MYSTERIOUS ISLANDS
INTRODUCTION
Quick easy War Game for 2-6 players.
Unique Fantasy Setting.
BACKGROUND
The Mysterious Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific with 11 main
islands and several smaller ones.
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There are 7 Factions currently vying for control of the Islands:
The Pirates, Dr. Nemo, Dr. Moreau, The Rebels, The
British East India Company, The Zombies, and The Natives.
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The Pirates have been burying treasure on these Islands for over 100
years. They are not giving up their loot without a Fight.
The Islands contain large amounts of radioactive ores. This is the
Fuel source for the engine of Dr. Nemo’s precious Submarine.
These same ores are the animating spark for the flesh hungry
Zombies that threaten to overrun the Islands.
The Secretive Dr. Moreau has been conducting his crossbreeding
experiments on these Islands for 20 years. His Beastmen are
formidable foes.
The Native Tribesmen would prefer to be left alone, but they will
fight to protect their Jungle Homes.
The British East India Company has only just discovered the Islands.
They are sending the first of many ships filled with soldiers,
explorers, and colonists to claim this new prize.
Finally there are the Rebels, mostly escaped Beastmen, but also
Slaves, Outcasts, Criminals, Mutineers, and others who have
banded together to defend their newfound freedom.
VICTORY & VICTORY TOKENS
The game ends at the end of 12 Rounds.
In a Round each player gets 1 Turn.
At the end of the game the player with the most Bases wins.
DICE
Six Sided Dice are needed.
SETUP
Each player picks 1 Faction.
Each Faction starts with one Base adjacent to a water hex.
Max 1 Base per Island.
Stack 4 Bands & 1 Boss (matching Faction) on each Base and
1 Adjacent Boat.
Players roll high on 1D6 to see who goes first.
THE MAP
Use a Hex Map.
There are 11 Large Islands: Each of these covers 6 + 1D6 Spaces.
Include 2D6 smaller Islands (1D6 Spaces each).
There are 2 types of Terrain on Islands: Jungle and Volcano.
Islands are Mostly Jungle. Include 0-2 Volcanoes on each of
the larger Islands.
Units cannot enter Volcano spaces.
UNITS
Each Faction gets its own set of Units
There are 5 Types of Units: Bands, Bases, Boats, Bosses, and Bombards.
Bases do not move, they are points for recruiting Bands and Boats.
Bases are located on Islands. Max 1 Base per Hex.
A Base cannot be located adjacent to another Base.
Bases aid in Defense: If attacked a Base gets +1 to the Battle Roll.
Boats are often needed to transport Bands from one Island to Another.
Bands are small groups of Combatants.
Bosses are Leaders or exceptionally Tough Individuals.
Only Pirates and The British can Recruit Bombards.
Bombards are Land units with 1 Movement Point.
UNIT NOTATION
Faction: Color: Bases: Boats: Bosses:
Pirates Red Lairs Sloops Captains
Nemo Blue Factories Submarines Sub Commanders
Moreau Green Labs Barges Task Masters
Rebels Orange Camps Rafts Ring Leaders
Company White Outposts Clippers Agents
Zombies Black Ruins None None
Natives Yellow Villages Outriggers Shamans
TURN SEQUENCE
The Game lasts 12 Round.
During a Round each Player gets 1 Turn.
Each turn has 5 Phases:
Recruit Phase
Movement Phase
Bombardment Phase
Action Phase
Combat Phase
RECRUIT PHASE
Gain 2D6 Recruit Points (RP).
Bands cost 1 RP each.
Bases, Bosses, Boats, and Bombards cost 2 RP each.
Bands, Bosses, and Bombards are placed on or adjacent to a Base.
Boats are placed in Water Hexes adjacent to a Base.
A Base can be placed in a space with a Band on land that is not
on or adjacent to another Base.
MOVEMENT PHASE
All you units may move once.
Bands have a Basic Movement Allowance of 2 Move Points.
Boats and Bosses have a Basic Movement Allowance of 4 Move Points.
Each Unit may be moved once up to its Movement Allowance.
BOMBARDMENT PHASE
This Includes British Company Boats and Bombards and Pirate Boats and Bombards.
They can attack adjacent Units.
British hit on a roll of 4+ on 1D6. Pirates hit on 5+.
If successful one random unit in the target stack is killed.
If the target stack has only units with the Hide ability the attack roll is at -1.
