WORK IN PROGRESS | RULEBOOK - CODECS

THE BOARD GAME

©Konami Digital Entertainment

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 1 ▶ Focus Tokens...................................................................................................................1
▶ The Codec.........................................................................................................................1 ▶ Starting Equipment.......................................................................................................1
GAME OVERVIEW............................................................................................ 1 ▶ Character Specific Items and Abilities...................................................................1
▶ Modes.................................................................................................................................1 Snake..........................................................................................................................................................1
▶ Stage Types......................................................................................................................1 Meryl...........................................................................................................................................................1
COMPONENTS................................................................................................. 1 Otacon.......................................................................................................................................................1
STAGE SETUP.................................................................................................. 1 Gray Fox....................................................................................................................................................1
▶ Stage Details....................................................................................................................1 ▶ Player Turn Example......................................................................................................1
Player Count / Character Selection...........................................................................................1 ROUND STRUCTURE........................................................................................ 1
Objective..................................................................................................................................................1 Player Phase...........................................................................................................................................1
Failure Conditions...............................................................................................................................1 Enemy Phase..........................................................................................................................................1
Special Rules..........................................................................................................................................1 ▶ Enemy Phase: Sneaking Stage..................................................................................1
Event tokens...........................................................................................................................................1 Resolve each section in active Zones......................................................................................1
Stage Clear..............................................................................................................................................1 Section 1: Patrol Actions..................................................................................................................1
▶ Memory Box.....................................................................................................................1 Section 2: Cameras............................................................................................................................1
▶ Stage Map.........................................................................................................................1 Section 3 Effects: Activate Patrols.............................................................................................1
▶ Player Area Setup...........................................................................................................1 Alert Mode Protocol.....................................................................................................................1
Starting Equipment............................................................................................................................1 Investigation Protocol.................................................................................................................1
Equipment Card....................................................................................................................................1 Patrol Protocol................................................................................................................................1
▶ Sneak Stage: Patrol Board Setup..............................................................................1 Patrol Reaction...............................................................................................................................1
▶ Boss Stage: Boss Setup...............................................................................................1 Attacking Players...........................................................................................................................1
BASIC CONCEPTS........................................................................................... 1 ▶ Enemy Phase Example.................................................................................................1
▶ Performing Actions........................................................................................................1 ▶ End of the Enemy Phase...............................................................................................1
Standard Player Actions..................................................................................................................1 ▶ Running Out of Time......................................................................................................1
▶ Movement.........................................................................................................................1 CREDITS.......................................................................................................... 1
▶ Player Line of Sight (LOS)............................................................................................1

FREE
▶ Enemy Line of Sight (LOS)...........................................................................................1 GET IT HERE!
▶ Attacking...........................................................................................................................1
Damage Types.......................................................................................................................................1
▶ Noise Check and Drawing Attention........................................................................1

DIGITAL
Alert Tokens............................................................................................................................................1
Attacking Patrols..................................................................................................................................1

CONTENT
Noise Check............................................................................................................................................1
Drawing Attention...............................................................................................................................1
▶ Passive Abilities..............................................................................................................1 CMON.COM/Q/MUN015/R

INTRODUCTION GAME OVERVIEW

Welcome to METAL GEAR SOLID: The Board Game. We recommended starting ▶ MODES
with the first 2 Stages of the Story Mode to learn the basics of the game without
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

reading this rulebook! While only Snake can be chosen for those Stages, multiple Campaign: Experience the classic Metal Gear Solid story.
players may control him together to learn the basics before playing more complex
missions with multiple characters. Return here after the first 2 Stages for more VR Missions: These missions can be done anytime during an adventure
in-depth rule explanations and game examples. to unlock Equipment cards to help players through Story Mode. These are
great for playgroups looking for stand-alone gameplay sessions instead of a
▶ THE CODEC campaign experience.

Players may use their Codec to learn information during a ▶ STAGE TYPES
mission. When a player figure moves over a codec number or
a player finds a codec number on a game component, use that number to look Sneaking Stage: Players avoid Patrols while attempting to complete
up its codec entry to learn more about it. Keep an eye out for codec numbers objectives. These Stages are about stealth. Players should engage in combat
throughout Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game to discover a secret or two! only when absolutely necessary.

Game Board Codec Numbers: Some codec numbers are found on the game Boss Stage: Players battle against a unique Boss. Bosses have special setup
board. These codec entries can only be called once per Stage by the player instructions. Stealth is not an option. Fight!
whose figure is on the space containing the number. These codec numbers
can never be called during VR Missions.

Component Codec Numbers: Can be called any time, multiple times.

