Here’s a scenario written specifically for the Dust Rats that you might enjoy. The defender has to defend an SSV cut off from a convoy until the necessary repairs can be completed – looks like an ideal opportunity for some of the other denizens of Da Skid!
These rules and artwork are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share-Alike license. The rules were written by Matt McPherson with assistance from Ben Fox who also created the layout graphics.
Now that the Dust Rat rules have been released, there’s a couple of other things we’d like give you.
We’ve created a basic set of Dust Rat Tagz to get you started. Eventually we’ll probably create an advanced pack, so if you have any suggestions, go post them in a topic about Tagz that Flamekebab created on several forums. Here’s the discussion topic for them on The Waaagh.
Basic Dust Rat Tagz – US Letter PDF
Basic Dust Rat Tagz – raw image (PNG)
Confused as to what the hell we’re talking about? Go have a look at this post, all, or at least most, will be revealed.
If you need a blank grid for your tags you should also check out that post, but we’ll save you some time:
Blank Grid A4 PDF
Blank Grid US Letter PDF
Blank Grid raw image (PNG)
There’s a number of things post-battle to be dealt with. Here we’ve got them listed together, although in the finished work they’ll probably be split over several sections. Hopefully you can see how they fit together.
After each engagement Dust Rats usually return to base, or at least the nearest outpost. Their CO will spend the time liaising with his chain of command and being briefed on further operations, whilst the Veteran will make sure the unit’s needs are met, procuring ammunition, fuel, and rations. Grunts and Planks are not without responsibility as income is their burden; the precise nature of the work varies but they are always kept busy – armed men with too much free time cause trouble. The tasks assigned to them vary from guard duty, maintenance, training, or whatever is needed. This allows them to not only earn a little scrip for themselves, but to ensure the unit is not seen as shirkers. Those who contribute are rewarded, those who don’t must make do.
Grunts and Planks who are not seriously injured after a game will provide income for the unit, Officers and Veterans will not. Each Grunt earns D6 teef, whereas Planks only earn D3 teef. Income is also available from ‘Ardboyz Bonus (see page 65 of Da Uvver Book) – a unit punching above its weight needs to be encouraged after all!
Income should be put through the chart on page 65 of Da Uvver Book ("Collecting Teef") to indicate how much profit remains after upkeep costs have been paid.
The Dust Rats have a medical corps who serve a vital function in keeping the units fighting fit and on their feet. While not as fraught with danger as a trip to the Dok in Mektown, the relative frailty of a human is a factor when it comes to bioniks. The human skeleton will just not stand up to the kind of punishment that an Ork can at the hands of their crazy sawbones.
If you wish you may send any members of your mob who have serious injuries in for surgery after a game. This will cost D6 teef, regardless of the result, which is then added to the warrior’s total cost on the roster sheet.
The following procedures can be carried out:
1. Resupply and Rearm – For arm wounds.
2. On Your Feet Soldier – For leg wounds.
3. Jarheads – For head wounds and warriors who are blinded in one eye
4. Searchin’ for Shrapnel – For chest wounds and old battle wounds.
Select one and then roll on the Prep the OR table.
Once a warrior has had surgery on a serious injury he will not be able to have the same body part tended to again for fear of causing further complications. Dust Rats are tough, but they’re not that tough.
As bionics fitted to the warrior still remain under the jurisdiction of the Medical Corps the boys in Engineering and the Armoury are forbidden from doing any work on them. Whilst it is possible they could be improved, it would pose a serious risk to the patient’s health that is simply not acceptable.
This isn’t to say that the Medical Corps work is always perfect. Problems do happen and when they do extra resources are set aside to fix the problem. Should a warrior have to roll on the Complications! table then it is not permanent, assuming the Rat can make it back to base after their next battle for corrective surgery (this functions in the same way as Corrective Serjery, see page 79 of Da Uvver Book).
1. Experimental Surgery – The Rat is pretty badly mangled by his injury and the doctor is improvising by the skin of his teeth to try and save his life. It works, but at a cost. Refer to the Complications! Table to see the after effects of the new technique.
2. Physical Therapy – The procedure has succeeded but the Rat is going to need some time to get back in shape from the truly tough surgery. Functions as Da Patient is Restin’ (see page 79 of Da Uvver Book).
3. Carry On – The Rat has gone in for surgery but as a result of limited supplies, swapped charts or just being worked on by a junior surgeon, a different treatment has been applied. Roll D3 to determine which of the remaining types of surgery he has undergone instead.
4-6. Ready for Deployment – The Rat is back on his feet and raring to get his revenge on the ones who forced him under the knife. Refer to the appropriate table for the results.
