The Futuristic Battle Game

Operation Heracles
Starter RULEBOOK
1
Warpath

Credits Painting
Leigh Buckett, Rob Jenkins, Leicester Phat
Written By Cats, Ben Macintyre, Tyler Mengel, Dave
Stewart Gibbs Neild, Will Simmons, Chris Webb

Additional Graphic Design

Development & Editing
Alessio Cavatore, Gaetano Ferrara, Matt
Gilbert, Matt Hobday, Mark Latham, Sami
Mahmoud, Doug Newton-Walters, Ben
Sandum, Duncan Waugh
Background
Michael Grey, Guy Haley, Greg D Smith,
Christopher Verspeak
Art
Dave Allsop, Shen Fei Chan, Roberto Cirillo,
Daniel Comerci, Juan Diego Dianderas, Heath
Foley, Michele Giorgi, Hai Hoang, Inkognit,
Rob Jenkins, Pierre Loyvet, Jonas Springborg,
Luigi Terzi, Eric Wilkerson
Duncan Aldis, Kev Brett, Jay Shepherd,
Francesco Volpe
Photography
Ben Sandum
Playtesting
Mark Berry, Tim Bratina, Martyn Chate,
Gaetano Ferrara, Matt Gilbert, Jon Hickey,
Andy Hicks, Michael Kaup, Tim King, Alex
Lloyd, Sami Mahmoud, Doug Newton-
Walters, Chris Palmer, Austin Peasley, Ronnie
Renton, Andy Robertson, Tyler Schulz, David
Symonds, Mike Tittensor, Duncan Waugh,
Dave Wilson, Matt Wingate

Sculpting Special thanks go to Mantics incredible

community for their countless hours of
Juan Miguel Lpez Barea, Daniele Cattarin, gaming and feedback, and to each and every
Dave Kidd, MKUltra Studio, Tim Prow, Ben Kickstarter backer for making this game a
Skinner, Luigi Terzi reality.

2
Warpath: Core Rules
This section will introduce you to the basic rules and core concepts of Warpath. Once you've
learned these you will be able to play your first games and later add more complexity using the
advanced rules.
Turns
Warpath is played in a series of Turns, in
which both sides activate their units.
In the description for each battle, you'll be
told which player activates first. Every turn
after that, the player who finished activating
all their units first during a turn will have the
first activation in the next turn.
Both players alternate activating their units,
one at a time, until every unit has been
activated that turn.
Once you activate a unit, you
place an activated token next
to them. You cant activate one
of these units again until your next turn.
If one side runs out of units to activate,
the other side gets to activate all the units
they have remaining, one after the other, in
whatever order they want.
Activations
When you activate a unit, it can do two
different Short Actions, or a single Long
Action.
Short Actions
Move
Shoot
Regroup
Long Actions
Assault
Double Move
Disengage
Overwatch
Rally
You can only use each action once per
activation. Always tell your opponent what
youre doing as they may have the opportunity
to react to it.
3
Examples
Throughout this book, youll find boxes like
this one showing examples of how the rules
work in the game, explaining the various
actions and dice rolls that can be made by
each unit. You can use these examples as a
guide to help understand the rules, or even
play along with them as practice!
Try setting up your models on the table, grab
your dice and follow the examples yourself
you might reach a different result to what is
written here.
End of the Turn
When all units on both sides have been
marked as activated then the Turn is over.
Remove all of the activation tokens from the
table, and start the next Turn with the player
who finished first in the previous one.
You should also check how many suppression
tokens the unit has, as that can affect what
they can do.
A unit can choose to do nothing. This still
marks the unit as activated.
If you have a unit that starts its Activation
while engaged with an enemy unit, it may
only use the Assault or Disengage Actions.
A unit that starts its Activation grounded
must first make a Recovery roll, and must
then Rally.
If the teams in a unit ever get separated by
more than 2, they must make a Move or
Double Move action that will bring them back
within 2 of each other before they can make
any actions other than Regroup or Rally.
 How the models work
Units and Teams
Warpath is played with units, which are
Warpath
composed of 1 or more teams a group of
models sharing a single large base. A Regular
Infantry team contains 5 models, whereas a
Large Infantry team contains 2 models.
If a unit takes damage, you remove whole
teams as casualties rather than individual
models. Teams in the same unit must stay
within 2" of each other.
Each unit has a profile that provides all the
rules and statistics it uses:
1. Speed (Spd)
This is how far the unit can move in inches
with a Move action.
2. Accuracy (Acc)
This is the dice roll required for the unit to hit
the enemy with a ranged attack.
3. Defence (Def)
This value represents both the toughness and
armour of the unit, and is the dice roll that the
enemy requires to damage it.
4. Resilience (Res)
This value represents how much damage a
unit can withstand before a team is destroyed.
5. Nerve (Ner)
This represents the units morale, and is
used to determine the point at which a unit
becomes suppressed, or even retreats from the
battlefield.
6. Class
This states whether the unit is Infantry or a
Vehicle, determining which game rules affect
the unit.
7. Special Rules
Any advanced equipment or exceptional
abilities a team has will bestow special rules
on the unit. These rules will be in effect for
the entire unit while the team remains in play.
4
Weaponry
Most teams will carry multiple weapons into
battle, and each weapon will have its own
profile.
8. Range
The maximum distance in inches that the
weapon can shoot.
Sometimes this will be a pair of numbers
separated by a hyphen the lower number
indicates a minimum range at which the
weapon can shoot, while the higher number
indicates the maximum range.
Melee weapons have range A and can only be
used during an Assault.
9. Dice
The amount of dice rolled when the team
attacks with this weapon.
10. Armour Penetration
(AP)
How easily the weapon can puncture
enemy armour. This number will modify an
opponent's Defence roll during an attack.
11. Special
Some weapons have special rules of their own.
These rules apply only to the weapon they are
listed for, not to any other weapons carried by
the team.
12. Alternative Weapons
Some weapons will have this symbol: v, and
are classed as alternative. This means that the
unit carries multiple weapons or ammunition
types but can only fire one at a time. Each
time the unit shoots it must choose only one
weapon with the v symbol to attack with.
Example
1 2 3 4 5
unit Profile
SPD ACC Def res ner
6
5 3+ 4+ 4 3 Regular
Infantry

7 Pathfinder Team
Special Rules: Recon, Saboteur
Weapon R D AP Special
v Sniper Rifle 6-40 4 2 Suppressive Fire (1),
Tag
v Pistol 12 6 1 -
Assault Weaponry A 6 - -

D.O.G. Drone
Weapon R D AP Special
Burst Laser 28 4 1 -

8 9 10 11
Weapon
Profile
Weapon R D AP Special
12 v Sniper Rifle 6-40 4 2 Suppressive Fire (1),
Tag
v Pistol 12 6 1 -
Assault Weaponry A 6 - -

5
 Move
This action allows a unit to move up to its
Speed value in inches. Each team in a unit
moves independently, providing they stay
Warpath

within 2" of the rest of the unit.