2 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • SETUP

COMPONENTS

4 Player Dashboards

14 Tiles

8 Boss Dashboards

1 Patrol Board Memory Box

1 Shadow Moses
Campaign Book 1 Rulebook /
Codec Book

1 VR Missions Book

Snake Meryl Meryl In Disguise Otacon

Gray Fox Ocelot Wolf Mantis Liquid

x6 x6

Raven 12 Patrol Figures 2 Cardboard Boxes Metal Gear Rex

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • RULES 3

 33 Unlockable 8 Otacon Hack
8 Starting Equipment Cards Cards 21 Otacon Boss
Equipment Cards Hack Cards

20 Blue Patrol Cards

6 Patrol Reaction
(20 Blue Patrol Cards,
Cards 18 Boss Reference
7 Red Patrol Cards) 55 Boss Cards
Cards

1 Camera Direction
Token 3 Camera Tokens 4 Alert Tokens
X Elevator Tokens 1 Patrol Room Token (1 Per Character)

1 Patrol Compass
9 Door Tokens 4 Terminal Tokens 4 Event Tokens (A-D) 5 Trap Tokens Token
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

16 Action Tokens 9 Sniper Wolf

(4 Per Character) 16 Focus Tokens 4 Reticle Tokens 12 Hidden Event
Tokens Tokens
(4 Per Character) (1 Per Character + 1 Boss)

28 Damage Tokens 8 Dead Patrol 8 KO Patrol

(6 KO Damage, 12 1 Hit-Damage, Tokens 3 Missile Tokens
Tokens 9 Equipment Tokens
10 5-Hit-Damage Tokens)

15 Charge 20 Ammo
2 Turret Tokens 2 Wall/Exit Tokens Tokens Tokens 14 Dice (6 White, 8 Black)

4 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS

STAGE SETUP Special Rules
Some Stages list special rules that apply specifically to that Stage. Be sure to
refer to these special rules before starting the Stage. Special rules always take
▶ STAGE DETAILS precedence when they contradict basic rules.

A Stage is meant to be played during a single game session. Each Stage Event tokens
indicates how many players it supports and its estimated completion time. Some Stages have lettered Event tokens on the board. When
Each Stage has specific setup instructions as well as any additional rules that a player figure moves onto an Event token, immediately
are used for that Stage. resolve the labeled section matching the letter on the token.
If this occurs in the middle of a player action (such as Dash),
Player Count / Character Selection they may continue their action after resolving the event.
Each Stage roster shows the player count and which characters are allowed
at each count. If there is no roster, players are free to choose any combination Stage Clear
of characters. When a Stage has been completed successfully, follow the instructions in the
Stage Clear section. Usually, players are rewarded with additional Equipment
cards to add to their Memory Box.

▶ MEMORY BOX WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

1 2 3 4 The Memory Box is used to store any Equipment cards unlocked during game
sessions. At the end of each game session, place all unlocked Equipment
In this example, a 1-player game must be played with Snake. In a 2-player cards into the Memory Box. These may be used in any mission played next.
game, both Snake and Meryl must be used. In a 3-player game, all but Otacon
must be used. In a 4-player game, all characters are used. TIP: Stuck in a Story Mission? Play VR missions to unlock new equipment to
help out!
Objective
The players’ goal is to complete the main objective(s) for the Stage. Some
missions may have optional objectives which give players additional rewards
for completing them.

Failure Conditions
Players fail a Stage when:
▶ Any player is Killed in Action (KIA),
▶ Players run out of time (see Patrol Reaction pg. xx)
▶ A Stage’s failure condition occurs

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS 5

 ▶ STAGE MAP *MEMORY BOX EQUIPMENT
Earned Equipment cards may be taken out of the Memory Box and
equipped during setup. Players decide collectively as a group how to divvy
up the Equipment. Starting Equipment cards may be swapped with any
number of Memory Box Equipment cards as long as they adhere to the 3
Equipment limit.

Starting Equipment
Players have character-specific Starting Equipment that is always used when
playing as that character. When choosing other Equipment cards from the
Memory Box, starting Equipment cards can be replaced. The Equipment limit is 3.
NOTE: Meryl’s Disguise does not count towards her Equipment limit.
▶ Snake: None
▶ Meryl: Hand Cannon, Assault Rifle, Disguise
(does not count towards equipment limit)
▶ Otacon: Stealth Camouflage, Rations, Hack Deck
(varies depending on mission)
▶ Gray Fox: Stealth Camouflage, High-Frequency Blade, Arm Cannon

Equipment Card

NAME
ILLUSTRATION
EQUIPMENT TYPE
1. Map: The entire play area of the Stage. AND SUB-TYPE
2. Boards: Sections of the map used to set up the Stage.
EQUIPMENT
3. Zones: Demarcated areas of play. Several game mechanics will reference NUMBER
Zones. Each Zone is highlighted in the Stage Setup.
ACTION EFFECT
4. Elevator Shafts: An elevator system that allows players to travel between ACTION COST
Zones. An Elevator Shaft is considered part of the Zone it is adjacent to.
5. Patrol Rooms: Patrols spawn from these rooms. Players can NEVER enter this
part of the Board. A Patrol Room is considered part of the Zone it is adjacent to.
6. Cameras: Security Cameras with a fixed Line of Sight (LOS). Avoid their CODEC NUMBER
gaze or the enemy will be alerted to your presence!

