Nemo’s War (Second Edition)

2017

Journey across the seas in the electric-powered Nautilus in Nemo's War. Assume Captain Nemo's role for missions of science, exploration, and anti-Imperialism. Enjoy the game solo or with friends.

120
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

13+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Nemo’s War (Second Edition) is a captivating board game that invites you to embark on an undersea adventure in the world of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Set in a captivating underwater universe, the game offers an engaging mix of exploration, combat, and strategy that will appeal to veteran and novice gamers alike.

The board game is set in the late 19th century, in a world not quite our own. You play as Captain Nemo, the legendary character created by Jules Verne. As Nemo, you command the magnificent submarine, the Nautilus, and embark on a mysterious journey beneath the waves. Your mission is to explore the depths of the ocean, discover new scientific wonders, sink enemy ships, and, above all, remain undetected.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Nemo’s War (Second Edition) is a solo board game where the player assumes the role of Captain Nemo and his submarine, the Nautilus. Your goal is to explore the seas, fight enemy ships, and complete your chosen motive. The steps for setting up the game are as follows:

Step 1: Game Board Setup

Place the game board in the center of your playing area. The game board represents the world map during the Victorian era, the oceans you will explore, and the tracks for your resources.

Step 2: Preparation of Tokens

Separate the treasure tokens, ship tokens, and adventure cards into their respective piles. Shuffle each pile separately and place them face-down next to the game board.

Step 3: Placement of Ship Tokens

Draw a certain number of ship tokens based on the game’s difficulty level and place them face-down on the corresponding ocean spaces of the game board.

Step 4: Setting Initial Resources

Victory Points: Start with zero victory points.
Nemo: Set Nemo’s health to its maximum value on the Nemo track.
Hull: Set the Hull’s health to its maximum value on the Hull track.
Crew: Set the Crew’s health to its maximum value on the Crew track.

Step 5: Choosing Your Motive

Select one of the four Motive cards: Explore, Science, Anti-Imperialism, or War. Place your chosen Motive card next to your game board. This decision will impact the scoring conditions at the end of the game.

Step 6: Setting Up Adventure Deck

Separate the Adventure cards into three piles according to their Act (I, II, III). Shuffle each pile, then place the Act III cards at the bottom, Act II cards in the middle, and Act I cards on top to form a draw pile.

Step 7: Placing the Nautilus

Place the Nautilus marker on any ocean space of the game board. This will be your starting location.

Step 8: Random Elements

The game includes several random elements. For example, the Adventure cards are drawn randomly and can bring unexpected events. Also, dice are rolled for combat against ships, adding a chance element to the fights.

Once you have completed all these steps, you’re ready to start exploring the depths of the oceans with Nemo and his crew in Nemo’s War (Second Edition)!

Game flow Round and round we go

Nemo’s War (Second Edition) is a solo board game that puts the player in control of Captain Nemo’s Nautilus, with the objective of exploring the seas, battling naval vessels, or advancing scientific knowledge. This game is divided into several phases which include the Preparation Phase, Placement Phase, Action Phase, and Test Phase.

Preparation Phase

This is the initial phase of the game where the player sets up the game board, preparing various elements such as:

The Adventure Deck: This deck is shuffled and placed on the designated space on the board.
The Nautilus: The submarine piece is placed on the Ocean space of the player’s choice.
The Ship Draw Pool: The ship tokens are mixed in the draw bag, and drawn at random to populate the Ocean spaces.
The Upgrade Cards: These are shuffled and a number of them are revealed.

Placement Phase

In the placement phase, the player turns over the top card of the Adventure Deck, revealing a new event, challenge, or opportunity. The player then places the indicated new ship tokens on the board.

