Gruntz - 15mm SciFi PDF

Gruntz 15mm
15mm SCI-FI Skirmish Wargaming v1 - PDF Release 2011
Web site www.Gruntz.BIZ Photos and models used by permission
GZG Old Crow CMG CMG Khurasan
KHURASAN GZG CMG CMG 15mm.co.uk
1
Jan Juklicek (order #2816908) 8
Gruntz
Foreword
Acknowledgments With considerable forethought and no small amount of dice rolling I have
PHOTOS AND MODEL NAMES BY created Gruntz 15mm for your gaming pleasure. Gruntz is designed to make best
KIND PERMISSION OF: use of the exciting new ranges of 15mm models from Companies including Critical
Critical Mass Games Mass Games, Ground Zero Games, 15mm.co.uk, Khurasan, Old Crow Models, Rebel
www.criticalmassgames.com Minis and Brigade Models.
u
Gruntz is designed to be fast play and brutal, with rapid engagement and fast
GROUND ZERO GAMES moving game play. You should be able to create a decisive battle in just over an hour
GZG.COM for small skirmish level games. Gruntz 15mm is specifically designed to support
u ranges and play at 15mm scale and care has been taken to provide movement that
KHURASAN MINIATURES supports a game using 15mm figures on an average sized table top. Other scales of
khurasanminiatures.tripod.com models including 28mm could be used if players are happy to introduce changes to
u
support longer movement and ranges.
15mm.co.uk
u The rules offer flexibility to play a range of vehicles, troop types and futuristic
Old Crow Models equipment design for the economic destruction of enemy alien, humanoid and
www.oldcrowmodels.co.uk droid targets. It is designed for flexible scenario games where models make good
u use of the surrounding terrain and buildings for a dynamic action game.
Painted Miniatures Gruntz is named after the troopers that are the backbone of the game and
Jason Dawson are augmented by abilities and Perkz which offer different races and factions
painting service advantages on the battlefield. Forces can be selected from faction specific army lists
www.quarks-bar.co.uk which match the models from 15mm manufacturers and many are listed as generic
u types like vehicles which can be made available to any faction as a mercenary unit.
Tank Artwork by Unit statistics, weapon ranges, damage and other key gaming detail is provided
Istvan Pely movkup.com on profile cards and are designed to be quick to learn without the need to reference
u or think about multiple range categories. Each model from the various factions is
Cover Artwork by represented by a specific profile card which details the statistics and Perkz available
Jake Parker to the models specified. As new models are released by the various manufactures,
u new profile cards will be made available for download.
Mecha Artwork by It really is simple to play once you know the basics and you will find that you
David White don’t need to reference the rules after a couple of games.
www.mechazone.com
u
Optional rules are included to cover different activation mechanics, group basing
methods and alternative turn sequence. They alter the rules significantly, however
Copyright the core rules including unit statistics and damage resolution remain the same. The
All game content options provide the freedom for players to select some or all alternative mechanics
©Robin Fitton 2011 whilst retaining the fast play mechanics of the Gruntz rules.
Artwork copyright
respective owners. Any If you see anything in these rules that you don’t like, please feedback to me by
email or the yahoo group. If you have a relevant comment or exciting new idea you
details of other game
are using as a house rule please get in touch. Yahoo Group: http://uk.groups.yahoo.
company faction names is com/group/Gruntz-scifi/
by permission.
Robin Fitton
Contact:
bilgepipe@mac.com
When I die bury me

upside down so the
galaxy can kiss my ass
2
Content
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Find
Table of Contents »» Squad Points 31 »» Playing Cards 60
»» Find3 »» Squad Attachment 32 »» Alternative Activation 61
»» The Core rules 4 »» SA Points 33 »» Shoot Sequence 62
»» Statistics5 »» Specialist34 »» Group Basing 63
»» Building an Army 6 »» Specialist Points 35 »» Continued64
»» Model Types 7 »» Tank Design 36 »» Questions and Answers 65
»» Squad Coherency 8 »» Tank Points 37 »» Turn Sequence 66
»» Overview of Profile Cards 9 »» Mecha38 »» Battle Schema 67
»» Actions each Activation 10 »» Mecha Points 39 »» Scenarios 68
»» Terrain and Environment 11 »» Commander40 »» Battle Schema 69
»» Movement in Terrain 12 »» Commander Points 41 »» Scenarios 70
»» Terrain Types Table 13 »» Support Vehicle 42 »» Battle Schema 71
»» Battlefield Leaders 14 »» Support Vehicle Points 43 »» Heliopause Setting 72
»» Condition Modifier Table 15 »» Air Support Vehicle 44 »» Heliopause Technology 73
»» Ranged Combat 16 »» Air Support Vehicle Points 45 »» Heliopause Technology 74
»» Concentrate Fire 17 »» Artillery46 »» Heliopause Government 75
»» Ranged Combat Detail 18 »» Artillery Points 47 »» Organisations76
»» Close Combat 19 »» Statistic Tables 48 »» Organisations Continued 77
»» Damage and Suppression 20 »» SPEC YOUR UNIT 49 »» Alien Races 78
»» Vehicle Overview 21 »» Specialist Weapons 50 »» Aliens Continued 79
»» Vehicles Arcs and Abilities 22 »» Vehicle Weapon Table 51 »» Organisations80
»» Vehicle Critical Damage 23 »» Esoteric Tek 52 »» Alien Hordes 81
»» Vehicles Arcs and Destruction 24 »» Esoteric Tek Table 53 »» Alien Races 82
»» Indirect Fire 25 »» Squad Special Abilities 54 »» Alien Races 83
»» Standard or Advanced Movement 26 »» Continued Perkz 55 »» Aliens Continued 84
»» RAMS, Vehicle Options 27 »» Special ABILITIES 56 »» Kruk85
»» Digital Warfare 28 »» Scenario Conditions 57 »» Amnian86
»» Damage and Destruction 29 »» Vehicle Boosts 58
»» Squad Design 30 »» Vehicle Crew 59
Credits
My thanks to all of the Yahoo play test and members of the public attending UK wargaming shows who helped guide the development.
Thanks to all players who have helped and supported along the way and apologies to anyone I have missed.
Special mention to the following contributors:
Duncan Gosling (stories and scenario), Richard the Bodger, Simon Moules, The Agent of Ping, Craig of Critical Mass Games, Jon of Ground
Zero Games, Jon at Khurasan Miniatures. Mark Walsh (thanks for getting me through the last three Months of the project), SpaceJacker,
Michiel De Boer, Mark Ball, Gavin Dady, Gavin Mackrill, Gregory S. Small, John Hollyoak, Tim Berry and Kevin Rolfe.
Artists: David White for the mecha art http://www.mechazone.com/, Michiel De Boer - Icons, cards, aliens and uniforms, Jake Parker for
cover art http://www.agent44.com/ , Istvan Pely for various Tank art http://movkup.com. Aly Fell for original art cover.
3
The Basics
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The Core rules
Basing
Introduction It is recommended that you use pennies or other small coins to
Grunt is a dedicated 15mm fast- make it easier to move the models and to standardise the base sizes.
play, skirmish level wargame Old Crow Models make a slightly larger base with an inset lip which is
designed to support forces of 10 to perfect for most lines of 15mm models which fit snugly into the resin
40 models per side using combined base. Basing models like this makes it easier to move around as single
arms figures with a slightly larger, heavier base.
The system is designed to be quick Specialists and Commander models should be based on 30mm
to learn with limited reference diameter discs. The larger base size makes it easier to identify them on
to tables, charts and rules. All details for units such including the table and allows players to model detail onto their bases.
Gruntz, Vehicles, Artillery, Mecha and Specialist units are
included on profile cards. Gruntz squad models can be based on group bases for ease of
movement, however you will lose some of the benefits of skirmish play
You are able to play mixed armour and Gruntz squad units or a on complex terrain when using the larger group bases. Some care will
dedicated armour game for players that enjoy some metal on also need to be taken to confirm how many casualties (Waxed models)
the table. are on each base by marking the profile cards with casualties, unless
The rules and statistics in Gruntz cover modern and futuristic you are able to remove figures from your group base.
technology, allowing for low tech and high tech mixed battles.
Dice
Statistics are provided for alien technology and weird war style
creatures like World War II zombies and werewolves. You can use Gruntz uses a D6 die for all dice rolls. The core mechanic is based
technology from various eras, so hi-tech can meet low-tech on around a 2D6 roll which is made by rolling two D6 dice and adding the
Earth based or in Alien fields of battle. total. This value is then added to the relevant number from the model’s
statistics to get the overall total.
Miniatures
To succeed at an action the overall total must equal or exceed a
15mm miniatures are used in Gruntz mounted on single bases for certain target number (usually from the target’s statistics.) For example:
skirmish play. Each model represents an individual on the table and if you wanted a unit of Gruntz to shoot at an enemy unit you would roll
whilst skirmishing you are able to move individual models to take 2D6 and add to that the models Shoot statistic. The result must equal
advantage of the terrain. or exceed the Guard statistic of the target model. Modifiers may also
be applied to the dice roll depending on terrain or other conditions.
Vehicle models can be mounted on bases but can be used directly
on the board. The smaller battlefield size will ensure models engage Initiative
quickly for a rapid game session, however it is possible to use a much
larger area which is better suited to a battle between tanks and At the beginning of the first round all players roll 2D6 and add
mechanised infantry. their Commander’s Skill statistic. This can be further modified by some
special abilities the Commander may have.
A reconnaissance drone reports signs of Kra’vak activity outside of city limits. A small armoured car and heavy tank unit is sent to investigate.
4
Rules
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Statistics galaxy can kiss my ass
Statistic Description
Vehicles have a move statistic and they can move up to double this figure in inches if they make a Flank speed
Move
move. All Gruntz units move at a base speed of 4 inches.
y Shoot This number is added to a 2D6 roll to determine if you hit a target when this unit shoots (ranged combat).
This number is added to a 2D6 roll to determine if a unit hits an enemy unit when assaulting it (hand to hand
Assault
combat).
b
Guard determines how difficult it is to hit the model. This number must be equalled or exceeded by a Shoot or
Guard Assault attack roll. It is a measure of how difficult it is to land a shot or strike on a unit. Larger slower models like
tanks are easier to hit and have a lower Guard.
The Soak statistic is the number which must be equalled or exceeded to score a wound on a model. Shooting and
Soak Assault attacks have a damage score which is added to the 2D6 damage roll to confirm if the unit is damaged. It
is a measure of how tough and well armoured a unit is. Soak is usually higher for vehicle or cavalry units.
You must roll equal or less than the Mental number to pass the Mental test for Condition Brown. It is a measure
Mental of how good the unit is under stress and their skill at commanding others. Gruntz can use the Mental value of a
Commander within a range equal to their Mental stat.
Skill is used when making drive or piloting rolls, operating drone weapons and in certain scenarios where a
generic statistic is needed to determine the result of an action. When firing drone weapons or automatons with
Skill
remote weapon systems you use the Skill score just like you would for Ranged or Assault attacks, depending on
the situation.
Turn Sequence the game play. Perkz and statistics are detailed on the profile cards.
The turns play alternatively in Gruntz 15mm. At the start of the All Gruntz have just one wound and are Waxed (wounded) when
turn the active player moves and completes actions for all units before they take a single damage point. Commanders have multiple wounds
passing the turn back to the other player. Certain Perkz and other and vehicles have a damage grid as described in the vehicle combat
game abilities can create an out of turn response from the non-active section. Certain units will have zero in a statistic, for example robotic
player. automatons do not have a Mental statistic unless they have AI
technology.
Each Gruntz squad, Specialist, Vehicle or Commander must
complete all of their actions before you activate the next unit. All
Gruntz squads act together in a unit requiring all models in a single Term Description
squad of six Gruntz to complete movement before you start to
complete the shoot action. The main unit in the game of Gruntz an infantry
Gruntz
squad member.
Game Terms
Actions
nn-attack Neural Network Attacks against digital assets.
When activated, every unit in Gruntz can make up to two actions.
Line of Sight. Can your model see the enemy’s
Options for the two actions include moving, shooting and various LOS
model?
other more specialist actions.
SAW Squad Automatic Weapon.
A unit uses one action to move and one action to shoot which
would normally complete its activation. You can also take a run action APC Armoured Personnel Carrier.
which is a double move which uses both actions. The normal limit for
shooting is once per activation, so only one of the two actions can be AFV Armoured Fighting Vehicle.
used to fire on the enemy.
The term used to describe a grunt or unit that
There are other actions available to Gruntz including climbing, Waxed has been wounded before it is removed as a
embarking into a vehicle, going prone, disembarking a vehicle, casualty.
entering a building and even interacting with the terrain (e.g. opening The special abilities that Gruntz units can use
a secure door, placing a mine or interacting with a computer console Perkz depending on faction or equipment. These are
as part of a scenario.) detailed on profile cards.
Statistics The special ability of the Commander of a Gruntz
Faculty
faction. It can only be used once in a game.
All normal Gruntz have a single wound and a range of six statistics
that define their ability on the battlefield. They usually also have unit
Perkz which are special abilities, technology or skills which influence
Skirting the city limits and skimming the enzyme bonded-concrete freeways, the corporate police are hailed by a passive-node distress signal.
Wet-wired tek quickly adapts their skimmers to assault mode as they rapidly data-vise the appropriate authority signature through the local
neural net, setting the freeway systems into defence mode. Darkened blast visors lower as the target rebel signatures flick into augmented
vision with priority rebel vehicle targets highlighted for threat level. The freeway curves away beneath their thundering shadow as road turns
to desert beneath them.
5
Your
Rules
Army
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Building an Army
Points System
The Gruntz points system allows for the selection of a Commander,

Gruntz squads, Vehicles and other units based on the Points Cost
statistic on each profile card. The points are a small value with a range The fixed squad size of six is designed to match most of the
of costs depending on the type and quality of the unit. Gruntz squads ranges available from 15mm figure manufacturers. In most
cost between 5pts and 25pts with Vehicles costing between 12pts and packs you might find 5 similarly armed troops, a leader and
40pts depending on the size and power. A small game of a Commander a couple of heavy weapons. Support weapons are the “Squad
and a couple of Gruntz squads could be played as a 20pts game and Attachments” in Gruntz and are detailed on their own profile
an average sized combined arms game could be between 100pts and cards.
250pts per side.
The unit builder section of the rules provides details on how to

The Gruntz unit can combine with Squad Attachments which
create your Gruntz and Vehicles that have a numeric points value
could include snipers, SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) or other heavy
assigned which depends on the quality and capability of the unit.
weapons. The Squad Attachment has its own profile card to represent
Force Selection how it works as part of the Gruntz unit they are attached to.
To build a force for play in Gruntz you need a selection of models A standard Gruntz unit is six men (or aliens) strong and consists
to represent your army including Gruntz, Vehicles and Specialist units. of one leader and five Gruntz. All members of a single six-man Gruntz
During play you use the Gruntz profile cards which are a reference squad carry the same weapons. The unit of six in the Gruntz squad can
providing quick access to the statistics of the unit and a damage track then be combined with Squad Attachments which can increase the
for vehicles. The profile cards include statistics and abilities of the squad size up to eight. During the game the heavy weapon carrying
Vehicle or Gruntz squad and if stored in a baseball card protective Squad Attachment will act on the same activation as the Gruntz squad.
sheets you can mark off damage and re-use the cards without having
Unit Selection
to re-print them when you next play.
The chart details the forces available within Gruntz with a
A typical army in Gruntz will consist of a Commander model, several
Commander, Specialists and Gruntz units. The Tanks, Ground and
Gruntz squads and hardware which might include tanks, armoured
Air Support, Mecha and Cavalry all serve to strengthen the combined
fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers or other specialist air or
army on your miniature battlefield.
ground support units. Commanders are the only mandatory selection
and will need a transport to keep up if you build a pure armour force.
6
Units
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Model Types galaxy can kiss my ass
Symbol Type Description
Commanders are the most important figure on the battlefield in Gruntz 15mm. Their
experience and influence over the forces on the table can turn the battle at a vital moment.
There is only one Commander unit per side who is an experienced character model, that can
Commander influence the actions of his own squads and those of the enemy force. Commanders have a
unique “Faculty” which can be used once per game on their turn to create certain advantages
and conditions for the units under their control.
Gruntz are the mainstay of the sci-fi battlefield and are either trained military troops, militia,
angry colonists or of an alien origin. Squad Attachments are also considered to be Gruntz but
Gruntz
have heavier weapons or an ability that benefits the Gruntz unit in some way.
Cavalry includes any bike, skimmer or organic beast which provides a mostly unprotected
means of fast transport for Gruntz. Units of Cavalry follow the same unit size conventions as
Gruntz but have a higher points cost due to the added mobility of the unit. Note: They are built
Cavalry
using the Specialist Unit Builder.
Specialist units are solo single models that can act independently on the game battlefield.
Specialists include stealthy assassins, vile unique alien monsters or other heroic characters that
Specialist through experience and skill have earned themselves an important place on the battlefield.
They are purchased with points just like other units.
Any large organic or mechanised vehicle that has two or more legs as the method of
locomotion. They are designed to deliver significant ordinance to the enemy whilst also
Mecha
protecting the driver from harm.
Artillery is mobile or stationary and delivers template area damage to targets which can be
Artillery out of line of sight. Mobile artillery can be wheeled, tracked, air-hover or grav based. Most
artillery fire is subject to deviation if they miss the primary target.
Any wheeled, tracked, air-hover or grav based ground vehicle designed to transport troops and
Ground provide supporting cover in a fire fight. It takes one action to embark or disembark within 3
Support inches of the transport. Includes jeeps, APC’s and other forms of ground attack vehicles
Includes all forms of flying organic or mechanical transport and air support such as VTOLs,
dropships, bombers, drone aircraft and spacecraft. It takes one action to embark or disembark
Air
within 3 inches of the transport. If destroyed whilst in the flying condition, all troops are
Support
Waxed unless they are equipped with jump packs.
Any large, armoured wheeled, tracked, air-hover or grav based ground vehicle designed to
Tanks
deliver heavy damage and withstand enemy attacks.
A
Large B-Movie or Alien-style monsters, capable of city destruction and massive damage to
Monster
civilian and military snacks.
You are also able to design your own Gruntz units and vehicles With the growth of 15mm SCI-FI models there is a pick and mix of
using the unit builder rules. quality ranges that can be merged to create a unique force or collected
in their own right.
Gruntz 15mm is not tied to a particular genre or background, so
you can either focus closely on collecting a particular miniature line The points, profiling and statistics in Gruntz 15mm will enable you
like the excellent Titan Marines from Rebel Miniatures or the exciting to mix manufacturer ranges for a fun balanced game with the models
range of alien races from Khurasan. You could equally field a more you want to use. New releases from any manufacturer can be quickly
traditional future army using a mix of Critical Mass Games, GZG or Old profiled for game use.
Crow models and use your own background story and factions.
7
Squad
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Squad Coherency
damage is inflicted. The damage track is a simulation of how a tank or

vehicle becomes less effective as more fire power hits them. Vehicles
Table Setup can also suffer critical damage at certain thresholds on the damage
Starting with the player who lost track which further reduces their effectiveness in the field.
the Initiative roll, all units must be
placed on the table up to 9 inches Squad Coherency
into the game play area on a single All squad members must stay within 3 inches of their squad leader.
table edge. Units with the “Early If they end up outside of this range they must return to within 3 inches
Bird Special” perk can be placed up by move or run on their next activation and can not take any other
to 12 inches into the table area after action except to move during their activation.
all opponents have completed their normal unit deployment. In
a normal game you must always deploy at least 24 inches away Individual Gruntz can deliberately break integrity on their turn,
from the nearest enemy unit. however on the start of their next activation they have to return to
The deployment of units with the “Early Bird Special” perk is formation sacrificing all actions apart form move.
completed in the same order as the normal unit deployment .
Dead Gruntz Squad Leader
After placing units, the player who won initiative can select to
play first or second. When the Sergeant or leader of a squad is killed, another figure
Play continues with each player finishing the complete activation

of all their units before passing the turn back to the opponent.
A player can pass over the activation for individual units if they
do not wish to move or shoot with them. For different activation
sequences check the optional rules section.
Force Setup
Each player’s force consists of a mix of a Commander, Gruntz

squads, Specialists and Vehicles. The unit types define the function
of the unit and have specific rules determining how they move and
perform combat actions.
A sample force for an average game might include 1 Commander,

6 units of Gruntz, 3 Specialists, 2 Mecha units, 2 Cavalry units, 4 Tanks,
2 Ground Support APC and a mobile Artillery unit per side.
Larger games can be played with average game time increasing

from 1-2 hours for a small game to several hours for a larger Arc troopers on the bridge. Whilst they use the low railings as
engagement. cover they gain +1 to their guard against incoming fire.
Models by Critical Mass Games .
The vehicles in Gruntz have a damage track which is reduced as
The white Gruntz squad is activated

and declares they are moving just
M
one single grunt from the squad to

C
A
V
V
A
C
the edge of the road to fire on the

2 motorbike cavalry unit. This single
A
C
V
Fire! grunt is moving out of the 3 inch

coherency of the squad leader in the
centre of the green circle.
G Squad Leader
G He can still fire using his second action
but on the next turn he will only be
1 G Grunt
4 Inch able to take a move action to return
to unit coherency. This Gruntz unit’s
Move
activation is then over because they
declared only one grunt in the unit
T G was taking action.
G G A There is sometimes an advantage in
P
C breaking coherency where you don’t
G want to expose the full squad to
G G
incoming fire or you need to spot for
an attached indirect fire weapon like a
mortar or guided RPG.
8
Profile
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Overview of Profile Cards galaxy can kiss my ass
in the section is automatically promoted to Sergeant and becomes the table as you play. Ideally placed in a plastic sleeve for protection,
the new leader for the purposes of formation. Replace one of your you can re-use the printed cards for multiple games, marking damage
remaining Gruntz with your sergeant. In certain cases the equipment on the vehicle card grids with wipe clean marker pens which can be
used by Squad Attachments can be picked up by other Gruntz in cleaned off between games.
the section, details can be found on the profile card for the Squad
Attachment. The most important details on the card are the statistic block and
the weapon range and damage details.
Dead Squad Attachment
The first number on the weapon details line, next to an arrow, is the
If a Squad Attachment is killed, another Gruntz model is replaced Range, which is the range in inches of the weapon. Weapons can be
with the attachment model to represent the other Gruntz in the unit fired up to twice this distance for a long range attack.
scrambling to pick up and use the specialist technology carried by the
Squad Attachment. Note that if the Squad Attachment is outside of Most assault or Ram attacks do not have a ranged number because
the 3 inch squad coherency when they are Waxed then the weapon is they are a close hand to hand only mode of attack.
lost and can not be picked up by another squad member.
The number after the range is the damage of the weapon. After
You can have up to 2 Squad Attachments (SA) attached to a unit of a successful hit on a target, roll 2D6 and add the total to the weapon
Gruntz which extends the squad size to 8 models. damage number and then match against the target’s Soak statistic .
Profile Cards Commander, Vehicle, Mecha, Specialist, Monster and Cavalry units
also have profile cards specific to the unit type. The Vehicle cards
The profile cards in Gruntz 15mm are designed to be used beside include a damage grid which is based on the number of damage
Model
Name
Points
Background
Assault
Stat Block Damage
Assault and Armour

Ranged Piercing and
Weapons Area Effect
Weapon
Perks and Range and
Damage Weapon
Grid on Damage
Vehicles
Weapon Damage
All weapon damage and special abilities are detailed on the profile cards for your Gruntz and
Vehicles. If a weapon has Armour Piercing it does more damage to other vehicles by the factor
shown next to the AP statistic. Cavalry, Gruntz and Specialists are not affected by the armour
piercing ability of the weapon. Armour Piercing weapons are built with anti-armour in mind and
are therefore less effective against soft targets.
9
MOVES
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Actions each Activation
Actions
No individual or multi-figure base is allowed to overlap or rest
During a single turn, a unit can upon another figure’s base but they may touch. Models must be in
take two actions. Actions available base to base contact for an Assault attack to take place. Gruntz can
include move, which can be taken move through friendly Gruntz units but they must have enough move
twice which counts as a run. A to get completely past the friendly unit.
unit can also shoot, assault or
take a special action like open a You can not move while prone. It costs one action to change from
door, activate a shield, climb into a standing to prone, or prone to standing. If a unit is suppressed whilst
vehicle or control a drone weapon. in the prone condition, it will only be able to stand or shoot from
prone because suppression reduces a units actions from two to one
Most units can only fire once, unless they have Perkz or a special
for that activation.
weapon which allows them to break the single shooting action
rule. Some Perkz also require a single action to use. Change Face
Movement is completed before shooting, so most units will
either remain stationary and shoot, or move 4 inches and then Individual Gruntz squad models do not have a rear arc so moving
shoot. Certain Perkz will break this rule allowing specialist Gruntz them to change face is simply a visual way of determining which way
to shoot and then move. the models are facing, it does not cost an action. You will still benefit
from the +1 to shoot if you change a Gruntz squads facing, however
You must finish the move and then shoot actions of all the models they must only be turned on the spot and not moved away from their
in a unit before activating your next unit. current position or this will count as a move.
points they can take before they are destroyed. If a vehicle turns on the spot to change facing it is always
considered to be a move action. A vehicle’s facing is important because
Movement they take more damage from rear attacks and often have weapons
with a specific fire arc. Check the vehicle rules section for details on
All foot troops have two types of movement. They can make a weapon arcs of fire.
‘Normal’ move of up to 4” at the cost of one action or they can make
a ‘Running’ move of up to 8” at the cost of two actions. Assaults are a Term Description
function of movement that adds up to 2” to a ‘Normal’ move because
Gruntz Movement
‘Running’ can not be combined with an assault intended to take the Normal Up to 4 inches (Can shoot)
unit into close combat with an enemy unit.
If a unit makes a ‘Running’ action and uses both actions, it can no Run
longer make a shoot attack at the end of the move. However if part (double Up to 8 inches (Can not shoot)
of the move was due to a Commander push move, the Gruntz squad move)
could make a shoot action after the double move. + 2 inches to normal move and assault (Can
Assault
Gruntz models have a 360 degree firing arc and do not need to not shoot)
change facing. However, for aesthetic reasons, you may wish to turn Go Prone Model can go prone or stand from prone
individual Gruntz squad models to face the enemy when they shoot. / Stand condition
The Gruntz squad in the open is

activated and completes two move
2 actions. Each move is 4 inches for all
C
P
A
Gruntz, so taking two actions to move

Fire! allows them to cover some distance but
1 they can not fire because both actions
7 Inch have been used.
Move
G
A
P
C
The APC pictured is then activated and

uses one action to move up to its profile
G
move in inches and its second action

is to shoot at a distant enemy. It can
G
fire because it only moved once on its

G
G
activation.
1
4 Inch
G
If an enemy target is in LOS and within

Move 2 long range it is often worth firing a
4 Inch vehicles weapon because a double 6 on
Move the shoot roll is always a hit.
G
You can make use of a vehicle for cover

G
G Squad Leader
G
and if your squad is not within a troop

G
carrier, it can still gain cover from it by

G
G Grunt activating after the vehicle and following

it to screen their movement.
10
MOVES
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Terrain and Environment galaxy can kiss my ass
Vehicle Movement
Movement for vehicles is either normal speed, or flank speed

which is up to twice the move in inches printed on the profile card.
Unlike Gruntz squads, the Vehicles have different movement speeds Movement for all Gruntz was set to 4 inches for simplification
depending on the technology (e.g. Tracked. See the Vehicle section and ease of play. There are some Perkz which increase this
for full details.) range for fast moving alien types or jet packs but all standard
Gruntz are limited to a maximum move of 4 inches.
Terrain
They can still use their second action for a further 4 inches
In rough terrain some unit types use 2 inches of movement for which increases the speed of movement across the table.
every 1 inch of terrain covered. Units with the Perk “Ultimate Agility”
ignore penalties for rough terrain. Woodland areas and rubble are Moving Into a Building
considered as rough. Special conditions are applied depending on unit
mobility type which are referenced in the Terrain Types table. A door or blasted opened entrance (aka mouse-hole) must be
available and opened to allow Gruntz into a building. If the squad are
If a Gruntz squad is intending to pass through any form of rough already outside the building and have enough movement, they can
terrain during a move they can complete a single or double move. move into the building and shoot on the same activation.
Single Gruntz within the squad can move faster if they are able to skirt
the terrain, however they risk breaking squad coherency if they do. Climbing
Inside Woodland A Gruntz squad may climb onto a building and it is assumed they
are carrying appropriate equipment to enable them to climb most
When a model is inside woodland its LOS is reduced to 5 inches and structures up to 4 inches in height with a single move.
the model benefits from +1 Guard for Light Cover.
The squad must be within 3 inches of the base of the structure to
If a models are within 1 inch of the edge of the woodland. they make the climb move which uses both of their actions.
gain the benefit of the +1 Guard for Light Cover but the 5 inch LOS
limitation is not applied. For open platforms with ramps and clear ladders, it is only necessary
to make a normal or double move depending on the distance required
Opening Doors to walk onto the structure.
Large bulkhead doors and small corridor doors all require a Gruntz Other Actions
model to use one action to activate the mechanism or use the door
handle to open or close it. If the Gruntz model has already moved as If you are playing a scenario game you can create further objectives
part of its unit’s activation it will be using its second action to activate and actions specific to the game setting. For example you might
the door and cannot make a shoot action. decide that a team of Gruntz has to access a computer console to
release a disabling virus within a base defence network. Depending
Locked doors need to be breached or hacked and require a roll on your scenario this might take one or two actions to complete or
equal to or under the Gruntz Skill statistic to hack the door. even require player to roll under the unit’s skill statistic.
It is the red player’s turn and they

activate the squad which intends to
G
2 close with the white player’s Gruntz unit.

G
It has to pass over some rough terrain,

Fire!
G
so they use up movement rapidly whilst

G
covering the rough ground. Each inch of

G
G
terrain covered whilst bases are crossing

1 the rough ground counts as 2 inches of
G
4 Inch movement.
G
Move
G
After moving they shoot at the white

squad. The hard cover provided by the
G
concrete barrier adds a +2 modifier to

the targets Guard statistic.
Holding a position in cover can extend
the life of a Gruntz squad and combining
G Grunt Leader
G
them with a Squad Attachment with

indirect fire and a battlefield medic
G
G G Grunt
will make them even more effective at
SA
holding a key position.

G
G Squad A tightly packed Gruntz squad would still

G SA
Attachment be susceptible to incoming artillery fire
where and area effect template is used.
11
Terrain
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Movement in Terrain
Roads and Pavement

Terrain types Clear open roads and pavement are treated as Clear terrain
You can play Gruntz in varied in Gruntz for all vehicles except wheeled, which are able to gain
terrain types, either in a built up +1 inches in base movement if their entire move is made on
uninterrupted concrete or road.
city area or out in the dust wastes of
Mars. The terrain types here detail Hills
how the various units perform in
each environment. There are no penalties for movement up or downhill and if the
incline looks too steep to traverse it should be classified as impassable.
Impassable
When setting up your terrain table make sure you agree areas and
boundaries between rough, impassable and open terrain before you Cliffs, high bluffs, crevasses, volcanic outcrops, buildings and any
begin. large man made or natural feature can be counted as impassable.
Clear Only Grav, VTOL or other flying vehicles are able to clear impassable
terrain. Grav vehicles can traverse buildings and impassable terrain
Clear terrain includes open fields, grass, clear country or basic
of up to 8 inches in height whilst making a normal or double move
gravel roads. Clear terrain has no effect on the standard movement of
forward. They must have enough movement to completely clear the
all vehicles. Low rolling hills and slight inclines are also considered to
obstacle, unless they are stopping on top of the building or terrain
be open for the purpose of movement.
feature.
Rough
Woodland
Rough terrain includes any difficult terrain like a rubble and
Light woods with undergrowth are Rough terrain, although Gruntz
boulder covered section of desert, thick bushy undergrowth. The
can make use of larger trees as cover. Heavy woods are also Rough
difficult nature of this uneven ground makes it hard to traverse. Other
terrain and are only accessible by skimmer bikes and Gruntz. However
examples of rough terrain are shallow pounds, swamps, bogs and alien
Grav vehicles can ‘pop up’ over heavy woods to traverse them.
worlds with heavy ground flora. Rough terrain may have been formed
when a city area or building has been destroyed leaving behind rubble Changing Terrain
or other twisted masonry.
If a model moves from one terrain type to another during
Deep Water movement, adjust the total distance covered by the factor detailed in
the terrain types table.
Deep water is any area of water which is deeper than the height of
an average grunt. Vehicles and Mecha crossing deep water either need In normal open terrain a vehicle can move 1 inch for every 1 inch of
to be able to float or be 100% atmospherically sealed. Deep water will movement it has. When it crosses into rough terrain it will start to pay
significantly slow vehicles forced to move under the surface although 2 inches of movement for every 1 inch it travels in the rough terrain.
they do benefit from a modifier to their Guard score to represent the
cover afforded by water. Hover and Grav vehicles can easily move
between water and clear terrain.
1
8 inch Crossing the shallow water is Rough terrain
G
Move and the Gruntz make an 8 inch double

G
move on their activation. They have to

G
G
use 2 inches of move for every 1 inch they

G
move through the water and they can

G
not fire because they used both actions to

G
a
G
double move.
G
a The white tank is stationary getting a +1

G
to its shoot and it hits the red tank and

manages to score a lucky critical which
damages the red tanks engine. The red
Gruntz squad moves 4 inches and shoots,
3 4 inch waxing two white squad members.
T
Move The white Gruntz do not have a medic

G and Fire! close by so the two Waxed models will
G be removed at the start of their next
2 activation.
G
Stationary
Fire! G Rough terrain slows down the battlefield
G
G
G movement of a Gruntz squad and where

possible it would be strategically beneficial
G
4 to first use a vehicle as a transport before

Stationary
G
G
you disembark and deploy to squads.

