Objective of the Game

Welcome to the thrilling hunt of **Raptor**, where primal instinct clashes with scientific cunning! On an isolated island, a fierce female velociraptor and her five precious babies are being tracked by a team of determined scientists. As the **Raptor player**, your goal is to either eliminate all the scientists from the board, proving the jungle belongs to you, OR successfully guide three of your baby raptors to escape deep into the jungle, where they'll be safe forever. As the **Scientist player**, your mission is to neutralize the formidable mother raptor by tranquilizing her five times, OR capture three of her babies to study them. The hunt is on!

Preparation (Setup)

Get ready for an epic showdown! Here's how to set up your game of Raptor:

1. Choose Your Atmosphere: Decide whether you want to play in a lush **jungle** or a dry **savannah**. Ensure all ten board tiles reflect this choice.
2. Assemble the Board:
   • Randomly place the 6 large square tiles to form a 2x3 rectangle.
   • Randomly place the 4 L-shaped tiles along the shortest sides of this rectangle. These L-shaped tiles contain the "half-spaces" which are the escape routes for the baby raptors.
3. Place the Rocks: Place the 3D **rock** components on every space that does not show a circle or half-circle. These are obstacles for movement and line of sight.
4. Player Component Distribution:
   • The Scientist Player takes:
     • The Scientist player aid
     • The 9 Scientist **Action cards**
     • The 10 scientist figurines
     • The 10 **fire tokens**
     • The 5 **sleep tokens** (placed ammunition-side up on the upper right space of the player aid)
   • The Raptor Player takes:
     • The Raptor player aid
     • The 9 Raptor **Action cards**
     • The mother raptor figurine
     • The 5 baby raptor figurines
5. Initial Figurine Placement:
   • The **Raptor player** places the mother raptor on one of the two central tiles.
   • The 5 baby raptors are then distributed one on each of the remaining tiles.
   • The **Scientist player** then places one scientist on a space of his choice on each of the 4 L-shaped tiles. The remaining 6 scientists are kept in reserve next to the player aid.
6. Card Setup: Each player shuffles their deck of **Action cards** and places it face-down in front of them. Then, each player draws the first three cards of their deck to form their starting hand.

You're now ready for the hunt to begin!

The Game Turn

A round in Raptor is a tense dance of hidden information and strategic reveals. Here's how it unfolds:

1. Card Selection: Each player secretly chooses one of the three **Action cards** from their hand and places it face-down in front of them.
2. Simultaneous Reveal: Both players reveal their chosen cards at the same time.
3. Card Value Comparison:
   • If both cards have the same value: They are both discarded with no effect. A round is lost, but the tension builds!
   • If the cards have different values:
     • The player who played the **lowest value card** goes first. They immediately apply the effects of their chosen card (if possible).
     • The other player (who played the **highest value card**) does NOT apply the effect of their card. Instead, they receive a number of **action points** equal to the difference between the values of the two cards. They can then spend these action points on their figurines.
4. End of the Round:
   • Each player draws a new card from their deck so they have three cards in their hand again.
   • Played **Action cards** are placed face-up in front of each player, so both players can see which cards have already been used.
   • If a player's draw pile is empty, they shuffle their discard pile (including the card just played) to form a new draw pile, then draw to complete their hand.

Raptor Player Actions

When the Raptor player gets to spend **action points**, they can split them as they wish between the mother and any awake baby raptors. Remember, only active raptors (standing figurines) can perform actions, and you don't have to use all your points! For 1 action point, the Raptor player can:

• Move a Baby Raptor: Move an awake baby raptor one space to an empty, orthogonally adjacent space. If a baby lands on a "half-space" (exit), it escapes and is removed from the board!
• Move the Mother Raptor: Move the mother raptor as many spaces as desired in a straight line, as long as she doesn't run into obstacles (rock, fire token, space occupied by a baby raptor or scientist).
  • Important: If the mother is wounded (has **sleep tokens**), you must first lose action points equal to the number of **sleep tokens** she has before her first move. If you don't have enough points, she can't move!
• Mother Kills a Scientist: The mother can kill a scientist on a neighboring space. The scientist figurine is removed from the game. The mother can perform multiple attacks in one turn.
• Mother Wakes a Baby Raptor: The mother can wake up a sleeping baby raptor on a neighboring space (set its figurine upright). A baby cannot be woken up in the same turn it was put to sleep.
• Mother Puts Out Fire: The mother can remove an adjacent **fire token**, as well as all other **fire tokens** orthogonally connected to it.

