This month we are celebrating the release of our 2nd expansion, REDLINE: Battle of Neom and with it, a relaunch of REDLINE with updated rules and visual changes to how the game is played.
In our last update for our relaunch, we wanted to focus on something REDLINE players have been asking about since the game first came out. Multiplayer!
With the introduction of our new multiplayer format, REDLINE Scramble, players can now send their efreets into battle with more friends for even more explosive fun! In addition to the rules for and backstory of REDLINE Scramble, we also wanted to share rules for another new REDLINE format that started during the creation of REDLINE: Battle of Neom, REDLINE Scenario Play.
But first, it’s time to scramble!
Origins or REDLINE Scramble
When we launched our first Kickstarter for REDLINE: Tactical Card Combat, fans were quick to ask if the game could be played multiplayer. At the time, our focus was on making REDLINE the best player vs player game we could and so multiplayer wasn’t really on our radar. Sure it was something we would love to do, but back then, we were just trying to get REDLINE made. Starting small and focusing on one thing at a time was the strategy we adopted.
And for good reason. To make REDLINE as unique and engaging as we could, we designed the game from the ground up to really try and bridge the gap between tabletop board games. We wanted players to feel like they were commanding and moving units around a map to gain tactical advantages, however with all game elements made up of cards. This is one of the reasons why we adopted a simultaneous combat system, and the use of mission cards to make the “map” players battle over each game. The whole dynamic was built around the use of the game’s mission dials. Before combat begins, each player in REDLINE places a mission dial face down on one of their efreets that corresponds to a mission on the red line between players. Anticipating where you opponent will send their efreets and how best to counter their attacks with your own movements is at the core of how REDLINE plays with the ultimate goal being the capture of all 5 missions on the red line.
And that ultimate goal was the problem multiplayer faced.
We expect there to be push and pull between players when battling for total control of the red line when playing. But if you were to add extra players to the mix the see saw that makes REDLINE fun quickly becomes a traffic jam. There is no way a single player would be able to secure all 5 missions at once with a 3rd player acting as a spoiler of sorts.
And so that was the problem we faced when working to tackle multiplayer. How to avoid a giant simultaneous efreet mosh pit with 3 players all throwing down on the mission cards at the same time.
Though a tricky problem to solve, we did have an idea. An idea that went back to the very first origins of REDLINE: Tactical Card Combat.
Back when the game was just an idea we scratched out on some index cards the original approach towards how players interacted with the missions on the red line was very different. Originally the idea was that once players captured a mission they removed it from the red line and added it to their baseline as a new mission was turned over from the mission deck to replace it. This was very cool cause it meant things were always changing and you never knew when an advantageous mission would appear could turn the game in your favor. However, the gameplay didn’t really feel like a battle with constantly shifting lines of battle and instead played more like a race as the optimum strategy was to grab as many missions as possible. Finder keepers style.
We tried to make this system work but realized during play testing the biggest flaw of this system came down to supply and demand. With a large supply of missions to fight over, there simply wasn’t enough demand between two players to care too much about them, One of the strongest strategies was avoiding combat when possible to grab the easy pickings missions that were available. And if you didnt capture any, no stress since new missions would always be available to do so next turn.
But… what if you increased the demand by adding a 3rd player into the mix?
Returning to our original design ultimately provided the inspiration for how REDLINE Scramble came to be. Instead of avoiding the efreet mosh pit. what if we embraced it?
REDLINE Scramble Rules
REDLINE Scramble is a REDLINE: Tactical Card Combat multiplayer format designed for 3 players. Playing Scramble is very similar to a normal game of REDLINE with one key distinction. Instead of fighting to control each mission on the red line, players instead race to capture as many missions as they can. Because in REDLINE Scramble, once a mission is captured, it is moved to the player’s baseline and replaced by a new mission from the mission deck. Doing so adds the mission’s capture value to a players scramble count, with the goal being to accumulate 25 scramble points to win the game.
Because the red line is always changing and once a mission is gone, it’s gone, every turn in REDLINE Scramble is a mad dash to grab the best missions available, while they still last!
