By D. Brad Talton Jr. Presented by Level 99 Games Preview Game
BaleCON captures the fast-paced head-to-head head-to-head intensity of a 2D fighting video game and tempers it with the strategic decision-making of a card c ard game. As new villains vil lains appear to lay lay claim to the world of Indines, new heroes rise to challenge them. Ba leCON: Devastation of Indines puts you in control of 18 mighty heroes and deadly villains to decide the fate of the world. Each character's play style requires new strategies, but uses the same foundational tactics, making a new character easy to learn, but challenging to master. BaleCON: Devastation of Indines can be played stand-alone, or combined with other BaleCON games to create an even greater pool of characters and play modes.
Level 99 Production Staff Designer s Foreword ’
Lead Designer
D. Brad Talton Jr. Lead Character Illustrator
Eunice Abigael Tiu (Nokomento) Design & Concept Artist
Fábio Fontes Supporting Illustrators Christelle Hyunh, Victor P. Corbella, Yuting Lian, Victoria Parker, Parker, and Anika Ró R óżnowicz Playtesters John John Parmalee, Parmalee, John John Kirk, John John Celino, Celino, Jessey Jessey Wright, Wright, Joseph Joseph Tenney Tenney,, Bo King, Lorenzo Batallones, Ryan “Ozzy” Lawrence, Bryan Graham, Marco De Santos, Yaron Raca, Aaron Gresham, Mahew Locklin, Mahew Fournier, Andrey Trubitsin, Trubitsin, Dmitry Trubitstin, Trubitstin, Danil Trubitsin, omas Woodruff , Sean Wheon, James James Johnes, Johnes, Marco Marco De Santos, Santos, Maksim Penzin, Penzin, C. A. DuChane, Dennis Crenshaw, Mark Roberts, Ari Tykkyläinen, Noah Selzer, Ryan Gerstein, Vladimir "Grey Swan" Perepelkin, Noah Bogart, Steve Ripberger, Ar-j Castelo, Icon Ortega, Kiko Santos, Travis 'KingOfOdonata' Schneider, Nick Eglinton, Richard Peppers, Ferdinand Andrew Capitulo, Helder Araújo Special anks Kevin Bridgeman, Steven Peit, Steven ompson, Graham Russell, Lance Myxter, Tom Vasel, Vasel, Lynda Yang, Yang, Kevin Brusky, Brusky, Brandon “Ragnar” Johnson, Mac Ko, Mark Hadley, Alex Sieland
Hi there, there, thanks for trying tr ying out Ba leCON! BaleCON is probably a bit diff erent erent than most board or card games you own or have played before. It is not intended to be taken o ff the shelf and taught and played on some select occasions. Instead, it is designed to be an ongoing game played regularly by a group of experienced friends. Each character requires a bit of work to master, and each matchup requires a new strategy to win. Each strategy requires a new counterstrategy to defeat. By playing regularly with an established group, BaleCON develops a metagame where players begin to eff ectively ectively expect their opponents’ tactics and adapt their own styles, creating a ‘living ‘ living game’ that grows beyond just the box. We’ve We’ve packed packed as many options, options, play modes, modes, and possibilities as we can into this box, so that you can have have a new experience each each time you play, even with (and especially with) friends who have the same level of experience as you. If this all sounds a bit daunting, don’t fear. We’ve We’ve worked worked just as hard hard to make the game game accessible as we have to make it deep. Every element, from the characters to the play variants has been marked with a difficulty rating, which will help you to start on a solid solid footing and advance towards more specialized characters, play modes, and strategies. So grab some friends and get ready to explore and experience BaleCON! It is my sincerest hope that BaleCON brings you endless hours hours of entertainment entertainment with friends and family! Happy gaming!
