“When you're short of everything but the enemy, you're in combat.”
Rules for Toy Soldier Combat
Licensed CC-BY-SA (Attribution is required and a link back to this page is requested if you wish to redistribute these rules), by Marc Carson, www.friendlyskies.net – last updated 2018-11-10
These rules for Toy Soldier combat are designed to enable quick play at Version 1, and more complex play in Versions 2 and 3.
Materials Needed: Toy soldiers and one six-sided die. Any die from a board game you own will work. A dice-roller smartphone app will also work, as will random.org’s dice roller.
General Principles:
These rules are meant to enable narrative play. Play like you’re reading a story. Rather than “I shoot your guy here,” say something like, “I have your captain in my sights. I steady my breathing and pull the trigger.” Then make a sound effect. With your mouth!
It can be really fun to start by drawing a map of the terrain first. Then place terrain objects, vehicles, etc. in your game play environment to match the map.
Name every engagement. “The Battle of Green Valley” might be a good name if you’re playing on green carpet. Look at your surroundings, use your street name or city name, etc.
If your player survives a game, make them a character card. Use a piece of paper like a small index card. Draw a picture of them, fill in details about their life, and name the battles in which they fought. Write up how they lived...and died.
It can be fun to review your battles later, so keep a log. Write down who did what, and how it went. No need to get super detailed. But if you played with cinematic action and narration, this can be turned into a written story.
If you don’t like a rule, change it! Modify the games as needed. Modify for fairness, for fun, and for learning (game design).
Roll for initiative (to see which player or side gets to attack first). The side rolling a higher number on a six-sided die goes first.
Indicate which guy you are shooting at, or what you want to do.
Roll a six-sided die.
5,6 succeeds. Anything else, no go—turn passes to other side.
Example: “I want to move!” You roll a 4. “I can’t move, I’m pinned down by fire!”
Example: “I want to do a flip over that guy and stab the guy behind him!” You roll a 6. “I did a double-flip over that guy and the other guy died just watching it!”
Berserker Fade Out (Option): If the last guy killed on any side is outnumbered more than three to one, he can do a berserker roll and take three shots (dice rolls) at three guys on the other team. If he rolls a six on any shot, he took that other soldier down with him!
Initiative swaps to the other side after each game restarts.
Roll for initiative. The side rolling a higher number on a six-sided die goes first.
Pick two of your Green Dudes out (of every six guys) for promotion. One is an Officer, and one is a Sergeant. You may want to mark their base with a white gel pen or small white paint blob or a black marker.
Indicate which guy you are shooting at, or what you want to do.
Roll a six-sided die.
Rolling a 5 or 6 always succeeds. A 4 also succeeds if you’re rolling for an Officer or Sergeant. If rolling against an Officer or Sergeant, only a 5 or 6 succeeds, not a 4—even if you’re rolling for another Officer or Sergeant. Anything else, no go—turn passes to other side.
Field Promotion Rule (Optional): Rolling two sixes in a row, or two fives in a row, at any time, is an automatic field promotion for non-Officer, non-Sergeant troops. That particular Green man can now succeed on a 4, 5, or 6. Can only be killed on a 6.
Medic Rule (Optional): At one point every 5 minutes (keep a note of the time in your game log), a soldier can roll for medic. This will bring one buddy back to life if not a Captain or Sergeant, as long as 3, 4, 5, or 6 are rolled. It will bring a Captain or Sergeant back to life if 4, 5, or 6 are rolled. The turn then goes to the other team—no shooting or other moves. If you had the option to use this, but forgot, that's war! No take-backs.
Morale Rule (Optional): If an officer goes down, then the next turn on their side requires a roll of a 6 to do ANYTHING.
Cinematic Berserker Death (Optional): If you roll a 5 or 6 after your guy gets fatally wounded (he’s dying/taken out of the game), your guy got off shots (dice rolls) at 3 non-officer bad guys of his choice! You must roll 6 to take those guys out (so if you roll anything but a six, three times, nothing happens but a lot of wild gunfire as your character fades out of existence). And any guys hit by the berserker shots don't get berserker deaths.
Initiative swaps to the other side after each game restarts.
Roll for initiative. The side rolling a higher number on a six-sided die goes first.
