Before we get to the game rules, there's a few things that you should know about controlling the game before you get started.
Your Turn
Your turn is broken up into a few very simple steps:
1. Play a Card
The current cards that you have available are at the bottom of the screen. If you hover your mouse over a card the full card will appear on the upper right of the screen so that you can read the full text.
Click once on a card play that card.
2. Order Units 1 - Movement/Prepare for Battle
After you choose your card you will probably have the option to Order one or more of your units. To order a unit simply click on them. To move, click and drag to where you would like to move them.
If you want to order a general separately from its attached unit you can click on the general or the unit until one of them is no longer highlighted. The highlighted unit will now act independently of the other.
Note: If you want a unit to battle in the next phase but don't want to move them you still need to click on them. If you don't click on them then they haven't received any orders and are not prepared for battle. You can always change your mind about units that you've clicked by clicking them again. You can undo all of your moves in this phase but you need to undo them in order starting with the last unit you gave orders to.
When you are finished ordering and moving your units, click the "done" button.
3. Order Units 2 - Battle
At this point any units that were ordered in the last phase that can still fire and have viable targets will be highlighted. Click on one of these units. Any viable targets will have their hexes highlighted in red. Click one of these hexes to choose that unit as a target and fire - the dice will automatically roll.
Once the roll is finished units may take damage and/or be forced to retreat.
Retreating: If your opponent rolled an attack against one of your units that resulted in one or more flag dice you will need to retreat. Just find the highlighted unit, then click and drag it to one of the highlighted hexes. Now click "done."
In some cases your retreating unit will have no place to go. If this is the case then your unit will automatically take a point of damage instead. If the unit is forced to retreat off of the board it is destroyed.
Dice dialogue: The dice display stays near the unit that is currently rolling dice. This means that in some cases it may obscure your retreating units. Just click and drag the dice display to move it out of the way.
Playing the AI: Like other GTO games, to play against the AI you just need to start the game from the table. If no live opponent is in the table with you an AI player will be assigned.
The Battle Cry AI is quick and quite aggressive. If you are a new player to the game you will probably find it challenging. Don't worry. Once you've learned the best ways to use your units and the terrain you'll be defeating it in no time!
Battle Cry is a unique historical game system with 15 stylized Civil War battles and skirmishes. The battle scenarios and maps in the game focus on important terrain features that existed on the original battlefields. They also represent the historical deployment of Union and Confederate forces that participated in each battle. In some scenarios, an infantry unit may represent an entire division while in other scenarios a unit may represent a single regiment
The Confederate and Union armies have 3 different types of units: infantry, cavalry, artillery, plus generals.
Each army has 10 infantry units, 3 cavalry units, 3 artillery units and 3 generals.
Each unit and general is worth one flag if completely eliminated from a battle.
The battlefield gameboard is a hex grid, 13 hexes wide by 9 hexes deep. The field is divided into 3 sections by 2 dotted lines – giving each player a left flank section, a center section and a right flank section. Where a dotted line cuts through a hex, the hex is considered to be part of the flank section and the center section.
These represent a wide range of terrain features and are place on the gameboard to create unique battlefields for each game. They are explained in more detail later on.
Army units may only move and/or battle when given an order. Command cards are used to order your troops to move, attack, and/or do something special. There are 2 types of command cards: Order cards and Special Order cards.
Order cards are used to order a move and/or battle. These cards indicate in which section of the battlefield you may order units and how many units you may order. Order cards may be used for any of your units in the section mentioned.
Special Order cards are used to order a specific move and/or battle, or to do something special. These cards may be used to order units in any section of the battlefield. Some cards allow you to order units in all sections. However, a card may only be used to order the type of unit(s) described.
Select one of the 15 battle scenarios. It is recommended that the scenarios be played in order. Each scenario has special rules and flavor text that will be available when you launch the game.
This is done automatically in the online version.
Each scenario has staffing notes that dictates:
The server will shuffle the command cards and deal the number of cards shown in the staffing notes to each player. Players’ cards are kept secret. The remaining cards become the draw pile.
Be first to eliminate 6 of your opponent’s flag pieces from the battlefield to win!
