Rulebook. By Mark A. Latham. Welcome to the Walking Dead: All Out War playtest rules!

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1 Rulebook By Mark A. Latham Welcome to the Walking Dead: All Out War playtest rules! This is your chance to have a say in the final gameplay any and all feedback is welcome and we will take it all into account before finalising the game. The core rules are complete, but we still have the graphical elements to finalise such as the diagrams, so it will be useful to hear your thoughts on where these would be helpful to you. All feedback can be provided here: We will check in regularly and incorporate the comments, and reply to any questions you may have. Happy Gaming! Mantic Games 1

2 How many hours are in a day when you don t spend half of them watching television? When was the last time any of us REALLY worked to get something that we wanted? How long has it been since any of us really NEEDED something that we WANTED? The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled: no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, the survivors are forced to finally start living. The Walking Dead is 2016 Robert Kirkman. All Rights Reserved. The Walking Dead (Including all prominent characters) and The Walking Dead logo, are trademarks of Robert Kirkman, LLC. 2

3 Game Overview The Walking Dead: All Out War Miniatures Game allows you to recreate the struggle for survival in a lawless new world. Groups of Survivors must face each other in a desperate fight for resources, all the while trying not to attract the attention of roaming packs of Walkers. The game is best played with two players taking on the role of rival Survivor groups, although it can also be played solo due to the innovative Event system that directs the Walkers around the board. The aim of the game is to collect the meagre resources from the barren landscape before anyone else does, or before your group is devoured. Time is of the essence, as the rising threat level will overwhelm you unless you can keep it under control! Going Solo It is possible to play The Walking Dead on your own, using most of the normal rules. In this case, you will only need one Survivor group, fighting against the Walkers, and a few tweaks to the rules as follows: As there s only one group involved, there s no need to roll for Initiative or alternate activating models. Any instruction to the player with Initiative or the opposing player is always assumed to be the sole Survivor player. In addition if it says that your opponent would get to choose or do something you get to do it instead. Also, without a second player to distract the walkers, they will all be after you! When playing solo, the Threat Level is increased by 1 at the start of each turn. See Threat on page 8. Finally any reference to moving Walkers in a direction of the player s choice on the Event cards will move the Walkers directly towards the nearest Survivor instead. See page 18. 3

4 Component Overview Cards Supplies and Equipment Cards Supplies and Equipment cards are very similar. The difference is in how they are used. Supplies are kept in a deck at the side of the board and can be picked up during a game when a Survivor searches a supply counter. Equipment represents the weapons and items that the Survivors bring with them to the fight, and is chosen before the game begins. 1. Name Each card will have a name to identify it. Most cards will be unique, but there will be some duplicates. 2. Type This is a keyword that has no direct function of its own, but will interact with certain other rules used in the game. 3. Faction Symbol This symbol denotes which faction the Survivor belongs to. See page Points Value Survivors, Walkers and Equipment are all assigned a points value, representing their comparative worth in a fight. These values are 4 used at the start of a game to create evenly-matched groups of Survivors. For more information on building a group, see page Characteristics All Survivors possess four key characteristics, Melee, Shoot, Defence, and Nerve. Melee, Shoot and Defence are all expressed as a number of coloured dice symbols see page 6. Nerve is expressed as either Low, Medium, or High, which determines how much danger a character can be in before they Panic see page Health The health store represents how tough a character is, and varies from Survivor to Survivor. Each number represents a single point of health, and this can be depleted during a game. It is tracked using a health counter. At the start of the game, place a health counter over the highest number on the track, green side up. Note that Walkers do not have a health store. They only have a single health point and are killed after taking a single point of damage. Of course, if you don t hit them in the head, being killed doesn t stop them for long

5 7. Keywords Some items will have keywords listed in bold on their cards. These keywords reference universal special rules that can be found on page Special Rules This section will detail any additional qualities or special actions that apply to this character or item, if any. In addition, some items can cause NOISE or MAYHEM (see page 7) when used this will be detailed in the Special Rules box. 9. Leader Ability the Ranged Weapon, Melee Weapon or Special Item type in each. There are also two slots for armour, one for the Survivor s head, and one for their body. Each of these slots may contain one item of the appropriate type, either Armour: Head or Armour: Body. Finally, each Survivor has a pack, representing their pockets, backpack, bandoleer, etc. This varies in size from 1-3 cards and can be used to store any item type. Items cannot be swapped between slots without using the Swap Items Action as detailed on page 17. Although any model can lead your group of Survivors, some are particularly well suited to the task. If a model has a Leader Ability, it is detailed in its own box on the Survivor card. A Leader Ability can only be used when the model is nominated as your group s Leader (see page 28); otherwise it is ignored. 10. Item Slots Survivors are all able to carry items to give them benefits in a game, and may place one item in each slot marked around the edge of their Survivor card. There are two slots for their hands, and they may carry a single card of 5