1. Stumped – In order to prevent infection and save his life, the doctors have amputated the soldiers arm. He suffers -1 WS and cannot hold a weapon in that arm. A warrior with both arms "Stumped" is retired.
2. Neuro-prosthetic – The Rat has had a neurally interfaced prosthetic fitted. It is treated as having a perfectly normal arm but he must pay a 1 toof maintenance cost between games. If he cannot pay, he cannot participate in a battle until it is paid.
3. Fire Support Plate – The surgeon has replaced the arm with a bulky plate that can be used to stabilise a weapon being fired, giving +1" to the short range of the weapon. In melee, it functions as a club at User Strength. The warrior cannot hold a weapon in this arm.
4. Gas Powered Grenade Launcher – The prosthetic has been designed for combat by the armoury, incorporating the barrel of an old grenade launcher. As a result he can throw grenades +2" further than normal and may reroll his first failed roll to prevent Stikkbombs Wild! coming into effect (see page 47 of Da Roolz). A full turn is required to refill the gas chamber before it be used again. The warrior cannot hold a weapon in this arm. In hand to hand combat, the barrel of the launcher functions as a club at User Strength.
5. Microfibre Muscles – The Rat has been equipped with microfibre implants in his muscles. The warrior gains +1 Strength.
6. D.E.W. Gauntlet – The Rat has been given an experimental weapon which functions as a D.E.W. Pistol. He can also hold a melee weapon in his hand without issue as the lasgun emitter is fairly flush with the palm of the hand but he cannot use both weapons in the same turn.
1. Hobbled – The medical staff couldn’t save the leg and have fitted a simplistic prosthetic. The warrior loses -1" from his Basic Movement.
2.-3. Neuro-prosthetic – The Rat has been given a fairly advanced prosthetic and his leg wound is gone. However, he must pay a 1 toof maintenance cost to keep the fairly intricate device working after each fight. If he cannot pay, he is not allowed to participate in the next battle until the maintenance cost is paid.
4. Microfibre Muscles – The warrior has been upgraded with microfibres that increase his muscle power and endurance. He gains +1" for his Basic Move
5. Rifle Leg – Another experimental option that was first successfully used on a female Rat some years ago. The warrior gains a Carbine in his leg and can sacrifice his movement to fire it in addition to any guns he is carrying in his arms.
6. Experimental Cocktail – Faced with ever more challenging surgeries, the doctors have tried a new therapy of combined drugs and surgery. As a result, the soldier gains +2" to his Basic Move and +1 Initiative.
1. Shellshock – The surgery has left the soldier with a phobia. At the start of each of your turns, roll a Leadership test. If the warrior fails, he is automatically Pinned. This Leadership test can be affected by the Show Some Backbone!! skill.
2. Metal Plate – The warrior’s head wound is repaired thanks to a heavy metal plate and some interesting scarring.
3. Eye Scar – The warrior has a deep slash over one eye and looks much more grizzled after the surgery, gaining +1 Leadership in the process.
4. Sharpened Instincts – Whatever rewiring has gone on during the healing process has given the soldier sharpened senses. He gains +1 Initiative.
5. Reckless – The warrior has had his sense of fear impaired as a result of the surgery. The model is no longer subject to the Pinning Rules and ignores the effects of Fear. Terror still affects him normally.
6. Tac Helmet Visor – The Rat has been equipped with a modified visor from a tactical helmet. He gains +1 BS as the visor marks targets for him.
1. Waiting Room – Just as the surgeon was about to start, another more serious casualty came in and the warrior was forced to wait. Roll on the Serious Injury Table, ignoring Dead and Captured but NOT Bitter Enmity. The extra wait can still instil a serious grudge.
2. Internal Injuries – The warrior has suffered internal injuries that only time can heal. He loses -1" from his Basic Move and -1 Toughness.
3. Stimm-injector – The warrior has had an implanted auto-injector put into his chest and can once per battle give himself a shot of adrenaline during his turn. This gives him +1 WS, +1 BS and +1 Toughness and he is no longer subject to pinning until the start of his next turn. This can only be used once per battle then it must be reloaded with the appropriate cartridge. There is no additional maintenance cost for refilling this between battles. These boosts override the normal fixed maximum statline for a Dust Rats.
4. Chem-inhaler – The warrior has had an inhalant mask attached to aid his breathing and can choose to give himself a dose of painkiller in battle during his turn. This removes 1 Flesh Wound from the warrior and additionally provides +1 Toughness to the model until the start of its next turn. This can only be used once per battle and then it must be reloaded with the appropriate cartridge. There is no additional maintenance cost for refilling this between battles. This allows a model to briefly exceed the maximum stated Toughness for a Dust Rat model.
5. Scar Tissue – The warrior is successfully healed but he has a mass of extra scar tissue on his torso which is numb to all sensation. He gains +1 Wounds.
