How do army units move in Neutronium: Parallel Wars?

Army tokens move one hex per action. Each move spends one action from your turn. Tokens can move through friendly segments freely; moving into an opponent-controlled segment triggers combat. Terano's +1 diplomacy speed reduces the action cost of capturing adjacent segments diplomatically — not standard army movement.

Can you move multiple army tokens in one turn?

Yes. Each army token movement is one action. Players have a fixed action allowance per round. Moving three tokens costs three actions. The action economy forces players to choose between moving forces, building structures, or spending Nn — army repositioning is always an opportunity cost decision.

What is the follow-up attack mechanic?

After winning a combat with multiple army tokens, the winning player may immediately spend additional tokens from the same hex to contest adjacent segments in the same action. This chain capture mechanic rewards concentrating force: a stack of 3 tokens can win a combat and immediately threaten two additional segments in one action.

How does Mi-TO area denial affect army movement?

At Universe 7+, Mi-TO's area denial zone requires opponents to spend additional Nn when placing occupation tokens in the affected region. This does not block movement directly, but makes the economic cost of committing army tokens to Mi-TO-adjacent segments higher than committing them elsewhere. The mechanic effectively taxes enemy army activity without requiring combat.

Movement Mechanic • Universe 1+

Army Movement

Army Movement governs how player units reposition across the hex board. Each movement action moves one token one hex — a simple rule that creates deep positioning decisions, because where your army is at the start of each round determines what you can do that round. Overextended forces cannot defend; concentrated forces cannot expand. Every movement decision is an opportunity cost.

24Army Tokens/Player

1 hexPer Action

18 tilesBoard Size

6 sidesAdjacency per Hex

Movement Rules

Army tokens are physical pieces placed on hex tiles. Movement works as follows:

Each army token movement costs one action from your turn allowance.
A token moves exactly one hex per action — no multi-hex movement in a single action.
Moving through a friendly-controlled hex costs one action; no combat is triggered.
Moving into an opponent-controlled segment triggers combat resolution immediately.
Multiple tokens from the same hex can be moved or committed to combat in the same turn (each movement costs its own action).
Tokens on the board at the end of your turn are your defensive coverage for the round — unoccupied segments are vulnerable.

The Follow-Up Attack

After winning a combat with multiple committed tokens, the winning player may immediately spend additional tokens from the winning stack to contest adjacent segments — without spending separate movement actions. This chain capture mechanic rewards army concentration:

A single token wins one segment.
Three tokens win one segment and can immediately contest two adjacent segments in the same action.
Mi-TO's +1 combat strength applies to follow-up attacks, making their stacked advances particularly punishing.

Strategic Implication

The follow-up attack creates a force concentration incentive. Three tokens in one hex are worth more than three tokens spread across three hexes — not because they generate more income, but because they create an offensive threat that one-hex defenders cannot stop. Concentrated force wins combats and chains into adjacent segments; dispersed force can only contest single segments independently.

Action Economy and Movement

Every action spent on army movement is an action not spent on building structures, paying for Nuclear Port construction, or making diplomacy moves. At Universe 1–3 when the map is open, movement actions are high-value: reaching new territory before opponents is decisive. By Universe 6+, when the map has largely stabilized, repositioning forces to respond to threats competes with economic actions for priority.

Experienced players plan their army positions 1–2 turns ahead, staging forces in positions that enable multiple response options rather than committing all tokens to a single planned combat. A staged position adjacent to three opponent segments creates credible threat across all three; a committed position attacking one segment leaves the other two uncontested.

Wormhole Traversal (Universe 10+)

At Universe 10, the Alpha Core wormhole mechanic activates. The Alpha Core tile — shuffled face-down among the standard hexes at game start — contains a wormhole that allows army tokens to move between non-adjacent hexes in a single action. This changes movement geometry at the highest universe levels: distant corners of the board are no longer tactically isolated, and the Alpha Core position on the board becomes a strategic control point contested by all players.

Strategic Principles

Position before you need to respond. Moving army tokens to a threatened segment after an attack is declared is usually too late. Stage reserves in positions where they can respond to multiple threat vectors before the round starts.
Follow-up chains justify concentration. Three tokens in one hex outperforms three tokens spread out, because the chain capture potential multiplies the action value of a single combat win.
Protect deposit segments specifically. Radioactive deposit segments with Nuclear Ports are the highest-value targets on the board. Army tokens adjacent to deposit segments are the highest-value defensive placement.
Against Mi-TO, don't overcommit. Mi-TO's +1 combat strength and area denial make contesting their segments expensive. Routes around their territory are frequently more efficient than routes through it.

Related Mechanics Territory Control • Combat Resolution • Race Asymmetry • All 47 Mechanics

Frequently Asked Questions

How do army units move?

One token moves one hex per action. Each player has 24 army tokens. Moving into an opponent's segment triggers combat. Moving through friendly hexes costs an action but no combat. Actions are a limited resource — army movement competes with building, port construction, and diplomacy.

Can you move multiple tokens in one turn?

Yes. Each token movement costs one action. Moving three tokens costs three actions from your turn allowance. The action economy forces tradeoffs between army repositioning and other economic or building actions.

What is the follow-up attack?

After winning combat with multiple tokens, you may immediately spend additional tokens from that hex to contest adjacent segments without extra movement actions. This chain capture rewards concentrating force — three tokens in one hex can win a combat and immediately threaten two adjacent segments.

How does Mi-TO area denial affect movement?

At Universe 7+, Mi-TO's area denial zone charges opponents additional Nn when placing occupation tokens near Mi-TO segments. Movement itself is not blocked, but the economic cost of committing army tokens into Mi-TO territory makes routing around them frequently more efficient.