TEXT: RULEBOOK
  RestRicted. Dissemination of restricted information. —  
  No person is entitled solely by virtue of his grade or position 
  to knowledge or possession of classified information. Such 
  information is entrusted only to those individuals whose official 
  duties require such knowledge or possession. (See also AR 380-5.)
  
  2
  R e a d  t h i s  b o o k  t h o R o u g h l y  a n d  k e e p  i t  s e c u R e  •  i t  m a y  s a v e  l i v e s
  RestRicted (foR gaming use only)
  Table of ConTenTs
  Credits .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 2
  Table of Contents  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 2
  Box Contents  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  - What Are You Going To Find In Dust Tactics?  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  - The Allies Company In Detail .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  - The Axis Company In Detail  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  - The Gameboard .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  - The Dice  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  - Unit Cards .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  Description of the Unit Cards  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 4
  Game Rules  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 6
  - Some Important Definitions  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 6
  - What Space Do Miniatures Occupy?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 6
  - What Space Does Cover Occupy? .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 6
  - How Do You Measure Movement And Ranges?  .  .  .  .  . 6
  - Who Plays First? .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 7
  - What Can a Unit Do When It Is Activated?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 7
  - In a Nutshell  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 8
  - End of the Game  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 8
  Movement Rules  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9
  - Effects of Cover  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9
  - Effects of Other Units  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9
  - How Does a Unit Move Around a Corner?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9
  Shooting Rules .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
  - What Blocks Line of Sight?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .10
  - Open Fire! .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .12
  - What Are the Effects of Cover?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .12
  Heroes .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 14
  Preparing a Game  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 15
  - Cost of Units  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .15
  - Creating a Battlefield  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .15
  - Placing Cover  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .16
  - Attack!  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .16
  - Reminder .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .16
  Abilities and Special Units  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
  - Agile  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  - All in One  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  - Assault  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  - Berserk  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  - Black Ops  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  - Charge  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  - Damage Resilient  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  - Fast  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  - Fighting Spirit  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  - Jump .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  - Self Repair .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  - Sniper .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  - Sniper Team  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  - Spotter  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  - Tank Head .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  Command Squads  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 19
  - Officer  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
  - Radio  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
  - Mechanic  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
  - Medic .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
  Special Weapons and Armament  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 20
  - Special Damage Types  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 20
  - Limited Ammo Weapons  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 20
  Special Weapons  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 21
  - Flamethrower .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .21
  - Knife .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
  - Knife & Grenade  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
  - Laser .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
  - Panzerfaust  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
  - UGL – Under-Barrel Grenade Launcher .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
  - Range “U” .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
  The Fight Goes On!  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 23
  Dust Tactics © DUST STUDIO Ltd . 2009
  Dust Tactics uses the Squares & Tiles (S&T System) 
  game system, copyright DUST STUDIO . All illustrations, 
  photography, images and miniatures are © DUST Ltd .
  Dust Tactics® is a work of fiction
  www .dust-tactics .com
  STAFF
  Commander in Chief: Olivier Zamfirescu
  Staff officers, in charge  
  of writing out the battle plan: 
  Laurent Duclos and Guglielmo Yau.
  Staff officers, in charge of maps,  
  diagrams, and other illustrations: 
  Davide Fabbri, Matthias Haddad, Karl Kopinski, 
  Laurent Lecocq and Domenico Neziti. 
  Staff officer in charge of artistic operations: 
  Vincent Fontaine
  Aides de camps : Loïc Lecoin and Livio Emanueli.
  Chief warrant officer in charge  
  of graphical matters: Fred Calmant  
  Playtesters: Livio Emanueli, Fabio Zanicotti, 
  David Preti, Marco Peruccelli, Marco Pelan, Ludovic 
  Andrieux, Yann Cupertini, Guillaume Fontaine.
  Translation : Collin Kelly
  Editing : William Niebling
  The Staff would like to thank Philippe 
  Ghestin, for introducing us, so many years 
  ago. Thanks also to Team Starplayer.
  Many thanks to: David Preti, PF Periquet,  
  Minky@Twistory, Alessia Zambonin, Masatsugu 
  Shiwaku, Takao Hasegawa, Filippo Zanicotti, Roberto 
  Scazzuso, Stephen & Victor Yau, Clement Bohen, 
  Alexandre Giraud, Giovanni Mazzotta, Denka & 
  Anastasiya Tymofyeyev, Chan Yuk, Ping Ngai, Sigrid 
  Thaler, Angel Songannan, Catherine & Raphael 
  Guiton, Anna Undraal, Kallamity, Mario Braghieri, 
  Alessandro Bruschi, Maestro Nino Pizzichemi, Remy 
  Tremblay, Sebastien Labro, Rafal Zelazo, Jeanne@
  Album, Nicolas Couderc, Vincenzo Lanna, Luigi 
  «Ninja» Brigante, Zac Belado, Grant Hill.
  AEG
  Propaganda Minister: Todd Rowland
  Admiral: John Zinser
  Dust created by
   Paolo Parente
  
  b e  c a R e f u l  •  d o n ’ t  l e t  t h i s  b o o k  f a l l  i n t o  t h e  h a n d s  o f  e n e m i e s
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  3
  RULEBOOK
  Box Contents
  Dust Tactics is a complete game. Everything you need to play is inside the box. Some 
  extra sheets of paper and a pen would help, but these are not absolutely necessary.
  Other than this BOOklet, What else are YOu GOinG tO Find 
  inside dust tactics?
  - A company belonging to the Allies, composed of 2 robots, 15 soldiers, and a hero: 
  Captain Joseph Brown.
  - A company belonging to the Axis, also composed of 2 robots, 15 soldiers, and a hero: 
  Colonel Sigrid Von Thaler.
  - 9 two-sided cardboard terrain tiles, making up the gameboard
  - 18 two-sided terrain squares, making up the structure and hazards of the battlefield.
  - 12 special dice, which will be used to simulate all game actions.
  - 4 ammo crates and 2 tank traps, representing cover elements.
  - A scenario booklet describing the “Blue Thunder” campaign, including plenty of advice 
  on the best way to use your units.
  - And finally, 12 unit cards (6 for the Allies and 6 for the Axis).
  Dust Tactics is designed to play one side against another. It is perfectly suited to two-
  player games, or two equal-sized teams can compete. Four players can play two-on-two 
  by dividing the armies. For example, one player can play the vehicle units while the other 
  leads the soldiers.
  the allies cOmpanY in detail:
  - A Medium Combat Walker (“MCW”) M2-B Hot Dog: One of the first models of robots to 
  be put into service by the Allies, its flamethrower has devastating effects at short range.
  - A MCW M2-C Pounder: Mounted with a terrifying cannon, it is specialized in anti-vehi-
  cle warfare. With this weapon it can engage the enemy from long range, while keeping 
  itself at a safe distance.
  - A Recon Rangers squad, armed with assault rifles and a heavy machine gun.
  - An Assault Rangers squad, equipped with shotguns and a flamethrower.
  - A Combat Rangers squad, with assault rifles and a bazooka.
  - And finally, Captain Joe Brown, leading the whole force.
  the axis cOmpanY in detail:
  - A Panzer KampfLaüfer (“KpfL”) II-A Luther: armed with a com-
  bat claw and an anti-aircraft gun, it can take care of enemy 
  infantry from range and attack enemy vehicles in close com-
  bat.
  - A Panzer KpfL. II-B Ludwig: equipped with two heavy 
  caliber anti-tank guns. Its devastating firepower is a 
  threat to all enemy vehicles.
  - A Recon Grenadiers squad, equipped with 
  assault rifles and a machine gun.
  - A Battle Grenadiers squad, armed with 
  assault rifles and a Panzershreck.
  - A Laser Grenadiers squad, with laser 
  rifles and a laser cannon.
  - And to lead them, Colonel Sigrid Von 
  Thaler.
  the GameBOard
  The tiles making up the gameboard are two-sided: On one side you will find an outdoor 
  battleground, and on the other the inside of a base. These tiles can be rearranged again 
  and again for an infinite number of games. Each tile is made up of 9 squares; each square 
  is marked with a dot in the center.
  Along with these tiles, you will also find 18 terrain squares representing various elements 
  that you might find in a battlefield. On one side there are indoor walls, on the other all the 
  obstacles that can be found around such important buildings.
  All these elements are described in detail a little further on.
  the dice
  The special 6-sided Dust Tactics dice are used to resolve all actions undertaken by your 
  units. On each die, there are two sides with this symbol: 
  . Whenever you roll a die and 
  get this result, it means you succeeded at the test. This side is called a “HIT.”
  The other four sides are blank. When you roll a die and get this result, it means you failed 
  the roll. This side is called a “MISS:” 
  .
  You will often encounter these symbols in the rules and on unit cards. A 
   means you 
  succeeded, a 
   means you failed. Some special rules reverse these results. For instance, 
  when an action is especially easy, you will need to roll a 
   on the die. 
   are then 
  successes, and 
   are failures. Each time this happens it will be clearly mentioned in the 
  rules.
  unit cards
  Unit cards contain all the combat characteristics of the heroes, soldiers, and vehicles. All unit 
  cards have a symbol in the top right corner reminding you which bloc the unit belongs to. 
  Allies are represented by this symbol: 
   and use green as the dominant color . 
  Axis is represented by this symbol: 
   and use grey as the dominant color .
  
