RULEBOOK
Complete rules — Version 1.0
2 Players
No Luck
Pure Strategy
Like Chess but Better
Capture the Commander
Move any unit onto the enemy Commander square — instant win.
Storm the Fortress
Move any unit onto the enemy Fortress square — instant win regardless of score.
01
Overview
Command Capture is a two-player strategy game played on a classic 8×8 board. Each player commands a civilization — Rome or Egypt — with a full army of 16 unit cards.
Unlike chess, every unit has two states. Flip a card to switch between its attack mode and defense mode, unlocking entirely different movement and capture abilities. There are no dice and no randomness — every outcome is a direct result of your decisions.
Design Philosophy
The dual-state mechanic means no two games ever play the same way. Every unit flip is a meaningful commitment — you gain new capabilities but lose others, and the State Lock means your opponent has one turn to exploit it.
02
Components
| Qty | Component | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Rome Unit Cards | 7 Legionnaires · 2 Cavalry · 2 Archers · 2 Siege · 1 Commander · 1 Fortress · 1 Assassin |
| 16 | Egypt Unit Cards | 7 Infantry · 2 Chariots · 2 Archers · 2 Siege · 1 Commander · 1 Fortress · 1 Assassin |
| 16 | Viking Unit Cards | 7 Infantry · 2 Cavalry · 2 Shield Maidens · 2 Siege · 1 Commander · 1 Fortress · 1 Assassin |
| 1 | Game Board (8×8) | Columns labeled A–H · Rows labeled 1–8 |
03
Board Setup
Both players use the same fixed formation. Blue player occupies rows 1–2 (top); Red occupies rows 7–8 (bottom).
| Row | Rome (Blue) | Egypt (Red) |
|---|---|---|
| Row 1 / 8 — Back | Siege · Cavalry · Archer · Commander · Fortress · Archer · Cavalry · Siege | Siege · Chariot · Archer · Commander · Fortress · Archer · Chariot · Siege |
| Row 2 / 7 — Front | Legionnaire ×7 + Assassin face-down, any position | Infantry ×7 + Assassin face-down, any position |
Starting States
Before the game begins, each player freely chooses the starting state for every unit. Any unit may begin in either of its two states.
04
Your Turn
On your turn, take exactly one action:
Move
Relocate one of your units to a legal empty square per that unit's current state rules.
Capture
Move onto a square occupied by an enemy unit, removing it from the game.
Flip
Switch one of your units to its other state (turn the card over). Subject to State Lock.
Turn
Rotate a unit to change its facing direction. Cannot also move or capture the same turn.
Commander Aura — Command State
When your Commander is in Command State, all adjacent allies each receive +1 extra action per turn — they may Move AND Flip, or Flip AND Capture, in the same turn.
05
State Lock
After flipping a unit, it is locked for the following turn — you cannot flip it again until your next turn. This prevents flipping the same unit back and forth repeatedly.
A locked unit can still move or capture normally. The lock only restricts flipping.
Example
Turn 1 — Archer flips Maneuver → Volley. Turn 2 — locked, cannot flip back. Turn 3 — may flip again.
06
Movement & Direction
Forward / Backward
Relative to the owning player's starting side of the board — forward always means toward the opponent.
Orthogonal
Front, back, left, or right — never diagonal.
Adjacent
Any square directly touching the unit, including diagonals (up to 8 squares).
Projectile Attack
A ranged capture where the attacking unit does not move. The attacker fires from its current square and the target is removed.
No Jumping
Units cannot move through or jump over occupied squares — except Cavalry in any state, which may jump over any unit in its path.
Unit Facing
Units face toward the opponent. Spending your turn to Turn a unit updates its facing. Turning cannot also move or capture. Flipping does not change a unit's facing.
07
Rome Units
Legionnaire ×7
Attack State
Move 1 fwd, back, or lateral (if adjacent to another Legionnaire). Capture fwd or diag-fwd. Blocks front.
Defend State
Move 1 fwd/back only. No capture. Blocks front, left, and right.
Cavalry ×2
Melee State
Move up to 2 squares orthogonally. May jump over units when moving. Cannot jump when capturing — path must be clear. Capture up to 2 squares left or right. Blocks 2 diag-front.
Charge State
L-shape move (like chess knight). Captures the unit it lands on. Units jumped over are not captured. Can jump any unit.
Archer ×2
Maneuver State
Move up to 3 squares. Capture forward, left, or right (melee).
Volley State
No movement. Ranged (projectile) capture diagonally up to 3 squares.
Siege Equipment ×2
Packed State
Move 1 square. No capture.
Deployed State
Cannot move and fire on the same turn. Ranged capture up to 4 squares fwd/left/right. Ignores all blocking and defense.
08
Egypt Units
Infantry ×7
Attack State
Move 1 square. Capture forward or diagonally-forward.
Defend State
Move up to 2 squares forward or backward. Blocks front.
Chariot ×2
Maneuver State
Move up to 4 squares orthogonally. Capture up to 2 squares left or right. Blocks 2 diag-front.
Strike State
Move up to 2 squares diagonally. Ranged (projectile) capture up to 2 squares forward or diag-forward.
Archer ×2
Maneuver State
Move up to 3 squares. Capture forward, left, or right (melee).
Volley State
No movement. Ranged (projectile) capture diagonally up to 3 squares.
Siege Equipment ×2
Packed State
Move 1 square. No capture.
Deployed State
Cannot move and fire on the same turn. Ranged capture up to 4 squares fwd/left/right. Ignores all blocking and defense.
