Manual — Radlands: Cult of Chrome

OUR TRIBE HAS WATER
AND THEY'RE COMING FOR IT
SO WE'LL STRIKE FIRST
WE THOUGHT IF WE HIT HARD ENOUGH...
THEY'D GO BACK HOME
BUT THERE'S NO HOME LEFT...

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3
OVERVIEW
In Radlands, players will receive a set of three unique camps to protect.
You win by destroying all three of your opponent’s camps.
The main resource in the game is water. You will spend it to play people and events,
and to use the abilities of cards you already have on the table. People protect your
camps and provide useful abilities, while events are powerful effects that take time
to pay off.
Both players draw cards from the same deck. All cards in your hand can either be
played to the table or discarded for quick “junk” effects. To win, you will need to
manage your cards and water wisely.
GAME TURNS
There are three phases on your turn:
1. Events - Advance and resolve your events.
2. Replenish - Draw a card
and collect your 3 water discs for use this turn.
3. Actions - Put cards into play, discard cards from your hand for an instant junk
effect, and / or use abilities on ”ready” cards. After finishing your actions, return
all water and extra water discs to their respective supplies.
CREDITS
Game Design: Daniel Piechnick
Development: Matt Tolman, Gavan Brown,
Adam Wyse
Art: Manny Trembley, Damien Mammoliti,
Mr. Cuddington
Graphic Design: Gavan Brown, Gui Landgraf,
James Van Niekerk
Rulebook: Adam Wyse, Gui Landgraf
Box Design: Gabriel Martin (Tray Forge)
Playtesting: Scott Akkermans, Nick Angiers,
Chelsea Birch-Wyse, Justin Bird, Gavan
Brown, Kashton Brown, Malachi Brown,
Zephan Brown, Ben Brozene, Richard Bruce,
Glenda Cox, Michael Cox, Morgan Cox, Cole
Feeser, Ken Franklin, Gary Gin, Kevin Gordon,
Paula Hakkola, Duncan Hecht, John Heidrich,
Amy Hills, Leanne Hine, Kori Joyce, Pierce
Karguth, Jason Kersey, Jason D Kingsley, Tyler
Lipchen, Rick May, Carlyn McGeean, Tony
Miller, Rick Moffat, Stuart Raven, Jonathan
Rawlings, Zaak Robichaud, Jasen Robillard,
Liam Rogers, Paul Saxberg, Joel Smart, Bruno
Steppuhn, Matt Tolman, Thallis Vestergaard,
Jenny Wilson, Adam Wyse, Jenny Zhao
RULES OF PLAY V2.0
New in v2.0: Updated to include Cult of Chrome expansion
cards and clarifications.
This is a living document. Download the latest version at:
roxley.com/radlands-rulebook

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DISCARD
PILE
4
COMPONENTS
Camp deck containing 34 camp cards
+32 Cult of Chrome expansion camps
Players sit on opposite sides of the table facing each other. In the center of the table,
accessible to both players:
1. Shuffle and place the camp deck
A.
2. Place the extra water discs (black) B.
3. Shuffle and place the draw deck, leaving space for a discard pile beside it C.
2 Raiders cards 2 player aid cards
Draw deck containing
46 person cards & 20 event cards
6 water discs
(white) with
“not ready” on back
6 extra water discs
(black) with
“not ready” on back
GENERAL SETUP
A
B
C
↑ OPPONENT’S PLAY AREA ↑
↓ YOUR PLAY AREA ↓
Note: Unless otherwise specified, the draw deck is considered the default card
type when the rulebook or cards refer to “cards”, “deck”, or “discarding”.
2 Water Silo cards

