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Rules of Rozz™
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Rozz™ is a flexible game of strategy and anticipation, played on a board providing various configurations of territories and tiles, where players issue commands which are then performed simultaneously. A command can be a purchase of an item (or items) from an available item catalog, a move of a piece (or pieces) on the board from one tile to another, or a strike from a piece on the board toward an opposing piece or tile. Various objectives are possible, such as victory going to the first player to capture any opponent's Headquarters.
If you were playing Rozz™ as a physical board game, rather than online at the PlayRozz™ website, necessary equipment would include:
  • Hex board territories and tiles, where a territory is a group of seven hex-shaped tiles.
  • Colored pieces for each player, representing Infantry, Armored Divisions, Bombers, Jets, and any other non-neutral pieces in the item catalog.
  • Chips or bills for Monetary Units.
  • Additional types of pieces to represent neutral items in the item catalog
  • Paper and pencils for preparing moves.
"Headquarter Rozz" provides a popular objective to the game of Rozz™ and is the model for most scenarios on the PlayRozz™ website:
  • Headquarter Rozz
    A piece is used to designate the player's initial territory as his/her Headquarters, which is immobile and cannot be a target. The first player to occupy another player's Headquarters with an Infantry or Armored Division wins.
Other objectives are possible and are quite fun to play. For example:
  • Original Rozz
    Whoever has at least one Infantry or Armored Division in each territory on the board shall be declared the winner.

  • Elimination Rozz
    Once any player's pieces are completely eliminated from the board, the player occupying the most individual hex tiles at that point shall be declared the winner.

  • Central Control Rozz
    Players cannot start in a central territory. The objective is to own all Government Control for that territory.

  • Twenty-turn Rozz
    After twenty turns (or some other set number of turns), the player with the most Government Control wins.

  • Doomsday Rozz
    Three additional pieces make a doomsday device that must be purchased on individual turns and activated on a subsequent turn to win the game. Doomsday Base (Cost 50), Doomsday Charge (Cost 75), Doomsday Activating Mechanism (Cost 100). The winner is the first to activate a Doomsday device.

  • Occupation Rozz
    Whoever occupies twenty-two hex tiles (or some other set number of tiles) first wins.
Hex territories and tiles are arranged to make a playing board. There are seven "hex" tiles on a territory. The board will generally contain a starting territory for each player, with a central playing field arranged as the players see fit. When playing with Headquarters, each player would place a colored headquarter piece in the center of his/her starting territory. Each player then receives an initial bankroll (for example, $50 Monetary Units) toward his/her war efforts.
At the start of each turn, players receive productions from pieces they have on the board, which will generally mean receiving $5 from their Headquarters, $2 from Industry Units, and $10 from Industry Complexes. In addition, players will place an Infantry Division on any tile where they have Government Control.

Each player then issues his/her commands through the PlayRozz™ Game Board (or by writing them down on a piece of paper, if playing on a physical board). Usually, a player will have two commands to issue, but each Command Center the player owns will provide an additional command. Each command may be one of the following three types:
  • A Purchase
    The player indicates the type of item being purchased, the quantity (if more than one), and the tile in which the purchase will be placed. Players must have the money required on hand, and can only purchase items in tiles they occupy (by having a Headquarters, Infantry Division, or Armored Division).

  • A Move
    The player indicates the type of piece being moved, the quantity (if more than one), the tile the piece is currently at, and the intended destination tile. In addition, the player may indicate items being carried by the moving piece (or pieces).

  • A Strike
    The player indicates the type of piece doing the striking, the tile the piece is currently at (or anticipated to be at), and the intended target tile. In addition, for strikes that involve specific targets (such as a strike from an Armored Division), the player must specify the item type and color of the intended target. A unit does not need to move in order to fire; also, the unit moving does not need to be the unit firing. A player could, for instance, move an Armored Division to E2 and then drop a bomb from a Bomber hovering in B5.

When all players have indicated that they are ready (by clicking "Ready!" on PlayRozz™, or by putting their pencils down in a real-life game), all players' commands are performed simultaneously according to the following sequence:
  • All legal purchases are made, with purchased items being placed on the board.

  • All legal movements are made, with a couple of things to keep in mind: (1) pieces that have just been purchased cannot be moved, and (2) the same piece cannot be moved in two separate commands (in other words, pieces cannot be "over-worked").

  • Combat is resolved between opposing pieces in contested tiles, according to the descriptions in the item catalog. For example, opposing Armored Divisions will destroy each other on a one-for-one basis; then, if an Armored Division remains after that contest, it will destroy all opposing Infantry Divisions in the tile.

  • Destroyed pieces are removed from the board.

  • After combat is resolved, all legal strikes are attempted, keeping in mind that: (1) pieces that have just been purchased cannot strike, and (2) the same piece cannot be over-worked by striking in two separate commands.

  • A strike attempt may trigger a counter-strike (such as a Patriot Missile).

  • Any additional destroyed pieces are removed from the board.