6 Dice The game includes various different coloured dice, and these will be referenced throughout the rulebook and the cards using these symbols: Red Walker Die Orange Rookie Die White Survivor Die Blue Veteran Die Black Action Die Yellow Panic Die Each of these symbols represents one die that is rolled when a character makes an Action or a rule is applied. For example, Rick Grimes has a Shoot characteristic of and the.38 Revolver Equipment card adds, so if Rick made a Shoot Action with this weapon the player would roll one blue die and one white die. The Walker, Rookie, Survivor and Veteran dice all have a number of symbols on their faces to represent how powerful a dice roll is. Each symbol represents one success, and the successes for all the dice rolled at any one time are totalled to give a final score. The Survivor and Veteran Dice have a! symbol on some of their faces. These signify Headshots, as described on page 14. The Action die has three blank faces and three faces marked with a 6 Sheriff Badge. This die has many purposes throughout the rules; sometimes to randomise between two equal outcomes; other times, the indicates a particular effect. Each use of the die will be described individually in the rules. Finally, the Panic die is used to determine the outcome when a character panics, from running away, to screaming in terror, to going berserk. See Panic on page 8. Measuring All distances in this game, for moving figures, measuring weapon ranges, and determining who can hear any noises made by your Survivor, are noted in inches ("). The box contains a double sided ruler with all of the common measurements marked for you. Note that it is permitted (indeed, often essential) to measure distances at any time, to check the range to a target, to avoid causing MAYHEM, or simply to plan your models possible moves. Other Components With the essential components introduced, it s time to get into the rules of the game. Don t worry about everything else for now each item will be explained as it comes up.

7 Key Concept Noise and Mayhem Sometimes the best way to survive is to stay quiet. Unfortunately, many essential actions are loud, bright or otherwise indiscreet, and the commotion that they create attracts Walkers. There are two levels of commotion NOISE and MAYHEM. These will be caused by various events and actions taken by the Survivors as listed in the following pages. It is important to understand the implications of these actions before deciding what your Survivors will do. The rules for NOISE and MAYHEM are resolved immediately after fully resolving the Action that caused them, before the model performs any further Actions. commotion, and can move several times in a turn. MAYHEM When MAYHEM is caused, all eligible Walkers that are at least partially within 8" of the source of the MAYHEM, immediately move in a straight line directly towards it (see Moving Walkers on page 19). Again, if the movement brings them into base contact with a Survivor, they will become engaged in melee. Important: MAYHEM not only attracts Walkers, but also advances the Threat Level by 1 point. Threat is explained fully on page 8. NOISE When NOISE is caused, the closest eligible Walker at least partially within 8" of the source of the NOISE immediately moves in a straight line directly towards it (see Moving Walkers on page 19). If the movement brings them into base contact with a Survivor, they are engaged in melee. In this way, Walkers are pulled around the gaming area towards any 7

8 Key Concept Threat and Panic Threat is a key factor in The Walking Dead: All Out War, representing the mounting tension and danger of fighting in walkerinfested environments. The Threat Tracker is a way of physically representing this ever-increasing pressure. As it rises, the Walkers become more dangerous, the Survivors start to panic, and in most scenarios, when it reaches maximum it s game over! As you play, you will see how important it is to manage the Threat to your advantage. The Threat Tracker contains a track of numbered spaces, Each time the Threat increases, the arrow is moved one space clockwise immediately. It can also be reduced by certain player actions. Typically, the Threat Level increases whenever MAYHEM is caused, such as when a gun is fired or when a booby trap explodes! Keep a careful record of the Threat Level, increasing or reducing it as instructed. The Threat Tracker is divided into four sections: All Quiet (1-3); Low (4-8); Medium (9-13); and High (14-18). These sections are especially important, as they correspond to the Survivors Nerve characteristics. When the Threat Level is equal to or higher than a Survivor s Nerve, that Survivor is considered to be Panicking for any rules that require it and must make a Panic check before it can be activated (see page 11). Panic Check At the start of its activation, if the current Threat Level is equal to a model s Nerve, the model must roll. On a, the model makes its actions as normal. On a blank, the model has failed and must roll to see what it does this turn. If the current Threat Level is higher than a model s Nerve, the Panicking model always fails the check and must roll without rolling first. Note: You may not choose to skip a model s activation to avoid Panic. Panic Die Results 1. Run directly away from the nearest enemy (only turning to avoid scenery or other enemies. Take no further actions Only perform one Action this turn. 4. Perform the Make NOISE Action, then take second Action as normal. 5. Perform the Hide Action if possible, and then take one more Action as normal. 6. The model may act normally, and adds to its melee attack roll this turn. 8

