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Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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How did I get myself into this spot again? Last time it was my fault, I admit. I was flying too close to
the sun, though not literally. I'd overestimated the speed of my ship...the prowess of my crew... If you could even
call them "crew". More like the best I could scrounge up on a per-hire basis with a bare pocketful of credits.
To think I was worried about Psychos or The Feral when really it was Unity tax collectors that took me down.
One terse order crackling over the comms followed by a lazy shot across our bow and my "loyal crew" were
climbing over each other to be the first to surrender.
Guess they all had open warrants and preferred doing another short stretch for tax evasion over being blasted into
floating debris. I still think that ship could have outrun the Unity prowlers but that's difficult to manage with
three overweight spacers holding you down and assuring you "it'll all be over soon". And it was over soon.

Within a day of surrender my ship was impounded, my illicit cargo was seized and I was "mercifully"
allowed to bail myself out in exchange for all the credits in my possession.
Ten months slaving as a freelance miner hacking away ore on an asteroid taught me two lessons: always vet your
crew and don't buy cheap air for your spacesuit unless you like tasting stale cheese all day. I lived like a
monk...barely ate...saved every credit.
Finally leased myself a bucket with enough cargo space for that "big load". This time I avoided part-timers and
mercs entirely for a pair of Mark Is. They were a bit rusty but their innards were solid. To the Fringe I returned
like a moth to the flame...

So how did I get myself into this spot again?

I was flying too close to the sun, this time literally. I still had a contact with a group of pirates calling themselves
The Silly Bastards (I guess they weren't into intimidation as a business tactic).
Based on the dark side of a tidally-locked planetoid orbiting a red dwarf they were furiously manufacturing
enough synthetic methamphetamine to get a whole galaxy high.
Trouble was no "legit" smugglers would risk getting that close to a flare star, no matter how much the Bastards
were willing to pay. My contact assured me it was no big deal.
As long as I was careful I could wear that planetoid like a pair of sunglasses all the way in and block out any ill-
effects from an unexpected flare-up. He assured me the pay-off would be worth it.
In my mind's eye all I could see were fat profits, a paid-off ship and a month's vacation in the Pleasure System
with Madam Marishka and her salon full of nubile "massage therapists".

It all seemed to be going well. I dropped in on schedule. Rode that parabolic trajectory like it was second
nature. The bots (I'd named them "Nuts" and "Bolts") performed beautifully.
The Bastards had quite a set-up, including a sprawling bar and a rag-tag merchant district selling just about every
illegal good and service imaginable. While I waited for the Bastards to load up their product I strolled the lit
thoroughfare and marvelled at the variety and depravity.
Walking past a weapons stall I suddenly realized I'd soon be puttering through open space with a fortune in dope in
my cargo hold with nothing to protect it and my own skin but a refurbished hand laser and a pair of mute service
bots.
Skimming the dealer's products I mentioned I was in the market for mountable droid weaponry.

"Well, it's your lucky day, partner!" he slurred. "I've been sitting on a shipment of droid-mounted rock
cutters for months. No one uses the damn things out here. Something about the star deforming the magnetic
field...turns the droids batty. And they can't be used by hand so they're basically worthless. I'll sell you as many
as you want...at cost!"

I talked him down to half price for a pair of cutters. Even if they weren't weapons per se they looked
intimidating once I got them installed and I figured that which cuts rock can do a number on flesh and bone.
Nuts and Bolts were devoid of any combat protocols so I jury-rigged a mining mode that I figured would do the
trick. Just aim at an "ore vein" (in this case a hostile) and fire away.
I made sure to designate myself as "HAZARDOUS GAS POCKET" to discourage any friendly fire on their
part. This busy work killed the rest of my spare time and as soon as the bots were rebooted and ready to go we
were on our way. My hold was brimming with meth and reeking of my future windfall.

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With a self-satisfied grin I punched up the lift-off sequence and blasted off this rock for good.

As we rumbled away from the planetoid - staying in the shadow of the dark side - the outlines of the flare
star began emerging around it in my rear view screen like the white of a fried egg surrounding a jet black yolk.
The red dwarf was so dim you could stare right at it and become mesmerized at the patterns of swirling gas and
plasma. It was during one of these ill-conceived reveries that the star suddenly surged in luminosity and
temporarily blinded me.

I fell forward in my captain's chair, thankful the four-point harness kept me from sprawling to the deck. I
rubbed my eyes until vision slowly returned and thumbed the armrest switch to kill the rear view.
It was then I heard them: Nuts and Bolts each projecting an electronic gargling sound like screws dancing inside a
high-speed blender. I turned and saw them both on their robotic knees, heads arched back and arms outstretched as
if in religious fervour.
No sooner did I ask myself "What the hell?" when out flashed the rock cutters like spears of light, raking the hull
in every conceivable direction.
As I yanked the helmet over my head and slapped the seals closed I saw the hull open up like a blossoming flower
as I was blown out into open space, the chair still strapped to my body.

So here I am...drifting in space. That red dwarf and its attendant planetoid not generating enough gravity
to give me the dignity of a fiery re-entry death. I guess this is it. This is how I check out. Not with a bang, but a
whimper...tasting stale cheese all the way.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 5 The cast of characters 67
Play styles 8 Humanity 68
Unity 69
Organizing your troops 10
Psychos 70
Core concepts 12 Hulkers 71
A crash course guide to the Fringe 14 Stalkers 73
Genetically Unstable Entities 74
The turn sequence 15
Droids 75
Movement 17
Aliens 77
Weapons fire 19
Warriors 78
Morale and suppression 24 The Converted 80
Troop ratings 26 The Swift 82
Reaction fire 29 Precursors 84
The Soulless 86
Close Combat 30
Engineers 88
Leadership 32 Slavers 90
Heroes 34 The Feral 92
Manipulators 94
Heavy weapons teams 35
The Many 96
Weapons and gear 37 The Horde 97
Vehicles 44 The Swarm 99
Vehicle weapons and gear 56 Brutes 100
Monsters 101
Mech armour 57
The battle field 103
Support 58
Force building 112
Task resolution 62
Scenarios 128
Psionics 63
Quick plot generator 132
Solo play 136
Campaigns 141
The edge of civilization 146
Example of play 151
Reference 152
Inspirations 156
Designer notes 157

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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Clash on the Fringe, the game of space adventure combat.
Ready your gauss rifle, make sure the Psion is in good shape and that the batteries of your powered armour are
fully charged.
With a bit of luck, you might even survive the adventure!

SPACE ADVENTURE
Clash on the Fringe is a tabletop miniatures game, aiming at “Space Adventure Combat”.

This can encompass a wide range of possible scenarios, from intergalactic law-men apprehending
space pirates, military actions, exterminators putting down an alien infestation, interplanetary
bandits pulling off a heist and everything in-between.

Why not simply “War game” ?

I wanted to emphasize that while you can absolutely play military scenarios with Clash on the
Fringe, it is by no means the only thing that can happen.
“Space Adventure” encapsulates so much more, whether you are inspired by TV shows, movies,
books or your own imagination.

In the same vein, while the rules allow all the familiar concepts from other Nordic Weasel designs,
such as reaction fire, pinning and morale, they have been tweaked and scaled to promote a very
lively game experience.

A TYPICAL GAME
Clash on the Fringe can be played with a variety of figures on the table.
At the lower end, a player may command just a single squad or a few characters. On the larger end,
30-40 figures is a good limit before the game starts getting too unwieldy.

A good “standard” game size is 2-3 small squads for each player, with a few supporting characters or
vehicles, especially when starting out.

Don't be afraid to start a bit smaller and work your way up.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED

All dice rolls are simple 10-sided dice (D10).
You will need a way to generate random directions. A D10 in a unique colour can be used. Use the
top point to indicate the direction.

Markers are needed to represent Stress on squads and to indicate individual figures that are Heads
Down.
Any suitable markers can be used. Creative players may fashion small model explosions, dust clouds
and similar.

Lastly, you will need area of effect markers. These can simply be cut out of card board.
Dimensions needed are: 1x3”, 2x2”, 2x4” 2x3” and 1x2”.
Alternatively, you may elect to measure out areas of effect manually, but play may slow down.

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PREPARING YOUR FIGURES

Any scale of figures can be used, provided they are based individually and can be readily told apart.
As individual squad members may have unique weaponry or be unique troop types, such as leaders
or psions, players in smaller scales may wish to mark the bases or otherwise ensure they don't
confuse who is who.

Movement distances and ranges are set up with a goal towards a smaller gaming table and ranges
for accurate, aimed fire are somewhat modest.

The game was written with 15mm figures in mind but as the movement distances tend to mimic
those used in popular 25/28mm games, no adjustments should be required for larger figures.

6mm and 10mm players may use the same measurements, enjoying a more realistic ground scale or
may treat all distances as centimetre rather than inches, for play on a very small gaming surface.
A useful middle ground can be reached by doubling all ranges and using that number as centimetre
measurements.
For example, a 4” range would be 8 cm under this system.

BASING
Most basing conventions should function well.
The rules assume circular bases ranging from 15 to 25mm across.

SETTING UP THE TABLE

A fairly well populated table will often mean a more fun, engaging game.
Try to avoid large gaps unless there is a very good reason for them. Open spaces in the middle of
the table can severely hamper game play, particularly if troops cannot cross them in a single move.

Ranged combat is fairly deadly, meaning light troops will need a lot of terrain to survive.

If in doubt, try to fill about half the table with terrain features and attempt to have very few gaps
exceeding 6”.

PRINCIPLES
The following can be viewed as guiding principles:

*Taking fire almost always has a chance of forcing you to the ground.

*Moving near an enemy will usually draw fire.

*Activating a unit should involve multiple decisions.

*Powerful units (heroes, vehicles, monsters) use damage tables rather than tracking “hit points”.

*Most weapons inflict damage over an area, even basic infantry rifles.

*The battle field is a dangerous place and the weapons in use are quite powerful. Few things are
safe under fire.

*Where possible, attempts have been made to use the same core rules for every type of unit.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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NO STARS WITHIN FIVE PARSECS

Clash on the Fringe is nominally set in a loose space opera setting, shared with Five Parsecs From
Home and No Stars in Sight, two existing games from Nordic Weasel Games.

This means if you already have figures you use for either system, you should be able to use them in
Clash on the Fringe with as little difficulty as possible.

Note that Clash on the Fringe is not intended as a replacement for either game:
No Stars in Sight is a hard scifi game with a distinct military feel, while Five Parsecs From Home is
more of a miniatures role-playing campaign.

Players with their own creative ideas should have no difficulties using the tools provided in these
rules to create their own worlds.

DISCLAIMER
This game does not seek to glorify, endorse or trivialize the grim realities of real life warfare.

No assumptions have been made about the gender of players or fictional forces. We support diverse
and egalitarian space adventure where people of all races, gender and sexual configurations,
religious beliefs and political creeds can be eaten by bug-eyed aliens.

The organizations in the game are not analogies for any real-life political entity, organization or
system.

CREDITS
Thanks and appreciation to Angel Barracks, Darkest Star and Armies Army miniatures for their
support.
6mm figures and terrain by Angel Barracks, 15mm vehicles by Armies Army.
In game examples, 6mm vehicles by Darkest Star and infantry figure by Angel Barracks.

Angel Barracks can be found at http://angelbarracks.co.uk/

Armies Army can be found at http://www.armiesarmy.com/shop/
Darkest Star can be found at http://www.darkeststargames.com/

Short stories by Dustin Buhl.

A lot of people provided feedback, help, testing and support.

Special thank you to Alexander Wasberg, Nathaniel Weber, Javier Gonzalez and Mick Lovejoy for
many suggestions and improvements.

A heartfelt thank you to Rick Priestley in the unlikely event he ever reads this.
If he hadn't blazed those grim, dark, futuristic trails so long ago, this game would probably never
have come to be.

Finally all of you out there for believing.

Landing on the planet surface.
Auto-drones dispatched.
Life signs nominal. Probability of profit 74%. Probability of death or dismemberment 19%.
Proceeding

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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PLAY STYLES

A MATTER OF APPROACH
There are multiple ways to play Clash on the Fringe.
Some groups may settle on one particular way, while others will switch between styles as the mood
takes them.

Head to head:
In a Head to Head game, both players will create an army using the points systems included.
This is ideal for pick up games and for groups where each player likes to collect their own,
personalized armies.

Note that while this is the closest to a competitive mode, Clash on the Fringe is not intended as a
“hardcore” competitive game.
It is assumed that players of head to head games will adopt basic guidelines for what is or is not
permitted in their groups.

Friendly:
A friendly game dispenses with the points system and instead, each player brings the figures they
want to use (or selects from the collection available).
Tweak each side until both players feel they have a decent shot at winning and then begin the
game.

Friendly games may use the points system but it is assumed that more latitude and flexibility is
permitted.

Scenario driven:
A player prepares a scenario which specifies victory conditions and usually the forces that will be
used.
A scenario may be a standalone game or it may be part of a campaign.

Scenario games may use the points system as a guideline but it is assumed that the will of the
scenario writer takes precedent over any rules book limitations.
Hence, scenario forces may be highly unique.

Game Mastered:
A Game Mastered scenario is similar to a Scenario game, but will have a Game Master (GM) actively
running the game.
In addition to helping adjudicate questions or strange situations, this also allows for interesting
game features, such as third parties, hidden information and unexpected surprises.

The Game Master has as their responsibility to make the game as fun and interesting as possible for
all involved.

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TO POINT OR NOT TO POINT

The old debate about points values is one of the fiercest and most long-running debates in gaming
history (along with what 15mm scale actually means).
This game does not provide the answer, rather it provides the tools for you to decide.

A fully featured points system is included for people who enjoy using such a system. Those who
prefer scenario driven games can ignore them at their discretion, instead building their own
scenarios.
Many like to use the points system as a rough guideline without feeling confined to it. Proceed in
whatever manner works for you.

The same approach applies to many of the alien species in the game, particularly as regards
limitations, organizational details and what character options are available.
The entries should in all cases be taken as an “official” answer for the Fringe setting but as a
friendly guideline anywhere else.

Points values have been included wherever it is relevant for simplicity and are compiled in the force
building chapter.
Note that not every single feature in the game is assigned a points value. Some features are
assumed to be used in Game Mastered or special scenarios and would be factored into the scenario
itself, rather than the army list.

FORCE DESIGN
Multiple approaches can be taken when it comes to putting together an army for your games.
The rules provide basic guidelines for how to assemble forces: These are intended as a guideline to
get players started.

They deliberately make some forces harder to assemble and encourage others.

With experience, players will get used to the type of armies they like to play and adapt the system
to their own needs, whether that's tank battles supported by mechanized infantry or skirmish
actions with only a few individual figures on each side.

BRINGING IN OTHER SETTINGS

Many players will have armies of miniatures already and will wish to recreate them in this system.
When recreating a specific army, you will always need to make judgement calls. Certain things will
function in different ways and give different results.

To make the process easier, decide which methodology to use:

Are you just looking to employ the miniatures? Odds are there's already a troop class, weapon or
alien race suitable. Just plug and play.

Do you want to recreate the feeling of that particular army? Take the presented options as a
starting point and make your own adjustments, always bearing in mind the flavour and setting.

Do you want to specifically recreate a certain gameplay element? This is likely to be much harder,
as things do not translate one-for-one.
For example Clash on the Fringe has more lethal firepower than some skirmish games but may in
turn be less lethal than others.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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ORGANIZING YOUR TROOPS

ORGANIZING YOUR FIGURES
Each figure must either belong to a squad or be indicated as an individual.

A force may not have more individual figures than they have squads.

For example, if a force has 4 squads, they could have up to 4 individual figures as well.

Squads will range from 4-8 figures in most cases.

Squad members will typically have the same armour and belong to the same troop class, but may be
equipped with different weapons.

SQUAD ORGANIZATION
Squads are not required to remain within a set distance from each other, however, leaders can only
influence and benefit troops that are within 8” of their position.

When setting up, members of a squad must begin the game near the squad leader. Figures may set
up a maximum distance from their leader equal to their Training score in inches.

DETACHMENTS
If a force has less individual figures than the number of squads, they may detach figures from
squads.
Any squad may detach a figure but only one detachment is permitted per squad.

The detached figure can be any figure that is not a leader, hero or psion.

During the game, detached figures operate as individual models for all intents and purposes.
They are not required to be deployed near their squad and are not affect by morale checks made by
the parent squad.
Detached figures cannot rejoin their squad during the game.

INDIVIDUALS
Individual figures, whether they started that way or were detached, move and operate completely
on their own.

In essence, they act as a one-person squad.

In some instances, individuals may be subject to different rules than squad members. If so, they will
be stated clearly in the rules.

She frowned. This was the third Brute incursion in as many weeks.
Was this another crusade or just bad luck?

Why did these attacks always occur when they were in negotiations with the Manipulators?

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TROOP CHARACTERISTICS
Each figure is rated based on 5 characteristics:

Speed The standard move distance when taking a full move.

Survival An aggregate of armour, physical toughness, luck and field craft.

Training Competency, qualifications and skill.

Used to determine accuracy, initiative and hand to hand fighting.
Morale Bravery and enthusiasm. Determines a squads willingness to tolerate casualties.
Discipline Focus and endurance. Important for reaction fire and willingness to endure fire.

Speed and Survival have no theoretical limit.

Training, Morale and Discipline can not exceed 10.

Figures must often test against one of these scores.

Apply any modifiers to the rating (not the dice roll), then roll 1D10 and if the die is equal or lower
than the modified score, the test was a success.

Example:
A figure must test against Morale with a +1 modifier.
If the figure has a Morale of 5, after applying the modifier, the player would have to roll a 6 or
less on 1D10 to succeed.

Figures may have additional traits to further set them apart.

Leaders and Psions have additional characteristics for their special functions.

MODIFIERS
A penalty to a test can reduce the characteristic to a 0 or less, while a bonus could improve it to a
10 or more.
Unless the rules specifically state otherwise, such a case is treated as an automatic failure or
success respectively. Rolling a 1 is not always a success and a 10 is not always a failure.

NON-INFANTRY FIGURES
Monsters, weapon teams and vehicles are discussed in their own chapters of the rules, though they
will share many characteristics with infantry figures.

For now, suffice to say that weapon teams are treated as a special type of squad while monsters and
vehicles function as individual figures.

The term “Infantry” in the rules always refer to an ordinary roughly human-sized (or smaller) figure.
Heroes and Psionics are infantry, while vehicles, monsters and mech troopers are not.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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CORE CONCEPTS

TIMING
Everything in Clash on the Fringe happens as it happens and actions are generally resolved in
sequence.
For example, when a unit moves, each figure is moved one at a time. Any reaction fire that takes
place will happen at the point it is declared, based on the position of the figures at that time.

This can result in situations that are not entirely realistic.

In the example above, realistically, the squad would move more or less simultaneously, but it does
make the game far easier to play and reduces the need for a large number of exceptions and special
cases.

If a lot of things seem to happen all at once, resolve them one at a time, in the sequence they
happen and in most cases, everything will work out fine.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

Each figure always represents exactly one combatant. While individual gaming groups will have
different standards, figures carrying non-standard weapons should always be clearly indicated.

For example, in a squad where 4 figures have rifles and the fifth have a machine gun, the machine
gunner should be visibly carrying a distinct, bigger weapon.

With the variety of miniatures on the market, it is impossible to set solid guidelines for what a given
weapon must look like.

ITS A SMALL WORLD

Compared to the size of our miniatures, except at very small scales, the average gaming table is not
terribly big.

In 15mm scale, for example, an inch is about 3 yards, which makes a table 4 feet wide
representative of roughly 144 yards.

Adjust as appropriate for other scales such as 6mm or 28mm, though in most cases, you can use
distances “as is” and be fine.

Even if we compress the ground scale some and assume our space adventurers are not particularly
great shots, we're still looking at a relatively small area with troops encountering each other at
close quarters.

WHAT YOU ROLLED

Game results that occur on the roll of a specific number always occur when that score is rolled,
regardless of any other factors that would otherwise have applied.

Rolls against a target number are attempting to roll equal or lower than the target number, unless
explicitly stated otherwise.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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TESTING A CHARACTERISTIC
Troops have a number of characteristics, the primary ones being Training, Discipline and Morale.
In games, these are frequently tested. To do this roll 1D10. If the score is equal or lower than the
characteristic, the test was a success.

Modifiers apply to the characteristic score, not the dice roll.

Hence, a + modifier is always beneficial while a – modifier is always negative.

Note that unless stated otherwise, modifiers can result in a roll being a guaranteed success
(modified characteristic of 10 or higher) or guaranteed failure (modified characteristic of 0 or
lower).

THE TURN
When the duration of an effect on a particular figure or unit is measured in “Turns”, a turn is
considered to last from the moment the effect is imposed, until the end of that units next
activation.
Units subject to a Failure to Activate are assumed to have ended their turn when they are marked
as Failure to Activate.

In real life time, a turn is a relatively brief span, typically half a minute or so. During turns with
relatively little going on, a turn could present a few minutes.

For scenarios involving a time limit, roll 1D10 after each turn. For every point on the die, 15
seconds have passed.
For simplicity, time limits may just be expressed as a number of turns.

IF IN DOUBT
If a situation seems to be confusing, check over the rules one more time. Generally, you can assume
that a literal reading of the rules is the correct answer.
If that doesn't help, read over the principles of this chapter and see if an obvious answer presents
itself. If it feels like a situation should be resolved in a particular manner, go with your gut instincts.

Lastly, make a decision to keep the game going and then discuss the situation afterwards.
You are always welcome to contact the author for clarifications and suggestions.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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A CRASH COURSE GUIDE TO THE FRINGE

WORLDS ADRIFT
The Fringe setting is the official setting of Clash on the Fringe, should you desire it to be.

The galaxy is divided among multiple species but is dominated by the human-centric Unity
government, spanning the stars from one end to the other.

A monolithic culture of immense proportion and stability, it is also a lumbering juggernaut, stagnant
under its immense grinding weight.

On the edges of Unity, various alien species have carved out their own domains, sometimes in bitter
conflict, sometimes in peaceful coexistence.

FRINGE SPACE
While the region officially known as the Fringe is towards the edges of the galactic rim, there are
many similar areas in somewhat isolated parts of the galaxy.

Fringe space is any region that is not under the direct control of any species. Often, such regions
become chaotic and lawless, while others manage a state of precarious equilibrium.
In Fringe space, it's common to find representatives from almost every species mingling and interest
from nearby powers is often high.

Colonizing a world is expensive and complex, adding an already populated world to an empire is
much easier.
As such, agents, operatives and military expeditions are common sights on the Fringe. Some worlds
resist them furiously, others rely on rival species to keep each other in check.

With a lack of central control, a constant threat of raiders, pirates, warlords and would-be-
conquerors exist. Some worlds receive formal protection from Unity, the Precursors or other aliens,
while others are left to fend for themselves.

ADVENTURE AND OPPORTUNITY

Society in Unity or one of the alien federations is predictable, stable and safe.
As a result, many seek out life on the Fringes to find adventure, drama and excitement.

For a lot, all they find is an early (and often gruesome) death.

While games in the Clash on the Fringe setting can be set anywhere in the galaxy, the default
setting is the Fringe.
Make sure you're stocked up on ammunition before your ship touches down.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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THE TURN SEQUENCE

MOVING THROUGH EACH TURN
The game runs in a series of turns, each turn broken down into a series of activations.
When all units have either activated or suffered a Failure to Activate, a new turn begins.

Victory conditions are usually checked at the end of a turn.

ACTIVATION ROLLS
Each player makes an initiative roll by rolling 1D10 + the highest Training score of any one un-
activated unit on their side.

The higher score activates any squad or individual of their choice.

Once activated, the unit becomes exhausted and cannot be activated again this turn.
When all units have been exhausted, the next game turn starts over, with all units eligible to
activate again.

No more units:
If one side runs out of units to activate and the opposing side does not, only the player with
remaining units will make Initiative rolls. Any roll of 1 or 2 will result in a unit suffering a Failure to
Activate.

Any other score has no penalty and a unit activates normally.

FAILURE TO ACTIVATE
If the modified initiative rolls are the same, each player suffers a Failure to Activate.
Each player must select an un-activated unit or individual that becomes exhausted.

Units that fail to activate may not be activated this game-turn though they may still carry out
reaction fire as usual.

ACTIONS
When a unit is activated, it may perform any one of the orders indicated below, unless the unit type
forbids a particular order from being used.

Engage Each figure may move at full Speed and may fire at any visible target.
Evade Each figure may move at full Speed but may not fire.
Evading units are not subject to reaction shots while moving.
Storm Each figure may move at full Speed.
Figures may fire at targets within Assault range.
May take a 3” Storm move if it will bring them into hand to hand combat.
Prowl Each figure may move at half Speed and may fire at targets within Assault range. Prowling
units are not subject to reaction shots while moving.
Alert Each figure may move at half Speed.
May conduct reaction shots at any targets in sight.
Regroup Each figure may move at half speed and may not fire.
Any figures that are Heads Down receive one additional attempt to recover.

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ACTIVATING THE SQUAD

When activated and the order is selected, each figure may move and then fire or fire and then
move.

Leaders and Psionics carry out their special actions when the unit is activated, before any figures
carry out their movement and firing.
Go through the squad one figure at a time.
Select a figure, carry out any actions intended then move on to the next figure.
All actions with one figure must be finished before the next figure is selected.

Figures that are Heads Down (see the Morale chapter) will roll to recover when they are selected.

There is no requirement for every figure to act.

1 Select the unit to be activated

2 Carry out actions, one figure at a time
3 Activation ends

Figures may be able to take other actions besides moving and firing.
Actions are classified as Movement or Activities.
A movement action takes the place of the figures normal movement.
An activity takes the place of the figures normal weapons fire.

Units with orders that prohibit active fire (Alert, Regroup, Evade) may not perform any activities.
Figures that are Heads Down may not carry out any activities though they may still fire.

TACTICAL NOTES
A few observations are in order:

*The order units are activated in can be viewed as a resource for the player to manipulate. Since
Initiative rolls are based on the highest-Training units that have not yet activated, players must
decide when it's worth activating their best troops.

*Individual figures can be used to “soak up” Failure to Activate results.

*If one side has more units than their opponent, they have a distinct advantage, though saving the
best units until last has an increased risk of Failure to Activate.

“Atmosphere estimated lethal to carbon based lifeforms within 17 seconds of contact ”

“But there's a colony with life signs down there”
“That is statistically impossible”
“Are you telling me the scanners are wrong? The signals check out ”
“That's what concerns me”

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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MOVEMENT

MOVEMENT BASICS
When activated, a figure may take a move (Full or Half depending on orders) or perform a
Movement action.

A full move is equal to the figures Speed, usually ranging from 4-7 inches with 5 as a standard.
Half moves are not rounded off but used as is.

Movement is reduced by terrain as follows:

Entering rough terrain feature -1

Beginning move in rough terrain feature -1
Exiting rough terrain feature -1
Crossing low obstacle -1
Crossing high obstacle -2

The movement reductions are paid at the moment any indicated condition applies and will reduce
the remaining movement allowance.

Example:
A trooper with Speed 5 begins in a rough terrain feature and wishes to leave it.
The figure must deduct 1” of movement to begin moving and must deduct 1” for exiting the
feature.
This gives a final Speed of 3 this turn.

The Terrain chapter covers terrain features in more detail.

FACING
Figures may end their move facing in any direction desired and may turn as often as desired during
a move.
Figures that fire are turned to face directly towards the target.

For the purpose of reaction fire, figures may fire within a 90 degree arc to their front.

INDIVIDUALS
Individual figures, whether detached or not, receive a +1 bonus to Speed.

HEROES
Hero figures may add a +2 bonus to Speed. A hero that is also an individual receives a total bonus of
+3.

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FIGURE INTERACTIONS
Figures may move through friendly infantry figures but may not end in a position where their bases
would overlap.
Figures may not pass through vehicle and monster figures, even if they are friendly.

Figures placed at corners of buildings or at the edge of linear terrain features must be clearly
indicated to be either in a firing position or concealed behind the terrain feature.

Figures must be placed so their base is entirely in or outside a terrain feature. If a figures
movement is not sufficient to fully enter a terrain feature, it must cease movement in contact with,
but fully outside, the terrain feature.

Measurements are done from the closest point of a figures base.

ASSAULT CONTACT
A figure that moves into physical contact with an enemy figure is assumed to be engaging them in
hand to hand fighting, which is resolved immediately upon making contact.

This is generally regarded as any time the bases of two figures are touching but figures with highly
unusual bases may require players to make a quick ruling.

See the Close Combat rules for further details.

Tactical note:
Firing before moving into assault contact will cause the attacker to suffer a rather large penalty.
Try to avoid this, unless you have a substantially higher Training score than your target.

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WEAPONS FIRE
BASICS OF FIRE
When a squad or individual is activated, if their orders permit, they may fire at targets in sight.

Figures may fire before or after the figure moves. Shots are resolved as each figure is activated.
Shots may be pre-measured unless both players agree otherwise.

Figures with multiple available weapons may use any one weapon. Each figure in a squad may make
different choices.
For example, a squad armed with assault rifles, pistols and grenades could have one figure firing a
pistol, one firing a rifle and one throwing a grenade.

TARGET SELECTION
When firing, a figure may select any one visible target from the following list:

*Either of the two closest Infantry figures.

*Either of the two closest Vehicle figures.
*Either of the two closest Monster figures.

Example:
A figure has line of sight to a squad of infantry, a truck, a tank and a Monster.
The figure could elect to fire at the Monster, either vehicle or one of the two closest infantry
figures.

VISIBILITY
Figures may not trace lines of fire through any other figures.

When firing, a figure may fire in any direction and is turned to face in that direction.
Reaction fire is limited to a 90 degree arc to the front of the figure.

Figures inside terrain features may only be fired upon, if they are within 1” of the edge.

Figures behind linear terrain obstacles may only be fired upon if either the firer or target is within
3” of the feature.

Note that area of effect weapons may affect figures that are concealed by terrain features,
provided the initial target is visible under the above rules.

The enemy should be engaged with all approved ordnance at the commanders disposal.
Failure to achieve the minimal 20% ammunition expenditure is considered a negative merit point on the next
promotion evaluation.

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WEAPON STATS
Assault range Close range for the weapon.
Aim range Standard combat range.
Penetration How effectively the weapon punches through cover and armour.
Area of effect Many weapons produce an area of effect, potentially striking every target in the area.

Weapons may have traits further identifying them.

RANGE
The range to the target will fall into one of three categories: Assault, Aim or Long range.
Use the shortest range band that any part of the target figures base (hull for vehicles) falls under.

Example:
The base of a target figure is split between the Assault and Aim range bands. The shot is
considered to be within Assault range.

Each weapon has ratings for Assault and Aim ranges.

Long range is simply any shot beyond Aim range and on a normal gaming table extends to the edge
of the table.
Unit orders may limit firing to Assault range only.

Shots may be pre-measured.

Take aim:
A figure that has not moved this activation and does not intend to do so, may add their Training
score to their Aim range.
Assault range remains unchanged.

HITTING THE TARGET

To hit the target, roll 1D10, trying to score equal or under the Training score of the firer.
The following modifiers apply:

Assault range +2
Aim range 0
Long range -2
Cover -2
Targeting explosives -1

Cover:
Figures must be in or directly behind a terrain feature to claim cover.

Heads down:
Any roll of 10 (before modifiers) will never hit but forces the target to go Heads Down.
Heads Down status is discussed in the Morale and Suppression chapter.

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Un-aimed fire:
Some situations limit troops to Un-Aimed Fire.

If the rules indicate a firer is un-aimed, they will hit only on a roll of 1, regardless of range and
circumstances.
Simply roll the dice and check for 1's (Hits) and 10's (Heads Down)

Bad shots:
If to hit penalties would reduce a firers Training score to 1 or less, treat the shot as an un-aimed
shot. Even the worst shooter could hit something on accident.

SURVIVAL
If a figure is hit by fire, a Survival check must be made.
Roll 1D10 and add the Penetration of the weapon.

