Robot Battle Arena

Robot Battle Arena
Designed by Robert Dudley
Robot battles. In an arena. OF DEATH.
:Players	Players:	2 - 5
:Time	Length:	Fast
:Complexity	Complexity:	Medium
Trios per color:		1
Number of colors:		5
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes:
Five-color sets:		1
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
Two Six-sided dice
Setup time:		1 minute
Playing time:		2 minutes - 15 minutes
Strategy depth:		Low
Random chance:		High
Game mechanics:		Direct conflict, Stacking
Theme:		Robots
BGG Link:
Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2011

Background

In the distant future, all wars are fought by small teams of robots battling in sprawling arenas. Need land? Need oil? Need air? Send in the bots!

Each player controls a team of three robots battling it out in the arena. Victory goes to the last team left standing.

Starting the Game

Roll 1d6 to determine the arena in which you will fight.

• 1: The Disc
• 2: Megabot Stadium
• 3: Smokey Field
• 4: King Zilla Arena
• 5: The Hill
• 6: Fireball Jones Memorial Arena

Each player starts the game with one trio of pyramids of a unique color. These are the robots. Place all robots on the board so that none are touching. Robots may not start in a special area if the arena you are using has one.

Choose a player to go first. Starting with the first player, each player may take one free action, then make either one attack or use one special ability each turn.

Any attack made against a player who has not had his or her first turn yet suffers a -2 attack penalty.

The Arenas

The Disc: A large disc radiating energy slowly revolves in the center of the arena. Any robot standing on the disc gains +1 to each of its stats. At the end of your turn, roll 1D6 for each of your robots that is standing on the disc. On a roll of 6, that robot has absorbed too much energy and is vaporized. Remove it and any robots stacked beneath it from the game.

Megabot Stadium: In addition to the standard free actions, you may also use Transform.

• Transform: Join any number of your robots together to form a stack. The stack is formed where one of the robots is standing. Stack bonuses are given as usual. You may not exceed the stack height limit using this ability.

Smokey Field: Due to criminally poor ventilation, a thick haze of smoke covers this arena from the multitudes of burning robots. All ranged attacks made in Smokey Field suffer a -2 penalty to attack.

King Zilla Arena: Ignore the stack height limit. Robot stacks can grow to any size. When a stacked robot dies, do not remove it from the game. Knock over every robot in the stack instead.

The Hill: There is a large hill in the middle of this arena. Each team can only move one robot onto the hill each turn by any means. If all three robots on one player's team are standing on the hill at the beginning of that player's turn, that team wins the game.

Robots standing on the hill suffer a -1 penalty to defense against ranged attacks and gain a +1 attack bonus when making ranged attacks.

Fireball Jones Memorial Stadium: Whenever a robot takes sufficient damage to be destroyed, it explodes. Remove that robot from the game and roll 1D6 for any robot in melee with it. On a 4-6, that robot also explodes. Robots may have to make multiple rolls due to chained explosions.

Stats

• Attack: Roll 2D6 to attack. If the total is equal to or greater than the target's defense, the attack is successful. Double sixes always hit and double ones always miss.
• Defense: The defense of all bots is 7.
• Damage: All attacks deal 1D6 damage.
• Armor: The armor of all bots is 4.

Some abilities allow robots to stack with destroyed robots. A robot gets +1 to each of its stats for each destroyed robot stacked beneath it. A stack may never be more than three high.

If an ability gives you a bonus, add that to the number you roll for attacks and damage or to your base number for defense and armor. If an ability gives you a penalty, subtract that number instead. The effects of multiple modifiers stack.

Example: Your Aimbot is making a ranged Head Shot attack (-2 attack) in Smokey Field (-2 attack) against a Punchbot who is in a stack two high (+1 defense). You roll an 11 on 2D6 which is reduced to a 7. The Punchbot's defense is raised to an 8, so you are one short of success.

Combat

There are two types of combat, melee and ranged. All melee attacks are made in close combat. All ranged attacks are made at a distance.

Robots may not make ranged attacks while in melee with a standing robot. You may not target a robot with a ranged attack if the robot is in melee with a standing robot.

To move a robot into melee, place it into contact with any other robot or destroyed robot. To remove a robot from melee, place it so that it is not touching another robot or destroyed robot.

Robots are considered to be in melee together when they are touching any robot or destroyed robot in that melee.

Example: A Punchbot is touching a destroyed Aimbot which is touching a Psibot. Even though the Punchbot and Psibot are not touching, they are in melee together.

Destroying Robots

If a robot receives damage greater than its armor it is destroyed. Other effects can instantly destroy one or more robots.

Knock robots over where they stand when they are destroyed. If the robot is in melee (or is hurled into melee) when destroyed, the destroyed robot stays in the melee.

If a stacked robot would be destroyed, instead remove the stack from the game.

Free Actions

A robot given a Move or Machine Meld action may not use a special ability on the same turn.

• Machine Meld: As part of this action, you may move one of your robots into melee with a destroyed robot. Roll 1D6. If you roll 4-6, add one destroyed robot in melee with one of your robots to the bottom of its stack.

• Megamorph: Two of your robots may switch places.

• Move: Move one of your robots from any location to another location.

The Robots

Attacks all robots can make:

• Punch: Basic melee attack.
• Zap: Basic ranged attack.

Punchbot (large)

Punchbot's melee attacks deal +1 damage.

• Special - Crush: Make a melee attack on an enemy robot at +1 to attack and damage.

• Special - Charge: Move Punchbot into melee with an enemy robot. You may punch one enemy robot after moving.

• Special - Throw: Make a melee attack on an enemy robot at -2 to attack. If successful, make a ranged attack at another enemy robot. If the ranged attack succeeds, destroy both robots. If the ranged attack misses, only destroy the thrown robot. (Note: You may throw a robot even though you are in melee, but you must follow all other rules for ranged attacks.)

Aimbot (medium)

• Special - Precision Targeting: Make a ranged attack on an enemy robot at +1 to attack.

• Special - Ricochet: Make a ranged attack targeting an enemy robot. If you hit, make a ranged attack on a second enemy robot. If you hit again, make a ranged attack on a third enemy robot. Roll for damage on every enemy robot hit.

• Special - Head Shot: Make a ranged attack on an enemy robot at -2 to attack. If you succeed, the target is automatically destroyed.

Psibot (small)

• Special - Brain Bucket: Move one of your robots from any location to another location. The moved robot may make one free punch or zap attack after moving.

• Special - Mega Meld: Choose up to two destroyed robots and move them into melee with you. Then roll 1D6 for each of up to two destroyed robots in melee with you. On a 4-6, add the destroyed robot to the bottom of your stack.