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Rules assistance for A War in the Heavens: Campaign 4 – Operation Stairway
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- 10+
Rules assistant for A War in the Heavens: Campaign 4 – Operation Stairway
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
A War in the Heavens: Campaign 4 – Operation Stairway is an expansion for Gruntz 15mm Sci-Fi released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Matthew Parmer and its main mechanics are Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game.
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About the game
On May 15th of 2052 elements of the 15th MEU(SOC) landing battalion dropped onto the planet designated as New Pallas to take out a Consensus command facility. The drop went according to procedure and the combined Marine / Chang strike team hit the Consensus facility just before local nautical twilight. Chang units hit the perimeter while Marine elements of the now famous Echo company took out the comms tower and secured the headquarters facility. Once they were relieved by the Legions, Echo Company was sent out into the ruined wasteland to investigate a energy field detected from orbit. What they found was an alien device of unknown function. A battle erupted around the device as Echo company fought off repurposed labor bots sent to destroy them. Once the device was secured they set out on foot to the landing zone for pickup. Consensus labor bots seemed to appear out of the woodwork as Echo company fought their way to the LZ. Once the handoff was complete with the techs on the dropship Echo company recieved word from an embattled Chang Cadre near their position. They boarded three smaller VTOLs and made a mad dash to reinforce their new allies. One of the transports took fire and crashed far from the Chang position. Marines fought a hard battle to consolidate their wounded with the Chang and hold out for relief. The next day a battalion was dropped in to relieve them. It had been a long few days for Echo Company. Operation Stairway is the 4th in a series of campaigns to liberate the Hevan Sector from the oppressive and genocidal rule of the Synod of Worlds. It provides 4 scenarios detailing the operation to eliminate the Consensus presence on the planet new Pallas and secure ancient alien artifacts and technology. It is compatible with Gruntz 15mm.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Art of War Games
Questions and answers
A War in the Heavens: Campaign 4 – Operation Stairway supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for A War in the Heavens: Campaign 4 – Operation Stairway is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists A War in the Heavens: Campaign 4 – Operation Stairway for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
A War in the Heavens: Campaign 4 – Operation Stairway belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of A War in the Heavens: Campaign 4 – Operation Stairway are: Matthew Parmer. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists A War in the Heavens: Campaign 4 – Operation Stairway as an expansion for Gruntz 15mm Sci-Fi. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Gruntz 15mm Sci-Fi to use it. Check that your edition of Gruntz 15mm Sci-Fi is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.