Action Phase

The Action Phase is where the player gets to make strategic decisions and carry out actions. The player spends Action Points (APs) to perform various activities like:

Moving the Nautilus: The player may move the submarine to an adjacent Ocean space.
Attacking a Ship: The player may choose to engage in combat with a ship in the same Ocean space.
Searching: The player may attempt to find treasures, make scientific discoveries, or incite rebellions.
Resting: The player can choose to rest and repair the Nautilus.
Refitting: The player may upgrade the Nautilus using available Upgrade Cards.

Test Phase

The Test Phase is where the player resolves the effects of the actions taken during the Action Phase. This includes resolving combats, determining the success of searches, and applying the effects of resting and refitting.

The game continues in this cycle of phases until the player meets one of the game’s victory conditions, or until the Adventure Deck runs out, at which point the game ends and the player’s final score is calculated.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In Nemo’s War (Second Edition), players take on the role of Captain Nemo and his submarine crew, navigating the seas and managing the ship’s resources. During each player’s turn, they may perform a variety of actions and make strategic decisions that impact the course of the game. Here is a breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn:

1. Draw an Adventure Card:

At the start of your turn, you must draw an Adventure Card. This card may present a challenge, reward, or an event that affects gameplay. The outcome of the card can influence your strategic choices for the rest of your turn.

2. Choose an Action:

After resolving the Adventure Card, you must choose one action to take. There are several options available:

Search: You may attempt to discover a treasure or secret in your current ocean. This action requires a successful test roll and consumes resources.
Attack: You can choose to attack a ship in your current ocean. This action also requires a successful test roll and consumes resources.
Move: You can move to a different ocean. This action may trigger encounters with ships or events in the new ocean.
Rest: You can choose to rest and recover resources. However, this action leaves you vulnerable to attacks.
Refit: You can upgrade your ship. This action requires resources but can improve your capabilities in future turns.

3. Resolve the Action:

After choosing your action, you must resolve it. This usually involves making a dice roll and comparing it to a target number. Depending on the action, you may also need to spend resources or make strategic decisions. The result of the action can have various effects, such as gaining or losing resources, moving to a new ocean, or affecting the game’s victory conditions.

4. End of Turn:

After resolving your action, your turn ends. You must update the game’s resources, adjust the victory point track if necessary, and hand over to the next player.

The actions and choices you make in Nemo’s War can significantly affect the game’s outcome. Therefore, it’s essential to consider your options carefully and make strategic decisions that will advance your objectives and hinder your opponents.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

In the game of ‘Nemo’s War (Second Edition)’, the conclusion of the game and final scoring is determined by a few specific conditions. The game ends when one of these conditions is met:

The Nautilus is sunk: If at any point the Nautilus’s hull is reduced to zero points, the game immediately ends.
Finishing the Adventure Deck: The game also ends when players have finished playing through the Adventure Deck.
Revolutions: If the Revolutions marker reaches the ‘Fail’ space, the game ends.

Once the game ends, the final scoring begins. The players must carry out the following actions before final scoring:

Add up all Victory Points (VPs): Players add up all VPs earned from sunk ships, Adventure cards, and Wonder cards.
Subtract Defeat Points: Players subtract any Defeat Points earned from sinking non-warships, failing adventures, or for each warship token in the Warship Available box.
Check the Motive: Players refer to the chosen Motive of Captain Nemo at the start of the game. Each Motive provides a different multiplier to the total VPs from different sources, changing the final score.

The victory or defeat in ‘Nemo’s War (Second Edition)’ is determined by the final score, which is compared to a chart provided in the game rules:

0-220 points: This is a Defeat. Captain Nemo’s mission has failed.
221-240 points: This is a Inconclusive. The mission has neither succeeded nor failed.
241-260 points: This is a Success. Captain Nemo’s mission is a success.
261-280 points: This is a Victory. Captain Nemo’s mission is a victory.
281 or more points: This is a Triumph. Captain Nemo’s mission is a triumph.

The player with the highest score wins the game. In case of a tie, the player who was the last to act triumphs.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Nemo’s War (Second Edition) is an adventure board game based on Jules Verne’s classic novel, ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’. Many of the game’s rules are straightforward, but there are certain special rules and exceptions that players should be aware of.

