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This is not a game about American politics. It does not take sides
TABLE OF CONTENTS in any argument. The game’s only goal is to provide mechanics
wherein a Rebel faction may fight against a Federal faction in
21st century America. Following standard wargaming practice,
the government is blue and the rebels are red. No connection
1.0 Overview 2 to current political colors is intended. However, the game does
provide two scenarios. One involves a revolution of rural areas
2.0 How to Win 2 against urban areas; the other involves the cities rebelling against
3.0 Components 2 the countryside. Players may make of this what they will.
4.0 Sequence of Play 3 It is hoped that players will enjoy these scenarios but also, along
5.0 Event Cards 3 the way, come to understand how very, very bad a real civil war
6.0 Story Cards 4 would be.

7.0 Map Board 4

8.0 Pieces 6 2.0 HOW TO WIN
9.0 The News 7
10.0 Operations 7
The board consists of city, suburban, and rural spaces that can
11.0 Credits 11 be taken by either side. A space is in one of four states: Order
12.0 Scenarios 22 / Anger / Defiance / Revolt. Each space in the game has a
population value. Federals score Victory Points equal to the total
population in Order spaces, plus the number of Federal Bases.
Rebel VPs are total Revolt population, plus Rebel Bases.
1.0 OVERVIEW
Domination victory: The game ends at the end of a round if
either player is at or above 35 VPs. The player with most VPs
April 2040. The President, now in her third term, announces wins. If tied, the player with the Social Media edge wins. If the
a major government effort to crack down on “trouble in the winner’s score is 10 or more points greater than the loser’s score, it
countryside.” The newly formed Federal Security Agency sends a is a Decisive Victory that ushers in an era of peace.
convoy of agents into the Kentucky backcountry to seize a cache of
stockpiled assault rifles. But when the convoy approaches Lexington, Endurance victory: The game ends if there are not enough cards
it encounters a roadblock. Pickup trucks filled with armed civilians to deal a new hand. The player with the most VPs wins.
sit astride the roadway. Determined to push through, the agent in Military victory: If either player has no pieces on the board, the
command orders his convoy to stop and deploy. Agents take cover opponent wins instantly.
behind the SUVs. Angry shouts are exchanged. Tension rises. Then
someone – nobody knows who – fires a shot. Both sides open up.
People fall. The Second American Civil War has begun.
3.0 GAME COMPONENTS
April 2040. The President, now in his third term, announces a
major government effort to crack down on “trouble in the cities.”
Protests erupt and crowds form in cities all across the country. In
New York, a particularly enraged crowd threatens Wall Street. The Components of the game include:
newly formed Federal Security Agency goes in, setting up blockades • Map board
to protect the Stock Exchange. Rocks and bottles fly. A Molotov
cocktail destroys an FSA vehicle. Then shots ring out. People on both • News Cycle Display card
sides fall. The crowd erupts in righteous fury. It surges forward. As • Player Aid Cards (2)
the barriers begin to break, the agents race to their SUVs, barely
• Event cards (92)
escaping with their lives. Within an hour, much of the financial
district is in flames. The Second American Civil War has begun. • Story cards (20)
• Federal pieces
2040: An American Insurgency simulates a civil war in the United
States in the mid-21st century. The game uses mechanics that o 30 Agents. This is a hard limit. The Federal side cannot
will be familiar to players of COIN-style games. However, it adds have more than 30 agents on the map at one time.
new mechanics to deal with the internet and social media. Driven o 9 Bases. This is also a hard limit.
by these new communications technologies, the conflict provides
interesting challenges and opportunities for both sides.

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• Rebel pieces
o 30 Militia. This is a hard limit. The Rebels cannot have 5.0 EVENT CARDS
more than 30 militia on the field at one time. The * side indicates
an Active militia group. The non-* side indicates a sleeper cell.
Militia are always in sleeper mode when first placed on the map.
o 9 Bases. This is also a hard limit. 2040 is a card-driven game. During the Action Phase, you play
two cards from your hand, one after the other.
• Markers and counters
• 6-sided die and 20-sided die
Name

Event
4.0 SEQUENCE OF PLAY Text
Color: Red
Federals
(Rebel Card)
Card Symbol
The game is played in rounds, where each player has a hand of Operations
cards to play. The round has two phases, an Action Phase for Points
card play and an Administration Phase for cleaning up. After the (OPS) Card
Administration Phase, the next round begins. An Event Card Momentum Number
Effect
1. Action Phase

First the Rebel plays two cards from his hand. Then the Federal Each card has two possible uses: Operations or Event. When you
plays two cards from his hand. Continue back and forth until all play a card, choose one or the other.
cards are played.
1. Operations. The number in the bottom center gives the
2. Administration Phase number of operations points, also known as “Ops,” that can
be used for various standard operations, such as raising
• Check for game end and victory troops, fundraising, etc. Operations are explained below (10.0
o Domination: One side has 35 or more VPs Operations).
o Endurance: Not enough cards to deal a new hand 2. Events. The card also depicts an event. If you choose the event,
• Give new funding to both sides. you simply implement the effects as described on the card. The
o Federals receive $2 for each base Golden Rule applies: Event effects take precedence over anything
that is written in these rules. If the Event says X and the written
o Rebels receive $1 for each base rules say Y, implement X.
• In each space, remove 1 militia for every 3 (desertion) 5.1. FRIENDLY, ENEMY, AND NEUTRAL EVENTS
• Set all militias to sleeper status (stars down) Each event is either friendly, enemy, or neutral. Friendly events
• Set Reserves to 0 help you; enemy events help your enemy. Neutral events can help
either player.
• Cycle the News (see 9.1)
• Deal new hands. The number of cards received by each player Blue cards, marked with a star in the bottom right corner, are
depends on their current level of resources (see 7.3.2). friendly to the Federals and enemy to the Rebels. Red cards,
marked with crossed assault rifles in the bottom right corner, are
• $21 - $30: 9 cards friendly to the Rebels and enemy to the Federals. Gray cards,
• $11 - $20: 8 cards with no markings in the bottom right corner, are neutral.
• $0 - $10: 7 cards When you play a friendly or neutral card, you may choose to do
the Ops or the Event.

When you play an enemy card, however, you must take the Ops,
and your opponent gets the Event. You may decide whether the
Ops or the Event goes first.

A key element of game strategy involves deciding when to play

enemy cards.

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5.2. MOMENTUM 6.1. NEWS CYCLE DISPLAY CARD
An event indicated as “MOMENTUM” persists until a time
specified in the event or, if none, the end of the game.

5.3. SCENARIO-SPECIFIC CARDS

Some cards are marked with the scenario, either #patriot or
#resistance. Cards marked with a scenario are only used in the
scenario indicated. They are not used in the other.

5.4. DISCARDS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Generally, players must play every card in their hand. There are no
discards, unless called for by a card event. However, the first time
in each round that you use a card for the Social Media action
(10.4.2 Social Media), you may ignore any enemy event.

In the internet age, social media campaigns can be used to ‘spin’ bad The News Cycle Display Card
events, blunting their effects.
This card has spaces for cards from the Story deck. The stories in
the top area are called “the pool;” they represent news stories that
are coming up but have not been noticed yet. The “Active Stories”
area contains three stories arranged by age. The newest story is in
6.0 Story Cards Slot 1, the oldest in slot 3.

