Next Section:III. The Basics:Turns & Activations -Each game turn is divided into alternating activations between the players, followed by an End Phase once every unit in play has activated, after which a new turn begins.
Before any activation, a random Order token is drawn, and its owning player assigns it to one of their units that does not yet have one. That unit then carries out a single
Order. The Order token is placed on the table next to the unit to remind all players which units have been activated, and which have yet to carry out an order this turn.
Once finished, another random Order token is drawn and so on until all order tokens have been assigned, at which point the End Phase for the turn is resolved.
Basic Orders -Each time a unit is activated, you issue it an order. In addition to these basic orders, some units can carry out special orders as noted in their rules.
Charge:
The unit moves up to double its Movement Stat (MV) in cm. If this move brings models into base-to-base contact with enemy models, they may Assault them in Close Combat as described later (though charging models may not fire during the firefight portion of the assault). Models without a Melee weapon cannot choose to move into base-to-base contact with enemy models.
Charge Orders cannot be given to units that are in close combat with enemy models.
Advance:
The unit may move its (MV) in cm and then fire its weapons at the enemy, or fire and then move.
If the unit is armed with melee weapons, it may enter into close combat with an enemy unit or enemy units during its move. If it does so – carry out an assault and then end the unit’s activation. The Advancing unit may fire its weapons during the “Firefight” portion of the assault, but only if it has not fired yet during its activation.
Advance Orders cannot be given to units that are in close combat with enemy models.
Fire in Place:
The unit forfeits their movement in-order to better focus their aims. It cannot move, but may fire its weapons with a +1 modifier to each “Hit” roll.
Fire in Place Orders cannot be given to units that are in close combat with enemy models.
Over-Watch:
The unit does not move, and gains an “Over-Watch” Token. An Over-Watch token allows the unit to fire during an enemy activation. This is especially useful when attempting to deter assaulting enemy units or flyers.
Over-Watch Orders cannot be given to units that are in close combat with enemy models.
Rally:
The unit leader inspires the fighters under their charge - driving them to feats of heroism in spite of the dangers around them. The unit may do one of the following:
- Roll to remove Stress Tokens and then Move or Fire
- Move or Fire and then roll to remove Stress Tokens
Rally Orders cannot be given to units that are in close combat with enemy models.
Assault:
This order
must be issued to a unit if at least one of its models is in base-to-base contact with an enemy model when it is activated.
Models in the unit can move into close combat with an enemy model if they aren’t already engaged in close combat. (Though, they do not have to).
The unit “Assaults” any enemy unit it’s engaged with and may fire its weapons during the “Firefight” portion of the assault.
Retreat:
The unit is broken by the chaos around them and retreats! A Retreat order
must and
may only be issued if the unit has more stress tokens than damage points remaining. The unit moves it MV stat in centimeters towards the nearest “Friendly” table edge, and then rolls to remove stress tokens. If, at the end of this roll, the unit has double or more stress tokens than it does damage points remaining, it Disbands – it’s completely lost the will to fight. All remaining models in the unit are removed from the game, and the unit is considered to be
Annihilated.
Basic Unit Stats - All units in Onslaught have a “stat line” - a collection of values which represent how skilled the unit is on the battlefield. A unit stat line includes the following traits:
MV - Movement Value: This is how many cm the unit can move when executing a move or retreat order.
AV - Armor Value: If hit by an attack, you may nullify the hit if you roll this value or higher. The strength of the weapon hitting the unit can negatively affect your roll.
DP - Damage Points: This value represents how many hits, or damage a model in the unit can take before it is destroyed and removed from play.
You'll also see how Damage Points play a big part in unit morale - Adding up all the DP remaining in a unit gives you the units current Morale Value - which determines when a unit breaks, and/or disbands after acquiring stress tokensWeapon Stats - In addition to basic unit stats - each unit will have a stat line for each of their weapon systems. Each weapon system has the following traits:
R - Range: This is how many cm the weapon can fire. If the weapon has no range, then it may only be used during assaults in hand-to-hand combat.
A - Attacks: This is the number of dice rolled when attacking a target.
S - Strength: This value is subtracted from opponent armor save rolls when hit with this weapon.
D - Damage: This is how many damage points the weapon causes per hit.
There is no "To Hit" stat - the target number is determined by what the unit is firing at. Given that nearly all units in the game will have military training - the size and speed of the target should have the greatest effect on ballistic accuracy (detailed later). Particularly good shots like snipers will have the "Accurate X" trait, giving them a +1 or even +2 modifier on their to hit rolls. The opposite is true for poorly trained units with the "Inaccurate X" Trait. Weapon systems can also have those traits, representing unusually accurate or inaccurate weapons.Unit / Weapon Traits - Traits are special rules or classifications that can be applied to a unit or single weapon system. For example, having a unit trait of “Infiltrate” allows the unit to start the game outside of the normal deployment zone, while a weapon system may have the trait of “Ignores Cover” meaning the weapon ignores penalties when shooting into cover. A full list of traits and their associated rules are listed later in this rulebook.
Unit Entry - A unit entry is a listing of all unit stats, weapon stats, and traits that apply to any given model in the game. Here’s a couple of examples of typical unit entries:
Sisterhood Themis have average speed for an infantry squad, and their armor gives them a solid degree of protection. These fighters are geared towards assaults and close combat, being armed with Assault Shotguns which are more effective up close and personal.
Hellborn Cultists are completely unarmored – so any successful hit will eliminate them. Their firearms shoot a fair distance, but Cultists are untrained and “Inaccurate”, so suffer a penalty to all their shooting rolls. On the plus side, their fanatical devotion makes them “Unbreakable” meaning they never retreat or disband – they must be destroyed to the last man.
The Okami Baku APC has an average speed for a vehicle, but can ignore terrain as it moves thanks to its “Anti-Grav” trait. Like most vehicles, it has no melee weapon system, so it’s vulnerable to close assaults. The Baku, like all vehicles is easier to hit than infantry, but is equipped with heavy armor and can take 2 damage points before it is eliminated. It’s dual Gatling cannons can “explode” into additional hits on the roll of a “6”, and it can transport 2 infantry units thanks to its “Transport 2 Infantry” trait.
Some general guidelines on stats:
That's all for this section - next up, Movement. Thoughts?
