Dust Tactics Starter Rules 2014

Contents
A World in Dust: 1936-1947. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Allied Forces .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Axis Forces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sino-Soviet Union Forces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Introduction to Dust Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Unit Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Roll for Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Nothing Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Move and March Move Actions .. . . . . . . . . . . 19 Attack and Sustained Attack Actions . . . . . . 22 Close Combat Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Reactive Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Special Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Skills and Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Playing a Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Scenario 1: Encounter .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Scenario 2: Grab the Dust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Scenario 3: Bait and Flank .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Scenario 4: Supply Drop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Scenario 5: All-Out Attack .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Dust created by
World Map 1947
30
31
City
1. Japan invades China 1 2. Germany invades Poland 3. Paris 4. Operation Compass 5. Operation Barbarossa 6. Kharkov 7. Pearl Harbor 8. Moscow 9. Japan invades Australia & New Zealand 10. Tokyo
Key
Military Action
24. Operation Overlord 25. SSU Invades Madagascar 26. Philippines 27. Chongqing 28. Ceylon 29. Tibet 30. Soviet Controlled Alaskan Coast 31. Soviet Controlled Florida Coast 32. Libya 33. Operation Red Sea 34. Bangkok
Credits
Paolo Parente
Dust Tactics created by Olivier Zamfirescu Dust Art Direction Vincent Fontaine Development: Phil Yates, Andrew Haught & Battlefront Studio Graphic Design: Casey Davies
The miniatures depicted herein were designed and created by Dust Studio Ltd. Dust Tactics, Dust Studio Ltd, Dust Studio logo and Dust Tactics logo are trademarks of Dust Studio Ltd. All rights reserved. All photos, illustrations, characters, and text are copyright 2013 and are used with permission by Battlefront Miniatures Ltd. No portion hereof may be copied without the express permission of Dust Studio Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Battlefront Miniatures Ltd, and Dust Studio Ltd 2013.
11. Afrika Korps retakes Tobruk 12. El Alamein 13. Guadalcanal 14. Stalingrad 15. Kasserine Pass 16. Berlin 17. Kursk 18. Sicily 19. Rome 20. Leningrad 21. San Juan 22. Operation U-Go 23. Operation Ichi-Go
21
Allies
Axis
SSU
Neutral
The year is 1947. The war that started eleven years ago when Japan invaded China, and then escalated into a world war eight years ago when Germany invaded Poland, isnt over. As the conict grew longer, old alliances were broken and new ones were formed. The leading world powers are now aligned in three huge groups: the Allies, the Axis, and the Sino-Soviet Union (SSU). Other than the three great blocs, there are only a handful of countries still hanging on to relativeneutrality. Throughout the world, these three blocs are ghting to gain exclusive control over a new resource known to the Germans as Vril-Kultur and the rest of the world simply as VK. This ore has revealed extraordinary properties and brought forth the design of gigantic combat walkers, capable of challenging the worlds most advanced tanks. The discovery and rst military applications of VK were developed by Germany with everything concerning this ore shrouded in mystery. Rumours of alien visitors from another planet and secret weapons abound but who could take such rumours seriously after years of wartimepropaganda?
Product Code: D200M Designed in New Zealand, Printed in China
For more information about Dust Tactics visit us online at
www.Dust-Tactics.com
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20 2 24 3 16 19 15 32 18 11 4 12 5
17 14 1 29 27 34 28 10 22 23
26
13 25
The Allies
As more and more of the world falls into the grasp of dictators, the Allies have gathered around the United States of America. This great coalition of nations includes, among others, the British Commonwealth, Brazil, and the French colonial empire.
The Axis
To secure their survival against their powerful enemies, Germany, Japan, and Italy merged into a single political entity, the Axis. The rise of this totalitarian state was a direct result of a successful assassination of the Fhrer, Adolf Hitler, in 1943.
The Sino-Soviet Union (SSU)
The Soviet Union and communist China have combined into the powerful Sino-Soviet Union (SSU). As a world power, the Communist bloc intends to impose its way of life on all other nations.
A World In Dust: 1936-1947
Welcome soldiers. Im going to tell you why we fight, why this World War is in its tenth year, and why we must win it. Heres a run down on the most important events of the last decade. July
1936
An alien spaceship crashes in Antarctica. There is only one survivor, locked in a protective sarcophagus.
July
1937
Japanese forces begin the invasion of mainland China. World War II begins in Asia.
March
1938
German military forces discover the crashed spaceship in Queen Mauds Land in Antarctica. The alien sarcophagus is returned to Germany in a submarine.
April
The Blutkreuz Korps (Blood Cross Corps) is formed in Berlin under Baron Leopold Von Thaler. Its goal is to study and use alien technology.
September
1939
August
Germany invades Poland. Great Britain, France, Australia, and New Zealand declare war on Germany. World War II begins in Europe.
The Battle for Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands opens the American oensive in the Pacic.
March
1940
Blutkreuz Korps scientists manage to free the alien from his sarcophagus and wake him. He takes the name Kvasir. Research on military uses of VK accelerates.
The Battle of Stalingrad begins. Despite all odds, the Soviet army refuses to give in to the German assault and manages to hold a small strip of land on the western bank of the Volga River. From there they launch daily counterattacks that are repelled by the invaders.
October
June
Paris falls, and the rst Battle of Britain starts the following month.
September
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact. The foundation of Axis power is set.
December
British, Indian, and Australian forces launch Operation Compass to retake Egypt from the Italians, capturing Tobruk.
The Germans conduct combat testing of the new Panzer KampfLufer armoured combat walkers in the ruins of Stalingrad. These new vehicles prove invaluable in city ghting. Their mobility and repower exceed those of any tank available to the Red Army. With the aid of the walkers, German forces manage to slowly turn the tide in their favour, however, production is limited by the diculty of obtaining VK from Antarctica.
The Second Battle of El Alamein. Allied troops achieve their rst victory over the Afrika Korps.
November
The Germans invade the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa, advancing through Russia at high speed. Soviet troops suer major casualties. It appears that the USSR will only be saved by spilling the blood of its children.
October
The seemingly unstoppable German army captures the city of Kharkov in the First Battle of Kharkov.
December
The Japanese navy attacks Pearl Harbor. The United States enters the war. The Battle of Moscow. The German advance is stopped a few miles outside of Moscow. Soviet ski troops push back the German army, then General Winter comes into play. The dreaded Russian winter takes its toll on the invaders as the Germans literally freeze to death. Soviet troops, trained and equipped for cold weather, begin their own oensive to regain the territory lost to the German advance.
February
1942
Japanese forces attack Darwin, Australia. A Japanese submarine bombards the city of Santa Barbara, California. Mainland USA is proven vulnerable to attack.
April
Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle leads Americas rst air raid on Tokyo.
May
The Second Battle of Kharkov. Soviet armies fail to liberate the city.
June
The German Deutsches Afrika Korps retakes Tobruk from the British and pushes on towards the Suez Canal.
July
British, Indian, Australian, New Zealand, and South African troops halt the Afrika Korps in the First Battle ofEl Alamein.
June
1941
Operation Torch commences with the landing of Allied forces in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Operation Uranus. The Red Army launches a massive counterattack in an attempt to surround the Germans in the city of Stalingrad. Even with the massive armies it has assembled, the USSR cannot complete the encirclement of the city. German casualties are high, but Axis forces manage to hold on to Stalingrad thanks to their new walkers. From fortied positions, the Axis brand new Ludwig walkers devastate Soviet T-34 tanks. It is now clear to the German High Command that these new machines will change the balance of the war, restoring Germanys superiority.
February
1943
April
The US army suers its rst defeat at the hands of the German army in the Battle of Kasserine Pass in Tunisia.
The German Army nally takes Stalingrad, although the Red Army retains the eastern side of the Volga River. This victory leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of the invaders. They have lost more men in Stalingrad than in nearly all their other battles combined. The Axis will never fully recover from these losses.
Adolf Hitler organizes a victory parade in Berlin to celebrate his birthday and the fall of Stalingrad. During the parade, a sniper assassinates him. A few well-connected people link the killing to the Blutkreuz Korps, but the investigation into the matter is terminated. With Germany in chaos, German forces fall back on all fronts, as no one really knows who is in command.
Despite their defeat, the Soviets capture a brand new PzKpfL Luther along with the main repair workshop of the German Sixth Army, complete with mechanics and engineers. These prisoners will prove crucial in making the rst Soviet walker.
The Soviet Army nally takes back Kharkov in the Third Battle of Kharkov, only to lose it again with heavy losses. Once again the new German walkers prove decisive, as the Soviets have yet to develop eective countermeasures.
Smersh (an acronym for Smert Shpionam, Death to Spies) is ocially founded in Moscow. The Soviet Union now has a central military intelligence and counterintelligence agency. While it is suspected that this institution was founded in secret earlier, no one can conrm this, as the involved parties are now missing or dead, except for a few high-ranking Soviet ocials who refuse to comment. The newborn agencys assassins grow notorious for placing a Queen of Hearts card in the hands of their victims.
May
March
To make up for the huge number of casualties suered over the winter, the Blutkreuz Korps start testing a Wiederbelebungsserum (reanimation serum) on fallen German soldiers. In the aftermath of the Third Battle of Kharkov, the Soviet 2nd Guards Regiment become the rst troops to face zombies in combat. The eect on the terried Russian soldiers is dramatic. Even hardened veterans ee the battleeld. German troops also suer high casualties at the hands of the zombies, as they are not yet fully under control. While they remain uncomfortable with this new weapon, the German generals can not deny its eectiveness. The Blutkreuz Korps decides to restrict the use of zombies to its own operations. In the wake of these events, Stavka, the Soviet High Command, launches a multitude of new programs focusing on advanced research and military technology.
What remains of the Afrika Korps and the Italian army surrenders to the Allies in North Africa. The war there is over for now.
After a brief but bloody power struggle in Berlin, Grand Admiral Karl Dnitz takes control in Germany. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel takes command of the German Army. Nazis are arrested all over the Reich, and SS troops are disbanded or integrated into the Army.
June
The Axis Bloc is formed around Germany, with Admiral Dnitz appointed as Protector of the Axis. The ocial ag of the new bloc is the black Ritterkreuz (Knights Cross) on a red background.
July
The Battle of Kursk reveals that the new German walkers cant withstand the repower of the latest generation of Soviet tanks at short range. The sheer numbers of Soviet tanks and guns outweigh the deadly accuracy of the Axis weapons. German generals decide to reserve these powerful but potentially fragile vehicles for urban warfare or commando operations. Regular tanks will continue to be used for battles on open ground. Allied troops land in Sicily at the foot of the Italian Peninsula. This is the rst Allied invasion of an Axis
homeland. Within weeks they take control of the whole island.
August
Exploiting their success at Kursk, the Red Army opens the Fourth Battle of Kharkov. Their forces nally take back whats left of the city and manage to hold it. Despite the Axis defeat, the Soviets are unable to capitalize on their successes. The front stabilizes in a series of local attacks and counterattacks. A long period of static trench warfare begins.
September
Allied forces land in mainland Italy. The Italian government capitulates. Germany occupies Rome and takes control. Italy is now fully absorbed into the Axis.
October
November
Axis forces adopt a defensive stance along the Eastern Front, holding back repeated strong Soviet attacks with high casualties on both sides.
May
December
With a ceasere in the west, the entire might of the Axis armies turns eastward. When Stalin learns of the secret peace talks, he severs all ties with the Allies. Soviet leaders feel betrayed, and Stalin swears revenge against the traitorous Allies. All communication with the western powers ends.
Axis forces take the oensive in the Fifth Battle of Kharkov, taking control of half the city. The rst prototype Soviet walkers are encountered amongst the shattered ruins of the city. They are not as ecient as the German Ludwig, but the gap is closing steadily.
June
Peace talks between the Allies and the Axis come to an abrupt end. Neither party can reach agreement and all discussion is terminated when a chief German negotiator is found dead in his hotel room. Many observers still think that Smersh played a part in the alleged assassination. Hostilities between the Axis and Allies resume.
The Allied forces nally break through at Monte Cassino and break out from Anzio, capturing Rome, the only Axis capital to fall to date. Operation Overlord commences with the Allied D-Day landings in Normandy on the coast of France.
January
1944
American forces capture the island of Saipan in the Pacic, putting their bombers in range of Japan. Japan asks the Germans for military assistance. Germany sends walkers, along with German pilots and plans for their manufacture, via submarine.
The Battle for Monte Cassino begins as the Allies attempt to push up Italy to take Rome. Despite repeated attacks, this mountainous stronghold remains impregnable.
July
The Soviet winter oensive starts around Leningrad and Novgorod. After a few initial successes, the oensive breaks on the German defensive lines. The Red Army digs in.
In San Juan, Argentina, German scientists build a new VKenhanced bomb in a secret laboratory. During an accident, the bomb explodes, causing an earthquake that kills 10,000 people. This type of research is forever banned by the Axis.
During a bold amphibious operation, Soviet troops overwhelm the French and British garrison on Madagascar. Stalin has made good on his oath from the previous year, inicting his rst wave of vengeance upon a place where his troops were least expected, and seizing a base for expeditions to Antarctica in search of VK. The Soviet Union is now at war with the Allies.
Japan starts the Steel Samurai program to develop its own Allied forces land in Anzio, near Rome. Unable to breakout, war walkers. the Allied beachhead is attacked day and night for four Allied troops break out of Normandy and liberate Paris months, as Allied soldiers ght with German walkers in before liberating most of France. close combat.
August
Secret talks between the Axis and the Allies to negotiate a separate peace on the Western Front begin.
March
The Japanese attack into British-controlled India in Operation U-Go, but are halted at Imphal and Kohima. Their parallel Operation Ichi-Go in China is more successful, expanding their gains in southern China.
September
With large shipments of walkers to Japan, the catastrophic Axis losses in Normandy cannot easily be replaced, allowing the Allied forces to reach the German border after the success of Operation Market Garden. The fall of Germany by Christmas looks certain.
January
1945
October
The Second Battle for France begins as the resurgent German Army starts pushing the Allies back. During a covert operation, ASOCOMs Captain Joe Brown captures VK technology from the Axis.
American forces land in the Philippines after a naval battle in Leyte Gulf. Initial successes are reversed by the new Japanese walkers.
Japan captures Chongqing, the Nationalist Chinese capital. The communists now form the main opposition in China. Japanese troops invade Ceylon, o the coast of India, with the assistance of German walkers. The island falls quickly.
December
A powerful German oensive in the Ardennes catches the Allies by surprise. Allied forces are slowly pushed back intoFrance.
March
The rst Allied base is built in Antarctica. American and British scientists quickly nd VK ore, and research into new technologies begins apace.
July
From Ceylon, Japanese forces threaten the supply lines of all Allied armies in Southeast Asia. The United States decides to use a VK-enhanced nuclear bomb on the island before landing its assault force. The result is beyond imagination. The earth cracks open, and the ocean swallows 90% of the island. The Allies ban the use of nuclear weapons.
August
In the face of this terrifying new weapon, Japan unites with the Axis. Emperor Hirohito is reduced to a symbolic role as the real power resides with Protector Dnitz. The Sixth Battle of Kharkov begins. The Axis takes what is left of the city. After six brutal battles, however, viewing the wreckage as a city takes quite a bit of imagination. Not a single building is left standing.
September
Fighting in France is erce as Allied forces are slowly pushed back to their supply bases in Normandy.
October
Japanese forces land in Australia and New Zealand.
November
The USSR and communist China join forces, forming the Sino-Soviet Union. The pressure from the Axis in the east and west, and from the Allies in the south, force the union of two great military leaders: Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong. For the latter, the alliance is also motivated by a desperate need for help to win the civil war in China.
July
In a single night, SSU forces land in both Alaska and Florida in Operation Red Sun, taking control of a large part of the Alaskan coast. In Florida, the Allies react more quickly and the Soviet advance is stopped by the US Marine Corps in the Everglades.
August
As their situation deteriorates everywhere, the Allies form a united government. The third bloc is born.
Allied forces launch a massive assault on the Axis Antarctic VK ore supplies with Operation Highjump.
September
A new Neu Afrika Korps (NDAK) lands in Libya and the Gulf of Guinea. The war in Africa begins again.
December
Axis forces invade Nepal and Tibet. Their opponents are surprised by this turn of events.
October
For the rst time in years, there is no Soviet winter oensive. If either side attacks on the heavily-fortied eastern front, it will be costly. However, the SSU has other goals.
SSU forces land on the east coast of Iceland, which is poorly defended by both the Allies and the Axis, in Operation Red Sea. The Allies and Axis have been locked in a long stando on this front. The addition of a third combatant does little to change the situation. The NNO (Neutral Nations Organization) is created in Bangkok, Siam.
March
Smersh organizes a series of Marxist revolutions in South America. As soon as the regimes change, SSU troops arrive, followed by scientists tasked with nding new sources of VK ore to replace the dwindling supply in Siberia.
January
1947
May
The Allied Army evacuates to Great Britain in a second Dunkirk after losing the Second Battle of France.
In the Seventh Battle of Kharkov, the SSU retakes the city, but halts its oensive thereafter. SSU infantry squads use massed ame-throwers to deal with the Axis zombie threat.
The Axis launches a massive oensive on all fronts on all continents. For the rst time in years, the SSU must face an Axis winter oensive. Lines are broken in several places on the eastern front, near Leningrad in the north and around Zverograd in the south. The SSU reacts quickly, but the Axis show a renewed strength unseen since the early days of Barbarossa.
Well soldier, thats history. The future is up to you. Now get out there and win this war!
1946
December
Allied Forces
The Western Powers form the greatest political and military alliance the world has ever known. They have the largest army, eet, and air force on the planet, more than the Axis and SSU blocs combined. The industrial might of Detroit, the powerhouse of Allied military might, has been joined by Montreal as Canada becomes the production centre of the old British Commonwealth. These, and hundreds of factories as far aeld as Australia and India, churn out weapons at an incredible rate. Florida and the jungles of Burma and Borneo, and in the mountains of the Andes. No place has escaped the devastation this war has spread across the globe.
The Allies are in a dire situation as 1947 begins. Their citizens are tired of this endless war, though they work day and night to win it. Their soldiers are also tired, but they know they are supported by hundreds of millions that count on them to protect their way of life and their freedoms. Every eort is being made to end this war, Despite this, Allied resources are stretched to the limit by but the Allies will accept nothing less than unconditional ghting on too many fronts. Allied forces are ghting in the surrender from the dictatorships that threaten democracy. frigid wastes of Antarctica and on the coast of Alaska, in the deserts of North Africa and Australia, in the swamps of
Allied Taskforce Joe assaults an SSU defensive position near Zverograd
ASOCOM: Allied Special Operations Command
One of the most powerful assets the Allies possess is ASOCOM, Allied Special Operations Command. This secret organization protects the citizens and soldiers of all Allied nations against threats the likes of which have never before been faced in the history of mankind. Its goal is very clear: the war doesnt just need to end now it needs to be won. And that is what ASOCOM plans to do. ASOCOM was born even before the Allies decided to join their fates, when the United States and the United Kingdom combined the American Oce of Strategic Studies (OSS) and the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). Since its creation, ASOCOM has been joined by all of the main Allied powers: the US and UK as the founders, along with France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Mexico. These eight nations form the foundation of the Allied bloc and are its most powerful members. ASOCOM claimed an octagon as its symbol, with each side representing one of the eight members. This symbol inspired the architecture for the newly constructed Allied military headquarters in Kansas, which is known simply as the Octagon.
SHOWN AT
Allied Forces
Crew: Weight: Length: Width: Height:
2 (gunner/loader, pilot) Weapons: OQF 17 pdr gun 20.65 tonnes .50 cal AA MG 6.30m (20 8) .30 cal MG 2.16m (7 1) Armour: 50mm 4.95m (16 3) Speed: 32 km/h (20 mph) Range: 300 km (188 miles)
POUNDER
Axis Forces
When the Axis Pact was signed in 1940, no one could have predicted where it would lead. Now, Hitler and Mussolini are dead. Germany, Japan, and Italy are united under a single leader and a single ag, and the Axis bloc controls Europe and the Far East. Its soldiers ght to end the twin threats of international communism and capitalist exploitation of the people.
Only a strong leader like Protector Dnitz can bring victory and peace, a peace that will last a thousand years. That is worth ghting for, The Axis bloc controls less land area than the and if necessary, dying for. What most Axis soldiers Allies and SSU, but its military might is indisputable. do not know, is that the Vril may return soon. And Germanys discovery of Vril Kultur put it far ahead of the when they do, only the unied might of the entire planet rest of the world in matters of advanced technology and its will save humanity. applications, from super apes to reanimatedzombies.
Axis Kampfgruppe Stefan repels an Allied attack east of Zverograd
10
LUDWIG
As 1947 starts, the Axis has launched the greatest military oensive the world has ever witnessed, attacking all of its enemies, on all fronts across the planet. The Axis is running out of time. It must unify the planet, or die trying.
The Blutkreuz Korps
In the battle for world domination the Axis has an outstanding asset, the mighty Blutkreuz Korps, the Blood Cross Corps. This powerful organization possesses the secrets learned from the Vril, Kvasir, giving the Axis an immense advantage in understanding the applications of VK. The knowledge possessed by the Blutkreuz Korps drives them to end this war right now as winners, of course because they, more than anyone else on the planet, even the leaders of the Axis, know what comes next.
SHOWN AT
In all the world, there is no organization as secret as the Blutkreuz Korps. Few people know of its existence, even within the Axis ranks, yet the Korps discoveries and experiences aect the lives of millions. You could say that the Korps has changed the entire world. And it doesnt want to stop there
1 (pilot) 28.35 tonnes 5.62m (18 5) 3.84m (12 7) 4.73m (15 6)
Weapons: 8.8cm FpK Zwilling MG 44 AA MG Armour: 60 Speed: 25 km/h (15 mph) Range: 260 km (160 miles)
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Axis Forces
Sino-Soviet Union (SSU) Forces

