TABLETOP TACTICSa Universal Wargaming Engine

compatible with Saga, RUGS, and other fine Roleplaying Systems

By Rowan Gangulfr

Published in 2009 by Rowan Gangulfr/Yggdrasil Distro

Questions, Comments, Contributionsrugsroleplaying@gmail.com

Saga, RUGS, & other free roleplaying material are available on the internetrugsroleplaying.org

yggdrasildistro.wordpress.com

For those with respect for intellectual property laws: Contents are protected under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share-Alike 3.0 United States license. You are free to copy and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes.

For everyone else: This work is Anti-Copyright. Do what you will, provided it's not for profit, and please credit me when using this material.

ContentsIntroduction 3 Shameless Self-promotion 3 What Is Tabletop Tactics? 3 The Politics of Wargaming 3 A Note on Bad Stereotypes in Gaming 4 What You Need to Play 4 Choosing a Campaign Setting or Gaming World 4 Choosing a Scenario 5 Building an Army, Miniatures, Terrain 5

Basic Rules 7 When Rules Are in Dispute 7 The Roll Chart, Rolling Dice, Bonuses & Penalties to Rolls 7 Turns & Rounds, Conditions of Victory 8 Units, Unit Statistics 9 Independent Characters, Character Statistics 10 Vehicles, Vehicle Statistics 10 Weapon & Armor Statistics 11 Movement, Unit Coherency 11 Size, Size Bonuses & Penalties 12

Advanced Rules, Combat Rules 14 Melee Combat 14 Ranged Combat 16 Flame Based Weapons 17 Explosive Weapons, Determining Scatter 17 Big Guns, Artillery 18 Firing Into a Melee, Rolling Percentage Dice 18 Attacking & Destroying Vehicles, Attacking With Vehicles 19 Morale, Morale Checks, Leadership 22 Cover 23 Terrain Movement Penalties, Dangerous Terrain 24 Climactic Penalties 25 Stealth & Subterfuge 25 Special Characteristics & Abilities 27 Point Values 29

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Weapons & Armor 30 Sample Weapon List 30 Sample Armor List 33

Generic Scenarios 34 Mutual Battle 34 Pitched Battle 35 Forward Position, Ground Seizure 36 Assassination!, Kill the Head... 37 Waiting For Reinforcements, Survival 38 Demolition! 39

Quick Reference Sheet 40Unit Templates 41

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IntroductionThis chapter introduces the game, discusses its nature and the politics in wargaming, plugs my various other free roleplaying projects, and lists all the materials required to play.

Shameless Self-promotionTabletop Tactics is only one of a series of free roleplaying and wargaming products that I write and publish. Other include Saga, a rules-light narrative system, and RUGS, the Revolutionary Universal Gaming System. These two universal roleplaying engines and a number of campaign settings compatible with both can be found on the internet at rugsroleplaying.org and yggdrasildistro.wordpress.com. Enjoy!

What is Tabletop Tactics?Tabletop Tactics is a universal miniature wargaming system. What this means is that with the rules in this manual, you can hold battles between armies of any kind as represented by miniatures on a tabletop or other surface. Because this system is universal, you can run battles in any campaign setting or genre, or you can mix and match armies from different campaign settings and genres. These rules can also be used to run singular battles, or they can facilitate long-lasting campaigns of multiple battles.

The rules in the following pages usually assume that two players are battling. However, this system is designed for two, three, four, or even more players to battle at once.

The Politics of WargamingBefore getting into the game mechanics themselves, there are a few important things to discuss. The first of these is politics. This probably makes a lot of folks sigh with boredom or disgust, but because of the nature of wargames, it's critical to analyze and understand them with a political eye.

Wargames promote hierarchy, large-scale destruction and murder, and violence as the only means of solving problems. Often, they also promote hierarchical (though fictional) socio-political structures, like kingdoms, empires, and nation-states. Even worse, wargaming groups themselves (accidentally or intentionally) often encourage hierarchy by falling into “macho” or “masculine” rolls and excluding women and female-bodied people.

I am an anarchist, and I therefore consider all of these things incredibly fucked up. I am also a gamer, however, and I still sometimes play roleplaying games and wargames from the perspective of the oppressor (as in the armies of kingdoms and empires, etc.) I don't want to suggest wargames shouldn't be played from these perspectives and with these attitudes. If I did, I wouldn't write and publish a wargame. But I do want people to be aware of the politics underlying this type of game. Hopefully, with this awareness, people will avoid such attitudes in reality and express them only in the falsehoods of gaming.

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A Note on Bad Stereotypes in GamingOne other thing that needs a brief mention is something I always bring up in my various roleplaying and gaming materials. That is, please don't feel boxed in by bad fantasy and sci-fi stereotypes, and please don't perpetuate them when playing Tabletop Tactics.

If you want an army of axe-wielding Dwarves with beards, or an army of Elvish archers with long hair and unparalleled finesse, that's fine. However, it's very likely that instead of making up an entire army, Dwarven axemen would make up only one or two units, just as a regiment of Elvish archers would represent the ranged portion of their army. Surely, Dwarven armies would also have skilled archers or spear throwers or halberdiers or whatever, and Elven armies must certainly have warriors skilled in the melee. Otherwise, without such diversity, these armies would quickly be destroyed.

The use of Dwarves and Elves is but one example. There are dozens of other bad cliches that plague the gaming world (Orcs and Goblins being idiotic, blood-crazed “savages” for example). Your gaming experience will definitely be richer if you avoid these stupid platitudes.

What You Need to PlayThere are a few things besides this rulebook that you'll need to run a battle or a campaign. The first is a handful of d10s (10-sided dice), and probably a d6 (6-sided die). You can get by with only 1d10, but battles will run more quickly and smoothly with more. Other than a d10, players will need writing utensils and paper, and a measuring tape or ruler for determining distances on the table. Player may also want a Scatter Die, but it isn't totally necessary.

In addition to these materials, players will also need so sort of miniatures to visually represent their units and unique characters on the table. More information on collecting miniatures can be found in the section on Building an Army below.

Choosing a Campaign Setting or Gaming WorldSince this gaming engine is universal, players must agree on a campaign setting or gaming world that their battles will take place in. This can be anything imaginable: Hyboria (the world of Conan), Dune, Star Wars, Star Trek, Forgotten Realms, Middle Earth, Generic High Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic Earth, the 41st Millennium of Warhammer 40k, the Renaissance of Warhammer Fantasy, etc.

Choosing a campaign setting or gaming world before play is essential, because players cannot choose armies without first knowing what kind of armies exist. In a Dune campaign (based on the universe established by Frank Herbert in the novel of the same name), for example, players could control the armies of the Fremen, House Atreides, House Harkonen, any other House of the Landsraad, the Bene Geserit, the Bene Tleilax, or the forces of the Padishah Emperor of House Corrino.

Each of these armies will have very different units and unique characters, and players must create these. The Fremen, for one, will have Knifefighters, Sandworms/Sandworm Riders, and Reverend Mothers. House

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Harkonen armies will be made up of Infantry, Suicide Troops, Twisted Mentats, and the like. The armies of the Emperor will have Imperial Infantry, a large variety of vehicles to choose from, and Sardaukar Terror Troops.

This is but one example of hundreds and hundreds of potential settings and armies. Look forward to future Tabletop Tactics supplements containing armies, campaign setting material, and more.

Choosing a ScenarioOnce you've decided what kind of world you'll be playing in, you also must decide what kind of battle is going to take place. Typically, battles in Tabletop Tactics are fought with an even point value of troops on each side (or on all sides in the case of more than two players/armies), and armies are deployed evenly as if they control one side of the table.

In other scenarios, armies may be slightly or greatly imbalanced in terms of point values. These kind of scenarios can be extremely fun, and often represent much more realistic situations than two armies of balanced might going head to head. These include situations like a small force being entrenched in a bunker or barricade and having to fend off a much larger invading force, or an elite squadron penetrating deep into enemy lines and assassinating an important character.

Unit point values are described in greater detail in the section on Unit Statistics in the next chapter. A list of generic scenarios that can be used with any campaign setting and armies can be found toward the end of this rulebook.

Building an Army, Miniatures, TerrainAs mentioned above, players will need some kind of miniatures to visually and physically represent their troops. Players can lay their hands on minis in a number of ways.

There are myriad miniature companies with fine products, and just as many ways to steal or acquire these products for free. There are also numerous miniature fonts on the internet, some free and some for sale. These fonts allow players to type and print thousands of troops. Said prints can also usually be stolen or scammed.

Beyond pewter, plastic, and paper miniatures made for roleplaying and wargaming, there are thousands of figurines and toys in the world not made for such a purpose that still suffice for gaming.

Ideally, players should have a variety of miniatures to visually depict their armies. If it is not possible for players to obtain pewter, plastic, or paper minis to represent their units, some other token or small bauble must be used. These can be glass counters, beads, different denominations of currency for different unit types, or even small circular pieces of paper with unit types scribbled on them. Really, anything will do as long as it is small and easily mobile.

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Players should keep in mind when choosing miniatures that the rules within this manual- especially those relating to movement and distance- assume that 25-28mm minis are being used. This isn't of great importance, but it can make a visible impact if using miniatures that are much larger or much smaller than 25-28mm, as they will seem to be moving very silly distances.

In addition to miniature figures used to represent troops and units, players are encouraged to create terrain to correspond to their armies. With each new battle or scenario, the terrain should change, unless subsequent battles are taking place on the same field. As with miniature figures, there are innumerable sources of free miniature terrain, including good ol' DIY fabrication. Because there is an abundance of information on the internet and in various other sources about making, stealing, buying, and otherwise obtaining wargaming terrain, this rulebook will not include such information.

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Basic RulesThis chapter covers all the simple rules and ideas governing the game.

When Rules Are in DisputeSometimes, two or more players will disagree about the nature of a rule or how it applies (or whether or not it does apply) to a certain situation. Because the purpose of this game is to have fun, rather than to create rules-lawyers and cantankerous jerks, it's crucial not to get stuck on rules disputes.

To prevent such quagmire, any time rules are in dispute, players can resolve the conflict in one of several ways. First, they can simply roll for it. To do so, each player rolls a d10, and whoever has the highest result wins the dispute.

Or, in place of the random indifference of the dice, players can resolve their conflict with discussion and consensus. If players cannot discuss a problem and resolve it by themselves, they are welcome and encouraged to use an impartial outside party as a mediator. Reaching consensus or a majoritarian decision in this way can take some time, in which case players should probably stop bickering, roll a die, and get back into the fun!

