Revised Rules

Chapter 1: Areas of Play	Chapter 2: Timing and Rules Overview	Chapter 3: The Basic Game
Introduction Pack Home Grounds Hunting Grounds The Umbra Victory Piles Out of Play	Open Play Timing Cancellation Playing Cards Card Supremacy	Preparing to Play Turn Sequence Redraw Phase Regeneration Phase Resource Phase Umbra Phase Moot Phase Combat Phase Winning the Game
Chapter 4: The Cards in Depth	Interlude: Umbra	Chapter 5: Combat
Character Cards Allegiance Keywords Modifications to Statistics Sept Cards Resources Creatures Open Play Cards Juntas - Moots and Board Meetings Combat Cards Combat Events Combat Actions Alternative Combat Actions	Umbral Combat Interaction across the Gauntlet	Combat Declaration Combat Rounds Ending Combat Combat Declaration Options Bluff Step Options Frenzy Appendices Rules Changes Differences between Versions

Date of Last Change (javascript):

Introduction

Welcome to the world of Rage, where the werewolves (also known as Garou) are fighting a losing battle against the forces of corruption (the Wyrm). These tribal warriors are ferocious in battle, but there are many battles to fight, and the Garou's forces also turn on each other in frustration. It is a time of desperation, a time of despair ... and a time for great heroes to do great deeds! The battle howl has sounded! When Will You Rage?

Overview

Rage was first produced as a Collectible Card Game (CCG) in 1995, based on the first edition of the Werewolf: the Apocalypse roleplaying game. This version of Rage is known as Rage: Apocalypse. Five sets of cards were printed by White Wolf. Since then, fan sets have been produced with permission of White Wolf, available as printable PDFs from River Von. These fan cards are generally divided into blocks of sets and include: the New England block; the beginning of the Ahadi block (set in Africa); and Least Wanted (18 cards remade because they were overly broken or confusing).

Each player has a pack who are trying to prove that they are better than the other packs. They achieve this by earning Victory Points (VP). The main method of acquiring VP is by killing prey or members of other packs, but packs can also gain VP from Quests, calling and winning votes and by other means. As well as the Characters they start with, players have their combat deck (used to kill creatures - or prevent death) and their sept deck (which contains resources, game altering cards and alternate methods of getting VP). Packs can serve either Gaia or Wyrm. Both allegiances play using the same rules but, because they draw on a different pool of cards, they can play quite differently.

Chapter 1: Areas of Play

Pack Home Ground

The Pack Home Ground is where your pack spends most of its time. It includes all members of your pack, their pack resources and their Pack Totem. All pack members within the Home Ground are available for pack actions, and can use pack resources and the pack totem. All of a player's decks, discard piles and their Victory Pile are considered to be in the Pack Home Ground.

Hunting Grounds

The Hunting Grounds is the area in the center of the playing field between all of the players' packs. Enemies and Victims residing in the Hunting Grounds are waiting for Characters to goad them into battle. Alphas are not considered to be in the Hunting Grounds, nor do they enter the Hunting Grounds when fighting other opponents. Characters temporarily in the Hunting Grounds are away from their pack (see Stepping in) but are still controlled by the same player - only that player can use the Character and play cards for it. The Character may still equip, use Rites or Gifts and attempt Quests. Such Characters can be attacked by Alphas as their Alpha action.

The Umbra

The Umbra is the spirit world, a dreamlike reflection of the physical world that runs parallel to it. Packs may use the Umbra for a specific purpose, as an alternate fighting ground or to try and elude their foes. A section of the Hunting Grounds and each player's Pack Home Ground should be designated as an Umbral zone where creatures in the Umbra are placed. Alternatively mark creatures in the Umbra with a token of some sort.

The barrier between the Umbra and the physical world is known as the Gauntlet and is difficult to breach. Most effects cannot work across the Gauntlet (that is, between the physical world and the Umbra, and vice versa). See Rules for the Umbra

Victory Pile

A player's Victory Pile is the record of the earned renown of the pack. Any kills the pack makes in combat are placed in their Victory Pile, unless they are not worth any VP (e.g. Victims killed by Gaia packs) in which case they are discarded. Card abilities may place other cards in a player's Victory Pile. Creatures placed face up in your Victory Pile are always worth their printed Renown in VP, unless a card changes the amount of VP awarded. Cards are placed in the Victory Pile face up, unless a card ability says otherwise. Face down cards in a Victory Pile are always worth 1 VP.

If a creature is killed outside of combat, they are not worth any victory points. Characters killed in this way are removed from the game. Other creatures are simply discarded to their owner's sept discard pile.

Any player may inspect the contents of a player's Victory Pile at any time. Unique cards in a Victory Pile do not prevent a copy of that card from being played - cards in the Victory Pile are considered not in play.

Out of Play

Certain abilities will temporarily place a creature out of play (also referred to as removing it from the game). The card which removed the creature will specify the duration. Cards that are Out of Play are not considered to be in either the Umbra or the Physical World.

While out of play, creatures cannot be targeted by any card or ability, cannot take any actions, cannot use their special abilities and cannot enter combat. Such creatures can still regenerate, and Characters and Allies are still considered to be part of their pack. Creatures in the Out of Play area are still counted present for and affected by global effects (such as a Wyldstorm), even if they would change move the creature out of the Out of Play area. Any cards attached to an out-of-play creature (e.g. equipment) are also out of play.

Any other card that is placed temporarily out of play is not affected by anything except global effects (and similarly such cards affect global effects (e.g. Cataclysm)). The abilities on any out-of-play cards cannot affect the game. Cards that are out of play are still checked for uniqueness and similar restrictions - you cannot play a copy of a Unique Fetish that is currently out of play.

Cards removed permanently from the game are not considered for Global Effects or Uniqueness (or similar restrictions).

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Cancellation

Abilities which cancel other abilities/cards interrupt the timing sequence and may always be played in response to the ability/card they are cancelling. If it is cancelled in this fashion, the cancelled card or ability never resolves. Cancellers may also be used later, to cancel abilities or remove cards with permanent or ongoing effect, but cancelling this way is not retroactive: when abilities/cards are cancelled this way, effects they may have had previously are not reversed (e.g. cancelling Eye of the Cobra after the user has traded all the equipment from the Character they borrowed does not restore the equipment to the target).

