The Paper Trail

Changelog & Errata

Thrackdown is still in Open Alpha, so the rules will continue to change as playtesting goes on. This page records those changes and any corrections made between releases.

Downloads across the site are kept up to date with the current version and remain free.

Current: Open Alpha v1.4.05 Updated through Alpha Playtesting
BuffRule or profile made strongerNerfRule or profile made weakerTweakCost, wording or quality-of-life changeFixCorrection or document repair
Version History

What changed, and when

The current version is expanded below. Older versions remain available in collapsed sections for reference.

Warband rating now counts XP in steps of 5, and a round of clarifications brings faction rules, Weapon Traits, Snap Fire and Hostage Grab into line everywhere they appear.
Campaign
  • TweakWarband Rating: XP now adds to a fighter’s rating in steps: +5 for every full 5 XP earned, the point at which the fighter becomes eligible for an advancement. Ratings previously rose with every XP point, so they no longer need updating after every game.
  • FixJunk Table: Junk is rolled during Income, after XP and before Injuries, matching the post-battle order in the Warband Builder.
Core Rules
  • FixSnap Fire: Clarified: once per round, an unactivated fighter may interrupt an enemy Move action in its line of sight and Shoot at −1 ACC from any point of that move. It uses its Shoot and 1 of its 2 actions.
Weapon Traits
  • FixSidearm: Clarified: a Sidearm may Shoot while engaged, but receives no Exposed bonus, no Cover benefit and no Aim benefit.
  • FixCrude and Hazardous: Both trigger on an unmodified roll of 1 (an unmodified Hit roll for Hazardous). Crude weapons break and cannot be used for the rest of the game; Hazardous deals 1 Damage to the wielder or operator.
Factions & Rosters
  • FixIron Pact - Chain of Command: Clarified: if the last Leader is removed from play, another eligible model may assume command at the start of the next activation, an Oathman if possible, otherwise a Specialist. Greenbraces and Juggernauts cannot assume command, and it can happen once per battle.
  • FixIron Pact and Ashen Covenant - Focus Fire: Coordinated Fire and Disciplined Volley both last for the current round. Coordinated Fire gives a friendly model within 5" +1 ACC on its next shooting attack this round; Disciplined Volley gives +1 ACC against an enemy already targeted by a friendly shooting attack this round.
  • FixAshen Covenant - Martyr’s Stand: The free Shoot or Fight action works even if the model has already activated this round. It was previously worded as "this turn".
  • FixCrimson Veil - Red Rites: Each True Veil model may perform one Rite per round. The Rite of Retainment triggers when any model, friend or foe, goes Out Cold within 2".
  • FixScavver Clades - Field Fixer: Repairs a broken or spent weapon on a 3+.
Scenarios
  • FixHostage Grab - Control: Controlling the Hostage is now defined: one of your fighters, not Downed, is in base contact with it and no enemy fighter is. Rescue (2 VP) goes to the warband that controls the Hostage when the game ends.
The Duellist Trait on the Veil Ascendant's blade is reworked into a reroll on natural 1s, and Blast and Spray now resolve as additional attacks.
Factions & Rosters
  • NerfCrimson Veil - Duellist's Blade: The Duelist Trait is renamed Duellist and reworked: when fighting an enemy while not engaged with any other enemies, this fighter may reroll a natural 1 on its Fight roll. It previously gave +1 FHT when fighting a single enemy. The Veil Ascendant's Duelist's Blade is renamed the Duellist's Blade to match.
Weapon Traits
  • TweakBlast: Blast now works through additional attacks: after resolving the initial attack, roll an additional attack against each other model within X" of the target. It previously affected all models within X", rolling to hit each one separately.
  • TweakSpray: The extra attacks Spray makes against any models (friend and foe) within 2" of the target are additional attacks, following the same rules as Blast.
  • TweakAdditional attacks: Additional attacks from Blast and Spray do not trigger negative Traits such as Crude, Catastrophic or Hazardous. Only the original attack can.
Lingering Flux backlash now costs Nerve instead of a wound, and Overflux doubles apply their result only once.
Factions & Rosters