The Roll Chart, Rolling Dice, Bonuses & Penalties to RollsThere are many times when players will roll dice to determine the success or failure of the actions of their units. Doing so uses d10s as described above in correlation with a roll chart. All of the rolls in Tabletop Tactics (with the exception of rolling to settled disputes and special rolls) are done using d10s and the roll chart.

The number on the left side of the roll chart always represent the acting unit, agent, or whatever, just as the number on the top row of the roll chart always represent the unit, agent, or whatever being acted upon or being targeted. A simpler way to look at this is to think of the left side as the Attacker and the top row as Defender.

The numbers making up the center of the roll chart where the values of the left side and top row meet are called Target Numbers. When a player makes any roll, he compares the value of the relevant statistic of his unit, weapon, or whatever against the value of the relevant statistics of the defending unit, armor, or whatever and finds the target number in the middle.

In order for a roll to succeed, a player must roll equal to or greater than the target number. If a roll falls below the target number, it fails. Any time two statistics of the same value oppose each one another, the target number is 6. This represents the values 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, which is half the values on the die, and thus 50%.

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The roll chart is as follows:

Defending Unit or Agent

1 2 3 4 5 1 6 7 8 9 10 2 5 6 7 8 9 3 4 5 6 7 8 4 3 4 5 6 7 5 2 3 4 5 6

Many of the following sections detail individual rolls, and when and how such rolls are used. Regardless of the circumstances, understand for now that any time players are called on to roll dice, they must use the roll chart and attempt to equal or exceed the target number.

Bonuses & Penalties to RollsThere are times in the game when troops will receive bonuses and penalties to their rolls. The reasons bonuses and penalties are acquired are explained in the following pages. For now, simply understand that when troops/players receive bonuses or penalties to their rolls, the amount is added or subtracted from the result of rolls themselves. There are some circumstances in which troops will receive bonuses or penalties to their stats, but this is rare.

Turns & Rounds, Conditions of VictoryPlay in Tabletop Tactics takes place in a series of Turns and Rounds. A Turn has elapsed when one player has completely finished acting for all the units and unique characters she wishes to use. A Round is completed when all players have had their Turn.

Many actions can take place within a turn. Players can move their units and individual characters, perform melee attacks with units and characters when they are within melee range, fire ranged weapons, and perform special moves available to specific units.

During a turn, the order in which a player moves and attacks with her units, characters, and vehicles is entirely up to her. There is no initiative in Tabletop Tactics. Units move and attack when they are given orders to, just as in reality.

Keeping track of whose turn it is is obviously important so that players don't get skipped or shorted in their actions. Keeping track of rounds is primarily important in particular scenarios wherein events happen after a certain number of rounds. For example, a scenario could be established in which a player receives

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reinforcements after three rounds of play, and her objective is to survive until reinforcements arrive and then rout the enemy.

Conditions of VictoryUsually, play lasts until one player entirely destroys the forces of the other. This type of endgame is called Total Defeat, and it is one Condition of Victory. Other conditions of victory include capturing a particular piece of territory, killing an important target character, eliminating a certain percentage of the enemy's forces, or destroying an objective. Each of these conditions of victory are scenario-specific, and are not discussed here.

Besides Total Defeat, the other most common condition of victory is the Time Victory. This condition involves both players agreeing before beginning battle to limit play to a certain number of rounds. After this time has elapsed, whichever player has destroyed a greater percentage of the other player's army is the victor.

Units, Unit StatisticsSoldiers or troops in all armies in Tabletop Tactics are organized into units. A Unit, then, is just a group of soldiers, warriors, archers, cavalry, or whatever. Units can also be called Squads, Teams, or Bands. Units in Tabletop Tactics always move, attack, defend, and otherwise act together.

Units almost always contain at least 5 members, with large units encompassing as many as a hundred members or more. When beginning a battle, players should generally have at least 5 members in each unit.

Units are always composed of members of identical class or function, and thus all the members of a given unit have the same statistics. Every unit in the game will use the same statistics to function, although the values each unit has in particular statistics will differ greatly depending on the nature of the unit.

All units in Tabletop Tactics will have the following characteristics:

SZ: Size, how big a unit is relative to othersMS: Melee Skill, how proficient a unit is with close-quarters weaponsRS: Ranged Skill, how proficient a unit is with ranged weaponsSTR: Strength, how physically tough the unit's members are, how well unit members resist injurySPD: Speed, how far the unit can move each turn, how well the unit dodgesMRL: Morale, how courageous the unit is toward death and frightening creaturesPER: Perception, how likely the unit is to notice hidden/dangerous objects or charactersPTS: Points, how much each member of the unit is worth relative to other units and characters

Every unit, and thus every member of every unit, will have a numerical value for these statistics. The number ranges from 0-5, with 0 representing absolutely no skill or ability and 5 representing mastery in a given area. When creating your own army, try to have some diversity among your units and avoid giving straight 5s. Doing so is boring and unrealistic.

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Each of these statistics and how they are used during gameplay will be explored in following pages.

Independent Characters, Character StatisticsNot all troops in an army will operate in a unit. Some members of armies are independent characters and they operate individually, either because they are in a position of leadership or because they are particularly skilled or specialized warriors. This includes generals, master swordsmen, stealth operatives and assassins, squad commanders, and other unique characters.

As with units, independent characters have a number of statistics that are used in the course of battle. All independent characters have the following stats:

SZ: Size, how big the character is relative to othersMS: Melee Skill, how proficient the character is with close-quarters weaponsRS: Ranged Skill, how proficient the character is with ranged weaponsSTR: Strength, how physically tough the character is, how well the character resists injurySPD: Speed, how far the character can move each turn, how well the character dodgesMRL: Morale, the character's ability to withstand fearPER: Perception, how likely the character is to notice hidden/dangerous objects or charactersPTS: Points, how much the character is worth relative to other units and characters

The only real difference here is Leadership, which only independent characters have. Otherwise, all of the stats are identical to those of units. Individual Characters also often have special abilities because of their elite training or masterful prowess. These include multiple attacks each turn, access to special weapons and armor, and so on.

Vehicles, Vehicle StatisticsDepending on the campaign setting you're using, vehicles may be a part of battles. They will almost certainly be a deciding factor in industrial, post-industrial, post-apocalyptic, and sci-fi battles. Just like units and independent characters, vehicles have a number of stats. These are:

SZ: Size, how big the vehicle is relative to othersCRW: Crew, how many individuals pilot the vehiclePLT: Piloting, the skill of the operator at gunnery or melee attacksCON: Construction, how well put together the vehicle is, used like STRSPD: Speed, how far the vehicle can move each turnARM: Armor, this value is built in since vehicles can't change or choose their armor like units canPTS: Points, how much the vehicle is worth relative to other units and characters

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Weapon & Armor StatisticsUnits, individual characters, and vehicles all use weapons and armor. This includes weapons and armor that are equipped, and weapons and armor that are naturally built in. The Tyranid race of Warhammer 40k, for example, do not usually use weapons or armor as their bodies contain numerous spikes and claws and other weapons, and their hides are chitinous and bony, providing natural armor.

Weapons and armor in Tabletop Tactics have statistics just like units and creatures. These stats are as follows:

Weapon StatsSZ: Size, the largest size of creatures/vehicles affected by the weaponD: Deadliness, the overall effectiveness of the weaponP: Penetration, how well the weapon pierces or breaks through armorRNG: Range, how far the weapon is effective (in tabletop inches)ROF: Rate of Fire, how many shots per turn a weapon can dischargeEXP: Explosion Radius, tells how big the blast is one explosive weapons

Armor StatsPR: Protection, how well the armor resists melee and ballistic attacksFR: Fire Resist, how well the armor protects against flame-based attacks

The way these statistics are used is explained in later sections and chapters.

Movement, Unit CoherencyAll units, characters, and vehicles have the ability to move during battle, excepting stationary turrets and craft too slow to move during one battle (like distant warships, etc.). Understanding how and when to move troops is essential to battling in Tabletop Tactics.

All units, characters, and vehicles have a SPD statistic. The value of this stat is used in correlation with SZ to determine how far troops can move in a single turn. All troops, regardless of their type, can move a distance in inches equal to SPD x SZ.

So, a SZ 2 archer squad with SPD 4 can move up to 8” each turn. Cavalry, who ride SZ 3 warhorses with SPD 3 can move 9” each turn. A SZ 4 Mech with SPD 3 moves up to 12” per turn, while a SZ 4 tank with SPD 5 moves 20” each turn.

In the previous example, the mech is slower than the cavalry and the archers, but because it is so large, its colossal mechanical legs span a greater distance than those of the horse or archers. Thus, it can move further each turn.

Keep in mind that two similar units can have entirely different SPD. Two different cavalry units, for example, might have very different speed as one is heavy cavalry atop warhorses and the other is light cavalry atop

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swift chargers. The same rationale goes for infantry units, independent characters, and vehicles: two archer regiments from opposing armies might have different speed values, just as two tanks manufactured by different companies or empires will be statistically different.

When creating your own armies of units, unique characters, and vehicles, keep this in mind.

Unit CoherencyIn modern and ancient warfare in the real world, units almost always cling closely together. Typically, those that don't stay consistent and together are destroyed.

To represent this in game terms, members of units must stay within 2” of at least one other member of their unit to be considered coherent. This includes infantry units, cavalry units, Any time a unit loses coherency, all of its rolls receive a penalty equal to the distance exceeding 2”. So, if a member of a unit is 5” away from the closest member of its unit, the whole unit receives -3 to its rolls.

If more than one member of a unit is out of coherency, the unit does not receive multiple penalties, but instead uses the largest deficit as the penalty. So, if one member of a unit is 6” away from its unit and another is 3” away, the penalty is -4.

Unit coherency penalties represent that the members of units are trained to work as a squad, and as such, they function best when together. When one or more members are out of coherency, the entire squad is focused on not only finding and re-assimilating those out of coherency, but is also hampered by trying to fight as a disjointed group rather than a tightly-knit one.

Size, Size Bonuses & PenaltiesSize, or SZ, has been glossed over a few times in the previous pages. This seemingly unimportant statistic actually has huge consequences on gameplay. The following chart gives the sizes of all creatures and vehicles in Tabletop Tactics, with an explanation following below of what kinds of creatures and vehicles fall into these categories.

