Objectives
One sits on the line in each sector. During Assessment, score 1 VP for each you control—except on your first turn.
// COMMANDER'S FIELD GUIDE · RULES 0.6.0
Find them.
Fix them.
Break through.
A two-player card game of modern combined-arms warfare. Build your command network, disrupt enemy control, expose hidden contacts, and combine maneuver, fires, airpower, and electronic warfare into decisive actions.
01 // THE BRIEFING
Your mission is control.
You win immediately at 10 Victory Points. Control Objectives to score; destroying or overrunning enemy Headquarters awards 3 VP, but does not end the game by itself.
Presence per unit
Each non-Disrupted Maneuver formation in either Front position contributes 1 Presence.
Victory points
Greater Presence controls. A tie is contested and scores nothing. Reach ten and win immediately.
THE GAME IN 60 SECONDS
Deploy. Discover.
Destroy. Dominate.
- Deploy face-down Contacts.
- Move Maneuver units forward.
- Identify with Recon, Radar, or Satellite.
- Attack with ground, fires, air, or precision.
- Control Fronts and score Objectives.
02 // THE OPERATING AREA
Three sectors. Six ranks. One line.
Left, Center, and Right each run from one Rear to the other. Every position holds three ground formations and two Facilities. Air formations use Airbase capacity.
BLUE FORCE FORWARD ↓
LEFTCENTERRIGHT
◆ 1 VP◆ 1 VP◆ 1 VP
RED FORCE ↑ FORWARD
One adjacent position
A Ready ground formation Moves once, then Commits. Hostile ground blocks ordinary movement.
Fill the breach
After clearing an adjacent friendly-side position, the primary Maneuver attacker may enter it.
Cross the line
Cross from your Front into the empty opposing Front, or follow through after clearing it.
03 // TURN FLOW
Four phases. Every turn.
Players alternate complete turns. One turn by each player makes a round.
Assessment
Resolve Overruns, score each Objective you control, and check whether anyone has reached 10 VP.
Preparation
Ready eligible cards and use Recovery steps to repair damaged or Disrupted formations.
Operations
Draw one card automatically, then deploy, equip, move, identify Contacts, and attack in any legal order.
Sustainment
Resolve end-of-turn effects and pass the turn to your opponent.
CP
COMMAND POINTS
Generate CP when you spend it.
Facilities produce Command Points. When you pay a cost, Commit enough Ready Facilities to generate it. CP is not saved between actions, and excess output is lost.
04 // COMBAT
Identify. Attack. Break the line.
Most attacks need a face-up Identified target. Recon, Radar, and certain Operations reveal hidden Contacts.
BASIC ATTACK
Attack dice versus Protection dice.
Roll one d6 for every point. Each 4+ is one success. The attacker must score more successes; ties favor the defender.
- Commit two Ready attackers and choose a legal Identified target.
- The attacker may coordinate with one supporting formation for 1 CP.
- The defender may coordinate or use one eligible Reaction.
- Roll Attack and Protection dice.
- If the attack succeeds, apply one combat effect.
Coordination and responses +
A Coordinated Assault adds one Ready supporting formation's Attack for 1 CP. The defender may add a coordinating defender when allowed. Then the defender may choose one Reaction and the attacker may answer with one Countermeasure.
Air and artillery +
Artillery attacks Identified targets at range. Aircraft operate from Airbases and may be opposed by Fighters or ground-based air defense. If no eligible defense participates, an Air Strike gains +2 Attack dice.
Recovery +
Each Preparation gives one free Recovery step. Restore missing Cohesion first. Once a formation is at full Cohesion, a later step can remove Disruption. Maintenance Sites can provide additional Recovery.
05 // EXAMPLE ROUND
A simple fight for Center.
Blue and Red already have forces deployed. This example shows the ordinary rhythm of one round without advanced or optional rules.
Center is contested.
RED FRONTLIGHT INF + MECHPresence 2
◆2–2BLUE FRONTMECH + LIGHT INFPresence 2
Both players have two non-Disrupted Maneuver formations in Front, so neither controls the Objective.
Prepare and deploy.
- Assessment: Center is tied 2–2, so Blue scores 0 VP.
- Preparation: Blue Readies its cards.
- Operations: Blue draws automatically, then deploys a free Supply Depot to Mid. Blue may deploy before or after other Operations actions.
Coordinate the assault.
MECH INFAttack 3
+LIGHT INFSupport · Attack 2
→RED TARGETProtection 2
Blue pays 1 CP from an already Ready Facility to coordinate, rolls five Attack dice, and scores 3 successes. Red rolls two Protection dice and scores 1. The attack succeeds, so the Red target becomes Disrupted.
Recover and respond.
- Assessment: Red has only 1 remaining Presence, so Blue controls Center 2–1.
- Preparation: Red uses its free Recovery step. Because the target has full Cohesion, the step removes Disruption and restores Red Presence to 2. Center is contested again.
- Operations: Red draws, then may reinforce, maneuver, or counterattack.
- Sustainment: Red ends the turn. The next round begins with Blue's Assessment.
THE IMPORTANT RHYTHM
Score first, then Ready and Recover, then conduct Operations. Taking an Objective during your turn does not score immediately—you must still control it at your next Assessment.
06 // FORCE RECOGNITION
The 60-card reference force.
The v0.6 reference deck contains 26 Formations, 20 Facilities, 6 Operations, and 8 Equipment cards.
Formation statistics: Attack · Protection · Cohesion · Range
Headquarters is placed during setup outside the deck. Counts and values are the v0.6.0 playtest baseline.
07 // QUICK REFERENCE
What you need to remember.
Setup
- Each player brings a 60-card Force Deck with 20 Facilities.
- Place Headquarters in a friendly Rear position.
- Shuffle, draw seven, and optionally take one full mulligan.
- Randomly choose the first player; they skip their first automatic draw.
Card types
- Formations move, fight, sense, and hold Objectives.
- Facilities generate CP and provide support.
- Operations are powerful one-use effects.
- Equipment attaches to and specializes a Formation.
Face-down and hidden.
Face-up and targetable.
Available to act or react.
Already used this cycle.
Cannot act and provides no Presence.
Non-Disrupted Maneuver strength at an Objective.
BRIEFING COMPLETE
You have command.
Start with movement, Objectives, and direct attacks. Introduce airpower, artillery, Equipment, and specialized responses once everyone understands the turn rhythm.
Launch rules test bed