K SS

WOR GRE S
RO RPT
I N P E X CE
x-men Resistance
RULES MARVEL ZOMBIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GAME COMPONENTS 3 ENEMY PHASE 15 POWER 20
1. ACTIVATE ENEMIES...........................................................15
INTRODUCTION 5 • Attack.......................................................16
BYSTANDERS 20
ZOMBIE MODE / HERO MODE ..............................................5 • Bystanders Under Attack..................16 BYSTANDERS.......................................................................20
• Move.........................................................16 BYSTANDER IN DANGER.....................................................20
SETUP 5 • Runners and Zombie Heroes........... 17
• Bystander Devoured!.........................20
2. SPAWN ENEMIES...............................................................17 ACTIVATING BYSTANDERS.................................................21
GAME OVERVIEW 7 • Normal Spawn......................................18
WINNING AND LOSING........................................................... 7
• Rush!.........................................................18 INTERACTIVE OBJECTS 21
• Extra Activation....................................18
GAME ROUNDS.......................................................................7 • Hidden Bystander................................18 SENTINEL HAND....................................................................21
• Player Phase ...........................................7 • Special Action.......................................18
• Enemy Phase ...........................................7 • Zombie Hero..........................................18 INDEX 22
• End Phase ................................................7 • Running Out of Enemies.....................19
• Spawning in Buildings........................19 CREDITS 23
THE BASICS 8 COMBAT.................................................................................19
USEFUL DEFINITIONS............................................................. 8 • Target Priority.......................................19 ROUND SUMMARY 24
LINE OF SIGHT........................................................................9
MOVEMENT............................................................................10
READING AN ID CARD..........................................................10
EXPERIENCE, DANGER LEVEL, AND SKILLS....................... 11
ENEMIES 12
WALKER – MULTIPLE MAN................................................12
BRUTE - REAVER...................................................................12
RUNNER – HELLFIRE SOLDIER...........................................12
ZOMBIE HERO........................................................................12
PLAYER PHASE 13
MOVE......................................................................................13
OPEN DOOR.............................................................................13
GAIN TRAIT...........................................................................13
ATTACK..................................................................................13
RESCUE BYSTANDER............................................................16
POWER UP..............................................................................14
INTERACT WITH OBJECTIVE...............................................14
END OF TURN.........................................................................14

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GAME COMPONENTS
87 GAME PIECES
6 SUPER HEROES

Wolverine Mystique Magneto Storm Colossus Rogue

6 ZOMBIE HEROES

Juggernaut Psylocke Dark Phoenix Cyclops Sabretooth Iceman 9 DOUBLE-SIDED TILES

12 BYSTANDERS

Amanda Abigail Bolivar Mariko Moira Senator

Sefton Brand Trask Yashida McTaggert Kelly

Callisto Ka-Zar Shanna Valerie Cooper William Stryker Trish Tilby

63 ZOMBIES

x7 x7 x7 x7 x7

x7 x7 x7 x7

35 Walkers (Multiple Man) 14 Brutes (Reavers) 14 Runners (Hellfire Soldiers)

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136 CARDS 51 TOKENS
• Elevator Token............................................ 1

• Sentinel Hand Token

(charged/spent)......................................... 1

• Door Tokens (open/closed).................14

• Blue Door Token (open/closed)........... 1
• Green Door Token (open/closed)....... 1
• Destroyed Window Tokens..................9
6 ZOMBIE HERO ID CARDS 45 HEROIC TRAIT CARDS
• Objective Tokens........................................7
• Blue Objective Token................................ 1
• Green Objective Token............................ 1

• First Spawn Point Token......................... 1

• Spawn Point Tokens................................ 5
• Blue Spawn Point Token......................... 1
• Green Spawn Point Token..................... 1

42 SPAWN CARDS 12 BYSTANDER CARDS • Exit Token...................................................... 1

• Activation Tokens.....................................6

6 ZOMBIE HERO CARDS 1 SENTINEL HAND REFERENCE CARD

ZOMBIE MODE CONTENT 6 PLASTIC DASHBOARDS

This box also contains the cards needed to use
its Heroes and Bystanders in Zombie Mode. The
Marvel Zombies core box is needed to play in
Zombie Mode.
12 BYSTANDER CARDS
6 COLOR BASES

