Bitskrieg

- Designed by Scott Muldoon and Miles Muldoon -

1.0 Introduction 1 6.0 Firing 2
2.0 Components 1 7.0 Flipping Finished Tanks 4
3.0 Set-up 1 8.0 Rebuilds 4
4.0 Taking Your Turn 2 9.0 Victory 4
5.0 Moving 2 10.0 Optional & Advanced Rules 4
Scott & Miles Muldoon
1. INTRODUCTION
Bitskrieg is a very simple tactical tank combat game for
two players. After generating a random battlefield, each
player will assemble a team of five Tanks and deploy two
Flags. A player wins the game by Capturing both of her
opponent's Flags, or by Destroying all five enemy Tanks.
2. COMPONENTS
Bitskrieg is played with a board, some counters, two six-
sided dice, and these rules.
The board is an 8 x 8 grid, much like a checkerboard.
Some of the squares on the board have small dice
symbols, which are used in placing Obstacles.
Each player has twelve Tank counters, equally divided
among four types.
Light Tanks (LT) are the fastest, but have weak armor.
Medium Tanks (MT) are good all-around, middle-of-
the-road Tanks with no real weaknesses or advantages.
Heavy Tanks (HT) are slow, but well-armed and well-
armored.
Tank Destroyers (TD) have a powerful gun, but lack
turrets and have weak armor.
Each Tank has three ratings:
Its Speed Rating indicates the number of squares it can
enter in a given turn.
Its Fire Rating depicts the number of dice (one or two)
that it rolls when attempting to Destroy an enemy Tank.
Its Armor Rating indicates the number the enemy must
roll higher than to Destroy it.
The blue tank is facing left. The red tank is facing right.
A line indicates which direction the Tank is Facing, which
has important effects on Movement and Combat.
The front, full-color side of each Tank piece shows the
Tank on its ready side.
The reverse side of each Tank piece shows the Tank on
its Finished side. This is indicated by a black-and-white
(rather than full color) Tank icon. The Speed and Fire
Ratings are missing from the Finished side, as a reminder
that a Finished Tank cannot move or attack.
BITSKRIEG 1
Each Player also has two Flag pieces, which the enemy
attempts to capture, and a Rebuild piece, which is
utilized to replace Destroyed Tanks up to two times
during the course of a match.
Finally, there are six double-sided Obstacle pieces
depicting three different types of Terrain. These Terrain
types only have a specific effect when playing with the
Advanced Terrain Rules. If this is your first game, or if
you just want to keep it simple, treat all Obstacle pieces
as generic Obstacles which block range counting and
prohibit Movement.
3. SET-UP
Setting up the game involves the following Steps,
performed in the following order.
Step 1: Create a Battlefield
Each of the six Obstacles are placed on the board one
at a time. For each Obstacle, have one Player roll two
dice one after the other. Then, find the square on the
board that corresponds to that die roll. The first die
rolled corresponds to the first die on the square, and the
second die rolled to the second die.
For example, if you roll a and then a , you would
place the Obstacle in the space.
If a die roll for an Obstacle would cause it to be placed
on top of another Obstacle, disregard and roll again,
so that each of the six Obstacles are placed on a
different square.
Step 2: Choose Your Tanks
From the twelve Tanks available to her, each Player
secretly selects five Tanks, keeping her selection hidden
from her opponent. Wait until both Players have made
their selection before moving on to the next step.
Step 3: Deployment
One of the players will look at the board and choose
an Axis - that is, two opposite edges of the board that
will each serve as a Home Edge for one of the players.
You can have the youngest player select the Axis, or
you can have each player roll a die, with the highest-
rolling player choosing the Axis.
Scott & Miles Muldoon
After that choice is made, the other player gets to
choose which of those two edges she wants for her
Home Edge. This player is the First Player. She places
each of her five Tanks in one of the squares on that
Home Edge (squares without dice numbers). Each tank
must occupy a different square, and can Face in any
direction she chooses.
Her opponent (the Second Player) then sets up her five
Tanks in the same manner on squares in her own Home
Edge (again, the edge opposite the First Player's).
Step 4: Flags
The First Player places her two Flags on the board. Each
Flag must be placed in a different square containing dice
symbols (no edge squares). Flags cannot be placed in a
square containing an Obstacle. Further, a player's two
Flags cannot be placed in the same row or column.
After the First Player has placed her two Flags, the
Second Player places her Flags in the same manner.
Each Player takes her Rebuild piece and places it on the
"2" space of their Rebuild Track on the board. Then, the
First Player takes the first turn of the game.
4. TAKING YOUR TURN
You have four choices when you take your turn:
Move with one of your ready Tanks.
Fire with one of your ready Tanks.
Flip all of your Finished Tanks to their ready side.
Rebuild one of your Destroyed Tanks.
Once you have resolved your choice, the other player
takes her turn. Players alternate turns in this fashion until
one player has won the game by either:
Capturing both of the enemy Flags, OR
Destroying all of the enemy Tanks.
5. MOVING
Tanks on the board are always Facing an adjacent
square, as indicated by the line on the piece and the
direction in which their gun is pointing.
