Official DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak Rules

Last Updated on July 6, 2026 by The Official Game Rules Team

DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak – A Zombicide Game is a cooperative game for 1 to 6 players, where the last uninfected Super Heroes battle against Zombie Heroes and hordes of zombies controlled by the game. The objective is to complete Mission Objectives, defeat the Enemies, and rescue Bystanders. Eliminating zombies provides the experience needed to become a more powerful Super Hero. However, as the Super Heroes grow stronger, more zombies appear to hunt them down. Only by working together and maximizing their powers can the Super Heroes hope to stop the Anti-Life threat.

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DCeased Gotham City Outbreak board game box
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How to Play DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak

Game Components

The game includes the following components:

  • 8 Super Heroes: Green Arrow, Hawkgirl, Green Canary, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, and Lex Luthor.  
  • 6 Zombie Heroes: Aquaman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, and Superman.  
  • 8 Bystanders: Catwoman, Dan Turpin, Lois Lane, Mercy Graves, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Lana Lang, and Bibbo Bibbowski.  
  • 63 Zombies: 35 Walkers, 14 Runners, and 14 Brutes.  
  • 9 Double-Sided Tiles.  
  • 130 Cards, including Super Hero ID Cards, Heroic Trait Cards, Spawn Cards, Bystander Cards, Zombie Hero Cards, and Equipment Cards.  
  • 60 Tokens, including Lamp Post Tokens, Phone Booth Tokens, Daily Planet Globe Tokens, Door Tokens, Objective Tokens, First Spawn Point Token, and Spawn Point Tokens.  
  • 3 Interactive Object Reference Cards.  
  • 6 Dice.  
  • 6 Color Bases.  
  • 12 Tracker Cubes.  
  • 6 Plastic Dashboards.  

Introduction

DCeased – A Zombicide Game is a cooperative game for 1 to 6 players, where the last uninfected Super Heroes battle against Zombie Heroes and hordes of zombies controlled by the game. The objective is to complete Mission Objectives, defeat the Enemies, and rescue Bystanders. Eliminating zombies provides the experience needed to become a more powerful Super Hero. However, as the Super Heroes grow stronger, more zombies appear to hunt them down. Only by working together and maximizing their powers can the Super Heroes hope to stop the Anti-Life threat.  

Darkseid’s manipulation of the Anti-Life Equation led to the release of a techno-organic virus that rapidly spread through the world’s digital networks. Those who viewed the equation on their screens desperately tried to remove it from their minds, but the infection inevitably transformed them into the Anti-Living. These savage zombies now exist with a single purpose: to spread Anti-Life by killing or infecting any living creature they can find. Even the most powerful Super Heroes are not safe from this virus. The Justice League has been torn apart, and former enemies must now unite as old allies are defeated to prevent further destruction. Players must assemble their Super Hero teams, gather their power, and confront the DCeased.  

Setup

  1. Choose a Mission. Each Mission is designed for 4 Super Heroes, with additional instructions for 5-6 Super Heroes (controlled by 1-6 players). A Mission can be played with fewer Super Heroes, but this increases the difficulty.  
  2. Arrange the Tiles according to the Mission map.  
  3. Place Spawn Points, Tokens, and other game pieces as indicated by the Mission.  
  4. Unless specified by the Mission, remove both Secret Mission cards from the Bystander deck. Then, place 1 random facedown Bystander Card in each Zone with the Bystander Icon.  
  5. Unless specified by the Mission, remove both Secret Mission Cards from the Equipment deck. Then, place 1 random facedown Equipment Card in each Zone with the Equipment Icon.
    • Attention Zombicide Veterans! It is highly recommended to read these rules carefully, as there are several differences from classic Zombicide rules.  
    • Free CMON Content is available online.  
  6. Separate the card types by their unique backs. Shuffle each type into its own deck and place them facedown near the board.
    • Spawn Deck: These cards introduce the Zombie hordes and Zombie Heroes that players will encounter.  
    • Zombie Hero Deck: When a Zombie Hero card is drawn from the Spawn deck, a random Zombie Hero is spawned, each presenting a unique challenge.  
    • Heroic Trait Deck: This deck contains abilities that Super Heroes can use to unleash new power.  
    • Bystander Deck: This deck contains notable characters that players can rescue during the game.  
    • Equipment Deck: This deck contains useful items that players can collect to aid them.  

DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak Example Setup

Game Overview

Winning and Losing

The game is won immediately when all Mission objectives are completed. The game is lost if all Super Heroes are eliminated or if a Mission-specific losing condition is met. This is a cooperative game, so all players win or lose together.  

Game Rounds

DCeased A Zombicide Game is played over a series of Game Rounds, which consist of the following Phases:

  • Player Phase: Super Heroes perform various Actions.  
  • Enemy Phase: Enemies attempt to eliminate Super Heroes, and new Enemies are spawned.  
  • End Phase: Certain Mission effects or Skills may occur.  

The Basics

Useful Definitions

  • Super Hero: A living, super-powered character controlled by a player.  
  • Zombie Hero: A zombie super-powered character spawned and controlled by the game.  
  • Horde Zombie: A generic zombie Walker, Brute, or Runner spawned and controlled by the game.
    • Note: Expansions may include additional Horde types.  
  • Enemy: Any Horde Zombie or Zombie Hero.  
  • Zone:
    • In Exterior locations, a Zone is the area between linear markings or between linear markings and the board’s edge, bordered by building walls.  
    • In Interior locations, each Room is a separate Zone, delimited by walls.  

DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak Zone Indicator

Explanation of the different zones on the game board illustration from the DCeased game instructions manual

Line of Sight

Line of Sight determines if two miniatures on the board can see each other.  

  • In Exterior Zones, Line of Sight is traced in straight lines parallel to the board’s edges and cannot be diagonal. Line of Sight extends through as many Zones as the line passes through before encountering a wall or the board’s edge.  
  • In Interior Zones, Line of Sight can be traced to any Room sharing an opening with the current Zone, limited to 1 Zone.  
  • Line of Sight between Interior and Exterior Zones can extend through any number of Exterior Zones in a straight line, but only 1 Zone into the Building.  
  • Closed Doors block Line of Sight. Enemies, Bystanders, and Super Heroes do not block Line of Sight.
    • Important: All Skills, Traits, and Abilities require Line of Sight unless stated otherwise.  
Line of sight explanation from the DCeased game instructions manual

Movement

Miniatures can move from their current Zone to an adjacent Zone that shares an unobstructed edge; diagonal movements are not allowed.  

  • In Exterior Zones, movement between empty Zones is unrestricted. Moving from an Exterior Zone to an Interior Zone or vice-versa requires going through an open door.  
  • In Interior Zones, miniatures can move between Rooms connected by an opening. The position of a miniature within the Zone and the layout of walls do not matter, as long as the Zones share an opening.  
  • Super Hero movement is hindered by Enemies in their Zone.  

Reading an ID Card

Each Super Hero has a unique ID card with the following information:

  • Power Track: Indicates the Super Hero’s available Power, which increases at the start of each Round and can be further increased with Power-Up Actions. Power is used for special effects and to add extra Dice to Attacks.  
  • Health: This track decreases each time a Super Hero is wounded. If it reaches zero, the Super Hero is eliminated.  
  • Attack: Each Super Hero has a unique Attack, detailed on page 19.  
  • Skills: Each Super Hero has unique Skills that unlock as they gain Experience.  
Reading an ID card illustration from the DCeased game instructions manual

Experience, Danger Level, and Skills

Super Heroes gain 1 Experience Point (XP) each time they eliminate an Enemy, or an amount equal to the Zombie Hero’s Toughness when eliminating a Zombie Hero. The Super Hero’s Danger Bar advances by the amount of Experience gained. Some Missions may provide additional ways to gain Experience.  

