Turn Structure

Tactical mech-style SP System • Version 2.0 • Each turn has 4 phases: Refresh → Action → Draw → End

Game Structure

Setup

1. Both players shuffle their Casket HP decks (typically 26–50 cards; see Deck Construction)
2. Draw starting hand (6 cards)
3. Mulligan (optional): Shuffle hand back into deck, draw 6 new cards (once only)
4. Place Pilot Wound deck (10 cards, face-down) next to Casket deck
5. Set SP tracker to maximum (varies by Casket type)
6. Set Heat tracker to 0
7. Deploy Caskets on map (see scenario rules)

Game Round

A round consists of all players taking one turn each.

Initiative Phase

• All players roll 1d6
• Highest roll acts first
• Ties: Re-roll
• Turn order proceeds clockwise from first player

Player Turns

• Each player takes one complete turn
• Once all players have acted, the round ends
• Start new round (roll initiative again)

Player Turn Structure

PHASE 1: REFRESH

Restore your resources and check status.

1.1 Restore SP

Set SP to your maximum (based on Casket type):

• Scout Caskets: 6 SP
• Assault Caskets: 5 SP
• Heavy Caskets: 4 SP
• Fortress Caskets: 3 SP

Modified by:

• Chassis destroyed: -1 SP max
• undergone Flesh Bargain pilots: +1 SP max
• Certain Scars/Wounds

1.1b Overspending SP (Tactical mech-style Push System)

• You can spend UP TO 1.5× your SP maximum per turn (rounded down)
• Every SP beyond your maximum costs 1 card (discard from hand or deck)
• Every 2 SP overspent = +1 Heat (pushes systems into Danger Zone)
• Example: Scout (6 SP) can spend up to 9 SP total (6 × 1.5 = 9)
  • First 6 SP: Free
  • 7th-9th SP: Discard 1 card each + gain 1 Heat (at 8 SP), +1 Heat (at 9 SP) = +2 Heat total
• Example: Heavy (4 SP) can spend up to 6 SP total (4 × 1.5 = 6)
  • First 4 SP: Free
  • 5th-6th SP: Discard 1 card each + gain 1 Heat (at 6 SP) = +1 Heat total
• This is voluntary self-harm for tactical advantage with Heat risk
• Discarded cards go to discard pile (can be recovered)
• "Burn HP for power. Risk everything for the kill...but watch your Heat."

1.2 Heat Check

• If you have 5+ Heat (Danger Zone):
  • Roll Strain (1d6 + current Heat)
  • Apply result from Strain Table (see below)
• If you have 0-4 Heat (Safe Zone):
  • No penalties, skip this step

1.3 Start-of-Turn Effects

• Resolve any "at start of your turn" card effects
• Example: Internal Bleeding Wound = discard 1 card

PHASE 2: ACTION PHASE

Spend SP to play cards and perform actions.

You may:

• Play cards from your hand (costs SP)
• Move your Casket (costs 1 SP per hex)
• Use free actions (0 SP cards)
• Mix actions in any order

Continue until:

• You run out of SP, OR
• You choose to pass (saving SP for reactive cards), OR
• Your hand is empty

Card Types:

• Standard Cards: Cost SP (listed on card)
• Free Actions: 0 SP cost (can play multiple)
• Reactive Cards: 0 SP, can only be played during opponent's turn

Movement Rules:

• Costs 1 SP per hex moved
• Can move through allies (don't stop)
• Cannot move through enemies
• Cannot move through walls/obstacles
• Difficult terrain: +1 SP per hex (2 SP total)
• Must have line of sight to destination hex (can't move blindly through walls)

Rotation:

• Rotating to face different direction: Free (can do once per turn)
• Facing matters for attacks (front/side/rear modifiers)

Common Actions:

Action	SP Cost	Notes
Move 1 hex	1 SP	+1 SP if difficult terrain
Play attack card	Varies	1-5 SP depending on card
Play defense card	0 SP	Reactive, during enemy turn
Play utility card	Varies	1-3 SP typically
Vent Heat	2 SP	Remove 3 Heat (Emergency Vent card)
Rotate facing	Free	Once per turn

PHASE 3: DRAW PHASE

Draw cards based on how many you played this turn.

3.1 Variable Draw Mechanic

Draw = (Cards Played ÷ 2) rounded up, minimum 2, maximum 5

Draw Table:

Cards Played This Turn	Cards Drawn	Net Hand Change
0-1 cards	Draw 2	+1 to +2
2-3 cards	Draw 2	-1 to 0
4-5 cards	Draw 3	-2 to -1
6-7 cards	Draw 4	-3 to -2
8-9 cards	Draw 5	-4 to -3
10+ cards	Draw 5 (max)	-5 or worse

Strategic Implications:

• Conservative play (0-3 cards): Draws 2, slow hand cycling
• Balanced play (4-5 cards): Draws 3, moderate hand cycling
• Aggressive play (6+ cards): Draws 4-5, fast hand cycling but risky hand depletion

3.2 Draw Cards

• Draw calculated number of cards from your Casket HP deck
• Draw one at a time (order matters for deck-out situations)
• If your hand would exceed 6 cards after drawing, draw normally (will discard in End Phase)

3.3 Reshuffle Trigger

If deck runs out while drawing:

1. Shuffle your discard pile into a new deck
2. Add 1 "Damage" card to the deck (permanent)
3. Continue drawing normally

Damage cards: Blank cards that do nothing when played (death spiral mechanic).