The timing of news stories, their virality, and their persistence in

national attention, all effect the ability of rebel leaders to execute
operations like fundraising and recruitment. See 10.1 Internet
Operations
Virality Rebellion
Factor (VF) Factor (RF)
7.0 MAP BOARD
Flavor Text
(No game effect)
7.1. SPACES
Card Number Story Card The main part of the map consists of 9 regions, representing
rural areas; 11 cities, representing urban areas; and 11 suburbs,
Story cards represent news stories that can make the rebellion representing the built-up areas that typically surround American
more or less popular across the nation as a whole. A Story cities. Interstate highways on the map are only used for
card has two factors: The Virality Factor (VF) on the left and movement. They are not spaces.
the Rebellion Factor (RF) on the right. The Rebellion Factor Cities and suburbs are different spaces, reflecting the fact that in
contributes to rebellion power on the Rebellion Power Track. America, cities and suburbs generally have a very different social,
The Virality Factor affects how rapidly the story comes to public economic, and political character.
notice. Stories with high VF are more likely to jump from the
pool of unknown stories to mainstream attention, as explained
below (9.1 Cycling the News).
The Rebellion Factor is how much the story adds to the Rebellion
Power Track. If the number is high, it is better for the rebels (see
10.1 Internet Operations). If it is low, things are better for the
federals. Note that high numbers (3,4) are red, low numbers (0,1)
are blue, and 2 - the median number - is white.

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Illustration of Cities, Suburbs, and Regions • Revolt. A dark red marker indicates a Revolt space. The
people here are in open, armed rebellion against the government.
These are considered red spaces and their population counts
Region Space toward the Rebel’s VP total. The control factor of a Revolt space
Suburb Space
is 3.
City Population Suburb 7.1.2. Testing spaces
Population
If a space is unmarked, it will be tested the first time any operation
City Space Interstate or event targets the space for any reason. To test a space, roll the
6-sided die.
City Status Suburb Status Test for Unmarked Spaces:

In these rules, city and suburban spaces are identified by the name D6 Result
of their metropolitan area: “New York city” identifies the city
1-3 Anger (CF 1)
space of New York (in yellow), “New York suburb” identifies the
outlying suburban space (in gray). 4-6 Defiance (CF 2)
In all cases, the suburb space completely surrounds the
corresponding city space. It is not possible to move from a region 7.1.3. Canada and Mexico
to a city or vice versa without passing through the suburb.
7.1.1. Features of spaces These are considered 0-population regions. Movement between
Canada or Mexico and the US is prohibited unless allowed by a
Population. Each space has a Population number in a circle. A card effect. Stacking rules apply to both countries.
space’s population indicates its Victory Point value.
Stacking. A space can hold an unlimited number of military 7.2. INTERSTATES
forces. However, a space can hold no more than two bases. This America is crisscrossed by highways known as interstates
limit does not depend on the ownership of the base. A space may Interstates affect how forces move. Note that interstates always
have two blue bases, two red, or one red and one blue, but no go into the suburbs of a metropolitan area, and both through and
more. around the central city.
Control. If one side has more pieces than the other, including American cities have ring highways that surround the urban core.
bases, that side is said to control the space. It is always possible to travel through an American metropolitan
Terrain. Regions (not cities and suburbs) have a defined terrain area by staying in the suburbs, without entering the city proper. At
type, such as Forest, Mountain, or Desert. Terrain can affect the same time, it is never possible to get through a US metro area
various card and operations mechanics. without encountering the suburbs. Furthermore, any movement to
Adjacent. A space is adjacent to another if they share a common and from the city center must enter the suburbs. These features have
boundary. Cities are adjacent to their corresponding suburbs strategic implications.
but not to any surrounding region. Interstates are not space
boundaries (nor are they spaces). State lines are not space 7.3. TRACKS
boundaries and have no game effect. 7.3.1. Social Media Track; Social Media Edge
Status. Each space has a square for placing a status marker.
Status affects victory conditions as well as the Control Factor (CF). The Social Media track indicates which side currently has the
The CF affects the mechanics of changing the space’s status, with Social Media edge. If the marker is in a red space, the Rebels have
higher numbers being better for the Rebels. the edge. If it is in blue, the Federals have the edge. Social Media
edge is the general tie breaker for all purposes. Social Media edge
A space can be unmarked – with no marker – or it can be in one has a major effect on the Rebel’s internet operations, as explained
of four different conditions: below.
• Order. A space with a light blue marker is in Order. This is In the 21st century, all conflict lives online. Social media strategies
a peaceful space that is obeying the laws of the government. The have outsized influence.
space is blue and also counts for Federal VPs. Its control factor is
0. In general, and as explained in more detail below (10.4.2 Social
Media), movement on the social media track is from one space to
• Anger. A space with a light blue marker is in Anger. People in another. However, there are restrictions on certain moves:
this space are frustrated with the government but are not resisting
its laws. Anger spaces count as blue spaces but do not count for • Movement from space A to F is prohibited
Federal VPs. The control factor is 1.
• Movement from space D to C is prohibited
• Defiance. A space with a light red marker is in Defiance. This
space’s population resists the government in many ways, without
openly rebelling. Defiance spaces are considered red spaces but do
not count toward VPs. The control factor is 2.

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Illustration: Prohibited Moves on the Social Media Track • The rebellion is weakest when the marker is far to the right.
Example: If the marker is in space 3, the RPF is 1, which is bad
for the Rebels. If the marker is in space 10, the RPF is 4, which is
In red spaces,
good for the Rebels.
the Rebel has Allowed
the Social 7.4. Other Board Elements
Media edge
7.4.1. Random City, Suburb, or Region
Prohibited Several mechanics require the rebel player to choose cities,
In blue spaces, suburbs, or regions and then select a random space of that type.
the Federal Two tables for making this selection are printed on the map. Each
has the Social table lists which city/suburb or region is selected for a given roll
Media edge on the 20-sided die.

7.4.2. HQ Boxes
These mechanics make social media problems “sticky” and hard These represent each side’s information technology capabilities.
to reverse. In the internet age, a media advantage can vanish They can be hacked (receiving a “Hacked” marker), and they can
overnight but take weeks to restore. be protected from hacking (receiving a “Shield” marker). Hacking
affects Rebellion Power (10.4.3 Hack).
7.3.2. Funding and Score Track
7.4.3. Reserves
Use the markers for “Order Pop + Bases” and “Rebel Pop + Bases” Each side can place up to 2 operations points in reserve (“Swiss
to keep track of VPs. Use the “Resources” markers, blue and red, bank accounts”). Keep track of the current reserve amounts using
to keep track of resources. “Reserves” tracks on the map.
This track also indicates how many new cards a player gets at the
end of a round:
8.0 Game Pieces
• Resources 10 or below: 7 cards
• Resources from 11 to 20: 8 cards
8.1. MOBILE UNITS
• Resources 21 and above: 9 cards
Each side has military units. The Federals have blue markers
7.3.3. Rebellion Power Track called “Agents.” The Rebels have red markers called “Militia.”
The Rebellion Power Track has 11 spaces. The marker “Rebellion Rebel markers have a star on one side. When the star is face
Power” indicates the current strength of the rebellion, counting down, the militia is hidden in sleeper mode. When the star is face
from the RIGHT. The position on the track is determined by the up, the militia is revealed in active mode. Active militia are easier
current New Cycle (9.0). for the Federals to eliminate. (see Hunt, 10.3.4).
Illustration: Counting Spaces on the Rebellion Power Track The pieces that come with the game are a hard limit on the
number that can be in play. However, players may remove pieces
Highest possible position for Rebel: Start counting here from the board at any time on their turn. A player who is placing
11 spaces from the right a unit, but has no markers available, can instead use a marker that
is already on the map.