  4
  R e a d  t h i s  b o o k  t h o R o u g h l y  a n d  k e e p  i t  s e c u R e  •  i t  m a y  s a v e  l i v e s
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  Description of the Unit carDs
  Before getting on with the rules, let’s look at the various types of unit cards and their 
  meaning first.
  In Dust Tactics, you will find three types of cards: squads, vehicles, and heroes.
  This value is movement: 
   . It gives the number of squares a unit may move in one 
  game turn .
  Here is the type of armor the unit has: ARMOR 
   
   
   . This value gives you an 
  idea of how tough it is . When your opponent attacks you, this value will determine 
  how effective his attack can be .
  The various ARMOR types are the following:
   1 :  (SOLDIERS) These are unarmored squads of soldiers . They only wear kha-
  kis and helmets .
   2 :  These soldiers wear light body armor . They are elite fighters, representing 
  the majority of the troops in Dust Tactics .
   3 :  Equipped with highly resilient and heavy armor, these soldiers carry excep-
  tional protection .
   4 :  The resilience offered by this armor is far beyond what can be found on 
  Earth in 1947 .
   1 :  (TANKS): This category includes vehicles that have no armor, such as jeeps 
  or military trucks .
   2 :  This class includes lightly armored vehicles capable of sustaining some bul-
  let fire, but not much more than that .
   3 : True military vehicles; these lightly armored vehicles are fast and agile .
   4 :  Certainly the most represented category, these vehicles come with medium 
  armor, which is carried by most of the tanks from the 40’s .
   5 :  This class represents the heavy tanks and robots that appeared around 
  1943 or 1944 .
   6 :  This class includes very heavily armored vehicles, generally appearing 
  from 1945 on .
   7 :  True mobile fortresses, these monsters of steel benefit from the heaviest 
  armor ever made .
   1 :  (AIRCRAFT) This category represents helicopters or other airborne troops .
   2 :  The various air-to-ground attack aircraft are part of this category .
   3 :  The fastest and most heavily armored aircraft are represented in this cat-
  egory .
  Under the weapons’ descriptions, you can find two types of information, depending 
  on the unit:
  On vehicle and hero cards, you will find their 
   (as explained above) .
  On squad cards, you will find two cover values: SOFT COVER and HARD 
  COVER .
  In this area you can also find the name of any special abilities the unit has. These 
  may refer to particular weapons or unique aptitudes, which are both explained in 
  detail at the end of this booklet.
  Vehicle
  card
  Squad 
  card
  Hero
  Card
  
  b e  c a R e f u l  •  d o n ’ t  l e t  t h i s  b o o k  f a l l  i n t o  t h e  h a n d s  o f  e n e m i e s
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  5
  RULEBOOK
  Here is a picture of the whole unit. If you ever need to find out to which squad a 
  soldier belongs to, just check the pictures.
  In this area you will find all the weapons the unit has at its disposal.
  Here you will find the names of the weapons the unit carries. 
  Right next to the name you will find their range expressed as a number of squares, 
  for each weapon. 
  The series of numbers after the range indicates the number of attack dice you will 
  roll when attacking different types of ARMOR, and the number of damage points 
  each successful shot will inflict. This is called a “weapon line.”
  ExamplE: When you are using a Shotgun against soldiers in 
   2 armor, 
  report to where the Shotgun weapon line and the 
   2 column meet:
  Shotgun
  1
  2
  3
  4
  T1
  T2
  T3
  T4
  T5
  T6
  T7
  A1
  A2 A3
  1 6/1 3/1 2/1
  -
  3/1
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  The number printed is 3/1 . You will roll 3 attack dice for each squad member 
  equipped with a shotgun when attacking 
   2 type soldiers . As you can see, if 
  your target was in 
   4 armor, you couldn’t damage them at all . You would need 
  to find a more powerful weapon .
  The – symbol means that the weapon can never damage these kinds of troops .
  Sometimes, you will find special information on the chart instead of numbers . This 
  indicates a special weapon, such as a Flamethrower:
  Flamethrower
  1
  2
  3
  4
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  1
  2
  3
  1
  1/ 
  1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4
  -
  -
  -
  To find out about these effects, keep reading this rulebook . It is all explained in the 
  “Special Weapons” chapter .
  This is the unit’s number of health points: 
   . 
  Squads generally have between 2 to 5 points . Each 
   represents one of the 
  squad’s soldiers, no matter if they are  
   1, 
   2, 
   3 or 
   4 .
  Vehicles have values ranging roughly from 2 to 10 . At the bottom of the card, on 
  the left, you will find the vehicle’s 
   value in crosses . The number of blank crosses 
  shows how many 
   a vehicle can lose before it is eliminated . These crosses were 
  left blank so you can mark them off during the game to keep track of the vehicle’s 
  condition .
  Unit’s name
  This is the symbol of the bloc to which the unit belongs.
  Here is a reminder of how many 
  army points the unit is worth .
  
  6
  R e a d  t h i s  b o o k  t h o R o u g h l y  a n d  k e e p  i t  s e c u R e  •  i t  m a y  s a v e  l i v e s
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  Game Rules
  A game of Dust Tactics simulates a whole battle, from the first bullet shot until victory for 
  either side.
  To simplify the fighting, the game is divided into game rounds. During each round, all 
  the units on both sides will act one after the other.
  Before looking into how a round plays out, here are the basic rules that will help you 
  understand how it works:
  What Space Do MiniatureS occupy?
  The tiles that make up the Dust Tactics game board are divided into 9 squares 9x9 cm 
  in size. A squad occupies a square: all the miniatures belonging to that squad must stand 
  within that square. The same goes for vehicles: their base is always contained within a 
  square.
  Some enormous vehicles won’t fit inside one square. They must always be placed in the 
  middle of a larger square or rectangle made up of 9x9 cm squares. This makes movement 
  and line of sight easier to resolve.
  What Space DoeS cover occupy?
  An ammo crate or a tank-trap occupies one square. It must be placed within its square. 
  Whenever a squad enters a square occupied by cover, you can spread your soldiers 
  around it. Even though they might stand in front of it, they are still considered “behind 
  cover.”
  hoW Do you MeaSure MoveMent anD rangeS?
  A unit’s 
   indicates the number of squares that unit may move each round . So a unit with 
   2 can move two squares . This movement can be made in any direction .
  Whenever you move diagonally, the first of these squares is entered “normally,” meaning 
  it only counts as one 
   . Any additional diagonal movement will cost 2 
   per square . 
  Should you lack the points to pay the full cost of the diagonal movement, you cannot move 
  any further in that direction .
  example: this Pounder has 
   1, as printed on its unit card. The blue squares 
  are the area it can move into if it decides to make a normal move and still perform 
  a shooting action (or the other way around). The dark green area is the squares it 
  can reach should it decide to move twice (though it will not be allowed to shoot this 
  round). 
  Units do not face in any particular direction . They can change direction as often as they 
  wish to during their movement . Of course, you are never forced to travel your entire 
   
  when you move! You can choose to stop wherever and whenever you want .
  The battlefields of Dust Tactics are full of hazards, traps, and tight gaps . Inside bases, the 
  walls are made of reinforced concrete . Many factors may modify your units’ movement . 
  This is all detailed in the “Movement Rules” chapter .
  It is exactly the same for range: obviously you will need to be able to see the target before 
  shooting at it (see “Shooting Rules” further on) . But whenever the target is visible, counting 
  squares for range is done in the same way as for movement (diagonal rules apply) .
  Some Important DefInItIonS:
  - A unit includes all the miniatures represented on its unit card. Whenever the rules 
  mention a unit, it applies without distinction to vehicles, soldiers, and heroes.
  - A squad always refers to a group of soldiers no matter if they are 
  1, 
  1, 
  1, 
  or 
  1, but never to a vehicle or a hero .
  - A vehicle, tank, or robot, as its name suggests, never refers to soldiers or heroes, 
  no matter their ARMOR .
  - A miniature represents a single vehicle, a soldier, or a hero .
  - The squares, where units stand and move, all have a dot in the center . Distances 
  and line of sight are measured from this dot .
  - Whenever a square is covered by a terrain square, it becomes impassable . No 
  unit can move over it, and no line of sight can be traced through it .
  Important InformatIon
  
  b e  c a R e f u l  •  d o n ’ t  l e t  t h i s  b o o k  f a l l  i n t o  t h e  h a n d s  o f  e n e m i e s
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  RULEBOOK
  ExamplE: During its advance, our Pounder encounters enemy units. It decides to 
  use its weapons on them. As mentioned on its card, it has three different weapons:
  The first weapon is a 17 Pdr. Gun. Its range is U, meaning it can shoot at any visible 
  target on the battlefield. With this cannon, it can target all the squares on the dia-
  gram above.
  Its second weapon is a .50 cal MG. This heavy machine gun has a range of 6. It can 
  target both the dark and light blue squares.
  The robot’s last weapon is a .30 cal MG with a range of 4. It can hit all the light blue 
  squares.
  Who Plays First?
  To find out who goes first, each side rolls three dice. This is the “initiative roll.” The side 
  that gets the most 
   wins. Re-roll until you break any possible ties. When playing with 
  more than two players, roll only once for each side.
  The player who wins the initiative roll chooses who plays first. Even though you have the 
  initiative, you might want to force your opponent to start in order to find out what he has 
  planned.
   