The Danger Bar has 4 Danger Levels: Blue, Yellow, Orange, and Red. Reaching a new Danger Level unlocks a new Skill for the Super Hero.  

Gaining Experience also affects the Spawn cards. When a Spawn card is drawn, the line corresponding to the highest Danger Level achieved by any Super Hero is read to determine the number of enemies that spawn. The more powerful the Super Heroes become, the larger the zombie horde that is attracted.  

Experience, danger level, and skill illustration from the DCeased game instructions manual

Enemies

There are 4 types of Enemies in DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak, most of which perform a single Action when they activate. Runners and Zombie Heroes are exceptions, as they perform 2 Actions per Activation.  

An Enemy is eliminated when it has received enough Hits from a single Attack Action to match its Toughness value. The Super Hero who eliminates the Enemy gains 1 Experience Point, or an amount equal to the Zombie Hero’s Toughness value when eliminating a Zombie Hero.  

Enemy Types

  • Walker: While these LexCorp Troopers are slow and feeble, their sheer numbers make them dangerous.
    • Actions: 1
    • Toughness: 1
    • XP Reward: 1  
  • Brute: LexCorp Heavy Troopers are powerful and resilient. These Brutes are difficult to defeat.
    • Actions: 1
    • Toughness: 2
    • XP Reward: 1  
  • Runner: LexCorp Shocktroopers are quick and lethal. These Runners pose a significant threat and should be prioritized.
    • Actions: 2
    • Toughness: 1
    • XP Reward: 1  
  • Zombie Hero: Each Zombie Hero is uniquely powerful, corrupted by the Anti-Life Virus and driven to destroy all life.
    • Actions: 2
    • Toughness: Varies (see individual Zombie Hero card)  
    • XP Reward: Equal to their Toughness.
    • Each Zombie Hero also possesses a unique Ability (listed on their card) that remains in effect while they are on the board.  

Player Phase

During each DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak Player Phase, complete the following steps in this order:

  1. Gain Power: Increase each Super Hero’s Power Track by 1.  
  2. Refresh Activation Tokens: Flip all Activation tokens to their green (Unactivated) side.  
  3. Activate Super Heroes: Activate each Super Hero one at a time. Players decide the activation order each Round.
    • At the Blue Danger Level, a Super Hero can perform up to 3 Actions per Turn (plus any free Actions from Blue Level Skills).  
    • Available Actions:
      • Move: Move the Super Hero to an adjacent Zone (no diagonal movement, and cannot move through walls or closed doors).
        • Moving out of a Zone with Enemies costs 1 extra Action per Enemy in that Zone.  
        • Entering a Zone with Enemies immediately ends the Move Action.  
      • Open Door: The Super Hero breaks open a door in their Zone.
        • Doors leading into Buildings are initially Closed unless the Mission specifies otherwise.
        • Replace a closed door with an Open Door token (or flip the existing token).
        • Note: Opened Doors cannot be closed again.
        • Colored doors may require specific conditions to open (see Mission description).
      • Power-Up: Increase the Super Hero’s Power Track by 2. This can be done multiple times per Turn.
        • The Power Track limit is 4; any Power gained beyond this is lost.  
        • Power is used for Skills, Traits, and to add extra Dice to Attacks.  
      • Attack: The Super Hero attacks a targetable Enemy. (See “Combat” on page 19 for details).  
      • Gain Trait: Draw the top card from the Heroic Trait deck and add it to the Super Hero’s Dashboard.
        • A Hero can only gain 1 Trait per turn.
        • A Hero can have a maximum of 2 Heroic Traits. If a third is drawn, the player can choose to replace one of the existing traits or discard the new one.
        • When the Trait deck is empty, reshuffle the discarded cards to create a new deck.
        • Heroic Traits have powerful one-time-use effects.
        • Using a Heroic Trait is a free action.
      • Interact with Objective: The Super Hero interacts with an Objective in their Zone. See the Mission description for details.  
      • Rescue Bystander: If there are no Enemies in their Zone, the Super Hero can rescue a Bystander in their Zone.
        • The Super Hero receives the Bystander card and escorts the Bystander.
        • The Super Hero’s Power Track is immediately filled to its maximum.
        • Rescuing a Bystander does not typically award experience.
        • Bystander cards are not discarded upon use.
        • A Super Hero can escort any number of Bystanders.
        • Escorted Bystanders can be traded.
      • Collect Equipment: If there are no Enemies in their Zone, the Super Hero can collect an Equipment card in their Zone.
        • The Equipment card is added to the Super Hero’s Dashboard.
        • Equipment cards provide Attacks and/or Abilities.
        • Equipment cards are not discarded upon use.
        • A Super Hero can only have 1 Equipment card at a time.
        • Equipment cards can be traded.
      • Trade: The Super Hero can trade any number of Equipment and/or Bystander cards with one other Super Hero in their Zone.  
      • End of Turn: The Super Hero can end their turn at any time, forfeiting any remaining Actions. Flip their Activation token to its red (Activated) side.  