The Sino-Soviet Union was forged by war and baptised in the blood of the workers and peasants who died by the million to free their brothers from the chains of capitalist enslavement. No other bloc has endured as much punishment, suered as many casualties, nor lost as much of their homeland and resources. world. The workers strive ceaselessly to build new factories, manufacturing new war machines that have already left a searing mark on the face of the war. Their progressive designs remain on the cutting edge of modern combat technology.
Despite this, the SSU is now stronger than ever, combining the peoples of Russia, China, Asia, Africa, and South America in an unstoppable force that will liberate the
But now its 1947, and with this new year comes a new dawn. This is the year that the SSU will defeat the reactionary forces of the Axis and Allies alike. A red tide will engulf the whole world, bringing freedom and ending tyranny forever.
SSU Battlegroup Koshka clashes with Axis forces in the outskirts of Kharkov
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SHOWN AT
Smersh
The creation of Smersh (an acronym for Smert Shpionam, Death to Spies) gave the Soviet Union the means to match the Axis Blutkreuz Korps both in the eld and in the laboratory. Smersh agents have recovered the latest Axis (and more recently Allied) technology from the battleeld, and gathered intelligence allowing the Red Army to overrun workshops, maintenance facilities, and supply bases containing even greater technical secrets. Perhaps more importantly, Smersh agents were responsible for the revolutions in South America that gave the SSU its vital hold on the VK mines of the high Andes. The involvement of Smersh in many more shadowy operations is also rumoured. Its assassins are rightly feared by reactionary elements throughout the world. The time has come for the peoples revolution to spread throughout the world, and Smersh is ready to lead the workers and peasants to victory.
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Sino-Soviet Union (SSU) Forces
1 (pilot) 16.15 tonnes 2.28m (7 6) 3.36m (12) 3.75m (12 4)
GRANDMA
Weapons: VK-916 45mm howitzer Sulphur Thrower Armour: 40mm + 15mm Speed: 27 km/h (17 mph) Range: 400 km (250 miles)
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Introduction to Dust Tactics