9 Setting Up Before you can start playing, you ll need to set up the game as follows: side of the board. Put the health counters in place on the cards, and you re ready to begin! 1. Choose Scenario: A scenario is a set of guidelines that explain how to set up your gaming area and miniatures, and what you need to do in order to win the game. The standard scenario used for the game can be found on page 30, but look out for more ways to play in future expansions. 2. Build a Group: Agree a points limit with your opponent, and use the rules on page 27 to gather your chosen force. 3. Establish Play Area: Lay out the gaming mat on a suitable flat surface (a dining room table or area of floor is ideal). Shuffle the Supplies and Event Decks, and place them face-down at the side of the gaming mat within easy reach of both players, along with the Walker reference card, Range Ruler, Kill Zone, Dice and Activation Counters. 4. Set the Scene: Follow the setup instructions as listed in the chosen scenario. 5. Assemble Forces: Take the Survivor and Equipment cards chosen in step 2, and place them face-up at the 9

10 The Game Turn Once you ve set up the gaming area and your models, you can start. The game is structured around a strict turn sequence, comprising several phases, explained step-by-step in the rules that follow. Once this sequence ends, assuming no one has achieved the scenario s victory conditions by that point, the turn is over and a new turn begins. Play continues in this way until the game ends usually because the Threat Level has reached its maximum, or one Survivor group has been wiped out. The Turn Sequence 1. Initiative Phase 2. Action Phase 3. Event Phase 4. Melee Phase 5. End Phase 1. The Initiative Phase Initiative is an important concept in The Walking Dead: All Out War; it dictates who goes first in each phase of the game, and often who resolves certain events and special situations. In the first turn of the game, the scenario rules will inform you which side has the Initiative, and that player should place the Initiative counter next to their Survivor cards as a visual reminder. In subsequent turns, the player with Initiative must pass the counter to their opponent so that it alternates between players as the game goes on. Who is the Enemy? Throughout these rules you will see the word enemy or enemies. This term refers to any model that is not part of your own Survivor group, be it one of your opponent s Survivors or one of the Walkers. 10

11 2. The Action Phase In this phase, all of the players important manoeuvring and actions take place notably moving, shooting and searching for supplies! Action Phase Breakdown 1. Player with Initiative activates one model and performs two actions. 2. Play passes to second player, who activates one of their models. 3. Play continues alternating in this way until all models that can activate have done so. Beginning with the player who has the Initiative, players take it in turns to activate one of their Survivors. If one side has more models than the other, all excess models are activated at the end of the phase by their owning player, one at a time, until every model that can act has done so. Each Survivor model can only be activated once per turn. If a model is engaged in melee (by an enemy model or Walker moving into base contact with it) before it has a chance to act, then it may not be activated in this phase. When activated, every Survivor model can perform two different Actions, in any order. Once a model has been activated, place an Activation Counter on its Survivor card to remind you that it has acted this turn. 11 Panic Check When activating a model, the first thing you must do is check the current threat level. If the threat level is the same as or higher than the activated model s Nerve, the model must make a Panic check (see page 8) before it is activated. Actions Unless it is engaged in melee or has failed a Panic check, when activated, a Survivor model can perform up to two different actions from the list below, in any order. Move Shoot Search Hide Stand Up Hold Your Nerve Swap Item Make NOISE Special Action Note that if any rule requires a character to perform a specific Action (such as Panicking) that will count as one of its two for the turn. Prone Models Some rules will refer to prone models. This means that the model is lying down and should be laid on its side. A prone Survivor can only perform Move (but only at a Sneak) or Stand Up actions.

12 Move During a Move Action, each model must choose to Sneak or Run, using the distances below. MAX DISTANCE ADDITIONAL EFFECTS SNEAK 4" None RUN 8 Creates NOISE A model does not have to move the entire distance indicated for the chosen move it can stop short if you wish. Survivors do not have to move in straight lines they can move in any direction as long as their total movement doesn t exceed the distance for the type of Move Action they are performing. Survivors may not move through other models, friend or foe. Models may not move into base contact with an enemy (either Walker or Survivor) unless it wishes to fight them in melee later otherwise, keep enemy models at least 1" away from each other to be clear. As soon as base contact is made, the model is engaged in melee, and its activation ends. Moving Across Scenery The card scenery in the game depicts various obstacles. These cannot be crossed by Walkers, but some can be traversed by Survivors. Barriers: These can be climbed as part of a Survivor s movement. Roll. A means the climb is successful place the model on the other side of the barrier and continue moving if able to. A blank means the model remains in place and its Move Action ends. A model may never end its move on top of a barrier. A Survivor in base contact with a barrier may choose to defend it in melee, as described on page 25. Cars: These are impassable terrain a model cannot climb this scenery, and must go around it. If there is a supply counter on the car, a Survivor needs only be in base contact with the car to search it (as described on page 16). Supply Counters: Supply counters do not impede movement at all Survivors and Walkers can move around or over them freely they are simply counters used to mark the positions of essential supply stashes or discarded Equipment. Running, as shown on the chart above, creates NOISE see page 7. 12