D. Brad Talton Jr. Lead Designer
Level 99 Production Staff Designer s Foreword ’
Lead Designer
D. Brad Talton Jr. Lead Character Illustrator
Eunice Abigael Tiu (Nokomento) Design & Concept Artist
Fábio Fontes Supporting Illustrators Christelle Hyunh, Victor P. Corbella, Yuting Lian, Victoria Parker, Parker, and Anika Ró R óżnowicz Playtesters John John Parmalee, Parmalee, John John Kirk, John John Celino, Celino, Jessey Jessey Wright, Wright, Joseph Joseph Tenney Tenney,, Bo King, Lorenzo Batallones, Ryan “Ozzy” Lawrence, Bryan Graham, Marco De Santos, Yaron Raca, Aaron Gresham, Mahew Locklin, Mahew Fournier, Andrey Trubitsin, Trubitsin, Dmitry Trubitstin, Trubitstin, Danil Trubitsin, omas Woodruff , Sean Wheon, James James Johnes, Johnes, Marco Marco De Santos, Santos, Maksim Penzin, Penzin, C. A. DuChane, Dennis Crenshaw, Mark Roberts, Ari Tykkyläinen, Noah Selzer, Ryan Gerstein, Vladimir "Grey Swan" Perepelkin, Noah Bogart, Steve Ripberger, Ar-j Castelo, Icon Ortega, Kiko Santos, Travis 'KingOfOdonata' Schneider, Nick Eglinton, Richard Peppers, Ferdinand Andrew Capitulo, Helder Araújo Special anks Kevin Bridgeman, Steven Peit, Steven ompson, Graham Russell, Lance Myxter, Tom Vasel, Vasel, Lynda Yang, Yang, Kevin Brusky, Brusky, Brandon “Ragnar” Johnson, Mac Ko, Mark Hadley, Alex Sieland
Hi there, there, thanks for trying tr ying out Ba leCON! BaleCON is probably a bit diff erent erent than most board or card games you own or have played before. It is not intended to be taken o ff the shelf and taught and played on some select occasions. Instead, it is designed to be an ongoing game played regularly by a group of experienced friends. Each character requires a bit of work to master, and each matchup requires a new strategy to win. Each strategy requires a new counterstrategy to defeat. By playing regularly with an established group, BaleCON develops a metagame where players begin to eff ectively ectively expect their opponents’ tactics and adapt their own styles, creating a ‘living ‘ living game’ that grows beyond just the box. We’ve We’ve packed packed as many options, options, play modes, modes, and possibilities as we can into this box, so that you can have have a new experience each each time you play, even with (and especially with) friends who have the same level of experience as you. If this all sounds a bit daunting, don’t fear. We’ve We’ve worked worked just as hard hard to make the game game accessible as we have to make it deep. Every element, from the characters to the play variants has been marked with a difficulty rating, which will help you to start on a solid solid footing and advance towards more specialized characters, play modes, and strategies. So grab some friends and get ready to explore and experience BaleCON! It is my sincerest hope that BaleCON brings you endless hours hours of entertainment entertainment with friends and family! Happy gaming!
D. Brad Talton Jr. Lead Designer
What is BattleCON?
BaleCON is a board game based on the principles of intense action, direct confrontation, and tactical positioning present in fighting video games. Unlike its peers in console gaming, however, BaleCON provides strategic elements and a more thoughtful pace–allowing the player to choose carefully his next moves and gauge his opponents’ strengths and motives. BaleCON is a standalone game that comes as a complete boxed set. ere are no random packs to buy, no exclusives, and no chase cards– you get get the complete complete game up front in the box. While you can expand BaleCON with additional sets featuring new characters, there is no buy-in to collect more powerful cards and no expensive rare cards to chase down–when you get a box, you know exactly what you are ge ing.
The World of Indines
Welcome Welcome to Indines Indines (pronounced (pronounced In-deans), In-deans), a land of mystery, magic, wonder, and war. In this game, you will take on the roles of the champions of each nation or faction, participating in duels to determine their fates and the fate of the world as a whole. Each duel is short and fast-paced, fast-paced, as two combatants move across the field aempting to strike one another and avoid being struck. Only the one whose wits are strongest strongest and whose strategy strategy is surest will wil l be able to claim victory v ictory..
Learning the Game
Don't be intimidated by this rulebook or the number of cards in the game! BaleCON is an extremely simple game, and most of the cards and rules in this book exist ex ist to allow you to play diff erent erent variants and to increase the replayability of the base game. In fact, each player player will wil l only use 15 cards over the course of a duel. If this is your first time playing, use characters characters listed as 'Basic' in the character guide (Shekhtur and Eligor), and follow along with the graphic quick-rules comic. A er you feel
you can gradually gradually explore the more advanced advanced characters characters and play variants. e
difficulty of characters and variants comes in three flavors: Basic - You can jump right in and play with these characters and play modes. Intermediate - When W hen you feel comfortable with the basics of the game, game, try these out. out. Advanced Advanced - When you are ready for a challenge that tests even the abilities of a seasoned player, try these.
Building the Print and Play To Build your own BaleCON: Devastation of Indines Print and Play, follow these steps: 1. Print up all cards and gameboards in this document. ere should be 8 pages of cards and tokens, and one gameboard. * Many cards will have incomplete bleeds on the le or right sides. is is intentional. Cut them out along the white lines. Even if the bleeds don’t look quite right on the sheet, they will once you set up the game. 2. Sleeve the cards so that all bases are in one color sleeve, and all styles are in another. Styles are the cards with their numbers aligned to the right (they are the le side of an aack pair). Bases are the cards with their numbers aligned to the le (they are the right side of an a ack pair). Take note that Joal has more bases than other characters. 2a. Malandrax’s Trap Cards can be sleeved as any third color, to diff erentiate them from other card types. 2b. Sleeve each character’s Finisher cards in clear sleeves so that they are double-sided. Each side should have a di ff erent Finisher for the same character. 3. Assemble the character Standups. You can build your character standups by pasting them together, or by folding them along the do ed line, gluing them together, then cuing the shapes down to beer match the character sizes. 4. Cut out all Tokens. Shekhtur and Eligor each have 5 tokens they need. Cut these out as well. 5. Acquire two life counters. You’ll need two counters that go from twenty down to zero. Poker chips, glass drops, a 20-sided dice, or even scrap paper work fine for this purpose. 6. Separate Character Kits. Use plastic bags or card cases to separate each character and the basic cards. Every character’s cards will have that character’s name at the boom center of the card. For tokens, check the Character Introductions at the end of this guide to see what goes with whom.
