A DEADZONE EXPANSION - Adam Australiausers.adam.com.au/ntrabbit/Deadzone_Incursion_(6111423).pdf ·...

A DEADZONE EXPANSIONVENERABLE CIVILISATIONS JOIN THE FIGHT FOR NEXUS PSI

A DEADZONE EXPANSIONVENERABLE CIVILISATIONS JOIN THE FIGHT FOR NEXUS PSI

Chris Earl (order #6111423)


GAME DESIGNJake Thornton

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Greg D Smith, Guy Haley

SPECIAL THANKSMatt Gilbert

ARTSam Lamont, Shenfei

SCULPTINGBen Skinner, Bob Naismith, Dave Kidd, Derek Miller, Gregor Adrian, Grégory Clavilier, MKUltra Studio, Rémy Tremblay, Steve Saunders, Sylvain Quirion, Tim Prow

ADDITIONAL SCENERYAntenociti’s Workshop, Armorcast, Quantum Gothic, Rust Forge

GRAPHIC DESIGNChris Webb, Kev Brett

PHOTOGRAPHYBen Sandum

PAINTINGChad Mierzwa, Chris Webb, Dave Neild, Golem Painting Studio, Matt Gilbert, Nick Williams, Paul Scott, Winterdyne Commission Modelling

FORGE FATHERSThe Star Realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 The Brokkrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Forge Guard Armour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Brokkrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9‘Nutcracker’ Inferno Drill . . . . . . . . . . 10Frag-Ramm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Valkyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Iron Ancestor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Order of Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

ASTERIANSPerfection of Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Military Doctrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Cyphers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Overseer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Black Talon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Weapon Drones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Cypher Prime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Sky Razor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Echoes of War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ENFORCERSDefender Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Corporation Striders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Peacekeeper Armour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Pathfinder Snipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

NEW RULESDivide and Conquer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Code 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Scenery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Big Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

INCURSION - 1 Chris Earl (order #6111423)

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ALMAR INCORPORATED APPROVED INTER-SECTOR TRADE ROUTES

First Sphere, or “The Core Worlds” – This is the heart of the GCPS, a rough ball of star systems about one hundred and fifty light years across that represent the first diaspora from Old Earth . The worlds here are so long settled that they are highly developed, civilised places . They represent the acme of Corporation culture, genuine heavens on Earth for those that can afford to live there, where high technology allows people to live lives of unfettered pleasure . When corporate spokespeople approach a new alien race with the offer of incorporation, it is to the lifestyles of the core worlds that they point, although what the hapless aliens receive is another matter entirely . Starships come from all over the GCPS to supply the Core, its population long since having outstripped its own worlds’ capacity to support it . Society is nominally egalitarian, if you ignore the massive armies of migrant non-Core workers who flock here to serve the idle rich .

The Second Sphere, or “The Outer Core” – Similar to the core, but less developed, and where social inequality is far more pronounced, nevertheless, the Second Sphere is where many GCPS citizens aspire to live when they strike it lucky .T

The Third Sphere, or “New Space” – Beyond the Second Sphere, space becomes more regionalised . Large tracts of unsettled systems separate star clusters inhabited by “nations” . Here . many corporations run star systems jointly, each specialising in a particular industry . Often there are two or three highly developed worlds at the cores of these “nations”, each supporting and supported by numerous smaller settlements . In this, they are like the GCPS in miniature . The Third Sphere was settled rapidly at a time when mankind had perfected the art of genetic manipulation, and the pioneers to this zone tended to change themselves rather than the planets they found, leading to some of the more outlandish variations on the standard human phenotype . Life on the capital worlds of these systems is good, and some of the more established have been

The GCPS Spheres


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nominally included in the Second Sphere . Much of the worlds in the Third Sphere have been settled for centuries, the term “New Space” comes from a time when the Third Sphere was the frontier of the GCPS .

The Fourth Sphere, or “The Expansion Zone” – The space of The Fourth Sphere is still being surveyed, and new worlds uncovered . There are opportunities aplenty for corporations and individuals alike, and many risks . Unknown alien species, pirates and weird cosmic phenomena are but the least of concerns for those embarking on new ventures . Fortunes can be made or lives lost equally easily in the Fourth Sphere . Those parts of the Fourth Sphere close to the realms of others are subject to periodic invasion, while the majority of the Dead Zones caused by The Plague are to be found in these parts . Nevertheless, hundreds of new planetary licenses are issued every year to corporations who wish to exploit worlds in the Expansion Zone .

The Fifth Sphere, or “The Frontier” – the Fourth Sphere shades into the fifth, the actual edge of the GCPS . Claimed by Corporation Central, the influence of the the GCPS is minimal this far out; and the species that live here would take violent exception to any mention that they were in Corporation Space at all . It is a realm unknown, where advance scouts hurry from star to star, hunting out new planets for their corporate masters . In places, the Fifth Sphere is squeezed thin as the GCPS brushes up against the territory of other mighty realms . Elsewhere it is an active warzone . Many threats and unknown terrors lurk beyond the Fifth Sphere . Corporation Border Stations, unusually funded directly by Corporation central, keep watch, while swift fleets of Enforcers patrol the endless black . The Rebs keep their own bases here, watching the Enforcers watching for them .


4 4 - INCURSIONChris Earl (order #6111423)


The Star RealmFormed of a sizeable collection of star systems located to coreward of the GCPS, the Star Realm was already well-established by the Dwarf civilisation known as the Forge Fathers long before humanity took its first tentative steps into the stars . The Forge Fathers are an ancient and incredibly insular culture, preferring to keep themselves very much to themselves wherever possible . Very little is known and even less understood about them by the GCPS, and what little information has managed to be cultivated over the decades since the two civilisations first made contact is uncertain at best .

In appearance, Dwarfs are short and powerfully built . Roughly four and a half feet tall on average, they are stocky and covered in muscle . Their features are human-like, though much wider set and with craggy brows . Their eyes are deep set, and combine with their other features to give an appearance, to humans, of a permanent scowl . It is possible that this in part explains the complexity of their written and spoken language, as it is difficult to discern the nuances of facial expression that characterise the languages of other races in their blunt features . They have short, thick fingers whose brutish appearance belies their incredible dexterity with the finest of tools, and their hands are rough and calloused from hours spent with their instruments, be it mining a seam or working metal in the forge . Forge Father culture sees great value in the harshness of manual labour, and ‘soft-hand’ is an insult of the gravest order amongst their kind .

The Star Realm is ruled over by the clans – each a miniature civilisation in its own right, with its own traditions, customs and outlook . It would be a mistake however to consider the Forge Fathers as fragmented . For all the differences displayed by the clans, they remain broadly united by the common aspects of their people . Dwarfs are a long-lived species – exactly how long, none can truly say, but this longevity colours every other aspect of the Forge Father people . They are purposeful and methodical in their outlook, preferring to take the time to ensure a job is done right . They are rigid in their adherence to custom and tradition, to the point of being hidebound, and they never forget any slight perpetrated against them, either by another clan or by outsiders . They are also incredibly distrustful of other races, striving to retain the secrets of their people at all costs .

Finally, they are avaricious in the extreme, driven by a lust for wealth and material gain that is incomprehensible to shorter-lived races . A human may wish to amass a fortune, a Marauder may always be looking for the next big payday, but a Forge Father will never be satisfied no

matter how much personal wealth they may attain . When you are as substantially long-lived as a Dwarf, and come from a culture like the Forge Fathers, there is always space for more, and more importantly, time to check every last nook and cranny for it before you move on .

Each Clan retains control over its own territory within the Star Realm . These vary in size from a handful of planets to several solar systems, though their wealth is measured not by their size but by the power and output of their ‘Forge-Stars’ – the name given to the massive contraptions Forge Fathers fashion from the suns of their territories, harnessing the massive energy produced by their thermonuclear reactions into both energy and raw forging power . This technology, together with their planetary engineering, terraforming and global strip-mining capabilities, ensures that the Forge Fathers retain a pre-eminence amongst the intelligent races of the galaxy that is not likely to be challenged any time in the near future .

Because of their methodical nature, and their ability to truly maximise the mineral exploitation of a planet down to almost the molecular level, the Star Realm expands at an incredibly slow rate . The Clans have no interest in acquisition of territory for the sake of it, and will only move on from a new planet once its resources have been quite literally exhausted . They do maintain standing armies, as well as expecting every Forge Father to take up arms in time of need, but they are not an aggressive race, and see little point in fighting for the sake of it . That being said, such is the advanced nature of their craft in all things, their weaponry and armour are advanced beyond that produced by any other race they have encountered . Armoured vehicles, support weapons and elite troops are all the superior of anything produced by other species . Every starship produced by the Forges of the Star Realm is the equal of the warships produced by the GCPS in terms of armour and durability, including their mining and exploration ships . Unlike the Asterians, the Forge Fathers do not favour sleek or aesthetically pleasing lines in their spacecraft, finding beauty in the functional shapes of their slab-sided vessels, and the intricacy of their drives, weapons and internal systems . This is not to say that Forge Father ships are ugly – they are often tooled with elaborate decoration in the form of carvings and clan markings, but they retain a shape which speaks purely to whatever function they are built for . Forge Father warships are lethal, with virtually impenetrable armour and devastating weaponry . The only response to a Forge Father battlefleet that will result in survival is retreat, and even the Wyverns of the Enforcers would not be able to go toe to toe with the Forge Fathers in a fleet engagement .

Artisans and engineers without peer, the Forge Fathers are one of the few alien races to maintain their own independence from the GCPS . Traditional and dour by nature, they are nevertheless known to produce their fair share of rebellious sons and daughters . It is these ‘Brokkrs’ who are often encountered in Deadzones .


All of this, coupled with their own physical resilience and unyielding attitude, means that it is an unfortunate adversary indeed that finds itself in conflict with the Forge Fathers . They are easily able to crush most opponents, and though they are neither militaristic nor sentimental as a race, their sagas are rich with many tales of the swift and decisive ends that were met by those who sought to antagonise them .

The BrokkrsThe Forge Fathers most often encountered by humans are those known as ‘Brokkrs’ . These individuals merit the following entry in the vast datastacks of Corporation Central:

“The lowest caste of Forge Father society, Brokkrs are a working class made up of miners and scrappers . Brash and uncouth, they are looked down upon by the more civilised elements of their race .”

Where this information was gleaned is unclear; potential possibilities include a deliberate attempt at misinformation by agents of the Forge Father race, or a simple misunderstanding of a drunken conversation in a bar of ill-repute . Whatever the source, this statement is very far from the truth . Though it is indeed the case that Forge Father society is highly stratified, with various levels and ‘castes’, Brokkrs are not in fact one of them .

Brokkrs were originally a separate clan of the Forge Fathers – one that took the unprecedented step of flouting several of the traditions of the Forge Father race, setting themselves up in a system at the very edge of the Star Realm . This clan – Clan Brokkvalheim – was headed by those who had grown tired of the hidebound nature of their people and wished to experiment with new ideas and new ways of doing things . There was a whole galaxy out there, they argued, and it was ripe for exploration and harvest . They should be bartering with other races, sharing new ideas and technology and moving their race forward in the burgeoning galactic civilisation . They were shouted down, cursed and disowned by the other clans, and so they went to the Hlessig system and made their new holds .

But all did not go well . Without their reliance on the age-old truths of the forge, their civilisation was not as stable as it could be . They mixed freely with aliens, trusting where they should not and losing out badly because of it . Their holds quickly descended into anarchy, with every dwarf looking out only for himself, nobody having any of the sense of duty or tradition that might have prevented this . Within only two centuries, the last of the Brokkvalheim holds was reduced to wrack and ruin, and the last remnants of the clan fled back to their cousins deeper within the Star Realm . To say that they received a less than enthusiastic welcome would be an understatement . However, they retained assets and valuable knowledge and gradually, various splinters of the Brokkvalheim clan integrated themselves into other clans within the realm . Becoming known as ‘Brokkrs’, they retained their sense of independence, never quite fitting in with their traditional cousins .

As the generations have passed, the Brokkrs have become that which every clan needs in an ever-evolving galactic order . They are the merchants and scrappers .

They are explorers and adventurers, always looking for a new enterprise, always willing to take a chance on a new territory . As much as Forge Father society needs its engineers, warriors and Huscarls, it also needs pioneers, now more than ever . The ferocious and rapid expansionism of the GCPS has meant that the Forge Fathers must now recognise the need to compete for resources more than ever before . Occasionally, they must even cross swords with the GCPS in order to do so, and this is where the Brokkrs are most useful .

Since the first contact between the GCPS and the Star Realm, a tense state of détente has existed . It is in the interests of neither party to declare war upon the other – the Forge Fathers are a relatively small civilisation compared to the GCPS, and have no real interest in Empire-Building, only mining and resource acquisition . The GCPS, for its part, covets the extremely advanced technology and weaponry that the Forge Fathers produce, while simultaneously being mindful of the heavy losses it would incur in direct conflict with the owners of those weapons . In a galaxy of countless alien civilisations brought to heel by humanity through military might, trickery or simple colonialism, the Forge Fathers retain a unique position, being neither at war with the GCPS, nor enfolded within it .

