Overview

Button Men is a fast two-player dice combat game designed by James Ernest (Cheapass Games). Each player has a fighter represented by several polyhedral dice. Players fight several rounds of combat, rolling dice and capturing each other’s dice. The first player to win three rounds wins the game. The game uses a simple yet strategic system where dice serve as both attackers and targets.

Components

• Button Men fighter pins/cards (each specifying a set of polyhedral dice)
• Polyhedral dice as specified by each fighter (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, etc.)
• Some fighters include Swing dice (variable size)

Setup

1. Each player selects a Button Men fighter.
2. Take the dice listed on your fighter. The dice are specified by the numbers on the button (e.g., a “6” means a d6, “20” means a d20).
3. As a general rule, small dice mean speed and large dice mean strength.
4. Special dice are defined as follows:
   • X or S or T etc. are Swing dice. You may set a Swing die to any size from d4 to d20 in even numbers (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d14, d16, d18, d20). In tournament play, each player chooses their Swing die size at the beginning of the match. You can change your Swing die between rounds.
5. Roll all your dice and arrange them in front of you.

Turn Structure

Beginning a Round

Both players roll all their dice. Arrange the dice in a line on the table. Compare: whoever rolled the lowest single die goes first. If tied, compare the next lowest, and so on until a leader is determined.

On Each Turn

You must either make a Power Attack or Skill Attack. If you cannot make either type of attack, you must pass.

Actions

Power Attack

Use one of your dice to capture one of your opponent’s dice. Your attacking die must show a value greater than or equal to the target die’s showing value. After capturing, take the captured die and re-roll your attacking die.

Skill Attack

Use several of your dice to capture one of your opponent’s dice. In a Skill Attack, your dice must add up to exactly the value showing on the die you capture. Remove the captured die from play, and re-roll all of your dice that participated in the Skill Attack.

Passing

You may not pass unless you cannot make any legal attack. If you cannot attack, you must pass.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

End of Round

When both players pass (because neither can attack), the round is over.

Calculating Score

Score the round by counting the sides of all dice you captured and kept, plus the sides of your own dice that survived. For each side of your own dice still in play, you score half its size. Example: keeping your own 8-sided die is worth only 4 points.

Scoring formula:

• Each captured opponent die: score its full number of sides (e.g., a captured d10 = 10 points)
• Each of your own surviving dice: score half its number of sides (e.g., your surviving d8 = 4 points)

The highest score wins the round.

Winning the Game

The first player to win 3 rounds wins the game.

Ties

If a round is a draw, re-play it.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Swing dice can be set to any even-sided die from d4 to d20. The size is chosen secretly before the match begins and can be changed between rounds.
• Trip dice (marked with a “p”): when you make a special attack called a “Trip,” you and the target both re-roll. If the Trip die now shows an equal or greater number than the target, the target is captured. Otherwise, the attack fails (nothing happens, but the dice stay at their new values).
• Poison dice (marked with “p”): flip the trip die and the target. Then compare the numbers they show. If the Trip die shows equal or greater, capture succeeds.
• Rerolling: After every successful capture (Power or Skill), the attacking die or dice are re-rolled.
• If you can make any legal attack on your turn, you must do so – passing is only allowed when no attacks are possible.
• In a Power Attack, the attacker must show a value >= the target. In a Skill Attack, the attackers must sum to exactly the target’s value.

Player Reference

Turn Options: Power Attack (1 die captures 1 die with value >=) OR Skill Attack (multiple dice capture 1 die summing exactly) OR Pass (only if no attacks possible)

Round End: Both players pass consecutively.

Scoring: Captured dice = full sides value; Surviving own dice = half sides value. Highest score wins round.

Match Victory: First to win 3 rounds.

Attack Type	Dice Used	Requirement
Power Attack	1 of your dice	Your die’s value >= target’s value
Skill Attack	2+ of your dice	Your dice values sum exactly to target’s value