Infiltrator Deck as you discarded. 5. Continue your turn, now using Energy from the Threat pool.
On the following rounds, the Infiltrator player continues to take their turn in the usual player sequence but now uses Energy from the Threat pool for all actions, abilities, and effects. The Infiltrator is now considered a Threat Squad for all purposes, including room size limits and room control.
If revealing the Infiltrator causes a room to exceed its maximum number of Threat Squads, the Infiltrator may remain in that room but cannot re-enter it once it leaves unless space becomes available. Likewise, it cannot move into rooms that already contain the maximum number of Threat Squads.
If the Infiltrator reveals himself while controlling a Squad with the Drone Control ability, it may choose to switch one Surveillance Drone to the Threat faction's side. If he does so, flip the chosen Drone token to the Threat (green) side. Any other Drones remain under the Marine faction control, and will remain static unless they have another Squad with the Drone Control ability in play.
Infiltrator Abilities: Once the Infiltrator role is revealed, their Squad has these abilities in addition to its normal ones:
Mind Link: At the start of each round, you may place or remove a Mind Link token on your Squad and one Threat Squad. - While linked, your Squad cannot take actions; instead it controls the linked Threat Squad. - A Threat Squad with a Mind Link token does not take reactions or activate during the Threat Turn and cannot use or draw equipment. - If that Threat Squad is eliminated, your Squad immediately takes 1 Damage. Shared Vision: Your Squad and any linked Threat Squads may move into unrevealed rooms. Doing so reveals the room without spawning Threats; place a Respawn token there instead. Unity: Threat Squads treat your Squad as an ally. Echoed Pain: If your Squad is eliminated, all Threat Squads take 1 Damage.
Equipment and Infiltrator Cards Whenever the Infiltrator would gain equipment, they may draw from the Infiltrator Deck instead. These Infiltrator cards can be used anywhere standard equipment is required and count as non-scrap equipment cards when relevant.
Elimination After Revealing Follow the steps listed for the Infiltrator Squad on Squad Loss.
Multiplayer Adjustments 4-Player Game: As soon as the Infiltrator is revealed (in any manner), place a new Marine Squad in the Airlock with 0 Energy. If a “ready” Squad exists, place that one instead with its current Energy. This new Squad is controlled by the first player each round.
3-Player Game: - An Infiltrator cannot reveal themselves using a Reserve Squad. - Once revealed, they lose control of the Reserve Squad; the last player in turn order now controls it. - Immediately place a new Marine Squad in the Airlock with 0 Energy (or use a ready Squad, if available). - Each remaining Marine player then chooses one uncontrolled Squad to command permanently, following the usual 2-player style rules.
Any player may call a Vote of No Confidence against a suspected Infiltrator. This can be done once per Reinforcements token state (i.e., once while reinforcements are available and once while they are exhausted). If the vote hasn't been called yet when a Threat spawn would exceed the maximum squad limit, any player may initiate it immediately.
Initiating the Vote Any player may, during their turn: 1. Announce the Vote of No Confidence and name the accused player. 2. Reveal their own role. 3. Discard 1 equipment card.
Voting Process - All other players except the accused now vote, following the standard voting rules.
Vote Outcomes - Successful Vote - The accused reveals their role. - If they are not the Infiltrator, all Marine Squads immediately take 1 Damage, then the vote ends. - If they are the Infiltrator, they follow the normal Infiltrator Reveal steps but do not remove 1 Damage. Moving to an adjacent room now costs 1 Energy. In addition, if the vote was started due to the Threat maximum limited being exceeded, Marines may eliminate 3 non-Elite Threat Squads of their choice. If this allows the required Threat Squads to spawn, Marines do not receive damage. - Unsuccessful or Tie - The accused does not reveal their role. - The vote ends with no immediate effects.
Additional Notes - Players may exhaust the Reinforcements token at any point during their turn to call an additional Vote of No Confidence if the once-per-game vote has already been used. - If the Infiltrator themselves initiate a Vote of No Confidence and is exposed, they follow the normal reveal steps, take 1 Damage, and cannot move to an adjacent room for free. If the Reinforcements token was exhausted to call for the vote, it's immediately flipped back to the available side.
