KINGPIN: THE HUNT FOR EL CHAPO - RULES OF PLAY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06712164
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2017
• Case Number: F-2017-01129
• Publication Date: March 21, 2016

Approved for Release: 2017/11/27 C06712164
21 March 2016
RULES OF PLAY
Simulation Design b
CONTENTS
1. Introduction � The game in general and how to set up
2. The Cartel � What the Cartel team does on its turn
3. The Hunters � What the Hunter team does on its turn
4. Refereeing � What the Referee is responsible for
5. Victory � How each team's performance is judged
1
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Referee here
screen
"FOUND" area
white
dice
ID
Lead
markers
Topography
Display
Nexus Support
(Category boxes to hold
cards)
Intel E
pawns
Table(s)
Year
pawn
"FINISHED"
Display
A
North
Record
markers
"FIXED" map game board
Law
enforcement
pawns
111111
1
Hunter team here
blue dice
0
"HIDDEN" area
A Chapo dice
0
A
North
"HIDDEN" Map game board
En
-o
cu
Z �
Needs discs
("Hidden" area can be on an adjacent table)
Cartel team here
1.0 INTRODUCTION
KINGPIN�The Hunt for El Chapo is an
instructional boardgame designed to
familiarize intelligence analysts with
manhunting methodology. Using tabletop
components representing both historical
and notional aspects, players reenact the
evasion and manhunt that ended with the
2014 capture of Mexican Sinaloa Cartel
boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera
(before his 2nd escape in 2015 and later
recapture). The full game should take about
90 minutes to play.
Roles
Players are divided between a Cartel team
and a Hunter team. The Cartel team sets El
Chapo's Defenses and seeks to evade
capture while fulfilling a variety of El
Chapo's personal and operational needs.
The Hunter team deploys intelligence and
police assets as well as an elite Marina
(Mexican Marines) strike unit to unravel
El Chapo's nexus and support topographies
(his trusted networks) and thereby zero-in
on his needs and defenses. A Referee
oversees the game to ensure that only the
right secret information is revealed.
2
Setup
See the diagram above. Set out the game
boards, displays, and screens on 1 or 2 long
tables as shown. Shuffle the Needs deck
and place and it and the Defense cards next
to the "Hidden" game board, with a pool of
green "Needs" discs nearby. Place the
Nexus and Support Topography cards face-
down in the appropriate marked boxes of
the Topography Display in the "Found" area,
with a pool of "Lead" markers nearby.
Group the various pawns as shown. Give
the Hunters a pool of "Record" markers and
some white and blue 6-sided dice.
Reference sheets. Give each player an
Initial Investigation and Hunter Constraints
brief, plus a Player Aid card.
Cartel Preparation. The Cartel team
before play blindly draws 6 Defense cards
and places them and the green Chapo
pawn into legal Locations (indicated on the
cards; any for the Chapo pawn) on the
Hidden area game board.
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Layout
Hidden and Found-Fixed-Finished.
Screens divide the table(s) into 3 areas:
� A "Hidden" area that the Hunter team
may not view, holding a Hidden game
board map.
� A "Found" area that the Cartel team may
not view, holding a Topography display.
� A common area in the middle that all
can view, holding "Fixed" game board,
as well as a "Finished" box.
NOTE: A Defense's ability to "Hide" Chapo
means to move Chapo from Fixed to
Hidden�Chapo must be Fixed to "Hide".
Locations. The boards show Locations in
western Mexico and their terrain. Holding
boxes for cards are associated with each
Location, to show Chapo's Defenses,
Needs, and such.
� A separate "With Chapo" box, also
considered a Location, holds Defenses
that are always with Chapo. Chapo may
not occupy the With Chapo box.
Components
In addition to boards and displays, the game
uses pawns, cards, and markers to record
actions of the Cartel and the Hunters.
El Chapo. A green pawn ("Chapo") shows
El Chapo's current Location, and (by game
board) whether he is Hidden or Fixed.
Hunter Assets. The Hunters have 6 white
("Intelligence"), 6 blue ("Police"), and
1 black ("Marina") pawns.
� Intelligence (white pawns) represent the
collection of information on individuals
around El Chapo; the Hunters place
them on Topography cards to Find (flip
face up) or Fix (place in a Location)
Defense or Needs cards Linked to them.
� Police (blue pawns) represent local
investigation, surveillance, and
enforcement; the Hunters place them on
Locations to Fix (reveal) Need or
Defense cards or El Chapo or to Finish
(remove) Need or Defense cards.
� Marina (black pawn) represents an elite
strike unit; the Hunters can use it as
especially effective Police; it is also the
only way to Finish El Chapo (once
Fixed) for the Hunters to win the game.