Playing Cards

Rage does not use expendable resources. If you meet the requirements to play a card (e.g., a Combat Action or a gift), it does not count against rage or gnosis later in the turn.

Some cards require prerequisites before they may be played. If you successfully meet the requirements of a card and bring it into play, you do not have to keep meeting the requirements for the card to remain in play. For example, if you recruit an Ally that requires a Theurge in your pack and the Theurge later dies, the Ally does not leave the pack. Likewise, if a creature's Gnosis drops below the Gnosis requirement of a Fetish/Bane Fetish, the Fetish/Bane Fetish continues to work (Equipment has more detail).

Cards in Rage do not have "card memory". Each card is independent of any other copies of that card, either in play or played previously. A card which can only be played once per game can still only have one copy of it played per game, but a card which has a one-use ability (e.g. Don Campisi) may use its ability even if an earlier copy of the card has already done so. Likewise, abilities that target one copy of a card only affect that copy - if you play a Nemesis on Golgol and Mamu, it only affects one distinct copy of each, not all Golgols and Mamus in play!

Card Supremacy and Versions

When the text on a card conflicts with these rules, the card takes precedence. These rules are a simple skeleton for the game's mechanics; the cards are the special circumstances that allow you to break the rules (temporarily).

The most recently produced version of a particular Rage card (not including those produced for Rage Across Las Vegas) is considered correct. Any errata is considered to replace or supplement the most recent printing of the card.

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Chapter 3: The Basic Game

Preparing to Play

Decide Renown Level

At the beginning of the game, all of the players decide the Renown level that they wish to play. The Renown of all of the Characters in a single pack must be less than or equal to the Renown level of the game. Also, the Renown level dictates how many victory points are required to win the game. Players wanting a shorter game should choose a low Renown level; players wanting a longer and more involved game should choose a higher Renown level.

The standard Renown level of the game is 20.

Separate Your Deck

Cards should be separated according to their types: combat, sept and Character. A player must have a minimum of 20 combat cards (maximum 2 of each card) and 30 sept cards (maximum 3 of each card), but there is no maximum deck size. Shuffle the sept deck, then shuffle the combat deck. A player may have any number of Characters as long as their Renown total does not exceed the Renown level of the game.

Characters should be set out breed form up (their "normal" form - i.e. not Crinos or Battle form; some Characters only have one form and are the same on both sides of the card).

Hand Sizes

The default hand size for both sept hands and combat hands is 5 cards. If a player's sept hand size is increased or decreased for any reason (e.g. Old Storm Chaser), when their player (re)draws their sept hand they draw to the adjusted sept hand size instead. Similarly with an altered combat hand size.

Turn Sequence

Rage is played by all players simultaneously. Everyone shares all of the Phases and is considered to be acting at the same time. The only exception to this rule is the Combat Phase, in which Alphas act in descending order of Renown.

The phases are (in order):

1. Redraw Phase
2. Regeneration Phase
3. Resource Phase
4. Umbra Phase
5. Moot Phase
6. Combat Phase

Thus, all players redraw at the same time, go through the regeneration phase at the same time, etc.

The rest of this Chapter describes the contents of the turn phases. While it summarises how cards are played within the phases, more detail on cards use can be found in the following chapter.

Redraw Phase

Closed Play. In the first Redraw Phase of the turn, all players draw their first sept hand (equal to their sept hand size). They also draw their first combat hand (equal to their combat hand size). No actions can be taken until all players have drawn these cards.

Closed Play. During each following Redraw Phase, players may discard any cards from their sept hand that they wish to (up to their whole hand) and then draw enough cards to fill their hand to their sept hand size. Once players start discarding and redrawing, nothing can interrupt this process until all players have refilled their sept hand. If a player's sept deck is depleted, he does not draw any more cards but is otherwise unaffected.

Open Play. The rest of the phase is Open Play. Any cards which state that they may be played "at the beginning of the turn" can only be played during redraw phase (e.g., Moon phases). The term "At the beginning of the turn" is functionally identical to "during Redraw Phase".

Regeneration Phase

Closed Play. Shapeshifters, the hardy creatures that they are, have remarkable powers of healing. At the beginning of the Regeneration Phase, all regenerating creatures return the single non-aggravated lowest-damage card attached to them (if any) to the original owner's appropriate discard pile. Where there is a tie, the creature's controller (or prey's owner) decides which is discarded. No action can be taken or card played during this phase until all regeneration is completed.

Allies, Enemies and Victims do not, as a rule, regenerate. Very few do, and these are marked with the note (regenerates) at the bottom of their statistics. Exception: All shapeshifters (were-critters) and vampires regenerate, even if it is not indicated on the card.

"At the beginning of the Regeneration Phase" means in Closed Play, before regeneration occurs.

Open Play. The rest of the phase is Open Play.

Resource Phase

Closed Play. At the beginning of this Phase, players may play creatures (Allies, Enemies and Victims) and resources (Caerns, Equipment, Realms and Territories). Note that a player must have a Character in the Umbra to play a Realm, and Characters must be in the same world as the Ally they want to recruit. Prey (Enemies and Victims) are played to the Hunting Grounds. Equipment is played on (and attaches to) a Character or Ally that meets the requirements. Other resources are pack resources and are played to the Pack Home Grounds.

All resources played during Closed Play are considered to be played simultaneously, and their effects do not take place until Closed Play is finished. If any Unique card is played by more than one player during Closed Play, the person who may keep it is randomly determined (all extra copies are returned to their player's sept hand).

"At the beginning of the Resource Phase" means in Closed Play, before Resources are played.

Open Play. The rest of the round is Open Play. Players can still play creatures and resources, but they are not considered to be played simultaneously. Use Open Play timing instead. Equipment may also be traded to another Character or Ally that meets the requirements during this phase, although only once per item (see Equipment).

NOTE: In the first printings of Rage, the Resource Phase was called the Equip/Ally phase. The two are identical terms.

Umbra Phase

Closed Play. At the beginning of the Umbra Phase, Characters may use a Caern to step sideways into or out of the Umbra. Only Characters that can normally step sideways can use the Caern in this fashion (see Creature Class).