6 DICE 12 TRACKER CUBES

6 ZOMBIE HERO ID CARDS 6 SUPER HERO CARDS
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INTRODUCTION
When the zombie invasion took over the world’s mightiest heroes, most
assumed everything was lost. What hope could there be for normal
people to survive the ravenous onslaught of these Zombie Heroes?
But some Super Heroes still remain. Holed up in Xavier’s School for
Gifted Youngsters, the X-Men are mounting their last stand against
the undead. Former enemies join their ranks, as the desperate battle
between the living and the dead escalates. Old allies will need to be
put down before they can devour every single last person on the planet.
So, assemble you Super Hero team, muster all the power you can, and
become humanity’s last hope. This will not be a world of Marvel Zombies
as long as the X-Men Resistance lives on!

Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game – X-Men Resistance is a

SETUP
cooperative game were 1 to 6 players control the last surviving 1. Choose a Mission: Each Mission displays setups to be played
Super Heroes facing off against Zombie Heroes and the zombie with either 4 Super Heroes or 6 Super Heroes, controlled by 1-6
hordes controlled by the game itself. The goal is to complete players. Any Mission may be played with less Super Heroes than
Mission Objectives, defeat your Enemies, and rescue endangered the number listed but note that this may dramatically increase
Bystanders. Eliminating Zombies gives you the experience needed the difficulty of that Mission!
to become an even more powerful Super Hero. But the stronger you
are, the more Zombies appear to hunt you down and devour you! 2. Place the Tiles as indicated on the Mission map.
Only by working together and pushing their powers to the limit can
the Super Heroes hope to put an end to the zombie apocalypse! 3. Place any Spawn Points and other Tokens, and any game
pieces as indicated by the Mission.

4. Randomly place 1 Bystander Card facedown on each Zone

! ATTENTION ZOMBICIDE VETERANS! featuring the Icon.

We highly recommend reading through ALL of these rules

carefully, as there are many differences, both big and
Bystander Icon
small, from classic Zombicide rules.

5. Take and separate the following card types, identified by their

unique card backs. Shuffle each of these into their own deck,

HERO MODE / ZOMBIE MODE and place them facedown near the board:

The rules contained in

a. Spawn Deck: These bring the Zombie hordes and Zombie
Heroes you will face during the game.
this box are for Hero
Mode, in which players
control the last remaining
Super Heroes against
the ravenous Zombie
Heroes. However, Marvel
Zombies can also be played
in Zombie Mode, with those
roles reversed, by using the
contents and rules from the
Marvel Zombies core box.
This is a Spawn Card

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ENEMIES
There are 4 types of Enemies. Most Enemies have only a single
Action they perform when they activate. The exceptions to this
are Runners and Zombie Heroes, who each have 2 Actions per
Activation. An Enemy is eliminated as soon as it is assigned enough
Hits during a single Attack Action to match its Toughness value.
The Super Hero that eliminates the Enemy gains 1 Experience
Point, except in the case of Zombie Heroes, which grant
Experience equal to their Toughness value.

WALKER – MULTIPLE MAN

James Madrox may not be the strongest
or fastest of zombie mutants, but there’s
always more of him around. He may multiply
when you least expect it, creating hordes of
Multiple Man walkers.
ZOMBIE HERO
• Actions: 1
• Toughness: 1 Each Zombie Hero is powerful and unique, but they are all taken
• XP Reward: 1 over by the overpowering Hunger that drives them to devour
Super Heroes and Bystanders.

BRUTE - REAVER
Cybernetically enhanced zombies, Reavers
are literal tanks, slow and tough. But these
brutes’ overdrive assault can overpower
Super Heroes, depleting their Power.

• Actions: 1
• Toughness: 2
• XP Reward: 1

RUNNER – HELLFIRE SOLDIER • Actions: 2

• Toughness: X This is specific to each Zombie Hero, as indicated
on their Zombie Hero Card (see page 17).
Trained by the Hellfire Club, these zombies
are relentless and efficient assassins.
These runners use their speed to charge at
X
Super Heroes and chase Bystanders.
• XP Reward: Equal to their Toughness.
• Actions: 2 • Each Zombie Hero also has a unique Ability listed on their Zombie
• Toughness: 1 Hero Card, which is in effect as long as they are on the board.
• XP Reward: 1