To move a team, measure from any point on
the edge of its base in a straight line in your
chosen direction, and place it in the new
position.
Repeat this step for any other teams in the
unit, ensuring that each team ends up within
2 of at least one other as normal.
Moving through Units
and Terrain
A unit may not move within 1 of an enemy or
occupied terrain piece unless it is engaging the
enemy (see opposite). If there is not enough
space to fit the unit in the desired position,
then it cannot move to that location.
Friendly Infantry units can be freely moved Vehicles, terrain, or enemy Infantry units
through during a Move Action, but the within a teams movement distance do not
moving unit must end its move at least 1 affect the distance it can move, but there must
away from other units. be a clear path between the teams start and
end positions wide enough for the narrowest
part of its base, without the team ever moving
Example
further than its Speed from its start point or
entering within 1 of an enemy.
You can also start and/or end a units Move
occupying an area of defensible terrain. All
teams must be able to reach the terrain if
any cannot, the unit must remain outside the
terrain piece.
When a unit enters a terrain piece, any other
units in base contact with that terrain piece,
friend or foe, must immediately move 1
directly away from it.
Steel Warrior unit Barakn is making a Move
action. Their Speed value is 4. To move the first Moving when Suppressed
team, the player chooses a direction, measures
4" from the edge of the teams base, and places Suppressed units can only move up to half
the team into the new position. The teams base their Speed value in inches.
is free to rotate as it moves, as long as it is not
placed further than 4" away from the original Moving On and Off the
position. Board
Unless a special rule or mission briefing says
This process is repeated for the second team in otherwise, units may not move onto or off of
the unit, ensuring that it remains within 2" of
the board consider the edge of the board to
the first team after it has moved.
be an impassable wall.

6
Engaging the Enemy
If a unit wants to engage an enemy unit in
melee, it must move at least one of its teams
into base contact (so the bases are touching)
with the enemy unit. This is the only time
where units are allowed to be less than 1
apart.
Any action that takes a unit into base contact
is called a charge, and all units in contact
are now engaged. The charging unit will
immediately make an Assault action against
the enemy, even if the charging unit has used
its allowance of actions for that Activation (if
it made a Double Move for example).
If the charging unit does not have sufficient
movement for at least one of its teams to be
placed in contact with the enemy, it may not
charge and must stop 1 away from the enemy
as usual.
In units with multiple teams, some teams may
be able to reach base contact and some may
not. However, in the ensuing assault phase, all
teams in the unit may attack.
Note that it is possible to engage multiple
enemy units at once, so long as your unit can
get into base contact with them.
Example
x x
x point.
7
Example
Assault team Estoc is going to engage the
enemy Stormrage Veterans unit standing 8
away from their position. The Enforcer unit
(Speed 6) cannot reach the enemy with a
Move action, and must use a Double Move
to charge into base contact. Normally this
would use up their actions for this Activation,
but because they charged an enemy unit, they
now get to make an Assault action too, before
being marked as Activated.
Other Movement
Actions
Double Move Long
Action
This action works exactly like a Move action,
but the unit can move up to double its Speed
value in inches.
In addition, you may not use a Double Move
action to enter or leave an area of defensible
terrain.
Disengage Long Action
This action is only available to units that are
currently engaged. It works just like a Double
Move action, except that the unit cannot end
its movement engaged with any enemy.
As you can see, there is space on the other side
of the Enforcers and Jotunn Mobile Gun for
Rekkhyrr unit Rygar to fit, within its Speed value.
However, the gap between is not wide enough
for the team to pass through without entering
within 1 of the enemy unit or moving through
the Vehicle. The Rekkhyrrs cannot move around
the outside as this path would take the models
further than their Speed value from their start
 Shoot
Provided that your unit is not engaged with
an enemy unit, it may use its ranged weapons
to attack from a distance. To do so, follow
Warpath

these steps:
1: Pick Your Target
You can target a single enemy unit with each
Shoot action which one you pick is up to you,
but remember some units have advantages
when shooting certain targets (Anti-Tank
weapons against Vehicles, for example). You
cannot pick a target that is engaged with one
of your own units. All teams in a unit must
shoot at the same target.
2: Line of Sight
If you want to shoot at the enemy, you have
to be able to see them! This is called Line of
Sight (LoS).
Draw an imaginary straight line from any
part of your team bases to any one of the
target units team bases (you can use your
tape measure to help). If you can draw this
line without passing over any other units or
terrain pieces, line of sight is not blocked.

Example

Heavy Support team Kontakari is scanning for targets. They are braced against the barricade (an
Obstacle) so can ignore it when determining which enemy units are in cover.
The Forge Guard are standing in the open the LoS is not blocked.
One of the Steel Warrior teams is visible but the other is hidden behind the Forge Guard because
half the teams are blocked from view, the Steel Warrior unit is in cover.
The Iron Ancestor is a Vehicle, and is so tall that team Kontakari can see it above the heads of the
enemy infantry. However, because it is partly obscured by the infantry, it is also in cover.

