ENDERS GAME THIRD FORMIC WAR SKIRMISH
GAME
INTRODUCTION
Card and Board Game based on the Ender’s War Book.
Two player game.
DISCLAIMER
Ender’s War is a copyrighted property.
This is merely a fan site.
THE BOARD
Use a Chessboard. 8 x 8 grid.
UNITS
Both the Humans and the Formics have 2 types of Units:
Starships and Fighters.
Use flat counters to represent units.
BACKGROUND
IF = International Fleet. Human Forces.
Buggers = Common slang name for Formics.
Formics = Insect Race with Interstellar Telepathy.
Ansible = Human device that allows FTL Communication.
MDD = Molecular Detachment Device: Human Weapon capable of
Destroying multiple enemies or even a whole planet in a single shot.
Shields = Device that protects against Nuclear attacks.
Fortification = Formic Asteroid Base used as giant exploding mine.
THE DECKS
Both sides have their own unique deck.
SETUP
Setup is scenario dependent.
EARLY WAR BASIC SCENARIO SETUP
The Humans have 2 Starships and 8 Fighter Squads.
The Buggers have 8 Starships and 32 Fighter Swarms.
Fleets start in opposite corners.
Each starship is stacked with 4 Fighter units.
Humans go first.
STACKING
There are no stacking limits.
Enemy units may also share the same space.
Enemy units in the same space are considered to be at range 1 for
attack purposes. Ignore facing for attacks in the same space.
TERRAIN TYPES
Empty Space – No special effects.
Planet – Units may stack in the same space. Blocks LOS.
Asteroids - Units may stack in the same space. Blocks LOS.
ADJACENCY & DIRECTION
All Moves can be orthogonal or diagonal.
Units joined by a side or a corner are considered to be adjacent.
TURN SEQUENCE
Players take turns.
Each turn has 2 Phases:
1. Strategy Phase
2. Action Phase
STRATEGY PHASE
Draw X cards and put them in your hand.
For Humans X = 6
For Formics X = 3
If a deck runs out, shuffle its discard and draw from it.
ACTION PHASE
Use Cards to make your Units move and attack.
Numbers on Attack cards indicate the exact range of the attack.
Numbers on Move cards indicate the exact distance the Unit Moves.
Defense cards are used in response to an attack to negate it.
FORMATION MOVEMENT
If 2 or more units occupy the same space then a single move card can be used to move them all,
However, they must all be moved together to the same destination.
MOVE & ATTACK LIMITS
A Fighter can move twice but attack only once in a turn.
A Starship can move only once, but may attack twice in a turn.
Some cards allow these limits to be exceeded.
CRUISERS
In the Human Fleets, some Fighter Squadrons are replaced by Cruisers.
A Cruiser is much larger than a single fighter but is still carried inside a Starship.
Cruisers can use any card useable by a Starship.
Cruisers get up to 2 Moves and 2 Attacks per turn.
ATTACKS & DAMAGE
When an Attack by a Human Unit hits, all enemy Units in the space are hit.
Any Bugger unit Hit is destroyed unless a defense card is played.
When a Bugger Attack hits, only one unit is hit (Buggers Choice).
A Human Unit that is hit takes 1 Point of Damage.
Use Damage Counters (DC) to keep track of Damage.
SS or FS with 4 or more DC are destroyed.
Cruisers are destroyed by 3 DC.
If a Human Unit attacks a Bugger unit stacked in the same space with it there is a
50% chance (flip a coin) the Human unit will be caught in its own MDD and be destroyed.
CARD DECK NOTATION
S = Special
M = Move
A = Attack
D = Defense
K = Like a Knight in Chess
SL = Squadron Leader
SS = Starship
FS = Fighter Squad or Fighter Swarm
D1C = Draw 1 Card
D2C = Draw 2 Cards
O2RC = Opponent discards 2 random cards
LAOH = Look at Opponents Hand
HUMAN FLEET DECK CARD LIST
Card Name: # Type Notes:
Ender 1 S Up to 4 Units get M = 1 or 2 and D2C
Mazer Rackham 1 S Search deck for card and put it in your hand
SL Alai 1 S Target Unit gets an extra Move and Attack
SL Bean 1 S FS gets M = K and A = K and D1C
SL Petra 1 S D1C and 1 Unit gets to make an extra attack
SL Dink 1 S M = 2 and 1 Unit gets M = 2 or 3
SL Crazy Tom 1 S M = 4 and A = 2
SL Shen 1 S M = 1 and A = 4 or 5
SL Hot Soup 1 S M = 2 and A = 1 or 2
SL Fly Molo 1 S M = 2 and 1 Unit may make an extra Move
SL Carn Carby 1 S M = 2 or 3 and D1C
Independence 1 S D2C. Target Unit may take an extra move
Discipline 1 S Search discard for card and put it in your hand
Self Sufficient 1 S D1C. Target unit may take an extra move or attack
