RULEBOOK

©Konami Digital Entertainment

 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................. 2 Welcome to METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME. We recommend starting with
▶ The Codec........................................................................................................................2 the first 2 stages of the Shadow Moses Campaign to learn the basics of the game
▶ Books.................................................................................................................................2 without reading this rulebook! While only Snake can be chosen for those stages,
▶ Stage Types.....................................................................................................................2 multiple 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
COMPONENTS................................................................................................ 3
more in-depth rule explanations and game examples.
STAGE SETUP................................................................................................. 5
Player Count / Character Selection..........................................................................................5
Objective.................................................................................................................................................5
Failure.......................................................................................................................................................5
Special Rules.........................................................................................................................................5
Event Tokens..........................................................................................................................................5
Stage Clear.............................................................................................................................................5
Memory Box...........................................................................................................................................5
▶ Stage Map........................................................................................................................6
▶ Player Area Setup..........................................................................................................6
▶ Starting Equipment...................................................................................................... 7
▶ Sneaking Stage Setup................................................................................................. 7
▶ Boss Stage Setup.......................................................................................................... 7
BASIC CONCEPTS.......................................................................................... 8
▶ Adjacency........................................................................................................................8
▶ Performing Actions.......................................................................................................8
▶ Standard Player Actions.............................................................................................8
▶ Movement........................................................................................................................8
▶ THE CODEC
▶ Attention Token..............................................................................................................9 Players may use their Codec to learn information during a mission. When a
▶ Drawing Attention.........................................................................................................9 player finds a codec number on a game component, use that number to look
▶ Line of Sight (LOS)........................................................................................................9 up its codec entry to learn more about it. Keep an eye out for codec numbers
▶ Enemy and Token Line of Sight (LOS).....................................................................9 throughout METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME to discover a secret or two!
▶ Attacking........................................................................................................................ 10
Damage.................................................................................................................................................. 10 ▶ BOOKS
KO Damage........................................................................................................................................... 10
▶ Shadow Moses Campaign Book: Experience the classic Metal Gear
▶ Special Abilities........................................................................................................... 10 Solid story.
▶ Focus Tokens................................................................................................................ 10 ▶ VR Missions Book: These missions can be done at any time to unlock
▶ Character Specific Equipment and Abilities...................................................... 10 Equipment cards. These are great for playgroups looking for stand-alone
Snake....................................................................................................................................................... 10 gameplay sessions instead of a campaign experience.
Meryl........................................................................................................................................................ 10 ▶ Codec Book: Look up codec numbers in the codec book to learn
Otacon......................................................................................................................................................11 information during a mission.
Gray Fox...................................................................................................................................................11
▶ Player Turn Example................................................................................................... 12 ▶ STAGE TYPES
ROUND STRUCTURE......................................................................................13
▶ Sneaking Stage: Players avoid Guards while attempting to complete
▶ Start of the Round....................................................................................................... 13 objectives. These stages are about stealth. Players should engage in
▶ Player Phase................................................................................................................. 13 combat only when absolutely necessary.
▶ Enemy Phase................................................................................................................. 13 ▶ Boss Stage: Players battle against a unique Boss!
Boss Stage.............................................................................................................................................13
Sneaking Stage...................................................................................................................................13
▶ Resolving a Guard Order Card................................................................................ 13
Section 1: Guard Action..................................................................................................................13
Section 2: Cameras......................................................................................................................... 14
Section 3: Activate Guards.......................................................................................................... 14
▶ Guard Activation.......................................................................................................... 14
Check LOS and Reaction............................................................................................................... 16
Determine Guard Mode................................................................................................................. 16
RULES

▶ Attacking a Player....................................................................................................... 19
▶ Guard Reaction............................................................................................................ 19
▶ End of Enemy Phase................................................................................................... 19
RULES SUMMARY........................................................................................ 20

2 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME

COMPONENTS

4 Player Dashboards

15 Double-Sided Tiles

6 Boss Dashboards

Tank Boss Tile

Guard Dashboard Memory Box

Metal Gear REX Boss Tile

Snake Meryl Meryl In Disguise Otacon Rulebook

Shadow Moses
Campaign Book

Gray Fox Ocelot Wolf Mantis

Codec Book
RULES

x6 x6

Liquid Raven 12 Guards 2 Cardboard Boxes VR Missions Book

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME 3

 32 Unlockable Meryl's Disguise Otacon Terminal 8 Otacon System
7 Starting Equipment Cards Equipment Cards Reference Card Card Cards

27 Guard Order Cards

(20 Blue Guard Cards, 6 Guard Reaction 21 Otacon Boss 15 Boss Reference
7 Red Guard Cards) Cards System Cards Cards 52 Boss Cards

Guard Priority Camera Facing

6 Elevator/Shaft/Room Tiles Token Token 3 Camera Tokens

12 Objective 4 Crosshair 7 Sniper Wolf

10 Door Tokens 4 Terminal Tokens 4 Event Tokens (A-D) 5 Trap Tokens Tokens Tokens Tokens

42 Damage Tokens
16 Action Tokens 16 Focus Tokens 4 Attention Tokens (12 KO Damage, 20 1 Hit-Damage, 9 Dead Guard 9 KO Guard
(4 Per Character) (4 Per Character) (1 Per Character) 10 5/10 Hit-Damage Tokens) Tokens Tokens

12 Charge 21 Ammo Time Bomb 4 Grenade 2 Claymore 3 Missile Tokens 2 Pentazemin

Tokens Tokens 2 C-4 Tokens Token Tokens Tokens (2 Red, 1 Blue) 5 Rope Tokens Tokens
RULES

