How To Play Counter Attack

Welcome to Counter Attack, the football strategy board game. You and your opponent are opposing team managers in direct control of what your players do every minute of the game. Just like a real match of the beautiful game, your job is to score more than the other guys, nobody wants to settle for a draw, and nothing better than the final manager handshake knowing you've got the three points in the bag!

Now let's learn how to play Counter Attack.

Match Day Morning

Set out the board between the two managers. Both managers take a squad of 11 counters, 10 matching outfield players and a different colour number 1 for the goalkeeper. Each manager also gets a distance stick and a player aid card, and the sand timer goes next to the board.

Separate the player cards by colour on the front and shuffle each deck, they all have the same back so keep the separate. The smallest deck of yellow backed cards are the referees, draw one and place him next to the board for the match. The middle-sized deck of purple backed cards are the goalkeepers, lay them out face down and each manager takes two for their squad.

Next the mangers will roll off, rerolling ties, and the winner will be the first to pick in the player draft (for a first game you can skip this and just deal cards randomly to each manager if you want). From the largest deck of blue backed player cards, draw 4 and lay them face up in the centre of the board. The first manager chooses one of the players to take for his squad, then the second manager takes a player, the first manager takes another player and the second manager takes the remaining player. Then draw 4 more players, but the managers will swap who picks first. There will be 7 rounds of picking, so the first manager picks first 4 times, and the second manager picks first 3 times.

Both managers now line up their players by the corresponding numbers on their side of the board, keeping 5 players back as substitutes, then set up their 11 counters on the field as they wish in their own half.

Finally the managers will have a final roll off, with the winner taking the kick off for the first half. The winner places one of their players in the centre spot with the ball counter, then may rearrange their team as they wish and may place any players into the centre circle that they want. The defending manager may then rearrange his team counters if he wants, but no players may be placed inside the centre circle. The game will begin by the attacking manager declaring a standard pass to any hex within range and the timer is started. Both of these are explained below.

Warm Up Time

When playing Counter Attack there are a few basic rules to know before getting into the actions you can take on your turn.

The game is turn based, but there is a real time element, there are two halves of football and each half will last for 45 minutes of real time, with the timer starting from the opening kick-off. The timer is paused while moving your players outside of playing, either after a goal is scored or setting up for a free kick or corner kick, then it resumes on the following kick. The included sand timer is a minute long, this can be used when battling against a time-wasting manager, you turn it over and if your opponent doesn't finish their movements within the minute then they lose the rest of the action.

Any hexes on the board overlapping a line count as being both sides of the line, examples of this being a player can line up at kick-off on a hex containing the half way line or the centre circle and be considered to be a legal placement in their own half, a foul occurring on a hex containing the penalty area line will be considered in the box for a penalty, but players can line up on the hexes containing the line as they can also considered outside the penalty area. This also means that partial hexes on the goal line or side line count as being in play, so the ball needs to move onto an unrevealed adjacent hex past the line to be considered a goal/out of play.

Each player counter occupies the hex they are in, and no other players can move through or share their hex, the player also has a Zone Of Influence on the 6 adjacent hexes around them (ZOI for short), where they can make attempts on the ball but other player counters can move through and stop in.

To use the distance stick for shots or passes you line it up over the player counter playing the ball and the space you want to send the ball to. This has a double effect, first displaying the maximum range the ball can reach with the action, and secondly the ball is always assumed to travel in a straight line, so the ball counter can be moved along the centre line to determine which hexes and player's ZOI it may travel through.

Players will make skill checks for various actions, this means they roll the dice and add the skill value to the roll. For single rolls there will be a target number to succeed, otherwise it will fail. Often it will be listed like SHOOTING check 11+ or 6, which means they roll a dice and add their shooting stat value to the number, and either need a total of 11 or higher to succeed, or just need to roll a 6 on the dice to succeed, no matter what the total is. Some rolls may be for player duels, where each player may be using the same or different skill depending on the player and the action, in these cases the players are not looking for a total but competing directly against each other, with the higher result winning, while a tie will result in a loose ball.

Kick Off!

Following the opening kick-off pass, each turn of Counter Attack will feature the attacking manager choosing one of several actions to take, involving moving players, passing the ball and shooting, some of which allow the defending player to also move players. Once the complete action is finished the attacking player will then decide the next action to take. If the ball changes possession at any point during an action, then the action is ended immediately and the defending manager now becomes the attacker and chooses the next action to take.

I will be separating the rules into all the normal rules here, and some more specific rules and advanced tactics in the next section.

