DOOM: The Board Game – Game Rules

Hey there! Let me walk you through the rules of the awesome DOOM: The Board Game. Get ready for an epic, action-packed adventure!

First, let’s talk about the objective. In this game, you’re either playing as a team of survivors or as the invader trying to thwart their plans. As the survivor team, your goal is to complete a set of objectives before the invader can fulfill their evil plans. And if you’re playing as the invader, your objective is to take down the survivors and prevent them from completing their mission. Exciting, right?

Now, let’s dive into the gameplay. Each player takes on the role of a unique character with their own special abilities and equipment. You’ll use your character’s skills to explore the game board, gather resources, and, most importantly, engage in thrilling combat.

When it’s your turn, you’ll have a range of actions to choose from. You can move to different locations on the board, interact with various objects, search for items, and, of course, attack enemies. Beware, though, because the invader has plenty of tricks up their sleeve, like spawning new monsters or setting deadly traps. So, you always need to be on your guard.

Combat in DOOM: The Board Game is intense and adrenaline-fueled. You’ll be rolling dice and comparing results to determine the outcome of your attacks. The invader will defend using their own set of dice, so luck and strategy will play a crucial role in your battles. The feeling of anticipation as the dice are rolled is simply exhilarating!

But don’t worry, the fun doesn’t stop there. DOOM: The Board Game comes with a variety of scenarios, each with its own unique twists and challenges. You’ll face different objectives, map layouts, and enemy spawns, ensuring that every game is a fresh and exciting experience. The replay value is through the roof!

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the DOOM video game series or a newcomer looking for an immersive, action-packed board game, DOOM: The Board Game has got you covered. It’s a game that effortlessly combines strategic decision-making with heart-pounding combat, guaranteeing an unforgettable gaming experience.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your friends, set up the game board, and prepare for an epic battle. In DOOM: The Board Game, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Will you be the hero who saves the day, or will darkness prevail? The choice is yours. Good luck, and may the best player win!

In Doom: The Board Game, something really bad is happening. Demonic invaders from another dimension have invaded the Mars base of the Union Aerospace Corporation. It’s a scary situation, but don’t worry, marines have been sent in to protect the base and defeat the invaders.

You can play this game with up to three of your friends. You and your friends will take on the roles of tough and well-trained marines. One of you will take control of the demonic invaders.

As marines, you will explore the small and cramped rooms of the Mars base. You’ll fight off monsters, find new weapons and equipment, and work together to complete missions.

In some missions, the goal for the invader player is to kill the marines a certain number of times. But if that doesn’t work, the invader will try to stop the marines from completing their missions.

It’s a thrilling game that will keep you on the edge of your seat. So grab your friends and get ready to take on the demonic invaders in Doom: The Board Game.

As I take control of the monstrous creatures on the board, I also have the power to unleash terrible surprises upon the valiant marines by playing event and spawn cards.

The Pieces

• 66 Plastic Miniatures
• 6 Custom Dice
• 84 Cards
• 1 Compass Rose Token
• 3 Marine Equipment Bins
• 58 Map Pieces
• 14 Door Tokens
• 14 Plastic Door Stands
• 31 Prop Tokens
• 30 Wound Tokens
• 15 Armor Tokens
• 10 Marine Order Tokens
• 113 Equipment Tokens
• 1 Scenario Guide
• 4 Reference Sheets

Object of the Game

In KNEE DEEP IN THE DEAD, I’m a marine player trying to escape a demon-infested section of the Mars base. To do that, I need to find the red key token and fight my way to the red security door.

The invader player wants to get 6 kills on me before I can escape the board.

Getting Ready

Let’s go through the steps to prepare for the KNEE DEEP IN THE DEAD scenario. Different scenarios might have their own special setup rules.

Choosing Invaders and Marines

Selecting a Scenario

Setting Up the Game Board

I’ll start by creating the starting area of the scenario on the game board. You can find specific instructions for each scenario in the Scenario Guide.

Remember: We need to place the compass rose token near the board, pointing in the direction mentioned in the Scenario Guide. The compass rose will be helpful when we apply the scatter diagrams found on the invader cards.

