GAME SETUP

1. Choose a scenario. Pick a mission card or roll one. It tells you the objective, enemy composition, and special conditions.
2. Build squads. Each player builds a squad within the point budget. Standard: 1000 pts. Skirmish: 400 pts.
3. Set up terrain. 3' x 3' table. Place 8–12 pieces of hard cover using the Five-Zone Method.
4. Deploy. Roll D6. High roll picks deployment zone. Other player deploys first. Place operators within 6″ of your board edge.
5. Begin. Roll Priority. Play starts.

THE ONE MECHANIC

THE SIX ATTRIBUTES

HOW A ROUND WORKS

YOUR FIRST MISSION: THE LONG DRINK

The Print-at-Home Starter Packet includes a complete tutorial scenario set in Flooded London's Southwark district. Five sectors, six pre-built operators, encounter budget with scaling, and a quick combat reference. Print it, cut it, play it tonight.

TURN SEQUENCE

1. Priority (D6, high chooses) → 2. Operator Phase (alternate, 2 actions each) → 3. Threat Phase (NPCs/patrols) → 4. End Phase (status/objectives)

HOW TO SHOOT

Start with SHOOT threshold (Good 2+ / Ord 4+ / Bad 5+) → Add target's AR to threshold → Roll D6 + modifiers → Meet or beat = Flesh Wound → Natural 6 = Mortal Wound

HOW TO FIGHT

Move into contact (1 action) → Both roll D6 (+1 if melee weapon) → High wins, attacker wins ties → Armor check: D6 > AR = wound lands → Loser locked, TACT 4+ to break free (fail = 1 FW, try again next turn)

WOUND TRACK

4th FW converts to 1 MW (clears all FW). 3rd MW = Out of Action.

SHOOTING MODIFIERS

REACTIONS

Cost: Lose 1 action next activation. One reaction per operator per round.

CRITICAL RESULTS

Natural 6 — Always Succeeds

• Shooting or Fighting: Mortal Wound instead of Flesh Wound
• Nat 6 vs Heavy Armor (AR 3, threshold 7+): Flesh Wound only. The armor holds.
• Grenade: Perfect throw. All targets in blast radius take a Mortal Wound.
• Objective check: Counts as 2 successes.
• Any other action: GM applies an additional positive effect.

Natural 1 — Always Fails

No modifier saves it. Roll on Fumble Table (D6).

FUMBLE TABLE (D6)

CHALLENGE THRESHOLDS

GUTS CHECKS

Roll GUTS vs 4+. Success: you hold. Failure: lose 1 action next activation.

Triggers

• A friendly in LoS goes Out of Action
• You take your first Mortal Wound this mission
• You activate with 3 Flesh Wounds
• You are the last active operator on your side
• GM calls for it under extreme circumstances

MOVEMENT DETAILS

• Difficult Terrain: 2" per 1" traveled
• Climbing: 2" per 1" vertical. Ladders/stairs: 1" per 1"
• Falling: 1 FW per 3" fallen.
• Move through friendlies (can't end on them). Cannot move through enemies.

SHOOTING

1. Start with SHOOT proficiency threshold (Good 2+, Ordinary 4+, Bad 5+)
2. Add defender's AR to the threshold
3. Roll D6 + all die modifiers
4. Meet or beat the threshold = Flesh Wound
5. Natural 6 = Mortal Wound (FW only vs AR 3)

Stacking Limit: No single Shoot benefits from more than +2 total from class abilities.

Shooting Into a Fight: -2. Modified result of 1 or 2 hits your ally. Natural 1 always hits ally.

FIGHTING (MELEE)

1. Move into contact (base-to-base, or within 1" if either model uses a separate base). 1 action. Fight triggers immediately.
2. Both roll D6. +1 if armed with melee weapon. High total wins. Attacker wins ties.
3. Armor check: roll D6. Greater than loser's AR = wound lands. Natural 6 always penetrates.
4. Flesh Wound on any winning roll. Natural 6 from winner: Mortal Wound.
5. Loser stays locked. TACT 4+ to break free (3" clear). Fail: take 1 FW, try again next turn.

