COMMAND
WITH INTENT.

QUICK START

1. Open the game and choose New Campaign.
2. Select a campaign and a side. The campaign briefing summarizes the situation and available forces.
3. Start the campaign. During Turn 0, place the theater HQ and formations, or choose Auto Deploy Remaining to keep the scenario’s suggested positions.
4. Choose Finish Turn 0 · Start Turn 1 to begin issuing orders.
5. Select a friendly formation, choose an order, and review the inspector before ending the turn.

READ THE MAP

The battlefield is divided into hexes. A hex is the unit of movement and tactical position. Click a formation to inspect its strength, location, command link, readiness, supplies, equipment, and available detachments.

MAP LAYERS

• Terrain: shows ground types and terrain previews.
• Supply: helps you inspect the logistics picture.
• Topo: emphasizes elevation and ridgelines.
• Urban: highlights built-up ground and settlements.
• Satellite: displays the map imagery view when available.

The frontline overlay shows the current control picture. The MSR overlay shows notional supply corridors along the campaign road graph. Zoom with the plus/minus controls and use the reset-view control to re-center the theater.

CHOOSE A CAMPAIGN

The campaign selector lists the available operations. Each scenario sets its own map, forces, starting positions, objectives, and AI plan. Choose Blue or Red to command either side where the campaign allows it.

The campaign archive on the homepage gives a short historical background for each operation. Once a campaign briefing is open, review the forces and situation before entering the battlefield. Many campaigns are arranged around 40 turns of three days each; use the campaign interface as the authority for the selected scenario.

DEPLOY YOUR FORCES

Turn 0 is the setup phase. Select the theater HQ or a formation in the command panel, then choose a friendly-controlled hex on the map. Deployment does not spend movement points or supplies.

• Auto Deploy Remaining confirms all unplaced forces at their suggested scenario positions.
• Restore All Saved Positions returns units to saved deployment placements when available.
• Use the filters to switch between unplaced, detached, or all formations.
• Select a brigade to review and detach eligible subunits. Each detached subunit needs its own confirmed position.

When every position is confirmed, finish Turn 0 to begin Turn 1. Control of territory remains fixed during deployment.

TURN FLOW

During a turn, inspect the situation, issue orders to formations, and end the turn. The game resolves movement, combat, logistics, and other effects according to the current campaign rules. Check the map and unit status again after resolution.

1. Review objectives, supply, contact reports, and the front.
2. Select formations and assign orders appropriate to their type and current condition.
3. Confirm targets, movement modes, and supply state where the order requires them.
4. End the turn and read the updated map, reports, and unit inspector.

Some actions are limited by unit type, ammunition, readiness, command links, terrain, visibility, or campaign phase. If an order is not available, inspect the unit and the map before trying another approach.

MOVEMENT & ORDERS

Select a formation to open its inspector. Right-clicking a unit on the map opens its contextual order options. Movement range depends on the formation, route, terrain, and the selected movement mode.

AVAILABLE ORDER FAMILIES

• Hold, Rally, Entrench: maintain position, restore order, or improve defensive posture when available.
• Resupply, Refit, Rotate to Rear: address logistics, equipment, or fatigue by moving a formation out of the immediate front when possible.
• Move: choose a destination and an available mode. Modes shown in the client include normal, cautious, march, stealth, and forced movement.
• Mount / Dismount: change transport posture for formations with compatible equipment.
• Recon: gather information when the selected unit and situation permit.
• Attack, Assault, Long-range Strike, Area Denial, Drone Strike, Drone Logistics Strike: use the fires available to that formation.

The order list may vary by unit and campaign. Read the inspector and any order description before confirming a plan.

COMBAT & ASSAULTS

Combat depends on more than the number of units present. Formation type, personnel and equipment, readiness, cohesion, ammunition, morale, terrain, entrenchment, command link, visibility, and the type of attack can all matter.

Direct fire and assault are different choices. An assault attempts to close with and take a defended position; check the target, nearby contacts, and your formation’s condition before committing. The tactics panel appears when an assault is in progress or a valid target is selected.

