STORY

The future:
Slowly but steadily, the Moon has been nearing the Earth. It has touched the surface and ripped a deep gash across continents, mountain ranges and oceans. It has now come to a halt in the now dried-out Pacific Ocean. Chaos and devastation shattered the Earth and its inhabitants. That chaos grew greater yet when the Moon revealed itself to be a "kami" (a Japanese God of old) - the white dragon TSUKUYUMI. Exiled into the night sky eons ago, TSUKUYUMI has been awakened by Japanese warriors, who tried to rid themselves of their godly creators. TSUKUYUMI'S time for vengeance has finally come...

In the post-apocalyptic world, humankind is on the verge of extinction, whereas animal species mutated under the influence of TSUKUYUMI and grew larger and stronger than ever. All those different factions are now fighting fiercely to survive, as well as for world domination.

TSUKUYUMI is a no-luck board game, that requires specific strategic skills of its players. Its particular allure lies in the clash of multifarious, asymmetrical factions. At the beginning, each player will pick one of the five factions. The factions have their own respective abilities, units and strategies. Therefore the game changes depending on which factions meet on the battlefield.

Values and abilities of the factions still won't guarantee victory. Numerous test matches have shown: it’s the players who can find new combinations and the right moments to use specific faction features, who notice their fellow players’ weaknesses and use them to their own advantages. This way, players shape their faction and bring the creatures and their stories to life.

FACTIONS

THE NOMADS are former soldiers who were stationed on the USS Nomad, an aircraft carrier that stranded in the wastelands. Armed, agile and patriotic as they are, the NOMADS attempt to claim the remains of the moon in the name of their (former) nation.

THE BOARLORDS are a nation of strong and intelligent boars, who enter the pacific region from what was once the Korean peninsula. They aim to replace the human race as dominant species - taking more and more land by terraforming it into their rampart-like homes.

THE CYBERSAMURAI use satellites, supercomputers and artificial intelligence once developed in old Japan to command an army of drones, fighting bots and even an orbital laser system, threatening anyone who tries to plant their flag on the moon.

THE DARK SEED'S nest grew in the wastelands as roaches and other insects became larger and more intelligent under TSUKUYUMI'S influence. Their swarm grows rapidly - and thus they fight relentlessly to overwhelm adversarial units and territories through their sheer number.

THE KAMPFGRUPPE 03 are the heirs to the Order of Marduk - and same as their spiritual ancestors in medieval times, dragonslayers Siegfried and Georg, they fight for a world unburdened by TSUKUYUMI'S existence.

GAMEPLAY

Every faction has its own units, its own strengths and special abilities - therefore requiring a very adjusted strategy to win.

After the game board is set up, every player picks a faction respectively. The faction boards explain in detail all special abilities and how to make use them. It also specifies the factions' beginning set-up.

According to the descending initiative order marked on the board, the players will install their "Homezones", pick three start-areas and place their units.
Prior to the first round, they will also choose a white action card - a combination of actions they can use before the beginning of each round.

Then, the players will gather their resources according to what their areas offer. They can use these resources to bid on the blue, green and red action cards. Each phase is represented by six of those action cards marked from A to F. Each card displays a different combination of the actions that can be taken during its respective phase. The highest bid will be awarded with the A-card, the next one with the B-card, and so on.

Each round is comprised of the following phases:

• White Phase: Players will use the white action card they chose to emphasize their strategy.
• Blue Phase: Players may rise in the initiative order and/or draw an Impact Card.
• Green Phase: New units will be generated and resources collected.
• Red Phase: Units are moved, adversarial areas and units can be attacked. Onis will be placed, moved, and used for attacks.

GOAL
The player who gains the most Victory Points wins. Victory Points are earned by conquering and occupying areas, and by completing goals and/or the faction's respective mission.

END
The game ends after the number of rounds set by the players beforehand - usually 3-4 rounds.