Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Dagger or Talon PDF Book
By Dagger or Talon PDF Book
By Dagger or Talon PDF Book
or Talon
Enhanced Special Forces and
Deadly Aliens in Tomorrow’s War
A Tomorrow’s War
Supplement by
So what are you going to find in this book? or genetically engineered super-troops of John
Scalzi’s Old Man’s War. Some of the SOF soldiers
Aliens! Science fiction fans love ‘em. And why
described in military science fiction vary so far
not? Aliens can embody any ideal, positive or
from the human norm that they might as well be
negative, that human imagination can encompass.
aliens – and all of them would be as up for a
They can be diabolic or angelic, unimaginably
“bug hunt” as a stand-up fight, so it only seemed
advanced or piteously primitive. Their form might
natural to include the special rules for special
be seductively similar to our own or eye-achingly
operators right alongside those for aliens!
different. Their intellect, morality, and motivation
may be remarkably human or may take a form More Tomorrowverse (T-Verse) Material! While
that is completely, well, alien. There is no larger, this book is intended as just another drawer in
blanker canvas for the science fiction author (or the generic SF toolbox that is Tomorrow’s War,
gamer) than an alien race! In this book we’re we also wanted to include some alien and SOF
handing you a lifetime supply of paints and brushes action from our own “future history.” Humanity is
with which to fill that canvas up with any alien about to have his first meeting with an alien intel-
you can conceive. ligence – and nobody involved is likely to make a
great first impression!
Special Forces! Who doesn’t get a thrill reading
about high-speed, low-drag operators getting We’re covering a lot of ground in this book, but
things done under the worst conditions with the hey, it’s our first Tomorrow’s War companion
least support? Military science fiction is bursting at book and it just seemed like a good idea to pull
the seams with all manner of SOF troops, ranging out the stops and shoot for the moon – or Alpha
from the power-armored grunts of Heinlein’s Centauri, even!
Starship Troopers to the cybernetic legion- Best wishes,
naires of William Dietz’s Legion Of The Damned The Crew at Ambush Alley Games
Despite vigorous denials by the People’s Republic of China, Chun Lai’s “Killer Crab Men” made too
it is now universally agreed that first human contact with good a story for even the PRA to keep
intelligent alien life forms occurred in 2310 under wraps, but most of the world
on Zhǎozé, an unpleasantly warm and found the story too incredible
humid marginal colony world. A PRA to believe. A chain of events
reconnaissance squad scouting would occur in 2315 that
ahead of a survey team apparently would not only confirm the
blundered upon a group of armed ill-fated Lieutenant’s story
aliens and opened fire. The aliens but also decisively prove that
retaliated, killing all of the PRA Humanity is not alone
soldiers but one – the infamous in the universe.
Lt. Chun Lai, who was executed
for running amok and killing his
squad mates, an explanation
that the PRC found more
palatable than a violent
encounter with bipedal
crustaceans.
Timeline for
the Opening of A Few Words
on the March of History
Human Space Many science fiction and fantasy settings have a starting
point at which all the history described in their background
Contact! material culminates – “And so things stand in 1111 (by
2315 Refugees from the Marshborn Confederation fleeing the Ardain Reckoning)…” The course of history up to that
the Darghaur arrive on Glory. They have hostile contact with starting point is described in loving detail, but once the
DPRG forces at the Joy of Light Power facility and receive a
beginning is reached history falls silent. The logic is that
cautious but friendly greeting from the Republic of Arden.
once history passes into the players’ hands it becomes
Representatives of the Marshborn Confederation establish utterly unpredictable and is best left for them to develop.
diplomatic relations with the Republic of Arden and the RA
This approach is great for those of us who like to tinker
sets aside part of its territory in the Foix Gap for use as the
with fictional histories, but, in the hands of those who
Marshborn Canton.
don’t, it often results in The End of History as the world
Marionette ambassadors from the A’Li’Ari Protectorate arrive
continues to march forward virtually unchanged.
on Earth. Earth becomes a Prospective Member of the
Protectorate and establishes trade and diplomatic bonds with We’ve decided to take a different route and treat
that organization. Tomorrow’s War as a historical game, at least as far as its
2316 USMC Special Operations units on a deep-space background goes. Rather than halt history in 2309 (the last
exercise make contact with a Darghaur Recon force. year referred to in the Timeline presented in Tomorrow’s
The resulting firefight is brief, bloody, and constitutes an War), we’ll continue to move the timeline forward and you
expensive victory for Humanity. The Darghaur fleet continues are free to place your games anywhere within it. The fact
its slow approach towards Human Space. that we’re describing events that occurred in 2315 and later
in this book doesn’t prevent you from setting your games
The Hush during the First Glory War of 2159 on one day and then
2317 to 2320 Human/A’Li’Ari Protectorate relations jumping ahead to play a game set in the Second Glory War
solidify, despite friction created by Humanity’s rapacious in the 2290s – just as you might play an Early War WWII
appetite for new worlds to settle. Some colonies are estab- game set in 1939 one night and play a Late War game set
lished as joint efforts between Humans and A’Li’Ari clients. in 1945 the next.
Intermittent “border reaving” becomes more common as a
Darghaur Horde Fleet nears Human Space. Don’t feel constrained to “keep up” with our timeline. In
fact, please don’t feel constrained by our timeline in any
The Storm way! Don’t let our version of history tie you down! Add to
it, subtract from it, adjust the order of events, or ignore it
2321 A Darghaur attack fleet arrives at Glory. Alien
altogether in favor of a background of your own invention.
dropships descend on the Foix Gap. The Darghaur Wars begin.
Our main goal is for you to have fun with Tomorrow’s War
2322 Task Force Assassin, launched from Grissom, drives and its supplements. We’re not even vaguely interested in
off the Darghaur fleet at Glory. Darghaur ground forces are forcing you to adhere to some tightly managed canon.
marooned planetside. A costly mopping up action ensues.
USMC Powered Armored troops on an
excersize on Zero Palms, circa 2314.
Figures by Ground Zero Games.
Painting by Shawn Carpenter.
First Encounters Crusty soldiers. The Crusty team-leader was able to hold a limited
conversation with the surveyors thanks to an expert program loaded
on Glory with a basic French and Korean vocabulary gathered by monitoring
planetary communications and entertainment broadcasts.
In 2315, two colonies on the garden planet of Glory played host
to Humanity’s first acknowledged visitors from the stars. Refugees The humans contacted a Republic of Arden National Guard (RANG)
from the Marshborn Confederation landed in the Foix Gap, a region unit and arranged a hasty airlift to ferry the wounded aliens back
to their hidden encampment and their own medical personnel.
of contention between the Republic of Arden (RA), the Democratic
The arrival of the human VTOLs in the Marshborn camp was a
People’s Republic of Glory (DPRG), and the theocracy of Eden.
tense moment for both sides, but in the end the humane intent
The highly advanced stealth technology of the Marshborn starships
of the RANG troops resonated with the aliens, whose warrior ethic
allowed them to land undetected and it was later determined that
contained a strong imperative to aid fallen soldiers, be they friend
a sizeable body of civilian refugees and their warrior guardians had
or foe. Once the Marshborn leaders explained the reason for the
been dirt-side for over a week before their scouting teams made
presence of their people on Glory, the RANG officers immediately
contact with human authorities. The nature of those contacts
contacted their superiors, who passed the intelligence up-channel
would set the stage for further conflict on the already contentious
to the Republic’s civilian authorities. A civilian liaison was on-site
world of Glory.
before nightfall. Within a week, the Republic of Arden and the
Many Reeds enclave had entered into formal relations that would
Contact at the Joy of later extend to the full Marshborn Confederacy and pave the way
Light Power Facility for negotiations for the Confederacy to enter the Organization of
Progressive States.
One contingent of Marshborn Confederacy refugees landed near a
cluster of DPRG settlements just inside the Foix Gap. The settle-
ments received their power from a multi-source generation facility, Fall-Out on Glory
named “Joy of Light Combined Source Power Facility” in the typically The disparate first contact experiences of the RA and DPRG led
roseate fashion of the DPRG, located several kilometers from the those nations to completely different stances on the Marshborn
nearest village (a common practice due to the marginal quality of Confederacy refugees from Many Reeds. The Kingdom of Eden
DPRG fusion generators). With their own generating equipment responded to the alien presence according to its own religious
damaged or destroyed in the flight from Many Reeds (see The dogma, of course.
Darghaur Incursion), Marshborn refugees, or “Crusties,” as they The RA entered into a cordial but firm diplomatic relationship with
would come to be known, were in desperate need of power. Based the aliens and offered them a large tract of unsettled land in the
on their violent first encounter with Humanity (which involved an Foix Gap which they dubbed “The Many Reeds Canton” but which
unprovoked attack by Chinese troops on Zhǎozé), the Crusties the rest of Glory (and humanity in general) referred to as “The
decided that a lightning raid to seize control of the power facility Crusty Rez.” They extended all the legal protections and many of
long enough to secure material to repair their own equipment and the benefits available to RA citizens to the refugees and provided
charge emergency power cells would be less dangerous than simply assistance in developing settlements and infrastructure within the
asking for assistance. Canton. The RA military (and French and US militaries through
The Joy of Light plant was seized bloodlessly by elements of the auspices of the French Foreign Legion and US SOF) began
a Marshborn Recon Group and held for a night and most of a an exchange of technologies and joint operations training to help
day before DPRG authorities became suspicious. Suspecting an ensure the Canton’s security.
attack by the Republic of Arden when the plant failed to make its The DPRG took a much less sanguine approach to the refugees,
scheduled communications checks, local authorities dispatched a declaring them “illegal aliens” with no apparent hint of irony.
People’s Republican Guard Scout section to investigate. The inevi- DPRG troops and civilian militia were encouraged to kill or capture
table firefight that followed left most of the DPRG Scouts dead or Crusties who stray into the DPRG or DPRG controlled territory in
severely wounded and the Joy of Light plant seriously damaged. the Foix Gap. The DPRG ambassador to the RA has demanded in
No Marshborn casualties or damaged vehicles were left behind, but the strongest terms that the Republic evict the alien refugees and
extensive footage of the aliens in action was captured on Scout cease aid and military cooperation with the “invaders” immediately.
helmet cameras. There could be no doubt that human troops had They also accused the RA of using the aliens as mercenaries or
encountered alien adversaries and been soundly bested. The news a proxy military force, a claim that carries some weight if one
would take weeks to filter out of the DPRG, however, as their considers that the Many Reeds Canton’s position was astride key
media commissariat required some time to edit the helmet cam overland routes to both the DPRG and the Kingdom of Eden.
footage to show the DPRG Scouts triumphing over a slavering,
chitin-covered foe. The Kingdom of Eden held an even charier view of the Marshborn
alien presence on Glory. According to their religious doctrine, Glory
is the birthplace of Humanity and is sacred to both Man and God.
Contact on Archenault Trail #24 No race but Humanity should be allowed to breathe the holy air
At roughly the same time, a civilian survey crew from the Republic of Glory or touch the soil of a world specifically set aside for Man
of Arden (RA) encountered a patrol of Marshborn Recon troops who by the grace of God Himself. Like the DPRG, the Kingdom of Eden
had blundered into a trail-side booby-trap left over from the last demanded that the RA “cast out the unclean” in their midst. Rumors
war with the DPRG. A surveyor with medical training immediately out of Eden suggested that the Kingdom trained “militia” cells to
set about providing what aid he could to several severely injured conduct terroristic attacks against both the Canton and the RA
itself if the refugees were not expelled from Glory. If these rumors
were true, Eden’s return to sponsored terrorism was unlikely to go The Darghaur
unanswered by the US and its nearby colony of Grissom, for whom
the horrors of the Saint’s War remained fresh.
Incursion
Through the communications channels opened up with the
Many believe that the RA’s open-handed approach to the Many Marshborn Confederacy by the Republic of Arden, humanity learned
Reeds Refugees led directly to the crucial contact with the that it faced a new and terrible external threat: The Darghaur
Marionettes later in 2315. Just as many believe that the Crusty incursion into our sector of the galaxy.
presence in the Foix Gap will provide the DPRG with the casus
belli for the DPRG’s next war against the RA, potentially with the The Marshborn Refugees that arrived on Glory were only a small
Kingdom of Eden as an ally. part of a larger stream of displaced aliens fleeing before an
unknown but vast number of Darghaur invasion fleets. Most of
the refugees were bound for the perceived safety of the A’Li’Ari
Protectorate, but many of the refugee ships from the Marshborn
“We have never faced an enemy solely Confederacy sought out worlds on which they could hide and refit
motivated by a rancor-free desire to see to launch guerrilla (and suicide) attacks against the approaching
Darghaur. Glory was one such world.
our entire species destroyed or enslaved.
Descriptions of the Darghaur, whose name ominously rhymed
The very dispassion with which they with “dark hour,” painted a horrifying picture of bloodthirsty
pursue our doom elevates their atrocities aliens that, despite their hunched posture, stood taller than most
men. The creatures’ backs were protected by a thick, horny shell
against us beyond anything we have ever that was reinforced through genetic and nano-engineering to be
experienced. In them we do not face the strong enough to blunt or even defeat kinetic and energy based
small-arms. Their small heads were featureless save for a pair of
savage hatred of a jealous or wronged antlers whose size and complexity apparently to indicated rank or
foe, but rather the impartial blank stare prestige. Eye-less, ear-less, and nose-less, the Darghaur were still
acutely aware of their surroundings according to the Marshborn
of the plow before it cuts the worm. To who’d survived contact with them, suggesting some combination
the rational mind, this must be more of sensory organs unknown to man or, more incredibly, psychic
awareness.
fearsome than a legion of capering, blood-
Crusty troops on patrol in one of the marshy jungle
thirsty Satans.” regions common to the Marshborn Cantonment.
US Ambassador Erika McNeary, from her speech Figures by Ground Zero Games. Painting & Photo by John C. Barker.
Marshborn
civilians evacuate
a village under the
watchful eye of
Blood Claws.
Figures by Ground
Zero Games. Buildings
by Gamecraft
Miniatures. Painting by
Impoverished Lackey
& Shawn Carpenter.
message roughly three days before the Darghaur assault on their The Republic of Arden’s investment in “stay-behind” troops paid
planet began. War had come again to Glory. dividends for all the nations of Glory. The Darghaur advance was
slowed by a campaign of sabotage and rear-area raids that kicked
The Initial Defense off with the complete destruction of a large landing craft with
the command detonation of buried Marshborn munitions. It was later
In the short time available to them, Glory’s defenders did what
estimated that several hundred Darghaur soldiers were killed in that
they could to prepare for the coming onslaught. The Darghaur had
opening flash of the war. Each stay-behinder attack was met with an
already launched large landing ships, all of which seemed aimed
overwhelming Darghaur counter-attack, however, and inevitably the
directly for the Marshborn Cantons in the Foix Gap. Perhaps they
human and Marshborn forces involved were either rendered combat
intended to punish the Marshborn refugees or perhaps they thought
ineffective, forced to withdraw to friendly territory, or completely
they were the most dangerous threat. Regardless of the Darghaur
wiped out. Still, their sacrifice slowed the Darghaur offensive and
motive, the Republic of Arden’s National Guard and frontier militia
gave humanity more time to bolster its defenses.
units joined forces with the Marshborn militias to evacuate the
Canton’s civilian population. The veterans of “The Stay-Behind War” also bought the Republic
of Arden hard intelligence about the Darghaur and their tactics. The
Glory’s three nations set about the defense of their planet inde-
Republic eventually shared this information with the DPRG and KOE
pendently. A last minute appeal for an alliance against the aliens
to optimize the overall defense of Glory. Much of this intelligence
by Prime Minister Gisboneaux of the Republic of Arden (RA)
was sobering but there were some bright spots, such as the brittle
was refused. The Democratic People’s Republic of Glory (DPRG)
nature of the slave forces and the Darghaur’s sluggish reaction to
suspected treachery and, despite all reason, were confident they
quick, hit and run attacks. More importantly, the stay-behinders
could negotiate a better alliance with the Darghaur. The Kingdom
discovered that the Darghaur seemed tactically nonplussed by an
of Eden (KOE) was adamant that God was on their side and with
enemy that refused to admit it was beaten, let alone stay beaten.
such an ally, who needs more?
The initial strategies of the DPRG and the KOE were simple – The War for Glory
they dug their forces in along their borders with the Foix Gap
Although the Stay-Behind War slowed the Darghaur’s breakout
and redoubled their air defense resources there. They established
from their beachhead on Glory, it could not hope to prevent it
reserve areas and mobilized every military unit on the books.
altogether. The alien invasion force was large, well-supplied, and
Neither nation was quite ready to start arming its citizens, however,
held the high-ground in orbital space. The human defenders were
even in the face of an alien peril.
puzzled by the Darghaur’s failure to exploit their orbital superiority
The RA’s defensive strategy involved strengthening a strategic by landing attack forces in rear areas or bombarding human combat
border as well, but it also featured a bold plan to leave special units positions and logistical areas with orbit to planet missiles or kinetic
in the Foix Gap, near or even in the projected Darghaur landing weapons, but were grateful for it.
zone. These units would provide much needed intelligence on the
As the Darghaur began to break free, the Republic of Arden mounted
aliens to the RA military command and could also disrupt enemy
a defense in depth in which forward units fell back to regroup while
operations if the opportunity presented itself. The RA had excellent
the units behind them took up the fight. Civilian populations were
resources for this task in the form of the various militia groups with
evacuated as the front moved out of the Foix Gap and into the
years of guerilla experience, an FSA (Forces Spéciales Améliorées
Republic proper. The Ardenois, bolstered by Marshborn warriors,
–cybernetically augmented commandos), and a company of US
made the Darghaur and their slave soldiers pay dearly for every foot
Special Forces.
closer to the capital, hoping against hope to hold out long enough for
When the Darghaur fist finally fell, it fell hard and decisively. The relief forces to arrive from Grissom and Earth.
various system defense ships orbiting Glory were snuffed out
The Democratic People’s Republic of Glory, on the other hand,
with ease, as were all the planet’s orbital defense platforms. The
waged a war that seemed plucked from some dark and distant
Darghaur dropships belched fire and missiles as they sank ominously
past. DPRG analysts determined that the Darghaur were reluctant
through the atmosphere, destroying any interface craft that dared
to bypass enemy strongpoints in their grinding advance. “Dear
to approach them. The high ground belonged to the Darghaur and
Leader,” the DPRG’s hereditary dictator, ordered the construction
they obliterated anything that sought to dislodge them. Darghaur
of heavily fortified “Martyr Holds” in advance of the DPRG border.
pursuit ships dogged the heels of human vessels fleeing the belea-
These Holds were manned by the most fiercely loyal (and heavily
guered world. Only ships that turned tail within minutes of the
indoctrinated) troops in the People’s Army. The commanders of
Horde Fleet’s arrival managed to escape.
the Holds were directed to die in place rather than retreat an inch
At first the invaders met with the same success on the ground. towards the sacred soil of the People’s Paradise.