▶ PLAYER AREA SETUP Some Equipment use or . If you see those symbols in the top right
corner of an Equipment card, place that many tokens on it during setup.
Sometimes you’ll be able to get more ammo or charges, but you can never
4 gain over the printed value.

▶ SNEAK STAGE: PATROL BOARD SETUP

1
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

3
2 3
1
2
Every Stage requires players to set up their play area as follows:
1. Character Select: Players select an available character and place their
respective dashboard in front of them.
2. Gather Tokens: Take the 4 matching Action tokens, 4 Focus tokens, and
the double-sided Alert  /  token, placing them next to the player
dashboard. All Sneaking Stages require the Patrol board to be set up as follows:
3. Equipment: Take any matching Starting Equipment and *Memory 1. Place the Patrol board near the map.
Equipment cards for the character. 2. Separately shuffle a number of blue and red Patrol cards, defined in the
4. Dice and Tokens: Place all dice and , KO and Damage tokens Stage Setup of every mission. Stack the blue cards above the red cards to
KO Patrol tokens and Killed Patrol tokens in a form the Patrol deck, placing it on the Patrol board.
pool within reach of all players. 3. Shuffle the Patrol Reaction deck and place it next to the Patrol board.

6 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS

▶ BOSS STAGE: BOSS SETUP
Boss Stages do not use Patrols, the Patrol board, or the Patrol deck. Instead,
BASIC CONCEPTS
they use specific Boss figures and dashboards, which are placed next to the ▶ PERFORMING ACTIONS
map. Read the Stage setup instructions and each Boss card in detail to set up
a Boss. The main way a player interacts with the game is by performing actions. A
player has 4 actions every turn and performs an action by placing an Action
BOSS NAME SPECIAL ABILITIES token in a slot. What actions are available to a player are shown on various
components like their player dashboard, Equipment cards, and sometimes
Boss Reference cards.

Actions may make noise as indicated by the noise icon (see pg xx).

NOTE: Some actions may cost more than 1 Action point to perform. Players
may take the same action multiple times.

Standard Player Actions

SNEAK
1 Action Point.
Move 1 space.

CODEC ATTACK DEFENSE HEALTH DASH

NUMBER (Dice rolled when (Determined 1 Action Point.
the Boss attacks) by player counts) Move 2 spaces.

Note: A Boss’ Attack Value may instead specify a number of dice. When this HAND-TO-HAND ATTACK
happens, always use the number of dice specified on the Boss card. When 1 Action Point.
playing a Boss Stage, remember the following: Attack an adjacent figure. Roll 1 white die. Deals KO Damage.

▶ Boss Reference Card: Place Boss reference cards over the highlighted COMBO ATTACK
portion on all player dashboards. Some Boss reference cards allow players 2 Action Points.
to perform special actions during the Stage. Attack an adjacent figure. Roll 2 and 1 .
Deals KO damage.

FOCUS (see pg. XX)

X Action Points.
Place X Action tokens to refresh a Focus token, where X equals to
its refocus cost.

DRAG BODY
1 Action Point.
Pick up an adjacent stack of KO’ed or Killed / Patrol
tokens. Then, move 1 space and place the tokens in an empty
adjacent space.

INTERACT (OTACON: )
1 Action Point.
Interact with an adjacent object, such as elevators or locked doors.
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES
Interacting with locked objects
▶ Boss Deck: Each Boss has its own Boss deck. Shuffle it and place it next Some objects have a dice combination on them. Players must match dice
to the map. When the Boss deck is empty, all discarded cards are flipped, results with the number combination to interact with the object. A player may
without shuffling, to make a new deck. perform another Interact to reroll any number of dice. Once all dice results
match, the object is successfully unlocked and is flipped to its unlocked side
(or discarded if instructed to).

NOTE: If a player moves away from the interactable object, or their turn ends,
all progress on unlocking that object is lost.

KNOCK (DRAW ATTENTION)

1 Action Point.
Place the player’s Alert token under their figure on its Investigate
side  . If their Alert token is already on the board, place it under
their figure on its Alerted side  instead.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS 7

 ▶ MOVEMENT
All movement is done orthogonally, never diagonally.
1

2 figures can never occupy the same space. When moving into a space with
another figure, it instead moves over (leapfrogs) that figure. Leapfrogging over
any number of figures is still considered 1 space of movement and a figure can
move over any number of adjacent figures to complete its movement.
2
NOTE: Moving over enemy figures will cause each enemy to face the player
and attack.

