Undaunted: Normandy

To set up, players first select one of the 12 included scenarios from the rulebook, which dictates the specific double-sided tiles to be used and their arrangement on the board. Objective markers are then placed on designated tiles according to the scenario. Each player chooses an army (US or German) and collects the unit cards and matching combat counters specified by the scenario's 'Starting Cards' table. Unit cards are separated into face-up piles by type (e.g., Rifleman A, Scout B), forming a supply. Any combat counters with letter designations (e.g., Rifleman A) are kept separate from generic ones. Players also keep various other tokens (control, spawn, initiative) and four 10-sided dice within reach. The US player's components are green, and the German player's are bluish-gray.

The primary objective for each player is determined by the chosen scenario. For example, in 'Scenario 1: La Raye,' both the US and German players aim to be the first to control 5 objective points. Other scenarios might require players to 'pin' their opponent's forces, which means ensuring the opponent has no Riflemen combat counters left on the board. The game ends as soon as one player achieves their victory condition, or if both sides become pinned simultaneously. In the latter case, the player with the most objective points wins; if there's still a tie, the player holding the initiative marker wins.

Each round of Undaunted: Normandy is divided into three phases: Draw Cards, Determine Initiative, and Player Turns. In the Draw Cards phase, both players draw four cards from their personal deck. If a deck runs out, the discard pile is shuffled to form a new deck. In the Determine Initiative phase, both players secretly select one card from their hand and reveal it simultaneously. The player who revealed the card with the highest initiative value (shown in the upper corner of the card) takes the initiative marker for the round. In case of a tie, the player who already holds the initiative marker keeps it. Both selected cards are then discarded. In the Player Turns phase, starting with the player holding the initiative, players take turns playing cards from their hand one at a time to perform actions. Players can choose to stop playing cards at any point or continue until they have no playable cards left. Any cards remaining in a player's hand at the end of their turn, along with any cards played, are moved to their discard pile. Cards cannot be saved from round to round.

Objective points are primarily scored by controlling tiles that have objective markers on them. Each objective marker displays a numerical value, indicating how many points that tile is worth. A player controls a tile if they have one of their control markers on it, with their army's side face up. These control markers are typically placed using a 'Control' action available on certain unit cards. Players do not need to have any units physically present on a controlled tile to continue scoring its objective points; as long as their control marker remains on the tile, they retain control and the associated points. The total number of objective points controlled by each player is continuously tracked throughout the game, as it directly contributes to achieving the scenario's victory conditions.

The game concludes immediately when one of the players successfully meets their scenario's victory conditions. This means that if a player achieves their objective during their turn, the game ends right away, and the current round is not completed. Another way the game can end is if both players become 'pinned' simultaneously. If this rare event occurs, the game ends, and the winner is determined by comparing the total objective points each player controls. The player with the higher total objective points wins. If there is still a tie in objective points, the player who currently holds the initiative marker is declared the winner. There are also 'Beyond All Hope' rules for extremely rare situations where neither player can achieve their objectives, in which case the game is resolved by specific tie-breaking conditions outlined in the rulebook.