A er all this, you should have the the following supplies ready to play: Eligor Character Kit: - 1 Character Card (Eligor Larington) - 5 Vengeance Tokens - 5 Styles (Chained, Counter, Martial, Retribution, Vengeful) - 1 Base (Aegis) - 1 Finisher (Sweet Revenge / Sheet Lightning) Shekhtur Character Kit: - 1 Character Card (Shekhtur Lenmorre) - 5 Malice Tokens - 5 Styles (Combination, Jugular, Reaver, Spiral, Unleashed) - 1 Base (Brand) - 1 Finisher (Soul Cracker / Coffin Nails) Joal Character Kit: - 1 Character Card ( Joal Kalmor) - 5 Styles (Cu hroat, Dual Wield, Relentless, Slayer’s, Warded) - 5 Bases (Knuckles, Binding Knife, Hand Cannon, Ironstar, Runeblade) - 1 Finisher (Annihilator / Neutralizer) Malandrax Character Kit: - 1 Character Card (Malandrax Mecchi) - 4 Trap Cards (Alarm Trap, Electroshock Trap, Smasher Trap, Wall Spike Trap) - 5 Styles (Calculated, Ingenious, Leading, Ploing, Precision) - 1 Base (Master Plan) - 1 Finisher (Deathtrap / Plots Within Plots) 2 Base Sets: - 6 Bases (Strike, Shot, Grasp, Dash, Drive, Burst) 1 Game Board 2 Reference Cards (Beat Sequence + Setup) 2 Life Counters (supplied by you) 4 Double-sided standups
Gameplay Overview
Character Card Overview
Your primary goal in BaleCON is to win Characters are specific personas that you use matches against other players in a head-to-head on the field of bale. Each player will select a bale. Both you and your opponent will select diff erent character at the start of the game and one of the eighteen characters in the game, and must use all of the styles and bases that are play a match. associated with that specific character. A single match consists of two or three duels. A duel is a complete game, beginning at 20 life Each character card has the following points and ending with one player reaching 0 components: 1. Name – e name of the character. life. A single duel takes between 10 and 20 minutes, so a match is typically between 30 2. Unique Ability – One or more unique minutes and an hour long. e player who wins abilities that this character possesses. ese are two out of the three duels is declared the winner staples of their personal strategy and are used of the match. during gameplay. In the course of a single duel, the goal of each e reverse side of each character contains a player is to reduce their opponent's life total to zero or fewer points. e first to accomplish this description of how that character fights and some is declared the winner of that duel. insight as to how you can pick them up to play A duel consists of up to fieen rounds, called quickly. beats. In a beat, both players act simultaneously Some characters are more difficult to learn as they play out all of the steps of the beat. ere than others, or require a familiarity with the core gameplay that makes them difficult to learn first. are no 'turns' in BaleCON–both players are We suggest starting with ‘basic’ characters. e constantly engaged in the conflict. difficulty of a character can be found in their If you’re just learning the game, it is strategy section on the reverse of this card. recommended to use the two characters ‘ Shekhtur Lenmorre’ and ‘ Eligor Larington’ and follow along with the introductory rules comic. A er 1 following through the comic, you can use the detailed rules here to answer any questions that come up as you play the game.
2
Base Card Overview
ese cards are printed with their numbers
aligned to the le and may be either unique to a character or generic. ose that are unique to a character have that character's picture on them. Bases are the foundations of an aack pair. All bases have the following parts. 1. Name – e name of the base. 2. Range – is is what distance the aack will strike at. Some ranges are expressed as two values (i.e.: 1~4). ese ranges target all spaces included in the range (so 1~4 would target spaces at range 1, 2, 3, and 4). A acks with a range of N/A will never hit unless they have some special eff ect that says they do. Range can never be less than 0. 3. Power – is is how much damage the aack will do. A acks with a power of N/A will not do any damage. Power can never be less than zero. 4. Priority – e speed of the aack. Higher priority aacks have the advantage of going first in combat--allowing you to stun or escape your opponent in many instances. Priority may be negative on some aacks. 5. Eff ects – Special eff ects that are part of the aack. ese are explained in more detail later.