  This is the beginning of the round. Choose one of your units (or your opponent chooses 
  one of his, if you let him go first). You have activated that unit. An activated unit may 
  perform a combination of two actions, as described later. Once it has resolved all its 
  actions, the unit is deactivated. It will not be allowed to do anything else until the next 
  game round.
  It is then your opponent’s turn to activate one of his units, and so on, until all the units 
  on both sides have been activated. Once this is done, the round ends and a new one 
  begins.
  Sometimes, one side will have more units on the board than the other. If it is your turn to 
  activate a unit, but all of your units have already acted this round, your turn is skipped. 
  Your opponent continues activating units until all of his units have had a chance to act.
  Dust Tactics games are played over a number of rounds. These rounds may or may not be 
  limited in number, depending on the scenario or on what you decided before the game 
  began. The higher the number of rounds, the longer the game will be.
  Obviously, before you start playing you will need to choose a scenario (or create your 
  own) and set up the gameboard. All these rules are described a little later.
  What Can a Unit Do When it is aCtivateD?
  All units in Dust Tactics may perform two actions per round. It is up to you to choose the 
  right combination, depending on your objectives. A unit may move then shoot, or shoot 
  then move, or move twice, or perform a sustained attack. A unit may also decide to do 
  nothing at all; but no need for explanation there.
  Move then shoot (MOVE + SHOOT)
  The activated unit may move up to its 
   value then use all its weapons to attack . Once 
  it is done, the unit is deactivated .
  Shoot then move (SHOOT + MOVE)
  The unit performs its attacks first, and may then move as far as its 
   will allow . It is then 
  deactivated .
  Move twice (MOVE + MOVE)
  Whenever your unit needs to get across the battlefield fast, this is the solution . When you 
  choose this option, double your unit’s 
   . This is the maximum number of squares it can 
  travel (however any diagonal move beyond the first still costs 2 
  ) .
  The rules for Dust Tactics are written for two player games. Of course you can use 
  them to play with 3, 4, 5, or even 6 players! The important thing is to keep the sides 
  balanced.
  When more than two players are playing, consider that all the following rules apply 
  to two sides instead of two players. So instead of alternating between units for each 
  player, you alternate between units on each side. Within a side the players need to 
  organize themselves to decide whose turn it is!
  important
  
  8
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  Sustained attack (SHOOT + SHOOT)
  The unit decides not to move at all and focuses on its attacks. When you choose this 
  option, your attacks are more accurate: each miss on the attack roll may be re-rolled 
  once.
  ExamplE: a unit rolls 5 attack dice and gets 2 
   and 3 
  . Since it chose sus-
  tained attack, the 3 
   are re-rolled and produce 1 
  . The unit’s final attack score 
  is 3 
  .
  There are some other actions available to certain special units (giving orders for the Com-
  mand Squad, or calling an artillery strike for the Observer Team, for instance). All these 
  special actions count towards the two actions a unit is allowed per round. So you will 
  never have a unit that moves while it calls an artillery strike while it shoots and repairs 
  a robot…
  These special actions are marked (1 ACTION) right after their name. If an ability is not 
  marked this way, it is “free,” and does not count towards the two actions per round.
  To keep track of which units have been activated, we recommend that you keep your unit 
  cards in two separate piles. For example, place your unit cards on your left at the begin-
  ning of the round. Each time you activate a unit, move its card to your right. Keep an eye 
  on your opponent’s units too! At the end of the round, don’t forget to move all your unit 
  cards to your left side again. Also, make sure you remove from your deck any cards for 
  units that have been eliminated!
  Once all units on both sides have been activated, the round ends. A new round begins: 
  the players roll the dice to find out of who plays first (as explained earlier). If you are lucky, 
  you may get to play twice in a row!
  In A nutShell:
  - 1 – Choose a scenario or create your own.
  - 2 – Set up the terrain.
  - 3 – Each player rolls three dice for initiative.
  - 4 – Whoever wins the initiative roll decides who plays first.
  - 5 – The player who starts activates one of his units.
  - 6 – The other player does the same with one of his.
  - 7 – And so one until all the units of both sides have been activated.
  - 8 – End of the round, some abilities might apply here.
  - 9 – The next round begins after the two players have rolled for initiative.
  - 10 – Start over from step 4.
  - 11 – Continue until the end of the game.
  end of the GAme
  The game ends in the following cases:
  - All the units of one side have been eliminated.
  - One of the two sides has fulfilled its scenario objectives (see the battle booklet).
  - The number of rounds decided upon is over (because of the scenario for instance). Should 
  this be the case, a victory point count is needed to find out who won (see below).
  - Neither side can fulfill their objectives any longer (if all objectives were destroyed for 
  instance). You may decide to count the victory points to sort out a winner, or else fight it 
  out until there is only one side standing!
  No matter what, the game always ends at the end of a round, never during a game 
  round. Even though you think you might have it won, you still need to prevent your oppo-
  nent from reaching his goal. Otherwise it might end in a tie, or worse!
  Whenever the scenario conditions are left unfulfilled, or when playing without a scenario, 
  the player who lost less Army Points wins the game.
  Each player adds up the Army Point value of the casualties he suffered. Each unit elimi-
  nated counts for as many points as its army point value (AP). All the units lost, even though 
  they might have returned to the game somehow, count towards the total.
  The side with the highest count loses the game (the player who lost the most Army 
  Points).
  ExamplE: the Allies lost three 
  2 squads and two 
   4 robots. The squads were 
  worth 6 AP and the robots 8 AP. Total: 14 points.
  The Axis lost two 
  2 squads and two 
   4 robots. A total of 12 points. The Axis 
  player wins the game; he lost fewer Army Points than his opponent.
  
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  9
  RULEBOOK
  MoveMent Rules
  In a Dust Tactics game, unit movements are crucial. You will need to reach your objectives, 
  using cover wisely, while avoiding your most powerful opponents.
  As explained earlier, units move from square to square, depending on the 
   value 
  printed on their card . Of course, units are never forced to travel to the full extent of their 
  movement . However, once they have stopped, they are not allowed to move again until 
  the next round .
  The squares units can move on are marked with a dot in their center . When you set up the 
  battlefield, you place terrain squares on the tiles . These represent hazards . These terrain 
  pieces hide the center dot, making these squares impassable .
  Units can never enter a square if a terrain square covers the dot in that square . 
  Other than these simple rules, other factors may sometimes modify a unit’s movement:
  EFFECTS OF COvER
  A square with an ammo crate can be entered by any unit . Upon entering the square, ve-
  hicles may choose to crush the crate (to deny the enemy cover for instance), but this is not 
  required . Should you ever want to destroy an ammo crate from range, or with a squad, 
  you can attack it normally: it has 
   3 and 2 
   .
  Squads and heroes can freely enter squares with tank-traps . However they prevent 
  vehicles from entering, just like squares covered by terrain . Vehicles are forced to find 
  another way of getting through, or else go around them .
  Tank-traps may also be destroyed . They are 
   5 with 4 
   . Tank-traps are affected by 
  almost all kinds of attacks . Whenever a weapon does not work against them, it is speci-
  fied in the weapon description .
  EFFECTS OF OTHER UniTS
  To get from one square to another, the path a unit follows needs to be clear . You can 
  never enter a square occupied by an enemy .
  A vehicle can never pass through a friendly soldier or vehicle unit; they would crash or 
  run each other over!
  However, a squad or a hero may pass through a friendly unit . It does not matter if it is 
  a squad or a vehicle . Soldiers simply climb over, walk around, or go through it . The squad 
  or hero cannot end its move in the same square as another unit, however .
  HOW DOES A UniT MOvE AROUnD A CORnER?
  For vehicles:
  Vehicles cannot move diagonally if one of 
  the corners is a square they cannot enter 
  (a square without a dot, or a square oc-
  cupied by a unit or a tank trap) .
  example: A Luther wants to enter the 
  base. It needs to get from A to B. It can-
  not move there diagonally as that would 
  mean going through the wall!
  To reach point B, the Luther needs to 
  spend 2 
  : one move to the left, and 
  one up.
  For squads and heroes:
  Squads and heroes may move diagonally 
  even if one the corners is a square they 
  cannot enter (a square without a dot or a 
  square occupied by an enemy unit) .
  example: Combat Rangers want to 
  enter the base. They need to get from A 
  to B.  They can move diagonally (costing 
  them 1 
  ) as they are slender enough 
  to cut corners.
  Important: No unit can ever move diago-
  nally when both corners are blocked: 
  In this diagram, no unit can move directly 
  from A to B . This would take them through 
  two impassable squares, making such a 
  move impossible .
  
  10
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  Shooting RuleS
  During its activation a unit may use all of its weapons. It does not matter if it makes ranged 
  attacks or is in close combat, the rules are the same.
  As a reminder: you can attack with a unit before moving, after moving, or without moving 
  by performing a sustained attack.
  First, check that you can see your target: in order to shoot at an opponent, line of sight 
  between the shooter and the target must be clear. 
  In the center of each square there is a dot. To establish line of sight, you need to be able 
  to trace an imaginary line from the dot in the shooter’s square to the dot in the target’s 
  square. If the line crosses a square with no dot, the shot is impossible: line of sight is 
  blocked.
  What BlockS line of Sight?
  All squares without a dot block line of sight. So any square with a terrain square on it 
  blocks line of sight.
  ExamplE: a Pounder decides to shoot at the Luther. The shot is impossible as no 
  uninterrupted line can be traced between the two dots in the squares occupied by 
  those two units.
  In the same way, the Pounder cannot shoot at the Grenadiers. The line cannot be 
  traced between the two units since the Axis soldiers are behind a wall that blocks 
  line of sight.
  Ammo crates do not block line of sight. Squads, heroes, and vehicles are unaffected.
  Tank-traps block line of sight when soldiers (squads or heroes) are targeting other sol-
  diers.
  Tank-traps do not block line of sight for vehicles, or when soldiers shoot at vehicles
  ExamplE: the Pounder may shoot at the Grenadiers. They are behind a tank-trap, 
  which does not block line of sight for vehicles. The Grenadiers may shoot at the 
  Pounder as well (since it can shoot at them, they can shoot at it). However, they can-
  not shoot the Rangers, as the tank-trap blocks line of sight between infantry units.
   
