Official Rules

Purpose

1. The purpose of R/C Tank Combat is to have fun competing against other battlers who enjoy building, maintaining and operating large scale R/C models.

2. The rules have been designed to create an exciting, safe and balanced game, which encourages team and individual tactics and strategy.

3. The rules are intended to evolve over time to adapt to changes in technology, battling techniques and the interests of the battlers.

1. Historical Basis
   All vehicles and weapons systems must be modeled after a real vehicle or weapons system that was actually produced for military purposes during any time period. Prototype or concept designs that did not result in a production design are not allowed.

2. Asset Categories
   For classification purposes, the following asset categories are defined:

   Category	Description
   Tank	Any fully tracked vehicle
   Armored Car	Any fully or partially wheeled vehicle
   Field Artillery	Any fixed or movable piece of artillery
   Rocket Launcher	Any movable piece of artillery which fired rocket propelled rounds from one or more tubes
   Infantry	Any soldier carrying a hand-held rocket launcher
   Support Vehicle	Any type of un-armed vehicle used to move equipment and supplies, including trailers

3. Scale Size
   The following scales must be used for each of the asset categories defined above:
   1. All Tanks, Armored Cars and Support Vehicles must be either (a) built in 1/6 scale or (b) be at least 3 feet long, as measured along the body of the vehicle, in which case any scale may be used. In all cases, the width and the height of the vehicle must be scaled proportionately, using the scale chosen for the vehicle.

   2. All Field Artillery and Rocket Launchers must be built in 1/6 scale.

   3. All Infantry soldiers must be at least 12 inches tall.

4. Drive System
   The following rules apply to the drive system used by all self-propelled vehicles:
   1. All vehicles may be powered only by batteries or solar cells, no internal combustion engines of any kind are allowed.

   2. An easily accessible and readily marked on-off switch must be installed in all vehicles that can completely disable the drive system in the field, regardless of the state of the R/C system.

1. Paintball Cannons
   Only CO2 or compressed air powered paintball markers may be used as weapons.
   1. Paintball markers must be fitted with either a muzzle plug or cap that stops all paintballs from leaving the muzzle. The muzzle plug or cap must be in-place whenever the marker is not on the battlefield or the designated test range. The muzzle plug or cap must be painted a bright color so that it is evident when it is in-place.

   2. An easily accessible and readily marked on-off valve must be installed in the CO2 supply system that allows the paintball marker to be effectively disabled in the field, regardless of the state of the R/C system.

   3. Paintball markers may be commercially manufactured or homemade.

   4. Gas supply components, including the tank, valve, regulator and hoses, must be commercially manufactured.

   5. Paintball markers will be limited to a muzzle velocity of 250 fps.

   6. The maximum elevation of any paintball marker will be 10 degrees.

2. Asset Armament
   The following table defines the type of armament allowed for each asset:

   Category	Armament
   Tank	Single, semi-automatic paintball marker
   Armored Car	Single, semi-automatic paintball marker
   Field Artillery	Single, semi-automatic paintball marker
   Rocket Launcher	One single-shot, muzzle-loaded paintball marker per tube
   Infantry	One single-shot, muzzle-loaded paintball marker
   Support Vehicle	None

   Exemptions

   1. Models of vehicles that carried more than one main gun may be equiped with multiple paintball markers, provided that only one marker fires per operator firing motion.

3. Offensive Rating
   Each asset will be given an offensive rating based on the asset type. The offensive rating determines the maximum magazine size for the asset, using the following table:

   Category	Offensive Rating
   Tank	40 paintballs
   Armored Car	20 paintballs
   Field Artillery	10 paintballs
   Rocket Tube	1 paintball per tube

   Exemptions

   1. The offensive rating for vehicles equiped with more than one marker is based only on the size of a single main gun and the total capacity of all magazines cannot exceed the offensive rating.