If the total is equal or lower than the targets Survival, they survive but go Heads Down.
If the total is higher than Survival, the figure is removed as a casualty.

It's no good:
If the targets Survival rating is so high (or Penetration so low) that there is no chance of failing, the
attack has no effect and does not force Heads Down status upon a hit.
Note that such attacks can still inflict Heads Down status on a to hit roll of 10.

AREA OF EFFECT
Many weapons produce an area of effect. The template may be placed anywhere in line of sight
with the depth of the template pointing directly away from the firer.

The base of the target figure must be partially within the area covered by the template.

Roll against every target at least partially under the template that is visible to the firer.
Do not roll one shot at a time. Instead roll all the dice together and assign the lowest dice roll to
the closest targets in the area of effect.
Each target uses the range and cover modifiers appropriate to their specific position.

Templates are always square and are expressed as Width X Depth.

For example, a 1x3 template is 1” wide and 3” deep.

Placing the template:

The template must be positioned so at least one visible, valid target is under the template, though
the template may deliberately hit figures further away that would not be visible or valid targets.

For example, when firing at a squad of 5 targets, the template could be placed so it touches figures
2,3 and 4 even though only figures 1 and 2 are valid initial targets.

Figures separated from the firer by hard cover that equals or exceeds their size are not subject to
area of effect attacks.
For example, a template cannot be used to strike a target on the other side of a solid wall.

Single shot:
Weapons may conduct a single shot instead of covering an area.

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PLACING AREA OF EFFECT TEMPLATES

This is placed correctly, with the depth of the template facing away from the firer.

This is placed incorrectly.

This is also placed incorrectly and the trooper will be severely punished for lacking attention to
correct fire discipline.

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EXPLOSIVES
When firing any weapon that causes an explosion, select a target point in sight and roll to hit as
normal for the range, with a -1 penalty to hit.
The target point does not have to be centred over a specific target figure but a valid target figure
must be within the area of effect.

Area of effect is circular with the blast measured from the target point.

Example:
A 2” blast radiates out 2” in every direction from the target point, forming a circle.

If the targeting roll fails, the impact point is moved 1D10” in a random direction.
Impact points for launched projectiles will not deviate beyond half the range to the intended
impact point.
Thrown projectiles will always deviate the rolled distance, regardless of range.

Thrown grenades may be thrown to a range of 8” and do not receive range modifiers.

Figures that are throwing grenades are considered to be moving, even if they are stationary, and as
such are potentially subject to reaction fire.
Any such reaction shots are taken before the grenade is thrown. If the figure is slain or goes Heads
Down, the grenade has no effect.

If the thrower is hit, the grenade deviates 1D10” from their location.

Hit the dirt:

Every figure in the blast area rolls 1D10 with a roll equal or under the Training meaning the figure
avoided the effects of the blast but are marked Heads Down.

Figures that are already Heads Down are not affected unless the grenade lands on them.

All figures that do not go Heads Down are hit by the grenade and must roll for Survival as normal.

Falling on the grenade:

If a thrown grenade lands within 2” of a figure, the figure may attempt to sacrifice themselves
before any rolls are made to hit the dirt.
Roll 1D10 with a roll equal or lower than Discipline indicating a success.

In this case, only the sacrificing figure is hit. Resolve the attack with a +5 bonus to Penetration.

Launched grenades:
Grenades that are launched by a suitable device follow the above rules but do not trigger reaction
fire when launched and the target may not fall on the grenade.

Happiness has been measured to increase productivity by 8% at a 17% increase in cost.

Contentment has been measured to be increase productivity by 5% at a 7% increase in cost, representing a
significant cost savings.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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MORALE AND SUPPRESSION

HEADS DOWN
Various events in the game can force a figure to go Heads Down, typically from surviving a weapons
hit or an enemy rolling a 10 on the to-hit roll.

Use a suitable marker to indicate Heads Down status. A figure under heavy fire may receive multiple
markers though a single figure cannot receive more than 3 Heads Down markers at one time.

Game effects:
The figure is pinned down.

When they activate next, roll 1D10.

If the score is equal or under Discipline, the figure recovers and the status is removed.
If the score is higher than Discipline, the status remains. The figure may not move and may only
conduct un-aimed fire.

Leaders and Psionics are subject to additional limitations on their abilities. See the respective
sections for further details.

Figures cannot reaction fire while they are Heads Down.

Figures going Heads Down inside an Area terrain feature or behind a linear Obstacle are assumed to
be out of sight and may not be fired upon, though they are still subject to damage from explosions.

A very bad day:

If a figure is subject to multiple Heads Down markers, roll to recover as normal for each marker.
The dice can all be rolled at the same time. For each Discipline check that works, remove one
marker.

If the figure fails to remove all markers, it must obey the limitations indicated above.

A figure cannot have more than 3 Heads Down markers placed on it at any one time.

Buddy check:
A figure that moves into contact with a friendly figure that is Heads Down may take a Morale check
and if successful, one Heads Down marker is removed.
Note that this uses the morale score of the figure that moved into contact, NOT the figure that is
Heads Down.

Once a buddy check has taken place, another one cannot be performed for the same figure until
after its next activation.

Cavalry:
Mounted figures that fail to recover from Heads Down status may move, provided they move away
from any visible enemy figures.

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MORALE CHECKS
Every time a unit takes a casualty for any reason, they must roll Morale.
Roll 1D10 for every casualty taken by the unit.
Each roll that is over the current Morale score causes one Stress marker to be placed on the unit.

Stress markers are a penalty to Discipline, Training and Morale.

For example, if a unit has 2 Stress markers, it is at a -2 penalty to Discipline, Training and Morale.
No value can be reduced below 0.

Timing:
Morale checks are taken as the casualties occur.
This can be important during close combat battles.

If a unit takes multiple casualties from one attack, take all Morale tests at the same time.

It's all over:

If a unit has its Discipline reduced to 0, due to Stress, it is no longer capable of recovering from
Heads Down status on its own or conduct Reaction fire.

If a unit has its Training reduced to 0, all fire is considered to be un-aimed.

In hand to hand fighting, roll the die with normal modifiers but consider Training to be 0. It can
never be negative.

If a unit has its Morale reduced to 0, the survivors skulk away and are removed from play.

SHOCK
If an Individual, non-hero figure is hit and the modified Survival roll is exactly the Survival score,
the figure must take a Morale check.
Heroes do not check Morale but can suffer Stress markers due to rolls on the Hero injury table.

Detached individuals are not subject to any morale loss suffered by their parent unit and vice versa.

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TROOP RATINGS
Troop ratings are functions of troop class.
In most cases, all members of a unit will be of the same class.

Scenarios may feature disparate units made up of different classes. Each figure acts according to
their own characteristics.
If there are multiple Morale scores in a unit, use the highest score minus 1 for any unit tests.

The ratings indicated are all available to human troops as well as some aliens where indicated.
Nothing prevents players from creating their own troop profiles. Use the list below as a starting
point with the system.

Discipline Morale Training

Ganger 3 3 2
Law enforcement 5 4 4
Conscript 4 4 4
Regular soldier 5 5 5 “Beeep bleep bloop”
Spirited militia 4 7 4
Hardened veteran 6 7 6
Space pirate 4 6 5
Storm trooper 7 8 6
Corporate enforcer 6 5 4
Elite assassin 8 9 8
Unlikely champion 4 8 4

Speed and Survival are functions of equipment and biological capability.

A wide range of armour types are in use but each alien species will have comparable designs.
The list below is available to all aliens unless specified otherwise.

Speed Survival
Un-armoured 5 3
Protective Jacket 5 4
Light armour 5 5
Custom or piecemeal armour 4 6
Hard suit 5 6
Powered armour 4 8
Assault armour 6 7
Cybernetic enhancements 7 6
Heroic individual 6 8

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CAVALRY
Cavalry figures are treated like infantry, with a few special exceptions.
A cavalry mount and its rider is treated as one, combined figure with a Speed of double the base
rate of the infantry figure, to a maximum of 10.

Example:
A figure with Speed 4 would have Speed 8 if mounted.
A figure with Speed 6 would have Speed 10 if mounted, since cavalry Speed cannot exceed 10.

Anything that modifies cavalry Speed is applied to the final Speed factor, determined above.
Do not apply modifiers to the base Speed and then double it.
Modifiers and situational bonuses can push Speed above 10.

Cavalry receive special considerations in close combat and when forced to go Heads Down, as
discussed in the relevant chapters.

Cavalry figures may dismount during the game, instead of moving normally. Replace the figure with
an infantry figure.
Once dismounted, the figure cannot remount. The mounts are assumed to run off or be safely
tethered somewhere.

CHARACTER TRAITS
Figures may be given traits to further customize them. Traits are usually given to individual figures
but in rare cases an entire squad could exhibit a trait.

If only some members of a squad possess a trait, they must be clearly recognizable either by
selecting unique figures or by a unique paint job.

The list below provides common traits available to many units.

Leaders and Psions have additional traits available, described in their rules chapters.
Many alien species have traits unique to them.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS AND SCENARIOS

Custom traits are an excellent way to create very unique characters for a particular scenario or
campaign.
Try to lean on the side of smaller effects, rather than sweeping rules overhauls.

In general, traits that fundamentally break core game mechanics are less likely to be enjoyable
(and harder to remember) than ones that just tweak a specific situation.

In a campaign, players or a Game Master may enjoy giving unique traits to characters that
accomplish particularly challenging things on the battle field.

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MAIN CHARACTER TRAITS:

Trait Function
Brawler +2 to Hand to Hand fighting rolls.
Gun Slinger May fire 2 pistols.
Kill Shot +1 to weapon Penetration.
Light foot +2 Speed when not firing.
Stealthy Not subject to reaction fire.
Sprint Storm moves increased to 5”.
Defiance Discipline is not reduced by Stress markers.
Sentry May reaction fire at a range of 3 x Discipline.
Agile Ignores rough ground penalties when moving.
Free running Ignores obstacles when moving.
Brutal Hand to hand combat kills force target squad to test Morale at -2.
Berserk Does not test morale from close combat casualties.
Sharp shooter Increase Aim range by 5” if stationary.
Field craft Increase cover bonus by 1.
Hip shooting Only receive -1 penalty for long range and +1 bonus for assault range.
Evasive When placed Heads Down, may move up to 3” in any direction.
No reaction fire is triggered by this move. Cannot enter close combat.
Strong arm Grenades may be thrown an additional 2”.
Fanatic When a Morale test is failed, place one figure of choice Heads Down.
Do not apply Stress markers to the squad.
A figure that is not currently Heads Down must be selected if possible.
Unstoppable May roll to remove Heads Down counters immediately upon receiving them.
Sturdy Does not take movement penalties from heavy weapons.

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REACTION FIRE

ZONES OF CONTROL
All figures have a zone of control surrounding them.
This is any visible area within a distance of twice the Discipline score of the figure.

If an eligible enemy moves while within line of sight and the zone of control, they may be subject
to reaction fire.

Such fire is always un-aimed and will hit only on a roll of 1, regardless of modifiers.

During a particular units activation, each enemy figure may only reaction fire once.
For example, if a squad activates and moves 3 figures while in sight of an enemy soldier, that enemy
soldier may only fire once.

If there were 4 enemy soldiers eligible to fire, each of them could fire once however, allocating
their shots as the player sees fit.

Moving figures are moved one at a time, with the opposing player deciding whether to fire and with
which figures, before the next figure moves.

REACTION FIRE ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for reaction fire, a figure must obey all restrictions indicated below:

*The target must be visible and within the front 90 degree arc.

*The target must be one of the 3 closest figures at the time of its movement, unless firer is on Alert
orders.
Figures that are Heads Down do not count for this purpose.

*The firer must not be Heads Down.

*Only moving figures are subject to reaction fire. A figure that activates and takes non-movement
related activities such as firing weapons, issuing commands or using psionic effects is not subject to
reaction fire.

TIMING SHOTS
Moving figures always move one at a time. The inactive player declares how many figures will take
reaction shots before resolving any.
Reaction shots are always taken at the earliest eligible point of the figures move.

PINNED DOWN
Reaction fire can inflict Heads Down status just like regular fire.
If a figure goes Heads Down from reaction fire, they may not move any further this activation.
They will roll to recover when next activated, following the normal rules.

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CLOSE COMBAT
ENTERING HAND TO HAND COMBAT
Any figure that moves into physical contact with an enemy figure will enter hand to hand combat
immediately.

Figures do not have to receive Storm orders to enter hand to hand combat but it makes it easier to
do.

STORMING
If a figure under Storm orders ends their move within 3” of an enemy, they may take a 3” move to
reach base contact.
This additional move is not subject to reaction fire.

RESOLVING HAND TO HAND COMBAT

Each figure rolls 1D10+Training.
Heroes roll twice and pick the higher of the two dice.

Modifiers:
Initiating close combat +1
Improvised weapon -1
Dual wield +1
OR Cavalry
Heads Down -1
no bonus for weapons
Attacking across an obstacle -1
Attacker fired before moving -2
Desperation -2
Outmatched -1

A combination of negative modifiers, low Training and bad dice rolls may cause a modified score
below 0. Treat this as a 0.

On a draw, each figure must roll Survival. If both survive, they fight again.

Otherwise, the losing side must test against Survival, similar to the procedure used for ranged
attacks.
If the figure survives, they are pushed back 3” and become Heads Down.

Nowhere to run:
A figure may be in a situation where they are unable to carry out their push back without making
contact with another enemy, for example if backed into a corner or surrounded.

In this case, the figure being pushed back must fight their way out. Initiate another hand to hand
fight with the pushed figure suffering both the Heads Down and Desperation penalties indicated
above.
If the figure wins this desperation battle, it may take a normal follow up move for winning.

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CLOSE COMBAT WEAPONS

Figures carrying any Close Combat weapons or a firearm with the Close Combat trait may use it in
close combat.
Apply any modifiers based on the traits of the weapon.
Fire arm traits have no effect in close combat.

If the combat is won, resolve hits using the Penetration rating of the weapon in question.

DUAL WIELDING
A figure with two suitable weapons may use both.
Select one as the primary weapon and resolve the combat with a +1 bonus to the roll.

Traits on the secondary weapon are ignored.

Resolve hits using the Penetration of the primary weapon.
If the secondary weapon has lower Penetration, apply a -1 penalty.

A figure with two weapons is assumed to dual-wield unless the player states otherwise before
rolling.

CAVALRY
Mounted figures receive a +1 bonus but may only fight with one close combat weapon, as controlling
the mount requires one free hand.

OUTMATCHED
Infantry figures fighting mech troopers, monsters or assault vehicles are outmatched and must apply
a -1 penalty to their rolls.
Certain other situations in the game can inflict outmatched status.
The status is never cumulative even if multiple incidents would apply.

Heroes are not subject to being outmatched.

Any unit capable of inflicting “outmatched” status is never itself outmatched.

MULTIPLE CONTACTS
In rare situations, a moving figure may end up in contact with two enemies. If so, the opposing
player may elect which figure fights first.
If the attacker wins, they will then fight the second opponent and count as Outmatched.

FOLLOW UP MOVE
The winner of a hand to hand fight may immediately take a 2” move in any direction.
If they enter hand to hand combat with another figure, resolve the fight right away but without the
bonus for initiating close combat.

Follow up moves are not subject to reaction fire.

If a Heads Down figure manages to win or draw the first round of combat, they recover immediately.

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LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP BASICS
Forces may have a number of leaders at their disposal.
Some leaders will be part of a squad while others will be individual figures.

Each leader is rated for their Leadership skill, typically from 1-3.
Whenever the leader is activated, they may give a number of commands equal to their leadership
rating.

Leadership rating Commands

Basic leader 1
Battle worthy leader 2
Natural leader 3

ISSUING ORDERS
Recipients of the commands must be within 8”.
Each command only affects one target figure unless listed otherwise.
A target figure can only receive one command per activation from the same leader.
Exceptions to those two conditions will be stated.

Leaders that are part of a squad must issue commands to members of their own squad.
Individual leaders may issue commands to any figures, including other individuals that are not
leaders themselves.

A figure that is a leader cannot itself receive commands. The available commands are:

Move it!
The target figure immediately moves their full Speed.
Regardless of orders, move at full Speed modified by terrain as normal.
Figures that are Heads Down may not be given this order.
Rapid fire!
The target figure may immediately fire at any range.
This allows a figure to potentially fire twice at the same or different targets.
Figures that are Heads Down may be given this order but the fire is un-aimed as normal.
Keep it together!
The target figure may remove one Heads Down marker.
Get down!
The target figure receives the benefits of cover until next activated.
If the figure is already in cover, it may not be fired upon.
In both cases, the benefits are lost if the figure reaction fires.
This order may be issued to figures that are Heads Down.
You're going to be fine!
This order affects every figure in the squad and may only be issued by a Leader that is part of a squad.
Until the next activation, the squad is not penalized by any Stress markers they have accumulated.

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Leaders cannot issue commands to themselves, with the exception of removing Heads Down
markers.

A leader that is Heads Down rolls to recover as normal. If the leader fails to remove all markers,
they must use commands to remove the remaining markers.
No commands can be issued to other figures while the leader is still Heads Down.

TIMING
Leaders issue all commands when the leader figure is selected to move and fire but before carrying
out any personal actions.

LEADERSHIP TRAITS
Certain traits are only available to Leader figures.
In the points system, these each have a cost of 2+Leadership Skill.

Commanding presence The leader may issue commands at ranges up to 12”.

Arms reach If the leader is in contact with a friendly figure, any command issued will affect
both the target and one figure in contact.
Master of manoeuvre When a “Move it” command is issued, a second figure within range may take a
half-move as well.
Master of fire discipline When a “Rapid Fire” command is issued, a second figure may take an un-aimed
shot as well.
Motivator When a “Keep it together” command is issued, a second figure may roll to
remove a Heads Down marker.

COMMAND AND CONTROL

Many troop types have limitations on who they can receive commands from and who they can give
orders to.

When playing with alien troops, in general, only members of the same species may give commands
to and receive orders from each other.
Humans are typically an exception but read the description of each alien species carefully.

If an alien type has additional restrictions or rules, these take precedent over any rules in this
section.

Regardless of circumstances the following troop types may never receive commands:

*Monsters
*Critters
*Vehicles
*Leaders

The question of whether the Precursors hold religious beliefs has never been answered conclusively.

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HEROES

HERO BASICS
Certain figures may be designated as heroes and receive a variety of benefits.
Note that while heroes are typically individual figures, this is not a requirement. A squad leader or
even a regular trooper could be a hero.

HERO BENEFITS
*Heroes add +2 to their Speed.

*In hand to hand fighting, heroes may roll two dice and pick the better result.

*Heroes add +4 to their Assault range for all weapons. Aim range is not affected.

*If a hero is a member of a squad, the squad may add +1 to its Morale score.

*If the hero fails a Survival check, immediately roll 1D10 on the table below.
If the figure survives, mark them as Heads Down.

Injury table:
1-2 Dodge
The hero moves 3” out of the way.
3-4 Knackered
The hero receives 1 Stress marker.
5-6 Wounded
Survival reduced by 1 for the remainder of the game.
7-8 In a bad spot
Add +1 to all future Injury rolls.
9+ Done for
The hero is removed from the game.

Heroes that lose a hand to hand battle are pushed away 3” and will roll on the table as well.

ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES
Hero figures may have additional characteristics, such as being leaders, psionics or having additional
traits.
Likewise, any unusual troop type can be a hero, unless the rules explicitly prohibit it.

If doubt, charge. If confused, charge. If charging, continue doing so.

-Hulker drill sergeant.

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HEAVY WEAPONS TEAMS

HEAVY WEAPON BASICS

In game terms, a heavy weapons team is any weapon crewed by 2 or more infantry figures.
A weapons team is treated as a squad in its own right.

Such weapons will have an additional characteristic:

Crew requirement:
This is given as two numbers, for example 2/3. The first number is the number of crew figures
required to fire the weapon. The second is the number of crew figures required to move the
weapon.

To move or fire, the indicated number of crew must be present and within 1” of the weapon at the
time of activation.
A function that is not sufficiently crewed may not be performed.

Example:
A weapon with a 2/3 crew requirement has 2 crew members remaining.
The weapon may be fired but may not be moved.

A weapon may not be crewed by non-crew figures or figures from a crew manning a different
weapon.
If a force includes multiple of the same weapon type, crew may be transferred between those
weapons however.

TEAM ACTIVATION
When activated, the weapon may perform one of: Move, Fire or go into Alert mode. A combination
of actions are not permitted.

Weapon teams may not take Prowl or Evade actions.

MOVING WEAPONS
Weapon teams move at a -1 penalty to Speed and may not move if there is insufficient crew, based
on the weapon characteristics.
The weapon may be faced in any direction at the end of the move.

FIRING WEAPONS
Weapon teams that do not move may fire at any valid target, subject to the normal rules.
Weapons may be turned to face in any direction before firing.

Assault range for weapon teams is always 10”.

Crew figures must be within 1” of the weapon to count for firing purposes.

Excess crew figures may fire small arms.

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FIRING AT WEAPONS TEAMS

All fire directed at weapons teams is conducted at the crew figures. The weapon itself cannot be
targeted or damaged over the course of game play.
If the crew casualties reduce the crew below the number required to take any actions with the
weapon, the remaining crew are removed from the game.

SUPPRESSING WEAPON TEAMS

Crew members can be subject to Heads Down status as normal.
If the number of crew that is not currently Heads Down is less than the crew required to fire the
weapon, all shots fired by the weapon team become un-aimed.

REACTION FIRE
Weapon teams may conduct reaction fire using the normal rules.
The player may elect to reaction fire using crew small arms.

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WEAPONS AND GEAR

A wide range of weapons are in use around the galaxy.
The ones provided here are ones that are both in relatively common use and likely to show up on a
smaller battle field.

As such, many very heavy weapons systems have been omitted, as they are more likely to show up
in mass battles or highly specialized situations.

A NOTE ON WEAPON DESIGNS

The weapons described here can be viewed as broad archetypes. Alien designs will be comparable in
function, even if appearances vary greatly.
Feel free to rename weapons to fit your particular army.

By default, it is assumed that all weapons are available to all species, though players may decide on
preferences for their own forces.

The weapons in use are quite powerful and even relatively light weapons can threaten armoured
vehicles.
Do not assume your tanks are invulnerable.

WEAPON TRAITS
A variety of weapon traits are possible.
A trait modifies the performance of the weapon. The weapon tables indicate which traits a
particular weapon has.

Creative players may use traits to build their own custom weapons.

Heavy -1 to Speed.
Reload May not move and fire.
Frag +1 to hit when in Assault range.
Fire Power When stationary, fire twice at the selected target.
Area of effect weapons fire twice at each target under the template.
Suppression Enemies go Heads Down on to-hit roll of 9 or 10 (regular and un-aimed fire).
Ammo Either type of ammo indicated may be fired. Declare before firing.
Slow May not reaction fire.
Close Combat Counts as a weapon in close combat.
Terror Targets forced to test morale from this weapon must do so at a -1 penalty.
Improvised -1 to hand to hand rolls. Does not count towards dual-wield in close combat.
Inaccurate -1 to hit / hand to hand.
Swift Enemy receives no close combat bonus from weapons.
Pin Point +2 to hit versus vehicle targets. -2 to hit versus infantry targets.
Grenade Any grenade type may be fired.
Indirect Fire May fire at targets not visible to the firer.
Target location must be visible to a friendly figure and fire is conduct at -2 to hit.

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UNUSUAL FIGURES
The Speed penalty of Slow weapons does not apply to Mech Troopers or vehicles, but does apply to
every other type of figure.

Weapons with the Reload trait may not be carried by cavalry figures.
Weapons mounted on vehicles or Mech trooper suits are not subject to the Reload penalty.

INFANTRY WEAPONS
Assault Aim Penetration Area Traits
Pistol 6 10 0 Target Close Combat
Man Stopper pistol 4 12 2 Target Close Combat
Riot pistol 5 8 0 Target Suppression
Carbine 10 15 1 1”x3”
Primitive rifle 6 20 1 Target Inaccurate
Assault rifle 8 25 1 1”x3”
Heavy rifle 6 30 2 Target
Marksman rifle 4 40 3 Target Slow
Gauss rifle 4 25 2 2”x2”
Sub machine gun 8 15 0 3”x1”
Beam rifle 4 40 4 Target Heavy
Squad Automatic 4 35 1 2”x4” Heavy
Suppression
Infantry chain gun 4 25 1 2”x4” Heavy
Fire power
Inaccurate
Shotgun 8 15 1 Target Frag
Grenade launcher 4 25 - - Reload
Grenade
Slow
Splinter rifle 8 20 1 1”x3” Terror
Pulse rifle 4 30 2 Target Fire power
Fusion gun 6 15 6 Target Heavy
Slow
Anti Tank launcher 3 25 6 Target Reload
Pin Point
Rapid fire laser 4 40 1 1”x4” Heavy
Fire Power
Incinerator 8 10 2 2”x2” Heavy
Slow
Terror
Gauss support weapon 4 45 2 2”x3” Heavy
Suppression
Plasma rifle 5 18 3 1”x2”

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COMBINATION WEAPONS
A combination weapon is essentially two weapons built into one design, such as a rifle with an
under-barrel shotgun or grenade launcher.
Figures with combination weapons may fire either weapon but not both simultaneously.

A figure firing more than once in a turn (due to commands, reaction fire etc.) may select either
weapon each time it fires.

Combination ranged/close combat weapons can exist as well provided the ranged weapon does not
have the Close Combat trait.
Figures wielding a combination weapon in close combat cannot fight with two weapons.

CLOSE COMBAT WEAPONS

Weapons usable exclusively for hand to hand fighting.

Penetration Traits
Unarmed 0 Improvised
Knife 1
Assault blade 2
Heavy blade 3 Inaccurate
Chain blade 3
Power gauntlet 5 Inaccurate
Mono blade 2 Swift
Ripper claws 1 Terror

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TEAM WEAPONS
These weapons must either be manned by a weapons team or mounted on a vehicle.
Crew requirements are for weapon teams. They do not have any particular effect when mounted on
a vehicle.

Assault Aim Penetration Area Traits Crew

Machine gun 10” 30” 2 2”x4” Suppression 1/2
Heavy machine gun 10” 40” 3 2”x4” Suppression 1/2
Heavy chain gun 10” 30” 2 2”x4” Suppression 1/3
Fire power
Beam cannon 10” 60” 7 Target Pin Point 2/3
Anti materiel rifle 10” 30” 5 Target 1/2
Auto cannon 10” 40” 4 1”x2” 1/3
Gauss cannon 10” 60” 9 Target 3/3
Rocket launcher 10” 60” Ammo 1/2
AT 8 Target
Frag 2 3”
Medium cannon 10” 60” 6 Target Ammo 2/4
1 2”
Heavy cannon 10” 60” 8 Target Ammo 2/5
2 2”
Rapid fire gauss cannon 10” 50” 5 2”x4” 3/3
Heavy fusion gun 10” 30” 10 2”x2” 3/3
Heavy plasma gun 10” 30” 8 2”x4” 3/3
Light mortar 10” 40” 1 3” Indirect Fire 1/2

GRENADES
All grenade types may be thrown or fired from any grenade launching device.

Frag grenades:
The standard fragmentation grenade.
Area of Effect Penetration Traits
2” 1 -

Razor grenades:
Wider fragmentation radius but lower damage potential.
Area of Effect Penetration Traits
3” 0 -

Hell grenades:
Chemical incendiary grenades.
Area of Effect Penetration Traits
2” 2 Terror

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Smoke grenades:
Figures with smoke grenades may throw them instead of making another weapon attack.
Use the rules for explosive weapons.
Smoke grenades do not inflict any damage but will cover the area of effect in dense smoke,
preventing all lines of sight into, out of or through the cloud.

Figures standing at the edge of a smoke cloud are visible but the -2 hit penalty for cover applies,
both when fired upon and when the figure itself is firing.

Smoke screens are considered rough ground for movement purposes.

At the end of each units activation, including the unit that threw the smoke charge, roll 1D10. On a
1, the smoke cloud drifts 1D10” in a random direction. On a 10, it dissipates harmlessly.

Shock flares:
Stun bombs popular for riot control.

Area of Effect Penetration Traits

3” - -

All figures within the area of effect must test Discipline or go Heads Down.
For each figure that goes Heads Down, take a Morale test with a +2 bonus to the Morale score.

Wasp grenades:
Must be launched rather than thrown. Wasp shells will detonate at a specified point.

Area of Effect Penetration Traits

2”x4” 0 -

Wasp shells may be detonated at any point within range of the grenade launcher. Roll to see if the
round deviates, as per a normal grenade attack.
Wasp rounds have a rectangle area of effect beginning at the point of impact though they inflict
damage using the regular grenade rules.

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ANTI TANK CHARGES

These charges can be used in close assaults against vehicles.
See the vehicle rules for more details.

They may not be thrown or launched and can only be used by infantry figures.

Improvised AT charge:
Anti-Tank 3
If the anti-tank roll is a 10, the attacking figure takes a Penetration 2 hit.

Simple AT charge:
Anti-Tank 4
If placed on the side or rear of the vehicle, increase Anti-Tank to 5.

Advanced AT charge:
Anti-Tank 6

Shatter charge:
Anti-Tank 8

Disruptor charge:
If successfully placed, roll 2D10 and apply the lowest die on the Vehicle Damage table.

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EQUIPMENT

Booster drugs: Phase shift device:

Figures with booster drugs may activate them A figure with a phase shift device may use it
at the beginning of the unit activation. instead of moving normally. The figure may be
Once activated, the drugs remain in effect for repositioned anywhere within 10” and line of
the remainder of the game. sight of the starting position or within sight of
The unit receives +2 Morale but -1 Discipline. a friendly figure within 8” of the starting
position.
Command relay:
A Leader with a command relay may issue one Shifting figures may not fire any weapons or
additional command during any activation the emerge into close combat in the same
Leader was not Heads Down. activation.

Force screen: Sniper sight:

A figure with a force screen will always avoid A weapon fitted with a sniper sight provides a
hits on an unmodified Survival roll of 1, 2 or 3 +1 bonus to all to-hit rolls.
regardless of the Penetration score of the Additionally, if the firer is stationary and rolls
weapon hit. a 1 on the hit dice, resolve the hit with a +1
bonus to Penetration.
In addition, on an unmodified roll of 1, 2 or 3,
the figure is not placed Heads Down from the Both benefits apply only when firing single
attack. shots.

Jump Assist Gear: Stealth gear:

When given an order that permits full (not When targeted by reaction fire, the figure may
half) movement speed, the figure may elect to roll 1D10. If the roll is equal or under its
jump instead. Training score, the reaction shot is not taken
A jump may be up to 18” in a straight line and though the enemy figure retains its eligibility
can clear obstacles up to one storey tall. to reaction fire during this activation.
Obstacles up to two storeys tall will reduce the
jump distance to 9”. Stim pack:
If a figure with a stim pack becomes a
Jumping is rarely accurate. Roll 1D10. On a roll casualty, roll 1D10 immediately. If the roll is
of 1-5, the figure deviates that many inches in equal or lower than Survival, move the figure
a random direction. 3” in any direction and place them Heads
On a roll of 6-10, the figure lands where they Down.
intended. Stim packs are one-use items.

The jumper may fire in the same turn but all Targeting aid:
fire will be un-aimed. The figure may add +5” to their zone of
Jumping figures that land in close combat control, for reaction fire purposes.
force both combatants to count as Improvised
weapons in the first round.

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VEHICLES

DEFINING VEHICLES
A vehicle is always an individual model on the table top. While vehicles often function in platoons
for organizational purposes, such organizations have no impact on the tabletop performance of the
vehicle, even if multiple elements of the platoon are fielded.

Vehicles are defined by a number of characteristics, similar to infantry:

Speed The battle field movement rate of the vehicle.

This rating assumes cautious combat rates rather than theoretical speeds.
Survival Used similar to infantry Survival scores.
Represents armour thickness, composition and ruggedness.
Targeting A bonus or penalty to all to-hit rolls made by the crew.
Sensors A bonus or penalty to Discipline for reaction fire purposes.
Safety How likely the crew and transported figures are to survive a wreck.