Darghaur combat formations quickly established a formidable
In addition to the Martyr Holds, a hastily erected but formidable
perimeter around their landing craft, securing an area that covered
system of trenches and bunkers was thrown up at the DPRG’s
nearly a hundred square miles and most of the Marshborn’s
border with the Foix gap. Literally the entire work-force of the
abandoned Canton. Human recon troops and hold-outs in the
nation was thrown into the construction of these defenses, which
area who survived the initial assault were astounded to see the
were manned with every available soldier. The Darghaur would be
Darghaur and their slave soldiers instantly segue from establishing
stopped at the DPRG border – or they would not be stopped at all.
a bridgehead to mounting a three-way assault. Substantial forces
began rolling slowly towards the borders of the RA, KOE and DPRG, The Kingdom of Eden took yet another approach to the Darghaur
destroying every human structure (and human being) in their path. problem. They launched a guerrilla resistance stiffened by regular
forces where possible. The KOE’s standing military forces were Member states of both organizations scrambled to strengthen their
understrength and poorly led, having not yet recovered from their cold navies and train troops for an assault from orbit. Even as they
severe losses during the Saint’s War, and the political/religious labored to create military juggernauts to relieve Glory, they kept a
purging of their officer class after that defeat. careful eye on each other, each side fearful that the other might
turn their newly expanded military might against enemies on Earth
In the end, the KOE put its fate in the hands of God and zealous
rather than Glory. In the end, though, the armadas raised by the
civilian militias willing to sacrifice themselves to shape a battle in
OPS and NEU would be mere footnotes in the history of the First
which their professional forces could prevail. Despite the fanati-
cism with which the militia fought, the Darghaur penetrated deeply Darghaur War.
into the Kingdom and were only slowed when the KOE detonated In the great naval yard orbiting Grissom’s neighboring world, an
buried fission weapons during the battles for Jedediah and Caleb. unfriendly Venus-like planet named Armstrong, a number of
The militias triggered the weapons after leading Darghaur troops starships had been under development since before the Marshborn
into position—killing themselves in the process. refugees’ arrival on Glory. Marshborn engineers freely shared their
The nuclear blasts triggered the only sizeable orbital attacks advanced stealth and drive engineering with their human counter-
launched by the Darghaur, who struck the KOE sub-capital of Joshua parts on Grissom. Human engineers brought a new perspective to
and a major refugee camp in Arden with hyper-kinetic rods fired Marshborn designs, with the happy side effect that the resulting
from space. Both targets were utterly obliterated. Casualties were technology was superior to anything previously manufactured by
estimated in the hundreds of thousands. The Darghaur message human or Marshborn.
was clear: The use of weapons of mass destruction would result in When news reached Grissom of the Darghaur invasion of Glory,
the rapid extinction of humanity on Glory. work on the ships in the Armstrong yards was doubled and re-
Each of Glory’s major powers settled in for a long fight. Their only doubled. Day in and day out, highly motivated teams of zero-gee
option was to attempt to hold off the Darghaur until a relief force shipwrights worked around Grissom’s long clock to complete
could arrive – if such a force could arrive at all. the ships. When three of the heaviest warships and four lighter
warships were completed, they were rapidly crewed and combined
Breaking the Stranglehold to form Task Force Assassin.
On Earth, the OPS and the NEU reeled under the implications TF: Assassin was placed under the command of Admiral James
of the Darghaur assault on Glory – none of their colonies were Tulley and was tasked with the relief of Glory. Tulley’s command
safe from these rapacious aliens! Not even Earth itself was safe. consisted of seven untried ships using virtually untested drive,
The USA was particularly concerned due to Grissom’s proximity to weapon, and stealth technology and command crews composed
Glory. The OPS again reached out to the NEU with an offer to put of both human and Marshborn officers. Many believed that a raid
traditional differences aside and ally against a common threat – but by TF: Assassin against the Darghaur’s fleet, which was superior in
old dogma was far too deeply ingrained to be overcome by even so numbers and possibly quality as well, would be suicide. Tulley kept
grave an external threat as extinction at the hands of the Darghaur. his assessment of the task force’s fleet to himself.
When TF: Assassin arrived at Glory, Tulley revealed his simple plan blast radius of the explosion and their drives added to the nuclear
to the captains under him. He would put his complete trust in the firestorm above Glory. Others were struck by debris and left
improved Marshborn/Human stealth systems and aim the entire damaged or disabled. As the Darghaur fleet staggered under the
fleet at the largest ship in the Darghaur’s Horde Fleet. If they could loss of its flagship and the related mayhem, TF: Assassin returned
damage it enough to withdraw, that might make the fight facing for a second pass.
the OPS fleet currently in transit much easier. In his private log he
Only five of the original seven ships remained (the Chosin and
admitted to himself that he doubted they could do much more than
Normandy were lost on the initial pass), but they caught the
damage the Darghaur flagship and he had no confidence that any of
Darghaur fleet in complete disorder. Several more Darghaur ships
the TF: Assassin vessels would survive the attack.
were destroyed or so severely damaged that they were forced to
With minimal course adjustments, TF: Assassin began a high speed withdraw. One Darghaur vessel was captured by boarding action.
attack run against the Darghaur’s largest Horde ship. The task force’s By the end of the battle, TF: Assassin had lost four of its seven
hybrid stealth technology proved remarkably effective, allowing it ships, but three Darghaur vessels had been destroyed and several
to slip past the Horde’s sentry ships and take the Darghaur flagship more were damaged and forced to flee Glory’s system, abandoning
under heavy fire. The Marshborn/Human weapon systems also their ground forces planetside.
showed a decided jump in effectiveness and TF: Assassin’s first
slashing pass through the Darghaur Horde Fleet inflicted massive No Surrender
damage on the Horde Leader’s flagship. The massive command
In the days following the rout of their Horde fleet, the Darghaur on
vessel attempted to retreat as its escort ships closed in to protect
Glory fought a massive rear-guard action as their forces retreated
it, but as it began to power out of Glory’s gravity well it was
into the Kingdom of Eden, where they’d found the least effective
consumed by a massive explosion.
human resistance. They showed no sign of surrendering and
The flagship’s death paroxysm spread chaos and destruction were clearly consolidating their position to hold out indefinitely.
among its consorts. Some Darghaur ships were caught within the Communication with the Darghaur themselves was impossible,
of course, but human emissaries were able to parlay with some repaid in kind in an attempt to learn more about the Darghaur and
of their slave soldiers. The slaves rebuffed offers to accept their their slave races.
surrender and claimed that the loss of their fleet was insignificant.
Awareness of Earth and her far-flung colonies has also led some
The Darghaur would simply hold the lands they’d taken from the members of the A’Li’Ari Protectorate to take a jaundiced view of
KOE, and amass human slave forces until a relief force arrived. If Humanity’s expansion towards their territories, especially after
no relief force arrived, the remaining Darghaur would simply wait Earth’s refusal to join the Protectorate. Many alien races that held
patiently until they could take the planet themselves. territory along the Earth Space/Protectorate border zone began to
The commander of the OPS fleet, which arrived shortly after garrison vacant worlds that might interest humans. This inevitably
Assassin’s victory, suggested that Darghaur strongpoints in the KOE resulted in armed conflict, as did alien attempts to re-claim human
should be struck by RFGs (Rods from God) – kinetic weapons similar colonies based on old claims. Members of the Protectorate could
spout any number of Protectorate laws, but Humanity found a
to those that the Darghaur had used in retaliation for the nuclear
single human truism more evident: Possession is nine-tenths of
detonations at Jedidiah and Caleb. The KOE strongly resisted this
the law.
suggestion, as the Darghaur had established their main bases in
close proximity to their industrial centers. In the end, their protests Not all alien/human interactions over colony worlds are so overtly
were overridden and the rods dropped. contentious, however. On several occasions, human and alien
interests have agreed to jointly colonize a planet, normally with
Small, independent units of Darghaur and their slave soldiers humans settling in one area of the world’s surface and aliens in
remain in and around the devastated areas of the KOE and within another. This multi-species “balkanization” has led to some friction
the northern verge of the Foix Gap. The DPRG also report “orphan” between human and alien settlers, but thus far nothing more serious
Darghaur units operating near their borders, but in too small a than a little feuding and the occasional short-lived bush-war.
number to be a significant threat.
“Little wars” and one-off raids pepper the margins of Human Space
The Darghaur war on Glory is virtually over – for the time being, and the A’Li’Ari /Protectorate while more serious border incursions
at least. occur at infrequent intervals along the stretch of space now known
as the “Darghaur March.” Humanity continues to expand into unex-
The Aftermath plored space, much to the concern of the A’Li’Ari Protectorate’s
border states, who are apt to suddenly find that interstellar real
The attack on Glory has thus far been the Darghaurs’ only concerted estate that was of little interest to them has suddenly become a
assault on a human world. The Darghaur seem to be concentrating human enclave hard on their border. Marionette delegates from
their efforts on seizing Glory while consolidating their forces in the the Protectorate continue to remonstrate with Earth’s govern-
Deep Slough sector of the Marshborn Confederation. Human confi- ments to put aside their differences and accept a position within
dence has been boosted by success in holding the Darghaur at bay the interstellar league, but some of their methods have led some
in the Foix Gap, but the ongoing war is such a near thing that the Earth pundits to refer to the A’Li’Ari Protectorate as the “A’Li’Ari
nations of Earth continue to bolster their defenses, sometimes at the Protection Racket.”
expense of resisting the Darghaur at Glory. Sporadic and unpredict- All the while, Earth’s nations are expanding their cold navies and
able raids against other human-held installations by the Darghaur only military strength in preparation for a larger Darghaur invasion … or
underline the profound threat they pose to Humanity. These raids are perhaps for use against the Protectorate, if push comes to shove!
If you’ve bought this book, it’s a safe assumption by Unit Attributes in the same way as human
you already own Tomorrow’s War and have read variations from the norm
our chapter on designing aliens. If you missed it, ❚❚ Alien weaponry and armor is described in the
it’s on pages 150 through 154 of the original book. same manner as that of humans
We don’t intend to reinvent the wheel here, but
If this all seems a bit humanity-centric to you,
this seems to be a good place to hit some of the
that’s natural. It is. This game was designed by
original article’s high points in review:
humans for humans to play. As humans, any aliens
❚❚ Aliens are described using the same basic we imagine will be defined by their differences
mechanisms as human troops: Troop Quality, from us. If the aliens we imagine are at war with
Morale, Confidence and Supply Level humanity, we must believe that they’re at least
❚❚ Aliens obey the same rules in combat as similar enough to us that they’re willing to fight for
human troops some of the same real estate or resources that we
❚❚ Alien differences from the norm are represented are. Otherwise, why the dustup?
Conceptualizing physical weakness. Once you have a general idea in mind, start
examining the figures carefully. What kind of equipment do they
an Alien Race carry? If there are no or few personal weapons, perhaps they have
a fear or taboo against close combat. Conversely, if they have no or
We’re making a basic assumption from the get-go, here: We’re all few long range weapons, perhaps they feel that killing at a distance
playing a miniature game, not an RPG. is cowardly and will only fight in close. You must determine why
In an RPG, there’s really no limit to what you might come up for an they are equipped the way they are.
alien race – if you want to invent a race of giant half cat, half hippo,
elephant riding super warriors with 92 different warrior castes, each How does it move?
represented by its own distinctive hat, there’s nothing to stop you. Does it crawl? Fly? Two legs? Four legs? Twenty? Generally speaking,
Anything you can imagine can be put into play as you and your more legs will mean faster movement, but not necessarily (centi-
group sit around the table spinning your shared epic. pedes for example). Perhaps they feel that running, even toward
Miniature games, on the other hand, are played with miniatures. the enemy, is cowardly. In that case they might move faster than
Your opponent generally expects the army you field on the table a human at patrol speed, but not be able to move any faster. If
to have some similarity to what he’s actually fighting. Proxies are it flies, you can treat them like jump troops, or even helicopters.
possible, of course, but they’re just not as satisfying as models that Remember though that in order to fly a creature needs an atmo-
actually represent, well, the things they represent. Soooo … we sphere similar to the one it is used to. There are atmospheres on
assume that when you sit down to conceptualize a new alien race, Earth and Mars, but I would imagine a dragonfly would have a tough
you probably have a cool new alien figure sitting in front of you. time of it on Mars! Even a creature that glides will have trouble in
an atmosphere different from its own, at least for a while. This
Statting a figure is subjective at best. What to one eye is a blaster question will determine movement speed and mode.
pistol will be a plasma rifle to another. Still, until each figure comes
with its own rules, it must be done. Ask yourself:
❚❚ Does the Alien move faster, slower or at the same speed as
One thing to consider is that the more exotic the alien, the less likely
humans? (We suggest that most aliens’ movement speed shouldn’t
humans are to be in conflict with them. The more human-like they
differ more than plus or minus 50% from human movement.)
are, the more likely we are to compete with them for resources
and living space. This does not mean they have to look human! ❚❚ Do any special movement rules apply to the alien? (Can it only
Humans and worms share the same environment, but they are move at tactical speed? Can it fly?)
obviously very different physically. Not everything, but something,
about your aliens should be human-like (breathing the same atmo- What is its tech level?
sphere, requiring the same proteins for sustenance, liking the same Does every figure have a plasma rifle? The more common the
temperature, etc). You do not have to generate a human in a weapon, the more run-of-the-mill that technology will be. If every
rubber suit, but you do have to generate something that wants the figure has a melee weapon then their tech level is probably less
same thing as a human, or else why are they fighting? Humans than current human levels. If every figure has limb augmenta-
and vampire squids might consider each other horrible, but they tion and a shoulder mounted missile launcher, their tech level is
do not require the same resources, so each ignores the other (now probably higher than current human levels. Remember, tech level
intelligent vampire squids, on the other hand…). is relative, not absolute. This question will determine tech level and
First, you must study the figure, along with others of the same can affect any or all other questions.
line. Everything starts with the figure – it contains the only facts
Ask yourself:
you have. You can usually bet that the sculptor put some thought
❚❚ Is the alien’s overall tech level TL1, TL2, or TL3?
into why the things that are on the figure are there. Why does
this one carry a pistol in a belt, but that one has one grafted to ❚❚ Do the aliens have a tech level advantage or disadvantage
his arm? Can you buy hordes of grunt-like creatures, 10 to a box, regarding a specific area of development? Perhaps their overall
but the leader is bought individually? This way of thinking should tech level is TL2, but they have TL3 sensors.
direct you, even as you get down to hard numbers like armor and
movement speed. To be sure, the sculptor did not need to know What type of weapons do they use?
that these creatures will, say, touch feelers together to transmit If most figures have some kind of rifle, a few of them larger than
orders, but you sure need to know that in order to know how the the others, then those are assault rifles and support weapons.
troops will act in battle.
Don’t waste a lot of brain power on this! Different cultures develop
Throughout this process remember to ask: why? You do not need weapons with very different looks, but they all have the same
to know everything about the alien culture whose figures you purpose. Rifles are designed to kill their targets.
are commanding on the table, but you do need to know how they
Think about why these aliens are using these weapons. Were they
fight, and their culture will determine much of it.
designed specifically to kill humans or were they designed to kill
Before getting down to hard numbers, you should get a general creatures like themselves? Most likely the latter, so look at the
feel for your aliens. What general culture comes to mind when you aliens themselves to determine how powerful their weapons are.
examine the available figures? Do the individuals appear particu- If every figure is armored like a tank, then perhaps their weapons
larly strong or weak? If strong, perhaps they are a warrior caste. will ignore human body armor. I know it’s hard to stat your favorite
If weak, perhaps they have technology that makes up for their aliens negatively, but if they are thin skinned and one foot tall, their
standard weapons will probably have a forms whose hard outer crust is highly
reduced effect on humans (it doesn’t
have to be drastic though – minus 1 die
A Note on resistant to kinetic and energy weapons.
The Natural Armor Attribute might be
per unit would be sufficient). “the Human Norm” applied to both aliens, even though the
Why do we refer to “human normal” as the rationale for the Attribute is significantly
Does the figure have claws or other
default condition? Simply because we are different for each race.
natural weapons? They may have a
bonus to close combat. This question human! Let the tri-laterally symmetrical
will determine any special weapon bivalves of Ceti Omicron Six consider tri- How would these things
effects and attack dice. lateral symmetry as normal. We know better! organize their armies?
Ask yourself: Do they have a hive-mind? Every
figure on the table might act as a single unit, but with much larger
❚❚ Is the alien’s overall tech level TL1, TL2, or TL3?
cohesion distances. If the figure is slopping over with weapons,
Are certain weapons in the alien arsenal measurably better (or perhaps they prefer to fight alone. If they come five to a box, each
worse)? Perhaps their standard weapons are regular laser guns with a slightly different load-out but with the same main weapon,
(TL2), but their SAWs are deadly plasma weapons (TL3). they probably organize much like humans do, into squads. This
question will determine unit size and cohesion.