Boss Threat
2 Turret/Wall Tokens 2 Exit Tokens 11 Node Tokens 4 Shadow Tokens Marker 15 Dice (7 White, 8 Black)

4 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME

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
A stage is meant to be played during a single game session. Each stage precedence when they contradict standard rules.
indicates how many players it supports and its estimated completion time.
Each stage has specific setup instructions as well as any special rules that are EVENT TOKENS
used for that stage. Some stages have lettered Event
tokens on the map. When a player
PLAYER COUNT/CHARACTER SELECTION figure moves onto an Event token,
immediately resolve its corresponding
labeled section in the Campaign Book.
If this occurs in the middle of a player’s
action (such as Dash), they continue
their action after resolving the event.
1 2 3 4 STAGE CLEARED
In this example, a 1-player game must be played with Snake. In a 2-player When a stage has been completed successfully, follow the instructions in
game, both Snake and Meryl must be used. In a 3-player game, all but Otacon the Stage Cleared section. Usually, players are rewarded with additional
must be used. In a 4-player game, all characters are used. This format will Equipment cards to add to their Memory Box.
be used for all stages to indicate which characters can or must be used
depending on the player count. MEMORY BOX
The Memory Box is used to store any Equipment cards unlocked during game
OBJECTIVE sessions (including VR Missions). At the end of each game session, place all
The players’ goal is to complete the objective(s) for the stage. Some stages unlocked Equipment cards in the Memory Box. These may be used in any
may have optional objectives which give players additional rewards for stage played next.
completing them.

FAILURE
Players fail a stage if any of these conditions occur (even as part of an action
RULES

that completes their final objective):

▶ Any player is Killed in Action (KIA)
▶ Players run out of time, revealing the Game Over card
▶ A stage failure condition occurs

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME 5

 ▶ STAGE MAP ▶ PLAYER AREA SETUP

1
3

Every stage requires players to set up their play area as follows:

1. Select Characters: Each player selects an available character and places

their respective dashboard in front of them.
2. Gather Player Tokens: Take the 4 matching Action tokens, 4 Focus tokens,
and the double-sided Attention token, placing them next to their dashboard.
3. Prepare Equipment: Take any matching Starting Equipment and
Memory Box Equipment cards for the character, up to their equipment
Map: The entire play area of the stage, consisting of the necessary tiles and tokens. limit. Additionally, players take any Ammo, Charge, or special tokens
Zones: Demarcated areas of play. Several game mechanics will reference shown on the top right of their Equipment cards and place them on each
zones. Each zone is highlighted in the Stage Setup with an orange border. corresponding card.
Additionally, Elevator Shaft tiles, Elevator tiles, and Barracks tiles are part of 4. Prepare Dice and Additional Tokens: Place all dice, , , , ,
the zone they are connected to. A zone is considered active if there is a player and tokens in a pool within reach of all players.
figure or a player's  is in that zone.
MEMORY BOX EQUIPMENT
Unlocked 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 equipment limit.
RULES

6 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME

▶ STARTING EQUIPMENT ▶ BOSS STAGE SETUP
EQUIPMENT TYPE Boss stages do not use the Guard dashboard, the Guard decks, or Guard
AND SUB-TYPE NAME figures. Instead, they use specific Boss dashboards, Boss decks, and Boss
figures which are placed next to the map. Read each Stage Setup instructions
NUMBER OF USES and Boss dashboard in detail to set up a Boss stage.

ILLUSTRATION

EQUIPMENT
NUMBER

ACTION EFFECT

CODEC NUMBER ACTION COST

Some characters have starting equipment that can only be used by them, as
indicated by the character's image on the back. When choosing Equipment
cards from the Memory Box, starting Equipment cards can be replaced. The
equipment limit for each character is listed on their dashboard.

▶ Snake: None (On-Site Procurement) Boss Reference card: Some Boss stages use Special Action cards that allow
▶ Meryl: Handgun (.50 Cal) and Light Assault Rifle players to perform special actions during the stage. Place the Boss reference
▶ Otacon: ADV Stealth Camouflage and Rations card shown in the Stage Setup over the highlighted portion on all Player
▶ Gray Fox: Stealth Camouflage, High-Frequency Blade, and Arm Cannon dashboards, covering the player actions that are not used during a Boss stage.

Some equipment has a limited number of uses. If players see those symbols in the
top right corner of an Equipment card, place that many tokens of the corresponding
type on it during setup. Sometimes, players will be able to get more ammo or
charges, but the number of tokens on a card can never go over the printed value.
Other equipment is discarded after a single use. When an Equipment card that
has Action tokens on it is discarded, place them on the player’s dashboard.
They cannot be used again until the player’s next turn.

▶ SNEAKING STAGE SETUP

Boss Deck: Each Boss has their own Boss deck. Shuffle it and place it next to
the map. After resolving a Boss card, it is placed on the bottom of the Boss deck
6 unless instructed otherwise. Boss decks are never shuffled during the game.
7
5

All Sneaking stages require the Guard dashboard to be set up:

5. Place the Guard dashboard near the map.
RULES

6. Separately shuffle blue and red Guard Order cards, defined in the Stage Setup
of every stage. Stack the blue cards above the red cards to form the Guard
Order deck, placing them near the indicated section of the Guard dashboard.
7. Shuffle the Guard Reaction deck and place it next to the indicated section
of the Guard dashboard.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME 7

 BASIC CONCEPTS Drag Body: 1 Action
Pick up 1 or in the player’s space or an adjacent space.
Then, move 1 space and place the token in an empty adjacent
▶ ADJACENCY space.