Style Card Overview
ese cards are printed with their numbers
aligned to the right and are all specific to a certain character. Each style can be paired with a base to form an aack pair. A style has the following parts. 1. Name – e name of the style. is pairs with the name of the base to form the name of the aack. For example, a 'Calculated' style and a 'Strike' base combine to form the 'Calculated Strike' aack. 2. Range Modi fier – e range of the aack is modified up or down by this amount. i. If only one side of the a ack has a variable range like (1~4), add the single number to both sides (so 1~4 plus 2 would be 3~6). ii. If both sides of the a ack range are variable, calculate the complete range by adding the highest and lowest parts of both sides (so 1~4 plus 2~4 would be 3~8). 3. Power Modi fier – e power of the aack is modified up or down by this amount. 4. Priority Modi fier – e priority of the aack is modified up or down by this amount. 5. Eff ects – ese eff ects are added on to the eff ects of the base, giving the a ack additional powers. Style eff ects work the same way as base eff ects.
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2 2 3 3 4 4 5
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Finisher Card Overview
Each character has a Finisher card that they can make use of during play. We recommend not using the Finisher cards during your first few games of BaleCON, and instead introducing them aer you feel comfortable with the basic gameplay.
e finisher card looks just
like a style, except that it has a purple overlay and a complete border around the edge. A finisher is not half of an aack pair though–it replaces the entire aack pair, and whatever base or style you play does not modify it. Finishers have two sides. During setup, each player should secretly select which finisher they wish to use, then reveal those simultaneously. Finishers can be used during ante if a player has 7 life or less remaining. Just ante your finisher and take your aack pair back into your hand. Do not recycle discard piles a er using a finisher. Instead just remove the Finisher from the game.
Game Setup
3. Initial Discards - Each player chooses two bases and two styles*. ese will form two pairs that should be placed in discard 1 and discard 2 respectively. ese cards will not be available at the start of the game but will become available soon. Make sure your two discard piles are clearly separated and that you know which is which, as they both have very important functions (see “Recycle” for more information). 3b. Character Setup - Some characters (particularly advanced characters) require some additional setup. e character’s Unique Ability will tell you what extra setup steps they may have to complete. 4. Game Start - Once you have completed these actions and filled both discard piles, you are ready to begin the game.
1. Character Selection – Each player chooses one character (choose secretly in a competitive game). ey take all of that character's cards (1 character card, 5 styles, 1 finisher card, and 1 base), plus a set of generic bases (6 bases–Strike, Dash, Drive, Grasp, Burst, and Shot), to form a starting hand. Each player should also find any tokens or markers their character uses and place them beside their character card or into play as specified by their unique abilities. Each character’s complete kit is listed below their portrait in the character guide, later in these rules. e name of the character kit a card belongs to is always listed in the bo om center of the card. 2. Board Setup - Place the players on the * When learning the game or trying a new second and sixth spaces respectively (as shown character, the bases and styles marked with a ‘1’ below), so that each character is on its owner's le hand side of the board. Use the spinning life and ‘2’ form the starting discard piles. ese are dials to keep track of each player's life points. All optional, but are intended to help you to set up the game and jump into a new character quickly. players start with 20 life.
1 - Select Attack Pairs
Each player chooses one style and one base from his hand, then places those cards face down in front of him where their opponent can see the backs of the cards clearly. A legal aack pair always has one red-backed and one blue backed card. Once both players have a ack pairs placed down in front of them, move on to the next step.
The Core Mechanic
An aack pair is formed by selecting one style and one base from the player's hand and placing those face-down in front of him. An aack pair has the power, range, and priority of the base, plus the modi fiers specified on the style and all the eff ects of both cards. Since there are 5 styles and 7 bases, each character has 35 possible aacks (and even more when you factor in Unique Abilities!)
Objective e
objective of each duel is to reduce the opponent's life points to zero before your opponent can do the same to you. e first player whose life points reach zero is eliminated, and the remaining player is declared the winner of the duel. A duel has a time limit of 15 beats (just a fancy name for rounds). At the end of the 15th beat, if no player has eliminated the other, then the player with the highest life total is declared the winner.
Play Sequence
Every beat in BaleCON follows a similar paern. Each of these steps is done by each player simultaneously. 1. Select aack pairs 2. Ante Tokens 3. Reveal aack pairs 4. Execute aacks
2 - Ante Phase
A character's unique ability may provide that character with with tokens. ese tokens are chosen and spent during the ante step, a er both players have selected aack pairs. A token's exact eff ect depends on the unique ability of the character using it. Tokens are in a character's “token pool” area until they are used. A er being used, they are typically moved to the “token discard pool.” Unless otherwise stated by a character's unique ability, tokens are discarded to their own separate discard pile and cannot be retrieved except by the eff ects of that character's styles and bases. Not all characters are able to retrieve their tokens, so pay aention to your options for recovery before you use them recklessly! Players may ante tokens in any order, and may always ante more tokens (as far as their unique abilities allow), but antes can never be taken back. Once both players have elected to pass on adding tokens, move on to the next step.