In order that this position be maintained, the clan lords of the Forge Fathers are anxious that they do not make any move for resources that the GCPS may deem hostile Whereas they are in no doubt as to their own martial superiority, they have witnessed the lengths that the GCPS will go to . The Forge Fathers are wise enough to recognise that victory at the expense of a significant proportion of their own citizens would be no victory at all . No officially sanctioned fleet of the Star Realm could therefore ever be allowed to come into open conflict with a Corporate fleet for control of any territory, for fear of the repercussions . However, a Brokkr fleet, small and independent and composed in the main by the ‘lowest caste in Forge Father society’ may easily be explained away as a simple ‘loose cannon’, operating independently of the clans themselves . If they should happen to be backed by elements of Forge Guard, or even an Iron Ancestor or two, well – the Brokkrs are known to have deep pockets after all . There is no reason why suspicion should ever fall upon the Clan Lords themselves .

And thus is the uneasy peace between the Star Realm and the GCPS maintained, the humans ignorant of the fact that the very arms and equipment that the Clans grudgingly sell onto them are often forged from materials stolen from under their own noses . That these arms and equipment remain inferior to those employed by the armies of the Clans themselves is just one more irony that the Forge Fathers can enjoy . For their part, the Brokkrs are happy enough . They are able to do what they do best, adventuring across space and grabbing the very best resources they can with little interference from the fussiness and tradition of the Clan Lords themselves . It is perhaps not quite the independence that their ancestors sought all those centuries ago, but for now, it will do .


“Tougher than a Forge Guard’s codpiece!” – common vulgarism amongst Brokkrs

The armour worn by the elite warriors known as the Forge Guard epitomises the qualities that set the Forge Fathers apart from other races . Fully enclosing its wearer, the armour provides a complete suite of life support, targeting and environmental data systems and combines them with the strength and protection of an armoured vehicle . The armour is capable of protecting its occupant from extremes of temperature and environment, and its sophisticated onboard systems will even allow them to operate underwater or in the hard vacuum of deep space for limited periods . The original design was for miners operating in frontier environments, but has been modified heavily to make the warplate seen today .

A variety of weapon systems are employed, depending on the tactical requirements of the given mission . Standard armament is a Hailstorm rifle – capable of discharging a volley of shells at a high enough velocity to shred durasteel, and a Forge Hammer – a weapon which discharges a seismic pulse on impact, shattering armour and pulping organic matter . The rifle is physically bonded to the armour at the wrist, allowing the wearer to fire using impulse-based systems, whilst leaving the hand free if required . The armour’s capacity allows it to carry sufficient rounds for prolonged firing, ensuring that the wearer need never worry about running out of ammunition in the middle of a firefight .

The rifle can be replaced with a Hailstorm Autocannon for heavier fire support, or alternatively supplemented with a shoulder mounted missile launcher for operations where enemy armour is expected .

The Forge Guard are expected to operate in the fiercest parts of the battlefield, storming breaches in enemy fortifications, acting as fire points for defences and generally getting into harm’s way . Their armour is designed to keep them alive in these situations for far longer than would otherwise be the case . In the tight urban environments of a Deadzone, facing off against often unknown and unclassifiable varieties of enemy, they are perfectly suited to the task .

The Clan Lords will often assign members of their Forge Guard to accompany Brokkrs on their ‘expeditions’ to planets sealed off by Containment Protocol . The warriors will serve as the personal retinue of the chief Brokkr, executing his orders with ruthless efficiency . If captured, they will deny any involvement of the Star Realm itself, identifying themselves as the devoted servants of a rogue merchant and nothing more . It is a thankless and dangerous duty, but one that these stalwart elites undertake with the same grim determination as they do any other task .

FORGE GUARD ARMOUR

Despite the best efforts of Eighth Directorate operatives, the GCPS has little to no understanding of Forge Father language and customs . This means that the designations given to Forge Father weaponry and equipment are often inaccurate to a greater or lesser degree . A salient example is the Forge Hammer, known to corporate forces as the ‘Heat Hammer’ . The literal translation from the original Forge Father tongue is impossible as it does not scan properly into Galactic Standard, but the nearest approximation would be ‘Extension of the Dwarf which shall accompany him to the flames of the forge, the heat of combat and the pyres of his burial, returning with him to ash’ . With all of the heat references, corporate translators simply named it the ‘heat hammer’, entirely missing the nuance of the naming convention .


Brokkrs occupy a unique strata all their own within Forge Father society . Descendants of a Clan that strayed too far from the true path, they are now scattered throughout the Star Realm, each hold having a small population of Brokkrs to call its own .

Brokkrs are very different from the rest of their brethren . Forge Fathers are generally given to be taciturn and gruff, where Brokkrs are talkative and possessed of a sense of humour, albeit a grim one . Forge Fathers will tend to take the slow path, ensuring that every single element is just so, before proceeding onwards – this being why they are so renowned as artisans and craftsmen . Brokkrs are less concerned with perfection – as long as the job is done, they are happy . This should not be confused with sloppiness – indeed, what to a Forge father would be considered rushed would still by human standards be a work of exacting perfection .

They are also more given to emotion than the rest of their kin, and it is perhaps this more than anything else that sets them apart . Forge Fathers in general are cold, calculating and ruthless . They have glacial patience, and a strong hold on what they view as their ‘baser’ emotions – all save their lust for wealth . Brokkrs are very different . Quick to anger and quick to laugh, they are known for their fiery and somewhat unpredictable temperament . It is that temperament most of all that prevents them from achieving the heights of craftsmanship of their fellows . One must temper the fire that resides within, honing it to produce the strongest and best craft in the same way that one must focus the furnace flame to craft the finest blade .

Their remit is that of merchants and scrap dealers . They spread throughout the galaxy, harvesting raw materials wherever they find them, and gathering data on the GCPS and other alien powers in the process . The Star Realm in truth has little use for the trinkets that Brokkr fleets mostly retrieve, but the information is far more valuable . Though not expansionist by nature, the Forge Fathers recognise the inherent threat in the voracity of humanity’s appetite for conquest . The GCPS spreads like a virus, and its need for raw materials drives it ever onwards . Planets claimed by its corporations are then outside the reach of the Star Realm, including any artefacts or valuable minerals and ores that may be deposited there .

The Brokkrs represent the ideal solution, dropping into troubled areas and Deadzones and retrieving whatever they can before leaving . If the planet is deemed especially valuable, it will be earmarked for future expeditions by the Star Realm . In truth, the humans are vastly inferior to the Forge Fathers in their techniques of mining and the Clan Lords well know that a planet deemed completely exploited by the GCPS will still yield them plentiful bounty in the future . All they must do is wait, and time is something that they will always have on their side .

BROKKRS


‘NUTCRACKER’ INFERNO DRILL

The Inferno Drill is a high focus industrial strength mining laser . Batteries of these devices are mounted to the underside of Forge Father mining ships, and can be used to quickly and precisely drill out deep seams in even the most robust bedrocks . For surface mining, the same laser is mounted to a caterpillar tracked tractor unit, allowing it to be driven into awkward terrain and down into a tunnel itself, moving methodically and thoroughly and with great precision . These units can achieve the same as several individual miners carrying portable lasers, and the tradeoff in speed and agility is seen as more than worth the saving in manpower and risk . The Brokkrs informally refer to this unit as ‘The Nutcracker’in their usual vulgar way .

The unit is very specifically designed with the practicalities of mining first and foremost in mind, and on first glance is of little practical use in a military application . The track unit is slow and clumsy, designed for conventional civilian mining operations . Its manoeuvrability is limited and it is controlled by a crude remote system which allows very little in the way of quick or delicate adjustment . In a confined environment however, this becomes less of a problem, as the firepower available more than offsets its limited manueverability . The focus and power of the laser is such that it can fire on distant targets with pinpoint

accuracy, and it will burn through most armour with ease . Anything which is not immediately destroyed by the devastating power of the initial shot will usually catch fire as the molecules of the target are excited to a massive degree . Like the Forge Fathers themselves, it is a weapon which is slow, deliberate but utterly devastating in its effect .

Brokkr crews operating on the Frontier will usually bring at least one Nutcracker to the surface with them as standard, reasoning that it will see use either as a support weapon or a means of grabbing some loot by mining or other less traditional means . It has not escaped their notice for example, that the materials used by the GCPS to construct most of the hab modules along the Fifth Sphere are particularly susceptible to a quick blast from an Inferno Drill, meaning that a crew equipped with one will find very few doors closed to them as they investigate the area . Though the Star Realm doesn’t condone the theft of resources from the GCPS in any way, they cannot possibly be held accountable for what individual Brokkrs elect to do in the field . The fact that often, it is not just material wealth but important data that can be recovered from these ‘unsanctioned diversions’ probably helps a great deal as well .


Brokkrs are well known for their love of explosives – another reason why they are unwelcome in the highly disciplined atmosphere of the Forge . Nowhere is this tendency better expressed than in the ‘Frag-Ramm’ . Based on the Remote Automated Mine Mapping device utilised by the Forge Fathers in exploring new seams of ore, the Brokkrs remove almost all of the sophisticated onboard suite of sensors and replace them with a low mass, high yield fragmentation warhead . The camera is retained, to enable the Brokkr operator to guide the Frag-Ramm accurately to its target destination .

Their small size and steady movement rate can make them difficult to make out as they trundle towards their target, making them an ideal weapon to surprise the enemy . They are precisely the sort of weapon that the armies of the Clans would thoroughly disapprove of, being underhand in their operation and highly indiscriminate in their effect once deployed . They are

– to put it in the terms of the Forge Fathers themselves –inelegant weapons, not fitting of the dignity of the Star Realm in their operation .

Brokkrs tinker endlessly with explosives, always looking to make the largest possible explosion for the smallest amount of materials . After all, when out on the frontier, one never knows when resupply will occur, or just how many needs for explosives one will encounter (Brokkrs being fond of solving all sorts of problems with explosions) . The destructive power contained within the customised warhead of a Frag-Ramm is therefore such that it will explode with the force of several powerful infantry grenades, literally blowing away all targets in the immediate area of effect and showering them with a lethal hail of shrapnel .

FRAG-RAMM


The strong sense of individuality and improvisation that dominates the way of thinking of Brokkrs makes them largely unsuitable for military service within the armies of the Clan Lords . These armies are founded on the keen sense of discipline, traditionalism and patience that underpin the very way of life of the Forge, acting together as one cohesive unit . The Forge Fathers fight like they do everything else – slowly, methodically and precisely, and when their forces hit, it is akin to the precise swing of a craft hammer striking the anvil .

However, ensuring that force is applied properly and at precisely the right place requires the very best forward reconnaissance and intelligence gathering . Mounted on armoured and heavily armed motorbikes, Brokkrs are ideally suited to this task . Ranging forward of the main army on their own or in small groups, these ‘Valkyr’ (named for the winged warriors of ancient Dwarf myth) function as outriders, scouting the land, gathering information on enemy dispositions and undertaking small lightning raids on outlying enemy positions at their own discretion . The level of autonomy from the chain of command necessary for such a function suits the Brokkr mentality perfectly, and many have risen to become minor heroes in their own right .

When operating in a Deadzone, Brokkrs often require fast and accurate assessment of an area before they can commit to it . If they were to be bogged down in a protracted firefight with superior numbers of enemy forces, or trapped by the nature of the local topography, they would be potentially quickly overwhelmed . For this reason, most Brokkr teams operating in Containment Protocol areas will employ the services of at least one Valkyr to ensure that they remain ahead of the game . The bikes employed by Valkyrs in the open field are bulky and heavily armoured, and would suffer in the tightly enclosed spaces of a city . To fight in these urban areas, the Valkyrs will generally utilise re-purposed civilian bikes, which are smaller and more agile, designed for the purpose of navigating the urban sprawl . The Brokkrs will attach weapons and additional armour as best they can, but the bikes used by Valkyrs in a Deadzone are a poor shadow of their military-grade counterarts . In the last resort, the mobile firepower that a Valkyr brings can make the difference between success and defeat, enabling them to quickly outflank an enemy force and pin them down with supporting fire from their twin mounted Hailstorm rifles .

VALKYR


IRON ANCESTOR

Dwarfs are possessed of an incredible lifespan as compared to humans . Precisely how long they can live is unknown to outsiders, but figures of a thousand years and more have been heard by various GCPS agents . Whatever the truth, like any other race, they do succumb to the vagaries of old age, becoming weaker and more infirm as they get ever older . Unlike humans, Forge Father society venerates the aged, recognising their great wisdom and skill, and elevating them to a status far above the rest of their people . Such wisdom is of course welcome in the military, which prides itself on its adherence to traditional doctrines which have served the Star Realm well in the many thousands of years of its existence . Of course even Forge Fathers must concede that, after a time, the physical usefulness of the warrior lessens as the years advance . This is where the Iron Ancestors come in .

At its most fundamental level, the Iron Ancestor is an advanced suit of armour, albeit one an order of magnitude removed from the suits worn by the Forge Guard . However, an Iron Ancestor is so much more . Built by the very finest artisans of a society which is renowned throughout the galaxy for its craftsmanship, these suits are designed not so much to be worn, as to be fully integrated with their pilot . Incalculably complex systems make up a full techno-organic interface with the pilot, meaning that their every mental impulse is translated almost flawlessly into the mechanical movements of the armour itself . Literally, the pilot will

‘feel’ the imperfections of the ground beneath the feet of his armour . To compare these suits to the ‘Striders’ of the Corporation would be akin to comparing the very finest bionic limb with a simple wooden stump .