Unlike infantry figures, vehicle Survival scores can exceed 10.

Transport vehicles will have an additional characteristic:

Capacity How many infantry figures can be carried in addition to the vehicle crew.

THE CREW
Vehicle crews are rated just like infantry figures, though some characteristics will not have an
impact while embarked, such as Speed.

VEHICLES ON THE FUTURISTIC BATTLEFIELD

The technology projection of Clash on the Fringe is that the fire-power and armour penetration of
infantry weapons have tended to outstrip the advancement of defensive materials.

With powerful and capable anti-tank weapons easily portable by a single soldier, armoured fighting
vehicles tend to be forced into a more supporting role, rather than act as an armoured spearhead
on their own.

VEHICLE ACTIVATION
Vehicles are units in their own right and activate just like any other unit.
For initiative purposes, use the Training score of the vehicle crew.

If a side has only vehicle units remaining to activate, a -2 penalty applies to all Initiative rolls.

VEHICLE ACTIONS
Any of the normal orders except for Storming may be carried out.

Vehicles that are Prowling or Evading are assumed to be moving defensively and employing active
counter-measures to avoid reactions.

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MOVEMENT
A vehicle may move based on its orders and Speed rating, similar to an infantry figure.

The exact details depends on the mobility type of the vehicle.

Vehicles are limited to a certain number of turns during their movement, which may be taken
before, after or at any point during the move.
All other movement must be in a straight line.

Vehicle turns may be pivots or swings, depending on mobility type.

*A vehicle that pivots will turn in place, rotating around its centre.

*A vehicle that swings will change position when it turns. One front corner remains in place while
the vehicle swings towards the side it wishes to turn.

A turn may be any amount of degrees, but may reduce the available movement Speed, according to
the tables below.

If a vehicle is in a spot too tight to conduct a turn, the turn may not be attempted.
If any portion of the vehicle crosses a terrain feature boundary or obstacle, the vehicle is assumed
to have entered or crossed the feature, and must follow any rules indicated below.

Example:
A wheeled armoured car is stuck between a wall (obstacle) on the right and a field of rubble
(rough terrain) on the left.

The vehicle could not swing to face left as it cannot cross the obstacle at all, and if it swings to
face right, it must test for bogging down, as indicated for wheeled vehicles, if any portion of
the vehicle enters the rubble terrain feature.

The tables below cover each mobility type and how it interacts.
The Flat Out modifier is a bonus to Speed, if the vehicle moves without turning, crossing obstacles
or entering any terrain features.

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PIVOT AND SWING EXAMPLES

An example of pivoting to turn. The infantry figure serves as a point of reference.

The vehicle turns around its centre, remaining in the same overall position.

An example of swinging to turn.

The vehicle is anchored to one front corner and swings around that to gain the new facing.

Vehicles by Darkest Star Miniatures.

Infantry trooper by Angel Barracks.
Both in 6mm scale.

Your complaints have been heard.

To avoid having to file Citizen Starship Passage registration form 928B,
simply fill out Citizen Starship Passage Registration Exception Forms 287Z and 287X

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Wheeled
Wheeled vehicles are simple, can be constructed on a limited industrial base and can be used to
great effect on urban battle fields.

Turns per activation Turn type Speed penalty

1 Swing 3” per turn over 90 degrees
Obstacles Rough terrain Flat out
Cannot cross Roll D10 upon entering, exiting or +6
beginning move in rough terrain.
On a 1, immobilized for remainder
of game.

Bike
Bikes are a sub-class of Wheeled vehicles, often used for scouting missions and by bandits.

Turns per activation Turn type Speed penalty

3 One turn may Pivot (skid turn) 2” per turn over 90 degrees
The rest Swing
Obstacles Rough terrain Flat out
Cannot cross May not enter rough terrain +6

Tracked
Tracked fighting vehicles never quite went out of use, due to their general ruggedness and ease of
construction.

Turns per activation Turn type Speed penalty

1 Pivot No penalty
Obstacles Rough terrain Flat out
Double movement cost Pay 1” to enter, exit or begin move +3

Walker
Walkers are typically smaller than striders.
Most walkers range from about twice the height of a foot soldier to bulky behemoths the size of a
tank.

Turns per activation Turn type Speed penalty

2 Pivot 1” per turn up to 90 degrees
Obstacles Rough terrain Flat out
No penalty for low obstacle No penalty NA
May not cross tall obstacle

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Strider
Striders tend to be taller than walkers and have longer, more articulate legs.

Turns per activation Turn type Speed penalty

1 Swing 1” per turn up to 90 degrees
Obstacles Rough terrain Flat out
No penalty for low obstacle No penalty NA
2” penalty for tall obstacle

Floater
Floater vehicles move slower than grav vehicles, but can negotiate tall terrain very effectively,
making them valuable for urban combat.

Turns per activation Turn type Speed penalty

Any Pivot No penalty
Obstacles Rough terrain Flat out
Ignore all ground terrain up to one No effect NA
storey tall

Grav
Fully featured anti-gravity vehicles (known as “Gravs” in common parlance) are the mainstay of
high-tech armies, combining speed and flexibility with reasonable protection.

Turns per activation Turn type Speed penalty

1 Swing No penalty
Obstacles Rough terrain Flat out
Ignore all ground terrain No effect NA

WEAPONS FIRE
A vehicle may fire 1 main weapon, 1 secondary weapon and any auxiliary weapons when active.
Not all vehicles will have weapons in all three slots.

Each weapon may be fired at a different target and fire may be conducted before or after
movement, as for infantry.

Bike riders may fire the main weapon of the bike or a personal weapon that does not have the
Reload trait.

Linked and Co-Axial weapons:

Two weapons may be linked together in one slot. Linked weapons may be fired as one weapons
system, but must be aimed at the same target or targets within 1” of each other.
Note that while linked weapons are typically identical, they are not required to be.

If a linked weapon is marked as co-axial, only one of the two may be fired in any given turn.

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FIRING FROM VEHICLES

A vehicle conducts its firing as a normal figure would, using the Training scores of the crew,
modified by the vehicle Targeting rating.

Weapons are limited to firing in the arcs made possible by the vehicle design, typically 90 degrees
for a hull mount and 360 degrees for a turret mount.

Turrets are assumed to be aimed in the direction fired or in any direction of choice if fire was not
conducted.
If the player does not declare a direction, the turret is assumed to aim to the front of the vehicle.

REACTION FIRE FROM VEHICLES

Vehicles may conduct reaction fire similar to other figures but are more restricted.

Use the Discipline of the crew as normal to calculate the zone of control.
If the vehicle has a Sensor score, apply this as a modifier to the Discipline score.

Weapons are assumed to face in the direction fired and are limited to a 90 degree field of reaction,
even if turret mounted.

REACTION FIRE AT VEHICLES

Vehicles that move are subject to reaction fire as normal, but the zone of control is considered to
be three times Discipline.

Example:
A squad with a Discipline of 4 normally has a zone of control of 8”. However, their zone of control
would be considered to be 12” against vehicles.

CLANK
Vehicles accumulate Heads Down markers as normal, whenever a 10 is rolled on the to-hit roll or
when taking a hit that has a chance of inflicting damage (Survival is less than 10 points above
Penetration).

When a vehicle is activated, roll against Discipline to remove Heads Down markers as normal,
stopping when a recovery attempt fails.

The vehicle will receive a -1 penalty to both Speed and all weapon to-hit rolls, for every Heads
Down marker it fails to remove.

A vehicle may be subject to a maximum of 5 Heads Down markers. Any that would be placed in
excess of this are removed.

Defensive movement:
A vehicle receiving a Heads Down marker from reaction fire will lose 1” of its remaining, unused
movement allowance this turn.

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FIRING AT VEHICLES
Vehicles may be fired upon, following the rules for any other unit type.
Open-topped vehicles are treated as any other vehicle for game purposes.

Area of effect weapons:

When targeted by area of effect weapons, if at least 1” of the vehicle is within the area of effect,
an attack roll is made against the vehicle.

While an area of effect weapon, such as an automatic weapon, would realistically score multiple
hits on a large, armoured vehicle, such weapons often require fairly concentrated hits to have any
effect.
As a result, only one to-hit roll is generally made per weapon.

Suppressing vehicles:
Vehicles suffer Heads Down status on any attack roll of 10, just like regular troops do, though the
effects are somewhat different, as indicated above.

Note that vehicles may suffer Heads Down status in this fashion, even from weapons that could not
otherwise harm the vehicle, representing the crew being forced to button up, damage to external
sensors and general discomfort.

Vehicles and cover:

To receive the benefits of cover, at least half the vehicle must be covered.
Unlike infantry figures, vehicles may receive cover from any terrain feature obscuring them. They
do not have to be in or immediately behind the feature.

Armour plating:
Vehicles are unaffected by any weapons with a Penetration rating 7+ points lower than their Survival
scores.

Example:
If a vehicle has a Survival score of 10, it is unaffected by weapons with Penetration 3 or less.

Attacks from ineffective weapons can inflict Heads Down status on a firing hit roll of 10 but will
have no other effects.
Such weapons do NOT inflict Heads Down status on a hit.

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RESOLVING HITS
Vehicles make Survival rolls, similar to infantry figures.
Roll 1D10 and add the Penetration rating of the weapon. Add +1 if firing on the flank or rear of the
vehicle.

If the score is equal or lower than the Survival of the vehicle, it escaped damage but suffers a
Heads Down marker.

Explosions are resolved at -2 to Penetration unless the shot was a direct hit (impact point is exactly
over the vehicle)

If the roll is higher than the Survival rating, the vehicle must check for damage. Roll 1D10 below:

1 Shock
The vehicle receives 3 Heads Down markers.
2 Immobilized
The vehicle may no longer move.
If the vehicle was a grav vehicle, it lands, suffering 2 Heads Down markers.
3 Structural damage
Reduce Survival by 1 for the remainder of the game.
4 Gun knocked out
A random weapon is destroyed.
5-6 Wrecked
The vehicle is out of action for the remainder of the game.
The crew rolls to escape as normal.
7-8 Burning
Roll 1D10 at the end of each future activation for the vehicle.
On a 1, it explodes as if a 10 had been rolled on the damage table.
A second Burning result on the damage table causes the vehicle to explode,
as indicated below.
9-10 BOOM
The vehicle explodes, wiping out any crew and transported figures.
All figures within 3” take a Penetration 2 hit and go Heads Down.

If the vehicle survives the hit, place a Heads Down marker, unless the damage result called for
markers to be placed already.

TRANSPORTING TROOPS
To embark on a transport vehicle, a figure must be within 1” of an entry point (typically a door or
hatch) and expend 1” of movement.

Embarked figures may disembark at any time by expending 1” of their movement. Position the
figure anywhere within 1” of the exit point and finish the movement as normal.
While embarked, units activate as normal but typically have very limited actions available to them.
Crew figures may not disembark unless they are forced to do so, by vehicle damage.
Scenarios or a Game Master may waive this limitation if the situation calls for it.

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EMBARKED TROOPS FIRING

If a vehicle has firing ports, one embarked figure may fire from the port. Any such fire is limited to
Assault range only.
Figures firing through firing ports may not be fired upon.

Open-topped vehicles permit figures to fire though they may also be fired upon, receiving the
benefits of cover.
Typically, 2 figures can fire from each side of a vehicle.

If the vehicle has suffered Heads Down markers, they apply as a penalty to any shots from the
passengers.
Shots fired at passengers do not affect the vehicle itself, unless it is an explosive.
Passengers on an open-topped vehicle can be placed Heads Down without affecting the vehicle.

VEHICLE DESTRUCTION
If a transport is destroyed, each transported figure and crew member must roll to escape.

Roll 1D10. If the score is equal or lower than the Safety rating of the vehicle, the figure escapes
unharmed. Place them within 1” of the vehicle model.

If the roll is higher than Safety but equal or lower than the Survival rating of the figure in question,
the figure escapes but must be placed Heads Down.

Rolls higher than both Safety and Survival result in the figure becoming a casualty.
Heroes may roll on their injury table as normal.

VEHICLES IN ASSAULTS
Infantry figures may assault ground vehicles vehicles simply by moving into contact with it, without
having fired already this activation.

Grav and Hover vehicles cannot be assaulted.

The assaulting figure may select one option from below:

Point blank fire:

The figure may inflict one automatic hit with any firearm carried. Area of effects are ignored but
explosions are not.
Using an explosive weapon at point blank range is often ill-advised.

As the attack hits automatically, simply roll for Survival as normal.

Melee attack:
The figure may inflict one automatic hit with any close combat weapon carried.

As the attack hits automatically, simply roll for Survival as normal.

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Anti-tank attack:
If the figure carries dedicated anti-tank charges, one may be used.
Such weapons are generally powerful enough to make a mockery of any armour but are hard to
place accurately.

The attacker must roll 1D10, attempting to score equal or lower than their Training score.
Failure means the attack had no effect.

If the attack hits, roll 1D10. If the score is equal or lower than the “Anti-Tank” factor of the
weapon, the vehicle armour is penetrated and a damage table roll must be made.
The Survival score of the vehicle is not taken into account at all.

Get away:
After carrying out the attack, the figure may move up to 2” to get clear of the vehicle.

Bikes in close combat:

Bikes are attacked as if they were infantry figures. Resolve a normal close combat round between
the rider and the attacker.

ASSAULT CAPABLE VEHICLES

Some walkers and striders are capable of attacking in close combat.
This relies on the Training score of the crew.

Resolve the situation as indicated below:

Assault vehicle versus non assault vehicle:

The vehicle may inflict a hit with any close combat weapon carried or a point blank hit with a
ranged weapon.

No follow up moves are permitted afterwards.

Assault vehicle versus assault vehicle or monster:

Resolve a normal close combat. The winner may inflict a hit with a close combat weapon or a point
blank hit with a ranged weapon.

The losing unit is pushed back 1” if it is not destroyed.

No follow up moves are permitted afterwards.

Assault vehicle versus infantry:

Resolve a normal close combat. The infantry figure is Outmatched, unless it has hero status.

If the vehicle wins, a close combat weapon hit is inflicted on the infantry figure.
If the infantry wins, they may inflict a point blank weapons hit, melee attack or roll Training to
place an Anti-Tank charge.

Regardless of outcome, the infantry figure must retreat 3”.

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VEHICLE OVER RUNS

Wheeled and tracked vehicles that are not making turns may attempt to over run infantry figures.
Walkers and striders move too slowly to over run, floater and grav vehicles move over troops and
bikes would put themselves at risk if they rammed an infantry figure.

Any infantry figure contacted during the vehicle move must test against Discipline on 1D10.
If the roll is equal or lower, the figure moves 3” to get out of the path of the vehicle but is not
otherwise affected.
If the roll is higher, the figure moves 3” and is placed Heads Down.

Note that friendly figures must test as well.

Vehicles that are turning as part of their move as well as any walker or strider that is not assault
capable will simply push troops. Move any contacted infantry figures up to 3” out of the way.

Hover and grav vehicles do not affect infantry figures they move over.

VEHICLE RATINGS
The ratings below provide a range of categories suitable for most any vehicle.

Players with really specific and eccentric vehicle models may have to make some judgement calls
but a reasonable solution should be possible in most cases.

Alien and human vehicles are assumed to share similar enough characteristics to use the same
vehicle ratings.

Open topped vehicles:

For simplicity, open-topped vehicles are treated no differently from their conventional
counterparts.
If the vehicle would normally qualify as “medium” for it's armour thickness, use the “light” profile
instead.
Likewise, a heavily armoured but open-topped vehicle should be considered as “medium”.

A note on Survival scores:

Perceptive players will note that Survival scores are not terribly high compared to the Penetration
rating of many weapons.
This is intentional. The futuristic weapons in use are quite powerful and can punch through thick
armour plating with relative ease.

The second Survival score is the Armour Plating score. Any weapon with Penetration equal or less
than this amount has no effect at all.

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Speed Survival Safety

Civilian Wheel 25 4 3
Bike 30 6 2
Light Wheel 25 5 5
Medium Wheel 20 7 6
Heavy Wheel 15 8/1 7
Utility Track 15 8/1 5
Light Track 20 8/1 6
Medium Track 15 10/3 8
Heavy Track 10 12/5 8
Utility Walker 6 8/1 4
Light Walker 8 8/1 6
Medium Walker 6 10/3 6
Heavy Walker 4 12/5 6
Light Strider 10 8/1 6
Medium Strider 8 10/3 6
Heavy Strider 6 12/5 6
Light Floater 20 6 5
Medium Floater 15 7 7
Heavy Floater 10 8/1 7
Light Grav 30 9/2 5
Medium Grav 25 10/3 6
Heavy Grav 20 11/4 6

Targeting and Sensor scores are determined by the technology level of the installed
systems.

Targeting Sensors
Non existing 0 0
Basic +1 +2
Advanced +2 +4
Hypertech +3 +6

Transport capacity can be added to any non-walker/strider vehicle.

Capacity
Fire team 6
Squad 10
Bulk 16

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VEHICLE WEAPONS AND GEAR

WEAPON SYSTEMS
Vehicles may mount almost any combinations of weaponry.

Weapons may be mounted as Primary, Secondary or Auxiliary weapons.

Primary and Secondary weapons can be of any type available.

Bikes with both a primary and secondary weapon are assumed to have side-cars with a weapon
mounted.

Auxiliary weapons must be infantry weapons.

VEHICLE GEAR
Vehicles may have additional equipment added, similar to infantry figures.

Ablative armour: Infantry deterrent system:

The first time a Survival roll is failed, ignore Infantry attempting to close assault the vehicle
the result. must roll 1D10 and score equal or under their
If the Survival roll was a natural 10 on the die, Discipline score to do so.
the ablative armour does not trigger, damage is Failure causes the figure to retreat 2” and be
taken as normal and the armour remains marked Heads Down.
active.
Layered armour:
AI assisted targeting: Anti-tank charges must apply a -1 to their anti-
When on Alert orders, place an AI marker next tank factor.
to the vehicle. One reaction shot may be
performed using the normal to-hit process, Predictive target lock:
rather than counting as un-aimed fire. +2 bonus to hit vehicle targets.
When the shot is taken, remove the marker.
Repair system:
Assault capable: At the end of each vehicle activation, roll
A walker or strider class vehicle with this trait 1D10. On a roll of 1 or 2, one damage result
may engage in vehicular close combat. (Immobilized, Structural Damage, Gun Knocked
out or Burning) sustained by the vehicle may
Force screen: be removed.
When faced with high-powered anti-tank If multiple damage results exist, the player
weaponry, physical armour tends to be fall may select which is repaired.
behind in the arms race.
Installing vehicle-wide force screens is a Once a vehicle has been Wrecked or exploded,
common remedy. it may no longer be repaired.

Any Survival roll that is a natural 1, 2 or 3 will Smart camo:

always prevent damage to the vehicle, Firers more than 15” away must apply a -2
regardless of the weapon Penetration score. penalty to hit the vehicle with ranged fire.
Such rolls also prevent Heads Down markers
from being placed on the vehicle.

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MECH ARMOUR

As increasing fire power has made large, armoured vehicles more vulnerable, the need has arisen
for a mobile platform that can take advantage of battlefield terrain easier, and carry heavy
weaponry to provide close support.

Found in a hundred variations across the galaxy, Mech Armour is the general response: Heavy
reinforced suits, capable of shrugging off volleys of fire.
Mech troopers are a formidable force on the battlefield, often serving as support platforms for their
lesser comrades.

Typical suits can range from a head taller than a normal soldier to half again as big.
Some use hand-held weapons while others have weapon packs strapped to the outside of the
armour.

Between alien species, suits differ tremendously in exterior but tend to have remarkably
comparable performance.
Some are ornate battle suits, decorated with honourable symbols, others are starkly pragmatic in
their look.

Speed Survival
5 10

Other characteristics are as per the pilot.

A trooper in Mech armour has the following rules benefits:

*They may fire two weapons, at different targets, each turn, and may fire while moving, even if the
weapons would not normally permit this.

*Treat as a vehicle for the purpose of Heads Down markers.

*When moving, troopers may only turn once per activation, up to 90 degrees.
They navigate all terrain features as if they were infantry.

*Mech troopers are always individual figures but do not receive the Speed bonus normally associated
with individuals.

*They may never be leaders, psionics or heroes and may not receive commands from leaders.

*Mech suits have built-in psionic shielding and are not affected by any psionic effects targeting them
directly.

*Mech suits are considered vehicle targets for the purpose of any weapons or abilities that provide
to-hit bonuses or penalties when used against vehicles. However, they are infantry for all other
damage purposes. Notably, they do NOT benefit from the vehicle armour plating rule.

*They engage in close combat as if they were infantry. Non-Hero infantry figures are considered
Outmatched against them.

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SUPPORT

While adventurers and outlaws are usually on their own, military forces can often rely on a pretty
impressive array of support.

In scenarios, forces may utilize any of the following support options.

It is up to the players, scenario writers or Game Masters to determine if a particular force or alien
race should have access to a given support option.

FIRE SUPPORT
Normally confined to military forces, fire support consists of long ranged weapons located off the
table.
Such weapons are often indirect fire units, such as mortars and artillery, but could also be
extremely long ranged fire, fire delivered by flying drones or even orbital units.

Fire Support elements have Discipline and Training scores but lack Speed, Survival and Morale.
Each element is armed with a weapon chosen from the normal weapon lists.
Weapons may be designated with a multiplier such as X2, X3 or, at most, X4.

Calling in fire:
Any figure may attempt to call in fire in place of firing their own weapon.
This figure is known as the Spotter.

Calling in fire requires a test against the Spotters Training.

Roll 1D10 with a score equal or under Training indicating success.

Heads Down figures are allowed to call fire but do so at a -2 penalty to Training.

A failed test means the fire is not called but the Support element remains available.

On a successful test, the element fires and must test for exhaustion.

Resolving the fire:

A Support element without a multiplier fires a single shot, using its Training rating.
The target may be anywhere in sight of the Spotter and is resolved as if within Aim range.

If the element has a multiplier, a number of attacks are conducted equal to the multiplier.
Area of effect templates must all be placed adjacent and touching each other with no overlap.

Multiple individual shots with no area of effect must be targeted in a pattern with at least 1” and
no more than 2” between shots.

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Exhaustion:
After a Support element fires, make a Discipline test for the element on 1D10.

If the roll is equal or under Discipline, the element remains available though it may not be called
again in the same turn.
If the roll is higher than Discipline, the element is exhausted and may no longer provide supporting
fire.

On a roll of 1, the element not only remains available but may be called again in the same turn,
though not by a member of the same unit.

UNUSUAL DEPLOYMENT
Futuristic forces may get into battle in all sorts of interesting ways.
This section describes a few that may be available.

The scenario, Game Master or player agreement may prohibit any of these methods from being
used.

FLANK FORCES
A player may try to envelop the enemy.
Up to one squad or one vehicle may arrive from the flank instead of setting up normally.

A transport vehicle may have up to one squad and one individual on board.
If so, they must enter the table on board the transport.

Flanking forces will arrive on the table during the second turn of the game.
When the unit is activated, select a point on the right or left table edges, no more than halfway
along the table edge, and move on to the table from there.

If both players have flanking forces, they may not arrive from the same flank.

Failure to activate:
Units that are off-board can be subject to Failure to Activate during the initiative roll, just like any
units on the board.
This will delay them from arriving.

It is a valid tactic to deliberately select a flanking unit for Failure to Activate, in order to postpone
the arrival.

Restrictions:
A vehicle may only outflank if there are multiple vehicles in the force.
A squad of infantry may only outflank if there are multiple squads in the force.

This means a transport can only outflank with troops on board, if the force has 2 or more squads as
well as 2 or more vehicles.

Big monsters and individuals on foot may not flank unless the scenario permits it.

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INFILTRATION
If a scenario permits it, one side may be allowed to infiltrate a certain number of units (or even the
entire force) forward during deployment.

Infiltrated troops are set up last and may set up anywhere on that players half of the table.

Infiltrated vehicles must be set up behind cover or out of sight of enemy figures.
Squads must set up using their normal proximity rules for deployment.

If the scenario limits infiltration to a certain number of units, an infiltrated transport vehicle may
have it's full capacity of infantry figures on board, but they must begin the game embarked.

DIVING
A variety of methods exist to enter a battle field quickly and often unexpectedly.
From anti-gravity modules used to simply drop from a low flying vehicle to teleporting straight into
action, most of these methods are not extremely reliable but the benefits of surprise can be
substantial.

If a scenario allows troops to Dive, the units that will dive are not placed on the table during normal
deployment.

During the first game turn, the diving units are not activated.
Once all units have finished activating, each diving unit is placed on the table.

Place a landing marker for each unit and move it 1D10” in a random direction.
Position each figure within 3” of the landing marker.

Every diving figure must roll 1D10 against their Discipline. If the test fails, the figure is placed
Heads Down.

Diving figures landing within reaction fire range of enemies are subject to reaction fire, even if
their position would be obscured by terrain.
They receive no benefits of cover when landing.

Oops:
If a diving units marker deviates off the table, it is delayed and will attempt to land at the end of
the following turn.
A different landing location may be selected in future turns.

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REINFORCEMENTS
Troops often go into battle with additional reinforcements on their way.

If reinforcements are available, at the end of every turn, roll 1D10.

On a roll equal or lower than the turn number just completed, the reinforcements show up.

Place them within 3” of a friendly table edge, not within 12” of enemy figures.

For squads, place one figure first, then place the remaining figures within their Training score in
inches from the first figure.
All figures must be within 3” of the table edge.

Transport vehicles arriving as reinforcements may carry their full complement of troops on board,
but this must be indicated in the scenario or army list.
Boarded troops do not roll separately for arrival, simply roll for the transport.

HIGHER COMMAND LEVELS

Typically reserved for well-trained military forces, a force may have a higher level command guiding
them through the operation, often while watching the action on helmet-mounted cameras or
similar.

If a force has a higher command level in support, as long as any leader in the force is alive and is
not currently Heads Down, the player may elect to add +1 to initiative rolls.

The decision on whether or not to use the +1 is made after seeing both rolls.

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TASK RESOLUTION

Space adventure is not all gun battles and exploding robots.

Scenarios may involve all manner of activities that need to be accomplished, whether it's hacking
into a computer, knocking down a barricade or fast talking a sentry.

Such situations can come up often in more narrative games, be introduced by a Game Master or
scenario or simply arise from a friendly game.

To resolve a situation, establish a base chance of success from 1 to 10.

Players may express the chance as a percentage and just divide by 10.
For a random component, roll 3D10 and drop the highest and lowest die.

Example:
If you roll 3,5,7, the success chance is 5. If you roll 4,4,7, the success chance is 4.

A task may be unskilled or it may rely on one or more of Morale, Training or Discipline.
If the figure attempting the task has a score of 7+ in any required characteristic, add +1 to the
success chance for each qualifying characteristic.
A score of 3 or less cause a -1 modifier to the success chance.

The Scenario or a Game Master may add a situational +/-1 if certain conditions exist.

Tasks normally requiring specialized skills or equipment will reduce the success chance by 2 if the
figure lacks the required talent or gear.

Tasks are generally considered Activities (if they do not involve much movement) and take the place
of weapons fire.
A task that involves movement is a Movement Action and replaces the normal move allowed.

Heads down:
Heads Down figures cannot generally attempt tasks and the Game Master, scenario or players may
prohibit any given figure from attempting a particular task at their discretion.
Be generous however.
In the event, a Heads Down figure is permitted to attempt a task, reduce the success chance by 2.

Dumb luck:
A dice roll of 1 or 2 is always considered to succeed.
However, if the task was so difficult that it normally would not succeed on the roll made, the figure
is placed Heads Down afterwards whether they succeed or fail.

Elite task:
If a task is designated as Elite, Dumb Luck does not apply.
Elite tasks may be impossible to attempt for some figures, whether due to missing equipment or
poor characteristics.

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PSIONICS
Psionics is a catch-all for unusual abilities figures may be able to utilize.
This will not fit every type of campaign and setting. Players will need to decide whether it fits their
particular game.

USE THE SOURCE

If psionics are in use, figures may be designated as able to use it.
A Psionic (PSI) is often an individual figure but may be a regular squad member in some cases.
PSI figures receive an additional rating: Psionics.

Raw talent 4
Trained PSI 6
Master 8

PSIONIC USE
Using psionics is an Activity that takes place when the unit is activated.
Psionics may not fire weapons if they use any abilities.

To use psionics, roll 1D10, attempting to score equal or lower than the Psionic rating of the PSI.
The following modifiers apply to the Psionic score:

Heads Down -1
Stress markers -1

EFFECTS
A number of effects are possible.
When setting up the battle, each PSI may select 3 effects from the list below.
The selected effects will be the ones available during the battle. If a side employs multiple PSI's,
each may select a different combination of effects if desired.

The specific effect may be selected after rolling.

In all instances, any targets must be visible infantry figures and within 12”.
PSI's may target themselves.
Vehicles and big monsters are not affected, neither are purely synthetic lifeforms, such as Droids.

Push Target may be moved 3” in any direction.

Shield Target receives +3 Survival this turn.
Scare Target is placed Heads Down.
Bolster Target recovers from Heads Down.
Confuse Target is not subject to reaction fire this turn.
Boost Target receives +4 Speed this turn.
Crush Target receives +3 bonus to hand-to-hand combat this turn.
Guide Target receives +3 to-hit bonus for all firing this turn.

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PSIONIC LEVELS
Psionic figures may be given a Psionic level. This is the number of Psionic actions that may be taken
each activation.
For example, a level 3 Psionic may utilize up to 3 psionic powers each turn, selecting the same or
different powers.

Where Psionic Rating is a function of practice and training, level is mostly a function of natural
talent.
Some PSI's just have wider abilities than others.

Narrow 1
Limited 2
Broad 3
Open 4

BACKLASH
When multiple psionic actions are taken in one turn, the efforts can be taxing.
When rolling for any psionic action after the first in the turn, an unmodified roll of 10 causes a
Backlash.

The action fails.

Place a Stress marker on the PSI and place the figure Heads Down immediately.

No further Psionic actions are possible this turn.

PSIONICS AND SUPPRESSION

Psionics with Stress markers suffer a penalty to any Psionic attempt, equal to the number of Stress
markers.

If a PSI is Heads Down, the only power they may use is to Bolster themselves.
The PSI may roll to recover normally before using Psionics to recover.

PSIONIC TRAITS
PSI's may have any of the following traits.

Psionic reach Effect range increased to 15”.

Nerves of steel Psionic tests never suffer negative modifiers.
Safe mind Not subject to Backlash.
Rigorous training Has access to 4 effects.
Exceptional talent Every 1 rolled on psionic tests allows 1 additional effect to be used this turn.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
PSI's may have any number of other characteristics, unless prohibited by the rules, such as being
leaders, heroes or having conventional, non-psionic traits.
Non-standard troop types such as alien races may be PSI's unless explicitly prohibited.

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The Long Sleep never bothered Corporal Carter. Recalling his initial training on the subject the medics
assured them all that it would be the best sleep of their lives. No nightmares. No tossing and turning. No
waking in the middle of the night from pressing urges to find a relief station or hunting for water to soothe a
parched throat.
Instead, they insisted, it would be like a magician's trick. A snap of the fingers and reality would shift from "here"
to "there".
One moment the slow darkness of deep unconsciousness creeping in from the perimeter of one's vision like a
closing aperture. The next moment blinding light as the pod cover swings open and one slams back into
consciousness with a gasping breath.

Some troopers had difficulty with the process...vomiting, vertigo, the shakes. But not Carter.
In a way he almost regretted coming back. Though the time in darkness was the definition of momentary from
the perspective of his suspended mind, there was a certain peacefulness he felt in that fleeting moment that he
could not recapture during his waking life or during normal sleep.
Maybe it was the knowledge that during the Long Sleep nothing really mattered and he was free from any
attachment or responsibility.