T
Fire!
12
MOVES
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Terrain Types Table galaxy can kiss my ass
Rough / Rubble / Roads and

Type Deep Water Heavy Woods Impassable
Shallow Water Pavement
2 inches of move statistic Can swim by using a 2 inches of move Can Climb with a
Gruntz on
used to make 1 inch of double move to move 4 No Effect statistic used to double move to cover
Foot
movement inches of water move1 inch 4 inches in height
If flotation system or
Walking
airtight: 3 inches of move Cannot pass unless
Vehicle or No Effect No Effect Cannot pass
statistic used to move 1 fitted with Jump Jets
Mecha
inch
If flotation system or
2 inches of move statistic
airtight: 3 inches of move +1 inch To
Wheeled used to cover 1 inch of Cannot pass Cannot pass
statistic used to move 1 base Move
movement
inch
2 inches of move statistic If airtight: 3 inches of

Tracked used to make 1 inch of move statistic used to No Effect Cannot pass Cannot pass
movement move 1 inch
2 inches of move statistic

Hover used to make 1 inch of No Effect No Effect Cannot pass Cannot pass
movement
Can ‘pop up’ over Can ‘pop up’ over

Grav No Effect No Effect No Effect terrain up to 8 inches terrain up to 8 inches
in height in height
Flyer can not land in

heavy woods accept No Effect. Skimmer
Flying /
in clearings. Skimmer Bikes can ‘pop up’ over
Skimmer No Effect No Effect No Effect
bikes can fly through terrain up to 8 inches
Bike
heavy woods creating in height
exciting chase scenes.
Can not land in heavy

VTOL /Jet
No Effect No Effect No Effect woods accept in No Effect.
Prop
clearings.
Can not land in heavy

Helicopter No Effect No Effect No Effect woods accept in No Effect.
clearings.
Speed in Terrain with rapid speed in urban areas and economical engine systems.
In all terrain types Vehicles and Gruntz can take a double move Bikes
action which sacrifices their shoot action. When taking a double move
in rough or other terrain types the unit is putting all effort into moving Skimmer bikes and motorbikes are not impacted by heavy woods
as rapidly as possible through the terrain and still suffers the penalties and rough terrain, making them ideal to strike at objectives which can
listed in the terrain types table. only be reached through woodland.
Walkers Grav
Walker-type tanks and walking Mecha are able to easily move Grav technology allows a vehicle access to all areas except for the
into rough terrain making use of advanced stabilisers or advanced most difficult thick forest. By using repulsion, magnetic field or clever
gyroscopic spider-AI to move easily through rouble and rough. manipulation of esoteric matter force fields it is essentially a method
of floating a vehicle above the ground providing high speed access to
Hover the battlefield.
Hover vehicles are either based on a skirt based air lift system or a Tracked
biological skirt on an alien tank acting as an advanced slug foot. They
move easily from the surface of the water to land and are fast attack Traditional tracked vehicles are still a frequent sight on the
vehicles, that are perfect for coastal attacks. battlefields of the future and offer a lower-cost alternative to more
advanced technology. Efficient high-output power plants, combined
Wheeled with the advanced materials used on the tracks have increased the
reliability and usefulness of a tracked vehicle on the battlefield.
Wheeled vehicles make a good compromise in cost and mobility
13
Commander
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Battlefield Leaders
review.
Commanders Death of a Commander
The Commander provides
important moral, guidance and When the commander loses all wounds he is Waxed and all
direction to your battlefield forces. Gruntz squads within 20 inches must make a Mental check or enter
They can either help drive the Condition Brown, regardless of their position on the battlefield. This
attack or provide instruction from Mental check is resolved immediately, one Gruntz squad at a time. If
the safety of an armoured vehicle. they fail the Condition Brown check they are also automatically put
into Suppressed condition. All unit future Condition Brown checks
are made with -2 penalty to the roll.
Commanders Transport
Commanders are the single powerful leader on the battlefield, Whilst in an Ground or Air Support transport the Commander can
leading and inspiring their troops into battle. Commanders have more still use his special actions but can not shoot his own weapons.
wounds than normal Gruntz and several special rules that enable them
to have a far greater influence on the outcome of the battle than any
other unit.
Shooting and Assault
Commanders may use a single shoot action to shoot up to two

separate weapons listed on their profile or fire the primary weapon
twice. They follow the normal Gruntz rules for Assault.
Push Move Action
Commanders may sacrifice a single action per activation and

assign it to a Gruntz unit within his Mental statistic range in inches. This
will allow the target unit to make an extra Move action.
This does not allow the target Gruntz unit to move three times but
will allow them to move twice and shoot. The Commander must assign
this spare action at the end of his activation to an nonactivated Gruntz
unit if he does not take both of his actions. Japanese Powered Armour secure a garage. Models by Old Crow
and Ground Zero Games.
Take the Pain! Action
A Commander can sacrifice an action to remove suppression from

a Gruntz squad within his Mental statistics range in inches as long as
one grunt is within range.
You should activate the Commander before the target Gruntz

unit so they can gain benefit of having suppression removed before Commanders have more wounds providing an abstract
activation. method to enable them to stay alive longer on the battlefield.
It is a method of reflecting their resilience and experience at
Commander Perkz staying alive in tough conditions.
Commanders can purchase a Perk within their unit builder like If you don’t want a heroic “cinematic” play style just make
the Gruntz squads. Details of the effect of the Perk are listed in the the commander a single wound model rather than using the
Perkz table. Select a perk which is suitable for use by a Commander multiple wound version. Both forces must apply the single
or develop you own abilities and suggest them to the Yahoo group for wound option for a fair game.
Commander Action Description

Commanders can shoot both ranged weapons listed on their turn or shoot their primary weapon twice, unless
Shoot the card states otherwise. They can shoot twice by using a single shoot action and can still take a single move
before they fire.
If the Commander takes only one action (move or shoots) they can assign the spare action to a Gruntz unit within
the Commander’s Mental statistic range in inches, allowing the unit to make an extra move. This does not allow
Push Move
the unit to move three times but will allow them to move twice and shoot. The Commander must use Push Move
at the end of his activation and only if he does not take both of his actions.
If the Commander takes only one move or shoot, they can sacrifice the spare action and remove a suppression
condition from a Gruntz unit within Mental range in inches. The Commander must use Take the Pain! at the end
Take the Pain!
of his activation and only if he does not take both of his actions. This can not be combined with the Push Move
action.
Assault The Commander follows the normal Assault rules for Gruntz units.
14
CONDITIONS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Condition Modifier Table galaxy can kiss my ass
During the game of Gruntz, models will find

themselves in various situations which will have a
effect on how hard it is to target the unit and how
effective it is at making attacks. The following table
details the various conditions and modifiers that
will affect play.
Tokens are available to represent Waxed and

the other most common conditions. Placing the
counters next to the models makes it easy to
identify the conditions applied to them.
You can find out more about where to purchase 1 2 3 4 5

Condition
Waxed Suppressed Over Watch Prone
the tokens from the www.gruntz.biz web site. Brown
Gruntz tokens allow easy identification of conditions on the battlefield.
Condition Description Effect
Model or Unit is on the run after failing a Mental check. Gruntz Can not shoot and must run (double move) toward
Condition
squads automatically recover from Condition Brown after one the starting table edge and make use of cover where
Brown
activation in the condition. possible.
+2 to Guard of a vehicle that makes a Flank speed

Double Move When a Vehicle completes a Double Move it is moving at Flank
double move and moves further than its base move
(Flank) speed and is harder to target.
statistic in inches.
If a transport unit is destroyed whilst flying all units in

When a VTOL or other transport or aircraft are off the ground and
Flying the transport are Waxed unless equipped with jump
moving.
packs.
Inside a building (leaning out of a window), a bunker position and

other terrain items that obscure either LOS or protect the model
Heavy Cover hiding behind it. As long as the base edge is touching the terrain +2 to Guard
item the figure is using the cover, except where the cover is not
between them and the enemy model.
In the Open When a model is not in cover and is a clear target. No modifiers.
This is represented as a hedge, bush, wooden fence, rubble or low

wall. If a prone model is In Cover they make use of cracks in the
wall or hedge, so that whils prone they can still shoot through the
Light Cover +1 to Guard
cover. As long as the base edge is touching the terrain item the
figure is using the cover, except where the cover is not between
them and the enemy model.
+2 on SHOOT roll and +1 to Guard against ranged at-

tacks only. Line of Sight (LOS) is not blocked by a prone
Grunt is on the ground in the prone position ready to aim. You
model. +2 to the Assault roll of a unit assaulting a unit
Prone must spend an action to go Prone or to stand from Prone. While
that is in Prone condition. Prone does not stack with
prone you are more vulnerable to assault attacks.
the +1 shoot bonus granted from not moving during
an activation.
+1 to all ranged attack rolls (skill based or shoot). Does

Stationary When a Vehicle or Gruntz squad has not moved. not stack with prone condition. Applies only to the first
ranged attack made by Vehicles with muliple weapons.
Unit is marked with a suppression counter and loses

Gruntz Squad has suffered at least one Waxed casualty whilst one action on its next activation. Commander models
Suppressed taking ranged attack damage. Only Gruntz squads, Specialists, can remove one suppression per turn by sacrificing
Commanders and Squad Attachments can be Suppressed. one action. Commander must activate before the sup-
pressed unit to use this ability.
Waxed figures are basically out of the game and are removed at Waxed models can not take an action and do not block
Waxed
the start of their next activation. Certain actions can prevent a LOS. They do not threaten troops near to them and
(Wounded)
Waxed model being removed during activation. can not be targeted by attacks.
15
Shoot
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Ranged Combat
Long Range
Combat
All models can fire at targets up to twice the range stat of their
Combat in Gruntz is fast and weapon listed on the profile card. Any shot made at over the range stat
effective. Normal Gruntz units listed on the profile card a suffer a -4 penalty.
only have one wound per model,
so when hit by ranged weapons Shooting into Close Combat
or assault attacks they can suffer
Shooting into close combat is deadly. Roll a D6, on a 1-3 the shot
significant casualties.
will hit the friendly model, on 4-6 it will hit the enemy. If you hit a
There are two components of any attack. Firstly the Guard stat of friendly model and there are multiple assaulting targets in the melee,
the target must be equalled or beaten with a 2D6 roll plus your the defender gets to select which friendly model you hit. Most sensible
races do not shot into close combat but there are alien races who have
Shoot or Assault skill depending on the situation.
a complete disregard for friendly combatants.
If you hit the target, you then roll a 2D6 damage dice and add the
damage stat of the shooting weapon or assault . Shooting Damage
If you beat the target’s Soak statistic with your total damage (2D6 + After hitting the unit, the attacker makes another 2D6 roll adding
Weapon Damage) you score a wound. Every point above the Soak the weapon’s damage to the attack. The roll must equal or exceed the
Soak statistic to wound the grunt. Gruntz units with single wounds
statistic causes an additional wound but only to Commanders and
will be considered Waxed on any successful damage roll. Models with
Vehicles which have multiple wound statistics. Gruntz with their
multiple wounds will suffer a number of wounds equal to 1 plus the
single wound are Waxed after taking one wound. difference between the damage roll and their Soak stat.
Shooting Shooting Area Effect (AE)
The Condition of the shooting unit or target can affect the success Any profile card listed with an AE value next to the damage for
of an attack when Stationary or Prone. Consult the Condition Modifier a weapon uses a circle template for damage extending beyond the
Table for details of modifications to be applied. An roll of double 1 is model targeted.
always a miss and a roll of double 6 is always a hit.
Critical Shoot
Select a template with a diameter in inches that matches the AE
Any double 6 shoot attack roll is a critical and allows the lowest of stat and place over the target model (e.g. AE2 would hit any models
the 2 damage dice to be re-rolled. You must keep the re-rolled damage under a 2 inch diameter circle. ). Any other models covered or partially
dice number on the second roll. covered by the template are hit by the attack and take a separate
Targets and Range damage roll at -5 for splash damage
Declare which models you are shooting with and at which targets. Area Effect attacks can deviate. If you miss with an AE attack use a
Each grunt in the squad can target a different unit, although massed deviation dice to determine the which direction the target is going and
fire is preferred to suppress the enemy. then roll a D6 to determine the deviated distance in inches. All models
now under the new location of the area effect template are subject to
You can pre-measure range before declaring a shooting attack. If a damage roll at -5 for splash damage.
the unit does not have the range to hit the target the shoot attack has
failed unless the target is within Long Range. Armour Piercing
When shooting with Gruntz it is recommended that unique pairs Certain heavy Squad Attachment and droid weapons are Armour
of coloured D6 are used to enable you to roll the full unit’s dice in one piercing (AP) because they are designed with anti-material roles in
go. mind.
Shoot Conditions Effect on Rolls
Shooting at a
+2 to the Guard statistic of the target Vehicle. (When a Vehicle is making a double move)
Shoot Modifiers
Vehicle moving at Flank Speed
+ 1 to your Shoot Roll.

Shooting whilst Stationary Only applied to squad members that did not move.Going prone or standing from prone is a move.
Only applied to first Shoot attack by Vehicles with multiple weapons.
Gruntz Shooting at Vehicle -2 to the Damage Roll. Does not apply to heavy weapons carried by Squad Attachments.
If caught in the blast radius of an Area effect weapon, all models are automatically hit for a damage
Indirect Collateral Damage
roll at -5 to the normal weapon damage.
All weapons can fire up to twice the range listed on the Profile Cards. When firing over normal range
Long Range
all attacks are made at -4 to the shoot roll.
16
SHOOT
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Concentrate Fire galaxy can kiss my ass
If your profile card has the AP statistic next to the weapon details
it will reduce the Soak statistic of a vehicle by the value. Armour
Piercing does not provide a bonus when attacking normal Gruntz,
Specialists, Cavalry or Commanders.
Modern and SCI-FI automatic weapons could spray carnage
Line of Sight (LOS) across several targets. In Gruntz we wanted to encourage dynamic
movement to engage targets rather than a turkey shoot or instant
Line of Sight is blocked by other Gruntzs and terrain. If you can drone death.
see any area of a target model you can draw LOS to it, however
models within Light Cover will have a +1 Guard statistic and Heavy
Cover is +2 Guard. Vehicles are able to draw LOS over Gruntz, solos Concentrate Fire
and Commanders but not through other Vehicles or buildings which All Gruntz squads with ranged weapons can concentrate fire. This
block LOS . is an order from the squad leader causing the full squad or groups of
Gruntz shooting at Tanks Gruntz within the squad to aim as one at specific targets, increasing
the chance to hit and cause damage. Concentrate Fire can only target
When shooting at a tank a Gruntz normal weapon suffers -2 to the units within the standard range listed for the weapon, it can not be
Soak damage roll due to their weaponry being less effective against used at Long Range.
material targets. Squad Attachment weapons with Armour Piercing do
not suffer this modifier. The minimum models needed to complete a Concentrate Fire
action is two. First confirm that the target is in normal range of the
Indirect Fire squads weapon and factor in then roll 2D6 + Shoot and add +1 to the
ranged attack roll for each additional squad member concentrating
Weapons with the Indirect Fire ability including mostly missile or fire.
mortar based equipment can target models not in line of sight. They
must have a friendly squad member able to spot on their behalf who A squad of 6 all firing at the same target would get +5 to the shoot
does have the enemy model in LOS. Spotting is a free action. roll but if just two squad members were concentrating fire together it
would be +1. If the target is hit you also apply an additional +1 damage
Interdiction Fire Ability per additional grunt firing. They still suffer a -2 damage for using small
arms against a vehicle.
Gruntz units, specialists or tanks with the Interdiction Fire ability
can lay down a 2inch Area Effect. This template remains in place until Concentrate fire is not a vehicle killer but it gives a squad some
the end of the opponent’s turn and any models entering or ending chance of knocking some damage into a vehicle which could trigger
activation in the template will suffer a damage roll equal to the a vital critical or ensuring they do more damage to an aggravating
weapon damage listed on the profile card. enemy specialist unit.
Interdiction Fire is effective if a model ends its movement in the Grenades

area effect not if it simply moves out of the area on activation.
When throwing grenades you can group the squad together to
All Squad Attachment weapons that have an Area Effect (not determine the area effect and roll one shoot attack. 1-3 Gruntz (2 inch
including missile or grenade launchers) can be used for interdiction area template), 4-6 Gruntz (4 inch area template). Any models under
fire and it can only be used within the range listed on the card for the the template take the damage roll of the grenade. There is no long
weapon and can not be used at Long Range. range for Grenades with a max range of 6”. Any misses will deviate D3”
using a deviation dice.
The White Gruntz squad in the open is

activated and declares they are all firing
on the Red Gruntz not the tank. They
could have split some Gruntz fire at the
tank.
Each member of the White squad makes
T
a 2D6 roll and adds their Shoot statistic

to the result with a +1 to each roll for not
moving.
Line of sight is calculated from each Grunt
G
G model before they shoot at individuals

in the red squad. Even their own squad
can block LOS unless the friendly models
G
blocking LOS are prone, in which case

G
they can fire over them.

You can target an enemy squad leader
G
or Squad Attachment, however in most

G
instances another squad member is

G Squad Leader going to pick up the dropped Squad
G
Attachment weapon and a new squad

G
G Grunt leader is selected after the current one is

G
Waxed.
G
17
Shoot
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Ranged Combat Detail
and if the target has any current benefits from being in the cover
Combat condition. Check the shoot modifiers table and also remember to
apply any benefits that the Gruntz Perkz might apply like “Painted
To hit a target, a unit makes a 2D6
Target” which adds +2 to the attack roll.
roll adding their Shoot statistic,
taking an individual shot for each Measure the range to confirm if it is standard or Long Range. Long
model in a unit. If the modified 2D6 Range shoot attacks are made at -4 to the shoot roll (up to twice the
result is equal or higher than the base range listed for the ranged weapon type).
Guard of the target they are hit and
damage rolls are now made. Roll 2D6 and resolve each Gruntz shot. Add your shoot skill to the
rolls and apply any modifiers, if the result is equal to or higher than the
Sample Shoot against Target Gruntz. target’s “Guard” statistic you have scored a hit.
The first player selects his Gruntz squad to activate. When starting A roll of double 1 is always a miss and a double 6 is always a hit.
their actions he must consider that he will have to finish activating
all models in the unit before moving onto his next unit. Spotting a Resolve Damage
Gruntz unit ahead of them he decides to close the gap by moving and
then firing. Resolve damage for successful hits. Check your profile card for
the damage of the weapon and add this modifier to a 2D6 roll. You
He moves the unit up to 4 inches which is the normal maximum must equal the target’s Soak statistic to score one damage point on
single move. After moving all of the Squad he can start shooting. A the model. If you are firing at another grunt model you will wax them
2D6 roll needs to be made for every grunt in the squad that decides to if you manage to score 1 damage point. If you are attacking a Vehicle
fire on the opposing force. every point over the Soak value is an additional damage point recorded
on the Vehicle’s damage track.
If you want to roll for all the Gruntz at once, it is recommend that six
pairs of coloured dice are used to enable a single roll for all members of If you have Waxed the target model place a Gruntz Waxed token
the Gruntz Squad. If the unit has a Squad Attachment they will need to beside the model. After a grunt is Waxed, the unit is in the Suppressed
make a separate shooting roll because their weapon system will have condition, place a suppression token beside the unit. Note that models
different range and damage rules than the normal Gruntz squad. can be brought back from the Waxed condition by medics at the start
of their activation.
Shoot Sequence
If you have not rolled for all shooting Gruntz simultaneously,
Declare what the Gruntz models are shooting at. If the target is a repeat the Shoot attack for each remaining Gruntz in your unit.
Gruntz squad in mixed cover and open, you will need to declare what
model they are shooting at in the target unit. If all of the target unit are After resolving all of the attacks the defender should check to see
in the same range and the same cover type you can roll all the dice if they have lost half or more of the current models in the Gruntz unit
simultaneously. which was under attack. If they have, they must make a Mental check
to confirm if the models enter the Condition Brown condition.
Calculate any modifiers by confirming if the models have moved
The Arc walkers complete a city patrol. Models by Critical Mass Games with buildings by Kato and road sections from S6Engineering.
18
ASSAULT
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Close Combat galaxy can kiss my ass
A Gruntz squad is considered one damage source so the target

Gruntz unit only needs to make a single Mental check, even if more
figures are Waxed by the same attacking unit. When another unit
activates and fires on the same target, they will need to make another
Mental check if another half of their squad is Waxed. Each model in a unit of Gruntz will act independently. So if half
the squad enters prone condition the remains of the squad could
Condition Brown take a shot at a ranged target and gain the benefit of not having
moved that turn.
A Mental check is not required if a Gruntz squad is already in
Condition Brown. A squad can only have one Suppression counter The figures which had gone into prone condition will still be able to
condition. shoot but because they made the effort to reposition themselves
their aim will not benefit from the +1 to Shoot roll.
Assault Sequence
Assaulting is a charge into close combat with another enemy unit. dice if you decide to re-roll. For the first assault move into combat a
The whole squad has to charge at a single enemy target which could critical result (double 6) will give the option to re-roll both damage
be a solo, Gruntz squad or Vehicle. dice.
When assaulting with a Gruntz squad the full squad has to attempt Suppression
the assault and the assault action replaces the normal move of the
unit. Assault combines the move with a hand to hand attack. On the If a grunt is Waxed after being assaulted it will not cause the full
activation that you complete the assault, no models in the active unit unit to enter Suppressed condition. Assault can not cause suppression
can shoot or make other moves unless the Commander uses a Push condition in the target unit, however if the target unit was Suppressed
Move order on the Gruntz squad before they make an assault. by incoming fire before the assault started it will stay in the Suppressed
condition until after its next activation. The target unit can retaliate
Individual Gruntz models must be able to get into base to base with an assault attack on their next activation.
contact with enemy models to be able to make an assault attack. If a
figure fails to engage with an Assault it stops at the furthest point it can Assault Damage
reach on the Assault move and its action is over.
Assault damage is a combination of the damage of the weapon or
When assaulting, a unit adds +2 inches to its normal move action, biological appendage and a 2D6 damage roll which must equal the
which for most Gruntz squads is 4 inches creating a modified total of target’s Soak statistic to cause one wound to the target.
a 6 inch assault.
On the first round of assault only, if the charging Gruntz score a hit
The model makes a close assault attack of a roll of 2D6 + Assault they are allowed to re-roll the lowest of the 2D6 dice on the damage
skill and to hit the target they need to roll equal or exceed the target’s roll. If you choose to re-roll the lowest dice, the second result must be
Guard statistic. kept as the final damage result. Subsequent rounds of close assault roll
a standard 2D6 for the damage roll and can not re-roll the dice unless
A roll of double 1 is always a miss and a double 6 is always a hit. they score a critical on a double 6 or have a Perk or special condition
which overrides this rule.
Critical Assault
Any double 6 assault attack roll is a critical and allows the lowest of
the 2 damage dice to be re-rolled. You must keep the re-rolled damage
The White commander activates, taking

1 action to move 4 inches he is able to
assign a “push move” action to one Gruntz
C
A
V
V
A
unit within his Mental range in inches.

C
This gives the White Gruntz an extra 4 inch

A
C
V
move action when they activate.

They move the four inches and then
activate an assault attack which uses their
1 remaining 2 normal actions. They are able
4 inch
G
to reach the Red Gruntz with the assault

Move
G
G S
move of 4 inches (standard move) +2 for

G
SA
assault.
G
2
A
G
6 inch
G
G
The assault attack is made by each base to

G
Assault
G
base model using a 2D6 roll and adding

G
G
their assault statistic. When making a

G
G
charging assault attack combined with a

G
move you can re-roll the lowest of the two

G
C damage dice if they have hit the target.
1 2
C
4 Inch Push Move
Move Action
19
Damage
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Damage and Suppression
Assaulting a Vehicle
Vehicles
Only Gruntz carrying heavier personal weapons which can
Tank, ATV, Jeeps, APC and VTOL are penetrate armour should assault a vehicle. Energy weapons have an
some of the vehicle types that can armour piercing of 1 and do not suffer the -2 damage penalty usually
be used in Gruntz. incurred by Gruntz attacking a Vehicle target. Roll attacks individually
They have slightly different rules for each Grunt assaulting the vehicle and calculate damage for each
to Gruntz units to reflect their attack which does damage over the soak of the defending vehicle.
longevity on the battlefield and
A vehicle can leave assault, driving away from the Gruntz which
the increased fire power they can
automatically move out of the way. As the vehicle leaves and Gruntz
deliver over distance.
which were in base to base contact can make a free assault attack.
A vehicle will always have a crew unless it is a remote automated
drone. The crew provide the skill to fire on board weapon systems Damage
and rather than using their shoot statistic, crew use the skill
The affect of damage caused by shooting, assault, ram and other
statistic.
attacks is resolved directly after the target has been hit by a single
The normal Shoot statistic is used when using hand held weapons, source. Mark any individual Gruntz models as Waxed or fill in the
however the Skill statistic is used for all vehicle based firing. damage box’s on a vehicle before you make another attack.
This could result in a pilot being poor in normal ranged rifle fire but Gruntz Squad
very well trained in vehicle based firing with a high skill statistic.
When a unit has more than 1/2 of its remaining Gruntz Waxed
Assault Damage (rounded up) it must make a Mental check. The 2D6 roll must be less
than or equal to the leader’s Mental statistic and if it fails the unit is now
The assault re-roll of damage on the first charge can be combined in Condition Brown.
with a critical result on a double 6, which will allow both damage dice
to be re-rolled if desired. Apply the effect of Condition Brown immediately and run the unit
8” away from the enemy , they are also now Suppressed.
If the target is a vehicle every point of damage over the Soak
statistic is an additional point of damage to be marked off the damage A Gruntz squad can use the Mental statistic of a nearby Commander
track for the vehicle. when making a Condition Brown test, however the Commander must
be within a number of inches equal to his Mental statistic to enable
Leaving Assault them to use it.
Leaving assault will generate a free assault attack for the model you Suppression
are disengaging from. Each model in base contact makes a free out
of turn Assault on the fleeing model and are able to re-roll one of the Any time a unit of Gruntz suffer a Waxed casualty they are put into
damage dice if they hit. suppressed condition. Whilst suppressed a Gruntz Squad can make
only one of its two actions. At the end of their activation the Gruntz
You must accept the Dice roll on the re-roll, even if it is lower than squad removes the suppression condition. Being suppressed limits
the first rolled dice. the options available to a Gruntz squad to only one action which is a
reflection of the disorganised and harassed state the unit is in.
It is the White player’s turn and they

Mental test and activate the VTOL, landing in range of the
Suppressed T
enemy and ending the VTOL’S activation.
Next the White player activates the
G
Gruntz which were riding in the VTOL.

G
a
G
They use their first action to disembark

G Grunt Leader from the VTOL placing themselves within
a
G
a 3 inches of the VTOL and following unit

G
coherency rules. For their second action,

G Grunt 1 the white Gruntz with LOS, fire on the
Exit
a Waxed VTOL
enemy Gruntz unit.
Three red Gruntz are Waxed which is half
of the unit, so the red Gruntz must make
a Mental test. They are also automatically
G suppressed because they have taken at
least one casualty.
G
G
G G If they fail the Mental test they will
2 G enter Condition Brown and will have to
Fire! immediately move their full run (double
move) away from the incoming fire .
20
VEHICLES
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Vehicle Overview galaxy can kiss my ass
Waxed move in inches and a Guard and Soak statistic. When targeting a
vehicle the attacker must equal or exceed the Guard statistic and then
Waxed models are not removed from the table immediately but are
roll weapon damage + 2D6 equal to or over the Soak value to score
marked as Waxed, either by place them on their sides or using a token
damage. Every point of damage over the Soak value is an additional
on the table.
damage point which is marked on the profile damage track shown on
If a unit has suffered any Waxed models, when they are next the vehicle profile card. When a vehicle takes damage it does not suffer
activated, the Waxed Gruntz are removed from the table. If a medical from suppression like Gruntz and cavalry units.
specialist has activated before the unit, they may be able to save some
of the Gruntz and remove the Waxed condition from a number of them Vehicle Activation
before the unit activated. Certain Perkz may also allow the removal of
the Waxed condition before activation. Vehicles activate as solo units and have the same two actions as a
Gruntz unit allowing them to take two moves or one move and a shoot.
Vehicle Statistics If a vehicle has weaponry it will use the driver or pilots skill statistic for
the ranged attack roll. Pilot and driver skill statistics should be listed
The various transport, tanks and aircraft follow the same principles on the profile card of vehicles along with weapon systems and are
for movement, damage resolution and disembarkation. an indication of the quality of troops normally placed in charge of a
vehicle of the quality detailed.
Each vehicle has a Move statistic which is the distance of a standard
Movement
Vehicle Move Movement A vehicle standard move is based on the movement in inches on
the profile card. If they make a single move they can perform a ranged
Standard Moves
Can move up to base move in inches attack directly after the move. You do not have to move the maximum
Normal
and fire. move listed. To push the vehicles speed you can make a double move
which uses both actions and is based on twice the movement speed in
inches listed on the profile card.
Double Move Can move up to double base move in
(flank speed) inches. Can not fire weapons.
Firing Vehicle Weapons
Can move up to base move plus +3 Vehicles can move and shoot or complete a double move like
Ram
inches. Can not fire weapons. Gruntz. They can not shoot if they have made a double move.
+1 to first ranged attack roll completed Use the skill statistic of the crew, pilot or driver detailed on the
Stationary
this activation. profile card to make the ranged attack roll. Select the type of Gruntz
Model 25
Points
Name
Background
Stat Block
Ram
Damage
Assault and
Ranged
Weapons
Area Effect
Weapon
Range and
Weapon
Damage Armour
Piercing
Damage Bonus
Grid c
Critical
Systems
21
VEHICLES
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Vehicles Arcs and Abilities galaxy can kiss my ass
Tanks with rotary canon mounts are able to fire in

a 360 degree arc of fire. Secondary fixed mount
egree Firing A weapon including anti infantry weapons are
0D r egree Firing
0D Ar considered to be mounted in such a way as to also
36
8
c
1 c provide 360 degree arc of fire.
All weapons attached to mecha can fire in a 180
T degree arc. Tanks and support vehicles with fixed
M mount main weapons use the same 90 degree arc of
fire as fixed mount mobile artillery.
Note that on a normal activation a vehicle can fire
two weapon systems, although only the first shot
benefits from a +1 for being stationary. Any second
Tank or Support weapon system fired is at -1.
Vehicle with Mecha Walker
Gruntz can fire in a 360 degree arc.
Rotary Turret
piloting or driving the vehicle before play as per the vehicle design troops and technology. The amount they can carry is dependent on the
rules so that you have a record of the skill statistic to hand during play. transport slots they have which is typically one slot and heavy support
If the crew ever bail out, untrained Gruntz can replace the bailed crew vehicles have two slots.
and use their Skill statistic for attacks made with vehicle weapons.
A single transport slot can carry one single Gruntz squad, including
A vehicle can fire two weapon systems in any order during a Squad Attachments. One slot can also carry a specialist unit or a
single activation. Each additional weapon after the first weapon fired Commander. Two slots are required to carry scout Mecha, two units of
results in an increMental -1 applied to the ranged attack roll. Your first Gruntz or a unit of powered armour.
weapon system has no modifier, the second is at -1 and if any further
Embarkation
special conditions allow more weapons to be fired the third weapon
would be at -2 to the skill roll made to fire the weapon. When entering a transport, Gruntz must use a single action and
must be within 3 inches of the transport to take an embark action. A
Targets and Range Commander can use a Push move action to give a Gruntz squad an
extra move to allow them to embark a vehicle.
Declare what target the tank is shooting at and pre-measure range
before declaring a shooting attack. Disembarkation
If a vehicle has remained stationary during activation it can fire When exiting a transport, on activation, the Gruntz unit must use
with a +1 modifier. This is applied to the first weapon system firing only. one action and can be placed within 3 inches of the ground or air
Subsequent weapons can target different enemy units. vehicle following coherency rules.
Double Range Vehicle Firing Arcs
Vehicle models can fire up to double base range listed on the Vehicles can be fitted with multiple weapons and tanks with rotary
profile card, incurring a -4 penalty to their Skill roll when firing. turrets are flexible enough to fire in a 360 degree arc.
Carrying Troops Where vehicles have more than one weapon system they are
considered to be mounted and aligned with the same arc as the main
Some air support and ground support vehicle units can carry weapon.
Fixed mount, forward facing weaponry such as

egree Firing A
90 D
artillery and rocket fire are able to shoot in a 90
rc
degree arc measure from the front of the vehicle.
egree Firing A egree Firing A
90 D rc 90 D rc Crew can move unlimbered artillery to face a
different direction as a move action, however
they will not gain the benefit of +1 to ranged
attached rolls for that turn.
C
A A
Wheeled, fixed mount and non-vehicle mobile
A A V
artillery have a crew and associated shoot skill to
cover firing.
Artillery vehicles use the Skill statistic of the crew
Fixed and Cavalry Units when adding to the ranged attack roll which
is the same method for all other vehicle based
Mobile Artillery Unlimbered including Bikes weapons.
Artillery or Skimmers
22
VEHICLES
Vehicle Rules
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Vehicle Critical Damage
Mecha walkers are able to target all units in an 180 degree forward
arc with all weapon systems.
Vehicle Rams
SCI-FI vehicles can deliver terrific damage and destruction in
Vehicles can ram models that are in the vehicles front arc when
Gruntz.
they are activated. Rams are completed at +3 to normal speed and
targeted Gruntz models can attempt to jump out of the way with a Mecha fitted with multiple weapon types can deliver some of the
successful skill roll of 10+. Rams must move the total distance of move heaviest concentrations of fire on the battlefield but they quickly
+3 inches and in a straight line. make themselves a target for an experienced commander looking
to bring down a heavy unit.
Ram damage for vehicles is detailed on the profile cards and is
based on the size class of the vehicle.
but used the highest critical threshold of 2 or 3 on the dice result
If a vehicle rams another vehicle of its size class or up to one class depending on the number of critical thresholds passed.
larger and scores damage or totals the target it will push back the
target by D3 inches. A pushed back vehicle, moves directly away from Roll a D6 for each of the three systems and if a 1 is scored on the D6
the attacker and if it contacts a Gruntz unit they will also suffer ram mark off the system which has sustained significant damage to be in a
damage, however they can make a normal skill check of 2d6+skill with
critical condition.
a result of 10+ to successfully jump out of the way.
Armour Piercing At the second critical threshold a roll of 1 or 2 on the D6 will

damage a system.
The AP of vehicle weapons adds to the damage of the weapon
when firing at hard material targets (other vehicles and buildings) When the third “C” box critical is filled a score of 1, 2 or 3 will
This represents the anti-armour qualities of vehicle mounted weapons damage the system.
and the reduced effectiveness of ordinance designed for anti-armour
against softer targets. When you fire against soft targets like Gruntz Only one critical check is made as a result of one source of damage
with a weapon that has an AP factor you do not add the additional even if the damage is enough to mark more than one critical box. If
armour piercing damage. the vehicle does take enough damage from one source of damage
to fill two or three critical boxes roll once for each system but use the
Rear Damage appropriate number for critical failure.
When shooting vehicles in the rear arc the damage roll gains a +2
bonus which is representing the weaker rear armour. System Loss of System
Critical Systems
Vehicle Damage The vehicle has -4 to Soak statistic.

Armour
Representing a loss in armour due to damage.
Damage is marked against the damage track of the profile card.
Vehicle can no longer make a double move
When the damage scored marks a critical “C” box a check is needed Engine
(Flank Speed).
for each of the three systems on the vehicle. If two or three C’s are
filled from a single damage source, you still only roll 1 D6 per system Tek Ranged skill rolls are at -3.
The white tank activates, firing at the red

G
tank. It chooses to use the Mass Driver Canon

(MDC).
G
The player rolls high enough on its skill roll

G
to hit the target tank and the damage roll is

G
G
14 Inch Range. Can Armour (2D6) + weapon damage + armour piercing.

shoot up to 28 inches Piercing 2 It does a total of 8 damage. These damage
G
points are marked off on the profile card of

the red tank and a Critical check is needed
because the first C has been marked on the
damage track. The defending red player rolls
a D6 for each system and rolls a 4 for Armour,
T
1 for Engine and 6 for Tek.