Movement phase - You may take this action following any previous action except for a high pass. The players order will be moved in 4-5-2. You may move 4 player counters up to their PACE value in adjacent hexes. Each player may only be moved once during the phase, so slide the cards off the board to mark they have moved. Once you are done the defender will move 5 players up to their pace. After this you may move another 2 players, but for these moves the players may only move 2 hexes each. Now you may move again or attempt a different legal action.

If your player dribbles the ball into a defender's ZOI hex the defender must attempt to STEAL the ball, the defender rolls a TACKLING check with success on a 10+ or a 6. A successful STEAL means the defending player takes the ball and moves to any space around the dispossessed attacker and possession is changed, otherwise neither player changes hex and the attacker continues moving up to their pace, the same defender cannot attempt multiple steals in one phase.

If the defender moves into the ZOI of your attacking player with the ball then they have the option to attempt a TACKLE. This is a duel between the defender's TACKLING and the attacker's DRIBBLING, the winning player taking or keeping possession of the ball and optionally moving to any adjacent hex to the opposing player. A tie results in a loose ball roll. Unless a defending player now has possession of the ball then continue with the movement phase.

Following the movement phase you may now choose to take another movement phase or take a pass or shoot action.

Final Third's Movement - To help with players bunching up, à la Subbuteo style, there is the final third's movement, which simulates the team pushing up the pitch while attacking. Any time an action ends and the ball is in one team's final third, a free action takes place where all players in the opposite final third may move up to 6 hexes, regardless of PACE. The attacking player will move first.

Any time a defender attempts to TACKLE or STEAL the ball a roll of 1 is considered a foul. The attacker will check for injury first, you must roll against your player's RESILIENCE stat, aiming to roll lower than the value. If you roll equal or higher then the player is injured, place an injury token on the player's card, all attributes are now one value lower, effective immediately, including PACE if the attacker was moving when the foul occurred.

The defender will now perform a check against the referee's LENIENCY, again looking to roll under the value. If the defender rolls equal or higher they have been booked, place a yellow card token on the player's card.

Following a foul the attacker can choose to take advantage and play on, or stop the movement phase and take a Free Kick from the spot he was fouled, or a penalty inside the box.

Any player who suffers a second injury cannot continue and play must be stopped for a set piece so they can be substituted. A second yellow card gives a player a red card and they will then be sent off and the counter removed from the board for the rest of the game.

Further movement phase situations explained later are dribbling around the goalkeeper, and nutmegs on the defender.

Passing - Following a movement phase or successfully tackling an opponent you may take a pass action, with a standard pass, high pass or long pass.

A standard pass is always accurate to the hex you choose within range. It cannot go through a hex with an opposing player, although it may pass through your own player's hexes, which can shield it from your opponent's interception attempts. Any pass that moves through a defending player's ZOI can be intercepted if the player can make a TACKLING check with success 10+ or a 6. Following a standard pass you may move, shoot or take a first-time pass.

The first-time pass is a small quick touch rather than holding onto the ball, it works just like a standard pass but has a shorter range. After declaring the pass you may move a different player 1 hex, the defender may then move a player 1 hex. These moves happen while the ball is moving after the touch, so a player cannot move offside through it. If the ball travels through any defender's ZOI they may roll to intercept as normal, but if a defender has moved onto a hex the ball will travel through then they can intercept on a TACKLING check of 10+ or on a roll of 5 or 6. A defender can also move into the ZOI of the player with possession, in which case a TACKLING check of 10+ or 6 will also intercept, but in this case rolling a 1 will be a foul.

Following a first-time pass you must now either choose a movement phase or a shoot action.

To pass through the air with a high pass or long pass there must not be a defender in the immediate square next to your player in the direction you want to pass the ball, and you will be checking for accuracy.

A High Pass is through the air and must aim to land on a player's head. After declaring a high pass you may move a player 3 hexes, then a defending player may do the same. Choose the player to aim the pass to a make a HIGH PASS check with the passing player, looking for 8+ to land in the hex you have chosen. If your high pass is inaccurate then treat it as a loose ball, but it lands directly in the square indicated by the loose roll. Following a high pass the only action option is a header (unless it is inaccurate it falls out of any heading range, then it will be a movement phase).

