Futuristic Squad-Based Warfare
CORE RULEBOOK
BY ALESSIO CAVATOREThe Corporation � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 4 The Marauders � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6 The Forge Fathers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12 The Veer-myn � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12 The Rules � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 20 Models and Units � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 21 Stats � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 22 Unit Leaders � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 23 Line of Sight� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 23 Initiative Phase � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 24 Activation Phase� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 24 end Phase � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 25 Move � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26 Unit Interpenetration � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26 Halt � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26 Move � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26 Move At The Double � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26 Charge � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 27 Terrain � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 28 shoot� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30 Moving and Shooting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30 Melee and Shooting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30 Pick a Target � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30 Determine Firing Models � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30 Check Range� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30 Firing and Hitting the Target � � � � � � � � � � � 30 Damaging the Target � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 31 Take It Out! – Independent Fire� � � � � � � � � 33 Melee � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 34 Determine Attacking Models � � � � � � � � � � 34 Attacking and Hitting the Target� � � � � � � � 34 Damaging the Target � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 34 Regrouping � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 35 Disrupted � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 35 Nerve � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 36 Results� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 36 Games Design: Alessio Cavatore
Graphic Design: Sean Turtle Photography: Ben Sandum,
Warwick Kinrade and Chris Palmer Thanks to: all of the users on the Mantic forums, Matt Gilbert, Stewart Gibbs, Josh Roberts, Dylan Owen��� oh yes, and Ronnie too! Copyright © Mantic Entertainment Ltd� 2012
Contents
Credits
Armoured units � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 38 Armour Movement � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 38 Collisions & Overruns � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 39 Shooting Against Armour � � � � � � � � � � � � � 40 Armoured Units Shooting � � � � � � � � � � � � � 41 Melee against Armoured Units� � � � � � � � � 42 Nerve Tests for Armoured Units� � � � � � � � 44 Ordnance � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 45 heroes and Monsters � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 46 Transports� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 46 special Rules� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 47 Armour Special Rules � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 50 Weapons Special Rules � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 51 Reinforcements � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 52 Picking a Force � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 55 Timed Games � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 58 The ARMy lIsTs � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 60 Corporation army list � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 60 Army Special Rules � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 60 Infantry� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 60 Marines � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 60 Marine Veterans � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 61 Rangers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 61 Heavy Weapons� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 62 Enforcers - Strike Units� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 62 Enforcers - Assault Units � � � � � � � � � � � � � 62 Striders � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 62 Enforcers - Suppression Units � � � � � � � � � 63 Ordnance � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 63 Armour� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 64 Heroes And Monsters � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 65 Weapons � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 65 Marauders army list � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 66 Army Special Rules � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 66 Infantry� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 66 Grunts � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 66 Fraggers� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 66 Jumpers� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 67 Rippers� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 67 Stunts� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 67 Stunt-Bots � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 68 Armour� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 68 Ordnance � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 68 Heroes and Monsters� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 69 Weapons � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 69 Forge Fathers army list � � � � � � � � � � � � 70 Army Special Rules � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 70 Infantry� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 70 Steel Warriors � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 70 Thorgarim � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 71 Stormrage Veterans� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 71 Godhammer Veterans � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 72 Valkyr � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 72 Brokkr � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 72 Forge Guard� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 72 Ordnance � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 73 Armour� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 73 Heroes And Monsters � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 74 Weapons � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 74 Veer-myn army list � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 75 Army Special Rules � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 75 Infantry� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 75 Night-Crawlers� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 75 Stalkers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 76 Nightmares � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 76 Scourgers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 77 Ravenous Horde � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 77 Ordnance � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 77 Gougers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 77 Shredders � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 77 Armour� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 78 Heroes and Monsters� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 78 Weapons � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 79 Other Races� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 80