World War Two just got a whole lot more dangerous! With the proliferation of combat walkers and VK-powered weapons systems like lasers, heavy body armour, and rocketpowered jump packs, it takes a superb commander to win victories while keeping their troops alive. Dust Tactics gives you the chance to lead soldiers and walkers into battle. Can you make the most of your troops abilities and weapons to defeat the enemy? Can you lead your troops to victory? Are you ready for Dust Tactics? Grab an opponent, marshal your troops, and nd out!
Playing Dust Tactics

A game of Dust Tactics simulates an entire battle, from the rst shot red until one side wins.
Starting the Game
Before starting a game, players must choose a scenario to play and set up the game board according to the scenarios instructions. New players should use the Encounter scenario (see page 38). The players then choose their forces. New players should use the forces in the starter boxed sets.
Dust uses dice to determine whether your troops succeed in things like shooting the enemy, taking cover, and helping a wounded comrade. Each die has two sides showing an army symbol ( for the Allies, for the Axis, for the SSU), two sides showing a target symbol, and two sides showing a shield symbol. Most of the time, when you need to check something, you will be asked to roll a number of dice and count those dice showing the army symbol. The total number of successes indicates how well your troops performed thetask.
Dust Dice
Game Board
The Dust Tactics game board is divided into squares.
Most units occupy one square with all of the units miniatures placed in that square.
Playing the Game
Classic Dust Dice
The game is played over a number of turns. In each turn, the players follow these steps: 2. The rst player activates one of their units.
1. Roll for initiative to determine which player goes rst. 3. The second player then activates one of their units.
The original Dust Tactics game used dice that had two sides showing and four sides showing . If you are using these dice, any time that the rules require you to roll your army symbol, count the target symbol as successes. When the rules count both the army symbol and another symbol as a success, count as successes.
4. The players continue to alternate activating their units until all units have been activated.
Ending the Game
The game ends at the end of a turn when:
All of one players units on the board are destroyed, The scenario reaches its turn limit.
One of the players achieves their scenario objective, or
At this point players work out who won (see page 37).
Diagram key
All of the diagrams in this book have been designed to easily illustrate how the Dust Tactics rules work. The most common elements in the diagrams are shownhere.
ALLIED UNIT
AXIS UNIT
SSU UNIT
BUILDING
TREE SQUARE
MOVEMENT
SHOOTING
SPRAY WEAPON
CASUALTY
15
Playing Dust Tactics
Large Vehicles and Large Aircraft occupy two squares, while Huge Vehicles occupy four squares. In many cases a vehicles legs, weapons, and other equipment will overhang the edges of the squares that it occupies. Ignore these when determining which squares it occupies.
Sometimes, for easier tasks, you will be asked to count the number of target symbols (when you are trying to hit something) or the number of shield symbols (when you are trying to save something) as well, making you twice as likely to succeed.
Unit Cards
Unit cards play a fundamental role in Dust Tactics. This section explains the layout of both sides of a typical unit card, and what the dierent statistics and information mean.
Unit Name and Description
This is the units name and a short description or ocial designation.
Special Rules
Bloc Symbol
The units special rules are listed here. The back of the unit card has a short explanation of the rule. Some rules can only be used once or twice in a game. These have a tick box to mark them o as they are used. See pages 35 and 36.
This symbol tells which bloc the unit belongs to.
Allies Axis SSU
Type Symbol

This symbol tells what type of troops the unit is made of. Vehicle units (walkers and tanks), Aircraft units.
Infantry units (squads, support weapons, and heroes),
Move Rating
This shows the movement rating of the unit, that is, how many squares it can move in an action. See page 19.
Armour Rating
This shows the armour rating of the unit. When the enemy attacks this unit, they cross reference the type of unit and its armour rating with their weapon to see how many dice to roll. See page 27.
Damage Capacity
Weapon Description
This shows the name of a weapon and the number of that weapon carried by the unit. Each weapon has a code letter that appears beside the weapon on the picture on the back of the card. Some weapons have a limited supply of ammunition, so have tick boxes to mark when they have been used. See page 35.
This shows how many hits the unit can take before being destroyed. This is either the number of miniatures in an infantry squad or support weapon, or the toughness of a hero, vehicle, or aircraft. See page 30.
Weapons Chart
This shows the weapons carried by the unit and their eects. The top row shows the various armour ratings, and each weapon row shows its range and its eectiveness against each type of target. See page 27.
Vehicle and Aircraft Size
This only appears on large and huge vehicles and aircraft. It indicates vehicles that occupy two or four squares respectively. See page 19.
Damage Track
This only appears on support weapons, heroes, and vehicles. The damage track has a tick box for each hit the unit can take before it is destroyed. Mark these o as the vehicle is hit. See page 30.
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Unit Picture
This shows the unit. Use this to identify your miniatures and which unit they belong to. The units weapons are marked with code letters corresponding to weapons shown on the front of the unit card.
Army Points Value
This shows the relative value of the unit. When building a force you will be given an army points total to spend. See page 37.
Bloc Symbol
This symbol tells which bloc the unit belongs to. Allies Axis SSU
Unit Name and Description
This is the units name and a short description or ocial designation.
Special Rules
Marking Cards
Many units can take multiple hits before being destroyed and some units limit the amount of ammunition you have or the number of times you can use special rules. The card has tick boxes for recording damage received, ammunition expended, and special rules used.
Armour Ratings
The various armour types are as follows:
Infantry

Vehicles
1: Unarmoured soldiers whose only protection is a helmet. 2: Soldiers who wear light body armour. 3: Heavily-armoured soldiers. 4: Soldiers wearing extremely heavy armour.
Dust Tactics cards are coated with a special varnish that allows them to be used with a dry-erase marker. Alternatively you can slip the card into a card protector. Simply tick the boxes o with a dry-erase marker, then when the battle is over, you can simply wipe o the tick marks, ready for the next battle.
Aircraft
1: Vehicles with no armour, such as jeeps or military trucks. 2: Bulletproof vehicles capable of stopping rie re, but not much more. 3: Light tanks and walkers that are fast and agile. 4: Vehicles with medium armour, similar to most tanks of the 1940s. 5: Heavy tanks and walkers. 6: Very heavy tanks and walkers. 7: Mobile fortresses that benet from the heaviest armour ever made. 1: Flying soldiers and slow helicopters or aircraft. 2: Ground-attack aircraft. 3: Heavily-armoured aircraft.
17
Unit Cards
This gives a short explanation of each of the units special rules. See page 35 and 36.
Unit Code
This code uniquely identies the unit. Use it when purchasing the miniatures, or searching for them online.
Roll for Initiative

At the beginning of each turn, each side rolls three dice. The side that rolls the most symbols wins the initiative and chooses which player goes rst. In case of a tie, the player with the most symbols wins the initiative. If it is still a tie, both players re-roll all of their dice.
Activating a Unit
Passing
If a player has fewer units (including Heroes that have joined other units) that have yet to activate than their opponent, they may elect to pass rather than activate a unit.
Activation
The player chosen to go rst must select one of their units to activate (or pass if they are able). An activated unit performs two actions. Once a unit has performed all of its actions, it cannot perform any more actions until the nextturn. After the rst player has activated their rst unit, the other player activates one of their units. Turn the unit card sideways or place a token on it to indicate that the unit has been activated.
An activated unit may perform up to two actions per round. When activating a unit, a player must declare all of that units intended actions, including any special actions, skills, or special weapons that they want to use before performing any actions. The actions a unit can perform are: Nothing (page 19) Move (page 19) March Move (uses two actions) (page 19) Attack (page 22) Sustained Attack (uses two actions) (page 27) Special A unit can perform any combination of actions except two Move actions or two Attack actions. A unit must take a March Move action instead of two Move actions, or a Sustained Attack action instead of two Attack actions. After activating a unit, rotate the unit card sideways or place a token on it to indicate the unit has already been activated.
Players alternate activating their units until all units have been activated. If a player has activated all of their units and the other player still has units to activate, the other player continues activating their units until all of them have been activated. Once all units have been activated, the turn is over, both players turn their cards back, and a new turn begins with another initiative roll.
No More Than Three Actions
Some special actions and skills (see page 36) allow units to take three actions instead of two. These eects are not cumulative, so a unit can never perform more than three actions during an activation.
Activations
The Axis player has the Recon Grenadiers and a Ludwig. The Allied player has the Bot Hunters, Grim Reapers, and a Pounder. The Allied player wins the initiative and makes the Axis player go rst. the Recon Grenadiers, moving them into the tree and attacking the Bot Hunters.
RECON GRENADIERS Move & Attack
2
GRIM REAPERS Sustained Attack
1 The Axis player activates
6
POUNDER Move & Attack
activates the Grim Reapers and performs a sustained attack on the Recon Grenadiers.
2 The Allied player then
Axis Player Passes
BOT HUNTERS Move & Nothing
3 The Axis player doesnt want to activate the Ludwig at this point. They have only one unit left to activate, while the Allied player has two, so they have the option to pass and choose to do so.
LUDWIG Move & Attack
4 The Allied player would like to wait until the Ludwig activates, but has more units left than the Axis player, so cannot pass. They move the Bot Hunters into the tree, ready for the next turn.
5 The Axis player must now activate the Ludwig. They can either move out and shoot the Bot Hunters, giving the Pounders a target, or perform Nothing actions and stay safe. They elect to move and shoot the Bot Hunters. 6 The Allied player activates the Pounder, moving it and attacking the Ludwig, ending the turn.
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Nothing Actions
The activated unit can choose to spend its action by doing nothing.
Move and March Move Actions Roll for InitiativeNothing ActionsMove ActionsMarch Move Actions
A units Move rating indicates the number of squares that unit can move in each Move action. Units may move fewer squares than their maximum movement.
Moving Large Vehicles and Aircraft
The direction that a unit faces does not matter, so a Vehicle may move forwards, backwards, or sideways, and end their move facing in any direction. Diagonal movement is also allowed. A units rst diagonal move in its activation counts as one square. Each additional square moved diagonally counts as two squares of movement. If a unit doesnt have two squares of movement remaining, it cannot make an additional diagonal move.
Large Vehicles and Large Aircraft occupy two squares. If a large model moves sideways, the other half of the model moves into the adjacent square previously occupied by the model. If it moves diagonally, the other half of the model moves forward (or backward as appropriate) into one of the intervening squares.
March Move Actions
A unit making a March Move action doubles its Move rating for the activation.
2
IS-48
Moving Large Vehicles Sideways
1
POUNDER
An IS-48 has a Move rating of 1. It moves sideways around the corner of the building, ending with the rear of the vehicle in the square where the front started.
3
Move Actions
A Pounder has a Move rating of 1. The white squares show where it can move if it decides to perform a Move action. The green squares show where it can move if it decides to perform a March Move action.
IS-48
Moving Large Vehicles Diagonally
The IS-48 then moves diagonally backwards. It can either end its move facing the same way, or it can turn as it reverses.
19
Moving Huge Vehicles
Huge Vehicles occupy four squares. When a Huge Vehicle moves, pick one corner of the Vehicle and move that corner one square as usual. The Vehicle can rotate within the four squares it occupies either before or after moving.
The Punisher moves one square diagonally
Fast Units
A unit with the Fast special rule (sometimes called the Agile special rule) may move one additional square when it performs a Move or March Move action.
FAKYELI
Then the Punisherrotates