How are their bodies different
from humans? What would their Troop Quality, Morale,
If the figure looks like a big beetle with heavy plates of chitin, Confidence and Supply Quality look like?
they most likely would have a defense die bonus. If they have Do the figures in question look like they’d have military training or
natural weapons, they may or may not use them in close combat. more like disorganized irregulars? Are they eager to fight, or would
If they are very small and fast, they may be more difficult to spot. they rather be back in the barracks? Are they fire-eaters or feet-
Don’t overwork this question though; remember, the more exotic beaters? Are they well supplied or living off the land?
the alien, the less likely humans are to compete with them. This
question affects attack dice, defense dice and movement. Does this thing make sense?
It’s sanity check time! Take a moment to review the assumptions
What is the alien’s psychology like? you’ve made about your alien’s tech level, organization, attributes,
It doesn’t come any tougher than this question, and of course it etc. Do they make sense? Have you applied any contradictory
flavors every other decision you’ve made about your figures. You attributes or attributes that seem out of place for the figure (an
will answer several questions in this category. What kind of losses ogre sized figure with the Small Target attribute would seem silly,
can your aliens take before it breaks? Will a figure or unit act without for instance). If everything seems copacetic, it’s probably a good
a leader telling it what to do? Are your aliens mindless drones that idea to have another member of your gaming group review your
attack to the last drop of blood? If they are, then they probably have design as well – they may see something you missed or point out
very little initiative and react slowly to changing battlefield condi- something that seems wrong. You can bet they’ll let you know if
tions. If you are at all in doubt as to how, and why, your aliens fight they feel like your creation is overpowered.
the way they do, then leave them at human norm. This doesn’t
In answering all of these questions, remember that small changes
mean that they are human! It just means that they fight the same
can have large and unforeseen affects in the game. If an alien is
way, and feel the same way about killing and dying as humans do.
determined to be too powerful, either adjust its stats or handicap it
This question affects leaders, morale and quality dice.
by shifting the victory points that determine the winner. You don’t
have to hold the ground to win the battle! Humans might consider
What Attributes should be applied to this alien? it a victory to bring down just one of your Flying Juggernauts of
The key to designing aliens for Tomorrow’s War is to visualize how Flaming Death.
the aliens compare to the human norm and focus on how any dif-
In conclusion, remember that statting figures, alien or otherwise,
ferences would affect their performance on the battlefield (it might
is often more of a philosophical exercise than a technical one, and
be interesting to know that the Porniacs require the participation of
should be done with the full knowledge of your opponent. There is
a least five adults of any mixture of genders to reproduce, but it is
nothing wrong with setting up a scenario in which the human force
unlikely that this will affect the outcome of a battle).
is unaware of some special ability the aliens have, but outside of
Tomorrow’s War, like all AAG games, is outcome oriented. In a scenario gimmick, we highly recommend that you inform your
other words, our rules are concentrated on producing outcomes opponent of anything out of the ordinary about your force to avoid
that mimic real-life or projected results rather than focused on hard feelings later. That way something may still come as a surprise
the step-by-step process to achieve those results. When dealing to your opponent, but it won’t be your fault! Likewise, if something
with aliens, this outcome-based approach allows us (and you) to is left off of the list, then the aliens can’t have it. Treat that item as
develop attributes that may be applicable to more than one alien human norm for the duration of the scenario.
race for entirely different reasons.
The most important thing to do is simply to remember that this is
For instance, The Blobulons might be large, blob-like organisms a game! If you and/or your opponent aren’t having fun, reconsider
who are difficult to injure due to their distributed and massively your alien and change its stats or, if the problem is on the other
redundant organ system. The Rockizoids may be mineral based life side of the table, consider changing your opponent.
Unpredictable
Just when it seems logical for a human unit to fall back, it rushes
forward. Just when it seems they must surrender, they vanish
like smoke from the battlefield to fight another day. Humanity’s
mercurial nature makes him a difficult opponent for aliens who
are used to more predictable foes and makes many alien generals
more than a little uneasy. Even the Marshborn, who are remark-
ably culturally similar to humans, view them as slightly mad. One
of their historians has even posited the theory that Humanity is a
bio-weapon that achieved true self-awareness and destroyed its
former master.
This Attribute is described in detail later.
Human Variants: We Have Met Intangible beings have a Basic Defense linked to their size.
Small Intangible creatures (man-sized or smaller) have 2D of Basic
the Enemy, and They Are US Defense, those of medium size (APC sized) have 4D, and large
creatures (house sized or bigger) have 6D. Intangible creatures can
“Knavery seems to be so much the striking feature
benefit from cover that intercedes between themselves and an
of its inhabitants that it may not in the end be an attacker, but they cannot use the In Cover modifier – they’re just
evil that they will become aliens to this kingdom.” not “body aware” enough to take full advantage of cover.
➤ King George III, referring to the North American colonists Intangibles could have virtually any attributes, although
they obviously can’t have any Attributes that require a
As Humanity spreads out among the stars, he may become the
physical component.
very aliens that dominated his imagination during millennia spent
trapped on Earth. Faced with entirely new environments and chal- If you want to pay homage to a venerable science fiction trope,
lenges, colonists may develop cultures that differ starkly from the you should apply the Vulnerability attribute to your Intangible
terrestrial norm. Their self-interest will almost certainly differ from troops – this isn’t a requirement, however.
that of the home-world and, judging by history on Earth, they are
highly likely to find themselves at odds with “The Old World.” Man-Eating Monsters – Can You
Additionally, some human colonists may actively modify their Blame Them? We Taste Like Pork!
bodies and minds to more effectively adapt to an extra-terrestrial
Giant bugs, bug-eyed monsters, flesh-eating plants – anthro-
environment. Genetic engineering, cybernetics, or even a form of
phages come in a myriad of forms. Most “monsters” are more
permanent telepresence might give modified-humans a leg-up in a
cunning than cerebral and tend to act alone or in loosely organized
hostile environment, but they might also produce men and women
packs. They generally rely on Stealth and Natural Weapons to
whose human character has changed in pace with the modifica-
secure their sentient snacks. Other Unit and Xeno Attributes can
tions to their bodies and brains.
be applied to Man-Eating Monsters, but they tend to be those that
Normal Unit and Xeno Attributes can be applied to Human represent natural traits or instincts and aren’t based on true intel-
Variants to reflect their differences from mainstream humanity. ligence. Some Man-Eating Monsters might possess a Hive Mind,
Typical Attributes for Human Variants include: Adapted to Hostile however, or be under the control of a Tyrant.
Environment and Unpredictable.
Robots & Mechanical Menaces –
Humanoid Aliens – First Law, Schmirst Law!
Why Reinvent the Wheel? Whether relics from a lost civilization or doom of our own engi-
Many aliens don’t differ that much from humans in shape and neering, science fiction is chock full of murderous robots bent on
function. They have two legs and two arms (they’re bi-laterally Humanity’s destruction. These treacherous tools can take any form
symmetrical) and some kind of head, all joined together by a from enormous, self-aware tanks to microscopic nano-machines.
torso. Of course, all those components may be covered with slime, One thing they all have in common is a single-minded, unshake-
razor sharp scales, transparent skin, or what-have-you, and their able imperative to do whatever they were programmed to do: Rid
behavior may be entirely inhuman. the universe of intelligent organic life!
Any logical Unit or Xeno Attribute can be applied to a humanoid Robotic aliens obey the normal rules for robots as laid out in
alien unless otherwise noted in the attribute itself. Tomorrow’s War. They are normally self-aware and autonomous,
but may sometimes be controlled by the electronic version of a
Intangible Aliens – Hive Mind or Tyrant.
Utterly Alien Life-Forms – Now, let’s go through the questions outlined above:
That Polyp Just Ate Jones! How do they move? Shank’s mare, unless a vehicle is available.
There’s nothing on the figures to indicate anything special about
Some aliens are really, truly Alien. There are creatures out there how they move – so they move like ordinary human troops.
that aren’t humanoid and don’t share any obvious similarities to
any Terran life-form. Their motives are inexplicable and the sight What’s their tech level? Their gear and armor doesn’t look
of them is unnerving. Still, some of them share enough similarities like bleeding edge tech, but I imagine space-faring mercenaries
with Humanity that we find ourselves competing with them for the wouldn’t be lugging around antiques to fight with, either. I’m going
same resources. to split the difference and call these guys TL2.
Utterly Alien Life Forms are almost always Unpredictable to humans. What type of weapons do they use? They’ve got a pretty good
They can have any other attributes from the Unit or Xeno attributes mix of pistols, carbines, and support weapons. There are magazines
that seem logical unless otherwise noted in the attribute itself. visible on most of the weapons. I think I’m going to say that they’ve
got Advanced Ballistic Weapons for small arms and laser based
Example of weapons for their support weapons. That’s a good mix of mid-tech
gear, I think, and the sort of stable, reliable tech a mercenary outfit
(The Urraug & Virraug) How are their bodies different from Humans? These guys look
tough. They look pretty human, but they definitely give the
Okay, we’ve talked about it, now let’s give it a whirl. Let’s take a
impression of being able to take a few knocks and smile while they
look at GZG’s “Alien Mercenaries.” They shouldn’t be too tough,
continue to hand out licks of their own. To reflect this in game
since they’re basically humanoid looking figures with pretty
terms, I’m going to say that they have the attribute Resistant to
standard looking weaponry.
Pain.
So, let’s take a look at ‘em and see what stands out:
What’s their psychology like? Judging from their appearance,
❚❚ These mercs look larger than humans and they have a pretty these guys like to fight. I suspect that if they weren’t being paid to
brutal looking bone structure. fight, they’d pick a fight for free. They don’t look particularly bright,
❚❚ Their guns look big and don’t exactly scream “high-tech though, and seem the type to argue among themselves unless a
uber-weapon.” strong leader was present to keep them in line. I think I’m going to
give them the attributes Berserker (Involuntary) and Poor Initiative
❚❚ They have armor, but it’s a heavy looking pieced to show these aspects of their personality in game play.
plate affair – again, not the sort of stuff that
screams super-fibers and ceramics. What Attributes do these guys have? We’ve already answered
this going through the previous questions. They’ve got Resistant to
❚❚ These guys look aggressive and mean, but they Pain, Berserker (Involuntary), and Poor Initiative.
don’t look particularly smart.
How would they organize their army? I think these guys would
❚❚ They’re described as have a very basic unit organization. They come twelve to a pack
mercenaries, so they from GZG, so I think I’ll keep it simple and divide them into three
must have some level four-man fireteams, dividing the support weapons up among them
of military experience/ as evenly as possible.
training.
What do their Troop Quality, Morale , Confidence, and Supply
Level look like? As stated before, these guys are mercs and
presumably have some training. I’m going to call them TQ D8
and assume they might have a team or two of TQ D10 veterans
available, too. I think these guys like to fight, so I’m going to give
them a decent Morale and Confidence Level (Morale D10 and high
confidence. They’re mercs, so they probably experts at using as
little as possible to get the job done – I think I’ll call their supply
level “Normal.”
So there you have it – an alien race ready for play in Tomorrow’s
War! That wasn’t so hard, was it? See the Sample Forces chapter
for more details on the Urraug and Virraug!
units will have Troop Quality ratings ranging from D8 to D12, with How is this ESOF organization, well, organized?
D10 being the norm. We suggest you build your organization from the bottom up – start
Intensive training and indoctrination also build Confidence and by deciding how your ESOF fire teams are organized. How many
Morale – most SOF/ESOF units will have High Confidence and figures are in a fire team and what mixture of weapons do they
Morale with a rating of D10 or D12. use? Generally, the more technically advanced the force, the less
SOF/ESOF units are generally equipped with the best gear available men and greater the weapon variety in a fire team. We suggest
and are kept well supplied in order to respond quickly and with you keep your fire teams in the three to six figure range. It’s also
overwhelming force when required – in other words, they generally a good idea to provide a few support weapons as force multipliers,
have Abundant Supplies. especially for smaller fire teams.
All of the guidelines above assume a fresh unit with a smooth Once you’ve determined what your ESOF’s fire teams will look like,
running logistical train. SOF/ESOF units in the field for an extensive it’s time to assemble them into a squad. You’ll need to decide how
period of time, cut off from supplies, or fighting a doomed rearguard many fire teams make up a squad, with the normal range being
action might have considerably lower Morale, Confidence, and somewhere between two and four. You’ll also want to consider
Supply ratings. Remember this when statting SOF/ESOF units (or whether your squad leader is an extra figure or whether he does
any other units, for that matter) for a scenario. double duty leading one of the squad’s fire teams.
What type of weapons and armor does The next step up the design process is the platoon. How many
this organization typically deploy? squads does your ESOF platoon contain? Three or four squads is
Does your ESOF unit have the same basic gear as the line units the norm. You’ll also want to decide if your platoon has an HQ
in the military they belong to? Or are they armed with higher squad. HQ squads generally consist of a platoon leader, a platoon
tech weapons and armor? Or lower tech (common for ESOF units sergeant, a few specialists (maybe a medic and a grid tech), and
deployed on UW operations)? Bear in mind that SOF/ESOF units occasionally some special assets like a sniper or AT team.
tend to have access to the most mission suitable weapons and gear
available, so their weapons and armor may vary significantly from Speaking of special assets, some platoons have a number of normal
mission to mission. “rifle” squads and one or more special squads – such as “weapons”
squads that contain MG or AT teams , a recon squad, or even a
What attributes would best suit this orga-
nization’s mission tasking? robotic squad. You’ll want to decide whether your platoon features
one or more of these special squads.
Think about the general character of the ESOF unit you’re designing
and determine what unit Attributes would best apply to it. Does You may want to continue up the ladder and consider what your
your ESOF organization spend a lot of time playing ninja on black ESOF company organization looks like. It will probably contain three
ops? Then Stealthy would probably be a good choice. Are they or four platoons, including a Company HQ platoon and perhaps
used to operating far afield with no Grid support? You probably one or more specialist platoons (such as a weapons platoon, AT
want to say they’re Old School, then. Are they borged up with platoon, etc.).
integrated armor plates and fingers with retractable, razor-sharp
claws? Then you might want to consider Natural or Augmented/ Do my answers to the questions above make sense?
Armor and Weapons. Once you’ve sorted all this out, you’ll want to go through it again
A lot of this step is subjective. Try not to get too carried away with and make sure everything makes as much sense to you as it did in
it. As a rule of thumb, most units shouldn’t have more than five the heat of playing general! It’s a good idea to run your organization
or six Attributes (not counting default attributes, like Human Spirit, past your fellow players, too, to ensure that your design fits the
Killer Instinct, or Unpredictable. general consensus of your group’s concept of futuristic warfare.
ESOF Archetypes Typical attributes for a Paragon (or a unit containing a Paragon) are
Old School, Inspiring, Medic, Special Teams, Stealthy, Heightened
Most Special “Operators” fall into one of several categories, Situational Awareness, etc.
described below. Among humans, most national armies fixate on
It should be noted that while a Paragon can reach TQ D12 without
two or three variations of Operator types publicly, but may covertly
augmentation, that doesn’t mean that they cannot be augmented.
embrace some of the less culturally palatable options. In most Some augmentations – Skeletal Augmentation, for instance – might
western nations, for instance, Paragons, PA troops, ‘Borgs, and boost an Operator’s resistance to damage but do not influence
even moderately altered Genies are seen as acceptable responses their actual combat skills. Augment the skeleton of a goat, and you
to meet specialized military requirements – but Synthetics are have a goat that takes couple more shots to take down than the
virtually taboo. In contrast, many eastern nations abhor any sig- non-augmented members of his herd. What you don’t have is an
nificant alteration of the human body, either at a mechanical or elite TQ D12 goat Operator.
cellular level, but view Synthetics as little more than advanced
robotics – relatively cheap to manufacture and absolutely expend-
able in battle.
Powered Armored SOF
If Powered Armor (PA) transforms a normal trooper into a man-sized
Alien cultures encountered thus far seem to rely predominately on light AFV, it transforms Special Operators into man-sized light AFVs
Paragons, Powered Armor, and moderate genetic manipulation to piloted by man-eating sharks. Humanity fields few things on the
meet their special mission needs. It seems likely that contact with battlefield as terrifyingly effective as a SOF PA unit. Most SOF
Humanity may lead to more experimentation with cybernetics and troopers receive training in operating PA and some specialize in it.
synthetics.
Basic Advantages of Powered Armor
Paragons Powered Armor (PA) comes in many forms, ranging from clunky,
“
A lot of so-called ‘Military Experts’ say the Green first-generation “Ape Suits” to the bleeding-edge “Skin Suits” used
by some elite special operators and corporate “troubleshooters.”
Berets are an anachronism – a so-called SpecOps unit
PA behaves differently depending on its tech level and the purpose
with no real augmentation. They say that an operator for which it was designed, but most suits impart the following
who relies entirely on his own speed, strength, skill advantages to those who wear them:
and experience is doomed to fail. I have four words for ❚❚ PA troops have double the normal Optimum Range for
those experts: Tell that to Batman!” their Troop Quality (i.e., TQ D8 PA troopers would have an
Optimum Range of 16”).
Jack Madigan, On Silver Wings ❚❚ The protection and firepower of PA Suits tends to make their
One person out of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, is users feel invulnerable – PA troopers generally have High
a natural-born operator. Fate only rarely contrives to put those Confidence.
gifted few in a position that allows their talents to be recognized ❚❚ PA troops are Intimidating to non-PA human troops – unless
and exploited. When the born operator finds his calling, though, a scenario says otherwise, it should be assumed that human PA
they stand out like a combat knife in a box of spoons – and any units are also intimidating to non-human troops.
military organization worth its salt will stop at nothing to hone ❚❚ Enhanced strength is a basic facet of all PA design and the same
that blade to a razor’s edge. In game terms, we refer to such born strength that lets a PA trooper wield a light machinegun like an
operators as “Paragons.” assault rifle (see Powered Armor and Infantry Weapons).
