Downsync Rules

Design Goals

• create opportunities for players to do surprising things without it being a "gotcha, you forgot X" moment
• hidden Units without bookkeeping
• avoid IGOUGO via alternate activation of Taskforce Unit groups
• activated Unit groupings are flexible and dynamic not strict like platoons or companies and can change from turn to turn
• having more/better information than your opponent gives an advantage
• keep the game dynamic by not rewarding staying still
• avoid mechanics that force players to carefully spread out every single Unit (area of effect weapons)
• miniature scale is 15mm (1:100). Scale is highly abstracted though and terrain scale is flexible
• resources reset each round but not at the start of each round to prevent jamming at the end of a round
• games should take 45-60 min

Components and Conventions

• Dice: d6
• Measuring tape
• Pings: Small/Medium/Large circles 60mm/70mm/80mm
• Tokens (8mm colored wooden cubes)
• Models
• 4x6 ft play area
• Terrain

Rolling Dice

Downsync uses 1d6 and 2d6 rolls. When rolling 2d6 add the numbers together to determine the die roll result. Higher results are always better.

Terminology

• Active Player: The player who is currently taking their turn.
• Battlefield: The 4x6 ft. surface containing models and terrain where the game is taking place.
• Command Point: A resource players have each turn to spend on Command Point Abilities and Unit Actions.
  • Command Point Ability: An Ability that all players may spend Command Points to activate.
  • Command Point Capacity: The number of Command Points each player starts each Round with.
• Force: A collection of Units/Pings controlled by a single player.
  • Controlling Player: The Player controlling the Force and its Units/Pings.
  • Force List: Detailed list of the type and quantity of Units/Pings in a Force.
  • Reserve: A collection of a Force's Units to be revealed on the Battlefield.
• LOS: Line of Sight
• ROF: Rate of Fire
• Round: Collection of Turns. A Round ends when all Units have been Activated.
• Taskforce: A collection of Units/Pings acting together.
• Turn: In a Round, players alternate taking turns. Each turn the active player designates a Taskforce to act in that turn.
• Units and Pings:
  • Controlling Force/Player: The Force/Player a Unit/Ping belongs to.
  • Signature (SIG): Units and Pings have a Signature that determines the diameter of a Ping or Unit base.
    • Small: 60mm
    • Medium: 70mm
    • Large: 80mm
  • Unit: A vehicle model on a base (small/medium/large) or a group of multiple Sub-Unit bases ( 40mm)
    • Multi-Base Unit: A Unit that has multiple Sub-Units instead of one larger base, typically infantry.
    • Sub-Unit Base: A 40mm circular base with infantry or other models on it.
    • Unit Activation: Performing a single Unit's action(s).
    • Activated Unit: Unit that has already completed its Unit Activation this Round.
  • Ping: Circular marker or base representing a sensor Signature indicating a hidden Unit.
  • Place: A special type of movement that does not suffer terrain penalties.

Game Sizes

Force Lists

When creating a Force List, all Units must be from the same Faction. The Game Size determines the number of small/medium/large Unit slots your force list will contain. For each Unit size slot, select a Unit of matching size from your Faction.

For example, a Small Game Coalition Force List contains any 2 small Units, any 3 medium Units, and any 1 large Unit. The same Unit may be included multiple times.

Command Point Abilities

A Command Point may be spent to do one of the following:

• Boost a Roll: Boost any roll. Only once per roll. Declared before rolling.
• Remove Stun Token: Remove a Stun Token from a Unit before its Unit Activation.
• Add a Unit to a Reaction Engagement see: Adding Additional Non-Active Player Units.
• Unit Ability: Some Units have Actions or Traits that cost Command Points on their Unit Card.

Round Overview

Turn Overview

The Active Player performs a Taskforce Activation.

Line Of Sight (LOS)

For determining LOS, Units/Pings have a volume matching the footprint of their base with a 1" height. Units/Pings have Line of Sight to each other if a line can be drawn from any point on one Unit/Ping's volume to any point on the other Unit/Ping's volume. Friendly and enemy Units/Pings do not block LOS.

Concealment

Area Terrain

A Unit/Ping is considered in Area Terrain if any part of its base overlaps or touches the edge of the Area Terrain.

Area Terrain Movement Penalties

If any part of a Unit/Ping's movement crosses slowing Area Terrain it suffers -2" of movement. A movement crossing multiple pieces of Area Terrain does not increase this penalty.

If the -2" movement penalty would prevent a Unit from reaching the edge of Area Terrain, it may move close enough to touch the edge of the area terrain without a -2" penalty.

For example: If a Unit with SPD 6 is 5" away from the edge of Terrain template it may move 5" and end its movement touching the edge of the Area Terrain and is considered in that Area Terrain.

