Introduction

Alien War is a game of ground combat for 28mm (1/56 scale) models set in the year 2260. The rules are designed to give you an authentic feel for future warfare including unpredictable events – sudden rushes, explosions, ambushes, and malfunctioning weapons – that challenge your strategy and tactics as a tabletop general. The terrain can be as elaborate or as simple as you like; but the game is best played with lots of cover (buildings, trees, rocks, downed landing ships, etc). The playing area can represent anything from a futuristic cityscape to an alien forest to a Bug-infested hive!

Each player controls a Force that can be as small as a squad (6-15 models) up to a platoon or even a company in size (40-100 models or more). Some Forces may involve more models than others since they consist either of less skilled human troops (like colonial militia or poorly armed and trained conscripts) or aliens whose strength lies in their overwhelming numbers. As players become more experienced, they can control larger numbers of troops as well as vehicles and incorporate more advanced rules for future warfare. At its most basic size (squad level), a game of Alien War should take an hour or less to play.

What you need to play:

Regular Six-sided Dice (D6) – we recommend a mix of at least 3 red, 3 green, and 6 white dice. • Tape Measure • Templates • Alien War hard plastic 28mm (1/56 scale) models by Defiance Games • Terrain items for the playing area

Interspersed throughout these rules are some quick commentaries by Howard Whitehouse, the designer. It’s as if Howard is sitting with you at the game table and able to lean over and give a word or two of advice on how best to proceed!

Howard's Notes: A Bit on Scales: in Alien War each model represents a trooper and each terrain item is exactly as shown. What You See Is What You Get: if there is a door on a scale building, assume it is precisely where it is shown to determine distance and line-of-sight. Ground scale also relates directly to the 28mm (1/56 scale) models, so an inch is almost five feet. This means that weapon ranges are far shorter than in real life - a weapon that fires 48” on the table would be shooting only 75 yards in real life! Likewise, a moment’s thought will suggest that the time scale must be very short indeed, since a standard 4” action is only 18 feet, a bare few seconds for any moderately fit person to walk. As the game designer, I ask you to think briefly of these issues, then set them aside in favor of simply playing a fast-moving game!

1 Contents INTRODUCTION 1

FORCES IN Alien War 4

SQUADS, ELEMENTS, AND TROOPS 4

ELEMENTS 4

SQUAD AND TROOP GRADES 5

SAMPLE FORCES 7

PLAYING THE GAME 10

TERRAIN SET UP 10

MODEL DEPLOYMENT 10

ACTIVATING 11

ACTIONS 11

WHAT THE...?!? 12

REACTIONS 13

MOVEMENT 14

ROUGH GROUND AND OBSTACLES 14

SHOOTING 15

DECIDING TARGETS 15

SUPPORT WEAPONS SPECIAL RULES 15

MARKSMEN SPECIAL RULES 16

TARGET TYPES 16

INFLICTING LOSSES 18

CASUALTIES 20

LEADER CASUALTIES 22

SPRAYING LEAD! 22

PINNED DOWN! 22

2 HITTING THE DIRT 23

RALLY 23

SPECIAL WEAPONS 24

GRENADES 24

FLAME THROWERS 25

CLOSE COMBAT 26

CLOSE COMBAT RESULTS 28

WINNING AND LOSING 30

VICTORY POINTS 30

DESIGNER'S NOTES: 31

3 FORCES IN Alien War

To get started with Alien War you first need to collect a Force of 28mm (1/56 scale) models from Defiance Games’ rapidly growing Alien War range. You may choose from the UAMC, Germans, Alien Bugs, or one of the other Core or Edge Forces in the game. Visit http://www.defiancegames.com to see the latest releases! SQUADS, ELEMENTS, AND TROOPS

The most basic Force is made up of a single squad. A squad consists of 6-15 troops divided into two to four elements, called ‘fireteams’ (or something similar) in many armies. The squad is led by a Squad Leader with one or more element leaders reporting to him.

Howard's Notes On Gender: We use “he” or “him” throughout the rules for simplicity, but the futuristic battlefields of Alien War are filled with women as well. In fact, there are even all-female Forces to be released for the Alien War range by Defi- ance Games!

Along with regular infantry troops, elements sometimes include a specialized support team built around a heavy weapon designed to pin down the enemy while your own troops can move freely. One or more troops may have a specialist role – grenadier, marksman, flame thrower operator, etc. ELEMENTS

Elements are a group of models acting together, even if they are not performing the exact same series of actions. Each model must be within 3” of another model in the element even if there are obstacles between models. An element led by an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) will usually perform better than one without.

Sometimes an element may consist of just one model as in these situations: • A single model expected to act alone such as a sniper or a medic. These single models are also permitted to act as part of a larger unit whenever the player prefers. • A model who becomes separated from his initial element will count as an element on his own until he re- joins his element or joins another. • In practical terms, a squad will usually consist of two or four elements at the start of the game. These may break up into smaller elements as the game goes on. • You may form new elements, or divide the elements you have, when you activate your Force. There is no limit on this beyond the obvious fact that the die roll might not permit all elements to act at once.

Example: Elements can form and disperse as the player wishes. A UAMC squad might be counted as a single element while riding in a dropship or landing craft, or rushing forward onto a landing zone. Once deployed for action it would usually break up into its separate fireteams (three elements). A fireteam might then break up into two distinct elements if the gunner and assistant set up their weapon while the other marines moved forward. A marksman might move to a firing position to get the best target.

4 Howard's Notes Having very few elements means that it’s easy to get the whole force to obey your orders, but lacks flexibility. It also means that whole chunks of that force may be Pinned Down by heavy enemy fire against one part of it. Hav- ing too many elements means that some may not activate at all, and small elements are easily Pinned Down under fire

SQUAD AND TROOP GRADES

Squad Grade

Each squad is rated according to its training either as Professional (regular squads of high calibre) or Grade 2 (militia, bandits, conscripts, etc). Additionally, the very best Grade 1 squads are counted as Elite which have the highest level of cohesion and mutual understanding.

Troop Grade

Within the squad, each troop has a grade (Green, Experienced, Veteran) which shows his level of combat effectiveness. This is expressed by a number between 2 and 4, known as a Combat Value (CV). Most “arithmetic” in the game is based on rolling a D6 and scoring equal or less than this CV number. The rules will say “Test against CV” when this is required. Experienced troops, with a CV of 3, will thus have a 50% chance of performing any test required of them. Green troops are trained but have seen little combat, or seasoned but poorly trained fighters. Their basic CV is 2. Experienced troops have been in combat previously. They are ‘average’ troops. Their basic CV is 3. Veteran troops have considerable combat experience. Their basic CV is 4.

Leadership

Leadership is critical in Alien War. Since different Forces have their own specific command structures, we’ll use a simple Rank format to explain how the leaders are rated in value and impor- tance. Rank 0 Enlisted Personnel – Basic Troops Rank 1 Fire Team Leader/Junior NCO Rank 2 Squad Leader /NCO Rank 3 Platoon Sergeant/Senior NCO or Warrant Officer Rank 4 Platoon Leader Rank 5 Company Leader Rank 6 Field Officer - Major, Lieutenant Colonel, or Full Colonel – Battalion and Regimental staff.

Above Rank 6 are the generals and admirals. In practical terms, Alien War is a squad and platoon level game, so leaders of Rank 6+ will appear only in the biggest games unless as part of a scenario (i.e. Get the General Off Planet!). 5 Weapons

The standard weapons used in Alien War are graded according to their range, how many dice are rolled when they shoot, and by Impact – the power of each shot to damage its target. Standard weapons include:

Assault Rifle (AR) (Impact 1) The basic infantry firearm of the 23rd century. It fires 2D6 up to 18”, 1D6 up to 36”. The AR may be fired while moving, rolling only 1D6 with a range of 18”. One or more troops per squad may be designated as Marksmen, able to use aimed fire on a specified target.

Squad Support Weapon (SSW) (Impact 1) The SSW is a larger, bulkier weapon designed primarily to pin down a target. It counts as a Suppressive Weapon, where each D6 rolled for fire effect counts as 2D towards any test to pin down a target. It fires 4D6 up to 48”, but 6D6 if set up on a bipod in a fixed position. It may be fired while moving, rolling 2D6 to a range of 24”.

Medium Support Weapon (MSW) (Impact 1) The MSW is a heavier version of the SSW, and like it serves to pin down a target. It counts as a Suppressive Weapon, where each D6 rolled for fire effect counts as 2D6 towards any test to pin down a target. It fires 5D6 up to 48”, but 7D6 if set up on a bipod in a fixed position. It may be fired while moving, but since it is bulky it only rolls one D6 to a range of 24” .