The term “militia” reflects the historical American reliance on

citizen-soldiers, represented in the Revolutionary War by farmers
with muskets. The “agents” represent a hypothetical future
government entity, the Federal Security Agency. No such agency
Lowest possible position for the actually exists. We assume that the government creates a new
Rebellion Power Factor Rebels: 1 space from the right agency for the specific task of counter-insurgency.
(RPF)
8.2. BASES
• The position of the marker on the track determines the
Rebellion Power Factor that is used during the Rebel’s Internet Each side has bases, represented by red and blue “Base” markers.
Operations (10.1) Once placed, bases cannot be moved. Base count for VPs and
they also contribute resources at the end of every round ( see 4.0
• The rebellion is strongest when the marker is far to the left
sequence of play).

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There can be no more than 2 total bases in a space, counting both 9.2 NEWS AND REBELLION POWER
Federals and Rebels. The stories in Slots 1-3, the “active news,” determine the status of
The number of base markers is a hard limit on the number of the Rebellion Power track.
bases each side may have in play. As with units, players can Illustration: Active Stories and the Rebellion Power Track
remove a base at any time and use the marker to place a new base
in another location. Procedure: Add the Rebellion Factor of the stories in Slots 1-3.
Starting from the RIGHT, move the Rebellion Power marker
that number of spaces to the left. The resulting space indicates the
9.0 The News Rebellion Power Factor (RPF), which plays a central role in rebel
internet operations, as explained in Section 10.1.
Whenever the stories in slots 1-3 change, update the Rebellion
In 2040, the effects of media are expressed by the Story cards Power Track immediately.
on the News Cycle display. The display has three slots for Active Active Stories: Sum of
News. Each slot is numbered. Slot 1 is the newest story, the one Rebellion Factors = 7
that has come to public attention most recently. Slot 3 is the
oldest story; it has been around awhile and will soon be forgotten.

9.1. CYCLING THE NEWS

Various operations and card mechanics call for “cycling the news.”
Use the following procedure:
Marker: 7 spaces
Discard the Story card in Slot 3. Move the Story Card in Slot 2 from the right
to Slot 3, and Slot 1 to Slot 2.
Slot 1 is now open. Review the cards in the Pool space and select
the card with the highest Virality Factor. Place this card in Slot 1.
If two or more cards have the same VF, the player with the Social
Media Edge (7.3.1) decides which card goes forward.

Finally, draw or discard Story cards until the Story Pool contains
Resulting Rebellion
exactly three stories. If cards are removed, the player with Social
Power Factor (RPF): 2
Media Edge decides which pool stories are discarded.

9.3. OTHER EFFECTS ON THE REBELLION POWER

TRACK
Certain card and operations mechanics, such as Hacking and
the Leader card, can also shift the Rebellion Power Track. These
effects should be indicated by placing markers near the track. The
D
status of the Rebellion Power Track should always be discoverable
as the sum of Rebellion Factors on active news stories, plus the
C marked effects of operations and cards.

B 10.0 Operations

A When an Event card is played for its Operations Point value

(Ops), the player chooses one of the operations described below.
The operations are also summarized on the Player Aid cards.

10.1. INTERNET OPERATIONS (NET OPS)

Cycling the News: Several Rebel operations rely on internet operations, or “Net
Steps A - D Illustration: Cycling the News Ops.” When a mechanic says, “use Net Ops,” refer to these rules.
A. Discard story in Slot 3 1. Determine the number of map spaces affected by the Net Ops:
B. Move stories in slots 1 and 2 to slots 2 and 3 Add the Ops value of the card to the current Rebellion Power
C. Select Pool story with highest Virality Factor and move to Factor (RPF). This is the Total Operations. The Rebel will affect
Slot 1. this many spaces on the map.
D. Draw new cards until Story Pool has 3 stories. Or, discard
them down to 3.

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2. Choose the space TYPE: The Rebel player chooses cities, 10.2. REBEL OPERATIONS
suburbs, or regions. If the Rebel chooses regions, for example, When the Rebel plays a card for its Ops value, he may choose
all the spaces affected in this Net Op will be regions. The Rebel any one of the following operations to conduct. He may select
cannot mix different space types in the same Net Op. only one operation per card; he cannot split the card’s Ops across
3. Roll to select specific spaces. The Rebel now rolls on the different operations.
corresponding table on the board: cities, suburbs, or regions. Note The Rebel may also choose one of the General Operations,
that cities and suburbs share the same table; the die roll selects which are available to both sides (10.4 General Operations). All
a metropolitan area and the selected space is that area’s city or operations are summarized on the Player Aid Card.
suburb accordingly. The Rebel makes a number of rolls equal to
the Total Operations, selecting a space of the same type each 10.2.1. Fundraise
time. Note that spaces can be selected multiple times. Purpose: Increase resources.
4. Apply the effect. In each space selected, there will be an effect, Procedure: Use the Net Ops procedure to select spaces. In red
as described in the specific operation. If a space has been selected spaces (CF 2 or 3), gain $2 per population. Nothing is gained
multiple times, apply the effect once for each time the space was from blue spaces.
selected.
Adjust the resource marker on the Score / Resource track
10.1.1. Social Media and Net Ops accordingly. Total resources may not exceed $30.
If the Rebel has the social media edge (the marker is in a red 10.2.2. Recruit
space), he may choose 1 space instead of rolling for it.
Purpose: To put more militia and bases on the map.
The chosen space must be of the same type (cities, suburbs,
regions) as the rolled spaces. Procedure: Use the Net Ops procedure to select spaces. Pay $1
for each space rolled or chosen. Each selection must be paid for,
The Net Ops procedure, thus, selects a number of spaces, all of even if a space is selected multiple times.
the same type. A space can be selected multiple times. Some of
the spaces are rolled and others chosen. All the selected spaces In each selected space, check the status. If it is not an Order space
are affected by the mechanics of the operation in question (CF 0), place 1 militia. If it is an Order space, do nothing. New
(fundraising, recruiting, etc.). militia are only placed in non-Order spaces (CF 1, 2, or 3).
Order spaces must be paid for, even though no militia is placed.
Example: Rebel Felix wants to Recruit, which requires the Net
Ops procedure. He has the Social Media Edge. He has a 2 Ops card If there are friendly bases in a valid (non-Order) selected space,
and the current Rebellion Power Factor is 2; he will affect 4 spaces, place one additional militia for each base.
rolling for 3 spaces and choosing 1. He selects Suburbs and makes his Alternatively, instead of placing militia, the Rebel may instead
first roll on the Random City or Suburb table. The result is Denver; remove 2 militia from a selected non-Order space and put down
thus the first space he will affect is Denver Suburbs. He rolls two a base.
more times and gets Washington and Phoenix, affecting the suburbs Note that the stock of pieces is a limit on how many pieces may be on
of those two cities. Finally he chooses Seattle, affecting the suburbs the board at one time. If the stock is empty, the Rebel may remove
there as well. Felix now performs the Recruit operation in each pieces from other spaces on the map.
affected space.
10.2.3. Unrest
10.1.2. Net Ops and Card Effects
Purpose: To change space status (Order Anger Defiance
Certain card effects can change how Net Ops works. In particular, Revolt).
the Analytics card allows the Rebel to select 2 spaces instead of 1
when the rebels have the social media edge. Procedure: Use the Net Ops procedure to select spaces. Pay $1
for each space rolled or chosen. Each selection must be paid for,
The Net Ops mechanic reflects the unpredictability of operations even if a space is selected multiple times.
in the internet age. Requests for funding and recruits that go out
over the internet can land anywhere; the person sending the request In each selected space, check the status. If it is not an Order
does not know in advance where the money and recruits will come space (CF 0), place 1 Unrest marker. If it is an Order space, do
from. At the same time, savvy political operators can impose some not place an Unrest marker. Order spaces must be paid for, even
targeting of the requests by tailoring the message to suit different though no Unrest is placed there.
populations and tastes. In the game this is represented by targeting Then, regardless of whether the space is Order or not, check
cities, suburbs, and regions which, in America, have very different the total number of Unrest markers in the space. If the number
cultures. The ability to target is further enhanced by effective social of Unrest markers exceeds the CF of the space, the status shifts
media operations, which can exploit tight social networks to get one level toward Revolt. Whenever such a shift occurs, remove all
messages to specific sets of eyes. This is represented in 2040 by the Unrest from the space and, if appropriate, adjust the VP markers.
social media edge effect, allowing the Rebel to choose a specific space.
Example: Felix the Rebel selects the Unrest operation. Unrest uses
the Net Ops procedure. For the purposes of this example, assume
that Cascadia is Order (CF 0) and has no Unrest. Midwest is also
Order but has 1 Unrest (from an event earlier in the game). Mesa

