Macrocosm

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Rules
Version 1.3

The Making of a Hero

A game of Macrocosm represents the struggle of a
particular hero (or heroes) and their followers and
they strive to excel in a dangerous universe one
were opposition is rife and deadly.

Choosing a Model
Each Hero and Follower is represented on
the table by a Macrocosm model. You are
free to choose any model to represent
each character, but make sure your
opponent knows which one is which. The
easiest way to do that is to use the model
that most closely represents the character
in question. The main rule is to have fun,
so dont get too caught up on whether the
models are 100% correct or not.

Correct Base Size

Each Macrocosm model is supplied with
the correct base size. However, as a rule
of thumb, models that are human sized or
smaller use 30mm round bases. Hefty
models and those larger than a normal
humans use 40mm round bases and
Immense models or very large monsters
and vehicles use 50mm+ round bases, or
may not have a base at all, in the case of
some vehicles.

Facing on Models
Unlike some other games you may play,
Macrocosm assumes that, while your
model is static, the character it represents
is constantly in motion, checking their
surroundings and preparing for an attack.
As such we do not use facing in this game
and your model is considered to be able to
see in all directions regardless of the
direction the model is actually facing.
Therefore they may draw a line of sight in
360.

Each Hero and follower is denoted by a selection of

statistics, each representing an aspect of their
character. The statistics are:
Speed:
the hero.
Accuracy:
Ferocity:

Resilience:
Health:

How fast, dextrous and nimble is

How good a shot are they and how
easily do they spot hidden
opponents.
How effective are they in close
combat and how they react in the
face of overwhelming odds or
imminent defeat.
How tough are they and how do
they deal with mental stress and
physical impairment.
How well do they resist poison,
disease and dangerous
environments and how many hits
can they take before they die

Each Hero also has a number of Command Points

available which they can use to recruit followers
from their faction.

Keywords what are they?

Keywords are important as they identify
factions and important aspects of the hero
or their followers that may be important to
certain special rules.

For Example: A Digger Boss has the Digger

keyword and has the Elitist (Digger) special rule.
This means they are required to recruit a certain
number of followers who also have the Digger
keyword.

Requisitioning Forces
In the full rulebook it will be possible to craft your own individual forces from a list of available soldiers
and heroes. For now, youll have the contents of the Starter Set, but feel free to play with any of the
Macrocosm models youve purchased and give us feedback at our Facebook Page.

Setting up a Game

What sort of Dice do I need to Play?

The game of Macrocosm uses eight-sided
dice (abbreviated to D8) to determine the
outcome of effects. As a player, we advise
that you have a couple of D8s, one of
which should be a different colour, to
represent special effects. However, you
can get by with only one if necessary.

How do I Make a Dice Roll?

Each time a model performs an action with
any degree of difficulty (shooting, fighting,
running over dangerous terrain etc.) they

must make a roll. In order to make a roll,

players must determine the difficulty. In the
case of actions directed against another
model, the difficulty of the roll is
determined by the targets opposing
statistic (see below). When the target of
the roll is neutral (terrain for example) the
difficulty will either be determined by player
agreement or from a standard list (see
below).
When making a roll, a player gets 1D8 to
roll as standard, as each model will have
at least 1 star () in each stat. This is the

default and a roll will never be made with

less than 1 dice. The player gains
additional dice to roll depending on the
number of the model has and other
factors, which may influence the action
(good quality weapons or special
equipment for example).
The players opponent also makes an
opposing roll, also using a minimum of 1
dice, which will again be altered by certain
factors.
Once the number of dice each player must
roll is determined, they roll off against each
other.
Reading the results of the Dice
When both players have rolled their dice,
we must determine who is successful.
Each player must determine who rolled the
highest individual result on the dice they
rolled. The player with the highest
individual result on any dice is considered
to be the winner. However, there is also
the chance for exceptional results. This
happens when a winner gets more than
one result that beats one or many dice of
their opponent.

Example Chris and Bob are playing a game.

Bobs Digger Corpsman takes a shot at Chris
Infested Carrier. The target is within range of the
Corpsmans rifle and is in the open, without cover
and while the lighting is poor, the Digger has
enhanced vision and can ignore this effect.
The Corpsman has an Accuracy stat of and his
UVasergun has a Quality of . So the Digger
Corpsman will roll 2D8 to hit.
The Infested Carrier must try to avoid being shot.
He has a Speed stat of 1 and gains no bonus dice
due to cover. Normally he would gain +1 bonus dice
due to the Poor Visibility, but the Digger has UV
Vision, so he does not. The Infested Carrier rolls
2D8 to dodge the shot.
Both players roll their dice. Bob rolls and 8 and a 4,
Chris rolls a 5 and a 4. Looking at the results, the
highest is Bob with one 8. However, Bobs other
dice didnt beat Chris highest roll. So Bob wins, but
its not an exceptional success. The Infested Carrier
has been hit Bob will next roll to see how much
damage the shot did.