Heavy Support Weapon (HSW) (Impact 2) The HSW is a tripod-mounted large calibre gun requiring a two-man crew. It fires 8D6 when set up and cannot be fired while moving except when mounted on a vehicle or hardsuit (power armor trooper).

Grenade Launcher (GL) (Impact 1) The GL is a dedicated indirect fire weapon for lobbing explosives into enemy positions. It may fire a variety of loads, including a high explosive grenade, combustible rounds, and close range shotgun shells. Its effectiveness is based on a template. A smaller version of the GL may be attached to an AR.

Flame Thrower/Acid Dispenser (Impact 2) Flamethrowers and acid weapons serve to clear bunkers and other confined spaces. Their effectiveness is based on a conical template.

Armor

Armor is standard for almost all but the most primitive or under-supplied troops. Armor is graded according to this system:

No Armor (Armor 1): No protection beyond occasional helmets or impro- vised padded garments.

Helmet/Flak Vest (Armor 2 ): Basic body armor and head protection.

Light Armor (Armor 3): Current issue helmet, torso, and leg protection.

Battle Armor (Armor 4): Full body and head armor.

Enhanced Battle Armor (Armor 4): Full body and head armor with exo- skeletal or similar power aids for arms and legs. High mobility and limited jump capacity May carry enough ammunition to support a SSW/SAW. Pos- sible integral stimpack.

Scout Power Armor (Armor 5 ): Light hardsuit with high mobility and jump capacity. Integral stimpack. Capable of deploying two main weapons.

6 Medium Power Armor (Armor 6 ): Battle-grade hardsuit with limited jump capacity. Integral medical systems. Capable of de- Example Squad Organi- ploying a heavy weapon or 2-3 lighter weapons zations Now that we’ve introduced grades, Heavy Power Armor (Armor 7): Heavily protected hardsuit elements, weapons, armor, and com- with limited mobility. Integral stimpack. Capable of deploying a munication for Alien War, here are Ex- heavy weapon and several supporting weapons. Armor grade com- amples of typical squad organizations parable to a light walker or small armored fighting vehicle. for the Marines and Germans: UAMC Marine Rifle Squad Organi- As Forces are introduced to the Alien War setting, there will be zation other weapons and armor types added which will be referenced in Squad Leader (Sergeant – Rank 2) those Forces individual Force Files. armed with an M-46 carbine or M-46 assault rifle (AR) with a grenade Communications launcher (GL) attachment. There are three ratings to measure the effectiveness of communi- 3 Fire Teams, each made up of: cations among troops. See the individual Force File for the Com- Fire Team Leader (Corporal - Rank 1) munication rating of your unit. armed with an M-46 AR with GL. M-2800 Squad Automatic Weapon Hive Mind Part of a collective intelligence with all elements in- (SAW) Gunner stinctively acting on cue. Assistant SAW Gunner with AR Linked Communications High tech systems with voice and opti- Rifleman with AR (Marksman) cal links between fighters coordinated off-board. 13 Total Troops at Full Strength (other options are detailed in the UAMC Voice and Visual Communications Basic hand-and-voice com- Force File) mand system. German PanzerGrenadier Gruppe (Full Strength) SAMPLE FORCES Gruppenfuhrer (Unteroffizier – Rank 2) armed with a G54 AR or G54K To explain how Alien War works, we’ve created opposing squads Carbine from two of the main Forces in the Alien War universe: United Soldat x 3 with G54 AR or GAW30 Americas Marines and German Panzergrenadiers. We’ll use these GL. Examples throughout the rules to play out a basic squad-on-squad Gunner (Assistant Squad Leader) engagement where two patrols meet. with MG11 Medium Support Weapon (MSW) To make this more memorable and interesting (hopefully!) we’ve named all the members of the two squads and given them a bit of Assistant Gunner with G54 AR and background. The engagement all takes place on the UA colony spare ammo/spare barrel for the MSW planet of Aleutia where the Germans and Americans are fighting Gunner with MG11 Medium Support over access to that world’s significant lithium deposits. This is Weapon (MSW) complicated by the presence of the Vralk – an indigenous intelli- Assistant Gunner with G54 AR and gent species who have their own plans for their planet’s newfound spare ammo/spare barrel for the MSW wealth! German gruppes can be divided into a variety of different elements. The first Example unit is a UAMC squad of 12 Marines with the Squad Leader doubling up as a Fire Team Leader (He’s short one 8 Total Troops at Full Strength (other Fire Team Leader because Corporal Ettrick Russell wandered options are detailed in the German Panzergrenadiers Force File) off base and was killed and eaten by a local carnivore, the ½ crocodile-½ tiger-like predator known in the Vralk language as a P’aarlgh!) 7 UAMC Squad

97th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Echo Company, 2nd Platoon (Pla- toon 317), 1st Squad (Grade: Professional; Armor 3)

Fire Team Alpha (Element 1)

NAME RANK GRADE WEAPON ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND Points Al Gonzales 2 - Sergeant Veteran AR/GL Squad Leader/Fire Son of career marine, 35 Team Leader raised all over. Plays hockey and steel guitar. Andy Torres 0 - PFC Exp AR Marksman Cheery big guy from 15 Mexico City Deniece Sung 0 - PFC Exp SAW SAW Gunner High jump champ from 20 Flint, Michigan. Takes no nonsense from anyone. Lenny Smith 0 - Private Green AR Assistant Gunner Tells stories nobody be- 5 lieves. Perpetually nervous. From outside LA.

Fire Team Bravo (Element 2)

NAME RANK GRADE WEAPON ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND Points Jeff Hayes 1- Corporal Veteran AR/GL Fire Team Leader Seen action in three cam- 28 paigns. Doesn’t talk much about it. Lavonne Jones 0 - PFC Veteran AR Marksman Has twin daughters on 20 Earth. She’ll show you vids. Lots of vids. DeShawn Wright 0 - PFC Exp SAW SAW Gunner Muscle builder from New 20 Chicago. Likes to carry all his own ammo. Kim Muamba 0 - Private Green AR Assistant Gunner Eighteen, just out of boot 5 camp. She seems sharp.

Fire Team Charlie (Element 3)

NAME RANK GRADE WEAPON ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND Points Chanjit Khaur 1- Corporal Veteran AR/GL Fire Team Leader Once killed a bug with a 28 hairdryer. Highly respected. Kevin Asamoah 0 - PFC Exp AR Marksman Little guy, so black you 15 can’t see him at night., except for his grin. Grins a lot. Michael O’Neill 0 - PFC Exp SSW SSW gunner Says his family were kings 20 in Ireland. He’s from South Boston Joe Bromley 0 - Private Exp AR Assistant gunner Another tour and he’s 10 out to get married to his childhood sweetheart on Washington VII

8 German Squad

Panzergrenadier Battalion 501, 2nd Kompanie, 3rd Zug, 1st Gruppe (Grade: Professional; Armor 4)

NAME RANK GRADE WEAPON ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND Points Heinz Muller 2 - Unterof- Veteran AR Gruppenfuhrer Son of a much decorated 40 fizier (Squad Leader) veteran, joined the army on 18th birthday. Still only 23.

Jens Heismann 1- Obergefre- Veteran MSW Assistant Gruppen- Can make tasty soup from 45 iter fuhrer almost anything. Snores badly. MSW Gunner Hans Schreiber 0 - Grenadier Green AR Assistant Gunner Right out of training - 7 smokes a pipe to look older Sebastian Linz 0 –Grenadier Exp MSW MSW gunner Former shoe salesman from 28 Essen. Likes his current work better. Sigrid Schwartz 0 - Grenadier Exp AR Assistant Gunner Not the “little sister” of the 13 gruppe. Tough and proud. Ahmed Ertegun 0 –Grenadier Veteran AR Marksman Captain of the company 25 football team. Repeats same joke over and over. Andraos Rosada 0 –Grenadier Exp GL Granatschütze Made rockets as boy in 18 (Grenade Launcher Hamburg. Now shoots Specialist) them for a living. Willi Hoffmann 0 –Grenadier Exp AR Marksman Expert marksman. Writes to 18 his five sisters every week.

The eight members of 1st Gruppe are further divided into 3 elements. Unteroffizier Heinz Muller with 3 grenadiers, Obergefreiter Jens Heismann with his assistant gunner, and Gunner Sebastian Linz with his assistant gunner.

Example: Dave invites Bob to play Alien War for the first time. They decide to do a simple encounter between two squads on patrol in an abandoned Vralk village. Dave takes the German gruppe and Bob plays the Marines squad. We’ll use their game as a way to explain the rules in more depth in the following pages.

Howard's Notes Once you build your squad, you might choose to mark their bases with either a name or number to keep track of your models. One method is to put a white dot to show a Veteran, a green dot for a Green trooper, two white dots for a Corporal, and three white dots for a Sergeant. Experienced troops (which make up most of your squad) are not marked.

