Destroy cites and eat the inhabitants to improve your health. Destroy famous landmarks to increase your infamy. Visit nuclear test sites to mutate into an even more ferocious monster. This is what you must do if you want to become King of All Monsters. Hopefully you are ready when the monster challenge comes around to claim the title that rightfully belongs to you. Don’t forget to use your military branch to attack other monsters, or to “persuade" the monsters to go elsewhere.

Friendly Tournament Environment:

This is a Coached Event that allows players who have never played a game, or attended a demo to play. I, the GM, and my Assistant GMs will do our best to make sure everyone is taught the rules before being seated to play, but it is still expected that if a new player is at your table that you will teach them any rules they need to learn, as well as help them if they need guidance.

If you are a new player that either needs the rules, or needs help, let people know. No one can help you if they don’t know you need help.

This event attracts many children and teens, so keep all language at the event family friendly, and Rated G.

You can find a video explaining how to play the game at davidjohnpack.com/mma (You can also find a video at the same link about how to teach the rules of the game as you play with a new player.)

Speed of Play Rules:

These rules are in place to make sure the rounds stay in their time slot, and to ensure players can get to their next event on time. Failure to follow these rules or to comply with GM requests to speed up your game may result in the game being disqualified from advancement.

Mandatory Tournament Adjustments: Adjustments #1B, #2, and #9 are required for all games. Each game must ALSO use either adjustments #3A, #3B, or #4. These adjustments ensure that all game end in a timely fashion.

Prohibition against excessive diplomacy or politicking – You are a Monster, not a politician. Some minor deal making is allowed (i.e. “Will you help me surround Joe’s Monster so he can’t get to New York?") as well as suggesting that a player is the biggest threat. (i.e. “We need to attack Bob; he has 37 Health.") If a player is not interested in your deal, don’t keep trying variations of the deal. In the event of continuing to engage in excessive diplomacy or politicking, even after being warned, the GM reserves the right to kick players from the tournament.

What to do if a player is not here – If a player is not present for their turn, place a stomp marker in Hollywood, and have them draw a face down Military Research card, then their turn is over. That player may flip over the face down Military Research card(s) after they return and complete their next turn. If a player’s monster or military are attacked, have someone roll for them. (You may not use any one-shots that player has.)

GM Speed Up Requests – The GM may tell games to remove stomp markers to speed them up if they are too slow or start late. If needed, the GM can cancel the MONSTER Challenge and use the score sheets to determine the order of finish for a game.

Format & Prizes:

Up to 25 advance to the Semifinal. Advancement to the Semifinal will be based on the Heats Most Wins standard tie-breakers listed below.

If more than 16 winners advance, 5-player boards may be used with a National Guard player and 5th Monster. Advancing 17 to 20 winners will result in a 4-player Final. Over 20 winners may result in a 5-player Final.

Family members and players who faced each other in Heats will be separated in the Semifinal if possible. (They should tell the GM if they have played each other.) The GM may separate players with multiple wins, then former MMA champions.

Juniors and those who have played zero or one times before are eligible for the “Son of a Monster" award. The “Kinda Friendly" award rewards anything that help promote a fun and friendly event for people, including things like bringing in new players, helping teach/mentor new players, and good sportsmanship.

Everyone who plays will be allowed to pick one monster themed button pin each round they play in. Winners will be given the option to pick a snack, a mini fan-made monster expansion for MMA, or an additional button pin.

Concerning usage of the Mini Fan-Made Monster Expansions during the tournament

At the 2024 WBC, the GM (David-John) introduced custom monsters he had designed as prizes that players could get. Several players expressed interest in seeing these monsters added to the main tournament.

In 2026, the decision to use any or all of the five new monsters must be unanimously agreed to be all players in the game. The GM will do his best to put players at tables that match their preference to use or not use the new monsters.

In the event that a game breaking problem is discovered during the tournament, the GM reserves the right to prohibit the usage of any and all non-original monsters for all remaining Heats, Semifinal, and Final. (This is unlikely to be necessary, since the 5 monsters have been playtested, and given errata where needed.)

The 5 new monsters that will continue to be allowed this year are:

• Ethroh the Ancient One
• Kokuri the Butterfly
• Komin the Snow Yeti
• Qu'thral the Cosmic Horror
• Xan the Sand Wyrm

The following is errata to the monster as printed in 2024:

• Ethroh now starts with 8 Health, its special ability is now “While in a space with a water barrier, you get +1 defense during the first 2 rounds of combat." and the R-4 (1 space north of Detroit) lair has been replaced with P-3 (1 space north of Milwaukee)
• Kokuri now starts with 12 Health and has a special ability which is “When stomping a city, Each dice rolled gives 1 less health, to a minimum of 1." (Yes, this is a negative power, to compensate that it flies at 5.)
On Komin lairs, C-3 (Toxicor’s NorthEast lair) should say C-3 (Toxicor’s Northwest lair)
• Qu'thral and Xan have no errata

The following is errata to the monster as printed in 2025:

• Ethoh’s special ability is now “While in a space with a water barrier, you get +2 defense during the first round of combat, except against cruise missiles."
• Kokuri will now start with 9 health instead of 12.

