Overview

Dust is a strategic wargame set in an alternate history where alien technology discovered in Antarctica has replaced nuclear weapons and reshaped global alliances. Players control superpowers vying for newly discovered “VK” power sources to fuel their war machines. Each round, players secretly choose cards that determine initiative, production, movement, combat, and special abilities. Players build units, conquer territory, and score victory points. The first to reach a VP threshold wins.

Components

• 6-piece jigsaw game board (world map with land areas, sea areas, capitals, power sources)
• Victory point track along board edge
• Military units per army (6 colors): 60 tanks, 20 mechs, 20 fighters, 15 bombers, 15 submarines
• 24 production center figures (shared color)
• 45-card deck
• Special six-sided dice (2 hit faces, 4 blank)
• 16 Power Source tokens
• 6 Capital tokens
• 3 Majority tokens (production, sea, land)
• 3 reference sheets

Setup

1. Assemble the 6-piece game board.
2. Deal 6 cards to each player. Each secretly chooses 1 card; all reveal simultaneously. Card combat values determine setup order (highest first; ties broken by movement, then stars).
3. Capitals: In setup order, each player chooses an army color, takes all units, and claims a capital by placing a tank on it. Restrictions prevent paired capitals from being chosen in certain player counts.
4. Unclaimed capitals get a neutral army (1 tank, 1 mech, 1 production center).
5. Place VP tracking tanks near the VP track.
6. Land Areas: In setup order, players take turns placing 1 tank on unoccupied land areas until all are claimed. Take a Power Source token for each power source area claimed.
7. Production Centers: In setup order, players place 3 production centers total (1 at a time, on land areas with their tanks, not on power sources, max 1 per area).
8. Reinforcements: Each player builds units costing 12 + their setup card’s production value, placed at production center areas.
9. Discard setup cards. Remaining 5 cards form starting hand. Begin play.

Turn Structure

Each round:

1. Card Selection

Each player secretly chooses 1 card from hand and reveals simultaneously.

2. Player Turns (in initiative order)

Cards determine initiative (combat value, then movement, then stars for ties). Each player’s turn has 3 phases:

Production Phase

Build new units. Production capacity = card’s production value + number of production centers controlled on power source-adjacent areas (details vary). Units placed at production centers per placement rules. Can also buy new cards (draw from deck).

Unit Costs: | Unit | Cost | Combat Value | |—|—|—| | Tank | 2 | 1 | | Mech | 5 | 2 | | Fighter | 3 | 1 | | Bomber | 6 | 2 | | Submarine | 4 | 1 | | Production Center | 6 | — |

Hand limit: 5 cards. Can discard cards before buying new ones.

Movement Phase

Move up to the card’s movement value in separate moves. Each move: select units in one area and move them to an adjacent friendly or unoccupied area. Land units move on land; sea units on sea. Amphibious movement (land units via submarines across sea) has special rules. Bombers can make strategic moves (long-range). Cannot move into enemy-occupied areas (that requires combat).

Combat Phase

Launch up to the card’s combat value in attacks. Each attack targets one enemy-occupied area adjacent to your forces. Combat is resolved as a battle.

3. Victory Point Phase

After all players have taken their turns, all players simultaneously score VP for: capitals they control, power sources they control, and majority bonuses (most production centers, most land areas controlled, most sea areas controlled).

Actions

Battles

Land Battles: Attacker and defender each roll dice equal to their units’ total combat values. Hits are assigned by the owning player. Tanks are destroyed first to protect mechs (mech shield). Production centers grant 3 extra defense dice. Air units contribute tactical supremacy (initiative advantage).

Sea Battles: Similar but with submarines and air units. Fighters protect bombers similarly to tanks protecting mechs.

Amphibious Battles: Land and air units conveyed by submarines attack a land area from an adjacent sea area.

Retreating: After each round of combat, the losing side may retreat to a friendly adjacent area.

Special Attacks: Bombers can attack submarines (depth charges). Submarines can bombard adjacent land areas.

First-Turn Restrictions

On the first turn, no player may attack a capital.

Neutral Units

Neutral armies defend capitals. Any player may buy neutral units using neutral production centers.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win: Reach the VP threshold (varies by player count):

• 2 players: 45 VP
• 3 players: 35 VP
• 4 players: 30 VP
• 5 players: 25 VP
• 6 players: 20 VP

VP scored each round for:

• Capitals controlled
• Power sources controlled
• Majority tokens (production, sea, land)

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Power Sources: Areas marked with a bullseye. Critical for VP scoring and limit production center utility.
• Production Centers: Ownership determined by who controls the area (not by color). Can change hands. Cannot be destroyed. Cannot be placed on power sources.
• Tactical Supremacy: Air units contribute; side with higher tactical supremacy acts as attacker (chooses casualties order). Submarines have no tactical supremacy value.
• Cards: Each conveys 5 pieces of info: initiative/combat value, movement, production, stars, and a special ability. Special abilities include things like extra movement, additional attacks, production bonuses, etc.
• Tank/Mech Shield and Fighter/Bomber Shield: Cheaper units must be destroyed before more expensive paired units in the same battle.
• Strategic Bomber Movement: Bombers can move through multiple areas, including enemy areas, for long-range attacks.

Player Reference

Round: Choose card -> Player turns (in initiative order) -> VP scoring

Player Turn: Production -> Movement -> Combat

Unit Costs: Tank 2, Fighter 3, Sub 4, Mech 5, Bomber 6, Production Center 6

VP Targets: 2p: 45

3p: 35

4p: 30

5p: 25

6p: 20

Combat: Roll dice = combat value; 2/6 chance of hit per die

Shields: Tanks protect Mechs; Fighters protect Bombers