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PLAYER PHASE • Some Missions feature colored doors. Usually, these cannot
be opened until some condition is met, like finding a specific
Objective. Read the Mission description to learn more.
During each Player Phase, the following steps must be taken, in order:

1. Gain Power: All players increase their Power Track by 1.

2. Refresh Activation Tokens: All players flip their Activation

tokens to their green (Unactivated) side.
Blue and Green Door tokens
3. Activate Super Heroes: All the Super Heroes are activated,
one by one. Each Round, the players choose the order in which • Opening a building for the first time reveals all the Enemies
to activate each Super Hero. During their Turn, a Super Hero and Bystanders waiting inside. This is explained in the
can perform up to 3 Actions at the Blue Danger Level (not Spawning in Buildings chapter, on page 18.
counting any free Action their Blue Level Skill might give them).
The Actions available to a Super Hero are as follows:

GAIN TRAIT
MOVE The player draws the top card from the Heroic Trait deck and
places it in one of the 2 Heroic Trait slots on that Super Hero’s
The Super Hero moves from their Zone to the next (they cannot Dashboard. A Super Hero can only perform a single Gain Trait
move through walls or closed doors). Action per Turn, though other effects might grant them extra
Heroic Trait cards.
• A Super Hero must spend 1 additional Action per Enemy standing
in the Zone they’re attempting to leave. • Each Super Hero may only have up to 2 Heroic Traits at any
time. If they already have 2 when they draw a new one, they may
Example: Wolverine is in a Zone with 2 Walkers. To leave this discard the newly drawn Trait, or discard and replace one of the
Zone, he spends 1 Move Action +2 additional Actions (1 per Walker), 2 on their Dashboard.
for a total of 3 Actions. If there had been 3 Enemies in the Zone, • If the Trait deck ever runs out, reshuffle all the discarded cards
Wolverine would have needed 4 Actions (1+3) to move. to make a new deck.
• Heroic Traits have powerful effects but are discarded after a
• Entering a Zone containing Enemies ends the Super Hero’s Move single use. Each Heroic Trait is unique, with specific instructions
Action (this is important for Skills or effects that allow Super for its effects, so read each one carefully!
Heroes to move multiple Zones per Move Action).

OPEN DOOR
The Super Hero breaks open a door in their Zone. Place a Door
Token with its open side where the closed door was (or, in the case
that there was already a Closed Door token there, simply flip it to
its open side).

Closed and Open Door tokens

NOTE: Once opened, Doors cannot be closed again.

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ATTACK INTERACT WITH OBJECTIVE
The Super Hero attacks an Enemy they are able to target. Combat The Zombie Hero takes and/or activates an Objective in their
is explained in detail on page 19. Zone. The specific effects of doing this will be detailed in the
Mission description.

RESCUE BYSTANDER
If they are in the same Zone as a Bystander, and there are no
Enemies in that Zone, the Super Hero may Rescue that Bystander.
The Bystander game piece is removed from the board and the
Super Hero gains their unique Bystander Card, placing it in the left
slot on their Dashboard.

• A Super Hero may only have 1 Bystander card at any time. Should Objective tokens
they Rescue another Bystander, they may replace the old card
with the new one or discard the new one.
• When a Super Hero Rescues a Bystander, they immediately fill
their Power Track to its maximum (whether they keep their
card or not).
• Rescuing a Bystander typically does not award any Experience,
but many Missions might modify this.
• Unlike Heroic Traits, Bystander cards are typically not discarded
upon use, but instead offer a permanent ability for the Super Hero.
• Any time a Super Hero would suffer Wounds, they may discard
their Bystander card to prevent 1 Wound. This should not be
done lightly, though, as it triggers Bystander Devoured (see
page 20)!

POWER UP
While Super Heroes automatically gain 1 Power at the start of
each Round, they may also, during their Turn, perform a Power
Up Action in order to increase their Power Track by 2. This can be
done more than once per Turn.

• A Super Hero can only have 4 at most. Any gained beyond

that is simply ignored.
• Many Skills and Traits require the spending of to utilize
various effects, as described on their text.
• is also generally used to gain extra Dice when a Super Hero
performs an Attack (see Power on page 20).