13 Shoot If a Survivor has a Ranged Weapon Equipment card in their hand, it can use this Action to fire the weapon at an enemy. The shooting model can target any model, provided that the target is within range and line of sight. Only one ranged weapon can be used to shoot as a single Action, even if a Survivor carries two. Range Range is measured from the edge of the shooter s base to the nearest edge of the enemy s base. Unless specified on the card, all ranged weapons are assumed to be able to shoot up to 24. When using the standard 20" square gaming mat, don t worry about measuring range just assume that weapons with a range of 24 have an unlimited range. If playing on a larger gaming area, however, you ll need a tape measure or long ruler to measure the upper range accurately. Some weapons gain bonuses if the range is less than 6" (or Point Blank ), as detailed later. Line of Sight centre of the shooter s base to the centre of the target s base if another model s base breaks that line, the target is obscured and cannot be shot. Otherwise, the target can be seen and shot at. Scenery does not block line of sight unless the target is prone behind it, although it does provide cover (see page 15). Ranged Attack Roll Once an eligible target has been established, it is time to make your ranged attack roll. Simply take the dice listed on the weapon card, add the dice from the Survivor s Shoot value (if any), and roll them all together, counting up the total number of successes. The target model must then make a defence roll. Simply take the dice granted by its Defence value, adding any bonuses from its Equipment cards, cover (see page 15) and other special rules, if applicable. Roll them all together, counting up the total number of success. Compare each player s number of successes. If the ranged attack roll has more successes than the target s defence roll, the target has been wounded. If the scores are equal or the defence roll has more successes, there is no effect. To check line of sight, simply draw an imaginary straight line from the 13

14 Taking Damage When a Walker is wounded, it is laid prone. A prone Walker cannot perform any actions, but it may be able to get back into the fight later (see page 26). When a Survivor model is wounded by an attack, it immediately loses heath points equal to the difference between the two scores. For example, if the ranged attack roll had 4 successes, and the defence roll had 2 successes, the target would lose 2 Survival Points (4-2=2). For each health point lost, move the counter one space to the right. If the counter ever reaches 0, the Survivor model has been killed. It is dead, for all intents and purposes, although its body may rise later to become a Walker! Replace the Survivor with a prone Walker. Headshots (!) Survivor Dice and Veteran Dice have a Headshot (!) symbol on some faces. These symbols do not add to your total successes in any way. However, if you successfully wound an enemy, and the dice show one or more Headshot symbols, you ve caused critical damage against your target. If a target model is reduced to 0 health points as a result of the attack, and a Headshot was rolled, no prone Walker model is placed. The model is removed from play immediately there s no coming back from a headshot! Walkers that suffer any damage from an attack that rolls a Headshot are removed from play. Casualties and Equipment As soon as a Survivor is removed from play, any Equipment cards it was carrying are lost. Perhaps they are trampled into the mud in the confusion of the fighting, or broken and rendered useless. In any case, Equipment cards are not left behind, and may not be picked up by other models. Supply counters, however, are dropped where the model fell the first is placed on the spot where the model died, and the others are placed in contact with the first, or as close as possible to it. Against Survivors, every Headshot symbol increases the number of health points lost by the target by 1. 14

15 Additional Shooting Rules Cover If your ranged attack passes over any scenery (not supply counters) before it hits the target, then the target model is in cover. Models in cover add to their defence roll when resolving that ranged attack. Prone Models You can shoot at a prone model following all of the usual shooting rules. However, if a model is prone and also in cover, it cannot be targeted by ranged attacks at all, as it cannot be seen. Out of Ammo! If the ranged attack roll includes one or more blanks, you must immediately roll. On a, there is no effect. On a blank, however, you ve just fired your last round of ammunition! Resolve this shot as normal, but flip the Weapon card over to show that it is out of ammo. The weapon may not be fired again in this game until you find more ammo and reload. roll. On a, you hit the intended target. On a blank, however, you hit one of the other combatants your opponent chooses which one is hit. Once the target is established, make the ranged attack roll as normal. Multiple Shots Some weapons and special skills allow the shooter to take multiple shots as a single Action. You may opt to fire fewer shots if you wish, unless the weapon card specifically forbids it. Each shot is resolved separately, one at a time, following all of the usual rules. All the shots must be taken against the same target. As this is a single Action, NOISE or MAYHEM is only calculated once, regardless of how many shots are taken. Shooting into Melee There is nothing to stop you from shooting at a model that is engaged in melee. Choose your target following the normal rules. However, before making the ranged attack roll, 15

