GAME SYSTEM
S Rules yst and me de jeu Game-Playo, here you are, eagerly
gripping your little lead gures still sticky from their last lick
of paint (Anyone who thought they can use unpainted minis is
welcome to visit Croc for a good spanking with his spiked plank).
You have agreed with your opponent on how large and powerful your
armies will be, and you have laid out a glorious battleeld. All you
have to do now is learn the following rules by heart (more or
less).
SDice
must be rolled in some situations. In general, each d6 will be
considered independently.
FathomsThe standard unit of measurement used in Hell Dorado is
the Fathom, which, although it is now only used to measure nautical
depths, was still in use at the time when Hell Dorado is set to
measure distances on land. It is equivalent to an average mans
height. On the battleeld, this will be scaled down to a standard
inch. For those of you who do not live in countries where the
Imperial system is still used (unless, of course, you had the great
idea of investing in an inch-graduated measuring tape to check the
size of your new at-screen monitor), consider a fathom to be
2.5cm.
D own to BasicsPlaying Hell Dorado only requires six-sided dice,
also known as d6 by Those Who Know. Ideally, each player should
have at least ve six-sided dice (d6) handy. Some of the numbers
used on the stat cards or in the rules will mean that that number
of d6
DistanceWhen the rules state that a unit should be at or within
a certain distance from another unit or from a spot on the
battlefield, this means that any part of its base that is at that
distance fulfills that condition. A unit is considered to be inside
an area from the moment when any part of its base is inside the
area. This is the general rule, but we may remind you of it again
if required. In all other cases, the specific rules will state if
and when the whole of the base needs to be at a precise distance or
within a specific area.
IntroductionThis chapter will give you the basic, essential
concepts you will need to understand the rest of the rules. Some of
them will be using concepts that will be explained later. If you
dont understand everything to begin with, dont worry, you can come
back to it later. In any case, you will quite probably have to read
the rules several times over to fully absorb them.
MeasuringWhen playing Hell Dorado, players can measure any part
of the battleeld at any time. You can, for example, measure the
distance between two units, between one of your own units and a
point on the battleeld,
1
GAME SYSTEMA
Unit A is inside the explosion area. Unit B is 3 fathoms away
from its opponent.
3
B
1
measuring distances between units and effect areas
or between one of your units and one of your opponents, etc.
Contact and Control AreaOne unit is considered to be in contact
with another if their two bases are in contact, or if a part of one
of them touches a part of the other. A unit touching another unit
is said to be engaged. The terms in contact and engaged are
equivalent when applied to opposing units. Most of the Hell Dorado
models have a control area of one fathom. This means that any unit
that comes within a distance of one fathom from an enemy unit will
be considered to be inside that units control area. Unless
otherwise specied, once units are engaged they lose the effects of
their control areas. The control areas of units affect the way
their opponents can move. See the chapter on control areas effect
on page 14.
DirectionsMiniatures in Hell Dorado are not considered to have a
specic facing. It is treated as though the course of the battle is
not really chopped up into phases and turns. Each unit is
considered to turn automatically to face a danger or an opponent.
So theres no use bickering about whether your miniatures front arc
is touching your opponents or not.
CONTACT
CONTROL AREA
For those who like to meddle in the affairs of minisNo doubt
that some of you, when reading this particular rule will jump to
the conclusion that they can mess with their miniatures so contact
becomes much easier (by changing a vertical spear into a horizontal
one, for example). Far from wanting to crush your creative spirit,
I must however warn you that anyone caught doing this will be
thrown into a large vat of sulfuric acid. Previously, I will of
course have ensured that their hands are cut off and sent to their
mini-painting club. Once news of this hits the headlines, Im pretty
sure that anyone else who had come up with any similar smart idea
will think twice about it. As for the unfortunate miscreant, apart
from making bubbling noises with his mouth while waiting for the
rest of his body to be completely dissolved, he will no longer be
of any nuisance to any of the true Hell Dorado fans.
The TapIf, at some point in the game, the rules alone do not
enable you to resolve a conict between players, two solutions can
be used: The rst is the well-known heads-or-tails technique.
Basically, you pick some handy object, such as a coin, a frying
pan, or your girlfriend, and you ip it up into the air, after
betting on which side you think will be visible when it hits the
oor. Obviously, if you want to use this technique to end an
argument, it tends to help if both players pick opposite sides. The
second option is our personal favorite, albeit one requiring skill
and therefore best if only used by players of experience: a Tap on
the cheek. When an argument cannot be settled by simply applying
the rules, the rst of the two players to gently tap the other on
the cheek wins. This should be done with caution, as, if the
tap
2
GAME SYSTEM
These minis are in contact with their opponents.
2
two miniatures engaged by their bases, then by the figures
turns into a slap, the too-brutal slapper is immediately
disqualied. A slightly safer version is the tap on the back of the
hand, but this is, of course, much less fun.
T he Armed ForcesUnit RanksEach unit has one of the three
following ranks: Ofcer, Independent, or Trooper. The Ofcers are
unique (they should only be present once per Company) as are the
Independents who have an identity. Troopers and anonymous
Independents can be used several times in the same Company.
Ofcers are the soldiers who lead Companies into battle. They are
unique beings who all have their own identity. They can therefore
only be one each per Company. These units have unique support and
command abilities that are linked to their character. The rules for
composing Companies will tell you how many Ofcers you will be able
to hire for your Company, depending on the total number of army
points you have agreed on with your opponent. Usually, in a
standard Company, you will only be allowed one Ofcer. All Ofcers
automatically possess the orders vae soli and vae victis (p. 27).
Independents are elite soldiers who join the Companies seeking fame
and fortune, or just for the pleasure of butchering invaders or
natives. These soldiers have special abilities which are often
exceptional. When put to the right use, they can change the course
of a whole battle on their own.
OFFICERS
INDEPENDENTS
3
diagram of a miniatures control area
3
The control areas of units affect the way their opponents can
move. See the chapter on control areas effect on page 14.
GAME SYSTEMThe CompanyIn Hell Dorado, each player has tactical
control of a Company of soldiers or units. Each unit is physically
represented by a miniature. They are all different, with different
ranks, stats, types, base sizes, etc. All these concepts are
explained in greater detail further on. A whole chapter (p. 33) is
entirely devoted to their special abilities.
This score indicates the distance in fathoms that a unit can
move in one turn when walking at a normal pace. This value can
change depending on the actions undertaken by the units or the
orders they receive. xample: the average human unit has a Movement
score of 5 if it is carrying little or no armor. In all other cases
the Movement score will be 4. This score represents a number of
dice. This is the number of dice that will be used when the unit
attacks with a ranged weapon (bow, arquebus, throwing dagger,
grenade, etc.). This stat represents the units skill at using its
weapon. xample: the average human unit will have a SHS score of 2
if it carries a ranged weapon. If it doesnt, then the SHS score
will not even be mentioned. This stat represents a number of dice.
This is the number of dice used by this unit during close combat.
This stat represents the units talent for attacking, its physical
abilities in combat and its equipment. It is both a reection of the
units warrior fury and its pure skill. A unit with no Combat stat
cannot ght, even if it receives a CBT bonus later on. All attacks
against it will remain unanswered. A unit with a CBT stat of 0 will
not usually throw any dice during a mle, but it can receive a bonus
that will allow it to do so. xample: the average human unit has a
Combat score of 3.
MOVEMENT (MVT)
SHOOTING SKILL (SHS)
The Independent units with an identity (their own name) are
unique and can only be hired once per Company. For all others,
their Availability (p. 8) will tell you how many you are allowed to
have in any one Company at the same time. Troopers are the huddled
masses of random soldiers who are the heart of the Companies, the
nameless cannon fodder who ght and die for the glory of their
commanding ofcers. Multiple Troopers of the same kind can be used
in the same Company. The limits to their recruitment are dened by
the units Availability stat (p. 8).
TROOPERS
COMBAT (CBT)
Unit StatisticsEach unit on the battleeld is dened by a series
of statistic numbers that you will nd on all the stat cards.
Red and GreenOn most stat cards, the units statistics are
printed on two different colored backgrounds: red and green. The
value of the red stat is the basic value. The value of the green
stat is the one that should be applied when the unit is in a
wounded state. One exception: on the bar of life points on the back
of the card, the green backgrounds are for the point from whereon
the unit is considered to be wounded.
As the name suggests, this score is an indicator of the difculty
that others will have hitting the unit during a battle. It is this
score that the units opponents will roll their attack dice against
when in contact (and sometimes when attacking from a distance).
This stat represents the units speed, skill and martial talents.
Unless stated otherwise, a units Defense score cannot be higher
than 5. In some very rare cases, always stated as such, the Defense
score can reach 6. xample: the average human unit will have a
Defense score of 3.