Multiple Attackers: Each fights separately. Joining a fight in progress: +1.

ARMOR

When AR pushes threshold above 6: only a natural 6 wounds, and it counts as Flesh Wound only.

WOUND TRACK

Wound Clarity: When you take a MW (from conversion or direct hit), clear all current FW. MW penalties replace FW penalties.

HEALING & RECOVERY

During Mission: Field Stabilize: 1 action, adjacent, OPINT 4+, remove 1 MW. Medic treats at full. Non-Medic with a kit rolls at -1. Cannot self-treat.

Between Missions: All FW recover automatically. MW: Medic rolls OPINT 4+ (one attempt per MW per downtime). No Medic: each wounded operator rolls GUTS 4+ unassisted.

STATUS EFFECTS

TERRAIN TYPES

LINE OF SIGHT

Draw a line from center of attacker's base to center of target's base. Clear = target freely. Light Cover = -1. Heavy Cover = -2. Full Cover = blocked. Elevation sees over low obstacles.

VISIBILITY

Night Vision: Ignore darkness/low-light penalties. Flashlight: 6" cone, negates darkness, reveals Stealthed enemies.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

ENTERING STEALTH

Take the Hide action. Roll TACT vs 4+. Must be in cover and outside all enemy LoS. Success: enter Stealth.

WHILE IN STEALTH

• Cannot be targeted by Shoot attacks
• Enemies won't move toward you

BREAKING STEALTH

• Shoot and hit (miss doesn't break it). Silenced weapons never break Stealth.
• Fight. Any melee breaks it.
• Fail a TACT roll in enemy LoS.
• Move through open ground within 6" of an alert enemy.

SURPRISE ATTACK

First attack from Stealth gains +2 to the die roll. Breaks Stealth regardless of outcome.

DETECTION

Enemy (Threat Phase): Within 6" with LoS → D6 on 5+ = spotted.
PvP: Enemy operator within 6" with LoS spends 1 action. Stealthed operator rolls TACT 4+ or detected.

GRENADE TYPES

1. Choose your class (permanent for campaign)
2. Read your attributes (SHOOT, FIGHT, TACT, OPINT, GUTS, MOBI)
3. Build your loadout (1 primary, 1 sidearm, up to 4 field gear)
4. Generate a callsign (D20 + D20)
5. Roll background (D100)
6. Build service record (D6 × 4: Recruitment, First Deployment, Turning Point, Current Assignment)
7. Roll operational liability (D12)
8. Build your squad (1,000 pts standard, min 3 operators)

CALLSIGN GENERATOR (D20 + D20)

OPERATIONAL LIABILITY (D12)

Signature. Rapid Deployment: Activation-timing +1. When the splice activation order is set, the Commando may insert first or last. Applies every round.

Doctrine Bonus. Forward Momentum: When both actions are spent on Shoot or Fight, the next activation ignores the wound-state action penalty (act with 2 actions regardless of wound state).

Specializations: Breach & Clear (first through a door or opening: first Shoot that activation +1 to the die) | Heavy Weapons (+1 to FIGHT or SHOOT with LMG, HMG, or other heavy weapons) | Assault Leader (adjacent ally gains +1 to their next Shoot or Fight this round) | Last Line (at 1 MW, next Shoot or Fight roll +1, once per mission)

Signature. Steady Aim: Spend both actions. Must be stationary. Next Shoot action gets +2 to the die. Natural 1 still fumbles.

Doctrine Bonus. Line of Sight Discipline: On a successful Shoot beyond 18", target is pushed 2" in a direction you choose (no Reaction), OR the Marksman's next Overwatch this mission costs 1 action instead of 2.

Specializations: Counter-Sniper (+1 to SHOOT against targets that made a Shoot action on the previous round) | Designated Marksman (ignore 1 level of cover on first Shoot per activation) | Spotter (adjacent ally's next Shoot gains +1 to the die) | Long Watch (Overwatch covers two adjacent zones instead of one)

Signature. Ghost: Stealth persists when firing silenced weapons. Unsuppressed fire breaks Stealth. Re-entering Stealth from cover costs 1 action (instead of the normal Hide cost) if already in cover and outside all enemy LoS.