Thus the very oldest and wisest of warriors may continue to serve usefully and with distinction far past their physical prime, their great intellect and experience married to an unparalleled physical capacity . In a Deadzone, the usefulness of an iron Ancestor is obvious, their thick armour, immense stature and complex gyroscopic balancing systems making them ideal for the complex urban environs found there . Immune to most infantry-portable weaponry, they are able to do the work of a whole squad of Forge Guard in half the time . Though rarely attached to Brokkr teams (their obvious value both physically and spiritually making them prized assets), it is not unheard of for one or more ‘Urban Pattern’ modified Iron Ancestors to make the journey to a planet sealed off by Containment Protocol to assist the mission there . This variant packs a Plasma Vortex Cannon – a short range weapon with explosive effects, and a Rending Claw – a hydraulic, monstrously powerful close combat weapon equally capable of dextrous gestures and tearing chunks of armour plate from tanks . If nothing else, they serve as an assurance of keeping the Brokkrs in line – even these hot-tempered and brash individuals will think twice before arguing with the wisdom of an elder venerable enough to have become a living ancestor!


14 14 - INCURSION

Skarn Hammerhand cursed for the thousandth time as his boots slipped in the muck beneath them, and he went down to one knee in the filth . Even through the filters of his breather mask, the stench was overpowering – the ammonia and methane combining to create an aroma that lodged in the sinuses and refused to clear . He was quite sure that even a full rad scrub would never get rid of the smell . Humans, they had no pride in themselves at all, digging these primitive little tunnels and offloading their waste through simple pipe work that opened directly into them . It was all rushed, bolted together in the quickest time possible so that they could get on with the important job of stripping a planet of its resources .

Not that he felt much pride himself at that moment . When he had first been assigned this task by the Guard commander of his clan, he had been quietly optimistic . The mission to Nexus Psi had seemed a good one – reports indicated that some terrible fate had befallen the world, the Enforcers had barricaded the place and rumour had it that they had wiped it from the GCPS maps . Anything fearsome enough to warrant a full Enforcer intervention was bound to be a challenge . Whatever trinkets the Brokkrs wanted there didn’t concern him . The long years of forced peace with the GCPS grated on him – the opportunity to take the field against whatever threat was serious enough to warrant the Enforcers was too good to miss . The opportunity to fight the Enforcers too, doubly so .

What he hadn‘t envisioned was this, trudging through the slazz and shek of the human settlers, slinking in the shadows like some kind of tunnel rat, stripped of his armour and its comforting weight and solidity . There was no glory in this . A leather gauntlet appeared in his field of vision, and he grabbed it, hearing Braafi’s grunt as he took the strain of hauling him to his feet .

“No time for rest now, commander .”

Skarn heard the grin in his old friend’s voice and bit back the angry retort which pressed on his tongue . They had been through much together over the years, and it wasn’t his old comrade in arms that he was annoyed at right now .

“Just waiting for you to catch me up”, he said instead, before turning and continuing on his way .

Up ahead, Brann Varakkson was stood

looking at a small waste pool . He seemed lost in the sight, Skarn’s lamp pack playing across his face without him so much as blinking . In profile, his silhouette still looked odd to Skarn . His shaven head was mis-shapen – doubtless the result of some careless accident, and he had a crooked nose that spoke to having been broken a good many times . To Skarn, the Brokkr looked more alien than Dwarf . He was muttering something to himself as Skarn approached him .

“Do you see that?”

Skarn frowned under the mask at the question . He’d never had close contact with a Brokkr before, and the two weeks so far in the company of Brann hadn’t done much to improve his impression of them . For one thing, the Brokkr prattled endlessly, and always seemed on edge, his brain unable to settle to one thing for any length of time . Like now . Stuck in a human sewer, he was stood staring at a puddle, mesmerised by the ripples spreading out along its surface as drops of moisture struck it .

“It’s a puddle . What exactly am I –“

Even as he spoke, he saw it . In an unspoken moment of understanding, the revelation of what the Brokkr had been staring at struck him like a hammerblow .

There were no moisture drops .

Something was vibrating through the tunnels . It had to be a very long way away for him not to have noticed the tremors . It also had to be very big to be making that impression all that distance away .

“Maintenance bot?”

The old Brokkr turned to look at him with a gleam in his eye .

“It’s too rhythmic to be natural . It’s some kid of construct alright, but it’s not moving around - my money would be on an excavation team . They’re digging for something somewhere .”

“What would humans be digging around in their own waste to find?”

Skarn cursed inwardly as Braafi asked the question he’d been carefully avoiding . They didn’t need this kind of distraction . They had a simple task and a finite amount of time in which to achieve it . On the surface, the rest of the strike force was waiting for them to cut the power to the perimeter defences

of the settlement above their heads . The longer they were down here, the more risk their comrades might be discovered, exposed as they were up there .

“Isn’t it something that we could look at once we’ve done what we came here for?” he tried, reasonably .

The look on Brann’s face gave him all the answer he needed . The old Brokkr drew himself up with what he no doubt thought was a dignified air, and set his face .

“There’s no harm in taking a look . It’ll be useful to know . The clan lords will want to be aware of anything that the humans might have found .”

That decided it then . Thanks Braafi, he thought .

They’d extinguished the lamp packs as they drew closer to the vibrations, and Skarn and Braafi had both drawn their burst pistols . The weapon felt painfully small in his hand, like a child’s toy, and he thought with longing of the vambrace-mounted Hailstorm rifle of his Forge Guard Armour, left behind for this stealth mission . As they approached, they could distinguish the rattling clank of machinery, operating in a steady mechanical rhythm just as the old Brokkr had said . But there was something wrong in it all . No other sounds permeated . In Skarn’s experience, humans didn’t do anything in silence . It simply went against their nature . They were such an aggressive, pushy culture, and like the Brokkrs, they were not in the habit of doing much quietly . The machinery didn’t sound quite right either . To one trained at the Forge as Skarn was, it sounded almost sickly, as if something was very wrong with some small but fundamental part of the engine .

Up ahead, a light could be seen, and they hunkered lower still, approaching at a crawl . Reaching the entrance to the chamber, Skarn reached out a hand to grab the Brokkr, pulling him back into the shadows .

“We’ll take a look first sir”, he bit out he last word, still feeling unfamiliar on his tongue, “we’ll check it out and let you know if everything is clear .”

For a moment, Brann looked as though he might argue, but then he relaxed with a nod and drew back . Skarn turned to Braafi and they shared a brief moment

Order of Prioritiesby Greg D Smith


INCURSION - 15

of eye contact . Countless years of serving together meant that no words were needed, and they took their places either side of the entrance in silence . Both lowered the glare goggles that Skarn was glad now that the old Brokkr had insisted on in case any welding was required . At the time, the notion had seemed as barmy as everything else the old goat came out with, but here, stripped of the glare suppressors and various other comforts of his armour, he saw the sense . He rested a hand on Braafi’s shoulder in the darkness, counting down with taps of his stubby fingers . Five, four, three, two, one .

They both rounded the corner, weapons up . The sudden glare of light in the chamber after so long in the pitch dark was countered by the goggles, but still the sight that greeted them stopped both in their tracks .

The chamber did indeed contain mining equipment, though what had been the focus of the digging was not clear . Sitting atop a tracked assembly, a large and crude circular mining apparatus spun on, the buckets surrounding it churning uselessly at fresh air, the hole it had dug lying several inches away from their bite . Around the chamber were mining hoppers loaded with earth, some of which had been toppled, spilling their cargo in untidy spoil heaps . Several holes showed in the mining rig itself, sparks flashing from severed wires and damaged control boards . All of these details were odd, but by far the most peculiar thing was that, as far as he could see, they were the only two living things in the chamber . There was no sign of any of the crew . It was for all the world as if they had simply dropped their tools where they stood and wandered off .

“Shut it off” he pointed to the rig, and Braafi nodded, heading for the control panel .

He turned to fetch the Brokkr, only to find him already entering the chamber, eyes wide with childlike glee as he saw the tableau laid out before him . Skarn could see the cogs turning in Brann’s head as he weighed up the scrap value of the equipment before them, as well as any remnants of whatever they had been digging to find . As Braafi hit the controls, the digger powered down with a whine of dying electrics and a final whooshing hiss of relaxed pneumatics . A silence descended on the chamber broken only by the feverish muttering of the Brokkr as he waddled around the chamber, sizing up his prize .

Something caught Skarn’s eye as he stood staring into the void excavated by the machine, and he took out his lamp

pack, shining it down into the dark . Something glinted amongst the earth down there . Something metallic, with a straight edge which belied its artificial origin . It looked as though the blades of the excavator buckets had struck it, a large crack showing in the edge he could see . He squinted, trying to make out more detail .

A sound from behind swung him around, his pistol raised . In the silence, he could have sworn he had heard the scuff of a pebble being disturbed by a footstep . Looking across the chamber, he saw that Braafi must have heard it too, the other Dwarf’s gun also raised and pointing out towards the entrance . He strained his ears, willing the noise to come again .

“Do you see that?”

The sudden voice of the Brokkr in the silence broke the tension like a bubble bursting, and Skarn turned to see what had distracted him now . Again, he was staring fixated at a small puddle of fluid . Skarn walked over to him, gun still grasped firmly in his hand . As he approached, he saw that it wasn’t water, nor indeed lubricant . It had a deep, dark colour, flashing black under the floodlights of the chamber . It was blood . And in the same instant, he realised that it was not the fluid itself which was so captivating Brann, but what was happening to it – small ripples spreading outwards in concentric circles in an irregular rhythm .

Braafi’s shout spun him around in time to see the beast charge out of the darkness . Easily the height of three Dwarfs, it unleashed a roar of primal fury as it came, the sound resonating deep in Skarn’s gut . Behind it, a flood of human sized creatures followed, the scraps of their mining fatigues still clinging to distorted, grotesque frames . So that was what had happened to this damned place .

Braafi was already firing at the big beast as Skarn shoved the Brokkr down behind an overturned hopper and took a knee, steadying his own aim . There were too many of them, and not a hope of getting out alive . He felt trapped and naked without his armour, grimacing at the feeble recoil of the pistol as it coughed rounds which bounced ineffectively from the bony plates of the big beast’s carapace .

A shout from behind him that was almost the equal in volume and intensity to the roar of the beast made him jump, and a blur of movement went sailing past him towards it . The blur hit the beast head-on with a sickening crack of bone and tearing muscle, and resolved

itself into Brann . The old Brokkr was swinging his hammer, already following up with a second blow that connected under the chin of the stunned beast, lifting it inches from the ground and depositing it on its back several feet from the old Dwarf . Skarn just stared, open mouthed as Brann continued to roar, flecks of foamy spittle spraying from his lips as he wove the hammer in an intricate figure eight pattern, always spinning . The pack, having seen their leader so unceremoniously felled, hung back, unsure of themselves, and Brann paused to look back into Skarn’s incredulous gaze and silently working mouth .

“We don’t have all day you know young ‘un . Stop jabbering away to yourself and get stuck in!”

Skarn became suddenly incredibly aware of how stupidly dumbfounded he must look, and closed his mouth . Throwing the pistol down in disgust, he reached down and picked up a heavy gauge wrench that had been discarded in the previous struggle . He felt ashamed, cheeks burning as he looked at the Brokkr, as denuded of armour as he, standing and fearlessly facing down the Plague with nought but a plain hammer . He yelled the ancient challenge of his clan and barrelled forwards, charging into the crowd of human sized creatures . He laid about himself left and right, noting with satisfaction that Braafi had joined him, wielding some kind of human digging tool which looked absurdly lightweight in his thick Dwarf hands . Within minutes, the last of the creatures was down, and they paused, breathing heavily . Skarn suddenly noticed that Brann was nowhere to be seen, and panic seized him for a second as he cast around for a body, before a familiar sound reached him through the haze of blood still rushing through his ears .

He turned to see the Brokkr, whistling away in that damned tuneless way of his as he stripped the digging machine . Judging by the extent of the dismantling done already, he’d been at it for at least ten minutes . Skarn stomped over to him, and for the second time that day the old Brokkr stopped him in his tracks with a single sentence . Looking up and starting as if seeing him for the first time, Brann’s eyes alighted on his hand and lit up .

“Perfect Young Skarn, that’s just the wrench I needed – hand it over now, there’s a lad .”




Perfection of Balance To the outside universe, the Asterians are an enigma . Preferring to remain distant from the affairs of other races, they are often seen as aloof and arrogant, though the truth is altogether more complex . It is not that the Asterians necessarily see themselves as superior to other races, but simply that their own philosophies and beliefs are so far removed from those of others that they see little merit in mixing with them .

