Game Objective

Prepare for the Middle Ages, but not the one you know from history books! In **Zombicide: Black Plague**, you and your friends are the last hope against a relentless horde of undead, commanded by sinister necromancers. Forget nobility and royal armies – here, the scum, the common folk, are us, the tough ones who know how to fight! This is a **cooperative** game for 1 to 6 players, where each controls one to six **Survivors**. Your main objective is simple, yet challenging: **fulfill the chosen Mission objectives, survive, and, of course, kill as many Zombies as you can**! Zombies may be slow, but there are many of them, and the powerful **Abominations** and their masters, the **Necromancers**, are a constant threat. Victory is achieved **immediately after all Mission objectives are fulfilled**. Your combined efforts are the key to success, so prepare your weapons, exchange equipment, and coordinate your tactics. It's time to show the necromancers that they underestimated the common folk!

Setup

Let's set up the table and prepare the ground for carnage! Follow these steps to begin your adventure in **Zombicide: Black Plague**:

1. Choose a Mission: In the manual, you'll find various missions, such as "Danse Macabre" or "The Great Hunt." Choose one to start!
2. Position the map tiles: Assemble the board according to the layout indicated in the chosen Mission.
3. Position doors, Objectives, and tokens: Place all **doors** (blue, green, neutral, vault), **Objectives** (red/blue, red/green, red/red), and other **tokens** (such as Dragon Bile, Exit Point, Noise, Free Action, Rotten, Zombie Spawn, and Vault Zone) according to the Mission instructions.
4. Choose your Survivors: Each player chooses 1 to 6 **Survivors**. Sit in any order you prefer. Remember, it's a cooperative game, so everyone is part of the same group! For beginners, it's recommended to start with only one Survivor.
5. Prepare the Survivor Dashboards:
   • Each player takes a **Survivor Dashboard** for each Survivor they control and places the **Survivor Token** on it.
   • Attach a **colored plastic base** to the Survivor miniature for easy identification.
   • Take 5 **pegs** of the same color as the base.
   • Place one peg in the "0" space of the **Wound Track**.
   • Place one peg in the "0" space of the **Danger Track** (blue area).
   • Place one peg in the space of the first **Skill** (blue).
   • Place the remaining 3 pegs in the reserve spaces at the top of the Dashboard.
6. Separate the Starting Equipment and Vault cards:
   • From the **Equipment cards**, separate those with the words "**Starting Equipment**" (gray back): one Hammer, one Mana Blast, one Short Bow, and three Short Swords.
   • Also separate the cards with the word "**Vault**" (blue back): Hellfire and Orcish Crossbow. Vault cards are usually hidden treasures on the board.
7. Distribute Starting Equipment: Distribute the **Starting Equipment** cards among the Survivors in the group as you see fit. Each Survivor must start with at least one card. If a Survivor's starting Skill indicates a specific weapon, they receive that card from the draw pile, regardless of what they have already received.
8. Shuffle the decks: Shuffle the **Zombie cards** into one pile and the **Equipment cards** into another. Place both piles face down next to the board.
9. Position the Survivor miniatures: Place the Survivor miniatures in the **starting Zones** indicated in the Mission.
10. Determine the first player: The group decides who will be the **first player**, who receives the "**first player**" token.

The Game Turn

A round of **Zombicide: Black Plague** is divided into two main phases: the **Player Phase** and the **Zombie Phase**. Let's see how each one works!

Player Phase

In this phase, the Survivors act! The player with the "**first player**" token starts, activating their Survivors one at a time, in any order they prefer. Each Survivor, at the **Blue Danger Level**, can perform **three Actions** per Turn (not counting extra Actions from Skills). The Actions a Survivor can perform are:

• Movement:
  • Spend 1 Action to move from one **Zone** to an adjacent one (not diagonally).
  • It is not possible to cross external building walls or closed doors.
  • To move from a building to the street (and vice versa), you must pass through a door (or opening).
  • If there are Zombies in the Zone the Survivor is leaving, they must spend 1 extra Action per Zombie to leave the Zone.
  • Entering a Zone with Zombies ends the Movement Action.
• Search:
  • Can only be done in **building Zones** and only if there are no Zombies in the Zone.
  • Draw 1 card from the **Equipment** deck and place it in the Survivor's inventory or discard it immediately.
  • A Survivor can only perform 1 Search Action per Turn.
  • After searching, the inventory can be freely reorganized.
  • If the Equipment deck runs out, reshuffle the discards (except Vault cards) to form a new deck.
• Open a Door:
  • Spend 1 Action to open an adjacent door.
  • If the Melee weapon used has the "Open a door" symbol with a die icon, roll the number of dice indicated by the weapon's **Dice** value. The door opens if the result is equal to or greater than the weapon's **Accuracy** value. Place a **Noise token** in the Zone.
  • If the weapon has the "Open a door" symbol without a die icon, the door opens without a die roll. Place a **Noise token** if the weapon is noisy.
  • Opening a door is not a Melee Action and does not benefit from Dual weapons bonuses or Skills.
  • When opening a building for the first time, reveal Zombies in all connected Zones, drawing one **Zombie card** for each.
• Reorganize/Trade:
  • Spend 1 Action to reorganize the cards in the Survivor's inventory as desired.
  • Simultaneously, the Survivor can trade as many cards as they want with 1 other Survivor in the same Zone. The other Survivor also freely reorganizes their inventory.
• Combat Actions:
  • Melee Action: Use a Melee weapon (Range "0") to attack Zombies in the same Zone.
  • Ranged Action: Use a Ranged weapon (Range "1" or more) to fire at a single Zone within its range. Attacking at Range "0" with a Ranged weapon is still a Ranged Action.
  • Magic Action: Use a Combat spell (with a scroll image and combat characteristics) to attack Zombies. Follows the same rules as Ranged Actions.
  • Combat Actions use the Equipment card's characteristics: **DICE** (number of dice to roll), **ACCURACY** (minimum value for success), and **DAMAGE** (damage dealt per success).
  • **DUAL** weapons (with the same name in each hand) can be used with only 1 Action, targeting the same Zone.
  • Combat Actions can be **NOISY** (produce a Noise token) or **SILENT** (do not produce a Noise token). An Action produces only one Noise token, regardless of dice or hits.
• Enchantment Action:
  • Use an Enchantment (spell without combat characteristics) that is in your Hands.
  • Resolve the card's effect, which can target Agents or Zones within Line of Sight.
  • Many Enchantments have the note "Once per Turn."
• Pick up or Activate an Objective:
  • The Survivor picks up or activates an **Objective** in the same Zone. The effects are explained in the Mission.
• Make Noise!:
  • Place a **Noise token** in the Survivor's Zone.
  • Remember that each Survivor miniature also counts as a Noise token.
• Do Nothing:
  • The Survivor does nothing and ends their turn, losing any remaining Actions.