Adventure Deck: The Adventure Deck has a unique rule where if the deck runs out, the game ends immediately. Players should carefully manage their actions to avoid prematurely ending the game.

Each time the Adventure Deck is exhausted, the game ends, regardless of the players’ current status or objectives.

Ship Tokens: Ship tokens in the game have two sides – a known side and an unknown side. Only when a ship is revealed does its known side come into play.

Ship tokens are placed on the game board with their unknown side facing up. Players have to ‘search’ these areas to reveal the ship tokens.
Once a ship token is revealed, it stays on its known side for the rest of the game, unless an effect causes it to be flipped back.

Test Actions: The outcome of certain actions in the game is determined by a test. These tests involve rolling dice and comparing the result to a target number.

If the total of the roll plus any modifiers is equal to or greater than the target number, the test is a success. The player performs the action successfully and may gain a reward.
If the total is less than the target number, the test is a failure. The player does not perform the action and may suffer a penalty.

Warship Combat: Warship combat is a special rule that only applies when attacking a warship.

When attacking a warship, a player must first pass a test. If successful, the player can attack the warship.
If the test fails, the player cannot attack the warship and must instead defend against the warship’s attack.

Motives: Each player selects a Motive at the start of the game which will guide their actions and provide a unique set of victory conditions.

Once a motive is selected, it can’t be changed. This rule emphasizes the importance of strategic planning from the start of the game.

Upgrading the Nautilus: The Nautilus can be upgraded throughout the game. However, each upgrade has specific requirements, and there are penalties for failing to meet these requirements.

Some upgrades require specific resources or achievements, and if these are not met, the upgrade does not take effect and the resources spent are lost.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

‘Nemo’s War (Second Edition)’ is a solo board game with a strong narrative and strategic depth. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies

In the late game, focus on maximizing your score. It’s not enough to simply survive; you should also aim to generate as many victory points as possible. This often requires balancing risk and reward, deciding when to attack ships and when to explore.
Plan your actions based on the expected Motive. The Motive you’re aiming for should guide your strategy throughout the game. For example, if you’re going for Science, you should focus on exploring, while War requires attacking ships.
Keep an eye on your resources. It’s easy to run out of resources in Nemo’s War, so you should always be aware of your current supply and plan your actions accordingly. This may sometimes mean taking less optimal actions to conserve resources.

Beginner Tips

Don’t ignore ship upgrades. These can provide powerful bonuses and make your life much easier. Try to get at least one or two upgrades early in the game.
Learn to manage risk. Nemo’s War is a game of risk management, and you should always be aware of the potential consequences of your actions. Don’t be afraid to take risks, but make sure they’re calculated risks.
Remember that the game is not just about combat. While combat is an important part of Nemo’s War, there are also many other ways to score points and progress in the game. Try to explore, incite rebellions, and perform other non-combat actions as well.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring the Lull Turn. The Lull Turn is a powerful tool that can help you recover and prepare for future turns. Ignoring it can lead to a quick defeat.
Forgetting about the Adventure Deck. The Adventure Deck provides a variety of opportunities and challenges, and forgetting about it can lead to missed opportunities or unexpected dangers.
Overextending. It’s easy to get carried away and try to do too much in a single turn. This can lead to a lack of resources and a quick defeat. Always be aware of your limitations and plan your actions accordingly.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay

Think ahead. Nemo’s War is a game of planning and strategy, and thinking ahead can greatly improve your chances of victory. Try to anticipate future turns and plan your actions accordingly.
Learn from your mistakes. Every game of Nemo’s War is a learning experience, and you should always be looking for ways to improve. Analyze your plays after each game and think about what you could have done differently.
Practice. Like any game, Nemo’s War requires practice to master. Don’t be discouraged if you lose your first few games; keep playing and you’ll get better.