In appearance, Asterians are vaguely similar to a human, though generally taller and more slender with far richer and more vibrant colouring to their complexion . Their appearance tends to cause discomfort in humans, their features at once unsettlingly familiar and utterly alien . They move with a graceful fluidity, and their speech is gentle and melodic in its pitch, tone and construction . Like the Forge Fathers, they are long-lived and possessed of incredible technological expertise, though their own technology tends to be simpler and lacking the ostentation displayed by that of the Star Realm .

As one of the oldest races within the galaxy, the Asterians traditionally held a long view of the order of existence bettered perhaps only by the Prax themselves . They saw life as an endless quest for the perfection of balance, and strove to attain this state in all aspects . To an Asterian, balance was the one true goal in life . Their philosophy, culture and social mores were all shaped by, and focussed on this one simple fact . They used their own technological expertise to utterly control every aspect of their existence, from their own personal routines to the very cities in which they lived to a degree unimaginable to a human mind .

Having successfully ordered the affairs of their own homeworld, Asteria Prime, the Asterians began to spread out organically to the surrounding planets and solar systems . Unlike other races, the Asterians never attempted to force a new planet to be suitable for inhabitation . Those which were suitable were settled in the same way as their homeworld . Those which were populated by intelligent species already were avoided, leaving them to develop at their own pace and perpetuate the cosmic balance uninterrupted . Where a planet was neither inhabitable nor inhabited, it was often surrounded by one of their greatest achievements – orbiting cities the size of continents, providing living space for their race and allowing access to whatever resources could be drawn from the planet without disturbing its own natural balance . In this way, the Asterian realm grew in a very irregular and almost

haphazard fashion when compared to the empires of other, more aggressive races, and it was for this reason that the Asterians managed to avoid contact or conflict with the emergent GCPS for as long as it did .

Around a century ago, as the GCPS pushed its boundaries further out into the galaxy, the Asterians finally encountered humanity . To a race with a philosophy focused on the harmonic flow of the universe, humanity with its insistence on constant expansion and consumption with no apparent thought to the wider implications and consequences of its actions, was an utter anathema . The majority of Asterians were appalled by what they saw as a thoughtless race of primitives rampaging through the galaxy, and resolved to have as little as possible to do with this new species . Those who saw the humans differently formed a whole new subset of the Asterian people – one that would co-exist peacefully with their fellows, but whose path would be very different . It is these ‘Tu’var ho Kalysh’ or ‘Kalyshi’ who are best known to humans throughout the GCPS as players of Dreadball and its underground equivalent .

As the GCPS pushed further outwards, it grew from a minor irritant to an imminent threat . Quite by accident, humanity blundered into the realm of space known as the ‘Death Arc’ . A natural border to the outer edges of the Asterian Realm, the Death Arc consisted of a number of planets littered with the crumbling remains of long extinct civilisations . These planets had been actively avoided by the Asterians for centuries – they being only too aware of the dangers that lurked there . The Corporations – as is their way – were blind to any such danger, seeing only the opportunity for expansion and profit .

Initially, the Asterian rulers resolved to leave humanity to find out the hard way why they should leave these planets alone, trusting to the universe to provide balance as always . They watched as the fleets of several Corporations touched down on worlds which had been wiped clean by the Scourge . They observed the horror that unfolded amongst the humans as they inevitably disturbed the very mechanisms that had been put in place to contain it . They relaxed as humanity fled the planets and its rulers saw fit to quarantine the areas in their own crude ways . Mistakenly, they believed that this would be the end of the matter, and celebrated the deliverance of order by the universe .

But the riches and potential living space represented by planets within the Arc were too much to resist, and gradually the Council of Seven began to leave the

18 18 - INCURSION

One of the more enigmatic races encountered within the galaxy, the Asterians remain distant from other races, resisting overtures of peace and unity from the GCPS with an attitude which borders on arrogance . None can say what the goals of these most mysterious of aliens are, and the sophisticated stealth technology they routinely employ means that it is difficult to know where they are unless they want you to .


Corporations to explore at their own risk . Whenever an outbreak of the Scourge was triggered, they would simply quarantine the specific world in question, content to let thousands die in the area and wipe it from all records in order to continue encouraging the expansion of the territories of the GCPS . The Asterians despaired - they could not countenance the spread of the Scourge into the galaxy at large once more . Their ancestors had fought so long and so hard to contain it and they knew that more direct measures were required . Thus, the cypher orders – known as the Clades - were dispatched to the Death Arc to oversee its purification . Such is the size of the Death Arc that each of the Clades maintains a permanent presence there, their small fleets scattered throughout the area . They lie dormant, sometimes for decades, invisible in their stealth craft, always ready for the call to action . Sometimes, this action will be straightforward – a human settled planet at the edge of the GCPS will be quarantined and a Clade Strike Team will infiltrate to the surface . Once they have assured themselves that the Scourge is not the issue they will exfiltrate with the Enforcers none the wiser to their presence . On darker days, the very cause of the quarantine will be an outbreak of the Scourge . It is at these times that the Clades must act swiftly to try and avoid the spread of the contagion . They will deploy to the surface in force to ensure that all trace of the Scourge is destroyed and the source of the contagion located and neutralised .

Military DoctrineTraditionally, military capability was seen as a necessary evil by the Asterian people . It is a hostile universe, and as much as they abhorred the taking or loss of life, they were able to recognise that conflict with other races was occasionally inevitable . For example, some races encountered on planets they became aware of would not remain idle once they discovered this ‘alien’ threat . Some races were simply warlike by nature . Whatever the case, it was a universal truth that in order to maintain the balance of their own presence within the universe, the Asterians must be able to fight and defend themselves when necessary . Asterian military doctrine traditionally focused on the precise application of force required to bring a swift end to conflict and no more . Their weaponry was all focused in its lethality, allowing for minimal collateral damage and maximum effectiveness . ‘Noh’ energy weaponry is a typical example of this – the weapons using principles of matter acceleration and atomic destabilisation to literally focus beams on the target which dissolve its molecular bonds in moments, enabling the swift neutralisation of the target with none of the risks of ‘splash damage’ associated with the more primitive laser and solid-shot weaponry of other races .

The Cyphers represent the ultimate solution to the question of enabling the Asterians to have eyes on the ground without having to put lives at risk . It is a solution that was developed over a long period of time, beginning with the earliest form of battlefield drone – mechanical puppets controlled by remote from orbit .

The Asterians quickly came to realise that no matter how sophisticated they made their drones, they would never be able to match the battlefield awareness and immersion that the soldiers of other races they faced were capable of . This led to inefficiency, with conflicts lasting longer, and having wider impact, than the ideal of balance would allow for .

The Cypher Clades excel in performing the kind of missions required in the Death Arc . The physical remove of the operator from the combat zone means that in the case of a Scourge contagion, the risk of contamination spreading to the Asterians themselves is practically zero . The Cyphers themselves lack sufficient biological components to be affected, and the Overseers who are present in the field understand the risks and will sacrifice themselves if it means the containment of this most lethal of perils .

A Clade will usually ghost into the orbit of the planet in question by stealth, avoiding the sensors of the Enforcer cordon and dropping the Strike teams direct to the surface . On the ground, the Strike Teams will attempt to avoid entanglement with human or other forces, preferring to simply concentrate on elimination of any contamination threat before withdrawal . However if forced, they are more than capable of taking on the best that any other race has to offer, their slight frames and delicate appearance belying their lethality on the battlefield .

Though details are sketchy to anyone outside their people, it seems that the ancestors of those who today call themselves Asterians sacrificed much to end the spread of the Scourge . The creation of the Death Arc would have been no small undertaking, and speaks to the sheer terror they must have felt at its spread . The Asterians themselves know that if it is impossible for the Clades to contain the Scourge on a planet, they have one final sanction left to instigate . Full military forces may be deployed, sufficient to entirely destroy a planet, and anything that still survives on its surface . Such damage to the universal balance is not a thing to be countenanced lightly . It is only the greater imbalance that the Scourge would impose on the galaxy unchecked that even allows this option to be considered . To date, such has been the dedication and efficiency of the Clades in discharging their duties, that this has not been necessary . Aside from the damage to the universal balance, there would be the very real prospect of total war with the GCPS and other factions as a consequence . The philosophers of the Kalyshi whisper darkly that use of this ultimate sanction is inevitable, and will form just one more verse in the discordant melody of balance within the galaxy . For now, the leaders of the Asterians choose to ignore them, trusting to the Clades to carry on protecting them from this fate .


Cyphers allow the skills of an Asterian warrior to be utilised to their fullest extent, without the need for placing that warrior directly in harm’s way . They are the pinnacle of Asterian symbiotic technology, and one of the most potent weapons seen by the GCPS .

A Cypher is a biomechanical construct – a sophisticated combat chassis with certain biological components which assist with the interface process required for its operation . Each cypher is remotely controlled – usually from low orbit - by a pilot through a total immersion interface which allows the pilot to see, hear and act through the Cypher as if it were his or her own body . The Asterians’ natural affinity for technology is such that Cyphers themselves are very easy to reproduce, though the process of bonding between pilot and Cypher – known as the Sokuru – is one that takes time and patience if it is to be truly effective .

The Cypher is a flexible and adaptable unit, capable of being armed for a variety of purposes, from simple ‘Noh’ energy pulse rifles to missile launchers and exotic gauntlet based weaponry . It allows the pilot to practice swift and deadly warfare with vastly reduced risk to their actual person, though the violent disconnect that occurs upon the ‘death’ of a Cypher in the field can still cause neurological damage or even death dependent on the circumstances . In the event of the functional destruction of a Cypher in the field, the units are fitted with a sophisticated self-destruct mechanism which will literally dissolve the various biological and mechanical components into a fine dust within moments, leaving behind no physical trace . Combined with the Drone units which can be configured to carry heavy support weaponry or defensive energy shields, Cyphers form an incisive and fast moving strike force .

Organisationally, the Cyphers are split into ‘Clades’ – functionally similar to the ‘regiments’ seen in the armies of other species . Each Clade will have its own distinctive colour scheme, incorporating the personal heraldry of its senior commander . The Clades are ancient and respected institutions within Asterian society, each with countless victories to its name . Even in a race as opposed to warfare as the Asterians, it was quickly recognised that the sacrifice the Clades made in the defence of the homeworlds was one deserving of celebration .

For preference, the Asterian race as a whole will avoid open armed conflict where possible, and experience has quickly taught them that avoiding human contact as much as they can is part of the key to this . However, the surge of expansionism that has driven humanity to the farthest reaches of known space brings its own problems . Humanity is apt to stumble over things best left alone, the Scourge being just one example . Where intervention is required for whatever reason, the Asterians prefer for it to be as discreet as possible . With the small numbers and rapid deployment offered by Cyphers, plus their lack of ‘footprint’, with casualties effectively removed without trace and deployment taking place from cloaked ships in orbit, the Clades are the ideal solution, and it is these hyper-efficient operatives that will be most often encountered in a Deadzone .

CYPHERS


For all the sophistication of the Cyphers, the highly regimented training they undergo, combined with the physical distance of pilots from the combat zone, means that the Cypher teams will lack the vital spark and adrenaline that the immediacy of direct combat brings . Regardless of how well drilled they may be, each Cypher pilot is aware of their remove from direct danger . As unpredictable as they are, the effectiveness of Kalyshi units has proven how valuable this direct contact can prove . Thus, the role of ‘Overseer’ was created .

Unlike the field commanders of other races, the duties of an Overseer are actually shared equally between the ranking officers of each Clade . On the eve of battle, the ranking officers will be assembled and lots drawn to establish who will take the role of Overseer for the coming fight . Though a highly honoured and respected role, it is not one that comes naturally, placing them as it does directly into harm’s way and in danger of wasting their own life, against every doctrine which has been drilled into them from birth . However, they recognise the mutual benefit to the Clade as a whole – in the instant battle, there will be a ranking presence with the added impetus of adrenaline and real-time combat experience to motivate their decision making in the face of the enemy, and the ever-present possibility of that role coming up from battle to battle means that the officers of the Clade itself remain that bit less detached than they might otherwise become . In this way, the visceral needs of combat are met, whilst the universal balance that is so essential is preserved .

In the field, an Overseer will stay close behind the front line of the offensive, where they can observe the ebb and flow of battle and remain motivated to perform to the highest possible standard . They are usually armed for close combat, with charge gloves and energy pulses similar to those wielded by close combat Cypher variants and the Bo-Shasha – a spear-like weapon which delivers a powerful charge to the target on contact . Their armour is of light but deceptively strong construction, allowing them as much range of movement as possible, and they are equipped with a personal energy shield to bolster their chances of survival in the discharge of their hazardous duties . Such is the effect of their years of combat experience and training, they are able to remain calm even under extreme stimulus, enabling them to channel the adrenaline rush of combat to motivate their cognitive function rather than freeze it .

Unlike other races, the death of a commander will not render the force useless, as all of the senior Cypher pilots will have adequate experience to assume control of the mission . It will however inevitably reduce the purity and effectiveness of the team in their mission, and it is for this reason that Cypher teams will protect their overseer with great ferocity, even at the tactical cost of their own function .

