Play the Game: Game 1 - Quickstart Battle

Your first game
of Thrackdown

New to Thrackdown, or tabletop wargaming altogether? Start here. Pick one of the six Quickstart Warbands, find four miniatures a side and play Mission 1: Loot & Scoot.

Game 1 introduces movement, combat, Nerve and Momentum without asking you to build a roster first. Your fighters still have their own weapons and abilities, while the full faction rules and more troublesome weapon Traits wait until Game 2.

Download Quickstart Guide Download Quickstart Warbands

TONIGHT: Quickstart Guide, one Quickstart Warband each, Mission 1: Loot & Scoot

Step 01: Preparation

Gather your kit

Game 1 needs the Quickstart Guide, one Quickstart Warband per player and Mission 1: Loot & Scoot. The Start Here sheet links the whole Quickstart Pack in one place.

Everything else is basic tabletop kit or something you can improvise from what you already have.

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The Quickstart Guide (free PDF): every core rule you need, on four pages

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One Quickstart Warband per player

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Mission 1: Loot & Scoot: battlefield, objectives and victory conditions

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A handful of D6 dice

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A tape measure in inches

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4 miniatures per side: use any suitable models you already have

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A 30" x 24" table with plenty of scatter terrain: ruins, walls, pipes

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4 Loot Crates: any tokens or bits of scenery will do

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Counters for Nerve, wounds, loot and Momentum (coins, beads, dice)

You do not need a D8 for Game 1: the deviation rules that use one are held back until Game 2. Keep the Quickstart Guide handy, as it stays your core rules reference for every game.

Thrackdown is miniature agnostic, so use whatever models look right for the fighters. Base size signals roughly how many HP a fighter has: as a rough guide, 25mm suits 1 to 2 HP fighters, 28 to 32mm around 3 HP, and 40mm the 4 HP bruisers. Leaders can stay on standard bases even with 4 HP. See the base size guide.

Step 02: Warband Selection

Pick a Quickstart Warband

Pick one of the six Quickstart Warbands. Each gives you a Leader, two Core fighters and one Specialist, with their stats, weapons and fighter rules ready to use.

There is no list building or equipment purchasing in Game 1.

Leave the full faction rules closed for now. Fighter special rules, Crits, weapon Specials and any weapon Traits not shown in red still apply.

Iron Pact Quickstart Warband

Disciplined soldiers who trust the chain of command, hold the line and fight as a unit.

How they playSupport one another, control firing lanes and use the Line Marshal's Killzone to focus your fire.

Leader: Combat

Line Marshal

5M
+1ACC
4DEF
+1FHT
4HP
  • RangedRattlegun 15", 1 ATK, 1 DMG
  • RangedSlugger 8", 1 ATK, 1 DMG
    Sidearm
  • MeleeKnife 1", 1 DMG
  • Designate Killzone (Action). Place a Killzone marker at a point within Line of Sight. The Killzone extends 3" from the marker. Once per activation, an Iron Pact fighter making a Shooting attack against an enemy within the Killzone may reroll one failed hit roll. A hit generated by this reroll cannot cause Damage, but still applies Nerve Tokens and Critical effects. Only one Killzone may be active per warband; placing a new one removes the previous marker.
  • Coordinated Fire. Once per round, after this model hits with a ranged attack, a friendly model within 5" gains +1 ACC on its next shooting attack this round.
Core: Scout

Greenbrace

6M
0ACC
3DEF
0FHT
2HP
  • RangedPipe Gun 8", 1 ATK, 1 DMG
    SidearmIgnored in Game 1: Crude
  • RangedZipgun 15", 1 ATK, 1 DMG
    Ignored in Game 1: CrudeIgnored in Game 1: Reload
  • MeleeAlley Cutter 1", 1 DMG
    Ignored in Game 1: Crude
  • Untested. If this model begins its activation more than 5" from any friendly fighter that is not Downed, it must take a Nerve Test, even with no Nerve Tokens. It still takes Nerve Tests normally when required.
Core: Fighter

Oathman

5M
+1ACC
4DEF
+1FHT
3HP
  • RangedScrap Repeater 15", 1 ATK, 1 DMG
    Ignored in Game 1: Crude
  • RangedSlugger 8", 1 ATK, 1 DMG
    Sidearm
  • MeleeKnife 1", 1 DMG
  • Shield Brothers. While within 3" of another friendly Iron Pact model, this model may reroll failed Nerve Tests.
Specialist: Heavy Gunner

Bulwark Gunner

4M
+1ACC
4DEF
0FHT
3HP
  • RangedHeavy Slug Spitter 20", 3 ATK, 1 DMG
    Ignored in Game 1: UnwieldyIgnored in Game 1: RecoilRaking Fire
  • MeleeKnife 1", 1 DMG
  • Braced Position. If this model does not move during its activation, it gains +1 DEF until the start of its next activation.
Weapon Traits on these fighters

In Game 1, ignore every Trait printed in red and marked ×. Crit effects, weapon Specials and fighter special rules still apply.

Ignored in Game 1: Crude
On an unmodified roll of 1, the item breaks and cannot be used for the rest of the game. Ignored in Game 1.
Raking Fire
Shots may be split between models within 3" of a previous target.
Ignored in Game 1: Recoil
Each consecutive shot after the first suffers -1 to hit. Ignored in Game 1.
Ignored in Game 1: Reload
Requires 1 Action to reload after firing. Ignored in Game 1.
Sidearm
May Shoot while engaged, but receives no Exposed bonus, no Cover benefit and no Aim benefit.
Ignored in Game 1: Unwieldy
Costs 2 actions to use this weapon. Ignored in Game 1.