16 Other Actions Search Any Survivor model in base contact with a supply counter, and not engaged in melee with an enemy, may search for supplies. A model cannot search if there is an unengaged enemy model also in base contact with the counter. Draw the top card from the Supply Deck. If it is an item the Survivor may put it into one of their free item slots, or swap it with an item they already hold. It is treated exactly like an Equipment card. Any items that they then do not have space for or choose not to take are discarded. If the card is an Incident!, then the instructions on the card must be applied immediately. Once the search has been resolved, remove the supply counter from the board and place it onto the Survivor s card. It does not take up an item slot. Supply counters that have already been searched or have been dropped after the death of a Survivor are placed with the SEARCHED face showing. These counters will not allow the player to draw another supply card when searched. No matter how many counters a searching Survivor is in contact with, only one may be picked up per Search Action. Hide In some situations, a model may rather duck behind cover than do anything else, even if it leaves them exposed to attack later. A model may Hide if there are no enemies within their Kill Zone (see page 18), and it is in base contact with a scenery piece. This may provide cover from shooting attacks (see page 15). If a model wishes to Hide, it becomes prone. It may attempt to stand up again during its next activation if you wish. Stand Up A prone model may Stand Up by spending an Action. Stand the model upright, and it may then act normally. Hold Your Nerve This Action may only be attempted if the current Threat Level is equal to or lower than the model s Nerve value. The model rolls on a, reduce the current Threat Level by 1. 16

17 Swap Items This Action allows a Survivor to rearrange the Equipment cards they are currently carrying, moving weapons, armour and items from their pack to a usable Armour or Item slot, and vice versa. Any number of cards can be shuffled as a single Action. Furthermore, the model may give any of its Equipment cards, from either its pack or an active slot, to any friendly model within its Kill Zone (see page 18). The recipient must have an active slot free for this item it may not be placed in its pack straight away. Make NOISE The Survivor jumps up and down, waves their arms about and shouts to attract attention. The model makes NOISE (see page 7). Special Action Some models are able to use special rules as an Action, or have access to unusual items of Equipment that require a special Action to use. The use of a special Action constitutes a single Action, unless otherwise specified. 17

18 3. The Event Phase Once every model has acted, it is time to see what the Walkers will do this turn. Survivor models rarely get to act in the Event Phase; instead, players work against each other to control Walkers and resolve various special event cards. Event Phase Breakdown To keep things clear, the Event Phase follows a strict two-step sequence: 1. Kill Zone. Walkers that are very close to Survivor models lunge into melee. 2. Draw an Event card. Random events are resolved. The Kill Zone You must first work out if any Walkers are sufficiently close to a Survivor to attack them directly. This is established by centring the Kill Zone template on each eligible Walker model (see page 19). If there are any Survivors at least partially beneath the template, the Walker is immediately moved into base contact with the nearest Survivor. If the nearest Survivor is already fully surrounded, or unreachable for some other reason (due to intervening scenery for example), then the Walker will move into contact with the next closest eligible target instead, and so on. If two or 18 more eligible targets are equidistant from the Walker, the player with Initiative decides who it will attack. If there are no Survivors under the Kill Zone template, or all eligible targets cannot be attacked, then the Walker does not move, and instead is free to move elsewhere should the Event cards allow it. Draw an Event Card The player with Initiative then draws the top card from the Event Deck, and immediately applies the results. The results vary according to the current Threat Level make sure to apply the correct result. Some Event cards require you to increase the Threat Level before resolving the event. This may result in the Threat Level increasing to the next band, meaning that the card s rules will become deadlier. Note that this instruction is in addition to any increase at the top! Some cards will have the Remains in Play keyword. This means that the card is left face-up next to the board and the effects apply continuously until the card text tells you to discard it. Otherwise, Events are discarded after resolving them.

19 Key Concept Moving Walkers Throughout the rules and cards you will see the term eligible Walker. This term applies to any Walker that is not currently prone or already in base-to-base contact with an enemy. These Walkers will be eligible to move when an Event card or other rule requires it. Walkers always move at a Shamble (6"), and they always move in dead straight lines, usually towards a model, source of MAYHEM, or in some other direction specified by the rules. If a rule requires a Walker to move towards another model, it moves towards the centre of that model s base. Walkers cannot pass over or through scenery, and will stop instantly when they contact a piece of scenery (note that this may result in combat against a Survivor that is defending a barrier, as explained on page 25). If a Walker starts its move already in contact with a scenery piece, it will move around the scenery by the shortest possible distance to reach its target. This is the only time a Walker may deviate from its straight line movement. Walkers ignore supply counters. Walkers never attack other Walkers. Instead they pass through other Walkers in their path, as long they have sufficient movement to end their move without their bases overlapping. If a Walker would finish its move with its base overlapping it instead stops in contact with the other Walker. If a Survivor is in the Walker s path, the Walker will move into base contact with that model. When moving Walkers into base contact with a Survivor, it is always considered reasonable to shuffle models around slightly to allow additional Walkers to attack, as long as the Walkers had enough movement left to reach the target. However, if there is no space at all left to engage a Survivor (without overlapping bases), then the Walkers must stop short of their target. Event Cards If an Event card specifies that more than one Walker must move, the first is moved by the player with Initiative, and then the players alternate until all required Walkers are moved. If both players are instructed to move one or more Walker models during an Event, they must choose different models a Walker model cannot be moved more than once by a single Event card, and this includes Walkers entering play. 19