To enter (or leave) the Umbra, the Character's Gnosis must be greater than or equal to the Gauntlet of the Caern. All creatures stepping sideways this way enter or leave the Umbra simultaneously, and a Character cannot use the Caern twice in the same Umbra phase to both enter and leave the Umbra. The Character can use other means of moving into or out of the Umbra without restriction.

"At the beginning of the Umbra Phase" means in Closed Play, before creatures use Caerns to step sideways.

Open Play. The rest of the phase is Open Play.

NOTE: In the first printings of Rage, the Umbra phase was part of the Moot Phase.

Moot Phase

Closed Play. There is a section of Closed Play at the beginning of the Moot Phase. Cards and abilities used "At the beginning of the Moot Phase" are played at this point. The rest of the phase is Open Play

This section assumes understanding of allegiance.

Characters may call (play) Moots or Board Meetings at the beginning of the Moot Phase. In order for a Moot or Board Meeting to be called, there must be at least two players in the game playing packs of the same allegiance (i.e. at least two players must be playing Gaia packs before any Moots may be called and at least two players must be playing Wyrm packs before any Board Meetings may be called).

Juntas may not target creatures or other cards that are only in the Umbra. Otherwise the effects of Juntas work equally in both the physical world and the Umbra. Creatures that are only in the Umbra may not call or vote in Juntas.

Combat Phase

Closed Play. At the beginning of the Combat Phase, players may discard any cards from their combat hand that they wish to (up to their whole hand) and then draw enough cards to fill their hands to their combat hand size. As in the Redraw Phase, discarding is done before redrawing and no actions may be taken before all players have redrawn their combat hand. If a player runs out of combat cards, simply reshuffle the discarded ones and proceed as normal.

Open Play. Each player then selects a Character or Ally from their pack to be their alpha, the pack member who will represent its pack during the current Combat Phase (players must pick an alpha if possible). The player then pushes the alpha to the forefront of the pack. If, during the course of the Combat Phase, that alpha is killed or otherwise lost, the player may not select another until the next Combat Phase. A player may select a different alpha every combat phase, or use the same one repeatedly.

"At the beginning of the Combat Phase" means in Open Play, before alphas are chosen.

Werewolves - in fact most of Gaia's shapeshifters - defer to their elders, while the Wyrm's minions cower before those more powerful than them. As such, the alpha with the highest Renown takes his alpha action first (ties are decided randomly as soon as all alphas have been selected). Once the first alpha has finished their alpha action, the alpha with the next highest Renown takes his action, and so on.

As its alpha action, an alpha may do one of the following:

• Attack any other alpha in play.
• Attack any Enemy or Victim in the Hunting Grounds.
• Attack a Spirit in the Hunting Grounds to bind it.
• Issue a challenge to a non-alpha pack member in play. That pack member may refuse at his option.
• Engage a Battlefield
• Attack another player's Territory
• Pass and do nothing.

See Combat for details of how attacks work.

Winning the Game

At the end of any Combat Phase, if a single player has accumulated Victory Points (VP) equal to or exceeding the Renown level of the game, he has won. If two or more players have equal to or greater than the Renown level, the player with the most VP wins. In the event of a tie, the game continues for another turn (and more, until there is a clear winner).

A player that has lost all of their Characters is out of the game. All cards in their Pack Home Grounds, other than their combat deck and discards, are immediately removed from play; any cards he has in play outside of his Pack Home Grounds remain in play. The player may no longer play any sept cards. They may play combat cards for Prey in the Hunting Grounds. If the player has gained enough points to win on the turn he is taken out, he still wins, as his pack's heroic actions are still remembered in the tales of the Garou. A player with no pack may not be targetted by cards that affect packs, Victory Piles, etc.

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Chapter 4: The Cards in Depth

Rage is played with three different kinds of cards: Characters, sept and combat cards.

Character Cards

Character cards are the two-sided cards which represent the individuals in the game. One side of the card depicts that Character's breed form, the form in which he goes about his daily business. The other side illustrates the Character's Crinos - or battle - form, which is his combat ready killing machine form. Note that on some Characters, statistics do not change and their artwork remains the same; these Characters' breed and battle forms are one and the same.

All Characters are considered Restricted (each player may only put one of a given Character in their deck, but the same Character may appear in any number of packs).

Character Card Diagram

	Name
Set Glyph		Renown
Keywords
Stats		Textbox (Allegiance Glyph)

Name

Like you don't know what a name is.

Set Glyph

Each release of Rage has a glyph in the upper left-hand corner. This glyph indicates which expansion the card is from.

Renown

A Character's Renown is a reflection of how well-esteemed and able-bodied the Character is, and it dictates the amount of Victory Points that the Character is worth when killed. The Renown level of the game is also the limit of the combined total renown of your starting Characters.

Stats

Each Character in Rage has three statistics which define her abilities:

• Rage defines the combat prowess of the Character.
• Gnosis indicates the level of her spiritual attunement.
• Health reflects the Character's ability to withstand combat.

Characters who regenerate, but whose creature class does not necessarily regenerate, have "(Regenerates)" written beneath their Stats.

Experienced Characters

Several Characters have versions at different renown levels. These Characters are more (or less) experienced versions, and may not be in the same pack as one of their earlier incarnations. For example, Renown 8 Mari Cabrah may not be in the same pack as Renown 6 Mari Cabrah. Why? Because they're both Mari Cabrah! Similarly, Lord and King Albrecht are versions of the same Character as are Questor Treetalker and Questor.

The Silver Pack

The Silver Pack is elected at the grandest of Garou moots, and they are a representation of the first pack. Usually Silver Packs number between five and 10 members, but there is always at least one member of each auspice. Characters who are members of the Silver Pack will never attack another member of the Silver Pack; they are considered to have a loyalty to each other and can never be made Rivals of each other.

Modifications to Statistics

At times, a creature's Rage, Gnosis, Health or Renown scores are modified in some manner. For instance, Rage is frequently modified by combat actions, and Renown may be increased or doubled in moots by various abilities. In all cases, any multipliers (i.e., doubling) are applied first, then additions or subtractions.

