// FIELD MANUAL · CLASSIFIED · NO. 001

SHOTWAVE

Explosive Fun! // Drunken Arsenal · 2026

Roll the dice. Dump your cards. Sabotage your friends. Don't let the resupply trucks catch up.

Players
2–8
Time
15–30'
Age
18+
Difficulty
★★☆
01
// briefing

Equipment

96
Rounds in the belt

Numbered cards

Values 1–12, eight copies each. Your main ammo — these are how you dump cards each turn.

64
Tactical pieces

Tactic cards

Events, attacks, maneuvers. Each marked with a rank (★) and an effect icon.

d12
Decides your fate

The die

Numbers 1–12. Roll it at the start of your turn — the result sets how many cards you ditch.

Optional: shot glasses and coasters — only needed for alcohol cards. Not drinking? Just remove the yellow cards before the game.
02
// recon

Card markings

Each tactic card has two marks: a rank (minimum players to use it) and an effect icon (what the card does).

Rank · minimum players
Private
2–8 players

Core deck. These cards stay in every game.

Sergeant
4+ players

Added for medium and large parties.

Captain
7+ players

Full deck. Big parties only.

Effect type · icon
Buff

helps yourself

Self-harm

hits whoever drew it

Attack

aimed at a target

Neutral

affects everyone or no one in particular

Booze

shots for drinkers

03
// deploy

Setup

  1. 1
    Draw deck

    Shuffle all 96 numbered cards into one deck. Place face down in the middle of the table.

  2. 2
    Tactic deck

    Shuffle the tactic cards into a second deck. Before the game, remove cards by rank based on how many players you have (see deck composition below).

  3. 3
    Deal

    Deal each player 6 cards as their hand (visible only to them) and 6 cards as their reserve (face down in front of them, hidden from everyone — including the owner).

  4. 4
    The die

    Place the d12 next to the decks.

MAX LOAD

No player may hold more than 12 cards total (hand + reserve combined).

Who goes first
  1. 1. Highest rank in Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, or Battlefield
  2. 2. Anyone who served in the military
  3. 3. Youngest player at the table
  4. 4. Random — roll the die, highest goes first
04
// engagement

Round structure

Each round has 5 phases. Players participate in turn or simultaneously, depending on the phase.

1

Tactic draw

In clockwise order, starting from the first player, each player draws 1 tactic card.

Trap exception: if you draw a Trap, it triggers instantly — reveal it, send it to the discard pile, then draw 1 numbered card. Trap never enters your hand.
2

Pre-round · forced plays

Players holding Around the World or Mine must play them now. These cards are mandatory — if not played, they burn at the end of the round with no effect.

Conflict rule: whoever calls it out first plays first.

3

Attack declarations

Players may declare attack tactics on others:

  • Timeout
  • Left/Right Hook
  • Deserter / Scouting
  • Gamble
Deadline: all declarations must be made before the first die roll of the round. After that, the card remains in your hand and burns at round's end.
4

Turns · roll & discard

In clockwise order, each player takes their turn:

  1. a. Roll the die (1–12)
  2. b. Optionally play ±1 / ±2 / ±3 (only on your own roll)
  3. c. Discard cards summing to your rolled value
  4. d. Optionally play reactive tactics (Ballast, Duel, Roulette, Headshot, Ratatat)
  5. e. Refill from reserve up to 6 cards in hand

Discard either one card matching the rolled value, OR a combination of numbered cards that sum to it (3+4=7, 2+2+3=7).

Can't play? Skip your turn. You still refill from reserve as usual.

5

End of round

All unplayed tactic cards in players' hands burn — sent to the discard pile. Round over, next one begins.

05
// reward

Sniper's Nest

When a player draws the final card from their reserve, they earn a Sniper's Nest token — a one-shot ability.

CLASSIFIED
Effect

Once per game, you may change your die roll to any value from 1 to 12. Declared after rolling. Once used, return the token to the box.

When to use it
  • Save yourself on a brutal Gamble roll
  • Force the die to match a card combo you have
  • Pull the trigger for victory in the endgame
Note

The token does not depend on your reserve. If your reserve refills via Gamble, you keep the token — until you use it.

06
// victory

Victory

VICTORY

First player to reach zero cards in hand AND zero in reserve wins instantly.

The game ends right there, even mid-round.

Winner's duty

The winner mixes a cocktail — good or bad — and serves it to the losers.