Paragons exceed the human norm in a specific skill set without
❚❚ This same strength makes PA Troopers brutal opponents in hand-
the need for augmentation – they’re naturally faster, more aware, to-hand combat. All PA figures are treated as if they possess
and tougher minded than the mass of humanity. Only a Paragon Close Assault weapons when engaged in Close Assault.
can reach the exalted Troop Quality of D12 without some sort ❚❚ PA Troops automatically receive the Close Assault Monster
of augmentation – and very few human troops can reach TQ D12 Attribute.
with augmentation. ❚❚ PA Troops are not subject to the Survival TQ check for suit
breaches in a hostile environment (see pg. 95, Tomorrow’s War).
While the intense training and conditioning required to coax a
Paragon to his or her peak potential puts as much or more drain
❚❚ Movement of PA troops is not affected by non-earthlike
on a defense budget as cybernetics or bio-engineering, their gravities.
ability to act independently of cutting edge technology makes ❚❚ Each PA unit contributes a full Initiative Die to its force, just
units containing such men virtually priceless. The fact that they as an armored vehicle would.
are purely human, with no cybernetic or genetic adjustments, also
makes them more palatable to members of cultures with prejudices Powered Armor and
against such advances. Infantry Weapons
In game terms, Paragons are Troop Quality D10 or D12 figures. Powered Armor is designed to allow troops to use powerful support
As has been stated before TQ D12 troops are very rare and are weapons the way a normal trooper might wield a pistol or carbine.
generally found as individuals in a unit of lower TQ troops rather The following table describes how the penalties and advantages
than part of a unit that is TQ D12 overall. associated with weapons are modified when in use by PA troops:
Nannies Genies
(Nanite Augmentation) (Genetically Engineered)
“
Some guys don’t like the idea of bugs crawling Humanity has been tinkering around with its genetic structure for
over two centuries. These efforts have produced concrete results
around under their skin and weaving titanium webs that most of humanity, or at least first and second world humanity,
around their bones or widening their blood vessels. take for granted: Humans are now more resistant to diseases,
Me? I don’t think about it. Thinking has only ever and they are less likely to contract cancer or suffer from genetic
gotten me in trouble.” disorders. In the last century, however, some nations have begun
to take a more radical approach to genetic engineering and have
“Johnny-O,” an unidentified member of produced genetically altered humans who are so extensively altered
Marine Special Operation Forces during an interview from the norm that many consider them humans in name only. In
on Grissom’s Colonial News Network fact, these highly modified humans are often referred to as Human
Variants or “Genies” rather than simply “human.”
Many nations turn to nano-technology to give their special
operators an edge. Nano-augmentation has the advantage of being Development of Genies was originally driven by two separate goals,
inconspicuous and reversible. This allows “Nannies” (troops who and as a result they can be divided into two rough groups, Colonists
have undergone nanite augmentation) to pass for un-augmented and Soldiers.
humans in areas where meddling with the human norm is frowned
Faced with a relative scarcity of planets capable of supporting
upon. It also allows retired soldiers to be “de-milled” before
human life and the overwhelming cost and unpredictable results
returning to civilian life.
of terraforming, some genetic engineers proposed that it would be
Nano-tech can produce results similar to genetic engineering far more effective (and cheaper) to modify colonists rather than
and cybernetics. The most common nano-tech Attributes are planets. Very few nations or corporations accepted this approach,
Active Trauma Treatment Nanites, Advanced Sensors, Heightened but those that did embraced it zealously. Eventually human variants
Senses, Heightened Situational Awareness, Natural or Augmented were produced that were physically customized and augmented
Weapons, Pain Resistant, Skeletal Augmentation, and Stealthy. to thrive in exotic environments ranging from the confinement of
remote space stations to planets with noxious atmospheres and
extremes in temperature or gravity. Most of these “Colonist” Genies
were modified before birth and cannot be returned to the human
Troops in Powered Armor are at home in urban,
rural, and even non-Earthlike environments – and
each trooper packs as much firepower and coun-
termeasures as some regular fire teams.
Figures by Ground Zero Games. Painting by Shawn Carpenter.
norm. These highly specialized human variants would find Earth a Soldier Genies are often modified as young adults and some of
hostile planet to visit – and not simply due to its atmosphere and the processes employed can be reversed. Other Soldier Genies are
gravity. Colonist genies are subject to extreme prejudice in many engineered from birth (or before). It is not uncommon for Soldier
places and sections of Earth society. Genies to be cloned, as some nations and corporations believe that
Soldier Genies, on the other hand, were developed to increase clones are not “real” humans and denying them the liberty of self-
innate human combat capabilities. Since they were intended to determination is not immoral.
be deployed against and among human soldiers, their physical
The modifications made to Soldier Genies can be represented by
form wasn’t normally modified enough to significantly change
any Unit Attribute. Typical Unit Attributes for Soldier Genies might
their physical appearance from that of the human norm (although
some nations require that Soldier Genies have an easily identifiable include: Adapted to Hostile Environment, Heightened Senses,
physical attribute, such as an unnatural skin, eye, or hair color so Elusive, Despised, Heightened Situational Awareness/Reflexes,
that they cannot “pass” as normal humans). Natural or Augmented Armor or Weapons, Pain Resistant, Skeletal
Augmentation.
Synthetics
“Today’s norm is yesterday’s high-tech
“Synthetics blur the line between robotics and genetic
engineering and, more tellingly, between humanity
wonder. Only a century or so ago, most
and human artifice. The most basic synthetic is little people still carried external phones and had
more than a remote control simulacrum – it may to rely on goggles to see safely at night.
boast human tissue wrapped around its carbon fiber Now most Americans take instant, device-
skeleton, but without a human at the controls it less communications for granted and would
is as inert and soulless as a parked car. Inarguably, panic if their vision didn’t automatically
however, that same simulacrum could be raised shift to the proper visible spectrum for the
to the same level of self-awareness as its more
lighting conditions.”
advanced autonomous brethren. The potential for
ONE PART AT A TIME: The Cybernetic Revolution,
“life” is there, they have simply been given short by Janis Milner
shrift by their creators.
“And what of those true automatons, the synthetics With proper maintenance and upgrades, an A-Synth has an indefi-
that walk among us performing the tasks we do not nite field life. In most militaries that employ them, A-Synth soldiers
are generally only retired when they are destroyed or de-activated
choose to sully ourselves with – enforcing our laws,
because they are too damaged for repairs to be cost-effective. This
fighting our wars, even keeping company with us? has engendered a very fatalistic outlook among the A-Synths (who
We dismiss them as advanced expert programs, yet are, after all, self-aware). This fatalism is balanced by a certain
it has been known for our synthetic companions to pride in their capabilities. As a result, A-Synth units tend to fight
very well, but are unlikely to make any heroic last stands or suicidal
mourn our passing as a child mourns the passing of a
charges, no matter what their human “masters” might decree. To
parent, no matter how cruel and self-interested that reflect this, an A-Synth unit has a maximum Morale of D8, but
parent may have been.” receives a +1 Die Roll Modifier to all Morale Checks.
Hideo Takagi, Our Silver Sunset Autonomous Synthetic units may possess any Unit Attribute, but
no Attribute can ever raise their Morale above D8. Autonomous
Telepresence Synthetics (T-Synths) Synthetics do not receive the advantageous human Attributes
(Human Spirit, Killer Instinct, and Unpredictable).
The most basic form of Synthetic is a humanoid construct that can
be controlled from a great distance via telepresense. Its operator
sees what it sees and feels what it feels, as long as those feelings Hybrids
are not distracting or counterproductive – feeling a change in wind It is not unusual for an ESOF Unit to fall into more than one of the
direction is useful, being paralyzed from the pain of a shattered limb categories listed above. Paragon units are often fielded in Powered
is not. The Japanese were early adopters of Telepresense Synthetics Armor, for instance, and it is equally common to find a Genie who
(T-Synths) and still use them in situations they feel require human also benefits from cybernetic enhancements.
judgment. As the capabilities of Autonomous Synthetics (A-Synths) Any negative effects or modifiers associated with a single
increases, however, the use of T-Synths declines. archetype will remain in play for a hybrid. A Borged up T-Synth,
T-Synths can have any Unit Attribute, but they always receive a for example, would still receive a -1 to all Reaction Rolls, even
-1 Die Roll Modifier to Reaction Checks regardless of Attributes though the Cyborg archetype receives a +1 to Reaction Rolls. The
that state otherwise. two modifiers don’t cancel each other out: The negative modifier
is used and the positive modifier is excluded.
Autonomous Synthetics (A-Synths)
Autonomous Synthetics (A-Synths) were pioneered by the Japanese,
initially for use in dangerous situations that required faster reactions
than a T-Synth could provide, such as fire-fighting and law enforce-
ment. With Japan’s ever declining population, risking human life in
such occupations became culturally unacceptable. It took less than
a decade for Japan’s military to adopt the use of T-Synths and
A-Synths in all roles that might put human life at direct risk. Much
of the ground-breaking research and development of A-Synths has
been driven by the Japanese military and most combat units are
now comprised entirely of A-Synths, with T-Synths forming reserve
or support units.
“USMC Hunter/Killer Teams (HKTs) saw regular and intense action during
the mopping up phase of the First Darghaur Incursion. These teams, often
consisting of no more than a squad, would locate Darghaur hold-outs in
the northern range of the Foix Gap, track them long enough to discover if
they were part of a larger concentration, and then call in air strikes and
even ortillery salvos to destroy the aliens. This was a deadly game for the
HKTs, who often found themselves hunted by Darghaur squads pulling trail
behind a larger Darghaur force.”
HKT’s in Action: Glory, 2322 -2323 by Russell McDermott
Active Trauma Treatment ❚❚ A unit with Animosity fails a Morale Check and rolls multiple
“1”s. In this event, the unit becomes very embarrassed and
(Powered Armor) must make an Animosity test to avoid sniping at the nearest
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 190. unit it has Animosity towards (assuming one is within LOS).
➤ In this instance, the Animosity Check is performed after the
round of fire that triggered it is completely resolved.
Active Trauma Treatment Nanites To perform an Animosity Check, the affected unit must make a
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 193. Troop Quality Check.
❚❚ If the unit passes the check, nothing untoward occurs.
Adapted to Hostile Environment ❚❚ If they fail the check, surreptitious sniping breaks out between
Adaptive attributes generally apply to Human Variants and represent the two units. They engage each other in a round of fire with
evolutionary, genetically engineered or cybernetic adjustments AP:2 Firepower.
that allow human beings to function in environments that would Overwatch/Reaction Fire is not permitted against units sniping at
normally be too hostile to survive. each other due to Animosity.
Human Variants with this Attribute have been modified to allow
them to function in a particular hostile environment without Augmented Senses
protective gear. Within that environment, they are not subject to
any gravity effects or additional Hazardous Atmosphere Casualty The sensory organs of some aliens and most augmented troopers
checks. exceed the human norm. Many aliens and augmented humans
are able to see in different light spectrums and/or have boosted
Some aliens also engineer troops to adapt them to hostile environ- auditory and olfactory capabilities.
ments, or are naturally adapted to such environments.
Units or figures with this Attribute can attempt to detect hidden
or stealthy units at twice their Optimum Range (this additional
Advanced Life Saving Capabilities spotting range does not stack with that granted by other attributes).
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 190. These units also receive a +1 to their Spotting die roll.
❚❚ Roll for the fate of Close Assault casualties normally, unless TQ the first time it goes berserk, but will suffer a Negative
the victorious unit wouldn’t take prisoners or care for POWs. In Die Shift to its TQ each time thereafter. If the unit’s TQ is
that case, count all enemy casualties as KIA. reduced below D6, it is spent for the turn and will begin the
❚❚ Once the Close Assault has been resolved, the Berserk unit following turn Pinned.
returns to normal – assuming it survived. It can become ❚❚ At the end of that turn, it will return to its standard Troop
berserk again, if the situation dictates, but will suffer a Quality.
Negative Die Shift to its TQ in subsequent Berserk episodes. If
the unit’s TQ is reduced below D6, it is spent for the turn and
will begin the following turn Pinned.
Bloody Minded
❚❚ At the end of that turn, it will return to its standard Troop Some units become so determined to accomplish a given mission
Quality. that they refuse to give up even an inch of forward progress and
will stubbornly press forward despite casualties or obstacles. Such
Bloody Minded units can be Pinned, but they’ll never Fall Back or
Berserkers (Voluntary) suffer Fall Back penalties.
Some units are able to work themselves up into a killing frenzy
that can only be quenched through hand-to-hand (or claw,
tentacle, etc.) combat. Such units can declare that they’re “going
Borged Up
Berserk” when activated and may attack the nearest enemy unit Units that have been “borged up” have received cybernetic enhance-
as described for Berserkers (Involuntary). They receive the same ments that make them faster and more aware. They often seem
benefits as Involuntary Berserkers in Close Assault. to react before a threat is even obvious. Such units benefit from:
❚❚ A unit with this Attribute automatically succeeds the first time ❚❚ A Positive Die Shift to their Troop Quality when making
it declares it is going Berserk. Reaction Tests (D12 maximum)
❚❚ Voluntary Berserkers must pass a TQ test to go Berserk on ❚❚ A +1 die roll modifier to all Reaction Tests (this bonus is
subsequent attempts. cumulative with the Overwatch bonus)
❚❚ If a unit fails to go Berserk, it must remain in place and can
only React to fire or Close Assault attacks directed against it. Burst Movement
❚❚ Once a Close Assault has been resolved, the Berserk unit Some creatures or suped-up humans can move so fast during
returns to normal – assuming it survived. short bursts of speed that they’re a virtually invisible blur while in
❚❚ The unit can attempt to go Berserk any time it engages motion. Units comprised of such creatures are difficult to hit with
or is engaged in Close Assault. The unit will use its basic gunfire while on the move.
Close Combat Specialists can be extremely effective in close terrain with limited lines of sight and fire.
Figures and Photo courtesy of Critical Mass Games.
❚❚ A unit with the Burst Movement Attribute can move up to 12” ❚❚ Close Assault Monsters never have to test to enter a Close
in an Activation or as a Reaction Move (including movement to Assault. They are assumed to automatically pass the “gut
avoid a Close Assault). check” to charge into grips with the enemy.
❚❚ The unit can only move to a spot that was in its LOS at the ❚❚ Close Assault Monster units receive an extra die of Firepower
beginning of its movement (“running blind” at these speeds can and Defense in Close Assault (this is per unit, not per figure,
be fatal, after all). and reflects their familiarity with fighting together in close
❚❚ Enemy units attempting to React to a unit using Burst quarters).
Movement receive a Negative Die Shift to their Troop Quality ❚❚ Close Assault Monsters receive a Positive Die Shift to all
die type to represent the difficulty in targeting an indistinct blur.
Morale tests taken as a result of a Close Assault.
❚❚ Units firing at an enemy making a Burst Move lose two dice of
Firepower.
❚❚ The above modifiers are also applied if a unit is attempt-
Cavemen CASEVAC
ing final defensive fire against a unit that has used Burst See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 190.
Movement to close assault them. Once both units are engaged
❚❚
in close assault, the modifier is discarded.
Units using Burst Movement cannot React by fire and cannot
Damage Projectors
return fire if fired upon while making a Burst Move. Some aliens or profoundly modified humans possess an innate
capability to perform a limited ranged attack against enemy units.
Cannibal These attacks might take the form of an acid spray, a gaseous
cloud, hurled quills, energy blasts, etc.
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 190.
❚❚ Such attacks have a maximum range equal to the creature’s
Optimum Range and are considered TL1 attacks (unless they
Close Assault Monsters are the product of some higher TL implant, genetic modifica-
Some aliens and human units are notorious for their lethality in tion, etc.).
close quarters – these units receive the following benefits ❚❚ These attacks are treated as normal Small Arms fire.
Fearless ❚❚ If the shift reduces the figure’s survival die below a D6, the
figure may not make a Survival roll.
Some units just aren’t bothered by nine-foot tall killing machines
with mouths full of armor-piercing teeth and fists full of fusion
guns. Things that would shake other units to their core are just
another day in the office to them. Maybe it’s because they’re ultra-
professional or their fear centers have been genetically altered
or cybernetically re-wired. Or maybe they’re just the biggest,
baddest dudes in the Valley of Death. Whatever the reason for the
Intimidating
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 192.
Jump Troops
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 192.
Human Spirit
Whether founded on patriotism, group loyalty, religious inspiration,
or sheer bloody-mindedness, Humanity as a whole simply refuses
to allow the sparks of hope and ambition to die no matter how dire
the circumstances. In fact, the worse things get, the more likely Jump capable troops can take full advantage of a three dimen-
Humanity is to dig in his heels, grit his teeth, and swear to see things sional battle space.
through to the bitter end. To reflect this, all human units receive Figures and photo courtesy of Critical Mass Games.
the following advantages when combatting alien forces:
❚❚ A +1 die roll modifier to all Morale Check dice. Killer Instinct
❚❚ This same inherent pluck makes humans more resistant to Thus far, only Human and Darghaur troops are capable of
various forms of mind control or empathic/telepathic manipu- achieving Troop Qualities of D10 and D12 without augmenta-
lation, so Human troops receive a Positive Die Shift when tion of any sort. While most alien warriors of D10 quality are the
making checks or tests to resist psionic Domination. product of some specialized caste or have been genetically or
❚❚ They also receive an extra die of Defense against Psionic cybernetically augmented to increase their capabilities, all but the
attacks. poorest of Human and Darghaur soldiers will reach that quality
Old School
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 193.
Pain Resistant
Whether due to a physical or psychological toughness, some
creatures are highly resistant to pain and are able to shrug off all
but the worst injuries. Figures/units with this Attribute ignore any
First Aid result other than Serious Wound or Dead. All other
Psionic? Seems likely! (And check out that saucer! It took brains
results are treated as an OK result.
to build that! You know it took brains!)
Figures painted by Impoverished Lackey. Photo by Jim Roots.
Pointman
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 193. Psionic Levels
All battlefield psychics are categorized by Psionic Level. There are
Poor Initiative three Psionic Levels. Psionic Level 1 psychics are the most commonly
encountered psychic on the battlefield, with Psionic Level 2 being
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 193. extremely rare. Psionic Level 3 psychics are practically unheard of.