A Long Pass can be made to land in almost any hex on the board, the chosen hex cannot be within 5 squares of an attacking player and cannot be the square next to a defending player. Normally when checking for accuracy it will be a HIGH PASS check requiring 9+, no matter the distance. However, if the pass is from one final third to the other then it required a HIGH PASS check of 10+. Inaccurate high passes can land closer to your players than the chosen hex without any penalty. Once the ball has reached its destination square the defending goalkeeper is allowed a free move up to their PACE. Following the long pass the only action available will be a movement phase, it lands in its destination, there is no heading involved.

Heading action - This will always follow high passes or set pieces. Any players within 2 squares of the ball hex may challenge for the header. Up to 2 outfield players from each team may challenge for the ball, along with the defending goalkeeper if he is within range and inside the penalty box. The attacking player will either call for a headed pass or a headed shot before the challenge. The heading action will consist of a duel between all attacking and defending players, each outfield player using their HEADING check and any involved goalkeeper using an AERIAL ABILITY check. Whoever wins the duel will decide on the direction to move the ball, starting from the ball hex not the player who won the duel, or if it was the goalkeeper then he has grabbed the ball out of the air and holds onto it. Following a heading challenge all players who were involved cannot move during the next movement phase. A tie will result in a loose ball, but any players involved in the headed challenge cannot stop the ball and it moves one space further if necessary.

If you called a headed pass when attacking, or the defender won the duel, then the winner chooses the hex to move the ball to, this pass will always be accurate and cannot be intercepted by an opponent. Play continues with the team that headed the ball, unless an opponent has somehow taken possession. You can never head the ball twice in a row, and can follow this action up with a movement phase (except for players involved in the heading challenge), a quick first-time pass, a 'hoof it' long pass, or a shot if within range. If there is no opponent in range, or they do not commit to the challenge, then there is no roll required just take a free header.

If you called a headed shot and win the duel then it cannot be blocked or intercepted, if the keeper was involved in the heading challenge then you have already beaten him and it is a goal, otherwise you use you winning roll as the value for your Shot attempt, following the rules for shooting below from Step 3. A winning score with a dice roll of 1 will be off-target, so if no defenders beat you in the challenge then the ball goes out for a goal kick.

Shooting - There are three types of shot actions you can take, headed shots as described above, which have the shortest range. There are regular shots, these can only be taken after a move phase when your player has had time to composed himself for the shot. There are also snapshots, which will be shooting from a quick touch or on the run, and will be slightly less accurate, all snapshots will suffer a -1 penalty to the total value. A snapshot can be taken after any other action when your player has obtained possession of the ball within range of the goal, be it a pass, a successful tackle or even a rebounded shot landing at your feet. A snapshot can also be taken in the middle of a movement phase as an action, if your player with the ball has taken the ball inside the penalty area or is already inside it. When declaring a shot use the following steps:

1) Snapshot only - Declare your snapshot action, the defending team may move any one player 2 hexes, even if they have already moved in the phase.

2) Call the direction of your shot, any defenders directly in the path of the shot will deflect it with a TACKLING check of 10+ or a roll of 5 or 6. Any defenders attempting to block it in their ZOI need a TACKLING check of 10+ or a 6.

3) The goalkeeper can attempt to save the shot if it is in his saving range, this is his current hex or diving up to three hexes away parallel to the goal line. It will be on the hex closest to his hex. Calculate any penalties for either player as follows, there is a maximum penalty of -2 for either side:

-1 for an attacking shot from outside the box.

-1 for an attacking snapshot.

-1 for an attacking shot from a difficult angle, these are marked on the board with a dot in the hex.

-1 for a defending save if the hex is the third space away from the goalkeeper

-1 for a defending save if the goalkeeper moved during Step 1 of the snapshot and the saving hex is still 2 or 3 spaces away.

4) There is now a duel between your attacking player's SHOOTING and the defending goalkeeper's SAVING. If you roll a 1 for the shot it will automatically be off target and go out for a goal kick.

If you win the duel then you have scored a goal. The game timer is reset and both teams reset ready for the kick off, your opposing manger will start with the ball and the timer restarts when his player passes the ball from the centre spot.

If you lose the duel then the goalkeeper has saved your shot. Now the goalkeeper rolls against his HANDLING skill, looking to roll under to save and hold onto the ball. If he rolls equal or higher then he just deflected it so perform a loose ball check, a result of behind or to the side of the goalkeeper means it has gone out for a corner kick, otherwise it deflects off him as he saves so follow the loose ball rules.

A tie results in a loose ball as normal, however you still need to roll for it as normal even if the direction is behind the goalkeeper, the ball may still go out of play but there is a chance it could result in a goal!