8
Note: The gaps between teams in a unit also
block LoS.
Some teams may be able to see the target
while others cannot. The unit may still attack,
but only the teams able to see can shoot.
If it turns out you cant see the unit you want
to shoot, you are allowed to pick a different
target, or change your action.
Cover
If some of the target units teams are behind
terrain or other units, they might receive a
cover modifier, making them harder to hit.
this distance to the Range value of the teams'
weapons. Remember that distances can be
measured at any time during the game.
Some teams or specific weapons in a unit
may be in range while others are not, due to
the position of the teams or having different
Range values. The unit may still attack, but
using only weapons that are in range.
4: Fire!
Once youve established that you can see and
reach your target, its time to find out if you
hit!

If at least half of the teams in the target unit Look in the teams weapon list for any weapons
are partially or completely blocked from view, that are in range and roll the number of dice
then the unit is in cover. indicated. Use different coloured dice to roll
for weapons that have different AP values on
If the shooting unit is in base contact with an their profile.
obstacle, they may ignore it when determining
if an enemy is in cover. If youre using a unit with more than one team
in it, roll all their Shooting dice together.
Height
To determine if you Hit or not, compare the
Things on the battlefield are different sizes,
dice values to the teams Accuracy.
which also affects their LoS.
Some things make it easier or harder to hit
If all the obstructions in the way are smaller
and will affect the dice that youve rolled.
than the target (or the attacker), they dont
These modifiers are listed below. They are
block LoS, although they still grant cover.
cumulative.
All the infantry models in Operation Heracles
+1 Short Range The target is within 6
are considered the same height, so they cant
see through one another. -1 Cover The target is in cover
-1 Suppression The Shooting unit is
Vehicles however are so large that they can see Suppressed
over infantry, and the infantry can see vehicles
above other infantry. Important: When rolling to hit, any dice
that roll a 1 always fail, and any dice that roll
Some of the terrain on the battlefield can allow a 6 always succeed, even if modifiers would
units to stand higher up, allowing them to see otherwise make a shot impossible.
over the top of things they otherwise couldn't.
See the Terrain section for more details. If any hits are scored on the target, place one
suppression token next to it.
3: Range
Unless specified otherwise, a unit may fire all
of its weapons that are in range. A weapon is
in range as long as the target is at least partially
within its maximum range, and entirely
outside its minimum range (if it has one).
Measure the distance from the edge of each
shooting teams base to the closest visible
point on the target units base, and compare

9
 Example
Pathfinder team Farsight decides to shoot at a unit of Steel Warriors. The Enforcer player checks line
of sight to ensure that the Pathfinders can see the Forge Fathers advancing toward them, and they
can.
Warpath

The Steel Warrior teams are 22 and 25 away, so all of them are in range of the Pathfinders weaponry.
The Enforcer player rolls 4 dice for the LSX Sniper Rifles, and another 4 dice for the D.O.G. Drones
Burst Laser. As the weapons have different AP values, different coloured dice are used to distinguish
between the attacks.
The Pathfinders have Accuracy 3+, meaning they normally require dice results of 3 or higher to hit
their target. However, there is an obstacle partially blocking their view so the Cover modifier will
apply, subtracting 1 from each dice result. The Pathfinders now need to roll 4 or higher to succeed.

The dice are rolled the Pathfinders score 3 hits with their rifles and 3 hits with the Burst Laser. These
6 dice can then be rolled to see if they damage the Forge Fathers.
Because at least one hit has been scored, a suppression token is added to the Forge Father unit. The
LSX Sniper Rifles add a further suppression token due to their Suppressive Fire (1) special rule.

5: Roll to Damage Once a team is removed, none of its rules may

Take all the dice that scored hits and roll them be used any more. Only teams still left in a
again, this time against the Defence stat of the unit can be used.
target.
Each success causes one point of damage.
There is only one modifier on rolls to damage
by shooting:
+X Armour Piercing Listed in the weapon
profile
Important: When rolling to damage, any dice
that roll a 1 always fail, regardless of modifiers.
Some units will have a Defence value greater
than 6+. These units are so heavily armoured
that its impossible to damage them without
modifiers!
7: Suppression Check
6: Remove Casualties
If there is excess damage after removing
Compare the amount of damage dealt to the casualties, compare it to the Nerve value of the
target units Resilience. For every amount of target unit. If the damage equals or exceeds
damage equal to the Resilience: the targets Nerve, inflict another suppression
token on the target.
Remove one team of the owning players
choice from the unit. Any further damage is discarded. Only
Add one suppression token to the unit. suppression tokens are tracked.

10
 Example
The Pathfinders have scored 6 hits on their target. The Steel Warriors have a Defence value of 5+,
which means that attacks normally need a 5 or more to cause damage. However, the LSX Sniper
Rifles have an AP value of 2, which means they only need to roll 3 or more to inflict damage. The
Burst Laser has an AP value of 1, meaning those hits need 4 or more.

The rifles succeed with all three dice, and the Burst Laser deals a further 2 points of damage. A
devastating attack!
This is a total of 5 points of damage, which is compared to the Resilience value on the Steel Warrior
units profile. The Resilience value (4) has been reached once, and so one team is removed from the
unit, and a third suppression token added. Had the damage been 8 or more, the Resilience value
would have been reached twice and a second team would have been destroyed.
After the casualties are removed, the 1 leftover damage is compared to the Steel Warriors Nerve
value of 2. The damage has not reached the Nerve value, so no further suppression tokens are added.

Blaze Away
Sometimes you want to keep your enemy Instead of rolling to damage, each successful
pinned in place with a spray of bullets. You hit adds 1 suppression token to the target.
can do this with a Blaze Away action. Weapons with the Suppressive Fire special rule
inflict their bonus suppression as normal.
Treat the shooting unit as having Accuracy
6+ when performing this action. Blaze Away
attacks are never affected by modifiers.