OVERSEER


Named for a flying predator native to Asteria Prime, the Black Talon is a highly specialised variant of the Cypher form, designed for rapid airborne deployment and fast moving assault . The unit has a sleek built in personal flight unit, similar in function to the jet-packs used by the Enforcers though much more sophisticated . This allows Black Talons to literally swoop around the battlefield, redeploying quickly and accurately, and able to surprise enemy units . Control of a Black Talon is even more demanding than a regular Cypher unit – their added manoeuvrability combined with the danger inherent to their battlefield role meaning that only the most gifted of pilots can hope to control them .

Armed with rapid-fire Noh-energy rifles, they are able to perform strafing runs across the battlefield, hold station above any target as required and react with lightning speed to cover their ground-based comrades . The armour is of course lighter than other marks of Cypher, to maximise its flight capability . This lightness is achieved at a significant cost to the thickness and tensile strength of the armour, which is reduced to account not only for the flight unit itself but also the additional combat wetware required to ensure the stability of the interface . The physical demands of the manoeuvres carried out by a Black Talon are so great that without these modifications, the user would suffer uncontrollable nausea feedback via the neural interface with the chassis’ biological components . This means that although they strike with deadly force, the Black Talons are a delicate blade, and a hit from enemy fire will generally result in a kill shot .

Black Talon pilots are all veterans of combat, usually having logged dozens of missions in their Clade before they can even undertake the training necessary to operate a Black Talon unit . The nature of their mission role is such that in smaller operations they will operate as individuals, forming teams of elites only in larger battles where numbers are required and this means that the role attracts a very specific personality type . Black Talon pilots are never required for Overseer duty – the very specific skills required mean that they become too subsumed in Cypher operation and unable to operate optimally in the field, where they would quickly become disoriented by the weight of their own bodies and armour, and at any rate, a fully trained and viable Black Talon pilot is far too valuable a commodity to waste . Though prevented by this from attaining leadership roles within the Clades, Black Talon pilots are nevertheless afforded a great deal of respect by their comrades and their superiors . Often a Cypher Prime or even an Overseer will consult with the Black Talons on matters of tactics and disposition before combat, and their opinions are always highly valued . Black Talons have no formal officer structure within their squads, all pilots being equal within their unit, and they are thus able to function optimally in battle individually and as a team, regardless of losses .

BLACK TALON


Requiring a Cypher or a trooper to deploy support weaponry sufficient to deal with larger enemy targets and armour would be a waste of resources within a Cypher Clade . Heavy weaponry or shield generator technology would slow these elements down, introducing a dissonant note into the song of the Cyphers . The solution is the Drone – a sophisticated, semi –autonomous robotic unit which operates in support of Cypher teams .

The drone is an adaptable base unit, operating on an anti-grav propulsion system and able to be fitted with a range of different options to suit the mission . Mostly, they will be armed with either heavy support weaponry such as the Noh-energy cannon or the Force Cannon or a defensive shield generator which produces an energy shield capable of protecting an entire squad of Cyphers from incoming projectile fire .

Because these drones are entirely automated, they are considered as disposable, and a common tactic for Asterian Cypher teams who are exiting the battlefield under heavy fire is to set the Drones to perform a final frontal attack on the enemy which culminates in the overload and detonation of the on-board miniature fusion power cell . Though this is a waste of a resource, it is seen as an acceptable cost in return for the retrieval of Cyphers and any live Asterian troops in the area .

WEAPON DRONES


Cypher Primes are the senior members of a Cypher Clade, with training and experience that sets them apart from their peers . When not engaged as the Overseer of a mission, Cypher Primes operate as subservient commanders within the force, analogous to squad leaders in human terms . With the policy of cycling overseer duty, Cypher Primes are some of the most well rounded warriors in the Clades . Their skills are balanced on the precise knife edge between maximum effectiveness in Cypher operation and total combat awareness . What other races might mistake for fearlessness is actually an unparalleled sense of the precise nature of their abilities .

Their Cyphers are equipped for close combat, wielding a Lightblade – a razor sharp sword with an edge microns-thick that can literally separate atoms . They are also fitted with improved energy shield generators, to protect them as they close with the enemy . Designed very much to lead from the front, Cypher Prime chassis are devastatingly effective close combat fighters, able to go toe-to-toe with the best warriors of any other race .

The time it takes for a Cypher Pilot to achieve Prime status is longer than the entire military career of the average human soldier . They have honed their craft over many, many long decades of service, becoming proficient in the art of killing swiftly, accurately and efficiently . Some become so lost within their path that they remain in the rank permanently, unable to find the balance which every Asterian must seek in any other role but combat . Though such rigid and permanent dedication to one aspect of life is anathema to the Asterian way, these Cypher Primes are afforded great respect, and indeed, some of the most decorated and lauded members of the Clades are those who take this path .

In rare cases, an Overseer may be deemed unnecessary, and a Cypher Prime will take active operational command of the force . This is usually the case in very small scale operations, or operations where maximum secrecy is required . In these cases, only Cyphers will be deployed, with no support drones or any other equipment available . These missions are the most dangerous of all, and only very senior Cypher Primes can be entrusted with them – the risk of having no living, breathing, immediate feedback in the field only countered by the very pinnacle of Cypher operators .

CYPHER PRIME


The Sky Razor is a sleek vehicle specially constructed to be piloted by a Cypher Unit on the battlefield . A pair of high energy jet propulsion units enable it to travel at high speed, while a sophisticated sensor suite fitted in the front cowling and hooked directly to the main senor suite of the Cypher unit gives it unparalleled battlefield awareness, which feeds back to the rest of the Clade in the field . It is utilised as a rapid response scout, able to respond to any emergent threat with ruthless speed and efficiency . Operating as mobile fire-suppression units, twinned Noh-energy blasters provide a rapid weight of fire to keep the enemy heads down while the rest of the force reacts as necessary .

More durable than a Black Talon, Sky Razors are still vulnerable if caught by a lucky shot, using their speed and armament to stay out of harm’s way as much as possible . Cypher pilots relish the additional mobility and firepower which a Sky Razor grants them, which they feel more than offsets the additional risk involved in their battlefield role . They are an invaluable part of a Cypher strike force, especially when facing superior enemy numbers, and a good Sky Razor pilot is a highly respected member of his Clade .

SKY RAZOR


26 26 - INCURSION

When the matter transmitter engaged, Kol Ho Minh’s world disintegrated into white noh-energy . Even if he had wanted to shut his eyes, he could not have for his eyes were gone, reduced to threads of potential . So Kol Ho Minh looked deep into the noh; there was nowhere else to look . It was strange, he thought, that such destructive potential could be so beautiful .

One expected a moment of unconsciousness, a moment of perfect blackness as one’s atoms were split and rearranged, transmuted and hurled across time and space, but there was not . Consciousness was without interruption . The theists had it that as the body was stripped away layer by layer, it exposed the naked soul to the scrutiny of the Universal Spirit . Kol Ho Minh was no theist, to him there was no great mind staring back at him from the swirling, infinitely replicated patterns of noh energy . What he did feel was at one with all, more than at any other time . That was the Universal Spirit to him – not a thinking being, but simply everything . And he was in it, indivisible from it . Transmission revealed that there was no death . It was a privilege to travel this way .

The journey lasted forever and no time at all . An instant and an aeon after he had stepped onto the platform at Juthran Ma Soon Dah, the noh patterns collapsed into themselves . His body was reassembled .

Humans had it that such transits destroyed the original, creating a copy . Their transmats were crude, so perhaps that was true for them . As far as Kol Ho Minh was concerned, the blink he had begun as he had stepped onto the platform was the same as the blink he finished as he rematerialised half a galaxy away . A perfect circle . Perfect Unity .

+++Arrival Gulfen Hang class nine infiltration cruiser+++ the platform AI told told him . +++100% successful transmission . Welcome back, Hai-San prime .+++ The machine sounded off the fifteen tones of arrival . A welcoming triad of technicians, two neuter males and a female, waited quietly while Kol Ho Minh performed the slow dance of thanks that properly accompanied them .

“This had better be important,” he said to them . “I am due to initiate

a fresh breeding triad . I informed the Tesseract that I was not to be disturbed until the business of propagation was concluded .”

The first neuter male bobbed the four movements of profound regret . The raw masculinity of true males like Kol Ho Minh intimidated many neuters, he was no different .

“My apologies, Hai-San Prime .”

“I was brought out of the contract preparation ceremonies .”

“I am ashamed, Hai-San, we thought it best if you saw for yourself . We will be swift . Please accompany us to the cypher dreaming chamber . It is this way .”

“I know the way,” said Kol Ho Minh .

The female technician shot the nervous neuter male a hard look .

“Of course,” he stammered .

The Gulfen Hang was dead in space, powered down far, far from any star . It waited upon need, silently lurking outside human space . Tensions had been high of late with the GCPS .

Despite the embarrassment of being called away, Kol Ho Minh was glad to be aboard . The tang of the air, the narrow ways crammed with the flowing lines of Asterian technology, the quiet sounds of its machinery, all were comforting to him . Kol Ho Minh had many houses on many worlds, but he had no home except the Gulfen Hang .

The cypher dreaming chamber was a space deep in the hold . There the Asterians’ war-bodies slept between assignments . There were thirty suspension pods, housings for three units’ worth of cyphers and those of their Hai-Sans; the full complement for an infiltration cruiser of the Gulfen Hang’s class . Seven of the pods for Kol Ho Minh’s group were still empty . What little illumination there was in the dreaming chamber came from the tanks themselves, from clear panels set into them seemingly at random; a deep blue light, almost submarine .

“How is the replacement cycle proceeding?” he asked . Six of his cyphers had died in the last mission, the seventh had to be destroyed later . One of his operators was dead, killed

by the feedback of disassociation, two more rendered incapable of operating cyphers . One would be able to live normally, his career as a warrior done, the other had suffered catastrophic brain damage . The Asterians used cyphers to keep themselves at one remove from direct combat, but they were not safe, far from it .

“They are nearly grown, Hai-San . Three thousand more elrons and they will be ready for imprinting, then combat ready within…”

“Just show him!” snapped the female .

“Show him what?” demanded Kol Ho Minh .

“This, Hai-San,” she said respectfully . She bowed four times and gestured with her hands at a cypher tank . The lettering upon it, written in artful calligraphy, spelled out his own name .

Kol Ho Minh approached the tank . The tube that would carry the tank and cypher within to the preparation room opened up overhead, dark and somehow sinister . He chose a clear oval panel and looked inside .

Stripped of its combat exo-armour his cypher looked deceptively weak, so misproportioned and overly tall that it appeared spindly, although in truth its mechanical limbs were stronger than those of any comparable machine . A braided umbilicus trailed from the access port in its back . Its arms crossed over its chest, it hunched forward slightly, as if it would curl up into a foetal ball had the tube allowed .

He held his breath as he looked at the disturbing majesty of the cold, blank face of the construct, fascinated as ever by the apparent ‘expression’ his mind gave it . No matter how many times he saw it, he still felt that same sense of unquiet awe at the sight . A thing made for war, ironically it always appeared to be far more at peace than he ever was .

Kol Ho Minh turned away from his war body . “Fascinating . It sleeps as it should . Why did you bring me all the way here?”

“Wait, Hai-San,” said the female softly . After looking into the light of the tube, the dreaming chamber seemed very dark to Kol Ho Minh . The three Asterian technicians were deep blue shadows, pale ghostlight glinting in

ECHOES OF WARby Guy Haley


INCURSION - 27

their eyes .

Kol Ho Minh turned his attention back to the casket . He waited . He was about to announce his extreme annoyance when his war body jerked, a sharp, violent movement that sent swirls of tiny bubbles twisting through the viscous liquid . Kol Ho Minh started .

The war body’s metallic fingers twitched, tremors took hold of its arms, they shot out to thump against the sides . One leg kicked rhythmically against the side and did not stop . Similar noises started up from the other caskets, until the chamber was filled with a ghastly tattoo, the drums of the damned .

Kol Ho Minh was Hai-San Prime, he and his cypher were one . Alarmingly, he felt confusion emanating from it when it should feel nothing at all . His war body’s head lolled against the side of the casket .

For second it lay there, somehow awake . Then, as if sensing Kol Ho Minh, it thrust its face against the window .

Kol Ho Minh rounded on the technicians .

“When did this begin? Why was I not informed?” His anger was great and barely suppressed .

“Forgive us!” quailed the timid male . “We are unfamiliar with this phenomenon . When yours began to move in its sleep, we thought the time of replacement approached, that…”

The female interrupted him . “The war body’s cortex approaches saturated, we considered growing a fresh cypher .”

“We feared the full awakening into independent being of your war body, or worse . We were about to destroy it,” said the third Asterian, who had not spoken before .

“But then this happened . They all began to show signs of awareness . First number five, then number two of your unit, Hai-San, then… All of them .”

The triad of technicians knelt before him . Heads bowed and arms crossed they dipped their heads four times rapidly .

“We are sorry to call upon you, Hai-San, you are the most renowned of all Hai-San . This lies beyond our technical knowledge . Please!”

Kol Ho Minh’s eyes narrowed .

“You are afraid to bring this happening to the attention of the technical quorums,” he said . “Your protestations of respect annoy me, they are born of cowardice . Who are you? Where is Lo-Gann Chen Su Long?”