Be merciful. Or don't. Either way, the table drinks together.

Out of ideas? See the official ShotWave Recipe PDF — shots, cocktails, and tactical disasters to inflict on your enemies.
Draw deck ran out?

Shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw deck. This is rare in large games — they usually end before the deck runs out.

07
// arsenal

Card reference

Buff
BALLAST

Discard one card from your hand. No effect, no penalty. Just shedding dead weight.

Self-harm
TRAP

Triggers instantly when drawn from the tactic deck. Doesn't enter your hand. You draw 1 numbered card into your hand instead.

MINE

Mime an explosion (any pantomime, 5–10 seconds) and skip 1 turn.

Refused? Reveal every card currently in your hand and lay them face-up in front of you. They remain visible until played or until the game ends. Cards drawn afterwards stay hidden as normal.
Neutral
±1 / ±2 / ±3

Add or subtract from your own roll. Yours only — can't touch others' rolls. Played after the die hits the table.

AROUND THE WORLD

Every player passes 2 cards from their hand to the player on their left. If someone has only 1, they pass 1. If 0, they pass nothing. Receivers take whatever they're given.

GAMBLE

Every player at the table is required to draw 3 cards. Any player can refuse and gamble instead:

Roll ≤ 6 → draw 1 card
ONLY roll > 6 → draw 5 cards

Cards exceeding the hand limit go into reserve (if your shot glass was upside down, flip it back). The player who played Gamble is also affected.

Attack
TIMEOUT

Pick a player — they skip their next turn.

To dodge: you hand the target one card from your hand (your choice).

Declared before the first die roll of the round.

LEFT HOOK

Player on your left skips their next turn.

Optional in person: gentle shoulder tap.

Declared before the first die roll of the round.

RIGHT HOOK

Player on your right skips their next turn.

Optional in person: gentle shoulder tap.

Declared before the first die roll of the round.

DESERTER

Without looking, swap one of your cards with one of an opponent's cards.

SCOUTING

Look at an opponent's hand. Take any one card from it; give them any one of yours in exchange.

Booze

Sober table? Remove all booze cards before the game.

HEADSHOT

Take one shot.

RATATAT

Take three shots in a row.

Survived → discard 1 card. Tapped out → draw 1 card.

DUEL

Pick an opponent. Both of you roll the die. Lower roll takes a shot.

ROULETTE

Roll the die.

  • 6 or 8: take a shot AND discard 1 card
  • anything else: pass this card to the player on your left
Perk: while Roulette is in your hand, one other tactic of your choice does not burn at the end of the round.
08
// inventory

Deck composition

Full deck — 64 tactic cards. Trim by rank to match your party size.

Card ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Total
Ballast4228
Trap4228
±13115
±23115
±32114
Timeout2114
Around the World0112
Deserter3216
Scouting3216
Left Hook0101
Right Hook0101
Mine2114
Headshot1102
Ratatat1012
Duel1102
Gamble1012
Roulette1102
Total 31 19 14 64
2–3 players
31
★ only
4–6 players
50
★ + ★★
7–8 players
64
all ranks
09
// intel

Edge cases

What if I can't play any cards on my rolled value?

You skip your turn. You still refill from reserve up to 6 cards in hand.

My reserve was empty and Gamble dumped cards on me — what now?

Cards exceeding the hand limit go back into your reserve. If your shot glass was flipped upside down (atmosphere prop), flip it back. Your Sniper's Nest token stays — it's one-shot, doesn't depend on reserve state.

Two players declared Timeout at the same time — who wins?

Whoever called it out loud first goes first. If it's a true tie, roll the die to decide. This is a feature, not a bug — the game is chaotic, reaction speed is part of the skill.

Multiple Around the World in the same round?

They resolve in sequence. Each = pass 2 cards to the left. Whoever called it first plays first.

I drew Mine — am I forced to play it this round?

Yes, in the Pre-round phase of the current round. Mine is mandatory. If you don't play it, it burns at round's end with no effect — but you also lose the social moment, and everyone knows you chickened out.

Can I play tactics on someone else's turn?

Only reactive tactics during your own turn (e.g., ±1/±2/±3 on your own roll, Roulette on your phase). Attacks (Timeout, Hook) — only in Phase 3, before the first roll. Pre-round (Mine, Around the World) — only in Phase 2.