Rules will often refer to adjacent spaces or components. In all cases, this means Interact: 1 Action
that the components in question are in spaces next to each other orthogonally, Interact with an element on the map with the in or on the
not diagonally, and never across obstacles, such as walls or locked doors. edge of the player’s space, such as Elevators or locked Doors.
NOTE: If a player performs an Interact action that requires them
to roll dice, such as interacting with a Locked Object, they roll
the number and type of dice shown on their Player dashboard.

INTERACTING WITH LOCKED OBJECTS

Some objects are locked and show a dice
combination. Players may unlock these objects
by performing an Interact action and rolling the
indicated dice. Then, players may use this action
again during their turn to reroll any number of those dice.
Once the dice match the combination, discard the locked object token.
NOTE: Locked objects range from levels 2 to 5, indicating how difficult
they are to unlock. All locked objects must be unlocked in a single turn. If a
player moves away from a locked object or their turn ends, all progress on
the locked object is lost.
▶ PERFORMING ACTIONS
Knock: 1 Action
The main way a player interacts with the game is by performing actions. A Draw Attention to the player’s space. This will result in the
player has 4 actions every turn and performs an action by placing the required player’s Attention token being placed in their space (see
Action tokens in the corresponding slot. What actions are available to a player Drawing Attention, pg. 9). If it is already on the map, move it to
are shown on various components like their Player dashboard, Equipment their current space without changing its side. Otherwise, place
cards, and Special Action cards. it under the player’s figure with its  side up.

Some actions are considered Noisy. This is indicated by the icon next to ▶ MOVEMENT
the action.
All movement is done orthogonally, never diagonally. Two figures can never
NOTE: Players may take the same action multiple times. occupy the same space. When moving into a space with another figure, it
instead moves over (leapfrogs) that figure. Leapfrogging over any number of
adjacent figures is still considered 1 space of movement.
ACTION COST
Some actions may cost more than 1 Action
When a player leapfrogs over any number of enemy figures, they place
token to perform, as indicated next to it on their  under their figure after completing the move. Each enemy that
each Player dashboard, Equipment card, or was leapfrogged attacks the player (see Attacking a Player, pg. 17). LOS is
Special Action card. ACTION COST not required for enemies making these attacks as they are considered to
be attacking the player as they were being leapfrogged.

▶ STANDARD PLAYER ACTIONS

Sneak: 1 Action
Move 1 space.

Dash: 1 Action
Move 2 spaces.

Hand-to-Hand Attack: 1 Action

Attack an adjacent figure. Roll . Deals .

Combo Attack: 2 Actions

RULES

Attack an adjacent figure. Roll . Deals .

Focus: X Actions
Place X Action tokens to refresh an inactive Focus token, where X
is equal to its refresh cost (see pg. 10).

8 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME

▶ ATTENTION TOKEN 2. Draw an imaginary box on the outer edge of both figures and/or tokens.
There should be no obstacles anywhere within the box (such as walls or
Each player character has an Attention token with an Investigate side  locked doors).
and an Alerted side  . When a player makes noise or is seen by a Guard
or Camera, this token is placed on the map. Depending on its side, Guard
behavior will change.

▶ DRAWING ATTENTION 1
Several effects will draw attention to a player’s space. If a player draws
attention, check for their Attention token and do 1 of the following:
▶ If the player’s Attention token is not on the map, place it under their figure
with its  side up.
2
▶ If the player’s Attention token is already on the map, move it to their space
without changing its side.

!
White Dice: Any time a player rolls white dice and any are rolled, their
1
player draws attention to their space.

Noise Check: During a mission, players will make noise (intentionally or

accidentally) which may draw Guards to that noise. At the end of each player’s
turn, if there is a Guard in their zone, they roll for each Action token on 2
their Noisy !
actions. If any are rolled, the player draws attention to their
current space.
If both conditions are met, the figure has LOS to its target.
Loud Equipment Actions: Actions on some equipment, such as guns, rifles, NOTE: A Camera does not have LOS to its own space.
grenades, and missiles are LOUD actions and require the active player to
place their  under their figure after performing them. Obstacles: Obstacles are game elements that block both LOS and movement.
These can include but are not limited to locked doors (A), trees (B), any
▶ LINE OF SIGHT (LOS) feature in spaces surrounded by a red line (C), and walls indicated by either a
red line or heavy black line (D).
In most cases, players, enemies, and other game elements require Line of
Sight (LOS) when targeting another element. To determine if something has D
LOS, they must fulfill the following 2 conditions:
1. If the figure or token has a facing, check if it is facing towards the row A
or column its target is in (components that don’t have a facing, such as
player figures or Laser Sensors, are considered to face all directions). C
B
1
▶ ENEMY AND TOKEN LINE OF SIGHT (LOS)
If a player is ever in LOS of a Camera or a Guard for any reason (even newly
spawned or revived Guards), they are alerted and the player’s  must be
placed under their figure. If the player begins a move in LOS of a Camera/
Guard or moves through LOS of one as part of a move, place their  under
their figure after completing the move.
1

1
RULES

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME 9

 Enemies: Enemies are the Guards and Bosses that try to prevent the players When a player deals damage but does not KO or defeat a Guard before the
from accomplishing their mission. They are always watching for signs of end of their turn, the enemy is alerted and the player’s  must be placed
intruders and will become alerted if a player enters their LOS at any time under their figure at the end of their turn.
during a Sneaking stage (see Line of Sight, pg. 9).
NOTE: Enemies can be alerted even if they have no LOS to players.
Enemy Facing: Enemies are facing the direction of the arrow on the base of
their figure. If a Boss is dealt KO damage, it is treated as standard damage instead.