Heroic Traits

  • A player can use a “Gain Trait” action to draw the top card from the Heroic Trait deck and add it to one of the two Heroic Trait slots on the Super Hero’s Dashboard. A Super Hero can only use this action once per turn, though other effects might provide additional Trait cards.  
  • A Super Hero can have a maximum of two Heroic Traits at any time. If a player draws a third Trait, they can either discard the new Trait or discard one of their existing Traits to replace it with the new one.  
  • If the Trait deck is depleted, the discarded cards are reshuffled to form a new deck.  
  • Heroic Traits have powerful, single-use effects. Players should read each Trait card carefully for specific instructions. Two Traits can be used simultaneously if their requirements are met.  
  • Using a Heroic Trait is a free action, unless stated otherwise on the card. It can be used when its requirements are met.  

Other Actions

  • Interact with Objective: The Super Hero interacts with an Objective in their Zone. The Mission description provides the specific details of this interaction.  
  • Rescue Bystander: If a Super Hero is in a Zone with a Bystander and no Enemies, they can rescue the Bystander. The Super Hero receives the Bystander’s unique Bystander card and the Bystander miniature becomes an Escorted Bystander, following the Super Hero. (See “Escorted Bystander” rules on page 21.)
    • Rescuing a Bystander immediately fills the Super Hero’s Power Track to its maximum.  
    • Rescuing a Bystander typically does not award Experience, though this can vary by Mission.  
    • Bystander cards are not discarded after use and can be used repeatedly by the escorting Super Hero.  
    • A Super Hero can escort any number of Bystanders.
    • Escorted Bystanders can be traded between Super Heroes using the Trade action.
  • Collect Equipment: If a Super Hero is in a Zone with an Equipment card and no Enemies, they can collect the Equipment. The Equipment card is removed from the board and placed face-up in the Equipment slot on the Hero’s Dashboard.
    • Equipment cards provide Super Heroes with powerful Attacks and/or Abilities. If the Equipment has an Attack, the Super Hero can use it like their unique Attack.  
    • Equipment cards are not discarded after use and can be used repeatedly.
    • A Super Hero can only have one Equipment card at a time. If they collect a second card, they must choose one to keep and discard the other.
    • Equipment cards can be traded between Super Heroes using the Trade action.
  • Trade: A Super Hero can trade any number of their Equipment and/or Bystander cards with one other Super Hero in their Zone. Trades do not have to be equal; any exchange is valid if both players agree.  
  • End of Turn: A Super Hero can choose to end their turn early, forfeiting any remaining Actions. When a Super Hero finishes all their actions or chooses to end their turn, flip their Activation token to its red (Activated) side.  