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5
Each player sets up their own play area with the following steps:
1. Draw 6 cards from the camp deck.
For the best possible first experience with Radlands: skip this step,
and instead give the most experienced player Arcade, Victory Totem, and
Mercenary Camp. Give the other player Garage, Railgun, and Supply Depot.
2. Place 3 of your drawn camps facedown in your play area in a row
D.
Leave space for 2 cards in front of each camp, where you will be playing
people cards later. When both players have selected, flip your camps faceup.
Return all unselected camps and the camp deck to the box as they will no
longer be used this game.
3. Take a Water Silo and Raiders card and place them
faceup in your play area
E.
4. Form a supply of 3 water discs (white) F in
your play area.
5. Take a player aid card
G.
6. Draw the number of cards to your hand H equal to
the total sum of cards shown in the black rectangles
on your camps I.
PLAY AREA SETUP
D D D
E
F
G
H
I

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6
PERSON
A person (people) card has a white
border. They are played in columns in
front of your camp cards.
People have a water cost C, a junk
effect D, and may have one or more
abilities E and [ traits ] F.
C
D
E
F
CARD TYPES
CAMPS
Camp cards have a black border.
They have an initial card draw
amount A, and may have one or
more abilities B and [ traits ] C.
A
C
PUNKS
A punk is a person with no abilities,
represented by a facedown card drawn
from the top of the deck.
When damaged, a punk is immediately
destroyed, and returned to the top of
the deck facedown (do not look at it).
Remember: Punks
are people, too!
G
[ CARD TRAITS ]
Card traits G are found on some
camps and people, surrounded by
[ green brackets ] on a white
background.
They are active for all people who
are not currently damaged. They
are always active on camps not yet
destroyed (even if they are damaged).
B

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7
EVENTS
Event cards have a yellow and black
striped border.
Events have a water cost
H, a junk
effect I, an event effect J, and a
numbered bomb icon K that
determines where it is placed in your
event queue L when played.
K
H
J
I
EVENT QUEUE: Each player has an
event queue L made up of 3 spaces. The
space is in line with your camps, with the
and spaces in front. The event queue is a
countdown timer, where each space represents
the number of turns until an event is resolved.
COLUMNS: People cards (including
Punks
) are played to the table in front of your
camp cards. A camp and all people in front of it
are considered a “column” M. A column may
contain a maximum of 2 people.
UNPROTECTED: When your people
or camps do not have at least one of your cards
in front of them, they are unprotected
N.
WATER DISCARD: Some actions
may require you to spend water that is not
placed onto a card. To keep it clear to both
players that this water has been spent, stack it
beside the draw deck O. Also do this when
discarding a card with water on it.
PLAY AREA
L
N
N
N
M
O

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EFFECT ICONS
DESTROY
Destroy the specified card(s).
• When a person is destroyed, discard it.
• Destroyed camps are flipped to their destroyed side.
• A destroyed punk is returned facedown on top of the draw deck (don’t look at it).
DAMAGE
Damage a person or camp.
• A damaged card is turned sideways.
• If it is damaged again, destroy it.
• A damaged person is not ready.
• A damaged punk is destroyed.
Important: Unless otherwise specified, the target of damage must be an unprotected card in any column that belongs to your opponent.
RESTORE
You may rotate one of your damaged cards upright. If it is a person, mark it as not ready. New in v1.2: A card cannot restore itself.
INJURE
Same as damage, but only applies to people.
DRAW
Draw a card from the draw deck.
GAIN PUNK
You may place the top card of the draw deck into play, facedown in any of your columns. It is a person with no abilities.
EXTRA WATER
Gain 1 extra water (black) disc to spend this turn.
At the end of your turn, return all extra water discs to the supply in the center of the table.
Extra water discs are not limited by the supply (borrow white water discs from your opponent if necessary).

