
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,467
- BGG rating
- 5.1
Pirates vs. Ninjas
- 2 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2012

2012
Rules assistance for Army vs. Aliens
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Army vs. Aliens is a board game released in 2012 for 2 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Jason Serrato and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling.
Can flying saucers and death rays beat out tanks, nukes and troopers? Find out with Army vs. Aliens, the first game in the Army vs. Aliens series, with each game being playable on its own while also allowing for any faction in one game to be played against any faction in another or for multiple sets to be combined for team games or "last man standing" challenge matches. In this fun take on alien invasion games, you get to choose whether you want to fight off alien forces as the army or whether you want be the aliens trying to conquer Earth. In the game, players roll dice to set their power — each army has one type of dice with six faces — so that they can destroy the other players' dice on a subsequent turn. Used dice are placed into an expended pile where they can later be rallied (re-rolled) to reset their power. Dice are ranked in power and can destroy any die of equal or lesser rank but the higher value dice have special abilities, e.g., Nukes on the Army side that destroy just about everything if you get three of them. On a player's turn, he has three options: (1) Attack with an existing die, (2) Rally any or all dice (including active ones) or (3) Use a special power. If five rounds pass without either player scoring, then the game ends and the player who has the most dice in his scoring zone wins.
Army vs. Aliens supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Army vs. Aliens is 15 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 Army vs. Aliens for ages 8 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.
Army vs. Aliens has a complexity rating of 1.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Army vs. Aliens belongs to these categories: Dice and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling. 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 Army vs. Aliens are: Jason Serrato. 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 Army vs. Aliens as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.