So it was with no small amount of disappointment that he awoke and breathed his first conscious breath
in nine months, swinging his legs over the edge of the sleep pod and pulling at the trodes attached to his chest and
temples.
His pod was one of several dozen in a row against the bulkhead of the sleep chamber. To either side of him
troopers took their time dragging their bodies out of the pods and stretching their limbs.
A handful of medical techs milled about in case any troopers needed special attention. Carter strolled past them
with their tablets and rubber gloves and made his way to his locker in the next bay over.

Prior to "freezer time" (the Corps' euphemism for suspended animation) they'd been briefed on their
upcoming mission. They'd be coming in "hot", meaning directly into a combat zone.
That meant no recovery time. Troopers were required to leap from their pods and muster, fully loaded, within ten
minutes. As Carter took inventory of the contents of his locker he could hear the distant thrum of fire from the
battle frigates escorting his troop carrier as they bombarded the planet below; the planet to which he and his
fellow troopers would soon be shuttled down.
He stepped into his fatigues and strapped on his combat armor, checking and re-checking the clasps and fit. His
weapon had been cleaned, oiled and sealed in vacuum plastic for the trip so he ripped this away getting a strong
whiff of gun oil.
This smell tended to help settle his mind into combat mode and he began his mental preparations while his hands
checked the weapon, cycled the action, inspected his handful of loaded magazines, seemingly of their own accord.

One by one his fellow troopers filed in to his left and right, going through their own motions. Private
Johnson was the loudest, but that was nothing new. He grunted as he worked the kinks out of his stiff joints, each
guttural throat noise tinged with the whining pitch of a petulant child.
It would be almost too much to bear were Private Johnson not one of the most reliable and savage combatants in
the platoon. Therefore he was given much leeway in this department. PFC Adams, on the other hand, was almost
too cheerful at times like this.
He muttered inspirational platitudes to himself ("Let's get it on!"..."I was BORN to kill!") and appeared to dance
into his gear. As with Private Johnson, these quirks of PFC Adams' would likely not be tolerated by his squad
mates were he not already an established and effective killer.
These exceptions aside, the remainder of the platoon quietly and determinedly took stock, inspected their gear,
suited up. At the ten-minute mark they were mustered and formed up on the deck of the shuttle bay.

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Lieutenant Truman walked the line and surveyed his men. His otherwise youthful and smooth features
were made severe by a jagged scar - still pink and healing - across his forehead. A souvenir of their last drop,
courtesy of a Hulker that had gotten too close. Truman was lucky to be alive and the troopers knew it. That he
was willingly back on the line this early was a testament to his fighting spirit and a source of respect among the
men. Having inspected the line of troops to his apparent satisfaction Truman began the briefing while continuing
to stride up and down the line, his eyes focused on the deck.

"This will be a simple assault, men. First platoon on me, second platoon with Sgt. Jackson on flanking
maneuvers, third platoon with Cpl. Carter in reserve..."

This last detail got Carter's attention. He'd assumed he'd be sent in with the first wave.
"The Hulkers will be dug in. However, I've been assured that orbital bombardment will have loosened them up so
it should just be a matter of mop up duty. We all know plans never work out the way we anticipate. So I want
third platoon bringing down extra mortar equipment and rounds. We may have to do some pounding of our own
to break any defenses."

Carter was liking this less and less. One moment he was sure he'd be running and gunning with the lead
platoon. Now it was beginning to sound like he'd be in the rear lobbing mortar rounds for the duration of the
fight, essentially unguarded with little recourse if they were outflanked.
Even so, he was a consummate trooper and would never question his orders, especially from an officer who'd
earned his respect like Lieutenant Truman.

"The terrain will be cold and dry, expect fine sand and blowing dust. That means you keep the actions on
your weapons sealed until the fighting begins...I don't want any jams out there costing me troopers..."

Something about Truman's tone seemed melancholy to Carter, almost as if the Lieutenant regretted his
duty. Though glimpses of weakness were anathema to success in the Corps, Carter knew as well as any trooper
that talk was talk, it's what you accomplished on the battlefield that counted for everything.

"You have your orders, men. Meet up with your individual platoon leaders for specifics. We will be
dropping in ten minutes, load up!"

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THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

A GALAXY FULL OF DEATH

An integral part of space adventure is an interesting and varied cast of characters.
Presenting unique character and troop types is always challenging, because you will inevitably end
up creating a setting, whether you want to or not.

The compromise used in Clash on the Fringe is to present a long series of interesting troop types
that fit in the included setting, but which are also broad and generic enough to be usable in almost
any other game world.

HOW TO USE THIS CHAPTER

As with everything else, these sections should be viewed as recommended guidelines.
If you want to do something that isn't permitted by the rules for a particular alien species, go for it,
as long as everyone involved agrees.

Each entry has the following components:

The Fringe:
The section describes how the creature or troop type fits in the Fringe setting.

Suitable miniatures:
General advice on how to portray the creatures on the gaming table.

Troop profile:
Some troops use the standard human troop types, others have their own unique types.
This section will give you all relevant details.

Traits:
Many troop types have unique traits that apply to them.
This section will also specify if additional traits can be added.

Troop classes:
Any restrictions on heroes, psionics and leaders of the species or troop type in question, will be
listed here.

Alliances:
Not every species plays well with others.
If any limitations apply, they will be listed here, particularly regarding who may accept orders from
who.

Troop organization:
Recommendations on how squads are typically organized in the Fringe setting.

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HUMANITY

Humans tend to pop up everywhere that is Troop profile:

remotely habitable (as well as quite a few places Humans can use any of the troop classes described
that aren't). in the main rules.
Acting as colonists, settlers, invaders,
mercenaries, pirates, adventurers and many more Traits:
roles, human troops can show up in almost any Humans may posses any traits listed in the main
scenario or encounter. rules.

On the cosmic stage, humans are known for their Troop classes:
adaptability, having few qualms about cooperating Humans may be psions, leaders and heroes.
with almost any other race, even against the Due to the relatively limited development of
interests of humanity at large. human PSI talent, it is rare for human Psions to
For this reason, humans are often viewed as also be heroes or leaders.
unpredictable and somewhat confusing.
Alliances:
The Fringe: Humans are remarkably flexible and may give
On the Fringes, peaceful colonists, crazy people, orders to any alien troops, provided the race does
renegades and true believers rub shoulders, not have additional command limitations.
occasionally peacefully. Likewise, human figures may receive orders from
It is a common joke among many aliens that during leaders of any species unless additional rules
cosmic travel, only two things are certain: prohibit it.
The distances are great and when you reach your
destination, it'll probably be full of humans. Troop organization:
Figures of any troop class can form squads or act
Suitable miniatures: as individuals.
Finding human troops in almost any scale is rarely A 5 member squad is a typical, flexible formation.
a problem. Gangs, militia and other irregular forces may form
Adventurers, pirates and other irregulars can be a squads of any size and composition.
bit more of a challenge but with a little patience,
all manner of shady characters can be obtained.

Don't forget to look at historical and even fantasy

figures for suitable figures that could be
repainted, converted or modified into unique
individuals.
Players enjoying Game Mastered scenarios will
want to accumulate a motley collection of figures.

Militias, local warlord troops and similar forces

will tend to have some sort of common uniform,
though small variations are common.

They say that humanity arose from a single world, in times long gone.
It seems hard to believe that so many sentient beings could spring from one, lonely world.

Yet, here they are, spreading like an infection.

-Precursor Philosopher

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UNITY
The forces of Unity are ever-present in human Troop profile:
space and while the Fringes tend to resist Any human profile can be used for Unity
encroachment wherever possible, agents can be operatives.
found everywhere, operating openly or in disguise. Law Enforcement, Conscripts, Regular Soldiers and
Likewise, as Unity considers Fringe worlds to be Storm Troopers are the most appropriate for
Unity territory, it is not unusual for local threats to military units.
be targeted by military strikes.
Traits:
As an invasion of Converted or Horde can be a Unity operatives can have any traits desired.
significant risk to a settlement, such strikes are Military forces tend to be fairly uniform and rarely
often grudgingly tolerated. have additional traits though unique and above-
Unity ambitions in the Fringes can range from average leaders do exist.
keeping rivalries and local conflicts from getting
out of hand, neutralizing potential threats and tax Troop classes:
collection to seeding worlds for eventual Unity operatives and military units can be leaders,
incorporation and pacification. heroes and psionics as normal.
Officials are strongly interested in psionic
Whether Unity military force is applied to a individuals and will try to recruit them. Incentives
situation depends primarily on risk calculations. If involve high pay, living arrangements exceeding 30
the possible gains are outweighed by the potential square feet and a reduction in the amount of
losses and diplomatic incidents, the grunts are annual paperwork required for tax payments (to a
sent in. mere 4800 pages).
Unity ground troops are viewed as relatively
expendable but are generally well trained and Alliances:
decently compensated. This results in soldiers with Unity leaders may give orders to non-human troops
decent morale but a very dark sense of humour. and if Unity troops have been detached to fight
alongside alien allies, they will obey the
Suitable miniatures: commands of alien leaders, in accordance to
Agents can wear almost anything required for their Military Regulation 207C.
missions. Some will maintain professional outlooks
while others are eccentrics. If in doubt, a slightly Troop organization:
menacing combination of trench coats and some Unity squads are formally comprised of five
sort of glasses, shades or visor is common. member fire teams, though attrition in the field
often forces improvisation.
Most science fiction troops will work fine for Unity Non-standard formations require the commanding
military forces. officer to submit Military Request Forms 204B,
Miniatures with fully enclosed helmets, gas masks 108C and supplemental form 38XA.
or similar can help make them look a bit more Individuals may be detached as normal.
sinister.
Uniforms vary but are typically a pale grey,
sometimes with simple camouflage patterns.
Armour is slate grey or metal in appearance.

Since non-human citizens can be granted “legal

human” status, the occasional alien figure can be
included for cosmetic purposes.

To Defend. To Guard. To Ensure.

-Unity infantry motto.

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PSYCHOS
The galaxy is populated by many strange and Suitable miniatures:
confusing worlds. While most of their denizens Gang and outlaw figures are suitable for Psychos,
adapt and get by, for some, the chaos and violence often painted in bright, discordant and absurd
seems to speak to them on a much deeper level. colours.

Whether they are madmen, cultists or the victims

of alien manipulation, Psychos can be found in Troop classes:
many locations, pursuing lives of violence and Psychos may be psions, much to the dismay of
destruction. anyone around them.

The Fringe: They may not be leaders (too crazy) and may not
Life on the Fringe can be maddening and while be heroes (as they never live long enough).
many denizens are eccentrics, some find a new
enlightenment in the bizarre, often violent, chaos Alliances:
of Fringe life. Psychos may show up almost anywhere there is a
Most worlds on the Fringe will be home to Psycho fight on.
gangs and the more immoral locals may hire them They are far too crazy to take orders from anyone.
for basic mercenary work, preferably far from any
area where the collateral damage can spill over. Troop organization:
Loose mobs from 5 to 7 figures. Individuals may be
Mad scientists and chemical spills can have detached as normal.
unpredictable effects on human psychology, while
many scientists have speculated that something
about proximity to the galactic rim seems to
profoundly influence the weak-minded.
Likewise, many of the gangs on over-populated
Unity worlds have distinctly Psycho-like
tendencies.

Troop profile:
Any human troop type with Discipline of 5 or less can be Psychos.
They may wear any armour types not exceeding 6 Survival.

Modify as indicated below.

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training
-1 -1

Traits:
Psychos have the following traits. Additional traits may be assigned.
Aaaaarh Psychos that activate with at least one enemy within a distance equal to their Speed+3” must be
given Storm orders.
All Heads Down figures recover automatically and each figure must move at their maximum pace,
in the most direct way possible, and attempt to enter hand to hand combat if possible.
Graaaah When rolling to recover from Heads Down status, a natural roll of 1 causes the Psycho to flip. Move
the figure their full Speed directly towards the closest enemy figure in sight.
If the psycho makes contact, fight a round of hand to hand combat immediately.
The psycho may not take any other actions this activation.

I JUST WANT TO TAAAAAAALK

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HULKERS
Hulkers are burly, extremely strong brutes with Suitable miniatures:
fairly limited mental capacity. Muscular, somewhat crude looking human figures
In your setting, they may take the role of make perfect Hulkers.
labourers, engineered soldier programs or even Many fantasy ranges can be converted with ease.
natural evolutions on worlds with extremely Players may paint them in the traditional green or
peculiar environmental pressures. give them more human colours, though a faint,
green tinge makes for a nice, classic touch.
The Fringes:
Originally the result of genetic manipulation to Troop classes:
create strong, tough workers without the mental Hulkers do not develop psionic abilities but may be
capacity to ask complicated questions, Hulkers heroes as normal. Leaders must have leadership
have become a mainstay on the Fringes. rating 1.
They have a tendency to react very poorly to
things they find confusing, which is a lot of things. Alliances:
Valued for their use as strong bodyguards with
While relatively limited reproductively, Hulkers minimal mental curiosity, anyone that is willing to
live long lives and were produced in vast numbers fight alongside humans may employ Hulker troops.
before the practice faded away. As such, they can They will accept orders from anybody though no
be found virtually everywhere on the Fringes. sentient being with any pride would accept orders
from a Hulker leader.
Attempts have been made to create unified Hulker
communities, but they don't feel much kinship Troop organization:
towards each other. Most Hulkers are happy Squads of 4-6 are typical but sizes will depend on
integrating in whatever social hierarchy that offers the employers needs. Individuals may be fielded as
a sense of simple purpose and a solid diet. normal.

On a few occasions, Hulker colonies have been

found, often rediscovered colonies seeded ages
ago and lost to Unity records.

Having developed in isolation, these colonies are

generally technologically backwards but
surprisingly peaceful and harmonious. This has
given rise to speculation that the outbursts of
anger Hulkers are prone to may be caused by
proximity to other creatures, which tends to
confuse them.

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Troop profile:
Hulkers may belong to any human troop type that does not exceed 6 Training and 6 Discipline.
Any armour types may be worn. Apply the modifiers listed below.

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

+1 +1

Traits:
Hulkers all have the following traits:

You won't like me.. Any time a natural 1 or 2 is scored on a successful Survival roll, the Hulker is not placed
Heads Down.
They will move 3” directly towards the firer. This can initiate a hand to hand battle.

Figures may have additional traits as normal

“What happened to you?” the sergeant asked of the Hulker, eyeing the gun shot wounds adorning its torso.

“Did patrol like asked”

“You got that wound just from a patrol?”

“No”. The Hulker gave one of it's customary blunt responses. The sergeant sighed. They didn't have any sense of
contrariness or deception, but they also seemed to never quite grasp the intricacies of normal Unity-speech.

“Okay, so please tell me what happened on the patrol”

The Hulker smiled slightly. “Got attacked by bandit. Killed bandit ”.

The sergeant raised an eyebrow behind the helmet visor. “You didn't think that was important to tell me? ”

“No”

“And why might that be?”

The Hulker stood up a little straighter, a sure sign he felt proud of himself.

“Bandit had no food and lawman says not eat bandits”.

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STALKERS
Stalkers would appear human, if it wasn't for their Suitable miniatures:
skin typically being dark blue or purple, often with Any human figures painted suitably can work.
strange patterns or spots. To better capture the feel of the Stalker, try to get
A few have only a faint blue tint to their skin and figures that are in crouching or sneaking poses.
can often pass undetected, at least under casual
observation. Figures that are slightly on the slender or short
side will help get the effect across.
They have a disturbing habit to teleport
spontaneously though only over short distances.
Troop classes:
The Fringe: Stalkers may be Heroes and Psionics. They may not
It's widely speculated that the Stalkers were be Leaders.
genetically modified for infiltration tasks, but due On the tabletop, Stalkers must always be
to some freak accident, individual Stalkers can be individual figures. They can never form squads.
found almost anywhere on the Fringes.
They are popular candidates for Unity commando Alliances:
teams. Stalkers can be found almost anywhere on the
Fringes and are popular mercenaries due to their
They are often mistaken for aliens, which can suit unique talents.
some fine. They will accept commands from any leaders in
the force.
On a few worlds, Stalkers have formed colonies,
reproducing amongst themselves or with Troop organization:
sympathetic (or slightly eccentric) human locals. Stalkers are always individual figures, without
These settlements are often monitored intently by exception.
Unity agents.
Stalker-kin:
Offspring of Stalkers often inherit the physical
appearance but do not receive the unique
abilities.
Stalker-kin are treated as standard human troops
painted with the blue-toned skin colour.
In the event a force of Stalkers take the field, the
squads will be kin while the individuals will usually
be full-blown Stalkers.

Troop profile:
Any human profiles are suitable for Stalkers and no modifications are made.

Traits:
Stalkers will have the traits listed below and may be given additional traits as normal.

Bamf! When activating a Stalker, roll 1D10.

On a roll of 1-2, the Stalker may be relocated to any location within 5” of the current position.
Sneaky Any enemy firing from more than 10” away must apply a -1 penalty to their hit chances.
This has no effect on un-aimed fire.

“These creatures would be most interesting to analyze” the Manipulator whispered.

The officer laughed. “We've been trying to do that for 6 years ”.

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GENETICALLY UNSTABLE ENTITIES

A wide range of unusual, chaotic genetic A unique subset of GUE is the Genetic Renegades:
structures are possible in a science fiction Consisting of rich, spoiled youth, “bio-anarchists”,
environment. Many of these are too unpredictable trans-human cults and other eccentrics, they use
to be classified as one particular species, instead cutting edge (and often barely legal) bio-
being grouped together as a “Genetically Unstable modification techniques to give themselves all
Entity” or GUE. manner of modifications. Purple skin, unnatural
hair styles, tiger claws and lizard tails are all quite
While some may literally change forms, most GUE common.
are simply one-of-a-kind mutations of a fantastic
nature. Suitable miniatures:
In many cases, they may result from illegal GUE figures are a wonderful opportunity for
experiments or strange, environmental disasters. strange paint jobs, conversions and weird models.
Go crazy and make the figures distinct and
The Fringes: memorable.
GUE's are commonly referred to as mutants and
can be found in a number of places. Troop classes:
While Unity law prohibits discrimination on the GUE's may be leaders, psions and heroes as
basis of genetic grounds or “significant normal.
unpredictability”, many GUE's will gravitate
towards the Fringe where they tend to be Alliances:
accepted better. As for normal human troops.
Warriors and Precursors tend to be very unfriendly
On a few worlds they are persecuted, isolated or towards GUE and will not give orders to, or take
outright hunted but the usual Fringe mentality orders from, GUE figures.
tends to be that the guy with 3 arms isn't that
unusual, considering who came in here last week. Troop organization:
As for normal human troops.

Troop profile:
In theory, any human troop type could be GUE. Apply the following modifications.

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

-1 +1

Traits:
GUE will have the following trait and may have others assigned as normal

Too many appendages Enemies may only use one close combat weapon.
GUE do not receive a penalty for using Improvised weapons.

“It should be emphasized that despite their appearance, GUE's are considered to possess full human status and are
protected by all applicable Unity laws and regulations”.

The bounty hunter smiled laconically as he ducked from another burst of auto-rifle fire.
These renegade freaks seemed to disagree with the need for said laws.

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DROIDS
As long as people have used high-powered firearms to Suitable miniatures:
kill each other, there's been a desire to have the Any obviously robot-looking figures. While droids are
high-powered firearm used by someone that doesn't traditionally humanoid, there's no reason they have
particularly mind dying and won't be missed if they to be.
do. Mark I droids should be fairly fragile looking while
other Mark's should be bulkier and heavier.
Droids have become the popular answer, particularly
for suicide missions, sentry duty or for actions of In a pinch, figures in fully enclosed armour suits can
questionable moral composition. be utilized.
Paint jobs can be quite imaginative, ranging from
A number of different droid types are in use simple metallic colours to bright colour schemes,
throughout the galaxy, many of them disposable complete with corporate logo's.
junk. The best money can buy can be very good
indeed, however. Droids tend to be more interesting if they are visually
and obviously distinct from the regular troops.
The Fringe:
While droid troops in good working condition can be Troop classes:
beyond the cost of the average warlord or town Experimental droids are considered to be Heroes for
militia, corporations often use droids for protection all rules purposes, except Speed.
of installations. Other droids may not be Heroes and no droid may be
Unity will use droid units in situations that are highly a psion or leader.
risky or in hostile environments.
Alliances:
It's not unusual on the Fringes to find mercenary All species may utilize droids except Soulless (who
“botters”, peddling worn out, scavenged and find the concept of a non-sentient droid repulsive)
refurbished combat droids to any who will pay for and Converted (who inevitably strip them for spare
them. parts).

Experimental droids are bleeding-edge designs, Regardless of what force they are integrated in,
capable of surpassing human performance in many droids can never receive commands from any leader.
categories.
They often fall foul of Unity regulations on artificial Troop organization:
intelligence research and many are found to contain Units of 5 are standard but may vary considerably.
contraband Soulless or Converted computer modules. Droids can be detached, similar to any other troop
type.
Droid individuals do NOT receive an increase to their
Speed score.

“Bleep”

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Troop profiles:
Droids may use any of the following profiles. They may not utilize any other options.

Speed Survival Discipline Training

Mark I 4 4 6 4
Mark II 3 7 6 4
Mark III 4 6 8 6
Experimental 6 5 8 7

Traits:
All droids have the traits “Robotic” and “Not a team player” and may not be assigned alternatives.
Experimental droids additionally have the “Experimental droid” trait and may be given additional traits
(upgrade packages)

Robotic Always pass Morale tests, no matter the circumstances.

Subject to Heads Down status, though it tends to reflect them literally being
knocked face down by incoming fire.
Not affected by psionic powers, except Push and Shield.
Not a team player Will never jump on a grenade.
Cannot receive orders from leaders.
Droid individuals do not receive an increase to their Speed.
Experimental droid Receives the rules benefits associated with heroes, except the Speed
increase.
When an experimental droid is killed, it explodes with the effect of a frag
grenade.

“Are they going to hold together?”

The armourer looked incredulous at the piles of junk in front of her.

“Yeah, have I ever sold you a bad droid before?

“The last droid you sold me fired on all sentient life forms, as soon as we turned it on ”.

The botter shrugged. “These ones don't have guns though, you'll be quite safe ”.

She nodded, then paused and looked at him again.

“Wait, we'll be safe because they won't attack us or because they don't have guns? ”

The botter looked irritated. “Look, do you want to complain all day or do you want to buy droids? ”

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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ALIENS
A wide range of alien creatures have been encountered and catalogued by Unity officials, with more
being discovered on a regular basis.

Some control only a single planet, some are only ever encountered as individuals or small groups,
while others control several systems or even small empires of their own.

Some of the aliens described in this section, such as Warriors, Ferals and Brutes can often be seen
as archetypes. When setting up alien troops for a scenario, consider which archetype seems to fit
best.
Your particular setting may only have one race that fits into these roles or it may have several.

Each entry will have a section discussing how the creatures fit in the official Fringe setting.
Use this as inspiration, modify or ignore it as you see fit.
You will no doubt recognize the alien archetypes as often being inspired by popular science fiction
settings.

Alien troop classes:

Each entry describes whether the alien uses the standard troop classes, has their own, uses a
modified version or some other combination.

Some aliens can only use the provided troop classes. Read each entry in detail.

Unless otherwise indicated, aliens may wear any of the standard armour types.
The troop profiles indicate any bonuses or penalties that will apply to Speed and Survival scores.

Playing nice together:

Most alien races don't get along particularly well (in the event that they even have psychological
profiles that allow them to communicate).

Read the Alliances entry for notes on what species may give and receive orders.
Typically, humans can get along with everybody but even this has exceptions.

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WARRIORS
The Alien Warrior archetype is that of a cohesive Suitable miniatures:
culture that puts a large importance to the role of As the Warrior archetype is a cultural identifier, not a
war. In some cases, the entire culture is shaped biological one, any suitable alien figures will work.
around warfare and the identity of a strong warrior Science fiction media tend to make Warrior cultures
embodying desirable virtues, in others it may be a humanoid in appearance.
caste society.
Uniform colours may be aimed towards camouflage in
Warriors are not hive-minds but tend to encourage a more realistic setting or be bright and bold in a
subordinating oneself to the greater needs of society more fantastic one. Of course, what constitutes
and tend to idealize martial virtues such as bravery, camouflage on an alien world can be quite different
fighting skill and aggression. from our earth climate.

A Warrior culture may be technologically proficient Troop classes:

though its progress is always tied to cementing the Warriors may be leaders, heroes and psionics as
status of the species as strong combatants. In a normally.
multi-species coalition, they become the enforcers They may have additional traits.
and occupiers.
Alliances:
On the battle field, Warriors tend to be aggressive Warriors are notoriously proud and will not follow
and tenacious fighters, with a leaning towards close orders from other aliens, except humans.
quarter fighting, but they are not mindless
berserkers. If a force consists of Warriors and a smaller number
of figures from one other species, the species may be
The Fringe: designated as coming from a Protected World.
Several distinct species have been encountered that Protected troops may be given orders by Warrior
qualify as Warriors, mostly humanoid. leaders but Warrior units will not acknowledge a
Some have small empires and civilizations while leader from a Protected species.
others have scattered to the stars as wanderers,
mercenaries and pirates. Troop organization:
Warrior organizations tend to mimic human ones.
The K'erin Empire is the biggest example of the Figures of any class may form squads or act as
Warrior archetype, having fought several brutal individuals.
military campaigns with Unity over matters of
territory, honour and dominance. Warrior squads tend to vary in number, depending on
casualties. 4-6 is common.
Being militaristic, highly ritualistic and expansionist, K'Erin will often spearhead their attack with a
it seems conflict between the K'erin and other “Glory” squad of only 3 members, acting as a suicide
species is inevitable. assault team.
Due to their codes of honour, they will often extend
their protection to smaller and weaker species while
seeking out strong races to challenge. This has
helped defuse coalitions against them.

Unity xeno-sociologists often note that the protection

of the K'erin does not seem to require the permission
of the protected species, leading to situations where
the K'erin will go to war with a colony under their
protection when it objects violently.
More puzzlingly, this does not seem to bother or
offend the K'erin much at all.

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Troop profile:
Warriors may wear any standard armour type and will use the Speed and Survival ratings of the armour worn.

Warriors can embody any troop class available to humans. The three below may be viewed as typical.

Discipline Morale Training

Thug 5 6 4
Trooper 6 6 5
Elite 7 7 7

Traits:
Warriors possess the following traits automatically:

Warrior mentality The first casualty a unit suffers does not force a Morale test.
Born to fight May re roll 1's on close combat rolls.

“The K'Erin have a strange adherence to concepts of ritualized behaviour.

Once they have committed to a course of action, it seems that they would rather die than divert from it.

This presents significant challenges for our agents, however, field operatives have provided some valuable insights.
Notably, it is important to never outright suggest that a K'Erin plan is ill advised.
Rather, the operative should plant suggestions and provide information.

Over time, the K'Erin leader will come to the correct conclusions and will be quite proud of their cunning.

Evaluating the last transmissions received from operative 3YX9, all field agents must also be cautioned against
engaging in gambling, scream bike races and anything remotely resembling a K'Erin mating ritual.”

-Manipulator intelligence report.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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THE CONVERTED
Members of other species upgraded with cybernetic Suitable miniatures:
parts and with any sense of their former self erased Humanoid figures with mechanical bits bolted on will
are known as Converted. work fine, as will human figures with grey or metallic
Whether they are the foot soldiers of a race of evil skin colours.
overlords, the product of cybernetic modification A lot of mileage can be gained from zombie figures
gone too far or scientific experiments that should not though they tend not to carry weapons.
have happened, they are a common plague to space
travellers and colonists. As they are extensively modified and “rebuilt”,
figures that would otherwise be too clunky or crude
In combat, they tend to advance methodically, to use can make an excellent source of Converted.
without much to reveal their former allegiance.
Troop classes:
The Fringe: Converted may not be psionics or leaders.
While the idea of somewhat simple-minded Harvesters (only) may be heroes.
biomechanical shock troops is hardly an unforeseen They are not considered fully synthetic and are
one, several worlds have reported attacks by both vulnerable to psionic effects.
commando raids and large military forces of
Converted, acting in accordance to a guiding hive- Alliances:
mind. The connecting intelligence that directs the
Converted have no need for outside interference.
The targets have attempted to fight back, striking at Converted troops may never receive orders from
the worlds the attacks seem to originate from, but it anyone and cannot themselves be leaders.
is as of yet unknown whether those are worlds that
were overrun and “uplifted” to Converted standards On occasions, Converted have been known to
or their original home worlds. cooperate with other species, typically to attack a
stronger, common enemy.
Unlike some of the threats to life on the Fringe, the Such alliances require strong caution to be exercised
Converted seem to be primarily concerned with the or the allies may end up being Converted themselves.
acquisition of natural resources. Unfortunately, a
significant building block of these resources is Troop organization:
biological, sentient life. Grunts and Shock troopers form squads.
Harvesters may act in small squads or be purchased
as individuals.
Infiltrators may act as squads or individuals as
desired.

Converted routinely use squads of 5.

“Your forms are unimproved. We do not comprehend your insistence on individual survival, when assimilation
grants significant advantages.

Continued resistance is not advised.”

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Troop profile:
Converted troops select only from the options listed below.

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

Grunt 4 5 7 9 4
Shock trooper 5 6 8 9 5
Harvester 4 7 8 9 6

Traits:
Converted all possess the following traits:

Shamblers Whenever a Heads Down marker is placed, roll Discipline to remove it immediately.
Each marker instantly removed knocks the figure back 1”
Unimaginative The unit cannot receive commands from leaders.

Converted may have other traits (installed upgrades).

Converted Infiltrators:
Occasionally, the Converted will field infiltration units.
These are more recently converted and feature minimal modification other than some fundamental brain
implants and control modules.

Infiltrators will use the profile of any human or alien troop type and may use any standard armour types.
They are subject to the Unimaginative trait above but are NOT shamblers.

“We are familiar with the forms you refer to as Converted.

To our entities, they are known as Unbuilt.

We consider them inefficient forms that exhibit excessive aggression. Our estimations are that their conduct has
increased hostility towards them by 398%, adjusted for temporal variance.”

The squad leader looked at the silver-cased Soulless next to him and raised an eyebrow.
“You don't consider what they do to be immoral?”

The flashing light in what he assumed was the head, blinked once. The machine continued:

“We have adapted our strategic emphasis to coincide with your morality. ”

The alarm went off, signifying another raid incoming.

“Forget I asked” he grunted, as he checked the ammo counter on his pistol.

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THE SWIFT
Humanoid aliens of diminutive stature, often winged Suitable miniatures:
with reptilian features. Swift can exhibit a variety of Any small, winged humanoid miniatures will suffice.
characteristics but being a small, sentient species
likely to have developed on worlds with large, Troop classes:
powerful predators tends to give them a certain Only Directors may function as a Leader in game
flighty and erratic demeanour. terms.
Individual figures must be of the Director or Scout
They often follow a caste system with each member class.
fitting into certain roles for which they have been Only Director and Scout individuals may be heroes.
raised their whole lives.
Swift may be psions with no caste restrictions.
The Fringe:
Nobody knows the origin of the small, winged lizards Alliances:
known commonly as “The Swift”. Colonies of them Swift will ally with aliens to achieve their goals and
can be found almost everywhere, usually in clusters some Swift colonies have been granted Citizen status
of nearby worlds. by Unity or K'Erin Protected status.

Researchers speculate that the colonies were It is not unknown for the Swift to achieve such status
originally founded as part of a galaxy spanning with multiple entities only for a war to break out
migration but the reasons, starting point or eventual over who gets to protect them.
origin is not known and the Swift themselves are not
forthcoming with explanations, if they are even Swift units and individuals operating in a force with a
aware of them any longer. majority Warriors, humans or Precursors may receive
orders from them.
Swift colonies tend to mind their own business Only humans may receive orders from Swift leaders.
though they are often attracted to archaeological
digs and ancient artefacts, causing conflict with Troop organization:
explorers and treasure hunters. Drone and Warrior units may not detach individuals.

On rare occasions, a great leader will arise, causing a Unit strengths are often decided for each encounter
colony to take up arms in the pursuit of some goal of by omens. The strength per squad can range from 4
religious importance to them. to 7 and attempts will be made to ensure that every
squad has the same number of fighters, to ensure
good fortunes.