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is Defiance (CF 2) and already has 2 Unrest markers. Felix’s card Illustration: Interstate Movement
has 2 Ops, and the RPF is 1, so 3 spaces total will be affected. Felix
does not have the social media edge and must therefore roll to select
all 3 spaces. Felix pays $3, then chooses Regions as the space type;
all spaces affected will be Regions. Felix rolls 3 times and consults
the regions table on the board, obtaining Cascadia, Midwest, and
Mesa. Felix places no Unrest in Cascadia and Midwest, because
both are Order; the Unrest operation does not affect Order spaces.
A B
Mesa, however gets an Unrest marker, and now it has 3. Next Felix C
compares the Unrest in each selected space to the CF in that space.
Cascadia has CF 0 and no Unrest, so nothing happens. Midwest
also has CF 0 but it has 1 Unrest, so it shifts to Anger (CF 1).
Midwest has population 3, so the Federals lose 3 VPs. Mesa has 3 D
Unrest now, and its CF is 2, so it also shifts, to Revolt. Mesa has
population 2, so the Rebels gain 2 VPs. All the Unrest markers in
Mesa and Midwest are removed; whenever Unrest shifts a space,
remove all Unrest in that space. The Rebel wants to move the militia units out of Los Angeles city.
Important: Spaces may gain Unrest from card effects, but they They can move to an adjacent space for free, but the only space
do not change status via the card effect. Spaces only change status adjacent to Los Angeles city is Los Angeles suburb. However,
from Unrest if and when they are selected as part of the Rebel’s the Rebel prefers to have them in suburban Phoenix. To move
Unrest action. to an non-adjacent space, he must use the interstate. The group
“hops on” the interstate in Los Angeles city and travels along
A space cannot have more than 3 Unrest. If a space is selected for the path indicated to arrive in the Phoenix suburbs. The group
Unrest and it already has 3, ignore the result. It must still be paid enters 3 spaces: Suburban Los Angeles (A), the Mesa Region (B),
for, however. and suburban Phoenix (C). There are Federal agents in Mesa,
Strategy hint: The Unrest mechanic is the main way for the Rebel so 1 militia is eliminated, per 10.2.4; whenever a Rebel group
player to gain VPs. It reflects the nature of agitation efforts in the enters a space with agents, it loses one militia. Two militia make
internet age. Agitation media content is placed on the internet but it it to suburban Phoenix, using the ring highway to avoid the city
is not clear where that content will cause the populace to react. The completely. If the group had gone into Phoenix city (D), it would
content is unlikely to stir things up in areas that are satisfied with have lost a second militia due to the agent in that space.
the government. However, if there is some unhappiness there for Movement summary: Select Ops groups. Adjacent: Free. Along
other reasons, agitating content might tip things over the edge. The interstates: Remove 1 militia for each space with agents. Pay $1
overall effect of the Unrest mechanics is that the revolution “blooms” for ending in Mountain.
across the country in unpredictable ways. The Rebel’s job is to take
advantage of Unrest where it springs up. 10.2.5. Attack
Purpose: Eliminate Federal agents.
10.2.4. Move
Procedure: Select as many spaces as desired. Pay $1 per space.
Purpose: To move militia from one space to another.
In selected spaces: Activate all militia. Then roll the d6 for each
Procedure: Select a number of groups equal to the Ops value of Militia in the space and subtract the Ops value of the card.
the card. A group is defined as a set of militia that travels from 1 A result equal to or less than the control factor of the space
origin space to 1 destination space. Each group chooses one of eliminates one Federal piece. Bases are eliminated last.
two kinds of movement.
Terrain effects: In Forest and Desert spaces, subtract -1 from the
Adjacent movement. Move the group from its current space to attack roll. In Mountain and City spaces, subtract -2. Guerilla
an adjacent space. Note that the only adjacent space available to forces are more effective in extreme terrain.
a city is the corresponding suburb. Suburbs are adjacent to their
corresponding city as well as one or several neighboring regions. 10.2.6. Surge
Adjacent movement is free, unless the destination space is
Mountain. Adjacent movement to Mountain spaces costs $1. Purpose: Shift an Order space to Anger.

Interstate movement. Or, move the group from its current space Procedure: Requires 3 Ops. Pay $3.
onto an interstate that crosses or enters that space. Then trace a Then, select an Order space with at least 4 militias, plus 1 for each
path along connected interstates to a destination space and place agent in the space (i.e. militias >= agents + 4). Activate all militias,
the group in that space. The path can be of any length. Note that then shift the space to Anger (CF 1).
interstates go around cities as well as through them. If the final
space is a Mountain space, pay $1.
Interstate movement is subject to additional penalties if the path
goes through spaces with Federal agents. Each time the path
enters a space with 1 or more agents, 1 militia is arrested and is
removed from the group.

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 10
10.3. FEDERAL OPERATIONS The movement mechanics are the same for the two sides, except that
Like the Rebel player, the Federal player – when he plays a the government can arrest people whereas rebels can only harass a
card for its Ops value - may choose any one of the following convoy as it moves through. Movement of armed bodies across the
operations. He may also choose one of the General Operations, US is straightforward due to the interstate highway system, which
to be described below (10.4 General Operations). He cannot split was expressly designed for this purpose. However, both sides can
the Ops from one card across different operations. All operations throw up impediments through checkpoints, roadside bombs, blown
are summarized on the Player Aid card. bridges, etc.