Spend 1 Energy to attack a target in the same room. Valid targets are other Squads, Drones, Nests or Barricades. - Roll a die, apply modifiers, and if the modified roll is equal or greater than 3, the target takes 1 damage. If the final result is a 6, that's considered a critical hit and the target takes 2 damage. - If the attack targets multiple Squads, roll separately for each. - Defensive modifiers (Defend, Stealth) apply only to the Squad holding them. - Any ability stating "perform an attack" or instructing a Squad "to attack" is considered an attack. - If attacking due to an ability or effect, spend Energy as specified in its text. - Attack roll modifiers from multiple sources (Blind, Defend, etc.) are cumulative unless stated otherwise. - A roll of 6 before adding any modifiers is always considered a critical hit and the target takes 2 damage.
Spend 1 Energy. Place a Defend token on the Squad.
Spend 1 Energy to move to a revealed adjacent room. - Can only be done if no enemy Squads are in the current room and no barricades or blockade tokens exist between the current room and target room. - If moving into a room with a Respawn token, perform a Threat Spawn roll and discard the token. - A Squad may only move into a room where there's enough free space for its faction.
Spend 2 Energy and move to a revealed adjacent room without enemy Squads. - Ends the Squad's turn.
Spend 1 Energy. If the top equipment card is face-up, draw it. Otherwise, roll a die. On a 4 or higher, draw the card.
Spend 1 Energy to flip a facing-down adjacent room. - Can only be done if no Barricade or Blockade tokens exist between the current and target room. - Add equipment cards as indicated on the room card. - Perform Threat Spawn, if required (see Threat Spawn rules). - Immediately deploy ready Squads to it in addition to any other spawned Squads.
Spend 1 Energy and discard 1 Scrap equipment card to place a barricade token between the Squad's room and an adjacent one.
Reveal an equipment card. You must meet its requirements to activate its effects.
Spend 1 Energy to give an equipment card to another Squad in the same room. The receiving Squad must have space for the card.
Declare an effect of a room your Squad is on. You must meet the effect's requirements to activate it.
Spend 3 Energy to draw 2 cards from your Faction Deck. - Keep 1 of the cards, and return the other to your Faction Deck. - Place the chosen card in the Ready state next to the faction's starting location and add Energy tokens up to its maximum value. - If a Squad was already in the Ready state, discard it. - Shuffle your Faction Deck.
Combat-focused Squads built for direct engagements.
Provide assistance to other Squads.
Squads specialized in avoiding detection and ambushing enemies.
Heavily armored Squads built for durability.
Enemies attacking Heavy Squads get +1 to their combat rolls.
Heavy Squads occupy 3 spaces and may only enter or spawn in a room if at least 3 spaces are available.
Squads adapted to water-based environments, moving effortlessly through Flooded areas.
These are civilians and not trained in combat.
Use Civilian tokens to represent them on the board.
When they end their turn, flip the matching token to the opposite side for tracking.
Civilians do not occupy space in rooms and ignore room size constraints.
Civilians do not count towards the maximum number of deployed Squads.
Civilians do not react to Marine actions.
Attacks against a Squad with a Stealth token suffer -2 to the roll.
A Stealth token is removed if the Squad is hit or attacks, except with Drones.
If a Squad ends its turn with a Stealth token, it does not trigger Threat Reactions.
It's cumulative with other attack modifiers.
Squads can only hold one Stealth token or one Defend token.
Represents a Squad's available actions.
Most actions require Energy to perform.
A Disabled room does not generate Energy at the start of the round.
A Disabled Squad does not recover Energy at the start of the round.
Disabled tokens are removed after the Energy Collection phase.
A Squad or room cannot receive another Disabled token if it already has one.
Attacks against a Squad with a Defend token suffer -1 to the roll.
A Squad may discard a Defend token when it receives damage ignore it.
Threat Squads will discard Defend tokens to cancel damage on critical hits, or if the damage would cause them to be eliminated.
It's cumulative with other attack modifiers.
Squads can only hold one Stealth token or one Defend token.
Squads with an Aim token gain -1 to the minimum value needed for critical hits on their attack rolls.