They kowtowed again, three times, then shuffled backwards on their knees a pace, then bowed again . “The Lo-Gann is not aboard! We are alone, the ship sleeps!” said the female .

“We are in training, Hai-Sann, on placement rotation . We are the highest graded Triad in our gymnasium,” said the timid male .

“Our presence here is normal! It has been done a thousand times a thousand times,” added the female . “All is as the Tesseract decrees!”

Kol Ho Minh’s teeth clacked shut . How dare they staff his vessel with such inexperienced technicians . How dare…

He closed his eyes, calmed his breathing . He clenched his hands, imagining all the anger in his body flowing into them . Slowly, he spread his fingers, by effort of will expelling the tension from his fingertips . Peace .

Behind him, his war body gave one last kick and returned to stillness . One by one, the other caskets fell silent .

This was normal procedure . This was not their fault . “This is an exceptional circumstance,” he said aloud .

He opened his arms . “Get up,” he said . He looked them in the eye one after the other . The timid male dropped his gaze quickly, the female seemed horrified . Only the third member of their triad, the less talkative one, maintained his composure .

“This is not unheard of,” he said . “I have never seen it, I have only heard of it . When I did I was uncertain as to the truth of the story . A myth, as far as I knew . Apparently not . You are familiar by the means with which we control our cyphers?”

They nodded .

“The operation of two bodies brings us closer to unity . We may operate them via noh space without machinery, the best of us without effort,” he said . He was one of those best, the best . The technicians knew it and feared him because of it . “Unity brings us closer to the underlying non-being of

reality . It is said that the war bodies, being blank in all ways excepting their connection to us, are more receptive .”

“Receptive to what, may I ask, Hai-San?” asked the female .

“Receptive to everything; past, present, future . All are the same in the substrates of reality, time is an illusion of the lower dimensions . All moments are as one in the higher . The war bodies might be dimly aware of this .”

“I don’t understand,” said the female .

“Something portentous is going to happen,” said Kol Ho Minh . “Something that it is rippling from the future into the present . The cyphers have sensed it, and awaken . This,” he looked at the caskets . “This is an Echo of War, a war that is yet to come .”

“War?” they whispered .

He rested his hand on the outside of his cypher’s casket . He could taste the technician’s fear . Pathetic . His own heart quickened at the thought . The possibility of war with the GCPS had been building for three human generations . Now their intrusion into the Death Arc, the unleashing of the Scourge… The likes of Kol Ho Minh would be in great demand very soon .

Abruptly, he dropped his hand and turned to the triad .

“You must inform your superiors . I will inform mine . The Lo-Gann must be recalled . The ship must be brought to readiness . All these cyphers will have to be destroyed . Their experience has begun to awaken their native consciousnesses . Cut the support to their organics, let them die . Incinerate the bodies, dump the ashes . Do this as soon as I have departed .”

“At once, Hai-San!” they chorused .

“I must go back,” he said . “My breeding Triad awaits me .”

“Will you not stay, Hai-San, for the cremation?”

He shook his head . “I will mourn my war body when I return . First, I would bring new life into the galaxy before contemplating the destruction of the old .”

The four of them left the chamber together .

In their caskets, the cyphers dreamed their last dreams .




DEFENDER SHIELDS

Having committed standard response forces to Nexus Psi when the initial order of Containment Protocol was given, additional, specialised units now arrive at the Deadzone to strengthen and consolidate their position . With the Plague to contain, and aliens and mercenaries descending from all sides, they will be needed!

Constructed from interlocking plates of ablative armour forged from a composite alloy, the exact molecular composition of which is a closely guarded secret, the Rhode Industries CQD ‘Defender’ shield is a highly specialised piece of close quarter equipment now used exclusively by the Enforcers . The exact circumstances of this exclusivity agreement are as shadowy as any arrangement concluded with the Enforcers, though it is understood to have occurred shortly after the underground actions which took place on Dotha Epsilon . Fighting in the confined spaces below the surface, the Enforcers realised the need for additional frontal protection in an environment where frontal infantry assaults against entrenched positions were often the only viable tactic . Even Enforcer armour has its limits, and a solution was required . The ‘Defender’ was that solution .

Though fairly simplistic by nature, the Defender actually represents a very elegant and purposeful solution to the requirement . It is long enough to cover most of the frontal area of the wielder, leaving their feet free and uncluttered to move as necessary . A vision slit is provided at eye level so that the wielder is not forced to go onto combat ‘blind’ . This slit carries no glass, as the designers found that when glass was supplied, regardless of thickness, the enemy would simply shoot at the slit to craze it and obscure vision, forcing the shield to be lowered . Though there is a risk of the wielder being shot through the slit, this is countered by the fact that Enforcers wear durable helmets . The design of the shield also incorporates a rest for the wielders weapon to be lodged in, giving a perfect firing position whilst enabling the shield to be kept raised . As the Enforcer corps favours the use of the Genling 55 SRS Shotgun, the rest has been specifically tailored to the dimensions of that weapon, allowing a snug fit .

Enforcers carrying Defender shields operate by necessity at the front of the squad, providing cover for their squadmates and acting as a mobile bastion and breaching unit . In larger scale tunnel or other enclosed space actions, entire squads of Enforcers or even Peacekeepers are equipped with the shield and corresponding shield . Such is the brutal effectiveness and reputation of these units, that often they will be deployed in areas of civilian unrest, whereupon the angry crowds will usually quickly disperse, the distinctive silhouette of the Defender and the pain it promises being all the persuasion they require .


CORPORATION STRIDERS

‘Strider’ is actually a generalised term for any bipedal vehicle employed by the Corporations, but is most often used to describe the GR77 model employed by the Enforcers as a mobile infantry fire support platform . Standing at roughly twice the height of a man, the GR77 is equipped with a Genling 88 HLS-X Burst Laser, an upgunned version of the G87 carried by infantry . Originally designed as a fixed mounting weapon for vehicles and static positions, the size and power of a Strider allows it to be handled as a portable weapon, giving a mobile source of heavy suppression fire .

Unlike the Iron Ancestor armour of the Forge Fathers, the Strider is operated much like a vehicle, with the pilot sat inside an armoured cockpit set within the ‘torso’ of the machine . The pilot operates the Strider by means of standard joystick and pedal controls . This means that they are more ungainly and cumbersome in their movement than the constructs of the Forge Fathers or Asterians, lacking the same level of deep interface and having a pilot who is substantially more cut off from their surroundings . This is somewhat offset by their size and the concomitant level of power and armour this is able to afford, as well as their tactical flexibility .

The original template for the Strider comes from a labour saving device – an exo-suit that would allow workers to carry heavy loads . The GR77 was a derivation of the GR75 – a workhorse platform used in the re-arming and maintenance of orbital and sub-orbital fighter craft in their hangars . The GR77 incorporates significant armour upgrades and combat software and sensors, but otherwise remains substantially the same in form and operation . This means that Striders literally carry their weaponry in massive four digit armoured hands, allowing them to ‘holster’ the weapon when required in order to manipulate their environment . Thus, an experienced Strider operator can actually pick up enemy armoured vehicles, or assist stranded friendlies where required . Unlike other similar constructs, this means that they are able to offer assistance in both a battlefield and logistical capacity .

On Nexus Psi, the Enforcers have found that Striders are greatly beneficial to their operations . In urban combat operations, they are more able to manoeuvre than a tank or similar armoured vehicle, and can be used to easily and quickly dismantle barricades and gain ingress to facilities in a state of lockdown . They can also make sure that heavy equipment and support weaponry is rapidly and effectively maintained and reloaded ready for the next mission . They form an essential part of keeping operations fluid and mobile in the midst of the Deadzone .


PEACEKEEPER ARMOUR

Designed and built by the forges of the Star Realm, ‘Peacekeeper’ armour, as it has come to beknown, is the most advanced and efficient personal armour available to the forces of humanity .

Two main variants of Peacekeeper armour currently exist . The Mark 22 version, issued only to senior commanders within the Peacekeeper forces, and the Mark 26, used in greater numbers by whole specialised squads .

The very first Mark of Peacekeeper Armour – the Mark 1 – was created early in the trade negotiations between the Council and the Star Realm, when both sides had little reason to trust each other . At that time, it suited both parties to limit the numbers . The Forge Fathers were carefully assessing whether they could afford to let such powerful weaponry into the hands of the GCPS . The Council, for their part, were vigilant of the risks of equipping their premium troops with alien hardware - the betrayals of the Mandrake Wars still a very real and open wound at that time .

Mark 1 Armour performed well, quickly gaining favourable reports from the field commanders to whom it was issued . Equipped with a simple blade and a twin-barrelled derivative of the standard Genling 45, the armour nevertheless allowed Enforcer commanders to lead from the front to devastating effect . It suffered drawbacks – a prodigious power consumption and the sheer physical effort required to move in it somewhat limiting its range – but overall it was adjudged on both sides to be a promising start .

Having successfully conducted these ‘field trials’ and with both sides becoming increasingly relaxed as the benefits of mutual co-operation became more clear, the Council pressed the Star Realm to supply the new armour with modifications based on the feedback supplied by test subjects . The Forge Fathers, seeing the potential for profit and themselves reassured that the finest scientist of the GCPS had been unable to penetrate the secrets of the first prototypes, were happy to allow this .

And thus the pattern continued, up until the production of the Mark 22 model sported by senior Enforcer Commanders today . The product of several decades of mutual co-operation and development, Mark 22 Armour represents the very pinnacle of the Forge Father’s craft . Solid enough to stop anti-tank munitions, light and agile enough to allow full range of movement and incorporating a built in wrist blade and the fearsome Dominator Assault Rifle, Mark 22 is literally worth its weight in precious metals and more .

Having achieved such success, the Council turned its mind to the potential applications of whole units of Peacekeepers being deployed, especially in urban environments . The cost of Mark 22 per unit meant that such a concept remained cost-ineffective, and the Council therefore sough to negotiate with the Star Realm to produce a less advanced, but similarly intimidating version of the armour . After a decade of refinement, the MK26 pattern of Peacekeeper armour was the result .

Designed from the ground up for faster production, Mark 26 Peacekeeper Armour is considerably less expensive (though the Forge Fathers still turn a handsome profit) . It incorporates heavier armour and jump packs to compensate for somewhat reduced internal protective and support systems, additional battle plate being cheaper than the intricate and elaborate internal shock dampening systems and other equipment that characterise the Mark 22 . The armour is however still brutally effective, and squads equipped with it are nigh unstoppable in the field . It is often said that a squad in Peacekeeper armour can achieve the same as an entire army, and the propaganda vids of the GCPS are full of stories of such squads overcoming improbable odds to emerge victorious .


PATHFINDER SNIPERS

Even amongst the ranks of the Enforcers, the Pathfinders are an elite and highly specialised group . Recruited from those who exhibit the highest standards of initiative, independent thinking and tactical intuition, it is testament to how gruelling the training programme for these soldiers is that even having advanced into the ranks of the Enforcers, less than half of the candidates will be successful .

Those that do succeed join an exclusive cadre within the Enforcer corps . They operate completely independently of the standard Enforcer forces, deployed in advance of their comrades to act as forward scouts . In this role, they are often confronted with severe challenges, both mental and physical, as they must operate alone in enemy territory, making snap tactical decisions which will affect not only themselves, but the forces to follow .

Their role demands that they avoid direct contact with the enemy wherever possible and their standard equipment and weaponry reflects this . Their armour is a much stripped back version of that employed by the Enforcers, allowing them greater freedom of movement as well as lower noise . They are armed with an LSX Sniper rifle, capable of accuracy to within millimetres over a distance of a mile or more in their highly trained hands . Fully trained in a variety of combat techniques to enable them to take on many times their number in opponents if no other option is available, generally they will observe enemy disposition and strength and report back to command, surgically removing enemy scouts and sentries from afar . Though trained to physical perfection and able to cover over a hundred miles a day on foot if necessary, they are also equipped with the Infiltrator Monobike – an advanced single wheeled motorized vehicle which runs on a low-noise, fuel efficient combustion engine . The armoured tyre of this vehicle grants it superb traction over a variety of terrain, and the smaller profile granted by the mono-wheel design makes it ideal for its role .

When the main force deploys, the Pathfinders revert to a highly mobile and effective covering fire function, able to redeploy at a moment’s notice to provide sniper support for whichever element of the main force requires it . On Nexus Psi, it was Pathfinders who performed the initial surface drop, scouting out and tagging the hotspots of Plague activity on the planet and eliminating any obstacles to the smooth and efficient deployment of the bulk of the Enforcer Strike Teams . Now that the Enforcers are fully deployed, the Pathfinders have pulled back to join them and provide sniper cover in the tight urban environs of the ruined settlements .

Though the temptation would be to view these highly individual operators as mavericks within the ranks of the Enforcer Corps, nothing could in fact be further from the truth . The Pathfinders represent the very best

that the Enforcer training can provide, fanatically loyal, utterly without fear and capable of making the most difficult decisions and overcoming the most challenging situations, always with an eye on the requirements of the mission before any consideration of their own personal safety . Enforcer Captains may command more firepower and men, and be equipped with more expensive armour, but it is the Pathfinders which the Council values most of all amongst the men and women of the Enforcer Corps .