When a ready Tank Moves, it may move a number of
squares equal to its Speed. A Tank may only move into
the square it is Facing. Upon entering each square, a
Tank may (but does not have to!) turn ninety degrees to
the left or to the right, changing its Facing.
BITSKRIEG 2
The blue Light Tank can enter three squares. It moves one square, turns ninety
degrees, then moves two more squares, then turns ninety degrees.
A Tank may change its Facing without Moving, or may
change its Facing before it moves into its first square,
but either of these counts as one square entered (and
thus toward the number of squares it may move in a
single turn).
A Tank cannot enter a square containing an Obstacle
or an enemy Tank.
A Tank can enter a square containing a friendly Tank or
friendly Flag, but cannot remain there - it must "pass
through" and end its Move in another square.
If your Tank ends its Move in the same square as an
enemy Flag, that Flag is considered Captured while your
Tank remains in that square. If the Tank moves out of the
square or is Destroyed, then that enemy Flag is no
longer Captured. (To win the game in this manner, you
must occupy the squares containing both enemy Flags at
the start of your turn.)
After finishing its Move, flip your Tank to its Finished side,
maintaining the same Facing. A Finished Tank may never
Move.
6. FIRING
When you Fire with a ready Tank, you must choose an
eligible enemy Tank as its target. A Finished Tank may
not Fire.
Firing consists of three Steps: Range Counting, a Range
Roll, and a Damage Roll.
Design note: the Range and Damage Roll may be made
simultaneously to save time if players have color-
differentiated dice.
Step 1: Range Counting
Count squares from your Firing Tank to the enemy Tank
to determine the Range to the target. Do not count the
square the Firing Tank is in, but do count the square the
enemy Tank is in.
Scott & Miles Muldoon
Count from square to adjacent square, either orthogonally
or diagonally, in any direction, so long as the squares are
in front of your Tank, and so long as those squares are not
blocked.
Draw an imaginary line through the sides of your Tank.
Anything in front of that line is in front of your Tank. Or to
put it another way, if your Tank is facing to the right, then
all the squares to the right of the row or column your
Tank is occupying are in front of your Tank.
The green squares are in front of the Tank. The darkened squares are not.
Exception: Tank Destroyers. A Tank Destroyer may only
count squares that are in a straight line in the direction it is
Facing.
The Tank Destroyer can only count the green squares.
A square is blocked if it contains an Obstacle or another
enemy Tank (that is, besides the target). Flags and
Friendly Tanks do not block your Range Counting. Further,
you cannot count a square diagonally if there is an
Obstacle or enemy Tank on either side of the diagonal.
BITSKRIEG 3
The blue Light Tank can fire on any of these red Medium Tanks. The topmost
Tank is three squares away instead of two because the Obstacle prevents him
from counting diagonally.
You may count squares in as circuitous a route as you
like, but the higher the number of squares, the harder it
will be to hit the target. You should always imagine
your Tank firing directly at its target, though.
If your Range Count is 6 squares or more, you have no
chance to hit, and should choose a different target or
action. If your Range Count is less than 6 squares, move
on to step 2.
Step 2: Range Roll
The number of squares counted in the previous step is
the Range to the target. The Firing Tank rolls one die.
If it rolls lower than or equal to the Range, the shot
misses. Skip Step 3 and flip the Firing Tank to its
Finished side.
If it rolls higher than the Range, the shot hits - but may or
may not do damage. We'll have to go to Step 3 to find
out.
For example, if you had counted 4 squares from the Firing
Tank to its target, you will need to roll a or a to hit.
Step 3: Damage Roll
If the shot hits, the Firing Tank must check to see if it has
Destroyed the enemy Tank. The Firing Tank will roll one or
two dice depending on its Fire Rating. Compare each die
result to the enemy Tank's Armor Factor.
If all rolls are lower than or equal to the Armor, the shot
is deflected and the Tank is not Destroyed.
If any roll is higher than the Armor, the enemy Tank is
Destroyed; remove it from the board.
Scott & Miles Muldoon BITSKRIEG
For example, a Heavy Tank rolls two dice when Firing, and
is Firing on a Light Tank, which has an Armor Rating of "3".
If the Heavy Tank rolls a and a , the shot would be
deflected, as neither die roll is greater than 3.
If the Heavy Tank rolls a and a , the shot would
Destroy the Tank, because one of the dice - the - is
greater than 3.
And of course if the Heavy Tank rolls a and a , the
shot would Destroy the Tank, because at least one of the
dice - in this case both of them - is greater than 3.
Regardless of the result, the Firing Tank is flipped to its
Finished side.
7. FLIPPING FINISHED TANKS
On your turn, instead of performing an action with one
of your ready Tanks, you can Flip all of your Finished
Tanks on the board to their ready sides. Remember,
Finished Tanks cannot Move or Fire.
8. REBUILDS
Twice during the game, you can use your turn to Rebuild
one of your Tanks that was Destroyed. The Tank is placed
back on the board, in any square on your Home Edge,
Facing any direction, and on its Finished side.