DEFENSE (DEF)
This score is a representation of the units armor (natural or
not) and its resistance to hits. It is directly
PROTECTION (PR)
4
GAME SYSTEM
FrontMOVEMENT DEFENSE FAITH COMMAND AVAILABILITY
SPECIALABILITIES POINTS4 3 3 13
Missionnaire
UNITS
NAME
UNITS FACTION
SYMBOL
4
4
Limit 3
Indpendant Humain Mle Ennemi jur 2
Papiste (chrtien) Mentaliste
ARMY
KEYWORDS
Fanatique
25
(dmons et damns)
BackSHOOTINGSKILL-
Missionnaire-
UNITS
NAME
LIFE POINTS4
3
COMBAT DEFENSE PROTECTION WEAPON DAMAGETYPE
4
31
4
23 4 5
86
3
37 8
1
COMMAND FAITH LIFE POINT POWER SPECIAL DAMAGEBAR (WOUNDED STATE
IN GREEN) TABLE EFFECT POINTS
2
EncensoirContondant
Touches1 2 3 4 5
Dgts2 Sonn 4 5 6
Passif 1 CMD Tous les combattants allis sont immuniss contre la
Terreur jusqu la fin du tour.
Dieu est mon bouclier
ORDERS AURAS
Temporaire Actif 4 toises de rayon Rsiduel Chrtiens (immunis)
Les combattants autres que chrtiens subissent un malus de -1 CBT.
Temporaire Actif 4 toises de rayon Rsiduel Chrtiens Les combattants
chrtiens causent 1 touche de plus lors dun combat au contact si au
moins une touche a t obtenue. Temporaire Actif 4 toises de rayon
Instantan Papistes Les combattants papistes regagnent un nombre de
PV gal leur FOI.
Aura de peur
Aura de puissance
Aura de soins
4
Analyzing a stat card (front and back): Missionaryshield, full
body shell...). A higher score is possible but remains exceptional.
This stat represents the number of damage points a unit can take
before dying in battle. If this value is followed by a second one
printed on a green background, this second stat indicates the
number of Life Points below which the unit is considered Wounded.
This second value is called the Wound Threshold (WT). The initial
number of Life Points is reduced after each hit depending on the
number of damage points
subtracted from the total number of damage points inicted during
an attack. xample: a Protection value of 0 means a total lack of
armor; a value of 1 means light armor or natural protection
(leather, small shield, thick skin) ; a value of 2 means a medium
level of armor or natural protection (chain mail, leather and
metal-plated armor, partial metal armor...) ; a value of 3 means
heavy armor or natural protection (full plate armor, chain mail
and
LIFE POINTS (LP)
5
GAME SYSTEMthat belong to specic beliefs, and also as a way to
resist hostile magical powers. A unit with the keyword Unbeliever
(p. 7) does not have a Faith stat, and any ability, spell or aura
that requires Faith will have no effect on it. xample: the average
human unit has a Faith stat of 1
This stat represents the capacity the unit has for inuencing the
behavior of its allies during battle. This value is added to the
total Command score of the Company when the game begins (p. 24).
When a unit with a Command score of at least 1 is eliminated, its
score is immediately removed both from the Companys original
Command total and from the Companys current value. xample: the
average human Ofcer has a Command score of 4.
COMMAND (CMD)
inicted, and the new value becomes the current Life Point total.
A unit dies when its current Life Point total is equal to or less
than 0. A unit is Wounded as soon as its current Life Point total
is reduced to or below the Wound Threshold printed on the green
background. xample: the average human unit has an initial Life
Point total of 4/1. This means it has a total of 4 Life Points and
will be considered Wounded as soon as it only has 1 Life Point
left. In the same way, a unit with a Life Point total of 5/2 has a
total of 5 Life Points (it will take 5 Damage Points to kill it)
and it will be considered Wounded as soon as it has 2 (or fewer)
Life Points left. This stat represents the units spiritual strength
and it can be considered a bonus for the magical effects
Weapon StatisticsThe power of a units weapons is represented in
a power table, showing the number of Damage points inicted
depending on the number of hits obtained during the attack roll.
For mle weapons, this stat is both a representation of the units
strength, its weight, the weight of the weapon and its skillfulness
at hitting the target. For ranged weapons, this stat represents the
strength of the unit for some weapons (bows, slingshots, throwing
weapons...) and the natural power of the weapon itself for the
others (arquebus munitions, crossbow bolts). The power tables
always indicate the damage inicted for 1 to 5 hits, even if the
unit in question doesnt have a combat stat that enables it to
achieve such a score. This is in order to accommodate for any
positive bonuses that may affect the unit. Some special effects can
be triggered by a certain number of hits.
POWER TABLE
FAITH (FTH)
6
GAME SYSTEMThe player controlling the attacking unit can choose
to inict less hits than they obtained with their attack roll (or
even none at all if he wishes). Explosive or blast-effect weapons
do not have a power table. You will nd more information on how
these weapons work on pages 22 and 23. xample - A Succubus using
her whips will have the following power table: Number of hits 1 2 3
4 5 Damage points 3 4 + Pain 2 6 8 6 + knocked down to be the
target of a special attack, if it will be affected by magical
effects or not, etc. The nature of a unit can therefore dene
several elements of its personality. Rank (p. 3) is listed on the
stat card as a keyword. Ofcer Independent Trooper Species Angel
Animal Damned Demon Lost Human Lemure Gender Asexual Female Male
Religion When it comes to religion, the units can be given a
general belief in certain principles (Christianity, Satanism,
Islam...) or a more precise belief in certain dogmas. Units who
believe in a specic dogma are affected by the effects of their
general belief and those associated with their particular dogma.
Atheist Buddhist - Yanluowang (Buddhist) Christian - Papist
(Christian) - Orthodox (Christian) - Protestant (Christian) Jewish
Muslim - Shiite (Muslim) - Sunni (Muslim) - Kharijite (Muslim)
Satanist - Luciferian (Satanist) Unbeliever (this is applied to all
units who can never be affected by the powers that concern
religion. They do not have a Faith statistic.). Magic Infernalist
x/y These are the units that can control lemures. This keyword is
special in the sense that it is followed by two numbers. These
indicate the number of lemures that the unit can control at one
time (x) and the total number of lemures that it can use during a
game (y) (p. 28).
She rolls 3 hits against an opponent for her attack roll. She
can therefore inict 6 Damage points. She can also consider inicting
only 2 hits, so she can inict only 4 Damage points to her opponent
but make him suffer a Pain effect for 2 turns. She could also
choose to inict only 1 hit and 3 Damage points or 0 hits and no
damage. This stat denes the difculty of a ranged attack. The value
is a number of fathoms. This value will be multiplied to obtain the
levels of difculty depending on the distance between the attacker
and its target. You will nd the rules about shooting distances in
the chapter on ranged combat (p. 18). Most weapons have a keyword
that de nes the kind of damage it will in ict. The most common ones
are Sharp, Piercing, and Blunt, but there are many more, including
more exotic ones (gaze, inhalation, etc.). This keyword doesnt have
any effect (in general) on the game, but is used to trigger certain
special abilities. Some weapons can in ict multiple types of
damage. Some weapons have special abilities that will distinguish
them from others. Their full descriptions are on page 33.
R ANGE (FOR R ANGED WEAPONS)
DAMAGE TYPE
WEAPON ABILITIES
Nature of the UnitsEach character is dened by a number of
keywords that should give you a better idea of who they really are.
These keywords will determine if a unit is eligible
7
GAME SYSTEMxample: Asaliah, a rebel angel, has the keyword
Infernalist 2/3. This means she can invoke 3 lemures during the
game, and control 2 at the same time. Mentalist These are the units
that have one or several auras (p. 28).
Value, Faction and Availability of a UnitAll units are worth a
certain number of Army Points. This number represents the units
power on the battleeld. Usually, a standard Company is made up of
miniatures whose army points total no more than 200 (p. 40). Each
unit belongs to one of the games Factions (Westerners, Saracens,
Demons, the Lost and Mercenaries). The Troopers mercenaries and
Independent mercenaries can be hired by other Factions (p. 40).
Mercenary Ofcers can also be tolerant towards other Factions (if
they have the special ability Prestige) and can therefore hire
Troopers and Independents from those Factions under certain
conditions (p. 40). All units have an Availability stat that
represents the density with which they can be used when composing a
Company (p. 40). Unique: the unit has an identity: it can therefore
only occur once per Company, no matter the size of the Company.
Limited x: the unit can occur several times in any one Company.
There can be x specimens in each partial or complete group of 200
army points in any one Company (p. 40). Unlimited: the unit can be
used as frequently as possible in any one Company. There is no
limit to the number of specimens of this unit that can be hired in
a Company. This is the default value of all units. Associated (name
of unit) x: this miniature can only be used if the unit named
between brackets is hired to the Company. There can only be x
specic units associated with one named unit.
Magic, Special Abilities and OrdersSome units can use auras or
control lemures (see above). Most of them also have special
abilities that give them various bonuses (p. 33). Abilities which
are printed in red have an effect on the unit which is (at least
partially) negative. Finally, the Ofcers and some of the other
units can use orders (p. 27). All of these special powers will be
described in full in their own respective chapters.
Unit Base SizesAll the units in Hell Dorado are tted onto round
bases that are suited to their size and mass. There are three sizes
of base, and some of the games rules take these sizes into account.
Regular sized base (30mm diameter) Large base (40mm diameter) Extra
Large base (50mm diameter)
5
three units side by side
Large unit
Extra Large unit
8
Regular unit
GAME SYSTEMLimited X/YWhen a unit has two possible variations,
its Availability is indicated by two numbers. This means that the
maximum number of this unit is limited to X for each complete or
partial portion of 200 points, and out of these X units, a maximum
of Y can be of the second type described on the stat card.
xample: Pillars of Faith, Daggers/Halberd, Limited 3/2. A
Company of 200 points can use a maximum of 3 Pillars of Faith (all
types) and out of those 3, a maximum of 2 can be halberdiers.