It's cumulative with other attack modifiers.
Squads can only hold one Aim token.
This effect applies to all attack rolls, including those made as part of abilities or equipment effects.
Attacks must target Squads from the opposing faction with a Redirect token when possible.
In multi-target attacks, they must include Squads with Redirect tokens.
Squads can only hold one Redirect token.
Squads with a Blind token suffer -1 to their attack rolls.
It's cumulative with other attack modifiers.
Squads can only hold one Blind token.
Represents how much damage a Squad has taken.
When a Squad has Damage tokens equal to its HP, it is defeated.
Only one Drone of the same name can exist at a time. Placing a new one removes the old one.
Some Squad's abilities allow Drones to perform actions. Drones receive a -1 penalty when attacking.
Drone tokens are double sided. Blue tokens represent Marine drones, while green tokens represent Threat drones.
Nests are considered spawn points unless otherwise stated.
Venomshades spawn at the Threat faction spawn point closest to the majority of Marine Squads.
Only one Nest token of the same name can exist at a time. Placing a new one removes the old one.
A room can hold up to 2 Flood tokens. Rooms with any number of Flood tokens are considered flooded.
The Airlock and Command Center cannot have any Flood tokens.
Non-Heavy Squads must spend +1 Energy per Flood token to perform an action that would move them into a flooded room, or perform an action that would cause them to retreat from a flooded room.
Squads may spend 1 Energy to remove 1 Flood token from their room.
Squads with an Avenger token have their Energy increased by 1.
Avenger tokens are not removed at the start of rounds; instead, they are removed when the Squad that holds them eliminates a target.
Squads can only hold one Avenger token.
Represents whether there are more Squads available for the Marine Faction.
It's placed at the Marine spawn point at the beginning of the game (typically the Airlock).
Represents an obstruction between two rooms.
Are placed between two adjacent rooms.
Squads may not move between rooms that have a Barricade token between them.
May be attacked with a -1 penalty. If attack hits, it's removed.
These are rewards for completing the optional objectives during campaign missions. They should be thematic, useful but not entirely game-changing as playing missions as a campaign is optional.
At the start of the game, the top 2 cards of the Threat faction deck are placed face-up.
At the start of the game, place the top card of the Infiltrator deck face-up.
Question: What happens if an ability or effect on a card contradict the rules?
Answer: The text on the card takes precedence. Card text always overrides the rulebook.Question: Does moving into a room count as an action in the room for threat reaction turns?
Answer: Yes. If a Squad only moves into the room and ends its turn, Threat Squads there will react.Question: Can I use the effects of a room while not inside it?
Answer: No. Squads can only use a room's effects if they're inside that room (unless explicitly allowed by the room's effect).Question: What happens if I announce that I want to use a card and can't fulfill its requirements?
Answer: On 3- and 4-player games, if you reveal a card to use its effect but cannot meet the requirements, the card is discarded, and no effect is triggered. This is to protect the Infiltrator's identity, as trivially revealing equipment cards might compromise their identity. On 2-player games, this restriction is relaxed, and you may undo your decision.Question: What happens if my Squad has 6 equipment cards and I want to draw a new one?
Answer: If your Squad is already holding 6 equipment cards and you acquire a new one, you must immediately discard one of your currently held equipment cards (your choice) to make space for the new card.Question: When I "Reveal Room", when are Ready Threat Squads deployed to the newly revealed room?
Answer: When you use the "Reveal Room" action, any Ready Threat Squads are deployed to that room immediately after performing the Threat Spawn roll (if any) for that room, and in addition to any Threat Squads spawned by the room itself.Question: What happens if after spawning Threat Squads there's no space in the room but there are Threat Squads ready?
Answer: They'll remain in the ready state and deployed at the next opportunity.Question: What happens if a ready Threat Squad would be deployed but there are already 8 Threat Squads in play?
Answer: If deployment would be otherwise possible, the Squad isn't deployed and each Marine Squad receives 1 Damage. The ready Squad is then discarded.Question: What happens if a room is revealed, and newly spawned Threat Squads make it reach its size limit and the global 8-Squad limit simultaneously, and there are ready Threat Squads waiting to be deployed?