3.4 Deck Empty = Defeated

If you need to draw but deck AND discard are both empty:

• Your Casket is defeated (structural failure)
• Pilot must roll on Survival table (see Campaign rules)
• In Arena: You lose the match

PHASE 4: END TURN

Wrap up your turn.

4.1 End-of-Turn Effects

• Resolve any "at end of your turn" effects
• Example: "Gain 1 Heat at end of turn"

4.2 Discard Down

• If hand size exceeds 6: Discard down to 6 cards
• Choose which cards to discard
• (Rare, usually only happens if cards say "Draw 2 cards")

4.3 Announce Done

• Say "Turn complete" or "I pass"
• Next player begins their turn

Special Timing: Reactive Cards

Reactive cards can be played during OPPONENT'S turn.

How Reactives Work:

Trigger: Opponent declares an action (usually an attack)

Response Window: Before damage is resolved, you may play 1 reactive card

• Must have Initiative [...] keyword
• Costs 0 SP (doesn't use your SP pool)
• Played from hand

Examples:

• Brace for Impact: "Reduce next damage by 2"
• Deflect (Shield): "Reduce damage by 1"
• Unyielding Bulwark: "Reduce damage by 3, gain 1 Heat"

Limits:

• Can only play 1 reactive card per attack
• Must be played BEFORE damage is calculated
• If you have no reactive cards in hand, you cannot respond

Resolution (With Dice System):

1. Attacker plays attack card, declares target component
2. Calculate To-Hit Number
   • Base 5+, apply modifiers (range, movement, facing, cover, elevation)
3. Attacker rolls 2 Attack Dice, adds values
   • Hit (5-6), Strong Hit (7-8), Critical (9), EXECUTION (10), or Miss (<target)
4. If hit, Defender plays reactive card (if they have one)
5. Defender rolls Defense Dice (1 per damage point)
   • Count blocks ([SHIELD] [ABSORB]), apply special effects ([CRITICAL] [PIERCE] [HEAT])
6. Defender discards final damage (original - blocks) from hand/deck

Special Rules

Heat Management

Heat Zones:

• Safe Zone (0-4 Heat): No penalties
• Danger Zone (5-9 Heat): Roll Strain at start of turn
• Critical (10+ Heat): Auto-fail Strain roll (automatic malfunction)

Gaining Heat:

• Certain cards say "Gain X Heat"
• Pushing into Danger Zone (high-risk, high-reward)

Removing Heat:

• Play cards that say "Remove X Heat"
• Stand in water hexes (remove 2 Heat per turn)
• Pass entire turn without acting (remove 1 Heat)

Strain Table (Roll 1d6 + current Heat):

Result	Effect
1-5	Minor Overload: Gain 1 Heat
6-8	SP Drain: Lose 1 SP this turn + discard 1 card
9-11	System Damage: Take 3 damage (discard 3 cards) + lose 1 SP
12+	Critical Failure: Discard 4 cards + random component takes +1 Component Damage (roll 1d6: 1=Right Arm, 2=Left Arm, 3-4=Legs, 5=Head, 6=Chassis)

Strain Severity by Heat Level:

• 5 Heat (Danger Zone entry): Roll 1d6+5 = 6-11 range → 50% SP Drain (6-8), 50% System Damage (9-11)
• 7 Heat (Mid Danger): Roll 1d6+7 = 8-13 range → 50% System Damage (8-11), 50% Critical (12-13)
• 9 Heat (High Danger): Roll 1d6+9 = 10-15 range → 33% System Damage (10-11), 67% Critical (12-15)
• 10+ Heat (Critical Zone): Auto-fail Strain (automatic malfunction, roll on 12+ result)

Component Damage Tracking

When you discard Primary Weapon cards due to damage:

Mark Component Damage on your pilot sheet:

• Attacker chooses which component to target (or roll randomly)
• Each Primary Weapon card discarded = 1 Component Damage
• Track separately: Right Arm, Left Arm, Legs, Head, Chassis

Component Destroyed (at 3 damage):

Component	Effect When Destroyed
Right Arm	Discard all Primary Weapon cards from hand. Cannot play Primary Weapon cards.
Left Arm	Discard all Secondary Equipment cards from hand. Cannot play Secondary Equipment cards.
Legs	Movement costs +1 SP per hex (2 SP per hex total).
Head	Cannot use Sensor Sweep. -1 to all ranged attacks.
Chassis	Permanent -1 SP maximum (even after Refresh).

