Overview

Heroscape Master Set: Swarm of the Marro is a tactical miniatures combat game set in the world of Valhalla, where warriors from across time and space battle on 3D hex-based terrain. Players build customizable battlefields from interlocking terrain tiles, draft armies from a roster of unique heroes and squads, then take turns moving and attacking to destroy opposing forces. This Master Set 2 features the Marro alien swarm and their enemies. The game uses a secret order-planning system and dice-based combat.

Components

• Interlocking hex terrain tiles (rock, grass, sand, water, swamp, lava tiles at various heights)
• Painted miniature figures (Heroes and Squads including Marro warriors, human warriors, and others)
• Army Cards (one per Hero/Squad with Move, Range, Attack, Defense, Life stats, point value, special powers)
• 20-sided die (for initiative)
• Combat dice (skulls for attack, shields for defense)
• Order Markers (numbered 1, 2, 3 plus X decoy, per player)
• Round Marker
• Wound Markers
• Glyph tiles
• Battlefield & Game Scenario booklet

Setup

1. Set up your battlefield: Choose a scenario from the booklet or create your own.
2. Gather and place your army: Use one of three methods:
   • Pre-Made Army: Use the scenario’s listed forces.
   • Pre-Set Army: Choose from pre-built options.
   • Drafting an Army: For 2 players: roll d20, highest drafts first by choosing 1 card. Then alternate choosing 2 cards each until both pass. For 3+ players: all roll d20, highest drafts first (1 card), then proceed left choosing 1 card each, reversing direction after reaching the end. Continue until all players pass. Total army point values must not exceed the agreed limit.
3. Army Card Colorsi: In the Master Game, loyalties of good and evil warriors may become muddled — your Army can include cards of mixed colors.
4. Place your entire Army in the starting zone (enemies on opposite starting zones). If more figures than spaces, teammates start in the same zone.
5. Place Glyph tiles per scenario instructions.

Turn Structure

The game is played in rounds:

1. Place Your Order Markers: Each player places numbered Order Markers (1, 2, 3) and the X decoy face-down on their Army Cards. This determines which figures act each turn. You may stack multiple markers on the same card.
2. Roll for Initiative: All players roll the d20. Highest result goes first. Reroll ties.
3. On Your Turn: Players take turns in initiative order. Each player takes 3 turns per round (revealing markers 1, 2, 3 in order).
4. Move the Round Marker forward after all players have taken 3 turns.

On Each Turn:

1. Reveal your Order Marker for the current turn number.
2. Action 1: Move Figure(s) on the revealed Army Card (optional).
3. Action 2: Attack with Figure(s) on the revealed Army Card (optional).

Actions

Movement

• Move each figure on the active Army Card up to its Move value in spaces.
• Moving up: Count the side of each level as a space. You cannot move up more levels than the figure’s Height number.
• Moving down: Don’t count sides going down, but risk falling damage.
• Water spaces: Must stop when entering a water space from any other space (exception: double-space figures can cross 1 water space between 2 non-water spaces without stopping).
• Swamp water: Unlike water, you may continue moving through swamp if movement remains.
• Moving from water/swamp to land: The “moving up” rule applies. Count sides going up.
• Passing through figures: You can move through spaces with friendly figures but cannot end on an occupied space. You cannot move through enemy figures.
• Double-space figures: Occupy 2 hex spaces. Always end on two same-level spaces. Can flip direction during movement.
• Overhangs: Terrain tiles above gaps. Figures can move onto or under overhangs. When moving up onto an overhang, count support tiles.
• Tight quarters: Narrow passages may limit movement. A figure cannot move onto a space it cannot physically fit.
• Keep the base on the space: Base must sit flat on its space. No overlapping between spaces.

Falling

• When a figure moves down a cliff equal to or higher than its height, it may get grounded (falling rules apply).
• Roll 1 attack die for each level fallen equal to or greater than the figure’s height. Skulls = wound markers.
• Extreme fall (20+ levels): Roll the d20. 1-18 = destroyed. 19-20 = survive without falling damage.