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9
RAID
When resolving the raid
icon (), play or advance
your Raiders event card.
• If your Raiders event is not
already in the event queue,
place it on the space (see “Play Card
(Event)”, pg 10).
• If your Raiders event is already in the event
queue, advance it 1 space forward. If it is
already on the space, resolve the event.
The Raiders event cannot be advanced with
a raid icon () if another event already
occupies the space in front of it.
When the Raiders event resolves, your
opponent chooses one of their camps to be
damaged, then put your Raiders card back in
your play area.
Strategy Tip: Raiders are one of your core
damage dealers! They can damage camps
even when they are protected.
To determine start player, flip a water disc. If it lands
water side up ( ), you are the start player. Otherwise,
your opponent is.
Beginning with the start player, take turns until one
player has destroyed all of their opponent’s camps. On
your turn, perform all of the following phases in the
order listed:
1. EVENTS
If you have an event in the
space, resolve its effect
and discard it. Then, advance all events in your queue 1
space forward (towards your opponent).
2. REPLENISH
Draw a card
. Then, collect your 3 water discs for
use this turn. Water is never carried over from previous
turns, so you will always begin the Actions phase with
3 water.
Exception: if you are the start player, collect 1 water
(instead of 3) on your first turn. On all subsequent turns,
including your opponent’s first turn, players collect 3.
3. ACTIONS
Perform any of the following actions, in any order, any
number of times:
• Play card
• Draw card
• Junk card
• Take Water Silo
• Use ability
Zero-cost cards & abilities: Some cards and abilities have
a cost of 0 water. Whenever you use a 0-cost ability, or play
a 0-cost card, mark it as not ready with an extra water disc
showing the pink dash
.
Actions cleanup: When you are done performing actions,
return all water and extra water discs to their
respective supplies.
TURN SEQUENCE

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10
PLAY CARD (PERSON)
Play a person card from your hand in front of any one of your camps (even a destroyed camp).
When playing a person:
• Spend water discs A onto the card equal to its cost shown in the top left B.
• The turn a person is played, it is not ready.
• If there is already a person in that column, place the new person in front C or behind D the existing person (moving the existing person forward). When a person behind another is destroyed, move the person in front back toward the camp.
• Each column can contain a maximum of 2 people. New in v1.2: If you have no space in any of your columns, you may play a person but you must first destroy one of your existing people.
Strategy Tip: Place your more valuable people behind, so that they are not left unprotected.
In front
ACTIONS
DRAW CARD
Spend 2 water and draw a card.
PLAY CARD (EVENT)
Play an event card from your hand to your event queue.
When playing an event:
• Place the event in the space corresponding to the numbered bomb icon ( ) at the top of its yellow effect box.
• Spend water discs E onto the card equal to its cost shown in the top left F.
• A event is not placed in the queue. Instead, resolve its effect immediately and discard it and the water required to play it.
• Only one card can occupy each space of your event queue. If that space is already occupied by another event, you must put the new event in the first available space behind G (up to space ). If those spaces are full, you may not play it.
JUNK CARD
Discard a card from your hand and receive the junk effect related to the icon (see “Icon Effects”, pg 8) pictured in the top left corner of the card H.
Note: When you junk the Water Silo, return it to your play area instead of discarding it.
B
A
G
F
E
H
Behind
C
D

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USE ABILITY
Use an ability on one of your ready camps or people in any column.
Abilities and their costs are found in black boxes at the bottom of the card.
When using an ability:
1. Check to ensure the card is ready (see “ready” section to the right).
2. Spend water onto it equal to the cost of the ability you are using.
3. Resolve all text and effect icons in the ability box.
• After using an ability on a card, the card is not ready. If the ability’s cost is 0, place a not ready disc on it.
• A card’s ability can affect cards in any column, not just its own.
• When ability text uses the word “Enemy”, it refers to your opponent’s people, not their camps.

READY
IS MY CARD “READY”?
Camps: A faceup camp is always ready, unless you have used one of its abilities this turn (a damaged camp can still be ready).
People: A person is ready, unless any of these are true:
• It was played this turn.
• It was restored this turn.
• One of its abilities was used this turn.
• It is damaged.

GAME END
You win immediately when all your opponent’s camps are destroyed.
If the deck runs out during the game, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck. If the deck runs out a second time, the game ends in a draw.
Note: Cards with water discs on them are not ready unless overridden by an ability, effect, or trait.