11
 Assault
Assault actions are for when troops are
fighting in close-quarters combat, hand-to-
hand/claw/tentacle. The action can only be
Warpath
taken by a unit that is in base contact with an
enemy.
Unlike shooting, you dont have to worry
about hitting your target theyre right in
front of you but your opponent gets to fight
back! They retaliate by rolling their Assault
dice at the same time as the attacking unit.
Doing this marks them as Activated.
1: Roll to Damage
Look in the teams profile for weapons that
have a Range value of A (short for Assault)
and roll the number of dice indicated.
If youre using a unit with more than one team
in it, roll all their Assault dice at once. Use
different coloured dice for attacks that have
different AP values.
Units that already have an Activated token
only get to roll with half their Assault dice
(rounding up).
Grounded units get no Assault dice at all!
If youre in base contact with more than one
enemy unit you can split your attacks across
all of them just choose which dice are going
to attack which unit.
Like damage from Shooting, you compare
your dice rolls to the target teams Defence
scores, subject to these modifiers:
+1 Charging The unit charged a unit in
the open in this Activation
+X Armour Piercing Listed in the weapon
profile
-1 Suppression The attacking unit is
suppressed
Note: The charging bonus does not apply
when assaulting into terrain or over an
obstacle.
Important: When rolling to damage, any dice
that roll a 1 always fail, regardless of modifiers.
12
Some units will have a Defence value greater
than 6+. These units are so heavily armoured
that its impossible to damage them without
modifiers!
2: Remove Casualties
Compare the damage taken on each side to
each units Resilience. For every amount of
damage equal to the Resilience:
Remove one team of the owning players
choice from the unit.
Add 1 suppression token to the unit.
Note that this can result in mutual destruction!
3: Determine Winner
The side that took the least damage is the
winner.
If all units on the side that took the least
damage have been destroyed, the other
side is the winner by default.
In a draw, both sides count as the winner.
4: Suppression Check
Units that lose an Assault are in a very
precarious position. If there is any leftover
damage after removing casualties, compare it
to the losers Nerve value.
If it is equal to or greater than their Nerve,
they get an extra suppression marker.
If the loser has enough suppression markers
that they would be grounded by this point, the
whole unit is destroyed and removed.
If the losing unit survives, any further excess
damage is discarded.
The winner of an Assault never makes this
Nerve check.
5: Gaining Ground
Units that win an Assault can take advantage of
their position and push back their opponents.
The winner may make a Move action with the
losing unit(s). This may be in any direction,
although they cannot end their movement
engaged with any enemies.
The winning unit(s) then get to make their
own Move action in any direction, though
they may not engage any new enemies. They
can chase the losing unit and re-engage them
though!
This doesnt count as a charge and any further
Assault takes place next turn.
If there was no loser, no unit may move. The
surviving units remain in place and the action
is over. All surviving teams not already in base
contact must be moved as close to the enemy
as possible by the shortest possible route.

Example

[insert colour pic of assault team in contact

with steel warrior unit]

Assault team Estoc has charged Steel Warrior unit Barakn. The Steel Warriors have 1 suppression
token, but are not yet marked as activated, and can therefore fully retaliate in the Assault.
The Enforcers have 8 dice from their Wristblades, and the Forge Fathers get 4 dice from each teams
assault weapons, for 8 dice in total. Both players roll to damage their opponent.
The Enforcers are rolling against the Steel Warriors Defence value of 5+. Their Wristblades have an
AP of 1, and the unit also charged in this Activation, for a total modifier of +2. This means that all
results of 3 or more will cause damage!
The Forge Fathers are rolling against the Enforcers Defence value of 5+, with no modifiers.
The Enforcers score a total of 6 points of damage, and the Steel Warriors score 3. Comparing to the
units' Resilience (both 4), the Enforcers have wiped out a team of Steel Warriors and also win the
combat by taking the least damage.
The losing Steel Warriors gain a suppression token for taking casualties, and check the 2 points of
leftover damage against their Nerve value (2). It equals, so they gain a further suppression token, now
having 3. This is not enough to ground them theyve survived the attack, for now.
As they won the Assault, the leftover damage on the Enforcer team doesn't have any effect, and they
now get to make a Move action with the losing Steel Warriors. The Enforcers get to make a Move
action too they could either pursue the fleeing Forge Fathers and reengage, or reposition themselves
in preparation for the next Turn.