4. Defensive Rating
   Each asset will be given a defensive rating based on the asset type. The defensive rating determines the number of hits needed to destroy the asset, using the following table:

   Category	Defensive Rating
   Tank	4 direct hits
   Armored Car	2 direct hits
   Field Artillery	1 direct hit per soldier
   Rocket Launcher	1 direct hit
   Infantry	1 direct hit
   Support Vehicle	1 direct hit

   Frontal hits are ignored for all Tanks and Armored Cars. A frontal hit on a turret is determined based on the following guidelines:
   1. On turrets that have a front facet or mantel (whichever is largest) that is at least 50% as wide as the widest part of the turret, the front facet or mantel (whichever is largest) is the "front" of the turret.

   2. On all other turrets, the "front" is the region of the turret lying within a 90 degree arc drawn from the center of turret rotation that straddles the gun. In such cases, two boundary lines will be painted on the turret to mark the frontal area.

Battle Conduct

A Battle is fought between two or more teams attempting to either capture the assets of another team or destroy all the assets of another team, as specified by the Contest Director (CD). Different scenarios may be used depending on the number of combatants, the type of terrain or the preferences of the battlers attending. Exploration and development of new scenarios is encouraged, provided the following battle conduct rules are followed.

1. Contest Director
   All Battles are waged under the control of the Contest Director (CD) who has the sole authority to define and conduct the battle.
   1. The CD will define the limits of the battle field and will clearly mark any critical areas, such as the pit and spectator areas.

   2. The CD will define the objectives of the battle prior to the beginning of the battle.

   3. The CD will assign points to teams and individuals as objectives are met.

   4. The CD will assess penalty points to teams and individuals if rule violations occur.

2. Safety
   Battler and spectator safety is the responsibility of all battlers and the following rules apply at all times during a battling event:
   1. Paintball markers may be armed and fired only when and where specifically authorized by the CD. At all other times, the CO2 on-off valve must be off and the muzzle plug or muzzle cap must be in place.

   2. All battlers must wear a full face mask whenever paintball markers are armed. Fixed-position cameramen may forego a face mask when standing behind an equivalent shield.

   3. A battler may not deliberately target or shoot at anything other than a vehicle, weapon system or practice target at any time, including other battlers. Violations of this rule will be dealt with severely by the CD.

   4. A battler must be aware of all objects down-range from a valid target at all times, including spectators, cars and buildings, and should avoid hitting them whenever possible. This does not apply to battlers who are standing behind their vehicles or weapons systems.

   5. If any battler announces Cease Fire then all vehicles must immediately halt and no markers may be fired. When the CD determines that the game may resume, only he may announce Resume, at which point all battlers may proceed. A Cease Fire should only be called when a potential safety problem exists.

3. Home Base
   Each team will be assigned a Home Base which is clearly marked on the field of battle.
   1. All assets must be inside of their Home Base at the start of the battle.

   2. Assets may return to their own Home Base at any time during the battle for reloading or repairs.

   3. At most N vehicles (as specified by the CD) may occupy Home Base at any time during the battle, including both armored vehicles and support vehicles.

   4. When playing a re-incarnation scenario, a destroyed asset may be re-deployed after it returns to Home Base. The CD may limit the total number of re-incarnations per vehicle or per team at his discretion. The CD may also specify a minimum wait time that must elapse before an asset can be re-incarnated.

4. No-Fire Zone
   Each Home Base is surrounded by a No Fire Zone which extends 20 feet in all directions.
   1. A vehicle inside of a No Fire Zone, including Home Base, may not fire at any vehicle and may not be fired upon at any time.

   2. Vehicles may not enter the No Fire Zone of an opposing team at any time.

   3. Vehicles may not stop in their own No Fire Zone at any time. Vehicles transiting to/from their Home Base must do so without unnecessary delay.

5. Battler Movement
   Battlers may move freely around the battlefield during the battle, except for the following situations:
   1. Battlers must be at least 5 feet from all vehicles and weapons systems at all times during the battle, except during timeouts or as noted below for each type of vehicle or weapon systems.