ENEMY PHASE

After all players have taken their turns in the Player Phase, the Enemy Phase begins. The game itself controls all Enemies, and their actions occur in the following sequence:  

  1. Activate Enemies: All Enemies on the board take their turn. They will either Attack any Super Heroes or Bystanders in their Zone, or Move towards the closest Super Hero or Bystander if their Zone is empty. After all Enemies have activated, Bystanders on the board will also activate (see “Activating Bystanders” on page 21).  
  2. Spawn Enemies: Once all Enemies have finished activating, new Enemies are placed on all active Spawn Points on the board.  

ACTIVATE ENEMIES

  • Attack: Enemies in the same Zone as a Super Hero or Bystander use their Action to Attack. Enemy Attacks always succeed, do not involve dice rolls, and inflict 1 Wound.
    • Players decide how to distribute the Wounds among the Super Heroes in the Zone. All Wounds can be assigned to a single Super Hero if the players choose. Bystanders in the Zone can only suffer 1 Wound and are then eliminated.  
    • When a Super Hero is wounded, their Health Bar tracker moves one space to the left for each Wound received. If a Super Hero’s Health Bar reaches 0, they are eliminated. The game is lost if all Super Heroes are eliminated before the Mission Objectives are completed.
Hero health card illusstration for DCeased board game
  • Enemies attack as a group. All Enemies in the same Zone as a Super Hero or Bystander participate in the Attack, even if the number of Wounds inflicted exceeds what is needed to eliminate the targets.
    • Example 1: If one Walker is in a Zone with two Super Heroes, it inflicts 1 Wound. The players choose which Super Hero receives the Wound.  
    • Example 2: If five Walkers are in a Zone with two Super Heroes (each with 3 Health) and one Bystander, the players could assign 2 Wounds to each Super Hero and 1 Wound to the Bystander (eliminating it).    
  • Bystanders Under Attack: Bystanders are eliminated if they receive 1 Wound. This triggers the “Bystander Eliminated” effects (see page 21), which negatively impacts the Super Heroes.
    • A Super Hero escorting Bystanders may choose to sacrifice them (representing the Bystander getting in the way) to prevent 1 Wound to themselves per Bystander sacrificed. This also triggers the “Bystander Eliminated” effects.  

MOVE

If an Enemy doesn’t Attack (because there are no Super Heroes or Bystanders in its Zone), it uses its Action to Move one Zone towards the closest Super Hero or Bystander:

  • Enemies always move towards the closest Zone containing Super Heroes or Bystanders that are within their Line of Sight.  
  • If no Super Heroes or Bystanders are within the Enemy’s Line of Sight, they move towards the Zone with Super Heroes or Bystanders that has the shortest open path. If there are no open paths, the Enemy does not move.  
  • If there are multiple Zones with Super Heroes or Bystanders that are equally close, or multiple paths of the same length to the closest Zone, Enemies split into equal-sized groups (by Enemy type) to move along all possible routes. If an Enemy type can’t be divided into equal groups, the players decide which group gets the extra Enemy.  
  • Enemies cannot open doors.  
  • Example: A group of 4 Walkers, 3 Brutes, and 1 Zombie Hero is the same distance from 2 Zones with Super Heroes. The Enemies split to target both Zones:
    • 2 Walkers go to one Zone, and 2 go to the other.  
    • 2 Brutes go to one Zone, and 1 goes to the other (players choose which).  
    • Players choose which Zone the Zombie Hero moves to.  

DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak Movement illustration

Move game illustration for the DCeased board game

RUNNERS AND ZOMBIE HEROES

  • Runners and Zombie Heroes each have two Actions per activation.  
  • During their activation, they perform one Action (either Attacking or Moving) like other Enemies, and then they perform a second Action. This second Action is either an Attack (if they are now in a Zone with a Super Hero or Bystander) or another Move (if they are still not in a Zone with a Super Hero or Bystander).  