  • BuffSplice - Lingering Flux: On a roll of 1 the model now gains 1 Nerve Token and gains no mutation this activation. It previously took 1 damage.
  • FixSplice - Overflux: If doubles are rolled, the model gains that result only once and still suffers 1 damage.
This release overhauls the Quickstart experience with six Quickstart Warbands, simplified weapon Traits for Game 1, three updated missions, core-rule clarifications and revised walkthroughs for Games 1 to 3.
Documents
  • TweakQuickstart Pack: Added a one-page Start Here sheet, the Quickstart Guide, six one-page Quickstart Warbands and Mission 1: Loot & Scoot. Each player uses a Quickstart Warband alongside the shared Guide and mission sheet. The existing Quickstart Guide and mission URLs remain unchanged; the Start Here sheet and six Quickstart Warband PDFs are new downloads.
  • TweakQuickstart Guide: Updated for the new pack and now used as the rules reference from Game 1 onwards. The front page directs new players to their Quickstart Warband and Mission 1, while the back cover points them towards Game 2, the Warband Builder and the Discord.
Core Rules
  • TweakSnap Fire: Now defined as interrupting an enemy Move action: once per round, an unactivated fighter with the mover in line of sight may Shoot at -1 ACC from any point of that move, spending 1 of its 2 actions. Every page and mission sheet uses the same wording.
  • FixSupport Bonus: Only friendly fighters within 1" of the target that are not engaged with another enemy contribute +1 FHT.
  • TweakStabilise: On a 4+, revive a Downed ally within 1" or remove one negative status effect from a model within 1". Self-Stabilise still needs a 5+.
  • FixFalling: 1 Damage per 3" fallen, +1 Nerve Token, and the activation ends. A surface within 1" of the path can be landed on with a 4+; Damage counts only the distance actually fallen.
  • TweakTargeting the ground: A point on the ground targeted by a grenade or Blast weapon is DEF 5 and never counts as being in cover.
  • FixOpportunity Attack: One reaction per break-away; never by a Downed fighter, and never by a fighter still engaged with another enemy.
  • TweakDeviation without a D8: If no D8 is available, use a scatter die for direction and move the impact point D3+3". If no scatter die is available, the defending player places the impact point anywhere within 5" of the intended target.
Game 1: Quickstart Battle
  • TweakQuickstart Warbands: The Starter Rosters become Quickstart Warbands: a Leader, two Core fighters and one Specialist per faction, printed with their full weapons, Traits, Crits, Specials and fighter special rules. The cards on the first-game page mirror the sheets exactly and carry a per-faction Trait glossary.
  • TweakRed Traits stay off: Game 1 keeps every rule on the sheet except the weapon Traits printed in red: Crude, Hazardous, Catastrophic, Reload, Recoil, Unwieldy, Cumbersome and No Aim. Sidearm is no longer the only Trait in play; Raking Fire, Burst Fire, Silent, Suppressing, Spray, Knockback, Duellist and Keen all work from the first game, as do every fighter special rule, Crit effect and weapon Special.
Factions & Rosters
  • FixIron Pact - Bulwark Gunner: Movement corrected to 4.
  • FixAshen Covenant - Knight-Militant: The Quickstart Warband now uses the Blessed Maul. The Gut Ripper option remains on the full fighter profile.
  • FixScavver Clades - Gearhead: Jury-Rigged Boost now gives the boosted attack the Hazardous Trait instead of using its previous self-damage rule. Field Fixer is now included on the Quickstart Warband.
Game 2: Full Rules Battle
  • TweakMoving to Game 2: Keep the Quickstart Warband and switch to the full fighter profiles, then add one or two fighters, or build a warband of around 150 Thracks, usually 5 to 6 fighters. Full faction rules, faction Momentum Surges and all weapon Traits are now in play. The previous instruction to build an entirely new roster has been removed.
Game 3: Full Thrackdown
  • TweakExpand to 200 Thracks: Continue the Game 2 warband to 200 Thracks with gear, weapon upgrades, proficiencies and up to one Juggernaut where available. Standard warband restrictions apply. The post-battle walkthrough now follows the Warband Builder order: XP, Income, Injuries and Trader. Junk is scavenged during Income.
Scenarios