Answer: In this case, the Ready Squads remain in the Ready state and Marines don't receive Damage. Damage is dealt when a Threat Squad would be deployed but can't, and in this scenario its deployment is canceled due to the room size limit.Question: What happens to a Squad that was already in the "Ready" state if I use the "Ready Squad" action again?
Answer: If you use the "Ready Squad" action and successfully place a new Squad in the Ready state, any Squad that was previously in the Ready state for your faction is immediately discarded and removed from the game. You can only have one Squad in the Ready state at a time.Question: Can I target Squads from my faction?
Answer: Yes, unless specific effects prevent you from doing so.Question: Can a Squad target itself?
Answer: No, although it can still damage itself using certain equipment cards, effects or abilities that deal damage to all Squads in the room.Question: Can I use "Combat Training" or equipment cards combined with "Spotting Drone"?
Answer: Yes. You may use any attack (action, ability or equipment). You still have to pay its energy costs and meet its requirements in addition to the Spotting Drone's.Question: If a Corridor with the "Clear Passage" effect has Flood tokens but no Threat Squads, Equipment or Respawn tokens, do I have to spend energy to move to it?
Answer: Yes. "Clear Passage" will reduce the cost of the "move" action to 0, but penalties still apply. So moving into a Corridor with 1 Flood token would cost 1 Energy.Question: Does the Swift ability work when retreating?
Answer: Yes, as retreating is a movement.Question: Do Flood tokens stack?
Answer: Yes, the movement penalty for Flood tokens stack. To move into a room with 2 Flood tokens a Squad will need to spend 3 Energy (1 for the "move" action + 1 from each Flood token).Question: Is retreating affected by Flood effects?
Answer: Yes. If a Squad wants to retreat into a room with 1 Flood token, it must spend 3 energy (2 as the usual cost of retreating + 1 additional energy due to the Flood token). However, retreating from a flooded room into a non-flooded one has no extra costs.Question: Is the Swift ability affected by Flood effects?
Answer: No. Swift ignores all movement penalties.Question: If a Squad is moved into a room with Flood tokens by another Squad's abilities (such as the Soldier's Adaptive Assault), does it have to spend extra Energy?
Answer: No. Since the Squad is being moved by another, it's not performing an action itself. Therefore, it's not affected by Flood tokens.Question: When checking if a Heavy Squad can enter a room, do I check available space for all factions or just for the Marine faction?
Answer: You check available space per faction. For example, if a room's size is 4, and already has 2 Marine Squads and 2 Threat Squads, a Heavy Marine Squad cannot enter (as only 2 spaces are left for Marines and Heavy Squads require 3 spaces). Space limits apply separately to each faction in a room.Question: How do Squads get into the "Ready" state?
Answer: Marine Squads can be placed in the "Ready" state by using the "Ready Squad" action. Threat Squads can be placed in the "Ready" state through the "Threat Squad Readying" process at the start of each round or specific abilities/effects.Question: When are Squads in the "Ready" state deployed?
Answer: Ready Threat Squads are deployed at the start of each round during step 7 of the Round sequence (Deploy Ready Threat Squads). Ready Marine Squads are deployed when a Marine Squad is eliminated (see "Squad Loss" rules, step 3 and 4).Question: When do I flip the Reinforcements token to the exhausted side?
Answer: You flip the Reinforcements token to the exhausted side immediately when a Marine player cannot draw a Squad when required because the Marine Faction deck is empty. This is the trigger for flipping the token.Question: If a Squad is moved into a room with Threat Squads due to the Soldier's Adaptive Assault, do Threat Squads there react?
Answer: No. The reaction trigger is tied to the active Squad's actions during its turn. Since the friendly Squad moved by the Soldier's "Adaptive Assault" ability did not perform the "move" action (or any other action) during its own turn, it does not trigger Threat Reactions from the Threat Squads in the room it was moved into.Question: Do Squads immediately gain 1 Energy when they receive an Avenger token?
Answer: Yes. The moment a Squad gains an Avenger token, its Energy (both current and maximum capacity) is immediately increased by 1.