Getting a Draw and a Standoff

If both players roll the dice and get the
same highest result, then the roll is a draw.
Count up how many of those highest
results each player rolled (i.e. if both
players rolled a 7 as their highest score,
did one of them roll multiple 7s?) and use
this as a tie breaker. If a model wins a
tiebreaker, it only ever scores 1 success,
the success is never exceptional. If the
rolls are exactly equal, and the tie cannot
be broken, the models have achieved a
standoff. Fate has interceded and things
have gone a bit haywire.
Both the activating model and any
opposing model immediately end their
activation. However, they are otherwise
unaffected.
Rerolls and how they Work
When a model has a special rule that
allows them to reroll a certain result
(normally a 1) the player may roll dice with
that score again, in order to attempt to get
a better result. However, they must accept
the result of the second roll, even if it is
worse.
Dice that have been rerolled, may not be
rerolled a second time regardless of any
additional special rules that may affect
them.
If a model gains a second special rule or
attempts an action that allows them to
reroll a certain result while already able to
reroll that number, the number they are
allowed to reroll is increased by 1.

Example Chris has an Og Corpsman, who

charges into combat with a Malignant Host. The Og
is Hefty, which allows it to reroll results of a 1 when
making damage rolls against models on a smaller
sized base. However, charging also allows you to
reroll 1s. Therefore, the Og now rerolls results of a
1 or 2 when making a damage roll against the Host.

Exceptional Results
When a player makes a roll and more than
one of their dice beats the highest result of
their opponent, they have achieved an
exceptional result.
This means that the level of success is
more impressive than a simple success
would warrant. The effect of an exceptional
result is listed under the specific action.

Example Bobs Digger Corpsman is trying to

jump across a gap between two buildings. As the
gap is more than 2, the Corpsman must make a
roll. Measuring the gap we find that it is 4, which
gives a difficulty of 2D8. The Corpsman is Dumpy,
which means he doesnt get to add his Speed stat
to run or jump actions, but he does still make a
running jump, to get an additional +1 bonus dice. So
the Corpsman will also roll 2D8.
Bob makes his roll and Chris rolls 2D8 for the
difficulty of the jump. Bob gets 8 and 7, a great
result. Chris gets 2 and 5. Both of Bobs dice have
beaten Chris highest score, so he has rolled an

exceptional result, beating the required 1 successful

dice by 1.
If we check the Running Jump entry in the rules, we
can see that an Exceptional Result, means that
rather than just being placed on the other side of
the gap, the Corpsman model can be placed
anywhere within 1 per exceptional result of the
edge.

What is Line of Sight?

Line of Sight is how we determine what a
model can see and interact with. In order
to find this out, all a player needs to do is
get down to eye level with the model and
literally look through it, to see what the
character the model represents could
potentially see.
Can you see any enemy models? Can you
see objectives and terrain? Then the
character could see those things too.
Line of Sight is important as it tells you
where a model can move too and what it
can shoot at. If a character does not have
a clear line of sight to a target enemy
model, it either wont be able to fire at
them, or the target will gain considerable
advantages when trying to dodge and
resist a potential shot.

Measuring Ranges
During the game, you will be required to
measure ranges for movement and
weapon range. You can measure range at
any time, just try to make sure you dont
interrupt your opponent or disrupt the
game too much.
All ranges are measured in inches.

Scatter Dice
Sometimes a weapon will have the
potential to scatter, even if it misses its
target. If you use such a weapon, one of
your dice must be considered a Scatter
Dice. This dice will indicate both the
distance and direction a weapon will
scatter, by the number of the dice and the
direction the top point of the dice indicates.
When using a scatter weapon, if all attack
dice miss the target, then move any blast
marker, a number of inches indicated on
the scatter die and in the direction it is
pointing. If the blast marker lands on top of
any models (friendly or enemy) they each
take a Damage roll of 1D8 per of

Damage the weapon has, resisted by

Resilience.

Special Dice
Some weapons have additional effects in
addition (or perhaps instead of) damage.
When using such a weapon, you will be
informed to use a number of special dice
(these may be bonus dice). It is probably
best to use a different colour of dice or to
roll them separately, if these dice hit, then
they will have a specific effect, as indicated
on their description. If the dice misses, the
effect will not trigger.

What Else do I need to Play?

In order to play, you will need a collection
of Macrocosm miniatures, a ruler or tape
measure (in inches) and a selection of
dice. Most importantly, you will need a
surface to play on. We suggest a 3 foot X
3 foot section of table, on which you can
place model terrain (or any other things
you may have to hand) to indicate one of
the battlefields of the Macrocosm universe.

How do I Determine the Mission?

In Macrocosm, players must determine the
primary mission of the game. This is done
by each player rolling 1D8 and checking
the Primary Objective Table (see below).
However, each faction in Macrocosm has
a specific agenda and goal; this is
represented by their Secondary Objective
List. Regardless of the goals of the
Primary Objective, Factions can always
score Mission Points (MP) by completing
their Secondary Objectives. So even if the
Primary Objective rolled is not the best for
your particular build, you can always hope
to at least salvage some kind of victory by
sticking to your factions overall aims.

How do I set up a table?

There are a variety of different set ups for
a standard table. However, there is also a
standard (or default) setup and table size.
To help you get started quickly.
We suggest that you use a 4 foot by 4 foot
[4X4] playing surface to play a standard
game of one to three Heroes. With more
heroes, you might want to increase the
playing surface to 4X5 or even 4X6 for
really big multi-hero battles. However
initially, for games of one Hero each, a
3X3 is fine.