3 - Reveal Attack Pairs 4 - Active Attack Both players simultaneously flip over their face-down aack pairs. Any Reveal Eff ects occur at this time. Reveal eff ects can occur in any order the players wish. A er resolving all reveal eff ects, check the priorities of both a acks (considering any modifications provided by tokens, styles, and passive special abilities). If the total priorities tie, then a clash occurs. Reveal e ff ects do not have any timing, and only serve to improve the priority of the styles they are printed on. Players can execute reveal e ff ects in either order, even simultaneously. ey continue to provide their bene fits, even a er a clash, and are never activated more than once per beat.
e
Active Player activates his a ack first by performing the following steps*: 1. He performs any Before Activating eff ects listed on his cards. If there are multiple eff ects, he chooses which order to use them. 2. He checks to see if the opponent is within his range. Range is counted in spaces, with the space occupied by the player being space zero (so adjacent characters are at range 1, and characters at the start of a match are at range 4). * It is possible for some e ff ects, such as Eligor’s Counter style, to stun the Active Player. If this happens, his a ack is skipped, and you should move straight to the next step, Reactive A ack.
Priority Tie? - Clash!
In a clash, both players must play a new base face-down from their hands. ey simultaneously reveal the played base and put it on top of the old one, hiding the e ff ects and stats of the original base and forming a new a ack. Players then check to see if another clash has occurred. If it has, continue again as above. If any player runs out of cards during the clash, then skip directly to recycling their top aack pairs (without activating any End of Beat eff ects) and a new beat begins. During the Recycle step, only recycle the top aack pair (the one your character actually used), and return all other cards to your hand. e player who has higher priority a er
Reveal eff ects are resolved is called the Active Player, and the one with lower priority is called the Reactive Player . A er Reveal eff ects and Active/Reactive player are resolved (by clashes if necessary), Start of Beat eff ects take place. e Active Player executes all of his Start of Beat eff ects, then the Reactive Player executes all of his Start of Beat eff ects. Once the Start of Beat e ff ects are resolved, aacks begin.
Special Ranges
Some aacks have special ranges of X or N/A. ese aacks are treated diff erently than normal. A a cks with a range of N/A never hit opponents. A acks with a range of X (on either side of the a ack pair) have their range defined by some special passive or triggered eff ect. Range boosts or penalties do not apply to these special ranges–they can only hit or miss due to their eff ects.
3. If the opponent is in range, then the active player resolves any On Hit eff ects. 4. If the opponent was hit by the a ack, then the opponent takes damage equal to the power of the aack, reducing the damage taken by his own aack's Soak value (if he has this e ff ect–see common eff ects). 5. If any damage was done, On Damage eff ects are resolved. Also, if any damage was done, the opponent may be stunned. is stun can be prevented by an opponent with Stun Guard (see the section on Stun, page 25). 6. If a player's life is reduced to zero or fewer points, the game immediately ends, with the remaining player being declared the winner. 7. e active player resolves any A er Activating eff ects, regardless of whether or not the aack hit or did damage.
4B - Reactive Attack
If the Reactive Player is not stunned, then he may activate his aack by following the same steps as the Active Player. A stunned player skips activation entirely, including any Before Activating and A er Activating eff ects. Once the reactive player has resolved his aack (or been stunned), move on to the next step.
5 - Recycle
Both players activate any End of Beat eff ects they possess. If both players have End of Beat eff ects, the Active Player executes all of his eff ects first. End of Beat eff ects will still be executed by the reactive player even if he was stunned. Finally, both players: 1. Pick up their second (outermost) discard pile, 2. Move their first (innermost) discard pile into their second discard pile, and 3. Move the aack pair they just played face-up into their first discard pile.
Once you have recycled your discard piles, advance the turn timer by one beat, and you are all set to start the next beat! e recycling of discard piles means
that each A ack Pair you play will take 2 beats of cycling before it can be recombined into new aacks. Be careful before you use your strongest aack–it might be more useful as two parts instead of one!
Resolving Effects
During the course of the game, you will need to resolve many special eff ects that your aacks have. How to resolve these e ff ects is explained in detail here. ere are two kinds of eff ects, Passive Eff ects and Triggered Eff ects. Passive eff ects are always active from the time the aack is revealed until the end of the beat. For example, Shekhtur’s Combination Style states " is a ack does not hit opponents at range 3 or greater." is is a passive eff ect and should be followed as long as it is face-up on the player's current aack pair. Its instructions should be obeyed by both players at all times. Triggered eff ects have two parts: a trigger and an eff ect. An example of a triggered eff ect might be "Before Activating: Advance 1 or 2 spaces." is means that the eff ect is triggered and resolved during the Before Activating step (during step 4 of the turn). If a player controls multiple triggered eff ects with the same trigger, then he chooses what order to activate them. All triggered eff ects are mandatory–you must use them when they trigger. If triggered and passive eff ects would conflict with one another, the passive eff ects take precedence.
