NeoWars

Core Rules

NeoWars Core Rulebook

Turf war for Neo-London - elimination rules aligned to the live Normal V2 engine

Victory

NeoWars is an elimination game for 2 to 4 players. Each player fields one active Overlord.

Reduce a rival Overlord to 0 Health to assassinate them - that player is eliminated immediately.

The last faction standing wins control of Neo-London. There is no Turf-percentage or points victory.

Setup & Board (Normal V2)

Default live mode is Normal V2. Each player picks a faction and one of that faction's three Overlords to start active.

Opening hand is 5 cards. Hand limit is 5 for the rest of the game (discard down when over).

Board: 4 creature slots (Overlord occupies one; up to 3 other field creatures) and 4 building slots.

The other two Overlords are shuffled into your deck for possible mid-game ascension swaps.

Starting Pools

  • Base start: 0 Resources / 0 Influence / 5 Currency.
  • Then +10 to the chosen Overlord's specialty: Production → Resources, Political → Influence, Capital → Currency.
  • Once per economy turn: when you receive that specialty pool as income, gain an extra +2 of it.

3-Resource Economy

Every play spends from Currency, Resources, or Influence. Spend the right pool for the right line.

       [ CURRENCY ]               [ RESOURCE ]               [ INFLUENCE ]
   Deploy & Underworld           Build, Gear & Delegate     Events & Champions
             │                         │                         │
             ▼                         ▼                         ▼
   • Creature Deployments      • Building Construction    • Faction Events (hand)
   • Black Market Entry/Buy    • Cyber-Mod Attachments    • Initiate Creature Events
   • Police Bribes             • Delegate Creature Events • Champion Deploy Gate
                               • Weaponry R&D Use

Currency

Primary spends

  • Deploy Edge-Runners, Mercenaries, and Champions (Champions also need Influence).
  • Black Market entry (1 Currency if you lack an operational Black Market) and BM shop purchases.
  • Police Force bribes when presence is bribable.

Resources

Primary spends

  • Construct buildings (printed cost is typically 5 Resources).
  • Attach Cyber-Mods (typically 3 Resources).
  • Delegate Creature Events onto field creatures (default 2 Resources).

Influence

Primary spends

  • Play Faction Events from hand and Initiate delegated Creature Events (typically 2 Influence).
  • Champion deployment gate (printed Influence on the Champion card).
  • Building Use: burn a crewed building into Recovery for a burst of Influence (5 Inf / 2 turns or 10 Inf / 3 turns). Weaponry R&D cannot Use for Influence.

Operational Action & Cost Matrix

Defaults match current engine constants and printed decks. Individual cards may override costs.

Gameplay Action Currency Resources Influence Notes
Deploy Edge-Runner Printed - - Recovers until your next turn
Deploy Mercenary Printed - - No recovery on deploy; leaves after printed lifespan (default 3 owner turns)
Deploy Champion Printed - Printed Recovers until your next turn; abilities unlock after turn 3
Construct Building - Printed (usu. 5) - Needs crew (Edge-Runner or Champion) to operate
Attach Cyber-Mod - Printed (usu. 3) - No hard attach cap in engine
Delegate Creature Event - Default 2 - Onto Champion / Edge-Runner only
Trigger Faction / Creature Event - - Printed (usu. 2) Confrontation or Counter
Building Use (Influence pulse) - - Gain 5 or 10 Building Recoveries 2 or 3 turns
Weaponry R&D Use - - - Extra ATK dice roll for your soldiers; building Recoveries 1 turn
Black Market enter (visitor) 1 - - Skip free; owners with operational BM enter free
Black Market Event / Cyber-Mod 1 each - - Max one Event and/or one Cyber-Mod per visit
Black Market exchange 2 : 1 Resource 2 : 1 Currency - No Influence in the exchange
Police bribe Field creatures × 1 or 2 (max 8) - - Only when presence roll is bribable
Kill reward / Raid demolish - +7 Res on building kill +3 Inf on creature kill Attacker gains

Deck Composition

Printed faction decks are 58 physical cards (31 definitions with copies). Incident cards are retired and are not used.