The engine system is now damaged and the
critical means the red tank can no longer
take 2 move actions (flank speed). Mark the
T
engine system box to show the system is

damaged.
c Vehicles do not suffer suppression, so the red

c tank is not suppressed like a Gruntz unit and
T
c can return fire on its activation.
23
VEHICLES
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Vehicles Arcs and Destruction galaxy can kiss my ass
Critical Systems failure
If any system is lost due to critical damage it will have a significant

impact on the vehicles performance.
Critical damage to vehicles is designed to significantly hinder the
An armour critical reduces the vehicles Soak by -4, making it weak model and is not intended to totally cripple the vehicle on the
against incoming fire. An engine failure prevents the vehicle from battlefield. Even with all three critical systems damaged a vehicle
making double moves, so it can only make a single move action and a can still perform the basic functions of moving and shooting.
Tek failure reduces ranged attacks by -3. Vehicles are considered to be adjusting speed, breaking and
accelerating at a rate that is suitable for the terrain they are
Consult the followed table for the result of each failure and fill in
covering.
the appropriate critical box when the system is destroyed. You can lose
all three systems and still function as a vehicle which is only destroyed
when all damage track box’s are filled. If a vehicle has suffered a catastrophic explosion it does not provide
cover and becomes rough ground. Place a marker to represent the
Vehicle Destruction rough ground or simply leave the vehicle in place and remember that
it is rough ground and not cover.
If all the damage box’s are filled the vehicle is either out of action
due to overwhelming systems damage or it explodes catastrophically. Mobility Types
When the last box on the damage track is filled a vehicle is Vehicles can be constructed with Walk, Wheeled, Tracked, Hover
destroyed and the vehicles owner rolls a D6. If the result is a 1 or 2 and Tracked mobility types. These types dictate the overall speed and
the vehicle has suffered a powerplant, fuel or ammo critical causing a terrain they can cover.
catastrophic explosion.
Hover vehicles with skirts are able to cover water and land equally
Vehicle Destruction
well and the ultimate mobility is Grav which can cover a lot of ground
If the vehicle does explode place a 4inch template over the centre in a turn and is not impacted by rough terrain.
of the vehicle and any vehicles or Gruntz with any part of their base fully
When a Grav vehicle needs to “pop-up” to traverse impassable
or partially covered by the template suffer an immediate blast damage
terrain or buildings it can pop up to a height of 8 inches to clear terrain
roll of 7+2D6. Place Waxed tokens and mark off damage immediately.
without reducing its total forward movement.
All crew and carried units are instantly killed during a vehicle
The current Grav systems in Gruntz are designed to be most
catastrophic explosion and can not attempt to bail out.
effective when they are close to the ground and are not built for free
Bail Out flight like aircraft. They are near to the ground when shooting so
intervening terrain will effect them for the purposes of determining
If a vehicle is destroyed and does not suffer a catastrophic explosion line of sight. Artillery systems include missiles and indirect weapons
the crew and any units within the vehicle can make a bail out check to technology that usually has an area effect and is capable of arcing over
see if they make a safe exit. obstacles to strike at a target indirectly.
Roll once for the crew with a check of 2D6+Skill statistic. If they roll Rapid Drop and Dust Off
a 10+ they safely exit the vehicle and are placed within 3 inches of the
and in the suppressed condition. If the crew fail the skill check they are Aerial support units can follow the normal rules for disembarkation
killed in the attempt due to fire or other hideous injury. and make a standard move and finish activation. When transported
units then activate, they can use their first action to disembark the
If the vehicle is carrying units roll another skill check for each unit transport, placing themselves within 3 inches of the vehicle and within
carried. Failure indicates death to the full unit as their crushed and unit coherency.
burnt bodies are caught in the carnage. A success results in the models
being placed within 3 inches of the destroyed vehicle. All Gruntz in a Helicopter and VTOL Aerial Support units also have a special action
squad should be placed in unit coherency. for rapid transport delivery. They are able to combine two actions into
a single landing, deposit transported Gruntz or equipment and then
In a large APC carrying two squads it is possible for the crew and take off.
both squads to exit safely.
When completing this action the aerial transport adds +4 inches
Gruntz can only bail out from a VTOL if it had landed before it to its base move. It then moves half of the total modified move to a
exploded or if they are wearing jump packs. location where the transported units are dropped and it then moves
the remaining half move away from the dust-off point in a direction of
Vehicle Remains
your choice.
If a vehicle is destroyed it should be left on the table with a marker
All units and equipment dropped in this way are left in suppressed
or smoke to represent its destruction. It is not possible to field repair a
condition by the rapid disembarkation, so on activation they are only
vehicle that has been destroyed.
able to take one action.
The model left behind can provide cover to Gruntz units and other
vehicles. Vehicles provide hard cover of +2 to the units Guard.
24
Artillery
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Indirect Fire
Indirect fire
Indirect fire uses the same rules for targeting and damage as direct
fire, except for line of sight (LOS). Indirect fire weapons including
missiles and artillery type weapons can fire over intervening terrain to Current modern weapon systems on high altitude gunships can
hit a target. pick off individual target soldiers and vehicles from a great distance.
In the SCI-FI future we can expect accuracy over great distance to
To hit a target that is not in line of sight you must have a friendly be even more deadly and targeting from orbital platform, ship or
ground or air unit that was able to spot the target during its activation. satellite based technology would be normal practice.
Spotting does not require an action and only needs the spotting unit Rather than making Gruntz a turkey shoot where a few dice rolls
to have a clear field of view to any location on the target unit. Using can devastate forces on the table, the effectiveness of off-board
aerial units or drone specialists is a recommend method of granting resources has been set at a level where it makes them useful but
access to targets in cover. not game ending.
Targets that are in cover lose the benefit of cover when indirect This approach factors in an abstraction of digital warfare which
would be faking dummy target signatures and downgrading
fire weapons target them. If however the target unit is in a squad
surveillance information with self-learning defence viruses. These
or specialist inside a bunker they are able to retain the cover benefit various technologies would be protecting the Gruntz and vehicles
because the building provides all-round cover. showing ghost signatures on distant orbiting ship target displays.
Indirect fire weapons have a disadvantage at short range. They are In the Gruntz Heliopause setting there is also a strong human-
unable to target models at less than half the listed weapon range. This space desire to minimise environMental damage during warfare,
represents the need to arc ordinance onto a target at range or properly so total nuclear destruction of large areas is always an extreme
last resort especially on planets with breathable atmospheres.
launch and engage the targeting systems of long range missiles.
If you want carnage, you could always build a timed deadly air
strike into the scenario with a turn limit to your game before all
hell breaks loose for ground troops.
Jake Urnst, Medical Logistics. I am scrolling through the KIA data log with names, numbers, colony, next-of-kin, kit issue and language. Profile
pictures flick out of the black data tables to answer the barren details, the smiling optimistic face of this dead man, vanished forever beneath
the desert sand. Here and there rise thoughts of their habits, their nicknames and the look he gave me when I last spoke to him, the attitude
of another shivering when the desert air dropped to sub zero, standing sentry along the base camp parapet.
They are now a statistic in a data table, a daily neural net feed. I censor the latest pinged data-vises, poignant messages from home waiting for
delivery to the ghost node of the dead soldier now permanently out of office.
25
VEHICLES
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Standard or Advanced Movement galaxy can kiss my ass
Vehicle Movement Vehicle Manoeuvre Effect on Rolls

Use one single action to move a vehicle
Vehicles suffer penalties for traversing rough terrain and movement
Normal Move up to its listed speed in inches. You can
is modified according to the terrain types they are moving through.
fire after moving.
Dense forests are impassable to most ground vehicles although Grav
vehicles can ‘pop-up’ up to 8 inches in height to skip over. Use two actions to move a vehicle up
to double the base movement listed on
Double “Flank”
Vehicle manoeuvres include a range of options many of each the profile card. You can not fire whilst
Move
Standard Moves
require the use of a number of inches to complete the move. Details making a Double move and gain +2 to
are provided in the manoeuvre table. your Guard against attacks.
Standard Rules If a Vehicle is stationary it benefits from a

Stationary
+1 to ranged attached rolls.
For simplicity during a standard rules game the only restrictions A ram must be in a direct straight line
on vehicle movement are based on the terrain types. The actual and is made with a +3 inches to the base
movement is either single or double “flank move” with the appropriate Ram
normal movement of the vehicle. Vehicle
condition modifiers applied as per the standard vehicle moves table. Ram damage is based on the size class.
This simple movement is an abstract method to allow fast play A special manoeuvre available to Mecha
without fussy turn controls and allows vehicles to turn as much as with Jump jets. Move the standard move
they like within a normal or double range in inches. Standard rules distance of the Mecha and face the
Jump
for vehicle movement are ideal for larger vehicle heavy games which figure in a direction of your choice. Jump
require lots of tank movement. In a larger armoured battle you will find Can avoid intervening terrain up to 8
that the fine control of the advanced rules would reduced the speed of inches in height.
play. However for experience players that want detailed movement it A manoeuvre during a normal or flank
is still possible to use the advanced movement in large battles. move. A vehicle can reverse at the cost
Reverse of 2 inches of total movement for every
You can turn to face any direction during a normal or double move. 1 inch it reverses. Does not stack with
modifier for rough terrain.
Advanced Rules
A manoeuvre during a normal or flank
Advanced Moves
For more detail you can agree with your opponent to use advanced move.
vehicle movement which adds restrictions to the amount you can turn Turn on the Spot A turn on the spot uses 4 inches of total
a vehicle during an activation. There is a restriction of a maximum turn movement, place the vehicle facing any
of 45 degrees made during forward movement, although multiple direction you choose.
turns can be made at a cost of 4 inches of forward movement for each
A manoeuvre during a normal or flank
turn.
move. A Moving turn is up to a 45
When making a normal or double move in the advanced movement degrees and uses the Gruntz turning
rules use either the Gruntz turning rulers or an equivalent 45 degree template to determine position after
Moving Turn
angle made of card. A Gruntz ruler is available from S6Engineering movement. A moving turn includes 4
which has the turning angle built in and the basic 4 inch and 8 inch inches of forward movement. Use the
movement of a Gruntz unit to help speed up play. Gruntz turning template to complete a
Moving turn.
1 2 3
Move the tank forward This diagram details the advanced
Using the Gruntz 45 to the end of ruler and Reversing uses 2 turning rules for vehicles which should
degree turning ruler align with the 45 inches of movement for be selected by players before play
place the tank front degree turn. every 1 inch covered starts. For very large tank battles it is not
beside the ruler and at This counts as a 4 inch and can be made at recommended because of the increased
the end of the 8inch vehicle move and can normal or double time needed to move vehicles according
long straight. be made at normal or speed. to the specific turning angle.
double speed. Using the advanced movement rules
adds a 45 degree turning restriction
during forward movement and specific
costs for turning on the spot or reversing.
The standard movement system is faster
T
and requires less precise turning of

T vehicles, however it does reduce realism
because vehicles are able to move and
T turn with no restriction other than
distance.
Note that a double flank move results in
the vehicle not being able to fire ranged
Moving Turn Reverse weapons.
26
VEHICLES
Vehicle Rules
When I die bury me
upside down so the
RAMS, Vehicle Options
With most of the Arc force resistance destroyed, the invading Amnian forces slip past the flaming wrecks. Models are Crusties by GZG and
Arc Vehicles by Critical Mass Games. Flame tokens are by Litko.
Command Module remove a suppression condition from 1 Gruntz unit within 18 inches.
This replaces one action of the command vehicle, so it must sacrifice
If a vehicle is fitted with a command module it can improve the either a move or a shoot action to enable the removal of a suppression
communication and provide local support for the Gruntz, therefore condition.
boosting the Mental condition of nearby troops.
It is recommended that a vehicle intending to use its Command
Standard command modules boost all Mental checks made by module is activated before a unit that needs its suppression removing.
troops up to 18 inches from the vehicle. Gruntz units do not have to be In this way you are able to sequence your activation so that squads that
within line of sight of the command vehicle to use this bonus. Mental need support are provided it before they activate and can therefore
checks are made with the benefit of a -1 to the roll if the unit is within take a full activation rather than having to sacrifice an action to
the 18 inch reach of the command module. suppression.
On its activation a vehicle fitted with a command module can also
Both of the White players squads are

within the squad coherency of their
own Gruntz squad leaders. They have
to always attempt to stay within this
mand Modu
range and when coherency is broken
m le they must try and return to within
Co T three inches of the Gruntz squad
leader on their next activation.
In this example both squads are within
the command range of 18 inches from
G
the Command module vehicle. One

G
C single Gruntz squad which has at least

G
G
one Gruntz squad member within

G
18 inches of the command module

G
can have a suppression condition

removed when the vehicle activates.
G
G
SA
All Gruntz also benefit from a -1 to

G Mental check rolls (A mental check is
G
2D6 under or equal to Mental) whilst
at least one member of the squad is
within 18 inches of the vehicle fitted
with a command module.
27
Neural Net
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Digital Warfare
Success results
Neural Net (nn) A success on an attack that targets mobility reduces the target’s
A future battlefield with opposing move actions to 1 on its next activation so they can either shoot or
technologically advanced forces move once but not move at flank speed ( double move).
will make use of advanced digital
warfare techniques to degrade the If you score a critical against mobility the target unit will not be
enemy’s digitally controlled assets. able to move on its next activation because the systems controlling
movement are overwhelmed by the digital attack. The systems are
In Gruntz electronic warfare is called degraded to the point of total failure for one activation.
Neural Net warfare and employs an
abstracted method of degrading enemy targets through the use A success on an attack that targets weapons systems degrades the
of the Skill statistic and specialist abilities and equipment. target’s weapon systems by a -3 to any weapon attacks made on next
activation. A critical weapon systems nn-attack will stop all weapon
Your army can employ Neural Net Warfare against the enemy
systems functioning for the target on next activation.
and also defend sensitive assets against incoming specialist nn-
attack. Neural-Net Dampeners
Neural Net Warfare Neural net dampeners are a powered area technology providing a
zone of increased protection from nn-attack over an area of 20 inches.
Specialists and models with specific Neural Net attack technology
can attack the enemy at a digital level causing disruption by degrading There is a -3 to all neural net attacks for all units within the
their effectiveness or even shutting down or controlling technology for dampening zone, which normally extends 20 inches from the vehicle
a single activation. or specialist unit with dampener nodes fitted.
nn-attacks can only be made against Vehicles, Mecha, Robotic Any successful nn-attack against a vehicle or specialist which has
Gruntz and robotic specialists. Some specialist robotic or vehicular nn-dampener nodes installed will switch off the dampener effect for
units will have specific abilities to increase their defence against nn- one turn in addition to the result of the targeted on board system
attacks. (mobility or weapons).
Neural-Net Attack Roll Specialists that can gain total control of digital robotic assets will
have the details on their profile cards.
To make a neural net attack use the skill statistic of the attacker
and target the Guard of the enemy model. The range of the neural net
attack will be listed on the profile card in inches. It can not be used
at long range and is only effective against enemies within the range
detailed on the card.
Before making the attack you confirm what unit or model you are
targeting and what system the nn-attack will effect. You can either
target mobility or weapon systems.
Roll 2D6 and add the Skill statistic of the attacker to the roll, if you
equal or exceed the target’s Guard statistic the nn-attack has worked.
You do not gain the benefit of a +1 for not moving and using nn-
attacks and it takes a single action to use, allowing a model to move its
normal move in inches before it engages the nn-attack.
Critical Neural Attack
If you score any double number on the attack (the same number
on both dice) the nn-attack is a critical. A critical neural net attack
Roach VTOL with troop carrying module. Model GZG
disables the target system for one turn.
Neural Net Attack Effect on Successful Hit Effect on Critical Hit
Can only make a single move, No flank move for 1

Mobility No movement for 1 activation.
activation.
NN Attacks
-3 to any weapons attacks made with the degraded

Weapon Systems No shooting of weapons for 1 activation.
system
Can only make a single move, No flank move for 1

Mobility No movement for 1 activation.
activation.
-3 to any weapons attacks made with the degraded
Weapon Systems No shooting of weapons for 1 activation.
system
28
Buildings
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Damage and Destruction galaxy can kiss my ass
Building Overview
Buildings on the battlefield provide some advantages for squads

of Gruntz finding cover to keep out of the way of heavy ordinance
and offer advantage in a fire fight. Not all 15mm buildings will have totally clear locations for
windows or cover represented, so it is assumed that a degree of
To enable the use of buildings for various scenarios the following
rules offer different locations that provide grades of cover during the flexibility on how a building can be used will be needed when you
battle. If you have a building of a different material, select one which setup your table.
matches the general type of those listed.
Agree where models can enter buildings and shoot from before
When firing at a building with Gruntz in it, choose to either target you start the first turn.
the building or the Gruntz within. Tanks can only target the building For larger terrain features including burrows or defensive walls
unless they have an anti-infantry weapon mount and tanks add
you should also declare what the cover types are going to provide
armour piercing to the damage.
before the start of the game and it is also recommended that
Whilst in the building Gruntz gain the benefit of hard cover which any structures are built to a size which can easily accommodate
is +2 Guard. Gruntz are considered to be at windows and making a 15mm figure, so they can be seen to be making use of the cover
themselves open to external fire whilst in a building. during play.
Mouse-holing
To attempt an assault on a building a tank or heavy weapon can Building Type Soak and Wounds
make an attempt to create an entrance by force.
Wooden farm building or other soft
12 Soak and 16
Building Damage
By doing 6 damage in one shot you create a mouse-hole in a skin abode, includes ruins, semi open
Wounds.
building. Troops inside a mouse-holed building are auto suppressed and very damaged buildings.
when the damage is done.
Brick house or concrete civilian
15 Soak and 20
The new entrance can be used by assaulting squads to access the building. Also covers most starship or
Wounds
interior. Mark the side of the building with a counter to record the wall modern sci-fi interior walls.
that has been mouse-holed.
Hardened bunker or military grade 19 Soak and 24
Destroyed Building installation. wounds
Troops inside a destroyed building must make a roll under their 22 Soak and 30
skill statistic to make a desperate attempt to exit before collapse. Super hard enzyme-bonded concrete
wounds.
or other alien tek.
The exit is completed in the same way as an emergency exit from
a destroyed APC. Models are Waxed if they roll over their skill and any It is assumed that Gruntz carry a breach explosive which requires
that remain are placed within 3 inches of the building and are in the a grunt to activate and make a roll under or equal to its skill statistic to
suppressed condition. breach a building door.
1 The White player activates his tank first and

Fire! fires on the brick building containing the
M Mecha Red player’s Gruntz, totalling a damage score
of 19 (factoring in armour piercing) this is 7
T
damage points over the Soak statistic of the

G Grunt brick building.
The building has been successfully mouse-
M
holed and all Gruntz inside are now in

suppressed condition. The Mecha is then
G x6 Grunts activated and fires, targeting the squad inside
the building with its anti-infantry weapon at
2 -2 to Shoot, it waxes 1 of the 6 Gruntz within.
Assault Next the White Gruntz are activated and
make an Assault charge attack at the Gruntz
G
inside via the mouse-hole created by the

G
tanks damage.
B
G
The squad inside the building are suppressed

G
so the assaulting White squad gain a +1 to

their close assault attack roll.
G
M
G
29
UNIT BUILDERS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Squad Design
Note that if a squad attachment is waxed by incoming fire and

Gruntz Builder not fixed by a medic the weapon can be picked up automatically by
another Grunt in the same squad. When the SA is waxed the new
Build your standard Gruntz
weapon carrier must be within the 3 inch coherency squad range or
squads or design some terrifying
the weapon is lost.
aliens with Perkz supporting their
unusual biology. Each statistic can Perkz
be tuned to perform at various
levels of ability. Perkz have a variable costs as listed under the Perkz tables. You are
able to field a unit with no Perkz. All of the figures in the Gruntz squad
including the SA benefit from the Perk unless stated in the Perk details.
Gruntz Units
A Gruntz squad is a 6 man team all with equal statistics and the
same weapon types. A squad has a squad leader which is important for
unit coherency rules and should be represented either by a different
model or by painting shoulder pads or other details so you can clearly
see the leader of the Squad.
Squad attachments like heavy weapons are defined on a separate

profile, although they share the base statistics with the Grunts unit
they are attached to and allow you to take the Gruntz unit up to a size
of 8 men.
You can fine tune the profile to match your specifics. This could be
heavy armour, superfast alien reflex’s or a set of very basic statistics for Example Arc Rifleman Squad
civilian or untrained militia.
This is an Arc Rifleman Squad from Critical Mass Games. They
A primitive alien unit could be assigned a veteran assault statistic have an excellent shoot ability and a strong mental.
due to a lethal biological hand to hand claw strike but their shoot
ability could be selected as green due to lack of exposure to technical Item Ability (score) Points
ranged weapons. You could also make fast moving aliens difficult to Base Cost Gruntz Squad 1
hit by selecting a high Guard statistic.
Shoot Veteran (5) 3
Note that when creating a Gruntz squad unit the final points value Assault Trained (3) 3
Skills
is dived by two, rounding up the result.

Guard Average (11) 2
Armour (Soak) Soak Light (12) 3
Armour is selected based on a range of categories and some Mental Seasoned (6) 2
sample ideas are detailed below. A soak of 14 or 15 is reserved for
Skill Seasoned (6) 3
powered armour squads only.
Weapons
Gauss Rifle
Weapons
Primary Weapon 2
Weapons are selected from the Gruntz squad table in the weapons ( Projectile Rifle )
section and are based on small arms, assault rifles, lasers and other Close Combat Combat Knife 0
squad equipment. Your are also able to select grenades from the list
and it is assumed they have basic combat knives for normal assault Grenades High Explosive 1
attacks.
Note: Add any cost of a Squad Attachment to your Gruntz Unit
The weapons tables are based on generic classes and you can Perk None 0
Perkz
select a profile which most appropriately describes your weapon. The

heavier infantry weapons are reserved for squad attachments and are
detailed in the weapons table. Sub Total (Divide the total by 2 and round up) 20
Squad Attachments (SA) Total points for 1 Unit of six: 10
You can add up to two squad attachments to a Gruntz unit, each

Sample Gruntz Armour Types
squad attachment is a single figure carrying the standard weapon
used by the squad and a heavier weapon selected from the Squad Type Sample
Attachments weapon table. Add the points to the total cost for the
Gruntz unit. Squad attachments are heavier weapons, squad assault Scout Medium Anti-kinetic, Light Padding
Armour
weapons (SAW) or other technical or biological weapons which are Part hard shell. Heavy Anti-kinetic force
Light
normally used as squad support. materials.
A squad attachment gives a unit of Gruntz the punch to damage Medium Hard Suit, full body armour / carapace.
vehicles and extra fire support against other Gruntz units and they Heavy Lighter Personal Powered Suit
activate when the Gruntz unit is activated. Assault Heavy Personal Powered Armour
30
Gruntz BUILDER
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Squad Points
G Grunts Unit Base Cost: 1
Select Shoot Green Trained Seasoned Veteran Expert Elite

Shoot is the most frequently used statistic
in Grunts and is a measure of the skill in Shoot 2 3 4 5 6 7
hitting an opponent with ranged
weapons. Points 0 1 2 3 4 5
Select Assault Green Trained Seasoned Veteran Expert Elite

Assault is used as the statistic when
attacking hand to hand or claw to face. Assault 2 3 4 5 6 7
The higher the value the easier it is for a
Grunt to be effective when up close. Points 0 1 2 3 4 5
Select Guard Slow Average Medium Quick Superfast

Guard is a measure of how difficult to hit a
ToHit 10 11 12 13 14
unit is. Very fast, small dextrous aliens
might be harder to hit. Points 1 2 4 6 8
Select Soak None Scout Light Medium Heavy Assault

Soak is a measure the armoured a unit is
wearing. Heavier armour is harder to Soak 10 11 12 13 14 15
penetrate. Heavy and Assault are
reserved for Powered Armour types. Points 1 2 3 4 6 8
Green Trained Seasoned Veteran Expert Elite

Select Mental
Mental is a measure of how the Grunt Mental 4 5 6 7 8 9
copes under pressure.
Points 0 1 2 3 4 5
Select Skill Green Trained Seasoned Veteran Expert Elite

Skill represents the technical ability of the
unit. Used by Vehicle crews when firing Skill 2 3 4 5 6 7
weapons rather than the Shoot skill.
Points 1 2 3 5 8 12
Select Weapons
Gruntz can have one light and one medium weapon. Knives and small hand
weapons are free. Grenades are an additional 1 point. See the weapons
table for the points cost for weapons.
31
UNIT BUILDERS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Squad Attachment
Squad Attachments
A squad attachment is an addition
to the standard Gruntz squad size The heavy weapon carried by the Squad Attachment can be
of 6 troops. They provide extra picked up by any other Squad member after they are waxed.
support punch and anti-material Another squad member within 3 inches automatically picks up
weapons.
and starts using the SA weapon when the unit activates.
Squad Attachments (SA) If another squad member is not within 3 inches of the waxed SA
the weapon is lost.
A Squad Attachment is an addition to a six man Gruntz squad, you
can have up to two attached to a single squad taking the maximum Add the points cost of a Squad Attachment to the total cost for
total squad size to 8 models. You have to pay the points cost for each the unit of Gruntz they are attached to, they count as part of
of the additional SA models you attach to a Gruntz squad. They carry the unit for the scoring of victory points and are not able to act
heavier weapons which are able to do more damage to vehicles or independently of the Gruntz squad they are attached to.
offer other tactical advantages in the support of the Gruntz squad.
Squad Attachments activate with the Gruntz squad they are Weapons
attached to and have the same statistics and equipment except their
weapon is more powerful. In current modern era fighting they would Squad Attachments select their weapons from the Gruntz table
be equipped with a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). and can either be a simple increase in size to the squad by carrying the
same weapon as the other squad members or they can select from the
The heavier firepower they carry provides a benefit to the squad range of SA weapons listed in the Gruntz weapon table.
against armoured units and boosts the performance of the Gruntz
squad they are attached to. Squad Attachment weapons include Rocket Propelled Grenades,
Heavier Plasma, Laser or automatic machine guns.
You can attach up to two Squad Attachments to each Gruntz
squad. The base cost is 2 points and you simply add the cost of the The SA fires his weapon at the same time as the rest of the unit,
weapon to this total. Once you have the cost the SA, add it to the cost however they don’t need to fire at the same target and they can not
of the Gruntz unit before you divide the total by 2. take part in a concentrated fire action with the rest of the squad. They
are able to shoot at the same target that the rest of the squad are firing
You only pay for the base cost and weapons, with all other statistics, at when they concentrate fire but will need to make a separate attack
amour and details remaining the same as the Gruntz squad the SA is and damage roll for their
attached to. weapon.
Mobility Squad Attachments are

able to be transported with a
The Squad Attachment moves at the same speed as the Gruntz squad and don’t
rest of the squad they are attached to which would normally count as an extra figure for
be the standard move of 4 inches. If the Gruntz squad they are transportation purposes.
attached to has a Perk like Jump Packs, the SA can also make
use of the Perk without having to pay additional points for it.
Example New Israeli
Squad Attachment
This is an NI Squad Automatic Weapon from Ground Zero
Games. It will have the same statistics as the Gruntz Squad it
is attached to and carries a Guass LMG.
Item Ability (score) Points

Base
Base Cost Squad Attachment 2

Note: The weapon in brackets is the actual weapon selected
from the Squad Attachment weapon table.
Gauss LMG
Weapons
Primary Weapon 4
( SA. Medium Projectile )
Close Combat Combat Knife 0
Grenades High Explosive 1
Federal Troops face danger from a group of Xeno infiltrators. Note: Add the cost of the SA to your Gruntz squad before you
divide the Gruntz points by two when calculating the total
Troops by Old Crow Models
squad value.
Total points for 1 SA (add to the Gruntz unit) 7
32
Gruntz BUILDER
When I die bury me
upside down so the
SA Points
Squad Attachment Base Cost: 2
Select Weapons
A Squad attachment only needs to select a weapon from either the Gruntz
or the Squad Attachment table. Knives and small hand weapons are free.
Grenades are an additional 1 point. See the weapons table for the points
cost for weapons.
Life on Earth Harmony Rolling Stock; an identical bubbled gate greeted them on the
other side bathing the craft in a rolling cloud of plasma.
He was a Duckling. They all were on platform 64.6.1. Rank upon
rank of Ducklings all waiting patiently for the thunderous clicking The precipitation and humidity of the New Paris night was palpable;
of the wall mounted clock to flip over to fifty-four. The yellow coated the Ducklings skin prickled with sweat again as their bodies adjusted
workers of the FreeKorp Industrial Centre all silently stood on the hard to the mugginess and the train’s eco-regulators whined trying to cope
grey Permacrete station at London’s Blair Street Station waiting for with change from parched atmosphere of the Acrid Region to sultry air
their train to come gilding in. The original stellar-terminal at Thatcher’s of New Paris. Rain drizzled down the outside of the train cutting valleys
Gate had been abandoned a few years back when the worm hole through the dusty exterior letting the passengers catch the odd glimpse
rift had become unstable and this new shining example of Anglian of the 3 blue moons high in the sky.
engineering had been constructed to take on its place. All reinforced
Permacrete and iridescent Graphene it was a fine homage to the era of As they pulled into the verdant surroundings of Sarkozy
grandness and industry that Harmony Rolling Stock had entered. International; the dull buzzing of the grounds droids was all around the
Ducklings as they alighted the train. The droids fought an endless battle
The Southern Stella Service whispered into the station; servos and against the encroaching jungle vegetation which sort to overrun the
grav motors throbbing softly to bring the needle like train alongside terminal building and cut off the Harmony Rolling Stock’s vital artery
the smooth station platform. Four times a day the SSS ran the journey to this resource rich world. The SSS would need several hours to refuel
from New Paris to the Blair Street terminal building; one of the Harmony and cross check for the return journey to London but for the Ducklings
Rolling Stocks most stable and lucrative routes. The transporter sighed the night shift would begin in earnest when the FIC local transit arrived
to a stop – jets of coolant bellow out from the beneath the carriages to complete their commute to the Essence Processing Plant. In the
blasting the fine layer of dust from the silvered shell. Doors whirred mean time the hollow faces of the Ducklings turned skywards and let
open and as silently as the train had appeared the Ducklings neatly the blissful caress of the rain kiss their solar charred features; no one
queued and filed into the compartments. A rasping voice reverberated became a Duckling for the money.
over the station vox-haler announcing the arrival of the SSS not a
single ear bothered to listen to the tinny announcement they had all
heard before.
Pulling out of the terminal building the train sped through the
North Downs and the desiccated country side of the Kent borderlands;
the shrunken withered land revealed the SSS progress with a grimy
fan of fine dust puffing out behind the hurtling mass transporter. The
dress of the Ducklings would have been absurd in the Acrid Region
and even in the eco-regulated train beads of sweat fell on to the yellow
laminated enviro-wear.
The shimmering bubble of the worm hole entrance could be seen

now on the track ahead; the energy field obscured the event horizon
and the massive generators and reactors used to power the device
towered up from the basin floor. The train kept gathering speed and
hit the murk of the rift at just below mach two; the crack of the air
would have been heard for klick upon klick if there had been a living
soul to hear it. As it passed through the field around the worm hole
the train was encased by a charged-plasma bubble shielding it from
the astronomical forces at play in the Morris-Thorne wormhole and
preventing foreign flora and fauna accidentally making it through the
breach. Hidden beneath the various support buildings that surrounded
the wormhole were a range of advanced defence systems, silent and
immediate death to most potential foreign invaders that decide to use
the wormhole as their entry to earth.
Suddenly the driver and the caboose of the transporter were

separated by most of the Milky Way; the very limits of the universe
stretched and contorted bending to the engineering will of the
33
UNIT BUILDERS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Specialist
Damage Points
Specialist Design
It is possible to build
Your Specialists provide the unique a specialist unit like a
and interesting battlefield abilities
portable weapon where
that can boost your force or help
cripple an enemy unit. They are the base has a couple
independently activated units of figures mounted
which can make a significant on it to represent the
impact on the battlefield. requirements of a portable
weapon mount.
Specialist Builder
You don’t need to add
Specialists include a range of different models that act as statistics for both models,
individuals on the battle field or can be grouped into squads. The type just select a suitable size
of builds covered include: Small mecha walkers that are two small to for the unit from those
GZG NAC Specialist with High
be considered a mecha vehicle and too big to be classed as a Powered available for Specialists
Energy Laser (HEL) mounted on
Armour Gruntz squad. You can also build medics, engineers, speeder
a metal hex base. which have multiple
bikes, droids and various other robotic units. Basing should be larger
for Specialists to make them clearly identifiable on the Battlefield. You wounds.
can use anything from a 20mm to 30mm base including the Hex style
This GZG NAC Specialist has two figures on the base but they
raised lip bases.
operate as one model on the battlefield. They have multiple
Unit or Solo wounds and as a light class Specialist they have 5 total wounds
for the unit. The unit is only waxed when the total wounds are
Specialists are paid for individually. So if you want a squad of 5 lost. You don’t account for each figure on the base they act as
walkers you need to pay the points for each model individually. In
one unit.
most cases you will be fielding a specialist as an individual unit. Models
like the example Protolene Ayamer detailed on this page could be part Perkz
of a group of models in a squad, however the points should be paid
for each individual walker. This differs from the Gruntz squad builder Specialists can have two Perkz.
where you pay one total point value for a full 6 man unit. The first is at the cost of the Perk,
Mobility the second will cost and additional 5
points plus the cost of the Perk.
Mobility for Specialists in Gruntz is based on a range of options in
the builder. For walking for bipedal human sized models select the 4
inches as per the standard for Grunts. Note that small walker specialists Example Protolene Ayamer
like the Protolene Ayamer would have a move of 5 inches for the due This Protolene Ayamer is the predator
to the boosted speed in the battle suit. Speeder Bikes would be Grav variant and has plasma weapons
based mobility. mounted.
Abilities and Weapon Rules Item Ability (score) Points
Build
Select an ability from the Specialist Abilities table. Abilities are Base Cost Specialist 1
similar to Gruntz perkz and include medic and engineering abilities. Size Medium 5
Note: You don’t pay points for Soak, Damage or Guard you only
Specialists can carry Gruntz weapons and are also able to select
pay for the Size class.
from the Squad Attachment and Specialist weapons table.
Shoot Veteran (6) 4
Assault Trained (3) 3
Skills
Mental Seasoned (6) 2

Specialists are the units which add more SCI-FI flavour to the Mobility Walk (5 inches) 1
Gruntz game. They don’t fit in a traditional squad and cover items
Weapons
Plasma Blaster
like portable weaponry with crew, powered walkers which are Primary Weapon (Specialist Heavy 6
two small to be classed as Mecha but still pack a punch, Medics, Plasma)
Engineers, Drones and other sci-fi technical robotic devices.
Close Combat Ram 0
The interesting abilities and different build of Specialist units
Ability
makes them difficult to design but we hope this light-Specialist

Ability None 0
builder is enough to help with most of the basic types.
Specialists are based on larger 20mm to 30mm sized bases so you
Sub Total (Divide this by 2 and round up) 23
can easily spot them on the battlefield and create a mini-diorama
like the NAC High Energy laser squad featured on this page. Total points for 1 Specialist Model : 12
34
Gruntz BUILDER
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Specialist Points
Statistics
Specialist Base Cost: 1
Soak Guard Damage Points
Select Size Scout 12 14 4 1

The size dictates Damage, Soak and Guard. You Light 13 13 5 3
pay once for all three statistics e.g. Light is 3
points and provides default Soak of 13, Guard of Size Medium 14 12 6 5
13 and damage of 5. You could build something
small which you consider to be assault class (it Heavy 15 11 7 7
does not have to be physically large). Assault 16 10 8 9
Walk Walk
Tracked Wheel Hover Grav
Select Mobility Gruntz Mech
The Mobility type dictates rules on Points 0 1 1 2 3 3
terrain and speed. Most humanoid
Speed
based Specialists must have walk 4 5 6 7 8 10
inches
and a move of 4 to match the
standard Gruntz move. Tracked Motor Micro Speeder
Example Gruntz Mecha
Robot Bike Tank Bikes


Points 0 1 2 3 4 5
Grunt to be effective when up close.