13
Warpath
Suppression
Suppression is a combination of fear and
self-preservation instinct. In the game, this is
represented by imposing penalties on any unit
under suppressing conditions, such as heavy
fire, shots out of nowhere, and injuries to
squad-mates. Heavily suppressed units will go
to ground, which puts them out of the action
and leaves them sitting ducks. Some may even
turn tail and flee the battlefield.
The following things will add
suppression tokens to a unit - place
the tokens next to the unit as a
reminder.
1 token for taking any number of hits
from a Shoot action.
1 token for each successful hit scored by
a Blaze Away action.
X tokens for being hit by a weapon with
the Suppressive Fire (X) rule. Each weapon
applies these tokens separately.
1 token for each team removed as
casualties following a Shoot or Assault
action against the unit.
1 token for leftover damage reaching
or exceeding the units Nerve value in a
Suppression Check.
Note: Units can only suffer suppression
tokens from weapons capable of damaging
them in the first place. For example, the Iron
Ancestor (Defence 8+) can only be suppressed
by weapons with AP 2 or higher.
Suppression tokens affect a units ability to
perform, as they will be distracted from the
task at hand by their efforts to duck and hide.
A unit is suppressed while it has a number of
suppression tokens equal to or greater than
its Nerve value. A suppressed unit suffers the
following penalties:
The units Speed is halved.
The unit suffers a -1 penalty in both
Shooting and Assault.
Removing
Suppression
Suppression tokens can be removed with the
Regroup and Rally actions, and with some
Special Rules (such as Headstrong).
Regroup
This allows the unit to remove 1 suppression
token, as the troopers pause to gather their
wits and recover morale.
Rally
This removes D6+1 suppression tokens from
the unit. The unit may then make a Move
action, although it may not engage the enemy
with this Move.
14
Going to Ground
Sometimes a unit may take so much fire that
they are completely pinned down, unable to
play any further part in the battle until they
can gather their wits this is called being
grounded.
A unit is grounded while it has a number of
suppression tokens equal to or greater than
double its Nerve value. Grounded units are
affected by the following rules:
May not make any action during their
Activation except Rally.
May not make Charge Reactions.
May not retaliate in Assault.
May not issue Orders.
If a unit currently on Overwatch takes enough
suppression to become grounded, it becomes
marked as activated.
Recovery
Grounded units are at risk the troops may
turn and flee the battlefield or succumb to their
wounds. When a grounded unit is activated it
must try to recover before Rallying.
Roll one die for each team in the unit, and
compare the result to the units Nerve value.
15
For every roll greater than the units Nerve, a
team has died of its injuries or fled the battle
one team of the owners choice is removed.
No further suppression is added for teams
removed in this way. Any remaining teams
have recovered, and the unit must carry on
with its Activation and make a Rally action.
Example
Jetbike unit Rapier has 6 suppression tokens.
This is double their Nerve value (3), so the
unit is grounded.
On their activation, they must attempt
to recover before doing anything else. The
Enforcer player rolls two dice (one for each
team in the unit) and compares the result to
the unit's Nerve.
One team has rolled greater than the Nerve
value (3) and is removed from the table - they
have either fled or are too badly injured to
keep fighting.
The other team succeeded its recovery roll
and now continues its activation with a Rally
action.
 Special Rules
Anti-Grav
This unit has thrusters, wings or mystical
powers that allow it to hover above the ground.
Warpath
It may move over terrain, vehicles and enemy
units without needing a clear path around or
between them. It must still have enough space
to end its move in the chosen position.
Anti-Tank (X)
This weapon is designed for destroying
heavily-armoured targets. When rolling to
damage against a Vehicle with this weapon,
each successful damage roll is multiplied by X
before determining casualties.
Blast (X)
If this unit hits with a shooting attack, each
successful hit is multiplied by X when
determining how many dice to roll to damage.
Blast has no effect on Blaze Away attacks.
Weapons with Blast also ignore modifiers for
cover when shooting.
In Assault, the Dice value of the weapon is
multiplied by X before rolling to damage.
Fire in the Hole!
When this unit charges, no charge reactions
of any kind may be made, even by units in
terrain, as the target units vision is obscured
or it is pinned in place.
16
Headstrong
This unit is bold even in the face of danger.
At the beginning of its Activation, before
any Recovery rolls, this unit may remove 1
suppression token.
Heavy Firepower
Some weapons are particularly cumbersome
to carry, aim or reload. This weapon may not
be used to Blaze Away. Shooting is a long
action for this weapon.
Recon
Infantry scouts and stealth units can often
get into advanced positions before fighting
breaks out. This unit may start the game
in any terrain piece outside the opponents
deployment zone.
Saboteur
This unit is skilled with electronics and
explosives, and is able to disrupt or destroy
the enemys tech.
When a unit with this rule attacks an enemy
Vehicle in melee, it can attempt to sabotage it.
Any rolls of a 6 to damage will be rolled again
as normal, but will also add a suppression
token to the Vehicle, even if the unit could not
otherwise damage it.
Saturation
This weapon fires gouts of flame or toxic
gas that fill an area, so accuracy is far less
important! This weapon always hits on a 3+,
regardless of modifiers, even when using a
Blaze Away action.
Suppressive Fire (X)
This weapon creates such a storm of bullets
or shrapnel that enemy troops have little
choice but to dive for cover. This unit deals
X suppression tokens on top of any regular
suppression caused when making a Shoot
or Blaze Away action. This applies even if
no damage is caused, but the weapon must
hit at least once. If simultaneously firing
multiple weapons with this rule, the totals are
cumulative.
Terrain
Even in the distant future, the site of a battle is
as important to determining the victor as the
number of troops fighting there. A cunning
commander is able to use the terrain to their
advantage, making ten soldiers feel like a
hundred and cutting off their opponent's
escape routes.
Open Ground
The majority of the battlefield is flat and
featureless we refer to this as open ground.
No extra rules or exceptions apply to open
ground.
Units count as being in cover while inside or
on top of the terrain.
Any unit on top of this terrain can see over
Vehicles.
Enemies may engage the occupying unit in
Assault by charging the edge of the terrain
piece (as if it were the base of the unit). If the
occupying unit is wiped out then the winning
unit may use its Move action to occupy the
terrain.
A unit that begins its Activation occupying
this terrain counts as having the Headstrong
rule (if it didn't already) until it leaves.

Impassable Ground Units inside terrain dont add a suppression

All units can see over this. Units cannot move token from being hit by shooting (they still
through or occupy impassable ground. It does add suppression caused by Blaze Away attacks
not provide cover. and weapons with Suppressive Fire though)

Obstacles
If a Vehicle occupying this terrain is destroyed,
any explosions are confined to the terrain and
All units can see over this. Obstacles provide do not spread to other nearby units.
cover.
Units in base contact with an obstacle can
ignore it when shooting at an enemy, while
still using it for cover themselves. However,
they can be assaulted by a unit that contacts
the opposite side.
Small Impassable
terrain
Vehicles can see over this but Infantry cannot.
Units cannot move through or occupy
impassable terrain, but may use it as cover.
Large Defensible
terrain
Neither infantry nor vehicles can see over this
terrain.
A single unit can occupy the terrain piece,
standing inside or on top of it. Simply move
all teams into base contact to occupy the
terrain. You dont have to put the models in
the terrain, you can mark it as occupied with a
counter if you wish.
To leave the terrain, a unit must use a Move
action, measuring the distance from the edge
of the terrain.

17
 Advanced Rules
This section explains the more complex rules of Warpath, adding more tactical depth to your
games. These are introduced gradually in the Operation Heracles campaign, though you can
start using them whenever you feel familiar with the basic rules.
Warpath

Charge Reactions
If you declare an action that will result in a charge reaction, even if the unit is marked
charging an enemy unit, your opponent has as activated. Any reaction made will not mark
a chance to react, provided that unit is not the unit as activated unless it was already. In
already engaged, grounded, or marked as addition, the unit may react by removing its
activated. Before your unit is moved into base activation token, refreshing the unit to fight at
contact, any enemy unit due to be engaged full strength in the following Assault.
may make any of the following actions:
Move
Blaze Away
Regroup
Remove activation token*
Shoot**
*only when occupying defensible terrain
**only when on Overwatch
Moving, Shooting or Blazing Away will mark
the reacting unit as activated, and therefore
unable to fight at full strength in the coming
Assault (should one still occur) or act later in
the Turn. A Regroup action can be done for
free and will not mark the unit as activated.
Moving as a reaction cannot be used to engage
with any enemy, including the charging unit.
Shoot and Blaze Away actions must be
targeted at the charging unit, and do not need
to be within line of sight or range at the point
of reaction they will fire as the charging unit
gets closer.
If the enemy has multiple units being charged, Failed Charges
he may choose the order in which they react, If any reaction results in the charging unit
and each reaction must be dealt with in full being unable to reach its original target(s),
before proceeding to the next. or the charging player no longer wishes to
charge its intended target, the charging unit
A unit does not have to react if it doesnt want may make only a single Move action instead
to. of its original charge, and may not charge any
Defensible Terrain
other units. Its Activation is then over.

