D.A.W.N. Game Rules

Don't Ask What Name

Game Overview

D.A.W.N. is a strategic kingdom-building game for 2-6 players. In the aftermath of civilization's collapse, you must establish a new kingdom from the ruins of the old world.

📋 Quick Facts

Players: 2-6
Age: 12+
Play Time: 60-120 minutes
Objective: Be the last player standing

Game Setup

Create Game Board:
Terrain tiles are shuffled and placed based on player count:
- 2 players: 20 tiles
- 3 players: 25 tiles
- 4 players: 30 tiles
- 5 players: 35 tiles
- 6 players: 40 tiles
Choose Race & Color:
Each player selects a race (Human, Dwarf, or Elf) and a unique color.
Starting Position:
Players roll dice to determine their starting tile based on terrain numbers.
Starting Units:
Each player begins with:
- 1 Lieutenant
- 1 Sergeant
- 1 Corporal
- 1 Basic Troop (Pike for Humans/Elves, Hatchet for Dwarves)

Turn Structure

Each player's turn consists of 8 phases that must be completed in order:

1. 💰 Collect Resources

Gather resources from controlled terrain tiles and collect tax from settlements.

2. 🚶‍♂️ Movement

Move units to adjacent tiles. Entering uncontrolled terrain may trigger scouting.

3. ⚔️ Combat

Resolve any combat from movement, encounters, or attacks.

4. 🎖️ Training

Train new units or promote existing ones (requires appropriate settlements).

5. 🏗️ Construction

Build or upgrade structures like towers and forts.

6. 🏘️ Settlements

Build new settlements or upgrade existing ones.

7. 💸 Maintenance

Pay maintenance costs for all units (every 12th month).

8. ✅ Turn End

Complete your turn and pass to the next player.

Races

👤 Humans

Abilities:

+1 Food from Plains terrain
Can use any resource (except Gold) for village upgrades
Balanced units with good versatility

Available Units:

Pike, Foot, Archer, Crossbow, Cavalry

🧙‍♂️ Dwarves

Abilities:

+1 Food from Mountain terrain (mining)
Extra gold income from all settlements
Strong defensive units

Available Units:

Hatchet, Hammer, Crossbow, Berserker

🧝‍♀️ Elves

Abilities:

+1 Food from Forest terrain (hunting)
Archers cost 50% less to produce
Fast-moving units with no maintenance on basic troops

Available Units:

Pike, Foot, Archer, Cavalry

Units

🎖️ Officers

Officers provide combat bonuses and are essential for victory. You can only have one of your highest rank.

Corporal → Sergeant → Lieutenant → Captain → Major

⚔️ Troops

Basic fighting units that form the backbone of your army. Each race has different troop types.

📊 Unit Stats

Each unit has the following attributes:

Attack: Dice rolled when attacking
Defense: Dice rolled when defending
Hit Points: Damage unit can take
Movement: Distance unit can move
Cost: Resources needed to train
Maintenance: Ongoing upkeep costs

Settlements

Settlements provide tax income, resource bonuses, and enable unit training. They can be upgraded through a progression chain:

🏘️ Hamlet

Tax: 1 Gold
Resource Bonus: +1
Cost: 2 Food
Trains: Corporal, Basic Troops

⬆️

🏘️ Village

Tax: 2 Gold
Resource Bonus: +2
Adjacent Bonus: +1
Cost: 5 Food, 1 Other
Trains: Sergeant, Archer

⬆️

🏙️ Town

Tax: 5 Gold
Resource Bonus: +3
Adjacent Bonus: +2
Cost: 10 Food, 2 Mineral, 2 Wood
Trains: Captain, Crossbow

⬆️

🏢 Minor City

Tax: 10 Gold
Resource Bonus: +4
Adjacent Bonus: +3
Cost: 20 Food, 5 Mineral, 5 Wood
Trains: Major, Advanced Units

⬆️

🏰 Major City

Tax: 20 Gold
Resource Bonus: +5
Adjacent Bonus: +4
Cost: 50 Food, 10 Mineral, 10 Wood
Trains: None (economic powerhouse)

Combat

⚔️ Combat Resolution

Initiative: Roll 2d6 + slowest unit's movement speed
Attack Phase: Higher initiative attacks first
Roll Dice: Attacker rolls attack dice, defender rolls defense dice
Calculate Damage: If attack > defense, difference becomes damage
Assign Damage: Roll to determine if officers are hit
Counter-Attack: Defender attacks back (if able)
Repeat: Continue until one side is defeated or retreats

🛡️ Combat Modifiers

Structures: Towers and Forts provide defense bonuses
Terrain: Some units have terrain advantages
Special Rules: Pike +5 vs Cavalry, Ranged vs Melee interactions
Officers: Provide attack and defense bonuses to units

Victory Conditions

🏆 How to Win

Last Player Standing: The game ends when only one player remains. You are eliminated when your highest-ranking officer is killed in combat.

⚠️ Elimination

If your highest officer dies, you are immediately eliminated from the game. Your remaining units stay on the board but cannot move, and your settlements become uncontrolled.

💡 Strategy Tips

Protect your highest officer at all costs
Expand carefully - overextension leaves you vulnerable
Balance economic growth with military strength
Use racial abilities to your advantage
Control resource-producing terrain for steady income
Build defensive structures in key locations

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