Learn to Play

THE CORE ROLL

Roll Your Nerve Dice

Whenever you make a Skill Roll, roll two d12s together: one Focus Die and one Panic Die. Add both dice, add the relevant Skill, then compare the total to the DC. Meet or beat the DC and the roll succeeds.

READ: NERVE DICE & SKILL ROLLS →

BEFORE THE BATTLE

Build Your Force

Choose your units, nominate a Commander, select the Force Disposition that Commander provides, and choose a Detachment. At 500 Points, your chosen Detachment begins at Stage I.

SET THE TABLE

Prepare for Battle

Set up the battlefield and Objectives, then determine who is Attacker and Defender. Both players roll 2d12 and add them together; the higher total chooses. On a tie, the higher Focus Die wins. If the rolls are identical, reroll.

Players then alternate deploying one unit at a time. After deployment, resolve pre-battle abilities with the Attacker resolving theirs first. The Attacker also takes the first activation of the battle.

READ: PREPARING FOR BATTLE →

THE GAME LOOP

Begin the Battle Round

At the start of each Battle Round, both players gain 1 Ability Point (AP). The Attacker activates one eligible unit, then the Defender activates one. Continue alternating one unit at a time until every eligible unit has activated.

READ: BATTLE ROUNDS & ACTIVATIONS →

ACTIVATE A UNIT

Choose What Happens First

During its activation, a unit may use its Movement, make its Attack Action, perform other Actions and use eligible abilities. Unless a rule says otherwise, you choose the order.

If a unit has Charge, charging is not an Action and does not spend its normal Movement or Attack Action. That is why a unit can, when legal, shoot, move and then Charge—or Charge, attack and continue moving.

READ: ACTIVATION →

POSITIONING

Move & Engage

A unit can move up to its listed Move. You can move directly into Engagement Range: models are Engaged when they are base-to-base with an enemy or within 2".

Advance grants another full Move but uses the Attack Action and cannot end in Engagement. Leaving Engagement also uses the unit's Attack Action unless a rule says otherwise.

READ: MOVEMENT & ENGAGEMENT →

COMBAT

Make an Attack

When a unit takes its Attack Action, each surviving model may make one attack with each weapon it is equipped with, unless a rule says otherwise. Choose an eligible target for each weapon.

For each attack, roll your Nerve Dice + Skill against the target's DC. If the attack succeeds, roll that weapon's Damage Dice and compare the total to the target's Damage Thresholds.

END THE ROUND

Control Objectives & Score

Once all eligible units have activated, resolve end-of-round effects. Then determine Objective Control. Add the DC of each individual model your army has on an Objective; the higher total controls it. Battle Shocked models contribute no Objective Control.

Resolve your Primary and Secondary Mission scoring, then begin the next Battle Round. Battles of up to 2,000 Points last 5 Battle Rounds.

READ: OBJECTIVES & SCORING →