FOG & RECONNAISSANCE

Fog of war limits what you can see about the opposing side. Contacts may be approximate rather than a complete unit record. Use the contacts panel and map shading to distinguish known positions from uncertain ground.

Recon units and drones can reveal nearby activity. The current map overlay describes drone reconnaissance as revealing a radius of one hex when that capability is available. Recon results depend on the campaign, the unit, and the information state.

• Do not treat an empty enemy hex as proof that no force is nearby.
• Use reconnaissance before exposing valuable formations to likely firing positions.
• Re-check contacts after a turn resolves; information changes over time.

SUPPLY & LOGISTICS

Formations consume and carry resources such as fuel and ammunition. Supply links connect units to command and logistics support; long or exposed routes can make operations harder to sustain. The inspector includes a supply inventory view, and the logistics panel contains theater-level logistics, reinforcements, and save controls.

• Protect roads and supply corridors that support the front.
• Check fuel and ammunition before planning repeated movement or fire missions.
• Use resupply orders where available and keep logistics formations protected.
• Use the MSR overlay as a planning aid; it represents the scenario road graph, not a guaranteed safe route.

ARTILLERY, DRONES & STRIKES

Artillery, drones, long-range strikes, and area denial give some formations effects beyond direct contact. The available options depend on the campaign and the selected formation. Inventory and readiness panels help you understand what a unit can still do.

• Recon missions support information gathering.
• Artillery and long-range strikes apply effects at distance when the target and unit are eligible.
• Drone strikes and logistics strikes are separate actions with different target roles.
• Area denial can shape movement through a threatened zone.

These actions may consume limited ammunition or require a valid target, sufficient visibility, or a live command link. Check the order prompt and inventory details.

PERSONNEL, READINESS & EQUIPMENT

The selected-unit panel is the best place to understand a formation. It shows the unit’s type, side, hex, personnel, authorized strength, fire and movement condition, operational state, and connection to headquarters where those values apply.

Expand the inspector sections to review readiness and performance, degraded combat effectiveness, drone inventory, physical supply, equipment, unit history, deployment, and losses. A unit may remain on the map but be too depleted, tired, or undersupplied for the job you have in mind.

OBJECTIVES & PROGRESS

Open Campaign Objectives in the command panel to review the goals for the current operation. Objectives can be tied to locations, force preservation, control, or progress over time. Use the selected campaign’s objective panel for exact requirements and current state.

The game may present a campaign or battle report after important developments. Review the report and the updated situation before deciding whether to press forward, regroup, or protect your supply routes.

SAVES & RECOVERY

Singleplayer campaign saves are stored locally by the browser build. Keep using the same browser profile to continue a local campaign. The logistics, reinforcements, and saves panel contains the relevant save options for the current client.

Player-account match invitations and reconnection recovery are separate online tools served by the ECHELON account service. If an invitation expires or is lost, sign in to the account that created the match and use its invitation recovery control.

SINGLEPLAYER, HOTSEAT & ACCOUNTS

Singleplayer: choose a campaign and command one side against that scenario’s AI plan. This is the recommended mode for learning.

Local hotseat: two people can share a device and alternate sides where the campaign supports it. Keep the device private while passing between players so each person can make decisions from their own side’s information.

Player accounts: the account service supports sign-in, account-owned matches, Blue or Red seat selection, invitations, and invitation recovery. The public multiplayer test client is still in development, and the current hosted server has simulation locked.

ONLINE FEATURES

Account registration, login, match invitations, ownership, and reconnection recovery have been implemented. Private match chat is in development for the two registered players who hold seats in the same match; messages are not public and do not reveal account email addresses. The monthly and annual subscription page and Stripe-hosted checkout flow are in development. Stripe configuration is required before its payment buttons can be enabled, and no paid-only game features are assigned yet.

Use the homepage to open the game, player access, subscription page, and this manual. Online features and this guide may change as the alpha develops.

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