TAKE WATER SILO
Spend 1 water to take your Water Silo into your hand. The Water Silo may be junked to gain an extra water.
• When you junk the Water Silo, return it to your play area instead of discarding it.
• You may keep the Water Silo in your hand across multiple turns.
Strategy Tip: Any unspent water is lost, so if you have 1 remaining water that is not useful, consider the take Water Silo action.
If you have 2 remaining, consider the Draw Card action.

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12
Adrenaline Lab: This includes damaged people who entered play this turn, such as Wounded Soldier, and people who are damaged and have used their ability. You must pay the water cost of the person’s ability. If Adrenaline Lab is using the ability of a person that says “damage this card” for example, “this” refers to the person being activated.
Arcade: Punks are people too.
Blood Bank: You need a person to use this ability.
Cannon: If destroys your last camp, you lose immediately before the Cannon ability completes.
Catapult: You need a person to use this ability.
Command Post: This can cost as little as 0.
Construction Yard: This can be used on your people or enemies, even if they are protected. It can place them in any column that has space, and can push them in front or behind a person already in that column.
Juggernaut: If Juggernaut has advanced once, you can play a person in front of and/or behind it. A person behind Juggernaut is protected and can’t be hit by or , just the same as if they were behind a person. A new person added to this column can push an existing person to the other side of Juggernaut. When Juggernaut is destroyed, place it facedown in your camp row (moving any people in front).
Labor Camp: You need a person to use this ability.
Mercenary Camp: The opponent chooses. They can’t choose to discard 2 cards unless they have 2 or more cards in hand.
Mulcher: You need a person to use this ability.
Nest of Spies: This means any 2 people, including punks.
Omen Clock: You may only advance an event if there is an empty space in the event queue in front of the event. You may advance opponent’s events. An opponent’s event that is activated by Omen Clock is still their event.
Parachute Base: You must pay the water cost to play the person, and the water cost of its ability.
Training Camp: The person goes into play in exactly the same place. Cards with a “when this enters play” [ trait ] (like Vanguard, Argo Yesky, Wounded Soldier), perform that effect immediately. This person does count for Nest of Spies or Transplant Lab.
Transplant Lab: This means any 2 people, including punks.
Watchtower: Raiders, and events both count.
CAMPS F.A.Q.

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13
CULT OF CHROME F.A.Q.
Asylum: The person now belongs to you, just like any other. They can go in any column that has space, and can push themselves in front or behind a person already in that column. “Any” means this can be used on a protected person. This person has not been “played” or “entered play”. (Traits like Wounded Soldier’s don’t trigger. It doesn’t count for Nest of Spies etc.)
Battering Ram: You can use this with more than 6 people (due to Mining Camp.)
Black Market: This cannot restore Black Market. (Cards can no longer restore themselves, as of the v1.2 rules update.) This ability does not discard the person.
Boulder: If the damage destroys the opponent’s last camp, you win before Boulder is destroyed.
Bounty Office: If opponent has no room for a punk, they can discard a person to make space, as usual.
Demolition Derby: Any events that can’t move back stay where they are.
Field Hospital: The person must be damaged, and there must be space in this column. They can push themselves in front or behind a person already in this column.
Fortress: Put it at the back of the column when it’s destroyed. See Juggernaut FAQ. As usual, if you don’t have space, you can destroy your own people and/or forfeit punks. (See v1.2 rules update.)
Guillotine (Muse): Opponent keeps the water, and can use it on their turn.
Guillotine (Cult Leader): Cult Leader is destroyed first, so he will have to destroy a different person, to use his ability.
Guillotine (Rescue Team): Can’t return itself, as it’s destroyed first, and then uses its ability.
Guillotine (Mimic): It can use either player’s abilities. (The opponent’s people are ready if they were in play at the start of the opponent’s turn.)
Incinerator: You must discard two non-Water Silo cards from your hand in order to use the ability. Then you may activate the junk effect from either or both of the discarded cards, in any order you choose.
Lobotomizer / Masquerade: “Replace” means you destroy them, and put a punk in exactly the same position. It has entered play (for Nest of Spies etc.) For Masquerade, flipped people count as entering play. You can flip them during your Actions step, by paying their cost. The card doesn’t move when flipped.
Memorial: “This turn” means your own turn. You can also use this card if you destroyed one of your people to make space.
Power Plant: This includes those that entered play/were restored/used an ability this turn. (Take the tokens off them.)
Science Lab: This cannot restore Science Lab.
War Room: This doesn’t reduce the cost of Raid abilities.

