Full Metal Planete

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Overview

Full Metal Planète is a strategy board game for 2-4 players published in 1988 by Ludodélire. Players represent rival mining companies that have landed on an ore-rich alien planet. Over 21-25 turns, players use action points to maneuver tanks, motorboats, barges, and other units to collect ore, load it into their Freighter, and take off before the planet’s destruction. A tidal system changes the terrain each turn, submerging or revealing land and potentially stranding or sinking units. Combat requires coordinated fire from two units to destroy a target. The player who escapes with the most ore and units wins.

Components

Setup

  1. Turn 1: Players take turns placing their Freighter in designated landing zones on plains or swamp hexes.
  2. Turn 2: Players deploy their units within their landing zones.
  3. Ore is distributed on the board: one ore piece per three hexes (excluding open sea).
  4. Shuffle the 15 tide cards and place them face-down.

Turn Structure

Each turn proceeds as follows:

1. Draw Tide Card

Reveal the top tide card. The tide level (Low, Normal, or High) determines terrain effects for this turn.

2. Resolve Tide Effects

Units caught in unfavorable tide changes may become neutralized (stranded tanks in newly flooded areas, beached boats in newly dry areas).

3. Spend Action Points

The active player spends their action points to move units, load/unload ore, engage in combat, and perform other actions. Each turn has a 3-minute time limit per player.

Action Points by Turn: | Turns | Action Points | |——-|————–| | 1-2 | Setup (special rules) | | 3 | 5 | | 4 | 10 | | 5-20 | 15 | | 21-25 | 15 (departure phase) |

Maximum action points (with bonuses): 25 per turn.

4. Departure Decision (Turn 21+)

From Turn 21 onward, players may choose to take off with their Freighter. Turn 25 is mandatory departure. The decision is made simultaneously by all remaining players.

Actions

Movement (1 action point per hex)

All units move one hex per action point spent. Terrain restrictions:

Loading and Unloading (1 action point each)

Combat (Coordinated Fire)

Two destroyers (tanks, turrets, motorboats, or Heaps) must fire simultaneously at the same target to destroy it:

Capturing (1 action point + 1 marker)

Two destroyers adjacent to an enemy unit can capture it instead of destroying it. Place your color marker on the captured unit. Transporters and cargo automatically change allegiance.

Destroying Ore (2 action points)

Ore can be intentionally destroyed to deny it to opponents.

Weather Hen (1 action point)

A Weather Hen unit can create new units by spending action points. Destroyed units can be rebuilt.

Turret Operations (2 action points to rebuild)

Turrets defend the Freighter. Destroyed turrets can be rebuilt at the Freighter for 2 action points each.

Takeoff (1-4 action points)

Takeoff cost = 1 + number of damaged turrets. Must take off by Turn 25 at the latest.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

At game end (after all Freighters have taken off or Turn 25 passes):

Freighters remaining on the planet after Turn 25 score 0 points.

Winner: The player with the most points wins. Tiebreaker: largest ore quantity.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Tides

Three tide types affect terrain:

Units “surprised” by tide changes (e.g., a tank on a swamp that floods) are neutralized and cannot act until the tide changes favorably.

Freighter Capture

When all three of a Freighter’s turrets are destroyed, enemy destroyers can enter and seize it. The captor gains 5 permanent bonus action points per turn. Turrets can be rebuilt (2 action points each). Units in a captured Freighter retain their original color but obey the new controller.

Saving Action Points

Players who save action points receive cubes:

Pontoons

Pontoons are placed on water hexes to create temporary bridges. Land units can cross over pontoons. Pontoons can be destroyed.

Crabs

Amphibious units that function on both land and water. Useful for flexibility but less combat-effective than specialized units.

Time Limit

Each player has a maximum of 3 minutes per turn to spend their action points.

Player Reference

Turn: Draw tide -> Resolve tide effects -> Spend action points (3 min)

Action Point Costs: | Action | Cost | |——–|——| | Move 1 hex | 1 | | Load/unload ore or unit | 1 | | Enter/exit Freighter | 1 | | Create unit (Weather Hen) | 1 | | Destroy unit or ore | 2 | | Rebuild turret | 2 | | Takeoff | 1 + damaged turrets | | Capture unit | 1 + 1 marker |

Combat: 2 destroyers firing at same target = destroy. Range: 2 hexes (tanks/turrets/boats), 3 hexes (Heaps/mountain tanks).

Scoring: 2 pts/ore + 1 pt/unit in Freighter at takeoff.

Key Numbers: | Item | Value | |——|——-| | Turns | 21-25 | | Max action points/turn | 15 (base), 25 (with bonuses) | | Ore per 3 hexes | 1 | | Tide types | Low, Normal, High | | Turrets per Freighter | 3 | | Time per turn | 3 minutes |