Doctrine Bonus. Shadow Discipline: Kill from Stealth: re-enter Stealth without a TACT check.

Specializations: Close Cuts (+1 to FIGHT against an unaware target) | Cat Walk (move through difficult terrain without MOBI penalty) | Electronic Ghost (+1 to OPINT on hack or intrusion rolls) | Ex-Filtration (at mission end, ignore one pursuit or exfil complication)

Signature. Structural Damage: +1 to FIGHT or TACT rolls against structural elements (doors, barricades, walls). Passive, always-on.

Doctrine Bonus. Hinge Point: Fight action within 3″ of a structural element: +2 to Fight roll.

Specializations: Wall Breaker (make a Fight action against a wall or barricade to create a 2″ opening, costs 1 action) | Door Kicker (first through a breached doorway: +1 to Shoot or Fight that activation) | Overwatch Fire (set Overwatch covering a breach point; trigger when enemy crosses) | Armored Hull (+1 AR when adjacent to cover)

Signature. Field Stabilize: 1 action. Adjacent ally only. Roll OPINT 4+. Success: remove 1 MW. Cannot self-treat. With Strained supply: once per operator per mission.

Doctrine Bonus. Triage: When you Stabilize an operator at 2 MW: their next activation gets 2 actions regardless of wound state.

Specializations: Battle Chemist (injected stim: target's next Shoot or Fight +1, 1 action, adjacent, once per target per mission) | Trauma Surgeon (Field Stabilize succeeds on OPINT 3+ instead of 4+) | Calm Under Fire (Medic ignores Pinned status once per mission) | Preserve Life (when an ally would go Out of Action, spend 1 Pressure to keep them at 0 FW / 1 MW instead)

Signature. Circuit Override: 1 action. Roll OPINT 4+. Interact with a system (door, turret, drone, camera, terminal). Hardened tablet grants +1.

Doctrine Bonus. Clean Break: On a successful Override, move up to 3″ free (no action cost).

Specializations: Drone Operator (deploy a tactical drone as 1 action; drone acts on your activations as a separate 1-action element) | Netrunner (remote Override within 12″ instead of adjacent) | Counter-Intelligence (once per mission, cancel an enemy Alert Level tick) | EMP Discipline (EMP Device blast 6″ instead of 3″)

FORMATS

THREE ROLES

Combat (Commando / Breacher) — Goes through opposition
Recon (Marksman / Infiltrator) — Shapes the engagement
Support (Medic / Tech Specialist) — Keeps squad viable

WHAT GAPS COST YOU

• No Medic: Wounds accumulate unchecked, -1 all rolls by late rounds
• No Infiltrator: Every approach is direct, no persistent Stealth advantage
• No Breacher: Locked doors stay locked
• No Marksman: Enemies in cover much harder to dislodge
• No Tech: Terminals require raw TACT, some inaccessible

SQUAD ARCHETYPES (~400 pts)

Gene-forged operators use the same rules as baseline operators. The difference is narrative and visual. Same stats, same classes, same point costs.

THREE-STEP CREATION

Step 1: Augment Tag

Every gene-forged operator selects one Augment Tag at creation. Tag selection is permanent. Each tag grants a mechanical benefit and a mechanical complication.

Step 2: Faction Training

Pick faction, choose 2 competency tags (narrative keys, not stat bonuses).

Step 3: Prior Contract (D6)

Each result gives an Advantage + Complication (safe house / connection / contact / service record / recovered gear / leverage).

GENE-FORGED ORIGIN TABLE (D12)

BASELINE OPERATORS

GENE-FORGED OPERATORS

WEAPONS

FIELD GEAR

PROTOTYPE GEAR

1 per operator, 1 per squad.

SAMPLE LOADOUTS

PRESSURE TOKENS

Pressure is earned through hard choices and risk. Each operator caps at 3 Pressure Tokens in their own hand per mission. A shared pool may hold more through mission seeds or GM grants.