A card abilitiy (for instance, a firearm) that says "May play Rage X cards" does not give a creature a Rage of X. For instance, if a Character with a natural rage of 2 has a Shotgun (giving her the ability to play Rage 7 combat actions) is influenced by a Battle Song (+2 Rage), she does not gain the ability to play Rage 9 combat actions. Instead, she is now a Rage 4 Character with a shotgun. Also, any card that lets you play Rage X combat actions also allows you to play combat actions of less Rage (so you can play a Rage 6 card with a Shotgun).

Other rules:

• No statistics have upper limits.
• Rage and Gnosis may never be below zero after all modifications.
• Any creature with a Health modified to zero is dead.
• Renown modifiers on a creature never change the amount of VP that they are worth. Other abilities may do so (e.g., Scar Throat's +2 VP for Vampires).

Sept Cards

Sept cards are the resources of the Characters in your pack and game altering cards. The sept deck includes the Equipment, special powers and other benefits that the Garou may draw upon. There are many different types of sept cards. Once you are out of sept cards, you may continue to play, but you will obviously not draw any sept cards during the Redraw Phase.

Creatures may never have more than one copy of any sept card attached to them, unless it is a damage card.

Restricted

Each player can only play one of these per game. If the card is cancelled it still counts as played.

Unique

Only one copy of each Unique card may be in play at the same time. A player may not play a Unique card if a copy of it is already in play. If more than one player tries to play the same Unique card at the same time, randomly determine which player plays the card (return other copies to their owner's hand). A second copy of a Unique card may be played once the first one leaves play. Cards in Victory Piles do not count when testing for Uniqueness, but cards temporarily removed from play do.

Constrained

Unique, Restricted, Combat Restricted or with any other limitation on how many times the card can be played (or how many can be in play at once).

Resources

Resources are a class of sept cards that represent permanent fixtures that benefit a pack. They last until they are destroyed or you no longer want them. There are various types of resource but they share common rules.

• All resources can only be played during the Resource Phase. This takes an action by one of your Characters (or Allies for equipment). All resources have one or more requirements (keywords) listed, and the Character playing the resource must meet one of those requirements. Note that cards can also contain additional conditions in the text box which must be met (e.g. the user must be a Character or be in Homid form), meeting or ignoring the keyword requirement is not enough. These additional conditions are not considered keyword requirements.
• All resources can be voluntarily discarded from play during the Resource Phase. This does not require an action.
• All resources other than Equipment are considered pack resources: they are played to your Pack Home Ground and their use is not restricted to the creature that played them in any way.

Creatures

Characters are not the only creatures that appear in a game of Rage. Allies and Prey are all creatures too and have stats, keywords and special ability just like Characters. Allies and prey may not frenzy or step sideways. They regenerate or not depending on creature class.

The Rage FOO Rule: if it's a FOO, it can use FOO cards. Prey and Allies with keywords can use Gifts and Equipment which require those keywords. Remember that all Wyrm spirits are Banes. Prey and Allies may not play Actions, Past Lives, Rites, Totems or pack resources. Equipment cannot be played on or traded to Prey.

Open Play cards

The following types of sept card can be played at "any time", or rather during any period of Open Play. Most also have keyword requirements which must be met by the creature using them. The effects of these cards cannot cross the gauntlet (except for Events), nor can they be discarded voluntarily by their player (apart from Quests and Totems).

Some of these cards have instant effects, some stay around a lot longer. All Action cards take place immediately and are then discarded (any ongoing effects continue to take place but cannot be cancelled). Totems on the other hand always stay until destroyed or the player discards them (this can be done at any time). Past Lives stay until the end of turn and are then returned to your hand. For other Events, Gifts and Rites you have to read the card to find out whether the card has an instant effect (discarded immediately that it is played), an ongoing effect with a fixed duration or a permanent effect that last until the card is cancelled or destroyed.

Any card with an ongoing or permanent effect remains in play until the effect ends or the card is cancelled. If the card is cancelled or discarded, all its effects end immediately. Cards with a permanent effect attach to either the creature that played it (e.g. Insightful Eyes) or the target (e.g. Whelp Body). Gifts and Rites attach under the left of their target so the picture is showing. Other cards attach above the creature so that the name is showing.

There are some common clues as to duration. "Discard after use" always indicates that the card has an instant effect, while "permanent until cancelled" means that it is permanent. There are also clues on when instant and ongoing effects can be played. If they refer to an "opponent", "combat" or "combat round" then they can normally only be played in combat. Such cards cannot be played ahead of time - their effects take place immediately they are played. Permanent effects normally do not have specific timing. These are, of course, generalisations.

Battlefields

Battlefields are sites where the garou wage epic battles.

The rules released for Battlefields in War of the Amazon are not balanced. The development team are looking at new rules for using Battlefields.

Juntas - Moots and Board Meetings

Moots are grave social gatherings of Garou and Fera where policies are decided. Board Meetings are the Wyrm's version of Moots, held in a mockery of human business. Moot and Board Meeting cards represent the issues called at these meetings. Collectively they are known as Juntas and largely follow the same rules. See Moot Phase for more on Juntas.

Calling Juntas: Each Junta has a minimum Renown level that must be met to call it. Only a Character with a Renown equal to or greater than that of the Junta may call it. Some Juntas have additional requirements as to who can call and/or vote in them. In addition, members of Wyrm packs cannot call or vote in a Moot; Wyrm packs and anything in their Pack Home Grounds cannot be targeted or affected by Moots. Likewise members of Gaia packs cannot call or vote in a Board Meeting; Gaia packs and anything in their Pack Home Grounds cannot be targeted or affected by Board Meetings.

Combat Cards

Combat cards are the blue-backed cards that represent the physical punishment that your pack can dole out and their tactics for doing so. If your combat deck runs out, reshuffle your combat discards which becomes your new combat deck - and then continue drawing. If there are no cards in either your combat deck or combat discard, then you must play with your current combat hand.

Combat Restricted

Each side of combat cannot play more than one of a Combat Restricted card per combat. If the card is cancelled it still counts as played.

Combat Events

Combat Events are special tactics that can be played in combat. Unlike sept Events, Combat Events are considered played by a creature and can only be used by members of your pack currently in combat. They can only be played before the first round of combat or in the Between Combat step unless the card specifies differently. Combat Events stay in play until their effects are over (e.g. Frenzy stays in play until the frenzy ends, while Taking the Death Blow is discarded immediately).