PUNISHER
Fast Units
The Fakyeli have the Fast special rule, so when they take a Move action, they move two squares instead of one. If they performed a March Move action, they would have moved three squares instead of two.
Move Huge Vehicles
Moving Through Terrain

Open Squares
The Punisher moves one square diagonally, then rotates.
In Dust Tactics, there are six types of terrain. Any unit can enter open squares and any type of obstacle can occupy these squares.
Aircraft Must Move
Aircraft must take a Move or March Move action as their rst action in each activation, unless they have the hover special rule. As a result, most Aircraft cannot perform Sustained Attack actions.
Tree Squares
Moving Through Other Units
Tree squares represent a large tree or a cluster of smaller trees. Units can move freely onto and through tree squares. Trees block Line of Sight to targets beyond them.
Infantry and Vehicle units cannot enter or pass through a square occupied by an enemy Infantry or Vehicle unit, but can enter a square occupied by an enemy Aircraft unit. Aircraft units cannot enter a square occupied by an enemy Aircraft unit. A Vehicle unit cannot pass through a friendly Vehicle unit, but other than that, any unit may pass through a friendly unit, but it cannot end its move in the same square as another friendly unit.
Rubble Squares
Rubble squares represent piles of rubble. Wheeled and Tracked Vehicle units cannot enter a rubble square. Other units (including Infantry and Walker Vehicle units) can move freely onto and through a rubble square.
Swamp Squares
Swamp squares represent shallow water, like swamps or mangroves. Vehicle units cannot enter a swamp square. Other units can move freely onto and through a swamp square
Water Squares
Water squares represent deep water. Units cannot enter a water square.
Structure Squares
Structure squares represent built structures like grain silos, fuel tanks, and other large man-made terrain. Units cannot enter a structure square.
Structures also block Line of Sight to targets beyond them.
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HEAVY LASER GRENADIERS
BOT HUNTERS
LUDWIG
Infantry Moving Through Buildings
The Heavy Laser Grenadiers cannot move through the walls except through openings. They can move out through the opening in front of them, along the building, or out through the opening diagonally behind them.
Infantry Moving Around Corners
Ammo Crates
Being infantry, the Bot Hunters can move sideways or diagonally across the corners towards the left. Units cannot move diagonally across the corner between two squares they cannot enter, so they cannot squeeze between the Ludwig and thebuilding.
Any unit can enter a square with an ammo crate. Upon entering the square, Vehicles can choose to crush the crate, removing it from the game.
Anti-tank Traps
Walls and Buildings
Units cannot cross a wall, whether part of a building or separate, but may move through appropriate openings. Small openings are less than the full width of a square. Large openings are the full width of a square. Huge openings are two or more squares wide. Infantry units may move through openings of any size. Vehicle units require large openings. Huge Vehicle units need a huge opening to move through. Walls and buildings also block Line of Sight to targets beyond them.
LUDWIG
Vehicles Moving Through Buildings
As a vehicle, the Ludwig requires a large opening to move through a wall.
Moving Around Corners
An Infantry unit can move diagonally across a corner around a square occupied by an enemy unit or containing terrain they cannot enter, but cannot move diagonally between two suchsquares.
A Vehicle cannot move diagonally across a corner around a square occupied by an enemy unit or containing terrain it cannotenter.
Aircraft Move Over Terrain
Aircraft y over the battleeld, so can move across any terrain. Aircraft can never enter terrain or buildings and are placed above them rather than in them.
GRANDMA
Vehicles Moving Around Corners
Grandma cannot move diagonally across the corner. Instead, it must take a March Move Action to move through the intermediate square by going straight ahead, then turning right.
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Move Actions
Vehicles cannot enter a square with an anti-tank trap. Other units can move freely onto and through squares with anti-tank traps.
Attack and Sustained Attack Actions

To perform an attack, follow these steps in order:
1) Check Field of Fire
1 Check Field of Fire (page 22) 2 Check Range (page 23) 3 Check Line of Sight (page 24) 4 Declare Targets (page 26) 5 Roll To Hit (page 27) 6 Roll Saves (page 29) 7 Suffer Damage (page 30)
Check Field of Fire
Infantry soldiers and Heroes can attack in any direction.
A Support Weapon can only attack targets up to 45 degrees on either side of the direction it is facing.
Most Vehicle weapons can only attack targets up to 45degrees on either side of the direction the Vehicle is facing. Turret-mounted, hatch-mounted, and pedestal-mounted weapons can attack targets in any direction. Remember, units can end their movement facing in any direction, so when you move units that have a limited Field of Fire, point them at their intended target. If they arent pointing at the target when they want to shoot, they will need to take a Move action to change direction rst.
The Pounder has a turret, so can shoot its 17 pdr gun in any direction. Despite facing in the wrong direction, it can make a Sustained Attack action against the Ludwig.
The Ludwig survives, but can only attack targets in its front arc with its twin 8.8cm FpK Zwilling guns (although it can attack targets in any direction with its hatchmounted MG 44). As the Pounder is out of its eld of re, it needs to take a Move action to bring it into its eld of re, before it can take an Attack action.
Ludwig can Shoot into the White Squares with its Twin 8.8cm FpK Zwilling guns
POUNDER
LUDWIG
Weapons Chart
Range
Each weapon has a line in the weapons chart describing its performance and eectiveness. This shows the maximum range in squares that the weapon can shoot.
Combat Dice and Damage
Each entry in the weapons chart shows the number of dice it rolls to hit (the number before the slash) against dierent unit types, and how much damage it inicts with each hit (the number after the slash).
Number of Dice
The Pounder has a Vehicle Armour rating of 4. When the Ludwig shoots at it, the Axis player looks up the Vehicle 4 column on their Weapons Chart to see how eective their re will be. Looking at the chart we see that the Ludwig gets 7 combat dice against the Pounder and each hit will cause 1 damage.
22
2) Check Range
Range is measured in squares. A weapon can only attack a target that is within its Range. Look up the Range for each weapon on the Weapons Chart of the unit card.
Range can also be measured diagonally, with the rst diagonal counting as one square, and any additional diagonals counting as two squares.
Check Range
7 6 5 4 4
6 5 4 3 3
5
BOT HUNTERS
4 3 2 1 1 3 2
4 3
5 4 3
4 3 2 2
POUNDER
1
RECON GRENADIERS
1 1
2 2
The Recon Grenadiers would like to target the Bot Hunters and the Pounder. The Recon Grenadiers have two Panzerfausts with a Range of2. These can reach the squares marked in white, so can attack the Pounder, but not the Bot Hunters. They also have four StG 47 and an MG48 with a Range of 4. These can reach the squares marked in green, so they can attack the Pounder and the Bot Hunters.
Some weapons can hit a target from a great distance far greater than the scale of Dust Tactics. These weapons are identied as Range U (for their virtually unlimited range). Range U weapons have the range to target any unit on the battleeld.
Close Range (C)
Minimum Range (##)
Mortars and other low-velocity artillery lob their shells high into the air, the huge shells arcing down to blast the target with a massive explosion rather than attempting to score a direct hit. They cant bring their re down too close as they risk accidentally hitting themselves.
Close-Combat (or hand-to-hand) weapons can only be used against targets in an adjacent square, and are identied as Range C. Other types of weapons are referred to as Ranged Weapons. The rules for Close-Combat Weapons are on page31.
Artillery Range (A)
Some classic cards show a Range of A. These have a Range of 2-U and the Artillery special rule.
Minimum Range
Lothar can Shoot into the White Squares as its Nebelwerfer 42 rocket launcher has a Minimum Range of 2 Squares
The Lothars Nebelwerfer 42 rocket launcher has a Range of 2-U. This gives them a minimum range of 2 squares, but allows them to reach any target on the battleeld beyond that. It can attack targets in the white squares, but not the red squares.
LOTHAR
Some vehicles, like the Allied Steel Rain and the SSU Vladimir Lenin have turret mounted weapons with Range 2-U. They can attack targets anywhere on the table, except those in adjacent squares.
23
Attack Actions
Unlimited Range (U)
These weapons have their Range given as a minimum range and a maximum range separated by a dash.
LUDWIG
RECON GRENADIERS
POUNDER
The Pounder does not have Line of Sight to any of the red squares
Check Line of Sight
The Pounder can target the Heavy Laser Grenadiers because it can trace an uninterrupted line between its square and the Heavy Laser Grenadiers square.
The Pounder can also target the Recon Grenadiers (although there are fewer possible lines between them), but cannot target the Ludwig because a tree blocks the line of sight.
3) Check Line of Sight
Line of Sight Through Units
A weapon can only attack a target that is within its Line of Sight. To establish Line of Sight, a player must trace an imaginary line from any point in the attacking units square to any point in the target units square. If every imaginary line traced from the attackers square to the targets square passes through or touches blocking squares, then the Line of Sight is blocked.
A square containing an Infantry unit does not block Line of Sight, but a square containing a Vehicle unit (whether friendly or enemy) does block Line ofSight.
Line of Sight to Aircraft
If I Can See You, You Can See Me
No matter the situation, if an enemy unit has Line of Sight to a friendly unit, that friendly unit has Line of Sight back to that enemy unit. In other words, a unit always has a Line of Sight to any enemy unit that shoots at it.
An Aircraft can see and be seen from anywhere on the game board, except that an Aircraft cannot see or be seen from a unit immediately behind terrain that would block Line of Sight to a Vehicle unit, and cannot see or be seen from a unit in a building unless the unit can be seen through or is looking through an opening on the edge of itssquare.
Line of Sight Through Units