10.3.1. Tax 10.3.4. Hunt

Purpose: Increase resources. Purpose: Eliminate militia.
Procedure: Choose Ops spaces. Each one must be in Order Procedure: Choose a number of spaces equal to the Ops value
status (CF 0). From each selected space, gain $2 per population. of the card. In each space, pay $1 plus the value of the Control
Total resources may not exceed $30. Factor there (ie $1 + $CF).
If the space does not have agents, however, place 1 Unrest. Each agent in the space affects 1 militia. If the militia is sleeper
10.3.2. Deploy (star down), the militia becomes active (star up). If the militia is
active (star up), it is eliminated.
Purpose: Put more agents on the map.
Bases are affected last and are always considered active.
Procedure: Choose as many spaces as desired and pay $1 per
space. Selected spaces must either be in Order (CF 0) or have a If the hunt operation takes place in Mountain or City territory, it
base. takes 2 agents to affect 1 militia.

In selected spaces, place up to Ops agents. Then (if desired), in The government’s combat ability is superior to the rebels, due to
any selected space, remove two agents to place a base. better training and equipment. The advantage is mitigated in rough
terrain and dense urban environments.
Note that the stock of pieces is a limit on how many pieces may be on
the board at one time. If the stock is empty, the Federal may remove 10.3.5. Pacify
pieces from other spaces on the map.
Purpose: Remove Unrest.
10.3.3. Move Procedure: Choose any number of spaces and pay $1 per space.
Purpose: To move agents from one space to another. The selected spaces must have Federal control (have more Federal
pieces than Rebel pieces). Bases are included in this calculation.
Procedure: Select a number of groups equal to the Ops value of
the card. A group is defined as a set of agents that travels from 1 In each selected space, remove a number of Unrest markers up to
origin space to 1 destination space. Each group chooses one of the Ops value of the card.
two kinds of movement.
10.3.6. Secure
Adjacent movement. Move the group from its current space to
Purpose: Shift status (Revolt Defiance Anger
an adjacent space. Note that the only adjacent space available to
Order)
a city is the corresponding suburb. Suburbs are adjacent to their
corresponding city as well as one or several neighboring regions. Procedure: Select 1 space that meets these 3 criteria:
Adjacent movement is free, unless the destination space is 1. The Control Factor of the space is no higher than the Ops
Mountain. Adjacent movement to Mountain spaces costs $1. being played (ie, it takes 3 Ops to affect a CF 3 space). Reserves
Interstate movement. Or, move the group from its current space may be used to meet this criterion.
onto an interstate that crosses or enters that space. Then trace a 2. The space may not have any Unrest.
path along connected interstates to a destination space and place
the group in that space. The path can be of any length. Note that 3. The space must have at least 3 agents, plus 1 for every militia
interstates go around cities as well as through them. If the final in the space (active or sleeper). That is to say, the space must have
space is a Mountain space, pay $1. agents >= 3 + militia.

Interstate movement is subject to additional penalties if the path If the space meets these criteria, pay the Control Factor plus $2
goes through spaces with Rebel militia. Each time the path enters ($CF + 2) and shift the space 1 level towards Order.
a space with 1 or more militia, 1 the Federal must pay $1 for Strategy hint: The Secure operation is the main way that the
convoy security. Federal player gains VPs. It represents a severe crackdown that is
Movement summary: Select Ops groups. Adjacent: Free. Along naturally more difficult and expensive the more rebellious the space.
interstates: Pay $1 for each space with militia. If the final space is
Mountain, pay an additional $1.

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 11
10.4. GENERAL OPERATIONS
c) Denial of Service (DOS): Place a Hacked marker on the
These operations are available to both sides.
opponent HQ square. As long as there is a Hacked marker on
10.4.1. Reserves an HQ, the Rebellion Power marker is located one space, left or
right, from the space designated by the News Cycle. If the hack is
Purpose: Store Ops points for use later in this round. on the Federal server, the Rebellion Power marker is placed one
Procedure: Increase the marker on the Reserve Track by the Ops space to the left; if the hack is on the Rebel server, the marker
value of the card. is placed one space to the right. If there are multiple hacks on
a server, the marker is shifted by that number of spaces. Hacks
Ops in reserve cannot exceed 2. Important: The maximum Ops
on both servers cancel each other out; first subtract one from
that can be used for any one card is 3.
the other, then apply the net effect. The correct space for the
Ops in reserve are eliminated at the end of each round. Rebellion Power marker can always be determined by adding the
The reserve mechanic allows players to “build up” for plays that Rebellion Factors of the current stories in the News Cycle, then
require 3 Ops, when they do not have enough 3-value cards. shifting the marker left or right according to the hacks on each
server.
10.4.2. Social Media d) Restore Service: Remove a Hacked marker from your own
Purpose: Gain Social Media edge, influence news, avoid an HQ. If you are the Rebel, shift the Rebellion Power marker one
enemy event. space to the left (if possible). If you are the Federal, shift it one
Procedure: Move the social media marker 1 space on the Social space to the right (if possible).
Media track. e) Secure: Place one Shield on your HQ. Effect: If your HQ has
Important: There are restrictions on certain movements along the a Shield, your opponent may only choose actions (d), (e), or (f )
Social Media Track. Specifically, it is not allowed to move from when hacking your server. Your server is protected against hack
space D to C or from space A to F. actions (a), (b), and (c).

After moving the marker, choose social media attacks from the f ) Invade: Remove one Shield from your opponent’s HQ.
following list. The total Ops cost of attacks cannot exceed the Example: The sum of Rebellion Factors in the current News
Ops value of the card. Cycle is 6 and there is a hack on the Rebel server. The Rebellion
• Feed: Draw a story from the Story Deck. If desired, place it in Power marker goes on space 5. Several turns later, the News Cycle
the story pool; otherwise, discard. Cost: 1 Ops. sums to 3 and there is still a hack on the Rebel HQ, but now
there are two hacks on the Federal HQ. The Rebellion Power
• Censor: Discard a story of your choice from the Story Pool. marker is on space 4. Note that the Rebellion Power track cannot
Do not replace it. Cost: 1 Ops. go below 0 or above 11.
• Persuade: Move the Social Media marker an additional space. d) Restore Service: Remove a Hacked marker from your own
Cost: 2 Ops. HQ. If you are the Rebel, shift the Rebellion Power marker one
• Distract: Cycle the news, then (if desired) discard the story space to the left (if possible). If you are the Federal, shift it one
currently in slot 1 and replace it with any story from the pool, space to the right (if possible).
ignoring the Virality Factor on the cards. Cost: 2 Ops. e) Secure: Place one Shield on your HQ. Effect: If your HQ has
• Enrage: In one space, shift Defiance (CF 2) to Anger (CF 1) a Shield, your opponent may only choose actions (d), (e), or (f )
or vice versa. Cost: 3 Ops. when hacking your server. Your server is protected against hack
actions (a), (b), and (c).
• Convert: Replace 1 enemy unit with a friendly unit. Bases
may not be selected. Cost: 3 Ops. f ) Invade: Remove one Shield from your opponent’s HQ.
Important: The first card each player commits to Social Media in Strategy hint: Hacking is a minigame that can dramatically
a round ignores any enemy event. affect the power of enemy operations, especially for the Rebel. In
intelligence and theft hacks, the presence of enemies on the server
Strategy hint: Each player can ditch an enemy event once per hand
remains hidden. With a Denial of Service attack, the influence of
by playing the card on Social Media. They use the Ops for social
enemies on your network is apparent and everyone knows your
media effects and the event is ignored. Experienced players may see
system has been compromised. This has a persistent negative effect
the similarity between this mechanic and the Space Race mechanic
on the system’s perceived security and therefore its effectiveness.
in the famous card-driven game Twilight Struggle.