Advance – is movement brings you closer to an opponent. (ex: “Advance 1, 2, or 3 spaces”)
Retreat – is movement takes you further from an opponent. (ex: “Retreat 1 space.”)
Pull – is movement brings an opponent closer to you. (ex: “Pull the opponent up to 2 spaces”)
Push – is movement puts an opponent further from you. (ex: “Push the opponent up to 2 spaces”)
Status Effects
Some triggered eff ects will apply powers to the next beat of combat. ese are called “Status Eff ects” and are separate from the cards, tokens, or abilities that generate them. e box contains some tokens that you can use to track status eff ects, but status eff ects are not tokens.
Movement
Many eff ects will cause characters to move. e only way to move on the board is by these eff ects or by the unique abilities of characters. Movement will be specified by triggered eff ects or a character's unique abilities in the form of eff ects such as “A er Activating: Advance 1, 2, or 3 spaces.” ere are 6 kinds of movement:
Move – You may choose either direction for this movement. (ex: “Move 1 space”)
Move directly – Teleport immediately to the space specified, without moving into or out of spaces in between. Some eff ects may prevent you All aacks have the potential to stun from “moving over” your opponent. ese opponents when they hit. A stunned opponent is eff ects do not apply to direct movement. unable to react with an a ack of his own. us, in order to score hits a player must either be fast enough to strike first, maneuverable enough to avoid damage, or defensive enough to prevent stun. A stun occurs whenever a player takes damage greater than his Stun Guard value. A acks that have no Stun Guard on them have a Stun Guard Movement eff ects are mandatory. If an eff ect says 'advance 1 or 2 spaces', then the player of zero. Here are a few examples that you can follow along with using your own cards. All of must move either 1 space forwards or 2 spaces forwards. He cannot choose to remain where he these examples ignore range and movement. Example 1 - Hit and taking damage: is. For all moves except direct movement, you Shekhtur and Eligor dueling. Shekhtur uses a 'Jugular Grasp' (7 priority) and Eligor uses a must pass through the spaces between your 'Retribution Drive' (4 priority). Shekhtur will go current position and your final destination. If an eff ect specifies 'Advance up to 2 spaces', first. She hits Eligor for 1 damage. Because Eligor has no Stun Guard or Soak eff ects, he takes 1 then the player has the option of choosing a damage and is stunned. He will not be able to use movement of zero (which is less than 2) and any of his eff ects, since Before Activating is an remaining stationary. Negative movement is A ack trigger, and he will not aack this beat. never allowed. Example 2 - Taking no damage: Eligor uses When moving, you hop over opponents and do not count the spaces they occupy against your 'Retribution Aegis' with 3 tokens (priority -1, Soak 3, Stun Guard 6) and Shekhtur uses 'Jugular movement. (See the example for Advancing) Grasp' (priority 7). Shekhtur will hit first, If a player cannot complete a retreat due to dealing 1 point of damage to Eligor. Eligor has the presence of a wall, then he moves as far as Soak 3, which reduces the damage he takes by up possible and stops. e same holds true for a player advancing against a player who is adjacent to 3 points. us, he takes 0 damage. Because he has not taken any damage, he is able to retaliate to a wall. e presence of walls may preclude and score 2 damage on Shekhtur. movement entirely. In this case, movement is ignored. If a legal movement is possible given the eff ect moving the character, then it must be taken. (Example: Arec must move 1 space forwards or backwards, but there is a wall behind him. In this case, he is forced to choose the forwards movement, since it is the only legal, available move).
Stun, Guard, & Immunity
‘Advance’ and ‘Pull’ just determine the initial direction of the movement. It’s possible to pull someone past you so that they are further away than when they started, and it’s possible to advance far past someone in order to create distance.
Example 3 - Stun Guard greater than damage: Eligor uses ' Vengeful Strike' (priority 3, Stun Guard 8) and Shekhtur is using 'Spiral Drive' with 2 tokens (priority 5). Shekhtur will hit first, as usual, and deal 4 points of damage. Eligor takes the damage, but because the damage is lower than or equal to his Stun Guard value, he is not stunned. He can hit Shekhtur back for 5 damage. Example 4 - Damage greater than Stun Guard: Eligor uses 'Counter Strike' (priority 2, Stun Guard 5) and Shekhtur uses 'Combination Drive' (priority 4). Shekhtur will hit first, dealing 6 damage to Eligor (+2 from Combination’s eff ect). Eligor takes the damage, and since it is higher than his Stun Guard value, he is stunned and will not activate his aack. Example 5 - Stun by eff ect: Eligor uses an extremely defensive 'Vengeful Aegis' with 4 tokens (priority 0, Soak 4, Stun Guard 11). Shekhtur uses her finisher, 'Soul Breaker' (priority 3). Shekhtur will go first, dealing 3 damage to Eligor. Eligor's Soak absorbs the first 4 points of the damage, so he takes none. However, Shekhtur's Finisher has a special eff ect "On Hit: e opponent is stunned..." Eligor is stunned because of the e ff ect and will not activate his aack. is is called an auto-stun eff ect and can stun regardless of the opponent's Stun Guard and Soak. Example 6 - Stun Immunity: Eligor uses the same 'Vengeful Aegis' and Shekhtur uses her same 'Soul Breaker' as above. is time, however, Eligor decides to ante all 5 of his Vengeance tokens during the Ante phase. is ante gives him the e ff ect of Stun Immunity due to his unique ability. Now when Shekhtur hits first, her Soul Breaker’s eff ect will aempt to stun Eligor. Eligor is immune to stun, however, so no eff ect and no amount of damage can prevent him from executing his a ack this beat.