  A squad cannot shoot at another squad while a third squad, friend or foe, is blocking the 
  line of sight. However, a squad may shoot at a vehicle even though another squad that is 
  standing in the line of sight. 
  Of course, a squad does not block the line of sight of a vehicle shooting at another squad 
  either.
  ExamplE: the Combat Rangers want to shoot the Laser Grenadiers, but there is 
  a squad of Assault Rangers in their line of sight. The Combat Rangers cannot shoot 
  at the Axis squad—otherwise they would hit their comrades! However, they may 
  shoot the Luther standing behind the Grenadiers. Since the robot is taller, the Com-
  bat Rangers can fire over the heads of the Assault Rangers (and over the Grenadiers 
  too). The Luther can choose to shoot the Assault Rangers or the Combat Rangers, 
  or even both at the same time (it has more than enough weapons to do so), since 
  squads do not block its line of sight.
  POUNDER
  POUNDER
  LUTHER
  LUTHER
  GRENADIERS
  LASER
  GRENADIERS
  GRENADIERS
  ASSAULT
  RANGERS
  COMBAT
  RANGERS
  RANGERS
  
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  RULEBOOK
  Vehicles block line of sight for friendly and enemy squads. They also block line of sight 
  for friendly and enemy vehicles. When shooting, treat squares occupied by vehicles the 
  same as squares without a dot.
  ExamplE: The Combat Rangers cannot shoot through the square occupied by the 
  Pounder. The robot blocks all the squares beyond it: No uninterrupted line can be 
  traced from the Rangers to any of the dots in the grey squares. All such lines would 
  have to go through the Pounder.
  When your unit is behind a corner, the corner blocks line of sight if your target is behind 
  an opposite corner. When your target is behind a corner on the same side as your corner, 
  line of sight is not blocked.
  ExamplE: the Combat Rangers may shoot the Battle Grenadiers, but not the Laser 
  Grenadiers. Even though a line can be traced between the two squads, it skims past 
  two opposite corners.
  Important! This rule works with anything that blocks line of sight: a wall, a square without 
  a dot, a vehicle, and so on.
  So, whenever the imaginary line can be traced between two dots, even though it 
  might skim a square blocking line of sight, the shot is possible. Of course all of the 
  exceptions above apply!
  ExamplE: Shooting from A1 to B1 is possible. Shooting from A1 to all other B 
  squares is impossible. Shooting from A2 to B1 and B2 is possible. Shooting from 
  A2 to all other B squares is impossible. Shooting from A3 to B1, B2, and B3 is pos-
  sible. Shooting from A3 to B4 is impossible. Shooting from A4 to all B squares is 
  possible.
  LASER
  GRENADIERS
  BATTLE
  GRENADIERS
  RANGERS
  
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  Open Fire!
  Once you have line of sight, check to see if your target is within range of your weapons 
  as explained earlier. In order to attack an enemy unit, it needs to be within range of your 
  weapons and you need a clear line of sight. If this is the case, you may attack!
  Each weapon on the unit card has a weapon line, which tells you how many dice to roll, 
  depending on the type of target, and the amount of damage you will inflict for each hit. 
  If a unit has multiple weapons, such as most vehicles, each specific weapon will have its 
  own weapon line. Each separate weapon can be fired at a different target, or differ-
  ent weapons can be directed against the same target.
  17 Pdr. Gun
  1
  2
  3
  4
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  1
  2
  3
  U 4/1 4/1 2/1 2/1 7/1
  7/1 6/1 6/1 5/1 5/1 4/1
  -
  -
  -
  example: The 17 Pdr. Gun has unlimited range, it rolls 4 dice against 
   1 and 
   2, and 2 dice against 
   3 and 
   4. It rolls 7 dice against 
   1 and 
   2, 6 dice 
  against 
   3 and 
   4, 5 dice against 
   5 and 
   6, And finally 4 dice against 
   7. 
  The same gun will cause 1 damage point per hit on all units it can damage . As you can 
  see on the weapon line, all its dice are followed by /1 . So whenever it attacks a 
   2 
  squad, it rolls four dice and each hit causes 1 damage point to the target .
  For a squad, the number of dice listed on the weapon line is multiplied by the number 
  of soldiers equipped with this weapon (and still in the game when the 
  shot is fired) .
  Shotgun
  1
  2
  3
  4
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  1
  2
  3
  1 6/1 3/1 2/1
  -
  3/1
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  An Assault Rangers squad includes four miniatures equipped with Shotguns . Just to make 
  sure, you may refer to the unit’s picture on its card . When the squad decides to shoot at a 
   2 squad with its Shotguns, it rolls 12 dice . If two of those shotgun equipped Rangers 
  have been killed, the squad would only roll 6 dice .
  All squads come with at least one special weapon . Even the Assault Rangers have a 
  Flamethrower . No matter what, each squad has only one of these weapons, as you can 
  see on the unit card . To avoid any confusion, it is printed “Flamethrower (1)” on the card, 
  so you know that this is the special weapon and that there is only one of them .
  Some squads have two special weapons . Always bear in mind that what matters are the 
  weapons the miniatures are carrying: i .e . those they hold in the picture 
  on the unit card .
  By default, the first weapon line on the unit card matches the weapon most of the minia-
  tures carry . The second is always the special weapon . The third corresponds generally 
  to explosives . Close combat weapons come last . This is not an absolute rule, more of a 
  general indication .
  Each 
   inflicted by an attack causes a certain number of damage points that varies 
  depending on the weapon used . Each damage point causes vehicles and heroes to lose 
  one 
  , or squads to lose one miniature .
  Remember that some rules modify attack rolls . A 
   may sometimes be required for an 
  action to succeed: at those times it is each 
   that causes damage points .
  A unit must announce all of its attacks before engaging in combat! It can 
  choose the targets it wants among those in range, but you need to say which weapon will 
  be used against which target before rolling any dice .
  You are never forced to use all of your weapons, of course .
  When you perform your attacks, they are all considered simultaneous . If you put 
  a squad out of combat with your rifles, you cannot “redirect” the fire of your machine gun 
  to another target! If you announced you were using three Panzerfaust on a robot, the three 
  are fired together . If the first two destroy the robot, you cannot save the third one! You 
  need to think before you announce your attacks to your opponent . Take your time and 
  do not forget any of your weapons . Once you call your shots, it is too late to go 
  back and change your mind . If you ever forget to announce the use of one of your 
  weapons, it will not shoot this round .
  example: The Pounder that just moved encounters a squad of 5 Laser grenadiers. 
  The enemy soldiers are 4 squares away from it, so it can use all of its weapons 
  against them. These soldiers are 
   2, so that is the column to look up the robot’s 
  shots.
  Its 17 Pdr. Gun rolls 4 dice, its .50 cal rolls 3 dice, and its .30 cal also rolls 3 dice.
  The 17 Pdr Gun gets 2 
  , causing /1 damage: the target loses 2 
  .
  The .50 cal gets 1 
  , causing /1 damage: the target loses 1 
  .
  The .30 cal gets 0 
  : it causes no damage.
  The Grenadier squad loses a total of 3 
  : three miniatures are eliminated and re-
  moved from the gameboard.
  
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  RULEBOOK
  ExamplE: The following round, the same Pounder encounters two Grenadier 
  squads and a Luther. One squad is within 3 squares, the other within 5, and the 
  Luther within 8. The Pounder decides to use its .30 cal and its .50 cal on the closer 
  squad and its 17 Pdr. Gun on the Luther.
  The player controlling the Pounder announces all his shots to his opponent and 
  resolves them. If the shots from the .30 cal are enough to eliminate the first squad, 
  the .50 cal still fires at that unit! The Pounder cannot transfer its shots to the other 
  squad.
  After resolving an attack, the targeted unit suffers damage points:
  In the case of a vehicle or a hero, mark off the corresponding number of crosses on the 
  unit card. When all the crosses have been marked, the vehicle or the hero is eliminated 
  and removed from the game (they have 0 
   left) .
  In the case of a squad, remove the casualties from the game directly: one miniature for 
  each 
   lost . The player who controls the squad chooses which miniatures are 
  removed . As a unit suffers casualties, the number of dice rolled for its attacks will 
  change .
  Some weapons or abilities might modify these rules . You will find them in the final part 
  of this booklet .
  WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF COvER?
  Cover allows some squads to protect themselves from attacks . First check if your unit is 
  behind cover, and then determine the type of cover: either SOFT COVER or HARD 
  COVER .
  To be behind cover, a squad simply needs to be in the same square as a piece of cover . 
  No special action is needed to be behind cover .
  In Dust Tactics, cover elements are ammo crates (SOFT COVER) and tank-traps (HARD 
  COVER) .
  Depending on the type of cover, you might be allowed a cover roll . To find out if you are 
  allowed a cover roll, check the unit card of the unit in cover .
  HIT SAVE means that you get to roll a number of dice equal to the number of 
   the 
  unit suffered; each 
   you get on this roll cancels a 
   suffered . The shot is blocked by 
  the cover . 
  MISS SAVE means that you get to roll a number of dice equal to the number of 
   the 
  unit suffered; each 
   you get on this roll cancels a 
   suffered . The shot is blocked by 
  the cover . 
  NO SAVE means the unit gets no protection from this type of cover . You get no cover 
  roll .
  Important: some attacks and certain weapons ignore cover . In this case the description 
  found in the “Special Weapons and Armament” section supersedes the rules mentioned 
  above .
  example: A unit of Combat Rangers is in HARD COVER when it shares a square 
  with a tank-trap. It is targeted by a unit of Grenadiers. The attack results in 4 
  . The 
  Rangers roll their cover dice: 3 
   and 1 
  . Since they have MISS SAVE when be-
  hind HARD COVER, the 3 
   mean their cover blocked those bullets. However the 
   rolled means one of the Rangers was not so lucky… he is immediately removed 
  from the game.
  When trying to destroy a piece of cover, remember that an ammo crate is 
  3 with 2 
   
  and a tank-trap is 
  5 with 4 
   . Also remember that a vehicle may decide to crush an 
  ammo crate when entering its square .
  If you are attacking a piece of cover and a unit sharing the same square, you cannot 
  shoot at both with the same weapon! You need to announce which target each 
  weapon is shooting at . When the same unit, using different weapons, shoots at both the 
  unit and the cover at the same time, the shots aimed at the cover are resolved last .
  A squad standing right behind a corner when attacked diagonally is behind SOFT COV-
  ER: the members of the unit hug the wall to hide from the attack . This only works if the 
  target squad is in a square adjacent to the corner .
  example: When the Battle Grenadiers shoot, the Combat Rangers are behind 
  SOFT COVER. But when the Laser Grenadiers shoot, the Rangers won’t be behind 
  cover at all! When the Recon Grenadiers shoot, the Rangers aren’t behind cover 
  either: even though they are next to a corner, the line of sight between the two units 
  does not skim past the corner. 
  Since the Battle Grenadiers are not right next to the wall, they are not behind cover 
  when the Combat Rangers shoot at them. The line of sight might pass over the cor-
  ner, but the Grenadiers are not adjacent to it. The other two Axis squads obviously 
  have no cover against the Rangers.
  In the following round, the Battle Grenadiers move to the square marked “X.” They 
  would then gain SOFT COVER if they were targeted by the Combat Rangers (who 
  would still be behind SOFT COVER also).
  RECON 
  GRENADIERS
  LASER
  GRENADIERS
  BATTLE
  GRENADIERS
  COMBAT
  RANGERS
  
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  To find out what constitutes a corner, and therefore determine if a unit is behind cover, 
  it all depends on what is in that square. In the previous example, the corner providing 
  cover was part of a square without a dot, the wall of a base for instance. In this example, 
  however, it all depends on what is standing in the X-marked square.
  If X is a squad, Assault Rangers for instance, the Combat Rangers would not benefit from 
  cover. The Grenadiers could shoot either of the two units and neither one would benefit 
  from cover since a squad does not provide cover for another squad. (A square occupied 
  by a squad is not “without a dot.”)
  If X is a vehicle, a Pounder for instance, the Combat Rangers would then benefit from 
  cover. They can be targeted by the Grenadiers (line of sight skims the corner), but the 
  Rangers are on the diagonal from the unit shooting at them, so they are partially hidden 
  by the robot and therefore gain SOFT COVER (since a square occupied by a vehicle is 
  “without a dot”).
  Multiple sources of SOFT COVER create HARD COVER. A squad behind SOFT COVER 
  from both an ammo crate and a corner at the same time is behind HARD COVER.
  Heroes have no cover value on their unit card. They are heroes: they don’t hide! However, 
  when a hero joins a squad (see below), he benefits from its cover value.
  Heroes
  Heroes are the main characters of the Dust universe. Famous warriors and legendary fight-
  ers, they lead the Special Forces you control.
  Heroes have their own unit card. In the game, you can activate them alone, just like any 
  other unit. They are subject to all the usual rules and can use all their abilities.
  These special characters also have their own special rules:
  A hero can share a square with a friendly unit, even a friendly vehicle. Heroes are the only 
  units that can share a square with a friendly unit. 
  Heroes can also command troops directly. Before a battle a Hero may join a squad, as 
  long as the hero shares the same type of ARMOR as the squad: A 
   2 hero may join a 
   2 squad, but not a 
   1, 
   3, or 
   4 one .
  The hero joins his squad before the beginning of the game . He enters the game at the 
  same time as his squad and is activated with it . This choice has several effects:
  - The hero and the squad are activated at the same time .
  - The hero’s attacks are added to those of the squad .
  - Some of the hero’s abilities affect the squad (check ability descriptions at the end of this 
  booklet) .
  - The squad’s abilities affect the hero .
  - The hero’s 
   is shared with the squad . When the combined unit suffers a damage point, 
  you must choose who loses one 
   . You can either remove one of the squad’s miniatures 
  (as usual), or you can choose to mark off a cross from the hero’s unit card . Of course, once 
  the hero loses his last 
   he is eliminated!
  - The hero and the squad are always in the same square .
  - The hero shares the squad’s cover value .
  To show that a hero has joined a squad, place both units’ cards together .
  A hero cannot join a squad during a game . If you wish your hero to be part of a squad, 
  they must be joined before the game begins .
  A hero and his squad may decide to break off during the game . From then on, the hero 
  operates alone as a separate unit . He cannot later rejoin that squad, and he cannot join 
  any other squad during the game . When the hero breaks off from his squad, separate 
  the two unit cards to show that they are acting independently . The two units are activated 
  normally from then on, and no longer share any cover values, health points, abilities, and 
  so on .
  The two units can still share the same square (since heroes are allowed to share a square 
  with any friendly unit) .
  Finally there can never be more than one hero attached to the same squad .
  
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  15
  RULEBOOK
  PreParing a game
  Before setting out to capture the enemy base, you 
  need to prepare your team and find out what kind of 
  terrain you are going to be fighting over.
  Once you have mastered the rules, you will be able 
  to use all of the units available in the Dust Tactics 
  universe. For the time being we recommend you kick 
  off with the first scenario “Reconnaissance,” which 
  can be found in the battle booklet. It will help you 
  better assimilate the basic rules.
  Cost of Units
  Inside the Dust Tactics box, there are six units for 
  each side: three squads, two vehicles, and a hero.
  All these units do not share the same combat value. 
  In order to sort out a fair game, each type of unit has 
  its own Army Point Value, which can be used to com-
  pare units. Before the game starts, make sure both 
  sides have the same number of Army Points (AP). To 
  do so simply add the Army Point Values of the units 
  you are going to use in the battle. Equal totals mean 
  the game will be fair. 
  Each of the two forces in the box is worth 16AP. 
  Future expansions will bring new units, more or less powerful. You will be able to add 
  them to your army and keep playing fair games as long as you make sure the AP totals 
  of both armies are equal.
  The scenarios we offer have fixed AP values. You are free to modify them, as you are free 
  to create your own scenarios or victory conditions. Dust Tactics is a game: you make what 
  you want out of it!
  Creating a Battlefield
  Once you have chosen your force, you need to create the terrain it will be fighting on. 
  When using a scenario already written it is easy: set up the battlefield by placing the 
  terrain tiles as shown on the diagram. Then place the terrain squares, still following the 
  diagram. You are ready to play in minutes!
  When you are not using a readymade scenario, you have to create the battlefield. It is 
  generally made up of 9 tiles. First choose if the battle takes place indoors or outdoors.
  If you cannot sort it out with your opponent, roll three dice. Whoever gets the most 
   
  gets to decide where the battle takes place.
  Once you have determined the type of terrain, you will need to determine its nature. 
  In Dust Tactics, there are three types of terrain density: light terrain, medium terrain, and 
  heavy terrain.
  light terrain provides plenty of room to maneuver. Line of sight is usually easy to estab-
  lish, meaning a quick and bloody battle! To simulate light terrain you get 8 terrain squares 
  to place on the 9 tiles.
  Medium terrain simulates a battlefield where your units will be able to hide. It fa-
  vors short-range combat. To simulate medium terrain, you will have 12 terrain squares to 
  place.
  Heavy terrain is reserved for close quarters battles, to the point of engaging the enemy 
  directly in close combat. There will be hiding places everywhere. To simulate heavy ter-
  rain, you will place 18 terrain squares. 
  Determining the nature of the terrain is once again very easy: each player rolls three dice. 
  The one who rolls the most 
   gets to decide. The winner then chooses a terrain square 
  and places it wherever he wants on a tile. Then it is his opponent’s turn to place one. The 
  players go on, taking turns, until all the squares are in place.
  The terrain squares are divided evenly between both sides: each side will place 4 
  squares on light terrain, 6 on medium terrain, and 9 on heavy terrain.
  You may also decide to create scenarios played with more or fewer than 9 tiles. Just adapt 
  the game to your table or to the number of units you have. Should you decide to play with 
  12 tiles, you will need to increase the number of terrain squares (12 for light terrain, 18 
  for medium, and 24 for heavy).
  Use the rules given above to set up the battlefield. Should there ever be an issue, show 
  some fair play! And whenever you cannot agree with your opponent, sort it out with a 
  roll of the dice.
  The greatest battles take place on the largest battlefields! Do not hesitate to use as many 
  tiles as you can. Make those battles epic!
  Indoor Tiles
  outdoor Tiles 
  
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  Placing cover
  Once the tiles and terrain squares are in place, you need to place the cover. You will 
  find 6 cover pieces in the Dust Tactics box: four ammo crates and two tank-traps. To find 
  out who will start placing them, roll three dice. Whoever rolls the most HIT chooses and 
  places the first cover. It is then the other player’s turn to place a cover and so on until they 
  are all on the board.
  The cover can only be placed in the “central zone” of the game table, usually the three 
  tiles in between your side and your opponent’s. 
  In the scenarios that we offer, you are not allowed to place tank-traps inside a base (dark 
  grey tiles). Only ammo crates can be placed inside a base. You are of course entitled to 
  do it your way, but you should know that tank-traps inside the base will slow the game 
  down considerably…
  9 tile battlefields are generally played with 4 pieces of cover: two tank-traps and two 
  ammo crates. Here again, do as you wish! But avoid “stuffing” the board or else the pace 
  of the game will suffer.
  Once the tiles, terrain squares, and cover are in place the game can begin! Roll for initia-
  tive (as explained earlier) and start playing.
  attack!
  During the first round, the units must enter the gameboard. Their first action on the battle-
  field is always a one square move (
  ), symbolizing the fact that the unit “enters” the 
  gameboard . Once a unit has entered the game, it acts straight away! All options are not 
  available (since the unit already moved once), but if you have a target in range, you may 
  attack it immediately . You may also choose to perform a double movement, etc .
  example: the Allies player wins the initiative. He chooses to play his Hot Dog 
  first: the robot has 
   1. The Allies player spends this 
   to enter the gameboard, 
  and decides to perform a double movement. So it moves another square and is 
  deactivated. (MOVE + MOVE)
  It is now the Axis player’s turn. He decides to start with his Ludwig. The player 
  decides to move then shoot (MOVE + SHOOT). So he spends one 
   to enter the 
  gameboard, and then shoots at the Hot Dog, which is in range of its cannons! The 
  line of sight is clear, the guns have the range, and the combat begins!
  The units take their actions one after the other . Once they have all been played, it is the 
  end of the first round, and the second round can begin .
  REMinDER
  - Units can perform two actions per round . They can choose from five different basic op-
  tions: move then attack, attack then move, move twice, sustained attack, or do nothing 
  at all!
  - The initiative roll is done at the beginning of each round using three dice . The side that 
  rolls the most 
   decides which side plays first that round .
  Now you know how to set up a basic game and how to kick off the first round . Of course, 
  scenarios such as those we offer, or which you write yourself, are more interesting to play . 
  In Dust Tactics, we include eight scenarios . They can be played separately to get used to 
  the game and the units, or they can be played one after the other as a larger campaign!
  Once you have had enough of these scenarios, you will want to create your own or play 
  those available on our website: www .dust-tactics .com
  Zone of CoVeRs
  HoT DoG
  lUDWIG
  
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  RULEBOOK
  Abilities And speciAl Units
  Agile
  The unit is composed of swift and agile members. When it moves, all diagonals cost one 
   (instead of one for the first diagonal and two for the following ones) . An Agile unit 
  considers diagonals as normal squares when it moves .
  A hero with this ability shares it with any squad he joins .
  All in OnE
  A unit with this ability can decided to increase its rate of fire, making the gun muzzles 
  red hot, almost to the breaking point . Weapons cannot take much of this treatment . A unit 
  can only use this ability once per game . When a unit calls All In One, it rolls twice the 
  normal number of attack dice for all its weapons for that round, no matter which actions 
  are taken .
  ASSAUlT
  Once per game the unit doubles its 
   value, no matter which actions are taken for the 
  round . This can even be used when the unit chooses to move twice . 
  A hero with this ability shares it with any squad he joins .
  BERSERk
  A hero with this ability sometimes loses control of his actions… He is overcome with fury 
  and becomes an exceptional fighter . Once per game, the hero may re-roll all of his failed 
  attacks for the round once . Berserk works with the sustained attack option: re-roll failures 
  for sustained attack once and re-roll any further failures once with the Berserk ability . 
  A hero with this ability shares it with any squad he joins .
  example: Sigrid Von Thaler joins a Laser Grenadiers unit. During the game, they 
  come upon a nice juicy target: Joe Brown and his Assault Rangers. Sigrid decides 
  to attack the squad using Berserk in combination with a sustained attack (her unit 
  won’t move). The target is within 2 squares, so all weapons are in range. Since they 
  all do /1 damage and all have the Laser effect, all the dice can be rolled together. 
  A total of 8 dice are rolled: 4 Laser Gewehr, 1 Laser Werfer, and 3 for Sigrid’s special 
  laser pistol. The first roll produces 1 
   and 7 
  ! This is far from good, but it’s not 
  over… The 
   is re-rolled for further damage, thanks to the Laser effect: 1 
  , so 
  for the moment there is only one damage point.
  The 7 
   from the initial attack are re-rolled, because of the sustained attack bonus: 1 
   and 6 
  . The 
   is re-rolled (Laser effect) and misses. That’s 2 damage points for 
  the moment. Finally, the 6 
   remaining are re-rolled again thanks to the effect of 
  Berserk: 2 
   and 4 
  . The 2 
   are re-rolled (Laser effect), but they fail. The last 
  4 
   are not re-rolled again since the sustained attack and Berserk were already 
  used. So in the end, Joe’s squad takes 4 damage points… Lucky fellow, it could have 
  been a lot worse!
  BlACk OPS
  A hero with this ability is specialized in infiltration, secrets ops, and nighttime strikes . He 
  knows speed is the key to success! When a hero with is ability is in your army, roll an extra 
  die to determine who wins the initiative . However, should the hero be eliminated during 
  the game, you lose this bonus . 
  The bonus given by Black Ops does not stack . Even though you might have two heroes 
  with this ability in your army, you are still only allowed one extra die .
  Charge
  A unit with this ability can move one extra square at the end of its movement . This extra 
  square can only be used to move into a square adjacent to an enemy unit . After 
  this extra movement, the unit must attack with all of its weapons that have range 
  1, and nothing else . These attacks are allowed even if the unit moved twice this round . The 
  extra square added by Charge may be a diagonal move .
  A hero with this ability shares it with any squad he joins .
  Using Charge takes all of a unit’s activation and uses all of its actions for the round . 
  In fact the unit performs 
   + 
   + 1 free square + attack with range 1 weapons . The 
  second 
   is not required; it just helps the unit charge further (the unit could in fact do 
   
  + 1 free square + attack with range 1 weapons) .
  DAMAGE RESiliEnT
  Units with this ability are particularly tough . They take the hits without even a grunt and 
  keep on fighting . Each time a miniature with this ability suffers a damage point, roll one 
  die: if you obtain a 
  , the damage point is ignored . Damage Resilient protection is inde-
  pendent from cover: a miniature with this ability and behind cover benefits from both .
  A hero with this ability does not share it with any squad he joins .
  Damage resilient does not work against Flame weapons, artillery weapons (range A), and 
  any weapons with range 1 .
  FAST
  A unit with this ability is particularly swift . It advances on the battlefield much faster than 
  usual .
  When the unit moves, add 1 
   to all its movements . However, this extra 
   is not 
  doubled when the unit chooses to move twice . Fast does not provide a “free movement” 
  when choosing sustained attack either .
  example: Assault Rangers have 
   1 and Fast. Whenever they decide to move 
  then shoot (MOVE + SHOOT), they can move two squares (
   1 + 1 
  ) and then 
  shoot. Whenever they decide to shoot then move, they attack then move two 
  squares.
  If the Assault Rangers decide to move twice (MOVE + MOVE), they move three 
  squares (
   1 multiplied by two + 1 
   for Fast).
  Finally, when they decide to perform a sustained attack (SHOOT + SHOOT), Fast 
  does not allow them to move (the +1 
   bonus only applies if the unit moves).
  Important! Whenever a special rule for a special weapon or ability contradicts the 
  general rules, it is the special rule that prevails!
  ExamplE: It is clearly said in the rules that a unit can never move through an 
  enemy unit. However, when you have Jump you may jump over them. In this case 
  the special rule takes over for the general rule.
  Most abilities do not count against the two actions per round a unit is allowed. When us-
  ing an ability that does cost an action, the ability’s description is marked “(1 ACTION).”
  ExamplE: Sigrid and the Laser Grenadiers choose to perform a sustained at-
  tack (SHOOT + SHOOT). Giving her enemies no chance, Sigrid uses the Berserk 
  ability. The use of this ability does not count as an action; so using sustained at-
  tack with Berserk is possible (SHOOT + SHOOT + Berserk).
  Important InformatIon
  
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  Fighting Spirit
  A hero with this ability is an extraordinary fighter. He knows how to push his advantage 
  and can carry on the assault relentlessly.
  The hero treats all 
   as 
   when attacking with all of his weapons, as long as he also 
  moved once this round. In order to gain this bonus, he must use his MOVE action before 
  attacking.
  A hero with this ability shares it with any squad he joins.
  Jump
  The unit has powerful legs or jet packs that allow it to get past obstacles. During move-
  ment, you can ignore an obstacle by jumping over it. You can only land in an empty 
  square. This jump is subjected to all other movement rules that affect movement. Jump 
  allows you to travel over cover, a low wall, a pit, or a unit. You cannot jump over a build-
  ing wall or a roof! In other words you cannot jump over a square with no dot. A unit with 
  Jump can jump over an enemy unit, a vehicle, or obstacles, and the jump can be made 
  diagonally.
  In terms of actions, Jump replaces a 
   . Instead of doing so on the ground, the unit does 
  so in the air .
  example: The Hot Dog cannot get past this tank-trap normally. It could not even 
  destroy it since it is immune to flamethrower damage (see below). There is only 
  one solution…jump! It will need to perform a double movement (MOVE + MOVE) 
  (it will be unable to attack), and can land on any of the colored squares. If any of 
  these squares are occupied by another unit, no matter which side it is on, the Hot 
  Dog could not land there.
  A hero with this ability does not share it with any squad he joins .
  SElF REPAiR
  Vehicles with this ability have made it through countless battles . Their crew knows them by 
  heart and can perform makeshift repairs, even during combat . At the end of each round, 
  roll a die for each 
   the vehicle has lost . For each 
   rolled, your vehicle recovers one 
   . You cannot recover more than your vehicle’s maximum 
   . Self Repair does not work 
  when the vehicle is totally destroyed .
  SniPER
  A Sniper’s devastating fire allows it to choose his target . He chooses which miniatures suf-
  fer a 
   when he damages a squad . When he decides to shoot at the carrier of a special 
  weapon, his shot destroys both the carrier and the weapon . (Your squad cannot pick up 
  the Bazooka for instance) . The Sniper can also decide to target a hero . In this case, it is 
  always the hero who loses 
   and not the squad .
  When the Sniper is part of a squad, he is the only one who can choose his target—the 
  squad’s other attacks are resolved normally .
  SniPER TEAM
  This is a squad composed of a miniature with a long-range weapon and a leader who 
  guides the shot with binoculars . The shooter has the Sniper ability while the leader has 
  Spotter . Whenever one of the squad’s members is eliminated, you lose the related ability . 
  If the unit has other abilities, the surviving miniature keeps them .
  SPOTTER
  A unit with this ability reverses its attack rolls . It considers 
   as 
  , and 
   as 
   . A 
  Spotter is never found alone: he is always with a Sniper or a heavy weapons squad . 
  As the attack rolls are reversed, a unit including a Spotter will re-roll 
   results when it 
  performs a sustained attack, instead of 
   results .
  TAnk HEAD
  A hero with this ability is a vehicle specialist… He is just as good at repairing them as he 
  is at blasting them!
  Once per game, a hero with this ability can restore all lost 
   points to a friendly vehicle . 
  This “repair” happens on the hero’s activation (or that of the squad he is assigned to) . The 
  vehicle must be in an adjacent square, and the hero must spend an action to repair it . 
  When the hero is part of a squad the whole squad spends an action . Obviously the repair 
  does not work when the vehicle has lost all its 
   (it is already removed from the game) .
  
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  RULEBOOK
  Command SquadS
  A command squad is a special squad composed of an Officer, a Radioman, a Mechanic, 
  a Medic, and a weapon specialist. Each member of the command squad has different 
  abilities. If you have this type of squad, the Command Squad ability will appear on the 
  unit card. 
  When one of the squad’s miniatures is eliminated, the command squad loses any ability 
  associated with that miniature (see below).
  Some of the command squad’s abilities are very potent. Whenever you activate this unit, 
  you must announce which ability you are going to use. In order to use it, you will 
  be required to roll a die. You need a 
   for the ability to work. A 
   is a failure: the 
  ability does not work and you are not allowed to try to use another ability until 
  the next round.
  Some abilities do not require any die roll (this is stated in the ability description).
  No matter what, you cannot use more than one command squad ability per 
  round, and you are only allowed to try to do so once per round (it does not matter if the 
  roll is a success or not).
  Even though the Command Squad’s special ability counts as only one action, you can use 
  (or try to use) only one per round. Besides these limitations, the squad can use any other 
  basic action in combination.
  Example: In a round, you may move and try to use Get Moving You Bunch of Monkeys! 
  Or you may shoot and perform a Makeshift Repair. But you will not be able to use Get 
  Moving You Bunch of Monkeys! and Makeshift Repair in the same round.
  Officer
  The key element in your company, the Officer has only one ability, which is in fact an or-
  der: Get Moving You Bunch of Monkeys! (1 Action). When the Officer’s roll is success-
  ful, you choose which unit will receive the order: that unit is reactivated for this round. 
  It can move again and use all its weapons (except for those that have run out of ammo, 
  of course). This new activation takes place right after that of the command squad. In fact 
  you will be playing twice in a row.
  This order can only be given to a unit in a square adjacent to the command squad (unless 
  there is a Radio).
  To use Get Moving You Bunch of Monkeys! the Command Squad needs to spend an ac-
  tion.
  radiOman
  The Radioman has the ability to relay any order issued by the command squad anywhere 
  on the gameboard. You do not need to roll the dice to activate this ability, it is automati-
  cally successful.
  Beware of sniper fire! Should the Radioman be eliminated, the Officer will only be able 
  to give orders to units around him, and the Mechanic and the Medic won’t be able to call 
  reinforcements. Unlike the command squad’s other abilities, the Radioman is “passive.” It 
  is always working… as long as the Radioman is on the gameboard! So when the Officer 
  seeks to issue an order to a distant unit, you only need to roll the die once (for the Officer). 
  This is the only case where both the Officer and the Radioman use their abilities in the 
  same round (The Radioman’s ability does not cost an action).
  The Radioman’s second ability is Artillery Strike (1 Action) (which appears printed on the 
  unit card). Whenever the Radioman is eliminated, the Command Squad also loses the use 
  of this ability. Artillery Strike costs the Command Squad one action. 
  mechanic
  Specialized in makeshift repairs and engine problems, the Mechanic can use two distinct 
  abilities.
  The first is Makeshift Repair (1 Action). The Mechanic restores one 
   to a vehicle . This 
  vehicle must be in an adjacent square (the Radioman’s ability does not work for remote 
  repairs) . You do not need to roll the dice to activate this ability . This ability does not work 
  on destroyed vehicles!
  Makeshift Repair costs the Command Squad one action . 
  The second ability is Field Repair (1 Action) . The Mechanic brings a vehicle that was 
  destroyed back into the game . To activate this ability, you need a 
   on the die . If the 
  roll is a success, the vehicle re-enters the battle as it did at the beginning of the game . 
  The vehicle is activated immediately, just after the command squad . However, you may 
  only bring a single vehicle back for the whole game! Choose it carefully (yes, you are 
  allowed as many tries as you need to bring it back) . If the Radioman is eliminated, the 
  ability does not work .
  Field Repair costs the Command Squad one action . 
  MEDiC
  The Medic also has two abilities . The first is Get Up, It Ain’t That Bad (1 Action) . The 
  Medic brings one miniature back into a squad, or restores one 
   to a hero . The squad 
  or the hero must be in an adjacent square when the Medic reanimates the eliminated 
  miniature (the Radioman’s ability does not work to heal from a distance) . The miniature is 
  no longer eliminated, it returns to its squad with all its equipment (and its special weapons 
  and ammo for limited ammo weapons) . You do not need to roll the dice to activate this 
  ability . Of course this ability only works if there are soldiers left in the squad! If the whole 
  unit was eliminated, the ability does not work . 
  Get Up, It Ain’t That Bad costs the Command Squad one action . 
  The second order is Come On Guys; We’re Going Back Out There (1 Action) . The 
  Medic brings a whole squad, which was previously eliminated, back into the game . To 
  activate this ability, you need a 
   on the die . If the roll is a success, the squad re-enters 
  the battle as it did at the beginning of the game, with all its equipment . It is activated 
  immediately, right after the command squad . However, you may only bring a single 
  squad back for the whole game! Choose it carefully (yes, you are allowed as many tries 
  as you need to bring it back) . A hero who was eliminated cannot be brought back into the 
  game by the Medic. If the Radioman is eliminated, this ability does not work .
  Come On Guys, We’re Going Back Out There costs the Command Squad one action . 
  The weapons specialist does not have any special ability . He is in charge of protecting the 
  squad with his weapon, that’s all .
  The command squad’s orders do not work on the command squad itself . The 
  Officer cannot reactivate his own unit, the Medic cannot heal it, and so on . The command 
  squad is worth as many army points as any other squad with the same ARMOR (as ex-
  plained previously) . 
  
  20
  R e a d  t h i s  b o o k  t h o R o u g h l y  a n d  k e e p  i t  s e c u R e  •  i t  m a y  s a v e  l i v e s
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  If you bring a unit back into the game using the Mechanic or the Medic, and it is elimi-
  nated again, it counts as further casualties when counting victory points! When you lose 
  a Pounder (4 AP) for example, and you bring it back and it is destroyed again, you will 
  be counting 8 AP. Beware: losing reinforcements may cost you the game!
  Units that come back into the game thanks to these abilities are activated normally during 
  the round. They re-enter the battlefield through your troops’ initial deployment zone.
  Command squads are as rare as able field officers… You cannot have more than one of 
  these units in your army at the same time. This limitation does not apply if the command 
  squads have different types of ARMOR. So your army may have a 
   2 Command 
  Squad and a
   3 Command Squad, but not two 
   2’s .
  Finally, a hero may join a command squad only if he has the Commander ability .
  There are no command squads in the Dust Tactics basic set, but you will discover them 
  soon with the Artillery Strike expansion!
  speCIal Weapons anD aRmamenT
  The use of special weapons does not cost any actions . To use them, like any other weap-
  on, the unit needs to choose at least one SHOOT action (as explained previously) .
  SPECiAl DAMAGE TyPES
  Some weapons in Dust Tactics inflict unusual damage . They are printed on the unit cards 
  as explained below .
  Besides the particular damage they do, these weapons may also have special damage 
  rules .
  example: the Napalm Thrower of the Allies Hot Dog robot does 1/
   and 1/
   
  type damage. But it also belongs to the Flamethrower category, so it has special 
  rules.
  1/
  This type of damage simulates large explosions or flames engulfing their victims . The more 
  victims there are the more dice you roll!
  When you cause this type of damage, roll 1 die per miniature targeted by the at-
  tack . Each 
   causes 1 damage point .
  example: Assault Rangers attack a squad of Grenadiers with their Flamethrower. 
  Against 
   2, the Flamethrower does 1/
   damage. There are 5 Axis soldiers in the 
  squad, so you will need to roll 5 dice. Each 
   causes one damage point.
  Some particularly powerful weapons will cause 2/
   type damage . In this case, you will 
  roll two dice per miniature targeted . 
  1/
  This type of damage simulates the use of massive rockets or explosive charges . Whenever 
  these weapons hit their target, the ensuing explosion is lethal…
  When you cause this type of damage, roll 1 die per miniature targeted by the attack . 
  Each 
   means a target loses all its remaining 
   .
  example: The Hot Dog’s Napalm Thrower targets a JagdLuther (that is an Axis 
  5 with 
   6). The Allies player rolls a die and gets a 
  . The Axis robot explodes: 
  it is immediately removed from the game table.
  Some particularly powerful weapons will cause 2/
   type damage . In this case, you will 
  roll two dice per miniature targeted . 
  liMiTED AMMO WEAPOnS
  Some equipment is more rare or cumbersome than others . Units cannot carry as much of 
  it as they would want into battle . To simulate this scarcity, you may find among a unit’s 
  abilities the name of one of these weapons followed by little boxes . Each box is a marker 
  for each use of this specific weapon . You are never forced to use all of these limited 
  ammo weapons at once! Other than the fact that you have limited ammo for them, these 
  weapons work like any other .
  example: Recon Boys have two UGL. On the squad’s picture, you will find only 
  two miniatures with a small grenade under the barrel. To make sure of it, among 
  their abilities you will read: UGL and two boxes. When the Recon Boys use one of 
  these, mark off as many boxes as there were UGL’s fired. Once all the boxes are 
  marked, the unit is out of UGL for the rest of the game.
  Limited ammo weapons belong to the whole unit . Whenever a squad member equipped 
  with such a weapon is eliminated, his comrades pick up the weapon automatically . They 
  will be able to use it later .
  example: a squad of 5 Grenadiers marches into battle with three Panzerfaust. 
  During the game, three Grenadiers are eliminated. The two survivors still have 
  three Panzerfaust (if they haven’t used any of them yet.)
  Limited ammo weapons can be used in addition to any other weapon: they have their 
  own weapon line on the unit card . So they may be used to shoot at a separate target (like 
  any other weapon) .
  However, you may not use more limited ammo weapons per round than the number of 
  miniatures in your squad .
  example: Assault Rangers have 5 Demo Charges, one each. During the game, 
  after having lost two soldiers, the squad attacks a vehicle. It may now only use a 
  maximum of three Demo Charges at once (one per soldier still on the game board). 
  The Assault Rangers still have all 5 Demo Charges, but not enough fighters to use 
  them all at once. In the next round the unit will be able to use the two remaining 
  Demo Charges, as long as there are at least two soldiers left…
  
  b e  c a R e f u l  •  d o n ’ t  l e t  t h i s  b o o k  f a l l  i n t o  t h e  h a n d s  o f  e n e m i e s
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  21
  RULEBOOK
  Special WeaponS
  Flamethrowers 
  Flamethrowers are devastating weapons that inflict great damage to all types of targets.
  To simulate the fact that it is flames engulfing the opponent, all flamethrower shots ignore 
  cover. But they are useless against tank-traps (reinforced concrete doesn’t burn that well).
  If you are using a flamethrower that shoots further than one square (such as the Hot Dog’s 
  Napalm Thrower for instance), all squares between your unit and the target are affected 
  by the flamethrower. Even if the squares are occupied by friendly units! But, the fire of the 
  flamethrower does not continue beyond a square blocking line of sight.
  example: This Hot Dog torches a Luther. Behind the target a Laser Grenadiers unit 
  is hiding. Even though the Napalm Thrower has a range of two, its flaming jet will 
  not hit the Grenadiers, as they stand behind a vehicle blocking line of sight. The 
  pilot of the Hot Dog cannot see them, so he cannot aim the jet at them.
  Using the same example, if the Grenadiers and the Luther swap places, then the 
  pilot of the Hot Dog could see both units. He would then be able to spray both with 
  his Napalm Thrower.
  Similarly, when your flamethrower has more than one square of range, you choose the 
  squares where the flames spread. However, you still need to be able to target each square 
  independently (as explained above).
  example: In this situation, the Hot Dog has many options! We are only going to 
  have a look at its Napalm Thrower, not its other weapons. This powerful flamethrow-
  er has range 2, so the Hot Dog‘s pilot can choose which squares to affect, as long as 
  he respects line of sight rules.
  In this example he may target either:
  - The Laser Grenadiers and the Battle Grenadiers
  - The Laser Grenadiers and the Luther
  - The Battle Grenadiers and the Luther
  - The Laser Grenadiers and the Ludwig
  The Hot Dog cannot target the Recon Grenadiers. They are behind the Ludwig (whose 
  square is treated like a square with no dot when resolving attacks).
  To be sure that a weapon uses the Flamethrower rules, when a unit is equipped with such 
  a weapon, it is printed on its unit card.
  LUTHER
  LUDWIG
  LASER
  GRENADIERS
  RECON
  GRENADIERS
  BATTLE
  GRENADIERS
  HOT DOG
  
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  RestRicted (foR gaming use only)
  Knife 
  All the soldiers in the squad have a knife or a close combat weapon. When this weapon 
  is printed on the unit card, all its members are able to use it. Roll one die for each member 
  of the unit when you use this weapon.
  Knife & Grenade 
  All the soldiers in the unit have a knife and grenades. Roll one die for each member of the 
  unit when you use this weapon.
  Laser 
  Laser weapons slice through any material, any armor. Whenever you obtain a 
   with a 
  Laser, you are allowed to re-roll the die that caused it. As long as you keep rolling 
  , 
  you keep on re-rolling and adding any 
   rolled to your damage total. However, you may 
  not change targets. Once the unit or the vehicle targeted is destroyed, the Laser stops.
  ExamplE: A Grenadier shoots at a lone Ranger with a Laser Gewehr. He rolls one 
  die against 
  2, and obtains a 
  , which he re-rolls. He gets another 
  , which 
  he re-rolls again. The final roll is a 
  . Overall, the Grenadier has rolled 2 
  , and 
  causes 2 damage points. This is more than enough to eliminate the poor Ranger, 
  who of course has only one 
  .
  example 2: A squad of Laser Grenadiers shoots 4 Laser Gewehr at some Com-
  bat Rangers. The Axis soldiers choose sustained attack. They roll 4 dice, getting 
  2 
   and 2 
  . The two 
   are re-rolled immediately (Laser effect). The 2 
   are 
  re-rolled once (sustained attack). If either of these two dice rolls a 
  , they are re-
  rolled again (Laser effect).
  To be sure a unit uses the Laser rule, when your unit is equipped with such a weapon it is 
  printed on the unit card .
  Panzerfaust
  This weapon can only be used once per game . If you have three soldiers equipped with 
  Panzerfaust in a squad you will only be allowed to shoot three Panzerfaust with them for 
  the whole game (at different times should you wish to) .
  You will find the number of Panzerfaust they have at their disposal on the unit card (which 
  corresponds to the number of miniatures actually carrying them) . Each time you use this 
  weapon, mark the box to remember you used it .
  If a unit has no boxes beside its Panzerfaust, it can use this weapon during the whole 
  game: it carries enough ammo .
  UGl – UnDER-BARREl GREnADE lAUnCHER
  UGL are tube shaped grenade launchers fastened to the underside of assault rifles or sub-
  machineguns . These weapons can only be used once per game . If you have three soldiers 
  equipped with UGL you will be able to fire only three UGL in the whole game (at different 
  times should you wish to) . Choose your targets well and do not forget to write down which 
  miniatures already shot their UGL .
  You will find the number of UGL they have at their disposal on the unit card (which cor-
  responds to the number of miniatures actually carrying them) . Each time you use this 
  weapon, mark the box to remember you used it .
  They fall from the sky and explode on impact: UGL grenades always ignore cover .
  If a unit has no boxes beside its UGL, it can use this weapon during the whole game: it 
  carries enough ammo .
  Grenade Launcher and Grenade Pistol work the same as UGL, but they are never limited . 
  You can use them during the whole game .
  To be sure a unit uses the UGL or grenade launcher rule, it is printed on the unit card .
  example: on Joe’s unit card, among his abilities, you will find Grenade Launcher:  
  Grenade Weapon. This way you know that when you use this weapon, it ignores 
  cover.
  RAnGE “U”
  Range U (Unlimited) weapons are not limited by a number of squares . They can shoot 
  anywhere on the battlefield . However they still need line of sight!
  Close Combat: squad vs. squad
  When you decide to use the Knife or Knife & Grenade weapons against a squad, your 
  target is allowed to retaliate if it is equipped with these weapons. First resolve all other 
  types of attacks. If your opponent suffers casualties, they are immediately removed 
  from the game. Then roll your Knife or Knife & Grenade dice. Your opponent also rolls 
  the dice for the same weapons with any survivors in his squad. Casualties on either 
  side are then simultaneous. The sustained attack option also applies to these weapons, 
  but cover does not.
  ExamplE: A squad of 5 Rangers shoots at 5 Grenadiers; they are in adjacent 
  squares (in range of their Knife & Grenade). The Allies player announces that he 
  will be using his Knife & Grenade on the survivors. All of the squad’s shots are 
  resolved, causing 3 damage points. Remove the casualties immediately. There 
  are only 2 Grenadiers left. Now, the 5 Rangers attack with their Knife & Grenade. 
  They roll 5 dice while the Grenadiers roll 2 dice. The Rangers manage two 
   
  with their 5 dice, the Grenadiers get one 
  . Result: all the Grenadiers are elimi-
  nated as well as one Ranger.
  Important InformatIon
  SuStained attack and Limited ammo WeaponS
  If you use a limited ammo weapon during a sustained attack, you re-roll dice as usual, 
  just like any other weapon. Re-rolling 
   results does not simulate the unit shooting 
  again, but the fact that it takes its time to aim carefully.
  ExamplE: a squad of Grenadiers chooses the sustained attack option. It fires 
  three Panzerfaust at a Pounder. The result of the first roll is 1 
   and 2 
  . The 
  Axis player immediately marks the three Panzerfaust off the Grenadiers’ card. 
  Since they are performing a sustained attack, the 2 
   are re-rolled, even 
  though the Panzerfaust have already been used. In fact, the Grenadiers have no 
  more rockets left, but it is assumed that they have taken their time to aim, hence 
  the re-roll.
  Important InformatIon
  
  b e  c a R e f u l  •  d o n ’ t  l e t  t h i s  b o o k  f a l l  i n t o  t h e  h a n d s  o f  e n e m i e s
  THe fIGHT Goes on!
  DUST TACTiCS: ARTillERy STRikE
  “OPERATiOn CyClOnE”
  The first expansion will introduce the powerful artillery robots . With their special weap-
  ons, they can strike targets all over the battlefield . You will also find out about command 
  squads, which influence battles with their many abilities .
  DUST TACTiCS: BlUTkREUZ ATTACkS
  “OPERATiOn PAPERCliP”
  This expansion will take you to a terrifying castle at the heart of Germany . The strange 
  creatures dwelling there are not the hospitable kind . This box will contain a complete Axis 
  army and an Allies commando force, as well as new terrain tiles .
  DUST TACTiCS: BATTlE FOR BRiTAin
  “OPERATiOn SEElÖWE”
  With this expansion, the battles in the world of Dust start picking up pace! New fast and 
  lethal robots make their appearance . New Axis and Allies technologies create a new 
  generation of soldiers… And new heroes join the world of Dust!
  DUST TACTiCS: vRill invASiOn
  “OPERATiOn DOWnFAll”
  This expansion brings forth the mysterious Vrills, with a complete ready to play army! You 
  will be getting robots, troops, and some of the most famous heroes of this alien people . It 
  will come with a new campaign and new tiles to create exclusive battlefields!
  DUST TACTiCS: AiR STRikE
  “OPERATiOn HARPOOn”
  The battles of Dust Tactics are not only fought on the ground, but also in the air! This expan-
  sion will allow you to play the aircraft provided in the box . These powerful vehicles can 
  ravage the battlefield in one pass… But keep away from those anti-aircraft weapons!
  To keep up with any Dust Tactics news, go to our website: www .dust-tactics .com
  CAn’T WAiT TO SEE yOU THERE!
  
  w w w . d u s t - t a c t i c s . c o m
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dust Tactics/Dust-Tactics-Rulebook-Small.pdf