SPAWN ENEMIES

  • The Mission map indicates the Spawn Points where Enemies appear at the end of each Enemy Phase.  
  • Spawn Point tokens mark the Spawn Zones on the board. Always begin spawning at the First Spawn Point, marked with a “1”.  
  • Starting with the First Spawn Point and proceeding clockwise, draw one Spawn card. Refer to the line on the card that matches the Danger Level of the Super Hero with the most Experience (Blue, Yellow, Orange, or Red). Place the indicated number of the specified Enemy type in that Spawn Zone.  
  • Repeat this process for each active Spawn Point token.  
  • Colored Spawn Points: Some Missions feature Blue and/or Green-colored Spawn Point tokens. Unless the Mission states otherwise, these Zones do not spawn Enemies until a specific event occurs, as detailed in the Mission rules.  
  • If the Spawn deck should run out, reshuffle all the discarded Spawn cards to make a new deck.
  • NORMAL SPAWN: (This section describes a standard Spawn card.)
    • Example: If Green Canary has 5 XP (Blue Danger Level) and Cyborg has 12 XP (Yellow Danger Level), use the Yellow line on the Spawn card, because Cyborg has the most Experience.  

Normal Spawn in DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak

Normal spawn card illustration for DCeased board game
  • RUSH! When an Enemy Rush card is drawn, the Enemies spawned by that card immediately activate.  
  • EXTRA ACTIVATION! When an Extra Activation card is drawn, instead of spawning new Enemies, all Enemies of the listed type immediately activate. They perform their Action(s) as normal.  
  • SPECIAL ACTION: The Spawn Deck contains Special Action cards. Each card provides specific instructions that are followed when it is drawn.  
  • ZOMBIE HERO! When a Zombie Hero Spawn card is drawn, draw the top card from the Zombie Hero deck. Spawn the indicated Zombie Hero in that Zone, along with the number of Horde Zombies (Walkers, Brutes, or Runners) listed on the Spawn card.  

ZOMBIE HERO DETAILS

  • Each Zombie Hero has a unique Ability that remains active while they are in play. They also have a specific Toughness value. Because of this, their Zombie Hero card should be kept face-up and visible to all players.  
  • If the Zombie Hero deck runs out of cards, shuffle all the discarded Zombie Hero cards to create a new deck.  

RUNNING OUT OF MINIATURES

  • If you need to place Enemies on the board but there aren’t enough miniatures of that type, place as many as you can.  
  • Then, all Enemies of that type on the board immediately perform an extra Activation. If this happens multiple times in a row, resolve each extra Activation.  
  • It’s important to monitor the number of Enemies on the DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak board!  

SPAWNING IN BUILDINGS

  • When a closed Building is opened for the first time, all Enemies and Bystanders inside are revealed.  
  • A single Building includes all Rooms connected by openings and can span multiple tiles. Closed doors separate one building from another.  
  • Enemies in a Building spawn only in Zones marked with the designated icon.  
  • Draw and resolve one Spawn card for each of these Zones, one after the other. Players choose the order in which to resolve them (it’s recommended to start with the Zone farthest away).  
  • After spawning all Enemies, reveal any Bystander card inside the Building, replace it with the corresponding Bystander miniature, and place the card face up.  

Enemies waiting in a Building only spawn in the Zones marked with . Draw and resolve 1 Spawn card for each of these Zones, one after the other, in any order the players choose (we suggest starting from the farthest to the closest).

Once all Enemies have been spawned, reveal any Bystander card inside that Building, replacing it with the corresponding Bystander miniature and placing the card faceup next to the board.

Equipment cards are NOT revealed until they are Collected by a Super Hero

DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak COMBAT

When a Super Hero attacks, they use their unique Attack (from their ID card) or an Attack from an Equipment card they’ve collected. All attacks have the following properties:  

DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak Martial Arts and Blaster ID cards

Martial Arts and Blaster card illustration from DCeased board game instruction manual
  • TYPE: Attacks are either Melee or Ranged, indicated by symbols. Some Skills or effects specifically interact with these types.
    • MELEE: Can only target Enemies in the same Zone.  
    • RANGED: Can target Enemies in other Zones within Line of Sight.  
  • RANGE: Shows how far the Attack can reach.
    • Melee Attacks have a Range of 0 (same Zone).  
    • Ranged Attacks have a minimum and maximum Range. The minimum is often 0 (same Zone), and the maximum is the furthest Zone the attack can reach.  
  • DICE: The base number of dice rolled for the attack. Extra dice can be added through other game effects (like spending Power).  
  • ACCURACY: The value needed on a die roll to score a Hit.  