Placing Starting Pieces on the Board

When starting a new game, the rules in the Scenario Guide will tell you how to set up the game board. You’ll need to place the marine and invader figures in the starting area, just like the diagram below shows. Don’t forget to put any equipment tokens in this area as well!

Getting Set Up with Marine Equipment

Now it’s time to get your marine equipment bin. Each marine player will have one in their color. You’ll also get some ammo tokens, wound tokens, and armor tokens, depending on how many marine players there are. Take a look at the table below.

Marines
Shells/Bullets
Wounds
Armor

1	4	10	2
2	3	9	2
3	2	8	2

Example: In a game with three players, one person gets to be the invaders while the other two play as marines. Each marine player has 3 shells/bullets, 9 wounds, and 2 armor in their equipment bin.

Start by Dealing the Initial Cards

First, separate the marine cards and the invader cards, and then shuffle each deck. Draw the number of marine cards shown below for each marine player. Those cards should be placed face up in their play area.

Marine	Cards
1	3
2	3
3	2

It’s the First Marine Player’s Turn

When we play Doom: THE BOARD GAME, there are some important rules to keep in mind. The first marine player is the one sitting to the left of the invader player.

How the Game Works

Playing Doom: THE BOARD GAME involves a series of rounds. Each player takes a turn, starting with the first marine player and moving clockwise.

Once the invader player has had their turn, the round is over, and the next round begins with the first marine player taking their turn again.

Each round consists of:

• Turn 1: First Marine Player’s Turn
• Turn 2: Second Marine Player’s Turn
• Turn 3: Third Marine Player’s Turn
• Turn 4: Invader Player’s Turn

If you’re playing with fewer than three marine players, just skip the turn of the missing marine(s).

The Marine’s Turn

When my turn starts as a marine, I have to choose one of four actions. Before anything else, I have to declare which action I will take. Only after I have resolved my chosen action will my turn end and the next player’s turn begin.

Let me introduce you to the four possible actions:

Sprint

Unload

If I choose to unload, I can make up to 2 attacks during my turn, but I won’t be able to move. I have to resolve each attack completely before making the next one.

Important: Remember, I can use a different weapon for each attack, even when unloading.

Advance

Ready

Now it’s the Invader Player’s Turn

Now that all the marines have had their turn, it’s time for you, the invader player, to take action. Your turn is divided into three steps, and once you’ve completed all three, your turn ends and the round comes to a close.

• Step 1: Draw and Discard
• Step 2: Spawn
• Step 3: Activate Invaders

Step 1: Draw and Discard

At the start of your turn, you need to draw one card from the top of the invader deck for each marine player.

If this leaves you with more than eight cards in your hand, you must immediately choose and discard enough cards to bring your hand down to eight.

When you draw the last card from the invader deck, you earn one frag point. Afterward, you’ll need to shuffle the discard pile to create a new invader deck.

Hey there! So, like I mentioned earlier, the cards in the invader deck can be either event cards or spawn cards. Let’s talk about playing event cards, shall we?

Playing Invader Event Cards

As the invader player, you have the power to play your event cards whenever the conditions on the card are fulfilled. It’s pretty straightforward – just follow the instructions on the card, deal with the effects, and then toss the card into the discard pile.

So, picture this: I’m playing as the invader in a thrilling game of marine versus invader. The marine player has just picked up a shotgun equipment token, and that’s when I decide to play the “It’s a Trap!” event card.

This brilliant card allows me to immediately activate up to 2 invaders right before the marine’s turn continues. I quickly activate both invaders, and then I discard the card, leaving the marine player to carry on with their turn.

Step 2: Spawn

Now, after I draw my cards for the turn, I have a chance to play a spawn card from my hand. But remember, I can only play one spawn card. So I carefully choose the best one.