Goalkeepers - The goalkeepers can be moved during a movement phase or any final third actions just like any outfield players. The goalkeeper also gets some free movements, if the ball enters the penalty area from an opposing player's action, such as a high pass which has a destination in the box, or a player dribbling into the area, then you may move 1 space, this move happens as soon as the ball enters the box, so if it is due to an opponent dribbling you move 1 space as soon as they move onto a hex for the penalty area, then they finish their move. If your opponent dribbles in and out from the box several times during one move you get to move one hex every time they do. There is a free move of your PACE any time after your opponent has played a long pass action. There is also a free move of one space if your opponent shoots from outside the penalty area. If a high pass into the box will be within range for your goalkeeper to challenge in the air, and the goalkeeper has not already had the 3-hex move, you may take a free move of 3 hexes for your goalkeeper but he must then challenge for the ball, with a -1 penalty if it is two hexes away as usual. After an aerial challenge your goalkeeper cannot move in the following movement phase, but he can still take any free movements for the ball entering the penalty area of for snapshots.

When your goalkeeper has saved a shot and held onto the ball you have two options. You can go for a quick throw, treat this as a standard pass but it cannot be intercepted. You can also kick the ball, first perform the final third's action, then make a high pass using the regular rules, but after the 3 hex movement it can be to any hex on the board that is not in the opponent's final third.

Your goalkeeper can attempt to intercept any opponent's passes through his ZOI as normal but using his SAVING check of 10+ or a 5 or 6. He may also attempt to intercept any passes through his diving saving hexes, requiring a SAVING check of 10+ or 6 in the second hex, and 11+ or 6 in the third hex. If successful move your goalkeeper to that hex and collect the ball. If you fail then do not move your goalkeeper for free. If an attacker is dribbling in any of your goalkeeper's saving hexes you may also attempt to dive at their feet. This can be done whenever a players move into or is stood in a saving hex, even if the attacking player is about to call a snapshot. This is a duel between your goalkeeper's SAVING and the opponent's DRIBBLING. If you roll a 1 then you have committed a foul and follow the procedure as normal, a penalty will be awarded if the attacker chooses. If you successfully save then move to the target hex to collect the ball, and move the player from the occupied hex one space away, moving any other players 1 space as needed.

Loose Balls - Anytime there is a loose ball roll against the display on the board, this will show you what direction the ball goes, roll a second time for distance. The centre of the loose ball direction will always be from the centre of the incident, so the hex the pass was supposed to land on, or from a defender who has challenged for a tackle or header for example. If the ball is from an inaccurate long or high pass it will move directly to the space rolled to land in that hex, if the hex is out of play then the ball goes out of play on the nearest hex to the line it crossed. Any other loose balls will travel along the ground to reach their destination. If the loose ball enters a valid player's hex then they take possession of the ball, for the attacking team either continue a Movement Phase if you were already in one, otherwise you must either begin a Movement phase or you may take a snapshot if you are in range. If the ball does not hit any players but ends in a defender's ZOI then they can attempt to attract it to them with a TACKLING check of 10+ or a 6, a successful check meaning they bring the ball into their hex. A change of possession to the defender means they can resume play with any actions from the Any Other Scenario explained later. If a loose ball moves in a goalkeepers ZOI hex they can try to save it through a SAVING check of 10+ or a roll of 5 or 6.

Set Pieces - Whenever a set piece occurs and the teams are repositioned you may pause the game timer. For a throw-in a movement action is used rather than player repositioning so the timer will keep running.

Throw-in - Choose a player to take the throw and place them on the edge hex where the ball went out of play. Take a movement phase, then you may take a second movement phase if you want. The throw in has a range of a header, it can either be thrown to a player’s head, where a header must follow, or it can be thrown to feet or an empty hex, treat it as a standard pass with the reduced range for interceptions and follow up actions.

Corner Kick - Choose your player to take the kick and move them into the corner arc with the ball. Each team will move 2 players at a time, starting with the attacking manager, until both sides have moved 6 players. The attacker cannot move any players to a hex within the 6-yard box and next to the opposing goalkeeper, the defender cannot move within 2 hexes of the corner flag. Before the kick both players get to move one player 3 hexes, then you choose what type of kick to take, either continue with the high pass, which can go to any hex inside the penalty area without distance restriction, or a low pass which is treated as a first-time pass.