Common Effects
Stun Guard – A number will be specified (i.e.: Stun Guard 5, Stun Guard 3). Whenever the player takes damage this turn, he is not stunned unless the total damage taken this turn is greater than his Stun Guard rating. Stun Guard
is always a passive eff ect. A acks with no Stun Guard specified have an implied Stun Guard of 0. If a player would take damage multiple times in a turn, Stun Guard applies separately to each one. e player must take damage higher than his Stun Guard in a single aack for his Stun Guard to be broken. Soak – A number will be specified (i.e.: Soak 3, Soak 1, Soak 2). Whenever the player would take damage this turn, he reduces the damage taken by the amount specified. Multiple Soak eff ects stack together (so Soak 3 + Soak 1 = Soak 4). Soak is always a passive e ff ect. If a player would take damage multiple times in a turn, his Soak applies to each individual time he would take the damage. Lose Life – Eff ects that say “lose life” do not ever cause stun. Only e ff ects that “deal damage” can cause stuns. Soak does not prevent loss of life from these eff ects. Loss of life can never reduce a player to below 1 life. Stun Immunity – e character cannot be stunned by any means or eff ects. Stun Immunity overrides any eff ect or damage that would normally stun a character. It does not prevent any damage. “e opponent is stunned” - e opponent becomes stunned. is ignores any soak and stun guard eff ects the opponent may have, but will not bypass Stun Immunity.
Playing Eligor
Eligor is a dedicated defensive fighter whose heavy armor and combat training allow him to stand up against the most powerful a acks without flinching. He excels in counteraacking, and fights most eff ectively when he can predict the opponent and bait certain aacks. Start out with Eligor if you prefer to hold your ground and watch your opponents’ strategies unwind in the face of your defenses.
Eligor Larington “It only takes one hero to stand up and change the world for the better.”
Playing Shekhtur
Shekhtur is a deadly rushdown character who can do great damage to opponents and maintain significant pressure. Her abilities revolve around creating and maintaining favorable corner traps and staying in close melee with opponents. Start out with Shekhtur if you like to take the off ensive early and stay on the aack as much as possible.
Shekhtur Lenmorre “This power was meant for evil, but maybe I can use it for good instead.”
Eligor acquires Vengeance Tokens as he takes damage, and these tokens further increase his defensive potential and ability to e ff ectively countera ack. He is a great choice for players who prefer to play defensively and make contingency plans for their opponents’ options.
Shekhtur gains Malice Tokens as she does damage, and these tokens further increase her speed and damage-dealing ability. She is a great choice for players who like to use reckless, unstoppable force as an alternative to a more paced combat style.
Difficulty: Basic Complete Kit: - 1 Character Card (Eligor Larington) - 5 Vengeance Tokens - 5 Styles (Chained, Counter, Martial, Retribution, Vengeful) - 1 Base (Aegis) - 1 Finisher (Sweet Revenge / Sheet
Difficulty: Basic Complete Kit: - 1 Character Card (Shekhtur Lenmorre) - 5 Malice Tokens - 5 Styles (Combination, Jugular, Reaver, Spiral, Unleashed) - 1 Base (Brand) - 1 Finisher (Soul Cracker / Coffin Nails)
Playing Joal
Joal is a slightly more advanced jack-of-all trades type fighter. His additional bases give him the ability to adapt to all sorts of situations, and making the best move in any given position isn’t always easy. Once you’ve played a few games with Shekhtur or Eligor, try out Joal and get a feel for the breadth of possibilities Ba leCON has to off er in a more technical fighter.
Joal Kalmor “Even the immortal dragons can be hunted – if you know their weakness.”
Playing Malandrax
Malandrax is an advanced character, a scheming trap-seer who relies heavily on an opponent’s paranoia and recklessness to create deadly setups. Once you’ve played everyone else and feel comfortable with the game’s core mechanics, try out Malandrax to see how much an outlandish Unique Ability can change the game and force you to think diff erently.
Malandrax Mecchi “As expected, everything is playing out splendidly.”