2
2. Draw an imaginary box on the outer edge of both figures. There should be
no impassable objects within the box.

1
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

▶ PLAYER LINE OF SIGHT (LOS) 1

Player figures are considered facing any direction when checking for a LOS.
Friendly figures do not block player LOS, but enemies do.

▶ ENEMY LINE OF SIGHT (LOS)

An enemy’s facing direction is indicated by the arrow edge on their figure
base. To check if an enemy (1) has LOS to a player (2), follow these steps.
2
1. The figure is facing towards the direction of the row or column figure (2) is in. If both conditions are met, Figure (1) has LOS to figure (2).

8 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS

▶ ATTACKING ▶ PASSIVE ABILITIES
Attacks are resolved with dice. The attacker must first ensure Passive Abilities grant special effects when their triggers or conditions are

3 that their target is within Line of Sight (LOS). They then roll the
indicated dice and compare the results against the target’s
Defense. For every result equal to or greater than their Defense, a
point of damage is dealt.
met during the game.

Enemy Patrols will attack players during the Enemy Phase (see Enemy Phase,
pg. xx).

Damage Types

▶ FOCUS TOKENS
▶ Hit damage: If a figure is dealt damage equal to or exceeding their Health,
they are killed. If a Patrol is killed, replace their figure on the board with a Each player character has a set of unique Focus tokens. At any time, players
Dead Patrol token . may spend any number of Focus tokens at no cost by flipping them to their
spent sides (grayed out). To refresh and flip a Focus token back to its active
side, a player must perform the Focus action and pay that token’s cost.

NOTE: Focus tokens that move player figures may only be used during a
player turn.
▶ KO damage: This type of damage knocks out enemy Patrols. If a Patrol
is knocked out, replace their figure on the board with a KO Patrol token
/ . If a Boss is dealt KO damage, it is treated as hit
damage instead.

NOTE: A KO’ed Patrol ignores damage from Equipment cards and cannot be
attacked by Players.

▶ NOISE CHECK AND DRAWING ATTENTION

Players will inadvertently make noise (intentionally or accidentally) during
missions. Enemies are drawn to and will investigate the source of noises.

Alert Tokens
Each player character has an Alert token with an Investigate side  and an ▶ STARTING EQUIPMENT
Alerted side  . When a player makes noise or is seen by the enemy, this
token is placed on the board. Depending on its side, the enemy’s behavior Certain equipment cards can only be used by specific characters. If an
will change. While making noise is dangerous, players can use it to their equipment card shows a character’s picture, only that character may equip it.
advantage from time to time.
▶ CHARACTER SPECIFIC ITEMS AND ABILITIES
Attacking Patrols
When a player deals damage but does not KO or kill a Patrol before the end of
their turn, the enemy is alerted and the Alert  token must be placed under
Snake
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES
their figure at the end of their turn. ACTIONS
SILENT TAKEDOWN
Noise Check 2 Action Points.
At the end of a player’s turn, they must roll equal to the number of If Snake is behind (not next to) an adjacent Patrol, replace it with
Noisy Actions !
they have taken this turn. If any dice roll a , the player a token.
Draws Attention.
FOCUS TOKENS
!
NOTE: is not a number and cannot be modified by effects that decrease or
increase numbers. Reroll any Add 2 to any
dice. dice result.
Drawing Attention
A noise check or other game effect may Draw Attention. When this happens,
place the Alert  token under the player figure that made the noise. If their
Alert token is already on the board, flip the token to its Alerted  side and Subtract 2 Roll 1 fewer
move the token under their figure. from any or Move 1
dice result. (only during
NOTE: Enemies can be alerted even if they have no LOS to players. a player turn).

