Citadel Combat Cards: CHARGE!
In June 1989 Jervis Johnson published rules for CHARGE! in White Dwarf 115, a "game for Citadel Combat Cards". This simple board game for 2-4 players required, apart from one or two sets of Citadel Combat Cards, a chessboard, plastic bases as used in the Talisman boardgame and dice. It was only with this game that the "feature symbols" mentioned above came into play (see below).
In the classic 2 player-variant 16 cards are dealt out to each player, the players then proceed to pick one of their cards as the "general", the other 15 are "troopers". All cards are stuck into the bases and set up - 1 card per square - by each player in their respective halves of the chess board with the backs of the cards facing towards the opponent.
Each turn consists of a "move" and an "attack". For the "move" the player can move one of their cards (not the "general" who may not be moved) up to two squares in any direction or combination of directions. An "attack" can only be directed at a card in an adjacent square. Only once the attack is declared are the two involved cards turned around so that both players can see them. Now both cards have to fight a "Duel to the Death" by comparing their "statistics" and rolling the dice, the losing card is "killed" and removed, the winning card remains and once again "hides" its identity. Then it's the turn of the other player. The player who manages to kill the opposing "general" wins the game. The game can also be played with three or four players, albeit with a more complicated setup procedure and more cards and material needed.
Optional rules include the use of "special abilities" (indicated by the aforementioned "feature symbols") that affect the "move" or "attack" phases (these are called Area Effect Weapon (explosion symbol), Berserker (screaming head symbol), Fearsome Monster (gaping maw symbol), Leader (crown symbol), Wizard or Psyker (eye symbol), Magic Armour (helmet symbol), Magic Weapon (sword symbol), Musician/ Standard Bearer (flag symbol), Medic (cross symbol) and Ranged Weapon (bow and arrow symbol)). The optional rules also allow for a "Two Pack Game" and the use of terrain.
