Battlespace: Ultra Modern Solo Skirmish Game
Battlespace: Ultra Modern Solo Skirmish Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Battlespace is played in a number of turns depending on the mission. Each turn consists of three phases. Because this game is solo/cooperative there are no victor points. Players must complete objectives.
Failure to do so will result in the loss of the mission.
A key aspect of the game is the Threat Level system. Think of this as you rolling to determine if your soldier avoids a danger or "threat" to his well being. For example, if an enemy is shooting at your soldier, you are rolling to determine if your soldier avoids the gunfire.
What You Need to Play
Models: 14 - 20 models (4 representing your soldiers, 10 - 16 representing the Enemy Element). When the rules refer to a model it includes the model's base.
Dice: 1 D20, 1 D6. A D20 is primarily used in the game. When rolling, you must meet or exceed a threat level number (Threat lvl) to be successful. When a random direction is required, roll a D20 and use the point at the top of the number to determine the direction. A D6 will be used when a random number of enemies must enter the mission area.
Maneuver Card (Included): The Maneuver card is used for several things, but its primary use is movement. Place the Maneuver card against the base of the model in the direction you intend on moving it. Then, move the model up to the opposite end of the Maneuver card. A model that needs to move further (advance) will move up to two Maneuver card lengths. Other uses of the Maneuver card will be explained later in the rules.
Soldier Cards (Included): These cards list your soldiers' modifiers and any special skills they might have.
Gear Cards (Included): Gear cards are equipped to soldiers and allow a tactical advantage. Some Gear cards give soldiers a specific role on the team, while others are weapons at the soldier's disposal.
SITREP Cards (Included): SITREP cards are the AI for enemy element and other situations that may arise. Simply read the instructions on the cards and play them out on the table.
Enemy Element Cards (Included): The Enemy Element cards list the Threat lvl of the enemy, the amount of wounds an enemy can sustain and any skills the enemy type will have.
Wound Markers: Use wound markers on enemies that can sustain more than one wound and on your soldier when they receive wounds.
Activation Markers: Use activation markers to track models that have activated in the current turn.
Suppression Fire Marker: When a model uses suppression fire, use this marker to represent the direction he is shooting.
Overview
Games can be played on a 2' x 2', 2' x 3' or 3' x 3' table for larger games. Use models from any range that are on 25mm bases, as this is what was used to develop the game.
Remember, the game is most fun when you don't try to game the system. The AI is in place to give you a framework on how enemies should behave, but it's up to you to make them a truly formidable force.
Set Up
For your first game, set up a table (referred to as the Mission Area) with a generous amount of terrain (10+ pieces) placed at your discretion. Next, shuffle the Sitrep deck and place it near the mission area face down. Place the maneuver card, dice, counters, and enemy element cards nearby to use as needed.
Note: For your first game, we suggest only using "Al Wahid Fighters".
Before you can begin the mission, you must form a fireteam. Choose four Soldier cards to place in your fireteam. Each soldier card will list the individual soldier's modifiers and a specialty skill, if the soldier has one. The fireteam is also given 12 points to acquire gear. The gear can then be distributed amongst the soldiers at your discretion.
Staging the Mission Area
Your soldiers will begin the mission in their deployment zone. The location of the deployment zone depends on the mission, but will normally be on an edge of the mission area. When placing your soldiers in the deployment zone, place them in an area within the size of the maneuver card.
Optional Rule: Alpha, Bravo. When playing with two fire teams, each fire team will have its own deployment zone.
Place enemies that are beginning the game in their designated spot on the mission area. This is noted in the mission's description. If you are not using a mission from this rule book, you can randomly set this up by rolling on the Random Enemy Staging Chart found on page 17.
Battlespace is played in turns. A turn consists of the 3 phases: Player Phase, Sitrep Phase, and Clear Phase. The following rules will cover what a player will do during each phase.
Soldier Attributes
Accuracy: This number represents how competent the soldier is when firing his weapon. Add the soldier's accuracy to the D20 roll when making a shooting attack.
Fight: This number represents how competent the soldier is when he is in hand to hand combat. Add the soldier's Fight to the D20 roll when in base contact with an enemy.
Initiative: This number represents how quickly and how well the soldier will react in a situation. Before a soldier can be issued orders, you must roll equal to or higher than his initiative. This is referred to as an initiative roll. On a result of natural 20, the soldier gets +1 order.
Specialty: Some soldiers have a Specialty skill that can be used during the mission. This skill will be listed on the soldier's card along with any requirements needed to perform the specialty skill.
Hit Points: A soldier's Hit points (HP) are tracked on his card. Once a soldier receives a 3rd wound, he receives -1 to all of his rolls for the remainder of the mission (regardless of receiving medical aid). At the 4th wound, the soldier is Man Down (the soldier is laid on its side and can not perform any orders). If the soldier were to receive wounds beyond the 4th wound, the soldier is KIA (the soldier is removed from the game immediately).
Loadout: When giving gear to a soldier, place the gear card underneath the soldier's card to represent the gear being placed in the soldier's loadout. Soldiers have access to the gear in their loadout at all times. A soldier can have up to 6 pts of gear in their loadout.
Turn Phases
A turn consists of three phases: the Player Phase, the Sitrep Phase, and the Clear Phase.
Player Phase
A new turn begins with the Player Phase. One by one attempt to activate each soldier in the fireteam.
To activate a soldier, roll equal to or higher than the soldier's initiative (initiative roll). If you succeed, the soldier is activated and can be issued up to 2 orders. Orders are the actions a soldier can take during the player phase.
If you fail to roll the soldier's initiative, draw a Sitrep card and follow its instructions immediately. Then place the Sitrep card in the discard pile. The soldier may then be issued only a move order. A soldier can only perform a named order once in a turn (ie: shoot, advance, throw, free). Once an initiative roll has been attempted for each soldier and all orders are issued, the Player Phase is over.
Note: When playing co-op, players will alternate between each other attempting to activate their soldiers.
Orders
Fire Weapon: A Shooting attack is the most common attack a model will make. To perform a shooting attack, a target must be in the model's 360° LoS. There is no max range for a shooting attack. All enemies have a Threat Level. This number represents the enemy's competency on the battlefield. The Threat level number must be met or exceeded on a D20 roll to deal a wound when attacking.
Primary Weapon: Shooting attacks are with the model's primary weapons by default. Unless stated, a weapon deals 1 wound.
Throw Weapon: A model does not need to have LoS to a target to throw a weapon (e.g. grenade). As long as the throwing arc is not blocked, the weapon can be thrown.
Move: A standard move is up to the length of the maneuver card. Start the movement by placing the maneuver card against the model's base and move the model along the "Movement Line" in the desired direction.
Go Prone/Stand Up: Soldiers can go prone and lower an attacking enemy's Threat Lvl by -1. Standing up from the prone position is a free order.
Interact: When a soldier is in base contact with an objective, for 1 order the soldier may interact with it.
Aimed Fire (primary weapon only): For 2 orders, a soldier receives +1 to his shooting attack roll.
Use Gear: Gear in a soldier's loadout has a quantity number that reduces by 1 with each use. Once the quantity reaches 0, the soldier will discard the gear card from his loadout.
Advance: For 2 orders, a soldier can move up to 2x the length of the maneuver card.
Climb: For 2 orders, when a soldier is in base contact with elevated terrain he can climb up (or down). The soldier is placed at the edge of the terrain parallel to where he began the climb. The soldier's activation is then over.
Friendlies: Friendly models in the same fireteam do not block LoS and can be moved through without penalty.
Sitrep Phase
Begin the Sitrep Phase by drawing a card from the Sitrep deck. Follow the instructions on the Sitrep card immediately and place the card in the discard pile. Sitrep cards will often instruct you to activate enemy models during this time.
Any enemy models that did not activate by the Sitrep card drawn during the Sitrep phase, will now activate. These enemies will move and attack a soldier in LoS. Once all enemies that are able to activate have done so, the Sitrep phase ends.
If a Sitrep card's text cannot be applied, it is ignored and the card is discarded.
If there were no stragglers in the mission area when this Sitrep card was drawn, you would simply place it in the discard pile. If there are no cards in the SITREP deck, shuffle the discard pile and set it back as the new SITREP deck.
Clear Phase
During the clear phase you will follow the steps below to prepare for a new turn or end the game, depending on the criteria of the mission.
Clear phase steps:
- Check for completed objectives
- Remove all activation markers
- Remove any status effects that have met their duration
Mission failure conditions:
- All of your soldiers are downed or KIA
- The mission reached its turn limit
- All objectives were failed (or primary objectives were failed)
Enemy AI
Enemies should be controlled using these guidelines along with the instructions on the Sitrep Cards.
Threat Level Icon: The number inside of the icon is the enemy's Threat lvl. When an enemy is attacking a soldier, the soldier must avoid the attack by meeting or exceeding the enemy's Threat lvl, otherwise the enemy's attack is successful.
Enemy Straggler: "Enemy Straggler" refers to a singular enemy model. This enemy model normally comes into the mission area alone, moves alone, and attacks alone.
Enemy Element: "Enemy Element" refers to a group of 2 or more enemy models that started in the mission area together or that entered together. The models in the enemy element will stay within an area of the maneuver card when moving. An Enemy Element will move and attack together, but only enemy models in the enemy element with LoS can participate in making individual attacks when the enemy element is activated.
Combat: Enemies will attack with their primary weapons (listed on the card) before using any other weapon, unless specified. Enemies will target the nearest soldier first. If more than one soldier is at equal distance, they will choose to shoot at the target with the lowest initiative. In a situation with multiple soldiers at equal distance and initiative, the player must choose between the soldiers. If multiple enemies are in position to make shooting attacks, they will alternate between targets.
Moving: When moving, enemies will take the shortest route that will get them into LoS of the player's soldiers. Enemies will use doors (or walk around) before climbing walls or over objects that would impede their movement.
Enemy Element Positioning: For fast movement and placement of an enemy element, move the point man up to the required movement. Then, place the other men in the element within the area of the maneuver card at the point man's new position. (The printed page shows a diagram of point man "Enemy A" and the remaining enemies B through F placed within the maneuver card area around him.)
Enemies and Solid Cover: Enemies focus on attacking soldiers, not getting into solid cover. Enemies will not deviate from an attacking position or path to get into solid cover.
No Mercy: Enemies will target soldiers that are Down if there are no other available targets.
Advanced Rules
Cover
There are two types of cover that models can benefit from, Obscured cover and Solid cover.
Obscured Cover: A model is considered to have obscured cover when any part of the model is not visible from the LoS of the attacking model. When a soldier has obscured cover and is the target of a shooting attack, the Threat lvl is at -1. A soldier targeting an enemy with obscured cover receives -1 to his roll.
Solid Cover: A model is considered to have solid cover when it is in base contact with terrain and obscured from the LoS of the attacking model. When a soldier has solid cover and is the target of a shooting attack the Threat lvl is at -2. A soldier targeting an enemy with solid cover receives -2 to his roll.
(The printed page includes two LoS diagrams: one showing a soldier with obscured cover from the attacking enemy model, and one showing a soldier with solid cover. The page notes that the diagrams show LoS from the attacking enemy model's perspective, which is the best way to judge LoS.)
Hand to Hand Combat
When a soldier and an enemy come into base contact, perform a melee combat immediately. Roll a D20 and add the soldier's Fight. If the result meets or exceeds the enemy's Threat lvl, deal the enemy 1 wound. If it does not meet or exceed the enemy's Threat Lvl, deal the soldier 1 wound. If one of the combatants is not KIA or downed the next time the enemy or soldier would activate, immediately resolve another hand to hand combat.
- On a result of natural 20, deal the enemy +1 wound.
- On a result of natural 1, deal the soldier +1 wound.
Multiple Combatants: For each additional soldier in the same hand to hand combat, lower the Threat Lvl by -1. Each additional enemy raises the Threat lvl by +1.
Cohesion: When all of the soldiers from the same fire team are within an area equal to the maneuver card, a soldier from the fire team receives +1 to his initiative roll.
Man Down
A downed soldier is incapacitated and cannot receive any orders, nor contribute to modifiers and is vulnerable to AoE weapons.
A soldier can drag a downed model during his move order if they are in base contact at the beginning of the movement. The soldier dragging the downed model is then considered to be using a sidearm. When he makes a shooting attack the roll is at -3. If a soldier is dragging a downed model and enters hand to hand combat, the downed model is placed back on the ground beside the soldier that was dragging him.
Optional Rule: Bleeding Out: A downed soldier that does not receive medical aid within two full turns is KIA.
Enemy KIA: Once an enemy is down, he is immediately KIA.
Point Blank Range
A model making a shooting attack against a target within the area of the maneuver card is considered at point blank range. Deal +1 wound.
Suppression Fire
For 2 orders, a soldier can perform suppression fire. Place the point of impact (on the maneuver card) over the target. All models in the AoE of the maneuver card are under suppression fire. When a model is under suppression fire, it cannot move (or use a movement order) and can only perform shooting attacks. If the model performing the suppression fire moves (willingly or forced), enters hand to hand combat, or take any other orders, the suppression is removed immediately.
- When an enemy is under suppression fire, their Threat lvl is at -2.
- When a soldier is under suppression fire, he receives -2 to all rolls.
- Enemies will avoid suppression fire if possible.
Suppression fire is a constant stream of fire. Any model entering the lane of fire between the model using suppression fire and the original target, is also under suppression fire. The line of fire is the width of the maneuver card (directional point facing the shooter).
Throwing Grenades
Place the maneuver card in contact with the model throwing the grenade. This can be the model's base, weapon, limb, or anything attached to the model. Use the throwing arc on the maneuver card to determine if the toss will make it over any obstacles, such as terrain or other models.
Use the exact spot on the mission area that the arrow at the end of the throwing arc is pointing to as a point of reference. Line the edge of the maneuver card up to the point of reference with the directional point, pointing at the model throwing the grenade.
(The printed page shows two images: the first shows how the maneuver card can be placed against the model throwing the grenade, with a red arrow marking the end of the throwing arc as the reference point; the second shows the maneuver card orientation, with a blue arrow marking the edge of the card at the same point as the reference point.)
Gear
All gear cards have a point cost (pts). Depending on the type of gear, the card may also have:
- Qty (quantity): The amount of times the card can be used before it is removed from the soldier's loadout.
- Drift: Normally associated with weapons. If a gear card has a drift icon, then use the point of impact diagram on the maneuver card to determine drift.
- Team Position: These cards represent the "job" a soldier has on the team. Gear cards with the team position icon cannot be removed from the soldier loadout and can not be given to or swapped with another soldier's gear card. Only one soldier in a fire team can have the named position.
Drift
Roll 1D20 and refer to the maneuver card's point of impact diagram numbers to determine if the card is moved one maneuver card distance in that direction. A result of 9 - 20 is a direct hit (the card does not drift).
(The printed page shows the point of impact center mark, the drift directions diagram, and the directional point facing the targeting model.)
Elevation
Elevation is terrain that stands higher than the height of the scale models (standing) being used to play the game.
- A soldier on an elevation receives +2 to their roll when shooting at a target that is below their elevation.
- An enemy on an elevation receives +2 to their Threat lvl when targeting (or is a target) a soldier below their elevation.
- If the top of the elevated area is more than 3x the height of the model, 2 more orders are required to climb the distance. The soldier climbing the elevation is considered to have stopped climbing at the midway point. The soldier will continue to climb once he uses 2 more orders to climb the remaining distance.
Hindering Terrain
Hindering Terrain is anything that would interrupt or impede a model's movement. Hindering terrain ends a model's movement once the model comes into base contact with it. When a model is in base contact or inside an area of hindering terrain, the model cannot make an advance movement. Leaving hindering terrain does not end a model's movement.
Note: Before the game starts, make sure to specify what terrain features are considered hindering terrain.
Weapon Jam
On a result of natural 1 when making a shooting attack, the soldier's weapon is jammed. The soldier must use 1 order to clear the jam.
Night Combat
When missions take place at night or in an area with little to no light source (a room without natural or artificial light), initiative rolls are at -1 and all other rolls are at -2.
Vehicles
A soldier must be in base contact with the vehicle and use 1 order to enter it. Exiting a vehicle is a free order. Models in vehicles are considered to have obscured cover. If the vehicle is armored, the models are considered to have solid cover. LoS is made to and from the cabin of the vehicle. All movements for land based vehicles are up to an advanced movement. There must be at least two models occupying a vehicle in order to operate a mounted weapon and move in the same turn.
| Type | Seats (front/rear) | Mounted Weapon | Armor / Protection | Specialties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humvee | 5 | 1 | Yes / 5 | Equipped with comms |
| MRAP | 6 | 1 | Yes / can not be disabled | Negate wounds from small arms. |
| Sedan | 4 | 0 | No / 4 | None |
| SUV | 5 | 0 | No / 4 | None |
| Technicals | 2/1 | 1 | No / 3 | free order to enter the rear. |
Once a vehicle (including its occupants) has been the target of attacks equal to its protection, the vehicle is disabled and can no longer be occupied.
Seating: List soldiers' seating positions. Enemy targeting will be based on the nearest model with the driver taking priority. If the vehicle has a mounted weapon, enemies will make the soldier on the mounted weapon their priority.
Civilians
Civilians block LoS for soldiers, but not enemies. If an enemy has its LoS obscured by a civilian when targeting a soldier, the enemy still makes the attack. The civilian is caught in the crossfire and removed after the attack is resolved. Civilians have 1 HP so any amount of wounds will remove a civilian from the mission area.
When civilians are present in the mission area, they may react to soldiers in different ways. The first time a civilian has a soldier in unobscured LoS, roll a D20 on the civilian reaction chart.
Civilians Reaction Chart
| D20 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Hostile!: The civilian reveals a weapon and becomes an enemy straggler. |
| 4-7 | The civilian screams: The civilian moves in the opposite direction of the soldier. The nearest enemy moves toward the soldier that caused the civilian reaction. |
| 8-13 | Buy my DvDs: The civilian advances toward the soldier that caused the civilian reaction. If the civilian enters base contact, use 1 order to remove him from the mission area (Get the hell outta here!). |
| 15-19 | The civilian does nothing. |
(The printed chart has no entry for a roll of 14; it is transcribed as printed.) | 20 | The civilian is friendly: Discard the top card in the Sitrep deck. The civilian leaves the mission area immediately (remove the civilian from the game). |
Random Enemy Staging Chart
| D20 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 enemy element of 4 men |
| 11-15 | 3 enemy stragglers |
| 9-14 | 2 enemy stragglers, 1 enemy element of 3 men |
| 16-20 | 2 enemy elements of 3 men |
(The printed chart's ranges overlap at 9-10 and 14-15 and it lists 9-14 after 11-15; the ranges are transcribed as printed.)
For each enemy straggler or enemy element starting in the mission area, use the random enemy staging chart. One at a time starting from the center of the mission area, use the drift indicator (directional point facing yourself) to determine the enemy's starting position. Make an advance from the center of the table in the direction rolled and place the enemy or enemies within the AoE of the maneuver card.
Missions
The following missions layouts have been designed as a framework for the table setup. You are encouraged to add more terrain to give the mission area variety and atmosphere for your setting. All of these missions are played on a 3' x 3' area, but can easily be modified to accommodate a 2' x 2' area.
Mission layout diagrams (ES = enemy straggler, EE = enemy element, HW = humanitarian worker, D6 EE = enemy element of a number of men set by a D6 roll) are printed with each mission; the key below is the printed Mission Key.
Mission Key: Exfil (off the table edge); Deployment (area of the maneuver card); Enemy Element (EE); Enemy Straggler (ES); Civilian; Objective Ring.
Mission 1
Command has just informed your fire team that a patrol was ambushed by small arms fire on their way back to the FOB. Your team is the only asset in the area and must proceed to the site of the attack and recover any survivors.
Objectives:
- Search for survivors by interacting with the Humvee. Roll 1D20:
- 1 - 12: the soldiers are missing
- 13 - 20: one wounded survivor. (The wounded survivor must be carried by a member of the fire team.)
- Move off the mission area via the highlighted edge to be exfil. At least 3 of your soldiers and any survivors (if found) must make it to exfil.
Mission 2
Intelligence has located a high value target, Ahmad Yosef Awad. The bomb maker is responsible for dozens of IED attacks. Awad is currently in the village of Mohashan developing IEDs for the Al Wahid. It is imperative that we shut Awad down while we have the chance.
Your team is to enter the village at night and locate and capture or kill Awad.
NIGHT MISSION
Objectives:
- Breach the target buildings. Awad is located in one of the 3 target buildings. Once a building is breached, roll a D6 to determine if Awad is in the building. On a result 5+, you find Awad and 1 enemy Al Wahid soldier.
- Leave the mission area with at least one soldier from the fire team.
- Turn limit 8.
Note: Use the Al Wahid Leader enemy card to represent Awad.
Note: If a result of 1 is rolled on a D20 while a soldier from the fire team is in the building with Awad, a bomb is detonated and deals 5 wounds to all models inside of the building.
Note: The fire team receives +1 to the D6 roll for each building that has been breached. If Awad is not found in any of the breached buildings, he is tipped off and has escaped the area.
Mission 3
While returning to the FOB, your team is caught in an ambush. The lead humvee has been hit by an RPG and is now disabled. Your team's humvee has also sustained damage. A quick reaction force is in route, but you must set up a defensive perimeter and hold out until they arrive.
Objectives:
- At least 1 soldier must survive the ambush.
- Turn limit 5.
Mission 4
The Al Wahid have kidnapped 3 humanitarian workers and are threatening to execute them if one of their generals isn't released from American custody within 48 hrs. Your team will be going in to recover hostages.
Objectives:
- Eliminate the two Al Wahid fighters guarding the aid workers before the end of turn 5.
- Once the aid workers are within an area of the movement card with at least one soldier, use an order to pop red smoke. (Each soldier has one red smoke that does not count against their loadout for this mission.)
Your team will be exfil along with any humanitarians at the end of the next turn after popping smoke. At least 1 humanitarian must survive for the mission to be considered a success.
- Turn limit 7.
Note: The aid will be treated as soldiers for enemy targeting purposes.
Mission 5
While on a reconnaissance mission in the town of Dahath, your team comes under fire from their rooftop position. Command has informed you of multiple enemy elements closing in on your position. Your team must regress immediately to be exfil before they are overwhelmed.
Objectives:
- At least 2 soldiers from your fire team must make it out of the mission area.
- Turn limit 7.
Glossary
(The printed Index.)
Activated: Models that performed an action or order (e.g: shooting, moving, climbing).
Alternate Targets: When enemies have multiple soldiers that are possible targets, enemies will prefer to target a soldier that has not been targeted before in the current phase.
AoE (Area of Effect): An area equal to the size and shape of the maneuver card.
Benefit: When a model can be effected by ability, effect.
Cabin of Vehicle: The cabin is the area of the vehicle where the driver and passengers sit.
Civilians: Civilians are models that don't attack and only activate according to the civilian reaction chart.
Discard: Remove from its current location and place it with its relative cards that are also discarded. (e.g. If referring to a Sitrep card, place the card in the discard pile.)
Disregard: When a card's text tells you to disregard an effect, the model(s) ignore the results of the card's effect.
Down (Downed): When a model is "down", it is not allowed to make any actions, orders or activations.
Enemy: Enemies are models that oppose the player's soldiers. Civilians can become enemies depending on the result of the civilian reaction chart or Sitrep cards.
Exfil: An area soldiers use to leave the mission area.
Failed Roll: When the result of a dice roll is less than the required number.
FOB: A FOB (forward operating base) is a secured forward operational level military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support strategic goals and tactical objectives.
Friendly: Models that are akin.
Inactive: An inactive model is unable to take any actions, orders or activations for a required amount of game time.
Jammed Weapon: A weapon that can not be used until given care (jammed cleared).
KIA (Killed in Action): Models that are KIA are removed from the game immediately.
LoS (Line of site [sic]): A model's LoS is 180 degrees at all times. When determining if a model has LoS, take the point of view from the models table level.
Medical Aid: When a model attempts to remove a wound from itself or another model.
Point Man: A model at the forefront of an activity such as movement.
Point of Impact: The point of impact is the center mark on the maneuver card.
Primary Weapon: A primary weapon is always available to the model and can never be traded or discarded, but it can be inoperative.
Re-Roll: A re-roll can not be rolled again.
Small Arms Fire: Weapons such as assault rifles and handguns.
Soldier: A models that represent the player.
Spawning Enemies: When a Sitrep card reads "enters the mission area", place the enemy type onto the game area.