Comparative Sizes of Creatures, Vehicles, & Buildings1 Miniscule Creatures2 Small Creatures, Small Vehicles3 Medium Creatures, Medium Vehicles, Small Buildings4 Large Creatures, Large Vehicles, Medium Buildings5 Huge Creatures, Huge Vehicles, Large Buildings6 Enormous Vehicles, Huge Buildings

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CreaturesMinuscule Creatures: Gnomes, Pixies, Faeries, Sprites, etc.Small Creatures: All Humanoid Races (elves, orcs, humans, dwarves), Wolves, Dogs, Deer etc.Medium Creatures: Small Giants, Horses, Camels, Bears, Elephants, Rhinos, etc.Large Creatures: Large Giants, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Whales, Giant Squid, etc.Huge Creatures: Demons, Space Creatures, Small Gods, etc.Enormous Creatures: Large Demons, Large Gods, Elder Gods, Great Old Ones, etc.

VehiclesSmall Vehicles: Motorcycles, bikes, row boats, canoes, catamarans, etc.Medium Vehicles: Cars, trucks, biplanes, WWII jet planes, siege engines, old tanks, Star Wars speedersLarge Vehicles: Walker-style Mechs, space fighters, space shuttles, etc.Huge Vehicles: Sea destroyers, submarines, aircraft carriers, sea battleships, space corvettes, space frigates, etc.Enormous Vehicles: Space destroyers, space stations, space capital ships, etc.

BuildingsSmall Buildings: Shacks, primitive shelters, small walls and fencesMedium Buildings: Houses, huts, longhouses, other dwellings, barns, sheds, wallsLarge Buildings: Forts, castles, malls, office complexes, towers, warehouses, guildhallsHuge Buildings: Skyscrapers, massive fortified castles, super-malls, cyberpunk buildings

When units, characters, and/or vehicles of different sizes come into conflict, they receive bonuses or penalties depending on their size. These bonuses affect rolls to bypass armor, rolls to kill, and any other rolls involving STR. If an acting character is larger than his target, the character receives bonuses; if an acting character is smaller than his target, he receives penalties.

If the size difference between two things is 1 level, the larger receives a +3 bonus to all rolls listed above ifacting, or the smaller receives a -3 penalty to all rolls listed above if acting.

If the size difference between two things is 2 levels, the larger receives a +6 bonus to all rolls listed above ifacting, or the smaller receives a -6 penalty to all rolls listed above if acting.

If the size difference between two things is 3 levels or more, the larger is completely immune to the smallerand will always win in bouts of strength, and the smaller will always fail in tests of strength and is automatically killed if hit by the larger.

As mentioned above, all weapons also have a SZ value. Instead of showing how large or small the weapon itself is, a weapon's SZ indicates the size of creature and vehicle it normally affects. A SZ 3 Plasma Gun is actually meant to be handled by size 2 creatures and is therefore physically size 2, but it is made to emit a potent size 3 blast.

Armor is never listed with a size, because its size is always the same as whatever creature is wearing it.

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Advanced Rules, Combat RulesThis chapter details all the rules that govern combat, including rolling to hit, rolling to bypass armor, and rolling to kill, as well as taking cover, and the use of stealth in combat.

Melee CombatThis kind of combat occurs when any unit or individual character comes into contact with any other unit or individual character (i.e. their miniatures are touching or are very close to touching). Generally, vehicles are immune to melee combat, although some vehicles, like mechs with melee weapons, may enter melee combat to slay foes with impunity.

Melee combat occurs with close-quarters weapons, and is often just as deadly as ranged combat. When units or characters enter into melee combat, there are several rolls they must make to determine the outcome. These are the Roll to Hit, the Roll to Bypass Armor, and the Roll to Kill. These are described below.

Rolling to HitWhen a unit or character moves into the melee, they must first Roll to Hit the enemy. This is done by comparing MS (Melee Skill) to the defenders' MS if they wish to block attacks or SPD if they wish to dodge, then rolling for the target number. Defending units and characters should always use the higher value between their MS and SPD, as it doesn't make since that they'd try to dodge if they're better at blocking and vice versa.

When rolling to hit with an attacking unit, players must make as many rolls as there are members in the unit. For example, if there are 15 pikemen attacking a defending unit or character, the controlling player must roll to hit 15 times. This must be done even if there aren't as many defenders as there are attacks, as defenders can be hit by more than one attack.

Many individual characters have the ability to attack more than once each turn, as noted in their profile.

For every Roll to Hit that succeeds, a Roll to Bypass Armor must be made.

Rolling to Bypass ArmorThis roll comes after the roll to hit, and represents the ability of the defender's armor to stop attacks. For every roll to hit that succeeded, a Roll to Bypass Armor must also be made. This does not apply if the unfortunate defenders are not wearing armor. Size is a factor in rolls to bypass armor.

Rolling to Bypass Armor is done by comparing the P (Penetration) of the attacker's weapon to the PR (Protection) of the defender's armor, then rolling for the target number. For every roll that succeeds, an attack gets through armor. Every roll that fails represents an attack stopped by armor.

For every Roll to Bypass Armor that succeeds, a Roll to Kill must be made.

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Rolling to KillThis is the final roll in a melee attack sequence. Rolls to Kill are done when enemies are hit and when their armor has been penetrated. Rolling to Kill shows how many enemies die of these attacks. Size is a factor in rolls to kill.

Rolling to Kill is done by comparing the D (Deadliness) of the attacker's weapon against the STR of the defender, then rolling for the target number. For every roll to kill that succeeds, a member of the defending unit is killed, and should then be turned over or removed from the table entirely. Rolls the fail mean that the defenders were able to withstand the lethality of the attack.

When a unit suffers successful rolls to kill, it is up to the player controlling the defenders as to which miniatures are laid down or removed from the table. Usually, it would make sense for the foremost defenders to die in a head-to-head melee. However, what the miniatures don't show is that units get mixed up and dispersed in a close-quarters fray. If players picture this in their minds when units engage in melee, it's easier to imagine troops dying here and there, rather than all in one place.

When these rolls are complete, or if they stop early due to a lack of hits, a lack of penetrated armor, or a lack of kills inflicted, the attack unit's (or character's) turn is over. On the turn of the player controlling the defending unit or character, the melee continues with that player attacking. Melee continues until one side of the conflict is dead or until one unit attempts to turn tail and flee. Fleeing is described in the next section.

More than two units or characters can be involved in a melee. When there are more than two units or characters fighting a melee battle, they act in order of the controlling player as usual. If a single player controls more than one unit involved in a melee, the order they attack in is up to his discretion.

Characters and units involved in melees cannot attack with ranged weapons while involved in the melee. Once the melee concludes, or if they retreat, they can resume ranged combat if they are armed with ranged weapons.

Fleeing Melee, Attacks of OpportunityWhen a player declares that one of his units or characters is turning and fleeing a melee, the player controlling the other units or characters in the conflict is allowed to make Attacks of Opportunity.

This is done by rolling to hit, to bypass armor, and to kill as usual, the only difference being that it is not the turn of the player making the rolls. Once this roll cycle has been completed, if the player controlling the retreating unit still has any troops alive, they can then move up to their maximum distance in inches. Retreating serves little purpose for units who are slower than the unit pursuing them, as the pursuing unit can simply catch up and begin the melee anew on the controlling player's next turn.

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Ranged CombatMany units and characters, not to mention devastating vehicles, are equipped with weapons that strike at a distance. Attacking with such weapons works a little differently than attacking with melee weapons.

Line of Sight, RangeThe first step in making a ranged attack is checking Line of Sight and Range. Line of Sight is just that: what a character can and can't see. If an attacking unit or character can't see its target, it can't attack. Checking line of sight is done by looking from them perspective of the unit or character attacking at the target unit. If any part of the target can be seen, an attack can be made. If not, no attack is allowed.

Once line of sight has been checked, players attacking with ranged weapons must also check to make sure the target unit, character, or vehicle is in range. All of the ranged weapons in the list later in the rulebook have been given a RNG value in inches. This is perhaps the most unrealistic part of the game, as ranged weapons in reality, especially rifles and longbows, can fire their missiles tremendous distances. Such distances, when converted to 25-28mm, are still ridiculously far, as in hundreds of inches.

As such, players who want realistic range for projectile weapons can simply ignore RNG and checking range on the table. Using this method means that all ranged weapons can fire the entire length of the playing field.

If players want more structure and limitation, use the RNG values provided in the weapons chapter later on. When creating your own weapons for use in Tabletop Tactics, use the weapon profiles in the weapons and armor chapter as rough templates.

Rolling to HitAfter checking Line of Sight and Range, the next step in a ranged attack is the roll to hit. This is similar to the roll to hit listed in the melee section, with a few key differences. First, rolls to hit with ranged weapons use the attacker's RS (Ranged Skill) rather than MS. In ranged rolls to hit, this is always compared to the target's SPD, as defenders cannot block most ranged attacks with melee weapons.

Another core difference is that some ranged weapons are automatic, firing more than one attack per turn. When their units or characters are using such weapons, players must make as many rolls to hit as there are members in the unit X the number of attacks being made.

For example, a unit of Imperial Space Marines attacks another unit with their bolt guns. There are 10 space marines, and their weapons fire 3 shots each turn. So, a total of 30 attacks are being made, and the player must roll to hit 30 times.

For every Roll to Hit that succeeds, a Roll to Bypass Armor must be made.

Rolling to Bypass Armor, Rolling to KillSee Rolling to Bypass Armor and Rolling to Kill in the previous section on Melee Combat.

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Flame Based WeaponsMany weapons use flame as their means of slaughter. Most flame weapons are ranged, but there are conceivably melee weapons that also utilize flame, such as fire swords and dragon's breath. Whether a melee or ranged weapon, attacking with incendiary weapons operates a little differently than normal melee and ranged weapons.

Units and characters using flame weapons roll to hit as usual. If any successful hits are scored, the Roll to Bypass Armor is done by comparing the D (Deadliness) of the weapon to the FR (Fire Resistance) of the target's armor. If a successful rolls to bypass armor are made, subsequent rolls to kill must be made as usual. Size is a factor in attacks with flame weapons.

Explosive Weapons, Determining ScatterAs with flame weapons, explosives operate differently than normal weapons.

All explosive weapons have a stat called EXP, or Explosion Radius. This stat describes how big the blast is that results from using such weapons. All units, characters, and/or vehicles caught in the blast radius of an explosive weapon are affected by its blast.