9 PLAYING THE GAME

Now that you understand the Forces in Alien War it’s time to look at the rules themselves. The first thing we need to do is set up the battlefield. TERRAIN SET UP

Start by arranging terrain on the table. This can be done either according to a specific scenario (available on the Defiance Games website) or however you and your opponent choose.

Howard's Notes The basic squad-level version of Alien War can be played within a 24” square area but if you’d like to play on a larger table have at it! (A larger playing area will definitely be necessary once you’re fielding platoons instead of squads.) Discuss the terrain to decide which features count as soft or hard cover, which cannot be moved over, and any other aspects of the terrain that might pose questions as the game goes on; it’s far better to decide that a rickety old shed provides concealment but no protective cover from weapons fire before the game than to argue the point once a player has models inside it and claims that it is lined with reinforced transparent aluminum!

MODEL DEPLOYMENT

Once the terrain has been set up, each player rolls a D6 and whoever has the lowest number can choose whether he wants to deploy first, or make his opponent do so.. If you are deploying first, you also choose which side of the table you deploy from.

You will deploy your models within 6” of your side of the board. You must deploy at least one element and may deploy all of your elements. Once you’ve finished your deployment, the other player deploys his own models.

If you have chosen not to deploy all of your elements at the start, they may enter at the board edge as you play your turn. Hidden movement and concealed elements are accounted for in the advanced rules. The player who deploys first will also have the first activation.

Example: Dave and Bob lay out the village with a main street crossing from left to right and lesser roads joining it. Once they are satisfied with the layout, they roll to determine the start. Bob wins by rolling a 1 and decides to bring his Marines in on the north side of the board. Bob places his lead element (Alpha Fire Team) of four marines under the Squad Leader, Sergeant Gonzales, behind a house on his left flank. He brings another element (Bravo Fire Team) onto the baseline in the center, and keeps the third element (Charlie Fire Team) off board. Dave has divided his squad into 3 elements. He selects a position in the centre of his base line, about 5” from the edge where the ruins of a warehouse allow good vision and places one of his MSW teams there. The other MSW team (under his Rank 1 assistant leader Jens Heismann) is left off-table. The three grenadiers (with assault rifles) under the Gruppenfuhrer, Heinz Muller, gather under cover of damaged buildings to the left of the warehouse. The scene is set!

10 ACTIVATING

You start by rolling a die to activate your Force. How well you do – and how many elements you can activate - depends not only on the die roll but the Communication rating of your unit. If the unit is Elite, once per game you may re-roll activation although you must use the second roll even if it’s worse than the first.

Die Hive Mind Linked Communication Linked Communication Voice & Visual Communi- (Professional troops) (Grade 2 troops) or Voice & cation Visual (Professional) (Grade 2 troops) 1 All elements may All elements may perform All elements may perform All elements may perform perform two actions two actions two actions two actions 2 All elements may All elements may perform All elements may perform Any element led by Rank perform two actions two actions two actions 1 and above may perform two actions 3 All elements may All elements may perform Any element led by Rank Any element led by Rank perform two actions two actions 1 and above may perform 1 and above may perform two actions two actions 4 All elements may Any element led by Rank Any element led by Rank One element may perform perform two actions 1 and above may perform 1 and above may perform two actions two actions two actions 5 All elements may Any element led by Rank One element may perform The element led by the perform two actions 1 and above may perform two actions senior leader may perform two actions two actions 6 Roll on the “What Roll on the “What the...?!?” Roll on the “What the...?!?” Roll on the “What the...?!?” the...?!?” Table Table Table Table

Example: Bob starts the first turn and rolls a 4. Since his squad is rated as Professional and in Linked Com- munication, this means that all three of his elements activate as each is led by a leader (rank 1 or higher). If he had separated his Force any further, there would have been at least one element without a Rank 1 leader, which would not have activated. ACTIONS

Each Activation roll allows the element(s) to perform one or two of the following actions: • Move – either Creeping, Walking, or Running. Most troops can shoot while Creeping or Walking but not Running. There is no restriction against Running on successive actions or turns. • Take up an Overwatch pose, covering an area where an enemy target is expected to appear with the intention of shooting. This may occur on the first or second action of the turn. The element must remain halted in place in order to take best advantage of Reaction shooting on the enemy’s turn. An element in Over- watch can shoot if it was stationary when making a Reaction. • Take up a Counter-attack pose, covering an area where an enemy target is expected to appear with the intention of charging into close combat. (Note that it isn’t possible to be in both Overwatch and Counter- attack postures at the same time.) • Shoot a weapon. • Fight hand to hand. This action happens immediately if an element moves into contact with an enemy element. If this occurs during an element’s first action, this element may not take another action this turn. • Leap through a window, climb a wall, or dismount from a vehicle etc.

11 • Set up a bipod for applicable weapons. A tripod takes two actions. • Treat a wounded model. • Other special actions required for a scenario such as defusing bombs, downloading data, opening gates, etc

Elements can repeat an action - for instance, they can run or shoot twice in succession. You can do these things in any order you like. Once you have completed your actions (and the results have been worked out), your turn is over and the turn sequence resumes. Every element on the moving side must complete its first action before any element starts its second action.

Example: Dave rolls a 5 for his own activation, which allows only those elements with leaders to activate. His MSW team in the warehouse has no Rank 1 or higher, but since at least one member of the main group under the Gruppenfuhrer is within 3”, all six models count as one element for right now. He decides to move his off-board MSW team under the Assis- tant Gruppenfuhrer to a building at the table edge and then to climb inside through a window. This means he moves them 4” to the window, then whatever distance is needed to place them actually inside the structure. WHAT THE...?!?

When you roll a 6, something known as the “What the...?!?” occurs. This is a sequence of events that brings ran- dom elements into the game. When a “What the...?!?” occurs, there are four steps: 1. Checks the status of your wounded models (if any). 2. All communications drop one level. If there is a Communications Tech present, he may test against his CV at the end of the next turn for his squad and repair the damage on a pass. If he fails, he may test at the end of each turn. If no Comms Tech is present, the system remains out of action until the player rolls a 1 for Activation. 3. You select one element to perform one action only, and decide whether to do so before or after step 4... 4. You roll a D6: 1. Roll on the That’s Good table on your Force File. 2. Roll on the That’s Bad table on your Force File 3. Roll on the That’s Good table on the opposing player’s Force File 4. Roll on the That’s Bad table on the opposing player’s Force File 5. Roll on the Theatre of War table. 6. Roll on the Mission table. If there is no Mission table, roll on the Theatre of War table

Example: On the next turn, Bob rolls a 2 and continues to move forward, bringing Fire Team Charlie on to support Gonzales’ advance team. On his own turn, Dave rolls a What the...?!? Neither side has any wounded or Out of Action models to recover or lose at this stage of the game. He does lose his satellite link and has to rely on Voice and Visual Communication from now onwards. He chooses an element to activate, and makes one (not the usual two) actions. He rolls a 1 which then allows him to roll on his That’s Good table in the Marine Force File. He gets a 5 which gives him The One Man Army and he selects Gefreiter Hoffmann to become that special character for the rest of the game.

12 REACTIONS

Reactions - interrupting the sequence of your opponent’s turn - are an important aspect of Alien War. As your opponent moves, you may be able to play one or more Reactions on him, although no element can make more than one Reaction during your opponent’s turn. Your Reaction may be any type of Action such as shooting, close assault, treating a newly wounded comrade, or simply pulling back from danger.

Each of your elements may react once to any of his Actions. This can happen during each of his turns and he can react to your Actions during yours. A Reaction must be a response to a specific Action by visible enemy forces within 24” – it’s not simply a “freebie” Action. To React: • An element that is Pinned Down cannot React in any circum- stance. Line of Sight (LOS) • An element that has taken up an Overwatch position may shoot at LOS refers to the ability of one full effect at the enemy in its forward arc (180 degrees ahead) and model to see another within its Line of Sight. forward arc. If a straight line can be drawn between the models • An element that has taken up a Counter-attack position may unimpeded by obstacles, LOS charge at an enemy in its forward arc. may exist for both parties. There is no distance limit placed on LOS • Any element that isn’t included under the criteria for 1, 2, or 3 except where a specific excep- may attempt to React by testing against the CV of its leader. If it tion is stated (such as Heavy Rain passes, it may shoot as if moving, may counter-attack, or retreat or Blinding Snowstorm from the from its present position. A second element may now try to React, What the...?!? Tables) and so on. If the first element to test fails, it takes no action and no Since we understand that actual other allied elements may try to React this turn. troops try hard to use concealment as much as possible, we’ll assume • Normally the Reaction takes place right after your opponent's that the models (usually posed in first Actions, but sometimes you may want to React during those active, upright positions) don’t Actions. For instance, you may want to shoot at models crossing a exactly represent what the trooper gap between buildings or disappearing into cover. In those cases, is doing; therefore we’ll draw an you may only React after your opponent has moved a model at imaginary base-to-base line from least 1” or completed one action shooting weapons. one model to another. If there is no obstacle between the two, Example: Bob watches Dave move an element of models. He has unrestricted LOS exists. If there is placed Bravo Fire Team on Overwatch in LOS of Dave’s grenadiers. As one or more obstruction between soon as the two leading troops cross an alley, he announces that he is the two models, a decision must be made as to the validity of the choosing to React at that moment, and opens up with his Fire Team for target. See the Target Table. one action of shooting at full effect.