6. Super Soldier – Experimental medicine has given the Rat greatly improved physical attributes. He gains +1 Toughness, +1 Initiative, +1 Attack and his choice of +1 to WS or BS.
1. Torn Stitches – The warrior accidentally tears his stitches and immediately goes Out of Action.
2. Oxygen Deprivation – The Rat became hypoxic during the surgery and is suffered minor brain damage as a result. He needs another model within 2" to remind him that he’s fighting in a battle or he cannot run or shoot. HtH applies normally as the primal parts of the brain aren’t really affected.
3. Diminished Capacity – The surgery was successful enough but some of the Rat’s organs are damaged and do not function as well as a result of the surgery. He suffers -1 Toughness.
4. Twinges – The warrior suffers painful twinges from damaged nerves. He suffers -1 Initiative.
5. Giving him Gyp – The warrior suffers pain from his surgery and gains an Old Battle Wound.
6. Fungal Infection – The warrior has gotten ork spores in his wounds and as a result, small fungus grows all over him. He suffers -1 Leadership and is prescribed a special cream.
Dust Rat vehicle repairs and customisation work in precisely the same way as for Ork mobs, as described under "Getting It Fixed" (Da Uvver Book, pg 53) and "Da Mekboy’z Workshop" (Da Uvver Book, pg 71) respectively.
Dust Rat mobs may get their weaponry customised in the same way Orks do (as described in "Da Mekboy’z Workshop, Da Uvver Book, pg 71). Admittedly they don’t go to Mektown for it, but for all intents and purposes the rules work the same.
Not all Gubbinz may be mounted on all Dust Rat vehicles; the following limitations apply:
Bikes may not take Extra Armour, Bullbar, Loadsa Ammo or Scrap Magnet.
LRVs may not take Scrap Magnet.
SSVs may not take Advanced Suspension.
Prisoners have value to the Dust Rats, but mainly only for the information they can provide, after which point they become entirely expendable. Any warriors captured by the Dust Rats will be taken to the nearest outpost for interrogation before being summarily executed. Warriors interrogated in this way may well give away some very useful secrets for which the capturing mob will be handsomely rewarded with 2D6 teef.Similarly vehicles will be towed back, dismantled, and their parts repurposed or melted down (yielding 3D6 teef, as detailed on page 54 of Da Uvver Book). The enemy mob gets a single chance to rescue their warrior or vehicle, after which their fate is sealed.
Should a Dust Rat fall into enemy hands there are several things which can happen, depending on the captors. Muties will execute the hideous smoothskin, seeing everything they have lost in the captive, similarly captives taken by Rebel Grots will never be seen again (see pages 75 and 51 of Digganob, respectively). Diggas will hand the captive over to Da Wrecker, as detailed on page 27 of Digganob. Orks may force captured Dust Rats to work in their mines, just like any other captives (see page 65 of Da Uvver Book).
Welcome to the final week of Orktober. We’re going to be releasing the last of the Dust Rat rules in the next few days, and then a summary post to make it easier to find all the pieces.
The first part of these campaign rules can be found here.
Dust Rat Experience
Dust Rats gain experience just like other mobs – for surviving, kicking ass and doing other things that require nerves of steel. Each Dust Rat has a different starting level, representing the experience they have prior to joining the unit. Please note that this doesn’t give them stat upgrades or skills, those are earned through additional experience earned during their time in the unit. For example, a Grunt may start with 34 experience points but will not gain an upgrade until he reaches at least 41 experience points.
|
Type of Warrior |
Initial Experience Points |
|
Commanding Officer |
80+1D6 |
|
Veteran |
60+1D6 |
|
Grunt |
30+1D6 |
|
Plank |
10+1D6 |
Dust Rats get all the normal Underdog and Experience bonuses that other mobs get. The table below indicates when a Dust Rats has earned enough experience for a roll on the Dust Rats Advances Table.
|
Exp. Points |
Title |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
0-5 |
Sprog |
|
|
6-10 |
Meatshield |
|
|
11-20 |
Plank |
Starting level for Planks |
|
21-30 |
Plank |
|
|
31-40 |
Grunt |
Starting level for Grunts. Planks who reach this level become Grunts. |
|
41-50 |
Grunt |
|
|
51-60 |
Specialist |
|
|
61-80 |
Veteran |
Starting level for Veterans. |
|
81-100 |
Sergeant |
Starting level for Commanding Officers |
|
101-120 |
Sergeant at Arms |
|
|
121-140 |
Staff Sergeant |
|
|
141-160 |
Gunnery Sergeant |
|
|
161-180 |
First Sergeant |
|
|
181-200 |
Master Gunnery Sgt. |
|
|
201-240 |
Sergeant Major |
|
|
241-280 |
Lieutenant |
|
|
281-320 |
Captain |
|
|
321-360 |
Major |
|
|
361-400 |
Lieutenant?Colonel |
|
|
401+ |
Colonel |
Warriors who reach this level may not advance any further. |
?