Combat Actions

Most combat cards in a combat deck will be Combat Actions. Combat Actions are the physical exchanges of combat and largely consist of ways to damage opponents or to avoid damage. Combat Actions can only be played in the combat sequence without a card ability. If a Combat Action is played and not dodged, blocked or otherwise prevented from doing damage, it becomes a damage card on its target (damage cards are placed under their target so the bottom of the damage card is showing). See combat for more details.

Alternate Combat Actions

Certain non-combat cards are played as combat actions, or played in place of combat actions. There is a subtle difference.

A card or ability that is played as a Combat Action (e.g. Wasp Talons, Wanchese's Bow) is considered a legal Combat Action. It can be dodged, or Distracted, and bluffs will not work against the user. A card or ability that is played in place of a Combat Action (e.g. Moon Sign) is not considered a legal Combat Action, so it cannot be dodged or Distracted, but bluffs will work against the user.

Neither type of alternate combat action may be played when a creature is restricted to playing cards of a certain Rage, for instance when using Catfeet or fighting a Drattosi in the first round of combat. Similarly, they cannot be played by a creature who cannot play Combat Actions. In all cases, alternative Combat Actions are played as creatures declare targets.

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Interlude: Rules for the Umbra

The rules for interaction between creatures in the physical world, those in the Umbra and those in both is quite complex. However creatures in the Umbra can freely interact with each other as they would if they were all in the physical world.

• Creatures can only cross into or out of the Umbra using a card ability or, for Characters, a Caern.
• Actions, Gifts, Past Lives, Quests, Rites, Combat Actions and the special abilities on Equipment and Creatures may not target creatures on the other side of the Gauntlet, and have no effect on creatures the other side of the Gauntlet.
• Events, including totems, affect both sides of the Gauntlet. Caerns and Territories are considered to be on both sides of the Gauntlet.
• Creatures only in the Umbra may not be targeted by Juntas, nor call or vote in them. Creatures in both worlds can call, vote in and be targetted by Juntas as normal. Juntas which do not target a specific creature work across the Gauntlet.
• Alpha actions are determined across the Gauntlet, and abilities which interrupt the order of Alpha actions work across the Gauntlet.

Cards played by creatures are considered to be on the same side of the Gauntlet as their target, unless they have no target (or the target exists on both sides of the Gauntlet) in which case such cards exist on whichever side(s) of the Gauntlet the creature that played the card was.

Stepping Sideways

Many Characters can move into or out of the Umbra during the Umbra phase if their pack controls a Caern (see Umbra Phase). There are other means of entering or leaving the Umbra too. For instance, several Actions and Gifts allow creatures to enter or leave the Umbra. Creatures that cannot Step Sideways cannot use these abilities unless specifically allowed to by the card (Umbral Escape lets any creature that played it step sideways into the Umbra).

Spirits

Spirits are considered to be both in the physical world and the Umbra. If an ability makes a Spirit step sideways, typically because of Umbral Escape, or it is forced out of one world or other, it moves fully into the Umbra (or physical world if appropriate); at the beginning of the next turn it returns to both worlds.

Umbral Combat

Creatures can only declare attacks against creatures they can interact with. In most cases, this means that creatures in the Umbra can only targets things in the Umbra, and creatures in the physical world can only target things in the physical world. Creatures may not step in to replace another creature in combat if the creature stepping in cannot interact with both the replaced creature and the attacker.

Pack Actions, however, can cross the Gauntlet although this has its limitations (see below). Only the attacking creature and the target of the attack must be valid targets

At times, creatures involved in a combat will end up on different sides of the gauntlet, for instance from the use of pack actions or because a creature played an Umbral Escape. In these cases, several rules apply:

• A creature may only play a Combat Action during a round of combat if it has a valid target, or it plays a non-damaging combat action. The target of a Combat Action must be valid both when targets are declared and when the Combat Action is due to land, otherwise it is discarded for no effect. A valid target is one in the same world or one that the creature is able to attack across the Gauntlet.
• If one full round of combat passes where a creature has no valid targets, it is removed from the combat.

Interaction across the Gauntlet

Some cards will allow creatures to interact with things across the Gauntlet. For instance, if a creature equipped with an Incarna Sigil (and in the physical world) played Strange Rain, it would affect all creatures, not just those in the physical world. Cards played across the Gauntlet can be cancelled from either world.

Targets attacked in the Umbra from the physical world (for instance, by someone using an Incarna Sigil) may fight back as normal: their Combat Actions can target the attacking creature, and Gifts played by the targeted creature affect and can target the attacking creature. Note that both sides can use pack actions normally, although this does not grant any ability to play cards across the Gauntlet to creatures joining the pack combat.

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Chapter 5: Combat

Opponent

A creature one (or more) of your pack are in combat against. An ability which only targets or affects "opponents" can normally only be used in combat.

Attack

1. The instigation of combat between the attacking creature and its target (e.g. King Albrecht attacks Zhyzack).

2. A Combat Action which has a damage value (e.g. Dis-Arm, Dry Gulch).

Challenge

A request to attack a member of another pack not eligible to be attacked (i.e. not an Alpha). May be refused. If accepted, it becomes an attack.

Attacker

In a combat, the creature who made the attack, a packmate or a creature in pack combat with another attacker.

Defender

In a combat, a creature fighting the attacker(s).

Escape

Leave combat. If a creature escapes, only that creature leaves combat - it has no effect on other participants. If a creature leaves combat (e.g. Nerve Gas), it does not imply that it escaped.