20 Sometimes there may not be enough eligible Walkers to fulfil the instruction on the Event card (for example, you may be told to move three Walkers, but there are only two standing, unengaged Walkers in play). If this happens, the remainder are taken from any spares you have, and they enter play as described below. Finally, if it is ever unclear which Walker should move (due to two or more being equidistant when activated, for example), the player with Initiative chooses which Walker moves in that instance. Walkers Entering Play Not Enough Walkers? If the Threat gets too high, you may soon find that you don t have enough Walker models to bring into play! While you re always likely to have one or two to hand based on those removed from play or not being used in a given scenario, chances are in larger games you ll run out. You can purchase booster packs of Walkers, along with additional Event cards, from Mantic Games. If an Event card requires more Walkers to enter play than you have to hand, bring on as many as you can and then increase the Threat by 1. Several Event cards require Walkers to enter play. Regardless of the number specified, the procedure for doing this is always the same. Take the requisite number of spare Walkers. Beginning with the player with Initiative, take one of the Walkers and place it in base contact with the board edge of your choice. The Walker may not be placed within the Kill Zone of a Survivor. Once it is placed, the other player does the same, until all of them have been placed. It is quite possible that, using this method, you could finish the game facing more Walkers than you began! 20

21 4: The Melee Phase Once the Event phase has been resolved, it is likely that one or more models will be in base contact with an enemy, and must therefore fight! Melee Phase Breakdown 1. Advance Threat Level 2. Split Combats 3. Establish Order of Combat Choose each melee in turn and then: 1. Resolve Handgun attacks 2. Resolve Melee 3. Push Back 4. Resolve Damage Every model in base contact with an enemy model in that melee will fight, striking simultaneously. If you don t have enough dice for both players to roll all at once, simply take it in turns and keep note of your scores. When fighting against Walkers, your opponent rolls the dice on their behalf. Advance Threat Level At the start of the Melee Phase, if any models are engaged in melee, increase the Threat Level by 1. The level increases by just 1 point regardless of how many models are fighting. Splitting Combats When several Walkers are in contact with several Survivors from the same side, then the player who controls those Survivors must split the combat. The result must either be a single Walker fighting a single Survivor, a single Walker fighting multiple Survivors, or a single Survivor fighting multiple Walkers. Nudge the models apart slightly to make it clear which Walkers are fighting which Survivors. This rule cannot be used to take a Survivor out of melee altogether if a model is engaged, it must fight! Establish Order of Combat Melee is resolved separately for each group of models in base contact. If there are several groups of combatants on the table, the player with Initiative decides the order in which combats are resolved. Resolve Handgun Attacks Weapons with the Handgun keyword may be fired in the Melee phase. To do so, simply declare that you are using the handgun instead of attacking. If several models in the same combat wish to shoot, the player with Initiative picks one of his own first, and then the other player does likewise, alternating until all shots are fired. 21

22 The Survivor makes a normal ranged attack that must target one enemy model in base contact. There is no need to randomise who is hit if there are other friends in the fight, and only a single shot can be taken, regardless of how many the weapon can normally fire. If the shot kills the opponent or lays them prone, this may mean that the Survivor with the handgun is no longer engaged in melee. As this is not a melee attack, the enemy model is not pushed back. This means if it stands up again before the shooter moves again they will be engaged in combat again. If the model that fired is still engaged after the shot is taken, it may only choose to defend in the following melee. If other models on the same side wish to attack rather than defend, then the firing model contributes no dice to the combat. As always, gunfire may cause MAYHEM and any Walkers attracted into the fray do take part in the melee. These new combatants may require combats to be split again as detailed on page 21. This must be done before any further melee takes place. Resolve Melee Most Survivors will choose to attack their opponent with whatever they have to hand. However, some 22 Survivors are poor fighters, or are so well-equipped with armour that they have a better chance of surviving melee if they fight defensively rather than offensively. Before making a melee attack roll, a player must choose whether the models on their side will attack or defend. The player with Initiative always chooses first. If both players opt to defend, no blows are struck. If several models on the same side are involved in the combat, they must either all choose to defend, or all attack they cannot split their dice between attack and defence. Needless to say, Walkers can never choose to defend! Unlike ranged attacks, a model does not have to have a Melee Weapon card in order to attack in Melee as long as it has one or more dice listed under its Melee value, it can kick, punch and head-butt without a weapon! However, some models are such poor combatants that they have no Melee value. These models can only attack in melee if they have a weapon or rule that grants them dice. If they have no such weapon and/or bonus, they can only choose to Defend in melee. The Melee Attack Roll To make a melee attack, a player must roll the number and type of dice specified by their models Melee characteristic, adding any dice