Howard’s Notes: Test against CV: This core mechanism of Alien War is simple – roll a D6 and score equal or less than the CV of the model in question. Sometimes there may be modifiers to the test as, for Example, “Test against CV-1” which means that a veteran model whose CV is 4 now needs a roll of 3 or less to pass the test.

13 MOVEMENT

You must state what each element is doing before you move. This is to make clear what type of movement the model intends to make, what sort of cover they are in, and where they are moving to. Troops on foot are classi- fied as ‘slow’, ‘standard’ and ‘fast’.

An element may run on successive Actions and turns. Most Type Creep Walk Run Running models move at 4” plus 1D6, so that potentially a mod- Slow 2” 4” 4 + D6” el may move between 5” and 10”. You roll for each element. (Maximum 8”) There’s no reason to carefully measure every model’s distance; Standard 2” 4” 4 + D6” just move the group and make sure that no model moves further Fast 3” 6” 6 + D6” than the distance allowed.

Example: Bob’s foremost fire team needs to cross an area of ground covered by Dave’s Medium Support Weapon element. It’s 6” to safety. On his first action, he moves everyone up into a line so that the men at the back aren’t left behind. On his second action Bob declares that his men are running across the gap. He rolls a 5, so his men can run up to 9”. If Bob had rolled a 1 the group would be caught out in the open until his next turn, in a sort of ‘freeze-frame’ moment which would invite Dave to shoot them all!

Example: The UAMC move at ‘standard’ rate. The Panzergrenadiers are encumbered by their heavy armor and equipment, so move at ‘slow’ speed. In this scenario there are no ‘fast’ troops.

Howard's Notes: Remember that an element may not always move in the exact formation it begins the action in. Models running out of a door will be following at least one inch apart, so the last model may be several inches behind the leader. A low die roll may leave the unlucky one at the rear caught in the open, even if his comrades are safely in cover!

ROUGH GROUND AND OBSTACLES

You should discuss the terrain with your opponent before starting the game. Troops can move over most rubble piles without a penalty or through a ploughed field, but some terrain is very hard to move through except slowly –swamp, sharp rocks, or steep slopes for Example. Move at half speed, counting every inch as two inches for measurement. No running is allowed.

Troops are assumed to be able to leap over low walls, fences, etc without any penalty, but head-height walls, wide ditches, and thick hedge rows take an Action to cross. Troops cannot leap onto a second story from the ground, but one troop can help another up. Some significant obstacles might demand two Actions and two troops working together.

Example: Bob moves his Fire Team Alpha forward. The Marines have to cross an area of loose rubble with big blocks of concrete, designated as rough ground before the game began, and then have one Marine climb an 8-foot tall wall. In the rough ground they walk 2” instead of the usual 4”. At the wall, he suggests that it will take two Actions for one Marine to help the other climb over the wall, and Dave agrees. This is one of those situations where players are expected to cooperate in making the game work smoothly!

14 SHOOTING

Shooting has two objectives in Alien War. One is to actually hit your opponent’s models and put them out of the game of course! The other is to make your opponent’s models duck for cover so that their own ability to fire is severely limited. Therefore we focus attention as much on the target as those doing the actual shooting. DECIDING TARGETS

The player shooting selects a target in LOS. This includes not just a single model, but all the enemy troops in LOS within an element – for instance, “Those four models behind the wall – I can just see their heads”. The target element may include any number of models as long as they are within 3” of another model in the element. Refer to the Weapons Table below to determine ranges and whether or not you may shoot while moving. You may not shoot while Running or climbing obstacles that require both hands.

You may not deliberately target the wounded or those in the act of helping them. Wounded troops may be subjected to area weapons and to fire on a group of their comrades, but it’s not permitted to shoot directly at wounded opponents unless the shooters are listed as Hating the type of enemy in question on their Force File.

Sometimes the target element will not all be in the same type of cover or some members of the element may not be in LOS. Although the element will count as a single unit for the purposes of possible suppression, the shooting player should divide targets up according to the cover they are in as fairly as possible. If there is a question about this, start with the most exposed model in the target group, count all that match his cover state , and re- solve shooting with half the shooters (rounded up). Remaining shots will then be fired at other members of the target group according to the cover they are in.

The shooting player will then check the range, check to see how many dice he is allowed to roll, and check whether any modifiers apply due to range or movement. Then he will roll the dice for ALL shooting on that particular target.

Example: Dave’s gun team shoots at Bob’s Fire Team, which is moving through ruined buildings 15” away. Dave is able to bring to bear his bipod-mounted MSW (7D6), fired by gunner Linz, plus shooting from the Gun- ner’s Assistant (D6) for a total of 8D6 against Bob’s Marines.

Howard's Notes: Different color dice help distinguish the shots from different shooters. Use red dice for Veterans, white for Experi- enced, and green for Green troops.

SUPPORT WEAPONS SPECIAL RULES

The Squad Support Weapon (SSW) or Medium Support Weapon (MSW) is operated by a team of two – the Gunner and Assistant Gunner (AG). The AG’s job is to carry ammunition, assist with clearing jams and replac- ing barrels, and to take over the gun if the Gunner is killed or wounded. The AG may fire his own rifle (1D6 only). The AG must be within 2” of the Gunner to carry out these duties, or else the gunner counts as operating alone.

15 If a Gunner is alone, any Shooting roll that features more 6s than numbers equal or less than the Gunner’s CV means the weapon has jammed, and will take an action to clear. Hits on the enemy before the gun jams still count.

A Heavy Support Weapon (HSW) is also operated by a team of two and sometimes supervised by an NCO. The loader is fully occupied with feeding ammunition into the gun. The NCO can fire his own weapon. All are trained to use the HSW, and can take over the Gunner’s or Loader’s roles without penalty, but the weapon must be operated by two troops.

All members of a Professional or Elite squad are cross-trained and can operate these weapons at their usual CV. Other members of a Grade 2 squad can operate the gun at CV-1. MARKSMEN SPECIAL RULES

Troops designated Marksman are one step down from elite snipers. Marksmen may shoot normally, counting as one CV grade better than usual due to their special skills.

Alternatively, if the marksman does not move on his action, he may choose to shoot at a specific (single model) target as an aimed, shot rolling 1D6 to hit. This roll is shifted one column to the left on the Target Table. A successful Hit from aimed shots by a Marksman shift one column to the right on the Cheating Death Table. TARGET TYPES

There are five basic Target types in Alien War: • Easy. The target is standing or moving upright in the open, and is still in the open at the end of his movement. Targets being shot at from their rear arc, bunched up in a tight element, or inside a vehicle or enclosed space also count as ‘Easy’. • Basic. The target is in the open, but crawling, kneeling or lying prone, or keeping as close to cover as possible without actually being behind it. The target is moving from one piece of cover to another. If the shooter is Reacting while the target moves between cover, it counts as a Basic target. • Concealment. The target is concealed by trees, bushes, or other features that don’t stop a bullet, but make the target harder to spot. The target is using a low wall, a hastily-dug foxhole or similar, but can be seen by the shooter. • Cover. The target is using a brick building, a properly dug foxhole or trench, or another solid object, but can be seen by the shooter. • Fortified. The target is inside a solidly built pillbox, bunker, or similar enclosed structure but, can be seen by the shooter.

Example: Dave will roll 8D6 against Bob’s Fire Team which has two Marines who have reached the cover of a ruined house. One is hidden completely behind a high wall and the other is still moving through the heavy rubble, which they have already agreed to count as Concealment. They agree that Dave should roll the 7 dice for the Medium Support Weapon against those in cover, since those are directly in front (he needs a roll of 1 since the MSW gunner is Experienced) but the Assistant Gunner may shoot at the rearmost Marine ( in Con- cealment). The Experienced Grenadier Rosada needs a 1-2 to score a hit. Dave rolls two hits with the Medium Support Weapon on the men in cover and one more on those in Concealment.