Transformation (conditions new shape): This model can change its
shape and statistics during the game. This transformation will take
place once the conditions indicated between brackets are ful lled.
A transformed unit appears with full life points, even if the
previous shape had suffered damage.
D ominanceThe concept of Dominance is one of the key elements of
Hell Dorado. It denes the general way in which one of the two sides
will dominate the other. It represents the way the warriors in the
Companies feel during the battle, whether theyre feeling superior
or on the contrary if they have a vague fear of being overrun. As
you will see later on, Dominance is the way to resolve many
situations and work out which player starts each turn. If
necessary, Dominance can be physically represented on the table by
a marker held by the player who is
currently Dominant (a large marble, a skull on a stick, a
cucumber, etc.). Before the battle begins, both players must work
out their initial Dominance score. This is the sum of all the
Command values of the ofcer and the independents in the Company,
plus the number of units lined up for battle (except the units with
the special ability Insignicant), plus the sum of any First contact
values (unit special ability) present in the Company. Do not add
the Command values of any units who do not start out on the
battleeld. Command should be calculated even if the whole Company
is not present on the battleeld when the game begins. If both
players have an equal Dominance score, the player with the most
units in his Company achieves Dominance. If there is still a tie,
the player with the ofcer with the highest Command score still in
play gets control of the marker for this turn. If the tie persists,
ip a coin (or use the Tap). After the rst turn of the game, control
of Dominance is determined by the number and the nature of the
units that were killed during the previous turn. Both players count
the number of signicant units (not counting Insignicant units) that
they lost during the previous turn. The player who has lost the
least units is granted Dominance for the next turn. If both players
have lost the same number of units, then the player who already had
Dominance keeps it through the next turn.
T urnsTurnsA Hell Dorado turn is split up into two phases :
Upkeep phase and Action phase. During the Upkeep phase, the players
work out who has Dominance, Command scores are reset to their basic
values, and all the special effects that take place during this
phase are applied. During the Action phase, the players alternate
activating their units one by one, until all of them have performed
their actions. Once this is nished, a new turn begins.
First DominanceDominance = sum of ofcer and independent CMD +
number of units (minus Insignicant units) + sum of First contact
values.
9
GAME SYSTEMA game of Hell Dorado is split up into a certain
number of turns. In basic battles, the number of turns in a game is
limited (see scenario details in complete rules). as soon as a
player has nished the actions of a unit, it is the other players
turn to act. However, as we will soon see, this rule is quite often
abused. In any case, each unit can only be activated once per turn
(except for lemures, see page 28). All units must be activated
every turn. To limit the risk of arguments, it is considered good
manners, once one has nished the action of ones unit, to let ones
opponent know that they are free to play. A standard phrase can be
chosen, such as The table is yours, or even Dude, syour turn. Once
this has been said, the previously active player can no longer use
a vae soli order (p. 27). A unit that has not yet taken an action
during the current turn is said to be waiting. A unit that is
currently taking an action is said to be active. A unit that has
already taken its actions for this turn is said to be already
activated. A unit that is in contact with an enemy unit is said to
be engaged. A unit that is not engaged with an enemy unit is said
to be free. Allied units are all the units currently controlled by
the same player. Enemy units are all the units controlled by the
other player or players (even temporarily). Enemy is synonymous
with opponent.
Upkeep PhaseIt is during this phase the rst phase of every turn
that the players resolve any special effects or situations that
last more than one turn. 1) At the beginning of the Upkeep phase,
the current Command score of each player is reset to its original
value. 2) The question of Dominance is resolved (p. 9). 3) Then any
damage that should be inicted is done, followed by any healing. In
both cases, this is done simultaneously by both players. 4)
Finally, each player resolves any other powers, orders, auras and
abilities that have an effect during this phase. If this causes any
problems, the player who currently has Dominance gets to choose the
order of application of the effects.
DEFINITIONS
Action PhaseOnce both players have nished their Upkeep phase,
the Action phase begins. During this phase, the players will be
making their units act in turn. The basic rule of this phase is
this:
10
GAME SYSTEMAt the beginning of the Action phase, the player who
has Dominance chooses which of the two players activates one of
their units rst. The player that is chosen therefore has to
activate one of its units, even if he has fewer units on the
battleeld than his opponent. When a player has to play one of his
units and he has fewer waiting units than his opponent, he can
choose to make his opponent activate one of their units instead.
This way, he can continue to skip his turn for as long as he has
fewer waiting units than his opponent. This rule does not apply to
the rst unit activated each turn. The side to activate the rst unit
is always chosen by the player with Dominance. xample: Ileana has
Dominance for the current turn. She currently controls 8 Lost
units. Her opponent, Arnold, has 4 Westerner units left. Ileana
makes Arnold play rst at the beginning of the Action phase. He is
therefore made to activate one of his 4 units. Then Ileana plays
one of hers. When its Arnolds turn to play his second unit, he
refuses, as he only has 3 units left and Ileana has 7. This way, he
can make her play all her units until she also has only 3 waiting
units left. However, Arnold does have the option to resume
activating his units at any time after each of Ileanas moves, if he
wishes. Once a unit is activated, the player that controls it can
choose to perform a single action from the list below. All units
must act once per turn. None of them can act multiple times (except
for lemures, see page 28). Walk Normal movement No contact with an
enemy unit Free units only The unit can move a distance up to or
equal to the value of its Movement score before ending its
activation. The unit cannot end its activation in contact with an
enemy unit but it can enter an enemy control area. This action can
only be performed by a free unit. Run Movement x 2 No contact with
an enemy unit Free units only The unit can move a distance up to or
equal to double its Movement score before ending its activation.
The unit cannot end its activation in contact with an enemy unit
but it can enter an enemy control area. This action can only be
performed by a free unit.
DOMINANCE
INFERIORITY
OF
NUMBERS
ACTIVATION
Attack Normal movement Contact with enemy unit Free units only
The unit moves as if it was performing a Walk action, but it ends
its activation in contact with an enemy unit, triggering a normal
combat action (p. 15). This action can only be performed by a free
unit. Charge Movement x 2 Contact with enemy unit -1 CBT when
contact is made Free units only The unit moves as if it was
performing a Run action, but it ends its activation in contact with
an enemy unit. This immediately triggers an attack sequence
affected by Charge modiers (p. 16). This action can only be
performed by a free unit. Shoot Normal movement Ranged attack No
contact with an enemy unit Free units only The unit can perform a
ranged attack against any eligible target (p. 18). It can also move
a distance up to or equal to the value of its Movement score before
or after shooting. It cannot end this movement in contact with an
enemy unit. The unit can either move and then shoot or shoot and
then move, but it cannot move part of the distance, shoot, then
continue moving. This action can only be performed by a free unit.
It is the only action that allows a unit to use a ranged weapon at
a distance. Retreat Movement x 2 No contact with an enemy unit
Triggers one-sided attack during Retreat Engaged units only The
unit announces its intention to retreat from the combat it is
engaged in. It immediately suffers a one-sided attack from one of
its opponents, to which it cannot retaliate (p. 17). It can then
use a Run-type Movement, unless the previous attack killed it or
left it in a specic state (p. 29). It is impossible to come into
contact with an enemy unit when using a Retreat action. This action
can only be performed by an engaged unit. If, during the one-sided
attack, the enemy unit has less than 1 attack die, the attack is
canceled and the Retreating unit can then transform its Retreat
action into a Walk, Run, Attack or Charge action. Concentration
Free units may move normally No contact with the enemy Engaged
units may not move Modied attack sequence The unit announces its
intention to use an active (see Special effects and timing, page
26) power (spell, special ability, order...). If the unit is free,
it can move a distance up to or equal to its Movement score, either
before or after using its power. It cannot end its movement in
contact with an enemy unit. The unit can either move and then
11
GAME SYSTEMuse its power, or use its power and then move, but it
cannot move part of the way, use its power and continue its
movement. If the unit is engaged, it cannot move and it begins
combat, affected by Concentration modiers (p. 17). If the outcome
of the combat is a change of state (p. 29) for the unit (or its
death, of course), the power has no effect (however, all costs must
still be paid). Focus Free units may not move Engaged units may not
move Triggers one-sided attack during Focus The unit announces its
intention to use an exhausting (see Special effects and timing,
page 26) power (spell, special ability, order...). If the unit is
free, it cannot move at all, neither before nor after using its
power. If the unit is engaged, it cannot move and one of the enemy
units it is in contact with gets to launch a one-sided attack at it
(p. 17). If the result of the attack involves a change of state for
the unit (or its death, of course), the power will have no effect
(however, all costs remain due). Mle Limited movement No loss of
contact Normal combat Engaged units only The unit engages an attack
sequence against an enemy unit in contact with it. This action can
only be performed by an engaged unit. At the beginning of its
activation, if the unit in contact with only one enemy, it is
allowed move where it wishes to as long as it remains contact with
the enemy unit. It must however end is to in its
ActionsIn practice, it isnt usually necessary to announce the
action that the current unit is about to undertake beforehand.