Deck Customiser can override copy counts (0-30) before a match.

Typical printed mix (per faction)

  • Overlords ×3 (1 starts active; 2 in deck)
  • Champions ×5 (1 copy each)
  • Edge-Runners ×5 (1 copy each)
  • Mercenaries ×9 (3 copies of each of 3 types)
  • Buildings ×6 (kept in a separate building deck)
  • Events ×20 (Faction + Creature subtypes; multi-copy)
  • Cyber-Mods ×10 (multi-copy)

Card Types

Creatures & Commander

Overlord
Your elimination target and specialty economy piece. Sits in a creature slot. Operators do not apply.
Edge-Runner
Core clan soldier. Fights, can Fortify, can crew buildings, can take Cyber-Mods and Creature Events.
Mercenary
Hired gun. Currency only. Leaves after its lifespan of owner turns. Cannot crew, take Mods, or host Events. Police Force can Order a hand Mercenary to attack.
Champion
Elite lieutenant with an active ability. Currency + Influence to deploy. Can crew (doubles building income). Abilities unlock after turn 3; using one Recoveries the Champion.

Support

Building
Turf infrastructure from the building deck. Must be crewed by an Edge-Runner or Champion to operate. Passive income / special stages need an operational (crewed, non-recovering) building.
Faction Event
Stays in hand. Play during Confrontation or Counter for Influence. Not delegatable.
Creature Event
Delegate (Resources) onto a field Champion / Edge-Runner, then Initiate (Influence) in Confrontation / Counter. Fortified hosts cannot Initiate. Initiating Recoveries the bearer 1 turn.
Cyber-Mod
Permanent attachment paid in Resources. Grants structured mod effects (stats, keywords like Continuum Fold, pierce, etc.).

Turn Stages

Seat order each turn: Income I → Income II → Black Market → Manage → Confrontation → Counter, then pass.

First 3 turns: combat is locked - ending Manage ends the turn (no Confrontation / Counter). Champion abilities and mercenary Orders also unlock after turn 3.

Opening turn: Black Market is skipped. Hand refills going into Manage.

Data-Scrap

  • During Income I or Income II, discard a card from hand (no Currency).
  • Locked cards cannot be Data-Scrapped until unlocked.

Stage reference

Income I
Draw up to hand 5. In legacy Normal mode, gain +1 Resources / +1 Influence / +1 Currency (skipped on each player's opening turn). In Normal V2 (default) those base pool gains never fire. Overlord +2 specialty boost can still fire once per turn when that pool is received as income. Building passives and extortion resolve. Deploy, Fortify, Data-Scrap allowed. Deployed Champions / Edge-Runners Recover until your next turn; Mercenaries do not.
Income II
Draw again up to 5. Deploy / Fortify / Data-Scrap allowed. Data-Scrap here leaves empty slots until Manage (then hand refills).
Black Market
Optional. Requires any player's operational (crewed) Black Market on the table. Skipped on opening turn and in Brawl. See Black Market section.
Manage
Hand tops up to 5 after Income II Data-Scrap. Deploy units / buildings / Cyber-Mods; dedicate crew; Fortify; Delegate Creature Events. No Data-Scrap. First 3 turns: ending Manage ends the turn.
Confrontation
If any Police Force exists, roll presence at stage start. Then in order: (1) Faction Event from hand, (2) Initiate delegated Creature Events, (3) Champion abilities, (4) declare attacks and raids (queued). Operators cannot attack; they only defend their own building when raided. Fortified creatures cannot declare attacks.
Counter
Each attacked player responds: (1) Faction Event, (2) Initiate Creature Events, (3) assign absorbers and resolve hits / fight results, (4) late Faction Event (counterer only). Ending Counter passes the turn (hand limit discard if over 5).

Black Market

Only one Black Market building may exist in the game. While any player's Black Market is operational (crewed), the Black Market stage is open for everyone.