T
he galaxy is burning. The malevolent human Corporation is expanding its sphere of influence, annexing more and more star systems to its territories, bringing every alien civilization it can under its control. Or, if this proves impossible, exterminating them. The Corporation’s strategy is to make contact with alien civilizations and dazzle them with humanity’s superior technology [Note: Only 27 species have so far been encountered that possess higher understanding of the sciences than the Corporation]� Appearing as benefactors, Corporation diplomats will offermassive technological help to these planets: new forms of power, transit, communication and all the benefits a thousand year old technological society can bring�
Very few peoples turn this down�
Offered membership “as equal partners” in the Great Galactic Co-prosperity Sphere, these new worlds will at first be optimistic and proud of their status, but over time they discover the truth� Their societies undergo massive, traumatic change, overthrowing whatever customs and governance they once possessed in return for the bland, pan-galactic culture of the Corporation� Worse, what is initially offered free in the spirit of
common sentient interest does not remain so for long� Soon the incorporated culture will be dependent on Corporation goods and services, and bled dry to pay for them� Turned into little better than puppet states, these slave-societies are drugged by the cheap, get-rich-quick attitudes of Corporation culture, and will gladly devote all of their planets’ resources to enriching the Corporation and the few local bureaucrats that run the business for it, while the majority of the population plummet into a state of poverty and servitude�
This form of cultural imperialism takes time, and it does not always work� Sometimes the
most primitive culture can see through the baubles the Corporation offers to the truth� Other times, a civilisation may be too savage, too advanced or just too damn alien to risk bringing in to Man’s great galactic family� In these cases, the Corporation will deploy its considerable military might� Full-scale invasion and subjugation has been the fate of many, even complete annihilation if a race proves too troublesome�
Well trained and equipped with the best in military technology, Corporation Troopers are worth scores of the warriors of less advanced cultures� The Troopers’ armour is often invulnerable to the natives’ weapons, leaving them free to mercilessly mow down
scores of the enemies with pulses from their laser weaponry� Indeed, a great many Corporation recruitment videos glory in human troops slaughtering spear-waving “savages” for the betterment of the cosmos� If they encounter heavier resistance, the Troopers can bring the awesome firepower of their tanks and walkers to bear� In dire circumstances an expeditionary commander may petition Corporation Central to unleash their most specialised force – the feared Enforcers – who will quickly dispatch even the most stubborn of foes�
A system that has been cleared of hostile indigenous aliens is ripe for re-colonization by the humans that form the largest part of the Corporation’s population� More often than not they too are oppressed as they strip the place of its natural resources�
From its ancient beginnings in the Solar System, the Corporation has spread like a malignant cancer across the galaxy, covering entire sectors in its tyrannical rule and suffocating any attempt to live free of its clutches� Their expansion continues, but the galaxy is a big place� The Corporation is not the monolithic entity many think it to be, and suffers tensions between the great Houses and Companies that comprise it� Many a House has had its trading right revoked and had to quickly move their assets out of a system they previously owned under the supervision of an Enforcers ‘peacekeeping’ force� And all those pampered, rich men who debate and bicker in the sterile halls of Corporation Central share one, deep-seated fear: that sooner or later the Corporation will meet its match in the unexplored expanses of deep space…
These elite warriors exist to enforce the will of the government – they answer solely to Corporation Central, meaning, in actuality, the Council of Seven� Comprised of superior soldiers, equipped with some of the best technology in the galaxy, the troops of the Enforcers are few in number, but each is worth a score of lesser men� In firepower they are matched only by the Forge Fathers, while in combat they are as deadly as the wild Marauders� Their loyalty to Corporation Central is absolute� Unmatched in the galaxy, the Enforcers are the elite of the elite, the armoured right fist of Corporation Central�
Very little is actually known about the Enforcers� They were first created in the wake of the Mandrake Marauder rebellions, as a replacement for those treacherous companies of aliens under Corporation Central’s direct command� Corporation Central does its best to keep the Enforcers’ recruitment, equipment, disposition, overall numbers, organisation and membership confidential� In a galaxy as large as ours, this is nigh on impossible, and there are certain matters that are readily apparent to an observer, nevertheless the Enforcers remain shrouded in secrecy�
W
herever there is war you will find the Marauders. Hulking, muscled alien brutes who revel in combat, Marauders are employed as mercenaries by all the major powers in the galaxy. For a Marauder chieftain, it does not matter who you fight or why, only how much you can pay.“Marauder” is not the name these creatures have for themselves, in their own, simple tongue they are “Orx”, but Marauder suits them well� When peace reigns, Marauders become a menace to civilisation, turning to piracy and looting when they can find no paymaster� Marauders can be found everywhere, from the most densely populated core systems to the depths of interstellar space� In the wilder reaches of the galaxy, away from the Corporation Core Worlds, it is said that there is not an
asteroid belt or moonlet that does not house a pirate nest of these violent creatures� It is not unusual for Corporation scout fleets to travel to an unmapped system only to find a Marauder pirate lord has been there before, and tense ship battles are often the outcome in these situations�
It was not always so� Until less than three centuries ago, the Orx were confined to a cluster of twenty or so systems halfway toward the spinward end of the Sagittarius arm� At the time, this was right at the very edge of Corporation territory, and even today the area remains far from the bustling heart
of human civilization� Forty or so worlds of various classes were claimed and scheduled for colonization by automated reconnaissance drones of the Klandax Company� Signs of low level sentient life activity were recorded on these planets, but this in itself was not unusual� A Grand Settlement Fleet of some 300 ships, including a portion of Klandax Company’s own military, were dispatched� For Klandax, it was a great shame they had not invested in more sophisticated drones� Fleet scout teams made landfall on Caprisiam IV, and began to survey sites for