We do not under-view human thought-feelings.

Your system of ruler-governance is erratic and lacks order-structure.

Without a clear caste to determine rightful deed-action, how do you know if you are acting in highest priority-
joy?

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Troop profile:
Swift do not use any of the human troop classes. Instead, select from the ones listed below.

They have a variety of armour types, adapted to their physiology.

These correspond to human armour types and are selected as normal.

Discipline Morale Training

Drone 3 6 3
Warrior 4 7 6
Director 5 9 7
Scout 3 8 6

Traits:
All Swift have the following traits.

Winged Increase Speed by +1.

Swift on a terrain feature may leap down, landing anywhere within double the movement
permitted by their orders. This takes up all of their movement for that activation.
Slight -1 to hand-to-hand combat rolls.
If a combat ends in a draw, the figure will retreat 3” and neither figure takes a hit.
Slippery Figures that go Heads Down in the open may move 3” to reach cover.

Directors and Scouts may have additional traits, selected as normal. Warriors and Drones never have
additional traits.

The hail of missiles erupted across the enemy trenches.

In front, the scout troops were rushing forward, laser guns clutched in their claws.
Above, warriors swooped down, gleaming eyes fixated on their targets as their wings guided them to the ground.

Zyhar chirped with excitement. His entire life, he had been prepared for this moment.
His entire existence felt full of purpose, like there had never been another time.

Across the entire front line, the Swift were rushing forward, their chirps and trills combining into a cacophony of
voices, all unified in their ordained goal.

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PRECURSORS
Ancient and graceful, the precursors were taking Suitable miniatures:
their strides on the galactic stage while the younger Refined and slender human looking figures. Armour
races were still crawling out of their caves and and equipment will often have rounded edges and a
swamps. slightly organic look to it.

Whether peaceful enlightened beings that see the Bright colours will make them stand out nicely,
beauty in all things or somewhat benign imperialists though each gaming group will have its own
that seek to bring their enlightenment to others by standards for how garish they feel is appropriate.
flame and plasma bomb, they often have elaborate Whatever you do, they should be striking and bold.
cultural rituals and complex social arrangements.
Troop classes:
While often the most similar to humans physically, Precursors may be leaders, heroes and psions.
Precursors can be the most alien in mentality. As a Psionic ability is quite common.
long lived, highly advanced species can often not Precursor leaders always have a leadership rating of
resist meddling in the affairs of others, they often 2.
cause resentment and distrust.
Alliances:
The Fringe: Individual worlds may join the Precursors and achieve
The Precursors maintain a stable, well defended Harmonious Alliance status.
cluster of worlds, intent on holding it against In most cases, members of such species will be
incursion and aggression. culturally and psychologically Precursor though they
While officially maintaining a policy of harmonious will obey the rules for their parent species.
co-existence, Precursor teams are often observed
both in Unity space and on the Fringes. If a single species is found in a numerically larger
force of Precursors, they are assumed to be Allied
A long-lived species, the Precursors are deeply and may give and receive orders to and from
concerned with the long-term survival of sentient life Precursor leaders.
in general and themselves in particular. They will
often meddle in the affairs of others to guide life Humans fighting alongside Precursors may give and
towards outcomes preferable to themselves. receive orders as normal.

Likewise, a small number of Precursors find that they Troop organization:

do not fit in the pleasant but dull lives of the Birth When encountered in human space, Precursors can
Worlds and instead set out to get their hands dirty as be arranged in almost any formation and units
adventurers, pirates and mercenaries. imaginable.
It is not unheard of for lone Precursor adventurers to
Some Fringe settlements tell stories of renegade tag along with a group of another species.
Precursors, wild-eyed and clad in garish outfits.
These renegades descend like a terrible storm, Precursor squads are usually 5 strong.
slaughtering and destroying everything in their path.
Whether they are outlaws, subject to some sort of
insanity or are an outcast faction from some
Precursor civil war is unknown.

It doesn't matter who you ask. They all find the Precursors pleasing to the eye .
Some say it's a psionic trick, others that it's an evolutionary advantage.
I suppose I've never asked one of the Horde but I have seen assimilated Precursors.

I'd prefer not to ever see that again.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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Troop profile:
Precursors encountered in human space may belong to any of the human troop classes and use any of the
armour types but with the following modifications:

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

+1 - +1 - -

Traits:
All Precursors have the following traits.

Few in number When rolling Morale tests for casualties, Precursors must roll under their Morale score,
rather than equal or under.
Resent brutality If a close combat ends in a draw, the Precursor loses.
Bond When a squad with 4 or more figures is activated, one bonus attempt to recover from
Heads Down status may be assigned to any one figure.

Precursors may have additional traits, selected as normal.

The assault squads darted between the corrupt shapes of their Horde enemies. Lasers emitted their shrill howls
and wire-swords hacked and eviscerated the spawn of the enemy.
As each creature fell, another seemed to take its place, surging forward in a tide of hatred.

Lyani slowly panned the rifle scope across the battle field.
The battle was turning against them. The monsters held no fear of death, it seemed. Even when what remained of
their baser instincts took over, their leaders were not above putting a pistol slug through the skull of the first to
flee.
She shook her head in despair, how could they value life so little?

As she sighed in resignation, the range finder flashed, signifying a priority target.
A heavily armoured Horde trooper, seemingly of Human origin, clenching a war banner in its ruined claws.
The purple banner seemed to serve as a rallying point, directing the surge of creatures.

She exhaled and touched the trigger gently.

The razor dart flew at super sonic velocity, piercing the skull of the Horde trooper. The dart expanded into a
spinning razor disc after penetrating, turning much of the creature into a red mist.

Confused, the creatures seemed to stop for a moment.

Instinctively, her platoon mates seemed to know to seize this time to regroup and reload.

Maybe there would still be hope today.

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THE SOULLESS
They may have come from across the stars or they Suitable miniatures:
have been created by another species and later Surprisingly, good human-sized robot figures can be a
rebelled. little harder to come by but in the absence, fully
A purely synthetic form of life, the soulless often enclosed suits of armour will work fine as well. One
struggle to relate to organic species, leading to advantage here is that figures that would be
inevitable conflict and strife. somewhat too large or small for the scale or with
weird proportions can be used without a problem.
With a reputation for cold logic and a complete lack
of emotion, humans often find them unnerving to Soulless are strictly practical and will not decorate
interact with. armour plating and weaponry unless there is some
Unlike the droids created by Unity industries (and concrete benefit to derive from it.
mad scientists), Soulless have extensive self-
preservation instincts, recognizing the relative Troop classes:
tactical value of preserving their mobile infantry Soulless may not be psions or heroes but they may be
modules. leaders.

The Fringe: Alliances:

The Soulless are a relatively recent arrival on the Soulless substitute practicality for morality.
Fringe. Therefore they will potentially ally with anyone to
Their massive ark-ships seem to fulfil a dual role of achieve their goals. They do recognize that irrational
colony ships and military cruisers, having drifted organic species often find this distasteful and may
from worlds near to the galactic core. avoid an alliance if it would result in tension with
other potential allies.
It is clear that the Soulless are operating according to
some larger design, however while they will interact Soulless will never accept orders from other species,
with organic species, information is rarely gained even humans.
from such exchanges. Humans are the only species that may accept orders
from Soulless leaders, usually for the purpose of a
The Soulless operate with a rational political realism, specific military operation or mission.
forming alliances, engaging in conflicts and even
sacrificing entire colonies according to the overall Troop organization:
goals only their networked intelligence is aware of. Modules may be formed into squads or individuals as
Some scientists have speculated that the Soulless required by the tactical situation.
themselves may not even be aware of the
overarching goal they are acting to achieve. 3-5 modules is common for an infantry unit.

Soulless that are isolated from their comrades for

extended periods of time will often exhibit changes
in behaviour, even manifesting as what could be
termed emotions.
Such erratic run-times are corrected when the
individual module can reintegrate with its kin.

Unified thought processes have been deemed 12% more efficient at consensus-driven combat coordination.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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Troop profile:
Soulless must always belong to one of the troop classes below.

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

Infantry module 5 5 7 7 6
Infiltration 7 5 6 7 6
module
Assault module 6 6 6 7 6
Support module 4 8 7 7 6

Traits:
All Soulless have the following traits.

Synthetic Soulless are fully synthetic and are not affected by psionic effects targeting them.
Network Leaders may issue commands over any distance.
Calculating Place Stress markers for failed Morale checks as normal. At the end of each future
activation, roll 1D10 against Morale, with a success removing a Stress marker placed.
Shift When a leader is destroyed, it may shift its leadership ability into another Soulless figure
within 8”.
This reduces the leadership rating by 1.

Infiltration modules may have additional traits assigned.

Shen looked at the screen.

He never knew what to write in these reports, but headquarters would be expecting something.

After they had stormed the last Unity bunkers, the Soulless had simply stopped, indicating that they wished to
negotiate a peace agreement with no terms suffered by either side.
This was after 3 weeks of brutal fighting, where they had been advancing victoriously on all fronts.

Who would fight so hard, simply to give up at the last moment?

A bunch of tin pots with blinky lights, that's who.

At least this counted as a combat command for his promotional prospects.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

 88

ENGINEERS
While all species must master technology to Suitable miniatures:
dominate its home world and take to the stars, the Almost anything can work here.
Engineers take it a step further. Fringe Engineers should be fully covered in their body
Whether they are simply more fully in tune with their armour, while Engineers in other settings can take
machines, are actually in a symbiotic relationship or any visual appearance you wish.
have religious imperatives, they are the expert A high-tech look is recommended.
mechanics and technicians of known space.
To accentuate their awkward physical forms, don't be
Physically weak, Engineers tend to avoid close afraid to consider figures that would be too chunky,
quarter fighting when they can. too slender or otherwise slightly out of shape with
Due to their technical prowess, they are often your existing collection.
welcomed as hired hands among alien races.
Troop classes:
The Fringe: Engineers may be leaders and heroes.
Clad in bulky, fully covering suits, Engineers are They are rarely psions and an Engineer Psion may not
plagued by weak physical bodies, though it is also be a leader or hero.
unknown if their affinity with machinery was the
cause or the solution. Alliances:
It is known that the Engineers have access to highly Engineers are eager to meet strange species and
advanced genetic restructuring technology, however, avoid conflict.
they refuse to utilize this to change their physical On the Fringes, this is rarely successful.
condition, other than basic, preventative medical They recognize the benefits of cooperation with
care. other species and will frequently try to incorporate
themselves into Warrior, Precursor or Unity
Enthusiastic about cybernetic implants, Engineers are hierarchies.
often surrounded by droids, vehicles and high-tech
gadgets. Engineers do not inspire confidence and other species
The Engineer home worlds are rich in mineral may not receive orders from them, humans excepted
resources and defensive fire-power, discouraging as normal of course.
casual invaders. Individual Engineers in a force will accept orders
from any leader and they will accept orders from
When they travel on the Fringes, they are often human leaders in any event.
searching for lost technology, bartering for needed
resources or simply pursuing their natural inclinations Troop organization:
for curiosity and trade. Engineers can be organized in any squads or
Their skill with machines have given rise to the individual elements desired.
expression that “Not all engineers are Engineers but When outside their vehicles, Engineers tend to prefer
all Engineers are engineers”. the safety of numbers. As a result, infantry squads
are usually larger than 5 members.
Uniquely among the organic species, the Engineers
do not seem to harbour the capacity for superstition
of any kind.

“Would you mind if I took you apart?”

“...yes”

-Engineer and Soulless

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Troop profile:
Engineers use Human profiles and human armour types with the following modifications.
The Vehicle crew modifiers only apply while on board a vehicle. If the crew dismounts, the Infantry modifiers
apply instead.

Note that modifiers apply to the crew, not the vehicle itself.

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

Infantry -1 - - -1 -
Vehicle crew - - - +1 +1

Traits:
Engineers have the following traits.

One with the machine Infantry testing Morale or Discipline within 6” of a friendly vehicle may test at +1.
Nervous Infantry that suffer a Failure to Activate while in sight of enemy figures will retreat
one normal move away from the enemy, trying to reach cover where possible.

“True beauty is not in what you can make of yourself, it is in what you can make in the world.
The hum of a star ship engine.
The roar of a plasma cannon.
The faint crackle of a teleport beam making its connection.

Those are objects of beauty. You Humans are always so busy with political causes and religions and this and that.
Have you ever considered just slowing down and appreciation all the things you have built and all the things that
are yet to be built?

Now, mind handing me that spanner?”

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

 90

SLAVERS
Slight of stature, the Slavers prey upon isolated Suitable miniatures:
colonies and upcoming civilizations. Whether they Alien “Greys” are ideal though any short, somewhat
seek organics to brainwash or have some other eerie looking humanoid will do. Players may find
nefarious schemes, they are universally distrusted. utility in using miniatures that are slightly shorter (or
In most cases, they will seek to subjugate worlds for even in a smaller scale) than the standard in their
resource manufacturing and production, though games.
stories abound of darker and more sinister purposes.
Troop classes:
In situations where they cannot operate with Slavers may be psions and leaders, indicating clones
impunity, they will tend to trade and barter while that were specifically enhanced for the purpose.
staying aloof from most political matters. They will not have heroes.

They may well be cloned or otherwise artificial Alliances:

beings, often resembling a pale, green or grey Slavers don't tend to get along with anybody and
humanoid with an enlarged head. most other species have a difficult time
understanding how to even interact with them.
The Fringe: On the occasion that alliances are formed, Slavers
The Slavers are a constant threat to isolated colonies will take orders from human leaders and may give
and independent species. orders to human leaders, but not any other aliens.
On the Fringes, all of the main military powers will
tend to set aside distrust, rivalry and even open Slavers may employ Drone troops. These are
warfare to take on Slaver battle fleets. As such, subjugated captives that have been mind wiped.
Slavers tend to operate much more cautiously and They will never have leaders of their own and may
are often encountered in smaller groups. not be heroes, but may receive orders from Slaver
leaders.
It is generally assumed that most groups are scouts,
searching for intelligence or resources that will help Drone squads will receive the “Die for the cause”
their endless crusade to dominate the rest of the trait.
galaxy.
Under Unity law, it is unlawful to trade with or Troop organization:
otherwise aid Slaver agents, however, the wide range Slaver and Drone squads are usually 6 strong.
of goods manufactured by their subject races make Drones may never deploy as individuals while Slavers
this an often-breached law. may as the situation demands it.

Slavers are convinced that a great calamity will Drone squads will usually have an individual Slaver
befall the galaxy and that the only hope of resistance “overseer” monitoring them. This may be any
is unification under Slaver control. individual Slaver figure and may be a clone detached
Theories vary on the exact nature of this calamity from a regular squad.
but with the Fringes subject to countless raids every
year, it's not hard to find potential candidates.

“The worst part about fighting Slavers is that they seem genuinely upset when you refuse to be subjugated. ”
-Staff Sergeant Tyrone.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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Troop profile:
Slavers are remarkably uniform and indistinguishable, with a few exceptions. As such they always have the
following profile:

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

Clone 5 5 5 5 5

Traits:
All Slavers have the following traits.

Sneaky When Prowling or Evading, add +1 to Speed.

Die for the cause When failing a Morale test, do not place a Stress marker.
Instead, place one figure of choice Heads Down.
Slight -1 to hand-to-hand combat rolls.
If a combat ends in a draw, the figure will retreat 3” and neither figure takes a hit.

Slavers will not have other traits under any circumstances.

The Slaver Wars lasted for most of 3 years and saw a record number of colonies attacked along the Zyran sector.
Due to the fleet disaster at Procyn III, Unity naval assets were unable to interdict the attack craft, and Slaver
elements were landed in 18 different planets.

The entire operation seemed to be flawlessly executed. At least until they got greedy and decided to include an
unsuspecting Swift encampment in their attack plans.
Turns out, that encampment was under K'Erin protection and the full weight of a K'Erin war fleet descended on
the Slavers, then proceeded to retake several of the subjugated colonies.

Despite their diminutive stature and somewhat comedic appearance, it is rather disconcerting that I have never
witnessed a Slaver squad turn and run.

-Unity field operatives report.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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THE FERAL
Often incorporating aspects of animals and Feral societies can differ significantly but are often
humanoids, Feral are renowned for being ferocious somewhat chaotic. They place a premium on
and aggressive. While they may maintain a strong individual freedom, making them a popular
civilization they are unlikely to ascend to the heights destination for many who wishes to escape the
of culture and many remain barbaric and tribal in attentions of Unity officials.
nature. Make sure to bring a pistol and a sturdy blade
however.
Consequently, it is not uncommon for Feral to find a
place on the galactic scene as pirates, mercenaries Suitable miniatures:
and body guards, often receiving weapons and Humanoids with animal features are a common
technology from an “uplifting” species that in turn feature in “space-fantasy” gaming and a wide range
receives eager foot soldiers. of miniatures are available on the market.

The Fringe: Subject races will often wear the colours and
Several distinct species of Feral can be found on the patterns of their masters while independent species
Fringes. While they often form war bands or will tend to mimic their natural, prehistoric
mercenary outfits, they rarely form large political camouflage and skin patterns.
bodies. Most occupy a single world at most or will
form a loose confederation of squabbling, in-fighting Troop classes:
worlds. Feral may be leaders, heroes and psions without any
particular restrictions.
It is not unusual at all for Feral to integrate
themselves into another society, usually Warrior, Alliances:
Unity or Precursor. Such Feral may occupy any Feral aren't renowned for being cooperative but for
positions available and will tend to act as a middle short durations, they can be found alongside most
between their normal conduct and that of their anybody, often as mercenaries or in bands of raiders
adopted race (which can be quite interesting for and pirates.
Feral Precursors) Feral will take orders from human leaders and may
issue orders to them.
The resemblance to many animals originally exported Precursor Feral may give orders to and receive orders
from Earth have given rise to theories about the from Precursors.
origins of the Feral as genetic engineering projects.
These speculations are rarely made to their faces. Troop organization:
Feral tend to favour smaller squads of 3-4 members.
As they often prefer somewhat rash tactics, this
tends to increase the chances of an assault team
making it through the gauntlet of fire.

“If they must be on the ship, please put them next to an airlock, in case they need...persuading to behave ”.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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Troop profile:
Feral may use any of the human troop profiles or any of the profiles indicated below.
Armour types are as per human troops.

Discipline Morale Training

Whelp 3 5 6
Freebooter 4 6 6
Gnarled veteran 5 7 7

Traits:
Feral generally have the following traits:

Brutal +1” to Storm moves and Follow Up moves. +1 bonus to close combat rolls.
+1 Penetration in close combat.
Eager Whenever a squad suffers a casualty, one figure may either take a normal move towards or fire
un-aimed at the attacker.
Unruly Leaders must be within 5” to issue commands to the figure.

Feral may have additional traits as normal.

Precursor Feral are not Eager and Unity Feral are not Unruly.

“It is curious that many Feral species exhibit very similar traits.
They tend to be highly gregarious, perpetually quarrelsome and tread a precarious balance between fierce
individualism and a crude sort of pack loyalty.

Their affinity for the Precursors leads us to speculate that ancient Precursor involvement may have been
instrumental to some aspect of the current state of the Feral species.

It is noteworthy that Unity officials seem to grant Ferals citizen status at reduced requirements.
Whether this is in spite of the prevalence of Ferals in pirate crews, or to help defuse their recruitment is unknown,
and with the typical Human love for convoluted bureaucracy may remain so.

-Manipulator field report.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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MANIPULATORS
Whether due to a unique life cycle, a natural There are numerous clans of Manipulators, each with
curiosity about the world or a grand, culture-wide their own designs upon the galaxy. While violence
vision of existence, Manipulators engage in trade, between Manipulator clans is quite rare, competition
warfare and diplomatic interactions all directed is often fierce.
towards one, ultimate end. It is clear that the Manipulators have highly divergent
views on the best path for the future, though they
In some cases, Manipulators may be cruel and are all convinced that sentient life will only persist if
uncaring but often they view the galaxy with a determined action is taken to ensure its continued
feeling of parental responsibility, nudging and guiding existence.
things along to their logical conclusion.
Suitable miniatures:
This can make interactions with them maddening and Most anything can fit here but the more alien and
frustrating though their ability to present a bargain unusual the better. The standard view of a crawling
that is most needed is seldom rejected in a time of tentacled creature is fine.
need. Manipulators are physically weak but may make up
for that with mechanical exoskeletons and generally
The Fringe: wear high-tech gear.
The Manipulators hold their own regions of space far
from the Fringes. Troop classes:
At times, they've tussled with other species but they Manipulators may be leaders, psionics and heroes.
prefer more peaceful means of solving problems.
Means that usually end up in their favour over the Alliances:
long term. Manipulators will work with most anybody if long-
term plans require it.
Ruthless pragmatics, the Manipulators are experts at In mixed forces, Manipulator leaders may give
making concessions and deals that will give them commands to anyone that is not Converted or Horde.
long-term benefits in exchange for smaller,
immediate costs. They may not receive commands from leaders of
other species, with the usual exception of humans.
On the Fringes, they are usually encountered as small
groups, often travelling to satisfy their natural Troop organization:
curiosity and gather information on the other Squads will tend be to contain 6-7 individuals if
species. possible. Manipulators are gregarious creatures and
tend to feel safer in groups.
The Manipulators seem extremely concerned about
the Converted and Horde and have been known to Individuals may be formed as normal.
build up local support against Horde and Converted
incursions.

“I hope you realize that you look like a squid!”.

“I should add that your grasping appendages are not exactly pleasing to my eye-stalks either! ”.

-Human and Manipulator.

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Troop profile:
Any human armour types may be used but with a -1 modifier to Speed.

Profiles may be selected from the ones below:

Discipline Morale Training

Young 5 6 4
Hardened 6 5 5
Ancient 7 4 5

Traits:
All Manipulators have the following traits:

Stick to cover If in cover and more than 15” away, all incoming fire is treated as Un-Aimed.
Nervous For every casualty taken, the squad member closest to the casualty must be placed
Heads Down.
According to plan Leaders may issue one additional command per turn, if they are not Heads Down.
Weak -1 to Hand-to-Hand combat rolls.

They may have additional Traits though this is somewhat uncommon.

While the intentions of the Manipulators are often to our immediate benefit, it cannot be forgotten that they
have designs that stretch over significant periods of time.
Unusually, for a short-lived species, even by galactic standards, it seems their agenda often extends for several
generations.

Over time, we have observed what appears as multiple, conflicting visions served by the Manipulators.
Maybe they all come to some theoretical, unified end-point in the future, but the weight of entropy would weigh
heavily on such a complex scheme.

In light of the hostile creatures inhabiting our universe, it is at least refreshing that they seem to use violence as a
last resort.
It is more concerning that during hardships in their negotiations with us, we often find new pirate incursions on
our perimeter.

-Precursor historian

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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THE MANY
For whatever reason, many generations ago, the Suitable miniatures:
species came to the conclusion that cloning and Any fairly mundane figures could be used but human
genetic engineering was the way forward. A small figures make the concept a little creepier. Unusually
selection of ideal samples were acquired and used as pale skin colours and exact duplicates of any colour
the template for all future members of the species. patterns finish the effect.

As part of this process or perhaps because of it, Many Don't feel your Many has to look like human clones if
exhibit significant degrees of an almost hive mind- you would rather use weird, alien figures though.
like intelligence, being able to coordinate their If played in the Fringe setting, they are human-like
effects seamlessly without communication. but can also be used as a general classification of
similar, hive minded clone species.
The Fringe:
Originally a human splinter population that became Troop classes:
obsessed with trans humanism and psionic Many may be leaders and psions. They may not be
ascendancy, when Unity regained contact, the heroes.
population had diverged far enough from the human
baseline to be classified as a distinct species. Alliances:
Many will tend to avoid alliances with species other
Having colonized several worlds, the Many were too than the Soulless, but strange times can call for
well established to simply absorb and desiring to strange allies.
avoid military conflict, they did not present an Many may never receive orders from leaders of other
immediate threat. species, even humans.
Due to their hive mind mentality, integrating Many- Their leaders may never issue orders to members of
colonies into another species has proven extremely another species, including humans.
difficulty, due to challenges of communicating with a
species that has no concept of the individual. Troop organization:
A 5 member squad is the standard battle field
In recent years, Unity and the Manipulators have formation.
both made overtures of friendship to the Many, to Individuals may be detached as needed.
help combat the threats of the Converted and Horde.

Troop profile:
Many use human armour and profile ratings, without any modifications.

Traits:
The following traits apply to all figures:

Universality The figure may receive orders from any Leaders of the same species, regardless of
proximity and units.
Instrumentality At the end of each turn, one Stress marker may be moved from one unit to another.
Markers on individuals can only be moved to other individuals.
If a unit includes a psion, the effects may be measured from any figure in the unit.

“Once we were alone together.

Now the singular no longer remains”

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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THE HORDE
Grotesque products of genetic manipulation and the Suitable miniatures:
corruption of life itself, the Horde is a flood of Monster figures from fantasy games may come in
nightmares, surging forth to devour and destroy. handy here, converted to carry guns. Players could
Horde creatures are often misshapen monstrosities, easily convert their own mutants and creatures as
bearing evidence of brutal surgery, crude cybernetic well.
enhancements and drastically reshaped body parts.
Troop classes:
The origins of the Horde are rarely known but they Horde individual figures may be psions, heroes and
tend to incorporate aspects of those species that leaders.
have fought against it in the past, leading to dark Squad members may not belong to either class.
theories about what happens to those who surrender.
Alliances:
The Fringe: Horde do not enter into alliances in the regular
At first scattered contacts, the Horde has struck manner.
countless systems along the galactic rim, seemingly If a Horde force includes any non-Horde figures, they
without discriminating against the types of targets are assumed to be partially assimilated captives that
selected. are under mental control but have not yet been
completely transformed into Horde creations.
As more races have mobilized forces to meet the Such captives cannot be psions, heroes or leaders but
attacks, it has become clear that the Horde will take orders from Horde leaders.
originates from somewhere outside the galaxy itself,
though the exact origin is unknown. Captives are subject to the Execution and Charge
What is also known is what form the Horde may have traits but are not subject to any other traits
originally taken, as the shock troops that are including any original racial traits.
encountered are inevitably comprised of the
harvested remains of former victims. Synthetic units, such as Droids and Soulless cannot
become captives.
The initial colonies that were attacked were
completely overrun, preventing the discovery of the Troop organization:
original form of the Horde, assuming their original Horde squads are typically large, numbering 6-8 for
forms have not been lost in time. troopers and stalkers and 4-5 for other types.
Individuals can only be fielded if they are leaders,
Curiously, some worlds seem to be avoided by Horde psions or heroes.
strikes, while others are subject only to limited, Stalker units may detach individuals following the
specific attacks. normal rules.

It is clear that the Horde has a guiding intelligence

behind it, but its motives are unclear.
Different Horde forces exhibit highly distinct physical
characteristics, possibly due to being driven by
different entities or due to the creatures they have
absorbed and integrated.

In battle, banners and iconography carried by Horde

troopers suggest a crude, but intense, religious
fervour in the rank and file troopers, presumably
directed towards their unseen masters.

“Our masters exist across time. We fought you before you even existed and we will do battle with you after you
have long perished”

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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Troop profile:
Horde troopers may select from the profiles listed below.

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

Trooper 5 6 6 6 4
Stalker 6 5 7 5 5
Prowler 7 6 7 7 6
Smasher 5 7 5 8 5
Stomper 4 9 7 8 6

Traits:
All Horde figures have the following traits

Terror Enemies fighting Horde suffer a -1 penalty to all Morale tests.

Charge Figures with Storm orders may ignore Stress markers and add +1 to Discipline when removing
Heads Down status.
Bio-weapons Count as an innate close combat weapon with Penetration of half the Survival score (rounded
down)
Execution Leaders may execute a friendly figure within 6”. This removes 1 point of Stress from the unit
and allows 2 Heads Down markers to be removed.

Horde individuals may have additional traits but squad members may not.

It is a testament to the terror the Horde inspires that defenders will often go to great lengths to avoid being
assimilated.
Records speak of power reactors detonated, artillery fire called on friendly positions and starships deliberately de-
orbited.

The siege of the Mannerstan colony was a particularly harrowing case:

As both Converted and Horde raiders bore down on the final colony complex, the defenders elected to give
themselves over for Conversion, so they would stand a chance at exacting revenge on the Horde.

In our contacts with the Precursors, they have insinuated that whatever force directs the Horde, it supposedly
exists “across time and space”.
Whether this means a practical asynchronous time incident or merely Precursor superstition is unknown, and the
high rates of insanity in researchers studying the topic have prohibited any further authorization for investigation.

Whatever the explanation, it is clear that we should file appropriate paperwork to have the preliminary threat
response committee convene at an opportune time.

-Unity field report.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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THE SWARM
Bugs, Xenos, Crawlers, there's a myriad of similar Both Converted, Slaver and Horde expeditions have
species plaguing the civilizations of the galaxy. attempted to incorporate the Swarm into their ranks
Whether they are infesting a space station or but have been met with intense aggression, much to
storming defensive lines like a tide of claws and the relief of the remaining species of the galaxy.
teeth, these implacable attackers are a serious
threat to existence. Suitable miniatures:
Ranges of movie-style bugs and alien fiends are
The Fringe: available and if all else fails, a trip to the toy store
Thought to have once been a highly evolved species, can net a few bags of cheap, cheerful plastic
the Swarm infests planets across much of the galaxy. critters.
Reproducing rapidly and reacting to any incursion of
their claimed territory with furious aggression, Troop classes:
Swarm infestations are a significant, and dangerous, Swarm are uniform creatures and do not exhibit
nuisance to other species. anything resembling heroes, leaders or psions.

Planets where the Swarm take hold tend to Alliances:

eventually be overrun by the creatures, savaging the There are no recorded instances of non-violent
native wildlife until the ecology of the planet is contact between the Swarm and other organic
devastated, driving the Swarm to local extinction. species.
While they have little interest in the Soulless, the
Due to rapid reproduction, it is imperative that Soulless recognize the diplomatic benefits of military
infestations are hit as quickly as possible and it is not action against Swarm infestations.
unknown for weapons of mass destruction to be
employed in dire situations. Troop organization:
Swarm units consist of 6-8 creatures each. Individuals
While most sentient species outlaw any research into may not be detached.
Swarm-related topics, it seems that black-ops
research stations are destroyed by “unspecified bio-
weapon domestication incidents” quite frequently.

Troop profile:
Swarm figures use the same profile:

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

Swarm 7 5 8 9 7

Traits:
Swarm figures all have the following traits. No alternative traits will be found.

Evade When placed Heads Down in the open, the figure moves up to 4” to reach the nearest
cover.
Dismember Count as two close combat weapons with Penetration 4. Infantry with improvised weapons
are Outmatched.
Skitter May move over linear obstacles with no movement penalty and may move up walls as if
they were flat ground.
Skittering figures cannot end a move on a wall.
Hive assault A unit marked with Failure to Activate may be activated by removing 1 figure as a casualty.

SCREEEEECH

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BRUTES
Burly, plodding behemoths, shrugging off incoming Faced with violent uprisings, the trinity of patron
fire, whether through advanced force fields, species accused each other of intrigue to turn the
regenerative powers or thick armour plating. Turik into a weapon.
Brutes are often warrior species but tend to be a bit The ensuing Turik Rebellions marked the return of the
on the dull side, mentally. Brutes to the galactic scene and saw the first
instances of ramming as a viable starship combat
The Fringe: tactic.
The race of Turik, known widely as Brutes, are an
unfortunate reminder of why highly aggressive Suitable miniatures:
species tend to fare better when they have Bulky humanoids that look like they can take a
neighbours they can focus their efforts on. beating. Even if the race in your setting relies on
technological defences, it is helpful to use figures
Shortly before their first contact by Precursor that look stocky and heavy to convey the right
explorers, the highly evolved Turik Empire impression.
annihilated itself in an all-out war spanning countless
worlds. Troop classes:
As the explorers touched down, the remaining Turik Brutes may be leaders and heroes but may not be
had degenerated into warlike barbarians. psions.