   2. Battlers may not stand or walk along any lines of fire between one asset and another.

6. Tanks and Armored Cars
   The following rules apply to the use of Tanks and Armored Cars during a battle:
   1. Tanks and Armored Cars may not be touched during the battle, except during a timeout or when in Home Base.

   2. Tanks and Armored Cars may be towed by another vehicle if necessary during the battle. In such cases, the vehicle may be touched solely for hitching and unhitching purposes.

   3. Tanks and Armored Cars may not be repaired at any time during a battle, except during a timeout or when it returns to Home Base.

   4. Tanks and Armored Cars may not move within 5 feet of any opposing vehicle or weapons system at any time, unless specifically permitted by the opposing operator.

   5. The maximum speed of an Armored Car may not be greater than the maximum speed of the fastest tank participating in the battle.

7. Support Vehicles
   Support Vehicles may be used to haul supplies and soldiers around the battle field, as well as towing other vehicles, weapon systems and supply trailers.
   1. The maximum load for any Support Vehicle or supply trailer is:

      40 paintballs, or

      1 battery (any size), or

      1 CO2 cylinder (any size), or

      4 soldiers.

   2. Support Vehicles may tow at most one vehicle, weapon system or supply trailer at a time.

   3. Support Vehicles may haul supplies anywhere on the field at any time during the battle, including timeouts.

   4. During a timeout, supplies may be transfered from a Support Vehicle directly to any asset located within 5 feet of the Support Vehicle.

   5. Supply Vehicles may not be repaired at any time during a battle, except during a timeout or when it returns to Home Base.

   6. Support Vehicles may not move within 5 feet of any opposing vehicle or weapons system at any time, unless specifically permitted by the opposing operator.

   7. The maximum speed of a Support Vehicle may not be greater than the maximum speed of the fastest tank participating in the battle.

8. Supply Depots
   Supplies may be stockpiled at one or more Supply Depots located anywhere on the battle field.
   1. Support Vehicle operators may load or unload supplies at a Supply Depot at any time during the battle, except when the Support Vehicle or Supply Depot is being fired upon.

   2. During a timeout, any vehicle or weapon system may be re-supplied from any Supply Depot, friendly or un-friendly, located within 10 feet of the vehicle or weapon system.

   3. If two or more teams have armed vehicles or weapon systems within 10 feet of a Supply Depot when a timeout is called, then only the team with the asset closest to the Supply Depot may draw supplies from that depot during the timeout.

9. Field Artillery and Rocket Launchers
   The following rules apply to the use of Field Artillery and Rocket Launchers during a battle:
   1. Field Artillery and Rocket Launchers must be towed by a vehicle in order to move around the battlefield.

   2. Field Artillery and Rocket Launchers may be hitched or unhitched at any time during the battle, except when being fired upon.

   3. Field Artillery and Rocket Launchers must be deployed within 5 feet of the vehicle when unhitched.

   4. Field Artillery and Rocket Launchers may be reloaded at any time during the battle from a Supply Vehicle within 5 feet or from a Supply Depot within 10 feet, except when being fired upon.

   5. Field Artillery and Rocket Launchers may not be repaired at any time during a battle, except during a timeout or when it returns to Home Base.

10. Infantry
    The following rules apply to the use of Infantry during a battle:
    1. Infantry must ride on a vehicle in order to move around the battlefield.

    2. Infantry may mount or dismount a vehicle at any time during the battle, except when being fired upon.

    3. Infantry must be deployed within 10 feet of the vehicle when dismounted.

    4. Infantry may be reloaded from a Supply Vehicle within 5 feet or from a Supply Depot within 10 feet at any time during a battle, except when being fired upon.

11. Timeouts
    At most N Timeouts (as specified by the CD) may be called by each team during the battle. Each timeout will be 5 minutes long.
    1. Only the CD can officially announce a timeout, after being notified by a team leader of their desire to take one.

    2. A timeout cannot be called if any vehicle, weapon system or supply depot is being fired upon.

    3. When a timeout is called, all non-support vehicles must immediately halt and all gun rotation and elevation motion must cease. Vehicles in the No Fire Zone heading towards Home Base may proceed to Home Base.

