CommandCore.md

Command Core Playtest Rules

Resources: Surge & Flux

Surge and Flux represent a mech’s resource economy, powering offensive and defensive maneuvers:

• Surge

  • Gained by executing efficient programs.
  • Spent to reroll attack dice (once per die).
  • Converts into Flux during Cleanup.

• Flux

  • Gained when Surge is flipped at Cleanup.
  • Spent to reroll defense dice (once per die).
  • Cleared at the end of each round.

This creates a cycle: execute well → build Surge → fuel offense → become Flux → fuel defense → reset.

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Game Structure

Setup

At the beginning of the game, the players roll a die or flip a coin to decide player order.
The winning player chooses whether to place first or second.

• The player placing first places a mech within range 1 of the board edge.
• The second player then places a mech within range 1 of the board edge.
• Both players continue placing mechs until all mechs have been placed.

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Play

Ordering

Players take turns drafting numbers from 1 → the number of mechs on the board, placing them next to a mech.
This determines the mech's activation order later in the round.

Programming

Each player places a number of directive cards facedown equal to the number of directive slots each mech has.
This is the mech's program.

Execution

Each mech, from the lowest order to the highest order, executes its directives.

1. Start with the mech with the lowest ordering number.
2. Reveal all directives planned for that mech.
3. Execute the directives left to right or top to bottom, depending on how the cards are placed.

• If too few cards were placed: shuffle the mech's directives and place a random directive in a random orientation in the unfilled slot.
• If too many cards were placed: ignore any additional cards.

Executing a Directive

• If the planned card is a split card, the top of the card from that player's perspective is the one executed.

Moving the Mech

• Arrows indicate movement relative to the mech’s facing.
  • Forward arrow → move the mech forward.
  • Left arrow → move the mech left.
• Turn symbols → rotate the mech in place by 45° or 90°.
• Square → stop.
• Cards with multiple icons → resolve moves left to right.

If a mech is unable to complete a directive, it stops executing further directives.

Deltas

After finishing directives (or stopping early):

• Check each card’s top-left corner for its cost and possible combos.
• Combos are colored arrows followed by a modified delta.
• If the required card colors/positions match, use the modified delta.

Notes:

• Directives not executed do not contribute to the delta.
• Directives not completed modify the delta up to 0, but negative costs remain.

Gaining & Losing Surge and Flux

• If the delta is positive → gain that much Surge.
• If the delta is 0 → nothing happens.
• If the delta is negative → lose that much Flux.

If the mech cannot pay its delta:

• Pay as much Surge as possible.
• For the remaining negative value, roll that many attack dice.
• Apply any hit and crit results rolled as damage (see combat).

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Combat

Once all mechs have executed their program, the combat phase begins.
Each mech, from highest order to lowest order, may make an attack.

Attacking

• Choose one equipped weapon.
• Measure distance in all valid arcs.
• If the weapon has a delta, resolve it as normal.
• Pay the delta, then select a target within the weapon’s range band.

Rolling Attack Dice

• Roll attack dice equal to the weapon’s attack value.
• The attacker may spend Surge to reroll attack dice (once per die).

Rolling Defense Dice

• Defender rolls:

  • Armor dice = mech’s armor in the targeted arc.
  • Evade dice = mech’s evasion stat.

• Armor dice may be rerolled with Flux.

• Evade dice may be rerolled with Surge.

• Dice may only be rerolled once.

Cancelling Results

• Attacker shows total hits and crits.
• Defender cancels results in order:
  1. Armor cancels crits first.
  2. Evade cancels hits first.

Resolving Damage

• Uncancelled hit = 1 structural damage.
• Uncancelled crit = 1 structural damage + trigger crit resolution.

Resolving Crits

When a crit is resolved:

1. Defender takes all cards attached to that mech (weapons, upgrades, directives).
2. Shuffle and reveal 3 random cards.
3. Attacker may spend up to 2 targeting tokens to put cards back.
4. Defender chooses 1 card from the remaining.
5. That card is depleted (set aside, out of play for the rest of the game).

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Cleanup

Once all mechs have had an opportunity to attack:

1. Remove all Flux.
2. Flip all Surge into Flux.
3. Begin the next round at the Ordering phase.