Initial deployment on a standard table is as follows:

Each player sets up their models up to 12 from a corner of their choice. To determine which player set up their
models first (and chooses the initial corner) roll 1D8. The player that wins the rolls chooses, sets up their models
and activates first.

How a Turn Works

A players turn in Macrocosm consists of
activating a number of models, those
models moving and shooting, or perhaps
even fighting in close combat or interacting
with objectives or terrain on the table.

How do I activate models?

To activate a model, you simply have to
declare to your opponent which model you
wish to activate, and then place your hand
on it to move, attack or take an action. Its
good form to use the models official name,
so that your opponent knows which model
it is you are moving, but if you want to use
your own names, why not. Just as long as
everyone knows exactly which models are
moving and when.

How many models can I activate?

Each player gets to activate five models.
After a player has moved that number of
models play passes to their opponent and
vice versa.

When can I move and how far?

Each model can move up to 4 (+1 per
of Speed) when they activate. They may
have different forms of movement or they
may decide to sprint or perhaps some
other type of moving, these are discussed
below. But in general, a model will be able
to move at the standard rate of at least 4.
A model can move at any point during its
activation, either before or after taking an
action. However, if they have used certain
forms of alternate movement, they may be
precluded from taking action or from using

that type of movement, depending on what

action they took.

When can I fight?

A model can shoot either before or after
movement, similarly they may fight in close
combat, before or after movement,
provided (in both cases) a suitable
opponent is within range of the weapon
they intend to use. In the case of close
combat, this will typically mean they should
be in base contact with the enemy. If at
any time two enemy models move into
base contact, they are considered to be in
close combat, struggling with each other
and trying to gain the upper hand. This will
stop the moving model from travelling any
further, even if it is not the controlling
players turn.

When can I use a Special Rule or a

Power of the Mind?
In general a model can use a Special Rule
or Power of the Mind instead of moving or
taking an action. The description of the
rule/power will tell you which. However,
certain Special Rules and Powers of the
Mind are passive and can be activated at
any point. Passive powers do not take the
place of a models movement or action.

Out of Turn Actions

If a model is not activated during your turn,
they are eligible to take an out of turn
action. The two out of turn actions that can
be taken are Pot Shot and Scramble (each
of which are defined below).

Movement
Each model that activates in a turn may move.
There are various types of movement that can be
selected, including some special types that will be
described either in Special Rules, or on the models
description.

Hustle & Sprint

The basic form of movement a model can
perform is to Hustle. This allows the model
to move 4 (+1 per of Speed) and
assumes the character is moving with
haste, while trying to avoid enemy fire and
generally keep a low profile. A model that
Hustles can shoot or fight as normal. In
addition, they gain the full benefit from
cover and terrain.
Sometimes a character may wish to move
faster than a Hustle. If this is the case,
they may choose to Sprint. When
Sprinting, the model moves an additional
4 faster than their Hustle rate. However, if
you Sprint, you may not shoot a weapon
and your reckless movement means you
do not gain any bonus to Dodge from
terrain.
A character may choose to Sprint into
base contact with an enemy model. If they
do, this is considered to be a charge.
Charges are discussed under the Fighting
your Enemy section below.
Terrain
Every battlefield consists of terrain. This
breaks up the battlefield, provides vital
protection for characters and just generally
looks good.
There are different types of terrain, most of
which can be traversed, jumped over,
climbed up or dropped down from.
At the beginning of a game, players should
agree which pieces of terrain represent
what types.
o Keep the Game Flowing
In order to keep the game from
getting jammed up with too many
dice rolls, we must consider that
some terrain is easy for
characters to traverse or jump
over. If an obstacle is under 2
tall, a gap is 2 or less wide, or a
drop is 2 or less. Then the model
is assumed to be able to easily
move across or leap the distance
required. The controlling player
can still take a roll if they want to
try for an Exceptional Success,
but in most cases, we simply
measure the distance of the
move, including the obstacle and
move the model the full Hustle or
Sprint distance (remember,
certain terrain still cannot be
Sprinted across).

Rough Terrain
This type of terrain represents
areas of ground that are broken
or otherwise difficult, but not
impossible to cross (i.e. a river). A
model can Hustle across Rough
Terrain, but cannot Sprint across
it.
Damaging Terrain
This type of terrain represents
terrain that may hurt anyone
trying to cross it (i.e. lava flows,
pools of acid). This terrain acts as
Rough Terrain, but a model takes
a number of Damage dice
depending on how dangerous the
terrain is (generally 1-3).
When crossing this terrain, a
player can use a models Speed
or Resilience to resist the
damage of the terrain.
Deadly Terrain
This type of terrain is so
dangerous that it will instantly kill
any model that fails to cross it
(e.g. a chasm). This terrain acts
as Rough Terrain, but a model
takes a number of Damage dice
depending on how deadly the
terrain is (generally 1-3).
When crossing this terrain, a
player uses a models Speed to
resist the damage. If they fail and
take any damage, the model is
removed from play, regardless of
how much Health they have
remaining.
Impassable Terrain
This type of terrain cannot be
traversed by normal means. It
serves to block a models
movement and to make the
battlefield less regular.
Linear Obstacles
These are walls, fences, rock
piles etc. essentially any terrain
that has height and is laid out in a
line. In order to traverse this
terrain a model must climb (see
below) provided the obstacle is
more than 2 in height. In general,
Linear Obstacles grant Heavy
Cover. However, hedges and
vegetation will usually only grant
Light Cover (see below).
Buildings
This terrain represents habitation
cubicles and bunkers, which the
civilisations of Macrocosm use to
live in or to protect themselves. In
general Buildings will be
impassable terrain. However, you
may be able to climb onto the
roof, or indeed get inside the
building, should your model allow.