10.4.3. Hack
11.0 Credits
Purpose: Inhibit the enemy indirectly.
Procedure: Roll the d6 and add the Ops value of the card. If the
result is 5 or more, the hacking attempt succeeds. Choose one Design: Edward Castronova
effect from the list below. Playtesters: Jeff Lewis, Rick Watson, Matt Colbert, Josh Yeager,
a) Intelligence: Inspect your opponent’s hand Luca Castronova, Malcolm Castronova, Frank Brown Cloud, Jake
Cozza, Matt Koutsopanagos.
b) Theft: Roll the six-sided die twice. Reduce your opponent’s
Resources by that amount. Increase your Resources by the same
amount. Resources may not exceed $30, nor fall below $0.

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 12 12.0 Example of Play
If there is an Orange line that means that a marker or unit is going into a spot or point and if it is Black then that means
that a marker or unit are being removed from a spot or point.
Figure 1

In this example, we will use the #patriot scenario. Figure 1 shows the initial News Cycle Display. Six Story Cards have been drawn
randomly, three for the Story Pool and three for the Active Stories Display. The rebellion factors of the active stories add up to 5.

Figure 2

In Figure 2 we see the map after setup. Note that the Rebellion Power marker is 5 spaces from the right, indicating a Rebellion Power
Factor (RPF) of 2.
Both sides are dealt 9 event cards. The Rebel goes first. He plays card 36, Amnesty. See Figure 3.

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 13
Figure 3

He can play it for the Amnesty event, or for two Operations Points (Ops). The Rebel decides to implement the event. Four militia
units are placed in suburban Washington. Militia are always in their Sleeper state (star side down) when initially placed.
For his second card, the Rebel plays card 11, General George S. Patton VII. This is a Federal card. When the Rebel plays it, he gets to

Figure 4

Rules final edit g.indd 13 10/12/21 2:37 PM

 14
use the Ops on the card, but his opponent gets the event. The Rebel chooses which goes first, event or Ops. He chooses the event to go first,
so the Federal may now place 6 agents anywhere. Agents do not have a Sleeper status, so it does not matter if they are face up or face down.
The Federal puts four agents in the Midwest and two in the Plains. See Figure 4.
Next, the Rebel uses the two Ops. He chooses to do the Unrest action. This requires the Rebel to choose spaces via the Net Ops procedure
(10.1). The total spaces which will be selected is four: Two from the Ops of the card, and two more because the RPF is currently two. The
Rebel has the Social Media edge (the marker is on a red space), so the Rebel may directly choose one space. The other three are rolled for
randomly. The Unrest operation costs $1 per space selected; the Rebel pays $4, reducing resources to $26.
The Rebel decides to go after the juicy 3 VPs in suburban Phoenix, a currently empty space. He selects SUBURBS as the type of space
he is targeting for the unrest operation. He selects Phoenix as his “choice” space and places one Unrest marker in suburban Phoenix. Now
he selects the remaining three suburban spaces randomly. The Rebel rolls the 20-sided die three times and refers to the “Random City or
Suburb” table on the board. The rolls are 3, 9, and 13. The 3 places a second Unrest in suburban Phoenix. The 9 places an Unrest in suburban
Denver. The 13 would place an Unrest is suburban Miami, but suburban Miami is an Order space. The Unrest action has no effect on Order
spaces, so no marker is placed there. It still must be paid for, however.
Suburban Phoenix was not marked when this operation began; its Status box was empty. Whenever an action or operation first targets an
unmarked space, “test” it by rolling the six-sided die and referring to the table given in 7.1.2 – the space is Anger (1) on a 1-3, or Defiance
(2) on a 4-6. The Rebel rolls the six-sided die and obtains a 3. The Rebel places an Anger (1) status marker in the status box for Phoenix
Suburbs.
As the last element of the Unrest operation, the Rebel now scans the board for any space where the number of Unrest counters exceeds the
current Control Factor (CF) of the space. This is true in one space – suburban Phoenix, where the status marker, Anger, indicates a CF of 1,
but there are 2 Unrest markers. Suburban Phoenix will now shift in the direction of Revolt, changing from Anger (1) to Defiance (2). The
Unrest markers in suburban Phoenix are removed.
In future turns, if the Rebel can put three Unrest markers in suburban Phoenix, it will shift again, from Defiance (2) to Revolt (3). The
Rebel would then gain Victory Points (VPs) equal to the population of the space (3). (Rebel VPs equal the total population of Revolt
spaces, plus the number of Rebel bases). The Unrest action is the main way the Rebel shifts spaces into Revolt status, gaining their VPs.

Figure 5

Now it is the Federal turn. See Figure 5. He plays card 20, Internet of Things, for Ops. The Federal wants to move the Midwest in his favor,
so he chooses the Secure operation. The Midwest space meets the criteria of the operation: This is a 2 Ops card, and the CF of the space is
2. There is no Unrest here. And, the number of agents (7) is equal to the number of militia (4) plus 3. So the Federal pays the CF + 2 dollars
($4 total) and moves his Resources marker from 30 down to 26. He then shifts the Midwest once in the direction of Order: from Defiance
(2) to Anger (1).
In future moves, the Federal could do the Secure operation again and shift the space again, this time from Anger (1) to Order (0). This
would give the Federal the Midwest’s three VPs. The Secure operation is the main way for the Federal to shift spaces into Order and gain
their VPs.

Rules final edit g.indd 14 10/12/21 2:37 PM

 Figure 6 15
o first,
down.

dure
The
for

e
ow
or
urban
Order

an
ance
ix

s the
of 1,
The

s.

The Federal’s second card is the rebel card Jolly Roger: If he plays it, he receives the Ops but the Rebel gets the event. The Federal
player does not like this Rebel event, however, so he decides to “burn” it by playing the card as a Social Media operation. The first card
played on social media each turn ignores the enemy event on the card. Each player can do this once per hand of cards.
The Social Media operation, first of all, allows the player to move the Social Media marker. The Federal moves it from space B to space
C. The Social Media Edge (SME) still belongs to the Rebel, but the marker is now closer to blue territory.
Next, the Federal can spend his 2 Ops on social media attacks, as described in the rules at section 10.4.2. He could choose Persuade,
which would allow him to move the Social Media marker a second time. If he moves the marker to space D, it flips, giving the Edge to
the Federal player. This is good for two reasons. First, the SME breaks all ties in the game. Second, the SME is what allows the Rebel
to choose one space when he is doing Internet Ops. If he loses that edge, all of his unrest, recruiting, and fundraising are completely
random. Note also that once the marker is at space D, the Rebel cannot simply move it back to space C to regain the Social Media
Edge; movements from D to C are not allowed. The only way for the Rebel to regain the SME would be to move the marker along the
track to space F and then to space A. The SME is “sticky” in that once it flips to one side, it is hard for the other side to get it back.