Free Kick - The attacker chooses the player to take the kick and moves them with the ball to the spot of the foul, the defender moves any opponent within 2 hexes of the ball 2 clear hexes away. Then the players are repositioned as follows, attacker moves 2, defender moves 2, attacker moves 2, defender moves 2, attacker moves their final 3, then defender moves their final 2. The attacker cannot move any players within the 6-yard box and next to the goalkeeper, but can move them on a hex next to the ball, any player within one hex of the ball may take the free kick. The attacking mangers moves a total of 7 players and the defending manager moves a total of 6 and individual players can be moved more than once during the sequence. Now the attacker can either choose to take a pass, high, long or standard, or may choose to shoot if in range. The player taking the shot performs a SHOOTING check with a target of 9+, not forgetting a -1 penalty from outside the box. If successful then it is on target and only the goalkeeper may attempt a save on the shot. If the shooting check fails then any defenders may attempt to block the shot before it reaches the goal, a roll of 1 means the shot is off target, but the defending players still roll for blocks first.

Penalty - Both teams will move their players, only 2 players may remain inside the penalty area and arc, the spot kick taker and the goalkeeper. The penalty shot is taken as normal but there is a -2 penalty for the goalkeeper for a penalty kick.

Other Bits - Lets go over a few other smaller parts for the essential rules, starting with the dreaded offside rule. To put offside simply in game terms, any time a ball is played to another player on your team who is level with your hex or behind you there is no problem. If you play a ball forward for any reason, such as a forward pass or a shot which deflects back to another teammate, at the time the ball is played they need 2 players between the goal and level with their hex to be onside. A player cannot be offside in their own half, and they cannot be offside when receiving a goal kick, corner kick or throw in. If a player is offside, but they do not get involved in play in any way, such as getting in an opponent’s way or touching the ball, then there is no penalty as long as they stay out of any influence of play. Any player marked as offside when a ball is played forward will remain marked as offside until either a teammate plays the ball again while they are in an onside position, or an opposition player plays the ball, at which point they are allowed to become involved in play again. Well think that covers it.

Substitutes are allowed any time there is a break in play, if a goalkeeper is sent off you may remove any outfield counter in order to substitute in the backup goalkeeper. In the rare extremes where due to injury or sending off you have to play a goalkeeper or outfield player out of position, they can continue to play that position, but any stats not listed on their card are considered 0 for any checks or duals they need to do. In the game there is no limit to the number of subs you can make with your bench of 5.

The referee makes the final decision, for any issues that cannot be agreed on, such as whether the ball moves through a hex that looks on the edge of its path or so on, the referee can be consulted to decide for you. Roll against the referee's LENIENCY, if you roll under he sides with the defending manager, otherwise he will side with the attacking manager.

Second Half

Now that you've got enough down to play the game lets add all the little gritty bits that cover specific situations or rules that don't come up much.

Nutmegs - During your movement phase you can attempt a nutmeg on an opposing defender, you need to have at least two hexes of move remaining as you cannot finish on an opponent's hex, and it allows you to move to any space directly behind the opponent. This is a duel between your DRIBBLING and the defender's TACKLING, but the defender gets a +1 bonus for their roll. After a successful nutmeg the defending player is not able to move on the following movement phase. A failed nutmeg counts as a successful tackle for the defender, and a roll of a 1 for the defender is still a foul.

Control high passes - If your player is unchallenged by any opponents, an alternate to taking the free header is to control the ball. This required a DRIBBLING check of 9+, and a successful control follow up actions as if you just won a tackle, move, standard/high/long pass or take a snapshot. A failed control is treated like a loose ball. If you attempt to control a ball in your ZOI then you bring the ball to your hex, if the attempted control was 2 hexes away again it will be brought to your hex but you suffer a -1 penalty on the control attempt.

Any Other Scenario - This is the list of actions available for situations that crop up such as a defender recovering a loose ball. You can start a movement phase, play a long ball, take a snapshot if in range, or take a modified first-time pass, for this first-time pass there are no 1 hex movements from either side and it counts as a standard pass for follow up actions.

Passing to yourself - It is possible to be so inaccurate that a high pass ends up back in your own hex, it is not possible for a player to head their own pass so in this situation continue play as per the Any Other Scenario option above.

Heading to keeper - Heading back to your own goalkeeper allows him to collect the ball, but it can be risky. Firstly you cannot head back to your own goalkeeper from a corner kick high pass. If you do head a pass back to your goalkeeper than roll a dice, on a 1 the keeper fumbles the ball and roll a loose ball roll from the goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper loose balls - Speaking of loose balls around the goalkeeper, they can only save an attempted shot in the hexes parallel to the goal line, if the ball passes through a hex in their ZOI that is not a saving hex, usually behind them, the only option is to attempt to deflect the shot by making a SAVING check of 10+ or 6.