Ruins
The battlefields of Macrocosm are
littered with the remnants of
previous settlements or the
evidence of recent conflict. As
such ruins are common. A ruin is
generally considered to be a
collection of Linear Obstacles,
typically in close proximity and
perhaps with one or two floors.
Ruins provide Heavy cover.

Jump & Running Jump

Sometimes a character in the game will be
required to jump across a gap to reach
another area of the battlefield. In order to
do so, they must decide to either make a
standard jump or a running jump. Provided
the gap is more than 2 (see above) and
less than 6. No model may attempt to
jump more than 6, unless they have a
special rule that allows them to.
If the player decides to make a standard
jump, they roll their Speed which is
resisted by the difficulty of the distance.
For each 1 over the 2 allowed, the
opposing player rolls 1 dice to resist the
jumping model. If the jumping model fails
to make the jump, then it falls (see below).
A model making a standard jump can
continue to move if they have any inches
of movement left.
If the model makes a running jump, they
roll their Speed (as above) but gain +1
bonus dice to make the jump. However,
making a running jump ends their
movement and does not allow them to
shoot afterward (or have shot beforehand).
A running jump can be used as a charge
(see below).
If the model succeeds at their jump, then
place the model on the other side of the
gap and continue with the activation.

Climb
When trying to cross a section of linear
terrain or a wall, the model must climb. A
climbing model must roll their Speed,
resisted by the height of the obstacle/wall.
The wall resists with 1 Dice per 1 over 2,
up to a maximum of 3 Dice. If a model fails
in their climb roll, they fall. To make things
easier, the distance they fall is considered
to be half the total height of the structure
they failed to climb. However, they must
always roll a minimum of 1 Dice of
damage.

Leap/Fall
When a model tries to descend from a
height, they must leap down (or fall). A
model can descend up to 2 without a roll.
However, if they descend any greater
distance, they take a damage roll of 1 Dice
per 1 over the 2 allowed, up to a
maximum of 3 Dice.
The damage from Leaping/Falling can be
resisted with Speed, or Resilience.

Hiding
If a model ends its turn in base contact
with a section of terrain that covers more
than 25% of the miniature, it can elect to
hide. A hidden model cannot move or take
out of turn actions, but enemy models
cannot draw a line of sight to the hidden
model if their line of sight passes through
the piece of terrain that is hiding the
model. This means that enemy models
cannot shoot the hidden model, use
special abilities or powers that require line
of sight against it, or charge into hand-tohand combat with it, while it remains
hidden.
A hidden model may elect to shoot,
charge, use a special rule or power against
an enemy model during its activation. If it
does so, the enemy is considered to be
ambushed (see below). If a model shoots,
charges, uses a special rule or power or
moves out of cover, it is no longer
considered to be hidden.
o Spotting Hidden Models
In order to spot a hidden model,
an enemy needs to make a roll of
1D8 + 1 bonus dice for each of
Accuracy, opposed by the
number of dice the terrain grants
for difficulty (1-3) + any bonus
dice for Poor Visibility. If the
spotter wins the roll, the model is
no longer considered to be
hidden. This applies to all enemy
models, as the spotter is
assumed to relay the position of
the discovered model to their
allies.

Scarper
Scarper is an out of turn move action that
can be taken by a model that has not
activated during a players turn.
If an enemy model finishes a movement
action within the line of sight of a model
that has not activated the model that as
not activated can elect to Scarper. This
allows the model to make a normal Hustle
move in any direction, to escape detection.
The model may not climb or jump during
this movement, but they may elect to Hide
(see above).
If a model makes a Scarper move, they
cannot be activated during the players
next turn.

Exceptional Results
When rolling to traverse terrain, it is
possible to obtain an Exceptional Result.
For each success rolled, over and above
the 1 required for success, the model may

move an additional 1 through the terrain,

or over the gap. This additional movement
is entirely voluntary and a model is not
required to use it but it may be useful.

Shooting your Enemy

An essential part of Macrocosm is the ability of
characters to engage their enemies in ranged
combat. Whether this be shooting a gun, throwing a
grenade or the ability to avoid those attacks, high
risk firefights are integral to the game.

How do I Determine Range?

The range of weapons are measured by
placing your tape measure touching the
base of your model and measuring the
distance to the base of the target you are
firing at.
Ranged weapons can target enemies over
a great distance. In fact, almost all ranged
weapons (except thrown weapons such as
grenades) have a range that far exceeds
the areas designated by our 3X3 table.
While weapons may have great range,
they are not all equally effective over
greater range. As such, all weapons have
a Range stat to indicate the effective range
of the weapon. Beyond this range the
weapon is too inaccurate or lacks the
impact to properly affect a target. It cannot
affect any target beyond its effective range
in inches.

How do I Make an Attack Roll?