16 Howard's Notes: If an entry in the Target Table has more than one number, it means that the target is so hard to hit that rolling a 1 is not enough. To hit such a target, you must roll to hit twice: “1 then 1-3” means you must first roll a 1 and then roll 3 or less to score a hit. “1 then 1-2” means you must first roll a 1 and then roll 2 or less to score a hit.

TARGET TABLE

Shooter is: Easy Basic Concealment Cover Fortified Veteran 5 4 3 2 1 Experienced 4 3 2 1 1, then 1-3 Green 3 2 1 1 then 1-3 1 then 1-2

WEAPONS TABLES

Weapon Range Impact dice per shot dice per shot without moving while moving Pistol 9” 1 1 1 Combat shotgun (slug) 18” 2 2 (1 at 9” or beyond) 1 (up to 9” max) Combat shotgun (shot) 18” 1 3 (2 at 9” or beyond) 2 (up to 9” max) Sub-machine gun 24” 1 2 (1 at 12” or beyond) 2 (up to 12” max) Standard Assault Rifle 36” 1 2 (1 at 18” or beyond) 1 (up to 18” max) Squad Support Weapon* 48” 1 6 set up on bipod; 4 if not 2 (up to 24” max) Medium Support Weapon* 48” 1 7 set up on bipod; 5 if not 1 (up to 24” max) Heavy Support Weapon* 72” 2 8 (only if set up on tripod, set-up N/A takes 2 actions) Hard Beam weapon 72” 3 2 1 (up to 24” max) Grenade Launcher* 9-36” 1 2” or 3” Template Template weapon Flame Thrower 24” 2 Template weapon May not fire while advancing

* Counts as a Suppressive Weapon – count double dice to determine if a target is Pinned Down.

Heavy Weapons Range Impact Dice per Shot Dice per Shot (Mostly Off Table) (Stationary) (Moving) Light Mortar 12-72” 2 4” Template N/A Heavy Mortar 12-72” 3 6” Template N/A Light Artillery 72” 3 4” Template 1 (if vehicle mounted) Medium Artillery No limit 4 6” Template 1 (if vehicle mounted) Heavy Artillery No limit 6 8” Template 1 (if vehicle mounted) Light Missile No limit 2 4” Template 1 (up to 24”) Medium Missile No limit 3 1 1 (up to 24”) Hard Beam No limit 3 2 1 (up to 24”)

17 INFLICTING LOSSES

Count the number of firing dice rolled against a target element. If they are equal to or more than the number of models in the target element, the element rolls to see if it is Pinned Down. Count the number of dice that scored “Hits”.

The owner of the targeted models must then roll the Hits:

First, decide which model(s) might be Hit. The most exposed target model is designated as the first possible casualty. After that the owner simply chooses who might be a casualty, sharing out the Hits among the targeted models as evenly as possible. He may choose to include wounded troops among the potential casualties. No model may be given a second hit until all of the targeted models have been given one. Do not count models who are already Out of Action when distributing Hits.

Howard's Notes: Note that Veterans are most likely to make the saving roll, but are usually the most valuable models in the unit, while Green troops - who are most likely to become casualties – are less useful in action but count towards the total losses that decide winning and losing.

Next, Roll on the ‘Cheating Death’ table for each Hit and compare the die score with each target model's grade. Models which have already been wounded (Stunned or Hurt) and have not yet recovered count as Green if they are unlucky enough to be hit a subsequent time. (They are assumed to be oblivious to their danger.)

Example: Bob has received eight shots at his four man fire team, three of which “Hit”. One hit went to the Marine moving through rubble (Concealment) and two hits went to those in a ruined house (Cover). Bob points to the Marines in the house, Smith and Sung. Both these models need to roll on the ‘Cheating Death’ table. He does the same thing with the Marine in concealment and - being only one possible candidate - puts the Hit on PFC Torres.

CHEATING DEATH TABLE

Subtract the Impact of the weapon against the Armor of the target. This tells you which column will determine the result of the Hits. Roll a die for each Hit.

Roll 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 > 1 Retaliate Retaliate Retaliate Retaliate Retaliate Retaliate Retaliate OK OK W 2 OK OK OK OK OK OK OK Wounded Wounded Out of Action 3 OK OK OK OK OK OK Wounded Wounded Out of Out of Action Action 4 OK OK OK OK OK Wounded Wounded Out of Out of Out of Action Action Action 5 OK OK OK OK Wounded Wounded Out of Out of Out of Out of Action Action Action Action 6 1-3 OK 1-3 OK 1-2 OK 1-3 W Out of Out of Out of Out of Out of Out of 4-5 W 4-5 W 3-4 W 4-6 OoA Action Action Action Action Action Action 6 OoA 6 OoA 5-6 OoA

18 Modifiers: • Shift one column to the right for a Hit with an aimed shot (Marksmen and Snipers only) • Shift one column to the right for a Hit on a Green target. • Shift one column to the right for an explosive shell or grenade inside an enclosed space (room, bunker etc). • Shift one column to the left for an artillery or mortar shell if target is shielded from the blast by intervening cover. • Shift one column to the left for a+ Veteran target.

Armor Grades Impact Grades 0 - 0 Very Light Weapons 1 No armor 1 Standard AR and SSW, Grenade 2 Protected – Helmets/Flak Vests 2 HSW, Light Mortar or Missile 3 Light Armor – Helmets, Body, and Leg armor 3 Medium Mortar or Missile, Light Artillery 4 Battle Armor - Full Body Armor 4 Light Tank Main Gun, Medium Artillery, Heavy Mortar 5 Scout Grade Hardsuit /Light Recon Vehicle 5 Battle Tank Main Gun 6 Full/Warrior Hardsuit 6 Heavy Artillery 7 Light Walker/Heavy Hardsuit/Armored Recon Vehicle 7 Mother of All Bombs or Personnel Carrier 8 Heavy Walker/Light Tank 8 - 9 Main Battle Tank 9 -

Example: Bob checks the Cheating Death Table. His Marines all have Light Armor (Armor 3) and have taken fire from weapons listed as Impact 1. This means that the base column he has to roll on is Column 2. Veterans will roll on Column 3, Green troops on Column 1.

Cheating Death Results

Retaliate If the target model is not also Wounded or taken Out of Action, he immediately fires back at the enemy shooter! Count as if shooting while moving. The enemy will NOT shoot back if they get a Retali- ate roll. A model can only Retaliate once each time it is targeted, regardless of how many dice give a Retaliate result. OK! The target model is not hit. Wounded The target model is Wounded, and is placed face up where he falls. Roll on the Wounds Table. Out of Action Roll on the Out of Action Table. On a 6 the model suffers a Gory Death. Otherwise the target model appears to be either dead or critically injured. He is placed face down where he falls.

A model will always take the worst result out of the Hits rolled. If a model rolls a Wounded or Out of Action result, it cannot Retaliate.

Example: Bob rolls for each of the Marines who have taken Hits. Sung, an Experienced trooper, rolls a 4 and is Wounded. A second roll of 2 means he counts as Stunned. Smith, a Green rookie rolls a 6 and is taken Out of Action. A second roll of 1 indicates that Smith is Seriously Wounded. Sgt. Gonzalez rolls a 1 and PFC Torres a 3, meaning that both shots narrowly miss. The Retaliate result means that he fires one burst of his assault rifle (1 die in this case) back at the Panzergrenadier gun team. He rolls a 5, which misses.

19 CASUALTIES

Wounded Models are not simply ignored as non-functioning playing pieces, but are treated as fallen comrades who must be looked after. Those that receive minor wounds, or are stunned by a blast, may return to the fight. Those who are more seriously injured should be treated to stabilize their condition and moved to a safe place. Failure to protect and treat wounded comrades is a serious mistake in Alien War.

Whenever a model is Wounded or Out of Action roll a D6 to see what condition it is in:

WOUNDED TABLE

Die Wound Type If Treated If Untreated 1-3 Stunned The model returns to play automat- The model returns to play automatically at the end of their next turn. ically on next roll of 1 or a What The model can move to safety (4” No other effects. the...!? per Action). Cannot shoot or fight at all until returned to action. 4-6 Hurt Test vs. CV: If a 1 is rolled for activation, the model returns to play automatically The model can crawl to safety (2” Pass- The model returns to play. -1 at -1 CV. per Action). Cannot shoot or fight CV from now on at all until returned to play If What the...!? comes first, the Fail- test again next turn. model becomes Out of Action.

If a 1 is rolled for activation, the model returns to play automatically.