The Grim Reapers and The Gunners can attack the Fakyeli and Matrioshka because infantry units like The Gunners and Fakyeli do not block line of sight.
They cannot attack Red Thunder or the IS-48 because Matrioshka, being a vehicle, blocks their line of sight.
GRIM REAPERS
The Gunners
FAKYELI
24
Line of Sight Through Terrain

LUDWIG
The Ludwig has a line of sight to the Bot Hunters since it can draw a line from its square to their square that does not cross blocking terrain.
BAZOOKA JOE GRIM REAPERS
The Ludwig cannot see the Grim Reapers as the trees stop them from drawing a line of sight from any part of its square to any part of the Grim Reapers square. The Ludwig can see Bazooka Joe because he is in the trees rather than behind them.
BOT HUNTERS
Line of Sight Through Terrain

Tree squares block Line of Sight to units on the far side, but units in the terrain can be seen as normal.
A unit outside a building can only attack a unit inside the building if the target unit is adjacent to the opening the unit is attackingthrough. Other terrain does not block Line of Sight.
Structures, walls, and buildings block Line of Sight, except through openings. A unit inside a building can only attack a unit outside the building if the attacking unit is adjacent to the opening that it is attacking through.
Line of Sight Through Smoke
Squares containing smoke block Line of Sight to units on the far side, but units in the smoke can be seen as normal.
RECON GRENADIERS
Line of Sight Through Openings
The Heavy Laser Grenadiers can attack the Bot Hunters who are adjacent to the opening, but cannot attack the Grim Reapers who are further inside the building. The Recon Grenadiers inside the building can attack both Allied units.
BOT HUNTERS
GRIM REAPERS
MATRIOSHKA
RED THUNDER
IS-48
25
Attack Actions
4) Declare Targets
Weapons with Two Lines
After checking the Range and Line of Sight to potential targets, a player must declare each weapons target. In addition, they must declare any skills that they will use. A unit may elect not to use some of its weapons or skills.
When performing attacks, they are all considered simultaneous. If a player declares a unit is ring all its weapons against the same target but destroys it with the rst weapon, the other weapons are still used in the attack. If a player declares that a unit is using a Limited-Ammo Weapon (such as a Panzerfaust), they use that ammo, even if the other weapons destroy the target unit rst. Players should carefully consider what targets to declare with which weapons to avoid wasting resources.
Some weapons have two modes of shooting shown by two sets of weapon characteristics under the weapon description. Each time such a weapon makes an attack, the player must announce which set of characteristics they will use for the attack.
Units with Multiple Weapons
A player can choose a dierent target for each weapon that the attacking unit can use. So, a Vehicle with multiple weapons or an Infantry unit with multiple soldiers can attack multiple targets, or combine all of its weapons against a single target, or a combination of splitting and combining as the player sees t.
Soldiers with Several Weapons
Each surviving soldier in an Infantry Squad can only use one Ranged Weapon and one Close-Combat Weapon (see page31) in each Attack action. If they have several Ranged Weapons available to them, they must choose which one they will use for each Attack action.
LUDWIG
BAZOOKA JOE
Support weapon units (ones that mount multiple miniatures on the same base) use a two-man team to re the support weapon. Only the third or fourth soldiers of the unit can re other weapons if the support weapon res. Each time a player attacks with a Support Weapon, they must choose which weapons the crew are using. The player may choose dierent combinations of weapons for eachattack. Heroes, being heroic, can use all of their weapons at the same time.
RECON GRENADIERS
POUNDER
Units with Multiple Weapons
Vehicle Crews
At close-quarters, the crews of open-topped vehicles can ght with their personal weapons rather than ring the vehicles weapons.
Each soldier can only re one weapon when they attack, so two of the Recon Grenadiers elect to re their Panzerfaust antitank weapons at the Pounder, while the rest re their StG 47 assault ries and the MG48 machine-gun at Bazooka Joe.
When a Vehicle with Crew attacks, it may choose to attack with the Vehicle weapons or the Crews weapons. If it chooses to attack with the Crews weapons, it may re one weapon for each damage point the Vehicle has remaining.
Bazooka Joe survives and activates, attacking the Recon grenadiers in return. As a hero, he can use both his M7 grenade launcher and his .45 ACP pistol at the same time. When the Pounder (which also survived) activates later in the turn, it shoots all of its machine-guns at the Recon Grenadiers, while shooting its 17 pdr gun at the Ludwig.
Vehicle Crews
Red Rain has a 200mm heavy mortar and three crew armed with PPSh-48 submachine-guns. The Recon Grenadiers are too close to hit with the 200mm heavy mortar, so it attacks with the crews submachine-guns instead. As it has already taken a point of damage and only has two points left, it can only re two PPSh-48 submachine-guns at the Recon Grenadiers.
RECON GRENADIERS RED RAIN
26
Roll to Hit Infantry
RED THUNDER
The Recon Grenadiers are shooting at Red Thunder, an infantry squad with Armour rating 2. Looking along the line for the Grenadiers MG 48 machine-gun in the weapons chart, we see that they are rated 4/1 against Infantry Armour rating 2. That means they will get four dice for their machine-gun.
RECON GRENADIERS
They also have four StG 47 assault ries rated 1/1 against Infantry Armour rating 2, giving them another four dice for a total of eight dice.
5) Roll To Hit
Sustained Attack Action
Look up the number of dice to roll for each weapon on the Weapons Chart of the unit card. To do this cross reference the weapon with the Armour rating of the target. The number before the slash is the number of dice to roll. Roll the number of dice indicated, scoring a hit for each rolled.
A unit that took a Sustained Attack action may re-roll all dice that failed to hit. Normally this will mean re-rolling all and results.
Roll to Hit a Vehicle
Next turn the Recon Grenadiers are shooting at Grandma, a vehicle with Armour rating4. Both the MG 48 and the StG 47 have a dash in the Vehicle Armour rating 4 column, indicating they cannot hurt it. Their only option is to use their Panzerfaust anti-tank weapons, which are rated 1/2. If they elected to re all three of their precious Panzerfausts, they would roll threedice.
Sustained Attack
GRANDMA
RECON GRENADIERS
Later in the turn, the Ludwig activates and performs a Sustained Attack action against Grandma. Its twin 8.8cm FpK Zwilling guns roll seven dice against Grandmas Vehicle Armour4. It hits with two rolls of , and misses with two , and three . As it is performing a Sustained Attack, it can re-roll the ve dice that did not hit. The re-rolls are one (another hit), two , and two , so the Ludwig scores three hits in total.
LUDWIG
27
Attack ActionsSustained Attack Actions
The Recon Grenadiers could have elected to re their Panzerfaust anti-tank weapons instead of their StG 47 assault ries, but as that is only rated 1/1 against Infantry Armour 2, and has limited ammo, they are better o saving them for a heavily armoured walker.
Blast Weapons
The Fakyeli attack the Grim Reapers and the Bot Hunters. They decide to shoot the Bot Hunters with their shotguns, saving their Sulphur Thrower for the Grim Reapers. The Sulphur Thrower has a rating of /1 against all Infantry Armour, so they will roll one die per model in the target unit. There are three Grim Reapers, so they roll three dice to hit.
FAKYELI
GRANDMA
BOT HUNTERS
GRIM REAPERS
POUNDER
In the next SSU activation, Koshka (piloting Grandma) res her walkers VK-916 howitzer and its Sulphur Jet at the Pounder. The Pounder has Vehicle Armour 4, so the howitzer will roll two dice. The Sulphur Jet has a rating of / N, so it will roll one die since there is only one model in the unit.
Set-Up Weapons
Some weapons take time to set up before they can be used eectively. If a set-up weapon performs a Move and then an Attack Action or an Attack Action followed by a Move Action, it only rolls half of that weapons combat dice (rounded up) during the Attack action.
Blast Weapons
Some weapons explode with a huge blast or spray burning fuel across an area. These weapons have a before the slash. Rather than rolling a set number of dice when a Blast Weapon attacks, roll one die for each model in the target unit. If the weapon shows multiple , roll one die per for each model in the target unit. Older cards may show a Blast Weapon with a after the slash instead. The number before the slash is the number of dice to roll for each model in the target unit.
Spray Weapons
Spray weapons shoot a jet of burning fuel, making them lethal, not just to their target, but to anything in the sprays path. Spray weapons are Blast Weapons that attack all units, even friendly units, in squares between the attacking unit and the target unit. The spray follows the shortest possible path to the target, and may only pass through squares through which the attacking unit has Line of Sight to the target unit. The shooting player may choose between alternative shortest paths.
RECON GRENADIERS
Spray Weapons
The Fireball has a Napalm Thrower with Range 3. If it targeted the Recon Grenadiers one square away, it would just attack them. If it targeted the Heavy Laser Grenadiers, it could re through the Bot Hunters or the Recon Grenadiers, hitting whichever one it shoots through on the way. If it targeted the Ludwig, it could re through both the Recon Grenadiers and the Heavy Laser Grenadiers to hit it. If it wanted to hit the Hans, it would have to hit the Bot Hunters as well as they are on the shortest path to the target. Not wanting to cook their own troops, the Allied player seeks anothertarget.
LUDWIG LUDWIG
FIREBALL
BOT HUNTERS
HANS
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Cover Saves
Cover Saves
POUNDER
BAZOOKA JOE
LUDWIG
IN THE OPEN
POUNDER
The Ludwig also hits Bazooka Joe three times with its MG44 machine-gun, so the Allied player rolls three dice scoring a , a , and a . As Bazooka Joe is in cover, they cancel two of the hits, leaving one hit on BazookaJoe.
The Ludwig hits the Pounder twice with its Twin 8.8cm FpK guns. The Pounder is in cover as it is not possible to draw a line from any one point in the Ludwigs square to every point in the Pounders square without crossing the building. The Allied player rolls one die per hit, scoring a and a . The cancels a hit on a vehicle in cover, so the Pounder is only hit once.
In the Open
BAZOOKA JOE LUDWIG
6) Roll Saves
Cover Saves
A Cover Save represents the chance that intervening terrain absorbs the attackers re. A unit is in Cover if the attacking unit cannot draw a line from any point in its square to all points in the target units square without passing through or touching blocking squares.
If the target unit was a Vehicle unit in Cover, the target player rolls a die for each hit their Vehicle unit took. Each cancels one of the hits. Some weapons, such as Grenade Weapons (see page 35) ignore Cover, so units hit by these weapons do not get Cover Saves against them.
An Infantry unit is also in Cover if it occupies a square with ammo crates, anti-tank traps, trees, rubble, buildings, orsmoke.
Infantry Saves
Infantry units are adept at nding cover, even in seemingly open ground. If the target unit was an Infantry unit that does not get a Cover Save, it still gets an Infantry Save. The target player rolls a die for each hit their Infantry unit took. Each cancels one of the hits.
If the target unit was an Infantry unit in Cover, the target player rolls a die for each hit their Infantry unit took. Each or cancels one of the hits.
Infantry Saves
BAZOOKA JOE
LUDWIG
If the Ludwig had attacked the Bot Hunters rather than Bazooka Joe, they would not have been in cover, so would not have cover saves.
BOT HUNTERS
However, infantry units that arent in cover still save on a roll of . With rolls of , , and , they would cancel one of the hits, leaving two hits on the Bot Hunters.
29
Attack Actions
When the Pounder shoots back the Ludwig does not benet from cover, as a line can be drawn from the pounder to every corner of the square that the Ludwig is occupying
Damage to an Infantry Squad
After the SSU player had taken all of their saves, the Hotdog shooting at the Fakyeli squad has still scored one hit with its .30 cal machine-gun and two hits with its Flame-thrower. The SSU player removes three miniatures from the squad, leaving two miniatures of their choicebehind.
HOTDOG
FAKYELI
7) Suffer Damage
Assign each hit that wasnt cancelled by a save to miniatures one at a time. Resolve each hit before going on to the next. Each hit on an Infantry Squad eliminates one miniature. The player controlling the Squad chooses which miniatures are removed. Mark one cross o an Infantry Support Weapons damage track for each hit.
When all the crosses are marked, the Hero, Vehicle, or Aircraft is eliminated and removed from the game board.
Automatic Kill Weapons
Some weapons have a N as their damage rating. This indicates that the miniature that was hit marks o all of the crosses on its damage track (if it has one) and is eliminated and removed from the game board.
Hits on Heroes, Vehicles, and Aircraft cause an amount of damage that depends on the weapon used. Look up the amount of damage by cross-referencing the weapon scored the hit with the Armour rating of the target on the weapons chart. The number after the slash is the amount of damage caused. Mark one cross o a Hero, Vehicle, or Aircraft units damage track for each point of damage caused.
Damage to a Vehicle
The Red Thunder squad scores a hit on an Allied Pounder with their PTRS-47. Cross referencing the PTRS-47 with the Pounders Armour of 4, gives a value of 1/3, so the Allied player marks three crosses on the Pounders damage track.
Red Thunder also scores a hit on Bazooka Joe with one of their PPSh-48 submachineguns. Cross referencing with Joes Infantry Armour2, their value is 2/1, so the player marks one cross o Joes damage track.
