Overview

Grav-Ball is a futuristic combat-sport board game published by FASA in 1982. Two teams of six armored players compete in a zero-gravity arena, attempting to move a five-kilogram steel ball into the opponent’s goal area. The game blends tactical sports mechanics with violent combat, including legal checks and illegal assaults. If fighting gets too rough, the arena releases Heartless Huey, an invulnerable robot enforcer who incapacitates the nearest player.

Components

• Game board (zero-G arena court)
• Player tokens (6 per team, 12 total)
• Steel ball marker
• Dice
• Player stat cards
• Penalty track
• Rules booklet

Setup

1. Place the game board representing the zero-G court between the two players.
2. Each player positions their six team members at their starting positions on the court.
3. Place the steel ball in the center of the arena.
4. Each player reviews their team member stat cards.
5. Determine which player starts with possession or initiative.

Turn Structure

Players alternate turns. On each turn:

1. Movement Phase: Move your players on the court according to their movement ratings.
2. Action Phase: Perform actions such as passing, shooting, checking, or fighting.
3. Resolution Phase: Resolve any combat, penalties, and scoring attempts.

Actions

Legal Actions

• Body checks: Physically check an opposing player to dislodge the ball or gain position.
• Hand checks: Use hands to disrupt or knock the ball from an opponent.
• Foot checks: Kick-based checks against opposing players.
• Passes: Throw the ball to a teammate.
• Goal shots: Attempt to shoot the ball into the opponent’s goal area.

Illegal Actions (Penalty Check Required)

• Striking with the ball: Using the steel ball as a weapon against another player.
• Striking with the elbow: Elbowing an opposing player.
• Shooting the player: Targeting a player directly with the ball as an attack.
• All-out assaults: Full-on physical attacks against opposing players.

Penalty Enforcement

• Illegal actions require a penalty check roll.
• If caught, the offending player may be penalized (removal from play for a period).
• Heartless Huey: If fighting becomes too intense or a brawl breaks out, Heartless Huey is released. This invulnerable robot will incapacitate the nearest player regardless of team, serving as the ultimate deterrent against excessive violence.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• Goal scoring: Move the steel ball into the opponent’s goal area to score.
• The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins.
• The game is played over a set number of periods or until a score limit is reached.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Zero gravity: Movement and ball physics in the zero-G court differ from standard sports games. Players and the ball behave according to zero-gravity mechanics.
• Heartless Huey: An invulnerable robot enforcer released when violence escalates. It incapacitates the nearest player without regard to team affiliation, making excessive fighting risky for both sides.
• Armor: All players wear armor, which provides protection but affects movement speed.
• Ball weight: The five-kilogram steel ball is a significant gameplay element, affecting passing range, shot power, and the danger of ball-based attacks.
• Team composition: Each team has six members who may have different stats and specializations.
• Futuristic setting: The game is set in a science fiction universe, with the arena suspended or in a zero-gravity environment.

Player Reference

Teams: 6 players per side

Legal actions: Body check, hand check, foot check, pass, goal shot

Illegal actions: Ball strike, elbow strike, shoot player, all-out assault (penalty check required)

Heartless Huey: Released during excessive fighting; incapacitates nearest player

Win condition: Most goals at end of game