THRACKYour third game
of Thrackdown
You know the rules.Now build the warband you want.
Expand to 200 Thracks, add gear and weapon upgrades, use weapon proficiencies, and bring a Juggernaut if your faction allows it.
Then take your finished warband into Mission 3: Reactor Meltdown, where you’ll play with the full Thrackdown rules for the first time.
TONIGHT: your Game 2 warband, Quickstart Guide, Full Faction Rules, Starter Armoury, Mission 3: Reactor Meltdown, Warband Builder
Expand to 200 Thracks
Take the warband you used in Game 2 and expand it to around 200 Thracks. Recruit another fighter, upgrade weapons, add gear or reshape the roster if you want to try something different.
From Game 3 onwards, you are using the full warband-building rules. The Starter Armoury gives you a quick selection of weapons for this game, while the Warband Builder includes the wider catalogue if you want more choice.
The usual warband rules still apply: include at least one Leader, field at least as many Core fighters as Specialists, and take no more than one Juggernaut if your faction has access to one.
Equipment slots unlock. Add medkits, tools, chems, armour, grenades and other useful equipment to individual fighters.
Weapon upgrades unlock. Replace starting weapons with better or more specialised options from the armoury.
Juggernauts are now allowed. You may include one if your faction has access to them, but expect them to take up a significant part of your 200-Thrack budget.
The full armoury opens. You now have access to gear, weapon upgrades and a much wider range of equipment when building your warband.
The Pocket Rocket
The Pocket Rocket is a one-shot launcher with the Blast and Catastrophic Traits.
On an unmodified 1 to hit, the weapon fails. The wielder and every model within 2" suffer 1 Damage instead.
It is powerful, risky and a good example of why weapon Traits matter once the full armoury is in play.
Every fighter lists the weapon classes they are proficient with. They can still use weapons outside those proficiencies, but unfamiliar weapons give them -1 ACC.
So yes, your Prophet can carry the rocket launcher. He just fires it at -1 ACC because he has no idea what he is doing with it. Give fighters weapons they know how to use, or take the penalty and see what happens.
Need the Faction Rules?
Your 200-Thrack warband is built from the full faction rules and fighter profiles. Get the six-faction PDF sent to your inbox.
Reactor Meltdown
A derelict energy station is failing, and both warbands have arrived before everyone sensible has cleared out. There is salvage to recover, but the Reactor is becoming more dangerous with every round.
Setup: Use a 30" x 24" battlefield with a dense industrial layout. Pipes, machinery and catwalks all work well. Place a large Reactor in the centre of the table.
Before choosing table edges, players alternate placing the 4 Loot Crates, two each. Each crate must be more than 5" from every other crate, every table edge and the Reactor.
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.
Bring your full warband.
The game lasts 8 rounds, or until the Reactor blows. As the Reactor fails, its hazards can reach fighters anywhere on the battlefield.
Suggested table setup with example crate placement. Use plenty of industrial terrain and blocked routes around the Reactor.
Unbolt the Core
The Core requires two successful Interact actions to free. A fighter can only attempt one of these tests per activation.
Carry the Core
Once freed, the Core is Heavy and its carrier moves only 3" per Move action. Protect the carrier or pass the Core between fighters to keep it moving.
Grit and Reward
Holding the Core at the start of a round grants +1 Momentum. Spend 1 Momentum to ignore a single hazard effect on one model; Critical Reactor Failure cannot be ignored this way.
| 1–2: Steam Vent | The player with the most Momentum chooses a terrain piece. If tied, the player with Initiative chooses. Every model within 2" of that terrain piece gains 1 Nerve Token. |
| 3–4: Toxic Leak | Place a 3" template over the Reactor, determine a random direction, then move it 2D6" that way. Leave the template in place. A fighter suffers 1 Damage when it enters the Leak or starts its activation inside it, once per activation per Leak. Each later Toxic Leak adds another template. |
| 5–6: Reactor Flare | Every model within 6" of the Reactor rolls a D6. On a 1–3, that model suffers 1 Damage and gains 1 Nerve Token. |
The third time Reactor Flare is rolled, the Reactor detonates instead.