Nemo subs have Torpedoes: They can target Adjacent Boats
and hit on a roll of 5+
COMBAT PHASE
If a Hex contains Units from 2 different Factions, they will fight:
Each side rolls 3D6 (The Battle Roll) and adds Modifiers.
The side with more units gets +1 to the Battle Roll (BR).
If a side has 1 or more Bosses it gets +1 to the BR.
The higher roll is the winner.
If it is a tie both sides lose 1 unit.
The loser loses a number of units equal to the difference between the Rolls.
If units from both sides remain, players roll again:
This continues until one side is eliminated.
BOSSES
Treat Bosses like Bands for all purposes unless the rules state otherwise.
BOATS
If a Boat goes down all aboard will be lost unless the boat is adjacent
to a land hex that is empty or friendly in which case the carried units wash up
on shore there on a roll of 4+ on 1D6. Natives on 3+.
Divers and Zombie Bands since they can swim remain in the sea space and continue fighting.
PIRATE FACTION
Pirates Bands and Boats are well Armed: They get +1 to all Battle Rolls.
Pirate Bands are expert Raiders: They get +2 to the first Battle roll of a
Combat if they are the attackers.
Pirates sail the Seven Seas: When recruiting they may enter from the
side of the map with at least 1 Ship.
Pirate ships can carry up to 4 Bands.
If Pirates defeat a stack containing an enemy Boat they capture it and
keep it on a roll of 5+ on 1D6. (Treat it as another Pirate Ship)
NEMO FACTION
A Nemo stack with a Sub gets +2 to its Battle rolls when fighting
stacks containing 1 or more other Boats.
Nemo Subs have 6 Movement Points (MP).
Nemo Bands and Bosses are Divers: They can move in water hexes.
Nemo Diver Bands are slow: They only have 1 MP.
Nemo subs can hold 3 Bands in relative luxury.
Nemo Subs, Bosses and Bands in water can Hide: If attacked they may move to
an adjacent empty or friendly hex on a roll of 4+.
Nemo recruits his crews from India: When recruiting they may enter from the
side of the map with at least 1 Sub.
MOREAU FACTION
Moreau Beastman Bands are Fast: They have 3 MP.
Beastman Bands are masters of Lightning Attacks:
They get +3 to the first Battle roll of a Combat if they are the attackers.
Moreau Breeds them quickly in his Labs:
The Moreau Faction gets +1 to Recruit Rolls.
Moreau's Beastmen are Fierce Hand-to-Hand Combatants: Even if they lose a
Land Combat, the opposing side will lose 1 Band on a roll of 4+ on 1D6.
Moreau Barges can hold 3 Bands.
REBEL FACTION
The Rebels can convert defeated Foes: If they win a Battle:
Roll 1D6: on a roll of 5+ they gain 1 new Band.
Rebels can Hide: If attacked they may move to an adjacent empty
or friendly hex on a roll of 5+.
Rebels are expert Ambushers: They get +2 to the first Battle roll of a
Combat if they are the defenders.
Rebel Rafts are slow, they have 2 MP and they can carry 2 Bands.
COMPANY FACTION
Soldier Bands and Boats are heavily Armed: They get +1 to all Battle Rolls.
Company Clipper Boats have 5 MP and can hold 5 Bands.
The British Empire Circles the Globe: When recruiting they may enter from the
side of the map with at least 1 Ship.
ZOMBIE FACTION
Zombies are slow: They have 1 MP.
Zombies do not use boats, however they can "swim" (They walk across the Bottom)
Zombies can convert defeated Foes: If they win a Battle roll 1D6:
On a roll of 3+ they gain 1 new Band.
Zombies Regenerate: At the end of Bombardment and Combat Phase roll 2D6 for
each killed unit: on a roll of 10+ the unit comes back to life.
Zombies do not have Boats or Bosses. They cannot buy Ruins.
If they defeat an enemy Base it becomes a Ruin.
When Recruiting Zombie Bands Ruins are not required: New Bands may be placed on
any empty or friendly space on any island you occupy (The Dead Rise).
NATIVE FACTION
Natives are expert at Hiding: If attacked they may move to an adjacent empty
or friendly hex on a roll of 4+.
Native are Swift: Native Bands have 3 MP.
They know the land and are experts at camouflage: They always get +2 to
the first Battle Roll of a Combat.
Native Bands are strong Swimmers: They can move through water hexes but
cannot end their move in one.
Native Outrigger Canoes can hold 2 Bands.
A stack with a Shaman Boss may Reroll 1 Roll per turn.
OPTIONAL RULE - MULTIPLE FACTIONS
In a 2 player game each player can control up to 3 Factions each.