an initial colony that would serve as base of operations for further activity in the sector� Large numbers of natives were recorded, but these appeared primitive in the extreme� While the fleet surveyors started their work, contact with the natives was attempted by renowned exobiologist Dr Jan Friers, working under license directly for Klandax� Friers was widely regarded as a safe pair of hands, having already participated in first contact with four alien species� He was accompanied by a half company of Corporation Troopers, so despite the alien’s savage nature, Klandax’s expeditionary commander Prakal Mitrandesh was confident things would go smoothly�
Within half an hour of approaching the first native settlement, Friers was dead� The natives had attacked in force, ambushing the Corporation representatives� Although they took many casualties, the natives had killed twenty-three other men, despite their primitive weaponry� Captain Martello, commanding, described warriors of unparalleled ferocity, simple metal blades punched through his men’s sophisticated armour by dint of their massive strength alone� Martello insisted they had been tricked, that the natives had drawn them in to talk simply to assess them� They’d learned precisely two things: One, that the natives called themselves “Orx”, secondly, that they were extremely aggressive� Martello was disciplined for abandoning the bodies and equipment of his men, and a suborbital fighter was launched to destroy the settlement�
Four hours later, an Orx force, carrying Corporation weaponry, attacked the surveying
team and wiped them out� Commander Mitrandesh had the remainder of Friers’ exobiology staff declare the Orx hostile, and set about a campaign of extermination� The genocide took six weeks and cost Mitrandesh quarter of his fighting men� Still, the planet was clear� Sector colonisation headquarters were established, and the fleet moved on to the next scheduled world� The same thing happened there� And then again� And again�
What Klandax’s probes had not revealed was that this promising world cluster was infested with these Orx� How they spread is unclear, although it has been surmised that the Orx once possessed a higher level of civilization, or were employed as another culture as warriors – their cleared worlds exhibit extensive, ancient ruins�
Mitrandesh soon realized he had not enough men to pacify the entire region, and reluctantly applied to Corporation Central for military aid, forfeiting Klandax’s sole claim to the territory�
Enter General Klimt� Named “The White Devil God” by the Kathradny [extinct], Klimt wasted no time in extirpating the Orx from their ancient worlds� But Klimt was impressed by his foe� Wave after wave of howling savages would literally throw themselves at his lines, doing enormous damage before being gunned down�
By this time Corporation intelligence had gained a grasp of the Orx language, and so Klimt hit upon an idea� He had several
hundred Orx captured, and once they were subdued, made them an offer�
And so the first battalion of Orx auxiliaries were trained using Corporation war-doctrine� As they were as happy to fight each other as the corporation the worlds were soon cleared, and Klimt forced Klandax into an embarrassing handover of the new colonies to Klimt’s own masters in House Antigone� Klimt’s scheme was so successful that Orx were employed for decades as shock troopers all over the Corporation�
But the Orx learnt their lessons well�
A century later, during the Mandrake Secession War, an entire Orx auxiliary legion turned on their masters, seized control of a flotilla of spaceships and scattered themselves across the galaxy�
The Marauder civilization was born, a new breed of space-faring Orx� Although most Orx auxiliaries were immediately liquidated on news of the Mandrake Betrayal, the Corporation and its enemies still make frequent use of these brutal but very effective troops as mercenaries – the reasoning being, it is better to have them fighting with you, than against you�
T
he ancient and proud culture of the Forge Fathers has managed to retain its independence from the Corporation while others have fallen. Masters of science, artisans beyond compare, the Forge Fathers are the only aliens to trade with the Corporation on anything approaching even terms.While they are far fewer in numbers than humans, the Forge Fathers are renowned across the galaxy for their grasp of advanced technology� They are one of the only species in known space whose weaponry and spacecraft are more powerful than those of the Corporation� Their battle-suits are nigh-on impregnable, the destructive capability of their thermal guns is of tremendous magnitude, not to mention the incredible rate of fire and penetrative power of their solid-shot weaponry� In the field of space warfare, they are unsurpassed� Their ships are much like they are: slow, massive, resilient to damage, and armed to the teeth�
The Forge Fathers are a cautious people in most matters, their technical secrets cannot be bought, and they take great pains to conceal the workings of the machinery that they sell to others� The structure, workings and habits of their civilization have only been won by the Corporation at great cost and effort, as the torture, psychological conditioning and mental engineering employed by the Corporation on war captives work rarely on the robust psyches of the Forge Fathers� Were it not for the few disaffected members of this honourable people willing to sell their secrets, the Corporation would
know very little about them at all beyond that which the Forge Fathers wish them to know� Human spymasters can never be sure what they have gleaned is disinformation and which is truth� It is also a sad fact that there are far more corruptible individuals in the Co-Prosperity Sphere than in the Forge Fathers’ Star Realm� Corporation Central is well aware that the Forge Fathers have a great deal more information about mankind than mankind has about the Forge Fathers� Although the core of the Forge Fathers’ realm lies coreward to Corporation space,
they can be found throughout the galaxy� The great fleets of the Forge Fathers have been plying the heavens for millennia, travelling from system to system, selling their services� Although dubbed “Trading fleets” by the Corporation, this is something of a misnomer; each great Forge Father star-caravan centres on one or more Ward Ships, a mountain of metal and stone bristling with weapons� Smaller craft cluster about it, and these are multifarious in purpose� Besides smaller warships, many are tailored to constructive purpose: geoengineering, large-scale construction, fabrication, asteroid mining or whatever else the clan they belong to happens to specialise in� Depending on
what they are engaged to do, a Forge Father fleet can remain in orbit around a planet for anything up to a century before moving on� This is but a short time for Forge Fathers; the longest lived in Corporation custody survived one hundred and fifty years before contriving to take his own life� It is suspected their natural lifespan is at least seventy years longer than this, and has been greatly extended by medical means�
Relations between the Corporation and the Forge Father Star Realm are tense� Military confrontation between the two almost always go in favour of the Forge Fathers� The Forge Fathers might lack the numbers or territorial
ambition to exploit such victories, but any trespass into their space by Corporation Fleets has been ruthlessly dealt with, while every attempt to incorporate Forge Father worlds or clans into the Co-Prosperity Sphere have been foiled, no matter the means employed� The two powers will trade, but these transactions are always done on the Forge Fathers’ terms�
The activities of the Forge Fathers are of great interest to the Corporation, not least because they are capable of planetary engineering feats that make the Corporation’s own efforts appear feeble� In particular the Forge Fathers possess the ability to shift a world’s
orbit; needless to say this is of great interest to Corporation peace contractors� There appears to be a new pattern emerging in the activities of the Forge Father trade fleets, with civilisations earmarked for incorporation into the Co-Prosperity Sphere suddenly gaining a much higher level of technology� Several cultures near the borders of the Star Realm have signed mutual protection pacts with the Forge Fathers, or even allowing themselves to by subsumed into the Star Realm entirely� All this is exceedingly irksome to Corporation Central, but while the Forge Fathers remain preeminent in the field of space warfare, there is little prospect that the situation will change�
W
herever mankind has gone, rats have shortly followed. The Veer-myn are the latest manifestation of this unwitting partnership. The armies and dignitaries of the Corporation fly through space at many times the speed of light� Not so the cargoes needed to keep the Co-Prosperity Sphere trading� Shooting such mass past the light barrier is unfeasibly complex and expensive, and so ore, grains, chemicals, machines, all the many, weightythings made and shipped throughout space go at much lower velocity� The bulk haulers of the Corporation are vast, gigantic vessels made from hollowed out asteroids that are pulled across the cosmos by tug craft� A hauler’s carrying capacity is often in the hundreds of thousands of megatonnes� Each one is the size of a city; a maze of endless holds and storage bays connected by innumerable lift shafts, corridors, and conduits� Unless circumstances or cargo are exceptional, carriers tend to ply the starlanes between stars close to one another�
Nevertheless, each voyage takes many months, sometimes years�
A tug’s crew rarely ventures back into the hauler, but on occasion inspections are required, and so haulers all possess sections where basic life support and an atmosphere are maintained� At some point in history, the rat crept into these cold, dark and inhospitable places, found some warm spot in which to live and thrive, and it is here that it evolved�
Who knows when the first Veer-myn stood upright and blinked eyes ablaze with newly minted intelligence? The transition from
rat to Veer-myn took place phenomenally quickly; at most, so Corporation science personnel have it, just under one thousand years� Perhaps this huge evolutionary jump occurred because of radiation leaks from poorly shielded reactors, or because of cosmic ray bombardment, or perhaps their race was born from some chemical cocktail, spilled in the transport caverns of a forgotten ship� More troubling is the idea that their emergence was no accident at all, that the Veer-myn were deliberately made… Whatever caused the change, it forced the common brown rat to walk upright and grow many times in size� It gained
opposable thumbs, and a mind to use them� Language and a vicious society came quickly, both crude mirrors of mankind’s own� A new race of space scavengers was born� With an intelligence close to that of a man married with the survival instincts and astounding reproductive rate of the rat, they quickly spread�
There are Veer-myn everywhere in the galaxy today� They live deep within the settlements of many races, from airless colony moons to continent-spanning mega-cities, and infest the depths of spacecraft� Wherever they are, they cause serious problems� Their spade-like teeth are iron-hard and grow constantly� They are vital tools to the
rat-men, but a Veer-myn must gnaw at hard materials lest their teeth outgrow their jaws, causing agonising pain; a Veer-myn can chew through reinforced carbons given time� Their bodies are host to numerous unpleasant diseases that they spread from world to world, the purple pox of Indraxia, a supposedly quarantined world, somehow managed to break out from its point of origin and infect fifteen systems, killing up 25% of the population of each� The Veer-myn were duly blamed, and with good reason� Most problematically, Veer-myn steal whatever they can� They take food and water, despoiling what they leave behind, ruining vital supply shipments� They have an almost preternatural understanding of chemistry,
rudimentary understanding of more advanced technologies, and an enthusiastic if somewhat haphazard approach to experimentation� They strip the machines of others to get to the raw materials they require for their devices, crippling city sectors or ships, sometimes with fatal results� To prevent these mishaps, Corporation spacecraft are routinely scoured for Veer-myn nests, and there are certain units of Corporation troopers who spend entire tours of duty as “rat catchers” aboard those warships large enough to warrant it� On occasion, humans cower in reinforced crew quarters while a ship’s atmosphere is vented into space� A drastic measure, and not always successful� There are rare cases of Veer-myn tribes being bought off to watch over “their” ship, but in the main they are regarded as unsophisticated pests and exterminated�
This attitude greatly underestimates the complexity of Veer-myn society� They are naturally secretive and appear to possess a great deal of native cunning, so much so that rumours of hidden cities of Veer-myn are just about credible� Less believable are stories of worlds overwhelmed by masses of verminous warriors boiling up out of the ground, armed with bizarre weapons that spit fire and searing chemicals, or those tales told of the giant, mutant monsters that fight beside them� Co-Prosperity Sphere citizens should rest assured that these are just stories, furthermore stories that are likely to earn their teller a late-night call from Corporation Intelligence�
Warpath is a sci-fi small-action wargame set in Mantic’s fictional galaxy at war. Warpath is a game that is easy to learn and fast to play, yet will take time and experience to master. With few and simple rules, there is little to get in the way of the fun and slaughter.
The game system uses an intriguing unit activation system that will keep both players on their toes and force them to make some difficult choices to outwit their opponent� And that’s not all – like all Mantic wargames, Warpath has been designed to allow you to use a stopwatch or a chess clock to time your moves� As the seconds tick away,
the pressure and excitement build up, giving you an extra dimension of gameplay and an extra resource to manage during the battle�
Following the same successful development pattern we employed with Kings of War, we have decided to release Warpath at a very early stage of development� The system, and particularly the army lists, are still in need of accurate balancing… and that’s where you can help� Please play as many games as you can and give us your feedback at:
www�manticgames�com/Forum�html
Measuring Distances
You can measure distances at any time� The distance between two models is measured to/from the closest point of their bases� If a model has no base, use the closest part of its hull or torso� The distance between two units is measured to/from the closest models in the two units� To avoid confusion, keep your units more than 1” away from enemy units at all times�
In exchange we’ll keep the rules of Warpath up to date for free, while we continue with the development of our apocalyptic mass-battle system, which we will unleash upon you in the not-so-distant future!