A Unit/Ping beginning its movement touching the edge of Area Terrain is considered to have crossed the Area Terrain and will suffer its movement effects even if moving away from the Area Terrain.

Concealing Area Terrain And LOS

Buildings

When measuring the distance from or to a Unit in a building the height of the building is ignored

Only infantry Units may enter a building and a building may only contain as many infantry Units as can fit on its roof. Moving into or out of a building has no movement penalty.

Players should agree on what terrain pieces are considered buildings and how many 40mm Sub-Units can fit on each building before the game starts.

Stats

Multi-Base Units

Some Units have multiple Sub-Units instead of a vehicle model. How many Sub-Units a multi-base Unit has is indicated on its Unit Card by a number in a circle at the top of the card next to the Unit description. Multi-Base Units have 1-4 Sub-Units.

See: Revealing Infantry Units

Targeting Multi-Base Units

When performing a Combat Action against a Multi-Base Unit select a single Sub-Unit to be the target. Only that Sub-Unit is used for determining LOS and Concealment for the Action targeting it. The Combat Action's effect is applied only to the targeted Sub-Unit.

If targeting a building containing Infantry Bases, the Attacker may choose any Sub-Unit in the building to be the target.

Some Action effects will specify that they apply to the whole Unit if any Sub-Unit is hit.

Movement

A Ping may never move within 2" of an enemy Unit or Ping. Pings can never move through or end their movement in, a position that would cause them to be automatically revealed by an enemy.

All Pings have a SPD stat of 4".

The minimum Unit SPD is 4", so a Unit is always the same speed or faster than a Ping.

Activating

Pings can only spend their Action Point to perform a Move Action to move an additional 4".

Revealing

When a Ping is Revealed, the Controlling Player selects a Unit from their Reserve with the same SIG (Signature) as the Ping. This Unit will be Revealed at the Ping's current position. After revealing, the Unit immediately gains any tokens it starts the game with such as Countermeasure or Stealth tokens.

A Ping is Revealed when:

• The controlling player chooses to Reveal it in the Reveal phase of a Taskforce Activation
• If an enemy Unit ends a move within 2"
• It is hit by an Action with the REVEAL effect

Note: A Ping cannot end a move within 2" of an enemy Unit causing itself to be auto-revealed.

Decoy Pings

Decoy Pings are normal Pings added to a Force in excess of the number of Units with a matching Signature. Decoy Pings are included in a Force when the Force includes Units with a Decoy[<SIG>] trait, or are granted by a scenario.

For example, a Small Game Force has 3 medium Units and therefore 3 medium Pings. If the Force included 1 medium Decoy Ping, it would begin the game with 3 medium Units and 4 medium Pings.

When a Ping is revealed, if its Force has more Pings of matching SIG on the Battlefield than Units of matching SIG in Reserve, the Ping may be Revealed to be a Decoy instead of a Unit and is removed from the game.

After Revealing a Ping as a Unit, if there are no remaining Units of matching SIG in Reserve, any Pings of matching SIG on the Battlefield are immediately removed from the game.

For example: Joe's Small Game Force has 3 medium Units and 4 medium Pings. On the Battlefield Joe has 2 medium Units and 2 medium Pings. If Joe reveals a medium Ping to be a Unit, he will now have all of 3 of his medium Units and 1 medium Ping on the Battlefield. The medium Ping must be a Decoy, so it is immediately removed from the game.

Action Stats

Move Action

Although not included on the Unit cards, all Units can perform the Move Action for the cost of 1 Action Point. When a Unit performs a Move Action it may move up to its SPD in inches following normal movement rules for terrain.

This means that Units can move up to double their SPD in one turn if they use their Action Point to move a second time.

Overwatch Action

Although not included on the Unit cards, all Units can perform the Overwatch Action for the cost of 1 Action Point. When a Unit performs an Overwatch Action it gains 1 Overwatch Token. Overwatch Tokens allow Units to perform Reactions even after they have activated with a higher chance to act first.

A Multi-Base Unit can only have 1 Overwatch Token as the whole Unit must activate together.

An Overwatch Action may be performed by a Unit participating in a Reaction Engagement.

Scan Action

Any Action labeled "[SCAN]" is a Scan Action. When performing a Scan Action, a Scan Check may be performed for each point of the Scan Action's ROF (Rate of Fire). Before each Scan Check declare the target of the Scan Check. Each Scan Check must be resolved before the next. Each Scan Check may have the same or different targets.

Scan Action Effects

If a Scan Check results in a successful hit, resolve the Scan Action's effect against the targeted Unit.

Actions with a ★ effect cannot be negated by any type of Countermeasures. The effect of the Action is described on the Unit Card.

