The objective of the game is to destroy enough of your enemies ships to obtain 15 victory
points, ships grant victory points based on their size. The first player to 15 victory points
wins.
• Small Ships (Frigates) grant 1 victory point
• Medium Ships (Cruisers) grant 2 victory points
• Large Ships (Battleships) grant 3 victory points
Core Game Set Contents:
• 1 Space Swarm Rulebook
• 1 Range Ruler
• 1 Turning Widget
• 3 Red Dice
• 3 Blue Dice
• 48 Tokens (4 Swarm Tokens, 20 Damage Markers, 24 Activation Markers)
• 2 Alliance Battleships
• 4 Alliance Cruisers
• 6 Alliance Frigates
• 2 Swarm Battleships
• 4 Swarm Cruisers
• 6 Swarm Frigates
• 24 Space Swarm Flight Stands
-Rolling Dice-
Space Swarm uses standard six-sided dice (D6). When making an attack or defense roll,
you roll a number of D6 equal to the number shown on the ships stat card. Attack results
of 6 are always a success (They cannot be cancelled). Attack and defense results of 1 are
always failures (They do not need to be cancelled and cannot cancel).
Sometimes you may be able to reroll dice, when this happens roll as many dice as
indicated again and disregard their previous result. Dice can only be rerolled once.
-Range and Line of Sight-
The range ruler is used for all measurement in Space Swarm, with the notched side being
utilised for movement, and the straight side being used for measuring range. Range is
always measured from the edge of the base with the range ruler, anything farther away
than the range ruler is out of range to most ships.
There are three range bands in Space Swarm; short range, extended range and out of
range. Ships that can fire at targets within extended range may also fire at targets within
short range and unless stated on a ships card, ships cannot fire at targets that are out of
range.
Each size of ship has a different range with its attacks;
Small ships may only fire at targets within short range.
Medium and large ships may only fire at targets within short and extended range.
You are allowed to measure range any time you would be able to move or make an action
as long as you are measuring from ships you control.
Line of sight is everything within a 180º arc in front of a ship (from one corner of the base
to the corner on the opposite side). Ships can be in line of sight, but not in range. Ships
can also be in range, but not in line of sight.
Terrain is obscuring and blocks line of sight, ships however are not obscuring and do not
block line of sight for anyone.
=Setting Up=
Space Swarm is played on a 2'x2' area, with players deploying on opposite sides of the
board. Certain scenarios may change where you deploy, if you are playing a scenario, refer
to the scenario page of this rulebook to determine how to set up your game.
Sometimes you may want to increase the amount of ships you play with, depending on
the size of the fleet you play you may also want to play with a larger playing area, if you
decide to use a 3'x3' area, deploy using the deployment rules later in this rulebook. If you
play on an area 4'x4' or larger, extend your deployment zone to extended range.
Ships in Space Swarm cost points, when building a fleet, decide with your opponent how
many points each fleet will be. Once you have both decided on a figure, you may add
ships to your fleet, using the points value of each ship, up to the amount you and your
opponent have decided.
Before the game begins, each player may place 0-2 scenery objects onto the table, no
closer than short range. These objects can be no larger than 3" across. Scenery blocks line
of sight and follows collision rules for ships.
Each player rolls a D6, the player with the highest result gets to decide who sets up first.
=Deployment=
The player setting up first decides which edge of the table they will deploy their ships on.
Ships are deployed anywhere within short range of the players edge of the table (the
deployment zone), facing any direction. The second player repeats this, deploying in their
deployment zone (the opposite side to yours).
Once all ships are deployed, the player that set up first activates the first ship.
Using the core game set you should deploy all of the ships available to your faction,
alternatively you can follow along with the scenarios at later in this rulebook. These
scenarios provide additional ways to play Space Swarm and alternate paths to victory.
Example of the Deployment Zone for a 2' x 2' Board
-Redeployment-
The Swarm ships in the core game set have the ability to redeploy under certain
circumstances. Redeployment happens at the end of the round, once all other ships have
been activated.
Ships redeploying must do so within their deployment zone, facing in any direction.
=Rounds=
A round is the activation of all ships that are able to be activated. The first round begins
once all ships have been deployed. Subsequent rounds begin when all ships on the table
have an activation marker. At the start of each round remove all activation markers from
all ships, then each Player rolls a D6, the player with the highest result activates the first
ship in the new round.
Round Phases:
• Remove Activation Markers
• Beginning of Activation Effects
• Ship Activations
• End of Round Effects
• Redeployment
=Activation=
Ships are activated one at a time, and follow set activation phases that must be performed
in this order:
• Primary Movement
• Turning
• Actions
• Secondary Movement
Once a ship has completed its Secondary Movement Phase, place an activation marker on
it, the next player then activates one of their ships.
Players cannot activate a ship that has an activation marker on it. If an effect would
remove an activation marker from a ship, it may activate again as normal this round as
long as it has no activation markers, but receives activation markers equal to the amount
of times it has activated this round, instead of one.
Once all ships have been activated the round is over. Players then roll a D6, the player
with the highest result activates the first ship in a new round.
=Moving=
Ships move using the notched edge on the range ruler. Ships have two movement values
printed on their card, the first one is the primary movement value, which is used for the
Primary Movement Phase, and the other is the secondary movement value, used for the
Secondary Movement Phase and shunt moves.
To move a ship, place the notched side of the range ruler up to the side of the ships base,
with the corner of the base in the first notch. You may then move it forward a number of
notches equal to or less than its movement value.