When rolling to hit a target, you must first
have a line of sight to the target. This
means that your model can see a
significant portion of the target (typically
the torso or head). Due to the dynamic
posing of models, we can generally ignore
arms, weapons and flailing legs, when
determining Line of Sight.
To make the attack roll against a target,
the player rolls 1D8, but gets a bonus dice
for each of Accuracy stat the model has
and each of Quality the weapon has.
The roll is opposed by the targets Speed,
plus any bonuses they get for
environmental effects, special rules or
powers.

Dodging a Shot
When being shot at, it is assumed that a
target is going to dodge. This is not always
the case. If the target is ambushed, they
will find it harder to Dodge, the player may
also choose for the character to Hunker
Down, where they simply take the hit and
hope their innate toughness and amour
can ignore the damage.

When the target chooses to dodge, the

player opposes an incoming shot with 1D8,
plus a bonus dice for each of Speed
their model has. This is further increased
by environmental factors, such as cover
and visibility (see below).
o Light Cover
A model in light cover gains a +1
bonus dice to dodge incoming
shots. Light cover is described as
terrain that obscures more than
33% of the target, but is made of
soft or easily penetrated material
(e.g. vegetation, advertising
signs, crates etc.).
o Heavy Cover
A model in heavy cover, is not
only harder to hit, but protected
from a measure of the damage
inflicted. Heavy Cover, grants +1
bonus dice to dodge and grants
+1 bonus dice to resist damage,
should the target be hit.
Heavy Cover is described as
terrain that obscures more than
33% of the target and is made of
a solid material (e.g. rocks, walls
etc.)
o Poor Visibility
It is not always possible to fight in
the most advantageous of
circumstances. The most
common battlefield effect that
influences shooting is poor
visibility. Poor Visibility
represents, smoke, darkness,
deep shadow or some other
effect that obscures a target, but
cant accurately be represented
by terrain. If there is poor
visibility, a target shot at is
permitted to reroll any D8 roll of a
1 when making a dodge (or any
ability to reroll dodge dice is
increased by +1). If they reroll any
dice, they must accept the result
of the second roll.

Ambush
Sometimes it is possible to
ambush a target. If a model
begins its activation completely
out of sight of an enemy, or they
were Hidden (see above) then
they have ambushed their target.
It is much harder for a target
enemy to dodge an attack when
they are ambushed. As such they
may only roll 1D8 when making
their dodge roll.

How do I Damage the Target?

Once a hit has been determined, you
should then roll for damage (see below).

Aimed Shots
A model can elect to make an aimed shot.
In order to make an aimed shot, the model
cannot also move during its activation (it is
too busy taking aim). If the model does not
move and shoots with an aimed shot, it
makes a single attack roll (i.e. no
additional attacks due to special rules) and
can reroll results of a 1 when making the
attack roll.
A model can only make an Aimed Shot
during their activation; they cannot apply
the Aimed Shot bonus to Pot Shots or any
other type of out of action shooting.

For Example Chris gets his Infested Thug to

shoot into hand-to-hand against Henrys Digger
Corpsman, who is engaged in combat with a
Malformed Host. Chris rolls to hit with 2 dice and
gets a 7 and a 1. Henry rolls to Dodge and gets a
5 His Digger has been hit by one dice. However,
because Chris rolled a 1, his model (the Malformed
Host) is also hit with one dice.

Firing into Hand-to-Hand with Multiple

Combatants
When shooting into a melee with multiple
combatants, the shooter must first
determine how many of their own friendly
models are in the combat. Each additional
combatant adds +1 to the likelihood that a
friendly model will be hit (i.e. 1 and 2 for 2
friendly models). A model hit in this way, is
always chosen by your opponent.

Template Weapons & Area Effects

These weapons produce a huge volume of
concentrated firepower, either through the
release of some agent (e.g. a gout of flame
or cloud of gas) or by creating an
explosion, which is defined by the outline
of a specific template.
These weapons are indiscriminate and will
attack any model under their template,
unless they can get out of the way.
When making an attack with one of these
weapons, the attacker places an
appropriate template and rolls to hit as
normal. Each target (friendly or enemy)
must roll to avoid the attack using the roll
the attacker made as the target number.
Those under the AoE do not gain bonus
dice for concealment, light cover or poor
lighting. Hard Cover acts as normal
provided it is between the centre of the
template and the model.

Exceptional Results
When rolling to hit with a ranged weapon,
it is possible to achieve an exceptional
result. For each additional success rolled
(above the one required to hit) the
attacking model gets to roll an additional
Damage Dice when making their damage
roll they have obviously hit with multiple
shots or even a particularly vulnerable
spot.

Note Some weapons are more accurate than a

standard gun and can reroll results of 1 and 2, or
even 1, 2 and 3 for very accurate weapons.

Pot Shots
If a model has not activated during a
players turn, it can declare an out of action
Pot Shot, at any enemy model that ends its
movement action within line of sight that is
not also hidden.
When a model makes a Pot Shot, they
make a normal attack roll, exactly as
above, but they may only ever fire a single
shot (i.e. Burst Fire and Rapid Fire have
no affect).
A model that makes a Pot Shot, cannot
then be activated during the controlling
players next turn.
Firing into Hand-to-Hand Combat
A shooter is able to fire into a melee
combat, in which they have allied models.
However, this is dangerous. Calculate the
dice as normal, however, if the shooter
rolls a 1, then their ally must take a dice of
damage (which is resisted normally but
increased by +1 for each of Power the
weapon has).