The effects of the Psionic Attacks peculiar to each level of Psychic
are described below. Note that neither Overwatch nor Defensive
Reactions are triggered by any of these Psionic Attacks, although
the movement or fire of the unit to which a Psychic is attached
may trigger Overwatch or Defensive Reactions in their own right.
Psionic Attacks Quality die type for the duration of the turn – i.e., a unit with
Troop Quality of D8 would make Reaction Tests with a D6.
A psionic figure can make psionic attacks that have the potential to
❚❚ This effect “wears off” at the end of the turn.
injure or kill non-psionic figures (psionics can only injure each other
via a Psionic Duel, described later). These attacks may manifest Psionic Level 3 Effects
themselves as a telekinetic onslaught, forces suicide, or outright Level 3 Psychics are rare and potent assets. They have all the
damage to the target’s brain. abilities of Psionic Level 1 and 2 Psychics and also emanate an aura
Psionic attacks are restricted by the rules below: of dread that saps the confidence of nearby enemy units, even
those units that are not within the Psychic’s line of sight.
❚❚ Only one Psionic Attack can be made per turn.
❚❚ All enemy units within 8” of a Level 3 Psychic at the
❚❚ Psionic Attacks cannot be made on the same turn that the beginning of a turn must make a Morale check.
psion manifested a Psionic Effect ( see below)
❚❚ Units that pass the check are unaffected.
❚❚ Psionic attacks have a range in inches equal to 6x the figure’s ❚❚ Units that fail the check become Suppressed for the duration
Psionic Level.
of the turn.
❚❚ Psionic attacks are resolved separately from Fire Combat or ❚❚ Worse yet, any unit that fails the above Morale Check with
Close Assault attacks.
a roll that includes more than one “1” result, suffers an
❚❚ Psionic attacks throw a number of “Firepower” dice equal to immediate reduction in Confidence Level, i.e., a High
the level of the Psion making the attack. The Die Type used Confidence unit is reduced to Confident, a Confident unit is
is the same as the Will Die Type for the psychic’s Psionic Level. reduced to Low Confidence.
❚❚ If the unit being attacked contains a Psion of its own, he can ❚❚ A unit whose Confidence is reduced below Low Confidence
attempt to defend the unit by engaging the attacker in a Battle becomes combat ineffective and is removed from play.
of Wills (see below).
❚❚ If no Psion is present in the defending unit, the unit rolls a Battles of Will
single die Defense die of the same type as its current Troop If Psychics are present in both forces in a scenario, they are likely
Quality. Human units may roll one extra Defense die to reflect to come into conflict, each trying to negate the other’s effect on
their psionic resistance (see Human Spirit). their comrades.
❚❚ No cover or armor dice apply to the Psionic Attack. A Battle of Wills occurs when a unit with a Psychic suffers a
❚❚ Resolve the attack in the same manner as a normal Psionic attack or effect. The defending Psychic attempts to ward
Firepower attack, including First Aid checks to determine the off his opponent’s mental onslaught and protect his unit from its
extent of injuries sustained by casualties. effects.
To resolve a Battle of Wills, the Psychics involved must make an
Psionic Effects opposed Will roll.
A psionic figure can choose to utilize any one of the following
❚❚ The type of die a Psychic uses in a Battle of Wills is deter-
effects per turn, assuming it has not made any Psionic Attacks in
mined by their Psionic Level.
that turn. Level Effects cease after a psionic figure engages in a
Battle of Wills or a Psionic Duel.
❚❚ Both Psychics roll their Will die and compare scores:
➤➤ If the defending Psychic rolled highest, he and his units
Psionic Level 1 Effects are unaffected by the opponent’s Psionic attack/effect.
Level 1 Psychics are able to magnify the perceived threat their unit ➤➤ If the defending unit rolls lowest, he and his units suffer
poses to the enemy. the effects of their opponent’s Psionic attack/effect.
➤➤ If the roll is tied, treat the highest level Psychic in the
❚❚ A unit with a Level 1 Psychic attached forces any unit it fires
Battle of Wills as the winner. If the Psychics are the same
on or which fires at it to take a Morale check even if no
level, treat the defender in the Battle of Wills as its victor.
casualties resulted from their fire.
❚❚ This Effect is limited to enemy units within 12” from the Psychic Will Die Types
Psychic himself.
Psionic Level Will Die Type
Psionic Level 2 Effects Level 1 D6
Level 2 Psychics have the same ability as a Level 1 Psychic, but are Level 2 D8
also able to project a wave of ennui and self-doubt nearby enemy
Level 3 D10
units.
❚❚ All enemy units within 12” and within LOS of the unit con-
taining the Level 2 Psychic are affected.
Psionic Duels
❚❚ Units struck by the wave of doubt must make a Morale
At the beginning of each turn, Psychics from either force may
check.
announce they’re entering into a Psionic Duel with any enemy
❚❚ If a unit passes its Morale check, it suffers no ill effects. Psychic within 8”, regardless of whether they are within line of
❚❚ If a unit fails its Morale check, it becomes hesitant and makes sight. A Psionic Duel is a fight to the death and rages on until only
all Reaction Tests with a Negative Die Shift to their Troop one Psychic is left standing. Although such duels are over within
seconds, they are very draining to the survivor, who may take ❚❚ Any morale results are applied immediately.
some time to recover to a combat ready condition. Example: The Air Sharks of Glory often burst violently when they
To resolve a Psionic Duel: suffer lethal trauma. A group of four Arden militiamen are attacked
by Air Sharks. In the first round of Close Assault, the Sharks fail
❚❚ Make a Reaction Test using the involved Psychic’s Will die
to injure any of the militia. When the soldiers return the attack
type rather than their Troop Quality die.
they cause two Shark casualties. Since the Sharks have the Pyrrhic
❚❚ The winner attacks first in the duel. Attack Attribute, the militiamen immediately receive an attack
❚❚ In the case of a tie, or if both sides fail to roll a 4+, the equal to half the shark casualties (two divided by two equals one)
Psychic with the highest Psionic Level attacks first. If there with a strength of D6. The Sharks roll 1D6 against the militiamen
is no difference in levels, the Psychic with Initiative wins. who defend as normal.
❚❚ To perform a Psychic Attack during Psionic Duel, the Psychic
rolls a number of Will dice equal to his Psionic Level. The
defender does the same. All rolls lower than 4 are discarded
Remote Controlled
and the defender matches his dice against the attacker’s. Telepresense controlled Synthetics, non-autonomous robots,
❚❚ If the defender is able to place a die of equal or higher value telepathically controlled possessees, and any other unit on the bat-
against each of the attacker’s successes, he has survived and tlefield that is basically a puppet with someone else’s hand shoved
becomes the attacker and the process is repeated. into its head suffer from the Remote Controlled Attribute.
❚❚ If the defender is unable to match or exceed all of the ❚❚ Units with the Remote Controlled Attribute suffer a -1 Die Roll
attacker’s dice, he is removed from play and his unit acquires Modifier to all Reaction Tests.
the Casualties penalty. ❚❚ They are immune to Morale results and need not take Morale
❚❚ For victory conditions, a Psychic defeated in this manner is Checks and ignore the Casualty Penalty.
treated as a KIA. ❚❚ Remote controlled units only contribute half an Initiative Die
Life isn’t a bowl of cherries for the winner, either: per unit fielded.
❚❚ The victor’s effective Psionic Level is reduced by one for the
duration of the game. Savant (US Army Only)
❚❚ If this reduction takes the Psychic below Psionic Level 1, the The US Army is unique in its use of Savants. Savants are special
Psychic has fallen into a temporary coma and is removed from individuals who are capable of absorbing, retaining, and synthesiz-
play. His unit acquires the Casualties penalty, but the opposing ing combat data. In the event of a Grid outage, a Savant can take
force gains no victory points for his incapacitation. on many of its capabilities via conventional communications.
If a scenario or US Army force description indicates the presence of
Psionic Resistance a Savant at company level or lower, all US units in the force are
Some aliens are resistant to psionic attacks or influence and receive immune to the effects of Grid Loss with the exceptions of the
the following benefits against them: inability to utilize BLOS, SFAD, or SFAT.
❚❚ Troops who have Psionic Resistance receive a Positive
Die Shift when making checks or tests to resist psionic Shared Senses
Domination. Creatures with this attribute function as if they were in Grid com-
❚❚ They also receive an extra die of Defense against Psionic munication with others of their kind. They therefore receive the
attacks. advantages of being “On Grid” without possessing an actual Grid.
❚❚ Note that this Attribute does not stack with the Human Spirit
Some creatures are able to share their senses more effectively than
Attribute – a Human unit cannot receive the Psionic Resistance
others, so some creatures with this attribute may be able to share
Attribute.
their senses with any other creature of their species on the table,
while others may only be able to share senses with fellow creatures
Pyrrhic Attacks who are within 6”, 9” or 12” (the range should be clearly stated in
Nature, and perhaps the odd genetic engineer, has granted some the creature or race’s description).
creatures the ability to perform one last attack before succumbing Creatures with shared senses aren’t necessarily technologically
to death. This attack might take the form of acidic blood, a sonic or tactically astute enough to effectively use Synchronized Fire.
blast, a burst of radiation, or even violent death throes. The creature’s description should indicate whether it receives this
❚❚ Pyrrhic Attacks only occur in Close Assault. advantage or not.
❚❚ When a unit with this Attribute receives casualties in a
Close Assault, the unit that caused those casualties receives Skeletal Augmentation
a D6 strength attack equal to half the number of casualties
See Tomorrow’s War, pg. 193.
(rounded up) it caused. The unit suffering the Pyrrhic Attack
defends against it as it would against a normal Firepower attack.
❚❚ This attack is resolved immediately before proceeding to the
next round of Close Assault.
Any TQ D12 human unit that is not comprised of Paragons is they will receive a positive die shift to their Reaction
assumed to have the Super Soldier attribute. Some aliens, such as die to represent the Grid’s ability to use the sensor net to
the Marshborn, also have the capability of creating Super Soldiers. detect the energy of incoming troop teleports.
The organizations of several combatant forces personal Attributes. They may well have additional
are described in the following pages. Each entry Unit Attributes when fielded on the table – such
describes the basic character of the force, covering as Medic, Forward Observer, etc.
such key elements as unit organization, weapons Finally, feel free to fiddle with these forces to
used, and any special rules or attributes that your heart’s content! If you think the Darghaur
might apply to the force. It’s important to realize are too tough, lower their armor rating or take
that these descriptions are general rather than away their Hard to Kill Attribute. If you think
absolute in nature. Military forces worth their salt the DPRG aren’t tough enough, bump up their
will adapt their organizations and capabilities to TQ. These descriptions are just our ideas of how
meet their current operational needs, after all. these units should work – if they don’t work in
It should also be noted that the “typical Attributes” your version of the Tomorrowverse, change ‘em
noted in the Troop Ratings refer to the troop’s as needed!
Naming the Enemy ❚❚ Darghaur slaves are not poorly treated by most standards.
The Darghaur’s foes use a number of epithets to They are well-fed and are allowed to retain their language
and culture (as far as life in the Horde ships permits). Their
describe them. Here are some of the most commonly
reproduction is limited, but not curtailed. They are fielded as
used during the Darghaur Incursion on Glory: soldiers, but they are not (generally) used as “cannon-fodder.”
That said, entire slave races are sometimes eliminated from the
US troops referred to the Darghaur in general as
Hordes for no apparent reason.
“Dargs” and to their leadership as “Bucks” or “Trophy ❚❚ Some exceptional slaves, often referred to as “Taken,” are able to
Bucks,” depending on the size of their antler rack. receive and understand the Darghaurs’ transmitted impulses better
than others. They are also capable of exerting psychic influence
Republic of Arden troops called the
over other slaves. Taken become increasingly disconnected and
Darghaur “Scarabs” because of their distant from their fellow humans as time passes. Eventually they
passing resemblance to beetles. are never seen out of Darghaur company and many vanish into
the Darghaur clan-ships, never to be seen again.
DPRG soldiers called the Darghaur’s something that ❚❚ While the Darghaur show evidence of being a collective con-
translates roughly into English as “Devil Turtles.” sciousness, they also show signs of individuality, as evidenced
Kingdom of Eden troops referred to the Darghaur by their rank system (indicated by “antler” length) and carapace
decorations which interrogated slaves have identified as “Honor
as “Dungers,” which was apparently derived from the Marks.” These markings are applied by a Darghaur warrior’s
English “Dung Beetle.” most valued slaves and are apparently solely for the edification
of slave soldiers.
To reflect these strengths, the average Darghaur soldier has the Darghaur Specialists
following innate abilities:
Battlefield observation and intelligence from friendly aliens and
❚❚ Darghaur soldiers receive the Powered Armor advantages captured slave soldiers reveals that the Darghaur rely on several
with regard to weapons (see Powered Armor and Infantry specialists to support their combat operations. Human forces have
Weapons) due to their strength and size. given these specialists the codenames Slavemaster, Ghost Talker,
❚❚ Darghaur treat all targets as if they were in Optimum Range due Battle Leader, and Warlock. A brief description of each of special-
to their unnatural senses and psionic link with their weaponry. ist’s role in a Darghaur force follows.
❚❚ Darghaur are not subject to negative gravity effects.
Honor Marked
❚❚ Darghaur are never required to use environmental suits or gear,
Some Darghaur enter battle with their carapaces decorated with
even in a hard vacuum.
strange sygaldry. The symbols are applied by slave race attendants
❚❚ Darghaur carapaces are reinforced with a combination of using paint made from local materials. Since the Darghaur cannot
advanced bio-composites and micro-pores (TL3 4D Armor). see the symbols, it is assumed that they are of their attendants’
❚❚ The Darghaur are fearsome in Close Assault and receive the design. Captured attendants have stated that they do not know
Close Assault Monster Attribute. what the symbols represent, they only know that one day they
❚❚ Darghaur never surrender in Close Assault, but they will accept experienced a strong impulse to paint them on their Darghaur
the surrender of “lesser species.” master’s carapace.
❚❚ Darghaur never need to test to stand and receive a Close Whatever the purpose of the marks, both Darghaur and slave
Assault, although they must test to see if they’re able to mount soldiers find them Inspirational.
effective defensive fire.
Darghaur Warlock D10–D12 D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Hard to Kill (D6); Armor
➤➤ Natural/Augmented
Dreadful; Dominator
Weapons
Darghaur Ghost D10–D12 D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Hard to Kill (D6);
➤➤ Close Assault Monster
Talker Shared Senses**
➤➤ Pain Resistant
Darghaur D10 -D12 D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Hard to Kill (D8);
➤➤ Advanced Sensors
Battle Leader or Dreadful; Inspiring***
➤➤ Fearless
Warmaster
Darghaur Mage D12 D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Hard to Kill (D8);
Dreadful; Inspiring***;
Shared Senses**;
Psionic (Level 1 to 3)
Darghaur with D8–D12 D10–D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Hard to Kill (D6);
“Honor Marks” Inspiring***
Taken D6–D10 D8–D10 High Abundant Varies Varies Despised; Fearless Racial Darghaur
Attributes do not apply.
*The Darghaur Slavemaster is only Inspiring to Darghaur slaves – and it’s an “inspiration” that sometimes leads to puddles on the ground!
**If a Darghaur Ghost Talker, Warlock, or Mage is present on the table, the Darghaur force is treated as if it were “on the Grid.”
***Darghaur Battle Leaders, Warmasters, and Darghaurs with Honor Marks are inspiring to both Darghaur and their slave soldiers.
On the plus side, the morale of slave units whose Slavemaster is Taken
on the table is always raised to D10. “Taken” are slaves with whom the Darghaur have established an
unusually strong psychic bond. This bond allows them to impart
Ghost Talker
more complex directives from the Darghaur to their fellow slaves.
Ghost Talkers seem to share a psychic relationship with all other Darghaur forces that are assisted by Taken also seem to gain a
Darghaur on the battlefield. A Darghaur Battle with a Ghost Talker better tactical understanding of their enemy – assuming the Taken
attached is always treated as it is on the Grid. is of the same race.
Battle Leaders & Warmasters In game terms, if a Darghaur force contains a Taken slave
Darghaur Battle Leaders seem to transmit their orders telepathically of the same race as their enemy, the opponent force loses its
to units under their command (a “Battle” or “Fifty”). They tend to Unpredictable Attribute as long as the Taken remains alive.
be the largest Darghaur in a force and always boast an impressive
rack of antlers. Human soldiers from America often refer to them
as “Trophy Bucks.”
Typical Darghaur
“Battle” or “Fifty” battle leader’s ten
1× Battle Leader ASSAULT WEAPON
1× Asst. Battle Leader ASSAULT WEAPON
1× Warlock ASSAULT WEAPON
1× Ghost Talker ASSAULT WEAPON
3× rifle
3× tens
3×rifle
rifle tens
tens 2× Weapon tens
2× Weapon tens
2× bodyguard thirds 1×1×Tensleader 1×1×Tensleader
1×Tensleader TensleaderASSAULT
ASSAULT WEAPON ASSAULTWEAPON
Tensleader ASSAULT
ASSAULTWEAPON
WEAPON WEAPON
1× Elite Thirdleader ASSAULT WEAPON
2× Elite Guard ASSAULT WEAPON
2×2×maneuver
maneuverthirds
thirds 2×
2× Weapon thirds
Weapon thirds
1×
1×Thirdleader
Thirdleader ASSAULT
ASSAULTWEAPON
WEAPON 1×
1×Thirdleader
Thirdleader ASSAULT
ASSAULTWEAPON
WEAPON
1× Darghaur
1× Darghaur ASSAULT
ASSAULT WEAPON
WEAPON 1×
1×Gunner
Gunner GRINDER
GRINDER
1×
1×Gunner
Gunner BOOMER
BOOMER 1×
1×Assistant
AssistantGunner
Gunner ASSAULT WEAPON
ASSAULT WEAPON
1× fire third
1× Thirdleader ASSAULT WEAPON
1× Darghaur ASSAULT WEAPON
1× Gunner GRiNDER
Darghaur Unit Organizations Rank is indicated by the size of a Darghaur’s antlers or horns (called
a “rack” by US troops). The larger and more intricate the rack, the
The basic building block of the Darghaur war horde is a unit that
higher ranked its bearer. Very high ranking Darghaur commanders
their slave soldiers refer to simply as a “Ten.” A Ten is commanded
sport antlers sprouting from their carapace as well as their head.
by a Tensleader and consists of three “Thirds.” Each Third contains
It is believed that the antler buds on the carapaces of lower status
a Thirdleader and two Darghaur foot-soldiers. Three “rifle” Tens,
Darghaur are capped with a metal alloy to prevent their growth, but
two “weapons” Tens, and a “command” Ten make up a standard
this precaution is not taken for the horns on their heads.