OUT OF ACTION TABLE

Die Out of Action Type If Treated If Untreated 1-3 Seriously Wounded The model can be stabilized by a The model bleeds out and dies at comrade testing against CV. Test first What the...?!? The model cannot move unaided. can be repeated until successful. Cannot shoot or fight at all. The model can be revived by a medic only. Test against medic’s CV:

Pass – The model is now considered Hurt. Test on subsequent actions to return to combat.

Fail – The model is stabilized but out of action for the rest of the game.

Fail on roll of ‘6’ – the model dies during treatment. 4-5 Killed in Action. Already dead. Already dead. 6 Gory Death. Test vs. CV for all friends within 6” who have LOS to this model.

Notably bloody death in combat. Fail – choose to be Pinned Down (1 Pinned Down marker) or retreat one action immediately.

20 It's important to tend to fallen comrades. Players must make efforts to check on casualties and move those who are not dead to a place of safety. Wounded models and any models helping them are activated as part of the element they belonged to in the previous turn; they do not become a separate element that needs its own activation.

Stunned and Hurt models can move on their own; seriously wounded men may be carried 2” per action towards safety by a single comrade, or 4” by two. They should not be deliberately shot at by the enemy, although they are still vulnerable to shell and grenade fire.

Wounded models should be attended to by a squadmate, which takes one action by the helper, who must be in base contact with the Wounded model. This may be done either by the squadmate moving to his friend’s aid or the victim crawling or staggering towards assistance.

Treatment consists simply of one action using a basic medi-pack, carried as a standard issue item.

A Stunned model recovers automatically when a comrade takes an action to treat him.

A Hurt model has a more serious condition. Professional troops roll against their CV to treat the Hurt casualty successfully, and may try on successive turns if the first attempt fails. Grade 2 troops are assumed to have only the most basic training and limited supplies, so they must roll against their CV - 1 to treat the Hurt model. Once the test is passed, the casualty returns to action, at -1 CV from now onward.

Several models may attempt to treat a casualty as a group, if the player wishes, rolling for each model. If the roll fails they may try again next turn.

If a wounded model becomes a casualty for a second (or subsequent) time before recovery from the first wounding, it counts as a green model for the ‘Cheating Death’ roll. That’s because he is more concerned with the wound he’s just received than avoiding taking another.

Out of Action models must be attended for signs of life (‘Killed in Action’ and ‘Gory Death’ excepted). The seriously wounded can be carried by two men, at 4” per action or one at 2”.

Seriously Wounded models are treated in the same way as those who are Hurt. However, the result of a success is that the victim is stabilized prior to evacuation; he cannot return to combat. Only a medic model can revive a seriously wounded model.

Out of Action models who have not been treated by a comrade when the next “What the...?!?” is rolled die of their wounds.

Example: Private Smith has been Seriously Wounded by the German shooting. He cannot move on his own and will need to be treated by a comrade or (ideally) a medic or he will bleed to death on the next What the...?!? His comrades Sgt. Gonzales and PFC Torres must come to his aid.

Multiple Wounds: a model may receive more than one wound (either at the same time or on subsequent turns).

A model can be Stunned more than once with no change in his status.

A model which receives two Hurt wounds counts as Out of Action, Seriously Wounded.

21 Medics improve the chances of casualties surviving. They may be rated as CV 3 or 4. • A medic will automatically succeed when treating both Stunned and Hurt casualties. • A medic may attempt to revive a Seriously Wounded model from Out of Action to Hurt, and then to recovery. There is a chance (roll of 6) that the patient will die.

Additionally, in a campaign game the presence of a medic on the battlefield will improve the chances of seriously wounded models recovering for the next combat. LEADER CASUALTIES

When a leader is Wounded or Out of Action, the player must select a member of the element to take his place (usually the most experienced model) and announces that he will lead the element from now onwards. SPRAYING LEAD!

Actually hitting enemy troops is only part of the reason troops lay down fire on a target. Troops who have been shot at may be forced to stop moving or shooting, and take cover. When a target has been Pinned Down by a hail of bullets and explosives, it attempts to get under cover as completely as it can. Once troops are Pinned Down it requires bold leadership to get them going again. PINNED DOWN!

A target element may be Pinned Down – • If the target element is inside the blast radius of a grenade or mortar shell. Members of the element outside that radius are unaffected by the blast itself, but may become pinned down along with their friends within the blast zone as everyone seeks cover. • If the number of shots fired equals or exceeds the number of models in the target element. • If the number of shots fired equals or exceeds TWICE the number of men in the target element, it rolls twice, and may receive two Pinned Down markers. Two markers are the most an element may receive. • Some weapons (primarily SSWs, MSWs and HSWs) are listed as ‘Suppressive weapons’. They count double dice, so (for Example) five shots from a SSW against a target element count as ten for the purpose of deciding whether the element is Pinned Down.

Test against CV for the target element’s leader. If he fails, place a Pinned Down marker next to the element. The player then chooses whether to have the element go to ground in its present position (counting ‘Heads Down’) or to run for safety. It may run 2+D6” in any direction, ending in a dive towards cover. If the die roll is a ‘1’ the element is caught upright in a ‘freeze frame’ position and counts as an ‘Easy target’.

The element can do nothing during its next action. It cannot shoot or fight while Pinned Down.

A target element may receive two markers from heavy gunfire, from an artillery shell or from taking another pin marker while already Pinned Down. This has no effect except that the element must rally twice to return to action instead of simply once.

No matter how much fire an element receives, it cannot take more than two pin markers at one time.

22 Example: Bob’s rifle team has taken eight shots against the Fire Team of four marines. Since the number of shots is more than the number of men, he must test to see if the element is Pinned Down. In fact, the shooting caused twice the hits than the number of targets he has to test twice. Sergeant Gonzalez is a veteran, and will pass on a roll of ‘4’ or less; he rolls a ‘2’ and a ‘5’ so, failing one, the element is Pinned Down until the second action of their next turn offers a chance to recover HITTING THE DIRT

Sometimes the player will want his models to dive flat, even if they are not Pinned Down by enemy fire. It’s like being Pinned Down voluntarily. • He may simply announce that the models are going prone at the end of their movement. • The player may also decide to order his troops to hit the dirt during an enemy’s turn, after the first action of fire against his men. This does not count as an Reaction.. • Models who have hit the dirt count as Pinned Down, and must test against CV to recover. • Models who have hit the dirt count as being Heads Down.

Howard's Notes “Heads Down” means that the targeted models are laying low rather than trying to shoot. They often disappear from sight, and cannot be shot at. At other times, they will be prone but still eligible as targets. Look at each instance as it occurs; for instance a model(s) going prone in an open field is a basic target, while doing the same thing in a wheat field means a target in concealment. Dropping behind a brick wall or pile of rocks means the target cannot be hit by small arms, although the enemy may know where he is.

RALLY

An element that has been Pinned Down may try to Rally, so that it will follow the player’s orders. On its first turn after it has been Pinned Down, it spends the first action simply reacting to being suppressed. Now test against the CV of the leader of the element. If it passes the test, the element can act normally on its second action of the turn. If not, it remains Pinned Down until its next turn, when it can try again.

An element that has two pin markers rolls once to remove the first pin marker. If it succeeds, it may immediately roll again to remove the second pin marker. If it passes both tests the element only misses one action, and can act on its second action. If it fails the second attempt to rally, it remains Pinned Down with a single Pinned Down marker left in place.

Example: On his next turn Sgt Gonzales’ Fire Team spends the first action Pinned Down. On his second action he needs to roll against his CV of 4 to rally from being Pinned Down. If he passes, his element will be able to act immediately. However, he rolls a 6 and fails. The turn played is wasted for Sgt Gonzalez’s element. He must wait until his next turn to try once more to rally. 23 Model Status Trigger Rallies Effect Hit the Dirt Voluntary Test vs. CV (free) Cannot shoot or React

Considered “heads down”

May crawl to cover Pinned 1 check if shots equal to ele- Test vs. CV (free) Same as above Down – one ment # Pinned Down May run away from the enemy marker Within grenade or mortar blast Pinned Down 2 checks if shots are double Test vs. CV (free) Same as above – two Pinned element # Down mark- Rally to one Pinned Down May run away from the enemy ers Within artillery blast marker after first successful check

SPECIAL WEAPONS

GRENADES

In the basic game, grenades are only used by a model with a designated grenade launcher (GL).

These may be the small GLs attached to an assault rifle (with limited ammunition) or dedicated weapons with a wider choice of grenade types.

The grenade launcher can be used in two ways:

Up to 9” the dedicated grenade launcher fires a shotgun round, rolling in the same way as a combat shotgun. For the smaller GL attached to an assault rifle, count shooting under 9” as standard rifle fire.

Between 9” and 36” the grenade launcher fires a grenade in an arc that will bring the missile onto the target from a steep angle.

Choose the target. Use the 3” diameter blast template for the dedicated grenade launcher, the 2” template for the rifle-attachment GL.