Earn 1 Pressure Token When:

• Push voluntarily into contaminated terrain.
• Use your last consumable.
• Desperation Fire at 1 MW.
• Complete a mission-critical Interact at 2 MW.
• End activation inside an enemy's declared Overwatch trigger arc and survive.
• Make an honest call that costs the operator something (narrative, GM-granted).

Spend Pressure Tokens

• Spend 1: Re-roll any die.
• Spend 1: Auto-pass a GUTS check.
• Spend 1: Recover 1 FW at start of next activation.
• Spend 1: Delay a consequence by one round.

OPERATOR'S EDGE

Every operator starts each mission with 1 Operator's Edge token. Spend it once per mission for any of the four options below. Edge does not carry over between missions unless a campaign reward says so.

Spend Operator's Edge

• Treat any one roll as a success (declared before the roll).
• Immediately stand up from Prone without spending an action.
• Cancel 1 Alert Level tick your actions just caused.
• Let an ally within 6″ re-roll any one die.

Edge is distinct from Pressure. You start with 1 Edge. Pressure you have to earn.

Each class has a Doctrine Bonus — a passive reward triggered by executing your class role effectively. Doctrine Bonuses are automatic; no token spend required.

SUPPLY STATE

Your squad’s supply state determines consumable availability and healing limits. The GM sets the supply state at mission start based on campaign conditions.

EQUIPMENT STRESS

Weapons and gear exist in two states: Clean and Stressed.

NPC TYPES

Grunt Suppression: 3+ Grunts with LoS to same target: that target's next SHOOT at -1.

Leadership Bonus: Grunts within 6" of an Elite gain +1 to morale checks.

THE FIVE-ZONE METHOD

1. Insertion Zone: Where you enter. Somewhat defendable. One or two patrols.
2. Approach Corridor: Between insertion and objective. Long enough to punish a straight dash.
3. Objective Zone: Where the work happens. Defensible. Enemy-set defense.
4. Kill Zone: Open ground the enemy can rake with fire.
5. Extraction Zone: The way out. Not the same edge as insertion.

HVT ESCALATION

SAFE TABLE OPERATIONS

The game includes a Safe Table Operations guide covering consent, content boundaries, and player safety tools for sessions that touch on themes of war, exploitation, and trauma.

ENEMY TIERS

Elite Variants (same tier, different point cost):

• Elite (standard): 3 FW / 1 MW, baseline loadout.
• Elite (veteran): 3 FW / 1 MW, add one Specialization or +1 to one attribute.
• Elite (heavy): 3 FW / 1 MW, +1 AR and heavy weapon.

THREAT KEYWORDS

ENEMY MORALE

ENEMY FORCE STARTER PACKS

Three factions at three threat levels each:

• Harkon Meridian PMC: Patrol / Garrison / Assault
• SCA: Patrol / Garrison / Assault
• NCB: Patrol / Garrison / Assault

ENEMY FACTION DOCTRINES

Gene-Forged Unit Doctrines

NPC MOTIVATION TABLE

GRUNT COMMAND ACTIONS

Grunt groups can receive one of the following command actions per Threat Phase:

CORE SCENARIOS

CLIMAX VARIABLES

When the first operator enters the final objective zone, roll D6 on the scenario's Climax Variable table. Conditions change: compressed clocks, flipped NPC relationships, environmental shifts.

MISSION BUILDER WORKSHEET

Fillable template sections: Mission Identity, Dramatic Engine, Objectives, Five Zones, Enemy Force (with HVT escalation), Clocks, D6 Climax Variable, Mission Modifiers, Resolution, What Carries Forward.

FIELD REQUISITIONS

Tier 1 (Full or Partial Success)

• Extra Pressure: +1 Pressure token next mission
• Resupply Drop: one operator swaps entire loadout
• Pre-Op Intel: designate one zone, all enemies revealed Round 1

Tier 2 (Full Success Only)

• Close Air Support: strike one zone, every unit rolls 4+ or takes MW
• Hardened Transport: skip one zone during infiltration
• Black Budget Gear: one off-list item, one mission

Tier 3 (Full Success + Zero MW)

• Ghost Protocol: all operators begin undetected
• Command Override: force one enemy to skip one activation
• Extraction Guarantee: all surviving operators extracted regardless of position

BATTLEFIELD EVOLUTION

Survive a specific dramatic event. Gain a permanent ability. Max one per operator.

