Overview

Kamikaze Nanobots is a two-player wargame board game. Play options are either to 3D-print and build for tabletop, or the 2D video game (not yet released) being developed in Godot.

Players move ships laden with nanobots, attacking and self-destructing to capture enemy ships. The game is won either by capturing all active ships, or hitting the opponent's mothership core with a single shot.

The game build may change, or rules be refined over time. Friends I've played seem to appreciate the game mechanics but I've not explored in-depth with an opponent yet. If there's any interest, I can put together a few 3D base packs.

Physical Game Build

• Board: 
  • Download, print and cutout the A0-sized game board at a print shop.
  • Affix to a flat surface (e.g. plywood).
  • See the Double-Sided Plywood Game Board for my latest build.
• Dice: 
  • 2 twelve-sided dice (D12), one per player.
• Ships and Shields:
  • Download and 3D-print the ships and shields, per player:
    • 24 ships
    • 1 mothership
    • 3 shields
    • 1 megashield
• Nanobots:
  • Purchase 10mm balls (lots of places online):
    • Player nanobots in two main colours (150-200 each)
    • Black core nanobots (14 - optional)
      
    • Yellow booster nanobots (6 - optional)
  • Materials: Clay, metal, glass, wood, chocolate, plastic, etc.

Game Setup

Motherships

Motherships are placed on dark-grey spaces on opposite sides of the board. Alternatively, on dark-grey spaces with at least 1 dark-grey space between them (not on the centre).

• Outers: 
  • The six outer ships are fully refilled at the start of each turn. 
  • They cannot perform any action but act purely as a defensive wall.
• Core: 
  • The mothership core is filled with black nanobots. 
    
  • It also cannot act during gameplay.
  • If hit by a single shot, after an outer ship has been destroyed, the player loses the game. 
• Docking: 
  • At the start of each turn, players place ships on spaces directly adjacent to the mothership (max 12).
  • These are filled with nanobots for the different combat ship types.

Combat Ships 

All combat ships are placed on the player's green In-Play area, ready to be docked to the mothership On-Board. 

• Each player starts with 24 ships.
• Ships are made up of 7 hexagons, each can hold a nanobot.
  
• A ship occupies a single space on the board.
• Ships cannot move through or jump over other ships.

Active Ships

Active Ships are those:

• On the green In-Play area - right-side of the board.
• Occupying a space On-Board loaded with nanobots.

Inactive Ships

• Sit on the red Out-of-Play area -  left-side of the board.
• They are placed here after being emptied On-Board.

Turn Mechanics

Both players roll their D12 die. Highest roll takes first turn.

On-Boarding

On your turn, either:

• Dock up to 6 ships from the In-Play area to your mothership and Fill them with as many nanobots chosen.
• Or Roll your D12 die and: 
  • Decide whether to:
    • Use the rolled value
    • Or re-roll and take the average roll (rounded down)
  • Then allocate:
    1. Dock and Fill up to that number of ships to your mothership.
    2. Move that number of ships from the Out-of-Play to In-Play area (for use next turn).

Note: Any ship already docked (directly adjacent) to the mothership can have its nanobot numbers changed at the start of the turn.

Move & Action

Proceed with all your On-Board ships (on their own or in Clusters):

1. Move the number of spaces equal to or less than the number of empty hexagons on the selected ship.
2. Action (optional, choose one):
   • Eject: Release nanobots into one of your adjacent ships.
     
   • Shoot: Fire at an enemy ship along clear line-of-sight.
   • Special: Specific to ship size.

A player's turn ends once they have completed all chosen actions on their On-Board ships, or there are no possible actions left.

Ship Mechanics

Ship movement and action are optional but must be performed in order.

• By default, a ship moves and then takes action.
• A ship can move and then take no action.
• A ship can take action but cannot then move.
• A ship cannot be returned to, having previously moved, to perform an action later that turn.
• A ship can skip a turn.
  

See full Ship Reference for each ship's capabilities.

Ship Actions

Nanobots destroyed in attacks are returned to their player for use in new ships.

Eject

• All ships can eject any number of their own nanobots into a single adjacent owned ship. 
• An emptied ship goes to the Out-of-Play area.
• The upgraded ship continues play as normal, if left to act.
• Ships under a shield cannot be ejected into.
  
• Nanobots cannot be ejected into empty space.

Shoot

• Droids and larger ships can shoot an opponent a number of spaces away, equal to the number of nanobots onboard. 
• Upon being shot, the ship has nanobots removed, up to the number on the shooting ship.
• If emptied, the attacked ship goes to the Out-of-Play area (captured).
• The shooting ship does not change.
  

Special Action

Detonate

• A Nuke can detonate, destroying itself and one adjacent opponent ship. 
  • A player's own ships cannot be attacked.
• Both ships go to the active player's Out-of-Play area.

Shoot Twice 

• Fighters can shoot twice, destroying 5 nanobots with each shot.
• The same opponent ship can be shot twice. 
• No other action between shots is permitted.
• Emptied ships go to the active player's Out-of-Play area.

