Overview of the Core Rules

With decades of gaming behind us and experience in many different systems, we were determined to make the ultimate rules system – one which is not only highly playable, but also realistic, easy to learn and endlessly strategic. High ambitions indeed, but we think we met the challenge.

The core mechanics of the rules are extremely intuitive and because of that they are easy to remember and rather simple. The game relies of several key rule mechanics.

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A) Dice Rolls – Firstly Godslayer uses 2D6 which allows us to control the probabilities with great accuracy because of the so-called probability “bell-curve”.

Opposed actions are performed with dice rolls. For example a melee attack is MEL +2D6 vs. DEF of the target. Missile attacks are MIS +2D6 vs. DEF of the target, etc.

B) IGOUGO – In the IGOUGO system I activate a model or unit and do EVERYTHING with that model/unit including movement, shooting, melee, and other things. Then you activate a model/unit and do everything with your model/unit etc. This is a better system for skirmish games than the phase-based systems (where you do the movement for all units then the shooting for all units then the magic for all units etc….) because in the IGOUGO system both players stay constantly engaged in the game and the situation on the battlefield is in constant strategic flux.

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C) Actions – During the activation of a unit or individual model, it can perform actions in any order, so it can move once, then shoot, then move again, then use a tactic, then make an attack etc. This allows amazing realism and playability with no artificial phases!

Each model/unit has a certain number of Action Tokens and every action costs a certain amount of tokens to perform. For example: moving your MOV-value once in inches costs one action token. Most melee attacks cost 2 action tokens but some heavy attacks with 2-handed weapons cost 3 action tokens to perform, etc.

A model/unit’s action tokens can be increased in a few ways for example the warlord can assign action tokens to any model unit. When the action tokens are used up, that model’s activation ends and play then passes to the opponent.

D) Balanced Melee – Most combat in Godslayer is simultaneous. One thing that really annoyed us with some games was that a charge was utterly devastating and game-changing. In Godslayer, when my unit charges your unit, your unit may make a passive-activation and perform an attack every time I perform an attack simultaneously (assuming your unit has unspent action tokens).

So charges can still be devastating, but they are also costly unless you prepare your chargers with tactics and other buffs to enhance them.

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E) Model Realism – All models have 3-30 life points. Unlike in some games, where a model has only 1 life-point or “wound”, each model in Godslayer is valuable and more than just a counter on a board. These life-points are easy to track because every model/unit has a profile card with boxes to mark off the damage. And by the way, the profile cards are all laminated! So you don’t have to use plastic sleeves.

F) Tactical Interplay – so-called “Individual models” can boost units by ordering tactics to them, casting spells on them, and by using talents, auras and abilities.  Such Individual models include “warlords” and “characters”, each of which has several tactics and abilities. Many of these buffs also produce synergies and tactical advantages. Because of this, the sequence of activating models is a tactical decision, so too is placement since most ordered tactics and spells have a limited range.
Many models and units have their own abilities and self-tactics as well as several different attack options, all of which are clearly explained and easy to master as well as plainly visible on the profile cards.

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There is a lot more to say about the rules and many great effects which have been worked in such as light-infantry, knocked down, and a unique system of checking line-of-sight based on the sight value of the model. Needless to say, we are confident that with Godslayer we hit a new level in realism and playability.