Rules

  • Visitors without an operational Black Market pay 1 Currency to enter (or skip).
  • Exchange Resources ↔ Currency at 2 Currency : 1 Resource (no Influence).
  • Buy buildings from the shared pool (all factions in the match). Events and Cyber-Mods cost 1 Currency each.
  • At most one Event and/or one Cyber-Mod per visit.
  • Other players with an operational Black Market collect entry / purchase cuts (purchase cut = half spend, rounded up).

Buildings

Buildings drive the economy. Construct them on your Turf, crew them, and they feed pools or unlock special tools.

Operating a Building

Crew rules

  • A building is operational only when crewed by an Edge-Runner or Champion.
  • A Champion operator doubles that building's income outputs.
  • Champions may still use abilities while operating. If the operator Recoveries, the building idles until they recover.
  • Release or Transfer an operator without putting them into Recovery.

Shared & Special Structures

Faction signatures

  • Corp-Vamps - Bank
  • Wire Ghouls - Communication Servers
  • Chrono Elves - Transport Center
  • Mecha Orks - Demolition Troops HQ
  • Code Shamans - Fixers Lair
  • Bio Druids - Healing Station
  • Synth Sirens - Entertainment Center

Common prints

Factory
Generates Resources while crewed.
Commercial Centre
Generates Currency while crewed.
Black Market
Opens the Black Market stage. Owner collects visitor fees and purchase cuts. Unique on table.
Police Force
Enables Confrontation police presence rolls and mercenary Orders for everyone while operational.
Weaponry R&D
Active Use: your soldiers get an extra Attack dice roll until end of turn; building Recoveries 1 turn. Cannot Use for Influence.

Influence Pulse vs Passive

Passive: crewed building generates its normal income / passives.

Active Use: most buildings can pulse for Influence (5/2 or 10/3), entering Recovery - passives and Champion multipliers pause while recovering.

Combat

Attacks and raids are declared in Confrontation and resolved in Counter with absorbers.

Dice faces are 0 through 2 inclusive. Base formula: damage = Attack + ATK dice sum − DEF dice sum (min 0), before pierce / halve / other modifiers.

Default: 1 Attack dice roll and 1 Defense dice roll. Hastened / Weaponry R&D add Attack dice rolls. Fortify adds a Defense dice roll. Some effects double an Attack dice roll or alter incoming damage.

Absorbers & Fortify

  • Non-fortified absorbers must sit adjacent (left/right) to the attacked card.
  • Recovering creatures cannot absorb creature / Overlord hits (Fortify and Continuum Fold excepted).
  • Dedicated crew cannot absorb creature / Overlord hits unless they have Continuum Fold (guard any ally, any range).
  • Fortified absorbers defend any ally at any range, get +1 DEF dice roll, and may defend repeatedly until destroyed.
  • A Fortified creature that takes a hit and survives immediately counterstrikes that attacker (full combat roll, cannot be absorbed).
  • Destroying an enemy creature awards +3 Influence. Demolishing an enemy building on a raid awards +7 Resources.

Recovery, Fortify & Hastened

States

Recovery
Creatures in Recovery cannot attack (and usually cannot absorb as above). Buildings in Recovery generate no income. Champion abilities and Initiated Creature Events put the actor into Recovery.
Fortify
Set during Income or Manage on non-recovering Champions / Edge-Runners / Mercenaries. Lasts until your next turn. +1 DEF dice roll, any-range multi-absorb, counterstrike on surviving a hit. Cannot declare attacks or Initiate Creature Events while Fortified.
Hastened
Extra Attack dice roll (e.g. from Weaponry R&D Use) until end of turn.

Police Force

If any Police Force building is on the board, Confrontation starts with a presence dice roll (0 none / 1 bribable / 2 unbribable).

