Combat

Short version:

Each side has a Squad Total that starts at 0 (assuming a fair fight - should cook in rules for prepping/scouting before a battle). If the rules refer to you "spending points" or "gaining points", these are the points. If the rules refer to "Edge", that's the difference between your squad's total and the total for the squad you're trying to mess with.

Roll and add your Action Value at the beginning of a fight. Characters act in order from highest result to lowest result. Once everyone has acted, cycle back around to the top for the next round.

Each action that your characters take is a Maneuver, with an Effect, a Risk, and a Reward. Choose an Action Rating to roll when you make the maneuver. A member of the opposing side will make a roll to oppose you (this is "your opponent" in the list below).

  • Regardless of your success or failure, the Effect happens.
  • If you win or tie the opposed roll, you gain the Reward.
  • If you lose, you suffer the penalties of your Risk.

Maneuvers

Engage - Maneuver around your opponent's position, using cover, firing as you go.

  • Effect: You move to a different location.
  • Risk: Your squad loses 1d6 points as you expose yourself to enemy fire.
  • Reward: Your squad gains points equal to the margin of success plus 1d6.

Escape - Run to safety.

  • Effect: You move away from your foes. On your next action, you can spend 10 points to confirm your escape to safety - you're out of the fight. If you decide to stay, you don't spend the points. If you're unable to spend the points, you can't escape.
  • Risk: Maneuvers against you gain advantage until your next action.
  • Reward: Maneuvers against you suffer disadvantage until your next action.

Take Cover - You move out of the opposing squad's lines of fire and duck behind something heavy.

  • Effect: Direct attacks against you take disadvantage as long as you're hiding.
  • Risk: You're more exposed than you thought. Your opponent gains 1d6 points and can Snipe you with advantage until you move next.
  • Reward: Gain 1d6 points. You can take the Snipe action as long as you're hiding.

Snipe - You carefully attack a single target. You must be hidden, and you must either have Observed the target's squad at some point, or have the target Flagged for you.

  • Effect: Spend 5 Edge. You impose disadvantage on your target's next action.
  • Risk: Your position is exposed; you're no longer hiding.
  • Reward: Deal direct damage against your target. Spend 5 Edge or you are no longer hiding.

Assault - You charge, screaming and firing, attempting to terrify your foes.

  • Effect: Spend 10 Edge. You move toward the enemy.
  • Risk: Your opponent deals direct damage against you.
  • Reward: The opposing side loses points equal to the margin of success, and you deal direct damage to one opponent.

Cover Fire - You fire wildly toward your opponents to convince them to keep their heads down.

  • Effect: The opposing side loses 1d6 points as they draw back.
  • Risk: You do nothing but waste ammo. Lose 1d6 points.
  • Reward: Maneuvers by your opponent takes disadvantage until your next action.

Distract - You draw attention to yourself.

  • Effect: Maneuvers by your opponents against you gain advantage until your next action.
  • Risk: Direct damage against you.
  • Reward: Your side gains points equal to the margin of success. Maneuvers by your opponents against one particular ally suffer disadvantage until your next action.

Observe - Scan the battlefield, learn where your enemies are and what they're doing

  • Effect: You can Flag members of the opposing squad on your next actions.
  • Risk: Your squad loses 1d6 points as you misread the field.
  • Reward: Gain 1d6 points plus margin of success. You notice one hidden opponent.

Flag - You point out an important individual for your allies to target.

  • Effect: Gain 1d6 points. Maneuvers by your allies against the target gain advantage. If your allies are hidden, they can Snipe the target.
  • Risk: Maneuvers by the opposing squad against you gain advantage.
  • Reward: Gain points equal to the margin of success. Your opponents don't notice you flagging the target.

Aid Ally - You give medical assistance or drag an ally out of the line of fire.

  • Effect: Your side loses 1d6 points. The chosen ally gains advantage against fallout and casualty rolls for the rest of the fight.
  • Risk: You lose your next action as an opponent pins you down.
  • Reward: You can Observe while you take this action.

Strand - You leave one of your allies open in order to take a better shot.

  • Effect: You move to a different location.
  • Risk: Your side loses 1d6 points. Direct damage against the ally that you strand.
  • Reward: The opposing squad loses points equal to the margin of success plus 2d6.

Terminology

Your Opponent - The character who made the opposing roll for your maneuver.

Advantage/Disadvantage - Roll an extra die and take the better/worse one. Advantage cancels disadvantage. You can have multiple advantages or disadvantages.

Direct Damage - If a maneuver results in "direct damage," take your character's Damage and compare it to your opponent's Armor Value. If the damage is…

  • Less than the Armor Value, there is no effect.
  • Equal to or more than the Armor Value, the target checks for Fallout at the end of the fight. The Stress value is the Damage rating minus the Armor value.
  • Twice the Armor Value or more, the target checks for Casualty at the end of the fight. The Stress value is the Damage rating minus the Armor value.

Victory and Defeat

  • After the third round, each failed roll can be dangerous. Each failure triggers a check for Fallout at the end of the fight.
  • After the third round, if your squad's total is zero or less, each failed roll can be deadly. Each failure triggers a check for Casualty at the end of the fight.
  • The Stress value for these is the margin of failure on the roll.

You can drop out of the "round by round" structure when everyone agrees that the fight is basically over. The GM has the final call. Usually it's pretty clear.

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