23 indicated on their Melee Weapon cards and special rules, if applicable. If a model has several melee weapons, it must choose one before any dice are rolled: it cannot add the bonuses from more than one weapon to its Melee value. If a model has chosen to defend, it instead takes the dice equal to its Defence value, plus any bonus dice it is entitled to thanks to its armour or other Equipment. All models on the same side roll their dice together, and each side totals up the number of successes scored. The side with the highest roll is the winner. If the combat is drawn, a winner must still be determined for the purposes of Push Back as detailed below, even if there are no other effects. In the case of drawn combats, use the following criteria to determine who pushes back the enemy: Survivors always beat Walkers Survivors with the Initiative always beat other Survivors. Note: If a model is required to roll as part of its attack (because of a weapon rule or other special rule), the is not counted as part of the melee attack roll. The Action Dice is only rolled when a winner has been established the winning side rolls any Action Dice it is entitled to, and the additional effects are applied. 23 Push Back As soon as a winner is determined, the losing models are instantly pushed 1 directly away from the winners, by the shortest possible route, as shown. A model cannot enter base contact with an enemy model as a result of being pushed back. If a model cannot be pushed back due to the proximity of other nearby miniatures or scenery, all of the winners are pushed back instead, exactly as if the losing model had won the fight. Resolve Damage Models are wounded in the same way as described for Shooting on page 14, with the difference in successes determining the number of health points lost. If a defending model wins a melee, it may not cause any damage against its opponents it merely pushes them back as it fends them off. Single Combatants Damaging Multiple Opponents If a single combatant beats multiple opponents, the player that won the melee may divide the total amount of damage caused between all enemies in base contact it may all be allocated against the same model, or split freely between them.

24 Headshots in Melee Headshots apply as for Shooting on Page 14. If you roll multiple Headshots as part of your melee attack, you can only allocate one Headshot to each enemy model in the combat. If there are more slain enemies than Headshots, you will just have to settle for knocking down the remainder instead! Bitten! Whenever a Survivor loses one or more health points to an attack by Walkers but is not removed as a casualty, the player rolling for the Walkers must roll. On a blank, there is no further effect. On a however, you must immediately flip the victim s health counter over so that the red Bite symbol is face up. The latent infection that all Survivors carry has been accelerated. This may have severe repercussions for your Survivor later! See page 26. Additional Melee Rules Walkers Outnumbering Lone Walkers are slow and lethargic, and don t pose much of a threat, but in groups they become more animated as they smell fresh meat, and drag down an unsuspecting foe with sheer weight of numbers. If there is only one Walker in a combat, it rolls its Melee value as normal 1. A second Walker in the same combat, however, rolls 2 ; the third Walker rolls 3, and so on, up to a maximum of 5. For example, Rick is engaged in melee with three Walkers. He has no melee weapon, and thus only rolls. The Walkers roll a total of 6 (1+2+3=6)! Rick has a tough fight ahead. Multiple Melee The rules above assume that only two sides are involved in the combat Survivors vs. Walkers, or Survivors vs. Survivors. If there is a three-sided combat, however, where both players have models fighting Walkers in the same melee, their attacks are treated slightly differently. To keep things simple, Walkers do not fight as a side in their own right when joining a fight between rival Survivors. Instead, Walkers add their 24

25 dice to one of the Survivor sides melee rolls. In a three-sided combat, Walkers do not gain the Walkers Outnumbering special rule. When Walkers are in base contact with Survivors from just one side, their attack dice are added to the opposing side s roll. When both sides are in contact with Walkers, the player with Initiative chooses who each Walker attacks this turn. A side that benefits from Walkers attack dice cannot choose to defend. If for any reason any of them must defend (having just fired a Handgun for example), the Walker will attack as normal and the defending Survivors will roll no dice. Prone Combatants If an attacker is not engaged in melee with any standing opponents, it may instead make a melee attack roll against a prone model that it is in contact with. The prone model may not attack back, but may defend (even if it is a Walker). If the attacker beats the defence roll of the prone model, the prone model is removed from play immediately. Although they can be attacked if they are in contact during the Melee phase, prone models do not stop enemy models from simply disengaging and moving away during their activation. Defending Barriers Any model in base contact with the long edge of a barrier is in melee with any enemy on the other side of the barrier (touching the opposite yellow border). To gain a bonus for defending a barrier, eligible models must choose to defend in combat. While defending a barrier, the model adds to its defence roll. Note that models do not gain the defence bonus if they are also attacked from behind (with no barrier between themselves and the attacker). If models on both sides are able to defend a barrier, the player with Initiative must declare their intent to do so first. As always, if both sides choose to defend, no blows are struck. Although they may fight in melee, Survivors behind barriers are not considered to be in base contact with enemies on the other side of the barrier for movement purposes. They may move away from enemy models touching the same barrier in their Movement phase as normal. Walkers cannot defend barriers and are considered engaged with enemies on the other side. 25

