RWBY: Combat Ready

Overview

RWBY: Combat Ready is a cooperative board game published by Arcane Wonders where 2-4 players control hero characters from the RWBY animated series to battle villains and Grimm. The game features a unique duel system where one player at a time actively fights a villain while other players provide support through combos and special abilities. Combat is card-driven with simultaneous action selection, and each hero has a unique deck and Semblance ability. Players must work together to defeat all villains in a scenario before time runs out.

Components

• 4 Hero decks (Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long)
• Hero character boards and standees
• Villain cards and decks
• Grimm cards
• Fury track board (dual-sided for Villain and Active Player)
• Combat cards
• Support cards
• XP tokens
• Aura (health) trackers
• Scenario cards
• Dice
• Various tokens and markers

Setup

Select a scenario card which determines the sequence of villains and Grimm to face. Each player chooses a hero and takes the corresponding deck, character board, and standee. Set hero Aura to maximum. Shuffle each hero’s deck. Place the first villain according to the scenario. Set Fury tracks to their starting positions. Place XP tokens and other resources in a common supply.

Turn Structure

The game is played through a series of Duels. Each Duel pits one Active Player against a villain or Grimm.

Duel Structure

1. Select Active Player: The group decides which hero will fight the current villain.
2. Draw Cards: The Active Player draws 6 cards from their deck.
3. Combat Rounds: The Duel consists of multiple fast-paced combat rounds until one combatant is defeated, the Active Player runs out of cards, or the Fury track maxes out.
4. Resolution: If the villain is defeated, advance the scenario. If the hero is bashed, regroup and another player takes over.

Combat Round Steps

1. The Active Player selects and plays an attack card face-down.
2. Each supporting player simultaneously selects their support action.
3. All cards are revealed and resolved.
4. Compare Speed values – the faster combatant strikes first.
5. Apply Damage and any special effects.
6. Advance Fury tracks based on results.

Actions

Active Player Actions

• Play Attack Card: Choose a card from hand showing Speed, Damage, and special abilities.
• Use Semblance: Each hero has a unique Semblance ability that can be activated under specific conditions.
• Combo: If supporting players contribute matching combo symbols, powerful combo attacks trigger.

Support Player Actions

• Assist: Play a support card to boost the Active Player’s Speed or Damage.
• Combo Contribution: Play a card with a combo symbol to help trigger the Active Player’s combo attacks.
• Use Items: Spend XP or items to provide healing or other benefits.

Between Duels

• Spend XP: Purchase upgrades, heal Aura, or acquire items.
• Regroup: Shuffle discards back into decks, prepare for the next encounter.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win: Players win by defeating all villains and Grimm in the scenario before any loss condition triggers.

Lose: Players lose if:

• All heroes are bashed (reduced to 0 Aura) without being able to continue
• The scenario’s time or event limit is exceeded
• Specific scenario loss conditions are met

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Fury Tracks: Both the villain and the Active Player have Fury tracks. When the villain’s Fury maxes out, they unleash a devastating attack. Managing Fury is critical.
• Bashing: When a hero’s Aura reaches 0, they are bashed and cannot continue the current Duel. Another hero must step in.
• Speed Ties: When Speed values are equal, specific tie-breaking rules apply (generally the Active Player wins ties).
• Deck Cycling: If the Active Player runs out of cards mid-Duel, the Duel ends and the villain recovers some health.
• Penny Polendina: A fifth playable character available as alternate hero selection.
• Scaling Difficulty: Villain health and difficulty scale based on player count.

Player Reference

Hero	Semblance	Style
Ruby Rose	Speed burst, scythe attacks	Fast, high-speed combatant
Weiss Schnee	Glyph summoning	Versatile, elemental attacks
Blake Belladonna	Shadow clones	Evasive, counterattacks
Yang Xiao Long	Damage absorption boost	Tanky, growing power

Combat Stats: Speed (determines who strikes first), Damage (how much harm dealt), Aura (health points).