Instead of moving, you may choose to shunt a ship to the side (see shunt moves)
Ships cannot move backwards unless otherwise stated.
A Ship MUST move during its Secondary Movement Phase. This movement may be be its
full secondary movement value, or it may be a shunt move.
-Shunt Moves-
A shunt move is a movement action that moves a ship to the side, up to its secondary
movement value. To perform a shunt, simply place the range ruler behind the ship you
wish to move and move it a number of notches left or right, up to its secondary movement
value.
Shunt Move
Movement Collision
-Collisions-
When moving a ship, if it were to overlap or cross the base of another ship (yours or your
opponents) or scenery, it must stop in base contact with the object it has collided with.
Ships that have collided may not perform actions during their activation, and shunt instead
of performing their normal movement and secondary movement until they are no longer in
base contact with the ship or scenery it has collided with. It still performs its Turn Phase
as normal.
-Off the Board-
If a ship were to move off the board for any reason, that ship is removed from the board
and your opponent gains victory points as if they destroyed that ship.
=Turning=
Ships may turn either 45°, 90°, or not turn at all. You may use the turning widget
provided to turn your ships if you wish. Unless otherwise stated, ships may only turn
during the Turning Phase.
=Actions=
During the Action Phase a ship may attack, perform any of the actions available on its
card, or It may perform no actions at all.
All ships have the attack action, letting them roll their attack dice to try and damage an
opposing Ship.
If a ship performs a special action it may also perform an attack action. Special actions
can only be used one per activation.
-Attacking-
When you declare an attack it must be at a target within both
range and line of sight unless stated otherwise.
To attack, roll all of the dice indicated for attack on the attacking
ships card, these are your attack dice. Your opponent will roll all of
the indicated dice for defense on the defending ships card, these
are their defense dice. Each result of 6 on the attack dice is an
automatic hit and cannot be cancelled. For each other result of
your Attack Dice, your opponent can cancel it with a single defense
dice result higher than the attack dice. Each defense dice can only
cancel one attack dice.
When your opponent cannot cancel any more of your dice, any
remaining un-cancelled dice are dealt as damage
If the damaged ship has an equal or greater amount of damage
than hull then that ship is destroyed and removed from the table.
Example:
The swarm player attacks with their battleship, they have
measured distance and checked line of sight, declaring an attack
on an opposing frigate. To attack, they roll 3 attack dice, resulting
An Alliance Ship in a 1, a 4, and a 6. The defending alliance player rolls the 3
attacks a Swarm defense dice for the frigate, landing on a 3, a 5, and a 6. The
Frigate, the bottom swarm attack dice roll of 6 is an automatic success and cannot be
Frigate is in range, cancelled, the roll of 1 is cancelled automatically for free. The
the top Frigate is out alliance player needs a 5 or higher to cancel out the remaining
of range attack dice of 4, which they are able to do, with either their 5 or 6.
After dice have been cancelled, one attack dice remains, dealing a
single point of damage to the frigate, destroying it.
-Defending-
When one of your ships is the target of an attack, once your opponent has rolled their
attack dice you are able to roll your defense dice, as indicated on the defending ships
card.
For each dice you roll you may cancel one attack dice with a lower result than the defense
dice. Each of your defense dice can only cancel a single attack dice.
Dice rolls of a 1 are always a failure and cannot cancel dice.
-Special Actions-
Some ships may have special actions you may perform during that ships activation, to
perform the action follow the instructions on the ships card. Unless otherwise stated you
may perform a special action as well as attack in the same activation.
=End of Activation=
Once a ship has finished its Secondary Movement Phase, and resolved any effects that
happen at the end of an activation, that ship has finished its activation and gains an
activation marker. Activation then passes to the opponent, who may then activate one of
their ships that does not have an activation marker. If your opponent has no more ships
left to activate you may continue to activate your own ships until all of them have
activation markers.
=Tokens=
Sometimes an ability will require you to place a token on the board. Tokens do not start
the game in play and should not be deployed at that point. When a token is needed,
follow the instructions on the card that requires them to determine where they deploy.
Tokens have a movement value of 4 → 1 and may turn in any direction during the Turn
Phase. Tokens have an attack, defense and hull value of 1, have no special rules, and no
points value.
AMBUSHED!
Board area: 2'x2'
Restrictions:
Defending Player has 2 Cruisers.
Attacking Player has 1 Cruiser and 4 Frigates.
Setup:
Each Player must place scenery as normal using the maximum amount, however scenery
may not be placed in the defenders deployment zone.
The defending player deploys their ships completely in the center deployment zone
(shown below).
The attacking player deploys their ships completely within the edge deployment zone
(shown below).
Special Rules:
Defending player sets up first.
The attacking player always activates the first ship each round.
Victory Conditions:
Attackers: Destroy all opposing ships before they leave the table.
Defenders: Get at least one Cruiser to leave the table.
Retalliation
Board area: 2'x2'
Restrictions:
The defender must have a faction scenery piece.
For larger games and tables, use a second faction scenery piece.
The game ends after 3 rounds.
Setup:
Each player sets up as normal, the defender places their faction scenery piece as the
objective in the center of the table.
Special Rules:
The objective is treated as an immobile ship for this mission.
Victory Conditions:
Attackers: Destroy the objective.
Defenders: At the end of the 3rd round, the objective must remain on the table.
Alliance Frigate
Alliance Cruiser
Alliance Battleship
Swarm Frigate Swarm Cruiser
Swarm Battleship
