Nebula is a fast-paced skirmish game where units take actions to defeat enemies and control objectives to win a battle.

-Each player will need a tape measure and several six-sided dice (sometimes abbreviated as D6).

-Distances in Nebula are measured in inches ("). Each player commands a squad of miniatures that matches the cards they have selected for battle.

-Each miniature is referred to as a “unit.”

-A game of Nebula is composed of several Battle Rounds that occur one after the other. Each player gets to play in every phase of every Battle Round.

-Players assign actions using tokens, and units perform them in order of Initiative from highest to lowest. Then, during the Combat Phase, units fight in order of Initiative from low to high.

Before every game, each player will need to build a squad consisting of units. A regular game of Nebula uses squads that add up to 100 points, for “All out war” mode you’ll use 150 points. Each card’s point cost is represented by the number in the yellow rhombus on the top right part of the card.

Distances are measured in inches (") between the closest points of the bases of the units you measure to and from. If a model does not have a base, measure to the closest point of any part of that model. You can measure distances whenever you wish.

Units can not ignore nor walk through terrain as they move unless pointed otherwise. Units do not block each other’s movement, but a unit can not end its movement on top of another unit.

Nebula battles are fought in square battlefields of 25” by 25” or 25” by 35” for All Out War Mode. The terrain and scenery on a battlefield can be represented by any models or objects that are not units. Terrain features are set up on the battlefield before the battle begins by following the selected map card setting from the predesigned maps you can find below, or you create your own battlefield.

Players must place their units on their side of the table before the first Battle Round starts.

To determine deployment order, players must roll a D6. The winner can decide who places the first unit. Players alternate, one unit at a time, until no units are left to place on the battlefield. Units are placed on the player's starting side spawn zone dictated by the selected map card.

For a unit to be able to shoot another unit, the Enemy must be in the range of the shooter’s weapon, and the shooter must have a line of sight.

Terrain and scenery on a battlefield can sometimes block the line of sight when a unit is trying to shoot. If the line of sight is unclear, using a small laser pointer can help.

If the line of sight is partially obscured by terrain or cover, the defender gets +1 to their Defense Stat during this attack.

All units have a Stat Card that lists their characteristics, such as Stats, Actions, and Weapons, as well as their effects and ranges.

When units are 1” or closer to each other, they are considered to be in hand-to-hand combat.

If, for any reason, a unit moves away from an enemy unit that is in hand-to-hand combat with, the enemy unit may perform a melee opportunity attack (Hit Dice 2) before the moving unit moves.

In situations where more than two units are in hand-to-hand combat, each enemy unit that is being disengaged will perform one melee opportunity attack (Hit Dice 2) before the moving unit moves.

Units can climb vertical surfaces and terrain. To do so, measure vertically as if it were moving on a surface.

Use the units Move Stat to determine the distance a unit can move. A unit can not end a move on a vertical surface (45 degrees or more). If its movement is not enough to climb and get to another flat surface, it can not attempt to climb it.

When a unit falls without climbing down from a height of 4’’ or more, roll a D6. On a 5-6, assign one damage counter to the unit from fall damage.

Before the game begins, place an objective marker in the middle of the battlefield or where the map card indicates. Any player who has control of the objective for two End Phases in a row wins the game.

To control the objective, a unit must be within 1" of the objective. If the objective is contested by two or more players, the objective is not controlled by any player.

Another way of winning the game is by destroying all of the opponent's units.

Together, the players go through the different phases of each Battle Round in the order described below.

After the End Phase, start a new Battle Round. Once a player has controlled the objective for two consecutive End Phases, the game is over, and that player wins the game.

Players assign Action Tokens to all of their units.

All players start by assigning one Action Token to each of their units simultaneously.

Place one Action Token face down beside each unit. The Action Token represents the action that this unit will be taking during the Action Phase.

Once all Action Tokens have been assigned by all players, Action Tokens can no longer be changed for the duration of the current Battle Round.

Players reveal Action Tokens and perform their units' selected actions (Click to download Tokens)

In order of each unit’s Initiative (highest to lowest), players reveal Action Tokens and perform the specified action for each unit, one unit at a time.

If two units from the same player have the same Initiative, that player will decide which one performs its action first.

If two units from different players have the same Initiative, the unit with the most damage performs its action first. If still tied, roll a D6 to determine which player moves their units first.

Action descriptions can be found directly on the character’s card.

Once a unit’s action has been completed, remove the Action Token from this unit and place the token outside the battlefield.

When all units have performed their actions, and no more Action Tokens remain to be revealed, continue to the next phase.

Players perform melee and ranged attacks with all of their units.

In order of each unit’s Initiative (lowest to highest), units perform melee and ranged attacks one at a time.

If two units from the same player have the same Initiative, that player will decide which one performs its attack first.

If two units from different players have the same Initiative, the unit with the most damage performs its attack first. If still tied, roll a D6 to determine which player’s units attack first.

Each unit can perform up to one attack per Combat Phase unless pointed otherwise.

To make any type of Attack with a unit:

1) Select an enemy unit within range as a target.

2) Roll a number of D6 equal to the number of Hit Dice of the chosen Attack/Weapon.

For each rolled D6 that is equal to or higher than the Target’s Defense Stat, assign one damage to the Target Enemy Unit. However, for every incoming damage die, the defending player rolls one D6. For every roll that matches or exceeds its Resilience stat, that unit mitigates 1 damage.

When the damage is equal to or greater than a unit’s Hit Points, the unit is considered dead, it is removed from the battlefield, and is put out of play for the remainder of the game.

Some units may perform special actions and abilities.

Special actions and abilities happen in this phase. A unit’s card will indicate whether or not it may perform an action or ability at this phase.

A player that controls the objective for two End Phases in a row wins the game. Or if the other player’s units have all been killed. Once the End Phase is over, start a new Battle Round.

Every map card has red markers which represent Mine Spots. For each one of these, roll one D6 to assign the type of mine, and place the corresponding one in that spot using the table below:

1-2 Re-roll

3- Explosive Mine

4- Sticky Mine

5- Smoke Mine

6- Stun Mine

Mines can be attacked and destroyed following the standard combat rules. If a Mine is destroyed or activated, it explodes, and its effect is triggered immediately.

Mines are also activated if a unit that does not Ignore Terrain ends movement or passes closer than 2” of them.

Units that ignore Terrain while moving do not activate mines.

Explosive Mine - When this unit explodes, it deals 1 damage to all units in a 4’’ radius.

Defense 6

Hit Points 1

Sticky Mine - When this unit explodes, all units in a 5” radius can’t attack during this turn’s combat phase.

Defense 6

Hit Points 1

Smoke Mine - When this unit explodes, place a smoke marker on the field that is 5” in diameter, using the Mine Spot as its center. Line of Sight can’t be drawn through or from inside the marker. Units can walk through smoke as normal. Smoke will dissipate in the next End Phase. Remove the smoke marker then.

Defense 6

Hit Points 1

Stun Mine - When this unit explodes, all units within 6’’ can't Move or Attack for the rest of the turn.

Defense 6

Hit Points 1

To add variation and difficulty, players can decide whether to play using turrets or not. If they do, each player can place up to one turret in their designated turret spots on the Map Cards at the end of the deployment phase, after all units have been deployed.

Turrets only activate during the Combat Phase and attack using the same combat rules as regular units. Turrets do not get tokens assigned or actions during the Assignment and Action phases.

Turrets can be attacked and destroyed by enemies as if they were regular units.