Shield 

Defenders and Destroyers can raise a shield or megashield.

• Shields are projected over self or an owned ship along clear line-of-sight, as with shooting.
• Megashields are raised over self and at least one own adjacent ship, with the projecting ship at the centre. This can also include enemy ships.
• Once protected by a shield or megashield, ships cannot move or take any other action until the shield is dropped.
• No part of a mothership can be protected by either shield type.

A player's own shields are dropped at the start of their turn. Opponent shields remain raised, unless taken down through an attack. All shields are immune to direct attack except: 

• From an adjacent EMP Blast. 
• If the ship projecting a shield onto another is itself hit by an attack.

Dropped shields and returned to their player.

EMP Blast

• Destroyers can emit an EMP, blowing-up themselves and all adjacent ships. 
• They can only be used when at least one of the adjacent ships is enemy.
•  All destroyed ships go to the active player's Out-of-Play area.

Ship Clusters

A player can move any number of their own touching ships together in a cluster:

1. Move the entire cluster as far as the largest ship is able, keeping the cluster structure intact (relative ship positions).
2. Ships now complete their individual legal movement and/or action, one at a time, in any order.
3. Upgraded ships can perform newly available actions, if yet to complete any further movement or action.

E.g. If the largest ship in a cluster is a fighter, the entire cluster can move 2 spaces. A droid in the cluster could complete its allowed movement (2 spaces) and then act, and so on through the cluster.

All cluster actions must be completed before another On-Board ship can be used.

Winning Conditions

To win the game, either:

1. Capture all Active Ships.
   • This means the game cannot end if there are any pieces left on In-Play areas, unless you:
2. Hit the opponent's mothership core with a single shot.
   • Once an outer ship has been destroyed during an attack, the core is exposed to being shot along line-of-sight until the end of the turn.

Alternative Win Rule

Shoot (capture) all opponent core nanobots to win.

Ship Reference

Empty	All nanobots ejected or destroyed in game. Automatically given to the active player.  Placed into their Out-of-Play area for use next turn.
Bit 1 nanobot + 6 empty hexagons	Move (green highlight): Up to 6 spaces. Secondary Action: Eject 1 nanobot.
Byte 2 nanobots + 5 empty hexagons	Move: Up to 5 spaces. Secondary Action: Eject up to 2 nanobots.
Droid 3 nanobots + 4 empty hexagons	Move: Up to 4 spaces. Secondary Action: Eject up to 3 nanobots. Shoot (red highlight) 3 spaces.
Nuke 4 nanobots + 3 empty hexagons	Move: Up to 3 spaces. Secondary Action: Eject up to 4 nanobots. Shoot 4 spaces. Detonate: Destroy self and one adjacent opponent ship.
Fighter 5 nanobots + 2 empty hexagons	Move: Up to 2 spaces. Secondary Action: Eject up to 5 nanobots. Shoot twice 5 spaces in any direction, destroying 5 nanobots with each shot. The same ship can be shot twice.
Defender 6 nanobots + 1 empty hexagon	Move: 1 space. Secondary Action: Eject up to 6 nanobots. Shoot 6 spaces. Shield: Protect and immobilize one owned ship (or self) along line-of-sight up to 6 spaces. Megashield: Protect and immobilize all adjacent ships (at least one owned).
Destroyer 7 nanobots	Move: Cannot move. Secondary Action: Eject up to 7 nanobots. Shoot 7 spaces. Shield: Protect and immobilize one owned ship (or self) along line-of-sight up to 7 spaces. Megashield: Protect and immobilize all adjacent ships (at least one owned). EMP Blast: Destroy self and all adjacent ships (at least one opponent).

Ship Boosters (optional)

Boosters are fairly untested. Each player starts the game with 3 yellow booster nanobots. They double the distance a ship (Droid+) can travel, and can only be added to newly docked ships, in the case where the player has rolled their D12 to start the turn. If they roll: 

• 6+, use 1 booster if desired.
• 9+, use up to 2 boosters.
• 12, use up to 3 boosters.

Rules

• A ship can hold one booster, at its core.
• Boosters are the first nanobot removed from a ship during an attack. 
  • They are lost to the player and removed from the game.
• Boosters can be ejected into a player's adjacent ship. 
  • If the ship is already boosted, all other nanobots can be transferred.
  • If a boosted ship size drops below Droid (through ejecting): 
    • The ship is placed in the OOP area.
    • The booster nanobot is returned to the player for use next turn.
• Boosters do not work in a cluster, unless all ships are boosted.
• Boosted Destroyers still cannot move.

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Special thanks to mates Carl, Daniel, Toby and Alex for entertaining me through a good few games.

Fonts: GoodDog-Cool and Pricedown Black.

This game is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You may download and print it for personal use, and you’re welcome to create non-commercial adaptations, but please credit the original creator and do not sell any part of it.