Once I play the spawn card, I place the invaders shown on the card onto the board. But there are some rules that I have to follow when it comes to placing these spawned invaders:

When it’s my turn to play as the invader, I have to be strategic about where I place my invaders on the board. I can’t put them on spaces where the marines can see them. If there’s nowhere to put the invaders, I can’t place them at all. Once I’ve placed the invaders, I discard the used spawn card. Keep in mind that other invader figures don’t block the marines’ line of sight when I’m spawning new invaders. It’s important to note that some spawn cards are split in half by a gray line. This means I have to choose between two different groups of invaders when I play that card.



For example: This card lets me bring out either a demon or both an imp and a zombie.

Keep in mind that any enemy figures of the same color as a marine that I’m not using go back in the box before the game starts. Those figures won’t be available to me as the enemy player.

So, let’s say we’re playing a game with three people, using only the red and green marine figures. The blue enemy figures won’t be available to me.

Step 3: Making Enemies Active

After I play a card to bring out new enemies (or not), I can decide to make each enemy on the board take a turn. To do that, I simply pick an enemy and check my reference sheet.

When an enemy approaches, it can move a certain number of spaces based on its movement score. It can also launch an attack during or after its movement.

Once all the enemy figures have been activated, the invader player’s turn ends, and a new round begins with the marine player.

Movement

Moving works similarly for both marines and enemies, but there is one important distinction:

• A marine’s movement depends on the action they take during their turn (e.g., an advancing marine can move up to 4 spaces).
• An enemy figure’s movement is determined by its movement rate, which is listed on the reference sheet (e.g., a trite has a movement rate of 5).

When I’m playing the game, I move my figure one space at a time across the board. I can keep moving until I’ve used up all of the figure’s allowed movement or until I’m happy with its position. If I want to, I can stop moving before using up all of the figure’s movement. Take a look at the diagram below to see some examples of how movement works.

Here are the rules for movement:



• You can move your figures to any space next to them, including diagonal spaces. Just make sure they stay on the board the whole time.
• Your figures can pass through spaces where your other figures are, as long as they end their turn in an empty space.
• You can maneuver your figures around enemy figures, no problem. But watch out for enemy figures with the watch ability. They can catch you off guard (check the last page for a summary of special abilities).
• Avoid closed doors, obstacles, and enemy figures when you’re moving your figures. You can’t go through them.
• You can attack at any time during your movement. If you have a movement rate of 4, for example, you can move 2 spaces, attack, and then move another 2 spaces.

I gotta tell you about these big baddies in the game, they call them the oversized invader figures. These include the demon, mancubus, hell knight, and cyberdemon. Now, these guys have some special movement rules. It’s like they have their own set of instructions on how they can move around. It’s pretty cool, actually. You gotta keep an eye out for these guys when you’re playing. They’re no joke!

How to Attack

When it comes to attacking in the game, there are a few steps that you need to follow:

• Step 1: Declare your Attack
• Step 2: Confirm if you have a Clear View
• Step 3: Calculate the Range and Roll for your Attack
• Step 4: Determine if your Attack is Successful
• Step 5: Inflict Damage

Step 1: Declare your Attack

First, you need to decide which space you want to attack. If you are playing as a marine, you also need to choose which weapon you will use.

Here are some rules for attacks:

• Melee attacks can only be made against spaces that are right next to you. Some weapons and invaders have a red bar at the bottom of their reference sheets, which means they can only make melee attacks.

Marines always have access to fist, pistol, and grenade weapons. These weapons are marked in green on the reference sheets. However, they can only use other weapons if they have the corresponding weapon token.

If a marine doesn’t have at least one ammo token of a specific type, they can’t attack with any weapon that uses that type of ammo.

It’s important to note that when attacking, you choose a space to attack, not necessarily another figure. This is particularly significant for weapons that have a blast radius.

When using weapons without a blast radius, the attack is directed at the single figure occupying the chosen space.

Now we move on to the second step: confirming line of sight.

When I want to attack a space, I need to see it clearly. It means that I must be able to draw an uninterrupted straight line from the middle of my space to the middle of the space I want to attack.

If I’m using a big and powerful invader, I only need to draw a line of sight from the middle of one of the spaces it’s in to the middle of the space I want to attack.