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS 9

 Meryl ACCESS FILES
1 Action Point.
STARTING ITEMS Draw a Terminal card . If Otacon is adjacent to a hacked
Meryl starts each stage with a Assault Rifle, Semi Auto, and Disguise. Terminal, he can have up to 3 Terminal cards next to his player
dashboard. If a 4th card is drawn, replace an existing card.
ACTIONS
GAIN DISGUISE HACK FILES
2 Action Points. 1 Action Point.
If Meryl is adjacent to a or token, flip her Disguise card Choose a Terminal card and roll 4 , placing any
to its Disguised side, swapping her figure on the board with her matching die on the card. Otacon may perform this action again
disguised figure. This can only be done if Meryl’s Alert  token to reroll any number of / .
is not on the board.
When all numbers on a card are covered,
IN DISGUISE activate its effect based on the Terminal level
While Disguised, Meryl does not place her Alert! Otacon is currently at. Then, remove all dice
token when in Line of Sight (LOS) of Patrols or and return the Terminal card to the
Cameras. Patrols do not attack Meryl when she bottom of the deck.
moves over them.
But be careful, she could easily blow her cover. NOTE: Dice placed on a Hack card stay on that
When Meryl is in LOS of an adjacent Patrol, roll Hack card. This means Otacon can work on an
!
2 . On a , she loses her Disguise. effect over time. It also means he will have fewer
When Meryl loses her Disguise, place the black dice overall for his other abilities because
Alert  token under her figure. Then, flip her of his Hacker’s Insight effect.
Disguise card to its Not Disguised side and
swap her figure. DISCONNECTING FROM TERMINALS
If Otacon moves away from a Terminal, all dice are discarded from the Hack
Meryl also loses her disguise when: cards. Then, all Hack cards are returned to the Hack deck in any order, to the
▶ She performs any action other than Sneak while in LOS of a Patrol top or bottom of the deck.
▶ She is forced to place her Alert  token under her figure.
FOCUS TOKENS
FOCUS TOKENS
Add or Reroll any .
Add 2 to Add or subtract 1
any dice subtract 1 from any
result. from any dice dice result.
result.
Add or Roll an additional
Gain an Roll an additional subtract 2 . Can be used
additional . Can be used from any before or after
action this before or after dice result. a roll.
turn. a roll.
Gray Fox
Otacon
STARTING ITEMS
STARTING ITEMS Gray Fox starts each stage with Stealth Camo, High-Frequency Blade, and
Otacon starts each stage with Stealth Camo, Rations, and his Hack deck. Arm Cannon.
While Otacon lacks the combat skills that the other characters have, he’s a
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

whiz with computers and is the only character that can hack into terminals. FOCUS TOKENS
When a Terminal is hacked, Otacon can gain Terminal cards and employ their
unique abilities, manipulating the environment and enemies. Otacon’s Hack Add 2 to any Add or
deck comprises of 8 Terminal cards. Take these, shuffle them and place them dice result. subtract 2
face down near Otacon’s character sheet. from any dice
result.
NOTE: In Sneaking stages and VR Missions, you’ll use the standard Hack deck,
but some boss stages have special Hack decks. Roll 1 fewer Move 2
. (only during
ACTIONS a player turn).
HACK TERMINAL
1 Action Point.
Attempt to hack a Terminal by rolling 4 . Otacon may
perform this action again to reroll any number of / .
Once all rolled dice results match that Terminal, it is hacked.

NOTE: Terminals range from level 2 to 5, indicating how difficult they are to
hack. All Terminals must be hacked in a single turn. Any hacking progress
made to a Terminal is lost at the end of the turn if unsuccessful.

10 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS

▶ PLAYER TURN EXAMPLE

Meryl spends 3 actions to Dash and

1 action to Sneak into the room.

Since Dash is a noisy action, 1 White

die is rolled for each Dash action.
A ! was rolled Meryl’s Alert  token

is placed under her figure.

Snake spends 1 action to Dash

and 2 actions to perform a
Combo Attack on the Patrol.

Snake rolls 1 and 2 . 2 of the rolled values are

equal to or higher than the Patrol’s defense of 3.

As Combo Attack deals KO

damage, the Patrol takes 2 KO
damage and is knocked out.

WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

Snake spends his Focus token to

move 1 space. Then, he spends his
last action to Sneak into the room.

As Snake performed a Dash this turn,

he made noise and must roll 1 White die.
The result is not a !, so nothing happens.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS 11

 ROUND STRUCTURE I Section I: Patrol Actions

Each Stage is played through a series of rounds. A round starts with the Player
Phase where all players take their turns in any order, followed by the Enemy
Phase where the enemy, either Patrol or Boss, will take their turn.
WAKE PATROLS: Knocked-out Patrols begin to rouse. All tokens are
1. Players Phase (in any player order) replaced with a Patrol. Then, all tokens are flipped to their sides.
2. Enemy Phase (Patrol or Boss, depending on the stage)
NOTE: Players decide which way Patrols face when placing them. Patrols
Player Phase cannot face a wall.
A. ACTION TOKEN RECOVERY: All players return all Action tokens to their
available supply.
B. TURN ORDER: Players may take their turns in any order. However, a player
must completely resolve their turn and perform all their actions before
the next player begins.
C. PERFORM ACTIONS: Each player performs their 4 Actions, represented RADIO IN: Patrols report in! Spawn Patrols in
by their 4 Action tokens. Players may take the same action multiple times the Patrol Room up to the Patrol Count of the
and some actions cost more than 1 Action point. Zone in all active Zones. When placing Patrols,
D. NOISE CHECK (see pg XX) start with the lowest numbered floor space.