Combat Declaration

Combat begins when an alpha declares an attack against another alpha, an Enemy or a Victim. It can also begin after an alpha attacks a Territory or challenges a non-alpha pack member. Certain sept cards can also initiate combat (e.g. Sneak Attack). In no circumstances can a packmember attack a member of its own pack nor a creature in the Hunting Grounds attack another creature in the hunting grounds. The rigorous timing for combat declaration is as follows:

1. Declaration step: Closed Play. Declare attacker and (intended) target.
   - Include any abilities/cards which are played during the attack declaration (including certain Combat Events such as Hunting Party).
2. Pre-combat step: Closed Play. Each player, starting with the attacker, then the defending player (if her pack is attacked) and finally other players, may play cards which change the participants in the combat.
   - This includes announcing Pack actions, defense of Territories, redirecting the attack, stepping in for Prey, combat cancelling, etc. This step continues until no players wish to use any more cards at this step.
   - Changing the target of the attack has no affect on pack attacks already in effect.
   - Changing the target of the attack does not cancel pack defences already played. If the target is changed to a creature not participating in the pack defence, all members of the pack defence are removed from combat; however cards drawn for the pack defence remain in the player's combat hand until played or discarded normally (e.g. at the end of combat).
   - This step marks the beginning of combat.
3. Beginning-of-Combat step: Open Play. Players may play relevant Open Play cards.
   - This includes other before-combat events (such as a beginning-of-combat Frenzy), Gifts to heighten the combat (Spirit of the Fray, for instance), and so forth.
   - When this step is complete, combat moves into combat rounds.

Combat Rounds

Combat is divided into combat rounds, during which each player involved in the combat plays a Combat Action for their creature(s). The cards are simultaneously revealed, and most will do a certain amount of damage to the opponent. If a Combat Action causes damage to an opponent, place that Combat Action under the affected creature as a damage card. If a creature has damage greater than or equal to its health, it dies (see Damage and Death). Steps 1-6 of the combat round are Closed Play.

Ending Combat

Combat ends when:

• there are no attackers or no defenders in the combat;
• the attacker withdraws from combat;
• no creature played a Combat Action during the current combat round;
• or a card that forces combat to end is played.
   
• If one full round of combat passes where a creature has no valid targets, it is removed from the combat. See Umbral Combat.

After every combat, all players refill their combat hand back up to their combat hand size. Players cannot voluntarily discard cards to refill their combat hands between combats at this point. If a player runs out of combat cards in his combat deck, he immediately reshuffles his discarded combat cards and may continue drawing from the deck.

Withdrawing. An attacker in combat may break off the attack (end combat) during the Withdrawal step of any combat round (including during the first round of combat, but not before then). Withdrawing is not an action. Withdrawing ends the whole combat, and abilities which force or prevent withdrawal affect all attackers (e.g. Maim will prevent any attacker withdrawing, no matter how many attackers there are). It is not possible to withdraw in this fashion while any creature is in full frenzy. A defender cannot withdraw.

Damage and Death

Whenever a card - Combat Action or otherwise - damages a creature, it becomes a damage card on that creature. Damage cards are placed under the creature so that the bottom of the card is showing. If the damage value of a damage card is increased or decreased from its printed value, it should be marked in some way. Each damage card on a creature takes it closer to death. When the damage on a creature equals or exceeds its health *, it dies. No amount of healing will bring the creature back at that point.

* Characters in breed form do not die at this point if they have a Crinos form they can flip to. If a Character in Breed form takes damage and its total damage is equal to or greater than its printed Rage or its printed Health, it flips to its Crinos/Battle form (unless prevented from doing so). It only dies if its damage equal or exceeds its Crinos-form Health.

If a Character is forced into breed form, and has suffered more damage than his breed form health, he is dead. If a Character is forced to change forms, he can use a card that allows him to change back in order to cancel the change (e.g. Shapeshift, Fang Necklace of Fenris): this acts as a cancellation of the effect. This does not include abilities which do not explicitly state on the card that you may change forms.

Healing Damage

Aggravated Damage

Aggravated damage is damage that cannot be regenerated, although it can be removed and healed. Aggravated damage cards should be marked in some way.

Most Characters regenerate their damage card with the lowest damage during the Regeneration Phase, but other cards can heal or remove damage. When a damage card is healed, all ongoing effects caused by the damage end (e.g. Head Wound, Maim). However, effects which have already taken place are not reversed (e.g. destroyed equipment), nor are effects cancelled if they are not caused by the damage (e.g. Hamstringed, Body Wrack). Once a card resolves and becomes a damage card, it no longer counts as its original card type and cannot be cancelled.

Combat Declaration Options

A member of a pack may NEVER declare an attack or challenge against another member of his own pack, regardless of any card text. Nor may prey attack another prey. Similarly, a player may NEVER play combat cards for creatures on both sides of a combat.

Attacking a creature - Combat will begin between the attacker and defender. Use the combat declaration sequence. An attack cannot be declared except as an Alpha action or with a card ability. An attack can only be declared against valid targets: for alpha actions, that is (normally) another alpha or prey; valid targets for other attacks are determined by the card ability; a target becomes invalid if it cannot be attacked across the Gauntlet or if the attacker is prevented from attacking it by some other effect (e.g it is forced to attack something else).

Challenging - An alpha may challenge a member of another pack who is not their alpha. That creature can normally decline the challenge, in which case there is no combat and the challenger's alpha action is over. If they accept the challenge, the combat declaration sequence begins at step 2 - the target is considered the defender but is not considered to have been attacked.

Attacking a Territory - Use the combat declaration sequence normally: combat will result if a packmember defends their territory.

If an alpha chooses to attack another pack's Territory, that pack's alpha may choose to defend the Territory. Defending a Territory does not count as an action. The defending creature is considered the defender but is not considered to have been attacked. Either side may use pack tactics. If the attacker kills the defender, or all defenders leave combat before the attackers, the Territory is destroyed and discarded. A Territory is likewise destroyed if the pack controlling it does not choose to defend it or cannot do so (e.g. they have no alpha). If the combat is ended prematurely, or the attacker withdraws, the territory is not destroyed.

Territories exist in both worlds. If your alpha is in the Umbra and attacks a territory whose alpha is in the physical world, the opposing alpha cannot defend the territory, and the territory is destroyed.

Attacking to bind

When you attack a Spirit in the Hunting Grounds (whatever its status), if the attacker is in the Umbra, you may announce that you are attempting to bind it. If you kill the Spirit while it is in this combat, instead remove all damage from it and it becomes an Ally of your pack. While it remains an Ally of your pack, the bound Spirit is worth half its Renown (round up) in VP. The bound Spirit is worth VP as normal if it is killed by an opponent. Players only get victory points for binding Spirits if they bind them as a result of attacking them to bind.

Battlefield Combat - New rules for Battlefields are currently in playtesting.

Rivalry and Loyalty - See Keywords.