The player listed in the staffing notes goes first. Players alternate taking turns. On your turn follow the sequence shown below:
1. Play a command card.
2. Order units.
3. Move.
4. Battle.
5. Resolve battle.
6. Draw a new command card.
1. Play a Command Card
Command cards are normally used to order movement and/or an attack. At the start of your turn, play 1 card from your hand. The card will tell you in which section(s) of the battlefield you may issue orders and how many orders you may give. Some cards allow you to take special actions (as explained on the card).
If none of the command cards you hold allow you to order any of your units, discard 1 card and draw a replacement from the command card draw pile. This ends your turn.
After playing a command card, announce which of your units you will order. Only those units that are given an order may move, battle, or take a special action. You may not give more than 1 order to each unit.
Note: Generals may participate in battles even they have not been given an order. See Generals in Battle section for details.
You may move units you’ve ordered in any sequence you wish. However, you must complete 1 move before beginning another. Each unit may move only once. All moves must be completed on a turn before you may battle. (Battling is explained in the next section of the instructions.)
Infantry – An ordered infantry unit may move 1 hex and battle
Cavalry – An ordered cavalry unit may move up to 3 hexes and battle
Artillery – An ordered artillery unit may move 1 hex or may battle. An artillery unit may not move and battle.
General – An ordered general may move up to 3 hexes. Generals may participate in battles even if they have not been given an order to do so. (See Generals in Battle section for details)
Note: Retreating is a different type of movement with slightly different rules. See Retreating section for details.
After completing all moves, your ordered unit(s) must be close enough to the enemy and in a position to “see” the enemy to battle. (See Range and Line of Sight sections on the next page for details.)
Each battle must be resolved before the next is started. A unit may battle another unit only once per turn. A unit may never split its battle dice between several enemy targets. To battle, do the following:
See sections below for details.
Note: Generals engage in battle somewhat differently than army units. See Generals in Battle section for details.
An ordered infantry unit may battle an enemy target that is 4 or fewer hexes away in any direction. An infantry unit rolls 4 battle dice when the target is in an adjacent hex, and 1 die less for each additional hex away from the enemy. For example, to battle an enemy that is 4 hexes away in clear terrain, an infantry unit would roll 1 battle die.
An ordered artillery unit may battle an enemy target that is 5 or fewer hexes away in any direction. An artillery unit rolls 5 battle dice when the target is an adjacent hex, and 1 die less for each additional hex away from the enemy. For example, to attach an enemy is 5 hexes away in clear terrain, an artillery unit would roll 1 battle die.
An ordered cavalry unit rolls 3 battle dice, but may only battle an enemy target that is adjacent.
See Generals in Battle section above right for details.
Important: The number of playing pieces in a unit has no effect on the number of battle dice rolled. Casualties do not affect the number of battle dice rolled by a unit. As long as 1 playing piece remains, a unit may battle at full strength.
Note: See Resolving Battle section for additional information about generals.
A unit must be able to “see” the enemy unit it wants to battle. This is known as having “line of sight.”
Imagine a line drawn from the center of the hex containing the battling unit to the center of the hex containing the enemy target. This line of sight is blocked only if a hex (or part of a hex) between the battling unit and the target hex contains an obstruction. Obstructions include a unit or general (regardless if friend or foe), woods, hills, fields, or buildings. The terrain in the target hex does not block line of sight.
If the imaginary line runs along the edge of 1 or more hexes that contain obstructions, line of sight is not blocked unless the obstructions are on both sides of the line.
Each type of terrain tile is described below. Terrain tiles are placed on the gameboard as shown on each scenario map. They remain in place and in effect for the entire game.
A unit that enters a woods hex must stop and may move no further on that turn.
A unit may not battle on the turn in which it moves onto a woods hex. (This rule does not apply to a general who moves to attach himself to a unit already on a woods hex.)
When battling an enemy unit that is on a woods hex, reduce the number of battle dice rolled by 1.
Woods block line of sight.
No movement restrictions.
When battling an enemy unit that is an orchard hex, reduce the number of battle dice rolled by 1.
An orchard does not block line of sight.
No movement restrictions.
When battling an enemy unit that is on a hill hex, reduce the number of battle dice rolled by 1. This reduction is still applied even if the battling unit is on an adjacent hill hex.
Artillery firing from a hill hex has its range increased to a maximum of 6 hexes. When battling from a hill hex, roll the standard number of battle dice for the normal range of 1 to 5 hexes. At a range of 6 hexes, roll 1 die
An artillery unit on a hill hex does not have its line of sight blocked by friendly units or generals that are on an adjacent hex-as long as that adjacent hex has no other terrain features that block line of sight.