For this reason, when players roll to hit using explosive weapons, they must still determine where the shot (or grenade, or whatever) ends up if it misses, because a missed shot (or throw) can still result in a lot of deaths. One way to determine where a missed explosive shot falls is called Scatter Dice. Games Workshop makes and sells these dice as part of their Warhammer franchise, so they're usually available at gaming and hobby shops and they're usually easy to steal.

If you don't have scatter dice, here's another way to randomly determine where an explosive attack falls if it misses its target: first, roll a d10. On a roll of 9 or 10, roll again. If you roll a 1, the shot deviates directly north (can be real-life north, or game north, whatever); on a 2, the shot deviates NE; on a 3, E; on a 4, SE; on a 5, S; on a 6, SW; on a 7, W; on an 8, NW. Once you've determined which way the shot deviates, roll another d10. The result of this roll is the number of inches the shot deviates in whatever direction was determined.

Troops using explosives can shoot/throw their weapons at a ground target to affect enemies around a corner. Scatter dice or the method above comes in handy for these situations too.

Whether a shot hits or misses its intended target, if units or characters are caught in an explosive blast, there are a few changes to the standard combat rolls. First, rolling to hit is not necessary once a blast occurs. All units within the blast radius of an explosive attack are hit by that attack.

For every hit that occurs within a blast radius, a roll to bypass armor must be made. This is done by comparing D of the weapon to the PR of the armor, and rolling for the target number. Explosives do not have a P statistic or value, as their explosive force is used both to kill and to puncture protective gear.

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Any rolls to bypass armor that succeed on units or targets of the same size or smaller automatically score kills. No roll to kill is necessary.

When explosive weapons strike vehicles of any size, rolls to kill must still be made. These are done by comparing the weapon's D to the vehicle's CON, and rolling for the target number. For results and for more information on attacking vehicles, see the following section.

When explosive weapons strike creatures, units, or characters of a large size, they must still make rolls to kill with normal size penalties.

Big Guns, ArtilleryBig Guns are those that are too large to run with and fire at the same time. Any Weapon that is designated “Big” cannot be fired if the wielder has moved during the current turn. To fire big weapons, characters and units must remain stationary. This does not apply to vehicles, which are large enough to move and fire big guns all at once. Big Guns roll to hit, to bypass armor, and to kill as usual.

Another special type of weapon is artillery. Any weapon designated “artillery” is also explosive, and always rolls scatter dice or randomly determines scatter (as described above) as if it has missed.

Firing Into a Melee, Rolling Percentage DiceAlthough the possibility of killing one's own troops is present, it might sometimes be necessary or tactically wise for players to fire into a melee. This is somewhat different than making normal attacks with ranged weapons.

First, instead of comparing RS against the target's SPD, the attacking player instead makes a Ranged Skill Check. This represents that there is no skill being used to dodge the attack, as the targets are busy in melee combat, and so the roll only involves the skill of the attacker. Making a Ranged Skill Check is done by rolling a d6 and comparing the results to the RS of the attacking unit or characters. If the result is equal to or below RS, the attack succeeds. If it is above RS, the attack fails. For every roll that succeeds, a hit is scored, but the players don't yet know who is hit.

Once the number of hits has been determined, players must determine who has been hit. This is the tricky part of firing into a melee. To determine who has been hit when firing into close-combat, the attacking player rolls 2d10, one to generate a “tens” category (with 10 equaling 0) and the other to produce a number between 1 and 10, thus giving a number between 1-100. Or, players can simply roll a d100 if they have one.

Rolling in this way is called Rolling Percentage Dice. The first number generated this way represents the percentage of enemy troops hit by the fire (round up). After determining the number of enemies hit, the remaining portion of the hits strike friendly troops.

In the case of more than two forces in a melee, the percentage of enemy units taking hits is divided roughly evenly between all forces hostile to the attacker, and the remaining percentage is the amount of friendly troops hit.

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Rolls to bypass armor and rolls to kill must still be made after determining who gets hit.

For example, a player shoots into a melee with 30 archers, and makes 24 successful Ranged Skill Checks. She then rolls a percentage die and comes up with 45. 45% of 24 is 10.8, or 11 rounded up. So, 11 of the successful hits strike the enemy, leaving 13 hits to friendly units.

In another example, a player shoots into a melee of three armies using 30 riflemen, making 20 successful Ranged Skill Checks. He then rolls a percentage die with a result of 60. 60% of 20 shots equals 12 enemy units struck by rifle fire. Since there are two enemy forces, this means that 6 troops in each force are hit. 8 of the player's own troops take fire too.

In the uncommon event that a player fires into a melee between two or more enemy forces with no friendly forces involved, make Ranged Skill Checks as usual. Then, divide the number of hits evenly between each enemy force and make rolls to bypass armor and to kill as usual.

Attacking & Destroying Vehicles, Attacking With VehiclesThere are many times when units and characters will attack vehicles, and just as many instances in which vehicles will attack other targets. This section details vehicular combat.

Attacking & Destroying VehiclesTo simplify the game rules and provide accuracy and realism, vehicles are entirely immune to melee attacks, EXCEPT melee attacks from vehicles of a similar size or larger with melee weapons (mechs with chainswords, etc.). Players are welcome to make exception to this if they wish, but rules are not provided herein to describe the process of attacking vehicles with melee weapons.

So, most attacks that target vehicles in Tabletop Tactics are ranged attacks. Such attacks follow rules similar to those laid out in the previous section on ranged attacks, with some notable differences.

First, rolling to hit vehicles is done by comparing the RS of the attacker to the SPD of the vehicle in question IF it moved the turn before being fired upon. If the vehicle did not move on its last turn (i.e., it's stationary), players make a RS check by rolling a d6. If the result is equal to or less than their RS, they succeed in hitting the target vehicle.

When a vehicle has been hit by a ranged attack, the next step in the process is the roll to bypass armor. This is done by comparing the attacking weapon's P to the vehicle's ARM, and rolling for the target number. Successful rolls indicate that the vehicle's armor has been penetrated by the attack. Failed rolls indicate that the vehicle's armor has stopped the attack.

For every roll to bypass armor that succeeds on a vehicle, a Roll to Damage must be made. This is done by comparing the attacking weapon's D to the vehicle's CON (Construction). This roll takes the place of the Roll to Kill, and CON takes the place of STR. If this roll fails, the vehicle is made well enough to withstand the attack without significant damage. If a Roll to Damage a vehicle succeeds, roll a d10 and compare the results to the following table:

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Results of a Successfully Damaged Vehicle d10 Roll Effects 1, 2, 3 Disabled, vehicle is disabled for its next turn 4, 5, 6 Disarmed, one of the vehicle's weapons is destroyed 7, 8 Immobilized, the vehicle cannot move 9 DESTROYED!, the vehicle is totally wrecked *10 DESTROYED!, the vehicle explodes, SZ = vehicle SZ, EXP = SZ, D: 4

* Vehicles that cannot explode, like chariots and wagons, are simply destroyed.

In certain campaign settings and game world, there aren't yet ranged weapons capable of destroying the few vehicles that do exist. For example, arrows and thrown spears will likely never destroy a chariot. Melee weapons, like axes, certainly could, but warriors fighting a chariot would be much more likely to attack the riders than the vehicle itself. See the next section for more on this subject.

Rolling to attack and destroy vehicles is subject to Size bonuses and penalties.

Attacking Riders & Pilots in Open VehiclesCertain vehicles, like pickup trucks and chariots, have open areas where the drivers, pilots, or riders are exposed to fire. When attacking such vehicles, players can declare that their troops are aiming for the characters inside the vehicle and not the vehicle itself.

In such a case, roll to hit, to bypass armor, and to kill as usual. Characters riding in vehicles receive cover bonuses as described in the section on Cover below. In the event that the pilots of vehicles in your army don't have the stats necessary to use in rolls to hit, to bypass armor, and to kill, either give them stats and armor, or treat them as if they're the weakest, least armored members of your army. Or, treat them as if they're unarmored, since they don't need armor to drive a vehicle, and give them 3s to SPD and STR.

If the crew of a vehicle is killed, the vehicle ceases to function, but can still be used as cover and can be attacked with the hopes of making it explode.

Attacking Vehicles With Flame Weapons & ExplosivesMost vehicles are immune to incendiary weapons, as even light aluminum plating will protect the crucial systems from fire damage, and igniting a fuel tank with a flame-based weapon is extremely difficult.

Explosive weapons, however, are supremely effective against vehicles. When attacking with such weapons, rolls to hit, and to bypass armor are done as usual. Rolls to Damage are also performed the same way, except that using explosives gives a +3 to the results roll. So, a 1,2, or 3 can never be rolled this way, meaning that the minimal effect an explosive weapon will have on a damaged vehicle is a destroyed weapon. It also means that a roll of 6 or better results in a destroyed vehicle, giving a 50% chance of total destruction when using explosive weapons.

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Attacking With VehiclesBesides attacking vehicles, pilots inside vehicles will often make attacks with their vehicles. Only vehicles armed with melee or ranged weapons can make attacks. This includes armed motorcycles, mechs, hovercars, tanks, and so on.

When a player wishes to attack with a vehicle, the initial Roll to Hit is done by comparing the PLT or the vehicle's pilot to the SPD of the target. Even if the vehicle is attacking with melee weapons, vehicles are typically so much larger than defenders that it seems absurd that defenders could block with melee weapons.

For every roll to hit that succeeds, a Roll to Bypass Armor must be made. And, for every roll to bypass armor that succeeds, a Roll to Kill or Roll to Damage must be made.

Vehicles can attack other vehicles, in which case the rolls change slightly. If a vehicle attacks another vehicle that moved on its last turn, the roll to hit uses the attacker's PLT and the defender's SPD. If the target vehicle is stationary, the attacker makes a Piloting Check by rolling a d6. The roll to hit succeeds if the d6 roll is equal to or less than the attacker's piloting.

Some vehicles have multiple weapons. For such vehicles, like tanks and walker mechs, the vehicle can attack with as many weapons each turn as it has gunners inside or on the craft. So, if every turret on a battle truck is personed by a gunner, they can all fire. In the case of vehicles that have only one pilot, only one attack is allowed each turn despite the number of weapons, unless otherwise specified (such as a skilled operator with the Master Pilot characteristic).

Performing Ramming Attacks With VehiclesEven unarmed vehicles can attack by ramming into theirtargets. To perform a Ramming Attack, the attacking vehicle simply moves into a target unit, character, orvehicle as if moving into a melee. When the vehicle makescontact, it rolls to bypass armor for every model touched by its ramming parts. Then, for every roll to bypass armor that succeeds, a roll to kill is made.