Cameras: Cameras are always watching for signs of intruders in the direction NOTE: A KO’ed Guard ignores damage from Equipment cards and cannot be
they are facing. If a Camera detects a player, , or in its LOS, Guards will attacked by players.
either be alerted or come to investigate (see Cameras, pg. 14).
▶ SPECIAL ABILITIES
Camera Facing: Cameras only face 1 direction at a time. This is
indicated by the ORANGE or GREEN vision cone on their token The effects of special abilities can be found on Player dashboards, some
edges, which correspond to the color of the faceup side of the Equipment cards, and Boss dashboards. As always, additional information
Camera Facing token. Each Guard Order card will instruct players can be found in their Codec entry.
whether to flip the Camera Facing token, changing the direction of
each Camera’s Line of Sight. ▶ FOCUS TOKENS
Trap Tokens: Facedown Trap tokens are considered to face all Active Side Inactive Side
directions. When a player enters LOS of a Trap token, flip it faceup.

NOTE: If a Camera is revealed from a Trap token, orient it so that neither of the
vision cones of the Camera are facing a wall.
Each character has a set of unique Focus tokens. Players may use any number
Laser Sensors: When a player enters LOS of a Laser Sensor, they of Focus tokens at no cost by flipping them from their active side to their inactive
place their  under their figure. side (grayed out). Focus tokens that affect dice can be used by a player at any
time they are rolling dice for themselves or an enemy targeting their figure. To
refresh and flip a Focus token back to its active side, a player must perform the
▶ ATTACKING Focus action and pay the action cost shown on the inactive side of the token.

All attacks are resolved with dice. The attacker must first ensure that their NOTE: Focus tokens that move player figures can only be used during a
target is within Line of Sight (LOS). player’s turn.
▶ Player Attacks: The player rolls a number of dice indicated by the action
or Equipment card they are using. ▶ CHARACTER SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT
▶ Guard Attacks: The player being attacked rolls as indicated on the AND ABILITIES
Guard dashboard. Guards will only attack players during the Enemy Phase or
when a player leapfrogs over their figure. Some Equipment cards unlocked by completing Stages
▶ Boss Attacks: The player being attacked rolls a number of dice indicated can only be used by specific characters. If one of these
on the Boss dashboard and any additional dice as a result of special rules Equipment cards shows a character’s portrait on the front
or effects unique to that Boss. side of the card, only that character can equip it.
▶ Defense: Compare the dice results from the attack against the target’s
Defense. For every result equal to or greater than their Defense, 1 damage
is dealt.
SNAKE
NOTE: Some effects can damage both players and enemies that are not
attacks (Explosives, environmental, etc.) and because no dice are rolled, ACTIONS
there is no attacker.
Silent Takedown: 2 Actions
DAMAGE If Snake is behind an adjacent Guard, replace the Guard with a .
When a figure is dealt damage, place Hit Damage tokens on their dashboard
(for players and bosses) or next to their figure (for Guards). If a figure is dealt
damage equal to or exceeding their health, they are defeated. FOCUS TOKENS

If a Guard is defeated, replace their figure on the map with a . Reroll any +2 to the
1 die. result of any
If a player is defeated, they are Killed in Action (KIA) and fail the stage. 1 die.

KO DAMAGE
A special type of damage dealt by certain actions or attacks. When a figure is -2 from the Roll -1 or
RULES

dealt KO damage, place 1 next to their figure for each KO damage. If a Guard is result of any Move 1 space.
dealt KO damage equal to or exceeding their health 2 , the Guard is knocked out. 1 die.

If a Guard is knocked out, replace their figure on the map with a with
its 2-star side faceup. !
NOTE: is not a number and cannot be modified by Focus tokens with +/-
effects. However, they can be rerolled by reroll effects from Focus tokens.

10 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME

MERYL
NOTE: The total number of on System cards and those to roll cannot
STARTING EQUIPMENT normally exceed 4. However, this total can be temporarily increased with
Meryl may start each stage with the Light Assault Rifle and Handgun (.50 Cal). abilities that grant additional dice.
Start each Sneaking stage with the Disguise Reference card. Place the
Disguised Meryl figure near her dashboard.

ACTIONS

Gain Disguise: 2 Actions

If Meryl is adjacent to a or and her  is not on the
map, replace her figure with the Disguised Meryl figure.

FOCUS TOKENS

+2 to the +/-1 to the

result of result of any EXAMPLE: Otacon’s + Focus token temporarily increases the total he can roll when
any 1 die. 1 die. performing Access Systems to 5. Along with the Hacker ability, this further increases the total
by up to 2 , for a grand total of up to 5 and 2 if both are used.