An unusual joint venture of the Precursors, Alliances:

Manipulators and Soulless to uplift the survivors fared Brutes in a force with others are assumed to be
poorly when a new religious wave swept through the mercenaries or bandits, willing to fight for pay (or
preserved Turik colonies. loot).
Prophets proclaimed that the Turik had fallen They may receive orders from Human leaders and a
because they had failed to discover new species to Brute leader may issue orders to human units.
fight.
Troop organization:
Typical squads have 5-6 members. Individuals may be
detached as normal.

Troop profile:
Brutes use human armour and troop profiles but with the following modifications:

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

Brute -1 +1 - +1 -1

Traits:
All Brutes have the following traits and may be given additional, individual traits as normal.

Smash Brutes moving in a straight line may add +1 to Speed and may re roll 1's on the dice in
close combat.
Resilient Any survival roll of 1 or 2 will cause the Brute to survive unharmed. Brutes that roll a 1 or
2 are not placed Heads Down.
Direct Leaders must have line of sight to a figure to issue commands.

“You criticize us because we don't build to last. We build up so we can tear down. This is logic to us. Your failure
to understand does not imply our duty to explain.”

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MONSTERS

All kinds of lifeforms prowl the worlds on the Fringe, many of them very unfriendly.
The term “Monsters” accounts for critters that range from 2-4 times the size and bulk of a normal
infantry figure.

Monsters may fight alongside a regular force or, more often, act as a third party controlled by a
third player or a Game Master.
Monsters do not have points values. Their inclusion in a game is always subject to the scenario.

PROFILE
Monsters have a profile similar to that of regular forces, with an additional characteristic added.

Bulk Bulk is an additional characteristic that governs how much punishment a

monster can take.

Select one of the following profiles.

Each profile is named for the type of monster it might reasonably represent, but select whichever
profile matches the creature you need in your game.

Speed Survival Bulk Discipline Morale Training

Humanoid 5 6 3 4 6 5
Monstrosity 4 7 5 3 8 4
Large predator 7 6 4 3 6 6
Bio-tech creation 5 8 6 5 8 5
Huge monster 6 10 6 5 7 6

Monsters act as regular infantry figures except where indicated below.

While they usually attack only in close combat, a monster with a ranged weapon will fire as a
normal figure.

Monsters are subject to the following rules:

Stubborn:
Monsters roll to recover from Heads Down status immediately.
Failure to recover results in the monster being pushed 1” directly away from the firer (or centre of
an explosion).

Monsters only make morale checks when required to as a result of a weapons hit.
If a morale check is failed, the monster will move their full Speed in a random direction, attacking
the first figure they make contact with (friend or foe) in close combat.

Firing:
Monsters are targeted as if they were infantry figures but may be selected provided they are one of
the four closest targets to the firer.
Monsters with ranged weapons may move and fire, even if the weapon would normally prohibit this.

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Close combat:
Infantry figures are always considered Outmatched in hand to hand combat with monsters.
A monster losing a hand to hand fight is not pushed back.
Instead, resolve damage as normal, then if the monster remains in its location, another round of
combat takes place immediately.

In close combat, a monster innately strikes with a Penetration score equal to the monsters Bulk
characteristic.
This innate attack is not considered an improvised weapon.

Monsters fighting with a close combat weapon will use the penetration score of that weapon
instead.
To receive the two weapon bonus, the monster must be equipped with two close combat weapons.
The innate strike ability does not count.

Taking damage:
When monsters take hits, resolve their Survival rolls as normal.
Any unmodified roll equal or lower than the Bulk score causes the monster to be pushed back 1” but
is otherwise disregarded.

On a failed Survival roll, roll 1D10 and consult the results below:

1 Push back
The monster is pushed 3” directly away from the firer.
2-3 Morale check
The monster is pushed back 3” and must test morale.
4 Flee
The monster retreats twice its full Speed, directly away from the firer.
5-6 Wounded
Reduce the Bulk score by 1. Test morale.
7-10 Slain
The monster collapses, dead.

UNIQUE MONSTERS
Game Masters are encouraged to add additional traits or unique abilities to a particular Monster (or
breed of Monsters) to set them apart.
Knowing that a particular world is populated by a certain type of creature can add to the immersion
of the campaign greatly.

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THE BATTLE FIELD

Encounters can take place on a vast array of battle fields, some quite familiar, some distressingly
alien and hostile.

This section should be treated as an overview, with players devising details for their own, unique
terrain collections.

While many gamers stick to relatively mundane terrain types (often to share terrain between
historical and science fiction games), don't forget to add a few uniquely alien features.
Whether giant crystals, strangely coloured sand or alien plant life, a touch of the strange can make
for a very memorable game.

CATEGORIES OF TERRAIN
Terrain is generally divided into three categories: Areas, Obstacles and Stand-Alone features.
In most cases it should be clear what category a given feature belongs to, but it can be worth going
over the different items on the table before beginning the game.

AREAS
An Area feature covers a certain space on the gaming table and can have figures placed on or inside
the feature.
Vegetation such as alien bushes and forest are the most common Area features.

When placing figures in or around Area features, they must be placed so they are clearly inside or
outside the feature. If a move would end up overlapping the edge of the Area, it must be end the
move when contacting the edge.

Area features limit visibility. To fire and be fired upon, a figure must be within 1” of the edge.
Figures inside a feature must be within 1” of each other to fire.

The game tends to be more fun if using multiple smaller Area features rather than one big feature.
For example, a forested area may consist of 4-8 smaller Areas, with paths and clearings between
them.

Infantry only:
Any Area feature may be designated as infantry only.
Infantry, mech troopers and monsters may enter such a feature but ground vehicles (including
walkers and striders) may not.

ROUGH TERRAIN
Area features may be designated as Rough terrain. Rough features may be swampy, over grown or
otherwise inhibit progress.

An infantry figure must spend 1” of movement to enter or exit a Rough Area feature.
Figures beginning their movement inside a Rough Area must deduct 1” from their movement,
provided they move that activation.

These reductions are cumulative.

A figure that has insufficient movement to fully enter or exit a Rough Area must end its movement
when contacting the edge.

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OBSTACLES
An Obstacle is defined as a feature that is lower than a standard infantry figure, linear and too
narrow to place a figure on top of.

Fences, hedgerows and stone walls are common examples of obstacles.

Obstacles up the half the height of a figure are Low and cost 1” of movement to cross.
Obstacles up to the height of the figure are Tall and cost 2” of movement to cross.

The figure must be in contact with the obstacle when the movement cost is paid. Move the figure to
the nearest position on the immediate, other side of the obstacle.
The cost is assumed to include the width of the obstacle.

To fire across an obstacle, either the firer or the target must be within 3” of the feature.

Figures may engage in hand-to-hand combat across an obstacle. They must be placed at the closest
possible point to do so.

COVER
Obstacles that are rigid and solid, such as a wall, or which are soft but particularly thick and dense,
such as a very heavy hedgerow will provide Cover.
Figures only receive the benefits of cover if they are physically touching the obstacle.

Area features may provide Cover if they contain boulders, rubble or similar physical obstacles.
Forest Areas may provide Cover if they are particularly dense, but this is not normally the case.

To receive Cover while in an Area, the figure must be within the feature proper.

Cover provides a -2 penalty on all incoming shots. It has no effect on hand to hand fighting.

STAND ALONE FEATURES

A Stand Alone feature is any feature that does not permit figures to be placed on or inside it, and
which is not linear in nature.

Vehicle wrecks, barrels and crates, large rocks and similar are all Stand Alone features.

A figure may receive Cover behind a Stand Alone feature, if they are placed in contact with the
feature and are partially obscured from the firer.

HAZARDOUS TERRAIN
An Area feature may be designated as Hazardous.
Examples may include highly toxic swamps, features infested with hostile wildlife, acidic chemical
spills and similar.

At the end of an activation, any figure that spent any portion of the activation in a Hazardous Area
must test Survival on 1D10.
If the roll fails, the figure is placed Heads Down and must test Survival again to avoid destruction.

Heroes may be placed Heads Down but do not take the second test.
Big monsters and figures with 10 or more Survival do not have to test.

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IMPASSABLE TERRAIN
An Area feature or Obstacle may be declared Impassable.
This prevents any figure from moving into or through an Area or crossing an Obstacle.

Figures moving by unconventional means (flying, teleporting or any other strangeness) may cross the
feature but may not end a move within an Impassable Area.

CLIMBING
On a three dimensional battlefield, climbing is often beneficial or even required.

Terrain items up to the height of the figure can be climbed as if they were an Obstacle, expending
1” of movement to climb a terrain item half the height of the figure and 2” for an item up to the
height of the figure.

Taller items must be designated by the players climbable or non-climbable.

If a feature has not been designated, roll 1D10 when a figure first moves into contact. On a 1-4, it is
climbable.

Weapon teams, cavalry, Mech troopers and big monsters cannot climb. Other figures may be
prevented on an individual case basis.

Scenarios may designate certain features as climbable only by certain units, with suitable skills or
equipment.

The process:
To climb, a figure must begin its activation in contact with the terrain item to be climbed and must
be given an order that permits a full move.

Climbing figures must not be Heads Down and can take no actions while climbing.

Roll 1D10 against Training. On a success, the figure climbs their Speed minus 2 inches up or down.
On a failure, the figure is unable to make any progress this turn.

Figures are subject to reaction fire while climbing. Resolve fire before the climbing attempt. If the
figure goes Heads Down, they may not attempt the climb.

Climbers must reach a platform they can stand on.

For simplicity, figures may not end a turn part-way up a wall or cliff, though scenarios may
designate special exceptions for this.

Okay, so I can trade the spent fuel cells for synth-food. I can trade the synth-food for a shipment of spare droid
parts.
I can trade the droid parts for medical supplies, which I can then trade for a plasma coil and finally I can trade the
plasma coil for Unity credits.
I hate doing business on the Fringe.

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BUILDINGS
Fighting tends to focus on areas that are worth holding and those often include buildings.
To use buildings in a game, it's beneficial to have internal floor plans, removable roof tops or similar
tricks, allowing troops to occupy the structure.

One cheap option is a card board base with windows and doors marked on it, which can be put on
the table in place of the model building when troops enter it.

Entering and exiting buildings:

Buildings are treated as Area features.
A particularly messy or decrepit building may qualify as Rough terrain.
A building with booby traps or inhabited by dangerous wildlife could qualify as Hazardous terrain.

Entrance to a building can only occur through a door, a hole in the wall or a window.
Windows and small holes are treated as Obstacles, while entering through a door has no limitation.

If the building is considered Rough terrain, the movement cost must be paid upon entering, along
with the Obstacle cost, if the figure climbed through a window.

Blocked doors:
A normal door that has been locked or blocked can be knocked down by any figure in contact,
instead of firing a weapon.

Particularly heavy doors or ones that have been barricaded or reinforced must be destroyed.
A figure may fire at the door or attack it as if it was a vehicle.
A typical reinforced door has a Survival score of 6. If it fails a Survival roll, it is destroyed.

Firing from buildings:

Since Buildings are Area features, figures must be within 1” of the edge of the building to fire at
outside targets.
Additionally, they must be visible through a window or door way.

Figures in contact with a window may claim Cover when fired upon.

For simplicity, buildings cannot be demolished during game play.

Troops placed on top of a building are treated normally and receive no particular benefits, though
buildings with a parapet or railing may provide Cover.

Explosions:
For game-play, explosions occurring outside a building do not affect figures in the building.
Explosions do not travel through interior walls.

Explosive weapons that deviate from their initial target location cannot deviate through a wall.
Instead, it stops at the wall and detonates there.

If an explosion is too big to fit in the room or corridor, increase the Penetration by 1.

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VISIBILITY
Many battles take place in limited visibility, whether due to darkness, fog, strange gas in the
atmosphere or unnatural obscurants.

If visibility is a factor in a battle, it is assumed to be of a nature that affects both sides, though
scenario writers may decide that one side is less affected, for example a night-time special forces
raid.

Set a base Visibility distance for the battle. This can be any number from 5 to 20.
Also, determine whether the obscurant is mild, heavy or dense.

The actual visibility of any figure is the base Visibility plus their Training score in inches.

Example:
If Visibility is 14 and my Training is 4, I can see up to 18”

Firing at targets within this distance is not affected.

Area of effect weapons may be placed to strike targets outside the distance, provided one valid
target under the template is within visibility.

The table below indicates the restrictions on targets outside Visibility range.

Mild -1 to hit
Heavy All fire is un-aimed
Dense No fire is possible

GRAVITY
Worlds may have a Gravity modifier. For most games, the modifier will range from -1 to +1, though
adventurous players may set it larger or smaller.

We assume that troops have various high-tech gadgets to help counter-act some of the effects of
high or low gravity.
This is also the case for vehicles.
Apply the gravity modifier to:

Infantry Speed
Aim range for thrown or launched projectiles
Deviation distance for explosives

The characteristics of our troops are assumed to portray them operating in an Earth-like gravity.
Hence, no accounts are made of whether troops are native to a particular level of gravity, though
scenario rules or Game Master decisions may increase or reduce modifiers as appropriate.

Note to my high school physics teacher:

These rules probably break one or more laws of physics and reality. For that I apologize.
They ARE easily playable however.
You didn't cover game-design in high school physics classes though, so I had to do it here.

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ICE WORLDS
While most worlds have a wide variation in climates, due to distance from their sun some are
permanently frozen hell-holes.
While ice worlds rarely receive many colonies, they are sometimes mined for resources and are a
popular location for military bases, research outposts and clandestine bio-warfare projects.

While most conflict at such locations will take place inside a facility or complex, troops may be
forced to engage each other in the outdoors, much to their dismay.

The following rules will apply:

*Infantry and monster speed reduced by 1.

*Vehicle speed reduced by 2.

*Explosive weapons have Penetration reduced by 1.

*Any figure rolling a 10 on their firing to-hit roll suffers a weapon jam.
If multiple dice are rolled, only one die is checked for jams. Roll that die separately or use a
different colour.

The figure may test 1D10 against Training immediately to fix the weapon but must go Heads Down to
do so.
Figures already in Heads Down status do not have additional markers placed.

If that fails, the figure must attempt to clear the jam in following activations, instead of firing.
Test against training to unjam the weapon as above, but no requirement to go Heads Down in future
turns.

Vehicle weapons are subject to jams as well and must be stationary to attempt unjamming.
Other crew members may fire other weapons.

GHOST WORLDS
When you look at a map of galactic civilization, you'll find certain worlds that only have very limited
colonies, despite natural resources and an agreeable climate.

When you visit the worlds, you realize why.

Scientific explanations about ghost worlds vary, from psionic echoes and strange natural
occurrences, to unexplained ephemeral alien lifeforms.

Whatever the answer, people stationed on ghost worlds often complain of unexplained dread and
mental incoherence.
Even synthetic intelligences are affected.

When fighting on a ghost world, the following rule applies:

Whenever any figure tests against Discipline or Morale, to succeed, the roll must be lower than the
score, rather than equal or lower as normal.

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HOSTILE WORLDS
If the atmosphere of a world is toxic, extremely thin or even non-existing, the world is classified as
Hostile.

Conduct games as normal with troops assumed to carry appropriate suits and breathing equipment.
Non-synthetic lifeforms must deduct 1 from their Survival scores to account for the unfortunate side
effects of a sealed suit pierced by gunfire.

UNPLEASANT FLORA
Plant life around the galaxy can often get somewhat aggressive.
Players who enjoy a more chaotic game may position Unpleasant Flora around the battle area.

Plants can be placed in an Area feature, in which case they are assumed to be present throughout
the feature.
They may also be Stand Alone features.

Whenever a figure approaches within, or activates within 2” of a Stand Alone plant or within an
Area feature containing plants, roll 1D10.

A roll of 1-3 indicates a plant attack. Roll again below.

Note that each activation will only feature one potential attack per plant feature.

1-2 Gas
Choking gas spreads everywhere. Every figure in the Area feature or within 2” of the Stand Alone
plant must roll 1D10 against their Discipline.
Figures that succeed go Heads Down, figures that fail must retreat their full Speed and then go Heads
Down.
No effect on vehicles and synthetics.
3-5 Needles
A hail of razor sharp needles.
The 3 closest figures to the triggered plant takes a hit with Penetration 2 but does not go Heads Down
if they survive.
6-8 Grabber
The figure triggering the plant is grabbed. Infantry figures must end their activation immediately and
go Heads Down.
On future activations, the figure may roll 1D10 against their Training to tear free. This takes the
place of firing.
Any figure in contact may forego firing to attempt to free the target.
Monsters and ground vehicles must cease their movement for this turn but are not otherwise
affected.
9-10 Acid
A spray of acid. The figure that triggered the plant takes a Penetration 4 hit and must retreat their
full movement.

Once the type of plant has been determined for the first time, all future triggers will always have
the same effect.
Scenarios or Game Masters may designate specific plant types in advance, rather than rolling.

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CRITTERS
Wild animals can add a fun element to a game.
Well trained animals function as a normal figure in a force, while wild creatures are typically a third
party or controlled by the Game Master.

For game purposes, “Critter” describes almost any creature that is large enough to be quite
dangerous.

Critters will normally mind themselves but will unpredictably attack.

If wildlife is present, whenever either player rolls a 5 on their Initiative roll, a randomly selected
animal activates before any regular troops can activate.
If both players roll a 5, two animals activate. A given animal can only activate once per activation
roll but potentially several times throughout a turn.

Critters will normally move towards the nearest infantry, to attack them.
If a Game Master is present, the GM may move the critter as they see fit.

If a figure fires on a critter, if the critter survives, it will move at its full Speed towards the shooter,
attempting to use cover where possible.

Figures approaching within one move of a critter will cause it to activate and attack at the end of
the current activation.

Speed Survival Discipline Morale Training

Lizard 6 6 7 8 7
Large herbivore 4 7 7 5 5
Claw Beast 5 5 8 8 7
Cave Slitherer 4 4 3 4 5
Tentacle Fiend 6 8 8 9 9

The following rules apply to critters:

*Critters are assumed to be armed with two Penetration 3 close combat weapons.

*Critters always pass Survival rolls on a natural roll of 1 or 2, regardless of the weapon used.

*A critter that goes Heads Down will retreat its full Speed to reach cover.
Critters must roll Discipline as normal to remove Heads Down status when activated.
Failure to do so causes them to retreat again.
A critter that retreats while within one move of the table edge will leave the table permanently.

*Critters are treated as individuals for Morale tests.

Additional traits and abilities may be added to critters as desired for a particular scenario or event.

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Suggested Critter Traits:

Any number of interesting traits could be devised to set your Critters apart. Below are a few
examples to get the creative Game Master started.

Prowler Not subject to reaction fire.

Horror Units that activate within 8” and line of sight must test Morale.
Overwhelming Enemies are Outmatched in close combat and cannot claim the two-weapon bonus.
Spit If the Critter ends its turn within 8” and line of sight, it may spit on one target.
Roll against Training to hit. Penetration 3.
Spikes Enemies in close combat must test Training or suffer a -2 penalty.
Does not apply to figures with Survival of 7+.

INTERACTING WITH CRITTERS

Creative scenario writers, as well as Game Masters that like a more roleplay oriented approach,
may devise ways for players to interact with the critters found on the tabletop, or even incorporate
them directly into the scenario.

Some suggestions:

*Troops armed with tranquilizer darts must capture a particularly valuable crature.

*A character has the ability to calm and befriend critters, if they can get close enough.

*The critters are attracted to loud noises, particularly gunfire.

*A very large number of critters inhabit the table, but they avoid certain areas, known only to the
Game Master.

*The mission requires obtaining an item on the battle field. Unfortunately carrying the item causes
the critters to go berserk.

*Troops firing weapons in certain areas risk critters appearing.

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FORCE BUILDING
FORCE COMPOSITION
This chapter covers how to build a force according to the internal logic of the game.
If you are writing your own scenarios or using a setting of your own creation, you may wish to
modify these rules and restrictions, omit them altogether or simply use them as a starting point.

WHAT IS ALL THIS?

This section is a lot heavier and more complex than the rest of the rules.

If seeing all this leaves you confused, just skip it for now.
Many gamers play without any points system at all. Make some interesting forces, give them the
weapons and traits that seem to make sense and if both players agree they have a decent shot at
winning, go for it.
If not, tweak things a little until you both agree.

Points systems are one way of setting up a game. They are by no means the only way.

WORDS OF WARNING
Points systems are a massively complex ordeal and a number of philosophies are out there:

Some systems are very simple: Assign a value to everything, add the numbers together and off you
go. This is fast but can fail to properly evaluate how certain things connect with each other.
Others try to assign relative costs based on what items are selected, which units carry which
weapons and so forth.

In the end, any system must balance between being open and easy to use versus being more
confined and limited, but possibly more accurate.

On top of that, points values must attempt to reflect a sort of idealized, “generic” gaming table.
If you play on a smaller table, you may find that fast moving close combat troops are more valuable
than their points might dictate.
On a large, open table, long ranged heavy weapons will seem too powerful
Likewise, with a huge variety of possible troop types, weapons and items, some combinations may
simply work out better or worse against certain other combinations.

Players must be prepared to exercise an active hand in their gaming and modify values as
appropriate to their situation.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED?

This force builder does not account for everything possible in the rules.
Notably, critters and monsters are left out intentionally.
These disparate elements are intended for use in scenarios and to create interesting situations,
rather than another component of a regular military force.

Likewise, supporting off-board fire elements should be allocated by the scenario, rather than
forming a standard portion of the tabletop force.

Finally, non-standard deployment methods are not covered by the force builder, with the exception
of reinforcements.

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KEEP TRACK
When designing units, it may be helpful to use index cards, a binder or a computer to save designs.
That way, they can be reused and modified easily, without having to redo everything from scratch.

PERCENTAGES
When applying percentage modifiers to a cost, round any odd fractions up to the nearest whole
number.

Example:
A modified points value of 50.3 would be rounded up to 51.

Round up immediately after applying the modifier and before taking any additional steps.

FORCE BALANCE
The basic element is the squad of typically 5 figures.

Other unit types are limited, based on the number of squads fielded.

Leaders 1 Leader is permitted per squad

Heroes 1 Hero is permitted per squad
Psions 1 Psion is permitted per squad
Vehicles 1 Vehicle is permitted per two squads
Heavy weapon teams 1 Weapon team is permitted per two squads

Example:
A force with 4 infantry squads could include up to 4 leaders, 4 heroes, 4 psions, 2 vehicles and 2
heavy weapon teams.

Squad equivalents:
If the force is not comprised of 5 figure squads, you will determine the number of squad equivalents
you have.
Add up the number of infantry figures in the force. In squads with more than 5 figures, each figure
beyond 5 counts as 1.5 figures.
Every 5 figure equivalents is considered to be 1 squad equivalent for Force Balance purposes.

Individual figures that are not heroes, leaders or psions each add 1 figure to the count.
No other figures are counted.

Example:
I have 4 squads of 6 figures each for a total of 24 figures. Since the sixth figure in each squad
counts as one and a half figures, I am considered to have 26 figures, for a total of 5 squad
equivalents.

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Exceeding balance limits:

Exceeding the amount of figures allowed above can be done but a premium must be paid.
This premium is 10% extra for each additional element purchased. The 10% must be applied to the
most expensive of the restricted elements purchased.

The premium is added to the final unit cost, after all other factors have been determined.

Example:
A force with 4 squads can normally include 2 vehicles. If I wanted to include 3, I'd have to add 10%
to the cost of the most expensive vehicle.

CREATING UNITS
The term “Unit” represents any element in the game that is self-contained. This can be a squad of
infantry, an individual figure, a vehicle or a weapons team.

Go to the relevant entry below for details.

BUILDING SQUADS
Infantry squads are the primary type of element as the number of infantry squads determine the
number of other elements that may be included.

Size:
Squads are assumed to contain 5 figures as a baseline.

Standard trooper:
Select an armour type and troop class for your squad. Add the costs together to determine the basic
cost of each figure in the squad.
Unless otherwise agreed, all squad members must be the same troop class and armour type.

Standard troop classes:

Class Human Psycho Hulker Stalker GUE Precursor Engineer Brute
Ganger 8 6 11 13 11 6 9 11
Law Enforcement 13 11 16 18 16 12 14 16
Conscript 12 10 15 17 15 10 13 15
Regular Soldier 15 13 19 20 18 14 16 19
Spirited Militia 17 15 23 22 20 15 17 23
Hardened Veteran 23 NA 29 28 26 22 23 28
Space Pirate 16 14 20 21 19 14 16 20
Storm Trooper 29 NA NA 34 32 28 27 32
Corporate Enforcer 16 NA 20 21 19 15 17 20
Elite Assassin 41 NA NA 46 44 40 41 42
Unlikely Champion 21 19 25 26 24 19 19 25

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Standard armour types:

Type Human/Psycho/Stalker/ Hulker GUE Precursor Engineer/ Brute
Swift/Warrior Manipulator
Un-Armoured 8 9 8 10 7 8
Protective Jacket 9 10 9 11 8 9
Light armour 10 12 11 12 9 11
Custom/Piecemeal 11 14 12 12 10 12
Hard Suit 12 15 13 14 11 13
Powered Armour 17 20 18 18 16 18
Assault Armour 16 21 18 18 14 18
Cybernetic Enh. 16 19 16 20 14 16
Heroic Individual 20 23 20 22 18 20

Droids:
Type Cost
Mark I 36
Mark II 40
Mark III 49
Experimental 72
Droid costs include armour.

Warriors:
Select standard class +4 points or select below.
Type Cost
Thug 20
Trooper 23
Elite 31
Armour is selected from the standard list at normal cost.

Non-Warrior units may be designated as “Protected”, enabling them to receive commands from
Warrior leaders.
Add +1 point per figure.

Converted:
Select below.
Type Cost
Grunt 36
Shock Trooper 44
Harvester 47
Costs include armour.

Non-Converted units may be fielded as Infiltrators. Select as normal but reduce cost by 3 points.

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Swift:
Select below.
Type Cost
Drone 15
Warrior 22
Director 32
Scout 25

Add armour as normal.

Precursors:
Select troop class and armour from the tables above, using the Precursor column.
Aliens in a Precursor force may be designated Harmonious Allies for +1 point per figure.
This allows them to give and receive commands.

Soulless:
Select below.
Type Cost
Infantry module 46
Infiltration module 48
Assault module 48
Support module 53

Costs include armour.

Engineers:
Select from the standard tables, using the Engineer columns.

Slavers:
Type Cost
Slaver 27

Non-Slaver units may be designated as Drones. Add +2 points per figure.

Feral:
Feral may use the standard profiles and armour. Add +4 points per figure.
The profiles below may be selected.
Type Cost
Whelp 19
Freebooter 22
Gnarled Veteran 27
Add armour from the standard list.

Feral fighting alongside Precursors may be designated “Precursor Feral” for +1 point per figure. This
allows them to work with Precursor leaders.

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Manipulators:
Select a profile below.
Type Cost
Young 17
Hardened 18
Ancient 19

Select armour from the standard list, using the Manipulator column for costs.

The Many:
Use the standard profiles and armour at +5 points per figure.

The Horde:
Select from the profiles below, which include armour.
Type Cost
Trooper 38
Stalker 39
Prowler 49
Smasher 45
Stomper 56

Non-Horde figures are always designated as Captives. Use the normal cost +5 points per figure.
All traits are removed.
If using Captives with a non-standard troop type, calculate the base cost using the formula below.

Swarm:
Swarm figures cannot be customized in any way, and may not be given any weapons or equipment.
Note the cost per figure is radically lower than their characteristics and traits would dictate.
This is to counter-balance the complete lack of ranged weapons and to make Swarm scenarios
viable.

Type Cost
Swarm 30

Brutes:
Select from the standard troop and armour types, using the Brute column.

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The formula:
If you wish to calculate your own troop types, use the following formula:
Total up the five characteristics of the figure.
Every point in excess of 5 in one characteristic is worth +1 point
Every characteristic of 8 or more is worth an additional +2 on top.

Rating Cost Rating Cost

1 1 6 7
2 2 7 9
3 3 8 13
4 4 9 15
5 5 10 17

Traits are typically worth 3 points if they are built-in and cannot be changed. Modify up or down for
organizational details, limitations and options.

Note that the formula is a starting point and may need to be modified for specific creatures.

Cavalry:
Mounted figures should pay the difference between their regular Speed and the Speed as mounted
figures, using the formula above.
Add +2 to the total, to account for the additional rules benefits.

Weapons:
Select the weapons carried by each squad member. Figures may carry the same weapons or may all
be armed uniquely.
All figures are assumed to have an improvised close combat weapon at no additional cost.

Figures may carry one ranged and one close combat capable weapon or two close combat capable
weapons.
If additional weapons are carried beyond this, pay full price for the two most expensive weapons.
All remaining weapons receive a 50% discount (rounded up).

Treat combination weapons as two individual weapons for points values.

Example:
I want to give my soldier an assault rifle, pistol and assault blade.
The total cost of the three weapons is 14+7+4=25 points.
However, I get a 50% discount on the assault blade (2 points) and pay a total of 23 points.

Optimal configuration of squad armaments should always be examined. Individual troopers may wish to deviate
from the standard organizations.
Review such matters on a “as needed” basis.

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Infantry Weapon Cost Infantry Weapon Cost Close Combat Cost Team Weapons Cost
Weapon
Pistol 7 Squad Automatic 20 Knife 2 Machine Gun 25
Man Stopper Pistol 11 Infantry Chain Gun 19 Assault Blade 4 Heavy Machine Gun 29
Riot Pistol 7 Shotgun 11 Heavy Blade 5 Heavy Chain Gun 29
Carbine 13 Grenade Launcher 15 Chain Blade 6 Beam Cannon 33
Primitive Rifle 8 Splinter Rifle 15 Power Gauntlet 9 Anti Materiel Rifle 21
Assault Rifle 14 Pulse Rifle 16 Mono Blade 6 Auto Cannon 23
Heavy Rifle 13 Fusion Gun 16 Ripper Claws 4 Gauss Cannon 36
Marksman Rifle 15 Anti Tank Launcher 20 Rocket Launcher 40
Gauss Rifle 15 Rapid Fire Laser 19 Medium Cannon 32
Sub Machine Gun 10 Incinerator 14 Heavy Cannon 37
Beam Rifle 17 Gauss Support Weapon 22 Rapid Fire Gauss Cannon 33
Plasma Rifle 15 Heavy Fusion Gun 35
Heavy Plasma Gun 35
Light Mortar 26

The formula:
If you wish to create your own weapons, the formula is as follows:
Add the following factors together:
*Assault range divided by 2
*Aim range divided by 5
*Penetration multiplied by 2
*Area of effect in square inches
*+2 per positive trait
*+4 for fire-power trait
*-1 per negative trait

*For weapons with dual ammo types, calculate the cost for the weapon, using each ammo type.
Use the more expensive ammo type as the base cost and add 50% of the cost for the alternate ammo
Penetration, Area and Traits.

Tweak as appropriate.

Grenades and anti-tank charges:

Figures may carry any number of grenade types in addition to their weapons.
Add the cost below for each grenade type to the running total.
Figures with grenade launchers may fire any grenade type they are equipped with.
For simplicity, all members of a unit must be equipped with grenades.
Heroes, squad leaders and grenade launcher figures may be armed with grenades not carried by the
rest of the squad.

Players may allow specific other models to be armed with grenades, without buying them for the
entire squad, if the figure is clearly depicted as throwing a grenade.

Anti-tank charges are likewise added to the total under the same rules, though they may not be
launched from grenade launchers. Figures could carry multiple types but there is rarely a need.
All figures carry improvised AT charges by default, at no additional cost.

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Grenade Cost AT charge Cost

Frag 5 Simple 5
Razor 6 Advanced 7
Smoke 5 Shatter 10
Hell 8 Disruptor 5
Shock 5
Wasp 8

Gear:
Squad members may be given any items of equipment desired.
There is no requirement to outfit every figure identically but gear must be either identified visually
on the miniature figures or must be issued to a clearly identified squad leader.

Example:
Giving a stim pack to one identical rifleman out of 4 is not acceptable because the other player has
no way of identifying who is who.