favor,
ce is
dollars
ance

ain

Rules final edit g.indd 15 10/12/21 2:37 PM

 16 Figure 7

Figure 8

Rules final edit g.indd 16 10/12/21 2:37 PM

 Figure 9
17

Let’s suppose, however, that the Federal chooses to damage the Rebel in a different way, through the Rebellion Power Track. He selects
the Distract action, which can be used to change the News Cycle which, in turn, affects the Rebellion Power Track. The Federal’s
strategy here is to try to reduce the Rebellion Power Factor, because this number is added to all of the Rebel’s internet operations. By
reducing the RPF, the Federal can cripple the Rebel’s net ops effectiveness.
With the Distract action, the Federal first cycles the news (as explained in the rules in section 9.1), then he gets to replace the top
story. See Figure 7. To cycle the news, the Federal removes the story in slot 3 and shifts the stories in slots 1 and 2 down one slot,
leaving slot 1 open. He then reviews the current story pool and selects the story with highest Virality. That is story 14, “Government
Base Overrun.” He puts that story in slot 1 and draws a new story to place in the pool.
At this point, the sum of rebellion factors of active stories has not changed; it is still 5 because a 3-valued story was removed from slot
3, but a new 3-value story was placed into slot 1. However, now the Federal gets to directly “mess” with the news. See Figure 8. Under
the Distract action, he can toss the story in Slot 1 and replace it with any story in the pool. He therefore discards “Government Base
Overrun” and replaces it with “Consumer Confidence Rises.” In effect, he has used social media to memory-hole the story about a base
being attacked, by getting everyone talking about a positive economic statistic.
Note that the text on Story cards has no effect on the game. The text “Government Base Overrun” does not mean that an actual base
on the map is removed. Bases on the map represent a widespread infrastructure for military operations, which would not be eliminated
by a single base being attacked. Therefore, keep in mind that the text on story cards is just for flavor. The only effect of story cards on
the game is through the Rebellion Power Factor.
Indeed, in this case the RPF has been dramatically affected. See Figure 9. After the Federal makes the exchange of story cards, the
sum of rebellion factors is only two (0 + 0 + 2). The Federal moves the Rebel Power marker to the second space from the right on the
Rebellion Power Track (Figure 6). This space implies an RPF of 0. As long as this remains the case, whenever the Rebel conducts Net
Ops, he will only use the operations value of the card – he will not get any “extra” operations from the Rebellion Power Track. In the
example of the Unrest operation described earlier, the Rebel would have affected only two spaces, not four.

Rules final edit g.indd 17 10/12/21 2:37 PM

 18 Figure 10

The Federal has played two cards, so we return to the Rebel. He plays card 66, Super Bug. See Figure 10. This is a neutral card, so he
can play for the event or for Ops. The Rebel decides it would be fun to unleash a plague on the situation, so he plays card 66 for the
event. All units (of both sides) in suburban Washington are eliminated and the Plague marker is placed there. Then the space is tested
as if it was unmarked. The Rebel rolls a 5, so the space is changed from Order (0) to Defiance (2). When the space shifts out of Order,
the Federal loses the VP value of the space, which is 1. Federal VPs fall from 21 to 20.

Rules final edit g.indd 18 10/12/21 2:37 PM

 Figure 11 19

For his second card of the round, the Rebel plays card 60, Don’t Mess with Texas. See Figure 11. Note that this card has been marked
#patriot, indicating that it is used only in the #patriot scenario. If you are playing the #resistance scenario, do not use the cards labeled
#patriot. Similarly, if you are playing the #patriot scenario, do not use the #resistance cards.
The Rebel decides to use the ops value of the card to engage in combat. He chooses the Attack operation. He may select as many
spaces as he wants, paying $1 per space. For the sake of this example, let’s say he chooses only one space, the Midwest. After paying the
$1 cost, Rebel resources are now $25.
To conduct the attack, the Rebel flips all militia to active (star side up). He then rolls the six-sided die four times, once for each militia
in the space. Each roll that is equal to or less than the Control Factor of the space (in this case, 1) eliminates one Federal agent. The
rolls are modified by subtracting the Ops value of the card (in this case, 3). In addition, because the Midwest is a Forest, the roll is
reduced by a further 1, for a total of -4. The rolls are 1, 3, 5, and 6; modified, they are -3, -1, 1, and 2. Three agents take “hits” and are
eliminated, leaving four.

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 20 Figure 12

Now we go back to the Federal, see Figure 12. He wants to counterattack the rebels, so he plays card 15, UAVs, for Ops and chooses
the Hunt operation. With the two Ops, he can attack in two spaces. The Federal picks Midwest as one space and Chicago suburbs
as the other. In each space, he pays $1 plus the CF of the space. His total expenditure for the operation is $5. The effect of the Hunt
operation is that each agent affects exactly one militia. If the militia is in sleeper mode (star side down) it is activated – flipped star side
up. If it is already star side up, it is eliminated. Thus, active rebel militia are easier to eliminate. Applying these rules, the four militia in
the Midwest are eliminated, and three militia in Chicago suburbs go active and are flipped over.

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 Figure 13 21

$1

$1

$1
$1

Our last card will illustrate movement. See Figure 13. The Federal player plays card 76, Open Borders, and uses its 3 Ops for a Move
operation. He can select 3 groups for movement; a group is a set of agents that starts in the same place and ends in the same place. The
Federal decides to make group 1 out of two agents currently in the Midwest; group 2 is the agent in San Francisco city; and group 3 is
the agent in Los Angeles city.
An agent can move for free to any adjacent space. Two of the groups are in central cities, and the only space that is adjacent to a city is
the corresponding suburb. To go farther than the suburb, these groups must use the interstate. Let’s say the Federal wants to send the
San Francisco agent to Dallas city, and the Los Angeles agent to Miami city.
Group 1, in the Midwest, could move for free to any of the following spaces: Plains, Chicago suburbs, or Appalachia. (If Canada were
in play due to a card effect, they could move there as well. Normally, Canada is off limits.) If the Federal wants to send these troops
anywhere else, they too will have to use the interstate. He decides to send these agents to Chicago city.
When using interstate movement, the Federal must pay $1 for convoy security each time a group enters a space that has militia. This
must be paid regardless of whether the militia is active or sleeper, or how many there are. It also is not affected by the presence of any
federal agents in the space.
Group 1 has several routes into Chicago city. They could take I-90 through the northwest suburbs, or they could take I-80 and enter
from the east, or they could take I-55 and come up through central Illinois. The agents are located somewhere in the Midwest space
and can hop on any interstate that goes through that space. Note however that this choice has no effect on game mechanics. No matter
what route the agents take, they must cross through Chicago suburbs in order to enter the city. There are militia units in those suburbs,
so the Federal must pay $1 when the agents enter them. There aren’t any militias in Chicago city, though, so the total move cost is only
$1.
Group 2 is the agent in central San Francisco. It moves along I-80, crossing through suburban SF, Mesa, Big Sky, and suburban
Denver. At this point, the agent can move through Denver City, or it can go around it. There are no militia in Denver, so the decision
makes no difference in any case. Note, however, that if Denver city had a militia, the agent could avoid paying the $1 convoy fee by
going on the interstate around the city. If, however, Denver’s suburbs had a militia, the agent could not avoid it. All interstates enter the
suburbs; but there are always two routes through the area as a whole: One that goes through the city, and one that stays entirely in the
suburbs.