Combat Actions

Any action with a KILL or STUN effect (and does not have a [SCAN] label) is a Combat Action. Combat Actions may only target enemy Units.

When performing a Combat Action, an Attack may be performed for each point of the Combat Action's ROF (Rate of Fire). Before each Attack declare the target of the Attack. Each Attack must be resolved before the next. Each Attack may have the same or different targets.

Attacks

When a Unit performs an Attack, select an enemy Unit within the Combat Action's Range and LOS, then perform an Attack Roll against it.

Attack Roll = 2d6 + TARG stat + mods vs Unit DEF.

*Combat Actions with a range stat of 6" or less do not gain the short range bonus.

If the Attack Roll is successful apply the effect of the Action to the target. The target may attempt to negate the effects of the Combat Action with Countermeasures.

Combat Action Effects

If an Attack results in a successful hit, resolve the Combat Action's effect against the targeted Unit.

Spending Countermeasures

When hit by an Attack, a Unit may spend a Countermeasure Token to perform a Countermeasure Check. If the Countermeasure Check is successful the Combat Action's effect is negated. The Countermeasure Token is spent regardless of the Countermeasure Check outcome.

When a Countermeasure Check fails, the Unit may spend additional Countermeasure Tokens to attempt to negate the effect. Each check is resolved before deciding to spend an additional Countermeasure Token. The Unit may continue to spend Countermeasure Tokens until all of them have been spent.

When first hit by an Attack or after failing a Countermeasure Check, a Unit is not required to spend a Countermeasure Token. Instead, the Unit may allow the Attack's effect to be applied.

Special Actions (★ effect) cannot be negated by any type of Countermeasures.

Spending Emergency Countermeasures

Any time a Unit could spend a Countermeasure Token it may spend an Emergency Countermeasure Token instead. If it does the Countermeasure Check is automatically successful without a die roll. The Controlling Player must decide which to use before performing a Countermeasure Check.

Initiating a Reaction Engagement

A non-active player may initiate a reaction engagement after the active player completes the movement phase of their Taskforce Activation, but before the Unit Activation phase.

Resolving a Reaction Engagement

Ability Stacking

Multiple instances of the same ability do not stack unless specified as such. Including if an ability with the same name comes from multiple sources.

Place Abilities

Rule Specificity

Rules text on Unit Cards take precedence over rulebook text. Unit Cards are intended to modify the core rules of the game.

Activated Token

A Unit with an Activated Token has been activated this Round. The Unit cannot activate, be part of a Taskforce, or participate in Reaction Engagements until the next round.

Countermeasure Token

When a Unit is hit by an Attack it may spend a Countermeasure Token to perform a Countermeasure Check.

Emergency Countermeasure Token

When a Unit is hit by an Attack it may spend an Emergency Countermeasure Token to perform and automatically succeed a Countermeasure Check. Emergency Countermeasures do not Regenerate.

Overwatch Token

A Unit with an Overwatch Token can participate in Reaction Engagements even if it has an Activated Token and its Reaction Priority Rolls is Boosted.

Stun Token

Before performing its Unit Activation, a Unit with a Stun Token must spend 1 of the following then remove the Stun Token: Command Point, Action Point, Countermeasure Token, Emergency Countermeasure Token.

Stealth Token

A Unit with a Stealth Token can only be targeted by enemy Actions with a REVEAL effect. A Unit loses its Stealth Token immediately after resolving a Combat Action and in all cases that would cause a Ping to be Revealed or if it ends a move or Placement within 2" of an enemy Unit. A Unit cannot gain a Stealth Token if an enemy Unit is within 2".

Unit Token Quick Reference

Control Objectives

A Control Objective is a miniature on a medium Ping or terrain with the same footprint (70mm diameter circle).

Control Objectives do not block LOS and may be moved through by either player's Units, but Units may not end their movement overlapping a Control Objective.

The scenario will specify:

• Where Control Objectives are placed.
• Which Control Objectives each Player's Units can score and block points on.
• When Control Objective points are scored. Typically, it will be at the end of each Round after the first.

Setup

1. Both players roll a die. The highest-scoring player is the attacker and the other is the defender.
2. The defender selects which of the table edges to defend from.
3. The attacker will attack from the opposite edge.
4. Starting with the attacker, both players place a Control Objective touching the center line parallel with the attacker/defender table edges, and not within 1" of concealing terrain.

Deployment

1. The attacker deploys all of their Pings completely within 8" of their table edge
2. The defender deploys all of their Pings completely within 8" of their table edge

Scoring Control Objectives

Both Player's Units can score and block points on both Control Objectives.

Winning The Game

A Player wins the game when they have scored 3 or more points or the opposing side is wiped out.