DOWNTIME ACTIONS

Solo play is not an afterthought. The system has its own oracle (SITREP), its own enemy AI protocol, event phase mechanics, investigation tools, and a printable player's screen.

SITREP ORACLE

When the answer isn't obvious, ask SITREP. Set the odds, roll D6.

ENEMY AI PROTOCOL

Enemies follow the OPFOR Flowchart in the Threat Phase. No improvisation. The flowchart determines: target selection (nearest visible, then nearest), action (shoot if in range, advance if not, take cover if wounded), and escalation.

Alert States

THE HEAT TRACK

Heat Increases (+1 each)

• Weapon fire in civilian area
• Alarm raised
• Evidence left
• Witness left
• Force over non-combat option
• Extraction delayed 3+ rounds

Heat Thresholds

1–3: Manageable | 4: SITREP check | 5: Enemies start Aware | 6+: Faction Response Table

Heat Dissipation

-1 auto between missions | Lay Low -1 | Full squad Lay Low -2 | Driving Question resolved -2 | Intel delivery -1

FAILSAFE

Solo safety net. Spend to prevent an Out of Action result, convert to 2 MW instead. Limited uses per campaign.

QUICK START

400-point squads, min 2 operators, no composition requirement. 3'x3' table. 8–12 terrain pieces.

SCENARIOS

LEAGUE PLAY

Between matches: operators recover, retrain specializations, earn requisition points. Campaign progression across a season of matches.

Iron Line is a mech-scale mass battle game set in the Terra Conflictus world. Machines fight because people stopped being enough.

CORE CONCEPTS

ROUND STRUCTURE (8 PHASES)

1. Initiative — Determine first player
2. Signal — Allocate command resources
3. Shooting — Ranged attacks resolve
4. Movement — Units maneuver
5. Combat — Melee engagements
6. Scrap — Remove broken units, check Breakpoint
7. Game End — Check victory conditions

UNIT TYPES

11 unit types including: Infantry, Light Mech, Heavy Mech, Artillery, Scout, Engineer, Command, Relay, Transport, Drone Swarm, Superheavy.

ARMY BUILDING

Point-buy system with unit costs and keyword costs. Sample Doctrine Lists provided for four factions.

CROSSOVER: IRON LINE + OT SOLO

Rules for integrating OT operator squads into Iron Line battles. Machine War terrain rules, Signal/Heat conversion, and mission seeds bridging both systems.

SINGLE PLAYER

Lead a strike team through a scenario using Operator Skills & Proficiency. Resolve challenges with the D6 system. Manage initiative, special actions, and escalating difficulty.

TWO-PLAYER: HVT VS. OPERATOR

One player controls the HVT and their defenses. The other runs the strike team. Hidden information, asymmetric objectives, adjustable difficulty.

COMPONENTS

Operator cards, High-Value Target cards, Scenario cards, Challenge cards. Each scenario sets the stakes, environment, and win conditions.

CORE SYSTEM

Strategic movement across 3-mile hexes with patrol encounters, resource management, and terrain navigation. Turns any city or territory sandbox into a long-form campaign.

RESOURCES TRACKED

FLOODED LONDON SUPPLEMENT

13 keyed hexes from Hampstead Heights to Crystal Palace Ridge. Water depth tiers (Shallow / Wading / Swimming / Submerged), tidal cycle mechanics, contamination protocol, structural collapse rules. Four factions: Dredge Compact, NAF London Station, Tideline Authority, Black Reach.

SOLO MODULE DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Every solo module follows five principles: Dramatic Engine (core tension), Core Verb (what the player does most), Character Anchors (Driving Question + Open Wound), Emotional Pressure Mechanic (Ghost Marker), and Campaign Tokens (persistent consequence). The "Not-Line" defines what the module refuses to do.