Select Mental
Points 0 1 2 3 4 5

Points 1 2 3 5 8 12
Select Weapons, Abilities and Perkz

Specialists can carry Gruntz weapons, however you can select from the Specialist table for all weapons. Knives and small
hand weapons are free. See the weapons table for the points cost for weapons. You can select up to two Perkz for a
Specialist, the first at the normal cost. The second perk costs and additional 5 points. So you could design a shielded, jump
pack medic however the points cost would be significant.
Skill Points
Abilities With one action (after move) can Heal D3 wounds from a commander in base-2-
Medic 5
base or Restore D3 Grunts from Waxed condition within 3 inches of base.
With one action (after move) can repair D3 damage points from a vehicle in
Engineer 5
base-2-base or try to fix a critical damage slot on a roll of 1 to 3.
35
UNIT BUILDERS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Tank Design
Mobility
Construction Yard Select the mobility from the five options, note that walkers include
You can get directly into playing crab like multi-leg tanks. The various mobility types dictate speed as
Gruntz by using some of the pre- shown in the speed table.
made unit profile cards but if you
Mounted Weapon Rules
prefer to create your own statistics
you can use the following points Tank main weapons can be equal to or less than the size class of
based unit builders to create your the Tank e.g A medium tank can have medium primary weapons or of
perfect ride. a smaller size class. You can install two main weapons of the same size
class as the tank, paying points for every weapon. Light and Scout
Tank Builder vehicles can select from the anti infantry class vehicle weapons or from
the Squad Attachment and Specialist weapon classes.
To build a tank first start with the model you have in mind and then
select an appropriate size. You might also have an existing published Note that you must purchase the weapon mounts for each weapon
Gruntz tank profile that you want to change by tweaking it to your taste system you purchase for the design.
or adjusting the payload if you have a different turret in use.
Tanks cost a base of 20 points to build. Pick and pay the points for
the size which dictates the core statistics for your tank and check the
table to determine what the Damage, Soak, Ram and Guard are. You
don’t pay points for the derived statistics only the size class, mobility,
weapon mounts, weapons, Modz and driver skill have an associated
points cost.
You might decide that one manufacturers medium tank is closer in

size to a heavy tank from another line of miniatures, in which case you Example Arc Fleet Medium Grav Tank
could call the model a heavy, even if the miniature manufacturer lists This is an Arc Medium Grav tank from Critical Mass Games.
it as a medium. The Mod ”Gravatonic Accelerator” makes this tank excellent
at clinical long range strikes by increasing the base range of
the Gauss Cannon. They also have an expert crew which is a
significant advantage when shooting at long range.
Item Selection Points

Build
The first option with the points system is to ignore them and get Base Cost Tank 20
on with a game! You don’t have to play with points to enjoy Gruntz Size Medium 5
but you can use the unit builder system to construct vehicles Mobility Grav 3
and then play an enjoyable scenario. If you don’t field perfectly
Note: You don’t pay points for Soak, Damage or Guard you only
balanced forces you can still use the points as a guide to the
pay for the Size class once.
victory conditions.
Mounts
Item Number of Mounts Points

Bigger can mean slower with regard to vehicle speed except
Anti Infantry
where propulsion like Grav technology increases overall speed 1 2
Weapons
of a vehicle class. However there are ways in which the various
Main Weapons 1 1
classes of system can be tweaked to break the core builder
system. For example you could upgrade the engines on an Assault
Weapons
tank to bring its speed up in line with a vehicle of a lighter class Item Selection Points
by selecting a Mod from the vehicle Modz table and paying the Gauss Cannon (Vehicle
points. Main Weapon 3
Medium Projectile)
Gruntz is an abstraction of the real physical properties of vehicles Anti-Infantry Machine Gun (Vehicle
1
and there will be times when you want a fantastically outfitted Weapon Light Projectile)
scout grav jeep with six super light laser anti-infantry weapons
Modz
that can all be fired simultaneously. The rules don’t support that Gravatonic Accelerator
payload, however there is nothing to stop you creating a vehicle Modz (+3” to main weapon 3
using your design and simply listing the anti infantry weapon as range)
two light weapons. The rest is up to your imagination because not
Skill
every turret on your miniature needs a rule to cover its use. Crew Skill 6 (Expert) 8
There are several miniature lines available, especially on mecha
walkers, where multi primary weapons are built into the payload. Tank Base Cost 20
Having a mecha walker with a mini arsenal available does increase
Build and Weapons 26
the points cost to reflect the benefit it gains from carrying multi
weapon systems. Total Tank Cost 46
36
Tank BUILDER
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Tank Points
Tank Base Cost: 20

Damage Soak RAM Guard Points
Scout 14 15 9 13 1
Light 18 16 10 12 2
Select Tank Size Tank Medium 22 17 11 11 5

The Hull size dictates damage points, Size
soak, Guard and ram attack. Heavy 26 18 12 10 8
Assault 30 19 13 9 12
Mobility Type
Select Mobility
The Mobility type dictates rules on Walk Track Wheeled Hover Grav
terrain and speed, depending on Tank Points 0 1 1 2 3
Hull size.
Speed in Inches
Determine Speed Scout 7 8 9 8 10
Speed is in inches, for single move,
flank speed is double figure listed. Tank Light 6 7 8 8 9
Size
Medium 6 7 8 7 8
Heavy 5 6 7 6 8
Assault 4 6 7 5 7
Walk Track Wheels Hover Grav
Tank Mobility Type
Tank Weapon Max Mount Capacity

Select Main Weapon
Mounts Scout Light Medium Heavy Assault
Size dictates how many systems can be
Anti Infantry 1 1 2 2 2
mounted on a vehicle.
Main Weapon 1 2 3 3 4
Purchase the number of Weapon
Mounts required, limited by the Tanks Purchase Main Weapon Mounts
maximum Mount capacity.
Main
0 1 2 3 4
Weapon Mounts
Points 0 1 4 8 13
Purchase Anti Infantry Mounts

Select Anti-Infantry
Weapon Mounts Anti Infantry
0 1 2
Size dictates how many anti-infantry Weapon Mounts
weapons can be mounted on a vehicle. Points 0 2 4
Crew Skill
Purchase Weapons, Skill
and Vehicle Modz Green Trained Seasoned Veteran Expert Elite
Purchase Weapons/Modz from the
Skill 2 3 4 5 6 7
appropriate table and select a Skill for
the crew. The higher the Skill the more Points 0 1 2 5 8 12
effective the vehicle is on the battlefield.
37
UNIT BUILDERS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Mecha
This example Mecha design is using the Imperator, a 60 Ton

Mech Yard Fairfield & Hammer fabricated single-pilot Mecha walker.
Build a mecha and select an
appropriate payload from the
weapons systems. If you don’t see Weight
an exact match for the weapon
Class
system, use one listed that most
closely matches the type e.g.
Plasma could represent most blast Scout 5-20
based energy type particle canons.
Light 21-40
Medium 41-60
Mecha Builder
Heavy 61-80
To build a mech first start with the model you have in mind and
think about the size and payload. Different model manufacturers have Assault 81-100
a range of scales that are often not exact matches for 15mm gaming,
like the popular 10mm and plastic pre-painted mechs which might Tons
look a little small but with a little imagination could easily be used as a
light or scout mech in 15mm. However from the model ranges already
available there are many that are close enough to the scale or exact
scale in the case of the Critical Mass Games walkers.
Mobility
Example Imperator Mech
Current mobility for mecha in Gruntz is Walk based, however you
can select a Mod which allows the walker jump capability. Jumping This is the Imperator, a 60 Ton Fairfield & Hammer fabricated
mechs are able to be repositioned to anywhere within their base single-pilot Mecha walker, designed for field flexibility and
movement range in inches. Mecha can fire whilst completing a jump reliability in remote contact circumstances. It is fitted with a
at a -2 to the skill roll. anti infantry projectile, a particle cannon (Medium Plasma)
and a shoulder mounted Light Missile Launcher.
Build
Mecha main weapons can be equal to or less than the size class of
the Mecha e.g A medium mech can have medium primary weapons or Base Cost Mecha 16
of a smaller size class. You can install two main weapons of the same Size Medium 5
size class as the mecha, paying points for every weapon.
Walker (Standard for
Mobility 0
Check the maximum weapon mounts for the size class of mech Mecha)
before you select and pay the points for the weapon mounts before Note: You don’t pay points for Soak, Damage or Guard you only
you pay the points for the actual weapons from the vehicle weapon pay for the Size class once.
tables.
Mounts

Scout and Light mechs can select from the anti infantry class Anti Infantry
1 2
vehicle weapons or from the Squad Attachment and Specialist weapon Weapons
classes. In the Gruntz core rules you can fire up to 2 of the equipped Main Weapons 2 4
weapons per unit activation, the second weapon fired is at -1 to the
Skill roll.
Weapons

Particle Cannon (Vehicle
Main Weapon 1 4
Medium Plasma)
Main Weapon 2 Light Missile Launcher 6
Mecha robots are often tall and substantial chunks of military kit, Anti-Infantry Machine Gun (Vehicle
1
suffering from a high target signature and a likelihood of major Weapon Light Projectile)
technical failure when a leg is crippled by damage.
Modz
In Gruntz they are considered very effective on the battlefield and Neutonic Damping (+2
great at making use of terrain by flattening themselves against Modz Soak against energy 3
walls, aiming around corners and making use of surroundings for weapons)
cover with rapid agile movement to best avoid incoming fire.
Skill
Crew Skill 5 (Veteran) 5

A tank would have to reveal itself by driving around a terrain
feature before targeting. This is reflected in slightly better Guard
Mecha Base Cost 16
scores for mecha size classes, however mecha are more fragile
than tanks represented by lower damage taking capacity. Build and Weapons 30
Total Mecha Cost 46
38
Mecha BUILDER
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Mecha Points
Mecha Base Cost: 16

Scout 12 14 7 14 1
Light 14 15 8 13 2
Mecha
Select Mecha Size Size Medium 16 16 9 12 4
The Hull size dictates damage points,
Soak, ToHit and Ram attack. Heavy 20 17 10 11 7
Assault 24 18 11 10 11
Mecha
Determine Speed Size
Speed is in inches, for single move, Scout Light Medium Heavy Assault
flank speed is double figure listed.
Speed 7 6 6 5 4
If the Mecha is fitted with Jump
technology it can jump in inches equal
Speed in Inches
to its standard move and fire at -2.
Mecha Weapon Max Mount Capacity

Select Main Weapon
Size dictates how many systems can be Anti Infantry 1 1 2 2 2
mounted on a Mecha.
Main Weapon 1 2 3 3 4
Mounts required, limited by the Mechs Purchase Main Weapon Mounts
maximum Mount capacity.
Main
0 1 2 3 4
Weapon Mounts
Points 0 1 4 8 13
Select Anti-Infantry Purchase Anti Infantry Mounts

Weapon Mounts
Size dictates how many anti-infantry Anti Infantry
0 1 2
weapons can be mounted on a Mecha. Weapon Mounts
Points 0 2 4
Crew Skill
Skill 2 3 4 5 6 7
Mecha Flight Mode Scout Light Medium Heavy Assault

Flight Base Speed 11 10 10 9 8
Flight Rules
Land Base Speed 7 6 6 5 4

For an additional 7 Points you can add a special Mod for Mecha called “Transform”. This allows the Mecha to switch between a
flying variation and the land walker variant. In both modes the statistics remain the same, accept the base speed is increased to a
higher level whilst in flight mode and is dictated by the Mecha size as listed in the table.
It takes 1 Action to Transform and whilst in flight mode you can only use anti-infantry weapons. The Mecha unit has to first use an
action to transform before it can fire primary weapon mounts. Note that the base speed is doubled when making a double move
action e.g. A Scout in Flight-Mode will be able to make a double move of 22inches using its two actions.
39
UNIT BUILDERS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Commander
Perkz
Commander
Commanders can have two Perkz. The first Perk costs the
Each Army has one single
standard amount listed. The second perk costs an extra 5 points
Commander with overall command
and control of your force. They are
in addition to the perkz standard cost.
tougher than a normal Grunt and Command Actions
able to activate independently.
They also have abilities which Your Commander automatically receives the “Push Move”
can improve the performance of and “Take the Pain” actions which are detailed in the Commander
Gruntz Squad.
section of the core rules.
The Commanders
Your Commander leads your force into battle and provides some
abilities that benefit Gruntz. They have multiple wounds to represent
their experience and staying power in the field.
Armour (Soak) Example Tigrid Commander

Armour is selected based on a range of categories and some This is a Tigrid High Commander in Powered
sample ideas are detailed below. A soak of 14 or 15 is reserved for Battle Dress from Khurasan Miniatures. He is
powered armour squads only. great in close combat and well armoured.
Weapons Item Ability (score) Points

Weapons are selected from the Gruntz squad table in the weapons Base Cost Commander 1
section and are based on small arms, assault rifles, lasers and other Shoot Veteran (5) 3
squad equipment. Your are also able to select grenades from the list
Assault Elite (7) 5
Skills
and it is assumed they have basic combat knives for normal assault
attacks. Guard Quick (13) 6
The weapons tables are based on generic classes and you can Soak Heavy (14) 6
select a profile which most appropriately describes the profile of your Mental Expert (8) 4
weapon.
A Commander is able to carry weapons up to the size class of Squad Damage Medium (16) 4
Attachment, although if you prefer a more realistic representation of a
battlefield leader you can select from the standard Gruntz weapons.
Weapons
Gauss Rifle
Commander Damage Primary Weapon 2
( Projectile Rifle )
Assault class Commanders can have up to 20 damage points and Claw
it should normally be reserved for Alien type Commanders or robotic Close Combat 1
(Basic Weapon)
leaders, larger than normal humans and more resilient.
Grenades High Explosive 0
Normal human Commanders could be classed as Scout or Light
Perk
size, however you can break this rule and build a very tough human
Commander if required for your setting. Perk None 0
Sub Total (Divide the total by 2 and round up) 35

Total points for 1 Commander: 18
Commanders have multiple wounds but are not necessarily super
human. The multiple wounds represent their staying power and
veteran skills of survival in the field. The damage points are an
abstract number to help keep the Commander in play longer and
offer a tactical advantage if played well in the cinematic rules. Sample Commander Armour Types
You might decide you do have an amazingly resilient Alien leader Type Sample
which has super strength and armour and this type of leader is still Scout Medium Anti-kinetic, Light Padding
supported in the rules.
Armour
Part hard shell. Heavy Anti-kinetic force

Light
In the optional rules you can play with a more realistic variant of materials.
a Commander and set their damage points to 1 (the same as a Medium Hard Suit, full body armour / carapace.
Grunt). Remember both players should adopt the non-cinematic
Heavy Lighter Personal Powered Suit
rules or their Commander will have an unfair advantage.
Assault Heavy Personal Powered Armour
40
Commander
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Commander Points
Commander Base Cost: 1


Grunt to be effective when up close. Points 0 1 2 3 4 5
Select Guard Slow Average Medium Quick Superfast

Guard is a measure of how difficult to hit a
ToHit 10 11 12 13 14
unit is. Very fast, small dextrous aliens
might be harder to hit. Points 1 2 4 6 8
Select Soak None Scout Light Medium Heavy Assault

Soak is a measure the armoured a unit is
wearing. Heavier armour is harder to Soak 10 11 12 13 14 15
penetrate. Heavy and Assault are
reserved for Powered Armour types. Points 1 2 3 4 6 8

Select Mental
Points 0 1 2 3 4 5

Points 1 2 3 5 8 12
Scout Light Medium Heavy Assault

Select Damage Points
The amount of damage a Commander Damage 12 14 16 18 20
can take in battle
Points 0 2 4 6 8
Select Weapons
Select from the Gruntz and Squad Attachment weapons for your
Commander. Gruntz weapons are more realistic for a Commander to carry,
however you can boost them up by having them carry a support weapon
from the Squad Attachments list.
41
UNIT BUILDERS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Support Vehicle
variation of units that use the total capacity.

Support Vehicles
Transport in Gruntz is vital for the rapid deployment of troops, use
On the future battlefield the your transport wisely to get the Gruntz to key strategic positions.
mobility and rapid deployment
of troops is vital. Support vehicles
provide the hardened transport Support Vehicle Transport Slots
to move units into key strategic Size Transport Slots
locations quickly and in relative
safety. Scout 1
Transport
Light 1
Support Vehicle Builder Medium 2
Support Vehicles are similar to Tanks, having a range of statistics Heavy 2
which are mostly derived from the size class which dictates Damage, Assault 4
Soak, RAM and Guard. When you select the size class you should note
the various key statistics from the size class. Modz
Mobility Support Vehicles can be fitted with the same Modz as tanks which
should be selected and the points paid for them based on the details
Select the mobility from the five options, note that walkers include in the Modz table.
crab like multi-leg tanks. The various mobility types dictate speed as
shown in the speed table.
Support Vehicles weapons are selected from the anti infantry

section of the weapons table. Note that you must purchase the
weapon mounts for each weapon system you purchase for the design.
Command Technology
You can purchase the command technology module for Support Example Armoured Wartruck
Vehicles. This turns the vehicle into a mobile command unit which has This is an Armoured Wartruck from Khurasan Miniatures. It
a limited set of the same abilities provided by the Commander unit on has one transport slot for units, with the option of adding a
the battlefield. During play you can also transport your Commander trailer for a second transport slot. The sample statistics below
unit in the Command vehicle, providing a very strong base to support are for the non-trailer variant.
your Gruntz units because the Commander can still use his special
actions on Gruntz units whilst being transported. Item Selection Points
Build
Adding the Command Tek option costs 6 points and there are Base Cost Support Vehicle 15
several options for command module variants of models available Size Medium 5
from 15mm Miniature manufacturers that can be used to represent a
Mobility Wheeled 1
Gruntz command support vehicle.
Transport Slots
Transport slots are based on the size of the vehicle and one single
Mounts
Anti Infantry
slot can carry a Gruntz Squad with Squad Attachments, a Commander 1 2
Weapons
or a single Specialist. A Powered armour Gruntz squad uses up two
transport slots and a vehicle with two transport slots could also mix
the units it transports e.g. One Gruntz squad and a Commander or any Item Selection Points
Anti-Infantry Plasma Repeater
Weapons
1
Weapon (Vehicle Light Plasma)
Support Vehicles are designed with lighter weaponry and the Modz None 0
Modz
capability to carry command modules. There is no doubt that a far

future battlefield could have multi-role vehicles that are both as
capable as a tank with the ability to deliver high damage ordnance Crew Skill 5 (Veteran) 5
and carry troops.
Skill
In the Gruntz system support vehicles are balanced by having less

Support Vehicle Base Cost 14
damage points than a tank and are not capable of carrying heavy
weapons. They can still take a significant anti-infantry and anti- Build and Weapons 14
amour role on the battlefield but are inferior to Tanks because of Total Support Vehicle Cost 28
the advantage they provide in troop mobility.
42
GSV BUILDER
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Support Vehicle Points
Support Vehicle
Base Cost: 14 Damage Soak RAM Guard Points
Scout 10 15 9 13 1
Light 12 15 10 12 2
Select Vehicle Size Medium 16 16 11 11 5

Size
Assault 22 18 13 9 12
Mobility Type
Select Mobility
terrain and speed, depending on vehicle Points 0 1 1 2 3
Hull size.
Speed in Inches

flank speed is double figure listed. Size Light 6 7 8 8 9
Medium 6 7 8 7 8
Heavy 5 6 7 6 8
Assault 4 6 7 5 7
Mobility Type
Weapon Max Mount Capacity

Determine Weapon Mounts
Size dictates how many systems can be Scout Light Medium Heavy Assault
mounted on a vehicle. Anti Infantry 1 1 2 2 2

0 1 2
weapons can be mounted on a vehicle.
Points 0 2 4
Pay the points for the number required.
Purchase Command Tek

Select Command Tek Points
Purchase for Command Technology
Command Tek 6
Crew Skill
Skill 2 3 4 5 6 7
43
UNIT BUILDERS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Air Support Vehicle

Air Support Transport Slots

Air Support Vehicles Size Transport Slots
Command Technology
On the future battlefield the Scout Crew only
Transport
mobility and rapid deployment Like normal ground
of troops is vital. Support vehicles Support Vehicles you can add Light Crew only
provide the hardened transport Command Tek at a cost of 6 Medium 1
to move units into key strategic points.
Heavy 2
locations quickly and in relative
safety. Transport Slots Assault 3
Transport slots are based on

Air Support Vehicle Builder the size of the vehicle and one single slot can carry a Gruntz Squad with
Air Support Vehicles are similar to ground Support Vehicles, having Squad Attachments, a Commander or a single Specialist. A Powered
a range of statistics which are mostly derived from the size class which armour Gruntz squad uses up two transport slots and an Air Support
dictates Damage, Soak, RAM and Guard. When you select the size class Vehicle with two transport slots could also mix the units it transports
you should note the various key statistics from the size class. e.g. One Gruntz squad and a Commander or any variation of units that
use the total capacity.
The smallest Scout and Light types are not typically designed for
troop transport, being built for direct fire attacks and carry crew or are Modz
fully automated. Air Support Vehicles can be fitted with the same Modz as tanks
Drones and UAV which should be selected and the points paid for them based on the
details in the Modz table.
Building an unmanned Air Support drone uses the same build as
detailed below and purchase a Skill statistic to represent the ability
of the remote controller of the drone or the automated onboard AI.
If you are designing smaller drone systems use the Specialist builder
with Grav or Hover mobility and do not pay for Shoot, Assault or Mental
and do not divide the final total by two. You do still need to purchase a
Skill statistic for weapons fire on a small automated drone.
Mobility
Select the mobility from the five options, note that walkers include Example Roach VTOL
crab like multi-leg tanks. The various mobility types dictate speed as This is a Roach VTOL from Ground Zero Games. It has one
shown in the speed table. transport slot for units and a chin mount plasma cannon.
Build
Support Vehicles weapons are selected from the anti infantry Base Cost Air Support Vehicle 14
section of the weapons table. Note that you must purchase the anti-
infantry weapon mounts for each weapon system you purchase for the Size Medium 5
design. Mobility Jet VTOL 2

Mounts
Anti Infantry
1 2
Weapons
Air Support Vehicles are designed with lighter weaponry and
the capability to carry troops across longer distances than their
ground based equivalents. Item Selection Points
Weapons
They have lower damage points than Ground Support Vehicles Anti-Infantry Plasma Chin Repeater
3
because of the more fragile nature of flight propulsion. They Weapon (Vehicle Light Plasma)
offer the advantage of rapid deployment into battle and quick
extraction when the going gets tough for Gruntz on the ground. Modz None 0
Movement of VTOL type support vehicles is an abstraction and
Modz
designed to represent tactical movement on the battlefield. Crew Skill 5 (Veteran) 5

This tactical movement includes compensation for adjustments
to speed for landing and take off which make air support more
vulnerable to attack. During off-board movement a fast moving jet Support Vehicle Base Cost 14
Skill
VTOL or Grav based Air Support Vehicles can cover vast distances
Build and Weapons 17
each turn compared to the battlefield tactical movement ranges
represented in Gruntz rules. Total Support Vehicle Cost 31
44
ASV BUILDER
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Air Support Vehicle Points
Air Support Vehicle

Base Cost: 15 Damage Soak RAM Guard Points
Scout 10 13 9 14 1
Light 12 14 10 13 2
Select Vehicle Size Medium 14 15 11 13 6

Size
Assault 18 17 13 11 13
Mobility Type
Select Mobility
The Mobility type dictates the base Helicopter Prop VTOL Jet VTOL Grav
speed of the Air Support Vehicle Points 0 1 1 2
Speed in Inches
Determine Speed Scout 10 13 14 15

Speed is in inches for single moves, Light 10 13 14 15
flank speed is double figure listed. Size
Double moves use two actions and do Medium 9 12 13 14
not allow for a shoot action.
Heavy 8 11 12 13
Assault 8 10 11 12
Helicopt Prop Jet
Grav
er VTOL VTOL
Mobility Type

0 1 2
weapons can be mounted on a vehicle.
Points 0 2 4
Pay the points for the number required.
Purchase Command Tek

Select Command Tek Points
Purchase for Command Technology
Command Tek 6
Crew Skill
Skill 2 3 4 5 6 7
45
UNIT BUILDERS
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Artillery
weaponry use the Specialist points builder and select a suitable size
and skill for the crew. If you are creating a manned ground artillery item
Artillery in the field the damage of the crew should be a factor of the design. The crew are
You can lay down a heavy carpet an abstracted factor of the overall survivability of the model and can
of area damage with artillery not be targeted individually. If the ground mount is unmanned you still
weapons which are effective at need to purchase a “Crew Skill” statistic which represents the quality of
long ranges and with indirect the target acquisition software.
guided ordnance.
Modelling crew onto the base or as separate models attached to
artillery unit will improve how the unit looks on the table but for the
purposes calculating damage simply fill in the damage box’s and only
Artillery Builder
remove the unit from the game when all of the damage box’s are filled
Artillery vehicles are often based on the similar chassis and hulls in.
to their tank or transport variants but are designed to normally carry
When using the specialist points builder for ground mount artillery,
one longer range cannon or other form of long range missile which can
do not pay for Shoot, Assault or Mental and do not divide the final
indirectly fire on enemy targets.
total by two. You can also select weapons from the vehicle artillery
There are two type of Artillery in Gruntz including the traditional options and the Skill statistic is required and like vehicles is used for all
unlimbered cannon or ground mount weapon and the more mobile shooting of the portable or
vehicle platform like the Kra’Vak artillery tank featured in the sample ground mount artillery.
builder on this page.
Mobility
Select the mobility from the five options, note that walkers include
crab like multi-leg tanks. The various mobility types dictate speed as
shown in the speed table. Example Kra’Vak Artillery Build
Mounted Weapon Rules This is an Heav Kra’Val Artillery Grav tank from Ground Zero
Games. Using an impressive gravity based gauss cannon
Artillery weapons can be equal to or less than the size class of the rather than the more common magnetic propulsion which
vehicle. Artillery vehicles can only have a maximum of two primary can be prone to higher heat levels and muzzle exit issues.
weapons as detailed in the Maximum weapon mount table. You can
install two main weapons of the same size class as the tank, paying Item Selection Points
Build
points for every weapon. Light and Scout vehicles can select from the
Base Cost Artillery 16
anti infantry class vehicle weapons or from the Squad Attachment and
Specialist weapon classes. Size Heavy 5
Note that you must purchase the weapon mounts for each weapon Mobility Grav 3
system you purchase for the design.
Modz Item Number of Mounts Points

Mounts
Anti Infantry
Select Modz from the vehicle table to boost, armour targeting, 0 2
Weapons
range etc and add the points value to the total.
Main Weapons 1 1
Ground Mount or unlimbered Portable Artillery
For Ground Mount, Trailer portable type or other automatic static Item Selection Points
Weapons
Gauss Ark-Cannon
Main Weapon 4
(Heavy Artillery)
Laser Repeater
Anti-infantry 2
(Light Laser)
Artillery in Gruntz is similar to a Tank unit but with lighter damage
capacity because they are generally kept further back from the
Active Camo (+1 Guard
Modz 3
Modz
front line in battle to provide indirect heavy firepower against against ranged attacks)
enemy units.
Unlimbered or fixed ground mount artillery are treated separately Crew Skill 5 (Veteran) 5
from mobile Artillery and use the Specialist builder for points
Skill
creation.
Artillery Vehicle Base Cost 16
Long range artillery in a SCI-FI world could be orbital, atmospheric
planetary bombardment or devastating energy attacks from Build and Weapons 25
massive ground mount installations. In this version of Gruntz the
Total Artillery Vehicle Cost 41
artillery function is focused on battlefield equipment which is on-
board and able to be targeted by other assets in game.
46
Artillery
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Artillery Points
Artillery Base Cost: 16

Scout 12 14 9 13 1
Select Vehicle Size Light 14 15 10 12 4

The Hull size dictates damage points, Vehicle
Medium 18 16 11 11 7
soak, Guard and ram attack. You only Size
pay the points once to receive the Heavy 22 17 12 10 11
Damage, Soak, RAM and Guard
statistics. Assault 24 18 13 9 15
Mobility Type
Select Mobility
terrain and speed, depending on Hull
Points 0 1 1 2 3
size.
Speed in Inches
flank speed is double figure listed. Tank Light 6 7 8 8 9
Size
Medium 6 7 8 7 8
Heavy 5 6 7 6 8
Assault 4 6 7 5 7
Vehicle Mobility Type
Select Main Weapon Artillery Weapon Max Mount Capacity

Size dictates how many systems can be
mounted on a vehicle. Artillery has a Anti Infantry 1 1 2 2 2
maximum mount of two from Medium Main Weapon 1 1 2 2 2
class and above.
Purchase Main Weapon Mounts
Mounts required, limited by the Tanks Main
maximum Mount capacity. 0 1 2
Weapon Mounts
Points 0 1 4
Purchase Anti Infantry Mounts

Select Anti-Infantry
0 1 2
weapons can be mounted on a vehicle. Points 0 2 4
Crew Skill
Skill 2 3 4 5 6 7
47
Weapons
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Statistic Tables
Weapons attachment or even Specialist weapons. This would make them a very
powerful Gruntz unit and would not be the normal approach for a
Gruntz weaponry is based on a set of SCI-FI weapon types grouped balanced game. However it could be a fun scenario to play a lethal crack
by a standard classification. If you have a specific weapon in mind, first mercenary squad which are all carrying individual squad attachment
find a near match by selecting a weapon of a suitable size and type. class weapons that are hailing down heavy fire on incoming forces of a
When using the Gruntz unit builder the weapon type is one of the last less powerful nature.
selections made.
Description
There are examples provided with each weapon to help you
determine what category your squad weapon fits into. You may decided The description provides details on the type of weapon that fits
that the models you are using are carrying a ‘Martian Death Ray’. Select into the category of ranged weapon.
a category from the table that most matches your weapon type, a
martian death ray could be classed as a plasma or laser depending on Range
the profile you have in mind for the weapon.
Ranges detailed are the most effective range to deliver damage for
Gruntz squads can use close combat, pistol and Gruntz rifle the weapon category. All weapons can fire up to twice the listed range
weapons. A Gruntz unit of six models carry all the same type of weapon, in inches, however a penalty of -4 is applied to the ranged attack roll for
so you only pay once for the weapon type when you are building the ranges over the effective range listed.
squad with the points builder system.
Weapon Class
Pistol and Rifle weapon classes are for use by Gruntz squads and
squad attachments select from the own weapon selection. Specialists
can pick from all the weapons depending on what specific build you Damage
have in mind for the unit but they are generally two man teams making
use of the heavier weapons in the Specialist class and would use the All rifle, pistol and close combat weapons are -2 to damage against
weapons by moving and setting them up. Specialists also cover the vehicle or material targets accept where they have an armour piercing
smaller mecha type suits and droids which are to small to be classified factor. If they have at least 1 in armour piercing they do not suffer the
as a scout mecha but are large enough to carry the heavier specialist -2 damage and benefit from additional damage to vehicles as per the
weaponry. rules on damage.
Breaking the class rules Area Effect
If you have a unit of Gruntz you are designing which are heavily The area covered by a blast centred on the target. Use the Gruntz
augmented with machine-flesh technology or are simply from an blast template to determine coverage and the deviation dice if the
advanced race where exotic matter manipulation allows them to weapon has indirect fire i.e. Mortar or Missile weapons.
create weapons of a more powerful class you could assign them Squad
High Mobility battle group. Models by Ground Zero Games.
48
Weapon Tables
When I die bury me
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SPEC YOUR UNIT
Weapon Class Description Range Damage AE AP Points
None No weapon, fist, kick, slam and headbutt. - 4 - - 0

Close Combat
Small Small hand weapons. Knife, Stick... - 5 - - 0
Weapons made for close combat. Swords, mace, axe... Also natural
Basic - 6 - - 1
abilities; claws, fangs etc.
Energy powered weapons. Chain-, circular saw, laser sword, combat

Energy - 7 - 1 2
suite powered fist or claw.
Stun Paralysis and stun weapons. Sticks, handheld... - Special - - 1
Pistol or other shorter range basic ballistic type small arm. Also
Projectile Pistol 6 5 - - 1
includes nonautomatic weapons like Shotguns.
Gruntz
Pistol
Light ray, laser or other longer range accurate emitting type small
Laser Pistol 8 6 - - 2
arm or alien emission.
High impact small arm energy weapon. Plasma, particle, death ray,
Plasma Pistol 6 7 - - 2
energy wave or other projection weapon.
Machine gun, assault rifle, gauss rifle, bio rifle or other military based
Projectile Rifle 8 5 - - 2
automatic weapon. Usually fired with two hands.
Rifles
Improvised Rifle Improvised junk or scrap gun, cobbled together into a working gun. 7 4 - - 1
Laser Rifle Heavier and more efficient form of the laser pistol. 10 6 - - 3
Plasma Rifle Heavier and more efficient form of the plasma pistol. 8 7 - 1 3
Grenade
HE Grenade High Explosive Grenade for Anti-Infantry use. *No long range. 6 7 * - 1
AP Grenade Armour Piercing Grenade Effective against vehicles. *No long range 6 6 * 2 1
SA. Medium Projectile Higher damage output personal weapons. 10 7 - 1 4
SA. Medium Laser Heavy carried laser with armour piercing qualities 12 8 - 1 5
Heavy carried Plasma or equivalent energy projectile or burst

SA. Medium Plasma 10 9 - 1 5
Squad Attachment
weapon.
Simple carried Grenade launcher with indirect fire capability. Can be

SA. Grenade Launcher 10 6 2 - 4
combined with rifle.
SA. Medium Grenade Fires anti personal grenades 12 7 2 1 6
SA. Missile Launcher Carried RPG or Micro missiles used in Powered Armour suits. 12 9 - 2 6
Personal flamer, biological bug spray or any other spray based

SA. Flamer 6 8 - - 4
weapon. Use Gruntz 6 inch Flamer template
Weapon designed to stun or capturing enemies. Web thrower, stun

SA. Stun or web rifle 8 Special 1 - 3
blaster, stutter gun or freeze ray etc
SA. Sniper Rifle Squad attachment Sniper. An excellent long range killer. 15 6 - 1 3
Long range sniper designed for anti-material and anti-infantry

SA Heavy Sniper 16 7 - 2 6
targets.
Armour Piercing Points
Armour piercing is the amount of additional damage against a When you are outfitting a Gruntz squad with weapons you only
vehicle or material target. If targeting another Gruntz unit you do not pay once for the default weapon type that six Gruntz in the squad carry.
apply the armour piercing. If you wanted them all to carry Laser Carbines select the medium laser
option at a cost of 1 single point added to the cost of the full unit.
Deviation
Only missile and grenade type weapons deviate if they miss the
target. Roll a deviation dice to determine where a missed ranged attack
rolls blast marker is placed.
49
Weapons
When I die bury me
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Specialist Weapons
Weapon Class Description Range Damage AE AP Points
S. Heavy Sniper Heavier Anti-Material and personnel sniper. 16 7 - 1 4
Portable launcher designed to bring down the shields of targets by

S. Shield Sink Launcher 10 Special 1 - 2
overloading and earthing shield systems with exotic matter pulses.
Heaviest form of carried projectile including Gauss canons,heavy

S. Heavy projectile 12 8 1 1 5
carbines and other high powered slug weapons. Mostly used prone.
Specialists
Heaviest carried laser with longer range and more serious anti-
S. Heavy Laser 14 10 - 3 6
armour capability.
S. Heavy Plasma Heaviest form of carried plasma, either energy or bug plasma based 11 12 - 3 6
S. Medium Missile Heavier personal missile system with longer range and power to
14 12 1 3 7
Launcher punch through thicker armour.
Anti personal mortar, throws shells, mines or other, with indirect fire
S. Light Mortar 14 9 2 1 6
capability.
Heavier form Anti personal mortar, throws shells, mines or other,

S. Medium Mortar 16 10 2 2 7
with indirect fire capability.
Specialist Power Claw or Fist weapons. Capable of vehicle assault.

