Overview

Labyrinth: The War on Terror is a card-driven strategy game simulating the post-9/11 conflict between the United States and jihadist forces. One player takes the role of the US, seeking to improve governance and counter terrorism worldwide, while the other plays the Jihadists, seeking to establish an Islamist Caliphate. The game uses an interconnected map of Muslim and non-Muslim countries, with cards driving events and operations. Victory depends on shifting governance, deploying troops, conducting jihads, and managing global prestige and funding.

Components

• 1 game board (world map with countries and connections)
• 120 event cards
• US and Jihadist markers
• Country governance markers (Good, Fair, Poor, Islamist Rule)
• Troop and cell markers
• Prestige, Funding, and GWOT tracks
• Regime Change and Besieged Regime markers
• WMD markers
• Aid and Awakening/Reaction markers
• Dice (6-sided)

Setup

1. Place the board. Set initial country governance levels as specified.
2. Place starting troops, cells, and regime markers per scenario setup.
3. Set US Prestige, Jihadist Funding, and GWOT Relation tracks to starting values.
4. Shuffle event cards; deal starting hands (7-9 cards depending on scenario).
5. Choose scenario (standard or campaign).

Turn Structure

Each game turn:

1. Both players draw cards to refill hands.
2. US player acts first, playing 1 card per action round.
3. Jihadist player then plays 1 card.
4. Continue alternating until both players have played all cards (or passed).
5. Resolve end-of-turn events (funding adjustments, etc.).

Playing a Card

A player may use a card in one of several ways:

• Play the Event: Trigger the card’s event text. Events are US-associated, Jihadist-associated, or unassociated. Playing an opponent’s event triggers that event for the opponent.
• Conduct Operations: Use the card’s Operations value (1-3) to perform operations.

Actions

US Operations

• Deploy: Move troops from the Troop Track to countries, or between countries.
• Disrupt: Remove cells or reduce Jihadist cadre in countries with troops or allies.
• Regime Change: Deploy troops to change an Islamist Rule country to a different governance level. Requires 6+ troops.
• Withdraw: Remove troops from a Regime Change country.
• War of Ideas: Attempt to improve governance in Muslim countries, or shift non-Muslim countries toward Hard or Soft alignment.
• Alert: Prevent a WMD plot from resolving.

Jihadist Operations

• Recruit: Place new cells in countries.
• Travel: Move cells between countries.
• Jihad: Attempt to worsen governance in Muslim countries (toward Islamist Rule).
• Plot: Place plots in countries (potentially WMD plots).
• Minor Jihad/Major Jihad: Roll dice attempting to change governance.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

US Victory

• Good Resources: If Muslim countries with Good governance control 12+ resources, the US wins.
• Alternatively, if all cells and cadre are eliminated.

Jihadist Victory

• Islamist Caliphate: If a country under Islamist Rule has 2+ adjacent countries also under Islamist Rule, Jihadist wins.
• WMD Plot: If a WMD plot successfully resolves in the US, Jihadist wins.
• US Prestige drops to 1: Combined with poor GWOT relations.

Automatic Loss

• If the US has no troops deployed and prestige is at 1, US loses.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Governance levels: Good > Fair > Poor > Islamist Rule. US wants Good; Jihadists want Islamist Rule.
• Alignment: Countries are Hard, Soft, or Neutral toward the War on Terror.
• GWOT (Global War on Terror): Track reflecting world opinion. Affects operations.
• Prestige: US prestige affects War of Ideas rolls. Ranges 1-12.
• Funding: Jihadist funding determines hand size and cell placement limits. Ranges 1-9.
• Regime Change countries: Special rules apply; troops must remain; governance tests occur.
• Besieged Regime: Country at risk of falling to Jihad.
• Oil Price Spikes: Event effects that change funding.
• Solitaire play: Bot rules for the Jihadist side.

Player Reference

US Action Options (per card):

1. Deploy troops
2. Disrupt cells
3. Regime Change
4. Withdraw troops
5. War of Ideas
6. Alert (prevent WMD)
7. Play event

Jihadist Action Options (per card):

1. Recruit cells
2. Travel cells
3. Jihad (worsen governance)
4. Plot (place plots)
5. Play event

Governance Track: Good -> Fair -> Poor -> Islamist Rule

Victory Conditions Summary:

Player	Win Condition
US	12+ resources under Good governance
Jihadist	Islamist Caliphate (connected Islamist countries)
Jihadist	WMD plot in US