Gain 1 Roll +1 . Can

additional be used before or Once all dice slots on a System card are covered,
action this after a roll. Otacon may resolve an effect at any time during his
turn. turn or when a condition on the System card is met.
This effect can be equal to or less than the level of
OTACON the hacked Terminal he is in the space of or adjacent
to. After resolving the effect, remove all dice from
While Otacon lacks the combat skills that the other characters have, he’s a the System card and return it to the bottom of the
whiz with computers and is the only character that can hack into terminals, System deck.
gain System cards, and employ his unique abilities to manipulate the
environment and enemies. DISCONNECTING FROM A HACKED TERMINAL
If Otacon’s figure moves away, or an effect causes him to disconnect,
STARTING EQUIPMENT from a hacked Terminal, all dice from all System cards are discarded.
Otacon may start each stage with the ADV Stealth Camouflage and Rations. Then, all System cards are returned to the top or bottom (player's choice)
Depending on the stage, when playing Otacon, a Stage Setup will instruct of the deck, in any order.
players to shuffle and place one of the System decks near his dashboard.
There is a regular System deck used for Sneaking stages, as well as specific
decks of System cards for Bosses when playing Otacon. FOCUS TOKENS

ACTIONS +/-1 to the Reroll any 1 .

Hack Terminal : 1 Action result of any
Attempt to hack a Terminal in his or an adjacent space by 1 die.
rolling 4 plus any additional dice from other effects. Otacon
may perform this action again to reroll any number of these
dice. Once the dice results match the dice combination on the +/-2 to the Roll +1 . Can
Terminal, it is hacked. Flip the Terminal to its hacked side. result of any be used before or
1 die. after a roll.
NOTE: Terminals have a dice combination on them, indicating
they have not been hacked. Terminals range from level 2 to 5,
indicating how difficult they are to hack. All Terminals must be GRAY FOX
hacked in a single turn. If Otacon moves away from a Terminal
or his turn ends, all progress on hacking that Terminal is lost. STARTING EQUIPMENT
Gray Fox may start each stage with Stealth Camouflage, High-Frequency
System Search: 1 Action Blade, and Arm Cannon.
While on or adjacent to a hacked Terminal, draw 1 System card.
Otacon can have up to 3 System cards next to his dashboard at FOCUS TOKENS
a time, returning 1 to the top or bottom of the System deck when
a 4th is drawn. +2 to the result +/-2 to the
of any 1 die. result of any
Access Systems + : 1 Action 1 die.
RULES

While on or adjacent to a hacked Terminal with at least 1 System

card faceup next to his dashboard, roll up to 4 . Each rolled die
may be allocated to an empty dice slot on any faceup System card Roll -1 . Move +2
with a value matching the die result. Allocated dice remain on spaces when
System cards from round to round, but may be removed at any time, performing a
including to be rolled as part of another Access Systems action. Dash.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME 11

 ▶ PLAYER TURN EXAMPLE
MERYL'S TURN

Meryl spends 3 actions to Dash and

1 action to Sneak into the room.

Since Dash is a noisy action, 1

is rolled for each Dash action.
A ! was rolled, so Meryl's 

is placed under her figure.

SNAKE'S TURN

Snake spends 1 action to Dash

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

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

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

As Combo Attack deals KO

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

Snake spends his Focus token to

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

As Snake performed a Dash this turn,

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

12 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME

ROUND STRUCTURE ▶ RESOLVING A GUARD ORDER CARD
I SECTION 1: GUARD ACTION
Each stage is played through a series of rounds. Each round starts with the Resolve the Guard action as follows:
Player phase, during which players take their turns, and is followed by the
Enemy phase. Waken Guard (Active Zones):

▶ START OF THE ROUND

All players return all Action tokens to their available supply.
Remove each and spawn a Guard in its place. Then, flip all to their
▶ PLAYER PHASE 1-star side.
NOTE: Players decide which direction Guards face when placing them, with
Players may take their turns in any order. However, a player must completely the only restriction being that Guards cannot be placed facing obstacles such
resolve their turn and perform all their actions before the next player begins. as walls and locked doors.

PERFORM ACTIONS - Players perform actions by assigning their Action tokens Radio-In (Active Zones):
to the actions on their Player dashboard, Equipment cards, and Special Action
cards. Players may take the same action more than once but must pay its cost
each time. Some actions cost more than 1 Action token to perform.
Guards report in. The Guard Count in each zone’s Barracks represents how many
NOTE: Players are not required to use all their Action tokens during their turn. Guards should be patrolling that zone. For each active zone, count the Guard
figures. For each Guard less than the Guard Count in an active zone, spawn a
NOISE CHECK - Players who performed any number of Noisy actions must Guard on the in the barracks.
perform a noise check at the end of their turn (see Drawing Attention, pg. 9). NOTE: and do not count towards the total Guard Count.

▶ ENEMY PHASE SPAWNING A GUARD

Some effects may cause a Guard to spawn in a specific space. Place a
The Enemy phase begins after all players have taken their turns. Depending on
Guard figure in that target space if there are no figures there. If it cannot
the stage type, the Enemy phase is resolved differently.
be placed in that space, place it in an adjacent space that has no figures
BOSS STAGE in it. If there are multiple adjacent spaces with no figures, the players
choose which space to place it in. If
In Boss stages, players get to battle the roster of iconic Metal Gear Solid
a Guard is still not able to be placed
Bosses. During the Enemy phase of a Boss stage, resolve the Boss’s turn in the
because there are no eligible spaces
following way:
1. Draw: Draw and resolve the top card of the Boss deck as instructed, or there are no Guard figures left in
following any additional rules for the stage as well as those on the Boss the supply, instead, take the top Guard
dashboard. Order card, reveal it, and place it at the
2. End: After the Boss has fully resolved their card and any additional effects bottom of the deck.
indicated on their Boss dashboard, their turn is complete. If neither the NOTE: If you need to spawn more
players nor the Boss have been defeated, begin a new round starting than 1 Guard, spawn each Guard one
with the Player phase. at a time.