09
Viking Units
The Vikings field the same 16-unit army structure as Rome and Egypt, with one key difference: the Shield Maiden replaces the Archer as the civilization's signature unit. All other Viking units follow the standard roster.
Shield Maiden ×2 — replaces Archer 6 pts
Strike State
Cannot move. Ranged (projectile) capture up to 2 squares forward or diagonally forward. May fire over other units. Does not move when capturing. Blocks the square directly forward and both diagonal-forward squares.
Shield Bash State
Move up to 3 squares diagonally. Capture 1 square diagonally forward. Blocks the square directly in front. May push an enemy unit — see Shield Bash below.
Shield Bash — Special Ability
While moving in Shield Bash State, the Shield Maiden may push an enemy unit one square diagonally backward and then move into that unit's former square.
Square is Open
The enemy is pushed into that square. The Shield Maiden takes the enemy's former square.
Square is Occupied
The pushed enemy is captured instead. The Shield Maiden takes its former square.
Pushed Off the Board
If the enemy would be pushed beyond the edge of the board, it is captured instead. The Shield Maiden takes its former square.
Shield Bash Restrictions
Shield Bash cannot target a unit protected by a Commander in Fortify State, and cannot target the Fortress. The Commander itself is not protected by its own Fortify aura, so it may still be bashed if all other rules allow. The Fortress must be dealt with under the normal Fortress rules.
10
Commander, Fortress & Assassin
Commander ×1 each side
Command State
Move 1 square any direction. Capture 1 square any direction. Aura: adjacent allies each get +1 action per turn.
Fortify State
No move, no capture, no blocking. Aura: adjacent allies are immune to all captures. Not self, not Fortress.
Fortress ×1 each side
Active State
Cannot move. Ranged attack all 8 directions. Melee attackers are captured but the Fortress is Disabled. Ranged attackers Disable it safely.
Disabled State
No attack. Cannot flip back to Active. Enemy entering this square wins instantly. Disabling = 8 pts in Timed Mode.
Fortress Interaction
Melee attack: your unit is captured — but the Fortress is Disabled. Use ranged units to Disable it safely without sacrifice.
Assassin ×1 each side
Hidden State
Placed face-down. Counts as Infantry/Legionnaire until revealed. Opponent cannot tell which unit is the Assassin.
Revealed State
Revealed when it makes a capture. May capture on the reveal turn. Move or capture 1 square in any direction.
11
Special Rules
No Jumping
Units cannot move through or jump over occupied squares. Exception: Cavalry in any state may jump over any unit in its path.
Cavalry Charge
In Charge State, Cavalry moves in an L-shape and captures the unit it lands on. Units that are jumped over are completely safe.
Attacking the Fortress
Melee attackers are captured but Disable the Fortress. Ranged attackers Disable it without being captured. Disabling = 8 pts in Timed Mode.
Shield Bash
A Viking Shield Maiden in Shield Bash State may push an enemy one square diagonally backward and take its square. If that square is blocked or off-board, the enemy is captured. Cannot target units under Commander Fortify, or the Fortress.
Siege Ignores All
Deployed Siege Equipment fires through all blocking and defense bonuses. No unit ability can prevent a Siege capture.
Blocking
Some unit states grant blocking — they prevent adjacent enemies from capturing through their defended sides. Siege and Fortify aura override all blocking.
Projectile Attacks
A ranged capture where the attacking unit does not move. The attacker fires from its current square; the target is removed without the attacker moving.
12
Win Conditions
Either condition ends the game instantly — even mid-turn, even in Timed Mode. Point scores do not matter once either condition is achieved.
Capture the Commander
Move any unit onto the square occupied by the enemy Commander.
Enter the Fortress
Move any unit onto the enemy Fortress square. The Fortress must be Disabled first.
Advanced Play
Strong players threaten both win conditions simultaneously, forcing their opponent into an impossible defense. Build toward both — don't telegraph only one.
13
Timed Mode
Timed Mode is an optional variant that adds a 30-minute game clock and a 1-minute turn timer, rewarding decisive play and creating a point-based secondary win condition. Use the free timer at commandcapture.com/timer — no clock needed.
Game Clock
Set a shared 30-minute countdown visible to both players. The clock never pauses for any reason.
Turn Timer
Each player has 1 minute per turn. Your timer starts the moment your turn begins.
Turn Expiry
If your timer expires: you forfeit your turn AND your opponent receives 2 actions on their next turn. Both must be completed within their 1-minute window.
Scoring
When the 30-minute clock reaches zero, the player with the highest captured-unit point total wins.
Sudden Death
If both players are tied at 30 minutes, the 1-minute timer stays active. The next player to capture any enemy unit wins.
| Unit | Rome | Egypt | Viking | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siege Equipment | 5 | 5 | 5 | Equal all sides |
| Archer / Shield Maiden | 4 | 4 | 6 | Shield Maiden worth most |
| Cavalry / Chariot | 3 | 5 | 3 | Chariot worth more |
| Assassin | 3.5 | 3 | 3 | Rome slightly higher |
| Legionnaire / Infantry | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | Legionnaire worth more |
| Fortress (disable) | 8 | 8 | 8 | Bonus — game continues |
| Total Army | 38 | 38 | 38 | Perfectly balanced |
Commander & Fortress
Capturing the Commander or entering the Fortress are instant win conditions — they end the game and do not score points. Only Disabling the Fortress (not entering) earns 8 pts.