Setup: One of the best parts about REDLINE Scramble is it’s easy to play. Setup is exactly the same as a regular game of REDLINE with the exception an additional 5 mission dials will be needed for the 3rd player.
Roll initiative as normal with the highest roll going last and the lowest roll going first. Flip the top 5 cards from the mission deck over to create the red line and begin play as normal, except now there is a third player taking their deploy phase before moving to the mission planning phase.
How to play: A game of REDLINE Scramble plays just like any other game of REDLINE with only a few differences.
- When successfully capturing missions, players still assign capture damage as normal. However instead of placing a capture token on it to show control, the player who owns the mission immediately removes it from the red line and adds it to their baseline then flips the top card of the mission deck over to replace it.
- Owned missions on a player’s baseline still grant bonuses as normal and count as captured. In addition they add their capture cost to a player’s scramble count. The first player to reach a scramble count of 25 wins the game!
- If a player owns missions with SCORCHED EARTH on their baseline, it can be targeted by capture damage just as any other card on the baseline can be.
- If any players arsenal runs out of cards when playing a Scramble game, they lose and are removed immediately from the game along with all their cards. Any owned missions they have are shuffled back into the mission deck.
- If a card cannot be replaced on the red line because the mission deck is out of cards, end the game on that turn. The player with the highest scramble count wins.
With 3 players in the mix all gunning for as many mission as they can, a game of REDLINE Scramble can get pretty crazy. Try it out with your friends and you’re guaranteed to have a blast!
REDLINE Scenario Play
Since we are talking about new REDLINE formats, we can’t forget to leave out, REDLINE Scenario Play.
Scenario Play was introduced while designing REDLINE: Battle of Neom. As that expansion takes place entirely within the supercity of Neom, we wanted to allow a way for REDLINE players to be able to reenact the Battle of Neom and all the cool interactions that came with our Scorched Earth mechanic that slowly destroys Neom as the battle progresses.
The problem is regular REDLINE forces players to generate a random set of 5 mission cards from the mission deck each game to fight over. With those rules in place, the chances of flopping all 5 new Neom missions at once would be astronomical.
To remedy the situation, we created Scenario Play which allows for a predetermined red line with known mission cards before the game begins. Once the missions have been set, play continues as normal for a regular REDLINE game.
Which means that now, with Scenario Play, you CAN recreate the Battle of Neom by using all 5 mission cards from the Battle of Neom expansion above.
A cool side effect of scenario play is that when you know what kind of terrain you’ll be playing on before the game begins, players can tailor their arsenals to best take advantage of the missions they’ll be fighting for. For example, the supercity Neom features missions with large capture costs. As such, light efreets won’t carry much weight in this dense urban combat environment.
Or, have fun creating your own own custom red lines to test you and your friend’s arsenal building strategies! Take this sample scenario below built around a nice stroll through the countryside. Plenty of wide open spaces await on this scenic efreet road trip down the interstate highway. Jump in the backseat of your favorite efreet and put the top down as you cruise with the wind in your hair!
As REDLINE continues to grow and more and more mission cards are added to the game, we are excited to see the potential of REDLINE Scenario Play expand. Having a known and set group of missions allows for a more even playing field between players each game as the randomness of creating a unique red line when playing disappears.
And if competitive REDLINE ever becomes a thing, there is a strong chance we’d look to seriously find a way to incorporate Scenario Play into it. It seems to be the best option going forward to eliminate the randomness of a regular game and allow a match to focus solely on the skill on the players involved.
New Formats On The Horizon?
Of course, while regular REDLINE, REDLINE Scramble, and Scenario Play are the only ways to play and enjoy REDLINE: Tactical Card Combat at the moment, that is not to say new formats may not exist in the future. Many players are still asking for a solo game mode (that will be quite tricky if it ever happens) and we have been bouncing ideas around for a larger, more epic style of game for some time now as well.
But that’s not to say you and your friends cannot create your own special formats for REDLINE on your own. Who knows? Maybe the next great REDLINE format could begin on your very own gaming table.