Fighting your Enemy

Ferocity and they get to roll bonus dice
equal to the Quality of any melee
weapon they may have
o Pistols in Hand-to-Hand
Combat
Pistols are a special case in close
combat. A Pistol is small enough
that it can be used in close
combat as a weapon. As such, it
counts as a melee weapon and
adds its Quality in dice to the
Ferocity attack roll as normal.
o Multiple Melee Weapons
Sometimes a model may be
armed with more than one melee
weapon. If this is the case, you
may choose which weapon to
fight with at the beginning of each
combat. Some exceptional
opponents can wield more than
one melee weapon at once. This
ability will be described on their
character description.
o Advantageous Terrain
Terrain generally has little effect
on hand-to-hand combat.
However, there are a couple of
exceptions. If a target is behind a
section of Heavy Cover, then a
model does not gain a reroll for
charging into hand-to-hand with
them (the cover is assumed to
cause the momentum of the
charge to falter). If an attacker is
on a higher section of terrain than
the model they are fighting, then
they gain +1 bonus dice to their
Damage roll (the higher elevation
allows them more access to
vulnerable areas of their target).

In addition to shooting at opponents, a character

may also get up close and personal, fighting an
enemy in hand-to-hand combat. As this sort of
fighting is much more chaotic and brutal, it follows
slightly different rules from ranged combat.

Moving into Melee Range

The majority of hand-to-hand combat will
be conducted while in base contact with
the opponent. As such, a model is required
to move into base contact in order to
initiate hand-to-hand.
Hand-to-Hand combat is automatic and
begins as soon as two models move into
base contact. Hand-to-hand occurs, even if
the moving model has already shot a
ranged weapon during their activation.
o Charging
If a model Sprints into base
contact, they are considered to
have charged. The increased
momentum allows them to reroll
1s on their damage dice when
rolling for damage against the
target they charged.
If a model already has a special
rule that allows it to reroll damage
dice with melee attacks, charging
increases this number by +1 (so
reroll 1, becomes reroll 1 & 2).
o Multiple Fighters
Sometimes a fighter may come
into base contact with multiple
enemies, or they might be dogpiled by more than one enemy
after combat begins. If a model is
in base contact with more than
one enemy model, they lose the
ability to add their Speed as
bonus dice to dodge. In addition,
the enemy attackers gain +1
bonus dice to their attack roll, due
to the added support of their
friends.
o No Melee or Inappropriate
Melee Weapon
Not all fighters in Macrocosm are
armed with melee weapons;
some may only have rifles or
heavy weapons; both of which
are not ideal for hand-to-hand
combat. If a model is only armed
with a ranged weapon, it does not
add its Quality to their hand-tohand attack rolls. In addition, they
must reroll results of an 8 when
making melee damage rolls.
How do I Make an Attack Roll?
Making an attack roll in hand-to-hand is
similar to that of a ranged attack, except
that the fighter uses their Ferocity stat to
make the attack roll. The fighter rolls 1D8 +
a number of bonus dice equal to their

Dealing with Enemy Melee Attacks

If your model is attacked in hand-to-hand,
they have a choice, they may dodge the
blow, or they may counter attack and try to
outfight their opponent.
o Dodging a Hand-to-Hand attack
Dodging an attack is similar to
dodging a ranged attack. The
model opposes the incoming
attack, using 1D8, plus a bonus
dice for each of Speed. If they
successfully dodge the attack, the
model is moved 1 away from all
attackers in the combat and is no
longer considered to be in handto-hand.

Counter Attack
If a character decides to Counter
Attack, then they oppose the
incoming attack, using 1D8 plus a
bonus dice for each of their
Ferocity with an additional bonus
dice for each point of Quality their
weapon possesses. If they
succeed, they damage their
attacker, exactly as if they had
instigated the combat.
Ambush
Just like a ranged attack, if a
model begins its activation
completely out of sight of an
enemy, or they were Hidden (see
above) then they have ambushed
their target.
It is much harder for a target
enemy to dodge an attack when
they are ambushed. As such they
may only roll 1D8 when making
their dodge roll.

How do I Damage the Target?

Once a hit has been determined, you
should then roll for damage (see below).

Exceptional Results
It is possible to achieve and exceptional
result with an attack roll, dodge roll or
counter attack roll. In the case of an attack
or counter attack, exceptional results add
an additional damage dice for each
success over and above the one required
to hit. For the dodge roll, the model can be
moved an additional 1 out of combat, for
each additional success.

Taking Damage
The ultimate purpose of combat is to injure or kill
your opponent. As such, we must have a way to
determine who if anyone is not going back to their
loved ones after this battle.

Making a Damage Roll

To make a damage roll, the attacking
player takes a number of Damage Dice, as
determined by the number of successes
they got on their attack roll, plus a number
of bonus dice equal to the Power of the
weapon they are using. In response the
target being damaged, tries to resist the
impact, using 1D8 for each of
Resilience they have.
If the attacker succeeds, they reduce the
Health of the target by .
If the defender succeeds, they have
shrugged of the damage and can continue
to activate as normal.