  • TweakLoot & Scoot (v1.4.2): The Forces line now lists the Quickstart Warband. Red weapon Traits remain inactive replaces the previous instruction to ignore all Traits, and the end-of-round rules now specify removing 1 Nerve Token from every fighter.
  • TweakHostage Grab (v1.4.1): Updated for warbands of around 150 Thracks, usually 5 to 6 fighters, using full fighter profiles, full faction rules and all weapon Traits. Juggernauts and gear remain unavailable. Snap Fire now explicitly interrupts a Move action.
  • TweakReactor Meltdown (v1.4.1): Standard warband restrictions now apply. Unbolt the Core can be attempted once per activation. Grit and Reward cannot cancel Critical Reactor Failure. Steam Vent ties go to the player with Initiative. Toxic Leak templates remain in play and stack; a fighter suffers 1 Damage when entering a Leak or starting its activation inside one, once per activation per Leak.
Site
  • TweakPlay section: The Play hub and the three walkthroughs now tell one story: Quickstart Battle, Full Rules Battle, Full Thrackdown. Loot & Scoot is named consistently everywhere, and every game page ends with both the playtest feedback form and the Discord.
Read the v1.4.02: Quickstart Pack announcement → Get the current rules →
A wording pass across the faction documents, with five unit rules rewritten for clarity. The faction rules are also now bundled with the Game One Starter Rosters.
Documents
  • TweakFaction Rules: The download is now a single combined Faction Rules and Starter Rosters PDF, and each faction's individual Starter Rules and Roster PDF has been refreshed to match.
Factions & Rosters
  • FixIron Pact - Greenbrace: Untested clarified. The Nerve Test triggers when the Greenbrace begins its activation more than 5" from any friendly fighter that is not Downed, even if the Greenbrace has no Nerve Tokens. Normal Nerve Tests still apply.
  • FixIron Pact - Line Marshal: Designate Killzone clarified. The reroll is once per activation per fighter, the Killzone extends 3" from its marker, and placing a new marker removes the previous one.
  • FixThe Splice - Rendfather: Frenzy Aura now specifies friendly Splice models.
  • FixAshen Covenant - Prophet of the Regent: Sermon of Firecall reworded. For the purposes of Nerve Tests, friendly Ashen Covenant models within 5" count as having 1 fewer Nerve Token.
  • FixAshen Covenant - Prophet of the Regent: Fanatical Presence now specifies friendly Ashen Covenant models.
Thrackdown enters Open Alpha with revised Nerve Tests, balance changes across all six factions and updates to the three-game learn-to-play path. Full details are in the launch announcement.
Core Rules
  • TweakInitiative: Initiative is now decided by a roll-off, with each player adding their current Momentum. Ties pass Initiative to the player who did not hold it last round. A tied roll in the first round is rerolled.
  • TweakNerve Tokens: The ally-down trigger radius is reduced from 6" to 5".
  • TweakFinish Off: Renamed Eliminate. The action itself is unchanged: remove a Downed enemy within 1". The Quickstart Guide and Play page now use the new name.
Factions & Rosters
  • NerfIron Pact - Lock Formation: Nerve Test reroll removed. The Order now grants +1 DEF to Iron Pact models within 5" of a Leader that have not moved this round.
Scenarios
  • TweakHostage Grab - Abandonment: An abandoned hostage now bolts D6+3" in a random direction instead of a flat 3". The hostage also bolts at the end of any round in which no fighter is within 2", with Downed fighters ignored. Previously, they only panicked after a full round alone.
  • TweakReactor Meltdown: The Meltdown Table is now rolled from Round 2 onwards.
Read the v1.4 announcement → Get the current rules →
Development before the Open Alpha, covering the core rules, equipment, scenarios and all six factions.
Standing Corrections

Errata

Known issues in the current rules and documents, with official corrections to use until the next version is published.

No open errata for the current version. Spotted a problem? Tell us below.

Found something broken? Or think we fixed it the wrong way?

Found a rules contradiction, unclear wording or something that does not work as expected? Let us know. The changelog and errata are updated from issues raised during playtesting, and corrections can still change if players spot a better solution.

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