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END OF TURN 1. ACTIVATE ENEMIES

A Super Hero does not need to perform all their Actions if they
wish and may forfeit any remaining Actions and end their Turn. ATTACK
Once a Super Hero has completed all their Actions (or forfeited Each Enemy in the same Zone as a Super Hero or a Bystander
any remaining ones) their Turn ends. Flip their Activation token spends their Action to perform an Attack. An Enemy’s Attack is
to its red (Activated) side to indicate this. always successful, does not require any dice rolls, and inflicts
1 Wound.

The Super Heroes and Bystanders in the Zone share the Wounds
in any way the players prefer, even if it means inflicting them all
onto a single Super Hero!

When a Super Hero is Wounded, their Wound Bar’s tracker is

Activation token moved 1 space to the left per Wound they receive. A Super Hero is
eliminated as soon as their Wound Bar reaches 0. If this happens,
the game will be lost during the next End Phase!

ENEMY PHASE
Once all players have activated their Super Heroes, the Player Phase
ends, and the Enemy Phase begins. No single player controls them,
they do it themselves, performing the following steps, in order:

1. Activate Enemies: All Enemies on the board activate and spend

their Actions to either Attack a Super Hero or Bystander in their
Zone or Move toward the closest Zombie Hero or Bystander if
not currently in a Zone with one.
BYSTANDERS UNDER ATTACK
2. Spawn Enemies: Once all Enemies have performed their Bystanders are eliminated if they receive 1 Wound. This
Actions, new Enemies appear in all active Spawn Zones on
is a heavy failure for the Super Heroes, triggering the
the board.
Bystander Devoured effects (page 20).

A Super Hero with a Bystander card on their dashboard

may choose to discard it to ignore 1 Wound they would
receive. This is a desperate act, which triggers the
Bystander Devoured effects (page 20).

Enemies fight together. All Enemies activated in the same Zone

as a Super Hero or Bystander join the Attack, even if there are so
many Wounds being dealt that it would be overkill.

Example 1: A Walker in a Zone with 2 Super Heroes inflicts 1

Wound during its Activation. The players choose which Super Hero
takes the Wound.
Example 2: A group of 4 Walkers activates in the same Zone as 2
Super Heroes. Since both Super Heroes have 3 Health, the players
choose to deal 2 Wounds to each Super Hero.

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BYSTANDERS

Bystanders represent key characters the Super Heroes should

try to Rescue from the zombies. See page 14 for the full rules on
Rescuing a Bystander. Besides that, Bystanders have numerous
special rules that are outlined next.

POWER BYSTANDER IN DANGER

Super Heroes draw Power from within themselves to accomplish When Enemies activate, they treat Bystanders as potential targets,
amazing feats. But that Power is not an inexhaustible resource just like Super Heroes. If a Bystander is their closest target, they
and must be generated through sheer force of will. will move towards it. If a Bystander is in their Zone, they will attack
it. If different Bystanders or Super Heroes are equally eligible
• The Power Track shows how much Power that Hero targets, the players decide who the Enemy targets.
currently has at their disposal.
• Each Super Hero’s Power Track automatically increases by 1 at Identified by a symbol on their card, Combat
the start of every Player Phase. Bystanders put up some resistance against the zombie
• On their Turn, a Super Hero may perform a Power Up Action to hordes. Each time a Combat Bystander would suffer a
gain 2 (see page 14). Wound, they roll 1 die. On a 5+ they prevent that Wound.
• A Super Hero can only have 4 at most. Any gained beyond • Bystanders are eliminated upon suffering 1 Wound. This triggers
that is simply ignored. Bystander Devoured (see below).
• Having 0 has no consequence, other than not being able to • If a Super Hero has a rescued Bystander card on their
spend to activate effects. dashboard, they may choose to discard it in order to prevent
• Many Skills and Traits require the spending of to utilize 1 Wound they would suffer. This should not be taken lightly,
various effects, as described on their text. though, as it triggers Bystander Devoured (see below).
• Each time a Super Hero performs an Attack, before rolling dice, • Bystanders cannot be harmed by Super Heroes. They are simply
they may decide to spend any amount of they possess to add ignored by Super Heroes’ Attacks.
that many Dice to their Attack.