S. Power Claw - 10 - 1 1
Normally fitting to heavier specialist power armour mechs.
Squad Attachments Vehicle Weapons
Squad attachments are single gruntz models that are attached to Like the Gruntz squad, vehicle and mounted weapons are based
the group of six gruntz in a squad. The Squad Attachment carries a on a set of SCI-FI weapon types grouped by a standard classification.
heavy or assault class weapon like a SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) If you have a specific weapon in mind find a near match by selecting a
which is able to damage vehicles or do more significant damage to weapon of a suitable size and type.
enemy gruntz and vehicles.
For example the large Vehicle Plasma assault weapon could cover
Powered Armour a range of different energy projection weapons from power gun, heat
ray, atom blast or any other form of weapon that fires a blast of energy.
Power armour Gruntz use weapons from the Squad Attachment
table. If they are fitted with integral rocket launchers they are classed
as light missiles.
The city defence Arc troopers discover an alien infestation and suffer two waxed gruntz. A medic is on hand to try to revive them before
they take their next action. Gruntz tokens are by S6Engineering, models Critical Mass Games, GZG and buildings by Kato.
50
Vehicle
When I die bury me
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Vehicle Weapon Table
Ranged Weapon Class Description Range Damage AE AP Points

Anti Infantry
Vehicle Light Projectile Automatic vehicle mounted projectile weapon 12 8 - 2 1
Vehicle Light Laser Repeater mounted Laser for pin-point infantry targeting. 13 9 - 1 2
Vehicle Light Plasma Mounted anti infantry plasma or alien weapon. 8 10 - 2 2
Vehicle Light Power Claw Claw or armoured fist for use on mecha vehicles. - 10 - 1 1
Missile Light Light vehicle mounted missile pod. 16 14 2 1 6
Vehicle Medium Projectile Auto-cannon, Slug Cannon or equivalent medium Gauss. 14 10 - 2 3
Vehicle Medium Laser Laser, Power Gun or equivalent tight beam high energy. 15 11 - 1 4
Vehicle Medium Plasma Particle Cannon, Plasma Blaster or Alien Plasma . 10 12 - 2 4

Medium
Missile Medium Missile with good anti-vehicle or infantry capability. 18 16 2 1 7
Vehicle Medium Power Claw Claw or armoured fist for use on mecha vehicles. - 12 - 1 2
Vehicle Medium Gatling Medium high volume rapid fire weapon with a large area
14 10 4 1 3
Projectile effect for devastating use against infantry squads.
Vehicle Flamer 8 inch flamer template for anti infantry spray attacks. 8 10 - - 2
Vehicle Heavy Projectile Auto-cannon, Slug Cannon or equivalent heavy Gauss. 16 12 - 4 4
Vehicle Heavy Laser Laser, Power Gun or equivalent tight beam high energy. 17 13 - 2 5
Heavy
Vehicle Heavy Plasma Particle Cannon, Plasma Blaster or Alien Plasma . 11 14 - 4 5
Missile Heavy Longer range missile with significant destructive power. 20 18 2 2 8
Vehicle Heavy Power Claw Heavy Claw or armoured fist for use on mecha vehicles. - 14 - 1 3
Vehicle Assault Projectile Auto-cannon, Slug Cannon or equivalent assault Gauss. 18 14 - 4 5

Assault
Vehicle Assault Laser Laser, Power Gun or equivalent tight beam high energy. 18 14 - 2 6
Vehicle Assault Plasma Particle Cannon, Plasma Blaster or Alien Plasma . 12 16 - 4 6
Missile Assault Long range missile with massive destructive power. 22 20 4 2 9
Artillery Light Short range artillery either vehicle or ground mounted. 14 10 2 1 2

Artillery
Artillery Medium Medium range artillery either vehicle or ground mounted. 16 12 2 1 3
Artillery Heavy Longer range artillery either vehicle or ground mounted. 18 14 2 2 4
Artillery Assault Long range artillery either vehicle or ground mounted. 20 16 4 2 5
Size Class They are more powerful than a typical squad attachment weapon and
are usually two Gruntz, one providing weapon feed and ammo and one
When using the vehicle builders the size of the vehicle you pay for shooter. Select only from the Specialist, Squad Attachment or Gruntz
in points determines the maximum weapon mounts available. Check weapon tables when building a Specialist support weapon crew.
the size class of the weapon when designing a new vehicle. Scout
vehicles use the Specialist table for weapons and light vehicles use Artillery
either Scout or
Artillery is capable of indirect fire and it will deviate if it misses the
Specialist Support Weapons target. Artillery can not fire at short ranges. Units can not be targeted
within half of the range of the weapon listed.
Missiles
Missiles have a minimum range of half the range listed for the
weapon. Any shooting completed at less than half range is at a -2 with
this weapon type due to the requirements of the launch and target
mechanism.
Specialist units carry the large portable support weapons which are
normally mounted on a framework or placed directly on the ground.
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Weapons
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Esoteric Tek
Heliopause Technology Accelerated Proton Agitator APA
In addition to the generic weapon classes for vehicles these more The ultimate heat ray, the proton agitator takes a localised laser
advanced Heliopause setting weapons can be fitted to vehicles for focus point to temperatures beyond the suns core, causing localised
specific effects on target impact. atomic grade de-stabilisation of physical material. APA weapons are
used in conjunction with high power vehicle mounted laser weapons
The Esoteric Tek weapons table details examples of the size classes and drain high levels of power to deliver incredible hole punching
where the technology can be used with points for use during vehicle capability at medium ranges.
construction.
Guass Cannon, Mass Driver Cannon and Rail Cannon
Ionic Bond (Drilling) Cannon IBD
These are all projectile accelerator that consists of
More commonly known as IBD Class Weaponry. Originally designed electromagnetism deliver a synchronous linear motor which accelerate
for mining on larger asteroid clusters throughout the Galaxy where a magnetic projectile to high velocity. The ordinance is case-less and
low-G explosions could have proved more dangerous than beneficial. is accelerated to hyper velocities along the barrel. Depending on
The IBD cannon uses high frequency oscillating waves to de-stabilise the level of technology used the weapon may include rails which the
the chemical bonds that hold the crystalline structure of the minerals shell is accelerated on or the ordnance could be suspended by force
together allowing for controlled excavation on these satellites. Used or magnetic field to reduce friction. Guass Cannons use the standard
extensively by the CMA for drilling operations they have adapted and projectile weapon as a classification, however you may wish to add the
miniaturised the boring rigs to create effective man packed & vehicle vehicle Modz of Gravatonic Accelerator to any tank or mecha carrying
mounted anti-tank weaponry; literally boring a hole through the a guass weapon to represent the extended range available to Guass
superstructure of enemy vehicles. weapons.
Neutrino Concentrator NC Phased Frequency Missiles
An exotic matter manipulation weapon system that massively Force field technology is well know and represented throughout
increases neutrino concentration in a targeted zone. Denser materials most space-faring races. As such it is also well researched and mitigated
suffer worse from the exotic matter generated from such high by the Phased Frequency branch of munitions; most common are the
concentrations of neutrino’s in flux, resulting in an eery popping sound PF Missiles.
as physical matter is reduced to sludge and slag.
The PF technology uses the existence of the Vedello Valley principal
The NC weapon types are short range and have been known to to ‘encase’ itself in a mesh of space the phases into the same frequency
de-stabilise in heavy-G conditions causing micro worm hole formation that force field technology uses; bypassing the field and allowing the
and loss of crew. missile to detonate against the target beyond - the payload of the
missiles varies from weapon to weapon, race to race.
NC’s can only operate effectively within range of a suns Helipshere
(A sun produces Neutrino’s) and it can take some time for the PF technology is commonest amongst missiles as the relatively
concentration to build up to a deadly enough level to fire. large casing provides ample room for the additional hardware
The recently disembarked hard suit squad are assaulted by a deadly Zin space mite pack. Any exposure to their air born toxin would prove
deadly for the squad. Figures by GZG and Heresy.
52
Vehicle
When I die bury me
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Esoteric Tek Table
Ranged Weapon Class Special Size Range Damage AE AP Points

When a target is hit, the IBD can either cause Medium 6 14 0 1 3
an automatic 2 damage to a target vehicle
which also causes the target to lose one Heavy 7 16 1 2 5
Ionic Bond (Drilling) Cannon
action on its next activation (due to bore-
IBD
hole structure damage) or roll for damage
as usual. The medium IBD can be carried by Assault 8 20 2 3 6
Specialists.
Pin point accuracy allows the APA to target Heavy 17 12 0 5 5

vehicle internal systems. On any double
Accelerated Proton Agitator rolled on the ranged shoot attack the APA
APA causes an automatic critical threshold check. Assault 19 13 6 6
Esoteric Tek
Roll the check as normal for each target

critical system in the target vehicle.
Takes one action to re-charge the NC after

firing. A vehicle does not have to remain Heavy 7 20 0 4 7
stationary. On a shoot roll of double 6,
Neutrino Concentrator NC
the NC player can automatically mark off a
random critical on the target vehicle (roll a
D3 to determine which critical). Assault 8 22 0 4 8
Medium 18 6 2 1 8
Ignores 3 points of shielding on enemy
Phased Frequency Missiles
targets but does not overload the shield if Heavy 20 18 2 2 9
PFM
damage is done to the target.
Assault 22 20 4 2 10
A short range portable device carried by

Neural Network Phase Gun Specialist 12 Special - - 6
Squad Attachments or Specialists.
Neural Network Medium A medium range ground mount or vehicle

Medium 15 Special - - 8
Projector carried NN Projector.
Neural Network Heavy A long range ground mount or vehicle

Heavy 18 Special - - 10
Projector carried NN Projector.
necessary to use the Vedello Valley phasing; in theory there is no reason that can normally overload or reduce the effectiveness of traditional
why Mass Driver or Gatling munitions could not utilise this technology energy shields. Phased Frequency Missiles offer no advantage against
but the ability to manufacture low-cost micronized versions of the HLE technology shields.
casings has yet to be perfected in Human space.
Neural Net Attacks NN
Hard Light Emitters HLE
Neural Net technology includes some chaos algorithms with
Holographic emitters have been in production for centuries for aggressive self learning routines that are capable of attacking the
Prescience messaging and other communication technologies. Hard hardened military systems of target vehicles in an attempt to overload
Light is the next step along the evolutionary scale of Holographic them. The a successful Neural Net attack can reduce the effectiveness
innovation. of the target vehicle.
The HLE is used to crystallise projected images into solid objects NN projectors and phase guns work over specific ranges, where the
using the carbon, hydrogen & oxygen molecules (among others) extreme digital degradation and warfare algorithms are able to most
found in most atmospheres. The most common Military form of this effectively overload the defending vehicles defence protocols.
technology is to create temporary hard exo-skeletons around light
vehicles or low-obit hover or skimmer craft to provide limited ablative Use the NN rules which make use of the skill of the attacking
armour without increasing the weight of the craft. unit to determine the success of an attack by NN weapons. The key
difference between the NN weapons is the range in which it can fire.
This additional protection does come at a cost though and the Only Specialist units can carry the NN Phase Gun listed in the Esoteric
power used to emit such complex structures significantly decreases Tek Table.
both the length and duration of combat operations for the vessel.
M-Sec are a known user of Hard Light technologies and are at the
cutting edge of research and development of this field.
HLE technology is used in the generation of force fields, it is

not a replacement for standard force fields generated by matter
manipulation using energy bonding techniques but instead offers an
alternative super hard shell which is resistant to many of the techniques
53
PERKZ
When I die bury me
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Squad Special Abilities
PerkZ and Modz Perkz and Modz are normally associated with a particular class
or race of gruntz, for example the Kra-Vak have Active Camo perk to
Perkz and Modz are special abilities available to units which change reflect their technology, enabling them to blend in with surrounding
statistics and influence the unit in some way. They are purchased as cover. They can also be applied to any unit design you are building.
part of unit building and are listed on the individual published profile
cards. They often break the core rules by allowing a unit extra range,
speed or other special modifiers in certain conditions. is table.
Perk Description Effect Points
Active Stealthy troops which can benefit further from cover due to reactive Additional +1 to Guard statistic
1
Camo camouflage technology or camo-skin. whilst in Cover.
Already These units have passed away and are still animated but due to their undead Can not Run and ignores
1
Dead condition are not as susceptible to weapons fire and assault. suppressed condition.
When activating the unit can attempt to auto heal from the Waxed condition.
Each waxed grunt can attempt
Squad has advanced nano-blood stream or advanced molecular knitting
Auto-Heal to auto heal on unit activation by 3
technology built into bio-linked systems. Auto-heal is also the property of
rolling a 5+ on a single D6 roll.
some resilient aliens and hardware drones.
Unit is robotic and autonomous with no emotional shortcomings or post

Automaton No Mental checks required. 1
traumatic therapy needs. This unit does not take morale saves.
Bogus intelligence. Until this unit is in line of sight of the enemy you can place Place two markers on the table
two 4inch marker templates on the table which are moved as two separate while unit is at least 10 inches
units representing the bogus intelligence about the unit. Once discovered away from enemy or out of LOS.
BOGINT 2
both markers are removed from play and the unit owner places his figures Figures are revealed when an
under the marker of his choice. In solo play make a random roll to indicate the enemy is 10 inches away and in
true location of the unit. LOS.
A +2 Guard vs a single ranged
Lighting reflexes giving troops a once per game round ability to dodge ranged attack in a turn. Additional attacks
Bullet Time 2
attacks. after the first are not affected by
Bullet time.
Once per game the gruntz squad can activate combat drugs. For one turn the
Combat Once per game assault and Soak
unit’s Assault and Soak statistic are boosted. The squad activating Combat 1
Drugs increased by +3 for Gruntz squad.
drugs must assault the nearest enemy unit. Uses one action.
Personal Force shields provide additional protection from assault and shoot
attacks. Once overloaded the wearers Soak is reduced to its normal level until
Force an action is used to re-charge the personal shield. A shield is overloaded when Soak is 15 or 17 until shield is
3
Shields wearer takes damage. Note for Specialists and Gruntz with Soaks of up to 13 overloaded.
the Shields provide a 15 boosted Soak. For Specialists with heavier soaks of
14-15, the shielding provides a boosted Soak of 17.
Can re-roll one dice from a shoot

Units with Geardo are equipped with the most advanced technology of their
Geardo attack per turn. Second dice roll 3
race which provides them an advantage on the battlefield.
must be kept.
Hard Vetz Can re-roll all Mental checks once and must take the result of the second roll. Re-Roll Mental checks. 1
Any selected weapon system
has +1 Range and +1 damage.
Gruntz unit is extremely advanced, with "machine flesh" cyber integrated
Can fire after a double move. All
Higher technology. They are a higher form of walking integrated weaponry with
movement at +2 inches base 5
Mods devastating internal power systems, re-enforced skeletons, fire control and
move and has force shield. Force
damage control systems. The Higher mod also provides force shielding.
shield provides Soak of 15 until
overloaded.
Can deploy up to 18 inches

This unit can deploy further into the game table, after the opponent places
Infiltrator into game table after initial 1
normal units but still within initiative sequence.
deployment.
54
PERKZ
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Continued Perkz galaxy can kiss my ass

If they activate the jump the unit
Jump pack units can traverse the board rapidly and ignore terrain as they
has +4 Inches to a double move
jump over intervening obstacles up to 6 inches high. Organic bio-gruntz may
Jump Pack and is not affected by rough 2
be granted Jump Pack from the use of wings. Jump packs are only active on a
terrain, obstacles and can jump
double move.
over enemy units.
Can shoot twice on activation.
Unit must sacrifice all move this
Let Rip Rapid fire, allowing for 2 shoot actions per turn if move is sacrificed. 3
turn and is at -1 to Guard when
they let rip.
Once per game auto heal up to 3
Once per game this unit can auto heal wounded troops at the beginning of an gruntz at the beginning of a unit
Lifer Juice 2
activation. activation where gruntz are waxed
in the unit.
Paint a target within 12 inches.
All friendly units get +1 to ranged
This unit can paint an enemy unit within 12inches with an active reference
Light them attacks against the painted unit
which will track the enemy unit either by biological or technical means. When 2
Up and in-direct artillery can target
the enemy model or unit is destroyed another target can be painted.
painted models that are out of
LOS.
+2 Inch to all moves in the Open.
Long
Can make extended moves covering a lot of ground in the open. This makes a double move (run) 2
Runners
12inches.
Once per game place all models
Once per game a unit can relocate to cover within 12 inches when threatened totally within 12inches of current
Melt Away by an enemy unit (but must not move closer to any enemy unit). Represents location and in squad coherency. 1
familiarity with terrain, excellent field craft and guerrilla techniques. Unit can not move after Melt Away
but can Shoot.
Once per game the gruntz squad that is out of LOS of all enemy units can
disguise itself as an enemy unit/civilians. Can only disguise themselves as
Become a neutral civilian or local
something of roughly equal size (i.e. human-sized creatures could not disguise
non-hostile until gruntz squad
Mimic themselves as large ogres and vice versa). Enemy units cannot target units 1
opens fire or attacks an enemy
that have changed. Enemy units within 6 inches of mimics can take a Mental
unit.
check and if check is passed they see through the disguise and can attack. If
mimics open fire on enemy units or Assault they lose their innocent cover.
Increases unit coherency to 6 inches and enables gruntz anywhere on the

Neural Net Unit Coherency extended to 6
table to use the Mental statistic of the commander. Battle net is a superior 1
Boosters inches for gruntz with Battle Net.
communications technology.
This unit is experienced at fearlessly running directly into enemy fire, making
Over the Unit is +1 Guard after making a
use of surroundings and using guts and luck to minimise damage as they 1
Top double move (run action).
charge forward.
Plug and Droid Only: On Activation, may prevent one single droid per turn being waxed Save one gruntz Droid model from
2
Pray whilst they still have at least one droid remaining in the squad. being waxed on unit activation.
A +2 to shoot attack rolls when
Snipe Models are adept at targeting or equipped with specialist equipment. unit has not moved. Replaces 2
normal +1 for not moving.
Ahead of me Johnson crouches, a whisper and the squad goes quiet waiting for comms. Leading past an awkward boulder is a shallow ditch
down to the bug hole entrance. Somewhere beneath this warren, a sentient mind is feeling for pheromone born news of the hives threat
level. Lets give her something to think about.
Suddenly there are sentry creeper signs as two dark shapes burst out of the entrance to check the air. A trooper reacts and shots are fired by
one of the greens which spit on the ground a few yards ahead. We lie absolutely flat, scarcely daring to breathe – have they seen? Waiting
briefly for the sentries to retreat we go on with explosives in hand, the ditch gets a little deeper, giving cover against the entrance hole. My
heart is beating nineteen to the dozen - will it mean a tank bug. “My God,” I think this could be the central hive mind ahead and this the
ditch which leads us into hell.
55
MORE PERK
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Special ABILITIES
A mob or swarm of alien or civilian Gruntz. This unit has more figures and a Unit can have up to 10 models
Swarm mob like ability to overwhelm enemy units. A swarm would normally be lightly and no Squad attachments. +1 to 3
armed and relly mostly on assault attacks. Assault attack and Damage rolls.
Once per game the unit/character can attempt to take control of an enemy
gruntz squad or organic specialist by making a successful skill check by rolling
Mental control of unit or specialist
2d6 equal to or over the targets Guard. If check is successful the player can
within 8 inches. Make a Skill
Telepathy activate the target enemy unit/character as one of his own units/characters 1
statistic roll equal to or higher
and have it perform actions of his choosing for one single activation before
than targets Guard.
their action is passed back to the opponent. Range of Mental attack is 8
inches.
Ultimate Very agile troops skilled in traversing rough and difficult terrain. This can either +1 Inch to base moves, Not
2
Agility be a hardware augmentation or a biological advantage that the unit has. affected by Rough terrain.
Zero-G Gyro assisted units do not suffer modifiers for the condition Zero-G
Zero-G No modifiers for being in the
because their specialist equipment allows them to target and perform actions 1
Gyro Assist Zero-G condition.
easily when drifting.
Unit Building with Perkz
Selecting Perkz are an additional cost to a standard Gruntz unit

and you can have one Perk per Gruntz unit.
The Perkz allow you to add some interesting technology or abilities

to your units which can boost their performance in the field if the
ability is used tactically.
Some of the Perkz are specific to certain types of unit, for example
‘Already Dead’ is designed to be used with a zombie unit, however you
don’t have to restrict it to just undead use. The same ability could easily
apply to a slow moving and shambling alien plant form that is immune
to suppression.
Swarm is another Perk which could apply to various different

Gruntz units you build including an alien swarming bugs unit or just to
describe a mass of unhappy students charging the military to protest
against a change in tuition fees.
When a perk improves movement it is often listed as a plus in Arc Fleet Heavy drop troopers patrol a bridge with mecha
inches to ‘base move’. All Gruntz squad units have a base move of support. Models by Critical Mass Games
4 inches and double it to 8 inches for a run move. If their base move
is improved by +2 inches they will benefit from a double move of 12
inches.
In her mind General Kelsal kept open the data ID for Malkit, the government official she should be regularly data-vising on battle progress.
Every hour it flashed through her mind like a negative thought but things were going badly and Government key performance metrics were
not her priority. It was a crazy bug-hunt and things started with poor planning, a nightmare for ARM forces on Kaltek with the hired mercs
arriving a day late and being outfitted for jungle warfare. Kaltek was 90% desert. Her neural net robotic assets were struggling in the sand,
with the spider drone specialists getting bogged down in the giant dunes. The frontline troops with no environmental protection were
looking down trodden and casualties were high.
It was at least cool in her air-conditioned desert skinned hard-suit and her thoughts drifted to an urgent shadow request to review the latest
medical assignment. Two hundred and sixty four re-lifes requested on day one, it was a poor statistic and the soldiers profile chips were ready
to ship off-world, along with the customary polite data-vise to the closest relative explaining the Governments new policy on only providing
partial financial assistance with the re-life costs. Cheap loan options to re-life your son. Some of these soldiers were going to find their profile
chips in a dusty draw until more prosperous times.
Wishing for an invisible breeze to remind her of Earth, Kelsal started her battle planning. Flicking through several thought overlays she
selected from a range of tactical stances that would provide her with a balance between losses and a level of attrition which would keep the
politicians happy. She cursed the Trixian with their insectile minds, the relentless mortar fire and honeycomb desert nests providing perfect
cover and an safe retreat for their forces. Her geographic target set for the day she started barking orders to some of the front line Gruntz
squad leaders, with a push order delivered to a reluctant squad on the edge of a mortar nest.
56
Environment
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Scenario Conditions galaxy can kiss my ass
For optional environmental conditions use this table to reflect the and interesting play conditions should you want to recreate a more
weather and local environmental conditions which may impact the extreme battlefield. Select these conditions before playing one of the
performance of gruntz and vehicles. Select a condition appropriate to battle schemas to vary the play conditions.
your scenario. The various conditions are intended to provide hazards
Environ-
Description Effect
ment
Acidic rain. All exposed organic life forms are attacked by the rain.
Exposed gruntz need to survive an attack every
Troops in sealed hard armour or within sealed armoured vehicles or
Acid Rain turn of 6+2D6. Certain aliens can resist the acid
buildings/caves are protected from the harmful effects of the acid rain.
rain.
Roll a D6 at the beginning of every turn, on a 1 the rain stops.
Certain areas of the battlefield are infested by indigenous dangerous

wildlife of organic nature either Flora or Fauna. Any gruntz entering the Types of Flora and Fauna: Walking Plant life,
Dangerous
predefined areas risk attacked by the dangerous wildlife. Each turn a Bipedal Lizards, Giant Aquatics, Whiplash Vines.
Flora and
gruntz squad is in the designated area roll 1D6 on their activation, on Details to be published in Gruntz Statistic Profile
Fauna
a 1 or 2 they are assaulted by unhappy wildlife. Start the assault attack cards.
immediately.
Make a damage attack against all buildings on

An earthquake strikes and disrupts movement for a turn might start
board with a Damage of 12 + 2D6. Make a dam-
Earthquakes rock slides and damage buildings. Each turn roll 1D6, on a 1 a shock
age attack against all vehicle ground units of
wave hits.
8+2D6.
Thick fog or mist shrouds the battlefield. Visibility for all units is reduced Each turn roll 1D6, on a 1 the fog burns off and
Fog and Mist
to 6 inches unless they have appropriate equipment or natural ability. normal play conditions apply.
During game setup, D6 geysers (mud, lava, boiling steam or acid) are
placed on the table. Players select the locations, alternating placement All units within 6 inches of an eruption suffer a
Geysers
as per their initiative roll. Label each geyser with a number from 1 to 6. 4+2D6 Damage roll against their Soak statistic.
Each turn two geyser erupt, roll 2D6 to determine the two locations.
Jump pack units are scattered and extra 1D6

Extremely strong winds of gale or even hurricane force scour the bat-
inches in the direction the wind is blowing each
High Winds tlefield. Roll a scatter die or a D6 to determine the direction of the wind
time they use their jump packs. No aerial units
blowing across the table.
can operate due to weather conditions.
Following the eruption of a nearby volcano, one or more flows of lava

If the flow touches a building it will do 12 + 2D6
enter the table at a random edge and travel at a random rate of inches
damage at the beginning of each player’s turn
Lava Flows determined by the players. It will flow across the table and follow the
until building is destroyed. Woodland is con-
topography. A unit entering Lava takes a 12 + 2D6 damage attack
sumed.
against their Soak.
1D6 clouds of 4 inch diameter enter the board from a random edge Troops in sealed hard armour or within sealed ar-
and drift across the battlefield to the opposite edge. Scatter the clouds moured vehicles or buildings/caves are protected
Poisonous
randomly across the edge selected. Each turn they move 2D6 inches from the harmful effects of the poisonous cloud.
Clouds
toward the opposite edge. Complete this movement on every player’s Exposed gruntz caught in the cloud need to
activation and resolve damage before continuing play. survive an attack every turn of 6+2D6.
Determine a random entry point onto the table for the tornado. Use a
circular 4inch template to represent the tornado. Each turn it moves Any units that the tornado passes over or if the
Tornados toward the centre of the table at a rate of 8 inches per turn. When it storm chase into the tornado suffer a damage roll
reaches the centre, it will start to move 2D6 inches each turn in a ran- of 10 + 2D6 against the unit Soak statistic.
dom direction determined by a deviation template and a D6.
Torrential, monsoon rain relentlessly hammers the battlefield. Visibility

At the start of each activation roll 1D6: 1-2
Torrential for all units is reduced to 8 inches unless they have appropriate equip-
bogged down and cannot move. No aerial units
Rain ment or natural ability. Wheeled and Tracked Vehicles risk bogging
can operate due to weather conditions
down.
This condition applies in space and in certain planetary conditions

Zero-G -2 to all assault, shoot and skill rolls.
depending on gravitational pull.
57
MODZ
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Vehicle Boosts
Vehicle and Mecha Modz
The vehicle building and design process allows you select from
a range of mobility and weapons options.
Your can tweak these standard options by adding a single Mod

and paying the additional points in your vehicle build.
Once fitted with the additional modification the vehicle has an

advantage in a particular system type as listed. For example ‘Über
Armour’ offers a heavier armour type no matter what size class you
have selected during the vehicle design process.
Vehicle Crew
When you create any type of vehicle using the unit builders it Dragamaa Heavy Tank with dual Rotary Auto Canons. A powerful
will need a crew to drive or pilot it. assault tank, capable of tearing apart structures and enemy targets.
A capable assault tank and a purposeful presence in any Kaamados
Vehicle crew are vital in determining how well it performs during
battle force. Also available in heavy canon and heavy plasma variants
the battle. A vehicle with a highly skilled crew will be hitting targets
from Critical Mass Games.
at longer ranges and more frequently. An elite pilot in a well armed
mecha will be hitting mostly all of his targets with ease.
vehicle to use, so you will need to remember the ‘skill’ statistic so it can
When building a vehicle and a crew you don’t need to pay for the be used again during play.
other statistics of the crew like shoot, Guard or Soak. If the crew ever
bail out of the vehicle, simply use a standard Gruntz squad profile from If you ever find a find an empty vehicle on the battlefield and place
your army and adjust the skill accordingly. They may find another crew in it by using members of an existing grunts squad, they will use
Modz Description Effect Type Points
Active camo is a dull matt exotic surface component, able to change

+1 Guard against
Active Camo colour in a drastic way to cover the visual signature of the vehicle. Heat Signature 3
ranged attacks only.
and sound signatures are still visible.
Advanced AI AI Targeting with longer than standard range. One single main weapon
+1 to ranged attack with
target acquisi- system has 3inch boost to effective targeting range. This additional Targeting 3
main weapon system.
tion range is also doubled for extreme range.
Dark-Matter Exotic Anti-Matter fuel provides this vehicle with additional range and
+1 to base move Mobility 2
Fuel Rods efficiency.
Electromag-
Reactive armour which is capable of reducing the impact of projectile +2 Soak against projec-
netic Reactive Armour 3
weapons. tile weapon types.
Armour
The GA is an advance technical sub-atomic accelerator generating a

Gravatonic Ac- +3 inches to single main
massive boost in energy to primary weapon systems. It extends the Targeting 3
celerator weapon system range.
range of the vehicles primary weapon system.
High Flux Reac- A once per game boost to vehicle base movement from an overdrive +6 to base movement
Mobility 2
tor system. for one move action.
Mecha can make a jump
Mecha only augmentation to allow jump movement. This mod allows as a single move action
the mecha to make a single move action jump up to its base move up to its base move. Can
Jump Jets Mobility 2
which can traverse buildings and units up to 6 inches in height. The face any direction after
shoot skill is slightly impaired during a jump move. jump. -2 to shoot rolls
after jump.
Close-In Weapons System. Small fast-reaction, rapid-fire magnetic gun +2 Guard statistic versus
system that provides terminal defence against anti-material missiles and directly targeted incom-
Micro CIWS Signature 2
rockets that have directly targeted the vehicle. A point defence solution ing missile and rocket
in a small vehicle attached blister-pod. fire.
Energy weapons including Laser, Plasma and other particle based weap-
Neutonic +2 Soak against energy
ons are subject to a molecular level dampening effect on impact with Armour 3
Damping weapon types.
the exotic matter armour type used on this vehicle.
On activation use one
Self Repair Spider like droids in various sizes respond to damage and complete fast action to repair D3+1
Repair 3
Droids field repairs to drive systems, amour and weapons. damage (Roll D6 and
half the result).
58
Crew
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Vehicle Crew galaxy can kiss my ass
Modz Description Effect Type Points
Vehicle has larger than standard windows and portholes made of exotic +1 to base Guard
Transparent
transparent armour. The crew have better battlefield visibility and are statistic against assault Signature 1
Ceramics
able to respond to threats more readily. attacks.
Additional plating, Internal shear modulus enhancements and overall

+1 Soak against all
Über Armour structure make this vehicle capable of taking a pounding, resulting in a Armour 3
weapon types.
higher Soak factor than other vehicles in its size class.
Once per game the vehicle diverts energy into a localised energy wave All infantry totally within
emanating from the vehicle. The WPD blisters attached to the vehicle in 8 inch area effect
Wave Particle Anti Infan-
emit a devastating wave of molecular level destruction to nearby Gruntz surrounding the vehicle 3
Decimator try
targets which break bones and sinew in a destructive molecular blast are auto hit and suffer a
surrounding a vehicle in a 8 inch area effect. damage roll of 8 + 2D6
their existing ‘skill’ statistic when firing the on board weapon systems. with variations in skill crew because you have less on the table to
remember during play.
The vehicle cards for the game have a reduced statistic profile
which does not include the normal statistic associated with a Gruntz During an ad-hoc scenario game where a civilian takes a tank for a
squad. The crew Skill is the statistic used when making an assault or joy ride you could give the civilian a skill of 2 as green crew. The elite
shoot attach from the vehicle. crew members provide a significant advantage on the battlefield and
will be able to target even distant and well covered units.
Quality
Select your skill statistic from the vehicle crew skill table. For
simplicity during a game it is recommended that vehicles of the same
Vehicle Crew Skill
type are given crew of the same skill. During play you will find it easier
to remember that your medium grav tanks are all crewed by the same
skill level. Green Trained Seasoned Veteran Expert Elite
You might decide to have a command tank within a platoon of Skill 2 3 4 5 6 7

tanks where the crew have a higher skill to represent training and Points 0 1 2 5 8 12
experience.
In a smaller skirmish level game you can be as flexible as you like
Mecha Pilot "Johnson" about to

climb into and start up his Arc
missile walker.
Working their way through the city on curfew the Arc Troopers discover some unwelcome visitors.
59
Optional Rules
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Playing Cards
Optional Play
This section provides details of
optional rules which can be used Gruntz is designed to be modular, with a core mechanic for
if you prefer a different style of fire resolution and damage which can have a mix of different
play. They are intended to provide
activation, optional rules and play styles bolted on.
some flexibility in play style whilst
retaining the core mechanics for You are encouraged to play the basic version first which has a
damage, movement and unit simple player turn sequence designed to help understand the
profiles. Both players need to agree which optional rules are basics and provide a clear standard of play.
being played.
I play the game with my 11 year old son, so I was encouraged to
They do change the game significantly and might slow down
work on an initial simple activation sequence which allowed him
play if you are new to the game, so please try the core rules first.
Gruntz is an evolving game system, so your feedback on the to explore the potential of his army before passing the turn back
design is welcome. If you have any interesting house rules you to me.
think should be included please get in touch. What the basic turn sequence and activation order provides is
longer term planning on the battlefield and an opportunity to sit
down, grab a drink and a snack whilst you watch your opponent
Playing Card Activation do his best. However this is seen by many as an old fashioned
If you prefer a dynamic and slightly more random method of style of play.
activation you can use this optional card based activation for assigning For those that prefer the dynamic turn sequence please give
initiative to each unit. the option rules a try either with cards or simple unit by unit
The activation sequence is based on a traditional deck of cards activation.
with alphabetical poker suit rank which is Spades (high), followed by
Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs (lowest).
Step Activity
In ‘playing card’ activation the units on the table are activated in
sequence of the card assigned to the unit at the beginning of the turn. 1 Shuffle your playing cards ready for dealing.
If two units have the same numerical card assigned to them check the
ranking to determine which unit is activated first e.g. Eight of Spades Deal Cards face down to each player, one card for each
Card Turn Sequence
activates before Eight of Hearts and King of Diamonds would activate 2 unit in their army.
before a King of Clubs.
All aces are high for the purposes of activation, so they are treated Players secretly assign cards to their own units. Players
as a higher rank than the picture cards (King, Queen, Jack). assign higher ranking cards to units they want to
3 activate first in an order of their choosing. Place the
Dealing cards face down onto the GruntZ profile cards.
On turn one shuffle the deck of cards (leaving in jokers) and deal
All cards are turned over, revealing the turn activation
one card face down to each player for every unit they have on the table. 4
sequence.
After dealing enough cards to both players to cover each individual Players activate units in order of the card ranking. Units
unit, leave the remaining deck of cards ready for use in subsequent 5
assigned higher ranking cards activate first.
turns. You only need to re-shuffle when the deck is used up, at which
Activation continues, passing between players
point re-shuffle the discard pile into the main playing card deck.
6 depending on card ranking until the last unit is
Assigning Card Activation activated.
All used cards are placed into a discard pile and the
Before the turn begins both players secretly place the playing 7
next turn begins.
cards, face down, on their own unit profile cards or if preferred
directly beside the units on the battlefield. You are able to control disembark from the APC on the lower ranked card you assigned to the
which initiative order your units activate based on placing the cards Gruntz. All cards dealt must be assigned to units before unit activation
you have been dealt against each unit. For example you may wish to commences.
assign a higher numbered (ranking) card to an Armoured Personnel
Carrier (APC), so that it can move before the unit of Gruntz being Activation
transported. After it moves you can activate the Gruntz unit and
In order of card rank, from highest to lowest, activate the units on
the battlefield. Players pass activation between each other depending
on the cards assigned to each unit.
You may be lucky and find all of your dealt cards are of a higher
rank than your opponents, however in most cases the activation will
pass back and forth between units in both players forces. When the
lowest ranked card on the table has had its assigned unit activated the
High to low suit rank game turn is over.
60
Optional Rules
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Alternative Activation galaxy can kiss my ass
Turn Finish
After the turn finishes put the cards used into a discard pile. Only
Re-shuffle them into the main deck when the deck has been fully dealt
out to players over the course of the game. With card based activation you are limited to 26 units per side
(unless you use 2 decks of cards). You may also find that assigning
Playing Card Boons
above 16 cards per side each turn can take a long time.
For further flavour in a cinematic style game you can use the Cards are fun but could increase game time if players are still
following boons which are granted to units that are assigned ace cards.
learning the core Gruntz rules. It is recommended card play is used
If you are lucky to be dealt an ace, check the following table for details
after learning the basic rules and initially with only small skirmish
of the boons provided based on the suit of the ace card.
forces of around 100pts per side.
Aces are high, so if you are dealt one or more during the dealing
phase you should assign them to the units you wish to move first
Ace Card Boon effect on unit assigned card
on the table. They will benefit from activating first and gain the
advantage of the boons. Blind spot: The unit has slipped through
the battlefield this activation and is
Jokers are Bad Luck Spades difficult to spot due to battle dust, sun
Ace Boons
glare or other influence. +2 Guard when
If you are dealt a Joker card you have been handed bad luck and targeted by ranged weapons.
the unit you decide to assign it to has hit some difficulty due to moral,
command or an environMental issue. The unit is now -2 on all Ranged, Stamina: Gruntz squad can ignore one
Assault and Mental rolls this game turn. Waxed condition applied to the squad
Hearts this turn. If attacked a Vehicle is +2 Soak
Jokers are also activated last. If you have two jokers in your deck, this turn due to fortunate placement of
the black Joker will activate before the red joker. enemy damage.
Totally Random Card Sequence Lucky Strike: Squad or Vehicle unit is +2

Diamonds
to ranged attack rolls this turn.
A different option for playing card activation is a totally random
card sequence. If you want a battlefield chaos feel to the game where
Downhill: +2 Inches to base move for
unit activation is decided for each player, you can use the cards to
Gruntz or Vehicle moves this turn, they
randomly determine activation for all units.
find a rapid route and an extra wind to
Clubs
Instead of allowing the players to assign cards they have been cross the battlefield rapidly. Note the
dealt to their own units, they are instead randomly dealt directly to units base move is doubled when running
the units face down and are assigned to each players unit profile cards or vehicle flank move.
without looking at the card. disembarkation and other sequenced events but could equally
After randomly assigning the cards to units, they are then all generate a fun game for players where unexpected activation add to
revealed and activation begins based on card rank. This random the fog of war.
turn sequence can generate some issues with regard to planning
5 2 Fire!
Assigning cards to units creates alternation
Move in activation between players during a turn.
T
Activation is passed between the red and

T
white players depending on the value of

the playing card. The ace of diamonds is the
highest ranked card on the table, which the
white player has assigned to the Gruntz unit.
They activate first and activation is then
M
handed to the red players tank which has an

8 of spades assigned (a higher rank than an
SA
8 of diamonds assigned to the white tank).