When a player has activated all their Survivors, the player to their left plays their Turn. The **Player Phase** ends when all players have completed their Turns.

Zombie Phase

Now it's the undead's turn! They act on their own, without player control, following these steps:

1. Step 1 - Activation:
   • Each Zombie is activated and spends its Action on an Attack or Movement.
   • Attack: Each Zombie in the same Zone as a Survivor attacks. A Zombie's attack is always successful, deals 1 **Wound**, and does not require a die roll. Survivors in the attacked Zone distribute the Wounds as they prefer.
   • Armor Rolls: Survivors with armor cards in the **Body** slot can roll dice (one for each Wound) to prevent Wounds. Each result equal to or greater than the **Armor** number on the card prevents a Wound. Shields can grant Armor rolls or allow rerolls. Armor rolls do not prevent Wounds from **Abominations** or **Dragon Fire**.
   • A Survivor is eliminated if their **Wound Track** reaches 3. Remove their miniature and discard their Equipment.
   • Movement: Zombies that did not attack move to a Zone towards the Survivors. They prioritize the Zone with Survivors in their **Line of Sight** that has the fewest Noise tokens. If they don't see Survivors, they move to the noisiest Zone.
   • **Runners:** **Runner** Zombies have two Actions per Activation (they can attack twice, attack and move, move and attack, or move twice).
2. Step 2 - Spawn:
   • New Zombies appear in all active **Zombie Spawn Zones** on the board.
   • Draw one **Zombie card** for each Spawn Zone and place the corresponding number and type of Zombies.
   • The type and number of Zombies that appear are determined by the row corresponding to the Survivor in play with the highest **Danger Level** (Blue, Yellow, Orange, Red).
   • If a Zombie card is an "Extra Activation," immediately activate the indicated Zombies.
   • If it's a "Double Spawn" card, do not place Zombies in this Zone, and spawn Zombies from two Zombie cards in the next Zone.
   • If the miniatures of a Zombie type run out, all Zombies of that type receive an Extra Activation.
   • If the Zombie deck runs out, reshuffle the discards to form a new deck.

End Phase

After the Zombie Phase, all **Noise tokens** are removed from the board. The "**first player**" token is passed to the player on the left, and a new Round is ready to begin!

End of Game and Scoring

In **Zombicide: Black Plague**, victory and defeat are a collective effort:

• Victory: The game ends with **victory immediately after all Mission objectives are fulfilled**. All players win together!
• Defeat: The game ends with **defeat** if:
  • All Survivors are eliminated from the game.
  • Too many **Necromancers** escape (specific conditions are detailed in the Mission).
  • Some Missions may have additional defeat conditions (e.g., the death of a single Survivor).

There is no individual scoring. What matters is survival and the fulfillment of the Mission as a group!

Tips for Winning

To help you survive and take down these undead, here are some tactical tips based on the rules:

1. Manage Your Noise Wisely: **Noise** attracts Zombies, and your Survivor miniature already counts as a Noise token! Use **SILENT** weapons whenever possible, especially in critical areas. Think carefully before opening noisy doors or casting loud spells, as each Noise token can be a magnet for the horde. Coordinate who will make noise and where, so as not to overload a Zone with too many Zombies.
2. Prioritize Targets and Damage: Not all Zombies are equal! **Walkers** and **Runners** require 1 Damage to be eliminated, but **Fatties** require 2 Damage. The dreaded **Abominations** are only destroyed with 3 Damage (and cannot be wounded by Armor rolls!), usually requiring **Dragon Fire** (Dragon Bile + Torch). Concentrate fire on the biggest threats and use the right weapons for each Zombie type. Remember that the Survivor with the highest **Danger Level** attracts more Zombies, so use this to your advantage to control the flow of the horde.
3. Cooperation and Equipment Trading: **Zombicide: Black Plague** is a cooperative game, and communication is vital! Use the **Reorganize/Trade** Action to pass essential equipment between Survivors in the same Zone. A mage might need a specific spell, while a warrior might be in need of a more powerful weapon. Sharing resources, especially healing items or high-damage weapons, can be the difference between life and death.