Darghaur “Battle.” This pyramidal organization structure is repeated
throughout a war horde. Unit designation is displayed on a Darghaur’s antlers and carapace.
The unit a Darghaur leader commands is indicated by a color coded
Darghaur “War Paint”
ring painted around its left horn. The units it is subordinate to are
Despite being a sightless race, the Darghaur use a fair amount of identified by rings painted around its right antler. Three dots of
decoration on their horns and carapaces. In some cases this takes the same color arranged in a triangle on the right shoulder area of
the form of intricate geometric carvings, but usually the decora- the Darg’s shell indicate what third he belongs to, while three dots
tions are painted onto the carapace or antlers by slave soldiers. This arranged in a line on the left shoulder of the carapace indicate the
“war paint” either indicates the Darghaur’s rank and unit or it serves
Ten, Two-Hundred, and One-Thousand the Darghaur calls home.
as “honor marks” to identify an outstanding individual Darghaur. It
is believed that all markings are applied by slave soldiers and that Honor marks are always painted on a Darghaur’s carapace and
it is applied for their benefit – without these splashes of paint, the usually take the form of some simple geometric design, normally in
slaves would find one Darghaur indistinguishable from another. the color of the unit to which the Darghaur belongs.
Typical Darghaur Weapons The truth is that many slave races actually love the Darghaur and
look up to them as heroic ideals of a stoic warrior culture. It is
Darghaur Weapons believed that the Darghaur’s practice of bestowing “Honor Marks”
Weapon TL Class Type AP AT Notes on Darghaurs who have distinguished themselves in some way
was originated by members of one of the slave races and is not a
Assault 3 Med. ABW 2 2L Standard Darghaur
Weapon “small arm.”* Darghaur invention. In fact, escaped Darghaur slave soldiers have
confirmed that Slave Soldiers don’t just paint the Honor Marks on,
Boomer 3 Hvy. ABW 3 2M Darghaur Equivalent
they select what Darghaur will receive them!
of SAW.*
Grinder 3 Hvy. ABW 4 2H * Human and Marshborn researchers believe that Slave Soldiers are
Darghaur Lt. 3 Hvy. EWS 4 3H Heavy Hitter bound to the Darghaur War Horde through a combination of psychic
AT Gun manipulation, the subtle introduction of “brain-washing” drugs in
Tri-Barrel 3 Hvy. EWS 6 5H Heavy Hitter the atmosphere of Darghaur Horde Ships, and, in some cases, a
“Destroyer” more or less voluntary loyalty from a weaker race of warriors to
one which is stronger. This combination of techniques works better
*Darghaur handle weapons as if they were in Powered Armor.
on some races than on others. The Urraug, for instance, rarely if
Darghaur “Smart Weapons” ignore one Die of Cover.
ever revolt against their Darghaur masters, while the Slave Soldiers
Darghaur Slug-throwers drawn from conquered Marshborn worlds are prone to revolt as
(Assault Weapon, Boomer, Grinder) soon as their Slavemaster falls on the battlefield.
The Darghaur favor extremely large caliber slug-throwers. While the
weapons themselves appear comparatively primitive, the rounds Slave Soldier Revolt Checks
they fire are anything but. Examination of captured Darghaur Slave Soldier units may revolt under the following circumstances:
munitions has revealed that a typical slug from one of their weapons ❚❚ Their Slavemaster is killed or seriously wounded
possesses a limited ability to change shape and density thanks ❚❚ Their force (not their unit, but their entire force) is reduced
to highly advanced nanites in each round. This allows a round to
below 50%
transform in midflight from a solid, heavy slug to a pattern of shot,
a soft-tipped expansion round, or even a dense kinetic penetrator. To perform a Revolt Check, each affected Slave Unit will make a
Additionally, the rounds contain a strange “circuitry” that leading contested Will Die. If the Darghaur Will Die has a higher score than
exobioligists and exoengineers surmise allows the Darghaur who the Slave Unit, the Slave Unit remains loyal. If not, roll on the Revolt
fired a round to control its flight to target via psychic impulses. table to determine how the Slave Unit revolts against Darghaur rule.
Darghaur Energy Weapons Darghaur always have a D12 Will Die. A Darghaur Slavemaster may
(Darghaur Light AT Gun, Darghaur Tri-Barrel “Destroyer”) throw two Will Dice and keep the one with the highest score. Other
aliens’ Will Die type is determined with the Will Die Table.
The Darghaur also employ energy weapons, especially in an
anti-tank or air defense role. Their energy weapons are normally Will Die Table
crew-served and often mounted on anti-gravitational “sleds.”
Will Description Will Die
Darghaur Indirect Fire Weapons Spineless – Voluntary Slaves N/A
Since their own C-RAM and counter-battery capabilities are so Weak Willed D6
high, the Darghaur use indirect fire weapons infrequently – appar-
Medium Willed D8
ently they assume that their enemy’s capabilities will be similar
to their own. As a result, the two most commonly encountered Strong Willed (Marshborn) D10
forms of indirect fire from the Darghaur take the forms of orbital Humans D12
bombardments and light, low-trajectory mortars.
If a Slave Soldier unit wins the Will Test vs. The Darghaur, roll 1D6
on the Revolt table below to determine what actions they take:
Darghaur Slave Races
Revolt Table
Races enslaved by the Darghaur are generally allowed to retain
their traditional military organizations, assuming the Darghaur find 1D6 Revolting Unit Will:
them to be effective. Darghaur Slavemasters are embedded with 1 Reluctantly continue to fight. Must pass a TQ Check to move
slave forces at the platoon level and higher. or fire.
Darghaur Slavemasters exert a strong and virtually unbreakable 2 Refuse to move if in a covered position. Will only return
influence over their slave soldiers. Most humans believe that enemy fire.
Slavemasters hold sway over their troops by virtue of fear and 3 Will Fall Back from enemy until in cover (or out of LOS) and
intimidation. While this is certainly true, it is far short of the full will refuse to fire at enemy or return enemy fire.
story. Slave soldiers who have been liberated from a Darghaur War 4 Flee the table. Treat as KIA for Victory Conditions.
Horde often attempt to escape and rejoin their oppressors. They 5 Surrender to the opposing force and is removed from play.
are driven by a deep sense of obligation and guilt which no doubt Treat as POWs for Victory Conditions.
represent some sort of psychic manipulation. 6 Change sides and begin fighting for the opposing force!
Humans, Marshborn, & other designated races receive a +1 to their die roll
on this table. All effects are for duration of game.
Urraug/Virraug Weaponry
Units with Different Armor
Ratings, Confidence, etc. Weapon TL Class Type AP AT Notes
Some units contain a mix of figures that have varying armor Swatter 2 Med. ABW 2 1L Urraug/Virraug SAW
ratings, confidence values, etc. A unit containing slave
soldiers and a Darghaur Slavemaster is an ideal example. Like their Darghaur masters, the Urraug favor large caliber
slug-throwers.
In such instances, use the value associated with the rating of
Splatter
the majority of figures in the unit. If there is an even split of
values, use the lowest. The Urraug’s basic weapon is a TL2 Advanced Combat Rifle which
they refer to as a Splatter in their own language. It is a robust
Example: A unit containing six Slave Soldiers with an armor weapon of simple but effective manufacture. It throws a larger
rating of 1D8 and a Darghaur Slavemaster with an armor caliber, heavier bullet than most human assault rifles, but its rate
rating of 4D10 would only receive a 1D8 Armor Bonus. of fire and ammunition capacity is far lower. It is classified as an
advanced ballistic small arm.
Swatter
The typical Urraug team contains a single Autocannon, called a
A Sample Slave Race: Swatter in their language. This weapon performs the same general
task as a SAW in a human formation, but fires a much heavier
The Urraug (& Virraug) round.
While we’ve given the Urraug as an example of a Darghaur slave
Crusher (Augmented Weapon)
race (and mentioned previously that some Marshborn worlds were
absorbed as slaves), any alien race figures can be used for Darghaur Urraug commanders wear a power-assisted claw on one fist which
slave soldiers. The Darghaur have ranged all over the galaxy (and augments their close assault capabilities. See the attribute Natural/
perhaps beyond it), so the sky isn’t even the limit for what you Augmented Weapons.
could include as slave elements to a Darghaur force. Have fun
with it!
Urraug/Virraug Warband
According to captured Urraug troopers, their homeworld was
conquered by the Darghaur centuries ago and their race was split
into two groups, the Urraug (Slave Soldiers in their own language) Warleader’s retinue
and the Virraug (Paid Soldiers). The Urraug were enslaved by the 1× Commander COMBAT GLOVE & PISTOL
1× Darghaur Slavemaster* ASSAULT WEAPON
Darghaur and are often found in their War Hordes. The Virraug fled
1× CommTech ACR
before the Darghaur and now support themselves primarily through 1× Bodyguard ACR
mercenary work. 1× Gunner AUTOCANNON
Despite centuries of separation, the culture of the two groups, with * Slavemaster not present in Virraug Warbands.
3×
3× rifle teams
3×rifle
rifleteams
teams
1×
1×Groupleader COMBAT GLOVE &&PISTOL
1×Groupleader
Groupleader
1× Gunner
COMBAT
COMBATGLOVE
GLOVE &PISTOL
AUTOCANNON PISTOL
1× Gunner
1×3×Gunner AUTOCANNON
AUTOCANNON
3×Riflemen ACR
3×Riflemen
Riflemen ACR
ACR
The Marshborn Confederacy Marshborn Blood Claw training was reinforced on Glory in the
months before the Darghaur incursion through the efforts of
Standard troop formations for the Marshborn Confederacy are human trainers from the French and American special opera-
described in Tomorrow’s War rule book. Here we will focus on tions communities. This training helped familiarize the Blood Claws
the “Crusty” elite warrior classes, the Blood Claws and the Dust and their commanders with human combat operations and to build
Brothers. The Blood Claws are very similar to a human special a deep trust between the special operators of both races.
operations formation and function quite well beside human troops
or even under the command of humans in a joint human/Marshborn
force. The Dust Brothers are a more traditional formation for which Typical Marshborn Blood Claw Platoon
modern human military forces have no analog and therefore find
difficult to utilize effectively in battle plans. blood Claw troop hQ squad
1× Blood Claw Lt. ARC GUN
Blood Claws 1× Platoon Mentor (Sgt) ARC GUN
1× Gunner HEAVY RAIL GUN
Each Marshborn “battalion” ideally includes a company of powered 1× Gunner HEAVY PLASMA PROJECTOR
armored Blood Claws. Only the highest quality Marshborn troops
are selected for duty in the Blood Claws. These soldiers receive
stringent training focusing on mutually supportive small unit tactics 3× Claws
and are eventually conditioned to think of the Blood Claw Battalion 3×
3× Claws
Claws
1×
1× Claw
Claw Leader
Leader ARC GUN
itself as their “home unit,” which prevents the sort of sniping 1×
1× Claw Leader
Trooper
ARC
ARCGUN
ARC GUN GUN
1×
1× Trooper
Trooper ARC GUN
between units that is so prevalent among Marshborn line units. 1×
1× Gunner
Gunner HEAVY RAILGUN
ARC
HEAVY RAIL
GUN
GUN
1× 1× Gunner
Gunner HEAVY RAIL
HEAVY PLASMA GUN
PROJECTOR
1×
1×Gunner
Gunner HEAVY
HEAVYPLASMA
PLASMAPROJECTOR
PROJECTOR
Dust Brothers to make him and his remaining retinue as silent and deadly as the
dreaded Marshdires.
The Dust Brothers are a traditional hold-out from the Marshborn’s
ancient warrior culture, which was defined by a strong strain of At the second house another survivor was found, barely hanging
martial mysticism. to life. He described how the members of his clan had known
they all must die against the Evil Spirits, but could not bear the
The Dust Brothers are based on the legend of three brothers who
disgrace of fleeing from them. So each of them, from the weakest
each ruled over a House (clan compound). One day, while the
to the strongest, tied themselves to the village roots with a length
brothers were deep in the marshlands hunting with their most
of strong cord attached to one of their ankles. With no hope of
trusted retainers, a tribe of evil spirits from the Drylands attacked
retreat they fought desperately and slew many of the Evil Spirits
their Houses and destroyed them, killing all of the remaining men,
before departing for the Great Wetlands. The Shaman named the
women, and children in each clan. When the brothers returned and
brother who ruled this house the Chief of the Bound House and
discovered the devastation, they swore mighty oaths of vengeance.
These oaths seemed futile, however, as the Evil Spirits lived deep vowed that he would create for him a charm that would ensure he
in the Drylands, where no Marshborn warrior could reach alive. and his retinue would stand and die in place rather than flee in the
face of any enemy.
As the brothers wept and raged and scored their carapaces, a
strange shaman appeared in their midst and offered to protect The third house was inhabited by the ghosts of its inhabitants who
them with his magic so that they could cross the Drylands and to told how, once freed from their mortal forms, they had terrified
brew strong potions which would allow them to overcome the Evil the Evil Spirits so thoroughly that their chief vowed never to return
Spirits on their home ground. He took each brother to the ruins of within a day’s travel of this village of the dead. The Shaman was
their shattered houses and worked charms of retribution based on greatly pleased with this story and named the brother who ruled
what they found there. these relentless souls the Chief of the Ghost House. To him the
shaman vowed to give the power of terror that would keep all
At the first house, a single survivor was found. She told how the
enemies at a fearful distance.
people of the House had used their chameleon ability to hide
from the Evil Spirits who were driven mad with frustration as they The story of the Dust Brothers and their epic quest to avenge
searched through the silent village hunting unseen prey that often themselves on the Evil Spirits is one of the Marshborn culture’s
pricked them with poisonous spears. The Shaman named the most beloved tales, but for some Marshborn warriors with a mystic
brother who ruled this house Chief of the Silent House and vowed bent, it has become a way of life – and death.
4×
4×dPrg
4× dPrg
dPrgguards
guards
guards 1× dPrg guards Powered Armor
Powered Armor
Powered Armor detachments
detachments Close Assault detachment
Powered Armor detachments
Assault Element 1/1Fire Support Element 1/1
Assault Element 1/1 Fire Support Element 1/1 lead Assault Element 1/1
1×Assault Element
Asst. Det. 1/1
Commander TYPE 85 1×Fire Support
Det. ElementTYPE
Commander 1/1 85
1× Asst. Det. Commander TYPE 29 CAWS
1× Asst.
Asst.Det. Commander TYPE 85 1× Det.
Det.Commander TYPE 85
1×1×Gunner Det.
TYPE Commander
3 PLASMA GUN TYPE 85 1×1×Gunner Commander
TYPE 90 CLUSTERTYPE
GUN85
1× Gunner TYPE 3 PLASMA GUN
1×
1× Gunner
Gunner TYPE 33PLASMA GUN 1×
1× Gunner
Gunner TYPE 90 CLUSTER GUN
2× Troopers TYPE 85
TYPE PLASMA GUN 1× Gunner TYPE 7 AT LANCE GUN
TYPE 90 CLUSTER
2× Troopers TYPE 29 CAWS
2×
2×Troopers
Troopers TYPE
TYPE85 1× Gunner TYPE 7 AT LANCE
85 1×1×Trooper
GunnerTYPE
TYPE
857 AT LANCE
1×
1×Trooper
Trooper TYPE
TYPE85
85 Fire Support Element 1/1
1× Det. Commander TYPE 29 CAWS
Note: Only the Platoon and Detachment Leaders can call for Company 1× Gunner TYPE 90 CLUSTER GUN
or Battalion air support or supporting fires. If they become casualties, 2× Troopers TYPE 29 CAWS
air and artillery support are unavailable.
Platoon hQ
1× Platoon CO (Lt.) AK-400
1× Platoon Sgt. AK-400
1× Fire Support Specialist AK-400
Squads can break into one four-man team and one two-man Weapon Team
based around the Raio sniper rifle or Destruidor-3 Launcher.
DPRG Weapons tripod mounted for regular infantry) and is easily reloaded by simply
slapping a new cluster into the place of a spent cluster.
Weapon TL Class Type AP AT Notes
Type 29 CAWS
Type 85 Assault 2 Lt. ABW 1 - PA Assault
The Type 29 Close Assault Weapon System (CAWS) is a large,
Weapon Weapon
drum-fed selective fire shotgun developed specifically for use by
Type 3 Plasma 2 Med. EWS 2 2M Ground, vehicle, DPRG Close Assault Detachments.
Gun PA mounted
Type 7 AT 2 Hvy. EWS 2 3H Ground, vehicle, DPRG Special Reconnaissance Weaponry
Lance PA mounted Raio Sniper Rifle
Type 90 Cluster 2 Hvy. ABW 3 1L Ground, vehicle, The Raio (Thunderbolt) Sniper Rifle is more accurately classed as
Gun PA mounted
an anti-material rifle. It is considered to be the best heavy sniper
Type 29 CAWS 2 Hvy. ABW 1 - PA Shotgun rifle deployed by the NEU and is a product of Brazil.
Raio Sniper 3 Med. GWS 2 2M Manufactured in
Rifle Brazil Destruidor-3 Launcher
Destruidor-3 3 Med. Support 3 2H Manufactured The Destruidor-3 Launcher is the latest development in Brazil’s
Launcher in Brazil; Deck Destruidor (Destroyer) line shoulder launched assault missiles.
