Rout is a strategy game played by two or more players.
In the game of Rout, you are a general fighting for your faction. Each general will set up a base to fight and destroy the other bases in the area.
Materials
To play Rout, you will need three types of Rout decks: The unit deck, the building deck, and the faction deck. You will also need the dice that come with the game, which are 15 12mm blue dice and 7 12mm green dice.
Object of the Game
Destroy your opponent’s base before your opponent destroys yours.
To Start the Game
You begin the game with a building with a faction number of 0 in play. Choose a card from your faction deck. This card will be used to identify you when other players are deciding where to move their units.
Roll dice to see which player goes first.
Now that a winner is decided, each player shuffles their unit deck, then draws five cards from the top of the deck.
Parts of a Rout Card
The buildings and units decks in Rout are similar on one side, but the backing is different. The faction deck also has a different backing, but the other side is very simple.
Name: A card’s name appears in the upper left part of the card.
There are 4 numbers in the upper right part of the card that dictate its use throughout the game.
Cost: This is the first number. It is represented by a green color. If a card on deck has the cost of 3, then you must spend 3 resources from your buildings to buy the card.
Damage: This is the second number. It is represented by a red color. If a card has a damage of 1, then it does 1 damage to another card when the two cards are involved in a clash.
Speed: This is the third number. It is represented by a yellow color. If a card in a base has a speed of 3, then it may move the length of 3 buildings and in any direction.
Energy: This is the fourth number. It is represented by a blue color. If a card has an energy of 2, then it may endure 2 points of damage before it is destroyed.
Text: This appears below the title. It is where the card’s abilities will be.
Grant: This appears in the lower right part of the card. It will be a color and a number. This is commonly found on buildings. It allows cards with tiers that match the grant to be bought while on deck.
Faction: This appears in the lower left part of the card. Only one faction is allowed per player.
Tier: This appears in the lower left part of the card. It will be a color and a number. In order to buy a card, you must possess a card in your base that has the same color and number that matches the grant(s). Infantry units are green. Aircraft units are cyan. Vehicle units are yellow. Special and tech units are magenta.
Common keywords
Efficient: When a building has 5 or more resources on it, you gain the ability granted by the efficient effect immediately.
Attach: A card possessing this term is played on top of another card and is considered an attachment. If it has unit or building qualities, it’s considered either when unattached.
Ability: You must spend a number of resources in order to grant an ability. If this occurs during a clash, the defender and the attacker may choose to activate any number of abilities. After the attacker is done activating abilities, the defender may choose to begin another round of activation.
Unique: A card with a unique keyword means that you may only have one of that card in play. Any other card that shares the same name is forbidden.
Manage: When this word is printed on a building or unit, it is commonly followed by a number. During your maintenance phase, you must spend resources equal to that manage number. If you choose not to, then that card is recycled.
Areas of Play
Unit deck: This is the deck you will draw from most often. It has a yellow/orange backing. Each unit deck will contain 30 cards you have selected. It is all kept face down.
Building Deck: This is the deck you will search each time you want to build a building. It has a blue backing. There will be 15 location in the location deck. You may search through this deck at any time.
Faction Deck: This is the deck you will search each time you want to maneuver your units. It has a red backing. There will be 6 banners available in the banner deck. You will choose one at the beginning of the game to represent yourself.
Hand: When you draw from the unit deck, you add the cards to your hand. Only you may look at your hand. There will be many opportunities to create an ideal hand as you cycle through your deck.
On Deck: This is the area that is closest to you. Before a unit can be bought, it must be placed on deck. You can place as many cards as you’d like in this area, though each one requires a manage cost of 1.
Base: This is the area that spans from left to right that is in front of your on deck area. This is where your building cards are placed when you play them.
Defender area: This is the area that spans from left to right that is in front of the base. When a unit is bought, it is placed in the defender area in front of a building that shares a tier color with the bought unit.
Attacker area: This is the area that spans from left to right that is in front of the defenders. This area will contain opposing units when they maneuver into your base.
Card Text and Terminology
Occasionally, a card’s text will alter the rules of Rout. In this case, the card’s text will override the rules of Rout.
Force: A force made up of a unit or stack of units.
Engaged: A unit or building is engaged when it is clashing with an opposing building or unit. They must be at the same base to be considered engaged.
Unengaged: When a building or unit is not engaged.
Border: A base’s border is a building space beyond your actual buildings on either side of your base.
Guarded Building: When you have a unit in the space in front of a building
Playing the Game
Now that each player has placed their command post in their base and has drawn their 5 cards, the player who goes first will begin to advance through the two phases. In each phase there are a number of steps.
MAINTENANCE PHASE:
There are 5 steps in the maintenance phase. All steps will occur, though some may not affect the game whatsoever. Each player does these steps in this order: Produce, manage, cycle, repair, then move.
1) PRODUCE: Add 1 resource to each of your buildings using a green d6. Building may have up to 6 resources on each building. Some units may add extra resources to a building, causing you to add more than 1 resource to a single building.
2) MANAGE: Each card on deck has a manage cost of 1. Some units may also have a manage cost that must be paid while they are active. If a manage cost can’t be paid, recycle the card.
3) CYCLE: Recycle up to 5 unit cards, then draw back up to 5 cards.
4) REPAIR: Pay 1 resource to repair an unengaged building or unit you control of 2 energy. Repeatable.
5) MOVE: Move any number of your defending units.
6) SELL: Any number of your units and buildings may be sold for half of their value, rounded down.
MICRO PHASE:
Each player may do one of the seven steps during this phase. After they complete the micro phase, that player’s turn is over.
BUY: Buy a card on deck or a building from the building stack by paying its yellow resource cost and place it in your base. A unit will be placed in the defender area in front of a building with a matching tier and type. When you buy, you may spend resources from any combination of buildings. A bought attach card becomes attached to a card in your base.
CLASH: A clash is when an attacking force is engaged in conflict with another force or base, each of those player’s forces will fire shots or hold a shot to make a move instead.
If you choose to clash, you may select another micro phase option to do before the clash begins. If you have a force with a banner on it, you begin a clash by placing the units in that force on either border of that banner owner’s base. Follow the order below when you clash with an opponent.
1.) CHOOSE: The player order begins with the player with the active turn. Each unit may choose to shoot or move. The defending or intercepting player always chooses first.
2.) FIRE: If a unit chooses to shoot, it deals its damage to one unit or building of its owner’s choice. When a unit is at less than 1 vitality, it is not destroyed until the end of the clash.
3.) MOVE: A move occurs after all defending and attacking shots have been made. If a unit moves during an intercept or past the base’s border, it returns to a border at home.
4.) RESOLVE: After all forces have made a shot or moved, check to see if any units are at zero vitality. Units at zero are destroyed.
CYCLE: Recycle up to 5 build cards, then draw back up to 5 cards.
MANEUVER: Create a force Place a banner next to any number of your forces that are on your base’s border, indicating that you will be moving them to that base.
ON DECK: Place any number of cards on deck from your hand. Draw a card for each card placed on deck.
The Factions of Rout
There are four factions of Rout. Each faction will form a unique deck containing cards for that faction only. Each faction has a unique symbol represented on the lower left portion of the card. You may only play one faction during a game of Rout.