Units occupying Defensible Terrain have Any enemy units due to react that had not yet
prepared themselves for attack, setting up kill done so can no longer react to the charge.
zones and ambushes. They may always make

18
 Example
Jetbike unit Rapier uses a Double Move to engage Steel Warrior unit Einkad, 16" away. The Forge
Father unit has not yet activated this turn, and declares it will react to the charge.
The Steel Warriors could use a Move action to move up to their Speed value (4"), though this would
not be far enough for them to escape the Enforcers' charge.
They could also choose to Regroup, removing a suppression token to better prepare them for the fight.
The Forge Fathers decide to Blaze Away as their charge reaction. They roll eight dice for their
Hailstorm Rifles and another six dice for their Hailstorm Autocannons.

They score two hits with their rifles, plus one hit with the autocannons, inflicting a total of four
suppression tokens (one for each hit, plus one for the autocannons' Suppressive Fire rule).
With four suppression tokens versus their Nerve value of 3, Jetbike unit Rapier is now suppressed,
halving their Speed value. They can no longer move far enough to engage the Steel Warriors the
charge fails and they may only make a single Move action instead.

Overwatch you do. Once the unit has completed its

It is not always the right time to act, and you
may want to hold your units back to react to
your opponents movements.
You may delay your Activation to later in the
Turn by putting a unit on Overwatch. Place
an Overwatch counter next to the
unit, then play passes to your
opponent without you making
any other actions or marking
the unit as activated.
You can then activate this unit later in the
Turn. However, you will only be able to make
a single action, either long or short, when
Activation, flip over the Overwatch counter
to mark the unit as activated.
Units on Overwatch may Shoot as a charge
reaction.
If the only units left to activate in your force are
on Overwatch and your opponent has regular
Activations left to make, you may choose to
pass your Activation without doing anything
if you dont want to activate a unit yet.
Once only units on Overwatch remain
available to both sides, players must resume
alternately activating their Overwatching
units until everything has been activated.

19
 Mechanised Warfare
Both factions can deploy mighty armoured
vehicles to help turn the tides of battle,
bringing unique strengths and offering new
Warpath
If the damage exceeds a Vehicles Resilience
then it explodes! Any unit within X (where
X is the amount the Resilience was exceeded

tactics to both sides in your games.
All four mechanised reinforcements follow
the same rules as infantry with the following
exceptions:
Damaging and Destroying
Vehicles
When attacking a Vehicle, for each die
that rolled a 6 to damage, you may take an
additional die and roll to damage again, with
all damage added together before determining
if the Vehicle is destroyed. Any 6s on this
second roll (or indeed any further rolls) also
grant additional dice keep going until no
further 6s are rolled.
If the amount of damage inflicted on a Vehicle
equals its Resilience, the Vehicle is crippled
and plays no further part in the battle leave
it on the table as impassable terrain.
by, to a maximum of 6) is caught in the blast.
Each unit suffers the vehicles Resilience +D6
hits at AP 1 (roll separately for each unit).
These units will take suppression tokens from
these hits as if it were a shooting attack. After
resolving the explosion, leave the model on
the table the smouldering wreckage counts
as impassable terrain.
If the Vehicle takes double its Resilience
or more in damage, as it has been blown to
smithereens! It explodes as
above, then remove the model
from the table.
Vehicles that fail a recovery
roll after being grounded are
removed from the table
and do not explode.

Tanks
If a vehicle (e.g. a Jotunn Mobile Gun) is
classified as a Tank, it follows these additional
rules:
Tanks cannot enter defensible terrain pieces,
nor engage enemy units in one. Tanks may
move into and through enemy Infantry units
in the open, however. This is a charge and
the Tank will make an Assault action against
the unit moved through, even if it ends its
move out of contact as it rams and runs over
the enemy. If a Tank ends its move on top of
an enemy infantry unit and they survive the
Assault, move the infantry out of the way by
the shortest possible distance.
Tanks have a ramming attack represented by
Tanks can charge other Vehicles as well, but a weapon with a range of R. If a Tank charges
may not move through them. an enemy unit it will make an Assault action
as normal. Ramming weapons cannot be used
Tanks are never considered engaged they to retaliate in Assault if the Tank is charged,
may move freely out of base contact with however.
enemies, and enemy units may do the same.
Tanks may also shoot and be shot at while in Tanks can Shoot as a charge reaction if they
base contact with enemy units. are able to perform one.

20
Flyers
If a vehicle (e.g. an Accuser Interceptor) is
classified as a Flyer, it follows these additional
rules:
Flyers ignore all terrain if you want to
position it above terrain just put the base
on top of the terrain piece the unit is not
occupying it, but soaring in the sky above.
Flyers gain access to the Strafing Run special
action.
Flyers must always perform a Move, Double
Move or Strafing Run as part of their
activation, and must end their move at least
their Speed value away from their starting
point they cannot stay still.
Suppression has no effect on the Speed value
of Flyers.
Shooting at a Flyer suffers a -1 penalty due to
the aircraft's height and speed.
Flyers can always see and be seen over the
top of all enemy units and vehicles. They only
suffer the cover modifier when shooting into
defensible terrain.
Flyers cannot engage or be engaged in Assault.
If destroyed, a Flyer never causes damage to
nearby units by exploding, and never leaves
wreckage on the table it crashes far away
from the battlefield or disintegrates mid-air.
21
Transport Bay
A Flyer with this rule is equipped with a small
transport bay for delivering troops into battle.
A unit of a single infantry team with the
Anti-Grav rule can choose to start the game
onboard the Flyer. Units may not embark
during the game.
The unit can disembark the Flyer as if they
were leaving a defensible terrain piece, with
the exception that they cannot exit if the Flyer
has performed a Double Move action that
Turn.
While onboard, a unit cannot be targeted by
shooting or engaged by enemy units. It may
only Move (to exit the vehicle), Regroup or
Rally. It may not make any kind of attack.
If the Flyer is destroyed with a unit on board,
they are destroyed with it.
Strafing Run
Strafing Run is a long action. Make a Double
Move as normal, but draw an imaginary
straight line across the battlefield from the
Flyer's starting position to its end position
(which can be off the board for this action).
Choose one unit that falls beneath this line,
and make a Shooting attack against it and any
unit engaged with it. All other units beneath
the line, friend or foe, and any units engaged
with them, each gain a suppression token.
Once the Flyer's Activation is finished, it is
removed from the table and cannot return for
the rest of the game.
 Command and
Control
Both sides can deploy experienced leaders in
their ranks to ensure victory. The presence of
Warpath