G
4
Move Activation then passes back to the white
G
1 tank, followed by the red players Mecha on

Run the 6 of diamonds. The white tank on the 3
G
of spades activates last.

3 Care should be taken when you assign
Fire!
G
you cards to units. It is desirable to ensure

T
that certain events happen in a particular

order. For example you would benefit from
activating a medic specialist before a gruntz
squad which has suffered a waxed squad
member.
61
Optional Rules
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Shoot Sequence
Alternating Activation
For alternating activation after each single unit is activated you

pass to your opponent to allow them to activate one single unit. Unlike
the playing card activation method, it is down to the player to choose
which order they activate units in.
At the beginning of every turn check to confirm if one player has

twice the number of units on the table. The player with twice the units
activates the game the numbers of units on each side are unequal
Shoot then Move Example group basing by J.A.D Designs http://www.quarks-bar.

co.uk/. Note that these are 4 models per base. Even though the
If you prefer to allow a unit the choice of shooting before it moves base shows four models, in Gruntz the squad will still have 6
or after it moves, you can easily adjust the rules by allowing all units wounds on the profile cards representing the 6 figures in the
to shoot then move or move then shoot. It still requires two actions to standard full Gruntz squad.
run (not allowing a shoot action) and an assault attack is also still a two
action charge into close combat. walkways and buildings when using group figures, however you gain
the benefit of faster movement of units on the larger group base and
Using this method requires care to avoid players forgetting if they can create some interesting mini-diorama’s on each of the bases like
have shot before moving and therefore potentially taking another shot the models featured on this page.
at the end of the move by mistake. The standard method of allowing
a shoot only after a move avoids this argument and also introduces a If you are happy to be flexible during the game you could play a
subtle planning element to the game because players need to carefully mixed game against a non-group based army but you could encounter
plan out moves to get into the best position to shoot. This optional some issues when determining cover for Squads so it is recommended
approach to your units activation allows for a dynamic shoot and run that both armies use the same basing method either single base or
to cover action or even a shoot and embark into an APC or transport group base.
VTOL.
Group Base Cover
Note: You can not run after a shoot, you can only follow a shoot
with a standard move action or other single action like embarking into Half or more of the 32x50 mm squad base needs to be in cover
a vehicle. You must also declare that you are planning to move a unit from incoming fire to gain the bonus to Guard. Players are encouraged
this activation because you will not benefit from the +1 to shoot if you to make a fair judgement of just how much group base is visible to
move after making a ranged attack. determine cover. See the diagrams for examples.
Group Basing Group Base Firing
For players who prefer 15mm figures based on group bases or if When measuring for range from a group base, use the nearest
you have an existing army using group basing you are able to use them edge of the base to the target unit.
in Gruntz as long as both players are happy to base by group.
Group base Squad Coherency
A few tweaks are needed to the rules and additional record keeping
so that any waxed models on a base are marked off the profile. You There is no need to track squad coherency with fixed group bases.
lose some of the ability to hug terrain and move single figures over Ignore the coherency rules, except Squad attachments which will need
to be kept within 3 inches of the Gruntz
G G G G G G G G G Using group bases to represent a Gruntz

squad speeds up movement, although
G G G G G G G G G
care is required to confirm how visible
the base is when determining cover for
ranged attacks.
More than half of the group base in
the “Full Cover” example is hidden
behind the wrecked shuttle so they are
all considered to be hidden from the
shooting red squad.
The wall provides “Hard cover” and a
+2 bonus to the Guard statistic of the
unit using the cover.
There will be occasions where the angle
of attack makes it difficult to judge if
G G G G G G
G G G the base is in our out of cover. In these
G G G G G G instances it is recommend that you turn
G G G
to physical hand to hand combat with
your opponent. Or you could just roll a
Full Cover No Cover Hard Cover dice to determine the correct view.
62
Optional Rules
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Group Basing galaxy can kiss my ass
if successful, the active player is stopped/pin/whatever at the point

defined along the movement, otherwise the active player ends on
the originally declared end point.
50x64mm
Some larger vehicles, artillery Over-watch introduces a new order type which can be used when
base. 32x50mm a unit activates called simply ‘Over-watch’ which uses both the units
Gruntz Squad 25x32mm
actions.
Place a marker on the table to represent the over-watch order

next to the unit taking an over-watch action. They are able to move
Warbases in the UK sell a mix of different MDF (laser cut wood) bases up to half normal speed at which point the unit is now waiting for
which are ideal for group basing in Gruntz. http://www.warbases. an enemy unit to react to after their activation finishes. A unit can not
co.uk/. Use the 32x50 for the Gruntz squads which can take 5 or 6 go into over-watch if it started its activation in suppressed condition.
models.
When shooting from over-watch the unit will be at -1 to Shoot.
You don’t have to base the exact squad size of 6 models, by default
the squad base is representing a full Gruntz squad of 6 models (1 Over-watch is most compatible with the standard turn based
Squad leader and 5 Gruntz). Use the smaller 25x32 base size for core Gruntz activation method. If you are using playing card based
Commanders, Squad Attachments and Specialist units and the activation or alternating activation as detailed on this page, you are
50x64 size if you wanted uniformity for any larger units although already given the opportunity to respond to enemy moves during the
many 15mm Grav SCI-FI vehicles already have a standard based game turn when unit activation is passed to you. It is still possible to
supplied with the model. use the optional over-watch rules with random card activation
Small Encounters
squad they are attached to. If they are ever moved or left over 3 inches
from their squad, the squad attachment must use its next activation For players wanting to portray detailed fire fights in a small scale
only moving back into coherency and can not shoot or assault. with as low as 3 to 6 models per side you can increase the detail for the
smaller number of models on the table.
Group Base Casualties
Use the standard Commander builder points system for individually
If the Squad attachment is killed and is within 3 inches of the squad named and assigned figures. Assign wounds as per the costs detailed
it is attached to, mark a casualty off the main Gruntz squad profile card for a Commander or for gritty realism give each figure a single wound.
to represent a member of the squad picking up the dropped heavy
weapon when the Squad Attachment would normally be removed An example small firefight might include a couple of specialist bio-
from play. tech augmented mercenaries storming a defended industrial base with
just 4-6 models per side. Each single model activates independently
Over-watch and activation alternates between players after each activation.
Over-watch or react fire introduces the opportunity for a player to You can also use the card based activation for small fire fights
interrupt their opponents activation to respond to a new threat on the to provide a chaotic feel. The playing cards will determine the turn
table. sequence as per the ‘Totally Random Card Sequence’.
Stopping a player in the movement the active player declares his
movement/action and end point, then the over-watch player declares
the point along the movement they are firing. Resolve the fire, and
The red unit gets a 2 To determine cover during a game with

1 The red unit gains soft
+1 to its Guard G G group basing, check to see if more than half
cover of +1 Guard due to
G G
whilst at least half
G
G G
of the base has cover from the centre of the
the intervening bush.
G G G
of its group base is
G G
shooting units base. If the defending unit has
in soft cover from at least half of its base in cover the full squad
fire from unit 1. benefits from the cover bonus.
If more than half of the base is visible the full
unit is considered to be in the open.
Remember to mark waxed casualties on
the profile cards and to place a suppressed
token beside a unit if one or more Gruntz are
waxed.
For ease of recognition you can also place
C
P
A
waxed tokens beside the group base which

will make it easier if you are using a medic and
G
G
G 3 want to quickly remove the waxed condition
Place 3 waxed tokens G
G The APC gets a clear anti- if the medic is successfully in healing the
beside the base and G
infantry shot onto the red squad members before their activation.
mark off the casualties squad, waxing 3.
on your profile card. The
unit is also suppressed.
aaa
63
Optional Rules
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Continued
Cinematic or Realistic
Players either prefer a cinematic fun style of game or something

more gritty and realistic. The default play mode for Gruntz is cinematic
with Commanders being able to take a few hits before they drop and You can fire over a Grunts squad at a larger vehicle behind them
Perkz that give squads some extra-ordinary abilities in the field. but not through them.
To switch off cinematic mode both players need to agree on

realistic style play with the following game changes: No Perkz for
Grunz squads, Commanders have only one wound, Commanders have
no Faculty, Commanders can shoot only one weapon per activation Yes as long as the vehicle or Grunts squad has enough movement
and Commanders must stay within 8 inches of a designated command to pass the unit completely.
Squad.
You can vary the level of changes made for more realistic play. Feel
free to house rule your favourite style of play.
Consult the FAQ or the Yahoo group if you find a situation you have
a problem with. Or write to the author Robin: bilgepipe@mac.com Only through friendly units that are in the prone condition.
Yes leave them in place, they can provide cover to Gruntz and are
impassable smouldering wrecks to ground vehicles (non Grav). Gruntz Stray Gruntz can join another unit by using one action to join them
can traverse but they are treated as rough ground. However but they can never take a single squad over the limit of eight models
including squad attachments and must all default to the larger groups
weapon type and squad statistic profile of the larger group.
Any left over stray Gruntz are lost after a merge of squads and are
considered to be Waxed.
Yes unless they suffer catastrophic destruction.
If both stray Gruntz units are at equal strength, select one to be the
master type during a merge of squads.
The Amnian make use of some convenient cover and knock out one Spider Droid. The other two are still shielded and wax two of the Amnian
invaders. Base terrain from Ainsty, with GZG Spider Droids and GZG Crustie aliens.
64
FAQ
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Questions and Answers galaxy can kiss my ass
Eight is the maximum squad size which includes six gruntz and up
to two squad attachments.
Another member of the Squad automatically becomes the leader.

The squads player selects which one of the squad becomes the new
leader. It might be necessary to swap the leader model out with the
new leader for ease of identification. The gruntz unit must now stay Powered Armour can carry heavy weapons within the gruntz squad
within squad coherency of the new leader. class of weapons.
Every unit within 20 inches must make a Mental check or enter When a vehicle is destroyed it is either simply a smoking wreck or
condition brown. All friendly units are now permanently at -2 on all it will catastrophically explode due to a major engine, fuel or ammo
Mental tests. failure.
Roll a D6 with a roll of 1 or 2 resulting in catastrophic explosion. All

crew and carried gruntz are killed in the carnage. On a roll of 3,4,5 or 6
the vehicle is simply wrecked and the crew can try to bail out. See the
vehicle bail rules for full detail.
Another member of the Squad automatically picks up the squad

attachment weapon. The squads player selects which one of the squad
becomes the new squad attachment. It might be necessary to swap the
model out with the new squad attachment for ease of identification.
Condition brown happens when a players gruntz squad loses its
cool and panics. When a squad loses over half of its remaining squad
members from a single source of attack they will be required to make a
Mental statistic check. Roll 2D6 which must equal or be lower than the
gruntz units Mental statistic. If they fail they will enter condition brown
Two in the current rules. and run (double move) away from the source of incoming fire. The
exact direction they run is up to the squads player but it must be away
from the source of fire which caused the condition brown condition.
Place the red condition brown marker beside the gruntz unit to.
A gruntz squad is always left in suppressed condition after entering
condition brown.
You use the Skill statistic to fire any weapons in vehicles.
Condition brown is a temporary condition and is removed when
the player next activates that unit.
Yes it does block line of site accept when a Gruntz unit is in the
prone condition. They can then fire under the hull.
A gruntz squad is treated as a single source of fire when determining
if a unit needs to make a Mental test.
The shoot roll is normal but the damage is at +2. You must be
completely in the rear arc to gain the +2.
The base speed for Gruntz is 4 inches but they can do a double
move of 8 inches if they use both of their two actions to move. They
can’t shoot after this double move but they are able to cover more
ground. The same applies to all movement in Gruntz e.g. The base
move of a Grav skimmer bike is 10 inches but it can move up to a total
Armour piercing only works against Vehicles, Specialists and of 20 inches if it only takes a double move on its activation.
Buildings.
65
Scenarios
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Turn Sequence
Encounter in Edo City Battle Schema
Hidden from view by the smoggy clouds above the sprawling Domo- The following six scenarios are designed for you to play a range
Centre of Edo the Loricatus mecha cracked its way through the sound of battles with very little preparation. They are ideal for playing
barrier effortlessly; its smooth grey and taupe panelling hiding its lethal pick up and play games against new opponents or in a games club
cargo of mould-metal weaponry. The entire flying mecha began to environment.
prepare to slip out of flight mode, anticipating the thoughts of Triskin like
an extension of his own body safely cocooned in mecha’s chest - a human The Assault and Battery and Toppling Soldiers scenarios are
heart to the godlike automaton of war. particularly good for match games by playing two battles with the
defender and attacker switching roles in the second game where as
“Delta – Alpha – Niner; you are clear to engage rogue target. Code Meeting of Minds and Bring Me My Spear are good for no nonsense
blue – collateral damage acknowledged and deemed acceptable. Good mecha smashing.
luck Triskin.”
The suggested Battle Sizes below are only suggestions, feel free
The vocis rhetorica speaker crackled with static and was silent again. to tune up the Battle Schema and unleash hell on your opponents –
Triskin Lowe’s illuminated display wrapped around his senses; studying remember do unto the man as he would do unto you… just do it first!
the schematic map of the city looking at the various marked targets were
laid out in front of him. Cred banks, Law Giver offices, Communication si- Terrain
los and even a hospital; the strike was designed to neuter Edo. Triskin sig-
Terrain can be dropped on the board by taking alternating turns to
nalled to his 2 wing men to advance; flashing the battle schema across to
place a terrain piece. If the terrain is fixed you can alternate the sides
them and instructions to remain silent on the vocis rhetorica network. The
you play from on each new game.
massive Loricatus engines shuddered into life their towering legs propel-
ling them towards Edo. The drone of the Guass Cannon reloading filled Initiative
Triskins cockpit the heavy shelled clunking into the breach as the skilful
Loricatus pilot swung the colossal machine round to its next target; half After a scenario type has been selected and players have agreed
a klick away Triskins other Loricatus’ were sweeping towards the Central on a battle, each player should roll for initiative with a 2D6 adding
Law and the Judgement district. Edo was unprepared for an assault by the the Commanders Skill statistic. The player with the highest score can
relentless goliaths and the panic and death toll was vast. choose to take the first activation on turn one or allow the opponent
to go first if there is a tactical advantage to allow them to make the
Red flashes pinging up on Triskins display as another small squad of first move.
Law Givers had begun returning fire down the street their light laser rifles
spat angrily towards Triskin – harmlessly pattering off the thick shielding Note that in the standard rules, turn sequence is then locked in for
of the Loricatus’ carapace. His mind quickly overlaid the priority targets, the remainder of the games turns. With each player activating all their
shifting through the objectives and adjusting his own trajectory based on units before passing the turn to their opponent. Each new game turn
new threat signatures. Swinging the Guass Cannon away and bringing up starts with the player who took the first activation of the game. Once
his heavy gatling ioniser Triskin shredded the men in a bloody fountain of one player has finished activating their units the turn is passed to the
gore; bodies popped with an audible wetness as the Law Givers weapons opponent to finish all their movement.
fell silent. Civilians milled round in utter confusion unable to find a safe
haven in Edo from the rampaging war engines. Rotating around Triskin For details on alternative activation sequences see the optional
levelled the Guass Cannon down the street and unleashed the massive rules sections. If you are playing a large game it would be recommended
round at a Civilian Currus Transporter. that players use the standard turn sequence due to the overhead in
time needed to pass activation back and forth for a large number of
The massive detonation blew the vehicle over the street and ejected units.
the broken rag dolls that were once passengers out of shattered windows
and warped doors. Mutilated corpses scattered themselves is a horrific Deployment
tableaux to dismayed onlookers; broken body parts and gore spilt into the
gutter choking the drains. The green glow of the instrumentation illumi- After initiative, starting with the losing player, place units on the
nated the unflinching face of Triskin Lowe as he resolutely went about his table alternating between each player for each unit i.e. After player
grim business; his eyes widened as the display brought up the glimmering one places a single tank model, player two then places a unit of their
specks of Law Giver Tac-copters. Vocis net silence shattered. choice. Follow the rules of each scenario when placing units or simply
layout a battle scenario of your own design. Once all models are placed
“Varney! Filgum! Birds in the air!” the first turn can start with the player who won the initiative starting
the first turn.
The warning came too late for the two Loricatus pilots wading through
the Judgement District – advanced Phased Frequency Missiles arced Battle Sizes
through the smoky atmosphere - their sparkling trails flickering through
the Vedello Valley and bypassing the heavy shielding of the Loricatus en- These are the five different battle sizes which people can build
gine to rent deep holes in its armoured hides. armies to play the Scenarios, these sizes are recommended for use for
pick up and play or competitive tournament games but players are free
The machines staggered against the wind of destruction, smoke bil- to play any point size they choose or ignore the points in favour of an
lowing from yawning holes as they tried to return fire against the agile unbalanced story scenario.
flyers. Triskin data-vised the whole engagement on the battle schema
and heard every word over the vocis rhetorica net. The Loricatus pilots The smaller skirmish level battle is ideal as a starting point and for
were struggling to lock on to the elusive skimmers whose missiles made a learning the basics of Gruntz. The game will play quickly and enable
mockery of the advanced shield on each craft; impact after impact rocked you to learn the core rules, which would be preferable to the challenge
the machines sending them crashing through perma-crete admistratum of learning the rules during an epic game.
buildings to lie as ruined hulks straddling the rubble. Triskin was alone and
Edo was winning.
66
Scenarios
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Battle Schema galaxy can kiss my ass
Points Meeting of Minds : Victory Conditions

Size Details
Per side
Destroyed units are :
Skirmish is a game with
Skirmish 100 at least 100pts per side, Schema: Meeting of Minds Details
Victory Conditions
including a Commander.
Number of Turns 6
Battle Sizes
Each side must have a Count number of

Light Engagement 150 Commander and a mini- Victory Points from Destroyed Units points for all de-
mum of 2 Gruntz squads. stroyed units.
1 Commander and at least The Player with the
Medium Battle 300
3 Gruntz squads per side. Winner most victory points
wins.
Congested 1 Commander and at least
500
Crossfire 4 Gruntz squads per side.
»» Any Gruntz or vehicles removed from the table top.
2 Commanders, each
Epic Battle 1000 cover 500pts each per »» Units of Gruntz reduced to 25% or less of the initial unit size.
side. Currently Waxed Gruntz are not counted when determining unit
size.
Scenario 1: Meeting of Minds
»» Any Vehicles remaining on the battlefield that have three critical
This is the standard battle beloved of Wargamers everywhere – the
systems damaged (Armour, Engine or Tek). The vehicle might still
armies line up on opposite sides of the battlefield and fight, no special
be operational but has no remaining critical systems.
rules no objectives.....no mercy. The winner is the player who destroys
the most VP’s in a stand off battle. It would make the game richer if
the battle had some significance and a background setting, players are
encouraged to get creative.
2” Objectives
Meeting of Minds: Set up & Play
Opposing forces are setup as per the default setup rules with
deployment zones on opposite sides of the battle field. Alternate the
deployment of units based on the initiative and follow unit coherency
guides when placing Grunts units. All units must be set up within 6
inches of the battlefield edge.
4ft x 4ft Layout

Meeting of Minds
Deployment Zone 6inches into board
The meeting of minds scenario is a standard battle
with players lining up at opposite sides of the
board.
In this 4ft by 4ft table layout the forces are deployed
along the edge of the table and the objective is to
destroy more of the enemy than you lose.
If you are playing on a larger 6ft x 4ft board you
should follower the same deployment method.
Ground support APC vehicles with transport slots
can start the game with Gruntz or other units
carried, which gives them the advantage of being
able to rapidly be deployed.
Gruntz is a game where strategic use of rapid
movement of troops in vehicles will give you a
key advantage, especially in scenarios which have
objectives.
Vehicles also provide great cover for Gruntz which
can be used effectively by deploying troops behind
the vehicle after moving it into position.
If you design a new scenario and want it considered
for use with Gruntz please take the time to share it
on the Yahoo group or write directly to the author
on bilgepipe@mac.com
67
Scenarios
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Scenarios
Scenario 2: Assault and Battery Assault and Battery : To destroy an objective
An Assault and Battery game is played with balanced forces and »» An attacking Gruntz unit must have at least two Gruntz in base to
includes three separate objective locations which need to be destroyed base contact with the objective.
by using explosives carried by Grunts Squads.
»» It takes two actions to destroy the objective.
Note: Assault and Battery game is recommended to be played with
250pts per side which must include at least 3 Gruntz squads per force. »» Gruntz in the unit not in base to base contact may only make a
Shoot action that turn.
Assault and Battery : Set up & Play
The two opposing players are split into attacker and defender.
Assault and Battery: Victory Conditions
The attacking force objective is to destroy at least two of the
objective locations on the defending forces table side. The defenders
objective is to prevent the destruction of the objectives Schema: Assault and Battery Details
Assault and Battery: Objective placement Number of Turns 6
Victory Conditions
»» Each Objective is a 2 inch square marker. Count number of
Victory Points from Destroyed Units points for all de-
»» The defender places the first objective, the attacker the second stroyed units.
and the defender places the last one.
Points from Destroyed and surviving
»» Objectives must be deployed 18 inches apart. Objectives. The attacker can claim
Each Objective is
objectives VP’s if they are destroyed
»» The attacker’s forces must deploy at least 26 inches from the worth 5 victory
and the defender can claim them
objective closest to the attackers table edge. points.
if the objectives survive the game
intact.
The defender begins with 50%, rounded up, of all units deployed
within 6 inches of any objectives on the board. The remainder of their The Player with the
units are held in Reserve. Reserves are rolled for at the beginning of Winner most victory points
the defenders turn. Roll a total number of d6 equalling the current turn wins.
of the game and any roll of a 4+ results in one unit of the defenders
choice arriving from reserve. Units arriving from reserve are placed
on the defenders table edge and may move, shoot, assault and make
special actions as normal.
4ft x 4ft Layout

Assault and Battery
Defender Board Edge
The Assault and Battery scenario is based on two
roles. The Attacker is trying to destroy certain key
Defender Deploys 50% of forces at strategic objectives, whilst the defender (with
least 6inches away from objectives. reduced initial forces) is attempting to hold them
against attack.
1
You can alternate the play to give both players an
opportunity at defending the objectives.
3 Whilst placing the objective markers you can drop

them in buildings or place them in locations that
make sense as objectives e.g. A fuel dump, wrecked
vehicle, high point, machine gun nest, or any other
significant location. However you could still drop
them somewhere in the open if it provides the
defender with somewhere easy to pin down the
attacking forces.
The standard turn limit is 6 full turns and in each
2 turn the players both get to activate unites. The
limit of 6 turns is designed to encourage active play
in pursuit of the objectives in the game. If you are
writing a specific scenario or playing a very large
game you may both agree to let the play continue
Attacker Deploys no closer than
on beyond 6 turns, especially if you have reached
26inches from the objective
an interesting tactical situation and would like to
nearest to the defenders table see how it plays out in the field.
edge. In this case Objective 1.
Attacking Board Edge Objectives can be destroyed in any order.
68
Scenarios
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Scenario 3: Toppling Soldiers equalling the current turn of the game and any roll of a 4+ results
in one unit of the defenders choice arriving from reserve. Units
A Toppling Soldiers game is played with balanced forces and arriving from reserve are placed on the defenders table edge and
includes three separate objective locations which need to be destroyed may move, shoot, assault and make special actions as normal.
by using explosives carried by Grunts Squads. Unlike Assault and
Battery the objectives can only be destroyed in the order that they are Toppling Soldiers: To destroy an objective
deployed in.
»» Destroying an objective follows the same rules as Assault and
The attacking force objective is to the objective locations on the Battery, accept the order has to be followed or the objective can
defending forces table side in the order that they are deployed in. The not be destroyed.
defenders objective is to prevent the destruction of the objectives.
Toppling Soldiers is recommended to be played with 250pts per side Toppling Soldiers: Victory Conditions
which must include at least 3 Gruntz squads per force.
Toppling Soldiers: Set up & Play

Schema: Toppling Soldiers Details
The set up and play for Toppling Soldier is the same as Assault and
Number of Turns 6
Battery.
Count number of
Victory Conditions
Toppling Soldiers: Objective placement
Victory Points from Destroyed Units points for all de-
»» Each Objective is a 2 inch square marker. stroyed units.
Points from Destroyed and surviving

»» The defender places the first objective, the attacker the second
Objectives. The attacker can claim
and the defender places the last one. Ensure that the sequence of Each Objective is
objectives VP’s if they are destroyed
deployment is noted or marked down on the objective tokens so worth 5 victory
and the defender can claim them
players are aware of the sequence in which the objectives should points.
if the objectives survive the game
be destroyed.
intact.
»» Objectives must be deployed at least 18 inches apart. The Player with the
»» The attacker’s forces must deploy at least 26 inches from the Winner most victory points
objective closest to the attackers’ table edge. wins.
»» The defender begins with 50%, rounded up, of all units deployed
within 6 inches of any objectives on the board. The remainder
of their units are held in Reserve. Reserves are rolled for at the
beginning of the defenders turn. Roll a total number of d6
4ft x 4ft Layout
Toppling Soldiers
Defender Board Edge
The Toppling Soldiers scenario is a more difficult
variant of Assault and Battery for the attacking
Defender Deploys 50% of forces at
player.
least 6inches away from objectives.
Rather than simply destroying the objectives laid
3 down, they have to destroy them in the sequence
that they were placed, representing a planned
attack where specific targets need to be knocked
out in sequence. For example a Neural Network
hub installation might need to be destroyed
before moving on to take out an anti-orbital
defence battery.
The Defender has placed the first The exact type and nature of each objective is up
1 objective in a building which to the players to decide or simply use the Gruntz
makes it a difficult target. Agree 2” objective markers and place them directly onto
if objectives can be placed in open terrain which could represent an important
buildings before play starts. position which needs to be destroyed.
2 In this scenario the attacker may wish to place
their objective marker nearer to the defending
players area simply because it could be near to the
first objective and on route to the last defended
objective.
Remember to leave a numbered token or dice on
Attacker must destroy the each objective so that the proper order of objective
objectives in the sequence they destruction can easily be followed by the attacker.
Attacking Board Edge were laid down on the table.
69
Scenarios
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Scenarios
»» Scenario 4: What’s Mine is Mine make a Shoot action that turn.
In a What’s Mine is Mine Scenario the players are aiming to capture »» A controlled objective cannot be captured if there is a
objective locations not to destroy them. opposing players Grunt within 6 inches of the objective.
The battlefield objectives can change hands during play and »» Points are won by capturing and holding objectives.
winning a controlled objective zone back from the opposing player
scores more points than taking control of an unclaimed one. »» 5 points for every turn that a player controls the objective
What’s Mine is Mine: Set up & Play »» 5 bonus points every time an opposing player controlled
objective is captured.
Deploy the three objectives using the rules deployment rules from
the Assault and Battery Schema. Total the points at the end of each full game turn (after both
players have completed their turns). In the event that both players pass
Opposing forces are setup as per the default setup rules with 50pts in the same game turn add up VP’s as per the Meeting of Minds
deployment zones on opposite sides of the battle field. scenario Victory Conditions to ascertain a winner.
All units must be set up within 6 inches of the battlefield edge.
Capturing an unclaimed objective

Schema: He Who Laughs Last Details
»» A Gruntz unit must have at least one Gruntz in base to base
contact with the objective. Victory Conditions Number of Turns 6
»» It takes two actions to capture the objective.

Count number of
»» Gruntz in the unit not in base to base contact may only Victory Points from Destroyed Units points for all de-
make a Shoot action that turn. stroyed units.
»» Once captured mark the objective with a token to show Total up victory
A Player will win at the end of a turn
which player controls it. points each turn to
where they have more victory points
see if the battle has
than the turn number.
Capturing a location controlled by another player been one.
»» A Gruntz unit must have at least one Grunt in base to base The Player with the
contact with the objective. Winner most victory points
wins.
»» It takes two actions to capture the objective.
»» Gruntz in the unit not in base to base contact may only

4ft x 4ft Layout
What’s Mine is Mine
The What’s Mine is Mine scenario is a classic capture
and hold the position game, where objectives can
be taken back from an opponent if their defenders
are forced away.
The objective tokens are key strategic locations
which the players are struggling to hold in a battle
of attrition.
The longer a player can hold onto an objective the
more points are scored with a value of 5pts per turn
for each held objective.
All objectives on the battlefield start neutral but
The the White player has taken two once taken they offer the opportunity for a player
objective locations and is holding to gain an instant bonus 5pts if they manage to
them. They gain 10pts per turn wrestle control from the opponent.
(5 pts per objective held).
Once captured a player does not have to leave
units at the objective, they simply mark it as under
their control.
If they do leave an objective unattended it will
The Blue player has only taken
leave it open for easier capture by the opponent
one objective and is about to because without defenders they can more easily
assault the yellow objective in approach and re-take the objective.
the centre of the table.
Objectives placed near the Points are still scored for the destruction of enemy
middle of a battlefield are units so fortune will favour the brave in a game of
usually hotly contended. What’s Mine is Mine.
70
Scenarios
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Scenario 5: He Who Laughs Last Scenario 6: Bring me my Spear
In the He Who Laughs Last scenario the first player to score a In the Bring me my Spear scenario the attacker’s objective is to
number of victory points greater than the number of game turns break the defenders defences and exit their units off the defenders
played is the winner. If both players score is higher than the turn table edge. The attacker scores VP’s equal to the value below for units
number the player with the highest points is the winner. For example exiting the defenders board edge; the defender scores VP’s equal to
at end of turn 3, player one has 2 points and player two has 4 then the value below for destroying the attackers forces
player two is the winner.
Bring me my Spear : Set Up & Play
A win is only possible at turn 3 and beyond.
In a Bring me my Spear Scenario the terrain set up is the same as
This game represents a rushed attempt to turn a battle, with the Meeting of Minds. The attacker sets up first 6 inches on from their table
winner being the player who most quickly gains superiority in the field. edge.
It is recommended that players act quickly and press the attack for an
early win in a He Who Laughs Last game. The defender begins with 50%, rounded up, of all units deployed
within 6 inches of the centre of the table. The remainder of their units
He Who Laughs Last : Set Up & Play are held in Reserve. Reserves are rolled for at the beginning of the
defenders turn. Roll a total number of d6 equalling the current turn
The battle field setup is the same as for Meeting of Minds. of the game and any roll of a 4+ results in one unit of the defenders
choice arriving from reserve.
»» Play for six turns or less if a winner is found from turn 3.
Units arriving from reserve are placed on either of the unclaimed
He Who Laughs Last : Victory Conditions
(i.e not the one closest the attacker or defender) table edges and
»» VP’s are calculated as follows: may move, shoot, assault and make special actions as normal with
activation on this turn.
»» 1VP for each Gruntz squad over 50%
»» Play for six turns.
»» 1VP for each Scout/Light Mecha or Vehicle with all 3 critical box’s
filled. Bring me my Spear: Victory Conditions
»» 2VP for each Medium/Heavy Mecha or Vehicle with all 3 critical »» VP’s are calculated as follows:
box’s filled.
»» 1VP for each Gruntz squad over 50%
»» 3VP for each Assault Mecha or Vehicle able with all 3 critical box’s
»» 1VP for each Scout/Light Mecha or Vehicle
filled.
»» 2VP for each Medium/Heavy Mecha or Vehicle
»» 3VP for each Assault Mecha or Vehicle
4ft x 4ft Layout

Bring me my Spear
This scenario is representing a battlefield where a
convoy or contested enemy location needs to be
traversed by vehicles and Gruntz.
Rather than be awarded points equal to the value
of the units destroyed there is a different pts score
provided depending on the type of unit destroyed
or having passed across the table edge.
Like the objective marker scenarios it would be
recommend that a new game is played after the
first allowing each player to experience being the
attacker and defender. In this way a balance of play
is struck where players have to reverse the roles of
the units they use.
Terrain is important in a Bring me my Spear game
because the defender would gain great advantage
in being well covered.
The defender is not immediately given a full size
Attacker needs to exit the force and has to roll each turn to determine if more
opposite table edge with as reinforcements are ready to add to the defence.
many units as possible. This gives a fast moving attacker the opportunity
to make an early break and the defender would be
wise to focus fire on incoming APC’s to maximise
the damage against the vehicles and any Gruntz
units within.
71
Background
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Heliopause Setting
kept work at the centre of the lives of normal people.

