This manual details the guidelines for Vitorian Wars, a dieselpunk TCG focused on grid tactics, industrial logistics, and archaic nobility.
1. The Scenario and Objective
In Vitorian Wars, you take on the role of a Sovereign commanding armies in a fictional Europe where the Great War never ended. The goal is to defeat the opposing Sovereign by depleting their Defense Stack while surviving logistical exhaustion.
2. The Battlefield (4x5 Grid)
The board is a grid composed of 4 rows and 5 columns.
Opponent's Rear Guard (Enemy General Staff).
Opponent's Vanguard (Enemy Front Line).
Your Vanguard (Your Front Line).
Your Rear Guard (Your General Staff).
In the Command Area
Houses your Sovereign and Defense Stack (5 cards).
Field Conditions.
3. Components and Deck Structure
A complete army consists of:
Sovereign (1 card)
Defines color identity and and abilities.
Maneuver Deck (50 cards)
Contains Units, Orders, and Artifacts (maximum 4 copies per card).
Defense Stack (5 cards)
Randomly drawn from your deck at the start to serve as your "shield".
Supply Convoy (10 cards)
A separate deck containing your logistical resources.
4. Logistics: The Diesel Economy
Resources are divided into two main icons: Personnel [P], used for recruitment and movement, and Supplies [S], used for fuel and machine activation.
Channel
At the start of each turn, reveal the top card of your Supply Convoy and place it in the Resource Area.
Maintenance
Immediately after channeling, you must Exhaust 1 [S] for each Elite Unit (Level 5+) under your control or they will be destroyed.
Recycle
You can place a resource in play at the bottom of the Convoy to gain immediate bonuses, such as Circular Logistics (recycling from discard to deck) or offensive bonuses.
Burn Out
If your Supply Convoy is depleted, you lose your next turn unless you use Defense Sacrifice to convert protection cards into resources.
5. Turn Structure
Logistics Phase
Unexhaust cards, Channel new resources, and pay Elite Maintenance.
Main Phase
Mobilize units, play Orders, install Artifacts (Link), and move troops between lines.
Combat Phase
Declare offensives and resolve engagements.
Final Phase
End-of-turn effects and battlefield cleanup.
6. Movement Warfare
Troop movement in Vitorian Wars is a central element of strategy, utilizing the 4x5 battlefield grid to create tactical advantages such as flanking and artillery support. Below are detailed rules and how Sovereigns influence this deployment:
Basic Movement Rules
- Main Phase: Standard movement of units between lines (Vanguard and Rear Guard) occurs during the Main Phase.
- Personnel Cost [P]: Moving troops generally requires the use of Personnel [P] resources, representing the human logistics necessary for advancement.
- Line Limitations: The board has 4 lines; units move between your Rear Guard (Line 1) and your Vanguard (Line 2) to position themselves for combat.
Mobility Keywords
The technical text defines troop behavior through specific keywords:
Light
Units with this ability (common in the Sky Federation) move between lines without [P] cost.
Heavy
Larger war machines require a combined cost of [P] + [S] (Supplies/Fuel) to change position.
Brute
Massive units that cannot change lines, requiring precise initial positioning at the moment of mobilization.
Ganking
An advanced tactic that allows moving a unit to an adjacent column specifically to reinforce a combat that has already been declared.
Movement via Commander Abilities
As discussed in our design structure, Sovereigns can drastically alter troop fluidity on the field:
- Tactical Recycling: The Sovereign General Ironheart (Red) can use the Forced March ability, which allows moving a unit to an adjacent column without cost when Recycling a Personnel resource.
- Evasive Maneuvers: The Imperial Blue Sovereign can move a unit to any adjacent space (including diagonals or between columns) without [P] cost when performing a recycle action.
Tactical Importance of Position
- Rear Guard Support: Units in the Rear Guard can exhaust 1 [S] to add their attack to the unit in the Vanguard of the same column (Support Barrage), without needing to physically move forward.
- Flanking Activation: The goal of movement is often to position an ally in a column adjacent to the target. This activates Flanking, reducing the enemy defender's attributes by -1/-1.
- Distribution Incentive: The manual instructs players not to concentrate all troops in a single column, encouraging use of the entire grid to avoid impenetrable defenses and facilitate surprise attacks.
7. Combat Protocol
Combat follows a rigorous tactical sequence:
- 1
Offensive Declaration
Choose a ready unit in the Vanguard and attack a unit in the same column or the enemy Sovereign.
- 2
Fire Window (Chain of Command)
Both players can respond with Orders or abilities in a stack (LIFO - last in, first out).
- 3
Support Barrage
Units in the Rear Guard can exhaust 1 [S] to add their attack to the unit in front.
- 4
Damage Resolution
Damage is calculated simultaneously; if Attack is greater than or equal to Defense, the unit is destroyed.
- 5
Burst Reaction
If the Sovereign is hit, the top card of the Defense Stack is revealed; if it has the Burst keyword, it is activated for free.
8. Advanced Tactics and Keywords
Flanking
If there is an ally in a column adjacent to the target, the defender suffers -1/-1.
Ganking
Allows moving a unit to an adjacent column to reinforce a combat in the same turn.
Entrench
Units with this ability must be attacked before the Sovereign.
Armor Piercing
Excess damage after destroying a defender directly hits the enemy Defense Stack.
9. Sovereign's Fury
Whenever you lose a card from your Defense Stack, your Sovereign receives a Fury marker. As Fury increases, the Commander gains potent passive bonuses, such as +1 Attack in combat or Ability Cost Reduction, enabling dramatic comebacks in the late game.