A hill blocks line of sight.
A unit that enters a building hex must stop and may move no further on that turn.
A unit may not battle on the turn in which moves onto a building hex.
When battling an enemy unit that is on a building hex, reduce the number of battle dice rolled by 2.
A building blocks line of sight.
A unit must stop when it enters a waterway hex.
A unit on a waterway hex rolls 1 battle die less when battling an enemy unit.
A waterway does not block line of sight.
A waterway bridge cancels all waterway movement restrictions. Consider as clear terrain.
A waterway bridge cancels all waterway battle restrictions. Consider as clear terrain.
A waterway does not block line of sight.
No movement restrictions.
When battling an enemy unit that is on a field hex, reduce the number of battle dice rolled by 1.
A field has tall crops which block line of sight.
A unit may not enter a hex containing rough terrain.
No battle restrictions.
Rough terrain does not block line of sight.
No movement restrictions.
When battling an enemy unit that is on a fence hex, reduce the number of battle dice rolled by 1 (unless the battling unit is behind the fence line).
Fences do not block line of site.
Field–works tokens may be placed on top of any terrain hexes except waterway hexes.
No movement restrictions. However, all movement characteristics remain in effect for a terrain tile on which a field-works token is placed.
When attacking an enemy unit that is on a hex with a field-works token, reduce the number battle dice rolled by 2 (unless the attacking unit is behind the line of the field-works). Ignore any other battle reductions associated with the underlying terrain hex. For example, a field-works built in a woods hex reduces an attacker’s battle dice by 2, not 1.
A Field-works does not block line of sight. However, if it is place on a terrain tile that already blocks line of sight, then that line of sight remains blocked.
Each die rolled will result in a hit, a retreat or a miss. (A unit may never split its battle dice between several enemy targets).
Hits are resolved first, followed by retreats.
The attacker scores 1 hit for each dice symbol rolled that matches the target unit. For example, a targeted infantry unit suffers 1 hit for each infantry symbol rolled. A hit is also scored for each crossed-sabers symbol rolled, regardless of the type of unit attacked.
For each hit scored, 1 figure is removed from the target unit. The flag bearer playing piece is always the last piece to be removed. When the flag piece is removed, the attacker keeps it, and adds it to their total of captured flag pieces.
If an attacking player rolls more hits than the number of playing pieces in the defending unit, these additional hits are wasted.
When attacking a general, calculate the number of battle dice to be rolled as usual. The attacking player must then roll a crossed-sabers. If he succeeds, the defending general is eliminated. When a defending general is eliminated, he counts towards the attacker’s total of enemy flags captured. Eliminating a general has no other impact on the game. If the attacking player does not succeed, the defending general has a lucky escape.
A general may only be attacked if alone in a hex. If a general is attached to a unit that has just been eliminated and the attacker still has 1 or more additional crossed-sabers to use, those hits are wasted.
To hit and remove an attached general in 1 battle turn, you must do the following:
1. Play a command card that orders at least 2 attacking units that are within range and line of sight of the defending general’s unit.
2. Roll the appropriate dice to completely destroy the attached unit.
3. Then, another unit must attack the lone general and score a hit.
After all hits have been resolved and casualties removed, retreats must be resolved. For each flag symbol rolled during the battle, the defending unit must retreat 1 hex toward its own side of the battlefield. Terrain has no effect on retreat moves. The defending player decides to which hex a unit retreats by following the rules below.
Exception 1: A unit without a general attached, may retreat onto a hex that contains a friendly general (as long as the general is not attached to another unit). If a unit retreats onto a hex with a friendly general, the general attaches to that unit, and that unit may ignore any other flag dice symbols rolled by the attacker, and need no retreat any further.
Exception 2: A general may retreat onto, or through, a hex that contains a friendly unit as long as it does not already have an attached general. (After completing all retreat moves required, if the general is in a hex with a friendly unit, he is considered attached to that unit.) Any unit on a hex that a general passes through during his retreat is unaffected.
You failed to roll any of the symbols needed to hit an enemy target or to force the enemy to retreat.
After resolving all hits and retreats, the command card played will be discarded and the server will give you a new card from the draw deck. Your turn is now over.
The first player to capture 6 flag pieces wins the game.
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