Resolution

  • None: Confrontation proceeds.
  • Bribable: active player may pay a Currency bribe (field creatures not on duty × 1 or 2, max 8) or skip Confrontation. Other Police Force owners collect the bribe cut (briber's own Police Force does not pay themselves).
  • Unbribable: Confrontation is skipped.
  • While operational, Police Force also unlocks Ordering a hand Mercenary to attack during Confrontation (after combat unlock).

Game Modes

Modes

  • Normal V2 (default): 4/4 board slots; no base +1/+1/+1 Income I pool grant.
  • Normal (legacy): Income I still grants +1 to each pool after the opening turn.
  • Brawl: creature cards only; Black Market skipped.

Factions

Seven factions contest Neo-London. Each brings a distinct archetype, economy profile, and kit.

Corp-Vamps

Sustain, Income Taxation & Financial Control

Advantages

  • Sustain in Combat: Lifesteal and siphon effects keep creatures alive through extended trades.
  • Passive Revenue: Signature Bank taxes opponents on Currency income events.

Disadvantages

  • Vulnerable to Aggro: Needs setup time; can be overrun before tax engines pay off.
  • Low Immediate Burst: Struggles to delete heavy targets without sustained brawls.

Signature & Shared Buildings

  • Signature: Bank.
  • Shared kit: Factory, Commercial Centre, Black Market, Police Force, Weaponry R&D (plus the signature).

Creature Card Configurations & Costs (printed deck)

Edge-Runners
Moderate ATK (2) / High HP (6) | Cost: Moderate Currency (3)
Mercenaries
Moderate ATK (2) / High HP (6) | Cost: Low Currency (2) | Lifespan: 3 owner turns
Champions
High ATK (4) / High HP (6) | Cost: High Currency (8) + Influence (2-4)
Faction Events
Play from hand in Confrontation / Counter. Trigger cost: Influence (2). Cannot be delegated.
Creature Events
Delegate onto a field Champion / Edge-Runner for Resources (default 2), then Initiate for Influence (2). Bearer recovers 1 turn. Not on Overlord, Mercenaries, or building operators.
Cyber-Mods
Attach cost: Resources (3). Permanent on eligible creatures.

Wire Ghouls

Hacking, Event Loops & Rapid Swarms

Advantages

  • Event Engine: Communication Servers mint Currency when you delegate Creature Events.
  • High Versatility: Disruption, discards, and cheap swarms scale into mid-game.

Disadvantages

  • Fragile Board: Low native HP; loses hard if the swarm is cleared.
  • Setup Sensitive: Economy spikes when Events and Mods are flowing.

Signature & Shared Buildings

  • Signature: Communication Servers.
  • Shared kit: Factory, Commercial Centre, Black Market, Police Force, Weaponry R&D (plus the signature).

Creature Card Configurations & Costs (printed deck)

Edge-Runners
Low ATK (1) / Low HP (2) | Cost: Very Low Currency (1)
Mercenaries
Low ATK (1) / Low HP (2) | Cost: Very Low Currency (1) | Lifespan: 2 owner turns
Champions
Low ATK (1) / Moderate HP (4) | Cost: Moderate Currency (4) + High Influence (4)
Faction Events
Play from hand in Confrontation / Counter. Trigger cost: Influence (2). Cannot be delegated.
Creature Events
Delegate onto a field Champion / Edge-Runner for Resources (default 2), then Initiate for Influence (2). Bearer recovers 1 turn. Not on Overlord, Mercenaries, or building operators.
Cyber-Mods
Attach cost: Resources (3). Permanent on eligible creatures.

Chrono Elves

Shielding, Turtle Defense & Armor Rolls

Advantages

  • High Survivability: Extra defense rolls, barriers, and Continuum Fold absorb tools.
  • Board Control: Excellent at stalling and dictating when fights resolve.

Disadvantages

  • Slow Offense: Low base ATK needs methodical pressure or Event support.
  • Pierce Vulnerability: Shield-bypass kits punish pure turtle lines.

Signature & Shared Buildings

  • Signature: Transport Center.
  • Shared kit: Factory, Commercial Centre, Black Market, Police Force, Weaponry R&D (plus the signature).