Destroyed components remain destroyed for rest of battle (cannot be repaired mid-combat).

Pilot Wound System

Pilots take damage in these situations:

1. Capsule Breach (enemy targets capsule specifically, rare)
2. Neural Feedback (when you accumulate 5+ total Component Damage)
3. Thread Snap (when Hand Thread cards are damaged)
4. Taint Overload (when Taint reaches 10)
5. Casket Destruction (when Casket HP reaches 0, pilot rolls save)

When pilot takes 1 damage:

• Flip top card of Pilot Wound deck face-up
• Read effect immediately
• Effect is permanent for rest of battle (some are permanent for campaign)

Wound Types:

• Minor Injury (5 cards): Temporary debuffs until end of mission
• Severe Injury (3 cards): PERMANENT effects even in future missions
• Trauma (2 cards): Mental breakdowns affecting behavior

All 10 Wounds flipped = Pilot Death

• Casket becomes inert
• In Arena: You lose
• In Campaign: Pilot is dead, create new character

Example Turn Sequence

Player: Church Confessor (Light, 6 SP)

Starting state:

• 24 cards in deck
• 6 cards in hand
• 2 Heat
• Facing north

PHASE 1: REFRESH

• Restore to 6 SP
• Heat check: 2 Heat (Safe Zone) → No roll needed
• No start-of-turn effects

PHASE 2: ACTION

1. Rotate (free action) → Now facing enemy
2. Move 3 hexes (3 SP) → Advance toward enemy
3. Play Blood Offering (0 SP) → Discard 2 cards from deck (self-harm), gain "+3 damage, ignore 1 Armor" buff
4. Play Faithful Thrust (2 SP) → Declare attack for 4 damage + buffs
   • To-Hit: Base 5+ | Moved 3 hexes +1 | Medium range (5 hexes) +1 = Need 7+
   • Roll Attack Dice: [STRIKE] (3) + [DEATH BLOW] (5) = 8 total → Strong Hit (+1 damage)
   • Final damage: 4 base + 3 (Blood Offering) + 1 (Strong Hit) = 8 damage
   • Enemy rolls 8 Defense Dice: [SHIELD] [SHIELD] [BLOOD] [BLOOD] [BLOOD] [CRITICAL] [HEAT] [PIERCE]
   • 2 blocks → Reduce to 6 damage
   • 1 Critical ([CRITICAL]) → +1 Component Damage
   • 1 Heat ([HEAT]) → Enemy gains 1 Heat
   • Enemy chooses to discard 6 cards (4 from hand, 2 from deck)
5. OVERSPEND: Move 1 more hex (1 SP) → Costs 7th SP
   • 7th SP = Discard 1 card (overspending cost)
   • Result: Moved total 4 hexes + attacked, discarded 1 extra card
   • Scout max is 9 SP (6 × 1.5), but chose to stop at 7 SP to avoid Heat
6. Total spent: 7 SP (6 free + 1 paid with card)

PHASE 3: DRAW

• Cards played this turn: 2 cards (Blood Offering, Faithful Thrust)
• Variable Draw: 2 cards played ÷ 2 = 1, rounded up, min 2 → Draw 2 cards
• Hand had 4 cards after Action Phase
• Draw 2 → Hand now has 6 cards

PHASE 4: END TURN

• No end-of-turn effects
• Announce "Done"
• Next player's turn

Current state:

• 22 cards in deck (started 24, discarded 2 from Blood Offering)
• 6 cards in hand
• 2 Heat (unchanged)
• 2 SP unused (could use for reactive defense if attacked)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I play multiple 0 SP cards in one turn?
A: Yes! Free actions can be played as many times as you have them.

Q: What happens if I'm attacked and have no reactive cards?
A: You take full damage. Reactive cards are optional defenses, not mandatory.

Q: Can I move after attacking?
A: Yes! Actions can be done in any order during Action Phase.

Q: Do I have to spend all my SP?
A: No. You can pass early to save SP for reactive cards.

Q: What if my hand is empty mid-turn?
A: You can't play cards, but you can still move (costs SP directly).

Q: Can I play a card during someone else's turn (not reactive)?
A: No. Only [...] Initiative reactive cards can be played on opponent's turn.

Q: What happens if both my deck and discard are empty?
A: Your Casket is defeated. Game over (or mission failure in campaign).

Q: Do Damage cards count as cards in my deck?
A: Yes, they're physical cards. They just do nothing when played (dead draws).

Q: Can I choose NOT to draw cards?
A: No. Draw Phase is mandatory (draw based on cards played: min 2, max 5).

Q: If I take damage during my turn, do I draw back to 6?
A: Damage discards from DECK, not hand. Hand only changes when you play cards or draw.

See Also

The Turn Structure integrates with these core systems: