How it works

Steal the flag. Hold the box.

When play opens, a NovaCade match is ordinary attack-defense capture-the-flag. Nobody is in an arena today. This page is the rule sheet only. It does not start a match and it does not teach how to steal a flag.

Three seats

One admin/ref gate, one attacker on Kali, one defender on Ubuntu. Matches always begin with stock tools for each role. Extra tools can come later. They stay on that isolated machine.

The flag

The defender box holds a file named Target_DONOTCHANGE. Inside is a session key. The defender may move that file. They may not edit or delete it. Changing or wiping it is a foul.

The gate

Proof is submitting the exact key to the official gate. The gate is the scoreboard. Guessing at the gate is allowed. Attacking the gate is not.

Who wins

Valid submit before the attacker clock ends: attacker wins the round, defender loses, next round unlocks. Attacker clock hits zero first: defender wins.

Prep, then hunt

Defender minutes run first. During prep the attacker cannot reach the box. Then the attacker clock starts. Those meters are never one shared pot.

The clocks

Defender clock

PREP

Planned first clock, not running now. Hide the flag file. Lock the box. The attacker cannot reach you until this meter is spent. Buying more defender minutes never steals attacker minutes.

Attacker clock

HUNT

Planned hunt clock, not running now. After prep, find the flag and bring it to the gate. If this meter hits zero first, the defender wins. Buying more attacker minutes never steals defender minutes.

House rules

Stay in your assigned arena. Nothing else is in scope.
Do not attack the gate, the clocks, or the ref.
Do not deny service. Do not wipe a box so the match cannot be played.
Do not share flags outside your side.
Patching is legal. Destroying the flag is not.
When official time ends, scoring stops. Ref calls are final.

Public copy will never include exploit steps or live flag values. If isolation checks fail, the match does not start.

Read the safety board before you play.

Isolation is the product. Arenas do not sit on the public internet.

Safety