Joal possesses additional unique bases, and can swap out his starting selection of bases to put new strategies into place. He is a great pick for players who like to adapt their abilities to match each opponent.
Malandrax sets traps for opponents, activating them instantly when the conditions are right, based on his opponents’ movements. He is suitable for tricky players who like to induce paranoia in opponents to make them trip up.
Difficulty: Intermediate Complete Kit: - 1 Character Card ( Joal Kalmor) - 5 Styles (Cuhroat, Dual Wield, Relentless, Slayer’s, Warded) - 5 Bases (Knuckles, Binding Knife, Hand Cannon, Ironstar, Runeblade) - 1 Finisher (Annihilator / Neutralizer)
Difficulty: Advanced Complete Kit: - 1 Character Card (Malandrax Mecchi) - 4 Trap Cards (Alarm Trap, Electroshock Trap, Smasher Trap, Wall Spike Trap) - 5 Styles (Calculated, Ingenious, Leading, Ploing, Precision) - 1 Base (Master Plan) - 1 Finisher (Deathtrap / Plots Within Plots)
Frequently Asked Questions
For a more complete and up-to-date FAQ, check out www.ba leconnection.com
Common Questions
Q: Does damage cause life loss, and vice versa? A: No. ese are two diff erent things. Damage is usually caused by aacks based on their power. Life loss is typically caused by triggered eff ects. e primary diff erence between these two are that life loss cannot reduce a character below 1 life, will never stun a character, and bypasses soak.
Malandrax
Q: Can my Smasher Trap be used to trigger a hit with my Master Plan? A: No. Smasher Trap only activates during End of Beat, and Master Plan has already missed the opponent at this point.
Q: Do I have to activate a trap immediately when its relevant? A: No, you can always wait to activate a trap, but if your opponent moves on to the next eff ect and doesn’t give you another chance to activate, then you’ve missed your opportunity! Q: Can I interrupt movement with a trap? A: Yes, you can activate a trap in the middle of another player’s movement eff ect. Once the trap eff ect is complete, the other player’s eff ect continues as normal.
Q: What happens if priority changes aer the Reveal? A: Nothing. Once priority order is resolved, changes to priority do not alter that order later Q: Exactly what happens when I hit with the on in the beat. Triggered eff ects (like Marmelee’s Petrifying style) can still alter the priority order. Soul Breaker Finisher? A: Treat it as though your opponent’s Unique Ability text were completely blank. - Eligor can no longer ante or acquire tokens. - Joal’s stockpile cannot be accessed anymore Q: What is included in the power of my Aegis (he keeps extra bases already in play though). base? - Malandrax can no longer set traps. A: Any numbers printed in the ‘power’ Any eff ects or abilities that reference tokens, section of your opponents’ aack pair. Bonuses, traps, or the stockpile stop working. like those provided by Malandrax’s Ingenious style or Shekhtur’s 3rd and 5th tokens are not included.
Shekhtur
Eligor
Gameplay Tips
Joal
Q: When do I select my stockpile? A: Anything that happens during setup (such as choosing the stockpile or seing your starting discards) happens secretly and is revealed simultaneously right before the duel begins.
Start out by sticking with a single character and mastering them. e more you play a single character, the beer you’ll get. Only once you have all of your own eff ects and capabilities mastered will you be able to find the ways to exploit an opponents’ weaknesses and to compensate for your own. Never give up. Except in a very few situations, there’s always a winning move that will make a positive exchange (or at least avoid
negative exchange). If things get tough, buckle down and pay more aention to your opponent’s discards and play style.
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Play best of three matches. Especially with new characters, a first match will rarely tell you anything about the depth and possibilities of your character. A first match lets each side know what the other is capable of, but the second match gives those possibilities time to sink in, so that the other side can e ff ectively counterplay. BaleCON plays the best with full You can visit www.baleconnection.com to information and mastery on both sides of the get a copy of the complete game, or to check out field. Playing a complete match rather than just additional characters, gameplay reviews, one duel gives you the opportunity to correct backstory notes, and strategy guides! mistakes made in the first duel and experiment If you’ve had fun with this small slice of the with new strategies that can deal with your complete game, there’s tons more where it came opponent’s kit. from. e complete Devastation of Indines game has over 18 characters, multiplayer modes, Unconventional opponents require massive cooperative bosses to fight, and even unconventional play. Not all matches will be as solo dungeons to tackle. easy as others, but all matches are winnable. Sometimes a match will require a completely anks from all of us at Level 99 Games for diff erent set of strategies from what you’ve taking the time to try out Ba leCON! become accustomed to. Characters with extreme mobility, speed, defense, or certain tricks can completely shut down the core strategies of your favorite character. Finding a new strategy to overcome these tactics is part of the fun of BaleCON, and one of the most satisfying parts of mastering a character is when you can handily win a fight that looks impossible at first glance.