RESOLVING AN ATTACK

Follow these steps in order:

  1. Target a Zone: Choose one Zone within the Attack’s Range and Line of Sight.
    • Ranged Attacks can target other Zones even if there are Enemies in your Zone or between you and the target.  
    • Remember the Line of Sight rules for Interior (limited to openings/rooms) and Exterior Zones (straight lines).  
  2. Roll Dice: Roll the number of dice indicated by the Attack, plus any bonuses from Heroic Traits, Bystanders, Skills, or spent Power.  
  3. Assign Hits: Apply the Hits to Enemies in the targeted Zone according to the Target Priority order.  

TARGET PRIORITY

Assign Hits in this order:

  1. Zombie Hero
  2. Brute
  3. Walker
  4. Runner

Assign all Hits to targets of the highest priority first. Once all of those targets are eliminated, assign any remaining Hits to the next priority level, and so on. If targets share the same priority level, the players choose which ones are hit.  

REROLLS

  • A die can only be rerolled once by Super Hero effects.  
  • A die can only be rerolled once by Enemy effects.  
  • If both Super Hero and Enemy effects would cause the same die to be rerolled, apply the Enemy’s reroll first, then the Super Hero’s.  

IMPORTANT: Your Attacks do not affect other Super Heroes or Bystanders in the targeted Zone, even if you miss.   Sources and related content

Enemies and Hits

Enemies are eliminated when they receive a number of Hits equal to their Toughness value. Remember: Walkers and Runners have a Toughness value of 1, Brutes have a Toughness of 2, and Zombie Heroes have their Toughness specified on their card. Enemies are only eliminated if they receive enough Hits to match their Toughness during a single Attack Action. If the total Hits rolled is insufficient to eliminate them, those Hits are discarded—no carryover. Each Attack must result in a complete elimination or nothing at all.

Example:
Cyborg performs Ranged Attacks using his Blaster (Dice: 3, Accuracy: 4+). In the targeted Zone, there are 2 Brutes, 1 Runner, and 1 Bystander.
• Cyborg rolls 3 Hits for his first Action. According to the Target Priority order, 2 Hits are needed to eliminate 1 Brute, but the last Hit has no effect on the second Brute.
• Cyborg rolls 2 Hits for his second Action. The remaining Brute still requires 2 Hits to be eliminated, so the Runner remains unharmed.
• Cyborg rolls 2 Hits for his third Action. One Hit is enough to eliminate the Runner. The last Hit doesn’t affect the Bystander, as they are not impacted by Super Hero Attacks.

POWER

Super Heroes draw Power from within themselves to perform extraordinary feats. However, Power is a finite resource and must be earned through sheer will.

• The Power Track indicates the current amount of Power a Super Hero has available.
• Each Super Hero’s Power Track increases by 1 at the start of every Player Phase.
• During their Turn, a Super Hero may perform a Power-Up Action to gain 2 Power (see page 13).
• A Super Hero can have a maximum of 4 Power. Any additional Power gained beyond this limit is ignored.

Having 0 Power has no immediate consequence but prevents the Super Hero from activating certain effects. Many Skills and Traits require the expenditure of Power, as detailed in their descriptions.

Each time a Super Hero performs an Attack, they can choose to spend any amount of Power they possess to add that many extra dice to their Attack roll.

Example:
At the start of the Round, Wonder Woman has 0 Power. When the Player Phase begins, she automatically gains 1 Power. During her Turn, she performs a Power-Up Action, increasing her Power by 2, bringing her total to 3. She then uses her Sword of Athena Attack and decides to spend 2 Power on it, rolling a total of 4 dice (2 from the base Attack +2 from Power). Afterward, she spends her last Power to activate her Battle-Ready skill, performing a free Attack on Enemies that enter her Zone.