In Game 2, switch to the full fighter profiles. They restore the rules that help the Iron Pact manage Crude and Unwieldy weapons.

Download the Quickstart Warbands (PDF)

Game 2: Issue Field Orders and coordinate the whole warband.

Nothing breaks yet...

In Game 1, ignore every weapon Trait printed in red. That means rules such as Crude, Hazardous and Catastrophic have no effect yet. Crits, weapon Specials, fighter rules and any Traits not printed in red still work normally.

Enjoy the reliability while it lasts.

In play in Game 1
  • Core movement and combat rules
  • Nerve and Momentum
  • Fighter special rules
  • Weapon Crit effects and weapon Specials
  • All weapon Traits not shown in red

Crits, weapon Specials and fighter rules stay in so each fighter still feels different in Game 1.

Left out for now
  • Full faction rules and faction Momentum Surges
  • Weapon Traits printed in red
  • Upgrades, gear and equipment

For now, concentrate on movement, combat, Nerve and Momentum. Faction rules and red-printed weapon Traits arrive in Game 2, gear and upgrades in Game 3.

Step 03: Mission 1

Loot & Scoot

Two warbands have reached the same scavenger cache at the same time. Four Loot Crates are scattered around the centre of the battlefield, and some of them may be trapped.

Get in, grab what you can and finish the game carrying more loot than the other warband.

Setup: Use a 30" x 24" battlefield with plenty of scatter terrain, walls and other cover. Place four Loot Crates in a diamond around the centre, each 6" from the middle of the table.

Roll off for table edges. The winner chooses an edge and their opponent takes the opposite one. Players then alternate deploying fighters within 3" of their own edge, starting with the winner of the roll-off.

The game lasts six rounds. Players alternate activating one fighter at a time until every fighter has activated, then begin a new round.

Battlefield: 30" x 24"Not to scale
DEPLOY A: 3" DEPLOY B: 3" 6"
Loot Crate Terrain Deployment

Suggested table setup. Use whatever terrain you have and aim for around 40 to 50% coverage.

Interact 3+

Grab Loot

Take an Interact action while in base contact with a Loot Crate. On a 3+, pick it up. A fighter can carry only one crate at a time.

Free action

Pass Loot

A carrier in base contact with an ally may hand the crate over as a Free Action. Passing loot between fighters can be a safer way to get it back to your table edge.

When Downed

Drop Loot

If a carrier is reduced to 0 HP and Downed, the crate drops at their feet, right where the enemy can take it.

Boom Traps

Some of that loot is rigged. When a fighter attempts to grab a Loot Crate that has not yet been picked up and rolls a natural 1, the loot explodes: every model within 3" suffers 1 Damage and a Nerve Token, and the crate is removed from play. Warning glyphs exist for a reason.

1 VP
Per Loot Crate carried

Score 1 VP for each Loot Crate carried by one of your fighters at the end of the game.

Picking it up is not enough. You still need to be carrying it when the game ends.

1 VP
Per enemy Out Cold

Score 1 VP for each enemy fighter that is Out Cold at the end of the game.

Ties
Most Momentum wins

If both warbands have the same VP, the warband with the most Momentum wins.

Download Mission 1: Loot & Scoot

Played a game? Tell us how it went →

Step 04: First Round

How your first round might go

Every battle will play differently, but these are four things worth trying during your first round.

Position first

Use your early activations to move towards the Loot Crates while staying in cover. A Double Move can get a Core fighter a long way across the table, but avoid ending in the open if you can.

Earn Momentum

Charges, jumps, sprints and other risky actions can add to your shared Momentum Pool. You gain the Momentum for taking the risk even if the action itself fails.

Build Nerve

Ranged attacks can add Nerve even when they do not cause damage. Once an enemy starts collecting Nerve Tokens, their next activation becomes much less predictable.

Spend Momentum when it matters

Do not wait all game for the perfect opportunity. A reroll on an important Interact test, a Dash into cover or an Extra Action at the right time can be enough to change who leaves with the loot.

Step 05: Tactical Advice

Advice from the ruins

Use plenty of terrainAim for around 40 to 50% table coverage. A bare table gives ranged fighters too much control and makes the game much less interesting.
Spend your MomentumThe shared pool caps at 3, so sitting on a full pool stops you earning more. Use it when it can help, then start filling the pool again.
Pressure the loot carrierYou do not have to take a fighter Out Cold to stop them. A few Nerve Tokens at the wrong moment can be enough to ruin their activation.
Keep the loot movingOnce you have a crate, look for opportunities to pass it back towards safety instead of asking one fighter to carry it all the way alone.
After the battle

Survived your first fight?

Playtest feedback

Played your first game? Tell us what worked, what confused you and what went horribly wrong. Even your first battle gives us useful playtest feedback.

Tell us how your game went
The community

Join the Discord to share your warband, ask rules questions, talk about your first game and see what other players are working on.

Join the Thrackdown Discord

Ready for the full faction rules?

Game Two introduces each faction's signature mechanics, faction Momentum Surges and full fighter profiles. Get the six-faction PDF before your next battle.

Get the Full Faction Rules

Ready for another fight?

Game 2 keeps the same core rules and adds the full faction and weapon rules. Add another fighter or two to your Quickstart Warband, or use the Warband Builder to make a force of around 150 Thracks.

Then play Mission 2: Hostage Grab and put those new rules into practice.

Play Game 2: Hostage Grab Build a Warband
Quickstart Battle
4 fighters, core rules, Loot & Scoot
You are here
Full Rules Battle
150 Thracks, faction rules, Hostage Grab
Full Thrackdown
200 Thracks, gear, upgrades, campaigns