Grimdark Future Core Rules
General Principles
The most important rule: Whenever the rules are unclear, use common sense and personal preference. Have fun!
Quality Tests: Roll one six-sided die, and if you score the model’s quality value or higher, then it counts as a success.
Modifiers: Regardless of modifiers, rolls of 6 always succeed, and rolls of 1 always fail.
Preparation
The Armies: The players put together two armies of equal points before the game begins (we recommend 1000pts to start, and 2000pts for a full match).
Combined Units: Players may combine two copies of the same multi-model unit into a single unit, if upgrades that apply to all models are bought for both.
Force Org. (optional): Players may only bring up to 1 hero per 500pts in their army, and only 1+X copies of the same unit, where X is 1 per 1000pts in their army (combined units count as one). No single unit may be worth over 35% of total points, and armies may only have max. 1 unit per 200pts.
The Battlefield: The game is played on a 6‘x4‘ area, with 15+ pieces of terrain. The game can be also played on smaller areas, as long as armies deploy at least 24" apart.
Mission: Place D3+2 objectives. Players roll-off to go first, and then alternate in placing one marker each outside of deployment zones, and over 9” away from each other. At the end of each round, if a unit is within 3” of a marker while enemies aren’t, then it’s seized. Markers stay seized even after leaving, but if units from both sides are contesting a marker, then it becomes neutral again. The game ends after 4 rounds, and the player that controls most markers wins.
Deployment: Players roll-off, and the winner picks a long table edge as their deployment zone, with their opponent taking the opposite. Then the players alternate in placing one unit each within 12” of their table edge, starting with the player that won the deployment roll.
Playing the Game
Each round, players alternate in activating one unit each, starting with the player that won the deployment roll-off. Each new round, the player that finished activating first on the last round gets to go first.
Activation
The player picks one unit that hasn’t activated yet, and it must take one action:
| Action | Move | Notes |
| Hold | 0” | Can shoot |
| Advance | 6” | Can shoot after move |
| Rush | 12” | Can’t shoot |
| Charge | 12” | Moves into melee |
Movement
Unit members must stay within 1” of at least one other member, and within 9” of all other members. Units may only be within 1” of other units when charging, and may only charge if at least one charging model is within charge distance of the target unit.
Shooting
Models in range and line of sight may fire all ranged weapons, and may fire at up to two different targets with different weapon types. Shooting models take one quality test per attack, and each success is a hit. For each hit defending units roll one die trying to score their Defense value or higher to block, and each fail causes one wound. For each wound, the defender must remove one model.
Melee
Charging models must move into base contact with targets, or as close as possible, and then defenders must do the same by moving up to 3”. Models within 2” horizontally and 4” vertically of enemies must strike with all melee weapons, which works like shooting. Then defenders may choose to strike back, but don’t have to. Once both units are done, the losing unit must take a morale test (see morale section). If one of the units is destroyed, the other may move by up to 3”, else chargers must move back and separate by 1” (if possible).
Fatigue: After charging or striking back, units only hit on unmodified results of 6 in melee until the end of that round.
Morale
Morale Tests: At the end of an activation where wounds leave a unit with half or less of its total size or tough value (for single-model units), or it loses a melee, the unit must take a morale test. To take a morale test, take a quality test, and if failed the unit is Shaken.
Shaken: Must stay idle, counts as fatigued, always fails morale tests, and can’t contest or seize objectives. Shaken units must spend one full activation idle to stop being Shaken.
Melee Results: Units in melee don’t take morale tests from wounds at the end of an activation. Instead they compare the number of wounds each unit caused, and the unit with the lowest total loses, and must take a morale test. If the test is failed whilst the unit is down to half or less of its total size or tough value, then it routs (remove from play as destroyed), else it is Shaken instead.
Terrain
Cover Terrain: Units with most models fully inside cover terrain or behind sight blockers, or that are mostly inside cover terrain or behind sight blockers (for single-model units), get +1 to Defense rolls when blocking hits from shooting.
Difficult Terrain: Units moving through difficult terrain at any point can’t move more than 6” at a time in total.
Dangerous Terrain: Models moving across dangerous terrain, or that activate in it, must roll one die (or as many as their tough value), and for each roll of 1 the unit takes a wound.