In a 3 player game each player can control up to 2 Factions each.
OPTIONAL RULE - EVENT PHASE
For people who like a little extra Chaos:
The Event Phase is the first Phase of every Turn.
Roll 1D6: on a roll of 6 there will be an Event: Roll Another 1D6:
1 = Volcanic Eruption: all Units on One Random Island are Destroyed
2 = Whirlpool: One target Boat is Destroyed
3 = Giant Mutant Animal = All Bands in one target Stack of Units on Land that
does not include a Base are Destroyed
4 = Sinkhole = One Target Base is Destroyed
5 = Assassin = One Target Boss is Destroyed
6 = Invention: Pick one of the Following:
*Reinforcements = Gain 1D6 extra Recruit Points
*Nukes Ahoy = Nemo invents the Atomic Bomb: Bomb units cost 2 RP and
have 2 MP. When ordered to explode, they destroy themselves and every
Unit in all Adjacent Spaces.
*Cannibalism = Native Bands become more aggressive:
Their stacks get a further +1 to all Battle Rolls.
*Weapon Merchants = The Rebels get a supplier for weapons: Their Band stacks now get an
extra +1 to all Battle Rolls. Their can recruit Bombards like Pirates.
*Super Soldiers = Moreau improves his genetic Stock: All his Band Stacks
get an extra +1 to all Battle Rolls and can swim like natives.
*Ironclads = British Boats now have Harder Shells: They get +1 to MP, to Battle Rolls,
to Bombardment Range, to Bombardment Rolls, and to their Recruitment cost
*Zombie Apocalypse = A nastier strain of Zombie evolves: They get +1 to MP and
+1 to all Battle Rolls.
*Treasure Map = The Pirates dig up a Fabulously Rich Treasure: They now get +2
to their Recruitment Point Rolls.
OPTIONAL RULE - ACTION DECK
Use a Regular 52 Card Deck.
The Turn Sequence now Begins with a Draw Phase and ends with a Discard Phase.
If the Deck ever runs out, shuffle the discard and draw from it.
Draw Phase: Draw 2 Cards from the Deck
Discard Phase: Max hand size is 5 cards. Discard excess cards.
When used, cards are discarded.
Card Notes:
A Target Dieroll is an automatic 1
2 Target Dieroll is an automatic 2
3 Target Dieroll is an automatic 3
4 Target Dieroll is an automatic 4
5 Target Dieroll is an automatic 5
6 Target Dieroll is an automatic 6
7 Units in Target Stack can Move Again (twice in Movement Phase)
8 Prevent Units in Target Stack from Moving
9 Reroll Target Dieroll
10 Target Dieroll gets +1 or -1 (Your choice)
J Steal 1 random card from Opponents Hand
Q Negate 1 Card Just Played
K Draw 2 Cards
EXTRA FACTION - THE CONFEDERATE COLONIES
This Faction is composed of Soldiers, Civilians, and their Slaves who
fled from the defeated South at the end of the American Civil War.
Their Bases are called Plantations, Their Boats are Paddleboats.
Their Bosses are called Generals.
They are well Armed: Their Stacks get +1 to all Battle Rolls.
They have Bombard Units and can conduct Bombardments just
like Pirates. They took their Horses with them so they are
fast on Land: They get 3MP.
Paddleboats can carry 4 Units and have 4MP.
They will enslave defeated enemies, so they have the Convert
ability equivalent to the Rebels Faction.
If using the Event Phase Option their Invention would be a
unit called Balloons: Balloons have 3MP. They can travel over
Land and Water. They cost 2RP. They can carry 1 Band or Boss.
Balloons can Escape by increasing their altitude: If attacked they
may move to an adjacent empty or friendly hex on a roll of 3+.
EXTRA FACTION - THE SATSUMA CLAN
This Faction is composed of Samurai who fled Japan after the
failed Satsuma Rebellion.
Their Bases are called Castles. Their Bosses are called Shogun.
They use a variety of small well-built boats collectively called Wasen.
The Boats get 3MP and can carry 2 Units.
They are well Armed: Their Stacks get +1 to all Battle Rolls.
As Masters of Tactics they get a further +2 to Battle Rolls on the
first turn of Combat. They took their Horses with them so they are
fast on Land: They get 3MP.
If using the Event Phase Option their Invention would be the Fanatical
Bonzai Charge: Sacrifice one Band or Boss from a Stack to get +2 to
the Battle Roll once per combat turn.