Forced Attacks

In some cases, an effect will force an attacker to declare an attack against (or challenge) a particular target. The attacker may not be forced to attack a non-valid target (see Attacking a creature). If the attacker is forced to attack multiple targets, he may select which of the targets to attack (alphas do not get multiple alpha actions to attack each one). In most cases, alphas can choose to pass rather than make a forced attack.

If an ability prevents an otherwise forced attack (e.g. that alpha you have a rivalry with has a Flower of Aphrodite on - the wimp!), the creature is no longer forced to attack that target.

Pack Combat - Some creatures can automatically join pack combat or draw others into combat. They can draw other into combat, even if they themselves were brought into pack combat by some other means. E.g. if Blood-on-the-Wind pack attacks with Allison Kachina and Dreams-of-Wonder, Allison can bring her brother, and Dreams can bring in her Spirit buddies. This does not apply to Battlefield combat. You cannot bring creatures from outside your pack into pack combat unless specifically stated on a card. Similarly, if a card does let you bring in creatures from outside your pack, you cannot bring in creatures such that a creature is in a pack with the target of its Rivalry. See also Play-card step options.

Stepping in

A Gaia Alpha may, at his option, step in place of a Victim when an attack has been declared against that Victim. Likewise, a Wyrm Alpha may step in and defend for an Enemy when an attack is declared against that Enemy. It is not considered the creature's alpha action to "step in" in this manner, nor is the attacking alpha considered to be attacking the defending alpha (although it is still the attacker). If two alphas want to step in and defend, the creature with the highest Renown gets to do so.

Any creature who steps in for prey is considered away from his Pack Home Grounds and cannot gain the benefit of Pack Resources or Pack Totems, nor may they use pack actions to draw in additional pack members. A creature may only step in if it can interact with the attackers.

Play-card Step Options

Multiple Cards

Sometimes a creature will be able to play multiple Combat Actions during a round. These are considered separate Combat Actions, and may be targeted at different opponents. When an Enemy or Victim can play multiple Combat Actions (e.g, Pentex Forestry Team, Zmei), all combat actions it plays during a single combat round must come from the same player's hand (only one player may play Combat Actions for prey in a single round of Combat).

When one side has multiple combat cards played at the same time, the controlling player may determine the order that the blows land when they damage their targets. This is particularly important when the damage would kill a creature (due to death blow abilitiessuch as Taking the Death Blow or the VP bonus of Scar Throat Leech-Killer). A creature is considered killed by the creature who played the fatal damage card.

Pack Actions

Certain cards allow groups of creatures to enter combat as packs, much like normal wolves do. A pack action is any combat in which you have more than one member of your pack in combat at the same time (or, if playing for prey, when prey pack defend): in a pack action, you have multiple creatures on your side of combat, and each is able to play Combat Actions. A pack defence is a pack combat for the defending side (creatures which automatically pack defend join the defender in a pack defence). A pack attack is a pack action where some of the attacker's packmates join her in combat (creatures which automatically pack attack join the attacker in a pack attack).

You may not bring in members of your pack using two of the same card twice. For example, you could not play Surprise Ally, draw in a Flame Spirit, and then play another Surprise Ally to draw in Golgol. If the attacking or attacked creature is killed in a pack action, combat continues with the remaining participants. You may not use pack actions when stepping in (see above).

In pack combat, each creature in combat may play a combat action, although they do not need to do so (unless compelled to do so, e.g. because of frenzy). The player must select which card is being played by whom (while they are face down).

Some prey can pack defend (they automatically form a pack action with each other if one of them is attacked). Only one player may play Combat Actions for prey in a single round of Combat, even when more than one is in combat.

Restricted Play

If a card restricts a creature to playing Combat Actions which meet certain Rage restrictions (e.g Catfeet, Drattosi), any other Combat Action played by the creature is illegal. The restrictions are absolute: a creature that is restricted to Rage 1 Combat Actions cannot play Combat Actions without a Rage requirement (or rather, such cards are illegal).

Random Play:

A creature that is forced to play Combat Actions randomly in a given round of combat must play a Combat Action if possible. The card is picked at random from the player's combat hand after combat cards have been assigned to all the creature's packmates (but before the end of the Play-Card step), even if the random card is illegal. A creature playing randomly cannot use alternative combat actions. If a prey creature is made to play randomly, also decide randomly which player (excluding the opposing player) will play for all prey this round, even if that player has nothing the prey can play.

Bluff Step Options

All Combat Actions have requirements. Normally this is a Rage requirement, although some cards have instead a Gnosis requirement and there may also be additional conditions (e.g. "Crinos form only", the side effect of Catfeet). Creatures can try to perform mighty feats in combat beyond their normal abilities - specifically it is possible to play Combat Actions which require more Rage than a creature has. This is known as bluffing. A creature is bluffing if:

• it plays a legal Combat Action whose Rage requirement is higher than the user's Rage;
• an illegal combat card;
• no combat card.

Illegal cards are determined in the Establish-Bluff step: nothing after this point can change whether a card is legal or not. Any Combat Actions which the user does not meet the non-Rage requirements and conditions for are considered illegal Combat Actions. It is also possible to play Combat Events face down, and these are considered illegal cards too. Illegal cards are immediately discarded. Illegal cards are NOT considered "cards played" for purposes of Frenzy, ending combat etc.

Bluffs are compared in Establish-bluff step: nothing after this point can change whether a creature bluffed or not. For each creature which played a bluffed Combat Action, that bluff succeeds if its target also bluffed (for these purposes, Combat Actions which have no (creature) target (e.g. Fetal Position) are considered to target all opponents). Similarly, Combat Actions which can dodge or block (e.g. Flicker), even if they have a targeted effect as well, are also considered to target all opponents.

Bluffs targetting a creature who did not bluff are discarded.

Special Abilities of Combat Actions do not resolve if they were discarded in this step (note especially that Beat Unmerciful does not resolve until after this step).

Resolution Step Options

Fast and Slow Striking - See Keywords.

Frenzy

Frenzy is when a character loses rational control of his combat instinct. There are several types of Frenzy in Rage:

• Frenzy (aka, a Full Frenzy): a creature is totally consumed by bloodlust and the desire to kill.
• Limited Frenzy (e.g., a Battle Fervor): the creature has at least a little control over his actions.
• Fox Frenzy: the creature instinctively flees the combat.