Termination Shock
Normal citizens are a little more advanced physically than in the
When Solar winds reach a distant 21st Century. They can integrate better with technology via the Neural
point from their local system star Network (NN) and are generally more intelligent and physically fit. They
they begin to slow to subsonic store a copy of all memories and synapse detail in a chip implanted
in the back of their skull called the SN or Spirit-Node which is built
speed. This point within the
with Diamond State Technology. This chip can be used to restore an
stars heliosphere is called the
individual to life in a newly grown body. Death in military service
termination shock. It begins to heat results in the SC chip being sent home to family members for a costly
and change its magnetic field due clone body process. Bodies are disposed of in the field and incineration
to the influence of the local interstellar medium. is always preferred to burial.
It is the point when you are nearing the outskirts of the influence Humans can also attend “Rejuve” clinics to pull back the years
of the Star and on a journey into interstellar space. and become a teenager again with advanced genetic techniques
which rejuvenate the body and reset the clock. Some disorientation
The final boundary is called the Heliopause and marks the final
and disconnection from reality does occur during a re-build or rejuve
extent influence of the star. Passing this boundary is a significant
process and most people going through rejuve will have some form of
step in any space fairing races history. cosmetic alteration as part of the package.
Heliopause is a background setting for the Grunts 15mm SCI-FI The air hung thick with the black bodies of flies and the smell of
game. It is based in the Universe we live in now and the current year is stale blood lingered on the still air – so much so you could taste the
2217. Mankind has extended their exploration and expansion across tepid iron on your tongue. The ground was stained with all manner of
known space which extends to the edges of the Milky Way. Information ichors to the extent that Major Forbes could not tell where the human
and scientific discovery is reaching out beyond the outer limits of the ended and the Prime began. The relief column had arrived too late for
Milky Way. the men of the renowned Zanzibar Patrol some of their corpses now
littered the floor of the scrubby valley far too few for the 88 men who
Heliopause is set against a backdrop of modern, well established had left Camp M’Kenzi 3 days before. The bloated figures were the lucky
human space settlements. Worm hole and FTL drive technology has ones; who knew what insidious horrors befell those taken by the Prime.
allowed the human race to settle hundreds of compatible extrasolar
planets. Some are more habitable than others and corporate “Captain Wripley – please can you ask Sergeant Lippham and
investment in infrastructure in the new worlds is often measured by his men to proceed with General Directive 341-D.” It gave Forbes no
the level of raw resource available to mine and trade. Public ecological pleasure but the EHTC regulations were quite clear in this matter – the
sensibility guides some of the development of new planets and most Prime needed flesh and Forbes was not of the mindset of giving his
planet to planet travel, on already established worlds, is made by train. enemy what it needed to prosper.
Trains are linked between planets by powerful air-pressure locked,
land based worm holes which carry the rail links. The tall Captain turned on his heel to find the swarthy Sergeant
who would have the gruesome taste of denying the Prime the basic
Humankind has met many alien species as they explore space but building blocks of their race. Damn the aliens! And damn the CMA
most still remain aloof or are actively at war. Some of the objectives too! Some planets are just inhospitable to mankind; too ancient to be
and habits of the alien races are a mystery, including races like the mined and harvested.
Ion. The Ion is a sylph like race of aliens that are unintelligible and
inhabit many forests on now populated exoplanets. Many travellers “Lippham! Sergeant Lippham – where the devil is Sergeant
tell of paths between planets that the Ion can walk but no proof or Lippham?”
power source has been discovered to allow humankind to track
these mythical pathways which appear to mirror the power hungry “Here saar” Came the gruff response from a gaggle of men gathered
wormhole technology used by the human race. around one of the small skimmers that the EHTC used to “mule” around
heavy equipment here on N’Beli. The Sergeant straightened up to his
In amongst the well established core worlds and established full height stretching his broad shoulders as he rose. His deep red
empirical expansion of earth factions there are many fringe and uniform was bleached by the double sun to a rosy pink and a thick
frontier colonies. These colonies often build their own political agenda layer of dust rimmed the cuffs and button holes of his jacket and his
from left wing green planets with ecological objectives at the heart pith helmet with its built in respirator had been beaten back into shape
through to violent and often lawless right wing colonies, which can be on more than one occasion.
oppressive and focused on conquest through violence.
“Sergeant, gather your men and follow me. You’ll need the
The main catalyst for disruption is the lack of a wormhole. If Nitromethane canisters so bring the mule with you”
wormhole technology is not established on a colony they are more
likely to be cut-off from key trade and development initiatives which “Three-forty-one saar. Men won’t like that saar – bad for morale.”
can send a new colony into decline and lawlessness.
“No one likes it Sergeant – it’s an evil - a necessary evil. Bring your
Humans, with their genetically extended lives, are little changed men and the mule – we’ll need the canisters”
from modern day man. Faster, constant links to information and
“Don’t seem right saar. Man belongs in the ground saar not sent up
control systems via the neural network (NN) provide knowledge and
in smoke like some diseases animal.”
information that allow all people the potential for rapid intellectual
and physical growth. More leisure time is available due to the increased “Sergeant if we don’t carry out the General Directive then the Prime
reliance on intelligent robotic systems and self-healing technology. will be back – they will harvest these poor men’s bodies and they will
Planetary exploration and settlement has led to an explosion in use them to incubate their young. If we do not proceed with General
resource requirements which combined with human longevity has Directive 341-D then each man you see around you will father another
72
Background
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Heliopause Technology
below him was suddenly joined with smell akin to a fatty hog roast; his
Neural Net (NN) stomach turned and somersaulted at the thought of the fate of Major
The Neural Net extends from local Wilson’s patrol below. The Major inhaled deeply from the clean breeze
planetary Mindhubs and out to to the South – letting the coolness wash over him he closed the lids of
the far reaching corners of the his eyes and let it rinse away the stains that clung to him. Opening his
Milky Way. The signal is boosted eyes he felt refreshed. The brush in front of him shimmered – Forbes
by remote Mind replicators which blinked as a bead of sweat ran down his nose plopping on to the baked
allow human kind uninterrupted earth beneath him – he blinked again.
access to the Neural Net even in
“Primes! Stand to! Stand to! Primes to the South!”
deep space.
The NN provides sensory access to media and full-life visual Neural Net (NN)
experiences. Many military and scientific equipment makes
use of the NN to extend the capabilities of the systems being The Neural Net is the evolution of the internet, extending the
operated by human controllers. capability to wet-wired fully integrated systems where the human
species is permanently connected to the NN. Advanced genetic and
Without the NN humankind feels disconnected, although
nano science create digital overlays and information systems which are
there are factions who are known to deliberately disconnect
constant relays of graphic and emotional data inside the human mind.
themselves from the wet-wire technology integrating them with
the NN. Mindspiral was the first sentient earth based development
of the neural-net, built in a lab in Norway. Ralph the first sentient
Prime warrior – another Prime trying to gut you and I to turn us into the representation of the Neural Net was born at the Mindspiral lab and
next maternity ward for their little maggoty young. It is not a case of said his first word “42”, followed by a request for a chess match to
what is proper or right as I said it is a case of what is necessary!” prove a theory he had. Most citizens still consider Ralph as the primary
personality behind the Neural Net and the name is now part of popular
“Saar I’ve been here longer than I can count and I ‘aint never seen slang. Phrases like “Thank Ralph for that” or “What in Ralph’s name is
anything so heathen as a man burning another, but as you say rather that” and “O My Ralph” are often spoken exclamations within human
them than me. “ space. The Norwegians consider much of their design and technology
and cultural identity to have influenced the core spirit of the Neural
“Like the officer said boys look lively” Net. Ralph has won several Nobel prizes for some of the advanced new
With that the heated exchange ended and the EHTC troops began technologies enabled by his encyclopaedic knowledge and incredibly
to busy themselves readying the mule; Wripley breathed a sigh of relief rapid capability for scientific discovery.
no one liked the Directive but without it they may as well try damming The backbone and infrastructure behind the NN has evolved since
the sea with their fingers. The Sergeant was a good soldier and Wripley the birth of Ralph and is managed by many sentient nodes called
knew he was speaking so the others didn’t have to but sometimes Mindwells, they provide the control and gateway access to all of the
things just had to be done. services and control offered by the NN.
Forbes nostrils twitched. The stench of the sun bloated corpses
The Author Robin Fitton, at home in the garage and organising photos for the book. Terrain items by Ainsty, Kato and hand built boards.
73
BackGround
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Heliopause Technology
Diamond State Tek
In a galaxy governed by digital decision making, the audit and

compliance focus is key in the avoidance of corruption or modification
of evidence. Diamond State technology is an advancement which The Heliopause setting for the Gruntz game is based on our own
provides an incorruptible record and storage of information passing Milky Way in the future. I enjoy studying the various histories of
through connected systems. For example, all the personnel, ship, Earths great empires, especially the rapid growth of the British
weapon systems, life support and astro navigation information for a
Empire through the 18th and 19th century. This revolutionary
vessel can be relied upon when it is retrieved from the Diamond State
storage systems that are part of the Neural Network. period could be compared with the empirical expansion into the
frontiers of space which the various worldwide Government and
commercial interests are hungry for in the Heliopause setting.
Mindwells
One particular commercial faction in Heliopause is the East
Mindwells are the largest form of hub for the NN with sentience
Hyadum Trading company, which is the most successful British
and decision making abilities. Often installed in colony vessels or some
of the larger military assets. Despite being an extension and conduit for company to push the boundaries of settling the stars, much like
the NN the mindwells have personalities and often independent ideas the East India Company dominated trade routes through the
of there own. British Empires expansion. The East Hyadum Trading Company
invented and monopolises the use of Wormhole technology
Mindnodes which is used to establish galactic rail links where heavy freight
and passenger rail networks are connected by ground based
Mindnode’s are the smallest semi-sentient devices integrated with
power-hungry worm holes. To protect these interests the EHTC
many technologies to offer offline and online access to knowledge
has significant private naval and army forces.
and communication. Often installed in smaller devices and control
systems. Military vehicles are fitted with Mindnodes. These rail links provide the backbone for commerce which are
combined with a huge trade network managed by space faring
Mindhubs
merchants and mining operations utilising starship transport.
Mindhubs are hubs for the NN providing emotional, verbal, sensate
The Heliopause setting is simply a blank canvas where you can
and data communication. Mindhubs can be found in larger space
faring ships and often name themselves with a range of quirky titles, choose to play out battles, mixing in the factions available from
giving themselves unique identities. the various 15mm miniature companies. However you should
not limit your gaming to the setting and could make excellent
NN - Mindreplicators use of the background information provided by many of the
miniature manufacturers.
Deepspace communication vessels mostly unnamed but often
capable of supporting life in an emergency. Responsible for deep
space NN signal replication and broadcast, they enable connection to of energy required to maintain the wormholes, based on distance and
the NN from very distant locations. Mindreplicators are often the first stability of various esoteric astro physical conditions in the exit area.
contact location for aliens which stumble across the unmanned vessels Political and commercial factors also influence wormhole creation and
in deep space. Depending on the outcome, the Mindrepliator ship is some key planets now act as hubs with multiple worm holes reaching
either destroyed by the aliens or becomes the communication point out to many sub secondary systems. The hub worlds are always the
for initial first contact. most prosperous, managing trade gateway agreements across the
many planets they are linked to by rail.
Decisions in the EHCT Board Room
NNGS is the largest controlling infrastructure provider for the NN “You can’t sacrifice all of those people” bellowed Governor Rifkin,
(neural net). They manage many of the deep space communication there are thousands of innocent people on Xenon, and without the
vessels and the advanced planetary based systems. They also operate worm hole they won’t last beyond the next dual moon.
contracts for military system development where the more cutting
edge and esoteric systems are used in the digital warfare arena. “Sacrificing a few no-good colonists for the good of our world is
the only way that we can survive” argued Col Trippet, “it’s the only way
NN Gateway Systems also maintain a private mercenary army and to stop those parasitic Prime aliens from spreading further through
have significant investment in a protective fleet for their more remote occupied planetary space, we’ve got to cut them off and squeeze ‘em”.
deployments of NN gateway and Mindwell supporting technology
nodes. Wet Wire installation of NN technology is performed by NNGS “But you don’t even know if it will work and I’m not willing to take
surgical offices. that risk” . . .
Wormhole “Oh, YOU’RE not willing to take the risk hey, what about WE’RE not
willing to take the risk of having our bodies and the bodies of every
Wormholes are complex and power hungry devices built to link man, woman, child and peaceable intelligent life form from becoming
galactic planets, using a primary build location and a secondary exit a nursery for those God damn mosquito bitches.
point. Shortly after the first Wormhole was established in Orbit around
the earth, it was proposed to build wormholes and their exit points on “We haven’t finished extracting the raw materials from there yet,
planets. This enabled the setup of a large rail network that links the there’s millions of tons of ore just waiting for us to swoop in and collect
planets via traditional heavy freight and passenger carrying trains. The it, according to the latest asteroid surveys there could be enough . . . . .”
expansion of the human inhabited worlds is governed by the amount
“Profit, profit, profit, is that all you idiots at EHTC think about? If we
74
BackGround
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Heliopause Government
don’t get rid of the Prime once and for all they’ll be the only ones who relative velocity with the destination. Advanced NN astro-navigation
benefit from your asteroid rocks, and the blood sucking brood they systems automate these requirements, so it is not considered a
cultivate in your fat, pompous belly . . . “ hindrance to space travel. Ships can not generate the vast energy
requirements needed in the creation and management of full on-the-
Flintocks face, usually ruddy from a rich diet of currekin liver and fly worm hole generation, so the FTL drive is still the preferred method
Xavea port wine went a disturbingly shade of pale . . . he’d been a of distant travel.
General Manager of EHTC for more than forty years and had always
put profit before the welfare of his workers (though he’d never admit
it), but the thought of becoming a nursery for a brood of the Prime was The Neural Network (NN)
something he hadn’t contemplated before . . .
The NN extends into every part of human life, from wet-wired
“Do we close the wormhole or don’t we” – Trippet was used having human-NN interfaces through to military spec systems used on the
his orders obeyed and had never been much of a negotiator . . . his men battlefield. For most of the Commonwealth citizens the NN is how they
knew that it was unwise to question his commands . . . but this room communicate by data vision (DV) and Sensate Comms (SC). Mostly all
was full of other self-important officials who were also used to having civilian and military citizens are wet wired and their representation of
things their own way and each had their own agenda for leaving the the NN is an augmented visual and thought based connection into the
wormhole open. network. Letters (the replacement term for email) are delivered visually
and can carry sentiment and emotion with the use of Sensate Comms
“What if we go in one last time and bring out all of the important
(SC). Live communication also includes Sensate emotion transfer in
colonists”, Zariah couldn’t believe the words coming out of her own
addition to verbal and synaptic impulses.
mouth. She’d always been a very fair person and believed in treating
all people and peaceable aliens equally, or so she’d thought, but when Spirt Node (SN)
it came down to it, there were some people on Xenon which could be a
real asset to the rest of the Commonwealth. A complex chip installed in the neck which provides full
personality and regular memory backup. Humans fitted with SN chips
“How the hell do you decide who’s important” guffed Trippet, “and can be re-lifed from their SN after death from fatal accident or military
who’s going to drive the God damn train anyways, nobody wants that engagement. Not everyone can afford the chip or the re-life treatment
trip, nobody . . . and if those colonists get a mere sniff of what’s going on costs after a fatal injury. Re-life itself is a process which takes about
it would be suicide to even try . . . . I say we cut the wormhole using the three Months depending on the quality of the treatment and genetic
“Fat Man” protocol, lets see what the Prime do with a release of energy matching technology on hand.
capable of taking out the entire jet coast.
Major Political, Military and Commercial Organisations
Orbital Polis “OP”
An Orbital Polis, shortened to OP is the name given to orbiting

space habitats which are vast technical environments providing almost
every need of human kind and acting as a docks for space traffic and
naval interests.
The Galactic Commonwealth is the central body of associated
The OP’s are ideal defensible locations in orbit around key planetary earth space factions provides a central political body and elected
interests. They make ideal points of attack for the start of a planetary council to oversee alien contact and guide to legal resolution what are
invasion and are often the scene of boarding and space combat. loosely called colonisation disputes. Gal-Com headquarters are earth
based and they have representatives and offices within all of the major
OP Sickness is a disease suffered by human habitants of the vast empire worlds. Members of the Commonwealth are not always on
space stations where the synthetic environment eventually causes a friendly terms and the regional disputes, combined with any hostile
degenerative breakdown in mental and physical condition. Combined alien contact leads to conflict between Commonwealth members.
with this madness is a deadly desire to cause harm and wreck the
orbital environment with some OP-Sick groups forming that lead a Gal-Com has a central members chamber with representation from
rebel like life in the miserable dark maintenance sectors of Orbitals. alien, business, political and scientific groups. The taxation system and
significant military might provides a members with secuirty and a place
Teleport to decide policy. Change is slow to implement within this system and
many frustrated members will resort to hiring private merc contracts
Short range planet to orbit and ship to ship teleport is possible or engagning their own corporate forces when decisions become
with the re-development of esoteric energy control mechanisms bogged down in political red tape.
developed in parallel with worm hole technology. It is a very power
hungry process and still not 100% perfect for organic life.
GAL-COM : Visual Profile
FTL Drive
GAL-COM are mostly civilian and politicians
There are various heavy duty dampeners and control systems and will wear whatever the current fashion
involved in the construction of FTL drives which are designed to avoid dictates.
any uncontrollable singularities in the renormalised quantum stress-
energy generated by rapid acceleration. FTL uses a continuous minute They do have a specialist security division
wormhole effect to accelerate the vessel beyond the speed of light who have a green and brown uniform. The
which allows light to travel many times faster than it can in a vacuum. leadership of the security staff wear grey hats.
The minute wormholes created to generate the velocity needed for
FTL leave a clear signature like a ripple effect which can be tracked.
Momentum is conserved, so depending on distance travelled, a ship Suggested Miniatures: GZG: Civilians and NSL Jager Light
can require many hours or even days synchronising its normal-space Infantry for Security Division.
75
Background
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Organisations
The habitable zone (HZ) is a EARTH FEDERATION : Visual Profile

theoretical zone around a star in
which any planet present could The Earth Federation relies on the Federal
have liquid water on its surface. Army for brute force. The executive do have
After an energy source, liquid water private advanced-tek body guards who
is the most important ingredient for escort and protect leaders on key occasions.
normal life when viewed in light of These high quality guards are often seen in
the importance Earth’s water. urban digital camo styles and are promoted
from the elite of the Federal Army.
Suggested Miniatures: GZG: UNSC , Rebel Minis 15mm

Earth Force.
The mainstay of galactic military might with technology drawn

from the various earth space factions. Fleet and administration
functions are drawn from the core human empires with additional
Commonwealth designed assets. The Navy’s strongest influence for
the Commonwealth is within the core and inner colonies, however The Federation’s big battles are fought and won by the tanks and
their reach extends across many distant colonies within the worm-hole infantry of the Federal Army. They are millions strong, with mixed
connected network. formations of conscripts and long service veterans. The army has
garrisons on many independent colonies and where agreements are
The various regisnments of the Navy are mostly engaged in in place also bolster local Commonwealth forces for human interests.
polciging trade and mining interests but they also have signifant
assets deployed to systems where recent uneasy peace agreements The Federal Army is the easiest military force to enlist with but also
have been agreed with alien nations. one were a tour of duty could turn into an alien nightmare or Months
of boredom on a distant mineral rich rock.
Commonwealth Navy: Visual Profile
The Navy have various ship crew, technical

and frontline military divisions that wear
uniform appropriate to their function and
field of battle.
The traditional ship crew military uniform is a
dark blue for officer rank and camo blue style.
for Gruntz.
Suggested Miniatures: GZG: New Israeli, Khurasan Federal

Army, CMG: Arc Troopers
The Federation is an organisation guided mostly by its military

arm. They are involved in mostly planet based action, policing new
colony’s and warfare with hostile aliens. They have a presence within
the Commonwealth, with a very influential place on the council due to
the size and responsibility of the Federations military assets.
The leaders and politicians of the Earth Federation are normally

drawn from the ranks of the senior military officials within the many
regiments of the Federal Army.
The Federation sits outside of direct Commonwealth control and

is focused specifically on human interests. Where the Commonwealth
takes an all-inclusive view on alien and human integration, the
federation is soley in support of the expansion and protection of
humankind.
Federation forces are stronger on the ground and do not have

the mighty Navy of the Commonwealth, however they still have a The Imperator, a 60 Ton Fairfield & Hammer fabricated single-
significant space transport fleet and are capable of destructive orbital pilot Mecha walker, designed for field flexibility and reliability in
bombardment in support of their ground forces. remote contact circumstances.
76
BackGround
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Organisations Continued
Federal Army : Visual Profile CMA: Visual Profile
The federal army have many diverse The Combine Mining Association are a
resources and will supply troops with the corporation making heavy use of mercenary
most appropriatly coloured equipment in and private army contracts.
their specific theatre of war.
They have established a standard multi-role
The styles are usually based on camouflage uniform for mostly ship and mining station
or appropriate colours to match local flora. deployment which is a dark and light green
with grey camo.
Suggested Miniatures: Khurasan: Federal, CMG: Arc Suggested Miniatures: ACP Games: Federal Infantry, Critical
Troopers, ACP Games: Federal Infantry Mass Games: Squamata Imperialis, Rebel Miniatures: Sons of
Thunder.
Federal Special Forces
The Special Forces of the Federal army are an elite combination of

highly trained, augmented and equipped troops. Often dropped into
to remote deep space locations by Commonwealth or Federal ships OA are a large corporation with multi-star system assets and
they offer a rapid response to infighting between imperial factions offering considerable military and peacekeeping functions. They
and tactical advantage in dealing with Alien incursions which breach operate colony settlement schemes where lucky members join the
Commonwealth treaties. company to perform terra-forming and genetic harmonisation of
prospect new colony worlds.
Federal Special Forces : Visual Profile Once established and successful the new colonies are quick to
partition The East Hyadum Trading Company (EHTC) to help establish
an on-world worm hole which will provide rail road connections via
Special Forces wear camo and equipment to
the worm hole and increase trade with the commonwealth. Those new
suit the environment.
colonies which fail to negotiate worm hole status are prone to decline,
The do have a standard set mult-role gear lawlessness and desertion, leaving behind ghost colonies.
which includes special emzine bonded
armour plating and healms which they leave Civilians within established successful worlds are happy with
unpainted in the standard base metal colour. Omni-Astron Inc as the biggest intergalaxy corporation, but there are
many that hate the power it wields. OA has the power and resource
to bring great hope to frontier worlds but they can be just as quick to
Suggested Miniatures: As per Federal Army. remove support, dooming the new colony if the commercial future is
not as bright as the board room forecast expected.
Omni-Astron : Visual Profile
F&H are a significant contract supplier to M-SEC and the Omni-Astron have several Merc based
Commonwealth Navy. They specialise in the design and fabrication of contracts to support their new frontier planet
mechanised units. F&H kit is well known in the field for its reliability developments.
and the multi-role ability of their mecha walkers which are designed Initial landings are made with the support
with modular payloads. of GAL-COM but they soon have to impose
their own secuirity services to control frontier
F&H have a significant earth based manufacturing presence and development and these troops are made up
maintenance contracts that extend to the full reach of the wormhole of various Merc contracts.
network.
To maintain corporate identity these Mercs are issued standard kit
in yellow and are commonly known as “Ducks”.
Suggested Miniatures: GZG: NSU, ACP Games: Nationalists,

The CMA are a strong unionised association of mining companies. Rebel Miniatures: Sons of Thunder, CMG: Kaamados
Mining companies that are members are supported with mining Squamata Imperialis.
contracts, prospects and Commonwealth Navy protection but they pay
a high price in heavy taxation and shipment handling fees. Companies
that can not afford Combine membership are prone to being caught in
protection rackets run by the RD (Rim Defectionists).
CMA fleet and military assets plug the gap left by a Commonwealth
Navy struggling to reach and police the raidly expanding human
interests.
77
Background
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Alien Races
cut through with acrid flashes of excrement and burning ozone from
There are many known alien races laser fire. These humans were not like the last – they did not panic…
within the Helipause setting and they had not run.
you should easily be able find a The Prime watched as the humans slaughtered his Proeliators;
suitable manufacturer of miniatures its black mirrored eyes taking everything in – counting the flashes of
that matches those listed. laser strikes and listening to the humming of high velocity rounds. The
Proeliators were been decimated, they’re twitching, gore splattered
Suggestions for proxy models for
corpses littering the valley floor. Ghastly barricades of broken bodies
the Gruntz factions do not have to halted the still livings advance – the delay causing the bodies of the
be followed exactly and are only a stalled to add another course to the wall of the dead.
guide and reference to potential figures that can be used for the
game. And still the Dominus, controller and master mind of this brood
looked on.
The laser fire died down and the whirring of the human’s gattling
cannon slowed to a stop. The last of the Proeliators had been cut down
and their taste changed. Gone was the fear and the Prime gulped down
the rare taste of raw relief and hope. Its eyes clouded to a milky opaque
as it focused inwards – the rest of the Nine should hear its findings and
The East Hyadum Trading Company took the initial scientific relay it on through the MotherNet. The Prime had learnt much today
discovery of Worm Hole technology and turned it into an empire but these red clad humans needed further study.
building brand for the United Kingdom. EHTC model themselves on
the historic business they based their venture on “East India Company”. Turning the Dominus used the collective of the MotherNet to
They have a proud empirical ethic and are closely tied to Government instruct its other Proeliators; the Nine had process its findings far faster
policy operating a considerable private army to protect key resources. than usual and they craved more. The valley wound on for several
Owned initially by mostly British interests, EHTC are now a Company miles before there was a ford in the river – the steep banks shallow and
on a Galactic scale. passable to the clumsy hover sleds that the humans favoured. The Nine
agreed that this is where the humans would cross and where the Primes
EHTC’s primary objective is to be first to newly discovered distant would assault them from both sides. Following the humans without
resources and in supporting the asteroid mining trade. They are a well being seen would be of little challenge to the Prime and its Proeliators
supported trade company that controls and manages the construction and much could be learnt of these humans; it seemed illogical to kill
and maintenance of worm hole technology across known space. EHTC them all now just to feed the birthing chambers. There would plenty of
have a significant military and trade fleet, however policing of key carrion for the Liberi to grow strong in time.
trade routes is left to the UNSC combined with the Commonwealth
Navy. Private merc security contracts are used where mining and Silently the horde of Proeliators slunk back toward the mouth
merchant traders are powerful enough to operate their own security. of the Tumulus from which they had appeared. Once deep within
The EHTC work closely with the Combine Mining Association (CMA) its subterranean vaults and corridors the Dominus could track the
when working on mining trade objectives and the EHTC also follow humans without them ever realising. The Dominus was the last to
the prospect colony planets and frontier colonies that are setup by enter the Tumulus tasting the air for the final time; the reeking hot oily
Omni-Astron Inc. smell of Nitromethane invaded the air filling the Primes every sense.
It seemed that the humans were learning quickly too and had taken
to burning their ripe corpses before they were dragged back to the
EHTC : Visual Profile birthing chambers ; this may get enlightening and its eyes clouded
again – the Nine must know.
The East Hyadum Trading Company use a
striking red parade uniform which is also
used in the field when protecting company
assets and during combat with alien species
that are known to use primarily nonvisual Massive Atomic are a major competitor of F&H and have focused
means of communication. During combat production on less specialised but still significant technical military
with the alien Prime species the EHTC are assets ranging from hand held Gruntz equipment through to economic
often in the Company colours. to operate vehicles which are sold through mercenary, private and Gal-
The EHTC trace their lineage to the colonial past of Great Britain Com contracts.
and take pride in representing their heritage. Their hard suit kit
Special Contact Agency (SCA - Also known as “Contact”)
includes a classic Pith helmet including respiratory options and
advanced Neural Net communications modules.
Suggested Miniatures: GZG: NAC, Rebel Miniatures:

Colonials or Titan Marines, CMG: Arc Troopers. SCA are an elite mostly covert operation of higher-tek special
agents. They are funded by the Federation and provide a method to
engage with mostly alien species. The primary objective of SCA is to
The wormlike pink tongue flicked over the lipless serrated teeth; it
resolve key territorial or new alien contact issues by applying pressure
was dry not moist and the leathery appendage scratched across the
in covert specialist operations. Where subterfuge and political
smooth surface. The Dominus looked out across the valley through
espionage fails the SCA will resort to military intervention and will
unlidded eyes, running its tongue over its teeth again – tasting the
mostly call on expert mercenary forces. The public consider most
human sweat. The rank stench of the human fear pervaded its senses
78
BackGround
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Aliens Continued
SCA activity a mystery and their agents are often picked from unusual Makken’s face dripped with sweat and his ears rung with the
walks of life to fulfil a unique function in the agencies current contact screeching whine of the whirring Gatling Rail Cannon’s rotating barrel.
register. This apparently random selection of personnel adds to the The ground around him was strewn with red hot casing that the gun
mystique of the SCA. spat out disgustedly in a brassy waterfall. The GRC was supposed to
be used to take out fast moving skimmers or lightly armoured APC’s
SCA technology is advanced and their forces engage with mecha but right now Jerrit Makken swept it in wide arcs mowing down Prime
and grav based, high speed technology. It is not unusual to see SCA warriors with brutal ease; the high velocity rounds passing through
troops in powered armour and backed up by Specialist drone or multiple aliens as they coursed through the air. It was grim work as the
robotic assets. unrelenting horde refused to give ground; their basalt coloured corpses
stopped 15 feet from where Makken was holed up underneath one of
SCA : Visual Profile the Mule skimmers and were 4 feet high if it was an inch.
Then they stopped. No Prime came clambering over the bodies of

The Specialist Contact Agency are advanced, its fallen brethren; Makken let the gun barrel spin down and looked
highly trained forces, usually consisting of around the makeshift perimeter.
small numbers of motivated Gruntz and
advanced supporting technology. “One hundred yards – volley fire – FIRE!” bellowed Sergeant
Lippham his lips cracked from the burning sun and the screaming of
They mostly have white or light grey
orders.
equipment with dark green details, reflecting
their peacekeeping objectives. A sharp crack of laser fire rang out around the valley as the platoon
poured it’s small arms fire into the onrushing Primes; shadowy figures
Suggested Miniatures: GZG: UNSC, Blue Moon: Orion fell to the ground the white hot pock marks of the laser strikes glowing
Republic. against their dark flesh.
“Independent fire boys – pour it on now”
The sound of laser fire broke up like the pattering of rain broke out as
individual troopers picked their shots; howling gushes of Nitromethane
added their voice to the concert of killing and the occasional dull crump
The RD are a loose association of mostly pirate and rebel factions of a Personal Ordnance Missile weighed in with their heavy percussion.
with some minority trade stations and mining operations. They are an And still the Prime came on.
annoyance to the Commonwealth Navy which police key trade routes
which the Defectionists are known to target. The RD is known to run Lippham caught a glimpse of Forbes firing a pistol in each hand,
illegal shipments and operate protection scams to many of the smaller his face contorted with hatred and smeared with the dust from the
independent mining companies. heavy roll he took down the valley wall to warn the relief column
of its impending danger. The Major so calm, so polite normally was
Piracy is commonplace in amongst the RD and power bases screaming blasphemies upon the enemy. A man not 10 feet from the
amongst the more resourceful rebels are a significant thorn in the officer was spun around as a Prime dashed away his face with one
side of the Commonwealth. Rim Deffectionists are a Kleptocracy and mighty blow; gore sprayed up into the air like a grotesque rainbow
operate as a government of thieves, extending their wealth and power showering those unfortunate enough to be near the poor man before
through space piracy, embezzlement and various other parasitic a quick witted trooper gutted the beast with his Iridium combat blade.
activity within human space. Still the Prime jerked towards the nearest man even with its innards
spilling across the dry earth before even it’s mighty frame twitched still.
They are not lawless, having a strong central government, operated
by the most successful of trader families and pirates with a tax system Then they stopped. Corpses littered the valley floor but no more
designed to support a limited infrastructure across a series of space Primes appeared. Lippham turned on his heel.
habitats, large mining locations and asteroid bases. There is no welfare
system within the RD and people not capable of paying their own way “Cease fire! No point wasting ammo. Well done boys well done”
or falling on hard times are not helped unless they are a member of And went to find the Major.
one of the ruling families within the klepocracy.
Major Forbes shot another Prime in the face; the dark ichor misted
RIM Defectionists : Visual Profile up in front of his goggled eyes as the creature sank to its knees. He
shot another in the spine it arched double exposing it’s rib cage to the
trooper it was tangling with; the man needed no further invitation and
The RD are pirates, merchants, mercs and coldly ran the creature through. The tip of his blade glinted out of the
backwater trouble. other side of the Prime and Wripley grimly smiled the mouth bending
They make use of whatever military kit they upwards to crack the desiccated corners.
can and may sometimes be lucky enough to
Then they stopped. Sergeant Lippham approached across the
be equipped with advanced technology.
charnel scene. “They’ve stopped saar.”
Without structure to their military forces, the
actual schemes tend to be a mismatch or old Yes Sergeant it appears so. Please can you get together a party to
stock kit found in a previous haul. Suggested tend the wounded and pass my thanks to the men.”
“Yes saar. What about the bodies saar – there’s ‘undreds of them”
Suggested Miniatures: GZG: ACP Games: Federal Infantry
“Burn them Sergeant. Burn them all”
79
Background
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Organisations
Mil-Tek science explorative council (M-SEC) with the Alien nation. With much of the activity being in very remote
locations, it has been known for these differing objectives to trigger
minor conflicts between the organisations. The ARM’s commercially
driven objectives and the ambassadorial focus of the SCA don’t always
mix. These minor scuffles can be very violent with both agencies
making use of advanced warfare technologies.
A Commonwealth government run and corporate sponsored
agency with extensive investment in exotic matter studies and Many freethinking individuals believe that ARM are a heavy
bases on far reaching science stations which are high risk but offer handed right-wing organisation and their parent organisation M-SEC
potential rich returns for investors. M-SEC research in technology clearly keeps their distance from them. This distance allows them to
brings key fabrication contracts to supporting corporate interests, so appear politically neutral in cases where ARM has overstepped the
any new scientific discoveries are quickly converted into production mark during engagements with alien life.
technology. M-SEC Research is fiercely guarded and influences various
political and military events. M-SEC operate the ARM division.
ARM : Visual Profile
M-SEC are known for having imperialistic tendencies and many of
the senior officers and sci-staff have some strong xenophobic beliefs ARM are an authoritarian, violent and
that are at odds with mainstream Commonwealth politics. uncompromising force.
They are known for unique and distinct camo
M-SEC : Visual Profile schemes which would normally feature
detailing to match the M-SEC black and red
M-SEC utilise the hard hitting and violent theme.
force of ARM to action most of their targeted
Black armour sections, equipment or helmets
military objectives.
are combined with an appropriate but normally slightly more
Within M-SEC itself there is a trend of colourful camo than is necessary for the field of war.
wearing wearing black within the office and Suggested Miniatures: GZG: New Israeli Critical Mass Games
a standard black military style uniform has : Arc Troopers
been adopted by the scientists and senior
management of M-SEC.
The black scheme is normally augmented with red detailing and
the insignia of M-SEC on a shoulder, helmet or back location.
Dark grey or pouches, belts and weapon casing is also frequently The CHH are a Peaceful Multi space habitat association with
used in place of the black in urban settings. strong utopian socialist focus and advanced shared conscious neural
Reflective visors or goggles are normally also red. networks. They have advanced their habitat technology to offer control
systems and manage human transition to a state of conciseness within
the habitats organic structure. Citizens that die within a Culture Habit
Suggested Miniatures: GZG: ACP Games: Federal Infantry have their memories and psyche transferred from their Spirit Node
(The SN memory and personality chip installed in their neck ) into the
group conciseness of the habitat they live in.
Alioth Research Machinists Habitats are often large semi-organic and mechanical orbital
stations, located in key positions throughout known space. There
are three current major CHH habitats (Habitat Alpha, Habit Saturn
and Habit Polygamy) with populations over 10 Million in each orbital.
There are also many hundreds of smaller developing habitats with
ARM are the explorative field operations division of M-SEC known populations from hundreds to thousands of citizens.
for their uncompromising approach to field operations in frontier
locations. ARM use elite technological forces when defending their Minor Organisations
remote research outposts.
Due to their often close proximity to Alien nations, ARM are known
to have conflicting objectives with the Federation’s Specialist Contact
Agency (SCA). HHL are Builders of large trade and merchant vessels, the most
popular manufacturer of orbit fabricated space faring vessels.
The ARM might be using force to extract key mineral or scientific
information from a new Alien world, however simultaneously the SCA
could be trying to establish a new successful political or trade link
Mars HRS are a key manufacturer of the heavy trains that are used as the
Home to Marztek and the massive fabrication main form of travel and trade between worm-hole connected planets.
HRS have a strong trade link established with the East Hyadum Trading
factories of the Communist Uralvagonzavid.
Company who provide the necceasry worm hole technology to link
planets.
80
BackGround
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Alien Hordes
same height as humans with a simple smoothed appearance to their

facial features and completely white oval eyes.
The Vion race are also unintelligible and any vocalisation has
A Martian colony with strong history in human genetic been impossible to decipher.
modification who do not allow the use of wetwire NN technology
but are known for advances in genetic modification. They show a total lack of interest in entering into conversation,
trade or any form of negotiation. There are myths of pathways the
Vion are able to follow between worlds which appears to be support
Marztek : Visual Profile by the fact that, as a race that appear to be relatively primitive,
they have been able to colonise many habitable worlds within the
Normally featuring some form of dark red known space. Currently the Commonwealth classify the Ion race
colouring to match the environment of Mars, as a neutral mystery and only limited attempts have been made to
the forces of Marztek are also equipped with investigate them further.
traditional camo styles.
Despite their peaceful demeanour they are known to have
Marztek still continues to conscript all young advanced technologies and anti-gravity based weapon platforms.
men and women resulting in a large young
and often green force of light infantry. Vion: Visual Profile
Suggested Miniatures: Rebel Miniatures: Titan Marines The Vion are normally neutral grey in colour and slight of build.
They are often not wearing any clothes or wear cloaks and figure
hugging fabrics. Height ranges from diminutive to 7ft plus.
Suggested Miniatures: Critical Mass Games: Praesentia,