Models and units
The models used to play Warpath must be glued on the bases provided with them or identically-sized alternatives� Most models in the game fight together in groups which we call ‘units’� Each unit belongs to one of the following types:
Infantry (Inf)
Infantry units normally consist of five to twenty models, as shown in Diagram A� The number of models that make up a unit is specified in its Stats (Stats are explained later) and will normally correspond to the number of models you get in the boxes supplied by Mantic� Models in a unit must at all times be in formation, by which we mean within 5” of the unit’s Leader and within 1” of another member of that unit, forming an uninterrupted chain of models (see Diagram A)�
heroes & Monsters (hero, Monster)
A Hero or Monster is a unit consisting of a single model: either a mighty leader or other officer (Hero), a large alien beast or armoured combat walker or exoskeleton (Monster) or even a combination of the two - like a commander mounted on a great war-beast (often treated as a Hero, but see individual entries)�
Ordnance (Ord)
Each Ordnance unit consists of a single large gun and sometimes a number of crew models too� Any crew models are purely decorative and should be arranged around the machine, and within 1” of it, in a suitably realistic fashion�
Armour (Arm)
Each Armoured unit consists of a single model� They range in size from mighty battle tanks to smaller armoured personnel carriers and include armoured cars and other lighter vehicles� Diagram A – Units 20 Infantry t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t L 5" 10 Infantry t t t t t t t t t L 5 Infantry Leader Trooper L t t t t 1"
stats
Each model in Warpath has a name and a series of statistics (for short, we call them ‘Stats’) which define how powerful it is in the game� These are:
• Speed (Spd). How fast the model moves, in inches�
• To Hit (Hit). The score needed by the model to hit, both with ranged attacks and in melee�
• Attacks (Att). The number of dice the model rolls when attacking in melee�
• Defence (Def). The score the enemy requires to damage the model� • Nerve (Ner). A combination of
the model’s courage, training and discipline�
Special. A unit’s entry will also list any unusual equipment and special rules that apply to its models�
The Stats are presented in a profile as in the following example:
Forge Fathers, Steel Warriors Spd Hit Att Def Ner Steel Warrior 4 4+ 1 5+ 9/11 Special: Headstrong�
Dice
In these rules, when we refer to a die or dice, we mean a six-sided die, which we call D6� Sometimes we also use terms like ‘D3’ (the result of a D6 divided by 2 (rounding up)), or ‘D6+1’ (roll a D6 and adding 1 to the result), or 2D6 (roll two dice and add them together)�
Also, if a rule tells you that you need to roll 4+, it means you need to roll a number equal to or higher than 4�
Re-rolls
When you are allowed a re-roll, simply pick up the number of dice you are allowed to re-roll and roll them again� The second result stands, even if it’s worse than the first�
Roll-off
When called to roll-off, both players roll a die, and then compare their results� The highest scorer wins the roll-off� Re-roll in the event of a tie�
unit leaders
A unit’s Leader is very important, and should be represented by a suitably imposing model so that he clearly stands out from the rest of the unit� The Leader is the commander of the unit, the one making the decisions and issuing orders to his subordinates and is often used as a point of reference� If a unit consists of a single model (such as an Armoured unit, a Hero or Monster), that model obviously counts as the ‘Leader’�
line of sight
During the game, you will at times need to determine whether one of your models can see another one - normally an enemy model that your model (and the unit it belongs to) intends to charge or shoot� Unless stated otherwise, models can see all around regardless of the direction they are actually facing�
Of course, terrain and other models can still get in the way and hide targets from sight� To determine whether your model can see a target, simply lean down on the table and peek from behind the head of the model� If you can see the torso or head of the target model (ignore weapons, banners or other decorations, limbs, tails, wings, etc�) then your model can ‘see’ it� When checking a model’s line of sight, ignore the other models in its own unit� You can even lie them down temporarily if you need to (as in reality they might be kneeling or even lying prone on the ground – a safe habit on the battlefield)� If you’re not sure whether a model can see a target or not, roll a die� On a 4+ it can see it, on 3 or less it cannot�
The Turn
A game of Warpath is played in turns� During each turn, players first roll to see who’s going to go first, and then alternate activating their units until all of the units in the game have been activated� This concludes the turn and then the next one begins and is played through, and so on and so forth until an agreed time limit or turn limit is reached�
At the end of the game the players will then work out the victory conditions as
described in the Game Scenario section (see page 56)�
More formally, a turn is divided into the following phases:
1) Initiative phase 2) Activation phase 3) End phase
Let’s examine each of these phases in detail�
Initiative Phase
The players execute an Initiative roll – they roll-off and the winner will decide which player has the Initiative in the ensuing activation phase�
Activation Phase
The player currently with the Initiative must pick any one of his units and take an Activation Test for it� He can activate one to three units in a row before the Initiative passes to his opponent, as described below�
To take an Activation Test, roll a die and consult the chart below� Note that in the case of the first unit to activate every time you have Initiative, the test is automatically successful�
The required numbers are as follows:
First unit. Activates automatically� Second
unit. Activates on 3+� Third unit. Activates on 5+� Final
activations. All units activate on 3+� If the test is successful, the unit is activated normally and can move and/or attack as described in the rules� The unit then receives a “Done” marker to show that it has been activated for this turn�
If the test is failed, the unit simply mills around in confusion or fails to understand the command and can do nothing for the turn� The unit still receives a “Done” marker and retains a Suppressed marker if it has one�
Once one of his units fails an Activation Test or the player activates the third unit, or decides that he does not wish
to attempt a further Activation Test, the Initiative passes to his opponent� The opponent must then activate a unit as described above and can continue to do so until he too fails an Activation Test, or activates all three units, or decides that he is not going to attempt another� At this point the Initiative reverts back to the first player, and so on and so forth�
Final Activations
Once a player has finished activating all of the units in his army, their opponent retains the Initiative and can try to activate all of his remaining units� This is called ‘Final activations’�
During these ‘Final activations’, all remaining units (including the first one!) activate on 3+� In other words, all remaining units count as a ‘Second unit’� It is very importnat to note that during Final Activations, the player can keep going and try to activate units even if he fails an Activation Test� He keeps doing this until he has tried to activate all of the remaining units in his army and they have all received a ‘Done’ marker�
Activating suppressed units
You will see later than units can become Suppressed if they receive fire from the enemy and fail a Nerve test (see page 36)� A Suppressed unit is less likely to react to your activation, and might just ignore their leaders’ orders and stay put� Every time you pass a successful Activation Test for a Suppressed unit (including an automatic pass for a first unit, and during
‘Final Activations’), you must immediately roll a die for that unit to see if it shakes off the effects of Suppression� If the result is one, two or three, the unit remains Suppressed and the Activation Test counts as failed instead – the Initiative passes to the enemy as normal� If the result is four, five or six, the unit shakes off the Suppression and activates as normal� Remove its ‘Suppressed’ marker�
end Phase
