Dead Mans Hand Quick Reference

TURN SEQUENCE

1. Initiative
Draw top card of deck face up and assign
it to a model. Highest card has initiative.
Draws are resolved by drawing additional
cards from deck, highest wins initiative.
Draw face down card and assign for each
remaining model in gang.
Reveal all initiative cards. Player with
lowest initiative card can swap it with
another card of theirs in play.
2. Activations
Activate each model in initiative order
(Ace high, 2 low, joker highest).
Each model gets 3 actions.
Play cards from hand. Any card can be
trumped (cancelled) by opponent by
discarding same value card.
3. End of Turn
Remove all movement markers.
Draw a card into your hand if you used a
card during this turn.
Reshuffle the discard pile and add it to
your draw pile.

Duck Back
If a model has not been activated, it may
declare it is ducking back against a model
that is shooting at it.
Move model 10cm and discard the models
activation card.
Even if model moves out of sight, shooter
can fire a single shot. Movement and
cover modifiers apply but measure range
to starting point.
Quick Shot
Discard activation card in response to
enemy activation to fire a single shot.
Only a single quick shot can be taken per
enemy activation.
If target is shooting, quick shot fires first
if target is at long range. If at close or
point blank range, the shooting is
simultaneously resolved.
If target is moving, quick shot can be
resolved at any point in the move.
To hit modifiers are applied normally.

NERVE TESTS

MOVEMENT

INTERRUPTIONS

Cannot get closer than 2cm to an enemy

model unless engaging in hand-to-hand.
Cannot use 3 move actions to enter into
hand-to-hand fighting.
Can jump gaps up to 6cm.
Can climb up 8cm but must clear to next
level completely or stay at bottom.
Obstacles can be crossed for free.

Roll 1D10 and compare to models nerve.

Natural 1 always fails.
If failed, take an Under Fire Marker.

Modifiers
Under fire

-1 per Under Fire Marker

Friendly models
+1 (maximum of +1)
within 15cm

BIG NERVE TESTS

If more than your models are out of action at the start of a turn than must test. Test using
remaining model with highest nerve. Each additional model (beyond ) out of action is -1.
If number of Under Fire Markers on your models is double or more, than the remaining number of
models the test is automatically failed.

ACTION SUMMARY
Action

Summary

Move

Move up to 10cm, mount/dismount a

horse, enter hand-to-hand fighting.

Aim

+1 to hit per aim.

Shoot

Take a single shot.

Reload/Change
Weapon

Reload, unjam or switch guns.

Recover

Remove an Under Fire Marker.

Notes

Affects 1st following shot. Shotguns may

not aim. Rifles/carbines may aim twice.

SHOOTING

Roll a D20, modify result based on the shooter and

target modifiers, check shooting results table.
Out of Ammo
Natural 1 means shooter is out of ammo and
remaining shooting actions are lost for that
activation.
Closest Target
Must shoot at closest target unless a nerve test is
passed to pick a different target.
Line of Sight
Determined by base size. If base passes through
another models base then target is obscured.
Falling
If shot while jumping at gap, model falls.
If shot while on a roof or riding a horse, roll
1D10. On a 1-5 the model falls forward, 6-10 the
model falls backwards.
If falling, resolve one unmodified D20 roll on
shooting results. If falling from higher than 20cm,
resolve two rolls on the shooting results.
Shooting from Higher Ground
If shooter is firing from 6cm or higher than
target, target does not benefit from linear cover.
Cover
Substantial cover must obscure 50% of the model
to count as substantial cover.

HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING

Up to 2 move actions to engage. Both sides roll 1D10.

+1 for each under fire marker enemy model has.
+1 for coming from higher ground.
+1 for initiating the combat this turn.
Losing model suffers under fire marker for each
point of difference in rolls; draws fight next turn.
Cant shoot into combat; no more than one model can
be engaged in a single hand-to-hand fight.
Subsequent HtH rounds, highest initiative card starts
combat and gets +1. If combat resolved, survivor may
take two actions based on initiative card.
May break off from HtH for two movement actions.

SHOOTING MODIFIERS
Shooter is:

Mod Notes

Taking 2 move
actions

-1

Point Blank
with pistol

+2

Close range

Long range

-1

Aimed shot

+1

Second shot

-1

Third shot

-2

Firing from
mount

-1

Under fire

-1

Target is:

Applies if two
moves declared
for activation

Effects following
shot only

-1 per under fire

marker

Mod Notes

Moving

-1

In substantial
cover

-1

A Boss

-1

Mounted

+1

Obscured

-1

-1 per move
action taken

No effect if firing
model is a boss

Shooting Results
Natural 1 = Out of ammo
2-10 = miss
11-14 = under fire marker
15-18 = under fire marker and
nerve test
19+ = Out of action

WEAPONS TABLE
Weapon

Max
Shots

Pistol

Range (cm)

Notes

Point
Blank

Close

Long

0-10

11-20

21-30

Rifle

N/A

0-50

51+

Repeater

N/A

0-40

41+

Carbine

N/A

0-40

41+

May aim twice.

Shotgun
Single Barrel

0-10

11-20

N/A

+4 to hit at Point Blank; may not aim; out

of ammo if 2 shots taken in one turn.

Shotgun
Both Barrels

0-10

11-20

N/A

+6 to hit at Point Blank and out of ammo;

may not aim or Quick Shoot.

+2 at Point Blank.
May aim twice.