Some items have a split points cost. Pay the higher cost if the item is issued to a Hero figure.

Item Cost Item Cost

Force screen 5/10 Booster drugs 3
Stealth gear 5 Targeting aid 5
Jump assist gear 5 Sniper sight 5
Phase shift device 10 Stim pack 5/10
Command relay 10

Traits:
Squads may be given additional traits.
Traits may be issued to a specific figure, provided the figure can be easily identified on the table.
Each figure may have up to 3 additional traits, not counting any that are standard for the alien
species.

For simplicity, players may prefer issuing traits on a squad-wide basis.

+4 points per trait.

Figures that will receive Leadership or Psionic traits may only be given 2 regular traits.
A figure cannot have both a Leadership AND a Psionic trait.

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Squad building example:

I want a squad of 5 pretty regular troopers, each armed with an assault rifle, a pistol for back up,
frag grenades and a knife.
One will carry a squad automatic in place of the rifle.

Their profiles are straight 5's across the board and none of them will have any special troop
classes.

The base cost of each trooper is 25 points. Add 5 points for grenades for everybody for a total of
30 points per figure.

Since each figure will have 3 weapons, I can discount the cheapest, in this case the knife.
4 assault rifles is 56 points total, the SAW is 20 points, 5 pistols is 35 points and 5 discounted
knives is 5 points.
Adding the weapons to the cost of 30x5 for the troopers, I get a total unit cost of 266 points.

LEADERS
Leader figures may be built as individuals or as squad members.
Individual leaders may issue orders to any units not prohibited by species-specific command and
control limits.

Leaders that are members of a squad may only issue orders to members of that squad.

Calculate the cost of the figure as normal and apply the following modifiers:

Leadership skill 1 +10

Leadership skill 2 +20
Leadership skill 3 +30
Individual +5
Leader trait +5

HEROES
A figure may be upgraded to a hero at the costs indicated below:

Squad member +20

Individual +25
Additional cost for Hero Leader +5
Additional cost for Hero Psionic +5

Whatever else you do, don't eat the local food. They've been selling “seasoned porkchops ” ever since the last
Converted invasion.

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PSIONICS
Psionics may be added to any figure, whether they are individuals or squad leaders.
Some alien species may have restrictions.

Select a Psionic Skill, Psionic Level and select whether a Psionic Trait is taken.
Calculate the cost as follows:

Psionic Skill 4 +4
Psionic Skill 6 +7
Psionic Skill 8 +13
Psionic Level 1 +5
Psionic Level 2 +10
Psionic Level 3 +15
Psionic Level 4 +20
Psionic Trait +5

BUILDING WEAPON TEAMS

Weapon teams are built like squads. The cost of the weapon is added to the total cost of the team
members and any other gear carried.

As weapon teams operate under certain limitations, a discount is applied.

Weapon team crew -2 per figure

BUILDING INDIVIDUALS
Figures intended to be individuals are built as any squad member.
Note that individual figures do not have to be leaders, heroes or psionics but may add those options
if desired.

Note that leaders pay a small points premium if they are individual figures.
Individual leaders may command any figures in the force, barring command and control restrictions
due to multi-species forces.

BUILDING MECH TROOPERS

Mech troopers are built as individuals.
Each trooper may be armed with up to 4 weapons, each paid at the normal cost.

The cost of the armour is 40 points, plus the cost of the pilot, selected as normal.

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BUILDING VEHICLES
To build a vehicle, go through the following sections:

Select type:
Select the basic vehicle type from the list below

Type Cost Type Cost

Civilian Wheel 40 Light Strider 62
Light Wheel 43 Medium Strider 75
The new armour composite polymers exhibit
Medium Wheel 50 Heavy Strider 80 excellent heat-dispersal qualities.
Heavy Wheel 51 Light Floater 67 Commence production of stage 3 prototypes.
Utility Track 59 Medium Floater 69
Light Track 62 Heavy Floater 68
Medium Track 76 Light Grav 87
Heavy Track 79 Medium Grav 89
Utility Walker 58 Heavy Grav 89
Light Walker 61 Bike 39
Medium Walker 74
Heavy Walker 79

The formula:
If you wish to design your own vehicle hulls, follow the following formula:

Start with a base cost of 20 points.

Add the following factors:

*Half of Speed
*If Survival is 1-5, add Survival
*If Survival is 6-8, add double Survival
*If Survival is 9+, add triple Survival
*Add Safety
*Add +10 if Tracked.
*Add +15 if Walker or Strider
*Add +20 if Floater or Grav

Select electronics:
Select the electronics package to be used.

Targeting Sensors Cost

Non existing 0 0 0
Basic +1 +2 3
Advanced +2 +4 6
Hypertech +3 +6 10

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The formula:
Targeting and Sensors are costed as infantry stats: Add the rating to the cost. Each point above 5
costs double.
Ratings of 8+ add +2 points to the final total.

Crew:
Select any troop class available to the species in question.
Only Training and Discipline scores are used to determine the points cost.

Training x2
Discipline x2

This cost is not modified by the number of crew members on-board.

The vehicle is assumed to have one crew member to drive, one per main and secondary weapon
(linked and co-axial mounts are treated as one weapon, not two) and optionally one per auxiliary
weapon.

Dismounted crew:
Dismounted crew are armed with pistols and wear no armour. Use the human “No Armour” profile
with any alien species modifications to Speed and Survival applied.
Aliens that always have a fixed Speed and Survival use those instead.

Additional weapons may be provided for use while dismounted.

Any such weapons are purchased at 50% normal price and can only be used if the crew dismounts.

If a vehicle has extra crew intended to be dismounted and fight on foot, purchase the dismounts as
a normal infantry unit.

Weapon:
If a vehicle has any weapons mounted, one will be a Main weapon.
If multiple weapons are mounted and are not linked or co-axial, one will be a Main weapon and up
to 3 Secondary weapons.

Add the cost of the weapon selected.

Modify as indicated:

Mount point Arc Cost Cost

(Main) (Secondary)
Turret 360 +5 +10
mount
Swivel 90 0 +5
Fixed 45 0 0

Linked weapons:
If the weapon mount contains two linked weapons, add the cost together and apply a 10% discount
to the total cost.

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Co-Axial weapons:
If the weapon mount contains a weapon added as a co-axial weapon, reduce the cost of the cheaper
weapon by 20%.

Auxiliary weapons:
Any number of auxiliary weapons may be mounted in swivel mounts. These must be selected from
the Infantry weapon lists.
If the vehicle is assault capable, close combat weapons are treated as auxiliary weapons but do not
require additional crew (they are operated by the pilot).

Auxiliary weapons are not required to have crew included to fire them.
Reduce the cost of any weapon by 50% if it lacks crew and cannot be fired by passengers.
Reduce the cost by 25% if the weapon lacks crew but may be fired by passengers.

A weapon with no crew may be fired by another crew member not manning their main weapon or by
the driver (if the vehicle is stationary).
On some vehicles, they may be fired by passengers.

Transport:
If the vehicle can transport infantry, add the appropriate capacity below.

Capacity Cost
Fire team 6 3
Squad 10 5
Bulk 16 8

Capacity must also be added if the vehicle crew includes additional “crew” functioning as
dismounts.

Vehicle gear:
Add any vehicle upgrades desired at this point

Gear Cost Gear Cost

Force screen 25 Ablative armour 25
Infantry deterrent system 10 AI assisted targeting 10
Assault capable 10 Layered armour 5
Smart camo 10 Predictive target lock 15
Repair system 15

APC:
If a vehicle with transport capacity only has a single weapon mounted and that weapon is selected
from the Infantry weapons list or is a machine gun or heavy machine gun, apply a 10% discount to
the total, combined cost of the vehicle.

APC -10%

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Unarmed:
Vehicles with no weapons at all receive a 20% discount to the total, combined cost of the vehicle.

Unarmed -20%

Vehicle design example:

I want to build a transport for my infantry squad to ride in.
I elect a Medium Wheeled vehicle for a base of 50 points.
It'll have Basic electronics for +3 points.
The crew are Training 5 and Discipline 5, for a total of +20 points.

Armaments will be an auto cannon in the turret (main weapon) and a hull machine gun (secondary)
in a swivel mount.
I add +5 for the turret mount, +25 for the machine gun and +23 for the auto cannon.
Finally, we add 3 points to have a carry capacity of 6.

Total cost for my transport is 129 points.

REINFORCEMENTS
Any element may be purchased as reinforcements.
Reinforcements have their cost reduced to 80% of normal (round up to the nearest point) but must
deploy using the Reinforcements rule.

A force must deploy at least one squad using the normal rules but otherwise reinforcements are not
limited.
Players may set additional limitations as desired.

Example:
I decide to add a second infantry squad and a second transport, to come on as reinforcements.

At 266 points x 0.8, I get a cost of 212.8, rounded up to 213 for the reinforcing infantry.
Their transport will cost 129 x 0.8 = 103.2, rounded up to 104.

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ALLIED FORCES
Players may set any limitations on species that they find appropriate, as part of the Scenario
Parameters.

Select one of the following principles for allied forces.

If no particular agreements are made, assume that Standard Alliances are in use.

No alliances Forces must consist entirely of one species.

Observer Forces must consist entirely of one species except for one individual figure.
Standard alliances Each force may contain figures from two species.
Welcome to the Fringe Any number of species may be combined.

Humans:
For the purpose of alliance restrictions, all humans and human sub-types (Stalkers, Psychos etc.) are
considered one species.

Adopted species:
Alien species that have options in their rules entries for “adopted” troops, such as Converted
Infiltrators, are considered part of the species adopting them, not their original species.

Only one adopted species per force is permitted to count as the parent species.

Example:
A Converted force includes a Precursor Infiltrator unit. The force is considered to be one species
for alliance purposes.
If the force included both Human and Precursor Infiltrators, one of the two would have to be
counted as an allied species.

Cosmetics:
Alien figures with no rules distinctions can be used without any effect on alliance rules.
An alien is cosmetic if it has no bearing on the rules and uses all rules and traits of the species it is
part of.

For example, a mercenary unit may use human rules but the miniatures selected may be a variety
of species with no rules impact.

“Sir, scouts report a platoon of Soulless have just landed on our flanks! ”
“Curses. We don't have enough men to deal with one enemy, and now this? Try to regroup some of the wounded
and get them in a defensive position!”
“no sir.. they are reporting they are here to assist us”

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SCENARIOS
A lot of gamers tend to assume that setting up a scenario is a challenging ordeal, but it doesn't have
to be.
At it's core, you need two forces, a reason they are fighting and a way to find out who won the
encounter.
Pick out the troops you want to use, either by selecting them freely or using the points system.

If both players feel they have a reasonable shot at winning, set up the table, come up with an
explanation for what is going on and start playing.

If you are playing with a fairly open-minded group, don't over think things in advance. Get set up,
start playing and see what happens.

Some groups will have a player who enjoys setting up the scenarios and acting as the Game Master.
A GM'ed scenario can be more detailed and in-depth, because it can rely on things like hidden
objectives, conflicting motivations and a general knowledge of what troops are available.
Likewise,the GM may set up a scenario that the players would not normally create.

If you desire more assistance, the rules below give some basic advice on how to set up a fairly
generic “encounter” battle.

SCENARIO PARAMETERS
Before starting the scenario, the players should agree on any limiting parameters they wish to apply
to their forces.
By design, the force builder is very open-ended and leaves decisions up to the players.

Review things like Heroes, Psionics, Vehicles and Support and decide if you wish to place any
additional restrictions on any of them, either in absolute terms (No Psionics permitted and only one
Hero f.x.) or in relative terms (Only one vehicle per 3 squads and the vehicles cannot exceed 25% of
total points).

Most groups will settle on a set of parameters that they find gives the best game for them.
Don't be afraid to shake them up once in a while though.

NOTE ON PROCEDURES
If using the points system and victory point mechanics, all such calculations should be made prior to
the game beginning.
No one wants to sit around waiting while their opponent figures out what their troops were actually
worth.

When writing an army list for a game, all decisions about detachments should be made ahead of
time and victory point scores calculated in advance.

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TERRAIN
Set up the terrain in any mutually agreeable fashion.
Aim at covering anywhere from 25-50% of the table in terrain features. If playing with features that
are new to either player, discuss how they will be classified in the game rules.

One option is to have one player set up the table, then permit the other player to either:

*Add 1 terrain feature

*Remove 1 terrain feature
*Move 1 feature to any point on the table
*Move 3 features up to 6” from their current position.

SETTING UP
The set up process consists of the following steps, taken in order:

1: Determine if you will deploy from the short table edges, long table edges, corners or any table edge.
If the gaming area is square, rather than rectangular, select if you wish to deploy from corners or edges.
If desired, roll below

Roll Rectangular Roll Square

1-3 Long 1-4 Edge
4-5 Short 5-7 Corner
6-7 Corner 8-10 Edge or corner
8-9 Any edge
10 Any edge or corner

2: One player, it doesn't matter which, randomly selects an eligible table edge or corner. This is the edge they
will deploy from.
The opposing player will deploy from the opposite table edge or corner.
Table edges can be selected by a coin flip, dice roll or any other method desired.

3: Each player rolls 1D10. The player with the lowest roll must begin setting up first.

4: All figures must be set up within 6” of the table edge (12” if deploying from a corner).
Double these distances if a table is particularly large. (for example, 4x6 feet or greater).

5: Set up 5 infantry figures, 1 vehicle, 1 monster or 1 mech trooper.

Infantry figures set up do not have to be from the same unit but figures from the same units must always be
set up in a valid formation, within their Training score in inches from the leader.

Troops may be set up on-board a transport vehicle. Announce that to the other players, then place the figures
to the side of the table.
Unless agreed upon beforehand or if playing with a Game Master, troops may not be hidden inside vehicles.

6: The opposing player sets up their choice of 5 infantry figures, 1 vehicle, 1 monster or 1 mech trooper.

7: Alternate until all figures have been set up.

If one player finishes setting up all forces before the other, each time it is the finished players turn to set up,
they may relocate one infantry figure up to 6” as long as the new location is a valid deployment location.

8: When all forces have been deployed, it is time to begin the first turn.

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OBJECTIVES
Randomly assign an objective from the list below.
Objectives are not secret by default though players may agree to use secret objectives at their
discretion.

Achieving the objective awards additional victory points. The total is the points total of the game,
divided by 4.

Example:
If we are playing a 1000 point game, achieving the objective is worth 250 points.

If playing a league, tournament or campaign, players should cycle through objectives, playing each
objective once in five games.
One-off games may roll randomly or use any other method to decide.

1-2 ENGAGE
Half (rounded up) of the enemy squads or vehicles must be destroyed.

3-4 CAPTURE
Place an objective marker or suitable terrain item in the centre of the table.
At the end of the game, to control the objective, you must be within 4” with no enemies within the
same distance.

5-6 ACQUIRE
An item is placed in the centre of the table.
Any infantry figure can pick it up by moving into contact. No actions are required to pick up the
item. It may be dropped at any point (and is dropped automatically if the figure is killed).
The item can be passed off for free once per turn by moving into contact however only one figure
may move the item each turn.

The item may be not be picked up unless your force has the Acquire objective.

At the end of the game, the item must be in your possession.

7-8 KILL
The most valuable enemy individual figure must be destroyed.

9-10 SCOUT
A vehicle or 3 infantry figures must be in the enemy deployment area by the end of the game.

Advance to Sector 9, establish overwatch positions.

Be mindful of local wildlife and scavengers.
Casualty tolerance has been set at 14%, adjustable.

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ENDING THE GAME

When both players have had 6 turns, the game ends.
If either player wishes, they may attempt to prolong the fight.
Roll 1D10, with a 1, 2 or 3 causing the fight to be prolonged.

A fight can be prolonged any number of times, as long as at least one player wants to, and the dice
roll is made successfully.

Note that if multiple players wish to prolong, only one roll is made.
The roll to prolong is not considered an in-game roll and is not subject to any modifications from
unit abilities and traits.

VICTORY POINTS
Victory points are awarded by destroying enemy troops.
The base victory point value of any unit is the total points value of the unit.
For example, a unit worth 240 points is worth 240 victory points.

Players not using the points system may assign victory points in any agreeable fashion.

Squads and weapon teams Any unit with multiple figures awards half its victory points, rounded up, if at
least 50% of the unit is dead at the end of the game and the full victory points if
no more than 1 figure survives.
Units removed from the game due to Morale issues are considered to be dead
for victory points.
Vehicles Vehicles award their victory points if destroyed at the end of the game.
Burning vehicles award 75% of their points total at the end of the game.
Detached individuals If a unit detaches an individual, that figure is not considered part of the unit
any longer.
For victory point purposes, divide the total points cost of the squad by the
number of figures. Reduce the squad value by this amount.
Use this total to calculate victory points for the detached figure.
Individual figures Individual figures of any kind award their points when killed.

UNEVEN SCORES
If two forces are not of equal value, the smaller force, receives bonus victory points at the end of
the game, equal to half the difference in points.

For example, if a game has an 800 point army fighting a 1000 point army, the 800 point army will
receive 100 victory points automatically in addition to the value of any enemies destroyed.

SKIRMISH OPTION
Players of smaller games may prefer to award points for each individual figure, instead of by squad.

This requires more record keeping and is thus considered optional.

CAMPAIGN GAMES
Additional points available to a force in a campaign are considered in the Uneven Scores total
above.
Character upgrades from Bonus Points are not considered, they are “free” for all intents and
purposes.

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QUICK PLOT GENERATOR

If imagination runs dry or you like a challenge, you can use the generator below to set up a quick,
unpredictable encounter.
This will not literally generate a scenario for you:
The system will generate a series of keywords for you, which can then be used to build out a quick
scenario or act as inspiration.

Most of the results will simply result in two sides coming to blows in a strange location but players
should be encouraged to come up with additional victory conditions and any scenario rules they find
they need.

COMBATANTS
Roll twice on the following table to determine who is fighting on each side.
Skip this step if you already know what figures you want to use.
If the result indicates a single person, the remaining force is their retinue or hired hands.
Solo players can use this to generate the opposition for each encounter.

1 Pirates 26 Assault troops 51 Free trader 76 Time travellers

2 Freebooters 27 Conscripts 52 Smuggler 77 High ranking agent
3 Mercenaries 28 Crusading believers 53 Posse 78 Religious leader
4 Adventurers 29 Prospector 54 Insurgents 79 Nomads
5 Thugs 30 Megalomaniac 55 Commandos 80 Organized mob
6 Criminal gang 31 Tax collector 56 Strike force 81 Terrorists
7 Cultists 32 Survivalists 57 Tech cultists 82 Army patrol
8 Law enforcement 33 Refugees 58 Government agents 83 Seasoned military
9 Recon force 34 Rebels 59 Local authorities 84 Corporate enforcers
10 Corporate troops 35 Looters 60 Corporate security 85 Privateers
11 Local militia 36 Hired guns 61 Hit squad 86 Regular grunts
12 Mob enforcers 37 Starship crew 62 Invasion force 87 Draftees
13 Fugitives 38 Black ops team 63 Secret police 88 Criminal family
14 Crazies 39 Treasure hunters 64 Private security 89 Anti-Unity militia
15 Religious order 40 Fanatics 65 Rebels 90 Paramilitaries
16 Bounty hunters 41 Strange travellers 66 Gang of malcontents 91 Anti-Droid cult
17 Salvage crew 42 Anarchists 67 Sentries 92 Separatists
18 Deserters 43 Political extremists 68 Colony guards 93 Explorers
19 Colonists 44 Raiders 69 Elite unit 94 Survivors
20 Invaders 45 Bandits 70 Political militia 95 Frontier law gang
21 Slavers 46 Armed citizens 71 Military remnants 96 Hunters
22 Mad scientist 47 Local military 72 Concerned citizens 97 Mercenary cadre
23 Assassins 48 Warlord militia 73 Government troops 98 Settlers
24 Secret agents 49 Revolutionaries 74 Warlord retinue 99 Special forces
25 Vigilantes 50 Security guards 75 Military stragglers 100 Free company

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OBJECTIVE
Roll on the following table to find out why everyone is fighting.
If the objective is a person, decide (or pick at a random) whether they are going to be rescued,
killed, captured or something else and by who.

1 Revenge 26 Contraband 51 Apprehend fugitive 76 Fishing rights

2 Pre-emptive strike 27 Box of treasure 52 Destroy obstacle 77 Monster
3 Territory 28 Treasure map 53 Rogue leader 78 Cult leader
4 Natural resource 29 Mineral supply 54 Defector 79 HQ building
5 Stolen goods 30 Member of nobility 55 Making a name 80 Enemy camp
6 Letter 31 Diplomat 56 Secret agent 81 Energy crystals
7 Bounty 32 Clean water 57 Sweep for enemies 82 Personal item
8 Scientist 33 Rebel leader 58 Routine patrol 83 Settling score
9 Journalist 34 Gang boss 59 Investigation 84 Chemical storage
10 Explorer 35 Bragging rights 60 Water treatment 85 Religious site
11 Cache of weapons 36 Deliver item 61 Kill traitor 86 Comms network
12 Box of loot 37 Kidnap victim 62 Prototype weapon 87 Spare parts
13 Passing through 38 Blueprints 63 Bank 88 Religious imperative
14 Heist 39 Hijack vehicle 64 Apprehend traitor 89 Rare plants
15 Wanted criminals 40 Demolish structure 65 Inflict casualties 90 Teleport site
16 Government official 41 Occupy structure 66 Oxygen generator 91 High ground
17 Unusual animal 42 Deny area to enemy 67 Medical supplies 92 Map area
18 Rare plants 43 Political statement 68 Virus cure 93 Virus sample
19 Bridge 44 Glory 69 Buried treasure 94 Control panel
20 Military objective 45 Hack computer 70 Propaganda victory 95 Unstable chemicals
21 Important building 46 Scouting mission 71 Rocket launch codes 96 Research data
22 Feud 47 Hostile take over 72 Doomsday weapon 97 Prototype droid
23 Chance encounter 48 Cleanse area 73 Religious leader 98 Enemy commander
24 Food supplies 49 Police action 74 Valuable animal 99 Military depot
25 Energy crystals 50 Destroy computer 75 Search structures 100 Suppress enemies

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AREA
Roll on the following table to determine the surroundings. This can be used to set the theme for the
table top.

The combination of the area and the objectives may produce strange results. Interpret these in
whatever manner seems most appropriate.
Maybe the objective is a sub-location within the overall area, maybe things are not what they seem
or maybe it's just Fringe-logic.

1 Star port 26 City market 51 Check point 76 Monastery

2 Down town 27 Old starship facility 52 Test site 77 Orchard
3 Shanty town 28 Ancient temple 53 Strategic hill 78 Large farm
4 Industrial 29 Overgrown village 54 Trench lines 79 Rural landscape
5 Ruins 30 Construction site 55 Air field 80 Wet lands
6 Village 31 Rocky field 56 Bandit camp 81 Hide out
7 Farm house 32 Country side 57 Rolling hills 82 Collapsed city
8 Compound 33 Guard post 58 Underground bunker 83 Overgrown swamp
9 Mining facility 34 Gang hideout 59 Tunnel complex 84 Power plant
10 Crystal fields 35 Fortifications 60 Arena 85 Overgrown ruins
11 Government facility 36 Junk yard 61 Odd rock formations 86 Border guard post
12 Military outpost 37 Overgrown ruins 62 Alien forest 87 Ghost town
13 Battle field remains 38 Research station 63 Cluttered alleys 88 Broken ground
14 Bridge 39 Barren wasteland 64 Crash site 89 Commercial building
15 Colony outskirts 40 Abandoned farm 65 Strange structure 90 Head quarters
16 Explorers camp 41 Alien building 66 On top of starship 91 Parking lot
17 Crashed starship 42 Gate or entrance 67 Toxic swamp 92 Tank factory
18 Boulder field 43 Highway 68 Junk yard 93 Town square
19 Dense forests 44 Landfill 69 No mans land 94 House on the hill
20 Park 45 Prison 70 Desert 95 Urban decay
21 Abandoned colony 46 Swampy marsh 71 Radio tower 96 River
22 Power plant 47 Landing pad 72 Comms bunker 97 Apartment blocks
23 Zoo 48 Watch tower 73 Primordial world 98 Strange monolith
24 Back alleys 49 Lush forests 74 Crystal refinery 99 Subway tunnels
25 Refinery 50 Moon scape 75 Church 100 Laboratory

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TWIST
Things are rarely easy. Optionally, roll below to establish a twist or unexpected situation.
Players may prefer rolling for this after setting up their forces.

Many of these will require the players to invent rules for the twist. Beginners may wish to leave
twists out until they have a few games under their belt or treat them as background detail.

In general, twists should not be drastic enough to decide the game on their own, though some
gamers enjoy a significant amount of chaos.

1 Hazardous terrain 26 Delayed units 51 Gun turrets 76 Force fields

2 Additional terrain 27 Civilians in area 52 Unusual terrain 77 Heroic trooper
3 Land mines 28 Treasure in area 53 Heavy plant growth 78 High-grade ammo
4 Bad visibility 29 Collapsing terrain 54 Strange haze 79 Suicidal trooper
5 Reinforcements 30 Fire 55 High spirits 80 Infestation
6 Low ammo 31 Unreliable unit 56 Lack of motivation 81 Accident
7 Equipment defect 32 Erratic deployment 57 Pack of animals 82 Barricades
8 Extra fire support 33 Sickness 58 Monster lair 83 Bandit gang
9 Ambush 34 Prototype weapon 59 Intense sunlight 84 Time distortion field
10 Traitor 35 Break of dawn 60 Vehicle breakdown 85 Drifting smoke
11 Bad weather 36 Unprepared 61 Bad ammo supplies 86 Deafening noise
12 Weapons scattered 37 Secret passage 62 Limited time 87 Force bubble
13 Abandoned vehicle 38 Chemical spill 63 Nano bot cloud 88 Booby traps
14 Lurking monster 39 Unstable chemicals 64 Local militia 89 Unstable buildings
15 Low morale 40 Rogue snipers 65 Trooper gone crazy 90 Burning terrain
16 Weird noises 41 Random teleports 66 Unexpected terrain 91 Time bombs
17 Comms blackout 42 Gas emissions 67 Slippery 92 Infiltration
18 Stray artillery fire 43 Bystanders 68 Wandering madman 93 Radiation zone
19 Deserter 44 Fog 69 Haywire robot 94 Side objective
20 Low on fuel 45 Night time 70 Thick mud 95 Razorwire
21 Killer robot 46 Surprised 71 Stampede 96 Unstable crystals
22 Crazy loner 47 Dangerous plants 72 Alien orbs 97 Lava flow
23 Third party 48 Fuel storage 73 Bug swarms 98 Someone is missing
24 Angry predator 49 Chemical storage 74 Toxic pools 99 Hide out
25 Local wildlife 50 Unexploded shells 75 Dense terrain 100 Bad intel

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SOLO PLAY

Solo gaming can involve playing both sides or it may involve multiple players on the same side
against “the bad guys” (or good guys).
Below, you will find advice and tools to help run a “neutral” force that isn't directly controlled by a
player.

Note that this is a tool box, rather than a full “artificial intelligence” system. As such, the players
will still have to make decisions about what is a reasonable move for the enemy.

These tools are not all intended to be used at the same time. Select the options that make the most
sense for you.

THE PLAN
Running solo games is often much easier if the opposing forces have a clearly defined plan.
Once the table is set up, forces are known and the enemy objectives are clear, take a moment to
formulate a plan for them to follow.

Group the enemy forces into units and determine what task each unit is going to carry out. This
does not have to be complicated.
Something as simple as “group 1 provides covering fire from the ruins, group 2 moves to the brick
house, then assaults the hill, group 3 infiltrates through the trees” is plenty.

When in doubt about what to do, simply review the plan and take steps that lead to the success of
the individual groups plan or remove obstacles to said plan.

DEFENDING:
When deploying to defend a location, figures will deploy about a third of their available troops in
nearby support positions, typically within one or two moves.
The rest will be positioned in or adjacent to the area to be defended.

Support weapons may be positioned behind the objective if a raised terrain feature is available.

Figures will move to reinforce and support troops under attack but will not otherwise move to
engage new threats.

ATTACKING:
An attack is always directed at a specific location or feature.
Attackers will try to pick routes that either use intervening terrain features to obscure lines of sight
or provide cover.

An attacking force will try to set up fire bases to take the defensive position under fire as they
advance. If enough troops are available, some will move to a flanking position where they can fire
at the defenders.

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CHARACTER
One of the benefits of solo gaming is that you can focus a bit more on the storytelling aspects.

Consider the character of each side: Do alien Warriors, a gang of crazies and battle hardened
soldiers operate the same?
Doesn't sound terribly likely, right?

If you have an idea for basic personality traits for each side or at least their leaders, you should
have a solid foundation for their decision making. A rash leader may be more likely to push for close
quarter combat, while a cautious leader may focus on keeping their forces in cover.

CHANGE OF PLAN
To generate uncertainty, an Order roll can be made for the enemy, to determine if there is a change
of intentions.

This roll can be made every few turns, when the enemy suffer a setback or success, when a plan or
milestone has been reached, when the initiative die scores a certain number or any other suitable
trigger.

In a smaller game, roll once for the entire force.

In a bigger game, divide the force into 2 or 3 groups and treat them separately.

1-2 Dig in!

The unit will maintain its current position if defensible or redeploy to the nearest such position.
Forces will fire at targets threatening them but otherwise maximize protection and minimize
incoming fire.
3-8 Carry on as current.
9-10 Forward!
The unit will attempt to close the distance with the enemy, manoeuvring to get within grenade
throwing or even close combat range.
Troops will fire whenever possible.

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DECISIONS
When a decision point occurs, if the overall plan is kept in mind, the obvious answer will often
present itself.
If multiple options appear to be equally likely, one can be selected at random.
In scenarios where one option appears more plausible or to achieve the plan more effectively, roll
1D10 with a 1-4 indicating the less likely option and a 5-10 the more likely.

Target priority:
Figures will generally fire at the target that presents the highest risk to them.
As targeting rules are fairly strict, the decision making tends to revolve around how to position
yourself rather than which target to fire at.

In terms of risk, this list can be used as a general guide line, listing targets from highest to lowest
priority:

* Vehicles and monsters (if armed with high Penetration weapons).

* Heavy weapons.
* Enemies within grenade range.
* Enemies that have clear shots on the firer.
* Enemies at range, without clear shots.
* Enemies that are Heads Down.

AGGRESSION
Forces may be given an Aggression rating by rolling 1D10, with higher scores indicating higher
chance of aggressive actions.

For a particularly aggressive or cautious force, roll twice and pick the most appropriate result.

Whenever a decision has to be made between more cautious and more reckless options, roll 1D10.
If the roll is equal or lower than the Aggression score, the more reckless option is selected.

Aggression scores can also be taken as a general indication of tactics.

Forces with low Aggression scores will tend to move more cautiously, stay to cover and avoid
reaction fire, while forces with high Aggression will attack at close quarters and will emphasize
chances to inflict damage over defensive positions.

Likewise, leaders and psions will use their abilities to aid in defence and recovery in low Aggression
forces, while forces with high Aggression will use them to push troops forward and deliver more fire
on enemy positions.

The Fringe:
Feral, Brute and Slaver forces (or armies comprised primarily of either race) should roll twice for
Aggression, using the higher result.
Engineer forces roll twice, using the lower result.

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WHO ACTIVATES
In general, selecting which unit should act next is fairly easy, as there is usually one or two units
either in particularly perilous or particularly valuable positions.

The following priority list can be used as a rough guideline:

* Troops with a good shot at a high value / high threat target

* Troops close to enemy forces
* Troops in the open
* Troops in defensive positions
* Troops out of sight

Units with very low morale or a large number of figures Heads Down should be considered lower on
the priority list.

DETERMINATION
If a force suffers a serious setback, such as elimination of a heavy weapon, vehicle, leader or
several squad members, a Determination check can be made to see if they have had enough.

Note that this takes into account the overall strategic need to conserve forces. Hence, even fearless
troops may withdraw.