Once all units have been activated, the players remove all of the “Done” markers from the table and do some general tidy-up of the field - removing stranded casualties, dice, markers, tape measures, teacups and all other debris of battle� Then you’re ready to begin the next turn, starting with the Initiative Phase�
Game end
At the end of turn 5 of the game, either player rolls a die: on a 3 or less, the game ends� On a 4+ a final extra turn is played (Turn 6) and then the game ends� It is of course possible for the players to agree at the beginning of the game to play for a different amount of turns� In either case, when the agreed number of turns is reached, always roll for an extra turn in the End Phase of the last turn� You can instead decide that you are going to play for a set amount of time – we suggest half an hour per 500 points being used (e�g� two hours for a 2000pts game)� Lastly, you could also play a Timed Game, as explained in the Timed Games section�
When a unit is activated, it can execute one of the movement actions described below (Halt, Move, Move At The Double or Charge) and then, where permitted, fire their weapons as described in the Shooting section�
halt
The unit does not move at all�
Move
Move each of the unit’s models in any direction up to a number of inches equal to their Speed� Models must end their move in formation (i�e� within 5” of the unit’s Leader and within 1” of another member of that unit, forming an uninterrupted chain of models, as shown in Diagram A on page 21)� During this move, the models can make any number of changes of direction, as long as no model moves further than its Speed� See Diagram B� This is often refered to as a “normal Move” or “normal speed”� Usually the unit can still fire after moving like this but some heavy or cumbersome weapons require a model to stay still in order to fire�
unit Interpenetration
Infantry, Heroes and Ordnance models can move through friendly Infantry, Heroes and Ordnance models� They cannot however end their move on top of other models, so you’ll have to be sure that they have enough movement to end up clear of their friends� Enemy Infantry, Heroes and Ordnance on the other hand, block movement, as do all Armoured units (friend and foe)�
Move At The Double
The models in the unit can move as described above, but up to double their Speed� See Diagram C� ThisMovement
Diagram B – Move t t t t t t t t t t L Leader Trooper 1) Leader (Spd 4) makes a move of 3" L2) Each other model in the unit is moved up to 4"
(their Speed stat), ending their move no further than 5" from the Leader within 1" from another model in the unit.
Original Position of Unit
New Position of Unit
Diagram C – At The Double
1) Leader (Spd 4)
moves 6" of its At The Double move.
2) Leader moves 2" in
another direction, completing its At The Double move
3) Each other model in the unit is moved up to 8"
(double their Speed stat), ending their move no further than 5" from the Leader within 1" from another model in the unit.
t t t t t t t t L L t L L t t t t t t t t t
normally means that the unit will be unable to fire�
Charge
This is the most exciting type of movement but is also the most complex� A charge is the only way your models can move into contact with the enemy� A unit can charge a single enemy unit (‘the target’) as long as the following conditions are met:
• at least one model in the charging unit can see at least one model in the target unit
• at least one of the charging unit’s models can reach one model in the target unit, as described below • it is actually possible for the
charging unit to damage the target in the ensuing melee
Moving Chargers
If a charging model can make a double move and, going around Blocking Terrain and enemy units, it can reach the closest model in the target unit, the Charge is successful� Otherwise the unit cannot Charge (and it must choose another movement action instead)� Note that during a Charge, models move through obstacles and areas of Difficult Terrain without reducing their movement as they would when not charging (see the terrain rules below)� However, if any of a unit’s models must go through these types of terrain in order to reach their targets by the shortest route possible, the entire unit will suffer a slight penalty in the ensuing melee (more on this later)�
After moving the first model, move all remaining chargers into base contact with models in the target unit by the shortest route possible� This follows the rules for an At The Double move (other than Difficult Terrain not slowing them down) and these models must end their move in formation� As you move into contact with the enemy, you must spread your models as evenly as possible amongst the enemies they can reach, trying to get as many models in base contact as possible� If there is no space for all of your models to make it into base contact with an enemy in the
t t t t L Diagram D – Charge t t t t t L L t t t t t t t t t 1) Unit A (Marauders Spd 5)
is within 10" of enemy unit B, which it wants to charge. Its charge is therefore successful.
Unit B Unit A 8" t t t t t t t t t L t t t t L t t t t
2) Unit A charges into
base contact with models in the target unit. Charging models try to make it into base contact with
enemy models and are spread as evenly as possible amongst the enemies they can reach. Note that no charging models could reach the enemy model furthest away (too far!), and two chargers could not make it into base contact with any enemy (no more space!), so they are left at the back.
target unit, or if some of the charging models cannot reach any enemy, simply place them as close as possible behind the rest of their comrades, and of course still in formation� The models in the target enemy unit are not moved, as they brace themselves for the impact�
When charging, models can move to within 1” of any enemies, though they can only move into base contact with the enemies they charged� This means that sometimes a charging unit may end up very close to one or more enemy units it has not charged (e�g� when charging tightly packed enemies)�
Charging suppressed enemies
Lying down in cover is not very useful if someone is right on top of you trying to stab you with a bayonet� If a Suppressed unit is charged, it automatically loses the Suppressed marker, as the soldiers stand up and prepare to desperately defend themselves�
Terrain
Elements of terrain make your table look more impressive, and also help hiding your troops from the enemy’s long-range firepower, making the game more interesting as troops manoeuvre around looking for cover or a better line of fire� In wargames, terrain is normally one of two types: a single terrain piece or an area of terrain� The rules for both are given below� Before the game, you should agree with your opponent how you are going to treat each of the pieces of terrain on the table�
single Terrain Pieces
These are individual pieces like a lone tree, a boulder, a fence, a hedge or a wall� They are going to either be Blocking Terrain, an Obstacle or Decorative Terrain�
• Blocking Terrain� We recommend treating solid areas of rock, high walls and other large pieces as Blocking Terrain� Units cannot move across Blocking Terrain and must go around it� • Obstacles� Obstacles are long and narrow pieces of terrain, like a low wall, fence, hedge, a stream, etc� – something that a man-sized creature could see over and clamber across easily�
Units can move over obstacles normally (even ending halfway over them) but cannot cross them while moving ‘At The Double’� • Decorative Terrain� This category groups small terrain pieces like individual bushes or trees, lampposts, street signs, etc� A unit can move over Decorative Terrain pieces as it pleases, ignoring them altogether� However, it is best if you still make sure your models don’t end up on top of them, so you don’t have to move these pieces of terrain, which could be important if they are big enough to influence line of sight�
Areas of Difficult Terrain
This type of terrain consists of things like single-storey ruined buildings, alien jungles, scattered mining or colonial infrastructures, cratered areas or broken, rocky terrain, scree, and so on� These are normally made by gluing a number of pieces of terrain onto a large base� This conveniently demarcates the area of the terrain – the entire area of the base counts as Difficult Terrain� Models can move through these areas, but all distances travelled through these areas are doubled (e�g� every inch of Difficult Terrain they cross counts as two inches)�
Buildings
Buildings are complex terrain that deserves its own section – see page 53�
Shoot
After moving an activated unit, you can choose a target for them and open fire!