POUNDER
RED THUNDER BAZOOKA JOE
30
Close-Combat Weapons
Some weapons require the attacking unit and the target unit to be adjacent to each other. These weapons are classied as Close-Combat Weapons (or hand-to-hand weapons), and they are identied as Range C.
Sustained Attack and Close-Combat Weapons
Resolve Range 1 Attacks First
A unit may attack with its Ranged Weapons, and then attack with its Close-Combat Weapons in the same Attack action. Resolve attacks from all other weapons rst, including removing any casualties.
A unit performing a Sustained Attack action must choose between using Ranged Weapons or Close-Combat Weapons. If it uses Close-Combat Weapons in a Sustained Attack, the defending unit retaliates with its Close-Combat Weapons asnormal, but only performs a standard Attack action.
Improvised Close-Combat Weapons
Resolve Close-Combat Attacks Simultaneously
Once casualties from other weapons have been resolved, the attacking unit resolves the attacks with its Close-Combat Weapons. Before the casualties are removed, the defending unit retaliates with its own Close-Combat Weapons against the attacking unit. The casualties from all Close-Combat Weapons are then removed simultaneously.
Soldiers are generally very resourceful. Even if they dont have any weapons that can hurt the enemy, theyll nd or make something to do the job, whether it be jamming a log in a tanks tracks, trying to rip out hydraulic lines from a walkers leg, or ramming the enemy with their vehicle. An Infantry or Vehicle unit (but not Aircraft) can always make a close-combat attack using Improvised Weapons with the following weapons chart:
No Saves Against Close-Combat Weapons
Units hit by Close-Combat Weapons do not get any Cover or Infantry Saves. RANGED ATTACKS
Ranged Attacks
A squad of Recon Grenadiers attacksThe Gunners squad who are in the doorway to a building in an adjacent square.
RECON GRENADIERS
The Gunners
The Recon Grenadiers use their StG 47 assault ries and MG48 machine-gun against The Gunners scoring three hits. As The Gunners get cover from the opening, The Gunners roll their cover saves, cancelling two hits and only lose one soldier.
Close-Combat Attacks
CLOSE-COMBAT ATTACKS
The Recon Grenadiers now attack with their closecombat weapons, knives and grenades, and The Gunners retaliate with their knives.
The Recon Grenadiers roll one die for each soldier. Their ve dice score two hits. The Gunners that survived the initial attacks from the StG 47 assault ries and MG48 machine-gun roll their four dice at the same time, scoring two hits.
RECON GRENADIERS
The Gunners
The Axis player removes two Recon Grenadiers and the Allied player removes another two miniatures from The Gunners.
31
Attack ActionsClose-Combat Weapons
Reactive Attacks
Reactive attacks temporarily interrupt an enemy units activation to allow your unit to open re. Once the opposing player has completed their rst action, you can declare that one of your units that has not yet activated, and that is at a Range of four squares or less from the activating unit, will take a Reactive Attack action in response. A Reactive Attack action can only target the unit that your opponent activated, and no other units. Having declared the unit that will attempt a Reactive Attack, roll two dice after the opposing unit has performed its rst action. On a roll of , the unit succeeds and will activate for either a Sustained Attack action, or a Move action followed by an Attack action. The Move action can only be used to rotate the model, and a Large Vehicle may not end the move further away from the attacking unit than itstarted. On a single , the unit succeeds and will activate for an Attack action. If both dice roll Nothing action. or the unit activates for a Whether you succeed or not, attempting a Reactive Attack activates your unit, so it cannot take any further actions thisturn.
Reacting to a March Move
If the opposing unit is performing a March Move action and you wish to make a Reactive Attack against it, the unit makes a normal Move action before you attempt the Reactive Attack, then completes its March Move afterwards.
No Reacting to a Sustained Attack Action
You cannot declare a Reactive Attack against a unit that is taking a Sustained Attack action.
No Reacting to a Nothing Action
You cannot declare a Reactive Attack against a unit that is taking a Nothing action as its second action.
Reacting to Extra Actions
Some special rules allow units to perform three actions when they activate. If a unit makes a Reactive Attack against such a unit, the Attack action will occur immediately before the last action of the three.
No Close-Combat Reactive Attacks
Once the reacting unit nishes its actions, the enemy unit continues with its second action.
Units making a Reactive Attack cannot use Close-Combat Weapons (those with Range C) as part of this action.
Reactive Attack
The Matrioshka was hoping to shoot the Hotdog in its activation, but the Hotdog activates before it does. The Allied player declares that the Hotdog will Attack then Move.
1 The Hotdog performs its Attack action, killing two of the Red Thunder soldiers.
The Dual 152mm ML-20S guns can hurt the Hotdog, but the DShK 12.7mm machine-guns cannot. Normally the machine-guns would shoot at Bazooka Joe, but as it is a Reactive Attack, they must shoot at the Hotdog or not shoot at all.
can declare a Reactive Attack with it, trying to shoot the Hotdog before it gets away. They roll two dice and score a and a , so the Matrioshka will perform an Attack action.
2 As the Matrioshka is within four squares, the SSU player
3 The Matrioshka hits the Hotdog causing three damage, but does not eliminate it, so the Hotdog takes its Move action and slips out of sight.
MATRIOSHKA
Matrioshka makes a Reactive Attack
Hotdog Attacks Red Thunder
RED THUNDER
3
HOTDOG
Hotdog Moves Out of Sight
32
Reacting to a Close-Combat Attack
The Fakyeli declare that they will perform a Move action then an Attack action.
Thrower and Shotguns could eliminate the Grim Reapers before they get to ght back in close-combat, declares that the Grim Reapers will attempt a Reactive Attack. They roll and , so they will perform a Sustained Attack action against the Fakyeli before they attack. If they had rolled a single , the Grim Reapers would take an Attack action rather than a Sustained Attack action. If they did not roll any , they would have activated, but taken a Nothing action.
1 The Fakyeli take their Move action. 2 The Allied player, knowing that the Fakyeli Sulphur
The Grim Reapers take their Reactive Attack action (a Sustained Attack), killing two of the Fakyeli.
3 The remaining three Fakyeli now nish their activation with their Attack action. They shoot two of the Grim Reapers with their Sulphur Thrower and Shotguns.
4 Once the Fakyeli have attacked with their Ranged weapons, both sides attack with their Close-Combat weapons. Attacks with Close-Combat weapons are simultaneous, so although the last Grim Reaper is eliminated in close combat, he takes one more Fakyeli with him.
Grim Reapers
1
Fakyeli Move Closer
Grim Reapers React with a Sustained Attack
Fakyeli
Fakyeli Attack with Ranged Weapons
Reacting to a Flank Attack with a Walker
The Pounder activates and the Allied Player declares that it will Move and Attack. This leaves the Axis player with a dilemma. They can attempt to make a Reactive Attack on the Pounder before it attacks, or they can wait, hope the Pounder misses, then activate and attack it back.
If the situation was reversed, the Pounder would be in a To make the choice more dicult, the Pounder is outside the better position as its rotating turret would allow it to shoot eld of re of the Ludwigs twin 8.8cm FpK guns, so the Axis back without having to move, so a single would be player will need to roll to allow it to rotate and then enough for it to make an attack.
attack with its reactive attack. Any other roll wont let it shoot the Pounder with the forward-ring guns (it could use its hatch-mounted MG44 on a ), but that will still use up its activation.
LUDWIG POUNDER
33
Reactive Attacks
Both sides Attack with Close-Combat Weapons
Heroes
Heroes are the main characters of the Dust universe. Famous warriors and legendary ghters, they lead the troops on the battleeld.
Piloting Vehicles
Heroes are Infantry units of one miniature that can share a square with a friendly unit, even a friendly vehicle. Heroes are unique individuals, so an army can never have two of the same Hero.
A Hero with the Pilot skill (see page 36) can pilot a Vehicle. The Heros other skills can be used while piloting the Vehicle. The Hero can begin the game mounted in a Vehicle, or mount a Vehicle during the game. To mount a Vehicle, a unit must move into the Vehicles square.
Joining Infantry Squads
A Hero can join an Infantry Squad or Support Weapon that has the same Armour rating by being in the same square as that unit. A Hero in the same square as a unit that they can join may be activated at the same time as the unit, taking the same actions as the unit and remaining in the same square as the unit. Only one Hero can join an Infantry unit at a time. If the Hero and the units movement rates are dierent, the combined unit has the lower movement rate of the two. Alternatively, the Hero may activate separately. If a Hero is in the same square as a unit that they can join, they are treated as one unit if either of them are targeted by an attack. The owning player assigns hits between them using the normal rules (see page 30).
While in the Vehicle, the Hero cannot be targeted by an attack, and activates with the Vehicle (unless dismounting). Count the Hero and Vehicle as a single unit when determining how many units have yet to activate for the Passing rule (see page 18). The Hero can dismount before the Vehicle activates by performing a Move or March Move action to move out of the Vehicles square then continue their activation as normal. A Hero cannot mount and dismount a Vehicle in the same activation. If the Hero dismounts the Vehicle, the Vehicle cannot take any actions until they mount it again unless it is a Large or Huge Vehicle. If the Vehicle is destroyed while the Hero is piloting it, the pilots player rolls a die. On a roll of or , the Hero escapes unharmed. Otherwise the Hero takes a point of damage. They are then placed into any square the Vehicle occupied, counting as having activated for this turn. A Hero with the Vehicle Pilot skill does not share it with any unit they join. Only one Hero may pilot a Vehicle at atime.
A Hero that is not yet on the board can join an Infantry unit that is not on the board and both then activate together, entering the game at the same time.
34
Special Weapons
Some weapons have additional rules that modify the way they operate. For many, this is a result of new technology like laser weapons. For others, it is a function of the way they operate. This page gives the rules for some of the more common special weapons. Limited-Ammo weapons show a number of boxes in the weapon description line. Mark one of these boxes each time a unit makes an Attack or Sustained Attack action with the Limited-Ammo Weapon. Once all of the boxes have been marked, the weapon can make no further attacks.
Grenade Weapons
Grenade launchers and other weapons that lob small explosive shells at the enemy drop their shells behind cover amongst the enemy. Units hit by Grenade Weapons do not get a Cover Save against those weapons, but do retain their Infantry Save (see page29).
While a soldier can only use the weapons they are modelled with, they are assumed to pick up extra ammunition from fallen comrades from their own squad, so as long as there is a soldier left in the squad with that weapon, they still have all the units remaining ammunition.
Spray Weapons
Laser Weapons
If the Laser Weapon has a special rule that allows it to hit on a roll of as well as , it only counts a as a hit for the rst roll. The additional rolls only hit on a roll of .
Under-Barrel Weapons
Limited-Ammo Weapons
Some weapons have limited ammunition capacity. Once all of its ammunition is expended, the weapon can no longerre.
The latest weapons technology allows soldiers to carry two weapons in one, like the M1 automatic rie and its underbarrel grenade launcher. A soldier carrying an Under-Barrel Weapon can re both the main weapon and the Under-Barrel Weapon at the same target in an Attack action.
Laser Weapons
The Heavy Laser Grenadiers perform a Sustained Attack against the Pounder with their three Schwere Laserwerfers. Each Laserwerfer rolls one die against Vehicle Armour 4. They roll a and two , scoring one hit. As they are making a Sustained Attack (see page 27), they re-roll their misses, this time rolling a and a , scoring a second hit.
Using the Laser Weapons special rule, the player now rolls two more dice for the two hits, scoring another and a . They roll another die for that hit, scoring a . Adding up their hits from the original roll and the re-rolls, they scored a total of three hits.
Pounder
Heavy Laser Grenadiers
35
HeroesSpecial Weapons
When a Laser Weapon scores a hit, roll another die scoring a further hit on a roll of . Continue scoring hits and rolling additional dice for each hit until it rolls amiss.
When Axis scientists applied the technology they found in Antarctica to weapons development, they soon discovered the power of intense light beams. Laser technology has created some of the most powerful anti-tank weapons in the world, able to cut through any armour in moments. The longer they can hold on target, the deeper they cut.
Weapons like ame-throwers, napalm throwers, and sulphur jets re a spray of burning fuel, igniting the target and any units in the way.
Units hit by Spray Weapons do not get an Infantry Save or a Cover Save against those weapons (see page29).
In addition, Spray Weapons attack all units in squares between the attacking unit and the target unit, even friendly units (see page 28). The spray follows the shortest possible path to the target, and may only pass through squares through which the attacking unit has Line of Sight to the target unit. The shooting player may choose between alternative shortest paths.
Skills and Equipment