INCURSION - 35

NEW RULESChris Earl (order #6111423)

SCENARIO

36 36 - INCURSION

To try out your new Peacekeepers here is a special scenario . One side must play Enforcers in Peacekeeper armour; the opposing Strike Team can be any faction . Use the normal game rules unless they are changed in the scenario .

SET UP

There are no special scenery requirements for this scenario . Simply set up an interesting and varied battlefield .

Normal mission cards are not used . See the following section on Victory Conditions .

Place 8 items at random anywhere outside all the deployment zones . If a random roll places an item in a deployment zone then simply re-roll it . Objectives are not needed in Divide and Conquer .

AVAILABLE FORCESThe Peacekeeper Strike Team may spend up to 110 points and must include exactly 5 Peacekeeper models: no more, no less . They cannot take any models that are not in Peacekeeper armour, but may include both Marks I and II . They may buy Ammo or Frag grenade items .

The opposing Strike Team is built as usual, with the sole difference that they can spend up to 110 points .

DEPLOYMENTThe Peacekeepers set up first . They must place one Peacekeeper model in each of the cubes marked in blue, on level 1 .

The ambushers must choose one of the two red deployment zones to use . The other deployment zone is not used . They may place their models on any level(s) .

SCENARIO SPECIAL RULESThe ambushers take the first Turn .

VICTORY CONDITIONSThe Peacekeepers win if they can move 3 models off the battlefield across the edges marked in blue at the top of the map .

The ambushers win if they can kill 3 Peacekeepers, or if the game times out before the Peacekeepers win .

AFTERMATHIf this scenario is played as part of a campaign, the winner gains 8 Reputation, the loser gains 4 .

DIVIDE AND CONQUERPeacekeeper reinforcements have turned the Corporation beachheads into impreganable firebases, and their offensives into unstoppable slaughters . Your forces have been been on back foot, retreating from all engagements knowing they will be slaughtered in a straight fight . As the Enforcers chase shadows and patrol ever-widening areas a strategy to defeat these superior fighters is formed . Wait until the Peacekeepers are isolated from the main force and hit them with all your might . . .


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The strike forces of the Corporation, Rebels and Marauders represent the best these factions have to offer, but even these outstanding warriors sometimes run into enemies they find a challenge . Asterian and Forge Father armies were perfecting their tactics and weaponry when Humanity was grubbing around in the mud, banging rocks together to try and make fire . It’s not surprising that individuals in their elite units are often better than their Human counterparts .

In response to this, High Command may sometimes divert more resources to the Deadzone to meet this threat . In Deadzone, we call this a Code 13 mission . These are more challenging than normal missions and the chances of failure are higher . For this reason, more resources are available .

You can play individual scenarios or whole campaigns as Code 13 . Just decide among yourselves whether you would like to play normal size or Code 13 games .

The game changes are as follows:

1) If you are playing a campaign then your initial Strike Force is 200 points instead of 140 . You get one extra initial clearance . There are no other changes . This will give you more models, but their improvement will be more gradual .

2) Whenever a scenario defines a Strike Team as 70 points, you get 100 points instead . If the Strike Team is a different cost then it is limited by other aspects of the combat environment and does not change .

3) If the scenario is won using standard mission cards then the winning threshold is 13VPs not 10 . Some missions may even need the Intel to be achievable . Nobody said Code 13 was easy!

Note that these changes apply to every faction, not just the Corporation, Marauders and Rebs . With their superior technology and unparalleled intelligence gathering, neither the Forge Fathers nor Asterians are commonly surprised by these larger enemy Strike Teams and move to oppose them with powerful units of their own .


Abilities Addenda

Construct Models Versus Blaze Away Damage

Add the following new paragraph to the description of Construct .

The model acts as if their Aggression level was Alert at all times with one exception . When a Construct model is the target of a Blaze Away attack they suffer damage as if they were Pinned . Note that this does not affect the success or failure of the test itself – only the application of the results .

38 38 - INCURSION

BIG BOOM!This works exactly the same way as BOOM! (see page 68 of the core rules) except that the effect of the explosion is a Massive Frag rather than merely a Frag .

BIKE (X)The model is a combination of Bike and rider . The combination is bought at the cost shown on the Bike stat card – you do not have to pay for the dismounted model separately . The model always starts a game mounted on the Bike . During the battle the rider can dismount and continue on foot . Once dismounted, the mounted model is replaced by the model of the rider on foot and continues this way for the remainder of the game .

The (x) lists what type of model can dismount .

While the model is mounted on the Bike the Bike’s stat card is used . When the rider dismounts that stat card is discarded and replaced with the stat card of the rider on foot .

A Bike rider may choose to dismount during any activation, either before or after they complete an action . Dismounting does not count as an action and may be done in addition to the normal limits .

A rider is forced to dismount immediately if the cube they are in contains an enemy model . They must also dismount if they become Pinned or Suppressed .

If the Bike is damaged (but not destroyed) while it is being ridden, then the rider suffers no damage .

If the Bike is destroyed while it is being ridden then the rider is forced to dismount immediately and suffers 2 potential damage . Resolve this as normal (see page 34 of the core rulebook) .

CRAZEDThe model’s Aggression state is always Enraged and cannot be changed .

DIFFICULT TARGETThe model is very small, agile and hard to hit . The model gets +2 dice to Survive tests in addition to any other modifiers that apply .

EXPERIMENTALBefore a weapon is widely issued to front line troops it must first be tested . Primary testing is done in the labs, but there’s no substitute for field testing under combat conditions to really put a weapon through its paces . With the unpredictable nature of real combat, occasionally such Experimental weapons fall into the wrong hands and end up being bought and sold on the black market for exorbitant prices . Worse things can occur though, such as the Strike Team of Enforcers deployed to Nexus Psi armed with experimental XV-43 weapons who were overrun by Plague . Some of these unfortunate individuals are now wandering amongst the Plague forces, wielding weapons their ravaged and half conscious brains can barely recall how to operate . The results for anyone around them – friend or foe – can be catastrophic .


INCURSION - 39

Unfortunately, as Experimental weapons are, by definition, not a polished design, they can be rather temperamental .

When rolling to use an Experimental weapon, each 1 rolled cancels out one success . If this reduces the total number of successes to zero or less then the weapon has malfunctioned spectacularly . To show this, immediately resolve a new attack against the model itself using 4 dice and hitting on a 4+ . Any additional weapon effects such as Toxic, Shockwave, etc apply as normal . The weapon itself is destroyed even if the model carrying it survives .

Note that a natural roll of zero successes does not cause such a catastrophic malfunction . It is simply a poor shot .

FOLLOWING FIREWhen a weapon with this ability is used to make a Blaze Away attack it may earn a free action . If the initial attack is a HIT then the model may take a Blaze Away free action against the same or any adjacent cube in area LOS .

LIFE SUPPORTThe individual has an in-built automated Life Support system designed to keep them alive even when gravely wounded . If the model is injured, but not killed, by an attack then the Life Support automatically kicks into overdrive . The model is immediately returned to an undamaged state . This happens automatically and does not cost an action . This works once per battle .

Life Support cannot be used to resurrect models that have been killed outright by a single attack . Also note that Life Support only works on the model itself and cannot be used on nearby models (unlike a medi-pack) .

OBSERVERAn Observer scans items rather than picking them up and so will not trigger Booby Traps . Instead it treats objectives and items the same way, secretly looking at the hidden side of any such counters in any cube it moves through and then replacing them face down . This allows the owner to use the Observer in a recon role .

OPERATORThe Operator model can control models with the Remote ability .

When an Operator model is activated they must choose between taking actions as normal, or controlling one unactivated Remote from their own Strike Team . If they decide to control a Remote then the Operator does not act this Turn . Instead, their activation is transferred to the Remote which may take actions this Turn as if it was a normal model . The only limitation is that a Remote

model cannot set Overwatch .

If an Operator uses a Remote then both models are marked as activated and both count towards the number of models that may be activated that Turn .

An Operator may choose to control the same or different Remote models in each Turn .

REMOTEThe model cannot act without an Operator (see above) .

A Remote is not counted as a model for purposes of working out how many activations a Strike Team has left .

SMOKESCREENThe individual is equipped with smoke generating or mini-grenade deploying devices that are enough to produce a single use Smokescreen .

Once during a battle, at the start of any one of its Turns, the model may place a Smokescreen . The effect is identical to a smoke grenade going off in the model’s cube . Placing a Smokescreen is not an action and may be done even if there are enemy models in the same cube .

If the model moves away, the Smokescreen remains in the cube it was deployed in . It disperses in the same way as a smoke grenade .

TOXIC SMOKESCREENThe individual can generate clouds of poisonous smoke to hide itself .

Once during a battle, at the start of any one of its Turns, the model may fill its cube with a Toxic Smokescreen . The effect is identical to a smoke grenade going off in the model’s cube with the added bonus of the smoke being Toxic . As long as a model remains in the smoke-filled cube it is treated as having the Vulnerable ability . Models that are immune to Toxic are immune to the Toxic effects of a Toxic Smokescreen . Adjacent cubes are not affected by this Toxic effect .

Placing a Toxic Smokescreen is not an action and may be done even if there are enemy models in the same cube .

If the model moves away, the Toxic Smokescreen remains in the cube it was deployed in . It disperses in the same way as a smoke grenade .

UNFLINCHINGThe model’s Aggression state is always Alert and cannot be changed .


New EquipmentDEFENDER SHIELDAlign the shield with one of the four sides of the cube on the level you are on (ie, not the top or the bottom) . Any attacks that trace a LOS across that side of the cube count the model holding the shield as having +1 Armour .

GUNSHIELDWhen a model with a Gunshield is moved to a new position, always align the shield with one of the four sides of the cube on the level you are on (ie, not the top or the bottom) . Any attacks that trace a LOS across that side of the cube count the model with the Gunshield as having +1 Armour .

SHIELD GENERATOR (X)This is a larger version of the familiar Energy Shield and works the same way (see page 77 of the main rules) . The only difference is the area that it protects . Instead of covering a single model, a Shield Generator provides protection for every model of either side in the same cube .

If a model is protected by more than one Energy Shield/Shield Generator then all apply . Roll each separately and reduce the potential damage by the total effect .

40 40 - INCURSION

UNPREDICTABLEThe model moves so oddly that it is hard to guess where they will strike next . This could be due to careful programming, intense training or simply being weird and alien .

When an Unpredictable model Fights, their opponent loses one dice from their Fight or Survive test in addition to any other modifiers that apply .


New Scenery RulesAs the range of Battlezones continues to grow, some of the new tiles incorporate features that are not covered in the core rules . In addition, the Gaps Table on page 26 of the main rulebook needs to be expanded to include these new options .

Gaps TableMany of the new pieces are very similar in size and shape to existing pieces and should pose no problem . The following table adds the more unusual new shapes . Using these as a guideline you should be able to easily work out the nearest equivalent for any situation, whether it’s a novel use of a Battlezone piece or something you’ve built yourself .

CubeSize 1 Size 2 Size 3 Size 4

Solid

no no no no

Small window

no no no no

Average window

yes no no no

Door or large window

yes yes no no

Large door

yes yes yes no

Barricade

yes yes yes yes

Ruins are particularly tricky to define as there are so many ways to combine the pieces . The above list is for each section on its own . You could use several of the smaller pieces to create a more obstructed area .


WALKWAYSWalkways can also be made of barricade or ruined pieces placed horizontally . Whether these are rectangular, triangular or truncated triangles, intact walkways all work the same . They can hold up to two size 1 models or equivalent from each of the opposing Strike Teams .

If you use the ruined pieces you can make smaller walkways than normal . The guidelines for this are that if the ruins are about half a full tile they work as a normal walkway . If they are smaller than this, but still large enough to balance models on, then they can hold a single size 1 model from each side . If they are any smaller than this then they are too small to be used as walkways .

RAMPS AND STAIRSIn game terms these largely work the same way . The main difference is that Vehicles can’t use stairs .

There is no size restriction on using ramps or stairs . They are always easier than climbing up walls, and there is no restriction on that .

Models can be balanced part of the way up stairs and ramps if you want . This does not give any special benefit or penalty and LOS is worked out as normal: each model is treated as being where it actually is .

If a model is standing on something tall enough to partly stick out into the cube above then it is considered to be in the cube that the centre of the bottom of its base is in . This is simply a 3D application of the normal rule .

DOOR AND HATCHESThe various tile sets include both a door and a hatch that can be fitted open or closed . Several people have asked about rules for opening and closing these, so here they are .

The rules are the same for all small openings, whether they are called doors, hatches or anything else . When you set up a battlefield you need to agree on which ones are open and which are closed . Use the actual scenery piece to show this . You also need to decide if any have been jammed shut or jammed open (see below) .

Opening and closingIf a model starts or moves into one of the cubes containing a door or hatch it can choose to open or close it as a new short action . Use the actual scenery piece to show its current state . If you have modelled your scenery to be permanently open or closed, use a spare counter to mark the current state instead .

JammedDoors and hatches can be jammed open or closed . This is trickier than simply opening or closing them, and doesn’t always work first time .

