THRACKLearn to fight
in the ruins
Everything you need to play is free. Grab the Quick Start Rules, a handful of D6s, a tape measure, and any miniatures you own. Your first battle is twenty minutes away.
D6 based · Alternating activations · 6 to 8 fighters per side
Three games from rookie to warlord
New to Thrackdown? We've built a three-game ladder that adds one layer at a time, so nobody drowns in special rules on night one. Each step has a full walkthrough with its own scenario.
Learn the core rules
Movement, shooting, melee, Nerve, and Momentum with a fixed lineup of four fighters. One evening, one pile of possibly explosive loot.
Read the walkthrough →Meet your faction
Build your own roster, switch on faction rules and Surges, and discover weapon traits, including just how reliable Crude guns can be.
Read the walkthrough →The full Thrackdown
Gear, proficiencies, Juggernauts, a reactor with a countdown, and the post-battle sequence that starts your campaign.
Read the walkthrough →One die. Five stats. Every roll matters.
Thrackdown runs on a single simple engine: roll 1D6, add the relevant stat, and compare it to the target's Defence or an opposing roll. Rolls of 6 often trigger special effects (and sometimes 1s do too). That's the whole core. Everything else is where you stand, what you risk, and when you commit.
The shot goes wide. Ruins eat bullets, and open ground is a promise you make to the enemy.
No blood drawn, but the target flinches and gains a Nerve Token. Fear is damage too.
The target gains a Nerve Token and you roll on the Impact Table to see how badly it lands.
A natural 6 always inflicts a Nerve Token, even if the shot would otherwise fail.
You act. They act. Nobody waits.
There is no "your army moves, then mine". Players alternate activating one fighter at a time until everyone has acted, so you are never out of the fight and every choice invites an answer. Each fighter takes two actions when activated.
Start Phase
Resolve initiative (roll off, adding your Momentum), scenario rules, faction rules, and ongoing effects.
Activation Phase
Players alternate activating fighters, one at a time, two actions each. The heart of the game.
End Phase
Clear markers, remove a Nerve Token from every model, score objectives, and check whether the battle ends.
Two actions. Spend them well.
Fighters choose freely from the core actions below. All can be repeated in one activation except Shoot and Fight, which are once each. Do you double-move for position, or aim and take the shot you have?
| Move | Move up to your M stat in inches. |
| Shoot Max once | Make a ranged attack against a visible enemy or object. |
| Fight Max once | Engage an enemy in melee combat. |
| Aim | Gain +1 Accuracy to your next Shoot action this activation. |
| Take a Breath | Remove 1 Nerve Token from this model. |
| Stabilise | Revive a Downed ally within 1" on a 4+, or remove a negative status effect. Self-Stabilise succeeds on a 5+. |
| Interact | Work objectives, doors, consoles, and loot. Often needs a set score (normally a 3+). |
| Eliminate | Remove a Downed enemy within 1". |
| Snap Fire | Interrupt an enemy's activation with out-of-turn reaction fire. |
Break their will. Push your luck.
Two systems set Thrackdown apart. Nerve punishes hesitation and rewards pressure. Momentum pays you for playing boldly, then lets you spend it at the perfect moment.
Nerve
Combat is relentless. Fighters flinch, panic, or freeze, represented by Nerve Tokens: gained when hit by any attack, when an ally within 5" goes down, or when losing a melee, even if no damage is dealt.
At the start of an activation, a fighter with tokens takes a Nerve Test: roll 1D6 and beat the number of tokens, or the activation ends on the spot. A 6 always passes. A 1 always fails.
Leaders steady those around them, and a moment to breathe can clear a head. But pile enough fear onto an enemy and they will break without a single wound.
Momentum
Bold play fills your warband's shared Momentum Pool: holding objectives, charging into contact, leaping gaps, jumping down levels, or sprinting flat out. Success is not required. Daring is.
Spend it at any time on Surges:
| Surge | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dash | +1 M this activation | 1 |
| Ignore Cover | Strip the target's cover benefit | 1 |
| Do Over | Reroll a single die | 2 |
| Opportunity Attack | React when an enemy breaks off from melee | 2 |
| Shrug Off | Remove D3 Nerve Tokens | 3 |
| Extra Action | A third action this activation | 3 |
Every faction adds its own unique Surges on top.
200 Thracks. 6 to 8 fighters. Endless grudges.
Warbands are small enough to know everyone by name and compact enough to build from miniatures you already own. A standard warband starts at 200 Thracks, though players can agree a different total for one-off battles. During a campaign, warbands earn additional Thracks to recruit fighters, purchase gear and develop their roster over time.
Leader required. Every warband needs at least one Leader to hold it together.
Core before Specialists. You cannot field more Specialist fighters than Core fighters.
Juggernaut limit. One hulking monster, machine, or champion at most.
Named units. Unique characters are one per warband unless stated otherwise.
In campaigns you keep a roster: fighters gain injuries, experience, and new equipment between battles, and every scar has a story. Or skip the maths entirely and let the Warband Builder handle the costs, rosters, and equipment for you.
Get the free rules and build your warband
Quick Start Rules
Learn movement, combat, actions, Nerve and Momentum. Everything you need to understand the game and fight your first battles.
Download v1.4 Choose Your Faction · PDFFaction Rules
Faction abilities, unique Surges, signature mechanics, current unit rosters and weapons for all six factions.
Download v1.4 Free Online ToolWarband Builder
Choose your fighters and equipment, check your Thrack total and manage a legal roster for any of the six factions.
Open the Warband BuilderCurrent version: Alpha v1.4 · Read the changelog and errata · Playtest feedback shapes every update.
Before you ask
Is Thrackdown free?
Is Thrackdown print-and-play friendly?
Can I use any miniatures in Thrackdown?
How many models do I need to play?
How long does a game take?
Does Thrackdown support campaign play?
Will the rules change during the Open Alpha?
How do I report a rules problem or give feedback?
The rules are free. The fights are not fair.
Download the Quick Start Rules, muster a warband, and find out what your fighters are made of.