SNEAKING STAGE
SPAWNED GUARD FACING
In Sneaking stages, players use a combination of tactics, primarily stealth,
When a Guard figure is taken from the supply and placed on a
to achieve the objectives and clear the stage. During the Enemy phase of a
icon on the map, the icon dictates the Guard’s facing. Otherwise,
Sneaking stage, resolve the enemy’s turn by drawing and resolving a Guard
the players may orient the Guard in any direction that is not facing
Order card from the top of the deck.
obstacles such as walls or locked doors.
If the Game Over card is ever revealed, the game ends immediately as the
players have run out of time and failed the stage. Lost Contact (All Zones):

Otherwise, resolve each section of the Guard Order card as instructed.

3
NOTE: During the Enemy phase of a Sneaking stage, many rules and effects will
reference an active zone. A zone is active if at least 1 player figure or  is in it. For every 3 on the map, take the top Guard Order card, reveal it, and place
it on the bottom of the deck.

Stay Alert (Active Zones):


RULES

2
All players within 2 spaces of a Guard, without obstacles in-between, must
place or move their  under their figure. If their  is already on the map,
nothing happens.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME 13

 II SECTION 2: CAMERAS
Ignore this section if there are no Cameras on the map.
If there are Cameras on the map, this icon will indicate
whether the Camera Facing token will be flipped this
Enemy phase or not.

NOTE: Cameras are always checking their LOS, so do not

forget to check LOS for all Cameras when the Camera
Facing token is flipped.

III SECTION 3: ACTIVATE GUARDS

Activate Guards in all active zones, starting with the zone closest to the Guard
Priority token. When a Guard activates, they become the active Guard and will do
a variety of things during their activation that will depend on whether or not the
Guard has LOS to a player, moves into a space with a token, and the mode that
they are in. The Guard Priority token represents the top left corner of the map.
The Guards in that zone will activate from top to bottom, left to right, starting with
the Guards in the top row closest to the Guard Priority token. If there is more than
1 Guard in that row, then they will activate from left to right.

▶ GUARD ACTIVATION
CHECK LOS AND REACTION

IMPORTANT! The active Guard ends their movement (see Ending DETERMINE GUARD MODE
Movement, pg. 15) after they either attack a player, resolve any Guard Check the following conditions to determine the active Guard’s mode:
Reaction, or is unable to move any further.
ALERT MODE: There is at least 1  in the active Guard’s zone.
▶ Check for LOS to a Player: Any time the active Guard has or gains LOS to
a player, place the player’s  under their figure if it is not already there. INVESTIGATE MODE: The active Guard is not in Alert mode and is the nearest
If there is more than 1 player in the active Guard’s LOS, they attack the or tied for nearest Guard to any  , or there are any / in their LOS or
nearest player (see Attacking a Player, pg. 17). in LOS of a Camera in their zone.

▶ Check for Guard Reactions: Any time the active Guard is on any Attention PATROL MODE: The active Guard is neither in Alert nor Investigate mode.
 /  or Guard / tokens, they resolve a Guard Reaction (see
Guard Reaction, pg. 17). The bottom portion of the Guard Order card shows the maximum number
of spaces the Guard will move, unless they are required to stop. This could
NOTE: An active Guard may find themself in a position where they need to happen as a result of acquiring LOS on a player, moving into a space with
resolve an attack and a Guard Reaction at the same time. In this case, always an Attention  /  or Guard / token, or running out of available
resolve the attack first. spaces along the shortest path.

If the active Guard is in Alert mode, use the RED number.

In all other cases, use the BLUE number.

RULES

14 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME

 GUARD ROTATION WHEN FACING AN OBSTACLE GUARD LEAPFROGGING
If a Guard figure is blocked (facing obstacles such as a wall or locked Guards can leapfrog over other Guards but cannot leapfrog over player
door), rotate it to face the closest space from its current direction that is figures. When a Guard encounters other Guard figures, the active Guard
not blocked. If there is more than 1 such space, rotate it in the direction of must first check to see if there is a space for them to move into after
the arrow on the Guard Order card until it is not blocked. leapfrogging, following all movement rules for the mode they are in.

When leapfrogging over Guards, the active Guard will face away from the
SHORTEST PATH last space they leapfrogged over. While a Guard may gain LOS to a player
Figuring out the shortest path is very important. Any time players need during a leapfrog, they must always complete the leapfrog first.
to determine the path a Guard takes to a space or when determining
distance, the shortest path is always used. NOTE: This may cause the Guard to no longer have LOS to the player. The
Guard will still end their movement (to radio their comrades).
The shortest path is the one with the fewest number of spaces between
two spaces on the map that does not cross obstacles like walls or locked
doors. Guards can also leapfrog over other Guards. ENDING MOVEMENT
When an active Guard ends their movement, they will always face the
In some cases, there could be more than 1 path that has the fewest next space of the shortest path, unless they have LOS to a player. If a
number of spaces. In those cases, the shortest path is the path that Guard is facing obstacles such as a wall or locked door, they will find a
requires the fewest turns. If there is more than 1 path that has the fewest new path. After ending their movement, if the Guard has not gained LOS
number of spaces and requires the fewest number of turns, the players to a player, they end their activation.
may decide which path to use.

Any time an active Guard would move into the next space on the FINDING A NEW PATH
shortest path to their target space, they will turn to face the direction of An active Guard may need to find a new path when they would not be
that space. The Guard will ONLY move along this path, including while able to move further in the current direction, or when they end their
leapfrogging. If there are no available spaces on this path, the Guard movement on a . They will do this by turning either left or right to face
MUST end their movement. a direction that has at least 1 unoccupied space they can potentially move
into (e.g., around corners). If there are available paths both to the left and
right, the active Guard will turn in the direction / shown on the
Guard Order card. If there are no paths to the left or right, the active Guard
will turn in the direction / on the Guard Order card until they face a
path they can move into. If they have turned 360 degrees around without
finding a path, they end their activation.