Full roll tables for character generation. See Character Creation for the callsign and liability tables.

AVAILABLE TABLES

CRITICAL HIT EFFECTS (D12)

WOUND COMPLICATIONS (D12)

AVAILABLE COMBAT TABLES

• Critical Failure Consequences (D6)
• Stealth Break Gradation
• Stock Instinct (Gene-Forged)
• Terrain Hazards
• Weather (Detailed)
• Illumination Conditions
• Vehicle Encounters

AVAILABLE TABLES

AVAILABLE TABLES

TURN SEQUENCE CARD

1. Priority (D6, high chooses) → 2. Operator Phase (alternate, 2 actions) → 3. Threat Phase (NPCs) → 4. End Phase (status/objectives)

WEAPON RANGES AT A GLANCE

PROFICIENCY AT A GLANCE

Good = 2+ Ordinary = 4+ Bad = 5+

Modifiers shift the die, not the threshold. Natural 6 always succeeds. Natural 1 always fails.

PANEL 1: TURN SEQUENCE & ACTIONS

Round order, action list with costs, reaction options with effects.

PANEL 2: SHOOTING & COMBAT

Shoot formula (threshold + AR, roll D6 + mods), full modifier table, Fight procedure, armor table.

PANEL 3: WOUNDS, MORALE & STATUS

Wound track progression, GUTS check triggers, status effect definitions, healing rules.

PANEL 4: ALERT LEVELS, TERRAIN & NPC DEFAULTS

Alert level table (Unaware → Suspicious → Alert → Combat), terrain types with cover values, NPC behavior defaults, weapon range quick reference.

In the source-file layer, kitbashing is not only a hobby method. It is the same interpretive process that produced the game: partial fragments constrained into a form that can be handled, tested, and pushed until the pattern shows itself.

28MM MODELS AS SUIT ACTORS

The Tokusatsu framework: proportions slightly off, weight distribution slightly wrong, and that wrongness is what makes it feel real. Treat operators as miniature suit actors. Build them to carry weight, strain under systems, feel constructed from industrial components repurposed into military use.

THE ONE-AND-ONE RULE

One swap and one addition. Take one component from a kit that isn't the base kit, and add one component that wasn't in either. That is a kitbash. Everything after that is refinement.

FACTION BUILD LANGUAGES

PHOTOGRAPHY: THE REMBRANDT LAYER

High-contrast single-source or hard two-source lighting. Multi-planar glass layering for analog depth of field. Real smoke, real dust, real atmosphere.

POST-PRODUCTION: THE BAKSHI LAYER

Hand-drawn ink lines reinforcing edges the photography found. Jitter and imprecision are features. The analog fingerprint no generation pipeline can replicate.

Jesse Alexander brings 40 years of rolling dice and a career in narrative design (Alias, Lost, Heroes, Hannibal, Star Trek, American Gods) plus game design work for Riot and VR Predator. OT started as a game for his kids and evolved into a complete transmedia IP.

THE WORLD IN BRIEF

Terra Conflictus 2066–2105. Climate collapse. Six superpowers. Gene-forged operators fighting proxy wars nobody will acknowledge. Fresh water is the new oil. The surface game is territory. The deep game is Lumicite — energy technology no faction can replicate, sealed in pre-Upheaval installations.

CULTURAL LOADOUT

The DNA of the game — the films, shows, games, and music that shaped Operator Tactics:

Essential Films

Predator, Red Dawn, Black Hawk Down, The Dirty Dozen, Heat, Commando, The Raid, Sicario, Where Eagles Dare

Essential TV

Generation Kill, Band of Brothers, The Unit, Strike Back, Fauda, SIX

Tactical Canon (Games)

Rainbow Six (original), XCOM, Jagged Alliance 2, Full Spectrum Warrior, Brothers in Arms, Close Combat, Hidden & Dangerous

Pre-Mission Playlist

AC/DC, Metallica, CCR, Johnny Cash, Rage Against the Machine, Run the Jewels, Sabaton