Attack Virtually the same size and configuration as the venerable RPGMP-3,
the weapon incorporates the advanced capability to perform deck
DPRG Elite Guard Weaponry attacks and overhead attacks. These attacks make the weapon
Type 85 Assault Weapon more effective against both infantry and vehicles (treat all missile
attacks against vehicles ad Deck Attacks – the increased lethality
Developed within the DPRG specifically for use by PA troops, the
against infantry is already represented in the weapon’s AP rating).
Type 85 Assault Weapon is a sturdy, reliable weapon with a surpris-
ingly good suite of optics, sensors, and targeting computers attached.
Type 3 Plasma Gun
Originally developed in Brazil, the Type 3 plasma gun is used exten-
sively by the DPRG as Company level asset, vehicle armament, or
Powered Armor support weapon.
Type 7 AT Lance
The Type 7 AT Lance is a heavy laser system that is normally
vehicle mounted or crew served. It is commonly deployed with
DPRG PA units to increase their AT punch.
Type 90 Cluster Gun
The Type 90 Cluster Gun is a recent addition to the DPRG arsenal by
way of Brazil. The “cluster gun” consists of an assortment of dense
balls and penetrator rods packed in a solid wafer of propellant. The
Powered Armor troops from the DPRG’s elite Victorious People’s
gun boasts a cluster of these wafers, one of which is fired with each
Guard pushed deep into territory within the Foix Gap claimed by
pull of the trigger to unleash a mixture of approximately 100 balls
the Republic of Arden, preferring to fight the Darghaur in their
and rods. The weapon is usually shoulder mounted on a PA suit (or
enemy’s backyard.
Figures by Ground Zero Games. Painting by Robby Carpenter.
DPRG Troop Ratings
Troop Supply Tech
Troop Type Quality Morale Confidence Quality Body Armor Level Typical Attributes
DPRG Victorious D10–D12 D10–D12 High Abundant +3D (Assault 2 Active Trauma Treatment; TL2 Advanced Sensors;
People’s Guard Armor) or Close Assault Monster; Intimidating, Inspiring,
(Powered Armor +2D (Recon Super Soldiers (if TQ D12)
Units) Armor) ➤➤ vs. Aliens: Human Spirit; Unpredictable
DPRG Special D10–D12 D10–D12 High Abundant 2D (Standard 2 Borged Up; Nanite Active Trauma Treatment;
Reconnaissance armor + Natural or Augmented Armor; Natural or
Platoon Augmented Augmented Weapons; TL2 Advanced Sensors;
Armor) TL2 Stealth; Elusive; Intimidating, Inspiring; Super
Soldiers (if TQ D12)
➤➤ vs. Aliens: Human Spirit; Unpredictable
Note: Most DPRG PA units are equipped with TL1 Powered Armor. Elite Guard units such as the Victorious People’s Guard are equipped with TL2 Standard
or Recon armor provided by Brazil.
RANGSOF
Section
groupe Commandement
1× Section Commander FAMAS ACR
de Combat 1× 2iC FAMAS ACR
1× Signals/ECM Tech FAMAS ACR
2× Marksmen HECATE IX AMR*
US Forces The American public refuses to accept the argument that “clones
aren’t real people” and will not stoop to bio-engineering soldiers
Detachment Zulu (Genies) from the womb to the tomb. They do, however, accept the
necessity for special units manned entirely by adult volunteers
The US Army has always been a pioneer in the development
genetically modified to perform their special duties. Genie soldiers
of Special Operations capabilities. Different units within the US
are particularly valuable in Special Operations because they can
Special Operations community have pursued disparate approaches
to Enhanced Special Operations. Army Special Forces (the Green pass as unmodified humans and are not affected by technology
Berets), for instance, eschew most invasive augmentation strate- that might shut-down or impede cybernetic augmentation.
gies other than the use of Powered Armor in order to make their Detachment Zulu is a secretive unit tasked primarily with direct
primary role of working with indigenous forces, some of which action operations, counter-terrorism, and covert operations.
may have insurmountable prejudices against cybernetics or obvious
genetic alteration. The SEALs, on the other hand, have firmly Detachment Zulu’s operational capabilities reside in three squadrons.
embraced cybernetic augmentation and are perhaps one of the Each squadron consists of roughly sixty combat operators who are
most “borged up” military units in human space. American sen- divided into three Troops of roughly twenty men. Each Troop is
sibilities prevent the use of synthetic troops altogether and place broken down into two squads of ten men, which are in turn broken
severe limitations on genetically altered forces. down into two five man fire teams.
Detachment Zulu
detachment zulu
Squadron Organization
1st squadron hQ unit
recon/sniper troop 2×
2× direct
direct Action
Action troops
troops
1× Troop Leader M3 PULSER 1×
1×Troop
TroopLeader
Leader M3M3PULSER
PULSER
1× Troop Sgt. M3 PULSER 1×
1×Troop
TroopSgt.
Sgt. M3
M3PULSER
PULSER
2× recon squads 4×
4×dA
4×
4× dAsquads
dA
dA squads
squads
squads
2×
2×fire
fireteams
teams 2×
2×fire
fireteams
teams
1×
1×Team
TeamLeader 1×
The M9 GATR can be replaced
LeaderM3M3PULSER
PULSER 1×Team
TeamLeader
LeaderM3M3PULSER
PULSER
1×
1×Sniper 1×
with an M300 Laser Sniper
SniperM9M9GATR
GATR 1×Grenadier
GrenadierMPGL
MPGL
Rifle if desired. Sniper/Spotter 1× Spotter M3 PULSER 1× Gunner M313 ESAW
1× Spotter M3 PULSER 1× Gunner M313 ESAW
1×
1×Sniper
pairs can be broken into two 1× Asst. Gunner
SniperM9M9GATR M3 PULSER
GATR 1× Asst. Gunner M3 PULSER
1× Spotter 1×
independent Sniper Teams.
1× SpotterM3M3PULSER
PULSER 1×Operator
OperatorM3M3PULSER
PULSER
US Weaponry
M1H ACR/GL the Pulser but fires at a more rapid rate which grants it limited
The M1 ACR is the standard assault rifle of US the USMC. It is being anti-vehicular capabilities.
phased out in the Army in favor of the M3 Pulser. It is a selective Multi-Purpose Grenade Launcher (MPGL)
fire, chemically cooled rifle chambered for .30 caliber caseless
This magazine fed, semi-automatic grenade launcher is the standard
ammunition and is equipped with advanced optics, HUD link, gun
grenade launcher for the US Army. It fires 30mm grenades,
camera and TAG (Target Acquisition and Guidance – a target des-
ignator for air, artillery, or orbital strikes) unit. including anti-personnel flechette rounds, HE rounds, and RAAT
(Rocket Assisted Anti-Tank) rounds.
M3 “Pulser” Pulse Rifle
Mk. 17 SLAM (Shoulder Launched Light Assault Missile)
Adopted in 2315 as the new service rifle for US forces, the M3
Pulse Rifle is a compact plasma rifle. This weapon was purposefully The Mk. 17 is the standard man portable light assault missile
designed to mimic the layout and handling characteristics of the system. It fires anti-personnel HE rounds, thermobaric rounds,
M1H rifle it replaced to flatten the learning curve for troops transi- and advanced HEAT rounds. This weapon is sometimes called a
tioning from the old ballistic rifle to the new plasma rifle. “bazooka” by Marines.
M233 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) M300 “Red Eye” Laser Sniper Rifle
Standard Squad Automatic Weapon for the USMC. It is slowly being The standard laser sniper rifle for US forces, the M300 is powerful
replaced by the M313 ESAW. Similar to M1ACR but with heavier and highly accurate. It is often carried by the Assistant Gunner in a
barrel, increased cooling and magazine capacity. sniper team fielding the M9 GATR as its main weapon.
US Weaponry
Weapon TL Class Type AP AT Notes Forces
M1H ACR/GL 3 Lt. ABW 1 - Advanced Combat Rifle/Grenade Launcher – Army/USMC
slowly phased out in favor of M3 Pulser
M3 Pulse Rifle 3 Lt. EWS 1 - Known as the “Pulser” Army/USMC
M313 ESAW 3 Lt. EWS 1 2L Army/USMC
(Energy Squad Automatic Weapon)
M300 Red Eye Laser Sniper Rifle 3 Lt LWS 1 - Army/USMC
M9 GATR (Gauss Anti-Tank Rifle) 3 Med. GWS 2 2M Army/USMC
“Gator”
MPGL 3 Med ABW 2 2M Army/USMC
(Multi-Purpose Grenade Launcher)
M10 “Smokey” Medium Plasma Gun 3 Med. EWS 2 2(L) Ground, vehicle, PA mounted Army/USMC
M233 SAW 3 Lt. ABW 1 - USMC
MK. 17 SLAM 3 Med. Missile 2 2M Army/USMC
(Shoulder Launched Assault Missile)
M14 “Packer” PACR 3 Lt. EWS 1 2L PA mounted Army/USMC
(Power Armor Combat Rifle)
MAL-13 (Micro-Assault Launcher-13) 3 Hvy. Missile 3 3M Ground, vehicle, PA mounted USMC
PAGL-9 “Peacemaker” 3 Med. RPG 2 2M Ground, vehicle, PA mounted Army/USMC
GAW-4 (Gauss Assault Weapon-4) 3 Hvy. GWS 4 3M Ground, vehicle, PA mounted
ATL-7 (Anti-Tank Laser-7) 3 Hvy. LWS 2 3H
Nation of Secondary
Vehicle Name Origin TL Class Type Crew Primary Weapon Weapon MGs Front Side Rear Deck
Type 88 DPRG 2 Light Tracked 3+13 Dual 10mm Rapid Fusion Gun N/A 3D 3D8 2D8 1D6 1D6
Shouting Dragon (Med. EWS, AP:3/AT:3L)
APC Attributes: Amphibious, Detonation Field (TL2)
Type 88 DPRG 2 Light Tracked 3+13 25mm Autocannon (AP:4/AT:2L) N/A 3D 3D8 2D8 1D6 1D6
Shouting Dragon Attributes: Amphibious, Detonation Field (TL2)
Command APC
Type 1 “Crusty Marshborn 3 Light Walker 2+10 27mm Laser Cannon N/A 3D 3D8 2D8 1D6 1D6
Crawler” (Med. LWS, AP:3/AT:4M)
Attributes: Laser Cannon not affected by Low Supplies
DTV-89 “Fan Republic 2 Light Direct 2+10 20mm Autocannon (AP:4/AT:2L) w/ 4D 3D 3D8 2D8 2D6 1D6
Van” of Arden Thrust coaxial 40mm AGL (AP:4/AT:1L)
VTOL 2× Linked 40mm AGLs (AP:5/AT:2L)
Attributes: Advanced Sensors; TL2 Active Point Defense; Countermeasures; TL2 Detonation Field
VABX-7 Republic 2 Light Wheeled 2 + 8 M5 12.5mm Gauss Autocannon N/A N/A 3D8 2D8 2D6 1D6
“Myrmidon” of Arden to 10 (AP:4/AT:3L)
Attributes: Hardened, Amphibious, TL2 Stealth, TL2 Advanced Sensors, TL2 Countermeasures
This version of the Myrmidon is manufactured exclusively for RANGSOF but was finding its way into the hands of regular
RANG motorized units prior to the Darghaur Incursion.
Civilian Truck Many 2 Soft Wheeled 1+12 N/A N/A N/A 2D6 2D6 1D6 1D6
Skin
Attributes: None
Left: One of many models of civilian trucks that were pressed into
duty as troop transports on Glory during the Darghaur Incursion.
Vehicle by Combat Wombat. Building by Gamecraft Miniatures.
Painting by Shawn Carpenter.
GAW-4 (Gauss Assault Weapon-4) 3 Lt. Gun. GWS 4 3M Ground, vehicle, PA mounted
ATL-7 (Anti-Tank Laser-7) 3 Hvy. LWS 2 3H
“The arrival of TF: Assassin turned the tide of the Darghaur Incursion on
Glory, but the fighting on the beleaguered world continued for a number
of years. The so-called ‘mopping up’ phase of the Incursion continued to
produce major engagements for nearly three years after the Darghaur fleet
abandoned the system and the Darghaur troops on the ground. US Marines
from nearby Grissom saw an inordinate amount of action in this phase
of the Incursion, as they filled in for RA troops who were too exhausted
to continue. On the DPRG border with the Foix Gap, the Leathernecks
found themselves conducting limited operations in conjunction with their
arch-rivals, Brazillian Marines. Both forces vied to establish themselves as
premier alien killers, resulting in some of the most aggressive and decisive
actions against the Darghaur hold-outs.”
Devil Dogs & Trophy Bucks by Ed Bishop
The following scenarios involve ESOF and/or aliens of one stripe or another. While
these scenarios are rooted in our TomorrowVerse background, they are generic
enough in form that they could easily be transplanted into the setting of your choice.
The Darghaur Incursion, against which most of these scenarios are set, was a
relatively short conflict, but it was waged across most of the settled surface of
Glory. The few scenarios we present here fall far short of encompassing the
variety of actions witnessed during the Incursion. It is our intent to provide you
with more Incursion scenarios (and historical write-ups, unit organizations, etc.)
on our website, found at www.ambushalleygames.com. Our website is also a
gold mine of playing aids, player contributed material, and news about our various
products. Please pay the site a visit!
Historical Outcome
TO MAIN CAMP Elements of the French Foreign Legion’s 3rd
FSA Company hot dropped into 1st Corps
rear area and prosecuted a quick and
A1 violent raid on Corps HQ that left General
Bae and most of his senior staff dead and
H3 secured the French hostages with minimal
B1 A2
loss of civilian life. 1st Corps was thrown
B3 A3 into disarray.
The FSA troops and hostages exfiltrated
B2 H2
via heavily stealthed VTOLs. Most of the
C3 assault, including Bae’s violent death, was
H1 captured on their helmet cameras and
broadcast worldwide to circumvent any
C2 DPRG attempts to cover up the assault.
C1 DPRG and Brazilian diplomats filed sternly
worded complaints against France’s uni-
lateral action, but the action had no real
diplomatic repercussions. Many believe that
ENTRY ZONE
DPRG regulars scramble to take up defensive positions during the assault on FSB Lasting Peace.
Figures by Ground Zero Games. Vehicle by Khurasan Models.
Buildings by Ground Zero Games & Gamecraft Miniatures. Painting by Impoverished Lackey & Shawn Carpenter.
DPRG Recon Mission General Bae and His Command Staff (“A1” on Map)
1 × General Bae w/Type 05 Pistol
We are under attack! Defend General Bae and his staff from the 1 × Colonel w/Type 05 Pistol
off-world commandos! 1 × Lt. Major w/Type 05 Pistol
1 × Captain w/Type 05 Pistol
DPRG Victory Points
❚❚ General Bae still alive, uncaptured, and combat General Bae’s Security Detachment “A2” on Map)
effective at the end of Turn 8: 15pts. 1 × Detachment Leader w/AK-200
❚❚ Each FSA Trooper Killed: 2 pts. 1 × Gunner w/Mod 78 SAW (TL2 Lt. TST, AP:1)
1 × Gunner w/RPGMP-3 (TL2, Med. AP:2/AT2(M)
❚❚ Each FSA Trooper Captured: 5 pts.
2 × Riflemen w/AK-200
4’ × 4’ table
Trees outside the
hedge-bordered
orchards are
DPRG ENTER ON THIS EDGE Average Woods.
DPRG Forces (Elements of a Mechanized Infantry Recon Platoon from the 4th Frontier Army Corps)
Troop Supply Body Tech
Troop Type Initiative Quality Morale Confidence Quality Armor Level Grid? Typical Attributes
DPRG Recon D8 D8 D12 Normal Normal 1D 2 N Poor Initiative; Human Spirit;
Troops & Vehicle Unpredictable
Crews
DPRG Sniper D8 D8 D12 Normal Normal 1D 2 N Human Spirit; Unpredictable; Sniper
Team Team
Victory Points
❚❚ No DPRG units within the complex before Turn 6: 10 pts.
❚❚ Each Marshborn Unit at half-strength or higher that
exits the board before the end of Turn 6: 4 pts.
A Marshborn recon trooper during the action at the Joy of Light
power installation.
Figure by Ground Zero Games. Buildings by Blue Moon Miniatures.
Painting by Impoverished Lackey & Shawn Carpenter.
USMC EXIT
1
Impassable,
NE LOS-blocking ridges
T ZO
EN
LOYM
E P
D
MC 2
US Talus-strewn
slope up to
ridge—offers clear
LOS & solid cover
2’ × 2’ table
MSOT Forces
Troop Supply Tech
Troop Type Initiative Quality Morale Confidence Quality Body Armor Level Grid? Typical Attributes
USMC D10 D10 D12 High Abundant 4D (Powered 3 No Old School; TL3 Advanced Sensors;
Special Armor + Close Assault Monster; Stealthy; Pain
Operators Skeletal Resistant; Skeletal Augmentation;
Augmentation) Heightened Senses; Heightened
Situational Awareness; Human Spirit;
Unpredictable
Darghaur Forces
Troop Supply Body Tech
Troop Type Initiative Quality Morale Confidence Quality Armor Level Grid? Typical Attributes
Veteran D10 D10 D12 Confident Abundant 4D 3 No Adapted to Hostile
Darghaur Environment; Natural/
Augmented Armor; Natural/
Augmented Weapons;
Close Assault Monster; Pain
Resistant; Advanced Sensors;
Hard to Kill (D6); Fearless
Scenario Information
Duration of Game: Play continues until one
side reaches or exceeds 20 victory points.
Initiative: Dust Brothers for first two
turns. Test for Initiative afterwards.
Fog of War: See Dust Brothers
Booby Traps in Special Rules.