When this option is used, move your Rebuild marker down
one space; when it reaches zero, you have no more
Rebuilds remaining. (If you're wondering why there are
more than two spaces on the track, see Handicapping
under the Optional Rules.)
9. VICTORY
At the start of your turn, if you have Captured both enemy
Flags, you win immediately. Remember, to Capture a Flag,
both Flag spaces must be occupied by your Tanks. It
doesn't matter if you have Captured both Flags at the end
of your turn, only if you still occupy those squares at the
start of your next turn.
If all of a player's Tanks are Destroyed, the other
player wins immediately. The player whose Tanks have
all been Destroyed does not get an opportunity to
Rebuild, even if her Rebuild marker is still in play.
Play continues until one player or the other wins. There are
no draws.
10. OPTIONAL & ADVANCED RULES
The following rules add to the complexity of the game.
You can add any, all, or none of them, in any combination,
so long as both players agree to utilize the rules in
question. We would suggest using the basic rules for your
first few games, especially with younger players.
Handicapping
A player may be given an advantage or disadvantage
by changing the number of Rebuilds allowed per match
by that player.
4
Reserves
A player may use two of her Rebuilds at once to bring
in a brand-new sixth Tank, chosen from her remaining
pieces. This Tank is deployed in a square in the player's
Home Edge, on its Finished side.
Flank Armor
When Firing at a target Tank from a square on its
Flank, subtract one from the target's Armor for that shot.
If you are not in front of a Tank (as defined in section
6), you are Firing at its Flank.
Bounding Fire
A Tank may Move and Fire in the same turn, in that order
only. The Tank's Speed is reduced by one for that Move.
After the Tank's Move is finished, it may Fire, but when
making its Range Roll, it must roll two dice, both of which
must be higher than the Range. That is, if either or both
dice miss, then the shot misses. Because it has a Speed of
"1" only, a Heavy Tank cannot use Bounding Fire.
Stun
When a Range Roll is successful, and the highest Damage
die rolled is exactly the same as the target's Armor, flip
the target to its Finished side. If the target is already on its
Finished side, there is no further effect.
Reverse Movement
When a Tank Moves, it may choose to use its whole Move
to move backwards exactly one square, regardless of its
Speed. A Tank Moving backwards may not turn at any
time before or after its Move. Tanks moving in reverse
cannot use Bounding Fire if that rule is also in use.
Ramming
You may Ram an enemy Tank by trying to Move into its
square. Once adjacent to and Facing the enemy Tank's
square, announce your intention to Ram that Tank; you do
not actually enter the enemy square, but you do need to
have sufficient Speed to potentially enter that square. Both
players roll a die for their Tanks. If the roll is greater than
their Tank's Armor Rating, the Tank is Destroyed! Ouch! If
either or both Tanks survive, they are flipped to their
Finished side. A Ramming Tank cannot use Bounding Fire if
that rule is also in use.
Destroying Obstacles
A Tank may Fire at an Obstacle in the same manner and
under the same restrictions as at an enemy Tank. If the
Range Roll is successful, the Damage Roll result must be
greater than 4 to Destroy the Obstacle. If using the Terrain
Optional Rule below, you may only Destroy Buildings and
Woods. If you fire on Water, the worst you can do is
cause a bit of a splash, which the players can simulate with
water pistols at a safe distance from the game.
Scott & Miles Muldoon BITSKRIEG
Terrain
Obstacles have properties based on the sort of Terrain
they represent.
Buildings: As with Obstacles in the base rules, they block
both Movement and Range Counting.
Woods: Tanks may enter Woods squares freely, but they
still block Range Counting. If a Woods square is occupied
by the Firing Tank or the target Tank, that particular
Woods square does not block Range Counting.
5
Water: Tanks cannot enter Water squares, but Water
squares do not block Range Counting.
When using the Terrain rules, make the following change
to Step 1 of the Set-Up Procedure. One Player will select
any of the six Obstacle pieces, choosing the side of the
piece with the Terrain she wishes to place, and then roll the
dice to determine the square in which it will be placed. Her
opponent then does the same, with the Players alternating
until both Players have placed three of the Terrain pieces.

CREDITS
DESIGN: SCOTT MULDOON & MILES MULDOON
DEVELOPMENT: SCOTT MULDOON & TOM RUSSELL
ART: WIL ALAMBRE
RULEBOOK LAYOUT: MARY HOLLAND-RUSSELL
RULEBOOK EDITING: MARY HOLLAND-RUSSELL & TRAVIS D. HILL
PROBABILITY CONSULTANTS: DONALD BYRON JOHNSON, ERIK WALTON, ROGER LEROUX,
MICHAEL RICHTER, MIKE ARMS
SPECIAL THANKS: AMY MULDOON, FOR HER ELEGANT AND CREATIVE SOLUTION TO LINE OF FIRE,
AND TO FRAN STEWART, FOR THE “BITSKRIEG”.
COPYRIGHT 2017 SCOTT & MILES MULDOON, UNDER LICENSE TO HOLLANDSPIELE
Scott & Miles Muldoon BITSKRIEG 6
Art by Wil Alambre