Therefore, a unit can be moved up to the double of its Movement
score in fathoms: if it comes into contact with an enemy unit, it
will be considered to have performed a Charge action ; if it ends
its activation outside of any contact or control areas, it will be
considered a Run action. Walk and Run actions may seem very
similar, but some elements of the game (using auras, orders, etc.)
will take the speed of movement into account. For example, a unit
can be ordered to perform a Walk action. It would not, therefore,
be able to move further than its Movement score in fathoms.
activation in an area of terrain on which it could normally move
over. If, during this movement, it comes into contact with another
enemy unit, it can choose with which of the two it wants to engage
in an attack sequence, while, of course, remembering that in this
situation the two enemy units will be providing each other with
support. If the unit is already in contact with multiple enemy
units, it cannot move, but gets to pick which of the two enemies it
wants to ght (attack sequence).
6
Different types of movementA
B Unit A has performed a Walk action Unit B has performed a Run
action Unit C has performed a Charge action Unit D has performed an
Attack action Unit E has performed a Mle action. E
C
D
12
GAME SYSTEMQuick chart of actionsFree UnitsWalk Run Attack
Charge Shoot Concentration Focus Retreat Concentration Focus Mle
Normal movement No contact with enemy units Movement x 2 No contact
with enemy units Normal movement Contact with enemy units Movement
x 2 Contact with enemy units -1 CBT when contact is made Normal
movement Ranged attack No contact with enemy units Normal movement
No contact with enemy units No movement Movement x 2 No contact
with enemy units Triggers a no-retaliation attack No movement
Modied attack sequence No movement Triggers a no-retaliation attack
Limited or no movement No loss of contact Normal attack
Engaged Units:
It is important to remember that a passive power (p. 26) can be
used at any time during a units activation, no matter what action
is being performed at the time. This does not trigger any
particular reaction, whether the unit is free or engaged. It can
even be used before or after but not during an attack sequence or a
ranged attack (if the unit survives, of course). A free power can
be triggered at any time during the Action phase, whether the unit
has already been activated or not (even during an enemy units
activation) but never during an attack sequence or a ranged attack.
A free unit can decide not to perform any actions during its
activation (it will not, however, be able to act later on during
the same turn). An engaged unit must act once it is activated (Mle,
Retreat, Concentration or Focus actions). Once a unit has nished
its action, in order to remember which units have been activated,
you can ip their stat card over. By doing this, all players can
easily see which units are still waiting and which have already
been activated. xample: Stephen has 2 Lost units. One of them is
Saurav-Geet (an independent), who is engaged in contact with an
enemy unit. The other is Isha-Akshay (the Companys ofcer). When his
turn comes to act, he decides to activate Saurav-Geet and make him
perform a Concentration action. He can then use his Exuvia power
(an active power) if he survives an attack sequence as modied by
the Concentration action, meaning 1 CBT and -1 DEF for Saurav-Geet.
If he had possessed a passive power, he could have used it before
he began the attack sequence. He could also
have chosen to use it after the attack sequence (if he survived
it, of course). During the attack sequence, Stephen can choose to
spend 1 or 2 of his current Command points to add 1 or 2 points to
Saurav-Geets CBT stat, thanks to Isha-Akshays vae victis order.
Indeed, the vae victis order is a free effect, and it can therefore
be used at any time during the Action phase, whether the unit who
possesses it has been activated or not, and as many times as the
player can afford to do so. Once his independent unit has nished
its activation, Stephen can spend one of his current Command
points, if he has any left, to give a vae soli order (free effect)
and therefore activate a second unit, Isha-Akshay in this case,
immediately.
M ovementAll movement distances are measured in fathoms. A
moving unit never has to spend all of its movement potential (it
can even choose not to move at all). It doesnt have to move in a
straight line, either. During its movement, its base can never
overlap the base of another unit (ally or enemy). Some elements of
the terrain can block or hinder movement, as you will see in the
detailed terrain rules in complete rules.
13
GAME SYSTEMControl Area EffectsMost units in Hell Dorado have a
control area of a fathoms radius out from their base. Control areas
affect the movements of other units in the following way: A unit
entering the control area of an enemy unit has only three choices.
It can: continue its movement so as to engage its enemy directly
(by the most direct route, even if this means entering another
units control area); or approach its enemy as stated above, but
stop moving before making contact; or stop moving immediately. It
cannot continue its movement and leave the control area or
otherwise move around within the area unless it is to engage the
enemy. If it decides to end its movement before making contact with
the enemy, the two units are not considered to be engaged. If a
unit simultaneously enters the control areas of several enemy
units, it can: stop its movement immediately; or pick one of the
enemy units and engage it by moving to make contact by the most
direct route (this may take it out of the control area of one or
more of the other units); or simultaneously engage several enemy
units. Unless otherwise stated, an engaged unit is no longer
considered to have a control area. A unit that begins its
activation within the control area of one (or more) enemy units
can: perform an action that will allow it to engage its enemy as
directly as possible (or one of them); or perform a Concentration,
Focus, or Shoot action (no movement when using a Shoot or
Concentration action); or pay 1 Command point to be able to either
move around inside the control area it is in at the beginning of
its activation or leave the control area. This can only be done to
leave a control area that the unit is in at the beginning of its
activation. It cannot pay to move through a control area during its
movement without stopping there. See page 24 for a full description
of Command points. Spending Command points in this way is not an
Order. Control areas have no effect on a unit that moves during a
Mle action. On the other hand, a unit that moves to Retreat is
affected by control areas (except for the one it is Retreating
from).
C ombatIn this section, you will nd a detailed description of
all the possible combat situations, both close and ranged, that can
occur during the Action phases of a game. It is important to have a
good grasp of all the following concepts to be able to make the
most of playing Hell Dorado and to avoid being led astray by your
future opponents.
7
Examples of minis entering enemy control areasA Unit A decides
to stop its movement. Unit B decides to engage the enemy unit. Unit
C decides to engage enemy unit E. Unit D decides to engage enemy
units F and G. C D B
E
F
G
14
GAME SYSTEMA C
If unit A wants to engage unit B, it must spend 1 Command point.
Engaging combat with C will cost nothing.
B
8
a miniature inside a control area decides to actA unit without a
Combat stat cannot engage in combat, even if it receives CBT
bonuses later on. Any attack engaged against this kind of unit will
remain a one-sided attack. The same procedure is used whenever a
close combat attack sequence needs resolving. Later, we will see
the most common exceptions.
Close CombatAn attack sequence in Hell Dorado represents a urry
of blows between engaged units. This is one of the reasons why the
Hell Dorado units dont have front and rear arcs like minis do in
most similar games. An engaged unit can ght all the units around
it, for as long as it can resist their number. However, every time
an attack sequence is resolved, it can only involve two units at a
time (an ally and an enemy), any other units in contact will only
provide support to the main ghters. A player cannot choose to
attack one of the units in his own Company, unless those units are
considered to be enemy units (controlled by another player at that
time).
RESOLVING
AN
ATTACK SEQUENCE
A. BOTH PLAYERS WORK OUT HOW COMBAT DICE THEY NEED TO ROLL.
MANY
In close combat, both players roll a number of dice equal to the
Combat stat of the unit involved. This number of dice can be modied
by the actions of the units during the Action phase, by the state
of the units or by outside elements.
15
GAME SYSTEMFriendly FireIn Hell Dorado, a player cannot attack
one of his own allied troops, be it in close or ranged combat.
Allied troops are all the units controlled at any one time by the
same player.
If a unit ever has a number of dice greater than 5, it will only
roll 5 and any extras will be counted as rerolls (see below). A
unit cannot have more than 10 dice to roll (5 rolls and 5 possible
re-rolls). If a unit gets over 10 dice, each die over 10 allows it
to inict one automatic Damage point per extra die to its opponent
(Protection is ignored and these points are inicted even if the
unit doesnt score a single hit with its attack roll). xample:
William has a Damned One of Wrath engaged in an attack sequence.
This unit has a CBT score of 4 and has a total of 3 extra points
added to its CBT as bonuses (order, spell...). William will
therefore have 5 dice to roll and 2 possible re-rolls. Each of the
dice that rolls a number equal to or greater than the units Defense
stat inicts a hit. Each of the dice that rolls a number lower than
the units Defense stat is a miss. A die that rolls a miss can be
rolled again, once and only once, as a re-roll. This means that if
a player has 3 possible re-rolls and only 2 misses, the third
possible re-roll will not be usable, no matter what the result of
the re-rolls are. Once all re-rolls are done, the players count the
number of hits. xample: the enemy unit Williams Damned One is
ghting has a Defense score of 3. William rolls his Combat dice and
obtains 3, 4, 2, 6 and 4. He has scored 4 hits. He re-rolls the 2
and gets a result of 1. Even if he had 2 possible re-rolls, he
cannot re-roll the 1, as any die can only be re-rolled once: in
this case, he does not benet from his second re-roll. At the end of
this sequence, William has scored 4 hits.
should be inicted and/or any special effects that have been
triggered. A player can always choose to reduce the number of hits
inicted by his own unit (this can, for example, allow him to
trigger specic effects that may be a lot more helpful than the full
number of hits) The defenders Protection score is then subtracted
from the number of damage points. The nal result will be the number
of Life Points the unit will lose. Unless otherwise specied, damage
is inicted simultaneously to both units engaged in the attack
sequence. The same is true for any change of state. Even if a unit
dies, all the damage it caused is applied (and any special effects
are triggered). xample: Arnolds missionary can inict 4 damage
points with the 3 hits it rolled during the attack roll. However,
Arnold chooses to reduce the number of hits inicted to 2, so he can
also inict a Stunned effect (p. 33) and inict no damage points. The
missionarys enemy, a Damned One of Wrath, manages 5 hits and inicts
10 damage points, which, despite the missionarys Protection score
kills him. The Damned One will still suffer from the Stunned
effect, as the effects of the attack sequence are applied
simultaneously. The units whose Life Points reach or go below 0 are
immediately removed from the battleeld. All units who still have
one or more Life Points left stay on the battleeld. Depending on
the result of the attack sequence, a unit can become free or remain
engaged.
