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Playing a Game

The gameplay of Cadence is divided into easy to follow stages and steps, these are as follows:

Stage 1: Setup

Choose A Mission

To begin, choose a mission that outlines the setup of your board, game length, victory conditions, and other relevant information from your game module. Some modules or missions may ask you to perform these steps in a different order.

Set Up Terrain

Set up your terrain according to your game module - your chosen mission may indicate required elements. It is usually best to include a mix of large line-of-sight blocking elements and smaller scatter pieces. If one player sets up all the terrain, the other player should have an opportunity to modify it.

Set Up Markers

Set up any Objective Markers and Entry Points according to your Mission parameters.

Put Armies into Reserve

Place all units to be used in the game near the table so that both players can see which units each player is using, and which units are already deployed as the game progresses.

Stage 2: Battle

Rounds

The battle stage of a game is played over a set number of rounds, typically 5 but each game module may specify a different number. During each round, players take alternating turns activating their units to perform a number of actions.

Roll for Initiative

At the start of each new round, players roll-off to determine who has the initiative for that round. The player who rolls the highest has the initiative and gets the first activation.

Place Command Dice

At the start of each round you place a six sided dice next to each of your units, including those in reserve, showing their available Command Points for the round. This is always the highest Command attribute of the models in the unit.

Alternate Activations

Once both players have placed all of their Command Dice, they can take turns activating one of their units, starting with the player who won the initiative. Players select a unit that still has Command Points and spend those points to perform a number of actions from a selection listed below. After performing all desired actions play moves onto the next player to repeat this process.

This continues until both players have used all of the Command Points on all of their units. If one player has no units left to activate, play returns to the other player until both players have finished.

Deploying From Reserve

As your units do not begin on the battlefield, they must be deployed from reserve. When it is your turn to activate a unit, you may choose a unit already on the battlefield or one in reserve. If you choose a unit in reserve, each model is placed within its Movement attribute in inches from one of your Entry Points and in formation, and then activates as normal. This does not count as having taken a Move action and can be done before declaring your actions for that unit.

Unless another rule permits it, each player must deploy all of their units on the battlefield during the first turn. If a unit cannot be placed within range of an entry point, then it cannot be deployed. If it must be deployed but cannot be placed, it is destroyed.

Actions

When you activate a unit, you first declare the actions you are going to perform and the order in which you will perform them. You then pay the appropriate cost from the unit's Command Points and reduce the Command Dice by that cost. You do not have to spend all of your Command Points in one activation. For units with multiple models you perform the action for every model before moving onto the next action. Keep in mind the following restrictions:

  • You must perform at least 2 actions per activation, unless your unit has only 1 Command Point remaining.
  • You may perform a maximum of 4 actions per activation.
  • You may only perform each action once per activation unless it is the pass action.
  • If you begin your activation with only 1 Command Point remaining, roll a d6. On a roll of 1, this last Command Point is lost, the unit takes no action however this still counts as your activation.

Note: You may declare an action that will only be possible depending on the outcome of the previous action - if you do so and the action is still not possible after the previous actions then it is treated as a pass action instead.

Action: Move

During a Move action, each model in a unit can move up to its Movement attribute in inches, as long as the unit finishes in formation. Always measure from the same point on a model's base and move the model in straight line sections to avoid moving more than the allowed distance.

A model's base may never move over the base of any enemy models, but are permitted to move over the bases of friendly models - so long as they do not overlap at the end of their movement. Models are not permitted to move any part of their base outside of the battlefield.

Terrain

During a move action, models may encounter various types of terrain, which may impede their movement, such as rough ground, obstacles, or elevated platforms. There are different types of terrain, each with specific rules and more information on different kinds of terrain is found in the Advanced Rules section.

Action: Advance

An Advance action follows the same rules as a Move action but may only be taken immediately after a Move action.

Action: Attack

During an attack action you choose a target enemy unit for each model in your unit and one of their weapons to make the attack. You then follow the attack procedure below for each of these attacks. It you destroy a unit but still have attacks remaining targeting that unit, you may not change your target, those extra attacks are lost.

When choosing a target, if there are any enemy units within 3 inches of your unit you must choose a target from one of those units.

Step 1 - Determine Line of Sight and Range

Each target unit may be obscured from your attacks so you need to check your line of sight. This will either be clear, obscured, or blocked. Line of sight to a target unit is checked by picking any one model in your unit that is attacking your target unit and looking "through it's eyes", meaning you typically must look through the model at tabletop level.

You ignore models in the attacking unit and target unit that may block this line of sight.

  • If you can see at least half of the models in the target unit without any part being covered, you have a clear line of sight.
  • If you can see any models in the target unit but more than half are at least partly covered, you have an obscured line of sight.
  • If any model is partially obscured by another unit, or you cannot see any models, you have a blocked line of sight.
  • If the unit is within 1 inch of a friendly unit, and you are more than 3 inches away, you have a blocked line of sight.
  • If you are attacking a unit within 3 inches an obscured line of sight is counted as clear.

Your chosen target unit must be within range for each models attack. This is measured from each model to the nearest model in the target unit and the distance must be less than the chosen weapons range attribute.

Step 2 - Attack Rolls

For each model, you make Attack Rolls equal to the attacks attribute of the weapon being used. Each roll is a d6 trying to equal or beat the attacking model's Skill attribute. Every successful roll is a hit. If you are more than one model is targeting the same unit with the same weappon you may combine all these attacks and roll them together. The following modifiers apply:

  • Close Range Penalty: Attack Rolls against a target unit within 3 inches of your unit only hit on a roll of a 6, instead of using the attacking model's Skill attribute. However, weapons with the Assault special rule don't suffer this penalty.
  • Rush Penalty: Units performing 3 actions this activation suffer a -2 modifier to their Attack Rolls.
  • Height Advantage: Gain a +1 modifier to your Attack Roll when attacking a unit at a lower height level than your model (see the terrain rules).
  • Obscured Penalty: When attacking a target with an obscured line of sight, suffer a -1 modifier to your Attack Roll.

Step 3 - Defence Rolls

For every successful hit against a target unit that player makes a Defence Roll - rolling a d6 trying to score equal or higher than the unit's lowest defence attribute. Defence rolls are reduced by the attacking weapons piercing attribute. Each failed defence roll results in the unit taking 1 point of damage.

Step 4 - Counter Rolls

For each point of damage a unit takes, it must test to see if it can Counter the damage, or if it's models will lose Hit Points. The counter roll uses the targets Toughness. Roll a d6, to counter the damage you must equal or beat a specific target based on the rules below:

Weapon Damage vs target unit's lowest Toughness Counter Roll
Damage is half, or lower, than Toughness 2+
Damage is lower than Toughness 3+
Damage is equal to Toughness 4+
Damage is higher than Toughness 5+
Damage is double, or higher, than Toughness 6+

For each failed counter you reduce the hit points of 1 model in your unit, starting with any model which has already lost hit points then choosing a new model and allocating to that model until it is destroyed and so on. Once a model is reduced to 0 hit points it is destroyed and removed from the game. Continue allocating lost hit points to another model like this until you have allocated all lost hit points or the last model has been destroyed.

Action: Ability

An ability is a unique action that some units possess. The details of any ability will be listed in the unit's profile, army list, or module.

Action: Secure

To secure an objective a unit must be within 1 inch of the objective marker, with no enemy units within 3 inches of the objective marker or the securing unit. The unit attempting to secure the objective must make a successful Secure Roll by rolling a d6 and scoring 3 or higher.

Action: Pass

The pass action is used when you either do not wish to do anything with your unit or have no other options available. The unit does nothing during this action. You may use this action multiple times.