these commanders unlocks access to a system

of Orders you can issue to your units, allowing
them to co-ordinate their attacks and perform
actions they would otherwise be unable to do.
Orders are given to your troops by spending
Command Dice. Each army has a limited
amount of dice available, so use them wisely.
Giving Orders
To give an Order, declare which Order you
are using, which commander is giving it, and
which unit will carry it out. Theres no limit to
how many Orders your commanders can give
each Turn, but each unit can only receive one
Order per turn, even if it fails.
Note: A commander cannot give Orders while
their unit is grounded.
Roll one of your command dice, and check
your result:
If one of these symbols is
rolled, the Order is a success the unit
carries out your chosen Order according
to the description. Discard the die
afterwards.
If a blank face is rolled, the Order is a
failure it has been misunderstood or
didnt get through to your troops. Discard
the die.
If a + icon is rolled, it means the Order
is carried out so effectively that it gives a
tactical advantage return the die to your
command pool, it can be used again later.
EPG Heracles
The Enforcer army gains 3 command
dice and 3 commanders. These
commanders must be assigned to
infantry teams during deployment. A
unit may only contain one commander.
An infantry unit with a commander
removes an extra Suppression token
whenever it regroups or rallies.
Enforcer commanders may give Orders
to any Enforcer unit on the table,
including themselves.
While the Pathfinder team is alive, once
per Turn you may re-roll one of your
command dice.
The Command rules change the sequence of
play by allowing a player to continue their turn
even after they have no units left to activate.
Players continue to alternate Activations
until the end of the Turn, and may use this
opportunity to give Orders as well (not all
Orders involve activating a unit.)
If a player does not wish to give an Order,
they may choose to do nothing and pass to
their opponent. The Turn will end when both
players have no units left to activate, and both
choose to pass.

22

The Bruderheim
The Forge Father army gains 3
command dice and 3 commanders.
These commanders must be assigned to
infantry teams or Iron Ancestors during
deployment. A unit may only contain
one commander.
An infantry unit with a commander
removes an extra Suppression token
whenever it regroups or rallies.
Forge Father commanders may only
give Orders to themselves or Forge
Father units within 12 of them.
Orders
Both forces may attempt to execute any of
these Orders, as many times as they wish:
Bounding Overwatch
Choose two units that have not yet activated.
One unit may make a single Move action and
then be placed on Overwatch. The other may
then make its Activation as normal.
Counter Attack
This Order may only be given when you
would declare a charge reaction, before the
23
enemy unit is moved.
The reacting unit may instead charge the unit
that was charging it (provided that it can reach
the target with a Double Move action), and
will gain the charging bonus in the ensuing
Assault. The unit now being charged does not
gain the charging bonus and may not react.
Courage Under Fire
Choose an Infantry unit. It may make a Rally
action without rolling for recovery. This does
not activate the unit, and may be used on a
unit that has already activated.
Firestorm
Choose a unit that has not yet activated. It
may immediately make a Shoot action, re-
rolling any misses. The unit is then marked as
activated.
Hit and Run
Choose a unit that has not yet activated. It
may make a Move action, followed by a Shoot
action, followed by a second Move action. It
is then marked as activated. The Shoot action
is considered to be a short action for the
purposes of rules such as Heavy Firepower.
Move, Move, Move!
Choose a unit that has not yet activated. It
may either:
Perform a Double Move action that starts
or ends in a piece of terrain, or
Perform a Triple Move action (as Double
Move, but at triple the units Speed).
The move is unaffected by suppression. The
unit is then marked as activated.
 Campaign Missions
The following battles recount key missions or conflicts during the war for Triton. Each battle
has a mission briefing, which tells you how to set up the table, how long the battle will last,
and what each side must do to achieve victory, as well as suggesting what Advanced Rules you
Warpath

should try adding to your games to increase the challenge.

Battle 1 - Hopes Reach

Enforcer units mustering at the township of Hopes Reach suddenly found themselves cut off when nearby
Mount Tanaka erupted without warning, filling the air with thick clouds of ash and rubble and making
flight impossible for Enforcer aircraft and fast-response vehicles.
While a withdrawal might have been technically possible, the loss of the township and the materiel stockpiled
within would be a major setback in the campaign to take the planet. With reinforcements more than a day
away, the commander of the stranded Enforcers made the decision to dig in and weather the storm.
As they waited, and as Tanaka continued to spew fire and smoke into the sky, the troops at Hopes Reach
came under attack from a Forge Father assault force seemingly unbothered by ground tremors or chunks
of molten rock raining from above. For the next twenty-four hours the Enforcers would need to hold their
ground and prove themselves just as resilient and stubborn as their doughty opponents.

Forces First Activation

Enforcers: The Forge Fathers are the Attackers and take
The Enforcer army may deploy up to 5 the first Activation.
infantry units, excluding Jetbikes.
Game Length
Forge Fathers: The game will last for 4 Turns.
The Forge Father army may deploy up to 4
Victory
infantry units.
The Forge Fathers need to overrun the Enforcer
Terrain and Deployment units by getting into their deployment zone.
The Enforcers must keep the Forge Fathers at
Defenders
bay.
12" Deployment Zone

If at the end of turn 4 there are equal to or

more Attacker units than Defender units
18"
in the Defender's deployment zone, then
the Attackers have won. Otherwise it is a
Defender victory.