B. BOTH
PLAYERS ROLL THEIR COMBAT DICE
D. THE GRIM REAPER
COMES FOR THE FALLEN
SPECIAL
When a unit engages an attack sequence while charging, it
suffers a -1 CBT penalty. Any later attack sequences are not
affected.
CHARGE
SITUATIONS
Attack sequenceOnce the attack sequence has begun, powers and
passive or free abilities can no longer be used until the sequence
is over. The most obvious example of this is the use of the order
vae victis (p. 27).
C. BOTH
The players check the power table of the weapons that were used
to work out how many damage points
PLAYERS APPLY THE RESULT OF THE ATTACK ROLLS SIMULTANEOUSLY
16
GAME SYSTEMWhen a unit engages in an attack sequence during an
Attack or Mle action, no particular modiers are applied. Any unit
standing on ground at least half a fathom higher than its opponent
receives a +1 CBT bonus. On the other hand, if the lower units head
is lower than the base of the higher unit, no contact and therefore
no close combat can occur between the two. When a unit performs a
Concentration action while engaged, it takes part in an attack
sequence at the beginning of its activation, but he does so
affected by a -1 CBT and DEF penalty. If several enemy units are in
contact with the unit, only one of them (chosen by their
controlling player) will perform an attack, the others will only
provide a support bonus. When a unit suffers a one-sided attack
because of a Retreat action, a normal attack sequence is performed,
but only the enemy unit gets an attack roll. If several enemy units
are in contact with the Retreating unit, only one of them (chosen
by their controlling player) performs the attack, the others will
only provide a support bonus. All abilities and modiers
ATTACK
AND
MLE
that affect normal attack sequences can affect onesided attacks.
When a unit suffers a one-sided attack because of a Focus action, a
normal attack sequence is performed, but only the enemy unit gets
an attack roll and the unit currently Focusing suffers a -1 DEF
penalty. If several enemy units are in contact with the Retreating
unit, only one of them (chosen by their controlling player)
performs the attack, the others will only provide a support bonus.
All abilities and modiers that affect normal attack sequences can
affect one-sided attacks. If a unit engages combat with an enemy
unit that is already in contact with an ally unit, the attacking
unit receives a bonus for its attack roll. Each ally in contact
with the enemy unit produces a +1 CBT bonus. A unit can provide a
support bonus multiple times in one turn. A unit that cannot ght
(no CBT stat, Immobilized, etc.) or that has been Knocked Down does
not provide any support. Most of the weapons carried by Hell Dorado
units inict a specic kind of damage, indicated on the stat cards as
keywords. However, some weapons can be listed as inicting several
types of damage. In this case, the type of damage inicted is always
the one that will
ONE-SIDED
ATTACK DURING
FOCUS
ATTACKING
FROM ABOVE
CONCENTRATION
SUPPORT
ONE-SIDED
ATTACK DURING
RETREAT
WEAPON
DAMAGE TYPES
9
multiple units and support
Unit A receives a support bonus of +1 CBT. Unit B receives a
support bonus of +2 CBT. Unit C does not receive any support. B
A
C
17
GAME SYSTEMSpecific modifiersCharge Concentration One-sided
attack during Retreat One-sided attack during Focus Support vae
victis (p. 27) -1 CBT for the attacking unit -1 CBT and -1 DEF for
the attacking unit One-sided attack One-sided attack with -1 DEF
for the attacking unit +1 CBT for the allied unit (per supporting
unit) +1 or +2 CBT depending on Command points spent
be more favorable to the attacking unit (depending on the
defenders different types of resistance). Note that the kind of
damage inicted by a weapon does not imply that any special rules
should be applied unless otherwise stated. For example, the
keywords Blunt, Sharp or Piercing are not associated with any
special rules. They are only used as keywords when dealing with
some specic effects. When a unit carries several weapons (with
different power tables) that can be used during ranged or close
combat, its player must state which weapon is being used for the
current attack sequence. If the player fails to do so, the defender
gets to choose which power table is used to inict damage.
Obviously, only close combat weapons can be used by an engaged unit
and only ranged weapons can be used by a free unit.
Ranged combatAs with close combat, ranged combat is resolved
during the Action phase. There is, however, one big difference
between the two: during ranged combat, the targeted unit cannot
respond to the attack. During the Action phase, as with close
combats, ranged combats are resolved during the attacking units
activation. These ranged attacks are called shots. When a unit
wishes to shoot, the ensuing actions are always the same. In Hell
Dorado, unless they have special abilities, units wishing to
perform a ranged attack must target the enemy unit that is nearest
to them. There are, however, three exceptions to this: The rst
important exception to this rule is that if the nearest possible
target is under cover (see below) that gives it a Protection bonus
at least equal to its natural Protection score, the shooter can
choose the next closest eligible target. If the next possible
target has a similar amount of cover to the previous one (cover
that provides Protection at least equal to the units natural
Protection score), then the next closest target will be examined
and so on. The second important exception to this rule is that if
the nearest enemy unit is engaged in close combat, the shooter does
not have to choose it as a target and can choose the next closest
eligible target. The third exception is that an enemy unit that
cannot be a target (because of an ability or an aura, etc.) never
counts as the nearest enemy unit. Allied units cannot become
targets, unless they are temporarily considered to be enemy troops.
You can consider that there is a clear line of re between a shooter
and its target if an imaginary straight line could be drawn between
the center of
MULTIPLE
WEAPONS
SHOTS
A. CHOOSING
THE TARGET
10
Units and damage types
This Damned One of Wrath can cause both Piercing and Sharp
damage. Depending on the type of resistance its opponent has, the
type of damage will be the one that is more favorable to the
attacker.
B. COVER
AND LINE OF FIRE
18
GAME SYSTEMThe shooter has a clear line of re towards D but the
element it is behind gives it a Protection bonus of 2 (the target
has a Large base). D The shooter (A) has no possible line of re
towards B, as part of the terrain is completely blocking any line
of sight between the two units. B
C
F
E
A
The shooter has a clear line of re towards E and the scenery is
hiding less than 50% of the gure. The shot therefore takes place as
normal.
The shooter has a clear line of re towards C but the element it
is behind gives it a Protection bonus of 3 (the unit has a Regular
base) as less than 50% of the gure is visible.
The shooter has a clear line of re towards F and the scenery is
over 1 fathom away from the gure. The shot therefore takes place as
normal.
11
line of fire and protectionIf the target is partially covered by
terrain elements (from the shooters point of view), it receives
cover Protection if at least 50% of the gure is concealed by the
obstacle and if it is a fathom (or less) away from the obstacle. To
work out if at least 50% of the gure is hidden from the shooters
view, you can either lean over and see for yourself what the mini
can see, or use a laser pointer. If a target does have cover, then
it receives a bonus to its Protection score depending on its size
(a large warrior would naturally nd it harder to hide than a
smaller one would).
the shooters base and any part of the target (base, weapon, body
of the gure...). Elements of terrain can naturally prevent a
shooter from aiming at an enemy unit if there is no clear line of
re between the two, no matter how far the enemy unit is from the
terrain element. On the other hand, in Hell Dorado, lines of re are
never blocked by other units (enemies or allies). It is treated as
though the warriors are not standing still on the battleeld. As one
moves forward at a fast pace to intercept an enemy, another one
will have the time to exchange blows with several enemies and a
shooter can wait until its target is in view as other units move
out of the way.
19
GAME SYSTEMCoverTargets base size Regular Large Extra Large
Cover bonus (added to targets Protection score) 3 2 1
automatic Damage point per extra die to its opponent (Protection
is not taken into account and these points are inicted even if the
unit doesnt score a single hit with its attack roll). Each of the
dice that rolls a number equal to or greater than the shots
difculty inicts a hit. Each of the dice that rolls a number lower
than the shots difculty is a miss. A dice that rolls a miss can be
rolled again, once and only once, as a re-roll. This means that if
a player has 3 possible re-rolls and only 2 misses, the third
possible re-roll will not be usable, no matter what the result of
the re-rolls are. Once all re-rolls are done, the players count the
number of hits.
The distance between the shooter and its target is always
measured from the edge of one base to the other. In Hell Dorado,
there is no limit to the range of most throwing weapons or rearms.
