S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game · Board game rules
How do I activate specific Intruder or Monster cards?
Quick answer
Intruder or Monster cards (Enemies) activate during the Enemies & Zone Phase based on the drawn Enemy Activation card, which dictates their actions. Specific Enemies may also spawn from resolving Unknown tokens or Mission/Event card instructions.
Details
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Enemy Activation Phase: During the Enemies & Zone Phase, draw and resolve an Enemy Activation card. The card specifies which Enemies activate (e.g., "+1 Enemies Move up to X" activates all Enemies with a +1 token). Activation includes Movement, Attacks, or Special actions as per the card [p.30 — Enemies & Zone Phase].
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Unknown Tokens: Resolving an Unknown token (🔍) may require drawing an Enemy Activation card to determine which Enemy (including Intruders or Monsters) spawns from the Enemy pool and activates [p.31 — ENEMY ACTIVATION].
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Mission/Event Cards: Some Mission or Random Event cards explicitly instruct spawning or activating specific Enemies (e.g., "Place 1 Snork near the Stalkers"). Follow the card’s instructions for immediate activation [p.18 — Event Phase].
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Team Behavior: Enemies with the same team token (e.g., 🔴, 🔵) do not attack each other. Monsters (Mutants) and Intruders (Humans) may have unique rules (e.g., Humans treat Windows as open edges) [p.31 — Enemy Types].
Watch out: If no Attention token (🚴) is on the Map, the Enemy Activation card may resolve differently (e.g., patrolling instead of hunting Stalkers). Always check the card’s "no Attention" clause [p.30 — ENEMY ACTIVATION].