  • Before the beginning of the next turn, productions are made and potential combat situations are resolved. For example, a player's Government Control will produce a single Infantry Division in that tile, but if the tile is occupied by an opposing Armored Division, the new Infantry Division is immediately destroyed and removed from the board.
When playing on a physical board, other players must be able to interpret the commands that you have written down. To this end, the use of shorthand and abbreviations is permitted and encouraged. Each type of item is listed with an acceptable abbreviation in the item catalog. In addition to any shortcuts the players agree on, the following notations are considered standard:

NotationMeaning
P:Purchase
M:Move
S:Strike
N:Do Nothing
>To / Targets
@At / From / In
+Carrying, Plus
*Quantity


When playing on PlayRozz™, precise notation is required so that the Rozz™ engine can understand your commands. The game board on the site is designed to construct valid commands for you, but ultimately you'll want to understand the PlayRozz™ notation (you can find more information on notation in the PlayRozz™ Game Play help file).
The following examples show notation that would be understood by the Rozz™ engine (which ignores spaces and hyphens):

NotationMeaning
P: INF > B3Purchase an Infantry Division to B3.
P: INF*10 > B3Purchase 10 Infantry Divisions to B3.
M: ARMOR @ B3 > B2Move an Armored Division from B3 to B2.
N:Do Nothing.
M: INF*2 @ Braxx -> B2Move 2 Infantry Divisions from Braxx to B2.
M: INF*2+SRNUKE @ Braxx -> B2Move 2 Infantry Divisions, carrying a Short-Range Nuke, from Braxx to B2.
M: TRANS+INF*10 @ B1 -> B3Move a Transport, with 10 Infantry Divisions, from B1 to B3.
INF*2+SRNUKE,PATRIOT*2 @ B1 > B2Move 2 Infantry Divisions, carrying a Short-Range Nuke and two Patriot Missiles, from Braxx to B2. (Note: if not specified, the engine will assume the command is a move.)
S: SRNUKE @ B1 > BraxxStrike with a Short-Range Nuke from B1 to Braxx.
S: ARMOR @ B1 > RED/ARMOR @ BraxxStrike with an Armored Division from B1, targeting a red Armored Division in Braxx.
The following points and example are meant to clarify combat resolution:
  • When two or more players occupy the same territory after moves are made, there is a battle that is resolved according to the item descriptions.

  • To resolve a battle between Infantry Divisions, keep in mind that only the player with the greatest number of pieces will have any left, and they will be reduced in number by the quantity of the second-largest army.

  • When Armored Divisions oppose each other, they are handled in the same way. If two red Armored Divisions come up against one blue Armored Division, then there will remain only one red Armored Division.

  • When an Armored Division opposes Infantry Divisions, the Infantry Divisions are destroyed.

  • Armored Divisions combat is resolved FIRST.

AN EXAMPLE STARTING POSITION

Matt (BLUE) has 1 ARMOR and 3 INF in Rozz.
Sue (RED) has 1 ARMOR and 9 INF in R2.
Mike (GREEN) has 1 ARMOR and 9 INF in R4.


Matt's (BLUE) Commands
M: ARMOR @ Rozz -> R3
S: ARMOR @ R3 -> GREEN/ARMOR @ R4

Sue's (RED) Commands
M: ARMOR @ R2 -> Rozz
M: INF*3 @ R2 -> R1

Mike's (GREEN) Commands
M: ARMOR @ R4 -> R3
S: ARMOR @ R3 -> BLUE/ARMOR @ Rozz


THE POSITION AFTER MOVES, BEFORE COMBAT RESOLUTION

The BLUE Armored Division moves from Rozz to R3.
The RED Armored Division moves from R2 to Rozz.
Three RED Infantry Divisions move from R2 to R1.
The GREEN Armored Division moves from R4 to R3.



THE RESULTING POSITION

The Armored Divisions in R3 destroy each other.
The RED Armored Division in Rozz destroys three BLUE Infantry Divisions there.
Both BLUE and GREEN strikes fail, since there are no longer
any Armored Divisions to strike with from R3
(besides, their intended targets are not available).


A scenario's item catalog may have deviations, but most use this standard catalog which has been ironed out over years of real-life play. The item descriptions given here are superseded by those provided under individual scenarios, which are computer-generated and reflect the actual characteristics used by the Rozz™ engine to resolve game play. In any case, the catalog shouldn't be as overwhelming as it might seem, at first. A good way to get started is to reduce the available items to just HQ, ARMOR, and INF items, and then perhaps throw in a SRNUKE.