The weapons Range score is only an indication of how difcult the
shot roll will be depending on the distance from the target as
explained in the following table: The nal difculty of the shot roll
is equal to the distance difculty or the targets Defense score,
whichever is higher. The shooting unit rolls a number of combat
dice equal to its Shooting skill stat. This number of dice may be
modied by the units state or other modiers. If a shooter ever has a
number of dice greater than 5, it will only roll 5 and any extras
will be counted as re-rolls (see below). A shooter cannot have more
than 10 dice to roll (5 rolls and 5 possible re-rolls). If a unit
gets more than 10 dice, each die over 10 allows it to inict one
C. MEASURING
DISTANCES
ShotsOnce a shot has been red, passive or free powers and
abilities can no longer be used. For that, you must wait until the
shot has been resolved. The most obvious exception to this rule is
the use of the vae victis order (p. 27).
D. RESOLVING
THE RANGED ATTACK
The player checks the power table of the weapon that has just
been used to work out how many damage points to inict and/or what
special effects may have been triggered.
E. THE SHOOTER APPLIES THE RESULTS OF THE SHOT ROLL
12
Distance and difficultyAll the shooters in this example are
using arquebuses (range of 8). The Defense score of all targets is
4. Shooter As target B is 19 fathoms away from him. The difculty of
the shot roll will therefore be 5 (4 DEF score and a 5 distance
difculty). Shooter Cs target D is 5 fathoms away from him. The
difculty will therefore be 4 (4 DEF score and a 3 distance
difculty).
B A C
20
D
GAME SYSTEM
D
E B C 10 11
8
A
9
Unit A wishes to shoot. Usually, it would have to pick the
nearest enemy unit, but... Unit B has a cover of 3, and its natural
Protection score is 1. Unit C is engaged in close combat. Unit D
also has some cover, although it is not better than the units
natural Protection score (cover of 1 and Protection of 3) Unit E is
not under cover. Unit A can therefore pick units B, C or D as its
target for this shot.
13
aiming a shot at certain miniswill be the number of Life Points
that the enemy unit will lose. The units whose Life Points reach or
go below 0 are immediately removed from the battleeld. All units
who still have one or more Life Points left stay on the
battleeld.
A player always has the option of choosing to cause fewer hits
than the number rolled by one of the units he controls (which may
enable him to inict specic effects that may be more benecial to him
than the full number of hits would). The defendants Protection stat
is subtracted from the Damage points to be inicted. The nal
number
F. THE GRIM REAPER
COMES FOR THE FALLEN
Range and difficulty of shotsDistance between shooter and target
No greater than the weapons Range Greater than the weapons range
but no greater than Range x 2 Greater than Range x 2 but no greater
than Range x 3 Greater than Range x 3 Range Point blank Short
Medium Long Distance difculty 3 4 5 6
21
GAME SYSTEM
When a unit decides to perform a ranged attack on an enemy unit
engaged in close combat, the shot takes place as normal (measuring
distance, consideration of cover, etc.). The difculty of the shot
roll is the highest of values between the Defense stat of each unit
engaged in the close combat (and not just the targets Defense) and
the distance difculty. While resolving the attack (once all
re-rolls are done), if the result is at least one hit, then the
number of odd and even dice scores are compared (compare all the
dice, those that provided hits and those that didnt). If there are
more odd scores than even ones (even though this may seem odd), the
shot hits another of the units engaged in the close combat, chosen
randomly (give each of them a number and roll a die, or mix up
their stat cards and pick one...). The Damage is then inicted as
normal, based on the total number of hits (in this case it is
impossible to choose to reduce the number of hits). xample: Ileana
is playing her Berber chasseur, who is ring at an enemy Blade for
hire that is engaged in close combat with two of her units. These
two have Defense scores of 3 and 5, the targets Defense stat is 4
and the shot is short range (distance difculty of 4). This means
that the shots difculty will be 5 (the highest of the previous
values). Ileana rolls 3 dice for her shooter. The results are 5, 6
and 3. She gets
SHOOTING
DURING CLOSE COMBAT
2 hits, but as there are more odd results than even ones, the
shot will hit one of the other engaged units (meaning one of hers)
picked randomly. If the shooter picks a target that is behind an
ongoing close combat, the same rule applies, but if the odd dice
win, the unfortunate victim is picked amongst all those whose bases
are at least partially on the imaginary line between the center of
the shooters base and that of its target, and all the units in
contact with them. Of course, if the shooter and/or its target are
on a higher level than the units between them, the line of re is
not blocked and the shot can take place as normal. A shooter who
carries a weapon that produces an explosion aims it at a point on
the battleeld. It can be a place where an enemy unit is standing,
or any other spot on the ground. Important note: the unit does not
have to aim at the closest enemy unit. The unit will require a free
line of re towards the spot it wishes to aim at. Unless otherwise
stated, all explosions will affect a circular area with a 3 fathom
radius, centered on the targeted spot. The shooter then performs a
normal ranged attack based on the distance difculty (Defense stats
are not taken into account here). If the shot roll scores at least
one hit, then the shot is considered to have successfully hit the
targeted spot.
EXPLOSION
22
GAME SYSTEMIf the shot roll does not score a single hit, then
the shot is considered to have missed and in icts no damage (as if
the weapon had mis red or the shot had missed completely and hit
some deserted bit of terrain...). If the shot roll is successful,
the explosion template is placed on the battleeld with its center
on the targeted spot. All units that are hit (allies or enemies) by
the template have to roll for damage (even if only a tiny part of
the miniatures base is inside the effect area). Ranged weapons with
explosive ammunition have two stats: a Difculty value and a Power
value. They are always displayed in the following way: Explosion
(type of damage if necessary power x/y). Here, x is the Difculty
and y is the Power. In some cases, these two damage stats will be
replaced by a specic state. In this case, any unit even partially
inside the effect area will automatically be affected by the
aforementioned state. For each unit inside the effect area of and
explosion the shooter rolls 5d6: each of the dice higher than or
equal to the explosions Difculty stat is a hit. Each hit inicts a
number of damage points equal to the explosions Power stat. The
damage points for all the hits are added up, the units Protection
score is subtracted to obtain the number of Life Points the unit
will actually lose. It is not possible to choose to reduce the
number of hits obtained. There are no bonuses due to cover for
units inside an explosion effect area. The vae victis order cannot
be used during explosion damage rolls (although it can perfectly be
used during the roll that determines if the shot hits its target or
not). xample: One of Stephens sling-carriers shoots with an
explosion (power 3/1) weapon on a battleeld that can allow him to
include two enemy troops in the effect area, but also one of his
own units, unfortunately for him. The targeted spot is in long
range. Stephen rolls 2 dice for his shot roll: he gets 2 and 6.
This single hit (the 6) means that the shot has hit its target. For
each of the three units inside the effect area, Stephen then rolls
5d6 against a Difculty of 3, as he would with a normal shot roll.
Each hit will inict 1 damage point. The Protection stat of each
unit is then subtracted from the total number of Damage points it
was hit with. Before we begin, it is important to differentiate the
two kinds of blast effect weapons: cloud-type blasts and ammunition
blasts. Whatever the type of blast, the attack is resolved in the
same way. The shooter places a blast template (a triangle 6 fathoms
long and 2 fathoms wide at the base) where he wants on the
battleeld, the only condition is that the tip of the cone must be
in contact
BLAST
EFFECT WEAPONS
14
Ammunition blast
Grenadier A, carrying a blunderbuss Impact blast (piercing power
4/2) shoots at a group of 3 units. Its Shooting skill score is 2.
It therefore rolls 7 dice against unit B and scores 2, 2, 3, 4, 4,
5 and 6. This means that it hits unit B 4 times, and therefore
inicts 8 Damage points (minus Protection). The shooter then rolls 3
dice (the dice that missed during the previous roll) against Unit
C. The shooter obtains 4, 6 and 6, for three hits, which deal 6
Damage points (minus Protection and Cover). Unit D therefore
suffers no damage, even though it is inside the blast effect area,
as there are no dice left to roll (all the dice in the previous
roll produced hits).
B C A D
23
GAME SYSTEMwith the units base. It doesnt have to aim at any
specic enemy unit. Each unit (ally or enemy) hit by the blast
template will have to roll for damage (even if only a tiny part of
the base is inside the effect area). Using a blast effect weapon
does not require a shot roll. Blast effect weapons have four stats:
type of damage, type of blast (cloud-type or impact), Difculty and
Power. They are always displayed in the same way: [blast type]
Blast (type of damage power x/y). In this example x is the Difculty
and y is the Power. In some cases, these two stats will be replaced
by a specic state. In this case, all units even partially inside
the effect area will automatically be affected by the
aforementioned state. The vae victis order cannot be used during a
shot with a blast effect weapon. It is not possible to choose to
reduce the number of hits for blast effects. Cloud-type blast
effect weapons For each unit inside the effect area of a cloud-type
blast, the shooter rolls 5d6: each die which rolls equal to or
greater than the blasts Difculty stat is a hit. Each hit inicts a
number of damage points equal to the blasts Power stat. The damage
points for all the hits are added up, the units Protection score is
subtracted to obtain the number of Life Points the unit will
actually lose. There are no bonuses due to cover for units inside a
cloud-type blast effect area. Impact blast weapons With Impact
blasts, the rst unit we will take care of will be the one nearest
the shooter, inside (at least partially) the blast template. The
shooter rolls a number of dice equal to its Shooting skill stat +
5: each die that rolls equal to or greater than the blasts Difculty
stat is a hit, each hit then inicts a number of Damage points equal
to the blasts power. The Damage points are added up and the rst
targeted units Protection score is subtracted to obtain the number
of Life Points that it will lose immediately. The attack then
continues to the next closest unit to the shooter. The shooter
rolls the dice that did not produce hits during the roll for the
previous unit. Each of the dice that rolls a score higher than or
equal to the blasts Difculty stat is a hit, each hit then inicts a
number of Damage points equal to the blasts power. The Damage
points are added up and the next units Protection score is
subtracted to obtain the number of Life Points that it will lose
immediately. Continue until there are no more units left inside the
blast effect area or until there are no dice left to roll. Cover is
applied normally to damage inicted by an Impact blast. If two units
(or more) are at an equal distance from the shooter, the one who is
affected rst is determined randomly. Impact blast weapons are
usually weapons that re clusters of ammunition (Blunderbuss, cannon
loaded with lead shot...).