Personal
Need\
O 0
O0
Visit Wife and Kids/
Nexus: Emma Coroner
Defense
------ Protection
Types
Links to
other 300 Armed Guards
cards--------Support: El Cuerno
/
Effec
AIM
141*
Capture here requires
SuitabIe-
Terrain IOW e.tifettiql
Marina + 20ps
Needs Cards and Discs. A deck of
"Needs" cards contains 2 types�"Personal"
and "Operational". They represent what
Chapo wants to accomplish while evading
capture. The Cartel team during play draws
Needs cards and places them at a Hidden
Locations of their choice, within the suitable
Terrain shown. During its turns, the Cartel
will seek to Fulfill Needs by placing green
discs into empty circles on Needs cards
collocated with the Chapo pawn, in order to
win the game.
Defense Cards. Cartel "Defenses" are of
3 major types�"Exposure", "Detection", and
"Mobility.
� Exposure Defenses tend to block the
placement of Hunter assets (pawns) in
certain areas during Planning or to
reduce their local effectiveness�
representing defenses that limit
El Chapo's physical exposure to the
authorities' operations.
� Detection Defenses tend to reduce the
number of Hunter assets (pawns)
available or nullify Fix and Finish
actions�representing defenses that
obscure El Chapo's or associates'
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movements or communications from the
authorities' collection.
� Mobility Defenses tend to enable the
Chapo pawn to make additional, out-of-
sequence moves among Locations�
representing defenses that aid transit of
exposed areas or a quick getaway.
Whenever the Cartel uses a Defense that
remains Hidden, they (or else the Referee)
must announce that they used a Defense.
Defense cards available to the Cartel team
and played onto Locations. Some go to a
"With Chapo" display and are, in effect, in a
separate Location.
Nexus
Family
Emma Coronel
Current Wife (#4)
Support: Protection
Need: Visit Wife & Twins
Types
Links to
other
cards
Support
Protection
\El Cuerna
Guard Commander
Nexus: Family
Defense: 300 Armed Guards
Terrain
Topography Cards. "Nexus Topography"
and "Support Topography" cards represent
trusted individuals in Chapo's network.
Nexus are individuals with a mainly
personal relationship to Chapo; Support are
those who help him run his cartel or evade
capture. Cards show subtypes (such as
"Family") on front and back to aid Hunters in
finding various parts of Chapo's network.
They show Links to other cards and the
terrain where Linked Cartel cards may be
placed. Hunters will seek to reveal ("Find")
Topography and follow their Leads to
Chapo's Defenses and Needs and to him.
NOTE: Topography cards are never Fixed
or Finished.
Leads. "Leads" markers bear
named Locations. The Referee
places Leads on face-up
Topography to show the Hunters that there
is a Linked Defense or Need Hidden at that
4
Location and to enable them to Fix those
Linked cards.
Records. A pool of "Records"
markers bears Hunter asset types
and turn numbers. Players may
place Records on cards or Locations, in
order to record the last time that a Hunter
action there showed that something (red
target reticle side of the marker) or nothing
(no reticle) was there.
Sequence of Play
After Setup, play proceeds through up to
8 pairs of alternating Cartel and Hunter
turns (representing a year each, 2008-2015)
as follows and detailed below:
Cartel Turn
� Draw and place 1 new Needs card
� Take up to 2 Defense and/or Chapo
actions total
Hunter Turn
� Plan and resolve Intelligence
� Plan and resolve Police & Marina
2.0 THE CARTEL
On the Cartel's turn, it must draw and place
1 new Needs card. The team also may
perform up to 2 Chapo and/or Defense
actions total, in any order.
Add Needs Card
The Cartel team at the beginning of each of
its turns draws 1 random Needs cards from
the deck and places it at a legal Location in
its Hidden area.
Defense Actions
With Defense actions, the Cartel may:
� For 1 action � or for 2 if marked $$ �
place any 1 unplayed Defense card into
a legal Hidden Location.
� For 1 action if marked R� or for 2 if
marked X X� move a Defense card
between legal Locations�Hidden to
Hidden or Fixed to Fixed (not between
Fixed and Hidden, nor from Finished).
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Chapo Actions
With Chapo actions, the Cartel may:
� EITHER fulfill 1 Need�place a green
Needs disc into a circle on a Needs card
that is at the same named Location as
the green Chapo pawn. NOTE:
Finished Needs cannot be further
Fulfilled. OR
� Move the green Chapo pawn to any
map Location, Hidden to Hidden or
Fixed to Fixed.
Leads
Whenever the Cartel adds (or moves) any
Defense or Needs card to a Location, the
Referee adjusts any corresponding Leads
markers at any Linked Found (face-up)
Nexus or Support cards (see Leads below).
3.0 THE HUNTERS
The Hunter team on its turn, in this order:
� Plan Intelligence collection by placing
any or all of its available white pawns.
� Resolve Intel collection in any order.
� Plan Police and Marina enforcement by
placing any or all blue and black pawns.
� Resolve Police investigation (blue) and/
or a Marina strike (black), in any order.
� Advance marker on Turn Track.
Records. Throughout the Hunter turn, both
Hunter and Cartel teams may place
Records markers as appropriate to note
whether or not Hunter actions found
something or nothing that turn.