HQ
Headquarters
N/A
With "Headquarters Rozz" as an objective, your Headquarters is an immobile colored piece that marks your starting tile; defend it, while seeking to occupy your opponent's Headquarters. By virtue of having a Headquarters, you are provided two commands and $5 each turn.
INF
Infantry Division
$1
Represented by colored pieces, Infantry Divisions are your primary occupying forces. In a single command, any number of Infantry Divisions can move in formation to any adjacent tile. Infantry Divisions destroy opposing Infantry Divisions on a one-for-one basis.
ARMOR
Armored Division
$20
Represented by colored pieces, Armored Divisions are secondary occupying forces. They can fortify your positions, either offensively or defensively. Only one Armored Division can be moved per command, to any adjacent tile. Armored Divisions destroy opposing Armored Divisions on a one-for-one basis; afterward, if standing, they destroy all opposing Infantry Divisions. Armored Divisions can strike any specific target (except HQ, GOV, BOMBERS, or JETS) in an adjacent tile.
BOMBER
Bomber
$18
Represented by colored pieces, Bombers do not actually occupy any territory; instead, they hover above the territory they are in and can drop bombs on a specified target (Except HQ and GOV) below. Bombers can move up to two hexes away in a single turn, and more than one Bomber can be moved at once when flying in "formation" with the same starting and ending points.
JET
Jet
$10
Represented by colored pieces, Jets do not actually occupy any territory; instead, they hover above the territory they are in and can fire at air targets (Bombers and other Jets) in adjacent territories. Jets can move up to three hexes away in a single turn, and more than one Jet can be moved at once when flying in "formation" with the same starting and ending points.
SRNUKE
Short-Range Nuclear Missile
$15
A neutral piece, a Short-Range Nuke strike will destroy everything except HQ in an adjacent tile.
MRNUKE
Mid-Range Nuclear Missile
$20
A neutral piece, a Mid-Range Nuke strike will destroy everything except HQ in a tile up to three hexes away.
LRNUKE
Long-Range Nuclear Missile
$25
A neutral piece, a Long-Range Nuke strike will destroy everything except HQ in a tile anywhere on the board.
SRNUTE
Short-Range Neutron Missile
$3
A neutral piece, a Short-Range Neutron strike will destroy all Infantry in an adjacent tile.
MRNUTE
Mid-Range Neutron Missile
$6
A neutral piece, a Mid-Range Neutron strike will destroy all Infantry in a tile up to three hexes away.
LRNUTE
Long-Range Neutron Missile
$9
A neutral piece, a Long-Range Neutron strike will destroy all Infantry in a tile anywhere on the board.
TRAP
Tank Trap
$10
Represented by immobile, colored pieces, Tank Traps destroy incoming Armored Division on a one-for-one basis before other combat resolutions. Watch out for strategic TRAP purchases! Infantry will convert traps upon occupation.
PATRIOT
Patriot Missile
$22
A neutral piece, a Patriot Missile will launch to destroy an incoming missile. In the case of multiple attacks, a Patriot will counter a Nuclear Missile strike before a Neutron Missile strike.
MDS
Missile Defense System
$50
An immobile, neutral piece, a Missile Defense System will defend a tile against three incoming missiles per round. Only one MDS is allowed per tile.
ADS
Air Defense System
$35
An immobile, neutral piece, an Air Defense System will defend a tile against three incoming Bombers or Jets per round. Only one ADS is allowed per tile.
TRANS
Infantry Transport
$16
A neutral piece, an Infantry Transport can transport up to ten (10) Infantry Divisions up to three tiles away. You can only move a Transport when you occupy the tile it's starting in. Transports can be used over again, and used in conjunction with other Transports, so that two Transports could carry up to twenty Infantry Divisions, etc.
CC
Command Center
$30
An immobile, neutral piece, a Command Center provides the player with an extra command per round. Only one CC is allowed per tile.
IU
Industry Unit
$10
A immobile, neutral piece, an Industry Unit produces two (2) monetary units before the start of each round.
IC
Industry Complex
$40
A immobile, neutral piece, an Industry Complex produces ten (10) monetary units before the start of each round.
GOV
Government Control
$4
Represented by immobile, colored pieces, Government Control increases resources and range of influence on the board by provided an Infantry Division in the same tile at the beginning of each turn. Only one GOV is allowed per tile.
CORR
Correspondence
$1
Correspondence sends a secret message to another player. To send Correspondence, you must have purchased it on a previous round. Available Correspondence is recorded off the board; there is no actual Correspondence piece.
AID
Foreign Aid
$1
Foreign Aid to another player may stave off your own defeat. Send Foreign Aid by setting the recipient's Headquarters as the destination tile; there is no actual Foreign Aid piece.
  • Neutral items are controlled by the player occupying the tile (unless stated otherwise under the scenario catalog). Therefore, a player can lose missiles or transports if the tile housing it is overtaken. The item then becomes the property of the new player, who can employ it at whim. Also, because moves take place before strikes, a player could attempt to overtake another player's SRNUKE, for instance, and fire it on the same turn.
  • Neutral items that are not immobile can be carried by ARMOR or INF units (unless stated otherwise under the scenario catalog). Therefore, a player can move a missile with an INF and then fire it from the destination tile, thereby increasing the missile's effective range by one tile.
  • A player occupies a tile by having an Infantry or Armored Division in it.
  • In Headquarters Rozz, a player automatically occupies the tile housing his/her Headquarters piece.
  • A player cannot place purchased items in a tile he does not occupy.
  • Government Control cannot be a target for BOMBER or ARMOR strikes.
  • Only one player can own Government Control in a tile. Upon purchase, any opposing Government Control is destroyed.
  • Be careful not to move a Transport to an empty tile, without carrying any Infantry along with it. If you do, you'll no longer have possession of the Transport once it moves.
Rozz™ game, concepts, and PlayRozz™ website are copyright © 2005-2024 by Sengin Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.