Full CoverDuring an explosion or an Impact blast (but not during
a Cloud-type blast), if a unit is totally under cover (none of the
miniature is visible) from the point of origin of the attack
(center of the explosion, tip of the blast cone), then it will not
be hit by the attack.
C ommand and OrdersCommand and Orders are important notions in
Hell Dorado. These are the factors that will most probably make the
biggest difference between two Companies. Managing Command points
is particularly important in this respect.
CommandCloud-type blast effect weapons usually re things like
ames or burning gases. As you will probably have noticed, these
effects are quite similar to the explosions mentioned above.
xample: a monstrous creature projecting a cloud of acid across the
battleeld has an attack Cloud-type blast (acid power 5/2). Any dice
rolled by the creature that scores a 5 or higher will cause 2
Damage points. The notion of Command is essential to games of Hell
Dorado. Each player has a certain number of Command (CMD) points
that will be used to pay for the orders that some units can use.
You can use cardboard tokens, glass markers or coins to keep track
of how many Command points each player has left. At the beginning
of the game, all players work out the number of Command points they
will start with.
24
GAME SYSTEMThis is done by adding up the Command points of all
the units in each Company. The basic Command score is considered to
be different from the current Command score. The basic score is the
Command score of the Company: it is only modied by permanent losses
of Command points (caused by the death of units, use of orders that
cost permanent Command points...). The current score is the number
of Command points that a player has left at any given time (once
permanent and temporary costs are accounted for). At the beginning
of each turn, during the Upkeep phase, the current Command score is
reset to its basic value. When a player spends temporary Command
points, they are subtracted from the current score. When a player
spends permanent Command points, they are subtracted from the
current score and the basic score. When a player loses a unit with
a Command score, the units score is subtracted from the current and
from the basic Command score. If the player doesnt have enough
current Command points, he loses all remaining command points. He
will still, however, lose the units full Command stat from the
Companys basic Command score. It is, of course, impossible to use
an order if the player doesnt have enough current Command points to
pay for it. Depending on unit losses and expenditure, it is
possible for players to reach a basic Command score of 0 during the
game. xample: Arnold is playing a Westerner Company and has 7
Command points at the beginning of the game (4 points for the
Frank-Captain +1 for the Swashbuckler +1 for the Missionary +1 for
the Sergeant). During the rst turn of the game, he decides to use 3
temporary Command points to trigger certain orders: he has 4
Command points left for the rest of the turn, even though the basic
score remains at 7. During the Upkeep phase of the following turn,
Arnolds Command points return to the basic score of 7. During this
phase, Arnold uses 4 temporary points and 2 permanent points to
activate various orders: at this point, he only has a current
Command score of 1 and the basic score is lowered to 5 (7 2
permanent points). Before the turn is over, Arnold loses his ofcer
who had a Command stat of 4. He immediately subtracts these 4
points from his basic Command score, which is reduced to 1 (5 4),
and from his current score, which is reduced to 0 (1 4, with a
minimum of 0).
25
GAME SYSTEMSpecial Effects and TimingThe area of effect is the
range (in fathoms) that is the radius of the circular area where
the aura will be effective. This radius is always measured from the
edge of the base of the unit that uses it. There are two types of
aura, lingering and instant (p. 28), their precise nature is
indicated in their full description. Auras can be associated with a
keyword. Depending on the effects nature, this keyword allows to
tell the difference between vulnerable units (no keyword) and
immune units (keyword: immune).
If a special ability or any other spell, order or aura
contradicts one of the basic rules, then the special ability is the
one to prevail. Special effects in this game can be associated with
specic statistics when they are indicated on the stat cards. -
Duration: a permanent effect is always in effect, a player cannot
voluntarily choose to stop it. A temporary effect is only active
until the end of the current turn, unless stated otherwise (for
example lasts until the end of the units activation). Players
cannot voluntarily choose to stop the effect before its term. When
a duration of x is indicated for a temporary effect, the current
turn is always considered to be the rst turn of the x value. Thus,
an effect with a duration of 1 will end at the end of the current
turn, an effect with a duration of 2 will last through the current
turn and end at the end of the next turn, etc. - Triggers:
exhausting, active, passive or free (sorted by decreasing
complexity). An exhausting effect requires the unit to perform a
Focus action (p. 12) to be triggered. An active effect requires the
unit to perform a Concentration action (p. 11) to be triggered. A
passive effect can be triggered at any time during the units
activation, no matter what action it chooses to perform. This does
not trigger any reaction from its enemies, whether the unit is free
or engaged (p. 10). This type of effect cannot be used during a
ranged attack or a close combat attack sequence, but it can be used
just before or just after the attack. A free effect can be
triggered at any point during the Action phase (even during an
opponents activation), whether the unit in question has already
been activated or not. This kind of effect cannot be used during a
ranged attack or a close combat attack sequence, but it can be used
just before or just after the attack. If none of these four
triggers are indicated for a permanent effect, then the effect is
always in effect. If none of these four triggers are mentioned for
a temporary effect, then it can be triggered as indicated in its
full description. An aura is described as follows: Duration Trigger
Area of Effect Type (lingering or instant) Keyword (immune or
nothing)
xample: Inspiration Aura Temporary Active 4 fathom radius
Lingering Muslims Muslim units gain +1 CBT. This ability is an
aura. It lasts until the end of the turn (temporary). To use it, a
Concentration action is required (active trigger). It affects all
Muslim (keyword) units within a range of 4 fathoms from the units
base (effect area). Auras have another trait (the type: lingering
or instant): we will go into this in more detail on page 28. Using
this aura doesnt cost any Command points (no cost indicated).
An order is described in the following way: Trigger Cost
(permanent or not) Unique (or nothing) An order with the keyword
Unique can only be used once per game . The cost indicates the
number of Command points that will be spent to trigger the order.
In some cases the points will be permanently spent (p. 27).
xample: The Lord guides my hand Active 2 permanent CMD Unique
The swashbuckler gains +1 MVT, +2 SHS, +2 CBT and +2 FTH until the
end of the game. This ability is an order. It has a permanent
effect (see description). To use it, a Concentration action is
required (active trigger). It only affects the swashbuckler. This
order can only be used once during the game (Unique keyword) and it
costs 2 permanent Command points.
26
GAME SYSTEMDuring the following Upkeep phase, Arnold will only
get a current Command score of 1 Command to spend on his orders.
If, for some reason, a unit enters the game after the rst turn, its
Command value is added to the basic Command score of its Company
during the Upkeep phase of the turn following the turn when it
entered the game. This can happen because of a special rule or
other detail in a scenario. In the same way, if a unit leaves the
battleeld during a game, its Command stat will be subtracted from
the basic Command score of the Company, exactly as if it had been
eliminated.
Orders Without TriggersUsing an Order without a trigger
(exhausting, active, passive, free) is not considered to be giving
an order or receiving an order.
OrdersSome units in Hell Dorado can use orders. These are often
effects that allow the unit to break some of the basic rules of the
game, and they therefore have great tactical potential. These
orders are usually activated by spending Command points. In
general, and unless specied otherwise, orders do not have a limited
range and can therefore affect units anywhere on the battleeld.
Using an effect as it is described on a units stat card is called
Giving an order. Being affected by an effect as it is described on
an allys stat card is called Receiving an order. A unit is not
Receiving an order if it is reacting to an effect listed on an
enemys stat card. Orders follow the same rules as effects (see
Special effects and timing on page 26). Orders with the keyword
Unique can only be used once in each game. There are two special
orders that all Ofcers and only Ofcers can use (see below): these
are vae victis and vae soli. Free 1 or 2 CMD As long as a Company
has at least one unit with this order (able to use it), the player
who controls it can give one of their units a +1 CBT or SHS bonus
for 1 temporary Command point, or +2 CBT or SHS for 2 temporary
Command points. This order should be used when the number of dice
is being calculated for the combat or shot roll. The bonus only
lasts for the current attack sequence or shot (this Order is an
exception to the rule that states that free triggered powers cannot
be used during an attack sequence).
xample: Samael and one of his Succubi have been Stunned
(incapable of giving or receiving orders) by enemy units. If Samael
dies, he can still use his Ultimate Sacrice order and the Succubus
can benet from it. This order cannot be used during a shot with a
blast effect weapon (or when rolling for damage after using an
explosive weapon). As this order has a free type trigger, it can be
used several times during any one Action phase (even when an enemy
unit is resolving an action). Even if several units have the
ability to use this order within a Company, it is not possible to
spend more than 2 Command points and so obtain a CBT or SHS bonus
higher than 2 for any one shot or attack sequence. Free 1 CMD As
long as a Company has at least one unit with this order (able to
use it), the player who controls it can spend 1 temporary Command
point immediately after activating one of their units to be able to
activate a second unit immediately. This cannot be used to activate
more than two units in a row, even if there are several units in
the Company that can use this order.