The Effect of Armour

Armour is key to survival on the brutal
battlefields of Macrocosm. However, it is
expensive and not always available to the
standard soldier. Armour is rated on a
scale of 1-3 , with each point allowing
you to reroll a D8 of up to that number
when resisting damage.
Some weapons in Macrocosm have the
ability to penetrate amour more easily.
They effectively reduce the number that
can be rerolled by -1, if the reroll number
reaches 0 then the reroll is lost. The level
of this effect will be recorded on a
characters description.

Alternative Damage Types

While all damage can be ultimately fatal,
certain weapons deliver damage of a
specific type, be it burning, freezing or
spraying their target with virulent acid.
Some armour types and races will be more
resistant to certain types of damage. This
will be recorded on their character
descriptions.
o Fire Damage
This weapon sets opponents
alight. Not only do they take initial
damage from the weapon, but
they also take an additional
damage roll at the end of the
opposing players turn. This
additional damage roll is made
using a number of dice equal to
the weapons Damage and is
opposed as normal.
Each turn, the additional damage
roll is reduced by 1 dice, until no
more are rolled and the fire has
gone out.

Effects & Impediments

Not all damage is designed to cause
instant death. Some is more insidious and
causes an effect that will limit the model for
a short duration or even for the remainder
of the battle, making them less effective or
easier to defeat. These effects are listed
on a characters description, but here are
some general types:
o Knocked Down
A model that is knocked down is
in a prone position. A model that
is knocked down can choose to
either stand up, or crawl 2 as

their movement portion of their

action. If they elect to crawl, the
model remains knocked down.
While knocked down, a model
only ever rolls 1D8 to dodge and
cannot elect to Counter Attack
opponents in hand-to-hand
combat.
If they were engaged in hand-tohand combat, they are
immediately disengaged.
A model that is knocked down
while in base contact with a
terrain feature is considered to be
Hidden until it stands up or moves
out of base contact with the
terrain.
Any model (friendly or enemy) in
base contact with a model that is
knocked down can claim Light
Cover from the knocked down
model.
A knocked down (or injured
model) can be carried or dragged

like an object of size 1-3. 1 for

standard (30mm base) models, 2
for Hefty (or 40mm base) and 3
for Immense (or 50mm base)
models.

Exceptional Results
It is possible to achieve an exceptional
result with a damage roll. For each
success, over and above the one required
to succeed, the attacker reduces the
Health of their target by one additional .
If a damage resistance roll gains an
exceptional result, it is possible to use the
additional successes to remove existing ill
effects, or prevent additional effects from
the resisted attack. As the target gains a
sudden adrenalin burst. For each success
over and above the one required, the
model may remove one ongoing effect
they are suffering from, or may stand up if
knocked down.

Health & Injury

A characters Health stat represents their ability to
take damage and still keep moving and fighting. If
this stat ever drops to zero, the model is injured and
can no longer activate.

Unable to Activate
Sometimes a model will be affected by an
attack or effect that stops them activating.
In this case, the models activation
immediately ends and it cannot be
selected for a normal activation, until the
required duration is up, or in the case of
injury, it receives healing.
When a model is unable to activate
normally, it can still select to use the Gotta
Keep Fighting action (see below).
o Injured
When a models Health drops to
zero, they are injured. Theyre not
dead (at least not yet), but they
are Unable to Activate and
Knocked Down (see above) for
the rest of the game, or until they
receive some form of treatment or
healing. Those that can provide
healing have this noted on their
character descriptions. In any
case, an injured model can still
receive an activation, but the only
action it can take is Gotta Keep
Fighting!

Gotta Keep Fighting!

This is the last ditch attempt of a fighter to
keep going and finish their mission (or
escape from harm). In order to keep going,
a model must make roll using Resilience.
This is always opposed by 3 Dice from
your opponent.
If the injured model succeeds, it can
activate normally, but must consider all of
its stats to be a single for the remainder
of the battle.
If the injured model fails the effort of
trying to get back into the battle causes
them to take one of Health damage. If it
is injured, then the strain is too much and it
is removed as a casualty

Becoming a Casualty
This is the most decisive effect a model
can suffer from during a game of
Macrocosm. If an injured model is attacked
and damaged again, it is removed as a
casualty.
In a campaign, the exact result of what
happens to the model is determined
randomly. However, in the case of a oneoff or skirmish battle, the model is
considered to be dead.

Exceptional Results
It is possible to get an exceptional result
when rolling for Gotta Keep Fighting. For
each success over and above the one
required, the model can be moved 1 from
its starting position, potentially getting it
into some lifesaving cover.

Missions and Objectives

Why are these Factions Fighting?
No game of Macrocosm would be complete without
a reason for your factions to battle. Thats where we
come to the concepts of Primary and Secondary
Objectives, but what are they?
Primary Objectives
These are the specific reasons that your faction has
taken to the field. Perhaps they are required to
scout a particular area, or may they have been
dispatched to eliminate the enemy presence in the
area. Whichever it is, the Primary Objective tends to
be relatively straight forward and completion of a
Primary Objective ends the game and awards
victory to the faction that completed their required
task.

Before a game begins, each faction should

generate their own Primary Objective from
the Primary Objective Table (see below).
Sometimes factions will have the same
Primary Objective, but its more likely they
will have separate reasons for fighting and
different win conditions.