The D and P for ramming attacks are equal to the vehicle's SPD. This might not seem very deadly, but don't forget about Size bonuses andpenalties. With such bonuses/penalties, even a size 3 vehicle can become adeadly battering ram to smaller targets.

If a vehicle is used to ram another vehicle, the roll to kill becomes a Roll to Damage.

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Morale, Morale Checks, LeadershipThere are many times in battle when standard units will have their mental fortitude tested. This includes coming face to face with huge and terrifying creatures and losing many of one's comrades to death. These are the two most common ways units will be forced to check their morale. Each is explored below.

Morale Checks When Facing Terrifying CreaturesOne of the special characteristics that monstrous individual characters can have is to be Terrifying. Terrifying creatures are usually huge, hideous (to some eyes, at least), and covered with spikes, tendrils, massive teeth, or other protrusions, and they know how to use their appearance to frighten others.

Any time a unit or individual character comes into close contact (2”) or melee combat with a Terrifying creature, they must make a Morale Check. A morale check is done by rolling a d6 for every unit or character in question, then comparing the results to the MRL of each unit or character. Morale checks succeed if they equal or fall below the morale of the characters in question. They fail if they exceed morale.

For the effects of failing morale checks, see the section Failing Morale Checks below.

Morale Checks For High MortalityTerrifying creatures are not the only cause of wavering courage. The most frightening aspect of battle that warriors regularly face is death itself.

Any time a unit suffers 50% or greater casualties, the remaining members of that unit must instantly make Morale Checks as described above. For the effects of failed morale checks, see the section below.

Any time a unit suffers losses because of morale, the remaining number of troops is treated as the new original number. This is used for the purpose of calculating when 50% of the unit has been killed.

Failing Morale ChecksWhen any character fails a morale check, that character instantly begins fleeing the battle toward the edge of the table that is closest, and travels at maximum SPD each turn. The only way this can be prevented is for characters in command positions to make Leadership Checks, as described in the next section.

When members of a unit flee, they are still counted as members of the unit until the reach the edge of the table. When models reach the table's edge, they have fled the battlefield, and are no longer part of the battle. However, for the time they are fleeing but are still on the table, the unit of which they are a part suffers penalties for No Coherency as described earlier.

Leadership, Regaining MoraleCertain individual characters are exceptionally good at inspiring and emboldening their comrades and underlings. These characters have a natural capacity for words of praise and encouragement, or downright threats of execution for betrayal and defection. Whatever their method of persuasion, these characters have the special characteristic called Leadership.

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Characters with Leadership can use their skills of communication to persuade fleeing characters (i.e., characters with Lost Morale) to turn back and keep fighting. To do so, character makes a Leadership Check by rolling a d6 and comparing the results to the character's leadership score. Rolls succeed if they are equal to or less than Leadership. Otherwise, they fail.

Leadership Checks affect all fleeing troops within a 5” radius of the acting character. Leadership Checks are allowed once per turn, and can by attempted on the same targets multiple times if they fail. Targets who reach the edge of the table leave the battle and are no longer eligible.

Any time a character succeeds in a Leadership Check, the targets stop fleeing and begin to run back to their units at maximum SPD each turn. Leadership Checks can be performed on other characters with leadership if those characters lose morale.

CoverDucking down behind cover and barricading one's units behind protection can make pivotal differences in any battle. There are a few important rules to understand about cover in Tabletop Tactics.

First, the nature of cover is not important. How much of a targeted character is covered is important. Any time a target is partially in cover, characters who attack that target receive penalties to their Rolls to Hit. The following table contains suggestions for penalties:

Penalties to Attackers for a Character in Cover Area in Cover Penalty 10% -1 20% -2 30% -3 40% -4 50% -5 60% -6 70% -7 80% -8 90-100% automatic failure

This chart simplifies the penalties so players don't have to be so specific about the amount of body covered:

Penalties to Attackers for a Character in Cover Area in Cover Penalty Between 10-30% -2 Between 30-50% -4 Between 51-70% -6 Between 71-80% -8 Greater than 80% automatic failure

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In the event that a unit is partially in cover and partially out of cover, players can decide to target only the members of the unit in or out of cover depending on their line of sight. Or, to simplify play, players can agree that if more than half of the members of a unit count as in cover, the whole unit is said to be in cover, and if less than half are in cover, the whole unit is not in cover. Either way is fine.

Terrain Movement Penalties, Dangerous TerrainSometimes, units will enter ground that is difficult to move through, such as a swamp, rice paddy, fast-moving stream, or sand dunes. There are also times where characters and units might enter terrain that is treacherous and hazardous to the health of those who enter.

Terrain Movement PenaltiesThe following chart gives some suggestions for the penalties incurred by moving through certain types of terrain. Players are welcome to add their own or alter these.

Terrain Movement PenaltiesTerrain Type PenaltySwamp, Marsh, Moat, Rice Paddy 1/2 MovementSwift Stream, River 1/4 MovementCompact Sand 3/4 MovementLoose Sand 1/2 MovementLight Thicket 3/4 MovementDense Thicket 1/2 MovementBrambles 1/2 MovementRubble 3/4 MovementThick Rubble 1/2 MovementLight Rocky Terrain 3/4 MovementHeavy Rocky Terrain 1/2 Movement

If a unit or character receives a penalty to SPD that takes it below 1, simply use the appropriate measurement. For example, a SZ 2 unit with SPD 1 moving through a fast river moves at .5” per turn.

Penalizing unit and character movement is purely optional. It's fine to omit these rules if all players agree not to use them. Vehicles usually suffer no movement penalties, as they can simply crash through most terrain types. If players wish to give penalties to vehicles moving through difficult terrain, they're welcome to do so.

Dangerous TerrainThere may be certain types of terrain that players agree before battle to be Dangerous Terrain. This includes things like ruins, fire-swamps, forests infested with carnivorous plants and dangerous beasts, and so on. Any time characters or units enter into dangerous terrain, they must make a Survival Check. This is done by rolling a d6 and comparing the results to PER (Perception) for each character in question. Survival Checks succeed if they are equal to or less than PER; they fail if they exceed PER.

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Units and characters who fail Survival Checks are claimed by the terrain in whatever way makes sense given the area. Failing a survival check in ruins could mean the character is crushed by a failing stone, just as failing a survival check in a dangerous forest could mean getting eaten by a hungry feral creature. Players are free to roleplay the effects if they wish.

Rolling survival checks is only necessary when characters enter Dangerous Terrain. Moving within dangerous terrain once inside and exiting dangerous terrain require no rolls.

The rules for dangerous terrain are purely optional. Players who don't want to use them should feel free not to.

Climactic PenaltiesSometimes characters and units receive penalties based on the weather and time of day. Below is a sample list of Climactic Penalties. Players are welcome to create their own.

Climactic PenaltiesConditions EffectsLow-light -1 to all rolls to hit, survival checks, and rolls to detectDarkness, Night -3 to all rolls to hit, survival checks, and rolls to detectLight Rain -1 to all rolls to hit and rolls to detectHeavy Rain, Storm -3 to all rolls to hit and rolls to detectSubstantial Wind -3 to all rolls to hit

Stealth & SubterfugeAn important aspect of the game is known as Stealth. Stealth is a special ability that individual characters can have that enables them to move about unseen. This has tremendous advantages, since troops can't attack an enemy they can't see.

Characters with the Stealth ability do not deploy on the table as usual when beginning a battle. Instead, the controlling player decides where they are on the table and keeps track of the character mentally and with a notepad to reveal movements to other players when the character is discovered or at the end of the battle. In this way, players are encouraged to be honest and share their tactics with other players. Players who cheat using stealthy characters are jerks, and though it might benefit them to use stealth unfairly in the short term, they will most likely not make any friends this way.

While Stealthy characters are invisible they move and attack as usual. If stealthy characters enter melee with more than one target, they lose stealth. However, if they enter melee with only one target, they may perform a Sneak Attack and instantly kill that target. Ranged Sneak Attacks grant no additional bonus except that they are invisible.

In order to remain Stealthy, a covert character must stay behind cover, behind enemies, and/or out of the

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direct Line of Sight of enemies. If a character leaves cover and comes into the direct Line of Sight of one or more enemies, that character is no longer invisible, and its model/miniature is placed on the table.

Also, stealthy characters must be quiet near enemies to remain undetected. To represent this, any time a stealthy character is within 5” of enemy troops, it must compare Stealth to PER and roll for the target number. Successes mean the character remains stealthy, but even one failure reveals the location of the character and places its model on the table.

Stealthy characters are not immediately revealed if they are in the direct line of sight but are also behind cover. This represents that stealthy characters know how to use cover to stay invisible. However, units and characters can also attempt to spot a stealthy character that is behind cover at a distance. Any time a controlling player thinks that a stealthy character is behind cover in the direct line of sight of his troops, he may compare those troops' PER to the Stealth of the target character and roll for the target number. A successful roll means that the acting troops spot the stealthy character at a distance IF that character is indeed where they're look, and its model is revealed and put on the table. A failed roll means the character remains stealthy OR that the character wasn't where they were looking.

These kind of rolls should still be performed even if the target stealthy character is not in the place the acting player thinks it is in. Otherwise, telling the acting player that no roll is necessary reveals where the stealthy character is NOT, which helps them to narrow down where that character might be.

Stealth characters can be used in a number of Scenarios that are entertaining and engaging. For example, a lone stealthy character could be tasked to steal secret plans, or slip poison into the water supply or air system of the enemy, or could be expected to assassinate a singular important character in a well guarded fortress. Some potential ideas for stealth missions are listed in the Generic Scenarios section.

Hidden ObjectsAt times, units and characters will be faced with hidden objects on the battlefield. This mainly refers to mines and bombs, deadly explosives that can be set up by characters, units, and vehicles with the Demolitionist characteristic. It can also refer to traps, like pitfalls and snares, that can be included as part of scenarios.

Any time there are hidden objects on the battlefield (including mines, which become hidden as soon as they are set up), characters and units can take 1 turn to search a 2” radius around them. This is done by comparing PER to Difficulty, which is defined by the Demolition skill of the unit/character/vehicle that set up the mine, and rolling for the target number. In the case of traps not set up by a character, players must agree about the difficulty to spot traps before battle. Success means a trap is located.

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Special Characteristics & AbilitiesThere are many special abilities that individual characters can be given because of their elite training or legendary nature. There are also a few special characteristics entire units can be given, and several available to vehicles. This section lists but a few of the many possibilities. Giving these abilities to units and characters certainly increases their PTS value. The amount of increase is left to the discretion of the players.