DOCKS
Trees represent average woods. LAKE DARGHAUR ENTRY
3’ × 3’ table
Darghaur Forces
Troop Supply Body Tech
Troop Type Initiative Quality Morale Confidence Quality Armor Level Grid? Typical Attributes
Darghaur D10 D12 D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Yes Adapted to Hostile Environment; Natural/
Slavemaster Augmented Armor; Natural/Augmented
Weapons; Close Assault Monster; Pain
Resistant; Advanced Sensors; Hard to Kill
(D6); Fearless; Inspiring*
Veteran D10 D10 D12 Confident Abundant 4D 3 No Adapted to Hostile Environment;
Darghaur Natural/Augmented Armor; Natural/
Augmented Weapons; Close Assault
Monster; Pain Resistant; Advanced
Sensors; Hard to Kill (D6); Fearless
Urraug Slave D8 D8 D8 Confident Normal 1D 2 No Pain Resistant; Berserker (Involuntary);
Soldiers Poor Initiative
*The Darghaur Slavemaster is only Inspiring to Darghaur slaves.
Terrain Values
All buildings and woods (average woods) on the table provide
solid cover, as does the shoreline of the lake for Marshborn who
are sheltering in the water.
1D10 Result
1 False Ground! The unit steps through a thin crust of false ground and into a shallow trench full of ultra-dense, ultra-sharp caltrops.
No units can move faster than Tactical Speed for the duration of the game due to their wariness of similar traps.
2 Deadfall! A random Darghaur or Uraug unit suffers a casualty from a deadfall trap. Roll on the First Aid Table to determine the
severity of the figure’s injury as normal. All Uraug units must make a TQ check to enter wooded areas for the duration of the game.
3 Cloud of Death! A random Darghaur or Uraug unit blunders into a swarm of insects – bio-engineered insects that inject their victims with
lethal toxins and explode in a corrosive mist. The unit suffers a 4D8 attack. It cannot apply any armor or cover dice to defend against the
attack. Uraug units must make a TQ check to move closer than 6” to the edge of the lake, where other insects swarm menacingly.
4 Ghost Wails! A strange, disembodied wail rises into the air. All Uraug units must make a Morale Check. Those that fail suffer an
immediate Fall Back result. Their Morale suffers a Negative Die Shift for the duration of the game.*
5 Remote Gun Attack! A random Darghaur or Uraug unit triggers a disposable remote gun pod. The gun rises from a hole in the
ground and sprays bullets (4D8) at the unit.
6 Dust Wraiths! Strange, swirling clouds of dust begin to writhe between buildings and in the shadows of the trees. They give the
vague impression of mutilated Marshborn warriors (they are in fact holographic images from projectors hidden in the village). All
Uraug units must make a Morale Check. Those that fail suffer an immediate Fall Back result. Their Morale suffers a Negative Die Shift
for the duration of the game.*
7 Remote Gun Attack! A random Darghaur or Uraug unit triggers a disposable remote gun pod. The gun rises from a hole in the
ground and sprays bullets (4D8) at the unit.
8 Halls of Death! A building containing a random Darghaur or Uraug unit or a building within 6” of a random Darghaur or Uraug unit
explodes. Any unit within 6” of the building (or inside the building itself) suffers a 5D10 attack as the building explodes. Uraug units
must make a TQ check to move within 6” or enter a building for the duration of the game.
9 Fearsome Message! A random Uraug unit notices an arrangement of bloody bones and flesh on the ground nearby and recognize it as
a Dust Brother curse! The unit immediately Falls Back and becomes Pinned. Their Morale suffers a Negative Die Shift for the duration
of the game. The same unit cannot suffer this result twice.*
10 Buried IED! The Dust Brothers command detonate a large IED buried directly beneath the unfortunate enemy unit. It and any units
(friend or foe) within 6 inches of its center point suffer a 10D10 attack with no Cover dice applied.
*Any Uraug unit whose Morale is reduced below D6 is removed from play and counts as casualties for the purposes of Victory Conditions.
Historical
Outcome
MA Capt. Dumont’s FSA troops
RS
H were unlucky enough to
be detected by the lead
elements of the Darghaur
pursuit force, but he and his
force stood their ground and
drew the Darghaur into the
killzone. Commander Murk’s
Blood Claws emerged on
the left flank and rear of the
Darghaur force, immediately
throwing the Slave Soldiers
into a panic which intensified
MARSH
2’ × 3’ table
Darghaur Forces
Troop Supply Body Tech
Troop Type Initiative Quality Morale Confidence Quality Armor Level Grid? Typical Attributes
Darghaur D10 D12 D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Yes Adapted to Hostile Environment; Natural/
Slavemaster Augmented Armor; Natural/Augmented
Weapons; Close Assault Monster; Pain
Resistant; Advanced Sensors; Hard to Kill
(D6); Fearless; Inspiring*
Urraug Slaves D8 D8 D8 Confident Normal 1D 2 No Pain Resistant; Berserker (Involuntary);
Poor Initiative
All other D12 D10 D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Yes Adapted to Hostile Environment;
Darghaur Natural/Augmented Armor; Natural/
Warriors Augmented Weapons; Close Assault
Monster; Pain Resistant; Advanced
Sensors; Hard to Kill (D6); Fearless
*The Darghaur Slavemaster is only Inspiring to Darghaur slaves.
U3
2’ × 2’ table
RANGSOF Forces
Troop Supply Body Tech
Troop Type Initiative Quality Morale Confidence Quality Armor Level Grid? Typical Attributes
RANGSOF D10 D10 D12 High Normal 1D 2 No Unpredictable (negated while Taken is
Tiger Team alive and un-captured); Bloody Minded;
Advanced Life Saving Capabilities; Stealth
(TL2)
A Darghaur Slavemaster
and his bodyguards escort
a Taken human.
Figures by Ground Zero Games.
Buildings by Gamecraft Miniatures.
Darghaur Forces
Troop Supply Body Tech
Troop Type Initiative Quality Morale Confidence Quality Armor Level Grid? Typical Attributes
Darghaur D10 D12 D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Yes Adapted to Hostile Environment; Natural/
Slavemaster Augmented Armor; Natural/Augmented
Weapons; Close Assault Monster; Pain
Resistant; Advanced Sensors; Hard to Kill
(D6); Fearless; Inspiring*
Slavemaster’s D10 D10 D12 High Abundant 4D 3 Yes Adapted to Hostile Environment; Natural/
Attendants & Augmented Armor; Natural/Augmented
Bodyguards Weapons; Close Assault Monster; Pain
Resistant; Advanced Sensors; Hard to Kill (D6)
Taken 1D10 1D8 1D10 Normal Normal N/A 2 No Despised; Fearless
Urraug Elite D10 D10 D10 Normal Normal 1D 2 No Pain Resistant; Berserker (Voluntary)
Slave Soldiers
Urraug Slave D10 D8 D10 Normal Normal 1D 2 No Pain Resistant; Berserker (Involuntary)
Soldiers
*The Darghaur Slavemaster is only Inspiring to Darghaur slaves
**If a Darghaur Ghost Talker or Warlock is present on the table, the Darghaur force is treated as if it were “on the Grid.”
***Darghaur Battle Leaders or Darghaurs with Honor Marks are inspiring to both Darghaur and their slave soldiers.
Despite the doubts of the rest of the world, the DPRG’s notorious
Martyr Holds slowed the methodical Darghaur advance. When a
Hold fell, though, desperate measures were required to prevent
Historical Outcome
a full-fledged Darghaur break-through. Any survivors from the Lieutenant Yet-Son learned to fight against the Ardenois at
Hold (often there were none) fled back through a line of more the side of his uncle, who was an un-sanctioned partisan –
ad hoc defenses while reserve troops were rushed forward to also known as a bandit. He spent his summers in the Foix
man fallback fortifications. This process generally meant that a Gap learning the fine art of raid and counter-raid and the
handful of desperate DPRG Border Guard platoons might be left winters in a Province School. He did well enough in school
to hold back the tide until a new line of defense solidified behind to earn a military internship and attained an officer’s billet
them. The resulting engagements were usually one-sided, bloody in the Border Guard shortly before the Darghaur Incursion.
and brief. Occasionally, however, the Darghaur would tangle their He put his experience to good use against the Darghaur,
antlers with a resourceful and ruthless Border Guard commander, hitting them with every trick in his book, from ambushes
as was the case at Redoubt #31. to IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). In doing so, he held
back a Darghaur breakthrough at Redoubt #31 until an
Elite Guard Company in Powered Armor was marshaled to
stiffen the fallback fortifica-
DARGHAUR ENTER THIS EDGE tions to his rear. After the
war, he was awarded the
Divine Petals of the Bloom
3 of the People’s Glory by
Dear Leader himself.
N
5
2 4
Trenches
FUEL STATION
Average buildings
1 6
Average woods
Hills
Hedge
# Potential booby
trap location
MORTAR
PIT
4’ × 4’ table
DPRG forces set up in the
REDOUBT 31 shaded area. Darghaur forces
DPRG SET UP IN SHADED AREA enter along the top edge of
the map as marked.
DPRG Forces
Troop Supply Body Tech
Troop Type Initiative Quality Morale Confidence Quality Armor Level Grid? Typical Attributes
DPRG Border Guards D8 D8 D12 Normal Normal 1D Soft 2 N Bloody Minded; Unpredictable
Armor
HQ Squad D8 D10 D12 High Normal 1D Soft 2 N Bloody Minded; Inspirational;
Armor Unpredictable
Special Rules Station, striking them with a 6D10 attack. This explosion
counts as a “Big Gun” for the purposes of the Darghaur’s
Yel-Son’s Preparations Hard to Kill Attribute. Additionally, the fuel station buildings
Yel-Son’s force must pick three of the following “booby traps” become a blistering inferno. Any figures within them
to soften up the Darghaur. One each of these diversionary items must evacuate immediately and no figures can approach
and booby traps can be placed at each of the numbered spots within 6” of the buildings for the duration of the game.
on the map. No duplicates can be placed. The DPRG player ❚❚ Suicide MG Team When a Darghaur unit approaches
should make a secret note of which gift is at which location. within 8” of this “booby-trap,” a machine gun team pops
out of a Spider Trap which can be located anywhere within
❚❚ Firecrackers When a Darghaur unit approaches within 8” 12” and within LOS of the triggering unit. The machine gun
of this booby-trap, it triggers a string of firecrackers located team can immediately attack any nearby unit as if it had just
in any direction from them that the DPRG player wishes. successfully Ambushed it (the MG team automatically goes
The Darghaur unit must move 6” towards the sound of first in the Round of Fire). The two man team has a Type 90
the Firecrackers, which it believes are human gunmen. GPMG, TL2 ABW, AP:2 and they are considered as a Weapons
❚❚ IED When a Darghaur unit approaches within 8” of this Team. Assume that the spot they appear from is the entrance
booby-trap, an IED is detonated directly beneath it. The unit to a “spider hole” and it provides them with hard cover.
suffers a 6D10 attack. This explosion counts as a “Big Gun” ❚❚ Pre-Registered Zone for Mortar One of the booby-
for the purposes of the Darghaur’s Hard to Kill Attribute. trap points can be designated as the hub for several
❚❚ Stake Trap When a Darghaur unit approaches within pre-registered beaten zones for Redoubt 31’s mortar. Mortar
8” of this booby trap, each figure in the unit must attacks against any Darghaur within 8” of the designated
pass a Troop Quality test to avoid triggering some sort booby-trap point receive a +2D Firepower bonus.
of pit or mechanical trap. Each figure that triggers a
trap becomes a casualty and must make a Hard to Kill The Mortar
check or automatically suffer a Serious Wound. A large mortar pit forms the centerpiece of Redoubt #3. The
❚❚ Mother of All IEDs (Can only be placed at Fuel Station) mortar cannot engage targets nearer than 24” from the pit.
Any Darghaur unit that approaches within 8” of this booby- The mortar has an attack value of AP:4/AT:2(L) in a 4” radius,
trap detonates a massive improvised fuel-air bomb. The unless striking targets in a Pre-Registered Zone (see Yel-Son’s
bomb affects any unit within 12” of the center of the Fuel Gifts), in which case it receives +2 AP Firepower dice.
Scenario
Information
Duration of Game: 12 Turns
Initiative: Darghaur for first
three turns, test thereafter
Fog of War: See Booby
Traps in Special Rules
Special Assets: See Special Rules
Historical Outcome
Falaise fell after over a week of
fighting. Most of the city’s civilian
population was evacuated before
the fighting began, so civilian losses
were minor in comparison to those
seen in the KOE. Military losses were
significant, but not back-breaking.
The sacrifices made by the city’s
defenders bought the rest of the
Republic time to further strengthen
their defenses. Many historians of
the war believe that the Republic of
Arden may have fallen before the
arrival of TF Assassin if Falaise had
not held out so stubbornly.
Darghaur Forces
Troop Supply Body Tech
Troop Type Initiative Quality Morale Confidence Quality Armor Level Grid? Typical Attributes
Darghaur Battle D10 D12 D12 Confident Abundant 4D 3 Yes (As Adapted to Hostile Environment;
Leader long as Natural/Augmented Armor; Natural/
Ghost Augmented Weapons; Close Assault
Talker Monster; Pain Resistant; Advanced
lives) Sensors; Hard to Kill (D6); Fearless;
Dreadful; Inspiring (Darghaur Only)
Darghaur Ghost D10 D10 D12 Confident Abundant 4D 3 Yes (As Adapted to Hostile Environment;
Talker long as Natural/Augmented Armor; Natural/
Ghost Augmented Weapons; Close Assault
Talker Monster; Pain Resistant; Advanced
lives) Sensors; Hard to Kill (D6); Fearless;
Shared Senses**
Darghaur D10 D10 D12 Confident Abundant 4D 3 Yes (As Adapted to Hostile Environment;
Warlock long as Natural/Augmented Armor; Natural/
Ghost Augmented Weapons; Close Assault
Talker Monster; Pain Resistant; Advanced
lives) Sensors; Hard to Kill (D6); Fearless;
Dreadful; Dominator
Veteran Darghaur D10 D10 D12 Confident Abundant 4D 3 Yes (As Adapted to Hostile Environment;
Rifle Warriors long as Natural/Augmented Armor; Natural/
Ghost Augmented Weapons; Close Assault
Talker Monster; Pain Resistant; Advanced
lives) Sensors; Hard to Kill (D6); Fearless
US Marine Special Operators discover that the enemies of their enemies don’t always make good friends.
Elements of the 4th MSOC were rapidly re- VIEW TO LIGHTNING TZ
deployed to the feet of the Zion Mountains
on the Republic of Arden’s side of the border
with the Kingdom of Eden. They were FTB D
tasked with crossing the mountains on foot FTA
to rendezvous with Kingdom of Eden (KOE) 2
1
resistance fighters in the area of the Angel
Three Cave Complex. The KOE partisans were 3
under orders to direct the MSOC operators
to a secure vantage point from which they
could “fix” the TZ for “Team Lightning.”
Unfortunately, what seemed like a straightfor- C
ward mission was nearly de-railed by paranoia B
born of religious fanaticism.
A
Ernst Vracloc, a chaplain in the partisan group
acting as the Marines’ guides had worked
G E
up a high-level of Anti-American sentiment F
within the partisan force. He had succeeded
in convincing the majority of the partisans
that their commanding officer, Lt. Mitici, was
working with the Americans to destroy the
Angel 3 cave complex rather than liberate it
from the Darghaur invaders. Chaplain Vracloc
incited a mutiny as the Marines began the
process of fixing the TZ, effectively removing
most of the US force from the ensuing
firefight – a firefight which was bound to
attract the attention of a Darghaur patrol at any
moment.
2’ × 2’ table
Light woods
Historical Outcome & brush
Team Thunderbolt, with the determined assistance of Lt. Mitici and his men,
Average Rocky ground/
fixed the Lightning TZ and defeated Vracloc and his mutineers. Unfortunately,
woods boulder field
the mutiny was noisy and time consuming. It attracted a Darghaur patrol and
was only able to disengage after taking significant losses.
Impassable
Vracloc’s mutiny severely jeopardized Operation Thunderbolt and drove a deeper Low hill/rise cliff edge
wedge between the US (and OPS in general) and the Kingdom of Eden. It
was later revealed that his actions were primarily motivated by a hatred for
US Marines, who had been instrumental in the KOE’s defeat in the Saint’s
War. He believed God would lead the KOE to victory, but only if they broke all
contact with heretical Diasporans and hoped that if Operations Thunderbolt and
Lightning failed it would convince his nation’s political leadership that God would Scenario Information
rather see aliens win than see the blessed consort with the damned. Duration of Game: 8 Turns
When news of the treachery broke, military and civilian leadership of OPS Initiative: Mutineers unless Mine is Spotted
forces was aghast at the idea that any human being would put his political (See The Mine special rule, below).
agenda before the defeat of an alien race waging a genocidal war against Initiative is determined by test after the
humanity. A few pragmatists pointed out that the entire operation had been TZ is fixed (assuming it ever is).
politically rather than strategically motivated and that it took more than a Fog of War: Determined normally by
mutual threat to draw two vastly dissimilar cultures together. Reaction Test rolls
S2
S1 D4
Fortified buildings
Average buildings
USMC
TZ
Shanty town shacks
D2
Hills D1
ANGELIC 7
CAVE COMPLEX D3
Average woods ENTRANCE
S3
DARGHAUR
COMM NODE
3’ × 3’ table
Special Rules
Destroying the Command Node
Fireteam Bravo must destroy the Command Node with a
demolition pack. To place the pack, Bravo must begin the turn
within 2” of the Command Node. They must make a Troop
Quality check to properly set the charge. If they pass the check,
Bravo can move away from the Node which will be considered
destroyed at the completion of their movement. If Bravo fails
the check, they can try to set the charge again in the next turn,
assuming they are still within 2” of the Node.
Trilogy
of Under The
Terradalla Black Flag
an amBUsh alle
y mini-campaig
n
Tomorrow’s war
Myths
mLD 1
and
LegenDs
mLD 2
ComiNg SooN!
mLD 3
mLD 4
mLD 5
US $17.95
CAN $19.95
Tomorrow’s War
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ambushalleygames.com By Dagger or Talon 107
Alan Davies (order #9239409)
THE OFFICIAL Tomorrow's War
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Tomorrow’s War
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