Game Objective

In Zombicide: Undead or Alive – Gears & Guns, players take on the role of survivors in the Steam Age, exploring the Outskirts of Bolton, a Wild West town powered by a complex system of machines and steam pipes. The objective is to face hordes of zombies and complete specific missions in a Campaign, where players' choices influence the story and characters evolve over time.

Preparation (Setup)

To set up the game, follow these steps based on the expansion components and rules:

• Board: Assemble the Map Tiles as indicated in the chosen mission. If using Steam Map Tiles, identify the Steam Engine, Lever, and Steam Nozzle on each tile.
• Decks: Replace the base Undead or Alive Equipment and Reward Weapons decks with the advanced Gears & Guns versions. The Inventions deck should be placed face down near the board (used only with steam maps).
• Steam Gauge: Set the Steam Gauge to level 0; it will serve as the First Player token.
• Objectives: Place the Objective Cards in the zones indicated on the mission map. Some Notes should remain face down next to the board.
• Survivors: Each player chooses their survivor and receives their Campaign Log to record progress, CXP, and Campaign Skills.
• Additional Components: Prepare the Lever tokens (usually starting on the Open side) and the Steam Monster Abomination, adding its card to the abomination deck.

Game Flow

The game progresses through survivor turns and zombie turns. The main structure includes:

• Survivor Turn: The player performs their combat, movement, or interaction actions.
• End of Round Phase: Before passing the Steam Gauge to the next player, the gauge pointer moves 2 spaces forward.
• Steam Gauge: This gauge monitors the city's network pressure.
  • Level 14 or higher: Any survivor who starts their turn or spends an action in an active Steam Jet suffers 1 Wound.
  • Level 20: The steam network explodes, and all players immediately lose the game.

Actions and How to Play

In addition to basic actions, the expansion introduces specific steam and technology mechanics:

Full Steam Ahead

Before any Combat Action with a weapon that has a Steam Value, the player can declare they are going Full Steam Ahead to gain bonuses:

• Steam Dice: Steam Dice are added to conventional dice. They function normally for hits, but the Empty symbol replaces the "1" value.
• Bonus by weapon type:
  • Melee Weapons: Gain more Accuracy (the target value loses 1 point).
  • Rifles: Gain additional Range.
  • Pistols: Gain a free immediate Reload.
• Risk: If any Steam Die results in Empty, the weapon becomes Empty (the card is flipped face down) and loses all characteristics and effects until it is filled.

Filling Empty Equipment

There are three ways to make a weapon Full again:

1. Discarding a Steam Bottle.
2. Spending 1 Action in a Zone with an active Steam Nozzle.
3. Through the Engineer Class Skill (spending 1 Action to empty one weapon and fill another).

Interactions with the Steam Map

• Lever: Spend 1 Action to toggle between Open (activates the Steam Nozzle) or Closed (deactivates the nozzle).
• Steam Nozzle: If active, allows equipment to be filled. If it is Broken (when the Steam Monster enters the zone), it generates a Steam Jet.
• Search for Inventions: When performing the Search action in indoor zones with a Lever, the player draws a card from the Inventions deck. These do not take up inventory space.

Engineer Class

Survivors of this class have two skills:

• Full Steam Ahead: Gain 1 additional combat die in combat actions (or 2 dice for dual weapons).
• Emergency Fill: Once per turn, they can spend 1 Action to empty one weapon and fill another in their own inventory.

End of Game and Scoring

Consult the manual for details on scoring and specific victory conditions for each mission. However, the general defeat conditions described are:

• Steam Explosion: The game is lost if the Steam Gauge reaches level 20.
• Survivor Death: In campaign rules, if a survivor loses all health, they become Unconscious. They must be rescued by another survivor using an Objective Grab Action until the subsequent end of round phase; otherwise, they die.
• Campaign Defeat: Everyone loses the campaign if there are no more survivors available to play.

Tips for Winning

• Resource Management: Keep Steam Bottles in your inventory, as they are the most practical way to reactivate Empty weapons without relying on Steam Nozzles on the map.
• Beware the Abomination: The Steam Monster breaks Steam Nozzles, creating Steam Jets that block line of sight and cause damage if the Steam Gauge is high. Plan your movement to avoid these zones.
• Gang Evolution: Use CXP (Campaign Experience Points) to acquire Bonus Actions or Campaign Skills, allowing your survivors to survive more critical situations.