The player places the template on top of his chosen target. • Test against the firer as if shooting any other weapon, with modifiers as usual. The key difference is that a target in cover that is open from above counts as being in concealment only; he is hard to spot, but has no overhead defence against the grenade. • If the grenade hits the target, and place the blast template at the intended spot. • The grenade lands in the precise centre of the template Note where the potential casualties from the grenade are placed in relation to the grenade; some may be able to claim cover from the blast. • All models inside the template test on the Cheating Death table to see if they are hit by the grenade blast. In a multi-room house, this may mean some men are safe simply by being in a separate part of the building. • Test to see if the survivors are Pinned Down; the test is against the CV of the senior model still standing

24 • If the grenade misses the target, it lands one inch away for every point that the shooter missed his die roll by; for Example if a veteran (CV4) aimed at a target in cover, he would need a roll of 1-2. If he rolled a 5, he missed his roll by three points. The targeted player may move the grenade by three inches. This may be measured ‘centre to centre’ or ‘edge to edge’ (easier in practice). He chooses which direction it goes, with the obvious hope of avoiding any of his own troops and, indeed, hitting those of the enemy. If that happens, treat it as a ‘friendly fire’ hit on them. Otherwise, it explodes harmlessly.

Example: Dave sneaks his grenadier, Andrada to a position where he can launch grenades into Sgt. Gonzalez’s position. Dave places the template onto the middle of Gonzalez’s position, where it covers most of the element. Gonzales’ Fire Team is Pinned Down in the ruined house, so counts as concealment rather than hard cover since the missile is lobbed in from above. He rolls for Andrada’s shot, which misses when he rolls a 4; He needs a 2 or less, as an experienced troop shooting at a target in concealment, so the grenade lands 2” away from its intended target, which (no matter which way he moves the template) still includes one Marine within the template radius. It’s the already wounded Private Smith. He rolls a 5 which would put him out of action even if he wasn’t already wounded, and then again. It’s a 6 – a ‘Gory Death’ – and he is obliterated by the explosion.

MORTAR SHELLS are treated like grenades, except that the template is 4” for a light mortar, 6” for heavy. in diameter. There is no range restriction.

Mortar shell misses deviate 2” for every point by which the shooter missed its die roll, so a difference of ‘4’ means that the shell lands 8” from the intended target.

Example: Dave is moving his own assault team to attack Sgt. Gonzalez’s element. Bob plays an off-table mortar round onto the Panzergrenadiers and registers a direct hit. There are four Panzergrenadiers inside the target radius. Dave has a fairly disastrous run of die rolls on the ‘Cheating Death’ table, ending with two Out of Ac- tion – Seriously Wounded (Hoffmann and Rosada) and one wound (Hurt), his Unteroffizier, Muller. The element must also roll to see if it is Pinned Down, and – since Muller is down – the roll is made against the CV of the senior man still standing, the experienced Ertegun.

ARTILLERY SHELLS are treated like mortars, except that the template is larger (4” for light, 6” medium, 8” heavy) in diameter and men within the radius test against CV twice to see if they are Pinned Down. There is no range restriction. Like mortar shells, artillery misses deviate 2” for every point that the shooter missed its die roll by, so a difference of ‘4’ means that the shell lands 8” from the intended target. FLAME THROWERS

Flame Throwers are used primarily against enemy bunkers and other hard positions. • The operator has to reveal himself to fire, and will always count one grade higher as a target than if he was using small arms. e.g. – A flamethrower operator hiding in some bushes would count as a Basic target instead of a Concealed target. • The flamethrower uses the cone template provided with the rules. • The operator must halt and take an action to aim the flamethrower before firing. To use a flamethrower as a Reaction, the operator must already be stationary and and in Overwatch position. • The narrow end of the cone template is placed in base contact with the model using the flamethrower, and all models under the template have to test as a possible casualty. The flamethrower counts as Impact 2 on the ‘Cheating Death’ table.

25 • Any wound result is counted as an automatic Out of Action – Seriously Wounded, any Out of Action result as a Gory Death. Any flammable material (either part of a scenario or agreed upon by the players before the start of the game) inside the template catches fire and is destroyed. • Flamethrowers have a limited capacity. After three uses, roll a die. If the score is 4-6, the flamethrower can be used again. After the fourth ‘shot’ roll again, roll a 5-6 to remain in action, and so on. • If the operator is targeted by enemy fire, a roll of 1 on the ‘to hit’ table means that the tank has been struck. The operator will go up in flames, fatally. Any model within 3” must test against CV. Any that fail the test must roll again: 1-2: merely singed. 3-4: burned and Out of Action 5-6: Fatally burned. CLOSE COMBAT

One of the most decisive types of battle is the assault which results in Close Combat. For human troops in the universe of Alien War this most often means a short rush, an intense fire-fight at extremely short ranges, and possibly actual hand-to-hand fighting with rifle-butts, edged weapons, and fists! Physical combat can happen, but in general, close combat is decided by firepower. For some alien races, Close Combat may involve close- range shooting, spitting acid or poison, or attacking with claws and teeth.

The sequence of Close Combat is as follows:

1) Announce

You announce that you wish to attack one or more enemy elements at the start of your turn. You select which elements are about to make the assault. For each element making the attack, make an Assault Test by rolling against the element leader’s CV. If he passes, the whole element may attack. If he fails, the element stays where it is. If more than one element is expected to charge, test for each of them before going on to the next step.

Example: Bob rolls an all elements turn. He decides that Sgt. Gonzalez needs to rally his Fire Team, but the other two teams are moving forward to make an assault on the Panzergrenadier MSW positions. He rolls for Gonzalez, gets a 2, and passes. His Fire Team returns to action. The assault can begin.

2) Attacking Element Movement • If the element has two actions it may advance while firing on its first action. It will then make the actual assault, running (no firing) on its second action. • If the element only has one action, or the player chooses to assault on the first action, then go directly into close combat without firing or hurling grenades.

Example: Corporal Hayes moves forward, the Marines shooting-while-advancing on their first action. The four models score two hits, fail to actually hurt anyone, but cause a pin test on the Panzergrenadiers (which they pass). The Marine team will charge on the second action.

26 3) Supporting Fire

Troops not actually assaulting the enemy position may fire in support of the attack. Supporting fire may NOT be used if the assaulting troops will make contact with the target on this action.

Example: Gonzalez’ team fires its SSW (4 dice, counting as 8 as Suppression weapons) while PFC Sung and the Gonzalez himself (2 dice each) shoot at the Panzergrenadier MSW team, who are in cover. Linz, the German Squad Support Weapon gunner is Hurt by a bullet.

The Marines have fired 12 dice against 2 Panzergrenadiers, This means two tests for suppression are needed and Grenadier Schwartz rolls since her superior is wounded. She rolls a pair of 2s and passes.

4) Enemy Reaction

The usual rules for Reaction apply, so that any enemy forces eligible to react by shooting, counter-charging or simply retreating may do so.

5) Defender Nerve Test

Test against CV of the leader of each element targeted for attack. Add 1 to CV if the defenders are inside solid cover or fortifications. Pass: The defenders keep their nerve and make their Defensive Fire. Fail: Immediately retreat one normal action, or to nearest defensible cover to the rear whichever is closer. End the movement facing the enemy. Do not retreat if inside blockhouse-style fortifications. Do not make Defensive Fire Fail by 3+ die points: Immediately flee one ‘Running’ action away from the attacker(s). End the movement facing away from the enemy. Do not make Defensive Fire.

6) Defensive Fire

This applies to the target of the charge only. If they are NOT Pinned Down the defenders now fire, even if they have just shot as part of the Reaction phase. This shooting occurs as the assaulting troops are just short of reach- ing the enemy; they count as a Basic Target, since they are running. All members of the targeted defending element may fire, even if they will not be contacted by the attackers during this turn.

Example: The wounding of Linz means that his number two, Schwartz, takes over. Since he’s operating a two- person weapon on his own, it will jam if he scores more 6s than hits.

7) Firefight at close quarters

Both sides count their models. • Models with assault rifles, combat shotguns, and SMGs roll two dice per model. • Models with SSWs roll four dice per model in the first round, but two dice per model if the close combat continues beyond the first turn of fighting. The assistant is assumed to fight with his own personal weapon rather than keep passing ammo to the gunner. • Heavy Squad Support Weapon, flame throwers, mortar crews, etc. roll one die per model as they reach for pistols, rifles, or carbines.

27 • Roll for shooting, counting the attacker at Base Target. If the defenders are clearly in concealment or cover, use the appropriate column. • Models who have Hit the Dirt or are Pinned Down count as -1 to CV. • Two Pinned Down markers count as -2 to CV. • Wounded (Stunned and Hurt) models cannot fight until they have recovered and returned to the fight. Seri- ously wounded models cannot fight at all.