Engagement

• A figure is engaged when adjacent to an opponent’s figure.
• Engaged figures can only attack adjacent engaged enemies (with some exceptions from special powers).
• Leaving engagement: When a figure moves away from an adjacent enemy, the enemy rolls 1 attack die. Each skull = 1 wound. Multiple enemies each get a leaving engagement attack.
• Height differences: If a figure on a higher level’s base is equal to or higher than the lower figure’s height, they are not adjacent (no engagement).

Attacking

• You may attack once per figure per turn.
• Range: The maximum number of spaces away you can attack. Range 1 = adjacent only.
• Line of Sight: Must have clear line from your figure’s Target Point (green dot) to the target’s Hit Zone (red area). Check by looking behind your figure at the target.
• Attack roll: Roll dice equal to your Army Card’s Attack value. Each skull = 1 hit.
• Defense roll: Defender rolls dice equal to Defense value. Each shield = 1 block.
• Wounds: Hits - Blocks = wounds. Place Wound Markers on the defender’s Army Card. When wounds = Life, the figure is destroyed.
• Height advantage: If attacker is higher than defender, attacker rolls extra dice based on height difference. If 10+ levels higher, roll 2 extra dice.
• Attacking around engaged figures: You may attack enemies even if other figures are engaged, but you must still have Line of Sight.
• Destroying a Common figure: If Army includes 2+ of the same Common Army Card and one card’s figures are all destroyed, place destroyed figure on another matching card. Fill up cards before destroying them.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Victory conditions are determined by the scenario:

• Destroy all enemies: Most common win condition.
• Scenario objectives: Some scenarios have specific goals (control positions, survive turns, etc.).
• In a basic game, the last player (or team) with surviving figures wins.

Scoring (Optional)

Some game scenarios award victory points for controlling objectives or destroying enemy figures.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Glyphs: Magical enhancements on certain spaces. When a figure lands on a power-side-up Glyph, it activates:
  • Permanent Glyphs: Stay in effect while figure is on the space (e.g., Glyph of Brandar = artifact).
  • Temporary Glyphs: Activate once, then removed. Examples: Glyph of Ulaniva (+1 extra attack die for all unique figures), Glyph of Crexxor (+1 extra attack die for common figures), Glyph of Wannok (roll d20 at round end; 1-5 = 1 wound, 16-20 = choose opponent to take a wound), Glyph of Thorian (opponents’ adjacent figures must attack normally), Glyph of Proftaka (Pit Trap — figure cannot move), Glyph of Brandar (artifact), Glyph of Valveara (Negation — opposing figure stops here), Glyph of Erland (Disengage — move away without leaving attacks), Glyph of Gerda (Intercept Order — steal opponent’s random Order Marker).
• Special powers: Each figure’s Army Card lists unique abilities that can modify combat, movement, or other rules.
• Simultaneous special powers: If both players’ cards trigger at the same time, roll d20; the winner chooses which resolves first.
• Multiple Master Sets and Expansions: Can be combined. No player may have more than one of the same Unique Army Card. Unique heroes with the same name across sets cannot be in the same army.
• Marro Hive rules: Marro Stingers and other Marro have hive-related special powers for spawning or reinforcing.
• Flying and Overhangs: Figures with flying ignore terrain for movement, but may still engage.
• Special attacks: Some abilities work differently from normal attacks (not affected by shields, target multiple figures, etc.).

Player Reference

Stat	Meaning
Move	Max spaces of movement per turn
Range	Max spaces for ranged attack (1 = melee only)
Attack	Number of attack dice (skulls = hits)
Defense	Number of defense dice (shields = blocks)
Life	Total wounds before destroyed
Height	Max levels a figure can climb at once; also determines fall thresholds
Points	Army drafting cost

Round Structure	Steps
1	Place Order Markers (1, 2, 3, X) on Army Cards
2	Roll d20 for initiative
3	Take 3 turns each (reveal marker → move → attack)
4	Advance Round Marker

Combat: Attack dice (skulls) vs. Defense dice (shields). Net skulls = wound markers.

Win: Destroy all enemy figures or achieve scenario objectives