BYSTANDERS

Bystanders are important characters that Super Heroes must rescue from the zombie threat. For the full rules on how to rescue a Bystander, refer to page 14. After being rescued, a Bystander becomes an Escorted Bystander (see below). Prior to being rescued, Bystanders have specific rules outlined here.

DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak Bystanders

Bystanders cards illustration for DCeased board game

BYSTANDERS IN DANGER

When Enemies activate, they treat Bystanders as potential targets just like Super Heroes. If a Bystander is the closest target, the Enemy will move toward it. If a Bystander is already in the Enemy’s Zone, the Enemy will attack. If there are multiple potential targets, the players choose which Bystander or Super Hero is targeted.

  • Elimination: A Bystander is eliminated upon receiving 1 Wound. This triggers the “Bystander Eliminated” effects (see below).
  • Protection: Bystanders cannot be harmed by Super Heroes. They are unaffected by any Super Hero Attacks.

BYSTANDER ELIMINATED!

When a Bystander is eliminated, they are removed from the board and their card is discarded. This is a significant setback for the Super Heroes, as they have failed in their mission to protect the innocent. When a Bystander is eliminated, the following occurs immediately:

  • All Super Heroes lose 1 Power (if they have any).
  • All Super Heroes must discard 1 Heroic Trait (if they have any).

Additional Movement Rules for Bystanders:

  • If a Bystander has multiple equally close Zones with Super Heroes, or multiple routes of equal length to the nearest Zone, the players decide which way the Bystander moves.
  • If there are Enemies in the Bystander’s current Zone or in an adjacent Zone they would move into, the Bystander does not move.

ACTIVATING BYSTANDERS

During the Enemy Phase, Bystanders attempt to escape the zombies and reach the Super Heroes for rescue. At the end of the “Activate Enemies” step, but before “Spawn Enemies,” any Bystanders on the board will activate. They will move 1 Zone towards the nearest Zone containing a Super Hero.

ESCORTED BYSTANDERS

Once a Super Hero rescues a Bystander, that Bystander becomes an Escorted Bystander, granting several benefits to the Super Hero:

  • Placement: Place the Bystander card next to the Super Hero’s dashboard. While escorting a Bystander, the Super Hero can use the Bystander’s effect, usually by spending a specified amount of Power.
  • Movement: The Escorted Bystander’s miniature remains with the Super Hero and moves with them, regardless of any movement-related abilities or effects.
  • Multiple Bystanders: A Super Hero can escort any number of Bystanders at once.
  • Damage Prevention: If a Super Hero would suffer Wounds, they may discard one of their Escorted Bystanders to prevent 1 Wound. This must be done carefully, as it triggers the “Bystander Eliminated” effects.
  • Trading: Escorted Bystanders can be traded among Super Heroes during the Trade Action.
  • Protection: Once a Bystander is escorted, they cannot be moved away from their assigned Super Hero for any reason (including effects that push them).
  • Super Hero Elimination: If the Super Hero escorting Bystanders is eliminated, those Bystanders revert to being non-rescued Bystanders and follow all relevant rules.

INTERACTIVE OBJECTS

Some Missions feature Interactive Objects on the DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak map. When a Super Hero moves out of a Zone containing an Interactive Object, they may move it with them to the new Zone. While in a Zone with an Interactive Object, a Super Hero may use an Action to interact with the Object. Each Object may provide different benefits, such as allowing the Super Hero to perform a special Attack or activating a unique effect. Refer to each Object’s associated Reference card for details.

DCeased features 3 types of Interactive Objects:

  • Phone Booth
  • Lightposts
  • Daily Planet Globe
Interactive object card illustration for DCeased board game

Whew! So those are all the rules for DCeased: Gotham City Outbreak! We hope you enjoy playing this fun indie board game.

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