Dune: Imperium – Uprising · Board game rules
How does the battle icon work?
Quick answer
When you win a Conflict, check if you have another face-up card in your supply with the same battle icon (Crysknife, Desert Mouse, Ornithopter). If so, flip both face down to gain 1 Victory Point. In the Endgame, a wild battle icon can match any.
Details
When a player wins a Conflict and takes the Conflict card into their supply, they immediately check for a matching battle icon. The three battle icons are Crysknife, Desert Mouse, and Ornithopter. If the player has another face-up card (Conflict, Objective, or other) in their supply with the same icon, they flip both cards face down and gain 1 Victory Point [p.14 — Combat].
During the Endgame, players may use a wild battle icon (if available) to match any one of the three standard icons, allowing for more flexibility in pairing [p.20 — Battle Icon].
Example: If Abby wins a Conflict card with a Desert Mouse icon and already has a face-up card with Desert Mouse in her supply, she flips both cards face down and gains 1 VP. If she lacks a matching card, the Conflict card remains face up in her supply for future turns.
Key Notes:
- Only face-up cards in the supply count for matching. Cards in the deck, discard pile, or face down do not.
- Flipped pairs remain face down for the rest of the game and cannot be reused for future matches.
- The Shield Wall or sandworm rules do not affect battle icon mechanics directly, but winning Conflicts (and thus acquiring Conflict cards) is central to triggering these interactions [p.14 — Combat].
Watch out:
Players often forget that battle icon pairs must be face-up in the supply. Cards acquired during the round but not yet revealed (e.g., in the hand or unplayed) do not qualify. Always ensure relevant cards are visible in your supply to maximize VP opportunities.