Planning Collection
First, the Hunter team places any or all
available* white pawns onto any individual
Nexus or Support cards (face-down or face-
up, in the Found area), including multiple
pawns on one spot, if desired.
*NOTE: Some pawns may be unavailable or
ineffective, due to Cartel Defenses.
5
Resolving Intelligence
After planning collection, the Hunters and
Referee resolve all Intelligence (white)
pawns, pawn by pawn in any order the
Hunters desire, as follows, depending on
what sort of card that pawn occupies.
� Face-down Nexus: flip the card face up
(automatically; keep any other pawns on
the card there). Referee places Lead
markers (if any, see Leads).
� Face-down Support: roll a die; if the roll
is a 4-6, flip the card face up (if 1-3, do
nothing). Referee places any Leads.
� Found (face-up) Nexus: automatically
flip any 1 face-down Support card of a
type Linked to the targeted face-up
Nexus (per the Nexus card). In addition,
Referee places any Lead markers as
appropriate on the targeted and any just
revealed Support cards.
� Found card with Lead ("pursuing the
lead"): At Hunters' option, instead of
flipping a card, Referee directs Cartel to
put a Hidden Need or Defense card
Linked to the targeted card and at the
location shown on that Lead onto the
Fixed board at that Location (or in
"Defenses With Chapo" box). Remove
that Lead marker.
Leads. For all face-up Nexus and Support
cards, the Referee monitors whether any
Needs or Defenses Linked to it are in play in
the Hidden area. If so, the Referee places a
Lead marker showing the current Location
of each Hidden Linked Need or Defense
onto that Topography card.*
� Whenever a Hidden card is Fixed or
Finished, the Referee removes Lead
markers associated with it from the
Linked Topography cards (if any).
*NOTE. The Lead marker lets the Hunters
know that a Linked Need or Defense is in
play in the Hidden area and where and
allows targeting of the Linked cards.
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Planning Enforcement
Next, the Hunters place any or all of the
blue and black pawns that they have onto
any Locations in the Fixed area, including
multiple pawns on a single spot, if desired.
Resolving Police and Marina
After planning enforcement, the Hunters
resolve Police and Marina actions in any
order they desire. (They do not have to pre-
designate the order, but they must declare
whether each action aims to "Fix" or "Finish"
before the referee reveals whether anything
is Hidden at that location.)
Police. For Police (blue), Hunters roll 1 die
pawn by pawn and carry out the following
only on a 4-6:
� Fix: Cartel team must move 1 item
Hidden in that Location (if any)�either
Chapo or any 1 Defense or Need card�
to Fixed. OR
� Finish: Hunters move 1 Need or
Defense card Fixed at that Location to
Finished. Any discs (Fulfilled Needs) on
Needs card stay with the card.
Tickle the Wires: Whenever Police Finish a
card per above, they get an immediate free
attempt to Fix Chapo�on a roll of 4-6, Fix
Chapo (not a card) if Chapo is Hidden at
that card's Location.
IMPORTANT: "Tickling the Wires" is one of
the main ways that Chapo gets Fixed.
NOTE: A pawn in the "Defenses With
Chapo" box never Fixes Chapo.
Marina. The Hunters carry out a Marina
strike (black), if any planned, as follows.
� At any Location: Fix or Finish as if
Police action that rolled a 4-6 (including
any Tickling the Wires as if that had
rolled a 4-6). (It is still not "Police" for
purposes of any Cartel Defenses.) OR
� Location where Chapo is Fixed: Chapo
is Finished (captured). Hunters win.
NOTE: The Cartel may be able to use a
Defense to block this result.
6
Advance Turn
After the Hunters' turn, Referee (or Hunters)
advances the colored pawn by 1 number on
the track of circles next to the Finished box.
4.0 REFEREEING
The Referee has these responsibilities:
� Enforce compliance by the teams with
all game rules, particularly within the
Hidden and Found areas (for example,
screened die rolls and their effects).
� As Intelligence collection (a white pawn)
is resolved, as the Cartel adds Defense
or Need cards into play, or as Hidden
Defenses or Needs are Fixed or
Finished, place or update Lead markers
corresponding to current Locations of
any Linked cards.
� Help manipulate cards, Record markers,
Turn Track, and such in the Fixed area.
5.0 VICTORY
The game ends either as soon as the
Hunter team wins or after 8 pairs of Cartel
and Hunter turns:
Hunter Win. The Hunters win the instant
that they Finish (capture) El Chapo or if,
after 8 turns (at the end of 2015), the Cartel
has Fulfilled (placed a disc on) less than 1/2
of total circles on Needs cards on the table
(Hidden plus Fixed plus Finished).
Cartel Win. The Cartel wins if Chapo
remains free (not Finished) for 8 turns, and
the Cartel has at that time Fulfilled at least
1/2 (rounded up) of total circles on Needs
cards on the table.
NOTE: Unfilled circles on Finished Needs
will hinder a Cartels win.
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