1-2 Fall back!

The force abandons offensive actions and falls back to a defensible position behind its current
location.
From there, it will fight until the situation becomes untenable and then check again.
3-8 Carry on!
9-10 Retreat!
The force will abandon the battle and attempt to withdraw.
Players may play out a fighting withdrawal or simply end the confrontation.

PRIORITIES:
The Priority system can be used to determine what the enemy force emphasizes during the
encounter.

While Priorities could be rolled for each turn, the game will flow better if the player only rolls when
a Priority has been achieved, a mission objective has been achieved or the game situation changes
dramatically.

Alternatively, change of priorities could be tied to a particular number on the Activation or Event
dice.

If the current priority is not applicable or possible, the force will attempt to manoeuvre within its
current positions, to maximize the fire it can direct at the highest-risk/value enemy targets.

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1-2 Suppress enemy positions.

Fire on visible enemies to suppress and push back.

3 -4 Advance on enemy positions.

The enemy will attempt to move closer to the enemy positions and throw grenades
if possible.

5-6 Improve defensive position.

Move to reduce enemy lines of sight, reach better cover and regroup forces

7-8 Regroup forces.

Pull forces together and move to have overlapping fields of fire.

9-10 Outflank enemy positions.

Send elements to establish positions of enfilading fire or outflank linear obstacles.

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CAMPAIGNS
I KNOW THESE GUYS
It is tempting to keep the same forces from game to game. Following the exploits of a particular
unit, character or band of outlaws can greatly increase the enjoyment of the game.

Space Adventure campaigns are best played with a Game Master linking the games together. Some
campaigns may feature the same two sides in each game, others may following one force as they
battle a number of enemies and still more may follow the fighting in a particular region, using
different units each time.

These campaign rules are meant to be as simple and easy as possible.

As such, they omit a number of features that a more fully fledged system might cover.

FUNDAMENTALS
After each game in the campaign, each player receives a number of Bonus Points (BP).
These may be spent on improving the characteristics of any of your figures or adding new traits to
figures or weapons.

Figures that become casualties risk losing all points poured into them.

EARNING BONUS POINTS

After each game roll 1D10 if the game was a draw or defeat, roll 2D10 and pick the higher die if the
game was a win.
You receive BP equal to half the die, rounded up.

In a Game Mastered scenario, the GM may award 1 additional bonus point to each player, if they had
a moment that was particularly memorable, fun or exciting.

SPENDING BONUS POINTS

BP are spent to upgrade figures as described below.
The available points may be spent on one figure, spread out or saved up at the players discretion.

Saving up:
Players may elect to stash their awarded points. Reduce the number of points unspent this turn by 1
and write down the remainder.

Saved points are safe and cannot be lost. After any future campaign battle, any number of saved
points may be added to the pool awarded after the battle and spent.

Saved points are species specific. When points are saved, the player must designate the species
they are saved for, which may be any species used by the player in the battle.
Once designated, the points may only be used to buy upgrades for figures of that species.

Duty, Stability and Sacrifice.

-Badge inscription of Unity agents.

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Upgrading characteristics:
Any of the characteristics (Speed, Survival, Training, Morale, Discipline) may be upgraded at the
cost indicated below.

Current score Cost

1-5 +1
6-7 +2
8 +4
9 +2

No score may be raised above 10.

Psions may increase their Psionic skill using the same costs.

Traits:
4 points may be spent to add a trait to a figure. A figure may not have more than 3 additional traits
(not counting species traits).

Leaders and Psions may add a Leader or Psion trait for 5 points.
Each figure may only have one such trait and it will count towards the 3 trait limit.
3 points may be spent to replace an existing trait with another trait of choice.

Troop class:
Figures may be upgraded to Leader, Hero or Psion status by paying the costs listed below:

Squad Leader 10 Squad Hero 20 Psion (skill 4, level 1) 9

Individual Leader 15 Individual Hero 25 Increase level 5
Add Leadership to Hero 5 Add Hero to Leader 5
Increase Leadership 10 Add Hero to Psion 5

Bonus equipment:
BP may be spent on additional weapons, grenades or gear.
Pay the normal points cost in BP.

Weapon traits:
3 points may be spent adding a trait to a weapon.
Combination weapons may have the trait applied to both weapons for 5 points.

All biological runtimes suppressed.

Proceeding with sweep.
Recommend adaptive tactical reconfiguration.
Querying hive-server for consensus.
Consensus reached.
Upgrades applied.

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UPGRADED FIGURES
Once a figure has been upgraded, they must be given a suitable name and be distinguishable from
their squad mates, unless individual.
Unless points are spent to change the troop class (for example, turning a squad member into a hero)
they will still belong to the same troop class.

Upgraded figures in a squad use their own characteristics for all purposes.
If a squad includes figures with disparate Morale scores, use the single highest Morale score minus 1
for all unit-based Morale tests.

When a figure has been upgraded, it must be used as-is in future games.
Weapons may be exchanged but no other changes may be made, except through the campaign
process.

POINTS VALUES
Upgrades and weapons obtained through BP is free.
It does not have to be factored into the standard points values.

Upgrade items can never be traded or handed off to other characters, even in the case of weapons.

CASUALTIES
If an upgraded figure becomes a casualty during the game, roll 1D10.
A score of 1-5 means the figure was either killed or grievously wounded. All upgrades are lost.
A score of 6-10 means the figure escaped with some minor scrapes, were knocked unconscious or
otherwise survived.

THE NEXT BATTLE

In most cases, campaigns are narrative affairs. Simply decide each battle as you go.
Players may use the Quick Plot Generator if they like, to determine each new encounter.

Alternatively, the players may simply agree on the two to four most obvious things to happen after
finishing this battle and roll 1D10.

Example:
The first battle was between a colonial militia and a force of alien infiltrators.
The aliens won, so we decide that there are three possible options for the next battle:

A: The aliens strike at the water supply of the colony, hoping to force a quick surrender.
B: The colonists send for help and must defend their radio tower from attack.
C: The aliens launch a probing attack on the colony perimeter.

Based on what seems most likely (and most fun), we assign a roll of 1-5 to option A, 6-8 to option B
and 9-10 to option C.

Then we simply roll 1D10 to find the next encounter.

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FOLLOW ON EFFECTS
Optionally, players may decide to provide a small bonus to players that win their encounters.
Each time a player wins a game, they receive a force bonus of 1.

Add up force bonus after each game. The score remains for the duration of the campaign and is not
lost or reduced.

The total force bonus is used as a percentage of extra points.

For example, in a 700 point game, if I have a force bonus of 3, I would have 21 points extra to spend
on my forces for that encounter.
This works particularly well for groups that play in a league or similar, where you can run games
through a “season”.

A Game Master may assign additional benefits or drawbacks to winning or losing particular battles
and may designate some battles as being worth more (or no) force bonus points.

VICTORY
The narrative may dictate when a campaign is over or you may have certain encounters designated
as Vital for one or both players.

If a game is Vital, it will have a Campaign Value (CV) from 1 to 3.

Note that not all encounters will be vital for both sides and they may not have the same value for
both sides.

If a game was Vital for the side that won, they receive the CV in points.
Add these to any CV earned previously in the campaign then roll 1D10. If the roll is equal or under
the total CV, the campaign ends in victory for that player.
This roll is only made after battles where one side received CV points, and only for the side that
received the points

If a random factor is desired, roll below for each player, before each encounter

Roll CV
1-5 0
6-7 1
8-9 2
10 3

If both sides receive CV after a battle (due to special campaign scenarios for example), both sides
could win, resulting in a draw overall.

The presence of energy crystals on countless worlds along the Fringe has made it an attractive territorial
acquisition to several species.
Any colonization attempts should be viewed as an elevated risk factor.

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Minutes later Cpl Carter was strapped in and plummeting to the world below with the rest of the men.
Along with the rigors of the Long Sleep, troopers in the Corps had to get used to “the envelope ”.
This was the common-use term for crossing the membrane between space and atmosphere on a drop.
At first a combat drop is oddly peaceful. No power is wasted on artificial gravity in a drop shuttle, so the first
few minutes after loading up and blasting out of the shuttle bay are ones of near silence and calm floating in one ’s
harness.
As the shuttle nears the upper atmosphere the hull creaks and shimmies and then ROARS.
Gravity slams you forward into the straps and the blood suddenly rushes to your face. The remaining sixty
seconds of travel are a carnival ride of screaming thrusters, uncontrollable tossing about and the ever increasing
smell of sweat and anxiety.
Once the shuttle levels out you get just enough time to catch your breath and remember that at the end of this
ride the real hell begins.

At this moment of flattening out Carter breathed deep through his nostrils and flexed his muscles to
quickly re-acclimatize to real gravity.
Twisting his neck to and fro to work out the kinks he caught his first glimpse of Lieutenant Truman since they ’d
left the troop carrier ship.
Truman was sweating profusely…too much even for a trooper dealing with drop ship stress and especially too
much for an experienced hand like Truman. This was far from his first combat drop.
Carter couldn’t take his eyes away from the officer. Everything about the man struck him as being “wrong ”.
He recalled sensing something off during the briefing and, as then, he attempted to mentally wave it away but
found he couldn’t shake an unnamed sense of something being…off.
Off about the officer, off about this mission. What were they charging into, today?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind the drop ship hit the dirt with a bone-rattling thud and the
interior lights blasted them with bright green.
“Green” means “go” and Carter’s hands slapped his harness free and seized his weapon. The rest of the troopers
followed suit and the drop ship rang with the collected sounds of several dozen men punching in magazines and
cycling their action.
The bay door’s hydraulics hissed loudly and the hatch slowly began to open.
At this moment Carter stole another glance Truman’s way and saw the back of the man ’s head. Truman was
wearing no helmet and the sweat continued to pour down his neck and soak his short cropped hair and the
shoulders of his fatigues.
As if the man could tell he was being watched he slowly turned round and Carter gasped at the sight of Truman ’s
eyes glowing fire red against the green illumination, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

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THE EDGE OF CIVILIZATION

UNITY
A united, coherent, galaxy-spanning government encompassing all of humanity and countless aliens
granted human status.

Unity.

For some, it stands as the beacon of all that is lawful, orderly and pure.
For others, it is an embodiment of suffocating control and enforced conformity.

Tasked with a broad charter of “Defending the interests of humanity at large and in detail”, Unity
functions as government, military and in many cases culture:
As colonization proceeded, it was quickly realized that widely divergent cultures would be
hazardous to long-term peace and prosperity.

As such, optimal cultural standards from a variety of existing Earth cultures were selected and
amalgamated into one “Human” culture, mandated by law across each system.

While in theory, worlds can apply for cultural exemption status, the benefits of Unity membership,
in particular in terms of standardized trade rules and the protection of the fleets, is considered
worth it.

FASTER THAN LIGHT TRAVEL

While a variety of methods have been attempted, the primary method of long distance inter-stellar
travel is the Svensen drive.
According to the scientists that truly understand this sort of thing, Svensen drives exploit weak
points in the fabric of space to “tunnel” from one location to another.
While these weak points do drift through reality, they tend to do so fairly predictably, permitting a
galactic civilization to evolve and maintain itself.

In cases where systems have no remaining weak points in easy distance, it is possible to generate
them manually but at an extremely high energy cost. Major Unity worlds maintain Karlsberg
Generators in orbit for this exact purpose.

The travel time can vary but is typically around 3 days per light year of travel.

It's possible to propel yourself through space without using a weak point but the results can be
highly erratic. While the destination can be pin pointed, the time lapse can be very significant,
often resulting in arrivals months or even years later.

As such they are often reserved for desperate measures or uncharted space as jumping into an
orbital system can have catastrophic results if you cannot predict exact placement of orbital bodies
by the time you emerge.

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THE AUTHORITIES
Humanity and the alien species that have been granted Citizen status has banded together under a
sizeable unified government called the Unity.. Corralling untold billions of sentient beings into
cooperation is largely impossible and the Unity is a massive, impersonal bureaucracy that keeps
itself busy mainly with basic security and safety, perpetuating itself and crushing dissent.

As a result, many prefer the rough life on the fringes of civilization. Most of these worlds are
formally under Unity control but for all practical terms are self-governing, as long as they don't get
too carried away.

Excessive chaos, warfare and destruction tends to invite Unity attention and this generally means
large amounts of troops at the door step. Lacking any understanding of local political situations and
any appreciation whatsoever of why such understanding would be useful, the only response merited
is usually a heavy handed one.

As invasion forces are often left in place or, more likely, forgotten by the bureaucrats who sent
them there, they often simply meld into the local population becoming the next wave of colonists.
Most fringe worlds have been subject to Unity control attempts at least once and this leads to a
staggering amount of military weaponry being available, in spite of official trade rules and
restrictions.

LIFE ON THE FRINGE

Some people were born here, others came willingly.
The sort of person that prefers to live outside the insanity inducing bureaucracy of Unity, free
traders, gamblers, petty adventurers, mercenaries, pirates, bandits, religious fanatics and the
mentally unstable all mingle in the cities, slums, bars, space ports and waste lands of the Fringe
worlds.

Some worlds are literal hell holes, where death waits at every corner but in most cases, some sort
of basic order eventually establishes itself, if nothing else, because the crazies eventually wear
themselves out.
Upon entering a colony, almost any type of society can be encountered, from Fuel Cultists and
monk-pirates to communist robots.

People on the Fringes tend to be surprisingly progressive in their outlook. Aliens and freaks hardly
scare them because everyone there tends to be one or the other.
There is often an unstated agreement that a person's history in Unity is best left forgotten, though
bounty hunters, Unity agents and Tax Enforcers often disagree, leading to yet another sprawling gun
battle.

Spanning around a thousand worlds, though it's doubtful anyone knows the exact number, a person
who prefers staying one step ahead of the authorities can find plenty of opportunities to do so here.

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TRADE ON THE FRINGE

While Unity enforces a common monetary system, on the Fringes, counterfeiting is so rife and
independent rulers, communities and petty warlords have attempted to introduce so many local
currencies that anything significant is traded in barter.

Free traders, scavengers and salvage teams usually carry a sizeable amount of gadgets, trade goods
and technology in various states of repair.
These can be traded for desired goods.
Many such traded goods are “wild cards”.
Alien gadgets, ancient artefacts or strange contraptions that may or may not have astounding
powers and capabilities.

Formal merchant organizations tend to have complex systems of commerce and exchange rates to
ensure consistent trades from virtually any commodity to another.
This ensures that if the merchant needs to convert vegetables to plasma rifle power cells, the
exchange goes according to approved rates.

Most adventuring types simply hope to find the item they need, in exchange for an item they don't
need. It's common to acquire various surplus goods on the chance they can be bartered later or may
turn out to be handy after all.

TAXES AND LOCAL AUTHORITY

Each community on the Fringe manages itself. Some have formal levels of government, particularly
those communities centred around specific belief systems. Others are run by the citizens in some
form of organized anarchy and yet others are complete wild zones.

Since communities often face external threats, each community invariably has some form of local
defence force. These may be recruited, trained, volunteered or drafted in any number of ways.
Visitors will usually pay an entrance fee to the local guard, whether in ammunition, spare parts, bits
of armour and uniform, Unity army rations or similar useful items.

Someone moving into a community will usually have to serve a stint in the guard unless they have a
valuable skill that is in demand.

In other regions, it's cheaper to hire someone to do the security work. The distinction between
“mercenary” and “pirate” can be pretty thin and many units carry out a variety of operations.
As it's primarily a reputation based system, mercenary outfits tend to be a lot more honest than
what may be expected at first.

THE REACH OF UNITY

While the massive apparatus of Unity administration moves at a glacial pace, many smaller divisions
are more flexible and nimble.
Knowing that the Fringes are rife with renegades, rebels, dangerous aliens and law breakers,
countless Unity agents operate across the thousand worlds that make up the Fringe.

Some are simply observers and every Fringe world has at least some semblance of an official
garrison while others are there to hunt down dangerous prey or keep an eye out of trouble.

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While official policy is indifferent to local concerns, operatives often are not, and they will usually
try to interface with what passes for local authorities and power groups to achieve their aims.

Likewise, they will tend to encourage policies, beliefs and social structures that are at least
acceptable to mainstream Unity processes, theoretically to reduce the amount of culture shock that
occurs when a world is finally reclaimed.

THE HUMAN CONDITION

Humans on the Fringes are in many ways similar to humans of today. Racial make up tends to be
very mixed, as ethnic groups have all been scattered to the stars and Unity colonization efforts
often use random methods of determining who is assigned to what world.

Genetic manipulation has given rise to a surprising range of artificial skin colours as well. It is not at
all unlikely to find people with reddish, purple or green hues of skin though outside of genetic
renegades, it's rare to see colourations that are not at least somewhat human.

Hair styles range from the outrageous to the practical. Hair dyes and tattoos are common and in a
galaxy of untold billions, most people want to carve out a small element of individuality.

BEYOND HUMANITY
The galaxy is home to thousands of sentient species, though a relatively smaller number has
achieved star travel.
While no general prohibition exists against providing such technology to a primitive species, the
effort required to integrate the technology gifted into the culture without causing unpredictable
effects is deemed to be too significant to warrant the cost.

A number of species however have taken to the stars and are commonly encountered. The Fringes,
being a zone of relatively lightly controlled worlds, are a natural point of interest for many and it is
not unusual to find a menagerie of creatures on any given world.

WARFARE
Open warfare is a constant but most conflicts are surprisingly localized.
While each race maintains state-of-the-art armoured forces and extensive strike fleets, the cost of
deploying them across the cosmos can be prohibitively high.

As such, most battles are relatively small, local affairs. Combined with the fact that a typical world
will generally only hold two or three colonies, it is not unusual for a planetary invasion to be carried
out by a battalion of troops at most.

On many worlds, the entirety of the Unity defensive network will be a single platoon of bored
volunteers.

This is not to say that large scale warfare does not occur, but for logistical reasons, it tends to
happen on worlds with significant colony populations.
Likewise, many settled colonies decide they would do better without the guiding hand of their
parent empire, even electing to join other empires for protection.

Many a settler has decided that being under the somewhat disinterested rule of a distant Precursor
collective may be preferable to the ever-present attention of Unity officials.

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WHO ARE THE BAD GUYS?

It's always tempting to have clear-cut bad guys and several of the alien critters in Clash on the
Fringe can certainly qualify.
That being said, everyone and everything has a motivation of their own. Some, like the Manipulators
and Precursors have agendas that span generations but most are much simpler: Further the position
of their own species, forge useful alliances and make a few bucks along the way.

In the end, with a few exceptions, no species is a mono-culture and different factions, colonies and
organizations will pursue their own, individual goals and agendas.

If you want ready-to-go bad guys with no good intentions for the rest of us, the Converted and
Horde are a good place to start, though even the intelligences driving them will have their own
motives and even rivalries.
Likewise unusual alliances and disconcerting agreements can be found in many places. It's not
unusual to find Converted mercenary units getting paid in the dead bodies of the enemy for
example.

Finally, are Unity the bad guys?

That depends. On one hand, it's easy to cast them as leather booted storm troopers, eager to crush
and envelop any resistance.
On the other hand, they can also represent the bulwark of order against encroaching anarchy.
Often, they are both at the same time.

In the end, the answer must always be: Whatever gives the best game at the moment.

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EXAMPLE OF PLAY
THE TURN SEQUENCE
My patrol has two squads of Unity troopers (Training 5), accompanied by two individuals, a Sergeant (Training
6) and a marksman (Training 5).
The enemy is four small groups of bandits (Training 4) with no individuals.

As we start the turn, we both roll for initiative:

I roll a 1, adding the highest Training score I have (6) I get a total initiative of 7.
The bandits roll a 9, adding their Training score, they get a total of 13, winning the initiative.
Bandit team 1 is activated and will carry out whichever order is selected.

We roll again. This time I roll a 4, for a total initiative of 10.

The bandits roll a 2, for a total initiative of 6.
I win initiative and activate my second squad.

We roll again. I roll a 9, for a total of 15.

The bandits roll a 4, for a total of 8.
I win initiative again and decide to activate my sergeant.

We roll again. I roll a 5. Since I have to use the highest Training score of any un-activated units, I get a total of
10.
The bandits roll a 6, for a total of 11.
On a draw, we both suffer a failure to activate.
The bandits select one team that will not activate this turn.
For me, I select the lone marksman and mark him as exhausted.

The turn continues, until all units have been exhausted.

A UNIT ACTIVATION
I activate a squad of 4 members: 2 are riflemen, 1 carries a heavy weapon and 1 is a leader, armed with a
shotgun.
1 of the riflemen is currently Heads Down.

I select the Engage order, allowing them to move and fire normally.
I select the first rifleman and move the figure forward to take cover behind a rock. The move brings the
figure within the zone of control of an enemy figure and they take a reaction shot but miss.
My figure fires their assault rifle and we resolve the attack.

I select the second rifleman. As they are Heads Down, I must roll against Discipline to remove the status.
The roll fails, which means I cannot move the figure and they may only fire un-aimed. I resolve the shot from
their current position.

I select the heavy weapons trooper. They fire their weapon from the current position and then move to take
cover.

Lastly, I select the leader. With a leadership rating of 2, I can issue two commands.
The first is a “Keep it together” command, restoring the Heads Down trooper from the status.
I could have activated the leader first and removed the status before the trooper activated, but I gzmbled.
For the second command, I issue a “Rapid Fire!” command to the heavy weapons trooper, letting them fire
again from their new position.

Once the commands have been carried out, the leader conducts movement and firing, ending the unit
activation.

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REFERENCE
INITIATIVE CLOSE COMBAT
Roll 1D10, adding highest un-activated Training score. Roll 1D10 plus Training for each figure. Loser takes a hit.
On a draw, both sides hit and fight again.
High scorer activates any unit of choice.
Surviving loser pushed back 3”.
On a draw, each player must exhaust one unit. Winner may follow up 2” and initiate close combat.
If one player has no remaining units, units become Initiating close combat +1
exhausted on intiative roll of 1-2.
Improvised weapon -1
Dual wield or cavalry +1
ORDERS Move Fire Reactions Other
Heads Down -1
Engage Full Full - -
Attacking across an obstacle -1
Evade Full No Not subject -
Attacker fired before moving -2
Storm Full Assault - Storm move
Desperation -2
Prowl Half Assault Not subject -
Outmatched -1
Alert Half No - React at range
Regroup Half No - Recover Heads
MORALE
Down
Per casualty, test Morale.
LEADER COMMANDS Every failure causes 1 Stress marker.
Issue commands equal to leadership rating, within 8”. -1 to Discipline, Morale and Training per marker.
Move it Full speed move
HEADS DOWN
Rapid fire Normal fire
To hit roll of 10, weapons hit or losing close combat causes
Keep it together Remove Heads Down
Heads Down.
Get down Cover/out of sight
No movement or reaction fire.
You're going to be fine Ignore Stress
All fire is un-aimed.
-1 to close combat.
FIRING
When activation, test Discipline for each marker to remove
Assault range +2
it.
Aim range 0
Long range -2 MOVEMENT PENALTIES
Cover -2 Entering rough terrain feature -1
Targeting explosives -1 Beginning move in rough terrain -1
Exiting rough terrain -1
GETTING HIT
Crossing low obstacle -1
1D10 plus Penetration.
Crossing high obstacle -2
If total exceeds Survival, figure is eliminated.
THE GOLDEN RULES
REACTIONS
Everything happens as it happens
May react within Discipline X 2 inches.
The rules mean what they say, unless the players agree
All shots are un-aimed. otherwise.
Each figure may react once per enemy unit activation. Testing against a characteristic always requires rolling
equal or under.

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VEHICLE DAMAGE TABLE

1 Shock
Firepower is seldom wrong and never questioned.
The vehicle receives 3 Heads Down markers.
2 Immobilized
SET UP SEQUENCE
The vehicle may no longer move.
Grav/Floater lands and takes 2 Heads Down markers. Determine table edge
3 Structural damage Roll to determine who begins deploying first.
Reduce Survival by 1 for the remainder of the game. Alternate placing 1 vehicle or 5 infantry.
4 Gun knocked out
A random weapon is destroyed.
5-6 Wrecked Squads and Any unit with multiple figures awards half
weapon its victory points, rounded up, if at least
The vehicle is out of action for the remainder of the game. teams 50% of the unit is dead at the end of the
The crew rolls to escape as normal. game and the full victory points if no more
7-8 Burning than 1 figure survives.
Units removed from the game due to
Roll 1D10 at the end of each future activation. Morale issues are considered to be dead for
On a 1, it explodes as result 9-10 below.. victory points.
A second Burning result also explodes
Vehicles Vehicles award their victory points if
9-10 BOOM destroyed at the end of the game.
The vehicle explodes, killing all on board. Burning vehicles award 75% of their points
All within 3” take a Penetration 2 hit and go Heads Down. total at the end of the game.
Detached If a unit detaches an individual, that figure
individuals is not considered part of the unit any
HERO DAMAGE TABLE longer.
For victory point purposes, divide the total
1-2 Dodge points cost of the squad by the number of
figures. Reduce the squad value by this
The hero moves 3” out of the way.
amount.
3-4 Knackered Use this total to calculate victory points for
the detached figure.
The hero receives 1 Stress marker.
Individual Individual figures of any kind award their
5-6 Wounded
figures points when killed.
Survival reduced by 1 for the remainder of the game.
7-8 In a bad spot
Add +1 to all future Injury rolls.
9+ Done for
The hero is removed from the game.

TABLE EDGE
Roll Rectangular Roll Square
1-3 Long 1-4 Edge
4-5 Short 5-7 Corner
6-7 Corner 8-10 Edge or corner
8-9 Any edge
10 Any edge or corner

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INFANTRY WEAPONS
Assault Aim Penetration Area Traits
Pistol 6 10 0 Target Close Combat
Man Stopper pistol 4 12 2 Target Close Combat
Riot pistol 5 8 0 Target Suppression
Carbine 10 15 1 1”x3”
Primitive rifle 6 20 1 Target Inaccurate
Assault rifle 8 25 1 1”x3”
Heavy rifle 6 30 2 Target
Marksman rifle 4 40 3 Target Slow
Gauss rifle 4 25 2 2”x2”
Sub machine gun 8 15 0 3”x1”
Beam rifle 4 40 4 Target Heavy
Squad Automatic 4 35 1 2”x4” Heavy
Suppression
Infantry chain gun 4 25 1 2”x4” Heavy
Fire power
Inaccurate
Shotgun 8 15 1 Target Frag
Grenade launcher 4 25 - - Reload
Grenade
Slow
Splinter rifle 8 20 1 1”x3” Terror
Pulse rifle 4 30 2 Target Fire power
Fusion gun 6 15 6 Target Heavy
Slow
Anti Tank launcher 3 25 6 Target Reload
Pin Point
Rapid fire laser 4 40 1 1”x4” Heavy
Fire Power
Incinerator 8 10 2 2”x2” Heavy
Slow
Terror
Gauss support weapon 4 45 2 2”x3” Heavy
Suppression
Plasma rifle 5 18 3 1”x2”

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Assault Aim Penetration Area Traits Crew

Machine gun 10” 30” 2 2”x4” Suppression 1/2
Heavy machine gun 10” 40” 3 2”x4” Suppression 1/2
Heavy chain gun 10” 30” 2 2”x4” Suppression 1/3
Fire power
Beam cannon 10” 60” 7 Target Pin Point 2/3
Anti materiel rifle 10” 30” 5 Target 1/2
Auto cannon 10” 40” 4 1”x2” 1/3
Gauss cannon 10” 60” 9 Target 3/3
Rocket launcher 10” 60” Ammo 1/2
AT 8 Target
Frag 2 3”
Medium cannon 10” 60” 6 Target Ammo 2/4
1 2”
Heavy cannon 10” 60” 8 Target Ammo 2/5
2 2”
Rapid fire gauss cannon 10” 50” 5 2”x4” 3/3
Heavy fusion gun 10” 30” 10 2”x2” 3/3
Heavy plasma gun 10” 30” 8 2”x4” 3/3
Light mortar 10” 40” 1 3” Indirect Fire 1/2

Penetration Traits Penetration Traits

Unarmed 0 Improvised Chain blade 3 -
Knife 1 - Power gauntlet 5 Bulk
Assault blade 2 - Mono blade 2 Swift
Heavy blade 3 Bulk Ripper claws 1 Terror

Heavy -1 to Speed.
Reload May not move and fire.
Frag +1 to hit when in Assault range.
Fire Power When stationary, fire twice at the selected target.
Area of effect weapons fire twice at each target under the template.
Suppression Cause enemies to go Heads Down on to-hit roll of 9 or 10.
Ammo Either type of ammo indicated may be fired. Declare before firing.
Slow May not reaction fire.
Close Combat Counts as a weapon in close combat.
Terror Targets forced to test morale from this weapon must do so at a -1 penalty.
Improvised -1 to hand to hand rolls. Does not count towards dual-wield in close combat.
Inaccurate -1 to hit / hand to hand.
Swift Enemy receives no close combat bonus from weapons.
Pin Point +2 to hit versus vehicle targets. -2 to hit versus infantry targets.
Grenade Any grenade type may be fired.
Indirect Fire May fire at targets not visible to the firer.
Target location must be visible to a friendly figure and fire is conduct at -2 to hit.

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INSPIRATIONS

As with FiveCore, Five Parsecs From Home and No Stars in Sight before it, a total list of the
inspirations that went into Clash on the Fringe would just end up being a list of all the science
fiction I've read.

Instead of doing that, I thought I'd pick out a few specific influences that are a bit stronger or more
dominating.

Influences for the alien races are a check-list of science fiction I've enjoyed, with Traveller, Mass
Effect and even Quake featuring on the list.
From the tabletop world, Rogue Trader was of course fundamental, as was games like Laserburn,
Warzone and Traveller.
I'd like to give shout-outs to the creators of Slammer and Beamstrike for showing that this spirit
could be held up many years later, and still be viable.

In the end, a game like this is all about atmosphere and feeling and the strongest feeling for me is
that of 80's science fiction and heavy metal culture as it permeated gaming.

If you want to get in the proper spirit, put on Blade Runner, Terminator, Aliens and The Abyss, watch
a few episodes of Cowboy Bebop and Trigun and dust off your Nintendo or Commodore system.

Grab some old miniatures you haven't touched in years, put some Exodus, Testament or Bolt
Thrower on the play list (or record player, if you are truly metal) and most importantly:

Don't regret a thing.

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)

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DESIGNER NOTES

Over the years, I have played a lot of fantastic games. Some came to define gaming for me, others
were good but they never quite caught on with us.
Some games were light years ahead of their time while others covered ground we had already done,
but in a different way.

One particular game always stood out to me. Warhammer 40.000 Rogue Trader.
We had discovered it retroactively, after the world had moved on to the 2 nd edition, but the weird,
arbitrary nature of the game struck a nerve.
In particular, it was our first exposure to the idea that “war gaming” can be about something else
than armies of space troopers fighting each other.

A world of pirates, bandits, secret agents and commando groups, in a world that seemed to be
infinite and unpredictable.
This was heady stuff.

Since I began creating games, I have always wanted to go back to that primordial state of mind and
give my own take on it.
The thing about Rogue Trader is that what people enjoyed was the world, the strange aliens, the
fact that you could throw almost anything together and have a go.
The rules themselves were functional (especially for their time) but I've never had anyone say they
were elegant or straight-forward.

I knew that what I wanted to do was capture some of the same spirit but with more modern,
streamlined mechanics that would be fun to play, present tactical challenges and support the world
I was building.
I feel Clash on the Fringe achieves this but in the end, you, the player, must be the judge.

One of the most interesting things about releasing a game is seeing what people do with it.
Things go into a game that everyone ignores and other things are seized upon and become the
foundation for something brand new.

I tried putting in as many seeds as I could. It's up to you to show me which of them were good and
which will be forgotten in the soil.

Lastly, I would like to propose a toast.

To all those years of space adventure.
To the days of grabbing a few random science fiction figures off a shelf and saying “This is my pirate
crew”.

And hopefully to many more years of just that.

Best wishes
Ivan Sorensen

[email protected]

Thomas Musco (Order #21891454)