EXAMPLE: The Guard activates and goes into Alert mode as there is a  in their zone.
The active Guard attempts to move into that space by the shortest path. They move 2
spaces forward and then turns to the left. The next space they would move into is a space
RULES

with another Guard, and the active Guard checks if there is a space along the shortest path
they can move into after leapfrogging. As Snake’s figure is in the only space at the end of
the leapfrog that would be on the shortest path to the  , and 2 figures cannot occupy
the same space, the Guard cannot leapfrog and ends their movement.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME 15

 ALERT MODE INVESTIGATE MODE

When there is at least 1  in the active Guard’s zone. When the active Guard is the nearest or tied for nearest Guard to any  ,
or there are any / in LOS or in the LOS of a Camera in the zone.
The active Guard is in Alert mode. They will attempt to move into the space
of the nearest  in their zone, moving spaces up to the RED number on the The active Guard is in Investigate mode. They will attempt to move into the
Guard Order card, along the shortest path (see Shortest Path, pg. 15). space with the nearest  in their zone, moving spaces up to the BLUE
number on the Guard Order card, along the shortest path if they are the
nearest or tied for nearest Guard to it. Otherwise, they will attempt to move
towards the nearest / in their LOS or LOS of a Camera in their zone
by the same means, instead.

EXAMPLE: The Guard activates and goes into Investigate mode. Although both Snake and
Otacon’s  are in the zone, the active Guard is not the nearest Guard to either token.
However, they have LOS to a and will move towards that space by up to 4 spaces by the
shortest path, according to the blue number on the Guard Order card. The Guard moves 1 space
EXAMPLE: The Guard activates and goes into Alert mode as there is a  in the zone. Since
and meets a series of 2 spaces with Guards in them. They check for a space to move into after
Snake’s  is the nearest, the active Guard will move toward it up to 5 spaces along the
the leapfrog, and does so, landing in the space with the .
shortest path, according to the red number on the Guard Order card.

First, the Guard turns 180 degrees and move 1 space forward. Then, as there are a series of Guards
in their path, they will check for a space to move into after the leapfrog. As there is, they move
through each space with a Guard and rotates at the corner to face the next space. On reaching the
empty space, they gain LOS to Snake, and end their movement, attacking Snake.

While the active Guard has moved 2 of the 4 spaces they can move, they immediately end their
RULES

movement upon entering the space with the and resolves a Guard Reaction.

Having ended their movement facing a wall, the Guard must find a new path. This causes them
to turn to the left and gain LOS on Snake, making the player place Snake’s  under his
figure. Then, the Guard attacks Snake and ends their activation.

16 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME

PATROL MODE ▶ ATTACKING A PLAYER
The active Guard is in Patrol mode. A Guard in Patrol mode does not have a The Guard attacks the nearest player in their LOS, according to the shortest
target space that they are moving towards. Instead, they patrol their zone for path. That player rolls as indicated on the Guard dashboard,
any signs of intrusion, moving spaces equal to the BLUE number on the Guard dealing 1 damage to the player for each roll equal to or greater than their
Order card using the following rules: Defense. Mark the damage by placing Damage tokens on their dashboard.

The Guard will move in the direction they are facing as far as they can. If they When a player takes damage equal to or greater than their health, that
would move into obstacles such as a wall or locked door, or there are no more player is Killed in Action (KIA) and the players fail the stage. After resolving
available spaces in the direction they would move, the Guard will find a new the attack, check to see if the Guard is on an Attention  /  or Guard
path (see Finding a New Path, pg. 15). / . If so, proceed to Guard Reaction (below).

▶ On a icon, regardless of movement remaining: Turn the Guard to Otherwise, the Guard has completed their activation.
face the indicated direction and continue their movement, if any.
▶ On a *visible with remaining movement: Ignore the icon and do not
rotate.
▶ On a *visible having exhausted all available movement without
gaining LOS to a player: The Guard will find a new path (see Finding a
New Path, pg. 15).

*NOTE: Locked door tokens cover icons in their space causing Guards to
ignore them.
The Guard ends their
movement and attacks
Snake, rolling 2 . This is
compared against Snake´s
defense of 3. Just one die
will deal damage to Snake.

He takes 1 damage.

▶ GUARD REACTION
Draw the top Guard Reaction card from the deck. Resolve each Attention
 /  and Guard / token in the space as instructed by the
Guard Reaction card, one at a time, from top to bottom, until there are no
tokens remaining in the Guard’s space or the Guard moves to another space
EXAMPLE: This Guard activates and is in Patrol mode, despite the 2  in the zone (as they are due to an effect of the Guard Reaction card.
not the nearest Guard to either) or the adjacent (as it is not in the Guard’s LOS). Therefore,
the Guard attempts to move forward using the blue number on the Guard Order card. After resolving the Guard’s Reactions, the active Guard ends their movement
(see Ending Movement, pg. 15).
As they would move into a series of spaces with Guards, they check to see if they can leapfrog.
Normally, they would leapfrog all the spaces ahead and turn left at the corner. However, as NOTE: Guards only react to tokens in their space during their activation.
Snake’s figure is blocking the path and there is not a space for them to move into, they cannot.
▶ END OF ENEMY PHASE
RULES

The Guard must now check to see if there is any point along the leapfrog where they can find a
new path with a space to move into and continue their movement in Patrol mode. As there is, After all Guards in an active zone have activated, move on to the next active
the Guard turns left from the first Guard’s space turning just as if they were turning a corner. zone until all Guards in all active zones have activated.
The Guard then continues moving in Patrol mode and encounters Otacon’s  , ending their
movement and resolving a Guard Reaction. Once all Guards in all active zones have activated, the Enemy phase ends and
the Player phase begins once again.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME 17

 ▶ EXAMPLE

It is the Enemy Phase! The first portion of the phase wakes

the Guards. This means all 2-star KO’ed Guard tokens in
the active zone flip to the 1-star side, which happens to the
1 KO’ed Guard token on the map. If it had been already on
the 1-star side, the token would be replaced by a Guard.

