Command Board
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The Command Board (コマンドボード Komando Bōdo) is the board game level-up system in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. It can be used to power up your Deck Commands used in battle by gaining Command Panels and leveling them up. You toss the dice and move toward your goal, gaining Goal Points (GP) along the way. The player also will have the chance to steal GP from their rivals and use certain panels and Command Cards to their advantage. When it is your turn you have the option to roll the dice, use one or more of your Command Cards as part of a Hand, check the status of the game or choose different options to adjust gameplay and help.
After you roll the dice, you can go any direction on the board except from the direction you just came from. There is no specific path you have to take in order to win the game. There is a certain number of total GP that a player must have before winning the game. Once you've arrived back at the starting point and have the required number of total GP, you have finished the game. The winner will recieve medals to be used in the Moogle Shop if the Command Board session is played as an Event in the Mirage Arena. Even if you didn't win, your commands will still be leveled up and any new commands purchased from Bonus Panels or opponents will be recieved.
Playable Boards
Here is a list of the playable boards in the game. Each Command Board is based off of a world and has a different panel formation to represent that world. The boards are available to play once the adventures in the respective world are completed, excepting the Honeypot Board (unlocked by examining the Winnie the Pooh book in Merlin's house) and the Secret Board (unlocked by winning a game on each of the other boards).
- Land of Departure: Keyblade Board (キーブレードボード Kīburēdo Bōdo)
- The panel formation forms the shape of a Keyblade.
- Castle of Dreams: Royal Board (ロイヤルボード Roiyaru Bōdo)
- The panel formation forms the shape of the Glass Slipper.
- Deep Space: Spaceship Board (スペースシップボード Supēsushippu Bōdo)
- The panel formation forms the shape of a spaceship.
- Disney Town: Toon Board (トゥーンボード Tūn Bōdo)
- The panel formation forms the shape of an ice cream parfait.
- Neverland: Skull Board
- The panel formation forms the shape of a skull. Not available in the Japanese release of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
- 100 Acre Wood: Honeypot Board (ハニーポットボード Hanīpotto Bōdo)
- The panel formation forms the shape of a honey jar.
- Land of Departure: Secret Board (シークレットボード Shīkuretto Bōdo)[1]
- The panel formation forms the shape of the Mark of Mastery found on the attire of Ven, Terra, Aqua and Master Eraqus.
Character Pieces
You will control Terra, Aqua, or Ventus based upon whose storyline you are playing through.
World Characters
Besides your own character piece, you will play the game along with certain Disney characters. The Disney characters that appear on the board will only show up for the board for their respective worlds. You can play with two players or only one. You can choose from a set order of who will go first or you and the other characters will roll a die to see what the order will be. Below is a list of characters that have been confirmed so far.
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Display
GP Counter
The GP Counter is in the bottom right corner and keeps track of all the character's current and total GP. The above number is your current GP. You can spend this like cash and can use it to buy panels or to pay other character's panels when you are stopped on them. The bottom number is your total GP which is the total of your current GP and the points that you have used on panels of your own. The GP Counter also shows which character is which color and how many of the Check panels the character's have passed through.
Map
At the top right corner, there is a map of the current game board. It shows you the character pieces' position, which command panels are claimed by certain characters, which white command panels are still available, where the four checkpoint panels are, and where the Keyhole starting panel is.
Command Cards
Command Cards are cards that represent Deck Commands or Action Commands that you have. The dealer AI gives preference to Commands you have yet to master, but if you use up your un-mastered Commands, it will begin to deal from your mastered deck. The cards are given to you at the start of the game. You can hold up to five cards in your hand at a time. You can use them after you have purchased Command Panels to set a certain deck command or action command to level up. You can also activate different effects by spending them before you roll the dice. The different types of command cards and effects are:
Cards
| Card | Description |
| File:AttackCard.png Attack Card |
A card representing an attack command. Marked with a Keyblade. |
| File:Magic Card.png Magic Card |
A card that represents a magic command. Marked with a Mage Hat. |
| File:Misc Card.png Miscellaneous Card |
A card representing action commands and Shotlock commands. Marked with a Crown. |
| File:JokerCard.png Joker Card |
A random card marked with a question mark. |
Effects
| Effects | Description | Requirements |
| Stun | Causes an opponent to lose their next turn. | |
| Navigator | Allows player to move in any direction on their turn | |
| Double Toll | Doubles the value of player's panels for 5 turns. | |
| Two Dice | Allows the user to roll two dice for this turn. | |
| Three Dice | Allows the user to roll three dice for this turn. | |
| GP Protector | Prevents the player from losing GP. | |
| Confuse | Causes all opponents to move without control. This does not work, however, with A.I. opponents. | |
| Jokers Fortune | Activates a slot reel that can be stopped to activate various effects. | |
| Golden Chance | Activates a slot reel that can be stopped to activate various effects. | |
| GP Magnet | Receive GP based on the number of panels owned by opponents, the more panels they own the more GP is gained. |
There are some command cards that can protect you from Special Panels.
If you run out of command cards you can no longer buy command panels. If you reach a Check Panel, you receive one command card and if you reach the Start Panel after passing all check panels you will receive as many command cards as you can hold.
Panels
There are many different kinds of panels that are on the game board that each have their own purpose.
Start Panel
The start panel is a yellow panel with a Keyhole on it. You start the game here and once you make it back to this panel, the game will be over. If you simply pass over this panel after reaching all four Check Panels, you will be rewarded with GP from Lap Bonus, Panel Bonus and Card Bonus.
Check Panels
There are four check panels throughout the board that act as checkpoints. There is a blue one, a red one, a green one and a yellow one. Although you do not need to pass through all four panels to end the game, you will be rewarded with extra GP if you pass through them all and land on the start panel.
Command Panels
There are white command panels that can become yours after landing on them, paying a certain amount of GP and selecting one of your Command Cards. After you purchase a command panel, it is colored to represent that you have bought it and it shows what level the command is at. If someone stops on one of your purchased command panels it takes GP from their current GP and their total GP, but if you land on a command panel of another character you will have to pay them GP. The number on the panel is the amount of GP you or someone else has to pay. You also have the choice of stealing the panel from the person but you have to pay a large amount of GP.
If you've stopped on your Command Panels you can spend your current GP to level up them. You can also level them up by landing on a Check Panel or the Start Panel and selecting whatever Command Panel you want. If you level them up you can take more GP from other players when they land on your panel and your Deck Commands will receive more CP in normal battle. You can level up your command panels all they way until they are mastered. The amount of how much GP you will get from the game is decided by various things like the position and value of the panel. If you purchase an opponent's Command Panel, you will receive that Command at the end of the game, unless it is a Command that your character is unable to equip.
Bonus Panels
From the beginning of the game, some Command Panels are set as Bonus Panels and are represented by a gold star. Landing on the Bonus Panel allows the player to receive a new Deck Command without using a Command Card while still having to pay for it.
Damage Panels and Prize Cube
Damage Panels are board spaces that are flat squares instead of cubes. If you land on one of these, you will lose the amount of GP from both your current and total GP that is displayed on the panel. There is one way to avoid these panels and that is a panel that looks like a present called the Prize Cube and can be rolled around to travel over the damage panels safely. The GP that has been taken from the damage panels will be given to the Prize Cube.
However, there is a limit to how many panels the Prize Cube can go and once the counter reaches zero, the panel disappears and gives you the GP inside and all the GP taken from players on the damage panels. You can also take over control of the present panel while someone else is on it and they will fall onto the damage panel and lose GP.
Special Panels
If you land on a special panel which is gold and purple in coloration, a unique event will occur. These events are carried out by other characters from the world which board you are playing. These events may help and others may hinder your progress as well. Here are the known characters and their events:
- Terra, Ventus, or Aqua: "Keyblade Glider" allows the player to move to any spot on the game board.
- Experiment 221: "Gigawatt Jolt": Allows the player to steal GP from nearby characters when either the player or the opponent ends their turn close to each other.
- Fairy Godmother: "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo": Gives the player the value of a single dice roll times 200 GP.
- Rabbit: "Hunny Hunt": Awards player 500 GP and places pots of Hunny over the game board that can either give you GP or, if they have Honey Bees, take away GP points.
- Chip and Dale: "Fantasia": Rewards 300 GP plus an additional 300 GP for every space owned.
- Tinker Bell: "Pixie Dust" Allows you to move an opponent to any panel you want.
- Captain Justice: "Captain Justice": He will follow a player, either rewarding GP every turn or purchasing a square cheaper than its normal cost, placing a card on it for free. He will follow a different player if they come in contact with him first. This effect eventually wears off. Can be found on any board and in Western releases unlocks Pete as a D-Link.
- Captain Dark: "Captain Dark": He will follow a player, either stealing GP from them every turn or purchasing a square and paying more than its normal cost. If the player cannot afford either action they will have to sell squares. He will follow a different player if they come in contact with the first. This effect eventually wears off. Can be found on any board and in Western releases unlocks Pete as a D-Link.
GP Up Panel
The GP Up Panel is a black panel that increases the rate of GP you receive when people land on your panels, when you land on the checkpoint and starting panels and if you successfully use the Prize Cube on the damage panels.
Wireless Gameplay
Like regular battle has Joint Struggle multiplayer gameplay with the Mirage Arena world, the Command Board game has its own wireless multiplayer gameplay option that allows you to play on all the different world game boards. You can play as either Terra, Aqua, and Ventus and they will appear as they do in their armor. The rules are the same as the single player Command Board and you can still gain GP to level up your Deck Commands.
Trivia
- Tetsuya Nomura explains that he included a board-game element because he enjoyed board games as a child in elementary school, and even used to make his own.
- In the Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania, there is artwork and images of a Neverland Command Board. It is unknown why it was taken out of the Japanese version of the game as it is available in the International release.
Notes and References
- ^ Unlocked after winning on all of the previous boards.