NOTE: and do not count towards the

total Patrol Count.

4+

Enemy Phase “LOST CONTACT WITH ALPHA TEAM”: If a is on the board, discard 1
The Enemy Phase begins after all players have taken their turn. Depending on Patrol card from the top of the deck. If 4+ are on the board, discard 2
the Stage type, the Enemy Phase is resolved differently. Patrol cards.

▶ SNEAKING STAGE: Resolve a Patrol card.

OR
▶ BOSS STAGE: Draw the top card of the Boss deck and resolve a Boss card. 2

EMPTY BOSS DECK
When the boss deck has no cards in it, flip over the entire discard pile to reset “STAY ALERT!”: All players within 2 spaces of a Patrol must place or move
the deck without shuffling the deck. their Alert  token under their figure. If their Alert  token is already on
the board, nothing happens.
▶ ENEMY PHASE: SNEAKING STAGE
Once every player has completed their turn, the enemy takes their turn. Draw II Section II: Cameras
and resolve a Patrol card from the top of the Patrol deck. Once resolved, the
Patrol card is discarded.
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

Check if players are within a Camera’s LOS in active Zones. If a player is seen
by a Camera, place their Alert  token under their figure. The enemy is
alerted!

CAMERA LINE OF SIGHT (LOS): A Camera has LOS in the

direction it is facing but not to the space it is in.

CAMERA FACING: Cameras can only face 1

direction at a time, as indicated by the Red or Blue
vision cone on the Camera Direction token. Patrol
Resolve each section in active Zones cards will instruct players to flip Camera Direction
Patrol cards must be resolved in order of sections in each Active Zone. An active tokens, changing their direction and Line of Sight.
Zone has at least 1 player in it. Do not resolve Patrol cards in inactive Zones.

12 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS

III Section III Effects: Activate Patrols
 /  PATROL
If Patrol moves 2 spaces
and turn right, it will end its
movement facing a wall. If

4 2 it does, it MUST turn right

according to the patrol card.

Activate every Patrol in all Active Zones, starting with the Patrol nearest to
the Patrol Compass token. The activation order goes from left to right, top to
bottom. Based on the state of each Patrol, they will activate in different ways.

ALERT MODE PROTOCOL

If there are any Alert  tokens in the active Patrol’s Zone, the active Patrol PATROL REACTION
moves a number of spaces equal to the Red number on the Patrol card If at any time the active Patrol moves onto a space containing an Alert
towards the nearest Alert  token, following the shortest possible path.  /  , , or token, they immediately resolve the top card of
the Patrol Reaction deck. Resolve all effects matching the token in the
active Patrol’s space. Then, place the Patrol Reaction card facedown at the
SHORTEST POSSIBLE PATH
bottom of the deck.
When determining the path of a Patrol to his destination, the shortest
path is the path that has the fewest number of spaces between 2 points
on the map without crossing walls. When there are multiple shortest
paths, players decide which path to use. If the target space is occupied by
another figure, the Patrol moves to the next nearest empty space adjacent to
the target space instead.

INVESTIGATION PROTOCOL
If there is a or in the active Patrol’s LOS, the active Patrol moves
spaces equal to the Blue number on the Patrol card towards the token,
following the shortest path.
ATTACKING PLAYERS
If there are no such tokens and the active Patrol is the nearest Patrol to an A Patrol attacks a player when:
Alert  token in their Zone, they move spaces equal to the Blue number on ▶ They are moving and a player enters their LOS.
the Patrol card towards the Alert  token, following the shortest path. ▶ A player moves over (leapfrogs) them.

NOTE: Only the Patrol nearest to an Alert  token in their zone will ENTERING ENEMY LOS: If a player ever moves into or through an enemy’s
investigate it. Otherwise, the Patrol will follow the Patrol Protocol. LOS (even during a single move action), they are alerted and the player’s
Alert  must be placed under the figure after completing the move action.
PATROL PROTOCOL
If the active Patrol is not on alert or investigating, they move a number of
spaces equal to the Blue number on the Patrol card, following these rules:
▶ STAYS IN ACTIVE ZONE: A Patrol can never cross into other Zones.
▶ FORWARD FACING: They must move in the direction they are currently
facing.
▶ MOVE STRAIGHT: A Patrol must move in the direction it is facing in a straight
line as far as possible. If the Patrol would move into a space with another
Patrol, they jump over to the next available space along that path, skipping
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES
over as many Patrol figures as necessary, and continue their movement.
▶ FOLLOW THE PATH: When encountering a wall or locked Door, they
turn 90 degrees to the left or right to face a new path and continue their
movement. If there is no left or right path, they rotate 180 degrees and go
back the direction they came from.
▶ FORCE DIRECTION : When a Patrol moves onto a forced direction
space, they immediately face that direction and continue their movement,
if any.
▶ ENDING THE PATROL: A Patrol will never end their movement facing a
wall and must face the direction they intend to move in, following the rules
above. When ending their movement on a space with a , they turn left
or right to face their new path. If there is more than 1 path available, turn When attacking a player, the Patrol rolls 2 . Deal 1 damage to the player for
them based on the direction of the Blue arrow on the Patrol card. each roll equal to or greater than their Defense. Mark the damage by placing
▶ SPOTTING A PLAYER: If the active Patrol moves and a player enters their damage tokens on their player dashboard. When any player takes damage
LOS, the player must immediately place their Alert  token under their equal to or greater than their Health, that player is killed in action (KIA) and
figure. The Patrol ends their movement and attacks the player. the players fail the mission.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS 13