Example: At the start of the Round, Storm has 0 . The Player BYSTANDER DEVOURED!
Phase starts, automatically giving her 1 . During her Turn, she
performs a Power Up Action, increasing her Power by 2 to a total of If a Bystander is eliminated, they are removed from the board. This
3. She then performs a Lightning Bolt Attack and decides to spend is a heavy blow for all the Super Heroes, as they have failed their
2 on it, rolling a total of 4 dice (2 from the base Attack + 2 from primary purpose of protecting the innocent. Each Bystander that
Power). Afterwards, she decides to spend her last to activate gets eliminated immediately triggers both of these effects:
her Gust skill, moving all remaining Enemies out of her Zone.
• ALL Super Heroes lose 1 (if they have any).
• ALL Super Heroes must discard 1 Heroic Trait (if they have any).

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ACTIVATING BYSTANDER INTERACTIVE OBJECTS

During the Enemy Phase, Bystanders attempt to flee the zombie Missions might include Interactive Objects on the map. While in
hordes and reach the Super Heroes in order to be rescued. At the a Zone with an Interactive Object, Zombie Heroes may use them
end of the Activate Enemies step, but before the Spawn Enemies to perform a special Ranged Attack. Each Interactive Object is
step, any Bystanders on the board are activated. They move 1 Zone different, so see its associated Reference card. Marvel Zombies:
towards the closest Zone with a Super Hero. X-Men Resistance features 1 Interactive Object, the severed
Sentinel Hand, but expansions might feature others.
• If a Bystander has more than one closest Zone with Super
Heroes, or more than one route of the same length to the closest
Zone, the players decide which way the Bystander goes.
• If there are Enemies in their Zone, or in the Zone they would
SENTINEL HAND
move into, the Bystander does not move.

The Sentinel Hand begins the game on its Charged side,

allowing a Super Hero in its Zone to use its Plasma Blast Attack.
This Attack may only be used once. After it’s used, flip the token
to its Spent side.

The spent Sentinel Hand may still be thrown once. After this
Attack is used, remove the token from the game gameboard.

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A ZOMBICIDE GAME
 ROUND SUMMARY HERO MODE
1. PLAYER PHASE 2. ENEMY PHASE
1. INCREASE POWER TRACKS 1. ACTIVATE ENEMIES
2. REFRESH ACTIVATION TOKENS Each Enemy activates and spends its Action on either an
Attack or a Move, depending on the situation. Runners and
3. ACTIVATE SUPER HEROES Zombie Heroes get 2 Actions, so they can Attack twice,
Attack and Move, Move and Attack, or Move twice.
Super Heroes activate in any order. On
their Turn, each Super Hero can perform 3 • ATTACK: Each Enemy in the same Zone as a Super Hero
Actions. or Bystander performs an Attack, dealing 1 Wound.
• MOVE: Costs 1 extra Action per Enemy in • MOVE: Enemies that have not Attacked use their Action to
your Zone. Move 1 Zone toward the closest Super Hero or Bystander.
• OPEN A DOOR: When a building is first 2. SPAWN ENEMIES
opened, Spawn its Zones and reveal
Bystanders. Starting from the Starting Spawn Zone and going
clockwise, draw and resolve 1 Spawn card for each Spawn
• GAIN TRAIT: Only once per Turn. Zone. Read the line corresponding to the highest Danger
Level among Super Heroes.
• POWER UP: Gain 2 .
• RESCUE BYSTANDER: No Enemies in your BYSTANDERS: Are targeted like Super Heroes.
Zone. Fill your track. Are eliminated with 1 Wound.
• SACRIFICE: Player may discard their Bystander to
• INTERACT WITH OBJECTIVE
ignore 1 Wound.
• ATTACK: Use your unique Attack. • COMBAT BYSTANDER: Ignore 1 Wound per 5+ rolled.
• May spend to roll extra Dice. • DEVOURED: If a Bystander is eliminated, all Super
• Deal Hits equal to a target’s Toughness Heroes lose 1 and 1 Heroic Trait.
to eliminate them, always following the • ACTIVATION: After Enemies, Move 1 Zone towards the
Target Priority order. closest Super Heroes (unless Enemies are present).

3. END PHASE
Perform any effects indicated to take place during the End Phase.
If any Zombie Heroes are eliminated, the players lose. Otherwise, start a new Round.

TARGET LIST
TARGET PRIORITY NAME ACTIONS TOUGHNESS XP REWARD
1 ZOMBIE HERO 2 See card Equal to Toughness
2 BRUTE 1 2 1
3 WALKER 1 1 1
4 RUNNER 2 1 1