How to play BaseRogue: the baseball roguelike guide

1. Draft your nine

A run starts with a draft. Each round offers three real players; pick one per position until your lineup is full. Rarity goes from Common to Legendary, but a well-fitted Common at shortstop is often worth more than a star playing out of position: a player away from his natural position loses defense.

2. Every at-bat is a d100 roll

Your batter's ratings are compared with the pitcher's, and the result sets the "luck zones" of a 1-100 roll: strikeout, out, walk, single, double, triple and home run. A contact hitter widens the hit zones, a power hitter widens the home-run zone and a strikeout pitcher widens the K zone. You see the zones before you roll.

Hits deal damage to the pitcher. Outs and strikeouts deal damage to your team, and a strikeout goes straight through your shield. Knock out the starter and the bullpen to win.

3. Ratings explained

Batters

CON (contact), PWR (power), EYE (walks), K-AVD (strikeout avoidance), SPD (speed) and DEF (defense). Ratings run from 1 to 125; 99 is elite and 125 is reserved for the greatest of all time.

Pitchers

H/9 (hits allowed), K/9 (strikeouts), BB/9 (walks), HR/9 (home runs allowed), Stamina (how deep he goes) and Clutch (pitching with runners on).

Era adjustment

Every card is built from the player's best seven seasons and adjusted for his era, so a Deadball-era hitter and a modern slugger are measured against their own leagues.

4. Era synergies and the Build Era

Two players from the same era unlock that era's first tier. Pick one era as your Build Era and it keeps scaling at 4, 6 and 8 players. The nine eras: Genesis Chaos, Small Ball, Liveball Sluggers, Five-Tool Legends, Speed & Hustle, AstroTurf Speedsters, Bash Brothers, Moneyball Analytics and Three True Outcomes.

5. Tactics that win series

• Save Focus for men on base: a hit with runners on deals extra damage.
• Platoon: lefty batters struggle against lefty pitchers; a lineup with both hands is safer against any rotation.
• Defensive trials: when the ball goes to your fielder, a regular play is the safe call; a highlight dive repairs more shield but fails more often.
• Use the map: batting cages train ratings, the clubhouse heals, trades fix a weak spot and luck events can swing a run.

FAQ

How do you win a battle in BaseRogue?

Knock out the rival rotation before your team runs out of HP. Every hit damages the pitcher on the mound; strikeouts and outs damage your team. Beat the starter and the relievers behind him to win the series.

What do the batter ratings mean?

CON is contact (singles and batting average), PWR is power (extra-base hits and home runs), EYE is plate discipline (walks), K-AVD is strikeout avoidance, SPD is speed (steals and taking the extra base) and DEF is defense. Pitchers have H/9, K/9, BB/9, HR/9, Stamina and Clutch.

What are era synergies?

Players are grouped by era. Two players of the same era activate its first tier; your chosen Build Era keeps scaling at 4, 6 and 8 players. Examples: Small Ball, Liveball Sluggers, Bash Brothers, Moneyball Analytics and Three True Outcomes.

What is Focus?

A limited charge per battle that rolls two dice and keeps the better result. With runners on base a hit does extra damage, so Focus is worth the most with men on.