Vion Khurasan : Grey Aliens, 15mmSCI-FI.co.uk - Grey Aliens.
Uralvagonzavid are mass producers of military equipment,
specialising in the lower tech market where volume and price is more
important than quality. Suppliers to several key expanding empires Guln Horde
they offer a range of standard and field repairable arms and armour.
A loosely grouped ochlocracy, the Guln Horde is a degenerate
With the largest fabrication unit based on Mars the massive mob, often used as mercenaries where they are given access to
Uralvagonzavid factory provides vital employment on the red planet. advanced warfare technology during planetary invasion or as the
initial shock troops in a dangerous boarding action. Guln are low
Many mercernary forces make use of the cheap, reliable and easy intelligence bipedal humanoids, slouched and of a stronger stocky
to maintain weaponry of the Uralvagonzavid factories. They may not muscular build to humans with various alien shades of skin colour
be the most advanced however the vehicles, tanks and weapons ranging from blue to green. They have ugly twisted faces and heavy
they output will keep working in some of the most hostile alien wrinkled skin from their early development on high-G planets. They
conditions. are a space faring, having populated several planets before humans
had got much further than the moon. The Guln borrowed or traded
Unity technology to build connections with human and other alien races.
Unity are a digital group of people with numbers in the millions Trade with the Guln is high risk and high return. There is a high
and are resident on moon base delta. They are a colony of human and chance that a warlord or other internal Guln Horde faction will disrupt
alien life forms who have gone through transition migrating their any deal for personal game which will prevent the transaction from
minds from a physical body into a Mindwell called Thermopylae. completing, usually combined with extreme violence. Guln are most
useful in war and when a strong leader is engaged they have the
Unity are a strong well supported society and movement where
potential to turn a battle due to their disregard of personal safety
a virtual lifestyle offers are higher form of life to their residents.
and lust for war.
The empty corridors of moon base zeta are now frequented
Within the Guln there are four separate castes. Guln mothers are
mostly by service drones following simple cleaning logic as the scrub
able to control what kind of caste is born by using various power-full
floors for the completely virtual digital moon colony. Unity residents
herbs and poisons shortly after conception. These castes include a
of “Copies” as they collectively call themselves enjoy a virtual world
short child-like ugly and stupid caste called the Vulg. The core most
with unlimited real estate and perpetual good health, at least until
numerous nearly human sized are the “Guln Horde” and a taller
any damage is done to the Mindwell Thermopylae.
heavier caste is “The Nerg”.
Unity only physically represent themselves in robotic form and
The Nerg are up to 7ft tall, muscular and strong enough to handle
have a small fleet and military force consisting of mecha, vehicles
heavy anti-material weaponry as if they were carrying nothing more
and robots with AI control systems. They also operate by using
than an assault rifle. The Nerg are also the most compliant amongst
mercenary “flesh agents” where the physical human touch is required.
the Guln castes and have been happy to join non-Guln mercenary
groups or attach themselves to a Rim Deffectionist pirate outfit for
the right money. The tallest fourth caste is the “Vok” (up to 10-12Ft
tall). The Vok are extremely strong and stupid, used mostly as shock
troops, they can tear apart humanoids they come in contact with
The Vion are a mysterious race who appear in small numbers and only an angry Kruk would stand a chance of survival when facing
within forests and mostly rural locations across known space. They a veteran Vok in personal battle armour.
are a fey race, slender and quick of movement and are about the
81
Background
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Alien Races
The Guln stunk. GULN: Visual Profile

You can’t argue with the results when you unleashed their Nerg on The various Guln races come in a mix of skin colours, normally
an unsuspecting merchantman but by heavens they stunk. The Nerg’s patching together armour and weapons. Skin ranges from green
natural inclination was to use corners to go to the toilet - it was a cultural to blue through to various dark browns and patterns.
thing; having your back to the wall when you had your trousers round
your ankles was sensible for a race of warriors. It did mean that where
Suggested Miniatures: Micropanzer: Krystrail Empire. The
one went the others followed and the corridors where littered with the
Scene: Orcs GZG:Alien Mercs. GZG: Alien Mercs
accumulated faeces of long weeks of trans-halo travel. The weeks of
inactivity aboard the Rim Defectionists vessel the Gilded Doe had done
little to change Poritts opinion that when it came to mercenaries you The Prime
largely got what you paid for; the Nerg where cheap and affective but
what they lacked in personal hygiene they made up for in killing power. The Prime are a parasitic alien, they spread through the
impregnation of a host species where their own intelligent genetic
“By all the stellar entities – we have recycled water shower rooms DNA merges with that of the host to give birth to an altered Prime
Poritt! Can you not make the smelly wrinkles at least pretended that offspring.
they use them every once in a while”
They are classically alien in appearance with normally dark brown
“Have you no sense of self preservation Xersim?! Don’t let them to black skin and characteristics similar to the host they have infected.
hear you” If they infect a bipedal host they are often humanoid with the addition
of claws, tails and strong acid blood.
The older man came down the cramped hab-centre to reach his
friend; the corridors between the dorm rooms of the old Cutter’s hab- The prime are mostly don’t use technology but their high intellect
sphere we crowded with creatures and beings of all shapes and sizes and hive like society allow them to quickly learn and adjust behaviour.
and Xersim had to prod, push, swear and duck his way down to where They adapt well to different environments where they can survive
Poritt was sitting repairing an old assault rifle. The younger man had under high-G, freezing and near boiling conditions.
half the rifle stripped down whilst trying to keep track of all the part in
the wandering crush that seemed to pass as Nerg socialising. It is thought that they were once a biological weapon designed to
wipe out a race but the exact origins are unclear. Some believe they
“Been too long since you fired that thing properly – grime builds up are simply the logical adaption of any known parasites like a deadly
in the forward servo-loader. Makes it jam or mis-cock” mosquito which has evolved into the perfect organism over the
millennia.
“Well if you and Captain Bradrap actually found us something
better to do than baby-sitting the nearly human then maybe I wouldn’t Most Prime combat is hand to hand with claws and a deadly bite,
be sitting here cleaning a mis-cock!” although there have been occasions where acid spitting and weapon
use was encountered.
The old boson breaks into a hoarse laugh drawing curious looks
from the nearest group of Nerg; seeing the swarthy man doubled The Prime are motivated to procreate by dragging the corpses
in laughter they returned to their garbled conversation raising the of host races back to massive stinking holes in the ground where the
hubbub back above Xersim joviality. queen lays hideous maggots into the bloody holes of whatever host
life form has been dragged into the steaming heap of rotting flesh.
“Come on Poritt - Capt’n would like the pleasure of your company if
The young hatch from the carcass and new Prime off-spring have
you can spare him the time. Got a little job for you and your mis-cock”
characteristics inherited from the host species.
chuckled Xersim
They are called the Prime because they have been found in fossil
“I was only joking Xersim – about the Captain – no need to go and
records on some very early dated rocks in many of the now colonised
trouble him with me” The younger man’s face had pale so that his grey
worlds (worlds where they died out along with the host race). They
util-clothing looked even dirtier against his chalky skin
can only procreate by using host flesh, their own acid blood bodies
“Don’t be stupid Poritt! I was coming for you anyway – Capt’ns got are not good enough to act as food for the maggot stage. If they don’t
a proposition for man o’ya unique talents” find a host they can hibernate for thousands of years in a dry maggot
form, waiting for the right water conditions and a dead host/flesh to
“What unique talents?!” spat Poritt the corner of month wet “Why consume to allow them to start to flourish.
not ask Spinkind – he’s heaped up on blowers most of the time anyway;
or Jamestone? No one round this way thinks he’s any fleckum good The Prime are considered to be very early colonists of space and
either! I’m useful me!” Poritt looked around wildly looking for someone like the dragon fly on earth they evolved to a level of genetic perfection
– anyone – to go instead of him; had he known who his Grandmother many millions of years before Man could walk. As the ultimate parasite
was he’d have pushed her into the arms of his lo-rum drinking buddy they have begun to thrive again since humans started to colonise
rather than take the rickety grav-lift to the bridge – or worse still the planets. In certain areas on newly colonised planets large quarantine
Captain’s quarters! zones have had to be setup to prevent growth of the prime population.
“Come on Poritt it ‘aint everyday one of Sons of the 12 asks for a They are also grave robbers, so certain protocols have to be agreed
wee chat is it – besides if I have to take another lungful of Nerg eff then with regard to burials on new human frontier planets. Bury your dead
I’ll won’t as like be driven to shot someone. Can’t be having that now in the open and a Prime will quickly track, sniff out and drag the corpse
can we m’boy” back to a nest hole for maggot insertion.
The tiny glint of gold through tangle of matted grey told Poritt that The Primes are ruled by “Dominus Primes” . There is only ever one
the boson was smiling – Poritt saw nothing to smile about… Dominus per planet and they have an annoying habit of re-spawning
because a queen will sacrifice herself to give birth to a new Dominus
82
BackGround
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Alien Races
when they sense that one has been destroyed. There is a short period day. Suddenly, Kenzollo was surrounded by an army of his alien
of time when a Prime population can be left confused and debilitated commandos, they scuttled in from every direction and with lightening
which is shortly after the death of a Dominus. speed distributed the XK-380’s between themselves before opening fire
on Pravit and his half drunk slumbering bunch of traders.
The Primes can still operate at a feral level without a Queen or
Dominus but they become the most terrible opponents in war when “Back to the ship” called Svoran, “quick boss, we’re surrounded”.
a Dominus is spawned.
“Not without my money” he barked, but soon realised that this
The Dominus have control over the lower forms of Prime and was not the time to stand and argue as the fat trader tried to defend
can utilise the brain power of their Prime minions by some sort of himself from the ever growing army of Trixian. The laser fire whistled
telepathic network. It is the nearest things to Prime computing power and exploded around the space dock as Kleinz desperately tried to
and they are able to drop thought requests into the mind-pool of the release the old merchant ship from the docking station and escape the
local prime population. The combined brain power can find solutions relentless onslaught. Pravit lumbered and rolled towards the cargo
to complex problems, providing vital battle intelligence to the Prime ramp, he knew that even his trusty crew would leave him stranded
hive population. without a moments notice if he didn’t make it to safety before the
engines were fired and warmed. His slovenly body was well overdue a
Prime: Visual Profile re-life, he swore to get himself a younger model before his next outing.
Svoran was the only one he could truly trust, and he saw his second
The Prime are normally a slick black oily colour with darker shades
in command waiting to help pull his heaving Capt up the extended
of green and brown in a hive spawning where the local indigenous
mould-metal ramp.
population have influenced the colour of the off-spring.
Svoran reached out and grabbed the greasy merchant as the cargo
Suggested Miniatures: Khurasan : Space Demons, GZG: ramp was slowly lifting, when a single laser shot whistled past his ear
Xenomorphs and struck the pilot, Kleinz, firmly in the back of the head, a red mist
filled the air and his lifeless body slumping to the grimy floor.
Trixian In one single leap Svoran was at the controls and firing up the
ancient vessel once more to release the docking station and escape
A sentient Zeno race of insect like aliens. The Trixian have a from the onslaught of the side shifting cancerous insectoid Trixian. The
hierarchical society with various castes, including worker and soldier aging vessel creaked and groaned as; with one last effort it broke free
castes. The royal caste provide all offspring which are genetically from the docking station to make good its lumbering escape.
selected during conception. Several of the castes are capable of
flight. Communication is both verbal with a click based language and “We’ll be back” declared Pravit beneath his putrid breath, “we’ll
pheromone based. They have developed digital sentient technology be back” . . . as the old merchant ship limped away, as battered and
matching their own hierarchical society, which is capable of bruised as the few of the arms traders men which had managed to
communicating pheromone based information through technological escape from the vicious Trixian attack.
augmentation and adaption.
Trixian : Visual Profile
“You’re late” . . . Kenzollo (Trixian hive dominant) did not like to be
kept waiting, by anybody. “You should have been here three days ago, I
can’t do business with a fool who doesn’t do as he says he’ll do”. Normally featuring some form of dark red
colouring to match the environment of Mars,
“But my friend, we got here as soon as we could, we did not know the forces of Marztek are also equipped with
that those power crazy fools from the Commonwealth Navy would traditional camo styles.
be on our tail, somebody must have told them about our little . . .
arrangement . . . so we had to delay our tryst until we had sent them on Marztek still continues to conscript all young
a wild Nerg chase. Ha, they’ll be halfway to Medi-Tryad by now”. men and women resulting in large young
and often green force of light infantry.
Pravit, the trader was well known to the Commonwealth for his
business dealings, and was quite happy to provide both sides of any Suggested Miniatures: Khurasan: Vespulid
alien confrontation with the necessary weapons to destroy each
other . . . just as long as it made a good profit. He took a minute to
scan his surroundings; he liked to think that he was in control of these
situations. The angular cargo ship had once been the flagship of some
distant inter galactic fleet, but that was almost two centuries ago, these
days it looked awkward and clumsy against the sleek cocoon shaped
insectoid Trixian docking bay.
Kenzollo broke open the first crate of weapons and a steely glint There is a lot of friction between left and right wing interests
appeared in his lifeless eyes as his claws stroked the shining array of XK- in the Heliopause setting. As empires have expanded and alien
380’s and grenades, all neatly stamped with the familiar sign “Property contact increase the various commercial and Government
of Earth Federation” . . . how did he do it? Anyway, they were here and military agencies are increasing their use of force to establish
now they were theirs. control over mineral resource and trade routes.
“Get your claws off until after the trade” barked Pravit. He’d done Battles on frontier outposts to claim new planetary resources are
enough of this business to know that none of these aliens could be frequent affairs and drag new Alien races into Galactic conflict in
trusted so always had plenty of men with back-up firepower, even space and on the ground.
if they had been partying on “Ranki” in anticipation of a good pay
83
Background
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Aliens Continued
Nayzaki once ours, but more, much more . . . we can have it ALL . . . this chip
holds years of knowledge from the all powerful Captain John Kawalski
Large intelligent and mostly peace loving apes of various castes . . . he fought many battles for ARM, he lead his men to conquer many
which predate the human race. The Nayzaki have highly advanced races with his mind and tactical power, and now his privileged military
teleportation and genetic technology and are also capable of information is ours . . . .
true sensory and emotional communication via quantum digital
technology. The Nayzaki use violence only in defence and have very
extensive and high-tek destructive capability used to protect their
interests.
Captain John Kawalski blinked his eyes as he tried to focus on

the unfamiliar surroundings. What was that smell, it smelled like a
thousand Guln? And the noise . . . it sounded like he was trapped in The Suns of Destiny are a well known Mercenary unit, often used
some 21st century zoo enclosure which he’d come across on the history by some of the larger corporations like Omni-Astron and Harmony
sense channel, such screeching and hollering and howling. Slowly he Rolling Stock. They provide counter insurgency, espionage or standard
began to remember the events of the day before. The routine patrol policing skills when a corporation needs immediate response and to
around the perimeter of the compound and then . . . nothing. Ambush, be able to distance themselves from the military force on the ground.
attack, it was the only explanation. But now?
Their ranks are filled with many expert soldiers that have deiced to
He tried to move but was shackled with self-mould cuffs to some make a higher rate of pay by engaging in some of the riskier mission
sort of table, the bright lights dazzled him as he tried to make sense of types which the merc unit is called to action.
his predicament . . . how on earth was he going to get out of this one?
Suns of Destiny: Visual Profile
“He’s awake, he’s awake”
One of the excitable baboon like forms began to screech and leap The S.O.D are well equipped for multi-role
around, crashing trays of dirty blood soaked instruments to the grimy combat missions and make heavy use of
filth stained floor as he went. mecha and robotic technology, assets their
high-price merc contracts enable them to
“Pick ‘em up” barked another, the sooner we’ve got the chip the afford.
better.
They traditionally wear an urban style camo
So that was it, the Spirit Node, they were going to steal the SN and but do make use of a various more traditional
along with it his life, his memories, his experience, his future . . . schemes where they are more suitable.
“ahhhhhhhhhh” his head was grabbed roughly and twisted until it

Suggested Miniatures: Micropanzer: SAS
felt like his neck was broken, then he felt a searing pain as one of the
outlandish creatures plunged a sharp knife into the nape of his neck,
the warm sensation of blood . . . his blood . . . trickled onto his broad,
After action report
muscular shoulders.
Date: 17th May 2256
“Where is it? Have you got it?”
Location: Omega-Tain IV, Lower Hephaestus plain
“No, it’s not there, it must be further up”
OIC: Lt James B. George, 248-5796
“Fool, let me do it”
Element: 2nd Platoon, 2/11 217th SoD Rangers
“ahhhhhhhhhh” searing pain ripped through his weakened body
until he thankfully passed out . . . his tortured body floating out of Background: Suns of Destiny have been engaged by the Combine
consciousness only to be jerked back to witness the pain as the knife Mining Association (CMA) to provide security to their on-going
twisted and turned into the base of his skull, searching for the Spirit development works of the Lower Hephaestus plains. Local colonists are
Node. opposed to these works and have formed the Hephaestus Free Forces
to oppose the CMA. It is believed that the HFF are being backed by one
“Got it” grunted one of the aliens, John Kawalski could smell the
or more off-world rivals of CMA.
pernicious fumes of his disgusting breath even though his life force was
quickly slipping away forever. Objectives: Patrol marked route through lower Hephaestus
Plains, establishing contact with security elements at each of 3 primary
The whole room erupted into an ear splitting cacophony of
industrial complex salvage sites. Engage with HFF forces wherever
screeching and hollering, though these Nayzaki ape creatures had
possible and pursue general peacekeeping mission objectives.
been evolving for a millions of years before humans, at such times they
quickly went back to their tribal roots and ran around thumping and Testimony:
beating their hardened chests in an effort to show supremacy . . . the
pecking order was soon, however, restored without doubt. We were in our standard 20-man light platoon formation, three
foot squads of 8 plus me and the top sergeant. We were equipped for
“Silence” . . . the air grew still as Commander Tritan bellowed out foot patrol with light body armour, filter inserts for our lids and water
the order. “This is only the beginning, fools, now we have to work out re-filtration packs. It’s hot and dusty on the lower plains, and the dust
a way to use this knowledge wisely and re-take our rightful position on is like some kind of powder - fines, they call it. Gets in everywhere -
this planet of spineless migrants and outlandish invaders . . . we now through suit seals, into your canteen, through the standard masks. Our
have the strength AND the knowledge to re-take not only what was attrition rate is higher for respiratory ailments than enemy action. The
84
Background
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Kruk
filter inserts snap over the standard air intakes and is supposed to cut and moved on to the final salvage site. he remainder of the patrol was
down on the infiltration, but they make it harder to breathe when it’s uneventful.
really dusty or you are exerting yourself.
Addendum:
We had already checked in the security guys at salvage site one.
They’d got the electrostatic nets up for the salvage crew, so the fines I have since received a verbal reprimand from the OIC FB TOPAZ.
were way down there. We cleared out the filters and got some clean Apparently the broadcast towers are used as part of their topographical
water, and tried to get the worst of the crud off of us. data sets, and is the third time one of them has been targeted. To
paraphrase, he requested that I kindly ask my fellow officers to “stop
We proceeded on to site two and upon cresting ridgeline Bravo fragging their gods-dammed reference points”.
came into LOS communication of salvage site 2. The fines generate a
static field that messes with broadcast comms, so we have to use line Kruk
of sight, microwave or laser comms. There was no response to our
The Kruk are an intelligent, mostly peaceful, tall and hairy bipedal
IFF ping, so I assumed standard response status and dropped into an
race with a bear like ancestry. The Kruk lost their homeworld before
echelon formation. Making use of available cover we advanced using
they had reached the space age whilst still in a post-modern era.
bounding overwatch towards the perimeter of the salvage site.
The Kruk are now scattered and live integrated within human
At 10:43 local time 1st squad came under sustained but inaccurate
society. The Kruk are not easy to anger but once riled they are capable of
projectile fire from 3-4 concealed positions around the perimeter of the
great fits of rage and extreme aggression, which is particularly true with
salvage site. 1st squad moved into cover and returned fire using their
any engagement with the Guln Horde who invaded their homeworld
ACR’s and SAW. PFC DuBois was then hit by a large calibre rifle round in
Malak* destroying the atmosphere with some badly planned quantum
her right thigh, resulting in her right leg being effectively severed above
buster missile strikes which wiped out the remaining forests across the
the knee. Cpl. Wilson provided immediate and effective aid, which no-
equatorial belt.
doubt saved Pvt DuBois life.
Now without their home planet Maldak in Gelepsi system, the Kruk
2nd and 3rd squads moved to flank and pin the positions along
work with merchants and humans who appreciate their stolid and
the perimeter whilst 1st Sergeant Collins and I remained concealed
dependable nature.
and began anti-sniper procedures using our mini-drones acoustic
triangulation routines. Before they lost their homeworld the Kruk were a stratocracy
and mostly all governmental positions were held by military groups.
1st Squad began receiving more sniper fire, although the agitation
Any governmental structure was lost with the destruction of their
of the fines in the air began to degrade visibility, no doubt contributing
homeworld but there are still strong ties and structures amongst the
to the poor accuracy of the sniper. They requested permission to retreat
remaining scattered Kruk.
to better concealed positions and I agreed. Moving with covering
fire from 3rd platoon they retreated in good order to a position
adjacent to mine and Sgt Collins’s and resumed fire upon the
perimeter positions.
By then the concentrated ACR, SAW and AGL fire from 2nd
platoon had neutralised two of the perimeter positions. At this
point we observed by mini drone the remaining HFF forces
retreating further into the complex. Our mini drones also
triangulated the sniper position to the top of a broadcast tower
500 meters outside of the salvage site perimeter. The land around
the tower was hard-baked mud and open ground for at least 400
meters in each direction. If we were to advance we would be in the
open and exposed and with hostiles at our back in the salvage site.
Reasoning that the sniper position would be an on-going

eminent threat, and that the fines made broadcast towers pretty
much useless, I requested a fire mission from FB TOPAZ, who
relayed to the Corporate class cruiser, Winchester, which was
above the horizon at that time. Winchester launched an orbital
KKM strike with TGSM at 11:09 and the sniper and broadcast tower
were destroyed at 11:13.
Following the neutralisation of the sniper I requested CasEvac

for Corporal DuBois and left 1st squad to provide security whilst
squads 2 and 3 advanced to sweep the complex. We recovered the
bodies of 14 HFF KIA and the local security element, which had been
stripped and hung after apparently being tortured. The surviving
HFF forces that had retreated from the perimeter were tracked to a
drainage culvert where we found evidence that they had escaped
in a tracked vehicle, probably a utility crawler or ATV. We secured
the salvage site and left one of the mini-drones to perform a more
detailed sweep for IED’s and boon-traps.
We rendezvoused with 1st Squad at the northern perimeter
85
Background
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Amnian
Amnian When finally the orbital controllers realised what had happened
they directed the evacuation convoy to proceed to the transports, an
The Amnian are a space faring race of bio-tek specialists. Many 8 hour march through hostile terrain in the rising heat and dust. The
of the space ships, weapons and building structures of the Amnian transports could get from ground to orbit, and from orbit to ground,
aliens are grown and developed with sentience. The advance bio tek but a short hop over the hills was beyond their stubby wings.
allows them to design ships and systems which learn and grow with
experience. This also allows for genetic inheritance of knowledge So, the Carmarthen troops set off and were immediately attacked.
and skills so certain ships and genetic vessels will have an improved The convoy moved on in fits and starts, each attack sapping their
pedigree over vessels with more of a mongrel status. strength slowly and delaying them further. The Prime attacked
sporadically, in disorganised groups. Had they all attacked at once the
The Amnian have an uneasy trade with human space which convoy would certainly have been overwhelmed, but they seemed not
occasionally breaks into minor skirmishes over terrain. In their defence to be concerned with the withdrawal, perhaps they were only attacking
the Amnian psyche and biological design does not allow them to from habit, or simply to show willing as the weary soldiers left their
lie or consider any form of humour or subterfuge. They simply can’t homeland.
understand that it is possible for sentient life to ignore orders or break
prior agreements. This makes them easy to fool and they now have a The 30 kilometre trip took 24 hours and cost the formation 1/4 of its
very careful approach to negotiation with humans where nonfulfilment vehicles and nearly half of all of the supplies of ammunition and food
of the human side of a trade ends in violence. expended or destroyed. More than 120 people out of 375 were killed
or injured before the leading elements reached the shelf on which the
They are bipedal with a chitinous type carapace developed for the transports had grounded. It was only as these outriders crested the
warrior classes. They have large flat and slightly bulbous heads with final hill that they found why the native attacks had been so erratic and
multiple light and smell and sound sensors. desultory. The natives had been occupied elsewhere.
Amnian weapons are also biological and genetically grown, often The transports were burned. The crew were butchered and hung for
using bone like fletchet or plasma developed from chemical reactions the young to nest in, as was the Prime custom. Convoy Carmarthen had
in weapon bile chambers. So far any attempt to adapt these weapons marched 30 kilometres, away from the safety of their bastion, straight
fail because they are genetically aligned with the Amnian body. The towards a new Prime hive built around their rescue transports.
weapons also require feeding in growth pools after combat and it has
not been possible to replicate the correct genetic soup to allow the Corporal Vigg Jones, Alpha section, 2nd squad, 1st platoon,
weapons to live longer than a week (after removal from an Amnian Bravo Company of the 232nd Hyadum Fusiliers, considered himself a
corpse). lucky man. 13 years in the armed forces of the East Hyadum Trading
Company meant he had made (and, if truth were told, lost, drunk and
M-SEC have tried negotiating with the Amnian to share screwed away) a lot of money without ever managing to do an awful
technological advances but they do not give up their secrets lightly. lot of work, or getting shot, roasted, eaten, dissolved or run over by a
Rumour with the NN has suggested that M-SEC are operating several tank – all of which he had seen happen to his squad mates at one time
covert experimental scientific centres where captured Amnian are or another. He had naturally gravitated to the role of corporal – high
treated to degrading biological tests and torture. enough to boss around a few fellers, but not so high as to be given any
real responsibility. He had also gravitated to artillery, which qualified
Amnian: Visual Profile him for combat pay whenever the 232 went into battle, but on the
whole meant he didn’t actually see much combat, being well behind
the front line most of the time.
Amnian have a range of low genetic squads Unfortunately, as is often the case in military matters, the situation
and leaders drawn from higher genetic that Vigg now faced was not the usual one. The unexpected shift of
material. the front line from being a dozen or so miles in front of the current
position, to being several miles behind his current position, had come
as somewhat of a shock to all involved, not the least of which was the
two regiments of indigenous rebels who had somehow passed straight
by the 232nd’s main combat unit and executed a flanking manoeuvre
Suggested Miniatures: Critical Mass Games: Kaamados that, if down to tactical brilliance represented a very, very worrying
Agaamid and Vivipara. GZG: Crusties precedent for the rear echelon planners and, if down to chance, was
the single jammiest manoeuvre he had ever seen.
At the current time Vigg was pressed against the hull of a softskin
From “Oil and Sweat: With the EHTC in the Outer Veil” truck that he had been snoozing on top of in the warm early morning
sun – a truck he suspected was an ammo carrier and therefore full
Operation Hercules, the retreat from Camp Carmarthen, did not get
of things that would go boom if shot. He had been quietly drifting
off to an auspicious start. The orbital transports, giant, delta winged
off to sleep with his noise cancelling earplugs in, to drown out the
slabs of armour designed to drop from orbit to a battlefield and land
irritating thump and whoosh of the RAM mortars as they fired their
in an area the size of a sports field and shrug off or avoid missiles and
rocket assisted munitions down-range, when he became aware of an
lasers and bullets on the way, were strong, but not agile. The weather
annoying buzz of an angry insect zipping by his face every few seconds.
was terrible and the interference from the electrical storms put them
Vigg had opened his eyes to swat the bug, but not finding it within
on just about the only flat area in the rolling hills 30 kilometres away
reach had instead grabbed his canteen for a quick pick-me up (his
from the pickup point on the plains to the north of Carmarthen. The
canteen rarely contained just water), and had it shot out of his hand by
same interference meant that there was no direct communications
the annoyed Indig soldier that had been trying to snipe him off the roof
between the transports and Carmarthen, so the evacuation convoy sat
of the truck, using an 80 year old bolt action hunting rifle with a brand
waiting for transports that had already landed as the suns rose above
new top of the range thermo-optic sniper sight taped to the top using
the horizon and the angry, toothsome Prime awoke.
duct tape, for the last five minutes.
86
87
When I die bury me
upside down so the
Gruntz 15mm SCI-FI is a dedicated 15mm fast play wargame designed for skirmish level play
using combined arms. You can use miniatures from any 15mm SCI-FI manufacturer and the rules are
not restricted to a set genre or background setting. You can pick up, learn and play Gruntz quickly
and add to the basic rules with the included optional rules with more advanced movement, turn
sequence and activation.
Vehicle and artillery rules are included for a combined arms gaming experience with unit
builders and support for all manufacturers of 15mm sci-fi and modern figures.
Gruntz has manufacturer support from Critical Mass Games, Ground Zero Games (GZG), 15mm.
co.uk, Khurasan, Rebel Minis, Brigade, 15mm.co.uk and Old Crow Models. The full range of figures
are supported by the Gruntz rules including specialists, tanks, mecha, robotic, alien races and air
support.
The rules and statistics in Gruntz cover modern and futuristic technology, allowing for low
tech and high tech mixed battles. Included are statistics for alien technology and weird war style
creatures like zombies and B-Movie style gargantuan lizard monsters, so the setting and scenarios
are only limited by your imagination.
You can build your own forces with the army builders and supplied blank profile cards. This
enables any new manufacturer models to be designed and built with statistics which suit your own
army with a points system which can be used or ignored if you prefer scenario driven story games.
Gruntz uses D6 die for rolling shooting and attacks with the core mechanic based on a 2D6 roll
adding a number from the units statistics. Official counters are available for the game to enable easy
identification of conditions on the battlefield.
Web site www.Gruntz.biz
CMG Old Crow Khurasan GZG CMG
GZG CMG CMG CMG Khurasan
KHURASAN GZG 15mm.co.uk Khurasan CMG

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Gruntz - 15mm SciFi PDF

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Gruntz 15mm

15mm SCI-FI Skirmish Wargaming v1 - PDF Release 2011

Web site www.Gruntz.BIZ Photos and models used by permission

GZG Old Crow CMG CMG Khurasan

KHURASAN GZG CMG CMG 15mm.co.uk

When I die bury me

Table of Contents »» Squad Points 31 »» Playing Cards 60

»» Find3 »» Squad Attachment 32 »» Alternative Activation 61

»» The Core rules 4 »» SA Points 33 »» Shoot Sequence 62

»» Statistics5 »» Specialist34 »» Group Basing 63

»» Building an Army 6 »» Specialist Points 35 »» Continued64

»» Model Types 7 »» Tank Design 36 »» Questions and Answers 65

»» Squad Coherency 8 »» Tank Points 37 »» Turn Sequence  66

»» Overview of Profile Cards 9 »» Mecha38 »» Battle Schema 67

»» Actions each Activation 10 »» Mecha Points 39 »» Scenarios  68

»» Terrain and Environment 11 »» Commander40 »» Battle Schema 69

»» Movement in Terrain 12 »» Commander Points 41 »» Scenarios  70

»» Terrain Types Table 13 »» Support Vehicle 42 »» Battle Schema 71

»» Battlefield Leaders 14 »» Support Vehicle Points 43 »» Heliopause Setting 72

»» Condition Modifier Table 15 »» Air Support Vehicle 44 »» Heliopause Technology 73

»» Ranged Combat 16 »» Air Support Vehicle Points 45 »» Heliopause Technology 74

»» Concentrate Fire 17 »» Artillery46 »» Heliopause Government 75

»» Ranged Combat Detail 18 »» Artillery Points 47 »» Organisations76

»» Close Combat 19 »» Statistic Tables 48 »» Organisations Continued 77

»» Damage and Suppression 20 »» SPEC YOUR UNIT 49 »» Alien Races 78

»» Vehicle Overview 21 »» Specialist Weapons 50 »» Aliens Continued 79

»» Vehicles Arcs and Abilities 22 »» Vehicle Weapon Table 51 »» Organisations80

»» Vehicle Critical Damage 23 »» Esoteric Tek 52 »» Alien Hordes 81

»» Vehicles Arcs and Destruction 24 »» Esoteric Tek Table 53 »» Alien Races 82

»» Indirect Fire 25 »» Squad Special Abilities 54 »» Alien Races 83

»» Standard or Advanced Movement 26 »» Continued Perkz 55 »» Aliens Continued 84

»» RAMS, Vehicle Options 27 »» Special ABILITIES 56 »» Kruk85

»» Digital Warfare 28 »» Scenario Conditions 57 »» Amnian86

»» Damage and Destruction 29 »» Vehicle Boosts 58

»» Squad Design 30 »» Vehicle Crew  59

Special mention to the following contributors:

Statistics galaxy can kiss my ass

The Gruntz points system allows for the selection of a Commander,

The unit builder section of the rules provides details on how to

Model Types galaxy can kiss my ass

Symbol Type Description

damage is inflicted. The damage track is a simulation of how a tank or

Play continues with each player finishing the complete activation

Each player’s force consists of a mix of a Commander, Gruntz

A sample force for an average game might include 1 Commander,

Larger games can be played with average game time increasing

The white Gruntz squad is activated

one single grunt from the squad to

the edge of the road to fire on the

Fire! grunt is moving out of the 3 inch

Overview of Profile Cards galaxy can kiss my ass

Assault and Armour

The Gruntz squad in the open is

Gruntz, so taking two actions to move

The APC pictured is then activated and

move in inches and its second action

fire because it only moved once on its

If an enemy target is in LOS and within

You can make use of a vehicle for cover

and if your squad is not within a troop

carrier, it can still gain cover from it by

G Grunt activating after the vehicle and following

Terrain and Environment galaxy can kiss my ass

Table of Contents »» Squad Points 31 »» Playing Cards 60

»» Find3 »» Squad Attachment 32 »» Alternative Activation 61

»» The Core rules 4 »» SA Points 33 »» Shoot Sequence 62

»» Statistics5 »» Specialist34 »» Group Basing 63

»» Building an Army 6 »» Specialist Points 35 »» Continued64

»» Model Types 7 »» Tank Design 36 »» Questions and Answers 65

»» Squad Coherency 8 »» Tank Points 37 »» Turn Sequence 66

»» Overview of Profile Cards 9 »» Mecha38 »» Battle Schema 67

»» Actions each Activation 10 »» Mecha Points 39 »» Scenarios 68

»» Terrain and Environment 11 »» Commander40 »» Battle Schema 69

»» Movement in Terrain 12 »» Commander Points 41 »» Scenarios 70

»» Terrain Types Table 13 »» Support Vehicle 42 »» Battle Schema 71

»» Battlefield Leaders 14 »» Support Vehicle Points 43 »» Heliopause Setting 72

»» Condition Modifier Table 15 »» Air Support Vehicle 44 »» Heliopause Technology 73

»» Ranged Combat 16 »» Air Support Vehicle Points 45 »» Heliopause Technology 74

»» Concentrate Fire 17 »» Artillery46 »» Heliopause Government 75

»» Ranged Combat Detail 18 »» Artillery Points 47 »» Organisations76

»» Close Combat 19 »» Statistic Tables 48 »» Organisations Continued 77

»» Damage and Suppression 20 »» SPEC YOUR UNIT 49 »» Alien Races 78

»» Vehicle Overview 21 »» Specialist Weapons 50 »» Aliens Continued 79

»» Vehicles Arcs and Abilities 22 »» Vehicle Weapon Table 51 »» Organisations80

»» Vehicle Critical Damage 23 »» Esoteric Tek 52 »» Alien Hordes 81

»» Vehicles Arcs and Destruction 24 »» Esoteric Tek Table 53 »» Alien Races 82

»» Indirect Fire 25 »» Squad Special Abilities 54 »» Alien Races 83

»» Standard or Advanced Movement 26 »» Continued Perkz 55 »» Aliens Continued 84

»» RAMS, Vehicle Options 27 »» Special ABILITIES 56 »» Kruk85

»» Digital Warfare 28 »» Scenario Conditions 57 »» Amnian86

»» Damage and Destruction 29 »» Vehicle Boosts 58

»» Squad Design 30 »» Vehicle Crew 59