Also, a rules clarification when playing with these new monsters (as a result of some monsters now sharing lairs): In the event that a monster needs to appear on the board and 2 or more of it’s lairs are occupied by other monsters, it may choose to appear at one of those monster’s lairs instead.

There are up-to-date free print-n-play copies of all 5 tournament approved monsters at davidjohnpack.com/mma.

Official Mandatory Tournament Adjustments:

ALL games use adjustments 1B, 2, and 9 by default. Adjustment 1A has been retired, and will no longer be used.

• 1B. National Guard Deployment Change – The National Guard can also be deployed to mutation sites.
• 2. Stomp when in Hollywood – Each turn a MONSTER starts in Hollywood, place a stomp marker in Hollywood. Play is otherwise slowed by disappearing and by going to Hollywood, since nothing is stomped.
• 9. Konk Special Buff – Konk’s special power is now +1 to hit all military units. (excluding military monsters.)
• 10. Overrun Movement Rules: On a player's turn, they may perform an overrun move with their monster. First, they must be finished with moving their military for the turn. Next, they declare the intent to do an overrun. When they do this, their monster's movement is cut in half (rounded down) for the rest of the turn. Now they begin their overrun move. When moving their monster, if they run into military, they pseudo begin the first round of combat. The monster rolls 1 die at a time until all the military is defeated from that space, or all of the monster's attack dice for the first round of combat have been used. If there is still military in the space with the monster when it runs out of attack dice, it ends its movement in the space it is currently in and now have the military begun its first round of combat and finish the 2nd round of combat like normal. If the overrunning monster defeats all the military in a space during a pseudo first round of combat, it may keep going with it move (though the movement is still half for the turn). If that monster runs into any more military, it resumes the pseudo first round of combat, and any dice they have rolled are already used

Official Tournament Adjustments:

ALL games MUST also use either 3A or 3B. Majority vote chooses. In case of a tie, the tiebreaker goes to 3B, then 3A. Please make sure to write down on your sheet which adjustments were used by writing down the number and/or letter.

• 3A. Stomp to Mutate – When a monster visits a mutation site, remove a stomp marker from the supply. If this would remove the last stomp marker, this triggers the Monster Challenge like normal
• 3B. Stomp to Mutate, Group Style – Every 4th time the monsters collectively mutate by visiting a mutation site, remove 4 stomp marker from the supply, as long as there are more than 4 stomps left. For 5 player games, replace the number 4 with 5.

Tournament Approved Adjustments:

You may use these IF AND ONLY IF all players agree to use them. A game may use Any, All, or None of these. Please make sure to mark down on your sheet which adjustments were used by writing down the number and/or letter.

• 5. Gargantis Normal Move – Gargantis no longer flies, and now moves 4 by land only
• 6. Toxicor Special Nerf – Toxicor has +1 starting health and Toxicor’s special ability is replaced with the following: The first time you mutate each turn, you may choose to draw a new Mutation card. If you do, shuffle the first Mutation card drawn back into the Mutation deck
• 7. Reverse Pick – Players pick their Military first and pick Monsters second.
• 8. Megaclaw Health Nerf – Megaclaw now has a Starting Health of 10 instead of 12

5-Player Game:

The 5-player variant is used to make sure all attendees can play in case there are not enough copies of the game at a Heat. It also can be used if we need more to seat winners in the Semifinal.

The New 5-Player Variant used from 2025 onward:

The new 5-player variant introduces the Space Force as an additional Military Branch.

The Military bases for the Space Force are at the following locations:

• C-7 (1 space north of Los Angles)
• D-8 (1 space north of San Deigo, on the Marines Base)
• L-12 (1 space south of The Alamo, on the Navy Base)
• M-11 (On Houston)
• Q-10 (2 spaces south of Nashville, on the Navy Base)
• S-5 (On Cleveland)
• U-11 (1 space north of Miami, in the Ocean)
• V-8 (3 spaces south of New York, on the Marines Base)

During the Deploy Step, the Space Force places 2 units that are either their own or from the national guard, plus a National guard unit. (They may also forgo placing units to take a military research card instead.)

The Units the Space Force has are as follows:

Special: Monsters may not attack this military unit until there are no other military units or military monsters in the area.

HEATS: MOST WINS - POINTS (HMW-P):

1. Most Wins (e.g., total in all heats entered)
2. Total Points – Players earn the following pints in each heat they entered:
   • 1st Place - 1,000 points
   • 2nd Place - 100 points
   • 3rd Place - 10 points
   • 4th Place - 1 points
   • All other places - 0 points
   • e.g. player has a 1st, 2nd, and 4th in three heats: total points would be 1,101
3. GM Specific Tie-breaker - none
4. High dice roll.

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