VAE SOLI
VAE VICTIS
Frequent Use of vae victis and vae soliAfter your rst few games
of Hell Dorado, using these two orders will have become a second
nature to you and you will nd it hard to do without them. However,
dont forget that your Ofcer is the one who allows you to use them
and that if he dies, you will lose these two essential abilities.
Also, dont forget that if an Ofcer is Stunned or Knocked down (for
example) you temporarily lose the benet of these two abilities.
27
GAME SYSTEM
M agicThere are two ways of using magic in Hell Dorado: the rst
is by using magical auras with effects with variable durations, the
second is by capturing small demonic creatures and feeding them
magical ingredients and using them as power containers.
AurasSome units are able to use magical auras. These auras obey
the rules of special effects (see Special effects and timing on
page 26). A unit with at least one aura is called a Mentalist. Many
auras are linked to the units religions: if so they represent the
powers of Faith. There are two kinds of auras: lingering auras and
instant auras: A lingering aura will only affect the units that are
inside its effect area and no longer affects the units once they
leave the area. The effects of a lingering aura end if the unit
that produced it dies (but not if its state changes), or at the end
of a turn if the unit is still alive. The effects of two identical
auras cannot be applied jointly to any one unit. An instant aura
only affects the units inside its effect area at the time it is
triggered. The effects of an instant aura end at the end of the
current turn, even if the unit who triggered it is killed before
that.
live in Hell like rodents on Earth for use as vessels for the
magical powers that seep through the infernal planes. These units
are called Infernalists. These people know what to feed the strange
little creatures so they can obtain surprising and sometimes
explosive effects... On the battleeld, Lemures are represented by
their own special miniatures. Like all the other units, lemures
have their own stat cards. However, they do follow some special
rules. When they are captured, lemures are tiny creatures, only an
inch or two high, like a kind of demonic grub. Infernalists feed
them up with various elements (gold coins, herbs, potions,
rocks...) so as to be able to use them as they wish. As soon as the
combined elements are sufcient to produce the desired effect, the
lemure grows incredibly fast, growing from a grub of less than 4
inches to a fully grown specimen of 1.5 to 3 feet tall in a few
seconds. Unless stated otherwise, an Infernalist can choose any
lemure to cast a spell (as long, of course, as the corresponding
miniature and its base are available and painted). A lemure that
has been destroyed (either because it was killed or because its
power was triggered) is available again immediately. Invoking a
lemure is an exhausting power that requires a Focus action. Once
this has been done, the miniature of the chosen lemure should be
placed on the ground in contact with the Infernalists base, but not
in contact with an enemy unit. A lemure cannot be activated during
the turn during which it was invoked. Every time a lemure is
invoked, its owner must clearly warn its enemy which spell will be
used with it (it can only associate one spell with each lemure).
The kind of spell associated with each lemure can even be indicated
by some kind of special marker. There is no particular limitation
to the kind of spell associated with lemures (unless otherwise
stated). Any lemure can be associated with any spell known by the
Infernalist. If the unit in question can invoke several lemures, it
can associate the same spell with any number of them. Unlike the
other units, lemures are activated twice per Action phase. If a
player owns a lemure that has not been activated at all and his
opponent has no units left to activate, the lemure can only be
activated once. This rule prevents a lemure from moving twice its
Movement distance without anyone being able to react to its
movement. It is therefore important to remember which lemures have
already been activated. This can be done by placing tokens beside
the miniature or the stat card. The
ENTERING
THE
BATTLEFIELD
Mi lemures es su lemures...
The basic rule in Hell Dorado, is that all players should bring
their own miniatures for the lemures they are going to use during
the game. During friendly games, if both players agree, the lemure
miniatures can be put to one side and shared between the players.
This way, the players can dip into the lemure pool every time they
require one of these strange little creatures for one of their
Infernalists.
ACTIVATING LEMURES
LemuresSome of the units in Hell Dorado have learned how to
capture and train some of the small creatures that
28
GAME SYSTEMMadagascar ?No, Ileana. A lemure (rimes with secure)
is not a lemur (rhymes with steamer). Lemures are drooling demonic
creatures that live in Hell. Lemurs are cute little furry wide-eyed
monkeylike mammals that live on the island of Madagascar. They do
not explode. Got it?
stat card can also be turned round 90 degrees after the rst
activation and turned over after the second. Lemures can only
perform one of their own specic actions during their activation.
Although it resembles a Walk action, it is still a specic lemure
action and also allows them to trigger their magical power. When
performing an action a lemure can: move, at the most, the number of
fathoms indicated in its Movement stat. It can engage an enemy
unit, but this will not trigger a combat sequence. It can also
break contact with an enemy without triggering an attack sequence
or a one-sided attack (but it cannot engage and break contact with
a unit during the same activation). AND a lemure may also release
the magical effect that it was entrusted with, which usually
destroys the lemure instantly. So, during its activation, the
lemure can move over a number of fathoms lower than or equal to its
Movement stat and may also choose to trigger its magical power. A
lemure never Runs: it always moves, at most, the number of fathoms
indicated in its Movement stat. Only lemures with the Strider
ability can enter and end their turn in Difcult terrain. As long as
a lemure has not been activated twice during an Action phase, it
will count toward the number of waiting units when working out
inferiority in numbers (p. 11). Unless otherwise stated, lemures
have the following special abilities: Harmless, Evasive,
Insignicant, Rebellious and Invulnerable. Lemure Effects All the
effects that can be channeled into lemures are linked to the
Infernalist and are therefore indicated on the invokers stat card
(or on an extra card if necessary).
Limited Number of Lemures Each Infernalist has the ability to
control a maximum number of lemures simultaneously on the
battleeld. Whats more, the ingredients that Infernalists carry to
feed the lemures will only allow them to invoke a maximum number
each per game of Hell Dorado. These two limits are indicated on the
stat cards in the x/y format. These two numbers are the maximum
number of lemures that the unit can control simultaneously (x) and
the total number of lemures that the unit can use throughout the
game (y). Finally, when Infernalists are killed or leave the
battleeld, all the lemures that they invoked and that are still in
the game disappear immediately.
ACTIVATING LEMURES
Movement Special Abilities and Their Effect on LemuresA lemure
with the Strider ability can enter and/or end its activation in
Difcult terrain (p. XXX). A lemure with Burrower, Intangible or
Levitation abilities will be able to pass over (or under) Difcult
terrain, for example (p. XXX), but it will not be able to end its
turn there unless it also has the Strider ability. A lemure is not
affected by the Attraction ability.
S tatesA unit can be affected by a wide variety of states during
a game of Hell Dorado. In this part, you will nd a detailed
description of these states. It is important to remember that when
a unit is simultaneously affected by several different states,
their effects are cumulative. A unit whose state prevents it from
giving any orders also prevents its controlling player from using
its free orders. All the stats of units in Hell Dorado can
potentially be reduced to 0, except for the Defense score, which
can be reduced to a minimum of 1 (this means an automatic hit for
all attack rolls targeting this unit). Whatever the penalties that
are applied to a unit, a stat score cannot be reduced below 0. If,
following this, bonuses are applied to this stat, they will be
added to 0, and not to a negative score. In practice, this means
that when penalties and bonuses are applied at the
SPECIAL ABILITIES
OF
LEMURES
29
GAME SYSTEMof -3CBT is therefore applied to the unit and its CBT
score is reduced to 0. This unit then takes part in an attack
sequence during which two allies provide support. It will therefore
have 2 dice for this attack sequence (CBT 0 + 2 support). States
can be permanent or temporary. When a value of x is indicated next
to the state, it represents the number of turns during which the
state will affect the unit (see Special effects and timing on page
26). +2 Movement Activation by reaction The unit can act faster
than usual. This acceleration will also give the unit a better
understanding of combat sequences. An accelerated unit can be
activated immediately after the activation of another unit from the
same Company. However, it is not possible to activate more than 2
units from the same Company in a row (even by using the order vae
soli). Immediately cancels the effects of Wounded and Immobilized
states No orders Immediately after having killed an enemy unit,
roll 1d6: on a score of 1 to 3 the Berserk unit stops all actions;
on a roll of 4 to 6, it must immediately move 2 fathoms towards the
nearest unit (ally or enemy). If it manages to engage the nearest
unit, an attack sequence takes place immediately. If several units
are at equal distance from the Berserk unit, choose the target
randomly. The warrior becomes a madman, thirsty for blood and
violence. He no longer feels the effects of fatigue and wounds, but
if he has become a lethal danger for his enemies, he is also now a
considerable risk for his allies. When a Berserk unit hits one of
his comrades, his players opponent is the one to decide whether or
not to reduce the number of hits (but the units contro