There are things that can block my line of sight, like walls, doors that are closed, other figures, and obstacles that are blocking the way. So, I can’t shoot directly through one invader to hit another invader that’s behind it.



For example: Look at the picture above. I can see the demon invader, shown in green, but I can’t see the ones in red.

The obstacle blocks my view of the zombie, the corner hides the cyberdemon, and the demon itself blocks my view of the archvile behind it.

Step 3: How Far & Roll to Attack

Now, let’s count how many spaces there are from where I am standing to the space I want to attack. This will tell us how far away the target is.



As shown in the diagram, let’s say I’m the marine and I want to find the shortest path to my target, which turns out to be 4 spaces. That means my attack range is limited to 4 spaces.

Once I know the range of my attack, it’s time to roll the dice for my weapons. You can find the specific dice needed on the reference sheet.

For example, if I’m using a pistol, I roll one yellow and one green dice. But if I’m attacking with a mancubus, I would roll one yellow, one blue, and one green die.

Now, let’s move on to the next step: determining the success of my attack.



So, here’s how it goes: first, I check to see if my attack was a miss. If it was, well, tough luck. The attack fails. But if I didn’t miss, then I need to add up all the range numbers on the dice I rolled.

If the total range I rolled is equal to or greater than what I need for the attack, then I hit my target. But if my total range falls short, then my attack fails and no damage is done. Bummer, right?

Step 5: Inflicting Wounds

Now, let’s say my attack hit. Great! I count all the damage (those bullet holes) showing on the dice I rolled. That’s how much damage I’ve dealt. But wait, there’s a catch – that damage needs to get through my target’s armor to have any effect. So it’s not as easy as it seems.

A marine’s armor rating is determined by the number of armor tokens they have on their equipment bin. You can find an invader’s armor rating on the reference sheet.

In order to hurt a figure, whether it’s an invader or a marine, the total damage inflicted must be equal to or greater than their armor rating. So, if a figure has 2 armor, they will need to take 2 points of damage in order to receive 1 wound.

It’s possible for a single attack to cause multiple wounds to its target. Each increment of damage that matches the target’s armor rating will result in 1 wound.

Let’s say a figure has 2 armor. If they are hit with a single attack that deals 4 damage, they will suffer 2 wounds. Keep in mind that any leftover damage goes to waste. For instance, if a figure with an armor rating of 2 is hit with 7 damage, they will still only endure 3 wounds.

Let me explain something to you. Imagine that you’re playing a game, and you attack a figure that has some armor. Now, if you only deal a single point of damage to that figure, and its armor rating is 2 or higher, then your attack is basically wasted. It won’t have any effect on the figure.

Here’s an example to help you understand. Let’s say you have a marine character who is attacking a demon. You roll the dice and get a result of 2 on the yellow die and 1 on the green die. So, in total, you have dealt 3 damage to the demon.

But wait, the demon has an armor rating of 3. This means that your attack actually manages to penetrate its armor and cause 1 wound. The invader player then places a wound token next to the demon to keep track of its wounds.

Now, let’s talk about what happens when a marine suffers a wound. When that happens, the marine has to remove one wound token from their equipment bin. This is done by simply moving the token off the bin and placing it nearby.

But here’s the important part. If a marine removes the last wound token from their equipment bin, it means they have been fragged. That’s right, they’re out of the game.

So, here’s the thing – when someone attacks an invader in the game, they can deal some damage. And to show that, the player puts a wound token next to the invader figure on the board. It’s like marking them, you know?

An invader figure is considered “killed” when it gets enough wound tokens to equal or exceed its wound rating. You can find the wound rating for each figure on the reference sheet. Once an invader figure is killed, it’s taken off the board. But don’t worry, they’ll come back later for more action.

Special Abilities

Here’s the cool part – some weapons and creatures in the game have special abilities. That means they can do more than just attack. Some of these special abilities kick in when they attack, and others work while they’re moving.

You’ll want to make sure you’re familiar with these special abilities. Take a look at the reference sheet to learn more about each icon that represents a special ability. The reference sheet has all the juicy details, right at the back of this rule book.