Creature Card Configurations & Costs (printed deck)

Edge-Runners
Low ATK (1) / High HP (6) | Cost: Moderate Currency (3)
Mercenaries
Low ATK (1) / High HP (6) | Cost: Low Currency (2) | Lifespan: 4 owner turns
Champions
Low ATK (1) / High HP (6) | Cost: High Currency (7) + High Influence (4)
Faction Events
Play from hand in Confrontation / Counter. Trigger cost: Influence (2). Cannot be delegated.
Creature Events
Delegate onto a field Champion / Edge-Runner for Resources (default 2), then Initiate for Influence (2). Bearer recovers 1 turn. Not on Overlord, Mercenaries, or building operators.
Cyber-Mods
Attach cost: Resources (3). Permanent on eligible creatures.

Mecha Orks

Aggro, Demolition & Heavy Artillery

Advantages

  • High Attack Power: Strong baseline ATK overwhelms soft boards fast.
  • Demolition Payouts: Demolition Troops HQ pays Resources when buildings die.

Disadvantages

  • Glass Cannons: Many bodies are high ATK / low HP.
  • Stall Weakness: If buildings stop dying, the demolition engine idles.

Signature & Shared Buildings

  • Signature: Demolition Troops HQ.
  • Shared kit: Factory, Commercial Centre, Black Market, Police Force, Weaponry R&D (plus the signature).

Creature Card Configurations & Costs (printed deck)

Edge-Runners
High ATK (4) / Low HP (2) | Cost: Low Currency (2)
Mercenaries
High ATK (4) / Low HP (2) | Cost: Very Low Currency (1) | Lifespan: 2 owner turns
Champions
High ATK (4) / High HP (6) | Cost: High Currency (7) + High Influence (4)
Faction Events
Play from hand in Confrontation / Counter. Trigger cost: Influence (2). Cannot be delegated.
Creature Events
Delegate onto a field Champion / Edge-Runner for Resources (default 2), then Initiate for Influence (2). Bearer recovers 1 turn. Not on Overlord, Mercenaries, or building operators.
Cyber-Mods
Attach cost: Resources (3). Permanent on eligible creatures.

Code Shamans

Shield Bypassing & Precision Cyberware

Advantages

  • Defense Negation: Pierce and control tools punish fortified turtles.
  • Mod Synergy: Cyber-Mods and Fixer's Lair reward installing chrome.

Disadvantages

  • Mod Dependent: Peaks when Mods are drawn and paid for.
  • Low Native Defense: High pierce comes with fragile HP lines.

Signature & Shared Buildings

  • Signature: Fixers Lair.
  • Shared kit: Factory, Commercial Centre, Black Market, Police Force, Weaponry R&D (plus the signature).

Creature Card Configurations & Costs (printed deck)

Edge-Runners
High ATK (4) / Low HP (2) | Cost: Moderate Currency (3)
Mercenaries
High ATK (4) / Low HP (2) | Cost: Low Currency (2) | Lifespan: 2 owner turns
Champions
High ATK (4) / Low HP (2) | Cost: High Currency (7) + High Influence (4)
Faction Events
Play from hand in Confrontation / Counter. Trigger cost: Influence (2). Cannot be delegated.
Creature Events
Delegate onto a field Champion / Edge-Runner for Resources (default 2), then Initiate for Influence (2). Bearer recovers 1 turn. Not on Overlord, Mercenaries, or building operators.
Cyber-Mods
Attach cost: Resources (3). Permanent on eligible creatures.

Bio Druids

Healing, Brawling & Combat Scaling

Advantages

  • High Sustain: Healing and Adaptation keep bodies through trades.
  • Brawl Profitability: Healing Station and combat scaling reward extended fights.

Disadvantages

  • Needs Combat: Passive or burn-heavy opponents starve the engine.
  • Burst Vulnerability: One-shot kills deny heal value.