Raptor Card Effects

These are the powerful abilities the Raptor player can unleash when playing the lowest card value:

• 1 - Mother's Call and Shuffle: Move an awake baby raptor to a free space on the same tile as the mother (without crossing occupied or fire spaces). Then, shuffle your discard pile and draw pile to form a new deck.
• 2 & 6 - Disappearance and Observation: Remove the mother from the board. After the Scientist player uses their action points, place her back on any free space. Next turn, the Scientist player must show you their chosen card before you choose yours.
• 3 - Fear: Frighten one scientist (lay down its figurine). This scientist is inactive until set upright (costs 1 action point, but not this turn).
• 4 - Mother's Call (x2): Move one or two awake baby raptors to free spaces on the same tile as the mother (without crossing occupied or fire spaces).
• 5 - Recovery (x2): Remove two **sleep tokens** from the mother, or wake up two baby raptors, or a combination of one **sleep token** and one baby.
• 7 - Recovery (x3): Remove three **sleep tokens** from the mother, or wake up three baby raptors, or a combination of both.
• 8 - Fear (x2): Frighten one or two scientists (lay down their figurines). These scientists are inactive until set upright (costs 1 action point each, but not this turn).
• 9 - No effect.

Scientist Player Actions

When the Scientist player gets to spend **action points**, they can split them as they wish among the scientists on the board. Only active scientists (standing figurines) can perform actions. **VERY IMPORTANT:** Each scientist can only perform ONE aggressive action (shoot or capture) per turn! For 1 action point, the Scientist player can:

• Move a Scientist: Move a scientist one space to an empty, orthogonally adjacent space (not occupied by another scientist or raptor). Scientists can move through fire but cannot end their move on a fire token.
• Set a Frightened Scientist Upright: A scientist frightened in a previous turn can be set back upright. This scientist can then immediately perform other actions.
• Scientist Puts a Baby Raptor to Sleep: A scientist can shoot at an adjacent baby raptor, putting it to sleep (lay down its figurine).
• Scientist Captures a Sleeping Baby Raptor: A scientist can capture an adjacent sleeping baby raptor. The baby figurine is removed from the board and placed on the Scientist player aid.
• Scientist Shoots at the Mother Raptor: A scientist can shoot at the mother raptor in a straight orthogonal line, as long as no obstacles (rocks or active scientists) block the line of sight. The Raptor player receives one **sleep token**.

Scientist Card Effects

These are the strategic plays the Scientist player can make when playing the lowest card value:

• 1 - Sleeping Gas and Shuffle: Put one baby raptor to sleep. It must be on the same tile as a scientist or an orthogonally adjacent tile. Then, shuffle your discard pile and draw pile to form a new deck.
• 2 & 6 - Reinforcements: Place one or two scientists from your reserve onto empty spaces along the long edges of the board (only on square tiles, not L-shaped).
• 3 - Jeep (x2): Perform one or two Jeep moves. A scientist moves in a straight line as many spaces as desired, ignoring obstacles (rocks, other figurines). If the Jeep drives over a **fire token**, the fire is put out and the token removed. You can split these moves between different scientists.
• 4 - Sleeping Gas (x2): Put one or two baby raptors to sleep. They must be on the same tile as a scientist or an orthogonally adjacent tile.
• 5 - Fire (x2): Place two **fire tokens** on free spaces. Each token must be orthogonally adjacent to a scientist or an existing **fire token** (even one placed this turn).
• 7 - Fire (x3): Place three **fire tokens** on free spaces. Each token must be orthogonally adjacent to a scientist or an existing **fire token** (even one placed this turn).
• 8 - Jeep (x4): Perform up to four Jeep moves. A scientist moves in a straight line as many spaces as desired, ignoring obstacles (rocks, other figurines). If the Jeep drives over a **fire token**, the fire is put out and the token removed. You can split these moves between different scientists.
• 9 - No effect.

End of Game and Scoring

The game of Raptor is a race to achieve your objective. It ends immediately when one player meets their victory condition:

Raptor Player Wins if:

• Three baby raptors have escaped from the board.
• There are no more scientists on the board.

Scientist Player Wins if:

• The mother raptor has accumulated 5 **sleep tokens**, neutralizing her.
• Three baby raptors have been captured.

Tips for Winning

Whether you're the hunter or the hunted, here are a few pointers to help you dominate the island:

For the Scientist Player:

• Unity is Strength: Remember, each scientist can only perform one aggressive action per turn. If you move your scientists in teams of two, you can capture a baby in a single turn: one scientist puts it to sleep, and the second captures it!
• Nice and Slow: The mother raptor is your biggest threat. Slow her down by targeting her with tranquilizer shots as quickly as possible. Wounded, she'll spend valuable action points just to move!
• Dead End: Use your **fire tokens** strategically to block escape routes for the baby raptors. Only the mother can put out fires, forcing her to spend actions and giving you more time.

For the Raptor Player:

• Out to Lunch: Put pressure on the invaders early by eliminating scientists, especially those on the same side of the board where your babies are trying to escape. This clears paths and reduces threats.
• Make Yourself Forgotten: Cleverly use your "Disappearance and Observation" cards (2 & 6). This not only removes the mother from immediate danger but also gives you a crucial peek at the Scientist player's next card, allowing you to counter their move perfectly.
• Gather Round!: Use "Mother's Call" (cards 1 & 4) to bring your babies under the mother's protection, ideally close to an exit that's free of scientists. Safety in numbers!

General Tip for Both Players:

• Strategic Card Play: Playing your low-value cards (1 or 2) when your opponent plays a mid-value card (3 to 5) can be very effective. This allows you to use your card's effect while giving your opponent fewer action points, making your "weak" cards work for you!