Note that all of the abilities and characteristics available to Units are also available to Individual Characters. They are not listed twice simply to save space.

Special Characteristics & Abilities for Individual Characters OnlyCharacteristic/Ability EffectsLeadership Allows character to make Leadership Checks and help other regain morale;

must be given a valueMaster Warrior Character can attack 2, 3, 4, or 5 times per turn (ranged or melee)Stealth/Covert Ops Allows character to be invisible on the table until detected;

must be given a value; described in the previous sectionTerrifying Causes units/characters within 2” or in melee to make Morale Checks

Special Characteristics & Abilities for Units and Individual CharactersCharacteristic/Ability EffectsBerserker Unit wears no armor, but gains +5 to all rolls to hit in melee combat,

and attackers receive -5 in rolls to hit in melee combatBruiser Unit can move and fire Big Guns in the same turnCavalry Unit is mounted on some beast, usually horses, and moves with that

creature's movement (Horses, Camels, etc. = SZ 3, SPD: any)Charge! Unit loves rushing into melee frays, and gains +2” movement for the

purpose of entering melee combatDemolitionist Unit can lay mines and charges that can bring down important targets like

bridges, generators, and buildings; can also disarm bombs that have been set; must be given a value 1-5

Duck and Cover Unit is especially good at concealing vital body parts behind cover, giving enemies an additional -1 in rolls to hit\

Eagle Eye Unit instantly detects stealthy characters behind cover in Line of SightFearless Unit is immune to fear and automatically passes all Morale ChecksFlammable Unit is especially susceptible to flame-based attacks, giving attackers a +3

bonus in all rolls to kill when using flame weapons (e.g. skeletons, the undead)Guerrilla Unit is adept at moving through difficult terrain, suffering no

movement penaltiesHit and Run Units with this ability are immune to Attacks of Opportunity, and can

flee melee combat at any timeOutdoorsy Unit suffers no climactic penalties, and automatically passes Survival Checks

in hostile terrains (but not indoors or due to technology)Night Vision/Acute Senses Unit suffers no penalties for low-light and no-light conditions

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Preferred Enemy Unit has an enemy they hate worse than all others; must specify enemy race and/or type; gives character +3 in all rolls to hit the preferred enemy

Preferred Terrain Unit has a terrain type they prefer fighting on, and gain +3 to all rolls to hit and enemy attackers receive -3 to rolls to hit when in this terrain

Rage Unit always moves toward the nearest enemy, is Fearless, ignores movement penalties and climactic penalties, and suffers -1 to all rolls to hit

Rough Rider Unit suffers no terrain movement penalties; must also have CavalrySharpshooter Unit can fire into melee combat and roll to hit enemies targets as usual,

entirely avoiding friendly troopsStubborn Unit cannot receive Leadership to recover Morale, and all enemies suffer -3

in rolls to killTank Hunter Unit specializes in destroying vehicles, and receives +3 on all rolls to hit

vehicles, and +3 to bypass vehicle armor since they know just where to strike

Special Characteristics & Abilities for VehiclesCharacteristic/Ability EffectsDemolitionist Vehicle can lay mines and charges that can bring down important targets like

bridges, generators, and buildings; must be given a value 1-5Master Pilot This is used for pilots who are also individual characters; master pilots can

attack 2, 3, 4, or 5 times per turnRadar Vehicle is equipped with a radar that detects all stealthy characters and mines

within 3” radiusShielding Vehicle is protected by a shield that adds another layer of ballistic protection;

must be given a value; all weapons that strike vehicle must roll to bypass shields before rolling to bypass armor; EMP weapons ignore shields; must be given a value 1-5

Terrifying Causes units/characters within 2” or in melee to make Morale Checks

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Point ValuesOne topic not yet discussed is the Point Value of units, characters, and vehicles. All units, characters, and vehicles are worth a point value. This number describes how worthwhile they are when compared to other units.

Keeping track of point values can be important if players wish to have balanced armies, and thus a balanced battle. Such battles are fun because, regardless of the individual worth of a player's troops, each side is equal, and so player must win by tactics rather than by a stronger or weaker force. Players who wish to play imbalanced (and thus more realistic) battles have no need of calculating point values.

Determining Point Values is easy, although it can be time consuming. For each individual troop (unit members, individual characters, and individual vehicles), the formula for calculating point value is as follows:

Troop (unit member or character): SZ x (MS + RS + STR + SPD + MRL + PER)Vehicle: SZ x (CRW + PLT + CON + SPD + ARM)Weapons: SZ x ROF x (D + P + 1 PT for every 5” of RNG)Armor: PR + FR

Besides these basic formulae, special characteristics and unique armor and weapons will add point values. These values are arbitrary, and must be agreed on by all players if point value is a factor. Any special characteristics that have a value must be factored into the equations above and added to all the other stats.

When calculating total point value, all weapons, armor, characteristics, and other points must be totaled for each unit, and all characters and vehicles. Use the following formulae to finish calculations:

Units: # of Troops x (Troop PTS + Weapon PTS + Armor PTS + Special PTS)Characters: Troop PTS + Weapons PTS + Armor PTSVehicles: Vehicle PTS + Weapon PTS (armor is already included)

When values are calculated for each unit, character, and vehicle, add them all together. This is the Total Point Value for any given army. Players wishing to have a balanced battle should aim to get these values as close together as possible.

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Weapons & ArmorThis chapter explores the various weapons and armor used by characters and units.

Sample Weapon ListThis section contains many of the weapons that can be used in the game, although the list is far from complete. Players are welcome and encouraged to create their own unique weapons for characters and units.

Melee WeaponsWeapon Name (Type) SZ D P RNG ROF EXPCutting Knives, Daggers 2 2 2 melee n/a n/aStabbing Knives, Stilettos 2 2 3 melee n/a n/aShort Swords, Machetes 2 3 2 melee n/a n/aLong Swords 2 4 3 melee n/a n/aRapiers, Stabbing Swords 2 3 4 melee n/a n/a2-handed Swords, Great Swords 2 5 3 melee n/a n/aHand Axes, Hatchets, Cleavers 2 3 3 melee n/a n/aAxes, Battle Axes, Military Picks 2 4 4 melee n/a n/aWar Axes, Great Axes 2 5 4 melee n/a n/aMaces, Cudgels, Hammers 2 3 3 melee n/a n/aBaseball Bats, Monkey Wrenches, Metal Pipes 2 4 3 melee n/a n/aBattle Maces/Hammers, Flails 2 4 4 melee n/a n/aMauls, Warhammers, Sledgehammers, War Flails 2 5 4 melee n/a n/aSpears, Lances, Pikes 2 4 4 melee n/a n/aHalberds, Poleaxes, Scythes 2 5 4 melee n/a n/aKatars, Push-daggers, Claw Hands 2 2 2 melee n/a n/aChainsaws, Hedge-trimmers 2 5 3 melee n/a n/aRipper Blades, Vibroblades 2 5 3 melee n/a n/aRipper Swords, Vibroswords, Chainswords 2 5 4 melee n/a n/aRipper Axe, Vibroaxe 2 5 5 melee n/a n/aEnergy Blade, Lightdagger 2 3 5 melee n/a n/aEnergy Sword, Lightsaber 2 4 5 melee n/a n/aEnergy Lance, Energy Spear 2 5 5 melee n/a n/a* Claws 1-5 2 2 melee n/a n/a* Bite 1-5 3 2 melee n/a n/a * These types of attack can be used by insectoid or monstrous races, like the Tyranids or Dragons. Size is the same size as the creature using the attack.

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Ranged WeaponsWeapon Name (Type) SZ D P RNG ROF EXPShort Self Bows 2 * 2 10” 1 n/aLong Self Bow 2 * 3 20” 1 n/aShort Composite Bow 2 * 3 20” 1 n/aLong Composite Bow 2 * 4 30” 1 n/a * Bow Deadliness depends on Arrows use Arrows, Straight-head 2 3 n/a n/a n/a n/a Arrows, Sm. Broadhead 2 4 n/a n/a n/a n/a Arrows, Lg. Broadhead 2 5 n/a n/a n/a n/aCrossbow Pistols 2 ** 3 10” 1 n/aCrossbow Rifles, Arbalests ** 4 20” 1 n/a **Crossbow Deadliness depends on Bolts used Bolts, Straight-head 2 3 n/a n/a n/a n/a Bolts, Broadhead 2 4 n/a n/a n/a n/aSlings 2 2 1 10” 1 n/aBlackpowder Pistols, Flintlocks 2 3 2 10” 1 n/aBlackpowder Rifles, Arquebuses 2 3 3 20” 1 n/aBlunderbusses 2 5 4 15” 1 n/aGatling Gun (Big Gun) 2 3 3 20" 5 n/aSemi-automatic Pistols, Revolvers 2 3 3 10” 1 n/aMachine Pistols 2 3 3 10" 3 n/aSemi-automatic Rifles 2 4 4 25” 1 n/aDouble-barrel Shotguns 2 * 4 15” 1 n/aPump-action Shotgun 2 * 4 15" 1 n/aAutomatic Shotgun (Big Gun) 2 * 4 15" 3 n/a * Shotgun Deadliness depends on shells used Shotgun Shells, Shot 2 4 n/a n/a n/a n/a Shotgun Shells, Slug or Flechette 2 5 n/a n/a n/a n/aSub-machine Guns 2 3 3 15” 3 n/aAssault Rifles 2 4 4 30" 5 n/aSniper Rifles 2 4 4 40" 1 n/aMachine Guns (Big Gun) 2 5 4 25” 5 n/aAnti-vehicle Rifles (Big Gun) 3 4 4 40" 1 n/aFlamethrower (Flame) 2 5 n/a 10" line 1 n/aGrenade Launcher (Explosive) 2 4 n/a 20" 1 3"RPG/Missile Launchers 3 4 n/a 30" 1 4"Bolt Pistol, Gauss Pistol 2 4 4 15" 1 n/aBolt Rifle, Gauss Rifle 2 4 5 30" 1 n/aBolt Assault Rifle, Gauss Repeater 2 4 5 30" 3 n/aMiniguns, "Avenger" (Big Gun) 2 5 5 30" 5 n/aHE Miniguns, "Annihilator" Big Gun, (Explosive) 3 5 n/a 25" 5 1"

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Weapon Name (Type) SZ D P RNG ROF EXPLaser Pistol, Particle Beam Pistol 2 4 5 10" 1 n/aLaser Rifle, Particle Beam Rifle 2 5 5 20" 1 n/aLaser Cannon, P. Beam Cannon (Big Gun) 3 5 5 25" 1 n/aLaser Miniguns, "Vindicator" (Big Gun) 2 5 5 25" 5 n/a* EMP Pistol, Ion Pistol 3 3 0 15" 1 n/a* EMP Rifle, Ion Rifle 3 4 0 30" 1 n/a* EMP Cannon (Big Gun) 4 4 0 35" 1 n/a * EMP weapons only affect vehicles, and automatically bypass vehicle armor. Rolls to hit and rolls to damage must still be made.** Venom Spit 1-5 4 3 5” 1 n/a** Breathe Fire (Flame) 1-5 5 n/a 10” line 1 n/a ** These types of attack can be used by insectoid or monstrous races, like the Tyranids or Dragons. Size is the same size as the creature using the attack.