Limited Frenzies and Fox Frenzies are limited to the abilities listed on the card and the effects common to all Frenzies. Those effects are:

• Unless a card specifically states otherwise, Allies, Enemies and Victims may not Frenzy. Card abilities which incite Frenzies will not work on them, unless the card specifically says it will work on Allies, Enemies or Victims.
• A creature may not "double-Frenzy" and draw multiple Frenzy cards; a creature may only be affected by one Frenzy at a time.
• When a creature Frenzies, any cards drawn for the Frenzy are placed in your combat hand. They may be used both by the Frenzied creature and any packmates in a pack action with him.
• A Frenzied creature may not play Gifts. Gifts played before the creature frenzied are not affected.
• If a Frenzied character is forced back into Breed Form, Frenzy continues in that form.
• Frenzy ends either when the Frenzy is cancelled, combat ends, the frenzied creature is removed from combat (by death or otherwise) or it is out of playable combat cards (see below for longer explanation).
• When a Frenzy ends, the player must immediately discard a number of combat cards equal to the number of cards drawn for the Frenzy. The cards discarded are randomly selected from the player's combat hand.

For purposes of ending a Frenzy, one of your pack is deemed out of playable combat cards if:

1. the creature did not play a combat action this round AND
2. you do not have a Combat Action in your combat hand that the creature can play next round.

This is checked at the end of each round, just before the attacker decides if they will withdraw or not; if this effect will end a frenzy, reveal your hand to all opponents for confirmation. Sept cards that can be used as Combat Actions (such as wasp Talons) may satisfy (1) but not (2), while sept cards played in place of Combat Actions (such as Moon Sign) will satisfy neither condition.

In the rare case that a prey creature frenzies, all players available to play for the creature must have no Combat Actions in their combat hand that the creature could play, and must all reveal their combat hands to prove it. (If a prey creature frenzies, only one player draws the frenzy card, and only that player discards combat cards due to the ending of the frenzy.)

The following effects apply to Full Frenzy only. Sept cards which incite Frenzies will incite a Full Frenzy when used on creatures. The Frenzy Combat Event sends a creature into Full Frenzy.

• The creature immediately changes to Crinos or Battle Form (if possible).
• At the start of the Frenzy, the creature draws a number of additional combat cards equal to her current Rage score in Crinos or Battle Form.
• Attackers may not withdraw from a combat when any creature is fully Frenzied, although all combatants may use abilities which let them escape from combat.
• A Fully Frenzied creature must play every Combat Action that it can, including bluffs.
• A Fully Frenzied creature who takes enough damage to kill it is dead, but it is just too angry to realize it. Cards which trigger on a creature's death must be played at the moment it dies, even though it may keep fighting. Healing the damage after a creature is dead will not stop the creature dying (although it may prevent combat effects). Once the Combat or Frenzy ends, the creature will fight no more (and will go into the Victory Pile of the pack that killed it, if any). The creature also stops fighting if it has total damage equal to its Health plus Rage, taken from when the creature frenzied (after flipping to Crinos): this is referred to as the Hacked Apart level (i.e. when the creature is in too many pieces to fight on).
• Abilities which directly increase Rage will increase the number of cards drawn in frenzy and how much damage it takes to hack apart a creature. (e.g. Might of Thor, Beast-of-War) Abilities which state the creature plays "cards at +X Rage" (e.g. Battle Song, Gibbous Moon) do not increase the number of cards drawn for frenzy or raise the hacked apart level. Similarly, items which allow a creature to "play combat actions of X Rage or less" (e.g. most Firearms), do not affect how many cards the creature draws for frenzy nor increase its hacked apart level.

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Appendices

Rules Changes

Most of the rules additions have been clarifications, but there have been a few significant additions and changes. Changes are now marked for clarity using color coding.
NOTE: also removed tournament rules

Differences Between Rage: Apocalypse and Rage: Tribal War

This section is for players who are more familiar with Rage Across Las Vegas (Rage: Tribal War). There are two different games with the name Rage, based on the Werewolf: the Apocalypse setting from White Wolf. Rage: Apocalypse is derived from the original Rage game published by White Wolf, while Rage: Tribal War is derived from Rage Across Las Vegas, published by FRPG (later WotC). They have substantially different mechanics, as summarized in the table below.

	Apocalypse	Tribal War
Main/Resource Phase	Simultaneous Play	Sequential Play
Gifts	Some are instantaneous, others are permanent	Attached and used later, no instantaneous effects
Moots	Characters can vote on every moot, Moots are called during moot phase	Garou can only vote on one moot; only garou can vote, Moots are called during main phase
Rites	Generally instantaneous	Take several turns to complete, during which the garou cannot do anything else
Regeneration	Remove lowest damage card	Spend two turns to regenerate
Combat Cards	No restrictions on combat deck (aside from max of two identical cards)	Must have equal numbers of Full-Moon and New-Moon combat cards
Rage	Is not expended - you always have a set Rage (subject to modifiers)	Rage is expended as you play combat cards.
Gnosis	Is not expended - you always have a set Gnosis (subject to modifiers)	Expended by learning (attaching) gifts and acquiring fetish equipment
Sept Draw	Can discard any cards, and draw back up to hand size. Hand size is 5 cards	Cannot discard freely, hand size determined by Pack card
Combat Draw	Like sept hand - may discard and draw back up to hand size. combat hand retained during turn	New combat hand drawn at the beginning of each combat; remainder of cards discarded at end of combat
Frenzy	Frenzy is nasty	Frenzy is of very limited effect
Playing for Enemies	Any opposing player may select a card from their hand	Only one player plays on behalf of enemies
Umbra	Characters move into the Umbra through Caerns. Gauntlet dependent on Caern	Characters move into the Umbra when declaring alpha. Gauntlet dependent on Umbral Level
Packs	Characters from different tribes may be freely mixed, as long as Wyrm and Gaia are not mixed	Characters from different packs are only mixable if they are Cohort tribes, as defined on Pack cards
Pack Cards	None	Players must declare and use a Pack card, which indicates the primary tribe (or auspice) of their pack.
Battlefields	Designed for group combat, banned from Standard Tournament play.	Designed to be claimable regions

There are other minor differences. Cards from the two games should not be mixed.