 ▶ END OF THE ENEMY PHASE ▶ RUNNING OUT OF TIME
When all Patrols in an active Zone have activated, move on to the next active When the Game Over card is revealed, the players have run out of time and
Zone until all active Zones have been resolved. Once all Patrols in all active failed the mission.
Zones have activated, the Enemy Phase ends and the player phase begins
once again. ▶ ENEMY PHASE EXAMPLE

It is the Enemy Phase! The first portion

of the phase wakes the Patrols. This
means the KO’ed Patrol next to Snake
flips to the 1-star side. If it had been
already on the 1-star side, the token
would be replaced by a Patrol.

Following the Compass token, the

Patrol nearest to it activates. Since
this Patrol is the nearest to Meryl’s
Alert  token, they move 5 spaces
towards it according to the BLUE
number on the Patrol Card. It moves
4 spaces and sees Meryl, flipping
the Alert token to its  side.
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

The Patrol ends their movement and attacks Meryl,

rolling 2 This is compared against Meryl’s
defense of 3. Both dice will deal damage to Meryl.

14 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS

 Meryl then uses 1 of her Focus tokens to
reduce the value of 1 of the dice from 3 to 2.

Since only 1 die is still equal or greater than

Meryl’s defense, she takes 1 damage.

As Meryl’s Alert  token is on the

board, now all Patrols will move 6
spaces towards it when they activate.

The next Patrol Since both Meryl and her adjacent

activates and moves space are occupied, this Patrol
6 spaces towards the moves into the next nearest space
Alert  token. to the Alert  token, leapfrogging
over the other Patrol and Meryl’s
figure. The Patrol sees Meryl, ending
its movement, and attacks her.
WORK IN PROGRESS | RULES

The Patrol then deals 1 damage to

Meryl. Meryl has 2 health left.

15
CODECS
▶ 10.01 ▶ 10.08 ▶ 10.17 Natasha
Harasho... good! You found a weapon! That’s a .45 caliber Anti-personnel mine that focuses its blast at a specific This rudimentary missile travels in a straight line until it
pistol with plenty of stopping power. If you place an Action direction, spraying 700 steel balls in a 60-degree arc upon encounters resistance, so make sure you aim carefully. Snake
token on it, you’ll be able to attack any target within your detonation. Although developed for anti-personnel use, it is
Line of Sight (LOS). Unlike Patrols, you can see everyone also effective against vehicles. The Claymore is extremely LOUD: If there are Patrols in your Zone, place
you can draw a straight line to that doesn’t go through a powerful and simple to use but be very careful not to set it off your Alert  under your figure. Naomi
wall or black-bordered obstacle. Friendlies don’t block your yourself. The results could be too horrible to watch.
LOS, though, enemies still do.
If you find a suppressor, feel free to equip it to your pistol. ▶ 10.18
Until then, firing this will be Loud and attract attention ▶ 10.09
every time you fire. The most important thing is to zero your rifle scope, or
Those are remote-controlled miniature reconnaissance you’ll never hit your target right. Also, remember that it
LOUD: If there are Patrols in your Zone, place missiles with CCD cameras in their nose cones. After you takes some time to line up your shot, which means the
your Alert  under your figure. fire them, they’ll transmit their visual data to your monitor. Sniper Rifle will cost two actions to use.
Its fuel and mobility are based on the dice values rolled,
but you can choose which dice to use first. That will give LOUD: If there are Patrols in your Zone, place
▶ 10.03 you an edge in most situations. your Alert  under your figure.