Advance rolls should be made after a battle so both players can witness the result. Roll 2D6:
| ADVANCE TABLE | |
| 2D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | Know-wots. Choose any of the skill tables and randomly generate a skill from it. |
| 3-4 | Know-wots. Select one of the standard skill tables for the mob and randomly generate a skill from it. |
| 5 | ‘Arder. Roll a D6: 1-3 = +1 Strength; 4-6 = +1 Attacks |
| 6 | ‘Arder. Roll a D6: 1-3 = +1 WS; 4-6 = +1 BS |
| 7 | ‘Arder. Roll a D6: 1-3 = +1 Initiative; 4-6 = +1 Leadership |
| 8 | ‘Arder. Roll a D6: 1-3 = +1 BS; 4-6 = +1 WS |
| 9 | ‘Arder. Roll a D6: 1-3 = +1 Wounds; 4-6 = +1 Toughness |
| 10-11 | Know-wots. Select one of the standard skill tables for the mob and randomly generate a skill from it. |
| 12 | Know-wots. Choose any of the skill tables and randomly generate a skill from it. |
?
The maximum statline for a Dust Rat is listed below, just as with other mobs, if a characteristic increase would take the warrior above the maximum, the other option is raised instead. If the other one is also maxed out, you may choose one other to increase by 1.
| Max Value | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUST RAT | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
?
On a roll of 3-4 and 10-11 on the Advance Table a Dust Rat gains a skill, the table below indicates which skill lists they may choose from. On a roll of 2 or 12 they may ignore the table’s restrictions.
| Muscle | Ferocity | Driving | Cunnin’ | Dakka | Odd | Tactical | |
| COs | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Veterans | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y |
| Grunts | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y |
| Planks | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N |
?
1. Spotter
A warrior with this skill may choose to sacrifice his shooting to spot for a friendly model within 2". If he does so, the affected model’s weapon is given +1 to hit modifier regardless of range, on top of any modifiers the model may already incur for this shot (short or long range, positives or negatives, cover, large target, etc). This represents the warrior assisting a fellow comrade to increase the precision of his marksmanship. so instead of an increased short range, this may be substituted for a +1 to hit modifier when the affected model is shooting. Long range remains unaffected.
2. Ghillied Up
The warrior has learnt to blend into his surroundings through camouflage and field training. If an enemy model wishes to make a ranged attack against the model and the distance is 12" or more then a -1 to hit modifier applies. The warrior must be on foot to receive this bonus, and it is not affected by being Pinned or Down.
3. Show Some Backbone!
(Commanding Officers only) Any model within 6" of the warrior may roll an extra D6 when taking leadership tests for psychology (including headwounds) and choose the two lowest scores. This only applies if the CO is not down or pinned.
4. Field Medic
The warrior has been "promoted" and is now the unit’s medic. He may sacrifice his entire turn to tend to a friendly model who has a flesh wound or is Down. On a 5+ the warrior successfully patches them up. Down models stay Down but if they roll a Flesh Wound in the recovery phase they get back up (without a flesh wound), although they can still go OoA on a 6, as it’s not guaranteed – this ain’t field surgery!
5. INCOMING!!
The warrior has a sixth sense for incoming enemy explosives and has learnt to take cover when he gets that feeling. Takes effect during the enemy shooting phase. Once the enemy has chosen the location to throw his grenade/stikkbomb, (assuming the warrior is in the affected area), he may take an initiative test to avoid being hit. If passed, the warrior moves D3" in a random direction determined by the scatter dice. Then the enemy throws it as normal, working out if it hits or scatters as normal.
6.Suppressing Fire
The warrior has mastered pinning enemies using firearms. If he chooses, the warrior may sacrifice his turn to pin down one enemy warrior within range. Roll to hit as normal to determine whether an ammo roll is required, but disregard the result otherwise. The chosen enemy model may not move or shoot this turn. If they become engaged in hand to hand they will fight back as normal, and frenzied models may not be pinned in this way. This skill may be used on Orks, even though they are normally immune to pinning.
Dust Rats benefit from skills exactly as they are written in Da Uvver Book. The one exception is Well ‘Ard (Ferocity skill) – as stated in the skill description, only Orks may have this skill, so Dust Rats must re-roll if they get this result.
For those of you who are interested Kromlech have opened a store on eBay so you can buy directly from them if you so choose.
(Either link should work worldwide, it’s more that the UK one will list the price in pounds too)