Every model within 6+D6" suffers 3 Damage, then the game ends immediately.
Controlled by your warband at the end of the battle.
Carried by one of your fighters at the end of the battle.
The battle ends earlier if Critical Reactor Failure occurs.
The post-battle sequence
This is where individual battles start turning into a campaign. Log the game in the Warband Builder, then work through the post-battle sequence in order. Your fighters can gain XP, collect income, suffer injuries and spend what the warband earned.
Earn your stripes
Each fighter can earn 1 XP from each of five sources, once per battle: taking part, Downing an enemy, taking one Out Cold, completing the mission task, and being named Standout Fighter, which your opponent picks and only one fighter per game can claim. Every 5 XP buys an advance: +1 to a stat, once per stat, or a new weapon proficiency, so that rocket launcher finally stops being a mystery.
Count the take
Every warband collects 10 Thracks for taking part, plus D6 per Loot Crate held at the end of the game. If your warband had the lower rating, the underdog bonus adds another D6.
Income is resolved before injuries, so you have money available if somebody needs treatment. This is also when you roll on the Junk Table (below).
Count the cost
Any fighter taken Out Cold rolls a Recovery D6. On a 3+ they recover normally. On a 2, they suffer a Minor Injury until the end of the next game. On a 1, roll on the Serious Injury table, where results range from permanent stat penalties to death.
A Back Alley Doctor can treat one fighter per post-battle sequence: 10 Thracks to reroll the injury, or 20 Thracks to downgrade a Serious Injury to Minor.
Spend it badly
Visit a Neutral Bazaar, flag down a Scavver Caravan, or call in a Faction Contact. Each offers a different selection of Common, Uncommon and occasionally Rare equipment.
Buy new gear, upgrade weapons or sell unwanted equipment for half its value. Once you are finished, the Warband Builder updates the roster and battle log.
Someone always brings something home
During Income, roll once on the Warband Builder’s D66 Junk Table and add the result to your stash.
Some finds are genuinely useful. Others are things a fighter apparently decided were worth carrying home. Either way, they are yours now.
Here are a few examples:
You've played full Thrackdown
You've learned the core rules, brought your faction's full rules online, built out a 200-Thrack warband and completed all three introductory missions. From here, where the warband goes is up to you. A few well-trodden roads out of the reactor district:
Run the campaign
Keep logging battles in the Warband Builder as your fighters gain XP, suffer injuries, collect junk and pick up new equipment. Continue with the same warband and see what it becomes over a longer campaign.
Continue your campaignReplay the missions with full warbands
Loot & Scoot and Hostage Grab play differently with full rules and complete warbands. Replay them and see how much changes now that every fighter has access to their full abilities and equipment.
Back to Game 1Try more scenarios
Create your own scenarios by starting with an objective, adding a complication and giving both warbands a reason to move. Or use the Scenario Generator when you want something ready to play.
Open the Scenario GeneratorMuster another faction
Try a different faction and see how the same rules feel with a completely different warband. It is also a good way to learn what your usual opponents can do.
Browse the factionsPlayed Reactor Meltdown?
Tell us how the full game held up, including the armoury, weapon proficiencies, the Meltdown Table and the post-battle sequence.
Game 3 is especially useful for feedback because all of the main systems are now in play.
Start or continue your campaign in the Warband Builder. Log the battle, spend XP, collect income and any Junk Table finds, resolve injuries and visit the Trader.
Open the Warband BuilderShare your warband, post battle reports and discuss the rules with other players in the Discord. Feedback from the Open Alpha is used when reviewing future updates.
Join the Thrackdown DiscordWelcome to Nova Eden
You’ve now played all three introductory games, used the full rules and built a complete warband. There is probably something questionable in your stash already.
From here, you can start a campaign, keep developing the same fighters, try different scenarios or begin again with another faction.