Attackers
Advanced Rules
18" Deployment Zone

No Advanced Rules are needed for this battle.

24
Battle 2 - Assault on the Communications
Platform
While the majority of EPG Heracles engaged the Forge Fathers at principal landing sites across the continent,
a smaller strike force under Lieutenant Paravel was dispatched to the eastern shores of Lake Rossus, a three-
mile-wide sulphur lake, on a crucial mission to seize control of IFs main communications platform.
Transmissions between troops on the surface and the fleet in orbit had proven unreliable thanks to a
combination of interference from materials in the planets crust and the volcanic ejecta in the air. Seizing
the five relay nodes of the platforms sub-spatial array would be vital to improve co-ordination of Heracles
ground forces, and Paravels strike force had been instructed to do whatever necessary to secure the objective.
While the Forge Fathers of the Bruderheim did not find their own communications hampered, they did not
fail to realise the importance of the array to their less technologically advanced adversaries. The installation
had been heavily garrisoned and fortified, ready to repel any attack. Knowing the winner would have a
distinct advantage in obtaining or maintaining control of the planet, each side prepared themselves for a
bloody confrontation

Forces Sub-spatial Relay Node. These

Enforcers: should be no more than 2x2.
Place a Strategic Asset token on
The Enforcer army may deploy up to 6
each one. Units may move freely
infantry units and 2 vehicles.
over this terrain, and even end their move on
Forge Fathers: top. It does not block Line of Sight and does
The Forge Father army may deploy up to 5 not provide cover.
infantry units and 2 vehicles. First Activation
Terrain and Deployment The player who was victorious in Battle 1 may
choose who goes first.
12" Defenders
Deployment Zone
Game Length
The game will last for 5 Turns.
Victory
24"
The Enforcers and Forge Fathers are both
trying to control the 5 relay nodes, represented
by the Strategic Asset tokens on the board. To
control a node, you must have at least one
12"
Attackers
Deployment Zone
unit in base contact with it, and there must be
no enemy units within 6 of the node.
If one side controls 3 or more nodes at the
end of the game, they win. If neither side
accomplishes this, the game is a draw.

Advanced Rules
Use the Charge Reaction and Mechanised
Warfare rules in this scenario.

25
 Battle 3 - The Battle of Basalt Plains
The Enforcers tactics of lightning strikes and rapid redeployment, coupled with the Forge Fathers reliance
on well-defended fortifications, meant that open battle between the two sides was not a common occurrence
in the early days of the campaign.
Warpath

A pivotal exception was when Lord Lief Maggnus, a nephew of Ingulf Krestrsson and his junior by several
hundred years, deployed his forces straight from orbit and into the path of an Enforcer Strike Force that was
moving north to reinforce the besieged mining township of Basalt Plains.
It was an uncharacteristically bold move for Bruderheim dwarves and contrary to their established strategies.
But Lief Maggnus was inspired by tales of the valour of his sire and the grandsire for whom he was named,
as well as the fury of his uncle. His orders were to remain on the Bruderheim to keep him safe and the
Krestrsson bloodline alive, and this rankled with the young dwarf. Seizing the opportunity to cut off the
Enforcers march and determined to prove himself a worthy heir to the Dragon, Lief Maggnus donned his
Forge Guard armour and ordered his men into battle.

Forces First Activation

Enforcers: Each player should roll a D6. The player with
The Enforcer army may deploy up to 7 the highest result can choose who goes first.
infantry units and 3 vehicles. In the case of a draw, both players must roll
again until there is a winner.
Forge Fathers:
The Enforcers are the Attackers for this battle.
The Forge Father army may deploy up to 6
infantry units and 3 vehicles. Game Length
The game will last for 4 Turns.
Terrain and Deployment
Victory
The Enforcers need to break through the
Attackers
18"
Deployment Zone Forge Father lines so they can reinforce the
siege at Basalt Plains. The Forge Fathers need
24"
to blunt the Enforcers assault or delay them
for as long as possible.
18"

If at least half of the Attacker's units escape the

table through the back edge of the Defender's
Defenders
deployment zone before the game ends, the
12" Deployment Zone
Attacker wins.
Otherwise it is a Defender victory.

Advanced Rules
Use the Charge Reaction, Mechanised
Warfare, Overwatch, and Command &
Control rules in this scenario.

26
Concluding the Campaign
Using the rules and tactics youve learnt in the
previous battles, play the next three missions
to complete Operation Heracles and establish
the victor in the war for Triton.
Battle 4: Retreat
from Basalt Plains
The Battle for the Basalt Plains was a turning
point in the war. One side of the conflict is now
on the retreat, attempting to flee from their
victorious attackers.
Whichever side lost Battle 3 is now in retreat
from the other force. Use the Battle 3 map and
deployment, placing the winner of Battle 3 in
the Defenders deployment zone.
Battle 5: Contested
Territory
As things become more desperate, both sides
attempt to retain control of what assets they
have. Losing key facilities will be a nail in the
coffin for either force.
Use the map from Battle 2 to set up the
battlefield. The winner of Battle 2 starts with
one infantry unit in base contact with the
node closest to their deployment zone.
27
Battle 6: Hope Lost
The final push in the conflict. The last chance
for either side to retain control before they are
ousted from the planet.
Use the map from Battle 1 to set up the
battlefield. The winner of Battle 5 takes the
role of Attacker for this mission.
At the beginning of each turn, roll one die
for each unit on both sides. On a 1, that unit
is hit by pyroclastic debris from the volcanic
eruptions. The unit suffers 1D3+1 hits with
AP - as if it were a shooting attack. Resolve
all damage before beginning your activations.
Declaring the Victor
The winner of 4 or more battles is the campaign
victor, successfully conquering Triton and
ousting the opposition, free to reap the spoils!
The defeated side withdraws off-planet to lick
their wounds, but no doubt they will return,
hungry for revenge
Tiebreaking
If neither player has won 4 games, play a
tiebreaker battle: use the map from Battle 2 to
set up the battlefield, but this time its a fight
to the death. The last trooper standing wins!