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14
GENERAL F.A.Q. PEOPLE F.A.Q.
On their own, these icons can only hit unprotected cards. However, cards that say any, all, or one of, ignore protection, and follow their own rules.
Enemy: Your opponent’s people, not their camps.
No Dumpster Diving: You may examine cards your opponent discards during their turn. You may not look through the discard pile to determine if a card was played in a previous turn.
No Friendly Fire: You cannot use // or other negative abilities/effects on your own cards, unless they specify that you must. You also cannot your opponent’s cards.
No Hand Limit: There is no hand size limit.
No Peeking: Players cannot look at what card is on the other side of punks.
New in v1.2: If you have no space in any of your columns, you may play a person but you must first destroy one of your existing people. This option to destroy applies whenever playing a person, whether by performing the Play Card action, resolving an event effect, card trait, junk effect, or card ability.
Argo Yesky: If Argo is damaged but then restored, his trait is in effect once again. Punks gain Argo’s ability. As punks now have an ability, they should be marked as not ready when entering play.
Cult Leader: The Cult Leader can destroy himself.
Doomsayer: If there is no room to move an event back, it does not move. If you can’t move any of the opponent’s events back, you may still play Doomsayer.
Karli Blaze: Karli’s [trait] takes effect when she enters play or is restored. Karli’s ability is ready when she is played, but not when she is restored. If combined with Training Camp, people flipped this turn can use their abilities.
Mimic: You must pay the water cost of the chosen ability. If Mimic is copying a card whose ability says “damage this card” for example, “this” refers to the Mimic.
Molgur Stang: ”Any” means any of your opponent’s camps, even if protected.
Punk: If an effect causes you to put a Punk from one of your columns into your hand, it becomes a normal faceup card.
Rescue Team: Rescue Team can return itself. Returned cards do not “remember” their previous situation if they are returned to play. Any card returned (including Punks) becomes a regular, faceup card in your hand.
Vanguard: The opponent’s damage happens immediately (during your turn) and follows all normal rules. If your damage destroys the opponent’s last camp, you win before they get to do theirs.
Vera Vosh: If Vera’s [trait] becomes active after an ability has already been used, it does not allow that ability to be used again. Vera’s [trait] benefits herself, people, and camps.
Zeto Khan: This has no effect on events already in your queue. This does give Raiders.

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15
EVENTS F.A.Q. USING THE OFFICIAL PLAYMAT
When using the playmat, set up and play the game as normal, with the following exceptions:
• At the end of each turn, place 3 water discs in the water supply channel for use next turn A.
• When you perform your take Water Silo action, place the water spent in the Water Silo space B.
• When performing a draw card action, stack the water you spend in the draw card space C.
• Stack any water discarded for 0-time events, or from the top of discarded cards, in the water discard space D.
• At the end of each turn, place 3 extra water discs in the extra water space E.
C
D
E
A
B
GET YOUR PLAYMATS
ROXLEY.COM/HAZMAT
Bombardment: As usual, camps already damaged will be destroyed.
High Ground: You can rearrange people back into the same positions.
Radiation: “All people” is all people currently in play, which includes your own people.
Raiders: See “Raid”, pg 9. You can resolve the raid icon () more than once per turn. Raiders will move up on the event queue each turn, just like any other event.
Truce: Returned cards do not “remember” their previous situation if they are returned to play. Any card returned (including Punks) becomes a regular, faceup card in your hand.
Uprising: If this causes you to have more than six people, you may destroy existing people to make room for punks.

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What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
- from The Waste Land, by T.S. Eliot

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