Throwing Knife, Throwing Star 2 2 3 STR 1 n/aFrag Grenade (Explosive) 2 4 n/a STR 1 2”HE Grenade (Explosive) 2 5 n/a STR 1 3"Mine (Explosive) 3 5 n/a 0” 1 3”Thermal Detonator, Laser Grenade (Explosive) 2 5 n/a STR 1 3"* EMP Grenade, Ion Grenade (Explosive) 2 5 n/a STR 1 3" * EMP weapons only affect vehicles, and automatically bypass vehicle armor. Rolls to hit and rolls to damage must still be made.

Vehicle WeaponsWeapon Name (Type) SZ D P RNG ROF EXPGatling Gun 2 3 3 20" 5 n/aMachine Guns 2 5 4 25" 5 n/a20mm Machine Guns 3 5 4 25" 5 n/aTurret 3 5 4 25" 5 n/aVulcan Cannon 4 5 4 30" 5 n/a30mm HE Cannon (Explosive) 4 5 n/a 30" 5 n/aSm. Rockets (Explosive) 3 4 n/a 30" 1 3"Lg. Rockets (Explosive) 3 5 n/a 30" 1 3"Missiles (Explosive) 4 5 n/a 40" 1 3"Size 3 Bomb (Explosive) 3 5 n/a dropped 1 3"Size 4 Bomb (Explosive) 4 5 n/a dropped 1 4"Size 5 Bomb (Explosive) 5 5 n/a dropped 1 5"Small Blasters, Small Lasers 3 5 5 30" 1 n/aLarge Blasters, Large Lasers 4 5 5 35" 1 n/aLarge Blaster Cannon, Lg. Laser Cannon 5 5 5 40" 1 n/aSmall EMP/Ion Blasters 3 5 n/a 30" 1 n/aLarge EMP/Ion Blasters 4 5 n/a 35" 1 n/aWarhead (Explosive) 5 5 n/a ē 1 n/a

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Sample Armor ListArmor Name PR FRQuilted Armor 1 1Leather Armor 1 3Studded Leather Armor 2 4Brigandine (Bronze/Iron) 2 3Chainmail (Bronze/Iron) 2 0Padded Chainmail (Bronze/Iron) 2 1Brigandine + Chainmail (Bronze/Iron) 3 3Scalemail (Bronze/Iron) 2 2Platemail (Bronze/Iron) 2 2Heavy Platemail (Bronze/Iron 3 3Brigandine (Steel) 3 3Chainmail (Steel) 3 0Padded Chainmail (Steel) 3 1Brigandine + Chainmail (Steel) 4 3Scalemail (Steel) 3 2Platemail (Steel) 3 2Heavy Platemail (Steel) 4 3

Aviator's or Mechanic's Leathers 1 4Martial Arts Gear 2 1Fireproof Gear 0 5 (Can be worn under clothing/armor)Scrap Metal Platemail 3 2Reinforced Scrap Metal Platemail 4 3Flak Armor 2 3Light Tactical Armor 3 3Heavy Tactical Armor 4 4Combat Armor 5 4Power Armor 5 5

* Bony Plates, Carapace, Tough Hide 2 3 * This armor can be used for insectoid races and monstrous creatures, like Tyranids and Dragons.

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Generic ScenariosThis chapter lists and details a series of possible battle scenarios.

Mutual BattleDescriptionThis is the most common type of battle and the easiest to run and resolve. In a Mutual Battle, both armies have met each other on an agreed upon field of battle, neither having the advantage in being entrenched, and both (or all) armies are roughly equal in Point Value. No one player has a clear advantage, and the battle will be decided by tactics and luck alone.

Set UpSince the nature of the battle is mutual, the geography of terrain and obstacles should not benefit one player more than any others. As described in the paragraphs below, all players will have access to an equal portion of the field of battle. So, when laying out terrain before the battle, players should attempt to make the field as equal as possible in terms of terrain, obstacles, and cover.

DeployingAll players roll a d10. Whoever rolls highest chooses one half of the table (or 1/3 if there are 3 players, 1/4 if there are 4, etc.). Then, if there are only two players, the other player receives the other half of the table. If there are more than two players, after the highest-rolling player has chosen a side (1/3, 1/4, whatever), the next-highest-rolling player chooses her portion of the battlefield (1/3, 1/4, etc.). Players choose until everyone has a fraction of the table for deployment.

This portion of the table (1/2, 1/3, etc.) is the player's Deployment Zone. After all players have a deployment zone, whichever player rolled highest begins to deploy his troops. This is done by choosing a single unit, character, vehicle, or unit of vehicles and placing it on the table within the deployment zone. After the first player chooses a troop to deploy, the next-highest roller chooses a troop and deploys it.

This continues with all players. When all players have deployed one unit/character/vehicle, the highest roller deploys another, and the players again go around the table deploying troops. When deploying in this way, no unit or character should be closer than 10” to an enemy unit or character. This is called the Buffer Zone, and Mutual Battles generally have at least a 10” Buffer Zone. More space can be devoted to the Buffer if players desire.

Once all troops are deployed, players again roll a d10. Whoever rolls highest this time begins the first round of battle by taking the first turn.

Objectives, Victory ConditionsGenerally, the objective of a mutual battle is to entirely destroy the opposing armies. Players who wish to limit the time a mutual battle takes may instead designate a number of rounds. After this time has elapsed, the player who has destroyed the greatest total point value of enemy units is the winner.

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Pitched BattleDescriptionThis type of battle is much more realistic than the Mutual Battle, but is more difficult to run due to the unfairness to one player. In a Pitched Battle, one player's army has a much higher point value than all other players' armies. The degree of difference is left to the players to decide, but should generally be around 2:1. So, in a battle of two armies, one army should have double the points of the other. In a battle of more than two armies, the dominant player should have a force roughly equal to at least 2x the total point values of all other players.

This type of battle is best fought between two armies.

Set UpSince one player is already in a position of advantage by point value, it is up to players to decide the layout of the field. They can opt to give the dominant player an even more advantageous position by placing a great deal of terrain and cover in that player's territory. Or, the more reasonable option is for the players controlling the smaller, weaker forces to place a great deal of terrain and cover within the territories not controlled by the dominant player. This creates a situation wherein weaker, smaller forces can still potentially win the battle provided they use cover effectively and employ tactics rather than brute force.

DeployingDominant player chooses 1/3 of the table and deploys first. The remainder of the table is divided evenly between other tables, and deployment order is determined by rolling a d10. When all players have finished deploying, the weakest force goes first.

Objectives, Victory ConditionsIf there are two armies in a Pitched Battle, the objective is usually to destroy the enemy force. When there are more than two armies, the objective can vary. In such a case, all armies can be tasked with destroying all other armies, thus creating a truly difficult but rewarding tactical situation. Or, instead, the weaker players can ally with one another to defeat the stronger force. Doing so results in a roughly Mutual Battle, and should be rerun as such.

Players also have the option of setting a percentage of the dominant force's troops as the victory number. This method means that the weaker forces are tasked with taking out a certain number or percentage (by troop or by point value) of the dominant forces troops. If the weak side achieves this, they win, even if they are eventually annihilated.

As always, players can set a duration of rounds for the game to last, and award victory to whomever destroys the greatest point value of enemy troops.

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Forward Position, Ground SeizureDescriptionIn a Forward Position battle, all enemy forces are equidistant from the only strategically important and advantageous structure/cover on the field. This typically means the structure, bunker, blown up tank, or whatever is directly in the middle of the table. All armies involved in this type of battle should be roughly equal in point value. This type of scenario usually plays out by all players rushing their armies toward the center objective, and taking it and holding it against all other enemy forces.

Set UpAs mentioned above, the only tactically important and beneficial cover/structure should be placed in the middle of the table. Other portions of the table can have small bits of cover or obstacles, perhaps rolling terrain, but they should generally be sparse. If any part of the table other than the center objective has little bits of cover, all parts of the table must have similar little bits so that no player is at a disadvantage.

DeployingDeployment is identical to Mutual Battle, except that the buffer zone extends at least 12” from the center objective in all directions.

Objectives, Victory ConditionsThe main objective of Ground Seizure battles, although not a Condition of Victory, is the taking of the objective in the middle of the table. Even if they aren't particularly interested in the center objective, players should play as if they have been ordered to seize this territory by force. Whether or not the center objective is seized and held during the course of the battle, the general victory condition for such a battle is total defeat of all enemy forces.

As always, players can set a duration of rounds for the game to last, and award victory to whomever destroys the greatest point value of enemy troops.

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Assassination!, Kill the Head...DescriptionIn this type of battle one player takes the roll of the Target and the other of the Assassin. The goal of the assassin is to kill one VIP/Mark in the target army, while the goal of the target player is to discover the assassin and kill it. In the event of more than two player, one player is the target and the others all control assassins vying for the same target. All assassins must have/be given the Stealth special characteristic. Assassins work as individual characters, and each player controlling an assassin controls only one. The player controlling the army containing the target can have any number of troops and obstacles.

Set UpPlayers each choose a half (or 1/3, or 1/4, depending on the number of players) of the table and lay down terrain in this segment. This usually evolves into the player who controls the assassin giving a great deal of cover in his section, and the player controlling the mark providing very little cover in his area. This works out nicely, as a stealthy character in reality must usually use cover to sneak up to or into a less covered, well-defended area.

DeployingThe player controlling the target and army containing the target deploys ALL her units first, including the target. Then, following the Stealth rules, the player (or players) controlling the assassin (or assassins) deploys the killer invisibly. Play begins with the assassin.