Secondary Objectives
These are much more nebulous and overarching
reasons to battle. They represent the motivations
and ultimate goals of your faction. Completing

Secondary Objective allow your faction to

accumulate Mission Points (MPs). These points are
used to determine victory, should both sides fail to
complete their Primary Objective before the game
time elapses. However, the MPs accumulated
during a battle are of particular importance when
playing campaign games, as the MPs can be spent
to provide additional equipment, upgrades and
replacements for your faction.

Before a game begins, each faction should

have the list of secondary objectives
available to their faction (which can be
downloaded from the Macrocosm website).
As they complete each one, they gain the
number of MPs indicated on the list.

Failure Conditions
As well as being able to complete your Objectives,
there are ways that your opponent can foil your
plans. If your opponent completes the Failure
Conditions on your Primary Objective, you have
failed and cannot score a victory unless you also foil
your opponent (by completing their Failure
Conditions) and score more MPs for your
Secondary Objectives in other words
recovering from a failure is more difficult that simply
succeeding in the first place!

Primary Objective Table

D8 Roll

Primary Objective

Recon & Report

You are required to explore the general area and then report your findings back to command.
Requirements For this Objective, you require 3 areas of terrain, each of which must be at least 10 from
each other. If your table does not have this requirement, you may reroll this Objective. You select 2 areas of
terrain, you opponent selects 1. You are required to have a Faction member, enter the selected areas of terrain
and complete a successful Spot Roll, opposed by 2D8.
Victory Conditions Once you have completed all three Spot Checks successfully, you have won.
Failure Conditions Your opponent places enemy models in all three terrain areas, before you manage to
complete a successful Spot Roll.

Rescue Mission
One of your team has become separated and pinned down. They have vital information, relevant to your overall
goals. You must to rescue them in order to continue.
Requirements For this Objective, you require a piece of terrain that grants hard cover outside of both your
and your enemys deployment zone. If this requirement is not met, reroll this Objective. Select one of your
models. Your opponent may place this model within the selected area of hard cover. This model is considered
to be pinned down and afraid. They may not move and are considered to be hidden. They are allowed to make
Pot Shots, but if they do, they are no longer considered to be hidden, until they choose to hide again. Once a
friendly model has approached within 6 of the model to be rescued, it can activate normally.
Victory Conditions Once it can activate normally, the model to be rescued must be returned to your
Deployment Zone. If you get them there, you win.
Failure Conditions The model to be rescued is removed from the table.

Secure That Location

You need to secure a tactical location in order to defeat and confound the enemy.
Requirements For this objective, you need a relatively large terrain piece (at least 6 in diameter). If such a
terrain piece does not exist, then reroll this Objective.
Victory Conditions Choose a suitable terrain piece at the start of the battle. You need to get your models
into this terrain piece and defeat or force back any enemy models to at least 8 away. If at the end of any turn,
there are no active enemy models within 8 of your chosen terrain piece (while you have active models within
it). You have won.
Failure Conditions Your opponent manages to get at least 1 model within the chosen terrain piece and you
have no active models within 8 at the end of any turn.

Patrol Route
You need to secure a safe route through the area.
Requirements None
Victory Conditions You must get your models from your deployment zone to the enemy deployment zone
and at least one of them must leave the table via the enemy table edge.
Failure Conditions The enemy removes 2 or more of your models from the table while they are in the enemy
deployment zone.

Equipment Drop
Your allies are dropping or have hidden some useful supplies in the local area. You need to find them and get
them back to your base.
Requirements A suitable marker to indicate the supply crate. Place the marker for the supply crate in the
centre of the table. Your opponent then rolls to scatter the marker twice. It must end up at least 6 from its
starting position. The supply crate is a (size ) object.
Victory Conditions One of your models must pick up the supply crate and take it off the edge of the table via
your deployment zone. If you get the crate off the table, you win.
Failure Conditions Your opponent can destroy the supply crate. It is hit automatically by hand-to-hand
attacks and avoids ranged attacks with . It also uses to resist damage. If it is damaged, it is destroyed.

Enemy Contact
You have encountered the enemy now you must drive them back or eliminate them.
Requirements None
Victory Conditions You have removed 50% or more of your enemys models from the table or they have
chosen to retreat.
Failure Conditions 50% or more of your faction have been removed from the table, or you have chosen to
retreat.

Fighting Retreat
Trapped outside your normal deployment zone, you need to fight your way back to safety.
Requirements For this objective, you need a relatively large terrain piece (at least 6 in diameter). If such a
terrain piece does not exist, then reroll this Objective.
Victory Conditions Choose a suitable terrain piece at the start of the battle. You must deploy at least 50% of
your Faction inside the chosen terrain. You need to get at least one of the models deployed in the chosen
terrain off your table edge, via your deployment zone. If you do, you have won.
Failure Conditions All of the models deployed within the chosen terrain piece are removed from the table or
inactive at the end of any turn.

Kill or Be Killed
Its time for revenge! You are hunting an enemy commander and nothing short of death will do for victory
Requirements None
Victory Conditions You remove an enemy commander from the table.
Failure Conditions Your commander is removed from the table.

Macrocosm the Game, the Macrocosm logo are trademarks of Macrocosm Games.
The exclusive copyright in the contents of this package is the copyright of Macrocosm Games 2015
All rights reserved.