- BGG rank
- BGG #15,476
- BGG rating
- 8.5
This Is Not a Test: Post-Apocalyptic Skirmish Rules
- 2 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2013
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Rules assistance for VOR: The Maelstrom – Shard
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–10 players
- 90 min
- 12+
Rules assistant for VOR: The Maelstrom – Shard
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
VOR: The Maelstrom – Shard is an expansion for VOR: The Maelstrom released in 2000 for 2–10 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mike Nielsen and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Secret Unit Deployment.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,615
- BGG rating
- 8.6
Infinity N4: Core Rules
- 2 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,459
- BGG rating
- 8.9
Infinity N5: Core Rules
- 2 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 4.3/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,470
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Alien vs Predator: The Hunt Begins (Second Edition)
- 1–3 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,784
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Warzone: Universe Under Siege
- 2–8 players
- 90–240 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,255
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Blood Berets
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 1993
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,584
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Alien vs Predator: The Hunt Begins
- 1–3 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,026
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team – Octarius
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,465
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Aeronautica Imperialis: Wings of Vengeance
- 2 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,694
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Space Weirdos: A Skirmish Heartbreaker
- 2–8 players
- 20–90 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,391
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Beyond the Gates of Antares
- 2–6 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,744
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness
- 2–8 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2022
About the game
All Carbons Must Die! Eternally vengeful, the Shard scour the Maelstrom with only one objective-the utter destruction of all carbon based life forms. Pure hatred fuels their relentless war and their jagged crystalline husks are the only weaponry they need to wreak their havoc. By channeling their cores of pure energy, the Shard unleash piercing lasers, disruptive force fields and epic blasts from the dreaded matrix cannon to lay waste to any and all who are unfortunate enough to be caught in their whirlwind of rage. The Shard Forcebook describes the hostile and hellbent forces of the Shard, providing background on the tragic history of this advanced race and how imprisonment within the Maelstrom has forced them to "devolve." The Shard forcelist offers new units such as concussors, ambients, primes, the god-like axions, and the devastating eradicator war machine. This book also contains a Shard Battle Terrain Table, new campaign rules, force traits and five new Shard personalities who are especially efficient at reducing carbons to dust.
Designers
Publishers
- FASA
Questions and answers
VOR: The Maelstrom – Shard supports 2–10 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 VOR: The Maelstrom – Shard 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 VOR: The Maelstrom – Shard for ages 12 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.
VOR: The Maelstrom – Shard belongs to these categories: Wargame, Dice, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Secret Unit Deployment. 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 VOR: The Maelstrom – Shard are: Mike Nielsen. 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 VOR: The Maelstrom – Shard as an expansion for VOR: The Maelstrom. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need VOR: The Maelstrom to use it. Check that your edition of VOR: The Maelstrom is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.