Special Rules Reference
Aircraft
May only use Advance actions, moving in a straight line, and adding 30” to its total move (even if Shaken). Aircraft ignore all units and terrain when moving and stopping, can’t seize objectives, can’t be charged, and units targeting them get -12” range and -1 to hit.
Ambush
May be set aside before deployment. At the start of any round after the first, may be deployed anywhere over 9” away from enemy units. Players alternate in placing Ambush units, starting with the player that activates next. Units that deploy via Ambush can’t seize or contest objectives on the round they deploy.
AP(X)
Targets get -X to Defense rolls when blocking hits from this weapon.
Blast(X)
Ignores cover, and after resolving other special rules, each hit is multiplied by X, where X is up to as many hits as models in the target unit.
Caster(X)
Gets X spell tokens at the start of each round, but can’t hold more than 6 tokens at once. At any point before attacking, spend as many tokens as the spell’s value to try casting one or more spells (only one try per spell). Roll one die, on 4+ resolve the effect on a target in line of sight. Models within 18” in line of sight of the caster’s unit may spend any number of spell tokens at the same time before rolling, to give the caster +1/-1 to the roll per token.
Counter
Strikes first with this weapon when charged, and the charging unit gets -1 total Impact rolls per model with Counter.
Deadly(X)
Assign each wound to one model, and multiply it by X. Hits from Deadly must be resolved first, and these wounds don’t carry over to other models if the original target is killed.
Entrenched
Enemies get -2 to hit when shooting at this model from over 9” away, as long as it hasn’t moved since the beginning of its last activation.
Fast
Moves +2” when using Advance and +4” when using Rush/Charge.
Fear(X)
This model counts as having dealt +X wounds when checking who won melee.
Fearless
Whenever a unit where most models have this rule fails a morale test, roll one die. On a 4+ it counts as passed instead.
Flying
May move through units and terrain, and ignores terrain effects whilst moving.
Furious
When charging, unmodified rolls of 6 to hit in melee deal one extra hit (only the original hit counts as a 6 for special rules).
Hero
Heroes with up to Tough(6) may deploy as part of one multi-model unit without another Hero. The hero may take morale tests on behalf of the unit, but must use the unit’s Defense until all other models have been killed.
Immobile
May only use Hold actions.
Impact(X)
Roll X dice when attacking after charging, unless fatigued. For each 2+ the target takes one hit.
Indirect
Gets -1 to hit rolls when shooting after moving. May target enemies that are not in line of sight as if in line of sight, and ignores cover from sight obstructions.
Lance
When charging, gets +1 to hit rolls and AP(+1) in melee.
Lock-On
Ignores cover and all negative modifiers to hit rolls and range.
Limited
May only be used once per game.
Poison
Ignores Regeneration, and the target must re-roll unmodified Defense rolls of 6 when blocking hits.
Regeneration
When taking a wound, roll one die. On a 5+ it is ignored.
Relentless
When using Hold actions and shooting, unmodified rolls of 6 to hit deal one extra hit (only the original hit counts as a 6 for special rules).
Reliable
Attacks at Quality 2+.
Rending
Ignores Regeneration, and unmodified rolls of 6 to hit get AP(4).
Scout
May be set aside before deployment. After all other units are deployed, must be deployed and may then be placed anywhere within 12” of their position. Players alternate in placing Scout units, starting with the player that activates next.
Slow
Moves -2” when using Advance, and -4” when using Rush/Charge.
Sniper
Shoots at Quality 2+, and each model with Sniper may pick any model in the target unit as its individual target, which is resolved as if it was a unit of 1. Sniper shooting must be resolved before other weapons.
Stealth
Enemies get -1 to hit rolls when shooting at units where all models have this rule from over 9" away.
Strider
May ignore the effects of difficult terrain when moving.
Tough(X)
This model must take X wounds before being killed. If a model with tough joins a unit without it, then it is removed last when the unit takes wounds. Note that you must continue to put wounds on the tough model with most wounds in the unit until it is killed, before starting to put them on the next tough model (heroes must be assigned wounds last).
Transport(X)
May transport up to X models or Heroes with up to Tough(6), and non-Heroes with up to Tough(3) which occupy 3 spaces each. Transports may deploy with units inside, and units may enter/exit by using any move action, but must stay fully within 6” of it when exiting. When a transport is destroyed, units inside must take a dangerous terrain test, are Shaken, and must be placed fully within 6” of the transport before removing it.