Objectives, Victory ConditionsThe objective of the assassin is to kill the target. Whether or not the assassin is expected to escape as part of the victory depends on the players' prerogatives. The goal of the targeted force is to expose the assassin and kill it, all the while preventing the mark from getting killed.

Special RulesIn this type of battle, to prevent cheating and sore feelings, players may wish to employ a referee to keep track of the movements and actions of the stealthy characters. If a referee is chosen, this person consults with the player controlling the stealthy character before any move involving the assassin. The controlling player shows the referee where the stealthy character is and how far the character is moving, also revealing what the stealthy character is going to do. The referee keeps all such moves legal and fair.

When using a referee and consulting with this person, all other players involved must turn away and do their best not to listen to the consultation, thus avoiding any unfair advantage.

Variation: Kill the Head...A variation on Assassination is called Kill the Head. In this type of battle, one player controls an army guided by a particularly influential figure, and designates this character the Leader. If the Leader in a Kill the Head... battle is killed, the rest of the army will surrender or disband. Generally, to compensate for the ease of taking out one character, the attacking force is less powerful than the defenders.

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Waiting For Reinforcements, SurvivalDescriptionIn this type of battle, one force is at a severe disadvantage (as in Pitched Battle), and another is massively advantaged. However, the disadvantaged force is due to receive reinforcements in a pre-determined number of rounds that will greatly overpower the enemy.

Set UpThe terrain can be set up in any way, preferably with at least a small advantage to the smaller, weaker force. One interesting way to set up the battle is to entrench the weaker force within deep cover, giving them a slight advantage, and explaining why they need to wait for reinforcements rather than simply flee the larger force.

DeployingThe weaker force deploys entirely first, then the larger force deploys afterward. Reinforcements don't actually need to deploy since the battle is over once they arrive.

Objectives, Victory ConditionsThe objective of the smaller force is just to hold on until their reinforcements arrive. The objective of the larger force is to overrun and obliterate the weaker force in its entirety before the reinforcements arrive. If the larger army does destroy the smaller force, it is assumed that its escape is automatic, and that the reinforcements, when they do arrive, find no large army and no survivors. If the the reinforcements arrive and THEN the smaller force is wiped out, the larger army must also fight and destroy the reinforcements, or they must escape by fleeing the battle.

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Demolition!DescriptionIn this type of battle, one player controls a Demolitionist character or squad that is tasked with blowing up a critical object, like a munitions factory, train depot, barracks, bridge, or some other important goal. These demolitionists must also be Stealthy, and operate as stealth units. The player controlling the targeted object and the defending army must expose the stealth character or squad and destroy it before it sets up the bomb.

Set UpThe terrain can be set up in any way, as long as there is one critical object decided on before battle. This objective must be set up and marked on the table so both players are clear about what's being targeted.

DeployingThe player controlling the target and army containing the target deploys ALL her units first, including the target. Then, following the Stealth rules, the player (or players) controlling the demolitionist (or demolition squad) deploys the character or team invisibly. Play begins with the demolitionist.

Objectives, Victory ConditionsThe objective of the demolitionist or demolition team is to set up the bomb and escape undetected. If the demolitionist or team is detected, they can still succeed by escaping the table. The objective of the defenders is to expose the demolitionist or team and kill them before the bomb is set.

If a bomb is set, but the defender is aware of its existence (ie, if the demolitionist or team was exposed but succeeded in setting the bomb anyway), that player has three turns to disarm it. To do so, the defender must have a demolitionist of his own, and must move this character to the bomb's location. Then, that character's Demolition value is compared to the Demolition value of the character who set up the bomb, and the target number is rolled for. A successful roll disarms the bomb, but a failure sets it off.

If a bomb is disarmed after being set, the demolition side loses. If the bomb goes off, or if the bomb is set and three turns later the defending player doesn't know about, the demolition side wins. Any troops nearby the blast can be assumed to be destroyed in the explosion, although since no PTS are being counted to determine victory, it doesn't really matter.

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Quick Reference SheetThis chapter is a brief summary of all the crucial rules found in the previous pages for player reference.

The Roll Chart Defending Unit or Agent 1 2 3 4 5 1 6 7 8 9 10 2 5 6 7 8 9 3 4 5 6 7 8 4 3 4 5 6 7 5 2 3 4 5 6

Acting players must roll equal to or above the Target Number to succeed.

Melee Combat Ranged CombatMust be in melee range. Check range.Roll to Hit: MS vs. MS (blocking) or SPD (dodging) Roll to Hit: RS vs. SPD (dodging)Roll to Bypass Armor: Weapon P vs. Armor PR Roll to Bypass Armor: Weapon P vs. Armor PRRoll to Kill: Weapon D vs. STR Roll to Kill: Weapon D vs. STR

Attacking with Explosive Ranged Weapons Attacking VehiclesCheck range. Check range.Roll to Hit: RS vs. SPD (dodging) Roll to Hit: RS vs. SPD (if vehicle moved last turn) OROR Ranged Check to shoot ground target Roll to Hit: Ranged Check (if vehicle is stationary)Determine Scatter if attack misses Roll to Bypass Armor: Weapon P vs. Vehicle ARMRoll to Bypass Armor: Weapon D vs. Armor PR Roll to Damage: Weapon D vs. Vehicle CON

Results of a Successfully Damaged Vehicle d10 RollEffects 1, 2, 3 Disabled, vehicle is disabled for its next turn 4, 5, 6 Disarmed, one of the vehicle's weapons is destroyed 7, 8 Immobilized, the vehicle cannot move 9 DESTROYED!, the vehicle is totally wrecked *10 DESTROYED!, the vehicle explodes, SZ = vehicle SZ, EXP = SZ, D: 4

Penalties to Attackers for a Character in Cover Area in Cover Penalty Between 10-30% -2 Between 30-50% -4 Between 51-70% -6 Between 71-80% -8 Greater than 80% automatic failure

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Unit, Character, & Vehicle TemplatesTroop Name, Type:Troops Remaining:O O O O (5) O O O O (10) O O O O (15) O O O O (20) O O O O (25)O O O O (30) O O O O (35) O O O O (40) O O O O (45) O O O O (50)O O O O (55) O O O O (60) O O O O (65) O O O O (70) O O O O (75)O O O O (80) O O O O (85) O O O O (90) O O O O (95) O O O O (100)SZ: PTS:MS: RS: STR: SPD: MRL: PER:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Armor: PR: FR:Other Gear, Special Characteristics:

Troop Name, Type:Troops Remaining:O O O O (5) O O O O (10) O O O O (15) O O O O (20) O O O O (25)O O O O (30) O O O O (35) O O O O (40) O O O O (45) O O O O (50)O O O O (55) O O O O (60) O O O O (65) O O O O (70) O O O O (75)O O O O (80) O O O O (85) O O O O (90) O O O O (95) O O O O (100)SZ: PTS:MS: RS: STR: SPD: MRL: PER:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Armor: PR: FR:Other Gear, Special Characteristics:

Troop Name, Type:Troops Remaining:O O O O (5) O O O O (10) O O O O (15) O O O O (20) O O O O (25)O O O O (30) O O O O (35) O O O O (40) O O O O (45) O O O O (50)O O O O (55) O O O O (60) O O O O (65) O O O O (70) O O O O (75)O O O O (80) O O O O (85) O O O O (90) O O O O (95) O O O O (100)SZ: PTS:MS: RS: STR: SPD: MRL: PER:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Armor: PR: FR:Other Gear, Special Characteristics:

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Troop Name, Type:Troops Remaining:O O O O (5) O O O O (10) O O O O (15) O O O O (20) O O O O (25)O O O O (30) O O O O (35) O O O O (40) O O O O (45) O O O O (50)O O O O (55) O O O O (60) O O O O (65) O O O O (70) O O O O (75)O O O O (80) O O O O (85) O O O O (90) O O O O (95) O O O O (100)SZ: PTS:MS: RS: STR: SPD: MRL: PER:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Armor: PR: FR:Other Gear, Special Characteristics:

Troop Name, Type:Troops Remaining:O O O O (5) O O O O (10) O O O O (15) O O O O (20) O O O O (25)O O O O (30) O O O O (35) O O O O (40) O O O O (45) O O O O (50)O O O O (55) O O O O (60) O O O O (65) O O O O (70) O O O O (75)O O O O (80) O O O O (85) O O O O (90) O O O O (95) O O O O (100)SZ: PTS:MS: RS: STR: SPD: MRL: PER:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Armor: PR: FR:Other Gear, Special Characteristics:

Troop Name, Type:Troops Remaining:O O O O (5) O O O O (10) O O O O (15) O O O O (20) O O O O (25)O O O O (30) O O O O (35) O O O O (40) O O O O (45) O O O O (50)O O O O (55) O O O O (60) O O O O (65) O O O O (70) O O O O (75)O O O O (80) O O O O (85) O O O O (90) O O O O (95) O O O O (100)SZ: PTS:MS: RS: STR: SPD: MRL: PER:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Armor: PR: FR:Other Gear, Special Characteristics:

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Vehicle Name, Type:Vehicles Remaining: O O O O (5) O O O O (10)SZ: PTS:CRW: PLT: CON: SPD: ARM:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Special Characteristics:

Vehicle Name, Type:Vehicles Remaining: O O O O (5) O O O O (10)SZ: PTS:CRW: PLT: CON: SPD: ARM:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Special Characteristics:

Vehicle Name, Type:Vehicles Remaining: O O O O (5) O O O O (10)SZ: PTS:CRW: PLT: CON: SPD: ARM:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Special Characteristics:

Vehicle Name, Type:Vehicles Remaining: O O O O (5) O O O O (10)SZ: PTS:CRW: PLT: CON: SPD: ARM:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Special Characteristics:

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Vehicle Name, Type:Vehicles Remaining: O O O O (5) O O O O (10)SZ: PTS:CRW: PLT: CON: SPD: ARM:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Special Characteristics:

Vehicle Name, Type:Vehicles Remaining: O O O O (5) O O O O (10)SZ: PTS:CRW: PLT: CON: SPD: ARM:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Special Characteristics:

Vehicle Name, Type:Vehicles Remaining: O O O O (5) O O O O (10)SZ: PTS:CRW: PLT: CON: SPD: ARM:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Special Characteristics:

Vehicle Name, Type:Vehicles Remaining: O O O O (5) O O O O (10)SZ: PTS:CRW: PLT: CON: SPD: ARM:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Weapon: D: P: Weapon: D: P:Special Characteristics:

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