Ecstatic Shields 1 D SS Defends
Superstructure 1 D SS Defends
Armored Hull 1 D SS Defends
Evasive Maneuver 1 D Unit Defends and M = 1
Force Fields 1 D Unit Defends
Find Cover 1 D Unit in Asteroid Field Defends and/or D1C
Limited Goals 1 D Unit Defends or M = 2 or A = 2
Dodge 1 D FS Defends
Maneuverability 1 D FS or Cruiser Defends or M = K
Scatter 1 D FS Defends and M = 1
Dart 1 S FS Defends or FS or Cruiser gets M = 1 and A = 1
Superior Tactics 1 S Discard 2 cards and D3C
Attack Position 2 A A = 3
Computer Targeting 2 A A = 2
Cross Beams 2 A A = 1
Focus Beams 2 A A = 4
Ships Guns 2 A A = 5 Starship Only
Chain Reaction 2 S Destroy Formic unit adjacent to one just destroyed
Cause Havoc 1 S M = 3 and Unit get make an extra attack
Devastating Attack 1 A A = 1 and A = 2 and A = 3
Surprise Attack 1 A Unit gets M = 3 and A = 1 and A = 2
Defensive Fire 2 A A = 1 or 2 Only on opponents Turn
Unpredictable Angle 2 A A = K
Feint 1 S M = 1 and O1RC
Withdraw 1 D Unit Defends and M = 1
Go Nova 1 M All Units in target Formation get their own M = 2 or 3
Command & Control 1 S M = 2 or 3 and D1C
Precision Operation 1 S M = 1 or 2 and M = 3 or 4
Exact Timing 1 S M = 3 and A = 3
Scout 1 S M = 3 and LAOH
No Teacher butthe Enemy 1 S LAOH and D2C
Individual Initiative 1 S M = 2 and A = 2
Slide the Wall 1 S FS gets M = 4 then M = K
Disrupt Formation 1 S Negate move made by enemy
Veteran Battle Skills 1 S M = 1 or A = 1 or D1C
Small Unit Tactics 1 S M = 1 or A = 1
Probe 1 S M = 1 and LAOH
Daring Attack 1 S M = K and A = 2
Fluid Attack 1 S M = 2 or 3 and A = 1
Flexible Strategy 1 S M = 3 or K or D1C
Reorient Simulator 1 S D1C and LAOH
Damage Control 1 S Remove 1 DC from a Cruiser or SS
Slow 2 M M = 1 or 2
Skim 2 M M = 3 or 4
Fast 2 M FS or Cruiser M = 5 or 6
Bullet Formation 1 S M = 4 and A = 1
Take Risks 1 S You and enemy discard hand and draw 3 cards
Covering Fire 1 S Unit Defends and M = 3. Another Unit A = 4
TheEnemy’s Gate is Down 1 S M = 5 or 6 and A = 1
Reserve 1 S M = 4 and M = 5 or K
Block Enemies Lanes 1 S Negate move made by enemy
Improvised Attack 1 S M = 3 and A = 2
Unbalancing Attack 1 S 3 Units get M = 2 and A = 2 in same direction
It Could Only Work Once 1 S No Limits on number of Moves this turn
FORMIC ARMADA DECK CARD LIST
Card Name: # Type Notes:
Main Contingent 1 S Four Units get A = 2
Exhaustion 1 S O2RC
Feint 1 S M = 1 and O1RC
Withdraw 1 S Unit Defends and M = 2
Screen 1 S Unit Defends
Surge 1 S Move up to 3 Units M = 3
Onslaught 1 S Two Units get A = 2
Skirmish 1 S M = 2 or A = 3
Shifting Patterns 1 S Move up to 8 Units M = 1
Concentrate Fire 1 S Three Units get A = 3 vs Target Space
Hive Mind 1 S Two Units get A = 2
Telepathic Control 1 S Move up to 3 Units M = K or 3
React Instantly 1 S M = 1 or a = 2
Spread Out 1 S Unit Defends and M = 2
Mass Maneuvers 1 S Move up to 5 Units M = 4 or 5
Surround Enemy 1 S Move up to 4 Units M = 3 or 4
Instant Communication 1 S M = 2 or A = 2
Space Mines 1 S A = 1 vs all Units in target Asteroid Field
Trap 1 S Two Units get A = 1
Ambush 1 S Three Units get A = 1
Lure 1 A Move enemy unit 1 Space then A = 1
Attrition 1 A Two units get M = 1 and A = 1
Regroup 1 S Move up to 3 Units M = 2 or 3
Assault Force 1 S M = 2 and A = 1
Missiles 2 A A = 3
Energy Weapons 2 A A = 2
Nukes 1 A A = 4
False Retreats 1 S Unit Defends and A = 1
Outflank 1 S M = K and A = 1
Create Confusion 1 M M = K and O1RC
Swift and Deadly 1 S M = 2 and A = 2
Perfect Unity 1 M Move up to 6 Units M = 1 or 2
Take Key Point 1 S D1C and A = 1
Limited Fuel 1 S Negate Enemy Move
Speed 1 M M = 4 or 5
Great Response Time 1 D Unit Defends or M = 1
Firepower 1 A A = 2 or 3
Innovation 1 A D2C
Expose Weakness 1 S O2RC
Attrition 1 A A = 1
Exploit Advantage 1 S M = 3 and A = 1
Broken 1 S Negate SL Card
SCENARIOS
Buggers will always outnumber the Humans.
Larger boards can be used.
Old (50 years) IF Starships can hold only 3 Fighter squads (not 4).
Old units max attack range = 4.
Very Old units max attack range is 3.
Very Old (70 years) IF Starships can hold only 2 squads.
Very Old IF Starships can only make 1 attack per turn.
Very Old IF Fighters can only make 1 move per turn.
By the middle of the War the Buggers can draw 4 cards in Strategy Phase.
By the late War, the Buggers can draw 5 cards in Strategy Phase.
LINKS
Enders Game Wikipedia