Some units and heroes have specialist skills (or just natural aptitude), training, or equipment that allows them to perform at a level that leaves less gifted soldiers in awe. This page covers some of the more common skills. A player must declare that they are using a skill before rolling any dice that might be modied by that skill.
Fast
A unit with the Fast special rule (sometimes called the Agile special rule) may move one additional square when it performs a Move or March Move action (see page 21).
Fighting Spirit
Unless otherwise stated, skills used by a Hero apply to a unit they have joined, and skills used by a unit apply to a Hero that has joined their unit. If both Hero and unit have the same skill, it applies equally to both, but they do not gain the skill twice. If the skill is only usable once per game, both the Hero and the unit use it at the same time.
Once per game a unit with the Fighting Spirit skill hits on rolls of as well as when making an Attack or Sustained Attack action, provided the unit has already performed a Move action in this activation.
Jump
Ace Pilot
A Hero with the Ace Pilot skill rolls one die when a Vehicle or Aircraft that they are piloting activates. If the result is a , the Vehicle or Aircraft has three actions for this activation.
A unit with the Jump skill has jet packs that allow it to leap over obstacles. During movement, the unit can move over any square as if it was open terrain, provided that it ends its move in a square that it could normally enter. If a Hero has joined a unit, both must have the Jump skill for either to use it when they are activated together.
Black Ops
If your force has a Hero with the Black Ops skill you roll four dice for initiative rolls (see page 18).
Some classic cards have vehicles with the Jump skill. These now have the Fast special rule instead.
Pilot: Hero
Damage Resilient
Each time an Infantry Squad or Support Weapon with the Damage Resilient skill is assigned a hit that is not cancelled by a save (see page 29), roll a die. On a result of , cancel the hit.
Only the named Hero can pilot a Vehicle with the Pilot:Hero attribute. The Vehicle can still be elded without a Hero pilot (in which case it is being piloted by the Heros mechanic who is testing it out after repairs or modications).
Each time a Hero, Vehicle, or Aircraft unit with the Damage Resilient skill is assigned a hit that is not cancelled by a save, roll one die for each point of damage marked o the units damage track. Each rolled cancels one point of damage. This skill does not apply to other units that join this unit or that this unit joins.
This Vehicle is unique (sometimes shown as Rare Unit) and only one may be included in any players army.
Vehicle Pilot
A Hero with the Pilot skill can pilot a Vehicle (see page34).
Heavy Laser Grenadiers
Lara
Fakyeli
Damage Resilient
The Fakyeli attack Lara and the unit of three Heavy Laser Grenadiers that she has joined, scoring three hits with their Sulphurthrower. The Axis player assigns the rst hit to Lara who already has taken two damage. They fail Laras Infantry Save, and as the Sulphurthrower is rated as automatic kill against Laras Infantry Armour rating of 3, the player marks o the remaining two crosses on her damage track. Her Damage Resilient skill then allows the player to roll two dice (one for each point of damage she took). They roll a and a , so cancel one point of damage, leaving her with one cross unmarked. The Axis player then assigns the other two hits to the Heavy Laser Grenadiers, failing one of their Infantry Saves. They roll one die for the unsaved hit because the Heavy Laser Grenadiers are Damage Resilient, scoring a and cancelling the result and saving the grenadier from elimination.
36
Playing a Game
Setting Up the Game
Before starting a game, players must choose a scenario to play and set up the game board according to the scenarios instructions. We recommend that new players start by playing the Encounter scenario on page 38.
Choosing Your Force
For your rst games, use the battlegroups from the starter set. Once youre familiar with the game, add more miniatures to your collection and build a custom force.
If you want to let the dice choose the scenario for you, roll two dice and consult the following table:
Result
or
Scenario
1: Encounter 2: Grab the Dust 3: Bait and Flank 4: Supply Drop 5: All-Out Attack
When using custom forces, the players agree on the size of force they will use (measured in army points). Each unit has an army points cost on its unit card. The higher the cost, the more powerful the unit. A player can eld any units from their bloc, provided that the combined total of their army points does not exceed the agreed limit. For the missions in this book, a limit between 100 and 150 points works well.
Playing the Game
You are now ready to play the game. Roll for initiative (see page 18) and start playing.
Moving On To the Table
Each player chooses a board and places it either way up as shown in the scenario. The players then roll for initiative (see page 18). The player who wins initiative chooses which side of the board they will start on. Starting with the player with the initiative, the players take turns placing a terrain item on the board. The players alternate placing terrain items until they have each placed two terrain tiles of their choice and an anti-tank trap. Terrain items cannot be placed to block openings into buildings. Some scenarios specify how the terrain will be set up. In this case, set the terrain up as instructed rather than using the standard method above.
Large and Huge Vehicles must move entirely onto the board by moving two squares (usually by taking a March Move action) in their rst activation before they do anything else.
Reserves
Some missions allow a player to bring eliminated units back into play as reserves. Each time a unit is eliminated, the owning player may elect to place it in reserve until they have placed the allowed number of units in reserve. The same unit may be placed in reserve multiple times if it keeps getting destroyed. Units placed in reserves are fresh units with no damage and all ammunition replenished. Heroes can never be placed in reserve. A player may elect to move a unit onto the board from reserve by activating it during any turn after the one it was eliminated in. Unless otherwise noted, reserves move on from the same squares that the original force could move onfrom.
The Heavy Laser Grenadiers then re at Grandma, scoring two hits. As Grandma is not in cover, the walker does not have any save, so both hits impact on Grandma. The SSU player assigns the rst hit to Grandma. The Schwere Laserwerfer has a damage rating of 3 against a Vehicle Armour rating of 4, so they mark o three crosses on its damage track. They then roll three dice for its Damage Resilience, scoring two , and a , failing to cancel any of the damage. The SSU player then assigns the second hit to Grandma, marking o the two remaining crosses (the third point of damage is overkill and has no eect). They then roll two more dice for its Damage Resilience, scoring a and a . The cancels one point of damage leaving one cross unmarked. Grandma ghts on with one point of Damage Capacityleft.
Ending the Game
The game ends at the end of a turn when:
All of one players units on the board are eliminated, The scenario reaches its turn limit.
One of the players achieves their scenario objective, or The player who destroyed all of the enemys units or took the objective wins the game. If neither side achieved victory by eliminating the enemy or taking the objective, both sides total the army points of the units they eliminated from the enemy army (counting reserves eliminated again as additional units eliminated), and the player who destroyed the most army points wins.
Grandma
37
Skills and EquipmentPlaying a Game
Setting the Terrain
At the start of the game, there are no units on the board. When a unit rst activates, its rst action must be a Move or March Move action in which it moves on from the edge of the table. The scenario will state which squares it may use to enter the table.
Scenario 1: Encounter
The front lines are uid. Two forces seeking to exploit the situation encounter each other, immediately striving to destroy the enemy force.
Board 1
Game Board
Place the game boards with their long edges touching.
Deployment
There are no specic objectives to be taken. Each player seeks to destroy as much of the enemy force as possible.
Game Length
The game lasts for 8 turns.
Board 2
Turns : 8
Scenario 2: Grab the Dust

Following a breakthrough, the attackers are approaching a supply depot containing stores of the all-important VK dust. The defenders must retain control of this valuable resource.
Board 1
Game Board
Deployment
Objectives
O O
Place an objective () in each of the centre squares of the board before placing terrain. Players may not place impassable terrain in these squares. A player takes an objective by having a unit (other than an Aircraft) on an objective square at the end of a turn on or after turn three, providing there are no enemy units within two squares. If they take the objective, they win thegame.
Reserves
Each player may place two eliminated units in reserve.
Game Length
Board 2
Turns : 8
38
Player 2 Enters Here
Player 2 Table Half
Each players force enters the table by the squares along their long table edge.
Player 2 Table Half
Objectives
Player 1 Enters Here Player 1 Enters Here
Player 1 Table Half Player 1 Table Half
Scenario 3: Bait and Flank