Goalkeeper drops ball to play - After your goalkeeper has held the ball and called the final third action, you can choose not to kick the ball and just drop it to play on with his feet. In this case just proceed with a movement phase. Your goalkeeper cannot pick the ball back up without an opponent touching the football.

More fouls - When a defender attempts to tackle your player with the ball, if it is from the two spaces behind your attacking player it can be more dangerous. These are two spaces the other side of your player when facing the opposing goal, and a way to define these spaces is to say any repositioning from the hex would not take you any closer to the goal. A tackle from these spaces will be a foul if the defender rolls a 1 or a 2, and when performing the LENIENCY check a successful roll gives a yellow card, while a fail will result in a straight red. A professional tackle or last man tackle is also subject to this same harsher disciplinary. If no other defender can get in line with or past the tackle hex this movement phase then the fouling defender will be termed as the last man. Goalkeepers are immune to these two harsher fouling penalties, they will still just check for yellow or no card in these situations (read up the Double Jeopardy rule).

Reckless tackle - Sometimes you just want to foul your opponent, and in this situation announce reckless tackle before you attempt it. This can be attempted on ANY player within 3 hexes of the ball. Only the defender rolls the dice, on a 1 or 2 the foul fails and play continues but the tackling player is given a yellow card for their dangerous play. If a 3 or higher then the player is cynically fouled. Run the injury check as normal as the severe LENIENCY check, success gives a yellow card and fail gives a red card. A goalkeeper who commits a reckless tackle CAN be sent off with a straight red card.

Extra Time - Once you hit the 45 minute mark and finish your action then the half is over, or is it? If both players have agreed before the beginning of the match then extra time can be added on. This is untimed but will instead be a set number of actions, roll the dice and add the referee's LENIENCY value to get the amount of actions you have remaining, with a maximum of 7. This is the total amount of actions remaining before the whistle blows, and every movement phase, pass, snapshot or even header will slowly count it down. Once the action limit is up the half immediately finished, the only exception is if the last action led to a penalty, in which case the penalty kick will be the final action. There are three free actions that do not count as an action for extra time.

1) The first movement phase following a throw in. A second movement phase would count as an action.

2) A nutmeg as this is part of the movement phase.

3) The final third's action.

Training Camp

There are a couple of shorter variants and tournament play presented in the rules:

Outnumbered - Your team is 2-0 down in the second half with 30 minutes to go, but your opponent has had 2 men sent off. Begin from a goal kick from your goalkeeper, both managers may set up their squads on the pitch as they want and the clock begins on the kick.

Away Goal - You are away from home and 1-0 down in the cup second leg, the first leg finished 0-0 so a single goal would be enough to see you through on away goals. Begin the second half from your kick off as normal.

Attack V Defence - You have 7 attacking players while your opponent has 5 defenders plus a goalkeeper. Your goal is to score while the defenders just need to get the ball past the halfway line. Begin from an attacking kick-off after every point, with a 30 minute time limit.

Top V Bottom - Hand pick the best team you can and the worst team to play against. Play a straight 60 minute game of Counter Attack. At the end swap teams with your opponent and do it again. The strong team is considered the home team for each match, the aim is the do the best over the two legs.

Tournaments - When playing a tournament you will use the same team throughout the whole competition. Any players with injuries or cards at the end of the match need to see if these will have any lasting effects for any following games. Any players who have picked up an injury will roll a dice to check how bad it is. 1-3 it has healed before the next game, 4-5 the player will miss the next game through injury, on a 6 roll the dice a second time 1-3 means the player misses the next 2 games while 4-6 means they will miss the next 3 games. Any player who is sent off in a game for either 2 yellows or a red will miss the next game, every 3 yellow cards accumulated will also mean a player has to miss the next game.

Team Merch

Available for Counter Attack are extra international teams to purchase, these give national squads such as Japan or Nigeria, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Unlike the player pack expansions that are mixed into the deck with the rest of the players, these are kept separate as a whole team.

The rules for Counter Attack are a living ruleset, the online community works with the designer and each season they propose and implement changes to streamline and improve aspects of the game. The most recent change introduced a jackpot roll, where one of the 6s on the dice was converted to a star, this counts as a 6 for a regular dice roll but for any duels a jackpot is an automatic success, unless your opponent rolls a jackpot too in which case the duel is a tie. It really does mean anything can happen.

Now you should be an expert in the rules so get practicing those match tactics and remember to always hit your opponent on the Counter Attack.