Example: On the UAMC side, Corporal Hayes and his three comrades each get two dice for their assault rifles shooting at close range. They are in the open (basic target) while the PZG position still counts as cover.

The new Panzergrenadier MSW gunner, Schwartz rolls four dice in the first round of close combat; the wounded Linz is unable to fight.

The Marines get three hits, the Panzergrenadiers two. CLOSE COMBAT RESULTS

For each hit, roll again on the Cheating Death Chart, as if taking casualties from shooting. Ignore ‘Retaliate’ results.

Hits from close combat are distributed evenly, so one model cannot take two or more wounds if there are others unwounded.

Example: The Marines take their hits on PFC Bromley who rolls a 2 and is safe. The second goes onto Muam- ba who rolls a 4 and is stunned. The Panzergrenadiers have three hits on one unwounded trooper. Grenadier Schwartz saves all three hits. Linz, previously wounded and not in combat, is not counted as a potential casualty.

Compare each side’s losses, one point each for a wounded model (Stunned or Hurt), two points for a model Out of Action -Seriously Wounded, three for a model Killed, four for a Gory Death. • If the defender inflicts twice as many points as he receives, the attack is beaten off. Surviving attackers test against CV: those that pass will run 3D6” backwards towards friendly cover and are Pinned Down there; if there is no cover, they run the full distance. All casualties (wounded and Out of Action) are left behind. Those that fail the test surrender. • If the attacker inflicts twice as many points as he receives, the defender is beaten. Surviving defenders test against CV: those that pass will run 3D6” backwards towards friendly cover, while those that fail surrender. If there is no way to retreat, or no potential safe cover, all will surrender unless one side Hates the other; in that case the fight will continue. • Troops who surrender are removed from play immediately. • Note that it takes at least two points to double the opponent: one point is not considered to be twice zero points.

Example: The Marines have one ‘stun’, but that isn’t enough to make a difference, so the fight continues. However, the Marines are considered to have come hand-to-hand with their opponents, so the surviving Panzer- grenadiers can’t count as being in cover. Furthermore, Schwartz only gets two dice rather than four, since she is effectively swinging the weapon as a club!

28 • If neither side inflicts twice the losses it receives, the close combat will continue on the next turn. This will be actual hand-to-hand combat, and all participants simply get two dice per model, unless they have a specialist close combat weapon or ability (noted on their card). • Close combat is mandatory and requires no Activation roll; those engaged in the fight simply carry on. • Players may bring extra models into the fight on their own turn, joining in without firing into the melee; the close combat continues with these new participants involved. • At the end of each turn of close combat, compare losses to see if either side has won. If not, continue fighting. • Where one or both side Hate their opponent, the fight will continue until all the models on one side are Wounded or Out of Action. At that point the winner is assumed to immediately kill all remaining enemies who are Out of Action. Those surviving losers who are Hurt or Stunned may try to escape the scene of defeat; if caught, they are automatically hit once by each pursuer, and must roll on the Cheating Death chart. Shift one column to the right for ‘Stunned’, two columns for ‘Hurt’.

Example: The Panzergrenadiers have the next turn, but Dave has no more models he can bring into the fight. Grenadier Schwartz faces three opponents. Each combatant rolls two dice. Schwartz scores one hit on Wright (who saves) but Bromley hits and wounds the MSW gunner. Jones also hits Schwartz and wounds him, putting him Out of Action. The close combat is over.

29 WINNING AND LOSING

Each scenario will have its own specific victory conditions, but in general it will be clear when one side or the other is no longer able to carry on. If any three of the following conditions are true, the squad is defeated and must retire from the board: • If the squad leader (Rank 2+) is Out of Action, or Wounded and not yet recovered, or Surrendered. • If all the junior leaders (Rank 1) are Out of Action, or Wounded and not yet recovered, or Surrendered. • If at least half of the original unit are Out of Action, or Wounded and not yet recovered, or have retreated off the board, or Surrendered. • If all remaining models are Pinned Down.

If two of those conditions for defeat are true, test against CV for the senior leader still in action; if he passes the game continues, but if he fails, the remainder of the squad retreats from the board. If a third condition occurs, the squad is defeated automatically.

It is assumed that a losing squad is able to take all Wounded and Out of Action men, as well as any prisoners with it as it retires. This is unrealistic, but allows the squad to progress from game to game!

Example: Elsewhere on the battlefield Corporal Khaur’s Fire Team have engaged the second Bundeswehr MSW in an indecisive firefight that has caused no casualties. But the PZG have lost their Gruppenfuhrer and four other grenadiers wounded or Out of Action. This means that two of the conditions for retreat have been met. The senior Panzergrenadier, Heismann (operating the remaining MSW) tests against his CV, rolls a 5, and so the game ends as the Germans pull their remaining troops off the table. It’s likely that, had he remained, the two other UAMC Fire Teams would be able to outflank his position and overrun it, so a retreat seems the most rational option. VICTORY POINTS

If the squad is completely successful in completing its mission, it gets 50 Victory points (VPs). If it is partially successful at the time its opponents concede defeat, it gets 25 Victory points.

Subtract for injuries:

Grade KIA Seriously Wounded ‘Hurt’ Veteran 5 VPs 4 VPs 2 VPs Experienced 4 VPs 3 VPs 2 VPs Green 3 VPs 2 VPs 1 VPs

VP losses for leaders count double

Example: The Marines get 50 points for a complete victory. They have one Marine killed, the green Smith (3 VPs). The only other casualties were Stuns on Sung and Muamba, which – being the most minor wounds - aren’t counted. There are no bonus points, so the squad finishes with 47 VPs.

The PZG have been beaten, so they get no VPs for their failed mission. They have three grenadiers Out of Ac- tion – Seriously Wounded, with their Gruppenfuhrer Muller and gunner Linz both hurt. That’s a total of 15 lost VPs, so the final total is -15 VPs.

30 DESIGNER'S NOTES

None of us know what ground warfare will be like in the year 2260. It’s possible there will be no such thing. Conflicts may be resolved by – to paraphrase Ellen Ripley – nuking from orbit. But there’s an entire school of what some call military science fiction which combines present day tactics and organization with alien enemies and (often) planets, set either in our own time or the future. Based on this, Alien War is a game that places rec- ognizable military formations, using tactics and weapons related to those in current usage, into a science fiction environment.

That’s our way of saying that the vision of warfare in Alien War is derived as much from documentary footage of modern battles as from SF literature, from movies like Black Hawk Down as much as Aliens. It’s based on actual memoirs of combat, and on the experiences service personnel have been willing to share. What those tell us is that actual soldiers aren’t nearly as obsessed with the specs on weaponry as they are on whether the tools of their trade work reliably in action. Most of all they are concerned with their comrades. That’s why Alien War focuses on treating casualties; a model that takes a hit isn’t just some lost dice from the next firing calculation, but an actual brother-or-sister in arms who needs to be saved and restored to health.

Alien War is a game with model soldiers, not an exact simulation. The actual game rules are kept as simple as possible, so as to keep a fast flow to the game. Both sides are involved in the action throughout. Weapons are dangerous, but not to the point that everyone always dies; there are no templates for explosions that destroy the whole board, nor area weapons that eliminate all within range. To emphasize the fluid nature of fire-and-maneu- ver tactics, we have used a turn sequence where each action may be countered by a reaction. We’ve designed an activation system that is chaotic rather than predictable, where a successful player wins by managing that chaos better than his or her opponent. It’s not a chess player’s wargame.

A group of people have been involved in designing Alien War. Jeremy Bernhardt has taken on the difficult role of looking for places where a win-at-all-costs, rules-lawyer sort of player looks to exploit my own “Let’s be gentlemen about this” approach to writing a game. Karl Witte has tested the game over and over with me, proving that a smart twelve year old can easily outwit the designer. Bryan Bromley, Alex Hoover, Chris Heis- mann, Gary and Joe Pelletier, John Diffley, Richard Gaulding, Joshua Bowling, Eric Russell, Chuck Turnitsa, Mark Temple, John Sanford, Dave Koske, Chuck Turnitsa, Leland Ericson, Bill Butler, Mick Farnworth, “Joe Camel”, “Tangiers” and “Gallahad” have all had a hand in play-testing. Charlie Walther and Karen Ostertag get credit for suggesting books I should be reading for this project. Tim Barry and John Morse of Defiance Games deserve special mention. Most of all deserving of thanks goes to Tony Reidy, CEO of Defiance Games, who defined the universe of Alien War and made the whole thing happen.

— Howard Whitehouse (Eaten by allegedly friendly aliens, 2260)