The plan is simple: we attack from the front to distract the enemy while we send a force to outank and destroy them.
Player 1 Reserves Enters Here
Deployment
Each players force enters the table by the squares along their short table edge.
Player 2 Places an Objective in the White Area
Objectives
Reserves
O
Each player may place two eliminated units in reserve. These units move on to the squares along the short edges of their opponents board.
Game Length
Turns : 8
Board 1
Board 1
A player takes an objective by having a unit (other than an Aircraft) on an objective square at the end of a turn on or after turn three, providing there are no enemy units within two squares. If they take the objective on the opponents half of the table, they win thegame.
Player 1 Places an Objective in the White Area
After placing the terrain, the players place one objective each in the same order as they placed terrain. These must be in the players own half of the table, but not within two squares of a table edge, nor in impassableterrain.
Player 2 Table Half Player 1 Table Half
Board 2
Game Board
Scenario 4: Supply Drop

Supplies are running low. Your men are out of food, and your ammunition is almost gone. More supplies have been air dropped, but they landed in no-mans land between you and the enemy. Grab them before the enemy does.
Game Board
O
Player 2 Places an Objective in the White Area Player 1 Places an Objective in the White Area Player 2 Enters Here
Deployment
Objectives
After placing the terrain, the players place one objective each in the same order as they placed terrain. These must be in the players own half of the table, but not within two squares of a table edge, nor in impassableterrain. If a player holds an objective by having a unit (other than an Aircraft) on an objective square at the end of a turn on or after turn three, providing there are no enemy units within two squares, they gain victory points for each turn they hold it. A player gains two victory point for holding the objective on their opponents half of the table, or one victory point for the one in their own table half. A player wins by gaining a total of ve victorypoints.
Reserves
Board 2
Each player may place two eliminated units in reserve.
Game Length
Player 1 VP Player 2 VP
Turns : 8
39
Scenarios
Scenario 5: All-Out Attack

The enemy is elding new technology that your intel bons would like to get their hands on. Reinforcements are being rushed to your area to ensure you recover samples.
Board 1
Game Board
Deployment
O
Player 1 Places an Objective in the White Area Player 2 Places an Objective in the White Area Player 2 Enters Here Player 1 Enters Here
Objectives
After placing the terrain, the players place one objective each in the same order as they placed terrain. These must be in the players own half of the table, but not within two squares of a table edge, nor in impassableterrain.
If a player holds an objective in the opponents table half by having a unit (other than an Aircraft) on an objective square at the end of a turn on or after turn three, providing there are no enemy units within two squares, they gain two victory points for each turn they hold it.
A player also gains a victory point for each unit they eliminate. Heroes count as a victory point in their own right whether attached to a unit, piloting avehicle, or on their own. A player wins by gaining a total of seven victory points, or by having the most victory points at the end of the game.
Board 2
Reserves
Players place all eliminated units in reserve (including Heroes).
Turns : 8
Game Length

A Activating a Unit . . . . . . . . 18 Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Line of Sight . . . . . . . . . 24 Moving . . . . . . . . . 19, 20, 21 Armour Rating . 16, 17, 27, 30 Army Points . . . . . . . . 17, 37 Artillery Range (A) . . . . . . 23 Attack Action . . . . . . . . . . 22 Check Field of Fire . . . . . 22 Check Line of Sight . . . . 24 Check Range . . . . . . . . . 23 Close Combat . . . . . . . . . 31 Declare Targets . . . . . . . . 26 Reactive Attacks . . . . . . . 32 Roll Saves . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Roll To Hit . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Suer Damage . . . . . . . . 30 B Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Cover Saves . . . . . . . . . . 29 Line of Sight . . . . . . . . . 25 Moving Through . . . . . . . 21 C Close-Combat Weapons . . 31 No Reactive Attacks . . . . 32 Close Range (C) . . . . . . . . 23 Cover Saves . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Close-Combat Weapons . 31 Grenade Weapons . . . . . 35 Spray Weapons . . . . . . . . 35 D Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 30 Damage Resilient . . . . . . 31 Declare Targets . . . . . . . . . 26 F Field of Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 H Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Joining Infantry Squads . 34 Multiple Weapons . . . . . 26 Piloting Vehicles . . . . . . . 34 Huge Vehicles . . 15, 16, 20, 37 I Infantry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Saves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 L Large Vehicles . . 15, 16, 19, 37 Limited Ammo . . . . . . 15, 35 Line of Sight . . . . . . . . 24, 25 M March Move Action . . 18, 19 Reactive Attacks . . . . . . . 32 Minimum Range . . . . . . . . 23 Move Action . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Fast . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 36 Moving Around Corners 21 Moving On To the Table 37 Moving Through Units . . 20 Reactive Attacks . . . . . . . 32 Move Rating . . . . . . . . 16, 19
INDEX
N Nothing Action . . . . . . 19, 32 O Objectives . . . . . 37, 38, 39, 40 P Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 R Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Artillery Range (A) . . . . 23 Close Range (C) . . . . . . . 23 Minimum Range . . . . . . 23 Unlimited Range (U) . . . 23 Reactive Attacks . . . . . . . . 32 Roll To Hit . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 S Saves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Smoke . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 29 Special Rules . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Ace Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Black Ops . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Damage Resilient . . . . . . 36 Fast . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 36 Fighting Spirit . . . . . . . . 36 Jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Pilot: Hero . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Vehicle Pilot . . . . . . . . . . 36 Sustained Attack Action 18, 27 Aircraft Cannot . . . . . . . 20 Close-Combat Weapons 31 Reactive Attacks . . . . . . . 32 T Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Cover Saves . . . . . . . . . . 29 Jumping Over . . . . . . . . . 36 Line of Sight Through . . 25 Moving Through . . . . . . . 20 Setting the Terrain . . . . . 37 U Unit Cards . . . . . . . . . . 16, 17 Unlimited Range (U) . . . . . 23 V Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Cover Saves . . . . . . . . . . 29 Crews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 W Weapons Automatic Kill Weapons 30 Blast Weapons . . . . . . . . 28 Close Combat Weapons . 31 Flame-thrower . . . . . . . . 35 Grenade Weapons . . . . . 35 Improvised Weapons . . . 31 Laser Weapons . . . . . . . . 35 Limited Ammo . . . . . . . 35 Multiple Weapons . . . . . 26 Set-Up Weapons . . . . . . 28 Special Weapons . . . . . . . 35 Spray Weapons . . . . . 28, 35 Under-barrel Weapons . . 35 Vehicle Crews . . . . . . . . . 26 With Two Lines . . . . . . . 26 Weapons Chart . . . . . . 16, 22
40
DUST TACTICS STARTER SETS

Dust Tactics Starter Sets are the best way to enter the world of Dust. Each starter comes with everything you need to eld a force and play a game against any other starter set, including miniatures and: 1x 44-page Dust Tactics Rulebook 4x Unit cards 1x Double-sided Game Board 3x Terrain tiles 1x Tank-trap 12x Dice
1x 1x 1x 1x
ALLIED TASKFORCE JOE

Bazooka Joe Pounder Walker Bot Hunters Squad Grim Reapers Squad
1x 1x 1x 1x
AXIS KAMPFGRUPPE STEFAN

Oberleutnant Stefan Retter Ludwig Walker Recon Grenadiers Squad Heavy Laser Grenadiers Squad
1x 1x 1x 1x
SSU BATTLEGROUP KOSHKA

Captain Koshka Grandma Walker Red Thunder Squad Fakyeli Squad
Visit our website so see the complete range of miniatures available for Dust Tactics!
41
WHERE TO NEXT?
Now that youve read the rules and played your rst games of Dust Tactics visit our website:
www.Dust-Tactics.com
The World Of Dust

www.Dust-Tactics.com is the place to go to nd out everything you need to know about the World of Dust, including: The latest new release spotlights, Unit tactics articles, How to play videos, Dust history articles, and Inspirational painting guides. Also available on the website, FREE to download, are the booklets for all of the previous Dust Tactics campaigns.
The forums are the place to go to discuss the game, the miniatures, and the World Of Dust in general. Its the best place to go with any questions , as there is always someone online who is willing to answer your questions. Check out the Dust Events in Your Area section to nd tournaments or to arrange friendly games. Show o your painted Dust miniatures in the Gallery, or visit and be inspired by other peoples miniatures. Dust Tactics is a growing hobby, and we would like you to become part of it.
Dust Forums
Follow the World of Dust on facebook, and twitter for the latest news, announcements, discussion, competitions and much more.
D200M
@TheWorldOfDust

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Contents

World Map 1947

Product Code: D200M Designed in New Zealand, Printed in China

For more information about Dust Tactics visit us online at

The Sino-Soviet Union (SSU)

A World In Dust: 1936-1947

A World In Dust: 1936-1947

homeland. Within weeks they take control of the whole island.

A World In Dust: 1936-1947

Japanese forces land in Australia and New Zealand.

A World In Dust: 1936-1947

Allied Taskforce Joe assaults an SSU defensive position near Zverograd

ASOCOM: Allied Special Operations Command

Crew: Weight: Length: Width: Height:

Axis Kampfgruppe Stefan repels an Allied attack east of Zverograd

The Blutkreuz Korps

Crew: Weight: Length: Width: Height:

1 (pilot) 28.35 tonnes 5.62m (18 5) 3.84m (12 7) 4.73m (15 6)

Sino-Soviet Union (SSU) Forces

Sino-Soviet Union (SSU) Forces

Crew: Weight: Length: Width: Height:

1 (pilot) 16.15 tonnes 2.28m (7 6) 3.36m (12) 3.75m (12 4)

Introduction to Dust Tactics

Playing Dust Tactics

Starting the Game

The Dust Tactics game board is divided into squares.

Playing the Game

Classic Dust Dice

Ending the Game

The game ends at the end of a turn when:

One of the players achieves their scenario objective, or

Playing Dust Tactics

Unit Name and Description

This is the units name and a short description or ocial designation.

This symbol tells which bloc the unit belongs to.

Allies Axis SSU

Infantry units (squads, support weapons, and heroes),

Vehicle and Aircraft Size

Army Points Value

Unit Name and Description

This is the units name and a short description or ocial designation.

Roll for Initiative

No More Than Three Actions

RECON GRENADIERS Move & Attack

1 The Axis player activates

2 The Allied player then

Axis Player Passes

BOT HUNTERS Move & Nothing

LUDWIG Move & Attack

Moving Large Vehicles and Aircraft

March Move Actions

Moving Large Vehicles Sideways

Moving Large Vehicles Diagonally

Moving Huge Vehicles

Then the Punisherrotates

Move Huge Vehicles

Moving Through Terrain

The Punisher moves one square diagonally, then rotates.

Aircraft Must Move

Moving Through Other Units

Structures also block Line of Sight to targets beyond them.

HEAVY LASER GRENADIERS

Infantry Moving Through Buildings

Infantry Moving Around Corners