# Lunar ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2021 - **BGG Rating**: 8.1 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-6 (Best with: 2) - **Duration**: — - **Weight**: 2.00 / 5 - **Designers**: Benjamin Galbraith - **Publishers**: Black Site Studios - **Categories**: Dice, Miniatures, Science Fiction, Space Exploration - **Mechanics**: Dice Rolling, Line of Sight, Moving Multiple Units ## Verdict Perfect for miniature lovers who want a fast-paced, easy-to-learn wargame.Detailed resin miniaturesSimple and fast rulesCool assembly and customizationDynamic and brutal matchesRequires model assemblyLimited play areaFOR GENRE FANS ## Description Gear up your spacesuit and check your oxygen levels, because the Moon has become humanity's newest battlefield! In Lunar, Earth's first colonies didn't go to our natural satellite to make friends, but to fight for precious resources and the survival of their own nations. You take command of forces sent by global powers—such as the USA, USSR, and the Republic of China—with the critical mission of protecting your homeland's most vital assets. It's a brutal skirmish game where tension is high, and one wrong move could mean drifting forever into the void of space. The game shines in its visual and tactical presentation. Each box includes 32mm resin astronauts, allowing you to assemble and customize your forces with various weapons and items, creating two opposing armies ready for battle. Matches take place on a 2'x2' area, with each side controlling between 3 to 5 miniatures. The gameplay focuses on positioning and combat strategy, but without the overwhelming complexity of hundred-page rulebooks. Lunar's greatest strength is its accessibility: the entire combat and action resolution system is based on simple D6 mechanics. This means you can teach the rules to a newcomer in a few minutes and dive straight into the space brawl. If you enjoy skirmish games where unit positioning (line of sight) determines who survives and who becomes stardust, Lunar is the right choice. It's the perfect blend of miniature customization and a streamlined rule system, ideal for those who want the adrenaline of a wargame without needing a PhD in rules to get started. ## How to Play Game Objective In Lunar, players combine moon phases and nocturnal animals to form cards and win tricks. The goal is to score points by winning tricks and collecting special cards. The game ends when a team reaches over 30 points, being declared the winner. Setup To set up the game: Select the number of players: 2 or 4. For 4 players: Divide into teams of 2, with partners sitting across from each other. Each team receives 2 partnership tiles of the same color, and each player chooses one to place in front of them. For 2 players: Each player receives a partnership tile with the word "lead." Place the trick board near the play area. Each team (or individual player) chooses a trick marker and places it at position 0. The player with the black lead tile goes first. Refer to the manual for details on this section. Game Flow The game is divided into rounds where players compete for tricks. Each round follows these steps: Card Distribution: Shuffle the suit and value cards separately and deal 6 of each type to each player. Card Selection: Each player chooses 2 suit cards and 2 value cards and passes them to their partner. Trump Selection: Flip the 4 trump tiles face up. Starting with the first player and moving clockwise, each player flips a tile of their choice until only one remains, which becomes the trump suit for the round. Trick Play: The starting player begins the first trick by playing a card. Other players must follow the game rules to complete the trick. Refer to the manual for details on this section. Actions and How to Play During trick play, players must follow these rules: The first player on a team may play a suit or value card. If their partner has already played, the second player must play the type of card their partner did not play. The first suit played in a trick becomes the leading suit. If you play a suit after the leading suit has been established, you must play the same suit if possible. Otherwise, you may play any suit. The trick is decided as follows: If teams played the same suit, the team with the highest value wins. In case of a tie, the last team to play a card wins. If one team played the trump suit and the other did not, the team that played the trump wins. If teams played different suits and neither was the trump, the team that played the first suit wins. Refer to the manual for details on this section. End of Game and Scoring The game ends when a team reaches over 30 points and is not tied with the other team. Scoring is calculated as follows: Each team scores points equal to their position on the trick board. Add 1 point for each special icon card the team has kept. If both teams exceed 30 points and are tied, play a final round to determine the winner. Tips for Winning Here are some tips to improve your chances of winning: Strategically communicate with your partner, but remember that discussing hand content during the round is not allowed. Prioritize selecting the trump suit to gain an advantage in tricks. Pay attention to the leading suit to maximize your chances of winning each trick. ## FAQ ### Do I need wargaming experience to play? Not at all! The D6 system is very intuitive and easy to learn, making it great for hobby beginners. ### Are the miniatures pre-assembled? No, they are multipart resin figures, so you'll need to assemble them and paint them if you wish. ### How many people can play? The game supports 2 to 6 players, though the classic experience is a battle between two opposing sides. ### Does the game take a long time to finish? No, since it's a skirmish game with few units per side, matches are much faster than traditional wargames. ### What's included in the box? Everything you need to play, including the miniatures, weapons, items, and the rulebook.