26 5. The End Phase Once all melee is over, it s time to see if any prone Walkers get back up again, and see if infection starts to set in for the bitten Survivors. The Dead Return The player with the Initiative chooses each prone Walker in turn and rolls for each. On a, the Walker stands up, ready to act normally next turn. On a blank, it stays down. End of Turn Any special rules in play that require checks or effects at the end of the turn should be applied now. If there are several of these, players should take it in turns to resolve them, beginning with the player with Initiative. The turn is now over. Start a new turn, beginning with the Initiative Phase on page 10. Infection Any Survivor model with the Bite symbol showing on its health tracker must test to see if anything nasty happens to them. Begin with the player with Initiative and alternate until each player has tested for all of his infected models. Simply roll for each model that has been bitten during the game. On a, there is no effect, and the Survivor shrugs off the injury for now. On a blank however, the Survivor loses 1 health point immediately. If this roll results in death, the Survivor is immediately removed from play and replaced with a prone Walker! All of the model s Equipment is lost, and the Walker is treated just like any other from this point on. Supply counters are placed on the board where the Survivor fell as detailed on page

27 Survivor Groups The following section provides guidelines for shaping your collection of miniatures and cards into a hard-bitten group of Survivors. Points Matches Groups are chosen to a set points limit, agreed in advance by the two players. Simply select the Survivors and Equipment you want to use, using the points values printed on the cards, with a total of no more than the agreed limit. If each group comprised around (but no more than) 100 points of models, we would refer to this as a 100- point game, because both sides are chosen to a 100-point limit. We recommend sticking to nice, round increments for your games: 100, 150, 250 points, and so on. A 100-point game can be usually be played in less than an hour, while a 300 point game may take most of the afternoon. Group Limits There are a few limits and restrictions to what you can select. Each group must abide by the following rules: Many models in the game are neutral, and will not have a faction symbol on 27 their card. These models can be chosen as part of any group. However, others have an allegiance to a particular leader or location, represented by their faction symbol. A group can only contain Survivors from a single faction, as well as neutral characters. One model must be selected as the group Leader (see page 28). You may never have more than one version of the same named character (Officer Rick Grimes and Veteran Rick Grimes, for instance) in a group. Note that in some games opposing players may have the same character in their groups. You may never purchase more Equipment cards for a model than its available item slots allow. Note don t forget to leave room for any items that you may need to pick up on the board. There may be other restrictions listed on your chosen cards. Character Types Each Survivor card will list a character type. This feature serves as a handy indicator of your Survivor s specialisms and group composition. If you have lots of Bruisers, for

28 example, then your group is geared towards melee. A group with a good mix of Character Types will be wellequipped to take on all-comers. A character s type has no rules of its own, but will interact with other rules in the game. The Character Types are as follows: Bruiser: Favours melee combat and feats of strength. Tactician: Best at threat management and coordinated efforts. Marksman: Favours ranged combat. Support: Provides boosts, medical aid or just moral support to the group. Runner: An expert scavenger, quick on their feet. The Group Leader Every group needs someone to lead it: you must nominate one model from your collection as the Leader. Even in small groups that do not have an obvious Leader, one Survivor always steps forward to take charge. Orders may be given once per turn, immediately before the Leader performs any actions themselves, and may be given to a single friendly model in their Kill Zone that has not yet acted. The Leader may not give an order to themselves. Roll. On a blank, there is no effect. On a however, when the chosen model is activated, it will gain one extra Action in this Action phase, following all of the usual rules. If the recipient of an order is of the same type as the Leader (i.e. Tactician, Bruiser etc.), do not roll the model automatically gains the extra Action. Unique Leader Abilities Some Survivors make better leaders than others, and change the way your group plays on the tabletop by virtue of their unique leadership style. This is represented by the Leader Ability listed on their Survivor card. This ability only applies if that Survivor is chosen as your group Leader; otherwise it is ignored. Issuing Orders All Leaders have a special rule that allows them to issue orders to friendly models, potentially granting them extra actions for the turn. 28

29 Scenarios Games of The Walking Dead: All Out War Miniatures Game are structured around scenarios, which provide a variety of gaming set-ups, special deployments and victory conditions. If you re new to the game, we highly recommend playing through the scenarios presented in the Quick Start Guide, using the models and cards provided in this boxed set. Later, as your experience and collection of models grows, try out the additional rules presented here to choose your own groups. during a game unless some special rule specifically allows it. Victory Conditions Every scenario lists the criteria you must achieve in order to win the game. This might be as simple as wiping out the opposing Survivor group, or scoring points by inflicting casualties and grabbing supplies. Each scenario will list any required models or scenery along with instructions on how to set everything up ready to play. The Gaming Area You will need a flat surface on which to place The Walking Dead: All Out War game board. The board is often referred to as the gaming area. As your collection grows, you might find that you need a larger board to accommodate the extra action! We recommend the following sizes: GAME SIZE GAMING AREA Up to 300 points 20" square 301+ points 40" x 20" A note on boundaries: The edge of the gaming area cannot be passed 29