Following the Guard Priority token, the Guard nearest to

it activates. Since this Guard is the nearest to Meryl’s  ,
they move 5 spaces along the shortest path towards the  ,
according to the BLUE number on the Guard Order Card. While
attempting to move to the  along the shortest path, it will
first gain LOS to Meryl, ending their movement. Meryl flips her
Attention token to its  side and places it under her figure.
RULES

The Guard attacks Meryl.

18 ▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME

 The Guard ends their movement and
attacks Meryl, rolling 2 . This is
compared against Meryl’s defense of 3.
Both dice will deal damage to Meryl.

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.

Now that Meryl’s  is on the board,

any remaining Guards in the active
zone that have not activated will
move 6 spaces along the shortest
path towards that  token when
they activate, according to the RED
number of the Guard Order card.

The Guard moves 2 spaces,

leapfrogs over the Guard
in the hallway, and ends
their movement facing
Meryl. Note that the Guard
started the activation in
LOS to the KO’ed Guard
token but ignores it as
they is in Alert mode.

The Guard attacks Meryl.

RULES

The Guard then deals 1 damage to

Meryl. Meryl has 2 health left.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME 19

 RULES SUMMARY II SECTION 2: CAMERAS

▶ PLAYER PHASE
PERFORM ACTIONS – Spend Action tokens to perform Actions. Actions
may cost more than 1 Action token to perform, and the same action can be
performed multiple times.
Flip the Camera Facing token and check all Camera LOS.
NOISE CHECK – Roll equal to Noisy actions performed.
III SECTION 3: ACTIVATE GUARDS
▶ ENEMY PHASE
Activate Guards in all active zones, from top to bottom, left to right, starting
BOSS STAGE with the Guards in the top row closest to the Guard Priority token.

DRAW - Draw and resolve the top Boss card, following any additional rules for IMPORTANT! The active Guard ends their movement after they either attack
the stage and Boss dashboard. a player, resolve any Guard Reaction, or is unable to move any further.

END - If neither the players nor the Boss have been defeated, begin a new Check the following conditions to determine the active Guard’s mode:
round starting with the Player phase.
▶ ALERT MODE: When there is at least 1  in the active Guard’s zone.
SNEAKING STAGE The active Guard is in Alert mode. They will attempt to move into the space
of the nearest  in the zone, moving spaces up to the RED number on
Draw and resolve the top Guard Order card. If the Game Over card is revealed, the Guard Order card, along the shortest path.
the game ends and players fail the stage.
▶ INVESTIGATE MODE: The active Guard is not in Alert mode and is the
GUARD ORDER CARD nearest or tied for nearest Guard to any  , or there are any /
in their LOS or in the LOS of a Camera in their zone.
I SECTION 1: GUARD ACTION The active Guard is in Investigate mode. They will attempt to move
into the space with the nearest  in the zone, moving spaces up
Waken Guard (Active Zones) to the BLUE number on the Guard Order card, along the shortest path
if they are the nearest or tied for nearest Guard to it. Otherwise, they
will attempt to move towards the nearest / in LOS or LOS of a
Camera in the zone by the same means, instead.

▶ Remove and spawn a Guard in its place. ▶ PATROL MODE: The active Guard is neither in Alert nor Investigate mode.
▶ Flip all to their 1-star side. The Guard will move in the direction they are facing as far as possible
equal to the BLUE number on the Guard Order card. If they would move
Radio-In (Active Zones) into obstacles such as a wall or locked door, or there are no more available
spaces in the direction they would move, the Guard will find a new path.
▶ On a icon, regardless of movement remaining: Turn the Guard to
face the indicated direction and continue their movement, if any.
▶ On a visible with remaining movement: Ignore the icon and do
▶ If the number of Guards are less than the Guard Count, spawn Guards in not rotate.
the barracks , one at a time, up to the Guard Count. ▶ On a visible having exhausted all available movement without
gaining LOS to a player: The Guard will find a new path.
Lost Contact (All Zones)
ATTACKING A PLAYER

Attack the nearest player in LOS with . Then, check for Guard Reaction.
3 Otherwise, the Guard has completed their activation.

▶ For every 3 on the map, reveal the top Guard Order card and place it on GUARD REACTION
the bottom of its deck.
Draw the top Guard Reaction card and resolve each Attention  /  and
Stay Alert (Active Zones) Guard / token in the space. After resolving the Guard’s Reactions, the

2
 Guard has completed their activation.

END OF ENEMY PHASE

Once all Guards in all active zones have activated, the Enemy phase ends, and
▶ All players within 2 spaces of a Guard must place or move their  under the player phase begins once again.
their figure.
▶ If their  is already on the map, nothing happens.

▶ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE BOARD GAME - RULES SUMMARY