Pick two of your Green Dudes (out of every six guys) for promotion. One is an Officer, and one is a Sergeant. You may want to mark their base with a white gel pen or small white paint blob or a black marker.
Indicate which guy you are shooting at, or what you want to do.
Roll a six-sided die.
Critical Fail: If you roll a 1, you miss this turn AND forfeit your next turn! (The other side then gets two turns in a row. If the other side ALSO rolls a 1 on their next roll, you then get to take a turn!)
2, 3, and 4 are a miss.
Rolling a 5 or 6 always succeeds. A 4 also succeeds if you’re rolling for an Officer or Sergeant. If rolling against an Officer or Sergeant, only a 5 or 6 succeeds, not a 4—even if you’re rolling for another Officer or Sergeant. Anything else, no go—turn passes to other side.
Field Promotion Rule (Optional): Rolling two sixes in a row, or two fives in a row, at any time, is an automatic field promotion for non-Officer, non-Sergeant troops. That particular Green man can now succeed on a 4, 5, or 6. Can only be killed on a 6.
Medic Rule (Optional): At one point every 5 minutes, a soldier can roll for medic (keep a note of the time in your game log). This will bring one buddy back to life if not a Captain or Sergeant, as long as 3, 4, 5, or 6 are rolled. It will bring a Captain or Sergeant back to life if 4, 5, or 6 are rolled. The turn then goes to the other team—no shooting or other moves. If you had the option to use this, but forgot, that's war! No take-backs.
Morale Rule (Optional): If an officer goes down, then the next turn on their side requires a roll of a 6 to do ANYTHING.
Vehicle Rules (Optional): Vehicles like tanks and airplanes can take out up to 3 guys per turn OR one vehicle, using the Officer rules above (treat a vehicle like an officer—roll a 4, 5, or 6 for success). But they can be blown up with a 4, 5, or 6 from another vehicle, too, or a guy with a rocket launcher can disable them by rolling a 5 or 6. After a vehicle fires or takes action, no matter the result, the other team / side gets an extra turn. Also see Terrain and Cover Rule below.
Terrain and Cover Rule (Optional): If a player is hiding behind something, or laying down, and the enemy shoots at them, they can roll to see if they were hit. Rolling a 1, 2, or 3 means they were hit. If a vehicle is shooting at them, anything lower than a 5 means they were hit.
Charismatic Action Freaks Out the Other Guy Rule (Optional): If a player is out in the open, if they roll a 4, 5, or 6 on their turn, the enemy loses their next turn!
Cinematic Berserker Death (Optional): If you roll a 5 or 6 after your guy gets fatally wounded (he’s dying/taken out of the game), your guy got off shots (dice rolls) at 3 non-officer bad guys of his choice! You must roll 6 to take those guys out (so if you roll anything but a six, three times, nothing happens but a lot of wild gunfire as your character fades out of existence). And any guys hit by the berserker shots don't get berserker deaths.
Initiative swaps to the other side after each game restarts.
More rules, mods, and options coming soon.
Work in Progress Notes 1 (Options)
Next turn skip ends once opponent is dead.
2 1s in a row is fog of war. Move to next pair of soldiers.
Only misses and gives away turn/position on a 1.
You can only have one of these per three soldiers. You can get one more that is a CHOICE of accuracy or protection, not both advantages.
Winner green guy takes initiative on next turn if it will be their turn next, like if they're the only player left. Mark him with something like a white dot or stripe.
Work In Progress Notes 2
----NOPE keep engagement----If both players miss, go to next engagement, swapping initiative.
Airplane: 1,1 or 2,2 shoots down. Airplane targets group of 3 max and gets them all with a 5 or 6.
Tank gets group of 2 max.
GREEN MEN
Other morale possible rule:
or 2) Radio man is taken out for next turn, can't call any strikes bc they
are calling in HQ to let them know.
-Space Exploration Game in Progress-
-Commando One Man Army Rules in Progress-
You must switch attacks / weapons with every turn.
You cannot be killed but you can be delayed OR the enemy can escape!
Other other other:
Officer picks charisma or wisdom.
When high charisma officer is shot, immediate vicinity troops get berserker shots.
When high wisdom officer is shot...?