Ice Derby

Ice Derby
GameBrain42
Ice Derby is a tactical Destruction derby game.
:Players	Players:	2 - 4
:Time	Length:	unknown
:Complexity	Complexity:	Medium
Trios per color:		4
Number of colors:		5
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes:
Five-color sets:		4
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
none.
Setup time:		3–6 minutes
Playing time:
Strategy depth:		Medium
Random chance:		none.
Game mechanics:
Theme:		Destruction Derby
BGG Link:
Status: Initial design (v1.0), Year released: 2007

OverView

Most people have at some point wished that they could drive in a demolition derby. Now, you can! (sort of.). Enter the Internally Controlled,Efficient Handling, Outboard and Unusually Silent Equipment Cars. Or I.C.E.H.O.U.S.E. Cars for short. These Cars carry nasty weapons that will help you destroy your enemies!

What You Need

• At least 4 Treehouse sets. This will be enough for up to 4 players. (The rules refer to the rainbow set, but you could substitute if you have the Xeno sets.)
• A table would be good.
• At least 2 players.
• A Demolition derby Stadium complete with cars (or a 6 sided die).

Setup

• Each player should choose a color. Take three nests of that color. The first 2 nests will be your "cars". the third nest will be your movement markers.
• Gather all the remaining small pieces and place them in a pool in front of all the players. This is the "Upgrades shop".
• Taking turns, each player should take one of the small pieces from the Upgrades shop until they are gone and everyone has an equal amount of upgrades. Discard any extras. Note: It's okay to double up on the upgrade colors. A player may not choose an upgrade that matches the color of his cars.

Who Goes First?

There are two ways to determine who goes first:

• Everybody gets in their cars and carries out a real demolition derby. The driver in the last car capable of movement wins and can choose who moves first.
• Or, everybody roll a die. Whoever gets the highest number chooses who moves first.

GamePlay

• Upgrading: Before moving, a player may "upgrade" one or both of his/her cars with the small pieces that he/she got during the setup phase from the Upgrade shop. A player just puts the small piece into the back of the car's nest to show which upgrade that car is using. Note: The Car's basic color also indicates the upgrade that has been built into the car already. If you wish to use the car's basic upgrade, no other upgrades may be placed in the car. (a Car can only use one upgrade at a time..)
• Movement: A player may, on his/her turn, move none, one, or both of his/her cars in play. The cars move in Steps, or increments of thier own body length. Each step is made as follows: (Props to Dan Isaac, designer of Armada for the following movement mechanics and illustration..)
• Take one of the spare movement markers that is the same size as the Car that you plan to move.
• Place that piece such that the center of the new pieces bumper (base of the pyramid) touches the front (point) of the Car to be moved.
• Orient the new car in the direction that you wish it to move and place it down.
• Then remove the original car from the old position.

(See Illus. 1 below where the blue piece indicates the original car, and the gray area shows the possible positions for the car after one step.)

Continue this process until you have either gone as far as you wish, or until you have traveled the maximum distance of 4.

Illus. 1 Car movement single step examples
(Blue pieces indicate the initial car's position. Gray area indicates the possible positions for the car after one step.)

You must travel in steps equal to the current length of the car. No partial-size moves are allowed, only moves that are a number of full steps less then or equal to the maximum. (e.g. A car can move the length of one, two, three, or four of it's size, but no portions of that size. — No two and a half size moves.)

• Ramming: A ram happens Whenever the tip of a car contacts another car during it's movement. Generally speaking, this damages the rammed car. (Refer to Upgrades for details.)

• Damage: If a car is rammed, it sustains damage. To Reflect this damage, remove the largest pyramid from the damaged car's nest. The newly damaged car is now smaller and will not be able to move as fast because of the shorter body length.

UpGrades

Following are a list of UpGrades that the cars can be equipped with at the beginning of each turn. All of the UpGrades will do damage during a ram and also have a secondary ability. Refer to each upgrade for these secondary abilities...

• Black (Armor): The Armor upgrade makes it so that a car equipped with it cannot be damaged by a ram when the ramming car did not move at least one full space before contact.
• Red (Blast Panels): Blast panels create a short ranged explosion around the car that can damage other nearby vehicles. If there are any cars within a medium piece's range, they are also damaged by the ramming vehicle. A successful ram must take place for this ability to work.
• Blue (EMP): The EMP Upgrade disables the victim car's upgrade causing it to be useless for the rest of the turn. Remove the upgrade from the target car to reflect this disabling effect. It the victimized car is using it's basic upgrade, then stand the car up on it's base until it's next move to reflect the disabling effect.
• Green (Repair systems): If the car with this upgrade has not yet moved, it may instead repair any damage it may have taken in the previous round by one size.
• Yellow (Nitro): Upon a successfull ramming attack, a car equipped with Nitro may move an extra two spaces.

Winning

The player with the last car remaining wins and all the losers must give the winner their keys (Optional).