    4. Support Vehicles are the only vehicles that may move during a timeout.

    5. During a timeout, battlers may re-supply any vehicle or weapon system directly from a Supply Vehicle or Supply Depot as specified above.

    6. During a timeout, battlers may repair any vehicle or weapon system, but they may not improve the position of the vehicle (e.g., pull it out of a ditch) or improve their firing solution (e.g., elevate or rotate the gun).

    7. Any battler that continues to repair or re-supply their vehicle outside of Home Base after the timeout has expired may be penalized by the CD at his discretion.

12. Fixed Artillery and Guard Soldiers
    The following rules apply to the use of Fixed Artillery (i.e., an artillery asset that remains fixed in one place) during a battle:
    1. At the discretion of the Contest Director, one or more Guard Soldiers may be required to be deployed for each Fixed Artillery asset deployed. Guard soldiers must be 12" tall and scaled accordingly.

    2. Guard Soldiers must be "standing" a distance of 10 feet from the fixed artillery. The soldier may be attached to a stake in the ground or attached to a free-standing platform.

    3. Guard Soldiers must stand in the open and may not be within 3 feet of any obstruction that would obscure part or all of the soldier.

    4. When a Guard Soldier is hit by a paintball, the artillery operator must immediately lay the soldier flat on the ground to signify it has been hit.

    5. If all soldiers are hit, the Fixed Artillery is considered destroyed and the artillery operator must immediately stop firing the Fixed Artillery asset, carry all soldiers and spare ammo back to home base, and record the hits on the score sheet. For scoring purposes, the hits are recorded against the Fixed Artillery asset, one hit per soldier deployed, and awarded to the operator/asset on the opposing team(s) that made the hit.

    6. Fixed Artillery can be re-incarnated when a Support Vehicle successfully transports all soldiers back to the Fixed Artillery location. Support Vehicles can carry at most 4 soldiers, plus 40 paintballs when re-incarnating a Fixed Artillery asset. The operator must place all Guard Soldiers in proper locations (which may be different from the original locations) before resuming fire with the artillery asset.

Scoring

1. Scorekeeping
   Each team is responsible for maintaining an accurate account of points earned by them throughout the battle, subject to review by the other team(s) and the CD after the battle has concluded.
   1. Individual scores are based on the number of points earned by destroying objects, hauling supplies, and meeting mission objectives, minus any individual penalties, as defined below.

   2. Team scores are based on the total number of points earned by each individual on that team, minus any team penalties. The team with the highest number of points for a given battle is the winner.

2. Destruction Points
   The defensive rating of an asset determines the number of points awarded to the individual(s) who destroyed that asset, using the following table:

   Defensive Rating	Points Awarded
   4	1000 pts
   3	750 pts
   2	500 pts
   1	250 pts

   1. Team members may decide to share destruction points among two or more members if it can't be determined who actually destroyed the asset.

   2. If an asset is hit and/or destroyed by friendly fire, then the destruction points will be awarded to the closest non-support asset operated by the opposing team(s).

3. Supply Delivery Points
   Support Vehicle operators earn points by collecting a Delivery Charge for each shipment delivered.
   1. Delivery Charges may be fixed at the beginning of the battle or may be negotiated during the battle.

   2. Delivery Charges may be collected from any team, at any time during the battle.

   3. Delivery Charges are deducted equally from all members of the team who requested the delivery, and are credited individually to the Support Vehicle operator. In this way, the Support Vehicle operator can share in the points earned by their own team or can extract points from another team for services rendered.

4. Mission Points
   The CD may award team points for any mission objectives that were met during the battle.
   1. The CD must announce all mission objectives and the points to be awarded prior to the battle.

   2. Mission Points are distributed to individual team members based on the sole discretion of each team leader.

5. Penalty Points
   The CD may assign individual or team penalty points at any time for any rule violation. The amount of the penalty will be determined by the CD based on the severity of the violation.