Signature & Shared Buildings

  • Signature: Healing Station.
  • Shared kit: Factory, Commercial Centre, Black Market, Police Force, Weaponry R&D (plus the signature).

Creature Card Configurations & Costs (printed deck)

Edge-Runners
Moderate ATK (2) / High HP (6) | Cost: Moderate Currency (3)
Mercenaries
Moderate ATK (2) / High HP (6) | Cost: Low Currency (2) | Lifespan: 3 owner turns
Champions
Moderate ATK (2) / High HP (6) | Cost: High Currency (7) + High Influence (4)
Faction Events
Play from hand in Confrontation / Counter. Trigger cost: Influence (2). Cannot be delegated.
Creature Events
Delegate onto a field Champion / Edge-Runner for Resources (default 2), then Initiate for Influence (2). Bearer recovers 1 turn. Not on Overlord, Mercenaries, or building operators.
Cyber-Mods
Attach cost: Resources (3). Permanent on eligible creatures.

Synth Sirens

Sabotage, Recovery Lockout & Market Control

Advantages

  • Disruption: Force Recovery, redirect, and sway key pieces off-tempo.
  • Downtime Economy: Entertainment Center and sabotage monetize enemy idle time.

Disadvantages

  • Complex Sequencing: Timing Recovery lockouts matters.
  • Weak Direct Stats: Low raw ATK without active sabotage.

Signature & Shared Buildings

  • Signature: Entertainment Center.
  • Shared kit: Factory, Commercial Centre, Black Market, Police Force, Weaponry R&D (plus the signature).

Creature Card Configurations & Costs (printed deck)

Edge-Runners
Low ATK (1) / Moderate HP (4) | Cost: Moderate Currency (3)
Mercenaries
Low ATK (1) / Moderate HP (4) | Cost: Low Currency (2) | Lifespan: 3 owner turns
Champions
Low ATK (1) / Moderate HP (4) | Cost: Moderate Currency (5) + High Influence (4)
Faction Events
Play from hand in Confrontation / Counter. Trigger cost: Influence (2). Cannot be delegated.
Creature Events
Delegate onto a field Champion / Edge-Runner for Resources (default 2), then Initiate for Influence (2). Bearer recovers 1 turn. Not on Overlord, Mercenaries, or building operators.
Cyber-Mods
Attach cost: Resources (3). Permanent on eligible creatures.

Faction Summary Comparison

Quick reference from printed decks (Edge-Runner / Mercenary / Champion). Regenerated from card JSON.

Faction Typical ATK / HP (ER/Merc/Champ) Merc Lifespan Deploy Costs (Cur / Cur / Cur+Inf) Core Identity
Corp-Vamps ATK 2/2/4 · HP 6/6/6 3 turns ER 3 · Merc 2 · Champ 8+Inf 2-4 Sustain, Income Taxation & Financial Control
Wire Ghouls ATK 1/1/1 · HP 2/2/4 2 turns ER 1 · Merc 1 · Champ 4+Inf 4 Hacking, Event Loops & Rapid Swarms
Chrono Elves ATK 1/1/1 · HP 6/6/6 4 turns ER 3 · Merc 2 · Champ 7+Inf 4 Shielding, Turtle Defense & Armor Rolls
Mecha Orks ATK 4/4/4 · HP 2/2/6 2 turns ER 2 · Merc 1 · Champ 7+Inf 4 Aggro, Demolition & Heavy Artillery
Code Shamans ATK 4/4/4 · HP 2/2/2 2 turns ER 3 · Merc 2 · Champ 7+Inf 4 Shield Bypassing & Precision Cyberware
Bio Druids ATK 2/2/2 · HP 6/6/6 3 turns ER 3 · Merc 2 · Champ 7+Inf 4 Healing, Brawling & Combat Scaling
Synth Sirens ATK 1/1/1 · HP 4/4/4 3 turns ER 3 · Merc 2 · Champ 5+Inf 4 Sabotage, Recovery Lockout & Market Control