Rules final edit g.indd 21 10/12/21 2:38 PM

 22
Let’s say the agent passes through Denver city and continues Defiance (2): Chicago Suburbs, Midwest
south on I-25. Note that it is not possible to transfer from I-80 Revolt (3): Cities: Dallas, Denver, Atlanta; Suburbs: Dallas,
to I-25 without entering the Denver suburbs. All interstate Denver, Atlanta; Regions: Texas, South, Appalachia, Plains, Big
connections that happen in urban areas occur in the suburbs. Sky.
Another example is when I-80 goes into Chicago: It is not
possible to get from I-80 to I-55 without entering the Chicago Agents: Place 1 agent in the City space of New York,
suburbs. Washington, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles; place 2 in
Washington suburb; place 3 in Chicago Suburb; place 3 in
Returning now to the agent heading south on I-25: At I-10, the Midwest.
agent goes east and continues into Dallas city. When I-10 crosses
into Texas, the Federal must pay $1 as there are militias in Texas. Federal Base: Place 1 base in Chicago Suburb and in Midwest.
Also note that if there were militias in Mesa, the trip cost would Militia: Place 2 militia in Texas, South, and Appalachia; place
go up by $2, because the agent enters Mesa twice – once from 4 militia in Chicago suburb and 4 in Midwest. All militia are

Sheet 2 of 2 (Back)
San Francisco Suburb and again from Big Sky. sleepers.
(Interstate 10 does not actually go through Dallas; the interstate Rebel Bases: Place 1 base in Texas, South, and Appalachia.
on the board represents the net of east-west freeways that cross 13.2. #RESISTANCE SCENARIO
the southern US, including I-10, I-20, I-30, and I-40).
This scenario depicts an uprising by urban areas
Finally, group 3 is the agent in Los Angeles city. He also takes
Event deck: Remove cards labeled “#patriot.” Shuffle the
I-10 east and pays $1 when entering Texas. He proceeds through
remainder. Deal 9 cards to each player.
the Dallas suburbs and continues on into the South region. The
South also has militias, so the Federal pays another $1. The agent Story deck: Shuffle the Story Deck and draw six Story cards at
continues on to its final destination, Miami city. random. Place three in the Story Pool and one in each Active
News slot; all cards are face up. Add the Rebellion Factors of the
Miami city is unmarked and, since the Move operation targeted
active stories and place the Rebellion Power marker that number
the space, it must be tested. The Federal rolls a 6, so the space
of spaces along on the Rebellion Power Track, counting from
becomes Defiance (2). Note that moves that pass through
right to left.
unmarked spaces do not trigger a test. Only the final destination
of the moving group is considered “targeted” by the move Map: Lay out the map and place the initial pieces as follows.
operation, so it is the only space that, if unmarked, would be Markers: Revolt Pop + Bases: 19. Order Pop + Bases: 19. Federal
tested. Resources: 30. Rebel Resources: 30. Social Media Space: E (blue
The total bill for the Federal move is $4. Federal resources go side up).
down to $17. Play now passes back to the Rebel for his next two
cards, and the game continues from there. Order (0): Suburbs: Dallas, Atlanta, Washington, Denver;
Regions: Texas, South, Appalachia, Midwest, Plains, Big Sky.
Anger (1): Cities: Atlanta, Dallas; Suburb: Phoenix; Regions:
13.0 Scenarios Mesa, Big Sky
Defiance (2): Cities: Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Phoenix;
Regions: East Coast and Cascadia
13.1. #PATRIOT SCENARIO Revolt (3): Cities: New York, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco,
This scenario depicts an uprising based in rural areas. Seattle; Suburbs: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle.

Event deck: Remove cards labeled “#resistance.” Shuffle the Agents: Place 1 agent in Dallas, Washington, and Chicago
remainder. Deal 9 cards to each player. Cities; Place 2 agents in Washington Surburb; Place 3 agents in
Phoenix Suburb and in Mesa.

Sheet 2 of 2 (Front)
Story deck: Shuffle the Story Deck and draw six Story cards at
random. Place three in the Story Pool and one in each Active Federal bases: Place 1 base in Mesa.
News slot; all cards are face up. Add the Rebellion Factors of the 13.3 BUILD YOUR OWN SCENARIO
active stories and place the Rebellion Power marker thatnumber Players may create their own scenarios under the following
of spaces along on the Rebellion Power Track, counting from limitations.
right to left.
Federal: Select Order spaces totaling 17-20 population. Then add
Map: Lay out the map and place the initial pieces as follows. Bases until Federal VPs equal 20. Place 12 Agents in Order or
Markers: Revolt + Bases: 21. Order + Bases: 21. Federal Base spaces.
Resources: 30. Rebel Resources: 30. Social Media Space B (red Rebel: Select Revolt spaces totaling 15-20 population. Then add
side up). Bases until Rebel VPs equal 20. Place 12 Militia in Revolt or
Order (0): Cities: New York, Washington, San Francisco, Seattle, Base spaces.
Los Angeles; Suburbs: New York, Washington, Miami; Regions: Scenarios can be designed beforehand, or players may create
East Coast, Cascadia. a new scenario on the fly by alternating selection of Order/
Anger (1): Chicago City Revolt spaces (starting with the Federal player), then alternating
placement of bases and then troops (again, starting with the
Federal player). As above, each side can have no more than 20
VPs and 12 troops.

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 Sheet 2 of 2 (Front) Sheet 2 of 2 (Back)

ANGER ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE SHIELD CAPITAL CAPITAL HACKED REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER ORDER

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LEADER LEADER

ANGER ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE SHIELD ACTIVE SLEEPER HACKED REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER ORDER

-1 +1
LEADER LEADER
ANGER ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE SHIELD EFFECT EFFECT HACKED REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER ORDER

ANGER ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE SHIELD PLAGUE PLAGUE HACKED REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER ORDER

FEDERAL DARK DARK FEDERAL

RESOURCES SHIPMENT SHIPMENT RESOURCES
ANGER ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER ORDER

Game Design: Edward Castronova, Art: Ilya Kudriashov

SOCIAL SOCIAL
MEDIA MEDIA
ANGER ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER ORDER

REBEL REVOLT REVOLT REBEL

POWER + + POWER
BASES BASES
ANGER ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER ORDER

ORDER REBEL REBEL ORDER

+ RESOURCES RESOURCES +
ANGER ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE BASES BASES REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER ORDER

© 2022 Compass Games «2040: An American Insurgency»

BASE BASE BASE BASE
ANGER ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE REVOLT REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER ORDER

RESERVES RESERVES BASE BASE BASE BASE RESERVES RESERVES

ANGER ANGER DEFIANCE DEFIANCE REVOLT REVOLT ORDER ORDER

BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE BASE

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 Sheet 1 of 2 (Front) Sheet 1 of 2 (Back)

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST

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2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST UNREST

Game Design: Edward Castronova, Art: Ilya Kudriashov

© 2022 Compass Games «2040: An American Insurgency»

10/12/21 2:38 PM
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