If a model starts or moves into one of the cubes containing a door or hatch it can choose to try to jam it in its current state (open or closed) as a short action . This is a different type of action to opening or closing and so a model could choose to open and then jam a door in a single Turn .

Unjamming a door or hatch works the same way as jamming them, just with the opposite effect . Assume that doors and hatches are not jammed . Use a spare counter to mark any that have been jammed .

Jamming or unjamming a door or hatch is a 3 dice 6+ test (2) .

Modifiers:• +1 if the model is a Brawler• +2 if the model is Resourceful• +3 if the model is an Engineer


PORTALSome whole tiles can be slid aside as gates or horizontal hatches . These typically disappear into wall or floor spaces designed to conceal them, leaving an almost whole tile gap that anything can move through . These should be clearly defined before the battle begins so both sides are aware, and like all other doors should be defined as open or closed, jammed or unjammed at the start .

During the game they may be opened, closed, jammed and unjammed like any other type of door .

Using Environmental ItemsThere are a small number of items attached to parts of the environment . These are all used the same way, though with different effect .

A model may only use one of these items when they are in the same cube and physically touching it . Using one of these items does not count towards a model’s limit of items . Only one model may use each environmental item in each Round, and each item can only be used once per Round .

Using an environmental item is a long action . The effect of that action depends on the item .

MUNICIPAL DEFENCE PLATFORMAlso known as the Equalizer . It is a largely automated weapon that is designed to be used by inexperienced troops in times of dire need . However, because it is easy to use it is not left unlocked . Treat this locking

mechanism as a jammed door and roll to unjam it as explained above . It may be “jammed” again by the same process .

When the weapon has been unjammed it can be fired as normal . Point it at the target and use the barrel of the weapon itself to sight along . Models use their own Shoot stat . The Equalizer can be fired at any target with a point LOS on the same or higher level . Due to the in-built targeting systems, all shots are at an additional +1 dice .

Equalizer Range 200, AP3, Single Shot, Deliberate, Irresistible

COMMS DISHTriggering this may be a mission goal . Also, if a friendly model is in control of it then they count as having Spotter .


44 44 - INCURSION

One of the core features of Deadzone was the idea of fighting in the cramped confines and claustrophobic press of a densely-packed urban battlefield . However, this crush of troops and buildings doesn’t have to be on a small table – multiplying everything up can be just as challenging to fight across, just on a bigger scale . Cities, after all, are not small things .

There are two easy ways to expand your games of Deadzone: add more players, and add more mats . These can be combined together to make sprawling cityscape combat environments over which multiple Strike Teams fight . This is great for club games, at the start of a campaign, or as its finale .

Changing the game from a single-mat, two player fight to something larger requires a few minor tweaks to the rules, and each option is explored here . I’ve started by looking at how you play on larger battlefields, then what options you have for multiple players, and finally there is a section on combining the two .

Multi-Mat GamesAdding an extra mat or three is an easy way to change the dynamic of the game . The vast majority of the rules do not change, but the impact of some of the weapons and abilities will . Most obviously, weapons with larger ranges come into their own when the board is 16 cubes across instead of only 8 . Suddenly you have to close with the enemy before you can strike back at them . While you are closing you may have a single trooper that can provide covering fire while the rest advance . Then, once they are in range, they can cover the advance of the supporting trooper . This is the sort of classic small unit tactics that Deadzone rewards and which are well worth learning .

To play a multi-mat game, you just need to get one or more extra mats and the scenery that goes on them . Make sure that you keep the density of buildings and clutter as high as normal as varying this changes the balance of power between ranged and melee armies . A nice open battlefield is a blessing to a Strike Team that has lots of long range weapons, and a curse to one that relies on running up and tearing your face off . This is always the case on any size battlefield, but on a multi-mat game the extra range means that you need to be particularly aware of this .


INCURSION - 45

WIDE BATTLEFIELDSAdditional breadth to the battlefield makes it a much more open place even if the density of buildings remains the same (which it should) . Unless you focus on a specific part of the battlefield, it is more difficult to concentrate fire and easier to get cut off and surrounded . This can be a really big challenge for some forces and some missions, which all adds to the fun!

Lay the two mats side by side and follow the normal rules for picking a Strike Team and laying out the table (just with twice as much scenery) .

Determine the way the battlefield will be viewed by picking a card as normal, but use the following diagrams instead of the ones on page 28 of the main rulebook . Apart from this, the only rules change is that when you are placing the four random items, place two on each mat .

A

B

Because you’ve decided to play with the width of the mats, the last two layout plans have the same result:

C, D

DEEP BATTLEFIELDSLaying out your two mats the other way round gives you a very different battle . While the frontage you are fighting on hasn’t changed, there is now an approach phase to the game where you need to sneak forwards into fighting positions rather than starting almost on top of your foe . This allows for more cunning and sneaky tactics as you filter forwards through the ruins . However, it does tend to help Strike Teams that have lots of long ranged weapons more than it does those who prefer close combat . Bear this in mind when choosing to use this layout, and perhaps increase the amount of terrain accordingly to redress some of this imbalance .

Lay the two mats with one behind the other and follow the normal rules for picking a Strike Team and laying out the table (just with twice as much scenery) .

Determine the way the battlefield will be viewed by picking a card as normal, but use the following diagrams instead . Apart from this, the only rules change is that when you are placing the four random items, place two on each mat .

A B

Because you’ve decided to play with the depth of the mats, the last two layout plans have the same result:

C, D

Two Mat GamesIf your opponent also has a copy of the Deadzone boxed game then a two mat game is easy to arrange because you already have all the stuff you need . Your first and most important decision here is which way you want to fight . Are you going to use the second mat to add width or depth to the battlefield? It makes a very big difference .


46 46 - INCURSION

Four Mat GamesBattlefields that are two mats wide by two mats deep are a very different prospect to one or two mat games, mainly because the area is so much bigger that a single Strike Team struggles to control it . For that reason I’d recommend that you either play with larger forces or more players (or both) . One simple option for a single player on each side is to choose a double sized Strike Team, simply following the normal rules with twice as many points to spend . Perhaps a more fun option is to team up with some more friends and play a multi-player game . For multi-player rules see page47 of this book .

Lay the mats out in a two by two square and follow the normal rules for picking a Strike Team and laying out the table (just with four times as much scenery) .

Determine the way the battlefield will be viewed by picking a card as normal, but use the following diagrams instead . Apart from this, place twice as many items on the table as normal . Do this by using two different sets of item counters . Place each set as normal, with one of the random items on each mat .

A B

C D

Other Shapes And SizesWhilst two and four mat battlefields are the most obvious of the multi-mat forms, you might want to experiment with other combinations and less regular shapes . For example, you could try an L-shaped battlefield, imagining that the “missing” mat is a huge building, blast wall of a spaceport or similarly impassable obstacle . Decide before you start whether you can trace an LOS over the missing part of the map or not . I usually say you cannot, but you could instead imagine it as a chasm or river that would not block shooting .

Alternatively, you could fight along a series of three, four or more mats in a row . This might simulate running a gauntlet of enemy fire, or a retreat by a desperate rearguard force . There are many options and unfortunately I can’t cover all the possibilities here . If you want to try something different, use the variant layouts above and in the core book as a guide for your battles and you’ll be able to fight across any shape and size of battlefield . As a final piece of advice, show your opponent the possible deployment areas and other new rules for your scenario before you decide where you set up and who goes first . That way, if they think something needs changing you can do that before the game proper begins . Once everyone agrees that it’s fair, then they can’t argue about which position they end up in .


INCURSION - 47

Multi-Player GamesSometimes you are teaching a new player the rules, someone’s game finishes early at the club, or just want to fight a single game with all of your friends involved . Whatever the reason, it’s nice to be able to include more than two players in a single game if you want to .

The following discusses the most common arrangements and the impacts they have on the rules . If you want to try something even more exotic then checking through the following sections should give you enough guidance to set up a game without too much trouble .

When you have multiple players you have a couple of questions to answer before you get started .

How many players per Strike Team?Are two or more players sharing a single Strike Team, or does every player lead their own?

How many sides in the battle?Are the players grouped into two sides like a normal battle, or is it every alien for himself?

Dividing TeamsSharing a single Strike Team between two players is a practical option if you’ve just started your collection and don’t have many models yet . It can also be a great way to teach the game to someone, with a veteran player taking a few of the models in a Strike Team while he teaches someone who controls the majority . By being involved in the game rather than standing outside he is much more focussed on the details of what is going on and can offer helpful tactical advice and explain what he thinks are the best moves .

There are no hard and fast rules about how you choose to share a Strike Team between you . Simply pick a Strike Team as normal and divide control of the models as you see fit . You can split the jobs of the team into attack and defence, or controlling objectives and attacking the enemy, or whatever else suits your mission . However you decide to split up the forces, having two players on one side encourages them to discuss tactics and options – all of which is great when you’re learning the ropes .

During the battle, your Strike Team will act as normal, having a single mission, taking its Turn as appropriate, and so on . However, because there are two players, you will have to choose between you which of you gets to move a model next when it is your Strike Team’s Turn . As already mentioned, this is a really good opportunity to discuss what you think should happen next and why . Teaming an experienced player with a learner should get them up to speed in much less time .

In game terms, a Strike Team that is shared between two people operates as normal and the division of control between players has no game effect .

Note that there is no requirement for both sides to be split in this way . You can quite happily play two players against one, but with each side having a single Strike Team . As long as the total points values of both sides is the same then this is still perfectly fair .

Strike Teams For Everyone!If you’re at a club or among a group of friends who’ve played Deadzone a few times, then chances are you’ll all want to field your own Strike Team . This is easily done .

Multi-player games where everyone has their own Strike Team are best played on larger battlefields . Playing with 4 or more Strike Teams on a single mat can be fun, and it’s certainly worth trying once or twice for the experience . It does give you new appreciation for what claustrophobic urban battlefields really means! Most of the time though, you’ll want a bit more room to execute your cunning tactical ploys, stealthy outflanking moves and brilliant ambushes . One to two Strike Teams per mat is a good battlefield size to aim for .

In any game with multiple Strike Teams, each one takes their own Turns within a Round . For simplicity’s sake, this can be done clockwise around the table . Other than there being more than two Strike Teams in play, the rules within a single Turn are as normal .

Two Sides, Many PlayersIf two players share a single Strike Team then the rules remain as normal . If, however, there are two sides in the battle, but one or more side is comprised of multiple Strike Teams, then there are a couple of additional rules to include .

One Strike Team from each side will be designated as lead team . This team draws a mission as normal . The remaining teams act as security for the lead team and do not draw missions . Each side wins or loses the game collectively, based on the lead team’s success at their mission . Security teams must support and protect the lead team if they are to win as they cannot do so on their own .

No team may abort their mission .

The only action by a Strike Team on security that earns VPs is capturing Intel . They cannot directly accomplish any of the lead team’s mission goals .


48 48 - INCURSION

Every Alien For HimselfA classic club game is a free-for-all on a large table with a load of players, each with their own Strike Team . In this situation every Strike Team draws their own mission as normal . Before you draw missions, define which is the opposing area for each player in case they have a mission that requires them to exit there . Also, each player should secretly write down which other player is his main enemy . This is the only side for which VPs can be earned for killing if a mission includes that type of goal . Define these before the missions are drawn .

In this sort of brawl, every strike team needs their own deployment area . As you could be playing with 3, 4, 5, or more players, on any number of different shaped battlefields, I can’t give you maps for every possibility . Instead, a good rule of thumb is to divide the number of edge cubes (on level 1) into twice the number of players . Then starting in the middle of one side, give this many cubes to the first player as their deployment area, then have a gap of the same number of cubes, then the second player’s deployment area, and so on around the edge .

For example, if I was playing with four friends on a two mat battlefield I would divide the number of edge cubes (44) by twice the number of player (10) to get 4 .4 . Round that down for the green deployment zones (4), and use the left over cubes for gaps between forces (making them 4 or 5) . See the diagram below . You might need to do a little jiggling about to get this to fit as evenly as possible, but it’s a good starting point .



Nexus Psi is overrun, and Containment is failing . The scale of the problem is beyond what the initial deployment of Enforcers can contain . Worse, the protracted global conflict has attracted the attention of more outsiders, who come to Nexus Psi in pursuit of their own agendas .

Two ancient alien empires - the Forge Fathers of the Star Realm and the mysterious Asterians - arrive to add their own complications to the Deadzone . Both are advanced and deadly, and both are fighting against every other faction present, including each other .

Faced with these new threats, the Council has sanctioned heavy reinforcements to be despatched to the Deadzone . The stakes are raised, as the battle becomes a war . . .

This book contains:

- Faction Focus - background information on two brand new factions - the Forge Fathers and the Asterians . Additional rules for new Enforcer specialists as reinforcements arrive .

- New Rules - Special abilities, new scenery and environmental items which bring more depth to your games .

- Bigger Games - Rules for multimat and multiplayer games, reflecting the increased scale of conflict as the battle continues .

You will require a copy of the Deadzone rulebook to use the material in this supplement.

... INCREASED ALIEN ACTIVITY DETECTED… … REINFORCEMENTS INBOUND …

Product Code MGDZM13-1

Barcode 5060208866759

ISBN 978-0-9928856-1-8

www.manticgames.com


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