Moving and shooting
Units that have just moved At The Double are too busy moving and cannot shoot� Some cumbersome weapons can fire only if the unit called a Halt� When that’s the case, it will be specified in the weapons’ rules�Melee and shooting
Units that have any models in base contact with enemies cannot shoot, nor be chosen as a target for shooting�
Pick a Target
The firing unit can pick a single enemy unit as a target for its ranged attacks� In order to do so, at least one of its models must be able to see at least one of the models in the target unit�
Determine Firing Models
Once the firing unit has picked a target, any model that can see at least one model in the target unit can open fire with one (and only one!) of its ranged weapons� It’s a good idea to turn all firing models towards the target, and any models that are not firing away from it to make the distinction clear�Check Range
Each weapon has a range in inches shown in its profile (see examples below)� Measure the distance between the firing model and any of the models it can see in the target unit� If the distance is equal to or less than the weapon’s range, the entire enemy unit is in range (not just the model you measured to)�
Firing and hitting the Target
Each weapon being fired has a Firepower (Fire) value that shows you how many dice you roll when firing it� Roll that many dice for each weapon that has been determined to be in range of the enemy unit� Your firing models’ dice rolls, after applying any modifiers that apply, must score a number equal to or higher than their To Hit (Hit) value in order to hit their targets� Discard any dice that score less than that�Modifiers
A number of factors can make a hit less likely to happen� The most common are:
• -1 extreme range� The target is over half of the weapon’s range away� • -1 Suppressed target� The target
is Suppressed�
• -1 soft cover� The target is in soft cover (see below)�
• -2 hard cover� The target is in hard cover (see below)�
Ranged Weapon Profiles
Each ranged weapon has its own profile specifying its Firepower (Fire), Range (Ran) and any other special rules it might have� For example:
Fire Ran Special
Laser rifle 1 24 –
Light Laser Cannon 1 48 Piercing (6) For some common ranged weapons’ special rules, see page 51�
For each of these factors, deduct the modifier from the score rolled by the dice� For example, if your models normally need a 4+ to hit, but are shooting at a target in soft cover, you will need to score 5 or more to hit instead and achieve the required 4+ result� If the target was at extreme range as well, you would need 6s� It can happen that the range modifier only applies to some of the firing models, as some are in extreme range and some are not� If this is the case, roll to hit separately for the various groups of weapons, but then put all hits caused back together before rolling to damage (see below)�
Any dice that rolls a 1 is always a miss, regardless of modifiers� However, if modifiers to the roll mean that the firers would need more than 6 to hit, they can still shoot� In order to hit, however, you need to first roll a 6 and then roll again and score a 4 or more (no modifiers or re-rolls apply to this second roll)�
Cover
To decide whether the target unit is in cover, take a look at it from behind the heads of the firing unit’s models� Always ignore other models in the firing unit – they’re trained to keep out of the way� Also ignore other models in the target unit – you cannot use your team mates as cover!
• If at least half of the models in the target unit have no cover whatsoever from the point of view of at least half of the firing models, the target is not in cover�
• If at least half of the models in the target unit are completely or partially obscured by intervening terrain or other units (friend or foe), from the point of view of at least half of the firing unit, the target is in cover� • If the majority of the target unit’s
models are on, or in base contact with, an area of Difficult Terrain that the players have agreed offers cover, the target is in cover�
• If the majority of the firing unit’s shots have to go through 3” or more of an area of Difficult Terrain that the players have agreed offers cover, the target is in cover�
If the majority of the cover is made of things that in reality would partially hide the unit from sight, but not provide much physical protection against bullets or shrapnel use the soft cover modifier (e�g� woods, bushes, camouflage nets, as well as infantry units and heroes)� Otherwise, use hard cover (e�g� walls, ruins, craters, rocky areas, as well as other units except for infantry and heroes)� It is important that you and your opponent discuss and agree before the game which terrain is going to count as hard and soft cover� If you’re not sure if the target is in cover, roll a die� On a 4+ it is not, on 3 or less it is�
Damaging the Target
After discarding any dice that missed, pick up the remaining dice and roll them again to try to damage the enemy models� The number your firers need to roll to damage their targets is equal to, or higher than, the targets’ Defence value�This roll can sometimes be modified by special rules� For example, some units (like most Armoured units) have a Defence value of 7 or more, so they cannot be damaged unless the firer has some positive modifiers to this roll� As before, there may be some weapons which have different modifiers than others� You should roll these separately or perhaps use different coloured dice to distinguish them� Any dice that rolls a 1 always fails to damage, regardless of modifiers� effects of Damage – Casualties For each hit that scores damage, you remove one of the models in the target unit� This is done in a strict sequence, following the rules below� Note that the rules are given in order of importance�
• You cannot take the unit’s Leader until there are no other models left – he’s always the last to die� In reality this represents other troopers in the unit taking on the role (and gear) of the Leader if he is killed�
• You cannot take any models that stand out from the normal troopers (e�g� models carrying support weapons, etc�) until all of the normal troopers have been removed� This represents other troopers in the unit picking up the weapons of the specially armed trooper if he is killed�
• You must try as much as possible not to break the target unit’s formation� • First you must take any models
in the open (i�e� visible and not in
cover from the point of view of any firing model), then you must take any models that are visible to the firers but in cover� Finally, you can take casualties from models that are completely out of sight of all of the firing models – shrapnel, ricochets and bullets going through walls ensure that nobody is safe�
Testing Nerve
After firing with all models in a unit, and removing casualties, you immediately test the Nerve of any enemy unit(s) that your unit inflicted enough damage on (see the Nerve section)� This test will determine whether the enemy will stand or be destroyed�
Take It Out! – Independent Fire
Sometimes, units can be upgraded by giving one or more of their models a very powerful man-portable weapon, whose nature varies enormously between armies� In general, they are used to take on enemy tanks and other heavily armoured targets�
When a unit fires, any model firing a weapon with a Piercing value of (4) or more can target any visible enemy, regardless of what his teammates are shooting at� You can resolve the shots from independent firing weapons before or after firing the rest of the unit, but you must declare all targets before rolling any dice� When resolving the independent fire, always determine line of sight and cover by looking from the viewpoint of the independent firing model, ignoring models from its own unit (basically, imagine that the rest of the unit does not exist)�
Melee
If your activating unit has charged an enemy unit, then your warriors must now strike against the enemies that they have charged – we call this ‘Melee’, but we we also refer to it as ‘combat’ or ‘close combat’� In reality the enemy warriors would also be fighting back against yours, but for the sake of playability, we imagine that the impetus of the charge means your men are doing most of the attacking� If the enemy is not destroyed, your men will fall back and brace themselves, because their foes are very likely to soon charge back in to avenge their fallen comrades�
Determine Attacking Models
Any model that is in base contact with at least one model in the target unit must attack with its close combat weapons�Attacking and
hitting the Target
Each attacking model has an Attacks (Att) value that shows you how many dice you roll when it attacks in Melee� Roll that many dice for each attacking model� Your attacking model’s dice rolls, after applying any modifiers that apply, must score a number equal to or higher than their To Hit (Hit) value in order to hit their targets� Discard any dice that score less than that�
Modifiers
A number of factors can make a hit more or less likely to happen� The most common are:
• -1 defensive positions/disrupted charge� The majority of the models in the target unit are behind an
obstacle and/or the chargers’ move meant that one or more models moved through any areas of difficult terrain or over obstacles�
• +1 target suppressed� The target unit was Suppressed when it was charged� For each of these factors, add or deduct the modifier from the score rolled by the dice� For example, if your models normally need a 4+ to hit, but are attacking an enemy that was Suppressed when it was charged, they hit on 3+ instead� Any dice that rolls a 1 is always a miss, regardless of modifiers� However, if modifiers to the roll mean that the attackers would need more than 6 to hit, they can still attack� In order to hit, however, you need to first roll a six and then roll again and score a 4 or more (no modifiers apply to this second roll)�
Damaging the Target
After discarding any dice that missed, pick up the remaining dice and roll them again, to try to damage the enemy models� The number your attackers need to damage their targets is equal to, or higher than, the targets’ Defence value� This roll can sometimes be modified by special rules� For example, some units (like most Armoured units) have a Defence value of 7 or more, so they cannot be damaged unless the attacker has some positive modifiers to this roll� There may be some weapons which have different modifiers than others� You should roll these separately or perhaps use different coloured dice to distinguish them� Any dice that rolls a 1 always fails to damage, regardless of modifiers�effects of Damage –
Casualties
For each hit that scores damage, you remove one of the models in the target unit� This is done in a strict sequence, following the rules below� Note that the rules are given in order of importance�
• You cannot take the unit’s Leader until there are no other models left – he’s always the last to die� This represents other troopers in the unit taking on the role (and gear) of the Leader if he is killed�
• You cannot take any models that stand out from the normal troopers (e�g� models carrying support weapons, etc�) until all of the normal troopers have been removed� This represents other troopers in the unit picking up the weapons of the specially armed trooper if he is killed�
• You must try as much as possible not to break the target unit’s formation� • First you must take any models
that are in contact with your own models, then you must take any models not in base contact with your models�
Testing Nerve
At the end of each Melee, once all models have attacked and casualties have been removed, you immediately test the Nerve of the enemy unit that your unit inflicted enough damage on (see the Nerve section)� This test will determine whether the enemies will stand or be destroyed; see Regrouping below� Note that in Melee, results of
‘Suppressed’ count as ‘Destroyed’ instead, as described below�
Regrouping
At the end of the Melee and after any Nerve tests have been resolved, if your unit managed to destroy the enemy it was fighting, it can either stay where it is or move up to D6” in any direction, following all of the rules for a normal move� If, on the other hand, your unit did not manage to destroy its enemies, you must pull back� Immediately execute a full D6” move following all of the normal rules, except that your models must attempt to return towards the position they started the charge from� As you do this, you must ensure that your models end up in formation and more than 1” away from any enemy model (you might occasionally have to move them further than the dice roll would allow to clear the enemy unit)� The enemy models are left in place�
Disordered
If a unit is not destroyed by a charging enemy, it is automatically Disordered� Place a Disordered marker next to it� In its next activation, the unit cannot shoot or use any other ranged attack� After their next Activation Test, whether it is successful or failed, the Disordered marker is automatically discarded�
Melee Weapons
Unlike ranged weapons, melee weapons do not have a profile, but normally confer a special rule to the model wielding them� For some common melee weapons special rules, see the Special Rules section on page 51�
