Grimdark Future Special Rules

This page will go over the Special Rules used in Grimdark Future.

Aircraft

Must deploy before all other units, ignores all units and terrain when moving/stopping, can’t seize objectives, and can’t be moved in contact with. May only use Advance actions, moving in a straight line by 30”-36” without turning. If it moves off-table, its activation ends, and it must be deployed on any table edge at the beginning of the next round. Units targeting this model get -12” range and -1 to hit rolls.

• The range debuff means Aircraft are generally immune to Shotguns, Pistols, Fusion Rifles, and any other range 12" weapon. You cannot ever be 0" from a model without charging, which Aircraft are immune to, and would mean you aren't allowed to fire a ranged weapon anyways.
• Aircraft do not turn at any point while on the table. Their direction of movement can only be changed when re-placing it after running off the edge.

Ambush

This model may be kept in reserve instead of deploying. At the start of any round after the first, you may place the model anywhere, over 9” away from enemy units. If both players have Ambush, roll-off to see who goes first, and alternate deploying units. Units that deploy like this on the last round can’t seize or contest objective markers.

• This does not replace the unit's activation. They will act as normal later in the round.

AP(X)

Targets get -X to Defense rolls when blocking hits.

Blast(X)

Each attack ignores cover and multiplies hits by X, but can’t deal more hits than models in the target unit.

• A Blast(3) weapon hitting a unit of 5 models will deal 3 hits. A Blast(3) weapon hitting a unit of 2 models will deal 2 hits. Also important to note, a Blast(3) weapon hitting a units of 3 models each with Tough(3) will deal 3 hits. These hits are defended as normal, and wounds from failed saves are assigned as normal as well, meaning 3 wounds would kill 1 model, not assign one wound to each of the 3 models.

Caster(X)

Gets X spell tokens at the beginning of each round, but can’t hold more than 6 tokens at once. At any point before attacking, spend as many tokens as the spell’s value to try casting one or more spells (only one try per spell). Roll one die, on 4+ resolve the effect on a target in line of sight. This model and other casters within 18” in line of sight may spend any number of tokens at the same time before rolling, to give the caster +1/-1 to the roll per token.

Counter

Strikes first with this weapon when charged, and the charging unit gets -1 total Impact attacks (per model with this rule).

• This rule is very uncommon in Grimdark Future, and is mostly present for rulebook parity with Age of Fantasy. At the time of writing, the only army with this rule are the various Daemon factions. Wolf Brothers has a similar rule, Counter-Attack, which does not include the second clause.

Deadly(X)

Assign each wound to one model, and multiply it by X. Hits from Deadly must be resolved first, and these wounds don't carry over to other models if the target is killed.

Entrenched

Enemies get -2 to hit when shooting at this model from over 12” away, as long as it hasn’t moved since the beginning of its last activation.

• The second clause counts any type of movement; Targeting an Entrenched unit with a hero's Command Move type ability to move it 6" will break the to-hit malus effect.

Fast

Moves +2” when using Advance, and +4” when using Rush/Charge.

Fear(X)

Counts as having dealt +X wounds when checking who won melee.

Fearless

When failing a morale test, roll one die. On a 4+ it’s passed instead.

Flying

May go through obstacles and ignores terrain effects when moving.

Furious

When charging, hits from unmodified rolls of 6 are multiplied by 2 (only the original hit counts as a 6).

• The clause in parenthesis means, for instance, that a natural 6 with an (A1, AP(1), Rending) weapon on a Furious unit will deal 1 AP4 hit, and one bonus AP(1) hit. In this case, both would still retain the -1 to Regeneration rolls.

Hero

Heroes with up to Tough(6) may deploy as part of one multi-model unit without another Hero. The hero may take morale tests on behalf of the unit, but must use the unit’s Defense until all other models have been killed.

Immobile

May only use Hold actions.

• Note that this does not mean the unit cannot be moved. A hero with a Move-6" ability can still shuffle around an Immobile unit.

Impact(X)

Gets X attacks that hit on 2+ when charging.

• These are bonus attacks independent of any weapons the unit may have, not granting attacks with an existing weapon.

Indirect

May target enemies that are not in line of sight, and ignores cover from sight obstructions, but gets -1 to hit rolls when shooting after moving.

• The final clause is never optional - if you moved, you gain a to-hit penalty. It does not matter if your target is in line of sight or not.

Lance

Gets AP(+2) when charging.

• To answer a weirdly common question, this is a weapon rule, and thus applies only to the weapon it is attached to.

Lock-On

Ignores cover and all negative modifiers to hit rolls and range.

Poison

Targets get -1 to Regeneration rolls, and must re-roll unmodified Defense rolls of 6 when blocking hits.

Regeneration

When taking a wound, roll one die. On a 5+ it is ignored.

Relentless

When using Hold actions and shooting, hits from unmodified rolls of 6 are multiplied by 2 (only the original hit counts as a 6).

• The clause in parenthesis means, for instance, that a natural 6 with an (A1, AP(1), Rending) weapon on a Relentless unit will deal 1 AP4 hit, and one bonus AP(1) hit. In this case, both would still retain the -1 to Regeneration rolls.

Reliable

Attacks at Quality 2+.

• To answer a weirdly common question, this is a weapon rule, and thus applies only to the weapon it is attached to.

Rending

Targets get -1 to Regeneration rolls, and unmodified results of 6 to hit count as having AP(4).

Scout

This model may be deployed after all other units, and may then move by up to 12”, ignoring terrain. If both players have Scout, roll-off to see who goes first, and alternate deploying units.

Slow

Moves -2” when using Advance, and -4” when using Rush/Charge.

Sniper

Shoots at Quality 2+, and may pick one model in a unit as its target, which is resolved as if it’s a unit of 1.

• Rules-as-Written, and as an official word of god answer, this means a unit with multiple of the same Sniper weapon must target the same model (as weapon groups must target the same unit, and Sniper targets resolve as a unit of one). Ignoring this is a very common house rule.

Stealth

Enemies get -1 to hit rolls when shooting at units where all models have this rule from over 12" away.

Strider

May ignore the effects of difficult terrain when moving.

Tough(X)

This model must take X wounds before being killed. If a model with tough joins a unit without it, then it is removed last when the unit takes wounds. Note that you must continue to put wounds on the tough model with most wounds in the unit until it is killed, before starting to put them on the next tough model (heroes must be assigned wounds last).

Transport(X)

May transport up to X models or Heroes with up to Tough(6), and non-Heroes with up to Tough(3) which occupy 3 spaces each. Units may deploy inside or embark by moving into contact, and may use any move action to disembark, but must stay within 6” of it. When a transport is destroyed, units inside must take a dangerous terrain test, are immediately Shaken, and surviving models must be placed within 6” of the transport before removing it.