Hungry? These are pre-packaged ready to eat meals. LOUD: If there are Patrols in your Zone, place
Standard issue, typically transported by military troops on your Alert  under your figure. ▶ 10.19
the battlefield. Just remember to heat it up first.
This is the tranquilizer Wolf was using. It’s an anti-anxiety
▶ 10.10 drug and has a strong effect on the central nervous system
▶ 10.04 and is also effective as a muscle relaxant. There are 2
A cardboard box. A cardboard box usually consists of a doses in the bottle. Each dose will allow you to reroll any
Those are stun grenades, often used in sensitive thin pasteboard with a corrugated paper center. They are number of dice for any action for your whole turn.
operations. Sometimes called “flashbangs”, they make a usually made of recycled paper. With the same amount of So, it’ll stop my hands from trembling. And I don’t have to
big flash and lots of noise, which will temporarily disorient wood to make one wooden box, you can make six or seven reroll every dice?
and disable your opponents. They will not cause fatal cardboard boxes. And since it’s recyclable, it’s highly
You don’t — and you can use it across multiple actions.
injury, but they can make enemy soldiers unconscious. Use economical. In addition, it is strong and easy to store. That
Especially since consuming it isn’t an action. But be
them wisely. is why it is widely used for packing.
careful. If diazepam is used in large doses over a long
…So anyway, what’s with the box? period of time, it becomes addictive like alcohol.
LOUD: If there are Patrols in your Zone, place
your Alert  under your figure.
▶ 10.11
▶ 10.20
▶ 10.06 Looks like regular old cold medicine to me. Pop them any time
during your turn and you can refresh all your Focus tokens. This is Sniper Wolf’s handkerchief. It smells faintly of her.
That is C4 explosive. 1.4X the destructive power of
dynamite, it is highly stable and will not explode without a RESTRICTION: OTACON ONLY

WORK IN PROGRESS | CODECS SAMPLE

detonating device, even if it is shot, burned, or beaten. ▶ 10.13
It’s going to be loud. And the trigger?
A wireless detonator equipped with a scrambler, so you
Looks like you found a security card. This specific one ▶ 10.21
opens doors up to security level 2.
don’t have to worry about interference from any other
This Body Armor is constructed from a special fiber five
radio source. If you set multiple charges, they all go off at
times stronger than steel. Wearing that will considerably
the same time. Make sure you are sufficiently far enough
away when that happens.
▶ 10.14 reduce damage from enemy fire, but you will still feel the
impact of the bullets. Don’t rely on it too much.
You got a Gas Mask. Good. That is a double-eyepiece type.
Be careful, unlike the transparent-shield type, it will restrict RESTRICTION: SNAKE AND MERYL ONLY
▶ 10.07 your field of vision. It is equipped with a voice emitter, so
do not worry about not being heard. The outside is made of
I see you found the grenades. Antipersonnel hand reinforced plastic, and the inside is made from an acetate ▶ 10.22
grenades. They produce a burst of shrapnel on detonation. weave. Also, the eyepieces are specially treated so they won’t
Explosive power is provided by Composition B, consisting fog up. You will be able to stay in a gas-filled area for a long This security card has a pretty high clearance level. It’ll
of a mixture of 40% TNT and 60% RDX. You do not want to time with that mask. Use it wisely. allow you to open security level 3 doors.
stand too close when one detonates.

▶ 10.16 ▶ 10.23
If it is at least 12 millimeters thick, lightweight, and hard to In cold like this, over 70% of your body warmth is lost
cut, you should be able to rappel with it as well. Looks like through your head. Put on some kind of hat. Even a
nylon fibers and not hemp. Hemp loses its flexibility when bandana is better than nothing…
it gets wet, which would not be good for rappelling. But
that rope sounds like it will not be a problem. RESTRICTION: SNAKE ONLY

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS 17

 Master ▶ 50.01
Miller
Snake
Answer me
Snake!
Snaaaaaaaaake!
WORK IN PROGRESS | CODECS SAMPLE

22 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID • STARTING MISSIONS

▶ CREDITS
GAME DESIGN: Emerson Matsuuchi
DEVELOPMENT: Brieger Creative, Jordy Adan, Chris Hamm
LEAD PRODUCER: Kenneth Tan
PRODUCTION: Thiago Aranha, Marcela Fabreti, Guilherme Goulart, Rebecca
Ho, Isadora Leite, Thiago Meyer, Nicholas Sai, Gregory Varghese
ART DIRECTOR: Mathieu Harlaut
ART: Marco Checchetto, Saeed Jalabi
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Max Duarte, Fabio de Castro, Júlia Ferrari
TILE ART: Henning Ludvigsen
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION: Kenneth Loh
SCULPTING: BigChild Creatives
DIRECTOR OF PLASTICS: Vincent Fontaine
RENDERING: Edgar Ramos
PROOFREADING: Jason Koepp
PUBLISHER: David Preti
PLAYTESTING: Nick Rosener, Brian McKay, Ashley Tinoco, Jessica Solis, John
Velgus, Michael Dunsmore, Martin Gonzalvez, Don Gilstrap, Adrian Gilstrap,
William Gilstrap, Floyd Lu, and many more...

©Konami Digital Entertainment